#alessia russo ima

[intensid4d]

The Moon - Alessia Russo x Reader

let me know if u like it! not readproof.

+2k of words! enjoy

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Playing in Manchester United was your dream since being a kid, seeing as your father was British and an United’s die hard fan. But with your mother being a American, your family living in America and you playing for the U.S., it was just a dream. Especially because if you left, then you could lose your spot on the national team. But when you won the World Cup and after a Olympic medal, a loto f clubs were looking for you. One of those being Man United. You knew you couldn’t let it pass. So after a couple of weeks you called your agent and said you would do it. You would play for United.

It all happened really quick and as soon as the paper work was done between both clubs you were in England, ready to meet your new teammates. Marc, Katie and Millie being the first one you meet.

“We are really happy to have you here, welcome to your new home!” Marc says after greeting you and introduce you to the women.

“Yes, all the girls were really happy when we heard you were our new teammate. Hope you can feel at home and if you ever need anything, count on me.” Katie hugs you, Millie doing the same thing after.

“We’ll let you change into your kit then we’ll go see the others.” They left the room so you can change.

.

All of the girls were amazing and you couldn’t be more happier. Soon all of them became your friends, but you couldn’t help but grow closer to the special duo, Ella Toone and Alessia Russo. Since they were always making you laugh, always helping you out if you needed to go somewhere and didn’t know how to get there. In a matter of time the duo became a trio. It was like you knew each other since childhood.

.

As expected, you didn’t got called to the national team onto the first months being at Man United, so you went to see your two friends play for the Lionesses. Wanting to do a surprise, you show without telling them. So when they’re warming up and Mary spots you on the stands with a Man United shirt, she smiles and waves at you. You wave back, also smiling. Only looking away when Alessia comes into the field.

Damn, she looks good in white and blue. You think to yourself. The blonde doesn’t see you right away, always being too oblivious to everything. Everyone always say Alessia was like the sun, but you liked to thing she was like the moon. Always bringing light when things are dark or making things more beautiful. The moon was always beautiful to you, no matter how it was. And so it was Alessia. On all these months you have been friends with her, you couldn’t help but have a crush (or so it was what you thought it was, just a crush. A little one.). How could you not? When she was always there for you, giving you rides home, holding your hand when you were on the girls night watching a horror movie that you were scared, even when she was scared too. Or when she would fall over every once because she was too focused on you while you were talking to her at practice and you would always catch her by the waist and she would always whisper a little “thank you” with flushed cheeks. Or when she would always waits for you to get into the bus even if she didn’t sit with you. Or when she was always the first one to come to you when you got tackled down and just leave when you were on your feet and reassured her that you were okay. And, anyway... You could stay forever talking about how an amazing person Alessia Russo was.

Ella yelling your name brings you back to reality. Apparently Mary told her and Alessia about you being on the stands, so now both women are coming your way with huge smiles on their faces.

“Why you didn’t told us you were coming?” Ella says while jumping the barrier to hug you.

“Hello to you too! I wanted to do a surprise.” You laugh at her antics and hug her back. Alessia jumps the barrier too and soon you are on her embrace.

“It’s nice to see you! I missed you.” The blonde says on your ear, while in the hug.

“I missed you too. You look good on blue and white.” You smirk to her breaking the hug, seeing the way she’s blushing.

“Will you come into the field after the match?” Ella asks alredy starting to make her way back.

“Only if you guys want me to.” Alessia hugs you one more time, leaving a soft kiss on your cheek.

“Good luck, make a goal for me.” Is all you say to her, before she leaves.

.

You spent the entire match watching Alessia, you were always mesmerized by her skills.

She indeed score a goal, hugging her teammates in celebration and after they started to come back to their position she turned to were you were and pointed to you with that smile that only she had on her face, saying the goal was for you.

Lionesses won by 2x0 and as the final whistle blew you joined the fans on applauding the team. After shaking hands with the others players Mary came to get you into the field.

“Congrats on the win, good game Mearps!”

“Hey there, American!” Rachel greets you, hugging you tight. You guys having had meet because of Millie. You start a little conversation, talking about some new things about your lives when you get interrupted by Alessia walking your way but misreading her last move and almost falling over. Just not hitting the ground because of holding on you for dear life.

You can hear the others girls laughing, making the blush on her cheeks even harder.

“You okay?” You ask after she composes herself.

“Yeah, I’m sorry.” She looks away, being really embarassed.

“It’s okay. I have no problem catching you.” You put your arm over her shoulders and brings her closer.

“Lessi had literally fallen for Y/N!” Toone says still laughing and you can hear the groan Alessia makes.

“Oh my gosh, I hate you so much Toone! Stop it!” She groans again, hiding her face on your neck.

“Do you want to go? I can take you home. We can order pizza if you want too.”

“I would love to. Just let me get changed.” She kisses your cheek and goes to the changing room.

Little did you know that the team actually was going out to celebrate and Alessia just skipped it to  have more time alone with you. Or how all the feelings were shared. She felt the same. She wanted you, but being all shy and don’t wanting to lose you, she choose to keep all of it to herself, so she would be safe.

.

The ride to Alessia’s house was filled with small talk, both of you always being comfortable around each other.

“Oh, I forgot to mention earlier but that was a beautiful goal. For real, it was insane to see.” You park the car in front of her house.

“Oh, it wasn’t that much, stop. But it did it for you, like you asked.” She says while getting out of the car, avoinding to look at you. Too bad she couldn’t see the stupid smile on your face. She was just too cute for you to handle.

