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WOSO Masterlist
player x reader
Chelsea Players
Lucy Bronze
Keira Walsh
Arsenal Players
Alessia Russo
This room isn't as soundproof as you think it is | Alessia Russo | Smut
Summary: New Arsenal physio Y/n attracts interest from forward Alessia Russo. What happens when Renée instructs Alessia to get treatment from her?
Word Count: 2.9k
Warnings/Content: 100% pure smut
Monday, August 25th 2025
Y/n quickly made her way through the corridors of the Sobha Realty Training Centre to Renée's office. Today was her first day working as part of Arsenal Women's physio team, and she was itching to get started. She had been working for teams in the Southern Premier Division of the National League for the past few years, but it had always been her dream to work for one of the top teams in the WSL. When she saw that Arsenal were hiring, Y/n decided to try her luck, and was in shock and utter delight when she was chosen.
She reached the door at the end of the right side of the corridor and looked at the sign attached to it:
Mrs R. Slegers, Team Manager
After knocking twice, she heard a voice on the other end.
"Come in," Renée shouted cheerfully through the door.
Y/n pulled down the handle, pushing the door open, and stepped inside.
Renée looked up from her desk, a wide grin spreading across her face as she met Y/n's eyes.
"Good morning, welcome to your first day."
They talked through the role, signing some last-minute documents, before Renée took her on a tour of the space, ending with the physio rooms.
"You will work as part of a team of five," she explained, "but you will have your own workspace to give players some privacy during treatment. Your room will be room number two."
They went on a lunch break, then, where Renée introduced her to the other physios. As the group were chatting, Y/n sensed that she was being watched. She turned to her right to see the eyes of one of the players staring straight at her.
Alessia Russo.
Of course, despite not yet being introduced to the team, Y/n knew exactly who she was. You couldn't be involved in women's football in England and not know the woman. She was currently one of the most successful forwards in the game globally. She also just happened to be drop-dead gorgeous.
As Alessia realised she had been caught, she quickly turned her head back to face the teammates at her table, but Y/n swore she could see a blush creep up her face.
After lunch, Renée brought Y/n into a room to meet the team.
"Okay, team," Renée spoke as she clapped her hands, "This is your new physiotherapist, Y/n. She is taking the space in physio room 2 and will be here all of this season to help you out with any injuries. She is starting treatments as of tomorrow, and I hope you make use of her services."
Just then, Y/n looked down at the players in the front row, giving them a polite smile.
That's when they locked eyes again.
Alessia gave back a shy smile, as she softly bit her lip.
“I expect the following players to book in with Y/n at some point this week, as I know you all have slight issues that need tending to,” Renée explained. “Okay, the list is: Leah, Emily, Taylor, Mariona, and Alessia. You can book through the physio portal, and then Y/n will get you sorted at your time slot.”
Alessia began to readjust herself in her seat. Y/n noticed that she was smiling softly, but was trying to hide it, focusing on the ground in the hopes that she couldn’t see.
Y/n was let go for the day and headed home to her apartment. She made herself dinner and settled down to watch the detective show she had recently gotten very into when her phone buzzed. She lifted it up and saw it was an Instagram notification, which she clicked on to open the app, which revealed her latest update:
@alessia requested to follow you
Damn, Y/n thought. She’s managed to find my account despite it not including my surname and despite me having less than 300 followers.
Y/n accepted the request and followed Alessia back. As she did, she thought of her blushing smile.
Tuesday, August 26th 2025
Y/n got into her room at 9:30 am and logged into her computer to see which players had booked in to see her that day.
10:00 Leah Williamson, Post-knee surgery mobility test
11:15 Taylor Hinds, Calf massage following mild strain
12:30 Emily Fox, Strength and conditioning session following ankle sprain
2:00 Mariona Caldentey, Shoulder massage following rotator cuff injury
Then, at the bottom of the list, was her last treatment of the day
3:15 Alessia Russo, unknown
Hmm, that’s odd, Y/n thought. The other players had all filled in the details of what they needed, but Alessia’s reason for needing treatment was a mystery.
It wasn’t long before Leah knocked on her door, smiling with her crutches, ready to start the next phase of her recovery. The day went smoothly after that. The players were welcoming, eager to know how to improve, and curious about Y/n and how she had ended up at Arsenal. She felt at home, the first day nerves of yesterday having left her, and a sense of ease spreading throughout her body.
At 3:00 pm, after finishing up with Mariona, Y/n sat at her desk and made a note of the treatment plan for her shoulder. As she typed, she thought about the minutes counting down until Alessia would arrive. She wondered what kind of issue she needed treatment for, and wondered why she hadn't noted it when booking in like the others had.
At 3:13 pm, there was a knock on Y/n's door.
"Come in," she called out.
The door opened slowly to reveal Alessia standing there in her training kit, hair in a bun, ready for her appointment.
Y/n gave her a warm smile.
"Hi Alessia, come on in and take a seat," she greeted, patting the chair by her desk.
Alessia responded with a quiet "Hey," and made her way over to the chair and sat down.
"So, Alessia," Y/n spoke as she opened up Alessia's notes, "I noticed that you didn't write down the reason for your treatment. Can you tell me why you're here?"
Alessia gave a slight nod and began to speak. "Um, well, on Friday I hurt my groin during a training match," she admitted, a blush forming on her cheeks and moving up to her ears.
"Oh," Y/n responded, trying to play it cool and not think about what treatment might be required, "How did that happen?"
Alessia looked down at her hands and began to play with her fingers.
"I went to kick the ball to take a long shot. The second I kicked it, I felt a sharp pain."
"Which leg is it?"
"The left."
Y/n nodded. "Okay, has anyone had a look at it yet?"
"Emma took a look at it right away. She said it was just an adductor strain and told me to rest it and apply ice over the weekend, then try some light stretches and swimming when I came back. I thought it was fine, but yesterday morning, when I started trying the stretches, it hurt really badly. Swimming also hurt. Renée then told me that I was one of the players she wanted to book in with you, as you probably remember."
Y/n nodded. "Yes, I remember. I was expecting your name on my list of appointments today. Okay, let's get you lying down on the massage table, and I'll take a look at it for you."
Alessia stood up and went to lie down on the table while Y/n typed up a few quick notes. Once she was finished, she walked over to her shelf and grabbed a bottle of massage oil before walking over to Alessia.
"Alright," she spoke, hovering over her, "I'm going to ask you to bend your knee and drop your leg out to the side for me."
Alessia bit her lip and moved her leg into position, wincing slightly.
"Okay, point to me where you are feeling that pain," she instructed her.
Alessia moved her hand to the very top of her inner thigh.
"Right here," she said, avoiding Y/n's eyes.
Y/n felt herself heat up as she looked at Alessia's thigh, her hands reaching out to touch.
As her fingertips gently brushed it, followed by her palms, Alessia let out a shaky breath Y/n hadn't realised she was holding.
"You okay there?" she asked, looking down at her, removing her hands.
Alessia nodded, still avoiding her gaze.
"Yeah," she breathed out. "I'm fine."
"You don't hurt just from me brushing it, do you?"
At that point, the pink re-entered Alessia's ears.
"Um, no," she admitted.
Oh, Y/n thought.
If it wasn't pain that made Alessia's breath shaky, could it be the opposite?
"Right. Alessia, you can straighten your leg out again, and I'm going to start massaging it, okay?"
Alessia nodded quickly, lengthening her leg back out.
Y/n let her fingers move back to Alessia's thigh. Her left hand held it in place near the knee, as the fingers in her right hand began to rub gently at the top of her inner thigh, applying light pressure.
She looked over to Alessia's face to see that her eyes were shut tight, then noticed her fingers slightly curling into the paper on the table.
"All still okay?" she asked.
"Yep," Alessia nodded, "everything's fine."
Y/n felt a smirk grow on her face.
"I got your follow request on Instagram yesterday evening," she told her.
"Oh, yeah, I hope that was okay," Alessia replied, eyes still closed.
"Of course it was. However, I was quite confused as to how you found me when I only use my first name on there."
"Oh, I guess I'm just good at finding people," Alessia spoke nonchalantly, but the shake in her hands gave her away.
"Or," Y/n spoke, her fingers rubbing her inner thigh harder now, "maybe you were very determined to find me. You know, since you couldn't stop staring at me and blushing yesterday."
Alessia's eyes opened wide.
"I- I wasn't- I didn't mean- I'm not-"
Y/n lifted her left hand off her lower thigh and put it up to stop her.
"Let me guess, Alessia. You weren't trying to stare at me; you just happened to do so on multiple occasions. You didn't mean to find my very well-hidden profile; you just happen to be good at searching up people even if you don't have any particular interest in them. And," she said finally, a grin on her face, "you're not gay, or bi, or anything not straight; You just happen to find injury massages on your groin very pleasurable, hence why your breath has been shaky, your hands have been gripping the paper, and you were avoiding eye contact since I started working on you."
Alessia stared at her, mouth open, panic written all over her face.
"I'm so sorry," she blurted, "I never meant to make you uncomfortable. I can book in with Emma again tomorrow," she continued, sitting up
Y/n brought her right hand up to grab her left shoulder.
"Hey, it's okay. You don't need to defend yourself. It's okay if this turns you on."
"I- I-," Alessia tried to speak.
Y/n leaned over her face, her left hand gripping her thigh.
"Do you want me, Alessia?" Y/n whispered in her ear.
"Yes," Alessia sighed shakily.
"Then lean back down, love."
Alessia did what she was told. Y/n walked over to the door and locked it before walking back over.
Her left hand began to rub from just above her knee to the top of her thigh, slowly and repeatedly.
"You've wanted me since you saw me in the canteen yesterday, haven't you?"
Alessia blushed, "Actually, it was earlier than that?" she confessed.
Y/n raised an eyebrow, encouraging her to explain.
"They gave us your name last week. I looked you up and found some photos of you on Gloucester's and Farmham's social media. I thought you were so hot. I was really looking forward to seeing you in the flesh yesterday," she admitted.
Y/n tilted her head. "Is that so, beautiful?" she asked, squeezing Alessia's upper thigh, causing her to moan.
Alessia nodded.
"Well, I must admit, I have, of course, seen photos, and videos, of you before. I've always found you very attractive Alessia."
"Y/n," Alessia moaned. "I want you."
Y/n climbed up onto the table, hovering above her, hands grabbing Alessia's hips.
"Good, because I want to give you what you want."
Alessia's hips bucked up, her face eager.
"Then fucking kiss me already," she cursed.
Y/n let out a low chuckle. "So impatient, love," she whispered against her ear, kissing her neck and biting it softly.
She made her way from her neck, to her jaw, to her cheek, until she finally met her lips.
Alessia kissed her back hungrily, hips rolling up towards her over and over, hands gripping her T-shirt.
"Y/n," Alessia breathed out, pulling away from the kiss, "I need you now. It's been so long. I'm so deprived. Give it to me, please."
Y/n nodded, grabbing Alessia's T-shirt and pulling it up over her head, dropping it on the floor. She grabbed Alessia's breasts, kissing her hard.
Alessia let out a loud moan.
Y/n looped her fingers into the waistband of her shorts and pulled them down, Alessia's hips moving upwards to help her get them off. She dropped them by Alessia's T-shirt, before taking her own T-shirt off, as Alessia took off her sports bra in one swift motion.
Y/n put her mouth on Alessia's left breast, cupping the right one with her hand.
Alessia gripped her shoulders.
"Y/n, touch me, please. I'm begging," Alessia pleaded.
Y/n wanted to tease her, but she wanted to touch her so badly she decided to to give Alessia what she wanted.
Her left hand let go of her breast and moved down until her palm cupped her underwear.
Alessia whimpered softly. "Yes, yes, please. Please touch me, Y/n."
Y/n began to slide her fingers over the material, feeling the dampness underneath. Alessia was soaked.
"You really are desperate for you, aren't you?" she teased her.
Alessia nodded frantically. "Yes. Yes, I am. I'm so desperate. I need you now."
At those words, Y/n slipped her hand underneath Alessia's underwear and she began mvoing her fingers through her folds.
As she kissed alessia's jaw, she whispered in her ear again.
"You want my fingers, love?"
"Please," was all that Alessia managed, the word coming out shaky.
Y/n slowly pushed two fingers inside of her and began to pump them in and out, her fingers curling.
Alessia cried out. "Y/n," she moaned, "Yes, that's it, don't stop."
Y/n kept up her pace, her thumb reaching out to press against her clit, moving over it in slow circles.
"Fuck," Alessia swore. "This is what I wanted. Yes, please. Keep going."
Y/n continued her movements, leaning in and kissing her forcefully. Alessia's moans were swallowed by the kiss, as her hips bucked up, and Y/n's fingers moved more determinedly.
Then, Alessia pulled back from the kiss, throwing her head back as she moaned even louder.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. Y/n," she whined, "I'm close. I'm so fucking close."
"Already?" Y/n teased. "Oh, love, you really were desperate for me. C'mon, be a good girl and cum for me."
Alessia's breathing became heavier, her body tensed up, and then she cried out.
Y/n felt her release, and then her body began to shake. Y/n pulled her fingers out and held her by the waist.
Alessia was panting loudly, her body slicked with sweat.
"Holy shit," she spoke up, when she finally caught her breath, "that was so much better than doing it myself."
Y/n laughed. "Been a while, has it?"
Alessia nodded. "A long while," she admitted.
"Well, I'm glad to have helped you out," she smirked.
Alessia blushed. "Thank you."
"So," Y/n spoke again, getting off the table and standing beside her, "we should probably get back to this treatment plan."
Alessia nodded. "Yep. Good idea."
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Y/n turned and walked over, unlocked it, and pulled the door open.
Outside the door was Katie McCabe, a massive smirk on her face.
"Just letting you know, this room isn't as soundproof as you think it is. But don't worry, the rest of your team has gone home, so they won't have heard anything. I was just grabbing some muscle cream from Emma's room, and I couldn't help but let you know that you seemed to be having a good time," she grinned, glancing between the two of them.
Y/n turned to see Alessia, whose face was burning.
She cleared her throat. "Uh, thanks for letting me know, Katie. I appreciate it."
Katie nodded. "You're welcome," she said as she began to walk away. "Oh, also," she spoke, stopping in her tracks. "It's good to know the new physio is good with her hands. Anyway, I'd better be going. Caitlin's waiting in the car for me. Bye!"
Y/n closed the door as Katie made her way down the corridor.
She turned and walked back over to Alessia, who had her head in her hands, but looked up as she approached her.
"For the record," Y/n said, "I don't usually fuck players on the massage table. Anyway, let's take another look at that groin."
a/n: This idea came to me really randomly whilst I was hit with the worst of the flu. (Yes! The flu! In June! Ireland is really not getting the memo we're in the summer months now, and I've been rained on more times than I can count this past week!) I hope you enjoyed the messy smuttiness.
I think I’m ready | Alessia Russo | Part 5
Part 5 of: Just because a woman has a close friendship with a lesbian doesn't mean she's queer
Summary: Y/n stays in London for Arsenal's final home game following her meetings the previous day. Once back in Lyon, a further betrayal by her team and manager causes her to find herself back in London, and back with Alessia sooner than expected. How will this unexpected time together before England camp unfold?
Word Count: 3.7k
Warnings/Content: mentions of Beth leaving Arsenal, talks of coming out, implied smut
a/n: In no way does the way I have written about Jonatan reflect how I view him. I'm sure he's a lovely guy. This is purely for the dramatic plot.
August 1st 2022
Lucy's POV
The volume of the upbeat party music got lower and lower until it was barely audible. That's when she saw the DJ lift his mic.
"Alright, folks, it is almost 2am, so we are going to slow it down a bit. These next few songs are for any couples in the room. If you've got a significant other in the room with you, make sure to get up here with them now. And for those of you who are single or whose partners are elsewhere, you can sit back and relax your feet for a while."
He put the mic down and stepped back to wait for the dancefloor to switch up.
Lucy felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Keira looking at her.
"Well?"
Lucy nodded. "Of course. C'mon," she said, reaching out her hand, "I'll lead you to the dancefloor."
They walked hand in hand through the tables and found a spot to stand. The couples were quick to get up, and the music started.
Lucy put her left hand on Keira's waist, her right hand held hers as they began to slowly sway. Keira settled her head on her shoulder, but, just at the beginning of the second verse, her head shot up.
"Luce!", she whisper-shouted.
Lucy looked at her, confused by her sudden outburst.
"What?"
"Okay, don't be obvious, but look behind you."
Lucy slowly turned herself and Keira around to view what had been occurring behind her.
And that's when she saw them.
Alessia and Y/n.
On the dancefloor.
Dancing together.
Their eyes locked on each other, smiling.
Lucy's eyes widened.
"Oh, my God!"
Keira nodded. "I know! I know!"
"Is Less- Is she coming out? Are they announcing something?" Lucy asked.
Keira shrugged. "I don't know, but he definitely said couples only, right?" she asked, nodding towards the DJ.
Lucy nodded. "Yeah, he was very clear about that."
At that moment, their eyes locked with Beth, who looked over at them and mouthed "Holy shit!" Viv was staring straight at the possible couple, who had now inserted themselves into the middle of the dance floor.
Lucy noticed Ella in the corner. She had been dancing with Joe, her recent love interest, but now the two were frozen, just as she and Keira were. Ella's eyes and mouth were wide open, and she looked like she was doing everything she could to hold herself back from marching up to Alessia and Y/n and asking them what on Earth was going on.
"Well, I thought the most interesting part of the night was over, but I have been proved wrong."
Lucy turned to see Jill standing beside her, Shelly by her side.
"Yeah, this is definitely interesting," Lucy replied.
Jill smiled at her. "You know what it also is? Incredibly cute!"
And Lucy had to agree.
May 13th 2026
Y/n awoke to the feeling of Alessia's body pressed against her. Her head was resting on her shoulder, her left arm draped around her waist, and her left leg had made its way between both of hers. Y/n reached her arm out to grab her phone to check the time. It was only 7:30, a whole hour before the first of Alessia's two alarms. She would always put two alarms on for late game days, convincing herself that she wanted to get up early, but also giving her the chance to stay in bed a little while longer if she wanted to. Today, the second alarm was set for 9am; there was plenty of time for them to stay cuddled up just as they were.
Suddenly, Y/n felt Alessia's body move slightly as she slowly opened her eyes, blinking repeatedly.
"Good morning," she smiled up at her.
"Good morning, beautiful," Y/n replied.
A deep blush spread over Alessia's cheeks at the word.
"What time is it?" she asked her, closing her eyes and holding her even tighter.
"Only half seven, which I'm sure you're happy about since you don't look like you're getting up anytime soon," Y/n teased.
Alessia shook her head. "No, I'm not. I need cuddles."
Y/n felt her heart warm at this. She had briefly crossed the line between friendship and romance with Alessia during camp, but then it all seemed too hard to make sense of. Maybe now that Alessia was starting to become more settled in who she was, and now that Y/n was coming back to London, they could find a way to exist like this without things getting complicated.
She scooped Alessia up into her arms and squeezed her, pulling the duvet upwards as she did.
"You know," Alessia began, as she settled herself against Y/n's body, "back when I was your straight friend, and we shared a bed, I always secretly wanted you to be affectionate with me. I always wanted to be held, even before I fully understood why. It always made me a little sad that you put so much space between us."
"I was always afraid of getting too close to you in bed," Y/n admitted. "i was worried that you'd read into it and feel uncomfortable. Even before I realised how I felt about you, I felt like I had to be cautious."
"Well, I'm glad you aren't cautious anymore," she whispered.
When they finally got up, they ate breakfast together and enjoyed the quiet of the gentle spring morning. After Alessia had left, Y/n had a video call with her agent. She would be back in Lyon the next day, having been invited by Renée to stay and watch this evening's match, but she was supposed to update Luke today.
"I'm glad this feels like the right decision, Y/n. You deserve a supportive work environment, and I truly think you'll get much better treatment at Arsenal," Luke admitted.
Y/n nodded. "I think so too."
Eventually, Alessia left for the Emirates to prepare for their final home game against Everton at 7 that evening. Y/n took a few hours to walk around London before she headed to the stadium.
She made her way to the family and friends section of the Emirates Stadium to watch the match against Everton. As she sat down, she worried that fans would recognise her and realise she was replacing Beth. Then, she remembered that she had flown over a few times throughout the season to watch Alessia and that they would probably think she was just supporting her friend.
The match was intense, but Stina scored at the end, giving the departing players the perfect winning send-off. Emotions were high in the Stadium as Beth spoke about what the club had meant to her. Y/n could sense the strength of the support the fans had for the players. As the goodbyes continued on, she closed her eyes and imagined what the next season had in store for her.
She got home with Alessia late that night. They headed straight for bed, Alessia grabbing a hold of Y/n’s pyjama top, as if she were afraid to let go.
The following morning, they took things slow as they prepared and ate breakfast.
They chatted about their relief at the season almost being over and only having a few World Cup qualifier matches this summer.
"I just think I need a rest after this season, you know? I mean, we won the Euros, and I feel like there was, just like last time, a lot more expectation on the English players in the WSL this season after our performance in the summer. And with Arsenal winning the Champions League last year, that just added pressure. And I know stress can contribute to injuries, so I'm glad of some time to just breathe and enjoy myself for a while."
Y/n nodded. "I remember the pressure after the first Euros win. I think it was a blessing for me to be away from the WSL this season, as I didn't have so much pressure from it. I'm excited for camp, but like you, I also want a peaceful time, especially when I know how hectic next summer will be."
Alessia shifted in her seat. She stabbed a piece of egg with her fork, lifted it towards her mouth, stopped, and set it down again.
"Are you okay, Less?" Y/n asked.
"I think I want to come out to everyone at the next camp," she admitted, locking eyes with Y/n.
Y/n's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"
She nodded.
"I think I'll tell the rest of the Arsenal ones beforehand. Maybe, I don't know. I just- I really want to stop feeling like I have this secret, you know? I mean, I realise it isn't a very well-kept secret, but it has felt like a relief to tell people. I don't want to make some dramatic announcement. I just want to casually mention it in conversation and move on. Then, after camp, I won't have to think about it anymore. Although I'll have to tell my family at some point," she said, grimacing.
Y/n reached across the table and took her hand.
"Less, you tell them when you're ready to tell them. I'll be here for you whenever you need me, okay?" she asked, giving her hand a squeeze.
"Thanks, Y/n. I really appreciate you. It makes me feel better knowing we can do this together."
As Alessia looked into her eyes, Y/n felt her heart rate increasing as she wondered what "together" meant.
Y/n left for airport late morning. She hugged Alessia tight, promising that it wouldn’t be long before she was back for good.
“So, this is the last painful goodbye, then?” Alessia asked.
Y/n nodded. “After this, I’m all yours.”
A blush spread up Alessia’s cheeks at her words. She looked at her feet for a few seconds before looking back into her eyes.
“I can’t wait.”
23rd May 2026
Today was the day. It was the Champions League final. Y/n was feeling confident. Sure, Barcelona were a great team, but so were Lyon, and they had played well in the tournament so far. She couldn't believe she was so close to the possibility of getting her first UWCL trophy. She remembered Lucy telling her about the first time she won it with Lyon and how incredible the feeling was.
As she was grabbing a pre-match banana, she saw Jonatan approaching her, an unreadable expression on his face.
"Y/n, just letting you know, there's been a change in the squad. Ada is now starting, and you'll be on the bench."
"Wait? What? What do you mean, I'm on the bench?"
"Surely you understand. Ada is an extremely important part of this team, and we rely on her a lot. You don't doubt your teammate's abilities, do you?"
Y/n shook her head. "No. Ada's one of the greats, we all know that, but if you new how important she was then why didn't you make this decision earlier?"
"We just needed to make some last-minute changes. As you know, I know the team we're up against very well, and we can't take any risks."
He walked away as Y/n felt a sting in her heart at his words. She was the team's top scorer of the season, yet apparently her own manager saw starting her as a risk. She didn't understand it. She'd been on top form for months, no slip-ups. What could have made Jonatan lose faith in her?
Before the match began, she walked to the bench. She sat next to Tabitha Chawinga, who gave her a sympathetic squeeze on the arm. She appreciated her teammate's recognition that the last-minute change wasn't acceptable, but she couldn't stop the anger boiling within her.
And it didn't stop there. At half-time, both teams were still goalless. Y/n felt like it was the perfect time for her to come on, for Ada or one of the wingers, and start making an impact. But she didn't come on.
And then came the goals.
Pajor scored at 55 minutes, and again at 69 minutes. Changes were made, but they didn't involve her. Instead, she was forced to sit and watch, and Barcelona's confidence grew, and her own team began to panic. She kept waiting, kept thinking that any moment now Jonatan would call on her. Surely he knew this was when he needed her most.
But she was never called up.
At 90 minutes, Paralluelo scored. Then, just 3 minutes later, she scored again.
It was a humiliating defeat for the team, but Y/n wasn't feeling sadness; she was feeling fury. She didn't speak throughout the ceremony, or even when back inside the changing room.
The team got back on the bus and headed to the hotel, where they were due to stay one more night before making the trip back to Lyon. As she sat there with the silver participation medal for the match that she did not actually participate in, Y/n felt the anger boil inside of her. They were due to have one final match the following week, but Y/n was done. She was over this time. As they got off the bus, she bounded towards Jonatan.
"Will I be playing next week?" she asked, her tone demanding.
