lots-of-pockets - Tumblr blog

[lots-of-pockets]

contact

r has never been one for physical contact. she doesn't realize what she's missing until she does. barça x touch starved reader

-------

Your teammates had figured it out pretty early on. You didn’t like to be touched. It wasn’t personal, and it wasn’t something you really liked to acknowledge. It was obvious, though, in the way you tensed up whenever anyone went to hug you, or the way you sidestepped the bulk of the celebrations on the pitch. You didn’t like physical contact, and that was fine. Your teammates could respect it, even if it wasn’t what they were used to at all. The majority of them were Spanish, after all. 

It never occurred to anyone that perhaps you didn’t dislike physical contact, you just weren’t used to it. At all. You’d grown up in an incredibly not affectionate household. Your parents didn’t hug you, and you never learned anything different from that. It was hardly your only issue with them, and it didn’t even occur to you to consider it an issue. 

You’d felt like this your whole life. You thought everyone did. You thought everyone felt this empty space inside of them, longing for something you just couldn’t quite put your finger on. You ignored the way that the infrequent pats on the back and high fives seemed to frustrate this part of you more. You decided it was a negative reaction to touch, rather than one that begged for more. 

Like everyone, though, you had a breaking point. And you’d been approaching it for a long time. 

------

It wasn’t enough that you’d had an international break from hell, losing both matches despite you running yourself into the ground for a win. 

It wasn’t enough that you had to see your parents over the break. It wasn’t enough that they were uncaring and dismissive of everything you said, that they treated seeing you like an obligation rather than something they were excited about. 

It had been a long couple weeks, to say the least. And yet, everything you’d dealt with apparently wasn’t enough. 

As the defender plowed into you again, you wondered what you’d done to deserve this. No one had left you alone today. You’d been violently tackled, shoved, pulled, and stepped on more times than you could count today and you were at your limit. Everyone could see it, too, in the way you robotically got to your feet, blinking hard, trying to brush off this blow too. 

You missed Jona’s eyes on you, and the looks he exchanged with his coaching staff. You were supposed to play the full 90, and it was only the 70th minute. It was clear, though, that you couldn’t take any more battering, not that you’d ever admit that. 

When you heard the whistle signaling the subs were allowed to come on, you looked over, a bit surprised to see your number on the screen. You should have been relieved, probably, but you couldn’t help but feel like you were letting the team down. You jogged off, accepting the high fives Mariona offered you, though you ignored the way the contact almost brought you to tears right there. 

You walked over to Jona, as he’d called you over, even though you wanted nothing more than to disappear into the locker room and have a few minutes to yourself. 

“Are you okay?” He asked kindly. “Do you need to get checked out?” 

“No, I’m fine. Just a bit sore.” You dismissed. 

Jona sent you a sympathetic smile. “You can head back in if you want. Let someone know if you need ice.” 

With that, you turned towards the locker room and headed inside. The next hour was something of a blur. You showered and got dressed, before heading out to the bus. You were quick enough that you didn’t have to interact with any of your teammates, and theoretically, you could have let yourself have a few moments. Something inside of you wouldn’t allow that, though. You were forcing yourself not to cry on instinct, but the more you sat by yourself, the worse you felt. About yourself, about how you’d been playing. Everything. It was overwhelming, and the minutes sped by until it could have been minutes or hours. You didn’t really care how long it had been. You just wanted to go home, so you could feel what you needed to feel, all by yourself, like you were supposed to. 

-------

You were too wrapped up in your thoughts, and trying not to cry, to notice that your teammates had started to file onto the bus. Esmee headed for you, both of you preferring to sit in silence on the way back from matches, while some of your teammates preferred to be a bit louder. As she got closer, though, she noticed the way you were sitting, all curled into yourself, practically a ball in your seat, and the way your entire body seemed tense. You were good friends, you and Esmee, but the girl felt wholly unequipped to deal with how upset you seemed. Thinking for a minute, she decided someone else would be able to deal with this better, so she turned around, ignoring the odd looks she got from everyone she’d passed on her way back to you. 

Esmee was still rather shy with the older girls, although they’d been nothing but nice to her. Even though she felt a little awkward, she walked right over to where Alexia was sitting, chatting quietly with Patri. 

“Alexia?” She said quietly, not wanting to interrupt the question but not really sure that she had any other choice. 

The captain turned to her, though, always a bit amused by how nervous she made Esmee, but always careful to not make her feel bad about it. “Hola Esmee.” Alexia greeted with a smile. 

“Hola,” Esmee replied. She looked back at you anxiously, and followed her gaze, sitting up a bit in the seat to look back at you, too. “Um… something isn’t right with her. She seems really upset. I didn’t really know…” 

Alexia’s brows furrowed, mentally cursing herself for not thinking to check on you before now. The team had noticed how tense and off you’d seemed after the international break, but they thought you’d relax after a game back with the team. Clearly not. 

“Thank you, Esmee, I’ll check on her, vale?” 

Esmee nodded gratefully, stepping aside to let Alexia out of her seat, taking an empty one across the aisle. She appreciated that Patri gave her a quiet compliment on the game she’d had, before pulling out her phone, and allowing Esmee the silence that the Spaniard knew she always sought after a match. 

-------

You were still completely oblivious, starting to get a little worried that you were going to cry right there on that bus, as opposed to once you’d arrived home, like you wanted. Crying in front of your teammates was the last thing you wanted to do, but you knew you weren’t going to be able to avoid it when Alexia slid into the seat next to you. 

“Pequeña? What’s going on?” Alexia asked softly, noticing the way you refused to meet her eyes, your gaze fixed on your hands fidgeting in your lap. 

You shrugged, for a minute unable to speak in fear that a sob would escape instead of words. “Long day.” You managed eventually. 

Alexia nodded slowly. “Long couple weeks, no?” 

“Yeah.” You said, clearing your throat as your voice cracked rather pathetically. 

“Can I do anything?” Alexia asked almost helplessly. You looked so upset, so fragile, and she wasn’t sure how to help without touching you. She knew she always liked a hug after a rough day, but you were so different, and normally shied away from contact like that. 

“I don’t know.” You said, wiping roughly at your face as a few tears escaped, the kindness from your captain not helping you keep it together. You wanted her to be able to help, but you weren’t confident she’d be able to. 

“Do you want some space?” Alexia asked, even if the idea of leaving you alone like this made her want to cry herself. 

You were used to dealing with your emotions yourself, but somehow, at the moment, you weren’t really embarrassed that Alexia was seeing you like this. You weren’t quite sure what you wanted, but you knew you didn’t want her to go. “No, please stay.” 

“Nena… can I give you a hug?” Alexia asked after a minute, in a way that made it clear she wouldn’t be upset no matter how you responded. 

What did you have to lose at this point? You were pretty sure you couldn’t feel worse. So, for once, you did the opposite of what you thought you should do, and nodded hesitantly. 

It was instinctual for Alexia, and surprisingly for you, too. You were tense for just a second when she wrapped her arms around you, gently pulling you in closer to her. After a second, though, your body seemed to move of its own accord, completely melting into the arms of your captain. 

You were crying before you could stop yourself, clinging tightly onto Alexia’s sweatshirt. It wasn’t bad crying, per say. It was cathartic. You thought briefly that this was the safest and most comforted you’d ever felt. Still, you tried to keep the volume down, not wanting to attract attention to the fact that you were sobbing into your captain’s sweatshirt. 

“It’s okay, nena, just let it out.” Alexia whispered, her chin resting on top of your head. She rubbed your back softly, hating the way you trembled against her. She’d never seen you this upset before, but the way you leaned into her told her that this had been coming for a while. It also told her that even though you acted like you hated being touched, that wasn’t the case. She wasn’t sure why you didn’t allow it to happen, but it was clear you had needed it. “You are safe, nena. You are okay.” 

Her words felt like a soft blanket being wrapped around your shivering body, and you felt that empty space inside yourself feel full for the first time in a long time. Maybe ever. 

It made her heart hurt that she hadn’t thought to check on you, really check on you these past couple weeks. She had assumed that because you never talked about how you were feeling, you didn’t need to. She’d never considered that you did want to, and need to, but you were too afraid to do so. She made herself a promise to keep a closer eye on you. And to give you more hugs. 

Even when you’d stopped crying, and the bus had begun to move, Alexia didn’t let go. She kept you firmly in her arms, your head resting on her chest. You couldn’t bring yourself to pull away, either, even though you knew you should. 

You couldn’t help but feel sad when the bus pulled into the Barça parking lot. You’d acted completely ridiculously, and something like this could never happen again. You weren’t a child, you were an adult. The thought of removing yourself from your captain’s arms, though, felt physically painful, and you almost wished it hadn’t happened in the first place. Because now you knew what you were missing, and it would be near impossible to not let yourself seek it out again in the future. 

------

You showed up to the recovery session the next day on a mission. You were going to apologize to Alexia for what had happened yesterday, and promise that it wouldn’t happen again. You weren’t going to cry and you were not going to act any differently than normal. You couldn’t let anyone see you as this pathetic person who was barely hanging on. You were strong and capable and independent. You were an adult, and emotions were to be felt by yourself. Hugs were for children, you reminded yourself, and you hadn’t needed one of those in a while. Or maybe, you just hadn’t gotten one in a while. Regardless,  by the end of today, you were dead set on making sure everyone who saw you so upset yesterday would know that it was a one time occurrence. 