“Do you want some wine?” She asks after you’re both on the couch, having alredy ordered your pizza.

“Just one glass, I still have to drive home.”

“You could always just stay here the night, I won’t mind.” She says looking at you but doesn’t waits for your answer, already making her way to the kitchen to get whine for both of you.

And for a moment you think that you wanted this forever. Stay the night with her, drink whine and eat whatever after matches, support her while playing for England... Maybe you’re bad for it, like really bad. Yeah, maybe you’re in love.

“Is everything good?” You’re pulled out of your thoughts by her.

“Yeah, I was just... Thinking about something, nothing for you to worry about.” You take the glass of her hands and take a sip.

“Okay, but if you want to talk about anything I’m right here for you.” She sits across you and takes your hand on hers.

“Thank you, but it’s really nothing. So... How have you been?” You change the subject.

“I’m fine now, but I don’t know how I would be if I didn’t score today. I have been pulled on a lot of pressure by the fans and by myself too, for not being able to score in the past few games. I felt like I was letting everyone down and didn’t deserve to be there.” You squeeze her hand, drawing circles in the back.

“I’m sorry you ever felt this way, If I knew about it I would never let you think about not deserving to be there. You are an amazing player, Lessi. And you’re so important on the field. Like, the Enemy should be scared if you ever touch the ball on their side of the line, because you could make a mess of them. Your skills are amazing, you are amazing. You deserve to be there and if people even think otherwise they’re probably mad.” You can see how hers cheeks turn a little bit red, she has that beautiful smile of hers on her face. In that moment all you wanted was to kiss it but you couldn’t so you bring her hand to your lips and give it a little kiss.

“Y/N, I...” Alessia starts saying but is interrupted by the doorbell. “It’s the pizza, I should take this.” She finishes her glass of whine and to the door. You take this time to recompose yourself, for a moment you thought she feels the same way about you. But that’s impossible, right? She only sees you as a friend. Plus, she probably doesn’t even like girls.

When she comes back, you both go to the back of her house and sit on the little table that’s there. That being on of Alessia’s favorite space of her house. Being her safe place to enjoy the sky and the piece. You both eat in silence, only each other, the sky full of starts and the music the blonde put on her phone.

“I love the moon, it’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.” You say after a while, having had four glasses of whine. The other woman just hums in agreement, enjoying her last glass, already feeling a little drunk.

“To me love is like the moon. It has many faces, in each part of the world you see it differently, but it’s always there. Every night. Even if it’s raining and you can’t see, you know it’s there. It have the power to make things better, to make you feel better. All you have to do is stop and feel it, admire it. It brings beauty to the darkness and is always mysterious.” You say, still looking with admiration to the moon, but saying the last past looking at her.

“And here was I thinking you couldn’t make me more in love...” She mumbles but you are close enough and paying attention enough to listen.

“You- What?” You get up making the forward look at you in panic.

“Shit! I’m- I’m sorry, I didn’t...” She gets up and starts to back away from you.

“No, no, no...” You grab her hand. “I feel the same. I’m in love with you.” Her eyes widen making you smile.

“Can I kiss you?” You get closer, cupping her cheek. She only nods, not fully trusting her words.

You smile one more time before kissing her lips softly and it felt exactly how you felt when watching the moon.

“You are my definition of moon.” You say after breaking the kiss, but still in each others arms, so close that your lips were on hers while talking.

“Gosh, kiss me again.” She grabs the back of your neck and starts another kiss.

[updownlately]

you can start a family (who will always show you love)