Jonatan sighed. "I don't think we should have this conversation right now, Y/n. We've just had a very disappointing loss."
Y/n shook her head. "No. I can't accept that. We need to talk, because we might have been in with a chance if you had taken your star striker off the bench. I'm not injured, I'm not recovering from being injured, there was no valid reason for benching me and then not even subbing me on today, in the most important game we've had this year. So, are you already done with me? Or should I expect my name on the team list against Paris FC?"
He sighed even deeper this time. "Y/n, as you know, the team have decided to let you go, and you have already made your choice of where you are headed. As a result, we decided to keep you off the remaining games to see how the squad works without you."
There was so much Y/n could point out to him: the fact that letting her go was a bad decision, and they should know it, the fact that she can't be blamed for choosing her next club so early, especially when that club is providing them with so much money. And, of course, she could reiterate that the club knowing how crucial she is and that they could struggle without her is not a valid reason not to play her at a Champions League final. Instead, she asked the only question she had left.
"So, if I wasn't here for the game, that wouldn't be an issue, would it?"
Jonatan shrugged. "Well, I don't see why it would. As I said, you aren't part of the squad."
That was all she had to hear. She marched back to her room and immediately started packing her belongings back in her suitcase. She booked the next flight to Lyon and left Oslo without saying goodbye. When the plane touched down, she went straight to her apartment and began to clear it too. She filled her largest suitcase and her largest carry-on with items that she wanted to bring back to London first, then she went back to the airport for her second flight of the day.
It wasn't until the plane touched down in London that she realised she had absolutely. no idea where her belongings were going to go. She wasn't due to sign with Arsenal for a few more weeks, and they wouldn't have accommodation set up until August. She cursed herself for the impulsive decision made in the heat of her frustrations. Then, she called the one person she knew she could.
Alessia was waiting by the door when the taxi pulled up in front of her apartment complex. She took the carry-on bag from her, and they made their way up to her apartment.
"Don't worry about making a mess," Alessia said. Unpack things wherever you want. Clothes can go in my wardrobe, and everything else can go where you see a place. I can talk to accommodation tomorrow, and we can see if we can get you set up over the summer."
Y/n let go of the suitcase and walked over to her, hands touching her cheeks.
"Alessia Russo, I am so grateful to have you in my life."
Alessia grinned. "And I am so grateful to have you home," she said, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her close, whispering, "I promise your worth is always recognised here with me."
They continued with the same closeness as on her last trip to London. They shared a bed, they slept entangled with each other, Y/n showered Alessia with pet names, but not once did their lips touch. A few days in, Y/n announced to her that she had to go back to Lyon to deal with the remainder of her belongings, as she wanted to be fully moved back before the next England camp.
All Alessia had to say in response was four words: "I'm coming with you."
They arrived on May 25th, planning to stay for 2 nights to give them time to sort through everything. It was easier to pack the remainder of her belongings with Alessia's assistance. Since she had only been there a year, the place wasn't overly crowded, but it still seemed a daunting task until she began to help her.
The time alone with Alessia made her happy. They hadn't had so much time together without any other people or responsibilities in a long time. It felt just right.
She began to notice changes in Alessia's behaviour as well: Her hand resting on her arm as she reached for something, her head on her shoulder as they looked at the first empty wall, the blush on her cheeks when Y/n's T-shirt rode up as she lifted the first filled box.
They shared Y/n's bed the first night, lying close together again. It wasn't spoken about; it just happened naturally.
On their second night, they decided to watch a movie. They were seated close together As it ended, Y/n turned her head to look at Alessia, who was slowly removing her head from her shoulder. As they gazed into each other’s eyes, something in Alessia’s look shifted. Then, Y/n saw her gaze drop. Alessia’s breathing got heavier as she stared at her lips.
“Less…” she whispered.
“Can I?” she asked softly.
Y/n nodded slowly. Alessia leaned in, their lips touching.
She let Alessia guide the kiss, wanting to let her feel in control. It was slow, gentle, but passionate. As they pulled apart, Alessia spoke again.
“I want to give this a try, Y/n. I think I’m ready.”
They left Lyon together on May 27th, just 5 days before the start of camp. They got back late in the evening, and Y/n insisted that Alessia rest and let her unpack her belongings alone. When she had finished placing the last of her skincare products in the bathroom, Y/n made her way to the bedroom.
As she stepped inside, she was taken aback by the sight. She had accidentally walked in on Alessia getting changed for bed. Currently, she was wearing nothing but her underwear.
"Um, hi," she whispered.
"Hey."
"I'm all unpacked," she smiled.
Alessia nodded. "Good," she said, reaching behind her back to unhook her bra. "I'm glad you're home."
And there was something in the way she said it, and something in the way her bra straps drooped slightly on her shoulders at the release of the pressure that changed the energy in the room.
"I should- I should give you some privacy," Y/n managed to say, turning around to walk out the door.
"Stop," Alessia whispered.
As she turned back around, Alessia dropped her bra to the floor.
"I don't want you to give me privacy. I want you to see. And I want you to take."
Y/n's eyes widened as she took in the sight in front of her.
"Less..." she whispered, "Are you sure?"
Alessia gazed into her eyes and gave her a slight nod.
"I've waited long enough for this, Y/n."
Y/n walked over to her and cupped her cheeks, leaning in to kiss her, softly, then harder, as Alessia's hands gripped her waist and pulled her in.
They lay down on the bed and began to remove each item of clothing until they were both fully undressed. Y/n took control, Alessia letting herself be touched, be tasted, and be worshipped by the woman she'd wanted all this time. It was gentle but passionate; she was soft but strong. Afterwards, as Alessia caught her breath, Y/n held her closely, her head resting on her chest.
"That- That was the best sex I've had in my life. I can't feel my legs," Alessia spoke breathlessly.
Y/n laughed softly, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Want me to run a bath?" she asked.
Alessia nodded.
They relaxed in the bath before going back to bed and falling asleep tangled up in each other.
Y/n stayed at Alessia's until Saturday, the 30th. Arsenal were due to have a parade the following day, and Y/n had agreed to spend the night at Lucy's and watch the FA Cup final with her the following day.
She pecked Alessia on the lips as she left her apartment.
On her way to Lucy's, she sent Alessia a text with a link.
Y/n: In case you think I forgot about that promise of a sapphic playlist: Here it is. Alessia: OMG! Thank you, Y/n. This is so sweet. I'm going to listen to it during my quiet evening.
At 8pm, Alessia sat down on her bed and opened the playlist and read through the songs:
I Want It All - Katie Gavin Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover - Sophie B. Hawkins My Number - Tegan and Sara Handle Me - MUNA True Blue - boygenius Boyfriend - Tegan and Sara Sexuality - k.d. lang Baby Can I Hold you - Tracy Chapman The Story - Brandi Carlyle Honey - Kehlani Loveher - Romy
Then, she saw the description Y/n had added.
Hey baby, this is a playlist that contains a selection of sapphic songs that describe how I see you, or how I think you see me, how I think we've been throughout the years, and how I hope our future looks. A playlist of the history and present of our not-so-platonic connection, if you will.
She smiled, settled her head against the headboard, and pressed play.
You two had the least platonic friendship I’ve ever seen | Alessia Russo | Part 4
Part 4 of: Just because a woman has a close friendship with a lesbian doesn't mean she's queer
Summary: Y/n goes to London to meet with Arsenal, and Alessia is more than happy to see her ft. a coffee date with Lucy, who teases her about how her and Alessia were never truly platonic
Word Count: 4.1k
Warnings/Content: Nothing I can think of
Y/n called the next day to say that she accepted Arsenal’s offer the next day. She felt confused and angry at Lyon's eagerness to get rid of her, but she also felt herself being drawn back to London and back to a certain blonde-haired, blue-eyed striker.
On May 12th, she took an early-morning flight to meet with the Arsenal team and tour the Sobha Realty Training Centre.
A car picked her up outside the airport and brought her to the Centre. Upon arrival, she was led by reception staff to a waiting area and told that the co-chairs, father and son, Stan and Josh Kroenke, alongside manager Renée Slegers, would be meeting with her first.
After around ten minutes, the door in front of her opened, and Renée waved her in. She sat opposite the three of them as Stan went through the reasons that the club had been interested in her and why they were willing to offer such a high amount of money for her. They then discussed the contract, which would be signed at a formal meeting with the press in June. Once the formalities had been agreed upon, Stand and Josh left to allow Renée some time alone with her new recruit.
"So, Y/n," she spoke, "One of the most important things to me when it comes to players joining my team is that they feel comfortable and welcome amongst the group. I know a lot of your international teammates are in this team, so I was wondering if we could go through them right now and you could tell me how well you get on?"
Y/n nodded. "Okay, sounds like a good idea."
Renée nodded back. "Okay, let's start with Lotte. Do you two get on well?'
She nodded again. "We do. I've known her for quite a few years now, and I'm happy to call her a friend. She's quite laid back, so she's a good person to be around if you want to ease your nerves before a game."
"Very good. Okay, Leah?"
"She's our captain at England. She doesn't even realise how good she is. Yeah, Leah's definitely one of my go-to people at camp."
"Taylor?"
Y/n had to admit, this was all a bit awkward, almost as if Renée was convinced she had a rivalry with one of them, but she continued.
"I won't lie, I'm secretly really happy she chose to play for England. She's a good presence on camp, and I enjoy my time with her."
"Katie?"
"I don't know her too well because of her age, but she's a sweet girl. I definitely think she'll go far."
"Chloe?"
Y/n laughed. "Our hero penalty-taker. She's never afraid to be real, and I love that about her."
"Michelle?"
She grinned. "A gem. An absolute gem. She saved us from going home more than once in the last Euros. I'm excited to see her comeback. I was devastated for her when she tore her ACL."
"And finally, Alessia?"
There it was. The one she was waiting for.
"Um, Lessi's- Lessi's one of the closest friends I have. She's been my rock since we joined United in 2020. She's one of the best people I've ever met."
Renée smiled at her words. "I've heard you two are close. She's very excited for you to be here today. Your captain was teasing her about it, but our captain, Kim, told her to stop embarrassing her."
Y/n laughed. "I've heard lots of good things about Kim."
Renée nodded. "I'm not surprised. She's an incredibly important part of this team. And I would highly recommend that if you ever need someone to talk to and don't feel comfortable coming to me, that you speak with her. She's always there for people when needed."
Renée then took her on a tour of the facilities. She showed her the pitches, gym, physio rooms, and ice baths, before inviting her into the canteen.
"This is lunchtime for us all, so you're welcome to join your England teammates for a while. I'll meet you after for a chat with you, along with some of the coaches, about your performance levels and your goals for next season, and then you're free to go. Oh, and please do take some food!"
With that, Renée left her to go sit with the coaching staff. Y/n walked over to the stack of trays, grabbing one before beginning to plate up her food.
As she placed an apple on the tray, she heard a voice behind her.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't my replacement."
She turned around to see Beth grinning at her.
"I can't believe I'm replacing you. I can't even believe you're going."
"And I can't believe you, a former Chelsea player, are joining Arsenal. Have you broken the news to Bronze yet?"
Y/n shook her head. "No, but I already know that the second I do she's going to call me a traitor."
Beth laughed. "She's as bad as the fans. I am honestly glad you're taking my spot, though. No better person for it," she said, lifting her tray and turning around to scan the room for a table.
"Thanks, Beth. That's sweet of you."
"Speaking of sweet," she spoke, a gentle smile on her face, "I think a certain someone has saved you a seat."
Y/n grabbed her own tray and turned around to see Alessia, Lotte, and Taylor sitting together at a table, the seat beside Alessia free.
Y/n shrugged. "It probably just happens to be a free seat. They probably just came in as a three."
Beth rolled her eyes. "Y/n, I know that seat has been saved for you, because she told us all morning how excited she was to see you at lunchtime after overhearing Renée tell the coaches you were eating with us. Now, go get your woman."
Y/n felt herself blush at this information.
"Oh, okay then. I'll take my seat, I guess."
Just as she was about to walk off, Beth grabbed her, pulling her left ear close to her mouth.
"I know she's taking her time with the whole coming to terms with being into women thing, and that you two aren't together yet, but, for the record, I think you're gonna make the cutest couple."
Y/n grinned. "I thought that was you and Viv," she teased.
"Okay, second cutest couple. Now, go gross Taylor and Lotte out with your cutness together."
Y/n laughed as she walked over to the table. When she was only a few feet away, Lotte looked up and waved at her, causing Alessia and Taylor to look up as well. And, of course, the look on Alessia's face was priceless. Her smile widened, and she patted the seat beside her.
"Come sit. I saved you a seat."
Y/n couldn't help the grin on her face. "I know. Beth told me this seat was being saved for me."
As she sat down, Alessia wrapped her arms around her.
"I'm so glad you're here, and I'm so glad you're joining this team. How was your meeting with Renée? I know she was talking to you one-to-one."
Out of the corner of her eye, Y/n caught Lotte and Taylor exchanging a knowing look with each other and smiling.
"It was...interesting," she admitted.
Lotte leaned in at that. "How come?" she asked.
"Well, she went through all of the England squad on the team and asked how I get along with all of you. It was almost as if she expected me to be in some sort of rivalry with one of you."
"That's so strange," Taylor said, "but I assume you had plenty of good things to say," she teased.
She laughed. "Yeah, I was very nice about all of you."
"Alright. Well, what did you say about us?" she asked, pointing between her and Lotte, who shook her head as she laughed.
"I told her that I'm glad you chose to represent England and that you're great on camp. And I said Lotte is the laid-back friend you need when you've got the pre-match jitters."
Lotte smiled softly at her. "It's an honour to be seen as the calm and cool friend."
"So, what did you say about me?" Alessia asked, smiling at her.
Y/n suddenly felt slightly embarrassed at how cheesy her words about Alessia were, so she decided to play it cool.
"I told her that we'd been really close for years and that you're a great friend."
"Bullshit."
Y/n whipped her head around to look at Taylor.
"What?"
Taylor smiled, leaning over the table. "Y/n, no one at this table believes that's what you said. Now tell us the truth."
Lotte began to laugh.
"Um, well," she said, scratching her neck, "Okay, fine. Less, I said you've been my rock since we joined United and that you're one of the best people I know."
"There it is!" Taylor shouted, slamming down her fork.
"Did you really say that to her?" Alessia asked, blushing.
She nodded. "Yeah. I did."
"That's really sweet," she grinned, leaning her head on her shoulder.
As she looked up, Y/n saw Taylor and Lotte smiling at the interaction.
After lunch, she walked out of the canteen with Alessia.
"I'm excited to see you this evening," Alessia admitted. "Can't believe I'm getting to hang out with you after training again."
Y/n smiled, putting her hand on Alessia's shoulder and giving her a squeeze.
"I'm excited too. It's nice to know it's going to be part of our routine again once I start here."
Just then, Reneee appeared and told her that the coaching team were ready for her meeting. She said goodbye to Alessia and promised to meet her in the car park when the team finished up with training later.
The meeting went well. The coaching staff were full of praise for Y/n's success at Lyon and Chelsea, and were eager to help her in the areas she wished to improve upon. They promised to start making a plan of how to work with her from the next season, and then she was free to go.
Alessia and the others weren't due to finish training for a few more hours, so she texted the one person she thought she could kill some time with.
Y/n: Bronze, I’m in London. You free? Lucy: Of course. Just out of training and planning to stop by our old favourite coffee shop if you’d like to join.
Y/n: I’ll see you soon.
Y/n walked into the coffee shop to see Lucy already at a table with two drinks.
“Thought I’d save you the money and get your drink myself.”
“ Thanks, Luce, that’s really sweet.”
“No need to thank me. I miss the old times here last season. You were my go-to friend when it came to post-training hangouts. So, what has you in London?”
“Um, well, there’s no easy way to say this…I guess I’ll just say it outright: Lyon sold me to Arsenal.”
Lucy’s eyes widened, her hand holding her cup mid-air.
“They did what? Why?”
Y/n shrugged. “They never told me why, but my agent thinks it was for the money. There were other offers, but I never looked at them. I was too in shock, and Arsenal were willing to pay me well.”
“That’s shit, Y/n. I’m sorry. You deserve so much better than being let go for money after how well you’ve done this season…But Arsenal? Really?”
“Oh, shut up. I know I’m a traitor.”
“A traitor that I look forward to beating next season,” she smiled.
“Someone’s confident.”
“You know I like the thrill of some good competition,” Lucy winked. “So, how expensive were you?”
Y/n scratched her neck, starting to feel awkward at admitting how much the club had bought her for.
“Um, a million.”
“No way! They must really see your worth.”
“I guess so. I don’t want that to make me seem… important or whatever, though,” she responded, waving her hand in the air.
“You are important, Y/n. You’re a fantastic player. And I know how much you’ve worked to be at your level.”
“You’re being very nice about all of this, Luce. I was expecting a lot more insults.”
Lucy grinned. “I’ll skip the insults, but I do want to tease you now.”
“What do you mean, tease me?”
“Oh, c’mon, Y/n. You and Lessi back in the same club?”
“Oh. That kind of teasing.”
“What’s going on with you two right now? How’d she react to the news? I mean, I assume she knows.”
Y/n nodded. “We’re just friends…for now. She’s taking some time to process things. She came out to Ella and Lotte. I’m really proud of her. She was the first person I called after my agent told me the news. I’m going to hers for dinner tonight, so we’ll talk then. I’d love to make things work, but I don’t want to pressure her. Plus, it’s weird to go from a friendship to a relationship. It’s going to take some adjusting.”
Lucy was grinning.
“What?”
“You two had the least platonic friendship I’ve ever seen.”
Y/n could feel herself blushing.
“What do you mean? We were just close from the start.”
“Yeah, physically close,” Lucy joked. “You were always clinging to each other from day one. Ona thought you two were secretly dating during the United days; you were so touchy-feely. And yet you still thought she was straight.”
"Not only did I think she was straight, but I also didn't notice that I had feelings for her. I truly thought I just happened to have a really close-knit friendship with a straight woman. I genuinely only saw her as a friend back then; I even dated other women at that time."
Lucy's grin was even wider now.
"Oh my God, what?"
Lucy shrugged. "Nothing. It's just that it seems like you were the last two people to catch on to the fact that you've been in love with each other all these years. You know, I still remember you two at the 2022 Euros afterparty. If that wasn't love we were all witnessing, I don't know what is."
Y/n narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean by the Euros afterparty?"
Lucy's jaw dropped. "You seriously don't remember?"
"No. I mean, I remember the night, I didn't drink that much, but I don't remember anything with me and Less."
"Hmm," Lucy said, biting her lip, "Okay, hopefully this'll recall your memory. Do you remember when the DJ decided to slow it down towards the end and asked all the couples to come and slow dance?"
"Oh, yeah, I remember the slow dance part, but that wasn't just for couples."
At that, Lucy set her cup down and put her head in her hands. "Y/n, yes, it was. He explicitly said couples. It was all the players and their partners, plus parents and siblings with partners, and you and Less."
"Wait. No, that can't be right. You would've said something to us."
"Y/n, we all thought you were announcing something. Keira and I stopped dancing. I don't think Beth even glanced at Viv the whole first dance; she was too busy staring at the two of you."
"She asked if I'd dance with her since she didn't have anyone in her life at the time, and neither did I. We thought friends were invited to dance too."
Lucy shook her head, laughing.
"So, almost four years ago, she asked you to slow dance with her in a crowded room, and yet you only admitted your feelings to each other last month. And, you're still not together. I swear, Y/n, you're both unbelievable."
"I'm sure we'll get together eventually. I mean, she is taking some time to process having to come out right now."
"Did you agree to the move to be with her?"
"Well, it was certainly a factor. Plus, I miss seeing her all the time. Even at separate London clubs, we spent much more time together. I really miss being her teammate for club, as well."
Lucy smiled softly. "You two are quite the duo on the pitch. I think a return to London will be good for you. And it gives the two of you more time together to figure things out. Plus, it means I get my coffee buddy back," she winked.
"As much as it physically pains me to say it, I have missed you, Bronze."
Lucy grinned. "I've missed you, too."
They chatted more about Lucy's season with Chelsea. It had been a tough one, but so was she and she talked about how she was determined for next season to be different. It felt good to talk like this again. It felt right to be back in London. After coffee, Lucy gave Y/n a lift back to the Sobha Centre, where she was due to meet Alessia. Lucy parked a short walk away, insisting that she couldn't get caught near the grounds or else she'd be accused of spying.
"You're so dramatic, Bronze. But thank you for being willing to drive me all the way back here. I appreciate it."
"I hope you have a lovely romantic evening," she teased.
Y/n rolled her eyes. "I'll see you at camp, Bronze."
"See you."
Y/n made her way into the grounds of the training centre to see Alessia standing by her car. She looked up and noticed Y/n approaching her, a wide smile spreading across her face.
"Ready to take me home?" Y/n asked.
Alessia nodded. "I hope this is the first of many trips home from here."
"So," Y/n asked as they began to drive, "are you ready for tomorrow?"
"For the match? Yes. To say goodbye to my teammates? No. Not in the slightest."
"I can't believe Beth is going after all these years," Y/n admitted.
"I know," Alessia whined, "It's devastating. It sounds silly now, but I never expected to say goodbye to her. I figured she'd always be here. Even back when we were at United, I still saw her as practically part of the furniture here."
Y/n laughed. "Yeah, me too. I'm sure it'll take you all some getting used to next season not having her here."
"It will, but, you know, I've heard good things about her replacement," she joked.
Y/n raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What kind of good things?"
"Well," she said, stopping at a red light, "she's very hard-working, and she's extremely skilled at what she does, and," she said, turning to look at her, "apparently she's also ridiculously attractive."
Y/n tried to hide the blush on her face. "Well, she sounds like a good new recruit then."
"Yeah," Alessia sighed, "she really does."
Once inside Alessia's apartment, they made a start on dinner, which consisted of chicken, pasta, veggies, and sauce.
They sat down to eat and settled into a comfortable silence for a while, until Y/n spoke up.
"I saw Lucy this afternoon."
"Oh, really, how is she?"
"She's good. Pissed at me for going to Arsenal, but happy that she can see me more often again."
Alessia laughed. "You two have the silliest friendship."
"You know," Y/n said, swallowing a piece of pasta, "she told me something today that shocked me."
"Oh? What did she say?"
"Remember the 2022 Euros?"
"Um, yeah, of course I do."
Yn laughed. "Right, yeah. Obviously. Um, do you remember the night we won when the dj played slow songs for a while?"
"Oh yeah, that was really cute. I loved our dances."
"You didn't happen to notice that everyone was staring at us, did you?"
"No?" Alessia admitted, eyes wide, "What do you mean they were staring?"
"Well, Lucy told me today that the DJ actually explicitly said it was for couples only..."
"Oh no. Did they- Did they think we were announcing a relationship?"
Y/n nodded. "They did."
Alessia set her fork down and sat back in her chair.
"We've been total idiots, haven't we? We've been into each other this whole time, and everyone could tell, and yet there I was last month absolutely freaking out about telling people I like women."
Y/n smiled. "I can't believe I thought my feelings for you were platonic."
"You used to brag about all the women you were getting to me, and I didn't understand why it made me sad," Alessia admitted.
"Less, I didn't know it made you sad."
"Of course you didn't. I would never have told you. That would have been risky. But, yeah, the whole time we were at United, I felt like I was drawn to you in a different way than with others, and it didn't make sense because I had other close friends there. It took a while to realise what was different about my feelings for you versus my feelings for everyone else."
"Lucy said Ona thought we were secretly dating back then."
"If only. I wish we had been," she admitted.
Y/n's eyes widened. "Really?"
Alessia shrugged. "Would have been nice to understand and act upon my feelings back then."
Y/n nodded. "Fair. Well, unfortunately, we missed our chance due to being the only ones who couldn't see it."
"I know!" Alessia whined. "Tooney said she wanted to lock us in a room a few times and force us to confront our feelings."
Y/n burst out laughing. "I'm surprised she didn't. I could so imagine her doing that."
Alessia grinned. "She must have been using a lot of self-control."
"I wonder how many people have impatiently waited for us to get together."
"Probably most people we know. And yet, we still aren't together because I'm still processing what everyone else already knew."
Alessia's eyes widened at the realisation of what she'd just said.
"Um, I- I don't know where that came from, I-"
Y/n interrupted her.
"Less, it's fine. You're only saying the truth. How have you been with it all since I last saw you?"
She shrugged. "It's weird. I guess I want to try celebrating how I feel, but there seem to be so many rules. Some people think you should consume every piece of media that's remotely gay, and other people think you should be really subtle about it and not make it a big deal. I don't know where I stand. I just want to be me. I want to be the same Alessia I've always been, but I don't want to feel like I need to fit in with straight people to be accepted."
"I know this sounds like odd advice, but I think ignoring all the conflicting rules and just following what feels right for you is often the best way to go about things."
"What about the hate?"
"What do you mean?"
"What about all the bad things that happen to people like us? What about the news stories of people trying to take our rights away I'm scared of getting overwhelmed by things like that."
"As cheesy as it sounds, I think the best way to handle the bad is to remember the good, but to not remain ignorant either."
Alessia nodded. "Right, that makes sense. You know, this is maybe a bit silly, but I'd like to listen to music by women that's about loving women. Music always helps me process my feelings. I think it could be soothing."
