#uswnt x reader
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Age Is Just A Number (It Shouldn't Hold You Back) (Alex Morgan x Reader)
If there was one thing you didn't expect when you joined the USWNT, it was to develop a relationship with Alex Morgan, one that consisted of playful teasing and flirting. Despite the fact that she was ten years your senior, something she continuously reminded you of, you couldn't help but fall for her, age be damned, now if only Alex felt the same way.
Your tongue swipes along your lips as you watch Alex Morgan move to her feet, the woman’s uniform now drenched thanks to the waterlogged pitch you were being forced to play on in the semifinals against Canada in the Women’s Gold Cup.
You move past her, a smirk on your face.
“Looking good, as always Morgan.” You tease, and she rolls her eyes, giving you a playful shove as you all gather in the box for the incoming corner kick.
“Shut up.” She shakes her head, though she can’t bite back a smile.
You lick your lips, watching as Rose Lavelle sets up the corner kick, her hand held high in the air as she prepares to fire the ball.
The second the ball leaves her foot you know it’s yours, your teammates covered by the Canadian players.
You leap into the air, using your height to your advantage, jumping high above the Canadian players defending you, the ball ricocheting of your head and inches past Kailen Sheridan’s gloved hands.
You again jump into the air, throwing a fist above your head as your teammates surround you, ruffling your hair.
Rose jumps into your arms, and you lift her in the air before twirling.
“Nice corner as always Rosie.” You say, the woman giggling.
You turn towards Alex, a smirk stretching across your face.
“Are you impressed yet?” You flirt and she snorts, throwing an arm around your shoulders.
“It WAS an impressive header.” She says and you snicker.
“Don’t worry, you’ll fall for me soon.” You wink and she giggles, her cheeks flushing slightly as she makes her way towards her place on the field, ready to put the ball back into play.
***********************************************************************
The whistle blows and you sigh in relief, your clothes sticking to your body considering the rain had started back up towards the end of the second half.
A number of your teammates jog your way, Emily Sonnett in particular jumping on your back.
“Way to use your freakish tallness to take us through to the finalssss!” Emily says, her chin resting on the top of your head and you snort.
“I knew it was good for SOMETHING.” You snicker as the woman slides of your back before sprinting towards Lindsey and Rose.
Meanwhile, you make your way towards Alex, a smirk stretching across your face.
“So, what did you think of my performance?” You ask and she shakes her head.
“Ehhh.” She says and you throw your head back with a groan.
Alex nudges you with her hip.
“I’m kidding, you did great.”
You smile, throwing your arm around her middle, giving her side a squeeze, something that makes her cheeks flush.
“I do have to admit...” You say, leaning towards her, the proximity between you making her cheeks darken.
“I really like seeing you all wet.” You wink and she gives you a shove.
“Stop it.” She says, sticking her tongue out.
“I already told you, I’m too old for you.” She says exasperatedly and you shrug.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.” You bite your bottom lip, noting the way Alex’s throat bobs.
“Y/N?” You turn, smiling when you see that you’re being waved over for an interview.
You back away from Alex, your eyes raking down her front, your tongue swiping at your lips.
“I think you’re JUST the right age for me.” You smirk, sending her another wink before jogging towards the waiting analyst.
Alex groans, rolling her eyes.
Despite the fact that Alex had told you multiple times that she was far too old for you, you continued to flirt relentlessly.
In all honesty, she HAD thought about it, but she knew you should be with someone your own age, not someone 10 years your senior.
“Mommyyyy!”
Alex smiles scooping Charlie up in her arms as she darts across the field, her little arms wrapping around her neck.
Not only was she 10 years your senior, but a mother as well, meaning her number one priority was Charlie, and would always be Charlie.
Across the field, you watch the pair with a soft smile.
“Jesus Christ, do you ever think of ANYTHING else?” Emily asks, throwing an arm around you and you grin.
“Hey, you can’t blame me for trying.” You smirk, unable to take your eyes off the forward as she makes the way around the field, Charlie in her arms.
“I mean, Alex IS milf material.” Emily shrugs, not realizing Kelley was standing behind her.
“I’m totally going to tell her you said that.” The older woman snickers and Emily’s eyes widen, her cheeks flushing.
“You wouldn’t dare...!” She says, chasing after Kelley as she sprints towards Alex.
You shake your head as you turn, shaking your opponent’s waiting hands.
You knew deep down you probably never had a chance with Alex Morgan, but there was no harm in flirting, was there?
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“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were falling for me.” You tease as you hoist Alex to her feet after she goes down at practice.
Alex’s blue orbs widen when you reach towards her face, delicately brushing a piece of grass off her forehead.
She’s unable to stop her breath from hitching when your fingertips lightly graze her jawline, your eyes holding a softness she hadn’t seen all that often.
You clear your throat, your cheeks flushing as your bravado completely shifts, a cocky grin stretching across your face.
You send her a wink before making your back to your position on the field.
Alex’s throat bobs as you lift your shirt, using it to wipe the sweat from your face, revealing the chiseled muscle that hid beneath your shirt.
“Jan, you’ve got some drool on your chin.” Kelley teases as she jogs passed, earning a glare from the seasoned forward.
“I do not.” She grumbles and Kelley snorts.
“Could’ve fooled me.”
Alex turns away with a growl, again finding you on the field as you sprint towards Emily Sonnett, sliding in and swiping the ball from her, the blonde playfully nudging you on her way by.
Watching the interaction makes something stir within Alex, her blue orbs narrowing as she glares at the blonde.
She clears her throat, giving her head a shake before making her way down field and back into the scrimmage, putting whatever was churning in her stomach at the back of her mind.
************************************************************************
The more she saw you and Emily interact, the more her stomach churned, it didn’t take her long to realize exactly what she was feeling.
It was jealousy.
She tried her best to ignore it, but it continued to rear its ugly head.
It was then she realized she needed to put distance between the two of you, she had to ignore what she was feeling, you deserved someone your own age, not someone 10 years older than you.
It was in that moment she decided she had to put distance between the two of you, she had to ignore your constant flirting, she had to avoid you, she had to stop the feeling in her chest when she saw you with Emily Sonnett.
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“Looking good as always Morgan.” You wink as the huddle breaks, your eyes widening when Alex completely ignores you and turns away, jogging onto the field.
You frown, your brows knitted in confusion.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Emily asks, her hand resting on your back.
You shake your head.
“N-Nothing.” You mumble, slowly making your way towards the bench.
Maybe she hadn’t heard you?
Maybe she was so focused on the game that she just forgot to respond?
Whatever it was, it made your heart ache.
The whistle blows and you jump, pulled out of your thoughts when the fans cheer and the game ultimately starts.
************************************************************************
When the halftime whistle blows, you jog towards Alex, her throat visibly bobbing.
“Showing off for me?" You tease, screeching to a halt when Alex silently walks past you, in no way acknowledging your presence.
It was then you realize that she HAD heard you earlier, she'd just chose to ignore you, something that tears your heart in two.
“Why the long face?” Emily asks as she slings her arm around your shoulders, your frown deepening.
“Alex is ignoring me...” You mumble sadly, Emily’s brows furrow.
“Did something happen between the two of you?” She asks and you shake your head, the two of you making your way towards the locker room.
“Not that I know of.” You say, Emily humming.
“Maybe she’s just focused on the game?” She says, her head cocked to the side, and you shrug dejectedly.
“Yeah, maybe.”
************************************************************************
It turns out, Alex’s refusal to talk to you had absolutely nothing to do with the game considering once you’d gotten onto the bus, when you even looked in her direction, she turned away, shoving her air pods in her ears.
Your shoulders hunch as you drop down into an empty seat, your head hanging sadly.
“Hey, what’s wrong kid?” Kelley asks, rubbing your back on her way by and you shake your head.
“Nothing.”
Kelley scoffs, flopping down in the seat beside you.
“That’s bullshit.” She says and you sigh deeply.
“Alex won’t talk to me, and I don’t know why.” You mumble sadly, Kelley’s eyes narrowing, her brows furrow.
“When did that start?” She asks, her brown orbs darting from you to the back of Alex’s head and back.
“Today.” You swallow hard, wiggling in your seat.
“Do you want me to talk to her?” Kelley asks, your eyes widening in horror as you turn abruptly towards her.
“Please don’t, maybe she just wants space, I don’t know.” You shrug, Kelley studying your face for a moment before nodding.
“Okay kid, but if you want me to, let me know.” She says, ruffling your hair, which makes you smile.
“I will.”
Kelley makes her way towards the back of the bus, taking a seat beside Emily.
“Do you know what’s going on with Alex and Y/N?” She asks the blonde shrugging.
“Y/N just said she’s ignoring her.”
Kelley hums, her brown orbs staring holes in the back of Alex’s head.
She had no idea why Alex’s was ignoring you, but she intended to find out.
************************************************************************
“What’s going on between you and Y/N?” Kelley asks that night when Alex makes her way into the room after taking a shower, the woman stiffening.
“N-Nothing.” She says nonchalantly, refusing to look at the defender whose eyes narrow.
“Emily said she tried to talk to you and that you ignored her.”
Alex’s throat bobs, something her friend takes note of.
“I-I just didn’t hear her.” She says, the excuse lame, even to her own ears.
Kelley hums, eyeing the woman intently.
“Well, it really upset her.” She comments, the thought of you being upset making her stomach lurch.
“Oh, I didn’t realize.”
Kelley hums, turning to her phone when it chimes, busying herself with whatever is on its screen.
Alex turns away, her gaze falling to her lap.
She knew it would be better for the both of you if you didn’t speak to one another at all.
If you spoke again, the flirting would start back up and she wasn’t sure if she could handle that, not with the feelings currently stirring in her chest at just the thought of you.
Alex takes a deep breath, laying back in bed, her head resting against the hotel’s pillows.
She was convinced she was making the right decision, you deserved someone your own age, and that obviously wasn’t her.
************************************************************************
Unfortunately for you, the remainder of your time spent together is much of the same, you attempting to speak to Alex, and Alex completely ignoring you.
Needless to say, when you went home to Gotham FC, your tail was firmly trapped between your legs.
“Come on kid, cheer up.” Kelley says as she slings an arm around your middle.
You whine.
“I just don’t know what I did wrong.” You mumble sadly, Kelley frowning.
“I don’t think you actually did anything wrong...” She sighs, running a hand down your back.
“What do you mean?” You ask, your head cocked to the side, brows knitted in confusion.
“Whatever is going on, it’s on her end, you didn’t do anything wrong.”
Your eyes widen, a small smile ticking the corners of your mouth upward.
“Really?” You whisper the older woman pulling you in and giving you a squeeze.
“Really.” She says, her brown orbs widening at the sound of a whistle blowing.
“That’s our queue.” She says as she darts across the field, twisting on her heels midway.
“Just, don’t let it get to you, okay?” She smiles and you nod, jogging after her, hopeful that practice would take your mind off of the San Diego Wave captain.
************************************************************************
Your mind isn’t off of Alex Morgan long considering Gotham FC and San Diego Wave go head-to-head in a clash at Red Bull Arena soon after the international break.
Much like she had during the Gold Cup, Alex refused to acknowledge your presence, avoiding you as much as possible, the only close contact you made with her being on the field.
It’s only after the game that Alex approaches you, your heart stalling in your chest, the thought that the woman may acknowledge your presence making your heart race.
That’s until she actually gets to you, her blue orbs darting to your Y/E/C’s before she turns away.
“Good game.” She mumbles, refusing your outstretched hand and continuing to make her way around the field.
You stay rooted in place, tears stinging your eyes as you watch Alex walk away.
Unbeknownst to you, Kelley O’Hara and Emily Sonnett had witnessed the exchange and needless to say, they were FAR from happy.
“What the hell was that about?” Emily asks Kelley before jogging towards you, wrapping her arms around you from behind, pushing herself up on her tiptoes so her chin can rest on your shoulder.
“It’s okay.” She whispers in your ear, frowning when you turn in her hold, revealing the tears glistening in your Y/E/C eyes.
Emily holds you tightly, shooting a glare over your shoulder at Alex when she catches her blue orbs.
That’s not all she sees, however.
She also sees Kelley stomping her way towards Alex, Alex’s eyes widening when she sees the look of anger on Kelley O’Hara’s face.
“What’s--
“What’s your problem?” Kelley growls, the San Diego captain’s brows arching.
“What do you mean?” She asks, dumbly and Kelley scoffs.
“You know what I mean Jan, look at her.” She motions behind her at you, Emily’s arm wrapped tightly around your middle, the woman catching sight of the tears on your cheeks as the blonde guides you towards the benches, her hazel orbs narrowed as they meet Alex’s blues.
“Do you even care about what you’re doing to her?” Kelley asks, Alex’s gaze falling to her feet, unable to look at the defender standing in front of her.
“Of course I care.” She whispers and Kelley shakes her head.
“It REALLY looks like it.” She growls, stepping closer to Alex, her voice dropping below a whisper.
“The sooner you accept what you’re feeling for her, the sooner you’ll both be happy.”
Alex’s head snaps upward, her eyes locking with Kelley’s.
“I don’t have feelings for her.” She mumbles and Kelley scoffs, rolling her eyes.
“That’s why you’re pushing her away, isn’t it?” She asks but gets no response.
“You know, your age doesn’t matter.” She says, noting the bob of Alex’s throat.
“It does Kel.” She mutters and Kelley rolls her eyes.
“Yeah, only to you, no one else cares Al.” She shakes her head and Alex’s nostrils flare.
“I’m a mom Kelley, I have more than just screwing around on my mind.”
Kelley groans.
“You do realize, it isn’t JUST about screwing around for her, right?” She asks, Alex’s brows knitting in confusion.
Kelley pinches the bridge of her nose.
“Her bravado is all an act Jan; she only acts that way because she’s afraid of facing her real feelings for you.” She sighs deeply, watching as realization dawns on Alex’s face.
It’s then that she spots you across the field, Charlie racing towards you, wrapping her tiny arms around your legs.
Almost immediately, you lift her into the air with a small smile, giving her a playful spin, the little girl giggling wildly.
“Oh.” Alex whispers, and Kelley snorts.
“Yeah, oh.” She says with an annoyed eye roll.
“Now, fix it.” She says before making her way towards the sidelines where her teammates have gathered.
Alex turns back to you, her blue orbs catching your Y/E/C’s, the smile that graced your face shifting to a small frown as you slowly place Charlie on the ground and nod in Alex’s direction, the little girl sprinting towards her mother.
It was in that moment, as you turned away from her, that she knew she had to fix it.
***********************************************************************
When you shuffled through your apartment that night, you were exhausted, not only from the physical exertion on the game, but emotionally as well.
You never expected for Alex to ignore you directly to your face, but she did, and that fact made your heart ache.
You still didn’t know what you did wrong, maybe you’d come off too strongly with your flirting?
Maybe she’d finally realized that your bravado was only for show, used to mask your true feelings for the older woman.
You flop down on your couch’s surface, your eyes fluttering shut, hopeful that sleep would take you momentarily.
Just as you’re on the cusp of sleep, however, a light tapping makes your eyes flutter, open your brows furrowed in confusion.
It isn’t long before the light taps repeat, and it’s then you realize that someone is knocking on your apartment door.
You reluctantly leave your place on the couch before shuffling to the door and leaning against it.
“Who is it?” You ask, your voice scratchy.
You listen intently, a soft shuffling behind the door before a soft voice replies.
“It’s Alex.”
Silence envelopes the two of you before you slowly open the door, your brows furrowed as you peer through the crack, coming face to face with the woman who had been avoiding you for months.
You pull the door the rest of the way open, your eyes studying Alex’s face intently, the woman shuffling nervously from foot to foot.
“I’m sorry.” She suddenly blurts out, your eyes widening as Alex’s blue orbs remain focused on the floor.
You find yourself taking a step to the side moments later, waving your arm, beckoning her to enter your apartment, something that she almost instantly does.
Your throat bobs as you push the door shut behind her, your back to the older woman.
You knew whatever was about to happen, there was no going back, but now you had no choice, you had to face Alex Morgan, you had to find out what was going on between the two of you.
Your breath catches in your throat when a pair of arms wrap around you from behind, your heart racing when you feel Alex bury her face between your shoulder blades.
You stiffen, unsure of what you should do, did you cover Alex’s hands with your own, or did you push her away?
Subconsciously, your hands drift to Alex’s gently resting on top of hers, the woman sighing against your back.
“I’m sorry I was so stupid.” She whispers, nuzzling against your back.
Your heart swells in your chest, the feeling of her pressed against your back everything you’ve ever wanted and more.
“Why did you ignore me...?” You ask, humming when Alex pushes her fingers between your own.
“I was jealous.” She mumbles against your back, your brows furrowing as you turn in her hold.
“Of what?” You ask, your hands finding their way to Alex’s waist.
She shrugs, her breath hitching when you gently take her chin between your thumb and index finger.
Her mouth opens and closes repeatedly before she sighs loudly.
“Seeing you with Emily, I couldn’t help but think you deserved someone your own age.” She whispers and you shake your head, Alex’s breath hitching when you turn the tables, pressing her back against your apartment door.
“I don’t want anyone my own age, I want you.” You whisper, Alex’s throat bobbing as her eyes dart from your Y/E/C orbs to your lips and back.
Much to your surprise, she lunges forwards, her lips meeting yours in a tender, and long overdue kiss.
You kiss back without hesitation, your palms resting on the wall on either side of Alex’s head as you kiss softly.
Alex’s hands slip to the back of your neck, her fingers tangling in your hair as you kiss passionately.
You’re unable to stop yourself from chuckling when you pull back, the woman pinned to the wall whining loudly as you bury your face in her neck, nuzzling her jawline.
“Our first kiss and you’re already addicted.” You tease, earning an eye roll.
“Shut up.” She mumbles before pulling you back in for another kiss.
Eventually, you make your way to the couch, Alex’s pinned beneath you as you kiss softly, giggling loudly when you bury your face in her neck, peppering her flesh with kisses.
You pull back reluctantly, your eyes locking with Alex’s bright blue orbs.
She smiles softly when you lean in, kissing her lips over and over again until she starts laughing.
It isn’t long before you’re lowering yourself on top of her, her legs spread as you rest your head against her chest, the woman drawing small patterns against your back.
You nuzzle into the crook of her neck, your eyes fluttering shut as your heart rate slows, your earlier exhaustion making itself known.
“What does this mean for us...?” You slur, unable to fight your fluttering eyelids as they close.
Alex hums, her lips parting to answer, that is until she realizes you’d drifted off.
She holds you tightly to her chest, feeling you smile against her neck as you nuzzle closer.
“It means I’m going to stop being such an idiot and worrying about what others think, and worry about what I want, and that’s you.” She turns her head, kissing your forehead before her own eyes flutter shut.
Thankfully, Kelley had offered to keep Charlie for the night, meaning she could remain where she currently was, your body weight on top of her as you slept soundly in her arms.
You were the first to wake the next morning, beaming when you realized that what had happened the following night wasn’t a dream, Alex Morgan was fast asleep beneath you, her arms wrapped tightly around you as she slept peacefully, a smile on her face.
You hum, burying your face back in her neck as you fall back asleep, eager to see what the future held for you and Alex Morgan.
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arsenal, hoodies and hickies for tobin! (bonus if shes still playing for them and maybe dating someones sibling)
Spill The Tea (Alessia Russo x Press!Reader)
A/N: changed the req a bit bc there is no Tobin without Christen so I made the reader Christen’s sibling
“Is this something I’m going to need to tell Christen or can I trust you to be a responsible adult?”
There’s this thing with Tobin. Ever since she started dating your sister all those years ago, she’s really slipped into the role of the fourth older sister you don’t need.
While she isn’t as nitpicky as Tyler and Christen or as interrogative as Channing, Tobin still liked to harp on you quite a lot. So you’ve heard this question come out of her mouth more times than you can count. And by now you know better than to expect Tobin to keep a secret from Christen.
You tilt your head towards her, a singular eyebrow raising up in question as your arms stay halfway through your training shirt. Of all times Tobin could’ve started a conversation of course she had to wait until you were quite literally trapped with nowhere to escape.
“Why do you think I have anything to tell you?”
“You have a hickey the size of Maine on your neck.”
You follow her eyes down to your skin. Your still very bruised skin.
The memory of mischievous eyes sparkling as you tried to sneak out this morning flashes clearly through your mind as you hastily pull on a neck warmer from your cubby.
You can still feel Tobin’s eyes on the side of your face as you try to busy yourself pulling on the last of your clothes.
“You’re seeing someone, don’t lie.”
“And why do you think so?” You look up to see Tobin giving you a look. You roll your eyes. “Apart from the hickey.”
“You’re really going to make me play detective today?” When you don’t respond Tobin lets out an annoyed grunt. “Where to start? Well you’ve been sneaking in at 6 in the morning for the past couple of weeks.”
It’s not your fault you haven’t been given a drawer yet. Frankly the number of times you’ve stayed over should’ve already gotten you a place to store your things but Alessia’s been extremely paranoid about letting you leave traces of yourself at hers. Something about how her England teammates like coming over unannounced. A lot. Better to keep no trace of you at her place lest a blabbermouth blabbers too much.
“And changing your phone password? Not cool, dude.”
You cringe at the memory of Tobin storming into your room at half past twelve the other day, exasperated at the fact that a). you weren’t up and making her breakfast yet, and b). she couldn’t get into your phone to doordash some food.
You and Tobin shared everything. Cooking duties. The occasional snapback. Your phone passwords. But that last one was the first thing you changed when you started seeing Alessia.
“And finally, this,” Tobin pokes at the light blue hoodie peeking out of your duffle, “is not yours.”
You try ducking under her arm to get out of the locker room but Tobin grabs a firm hold of your training top, jerking you back towards her.
You’re nose to nose now and the forward has no problem using her height advantage to stare you down. “I’ll ask again. Who have you been locking lips with?”
You scowl. “Well you’re playing detective today right? Guess.”
Tobin’s lips pinch shut, a displeased look on her face.
Before she can retaliate, a brief call of her name by Kim has Tobin turning away. When her hands loosen their hold, you bolt, taking full advantage of Tobin’s brief dip of attention.
Unbeknownst to you, a pair of blue eyes follow you out of the room.
It isn’t until you’re already stretching on the sideline that long legs catch up to you. A soft smile breaks onto your face at the sight of other girl, hands opening and closing as you mime at her to come closer for a kiss.
For a second you think Alessia's going to crumble to your demands.
And then you see her panicked expression.
“Did Tobin figure out we’re dating?”
Sighing, you push yourself off the ground, taking care to brush grass off your legs. “No, Tobin’s smart but she isn’t that smart.”
Alessia gives you a look that has you wondering if she’s offended on the behalf of the striker.
You roll your eyes before giving her a light shove. “Relax, all she saw was your hoodie. She’s not going to know it’s yours.”
Alessia’s eyes widen at the mention of the sweatshirt you snuck out of her house this morning. Usually it’s cute and all and she really does love seeing you in her clothes, but faced with the fact that it’s branded with the UNC logo on the front? Or the fact that Tobin knows you followed in Christen’s footsteps and went to Stanford instead of Chapel Hill?
“My hoodie? Babe! Of course she’s going to know it’s mine!”
“Relax,” you repeat, hands coming up to rub at her tense shoulders. “There are four of you who played at UNC who are on the team now. She’ll be too busy trying to figure out if it’s you, Lotte, or Foxy to ever find the real culprit.”
If anything, your words only seem to agitate her more. Alessia slaps your hands away, arms crossing over her chest. “You’d rather Tobin think you’re dating Lotte or Em over me?”
Safe to say, any words you try to defend yourself with only digs you deeper into the hole.
Tobin’s pleasantly surprised to see you moping on the couch later that night.
.
It doesn't take as long as you’re expecting for Tobin to figure it out.
You’re doing your weekly check-in with your sister a couple days later when Christen’s face suddenly widens into a teasing smirk.
“So Tobin tells me you have a new girlfriend.”
You resist the urge to fling your phone across the room. Instead, you do the mature thing and hang up the phone.
Christen doesn’t look impressed when she calls back and you pick up.
“Oh don’t be a wuss. There’s nothing you can do without me knowing. So spill. Tell me all about her.”
You sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose. “Really, Chris? This is what you want to talk about?”
Even from a continent away you can see the megawatt smile being sent your way. “Couldn’t take my number so you had to take out a girl who has it too, huh?”
Tobin cringes in her room when she hears the telltale sound of your phone crashing against the wall.
#alessia russo x reader#alessia russo imagine#tobin heath x reader#tobin heath imagine#woso x reader#woso imagine#uswnt x reader#uswnt imagine#3wp#Ace writes
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not your fault
(emily fox x reader)
in which you're obsessed with your girlfriend (especially her jawline)
warnings: slightly suggestive? almost all fluff
word count: 1.1k
It's not your fault. Really, it's not.
“Baby, don’t you have to get up soon?”
You hum in reply, half asleep.
You’re so comfortable. Your head is tucked protectively into the crook of your girlfriend’s left shoulder and neck while you lie almost entirely on top of her, the covers burying the both of you into a warm, delightful cocoon. Emily’s left hand is slowly moving up and down your back, and everything is just perfect.
“You can’t be late for work again.”
You open your eyes at that, but at the first moment you start to untangle your arms from her waist and feel her body heat dissipate, you realize that maybe you can stay for just another minute.
So, you decide to flop back down. Though, you’ve at least managed to roll your upper body partially off of her, giving you a perfect view of her side profile as she closes her eyes, not having to get up for practice for another half-hour.
You can’t help but to reach out your hand and run your thumb along her sharp jawline—mind assaulted by memories of the night before when you see the marks littered below it.
Damn. She’s gonna kill me, you think. She’s told you so many times that covering hickies up before practices is a bitch, and looking at these marks—ones that might be a few too many shades past concealable—you realize you’re fucked.
You start to analyze the best plan of action, landing on one that has you placing a gentle kiss onto her jaw before springing up from bed and hurriedly walking to the bathroom to wash up. All you have to do is leave before she gets up. Easy work. Easy peasy…
You’re so close—you’re at the door, knelt down with one shoe on when you hear her.
“Y/N! Come on!” she yells.
Yikes.
You manage to put your other shoe on right as she appears in your vision, very clearly ticked off.
“It’s not my fault?” you try, walking towards your very beautiful, and very pissed girlfriend.
“Oh, so it’s my fault I have to cover these up?” she says, pushing your shoulder when you stand in front of her.
Looking at her face, you decide that telling her you literally just look so incredible at every moment it’s not my fault you’re mine and I can’t help it would not exactly help your case. So, you decide to resume your quick exit, quickly kissing her cheek and saying, “Have a good practice babe, I love you!” as you grab your keys and leave your shared flat.
You do make a mental note to buy Emily’s favorite chocolates after work.
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Like really, it's her fault. Who gave her the right to look that good after a game?
You’re reminded that you’re always completely in the right when you’re sitting at the Emirates two days later, watching your girlfriend wrap up a defensive masterclass against Chelsea. For the first time in a while, London is sunny, and the beautiful weather only adds onto the incredible mood in the stadium as the full-time whistle blows and cheers thunder throughout every corner.
You can’t help but stare at her while she celebrates with the rest of the team. Lotte likes to joke that the two of you could melt taffy with just one of your lovesick glances, but you can’t help it. It's her fault for looking so good after a game—sweaty, smiley, and positively glowing after helping her team to a win.
She spends time walking around the stadium, signing autographs and taking pictures, while you chat absentmindedly with Alessia, who came to greet you before starting her rounds of the stadium. But when Emily finally makes her way towards you—lifting her shirt up to try and wipe some sweat off her face—you start thinking about your plans for after. Alessia catches your change in demeanor, rolling her eyes and walking away while muttering something under her breath.
“Did you enjoy the game?” your girlfriend asks, stepping in front of you, grinning from ear to ear. You both look disgustingly in love as the sun shines down and highlights her vibrant smile.
“Of course I did. How could I not, superstar?”
Being in the stands means you hover tall over Emily, enabling you to comfortably wrap your arms around her neck as she looks up at you. You ignore the few stares that direct their way towards you two as you relentlessly press kisses onto her jawline and cheek. She’s laughing as she playfully tries to shove you away, but you can’t help but hold her a little tighter and whisper just how excited you are to get home.
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So, she should stop getting annoyed. She should know that you’ll never truly be satisfied.
Your watch reads ‘8 P.M.’ as you cuddle up to Emily’s side on the white couch in your living room. The two of you had rushed home from the afternoon game, unable to resist the allure of enjoying each other’s company for a few hours.
And now, after redressing yourselves, cooking and eating dinner, washing the dishes, and tidying up the kitchen, the two of you are sitting together, more innocently enjoying each other’s company. She has a book out while you scroll mindlessly through Twitter, poking her side every few minutes to draw her attention to a funny tweet.
After thirty minutes, however, Emily is deeply immersed into her reading and you’re bored. So, you resort to beginning your favorite activity: staring at her. You look up at her while your head rests against her arm, and you’re still mesmerized by her beauty even years into your relationship.
“What?” she asks without looking away from her book.
“You’re hot.”
She dismisses the comment with a small snicker, but places a kiss onto your forehead regardless.
“We already fucked today, let me read in peace.”
You huff, but the both of you are well-aware that you aren’t deterred by small obstacles. So naturally, you begin to press a few open-mouthed kisses right below her jaw. She indulges you for a moment, closing her eyes and letting her book rest on her lap. But when a kiss turns into a stinging bite, she opens her eyes and grabs your shoulder.
“C’mon, stop it. I have to go in for recovery tomorrow, you know that,” she whines. “I already stopped you from leaving marks once today!”
But she should know that you simply can’t help yourself. She should’ve known that you were going to toss away her book from her other hand, grab her wrists, and straddle her lap. She really should know that the stern look she sends you—with her jaw clenched, almost sharpened—while sitting underneath you only makes her hotter.
She should’ve known that she was going to wake up the next morning with quite a few more marks.
After all, it's not your fault.
#emily fox#emily fox x reader#woso imagine#woso x reader#arsenal wfc imagine#arsenal wfc x reader#uswnt x reader
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Pent Up Energy
Alex Morgan x fem!reader
a/n: 100% based off the game last night
SMUT 18+
Beads of sweat roll down the side of your head from the exhaustion. Colombia has decided not to play cleanly, instead wanting to be as physical as possible and you were bearing the brunt of it. Only 20 minutes into the game you have gotten tackled at least 3 times, each moment being more brutal than the last.
Luckily, there hasn’t been too much conflict between anybody, but that’s until your thoughts are interrupted by a bunch of shouting. Looking over to the left, you see your girlfriend stepping in the face of a Colombian player as the rest of the visiting team tries to meddle in. You quickly rush over to stop Alex, noticing she’s getting more heated every moment.
Slipping your way through the multiple bodies, you place your hand on the forward’s chest, gently pushing her back. You try your best to defuse the situation, but she just ignores you and continues to yell at the player, earning her a yellow card from the ref.
When she notices your hand on her chest, she wipes it off while scoffing before walking away. Trinity notices and quirks an eyebrow towards you, but in response, all you do is take a deep breath and shrug.
After the halftime whistle blew, Alex stayed clear of you. Usually, you both pep each other up for the next half but instead, she stayed quiet and to herself until everyone was sent back onto the pitch. Horan pats you on the back, giving you a sympathetic smile before running over to her position.
The game never dims down with players all showing their fiery side, specifically Alex and Trinity. That ends up playing a part when they both end up getting subbed out at the seventy-second minute.
“You played well.” You whisper, brushing your hand against Alex’s passing body. She spares you a quick look before walking off and onto the bench. Sighing, you lean down to fix your socks and peek your head over to your girlfriend only to see her staring into space with a stoic look.
The rest of the game is grueling but rewarding as you have beaten Colombia and are advancing to the semifinals. After an hour or so you’re boarding onto the bus, taking an open seat and hoping for your girlfriend to join you. Sadly, when she gets on, she doesn’t even glance toward you and decides to sit several seats behind you.
Slightly frustrated with the brunette, you huff and drop your head back against the cushion of the headrest before being interrupted by a giddy smile. You can’t help but smile back at the sweet girl.
“Hi, Naomi.”
“Hey, what are you doing once we get back to the hotel?” She asks while readjusting herself and setting her bag down by her feet.
“Well, I was planning to see if I could room with Alex, but it doesn’t seem like she wants anything to do with me at the moment.” You send Naomi a weak smile which she returns with a sympathetic one.
“Nonsense, we all know Alex gets moody at times but never directly at you. I’m assigned to be her roommate so why don’t we switch? I heard you got Soph anyway.” The defender digs in her bag, pulling out a keycard and holding it out to you.
You wearily accept the card with a small thank you and give her yours in exchange. For the remainder of the ride, Naomi helps you cheer up with a few stories and jokes about her little hangouts with some of the team.
“Time to cheer up the monster.” You groan in which Naomi just laughs and offers you a hand to stand up.
“I believe in you. Go save your knight in shining armor.”
��More like my beast.” You grumble, receiving chuckles from some of the girls who have overheard, none of them being Alex, thankfully, as she is still getting off the bus.
Walking into the hotel, you make your way to your room and are met with your girlfriend soon after. You shyly glance at her and see her confused gaze.
“I thought I was roomed with Girma?” Alex frowns while you give her a look of slight discomfort.
“Umm, Naomi wanted to trade so she could room with Soph and I thought rooming with you would be nice. I could go switch it back if you want.” You whisper, slightly scared she doesn’t want you near her and your voice might betray you.
“No, just stay with me.” The girl mumbles, opening the door with her key and rushing in with her baggage.
Your eyes follow her movements like a lost puppy while you stand by the door. Alex takes in the silence and looks up at you, stopping her scavenging in her back.
“What?” She asks, looking at you with an annoyed expression. You swallow back your nerves before making your way over to the bed and getting everything that you need out of your bag and ready for the night.
The thick silence lasts for around twenty minutes before you begin to feel irritated. Alex is in the little kitchen, leaning against the counter and looking at her phone.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” You finally ask gently, trying your best to keep your growing frustration with the striker at bay.
“Nothing.” Her tone remains empty, clearly not wanting to open up.
“It has to be something. You’ve been avoiding me all day, along with being quiet.” You explain, walking over to her but still keeping a little bit of space between the two of you.
“I told you, I’m fine.”
“Alex, you did amazing out there today, we won 3-0 and we’re advancing. If it’s about the card-“
“It’s not about the fucking card!” Alex finally snaps, dropping her phone on the counter and looking at you with a fiery gaze, but it doesn’t tear you down.
“Then tell me what it’s about, please. I can’t have you concealing all this anger. It’s not fair to you or me.” You try, voice becoming more and more desperate.
“Just shut up,” Alex warns, clenching her jaw as her hands tighten on the counter while shifting her eyes away from you.
“I’m just trying to help-”
Your sentence is cut off when your girlfriend storms over to you and she reaches out, gripping your jaw while pinning you against the wall. You look up at her with wide eyes, taking in her appearance. Wet hair, red cheeks, a zip-up training kit covering her body, and blown pupils.
“I said to shut up.” She grits, her hand never leaving your face. Her eyes look down at your lips for a split second and you luckily notice.
Without warning, she smashes her lips onto yours in a harsh kiss. Nothing about it is sweet or romantic. Both your tongues and teeth clash together like you’re trying to see who can last longer to this roughness. The hand on your jaw leaves and finds a new place around your neck, controlling every movement of your head.
“God you’re so hot. You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to have you all to myself again.” The taller girl rasps against your lips before moving down to nip at your neck.
While she attacks your neck, you finally put two and two together. You realize Alex may have been aggravated by this game but all of her pent-up anger mainly resulted from a little sexual frustration. With the NWSL preseason starting and the Gold Cup, you both have been busy at training camp and too exhausted to even think about starting anything.
But with Alex, she needs an outlet after she’s played, which is mainly sex. She can finally have total control of something and that something being you. You’re at her total submission, allowing her to do whatever she wants to you and making you do whatever she wants to her.
Her lips disconnecting from your neck pulls you out of your thoughts. You look up at her with your doe eyes and watch as her tongue licks her lips while she eyes you up and down.
Soon her hands grip your waist and tug you over to the bed. She sits at the end of the mattress and leans back with her hands holding her up while you remain standing in front of her.
“Strip,” Alex demands, watching as you slowly grip the bottom of your shirt and cautiously pull it over your head. When she takes sight of what seems to be a new bra, she sits back up and grips your naked hips.
“If you need to use me, use me, Alex.” You say boldly, returning her lustful gaze. Her jaw almost drops before she quickly starts unbuttoning your jeans and yanking them down so you’re only in your bra and panties.
“Get on the bed.” When you don’t immediately do as she says, she pulls you down herself making you squeal in the process. “When I say to do something, you listen, got it?” You nod your head, earning you a satisfied grin.
Alex’s body hovers over you with her wet hair curtaining any view other than her face. You blindly reach down and tug on the zipper of her hoodie, asking if you can take it off. She swiftly sits up and removes all of her clothes, leaving her bare.
“I guess I should take these off you now, shouldn’t I?” She taunts, hooking her finger on the waistband of your panties and letting go of them with a sharp snap against your skin.
“Please, Alex. I need you.” You whine, bucking your hips closer to her hand. She chuckles before leaning down and kissing on your chest. Her hand reaches around your back and unclips your bra, letting it slide down a little before taking it off altogether.
Instead of moving down, her lips move up your neck and to your ear. “So beautiful, I can’t wait to have you trembling underneath my touch and screaming for me to let you cum.” Her breath fans against your ear while her breasts are smushed against yours. She tugs on your earlobe with her teeth before sitting back up, admiring your body.
“I bet you’re already wet for me even though I have barely touched you. You probably like me roughhousing you around to my pleasure. So obedient for me.” You moan as she carelessly speaks of you while trailing her finger down the center of your stomach.
“Alex, baby, I need you. I need you to touch me, please.” Your body squirms while she continues to trace her finger down to your core.
She finally dips her hand in and spreads your arousal around, completely lost in her head on how wet you are. Her finger teasingly dips into you but only for a split second, causing you to whine out.
“God, I’ve missed this pretty pussy so much.” Your girlfriend groans before angling her arm in an awkward manner and plunging two fingers into you.
Her body leans down so her lips can latch onto your breasts, leaving hickeys anywhere she pleases. Moans spew their way out of your mouth at the long-needed pleasure, but her thrusts are nowhere near fast enough to get you off, mainly because of the way her arm is angled, so you reach down with a huff and kick off your panties, leaving no restraint for Alex.
“Faster.” You pant, rolling your hips with each thrust of the forward’s hand. She chuckles and moves her arm lower so she can pump in and out of you at an ungodly pace.
“Is this what you want? Want to get fucked so hard you won’t be able to think properly, huh?” She questions without her fingers even stuttering. The loud wet noises of her thrusts echo throughout the hotel room along with your whimpers and moans.
Her finger reaches a point inside of you that has your head spinning. The build-up in your lower stomach becomes more apparent as your core tightens around your girlfriend’s digits.
“I’m gonna cum, baby.” You moan, digging your nails into her bicep, leaving dark crescent indents in her skin which she loves.
Suddenly, the pressure in your stomach subsides due to Alex pulling her fingers out, making you whine at the sudden emptiness.
“You’re not gonna cum that easily, sweets. I still have so much I want to do to you.” She says in an uncharacteristically sweet tone while placing a kiss on your cheek.
Both of her hands rub up and down your sides as she kisses from your sternum down to your thigh. She bites at the inside of your skin before soothing the sting with her tongue. Alex looks over and sees your hands clenching and unclenching the sheets below you while your breathing picks up in impatience.
“So beautiful.” She whispers against your thigh before pushing it open with her large hand and latching her mouth onto your core. She lets out a low groan at the taste of you while dipping her tongue into you.
Your hips twitch into her as her tongue laps around your clit, sucking and licking the swollen surface. Your girlfriend’s hands lay flat on your stomach as she pushes her head further into your wet heat. Subconsciously, your legs begin to close in on Alex’s head as the familiar knot in your stomach returns.
Just as your hips begin to rise to your release, the brunette once again detaches herself from you, making your orgasm fade away. Tears start to build up in your eyes in frustration from the denial, but Alex wipes them away with her thumb.
“It’s okay, baby. You’re doing so good for me.” She coos, placing a few pecks on your lips in reassurance. “Do you think you’ve been a good girl?” She asks, pulling you to sit up so you’re both facing each other.
“Yes, yes, I’ve been a good girl.” You nod, nuzzling your face into her neck for some sort of comfort.