| alessia russo x reader | fluff (and some minuscule angst) | 2.1k | disclaimer: mentions of a broken childhood and toxic parents | a/n: based on this ask. been a minute since i wrote anything proper so criticism/feedback is very much appreciated. be as harsh as you want :) sorry for how long this took and i hope this is alright! happy reading 🫶

~~~

“Penny for your thoughts?”

You hummed as you heard the words, a tired smile resting on your lips as you felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around your waist, pulling you in steadily, warmth seeping into your bones. 

You’d been standing around the corner of the kitchen, a handful of metres away from the living room, after excusing for a moment, deciding that you just needed a minute to yourself. 

You certainly didn’t expect the blonde to follow you. 

Leaning your head back gently onto Alessia’s shoulder, you closed your eyes as you revelled in the touch.

“It’s…-”

Face scrunched as you thought deeply to find the words, you sighed before continuing, “It’s different...”

You paused for a second, choosing your next words wisely as you tried to find ones that could do justice to the voices in your head. 

Nodding to yourself, you continued. “Yeah. Like a good different, but different y’know?” 

Swallowing hard as you spoke the realisation into existence, you didn’t even realize how harshly you were gripping the blonde’s arm until she gently tugged your hand away. 

Feeling Alessia’s hands intertwine with your own, thumb rubbing comforting circles over the back of your hand almost as if she knew the words weren’t easy to admit for you, you felt some of the tension dissipate from your shoulders. 

The admission was not what the striker was expecting at all, but was more than happy to hear, a small smile crossing her face, heart swelling with pride at her own family. 

“I’m not used to it being this easy.”

Your confession was quiet, nearly getting lost in the energetic chatter and excitement occurring a few metres away from the two of you, yet the taller girl heard it clear as day.

You weren’t close with your family- not much from the start and certainly not anymore. 

Who would’ve thought that two toxic parents and a marriage that was never meant to last coupled with the news of you coming out would’ve resulted in you being promptly asked to leave a house that never quite felt like home.

It never really had come as a surprise to you, to be honest. 

In fact, you’d already been prepared to be kicked out- having slowly begun the process of moving out months before it happened, getting ready for that exact day to come.

So when it finally did occur, you had bid your deuces quietly, mournfully packing away the naive hope of being part of a happy, loving family.

Grimacing to yourself as you tuned back into the moment and realized the rabbit hole you’d just gone down, you shook your head slightly, trying to derail your train of thought from progressing any further.

The action didn’t go unnoticed by the taller girl behind you, her hold tightening a tad bit. 

You smiled wryly as you felt Alessia press a comforting kiss to your temple, lips lingering as she tried to convey just how much appreciated your presence. 

The both of you were currently at Alessia’s childhood home, having been invited for a small family gathering celebrating the Lionesses’ and mainly Alessia’s World Cup run. 

This was also your first time meeting your girlfriend’s family.

Between the nervousness coursing through your veins all throughout dinner and wanting to make the best first impression, yet being in constant awe of just how light everything felt, the evening left you drained, in a good way of course. 

You weren’t used to dinners full of laughter and gentle teasing. Never mind that everything was home cooked and Alessia’s mum had made sure to check in with you regarding any allergies of any sort. 

Too accustomed to take out quietly eaten in your own room as a child, whilst your background noise would be full of yelling and the occasional smash of a plate or a remote, it had been jarring to witness the Russo siblings rib at each other goodnaturedly, laughing even through the worst teasing as Mario and Carol had watched with smiles on their faces, taking sides as necessary to keep the teasing going.

Safe to say, it had been an overwhelming past few hours for you, and all in all, your social battery was dangerously on the brink of exhaustion after three hours. 

Shuffling further back into Alessia’s hold, you let the emotions of the day wash over you, tension escaping you slowly as you took a deep breath in.

“You know they love you already right?”

The sentence was quiet, murmured against your crown and punctuated with a small kiss.

You know the words were meant to bring you comfort, to soothe your bubbling emotions, yet all you felt was the rock in your throat grow, eyes stinging with unshed tears despite being shut as your mind fully comprehended what Alessia had said. 

Opening your mouth to respond, you flexed your jaw as you willed for words to come out.

Only a shuddering breath escaped you however, your hand quickly leaving Alessia’s as you hastily came to swipe away the few tears that had fallen before anyone could see them. 

The blonde caught the action, not that you were trying to hide it, and before you knew it, you were being gently spun around, soft hands coming to tenderly wipe away at your cheeks as you scrunched your eyes at the sting of the sharp ceiling lights.

She was aware of what your childhood had been like, it being something you'd discussed somewhat early on in the relationship when the topic of having kids and a family came up.

She had known you'd been terrified of meeting her family, not at all used to having a parental figures that didn't speak in annoyance and guilt-tripping.

So when you'd hastily excused yourself as everyone settled down for a movie, the striker figured that maybe a moment to yourself may have not been what you needed.

And she was right.

Blue eyes scanning your face for any sign of discomfort, you felt Alessia’s hands slowly slide down from your cheeks, the stark disappearance of their warmth causing your face to scrunch up in displeasure.

Just having Alessia around you brought you a small bit of comfort- comfort that you didn't weren't ready to lose just yet.

Opening your eyes, ready to protest at the removal of her touch, you were about to pout at Alessia when you picked up the soft padding of feet.

It was only then did you clock the sound of footsteps nearing you, your eyes widening in slight panic as your stomach turned in nervous anticipation, desperately trying to guess who it was. 

You didn't want to get in trouble for disappearing from everyone.

You felt Alessia’s hand fall to your arm, rubbing it comfortingly, yet failing to bring you any sense of relief.

In your fear, you didn’t even realize you’d began holding your breath, breathing in shakily as Alessia teasingly asked you not to pass out. 

“Less! Is-“

Alessia’s mother rounded the corner, a worried look on her face that quickly morphed into a relieved one as she saw the pair of you. 

“Oh good. I was worried.” 

Coming to a stop in front of you, the older woman let out a quiet sigh as a gentle smile crossed her face. 

Shooting Alessia a questioning glance, Carol turned towards you, giving you a once over and nodding to herself before turning back to Alessia. 

“Don’t tell me you’ve been troubling my future daughter-in-law Alessia Mia Teresa Russo.”

The stern look that followed brought a small smile to your face, the concern at your well being bringing a sense of comfort to your panicking state. 

“Wha- No! Mum!”

The questioning left Alessia flabbergasted, jaw dropping in shock as she looked at you, then back at her mother, then you again, eyes narrowing this time.

“I’m nice to you and yet this is what I get in return…” the blonde mumbled playfully under her breath, promptly ducking out of the way as her mother swatted teasingly in her direction. 

Turning back towards you, Carol shot you a wink before retracting her hand.

“Has she been bothering you? She can be a handful sometimes! Might need to throw her in a timeout for a little bit!”

“Mum!”

You could feel the smile in Alessia’s interjection, not needing to look over to see the fondness in her eyes as stepped towards you again.

“She’s fine. I wasn’t bothering her one bit.”

Studying you intently to make sure Alessia wasn’t lying, Carol tilted her head before nodding in agreement.

“In that case,” you felt an arm wrap around your shoulders as you got pulled away from your girlfriend, “The brownies just finished cooling! Alessia mentioned they’re your favourite.”

And with a pouty Alessia trailing dejectedly behind you, your grin came easy, the comforting hold bringing you a sense of peace you didn’t expect.

You were immensely thankful to the older woman for not bringing attention to your probably red eyes, wordlessly steering you away from the living room where the boys were, and instead straight to the kitchen and into a bar stool before whipping around to fix you some dessert. 

Feeling the bar stool next to you screech as Alessia joined you, you shot her a small smile, nodding wordlessly to her questioning gaze. 

Reaching out to lock your pinkies together, you mouthed an ‘I promise’, settling Alessia’s worries before she made a move to intertwine your hands, soft smiles crossing both your faces. 

Getting abruptly pulled out of your little bubble as a plate was gently put in front of you, you couldn’t help the huge grin that crossed your face at the sight before you- two perfect edge pieces of a brownie topped with a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Pleasantly shocked at the fact that Alessia not only remembered that this was one of your favourite desserts, but mentioned it to her mother who made it without any fuss or guilt-tripping, your jaw dropped in awe for a split second, feeling your throat tighten in emotion briefly.

“Thank you.”

Your words were quiet, just barely audible even in the near-silence of the kitchen.

Even though Carol just smiled at you, beckoning for you to eat, you were sure she got the message, your two words more than just a quiet appreciation for her making you a plate. 

The tender moment was interrupted quickly though, Alessia quickly clocking in to the fact that there was only one plate and only one spoon. 

“Hey!”

Watching as Alessia yet again argued with her mother regarding you being the new favourite child of the household, you dug in, looking up with a content smile on your face as you watched Alessia grumble to herself as she got herself a brownie as well, faux-annoyance on her face as grabbed a spoon before making her way back to you. 

And as Gio and Luca realized that the brownies had come out of the oven, you watched as they tumbled in, immediately grabbing forks and completely ignoring the tray sitting on the counter, beelining it for Alessia’s plate. 

You laughed as the trio fought over Alessia’s dessert, amazed by the way the blonde immediately covered her plate with her hands, shielding it like a prized possession.

Mirth dancing in your eyes as the plate inevitably got snatched from beneath the striker’s protective hold and you easily held your plate out in consolation, a pout meeting your gaze as the blonde dejectedly took a bite whilst casting a dirty look to her brothers.

Pulling your stool closer to Alessia’s you wrapped an arm around her midsection, you leaned into the blonde as you both enjoyed your dessert, Gio and Luca entertaining you both as they decided to fight over another brownie.

Well amused, you turned towards Alessia with a proper smile adorning your face this time, leaning into the blonde and tucking your head into the crook of her neck as you closed your eyes and basked in the homey chaos.

Maybe this family thing didn't have to be so hard after all.

“I love you. Thank you.”

You whispered the words softly enough for only your girlfriend to hear them, placing a small kiss where your lips met her skin before cuddling further into her.

And with a quiet squeeze to your waist in return, accompanied by the three words repeated softly back to you, you knew the blonde understood exactly what you meant. 

Thank you for giving me a family I didn’t know I’d ever be worthy to have- for making a house feel like home.

[lesbaingirl]

Since alessia russo won ima write about her first but I don’t know what about so let me know

[updownlately]

4 - oh you love me, you love me

series masterlist

