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kccisfuckingmagical · 2 months ago

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Rivals all the way

(Nathalie Björn x Arsenal!Swedish!Reader)

Warning: none

You are a Swedish fullback.

It is almost comical how you and Nathalie always end up in rival clubs.

Djurgården is in your blood. Ever since your great grandfather’s neighbours’ second cousin Lars played for said Stockholm club, for generations, your family has been loyal supporters of the Blue Stripes (Blåränderna). So, when Djurgårdens IF knocked on your door and scouted you after playing a stellar season for your local third tier club at the age of 14, you were committed immediately. Which, of course, your amazing break in the first tier league Damallsvenskan did not happen as Djurgårdens were relegated just several months after you signed.

Yet, you still developed greatly after playing in a much more professional environment, and your role was instrumental in promoting your club back to 2016 Damallsvenskan after four years of hard work and grit, and with the obscene amount of headers you scored, placing you the 2nd most scorer for the Sweden 2nd tier league.

You had known Nathalie since youth camps, but it was during your final years at Gymnasium in Stockholm that your bond solidified despite playing for a rival club in Stockholm.

And when she moved to Rosengård in 2018, you transferred to Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC (which later merged and renamed to BK Häcken in 2021). And for the women side, it had an even more intense rivalry than your local Stockholm AIK vs Djurgårdens derby, with both teams fighting top places in Damallsvenskan.

In 2018 Damallsvenskan season, your club Göteborg came 2nd when her club Rosengård, came 3rd. In 2019, Rosengård became champions when Göteborg still ranked 2nd. And finally, in 2020, your club came first and her club came second. 2021, Nathalie transferred to Everton after half a season into the Swedish league, and your club still came second when her former club Rosengård reigned champions again. You stayed in the renamed club BK Häcken until 2022 summer window, where you have received a lucrative offer from a WSL club.

It was a newly repromoted team, the Merseyside arch-rival of Everton, the REDS, The Liverpool who wanted you after their reformation, and they were willing to make one of the most lucrative offers ever for a Swedish female footballer with guaranteed game time and an ambitious tactical talk with Matt Beard sealed the deal.

So you moved to Liverpool, and moving straight into your girlfriend of seven years’ apartment, which she cleared half of the closet, half of the sink, half of the walls, half of the shelves, half of the couch, and half of the bed.

And you filled her originally Rosengård and Everton’s blue themed (with occasional black with yellow accents of AIK) apartment with unapologetic Liverpool’s red mugs, Kopparbergs/Göteborg’s blue and white cusions, BK Häcken’s yellow and black blankets, and your very own Djurgården legend Daniel Sjölund’s signed jersey was framed upon the apartment wall amongst your jerseys from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic where you won your silver medals alongside with your national team.

It was almost comical when Nathalie’s teammates from Everton stepped foot on your now shared apartment after you moved in.

Gabby George did a double take when she moved pass the hallway, Izzy Christiansen dramatically gasped when she looked into the living room, putting her right hand over her heart, and your Swedish teammate Hanna Bennison whom Nathalie previously played with in Rosengård, looked at Nathalie like she’d committed treason.

Or maybe because she did.

Aggie Beever-Jones, the loaned Chelsea homegrown, was wheezing with laughter, “what a fucking live size Mighty Red is doing in your living room mate?”

Hanna looked at Nathalie warily, “you aren’t a secretly BK Häcken fan right? That’s a Häcken wine glass. Why does anyone need a glass with Häcken emblem on it?”

Megan Finnigan looked as though she was betrayed by her own child. When she started walking backwards, as if she was going to burst out from the front door, she spotted on her peripheral vision a new IKEA shoe shelf filled with Adidas cleats and footwear, as opposed to Nathalie’s sponsored Nike merchandise, and it finally clicked in her head.

“Are you dating an enemy, Nathalie Björn?” Megan asked cautiously.

“Not dating, I married one! Min älskling, y/n, come on out and say hello to my teammates!” Nathalie beamed at her own teammates and called out to the kitchen.