“I think so too.” Alex brushes your hair behind your ear once you pull back to look at her. She grabs the back of your neck and brings you into an intoxicating kiss, roaming her tongue inside the roof of your mouth
Alex pulls you onto her lap without breaking the kiss, placing you onto her slanted thighs due to her sitting on her legs. You grind slowly against her, attempting to get some kind of friction as your chest presses up against hers. Your girlfriend smirks into the kiss, feeling your arousal smear across her skin.
She slips two digits back inside of you, curling them into your g-spot. A loud moan escapes your lips as your legs tighten around her waist, causing the heels of your feet to push into her back. Your hands also find their way to her shoulder blades, leaving dark red scratches as she pumps her fingers into you.
“Right there.” You gasp as Alex thrusts her fingers into the perfect spot. The bed frame pounds against the wall from your girlfriend’s digits bouncing in and out of you.
“You’re close, aren’t you?” She whispers into your ear, pressing a sweet kiss under it to your jaw. You quickly nod your head as your eyes squeeze shut with a loud moan, enticing the girl below you to thrust faster.
“I’m gonna, oh god, ‘m gonna cum, baby.”
“Cum for me.”
Your walls clamp around Alex’s fingers as a flow of juices runs down her hand while you moan in ecstasy, grinding down to push you through your orgasm.
Once your hips stop, she pulls her fingers out of you and places them in front of your mouth. You obediently open and suck, licking off all your arousal while swirling your tongue around them. She watches you with blown-out pupils and a slacked jaw.
“If you think we’re done after you just did that, you’re sorely mistaken.” Her arms wrap around her waist and slam you back onto the bed, making you giggle at her riled-up nature.
The next morning you make your way into the breakfast lobby with Alex’s arm around your waist. Right as everyone catches eye on the both of you, a bunch of whistling and whooping sounds through the room.
“Get it, Morgan. Didn’t know you could do all that.” Trinity cheers while smacking on her gum with a smirk.
Everyone gets their little comments in while your girlfriend just smiles smugly and continues to kiss your temple with her arm remaining on your shoulders. In your flustered state, all you do is hide your face into her neck and try to avoid all of the attention.
#alex morgan x reader#alex morgan smut#alex morgan#naomi girma#trinity rodman#lindsey horan#woso x reader#woso fic#woso imagine#woso smut#uswnt#uswnt x reader
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Swap - Jessie Fleming/Reader
just a little something for you guys that i've had an idea about for way too long (thank the USWNT v Canada game for this cause it made me remember how much i love Jessie)
prompt: Jessie and R have a long standing tradition of trading jerseys, but someone gets in the way of that.
warnings: none
words: 1,256
(Y/N) POV
I grinned as I found Jessie in the crowd. I knew that the game didn’t actually end the way either of us wanted, but at least neither of us could be that upset since we didn’t lose.
“Swap with me?”
My eyes darted away from where they had locked onto Jessie to turn to Eriksson. I tilted my head in confusion. I had never actually talked to Eriksson before other than some light trash talk on the field.
“You want my jersey?”
Eriksson softly chuckled but nodded.
One of the best centerbacks in the game wanted my jersey.
It was still surreal that there were other players out there who would seek me out to get my jersey.
“Well, I feel like it would be fitting considering how much trouble you give me during these derby games and when you play against Sweden.”
“Oh.”
I still didn’t make a move to take my jersey off though. My eyes darted to where Jessie was talking to a couple of her teammates.
“So, how many of her jerseys do you have, and you still haven’t told her how you feel?”
My eyes snapped back to where Eriksson was standing. She was watching me, but I knew that she was aware of who I was staring at.
“I don’t know,” I shrugged as I ducked my head. It honestly was too high of a number to count now. We had gotten into the habit of trading our jerseys at least once a year when we played each other, and, honestly, even when we didn’t play against each other nationally, we still saved each other a jersey from the year. “We just kind of started as teenagers and never stopped. It’s our little tradition now when we play each other the first time of the year to swap.”
“How about this,” Eriksson started, causing me to look over at her, “you go tell Jessie how you actually feel about her, and I’ll wait until the next time we play to swap with you.”
I huffed a little at that. It wasn’t that I didn’t mind telling the world about Jessie and me, but Jessie was such a private person that I didn’t mind keeping our relationship from the world. Besides, our family and most of our friends knew.
Well, at least most of my friends knew. If Jessie’s captain didn’t even know then I wasn’t sure who all on her club team knew. I didn’t even know if any of them knew.
“I’d much rather just break tradition.”
Eriksson raised her eyebrows at that.
It wasn’t often that I would turn down a challenge. But if Jessie’s own teammates didn’t know, then I definitely didn’t want to risk them and the fans finding out about our relationship because I took Eriksson’s challenge.
“Didn’t think it was like you to turn down a challenge.”
“Not usually, no,” I said as I tugged my jersey over my head. “But there are some things that are better left the way they are. My friendship with Jessie isn’t one I’m going to risk for a jersey.”
“Wouldn’t she be more upset that you’re not trading with her?”
I shrugged at that. Jessie probably would be upset with me initially, but I figured she would probably get over it pretty quickly since I knew neither of us would be required to go in tomorrow. We always had the day after derbies off.
“I’ll trade with her next derby. And maybe you could convince Harder to trade with me the game after that?”
“I’ll mention it to Pernille.”
I grinned at that as Eriksson finally pulled her own jersey off. I had been wanting to trade with Pernille Harder for quite some time, but I never had gathered the courage to ask the forward I looked up to. I handed mine over to her as she handed her jersey to me. I wasn’t surprised either when we were asked to pose for a picture with each other.
Once the picture was over, I shook hands with Eriksson.
“You should still tell her,” Eriksson said as she pulled me closer to her. “I think you might be surprised with how she feels about you too.”
“We’ll see.”
Eriksson gave me a pat on the back before she was off towards Harder. I sighed as I shook my head. I turned to try and find Jessie; I wasn’t surprised to find her still with Nimah as they talked with Lotte and Leah. I grinned as I weaseled my way in between Leah and Jessie, but it dropped a bit as Jessie’s eyes darted down to the jersey in my hands before looking at me.
I didn’t pay too much attention to the conversation that the three English players were having as it was obviously more about their next camp. I nudged Jessie before nodding my head towards the tunnels.
Jessie glanced at Nimah before she nodded. I smiled a bit wider at that as the two of us split off with waves to our respective teammates. Jessie stayed quiet as the two of us headed toward the tunnel.
“So, my place or yours?” I asked. Jessie tilted her head to the side as she looked at me. “Well, normally the winner takes the loser home, but we drew.”
Jessie slowly nodded at that.
“Didn’t realize you still wanted to come home with me.”
My brow furrowed at that. I had no real idea why Jessie would think that I didn’t want to go home with her.
“Considering you swapped your jersey with someone else. Thought you of all people would keep with tradition.”
“That’s not fair.”
“You swapped with someone else.”
I rolled my eyes at that.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me.”
I huffed because I was sure that we were attracting quite a bit of unwanted attention from fans. I grabbed onto Jessie’s arm as I dragged her into the tunnel finally before heading toward a more secluded area of the Emirates.
“Look, I did it for you.”
“Doing it for me would have been swapping with me.”
“Are you jealous?”
Jessie scoffed at that as she began to shake her head.
“You are!”
“Am not!”
“Are so!”
“You can sleep on the couch then.”
I rolled my eyes at that. I knew that Jessie wouldn’t actually make me sleep on the couch, especially since we hadn’t been able to spend time with each other in the same place since the winter break. Facetime and phone calls only went so far.
“She wanted me to tell you how I felt,” I admitted. Jessie raised an eyebrow at that. “Eriksson. I told her it was tradition for us to switch jerseys and she told me that I could switch with you if I told you how I felt. I didn’t want to put you in the spot where you either had to out our relationship to your teammates if you haven’t told them or where you had to act like you rejected me. I know you want to keep us private from the public eye. So, I figured I could just swap with Eriksson this time and we’ll swap next time.”
“I get it the next time though,” Jessie said as she poked at my chest, “and I guess you can sleep in the bed with me since you did it to make sure that our relationship stayed out of the public eye.”
I grinned at that.
“Does that mean I finally get my kiss from you?”
#woso imagine#woso x reader#jessie fleming imagines#jessie fleming x reader#uswnt imagine#uswnt x reader#arsenal wfc imagine#arsenal wfc x reader#woso imagines#uswnt imagines#arsenal wfc imagines#woso#jessie fleming#uswnt#arsenal wfc
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13 Eras of Us Era 2: It’s The First Kiss, It’s Flawless, Really Something, It’s Fearless (Taylor Swift X Morgan!Reader)
13 Eras of us Era 1
This is the Era where R and Taylor finally get together. There is a little spice (very clearly marked). R and Alex start to work on their issues, and we learn a little bit more about R's past... situationships. The team learns about "burrito girl" and Kelley saves the day and keeps things on track.
August 2016
And isn’t it just so pretty to think
All along there was some invisible string
While August was turning out slightly better than July, it was still weird.
It was weird being at camp when you weren’t on the roster. Weird being around the people you called friends when most of them weren’t talking to you.
But what made matters worse was that you had been called in hours before camp started. You had blindly thrown random clothing into a suitcase, rushing to not miss the flight Christen, Alyssa, and JJ were on, all while calling your teammates to find one willing to watch your dogs on such late notice.
Part of you even considered calling Tony, the bodyguard who had strangely stayed in town despite Taylor’s departure, hoping that maybe he could at least check on them until you could guilt one of your teammates into taking them.
The older couple that lived next to you would let him in, you knew.
You had given Mr. And Mrs. Rossi keys two days after you had moved in when they brought over a pan of ravioli and introduced themselves.
You were just lucky that Niki Stanton had answered you just before you boarded the plane with a yes, so you hadn’t had to ask.
You didn’t want to bug Taylor more than you had to. You didn’t want to assume that Tony would want to help you.
You sighed, tugging the special 3rd knot on your cleats to make sure it was tight.
It wasn’t like you would actually be training with the team. You would be there to partner for drills. To make sure that everyone else was prepared to face Ireland.
The only problem was that it seemed like no one wanted you to partner with them.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true.
Rose and Emily had sent you regretful smiles as Jill directed you to pair with one of the forwards for a passing drill. Alex had already been claimed by Lindsey and Tobin and Christen had chosen each other.
It left you on the bench, trying to pretend like it didn’t hurt that the rest of the team had lost so much faith in your abilities that they wouldn’t even look in your direction.
You blew out another breach, checking your left cleat again.
“Can I partner with you?” Mal asked sheepishly, blocking the beating sun from your face.
You squinted up at her, your lips twitched into a ghost of a smile. “Don’t know if you wanna risk my bad luck rubbing off on you,”
“You don’t have bad luck,” She said, her lips also lifting. “But I will take some of your magic if you’re offering,”
“You never could get enough,” You wiggled your eyebrows.
“You’re too much,” Mal chuckled, shaking her head.
There was a glint in her eyes, one that reminded you of long summers at U15 camp flirting over ice cream cones, and talking about what the future held. It reminded you of an easier time before you had been crushed by expectations. Before there were any expectations.
You weren’t sure if the feelings you had harbored were real, or just a figment created by excitement and feeling free for the first time. What you did know was that while your feelings had long since mellowed into platonic, the comfort her friendship brought you was still as strong as it ever had been.
If you couldn’t be on the pitch, you would make damn sure she had the debut of her lifetime.
She deserved that, and hopefully, you would prove yourself to the coaching staff and be allowed to rejoin the team.
She grabbed your arm, and dragged you to your feet.“Come on, I don’t want to be late for my first practice,”
You made a low noise of agreement, trudging after her.
“Don’t look so glum,” Tobin said, nudging your arm as you stepped into line beside her, across from Mal. “It doesn’t suit your sunny personality,”
You pulled a face at her, catching the ball with your right cleat as Mal sent it your way, and you tapped it to your left foot and sent it back. “I think a majority of my energy has been sapped by all of my friends hating me,”
“They don’t,” Christen said simply, flicking her own ball back towards Tobin.
“We could never hate you,” Alex chimed in, catching a pass from Lindsey.
“Cause I’m really feeling the love,” You grumbled back, staring at the ball instead of meeting your sister's eyes.
You could feel their gazes glued to you, and you could imagine the looks on their faces.
You didn’t need to see it.
“Alright ladies,” Jill clapped her hands, drawing the group's attention. “Let’s start with passing drills. Midfielders will pass to their forwards, and forwards will attempt to score while the defenders will try to stop you,”
She gestured towards the line of waiting defenders on one side of the goalpost, and the 3 keepers waiting by the other. “If you score, you get to keep the point. If you don’t, the defense keeps it. The side with the most points at the end will get to skip 2 laps on the conditioning run at the end of practice,”
Your eyebrows furrowed.
Jill didn’t usually run drills like this. This was something reminiscent of one of Roary’s drills.
She couldn’t have been talking to him, but if she was... If she listened to his opinion, then maybe what he said was true.
Maybe he really did have the power to make or break you.
It sent an unpleasant shiver down your spine.
You didn’t want to think about the… thank you you might owe him. Or how his suggestion of extra sessions might actually help.
“Likewise, the keepers will also try to stop you so select the best shot, not just the easiest,” Jill continued, and you blinked back to yourself. “Questions?”
You shook your head along with the group.
It didn’t matter who had come up with it. All that mattered was that you showed Jill that you belonged on the roster. That you made her regret not including you.
“Ready to put on a show?” Mal bumped you as Lindsey and Alex started the drill.
Alex easily outpaced Becky to get into position, but Lindsey had a harder time faking out Kelley, taking an extra second to make the defender step before she sent a perfect through ball into Alex’s path.
“Always,” You breathed out as the ball left Alex’s foot, sailing through the air before pinging off of the crossbar. She ran a frustrated hand through her hair, and you dragged your eyes away to look at Mal. “Don't miss,”
A devilish grin took over Mal’s features. “Don’t worry Ducky, I can’t miss with your magic,”
She winked at you, and you rolled your eyes.
You hated that nickname. Not as much as others you had been given. Not enough to ask Mal to get rid of it, not when she liked it so much.
You stepped up to the ball and focused on Emily across from you as Mal did the same with Abby.
Nicknames could wait until after you had shown them all why you belonged.
OoOoOoO
You let out a long breath, standing over the ball as you stared at goal.
You could hear your teammates behind you, chatting as they packed up their gear, but you did your best to tune them out.
It didn’t matter to you that practice had ended nearly 15 minutes ago. All that you cared about was scoring from the spot. All you cared about was making sure you never missed another penalty again.
You took three steps back, your eyes flickering to the ball and then back towards goal. The back netting fluttered gently in the wind, like waving hands in the stands.
You blew out one more breath and leaned into your run, counting down in your head.
Your eyes never left the net as you took your three-step run up and blasted the ball toward the top right corner.
It hit the net with a satisfying woosh, sending ripples through the material and rattling the woodwork.
“Not bad,”
You blinked at the approaching voice, turning to face the new number-one keeper of the USWNT.
“Oh, thanks,” You nodded, blushing slightly and running a hand through your hair. You headed towards the goal to collect your ball and shoot again.
You didn’t really interact with Alyssa, even in Chicago. Her quiet confidence always intimidated you.
“Mind if I stand in goal for you?” She asked, trailing after you. “I wanna get some reps in,”
You paused, blinking at her. “You don’t have to do that for me,”
She sent you a small smile. “I know. I want to,”
You swallowed, flicking the ball up to your hands and tossing it towards her. “If you really want to,”
“I do,” Alyssa caught it easily, looking at you for a long second. “When you send balls to the top right corner, you tilt your hips to the left in your run-up. It gives you away,”
Your eyebrows furrowed. You didn’t know you were doing that.
“Try to stay square,” She continued. “It’ll make it harder to read you,”
You hummed, biting the inside of your lip as you stepped back towards the spot.
She rolled the ball towards you, and you carefully positioned it where you wanted it, and took three big steps back.
You twisted your hips, trying to remember to keep them square as you did your run-up.
Your eyes fell to the ball, and you let out a long breath, doing the countdown on your head as you dragged your gaze to meet Alyssa’s in goal.
You leaned onto your toes, doing your run-up and forcing your hips to remain parallel.
Now that you were in step, you could feel what Alyssa was talking back in the way you wanted to pull to your left for the windup.
Your foot contacted the ball, and you watched as it flew much more slowly towards Alyssa’s outstretched fingertips. It brushed past her, landing in the net with a much less satisfying swish.
“I just feel like I don’t have as much power,” You said, watching as Alyssa got back to her feet and fished the ball out of the back of the net.
“I save goals, I don’t make them,” Alyssa shrugged, rolling the ball back in your direction. “You could ask maybe Pino or your sister,”
Your nose scrunched at the options.
You would rather gargle thumbtacks than do either considering Pino was still pretending that you didn’t exist and Alex was… too much.
She was trying too hard, pushing too much and it made you suspicious. Why did she care now when she hadn’t before? When she had been ignoring you since the ball left your foot in Rio?
When the two of you had been at odds since she left for Berkeley?
“It was just a suggestion,” Alyssa said quickly as you tapped the ball back towards the spot.
“I know,” You mumbled, repositioning the ball with your hands. “I’ll probably ask Mal later. She’s always been better at PKs anyway,”
Alyssa hummed in agreement. She didn’t know you well enough to argue, and you seemed pretty close with the new striker. You had perked up considerably after partnering with her during practice, and the two of you had been unstoppable in the new set of drills Jill wanted to try(even if Jill made you sit the scrimmage out).
She hoped that helping you with your PKs would only add to the good mood you had been riding. She hoped it would help to alleviate the dark cloud that had been following you since the Olympics.
You were young and under more pressure than anyone your age should ever be placed under. As the captain of your club team, she felt it was her duty to actually do something about it. If that meant standing for a million of your PKs until you felt comfortable, then that’s exactly what she would do.
You lined up behind the ball, squinting at it. She noticed how you tilted your hips back and forth trying to figure out the mechanics of your kick.
It amazed her how easily you could adjust, and how smooth you made it look.
If you could get rid of your little tells, you would be deadly in front of the net. Just as deadly as you were during normal play.
She watched as you leaned forward on your toes, your feet shuffling as you prepared to kick.
“Hey you two, we’re going to leave soon,” Alyssa blinked up at Kelley’s voice, just as the ball left your foot.
She missed your kick, and the ball sailed easily into the net to her left. “We were just finishing up,”
Your shoulders rolled, and it looked like you wanted to argue, but no words left your lips.
It worried her how much you sunk into yourself at Kelley’s appearance. How your good mood vanished in a second.
She shared a look with Kelley over your shoulder, noting the worry in the defender's eyes.
At least someone else saw it too.
“Come on, you can sit by me at lunch,” Alyssa said, wrapping an arm over your shoulder and guiding you towards the bench with your gear. “We can talk more about ball placement,”
You made a low noise and allowed her to pull you back towards the team.
You would take any help you could get.
*****
“Where’s Ducky?” Mal asked as she set her plate down on the table beside Lindsey’s, leaving an empty chair on her other side for you.
She thought practice had gone well, and the good mood you gained through practice stayed with you to the weight and film sessions that followed it. You seemed excited about dinner, hyping up Chef Teron’s cooking and promising that you would join her after you took a shower.
“Ducky?” Kelley frowned, taking the seat opposite of her.
“Y/n,” Mal said, glancing up at the defender. “She found a baby duck at our first camp together,”
It was the truth, even if it wasn’t the entire story. Kelley didn’t need to know exactly how the nickname had been earned anyway. Mal was sure she wouldn’t want to know…
Lindsey shot her a look. A warning of sorts that while Kelley didn’t know the story, the full extent of Mal’s relationship with you, Lindsey definitely did.
“Em’s not here either. I’m sure they’re just late. You know how they get when they’re together,” Lindsey said, dragging her eyes away from Mal to look at Kelley.
Kelley shrugged. “It’s entirely possible,”
You and Emily were known to get into trouble when the two of you were together.
“What’s possible?” Emily asked, appearing through the meal room door alone.
“That you and Y/n are late because you two are nuts when you’re together,” Lindsey said, stabbing a piece of her chicken. “It's why Paul banned it at u20 camp,”
Mal rolled her eyes. “No. He stopped putting them together after Y/n was up for three nights straight because she lost a bet,”
“That’s true,” Emily shrugged. “She was on the phone with the mysterious Taylor when I left. I didn’t want to wait for her anymore,”
Kelley’s eyebrows furrowed. “Who?”
She had never heard of Taylor before.
Emily's shoulders lifted and fell again. “The girl that Y/n isn’t dating but pretty much is,”
“I’m not dating her,” You grumbled, finally joining the table.
Mal frowned when you took the seat between Kelley and Emily instead of the seat she had saved for you. She slid the plate she had made for you across the table nonetheless, and you nodded in thanks.
Emily rolled her eyes, ignoring the way you glared at the side of her head. “She flew to your apartment because she was worried about you, and then went to a shitty game that you only played in for 22 minutes,”
“I scored a hat trick,” You muttered, stabbing at the pasta Mal had grabbed for you. “It wasn’t that shitty,”
“I’m sorry, what?” Kelley blinked at you.
She was usually the first person you told things to, despite how… strained things were between you and your sister at times. It felt very strange to her to be out of the loop.
You let out a suffering sigh. “It’s nothing. Emily is just blowing everything out of proportion,”
“Am I?” Emily asked incredulously. “Let me repeat, a girl flew across the country to see you because you were sad,”
“She’s my friend,” You muttered.
“Ok,” Kelley said, holding up her hand to stop whatever retort Emily was about to make. “It was very nice of your friend to visit,”
You hummed, seemingly mollified. “It was. She got to try her first burrito,”
“What kind of person has never had a burrito?” Lindsey snorted.
And your shoulders lifted and fell. “She’s from Pennsylvania. I don’t think they’re popular there. Or in Nashville,”
Emily opened her mouth like she was going to protest, but a sharp look from Kelley had her closing it again.
The way to get information out of you was to drop the pressure, and let you share what you felt comfortable with, even if it wasn’t the juicy details that anyone really wanted.
“Does she live in Nashville now?” Kelley asked, pretending like she wasn’t invested in the answer.
Your nose scrunched, and you chewed your food thoughtfully. You had only visited her in Nashville so far, but you knew she spent a larger amount of time in New York.
“At least part-time,” You said, stabbing another set of noodles. “She splits her time between there, LA and New York,”
“Nice, kid,” Kelley hummed.
“It’s good to make friends,” Mal added, swallowing the sudden lump in her throat, as you smiled brilliantly at her.
She would believe you when you said that this… Taylor was your friend. After all, she was just your friend too.
“What about friends?” Alex asked, appearing at the table, and placing her plate down next to Mal.
“We were just talking about Y/n’s new friend,” Emily said, waggling her eyebrows. “Apparently she never had a burrito before she met your sister,”
A disgusted look crossed Alex's face. “If that’s a sex thing, then I really don’t want to know about it,”
“It’s not,” You huffed. “I think about more than just sex you know,”
“You do? I’m shocked,” Alex deadpanned, and the table burst into bemused laughter.
“You forgot that she thinks about soccer,” Emily cackled, nudging you. “And the dogs,”
“Ah yes, the pack of mythological creatures,” Alex said, rolling her eyes.
“So dogs, soccer, and sex. Seems pretty reasonable to me,” Kelley flicked the side of your head, and you jerked away from her.
“I fucking hate you guys,” You ground out, stabbing another piece of your chicken, more bitterness than you meant leaking into your tone.
Mal’s head tilted to the side, as the comment only earned more laughter from the table. She noticed something she couldn’t place in Alex’s expression as the giggles died down.
“I think she thinks a lot about penalty kicks too,” Lindsey added, chuckling. “It was all her and Alyssa would talk about at lunch,”
Your face twisted into a grimace, and Mal knew at once that you didn’t find it funny. She saw Kelley’s arm shift next to you like a hand was placed on your leg to keep you from pushing yourself out of your seat.
Alex’s eyebrows furrowed at the comment, and she leaned forward in her chair.
“Your hips twist to the left when you aim for the top right corner,” She said, her voice going oddly gentle. “If you twist your plant foot outward, it’ll counter it so you can keep your hips square and still have the same power,”
You froze, your forks halfway to your lips, and your back went rigid.
It was one thing for Alyssa to offer her help, and another for your sister to do it.
You bit back your retort that Alex had missed her kick too, that she was no better than you, and forced your fork to your mouth.
You weren’t in a position to deny help. Even if you didn’t really want it.
“I can show you later if you want,” Alex continued, seeming unphased by your stiffness.
“Sure,” Your voice squeaked as you agreed, your eyes dipping.
Alex’s smile was blinding. “Awesome. We can do it after dinner and before movie night,”
Your chin barely moved as you nodded in agreement, chewing on your bite.
Taking pointers from Alex was not a top thing on your to-do list.
*****
“I just feel like it cuts my power in half,” You sighed, running a frustrated hand through your hair and turning away from the little goal the staff had set up for you.
“You just need to find the right foot angle so your hips can get around it,” Alex positioned her hands as she explained it. “Just play with it for a bit. I’m sure you’ll get it,”
You could feel her eyes on you like you were a specimen under a microscope, but you didn’t look up to meet her eyes.
You couldn’t meet her eyes.
It reminded you too much of when you were young. Of the hours the two of you would spend in the backyard, critiquing each other play after play. Of the summers you spent under the hot sun, practicing skill after skill until you could take out every other player you faced.
It reminded you that Alex was more than a teammate. And that was too much.
“Y/n,” Alex said, her voice going very soft, her hand landing warm and grounding on your shoulder.
You sucked in a shaky breath. The two of you hadn’t been this close since she left for college. You hadn’t let her this close to you.
“I’m fine, Alex,” You muttered, trying to shrug her hand off, but she didn’t let you.
“You’re not,” Her fingers tightened on your shoulder. “And part of that is my fault,”
Your jaw clenched. “You didn’t sky your penalty,”
While Alex’s kick hadn’t gone in, it hadn’t been taken nearly as badly as yours was. The keeper had beaten her, while you had simply beaten yourself.
“No,” She agreed softly. “But I also didn’t make sure you were ok afterward,”
No. Afterward, everyone split off into different directions to handle their grief. Alex didn’t even say goodbye to you before flying out of Rio.
“You don’t need to worry about me. I’m an adult,” You said, finally looking up to meet her eyes. The eyes were a near-perfect replica of yours. “I’m fine. I’m playing well, and I’m showing everyone that I deserve to be here,”
Alex nodded.
She couldn’t disagree that you had been on fire since camp started. That the connection you and Mal had on the pitch was proving to be lethal, and that she was sure Jill regretted that you wouldn’t be eligible for the game against Australia.
But she could see that you were not fine.
She wished you trusted her enough to admit it.
“You might be an adult, but you’re still my little sister,” Alex said, her voice still soft, but determined as she squeezed your shoulder again. “And I want to be there for you,”
“Now you want to be here for me. Now that everyone is watching you care. Now when it’s convenient,” You muttered, finally pulling yourself free of her hand.
Her eyes snapped towards you, and the bitterness in your tone. “What?”
You paced towards the ball, taking extra time to fish it out of the back of the net, watching it as you directed it back towards the penalty spot.
“You care now because that’s what you think is expected of you,” You said finally, your voice barely above a whisper. “You care because it’s convenient for you now that we’re in the same place. When I go back to Chicago, you’re going to go back to not giving a fuck,”
“Let’s get one thing straight,” Alex growled, catching your wrist, and whipping you around to face her. “I have never not given a fuck,”
Your jaw worked like you were contemplating the next words to come out of your mouth, and you slowly looked up to meet her eyes.
They weren’t the icy stone that she expected or the cold blue that she had become accustomed to.
They were a deep turquoise, vibrant, and… open. Vulnerable in a way they hadn’t been since you were 9 years old.
“You just left me,” You said. “And then I was alone,”
Something dark lingered under your words. Something that she knew you weren’t saying. Something that she had a feeling was far deeper than what happened after the Olympics.
“You have never been alone,” Alex grit out, the hand on your arm tightening.
You rolled your eyes, ripping away from her grasp for the second time. “Whatever Alex,”
Alex opened her mouth, a scathing retort on the tip of her tongue, but she didn’t let it fly. She paused, watching the way you focused back on the ball. You flicked it up onto your toe box, juggling it a few times before you let it fall perfectly on the penalty spot.
She recognized the movement. It was the same one you used when you were young, and you felt too vulnerable to talk. When you needed to control your emotions.
She let out a long breath, calming the agitation still simmering in her chest.
You wouldn’t respond to anger and harsh retorts. No. She had to take a more gentle approach. One that wouldn’t threaten your vulnerability.
“I shouldn’t have left right after the game in Rio,” She said softly, taking a very slow step toward you. “I’m sorry that I didn’t stay to make sure you were alright,”
Your shoulders rolled, and you positioned yourself to take another kick. “I didn’t need you to stay,”
“I also should have checked on you after we got back, instead of just assuming that you were fine,” She pushed on as if you hadn’t spoken.
A strange sort of grimace flashed across your features. One you tried to smother as you did your signature run-up, keeping your hips square (and turning your foot out slightly wider) as you took your kick.
The net swished as the ball made contact, banging into the top right corner with a satisfying rattle.
It was still amazing to her how quickly you could make adjustments. How easy it was for you to figure out the body mechanics to make a slight change work.
She took another step towards you. “I know I haven’t been there for you, but I want to be. Not because I think it’s what’s expected of me, but because you’re my sister and I love you,”
She wanted to reach out and catch your shoulder again. To force you to look at her, but she knew that wouldn’t help.
All she could do was watch as the words filtered through your brain; as you worked them over in your head; as you realized that she wasn’t looking for a fight or defend herself and your posture very slowly relaxed.
“There’s an app,” Alex continued, taking the last step towards you, getting so close that she was nearly brushing your back. “It tracks miles, and fitness, and calories, and I think it could help us reconnect if you want to try it,”
She could see the way your jaw worked, as you stepped away from her to collect the ball from the net again like you were chewing on her both words and her offer.
The offer she meant to make while the two of you were still in Rio.
She waited as you rolled the ball out of the net, flipping it between your feet for a long minute before you finally looked up and met her eyes. “Ok,”
She nodded, more to herself than to you, just thankful that you had responded at all. She hadn’t expected even that.
“I love you,” She repeated softly, reaching out and catching your hand and squeezing in 3 slow pulses.
You squeezed it in return. “I love you too,”
The slight reluctance in your tone bothered her, but she would take what she could get with you. It was more than she had gotten in a very long time.
You cleared your throat, breaking the comforting silence that stretched between you. “When I want to kick it left, would I just angle my plant foot in the opposite direction?”
She blinked, once, twice, 3 times. “Yeah. It’ll help you prevent your hips from telegraphing,”
You hummed, turning away.
She should have known that you wouldn’t comment further. That you would turn back to football as soon as you could. She knew it wasn’t personal.
But she wished it didn’t sting as much.
******
You glanced down at the new addition to your right wrist, shaking your hand and testing how much the little watch slid with the movement. You had been playing with it since Kelley passed it to you at breakfast.
You didn’t know that Alex’s app required a stupid piece of jewelry, but you hadn’t had the heart to take it off yet. Not when she was actually trying.
It was still irritating to you, and you worried that it would get in the way during your afternoon practice and lift session, even if you wouldn’t be allowed to join their walkthrough.
You didn’t want to break it before you really got to use it. You didn’t think that your Red Stars salary would stretch enough to cover a new one. Not when you were planning extra trips to New York.
You sighed, grabbing your cup of green juice and taking a large sip.
You were probably going to have to budget more as it was. Flights weren’t cheap, and neither was food, or a hotel (even if Taylor insisted you could stay with her. As her best friend).
“Hey kid,” Jill said, knocking on the Hotel lobby table. “Got a second?”
You gulped down the liquid and gestured towards the empty couch across from you. “Always coach,”
She smiled and settled into the seat. You leaned forward in your own, your drink landing on the table with a thunk.
“We’re placing you on the active roster for the game against Canada,” Jill said. “Roary said that you had been making slow improvements, but I wanted to see for myself. You’ve proven that you deserve the spot,”
“I…-“ You blinked at her. “Thank you. I will not let you down,”
She waved you off. “I’d like to see some nice linking with Mallory and your sister. I want to really push Trancredi and Chapman,”
“I can do that,” You nodded seriously. You knew you could get balls to Alex and Mal. You knew you could stretch the defense.
You were a menace on the pitch, especially when you had something to prove.
You had everything to prove.
“I know,” Her lips ticked up and she reached across the table to pat your knee as she stood. “Go eat. You’ll be joining full team practice after lunch, and dawn will have my head if you pass out,”
You matched her smile. “Yes, coach. Thank you,”
“You’ve earned it,” She said, turning and heading off towards the meal room, but she paused before she exited the lobby. “And stop hiding from your friends,”
You blushed but nodded in agreement anyway. She winked as she left, and you couldn’t help the bubbling laugh that left your lips, undeterred by her request to stop icing out the team.
She invited you because she wanted to see your progress herself. She wanted to see if you were progressing as slowly as Roary said you were, and you had proven that you weren’t. You had proven you were an asset.
You had proven them wrong.
The elation filled your chest, like champagne in a shaken bottle and all you wanted was to let it out. You wanted to tell someone.
Well, not someone. You wanted to tell Taylor.
She was the one who convinced them that you could prove them wrong after all. The one who had been there for you, even before you took the penalty kick in Rio.
You grabbed your green juice from the table and pushed yourself up from the armchair, pulling your phone out of your pocket as you hung a left down a side hallway by the meal room so you could have some privacy before you faced the rest of the team.
You easily flicked through your contacts, pausing over the one you had recently changed from blondie to Athena after the goddess of wisdom, and pressing it gently.
“Hey, what’s up,” Taylor’s smiling face met you after the second ring. “Everything ok?”
“Better than ok,” You nodded excitedly, flashing her a brilliant grin. “Jill added me to the active squad, and I’m playing in the game on Saturday against Canada,”
Her eyes lit up. “Oh my god! That’s amazing! I’m so proud of you!”
Red leaked into your cheeks. “Thanks,”
She hummed, her smile shifting into something softer, silence stretching between you for a long second.
“What time?” She asked, and your eyebrows pulled tightly together. “What?”
“The game,” She said, the soft look never leaving her eyes. “What time is it on?”
“6ish I think?” Your voice tilted up in question.
The truth was you didn’t actually know what time the game was on. You didn’t know what time you needed to be on the bus, or when warmups started.
It was the nice thing about camp.
You never had to think about a schedule. You just went with the flow.
“I’ll look on the USWNT website,” Taylor rolled her eyes affectionately at you.
“Good plan,” You said, your head bobbing.
You opened your mouth to add a quip, but the sound of your name interrupted you.
You blinked up at the new voice, suddenly realizing that your side hallway wasn’t as private as you thought it was.
“You’re going to miss lunch,” Mal said, and you wondered how long she had been standing there. How long had she listened in?
You waved her off. “Just save me a plate,”
You could eat after you were finished with your call.
“No,” Mal glared at the phone in your hand. “come on,”
“You’ve gotta go,” Taylor interjected softly before you could send whatever whippy retort was on your tongue towards Mal, pulling your attention back to the screen. “We’ll talk later, I promise,”
“I’ll see you later,” You sighed, waving towards Taylor before hanging up, a millisecond before Mal peeked at the screen.
“That was rude,” You grumbled, slapping her arm when she was close enough. “I was having a conversation,”
“Well, you were late,” Mal said, rolling her eyes and hooking her arm through yours to pull you tightly to her as she dragged you towards the meal room. “And you get grumpy when you don’t eat,”
You got more grumpy when you didn’t get to talk to Taylor, but you didn’t voice that thought.
You didn’t need anyone else questioning your relationship with Taylor, not when she was very firmly your friend.
OoOoOoO
September 2016
Is it cool that I said all that?
Is it too soon to do this yet?
Cause I know that it’s delicate
The craziness that was August simmered down considerably as soon as September started. It was like the sudden chill in the air was a balm to the insanity that always accompanied the stretch to the playoffs.
With Chicago at the very bottom of the table, well besides Orlando, you knew that your season would likely end in 4 games. It should have made you feel bad, but it didn’t. All you could muster was a strange sense of… blaséness.
You didn't have it in you to care after the loss of the Olympics. Not in a league that didn’t matter.
It wasn’t like you were playing for Arsenal.
What you did care about was that you had earned your national team spot back.
With 2 assists and a goal yourself against Canada, you had solidified why you deserved your callup. That was before you found out that Taylor was there.
Things only got better when you got to see her after the game. When you got to hug her and hear her say how proud she was of you. When you got to solidify your plans to see her when you played against Sky Blue.
Nothing could dampen your… excitement, not even Mal (drunkenly) hanging off of you during the post-game dinner celebration.
That carried over into your upset win over Portland with Chicago, and the week of practice you had between them and your game in New York.
And now, sitting in the back of a dark dive bar in Tribeca, trying to ignore your drunk friends (teammates and foes) celebrating, your excitement. Your happiness was nearly palpable.
Taylor was going to swing by before you left, and the two of you were set to hang out tomorrow too.
But still, you couldn’t get rid of the nagging feeling in the back of your mind. Of the butterflies that fluttered in your chest each time you so much as thought about Taylor.
You tried to slam a lid on it. To shove it into a little box, because you knew that if you let it out, you would fuck up your friendship.
It was how you saved your friendship with Mal after all wasn't it?
You had swallowed the lump in your throat, and taken the little piece of her that she gave you. You had even listened to her talk about him while the two of you cuddled.
But it was different because you weren’t sleeping with Taylor.
“Hey, sorry I’m kinda late,” Taylor said, just as a hand landed very gently on your shoulder.
Your lips instantly ticked up at Taylor’s voice and you turned towards the back of the bar to greet her (slightly surprised she hadn’t come in the front). “Hey, no worries,”
You pushed yourself to your feet and pulled her into a tight hug. Your nose pressed against her neck, and you tried not to think about how the scent of lavender and something so innately Taylor put your swirling thoughts at ease.
You leaned back with a genuine grin, and slid her the drink you had ordered for her “Old fashion right?”
She frowned but took the drink anyway. “How did you order this? You’re not 21 yet,”
You shrugged and slid back onto your stool. “I didn’t have to order it,”
She took the stool next to you, her eyebrows lifting.
“Really I didn’t,” You said, reaching for your own glass. “The losing team always buys the first round at least,”
She eyed it warily as you brought it to your lips, taking a sip of her own.
“It’s water,” You said before she could ask. “Because Kelley and Christen strongly disapprove of underage drinking,”
“I do too,” Taylor hummed, leaning closer to you so she could hear you over the bar noise.
“I know,” You said, sending her a cheeky smile. “How was the studio? Cooking up something good?”
She took a sip of her drink. “I think so. I can show you some of them tomorrow,”
“That would be cool,” You nodded, your eyes flickering towards your teammates. “There’s also a cool little brunch spot in TriBeCa. It’s called the bus stop,”
“I’ve heard about it,” Taylor hummed. “It’s like two blocks from my apartment,”
“I can pick you up tomorrow and we can go,” You said, watching Taylor carefully. “Roary gets upset when I skip out early,”
You didn’t want to be too… forward.
You didn’t want to tip the hand on your feelings when you knew she didn’t feel the same.
“That should work,” Taylor agreed, without even blinking. “I’ll let Jason know you’re coming and I’ll text you directions to the back entrance,”
“Jason?” You smirked, trying to keep your voice neutral, and wiggled your eyebrows to complete the effect. “Have a boyfriend you’re not telling me about?”
She was your friend you reminded yourself. You weren’t allowed to feel upset if she was dating someone. She probably wasn’t even interested.
“No,” Taylor chuckled around a sip of her drink. “Jason is my head of security. He’ll let the team know that you’re not just some random fan,”
“Have many of them knock on your door?” You asked, your smirk widening into something that reminded her of a Cheshire Cat grin as you nudged her shoulder gently.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” She sighed heavily and a dark look crossed over her features (making you instantly regret the joking tone you had used). “It’s only gotten worse lately, especially since the video came out,”
You grimaced, your nose scrunching adorably.
You thought the entire handling of the situation by Kanye’s camp was fucking disgusting. You thought he was a total narcissistic creeper and a douche.
You had already gotten your national team teammates to agree not to listen to it.
“If he’s ever at a game, I’ll put a price on who can peg him in the head more times,” You Promised with a short nod, and it earned you the desired effect of her giggle. “But seriously I think it’s fucking gross and that he needs to get a life,”
“I appreciate that, but I don’t need you to fight for me,” She said, laying a hand on your shoulder.
“I know,” You nodded. “But I will anyway. A man should know how to treat people,”
You would always be willing to defend her honor, just like you would defend Mal or any of your teammates.
