wosotales

[wosotales]

there's a lot of thoughts here

[wosotales]

https://www.tumblr.com/wosotales/787237718149283841/theres-honestly-so-many-photos-that-are-giving-me

I feel like it’s worth noting that I’m 99% sure that Lola and Christine (idk if I spelt that right) had Andrea as Lola’s maid of honor at their wedding (and they made sure that they took a bunch of pictures of just the three of them)

i saw that! i love the idea that bunny had such an important role in their wedding!

[wosotales]

can you write a fic about aitana after the UWCL final? and the team kinda being in shock and not know what to do or how to help because she never gets this upset after games

i've added it to my wip list but it's already long so please bare with me while i make my way through all of my requests

[wosotales]

there's honestly so many photos that are giving me ideas to write from this

i'm writing a bunny/lola fic next

[wosotales]

Behind The Kit: Barcelona's Chosen Family - Can You Keep A Secret?

Jana and Aggie start a relationship and try to be sneaky about things; however, when the news breaks out over social media, they have to be honest with their families. For @batllethinker

“You were all over me during that game,” Aggie was the first to speak, cocky attitude and all.

Jana faltered, “It’s my job to do that.”

“You made it impossible for me to score,” Aggie couldn’t help but smirk, “I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

“I consider that a success, then,” Jana teased, messing with the hem of her jersey, “Do you… Do you want to do a shirt swap?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Aggie grinned, dropping her bravado as she peeled off her shirt to hand to Jana, while the young Spaniard did the same, “I think an England jersey suits you better than Spain.”

“I could say the same about you,” Jana spoke softly, a small smile playing on her lips.

They met halfway on neutral ground, technically, under the floodlights of the pitch after the England vs Spain game had finished, and everyone had begun to disappear.

It was anything but friendly.

Jana had tracked Aggie the entire game from the back line, sticking to her like a magnet that she didn’t mean to follow.

Aggie had shoved her once. Jana shoved back. They both shared a grin.

Later on, they lingered a little too long in the player’s tunnel.

Too close. Too obvious.

“Meet me at the cafe tomorrow?” Aggie offered the suggestion a bit too eagerly, hoping for a yes.

Jana smiled faintly, “Okay.”

“See you there,” Aggie replied, trying and failing to play it cool.

Later on into the afternoon, Aggie sat inside the cosy cafe, her legs bouncing in anticipation as she waited for Jana to walk through the doors of the cafe.

Every time the cafe door opened, the girl's heart skipped a beat.

“Wow… I didn’t think you’d actually come,” Aggie murmured, a coy smirk on her lips.

“Really? You think I flew to London for nothing?” Jana teased, settling into a seat opposite the English girl, “That would be a wasted trip.”

“I mean, I’m sure there were other reasons too…” Aggie noted, shrugging her shoulders, “But I like this one better.”

“I didn’t want to stand you up,” Jana admitted.

“Well… You wouldn’t be the first,” Aggie responded quietly, “For the record, though... I am glad that you decided to turn up.”

Jana flushed. Aggie grinned wider, a cocky smile plastered across her face.

“Shall we order?” Jana wondered, reaching forward to pick up a menu to take a look at it.

Aggie hummed, “Or we could just sit here, staring at one another?”

“That sounds a bit… creepy, no?”

“When you put it like that, maybe just a little bit,”

They talked until the place closed, taking the walk back to the hotel with their hands lingering, brushing twice.

And then, in the shadows and out of sight, Aggie leaned in a little too close.

“We shouldn’t,” Jana whispered.

“Okay… But are you sure?” Aggie questioned, the faintest smile playing on her lips.

Jana hesitated, “I… I don’t know.”

“There’s no rush,” Aggie murmured, brushing a strand of hair out of Jana’s face.

“Do you reckon we can be secretive about this?” Jana whispered.

Aggie smirked, “Absolutely.”

That was the first lie they told.

It unravelled weeks later. Maybe a month. Maybe longer.

By April, after the second leg of the semi-finals, that was when the photo resurfaced, and as it turned out, secrets were revealed… especially when social media is involved.

One slip-up on Instagram, and everything was out in the open.

The fans could see it… And so could their Mama’s.

They didn’t mean to lie, but then again, they never realised the photo had been taken.

“Shit,” Jana hissed into the phone, “Aggie, the photo… it’s out there for people to see."

“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine,” Aggie reassured, though she wasn’t so convinced herself.

“It won’t be! How will it? People will speculate—My Mama’s going to see it. Ale’s going to see it. I don’t need that right now,” Jana urged, shaking her head, “I wanted to keep this private… just between us for now!”

It was an innocent photo, with a suggestive hand placement that could be read into easily—Aggie’s fingers curled around Jana’s thigh, both of them laughing and pressed in tight on the sofa after meeting up another time.

It was a familiar setting, and that alone spoke for itself.

Nothing more needed to be said.

“It’ll be okay, Jana. It’ll just seem like rumours to everyone, and it will pass,” Aggie did her best to continue to reassure her, “You’ll see.”

“This is a disaster!” Jana exclaimed in disbelief.

“Jana, relax… It’ll be okay!” Aggie insisted, hating seeing the brunette get so worked up about it, “I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, but it will be.”

Jana wasn’t so convinced, “No… No! This isn’t how I wanted my Mama to find out, Aggie!”

“Jana… Jana, it’s going to be fine. Nothing bad is going to happen… Trust me, it’ll be alright in the end,” Aggie told her, hoping her soft words were enough reassurance for now, “Look on the bright side, at least they know now, yeah?”

“No,” Jana groaned on the other side of the phone, “You don’t understand, Ags. Now I have to come clean about our relationship. I haven’t even had time to think about how I’m going to tell her!”

“Whatever happens will be fine… Our Mamas will be supportive, I’m sure,” Aggie insisted, trying to feel positive about things, “If not, then… Fuck, I don’t know, we’ll figure it out.”

Jana held her hands over her face, “How can you be so calm? This is not good… Not good at all!”

“This isn’t a bad thing that it’s come out now,” Aggie smiled in reassurance, “We don’t have to hide now, yeah?”

“Can you pass the orange juice, please?” Aitana asked.

Vicky handed the jug to the woman, “Here you go, Tana.”

“Thank you,” Aitana thanked the woman, pouring some juice into her glass.

Breakfast during the next morning at training was unusually tense—Jana sat there at the table during the team breakfast, barely touching her food while she fumbled with her hands and tried to figure out a way to break the news.

But apparently it was too late.

Across the table, Alexia was frowning and squinting at her screen, “No way…” She paused, her attention flickering to Jana, “What is this?”

Jana gulped, “What is what?” she tried to play dumb, although she had a definite idea of what Alexia was looking at.

“Is this true?” Alexia didn’t give up too easily.

The woman hadn’t even waited for an answer before turning her focus to Ona.

“Ona,” Alexia called over to the woman, “Have you seen this?”

“What is it?” Ona asked, dropping the butter knife and walking nearer to the table.

“Here,” Alexia murmured, handing the phone to Ona, “This…”

Ona stood frozen for a moment, her brows furrowed deeper with every second that she stared at the phone in Alexia’s hands, “Is this recent?”

Alexia didn’t give a direct answer.

The tension at the breakfast table suddenly became suffocating, the scraping of the cutlery stopped, and the gentle hum of the morning chatter dulled.

Jana swallowed hard, fingers still fumbling with the hem of her hoodie, “It’s… It’s not what it looks like, I promise.”

“It isn’t?” Kika joined in the conversation, “I mean it sure looks like… something .”