Alexia had other plans. You really should have given up immediately upon seeing the determination on her face when she pulled you aside right before the film review session, but you were stubborn if nothing else, and you tried to remain as cool and calm as you could. 

Even when she led you to one of the lounge areas, and took a seat on the couch next to you. Even when she squeezed your shoulder supportively, and all you wanted to do was launch yourself across the couch at her, and curl up against her like you had yesterday. You couldn’t. You couldn’t. 

“I wanted to check on you after yesterday,” Alexia said gently, as if she knew you wanted to avoid this conversation. It didn’t matter that your captain hadn’t seemed to mind yesterday, your behavior still wasn’t okay, not at all. 

“I’m sorry for how I acted. It won’t happen again.” You said stiffly, ignoring the sympathetic expression on Alexia’s face. It made her so sad that you felt you had to apologize for showing emotion. 

“You do not need to be sorry.” Alexia said definitively. “You were upset, it is okay to be upset, pequeña.” 

“I shouldn’t have cried in front of everyone, and I shouldn’t have made you sit with me.” You insisted. 

The older woman frowned. “Why do you think either of those things were not okay?” Alexia wondered, choosing her words very carefully. 

“I am an adult, Alexia, I am not supposed to act like a child.” You argued, not really sure what she wasn’t understanding. 

Alexia knew she wasn’t the most emotionally available person, but she at least knew that it was okay to cry, and it was okay to need comfort sometimes. She wasn’t really sure why you didn’t seem to get that. 

“I do not know who told you that crying and needing comfort is for children, but they are wrong. You can always come to me, or any of the girls, when you are upset, no matter what you need. None of us will think any less of you. We are teammates, and friends, and we are here for you. Understand?” 

You were surprised at her words, and more surprised that they made sense. You knew who had told you those things, and you wondered why you had believed them on this, when you were normally so careful to take what they said with a grain of salt. Very suddenly, you realized you couldn’t remember the last time your parents had given you a hug, and things started to make more sense. It wasn’t an uncommon thing for you, realizing that something they had done was not normal, but this was a realization that made you a bit more emotional than the others. 

“Are you sure? I don’t want to annoy anyone.” You replied quietly, looking down at your feet and away from Alexia’s kind eyes. 

Your captain shook her head firmly. “You could never annoy us.” 

Slowly, you nodded, accepting Alexia’s outstretched hand as she stood up and pulled you to your feet as well. 

You moved to walk back to the media room, but Alexia pulled you back, a small smile on her face. “Hug?” She asked, opening her arms for you. “It has been a stressful day. One of my teammates does not understand how much we all love her and it makes me very sad.” 

You rolled your eyes, feeling something deeply happy and hopeful bloom inside of you. You accepted the hug, falling into Alexia’s arms, squeezing her tightly. “She knows. I think she just forgets sometimes.” You murmured, your voice muffled in Alexia’s training top. 

“Well, we will just have to remind her then, yes?” Alexia said, voice filled with determination. 

And remind you, they did.

------

Their reminders, often unspoken squeezes of the shoulder and encouraging words, worked well. It wasn’t an immediate change, but rather a slow one. There were signs that you were opening up more. Everyone felt an inexplicable sense of pride when you did reach out to one of them, whether physically or more emotionally. 

The first time was when Mapi returned to training with the team for the first time. She had greeted everyone with a hug, turning to you and holding up her hands for high fives. She had long accepted that you didn’t like to be hugged, and she’d been relatively absent in the time that had begun to change. 

She was floored when you ignored her hands in favor of wrapping your arms around her in a tight hug. It only took a second before she was returning the gesture, though she looked in surprise towards Alexia, who just smiled back at her. Two big steps were taken that day, and Alexia wasn't sure she could pick which made her happier. You were sure that Mapi’s comeback was the highlight of the week for everyone, while Mapi was pretty sure your hugs brought good luck, because training went perfectly, for you two especially. Or maybe, the joy on both of your faces lit up the pitch, and made everyone play better. Happiness was odd like that, sometimes. Contagious and healing. Barça was a place of happiness, you decided. And of healing. 

------

i know a lot of you were excited about this one, so i hoped it lived up to your expectations :)

[lots-of-pockets]

What if I cried

[lots-of-pockets]

pairing: Ona Batlle x f!Reader

warnings: blood and injury

word count: 1963

summary: ona gets injured during a game and it wouldn’t be as big a problem if she wasn’t your girlfriend.

a/n: reader plays for arsenal and australia. we’re also gonna pretend that london and manchester are not a 3 hours drive apart.

For You, I’d Do Anything

Playing against Ona was something you’d always loved. Even before you started dating, you had always looked forward to Arsenal versus Manchester United games. Both of you were competitive and you could always count on her to bring out the best of you.

Flirty comments, subtle sideway glances and teasing were a staple whenever you were rivals on the field. One could consider bragging rights in your household as extra motivation to win the match.

******

‘Hey love, got everything you need?’ Ona comes up behind you, kissing you on your cheek.

‘Yes. Do you?’

She hums, pressing another kiss onto your other cheek.

‘I think I need a good luck kiss.’

‘You think?’ You laugh and she smiles.

‘I know I need a good luck kiss. You were far too annoying when you won last time.’ She grumbles.

‘Because I scored the winning goal? Or because I managed to put you on your ass?’ You tease, making her roll her eyes.

‘Fine you were good but that won’t be happening today. Now can I please get my kiss?’

‘Only if I get mine too.’

‘Deal!’ She leans down to kiss you and you smile against her lips making the Spanish girl happier than she ever thought she would be.

******

Ona blows you a kiss from across the field and you grin, blowing her one back. Making sure your teammates aren’t looking, you mouth an ‘I love you.’ to her.

It wasn’t that you were ashamed of your relationship but rather you and Ona had decided to wait until you were sure before sharing that particular piece of information with your respective teammates.

Little did she know that you were sure a long time ago. Ona was your soulmate, she was the love of your life. She was it for you.

Little did you know that she felt exactly the same.

******

‘Mejor suerte la próxima vez.’ Ona teases as she steals the ball away from you.

You groan, sprinting after her to get the ball back in Arsenal’s possession.

You’re soon laughing at her, out maneuvering her with some fancy footwork and dribbling the ball back towards the other half of the pitch.

******

At half time Jonas turns to you, ‘You know how Batlle plays. That’s good. Make sure you’re one step ahead of her. We need to win this game.’

‘Damn gal. You must have watched hours of game footage in order to be able to anticipate Batlle’s moves that well.’ Katie remarks, casually slinging an arm across your shoulder.

‘I try my best to be a good forward.’ You reply, a tiny smile on your face as you thought of the Spanish defender.

‘Seriously though. It’s like she’s done the same with you. You’re practically reading each other’s minds.’ Katie continues.

Tensing up, you hope she doesn’t ask any more questions.

Thankfully the half time whistle blows and you’re running back up the pitch hoping to get a chance to score.

******

Unfortunately for your team, Ella Toone scores a goal not long after.

It’s soon made even worse by Alessia Russo chipping in another, right over Manu’s head.

The mood of your teammates sours as the minutes tick by, frustration evident by the way they were playing.

You were entirely focused on making it towards United’s goal when you hear a sharp cry from behind.

Right away you forget the ball, turning around because somehow you know it’s Ona.

She’s on the ground, hands covering her face. Nikita is standing beside her and you push her out the way, gently pulling Ona’s hands down so you can see her face.

‘Esta bien cariño. Where does it hurt?’ You try your best to keep calm, knowing Ona needed you to keep a level head.

Her only answer is to sob and right there and then you know it’s bad.

You’d seen her brush off bad tackles, seen her get up after taking some of the worst hits you’d ever seen. She always got up and now she wasn’t. She couldn’t get back up.

The medics arrive and you try to let go of Ona’s hand only for her to squeeze it tighter.

‘Okay love. I’m not going anywhere.’ You say, making the players around you gasp.

Katie Zelem starts to drag you away from Ona but you shove her hand off. You weren’t leaving your girlfriend.

Viv comes up to try but Ona whimpers your name and Viv backs off.

The medics had rolled down her sock and god there was so much blood. Ona’s arms were scraped pretty badly too and she cries even harder when the trainers signal for a stretcher.

Ona’s tear streaked face turns to you and you instinctively kiss her on her forehead.

Softly you tell her, ‘Tu vas a estar bien.’

She shakes her head as they move her onto the stretcher and you force yourself to let go of her hand, despite her desperate calling of your name. It hurt you but you had to do it.

You had to find your captain. All the other players didn’t matter and you moved around them to get to the one person you needed to speak to.

‘Kim, you have to tell Jonas to sub me off. I can’t leave Ona. I know we’re losing and I love this team but my girlfriend comes first. Please you have to tell him to sub me off. I don’t want to unofficially walk off this pitch but I will if I have to.’

The older woman looks conflicted and you beg, ‘Please Kim. I love her, she’s the love of my life and I can’t leave her. Especially when she’s in this much pain.’