Well, maybe this wasn’t like Mal. You didn’t crave Mal’s soft smile or… praise like you did Taylor’s. You didn’t need Mal to acknowledge your bravery like you wanted Taylor to…
God you were really starting to lose the plot.
Taylor was your friend.
“I appreciate it,” She said, red coloring her cheeks. “Anyway, what are your other plans for tonight?”
“I’m going to help Christen drag the team back to the hotel, and then I’ll probably crash,” You shrugged, gesturing towards where Christen and Kelley were dancing with Huerta and Sam Kerr. “This way I’m actually awake to hang out with you tomorrow,”
Taylor’s lips quirked up into a teasing grin. “I do prefer you conscious,”
You wiggled your eyebrows, shifting on your stool to block Taylor from the view of your teammates when you caught Christen's eye.
It wasn’t that you didn’t trust them, you just wanted to keep Taylor to yourself. You didn’t want to have to share her.
“I didn’t know you owned anything other than sweatpants,” Taylor continued, gesturing towards the dark blue jeans you had accented with a pair of Batman Nikes.
You took a sip of your water to cover the light pink that dusted your cheeks. Maybe you had dressed up because you knew you were meeting her at the bar. “We won, so I had to wear something other than warm-up gear. Christen picked them,”
Christen had helped you because you didn’t actually know how to put an outfit together. You wore sweats because they went with everything. You didn’t have to think about things matching.
So by the 3rd try, the forward had taken pity on you. Picking a Manchester City jersey to go with your dark pants and your Nike kicks.
Taylor hummed, smiling very gently at you like she was reading your mind.
Really, she was fighting to keep her eyes from tracing your arms where you had rolled the jersey sleeves, and from dipping down to where your jeans hugged your ass.
“Will you be back to your normal style tomorrow, or is she going to pick your outfit again?”
You rolled your eyes at the playful question. “Depends, do I get anything if I dress up?”
“I’ll buy you breakfast,” She smirked and you chuckled, more red bleeding into your cheeks. “Or brunch,”
“I think that sounds like a fair trade,” You chuckled, nodding along. She giggled at you, and it was like music to your ears, even against the backdrop of the noisy bar.
It made your smile broaden, just like it always did. It shouldn’t fill your chest with so much pride that you were the reason she was giggling.
You really needed to get a handle on yourself before you did something stupid that pushed her away.
You needed to make sure you wouldn’t ruin your friendship.
You didn’t know what you would do if you lost Taylor.
********
“I don’t think words can describe how adorable she is,” Taylor sighed towards her phone, taking a sip of her red wine. “I swear she blushes every time I so much as look at her,”
It wasn’t her first glass of the night. It wasn’t even her second.
She had opened the bottle as soon as she had gotten back from the bar, and now it was verging on halfway gone.
She could feel the effects starting to take place, the way it loosened up her muscles and tongue. The way she couldn’t stop gushing about everything that had happened with you up to this point, not that her best friend was in the dark. She had been telling Selena about you for months, recounting each interaction the two of you had from the texting to the pillow fort cuddles.
Selena hummed, taking a sip of her own wine on the other side of the phone. “I’m surprised considering how… fierce she was on the field. She almost murdered someone today,”
Taylor rolled her eyes.
You had gotten in a defender's face after a bad tackle just outside of the box, turning angrily towards the reff when no yellow card followed the challenge.
“That was a bad call and the reff knew it. The defender came in studs up and ruined a good through ball opportunity,” She said.
Selena raised an eyebrow. “You know you sound like you’re speaking a different language right?”
It was something that had been happening more frequently. Taylor explaining soccer plays and referring to teams using phrases that Selena had never heard before. With all the time the singer had been spending with you, it shouldn’t have been surprising that Taylor would pick up on the dialect that was always on your lips.
That didn’t mean that Taylor’s best friend couldn’t tease her for it.
“Y/n was right to get upset. The defender could have hurt her,” Taylor reiterated seriously.
“I’m sure,” Selena’s tone dripped with sarcasm as she studied her for a long moment. “When are you going to admit that your sudden interest in soccer is because you’re interested in her,”
Deep red immediately bled into Taylor’s cheeks, setting her face aflame.
“I've already admitted that,” She muttered, hiding behind a sip.
“Let me rephrase then,” Selena said, a trading smirk on her lips. “When are you going to admit it to her, because no offense, but she obviously hasn’t gotten the message yet, even after you continue to fly out to her games,”
Taylor choked on her wine, “I thought she finally understood tonight. She saved me a spot away from her teammates so we could have privacy, but then she said something about us being best friends when she walked me to the car,”
“You’re going to have to be more direct,” Selena said, as Taylor took the last sip from her glass.
“It’s just…” Taylor sighed, setting the empty glass down. “She’s still so young. She just turned 19. I don’t want to… I don’t know, pressure her into something,”
“I don’t think you are,” Selena said slowly, her lips pursing. “You’re both adults who can consent, and even though you’re older, I don’t think there's an unfair power dynamic happening. You’re her sister’s age right?”
“Yes,” Taylor nodded.
Her and Alex were both born in 1989, and actually, your sister was older than her by almost 6 months, and you were very much an adult. She had made sure of that, refusing to even pursue a friendship until you were 18.
“Then it’s not like you're some older woman trying to take advantage of her,”
“No, I’m not. I would never,” Taylor immediately agreed.
She would do anything to make sure you weren’t being taken advantage of. She knew how powerful existing dynamics could be, and she did her best to avoid their effects.
You had to consent at every stage, even your friendship.
“Then there you go,” Selena shrugged, wiggling her fingers at the screen. “Now can you please stop with the pining and make an actual move? It’s less fun than it was before,”
Taylor threw her head back with a groan. “But how,”
She had literary flown across the country because you had been added to the starting lineup for the national team and you still didn’t catch the message.
Selena chuckled. “You’ve literally written a song about it,”
Taylor groaned again.
She knew the song that Taylor was talking about. She could hear How you get the girl ringing in her head.
But this was different.
You didn’t even know about the pressure that had driven them apart. The demands that her management had of her. The complications of her… profession made it impossible for them to be together in the way that she wanted.
And she hadn’t communicated that nearly as well as she wanted to.
“That was different. I fucked up and Diana wouldn’t talk to me,” She said softly,
“But you know the basics. It’s even raining,” Selena shrugged for a 3rd time, smiling impishly at her. “It doesn’t have to be complicated,”
Taylor bit her lip.
Selena made it sound simple, but maybe it was.
“You’re right,” Taylor hummed, a plan forming in her mind. “I'll call you later. After,”
Selena smirked. “Good luck with lover girl, but I don’t think you’ll need it,”
“Thanks,”
******
Taylor shouldn’t have been shocked by how easy it was to get into the hotel that the team was staying at. She shouldn’t have been surprised that the teenager behind the front desk gave her a room number with very little persuading.
There also hadn’t been any security on the elevator. Or on the floor, your room was on.
It was a little scary that she could get to you with literally no one stepping in, but considering your frequently snarky comments about how little people actually cared about you and the league, she should’ve expected it.
If you said yes. If you started a relationship with her, she would have to do something to put a barrier between you and the fans.
You probably wouldn’t like the idea of someone trailing you around, like Jason and her team trailed her, but it would be necessary. She would have to talk to Jason about it. Maybe Tony would be up for the job, you seemed to like him anyway.
Finding your door was as easy as getting the number from the receptionist.
But she paused in front of the ugly red door, her heart pounding on her chest.
She swallowed hard, lifting her hand and knocking three times on the door.
She had no reason to be nervous. You loved seeing her, and it wasn’t like you could bring one of your… conquests to a hotel room you shared with a teammate.
It would just be your sleepy smile that would meet her. The one where your eyes crinkled and you ran a hand through your ever-unruly curls.
But it wasn’t your tired smile that met her.
Instead, it was Christen’s Press’ wide smirk, as the older forward opened the door.
“So you’re the mystery girl from the bar,” Christen’s chin tilted towards her as she leaned against the doorframe. “I thought I recognized you,”
Taylor’s fingers wound into her cardigan, and she swallowed trying to get some moisture in her suddenly dry throat.
“Is Y/n here?”
Her voice came out shaky, horse.
Christen bit her lip, watching Taylor closely like she was a specimen under a microscope.
“She is not,” She said finally, her arms crossing over her chest, almost defensively.
“Oh,”
Taylor’s whole being deflated.
If you weren’t here, then where were you? Who were you with?
Christen glanced into the room behind her. “She should be back soon though. Wicked started at 8, and she swore it was only a 3-hour show with a thirty-minute intermission,”
Taylor’s eyebrows furrowed. “She’s on Broadway?”
You insisted that you hated anything with a plot, but Broadway musicals had a plot. You had also told her that you were just going to hang out at the hotel with your friends.
Why had you lied?
Taylor could see the pity in her eyes, and she hated it.
“Yeah,” Christen nodded once. “She sees at least one show every time she’s in New York. It’s like her 8th time seeing Wicked, but it’s her favorite,”
“Oh,” Taylor breathed out.
A pained look crossed Christen’s face, and she shifted on the door frame.
“I’m sure you’ve heard about y/n’s reputation. I just…,” Christen’s voice was soft, hesitant even. “If… you woke up alone… or if she promised you something…”
Taylor frowned immediately shaking her head. “We didn’t-. She didn’t-. I wanted to talk to her about our plans for tomorrow,”
Relief washed across Christen’s face. “Good. The two of you looked adorable in the bar, and she wouldn’t shut up about you. She has a habit of ruining things she thinks she doesn’t deserve,”
Taylor’s eyebrows furrowed.
What did Christen mean? What did you ruin?
“You said she’s seeing Wicked tonight?” Taylor asked, her head tilting.
Jason should be able to get her close to the theater before they let out. Maybe she could catch you.
Christen nodded, sensing that Taylor was already forming another plan. “Yes. Jackie Burns is playing Elphaba and she’s one of y/n’s favorites,”
“Thanks,”
Taylor was already turning away from her, phone in hand.
Christen caught her arm before she could retreat down the hall, and Taylor met her deep green eyes. “Just… treat her right, ok?”
“I will,”
Both women felt the weight of the words. The promise.
“There will be a hoard of angry footballers with a bounty on your head if you don’t,” Christen’s lips cracked into a smile as she released the singer. “Y/n doesn’t just let anyone close to her,”
“I know,” Taylor matched her grin.
Taylor had already gotten close to you. Closer than you had let nearly everyone before her. Now she just had to actually get you to agree that your relationship was more.
She would, and then she would protect your relationship and you with everything she had.
******
Sometimes, being a professional soccer player was… strange.
Strange because you played on a well-known team, but that you could easily disappear into a crowd. Strange because strangers on the internet all so many opinions about you, but none of them actually knew you.
They didn’t know how much you loved musicals because it let you escape the truth of your own reality for a few hours. They didn’t know how much you loved the way the skyscrapers were accented against the star-dotted sky. How the billboards lit up the sidewalk and the pedicabs and taxis when you stepped out of a show.
How the rain made the lights twinkle like the street was covered in fairy dust.
How the cool October air filled your lungs as you shoved your hands deeper into your pockets as you left the Gershwin Theater.
You would stay and stand at the stage door, but it was already nearing midnight. You promised Christen you wouldn’t be back too late, and the dollar pizza guy around the corner from the hotel closed at 1. You would not be missing out on a greasy one-dollar slice. It was tradition after all, and you already had Jackie Burns’ signature on a framed shirt.
Plus the rain made anything but finding the subway entrance something you wholeheartedly didn’t want to do.
“Y/n,”
You dipped your head at the call of your name, slipping further into the crowd and leaving the theater.
You didn’t think that anyone would recognize you. They rarely ever did, but then again your face had been plastered all over the place since Rio.
You weren’t in the mood to deal with fans anyway, even after a solid win over Sky Blue. Not while you were getting soaked.
“Y/n, wait!”
You pulled your hood over your head, ignoring the way it pressed into your damp curls, and hunched your shoulders in an attempt to make yourself disappear.
You just needed to get around the corner of the Barclay building and cut between the hotdog cart and Juniors and you would be safe in the subway station. Away from prying eyes and the drenching rain, and back towards the team hotel in SoHo.
“Y/n,”
The voice was even closer, and a hand caught your arm just as you made it to the corner, pulling you to a dead stop. You let out a long, weary breath, painting a million-dollar smile on your face as you turned.
Yelling at a fan wouldn’t go over well.
But it melted as soon as you saw exactly who had grabbed you.
“Taylor?” Her hair was plastered to her head, her dark gray cardigan soaked through, and her blue eyes accented by running makeup. “Where is your coat? What are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to you,”
“We need to get you out of this rain,” You muttered, ignoring her. You yanked your zipper down, and tugged your arms out of your jacket, tucking it around her shoulders and pulling the hood over her head. “You’re going to get sick,”
You caught her hand after you zipped the coat around her and began to drag her towards the subway.
At least the 51st station was heated.
“Y/n wait,”
Her slippery fingers tugged on yours, trying to slow you down. Trying to stop you.
“No. It’s like 50 degrees out here and raining,” You grumbled, not even looking at her.
How had she found you? Why was she out in the rain looking for you? What if she got Pneumonia because she chased after you without a coat?
You were trying to remember what Alex and Kelley always said about rain and cold, after rain games. You were trying to remember how Alex would get you warmed up when you were young.
“Y/n, stop,” Taylor tugged at your hand again, and you glanced over your shoulder at her, still refusing to stop pulling her towards the subway.
“What? I don’t want you to get sick and die,” You bit back, as the rain got harder, bouncing off Taylor’s hood in large, heavy drops. “Why would you come out here without a raincoat or an umbrella? Or-,”
Taylor jerked you towards her before you could finish, and before you could process what was happening, her lips met yours, stealing the end of your sentence.
You blinked, your lips frozen for a long second, taking in the feeling of Taylor’s warm lips accented by the cool drops of rain.
It was like your brain had short-circuited.
You couldn’t kiss back, or pull away (even though you didn’t want you). All you could do was stand here, mouth halfway open, blinking owlishly at her.
Her thumb brushed against your cheek as she leaned back, her eyebrows furrowed with worry that she had crossed a line. “Y/n,”
You blinked again, water dripping off your lashes.
Taylor kissed you.
She kissed you in the rain.
Taylor liked you.
But she hadn’t said that. She hadn’t said anything.
You blinked for a third time, tilting your chin up and leaning forward to connect your lips again.
Taylor sucked in a breath before gently returning the kiss.
Your lips moved together like they were made for each other. It was slow and warm, and… wet, accented by the rain dripping down your faces.
Your hands found her waist, your fingers squeezing her hips, and hers tangled in the soaked baby hairs at the back of your neck.
It was a perfect first kiss. Something out of a fairytale, or one of Taylor’s songs.
You finally pulled away, breathing heavily through your nose, almost like you had run a full 90.
“It’s raining, and I don’t want you to get sick,” You mumbled, leaning in and pecking her lips again.
“Jason and the car are that way,” She said, gesturing back toward the theater.
You lifted your head in that direction, noting the sleek, black Escalade among the yellow cabs. You couldn’t see who was inside, but you knew that that would be true even if it wasn’t nighttime and pouring with the blacked-out windows.
It had to be worth more than pretty much everything you owned, and you were soaked through.
It would ruin the interior, and you knew you wouldn’t be able to afford fixing it.
Taylor shivered though, and you sighed, nodding. “Let’s get you warmed up,”
“You need to get warm too,” Taylor hummed, trailing her hand down your bare arm and catching your fingers. “I have towels in the car,”
You squeezed her hand, letting her lead you towards the car. The door was open by the time you got to it, the back seat already littered with black towels and a blanket.
Taylor slid in first, and you followed after her, wiping your curls out of your eyes, and allowing her to wrap a towel around you, even though you didn’t feel cold.
“Back to your apartment?” The bulky blonde man in the front seat asked, turning to look at Taylor.
“I have to go back to the team hotel,” You said before she could answer him. “I’ll get in trouble with the coaching staff if I don’t go back, and it’ll upset my teammates,”
Taylor’s hand landed on your thigh, squeezing gently like she was telling you that she would take care of it.
“The hotel it is,” The man smiled, turning back towards the steering wheel, and flicking one of the buttons near the center console. More heat began to flood the car, as it inched forward. “Traffic is pretty bad with this rain, so it’ll be a bit,”
“Thanks, Jay,” Taylor sighed, grabbing the blanket and tossing it over the two of you. “We’re not in a hurry,”
He glanced up at you in the rearview mirror. “Would you like me to put up the privacy curtain?”
Taylor’s lips curved into a playful smile, and she squeezed your thigh again. “No. Not tonight,”
You raised an eyebrow at her.
Did she do this often? This couldn’t have been the first time she was with someone in the back of the car.
The thought made your stomach tumble.
Maybe the kiss wasn’t because she wanted something more, but because she wanted… sex. It wouldn’t be a shocker with your reputation. You were easy, always up for a lay. She just wanted to blow off some steam.
You shut down that thought.
It didn’t matter.
“Are you warm enough?” Taylor asked, and your eyes snapped up to meet hers.
“Hm?” your eyebrows furrowed deeper.
You didn’t feel cold.
She reached up very slowly, brushing a stray curl from your forehead and laying a thumb very gently on your lips. “Your lips are still trembling,”
You leaned into the warmth of her hand, unable to stop yourself. “Oh, I’m ok. I’ve had to play in the rain before. This isn’t that bad,”
She looked unconvinced, her other hand adjusting your towel so it covered more of your frame. “You shouldn’t have given me your jacket,”
“You shouldn’t have been out in that without one,” You shrugged, earning an eye roll.
“I had important things to talk to you about,” She said, her thumb dragging from your lips to brush your cheek.
Your lips tilted into a teasing smirk. “I don’t think we actually talked,”
“But I think you got the message,” She murmured, completing the circuit with her thumb back towards your lips.
“Did I?” Your eyebrow quirked up at her.
She tapped your lips, before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to them. You couldn’t help the way you leaned into her, and kissed back, even if it had warning sirens blaring in your head.
You would ignore the gnawing feeling that this would ruin your friendship and that Taylor would leave when she was done with you
“You did,” She hummed as she pulled away, her thumb gliding across your cheek again.
She sounded so sure of herself. Far more sure than you felt.
Maybe Emily was right.
Maybe you should just go with it.
OoOoOoO
You let out a long breath, leaning your forehead against the cool, hotel room door, watching as little water droplets slid down the smooth, red surface. Your hand rested on the handle, but you had no intention of opening it.
Not yet.
Not while your head still felt like it was in a blender.
Not while you were still reeling from the feeling of Taylor’s soft lips pressed into yours. Of her thumb making circuits from your cheek to your lips and back. Of her blue eyes staring at you like she could see beneath your skin like she wanted you more than she wanted anything else.
But she couldn’t want you.
She probably just wanted to… experiment, and your reputation made you an easy choice.
You blew out another breath, hoping that the feeling of it leaving your lungs would help steady the shakiness in your knees.
It was embarrassing, but you had been fantasizing about what her lips would feel like, how she would taste, for a long time. And now that you had actually tasted them, well, it was a craving you weren’t sure you’d ever be able to satiate. It would be so much worse when she decided she didn’t want you.
You watched a water droplet slide down the door, lazily making its way around a chip in the paint.
But maybe she did want you.
You had chased you down in the rain, without a jacket, after all, and kissed you in the street like she didn’t care who was looking.
You let out one more breath, fishing the key card out of your back pocket and pressing it against the lock until it clicked. You let your forehead push the door open, only lifting it after you had stepped inside the hotel room.
You weren’t surprised to see that the lights were still on, and Christen was still sitting up in bed a book in her hand and her reading glasses still firmly in place.
“I was about to send out a search party,” She hummed, catching her bookmark from the nightstand and carefully placing it into the book. It was only then that she looked up at you, a frown pulling at her lips. “Why are you all wet? Where is your jacket?”
You had the decency to send her a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry. I got distracted and then Tony’s pizza stand was closed so I had to go to the corner slice in Tribeca. I lost my jacket somewhere along the way,”
You pulled your sodden Manchester City jersey over your head. “Do you think it can be saved?”
Christen rolled her eyes and pushed herself to stand, crossing the room to the small closet and pulling out a hanger. “Let’s hang dry it, and we’ll see,”
You followed after her towards the bathroom, turning it the right way out and gingerly sliding it onto the hanger. “It has to be ok. Bronze is my favorite and my parents finally got a name right,”
She took it from you and hooked it around the shower curtain rail. “A true miracle that I’m sure Alex had nothing to do with,”
Alex couldn’t have had anything to do with it. You never told her that you liked Bronze. You had only told Rosie.
Though you weren’t sure how your parents had picked the right one…
She turned back to you, her eyes flickering to the skin just above your lips. A smirk broke across her face and she reached up to brush her thumb over your cheek. “Is that lipstick?”
You jerked your head away from her. “No,”
There was no way Taylor’s lipstick could be on your soaking-wet skin. Not with the way the rain had drenched the two of you.
Except…
your eyes closed.
Taylor had kissed your cheek before you exited the car. You slipped out of the Escalade under the awning of the hotel, safe from the rain.
“Let’s get the not lipstick off of you then,” Christen hummed noncommittally, pulling you closer to the sink. “How did you get so soaked?”
You waited until she turned away from you to dig into her makeup bag to answer, contemplating the words that you would say.
Surely her advice would help too, but then her girlfriend would probably tell your sister.
It would be easier if you just kept it all to yourself. If you just followed Emily’s advice and went with it.
“I got distracted and the corner slice doesn’t have indoor seating,” you said, eying the bottles she was pulling from her bag, dabbing a cotton ball on the top. “What’s that?”
“Makeup remover,” She hummed, her fingers catching your chin and tilting it so she had a better view of the offending red on your lips. “It must be waterproof, so this is the only thing that will get it off unless you want to dye the sheets red,”
Your nose scrunched at the acrid smell on the cotton ball as she very gently began to swipe it against your lips. You let your eyes slide closed, trying to ignore how small it made you feel. Trying to ignore how much it reminded you of when you were little.
But it was too late.
You could feel the ghosts of her hands drawing across your cheeks in quick, practiced movements, and practically hear Alex’s “hold still little monkey,” ringing in your ears. You could see the soft smile that always played at her lips and the way her blue eyes focused as she helped you.
“Hold still little monkey, I’ll be quick. I promise,”
They were memories you didn’t want to remember. They brought a warm, protected feeling to your chest that you wanted to forget.
The betrayal that followed would hurt less if you forgot if you didn’t remember the safety and care that had never been a question before it. The feelings that you were searching for in one bed or another. The feelings that you were convinced you would never feel again.
But then you met Taylor, and she made you want to believe you were wrong.
“You’re good to go,” Christen said, pulling you back to reality.
Your eyes blinked open, and you sent her a charming smile as you pulled away. “Thanks,”
She nodded back at you, watching you for a long minute like she wanted to say something she wasn’t sure about.
“What?”
“Your hair is sticking up,” Christen quirked a small smile at you, and your eyes flickered toward the mirror, frowning.
You were sure that’s now what she was going to say, but you were grateful that she didn’t voice whatever thought she had.
But she was right. Amongst the mop of curls you had been letting grow since the undercut disaster of the 2015 World Cup, several were sticking up at strange angles. The one at the crown of your head standing straight up in a semi-hilarious impression of alfalfa from the little rascals. It was probably due to the water and wax that you always wore on game days to keep it out of your eyes mixing.
They would be a bitch to fix in the morning if they dried like that. Maybe you would just wear a beanie over them instead of putting in the effort to fix them. Or maybe you would just chop them all off again.
You reached for one of the small white hand towels, tossing it over your wild, tangled, soaked curls and dropping your pants with the other in a fluid motion. “I should dry off,”
Christen rolled her eyes, entirely used to your antics after spending a season in a locker room with you, and many more of being on the national team. She was just thankful you had a bra and boxers on. “And maybe get rid of the sex hair so the media doesn’t have a field day,”
You wiggled your eyebrows at her, pushing her towards the bathroom door. “Well, what would they do with my reputation then,”
Realize you’re not what you present yourself as Christen thought wryly.
She wondered if Taylor had figured that out yet too. That you hid your sunshiney personality under a brash and untrusting exterior.
The girl had gone chasing after you in the rain after all, so maybe, just maybe, she saw you for what you really were. And hopefully, she was prepared to give you what you needed.
What you clearly didn’t feel you had the right to crave.
******
November 2016
Windows flung right open, autumn air,
Jacket ‘round my shoulders is yours
It was a strange feeling, being on the East Coast and it feeling like home.
You had been raised on the West Coast. You spent the majority of your time in the center of the country, but somehow, you found yourself craving the crisp autumn air that only existed in the east.
There was the possibility that you were just drawn to the city. That you were addicted to how into the game fans got, starting up chants for you even though you were on the opposing team. But there was also the slight chance that your new-found love of the city was directly tied to one of its most beloved inhabitants.
You and Taylor had only grown impossibly closer in the time since the kiss. The flirty texts between the two of you were more frequent as were the half-dressed locker room photos and videos of you dancing at practice. The calls had also increased to the point where you almost always fell asleep listening to her slow breathing, and woke up to a good morning.
But despite your increasing closeness, the two of you hadn’t defined what you were. And you had absolutely no clue where you stood.
You pulled your knee closer to your chest, resting your cleat-covered foot on the bench next to you, and undoing the three special knots you always put in your custom red laces.
You were thankful that camp was over. That you would get to spend some time in the city after the win.
“Is there a reason you were terrorizing Colombia? Or was it just for fun?” Emily smirked, appearing on the bench next to you.
You raised your eyebrows at her, a cocky smile pulling at your lips. “Do I need to have a reason to play well?”
“No,” Emily shrugged.
It wasn’t your fault that their entire back line had crumbled under your and Alex’s pressure. It wasn’t your fault that Christen had cut through them collecting the balls you sent her way.
It wasn’t your fault that the keeper had missed the chance to save 4 of your shots.
“The crowd certainly enjoyed the display,” Rose added, sitting on your other side, effectively trapping you between them. “Just seems like your celebrations were a little too on the nose for you not to be… directing them at someone,”
You rolled your eyes. Just because you blew a kiss towards a section of the stands after your 3rd goal, didn’t mean that it had been directed. And just because the chanting of your name only got louder after that didn’t mean it had been for them.
Well, it didn’t have to mean it was directed, even if you did have a person in mind to receive it.
No one else had to know that.
“It was the section who did the Morgan magic chant,” You mumbled, pulling off your cleat and lining it next to the fancy pair of Vans you had chosen for tonight.
“Got a hot date?” Emily asked, nudging your shoulder with her own as Rose turned from the two of you and became engrossed in a conversation with Sam.
“Something like that,” You mumbled, moving on to your other cleat. “I’m still not sure… where I stand. With my friend.”
“The one you’ve been sending half-naked photos to?” Emily wiggled her eyebrows at you.
You would never live down the after-training snapshots you had taken or the pictures from the weight room that you had sent off.
You nodded reluctantly. “We’ve been more flirty since September,”
“Since the kiss?” She asked, watching as you shed your game shorts and grabbed a pair of jeans instead of your usual post-game sweats.
“Yes,” You nodded, pausing for a second and biting your lip. “But I just… I’m going to fuck this up,”
You ran a hand through your messy hair, still damp from the post-game shower.
“You’re not,” Emily rolled her eyes, and she stole your shirt from your locker before you could pull it over your head, forcing you to look at her. “You’re doing pretty well so far. Just don’t make it complicated,”
You met her eyes, swallowing hard.
“Just go with it,” You repeated her own advice back to her.
You were just having dinner and a movie night with Taylor. It would be familiar. Easy.
It didn’t have to be complicated.
“Exactly,” She agreed, tossing your shirt at you. “You seem to be going with the flow pretty well,”
You pulled the green material over your head, reaching into your locker for your trusty hair wax, rubbing it between your hands, and trying to smooth out your hair.
You glanced down at your phone when it buzzed. “Speaking of going with it, I’ve gotta go,”
You slid the device into your pocket along with your wallet and hooked your fancy watch on your wrist. You shoved your feet into your Vans and sending a wink towards Sonnett.
“I’ll make sure your bag makes it to Kelley. Tell Taylor I said hello,” She smirked, patting your back as you headed towards the locker room door.
You looked over your shoulder at her. “No,”
Before slamming the locker room door shut.
You turned the corner, finding a quiet place in the hall, and leaned against the cool brick of the stadium, hoping no one would see you.
Maybe you had directed your hat trick kiss towards where you knew a specific person was watching.
You pulled your phone out of your pocket and opened your messages.
You loved Emily, and Rose. You really did, but their propensity for butting in while you were texting had been particularly grating after they found out who you were sending messages to.
They had already gotten a hold of your phone twice. Once they tried to call her and the second they sent a string of cryptic texts that had Taylor convinced you had gotten hurt at practice. It took you almost 3 hours to convince her that you were actually fine. You had even had to put her on the phone with Luke from the physical therapy staff to convince her that she didn’t need to fly in from Nashville early. After that, you stopped texting around them altogether and changed your password to a 37-digit code.
Plus, Mal glared at you whenever you were on your phone.
Athena 👸🏼: Tony and Jason are taking me to the back tunnel by the car. Do you want to meet us there, or do you want us to meet you somewhere else?
Your eyebrows pulled tightly together and you looked away from your phone and down the long hallway.
You certainly didn’t want her to be anywhere near the locker room where your sister and your nosey teammates were. You weren’t ready to… share Taylor with them yet. You weren’t ready to answer questions when you weren’t even sure where you stood with her.
Your relationship felt… fragile… and you weren’t ready to mess that up yet.
Soccer hottie ⚽️: Stay put, I’ll meet you there.
You pushed yourself off the wall, turning to your left and strolling down the maze of hallways. You didn’t need to look at the signs to know which way to go, you had been to Red Bull (and snuck out of it with company you wanted to keep away from prying eyes) enough that you had the layout memorized.
“Hey hotshot,”
“Hey,” You smiled widely as you rounded the corner and Tony came into view.
You had been seeing him far more frequently since the kiss. Part of you thought it was because he just lived near you in Chicago. He liked the same smoothie place you did and frequented the same restaurants.
But a smaller part of you wondered if Taylor had something to do with it.
“I thought you would be waiting with Tay,” You said as he squeezed your arm, pulling your overnight bag from your shoulder and slinging it over his own.
“She sent me to come find you,” Tony said, a teasing smirk pulling at his features.
You knew it wasn’t you he was teasing.
“I don’t need a babysitter,” You sighed, running a hand through your still-damp hair, brushing the unruly curls from in front of your eyes.
“She was impatient,” He shrugged, unbothered by (or entirely used to) your protest, gesturing to the barely noticeable clear earpiece in his right ear. “I offered to find you and give her an eta,”
The wire disappeared down the back of his shirt where you were sure it connected to a radio. You rolled your eyes.
Maybe you should be flattered that she wanted live updates of your whereabouts, but you couldn’t help the sinking feeling in your chest that she didn’t think you were capable of making it to the car tunnel on your own.
“I told her I was on my way like 2 minutes ago,” You huffed, glancing behind you.
You hadn’t taken long after the game to exit the field. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. You finished the obligatory lap and then stayed to sign autographs for the fans that had cheered for you all game.
You rushed through the showers after Vlatko’s post-game droning and changed quickly.
“I know,” Tony agreed, falling into step beside you as you continued down the corridor. “She’s just excited to see you. You put on quite the show,”
You wiggled your eyebrows. “The crowd got into it and that made scoring and setting up my friends more fun,”
Tony made a low humming noise as he stepped in front of you, pushing open the double doors that led to the private car tunnel so you didn’t have to.
You barely stepped through before a body collided with yours.
Your hands caught Taylor’s hips as you stumbled, and she wrapped you in a very tight hug.
“I missed you,” She mumbled, and you felt a hand on your back to steady the two of you.
You hummed, tucking your nose into her collarbone and squeezing her. “I missed you too,”
It was true.
It had only been six weeks since the last time you saw her in person, and you talked at least once a day, but it was a feeling of longing that saturated your being. Her presence was a deep… need that seeped into your bones.
It was a little alarming how… dependent you felt.
The two of you embraced for another long moment, and you let the smell of coconut and lavender from her perfume wash over your senses and soothe the post-game dip that always prickled your brain.
“You played so so well,” She said, pulling away, a wide smile radiating off of her.
You let your own cocky grin pull across your features. “Thanks, I like to get the crowd fired up,”
“They were electric,” She hummed, letting her hand trail down your arm and landing lightly on your stomach.
You opened your mouth to respond, but Your stomach ruined the moment with a loud rumble.
Taylor frowned. “Have you eaten today?”
“Not really. I had lunch and then just a protein bar and a veggie shake,” You shrugged, sending a guilty look her way. “I don’t like to have a lot in my stomach during games,”
It was a bad habit you had picked up in highschool after a very hot game in August ended up with your pasta lunch making a reappearance in a sideline trash can.
“There’s a fantastic Italian place by mine?” Taylor offered, almost shyly as your stomach rumbled again against her hand.
You leaned in and pressed a very sweet kiss to her lips, unable to resist, and enjoying the light red that dusted her cheeks.
Your hand slipped into her back pocket, and you sent her a cheeky smile. “Lead the way then,”
OoOoOoO
Dinner with Taylor was absolutely incredible. Well, confusing for you, but amazing nonetheless.
The restaurant she had chosen was small, intimate, and expensive. You looked through the entire menu, choosing the cheapest pasta you could find, even though you fucking hated pesto because it was the only dish that wouldn’t mean you would have to raid the Chicago locker room for snacks when you got back.
It hadn’t mattered because Taylor paid anyway.
Conversation flowed between the two of you like water. It was so easy to talk to Taylor, and you were slowly growing addicted to making her laugh.
It was exactly like it had been before the two of you shared the kiss(s) until you got back into the car.
She had been very… handsey in the ride back. And you had been handsey too, your fingers dipping past her skirt to squeeze her ass at every opportunity.
Things hadn't slowed down in the elevator, and you had attacked her neck as she fished out the key to her apartment.
You were growing addicted to the taste of her skin as well.
She pressed you into the island, her lips dragging down your neck and towards your collarbone as soon as you were through the door.
That’s when the anxiety clenched in your stomach, thinking of the way your heart pounded in your ears when you walked out of the tunnel and into a stadium, your eyes trained on the jersey numbers in front of you.
You needed a way to slow her down. To… delay the inevitable.
You saw your pale, terrified face in the reflection of her sliding glass door, and it felt like a lightbulb flashing in your brain.
“Want to go swimming?” You asked suddenly, and her hands paused on your waist as her lips ghosting just over your pulse point.
“What?”
You felt her lips curl into a frown against your skin.
“I didn’t take my post-game ice bath,” You said, pulling away, so you could meet her eyes and gesturing towards the city lights glinting off of her infinity pool. “and your pool should be cold enough,”
Her eyebrows knitted tightly together. “You want to go swimming in October, in New York? Wouldn’t you rather continue this?”
You shrugged, painting a charming smile across your face (hoping she wouldn’t see through it). “When else will we be able to enjoy a view like this,”
Her lips turned even further down, and your heart beat a little bit faster.
You didn’t want her to think you were rejecting her. You weren’t. You just…
“You don’t even have a bathing suit,” She said softly, and you could hear the hesitation in her voice. The concern.
You needed to redirect her. To make her think that everything was ok so you didn’t lose her.
“I don’t need one,” You wiggled your eyebrows and caught her fingers, tugging her towards the sliding glass door. “Come on,”
The view was even better from outside, the lights of the city twinkling in time with the stars and reflecting off of the pool back at you.
“Let me at least turn on the pool lights,” She grumbled, reaching for a small remote on one of the lounge chairs. “Wouldn’t want you to miss the edge and get hurt before the end of the season,”
You smirked, releasing her while she squinted at the clicker.
***SECTION CONTAINING SLIGHT SMUT***
You easily slipped out of your shorts and pulled your shirt over your head, leaving you in a pair of boxers and your sports bra as you stepped towards the infinity pool. “Don’t mess with it for too long,”
You didn’t wait for her to respond before diving into the icy water.
It immediately prickled at your skin like a million tiny needles, pulling the air from your lungs and giving you the sensation of the world's worst brain freeze. You kept your eyes closed, forcing yourself to relax against the painful assault, letting yourself sink to the glacial blue tiles on the bottom of her pool.
You could visualize the heat seeping out of you and into the shimmering floor, and you allowed yourself to give in to the sensation. To imagine it was the tension in your muscles, the aches that always came after a game, slowly leaching into your frigid surroundings.
Letting the water numb your anxious mind until all that was left was a serene sense of calm.
It felt familiar. Good in a masochistic sort of way that you couldn’t accurately put into words.
Your brain absentmindedly reached its countdown from 45, and you pushed yourself off of the bottom.
You let out a long breath as your head broke the surface, wiping your curls out of your eyes, and turning towards Taylor.
She was at the edge of the pool, the remote hanging loosely in her hand, her wide eyes glinting off of the fairy lights strung along the balcony and over the pool.
“You coming?” You asked, plastering a playful smirk across your lips. “Or are you just going to stare?”
Her mouth opened and closed, reminding you of a fish.
You rolled your eyes, gilded towards her, stopping at her feet and looking up at her through your lashes.
You dragged your fingers along the seam in the tiles and gently laid your hand on her foot, trying not to smirk at the shiver that ran down her spine. “It’s kinda lonely in here,”
She blinked at you, slowly pulling her shirt over her head and dropping it behind her.
You couldn’t help the way your eyes dragged down the newly exposed skin of her collarbone, between her breasts, and down to the waistband of her jeans where she was thumbing the button there.
All of your attention was glued to her as she slid the material down her long legs, revealing creamy skin that made your mouth water accented by the deep blue material of her underwear.
It stirred butterflies in your chest like the sight of no other woman had. You wanted her like you had never wanted anyone.
Not even Mal.
“It’s unfair how hot you are,” Taylor mumbled, settling on the edge of the pool, her legs bracketing you as she slid them into the frigid water.
You ran your fingers up her calves and onto her thighs. “You’re not bad yourself,”
She rolled her eyes, reaching down and smoothing your curls off of your forehead, dragging her hands down your face to cup your cheeks. Her bottom lip disappeared between her teeth. “It’s criminal how much you show your abs during games,”
You shrugged, floating closer to her and letting your thumb toy with the elastic on her underwear. “Sweat burns when it’s in my eyes. Plus the fans like it, and so do you,”
Taylor made a low noise, drawing you closer to her, so you could feel her breath on your lips. “You’re a tease you know?”
“You dig it,” You smirked, leaning in the final centimeter to connect your lips in a slow kiss.
You couldn’t help the low sound that came out of the back of your throat as her tongue gently pressed against your lips, and you opened them to meet her.
She tasted like red wine and strawberries and something that was so… Taylor.
It was sweet and spicy and addictive.
And it made you want her.
You pulled away when air became an issue, trailing down her cheek to her neck, under her chin, and lavishing the skin you found down by her pulse point with your tongue. You enjoyed the way you could feel her heartbeat, how you could feel it quicken under your ministrations.
You tried to keep your mind focused as you made your way down her neck, to her chest. You tried to focus on the softness of her skin and to memorize the way it tasted. To imprint in your mind how your tongue glided in velvet skin.
You tried not to let your thoughts drift towards how a soccer ball felt at your feet. How you were still working on how to twist your hips to not give away which direction you were going to kick. How you needed to point your toes to perform the newest trick you were learning.
Her fingers tangled in your hair, weaving through the wet curls close to your scalp and pulling you impossibly closer.
You mouthed the edge of her bra, placing feather light kisses in a line between her breasts (paying special attention to the barely visible freckle you found there), ghosting down her stomach, and landing on the elastic of her underwear, letting her hand guide you where she wanted you.
You looked up at her, meeting her hazy blue eyes. “Are you sure?”
Her fingers tightened, pleasantly scratching your scalp. “I’ve never been more sure,”
Your lips tilted into a devilish grin, your body sipping lower into the frigid water. “As you wish,”
*****
Taylor panted heavily against you, each breath warming your neck as you spun in slow circles in the cold water. Her legs wrapped tightly around your waist, and your hand worked slowly between your bodies, bringing her down from her orgasm.
You had lost track of what number she was on. Actually, you had lost track of pretty much everything after her underwear came off.
It didn’t matter how hard you fought to stay present, you couldn’t help the way your brain slipped away. How your thoughts slid from Taylor the second you were level with her center. How the all-encompassing butterflies in your stomach fluttered away and you faded into familiar sensations and your thoughts turned to soccer.
You knew it was weird to be working through a double-pivot formation while you were having sex. It was weird for you to be thinking about ball rotations and through passes or lineups for upcoming games while you were getting a girl off.
Except it’s where your mind always went.