Vicky leaned over to inspect Alexia’s phone ”Damn, that’s something more than just friends right there.”

“Shut up,” Jana hissed at the girl.

Vicky held her hands up in the air, “I’m just saying—”

“Vicky!” Irene scolded, giving the girl a pointed look.

“Alright,, I’ll stop… But get it, sis!” Vicky exclaimed, smirking at Jana.

“Vicky!” Irene repeated, more firmly this time, “Last warning!”

The younger girl huffed, rolling her eyes, “Alright, alright… fine!”

Ona turned directly towards Jana, “Why didn’t you tell me this yourself?”

“I… I didn't know how, Mama,” Jana admitted, fumbling with the sleeves of her hoodie.

“So you decided to sneak around instead, hm?” Ona questioned, her eyebrows pinching together, “You thought this was the better option?”

Jana bit her bottom lip, slumping down in her seat, “It wasn’t sneaking about…”

“But you didn’t tell me,” Ona finished the sentence, with a questioning tone in her voice, “I think that hurts more, Jana.”

“I didn’t want to make it a big deal, okay?” Jana fired back, not very confident about her answer, “I don’t know if this is serious or not. I still… I just don’t know what to make of it yet, but please don’t be upset I didn’t tell you,” she pleaded with the older woman.

Ona moved to crouch beside the younger girl, “Sweetheart, I just think that… I think you need to be careful with her,” she explained, reaching to brush a strand of Jana’s hair out of her eyes, “You know that she has a reputation, and I don’t want you to be dragged into anything, alright?”

“You should be careful, Jana,” Alexia chimed in.

“Yeah, thanks, noted…” Jana murmured, not quite ready to meet Alexia’s eyes to see the hurt in them, “I know what I’m doing.”

Ona exhaled a sigh, “Look, I want you to be happy. I’m not upset that you care about her, but after Jill… I have a right to be concerned about things.”

“I know, Mama… but Aggie’s nothing like Jill,” Jana insisted, “And she makes me happy to be around her.”

“I’m not going to stand in the way of your happiness but please… just make sure you are careful,” Ona told her, gently.

“I… I will,” Jana hesitated to respond.

“And don’t be getting led astray,” Alexia added in.

Jana huffed, “Aggie’s not like that!”

“Well.. she has a tendency to be a bit of a…” Ona began to speak as she was cut off.

“Brat,” Irene muttered, joining the conversation.

Ona tutted, “I wasn’t going to say that.”

“But you thought it, no?” Alexia questioned, cocking her head to the side.

“No,” Ona rolled her eyes, shaking her head, “Regardless, just try not to get distracted with her, okay?” Ona looked directly towards Jana as she spoke, “Just… Be careful.”

“I will,” Jana blushed. 

“I’m not trying to be the bad guy, and you know I’m only being protective because I love you,” Ona murmured, reaching forward to press a kiss to the top of Jana’s head.

Jana hummed in agreement, “I know.”

“I’ve seen what heartbreak looks like on you, and I won’t let someone play with you,” Ona told her firmly, “Not again.”

“She’s not… She’s different,” Jana explained, blushing red.

“Maybe she is,” Ona continued to speak, “Maybe this’ll be something good for you, but don’t…” 

Jana groaned, planting her head in her hands, “Mama, I know. I’ll be sensible!”

“Don’t shut me out,” Ona told her, giving her a knowing look.

“I won’t… I’m not going to shut you out. I just… I really didn’t know how to tell you,” Jana explained, moving her hands from her face, “I… This feeling is different. I wasn’t sure I was even able to feel like this again.”

“Of course you are allowed to fall again, sweetheart,” Ona said in a soft tone of voice, adjusting herself to wrap both of her arms around Jana, “Just… Don’t rush things, okay?”

“I won’t,” Jana murmured, leaning into Ona’s touch.

“I’ll be there to catch you if you fall,” Ona added, squeezing her tightly.

Alexia, who was still glaring at her phone, suddenly scoffed, “You’re being way too nice about this. She’s out here letting Aggie Beever… Whatever her last name is’ hand crawl up her leg, and now the internet is writing freakin’ wedding vows.”

“I didn’t post it,” Jana groaned, “I didn’t even know the photo existed….”

“Sure,” Alexia gave her a look, “You’re with a Chelsea girl, babe. Welcome to hell.”

“Alexia,” Ona gave the girl a firm look, “Remember that Lucy and Keira are there now, so be respectful.”

“What? I’m not saying it’s bad,” Alexia replied, raising her eyebrows, “But you know how it goes. They have a reputation—You can’t deny it. They talk big. They flirt big. They screw up big. If she hurts Jana, she’s going to have all of us to deal with—”

“I’m sitting right here,” Jana said miserably.

“.... Especially me,” Alexia finished, ignoring her.

“She hasn’t done anything wrong,” Jana defended quickly, “And I know how it looks, but… she’s not like that. With me, she’s just… different.”

“And that might be true,” Ona said quietly, looking straight at Jana, “But if she hurts you, then I will not stay quiet. You know that.”

Jana met her gaze and nodded in agreement, “I know. But she won’t.”

There was a faint beat of silence before Vicky spoke up with a small smile.

“So, how far have you gotten then?” The girl questioned curiously.

“Vicky!” Jana exclaimed, hiding her head in her hands.

Vicky held her hands up in mock surrender, “What? I’m just… curious to know.”

“She’s actually quite… innocent,” Jana mumbled, hesitant to speak about Aggie in front of her sisters.

“Innocent? I refuse to believe it,” Kika grinned, joining in on the conversation.

“She is! She’s… different,” Jana told them, “I mean, I know she comes across cocky—”

“That’s not the word I would use, but okay…” Vicky grinned, leaning forward with interest, “What else is there?”

Jana huffed, ignoring the younger girl’s teasing, “But with me… She’s sweet, she’s kind and caring. I think… I really like her.”

“Excuse me while I just go and throw up,” Vicky teased, faux gagging.

“Grow up,” Jana murmured, rolling her eyes, “She’s not as experienced…”

“Guess you’ll have to teach her how to feel good,” Kika added in.

Jana blushed bright red.

“Little Aggie Beever-Jones won’t be so innocent once you’ve corrupted her with your pervy little habits, will she?” Vicky teased, grinning at Jana.

“Girls, that’s enough!” Irene chided, sending them both a stern look before it could go any further, “Pack it in, now.”

“That’s no fun,” Kika pouted.

“Yeah, we’re only teasing,” Vicky insisted.

“I don’t care, that’s enough,” Irene stated sternly, “I want you to leave Jana alone, understood?”

“Understood,” Kika and Vicky agreed, speaking in sync.

“As long as she doesn’t hurt you, then it’s fine, but if she does…” Ona spoke up again, her words meaningful.

Jana huffed, slumping down into her seat, “She’s not going to do that.”

“But if she does, then I won’t be so kind,” Ona stated firmly.

“And this better not be a distraction come Euros… We don’t need you sneaking off to her hotel room, or else there’ll be trouble,” Alexia added, sharing a knowing look with Jana.

“It won’t be,” Jana insisted, honestly.

“There’d better not," Alexia didn't drop her stern facial expression, "In fact, I think I might have a personal word with the England captain myself to make sure there’s no funny business."

“What? N… No, you don’t need to do that,” Jana faltered, shaking her head.

“No? I just think it would be a good idea to make sure you two don’t sneak off to each other's hotel rooms," Alexia insisted, "It’s not something we can afford during this tournament.”

“Mama…” Jana groaned, tilting her head back in frustration, “Tell her!”