Anyone could see the Spanish girl was definitely badly hurt. Both her legs were bleeding, the blood soaking through her socks, turning the fabric a dark shade of red.

Kim nods once.

‘Go. I’ll handle it.’

‘Thank you.’

You’re sprinting off the pitch as soon as you thanked her, not even waiting for your substitution to come on.

******

‘Shit Ona.’

The Spanish girl was lying on the cot, tears still streaming down her face.

There was a nurse who leaves the room as soon as you enter, to give the two of you a bit of privacy.

‘Hey baby.’

Sitting down beside her, you wipe away her tears.

‘The game. Why aren’t you on the pitch?’ Ona asks.

‘Because you’re more important mi amor. I got Kim to convince Jonas to sub me out.’

Ona’s silent for a moment.

‘I’m going to marry you one day.’

‘What?’

‘You. You’re the one for me and I want to make you mine forever.’ She explains, eyes firmly on yours.

‘You’re it for me too Ona and I can’t wait for you to make me yours.’

She smiles, tugging on your hand to make you lean down so she could kiss you.

‘Now what did the trainers say?’

Ona winces, ‘Nothing’s broken but they’re going to give me some stitches. The doctor gave me some painkillers and administered an anesthetic as soon as they brought me in.’

‘Does it still hurt?’

Ona shakes her head.

‘I can’t feel my legs.’ She admits.

‘That’s good then.’ You rub the back of her hand with your thumb and she quietly asks, ‘Will you stay with me?’

‘Of course love.’

She exhales shakily and you know that it’s because she doesn’t like needles.

‘I’ll hold your hand. I promise I won’t let go.’

Ona smiles weakly in response right before the doctor walks in.

Her legs had been wrapped in towels to stem the initial flow of blood and as the doctor unwraps them, you hiss in sympathy.

What the hell had Nikita been thinking? Was she even thinking?

The doctor explains that he’s going to stitch up two of the biggest cuts and simply dress the rest.

Ona’s breathing increases rapidly at his words and you squeeze her hand tightly.

‘Look at me. Just keep your eyes on me okay? Can you do that for me?’

She nods, eyes still wide with fear.

‘Remember our trip to Spain? You showed me so many things in your country. Made me try so many things.’

Ona grins at the memory. You knew what she was thinking about. She had forced you to go cliff diving with her and though you’d enjoyed it in the end, your terrified scream as you jumped into the ocean had her breathless with laughter.

‘When they lift the Covid restrictions and I can go back down under, I’m making you come with me to swim with the sharks.’ You say, a cheeky smile on your face.

‘I’d like to see you try.’ Ona huffs, refusing to smile.

‘Wouldn’t you like to see them up close? With their sharp teeth and-’

Ona smacks you lightly and you gasp in mock horror.

‘How could you? I thought you loved me!’ You dramatically say, making her snort.

‘Oh stop it you big baby.’

‘Okay all done. Remember to change the dressings and ice if needed. The sutures can come out in a week. Try not to walk so soon.’ The doctor instructs, pulling off his examination gloves and leaving the room.

‘You did good Ona.’

She sighs in relief and you kiss her gently.

It’s only then that you realise the game is over, the playback on the television in the corner of the room showing that Manchester United had won two nil.

Ona smirks and smugly tells you, ‘I won.’

Kissing her again, you whisper a soft ‘Shut up.’ against her lips.

******

You had piggybacked her to the car, making sure she was comfortable before running to your locker room to get your things.

And to endure the interrogation of your teammates.

Opening the door cautiously, you hear the whispers stop abruptly.

They watch you silently as you pack up, as quickly as you can.

Then Katie asks, ‘When did you learn to speak Spanish?’

Leah glares at her, ‘Is that really your first question McCabe?’

Katie shrugs and you answer, ‘Ona started teaching me when I moved in with her.’

‘You what?’ Beth loudly says.

Sighing, you sit down.

‘Five minutes. We can do the rest tomorrow because Ona’s in the car and she’s exhausted.’

Viv is the first to speak, ‘Why didn’t you tell us you were together?’

She looks hurt and you see several of your teammates with similar expressions on their faces.

‘I’m really sorry about that. We wanted to keep our relationship to ourselves first, to make sure it was what we both wanted.’ You apologise and Viv softens at your words.

‘Is she- Does she love you like you love her?’

‘Yeah. Yeah she does.’ A small smile graces your face as you talk and Viv smiles back at you.

‘Okay then we’re all really happy for you and we’ll let you get back to your girl. Just be prepared for more questions tomorrow.’ She says and you nod gratefully, heading back to your car.

Where Ivana was waiting.

Ona gives you an apologetic look from the window and you laugh.

The Brazilian glares at you.

‘Ona’s my best friend and if you hurt her, I can and I will hurt you back.’

‘I won’t do that.’ You promise.

Ivana nods and then unexpectedly hugs you.

‘Take care of her alright?’ She whispers and you return the embrace.

‘Will do Ivana.’

She nods again before disappearing back into the stadium, leaving you to get into the car where your girlfriend was waiting.

‘Did she threaten to hurt you? I told her it wasn’t necessary.’ She starts but you press your lips to hers before she can continue.

‘I love you.’

‘I love you too.’ Ona breathes and you lean in to kiss her again.

Spanish Translations:

‘mejor suerte la próxima vez.’ - ‘better luck next time.’

‘Esta bien cariño. - ‘it’s okay sweetheart.’

‘Tu vas a estar bien.’ - ‘you’re going to be okay.’

[lots-of-pockets]

Ona Battle being protective on the field over het gf ? Really just anything with Ona 🙈

pairing: Ona Batlle x f!Reader

warnings: blood and injury

word count: 1477

summary: your girlfriend’s had a bad feeling all day and when you get injured on the pitch, she realises why.

a/n: been a hot minute since i’ve written anything but im back now, anon i hope you like this :)

Bad Feelings

‘Hey. Are you okay?’

You put a hand on Ona’s thigh, halting her restless bouncing that hadn’t stopped since you’d pulled out of the driveway.

She sighed, looking out the window.

‘It’s nothing.’

‘Ona come on. What’s wrong?’ You’re worried because this wasn’t a big game. Just a home game against Birmingham City. The last team meeting had been full of confidence but your Spanish girlfriend had been jumpy and anxious from the moment she’d woken up. She was rarely nervous before games so the sudden change in her behaviour was troubling you.

‘You’re going to think it’s silly but I can’t seem to shake the feeling that something’s off.’ Ona admitted, fidgeting in her seat.

You stop at a red light.

‘Look at me.’

Ona hesitates before doing so and you kiss her gently.

‘You’re going to do great. The team’s gonna do great. We’ve practiced and we’ve trained hard. You’re amazingly talented and all we’ve got to do is play well like we always do okay?’

Ona nods, some of the uncertainty in her brown eyes fading away as she meets your gaze.

The light changes and you continue driving with Ona’s hand resting on top of yours, all the way to the stadium.

******

Her hand doesn’t leave yours and you rub soothing circles onto it as she finishes getting ready for the game. You knew her unusual clinginess was due to her needing reassurance and you were happy to provide it.

You notice her biting her lip anxiously and you tug on her hand.

‘Relax my love. You’re going to be brilliant. I know it.’

Pulling her into a tight hug, you play with the baby hairs at the back of her neck knowing that it never fails to calm her down.

As you had predicted, Ona relaxes into your touch, mumbling a quiet ‘Thank you.’ into your ear.

******

The first half comes and goes pretty easily, you’d scored, Alessia had scored and Ella had scored twice, giving United the clear upper hand as Mary had done well to keep a clean sheet.

Marc had given his half time talk and Ona had stayed glued to your side the entire time.

As you prepared to walk back out, Ivana caught you by the arm with a concerned look.

‘Is Ona alright?’

‘Yeah she just has a bad feeling about this game.’

The Brazilian frowns in confusion but you rush out a brief apology as you realise Ona is coming back up the tunnel towards you, probably wondering what was taking you so long.

******

Ona’s eyes follow you as you walk back to your position, the fake smile she’d plastered on her face to reassure you fading. That feeling of impending disaster had come back in full force now that you were back on the pitch. She hadn’t told you earlier because she couldn't bring herself to worry you but the bad feeling was not for her. It was for you.

******

You didn’t quite know how it happened but one second you were running and the next you were on the turf, blinding pain radiating through your body.

******

Ona heard the collision first, heard you scream in pain before she saw you fall. And then she was sprinting across the length of the pitch till she was at your side. She’d never felt so much panic before.

******

You were crying. All you could do was cry as someone gently turned you over.

The voices above you were muffled, ringing as you sobbed in pain. You couldn’t see where you were injured but it hurt. It hurt so bad you could barely breathe.

‘Breathe baby.’

Ona’s familiar Spanish accent was the one thing that could cut through the fog you were in.

Your girlfriend grips your hand tightly and you whimper.

‘Breathe for me. Come on, you can do it.’ Ona’s voice cracks with worry but she tries her best to keep you from seeing her panic.

Someone’s yelling for the medics and you can hear people arguing in the distance but Ona helps you block it all out by gently lifting your head into her lap.

‘Breathe with me. In and out. In and out.’ She coaxes and you focus on her instructions instead of the pain.