Taylor made a low noise against your throat, and your fingers stopped gliding through her velvety folds. Your other arm tightened around her as you pulled your hand away, bringing it to your lips and lightly sucking your fingers.
You sighed at the taste, sweet, salty, and a little tangy, happy that Taylor's pool was salt water instead of chlorine. It would have made this entire experience much less enjoyable.
“Don’t do that,” Taylor said, her nose nudging the space under your chin.
“Hm?” You hummed around your finger, your abs flexing as she shifted.
She reached for your wrist, pulling your finger from your lips. “I need a minute before I can go again, and you make it hard to wait,”
You leaned in and connected your lips, your tongue probing at her bottom lip and gently slid your tongue in when she parted her lips. Her hips rolled and you flexed your abs to give her a better surface.
“I can’t help it,” You smirked as you pulled away. “You just taste so good,”
She shivered against you, but you weren’t sure if it was from overstimulation or the cold.
“Come on, let’s get cleaned up,” You said, walking towards the pool stairs. “And you can recover,”
Her legs tightened around you as you carried her up the steps, and her head rested on your shoulder. “I forgot how strong you are,”
You made a low noise, focusing on your feet so you didn’t slip and send you both back into the freezing pool.
“Where is your bathroom?” You asked, carefully sliding her glass door open and stepping into her apartment. “I don’t want to get water everywhere,”
“Down the hall to the left,” She said, lifting an arm to gesture down the hallway, but not moving her head from its safe space between your neck and shoulder. “It’s through my bedroom,”
You nodded, easily making your way through the hallway, across the dark carpet of her bedroom, and into the massive master bathroom.
You set her down on the Marble counter you found there, placing a light kiss on her head before you turned away towards the giant bathtub, and began fiddling with the golden faucets.
It took you a second to make the water a good temperature and to flick the drain plug before you returned to her, slotting between her legs again.
“Do you want a drink or something?” You asked as she pulled you back in for another kiss.
“I’d love one,” She breathed against your lips. “I have wine in the fridge,”
“I’ll go get it,” You hummed. “You just stay here and look pretty,”
Her mouth curved against yours, and you finally pulled away, kissing her nose before you padded off toward the kitchen (ignoring how she tapped your ass as you left).
It felt like a weight left your chest as you exited her bedroom, and you took a long breath as you made it to the kitchen.
There had to be something fucking wrong with you.
You had a naked woman two rooms over. A woman who had gone skinny dipping with you. A woman who was recovering so you could give her another orgasm. And here you were, doing your best to stall. Trying to quell the growing dread in your stomach.
You shook your head, going to the wine fridge and pulling out the half-full bottle of red you were sure was the one Taylor wanted. You also grabbed two water bottles and found a wine glass in the cabinet.
Just because you had hooked up with her… were actively hooking up with her… didn’t mean that she wanted your relationship to change.
You took another deep breath.
Being weird about any of this would just make it worse.
You could be normal.
You could save your friendship.
You turned from the kitchen, slowly making your way back to the bathroom.
Taylor smiled softly at you when you returned, holding out her arms to you. “I can’t believe you never took your clothing off,”
You painted an easy smirk on your lips, setting the bottles and glass down on the counter before, letting her wrap her arms around you. “You were distracted,”
She hummed. “You’re… very good with your hands,”
You wiggled your eyebrows, leaning in to peck her lips before you turned away. You turned off the water in the tub and held your hand out for her. “Get in first. I’ll pour you some wine and join you. This way I can show you the other things my hands are good at,”
She rolled her eyes, but let you guide her into the tub, sighing as she immersed herself in the warm water.
You waited for her to get settled before you poured her half a glass of wine and passed it her way, and you grabbed a bottle of water for yourself, cracking it open and taking a very long sip.
Taylor made another low sound, and you felt her eyes on you, following every movement. You flexed your arm and abs for effect as you finished off the bottle.
You smirked at her as you pulled it away from your Lips, setting it on the counter. “Lean forward so I can get into the tub,”
She eyed you, shaking her head. “This is a clothing-free zone,”
“Is it?” You asked, cocking your head to the side.
She hummed. “It is. I can’t believe you still have boxers and a bra on,”
“You were distracted,” You shrugged smirking devilishly at her, placing the bottle on the counter and easily slipping out of your soaked boxers. “Something about the water being too cold,”
“Try freezing,” She huffed, her eyes tracing the newly exposed skin of your thighs (your muscles standing out because of the cold), up towards your hips, taking a large sip of her wine. “But you warmed me up,”
“I’m good at that,” You murmured, pulling your bra over your head and stepping towards the tub. “Please lean forward so I can get in,” you
“You are,” She breathed out as you slid into the tub behind her. She shifted so your thighs could encapsulate hers.
Your arms wrapped gently around her middle, your palm laying flat on her stomach and your chin resting on her shoulder.
You would have laughed at Taylor being the little spoon (because you were the shorter of the two of you), but you liked holding her. You also liked that the only places she could reach were your arms and legs.
Safe territory.
Territory that put you in control of the pace.
“It’s unfair how you look so good, and how good you are,” She let out another breath, wiggling so her back was pressed more tightly against your front.
You made a low sound, rubbing your hand up and down her stomach, your fingers just barely brushing her pelvic bone on each pass.
You didn’t like how… pronounced they were. It was something you knew you would have to address at some point but now did not feel like the right time.
“You’re pretty gorgeous yourself,” You murmured into her neck, kissing behind her ear, and letting your lips travel lower to the special spot you had found near her pulse point.
Her head tilted to give you more room, and her hands fell to where your knees were bracketing hers just below the steamy water. She pressed very gently into a dark bruise forming on your calf from a mistimed tackle. “You have no idea what you do to me. How much those stupid videos your teammates are always taking make me want you,”
You smirked against the soft skin of her neck, letting your tongue linger for a long second as your left hand dipped even lower on her stomach.
You knew the videos she was talking about. The ones that always seemed to catch you with your shirt off because you preferred to train that way. You hated when the damp material of your training top clung to you, so you normally forgoed one unless the media team was filming some behind-the-scenes stuff.
“I’ll have to send you my own videos now that I know you like them,” You said, dragging your lips up her neck towards her ear, and very gently letting your teeth close around the soft tissue.
She released a shakier breath as your fingers found her clit, and began rubbing very gentle circles. “I’d like that,”
“You got it,” You hummed, pressing a little harder, and dipping down towards the heat that had nothing to do with the bath water while your other hand sliding up to her chest to toy with her nipple
You smirked when her wine glass shook dangerously, the red liquid tipping out of the top as your fingers curled, pressing into the very special patch inside her.
It reminded you of when a ball tipped off of a keeper's fingers. How it bobbled before landing back on the grass. How you always held your breath to see if it would land on the right side of the goal line.
It was the perk of playing in Chicago, you supposed, that you had Alyssa as your starting keeper. You always felt like the ball was safe in her hands. You felt comfortable taking chances because you knew she was capable of cleaning up any messes you made. That her and JJ would protect the goal well enough that you could push forward.
Taylor tensed around your fingers, and the glass finally fell, landing thankfully in the water instead of crashing to the ground outside of the tub.
You kept your pace as she rode out her orgasm, your eyes focused on the red dissipating into the water until she finally relaxed against you. You finally pulled away when you were sure she was finished, kissing behind her ear and listening to her labored breathing as she came down.
Her head turned, and you laid a kiss on her cheek. “You made me spill my wine,”
“Oops,” You chuckled, not at all sorry, tweaking her nipple again before letting go and resting your hands on her stomach.
She giggled in response, swatting your knee and then soothing her hand over a large bruise forming just below it. “Behave,”
“I’m not known for behaving,” You said as she reached over and grabbed the fallen glass before either of you could accidentally break it. “It’s why the equipment staff are always following me around with extra shirts,”
“Try for me?” She asked, her lips curving into a smile you hadn’t seen her send to anyone else, making you melt. “I don’t think I have any more orgasms into me tonight,”
“Whatever you want,” You agreed, laying another kiss on her cheek.
She hummed, leaning back into you, and you tightened your arms around her.
You wondered if you should suggest that the two of you clean up and get ready for bed, but you didn’t even know if she wanted you to stay. You didn’t know if you would be welcome now that the two of you were done.
You had never not snuck out after. You didn’t know how any of this worked, and you were too afraid to ask.
“Just give me a few minutes and I’ll return the favor,” She mumbled. “You deserve it,”
You shook your head, tucking your nose in the space between her neck and shoulder. “I’m good. I got enough watching you,”
She sucked in a breath.“Are you sure?”
You hummed, kissing the junction where her neck and shoulder met. “I’m good. I’m with you,”
It was the truth.
It was easier this way. You knew how to deal with things this way.
She made a low noise of agreement. “Let’s just sit for a bit then, and then we can get cleaned up and go to bed,”
“Whatever you want,” You placed another kiss on her velvety skin, content to follow her lead.
Maybe you would get to keep your friendship after all.
***END OF SLIGHT SMUT***
OoOoOoO
Mornings were always your favorite.
You loved the way soft light fluttered through curtains, casting a candle-like glow on the room around you. The way the oranges and yellows melted into brilliant white, chasing away the darkness like lanterns in a cavern.
It reminded you of when you were little, cuddled up to Alex after a nightmare. She would run a hand through your hair, and tell you stories into the early hours of the morning, insisting that tales of Knights and Princesses could chase away the monsters that haunted your dreams.
“Just close your eyes monkey. I’ll protect you. Always,”
She made you feel safe. The rise and fall of her chest allowing your restless mind to relax.
It was no different here in Taylor’s bed, wrapped in perfect white sheets, her arm draped around your middle, her head resting on your shoulders, and her soft breaths tickling your neck at each exhale. Your bodies were pressed together, and you could feel her bare legs tangled with yours.
She made you feel safe and warm and like you mattered and that fucking terrified you.
It kept you up long after Taylor’s breathing turned deep and heavy, staring at the ceiling like it would give you the answers you were searching for.
You kept your arm wrapped around her, your fingers playing with the very tips of her hair and drawing shapes on the skin of her bare back.
You had to fight the urge to flee as soon as you were sure she was asleep. The urge that you had always indulged with your hookups. The one that meant you would never have to face the consequences of a hookup.
But Taylor wasn’t a hookup.
Even if she didn’t want a relationship, if you got to hold her like this, then you would accept whatever little part of herself she was willing to give you. And that terrified you too.
You promised yourself you wouldn’t do this again after-.
You let out a long breath from your nose.
It wasn’t fair for you to think about that… relationship. If you could call it that.
You should go before Taylor woke up. Escape before you ruined this like you ruined that.
“I can feel you thinking,” Taylor mumbled against your neck, her lips tickling your skin.
“Sorry,” You murmured, running your fingers very gently over the skin of her back and laying a kiss on the top of her head. “Go back to sleep, it’s still early,”
She shifted against your shoulder, tired blue eyes peering up at you. “What time is it?”
You squinted at the clock on her bedside table. “Just after 6,”
She groaned. “Why are you awake?”
“Habit,” You said, looking back up at her ceiling, ending the debate in your brain. “I have to go to team recovery?”
It wasn’t a total lie. You did have to pick up your kit bag from the hotel, and you liked to do morning jogs after games to work out your muscles, but really, you needed… separation to quell the monster threatening to rip your lungs into pieces.
You didn’t know how to not ruin your friendship. How to navigate your feelings without losing her.
You needed to go for a run, to feel the ache in your chest and your legs to help you figure out what the fuck you were supposed to do. But at the same time, you didn’t want to leave.
You refused to let her become another hookup. You would just run for a few hours and then return.
You weren’t running like you did with the others. You were just… catching your breath. You were just getting your head straight.
“The cold plunge you took last night wasn’t recovery enough?” Taylor asked, smirking up at you.
You let your lips pull to match her expression. “Unfortunately no, but I can bring lunch back here when I’m done?”
“I think that sounds like a fair trade,” She said, leaning up on her arm and pressing a gentle kiss to your lips.
“Does it?” You wiggled your eyebrows at her.
“Hmm,” She made a low sound, connecting your lips again. “Do you have time for a shower before you go?”
You chased her lips with a teasing smirk as she pulled away. “I think that can be arranged,”
OoOoOoO
“Is there a reason you’re running a one-woman marathon, or are you just trying to make it impossible for Al to beat you this week?” Kelley’s voice cut through the running commentary in your head, and you blinked up at her from where she stood on the steps next to a big Chelsea market sign.
You glanced down at the smartwatch on your wrist. You didn’t remember putting it on. It had become such a normal part of your morning routine that you didn’t think about putting it on anymore. You had honestly forgotten that Alex was getting alerts about your run until Kelley mentioned it.
You tried not to think about the connection it had to your sister. You only paid attention to the stupid app when it alerted you that you were losing anyway.
“Is that why you decided to join me?”
“I know you like the Chelsea market and running the high line,” Kelley said too casually, falling into step beside you. “I joined you because you and your sister only run long distances when something is bothering you, and I thought you would prefer me over Alex,”
You glanced at her, but she adamantly kept her eyes ahead of her. It felt purposeful like she didn’t want you to know she was watching you.
You were very glad that Alex hadn’t decided to come herself, or that she had been talked out of it.
“And you thought I’d want to talk,”
Kelley shook her head. “No, but I do have a way with Morgan women, and I figured I’d support you,”
“Hmm,” You hummed, unable to stop the slight smile that cracked across your face.
She would never let it go that she was basically your celebrity crush before you met her. You had been obsessed with college soccer when you were young, and Stanford had always been your favorite team.
While things had changed significantly since her and your sister started dating (and you actually met her), she thought it was hilarious that both of you had been in love with her at some point. She also thought it was hilarious that she was you quote-unquote gay awakening, but you really didn’t like to think about that.
You let out a long breath as the two of you jogged another few blocks, enjoying the sounds of the city around you. It was strange, but you already associated the city with Taylor.
“There’s a girl that I really like,” You mumbled, as you both passed a dumpling stand. “I stayed the night,”
Kelley made a low sound next to you. They all knew you met up with someone, but no one knew exactly how that night turned out. And you staying was kind of unheard of. “And you two slept together?”
You opened your mouth to answer but closed it quickly. Did it count if you never took your clothes off? Did it count if you didn’t let her touch you?
“You got her off like with the others?” Kelley amended, after a quick glance your way.
“Yes. Then I stayed, and we cuddled,” You admitted, your voice going very soft. “All night,”
You felt like you were in a weird dichotomy. Sex with Taylor was supposed to feel different because you felt so deeply for her.
You thought it would because the before was so romantic. You thought it would because you wanted her like you had never wanted anyone before.
But the act itself had felt… almost routine. It was like you were on autopilot. It was the same as it had been with every other girl you had been with.
Her body responded the same way theirs had, and it had been so easy to get lost in your own head.
It was only when she pulled you to her chest afterward. When she kissed your cheek and let you wash her hair before you got out of the bath. When she held you for the entire night, you ran your fingers down the line of her spine.
It proved that she wasn’t like the others, and you let yourself enjoy the intimacy. It was why you stayed.
She was still your friend.
You spat the word in your mind.
You didn’t want to end up in the no man’s land between friend and more than friend. Not again, the first time nearly ended in disaster, saved only by your mutual love of soccer and the goal of winning the World Cup.
You and Taylor didn’t share the same… uniting factor.
And with the feelings bubbling in your chest, you knew you would never have the strength to walk away if that's what she asked of you.
“So this is more than a one-nighter?” Kelley asked though she was already sure of the answer.
“I think?” You nodded. “I’ve never…I don’t know how to do this, so I called Emily for advice,”
Kelley’s nose scrunched. She knew how close you and the blonde defender were, especially since the two of you had been going to youth camps together since she could remember. She also knew that Emily knew more about the mysterious Taylor than she did.
“This is the hypothetical friend that you didn’t think you were dating who had never had a burrito?”
You hummed again, smiling at one of the dollar slice guys as you passed his little alcove. “I don't want to fuck this up, and I thought Emily would help. She didn’t,”
“What did Emily say?” Kelley pushed.
Your shoulders lifted and fell. “To just go with it,”
Kelley couldn’t help her frown. That had to be the worst advice known to man, and Sonnett should have known. “So you slept with her, even when you weren’t sure you wanted to?”
“I wanted to,” You said, your voice going very soft. “I just…-“
You didn’t know how to explain that you got so caught up in your head that the experience felt like every other. That it was robotic and routine and expected.
“It felt… generic…when I did it to her. It’s not supposed to be routine when I do it to her.”
Kelley caught your arm and pulled you to a stop.
“Sex isn’t something you do to someone. It’s something you do with them,” She said seriously, brown eyes boring into yours like she was trying to read your mind. “It’s a mutual activity,”
It was a terrifying prospect that you didn’t know that, and it sent red flags twirling in Kelley’s head, especially when you shrugged it off.
“I like her, so it was supposed to feel different,” You muttered, pulling your arm out of her grasp when the crosswalk sign came on.
It was supposed to be emotional and you were supposed to feel connected. You should have been so hyper-focused on every movement, every twitch of her body that the world faded into nonexistence.
You shouldn’t have had to stop yourself from running through lineups in your head halfway through. You shouldn’t have felt like the only important part of the experience was the finish.
What the fuck was wrong with you?
She sighed but followed after you as you jogged across the street. “And it didn’t?”
“Before did,” You said, keeping your eyes focused on the sidewalk in front of you. “And so did after,”
“But the middle?” She asked.
You shook your head, unwilling to put into words that you were too defective for it to be anything more than a quick fuck.
Taylor deserved better, especially since the way she held you made you feel so… safe. The way she cuddled into you made you feel loved. More loved than your tongue could ever make her feel.
“And that freaked you out?” Kelley asked, as you finally slowed your jog to a walk.
You scratched the back of your neck, noting the annoying way your hair rubbed against the skin there. You really needed to get it cut.
It wasn’t the connection that freaked you out, it was the prospect that you could now lose it. That you were fumbling around with no clue how to move forward, liable to fuck up something that had just started.
You weren’t even sure if it was something. You had no clue where you stood.
She looked at you like you weren’t a broken toy, and one misstep could prove her wrong and send her running.
“I don’t know how to do this. It’s why I avoided sleeping with her in the first place. I was doing the friend thing well, and now… I have no idea what’s next,” You murmured, barely above a whisper. So quietly that you weren’t sure if Kelley heard you until her hand found your arm and gently pulled you to a stop yet again.
“I think we can agree that Emily’s advice wasn’t great,” She started, making eye contact with you, and squeezing your arm gently. “I think what you should focus on are the things you do like to do with this girl. Do those take slow steps, and communicate with her. It’s a relationship, not a race,”
“Slow steps,” You repeated, turning the words over in your mind.
“Yes, and communication about what you like or don’t like and what you want or don’t want. Figuring out if you’re friends or more than friends would be a good place to start too,” The defender reiterated with a nod, emphasizing the back half of her sentence.
She knew how much of a people pleaser you were, and how often you set aside your own feelings to make other people happy. If it happened with simple things like you refusing to stop Emily, Rose, and Lindsey’s teasing when it became too much because they were “still having fun” then she feared what other things you were willing to let go.
You swallowed hard and matched her nod.
You could do slow steps.
You ran a hand through your sweaty hair, glancing around you. At least your slight crisis had landed you in Mulberry Street.
“Do you wanna grab a snack before I head back? I told her I would bring her something for lunch after team recovery,” You asked, gesturing towards one of the many Italian restaurants surrounding you.
Kelley raised an eyebrow at you. “You told this girl that you had training the day after a game and she believed you?”
“I don’t think she knows that much about footy,” You shrugged. “She’s more of an American football fan,”
Even if Taylor had played when she was young, you knew her knowledge was pretty limited.
Kelley cracked a smile at you and nodded toward the restaurant you had pointed out. “As long as she’s not an Eagles fan, we’ll be fine then,”
You made a low sound of agreement knowing Kelley wasn’t as serious about Football teams as she was about premier league teams. Her main concern was that you were treated well after all anyway.
OoOoOoO
You had calmed down significantly by the time you made it back to Taylor’s apartment, but Kelley had always had that effect on you.
She had been the one who helped you breathe before your first cap (along with Alex, though you hated talking about it). She was the one who talked you down after you tore your Achilles during the World Cup.
She always knew exactly what to say, and this was no different. She made you laugh and slipped in little pieces of advice without forcing you to ruminate on the situation. She made you believe that you could talk to Taylor and it would work.
And as you sat across from Taylor while she snacked on the penne à la vodka you had picked up for her, your confidence didn’t waver.
Kelley swore it would only take 5 seconds of bravery.
“Are we dating now?”
Taylor paused, chewing her bite and swallowing as a perfect eyebrow arched in amusement. “Do you want us to be dating?”
You frowned, you hadn’t been expecting a question back. You thought it would be just a simple yes or no.
“I think so,” You said slowly, meeting her eyes. “I don’t know how to date,”
Her head cocked to the side. “You’ve never dated?”
“Not really,” You shook your head, scratching the newly shortened hair at the back of your neck. “Besides a weird situationship, it’s all been one-nighters, so I’m not sure how any of this is supposed to work,”
Taylor put her fork down, and she leaned a little closer to you, frowning. “Hold on, your realest relationship was a situationship?”
“Yes,” You said sheepishly, your fingers digging more harshly into the back of your neck as you felt heat crawl up your cheeks all the way to your ears.
“Why?”
It was asked with a giggle, but it didn’t rub you the wrong way. Taylor wasn’t making fun of you.
You cleared your throat, eyes flickering away from her and back. “She was straight, and one of my friends,”
It was a hard thing to admit, that you had fallen into a friends-with-benefits relationship with one of your closest friends, and that you hadn’t been able to keep your feelings locked away in a little box. You let things go too far. You let yourself believe that your favorite striker would leave her perfect boyfriend.
You let yourself believe that she would return your feelings and pick you.
She didn’t, and you had sworn off relationships after that.
Why would you get involved when everyone always left?
“We were under a lot of pressure in the U20s and it was a good way to blow off steam,” You continued, your voice going soft. “Things just… went too far and ended messily,”
“Situationships usually do,” Taylor said gently, reaching across the island to place a careful hand on your arm.
“We stayed friends though. We had to, because of the team” You murmured. “Eventually I just got over it,”
Taylor hummed, her thumb lingering on a thick scar on the inside of your elbow.
It seemed to her that a lot of your stories ended with you just getting over things. She wondered if you ever actually processed them, or if you just enjoyed pretending it never happened.
“And now we link up really well,” You finished with a shrug, an easy smile returning to your features. “Anyway, back to the question. Are we dating?”
Taylor felt her lips tilt up in return. “Again I’ll ask, do you want to be?”
“We’re going in circles,” You sighed, dragging your hand from the back of your neck up through your newly trimmed curls, thankful Kelley had stopped with you to get it cut on the way back to Taylor’s apartment.
Taylor rolled her eyes. “Just answer the question,”
Your nose scrunched. Had you not just explained that you didn’t know how to date? You didn’t even know what it entailed.
How would things change? What would she expect?
But she was looking at you with so much softness, so much… understanding. It made something tug in your chest.
If you were going to try dating anyone, you wanted it to be her.
“Yes,” You breathed out, fighting to keep your voice even and steady.
“Then we’re dating,” Taylor shrugged, picking up her fork. “Easy,”
“Easy,” You mimicked, trying to ignore Emily’s voice ringing in your head.
It didn’t have to be complicated.
#uswnt x reader#uswnt imagine#woso x reader#taylor swift x reader#taylor swift imagine#13 eras of us
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Divine - Kelley O'Hara x Reader
Summary: Request was along the lines of Kelley x Reader where R is like divinely attractive. like the sun always hits her perfectly and everybody is in love with her. maybe she catches her teammates watching edits of her?
A/N: it was a request and then it was on the poll from ages ago and then i told @wosobullshit that i would write it so yeah. ta-da!
No one on the team is really sure how you do it.
It seemed like no matter what was going on around you, you managed to look perfect at all times, at least in your girlfriend’s opinion.
Doesn’t matter if you just finished running the beep test, or played a full 90 in a torrential downpour, or had just rolled out of bed for one reason or another. You always looked like you just stepped out of the pages of a sports magazine, even when you were forced to wear the hideous Portland jerseys.
The thing is, your girlfriend, Kelley, can’t even explain it but she’s more than willing to stand and stare and enjoy the view.
Currently, she and the rest of the team are watching as you help some of the trainers set up the cones for a drill and for some reason it seems as though no matter how you turned, you seemed to catch the light perfectly.
“Christ,” Sonny says, whistling lowly, “the fans might be right about Y/N.”
Kelley’s quick to reach out and swat at her young friend, “Hands off Sonnett.”
“I’m just looking.”
“No looking either!”
Unfortunately for Kelley (and the rest of the team) her voice travels just enough to be heard by the coaching staff, who are quick to rush them onto the field to get practice started.
Throughout practice, you do feel more eyes on you then normal but you brush it off as the training staff wanting to keep an extra close eye on you since you were still bouncing back from an injury. Of course, you noticed Kelley staring but that isn’t really anything new as you catch her staring at all hours of the day.
There’s also the cameras that feel like they're constantly on you. Which is weird to you but you push through and get on with the drills.
That afternoon when everyone has been loaded back onto the bus and you’re on your way back to the hotel, you notice the eyes on you again and you’re also pretty sure you hear someone whispering about the vein popping out on your forehead but you’re too busy arguing with Crystal to care.
“No, Y/N/N, there’s no way that you’re trying to tell me that ‘Hit Em Up’ is a better diss track than ‘No Vaseline,’” Crystal says, “‘No Vaseline’ is the diss track.”
A very important topic of conversation.
You shake your head fiercely before speaking, “Pac started the song by saying and I quote ‘that’s why i fucked your bitch you fat motherfucker’ then ended it by making fun of Prodigy for having Sickle Cell. Cube didn’t say anything that brutal.”
“Cube also didn’t need 3 of his friends to back him up in his beef,” Crys shoots back.
“He was beefing with the dudes that helped make him famous! HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY FRIENDS LEFT TO BACK HIM UP!”
The two of you have been having this argument on and off for weeks. Always over the same two songs and there is no doubt in your mind that your teammates are sick of hearing it. Especially the ones that have to put with you in POrtland and with the national team.
“Helped make him famous?!”
“Yes!”
“Seriously?!”
“Yes!”
The two of you are both leaning across the aisle, glaring at each other at this point, faces so close together that anyone else would’ve found it uncomfortable but the two of you had grown up together and as such were unfazed by it.
Out of the corner of your eye, before you or Crystal could continue, you noticed Kelley and Sonnett sitting in the back row glancing at a phone, then back at you, then back to the phone before giggling.
“I’ll get back to you in a second, Dunny, this isn’t over,” you say before getting up and heading towards your girlfriend.
It's not that hard for her to spot you coming, being in a confined space and all. The whole tall and tattooed thing you have going isn’t really beneficial to sneaking up on people either. BUt your height is currently working in your favor because it means you can easily see the way both Kelley and Emily scramble to hide the phone (and its screen) from your view.
“Hi, baby,” Kelley says when you reach them and drop into the seat across from them.
“Yeah, ‘hi baby’” Sonny mimics, earning an elbow to the gut from her fellow Georgian.
“That’s not suspicious at all,” you mumble under your breath. “Anyway, I was wondering if the two of you troublemakers made any plans for tomorrow or if I’ll actually be able to hang out with my girlfriend at some point this camp.”
“You can have her, Y/N/N, I’ve been trying to get rid of her days,” Emily jokes.
Laughing at the offended look on Kelley’s face, you press a kiss to the side of her head before heading back to argue with Crystal.
The next day, you and Kelley are basically attached at the hip, or more accurately, the hand with the way she’s been dragging you from place to place the entire time.
And now after much convincing (read: whining) from you, you’ve finally got her to agree that a nap is a good use of your afternoon.
There’s only one issue…
“Babe, the key to a successful nap is having your eyes closed.”
“My eyes are closed.”
“They aren’t,” you say.
“How do you know my eyes aren’t closed? You’d have to have your eyes open to tell.”
“I can tell,” you say, still not opening your eyes, “because I can always tell when you’re looking at me. Even in the world’s most crowded room, the feeling of your eyes on me is unlike any other. So close them so I can sleep.”
A soft kiss is placed on the underside of your chin and there’s a bit of shuffling as Kelley tries to get comfortable. You let her squirm for about 30 seconds before you tug her firmly against you.
“Yea that’s enough of that,” you say. “And for love of God, stop staring at me.”
“You say the sweetest things to me when you’re tired.”
“Mhmm, love you too. It’s time to go night-night now.”
“That’s the tone you use with Charlie,” Kelley’s voice is indignant.
“Shhh, it’s time to go night-night.”
There’s some grumbling from the older woman but you ignore her in favor of going to sleep.
When you wake up from your nap, Kelley is nowhere to be found which isn’t very surprising. Luckily you know exactly where to find her or so you thought.
The walk to Sonny and lIndsey’s room is a quick one but you get turned away at the door by LIndsey who tells you that neither Frat Daddy is inside. She tells you that they said something about the social media team but you instantly decide you want nothing to do with that.
So instead you head off to find your best friend.
Marcel.
But to find him you need to find his mother, an easy task especially when all you have to do is follow the music. Which leads you down the hallway to the room where the PTs are set up.
Walking in, you’re not surprised to see Crystal on one of the tables getting a massage, while Lynn plays with Marcel on the ground. Out of the corner of your eye, you notice Uncle sitting on the other table getting her hands looked at, but you don’t pay any attention to that. Instead you walk in and pick your little homie up.
“Hey,” Lynn calls out.
“Sorry Lynnie,” you say, “Marcel and I have some very important business to discuss.”
“He’s one!”
“Gracie’s corner is incredibly serious stuff, Williams. Crys, I’ll come find you when he needs a diaper change.”
You hear small chuckles from Lyss and the trainers but you’re mostly focused on the way Crystal grumbles her breath while shoo-ing you out of the room.
As you leave you can just mak e out the voice of one of the trainers saying, "It's like she doesn't even know she's doing it."
Whatever that means.
You spend the next 30 or so minutes wandering around the hotel, alternating between letting the toddler run ahead of you and carrying him while he mushes his fingers against your face, babbling on about whatever 1 year olds like. You make sure to respond when he pauses, wow-ing or asking him simple questions to encourage him to continue.
Eventually, the two of you make your way down to the conference room that’s been converted to a common area for the team.
The amount of heads that immediately turn to face you makes you slightly nervous and the nerves only worsen when you see Kelley and Sonnett once again shoving their phones behind their backs.
Rolling your eyes, you go and ploop yourself and Marcel down next to Charlie, finding the company of the two toddlers more entertaining than that of your teammates.
Unnoticed by you though, both of the kids' mothers as well as a member of the social media team taking photos of the three of you. There’s also a few unheard comments directed at Kelley that may or may not have something to do with baby fever.
Life at camp continues in the same manner for the next few days with you going about your business while your girlfriend, her goofball friend, and the social media team continue to act strangely.
It all comes to a head one day after training.
The media manages to corner you before you get on the bus and they ask you to react to a few tiktoks that fans have made about you.
It takes you all of 3 seconds before you realize what you’re watching.
“Are all of these thirst edits of me,” you gasp, not removing your gaze from the screen. “This one is captioned: I’d let Y/N Y/L/N tie me. NEVERMIND!”
You manage to get through the next 5 minutes.
You stutter and blush and sweat your way through all 5 but you manage to make it through.
Not all the videos are as sexual as the first one, some feature clips of you with Marcel and Charlie but it still makes you very very uncomfy.
When you get on the bus, you’re greeted by the sight of most of the team grinning at you like maniacs, clearly already knowing what just happened.
“Who’s idea was that,” you ask, still standing up front.
No one speaks, so you groan before beginning to trudge your way to your normal seat across from Crystal.
On your way you notice the way both Kelley and Sonny can’t seem to hold back their giggles, so you pass your normal seat and go and sit with them instead.
“The two of you aren’t nearly as funny as you seem to think you are,” you say, dropping into Kelley’s lap.
“But we really are,” Sonnet laughs while poking you in the back.
“Yea it’s not our fault that the entire internet thinks you’re divine. I’m not going to be the one who argues with them.” Kelley leans up to press a kiss to your cheek but pouts when you lean away then stand up. “I love you,” she tries.
“Love you too.”
#woso fanfics#woso imagine#woso x reader#uswnt imagine#uswnt fanfic#uswnt x reader#kelley o'hara imagine#kelley o'hara x reader
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You can be a sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare II Ali Krieger x Mewis!Reader
masterlist I word count: 2599
The heat of the day was gone, and it started to cool down in New Jersey. The breeze made you shiver, so did the words of Ali Krieger with whom you had a love affair for the past weeks: “Y/n, you’re 13 years younger than me and I just go through a separation from my wife.” “Ali.”, you tried to soothe her doubting face. Sadness lay in the eyes of the defender while she was looking at you: “I can’t do that.” “But you kissed me first and you said that it meant something to you.”, the hurt in your voice was undeniable.
Regret was shimmering through her words: “I shouldn’t have done that. You’re way too young for me.” “I’m not that young, Ali.”, you interjected. Eyerolling Ali countered: “You’re 26.” “Yes, which makes me an adult.”, you protested. Softly the older woman replied:” I know you’re.”
This didn’t change the fact that you were 13 years younger than her, this much you both knew. The defender made very clear that it was time to end the thing whatever you two had going on before anyone could get too hurt. So, you decided:” I should go.”
Meanwhile Ali’s daughter Sloane was standing right behind you and interrupted your talk, with big eyes she pleaded:” Don’t go, you promised me a good night story.” “No, she’s right. She should go.”, the dark-haired woman declared. The toddler looked disappointed at her mother: ”But-“ “It’s okay, Sloane. Maybe, we’ll do that another time in the future.” , you reassuringly hugged the little girl.
Audibly Ali cleared her throat: “Goodbye, I hope I’ll see you soon.” “We play in the same team, so I guess we can’t avoid seeing each other.”, you reminded her. Nervously the older woman went through her hair with one hand: “Yes, sure.” “Bye.”, you waved at them. “Goodbye.”
Were those tears shimmering in her beautiful brown eyes? But weren’t you the one who was allowed to grieve the possibility of what you two could have become when she ended it? Confused you left the home of the woman who broke your heart.
A worried Sloane looked up to her mother:” Why do you look so sad, momma?” “I’m not. I just have a hard decision to make. But it’s bad time for you now.”, Ali tried to shrug it off. “No.”, the toddler whined. “Yes, come on.”, the defender’s lips curled up into a tired smile as she knew all too well that her daughter would be soon asleep by the time her small head hit her pillow.
“Ali! Lynn! Doesn’t my little sister look super hot in this outfit?“, Kristie Mewis yelled a week later at Gothams next NWSL game. It has become kind of a ritual that the players took pictures of their outfits before the games for social media. You stood in front of the camera, rolling your eyes at your older sister; “Kristie, stop it.“ “Just admit that I picked it out for you!“, she protested with a laugh. You objected, frowning; “I picked it out. You just lend me the clothes!“ “I picked it out!“, Kristie insisted again. You could easily forget that she was the older one. “Whoever did it, I’m sure every queer woman would be happy to unpack her.“, Lynn interrupted your discussion with a wink.
Ali who stood next to her, waiting for her turn to be photographed, said flatly; “What’s there to unpack? She’s barely wearing anything.“ You could feel your cheeks heat with anger. Before you could answer, Kristie looked at the defender; “Don’t be mean, Ali. It’s a cute fit.“ She gave you a proud smile while Ali shrugged; “It’s true, Kristie.“ Your sister deliberately ignored her negative comments and walked up to you; “Come here. Let’s take some sister photos together to send to Sammy.“ “Sammy will pout forever about the fact that she wasn’t included in this picture.“, you reminded Kristie and immediately smiled at the thought of your other sister who currently played in Kansas. Kristie grinned into the camera; “Let’s be honest, she probably would have ruined it.“ “Still, you know her.“ “Yes, I do.“, she rolled her eyes.
You had taken a quick selfie with Kristie too and texted it to Sam. Now you held up your phone in Kristies face; “Told you. She’s already pouting in her text messages. We need to send her a good snack for when she’s doing her next podcast episode to make up for it.“ “Trust me, she’ll survive.“, Kristie replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. Lynn nodded in agreement; “Yeah, she’s already busy with other things. Sammy will forget about that photo by tomorrow.“ As her podcast partner, Lynn always knew what Sam was up to. “Yeah, you two are probably right.“, you shrugged but sent your sister in Kansas a heart emoji anyway. “We are. Believe us.“, Kristie winked.
After the match Ali was standing next to your locker, arms crossed in front of her chest: “Where do you think you’re going with this outfit?” “I’m going out.”, you shrugged with your shoulders. Although her reaction fuelled your anger. She did not have a right to react jealous. Curiously she asked: “Out? With whom?” “Oh, just with Kristie and some other teammates.”, you replied nonchalantly.
Bitterly the defender answered:” Go and have fun then.” Innocently smiling Kristie intervened: “Isn’t Ashlyn looking after your kids tonight? Come on, Ali. You should join us.” “I don’t think Ali is interested in partying with us.”, you told her. Much to both of your surprise the captain of the team replied:” You know what? Why not? I got nothing else to do.” “Great, this is going to be so much fun.”, your older sister chirmed. A small smile lightened up Alis whole face: “I’m sure it will be.” “We’ll see about that.”, you whispered frustrated.
The club Kristie chose was new and trendy and settled in Manhattan. The music was good, and you and your teammates enjoyed the night out. A stranger came up to you: “Hi, can I get you a drink?” She looked pretty and you could not help but to nod along: “Sure.” “No.”, Ali interrupted the talk between the two of you. “No? I think I can decide that on my own.”, you huffed. Determined the defender shook her head: “No, you can’t.” With these words she took your hand and walked off with you.
Furiously you glanced at her: “Seriously, what the fuck Ali?” “What? It’s impolite. You’re out with us.”, she pointed out. Annoyed with her actions you scoffed: We both know that’s not why you did it.” “Maybe not. But that doesn’t matter. The others don’t have to know.”, Ali admitted. “Don’t worry, Kristie doesn’t know with whom I spent my summer.”, you disclosed. The mentioning of your older sister made the dark-haired woman smile in amusement:” “Kristie doesn’t seem to be bothered anyway. She’s on the phone with her girlfriend.” “And where are Kelley and Lynn?”, you couldn’t help but to ask. While Ali took you on to the dance floor without asking you: “At the bar.” “Oh.”
“Come on. You should have some fun.”, she smirked. As you were starting to move to the music you wanted to know from her:” Are you enjoying your parenting free night?” “I do.”, with that said you could feel her hands placed around your hips. You tried to keep your tone light: “That’s great.” “But I do miss them.”, the older woman answered. A sigh escaped your lips:“I miss them too to be honest.” “They miss you too.” Surprised you looked at her:”Really?” “Sure. You’ve met them quite a few times.”, Ali replied while her fingers touched your naked skin which made you shiver. Secretly you hated that your body still reacted to her like this.
Apparently, she had also noticed your reaction because she quickly pulled her hand away. “Yes, that’s true.“, you replied, trying to ignore what had just happened. Ali furrowed her eyebrows, looking at you intently; “Are you okay?“ “Yes, I’m fine… I think I’ll go home now.“, you explained, turning away from her. “Already?“ “Yes. Good night, Ali.“
You took your bag and were about to leave when you suddenly felt her hand close around your wrist. “Let me bring you home. Your sister obviously isn’t going to.“, Ali decided rather than offered. You followed her gaze to Kristie, who stood off to the side with her phone pressed to her ear and giggled about something her girlfriend must have said. “We should not interrupt her when she’s talking to her girlfriend.“, you had to admit. Ali finally let go of your hand; “I’m sure the others will make sure that she gets home safe. But now let me take you home.“
Your brain was constantly screaming at you while you accepted the offer and followed Ali to her car. The car ride was unusually silent but you were half expecting the awkwardness already. When the car stopped in front of your apartment building, you realized that Ali had gotten out of the car to open the passenger door for you. You gave her a tight smile; “Thanks for bringing me home.“ “You’re welcome.“, she answered politely. While pulling the keys out of your bag, you noticed that Ali hasn’t moved.
With a sigh, you turned to her, finally asking you the question that was bothering you the whole night; “Ali… did you already find someone new?“ The defender seemed taken aback by the question; “No. I’m not looking for someone right now.“ “I see.“ “It’s all a bit much right now. I thought I’d focus on myself and my children. What about you? Are you seeing anyone?“, Ali continued. You shook your head, your lips pressed together tightly; “No. I think I’ll focus on my career right now.“ “That sounds… reasonable.“ “I know.“ You were just about to turn the keys and unlock the door when Ali spoke up again; “You know I’m sorry, right? I didn’t think when we started this. Or else I wouldn’t have put us both through this mess.“ “So you regret us?“, you asked, your voice a pitch higher than you wanted it to be. “That’s not what I said.“, Ali retorted defensively.
