Assume everything is 18+. Not available for minors.
Everything is also up on AO3.
Requests are open, hit me with something and I'll see what I can do! Or inbox me to chat!!
Reminder that while these stories springboard off the likeness of real people, the characters and scenarios depicted are purely products of my own imagination. Please head elsewhere if that line is hard for you to respect!
Lucy x Ona
Minimum Recovery Time | 67K words
AO3 / Tumblr
A year and a half on from the way things unravelled in Barcelona, Lucy Bronze joins a UEFA task force designed to protect player welfare. She’s prepared for meetings, negotiation, consensus-building. What she isn’t prepared for is her past walking back into the room, or how to move forward when healing a heart proves more complicated than any physical recovery could be.
No Half Measures | 30K words
AO3 / Tumblr
There hadn’t really been a decision to make. Of course Lucy had said yes. But saying yes had meant leaving Barcelona. Leaving the home she shared with Ona. And rebuilding a life from scratch by herself, in London, with a grieving seven-year-old child. In other words: Lucy and Ona in an AU of the 2024-2025 season, where unexpected life circumstances prompt Lucy's move to Chelsea.
Etched (Beneath Her Skin) | 5K words
AO3 / Tumblr
Ona’s getting a new tattoo, Lucy comes with. Lucy expects a quiet afternoon. But while Ona lets the needle ink her ribs, Lucy is caught off guard by what it feels like to watch.
London at Last | 6 stories, 2-3K words each
AO3 / Tumblr
These little smutshots don't have much plot. Feel free to read in any order!
Zero-stress long-distance, exploring their relationship dynamics through intimate time when Ona visits Lucy in London.
90% sex, 6% banter, 4% sweetness.
1. Arrival, Connection | 2.4K words
Weeks of separation melt away as Lucy and Ona reunite in London.
Tags: Tenderness, Explicit Consent, Reunion Sex, Fluff and Smut
2. Slow Morning | 2.5K words
Lucy and Ona spend a quiet morning wrapped up in each other.
Tags: Morning Sex, Shower Sex, Domestic Fluff, Intimacy
3. Afternoon Workout | 2.4K words
Lucy suggests some time in the gym, but neither she nor Ona are particularly focused on exercise.
Tags: Gym Sex, Body Worship, Massage, Emotional Intimacy
4. Evening Tease | 3.2K words
Lucy and Ona venture out for takeaway, then have a quiet evening back home.
Tags: Teasing, Masturbation, Strap-Ons, Playfulness
5. Late Night Truths | 2.1K words
A conversation in the dark turns tender as Lucy and Ona imagine their future and share vulnerable truths.
Tags: Oral Sex, Edging, Imagining Parenthood, Intimate Conversations
6. Sleepy Goodbyes | 3.6K words
Lucy and Ona make the most of their final morning together.
Tags: Sleepy Sex, Lazy Mornings, Oral Sex, Goodbyes
Convergence | 8K words
AO3
After a long, tough season, Lucy and Ona find themselves totally exhausted, entering the break before the start of the 2025 Euros. Time in the sun and the sea helps them rediscover the bond that keeps them connected despite the distance that separates them.
never getting over bronzey dragging the lionesses to victory while wearing the rainbow captain’s armband round her wrist because her biceps were too big for it. the queer icon we deserve. absolute legend behaviour. happy one-year anniversary of this moment to all who celebrate.
No Half Measures
Lucy x Ona (+ original child character)
18+ | 30K words
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Overall summary: Of course Lucy had said yes. But saying yes had meant leaving Barcelona. Leaving the home she shared with Ona. And rebuilding a life from scratch by herself, in London, with a grieving seven-year-old child. In other words: Lucy and Ona in an AU of the 2024-2025 season, where unexpected life circumstances prompt Lucy's move to Chelsea.
Chapter 2: June 2024 | Some backstory on Lucy’s return to London; decisions made and all that follows.
No Half Measures
Lucy x Ona (+ original child character) | overall story rating 18+
[Will be posting to Tumblr on Tuesdays and Fridays. This version has been lightly edited from the one posted to AO3.]
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Chapter 2 of 12: Decisions
Also available on AO3
Barcelona | June 2024
Three Months Earlier
Lucy and Ona's flat was warm in the early summer air, the door to their little terrace open to let in the breeze. Lucy rinsed strawberries at the kitchen sink, the late afternoon sun pouring in through the window above. Ona leaned against the counter in a loose sleeveless shirt, peeling clementines from the fridge and slipping a segment into Lucy's open mouth mid-sentence, grinning when she caught her off guard.
"Rude," Lucy said after swallowing, shooting Ona a half-hearted glare.
"T'agrada," Ona countered, grinning. "Better cold, no?"
Lucy shrugged, knowing Ona was right. Letting her own smile emerge, she popped a strawberry into Ona's mouth in response, when her phone, lying face-down beside the hob, buzzed against the countertop. It sounded loud in the quiet of their kitchen, drawing both their eyes.
Lucy reached for it without thinking. "Jess," she said aloud, reading the screen. She glanced at Ona and laughed a little, "Wonder if she's found another of Mara's socks in the freezer."Â
But when she heard Jess's voice, her whole body stilled.
"Hey, wait," she said, voice gentling immediately. "What's happened?"
Ona went still too, her fingertips halting mid-peel.
Lucy turned slightly, her back to the sink now, eyes focused on nothing. "That bad?" she asked, then paused, listening.
Her next words were softer still. "What do you mean?"
There was a pause that felt endless.
"Jess..."
Ona stepped forward instinctively, needing to be closer to Lucy.
"I'll be there," Lucy said finally, her voice resolute in a way that made Ona's stomach turn. "First flight I can get."
She hung up, slowly lowering the phone like it had gotten heavier during the call.
"Lucy," Ona said gently, brushing her hand against Lucy's arm.
"Jess is in hospital," Lucy said. "The cancer is back. It's... not good. I need to go to London."
Ona's breath caught. "Should I come with you?"
Lucy shook her head. "Not yet. But..." She hesitated. "She's asked me to stay with Mara for a bit."
Ona reached for Lucy's hand and held it, steady and firm. "Of course."
---
London Hospital | Two Days Later
The corridor was dimly lit with yellow fluorescent strip lights that made everything feel detached. Lucy walked past the nurses' station with a weary gait. A hospital wristband showed beneath her sleeve. Mara was at school now, having been dropped off by the parent of the classmate whose house she'd stayed at.
Lucy stopped at Room 406 and pushed open the door slowly.
Jess looked smaller than Lucy remembered. Thinner. Her skin was drawn tight around her cheekbones, her hair tucked under a scarf. But her eyes were bright. Watchful. The same old Jess, just in a body that was giving out.
"Well," Jess rasped, lifting an eyebrow, "you look like shit."
Lucy exhaled and stepped in, dropping her bag in the corner. "Nice to see you too."
"Got in last night?"
"Midnight. Slept on your sofa."
"You always did like that thing," Jess said. "Even though it's not nearly long enough for you. You should sleep in my room."