~~~

“Hi bub…” 

Keeping your voice low, you walked softly into the room, beelining straight to the blonde under the covers, her head barely peeking out. 

Settling on the edge of the bed beside Alessia, you smoothed out her messy hair, a soft smile on your face at how adorable she looked- a sleepy grimace coating her face as blonde strands stuck out in every direction, no doubt a result of the nap she had taken earlier.

Hand coming to rest on her forehead as you stopped your ministrations, you quietly checked her temperature, mindful of the fever she had a few hours ago.

Feeling it to be near normal, you contemplated asking her how she was feeling, cautious of annoying the blonde as she was waking up. 

You decided to take the leap however, and ask, well-aware that you’d have a grumpy Alessia on your hands afterwards.

Still, being careful to not rouse the blonde too much with your voice, you kept it quiet as you spoke, words nearly a whisper. 

“How are you feeling now? How’s your stomach?”

At your questions, the striker let out a small grunt, no other response besides her shuffling ungracefully until her head was resting on your thigh.

Shaking your head fondly at her antics, you ran your fingers through her hair as she settled, scratching Alessia’s scalp in an attempt to bring her some comfort. 

Trying again, you spoke once more. 

“Less, baby, does anything still hurt?”

Again, another grunt, this one with a hint of a whine at the end this time. You shook silently with laughter at her response, eyes rolling lovingly at the child-like behaviour.

“Alessia…” Your tone was playful but the warning in it was clear- you really needed to know how she was doing so you could help her. 

The slight push was successful, the English woman finally responding verbally.

“Cramps are still bad and my back hurts.” 

Her voice was quiet though, discomfort apparent as her face scrunched up as she spoke.

You knew the drill at this point- on her periods, Alessia liked to cuddle a hot water bottle as you both would watch a movie, light sandwiches shared between you two as you huddled under a blanket or two in your bedroom. 

Nodding to yourself as you created a plan in your head, you made a move to get up, ready to go heat up some water for a hot water bottle and grab some food and ibuprofen. 

You didn’t get far however, Alessia burying her face into your torso at the slightest movement, her arm coming to lay across your lap, preventing you from leaving.

Unfortunately for you, as adorable as her wanting you to stay was, you knew Alessia would be in more pain if you didn’t get up right now, well aware of just how awful her periods got sometimes.

“Love, I’m just gonna fill you a hot water bottle, see if that helps…” Trying to convince the blonde to let you go, you tried to gently lift her arm off you. Your effort was futile though, her grip only tightening.