And you, who just finished your second training session with Liverpool, with wet hair and flushed pink cheeks, left your kitchen, hands balancing a giant board of sliced fruits. Nathalie grabbed Hanna and rushed to kitchen and brought back out two large jars of unsweetened lemonade, a pot of honey to self serve, and utensils to go with.

You, who were wearing a blazing red hoodie with a Liverpool crest larger than a your head, popped yourselves amongst the Blues like it was just a random Tuesday afternoon and you were all friends hanging around for a coffee, and with the same beaming smile Nathalie was having.

“Hi, enemies!” You greeted the toffees enthusiastically.

Hanna stared. “Nej, nej, nej. No ‘hi, enemies’. I helvete (in hell), since when are you married? Better question, to your mortal enemy Nati? Your biggest rival who somehow landed in your rival club again?” she exclaimed incredulously.

“Hanna, I thought we were friends!” You looked betrayed.

“Nej, only in national camps, otherwise you are my enemy. And she is your enemy too Nati!”

Nathalie was unfazed. “We married just before I decided to transfer to the blues. Couldn’t bear the idea of a longer long distance than ever. And Y/N is having my last name on her Liverpool jersey, crazy right?”

Izzy was stunned, and high-fived Nathalie, “that’s clever, one way to infiltrate into the enemies nest.”

“What do you mean mortal enemy and rival club again?” Aggie was curious.

“Oh, I was playing for Djurgårdens when she played for AIK, which was a bit like a North London derby but a Stockholm one. And when she played for Rosengård, and I played for Kopparbergs/Göteborg, and it was a bit like Arsenal—Chelsea rivalry, both gunning for the top spot.” You explained absentmindedly, cutting a grape in half to remove the seeds inside with a small fork and a paring knife.

“And out of every club there is in WSL, you chose Liverpool!?” Hanna was still very much in shock.

“That’s just football my friend.” You answered absentmindedly, popping the now peeled and deseeded half green grape into your mouth. Nathalie stole the other half with a swift motion with her fork from your plate.

Needless to say, you had been quite interrogated into the Blues despite being a Red after this small spontaneous gathering.

Fast forwards to 2024.

Nathalie Björn adjusted the collar of her new Chelsea jersey, the royal blue fabric still feeling foreign against her skin. The move to London had been a whirlwind—new teammates, new tactics, and a city that buzzed with a different energy than Stockholm or Merseyside. But one thing hadn’t changed: the way her heart still skipped when her phone buzzed with a notification from y/n.

[Min älskling]: Guess who are signing to the red side of London?

Nathalie nearly choked on her coffee.

[Blue Nathalie]: You’re joking.

[Min älskling]: Nope. They needed a left-back after Catley’s injury. Beard wasn’t happy, but… it’s a two-year deal.

Nathalie groaned, tipping her head back against the locker room bench. Of course you’d end up at Arsenal. It was almost poetic—the universe’s way of balancing the scales after she’d dared to marry a player that had been her rival ever since the beginning of her career.

"Everything alright, Björn?" Millie Bright clapped her on the shoulder, eyebrow raised.

"Fine," Nathalie muttered, locking her phone. "Just… family stuff."

Chelsea squad had acclimated to Nathalie quickly. She was sharp in training, dryly funny during film sessions, and—most importantly—unshakable in defense. She was unproblematic, and quickly found herself immersed into the squad with the help of her Swedish teammates, and ex-Everton teammate Aggie Beever-Jones.

At least until…

Two days days later, when the transfer news break out, Nathalie was halfway through her morning coffee when Aggie Beever-Jones slammed her phone onto the breakfast table.

*ARSENAL SIGN SWEDISH INTERNATIONAL Y/N BJÖRN FROM LIVERPOOL*

"Björn. Explain."

Nathalie blinked. "Explain what?"