Her hands are light and soothing as she brushes your sweaty hair off your forehead.

‘Ona it hurts so bad.’ You gasp out, squeezing her hand tightly.

‘I know bebé but the medics are on their way and you’ll be okay.’

No sooner had she said that then the trainers were surrounding you, taking one look at you and calling for a stretcher.

******

You cry out again as they lift you onto it, the sound making Ona’s heart break.

‘I promise I’ll be with you as soon as I can.’

Ona presses a kiss onto your forehead, squeezing your hand one final time as she watches you get carried off the pitch.

It’s only then that she turns around, storming up to the Birmingham player who had tackled you and punching her in the face.

‘That was a dirty tackle and you know it!’ She angrily shouts, fighting Ivana as her best friend tries to pull her away.

Players from both teams rush to break up the fight but Ona wouldn’t relent, screaming in Spanish as she struggles to get free of Ivana’s grip on her.

Eventually the referee blows her whistle and manages to get both teams to separate.

Without hesitation, she shows Ona the red card and the Spanish fullback gives one last glare to the Birmingham player, feeling grimly satisfied when she sees that her nose is bleeding profusely. The normally calm and sweet girl throws a dirty look at the referee before walking off the pitch.

******

She’s made to wait outside the medical room though. No matter how much she argued with the medical staff, she wasn’t let in.

That left her to sit outside, angry tears making their way down her face.

When the match ended, Ivana came and gave her a hug which only made Ona cry harder.

‘I knew I had a bad feeling about the game and I didn’t warn her. Now she’s hurt because of me.’

The door to the medical room opens before Ivana can say anything and Ona rushes into the room, pushing the medic aside.

******

‘Hey.’ You weakly smile at her from where you’re propped up on the bed and Ona exhales in relief.

She takes you in, noting your bandaged leg and dried tears tracks on your face.

‘How bad is it?’ She asks cautiously.

‘It needed some stitches and they think it’s fractured. I have to go to the hospital to get it checked tomorrow.’ you explain, voice wavering at the thought of not being able to play the sport you loved.

‘Mierda! I should have broken her ankles.’ Ona swears and you frown, for the first time seeing her bruised and swollen knuckles.

‘Ona did you hit her?’

‘She hurt you!’ Ona lets out a frustrated sigh, running her hands through her ponytail.

‘Come here.’

‘I don’t want to hurt you.’ She argues, sighing again when you pout.

She could never resist when you did and just like you knew she would, she relents, going over to the small bed and sitting beside you.

‘You need to calm down because I’m fine.’ You begin saying only to be met with a glare.

‘Okay not fine but I will be. I’ll probably be out for a few months but it’s not like you won’t be there to help me every step of the way right?’

‘I will be there. You know that. Te amo.’

Then in a whisper so soft you almost miss it, she murmurs, ‘It’s my fault you’re hurt anyway.’

‘It’s not. It’s the game Ona. It could happen to anyone?’

With a confused expression, you gesture for her to explain and she hesitantly does.

‘The bad feeling wasn’t for me. It was for you. I knew you were going to get hurt and I didn’t stop it.’

‘Ona…’

She sniffles and you reach for her uninjured hand.

‘Listen to me love. You couldn’t have known. It’s not your fault you understand?’

‘But-’

‘No buts-’ You firmly say and she nods, seeing in your eyes that you meant it. The guilt that has weighed her down ever since she heard your pained scream eases off somewhat and she finds herself with a small smile on her face as you poke her side.

‘What?’

‘I know I got hurt and all but you didn’t have to punch her.’

‘I’m Spanish. I’m allowed to be hot headed.’

‘I don’t think that’s how it’s supposed to work love.’

She laughs and you grin.

‘I bet you looked really hot though.’

Ona winks at you before carefully curling up beside your body and kissing you delicately.

Spanish Translations:

bebé - baby

mierda - shit

te amo - i love you

[lots-of-pockets]

floodgates

alexia x reader alexia is struggling post knee surgery and just as she’s about to finally talk to r, r gets hurt, and it’s partially alexia’s fault. cw: injury... nothing else really.

-----

Alexia was stoic. Your girlfriend never let anyone know what she was really thinking. You were the exception, and even then, you still had to pry her feelings out of her.

It had been a long few months. Alexia's injury, the speculation surrounding her renewal, continued issues with the federation. Through it all, Alexia had been stony faced. Even with you, where she was normally more vulnerable, she had remained detached, as if the emotions surrounding these things did not exist.

If there was one thing you knew about Alexia, it was that you couldn't push her. She would come to you, in her own time, when she was ready. It sometimes took longer than you would have liked, but she always came around, in the end.

You could read her well, and you knew when she was inching closer to a breakdown. On the day that you were sure it was going to happen, positive that she would pull you into bed after training and cling to you, not letting go until she felt better, you broke your nose.

Well, more specifically, Alexia broke your nose. It was a complete accident; you'd been visiting her in the gym where she'd been doing her training. The team had finished early, and Alexia still had a few exercises to go, so you were keeping her company.

If it was anyone's fault, it was Mapi's. She was fucking around on the massage table, throwing little pieces of paper across the gym at you, while she got her knee massaged. You knew she hated the process, and even with Ingrid sitting next to her, slyly holding her hand, she needed a distraction, and pissing you off seemed to be it. She launched another little ball at you. You'd been looking down at your phone when the paper hit you in the head, and you glared at the defender, leaning down to pick it up.

Alexia didn't know how close behind her you were, as she finished up talking to the physio. She had her heavy water bottle in her hand and she was swinging it around like she was a toddler that couldn't hold still, yet another hint that she was going to be upset once you both got home.

You'd barely picked up the paper before another one was landing a few inches closer to your girlfriend, ricocheting off your head. Mapi's shout of alarm came a second too late, and you leaned closer to the ball, and to the blonde, just as she switched hands with her water bottle, swinging it directly back into your face.

Your nose made a sickening crunch, and Alexia turned around in horror, dropping her water, and immediately trying to kneel down by where you were leaning over. Her knee protested, though, at the sudden movement, and she yelped in pain, falling back onto her butt. Her face burned with embarrassment as you shook off the physio, blood gushing through your fingers.

"Ale, are you okay?" You asked, the words barely understandable as you spoke through the blood, and through your hands. Your nose was visibly split open, yet your attention was only on Alexia as she got to her feet, taking your face in her hands. She was wracked with guilt, taking the towel someone handed her and replacing your hands with hers.

"Lo siento mucho, mi amor, dios mio." Alexia said roughly. The physios finally sprung into action, gently pushing Ale out of their way, and moving closer to inspect your nose.

"It's okay, baby, it's not your fault." You promised, trying to send her a smile as you were led out of the gym and towards a medical room.

Alexia stood, arms hanging limply at her sides, as she blinked at the door you exited through. She looked like she was malfunctioning, taking a few steps closer to the door before stopping, completely and uncharacteristically unsure of herself. Mapi and Ingrid, forgotten on the massage table, watched their captain act in a way they'd never seen before.

"Ingrid. Go fix her." Mapi said out of the corner of her mouth. Ingrid nodded, walking closer and putting a hand on her captain's arm. Alexia jumped slightly, but drew herself up to her full height. She looked fearsome, glaring around Ingrid at the Norwegian's girlfriend.

"Idiota, María." She hissed, before stalking out of the room and following you down the hall, where, presumably, she would revert back to Soft Alexia.

Ingrid sighed, returning to Mapi's side. "You and your damn paper balls."

"Do you think Ale is going to cut off her nose to give to her girl, or will she take mine?" Mapi wondered

"Yours for sure. Two birds, one stone."

-----

The drive home was completely silent. On your part, because it was hard to talk when you had an ice pack pressed to your face. Alexia was silent because she was rather conflicted; she felt horrible. For breaking your nose, yes. But also, because she was at the end of her patience, the end of her strength. She needed you. You were the only person she trusted to see her upset, but now you were hurt, and it was her fault and she couldn't burden you with this.

You would have noticed this, under normal circumstances, you would have picked on the guilt and anxiety radiating off your girlfriend. Your nose was killing you though, completely broken. It was to be seen whether you’d need surgery or not, depending on how the healing process went. You were concussion free, thank god, but you were being brought home and put on bed rest anyway, thanks to Alexia’s intimidating glare at the physio, who had quickly instructed you how Alexia wanted. So, you were rather distracted, focused instead of getting home, showering, eating something, and crawling into bed. 

Alexia helped you out of the car and inside the house as if you were a priceless, fragile object, her hands resting on your back and shoulder so lightly you barely felt them. She made you sit down on the sofa, ignoring your arguments that you could help with dinner and heading into the kitchen. She just made 2 sandwiches, bringing one out to you, beginning to eat in silence. She was practically glued to you, the entire left side of her body pressed against yours. It was at this moment that you realized she had yet to speak a word since walking into the house. 

“Ale, are you feeling alright?” You asked, because it was easier to get Alexia to admit weakness when she could play it off to being sick. You could convince her to be honest later, but for now, you needed her to speak, even a word. 

“I am okay. Care if I shower first?” She asked, standing up and taking your plate out of your hands. 

You honestly did mind, but you nodded easily, not really feeling like denying her anything at this point. 

