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reminiscingtonight · 1 year

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Half A World Away

Lucy Bronze x Reader

Word Count: 3k

A/N: Don’t say y’all didn’t ask for it. Based on “Half A World Away” by Remme and Clara Mae.

[Part Two]

[WOSO Masterlist]

You’ve forgotten how loud the rain can get in Seattle.

It’s midnight where you’re at, the loud splatter of drops doing nothing to help soothe the storm raging in your head. Though you’ve long gone to bed, the empty apartment and emptier heart making you far more tired than it should, you haven’t been able to fall asleep.

After spending the past couple years in England, you’ve finally decided to come back home to play. Your national team teammates were more than stoked when they found out about the transfer, welcoming you with open arms and tight hugs.

To be fair, this had been a long time coming. Although you hadn’t planned to return so soon, returning had been in your plans. You just thought that you’d be coming to play out the last year or so of your career with the love of your life by your side.

But sometimes things just don’t turn out the way you want it to. You still had many years left to go, retirement still eons away. And then there’s the issue of the person you’ve spent the last couple years loving. She’s not here next to you, and if you’re being honest, you don’t think she’ll ever be.

As much as you want Seattle to be home, you know the truth.

Home will always be back on the other side of the world.

---

Waking up to Lucy will always be your favorite thing to do. She’s got her arms wrapped tight around you, as if you’d run away sometime in the middle of the night.

You press a light kiss against her forehead before extricating yourself from her arms. Lucy’s a deep sleeper, so climbing out of bed isn’t hard to do. What’s harder is trying to cook breakfast without setting fire to the kitchen. There’s a reason Lucy’s always the one cooking whenever you guys find yourselves in need of food.

Somehow you make it through unscathed, making your way back to your shared room with a tray loaded with homemade waffles and a small fruit salad, some coffee balanced precariously on the edge. To your delight, Lucy’s still fast asleep when you toe open the door.

Setting the tray off to the side, you climb back into bed. Lucy only starts stirring when you start pressing some light kisses against her face.

Her nose scrunches up first, but it isn’t until she lazily blinks her eyes open that you’re sure she’s awake. Lucy gives you a tired smile.

“Hi.”

“Morning,” you chirp back, leaning back in again, but this time for an actual kiss.

Lucy rests her hands along the back of your neck, letting you put your full weight on her. You’re smiling when you break apart.

“When do you leave?”

The reminder that your time together is limited makes you frown. City and Arsenal played a game yesterday, hence your ability to spend last night with Lucy. Although you finessed this little getaway, Jordan and Leah were currently enjoying a late brunch with Keira, the two gunners ready to pick you up in a couple hours to head back to London. Though you appreciated the leeway they were giving you, you know you can’t leave them hanging for too long.

“I’ve got a couple hours.”

Whatever Lucy’s about to respond stops when she turns to grab her glasses off the bedside table. She squints when she catches sight of the tray.

“You made me breakfast in bed?”

“You sound surprised,” you tease.

She looks a little bashful. “I mean… you’re never one to be eager to cook.”

“Keep up this attitude and I might never again.”

Both of you are laughing when Lucy lunges up at you, blowing a raspberry against your cheek before she’s suddenly flipping the two of you over. You gasp, not expecting the action, but Lucy keeps you pinned to the bed.

You’re holding your breath when she ducks down, sucking a mark into the side of your neck.

“A couple hours you said?”

The words are mumbled out, but you can still feel her smirk.

When you end up being late to the pick up site, Jordan teases you until you’re bright red in the face.

---

Lucy tells you about Barcelona while the two of you are in California. You’re seeing the sights, visiting some of your friends with some of her English teammates when she tells you about her new contract.

“It’s a great opportunity.”

You don’t say anything else. You wonder if she thinks you’ll stop her from going.

“Let’s just enjoy the rest of our vacation, okay?”

The answer is no, you would never stop her from following her dreams.

What you don’t realize is that Lucy never had you in her plans for Barcelona.

Lucy’s packing, about to leave for camp when she breaks up with you. You have to leave for your own camp soon, but you haven’t left yet, still dressed in one of her sweaters when she utters the words.

Long distance isn’t something she wants to do, she tells you. You know how her relationship with Keira ended, how much the distance killed them before they could really start.

But you thought you guys were different. After all, you made the brief distance between your respective clubs work.

Lucy’s not meeting your eyes when you try to convince her otherwise.

In the end it doesn’t matter.

“Please don’t go,” you whisper, trying to ignore the fact that Jordan told you about a ring months ago.

“I… I’m sorry. I really am.” Lucy really does look heartbroken when she leaves you sitting alone in her apartment.