You heaved a long sigh; “I guess it’ll be easier when the season ends.“ “Yes. I think it will be. That gives us more space.“, the defender agreed. “Right and we’ll never have to see each other again.“ Ali rolled her eyes at your remark; “You know, you can be a bit dramatic sometimes?“ “To be fair, I learned from the best. Kristie and you.“, you laughed involuntarily. “I’m not dramatic! Your sister is!“, Ali protested with a wide grin. “Yeah, she’s a little bit more drama.“
For a second, everything felt like the break-up never happened but then Alis’ face turned serious again; “See. I’m sure you’ll be alright. You’re an amazing soccer player, smart and pretty, and you have your two sister who always got your back. You don’t need me.“
“Ali, you know that’s not true. I do need you.”, you disagreed. Her expression was unchanged as she answered: “No, you don’t.” “I still don’t care about the age gap. I thought you should know that. Good night, Ali.”, you smiled disappointed. “I do know that. Good night.”
Yet she still did not move so you asked the defender:” Ali, why are you still standing here?” “What? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking.”, Ali blushed. “Thinking about what?” “Mistakes.”, the older woman truthfully replied. Sharply you shot back: “Well, I think you made very clear that we were a mistake.” “No. But apparently think that if you keep accusing me of saying that.”, she shook her head. You could feel your cheek turn red:” Sorry.” “ I don’t think this was a mistake. What was a mistake was the fact that I didn’t think about it before starting something with you. That would have saved us the trouble.”, Ali summed it up. Slowly you nodded:”Right.”
“But now I’m wondering if it’s a mistake to let you go.”, the defender cautiously looked into your eyes. The words left your mouth before you could think more deeply about them: “Don’t let go.” This said she closed the gap between you and pressed her lips onto yours while you replied to her kiss with an equally passion, running your hands through her dark long hair. All the emotions finally making their way out as you embraced each other. Needless to say, Ali did not leave that night.
After your now girlfriends last game where was a big party being held in her honour. All her friends were there to celebrate her long soccer career. Proudly you kissed her which made Kristie gasp out loud: “Oh. My. God!”
“Why are you yelling, Kristie?”, your other sister Sam Mewis asked amused because she was well versed in the older sibling’s talent to make everything super dramatic as if you were part of a reality show. “Our little sister is making out with Ali!”, the blonde shouted into her ear. Unimpressed the taller woman looked at her:” And?” “And seriously?!”, Kristie repeated playfully shocked.
That made Sam laugh out loud: “Yes?” “Why aren’t you freaking out about this?”, the smaller midfielder wanted to know. “Should I?” “Well, they look happy, right?”, the older sister observed as she glanced at Ali and you. Giggling the middle sibling remarked: “I don’t know. They’re about to eat each other up.”
Kristie grimaced in disgust; “Ew, gross.“ “As if you and were any better with your girlfriend.“, Megan Rapinoe interrupted the sisters, giving Kristie a smirk. Sam gasped with widened eyes, happy about the mutual understanding between her and Megan; “Don’t even get me started! You can’t even have a normal conversation without them making out!“
“Let’s try it with this new couple, shall we?“, Megans wife asked, a challenging look on their face. But before she could her plan to action, Ali took her lips off of yours for a second and yelled; “We’re busy here!“ “Get a room!“, Kristie answered. You eyed your sister with scepticism; “Coming from you?“ “Don’t talk to me in this tone, young lady.“, Kristie warned, playfully raising her finger at you. You cringed; “You’re my older sister, not my mum.“
Ali got up, taking your hand in hers; “Let’s leave, love.“ “Please.“, you answered, looking at your sisters with feigned disdain. “Bye, guys.“, Ali waved while gently leading you outside. Kristie watched you with her mouth open; “You can’t just abduct my sister.“ “This is consensual.“, you clarified with a laugh. “This better be!“, Kristie yelled after you. You smiled at her and Sam, waving them goodbye; “See you tomorrow.“ “Or not.“, Kristie added. Sam snorted; “Probably not.“ “Girls!“, you called. But Ali nudged you with her shoulder, giving you a wink; “They are not wrong though.“ “Go.“, Sam rolled her eyes, gesturing for you to finally leave. Sue smiled as she watched you two; “Seems like we don’t have to worry about Ali being bored after her retirement from soccer.“ “I was never worried about that.“, Megan replied, amused.
Kristie in the meantime had taken a step away from the group and was holding her phone to her ear. “Kristie, what are you doing?“, Sam asked. “Uhm, telling mum the news?“, her sister answered, looking at her like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Sam shook her head at her; “Oh my god, Kristie. That’s exactly why I’m mums favorite.“
#ali krieger#ali krieger x reader#woso x reader#uswnt x reader#kristie mewis#gotham fc#woso#woso fanfics#woso imagine#megan rapinoe#uswnt#kristie mewis x reader#uswnt imagine#nwsl#sam mewis#woso oneshot#kelley o'hara
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Are you sure they like each other? (Alyssa Naeher x Reader)
Barely edited and I don't know if I happy with this, but I wanted to put something out. I hope you enjoy :)
Summary: Alyssa and reader are together, but very stoic and not affectionate in public. Think the team know they're together, apparently not. Start to question if they even like each other. Alyssa and reader turn into soft, love sick people when alone.
Warnings: Tiny bit suggestive, some swearing
Words: 3.3K
Alyssa had slipped out, taking our bags up to the room while I was surrounded by some of the team. I had offered to help, but she had insisted I stay to catch up, leaving before I could protest. Neither of us would be considered extroverts, though I was the one who liked to talk a bit more. Kristie pulled me into a tight hug before a few of the girls following suit, "How was your break Y/n?"
"It was pretty good. Alyssa and I just took it easy. Spent some time fixing up some of the stuff around the house I haven't had the time to do. Visited family, that sort of thing."
Confusion covered their faces, Kelley being the first one to speak up, "Wait. You spent the break with Alyssa?"
Now it was my turn to be confused. Alyssa and I had been together for almost 5 years, living together for 3. It wasn't something that had been hidden. Our relationship wasn't public knowledge, but friends and family knew we were together, or so I thought anyway. We weren't an affectionate couple in public or even with our friends, barely ever touching past an occasional hand on the back, a short hug after a game or if we were going to be apart. Occasionally, we would hold hands at home with family or I would lay with my head in her lap during movie night. I loved Alyssa more than words would describe, there was no doubt in my mind she felt the same. Public affection just made us both very uncomfortable.
"Why wouldn't I? We live together."
"Wait what? You and Alyssa live together?"
"You didn't know? We weren't hiding it. You know we're together right?"
Kelley looked as if I had grown a second head, "You and Alyssa are dating? No we didn't know that! What the hell Y/n?"
Alyssa's hand touched my lower back, letting me know she was there before dropping back to her side. "What's happening here? Why is there yelling?"
"Apparently they're just finding out we live together and have been together for the last almost 5 years."
"5 years?!? And you didn't tell us?"
Even Alyssa looked confused at this point, "What do you mean didn't tell you? It was never hidden. We assumed you knew."
Accusatory glares were sent our way while Alyssa and I just stood there confused. This was not how I expected my morning to go. "You've never kissed, held hands, cuddled or done anything remotely couple like. How were we supposed to know?"
"We've held hands a few times and I sleep against her on the bus sometimes. I get her coffee and breakfast every morning, Alyssa gets me flowers every week even at camp. Pretty sure we've mentioned our anniversary before. We say 'I love you' to each other all the time. Did none of you find that weird?"
"You're always sitting next to each other on the bus so no and we just figured you were close friends or something. I think there's been one time that you've gotten flowers from her in front of us."
"I've seen that a few times actually, but its always when she seems to have a bad day," Tierna spoke up.
Alyssa shrugged, "Well yeah, I get them every week, but if she's having a bad day then I'll get them on that day to cheer her up. Look, we just don't like PDA, we weren't hiding anything from you. We really thought you knew about us. And before you even ask, no we're not going to prove it. Now we're going to our room."
As soon as we entered our room, I flopped down on the bed, scooting over slightly when Alyssa lay down next to me. I pushed myself into her arms, leaving kisses on her jaw, her hand slipping under my shirt to draw random patterns. "You unpacked my stuff."
Alyssa held me closer, kissing my forehead. People held the impression that Alyssa disliked physical touch, which she did with most people. In reality, Alyssa loved cuddling with me, she loved holding my hand and kissing me. Just touching in general actually. When we first started dating, it was a welcome surprise. I expected some affection, but not as much as I received. There was definitely no complaints from me, I loved cuddling with my partners. "I always do, don't I?"
"You do and I appreciate it, but you don-"
She cut me off with a quick peck before speaking up not giving me the chance, "My love, how many times have you said I don't have to, yet I do it anyway?"
"Pretty much every camp," I mumbled against her neck, knowing what her response was going to be. It was always the same.
"Exactly. I do it because I love you and I want to make your day a little bit easier so how about you just accept it and let me do it."
It wasn't that I didn't like it, in fact I loved that she did it. I just always felt slightly bad when people did things for me. "Fine. I still can't believe they didn't know about us. I really thought they did."
"So did I. Maybe they just don't listen to us at all. It was all kind of entertaining though."
"It was, I can't believe they were so clueless. I have a feeling Emily is going to be annoying though. She had her mischief face on."
Alyssa's hand traveled further up my side as she rolled on top of me, "Unfortunately, I think you're right, but right now there are other things I would rather do than talk about Emily."
---
Just as I sat down for breakfast, Emily and Kelley slid onto the chairs in front of me. They just stared at me until I snapped, asking what they wanted. This was not what I needed early in the morning especially when I had only been awake for like half an hour. Alyssa was always down for breakfast after me, preferring to take her time to get ready and do her puzzles, while I just wanted coffee.
"So you and Alyssa are together right?"
"Uh yeah, why?"
"Just checking. How long have you been together?"
"Almost 5 years."
"How did you meet?"
I looked at between Emily and Kelley, trying to figure out why I was being interrogated once again, about my relationship. At this point, I was pretty sure the team believed we were lying or something. "You know this already."
"We forgot."
Alyssa approached, giving me a quick smile which I returned, "Perfect timing. I'm being interrogated about our relationship again."
"Why?"
I shrugged, pushing Alyssa's breakfast in front of her receiving a quite thank you. I didn't answer Kelley's question, instead deciding to eat breakfast before it got cold. "Are you two being forced to be together?"
Both of our heads shot up at that. It was such a ridiculous question. There would be no logical reason for us to be pretending to be together especially considering we weren't public knowledge. I bit back my laugh before answering, "What? What makes you think that? Why would that be a thing?"
Emily shrugged, "You just don't seem to like each other like that."
"Go away Kelley," Alyssa mumbled before going back to her breakfast. I ignored her again, getting up for Alyssa's coffee instead. When I returned, Kelley and Emily were still there, giving Alyssa a suspicious look. I handed Alyssa the cup before sitting down again.
"Thank you love."
Emily narrowed her eyes at us, "Suspicious."
Alyssa rolled her eyes while I flipped Emily off. This whole thing was starting to get old. "Go eat your breakfast."
Later that day, we were back in our room, enjoying the time we had before practice. Alyssa was reading, while I lay in the sun on the balcony. I started to want cuddles. I wouldn't say I was clingy because it was true. We could spend hours doing completely different things. Sometimes though, I just craved touching or being held by her. I gave her a few minutes before calling out to her, knowing she would come to me without hesitation.
Alyssa groaned, but got up, slipped off her shirt and sat down behind me with my head in her lap. We met in the middle, lips connecting briefly before I wiggled around to get into a better position. Alyssa eyebrows raised, amusement shining in her eyes, "Comfortable?"
I smirked, lacing my fingers with hers that rest on my stomach, "Very. Do you like me Lyssa? Is someone forcing you to date me?"
"Not even a little bit. Don't you know I'm only with you for your body?"
"That's what I thought. Maybe I should confess that I'm only with you for your abs."
She smirked at my response, "I had my suspicions. You're obsessed."
"Not my fault they're great abs."
Fingers ran through my hair as Alyssa leant down to kiss my forehead, "You know I love you right Y/n/n? I don't want you to ever doubt that because I don't show you affection in public."
"You know how I feel about PDA, I don't like it, I never have. I have never once doubted your love for me Alyssa and I hope you haven't doubted mine. I love you."
"Good. I have never doubted your love either."
---
Anger and worry coursed through me when I saw Alyssa go down. It was always my worst fear during games, but it didn't really happen during practice. I know we got competitive, there was no reason for it to happen during practice though. I ran up, kneeling beside her, hand grabbing hers, "Are you okay Lys?"
"This ones going to hurt," Alyssa winced, but quickly grabbed my arm when I turned to Rose who had taken her out. "Hey, it's not her fault, it was an accident. Go see if she's okay and be nice."
I took a breath to calm myself down before walking up to Rose. Rose started fidgeting nervously as I walked up to her, "Hey, are you okay Rose?"
"Y-yeah. S-sorry"
I hugged her, feeling her relax against me. Hugs weren't necessarily my favourite thing except when it was with Alyssa, but I knew Rose liked them and I didn't want her to feel bad. It wasn't actually her fault. "Rosie, it was an accident. Don't beat yourself up because of it, but maybe don't make a habit of taking out out keeper during practice, we kinda need her."
---
"You guys coming to dinner?"
"Uh yeah, just going to drop our stuff off."
Once we were in our room, Alyssa sat on the edge of the bed as I knelt behind her, arms wrapping around her shoulders loosely. She lent back against me with a sigh, kissing my hand. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Think my shoulder might bruise, but I'm okay hun. Don't worry so much."
I lift her shirt over her head, lips meeting the spot that was already starting to bruise then moving around to her neck, cheek and lips, "You know I can't help worrying about you, even if it's a bit ridiculous."
Alyssa turned around, pushing me back and hovering over me, "Well, I'm the same so I can't really say anything. I love you Y/n/n."
I looped my arm around the back of her neck, pulling her down so I could peck her lips, "I love you Lys, but you need to get off cause we need to go down for dinner."
She rolled off me with one final kiss before standing up, "Fine."
"Shirt."
---
My eyes fluttered open to the feeling of lips being pressed to every part of my face and neck. I giggled, arms wrapping around her neck to bring her lips to mine. You wouldn't guess it, but Alyssa always kissed me softly, as if I was something precious. It honestly drove me crazy.
Alyssa pulled away slowly, grin plastered across her face, "Happy anniversary love."
My grin matched her, as I pecked her lips, "Happy anniversary Lys. I love you."
We spent a little longer in bed than usual, lazy kisses and cuddles shared before reluctantly dragging our selves out of bed and into the shower. Unfortunately, we had training today so we couldn't give in to the clear desires we both had, instead rushing through the shower and downstairs before there was anymore temptation and we ended up late.
Alyssa and I were discussing dinner plans when we walked into the meal room. We never went out on our anniversary, always staying in and just being with each other in the comfort of our own home. This year was different because we were in a hotel, but we would make do. Just as we sat down, Kelley sat across from us, our conversation ending as we waited for her to say something. "Do you guys even like each other? I mean you guys just seem so indifferent around each other, sure you talk and even joke around sometimes, but it's no different then if you were talking to team mates, we've never heard you talk about anything remotely relationship like."
My arm rest on the back of Alyssa's chair, playing with the baby hairs at the base of her neck. That wasn't a usual occurrence, but it was our anniversary. I was feeling a mix of different, slightly overwhelming emotions from love to happiness, and nerves from the fact I was proposing tonight. I just wanted to be close to her right now and the usual leg against mine wasn't enough. Alyssa must have sensed it because her hand rest on my thigh under the table, squeezing gently as I spoke, "Of course we do. We were literally just talking about our plans tonight for our anniversary."
"That was talk about your anniversary? It sounded like you were talking about grocery shopping."
"We were, but in relation to our anniversary."
"So what are you going to do for your anniversary?"
"Chill out in our hotel room. We never do anything big."
"Yeah okay. That tracks with the appearance of your relationship."
Alyssa had gone back to our room after training while I had gone to the store to pick up a few snacks to sneak in and some flowers for her. She always got me flowers so I wanted to return the favour for once. We were planning on ordering in and watching movies before likely ending the night doing inappropriate cuddling. It was our favourite way to spend our anniversaries. Thankfully, we had an off day tomorrow so we could get away with it.
After placing the bag down on the table, I called out for Alyssa, getting a response from the bathroom almost instantly. My arms wrapped around Alyssa when she emerged from the bathroom, leaving a lingering kiss against her lips. Her eyes dropped down to the bouquet in my hand, a small smile appearing. "This isn't your actual gift, but you always get me flowers so I thought it was my turn. Your gift is running late."
"They're beautiful, thank you Y/n/n. You know you didn't have to get me anything."
"I know, but you also always get me something despite me saying the same thing, therefore shut up."
Alyssa laughed, pushing me away gently and taking the flowers, "You speak to me so romantically my love."
I pulled her back into me, peppering her face with kisses, "I love you."
"I love you. I ordered dinner already, it should be here soon. Also here," Alyssa handed out a small wrapped box. Inside was a gold chain with a small keepers glove attached. It was something I had mentioned wanting, a way to have her close when she wasn't there physically.
"You remembered. I love it Lys."
"Of course I did."
After a short make out session and dinner, we cuddled up in bed to watch a movie. Maybe 15 minutes had passed before I started getting restless. My focus dropped from the movie, instead playing with Alyssa's fingers. I never was the best at staying still. My mind soon drifted to the pool downstairs, it had been a while since I got to go and the urge was suddenly there.
When I shifted position once again, Alyssa chuckled and paused the movie, "I've lost you haven't I?"
I grinned up at her, kissing her softly. Alyssa always knew me so well. "Do you want to go swimming? It's late so no one will be around."
Alyssa knew I loved swimming so she agreed pretty easily, after some teasing of course. We made our way down to the pool, both wearing tank tops and shorts. No one was around so it didn't matter what we wore. I jumped straight in, swimming around a bit while Alyssa sat on the edge of the pool. After a few minutes, I swam up between Alyssa's legs resting my arms on them as I lent up connecting our lips in a lingering kiss.
"Come in."
"It's cold."
"Love, it's a heated pool."
"Okay fine, I just enjoy watching you swim around."
"But, if you come in then we can cuddle, kiss," My hand ran up the inside of her thigh, "Touch."
Alyssa instantly slid into the pool, arm wrapping around me and pulling me against her. "You're a tease."
My hands slipped under her tank top, nails scratching down her back and over her stomach, "It's only teasing if I leave it at that. Just wait until we get ba-"
A loud voice interrupted the moment, annoyance crossing Alyssa's face as she stepped back slightly, but didn't let me go. "Oh my god! They really are together."
I groaned, turning to glare at Emily and Kelley, "Fuck off and stop ruining our anniversary."
Once they were out of sight again, I pulled myself out of the pool, Alyssa rest on my legs as I had done earlier. "What are you doing?"
I pulled the towel that I had hidden the little black box in closer. Inside was a a plain gold band with a round cut diamond. Alyssa didn't often wear jewelry and she liked simple things so I knew she would love it. "I have something for you."
"You waited until we were at the pool to give it to me?"
"Well it wasn't the original plan, but I got nervous." My fingers laced with hers, Alyssa looking up at me curiously. "Never in my life did I think I would fall for someone as hard or fast as I did with you. From the boring, quiet days at home spent doing housework or errands to the movie nights and dinner dates, I love living life with you. I love the adventures we've had, I love working with you, fuck, I just love being with you Alyssa. I look forward to every new day because I get to do it with you. With you by my side, anything is possible. This is a shit speech, but I'm nervous and you love me anyway."
Alyssa chuckled, tears already forming in her eyes before I revealed the little box. "I love you Alyssa, I love you so much more than I thought possible. I want to live life with you forever. With that being said, Alyssa Naeher will you marry me?"
Arms wrapped around my waist tightly, lips connecting with mine, in a soft, emotional kiss, "Yes, yes I will marry you Y/n."
I slipped the ring on her finger, connecting our lips again. Alyssa pulled away too soon for my liking, reaching for her own towel, pulling out a black box similar to the one I had moments before. Alyssa opened it, revealing a plain rose gold band with three small gems set into it. I soon realised it was both our birth stones and one I wasn't quite sure of. "You beat me to it, but will you marry me Y/n?"
"I suppose I can't say no seeing as I just gave you a ring."
Alyssa laughed, sliding the ring onto my finger before kissing me again. "These are our birthstones, what's this one?"
"When we first started dating."
"I love it, I love you."
A crash from behind us instantly caught our attention. About half the team stood there, sheepish smiles in place and a phone pointed in our direction. Seeing as they were caught, everyone started talking over each other, congratulations being thrown our way. I rolled my eyes, turning back to Alyssa. "Let's get out of here before they surround us. We have celebrating to do."
#uswnt x reader#uswnt imagine#woso x reader#woso imagines#alyssa naeher x reader#alyssa naeher imagine
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forgive me
My heart pounded in my chest as I turned the key in the lock, the anticipation of finally being home after what felt like an eternity abroad making my hands tremble. I had missed Leah desperately during my time away, longing for her comforting presence after I missed the possibly winning penalty for the USWNT. But now, as I stepped inside our apartment, that longing turned to dread.
The soft glow of lamplight illuminated the living room, casting eerie shadows against the walls. And there, on the couch, lay Leah, wrapped in the arms of another woman. My stomach dropped as the scene before me registered, the shock and disbelief hitting me like a tidal wave.
I wanted to scream, to demand answers, to tear apart the fabric of reality until this nightmare dissolved into nothingness. But all I could do was stand there, frozen in place, my heart shattered into a million irreparable pieces.
Leah's eyes met mine, a fleeting expression of surprise and guilt flickering across her features before she spoke. "Y/n, I can explain," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the pounding of my heart.
She quickly got up from the couch in her panties and long t-shirt while the other woman I did not recognize gathered her belongings and ran out without hesitation.
I didn’t respond and as Leah took another step towards me, I took one back, shaking my head in disbelief.
“Say something, y/n. Please. I know I fucked up, but I can explain.”
I block out her words and just stare at her, tears filling my eyes as my heart breaks every second I stand there. I take a shaky breath before saying, “I am going to pack a bag and go.” She goes to argue but I shake my head and interrupt, “Leah, you need to let me go.”
Leah's face crumpled in anguish as my words hung heavy in the air, the weight of them pressing down on us both like a suffocating blanket. She reached out to me, her hands trembling with desperation, but I recoiled from her touch, unable to bear the thought of her hands on me after what I had just witnessed.
"No," she whispered, her voice thick with tears. "Please, y/n, don't do this. I love you, I swear, I never meant to hurt you."
Her words cut through me like a knife, reopening wounds that had barely begun to heal. I wanted to believe her, wanted to cling to the illusion of love and happiness we had shared, but the reality of her betrayal loomed large in the space between us, an insurmountable barrier that threatened to swallow us whole.
"I can't do this anymore, Leah," I said, my voice cracking with emotion. "You've hurt me in ways I never thought possible. I’m sorry I wasn’t enough for you."
Leah's eyes brimmed with tears as she reached out to me again, her desperation palpable in the air. She knew how hard I worked in my self-confidence but this just took the biggest blow to it. "Don’t for a second think you are not enough, y/n. I’m the problem. Please, y/n, give me another chance. I'll do anything to make this right, anything to prove to you that I love you."
But I shook my head, my resolve hardening with each passing moment. "It's too late for that, Leah. You've broken my trust. I can't just forgive and forget."
I ignore her as she begs for forgiveness while I head to our room to grab a few extra items as I already have a suitcase filled because of my trip with the national team.
As I hastily packed my belongings, Leah's pleas echoed in my mind, each word a painful reminder of the love we once shared.
Leah followed me into the bedroom, her footsteps hesitant as if she were treading on thin ice. "Please, y/n," she implored, her voice choked with tears. "Don't leave like this. We can work through this together, I promise."
Her words stirred a flicker of doubt within me, a small voice whispering that perhaps forgiveness was possible. But as I looked into her eyes, I saw not just remorse, but a deeper struggle, a fundamental flaw in our relationship that could not be easily mended.
"I need some space, Leah," I said, my voice firm despite the tremors of uncertainty coursing through me. "I need time to figure things out on my own."
Leah's shoulders slumped in defeat, her gaze falling to the floor as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I understand," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the din of my racing heart. With a heavy heart, I zipped up my bag. As I made my way to the door, Leah's voice stopped me in my tracks.
"Y/n, wait," she said, her voice wavering with emotion. "Just know that I'll always love you, no matter what."
I let the tears I have been holding back drop silently as I look her in her eyes one more time. I love her so much but obviously I am not providing enough if she’s seeking more elsewhere.
I get into my car and drive around aimlessly before arriving at Katie McCabe's place, seeking refuge in the familiarity of her warm embrace, she immediately sensed something was amiss. Concern etched across her features as she ushered me inside, her voice laced with worry.
"Y/n, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," Katie exclaimed, her eyes scanning my face for any sign of explanation.
I managed a weak smile, attempting to mask the turmoil raging within me. "It's nothing, Katie. Just... a rough day."
But Katie wasn't easily fooled. She took my hand gently, her touch grounding me amidst the chaos of my emotions. "You know you can tell me anything, right? I'm here for you, no matter what."
I hesitated, the weight of my unspoken truth threatening to suffocate me. But as I looked into Katie's compassionate gaze, I knew I couldn't bear to burden her with the tangled mess of my heartache.
"It's complicated," I finally admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "I just... I don't want to talk about it."
Katie's brow furrowed in concern, her instincts urging her to push further. "Is it Leah?" she asked softly, her words hanging heavy in the air.
I flinched at the mention of her name, the pain of betrayal still fresh in my mind. But I couldn't bring myself to tarnish Leah's name, not when the love I once felt for her still lingered like a ghost in the recesses of my heart.
"I can't," I choked out, tears threatening to spill over. "I can't do that to her. I still love her, Katie. I can't bear the thought of anyone hating her."
Katie's expression softened with understanding as she wrapped me in a comforting embrace, her presence a soothing balm to my shattered soul. "You don't have to say anything you're not ready to, y/n," she murmured, her words a whispered promise of unwavering support.
…………. ……….. ………… ��……….
As the days passed, life seemed to go on as usual. I returned to my routine, throwing myself into training with the Arsenal team, my mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Despite my efforts to appear unaffected, the tension between Leah and me was palpable, a silent rift that threatened to tear us apart.
At practice, the atmosphere was strained, the weight of unspoken words hanging heavy in the air. My teammates exchanged knowing glances, their curiosity piqued by the unspoken tension between Leah and me.
Leah, ever persistent, continued to plead for forgiveness, her desperation evident in every fleeting glance and tentative touch. But I remained steadfast in my resolve, refusing to entertain the possibility of reconciliation until I had fully come to terms with the betrayal that had shattered my trust.
As we gathered on the field, preparing for another grueling session, Leah approached me tentatively, her eyes brimming with remorse. "Y/n, please," she whispered, her voice pleading. "We need to talk. I can't bear this distance between us any longer."
I shook my head, my resolve hardening with each passing moment. "Not now, Leah," I replied, my voice firm despite the turmoil raging within me. "I need time to process everything that's happened."
“Please, y/n. I can see you training extra hard just to avoid thinking about this. Please, I don't want to see you hurting.”
“You did that, amore. You hurt me. I knew I wasn’t enough and you reassured me countless times I was. I was stupid to believe you… that I was enough for you.” I whisper before walking away.
“Y/n, wait! At least tell me why no one else knows? I was expected to get some lash back from the gals.” She grabs my arm before I face her once more.
“Despite all you have done, and might think, I still love you.”
As Leah and I stood on the training field in our emotional exchange, a voice interrupted from the sidelines, cutting through the weighty atmosphere with unexpected levity.
"Well, whatever Leah did, it must be forgivable if she's still alive," came a joking remark from one of our teammates, interrupting the solemn moment with a touch of humor.
I turned to see Alessia smirking playfully as she approached us, her eyes twinkling with mischief. Despite the seriousness of the situation, her lighthearted comment momentarily lifted the heaviness that had settled over us.
"Seriously, y/n," Alessia continued, nudging me gently with her elbow. "You must be a saint to consider forgiving whatever she did. I mean, I can barely forgive her for stealing my snacks, let alone whatever this is."
A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips, the tension easing slightly under the unexpected reprieve of humor. "Trust me, Alessia," I replied, my tone light despite the lingering ache in my heart. "It's going to take a lot more than snacks to make things right."
#woso fanfics#woso x reader#uswnt fanfic#uswnt imagine#uswnt x reader#leah williamson#leah williamson x reader
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It's Different With Her (Everything Is Different With Her) (Kristie Mewis x Reader)
Anonymous Request: So happy to hear you're going to be writing again!
Could you maybe write a Kristie Mewis x reader where they constantly get teased by their teammates for act sweet and domestic, the reader getting a majority of the teasing for acting uncharactisticly soft around Kristie.
You rub your hands together as you make your way out of goal, the whistle blowing loudly, signaling the end of the game against Ireland, a game the USWNT won 3-2, a number of shots on goal being easily blocked by yours truly.
You move down field, making your way towards your girlfriend, Kristie Mewis, shaking hands with the Ireland players as you go.
Kristie’s blue orbs widen momentarily as your lips meet her temple, it’s only when she realizes it’s you that she grins.
Despite her height, you towered over her, your stature making you the perfect person to place in goal.
That build made you very intimidating to say the least, but it was your attitude the exacerbated that intimidation.
Your stoicism was off-putting to some, you rarely smiled, and spoke only when you felt it was necessary, these characteristics making you nearly unapproachable.
There was one person however, who wasn’t put off by your stoicism, wasn't put off by the fact you rarely smiled and rarely spoke, and that was Kristie Mewis.
Unfortunately, during your time with the North Carolina Courage, you weren’t utilized in any such way, riding the bench more often than not.
Gotham FC approached you soon after, promising to utilize you to the best of your abilities, which was enough to get you to sign a contract, anything was better than riding the bench with the NCC.
Though the team welcomed you with open arms, you could tell that you, much like you had everyone else, intimidated them.
Kristie Mewis didn’t seem at all intimidated, the woman welcoming you with a beaming grin, something you didn’t return, choosing instead to stoically nod in place of a greeting.
Your first interaction didn’t deter her, and soon she was breaking through your hard exterior, a friendship forming between the two of you.
Your friendship quickly developed into a relationship after a shared kiss on your hotel room's balcony one night, and that relationship had been going strong ever since.
Kristie is unable to bite back a grin when you slip around her, grabbing a fan’s jersey that she was attempting to reach for before passing it to her to sign.
“Thanks.” She whispers and you smile softly, taking the jersey and passing it back after you too scribble your signature along the fabric.
Much to her and your own elation, after a month as Gotham FC’s starting goalkeeper, you were called up to the USWNT alongside Kristie Mewis, Lynn Williams, Midge Purce and Kelley O’Hara.
You quickly became a goalkeeper the team could rely on, only second to Alyssa Naeher of course.
Kristie’s eyes widen when you drop to your knees in front of her, a smile stretching across her face when she realizes her cleat had come untied, the laces now in your hand as you tie a loose knot.
“You guys are so domestic it’s disgusting.” Emily comments on her way by and you roll your eyes, shooting the blonde a glare as you move to your feet.
“We are not domestic.” You mumble as you turn back to the fans, eventually working your way towards the locker room.
Regardless of your hard exterior, you enjoyed interacting with the fans, specifically the younger ones, ones who would realize that women could do anything if they set their mind to it.
You make your way into the locker room, taking a seat in your cubby beside Kristie’s the blonde turning to you with a grin.
“Always the last one in, huh?” She teases and you shrug, unable to bite back a smile.
Kristie made it almost impossible to keep your hard exterior in place when she was around, her smile crumbling the walls you’d built around yourself.
Kristie scoots towards you, the woman taking your hand as Twila summarizes the game and the things the team needed to work on.
You, however, can’t take your eyes off of Kristie, you rarely ever could, something about her commanded your attention.
You knew that something was love, but seeing as it was early in your relationship you weren’t ready to voice those thoughts, not yet anyway.
Your eyes narrow when you catch sight of a number of your teammates smirking your way, their eyes darting from you to yours and Kristie’s joined hands and back.
You growl, rolling your eyes as you turn back to Twila, though your hand remains in Kristie’s, the woman stroking your knuckles, aware that your hands may hurt after your time in goal.
It isn’t long after that the team moves to their feet, everyone gathering their things to head to the bus, before Kristie can grab her bag however you scoop it up, a smile on your face as you sling it over your shoulder.
“You know I could get that, right?” She teases and you smile, the woman’s fingers tangling with your own.
“Oh, I know.” You smile, the woman giggling as she leans against you, the two of you making your way towards the bus under the watchful eyes of your teammates.
Watching you turn to literal putty in someone’s hands was something they weren’t at all use to, but since you started dating Kristie, you smiled more often, something you did your best to fend off before your relationship started.
You posted more on social media, pictures with the blonde during early morning runs, coffee dates and nights spent watching the sunset.
You were a completely different person with her, and that meant relentless teasing from your teammates.
“Oh, carrying bags now?” Megan teases as you make your way onto the bus, earning an eye roll as you slide into the seat beside Kristie, depositing your bags in the seats in front of you.
“Shut up.” You mumble as you drop down into the seat beside your girlfriend, the woman taking your hand.
“Ignore them.” She whispers, her cheeks flushing when you bring her hand to your lips, softly kissing her smooth skin.
“She’s completely different around her, isn’t she?” Ashley whispers softly to Trinity, the younger woman smiling.
“Love will do that to you.” Kelley comments, Emily’s lips splitting in a grin as she calls out.
“Are you guys in loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee??” She snickers, and you roll your eyes, your cheeks betraying you as they flush blood red, thankfully, it goes unnoticed by your teammates.
Instead of answering, the two of you choose to remain silent, unwilling to admit to anyone, including each other, that you were, in fact, deeply in love with one another.
************************************************************************
It was no surprise to either of you that the teasing in no way relented during dinner, especially because the flirting between the two of you didn’t stop simply because you went to a restaurant.
You grin as you lean towards Kristie, the woman leaning towards you.
“I really like when you wear your hair down.” You whisper, the blonde giggling when you kiss the flesh behind her ear.
“I’ll have to start doing it more often then.” She grins, turning to playfully kiss your jawline, your lips splitting in a grin.
Kristie moves to her feet with a sigh, the woman’s head on a swivel as she surveys the restaurant.
“I’ll be right back.” She smiles, giving your hand a squeeze before she moves out of reach, your hand and heart feeling empty without her presence.
“You two are so gross.” Trinity teases, giving you a little nudge, your eyes narrowing as you shoot her a glare.
“You can’t deny it Y/N.” Rose says from her place across the table from you, Lindsey who’s at her side nodding.
“I’ve never seen you act the way you do when you’re around her.” She comments, earning a nod from Alex who’s sitting further down the table.
“You’re a completely different person with her.”
You hum, your brows furrowing as you stare down at the table, your heart fluttering in your chest, a smile stretching across your face.
“Because it’s different with her.” You whisper, unable to hold back the smile that stretches across your face.
“Everything is different with her.” You mumble, hoping your teammates hadn’t heard, but you knew they had.
You jump when a hand settles on your shoulder, your eyes wide when you glance up at its owner, who smiles brightly as she takes her seat beside you.
“What did I miss?” She asks and you shake your head, smiling softly as you take her hand.
“Nothing.”
************************************************************************
“It’s different with her. Everything is different with her.”
Your words kept playing back in Kristie’s mind throughout dinner and even as the two of you entered your hotel room.
What was it that was different with her, what was it about her that made everything so different?
“Kris.”
She stiffens, turning towards you, her brows arched.
“Hm?” She hums as you make your way towards her, your brows knitted in confusion.
“Is something wrong?” You ask worriedly, the woman shaking her head.
Your eyes narrow as you take her hand, leading her across the hotel room and onto the balcony, a place that had become sacred to the pair of you since you’d shared your first kiss on a balcony during a late night and heartfelt talk where you stripped each other bare to one another.
“What’s bothering you?” You ask, knitting your fingers together as you lean against the balcony’s railing.
Kristie thinks it over for a moment before she speaks, her voice soft, her heart racing in her chest, the thought that you might feel as deeply for her as she did for you making the butterflies in her stomach flutter their wings.
“What did you mean?” She asks, your head cocked slightly to the side, the sight so endearing she smiles.
“What did I mean?” You ask, confusion written all over your face.
“You said it was different with me, that everything was different with me, what did you mean?” She asks, her breath hitching as you back her up against the railing, her upper back pressing into the cold railing’s bars.
You exhale loudly as you cup her cheeks, the woman’s cheeks flushing beneath your touch, your thumbs gently caressing her skin.
“I meant what I said Kris.” You whisper leaning in, your forehead resting against hers.
“EVERYTHING is different with you.” You whisper, bumping the tip of your nose against hers.
“I’ve never looked forward to waking up in the morning as early as you do, but with you, I look forward to it. I used to think cafes were overrated, but now that I’m with you, I can’t imagine not going.” You smile, Kristie’s lips splitting in a grin.
“I used to hate social media with a passion, but now, I would never miss the chance to show you off.” You blush, the woman leaning into your touch.
“I see everything differently when I’m with you. The world’s brighter, my heart is fuller, life is worth living.”
“I’ve never felt this way about anyone, everything is different with you, you’re different Kris, and I...” You stop midsentence, your throat bobbing as the words you’d been itching to say make their way up your throat.
“I love you.” You whisper softly, caressing her smooth skin, the woman’s breath catching in her throat.
“I’ve never loved anyone; like I love you.” You confess, the woman covering your hands with her own as she leans in, your lips meeting in a tender kiss, the kiss knocking the air from your lungs.
“I love you too.” She whispers against your lips as you kiss, the world falling away around you as the two of you get lost in the kiss.
You’re so lost in the kiss in fact, that you completely miss Lindsey and Emily standing on the neighboring balcony, the two sharing a glance.
“I guess they really are in love, huh?” Emily asks, Lindsey’s lips splitting in a grin.
“I guess so.”
It would be years later that they would retell the story of your first I love yous during your wedding day, your cheeks flushing when you realized you’d been heard on the balcony that night, but neither of you cared, not as long as you had each other, everything would continue to be different, because the world was different when you were with each other.
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Eras Of Us (Pt. 2)
Alessia Russo x Reader
Word Count: 1.5k
Part One
[WOSO Masterlist]
Nothing can break your high.
Playing in your first London derby, scoring in your first London derby, is a feeling you’re never going to forget.
Until someone so graciously reminds you of the implications of such a win.
“Emma Hayes is gonna be my new coach,” you moan.
“Rough,” Alessia snorts, ignoring the way you smack at her arm.
The two of you are out with the rest of the girls, capping off the win against Chelsea with a couple of drinks at a bar near the stadium. Around you are a mix of reds and blues, all of the players good friends despite the outcome of the match.
Despite starting your night hanging by Leah, the blonde basically mothering you to death since your move overseas, you somehow find yourself tucked into Alessia’s side merely a few minutes later. It makes your heart skip a beat when you feel her fingers absentmindedly playing with the hairs on the back of your neck.
“It’s not funny! What if she takes me wrecking her club team personally and doesn’t give me a call up to the next camp?”
Alessia gives you a look.
It’s enough to make you feel chastised. You sigh, hanging your head. “Fine, she wouldn’t do that. But she might make me run extra laps as punishment!”
Alessia laughs again, shoving at head when you wack her arm again. “What ever happened to the (Y/N) who would run extra laps for fun?”
You know Alessia’s thinking of you dressed Carolina blue, sprinting up and down the pitch after practice ends, wanting to get in extra reps to keep your fitness up. It’s a fond memory, the player you were when you were younger, but you shudder, thinking of how it was really just a ploy to get Alessia to give you a backrub when you got home, the forward always quick to crumble to your sad eyes and exaggerated whines.
You pout. “She grew up.”
“Poor you,” she teases, pinching at your cheeks.
You can’t remember the last time you’ve laughed this much.
You and Alessia have fallen into a good routine since you both joined Arsenal. There was no awkward tension around the two of you, no weird ‘I’m on the same team as my ex’ drama. If anything, there’s more ‘annoying years-in-the-making inside jokes’ shenanigans that you’ve brought with you. It’s almost like no time has passed.
Once in a while you catch yourself thinking about the what-ifs. What if you never broke up. What if Alessia wanted to give this another shot. But you’re more than happy to live in the now. You and Alessia are friends now. That’s not something you’re willing to give up just for a shot at what you once knew.