“Can I join you?” You asked, smiling softly at her. Alexia was normally never one to deny herself the chance to shower with you, and this time was no different. The smallest of smiles tugged at her lips, and she nodded eagerly, grabbing your hand and pulling you in the direction of the bathroom. 

-------

Alexia tried to hold herself together, she really did. It was a lot harder than it had ever been, though, and every time she caught sight of your swollen face, she felt herself inch closer and closer to a breakdown. Her emotions had been too much, before, but now? Compounded with the guilt she was feeling, they were completely overwhelming. 

She made it through most of the shower, and it was only as you rinsed the conditioner from your hair, the last thing you needed to do, that she broke. It was dumb, but seeing you flinch as your hand accidentally brushed over your nose was just too much for her, and very suddenly, there were teardrops sliding down her face that she hoped you would think were just from the shower head. 

Alexia bit her lip in an attempt to silence the sob that was ripping it’s way out of her chest, but was not very successful. You opened your eyes, finding Alexia stood in front of you, with a hand covering her face, now silently crying.

“Baby,” you sighed, turning the water off and pulling Alexia through the glass door. You wrapped a fluffy towel around your girlfriend’s shaking shoulders, more than a little concerned with the way she let you guide her out of the shower.  “Is it your knee?” You asked, although you were pretty sure it wasn’t. You had to check, though, that had to be your first thought, because it was always Alexia’s first thought. 

Alexia shook her head, moving her hand to cup your cheek, exposing her bloodshot eyes. Her lips fell into a sad frown as she looked down at you. “I broke your nose,” she mumbled miserably, her fingers tracing delicately over your swollen face. 

“No, Mapi made you break my nose.” You corrected, trying to lighten the mood. It didn’t work, and Alexia just shook her head, gripping the towel tight around her. She looked so vulnerable, so small, so unlike herself, it was tearing your heart out of your chest. 

You pulled on her hand, guiding her into the bedroom and gently pushing her to sit on the edge of the bed, walking away briefly to get her some pajamas to change into. She pulled them on, her eyes still fixed on the ground, now refusing to look at your face. You wondered if it was the fear of the vulnerability of eye contact or the fear of seeing your broken nose that stopped her. Either way, it wouldn’t do. 

You tilted her chin up, her wet hazel eyes meeting yours. “You broke my nose, you haven’t played in months, the federation is making your teammates miserable, and you’re exhausted.” 

“I am okay,” she whispered, so faintly and so pathetically that you had to resist the urge to roll your eyes. 

“Don’t lie, love. You’re not okay. You haven’t been for a while. It’s catching up to you, huh?” 

“Sí.” Alexia admitted, one of her hands wrapping itself around your leg, holding you in place close to her, as if she was afraid that the very simple confession would make you run. 

“You need me, yes?” 

“I broke your nose.” Alexia said again, a few tears sliding down her cheeks. 

You wiped them away gently. “Alexia.”

The blonde sighed shakily. “Te necesito.” 

“Bueno. Get under the covers, I’ll be right back.” 

Alexia frowned, her other hand reaching out to wrap around your abdomen and pull you back as you stepped away. Her long arms wrapped around you, and she pressed her face into your bare back. You smiled to yourself, untangling yourself from her grip and laughing just slightly at the huff of annoyance she let out. When Alexia finally allowed herself to feel, to be clingy, it was like all the attention she didn't let herself ask for caught up to her, and she acted like she wanted to climb into your skin with you. 

“I need to change, love. Just give me a second.” 

You didn’t look back as you entered the closet, pulling on the nearest shirt and shorts that just happened to belong to Alexia, before you returned to the bedroom, fighting a grin at the sight of Alexia laying in bed, the covers pulled up to her chin. Her arms were distinctly crossed over her chest, and there was a slight pout on her face. 

You slid into the bed next to her, laughing lightly at the way she eagerly pulled you into her, wrapping all four of her limbs around your smaller body and sighing in relief. You were expecting her to talk, honestly, thinking that she was upset enough that she’d be ready to have a conversation. Instead, though, as her breath tickled your neck, she asked a quiet question. 

“Amor, can I go to sleep?” You knew she wasn’t really asking permission to sleep, she was asking you to stay, in the least vulnerable way possible. 

“Of course you can, amor. We have the day off tomorrow. Sleep for as long as you need to. I’ll be right here.” You replied, smoothing some hair out of her face as her eyes fluttered shut. She forced them back open, though, eyes flickering from yours down to your nose. 

“Wake me up if you are hurting? Please?” She asked, and you nodded, though you had no intention of doing so. Alexia hadn’t slept well in… you didn’t even know how long. This was the perfect opportunity to give herself a break, and you weren’t about to take that away from her, no matter how badly your nose hurt. 

Alexia knew you too well, though, shaking her head with a frown as she settled her head back down on your chest, unable to resist the comfort that listening to your heartbeat brought her. 

“You are lying.” She mumbled, somehow seeming already half asleep. Her head moved with your chest as you laughed silently, and as she smiled a bit, too. 

“I am lying. I’ll wake you up if I need you, though, okay? I promise.” 

“You better.” Alexia grumbled. 

“Go to sleep.” You instructed, feeling her fully relax into you. It was barely 8pm, yet you were exhausted, and you fell into an easy sleep soon after Alexia. 

-------

“Mi amor, wake up.” Alexia whispered, giving your shoulder a gentle shake. You grunted, opening your eyes. Well, you tried to open them. Your left eye was rather… swelled shut, and the right was only a bit better off. You could just barely make out Alexia’s face hovering over yours, worry contorting her features. Your head was pounding, and you gave up all hope of treating Alexia to a self care day today. You weren’t sure you’d be able to get out of bed. “I am sorry to wake you, bebé, but it is 11am, and your nose does not look too good.” 

You weren’t very happy with being woken up, now very aware of the pain radiating from your nose, and all you could think was to make it stop. “Ice, please,” you murmured, feeling a gentle kiss pressed to your cheek, before Alexia’s weight was gone from next to you. 

You didn’t open your eyes when she returned, just held your hand out for the ice pack. 

“I can put-”

“Let me, please.” You insisted, knowing that no matter how gently it was pressed to your face, it was going to hurt, and you really didn't want to flinch away from Alexia’s touch right now. 

Alexia handed you the ice pack, and you gently pressed it to your nose, letting out a sharp hiss of pain. Your girlfriend’s hand grabbed your free one, and you squeezed tight. 

“Ow ow ow,” you cried through gritted teeth. A few tears escaped from your swollen eyes, and you fought back a sob yourself, now, feeling completely wretched. 

“Shh, estas bien, estas bien,” Alexia cooed, feeling completely helpless. “I am so sorry, mi amor, so so sorry.” 

“Hold me?” You asked quietly, ignoring her apology completely. 

“Anything, cariño, anything you want,” she promised, gently pulling you into her arms. The pain began to numb eventually, but your tears didn’t stop. You were so incredibly frustrated with yourself. You were supposed to be taking care of Alexia, letting her need you, and instead, you were crying because of a broken nose, making her feel even worse. 

“I’m sorry,” You mumbled into her shirt, your cheek pressed to her chest. You liked it better, cuddling like this. You liked it when she held you, her large hands splayed across your back, her chin resting on the top of your head. 

“Why are you sorry?” She asked. 

“You’re upset, and you need me, and I’m crying and-”

“Stop, amor, do not be sorry. You always tell me to feel what I need to feel. You need to do that too, sí? You are in pain, you can cry, you can always cry. You never have to be sorry for hurting, and you never have to be sorry for needing me.” Alexia insisted, running her fingers through your hair, being very conscious of not letting anything come into contact with your nose. 

“You need me, too.” You said miserably. 

“I do.” Alexia admitted. “But I have you, right here, in my arms. I feel better already, mi amor, I really do. I am okay, I just want you to be okay. Let me take care of you. You can have a turn later, when you can open your eyes.” 

You choked out a laugh, wincing when it caused pain to shoot across your face. “Don’t make me laugh,” you groaned. 

“Well I should go then, amor. I cannot just turn it off.” Alexia said seriously, beginning to slide out from under you. 

“Don’t you dare.” You warned, your hand tightening its grip on her shirt. Alexia smiled to herself, readjusting you against her. 

“Te tengo, mi vida, te tengo.” She whispered into your hair. You sighed happily, the pain in your face lessened, somehow, by the affection the blonde was showing you. 

“Talk to me.” You asked after a minute, tangling your leg with hers under the covers. Your nose might be shattered, and you might be almost concussed, but you weren’t giving up on getting Alexia to lean on you. 

“About what?” Alexia whispered back, not stopping her fingers softly running through your hair. 

“How are you doing?” 

Your girlfriend was silent for a few moments, seemingly thinking through her answer. She was more honest when she did respond than you expected. “I am okay. I mean, it has been a rough few months. I was not really okay yesterday, but I am now.” 

“Ale, you don’t need to be okay just because I’m not either,” you started, but Alexia cut you off with a shake of her head. 

“No, I am not lying. I am okay. I feel better. Seeing you hurt… it puts things into perspective. All that matters, really, is that you are okay, and you are with me. Everything else is… not important. Not if I have you.” 