Y/n smiled. "I'll send you a playlist."
Alessia's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Of course."
Her cheeks turned a dark shade of pink as she bit her lip.
"Thanks, Y/n."
"Don't mention it," she winked.
After dinner, they went for a walk, then sat and watched TV together. At around 10pm, Alessia lifted her head off of Y/n's shoulder and looked at her.
"It's getting late. We should go to bed."
Y/n nodded. "Yeah, we should."
They got up from the couch and began getting ready for bed. When Y/n was finished in the bathroom, she stepped out to see Alessia standing by her bedroom door. As she walked up to her to say goodnight, Alessia placed her hand on her arm.
"I know we said no sharing beds during camp, but the thought of you across the corridor is killing me."
Y/n smiled, taking Alessia's hand in hers. "If you're comfortable, then so am I."
Alessia gave her a shy smile and pulled her into her room. They walked towards the bed and lay down together, arms wrapping around each other. As Alessia rested her head on her shoulder, she sighed.
"I hope this becomes our normal next season," she whispered.
Y/n stroked her hair. "Me too, Less. It's taken us long enough."
Alessia looked up into her eyes. "It really has."
A/n: I’ve been on fire with these uploads lately if I do say so myself 😅 Hopefully this makes up for me disappearing for so long
Nothing like a terrible night’s sleep to get me writing new chapters to so tired I’d been putting off continuing 😅
I hope you enjoy!
I hope you do | Alessia Russo | Part 3
Part 3 of Just because a woman has a close friendship with a lesbian doesn't mean she's queer
Summary: Alessia and Y/n go head-to-head in the Champions League semi-finals, but the information that Y/n receives about her career plans for next season force her to make an urgent decision
Word Count: 4.8k
Warnings/Content: None (unless Beth Mead's Arsenal departure hurts too much!)
May 25th 2026
Y/n stepped off the plane in London. Lyon were headed straight to their hotel and would be in meetings for the rest of the day about game tactics for their match against Arsenal the following day.
On the walk to the bus, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and took a selfie. She opened up WhatsApp and sent the photo to Alessia.
Y/n: I'm here :)
Alessia: I can't wait to see you :) xx
She smiled at her phone before typing out a reply.
Y/n: The feeling's mutual xx
They had been texting back and forth throughout the week, throughout training, and had also had 3 video calls; the first on Monday, then again on Wednesday, then on Friday while Y/n packed for the trip. It wasn't more than they were used to. The two had been in constant contact since Y/n had made the move to Lyon, but this time the conversations felt as though they held more meaning. They hadn't spoken about Alessia's sexuality or their romantic interest in each other since camp, but Y/n felt as if she was connecting even deeper with her England teammate. Alessia's confession had strengthened their bond, and she sensed that Alessia had felt the shift as well.
Throughout the team meetings, Y/n tried hard to concentrate. Their manager, Jonatan, was eager to win Sunday's match. He had previously won the UWCL with Barcelona twice (a fact Lucy liked to remind Y/n of on a regular basis), and he was determined to beat the reigning champions. Unfortunately for Y/n, her brain was not staying focused. As Jonatan played a video of Alessia on screen to give the defenders advice on how to deal with her power on the pitch, her thoughts drifted.
They planned to meet that night and hang out at Alessia's apartment. It sounded like a questionable move, considering they were less than 24 hours away from playing against each other in a Champions League semi-final first leg, but when Alessia had invited her during the week, Y/n couldn't resist.
At 7pm, after the team had eaten dinner together and some of them, including Y/n, had gone back to their rooms to rest, Y/n made her quiet escape to the hotel car park where Alessia was waiting to pick her up.
She opened the door to Alessia's glowing smile.
"Hi."
"Hey."
"You look...cool," Alessia smiled shyly.
Y/n smirked. "Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself, Less."
Alessia blushed and began to drive towards the gates.
"I can't believe I'm smuggling you out of your hotel to my apartment."
"You're not smuggling me out."
"Yes, I am."
Alessia was right. Y/n hadn't told any of her teammates about her plans to stay with Alessia that night, worried that they might not feel that she was acting in the team's best interests the day before match day.
"Okay, fine. Maybe you are."
Alessia grinned.
"I definitely am. Leah asked me today if I was excited to see you tomorrow, and I had to play it very cool and pretend that I wasn't seeing you tonight."
It was Y/n's turn to grin then.
"I guess that's what has to be done when you and your best friend play for opposing teams. We wouldn't have to be so secretive if we played for the same team like we did before."
"I mean, technically, we do play for the same team," Alessia joked.
"Oh? We're making jokes about it now?"
Alessia nodded, a soft smile on her lips.
"I've been trying to be kinder to myself this week. I think the emotions got to me during camp, but I think joking about it with you might make things easier."
"Got it. Is it working?"
"Yeah. I mean, that felt good to say."
"Can I make jokes? Or is this strictly for you to joke about?"
Alessia thought about the question as she slowed for a red light.
"Hmm, I think that depends on how good your jokes are," she smirked, looking at Y/n.
"Challenge accepted, Russo."
They made it to Alessia's apartment and went inside.
Y/n sensed something was up the second she entered. Alessia was usually a tidy person, but the apartment seemed even tidier than normal.
She turned around to face Alessia, her right eyebrow raised.
"Did you tidy your apartment for my arrival, Russo?"
Alessia smiled a shy smile.
"I may have put in a little bit more effort than usual," she admitted.
Y/n grinned. "Are you trying to impress me?"
She shrugged. "Maybe."
"Can't believe you didn't even try to lie there, Russo."
Alessia rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Y/n."
Y/n laughed.
"Alright," she said, walking closer to Alessia, "what do you want to do?"
"Ideally, I'd like to hold you and never let you go, but I guess we could have that proper catch-up we were supposed to have that night at camp. There's so many questions I wanted to ask you about Lyon, and I never did."
Y/n grinned. "You're cheesy, but I'm more than happy to answer your questions."
They set up in the living room, sitting close together on the couch facing each other.
"Ok, so, you said you enjoy it, but you're already certain that you're coming back once your contract is up. How come?"
"Well, I think I jumped on the chance to get away again, but when I left, I realised how much I missed England. I missed you and my other friends; I missed my family; I missed playing in the WSL, and I missed all my go-to spots here and in Manchester. I guess it was one of those classic cases of thinking the grass was greener elsewhere and then realising how much you already had when it's out of touch."
Alessia nodded, understanding what she meant. "Hmm, yeah, that makes sense. So, has it been difficult? I mean, you seemed pretty happy at camps, but I haven't seen you over there before. How were you when you had that realisation?"
She shrugged. "I mean, I was so busy that I didn't have time to overthink. I had teammates to connect with, games to win, training to complete, and recovery to prioritise, so it wasn't some sort of panic that I'd made some terrible mistake. I started to meet people, and I started to find my spots there. I've had a good time. We've been doing really well. It's really cool to think that we're likely looking at a league win this season. I remember talking to Lucy about her time in Lyon and just thinking, 'I really hope we have success while I'm there', and it's incredible to see how well we've been doing. However, I think since that's probably going to happen in my first season, I'm not feeling any desire to stay. I want to be close to those I care about most. I have good friends there, but not those solid long-term friendships I have here. I want to come home and prioritise the people that matter most and play in my own country."
Alessia was smiling, her eyes lit up at Y/n's words.
"Are there any relationships in particular that you want to prioritise?" she asked.
Y/n smirked. "I think you already know the answer to that question."
Her cheeks flushed. "I really have missed you. I know you already know since Leah told you, but it really has sucked to go from being able to text you to come over to having to wait for England camp or hope we'll play against you in the Champions League. I could rely on you all the time for five years, and then you were just...gone."
Alessia looked sad all of a sudden, her bottom lip sucked in by her teeth, and a sombre look in her eyes.
"I've missed you too, Less. I missed you so badly when I first left; it was almost unbearable. When I heard from Leah that you had been missing me, I felt so bad. I never wanted to hurt you with my decision."
Alessia shook her head. "You shouldn't feel bad for doing what was right for you. I mean, I left Tooney for the same reason."
"Yeah, but you didn't leave for another country. You moved closer to home, and you stayed in the WSL. I got a one-way ticket to mainland Europe, to a city I'd only ever been to for matches."
Alessia nodded. "That's true. I do see her a lot more than I see you these days. I saw her after camp."
"How's she doing?"
"Pissed about the injury making her miss camp, but she's back for United now, so I think she's happier. I told her about us, by the way."
Y/n raised her eyebrows. "You did?"
Alessia nodded. "I hadn't planned to, but that girl can read me like a book. She sensed something was up the second she asked how camp was. I tried to brush it off, but you know how she can be. She pestered me until I finally told her. She felt bad when she realised she'd practically dragged me out of the closet. I don't think she was expecting that to be what I said. Not that she didn't have her suspicions, but she just didn't think that'd be what I'd tell her."
"Less, you came out to someone else! You came out to Tooney! That's incredible! I'm so proud of you for being so brave!" she grinned.
"Well, I did cry a lot, which, again, she felt really bad about. So, I wouldn't say I was brave."
"You do know that bravery isn't about doing things without fear, right? It's about facing that fear and doing the thing anyway. So, I'd say you were very brave."
Alessia blushed, giving her a shy smile.
"Thanks, Y/n. I can't believe that's 3 people I've admitted it to now; you, Jess, who deserves some sort of award for listening to me that night," she laughed, "and now Tooney."
"How does it feel?"
"It's a bit overwhelming to think about still, but it feels like a relief to finally stop hiding the truth, even if I've apparently not been doing a great job of hiding it according to everyone else. Also, sorry, I didn't mean to turn the conversation to focus on me."
Y/n shook her head. "Don't be sorry. I'm glad you told me. You should be so proud of yourself. I know I am."
"Thank you," Alessia spoke as she looked into Y/n's eyes. Y/n could see her eyes were welling up.
"You're not gonna cry on me again, Russo, are you?"
Alessia laughed and sniffed. "I have to confess that there have been a lot of tears since camp ended. Not that there weren't many during camp, too. I think it's the relief and overwhelm at once. On the one hand, I'm relieved to have finally said it out loud to someone other than myself, and knowing that my feelings for you aren't one-sided was really special, but then there's the other side of me that feels like everything's changing because of my coming out. Coming out gradually, as I feel ready and in ways that feel natural, is probably best."
Y/n nodded. "You seem a little better at handling it now, though. Is that correct?"
She nodded back. "Yeah, I think camp was just a whirlwind of emotion, but now that I've had some time to process things, I'm feeling like I can do this. I don't know how to tell family, though. And even the thought of being out publicly is still absolutely terrifying to me."
"Well, it's early days, Less. You get to do this on your terms."
Alessia suddenly reached over and flung her arms around Y/n.
"Thank you," she whispered as she rested her head on her shoulder, "you have been so wonderful throughout these past few weeks. And I feel really bad for talking about myself, even if you did say it was okay, so can we please go back to you?"
Y/n nodded, wrapping her arms around Alessia. "What more do you want to know?"
Alessia pulled back but held onto Y/n.
"Hmm, I suppose I want to know more about that casual dating experience you had."
"Are you sure?"
Alessia nodded. "Yeah, I mean, you did leave her because of me so I think I can handle it."
Y/n smirked. "Someone's confident. Well, hmm, what to say? So, we met in January at a gathering at one of my teammates' houses. She was a friend of one of their friends, but you never would have guessed she was an outsider, as she had one of the biggest personalities in the room. I spoke to her in groups a few times, and I caught her looking at me. She was pretty, but she wasn't you."
Alessia blushed and hit her in the chest. "Stop trying to make me feel better and just give me the gossip."
Y/n laughed. "Okay, well, I went outside to get some air, and she followed me out there. She was extremely flirty with me, and we ended up kissing. From there, we just hung out casually once a week or so, and it always ended in sex of some form. She wanted casual, and I knew I wasn't staying in Lyon long-term, so it felt like a good opportunity to put myself out there and just have some fun."
"And how come you never told me about her?"
"Because I think deep down I was getting involved with her to ignore the fact that every time I videocalled you, my heart would hurt thinking that you'd never feel the same way," she admitted.
Alessia's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yeah, I mean, when I first realised how I felt about you, I had a plan to get over it. Well, not a plan exactly, more of an intention. I never did, and so I figured a distraction might work, but, as it turns out, Alessia Russo, no one in this world is a suitable distraction from you."
Alessia blushed hard. "Oh, I see. Well, I'm very happy to know that," she grinned.
They continued to catch up for a couple more hours until it got late, and Alessia drove Y/n back to her hotel. As she parked up outside the front door, she looked into Y/n's eyes.
"Thank you for being willing to hang out with me even though I'm your opponent tomorrow. I really enjoyed it."
Y/n grinned. "I really enjoyed it too. I'm sorry we couldn't do one of our usual sleepovers. I don't think the team would take me arriving in an Arsenal player's car tomorrow morning very well."
Alessia smiled. "I'll get you back for one after the season's over, I'm sure. Good luck tomorrow."
"You too."
They hugged each other tightly before Y/n got out of the car and shut the door. She began to walk away before turning back and knocking on Alessia's window. Once Alessia had wound the window down, she leaned in.
"I just wanted to say, once again, that I'm really proud of you for telling Tooney."
She grinned. "Thanks. You're too kind. You're making me all soppy. Get out of here before you start distracting me from the game."
Y/n grinned back. "I'll see you on the pitch, Less."
The game was close the next day, with both teams looking determined to win. Lyon dominated the first half, with a goal from Julie Brand in the 18th minute giving them an early lead. However, the second half saw a free kick from Mariona Caldentey in the 58th minute go into the back of the net, due to an own goal from goalkeeper Christiane Endler. Y/n wished the goal had been given to Mariona instead. It was likely going in regardless, and the team didn't need the pressure of an own goal on their backs. In the 83rd minute, Olivia Smith managed to get another goal for Arsenal. Alessia's team had won the first leg, but it was still all to play for in the second leg.
Y/n walked up to Alessia after the game, and they embraced tightly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lotte smiling softly at them.
"I don't want you to go back to Lyon," Alessia pouted as she pulled back to look into Y/n's eyes.
"Less, it's not for long. I'll be back for the summer and in camp with you before you know it," she smiled.
"Before you leave, meet me outside our changing room. I know somewhere we can be alone."
Y/n raised her eyebrows. "Oh. Okay. I will be there."
Alessia grinned. "I'll see you soon."
Y/n got showered and changed quickly and found Alessia waiting for her. She quickly grabbed her hand and walked her down the corridor into a small office space. As soon as the door was shut, Alessia held her close.
"Sorry, I just wanted to hold you away from all the stares," she admitted.
Y/n laughed. "That's fine by me. I'll never complain about a hug, Less."
"I just wish it could last longer. I wish you weren't going back to Lyon tonight."
"Me too, Less, but it won't be long until we see each other again."
Alessia blushed. "I'll be counting down the days."
They said goodbye outside the Arsenal changing room, promising to video call plenty between then and the second leg.
They communicated daily until May 2nd, when they met again in Lyon. This time, Y/n picked Alessia up from her hotel and brought her back to her apartment.
"Oh, wow," Alessia said as she stepped inside, "This place is lovely. I really like how you've decorated."
Y/n felt a sense of pride at her interior decorating getting approval from Alessia.
"So," she said, wrapping her arms around Alessia, "how does it feel to be in my apartment?"
"Well, it feels slightly nerve-racking considering why I'm here, but I'm so glad I'm finally seeing it. I feel like your life over here has been hidden from me."
"Well, I feel like your life in London is hidden from me now that I don't live there anymore," Y/n teased her.
"Oh, all I do is sit around and count down the days until I see you again. That's all I've down all year," Alessia admitted.
"Really?" Y/n raised an eyebrow. "Are you that desperate not to be apart from me?" she teased again.
"I mean, obviously I have a social life," Alessia said, clearly trying to defend herself. "It's not like you're my only, um, friend.....Ugh, fine, I can't stop missing you, and now that we're doing this," she said, gesturing between the two of them, "I miss you even more than before, which I didn't know was possible. Lotte has the patience of a saint having to listen to me talk about you all the time. Oh, that reminds me, I came out to her," she grinned.
Y/n couldn't help but laugh at Alessia's rambles.
"I'm sorry, you're just adorable, but I'm very proud of you. How'd that go?"
"She said she already knew and that most of them do, but that she was waiting for me to be ready to say the words as she didn't want to push me on it."
"That's a decent response. How do you feel?"
Alessia shrugged. "Relieved mostly. Now that she and Tooney have been told, I feel a definite weight off my shoulders. I just need to keep challenging myself to come out as and when I'm ready. With Lotte, it was just natural. We went for coffee before training one morning, and when she asked if I had any news, I just went for it. I know it sounds cheesy, but, Y/n, I wouldn't be able to do this without you. You've been so supportive of me, and such a good, um, friend, and I can't thank you enough."
Y/n grinned. "You know I genuinely want to help, right? I mean, I enjoy seeing you getting more confident with all of this."
Alessia nodded. "I know you do, and that's what makes it all the more special. You mean so much to me, Y/n. I just wish you'd come back to London so we could keep each other company all the time."
The night went on, and Y/n eventually dropped Alessia back at her hotel, but those words stayed in her brain. Another year in France, when the love of her life wanted her to come home so that they could give romance a try, was a hard pill to swallow. She forced herself to shake it off until after the game.
The second leg was every bit as dramatic as the first. Lyon were up 2-0 at the break, giving them a 3-2 lead. A penalty kick by Renard, followed by another goal by Diani, had them feeling confident as they began the second half. It was all going well until the 74th minute, when Alessia scored. That's when Y/n felt shaken, not by the overall equaliser, but by the fact that, while all of her teammates were frustrated and beginning to panic about the likely extra time and possible penalties, Y/n couldn't think about anything but the smile on Alessia's face as she celebrated. She wished it were an England game and that she could celebrate with her. She once again had to brush off the thoughts about wanting to go back home.
You play for Lyon, you win for Lyon. This is your career, Y/n. Focus on the game, she said to herself.
And she did. And in the 85th minute, she chased a ball played into the box and kicked it towards goal.
It went in.
Her teammates jumped on her. It was 4-3 overall to Lyon now, and it looked like they were through.
They got through the remainder of the 90 minutes and added time, and the whistle finally blew. She celebrated with the team, who formed a circle in the middle of the pitch to thank the fans. After the celebrations of making it through to the final were over, that's when everything hit her.
That's when she saw her.
Standing a few feet away from her, Alessia was alone and in tears.
Y/n felt an ache in her chest at the sight.
She knew how desperately Arsenal had wanted to win back-to-back, but now the former champions were going home with nothing to show for their efforts.
She walked up to Alessia, her hand reaching out to grab her shoulder.
"Less..."
Alessia shook her head. "No. Please, don't try to make this better. This sucks, Y/n. It really fucking sucks...I need space. I can't be with you if we're going to be each other's competition."
"Less, that's not fair. There's only one way that can happen, and it would depend on many factors. We're both players, we're going to face each other ag-"
Alessia cut her off. "I'm sorry, Y/n, but I can't have this conversation right now. I know it's not your fault, even if you did score the winning goal...Just go. Leave me alone. I need to be with my teammates.
After the match, Y/n sat in her apartment and stared at the walls. She didn't know what to do. Maybe Alessia would calm down after the emotions of the loss had worn off. She likely wouldn't always feel that they had to be at the same club for it to work. But Y/n couldn't get the sight of her tear-stained face out of her mind. It hurt to know that she had hurt Alessia in order to feel good with her team.
Alessia didn't keep in contact that week, and Y/n was slightly embarrassed by how deeply she missed her name popping up on her phone.
On Thursday evening, she got a call from her agent, Luke.
"Y/n, I need you to join a video call ASAP. It's urgent."
She grabbed her laptop in a panic and set up the meeting.
"Hi, what's wrong?"
"Y/n, I don't know how to tell you this. There's no easy way to say it, but Lyon wants to terminate your contract."
Y/n felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Wait. What do you mean they want to terminate my contract? I just put them through to the Champions League final, and I'm one of the league's top goalscorers for this season, and the fans love me."
Luke shook his head. "I don't get it either, Y/n. They cited "creative differences", but I figure that means they want to sell players for money."
"Do they want to sell me? Is that what this is about?"
"A few clubs have made offers, and I've a feeling they simply can't refuse the money, especially one in particular."
"And what club is that?"
"Arsenal. Beth Mead is leaving, and they know you can play right wing. They've seen you and Russo team up at England, and they feel that you would be a suitable replacement for what is such a massive loss for the team."
Y/n could feel her heart beginning to speed up.
"I know it's tricky since you were at Chelsea before, but you wouldn't be the first to play at both clubs, and you certainly won't be the last. They are offering £1 million to Lyon, and your pay would increase too. You know Arsenal have a great fanbase, and I know you've always planned to go back to the WSL after Lyon. I know it's not ideal circumstances, but I think you should play for a club that wants and values you."
"When do I need to give you an answer?" she asked.
Luke sucked in a breath. "I hate to do this, I really do, but, honestly? I would need to know by tomorrow at the latest. If you say yes, then it's relatively straightforward. If you say no, well, I guess we could look at the other offers and have a chat about what becoming a free agent would be like."
Y/n nodded. "Okay. I'm going to talk it through with some of my international teammates who play there. I'll let you know ASAP."
She logged off the video call and looked down at her phone.
There was only one person she knew she wanted to call about this news.
She grabbed her phone, opened Alessia's contact and dialled the number.
Alessia picked up after three rings.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Less, listen, I need to talk to you about something really important. Is now a good time?"
"Um, sure. What's going on, Y/n?"
"Well, to put it simply, Lyon wants to sell me to Arsenal. Arsenal want me to replace Beth."
There was a long pause on the other end of the phone before Alessia spoke again.
"Oh, my God. How are you feeling?"
"Um, shocked. A bit pissed off that Lyon are so willing to let me go for some more cash, but you know I miss home."
"How much are Arsenal offering them?"
"A million."
Alessia exhaled loudly. "Wow. Well, that is what you're worth, let's be real. Would you, um, would you want to come to Arsenal?"
"I mean, it's a big step to move there only a year after leaving Chelsea. But I don't want to end up at another club that doesn't value me, and I know I'd have a lot of friends on the team, and I'd be back in London."
"Y/n," Alessia whispered, "are you considering this because of me? Because of us?"
Y/n sighed. "There's multiple reasons why I'm considering it, but I can't pretend that you're not a massive part of it. If I agreed, it'd be just like United again. You know, me and you playing for club and country."
"Well, um, I wouldn't want it to be exactly the same," Alessia admitted, "you know, with our whole admitting that we feel how we feel about each other thing."
"I know, Less. But that's even more reason to come back, right? You said you couldn't be my competition."
"That was a really shitty thing for me to say, Y/n. I was upset, and it was a heat-of-the-moment comment. Please don't let my insecurities force you into a decision that's not right for you."
"Honestly, Less, we've talked about it before, and right now Arsenal are looking like my best bet at a good season. And the better my season, the better my World Cup selection chances."
"So, you really want this?" Alessia asked.
"Yeah. Yeah, I think I do."
"When do you have to have made your decision by?"
"Tomorrow."
"Oh. That's soon. Is that why you called me?"
"I figured if I called you, you'd tell me to come home and be with you, and that would be my mind made up."
"I can't lie, Y/n. I really hope you do."
Never Thought I'd See her Again: Part 13
Previous Chapters: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12
Summary: Lucy and Y/n navigate the importance of communication and wind down the year becoming a close knit family. Also, Lucy spirals a little over her career gap.
Word Count: 5.5k
Content/Warnings: A little spiral about Lucy's life purpose
Y/n began to stir from the sound of the birds in her garden. As she transitioned from sleep to wakefulness, she felt the pressure of a body against her back.
Lucy.
She turned around to look at her. Lucy's eyes were still closed, her mouth slightly open, and her body looked totally relaxed. They had set an alarm for 8:00, planning to go back to Lucy's and all have breakfast together, so she decided to let Lucy sleep on for now. She lifted her arm and brought it to wrap around Lucy's waist, pulling her in closer and resting their foreheads together.
After what felt like about 20 minutes or so, Lucy's body began to move slightly; her head pushed deeper into the pillow, her arm twitched, and her eyebrows furrowed. Then, her eyes opened, focusing on Y/n's.
"Good morning," she smiled.
Y/n couldn't help the smile that formed on her face in return.
"Good morning to you, too."
"Did we wake up before the alarm?" Lucy asked.
Y/n nodded. "Yeah."
"What time is it?"
Y/n shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't checked."
Lucy pulled away from her and stretched over the bed to check her phone.
"Oh, it's not even half seven yet," she said as she lay back down beside her. "We have plenty of time to hold each other and ignore life's responsibilities."
Y/n grinned. "It's so refreshing to hear you get excited to ignore your responsibilities for a while."
Lucy grinned back and placed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"I guess it's cause I know Mum and Dad have it covered. They want me to relax with my girl, so that's what I'm going to do."
"It feels weird to wake up beside each other again after all this time, doesn't it?" Y/n asked.
"Well, there was that time we fell asleep on my couch," Lucy reminded her.
"Okay, well, that was a little bit different. We didn't plan to wake up beside each other that morning, and I left almost immediately after waking up."
Lucy nodded. "That's true. You know, waking up to you now, it feels just like the old times. I mean, in the sense that it feels just as safe, and loving, and right as it did back then."