“No.” The response was clear, the blonde making no effort to loosen her grip.

“Lessi…”

“No. Please…” Her voice was quieter this time, nearly pleading.

Sighing, your shoulders deflated at her tone, knowing she was typically more clingier during the first day or so of her period, the pain heightening her need for your presence. 

“Only a little while, okay? After that I need to get you hot water and some food probably.”

And as Alessia moved over to the middle of the bed to make room for you, you got comfortable, sitting with your upper back against the headboard, propped up by pillows, legs stretched out as you made room for the Gunner.

Patting the space between your legs once you had situated yourself, you helped Alessia get comfortable in your hold, her back pressed to your front as you pulled the laptop she had been using earlier closer to you. 

Continuing the episode that the blonde had fallen asleep to, you let her rest her head on your shoulder, placing a loving kiss on her temple as you snaked your hands under her shirt, coming to a rest just under her stomach. 

Gently kneading, you did your best to massage the area as you both watched the show, trying to alleviate some of the pain. 

You could feel Alessia relax at your movement, body getting heavier and breaths getting softer, her slowly falling back asleep with the help of the comforting touch.

Briefly stopping your massage, you quickly turned the volume down of the laptop as to not wake her again, trying your best not to laugh as the girl in your arms whined at the faintest absence of your touch. 

Carrying on once again, a soft smile ever present on your face, you settled in, not unfamiliar with this situation with the number of months you had been together, but more than content to be there for her. 

~~~

It was nearly an hour later when Alessia rose from her second nap, and if you were honest, you didn’t think she could have gotten any more cuter.

Sleep laden eyes, the blonde had immediately buried her face into your neck upon waking up, adjusting herself to be sideways in your lap as the evening light started streaming into the room.

The pair of you had sat there, cuddled up, for the better part of a half hour, you doing your best to make sure to slowly wake the blonde up, asking little questions here and there until she was fully coherent.

You had eventually convinced her to shower as you started on plans for dinner, an idea, a small surprise, on your mind.

Gathering all that you needed, you worked quickly, time limited.

Pulling away the coffee table in your living room, you quickly rearranged your couch, converting it into the bed it could become, before grabbing all the fluffiest blankets, pillows, and stuffies in the house and throwing them on the makeshift bed. 

Scouring around the apartment and the groceries you had gotten earlier, you prepped a snack tray full of the blonde's favourite treats, setting that near the fort you had built.

Finally, boiling some water, you prepped a hot water bottle for when Alessia was out of the shower.

Hearing footsteps just as you finished pouring the water into the bottle, you quickly set the kettle down, screwing the top shut before turning around. 

Smiling at the fact that she was wearing one of your oversized hoodies, you proudly presented her with the hot water bottle before taking her hand and leading her to the living room. 

Coming to a stop and facing the blonde, you watched as she took in the sight before you- dim lighting around the area, a few candles, the sofa-bed filled with blankets and pillows, snacks, and the TV set up, ready for any streaming service to be chosen. 

“I-…huh? What?” 

Sending you a bewildered look, Alessia tried to find the words to convey her shock, surprised at how you managed to pull this off in fifteen minutes.

“What is all of this?”

Shrugging your shoulders in response, a nervous smile on your face, you rubbed the back of your neck anxiously.

“I know we had plans to cook together tonight but I figured we could have a relaxing night in instead…”

Slowly walking over to the handful of take out menus you had piled up on the side, you picked them up,  bringing them back to the blonde with a sheepish smile.

“Bub, you’re on your period and I think it would be nice if we can just put on a movie, have some snacks, maybe order in, and just cuddle and…relax? No pressure for the night. Just you, me, some good, easy food, and some good entertainment y’know?”

Watching you explain your thought process with a lovesick smile on her face, Alessia stepped closer to you, arms coming around to pull you into a hug, burying her face into your neck.

Sighing into the crook, you felt the smile on the Gunner's face, her hug getting just a tad bit tighter with every passing second, almost as if she was trying to physically make you feel her love.

Relaxing into her hold, you let out a breath at the gesture, glad you had read Alessia correctly. 

Pulling back slightly, her sky-blue eyes met your own, head tilting earnestly as she glanced around the room quickly before looking back at you.

“This really sounds like the perfect night right now, thank you.” An apologetic smile crossed her face as she continued, “sorry I’m not in the mood to cook, I know I promised to teach you how to make pasta from scratch and-”

Cutting the striker off before she could spiral into a series of unnecessary apologies, you pulled her close, placing a soft kiss on her lips to quiet her.

Leaning back with a smile on your face at the dazed look in Alessia’s eyes, you grasped her hand in yours, tugging her onto the sofa behind you. 

“Less, love, don’t worry a second about it okay? Plus anyways, I’m feeling a little La La Land and some snacks…and then we can order food in a bit yeah? Sounds alright?” 

Smiling at the eager nod you got, you situated yourself, helping Alessia dig her way to the middle of the pulled out sofa. Letting her get comfy, you grabbed the softest blanket you had found, coincidentally her favourite one, and gently placed it on the blonde, making sure the hot bottle rested comfortably before settling yourself beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as she laid her head on yours. 

A carefree smile unknowingly residing on your face, you flicked through the plethora of streaming services before you found the correct one, hitting play on the movie before tugging your love impossibly closer. 

Unbeknown to you, Alessia had a matching smile on her own face, heart softening at the thought of the effort you had gone through- that you always went through, when she was on her period. At how you would always go out of your way to make sure she was comfortable, her very much aware that you had most definitely picked up majority of the snacks today knowing she was starting her period and craved them. At how you checked in with her, took care of her, stayed with her so she wasn’t in pain alone, fed her, did all of that and then some for her. 

Well aware your love didn’t need words, Alessia revelled in the thought behind your actions, letting herself fall deeper in love with you as the opening credits rolled around.

Glad that of all the people in the world, she had you by her side through all the good times and bad, she pressed herself into you, letting your warmth wash over her and bring her comfort as you played your guys’ favourite movie. 

And as day turned to night, the fall cold slightly sweeping in as the TV illuminated the room in bright lights, the two of you sat, cuddled up, warmed up, and loved up, needing nothing more than the other and the love and comfort of the home you were building together.

[updownlately]

‘cause all that you are (is all that i’ll ever need)

| alessia russo x reader | some angst and some fluff | 3.3k | inspo: kiss me by ed sheeran & tenerife sea by ed sheeran | a/n: so this req was a long time coming, thanks for your patience amigo! hope you like it! idk how to feel about this one but ima get this out for now and if i need to re-do it later then ill be more than happy to!