Lucy smiled. It felt brittle. She crossed to the chair beside the bed and sat, resting her forearms on her knees.
"How are you?" Lucy broke the silence.
Jess shook her head. "I don't want to talk about me."
"What do you want to talk about?"
"I don't know." Jess wrinkled her nose. "How are things in paradise?"
Lucy let out a small huff of a laugh. "Honestly? Barcelona summer's always a bit mad. It's like someone flipped a switch and suddenly every plaza's full of music and kids and there are tourists everywhere, queuing for gelato at midnight. But the evenings..." she smiled faintly, "they stretch on and on with late sunsets."
"And your favourite Spaniard?" Jess asked after a beat.
Lucy's lips curved into a real authentic smile. "Don't let a Catalan woman hear you call her a Spaniard," she chided, mock-serious. "Ona's good, though. Honestly she's wonderful. She made it look easy marking some of the best wingers in Europe last month," she said, pride in her voice, before continuing, "Off the pitch things have been good too. She's been slowing things down for us lately. Lighting candles at dinner, music in the background instead of the telly. It's been really nice."
Jess's mouth curled into a small smile. "I'm glad. You need someone like that, Luce."
Lucy reached over and gently adjusted the hospital blanket. "Enough about me. Will you tell me how you're feeling today?"Â
Jess shrugged, a fragile motion. Finally she answered. "Exhausted. Every cough feels like a punch."
"You want me to get the nurse?"
"No. Just stay."
So Lucy did.
They talked for nearly an hour about their old school days, about a teacher they'd once pranked, about the band they both loved as teens, and how Lucy had gone through an embarrassing phase of collecting records she never played.
Then Jess grew quiet, looking down and asking, "Did you speak with Ella's mum yet?"
"Yeah. Called her on my way in, like you said. She told me Mara was quiet this morning but seemed to be doing OK. We planned for me to pick her up from school today. I'll take her back to your house for now." Lucy said.
Jess smiled, tears edging her lashes. "She's doing well, considering."
"She's strong," Lucy said. "She gets that from you."
Jess turned her head slightly. "Lucy."
Something in her voice made Lucy sit straighter.
Jess reached for a folder on the table beside her bed. She held it out with shaking fingers. "It's the guardianship paperwork. I want us to sign it."
Lucy swallowed hard.
"I wouldn't ask if I had any other choice," Jess whispered. "You know that, right?"
"I know, Jess..."Â
Jess looked at her for a long moment, then gave a small, tired smile-- one corner of her mouth tugging up like it couldn't quite manage the full motion.
"She needs you to be there for her," she said. "Just like you've always been there for me."
Lucy looked down, then back up at Jess, her voice breaking slightly, "Of course I'll be there for her."
Jess shifted slightly in the bed, "I mean it, Luce. You've always been my rock. When my dad found out about my first girlfriend and threw me out of the house-- when he broke my ribs for it-- you were the one who came and picked me up. You didn't even ask what happened. You just drove. Remember that old Peugeot you used to have? Rattled like a tin can the whole way back, but it felt like the only safe place on earth that day."
Lucy nodded, her jaw clenched.
Jess continued. "And later, when I tried to pretend I was someone else and wound up pregnant and alone? You didn't say ‘I told you so.' You just arrived with chocolate biscuits and ginger tea and stayed until the worst of it had passed."
She drew a slow breath, the edges of her voice softening. "You've always had my back, Lucy. You've always known how to show up when it matters."
For a moment, the only sound was the soft hum of the monitor at Jess's side.
Lucy reached out for the papers. "She has me, Jess. And you do too. You can count on me."
Jess's eyes closed, but the tears on her cheeks glistened in the low light.
---
Barcelona | Mid June 2024Â
Two weeks later Lucy sat at the small desk in the corner of their Barcelona flat, a mess of half-written lists and open browser tabs lit up in front of her. Mara was watching a Disney movie in the living room. Ona was still at training. It felt wrong to not be there with her. The flat felt wrong too, full of things Lucy suddenly knew she wouldn't be able to take with her. A framed photo of her and Ona at the beach, Narla and Coco on their laps, sat just out of her eyeline, and every time she caught sight of it by accident, she had to look away.
She pressed her phone tighter to her ear, her voice low but steady. "No leaks," she said. "I mean it. This isn't just another transfer. It's personal."
Her request had been simple: only clubs in London, only serious offers, no media involved. Chelsea had been the first to respond, quick and professional. Sonia Bompastor was already familiar with Lucy from Lyon and had made it clear she wanted her.
On the other end of the call, her agent murmured agreement. "Of course. I've spoken with Chelsea. They're ready to move quickly. They understand your situation and priorities and they're serious about supporting you on and off the pitch."
Lucy nodded, even though no one could see her. "Good. That's really important."
"Barcelona will want to talk," her agent added. "They're disappointed, obviously. You'd been clear about wanting to renew."
"I know." Lucy leaned forward. "I just... can't."
The words tasted sour, but they were true. There hadn't been a choice, not really. Jess's health had declined so fast Lucy had barely caught her breath. She'd flown to London three times in the past two weeks. The last time, she had come back with a child.
Her agent hesitated. "Are you sure about this, Lucy?"
"Yes," Lucy said. Her voice didn't shake. "Mara needs to be in London, so I need to be in London. I can't take her away from everything she knows right now."
A pause on the line, before her agent continued, "Then I'll begin finalising it with Chelsea tomorrow."
Lucy leaned back in the chair and rubbed at her eyes. The thought of packing made her stomach turn. There was so much she'd need to leave behind. The plants she'd bought for their terrace that had only just started blossoming. The bed they'd chosen after testing a dozen, laughing as they lay on them in the shop. The art they'd found on an unexpected day off not long after officially moving in together.
She had built a life here. Not just a football career, but a home.
Lucy heard the door click open and then the soft murmur of Ona greeting Mara before she appeared in the doorframe.
"You're home early," Lucy said, gaze still focused on the screen in front of her.
Ona's footsteps were soft. She stopped next to Lucy's chair. Lucy could feel Ona looking at the screen over her shoulder. She didn't close the laptop.
Chelsea FC.
She heard Ona's breath catch. Then Ona's fingers lightly grazed the edge of Lucy's arm.Â
"It's going to be Chelsea. I've started the process. I can't take Mara away from London right now." Lucy said, quietly, still not looking at Ona.
Ona paused a moment before speaking, "Then I'll call my agent tomorrow about options. I want to be with you."
Lucy turned, startled. "Ona... You can't..." Lucy's voice cracked. "Barça is your dream. You've worked your whole life to get here. I won't be the reason you walk away from it."
Ona's brow furrowed. "SÃ, I love Barça. But I love you more. You think I would choose the club over you?"
"I think you've sacrificed enough to get here," Lucy said, her voice rising a bit as she spoke. "You're finally back home. You're starting. You're playing your best football. You've dreamed of this your whole life."
"And what are we if we can't find a way to do this together?" Ona's voice stayed soft. "If you don't want me to come, is there really no way for you and Mara to be here?"