Y/n placed a soft kiss to Lucy's right cheek.
"You're so cheesy...But I agree. This was always my favourite part of the relationship before. I loved waking up next to you, and I cherished the mornings we both had time to cuddle up to each other before getting up to start our days."
"Wow. Your favourite part of the relationship wasn't the incredible sex my athletic body could give you?" Lucy teased laughing.
Y/n shoved her playfully. "Oh, shut up! You know it was high on the list, but it was something I knew I'd enjoy. I'd didn't know if I'd enjoy waking up next to you until I did."
Lucy stopped laughing. "Wait. Really? Why?"
Y/n shrugged. "I've just always preferred having the bed to myself. I usually find it hard to sleep when I share it. And I don't always love company first thing in the morning, especially when that company is invading my personal space. When we first started dating, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it, but I ended up loving it. Your presence never bothered me. You're the only person I've dated who I haven't imagined shoving out of the bed at least once."
Lucy giggled. "Okay, that makes sense. You never told me that the first time around."
She shrugged again. "You were already a pro athlete with a six-pack. I guess I didn't want your ego to get any bigger," she smirked.
Lucy hit her shoulder. "You're such an asshole."
Y/n smirked even wider. "I finally told you, since now that you're so old and," she said, grabbing a part of Lucy's hair, "grey, I figured you could do with the confidence boost."
Lucy lunged at her and got on top of her, pinning her arms down.
"You are going to pay for those words!"
"Damn, Bronze," she teased, "I thought this position was only for last night."
Lucy blushed, mouth agape. Then, her mouth grew into a smirk as she cocked her head to the side.
"It doesn't have to be just for last night."
"Oh? Tell me more."
Lucy leaned down until their lips were centimetres apart.
"I'd rather just show you," she whispered, and then leaned in.
They got up at 8:00 and got dressed. As they were getting ready to leave, Y/n walked over and grabbed Teddy's food bag to feed him before she left.
"Oh, um, Y/n?"
Y/n looked up at Lucy.
"Yeah?"
"I was just thinking, maybe we could bring Ted with us and feed him at mine? It's just that my parents would probably like to meet him, and they'd love to see Ruby interacting with him."
Y/n leaned down and grabbed Teddy's food and water bowls and walked up to Lucy.
"Well, in that case, you'd better carry his stuff," she said, kissing her cheek.
"Oh, of course, give me his stuff to carry," Lucy pouted.
"I have to hold his lead, Luce."
The three of them made their way down the street. Lucy somehow managed to fit Teddy's bowls into her overnight bag, so she used her free hand to grab Y/n's.
Lucy had them all sit in the dining room as she prepared pancakes for the group.
Teddy wolfed down his breakfast and then came to sit at Ruby's legs until she eventually got down from her seat to pet him. Lucy's parents spent some time commenting on the bond she had with him, telling Y/n that it was great to see that their granddaughter had an animal to connect with. When they seemed to have exhausted the conversation about Ted, Diane turned back to her.
"So, did you two have a good night together?"
Y/n had to force herself not to blush, determined not to hint at the events of last night to Lucy's parents, even if she knew they had a feeling what had occurred.
"Um, yeah, we did. It was lovely to wake up to someone in that house, too. Normally, I'm getting woken up to Teddy insisting it's time for his breakfast, even if it's not even 6am."
Diane laughed. "He sounds like a lot of work, just like our cat. And by the way, Joaquim is infatuated with the cat now."
Joaquim nodded. "I won't lie, Y/n, I was so mad at her when she started feeding it after it turned up in our garden. Then, Ruby got sick, and Diane left me with strict instructions to feed the thing while she was away and to let it in to play with the various cat toys she'd purchased. At first, I thought it would be a nightmare, but then I realised I needed a distraction from my worries about Ruby, and about Lucy. Pets really can help with that sort of thing."
Y/n nodded. "Oh, absolutely. I got Teddy the day after I moved here. He helped me through the stress of moving and helped me through the loneliness of being somewhere new."
Just then, Lucy came in with a stack of pancakes on a plate and a few toppings.
"Okay, I'm going to grab your plates, cutlery, and the rest of the toppings, and then we can eat."
As she walked back out, there was a noticable limp in her right leg.
"Has she said anything about that knee to you?” Diane asked her. “We saw her massaging it yesterday, but she insisted it was just her usual issues."
"I asked her about it yesterday and she definitely downplayed the issue, but she did book in for a physio session next week so she's getting it looked at."
"God, she's so stubborn."
"What's that, Mum?" Lucy asked as she came in with the rest of their things and set up before sitting down beside Y/n.
"I was just saying that you're really stubborn."
"What? How?" Lucy asked, reaching for three pancakes which she placed on Ruby's plate.
"All of us can see you limping, love," Joaquim explained. "And yet, you've told all of us it's not that sore."
"It's not that sore, though. It's just niggly."
Y/n and Joaquim shared a knowing look.
"You said that yesterday, but we're not buying it today," Diane continued. "Now, be honest."
"Mum," Lucy groaned. "You know it's been sore for years. It's not that dramatic."
"That's what we heard almost two years ago as well, Lucy. And it did in fact turn out to be dramatic."
Lucy's face grew pale.
Y/n furrowed her eyebrows.
"What happened two years ago?" Y/n asked.
"Of course," Joaquim sighed, "she hasn't even told you."
Diane spoke: “Lucy and Ruby came to visit for Christmas of 2030. As she was carrying Ruby into the house, we noticed her limping quite badly. She insisted nothing was wrong, that it was just her usual knee issues, but we didn't believe her. So we took her to minor injuries...It was broken. She had to wear a brace for six weeks."
"And," Joaquim added, "when we finally found out it was broken, we demanded she tell us what had happened. As it turned out, she'd slipped in the shower and knew it was possibly broken, but since she didn't have anyone to look after Ruby and she wouldn't dare bother us or bring Ruby into a hospital due to being afraid of the germs getting to her, she ignored it."
Y/n raised her eyebrows at Lucy, her mouth agape. "Luce..."
Lucy looked embarrassed. "It's nothing. This time, I just worked out a bit more than I had in a while. I didn't fall."
"Well, just make sure you get the physio to take a good look at it next week," Diane said.
Lucy furrowed her eyebrows. "How do you know I have a physio appointment?"
"Because," Joaquim spoke, "Y/n was kind enough to reassure us that you were getting help."
The rest of the meal continued on somewhat tense. After finishing, Y/n left to take Teddy on his morning walk. She joined them again in the afternoon to go to the gift shop together. Once inside, Y/n left them to go look at the travel maps since she had thought Lucy's idea of scratching off the countries she had orders from to be very fun.
As she was looking at their options, she felt Lucy appear at her side.
"Well," she said, "since you had the great idea, why don't you help me pick which one to get?"
But when she turned to smile at Lucy, she noticed that Lucy wasn't smiling back.
"Why did you tell my parents that my knee was bad enough that I booked in for a physio session?"
She rolled her eyes. "Luce, you go to physio regularly and your parents were worried when you limped out of the dining room this morning. I just wanted to reassure them. Why did you never tell me about your fracture?"
Lucy shrugged. "It was ages ago. No need to bring it up."
"Not even last night when I was massaging it?"
"No. It wasn't necessary for you to know."
"Just like it wasn't necessary for your parents or a medical professional to know at the time?"
Lucy huffed out a breath. "They had no right to tell you about that."
"You can't be mad at them, Luce. They're just worried about you. And they only told me because they brought it up and I asked what they were talking about."
"I just wish you'd all trust me that I'll ask for help if I need it and stop pestering me," Lucy complained.
"Well, maybe we'd stop pestering you if you actually stopped hiding and downplaying things," Y/n snapped back, grabbing one of the maps and walking away.
They left after Diane and Joaquim had bought some items, including one of Y/n's prints and then Y/n parted ways with them for the rest of the day. She wanted to give them some time alone, and she also wanted to have some time alone herself. Last night had been perfect, as had this morning in bed, but Lucy's attitude over her loved ones being concerned for her was starting to piss her off.
She cleaned the house, had dinner, and sat down to start a new show, Teddy lying beside her.
As she was getting ready for bed, she heard a knock on her door. She headed back downstairs to be met with Lucy standing outside. After she had taken a deep breath, she opened the door.
"Hey," Lucy spoke softly.
"Hey," she said back.
"Um, can I- can I come in?” she asked.
Y/n held the door open for her.
Lucy walked inside and straight to the living room, where she hovered by the couch.
"We should, um, sit," she suggested.
Y/n sat down. Lucy sat beside her, her eyes looking down at her hands, before she reached her hand over to hold Y/n's.
"I was, um, I was a shitty partner earlier. You deserve better. And I'm going to be better. I just feel like my parents don't trust me to function sometimes. I think it's cause I did noticably struggle at the beginning of Ruby's life, and I sent my mum home not long after giving birth when I still needed her. It just irritates me sometimes because I want to do things myself, but I know that now that you and I are...us again, that we need to do things together. I should've told you about breaking my knee. And I shouldn't have downplayed this injury. It was just from the workout, but I should probably be wearing a brace or something for a bit. I'll ask all the necessary questions at physio on Wednesday. I'm sorry."
Y/n reached out and hugged her. "Thanks, Luce. I appreciate that. I just really want you to lean on me as much as you can. I'm your partner now. It's my job to help you, just as it's your job to help me. I don't want you to hide things from me, even if they'll make me worried. I want to look after you."
Lucy nodded. "I know. It's just...well, you know me. You know I've always been stubborn. And after becoming a single mum, I think I've been more stubborn at times because I'm so determined to feel like I've got it all under control."
Y/n rubbed her back. "I get it, Luce. But now that you have a partner, you don't have to have it all under control. You can ask for help. I know you have in the past. You did it when Ruby was sick. You just need to keep doing it, and it'll get easier over time."
"Can you be patient with me?" she asked. "I just know I'm not always going to be good at this, but I want to try."
"Of course, Luce. And I'll point out when I know you're downplaying things, because I didn't believe you last night, and I guess I should've said."
"So, do you forgive me?" Lucy asked.
Y/n kissed her softly. "Yes."
Lucy leant her forehead against hers. "I won't lie," she whispered, "I was looking at your roses during dinner and I got really sad thinking I might have already managed to screw things up by causing a problem."
"Luce," Y/n whispered back, hands on Lucy's cheeks, "We're starting a relationship for the first time in a decade, in a time that is very different for both of us. Of course there's going to be problems. That's only natural. It's about how we deal with them. You work on letting me in, and I'll work on calling you out when you don't. We just need to remember that, from here on out, we're a team. And we do what we need to do to make this relationship the healthiest it can be."
"I love you, Y/n."
"I love you too, Luce."
They hung out with Lucy's parents again on Sunday, and then Y/n started her work week. They came by at lunchtime on Tuesday to say goodbye to her before they left. On Wednesday, Lucy went to physio. She was sent for a scan where it was found that she had torn her meniscus. It was minor enough to resolve itself, but Lucy was given a brace to wear for a few weeks and given strict orders to take things easy. Throughout the rest of the week, Y/n and Lucy planned out how to keep their relationship stable. They decided on the following:
At least once a week, Y/n would stay over at Lucy's so that they could share a bed and say good night to Ruby together. Teddy would come with her as he would get distressed if left on his own.
Also, once a week, Y/n would take over mum duties from Lucy, and give her time to have a bath and relax. She would also provide her with one of her quality massages after.
A few nights a week, they would spend time together once Ruby was in bed, and they would prioritse intimacy, but without the pressure of sex. Whether or nor it happened was based on how they felt in the moment.
Once a week, they would check in with each other and ask if there was anything they needed from the other that they hadn't been receiving, and Lucy would also tell Y/n anything she was possibly hiding out of fear of causing her to worry.
Finally, they agreed to always resolve any disagreements before the end of the day, so that they never went to bed upset with each other.
On Saturday night, as they lay in bed together, Lucy pulled Y/n close.
"I've been meaning to ask you something," she admitted.
"What's up, Luce?"
"Remember I told you about planning to take Ruby to a nursery opening day this month?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, it's next Saturday. Actually, there's two next Saturday. And two on Friday. I know you're working on Friday, but I was wondering if you'd be up for coming with us on Saturday? I know that might sound like a bit too much, and if it does, tell me and we can forget about it. It's just, well, if we're really doing this, then I guess you are in some way parenting her too. I don't want to put pressure on you to be a mum, but I would like you to be a part of this decision."
"Luce, I'd love to. Screw it, I'll work some evenings this week and take Friday off so I can go to those ones too. As I've told you before, we're a team. I'll gladly be a part of this decision."
On Friday and Saturday, they visited four nurseries. They were all relatively close to their street, and the teachers and classroom assistants mostly seemed like lovely people. Ruby enjoyed her time at all of them, although she may have been easily persuaded by their snacks and games.
On Sunday evening, after taking a day to think, they sat down and discussed their options.
"Okay, how do we feel about the first one?" Y/n asked.
"I think the staff are really good there, and the facilities are great..."
"And you also still have an issue with it, don't you?" Y/n teased.
"Yeah, I do," she admitted. "They said that they have a mandatory nap hour. I got Ruby to stop napping just before she turned three. I don't think it would be good for her to start getting used to them again, and then if she has naps for another eighteen months only to start school and have none again, that's not going to be easy. It certainly wasn't easy the first time around."
"Lucy?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you saying number one is out?"
"Well, it has to be a mutual decision.
Y/n grinned. "I think you make a fair point. Let's move on to number two. What did you think of it?"
"Same as the last one in terms of staff, mostly, and the facilities. They've got good planning when it comes to how to keep them occupied and learning, and how they help them bond with each other..."
"But?"
Lucy laughed. "But, their snacks are not the healthiest, and they don't let you bring in alternatives. And one of the staff members did look at us a little oddly, like they weren't 100% cool with seeing a gay couple with a kid. I don't want Ruby dealing with any negative comments or negative treatment due to someone's ignorance."
"You're talking about the brunette with glasses, right?"
Lucy nodded. "Yeah. Did you feel it too?"
She nodded back. "I did. She asked me who I was and when I told her I was your partner she seemed...uncomfortable."
Lucy shook her head. "Okay, no. No kid of mine is being educated by a homophobe...I mean, um, what do you think, baby?"
Y/n laughed. "It's okay, Luce. You're allowed to make this decision. You have my full backing."
"So, that leaves number three and number four."
"Should we hear your issues for each now?" Y/n teased.
"Um, I actually didn't have any issues with either of them."
Y/n raised her eyebrows. "Really?"
Lucy nodded. "Yeah. They both seemed genuinely good to me. I loved the staff, I loved the facilities, I loved the curriculum, I loved the snack choices, I loved their reports about former pupils and how so many had gone on to the connecting primary schools. I really can't fault either of them. How about you?"
"Honestly, I feel very similarly to you, Luce. However, I do think Ruby enjoyed the third one the most."
Lucy nodded again. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. She did. She had lots of positive things to say about it last night. And I feel like they took extra good care of her while she was practicing her drawings with them."
"So...do we have a decision?"
"I think we do...Oh, wow” she breathed out, “I can't believe I'm sending my baby off to play with strangers in January."
Y/n laughed. "Come here, let me give my baby a hug since we've done this together."
Lucy jumped into her arms and they lay together on the couch.
"You really are the best, Y/n."
A couple of weeks later, Lucy came to visit Y/n while Ruby was on a playdate. Y/n excused herself to go to the toilet after letting Lucy in, and when she got back downstairs, Lucy was pacing the living room.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
Lucy stopped pacing and looked at her. "You said to be honest even if it worries you, right?"
Y/n nodded. "Yes."
"Well, there's something I was hiding during our weekly check-in...I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have, but I didn't know how to bring it up."
"Luce, what's wrong?"
"I just...I don't know where I'm going. I don't know what I'm doing with my life. I abandoned my career to have a kid and now I'm sending her to nursery, and I don't know what my identity is beyond her mum and your partner. I used to be a full-time athlete with numerous side gigs. I was so career-driven. And now I have no idea how to go back to it all. It's not like no one's reached out. They have. Or, well, at least, they did. Until I started saying no to every request from every brand and organisation. I'm still passionate about football. I still want to make a difference, to create positive change, but I'm afraid they've all forgotten about me now. I haven't even used social media since my pregnancy."
Y/n couldn't help the smirk that grew on her face from the second last statement.
"What? What's so funny, Y/n?"
Y/n sat down and patted the seat beside her. Lucy glanced at the couch for a few seconds until she finally walked over and took a seat.
"What's funny is that you really think that anyone could forget you. Lucy, you were one of the greats. You're one of the best footballers of your generation, male or female. I'm sure if you reached out and offered your services to some of the places you worked with back then they'd be more than happy to work with you again."
"But I disappeared. And I wasn't that great."
Y/n rolled her eyes. "You were one of your country's shining stars, Luce. Stop playing it down, you know how much they adored you. You know how skilled you were on that pitch and how much you accomplished. And you disappearing doesn't mean people forget. In fact, you may find it to be quite the opposite. I know if I was your fan and I hadn't heard of anything to do with you for a few years and then you came back to become a public figure again I'd be very excited."
"But that's also a problem, isn't it? Ruby has had a peaceful life with me. I mean, sure, I've had fans approach me at times, but it's only ever to say something simple or to get a quick selfie. I don't want to shock her by becoming someone she doesn't recognise."
"How much have you told her about those days?" Y/n asked.
Lucy sighed. "Not much. Well, not much since she's been old enough to understand better."
"What do you mean?"
"I've told her I used to play football. I've told her I won a few competitions. However, I've not really ever showed her footage or even photos of my career. So I don't think she realises I was like the players she watches on TV sometimes. But, when she was really litte, like during our first year together, I used to tell her all of my best memories. Retirement was hard. I missed my friends. I missed the constant social connection. So I would tell her everything I missed. And I would also tell her about you, but I guess I never fully stopped telling her about you, hence the carrot cake situation."
Y/n smiled. "I think you should show her, Luce. I think she'd be really impressed to see her mummy on the pitch."
"If I did, would you watch with us?"
"Of course I would."
Lucy rested her head on Y/n's shoulder. Y/n wrapped her arm around her.
"Thank you."
"Luce?"
"Yeah?"
"How often do you see your friends?"
"My football friends?"
"Yeah. I mean, when's the last time you saw Lucy?"
Lucy stiffened at the question.
"Luce? Why are you stressing from that question?" she asked, rubbing Lucy's back.
"Because, um," Lucy spoke, her voice going wobbly, "I haven't seen her since I was pregnant."
"Wait. What? What do you mean? She hasn't met Ruby?"
Lucy shook her head. "No, none of them have."
There was a long pause before she continued.
"Um, Y/n, there are two parts to my life. Before becoming a mum and almost dying, and after those things happened. I was so traumatised after the birth, and then I was so occupied by being Ruby's mum that I didn't keep in contact. They tried with me, but after never getting anything back from me, they gave up. I told Mum not to let them visit me in the hospital. I couldn't cope with it. I feel really guilty still, especially with Lucy. I'm sure she thinks I'm a terrible person. I just...I didn't know how to function,” she cried,
Y/n grabbed Lucy's hands then. "Luce, can I be honest with you?"
Lucy hesitated, then nodded. "Sure."
"I think you need to face your birth trauma...I think you need to go to therapy and process it. And I think you need to reach out to your old friends and be honest with them. I think those need to be your priorities when Ruby starts nursery. I also think you need to take more time for yourself. Then, when you've come to terms with things more, you can start reaching out about doing some work again."
"You're always right, aren't you?" Lucy sighed.
Y/n laughed, pulled Lucy in closer. "Yeah, I guess I am. I know you, Luce. I know your stubborn ways. I know your anxious brain. I know your need to control certain situations. I consider it part of being your partner to tell you the harsh truth."
Lucy sniffled.
"I suppose I could look up therapists over the holidays and then reach out to a few in the new year. And maybe I should send Lucy a Christmas card, and an "I'm sorry" card, and tell her the truth. She may not respond, but I suppose it's worth a shot."
"That sounds like a good plan, Luce."
December moved fast and Christmas came around quickly. Y/n had told her family that she wasn't coming home, explaining that she planned to spend her time off with Lucy and Ruby. Her and Lucy agreed on putting money into presents for Ruby, vowing not to buy for each other, agreeing, quite cheesily, that being back in each other's lives was enough of a gift in itself.
That morning, Ruby was wide awake and wouldn't let them sleep in. "You need to come downstairs and see what Santa has brought!" she shouted as she jumped on Lucy's bed in her Christmas pyjamas.
They went downstairs where they watched her open her presents, which consisted of:
2 Jigsaw Puzzles for Young Kids
Play-Doh
A Play Kitchen
More Animals for the Dollhouse
A Selection of New Books to Read at Bedtime
A Starter Lego Set
A Teddy Bear
An Art Set
A Doctor's Playset
A Bubble Machine
It's safe to say she was a well-loved kid and they were both extremely happy to see how much she loved her presents.
After dinner, they took Teddy on a walk and then came home to watch TV. That's when Lucy spoke up.
"Hey Ruby?"
"Yeah?" her daughter said turning to face her.
"You know the way Mummy used to play football?"
Ruby nodded her head.
"Well, would you like to see some videos of Mummy playing football?"
Ruby nodded again. "Yes!"
Y/n smiled knowingly as she watched Lucy connect her TV to YouTube and search up videos of herself. Lucy then began to show her daughter videos of her playing for various clubs and for England. Ruby was shocked at the crowds at the England matches. Y/n recognised some of the matches she'd attended, ones she'd went to in support of Lucy, and she couldn't help but think of how lucky she was to be sitting here beside her now all these years later.
After they put Ruby to bed, they took a bath together. When they got out and changed into their pyjamas, Y/n noticed Lucy staring at her phone.
"What's up, Luce?"
"It's Lucy," she said, staring into Y/n's eyes, "She got my card. She said she'd like to meet up in the new year, that we've a lot we need to work through, but that she'd like to build the friendship back up."
"Luce! That's amazing!"
Lucy walked over to her and wrapped her arms around her.
"I really should take your advice more often, baby. You're incredible," she said, leaning in to peck her lips.
As she pulled back, she turned and walked towards the wardrobe, grabbing something from the top of it.
"I know we said no gifts," she spoke as she walked back to her, "but there's something I think you deserve."
She handed the small package to Y/n who open it up to discover a small box. As she opened it, she saw a ring.
"It's a promise ring," Lucy explained. "It's a promise to love you forever. A promise to give you the ring in that bedside cabinet when the time's right. I don't ever want to lose you again, love. You're the best thing that happened to me, to us, this year."
"Luce..." Y/n spoke, tearing up.
"You don't need to thank me. Just...tell me that you know you're never going to be alone again."
Y/n placed the ring on her finger and pulled Lucy in for a tight hug, squeezing her.
"I know, Luce. I'm so lucky. I love you so much. I'm so grateful that the universe brought us back together this year. You're the one for me. You always have been."
"You've always been the one for me, too," Lucy whispered, kissing Y/n's temple. "Now, let's go to bed, love."
a/n: Can't believe after all of that time with writer's block with this fanfic I've managed to come up with a new chapter finally! I really enjoyed diving back into this story and I hope the update lived up to expectations!
After Bronze comes Gold | Alessia Russo x Reader
Summary: What happens when Lucy Bronze loses her appreciation for her partner Y/n Y/l/n, but Alessia Russo is there to support her?
Word Count: 3.3k
Content/Warnings: Lucy being a really shit partner. Shouting. Reader not being appreciated.
a/n: This was initially supposed to be a Bronze x reader fic where they make up, but I wrote Lucy to be really mean so I decided Y/n deserved better.
Y/n pulled the car out of the staff car park of Stamford Bridge. She had been watching her girlfriend, Lucy Bronze, play in the semi-final of the FA Cup against Man City, and had arranged that morning to drive them both back home after the match. Unfortunately, Chelsea had lost the match and, what's worse, they were actually winning 2-0 before her girlfriend was subbed on.
She drove in silence. Lucy had gotten into the car and mumbled something about not wanting to talk and about just wanting to go home and rest.
That's how it had been a lot this past season.
Y/n and Lucy had been dating since her second stint playing for today's rivals. Y/n had followed her to Barcelona and then back to England when she signed with Chelsea. All had been going well until this past season when Chelsea started to lose their magic touch and Lucy's attitude grew cold. When they won and even drew against a tough team, she was her usual self; a caring partner, bubbly, excited to go home and have a romantic evening or night together. But, when Chelsea lost, she would go silent only to erupt later from the anger she was holding in. Y/n was fed up with it and she was bracing herself for whatever drama was going to unfold when they got home.
She parked the car in the driveway and walked to the front door, leaving Lucy to follow behind her. Once she had opened the door, she walked straight upstairs to change into something more comfortable. After hearing Lucy slam her bag down in the hall, she heard her entering the kitchen, swearing, and running up the stairs.
"You didn't take the chicken out of the freezer!" Lucy exclaimed, charging into their bedroom.
Y/n sighed, pulling a T-shirt over her head.
Great, she thought. Here we fucking go.
"Lucy, you never asked me to do that."
Lucy's nostrils flared, and she stood up straighter.
"YES I DID!" she shouted at her. "I told you as I was leaving that I needed you to leave it out to thaw so I could have a decent source of protein for my recovery!"
"No, you didn't", she stated simply. "You may have intended to ask me, but you definitely didn't."