~~~

Late training sessions were definitely not on Alessia’s list of favourite things in the world, especially not when all she wanted to do was escape the rainy Manchester weather and cold. It was safe to say really, that if she could change any one thing about her football career, past, present, and future, she’d limit the number of evening practices, especially those on rainy days to near zero. 

Being soaking wet after a practice, the number of times she had fallen no doubt a contributing factor, the chill in the air seemed to send a continuous shiver in her bones, one that not even a shower post-practice could abolish. 

So albeit showered and freshened up, all the blonde really wanted to do at seven in the evening on a Tuesday was take a hot shower at home and curl up beside you; dinner, a movie, and unlimited cuddles the only things things on the cards for the night. 

But that plan required many things, one of which included you being free, something you likely weren’t. 

Caught up in all your coursework for your degree, you had recently been swamped with a never-ending to-do list, something which pained Alessia almost, if not more, as much as it pained you.

Entering your shared apartment, Alessia gently dropped her kit bag and paused for a brief second to try and decipher where you might be. Hearing nothing that would give any indication of your location, she kicked off her shoes before haphazardly placing them on the rack and heading in to find you.

With finals season upon you, you had been hiding away from Alessia to finish your work a lot more, conscious of how her mere presence distracted you, had you contemplating why you wanted to finish your degree this year when you could instead cuddle up with her on the couch and put on a show to watch. 

However, the tiredness of the day was finally catching up to her and the Gunner wanted nothing more than to find you and drape herself over you, cuddles galore, her heaven on earth. 

Quickly peering into the kitchen and then the dining area before checking the living room, Alessia wandered through the living space, not wanting to shout for you lest you be on a call of some sort. 

Walking towards your office/makeshift study space, she started to take her wet hair out of its bun, hoping that she could get you to agree to plait it for her as you normally would. 

Between rainy English weather and the nearly two years of you two dating, it had become a sort of ritual between the pair of you- countless nights of a dimly lit living room, a brush in your hands as you sat on the couch with the footballer on the floor between your legs, you working ever so carefully and gently to untangle and braid her wet hair into a somewhat manageable braid.

It had started when you had realized that Alessia would leave her soaked, post-shower hair in a messy bun until it would eventually dry eons later, making everything her head came in contact with during the meantime a damp mess.

After the fourth time you had to change out of a wet t-shirt post cuddling session, you had finally given up on trusting the striker to do her own hair, instead taking matters into your own hands. 

Since then, it had become normal for the Englishwoman to find you after most practices or games, silently taking seat between your legs or in front of you with a towel, brush, and blow-dryer in hand. 

So Alessia made a quick stop to your shared ensuite, grabbing the aforementioned items in a breeze before continuing on the remainder of her short walk to you office next door. 

Well aware that you may be on one of your numerous zoom calls with a course mate or advisor of some sort, the blonde knocked gently before slowly turning the handle and peeking her head inside. 

Eyes just barely adjusting to the dimly lit room, Alessia sighed, already being able to tell you had barely left your study space for a while, the countless dishes piled up on the table beside you a worrying sign.

Stepping in and choosing to make her presence known, the blonde walked over to where you were sat at your desk in the back corner of the room, eyes focused intently on the screen in front of you. 

“Hi…”

Coming to stop right beside you, your girlfriend teetered from one foot to the other nervously, waiting for a reaction.

You barely looked up from your monitor as you hummed in response, a disastrous number of tabs open on the screen and the laptop beside you, mind nearly as scattered. 

Wringing her hands, her voice came out soft, nearly a whisper, heart already tired from the long day she had. 

“Could you please plait my hair when you get the chance?”

Had you been paying attention to the blonde one your left, you would’ve taken in the tiredness in her eyes, the defeated weight on her shoulders, and the nervousness thrumming in her body as she fiddled with the hairbrush in her hand. 

But you weren’t.

Eyes not leaving the screen for a second as you took notes on your iPad without looking down, you inhaled sharply. 

If you had known better, you wouldn’t have reacted as you did. Would’ve separated your frustration with your paper from your love for the striker. 

You didn’t however. 

Instead, you let your frustration seep through, a gruff exhale escaping you. 

“Less I’m busy. Just do it yourself yeah?”

Not waiting for an answer, you continued with the task at hand, flipping between another website and copying and pasting text into your notes document. 

Beside you, Alessia quickly shut her eyes, straightening her back in an effort not to become upset at your sharp answer. 