You weren’t really used to Alexia making big statements like this. It wasn’t that she didn’t express her love for you, because she did. It was just… she normally did it with actions, rather than words. This was a welcome surprise, though, and you felt your already swollen eyes welling with tears. 

“You’ll always have me.” You promised, forcing one eyelid open to gaze up at her. You knew you probably looked atrocious at the moment, all swollen and bruised, but Alexia still looked at you like she always did; like you were the best thing she’d seen that day, the best thing she ever would see. 

“Even if I break your nose again?” she joked, but her voice was a little choked up. 

“Even then.” You promised, puckering your lips for a kiss. Alexia leaned in, so delicately, barely brushing her lips with yours. 

“Te amo, más que a todo,” she whispered, her thumb rubbing a light circle over your cheek. You shivered a little at the contact, whispering the words back. You could see in her eyes, even with your rather challenged vision, that she meant it. 

-----

i've had this in the drafts for actual months

i feel like i say this with half the fics i post but i really... hate this one. which is why she's been hidden away for such a long time but i finally finished the ending and i just thought i'd post and delete it later if i hate it still :)

[lots-of-pockets]

I had a cute idea I wanted to share because I love the way you write!! Leah has back to back interviews from home and reader is sat on the sofa just watching her, falling more and more in love with how passionate her girl is. Leah gets all blushy and a bit flustered by the gaze. Just a cute fluffy one x

lock down II l.williamson

"-and then i've got another over zoom with sky sports at three and i should be done for the day." your girlfriend sighed, already tired by her day before it had even begun.

"no rest for the wicked huh?" you hummed, still laid down in bed as the blonde restlessly paced back and forth across the room. "god then i've gotta fit in our gym program too! do you mind if we do it tonight? i know we're not supposed to but that at least gives me a few hours in between." leah groaned in realization.

"leah breath! of course i don't mind babe, its more enjoyable when we do the program together anyway. i'm more than sure we can push it back a few hours and it shouldn't affect the stats too much." you assured her gently as the blonde nodded.

"so much for lock down! everyone's watching bloody netflix and making tiktoks but noo im memorizing scripts and listening to the same witty one liner over and over about how hard it must be to 'work from home' as a footballer." leah mocked, falling backwards onto the bed with a huff.

"but is it?" you questioned as she sat up slightly and turned her head to be able to see you. "is it what?" leah asked with a confused frown. "is it hard to work from home as a footballer?" you questioned with a frown of your own.

one which quickly turned into a grin as your girlfriend lunged at you, ducking your head under the covers as her bony fingers poked and prodded at you, your safety blanket ripped away as the blonde hovered over you.

"you think you're so fucking funny." leah rolled her eyes as your grin grew. "well one of us has to have a sense of humor in this relationship baby, you're not called captain grumpy for nothing." you teased, tapping your lips expectantly.

"cheeky girl." leah tutted but none the less gave into your request, pressing her lips to yours as your hands moved to tangle in her hair, deepening the kiss as she settled on top of you.

but no sooner did the taller girl slip her tongue into your mouth, hands gliding slowly up your bare stomach, did her alarm go off.

"why!" leah pulled away and groaned moodily, flopping down and burying her face in your neck making you chuckle and gently scratch your nails against her scalp as you tapped snooze.

"babe this isn't making me anymore inclined to get up." your girlfriend mumbled against your skin making you smile. "what if i promise to make breakfast and have it ready for when your first interviews done?" you whispered into her hair, squirming as the girl sighed.

"might be working a little." leah admitted making you laugh and press a kiss to her cheek. "mm and what if i make your favorite breakfast?" you hummed, still rhythmically scratching at her scalp.

"the williamson special?" she questioned, the words muffled into your neck but you laughed again. "the williamson special. an omelette with ham, cheese and not a single spec of colour, flavour or vegetables." you teased, squealing as she pinched your hip but pulled her head up.

"you promised not to mock my eating habits." the older girl frowned with a pout that you quickly kissed away. "no i promised not to mock them last week, todays monday. brand new day of opportunity!" you grinned, pushing her hands away where they tickled at the sliver of skin where your shirt had rode up.

"first my speech impediment and now my diet. you really are a wicked awful woman!" leah sighed with a shake of her head as you scoffed.

"my love we've been over this. you don't have a speech impediment, you're just from milton keynes." you whispered against her lips, pulling away right before they could press against hers, pushing her off of you and moving to stand with a stretch.

"now my beloved MK, you're going the right way for the silent treatment missy." leah pointed at you with a glare as you oohed sarcastically. "tempting. is that a promise?" you winked, laughing as she lurched forward and grabbed the back of your top tugging you back down into bed.

"you are very lucky you're cute." your girlfriend tutted from above you, shaking her head. "and you're very lucky i'm so patient." you poked at her nose with an amused smile as leah gasped in mock offence, your girlfriend nothing if not the expert at annoying you.

"you wait for the third one and you won't have time to shower lee." you warned, pushing her fringe out of her face with a soft smile as she leaned over you to tap stop on the second alarm on her phone and looked down at you with a cheeky grin.

"in that case, wanna save some water?"

~

you were trying to concentrate on your own laptop, you really were.

in the spirit of having nothing better to do locked away in your home you'd signed up for an online accounting course, with leah already studying a much higher qualification in the same field she'd been a massive help.

but why would you waste your time looking at tax brackets and finance breakdowns when you could stare at your incredibly fit gorgeous girlfriend who was sat only a few metres away in your direct eyeline.

you smiled at how she threw and flailed her hands about as she spoke, always one to speak expressively and passionately as she was recounting a story from her childhood when she'd played on a boys team and was relentlessly pushed about for being 'just too good'.

it was one of the first things that had you falling deeply for the older girl, how passionate she was. not just about football but with anything she put her mind and heart to, including how fiercely she loved.

not just how she loved you, but how she loved her family, loved football, loved her friends, the girl could be a handful and a stubborn headache at times but nobody could deny that she was also one of the most sincere and loving human beings you'd ever met.

so with that in mind you sighed quietly, a dopey smile on your face as you pined over her like a lovesick puppy, something the pair of you were often teased about by your team mates but it just washed over you like water off a ducks back, both of you far too loved up in your little bubble to pay it any mind.

in fact without leah you were certain you'd have long lost your mind amid this pandemic, the blonde finding little ways every day to make you still feel so special or to have you smile or laugh, two things which rapidly became her favorite reward.

just yesterday she'd woken you up with breakfast in bed and a bunch of flowers just because.

granted she did order the breakfast from a local cafe which was still operating for delivery and you couldn't prove it but you were near certain that she'd stolen the flowers from some of your neighbors front yards on her morning walk.

regardless you were touched by the thoughtful gesture and showered her with sweet kisses as a thank you, even if leah did eat nearly all of your breakfast much to your amusement given it was hardly up to her usual bland unseasoned standards.

you leaned back a little more into the sofa and crossed your legs underneath you, balancing your laptop on a cushion on your lap, a soft smile plastered permanently into your features.

once or twice leah caught your eyes staring over the top of her own laptop, sending you a small grin or a subtle wink before her attention returned back to the interviewer.

you heard him say that the next game would be a drawing one, sliding your laptop away and hurrying to grab a notebook and pen, placing them beside leah who mouthed her thanks as you took a seat across from her at the dining table.

leah gave you a questioning look as you did so but you merely shrugged, gesturing for her to pay attention as she tuned back into the interview. you watched as she was told to draw her wembley stadium, competing against the interviewer.

you smiled as you took her in, the way her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, nostrils flaring in annoyance every now and then as she was unhappy with a stroke of her pen, a small puff of air exhaled from the corner of her mouth as the tip of her tongue pushed out the other side.

you took a photo of her and smiled, placing your phone back down and resting your chin on your hand. leah could feel your stare on her and as she revealed her drawing and you grinned as the tips of her ears and cheeks flushed red.

"stop!" she mouthed at you as you shook your head, still staring at her in admiration as her attention switched back to the interview. finally after what felt like hours of your gaze pinned to her leah was able to wrap it up, saying her goodbyes and clicking end call on the zoom, pushing her laptop closed.

"what?" you smiled innocently as the blonde sat back in her chair and shook her head at you. "you have a staring problem!" she accused with a point as you gasped and held a hand to your chest.

"i do not. i wasn't staring, i was admiring!" you clarified as leah hummed, her chair pushing back with a scrape. "cheeky." leah clicked her tongue as you followed after her to the kitchen, kissing her still slightly pink cheek with a smile as she grabbed a juice out from the fridge.

"leah!" you scoffed as you held your hand out for it to take a mouthful and she slapped her palm against yours with a wink.

last one, sorry babe." the blonde smirked as your mouth formed a small o. "those are mine!" you protested, rushing around the counter and trying to snatch it off her as she pushed you away effortlessly with one hand and downed the juice with the other.

"you are so unbel-" you started to tell her off as she exhaled happily and tossed the empty bottle into the recyling bin with a happy whoop as it landed. "no no wait, let me guess." her finger smushed against your lips silencing you as she stroked her chin as if deep in thought.

"unbelievably sexy?" silence. "no? okay. unbelievably charming?" silence again. "wrong again? mmm unbelievably intelligent?" more silence. "wow thought i had it there. unbelievably-" you wrenched her hand away at that and shook your head.