"YES I FUCKING DID, Y/N! God, I ask you to do one simple task, and you can't even manage it, and then you have the audacity to deny it?"
Y/n slammed the shoes that she had taken off on the ground.
"NO, LUCY! YOU DID NOT TELL ME TO DO THAT! YOU NEVER ONCE ASKED ME TO DO THAT THIS MORNING!" she screamed back at her. "Why can't you just admit that YOU forgot to ask me? And why do you care so much about the fucking chicken?"
"BECAUSE I NEED TO RECOVER AFTER THE MATCH!"
"THERE'S SALMON, BEEF AND TOFU IN THE FRIDGE, LUCY! YOU AREN'T EXACTLY STUCK FOR PROTEIN OPTIONS. And, MIGHT I REMIND YOU, THE REASON WE HAVE ALL OF THOSE IS BECAUSE I BUY THE GROCERIES EVERY WEEK! THERE WOULDN'T EVEN BE CHICKEN TO THAW IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE ME!"
"THAT'S BULLSHIT, Y/N! YOU DO THE GROCERIES CAUSE YOU HAVE A LESS DEMANDING JOB, SO IT MAKES SENSE FOR IT TO BE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. IF I LIVED ALONE, I WOULD BE MORE THAN CAPABLE OF DOING IT MY FUCKING SELF!"
At that moment, Y/n felt something within her crack.
"Alright," she said, pulling on a pair of jogging bottoms and reaching for the suitcase on top of the wardrobe, "You think you can cope without me? Let's fucking see how you do then."
She began to pack the suitcase with underwear and a few changes of clothes before walking past Lucy, who was too stunned to speak, to grab what she needed from the bathroom.
When the case was packed, she pulled it down the stairs and headed for the front door.
"Y/n," Lucy whispered, "Please."
She huffed out a laugh as she turned to see Lucy's puppy dog eyes staring at her.
"No, Lucy. You don't get to pull this shit after how you just spoke to me. I am sick and tired of being the one who has to deal with your crap every time you have a bad game. I keep seeing you getting praised for how resilient you are...," she said, shaking her head, "if only they knew that you're actually extremely insecure and take out all your anger on the woman you claim to love."
With that, she turned and opened the door, dragging the suitcase behind her as she walked to the car.
As she pulled out of the driveway, she could see Lucy staring at her, still in shock, with Narla at her legs.
Screw her, she thought.
She used the car's Bluetooth system to call one of her closest friends, Alessia Russo.
When she moved to Manchester during the height of a pandemic, she wasn't expecting life to be very exciting, but, somehow, she managed to meet not one but two Lionesses playing for opposing teams, befriended one and began dating the other. Now in London, all these years later, Alessia, unlike Lucy, thankfully hadn't changed in the way she treated her.
"Hey?" Alessia spoke as she answered.
"Hi," Y/n sighed back.
"Oh no."
Y/n laughed bitterly at how routine Lucy's outbursts had become, and Alessia knew instantly why she'd called.
"I left."
"You what?"
"She decided to pick a fight over fucking chicken and then said she was capable of doing the things I do for her, so Itold her we should see how well she gets on without me."
"Shit, Y/n. That sounds intense...I assume you're calling to ask if you can stay with me?"
Y/n nodded even though she couldn't see her.
"Yeah," she sighed again, "yeah, I am."
"You know you're always welcome at mine."
"Thanks, Less. I won't be long."
She pulled up outside Alessia's house to see her already waiting by the way.
"Come here," Alessia said, holding her arms out as she reached her door.
They embraced tightly, and Y/n felt like she could breathe easier again.
"Do you want to talk about it, or do you want a distraction?"
Y/n thought about it. "I'd like to talk about it, but I also haven't ate yet."
Alessia smirked. "Well, I was just about to cook some pasta."
Y/n smiled. "Perfect."
They sat down in Alessia's dining room with two bowls of spaghetti and meatballs.
"So," Alessia said, twirling the pasta on her fork, "what's happened this time exactly? You said she started a fight about chicken?"
Y/n laughed despite herself. "Yeah, it was about as ridiculous as it sounds. She was in a mood from the second she got in the car, insisting we just get home quick. We drove home in silence, so I was waiting for her to blow up the second we got inside. I went upstairs to change, and after going into the kitchen, she followed me up and claimed she'd asked me to leave chicken out to thaw this morning, which she hadn't. I told her she didn't ask. She started going on a rant about needing protein to recover, and I reminded her we had numerous sources of protein in the fridge. I also reminded her that they were there because I do the shopping. She claimed that's cause her job is more demanding, but that if she lived alone, she'd be perfectly fine. I just cracked. I pulled out the suitcase and started packing it, telling her that we should see how she copes on her own after all these years. She was too shocked to speak until we got to the front door, when she finally managed to say my name. She gave me the puppy dog eyes, but I wasn't falling for it."
Alessia put her head in her hands. "I don't know how you've dealt with this all season. You deserve so much better. You know that, right?"
Y/n nodded. "Yeah, I mean, when I came to see you after you got back from Lyon, you didn't treat me like crap...And neither did she until now. I just don't get it, Less. She's been a near-perfect partner all these years, and going into this season after the Euros, we were so good. A part of me was thinking with the way she talked about the future and the fact that we've been together so long that she was maybe gonna propose this year. I truly thought we were the most solid we've ever been, and you know, besides the odd, easily dealt with disagreement, we've always been on good terms. I get that she's had a rough season. I just don't get why she's chosen to take it out on me. It's like her whole personality has changed."
Alessia looked like she was deep in thought.
"Do you think," she spoke slowly, "that it might be due to her age and the fact that she's likely going to have to retire soon enough? I mean, her best friend just announced her own retirement. And maybe she hoping to go out on a high and is worried she's ruining her own reputation...I don't know," she shrugged, "I don't want to make excuses for her. I just know she's always held herself to high standards. She's always the one doing the extra work at England camp, and maybe so much failure this season has gotten to her. Not that that's ever an excuse to treat you like she has."
Y/n nodded thoughtfully. "You could be right there, Less."
"Don't take this the wrong way, but are you waiting for her to reach out to you? Or are you going to reach out to her? I want you to know you can stay here as long as you need, and you'll not be bothering me, but I'm just wondering if you've got a plan here."
Y/n shrugged, taking a bite of spaghetti. "Honestly, Less, I don't know."
Just then, her phone lit up.
"Speak of the devil..." Alessia murmured.
"Shit," Y/n whispered.
"You don't have to answer. You just left her. It's okay to take space, but maybe tell her that."
Y/n nodded. She declined the call and sent Lucy a simple text stating that she needed space and would reach out when she was ready.
After finishing dinner, Alessia chose a film for them to watch before they went to bed.
"Let me know if you need anything," Alessia said as she stood in the doorframe to the spare bedroom.
Y/n smiled. "Thanks, Less. You're the best."
Alessia smiled back cheekily. "I know I am."
The week went by with Y/n going to work as usual. She didn't tell anyone else what was going on, wanting to keep her personal life private. Alessia was an angel. She was there to listen whenever she needed to talk, to distract her with amazing food and good TV shows, and even to get her a ticket for the Arsenal vs Everton match midweek.
On Thursday morning, she announced her plans to Alessia.
"I got the day off work. I'm planning to go back to the house to get some more of my belongings. I need more time, but I have things there that I need next week."
"Are you okay going over on your own?" Alessia asked.
Y/n nodded. "She has training, so she won't be home. And I doubt Narla's gonna fight me."
Alessia giggled. "Okay, as long as you're safe. And remember, stay as long as you need. You're no burden, Y/n."
Y/n hugged her. "Thank you for being the best friend I could ask for. I'm so glad to have you. You've been amazing through this whole thing, even with your busy schedule."
She pulled up outside her and Lucy's house, noting the empty driveway with a relieved sigh. Upon opening the door, she was gretted by Narla wagging her tail and sniffing all around her.
"Oh, hey Narls," she said as she bent down to pet her. "Hey girl, sorry I haven't been around this week. Me and your mum just need some space. We haven't been good in a while"
She felt a bit silly talking to Narla, but it felt weirdly comforting.
She began to climb the stairs up to the bedroom. As she reached the doorframe, she froze.
Lucy.
She was asleep in the bed.
Shit, Y/n thought.
She resolved to be as quiet as possible and try to get out without waking her.
As she pulled a stack of pages from under the bed that she needed for work next week, she heard movement in the bed. She straightened up and was met with an open-eyed Lucy.
As their eyes met, Y/n saw how exhausted she looked. She had clearly been crying before she slept.
"Y/n..." Lucy whispered.
Y/n shook her head. "I'm just here to grab some things for work next week," she explained.
"Where have you been?" Lucy asked.
"Aessia's," she stated simply.
"Oh. That's, um, that's nice of Less."
"Yeah, it is. It's nice to have a friend who can remind me of myworth when my ownpartner can't see it," she snapped.
"Y/n, I'm so sorry..."
"Yeah, that doesn't really cut it, Lucy. Now, if you don't mind, I need to grab the rest of my things and go. I wouldn't have come if I thought you were going to be here."
She can see the immediate effect the words have a Lucy, who is looking even more defeated now.
"I don't blame you. I wouldn't want to see me right now either if I were you."
"What are you even doing here? Don't you have training?"
Lucy swallowed. "Um, well, yes, but I've been off all week."
"Are you sick? Is it contagious? I've got a busy week at work next week, so I really can't afford to be infected with whatever you have," Y/n snapped again.
"Um, no," Lucy said, sitting up in the bed, "I, uh, I've been off because of you."
"Oh, so you can't function without me? Because I thought you told me on Sunday that you would have everything in control if you lived on your own."
"I was wrong, Y/n," Lucy said, beginning to cry, "I was so fucking wrong. You've been my rock all these years. I didn't remember what life without you was like. I never experienced true love before you. I haven't appreciated you enough these past months. You do so much for me, and I am so lucky to have you. Every single minute since you've gone has been agony. I had to call Sonia and ask for personal time off, which she wasn't thrilled about, considering we have one game left, but I couldn't cope with my day-to-day life without you. You've been by my side all these years. Being here without you sucks. Even Narla hasn't been herself. She keeps looking out the window and crying for you. We both do, as embarrassing as that sounds..." She sighed. "Oh, Y/n, please don't leave again. I don't think I can cope with seeing you leave me twice," she sobbed, the tears streaming down her face.
Y/n sighed. "Lucy, I can't just stay because you're upset. I'm upset. I've been upset for months because of the way you have treated me. I deserve an explanation for how my partner completely turned on me over a bad season of football."
"i can explain," Lucy said, shakily.
"Alright, go ahead then. Tell me why you've treated me like dirt after every bad game and tell me why you've done nothing to make up for it."
"You were right about what you said before you left. ABout me being insecure. I've been so hard on myself for my poor performances this year and I've been so filled with rage and I've ended up taking it out on you because you're the person who's around me the most. So that means you've gotten the worst of me when you deserve the absolute best. And I haven't been the best at apologiding because I feel so embarrassed about how I've been feeling about my football. I'm so fucking sorry, Y/n. Please, please can you give us another chance? We've had so many years together. I can't lose you now."
And that's when Y/n knew what she had to do.
She shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Lucy, but as much as I understand your self-criticism, that doesn't mean i can forgive the way you've treated me. I spoke to Alessia many times over these past few months about your behaviour, and I'm lucky because I have a friend who reminds me of the love I truly deserve. I can't move past this, Lucy. You changed. And you turned nasty. And it was abusive. I have to choose me this time. We're done, Lucy."
She then grabbed her other suitcase and began to pack away everything of hers that she could find in the house as Lucy followed her around pleading her to stay, but she knew that as painful as it was to walk away, she owed it to herself not to go back to her. As she drove away from the house, she felt like she'd put herself first for the first time in years.
October 2026
Y/n got home just before midnight from a work birthday dinner. She really wished her boss didn't act like his birthday required all of his employees to celebrate with him in the middle of the week and pretend to be 'one big family', but she was glad to finally be home.
As she went to walk into her bedroom, she head the door open behind her.
"How'd it go?" Alessia asked.
Y/n smiled. "It was okay. Food was good, and I managed to pretend to care about the occasion. He is 60 today after all."
Alessia laughed. "I can't believe your boss insisted on celebrating his birthday mid-week with his staff. That's so strange."
"Well, you know, he is a strange man."
"I, um, I waited up for you," Alessia admitted."
Y/n furrowed her eyebrows. "You did?"
She nodded. "Yep."
"Why?"
Alessia shrugged. "Just wanted to check on you since I knew you weren't looking forward to it. Plus, I really missed you. Dinner just isn't the same when there's only one bowl if pasta instead of two."
Y/n grinned. "Now you know how I feel when you've got an away match."
"I don't know, Y/n. I'm not sure the way I was feeling without you is how you feel without me. I mean, I'm not even sure if the way I feel with you is the way you feel with me," she confessed, biting her lip and her head facing the floor.
Y/n's heart skipped a beat. She took a step forward so she was directly in front of Alessia and put her finger on her chin and tilted her head up to meet her eyes.
"Would you like to now the answer?" she smiled.
Alessia nodded shyly.
Then, Y/n leaned in.
Their lips brushed together softly at first and then harder, before coming to a stop.
Y/n rested her forehead on Alessia's.
"Alessia Russo, you have shown me what I truly deserve in a partner. And I would need to get my eyes checked if i couldn't see just how beautiful you are. What do you say you and I give this a shot?"
Alessia grinned, nodding. "I'd really like that, Y/n."
"Good," Y/n replied, pecking her on the cheek.
"Stay in my bed tonight?" Alessia asked her. "For cuddles only, I mean."
Y/n laughed. "Of course."
a/n: Very random fic that came into my head and ended up changing a lot as I wrote it.
Okie I like ur Russo writing, they are fluffy and cute and very realistic.
I hope I could see more of them and them spending time together in the fanfic
Gonna have a fic based on today’s match and the aftermath out at some point early in the week! Will have them getting some more time alone
Hi! I really love your stuff! I was wondering if I never thought i’d see her again is being continued?
Yes! I just hit such a wall after the last chapter, but I absolutely will be continuing it!
We'd be unstoppable | Alessia Russo | Part 2
Part 2 of Just because a woman has a close friendship with a lesbian doesn't mean she's queer
They cuddled up together on the couch until Alessai began to yawn.
"Sleepy?" Y/n asked, teasingly.
Alessia blushed. "A little."
"Should we get ready for bed?" she asked.
She gave her a shy nod.
Alessia let Y/n use the bathroom first and then got ready herself. Y/n lay in Alessia's bed waiting for her to return. She'd slept in her bed before. There were countless nights before Y/n moved where one had stayed at the other's due to staying up so late they'd be too tired to drive home. But this was different. They had just crossed a line into unfamiliar territory, and sharing a bed would no longer be a casual thing again.
A few moments later, Alessia stepped inside the bedroom, hair down, wearing a light grey jumper and black joggers. She walked to the bed, shoulders slightly hunched, and sat down on the edge, facing away from Y/n, staring out the window.
Eventually, she spoke.
"I can't believe I came out to you...I can't believe I've said it out loud to someone besides my mirror," she said, huffing out a shy laugh. She turned to face Y/n. "I need you to know that I didn't begin questioning my sexuality until some point in our friendship. Then I wondered if you were an exception. I was terrified. I'd been so sure all these years that I was straight, but once I realised I liked you, I began to think more about my past. There were a few girls that I was..." she tilted her head, trying to find the right word, "fascinated with? I had crushes, I just didn't know that's what they were, because at that age, I didn't know I was allowed to feel that way about other girls. I'm quite scared of what admitting my feelings means. There's so much I'm going to have to navigate. I'm going to need us to go slow. And I need this to be between us for now, until I gather the courage to tell people, even if they already apparently know." She exhaled deeply then. "God, I haven't even told Ella! It's like the words just wouldn't come out. Until now. I only told you tonight because I needed you to know why I was acting so odd this past week. It was jealousy mixed with complete and utter terror."
Y/n gestured for Alessia to lie down, which she did, then put an arm around her waist. Alessia’s eyes met hers.
“Less, I am never going to force you to come out to anyone before you’re ready, especially if you’re still processing things yourself. I will remind you though that you work both at England and at Arsenal with plenty of queer women and allies, so there is nothing to be afraid of when it comes to sharing this part of you with them. And, as for us, we can take this as slowly as you need us to. Speaking of, is this okay?” she asked, gesturing to the arm slung over Alessia’s waist.
She nodded. “Yeah, that’s more than okay. It’s comforting. Can I move a little bit closer?”
Her voice sounded nervous, like she was worried about crossing the line, so Y/n tried to be as considerate as possible.
“Of course you can,” she whispered. “Lie wherever feels right for you.”
Alessia shifted over until their bodies were fully touching and rested her head on Y/n’s shoulder.
“I think this is what I need right now. Just this. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Y/n kissed her forehead lightly,which caused her to blush.
“Well then, I guess we stay like this tonight.”
“Can you turn off the light?”
Y/n nodded, stretching behind her to switch off the bedside lamp. Once they were in darkness, Alessia spoke softly and sleepily.
“Can I have one more kiss before I try to sleep?”
She didn’t see it in the dark, but Y/n broke into a wide grin.
“Yes,” she whispered, leaning in and kissing Alessia’s lips softly.
When they pulled apart, Alessia buried her head in the crook of Y/n’s neck.
“Goodnight, Y/n. Thank you for being you.”
“Goodnight, Less.”
They drifted off soon after, both exhausted from the match and the anticipation beforehand, along with everything that had been going on between them.
Y/n was awoken by the sounds of the birds outside. She could feel the sun in her face without yet opening her eyes. She was lying on her back, Alessia's body pressed up against hers, head resting on her chest. After stretching, she opened her eyes to see Alessia still fast asleep, and decided to check the time.
6:30
Due to their flight to Reykjavík being the following day, the coaching team had arranged for a recovery day in London, close to Wembley, instead of travelling all the way back to St. George's Park. They were due at 8:30, and breakfast was being provided, so Y/n figured that she should let Alessia sleep until 7:15.
As she lay there watching her sleep, Y/n tried to process the events of the past week, especially the previous night: their embrace in the lobby of the Hilton, Alessia's body pressed against hers during the movie, the conversation that turned sour when Alessia asked if she was seeing someone, the awkward exchange between them the following morning in front of Leah, the silent treatment, her teammates telling her their suspicions in the gym, Alessia's impressive assist that led to Y/n's goal, her confessions spilling out in the living room, their kiss...
Their kiss.
Her kiss with her best friend Alessia Russo, whom she had presumed all these years was straight.
As much as she knew Alessia was the one with the most to process, she knew she had her own processing to do, too. It was only 5 days ago that her teammates had insisted that Alessia had feelings for her. It was only 3 days while watching Alessia on the bus that she had texted Camille and ended their casual fling. It was all moving very fast, and she was glad that Alessia wanted to take things slowly.
It was going to take time for her to wrap her head around the fact that what she thought was unrequited love for a straight woman was, in fact, a mutual love between her and a bisexual woman who was still processing her identity. Still, she felt grateful, and pulled Alessia in closer, savouring every moment until it was time to wake her.
At 7:15, she gave in to her worries about arriving on time and shook Alessia, waking her.
Alessia's eyes opened slowly. There was a look of confusion, followed by a realisation, a remembering of the past night's events.
She looked sheepish.
"Morning," Y/n grinned at her.
"Morning," she responded, trying to hide the blush that was creeping up her face.
"It's quarter past seven, Less. We need to get up."
Alessia groaned. "We showered after the match, and we're eating breakfast there. We can wait until half past."
Y/n laughed. Alessia was definitely not a morning person, especially the day after a match against their country's biggest rivals.
"Okay, but after that we have to get up, otherwise we're gonna be late."
She was silent for a moment, then spoke.
"Y/n?"
"Yes?"
"Can you hold me until we have to get up?"
Y/n couldn't resist. She pulled Alessia in tight to her body, wrapping her arms around her.
They didn't get up until 7:35, needing to leave at 8. They flung training kits on, styled their hair, brushed their teeth, and headed out the door.
Alessia drove them to training. In the car, Y/n watched her and noticed that she seemed a bit on edge.
"Less?"
"Yeah?"
"What's up? You seem stressed."
"Do you think anybody's going to read into the fact that you're arriving with me? And that you never stayed at the hotel for the non-London based players?"
"Of course not. Less, everyone knows you and me are close friends. They probably think we hung out to talk things through, and I stayed over like I've done plenty of times in the past."
"But you said a bunch of them suspect that I'm not straight and that I have feelings for you," she continued. "Surely they'll put things together."
Y/n shook her head. "Last those teammates heard, I was seeing someone else. I don't think they're gonna jump to any conclusions. Besides, even if any of them did, they're not the type to bring it up to us. They won't want you feeling any pressure to come out to them."
"It's just that this is all so new to me. I only came out for the first time less than 12 hours ago, yet some of them might think I had gay sex for the first time last night, which, for the record, is something that excites and frightens me at the same time. I'm used to straight sex where I just lie there and do nothing, except fake an orgasm if he can't get me there and I'm bored. I've been watching videos and reading articles about how sapphic sex works, but I still don't actually know what to do!"
Y/n bit her lip to hide her laughter. She understood that Alessia had a lot going on, but she couldn't help but find her sex worries slightly funny. When she composed herself, she rested a hand on Alessia's thigh, and reassured her.
"Less, first of all, we all just played Spain yesterday. I don't think anyone is gonna have the energy to think about whether or not you had sex last night. As for your fears, they're normal, and it really is a case of the more you do it, the easier it becomes. There's no pressure for us to rush any of this, so don't feel like I'm expecting anything from you. And we can talk beforehand about what might make things easier for you. I know that all of this is scary, but, Less, we're in the middle of World Cup qualifier camp. We have a flight tomorrow and a match 2 days later. Today needs to be about recovery, not being in your head."
She gave her thigh a squeeze.
Alessia pulled into the grounds, parking in a spot slightly away from the other cars. Once she turned the engine on, she looked around outside, before turning to Y/n.
"Thank you. I really needed to hear that. Also, we're alone so can you please kiss me again because you haven't kissed me since last night and I'm feeling needy with all of these emotions going around in the head."
Y/n giggled. "Of course I can."
She leaned in and kissed her softly, only pulling away when she could tell that Alessia was satisfied.
Alessia blushed. "I can't believe you've kissed me 3 times in 12 hours. I can't believe this is real. Your kisses make me feel all...tingly."
Y/n laughed, hand rubbing against Alessia's.
"You're adorable."
Alessia went bright red. "Um, okay, sure. Well, we better get inside."
Y/n continued to laugh. "You're really going to need to get better with taking compliments, because I'm planning to shower you in them."
"Well, I don't have to get good at taking them right now. As you said, our focus today is recovery."
They joined their teammates for breakfast, and it seemed that Alessia's worries quickly faded as everyone acted as normal, more focused on commenting on Alessia's impressive assist than her personal life.
After eating, they split up to do their separate recovery plans. They passed each other throughout the day, stopping to talk and smile at each other. At one point, while chatting to her, she could see Leah smirking at them from the other end of the room. She may not have known exactly what was going on between them, but she definitely knew where it was headed.
Not long before they left, Y/n had an ice bath. Just a few seconds after getting in, Lucy appeared, stepping into the tub beside her.
"So," Lucy spoke, turning to face her, "how are things between you and Lessi? You seem to be talking again. And that was quite an assist from her last night," she grinned.
Y/n smiled. "After she celebrated that goal with me, I knew we needed to talk. I spoke to her at halftime, and we agreed to hang out at hers and talk through everything. I can't say too much, because I don't want to speak on the reason you all assume she wasn't talking to me last week, but what I will say is we resolved things, and all is good between us."
Lucy nodded slowly, taking in what Y/n had said.
"I'm glad you two have resolved things. Platonic or romantic, the bond you two have has always been special. And it certainly shows on the pitch, which is exactly what we needed last night."
Now it was Y/n's turn to grin. "Yeah, I was really impressed with her last night. I still don't know how she managed it. She shrugged off the compliments I gave her at halftime, but I hope she knows how incredible it was."
"Do you like her?"
"Huh?"
"Sorry," Lucy apologised, "that might have been a bit of an invasive question. It's just that I realised we only ever spoke on Friday about everyone's suspicions that she liked you. I know you said you were seeing someone, but I was wondering if you'd ever felt anything for her."
"I mean, I have eyes Lucy."
Lucy laughed. "Oh, wow. So, that's a yes then?"
She nodded. "Absolutely. I've always thought she was stunning, but I started developing feelings last season."
"Ugh," Lucy groaned.
"What?" Y/n asked, shocked at her reaction.
"I'm just realising you must have had the hots for her while we were playing against her. You must have been oggling her on the pitch."
Y/n laughed out loud. "First of all, at least Chelsea knew how to beat Arsenal back then. Hasn't happened this season without me, has it?"
"Ouch," Lucy said, pretending to hold her crushed heart.
"Second of all, that's rich coming from you the day after a match against Spain."
"You're really coming out with all the insults today, aren't you? I swear, Lyon made you meaner," she pouted.
"Or, maybe, it's because I've only got a small window of time every time I see you so I gotta get all my insults in quickly."
"Can't believe I've missed you all season," she muttered.
"What's going on?"
Y/n and Lucy looked to see Alessia by the tub to Y/n's right. She got in and faced them.
"Bronzey was just telling me how badly she misses me," Y/n teased.