She knew you were stressed, this degree something you had been working on tirelessly to achieve. She knew this frustration wasn’t aimed at you, more so at the tight deadline coming up, the need for perfection that you craved. So why did she feel like shit now?

Taking a deep breath, she figured it would be worth a shot to ask you about dinner, aware that you likely hadn’t eaten- your habit of hyper focusing a common obstacle when it came to taking care of yourself. 

“Before I go, do you want anything in particular for supper? I was thinki-”

“Anything’s fine. I’ll eat later. I really need to finish this up.” Your voice cut in, not bothering to wait for her to finish. 

Eyebrows furrowing at your interjection, Alessia’s shoulders deflated, well aware that any time spend together was likely off the table for the night. As if this night couldn’t possibly get worse. 

Sighing near silently, the Arsenal forward turned on her heels, making her way out of the room quickly as to not disturb you any further. 

It was only when she had fully made it out of the room, door shut firmly behind her, that Alessia let the weight of the day crash on her.

As a handful of silent tears of frustration came barrelling down her face, the striker made her way back into your shared bedroom, haphazardly throwing the items from her hands onto the bathroom counter before wiping away the tears and throwing her hair into a bun once more. 

Deciding that tonight was not a night where the blonde wanted to be cooking, at least not anymore, not since you very likely wouldn’t be joining her, she reached for her phone, eyes scanning the numerous apps through her blurred vision before finding the desired delivery app. 

Quickly ordering comfort food for herself and your usual order from the restaurant she had chosen (she wasn’t heartless, could never be towards you), the striker threw herself onto the bed, arms coming to wrap around her own midsection in a vain attempt to provide herself with some comfort. 

And when the ordered food finally arrived, bag somehow soaked from the pouring weather, the Englishwoman knew that the universe was playing a cruel joke on her, maybe even getting her back for jumping on Leah when she had been soaked after practice earlier. 

Clenching her jaw, Alessia quietly plated her food before taking a seat at the island, dim lights and the soft murmur of the world outside the only company for her on the lonesome night, the empty stool beside her mocking her as she ate, a pounding headache growing due to the bun she wore, food lukewarm, and heart alone.