Ona hummed thoughtfully, “I don’t know, I think Ale has a point there,” she paused for a brief second, “I think I’d like to have a word with Aggie myself just to be sure, or at least her Mama’s…”

Jana’s eyes widened, shaking her head frantically, “Mama, there’s no need—Please don’t be angry!"

“I’m not angry, sweetheart. I just want you to be safe, to feel loved and respected,” Ona explained, resting her own hand over Jana’s, “I just don’t want you to rush into this decision without thinking it through properly and ending up getting hurt.”

“That won’t happen…” Jana mumbled, honestly, “I think she sees me.”

“Then that’s all I need to hear,” Ona gave her a faint smile, “But I’d still like a word just to make sure, no arguments,” she said, which earned another groan of protest from Jana, but she didn’t argue about it.

Later that same night, over in England, it was a very different conversation—the pasta was halfway finished, the conversation was meandering comfortably between matchday banter and who forgot to put a load of washing when Maren decided to broach the subject in a casual tone of voice, her eyes twinkling in amusement.

“Is there something you’d like to tell us?” The woman questioned, gracefully as she eagerly anticipated an answer.

Aggie paused, fork halfway to her mouth as she blinked as if she had just been caught with her hands in the biscuit tin, “Um… no?” she said, suspiciously innocent.

“Are you sure, sweetheart?” Fran chimed in, one brow arching while the other crinkled in suspicion, “Those photos that we saw online seem anything but innocent.”

Aggie’s eyes darted between the two older women, “... Maybe?”

“Yeah?” Maren leaned her chin on her hand, “You certainly are smitten with that certain young Spaniard defender, aren’t you?”

“You saw it?” Aggie questioned, her cheeks flushing red.

Fran snorted, “Darling girl, I think the whole world has seen it. In fact, it was your Auntie Z that sent it to me.”

Aggie huffed, her cheeks continuing to be heated as she stuffed a too-large forkful of pasta in her mouth, “That’s a bit dramatic, Mummy.”

Maren grimaced at Aggie’s mannerisms, “Why didn’t you tell us you were seeing someone?”

“I was going to!” Aggie said quickly, mouth still full.

Swallow your food first before you speak, baby,” Maren gave her the look.

Aggie gulped her food down quickly, “I was. I promise. I’ve been wanting to tell you since, like, the second day we kissed. But I wanted to make sure it was… real, you know?”

Fran tilted her head, “And is it?”

“It feels it,” Aggie beamed, a soft glow taking over her face without even meaning to, “Yeah, I mean… She’s so good to me. Like, genuinely good. She’s so patient when I’m a complete disaster, and she remembers things I forget about myself. She holds my hand under the table when I start to panic, and she makes these little doodles on napkins and gives them to me to keep to remember her for when I’m overthinking everything. And she’s… God, she’s so talented! Like stupidly talented. Oh… And she never acts like she’s better than anyone. Not once.”

Fran and Maren shared a look across the table, equal parts amused but endeared.

Aggie wasn’t finished yet.

“She always checks when I’ve eaten, and when I am finding things difficult, then she always lets me rest my head on her shoulder. And she’s not scared at all of how much I care. She doesn’t make me ever feel like I’m too much,” Aggie rambled, barely pausing to take a breath, “Ever. If I get overwhelmed, then she just knows what I need. Like it’s nothing,” she trailed off, her cheeks flushed pink as she finally looked up.

Fran was grinning like a Cheshire cat, “We’re happy for you.”

There was a beat of silence.

“But,” she continued, keeping her voice soft but with a sense of seriousness, “Don’t break her heart, Ags.”

Aggie frowned, “Why would I break her heart?”

“Sweetheart,” Maren began gently, “We know you. Make sure you behave yourself around her.”

“I’m not going to mess it up, or misbehave,” Aggie insisted, cheeks turning red, “I’m not playing around. This is… I mean, she’s not someone who I’ll just get bored of in two months.”

“Good,” Fran replied warmly, “And for the record, we’re glad to see you happy,” she said, reaching over to squeeze Aggie’s hand.

“But if you do break her heart,” Maren added with a slight glint in her eye, “Then I suspect you’ll have her Mama coming after you. And the rest of the Spanish team, as well.”

Aggie groaned, flopping back dramatically, “I’m not going to break her heart!”

“I hope you two aren’t planning to sneak into each other’s hotel rooms at night during the summer tournament,” Maren added slyly.

“Mama!” Aggie spluttered, bright red.

Fran laughed into her drink, “I think Leah would have something to say about that, wouldn’t she?”

“Just be careful, and be sensible about things,” Maren said, her tone softening, “We trust you. And we can’t wait to meet her.”

Aggie smiled as her shoulders finally relaxed, “That won’t be for a while yet… but I think, wait no, I hope you like her, because I really like her.”

“At the end of the day,” Fran said gently, “We just want you to be happy, sweetheart. That’s all that matters.”

Aggie smiled and nodded, her eyes a little bit glassy, “I am… I really think I am.”

Aggie lay on her bed on her stomach, phone in front of her while it dialled, her socks were mismatched, and her hair was slightly messy from flopping around after dinner as she anticipated her phone waiting to connect.

Jana picked up almost immediately, her face appearing softly in the dim room while her hoodie sleeves were half-zipped, fresh out of the shower with slightly damp hair and sleep-eyed.

“Hello you,” Aggie said, a smile spread across her face, “How are you?”

“Hi, cariño,” Jana smiled, eyes crinkling, “I’m a bit tired, how about you?”

“I’m okay,” Aggie played with the frayed edge of her duvet with her teeth, tugging at her bottom lip.

Jana cocked her head in concern, “Are you okay?”

“I… umm, yeah. I just… I need to tell you something,” Aggie murmured, her voice quiet and uncertain.

That got Jana’s attention straightaway as she sat up on her bed, “What’s the matter, Ags?”

“I… Well—” Aggie faltered in her words, “Promise you won’t be mad?”

“Aggie,” Jana’s voice was gentle, “Tell me what’s going on. I won’t be mad.”

The blonde inhaled sharply, “My Mama and Mummy know about us.”

Jana’s smile dropped.

“Know what?” The young Spaniard questioned, already having an inkling about what.

“About us,” Aggie answered, biting her bottom lip.

“You told them?” Jana’s voice was completely cold, but she definitely wasn’t happy about it.

“N… No! I just… Not on purpose, I swear. They saw it online,” Aggie quickly explained, “And when they asked, well, I couldn’t just lie and hide it from them, could I?” she questioned, mumbling the last part.

“I suppose not,” Jana replied quietly as she fumbled with the strings of her hoodie.

Aggie breathed out a sigh of relief, “I… I was scared you were going to be mad about it. I really… I didn’t mean to tell them, they just found out from that dumb photo on Instagram.”

“I’m not mad,” Jana responded, but her tone said differently, “I just… I don’t know. I wanted us to talk about it, like, before anyone else knew.”

“Yeah,” Aggie murmured, fidgeting with her fingers, “I get that. I’m sorry that we couldn’t.”

“Actually…” Jana began, exhaling a sigh, “Mine knows too.”

Aggie blinked, “Wait, what?”

“Yeah, um… Ale saw it online and showed it to my Mama during our team breakfast, and I had no choice but to explain what was going on between us,” Jana explained, her voice softening, “She just wanted to make sure I was safe and happy, and I knew what was doing.”

Aggie’s lips quirked up in delight, “Really?”

“But,” Jana faltered, her smile dropping, “She wasn’t exactly happy about it.”

“Oh…  I see,” Aggie mumbled, scrunching her brows together, “So, what does that mean for us?”