"I was actually just defending myself because Y/n has been insulting our performance this season."
"Y/n, that's so mean," Alessia said, trying not to laugh.
"I was actually mainly teasing her about the fact that they've not beaten Arsenal yet."
Alessia's eyes lit up. "Oh, well, I can't say she's wrong about that."
"Well, we would have won the first match if it wasn't for the fact that the referee hated us."
"And the fact that someone equalised in the 87th minute," Y/n teased, looking at Alessia, who blushed.
"Yeah, Lessi, I'm still mad at you about that," Lucy stated.
Alessia laughed.
"Okay," Lucy said, standing up, "I think I've had enough of this ice bath and Y/n's insults for the day."
Alessia laughed even more. Y/n laughed as well, but got lost watching Alessia laugh.
God, she's so beautiful when she laughs, she thought.
"Hey!"
Y/n looked up to see a dripping wet Lucy hovering over her.
"Do I not get a goodbye?"
Y/n smiled. "Goodbye, Lucy. I will see you tomorrow. Maybe we'll be seated next to each other on the flight, and I can continue my insults," she smirked.
Lucy looked at Alessia. "You're so lucky you get the princess treatment from her. I can't even escape the bullying in the sky."
At this point, Alessia couldn't stop laughing. She managed to whisper a goodbye to Lucy through the laughs before she left. When the door closed, Y/n grinned at her.
"You know, I've always thought your laugh was adorable," she admitted.
Alessia's laughing began to slow enough that she could respond.
"Are you serious?"
She nodded. "100% serious."
Alessia blushed. "You knew the exact minute I equalised in a game in November," she stated.
Y/n nodded again. "Yeah, I did. I pay attention."
"So do I."
"Good to know."
They stared at each other, the room thick with a tension they weren't ready to explore. Finally, Y/n looked away.
"Well, this ice has really started melting. I've been in here for a while so I think it's time to get out."
She pulled herself up to standing and stepped out of the tub, grabbing a towel to dry off her body. As she looked down, she saw Alessa watching as the towel brushed along her abs, biting her lip.
"See something you like?"
Alessia's head shot up. "Huh? Oh, um, I was...I was just..."
Y/n laughed, leaning own to place a kiss on her forehead.
"You were just enjoying the view, weren't you?"
Alessia grabbed a piece of ice and threw it at her.
"Shut up!"
Y/n laughed as she opened the door.
"Wait!" Alessia called out.
Y/n turned around. "What?"
"Can I take you back to mine again? I really want to make the most of the rest of the week," she confessed.
Y/n smiled, nodding. "Of course. I'll wait outside for you."
After changing into dry clothes, Y/n walked out to the car park and leaned against Alessia's car.
She looked up at the blue sky above her, then looked back in the direction of the entrance. That's when she saw Taylor Hinds notice her. Taylor looked at the car, clearly recognising it, then back at Y/n.
"Getting a lift?' she smiled.
Y/n nodded. "Yeah, we're hanging out for a bit this evening."
Taylor smirked. "That link-up last night got you two talking again, huh?"
"She celebrated a bit with me on the pitch, so I didn't let her avoid me at halftime. I had to thank her for that assist."
"I remember watching your dynamic during the Euros. I was watching the final with a few friends, and I saw that assist to help her equalise. You two have something special on the pitch...and off."
Y/n could feel herself blush, getting flustered by the comment.
"Yeah, well, she did just what I was hoping she would. I feel like I have to pay her back for that assist last night."
Taylor smirked, looking like she had an interesting thought about how Y/n might pay her back, but thought better about saying it out loud.
"Well, hopefully you pay her back in Iceland. Also, whenever you're fed up with France and want to come back to the WSL, I strongly suggest you consider Arsenal. You two would be quite a force to be reckoned with."
Y/n laughed. "I think the Chelsea players in this squad might have something to say about me returning to London for the Gunners."
Taylor shook her head. "Don't worry about that. C'mon, we've won the Champions League. Imagine what it would be like to win it with us by assisting Less with a last-minute goal, imagine the cheers from the stands as she runs into your arms..."
Y/n couldn't help but get invested in the images Taylor was painting for her. She did miss playing with her at club level.
"Hey."
Y/n and Taylor both turned to face Alessia who had just reached her car.
"Hi," they said in unison.
Alessia narrowed her eyes, looking between the two of them.
"You two seem very suspicious."
"I'm trying to get Y/n to become a Gunner," Taylor explained.
Alessia rolled her eyes. "She's never going to agree to that. She's a former Chelsea player."
"I reckon you could convince her," Taylor smirked.
For a moment, Alessia looked a bit taken aback, but she quickly pulled herself together.
"I don't think I'm that much of a powerful influence."
"Oh, I think to Y/n you are. I was saying that we could use your dynamic together. You always create such good link-ups with each other."
Alessia sighed. "I'll try, but she's still got another season at Lyon to go."
"It's always good to plan ahead," Taylor shruggd. "Anyway, I'll let you two get home. I'm starving."
They said their goodbyes and got into the car.
Alessia gripped the steering wheel.
"So, she thinks I could convince you to move to Arsenal?" she asked, eyes wide.
"Well, yeah."
She hardened her grip on the wheel, knuckles turning white.
"Was she one of the players who spoke to you in the gym on Friday?"
"Um, yes, but-"
Alessia cut her off. "Who all was there? How many of them already know?"
Y/n swallowed. "Um, Lucy was first. Taylor heard us talking. I was complaining about you ignoring me, and she said you two had talked and that you'd said that something I said had upset you. Then Leah, Keria, and Georgia walked in, and Leah knew what we were talking about. And then Jess overhead and joined."
"Jesus Christ," Alessia swore. So SIX of our teammates openly admitted to you that they think they can clock my queerness?"
"I think they were trying to help me to understand why you were avoiding me," Y/n said, trying to give her a satisfying explanation.
"Oh, by talking about how they think I need to come out of the closet? That sounds really kind."
"Less, it wasn't like that. I swear."
"Were you and Lucy talking about me during your ice baths?"
"Um, sort of."
"Oh, my God!" she shouted.
"It wasn't bad, Less. Lucy was really respectful. She said she didn't want to ask about anything private and just asked me if we were okay. Then she complimented our link-up last night."
"And did she say anything else?"
Y.n sighed. "She asked me if I'd ever been attracted to you. Basically, Leah said on Friday that we act like a couple and that's what kick-started the talk about your feelings, but no one had ever asked me mine. So, I think she was just wondering if I'd ever acknowledged my own feelings."
"So, I don't speak to you and Leah stages a group intervention about my possible closeted bisexuality, and then I do speak to you, and two of the same group ask you about me?"
"Less, maybe they just don't realise that this is difficult to you. A lot of the out players on the team have been out for years, and even with Jess being a slightly late bloomer, she still came out relatively easily. I don't think they understand how much you're struggling to come to terms with it and just want you to admit it."
"Well, I'm not admitting it, because it's NONE OF THEIR FUCKING BUSINESS!"
"Less, why don't we go home? There's no use talking about it here when they are all leaving and will see us sitting here."
"Fine. Let's just go."
The drive back to Alessia's apartment was tense. Y/n was unsure of how to make the situation better. She'd come out as a teenager and hadn't struggled with accepting her own sexual orientation in a very long time. Seeing Alessia so stressed was sad, and she wanted to help, but she knew that it was going to take time. The strong emotions were no doubt a result of her finally saying the words for the first time the night before."
When they entered the apartment, Alessia immediately mumbled something about needing to change clothes and walked to her bedroom. Y/n waited for her to return, but when she was still gone 15 minutes later, she decided to check on her. As she opened the door to Alessia's bedroom she saw her.
Alessia was curled up on the bed, on top of the duvet, knees pulled right up to her chest, sobbing.
Y/n walked over to the bed and lay down beside her, putting a protective arm around her waist.
"I'm so sorry," she choked out. "You really don't need to be dealing with all of this right now. I just really freaked out when I realised how I felt for you. It went against the future I'd been told to want, the future that I thought I wanted. It really surprised me, which is so stupid to say now that I can see the evidence in my past. It shook me because it made me feel like all I'd known about life after retirement was a lie. I was supposed to want a husband, never a wife; I was supposed to have that man's kids, I was supposed to remain devoted to him. I've tried all my life to be good enough. To be the perfect image of what a girl and then what a woman should be. I've starved myself to look thinner, I've pushed myself when my body needed rest to get closer to winning trophies because women aren't supposed to complain, and I've lost myself in relationships with men who didn't give a shit about me just to be a trophy for them. And as shit as those things were, they made people approve of me. But if I'm living a lie, it all feels meaningless. And if I ever came out publicly, my privacy would be even more invaded than it is now, and I'd no longer be the poster girl for "women can be strong and sporty and still straight."
Y/n pulled her closer, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Less, I understand that having this realisation this far into your twenties must be very difficult. It makes sense that it would feel like everything's unstable, but I promise you that there's a bright future ahead if you can accept yourself. And that doesn't necessarily mean you need to have some big public coming out. I mean, a lot of players have never explicitly come out; they've just been in love and not hidden it. You don't owe the world anything, but you owe yourself acceptance and love. You owe yourself the belief that this new version of your future can be even brighter than the one they told you was right for you. You owe yourself the courage to be who you are, not without fear, but in spite of it."
Alessia turned around and wrapped her arms around Y/n's neck.
"Thank you," she sniffed. "I really needed that."
Y/n pulled her tighter, entwining their legs and placing soft kisses on her cheek.
"We'll figure this out together. I'm going to support you. You won't be going through any of this alone."
"Can I ask a really stupid question?" Alessia asked, head still buried in Y/n's shoulder.
"I don't think any question of yours is stupid, Less, but, yes, you can."
Alessia moved her head up to face Y/n.
"Do you think Taylor and Leah are certain they know how I feel about you?"
Y/n furrowed her eyebrows. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, I need to make a plan of how and when to come out. Tooney will be first, obviously. And I was thinking maybe I might tell some of the girls at Arsenal before the end of the season, so if Taylor and Leah seem convinced that I am then maybe they'll be good to start with."
"Okay, well, then yes. I think they believe they know the truth already. But, Less, don't plan it so thoroughly that you're forcing yourself to come out to certain people on certain days. Opportunities to come out might present themselves naturally when you feel ready. For now, just let yourself take your time."
"We should, um, we should really make dinner," Alessia said, wiping her face with her hands.
Y/n laughed. "Yeah, we should."
They got up and moved to the kitchen where they prepared and ate dinner together. When they were finished, Y/n suggested that they go for a walk since the evenings were brighter and they would be sitting a lot the following day with travel.
They drove to a nearby park and made their way along one of the paths.
"Did you receieve many compliments on your assist today?" Y/n asked as they made the way along.
Alessia blushed. "A few. I think it's been overhypeed though. I had the ball, you were right there ready to score, so I gave it to you."
Y/n shook her head. "You're far too humble sometimes, Less."
"I'm not! I just don't want praise for doing something basic."
"That wasn't basic. It was extremely impressive. You don't get a say in this, you even downplay that back heel against Sweden to this day."
"It was a fluke. I missed the first attempt, and I tried something weird, and it somehow worked. That's all."
"You really don't give yourself enough credit."
"I don't want to be cocky," Alessia explained.
"Giving yourself enough credit isn't cockiness, it's confidence, it's self-worth. You deserve to know you're good."
"I really want us to do it next year."
Y/n raised an eyebrow. 'Do what?"
"Win the World Cup!"
"Oh. So do I. We were so close last time."
"Don't. I can't think about it. It breaks my heart every time."
"Well, we've done well at beating Spain lately. Thanks to you," Y/n smiled.
Alessia nudged her. "More like thanks to you."
"Thanks to us," Y/n stated.
Alessia blushed. "Does this feel weird to you?"
"What? The flirting?"
Alessia nodded. "Yeah. I mean, it's weird to just confess everything and go from friends to, well, whatever we are currently," she laughed awkwardly.
"We're still friends, Less. We'll always be friends. Don't worry about the label. It's a big transition. It does seem odd. I thought about it this morning when I woke up. I've woken up next to you many times, but waking up to you in my arms was...different. Good, but different."
"I know when we get to Iceland it's going to be busy, but can we try to find as much alone time as we can to figure this out? Or to just get more comfortable with it?" Alessia asked.
Y/n nodded. "Of course. How about we schedule a date night tomorrow night? We'll give the others some of our time, then we can go back to one of our rooms and just be with one another."
Alessia smiled. "That sounds perfect."
They made their way home where they cuddled on the couch until it was time to go to bed.
As Y/n pulled the covers up over them, Alessia rested her head in her neck once more.
I could get used to this, Y/n thought.
They were awoken by the alarm blaring at 6:30 am. There was a car arriving at 7:30 am to take them to the airport, so they made breakfast and got ready for the day.
They got through airport security and walked on to join the others. Suddenly, they felt arms wrap around both of their shoulders.
"Ready to give us another win this week?" Leah grinned, looking between them both.
"Leah, it's 8am," Alessia pouted.
"Tired, are we?"
She nodded.
"Were you kept up last night or something?"
Y/n slapped Leah in the back.
Alessia shook her head.
"No, I slept well. It's just early."
"Well, there's always time to sleep on the plane. I'm sure Y/n will be more than willing to let you rest your head on her shoulder."
With that, she let go of their shoulders and walked on ahead.
Y/n could see that Alessia was beginning to tense up again.
"Hey."
Alessia looked at her, panic in her eyes.
"It's okay," she tried to reassure her.
"I think we should separately on the plane," Alessia stated simply.
"What? Why?"
"I can't risk this getting any more out of hand than it already is."
"Less, we always sit together. It's always been me, you, and Tooney. You do remember that this all started because you distanced yourself from me, right?"
"Oh, so it's my fault that I'm getting pushed out of the closet, is it?" Alessia snapped back.
Y/n sighed. "Let's just go wait with the others."
When it was time to board, Alessia was still giving her the silent treatment. She walked to the plane with Lucy and LJ, talking to them about Chelsea.
"So, where's Lessi?" Lucy asked.
"Oh, yeah, you two are always clinging to each other. What's with you two spending less time together?" Lauren asked.
Y/n shrugged. "She's just- She's going through some things right now. I think she needs space."
She caught the worried look in Lucy's eye, but there was no time to talk. She sat down with her former teammates, watching Alessia awkwardly shuffle beside Beth, who seemed both surprised and concerned at her choice of seating. Clearly, their distance in the lead-up to the Spain game had been very obvious, and their teammates didn't like to see any sign of drama when they were in the middle of an important camp.
She sat in silence as the plane took off, finally picking up a book to read some time later.
Throughout the flight, she caught sight of Jess glancing over to her repeatedly from across the aisle. At one point, when their eyes met, Jess reached a hand out, a folded sheet of paper in her hand.
Y/n took the piece of paper, a bit confused at why her teammate was passing notes to her on the plane, but it quickly became clear when she opened it.
Hey,
I noticed you two are apart once again. I assume she's freaking out about everything. It's tough to adjust, I know. I would be willing to talk to her later if you think it would help.
Lucy, who unbeknownst to her, was reading the letter over her shoulder, leaned in close.
"I would take her up on that offer. Dating someone who's still in the closet and isn't accepting herself isn't good, even if she's your friend."
Y/n sighed. She turned to Jess and nodded.
The rest of the day was spent talking tactics and going over the agenda for the rest of camp until the match.
Y/n settled in her room early evening. She had made plans to have a date night with Alessia, but was instead still receiving the silent treatment. She hoped that Jess would talk to her.
At around 9:30, there was a knock on the door. She walked over and opened it to the sight of a puffy-eyed Alessia.
"Can I come in?" she asked, her voice already threatening to crack.
Y/n pulled the door open fully, gesturing for her to come in. Alessia walked in and went to sit on the edge of the bed.
"Carter spoke to me," she whispered. "She talked to me about the feelings I'm having, and shared some of her story about realising she liked Ann...Y/n, I think I need more time. I don't think I can show up for you as a partner right now... I still feel so ashamed. I'm so scared," she sobbed.
Y/n sat down beside her, slinging an arm around her shoulder.
"How about we take the pressure off for now?" she asked.
Alessia looked at the floor. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, let's just be us. We can be friends and know that we are working towards something. You definitely need some time to process, but you're not going to miss out on me by taking time to work on yourself. I'm always here."
Alessia tilted her head to look at her.
"What if you meet someone? What if you start a relationship with someone else?"
Y/n grabbed a hold of Alessia's hands.
"Alessia Russo, I would spend years waiting if I knew I could have you at the end of it. You don't have to worry about losing this."
Alessia rested her head on Y/n's shoulder.
"I want to be proud of who I am. I want to be yours, and I want the people in both of our lives to know about it. I promise that's what I will give to you. I'm going to do whatever it takes."
Y/n grabbed her hand, raising it up to her face and places a kiss on Alessia's knuckles.
"How about we watch something to take your mind off everything for a while?" she asked.
Alessia nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."
Alessia left her room at 10:30. Y/n found it hard to accept that they weren't going to share a bed for the rest of camp, but if this was what was needed while Alessia figured herself out, then she was willing to accept it.
The rest of the training went by easily, and soon enough, they were playing Iceland. The team was attacking consistently at the beginning of the match, but failed to score from the numerous corners they were awarded. When Iceland failed in an attempt to attack, Y/n got the ball and began to sprint towards the box. She saw Alessia ahead on her right and passed to her. Alessia took a shot from the side of the box and slotted the ball straight into the left side of the net.
Y/n breathed a sigh of relief. It was 21 minutes of consistent attack, and they had finally scored. And, of course, she and Alessia were the ones to create it. She ran over and hugged Alessia tight. Alessia's arms wrapped around her.
"Thanks for the assist," Aslessia said, breathlessly.
Y/n grinned. "I owed you one."
The second half was a lot more chaotic, with Hannah having to pull off a few too many impressive saves to keep the team in the lead, but they finally walked away with another 1-0 win. Back at the hotel, the team sat down to a late dinner together.
Alessia sat directly opposite her, and the compliments about their most recent link-up started flowing.
"You two are something else when you play together," Lotte observed. "It's like you always know when the other is ready for the ball."
"I told Y/n she needs to come to Arsenal after Lyon," Tayor said, leaning over.
"Ah, yeah, that's a good idea," Lotte responded, turning to face Y/n again, "We could really use what you two have. Plus, I'd like to play with you. I miss playing with you between camps" she winked.
"Aw, Lotte, that's sweet. I've got another season at Lyon, and I want to come back to the WSL, so I'll be looking next season at my options."
"Well, we'll all put in a good word with Renee. I'm sure she'd be happy to have you. Besides, you deserve to play for a team that's won the Champions League," Leah teased.
Lucy groaned. "Y/n, if you come back and choose Arsenal, I will spend every camp from then on handing out more insults to you tan you could ever give back."
"And how many more camps are we talking about, Grandma?" Y/n smirked.
Alessia laughed out loud. Y/n turned to look at her, a grin forming on her face, knowing she was able to earn such a laugh from her.
"Face it, Bronze," Leah said, grabbing Y/n's shoulders. "She was born to be a Gunner."
As they left dinner to go to their respective rooms, Alessia walked up to her.
"Fancy going for a walk around this place?"
Y/n nodded. "ANything to spend more time with you," she smiled.
Alessia blushed.
They walked around the grounds of the hotel, finally stopping to sit on a bench. They were silent at first, taking in the night sky, until Alessia spoke.
"I just wanted to say thank you for tolerating me in all my forms this camp. I know it's been...eventful, and I know I haven't exactly been my usual self. I just want you to know that I appreciate your kindness. You really have always been such a good friend to me. You've always cared for me. I think that's why I'm so sure about wanting you as my partner when th time's right, because I already know you'll treat me like I deserve to be treated."
"We always have made a good team," Y/n said, looking at her.
Alessia held her gaze. "We really have...Maybe the other Gunners are right, maybe you should come to Arsenal."
"I do miss playing with you at the club level. I miss consistently training with you. Those years at United were some of the best years of my life. And you were the main reason."
Suddenly, Alessia leaned in and wrapped her arms around her. Y/n held her close.
"We made some incredible memories there. It'd be really cool to make more."
"I'll think about it."
Alessia moved back to look at Y/n.
"Wait? Really?"
Y/n nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I can't promise anything, but I'm letting you know that if an offer comes my way, I won't dismiss it."
Alessia smiled. "Well, Lotte better put that good word in for you, then."
Y/n grinned.
They parted ways shortly after to get some sleep. In the morning, there were many goodbyes over breakfast. Y/n felt a sadness at saying goodbye to her teammates. So many of them played in the WSL and had club teammates in the squad, but she was leaving them for a whole different team. She thought about it as she watched Alessia, Lotte, Leah, Beth, and Taylor talk together in the corner.
"It's hard, isn't it?"
She turned to see Georgia standing beside her.
"Yeah, it is."
"I'm glad I'm returning to England after this season's over. It's tough to leave them all behind, not being guaranteed to play against each other at club level. At least you've got the semi-finals, but I get it."
"Would it be wild of me to consider a move to Arsenal?" she asked, the words spilling out before she could think about what she was saying.
"For them, or for her?" Georgia smirked.
Y/n smiled. "I think you already know the answer."
"As much as it physically pains me to say this because I'm not great with couples, I think it's cute. And I think she'd be very excited."
After breakfast, she headed upstairs to pack away the last of her things. The others were downstairs checking out when she got there. They all had to be out of their rooms by 11am, but not everyone was leaving at the same time. Unfortunately, Y/n's flight to Paris was at 1:30pm, so she was headed straight to the airport.
After checking out, she saw Alessia standing with her Arsenal teammates, all planning what to do in their last few hours before leaving. As she walked up to them, Alessia turned and faced her.
The others all hugged her first. Taylor wished her a safe trip, Lotte joked that she better come play for them after next season, Leah teased that she better be ready for the match the following week, and Beth told her she was warming up to the idea of her becoming a Gunner. And then Alessia was the only one remaining. They embraced tightly, Alessia burying her head in her neck.
"I know I'll see you in a week, but I am going to miss you so much," she whispered.
Y/n gave her a squeeze. "Come June, I'm all yours, Less," she promised her.
"It can't come soon enough."
Y/n let go of her and made her way out the doors. Once she'd walked through them, she glanced back. Alessia was staring straight at her.
She waved her goodbye, which Alessia reciprocated, and then she turned and walked to the waiting car.
The plane landed in Paris, she grabbed her luggage and headed for the train to Lyon. While on the train, her phone buzzed.
Alessia: Waiting at the airport now. I miss you. Thought I was doing a good job of hiding it, but Beth is teasing me. When you come back to the WSL, you have to come to London, even if not for Arsenal. xx
She grinned at her phone. Y/n: I'll do it for your teammates' sake. Don't think they can cope with your sadness for more than another season. Besides, I think the fans deserve to see our link-ups ;) xx Alessia: We'd be unstoppable xx
a/n: Hope you enjoyed! I'm going to keep uploading as the Arsenal v Lyon games happen, so maybe expect part 3 early next week!
Alessia Russo Masterlist
One-Shots
After Bronze comes Gold
This room isn't as soundproof as you think it is
Multi-Chapter Fics
Just because a woman has a close friendship with a lesbian doesn't mean she's queer
Part 1: Just because a woman has a close friendship with a lesbian doesn't mean she's queer
Part 2: We'd be unstoppable
Part 3: I hope you do
okay so i NEED a part 2 to your alessia fic as soon as physically/mentally/spiritually/emotionally possible. chefs kiss. showering you in flowers. gold medal. standing ovation. like idk if u have plans for a part 2 but i need there to be some for my own mental/physical/spiritual/emotional health :)
I’m going to write a part 2 for the other half of the camp but I’ll wait until after the Iceland game tomorrow so that I can accurately write about the match!
And thank you for the compliments! As I’ve said before, I use some of these fanfics as a way to improve my writing skills and it’s always good to know the plot is interesting to people! :)
Just because a woman has a close friendship with a lesbian doesn't mean she's queer | Alessia Russo
Summary: Long-time friends and former club teammates Alessia Russo and Y/n Y/l/n are reunited once again at England camp. When Alessia goes quiet after a somewhat awkward conversation, Y/n's teammates provide their opinion on what might be going on
Content/Warnings: nothing, this is pure fluff
Word Count: 5.1k
a/n: Something different that came to me after realising I may have a slight crush on Russo. Also, apologies to Lauren Hemp for giving Y/n credit for her goal!
April 7th 2026
After pulling up at St. George's Park, Y/n stepped out of her car and went to the boot to lift her suitcase. She smiled as the social media team took photos of her arrival. As she walked towards the entrance, she saw her teammate Lucy Bronze up ahead.
"Hey, how're things at Lyon?" she grinned.
Y/n appreciated the question. Lucy had played for Lyon from 2017 to 2020, and ever since Y/n had left Chelsea to move there at the start of the season, Lucy had made sure to ask how things were at the club.
"Going well, thanks. I really can't complain. How about you?"
She almost regretted asking immediately. While Lyon were thriving in Division 1 and had just made it through to the semi-finals of the Champions League, her old club were not having their usual luck.
Lucy shrugged. "As you know, not our best season, but we're doing better...We do miss our star striker, though," she grinned again.
Y/n laughed, unable to act normally when receiving a compliment about her time at the club.
"I do miss it sometimes, but France is beautiful."