What a lovely night…

~~~

You were proud of yourself. 

It had taken nearly a week but here you were, essay nearly done, on the brink of submission a handful of days early, qualification for graduation just a few clicks away. 

All that was left was to proofread it for the fourth time, you well aware that you were being nit-picky, the perfectionist in you making itself known. 

But that could wait. That could most definitely wait. Because all you wanted to do right now, aching neck, tired eyes, and growling stomach in tow, was to relax with your girl for a bit, a well deserved reward should you say yourself.

Pushing yourself away from your desk, your eyes flickered over to top corner of your monitor, a place you tended not to look often in an attempt to not intimidate yourself with the passing minutes. 

Now though? Now you wish you had looked at the clock earlier.

Cursing yourself for being so caught up in your own mind that you had tuned out the world most important to you, you hastily got up from your seat. 

The bright digits glared at you as quickly started cleaning up your desk- 9:47 pm- much much later than you had anticipated. 

Exiting out of now useless tabs and turning off what needed to be shut down, your quickly grabbed your mountain of dishes, precariously balancing them as you tucked your nearly dead phone into your pocket and scrambled towards the door.

Less couldn’t be asleep right? Not yet at least…surely?

You silently prayed that the blonde was still awake, the pattering of the rain outside and darkness filling the empty corners of the apartment as you made your way to the kitchen. 

The silence in the apartment was eerily haunting, a reminder- no- an indication of just how selfish you had been. 

Entering the threshold, your eyes fell on the sticky note left on the counter, space barely illuminated by the streetlights.

Gently placing your dishes in the sink, letting warm water run over them, you backtracked, picking up the yellow post-it and reading the message- once and then again, heart sinking at the unsaid words. 

‘Supper’s in the fridge. Went to bed early.’

The lack of words told you everything you needed to know. You had fucked up.

No 'I love you', no 'I'll be waiting for you', none of that. Just eight direct words, saying everything that Alessia didn't voice.

Swallowing hard, you contemplated your options, wondering whether it would be worth the risk to potentially upset Alessia more than you already had.

It wasn’t a secret to you that the blonde hated late practices, especially on days like today, where there were double practices, afternoon and evening. Add the pouring rain that had brought you comfort the past few hours, hours that Less had likely passed around waiting for you, hair no doubt a mess, a headache likely from the cold, stuff you usually helped her prevent post-practices, you knew you had messed up. 

In your blindside to free yourself up early, you had ignored the one you loved. Just fucking great.

Deciding then and there to make amends, you made your way to your shared bedroom, taking the gamble to see whether Alessia had fallen asleep or not, hoping you could rectify your earlier actions. 

This time, it was your turn to nervously enter the room, turning the knob nervously and slowly stepping in. 

In front of you lay the taller girl, frame looking small on the bed, her back facing you, the dark room doing nothing to help your uneasiness.

Stepping forward, you reached out, pulling up the covers on your side of the bed, you sliding in after.

Holding your breath, you strained to listen to Alessia’s breathing, trained in being able to identify whether the blonde was on the brink of sleep or not, years of being together aiding you immensely.

Finally exhaling when you realized the blonde was still awake, you took your chances.

Keeping your voice soft, you let it carry, the weight of your words hanging in the air. 

“I know you’re still awake…”

You could feel the mattress move before she did, the blonde shuffling further to her own side of the bed, nearly falling off the edge with how much space she left in the middle. 

“Less…”

Silence being your only response, you tried again. 

“I’m sorry for being an ass.” 

This time you heard a slight huff. Not the best response but a response in the least- a positive in your eye. You chose to continue, hoping you could dig yourself out of this hole.

“I’m sorry for being huge dickwad. You didn’t deserve me snapping at you like that.”

And as Alessia’s hoarse voice responded, your gut sank with guilt, jaw tensing.

“Just the snapping? I asked you about supper and whether you could take just a few- a few- minutes to plait my hair like always, and you got upset with me.”

“I know. I’m sorry, I really am. You were only trying to help and you were tired yourself and I was dumb.” Surging forward, you reached out tentatively, slowly placing your hand on Alessia’s shoulder, pulling her into you.

“You really were.”

Placing a kiss on the back of her head once she was close enough, you murmured against her scalp. “Can I make it up to you? Let me braid your hair?”

“That doesn’t excuse your behaviour…”

Nodding in agreeance, you let your arms wrap around the taller girl’s waist. “It doesn’t, but I’ll get there, I promise.”

Alessia sinking backwards into your grasp at your words gave you the answer you needed, you holding her for a few more minutes before quickly rising up and getting the items you needed.

Turning on a lamp as you returned, you settled behind the footballer, plugging in the hair drier and undoing the bird’s nest on your lover’s head. 

Silently working, you meticulously dried the blonde’s hair enough that her pillow wouldn’t get any more soaked, teasing out the kinks and knots gently before braiding her hair loosely.

Finally pleased with your work, you set the comb and hair drier aside, pulling Alessia back against your front and wrapping her up in your hold, placing a gentle kiss on her shoulder and lingering for a second.

“I can’t promise I won’t be stupid again, but I can promise you that I’ll try my best to never do that again.”

“No more ignoring me no matter how busy you are alright? Just let me in your head…tell me your plans so that I’m not left here waiting for god knows how long, as you snap at me when I try to care…please?”

“I promise. Solemnly swear in fact.”

Feeling the blonde smile at your words, you let a grin take over your own face. 

“Now, I know you already ate, but would you fancy joining me for dinner? It could be our own little date? You, me, a little Love Island, and ton of cuddles?”

And as Alessia turned in your hold, burying her face into the crook of your neck, you kissed the her crown, holding her just a tad bit tighter. 

Only making a move to get up when your stomach grumbled loudly, you shot a sheepish smile to the angel in your arms before loosening your hold.

And as the pair of you exited the room, hand in hand, you made sure to grab the softest blanket you could, her comfort blanket, settling the striker on the couch before rushing into the kitchen to make yourself a plate of food, getting an extra helping, well aware that your girlfriend would munch with you.

Nearly sprinting back to the living room, food in hand, the pair of you got comfortable, the blonde resting her head on your shoulder, blanket wrapped around you both as the tv illuminated the living room, the rain now setting a comforting tone to the night.

Feeding the Gunner small bites as you ate your food, the two of you managed to finish off the plate quite quickly, setting it on the table before sinking together, a few more episodes, a handful of minute more spend cuddling.

Mindlessly tracing your fingers up her arm, you pulled the tired woman into you, body shuffling to lay across the couch, Alessia's head resting on your chest as the other girl whispered out little comments at every turn in the show.

It was only when you could finally feel the taller girl’s body growing heavier a bit more with each passing minute that you decided that it was a good time to head to bed.

Skimming your fingers up and down her spine, tracing the ridges of her back, you slowly, just barely, pulled Alessia out of her lethargic state, silently pulling her into a sitting position.

Moving to get up, you wrapped the blanket around her, ignoring her groans of protest at her own personal space heater walking away.

Convincing her you would only be a minute, you ran and put ur dishes away before coming back to usher a somewhat sleepy Less to your bedroom, the blonde slightly waking up a bit more at the movement.

Walking both yourself and your sleepy counterpart through brushing your teeth, you pulling silly faces randomly before splashing the taller girl with some water to tease her, you eventually managed to get the two of you back into bed, you on your back and the taller girl resting her head on your chest, sleepy yawns escaping her as she got comfortable once more.

Taking her now dry hair out of its braid, you loosely combed your fingers through it, nails scratching her scalp in a successful effort to soothe.

“Tell me about your day?” Your voice was quiet, just barely audible, not wanting to rouse the girl in your arms any further.

“Well my girlfriend was kind of an arse to me…”

Shaking your head as your chest rumbled with silent laughter, you gently hit Alessia’s shoulder. 

“I mean it...I wanna listen dork.”

And as the blonde recited her day to you, you could feel her breathing get heavier, the tiredness finally catching up to her.

Placing a gentle kiss on top of her head, you murmured another quiet apology as Alessia’s voice died down, you tightening your hold, mentally vowing never to let yourself get consumed by school or work so immensely ever again.

Unbeknown to you, the striker was just barely awake, her whispers of ’never again’ making her conscious state known. 

Agreeing, you repeated the words, whispering an I love you, the sentiment returned before Alessia’s breathing finally evened out, body completely relaxed in your hold. Finally letting yourself unwind, the tension from studying earlier totally seeping out of your body, you let a smile spread across your face.

Well aware this was all you really needed, you let the warmth spread through your body.

Here, your lover in your hold, silent breaths puffed against your neck, the weight of your love hanging comfortably in the air, you followed Alessia’s lead, letting sleep overcome you, everything that really mattered to you in this world, here, in your arms.