Aggie turned her screen around. The Sky Sports notification glared back at them:

*BREAKING: Arsenal sign Swedish international Y/N Björn from Liverpool – two-year deal confirmed*

Johanna who was sitting beside Nathalie peered into the screen, blinked, and all of a sudden, bursted out with laughter. “Ooh, Iconic Y/N behaviour, just to keep the rivalry alive!”

Sam Kerr who overheard was curious. “Y/N Björn, are you two sisters or something?”

Nathalie didn’t even glance up. "Nej, Y/N is my wife."

Silence. Then—

"Your what?" Lauren James screeched.

Nathalie blinked, realizing her mistake. She’d been so used to Everton knowing, so used to the WSL’s gossip mill spinning her business, that she’d forgotten: Chelsea didn’t know.

"...So," Erin Cuthbert said, voice dangerously calm. "When were you going to tell us your wife is Arsenal's new left-back?"

Nathalie shrugged. "I thought everyone knows!”

“What the actual hell, mate?” Sam Kerr squinted. "I thought you were literal fraternal twins. You’ve got the same brunette hair, brown eyes, sharp cheekbones, long legs and the Scandinavian superiority complex. I could have sworn you both used the same blocking technique when I played against Liverpool and Everton!"

Millie was astonished. “I just thought Björn is just a common last name in Sweden?”

Nathalie took a slow slip of her coffee, “Nej, Y/N and I have been married since we were 23 years old. Come on guys, no need to make a fuss, it is really not that dramatic.”

"Not dramatic?!" Jess Carter threw her hands up. "You’re telling me you’ve been married to Arsenal’s new signing for four years and the WOSO gossip mill missed it?"

Nathalie didn’t blink. “I’m sure some fans must have speculated it, and how is it my fault when you don’t have friends from Everton or Liverpool who can share all the gossips with you? Aggie, the Swedes, most of the Scandinavian in WSL knows about us.”

Ashley Lawrence, ever the voice of reason, tilted her head. "Wait. If you married in 2020… does that mean when you were at Rosengård—"

"—y/n was at Göteborg" Guro Reiten finished, who somehow heard of the rumour but didn’t pay too much attention beforehand, amused. "And then, you were in Everton, and she was in Liverpool. Gud, Nathi. You’ve really got a type, don’t you? Rivals."

Nathalie shrugged, fighting a smirk. "What can I say? I like a challenge."

And the London derby couldn’t come soon enough.

The tunnel at Emirates Stadium hummed with pre-match tension. Nathalie was starting this match (a last-minute substitution with Millie injured) and tried to ignore the way her pulse thudded when she spotted you.

You were stretching near the Arsenal squad, your red-and-white away kit a stark contrast to Chelsea’s blues. But then you turned, caught her eye, and winked.

Nathalie bit back a smile and discretely did a finger wave to you.

“Oi, Björn!” Aggie hissed. “Quite flirting with your rival on a derby day!”

Nathalie coughed and crouched down, pretending to check her shin pads to hide her blush.

The match was brutal. Arsenal pressed high, Chelsea countered fast, and the tackles flew in like neither side remembered this was technically a non-contact sport.

At 18th minute, you overlapped down the left wing, and Nathalie flattened you with a clean but brutal shoulder charge. The crowd roared. You shoved her back when you got up. She grinned.

34th minute, Chelsea corner, you knew full well Nathalie’s airborne ability. So you kept on pushing her while her elbow kept digging into you. Your squabble got a bit too much out of hand and the ref decided to give both of you a warning. Manu pushed away the header from Aggie’s attempt and you swept it out for a Chelsea throw in.

37th minute. You tackled Nathalie cleanly when she decided to run up the field to make an offensive run. She fell and rolled over, groaning dramatically, claiming for a foul while you complained to the ref for her “diving”, and should give her a warning instead for her unsportsmanlike behaviour. You got a yellow card for talking back to the ref, and she got a yellow for time wasting.

Five minutes later, when Beth went down from a foul by Ashley Lawrence. The cameras caught you sharing a water bottle. The commentators were confused. “Are they…laughing? They were gunning for each other all day?!"