Jana glanced down, picking at the seam of her hoodie sleeve, “It means… that we’re going to be watched. But she didn’t tell me to stop. Or that I couldn’t see you.”

“That’s good, right?” Aggie’s expression was small and nervous, “We can still be together. That’s what matters.”

“It is,” Jana looked back up and nodded, sharing a hesitant smile on the camera, “She told me to be careful about things, but mainly she wants me to be happy.”

Aggie let out a soft huff of laughter, curling onto her side almost like she was trying to make herself smaller, “My Mummy said the same thing, well kind of. And my Mama said I needed to make sure I behaved, but please, I’m like an angel, right?”

Jana snickered, “You definitely aren’t an angel, Ags.”

“What? Sure, I am!” Aggie grinned, hiding her face behind a pillow, “Ask anyone, they’ll tell you the same.”

“Nope, I don’t believe you,” Jana smirked, “Innocent, however? Now that’s a completely different story. Speaking of that, my sisters have been teasing me about you being… not as experienced.”

Aggie blinked, “Wait, what?”

“Yeah. Kika reckons I need to teach you how to feel good,” Jana continued, enjoying seeing the way that Aggie looked like she was starting to already squirm, “And that my pervy little habits will rub off on you within time.”

“Jana!” Aggie exclaimed, her face blushing bright red.

“What?” Jana couldn’t hide her amusement, “Don’t pretend like you don’t enjoy it when I talk like this.”

Aggie buried her face deeper into the pillow, “You’re awful, you know that?” she questioned, muffling an embarrassed groan. 

“You love it,” Jana grinned, stretching out on her bed as she propped her chin in her hand, “Admit it, Ags.”

“I do not!” Aggie spoke, voice muffled by the pillow.

“You so do,” Jana drawled, watching her with a smirk, “You go all pink and flustered, but you never actually tell me to stop.”

Aggie peeked one eye out from behind her pillow, “That’s because I’m polite,” her voice came out in a sulky mumble.

“Oh yeah, so polite,” Jana teased, “You were so polite that you were literally whimpering the last time I whispered in your ear.”

“Jana!” Aggie squeaked, absolutely scandalised as she kicked her foot weakly towards the camera, “Stop it!”

“Or what?” Jana teased the blonde, “You’re the one who said I make you feel all…” she trailed off with a sly smirk, “What was it, again? Oh yeah, tingly?”

“You’re the worst,” Aggie groaned, covering her entire face now as she groaned into the fabric.

“Mmhmm,” Jana hummed, suppressing a smirk, “And yet, here you are, blushing like mad and still not hanging up. Admit it that you like it, Ags.”

Aggie peaked again, scrunching up her nose, “Fine, okay… maybe I do like it, but I hate you.”

“No, you don’t,” Jana replied, honestly.

“You’re right, no I don’t,” Aggie agreed, continuing to blush like an idiot, “You’re annoying though. And stupid. And… you’re also kinda cute.”

Jana beamed, “Kinda?”

“Fine,” Aggie huffed, flopping dramatically back onto her side, “Very cute.”

“You’re very cute too,” Jana’s voice turned soft again with a hint of more sincerity, “Especially when you get all shy about certain things.”

Aggie’s smile turned sheepish, “You… You really don’t mind all of this? Now that they know? That we’re… not just us anymore?”

Jana shook her head gently, brushing back her damp hair, “I don’t mind the teasing. I’m glad it’s out in the open. It means we don’t have to sneak around anymore, do we?”

“I suppose you’re right there,” Aggie replied in agreement, “My Mama and Mummy want to meet you… eventually.”

“Really?” Jana asked, eagerly, “Yeah, actually…. So does mine. But I have a feeling it’s more of a chat, if anything.”

Aggie’s smile faltered, “Should I be worried about it?”

“Mmm,” Jana gave her a half-smile, but there was a flicker of nervousness behind her eyes, “Maybe, but she’s just worried. My Mama can be… intense. She doesn’t really do soft. Or subtle. Or even like, smile unless she’s already made up her mind.”

Aggie’s eyes widened, “Oh, great,” she mumbled, already starting to chew at her thumbnail, “So, basically… I’m boomed then.”

“No, no,” Jana said quickly, trying to make her voice more reassuring now as she sat up straighter, “Ags, listen. She can be scary, but she’s not horrible. She just loves me a lot and is very protective. Especially after what happened with my ex. I think she thinks that you’re gonna break my heart, then she’s going to be wary about things, pretty much.”

“Oh, perfect,” Aggie muttered dramatically, dragging her pillow over her face again, “So, maybe I should just try and avoid her then, right? Maybe I can just hide at the next game, and then I don’t have to face her.”

Jana laughed, “You’ll have to face her sooner rather than later, there’s no escaping her,” she teased, watching Aggie with fondness, “Don’t worry, she won’t eat you alive. You’ll be alright.”

Aggie peeked out again, her eyes wide and curious, “Yeah? I’m not convinced at all.”

“You’ll be fine, don’t worry, Ags,” Jana was quick to reassure her girlfriend, though she tilted her head to the side, “You’re really freaking out about this, aren’t you?”

“Is it that obvious?” Aggie retorted sarcastically.

“It’s cute,” Jana smirked, watching the blonde internally freak out, “Look, my Mama… she’ll be blunt, but you just need to be honest and be yourself, that’s the whole reason I fell for you, right?”

“Sure,” Aggie mumbled, still looking half weary, “And then she won’t kill me?”

Jana laughed, shaking her head, “She’s not cruel, Ags, I promise. She just cares… a lot. Just show her how you feel and you’ll be okay.”

Aggie frowned thoughtfully, her hand reaching up to twist a loose bit of her hair around her finger, “I do care about you. A fuck ton. I… I don’t want to mess anything up. Especially not with someone as important to you.”

“You won’t do that,” Jana’s voice dropped, sounding more gentle now as she leaned in closer to the camera, “Trust me, cariño. You’re not going to mess anything up. You’re already everything that I want, and more.”

“Really?” Aggie’s voice sounded smaller now, the weight of the words physically hitting her, “You actually mean that?”

“I do,” Jana nodded slowly, more deliberately, “You really do make me happy, Ags. Like, properly happy now. And I know my Mama will see that eventually. She might be a little scary about things at first, but she’ll ease up when she can see what I see.”

“I just… I don’t want to let you down,” Aggie admitted, letting out a low, shaky breath as she tugged the duvet up around her, “I want her to see that I really do care about you.”

“You couldn’t let me down even if you tried,” Jana replied gently, “And don’t worry, I’ll be there to protect you from her scary frown and all, so you’ve got nothing to fear about meeting her.”

[wosotales]

Behind The Kit: Chelsea's Chosen Family

Still Their Baby

Holiday joy masks the transfer heartbreak, and after a tough World Cup, Jessie returns home to an empty home, grieving the loss of her mamas and their growing distance.

[wosotales]

Behind The Kit: Barcelona's Chosen Family

Acceptance

Keira is still getting used to having Ona as her Mama, however she didn't justify how much she would miss her and it takes it's a mental and physical toll on her.

Lessons In Control

Alexia earns herself a bad yellow card in a game and Ona is the one to punish her for it.

When It's Too Much | pt. 2 | pt. 3

Jenni takes her frustration out on Alexia after the loss of a game, not realising what she's done until it's too late.

After The Final Whistle

The Champions League final result hits Kika harder than she initially realised it would.

Can You Keep A Secret?

Jana and Aggie start a relationship and try to be sneaky about things; however, when the news breaks out over social media, they have to be honest with their families.