Looking down at her empty cup, Alessia lets out a low groan. You sheepishly hand her your empty cup as well, sweetly asking for a refill. She grumbles under her breath but grabs your drink nonetheless. “Don’t miss me too much!” she hollers over her shoulder as she disappears into the crowd.
You find yourself staring even long after she’s gone.
With nothing left to distract you, you turn your attention back down to your phone. It’s funny seeing all of the posts on social media by the fans. Giggling to yourself, you like a couple of them before your attention is quickly captured again when you feel a small nudge against your arm. You look up to see Lotte smiling back at you.
Scooting over, you give her enough space to plop down next to you in the booth.
“Whatcha been doing hiding away here all night?”
You shrug, easy smile floating to your lips. “Haven’t been hiding. Less and I’ve just been hanging out. Lots of things to catch up on.”
The mention of the blonde striker has Lotte frowning a bit. You watch as she seems to think through her words. “Are you and Less…” she starts cautiously, pausing to gather her thoughts once more.
“Are me and Less what?”
The brunette shrugs. “I dunno, back together? Working things out? You guys just… you seem close again.”
It’s your turn to pause. In all honesty you haven’t really been thinking about what you and Alessia have been doing. Yes, you spend a lot of your free time together, and yes, Alessia always seems to seek you out when you all go out with the rest of the team, but that doesn't mean anything, right?
Right?
You settle for a half-shrug. “I’m not sure. I think… I think we’re just seeing where things go.”
Lotte nods, the look of unease still on her face. “Just be careful, alright? I’m happy if things work out between you guys but just don’t forget the history the two of you have.”
Lotte’s words stick with you.
Even days later, when Alessia and you are taking a stroll towards a nearby farmer’s market.
You’re not thinking when her hand automatically slips into yours, hands freely swinging between the two of you. Alessia’s telling you a story you’re only half listening to, more caught in your head than the walk in front of you.
Spotting a booth with your favorite flowers, you head towards them. Only to be yanked back by a firm hand.
Alessia doesn’t let go of your hand.
You pull again.
You can hear an amused noise but Alessia still doesn’t let you go.
“Lessi! Let me go see the flowers,” you whine.
This time when you pull, she lets you go with a chuckle.
They’re beautiful.
The purples, the blues, the pinks. You run your hands over them, marveling in all of the beauty.
You must be looking for too long, because your heart lurches when you feel the familiar weight of an arm wrapping around your waist, Alessia’s head dropping to your shoulder. It’s habitual, the way your hand drops to rest on top of hers.
You can feel Alessia smile against the side of your head.
And it hits you then.
This feels familiar. Too familiar.
This feels right. Too right.
This feels like everything you’ve been missing.
“Less?”
The blonde hums, eyes not moving as her fingers continue to trace shapes on your stomach.
You huff. It isn’t until you’re shuffling around, fully facing Alessia that her eyes drop to meet yours. She’s clearly not expecting it, mouth dropped into an ‘o’.
“Hi?”
“Alessia, do you want to date me?”
It’s almost comical, the way her eyes widen, mouth somehow dropping even wider.
When it becomes clear that Alessia is at a loss of words you run a hand down your face, effectively pushing the blonde away from you.
“Look, I get it if you think I’m just imagining things, and I’ll totally understand if you want some space if all of this is just in my head, but I can’t help but feel like these are dates, these little trips around London you’ve been taking me. I haven’t felt this ‘wined and dined’ since the two of us first started dating all those years ago.”
You pause, leaving plenty of time for Alessia to interject.
She doesn’t.
Instead, she swallows.
You watch as Alessia clenches and unclenches her hands, nervously shuffling from foot to foot.
Neither of you say anything as the seconds pass, ticking into minutes.
Eventually, with her eyes trained to her feet, “Do you want them to be dates?” Alessia asks quietly. Timidly.
A little too timidly.
And that’s when you realize what this is.
What it’s been about this entire time.
Alessia’s afraid you don’t want her.
“You’re an idiot.”
Fisting a hand into her shirt, you yank Alessia towards you. Her eyes widen just as your lips meet, hands floundering about until they rest on your waist.
When you break away, you make sure to memorize the look on her face. Eyes closed, peaceful lit to her face, it’s something you want to ingrain in your memory and never forget.
When Alessia’s eyes flutter open you give her a soft smile.
“I’m always going to want you,” you murmur, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.
You duck down, pressing your face into the crook of her neck as her arms automatically wrap around your back.
“I’d spend a lifetime trying to get over you, just to get to spend a single second as yours.”
You feel more than hear Alessia’s shaky breath in, arms tightening just a fraction around you.
“I don’t want to ever get over you.” Your heart skips a beat at her confession. Her words are paired with a kiss on your hairline, signaling what you know is the end of this limbo, the beginning of your story starting anew.
No, things didn’t work out the first time.
But you aren’t stranded on opposite coasts this time. You aren’t leaving Alessia to start your professional career elsewhere. Alessia isn’t leaving you to go back home.
You’re both in England. You’re both on the same team.
Maybe this time things will work out.
Because you love Alessia and she loves you. And that’s all you really need to know.
#alessia russo x reader#alessia russo imagine#woso x reader#woso imagine#uswnt x reader#uswnt imagine#Ace writes
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it wasn't me [t.rodman x reader]
prompt: trinity refuses admit to stealing your clothes
author notes: the word for this mini fic is "steal" obviously. i swear this is the most trinity coded fic i have written for her. i'm knocking out a request for more trin fics and helping myself write more, killing two birds with one stone. hope y'all like it 💞
trinity has a problem. actually the right word would be an addiction. she can't stop herself from stealing your clothes. the mix of your perfume and body wash you use rubs off on your clothes, making her heart all happy so can you really blame her? it was a cute habit except for when you needed to actually wear your clothes and half of your closet was gone. still you never stop her, so trinity happily indulges in her you-based addiction.
the only downside of this is the fact trinity does not like admitting it. even if everyone obviously knows it. this isn't even due to a pride thing, the american player just doesn't like to admit it. in her mind technically your clothes are her clothes so is it really stealing?
"baby! have you seen my mickey mouse pajama pants? it's going to be a little chilly and i wanna wear them," you shout out as you look through the closet in your bedroom. trinity comes into the room when she responds, "nope. haven't seen it, babes." she leans against the door frame, watching you look through your closet.
unlike you, trinity was already dressed. it was around ten am and practice started at twelve pm, so you forced her to get up eight to get ready. she groaned the entire time and demanded kisses after she did every part of her routine. you happily obligated every time.
"ugh.." you let out a groan. just deciding to give up on your idea of being extra comfy in your pajama pants and instead grabbing some black sweatpants. at least it matches your white graphic tee and the grey jacket you planned to wear out. you turn, dropping the sweatpants on your bed before coming over to trinity. "are you sure you haven't seen them?" you mumble into her chest after hugging her. trinity straightens up to hug you back properly. swaying a bit as she rests her face against the top of her head.
"nope. i don't even remember you having a pair of mickey mouse pajama pants. maybe you just made that up"
"wow, am i being gaslight right now?" you joke making her laugh loudly. the hug goes on for a long moment before you pull away. "gotta slip on these pants so we can go. i want to stop by that brunch place you like to get breakfast," you move away from the door and go to stand next to your bed.
"what? the spirit cafeteria breakfast food isn't good enough for you anymore?" trinity leans back against the doorframe. a badly hidden smirk on her lips as she watches you near your bed.
"don't you know? when someone gets famous they have higher standards. it comes with the fame," you put on a fake sad tone when saying the last sentence. trinity snorts, rolling her eyes. "oh god, where has my humble girlfriend gone?" she says.
"she's dead," you shrug before glancing at the clock sitting on one of your nightstands, "alright. get out so i can change."
"i can't watch my own girlfriend?"
"sorry, no. that choice expired after the last time we didn't go anywhere," you give her a fake pout before making a shoing gesture. the american player lets out a long groan before moving away from your room. going off into the kitchen to eat up half of your snacks.
it doesn't take long for you to get fully ready. having to also do your hair and find your training kit which somehow ended up in the guest bedroom. trinity and you leave out of the house at 10:40. with you carrying both of y'all bags since trinity claimed her arms hurt. you throw the bags into the back seat before getting into the driver's seat. trinity was already in the passenger seat before you put the bags away. you get ready to drive off, but is stopped by trinity saying, "wait!"
"what?" you look over at her, a confused expression on your face. the american player just smiles, "i have to go grab something. i forgot."
you just shrug when she gets out of the car. five minutes after going into the house, trinity comes back out. the shock on your face can't even be described as you watch trinity walk out of the house in your mickey mouse pajama pants. the one that she specifically said she didn't even knew you had.
trinity gets into the car just like before. snapping in her seat belt before looking over at you, "alright. let's go! i'm still starvinggg."
you give her a blank stare. thinking that would be enough for her to realize the current irony going on, but nope, trinity just looks away from you. focusing on connecting her playlist to the aux. "you know ashley texted me yesterday and she's actually getting along well in north carolina. i never thought i would hear her say that, weird," trinity's face scrunches up in slight disgust before shrugging.
"baby.."
"what?"
"why do you have on my pajama pants? i was looking for those!" you say as you pull out of the driveway. the american player side eyes you before looking out of the window instead of directly at you.
"i don't know what you're talking about," after saying this trinity tries to change the subject, but you aren't letting up. you keep reminding her of the earlier conversation you two had, but trinity denies that it even happens.
you drop the topic at brunch. enjoying the moments of eating nicely made bacon and pancakes while trinity gossips her head off. you try to bring it back up when y'all get back in the car to drive to practice, but trinity still doesn't let up so you drop it.
practice goes by smoothly with trinity annoying you every five minutes. you two go back to your place afterwards and slow down for the rest of the day. it's around ten pm when you bring the topic back up; and it wasn't even your fault.
trinity is in the shower while you're scrolling on twitter. mostly seeing fan tweets and bad jokes when a post about trinity catches your eye. on the tweet is the photo the washington spirit posted on instagram of trin's pre-practice outfit. she's waving in the photo while walking, with you trailing closely behind her. the tweet says the way the pants don't even reach trin's ankles. we all know who pants those are 😭
you immediately send that to trinity's phone. ready to start up the conversation once again after your thoughts were affirmed by some stranger on twitter; thank you to that fan.
© thinkingaboutjaedyn
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The Look of Love
Ali Krieger x fem!reader
“-It’s not that big of a deal.”
“Says you! It’s going to be so embarrassing for me.”
Ali turns her head and sees you and Kelley bickering back and forth. She can’t help but notice the cute pout on your face as you playfully stump your foot and huff at the defender.
“Now what are you two arguing about?” Alex asks, giving the both of you a pointed look.
“Our friend here has been invited to her brother’s wedding, but she doesn’t have a plus one,” Kelley informs while resting her hands on your shoulders, making you roll your eyes and head over to your locker.
“It’s not how it sounds. My family constantly pesters me about how my siblings are either engaged, married, or even having a kid. I don’t even have a girlfriend! I just don’t want to deal with people asking me where my plus one is on my brother’s special day.” You sigh, shaking your head and pulling your sweaty training jersey over your head.
You only have two siblings; one brother and one sister. Your sister has been married for around two years and is now pregnant with her second child, and now your brother is getting married. A little over a year ago, you were dating a girl you thought would be your endgame until you caught her kissing some other girl at a coffee shop. At the time when invitations were sent, you expected to have someone attending with you, but now you don’t.
“So why don’t you bring a fake date?” Christen shrugs as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world, so when she turns around, she notices everyone staring at her. “What?”
“That’s genius! Y/n/n you’ve got to do it.”
Everyone begins to agree with Kelley and Christen while you stay quiet with a hesitant look on your face. Ali also remains silent, observing your reactions to see what your thoughts are about it.
“Guys I- I don’t even know where I would begin to look for someone willing to do something like this, yet learn everything about them within two days.”
“Then one of us can help you!” Kelley says, expanding her arms, gesturing around the whole locker room. “C’mon, it will be a win-win. No family bothering you about your love life and your brother gets his day.”
Thinking of all the pros and cons, you eventually agree to the plan.
“Well, who’s gonna be my girlfriend for a day?” You ask, sighing at how stupid it sounds.
“I can’t because I have plans with Sam in Australia-“
“-me neither, I have to be out of state but the end of tomorrow.”
A bunch of the girls start spitting out excuses and their plans for the week. You just roll your eyes and continue packing your kit bag up.
“I’ll do it.”
Your head immediately snaps up along with everyone else’s. Silence overcomes the room, but you continue to stare at the person who volunteered.
“Wha- wait, seriously?” You stammer with your eyes slightly wider than usual.
“I don’t see why not. I don’t have any plans and I can help you out.” Ali shrugs nonchalantly while the rest of the room remains quiet, silently watching the interaction between you two.
“Oh my god, thank you thank you thank you!” Ali laughs when you bring her into a bear hug and bounce up and down before pulling away slightly, causing your moves to slow.
“It is an open bar, right?” She looks down at you with a teasing smile. You smack her shoulder and begin to pull away before she pulls you back in, laughing at your reaction.
Christen and Alex give each other a knowing look and go back to changing.
—
“Okay, let’s go over this one last time.” You say, scared that if people start asking questions about your relationship you’re not gonna have the same answers. Your rushing mind is stopped by Ali reaching out and grabbing your hand from across the table.
“Y/n/n, it’s going to be okay. We’ve known each other for years, so all we have to do is say how our first date was and maybe a few other details.” She starts gesturing her breathing by raising her hand up and down and pursing her lips for you to follow her lead.
Once your heart rate goes down to its normal level, you both head into the separate rooms of your apartment to get dressed. The wedding starts in about 2 hours, so you’re both just on time. When you step out of the room and into the living room, you notice Ali staring at you with her eyes widened and mouth slightly slacked.
“What? Does it look bad? Oh god, I cannot deal with the comments of-“ You ramble on while twisting and turning to see if there is something wrong with the dress.
“N-no, no, you just look…stunning.” The tall girl words breathlessly, admiring your loose lilac-colored dress that matches amazingly with your light face of makeup.
You blush and take in her outfit. She stands in a cream-colored suit that compliments your dress perfectly. “You also look great.”
After a minute of just looking at each other, Ali clears her throat and says, “We better get going if we don’t want to be late. M’lady?”
She holds out her arm with an opening between her forearm and bicep for you to slot your own in. You giggle, accepting her gesture while walking to her car. Being the gentlewoman she is, she opens the passenger door for you and offers you a hand so you don’t trip in your heels.
“Here we go.” You mumble before Ali starts driving.
—
You and Ali walk into the venue hand in hand while scanning over the crowded room.
“Darling!” Looking up you see your mother walking over to you with open arms.
“Hey, mom.” You accept her hug before introducing her to your girlfriend. Ali shakes her hand and makes a small conversation as if it’s the easiest thing on the planet. You begin to space out but a laugh and a hand on your lower back interrupt your thoughts.
“You okay, my love?” The girl next to you asks once her laughter dies down. The name gives you butterflies but you choose to ignore it, knowing that all of this is fake.
The reason you got into your past relationship was because of Ali. You have basically followed her to each and every one of her clubs your whole career. You met in 2013 when you both were signed to Washington Spirit, and you have been attached to each other’s hips since that day. You quickly found yourself blushing and swooning at everything the brunette did after a few months of knowing her and you carried those feelings all these years. The only people who know are Alex and Christen.
Instead of confronting your love for the defender, you tried everything to try and vanish them. Eventually, you got into a relationship with your ex when you finally started to feel something for someone else, but that ended up in the dumper.
Now you’re afraid that all your feelings are going to flood and resurface. Sure you never stopped loving her, but it didn’t feel as strong. The fact she is your fake girlfriend for the day is going to make it 10x harder to ignore the constant butterflies in your stomach and the blood rushing to your face with every word she speaks to you.
“Yeah, I’m alright. Don’t worry baby, you might get wrinkles.” You tease while wiping your thumb over her cheeks, causing the talker girl to squat your hand away with a laugh.
“I am not that old.”
You have a 6-year age gap, but you both never think of it because you’re so connected in ways that most people who are the same age are.
“Keep telling yourself that, granny.”
Your mother watches the interaction between you two with a soft smile before excusing herself to go talk to other members of your family. Your mom has always been supportive of you and always stood by your side through the tough times, so seeing you look so happy makes her heart squeeze.
—
After the vows and rings are exchanged, everyone heads over to the room where the reception is going to be held. Ali’s hand never leaving the small of your back, guides you to the room with music blaring out from it.
Most people go out onto the dance floor and sway to the music while you both find a table to sit at. She pulls out the chair for you to take a seat and places a kiss on your cheek, making your face turn all red.
“I’m gonna go get us some drinks, I’ll be right back.”
Once she’s out of sight, your mom pops a squat across from you and gives you an unreadable expression.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” You ask warily, scared of what might come out of her mouth.
“She’s not your girlfriend.”
You’re taken aback by the sudden admission and start to stumble over your words. “Wha- what do you mean?”
“Oh please, you can’t lie without me figuring it out. I have mom instincts.” She states matter of factly while sipping on her champagne.
You take a look around to see if anyone is near you and lean in so she can hear you clearly without having to shout. “Okay, we’re not dating but no one can know.”
“Why did you even lie in the first place?”
“Because I can’t deal with Aunt Mary or Uncle John constantly asking when I’m going to settle down and why I haven’t yet. At least not on my brother’s and sister-in-law’s night.” You sigh, looking down at your fingers as you fiddle with the tablecloth.
Your mother reaches across the table and grasps your hand before going on to say, “I know that you love her. She’s the girl you were so hung over on before you got with she devil, isn’t she?”
You snort at the nickname your siblings and mother have given your ex. They all thought she was no good from the beginning and knew you could do better, and so did Ali but she never let you know that.
“Yeah, she is.” You nod and look over, noticing the girl you’re speaking about approaching you. Your mom also sees so she quickly says something that leaves you stunned.
“From the way she looks at you, she feels the same, even when you’re not looking she can’t keep her eyes off of you. She looks at you like you’ve hung all the stars in the sky. She loves you, sweetie.” With that, she stands up and greets Ali with a smile before heading over to the newlyweds. You continue looking shocked not noticing your plus-one setting down your glasses.
“You still there?” Ali waves her hand in front of your face, grinning once your eyes meet hers.
“Sorry, did you say something before?” You ask with a soft smile to which the older girl responds with a nod.
“I was wondering if you’d like to accompany me with a dance?” She holds out her hand, hoping you’ll take it and you do.
“I would love to.”
Right when your feet hit the dance floor, a slow song turns on making you feel as sheepish as if you were at your first middle school dance. Without hesitation, Ali intertwines one of her hands with yours and rests her other on your waist. You place your other hand right where her neck meets her shoulder before you both begin to sway. The side of your forehead presses against her cheek, keeping you close together.
Subconsciously, you inhale her perfume and sigh at the smell, and what you don’t know is Ali is doing the same thing to your hair, smelling your coconut shampoo. When you open your eyes, you look over her shoulder and notice your mom smiling at the two of you. She nods her head, signaling for you to finally confess your true feelings.
You let out a shaky breath before pulling away slightly so you can see Ali’s face. She smiles at you with her eyes remaining on yours. The crinkles on the side of her eyes make you swoon and lose your thoughts.
“Do you want to know what my mom said to me while you went to get us drinks?”
“What?” She cocks her head to the side slightly, showing you she’s pretty curious as to what was said.
“Well, first, she told me she knows that we’re not dating, and second, she insists that you love me.” You whisper the last part, hoping she doesn’t catch it but she does.
She chuckles and looks up at the ceiling before returning her gaze to you and says, “Is it that obvious?”
Your head snaps up at her statement and you look at her with a puzzled look.
“You…love me?” You ask, pointing at yourself to make sure she is indeed talking about you.
“It’s impossible not to. That doesn’t scare you, does it?” Now it’s her turn to look sheepish and scared while waiting for your response.
“No, it actually makes me extremely happy. I have been in love with you since 2013.” Your confession makes the defender smile widely which you return, both of you in your own little circle. Her eyes switch between each of yours and down to your lips.
“Can I kiss you?”
“I will hit you if you don’t.”
Her fingers curl under your chin and pull you in, allowing your lips to finally touch. It feels like the movies where the girl kisses her one true love and her foot pops up in the middle of it. The butterflies in your stomach swarm like never before. Once you both pull back, your smiles never leave your faces. The comfortable silence between you two is interrupted by the newlyweds and your mother clapping and wooing.
You laugh into Ali’s neck while she chuckles and hugs your smaller form. She pecks your forehead and asks, “You wanna know what took me so long to get the drinks?”
“What?”
“The new bride and groom had a stern talk with me. They also knew about us not being a couple. Your family must be spies.”
Looking over her shoulder, you see the three wiggling their eyebrows and giving you a thumbs up, making you roll your eyes.
“Thanks to them, I can do this whenever I want now.”
You smash your lips against hers and hug your arms around her neck. Ali dips you down, causing you to squeal against her lips and her smile into it. She lifts you back up and hugs you.
“Can I take you on a date tomorrow?”
“You better.”
#ali krieger x reader#ali krieger#kelley o'hara#christen press#alex morgan#uswnt x reader#woso x reader#woso imagine#woso fic#woso#lgbtq
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Alone - Arsenal W.F.C./Reader
prompt: R, one of the newest signings, is going to be alone for the holidays.
warnings: none
words: 2313
(Y/N) POV
I tried not to pay attention as the rest of the team discussed their own holiday plans. I really did try to make sure that it didn’t get to me. I hadn’t celebrated any holidays in such a long time that it normally didn’t faze me.
Maybe it was because I was already starting to see the rest of the team as my own family. Or because I had grown so used to seeing some of my teammates every day and I knew that I wouldn’t get to see any of them during the holidays like I currently was able to.
“What about you, Yankee?”
I scowled at the nickname as I sent Katie a glare. It didn’t even make sense considering I wasn’t a Yankee fan or from the North.
“Thought I told you not to call me that.”
“Oh, come on, Yankee Doodle!”
Before I could say anything else, I felt someone nudge my shoulder.
“What are you doing for next week?” Lotte asked. I furrowed my brow because I wasn't entirely sure what she meant. “Don’t we have a game on Thanksgiving? I’m sure the team’s granted you a leave to go spend it with your family.”
“Why would they do that?” I asked.
It wouldn’t have made sense for the team to give me leave, especially when I didn’t ask for one.
“Next week would be when fall break is,” Alessia pointed out causing me to turn my head to where the blonde striker was sitting. I had honestly forgotten that Alessia and Lotte would both know when Thanksgiving was due to their time in America. “Don’t you want to go home and spend Thanksgiving with your parents?”
I only gave a small shrug. I’d much rather play on Thanksgiving Day than spend it with my family. I especially didn’t want to be ignored on a day that was supposed be enjoyed with your family.
“You don’t want to see your family?” Kyra asked as she tilted her head to the side. “I thought that was like the whole point of Thanksgiving?”
“Yeah, well, it’s not that fun when you’re the one who has to cook everything and then everyone wants to complain about it all being made wrong,” I said as I turned away from the team so that I could put my shoes up. “Even better is when everyone ignores you if they’re not complaining about your cooking.”
“(Y/N)…”
“Real great considering that last year I tried to tell everyone that I was gonna accept a scholarship to play with UNC only for everyone to ignore me and tell me to shut up,” I continued as if I hadn’t heard Beth. “Then turn around after everyone leaves and your parents explode on you telling you there’s no way you can go to college because you’re supposed to turn pro so that you can pay them back for everything they did to make sure you succeeded as if I didn’t have to fight them tooth and nail to get them to support me.”
“You were going to be a Tar Heel?”
My eyes met Alessia’s before I nodded.
Where I was looking at going to college had been heavily debated with my own national team. Everyone had their own opinions of where I should go except for Lindsey and Mal since they both had skipped college to turn pro immediately out of high school. But that wasn’t what I had wanted. I wanted to go to college so that I could get my degree because I knew that I wouldn’t be playing forever.
Thankfully, Arsenal had offered to support me through my studies. It wasn’t exactly what I had wanted, but it did give me the ability to get away from my family.
Still, I was upset that I hadn’t been able to go to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill like I had dreamed of. UNC had been my favorite college ever since I had discovered who Tobin Heath was and I had wanted to follow in her footsteps as well. So much so that I had even reached out to her when I joined the national team to make sure that she was okay with me wearing the number seventeen like she did.
“Hey, (Y/N), you know you can talk to us about anything that’s going on, right?” Viv started to say as she moved closer to me. “You don’t have to shut –“
“What I would like is for you all to drop it. I’m a big girl. I don’t need any of you to coddle me like I’m some child.”
I pushed past Viv as I headed out of the locker room. I knew it was harsh and that I’d have to apologize later, but I just didn’t want to deal with it right now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I’m sorry.”
Viv looked over her shoulder at me. I had been avoiding her since we got into it late last week. It hadn’t been too hard to avoid the Dutch striker since she gave me my space.
“You were just trying to help me, and I was a bitch.”
“We shouldn’t have tried pushing you so hard.” Viv shrugged before turning around to actually face me rather than just look over her shoulder at me. “We aren’t trying to coddle you. But it’s hard being your age and being away from the only support system you’ve ever known. We just want to make sure that you know we’re all here for you.”
“I really do appreciate it,” I admitted. Viv sent me a soft smile. “I guess it’s just weird since I’ve never had a support system. My parents got me into soccer to keep me busy after school ended so that they didn’t have to pick me up as early in the afternoon. And it wasn’t like either of them were actually happy to make sure that I did as good as I could with soccer until I got called up to the national team.”
“First off, it’s football. That’s the first thing we’re going to have to fix,” Viv corrected causing me to let out a laugh. It had been an argument we often had during training as I had yet to start calling it anything other than soccer. “Second off, I’m always going to be here for you. It won’t ever matter if you leave Arsenal or if I do. I’ll always have your back. Got it?”
“Got it,” I saluted Viv, “Dad.”
Viv rolled her eyes at that. I had been hanging around Laura lately.
“And third off, you stop hanging around Laura so much.”
“Oh, come on,” I said as I followed behind Viv as we both moved to get back into the line that was warming up. “You and Beth are totally parents to Laura now. And you’re definitely the dad.”
“How do you figure that?”
“You just have Dad Vibes.”
I wasn’t sure how to explain it, but Viv really did have all the Dad Vibes. It just made sense once you hung around Beth and Viv long enough.
“So, are you coming tomorrow?”
I furrowed my brow as Beth joined the two of us. I wasn’t sure what she was talking about.
“I hadn’t asked yet.”
My eyes darted between Viv and Beth. I wasn’t sure what either of them were talking about.
“If you really want to make it up to me,” Viv started as Beth grinned at me, “you’ll come over tomorrow for lunch.”
“For lunch?”
“Yeah, for lunch.”
I shrugged at that. I didn’t really have any plans for tomorrow, but I wasn’t sure that I would actually want to do something. Especially with it being so close to Thanksgiving.
“I don’t know.”
“None of that,” Viv said as she shook her head. I sighed as my shoulders slumped forward. There was no way that I was going to get out of this. “Lunch tomorrow at mine and Beth’s.”
“Fine. Lunch at your place tomorrow.”
Beth grinned before she ruffled my hair and took off to join some of the others. Viv only smiled as she threw an arm around my shoulder and pulled me along the line we were in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Has Viv started to Dad you yet?” Laura asked as she took a seat next to me on the couch. Both of us looked over to where Viv was cooking in the kitchen with Beth watching. “Or has Beth been able to Mom you yet?”
“They keep trying,” I admitted. Neither Viv or Beth would let me help them cook. Viv wasn’t even letting Beth help. “Beth asked me today if I was eating enough.”
“Yeah, they’ll grow on you.”
The two of us fell into silence as we turned our attention back to the game that was playing on the tv.
“What are they even cooking?” I asked causing Laura to look at me. “They wouldn’t tell me, and Viv has forbidden me from going into the kitchen.”
“I’ve been sworn to secrecy,” Laura said before she pretended to zip her mouth shut. I frowned as I gave her a shove. “Mom! (Y/N)’s being mean to me.”
“Am not!”
“Are too!”
“Can we put them up for adoption?”
Both Laura and I whipped our heads around to look at Beth as we cried out in complaint. Beth only stuck her tongue out at us as we both grumbled. Neither of us had any real time to respond though as there was a knock at the door.
I furrowed my brow at that. Laura being here wasn’t too surprising considering that Viv and Beth had taken young defender in when she tore her ACL. But no one had told me that others would be coming over.
“Get the door?”
“Why me? You’re their kid.”
“You are too! And you’re not injured.”
I rolled my eyes at that. I was hardly Viv and Beth’s kid. I couldn’t wait for Laura to get back to training with the rest of this so that she wouldn’t be able to use her injury as an excuse. I got up though and got the door.
“Happy Thanksgiving,” Alessia said as soon as I opened the door. I tilted my head in confusion at that. Thanksgiving had definitely been yesterday, but I also had no idea why she was here. “The others aren’t that far behind me.”
I hadn’t even realized that it seemed like the rest of the team was either behind Alessia or getting out of their own cars or pulling down the road. Alessia pushed past me as she ruffled my hair. It wasn’t until a few more of our teammates made their way inside that I finally left where I was standing at the door to move further inside.
“What’s going on?”
Viv and Beth grinned at me before Viv bent down to pull something out of the oven.
“Thanksgiving lunch,” Beth announced once I could see the turkey that Viv had pulled from the oven.
I shook my head with a small chuckle, but I moved to help Viv get everything plated up and presented as she pulled a ham out of the oven as well.
“What all did you make?” Katie asked as she was the last one who came inside.
“All of the traditional foods for Thanksgiving,” Viv said as she motioned to everything. “At least according to Google.”
“You did a pretty good job,” I told her as I looked at everything we had out. “Oh! I call dibs on the wishbone!”
“The what?”
“You don’t know what a wishbone is?” I asked as I turned to look at Kyra. She shook her head and I huffed. “Every turkey has a wishbone. We’ll find it when we carve the turkey. Once the meal is done, two of us will make a wish and we’ll break the wishbone. Whoever has the bigger piece will have their wish come true and good luck for the next year.”
“And how many of your wishes have ever come true?” Kyra asked as she nudged my shoulder before she reached and tried to steal some of the stuffing only for Viv to slap her hand away.
“I’ve never gotten to break the wishbone before,” I admitted. It was usually my cousins who got to break the wishbone.
“Can I break it with (Y/N) since Dad cooked?” Laura asked.
“Stop calling me that.”
“Yeah, whatever, Dad.”
I snorted at Viv’s scowl. My attention was drawn away as I was quick to catch the football that had been tossed my way.
“Hey! Not near the food!”
Viv’s scowl had turned from Laura to Lotte who was guilty of tossing the football.
“You brought a football?” I asked her.
Lotte shrugged as she threw an arm around Alessia’s shoulders. I knew that they were both probably the most familiar with Thanksgiving and the traditions we had with the holiday since they were the two who had actually gone to college in the States.
“Figured you could show us how to throw it since the big football game was on yesterday,” Lotte explained.
“And then we can make plans for Christmas,” Alessia added. I furrowed my brow at that. I knew that we would be having some kind of party for the team, but we still had time to plan it. “Cause Mum already told me that I have to bring you with me.”
“Wait, what?”
“Well, I was telling Mum how you weren’t going to spend the holidays with your family cause they were assholes and she told me that I have to bring you,” Alessia explained. Alessia’s mom wanted me to join them for Christmas. “And before you try to say no, Mum has already told me that you are not weaseling your way out of it. So, you will be coming to the Russo Family Christmas.”
#uswnt#uswnt imagine#uswnt imagines#uswnt x reader#arsenal wfc#arsenal wfc imagine#arsenal wfc x reader#arsenal wfc imagines#arsenal imagine#arsenal imagines#arsenal x reader#arsenal#woso imagine#woso imagines#woso x reader#woso
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13 Eras of Us (Taylor Swift x Morgan!R): Era 1 - We Were Both Young When I First Saw You
Request: Taylor Swift x Alex morgan's little sister. They start off as friends and realize that there may be something more.
Chapter synopsis: 1 of 13: The era where everything begins. R and Taylor meet, and become friends. Composed of little moments between them, r and the Team and R and her sister.
Notes: Hey dudes, i'm really really stoked about this series, and i really hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think.
July, 2015
We were both young when I first saw you
You sighed, gripping the rubber handles of your crutches, leaning more heavily onto the foam padding under your arms despite the ache it caused from the constant chafing. It was an annoying consequence of your injury.
A secondary effect that the trainers hadn’t told you about when they convinced you that an Achilles tear wasn’t something you could walk off. When they swore up and down that the two other liniments in your ankle were holding on by threads and absolutely could not hold your weight for another 5 weeks.
You still hadn’t gotten used to them, not that you really had the chance.
They were a fairly new addition to your wardrobe, made necessary by one bad tackle only 20 minutes into your first game in Canada, effectively ruining your World Cup run (something you were still bummed about despite your team actually winning the World Cup- not that you would call yourself a World Cup Winner).
You let out another breath, unable to stop the smile on your face as the lights shifted to highlight the woman on stage.
She was absolutely mesmerizing in her shimmery silver dress, and it was nice to get to watch without the team lingering behind you. It was the only good thing about being injured.
You didn’t have to go on the stage with them.
Alas, you were lucky you got to come to the 1989 tour with the team at all. Taylor Swift had only invited the 2015 World Cup winners.
It was one of the few benefits of being The Alex Morgan’s little sister you supposed. She sent a text and then you had been invited too.
It strangely made you feel like a 10-year-old chasing after her and her new college friends, going to places where you just didn’t belong. But then again, you felt that way any time you spent more than an hour with your older sister since she left your sobbing form in the driveway as she headed off to Berkley.
Things hadn’t been the same between you since, and all of her efforts just felt like a weird form of a twisted apology, even now.
It was like you were her charity case or something, and that didn’t sit right with you.
Still, you were grateful she had pulled the strings to get you backstage to one of your favorite singer’s shows. God knew you wouldn’t have survived well in the crowd, especially not now that you could barely stand on your own.
“Pretty spectacular isn’t it?”
You flinched at the voice, jerking away from the woman standing close enough to your left side to also be able to see the stage, but not too close. Just like she had been all night.
She reached out a steadying hand as the crutches wobbled dangerously underneath you, an easy smile never leaving her features.
You swallowed hard, trying to form words to say anything to Taylor’s mom.
You weren’t big into fandom or social media, but you still knew who she was, and it felt weird meeting her (definitely not because you had a massive crush on her daughter- or the character her daughter pretended to be on stage).
“She’s amazing,” You finally managed to force the words from your throat, turning back towards the flashing lights on stage and around the stadium.
Andrea hummed. “She is. You’re pretty amazing too,”
She had heard about your… reputation but all she had seen from you tonight was a shy kid desperately searching for something. Exactly what that something was she couldn’t put her finger, but she suspected it had to do with the way you were watching your older sister interact all night.
You shrugged, your shoulders collapsing in on you just a bit. “Right now I’m gimpy, and I couldn’t imagine having the control over an audience that she does,”
Andrea made a low noise, thinking better than to argue with you. She didn’t know you well enough for a debate.
She didn’t want to interrupt you any more than she had anyway.
The way you were staring at the stage was a sight to behold, to say the least, your lip trapped between your teeth and your eyes filled with wonder.
She had seen many fans in her days, but there was just something… different about how you watched the show. The tender adoration in your eyes was beautiful, and it made the mom in her wonder what the future would hold for you and her daughter.
You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding as style came to an end and your sister disappeared below the stage.
You smiled towards Andrea. “I better go before they think I tried to escape,”
She raised an eyebrow at you. “Is that something you’ve done before?”
You shrugged again, your grin turning impish.
“I don’t kiss and tell,” You winked as you started to maneuver yourself back towards where you knew Alex would be coming out, and Andreas' laugh sounded from behind you.
That had been the point after all hadn't it?
Still, you were slightly relieved when your sister stepped through the curtain that separated the stage from the backstage area.
While Andrea and the stage managers had been as welcoming as they could be, you still hadn’t felt like you belonged. You hadn’t been the one invited after all. It also helped that you would be getting out of the noise until Taylor got off stage and was ready for the mini meet and greet the team planned.
“How did that crowd feel?” You asked as Alex approached you, and the crowd at the front of the stage cheered again, painting an interested smile across your features.
It felt electric from the audience, so you could only imagine what it felt like being on stage,
“Really good,” Alex smiled widely, wiggling the trophy in her arms just a bit. “Like World Cup good,”
“It’s insane how she can control a room like that,”
Alex’s eyebrows furrowed. You felt her slow down beside you and her eyes searched your face. “Don’t even think about it,”
“What?” You asked, your tongue poking out of your mouth as you focused on keeping up with the team.
“I know you and I know that look,” She said seriously. “She’s my age, and you’re not 18 for another 10 days,”
You shrugged. “So?”
You hadn’t been planning on hitting on America's top superstar, but you would never miss an opportunity to mess with your older sister. Plus, you didn’t see the harm in flirting.
It was a fundamental part of your personality after all.
“Y/n I’m serious,”
Your lips pulled into a playful smirk, glancing up at her as she held the door to a small room for you. “And I’m committed to not being serious,”
It was no secret that your… extracurricular activities had picked up since your injury, and you had done little to mask your enjoyment of the league's hookup culture since you joined in lew of going to college.
What annoyed Alex more was that no one in North Carolina would step up and help her stop you.
“Y/n,” Alex let out a suffering sigh, catching the crutch before you could hobble away.
“Look, she’s out of my league, and it’s criminal to not tell a gorgeous woman how gorgeous she is,”
“Kid’s got a point,” Kelley said, appearing at your other side and sending you a small wink. “Shooting my shot is how I landed you after all,”
“That’s true baby horse,” Cheney said, grabbing a coke off of the large catering table that dominated the room. “It’s also how Toby got Chris,”
“How did we get roped into this?” Tobin groaned, her slightly red-rimmed eyes going wide, popping a grape in her mouth.
Kelley snorted. “You got roped into this because you asked Chris out after you beat her in the college cup, while she was still on the field,”
“You fucking proposed to Alex after your team beat her in a shootout,” Christen snickered, shaking her head. “You literally have no room to talk,”
You chucked at Kelley’s blush, barely noticing the new body that had entered the room and was leaning up against the doorframe next to you.
“Sounds like the field is a very active place for you guys,” The voice said, and you snapped your head to meet the most gorgeous blue eyes you had ever seen in your entire life. “Though your timing seems… questionable,”
“Tay!”
“That was an amazing show,”
“Dude, that crowd is nuts. It’s like they’re eating out of the palm of your hand,”
Taylor smiled widely at the team, her eyes glimmering in the dressing room light. “Well thank you, it was an absolute pleasure to get to share the stage with you all tonight,”
She pushed off of the wall, and your eyes followed her like she was a magnet. She looked so… graceful even in a pair of sweats.
“The pleasure was all ours,” Cheney grinned back at her. “it was a blast, thank you again for inviting us,”
“Anything to bring more visibility to what you guys do,” Taylor nodded, looking over the catering table and picking sparkling water from the selection. “It’s empowering to young girls everywhere,”
You were drawn to her hands as they flexed around the bottle. To her lips as she timed her sips so she could continue her conversation with Cheney. She was so elegant.
Even in your sexcapades, you had never been so… taken with someone.
“This is my younger sister, Y/n,” You blinked away from Taylor and towards Alex, and back, feeling taken slightly off guard. You hadn’t realized you zoned out.
The blonde singer nodded towards you, waving the bottle. “Hey. I’m Taylor,”
“I’m Y/n,” Your lips quirked up, and you stuck your hand out for her to take, bringing it to your lips when she did. “And I’m your wildest dream,”
“Very smooth,” Taylor chuckled, pulling her hand back, and you could have sworn she had a little bit of pink dusting her cheeks.
“Smoother than a fresh jar of skippy,” You winked back, earning an ever louder giggle from the singer.
The room erupted into laughter, and you sent a proud smirk toward your sister.
She shook her head. “Don’t encourage her. She’s been practicing all week for this,”
“Well I can’t practice soccer, so what did you expect?” You shrugged as much as you could over the crutches. “I need to use my talents for something,”
“I think it was amazing,” Taylor cut in, grinning.
“See!”
Alex rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. She had obviously been outvoted. It would be a fun story to tell your future significant other anyway.
“It’s very nice to meet you Y/n,” Taylor said, sobering. “I was happy you could make it, even if you weren’t on the squad,”
“It’s nice to meet you too,” You nodded, your dimples on full display. “Thanks for the invite,”
“No way I would exclude one of my favorite players,” She hummed. “I was so sad when you got hurt,”
You felt heat in your cheeks, traveling up to your ears. Taylor knew who you were. She liked to watch you play.