Then, in the 63rd minute, it happened.

You intercepted a pass meant for Lauren James, dribbled past two blue shirts, and went 1v1 on Nathalie. You could’ve passed. You should’ve passed. Caitlin was waiting on an overlap, Kim was not too far away. But you saw Stina was sprinting towards the back post, pace unmatched.

So, you nutmegged her. Nathalie’s face was priceless—half fury, half pride—but you were already gone, and setting a cross so perfect that Stina headed it into the net with utmost ease.

1-0 to Arsenal.

Frida, who just went off to the bench screamed in joys and jokingly told with Amanda in a hybrid of Swedish and Norwegian: “SHE’S SLEEPING ON THE COUCH TONIGHT!"

The Emirates erupted. You turned toward the Chelsea half and grinned directly at Nathalie and kissed your taped ring finger. Nathalie knew that you would probably write the cutest little N and a red heart beside it on your tape. And you turned your heel and ran towards Stina, your best friend from Swedish National Team, and pampered multiple kisses onto her head, while eyes locked directly into Nathalie.

Erin gaped. "Did she just—"

"Kiss her ring finger? And proceed to kiss our best friend just to rub it in? Yes." Nathalie deadpanned. "We’re one goal behind. Erin. Focus."

But when the final whistle blew (1-1, thanks to a last-minute Kerr’s equaliser), Nathalie didn’t high-five her own teammates just yet, and instead jogged toward the Arsenal bench—where you were substitute off at 68 minutes for Katie McCabe.

The cameras caught it all: the way you pulled her into a hug, the way she muttered something in your ear that made you laugh, the way your hands lingered just a second too long, the way you brushed her stray stand of sweaty hair off her face, and the way Guro and Frida crackling with each other, fingers pointing at you both, when you two smiled at each other a bit too much.

And the internet got hold of it.

@ReitenFans03: Nathalie Björn (Chelsea) and Y/N Björn (Arsenal) just hugged it out after the derby. Are they related?

@WOSO_Insider: Breaking: Arsenal New Defender Y/N Björn from Liverpool shares a bottle with Chelsea’s New Defender Nathalie Björn after 1-1 London derby draw.

@FootyBanter: Swedish invasion! The Björn siblings taking over London derbies!

The speculation lasted exactly 37 minutes until Hanna Bennison, ever the agent of chaos, quote-tweeted a fan account with:

@HannaBennison8 (verified): Not sisters. Married. Also, their old apartment had a life-size Liverpool Mighty Red in the living room and a set of Häcken tableware. Yes, really. No, I’m not okay.

On instagram, ChelseaFCW posted:*[Highlights of Nathalie’s tackles]*

In response, ArsenalWFC posted: *[Clip of your nutmeg on Nathalie and assist to Stina]* with a cheeky caption *Björn MAGIC 👀👀*

WOSO_Memes posted a side-by-side photos: Nathalie shouldering you to the ground vs. you side-tackling her with a shit-eating grin. Caption: *Marriage*

Then, the pièce de résistance – an old photo resurfaced, courtesy of Hanna: You and Nathalie in your first rival derby (AIK vs. Djurgården, 2015), mid-shoving match. The caption?

*Some things never change.*

Later in the evening, you posted some match photos alongside with a frame of Nathalie’s foul on you, a goal celebration with Stina, a post match moment of you and Nathalie hugging together, and lastly, a photo of you two cuddling each other under a Swedish national team blanket on your sofa, her Chelsea hoodie and your Arsenal one tangled together, a Häcken wine glass in frame, and a framed Djurgården jersey behind you, with Nathalie cuddling an Everton throw pillow and the life size Mighty Red just sitting beside you. Caption: *Another Björn vs Björn. Scoreline: 1-1. Truce until next derby.*

#woso x reader #woso fanfics #woso #nathalie björn #chelsea wfc x reader #arsenal wfc x reader #woso imagine #Nathalie Björn x reader #swewnt

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