[wosotales]

national team masterlist

australia

bayern

england

germany

netherlands

norway

republic of ireland

spain

sweden

switzerland

[wosotales]

club team's masterlist

arsenal

barcelona

chelsea

atletico

bayern

man city

[wosotales]

Behind The Kit: Arsenal's Chosen Family

Little Lamb

Leah finds her rehabilitation stressful and the setbacks that come with it are challenging in itself, causing her to drop as soon as she’s in a safe space - the only problem there, her safe person Lia isn’t there, and of course that results in a very scared little girl that can only curl up and try to comfort herself until Lia is there to hold her little girl again.

Little Brat

Kyra is struggling to fit into her new team and that often resorts in bratty behaviour, feeling isolated and misunderstood which is really a cry for help until Lia steps in to comfort her.

Jealous Heart

Leah still isn't overly keen on the idea of adjusting to share and gets instantly jealous whenever Lia gives Kyra attention which results in her lashing out in upset.

I'll Be Your Angel

Leah is still jealous but she’s also fiercely protective of those close to her and it turns out that there’s nobody that she’s more protective of than her new sister.

Neglected

Mario thought making the move to Arsenal would be easy but the reality was a lot different.

London Derby

In the aftermath of a bitter defeat against Chelsea in the London Derby, the Arsenal team is left emotionally drained, with frustration, anger, and heartache filling the air.

Safe Haven

The pressure of being at a new club is overwhelming to Frida and it's taking everything inside of her to not break.

Crime & Punishment

Kyra brattiness reaches it's peak, Steph and Caitlin decide to take it upon themselves to try and punish her without knowing what they are doing and it ends in drastic concequences.

Wrong Decision

Katie earns a red card during the match and has to deal with the aftermath of the concquences.

She Will Be Loved | pt. 2

Laia Codina accepts her long-awaited national team call up, but it comes at a devestating cost with the loss of a friendship. Struggling with heartbreak and guilt, her transfer to Arsenal finds her a shadow of her former self, consumed by the belief that she is unworthy of love and acceptance.

Flipcident | pt. 2

Kyra's brattiness reaches a new level and it ends with dire concequences when she messes with the wrong person.

A Love So Tender

After Arsenal's Champions League victory, Alessia and Kyra slip into their little headspaces.

Little Astronauts

Alessia has an accident and tries to blame it on Kyra, which leads to her getting into trouble.

Quarter Final Drop

One shot based on the quarter-final game the other week.

To Build A Home

Jenna’s first day at Arsenal is filled with excitement to play alongside Katie and Emily, but her nerves get the best of her, causing her to drop into a little headspace which stirs mixed feelings among Lia's girls, who aren't sure how to react to the new team member.

Rehab and Resilience

Beth's rehab feels like an endless cycle of frustration, monotony and setbacks, and one day it all gets too much when she lashes out at her fellow teammates, and Kim isn't about to let her attitude slide at all.

Keepers Luck

Daphne blames herself for the loss in the FA cup with an own goal and just wants the comfort from Danielle, who unfortunately can't be there right now.

Caught Red Handed

Leah's prank on Beth backfires, and it only worsens when she tries to blame it on Kyra.

[wosotales]

Masterlist

📖 club masterlist

📖 country masterlist

✍🏼 works in progress

my requests are open 💻

feel free to come and chat to me in my inbox 🫶🏼

[wosotales]

Only thought I got on daan coming to london city lionessses is that beth and daph will be happy to be closer to her

[wosotales]

Behind The Kit: Arsenal's Chosen Family - Caught Red Handed

Leah's prank on Beth backfires, and it only worsens when she tries to blame it on Kyra.

Leah was grinning far too smugly as she crept into the Arsenal player’s lounge with a plan already brewing in her head. Beth had been teasing her all week—about everything from her socks never matching to her ‘posh’ voice cracking mid-team talk.

Beth deserved it.

At least that’s what the blonde told herself as she carefully unscrewed the cap of Beth’s protein shake, and added a healthy amount of glittery pink food dye, and gave it a firm shake—it was harmless, but it would have a dramatic effect.

The bottle sparkled innocently on the table, awaiting its victim.

Beth came in fifteen minutes later, mid-conversation with Vic. Leah watched in anticipation as Beth uncapped the bottle, took one swig—and choked.

It wasn’t dangerous, but it was indeed dramatic. In true Beth Mead fashion.

“Oh my God,” Beth spluttered, pink already staining her lips, “What the… Who the hell put dye in my shake?!”

Leah froze—and then panicked.

Looking around the room, she spotted the usual culprit—she knew that Kyra would be the one to pin the blame on. The younger Australian was always causing chaos. Everyone would believe it.

“It was Kyra,” Leah said far too quickly, “I saw her messing with your bottle earlier.”

Kyra, who was literally halfway through braiding Alessia’s hair, gaped, “What?! I was with Lessi the whole time—weren’t I?”

Alessia nodded in agreement, raising her hand, almost apologetically, “She was. The whole time,” Then, without a beat, Alessia stared directly at Leah, “Leah did it. It was her. I saw it.”

The room went silent.

Leah gulped, knowing that she had very much been caught out now.

“Leah Cathrine,” Leah didn’t have to turn around to recognise the voice calling her out, “Here, now.”

The blonde’s heart sank as she turned to see Lia standing in the doorway of the room, arms folded, with her eyes locked on Leah.

“Mommy,” Leah whispered, “I… I didn’t mean it—Beth has been teasing me for days!”

“Here,” Lia repeated, her voice low and disappointed, “Do not make me repeat myself, again.”

“Oooh, you’re in trouble!” Kyra chirped, not being one to miss the opportunity to call out the blonde, “For once, it’s not me!”

“Kyra,” Lia was quick to cut the Aussie girls teasing out, “Stop it. Or else you will be finding yourself with the same consequences.”

Kyra was quick to shut up as soon as that word was mentioned—she didn’t want to go to bed sore.

Leah trailed after Lia like a scolded puppy, her head bowed low and her heart thumping hard against her ribs. Each step closer to the quiet space away from the chaos of the other things felt like the longest in her life–each step being heavier than the last.

“Mommy, wait—please, I didn’t mean it like that,” Leah tried to catch up, she tried to explain herself again, her voice small and pleading, “Beth has been on me all week. It was only a bit of food dye—”

Lia turned around just outside the door of the room, keeping her eyebrow raised, “Was it or was it that you tried to lie and blame Kyra for it instead?” she asked pointedly.

Leah winced, “I… I just panicked…”

“Mhm,” Lia hummed, opening the door and holding it for her, “Inside. Corner. Now.”

“Wait, but… Mommy, I said I was sorry!” Leah pleaded her innocence.

Lia, however, wasn’t having any of it, “Corner, Leah. Now.”

The use of her full name and the lack of softness in Lia’s voice made a lump form in Leah’s throat that was uncomfortable. Her bottom lip trembled, but she obeyed regardless as she went to stand in the corner. She didn’t argue again, not really but as she folded her arms and leaned into the wall, she was quick to mutter something petulant, “I’m too big for this. I’m… I’m not a baby.”

Lia didn’t respond immediately as she sat down simply on a nearby armchair, silent but watchful.

“I… I don’t like this,” Leah continued to insist in a whiny tone of voice, though her words wobbled a bit despite her defiance, “I’m not a baby!”

Though, her voice had already dipped into that softer tone that Lia knew all too well.

“Mommy,” Leah whined, her bottom lip jittering as she looked for sympathy from the older woman, “I… I don’t like this!”