You swallowed hard. “I should be up and playing again within the next couple of months,”
Your PT promised you that as long as you followed the plan, you’d be back and playing by the end of the season. With the way Paul was pushing you, you knew you’d probably be back sooner.
“Well, if you’re ever in New York let me know,” She said, pulling out her phone and opening the texting app before passing it to you. “I’d love to see a game,”
You took the offered item, quickly typing in your number. “Yeah, I’m sure I can get you and the squad good seats,”
She sent you one last smile before she turned back towards the team. “I’ve gotta go, but it was nice to see you all again,”
You stared at her, as she waved and left, not actually believing what had just happened.
Your bad pickup line had gotten you The Taylor Swift’s number, and she wanted to see a game.
*****
September, 2015
We play dumb, but we know exactly what we’re doing
You never expect Taylor to actually text you. Hell, you weren’t convinced that the phone she let you text yourself from wasn’t a business phone.
But as it turned out, Taylor did text you.
First, it was a simple text asking about your recovery because a commentator had mentioned it. Then the conversation between the two of you just didn’t stop.
And you realized very quickly that you never wanted it to stop.
You found that Taylor was up at all of the weird hours you were and that no matter what she was doing, she was never too busy to say hello. Then texting turned into hanging out when you were in New York, Florida, or California, and before you knew it, it was a regular occurrence.
“I fucking suck at this,” You groaned, letting go of the guitar strings and flopping onto your back. “And my fingers hurt now. I’m pretty sure they’re bleeding,”
You held them up in the air pretending to examine them for the little flecks of red you were sure you would find there.
“No, you just haven’t practiced enough to build calluses,” Taylor said, and you could hear the eye roll in her voice.
“I got enough of them on my feet thank you,” You muttered, looking up at her through your eyelashes and wiggling your fingers at her. “I don’t need guitar string scars on my hands too,”
She caught your hand, smoothing it over her palm. “Don’t be overdramatic,”
“Me!” You exclaimed indignantly, holding your hand to your chest in mock offense.
“Yes,” Taylor smirked. “This isn’t soccer where you can flop about,”
You frowned. “I don’t flop,”
She raised an eyebrow at you, and you pouted. “Fine. I don’t flop often, and not unless it’s necessary,”
“Whatever you say,” She chuckled, shaking her head. “Sit up and I’ll help you,”
You pouted but did as she asked, pushing yourself back to sit, crossing your legs so you could hold the guitar like she had shown you the first time you did this.
Her lips ticked up at you, and she scooted so your knees were touching.
“Alright so g,” She said, positioning her fingers on the string, waiting for you to copy her.
You tried, moving each finger to the strings. “Like this?”
“Not quite,” She said, leaning forward and moving your pinky. “That one goes on the low e,”
You nodded, trying not to blush at how close she was to you. So close that you could smell her coconut shampoo.
“Now, strum slowly,” She said, leaning back and demonstrating.
You did your best to copy her, slowly drawing the pick across each of the strings, but instead of making the beautiful chord she was, it made an off-key wamp.
“I’m hopeless,” You said dramatically dropping your pick and flopping back on her fluffy carpet. “Worse than the whole Tom Sermanni debacle,”
She sighed and took the guitar off, maneuvering so she was sitting next to you. “I didn’t know you were so easily discouraged. I thought with all the sports, you’d have some resiliency,”
“I’m good at soccer,” You shrugged. “My fingers aren’t long enough or sting enough for guitar,”
“Were you good at soccer to begin with?” Taylor asked you softly.
You scrunched your nose. The truth was that you had been playing soccer too long to remember when you started. It was always a part of your life.
“No,” You said finally, biting your lip. “Alex absolutely destroyed me any time we practiced. She even stepped on my neck one time with her rain cleats and gave me a scar,”
You pointed to the small dimple just below your chin. Sure it had been an accident, but it ultimately was the reason you were a midfielder instead of a forward.
When you were young, Alex had always been better than you. More competitive, more ruthless, and she didn’t go easy on you in practice. It’s what made you such a good player.
“But you still play?” Taylor pressed, and your eyes were drawn to how her lips formed a thin line.
“Not as a forward,” You admitted easily. “Mom got tired of all of the bickering,”
Once you switched positions, you and Alex could work together instead of going head to head. It made you a lethal pair and let you both show off your talents.
It also saved your mother’s sanity.
“That’s not the point,” Taylor chuckled. “If you can change positions, you can play a chord on a guitar. You just need patience,”
“I wasn’t born with that,” You smirked.
She rolled her eyes. “Try for me?”
“Fine,” You sighed, pushing yourself to a sitting position yet again.
It was kinda scary how easily she could bed you to her will. All she had to do was ask.
“Put your fingers in position,” She said, leaning forward and checking to make sure they were on the right strings. “And then play each one individually,”
You grabbed the pick from the floor beside you and very slowly brought it across the strings. All of the strings sounded right except for the pinky.
“Press down a little harder,” She said, her tongue caught between her teeth as she reached over to help you. “And try again,”
You did as she asked, and this time, the G chord sounded through her apartment.
“Great job!” She cheered, and you felt heat rushing to your cheeks.
“Thanks,” You cleared your throat and looked away. “Couldn't have done it without you, literally, but um… can we be done with me playing? I think my fingers are going to fall off,”
You turned towards her, not realizing how close you were, and nearly brushed her nose with yours. You pulled back, trying not to look at her lips, or her burning blue eyes, focusing on a very small freckle on her forehead because it felt like the safest option.
The two of you hated a lingering breath, and the air between you felt electric. You would have sworn that her eyes flickered to your lips, just as her tongue poked out to wet her own.
But she couldn’t be into you.
She was America’s favorite pop star, she was a fully-fledged adult while you were still basically a kid, and most importantly, she was straight.
“Yeah, we can do something else,” She hummed, reaching for the guitar and carefully pulling it over your head.
“Can you play something for me?” You asked, scooping Meredith up and settling her in your lap when she nudged against your leg.
For a cat that didn’t like being picked up and cuddled, she was very attached to you, except when you were playing the guitar.
“Sure,” She nodded, grabbing her guitar and plucking out some chords. “Any requests?”
You shook your head, smiling down at the cat as she kneaded her feet into your thighs and finally plopped down with a short purr. “Whatever you want,”
“Now that’s no fun,” Her lips turned up, and her head ticked to the side and she reached over to scratch the cat's head. “Come on, what’s your dream surprise song?”
Your shoulders lifted and fell, and more red bled into your cheeks. “Um… I don’t suppose you have the 10-minute version of All Too Well available?”
She chuckled and shook her head, a playful smile pulling at her lips. “Unfortunately, it was a rant that I don’t currently have memorized,”
“Hey, you asked for the dream song,” You held your hands up in defense, unable to stop yourself from laughing with her. “I think a lot of fans would agree to have that on their list,”
She shrugged, half in agreement and half in amusement. “I just think it’s funny that it came from a line I said in an interview almost 4 years ago,”
“Honestly, I think if a demo version of it did exist, it would have been leaked already. Some of your sleuthy fans are obsessed,” You said, your dimples popping out. “I couldn’t not ask for it,”
She snorted “Trust me, I know. It was a good shot, and if it did exist, I’d totally play it for you. I trust you not to be secretly recording,”
You hummed, trying not to think too hard about how she trusted you. How she would have played one of her most secret and tightly kept songs for you “But alas it does not,”
“No, not in a playable form,” She shook her head, her blue eyes shining. “Pick a new one,”
You bit your lip, rolling through the list of songs in your head. “What about State of Grace,”
The piano version had always been one of your favorites, and you so often got the intro stuck in your head.
“We can do that,” She smiled widely at you and began picking out the chords. “Only if you promise to sing along?”
Your nose scrunched. “You don’t want me to sing, I sound like a dying walrus, just ask Alex,”
You knew Alex would agree, even if it wasn’t entirely true. You didn’t do music anymore.
“Hum then,” She conceded, and you nodded.
You could hum- just not in tune, but you didn’t have to be in tune with Taylor.
You just had to be yourself, and you had never experienced that with anyone else.
******
December 2015
Barefoot in the kitchen
Sacred new beginnings
That became my religion, listen
You eyed the oven warily from across the island, leaning into the cool stone countertop as Taylor flitted around you, pulling out various ingredients.
It wasn’t that you were afraid of the oven, it was just that you were not known for being a good cook. Actually, you were known for being a very not good cook.
You were banned from making anything in any of your sister's kitchens, and you rarely ventured to make more than Dino nuggets (which you still burned) on your own.
As long as you didn’t touch the controls, everything should be fine.
“You alright?” Taylor asked, setting a stick of butter on the counter next to you, her hand landing gently on your forearm. “You’re staring at the stove,”
“Yeah,” You blinked away from the copper appliance and towards Taylor, painting an easy smile across your lips. “I’ve just never made cookies before,”
She frowned. “Never ever?”
You shook your head, biting your lip. You didn’t want to tell her that any time your sisters had tried, it ended in charcoal (and an oven fire… twice) instead of ooey, gooey deliciousness.
“We were more of sports people than baking people,” You explained with an easy shrug. “Plus after a hard game, the precut square ones always do the trick,”
Her nose scrunched adorably. “But they don’t sell peanut butter chocolate chip cookies in the little squares,”
“Kelley likes to bake. Jerry too. I’m not usually involved,” You answered with ease, taking the wooden spoon she passed you. “When Alex and I get together we usually get distracted trying new tactics and tricks,”
You didn’t want to say that you were always banished from the kitchen, at least until the oven was off.
A thoughtful look crossed her face.
This was the first time you had mentioned Alex by name and not followed it with a remark about something terrible she had done. The first time you hadn’t breezed by her existence in the greater context of the team.
She wanted to pry, to ask why there was a strange tension between you and your older sister, but she wasn’t sure you would give her a straight answer.
You were a master at spinning questions around (and running interviewers around in circles) when you wanted to, so the only way she would get the story was if you wanted to tell her.
And she so desperately wanted you to want to let her into your personal life.
“Austin doesn’t like to cook either, but we usually chat while I get everything ready,” She said.
“Alex and I talk better on the field,” Your head bobbed gently as you began to stir the ingredients in the bowl. “Soccer is our best communication method, and Kelley likes to feed us when we’re done,”
She opened her mouth to ask more, to try and understand why the only place you really opened up was the field, but your phone buzzed obnoxiously on the counter.
Your eyebrows furrowed as Emily’s contact photo popped up on your screen.
“You can answer it,” Taylor hummed, grabbing the spoon and bowl from you and carefully measuring in more ingredients.
You sighed. “It’s probably not important,”
“But what if it is?” Taylor shrugged. She didn’t want you ignoring your other friends to hang out with her, even if she was slightly flattered that you always gave her your undivided attention (except when you watched movies). “Answer it,”
“Sup loser,” Emily’s voice filled Taylor’s kitchen as your best friend’s face filled the screen, a wide smile showing off her dimples.
You rolled your eyes. She would never let you live down how the thorns had beaten the red stars. Badly. Even if you had gotten a banger of a goal on her yourself.
“Don’t rub it in,” You muttered, balancing the phone against a vase so you could keep stirring the batter, careful that you were the only person in the shot. “What do you want?”
“Just figured I’d see if you’d seen the roster for January camp yet,” She hummed, shifting forward as if she was trying to see what you were doing, just as Taylor’s hands plopped a stick of butter into the bowl. “Are you baking? Should I call the fire department?”
You glowered at her, beginning to mix the thick batter, your tongue poking out the side of your cheek in concentration.
You hadn’t had time to read your emails yet, not that you were worried. You just got so… distracted with Taylor. You wanted to be in the moment. You wanted to savor every second you got with the person slowly becoming your best friend.
“No, yes, no,” You said, eyes flickering towards Taylor and then back to the phone.“I’m supervised,”
She raised an eyebrow at you. “You’re supervised? Are you clothed?”
Red filled your cheeks at the implication, and you did your best to ignore Taylor’s raised eyebrow.
She had heard about your reputation, but having one of your friends bring it up right in front of her still made you blush. You didn’t want her to think that you had some endgame. That you were playing her.
You weren’t (even if the fluttering in your chest when you were with her made you want something… more).
You cleared your throat. “I’m with a friend Sonnett,”
It came out more biting than you meant for it to. More defensive.
She rolled her eyes, holding her hands up in surrender. “Whatever you say, just be safe,”
“Fuck off,” You bit back, your teeth clacking, even as Taylor dumped the chocolate chips into the bowl.
“I love you too Y/n,” She cackled back, unphased by your sudden moodiness. She had seen it hundreds of times before when things in the pitch didn’t go your way. “See you in a few weeks,”
“Bye loser,” You muttered, unable to resist returning her jab.
A devilish smirk broke across her face, and you knew you would regret trying to tease her. “Bye y/n and y/n’s friend,”
“Bye Sonnett,” Taylor added, as you clicked the end call button, and from Emily’s furrowed eyebrows just before the screen ended, you knew she didn’t know who had said goodbye to her.
You anxiously rubbed the back of your neck, avoiding running your hand through your hair so you didn’t have to wash them… again. “Sorry about her,”
“She’s charming,” Taylor hummed, taking the bowl of cookie dough from in front of you. “Is she always like that?”
“No,” You muttered, as she carefully scooped out a bit of dough with a spoon and transferred it to a baking sheet. “She can actually be pretty sweet when she wants to be. It’s why Rosie loves her so much,”
Taylor’s head tilted to the side as she tried to follow your train of thought. Despite how much you talked about the team, you rarely ever mentioned the relationships within it. The team was intensely private in that way, and she respected that. Still, it didn’t mean she wasn’t curious… and you had technically mentioned it first.
“Are they dating?”
“No,” You snorted, shaking your head. They were two blind idiots in love, terrified of messing up a friendship. “They mostly just make moon eyes at each other right now. But hopefully winning a gold will give one of them the balls to finally make a move,”
“Like she thought you had the balls to bake naked,”
She knew there had to be a story there, but getting you to actually tell her would be a bigger challenge.
More red colored your cheeks, traveling up to your ears.
“It would be more likely for me to be naked, than for me to be baking,” you murmured, rubbing harder at the back of your neck. “That comment was probably more about the supervision. The last time she called I was sneaking out of a girl's apartment,”
Her eyebrow raised nearly to her hairline. “And you answered?”
It was hard to wrap her head around how commonplace your hookups were. She didn’t like how casual you and everyone around you were about them, especially since you were so young.
“She wanted to check in,” You waved a hand dismissively. “We lost pretty badly,”
She didn’t quite know how those two pieces fit together. “But she asked if you needed the fire department,”
You cleared your throat and looked away. “I… distracted a girl one time while she was cooking,”
Taylor swallowed her grimace. She wasn’t allowed to be jealous. Not yet anyway.
She was your friend.
She scooped a small bit of batter with her finger and reached out to smear it on the very tip of your nose. “Sounds pretty dangerous,”
Your eyes crossed as you tried to see the little blob, and Taylor laughed loudly at the expression.
“You didn’t just do that,”
Taylor sat back, smirking at you widely. “Oh, but I did. What are you going to do about it?”
You reached across the island, grabbing a small scoop of flour.
“This,” You said, rubbing the flour into her cheek with a grin. “It’s a little lighter than your normal highlight, but it suits you,”
She paused for a second before reaching for the flour container, dipping her hand inside. “Oh, it’s on now,”
She didn’t give you time to duck as she tossed a handful of flour towards you, and you caught a stick of butter still out on the counter as you dove for cover.
More flour powdered around you in a cloud as you peeked up from your hiding space, throwing a bit of soft butter towards her. It skidded across the counter, mixing with the sugar and flour smeared across the surface.
It almost made you feel bad, but you would help her clean it up.
“Missed me, loser,”
Your nose scrunched at the name, and your eyebrows furrowed.
You would not be a loser.
You crawled towards your left, sneaking around the island until you saw her right foot, and a smile broke across your face.
You dove for her, catching her around the waist, sending the bag of flour flying around you as you both fell, her peels of laughter echoing across the kitchen.
“I don’t lose,” You chuckled into her neck as flour fell around you like snow. “Flour fights and otherwise,”
Taylor rolled off of you, propping herself up on her elbow so she could look at you. “You’ve got a little bit of flour there,”
She gestured towards your nose, and you lifted your shirt to wipe the area she indicated. You felt the way her eyes were immediately glued to your exposed abs, and you took an extra second to wipe your face so she could look.
Her face was red when you dropped your shirt.
“Thanks,” You winked, and the red bled from her cheeks down her neck.
She snorted and shook her head. “That just made it worse,”
You wiggled your eyebrows and licked your lips for good measure. “That’s ok, I’ve gotten way dirtier anyway,”
“You’re too much,” She said, still giggling, watching your shoulder as she sat up. “Let’s get the cookies in the oven and we can clean up while they bake,”
You pouted dramatically. “What if I want to stay dirty?”
She rolled her eyes, already pushing herself to her feet. “You don’t get cookies,”
You wrinkled your nose. “Bummer,”
“Come on,” She held her hand out to you, and you took it, letting her pull you up.
She stole a hug before she let you go, directing you towards where the broom was.
And you couldn’t help the small smile pulled across your features, both at Taylor and the sight of the cats staring safely at you from the kitchen archway.
You would tolerate baking if it was with Taylor.
*****
March, 2016
If you’ve got a girlfriend, I’m jealous of her. But if you’re single it’s honestly worse.
You were never good at sneaking. You hadn’t even tried in high school because you knew you would be caught, and after you moved out, there was no one to sneak from.
Your North Carolina roommate didn’t care how late you were out. She barely even spoke to you at all.
You were pretty sure she hated you, but which of your Courage teammates didn’t?
Maybe the newfound freedom made you wreckless, or maybe you just didn’t care about changing your behavior when you were visiting your sister in Florida.
But whatever the case, Alex was waiting for you when you stepped back into her house, her arms crossed and an annoyed look on her face.
Part of you wondered if she had been standing there all night, or if she heard the door of your UBER shut and came down to greet you. You wondered if they turned the porch light on as soon as they got home, or if you just hadn’t noticed it when the car pulled up.
“Where the fuck have you been?”
You slowly turned towards her, kicking off your shoes, neatly placing them in the rack by the door, and pulling your sweatshirt over your head. “Out? Why?”
“It’s almost 2 am,” She grit out, her eyes flashing dangerously, but it did nothing to dissuade you.
You shrugged, hanging your sweatshirt on the hook right next to her. “I got distracted”
She scoffed, following you as you tried to brush past her. “You didn’t call or text, I was worried sick about you,”
You rolled your eyes.
It wasn’t like you texted her often anyway. The two of you barely spoke as it was, nothing besides Hey how was your day messages and one-word responses on your end.
It was weird to you that she was still trying to look after you. That she was still trying to be the protective older sister, when clearly your relationship had evolved.
You weren’t the toddler crawling after her wherever she went, or the 4-year-old tripping over every soccer ball she passed you.
You were a just barely adult trapped in the shadows of everyone’s expectation of you.
“OK mom, chill out. I was just… busy,” You snarked, wiggling your fingers at her as you headed towards the kitchen. “I had my hands full,”
She made a face at you.
There had been a time when she was more like your mom than your mom was. A time when you were closer to her than anyone else.
Now it felt like she barely knew you.
“Just your hands? I thought you had more game than that,” Kelley said from the couch.
“Trust me, I do,” You cackled, fist-bumping Kelley as you passed her, headed for the kitchen.
“Don’t encourage her,” Alex grumbled, nudging her as they both followed after you.
You again rolled your eyes, pulling out one of the stools at the island, settling into it, and running your hand through your wild curls. “Chill out Al, I made it here, ok?”
You didn’t like it when your hookups messed with your hair, but it seemed everyone was obsessed with it.
“Good argument kid,” Kelley chortled, grabbing a plate of rock shaped objects from next to the stove and holding them out to you. “Cookie?”
Your nose scrunched at the offered items, but you took one anyway, letting your shoulders relax as the tension between you and Alex mellowed.
She had been acting as referee for the two of you for a very long time, almost as long as they had been dating, and she was an expert at this point. It helped that you would open up to her more than you ever would to Alex.
You knew your sister and her girlfriend didn’t like your… relaxation method, but as long as your partner was into it and you were into it, you didn’t see a problem. It was better than some of the things you could be doing.
“You know, eventually you’re going to have to stop this,” Alex muttered, sitting down at the counter beside you.
“Why?” You asked, examining the cookie.
She laid her phone on the counter and slid it towards you, “Because the team aren’t the only people who have picked up on it now,”
You glanced down at the device.
It was a Twitter feed of pictures of you and the girl you had just left. You reached out and scrolled, frowning when you saw all of the text tweets below it.
@randomy/nfan: it’s unfair how ridiculously hot she is.
@randomy/nfan2: no one needs to wipe their face that many times during a game
@randomy/nfan: Did you see how she stuck her tongue out each time she ran her hand through her hair? It should be criminal.
@randomy/nfan3: she totally winked at me after she gave me her jersey. Too bad I wasn’t the one she took home after.
@randomy/nfan5: can confirm she winked after she took her jersey off. She even flexed for the photo.
@SoccerUpdates: Y/n Morgan spotted with Orlando rookie Sam Witterman after the game.
“The fans need to mind their own fucking business,” You grumbled, sliding her phone back. “I didn’t flex for her either,”
Alex raised an eyebrow at you. “If it wasn’t for her, who was it for? Because Sam wasn’t even paying attention,”
You looked back at the cookie, using it to hide the sudden heat in your cheeks. “I’m an adult and I can do whoever or whatever I want,”
You hadn’t been flexing for the fan. You had been flexing in case your favorite singer was watching the game like she said she would be.
It was frustrating how obsessed the media was with you sometimes. The fans didn’t know the line between who you were on the field and in interviews and who you were off the field. They didn’t understand the concept of privacy.
“You can,” Kelley agreed, ignoring the glare Alex sent her way. “But aren’t you concerned that you give a part of yourself away each time you sleep with someone?”
Your shoulders lifted and then fell. “It’s not like I receive,”
“What?” Kelley frowned.
“Half the time, I don’t even take my pants off. It’s not like they notice,” You mumbled, taking a bite of the cookie and wrinkling your nose at the crumbly texture of oats and coconut. “Why is everything in your house vegan?”
“I never pegged you as a stone top,” Kelley breathed out, shaking her head. “And my cookies are vegan because your sister is vegan and enjoys being able to eat the things I make,”
“You just don’t like that she won’t let you kiss her when you’ve had anything that actually tastes good,” You hummed, taking another bite of the too-dry cookie. “It’s just easier,”
Alex’s eyebrows furrowed, a warning bell sounding in the back of her mind. “Easier?”
You nodded, swallowing the sand-like texture in your mouth. “It’s hard to find clothes in the dark without waking anyone up, and that makes sneaking out more difficult,”
“You don’t even stay long enough to say goodbye?” Alex grimaced.
“No,” You said dismissively, reaching for another cookie and taking a bite. “Then they’d have a chance to try and get me to stay,”
Alex could only stare at you, wondering where the shy kid who had been terrified to ask your high school crush out went. When had you gone from sweet and reserved to a Fuck boy who didn’t even tell the person they were sleeping with goodbye?
“Jesus,” She scoffed, running a palm across her face. “You’re only 18, you shouldn’t be participating in hookup culture,”
“Like you weren’t when you were at Berkeley,” Kelley chuckled. “Y/n is just having her frat boy era without a frat. Let the kid live,”
“Yeah Alex, let me live,” You intoned, copying Kelley.
Alex glared at the side of your head, much like she did when you were young and being a brat. “Fine then. Was she good?”
You tilted your chin toward her incredulously. “You really want to hear about my hookup?”
“Well you wanted me to let you live,” She sat back in her chair, crossing her arms. The stance that always made younger you cower. “So tell me, was she good? Did you enjoy yourself?”
You raised an eyebrow at her, staring for a long second before shrugging and taking another bite of your cookie. “She was fine, like the others,”
“Just fine?”
“Her nails were really long, so she gorged my back,” You said, turning and pulling the collar of your shirt down so she could see the angry red marks at the top of your back. “I was worried I was going to bleed all over my shirt,”
Alex’s eyebrows furrowed. You had to be the good one to get marks like that, and the idea that you were… talented in that area almost made her want to vomit. As did the notion that your… skills probably came from… practice.
Lots of practice.
“So you ditched us for a just fine hookup?” Kelley asked, and it made the guilt bubble in your stomach.
That was the only good part about playing Orlando… that you got to spend time with your sister (something that was rare after she left you for Berkeley).
It was the only real hope you saw at mending the bridge that covered the crater that her departure left in your relationship.
And you sighed, sinking on the stool, your shoulders hunching. “I didn’t think I was going to be out as late as I was. I’m sorry,”
“Ok, but why go for a hookup anyway?” Alex asked, her hand finding your back and rubbing circles.
You took another bite of your cookie, chewing it slowly and swallowing hard.
You weren’t sure you wanted to open up. That you wanted to accept her comfort or her touch, but pushing her away felt… cruel.
“Paul is trading me to Chicago. He said I’m not progressing, and I don’t fit his scheme. I went out because I needed to blow off some steam. I found out right before the game,”
The words felt like lead in your mouth. He hadn’t even had the guts to tell you himself. Instead, you found out from your manager, with his comments on your performance.
“That sucks,” Kelley reached across the island to take your hand.
“Paul is a fucking asshole,” Alex grit out, her hand falling from your back. “You’re better off honestly,”
There was something else in her voice that you couldn’t quite place.
“Chicago is going to be lethal with you and Chris,” Kelley hummed, squeezing you three times, before turning towards the cabinets and pulling out a plastic bag. “These have eggs and milk. I made them for you. You deserve it.”
You instantly dropped the cookie in your hand and reached for the bag of peanut butter chocolate chip goodness. “Why didn’t you pull these out sooner?”
“Because you snuck into our house at 1:30 am,” Kelley shrugged, leaning on the counter. “After ditching us,”
“I wasn’t trying to ditch you,” You mumbled, pulling a cookie out of the bag and biting into it. Your eyes slid closed as the chocolaty peanut butter played across your tongue.
They were nearly as good as the ones Taylor had made you the last time you saw her.
“You were just trying to get laid so you could forget your problems,” Alex finished for you, frowning. You rolled your eyes, grabbing your phone out from your back pocket and snapping a picture of the cookies.
Alex sighed heavily, reaching over and brushing a curl from in front of your eyes. “I just worry about you,”
She promised your parents and older sisters she would look after you when you decided to forgo college and join the league(even if the 2 of you weren’t as close as you once were). She didn’t think letting you sleep your way through the teams was healthy, and she couldn’t help but wonder if it was a sign of something deeper going on with you.
You were always so shy growing up. Even after you told them that you were into women, you had never been so… overt with your interactions. You were so sweet with the girl you took to your senior prom, so nervous around any girl you really liked.
She wasn’t sure when that changed.
“I’m doing fine,” You said, taking another bite of the cookie. “You’d be the first to know if I wasn’t,”
“Promise?” She asked you, more softly.
Every time she looked at you, she would see the tiny 4-year-old running after her, telling her you were fine after you skinned your knee or elbow. Or 7-year-old you swearing you were good to go after you broke your arm surfing a too-big wave.
“With my pinky,”
You held your finger up for good effect, and she linked hers with yours.
“You guys are disgustingly adorable,” Kelley hummed, sliding you a glass of milk. “Now eat up, I want to actually sleep tonight,”
OoOoOoO
Twitter wasn’t one of Taylor’s favorite social media apps. It was a pit of anxiety-inducing posts and hateful opinions, and she genuinely made an effort to stay away.
But after watching your soccer game, she couldn’t help herself.
It had been a humid night in Florida (according to the commentary team). You kept lifting your shirt to wipe the sweat out of your eyes, and your curls had been wild by the end of the second half.
The grainy stream hadn’t been clear enough for her. It hadn’t done your abs justice so Taylor had relented to the bird app. To pictures taken by people who were actually at the stadium, and things spiraled from there.
It should have made her feel… shameful that she was scrolling through photos of you, looking for one that showed the moment you lifted your shirt and maybe when you gave your jersey away. She should feel bad that she was looking for the moment you put your abs on full display.
But she didn't.
She had been slightly obsessed since you sent her a bathroom mirror picture after the game the US had played against Canada, your shirt pulled up to your chin to show off the perfect impression of a cleat on your skin. And getting to see them in person in her kitchen had only made things worse.
Maybe it was slightly more than slightly…
If you didn’t want her to look, you certainly wouldn’t have sent her the picture, but still. With the parade of women that always seemed to be surrounding you, she wasn’t sure that you had really given it that much thought.
She sighed, scrolling through the feed, pausing on a picture that had been taken of you after the game.
She really shouldn’t be this invested in you, not when your reputation was that of a player.
She didn’t want to be played. Not again.
But you were different with her. You weren’t the arrogant soccer player posing for photos, or winking at fans. You were sweet and charming and it took almost no effort to make you blush.
And… she groaned, swiping to the next picture.
Your arm was slung low across a girl's back as you guided her into a car, a wide smirk pulling at your lips. It left nothing of your plans to the imagination, but maybe that’s why you had done it.
You wanted to world to think you were a fuck boy. You wanted them to believe that you had an impenetrable shell.
She rolled her eyes.
She knew differently.
That didn’t mean that it didn’t send jealousy through her veins when she saw the pictures, even if she didn’t really have the right to be jealous.
She sighed again, scrolling past the pictures.
At least she knew that you were still technically single (though that might have actually been worse).
Her phone buzzed in her hand, and she grabbed the message from the top of the screen.
It was a picture of a bag of cookies.
Soccer Hottie: Kelley made me cookies. They weren’t as good as yours
She smiled at the screen, her jealousy melting. Though she was slightly disappointed a picture of your face hadn’t been included.
I can make you more when you visit me
Soccer Hottie: I’d like that 😘. I’ll have to check my schedule.
At least she got a part of you that none of your hookups did. She got to see the things you cared about. She got to see your likes and dislikes.
That was more than any of your hookups would ever get, and that made it easier to be your friend.
*****
June 2016
I watched from a distance as you Made life your own
“You know I hate this game,” You sighed, resting your chin on your hand and staring at the Scrabble board.
It was the same expression you made when you stared at the stupid app Taylor made you download so you could play her, except no one was ever there to heckle you while you tried to figure out what your next move should be.
She also didn’t rush you or set a timer so you couldn’t take all day.
“It’s better than Monopoly,” Emily shrugged, extending her legs so her feet were resting in Rose’s lap. “Last time we played there was a fistfight,”
Rose hummed, squeezing Emily’s foot and shifting the tiles on her little ledge. “That’s why we switched to monopoly deal,”
Board games were a staple during the downtime at camp, and this one was no different. With Rose (and Emily by default since they started dating) as your roommate(s), you had been roped into a quick Scrabble game while you all waited for team bonding.
She reached out and placed 4 of her pieces, forming the word Focus around your word Cracker.
You frowned. You had been planning to make the word cutter, but now your c was gone and there was no way for you to connect to Emily’s R on the other side (though you weren’t sure exactly what word she had created considering the two center letters kept flipping in your head).
You liked Monopoly better. It didn’t make your head hurt so much.
Plus it was one of the few games where you always kicked Alex’s ass.
“I still think you two have an unfair advantage over me,” you muttered, puffing out your cheek and pulling out your phone. You smiled as you scrolled to a very familiar contact.
Emily’s eyebrows furrowed. “What are you doing?”
“Leveling the playing field,” You shot her a wide smirk, as the ringing of the FaceTime app stopped and the little boop that meant your favorite person had answered sounded through the room. “Hey Scrabble queen,”
“Hey, what’s up?” Her lips ticked up in a smile that she only used when she was with you, and you saw an unfamiliar painting and a microphone behind her.
She must be at the studio.
You knew she was working on an album, though you’d been reluctant to hear any spoilers. You didn’t want to hear about a new… love interest. You didn’t think you could take it, and you needed to focus if the team was going to do well at the Olympics.
“I need your help,” You pouted at the phone, making your eyes as big and innocent as you could. “Im shitty at scrabble and I don’t want to lose to Rosie and Emily,”
Taylor rolled her eyes at you.
“Hey! Why do you get to phone a friend!?” Emily exclaimed, reaching for the phone, and the semi-familiar voice on the other end. “Is it the person who was with you last time I called?”
You shrugged nonchalantly, shifting so she couldn’t steal your phone without looking at your tiles (thereby disqualifying her). “Because I’m dyslexic,”
“You’re getting better actually. You got a triple word last week,” Taylor said, and your eyes darted back toward her. You hadn’t told her it was really Kelley who saw the triple word yet. “Can you show me the board and your letters please?”
“You didn’t answer my question, is this mystery girl?” Emily cut back in, even as Rose held her foot so she didn’t try to tackle you to see who you had called.
“She’s not a mystery,” You scrunched your nose and flipped the camera, giving Taylor a good view of the board. “She’s my friend,”
Rose raised her eyebrow at you. “Then what’s her name, you know so we can call her something else?”
“Taylor,” You answered with an easy shrug, not really thinking about it.
You doubted they’d make the connection anyway.
Not unless Taylor said something incriminating, and you doubted she would considering how careful she was.
“Ok, I think I’ve got it. I’ll text you the next couple of moves,” Taylor said, looking sideways over the phone and nodding. “I’ll talk to you later, I’ve gotta go,”
“Thank you!” You flipped the camera around and sent her a goofy smile.
“Anytime,” She mirrored your smile and blew you a little kiss. “Talk to you later babe,”
You caught the kiss and waved, staring at the phone for a very long second even after it had gone back to your Lock Screen.
It made your chest feel warm that even when she was busy, she answered your calls. That she always made time for you.
“If she’s your friend, then you have one hell of a crush,” Emily said, drawing you back to the moment.
You blinked back up at the pair, the warm feeling in your chest replaced with sudden anxiety. “What?”
“She called you babe,” Rose supplied, her voice very soft like she was afraid to startle you.
They all knew of your… reluctance to settle down, and she couldn’t help but feel like there was a deeper reason behind it that they were all overlooking.
Emily snorted, not catching the hesitance in Rose's voice. “And you stared at the phone after you hung up for a solid 30 seconds,”
Red immediately flooded your cheeks, and your hand clenched at your side. “We’re just friends,”
Even if you enjoyed the flirting and your feelings were slowly surpassing the boundaries of friendship. She would never want someone like you.
You were just a kid compared to her, bumbling your way through your career and fucking it up at every turn.
Plus she was straight.
It was too cliche for you to handle.
“Ok,” Rose conceded, shooting Emily a very serious look to not push you more.
It never turned out well when they pushed.
“It’s still your turn,” Emily said, her voice also going soft, gesturing towards the scrabble board. “Let’s see how good the mystery Taylor really is,”
You hummed, pulling up the text, and ignoring the little Good luck 😜 that accompanied her instructions.
Your tongue made its way between your teeth as you read the step-by-step text, each letter separated by a double space, and you slowly reached for the letter tiles and slid them into place, forming the word Resonate with the help of two of Emily’s words and one of Roses.
“Ha, a quadrupole word,” You cheered, typing out a thank you text to Taylor as Emily groaned.
Rose rolled her eyes, still smiling softly at you.“And let me guess, it’s the easiest one she sent you?”
She hadn’t seen you this… engaged in a long time. She hadn’t seen you so… happy, not since you started playing at North Carolina, and she hadn’t seen you show more interest than a quick one-night stand.
“Yep,” You popped the p and smiled wickedly at them. “read it and weep losers,”
“You’re only winning because of the mystery scrabble queen,” Emily pouted. “What, does she have an entire empire made of word blocks too?”
“She’s not a fucking mob boss. She’s just a friend, and I told you, it’s fair because it levels the playing field,” You shrugged, failing to mention that the butterflies Taylor sent swirling in your chest were much more than friendly.
It wasn’t like they hadn’t beaten you each time you played this game before. “Now make your move before I sic the time turtle on you and you have to draw a wicked wango card,”
Rose raised her eyebrow at you. “Since when did you watch Friends?
“Yeah! I thought you hated anything remotely scripted besides superhero movies and Indiana Jones?” Emily added, crossing her arms indignantly. “It’s how you get out of literally every movie bonding night,”
Your shoulders lifted and fell, and red bled into your cheeks.
You hadn’t really minded the comedy eating kettle corn with Taylor in a massive pillow fort, though Meredith and Olivia pawing at your bowl while Taylor pouted at their adamant ignoral of her had made it all worth it (they had been very unhappy about the quick baths she made them take because they were covered in flour from your little food fight).
Plus you thought that Bamboozled was probably the only game show that wouldn’t put you to sleep (you agreed with Joey that it wasn’t that complicated).
“Friends doesn’t really have a plot,” You muttered, looking down at your phone and moving your tiles around so you didn’t have to think about your next move. “And it’s funny so it’s not so bad,”
Rose made a low noise, poking Emily with her toes, telling her not to push.
She had a feeling that your sudden interest in the show had more to do with who you were watching it with than the comedy. And she wouldn’t be the one to meddle in what was your first real relationship.
She wouldn’t let Emily either.
The wrath that would meet them from all the vets and your older sister was not something she wanted to deal with.
“Come on Sonny, make your move,”
******
July 2016
But I stay when you're lost, and I'm scared, and you're turning away
2016 was the summer of the apocalypse.
There was no other way to put it.
You never thought a singular PK could turn your team and the rest of the world against you. But it did.
You only got to play the last 10 minutes of the game, and your only job was to make the penalty.
But you missed it. Badly.
Jill made it clear before you were even back in the locker room that you would need to earn your way back. Roary had benched you as soon as you returned to Chicago. But the worst was the media, and the slew of hate that had been unleashed on you the second your foot left the ball.
It rivaled the hate Hope was getting, and that was saying something.
You blew out a long breath, took another swig of your lukewarm beer and slowly kicked the ball back toward the PK spot.
One of the few benefits to Chicago was that the high school soccer field was within walking distance from your shitty apartment. The other was that the high school soccer field stayed open all night and had good lighting.
You took another swig before gently setting the bottle next to four of its already empty friends, and setting up for the kick. It should have concerned you that the ball was slightly blurry, or that you were a bit wobbly on your feet, but it didn’t.
Not when you so clearly saw your path to regaining your future.
You rolled your neck, squaring your shoulders and looking from the ball to the net. You could imagine the thousands of people screaming, and the keeper jockeying in her line, waiting for you.
You took another breath, leaning forward. You shuffled your feet, starting the countdown in your head.
5
4
3
2
But just before you got to 1, your phone buzzed in your pocket, pulling your focus from the upper right corner of the net just as you fell into step for the pk. The ball connected with your foot at the wrong angle, and was sent flying into the stands instead of towards goal.
“Fuck,” You muttered, running a hand through your hair and pulling the offending device from your back pocket.
Blondie👱🏻♀️🎤: Hey, you ok? They said you weren’t on the bench, but didn’t give a reason.
You couldn’t help the small smile that pulled at your lips when you saw Taylor’s contact on your Home Screen, even if you had to squint to make out her message.
She was one of the only people who was still talking to you after the Olympics. One of your only friends who hadn’t ditched you.
She liked you for you, and what you did on the pitch didn’t change that. Maybe that was why you were so drawn to her. Why the hangouts had gotten more frequent?
Maybe you just liked hanging out with her.
You took three steps back towards your drinks, plopping down and grabbing your beer.
I’m good. Cosch bwndnwd me bdcajwe hd thihls I zuck.
You swallowed the last of the sudsy liquid as you hit send, lining it up with the others and reaching for a new one as 3 little dots appeared.
Blondie 👱🏻♀️🎤: ???
You sighed, cracking the bottle open with your cleat and typing out your response. Your fingers slipped across the screen, and it took you a second to find the send button.
Hd said I’k not aolowed badk pn the vrncn until I deserve to bd a profrsakonal spcver player abIN/
The message instantly went to read, but the three little dots didn’t appear again.
You shrugged, taking a long sip of your beer (nearly downing the entire thing) before you placed the bottle next to its partners and began to kick a new ball toward the penalty spot, your phone dangling dangerously between your fingers.
You let out a long breath, lining up for the shot, your eyes lifting from the fuzzy ball to the equally fuzzy net.
But your phone buzzed in your hand before you could step into the kick. You lazily held it up to your face, clicking the accept button when you saw the FaceTime logo.
“Whad upp T-Swizzle,” You smiled dopily at Taylor’s face as she appeared on the screen, the stadium lights glinting off of your glassy eyes.
“Hey, are you ok? Your texts were kinda crazy,” She asked, her eyebrows furrowing with worry at your slurred speech.
“‘M great!” You cheered, spinning in place as if to show how great you were.