"unbelievably infuriating!" you rolled your eyes as leah smacked her forehead with a scoff. "that was my next guess!" she tutted with a shake of her head as you sighed, a small smile tugging at the corner of your mouth.

"hey hey don't get all stroppy. there's still three more in there i was only teasing." leah grabbed your waist and pulled your shorter form into her, a noise of surprise leaving your mouth as her hands hooked under your thighs and she hoisted you up to sit on the counter as she settled between your legs.

"how about the williamson special right now?" leah smiled, thumb tracing your bottom lip as you gave her a look of slight confusion. "you want another omelette?" you questioned as your girlfriend shook her head.

"no no baby girl, the real williamson special." leah rasped, hands toying with the waistband of your sweats as you caught onto what she was suggesting.

"mmm and whats that? my memory needs a jog." you hummed, a smile settling onto your own face as the girl leaned in, minty breath fanning your face as her lips were millimeters from yours.

"mind blowingly passionate sex with a guaranteed happy ending, and then-" your eyes fluttered closed as she moved to kiss at your neck, lips trailing from your jaw down to the column of your throat, biting softly before she moved to tug at the lobe of your ear.

"-then we eat potato smileys in bed naked and watch the golf." leah exhaled as you moaned playfully.

"god i love it when you talk dirty to me."

[lots-of-pockets]

truck

pairing: vada cavell x reader

summary: in which vada shows you her newest purchase

warnings: none

word count: 700+

author's note: a silly, tiny little thing while i work on getting rid of my writer's block

Vads <3 (4:37pm): come outside!!!

Vads <3 (4:37pm): got a surprise!!!!!

You furrowed your eyebrows as the texts from your girlfriend popped up on your phone. She had made no prior mention of hanging out; in fact, she had told you that she would be busy for most of the day. Still, it was an easy decision as you pushed yourself out of your bed and bounded down the staircase, excited to see the girl.

When you pulled the front door open and stepped out onto the porch, you felt your eyes go comically wide at the sight in your driveway. There stood Vada, a proud grin on her face, standing beside--

“I got a truck!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms up in glee. She rushed forward, jumped up the porch steps, and wrapped you in a bear-hug. You could practically feel the happiness radiating from her, and you just barely managed to press a kiss to the top of her head before she pulled away, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Come see!”

She grabbed your wrist and dragged you toward the truck, skipping the whole way over. You simply let her, too shocked to do anything other than stare at the behemoth vehicle in front of you, the one that towered over your tiny girlfriend.

“Isn’t she a beauty?” Vada asked as the two of you stood in front of the truck. She sighed dreamily, like a middle-schooler talking about their crush, and when you glanced at her, you swore she was drooling. “She looks so pretty in the sun.”

You nodded. “It’s nice, baby.” You tilted your head, biting the inside of your cheek. “But…why did you get a truck?”

“Because trucks are cool!” In her excitement, she started shaking your arm around like it was made of jell-o. “I’m gonna look so cool driving this thing! Watch; look how cool I look in the driver’s seat!”

She sprinted to the door, and you struggled to hold back a giggle as you watched her climb inside, standing on her tip-toes to make it onto the seat. When she slammed the door shut, you couldn’t help the laugh that escaped.

Through the windshield, you could see only her forehead, her eyebrows raising just enough to be visible. Her arms started to move, which was a tell-tale sign that she was rambling, yet you couldn’t make out anything she was saying, because you literally could not see her mouth.

After a few moments, the door swung open again and Vada hopped out, stumbling slightly before hurrying right back to your side.

“Did I look cool?” she asked excitedly. “Did I? Did I? I did, didn’t I?”

“I--” You giggled. “Vada, can you even see out of that thing?”

She frowned, huffing as she crossed her arms. “Of course I can. What, did I not look cool?”

You tilted your head before leaning down and kissing the frown off her lips. “No, you looked very cool,” you lied. She immediately started beaming again, her dimples showing. “I have the coolest girlfriend in the world.”

She blushed, the pink tinting her cheeks and making her freckles stand out, before her eyes widened and she gasped. “Let me take you for a drive! Please? Pretty please?”

You hesitated. On one hand, you wanted nothing more than to make Vada happy. On the other, you were slightly scared for your life, considering how little she was truly able to see behind the wheel. However, when her bottom lip jutted out and she started giving you puppy-dog-eyes, you sighed and nodded your head.

“Yay!” she squealed, racing to open the passenger door for you. “After you, pretty lady.”

You climbed into the truck and Vada shut the door. You watched as she rounded the hood of the car before appearing at the driver’s side, where she clambered in once more and grinned at you.

“You’re gonna love this,” she promised. She settled herself into her seat, turned the car on, shifted the gear into reverse, and then stretched herself to see out the back windshield.

It was only three, maybe four, seconds before you were jolted forward and you heard a loud thud come from the back of the truck. You whipped your head toward Vada, who glanced back at you sheepishly.

“...I think you’re gonna need a new mailbox…”

[lots-of-pockets]

those ocean eyes.

[lots-of-pockets]

Tour Guide - Mapi León x Reader

Summary: Stuck with a dead phone and no money in a completely new city, what's the worst that could happen?

T/W: Untranslated Spanish (Basic though, don´t worry).

A/N: Thank you to @sporadicbeans82 for the idea, we haven't gotten to your main point yet but we will sometime soon.

You really should´ve known better. Years of experience with your parents and various school trips in primary school made sure that you were a seasoned traveller, so really, you had no excuse for the predicament you found yourself in. You landed in the Zaragoza Airport at one in the morning with a dead phone and no charger. On top of that, you left your jacket in the previous terminal where you did your layover. Generally this wouldn't be a problem, clothes can be bought again and you didn't care much for that specific one, except you put your wallet in the inside pocket and now you pretty much had no credit card or cash to get by. 

You weren't an anxious person by nature, thank god, otherwise you´d be sitting in a corner crying over your carelessness. Instead, you were walking over to the luggage belt so you could collect your things and plan your next course of action. You watched your fellow passengers come and go with their luggages in tow, but two hours later you still saw no signs of your luggage exiting the plane. Starting to get worried, you tried to look for an attendant to assist you, but because of the early hours, the airport was practically empty. 

When you did finally find someone, they spoke absolutely no English and you couldn't get by with what little Spanish you picked up from your Duolingo crash course. The attendant got frustrated and scanned your passport and tickets, took some papers from her desk to hand to you, and sent you on your way with a dismissive shake of her hand. Looking at the documents, you did realise that you had to fill them out but for the life of you, you couldn't read what anything meant so you just put them in your backpack. That´ll be a problem for when you have your phone charged.

You took the time to double check what you had left in your backpack, secretly hoping that maybe you might´ve slipped an extra charger in one of the pockets, but that was too wishful of a thought. You did, however, find twenty euros in one of them so at least you could manage to get out of the airport, maybe go to the centre and find a nice café to ask for help to charge your phone. 

As you exited the bus, you realised that maybe you should've tried harder to read the signs or at least ask for help in your non-existent Spanish, because you found yourself in what seems like the industrial zone of the city. It was four in the morning now, and the streets were dark and deserted. While you were tired, you decided that the best course of action was to walk around the area and hopefully try to figure out a way to get to the centre by reading the signs you ignored the previous times. Thirty minutes into your aimless walking, you felt a shiver run down your spine and looked around to see if there were other people nearby. Chalking it up to your tiredness, you brushed off the feeling and continued your explorations. You were walking through a darker area than normal when you felt something grasp your wrist and you let out a high pitched scream.

“Shhh. shhh. Tranquila.” You heard a voice whisper from behind you as you kept screaming and pulling your hand away. 

“Don't kill me please. I´m too young to die and I just got here!” You beg as you turn around, you knew that you probably won't be able to outrun a person, so you decided the best course of action was just to follow what they said and hope for the best. Your gaze landed on a person wearing all black, pants, a hoodie and a cap over their head. They haven't made a move to pull out a knife or anything, so that was good. As you continued to silently look at each other, you realised that she had a neck tattoo, “looks can be deceiving”. Well, that might be a good thing, maybe they weren't a thug wanting to steal your things or kill you.

“Te puedes tranquilizar, por favor?” She tried again, putting her hands up this time to show that she meant no harm. Seeing that you weren't ready to start speaking, she continued on. 

“Soy Mapi, de aquí. Estás perdida?” She said, and you continued to stare at her blankly, with no idea what she said. She kept looking at you before trying again but slower this time, and waited for your response. 

“I.. I don´t.. Understando.. The Spanish...” You tried and felt yourself cringing at your attempt. She barked out a short laugh before speaking again.

“Yo tampoco hablo inglés pero podemos intentarlo juntas.” She pointed to herself, “Mapi” then at you, “y tu?” 

“Ahhh, yes yes, Y/N!” You said with a smile and she gave you a thumbs up and a grin. 

“You, lost?” You nodded at her. “Te ayudo? Help?” and you nodded again while doing the please action with your hands.

“Vivo en el centro, te traigo?” She continues and you stare at her blankly again, she pauses for a moment. 