Lia still didn’t respond.

“I’m too big for this,” Leah stood in the corner with her arms crossed over her chest, her foot tapping against the floor in a silent tantrum.

She was fuming. Embarrassed. Absolutely mortified.

This is the sort of thing that she would tease Kyra for, and maybe even Alessia, and now she’s here in the corner instead.

It wasn’t fair at all.

“Then maybe you should have been sensible and made better choices,” Lia answered calmly from behind  her, where she continued to watch her with a quiet eye, “You’re taking this time to think about your actions, Le.”

Leah’s cheeks burned in humiliation, “It was just a dumb prank…” she mumbled, though her voice lacked conviction now.

“I know, but that still doesn’t make it okay, Leah,” Lia told her in a firm tone of voice, “And you know that.”

And then that’s when the sniffles started.

It always happened to be the same, always trying to act tough but when it came to moments like this? She crumbled.

Leah hated disappointing her Mommy more than anything in the world—she didn’t care about being caught or being punished nearly as much as she cared about the tone that Lia had used.

Disappointment. Both in her words and mannerism.

“I… I didn’t mean to mess it all up,” Leah mumbled, sniffling softly now, “Didn’t mean to lie. I just… I thought it would be funny. I didn’t mean to make you cross with me.”

“I’m not cross, Leah,” Lia sighed gently, rising from her chair before she crossed the room and crouched down behind Leah, resting a hand gently on her back, “I’m sad that you didn’t trust me enough to tell the truth. That you blamed someone else just to protect yourself.”

“I’m sorry, Mommy,” Leah whispered, her voice breaking fully now.

A few more minutes passed, each longer than the last. At first, Leah tried to stay cross. She tried to pretend that she wasn’t slipping. But her arms began to loosen from their crossed position and her posture slackened as the shame sank in. She scuffed her toe against the wall as her head drooped lower and lower, until her bottom lip was wobbling.

There was another sniffle.

“Okay,” Lia gave in and motioned her forward, “Come here, please,”  By the time she had said that, Leah was already deep in her little space—emotional, embarrassed and small.

Leah turned around with wide, glassy eyes with her hands tucked in front of her tummy and fidgeting with the hem of her jumper.

“I don’t wanna be in trouble,” Leah whispered,  her voice cracking, “I didn’t mean to be naughty, Mommy.”

Lia opened her arms gently, “Come here, baby.”

Leah shuffled across the room, clambering onto her lap with a quiet sob and immediately curling into her, “I don’t like it when you’re cross with me.”

“I already told you I’m not cross with you, Le,” Lia murmured, stroking Leah’s hair, “I’m disappointed because you didn’t tell the truth and what’s worse is that you tried to blame Kyra for it. And you do know better than that.”

Leah sniffled, burying her face against Lia’s chest, “I didn’t… I didn’t wanna be in trouble. I just… I panicked, and I thought it would be fine. And Kyra always gets blamed for everything anyway so I thought it would be easy…”

“Right,” Lia pursed her lips, exhaling a sigh, “That’s not fair on Kyra, is it?”

“No…” Leah shook her head, wiping her nose with her sleeve.

Lia pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, “I love you, little lamb. You’re my girl. But you know that actions have consequences, Le.  And this is one of those times.”

Leahs’ face crumpled, “Do I have to?”

Lia pulled back slightly, cupping Leah’s tear-streaked face in her hands, “Yes, Le. We’ve talked about this before. You lied, you pranked someone even with something silly like food dye, and you tried to cover it up and blame it on your sister, didn’t you? That’s a spanking offence. You know that.”

“But I’ll cry,” Leah whimpered.

“I know,” Lia whispered, brushing the hair gently from her eyes, “But I’ll be right here. And then it’ll be over, and you can cry all you need in Mommy’s arms, okay?”

“O… Okay,” Leah gave the tiniest, reluctant nod as her whole body trembled but she didn’t dare to argue again.

Lia guided her gently across her lap, keeping her motions slow and reassuring. She slipped Leah’s training shorts down to her ankles along with her underwear, “I’ve got you, Le. Remember that, you can cry as much as you want. You’re not a bad girl, you’ve just make a mistake.”

The first smack landed softly but firmly, and Leah gasped and instinctively jolted forward as her arms flailed in the air.

By the third, she was sobbing.

“I… I’m sorry!” Leah cried, feeling incredibly guilty, “I won’t do it again! I promise! Mommy, I’m sorry!”

Lia didn’t mess about and finished quickly, not dragging it out longer than needed. She pulled Leah’s shorts up and gently lifted her, wrapping her arms around her in a protective hold, cradling her baby with love and tender care.

“You’re forgiven now, Le,” Lia soothed, rocking her softly, “It’s okay. Mommy’s got you. It’s all over now.”

“I’m sorry,” Leah sniffled, curling into her lap as her tears soaked through Lia’s top, her body went limp in exhaustion, “Am I still your little lambie?”

“Of course, always,” Lia whispered, “No matter what trouble you get yourself into. You’ll always be mine.”

With them words in mind, Leah felt the comfort that she needed, all the safety she craved, and gave the tiniest nod. She didn’t care about the prank anymore, she didn’t even care that she was punished.

All she needed was Mommy’s love and approval, and everything would be okay.

“Right then my little lamb,” Lia began once she had calmed down enough as she pressed a soft kiss to her temple, “I think it’s time that you apologise to Beth and Kyra now, please.”

Leah’s eyes widened and her cheeks burned again, “Do I have to? I already said to you, isn’t that good enough?”

“You do,” Lia gently insisted, “You might have apologised to me, but I still want you to apologise to them. You pulled a prank on Beth and then proceeded to blame Kyra for it when she didn’t do anything. It’s only right that you apologise and make things right with them both.”

Leah nodded quietly, biting her lip and sniffling, “Okay,” she whispered, keeping her voice small, “I’ll say sorry to them…”

“Good girl,” Lia praised, brushing her hair back, “I’m proud of you. And I’ll be right behind you if you need me.”

With that in mind, Leah shuffled out of the room with cheeks still pink and hands wringing nervously at her jumper hem to make things right.

The players lounge had gone quieter by the time they returned, most of the girls were there, but the main ones that stood out to Leah was Beth, still sitting at a table, sipping a now-non pink coloured protein shake while Kyra and Alessia were both sprawled out on a sofa nearby, and  Kim sat on a nearby sofa, keeping an eye on them.

Kyra immediately could tell the difference and smirked, “Le! Why are you walking funny? Did you get spanked or something?”

Leah froze, face instantly flushing bright red as she glanced at Lia, mortified and then down at her feet, unable to speak.

Beth choked on her drink, spluttering as she tried to cover it with a laugh.

“Kyra,” Lia’s tone was sharp and clipped, “Enough of that, young lady unless you want to find yourself in the same position.”

Kyra immediately held her hands up in mock surrender, “I’m good, Mommy! I can be a good girl!”

“Sure,” Lia murmured, side-eyeing the mischievous Australian girl, “Le, do you have something that you’d like to say to Beth and Kyra now?”

“Um…” Leah continued to gaze down at her sock-clad feet, before looking at Lia in reassurance, “Do I have to?”

“Yes,” Lia encouraged, nudging her forward, “You know what you did, and you need to apologise please. We talked about this.”

Leah was still beet-red, clung to Lia’s side like a scolded puppy, “Not fair…”

“Nothing you didn’t deserve,” Beth snickered, grinning, “At least your Mommy did a good job since you can’t walk that well right now.”

“Bethany Jane,” Kim scolded the blonde, sending a sharp look, “Knock it off. There’s no need for that, don’t think I won’t pull you over my lap right here.”