Her frown deepened. “You sound drunk?”
You rapidly shook your head. “‘M nottt,” Your voice caught on the last t, and you quietly stared at her for a long second before your dopey smile was back. “‘M practicin’ PKs. Wanna see?”
“No, Y/n,” She said, trying to sound stern. But it was too late, you had already flipped the camera around to face the goal.
“Those arrr the ones I made,” You slurred, the camera shaking violently as you tried to focus on each of the balls that had made it to the back of the net.
The camera then suddenly jerked, panning towards the bleachers. “And those arr the ones I missed. I missed a lot. I suckkkk,”
Several balls were haphazardly strewn across a set of rusting bleachers and lying by a dilapidated fence. But what really caught Taylor’s attention was a silver and gold cardboard box and a pile of empty bottles sitting at the gate.
She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She knew that things had been difficult for you, but she never expected you to get drunk and go to a random field at night. Or to make your way through a case of beer like she was sure you had. “Y/n turn the camera around,”
It took you a second to flip the camera back around, but your now somber face met her when you finally got it.
She tried not to think about how adorable your pout was (an expression you rarely ever used when you were sober).
“How many beers have you had?” She asked you seriously.
“Few?” you shrugged, squinting towards where the box was and biting your lip. “Almost gone,”
“I can see that,” She breathed out, trying to stay calm. “How big of a pack did you buy?”
Your grin returned, and you threw your arms out wide, spinning in a circle. “The biggggest,”
“Y/n,” Taylor sighed again, waiting for you to get back in frame. “Where are you? I’m gonna send a car to pick you up,”
“No. I gotta clean up annd practice so I can play,” You said, looking away from the camera, biting your lip. “I gotta nooot suckkk,”
“You don’t suck,” Taylor said, already pulling up her contacts. “Tell me where you are, and I will help you clean up before the car arrives,”
The line went quiet for a long second, and she looked up to see your eyebrows furrowed. She wasn’t sure if you were just trying to think, or if you were trying not to cry (it was hard to tell with how red and glassy your eyes were).
“Y/n?”
“I don’ suck?” Your bottom lip wobbled.
She shook her head.
“No. You missed a shot. It happens to everyone,” She repeated your own words back to you, ones she had heard you speak hundreds of times. Ones she meant with all of her heart. “Now tell me where you are. I’m worried about you,”
You buzzed your lips. “The high school field by my apartment,”
“Ok,” She said, feeling the knot in her chest loosen as she scrolled through her contacts and sent a frantic text to her security. Jason would send someone to get you. Someone who would keep you safe. “I have someone coming to get you,”
“I gotta clean up,” You poked your bottom lip out, stumbling over to the ball bag and struggling to get it open one-handed.
“I’ll stay on the line with you while you do,” Taylor said, keeping her voice soothing, and calm, even as she sent more frantic texts to her security and assistant moving her schedule around for the next few days. “And Tony will help once he gets there,”
You paused, from where you were sloppily gathering up balls and looked at the camera with wide eyes. “Iron man?”
Taylor resisted the urge to roll her eyes or coo at the adorable expression (though she did store it away in her memory bank for later recollection). “No, not the same Tony,”
You frowned, stumbling towards the stands and using a foot using push the balls to the bottom so you could gather them.
You tripped as you stepped up onto the silver seating, intent on getting the stray ball you had sailed to the top of the stands. “Nashatasha wass cuter anyway,”
“Yeah,” Taylor said slowly,her eyes scrunching as you nearly tumbled down the open side of the bleachers. “Why don’t you sit down? Tony is almost there to help you anyway. He can get the rest of the balls,”
All she needed was for you to fall out of the stands and hurt yourself.
Your tongue poked between your teeth like you were thinking before the phone shook violently as you plopped down onto the bleachers and rested your chin on your hand. “Kay,”
She blew out a breath as you blinked lazily at her. “Don’t worry, Tony will be there soon,”
She said the words for herself as much as she said them for you. She didn’t like the idea of you being drunk and alone on a random high school field in the middle of the night.
She needed you to be safe, and ok. It was a protective instinct that curled around her chest in a way that it had only for one other person.
Tony would be there soon, and they would get you back to your apartment and she would be able to breathe again.
OoOoOoOo
“Alright, I think I’ve got her all settled,” A salt and pepper-haired man said, as he tucked your Arsenal blanket under your chin as you snorted softly on the couch. His mirror-finish aviators hung from his v-neck shirt, something more casual than anything Taylor had ever seen him wear before.
It was a testament to how quickly he had abandoned his vacation to help her (and you by extension), and for that, she would be forever grateful.
“Thank you, Tony,” She said softly, keeping her voice down so she didn’t wake you. “Really,”
“It’s no problem ma’am,” He waved her off, his southern drawl calming whatever worry was still left in her chest. “I was happy to help when Jason contacted me, and Ms. Morgan is a very cooperative drunk,”
You had been incredibly well-behaved when Tony arrived, allowing him to guide you into the back of the SUV and then giving him your apartment address and your keys with no arguments. You didn’t even complain when he basically carried you up the stairs because you were too wobbly to walk. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was on the phone with you, or if you were just too tired to fight.
“Hopefully we don’t have more of these encounters to compare it against,” Taylor said, glancing at the text from her personal assistant. “Casey texted me, my plane is ready, so I should be there fairly soon,”
Tony made a low noise of agreement, placing a glass of water and an Advil on the coffee table next to your sleeping form, and taking a few steps back to sit on one of the stools, shifting so he could check that the three distinct dog bowls below him also had water.
The three huskies had refused to leave your side as soon as he got you laid down on the couch.
“I’ll stay outside her door until you arrive in case there are any issues,” Tony said, looking around your tiny apartment yet again to make sure that there wasn’t anything else he could do so that you would be comfortable when you woke up. “Would you like to stay on the line?”
Taylor nodded. “That would be great,”
Even though he was there, she wanted to stay too. She needed to be present in case you woke up. She didn’t want you to feel alone, especially when it seemed your team had abandoned you.
Tony stood, plugging in your phone and setting it up on the coffee table so that Taylor had a clear view of your sleeping face.
“I’ll be just outside the door, and my phone is on in case you need me,” He said, squatting so he could look into the camera, and send her a small smile. “I’ll see you when you get here,”
She sent him a wave as he disappeared, leaving the two of you alone (save for the gray huskie who had wiggled under your arm and the black one who was curled up behind your head).
She let out a long breath, watching the slow rise and fall of the edge of your Arsenal blanket.
You looked so young in your sleep.
You were young, she had to remind herself. You were barely 19, even if you wanted to act like you were so much older. Even if you had more responsibilities and people scrutinizing you than most other people your age.
You shifted, pulling the blanket closer to your face, one eye sleepily blinking open.
“Tay?”
She hummed, keeping her voice soft. “Yeah, I’m still here,”
You shifted, wrapping your arm tighter around the gray husky in your arms.
“Don’t ever leave,” You murmured the words into the dog's fur so softly that Taylor almost didn’t hear them. “I like you too much. Even if I don’t deserve you,”
“I like you too,” She smiled gently at the words that sent butterflies swirling in her chest. “Go back to sleep,”
She had liked you too for a very long time, even if she was still hesitant to admit it.
“Noooo,” You pouted, forcing your eyes further open to look at her. They were breathtakingly blue, just like your older sisters. “I like you like Alex likes Kelley, but I’m not supposed to. You’re too good,”
Her eyebrows furrowed.
Why weren’t you supposed to like her? What did you mean that she was too good?
“And you’re straight,” You added, shifting so your nose was hiding behind the dog in your arms.
“You can like me Y/n,” She murmured, wanting nothing more than to reach out and brush your messy curls from in front of your sleepy eyes. “I like you too,”
It wouldn’t be worth it to argue with your assumption of her sexuality now anyway. You were too drunk to remember in the morning.
Your eyes blinked open wider in an adorable doe-eyed expression. “Really?”
“Yes,” She nodded, her lips ticking up impossibly more at your adorableness. “Now sleep. I’ll see you soon,”
You made a low noise, your eyes sliding closed as you snuggled your nose into the dog under your arm.
She waited for your breathing to even out, (and several minutes after that) before she clicked off the call to catch her flight. She could watch your sleep for the rest of your lives, and still not get enough.
She wondered if you were dreaming of her, or of soccer balls and shots that you didn’t miss. Or maybe you were dreaming of a world where one kick didn’t have your teammates and friends turning their backs on you.
Maybe one day she would ask you.
OoOoOoO
The first thing you noticed as you came into consciousness was that your mouth felt like it was full of cotton and your head felt like Ashlyn had used it as a ball during punting practice, or like Megan had used it to practice her perfect PKs.
You groaned, shifting on the couch, accidentally displacing the three dogs that had cuddled in around you at some point.
You had no idea why you were sleeping on the couch, instead of in the king-sized bed you had purchased so the 4 of you had room.
Come to think of it, you didn’t actually remember how you got here.
The last thing you remembered was cracking open your 4th beer and gathering your balls so you could shoot more penalties. You didn’t exactly like how the sudsy liquid tasted, but it did an excellent job at dulling the ache in your chest that had settled as soon as you took that fucking PK.
The ache that went ignored by your sister and your teammates who were too wrapped up in their own grief to even check on you.
You groaned, running a hand through your hair. At least you remembered to close the blinds, and put out Advil and water for yourself?
You pushed yourself up, closing your eyes when your apartment spun around you, and pressing your fingers to the bridge of your nose.
Three cold noses nudged your skin, and you slowly worked your eyes open and reached for the tall glass.
“I’m ok guys,” You mumbled towards the three dogs sending you worried looks and took a large sip of the still-cool water. “It’s like when I give you guys too many treats,”
The gray huskie on your left wined, butting her head into your arm. You reached over with your free hand to scratch behind her ear. “I’m ok Art, nothing a good cup of coffee can’t fix,”
The red dog to your left also nudged you and you rolled your eyes, setting the glass down so you could scratch his head too, and you eyed the black dog still contently cuddled into your left leg.
He was always the most chill of the floof pack, happy to just be in your presence.
You would be happy to stay here all day. To let them love away the empty feeling that lingered after you like a bad cough.
You blinked as a knock sounded at your door, the levity in your chest deflating like a popped balloon.
It was probably one of your teammates coming to scold you for not sitting in the stands at last night's game. For ditching it instead of taking your punishment.
The knock sounded again, and you blew out a long breath as you forced yourself to your feet. “I’m coming,”
Artemis and Apollo trailed after you, stopping by the counter like they had been trained, and Orion stayed on the couch, watching over the living room like a centennial.
You rolled your eyes at him, running a hand through your hair again, trying to at least pretend you were presentable, as you grabbed the door handle (barely even bothered that the deadbolt wasn’t latched)
You froze when you saw a head of blond hair and the bluest eyes you had ever seen instead of one of your teammates.
“Taylor? What are you doing here?” You frowned, opening the door wider with one hand and rubbing your tired eyes with the other, hoping it would quell the dizziness that actually standing brought on. “Don’t you have a recording thing today?”
“I have a recording thing every day,” She said, stepping closer to the door. “You scared the shit out of me and I needed to come to check on you myself,”
Your eyebrows furrowed.
How had you scared her? Did you call her?
“Sorry. I don’t really remember the details of last night,” You opened the door wider, your hand lingering in your curls. “Do you wanna come in?”
Taylor nodded, stepping closer to you. “I’d like that,”
Took a step back, looking behind you towards the dogs.
“The gray one is Artemis and the red one is Apollo. Orion is black and probably hiding out here somewhere, he’s not a big fan of meeting new people,” You gestured towards the husky’s two waiting for their release command. “Do you want to say hello? They won’t jump, but I know you’re more of a cat person,”
She looked over your shoulder, nodding. “Yeah,”
You turned towards the dogs, waving across your waist. “Vale, saluda,”
Art sniffed at you as she pushed herself up and slowly waltzed past you, Apollo close on her tail as they made their way over to Taylor.
She tensed like she expected them to tackle her, but they didn’t. Apollo politely sniffed at the hand she had extended as Art circled her twice before nudging gently against her leg, asking to be pet.
“They’re so well-behaved,” Taylor said softly, her fingers winding their way into the soft fur of Art’s neck.
“Thanks,” You said, watching carefully as Apollo pressed his into Taylor’s other leg, indicating he wanted to be pet too. “They’re pretty mellow for huskies, as long as they've had their exercise,”
Art paused as Taylor’s other hand began to scratch Apollo's back, and you sighed, pointing away from the two of you. “De,”
Yes, they were well-behaved, but their relationship was also similar to the one you shared with your sister. Apollo liked to rile his older sister up, just like you loved to get a rise out of Alex.
You didn’t think that Taylor would appreciate a play fight breaking out.
Art sniffed at you, but did as you asked, her nails tapping as she trotted off towards the living room with Apollo at her heels.
Maybe they would go find Orion and show him the visitor wasn’t so scary.
“Want a drink?” You asked, awkwardly scratching the back of your neck with one hand and gesturing to the small bar in your kitchen with the other. “I think I have coffee somewhere,”
It was mundane in comparison to Taylor’s full marble kitchen. Small and disheveled on all accounts.
The linoleum blue counter had a crack running down the center and you knew that both wooden stools wobbled dangerously when they weren’t in the right spot. But Taylor didn’t complain as she followed you.
“Coffee would be great,” She hummed, and the stools squeaked as she settled onto one and placed her bag on the other. “I think you could use some too after the night you had,”
You shrugged, turning your back on her, pulling the coffee out of the freezer, and settling up the coffee maker. “What happened last night?”
You didn’t turn to look at her, busying yourself in grabbing 2 coffee mugs and a glass and getting the milk and a carton of orange juice from the fridge. You would have offered her a glass too, but considering how often you drank directly from the carton, you didn’t think it was a good idea.
“Well,” She drew out the word, and you felt her eyes on you as you moved through the kitchen. “I texted you because you weren’t on the bench, and you responded mostly with self-deprecating gibberish, so I called you,”
You made a low noise in the back of your throat, grabbing your sugar jar and sliding it towards her, but not meeting her eyes. “I was probably a couple beers deep at that point,”
“Just a couple?” You could almost hear her raised eyebrows, and you finally turned to look at her, placing the coffee pot between you.
You shrugged, smiling impishly as you poured yourself a cup of coffee. “A few more than a couple,”
“Try a 24-pack,” Taylor scoffed, pouring herself her own cup of coffee. “You’re lucky you didn’t get alcohol poisoning,”
You set your coffee on the counter, sucking all the warmth you could from your mug, your blasé mask cracking.
“I didn’t drink it all last night,” You said, finally meeting her eyes. “I only had like 13 left,”
She sighed, reaching out and catching your hand. “Still,”
You paused, blowing out a very long breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, or make you fly all the way out here and waste a day,”
Her eyebrows furrowed at the end of your sentence. The rapid turn in conversation.
“I’m not wasting anything,” She said slowly. “You obviously needed someone and I’m happy I could be here for you,”
You grimaced. You didn’t deserve to have someone there for you.
You were the one who fucked up the team. The one who ruined everything.
“Hey,” Taylor squeezed your hand again, drawing your eyes back to her, like she could read your thoughts. “No time I spend with you is a waste,”
Red flooded your cheeks, up to your ears, and you tried to hide it with a sip of your too-hot coffee.
She smiled gently at you, looking at the microwave clock behind you. “But we can talk about that later. You have to get ready for practice,”
“I’m not going,” You scoffed, taking another sip. “There’s no point,”
“Y/n, avoiding practice isn’t going to fix what’s happening,” She said, her voice patient. “It’ll only make it worse,”
A dark look crossed your features.
“It can’t get worse,” You said, your voice too calm. Too dangerous. “I’ve already been told I won’t be fielding for the rest of the season, and Mallory Pugh has been called into camp to replace me. My soccer career is over at the ripe old age of 19,”
Despite your efforts to hide it, she could still hear the misery in your voice. The utter defeat.
Her head tilted to the side, and she took a strategic sip of her coffee. “I thought you didn’t lose?”
You shook your head. “This is different,”
You couldn’t fight the system. Not when it was so dead set on driving you out.
If only you could be like your perfect older sister.
“Is it though?” She asked, too nonchalantly. “Prove them wrong. Show up and shove it in their faces,”
You sighed. You knew exactly what she was doing. You always responded better to challenges than to comfort.
Plus if you left, you weren’t sure Taylor would be here when you returned, and you preferred spending time with her over a useless practice anyway.
“And I’ll be waiting here for you after practice,” She added as if sensing one of the reasons for your hesitation. “We can grab some dinner and hang out. But first, you need to go kick some ass. It’ll make you feel better anyway,”
You took another long sip of your coffee, before nodding begrudging.
She was right. Skipping practice would only make things worse, even if going would suck anyway.
OoOoOoO
“Rough night?” Christen smirked at you, bumping your shoulder as you jogged onto the practice field, fixing your practice jersey.
You shrugged, sending the striker a half smile. “Something like that,”
She caught the collar of your practice jersey, peeking at the skin underneath it. “I don’t see any hickeys so it couldn’t have been too bad,”
You batted her hand away, unable to stop the smile that accompanied your rolled eyes. “I don’t have any. I didn’t hook up last night,”
She raised her eyebrow at you.
It was rare you skipped a team thing unless it was for a girl, even when you weren’t on the bench. She knew that you had been bedhopping more to cope with the loss at the Olympics and the tenuous situation with both the national team and Chicago that you found yourself in.
She supposed it was a way for you to distract yourself, even if she didn’t think it was what was best for you.
“Roary was pissed you weren’t at the game,” She said instead of pushing. You were an adult, and what you did off the field was really none of her business.
“I know,” You mumbled, stepping into line behind Huerta, scratching the back of your neck, a strange look crossing your face. “I already had a meeting with him. It’s why I missed activation,”
Christen frowned. “He wasn’t too hard on you, was he?”
He had a reputation for being… abrasive, and Christen was aware of how many times he had been so with you.
You shrugged again. It wasn’t like Christen could do something about how awful he was. Plus you knew Christen would report anything you said right back to Alex.
“No more than usual,” You said, sounding uninterested. “We actually talked about how I’ve improved since coming back from Rio,”
While he had assigned you 8 laps after practice, overall the meeting hadn’t gone as badly as you feared. Considering how awful the Red Stars were performing with you not even allowed on the bench, you shouldn’t have been so surprised that he was sticking you back in the starting 11 for the midweek game.
So despite his critique of your personality and playing style, he had conceded that Chicago scored more when you were on the field to service Christen. You would take it as a win.
Christen’s eyebrows furrowed, not quite believing you. “That’s good I guess,”
You made a low noise, watching Sofia run the drill so you knew what was happening.
It was a simple give-and-go with the midfielders, and a shot on goal.
It would be easy.
And frankly, it was easy.
Your fingers wiggled as you watched Sofia launch the ball just over the crossbar, waiting for the goalkeepers to swap so the striking coach would send you the ball.
You let yourself sink into the drill, and just as he passed you the ball, it was like your brain turned off. You easily tapped it to Colaprico, skirting around Krueger and turning just in time to receive the through ball the midfielder sent back.
It only took a little flick of your heel to get past Naeher, and send the ball into the back of the net, and head to the back of the other line with little fanfare.
“Nice shot,” JJ reached out her hand for a low five as you passed her, and you tilted your chin at her as you passed, a smile playing on your lips.
Taylor had been right, playing did make you feel better.
And you didn’t have to think about the butterflies her presence sent flying in your stomach.
“Maybe you have the Morgan gene after all,” Roary said gruffly, stepping onto the practice pitch, his hand landing heavily on your shoulder.
Your back went straight and the hint of a smile slid off your face.
“I might be able to make an acceptable attacking midfielder of you yet,” He continued, oblivious to how rigid your posture was.
Christen cleared her throat, casually stepping between the two of you and forcing him to let go. “That was a really good goal. I bet you and Al could make that work for the national team too,”
“Hm,” You made a low noise of agreement, looking away from her.
You didn’t want to say that with your reputation, you doubted you would ever get a call up again. You were pretty sure Jill already blacklisted you anyway.
“We’ll have to see about that,” Roary chuckled, and his hand found your shoulder again, squeezing tightly. “A few extra film sessions could help,”
A shiver ran down your spine. You hated film sessions, especially with Roary, but you nodded anyway.
It wasn’t like you had a choice. Roary always got what he wanted.
He squeezed your shoulder one more time before heading off to harass someone else, but you knew he would be back. You were one of his favorite targets.
“You know you don’t have to do sessions with him,” Christen said when he was out of earshot, and you looked away.
She could never understand that you couldn’t say no to him. That your precariousness with both the Red Stars and the USWNT meant that you couldn’t piss off a coach. It meant that you were at his mercy, even if you didn’t want to admit it.
“He’s an asshole, but he has some good insights,” You said, watching as JJ ran the opposite side of the drill with Huerta.
Christen used a finger under your chin to force you to look back at her. “That’s not what I asked you,”
“I know Chris,” You said with too much force, jerking away from her. “I can handle Dames. Right now, I need all the help I can get to show Jill that I deserve my fucking spot. If he wants to help, then so be it,”
She paused, her hand still hovering in the air where your chin had been.
“Ok,” She said slowly, her eyebrows furrowing while she tried to decipher your overreaction. “I just wanted to make sure,”
You swallowed hard, moving up in line. “I know. Sorry, I snapped. I was up late,”
Her lips tilted into a teasing smirk. “Ah yes, you got fucked to get over how Roary fucked you out of your starting spot,”
You threw your head back and groaned, red coloring your cheeks as the line around you erupted in giggles.
You would never outlive your… reputation, but that was ok because at least it stopped Christen from asking too many questions. Questions that would make their way back to your sister.
They would never believe that the girl who had distracted you wasn’t one you were currently sleeping with anyway.
“Morgan, you’re up,” The striking coach said, his voice sobering your teammates. “Let’s see if you can do the other half of the drill as well as you did the first,”
You easily stopped the ball he passed your way, winking towards McCaffrey. “I’ll do better. There’s a reason I’m a midfielder after all,”
You would have to thank Taylor for making you practice. She was right, it did make you feel better, and you were on your way to proving why you were one of the best in the world.
OoOoOoO
“I can’t believe you’ve never had a burrito before,” You said, biting into your chicken and queso concoction.
It had been an easy decision to grab Chipotle after practice, one you hadn’t really thought about until the text came through that Taylor didn’t know what to order.
That she had never been to one of your favorite post-practice restaurants.
“I’ve just never gotten around to it. They’re not common in Nashville,” She hummed, delicately biting into her own streak and bean creation. “How was practice,”
You scrunched your nose but decided that pointing out that Chipotle was a national chain (and that you and Emily had eaten at one when you played Australia in Nashville) wasn’t worth it. You felt like there was something… off about her relationship with food, but you didn’t know if you were close enough to be able to bring it up.
You honestly didn’t know if you were just friends, because the way she looked at you felt like you were edging on something more.
“Fine,” Your shoulder lifted and fell as you took another bite and swallowed. You grabbed a chip from your bag, shoving it in the top of your burrito. “Apparently I’m starting tomorrow,”
Taylor frowned. “That feels like quite the jump from being left off the roster,”
She wasn’t entirely sure how the whole selection process worked for roster and starting lineups (despite her recent research into the topic), but it felt very weird for you to go from essentially not on the team to one of the people who would carry it through the game.
You made a low sound of agreement, swallowing. “I have a feeling it was ownership’s call,”
Taylor raised an eyebrow at you, clearly asking for a more comprehensive explanation.
“We lost like 6-0,” You explained. “And our media guy said that the attendance dropped by 40% because I wasn’t on the bench,”
It was one of the few concessions that Roary made. The team hadn’t been able to break through North Carolina’s midfield without your creativity or ability to draw defenders. They hadn’t been able to supply the forwards or stop the line-breaking balls Zerboni kept sending through, and ultimately it led to a complete creaming of your team.
They needed you on the field, no matter how loath he was to admit it. That’s why you assumed Armin had overridden the coach's judgment.
The team brought in less money when they lost.
Taylor nodded in understanding and the two of you lapsed into silence, slowly munching on your respective burritos.
“I can’t believe you have a game 2 days apart,” She said after a few minutes. “Doesn’t seem to leave you a lot of time to recover,”
You tilted your head. “The league wants to squeeze in as many matches as they can before the international break,”
“That seems reasonable,” Taylor said, seemingly agreeing with you.
It didn’t, but the league (and the owners) weren’t really concerned with your health. You were basically a trading card designed to bring them more money.
You played with the foil around your burrito, biting your lip. “I um… I have an extra pass if you want to come watch,”
She paused, her grin dipping into a frown. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Going out somewhere isn’t always easy,”
Not that she was sure anyone even knew she was in Chicago. So far, there hadn’t been any talk on social media of her impromptu trip, and she had no intention of that changing.
She didn’t need the space in front of your apartment becoming a circus. Not with the horrible things the press had been saying about her.
“The seat is in a box, so no one would see you if you decided you wanted to go, and you can use the player’s entrance,” You explained, trying to seem like you didn’t care what her answer would be. Trying to pretend like you wouldn’t care if she decided not to one. “No cameras are allowed in the tunnels,”
Her lips pressed very tightly together, seemingly seeing through your facade. “I just don’t want to take away from your game,”
“You can’t distract from the match,” You shrugged. “There will already be crazy speculation because I’m on the roster, and the Camp call-ups haven’t been made public yet,”
She hummed. She knew that the media that you dealt with was different, but still vicious nonetheless.
Instead of picking apart your outfit choice or your performances on stage, they tore apart your play. They ripped your soccer skills apart and compared you to your sister at every turn.
“I think it’s horrible that they’re focusing so much on one play,”
It was still difficult for her to wrap her head around how a singular moment had seemingly derailed your entire career, but then again a single misconstrued phone call had derailed hers.
You shrugged. It was nothing when compared to what Taylor was dealing with. “At least they’re attacking me for something I actually did. I ended my soccer career with a single kick. You’re being punished for a man’s lies,”
Taylor nodded slowly, taking another bite of her burrito.
She didn’t think either circumstance was fair, but that was the position that you were both in. You were trapped by your coaches and she was trapped by perception.
The only thing either of you could do was control the things you could, and enjoy the ride. Everything would even out eventually.
“I’ll come to your game,” She said, not just because she knew it would make you happy, but also because she wasn’t ready to leave yet, and going to the game would mean spending more time with you.
Plus, there was no way she would miss seeing you so in your element in person. Not when it was so ridiculously attractive on screen.
Your whole face lit up. “Really?”
She couldn’t help but smile too. “Yeah, it should be fun,”
Even if the paparazzi got wind of it, seeing you look so happy for the first time since you returned from Brazil would make it worth it.
“It’ll be great. I’ll even make sure to score for you,” You said, wiggling excitedly as you cleaned up your burrito wrapper and held the bag up for her as Art and Apollo both sniffed at it (she was shocked they hadn’t even begged for scraps earlier).
“If you do, you’ve gotta do the backflip celebration,” She chucked, tossing the aluminum wrapped from her burrito into the bag. “That one’s my favorite,”
You paused, your grin morphing into a mischievous smirk at the mention of your very famous goal celebration.
“For sure,” You said with your signature wink, and Taylor couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “I’ll do a double if I get a hat trick, just for you,”
It took a second for her peels of laughter to dissolve into shorter giggles and for her to catch her breath. It was so strange to have the look you always sent fans directed at her. The look she was sure had landed you most of your famous hookups.
Though it kind of melted her heart that you only used it on her in a comedic sense. That it shifted back to the look she liked to think you saved just for her as soon as her giggles filled the air.
“Do you want to watch something before dinner?” You asked, sobering and shifting awkwardly on the couch. “The pups and I thought a pillow fort would be cool,”
Taylor hummed, leaning her chin on her hand. “I think that sounds incredible,”
The little fist pump you gave was adorable, as was the way the dogs hopped around you, and in that moment she knew.
When she looked back on this moment, it would be the one she would point to as the moment she knew she was in love.
OoOoOoO
Taylor had been to a lot of places in her life. She had played down the road from Seat Geek Stadium in Chicago many times.
But she had never gotten to see this side of the city.
She had never gotten to be normal and watch a game without hordes of people screaming for her attention. She hadn’t even needed to use the special player entrance. The stadium attendants had escorted them to the box with zero fanfare, and she felt safe sitting in the open area of the box with the promise that the cameras rarely panned it.
She didn’t even regret not bringing extra security like she thought she would.
Her heart also fluttered each time you glanced up at the box, smiling impossibly wider each time she waved.
It was like the little lanyard pass you had given her (and Tony) was an invisibility cloak.
It was an addictive feeling to be so… free. To be hidden to the rest of the world but so visible to you.
“She’s really on fire tonight,” Tony said, glancing over at the game clock.
You had only been on the field for 15 minutes, and you had already scored twice.
“She��s got a lot to prove,” Taylor hummed, leaning forward in her seat as you slotted another better ball between the two opposing team’s defenders. “This is the first time she’s gotten to play since the Olympics,”
You had already told her that you probably wouldn’t get to play the full first half anyway. Your coach was stuck on the penalty you took in Brazil just like the rest of the world was, even if Taylor didn’t see a point in basing your playtime off of it.
That meant you had limited minutes to prove to them that you deserved to be on the pitch. To make them regret not starting you in other games,
Tony’s head tilted as number 23 played a quick pass back to you and the ball buried itself into the back of the net with just the tap of your toes for your 3rd goal of the evening.
It looked easy. Fluid. Even when he knew it was anything but.
You smiled as the crowd went absolutely wild, tipping an invisible hat towards the bench.
“I think it has more to do with who’s here,” Tony countered, gesturing towards where you winking towards the player's box was replaying on the Jumbotron.
She shrugged, ignoring the slight red creeping up her cheeks and his sideways glance. “The team has so much more energy when she’s on the field,”
Even as the teams got ready to reset, you bounced on your toes, twisting your hips in a way that reminded her of the shake it off dance and saying words Taylor couldn’t hear to your teammates. Words she was sure were organizing your offense. Words she knew would help you continue to shred your former team, even if she herself wouldn’t understand them (watching a game with you had been like listening to a foreign language as you yelled at the screen, unwilling to translate until it was over).
“She’s the focal point of their offense,” Tony agreed, deciding not to comment further on Taylor’s blush. “But tonight she’s playing more flashy than she normally plays,”
Taylor hummed. He was right.
From what she had seen, you were not generally a selfish player. You liked to serve balls on a platter to make your team look good. You liked to pull defenders and set your strikers up.
Tonight you hadn’t done that.
Tonight you had taken the chances for yourself, putting them in the back of the net and making sure the league knew exactly what you were capable of. You wanted to show them how dangerous you could be.
“She’s proving a point,” Taylor reiterated.
“I don’t disagree,” Tony said as you slotted a very nice through pass past the first defender, and the second just barely poked it out for a corner kick. You glanced up towards the box as you took your position, a little smirk on your face. “I’m just not sold that she’s only proving a point to the coaching staff, her teammates and the reporters,”
Taylor’s head tilted.
It was true that while you didn’t play flashy, you did like to tease the fans (and whoever had caught your eye that week). You knew their obsession with you, and you never missed an opportunity to play it up.
But this felt different.
You hadn’t been winking at anyone on the field, or in the stands. The only place you kept looking was over towards the coaching staff and up at her.
“She doesn’t have anything to prove to me,” She said, sitting back in her chair as your header landed in the keeper's hands.
Tony smirked. “I know that and you know that,”
Taylor made a low noise, her eyes flitting to the sideline where the 4th official was getting ready with the sub-board. “I think she knows that too,”
You trudged to the sideline when your number came up, using your jersey to wipe your mouth (flashing your abs to the crowd) and glancing up at the clock.
Taylor followed your eyes, frowning at the large 25 on the screen.
It was stupid to take you off when you were playing so well, and the booing from the crowd echoed her sentiment. The fans were about as happy as you looked about coming off, even if it was already expected.
You ignored your replacement and brushed off the coach's hand, glaring at him as you took the pinny from one of the equipment managers.
There was an odd friction between you and the man, one that brought out a fierceness and an anger that countered your normally sunny personality. But then again, your personality was much different when you were on the field anyway.
There was a confidence and swagger about you that made butterflies erupt in her stomach. That made her want you in a way that should make her feel uncomfortable.
But even now, the way you signed autographs for the fans behind the bench reminded her that you were still you. You were still the sweet and shy, not the cocky character you played on the field (even if she was rather sexy).
This version of you was the one that melted her heart.
“She might know that, but I think she wants to impress you anyway,” Tony said, drawing her attention back to him. “It’s cute,”
Taylor raised an eyebrow at him, clearing her throat and trying to ignore the warmth that moved from her cheeks up to her ears. “Shut up,”
He chuckled, settling back in his seat, ready for the rest of the game (even if it had considerably slowed down now that you weren’t playing). He had a feeling that he would get to witness many more of your interactions in the future and that he would get to see your insane footwork on the field again if the look on Taylor’s face was anything to go by.
Getting to see the two of you actually interact together had to be just as adorable, and he was looking forward to it.
OoOoOoO
You sighed, leaning back on the couch, scratching Orion’s head where he rested it in your lap, just above your air therapy boots, and changing the channel for the 30th time.
You weren’t actually watching the television, but you thought that some background noise would help alleviate the odd emptiness that had overtaken your apartment. It was quiet in a way you hadn’t expected now that Taylor (and Tony) were gone, and it made you feel like there was a little piece of you missing.
Post-game recovery was always your least favorite part of the process. It always gave you too much time to think and to worry. To dissect every movement you made on the field.
But now it also gave you too much time to miss Taylor.
You understood why she had to leave after a quick congratulations after the game. You knew she was busy and that she needed to be in New York to record.
That didn’t mean that a part of you didn’t wish she had stayed.
You shook your head, shifting on the couch (much to Orion's annoyance).
You weren’t supposed to get attached to Taylor. To people in general, really.
Experience taught you that they would all leave eventually, no matter what they said or how much they promised you they wouldn’t.
Your parents forgot about your existence when Alex started getting called up to the U20 team. Alex left you for college and was too wrapped up in her new life to remember you existed either. Your friends all left when they realized that you weren’t worth the effort.
And Taylor…
She would leave too when she found out about the feelings you harbored for her.
She would write a song about how you ruined your friendship because you were too selfish to accept that she would never feel like you did. Even if she didn’t, she would leave once she saw how fucked up you really were.
Still, the little voice in your brain fixated on the chemistry between the two of you. On the moments where you caught her staring at your abs during the game, or how you would swear she was staring at your lips when you met her in the tunnel afterward.
But she couldn’t like you that way, and if she did it was something more than a sexual curiosity.
You blew out another breath.
It wasn’t that you hadn’t crossed that line with your friends before, you had, but you didn’t want it to be like that with Taylor. You didn’t want her to be a fuck buddy or a one night stand that she would regret later.
You couldn’t cross that line without her leaving you, but you weren’t even sure if there was a line to cross. Hell, you had never had a real relationship so you weren’t even sure if you had already crossed it.
Did friends do the things you and Taylor did? Did friends fly cross country to help? Did they cuddle in pillow forts?
You were just… lost.
You had never felt so… attached before.
You let your head fall back on the couch with a low thump. You didn’t know what to do, and you couldn’t call the person you normally would (Kelley) because she would tell Alex.
You grabbed your phone from the edge of the couch, scrolling through your contacts until you found one of the few who weren’t ignoring you for missing the PK. One of the few who you trusted (even if you would get the shit teased out of you).
You paused, your finger hovering over Emily’s picture.
She would know what to do. She always knew what to do.
It took you another second to gain the courage to actually press the call button, and you worried your bottom lip as it started to ring.
She was definitely going to make fun of you.
“I need your help,” You said as soon as Emily’s face appeared on the screen.
“Hello Emily, how are you? I’m fine, thank you so much for asking,”
“Emily,” You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose, but she just raised her eyebrows expectantly in response. Your shoulders sank. “Hello Emily, how are you?”
“I’m doing great,” She smiled cheekily back at you. “Now what’s up?”
You ran a hand through your hair, rubbing over the short curls at the back of your neck, trying to mask how nervous you were.
“I..-“ You stuttered, looking away. “There’s a girl, and I like her, but I have no clue what’s happening or what’s supposed to happen next,”
She squinted at you. “Are you dating this girl?”
“No,” You breathed out, dragging your hand from your hair to press into your forehead. “I don’t think so. She’s my friend. She’s straight, but there’s all this weird tension, and I’m not sure if she would ever want to date me. I doubt it, cause like I said she’s straight. But she’s really really pretty and we cuddle and I like her a lot but i-“
“Y/n,” Emily said, cutting you off mid-ramble, a playful smile pulling at her lips.
You blinked at her. “Yeah?”
“Let’s just start at the beginning,” She leaned forward, towards the phone, accentuating each syllable. “And talk at a pace where I can actually understand you,”
“I…I got drunk and missed a game,” You swallowed down your blush and looked away from her raised eyebrow. “She flew to Chicago to see me because she was worried, and I bought her her first burrito-,”
“She’s never had a burrito before? What kind of person hasn’t had a burrito?” Emily snorted, and you felt the tension in your chest relax a little.
You shrugged. “She said she never had one before. She liked it a lot,”
Emily’s head tilted in question, but she waved her hand. “Ok, carry on with your story,”
You swallowed hard, focusing on how your fingers dug into the spot at the back of your neck“She came to check on me and convinced me to go to practice. I bought her a burrito, and we had Thai for dinner.
“Did she sleep over?” She asked you, her pointer finger tapping her bottom lip.
You nodded slowly. “Yeah. The huskies cuddled up with us in a pillow fort and we both fell asleep to survivor,”
Emily sighed, sending you a pointed look. That wasn’t what she had been asking. “But you didn’t sleep together?”
Red instantly colored your cheeks, and the pads of your fingers dug further into the muscles at the base of your skull. “Not in the um… traditional sense,”
You looked away from her, unable to meet her eyes. You couldn’t have Taylor in that way. She didn’t want you.
And if you crossed that boundary (like you had with only one other person who was a friend) then you knew you would lose her.
You weren’t ready for that.
But at the same time, you didn’t know how to not cross it. Not with the feelings still bubbling in your chest.
Emily’s eyes narrowed. “Is she still there?”
“No, she had to go back to New York after the game,” You shook your head. “And we’re going to meet up again while you all are at came because there’s a break,”
Despite how much you didn’t want her to go, you understood that she had responsibilities and music to record, but that didn’t stop the way your chest ached now that she was gone.
It didn’t stop the confusion racing around your brain.
Emily stared at you like you had grown 3 heads. “A girl flew to Chicago for you, waited at your shitty apartment while you were at practice, let you bring her lunch and take her out to dinner, then attended a shitty Red Stars game and you still don’t know if she’s into you,”
You sighed, weaving your fingers through the too-long curls at the base of your neck and tugging.
“She’s my friend, Emily,” You grit out.
She raised an eyebrow at you. “The same friend who answers every time you call her,”
You tugged harder. “You don’t understand,”
Taylor was like that with all of her friends. She made everyone feel like they were the only person she could see. The only person who mattered when she was with them.
“I understand just fine,” She snorted. “You’re such a dumbass,”
You sent her a withering glare. “Emily be serious, please,”
She held her hand up in defense. “I am being serious. You’ve been on at least 2 dates, and she invited you to her place. All before the two of you have hooked up. If that doesn’t scream dating, or the desire to be dating, then I don’t know what will,”
You shook your head, dragging your fingers up through your hair and down your face.
This was why you hadn’t wanted to call Emily. Why Kelley or Alex would have been a much better option.
“This is not why I called you,” You mumbled.
“Then what is?” She asked, sounding amused.
“I…-“ You bit your lip and finally looked up at her, meeting her eyes through the phone. “I don’t know how any of this works, and I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do next,”
“Well, at some point a conversation should happen where you define what you two are doing,” She said slowly, her voice turning soft but serious. “but other than that, I think you just go with it,”
You squinted. “Just go with it?”
What was her brilliant advice to your crisis? To just… let whatever was going to happen happen.
“Yeah, if you’re into it and she’s into it, just be into it, together,” She shrugged. “It doesn’t have to be complicated,”
Part of you wanted to yell that it already was complicated. That you couldn’t cross a line and lose her like you’d lost everyone else. But you didn’t.
“Ok,” You said. “Thank you,”
Emily smiled brilliantly back at you. “No problem, I’ll see you soon,”
You stared at the black screen of the phone as she ended the call.
Maybe she was right. Maybe you just had to go with it and trust your gut.
Maybe it would all be ok if you didn’t overthink it. That’s why you were good at hookups after all wasn’t it?
#uswnt x reader#uswnt imagines#uswnt imagine#taylor swift imagine#woso x reader#taylor swift x reader
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