Lucy closed her eyes. "This is Mara's whole life we're talking about. She's already lost everything. I need to give her something that doesn't change. Her school, her home, her friends... It can't all disappear."
Ona stepped closer. "I understand. I do. But also I don't want to stay on the outside while your life completely changes."
Lucy reached for Ona's hand and held it tightly. "I love you. You're it for me, Ona. I just... I need it to be like this for now. I'm uprooting my life, but I can't be the reason you lose everything you worked for. Not when everything is finally coming together for you. Please."
Ona's mouth opened, like she meant to argue further.
"Please," Lucy said again, and her voice cracked on it this time. "I can't do this and worry about whether I've ruined your career, too. I need to know you're OK."
Ona frowned, but whatever she saw in Lucy's face made her stop, shoulders dropping.
There was a long silence.
Then Ona nodded once, slowly.
"Vale," she said, voice quiet. "OK. For now. But I don't like it."
Lucy stood and reached for Ona then, wrapping Ona in her arms and holding her tight. She didn't say thank you. She didn't say sorry. She stayed there, forehead pressed against Ona's shoulder, steadying her breath in the quiet.Â
Part 1 -> Part 2 -> Part 3 (coming soon)
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No Half Measures
Lucy x Ona (+ original child character)
18+ | 30K words
➤ Back to No Half Measures Masterlist
Chapter 1 of 12:
September 2024 | Life… how it is and how it used to be.
Of course Lucy had said yes. But saying yes had meant leaving Barcelona. Leaving the home she shared with Ona. And rebuilding a life from scratch by herself, in London, with a grieving seven-year-old child.
In other words: Lucy and Ona in an AU of the 2024-2025 season, where unexpected life circumstances prompt Lucy's move to Chelsea.
No Half Measures
Lucy x Ona (+ original child character) | overall story rating 18+
[Will be posting to Tumblr on Tuesdays and Fridays. This version has been lightly edited from the one posted to AO3.]
Of course Lucy had said yes. But saying yes had meant leaving Barcelona. Leaving the home she shared with Ona. And rebuilding a life from scratch by herself, in London, with a grieving seven-year-old child.
In other words: Lucy and Ona in an AU of the 2024-2025 season, where unexpected life circumstances prompt Lucy's move to Chelsea.
➤ Back to No Half Measures Masterlist
Chapter 1: The Shift
Also available on AO3
London | September 2024Â
The school gates were a blur of scooters and buggies. Lucy had parked too far down the road and now had Mara’s backpack swinging off one shoulder, the too-small strap digging into her arm. Mara, unusually quiet, walked beside her with small, dragging steps.
They were late.
Not catastrophically so-- it was only 8:44-- but the flow of children was already thinning. Mara slowed even more, pausing to adjust one cuff of her cardigan, then the other, then back again.
Lucy looked at her watch again and held back a sigh as she crouched down, trying to think of a way to get them moving again, "Hey. We’re nearly there. Want to race to the gate?"
Mara shook her head.
Lucy softened her voice. "Still thinking about yesterday's show-and-tell mix-up?"
Mara gave the tiniest nod.
"It's alright. Miss Thorne knows you'll bring it in next week. Everyone forgets things sometimes."
A longer pause. Then, quietly: "Everyone was staring. And I know Mia and even Ella were laughing at me. I don’t want to go to school any more. No one likes me!"
Lucy exhaled. There was no way to convince Mara otherwise when she got like this. And today, she didn’t have time. "I hear you. I know this is hard. But you have to go to school." She reached for Mara's hand. "Would it help if I walk inside with you?"
Another pause. Then a nod.
They made it just as the bell rang. Miss Thorne greeted them at the classroom door with a kind smile and a knowing glance. Lucy handed over the backpack and bent to give Mara a hug before leaving.
She turned and walked briskly back to the car, trying not to think about how tightly Mara had clutched at her.
The weight of it all still surprised her sometimes... the grip of Mara's small hand, her toothbrush next to Lucy’s own, the way Mara's moods could rise and fall with the tiniest shift in routine. None of it had been part of the plan. But then, none of this had ever been. Not Jess’s diagnosis. Not those last weeks in hospital, watching her best friend die. Not the legal documents with Lucy’s name on them, signed just a few days before the end.
There hadn’t really been a decision to make. Lucy had known it was coming before Jess had officially asked, handing over a responsibility bigger than anything Lucy had ever faced. But it was one that Lucy knew she couldn’t refuse.Â
Of course she had said yes.
But saying yes had meant leaving Barcelona. Leaving her home with Ona. And rebuilding a life from scratch by herself, in London, with a seven-year-old child.
---
Traffic around Cobham was mercifully light, and Lucy made it to Chelsea’s training ground with three minutes to spare. She rubbed her hands over her face and grabbed the remains of Mara's breakfast bar from where it had been dropped on the seat. She headed inside quickly, binning the wrapper and tugging her hoodie sleeves straight as she moved toward the changing rooms.
Inside, the building was warm and full of the familiar rhythm of boots on tile, trainers shouting instructions, the low hum of conversation. Lucy slipped into the locker room and exchanged nods with a few teammates.
"Morning, Bronze." Millie Bright looked up from lacing her boots. "You alright? You look knackered."
Lucy gave a small laugh, running a hand through her hair. "Cheers. Not even half nine and it's already been one of those days. Started when I couldn't find Mara's lunchbox lid. Ended up repacking everything in a takeaway tub."
The session blurred by. Passing drills, small-sided games, transition work. Lucy felt herself moving with muscle memory-- reading space, intercepting balls, calling out instructions. Her mind floated somewhere outside of her, just far enough away that she kept having to pull it back. Her body moved through the drills on instinct, every movement sharp and precise despite her brain existing somewhere far from the pitch. The patterns were familiar-- receive, turn, release-- and wired deeply into her. She tracked back, pressed when needed, and made the overlapping runs, but she was moving on autopilot. Bompastor didn’t say anything, but Lucy caught a flicker of concern in her expression.
Afterwards, in the changing room, Lucy sat at her locker, towel around her shoulders, and checked her phone. There was one new message.
Ona: How was drop-off? Did she remember the reading log?
Lucy stared at the message. She thought about replying with a joke or a simple "all good." But it wasn’t, really. And anyway, Ona always knew.
She typed, deleted, typed again. Finally:
Lucy: Almost forgot it and got out the door late. Bit of a panic. But we made it there.
She hesitated, then added:Â
Lucy: Miss you.
They’d been together nearly two years now. Before the tornado of the last three months had swept through, they had been solid and settled in Barcelona, with their routines fully entwined. Living together in their shared flat, they’d carved out a quiet, steady life amid the chaos of professional football and international travel. Their relationship was a foundation Lucy had counted on... and one she worried might be shaken beyond repair by everything that had come since.
---
The pick-up line outside school was a mess of double-parked cars. Lucy leaned against the fence, still feeling out of place among the sea of parents making conversation. She sipped from a takeaway coffee cup, phone in her pocket, as she spotted Mara in the crowd: shoulders tense, head low, cardigan swinging from her hand.
"Hey you," Lucy said as Mara arrived. "You survived the day!"