“Sorry, Mama,” Beth mumbled, sheepishly.

Kim didn’t let up her firm look, “Watch it, madam.”

“Go ahead and apologise please, Le,” Lia encouraged in a gentle but firm tone of voice.

Leah shifted from foot to foot, still clearly sore and embarrassed, but she finally acknowledged the group with her eyes flickering nervously between Beth and Kyra, “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper, “Beth… I shouldn’t have messed with your drink. It was stupid of me to do. And Kyra… I shouldn't have blamed you. It wasn’t fair.”

Beth automatically softened, her earlier amusement fading into something a lot more genuine, “That’s alright, Le. I forgive you, just try not to put glitter in my protein next time, aye?”

“I thought it would be funny!” Leah protested weakly, though there was no heat behind it.

“Sure, but my mouth was still turned pink, weren’t it?” Beth shot back, biting back a smile, “I’ll be sure to get you back for that.”

“I think it’s a good idea to have no more pranks,” Kim instructed in a firm tone, “From anyone here in this room. Understood?”

There was a small choruses of yes in understanding with Kim before continuing with what they was already doing.

Kyra scrunched her face up, “Hm, I don’t know, Le. I mean you did try and throw me under the bus.”

“Kyra,” Lia shot the Australian girl with another firm look.

“Fine, fine, I accept your apology,” Kyra murmured, resisting the urge to roll her eyes under Lia’s watchful eye, “I guess you’re sleeping on your stomach tonight?”

“Kyra, enough,” Lia stated, firmly, “I won’t tell you again.”

Kyra lifted both hands again in mock surrender, a sheepish grin tugging at her lips, “Yes, Mommy,” she muttered, not quite managing to hide the glint of mischief in her eyes.

Leah, still red-faced, gave Lia a look somewhere between exasperation and pleading, “Can we please stop talking about it?”

“No promises there,” Kyra muttered under her breath, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

Lia slowly turned her head towards her, her brow raising in warning, “Kyra.”

But apparently Kyra just didn’t know when to stop, “I mean… Le’s probably got little glitter handprints on her bum now, right?”

Beth snorted, trying and failing to smother a laugh behind her hand. Even Alessia looked scandalised, one brow arching high as she shook her head at the Aussie girl.

“Seriously, Ky?” Alessia mumbled.

Kim let out a quiet sigh, “Here we go.”

Lia moved quickly, eyes fixed on Kyra with a dangerous calm expression she only got when the line had been officially crossed, “Right, you were warned.”

Kyra immediately started to backtrack, scrambling to her feet as she tried to escape her fate, “Wait, wait, Mommy—I was only joking! I was just playing! C’mon!”

“Mmhmm,” Lia replied, her tone flat as she strode across the room and pointed to the doorway with practiced authority, “Out. Now. You and I are going to have a private chat.”

“Mommy,” Kyra whined, automatically regretting her decision in teasing Leah, “I… I didn’t mean it!”

“And yet you still did it,” Lia stated, grabbing hold of her upper bicep, “Start walking now. You’ve earned yourself a punishment,” she kept a firm hand on the small of Kyra’s back as she guided the midfielder out of the lounge as the door clicked shut behind them.

[wosotales]

Behind The Kit: Barcelona's Chosen Family - After The Final Whistle

The Champions League final result hits Kika harder than she initially realised it would. This work is gifted to @batllethinker for her idea :)

“This can’t be how it ends,” That was the one single thought running through Kika’s mind as the last few minutes trailed on—a last minute defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League Final.

How could it be? 

They were the reigning champions.

They were Barça.

They had won this three times in a row. They’d  gone into this knowing they would win.

That’s what was supposed to happen.

How was this happening?

And yet here she was, stuck on the sidelines and being forced to watch this absolute tragedy of a game really didn’t help matters.

The recovery in her injury had already been gruelling enough but the Champions League Final final, in Portugal—this was the dream she’d had ever since she was a little girl.

It was happening without her on the pitch.

Kika curled her hands into fists and bit back a scream as the final whistle neared.

A scrappy goal.

A 1-O loss.

There was no chance for a magic comeback. No one last dance.

Kika couldn’t even bear looking at the scoreboard again. Right now, it hurts too much.

“No,” The young girl raked a free hand through her hair, staring at the stress of the game directly in front of her, “No, no, no.”

It should’ve been the biggest night of her life.

She’d imagined it, over and over again.

Rushing out onto the pitch at Estádio José Alvalade with her name ringing out. The music blaring out around them. The celebrations being in full swing. Her parents watching proudly from the stands. Her country behind her.

Alexia had made her a promise that they would come to her country and win.

But right now?

The likelihood was very far from that as the minutes ticked down before the final whistle was blown.

And promises didn’t hold ligaments together.

This feeling was worse than just being disappointed, not being able to play—no, this was more… was gut-wrenching.

A deep ache was lodged in her chest. It was just once that she couldn’t stretch out. Nothing that could be iced or compressed.

Because this pain wasn’t physical.

This was a kind of soul pain.

Nothing that any physio could fix.

A tear slipped free before she could even have the chance to stop it, she was quick to wipe it away with her hand before anyone around her given the opportunity to realise what was happening. 

Her team was losing, and there was not a single thing that she could do about it.

The ear-piercing screech of the final whistle blew, the Arsenal bench emptied and the roar of their fans erupted, but Kika didn’t move an inch.

It felt like she was stuck, frozen in the moment.

The dread seeping in.

They’d lost.

She couldn’t be angry though. She was proud of her team, regardless. She was just grieving what she’d lost.

The world seemed to blur around her—the cheers, the heartbreak and the sting of floodlights overhead all merging into one loud, shapeless sound.

Kika stayed seated for what felt like forever, arms wrapped tight around herself like it was somewhat the only thing that was holding her together.

The girl didn’t even realise that her legs were moving until her trainers touched the edge of the grass.

There was just something about it that felt wrong for her to step onto that pitch.

Not like this.

Not without earning it.

But then she saw them all—her teammates.

Alexia, doubled over, hands on her knees and chest heaving while Aitana had her shirt pulled over her face, and then there was Mapi, who had her head tilted up towards the sky, blinking hard against the light as if that would stop the tears alone.

They looked absolutely crushed.

None of this was right.

None of it was even fair, they worked so hard and they lost.

Kika took a deep breath before forcing herself to move—she needed to see her teammates, give her condolences and reassure them it wasn’t their fault.

Her steps onto the pitch were slow at first, feeling like the grass beneath her feet was sacred ground that she hadn’t earnt the right to touch.

It didn’t matter the amount of times physios had told her how well she was healing, nor how many hours she’d spent alone in the gym, rebuilding herself with one careful moment at a time.

Her first instinct was to comfort everyone else.

Even though there was an uncertain ache in her chest and knot in her throat, Kika’s eyes darted across the pitch, seeking out some of the other girls.

She knew she was devastated—Hurting, even more so.

But they had been the ones out there on the pitch—she hadn’t played , she hadn’t fought with them tonight.

So what right did she have to step into their grief?

They’d been out there for ninety minutes. They’d fought.

Some of them even longer. They’d bled for the badge tonight.

Not her.

In her head, they’re the ones that must be feeling worse.

Kika allowed her feet to pull her forwards toward the group of girls before she could even think twice about it.

Jana looked absolutely wrecked with her shoulders hunched and hands planted on her hips like she was physically trying to hold herself up. Kika reached her first, curling an arm around her and squeezing her tightly.