You have to fake being okay when your friends win the Euros. You cheer with Jordan, let the smaller girl drag you to the last couple games. You do everything you can, but you still miss her even though she hasn’t left yet.

And when the airplane finally takes Lucy away to Barcelona, you feel your heart leave with her.

---

Sonnett tries to get you to go biking with her.

Something she took away from her time in DC was her love for biking. She’s somehow roped Rose into doing it, Rose got Sofia to do it, and now they all have their sights set on you.

You don’t have the heart to tell them biking only takes you back to England, that it makes you think of the girl who you loved so fully but broke your heart.

The first time Lucy takes you on a bike ride, it’s 12am and the two of you have just returned from a date night at a bowling alley. You give the defender an affronted look when she drags you towards the bike shop.

“C’mon, it’ll be fun!”

“I think we have different definitions of the word ‘fun’,” you tsk.

You still let her drag you into the store. You’re not really listening when she talks with the clerk, pointing out the bikes she wanted to purchase.

When she plops a helmet on your head, you give her your best glare. Both of you know there’s no real heat behind it. Lucy tilts your head back and you accept her kiss without a fuss.

“Love you,” she murmurs.

Your eyes are sparkling with mirth when you pull away. “You already got me to agree to go midnight biking with you. There’s no need to sweet talk me.”

Lucy rolls her eyes, but there’s no hiding her grin. “Alright sweet cheeks, path’s this way.”

Everything’s normal the first couple minutes. You pedal quietly side by side, the path being big enough for the two of you. When Lucy slyly glances at you before winking, you know she’s about to do something stupid.

You’re proven correct not long after. Lucy throws both of her hands up into the air, letting out a whoop as she somehow keeps her balance.

“You’re literally going to get us into trouble,” you laugh, making sure to keep your own hands on your handle bars.

“With who?” Lucy snorts. She does put her hands back on her bars though. “We’re not in season right now, so it’s just you and me. I won’t tell if you don’t.”

You chuckle. “Babe, I’m not going to lie about how you got hurt when we go to the ER later because you fell off your bike.”

“Oh ye of little faith.”

It’s beautiful, the path she takes you on.

The two of you bike past rivers, through parks, nothing but the sparkling stars and moon lighting your paths. Though the sights you see are beautiful, you know none of it compares to the beauty of your girlfriend. Every time you catch sight of her that night, the flutter in your heart only magnifies.

From there on out, biking becomes sort of a ritual for the two of you. After a particularly hard game or a fight of some sort, the two of you always recouped the same way --- midnight bike rides. The distance of course made biking together a difficult thing, but you always made the most of it when you guys were finally reunited.

But you don’t know how to tell your friends any of that.

So you don’t.

Still, you can’t help but compare the feel of Sonny’s hands on your waist, her voice echoing loud next to your ears when she hops onto the back of your bike to Lucy’s. You have to scoot a little forward so the blonde doesn’t fall back, but you get flashbacks to when Lucy used to do the same. Sonnett’s yelling something about how you pedal slower than her grandma, Rose giggling somewhere close behind, but everything about this just feels wrong.

Sonny isn’t Lucy. Seattle isn’t London or Manchester.

You’re surrounded by some of your best friends, but still you feel alone.

Something tells you it’s time you get used to this feeling, because the truth is, Lucy’s not coming back. Lucy’s not coming back and you’re not going home.

England and Lucy will always hold a special part in your heart, but this is your new normal and there’s nothing you can do but get used to it.

---

You tried, you really did.

You play the new season for a couple months, trying to ignore the empty feeling left behind by Lucy’s absence. But it’s hard to find joy in the sport and the city you’re not used to being alone in.

Whenever the WSL season started, you and Lucy would take turns making the trip out to the other’s city. Even when you weren’t physically next to the other, you’d stay connected through the phone, text messages and facetimes keeping your relationship alive.

The rational part of you knows it’s stupid. Leaving in the middle of the season? Leaving the place you’ve called home for the past couple years?

There’s also the little voice in your head that won’t stop yelling about the fact that Seattle is further away than London. If Lucy didn’t want a long distance relationship between Barcelona and London, she definitely wouldn’t want one with you in Seattle.

It’s easier to ignore that voice. It’s not like Lucy left the door open for the two of you when she left. Your relationship was over, and you just had to deal with it.

Apparently your way of “dealing with it” involves hopping on a plane to the other side of the world.

Leah’s the one you tell first. She’s become one of the people you’ve gotten closest to ever since you arrived in England all those years ago. The blonde thinks you’re joking until you ask her if she wants your plant collection.