Mara gave a small shrug. Then, after a moment her face twisted in disgust, "There was mustard on my sandwich."Â
Lucy paused, confused, "And you... didn't like that?"
Mara gave Lucy a look, and then, despite having insisted on a double serving of it every day last week, declared, "I’ve always hated mustard."
Lucy worked to keep her expression neutral despite the smile that wanted to escape at the absurdity of that statement, and nodded. "Right. Course you have."
Mara studied her face, checking for mockery. Lucy seemed to pass muster, because Mara's shoulders dropped half an inch.
"Do you want to help me make your lunch for tomorrow? Pick exactly what you want?" Lucy offered.
Mara nodded.
"And we can check the reading log too?"
"OK."
Mara held her hand out. Lucy took it, squeezing twice.
They walked to the car in silence, Mara’s small hand warm in hers.
---
After homework and dinner came bath and then books, a whole nightly circuit.
Mara insisted on the same rotation of books, in the same order, though she'd long since memorised all of them and corrected Lucy if she skipped a page. Tonight it was the one about the bear who couldn't sleep, and Mara mouthed along under her breath to the parts she liked best, then went quiet for the ending, like she was hearing it for the first time.
Lucy closed the cover, and Mara shifted closer without seeming to decide to, her head finding the space just under Lucy's arm the way it always did once the day had worn her down enough to stop bracing against it. Lucy pulled the duvet up over both their legs and stayed there a moment, in no hurry.
"You smell like Mum's soap," Mara said, muffled, eyes already closed. "The old one. Before she got sick."
Lucy went still, then pressed a kiss into her hair. "Good memory."
"I have lots of them. Just don't say all of them."
"You can, though. Any time."
Mara didn't answer that, just burrowed a fraction closer, one hand coming up to hold loosely onto the sleeve of Lucy's jumper. It was an old habit between them, Lucy realised, familiar from years of goodbyes at airports, grabbing hold before Lucy disappeared again. Except now Lucy wasn't going anywhere.
"Tell Narla night from me?"
Mara's voice had gone soft and slow, and Lucy matched her tone.
"I will."
"And leave the door not-all-the-way?"
"Same as every night, love." Lucy waited until Mara's hand loosened, until her breathing evened into sleep, before she eased free, switched off the lamp, and left the door at the exact gap Mara required.
---
Lucy stood in the hallway outside Mara's room and leaned against the wall. For a brief moment, the world felt paused, the balance delicate, held together by Lucy’s quiet vigil in the dimly lit hall.
She padded into the kitchen, poured herself a glass of water, and finally opened her phone for the first time in hours.
Ona: I miss you too.
Ona: FaceTime tonight?
Lucy smiled and replied.
Lucy: Yes! Just have to clear up dinner.Â
Lucy: Can I call after dishes?Â
She stared at the screen a moment longer, then set the phone down on the counter and turned to the sink. The water ran warm over her hands as she rinsed a plate, stacked it to dry, and wiped the worktop. Twenty minutes later, when she returned to her phone, a new notification was waiting.
Ona: SÃ, por favor.
Lucy called for Narla to follow her out and stepped into the back garden space set off the kitchen. She tapped to call.
Ona’s face filled the screen, framed by the soft light of their old bedside lamp. Her hair was pulled back, hoodie slightly askew and eyes warm. She looked cozy. Everything in Lucy ached to be cuddled next to her. "Hola, amor," Ona said, voice low. "You look tired."
Lucy let out a breath that felt like it had been sitting in her chest all day. "Yeah. I suppose I am."
For a moment, they just looked at each other.
"Long day?" Ona asked gently.
Lucy shrugged. "It was a nightmare getting her out of the house this morning. She cried and wouldn’t wear the socks I picked. And I forgot the bloody water bottle again. But we had a good night."
Ona tilted her head slightly. "And training?"
"I showed up. Well, my body did, anyway."
Ona made a sympathetic noise. "I wish I was there."
Lucy swallowed. Her throat felt tight. "Yeah. Me too."
They were quiet a moment longer. It was hard to know what to say.
Lucy breathed deep and then focused on Ona. "Tell me something good?"
Ona hummed then smiled a bit as she thought. "We did finishing drills in training today... you know, the quick one-touch ones from the edge of the box? Mine was perfect-- like a rocket right next to Cata’s head. I think I scared her."
Lucy let out a soft laugh. "I'm impressed-- Cata doesn’t frighten easily."
"She flinched. Then she yelled something I am not going to repeat and told me I was banned from shooting for the rest of training."
Lucy’s smile widened a bit.
"Aitana was fuming too," Ona added. "She missed hers just before, and when mine went in, she walked off pretending to stretch her calf for five entire minutes."
There was a pause. It felt warmer this time, though. Ona continued, "It felt good. For a second I forgot everything else."
"Wish I’d seen it."
"I wish you had too," Ona said.
Another pause. Then, from Ona, softer still: "T’estimo."
Lucy smiled, the ache in her chest loosening by a fraction. "Love you too, Ona. So much."
She still felt the fatigue, the guilt, the ache of missing what her life had been. But it was dulled, made bearable by the sound of Ona’s voice.
---
Half an hour later though, Lucy was still sat on the steps of the back garden, one hand wrapped around a mug that had long since gone cold, Narla beside her. The September air was damp with a London chill that sank past clothing and into bone. She should’ve gone to bed. Should’ve prepped overnight oats for the morning. Should’ve iced her knee again or done a session with the TENS unit. But she hadn’t gone back inside. Not yet.
Behind her, the kitchen light glowed through the window. Inside was the cleared dinner table, an empty lunchbox waiting on the counter. Lucy had been thinking about packing it before going to bed, taking one thing off the endless morning to-do list. But of course she’d promised Mara they’d do it together. And with Mara, it was always a toss-up: either she’d forget the conversation entirely, or she’d cling to it as if Lucy honoring that one small detail would be the key to getting through the day.Â
The child grief counsellor they’d been seeing had suggested that Lucy let Mara be in control of making decisions whenever possible. When her mum had died, Mara had had no control at all over the massive changes in her life. And so, according to the counsellor, getting to make even small decisions like what went in her lunchbox could make a big difference.
Lucy set the mug aside and ran her hands through her hair, taking out her bun on autopilot and rubbing at the base of her skull. The soft hum of the washing machine filtered through the glass, a domestic sound that felt strangely distant now. In front of her, the garden was dark and quiet, the fence casting long, uneven shadows. She could smell the lingering trace of smoke from a neighbour’s fireplace.
She and Ona had built a life in Barcelona, full of routines that had taken root in Lucy’s heart, tiny things that added up to happiness. Ona’s keys on the hallway table. Lucy’s shoes by the door. Their dogs’ toys mingled in the basket in the living room. Shared groceries, shared laughter, shared silences. All of it had felt so intertwined and so settled.
And then, it wasn’t.
Now Lucy’s life felt fragmented. Split across clubs, borders, time zones. Even her days felt divided. Lucy moved from football pitch to school pickup, from tactical film review to bedtime stories, and most nights it felt like she didn’t have anything left over for herself, let alone for the person she missed most in the world.