“I’m proud of you,” Kika whispered, “You didn’t give up fighting the whole time. I saw everything.”

Jana didn’t have enough energy to spare any words as she nodded with glassy eyes.

Then there was Alexia—she was someone always loud, always fierce but now… now she was unnervingly quiet. She sat hunched over on the grounds with her legs pulled up to her chest.  

“Ale?” Kika crouched beside her, afraid to say the wrong words as she rested her head on her shoulder, “I… I’m here.”

A gentle touch. A quiet gesture that she was in fact here.

“I really thought we had it,” Alexia mumbled, heartbroken, “I… I really thought it.”

“I know,” Kika breathed, swallowing the lump that formed in her throat, “Me too.”

Kika didn’t wait around too long before she moved to hug Aitana next, catching her in a moment when her shirt was still over her face in an attempt to hide her tears. Pulling it down gently, Kika offered a soft smile even though her own vision was blurred.

“You were incredible,” Kika told her honestly, brushing the hair from Aitana’s face, “You always are.”

Aitana leaned into the younger girl’s touch, silent and shaking.

Esmee passed her with a blotchy face, and without thinking twice, Kika reached out for her and tugged her into a tight hug, “You should be proud of yourself,” She murmured, not knowing if Esmee needed exactly that or something else, but she did it anyways.

Kika needed to feel her teammates and hold onto something real as the weight of the loss settled deeper into her bones.

Everywhere she looked, there was someone from the team crying. Someone was clinging to someone else.

Right now, all she could see was a team full of warriors, crumbling all at once.

And Kika really wanted nothing more than to fix it. She needed to fix it.

But she just didn’t know how.

Her heart was broken in several different ways, and she didn’t know how to fix it.

She needed that one person who would be able to help her deal with everything—even when she was hurting herself.

She needed Ona.

“Mama,” Kika whimpered, her chest heaving as her throat clenched tight. She didn’t even realise how badly she needed her until it was right in that moment—her eyes landed on her, and suddenly things felt better again.

“C’mere, baby,” Ona stood a little away, her arms open wide ready for Kika to run towards her, only she couldn’t do that with an injured ankle but everything in her posture said everything it needed to do—the defeat, the heartbreak and even the exhaustion.

Ona was trying to hold herself together by will alone.

Kika didn’t hesitate to rush towards her, as fast as she could with an injured ankle.

“Hi, baby,” Ona murmured, allowing Kika to bury her face in her chest without her needing to say anything else.

That was what caused the dam to break.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, sunshine,” Ona said in a soothing tone of voice, keeping her strong arms secure around her shoulders, “What’s brought all of this on, huh? It’s okay,” She continued to hold her and rock her gently.

Kika didn’t quite have the right words to say—better yet, she didn't know exactly what to say.

“Let it all out sweetheart, I’ve got you,” Ona murmured, voice low against Kika’s hair, “I’m right here, just let it out.”

Kika sobbed. Really sobbed—the kind of cry that came from somewhere deep inside of her, somewhere untouched until now.

“I… I tried to be strong,” Kika choked out, “I tried. For everyone. But… But I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t do anything to help.”

“You helped more than you realise,” Ona said softly, pulling her even closer, “We felt like you were there, every step of the way, angel. And you’re allowed to hurt as well. But you know with me that you don’t have to be strong, you can be vulnerable. It’s okay.”

Kika clung to her, her own fingers curling into Ona’s kit with the feeling that letting go would mean breaking completely—and she wasn’t sure if she was quite ready for that.

“Let it go, baby,” Ona murmured, keeping a tight hold of her, “I’ve got you. It’s okay.”

And at that moment, Kika didn’t care about any of the cameras, the fans or even the flashing lights anymore.

Settled in Ona’s arms, she didn’t need to pretend like she wasn’t shattering inside.

She could cry. She could grieve. She could just be herself.

The celebrations blared around them and the pain of the loss settled like a fog around the stadium, as Kika allowed herself to fall into the only comfort that mattered—she had her Mama right now, and that’s all that mattered.

She wasn’t alone.

Not tonight. Not ever.

The hotel room was quiet.

Too quiet, almost. Like even the walls knew better than to say anything.

The game was over. The press was done. The medals had been handed out, and the floodlights at Estádio José Alvalade had been turned off hours ago.

But none of that seemed real.

The only thing that truly felt real in the moment was the four bodies pressed clos around Ona, their limbs tangled up on the wide hotel bed.

Jana was curled up by Ona’s side, practically tucked under her arm. Kika lay across her lap, face buried in Ona’s hoodie while Vicky had squashed herself in behind them, and Lucy’s legs dangled off the side of the bed, but she still kept her hands laced with Ona’s and hadn’t let go once.

Nobody was really saying much.

None of them really needed to.

The silence in the room wasn’t awkward though, it was… sacred. It was like the unspoken grief they all carried didn’t need words—just warmth, and closeness.

Ona’s fingers ran rhythmically through Kika’s curls, her other hand occasionally stroking Jana’s back. Her head rested against Lucy’s, and Vicky’s arm was slung across all of them like she was physically trying to keep them from falling apart.

It was all Ona had wanted since the final whistle.

To get back to her girls.

To hold them. Protect them. Mourn with them.

Ona hadn’t allowed herself to cry. Not properly. She couldn’t. She had to be strong—she had to be steady for her girls. She was not able to shed her tears when her girls needed her to their anchor.

But now?

Now was different, in the dim light of the hotel room and surrounded by the people that she loved.

It was safe to let go.

A single tear slipped down Ona’s cheek. Then another. She blinked hard, trying to stop them, but Kika must have felt the shift because she looked up.

“Mama?” Kika blinked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ona gave her a soft smile, “I’m okay, baby. I’m okay, honest. I just… I needed this tonight.”

Kika didn’t say anything more, she just lifted herself slightly and curled her arms around Ona’s waist and hugged her tight.

“I’m glad I have my girls here right now,” Ona murmured quietly.

“I love you, Mama,” Jana whispered softly, peering her head up to look at her.

Ona smiled, her eyes watery as she brushed Jana’s hair back out of her eyes, “I love you too, sweetheart. I love you all, so much.”

“I love you too, Mama,” Vicky mumbled, faintly looking at her with glossy eyes, “You’ll be okay though, Mama. We’re here!”

That was all it took.

The tears came, slow and steady, slipping down Ona’s face as she cradled her girls. The grief, pride, exhaustion and love all came seeping out and mixing into a quiet cry, muffled against Kika’s hair as Jana pressed closer and Lucy gently kissed the back of her hand.

“I’m so proud of you all,” Ona whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of it, “So, so proud.”

“You were their rock tonight, Mama,” Lucy murmured, her voice muffled by Ona’s shoulder, “The girls couldn’t have done any of it without you.”

“You carried us,” Jana added, “Even when it felt impossible.”

Ona shook her head gently, “We carried each other. That’s what we do. That’s what we keep doing. We’ll be okay.”

And they did, in every match. In heartbreak. In every moment like this one—-where it would seem easier to close off, to retreat into silence or pain, they chose to carry each other instead.

Jana shifted slightly, tucking her head under Ona’s chin, “Can we just stay like this? For a while?”

“I think we can, for as long as you need, angel,” Ona kissed the top of her head, “We can just stay here, and be content.”

[wosotales]

I may have a few things coming out that I’ve been working on

[wosotales]

my next fic in the works will be a kika angst-filled one!

when’s your next fic coming?

Umm I have something in the works but no timescale when it’ll be out

[wosotales]

please tell me you’re releasing something soon i miss your work

Soon, I promise 🥴