“Look, I don’t want to be cruel, but don’t you think you’re taking this a little too far? Lucy broke up with you, and I get it, that sucks, but you shouldn’t run away.”

“I’m not running away,” you huff, knowing exactly what Leah’s trying to get at.

“Leaving for a team that hasn’t even started their season yet seems like running away.”

“Lucy left first, so why can’t I?” Though snapped out, your words still come out a little broken.

You look away then, trying to hide your tears before Leah can spot them.

Leah simply sighs, ignoring the hurt in your voice. Her voice is a little gentler this time around. “I want you to be doing this for yourself, not because of Lucy.”

You’re quiet for a moment, really thinking it through. If you’re being honest, the thought of playing back home has always been a nagging thought. With no one to come home to anymore, it just made the decision all the more easier. “I... I think I’ve been wanting to go home for a while. Lucy ending things just-- it just made it more clear for me.”

Every time you go to camp, you can’t help but feel a little bit left out whenever your friends tell you about all they get up to in the states. They’re always suspended in awe whenever you tell them about your life in England, but leaving your friends is never easy when camp comes to an end.

It’s always been easier leaving your friends and family behind when you had Lucy waiting to come home to. You’ve had a hard time leaving them these past couple times though. It’s no surprise it’s coincided with your break up.

“I’m sorry I’m not finishing out the season. I never wanted to leave you guys hanging.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Leah sighs, giving you her best smile. It still looks a little sad, but at least she’s trying. “We’ll definitely miss playing with you over here, but you’re going to kill it in Seattle.”

“I’ll miss you guys too. Don’t think the distance will stop me from being a gooner though.”

“Once a gooner,” she starts, smile growing just a bit sadder.

You pull the younger girl in for a hug before either of you can start crying. If this is how your talk with Leah is going, you can’t imagine how many tears will be shed when you break the news to the rest of the team tomorrow.

Your time in England will have always given you the love of your life. All the happy moments and the sad, it all began and ended here. It all began and ended with Lucy. What happens from here on out, well that you’ll have to figure out for yourself.

---

Lucy’s always hated the early morning practices.

She much rather wake up to your soft breaths puffing against her cheek, arms wrapped loosely around her waist. Her lips slightly curl up at the memory. She never told you, but she’s always loved the feeling of you sprawled on top of her, no matter what time of day it happens.

It feels like a dagger to the heart when she remembers why it’ll no longer be a thing. Why even when the season ends she won’t be able to go home to you.

Lucy heard about your move back to the states through the grapevines.

When Jordan first told her that you were leaving Arsenal, Lucy couldn’t believe her ears. You were a diehard gooner, elated beyond words when you signed your contract with them. You had stuck by through the ups and downs of your career, even when your national team position was threatened by the mere fact that you weren’t playing in the states. Your love for the game, more specifically the soccer culture in England, made you stay strong in your refusal to leave. It all worked out in the end, but she remembers those nights you stayed awake, training harder to prove yourself from other contenders all those miles away.

Lucy always remembers you mentioning moving back to the states to end out your career, but you didn’t seem anywhere close to hanging up your boots.

Jordan said something about you leaving before the season ended so you could catch the start of the NWSL, but by then, Lucy wasn’t listening.

Like always, she finds herself staring down at your contact before practice starts. She always happens to find the abandoned message thread right after lacing up her boots. Just like the first time she pulled it up, there’s nothing typed out. There’s so much she wants to say, but she doesn’t know where to start.

Lucy knows that it’s nighttime in Seattle right now. She wonders if you’re sleeping alone, trying to forget the memory of her as she tries of you every night. The selfish part of her hopes that it also doesn’t work for you.

She knows she has no right to wonder how you’re doing. She’s the one who broke things off. But late at night, when Lucy’s got nothing but the memories of the two of you to keep her company, she can’t help but imagine what it would be like for you to take her back. If you were to allow her to love you again.

“Lucy!” Mapi’s voice, somewhere close in the locker room, jolts Lucy out of her thoughts.

The corner of her lips drop when she notices the time. Quickly closing the messages app, Lucy tosses her phone into her bag. She rubs a tired hand up and down her face before shouting a quick “Coming!”

As she makes her way out of the locker room, there’s only one thing on her mind.

Maybe tomorrow will be different.

Maybe tomorrow Lucy will finally come up with the nerves to tell you how much she misses you. To tell you how much she wished she didn’t let you go.

She’s got nothing but her maybes, so until then, she’ll have to deal with her heart being half a world away.

#lucy bronze x reader #lucy bronze imagine #uswnt x reader #uswnt imagine #woso x reader #woso imagine #Ace writes

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