She tipped her head back and looked at the sky. No answers there. Just clouds and the faint buzz of a plane overhead, strangers moving on their way to somewhere new.
She wasn’t sure how long she sat like that, thinking and not thinking. Her body ached, but she barely registered it. What pressed on her more was the weight of having to get everything right on her own.
There were things she loved about this version of her life. She really did. The girls at Chelsea were wonderful, and Bompastor was an excellent coach. It was nice to be closer to her family, to get to see her parents when they came to help with Mara when Lucy travelled for work. She was lucky in so many ways.
But tonight, she felt disconnected from herself. Far from the version of her who used to fall asleep to the sound of the sea in Barcelona, topless and tangled up with Ona, surrounded by warmth. That life had felt full in a completely different way. Joyous. Solid.
She and Ona had made something real in Barcelona, something that mattered. But now that she was in London, balancing single parenthood and football at a new club while the person she loved was an entire country away... it didn’t feel like balance at all. She was playing so many different roles: Mara’s guardian, Chelsea’s teammate, England’s veteran, Ona’s partner. All of them her, but never all at once.
She exhaled slowly. Then she stood, turned, walked inside, and shut the door behind her.
Tomorrow, she’d wake up and do it all again. But tonight, she let herself feel the weight of it. Let herself miss what her life used to be.
Part 1 -> Part 2
➤ Back to No Half Measures Masterlist
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No Half Measures
Lucy x Ona (+ original child character)
18+ | 30K words
There hadn’t really been a decision to make. Of course Lucy had said yes. But saying yes had meant leaving Barcelona. Leaving the home she shared with Ona. And rebuilding a life from scratch by herself, in London, with a grieving seven-year-old child.
In other words: Lucy and Ona in an AU of the 2024-2025 season, where unexpected life circumstances prompt Lucy's move to Chelsea.
Masterlist:
[Will be posting to Tumblr on Tuesdays and Fridays. This version has been lightly edited from the one posted to AO3.]
Part 1: The Shift
Part 2: Decisions
Part 3: Here, There
Part 4: Fault Lines
Part 5: Impact
Part 6: Mending
Part 7: Interlude: What's on the Line
Part 8: Echoes of Home
Part 9: 'Tis the Season
Part 10: Lining Up
Part 11: What If
Part 12: Where You Are
Thank you! I've got a few stories at various stages that I hope to have ready to post soon, but I confess it typically takes me a loooong time to write (and then edit and then rewrite and then edit again... until I'm finally happy)-- I'm only able to maintain the posting schedule I set myself because even for long multichap fics I finish writing most of the story before I ever start posting the first chapter. That way it's only my very tedious editing process you have to wait for week on week ðŸ˜
I've been wanting to bring No Half Measures over to this platform, so I'll probably start posting that one next. Maybe even later today for chap 1? I made a silly little banner for it this morning, so I just need to reformat the text for Tumblr.
As for new work, I've got about three or four things fairly well developed so might be able to get one of those up soonish. I'm probably most excited about the Ode to the 2025 Euros I've been working on, but feel a strong desire to really get that one right across all the little details, so might be a bit longer for it.
Four years takes Ona to 31 and Lucy to 38... given things both of them have said about wanting to become parents, what do we think the odds are of there being a Bronze-Batlle baby in London before the time this contract ends?
It does one of my absolute favourite things in fic, which is when an author takes a wild, intriguing premise and commits to it completely, creating something that feels deeply authentic and real and wrapping it inside the very fictional setting/premise/etc.
The versions of Lucy and Ona in this fic are perfectly rendered in their characterisations, even translated into the fantastical world of magic-- and their connection is electric. Plus the world building in it is just SO good, so much packed in. It was an absolute joy to read, start to finish.
Lucy x Ona | 18+ | 4.5K words
Also available on AO3
A standalone smutshot. Starts sweet, then gets smutty.
(No need to read Minimum Recovery Time first to enjoy this, but this is set in that universe, after the main storyline ends.)
Ona had her hand in Lucy's back pocket, palm curled. Every now and then she'd squeeze.
Lucy was so distracted by that contact, she'd already nearly tripped twice.
They were walking back to their hotel through the quiet streets of Vieux Lyon, and somewhere above and behind them, the basilica sat lit against the dark sky. They turned a corner onto a deserted street, and Ona used the excuse of their solitude to move closer still, pulling Lucy tight. Lucy paused and took in the empty street, then turned to properly look at Ona. She framed Ona's face with both hands, brushing across her cheeks with her thumbs.
Then she leaned in to kiss her.
She felt Ona smile against her mouth as their lips met, and she slid her one hand down to Ona's jaw, tilting her head to get a better angle on the kiss. She licked into the warmth of Ona's mouth, and drew a soft sound from Ona. Ona's free hand found the front of her jacket, then slipped underneath and around to press against the small of Lucy's back.
Lucy's desire flared.
They stayed like that for a moment, pressed tight at chest and hips.
Then Ona took control of the kiss and there was nothing tentative about it. Everything that had been simmering all evening rose right to the surface.
Neither of them pulled back until they had to, but eventually the need for air won out.
They paused for a breath.
Noses nearly touching, they stayed close. Both of Ona's hands now resting low on Lucy's back.
"We still have a long walk left," Ona said against Lucy's lips.
"Mhm," Lucy agreed, knowing they shouldn't get too carried away. She kissed Ona again lightly on the lips, then on the forehead, before reluctantly pulling back to continue the walk to their hotel.
They turned onto an older street, the cobblestones even more uneven underfoot. Lucy was watching her footing, distracted again by Ona's fingertips, which had returned to her back pocket and were now tracing slow circles through the fabric, when Ona stopped walking.
"Oh," Ona said softly. "Mira."
Lucy looked up.
In the doorway of a building just ahead were two small kittens, one black and one white. They were tiny and sat watching Lucy and Ona intently. The white one had longer fur, and a deep pink nose. The other was all black, tail wrapped neatly around its paws where it sat.
"Hello," Lucy said to them, in a bright tone she often used with Narla.
The cats stared curiously at her but remained in their doorway.
Lucy knelt down, holding out one hand. "C'mere, you."
The cats didn't move.
Finally, Ona spoke into the silence. "I don't think they are going to come."
"They might."
They didn't.
They sat in the doorway and regarded Lucy in her crouch.
Lucy stood up, huffing a little.
Ona pressed her lips together, eyes laughing.
"Alright, then." Lucy groused. "You try."
Ona sank down.
"Hola, gatetas," she greeted them softly.
Lucy stared at Ona on her knees: the curve of her back, the bare slope of her neck below where her messy bun ended. She thought about taking that bun down and wrapping her fingers in Ona's soft hair. She'd been thinking about it since the funicular.
"Gatetas, que petites," Ona cooed.
Lucy looked from Ona to the cats.
The cats glanced at each other. Then they walked to Ona.
Lucy stared as Ona began to pet them.