"Still can't believe you ditched the WSL to live in France, traitor," said a voice behind her.
She turned around to see their captain, Leah Williamson, smirking.
"Hey, at least it wasn't your team she ditched," Lucy replied.
"Oh, shut up, you two," Y/n said teasingly. "Just be grateful you still get to see me at camp."
Lucy rolled her eyes.
Leah laughed.
"I am grateful," Leah admitted, "but, you wanna know what I'm not grateful for?" she asked, eyebrows raised.
Y/n scrunched her face up. "What? That you've got to play us in the semi-final?" she teased.
"At least you're both in one," Lucy muttered.
Y/n turned to her, mouthing a "sorry" with a sad look on her face to show she meant it.
"No, not that," Leah said, shaking her head, "although I can't say I'm looking forward to it. What I'm not grateful for, in fact, what has been the bane of my existence this whole season, is how much I've had to listen to your dear friend Alessia complain about how much she misses you."
Alessia.
Y/n faltered for a second, unsure how to reply. She and Alessia had been friends since they joined Man United together in 2020, and they both left the club for their respective London teams in 2023. They hadn't been apart in all those years, until Y/n decided to take the leap and sign for Lyon in August. They videocalled regularly and texted daily, but it wasn't the same as hanging out in person. The most challenging part of it for Y/n had been the fact that throughout their last year in London together, she had been hit with the realisation that she, in fact, had feelings for her good friend. Romantic feelings. She looked forward to the England camps now more than ever due to the adrenaline she got from thinking about being close to her again. However, she didn't want to ruin the friendship, and, besides, Alessia was straight. So, she'd been seeing someone casually in Lyon, but she hadn't told Alessia, and she wondered if she should.
"Um, Earth to Y/n?" Leah asked.
"Oh, um, what?" she asked back.
Leah rolled her eyes. "I just told you that I've had to suffer through Alessia's whining all season, and you blanked out on me."
"Hey! She's got ADHD, she can't help it!" Lucy piped up.
Y/n faced her, smiling. "Thanks, Luce. Good to know someone's got my back."
Lucy smirked. "We gotta stick together."
She turned back to Leah.
"Alright, if it's that bad, why am I only hearing about it now? You've never complained about it before. It can't be that bad."
"I've only not complained because I have the patience of a saint."
Lucy stifled a laugh.
"Watch it, Bronze. Or I'll tell Sarina you're slacking," she warned.
Lucy couldn't hide her laughter anymore and decided to walk on, continuing to laugh.
"Seriously, Y/n," Leah said, turning to look at her again, "she talks about you all the time. She was so excited when she found out we were playing Lyon later this month. I don't know what had her so sad, but give her as much of your time as you can this camp...I don't know how to explain it, but I think she needs it."
Alessia needed her attention? Alessia was sad to be apart from her?
It made sense. They were close friends and had been in close proximity for such a long time that Y/n's leaving the country was obviously going to hurt. It was simply a friend missing a friend. She couldn't get invested in this information.
Y/n entered the Hilton Hotel where they were staying, and that's when she saw her.
Alessia was standing in the middle of the lobby, eyes darting around the room as if she were frantically looking for someone. She looked towards the doors, and that's when their eyes met.
Her eyes lit up, and a huge grin spread across her face. Y/n felt herself grinning back as she walked across the lobby towards her. They embraced immediately, arms pulling each other in tight. Alessia buried her head in Y/n's shoulder.
"I've missed you so much," she whispered in her ear.
Y/n felt goosebumps come up on her skin.
"I've missed you too, Less," she confessed.
They pulled back, still holding each other, but looking into each other's eyes again now.
"It's been far too long since I last saw you," Alessia whined.
Y/n giggled. "It's been a month."
"Exactly, too long. Now, come check in so we can leave for training together."
Y/n nodded. "Okay."
After check-in, they brought their bags up to their rooms, which happened to be opposite each other, much to Y/n's delight, and then made their way to training.
In the changing room, Y/n forced herself to look anywhere but Alessia. Growing up as a closeted lesbian, Y/n had learned how to avoid staring at straight girls for fear of accusations of attraction to them. This had returned to her during the Euros last year, when she worried about looking at her straight best friend in a way that might give away her true feelings.
They made it through the first training session of camp successfully, completing drills with ease. It seemed that the team were determined and hungry for another win against Spain the following week.
Lunch came after. Once they'd plated up their food, Alessia and Y/n sat down at a table for two.
"I'm so glad you're here," Alessia said, smiling.
Y/n raised her eyebrows. "Why wouldn't I be here? It's not as if I've been injured recently."
Alessia let out a gentle laugh. "No, of course not. I just- I guess I didn't realise how much I was going to miss you until you left. I mean, I knew it was gonna hurt, but it really hurts. And I look forward to all the times you come back."
She gave her a gentle smile. "I get you. I've found it tough as well. We were always together. Same club for the first three years, then two years in different clubs but in the same city. And then...I disappear to France. And it's weird not to see you every day."
"Yeah, video calls just aren't the same. I prefer to see you in the flesh."
"Yeah, I know, Leah told me that you've been pretty sad this season."
Alessia's cheeks flushed red.
"She did?"
Y/n nodded. "Yeah, she said that you tell her that you miss me a lot."
"Oh, um, well, yeah. I guess I do."
Alessia's face grew redder, her head turning down to stare at her food.
"Hey," Y/n said, reaching across the table, putting her fingers below her chin, and gently pushing her head back up. "There's no need to be embarrassed. I've really missed you, too. I tell my teammates I miss you even though they don't know you personally."
Alessia let out a shy laugh.
"Look, I'm here now, and we've got almost two weeks together. Let's make the most of it, huh?"
She nodded. "Yeah, let's do that."
The rest of the day flew through and, soon enough, Y/n found herself in the cinema room at Leah's orders. Y/n sat on a beanbag in the corner and was quickly joined by Alessia. The movie of the night was an indie film that Y/n had never heard of before. About 20 minutes in, she felt Alessia lean her head against her shoulder, arms wrapped around her left arm as she leaned into her.
Y/n froze.
Alessia had done this in the past, but every time she'd done it since Y/n realised how she truly felt about her, it had caused her to panic. She was so afraid of giving away how she felt that she had to tell herself to remain calm and not move an inch.
At 45 minutes in, Alessia shifted her head slightly, to the point where Y/n could feel her breath on her ear. She held her own breath for longer than she thought she could to avoid it coming out shaky.
At 1 hour 5 minutes in, Alessia's thumb brushed against her arm as she stretched her hand, and Y/n had to pray Alessia presumed the goosebumps that formed immediately were simply due to the air conditioning.
When the film ended, Alessia finally detatched herself from Y/n's body.
"Wanna hang out in my room for a bit?" she asked her.
Y/n nodded. "Sure."
When they entered Alessia's room, they got onto the bed and sat opposite each other.
"Okay, time for a proper catch-up," Alessia said. "Tell me what I've missed. How's Lyon?"
Y/n went straight into a ramble about training and matches and her teammates and how she was getting on in the city.
"You seem happy there," Alessia said, an unreadable expression on her face.
"I am," she admitted, "but I think after next year I'll probably come back home to England."
"Really?"
Y/n saw a glint in Alessia's eyes.
She nodded. "Oh, yeah. Don't get me wrong, it's a great place to live, but I miss home."
Alessia smiled softly.
"Do you have many friends out there?" she asked, a nervousness in her voice as if she might find out she'd been replaced.
"I've made a good few friends, but I don't have a you out there. I've not got a friend with whom I'm practically joined at the hip. Nothing like that."
Alessia's mouth broke into a cheesy grin, before she turned serious, almost shy, again.
"Are you- Are you seeing anyone?" she said, almost a whisper.
"Uh, yeah. It's casual, but I have been seeing someone since the start of the year. Sorry, I never told you. I just didn't know what to tell you. But I guess it's simple, really. I'm casually dating someone, and I'm enjoying it."
Alessia's face turned into a yet again unreadable expression.
"Oh," she whispered.
"Yeah. Um, so, how about you? Got a man in your life?" she grinned.
Alessia didn't smile back. "Uh, no. No, I'm not really interested in dating a man right now."
"Oh, okay. Well, it's always good to be single."
Alessia nodded, a dry laugh escaping from her lips.
Y/n could feel the awardness, but she didn't understand where it was coming from. Was she upset that Y/n hadn't shared that she'd been seeing someone? Was it the distance making her feel removed from her life? Did Alessia have a dating experience recently that she's not telling her that made the dating question a sensitive topic? Y/n had no idea, so she tried to ease the tension by switching topics.
"So, uh, how's Arsenal? Are you looking forward to playing us in the semi-finals?"
"Oh, yeah. Yeah. Congrats, by the way. But yeah, I'm excited to play against you."
"Maybe we could hang out after each of the matches," Y/n suggested. "You'll have to come for a tour of the apartment when you're over in May."
"Yeah, sure. I'd like that."
"Less, are you okay?" she asked, feeling a bit worried at the change in Alessia's attitude.
"I'm fine," she responded, a little too quickly. "Just tired."
"Oh, well, I guess I should let you get some rest then."
"Yeah, I guess you should."
Y/n got off the bed, mumbled an awkward "goodbye", and walked out the door and into her own room. She was confused and concerned.
As she sat down on her bed her phone buzzed. It was Camille, the woman she was seeing.
Camille: Hope everything's going well at camp xx
She sighed.
Y/n: Going alright. How was work? xx Camille: The usual. Also, fancy a dinner date when you're back? We can cook at mine if it's more convenient ;) xx
She sighed again. Louder this time. She never responded to Camill's text. It took a long time to get to sleep that night.
The following morning, she was getting changed when she heard a knock on her door and a loud voice outside.
"Y/n! Lessi! Get your asses out here and sign Keira's birthday card!" Leah shouted.
Y/n fixed her sleeves and opened the door.
"Hey," Leah grinned, a card almost the same size as her torso in her hands.
"Um, hi. That's a- That's a big card. You know it's not her 30th until next year, right?"
"The final year of your twenties is just as important a celebration," Leah insisted.
"Sure it is."
Leah moved to knock on Alessia's door again.
"Lessi! Open up!"
Leah turned back to Y/n and handed the card and pen to her.
"Here, you write your message while we wait...ALESSIA RUSSO I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DON'T-"
Just then, Alessia's door opened slowly.
Alessia stood there in her training kit, blonde hair tied back neatly in its signature ponytail, blue eyes staring right at Y/n. She looked as tired as Y/n felt.
"Hi," she said.
"Hey," Y/n said.
Leah glanced between them, furrowing her eyebrows. Y/n started to sign the card, handing it and the pen over to Alessia once she was done.
"So, Less, I told Y/n how much you were torturing me about how much you missed her," Leah said teasingly.
"I know," Alessia replied bluntly.
Leah opened her mouth to respond, then shut it again. Alessia finished signing the card and handed it back to Leah.
"Well, see you down there," she said, before going back inside her room.
Leah turned to Y/n. "What the hell was that about?"
Y/n shrugged. "I don't know. We were hanging out last night, and she just started acting a little... weird? odd? not like herself? I'm not sure what happened. We didn't fight or anything."
"Okay, well, whatever's going on, please try to resolve it. We don't need any drama between each other going into a match with Spain."
"Sure. I'll try my best."
Y/n planned to talk to Alessia that day, but she avoided her at breakfast, and she kept her distance the whole way through training. The next day was much the same. For someone who had admitted to missing her and who had agreed to make the most of their time together, she was now acting like she wanted more time away from her. By Friday, Y/n felt frustrated and quite upset.
She entered the gym that afternoon and went straight to the punching bag. With every hit, she thought of Alessia: her focused look on the pitch, her gentle smile when she saw her arrive at the hotel, her abs when she had accidentally seen them in the changing room, her eyes. God, her eyes. But now those eyes weren't looking into hers, and she didn't understand why.
"Damn, who pissed you off?"
Y/n stopped to turn around and saw Lucy looking at her, concerned.
"No one," she lied.
"Y/n, you're punching that thing like you're filled with rage."
She sighed. "It's Lessi. She got all weird while we were hanging out on Tuesday night, and she's been avoiding me ever since. I don't know why."
"She said you said something that hurt her."
They both turned around to see Taylor Hinds standing by the door.
Y/n opened her mouth to defend herself, but Taylor put her hand up to signal that she wasn't finished.
"I'm not accusing you of anything. Whatever you said may not have seemed hurtful to you. She didn't tell me the context, just said part of the conversation put her in a bad mood, and she needed space."
"Why couldn't she just tell me that?"
Taylor shrugged. "I don't know, Y/n. It's weird. She was so excited to see you. I'm sure Leah's already told you how much she talks about you at Arsenal. I'm not sure why she's not letting you in. I did tell her that she should."
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
Just then, Leah, Georgia, and Keira walked in. The atmosphere was thick with tension, and they could tell.
"What's going on?" Leah asked.
Taylor nodded her head in Y/n's direction.
"Has she still not spoken to you?" Leah asked.
Y/n shook her head. "Nope. Not a word. She stands away from me when we're in a circle, she refuses to pair up with me, she's not sat down for a single meal with me."
"Have you tried just knocking on her door?"
"I have. She won't answer."
Leah sighed. "Great. We face Spain in 3 days, and I'm likely not fit to play, and our two best forwards, who normally act like a couple, aren't on speaking terms."
"We don't- we don't normally act like a couple," Y/n protested.
"Yeah, you do."
Y/n turned around to see Jess Carter, who had appeared seemingly out of thin air. She continued.
"As someone who became close friends with my girlfriend before I dated her, I see a lot of comparisons."
"What? No! We're totally platonic! And besides, Alessia's straight!"
They all remained silent.
Lucy smoothed her hair, Keira took a sip of water, and Georgia pretended to be really interested in one of the tattoos on her left arm.
"Wait? You think she's bi?"
"I mean, yeah," Leah shrugged. "The way she acts around you isn't exactly hetero."
"But she's never come out. She's 27, and she's never once said anything to me about liking women. Just because a woman has a close friendship with a lesbian doesn't mean she's queer."
Jess laughed.
Y/n turned to her, glaring.
"Sorry, it's just that that's what I used to tell myself when I first moved in with Ann. I'd never considered being with a woman before and then...there she was. And now we're engaged."
"Y/n?"
Y/n turned her head back around to face Leah.
"Yeah?"
"Did you two talk about dating on Tuesday night?"
"Um, yeah. She asked if I was seeing anyone. I said I've been seeing someone since January, but I hadn't told her yet because it was only casual and I didn't know how to explain it."
"And was that around the same time that she, as you said on Wednesday, started acting weird?"
"Yeah, but I think it's just cause we normally tell each other everything, and she was sad that the distance was maybe making us grow apart."
There was another silence among the group before Leah finally spoke.
"I rest my case."
Leah walked away, Georgia following behind her. Taylor, Lucy, and Jess all mumbled some sort of excuse for moving to other parts of the gym. The only one left was Keira.
Keira walked up to her.
"I have to captain my 100th match. Which also just happens to be the Lionesses' 500th game. And it's against fucking Spain! I know that right now might not be the best time for you two to have a conversation since we've so much to prepare for, but can you promise me that you will not let your issues with her distract you on the pitch? I really need to know that I can count on you."
She nodded. "Of course, Keira. You can always rely on me."
"Good."
She began to walk away, but stopped and turned around, as if she'd remembered to say something else.
"Oh, and promise me you'll talk to her before Iceland. You can talk after the match. Don't wait any longer than that. And I'm saying this 'cause of the team, I'm saying it 'cause of your friendship, or, well, whatever your relationship may be. Have the talk. Listen to her. Be there for her if she needs to tell you something that she's never admitted before. Okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'll do that."
The following days went by with Alessia continuing to avoid her. On the bus to London on Sunday, Y/n stared at the unanswered message from Camille and then looked up to see Alessia sitting diagonally opposite her. She had her headphones on, and she seemed calm, but Y/n was questioning everything. Were her other teammates right about what they said in the gym on Friday? Was Alessia queer? Did she like her? Was her reaction a jealous one? As much as she felt guilty admitting it to herself, if Alessia was interested, neither Camille nor any other woman mattered. If Alessia really did have feelings for her, then it was something that Y/n would want to explore, but she didn't fully trust her teammates' judgment.
She frustratedly typed out a message to Camille, stating that she didn't think that they should continue seeing each other. It wasn't right. She had someone else on her mind. She couldn't deny the truth anymore.
Monday went by in a blur and, soon enough, the Lionesses were stepping out into Wembley with Spain beside them.
Two minutes into the game, England were given a corner. Y/n stood in place as Alex Greenwood prepared to take the corner kick. As the ball flew into the box, chaos erupted. The ball passed over Y/n and landed in a group of Spanish players...and Alessia.
Alessia fell, but, by some miracle, and a whole lot of skill, while still on the ground, she kicked the ball towards Y/n, who kicked right at the net. She nutmegged Cata Coll, and the only other person nearby was their midfielder, Alexia Putellas. Alexia tried to keep the ball out, but it went just over the line. The England squad put their hands up for a goal, and the referee gave it. Y/n ran to the fans to celebrate. That's when she felt someone come up to slap her hand.
Alessia.
Alessia then put her arm around her, smiling bigger than Y/n had seen all week. The moment passed quickly, and the game continued. At halftime, Y/n saw Alessia walking towards the tunnel in front of her. She jogged ahead to catch up with her.
"Hey."
Alessia turned, glanced at her, and gave a shy smile.
"Hi."
"That was a pretty impressive assist," Y/n said, nudging her in the arm.
"Thanks," she said, the smile reappearing, "but it was nothing special. I screwed up by falling, and I saw you were in a good position, so I hit it as best as I could."
Y/n rolled her eyes and put her arm around her as they walked through the tunnel.
"Take the damn compliment, Lessi," she insisted, pulling her into her side. "I'm sure the fans will be talking about that one tomorrow."
"You're the one who scored less than 3 minutes in."
"And I never would have done so if it weren't for you, so take the credit."
"I've missed you," she said then, standing just outside the changing room.
Y/n looked at her, and she could see tears forming in her eyes.
"I've missed you, too. Again," she joked.
"We should- We should probably, um, talk."
Y/n nodded. "Yeah, we should."
"Come to mine after the game?" she asked, nervously.
Y/n nodded. "Of course. I'd love to."
Then, without saying another word, Alessia leaned in and hugged her tight. Y/n hugged back just as tightly.
"I'm so sorry for ignoring you," she whispered, voice cracking.
"I forgive you. We can talk about it later. Now," she said, pulled away to look at her, "Let's go hear Sarina's praise of your fabulous assist and get back out there and win this thing."
Alessia gave a soft, shy smile.
"You're the best, Y/n," she said, before turning the handle and walking into the changing room.
There were no more goals in the second half. The Lionesses walked away with a satisfying one-goal win against their biggest rivals.
Y/n made her way through the interviews on the pitch and in the tunnel, before heading back to the changing rooms. She showered, dried off, and put her tracksuit back on.
As she pulled her hoodie over her head, Alessia appeared beside her, T-shirt in hand.
"The driver's outside. I just need to finish getting dressed, and then we can go."
Y/n nodded.
They made their way to the car quickly, waving goodbye to teammates on the way.
Leah gave Y/n an approving nod, a half-smirk on her face.
They got into the car and sat in silence as they were driven through the London night.
The car pulled up outside Alessia's apartment, and they thanked the driver and got out, slowly making their way to the entrance of the apartment complex.
They walked in silence to the lift, where they stood close together until they reached the 3rd floor. They fell into step with one another until they reached Alessia's door.
Alessia opened the door and gestured for Y/n to enter. She'd been here in December, but she had missed it. Alessia's apartment felt like home.
"Should we sit in the living room?" Alessia asked, eyes searching Y/nn's as if nervous for her answer.
Y/n nodded.
They dropped their bags in the hall and made their way into the living room, sitting down on the couch close together.
"So," Y/n started.
Alessia laughed shakily.
"I don't know how to tell you why I've been distant...To be honest, I feel absolutely terrified," she admitted.
Y/n reached out and grabbed her hands.
"There is nothing you can say that's going to make me pull away from you, Less. I'm here to listen. And I'm not going to judge you."
"I panicked the other night when I asked if you were seeing someone, and you said yes. I panicked for two reasons: The first reason is that you and I used to be inseparable, and if we still lived in the same city, you'd never hide that you were seeing someone from me. I feared that even though you plan to come back after next season, you and I would lose our bond the more time we're apart, and I don't want to lose you. The second reason is that I was really hoping you'd say no..."
"Oh. Why were you hoping that I'd say no?" Y/n asked, heart pounding so loud she could practically hear her pulse in her ears.
Alessia exhaled deeply, then continued.
"Because I'm bisexual," she confessed, words shaky, tears forming in her eyes. "And I've had a crush on you for a very long time."
"Less..." Y/n whispered.
"No, it's okay. I get it. You're seeing someone, even if it is casual. And I'm not your type. You see me as a friend. And that's okay. I just need to accept that. I'm just glad I've finally been able to come out to someone after all these years of denying it to myself," she admitted, the tears falling down her cheeks.
Y/n held her hands tighter.
"Less, I am so proud of you for coming out to me. I know how much courage that takes to say it to someone for the first time, and I am honoured that you've shared it with me."
"Thank you," she whispered through her tears.
Y/n reached a hand up and wiped her tears away, pushing a strand of stray hair behind her ear.
"Also, I ended my casual fling."
"What? Why?"
"I spoke to some of the girls in the gym on Friday. I was talking to Lucy about us not speaking, and Taylor heard and said you'd told her I'd said something that had hurt you. Then Leah, Keira, and Georgia appeared. And then Jess did too. It's a long story, but basically, they all suspect that you like me. I know that might be scary to hear because you're not out, but you know they're all going to be supportive. I didn't believe them, but then I thought about it more, and although I never was 100% sure, I thought that if there was even a slight chance you liked me, then I needed to end my situationship. And the reason I thought that is because I've had a crush on you for a long time, too."
Alessia looked shocked.
"Are you serious?"
Y/n nodded. "Of course I'm serious. Have you seen yourself? You're absolutely gorgeous!"
Alessia let out a laugh. "You're not so bad yourself, Y/n."
"You're beautiful, Alessia," Y/n said, stroking her cheek.
She could tell that the use of her actual name instead of one of her nicknames had surprised Alessia as she opened her mouth slightly to speak, but the words failed to come out.
Y/n's eyes remained on her mouth for a few seconds before she looked back up. Alessia's eyes were almost pleading with her to make the move.
She strengthened her grip on Alessia's cheek, and leaned in.
Her lips were soft. She kissed back gently, as if she was scared to seem too eager. Y/n deepened the kiss, letting her know she could let herself want her. Alessia's kiss became more forceful then. They pulled each other close and kissed until they needed to stop to draw breath, foreheads resting against each other's.
They sat in silence until Alessia said the words that Y/n couldn't resist.
"Stay here tonight?"
Y/n nodded, smiling at her.
"There's nowhere else I'd rather be."
I want you if you want me | Lucy Bronze Smut | 18+
Summary: It's September 2025, and Y/n has just started at Chelsea. After overhearing her DIY woes, her very attractive teammate, Lucy Bronze, offers to build furniture for her. Can they resist the clear chemistry?
Content/Warnings: Nothing but pure smut (18+)
Word Count: 5k
It was 8:30 am. Y/n had to leave the house for training in 15 minutes, but the task she promised herself she'd complete before leaving wasn't even started.
She had moved into her unfurnished apartment a few weeks previously, after moving down to London to start a contract with Chelsea. At first, she had ordered furniture to be delivered and built for her, but then came an Ikea trip where she got a little too confident in her abilities and bought numerous boxes of flat-pack furniture and a drill. Now, here she was kneeling down on the floor of her study, desperately trying to figure out how to put together a desk. The instructions didn't make any sense to her, and she was struggling to figure out which screws were which. Frustrated and worried about being late, she decided to give up and come back to it when she returned home.
"Okay, girls, good work. Take 5!" Sonia shouted as they finished up the first half of their morning training.
Y/n walked over to the side of the training pitch to grab a bottle of Lucozade Sport.
"Hey, Y/n, how are you settling in?"
She looked up to see her teammate, Niamh Charles, smiling at her.
"Oh, I'm good. I like the training format here."
"How's the apartment going?" her other teammate, Cat Marcario, asked, after appearing at Niamh's side and grabbing a bottle.
"Uh, well, it was going well until I decided to buy a bunch of Ikea furniture and then remembered I suck at DIY, but I'll get there eventually."
Niamh and Cat laughed.
"We'd offer to help, but we're both pretty awful at it too," Niamh confessed.
Y/n smiled. "Glad to know there's other representation in the team," she joked.
She took one last drink before placing the bottle down and walking back to the middle of the pitch.
"Hey, Y/n?"
Y/n turned around to see her teammate, Lucy Bronze, walking behind her. She stopped and waited for Lucy to catch up to her.
"Yeah?"
Lucy stopped right in front of her, looking down at her. Y/n felt that same tingly sensation she'd felt every time Lucy had stood close to her in the past few weeks. The truth was: Lucy was hot, and Y/n had a thing for dark-haired, muscular women who were slightly taller and slightly older than her. And Lucy fit that description perfectly.
"I overheard you talking to Niamh and Cat about your furniture. I'm pretty handy with DIY myself, so I could build it for you if you want?"