“Phone?? Where??” You take your phone out of your pocket and show her, and she shakes her head with a sigh. 

“Vamos” she says and makes the gesture for you to follow her. After a few minutes of walking in silence, you reach an auto shop and you continue following her until she stops in front of a motorcycle. She goes to pick up two helmets and passes one over to you, and you shake your head. 

“No, I´m scared of motorcycles..” You intone slowly, hoping she understands.

“No, no scare. I take care.” She confirms with a nod and gestures for you to get on top of the motorcycle. Realising you had no choice but to follow this random woman, you decided to take the chance and hope that you don't regret it later. 

Fifteen minutes later, you arrive at your destination, which is a half-open café. Mapi takes your backpack from you and grabs your hand, leading you inside to one of the tables where she tells you to sit and wait. 

“Mami! He encontrado esta guiri, está perdida y no tiene batería en el móvil. Voy a ayudarla, vale?” She shouts as she enters the backroom. You take this time to survey the café, it's very small and homely, with the scent of freshly brewed coffee and baked bread in the air. Mapi comes back a few moments later with a tray that she sets in front of you. She also asks for your phone and you give it to her without any further words,  she takes it to the back to be able to charge it, you presume. 

When she returns, she's holding her phone, a notebook and pen and she sits next to you. You realise that she has taken her cap and hoodie off and is left with a tank top, showing off her tattooed muscular arms. You continue admiring her absentmindedly, only being broken out of your reverie the moment you look up and lock eyes with her. She gives you a half-smile and raises her eyebrows questioningly and you shake your head at her, eliciting a soft laugh as she points to the table. 

“Voy a enseñarte español. Vale? I teach you.” She picks up the pen and writes some sentences on the notebook as you continue to watch her quietly and wait for her next move. She turns to you again with a questioning look. 

“No eat?” She points to the various foods spread on the table, some croissants, muffins, a small baguette with fillings, freshly squeezed orange juice and coffee, and waits for you to pick something up. 

You decide to go with the baguette. “Me gusto the baguettes.” You shake it in her direction with a small grin, and see her face change. 

“Baguette? No, no! Es un bocadillo, estamos en España.” She exclaims, pointing at it. “Bocadillo, vale??” You nod your head and repeat the word. 

In the next hour or so, you´ve come up with a learning system where Mapi writes down words and sentences on the notebook and gives you her phone to use the translator application and write down the English version. You both read the words in your own language, repeating it slowly a few times to each other until you were both confident in the sentences and their meaning. Once you both got tired, you decided to use the voice option of the translator to try and talk to each other.

This was how you found out that Mapi was the same age as you and goes to the exact university that you were enrolled in, albeit with a different course. Mechanical engineering with a specialisation in automotives, she mentioned. That also explained why you met her in the early hours of the morning, because she works in her dad´s mechanic shop, experimenting during her free time. You realised that the more you spoke to the Zaragozan, the more you wanted to know about the person who saved you from your plight. She was very kind and spoke passionately, and you wished that you could understand her properly and get to know her better without the language barrier. It seemed that she did enjoy your company as well, as she had started patting you on the back and giving you light slaps when you said something particularly funny. 

You felt your heart beat faster when she wrapped her arm around you in an effort to get closer when you were showing her something on the phone screen. After a good hour, she pats you on the thigh with an “Espera, voy a coger tu movil.” and comes back with it fully charged. She gives you a moment to check your phone and update the people who need to be aware of your whereabouts. During your catch-up, you see that the accommodation you booked has contacted you multiple times, with increasing signs of distress as you were supposed to arrive hours ago. You look over to Mapi who was back to writing things on the notebook, deep in thought.

“Mapi, ayuda por favor.” You tap her shoulder lightly and give her your phone to see. After reading the messages between you and the accommodation contact, she types out messages and responds to them. She pauses for a moment in thought, and decides to call the number that she had just been given to facilitate the interaction.

“Hola, soy la amiga de Y/N.” She starts, and proceeds to speed in rapid Spanish that you couldn´t understand, minutes later you see an older woman come out from the back room, also on the phone speaking and Mapi looks up with a surprised look. 

“Mami, eres tú?” She asks, and they both continue talking for a few more moments before she hangs up on the call from your phone. By then both women were laughing and continuing to speak to each other between gasps. They both turn to you with a smile and Mapi´s mum introduces herself to you in Spanish, all you could do was say hola and encantada, two of the new words you learnt today. The older woman gives you a kind smile and a wave goodbye  as she makes her way into the backroom once more. 

“Vives aquí, conmigo. This your house.” Mapi explains quickly with a small smile. 

“Very coincidence, no?” She laughs at your confused look and takes out her wallet, pulling her identification card to show you the address listed on it. The exact same address as the one you had on the email. Understanding dawns on you and you flash her a small grin, giving her a thumbs up to show that you know what she means. 

“Very big tired, yes?” She asks and you give her a sheepish nod, prompting another smile to grace her lips. 

“Pues vamos, voy a enseñarte tu habitación.” She picks up your bag and intertwines her hand with yours, you could feel how warm she was to your touch and the calluses of her hand, prompting your cheeks to redden just slightly. Surely it couldn't have been that long since you felt the touch of another person, and liking a random stranger? Maybe it was just the jetlag, but you couldn't deny that the Zaragozan wasn't too hard on the eyes either.

As Mapi brings you deeper inside the backroom, she opens one of the doors that leads to a staircase. You both continue walking up the flights until she stops in front of one of the doors and pulls out a key to open it, gesturing for you to enter first before following you and closing it behind her. You walk around to have a look at the room, it's fully furnished with a very comfortable looking double bed, an ensuite bathroom and a small balcony. You nodded approvingly to yourself and looked over to Mapi who was watching you. 

“Te gusta? Happy?” She asks, and you give her a nod in response. 

“Me gusto, yes. Very mucho!” And she gives you another pleased look. 

“Pues, ya esta. Necesitamos dormir, no? Sleepy time?” She asks and you realise that you don't want her to go just yet. You walk towards her and take her hand, she looks at you with confusion as you try your best to formulate a sentence.

“Tu.. dormir.. here-o?” You said pointing at the floor, and she continued to look at you silently. Deciding that you had to try harder, you take your phone from your back pocket and type out what you wanted to say and show it to her.

“Ah vale, I stay.” She smiles and you move to lay on the bed, expecting her to follow you. When she makes a move for the couch instead, you get confused, fully expecting her to lay on the free side next to you, as she sits down, she realises that you were staring at her. 

“You want me lay there? With you?” She says slowly, and you give her an exaggerated nod and a wide grin, patting the space next to you. She complies and settles herself, looking at you softly and you both just stare at each other, smiling like idiots until you let out one of the biggest yawns, Mapi giggling afterwards. 

“Now sleep, yes?” She smiles and you nod your head, moving to get even more comfortable as you settle down, you feel her tap your arm lightly before pointing to her chest with a questioning look. You give her a nod and place your head on her chest, hearing her steady heartbeat and she tentatively runs her hand down your back.

“Mucho gracias for everything, Mapi.” You say as you feel yourself falling asleep.

“De nada Y/N, tomorrow more explore. Good sleep.” She says softly. 

You might not have had the best start in Zaragoza, but you´re grateful that you encountered someone as sweet as Mapi to help you, hopefully she doesn't get tired of you too soon.

[lots-of-pockets]

Something definitely happened

[lots-of-pockets]

Enid, walking back to the dorm with her hand in Wednesday’s: So…if I said I adopted a cat, would you be mad at me?

Wednesday, staring curiously: I would’ve preferred you talked to me about it first so I can prepare, but I wouldn’t be mad.

Enid, opening the door: Oh ahaha, good.

Wednesday, staring: …Enid

Enid, innocently: Y…Yes?

Wednesday, deadpan: Why is there a tiger cub in our room.

Enid, stomping her foot: YOU SAID YOU WOULDNT BE MAD! AND HIS NAME IS STRIPE.

[lots-of-pockets]

it’s not like yelena is enjoying anything of this ! please melina come pick up your kids

[lots-of-pockets]

“We’re both upside down.”

[lots-of-pockets]

[lots-of-pockets]

The motorbike idea started with these doodles, then i got mentally ill and started putting lights so now I'm making a post with each drawing. A normal outcome of events.

[lots-of-pockets]

Enid ‘ADHD’ Sinclair, during her inevitable sexuality crisis: I swear to god Wednesday sometimes I could just strangle you.

Enid: But I also kinda love you though. Like a lot.

Enid: No homo, obviously.

Enid: Okay it’s kinda homo, but I’m not ready to deal with that.

Enid: If I asked you to make out with me would you be down? LIKE I’M NOT! But if I was… would you be into that? *intense eye contact*

Wednesday, confused in autistic: You’re beautiful.

[lots-of-pockets]

Yoko walks in on Enid holding up Wednesday

Yoko: Air Jail?

Enid: Air Jail.

Wednesday: Help me.

Yoko runs across the room

Yoko: I’m open!

Wednesday: Wait what?

Enid: Okay!

Then werewolf casually throws the raven to the vampire. She catches her with ease.

Yoko: I caught her!

Wednesday: What the hell?! I’m not just some toy you can just throw around!

Wednesday:

Wednesday: Do it again please.