Ona looked up, hand moving from the white ball of fluff to run along the black kitten's back as it pressed its whole little body into her. "Lucy, they're so sweet."
"But they were just--" Lucy gestured. "They looked at me like I didn't exist!"
"They're babies! They didn't know if they could trust you."
"But they trust you?"
Ona shrugged one shoulder eloquently, scratching behind the black kitten's ears, while the white moved closer and repeatedly pushed its head against her, apparently envious of the attention its sibling was getting.
"Right." Lucy looked between Ona and the cats, who were both now purring under Ona's hands. Ona scratched behind their ears with her long, elegant fingers. "Of course."
Ona looked at Lucy, eyes crinkling. Then she stood. "Are you jealous?" There was a smile in her voice.
"No." The immediate denial was unconvincing. Lucy reached out for Ona's hand, playing with her fingers. Ona lifted their joined hands to press her lips to Lucy's knuckles, then her wrist, then the inside of her forearm.
Lucy felt that last one travel up her entire arm, so she pulled Ona in by the hand and kissed her again, slow at first, one hand at Ona's cheek, enjoying the feel of her soft skin, the way her jaw moved as they traded soft kisses.
Lucy tilted her head, tongue finding Ona's lips, and Ona hummed low in her throat, pressing closer. Lucy caught Ona's lower lip between her teeth and tugged, then soothed the sting with another kiss.
Ona's free hand found the front hem of Lucy's shirt, playing with it and then slipping underneath to stroke Lucy's stomach. Ona's fingers against her bare skin made Lucy feel a little wild as she focused in on the kiss.
But after a minute, there was an insistent little meow, followed by a second one, louder, and they pulled apart, looking down at the kittens who seemed to be glaring at Lucy as they rubbed against Ona's ankles.
"I don't understand," Lucy said, frowning. "Why don't they like me?"
"You held your hand out like they were going to shake it," Ona said.
"But that's how you make friends with animals, isn't it?"
"With dogs, yes."
Ona bent down again, smoothly scooping up the white kitten. Then, standing, she deposited her into Lucy's arms.
Lucy grabbed instinctively, alarmed, the wanting of a moment ago switching abruptly to mild panic. The kitten made a small sound of protest.
"Like this," Ona said, adjusting Lucy's hands to support the kitten better, her small body fitting almost entirely in one of Lucy's large hands, with Lucy's other hand curved to cradle the little fluffy ball of fur into her chest. "Let her feel held, not caught."
Lucy adjusted. The kitten's protests subsided. She looked up at Lucy with enormous uncertain eyes.
"Hello," Lucy said, very quietly. "Sorry about before."
The kitten blinked and stared, then seemed to decide Lucy passed muster and settled down into Lucy's hands, body relaxed. She licked Lucy's knuckles with a tiny pink tongue.
Lucy felt the smile happen before she could do anything about it. She looked up and found Ona watching with her own smile. Lucy held eye contact for a long moment, before glancing back at the soft bundle resting in her hands.
"She's so tiny," Lucy said, then softer: "But her ears are so big."
Ona smiled. "She'll grow into them."
They stood there for a moment, the black kitten winding around Ona's ankles, the white one settled against Lucy's chest, purring. The street was otherwise quiet around them, the sky a deep blue-black above.
Finally, the white kitten decided she had been still long enough and began attempting to climb Lucy's jacket.
"Oh--" Lucy said.
"Just let her--"
"She's going for my shoulder--"
"That's fine, that's--"
The kitten reached her shoulder, then started climbing down Lucy's back. Lucy instinctively bent forward to offer a less steep incline, until the kitten hopped cleanly back to the ground and pounced on her sibling, the two of them falling into a playful tumble over one another.
Lucy watched them. Then glanced back at Ona.
"See?" Ona said. "She trusted you in the end."
Lucy looked down again. The kittens had clearly lost interest in the humans and had begun grooming one another.
Ona tucked herself under Lucy's arm, hand sliding into Lucy's back pocket again, palm warm. Lucy dipped her head down to kiss Ona's ear, and then they resumed their walk back to the hotel. After a minute, Ona's hand moved in Lucy's pocket, squeezing deliberately, and Lucy's thoughts about kittens evaporated completely.
--
By the time they made it to their hotel, Lucy was acutely aware of everywhere Ona's body was in contact with hers. She had been thinking about getting Ona alone for the last ten minutes and wasn't feeling particularly subtle about it anymore.
The lobby was quiet. They crossed it without stopping. Lucy pressed the lift button. The doors opened immediately.
Inside, the lift was narrow. Ona stepped in and turned around and then the doors closed and it was just the two of them. Ona's mouth curved up. She took a small step closer to Lucy.
Lucy reached out and tucked back a strand of hair that had escaped Ona's messy bun.
Her gaze swept across Ona's long lashes.
Her eyes dropped to Ona's lips.
Those lips.
Those lips were close enough to kiss.
Lucy briefly flashed back to standing close like this in another lift, six months ago, back in Berlin, wanting desperately to kiss Ona before they'd got the timing right.
"Lucy," Ona said, desire clear in her voice.
This time Lucy closed the distance, and Ona met her halfway.
This time neither of them pulled back.
Ona kissed her slowly, one hand curling around the back of her neck, and Lucy stopped thinking about anything but the wet, hot slide of her mouth. Ona kissed the way she played: focused, intense. Lucy had always, always loved it.
The lift kept climbing, second floor, third floor.
The doors opened on the fourth floor.
Ona pulled back slowly, eyes intent.
"Come," she said.
Lucy followed into the corridor, thinking about nothing except the door at the end of it.
--
Ona had moved her hand to rest low on Lucy's back, under her shirt, using her short nails to scratch an intoxicating path along the strip of skin there. Lucy's ability to concentrate on operating the key card was dropping by the second.
She tried it. Red.
"Hold it flat," Ona said, from directly behind her, close enough that Lucy could feel her breath at the back of her neck.
Lucy tried it again. Red.
Ona's hand moved to wrap around Lucy's hips as she pressed herself along Lucy's back. Lucy got the card angle right on the next try and the light went green.
The door swung open and they were inside, and then Ona's hands at Lucy's waist were turning them both until Lucy's back met the closed door and then Ona crowded close, kissing her again, properly, both hands sliding back under the hem of Lucy's shirt to find the warm skin of her abdomen.
The kiss was slow and thorough, and Lucy felt it everywhere. Ona's thumbs traced circles from her stomach to her hips as they kissed. When they pulled back to take a breath, Lucy reached up and tapped the edge of Ona's bun.
"Can I?" Lucy said.
Ona nodded, and Lucy pulled the elastic out. Ona shook her hair loose, watching Lucy as she did.
"Better?" Ona asked.
"God," Lucy groaned. "Yes. I've been wanting that all evening."
Ona's eyes went dark. Lucy answered by pulling her back in, stroking her fingers through Ona's hair to loosen it further as they kissed.
They kissed until Lucy lost track of time entirely, until the door against her back was the only thing keeping her upright. Ona's mouth was warm and her hands were everywhere and Lucy realised, distantly, that they were still fully dressed.
She got Ona's shirt off first. Then Ona returned the favour. Their bras followed.
They paused, looking at each other. Ona smiled. Topless now, she ran a hand through her hair, smoothing out where it had got twisted when her shirt came off.
Ona's expression was so warm and happy that Lucy couldn't help but smile too. She reached out and traced the edge of the world map tattooed on Ona's bicep, the continents rendered in bold lines, clearly visible when Ona raised her arm.
"I've always loved this one."
"Yeah?"
"Like the whole world is with you."
Ona grinned. "Every place I've been and will go."
Lucy bent forward and pressed her lips to the edge of the tattoo, then licked a straight line up the arrow bisecting it, before biting at the firm muscles along the top of her bicep, near where North America was inked.
"Ay, Lucy," Ona gasped as Lucy felt the muscle under her mouth tense.
Lucy pulled back after one more kiss and caught Ona's eyes. Then she took Ona's hand and tugged her across the room.
They kicked off their shoes and socks as they went, and fell into bed together.
Ona ended up on top, looking down at Lucy with her hair falling around her face, and Lucy reached up and pushed it back so she could see her properly, hands massaging Ona's scalp.
"Love you," Lucy said softly.
Ona smiled, then leaned down, biting lightly at Lucy's throat and Lucy's eyes fluttered closed. Then Ona kissed her way back up to her lips. Ona's mouth was warm and Lucy opened into the kiss immediately, one hand finding the back of Ona's neck, feeling the fine hairs there, pulling her closer. Ona's free hand moved to her breast, stroking lightly before pinching her nipple, and Lucy couldn't help the way she groaned at that, hips jolting up in search of friction. She clutched at Ona's shoulder, feeling the muscles there move under her hand as Ona shifted her weight above Lucy.
Ona's tongue slipped back into Lucy's mouth as her hands moved down Lucy's ribs and across her stomach. Lucy had worked hard for her body: broad shoulders, strong arms, thighs thick with muscles that had taken years to build. Ona's hands moved over her like she was appreciating every bit of it, palm flat and warm against her skin. Her thumb traced the line of Lucy's defined abs downwards, and Lucy felt it like a current running straight through her.
"You've been training hard," Ona murmured, moving down to kiss her stomach, breath warm against Lucy's skin.
"Pre-season," Lucy managed. Her hands had followed Ona, fingers threading into her hair again as she moved lower.
Ona kissed her hip bone, then tugged at a belt loop. "Can I?"
"Yes," Lucy said. "Please."
Ona slid her trousers and underwear down and off in one motion, then pressed her lips to the inside of Lucy's thigh, tracing her tongue slowly along the muscles there. Lucy was already wet, knew she had been for a while, and the slow deliberate path of Ona's mouth up her thigh made every nerve ending come to attention. Ona's lips reached the top of her adductor.
She was so close to where Lucy needed her most.
Ona bit down, and Lucy gasped, feeling the sharp sweet sting of it radiate out.
Then Ona's mouth found her properly, tongue curling around her clit.
That first touch of Ona's tongue made Lucy's whole body pull tight. The wet warmth dragging across her perfectly.
Ona used her tongue slowly at first, flat and soft.
Then Ona hummed, low and satisfied, and the vibrations sparked a fresh pulse of pleasure as they travelled through Lucy.
Lucy fingers tightened in Ona's hair and her hips instinctively rocked up. Ona's tongue was devastating, soft and precise, curling around Lucy, then flicking and sucking.
"God," Lucy groaned. "Fuck, that's so good."
Lucy's fingers had gone from loosely tangled in Ona's hair to properly gripping now, curled tight, feeling the strands pulling taut between her fingers every time Ona moved. Ona sucked and then circled her tongue, and Lucy moaned again, unexpectedly loud. Ona responded immediately, circling exactly like that again and then again, the same precise pressure in the same precise places, building into a pattern that made everything in Lucy light up.
"Ona." Lucy's voice had gone rough. "Ona, Ona, Ona."
Ona placed a single wet kiss directly on her clit, sending shivers through Lucy's entire body, then pulled back.
"Don't stop Ona, I swear to god--"
Ona laughed, warm and low. "What do you want, cariño?"
"You know what I want."
"Tell me."
"Ona--"
Lucy's hips tried to rock forward again, chasing contact that wasn't there.
"Tell me," Ona said again, softly.
"Fingers," Lucy gasped out. "I want your fingers, Ona. Please. Inside."
Ona pressed one last kiss to Lucy's thigh, then gave Lucy what she'd asked for, sliding two fingers in.
Lucy loved the stretch of Ona inside her, pressure exactly where she needed it. Ona's fingers were long and she pressed deep and Lucy's breath escaped in a rush, feeling the full length of Ona's clever fingers as they moved inside her. Lucy's body yielded easily, slick and ready, and then Ona curled those fingers, and Lucy's hips jerked upward involuntarily at the pleasure of it, a new sound punched out of her.
Ona's mouth returned to where it had been, tongue and fingers working together, sliding through Lucy and around her, and Lucy stopped being capable of coherent thought. The combination of Ona's fingers and tongue was so good, exactly right, and Ona kept going until Lucy was gripping Ona's hair tight with both hands, fingers twisted in it, a slight resistance as she pulled, and her heels were pressing into the mattress.
Lucy could feel herself getting closer, the pleasure gathering deep, a rising pressure, and Ona seemed to be able to feel it too. She adjusted, putting a little extra power behind her strokes, curling her fingers up into that perfect spot, pushing her right to the edge.
When Lucy started to lose it, she let go of Ona's hair, freeing one hand to press it over her own mouth, afraid she'd be too loud.
Ona's fingers pressed deep and twisted, tongue swirling, and Lucy knew she was building past the point where she could reasonably contain it. She bit down hard on the palm of the hand she'd pressed to her own mouth, a muffled broken sound escaping anyway.
Ona paused, holding still deep inside Lucy, and looked up.
"Lucy." Her voice was low. "Amor. Move your hand."
"Can't," Lucy objected, breathless. "Thin walls."
"Lucy." She drew her fingers back slowly. "I want to hear you."
A beat. Lucy's chest heaving. Then she moved her hand down, clutching at Ona again.
Ona went back to it then, redoubling her efforts, using fingers and mouth both.
Lucy let herself be loud.
Ona built her back up quickly, reading exactly what Lucy needed and giving it to her without hesitation. Lucy gasped and moaned and felt it gathering again.
Ona was relentless, fingers curling at just the right angle, moving over that spot inside Lucy that made everything go white at the edges, mouth hot and sure, clever tongue flicking at Lucy's clit, and Lucy stopped trying to muffle anything at all. Sharp cries when Ona's fingers found the right angle, deep broken moans when they withdrew: the sounds coming out of her had stopped being words entirely.
She could feel herself clenching tight around Ona's fingers on every stroke, rhythmic and involuntary, the pleasure sharpening to a single unbearable point, and a long moan built in her chest, until it crested into a hoarse shout of Ona's name, her whole body shuddering, while Ona worked her through every last bit of it, the deep rhythmic clenching, the aftershocks that kept coming in smaller and smaller pulses, slowing only when Lucy's grip loosened and her hands fell back to the mattress.
Lucy lay completely still for a moment. Breathing. Existing. Mind empty of thought.
Ona pressed one last kiss to the heart of her and then looked up.
"Oh," Lucy laughed. "Oh bloody hell, Ona." Her voice was wrecked.
Ona rested her chin on Lucy's stomach, and smiled.
--
Lucy lay there, one hand resting in Ona's hair, catching her breath as her heart rate settled.
Ona was still looking pleased with herself when Lucy reached for her.
"C'mere, you," Lucy said.
Ona kneewalked up the bed and settled herself over Lucy's lap. Lucy took a moment to look at her properly: freckles across her nose and the curve of her cheeks, smile wide, hair loose and curling a little. Lucy reached up and tucked a strand behind her ear, then let her hand stay there, thumb tracing along Ona's jaw.
Lucy sat up to kiss her, then twisted her hips to flip them, putting Ona on her back.
"You're so beautiful," Lucy said, now looking down at Ona. "My gorgeous girl."
She bent and kissed along Ona's throat, small searching kisses up. Ona's hands found her shoulders. Lucy kissed her collarbone, then pressed her lips to the little wave tattoo, just as she'd been doing since their first time together, years ago in a different city, in a different life.
She felt as much as heard Ona hum in pleasure.
Lucy kissed across her chest, feeling Ona arch up into her, and smiled against her skin. Her hands moved over Ona, feeling the softness of skin over her muscles. Ona was smaller, her strength more compact. Lucy was always slightly awed by each curve and plane, by how deeply she wanted to know every last millimetre of her.
Lucy let one hand trace down Ona's ribs, then across her stomach to the soft skin of her hips, fingers moving slowly, savouring the contact. She found the waistband of Ona's trousers and paused, making eye contact.
"SÃ, porfa," Ona said, lifting her hips, and then there was nothing left between them.
She felt the rhythm of Ona's breath change as her hand moved lower.
"Lucy--"
"I've got you, darling."
She pressed slow and deliberate, just one finger at first, enjoying how wet Ona already was, how easily she slipped inside. Ona's whole body responded: the sharp inhale, the way she lifted her hips and pulled Lucy closer, her face turned into Lucy's shoulder. Lucy moved slowly at first, working her finger in a careful rhythm, feeling out Ona's body as she moved inside her. When Ona relaxed she slipped in a second finger and felt Ona clench around her again, moaning, and Lucy had to press her face into Ona's hair for a moment, counting as she inhaled.
Ona's hand gripped the back of Lucy's neck, holding tight as Lucy's fingers moved inside her. Lucy curled her fingers until she found that slick spot inside, stroking it over and over, and then using her thumb to draw circles over Ona's clit as well.
"Oh," Ona breathed, voice gone deep. "Oh, sÃ. AsÃ. Like that--"
Lucy kept up the rhythm, that pressure, everything she knew about Ona applied with complete focus.
Ona's grip on Lucy tightened, nails digging in, her hips shoving up hard, with increasing urgency.
"Dios," Ona breathed against her skin, "Lucy, porfa, no pares--"
Lucy didn't stop.
She pressed in faster, felt Ona tighten around her, the deep clench that meant she was getting close, and Lucy kept that angle, that steady driving rhythm, two fingers pressing into Ona and her thumb circling against Ona's clit. Ona's hips were moving in earnest now, rocking up into Lucy's hand, and Lucy felt it building for Ona in the way she'd learned to read over years: the increased tightness around her fingers, the shortening of Ona's breath, the way her whole body was pulling inward towards a single point. Then Ona went suddenly still beneath her, every muscle locking, and Lucy knew.
"Lucy--" Ona gasped.
"Yeah."
"Ay--"
"I know. Let go, love."
Ona made a sound that wasn't a word in any language Lucy knew, and clenched hard around Lucy's fingers as the orgasm moved through her. Lucy held her through it, free arm circling close around her, fingers still moving slowly inside her, feeling every pulse and flutter until the clenching eased and Ona's grip on her loosened and her hips stilled.
Lucy kept her fingers where they were, memorising the moment, feeling the last small pulses around them, then withdrew carefully. She felt Ona shiver at the loss of it.
Ona looked at Lucy with a soft, slightly dazed expression, and smiled.
They lay there for a while, the room warm, Ona tucked against Lucy's side. Lucy held her and felt her breathing settle.
Ona traced a lazy pattern on Lucy's arm. She was quiet for a moment.
Then: "I'm very happy."
"Yeah?"
Ona nodded.
"Me too," Lucy said.
--
Time passed. Lucy lay still and let it.
Eventually she rolled onto her stomach and settled her face into the pillow. She felt Ona shift too, and then there was the warmth of Ona draped over her from shoulder to hip, skin against skin. Lucy's whole body felt boneless, drained but at peace.
After a while, Ona started tracing patterns on Lucy with her fingertips again and Lucy drifted until she felt the flat of Ona's hand run across her back twice with intention, as though erasing a chalkboard.
Then Ona's fingernail traced a curling half-circle, ending with a flat line across.
Lucy shivered at the scrape of the nail along the bare skin of her back, but identified the shape immediately as a G.
Another letter. Slower this time, Ona taking her time with it.
A.
Then T.
Lucy's brain, which had been pleasantly offline for the past twenty minutes, made an attempt to reassemble itself. GAT. That was cat in Catalan. She'd learned that one early, simple animals. She waited, certain she had it, but Ona kept writing.
E.
Lucy frowned into the pillow.
T.
Lucy lay there, quietly revising.
A.
Gateta.
She knew that too, actually; the suffix was the feminine diminutive.
"Well?" Ona said.
"Little cat," Lucy said. "A little female cat. Gateta."
"Very good." Ona sounded pleased.
Lucy turned her head on the pillow to look at Ona. Ona was propped on one elbow now, watching her with an expression that was warm.
"Eight weeks of online lessons," Lucy said. "Don't look so surprised."
"I'm not surprised at all," Ona said. "Your brain loves languages."
"Gateta," Lucy repeated. "You called the kittens that."
"I did."
Lucy considered this for a moment. "Those kittens were determined to ignore me."
"And then the white one cuddled you and used you as her own little mountain," Ona said. "She just needed a minute to decide."
Lucy thought about the kitten's uncertain eyes when Ona first deposited it in her arms. The way it had then relaxed into her chest, licking her knuckles.
"I guess I'm more of a dog person."
Ona laughed. "You are very much a dog person, mi vida. But she decided you were trustworthy in the end."
Lucy smiled into the pillow.
Ona's hand resumed a lazy, abstract stroking.
The room was warm, they had nowhere to be, and somewhere in the streets of Vieux Lyon, there were two carefree kittens out living their lives.
➤ Back to Minimum Recovery Time Masterlist
➤ Back to Main Masterlist
Thank you! Hoping to carve out a bit of time today or tomorrow to finish it off-- wanted to get it up yesterday but work + parenting had me running on fumes this week ðŸ˜