Despite having just had a break from cardio, Y/n could feel her heart rate speed up. She must have taken too long to respond, as Lucy spoke again.
"You live near me, right? I could come over after we're finished up. What do you need done?"
"Oh, um, that would be great, Lucy. Thank you. Uh, it's just a desk, a chair and a few shelves."
Lucy ran a hand through her hair, eyes fixed on Y/n.
"Cool, sounds doable. I can just follow your car home then, if that suits?"
Y/n nodded. "Sure. Sounds good. Thanks."
Then, they both made their way over to the others as training resumed.
After training, there was lunch, and after lunch, there was a team meeting followed by the gym. Throughout her workout, Y/n risked glances at Lucy, something she had been trying to do very subtly throughout each session she'd had so far. Lucy's muscles were on show, and the way they flexed as she moved had Y/n's brain going elsewhere. As she did her post-workout stretches, Lucy came over and began stretching beside her.
"Wanna skip the showers and head to yours?" she asked. "I figure it might take a while to go through everything. Plus, you can shower at home while I get you all set up."
Lucy was panting, face red, beads of sweat visible on her exposed skin. The gold chain around her neck added to the pleasurable view. Y/n swallowed, trying desperately not to look too enthusiastic at the thought of a sweaty Lucy in her apartment.
"Y-Yeah, sure."
"Cool, let's grab our bags and get out of here then."
They walked to the car park together, Lucy matching her pace. They reached Y/n's car first.
"Alright, I'll follow you there, then."
"See you in like 15 minutes."
Lucy smirked. "Yeah. See ya."
Y/n got into her car and waited for Lucy to get into hers before she started the engine and began to drive out of the training grounds, Lucy following close behind.
15 minutes later, they pulled up at the apartment complex. Y/n brought Lucy through the entrance, and they walked up the stairs to the first floor.
When they got to the door of her apartment, Y/n opened it and let Lucy in first.
"So chivalrous," she joked.
Y/n just smiled back, feeling a bit lost for words.
She brought Lucy into the study and showed her the furniture that needed building.
"Hmm," Lucy said, hands on her hips as she looked down at the pieces of desk on the ground. "This seems pretty straightforward, and I imagine the chair will be too. I'll need a hand with the shelves as you'll need to hold them in place whilst I drill."
Y/n nodded. "Okay."
Lucy turned to face her. "Go get a shower and rest for a bit. You've had a long day."
She nodded again before turning and making her way to the bathroom. Her thoughts about Lucy were taking over her mind. Lucy being here, in her apartment, still sweaty from her workout, in nothing but a tank top and shorts, was causing her to imagine scenarios that embarrassed her. Lucy was her new teammate. She should not be thinking of her in this way. She turned on the shower, choosing the cold water setting, hoping it would cool the heat racing through her body.
After showering, she dried off and changed into a white T-shirt and grey cotton shorts. She walked into the kitchen and poured two glasses of water, one for herself and one for Lucy. When she walked into the study, Lucy was already making massive progress on the desk.
"Wow," she said softly.
Lucy looked up and grinned. "Told ya I was good at DIY. I just need to drill the legs in, and then this'll be done."
Y/n handed the glass to her.
"Oh, thank you," she said, taking a drink and setting it down before grabbing the first leg, placing the screw in the right spot.
Y/n watched as she drilled. She focused on her concentrated face and the way her left hand held the leg securely in place. She watched Lucy drill in all four legs and lift the desk to a standing position. Her biceps flexed as she lifted it, causing Y/n's thoughts to drift again.
"That's that one done. Where do you want it?"
Y/n was shaken out of her thoughts quickly. "Oh, uh, right over there," she said, pointing to the wall on her right. Then the shelves are going to the side of it."
"Cool," Lucy said.
Y/n expected Lucy to push the desk into place, but instead, she lifted it and carried it over to the wall. She set it down and turned around, furrowing her eyebrows at Y/n.
Shit, she thought. I must be looking at her strangely.
"You alright?"
"Oh, yeah. Sorry, just wasn't expecting you to carry it."
Lucy grinned, walking back over to her to grab the flat pack chair that was sitting against the doorframe.
"Didn't wanna mark your floor."
"Oh, uh, thank you."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Lucy asked, hovering over her just as she had earlier at training. "You didn't hurt yourself today, did you?"
She shook her head. "No, no, nothing like that. Don't worry. I'm fine. Just a little...distracted."
Lucy lifted the box and carried it to the middle of the room, where she began to open it.
"What has you so distracted?"
"Um, just thinking about everything I still need to sort out here," she lied.
Lucy nodded. "I'm sure you'll get things sorted soon, Y/n. The place looks good. You must be almost finished. I'm willing to help with any other tasks, so don't be afraid to let me know if you need anything else done."
"Thanks, Lucy. I appreciate it."
As Lucy held the seat of the chair and the pole that attached to the legs, she groaned.
"Y/n, come over here and hold this. They've made it more complicated than necessary."
Y/n walked over and knelt beside Lucy, grabbing the seat and the pole and holding them in place. Lucy grabbed the first screw and set it in the hole before lifting the drill. As she drilled, Y/n found herself watching Lucy's hand. Her fingers curled around the handle, the veins in her hand growing more visible. Lucy finished drilling the first screw into place and set the drill down to grab the second one. As she watched Lucy's fingers fiddle with the screw until it was placed at the hole's entrance, she felt herself grow weak...and wet. Lucy lifted the drill up again, but before turning it back on, she set it down again.
"Um, Y/n?"
Y/n's head shot up. "Yeah?" she asked, looking at Lucy.
"Can you keep your grip tighter? It's just that I'm not going to be able to drill the screw into place if you don't keep the parts together."
"Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry," she said, forcing herself to hold eye contact as she strengthened her grip again.
Lucy furrowed her brows. "Are you definitely okay?"
Y/n nodded quickly. "Yeah, yeah. As I said, distracted."
That's when she saw a hint of realisation growing on Lucy's face.
"Hmm, right," she said, smirking, grabbing the drill again. "That's okay, I can't blame you for getting distracted by seeing me finger the hole."
Y/n could feel herself blush hard. She opened her mouth to protest Lucy's implication, feeling extremely embarrassed, but Lucy started the drill up again before she could get a word out.
Y/n watched Lucy drill in the remaining screws and fit the feet on. She kept her head down, trying not to look at Lucy's face. Then, Lucy stood up and pulled the chair up with her.
"Desk and chair sorted," she said as she wheeled the chair over to the desk.
Y/n stood up sheepishly as Lucy went to grab the box that held the shelving.
"Alright," she said, "you take a seat while I attach the legs to the boards, and then you can hold them in place while I drill them into the wall."
She did just that, watching Lucy set up both shelves, muscles flexing in ways that had Y/n struggling to settle in her newly set-up chair.
When Lucy had them ready, she lifted one up and walked over to the wall.
"Alright, come over here and tell me where you want it."
Y/n walked over and had Lucy position the shelf at the right height and balance.
"Okay, come under my arm and hold this up for me," Lucy said.
She ducked her head under Lucy's arm, so close that she could smell her skin and sweat, and squeezed in front of her. Lucy's body pressed against her back.
"Alright, grip it where I have."
She reached out her hands until they were touching Lucy's as they held the shelving in place.
"Good girl. Stay right there," Lucy whispered, the sound directly in Y/n's ear.
Y/n felt goosebumps come up on her skin, heat moving through her body again.
Then, Lucy let go and walked back to grab the drill and screws. She worked her way through each of the legs, drilling them in place, body knocking against Y/n's as she did.
They went through the same motions on the second shelf, and then, all too soon, it was done.
Lucy stepped back and admired her handiwork. Y/n walked over and stood by her. The shelves were exactly as she had imagined.
"Looks like you've got yourself a completed study now. Well, minus whatever's going on the desk and shelves. I think we make a good team, don't ya think?" she asked, grinning at Y/n as she elbowed her arm.
Y/n nodded shyly. "Yeah. Thanks for your help."
Lucy smirked. "So, what else can I do for you?"
Y/n furrowed her eyebrows. "Oh, that was it. All the other furniture is sorted."
Lucy's smirk grew wider. "I know. I was offering my assistance in other ways."
Y/n stared at her without speaking for a few seconds.
"Oh, um, I don't...that's alright," she said.
Lucy's smirk faded.
"Oh, um, okay. I apologise if I came on too strong. Um, well, I should get going," Lucy said.
Y/n nodded. "Yeah, you should. Thanks again for all the help."
"Yeah, 'course. Don't mention it."
She led Lucy to the front door, where they fumbled their way through an awkward goodbye before Lucy left.
When she closed the door, Y/n let out a long sigh. It's not that she didn't want Lucy. It's that Lucy was her new teammate, and sleeping with her was probably not the smartest decision. She needed to resist her temptations.
That night, as she lay in bed, Y/n questioned if she'd made the right decision. Sure, Lucy was her teammate, and sleeping together could get messy. However, this was women's sports, and sleeping with teammates was common, and not something she hadn't done before. She'd casually slept with and even dated multiple former teammates, and it hadn't ever gone that wrong. Y/n quickly realised that her rejection of Lucy's advances was based on her being the new one at a successful team, and her wanting to impress and not get distracted. But Lucy didn't seem like the type of person who'd let you get distracted from the game by her. Maybe she was overthinking this. As she pressed her body deeper into the mattress, she wished she could go back in time and say yes.
The next day, they were in the gym from early. The first game of the season was coming up that weekend, and everyone's fitness levels needed to be of a high standard. Y/n looked up from the free weights section to see Lucy enter the gym. Their eyes met, but Lucy looked away quickly, making her way over to the exercise bike. Throughout the rest of the workout, it was obvious that Lucy was doing everything in her power to avoid Y/n. Y/n cursed herself. She must have embarrassed Lucy, and the worst part was that Lucy wasn't wrong about her assumptions. She felt bad that Lucy likely assumed that she'd made her uncomfortable.
After the awkwardness had continued throughout the drills and practice match on the pitch, Y/n decided to approach Lucy.
"Hey," she said, running up to Lucy as they made their way inside for lunch. "I was wondering if we could talk."
Lucy kept her eyes on the floor. "I'm so sorry about yesterday, Y/n. It was completely inappropriate, and it won't happen again."
"I don't need an apology, just...eat with me?"
Lucy glanced up at her then. "Are you sure?"
Y/n nodded. "Of course. I'd like to spend some time with you."
"Okay, sure," Lucy said, sounding a bit confused.
They plated up their food and made their way to a table for two away from the others, where they could talk without being heard. When they had sat down, Y/n spoke up.
"You didn't read the vibes wrong yesterday, Lucy. Not at all. I wanted it...I wanted you, but I've just joined the club, and I felt like sleeping with my new co-worker wasn't the smartest idea."
"Oh, no, I get that. We probably shouldn't," Lucy said simply.
Oh, she thought. Well, there goes my plan.
She had intended to tell Lucy that she did want to sleep with her and ask when she'd be free, but now she felt that she'd lost her chance. She silently cursed herself and spent the rest of lunchtime talking to Lucy about other things, but her mind was only really focused on one.
After training, she went home and distracted herself from her feelings by making and eating dinner, having a warm shower, and putting on a new show that she'd been meaning to start. As she neared the end of the first episode, she heard her phone buzzing.
She looked down at the screen.
Maybe: Lucy
She was confused as to why Lucy, who only had access to her number through the team group chat, was calling her, but she quickly answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey."
There was a beat of silence before Lucy continued.
"This might be majorly inappropriate, and if it is, then please tell me to fuck off, and I will never cross this line again, but I haven't been able to get you out of my head since yesterday afternoon."
Y/n's heart skipped a beat. Lucy kept talking.
"I want you if you want me."
Y/n only managed two words in response.
"Come over."
10 minutes later, she received a text.
Maybe: Lucy: In the lobby.
Y/n walked downstairs to find Lucy standing by the lifts, wearing a light grey T-shirt that hugged her shoulders and biceps and a pair of black shorts. She looked up as Y/n reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Hey," she said, walking towards her.
"Hi," Y/n breathed out. "Let's go upstairs."
Lucy nodded, and they made their way to Y/n's apartment. She let Lucy inside first and then shut the door. The second she turned around, Lucy pushed her up against it and kissed her roughly, hands grabbing at her waist as her lips pressed hard against her own.
Y/n was pleasantly surprised by Lucy's urgency, kissing her back and placing one hand on her head and the other on her neck, pulling her in closer. Lucy slipped her tongue into Y/n's mouth, and Y/n did the same to her. They made out against the door hungrily, until Lucy finally pulled away.
"Bedroom?" she asked, panting.
Y/n nodded, grabbing her by the T-shirt.
"This way," she said, pulling Lucy along to her room.
When they entered the room, Y/n pushed Lucy against the wall, kissing and biting her neck.
"Fuck, Y/n," Lucy moaned. "You're eager."
Y/n stopped and looked into her eyes.
"Of course I am. I fucked up yesterday, and when you said today at lunch that we shouldn't, I thought I'd missed my chance."
"I was just pretending to agree to what I thought you were implying," Lucy admitted. "I know it might sound questionable, but I don't care if you're my teammate, I want you, and I want to give you what you need."
Lucy's stare was so intense, and her words turned Y/n on so much that she started making out with her again, walking her towards the bed as she did. She lay down, and Lucy got on top of her. She pulled her hoodie off immediately, leaving herself topless.
Lucy groaned. "You're so fucking hot."
Y/n blushed. "I could say the same about you. Now, please do something to me before I lose my mind."
Lucy leaned in, and they began to make out again, as Lucy's hands started to massage her breasts.
Y/n wrapped her legs around Lucy's waist and grabbed the end of her T-shirt, pulling it up her body. Lucy, understanding what she was trying to do, let go of her and pulled the T-shirt over her head. Y/n took in Lucy's torso, her hands reaching out to touch her abs.
Lucy laughed lowly. "You like them, huh?"
She nodded up at her. "I saw them when you pulled up your shirt my first day of training, and I've been wanting to touch them ever since," she admitted.
Lucy smirked. "So you've wanted this from day one?"
Y/n blushed. "Um, yeah. Well, I obviously knew who you were before, and I've always thought you were quite attractive, but ever since joining the team, it's felt like torture to be near you," she confessed.
Lucy's smirk grew wider. "You know, I've been feeling the same way about you."
"Really?"
"Yeah. In that first training session, I got distracted a few times just thinking about what I'd like to do to you."
"And what would you like to do to me?" Y/n asked, feeling brave.
"Hmm," Lucy thought, "maybe showing would be better than telling, don't you think?"
Y/n nodded eagerly, her hips pressing up against Lucy again.
Lucy leaned down again, kissing her roughly, before she moved to her neck, kissing and biting. Y/n moaned instantly, her hands pulling Lucy closer.
Lucy pulled away and looked into her eyes again.
"Just checking, you into dirty talk?"
Y/n nodded.
"And, what about praise?" she asked, hand stroking her cheek.
She nodded again.
"Good girl," Lucy smirked. "Thanks for letting me know."
Y/n felt the wetness between her legs building.
"Lucy, please. Do something."
Lucy nodded slightly, kissing her again, hands moving over her torso. A few seconds later, her right hand moved down and under her jogging bottoms, starting to rub through her underwear.
Y/n moaned. "Lucy..."
"Does that feel good?" Lucy whispered.
"Yes. So good."
"You're soaking by the way," Lucy stated simply. "You're so desperate for me, aren't you?"
"Yes. Yes, I am. Please keep touching me."
"Oh, trust me, I will. You're so hot like this. It's so sexy how desperate you are."
Lucy then moved her fingers up and under Y/n's underwear, fingers now directly on her skin. She began to rub circles around her clit.
Y/n put her hand on Lucy's neck, pulling her in for a deep kiss. Lucy pulled away slightly, her lips hovering over hers.
"Can you get off by me just rubbing your clit like this?"
Y/n nodded, too turned on to respond properly.
"Good girl," she praised her, as she moved her head down and took her right breast into her mouth, sucking it slowly and gently biting her nipple.
Y/n was getting closer by the second. She felt slightly embarrassed by how easily Lucy was getting her there. With others, it normally took her a while and a lot of foreplay, but she felt like coming undone already.
Lucy continued to rub at the same pace, her mouth moving between each breast. Y/n's breathing got heavier, and she began to whimper. Lucy looked up at her:
"Are you close?"
"So close," she said, nodding.
"Good girl, cum for me," Lucy said, looking directly into her eyes.
That was all she needed. She came with a loud moan of Lucy's name, panting as she recovered from the high.
"Is that all you've got in you?" Lucy asked teasingly.
She shook her head.
Lucy smirked.
"You want more, don't you?"
She nodded eagerly.
"How about my tongue on your clit and my fingers inside you?" she asked.
The question was so casual, and Lucy's voice was so low she could feel herself growing wetter again immediately.
"Yes, please," she whispered.
Lucy nodded slightly before moving down between her thighs. Her hands reached for the waistband of her underwear, and she looked up as if to ask for permission.
Y/n nodded, and she pulled them off with one swipe.
Lucy looked between her legs hungrily.
"God, if that's not the most beautiful sight I've ever see," Lucy whispered, almost to herself.
Lucy leaned down and started to place kisses up her thighs, head turning from side to side as she made her way up. Finally, she placed her lips on Y/n's clit.
Y/n's hips bucked at the touch. Lucy's lips were warm and gentle, so inviting.
"Please...," she whispered.
"I've got you," Lucy whispered back."
Lucy began to kiss her clit with more force before taking it into her mouth and sucking on it. Her fingers moved between her folds, rubbing up and down, collecting her wetness before she placed them at her entrance.
"Lucy, please," she begged.
Lucy looked right at her as she sucked her clit and began to push two fingers inside, moving them slowly.
Y/n was moaning louder. Lucy's fingers were adding to the pleasure, but she needed a faster pace.
"Faster, Lucy," she begged again.
Lucy began to move her fingers at a faster pace, her sucking becoming more intense as well.
Y/n could feel that she was quickly headed for her second orgasm.
"I'm close."
Lucy moaned against her clit, the vibrations sending her higher than she thought she could go.
"Cum for me, again," Lucy commanded, before placing her lips right back on her clit.
Once again, that's all it took for her to come undone. That's when she felt something gushing from her onto Lucy's fingers.
This time, her breathing remained heavy for a while. Her body felt weak and sweaty.
Lucy moved up to lie beside her, her hand resting on her waist.
"You squirted," she said matter-of-factly, but there was a smirk growing on her face.
Y/n felt herself blush.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "That's not normal for me. I really didn't think I was going to."
Lucy's smirk grew wider.
"You don't have to apologise. Besides, they're your bedsheets that need washing. Also, if it's not normal for you, I guess I must be pretty skilled."
Y/n rolled her eyes, her arm coming out to shove Lucy in the chest.
"Shut up."
But her arm was so weak Lucy didn't move. And instead she began to laugh.
"Oh, wow..." she said, "I've really wrecked you, huh?"
Y/n rested her head on Lucy's shoulder.
"Just give me a few minutes, then I'll be fine."
A few minutes later, Y/n was beginning to feel stronger again. She removed her head from Lucy's shoulder and looked at her.
"Have you finally recovered?" Lucy teased, a wide grin on her face.
Y/n moved slowly and swung a leg over Lucy's waist, settling herself on top of her.
"Yes, I have. And I'd like to remove the rest of your clothes now."
The grin left Lucy's face, her eyes widening.
"Oh, okay."
"Take this off," she said, pointing to Lucy's sports bra.
Lucy obliged, pulled it over her head quickly, dropping it gently on the floor.
Y/n leaned in and kissed Lucy hard. Lucy's hands found her waist as her hands moved down to fondle Lucy's breasts. She played with them as they kissed, finding out what touches felt most pleasurable to her. Then, she moved from her lips to her jawline, to her neck, and, finally, to her collarbone, before taking her breasts into her mouth.
Lucy groaned.
"That mouth of yours is very talented," she praised.
Y/n stopped, looking up at her.
"Maybe I should put it between your legs then," she said, surprising herself with her own confidence.
Lucy bit her lip, nodding in agreement.
She kissed down Lucy's abs before grabbing the waistbands of Lucy's shorts and underwear and pulling them off together.
Lucy spread her legs willingly.
"Show me what that pretty little face can do," she ordered.
Y/n nodded, diving into her.
She took a broad lick, then another.
Lucy moaned softly, her hand moving to grab at Y/n's hair.
Y/n continued to lick broadly, then began to leave soft kisses, testing out Lucy's most sensitive parts. Her thumb made its way to her clit, beginning to rub slow circles as her tongue teased her entrance.
"Fuck, yes, that's it. Good girl, just like that," Lucy praised her, groaning.
She continued to rub her clit while her tongue moved inside.
Lucy's moans got louder, her hand pushing Y/n's head in further, and her hips bucking up to add pressure.
"Mmm, yes, use that dirty mouth of yours."
Y/n kept up her efforts, loving Lucy's praise.
As Lucy's moans became more frequent and she threw her head back, she spoke again, but this time her voice was shaky.
"Y/n, I'm gonna cum," she whimpered.
Y/n carried on, and Lucy came with a loud groan, her legs tightening and then releasing against her face. Y/n rode her through it, then, when Lucy's hand went limp, she moved her head to place light kisses on her thighs. Finally, she pulled herself up the bed to lie next to her again.
"Holy shit," Lucy whispered. "Who knew you had that in you?"
Y/n laughed, her hand resting above Lucy's own as she recovered.
They lay there in silence for a while until Lucy's body settled.
"Well," Lucy said, pulling herself up to a seated position. "What do you like to do post-sex?" she asked. "I would feel bad running out the door after that."
Y/n thought for a moment, then she had an idea.
"How about you tell me more about yourself, Bronze? Most of what I know from you is from headlines and interviews. I wanna know more about Lucy Bronze the person, not Lucy Bronze the pro-footballer."
Lucy smiled gently. "I'll agree on one condition?"
Y/n raised an eyebrow. "And what condition would that be?" she asked.
"The condition that this is a two-way conversation and you tell me more about you, too....Oh, and I'd like us to stay naked."
Y/n laughed softly.
"Deal."
Lucy grinned.
"Alright, so, what do you wanna know?"
a/n: It took me all week to write this. I’m hoping to get back to Never Thought I’d See Her Again soon, but I want to take my time with it so it’s good!
A Winner With You
Summary: Y/n waits to comfort Lucy when she comes home from a disappointing result.
Word Count: 1.5k
Content/Warnings: none, pure fluff
The trees rustled in the wind outside. Y/n lay on the bed, unable to sleep. Her partner, Lucy, had been playing a match that evening. It was the second leg of the Champions League Quarter Finals, and despite narrowly winning the match with a last-minute goal, Chelsea hadn't done enough and had been eliminated from the competition. Lucy had won the trophy numerous times previously, but she'd joined Chelsea with the aim of bringing that trophy to them, and they had failed to reach the final for the second year in a row.
Y/n felt guilty that she hadn't been there to comfort Lucy after the match. She wished she could have driven her home and kept her company, but she hadn't been able to make the match due to work commitments. Her now ex-colleague had a leaving dinner, and her company insisted that attendance was mandatory. She cursed their silly, we're-all-one-big-family rules. Her colleagues were not her family; she barely spoke to the guy who'd left. He wasn't even in the same department. Lucy, however, was family. Lucy was home. Lucy was her future. And Lucy was currently driving alone through London with the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she heard the sound of Lucy's car pulling into the driveway, the headlights illuminating the front garden. There was the sound of the car door slamming, footsteps on gravel, and then the front door being unlocked. Then, it opened, and she heard Lucy enter the house. She listened to every movement Lucy made: the shrug of her taking off her jacket and hanging it up, the clatter of her shoes hitting the floor in the hall, the pad of her feet walking to the kitchen and turning on the tap to pour herself a glass of water that she quickly drank and set down. That was followed by her making her way up the stairs and the creak of the bedroom door.
Lucy didn't turn on the light. She was too caring to inconvenience Y/n to make things easier for herself. Y/n felt bad, so she turned the bedside lamp on. At the soft glow appearing in the room, Lucy looked up, their eyes meeting.
There was a clear look of defeat in her eyes, and she looked drained. Y/n knew she was blaming herself. Lucy was always harsh when it came to her performance in competitions. She could be extremely self-critical, even when it was obvious that the team as a whole were responsible.
"Luce..."
Lucy shook her head. "Don't," she said softly.
She pulled off her hoodie and shirt, replacing them with a cotton T-shirt, but leaving her jogging bottoms on, before disappearing to the bathroom. Y/n heard the buzz of her electric toothbrush and the squirting of her face wash and moisturiser along with slow running water, and then the pad of her feet back to their bedroom.
Lucy pulled back the covers and got into bed beside her, lying on her back. She didn't move to touch her, didn't turn on her side to face her. She just stared at the ceiling, the glow of the lamp highlighting the sadness on her face.
Y/n moved over to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, kissing her cheek. She knew that words weren't going to be useful right now; Lucy was too in her head for that. What was needed was a clear display of love, a way to show that she was there for her.
She moved her hand slowly up towards Lucy's face, gently stroking her cheek that was smooth from the moisturiser she'd just spread over it. She kept the movements up for a few minutes, just stroking her and watching as Lucy continued to stare at the ceiling, the tension in her whole body obvious. Finally, she slowly turned her head to face her.
"I know you want to tell me that you're proud of me, and I love you for that," she began softly, "but I was to blame for all 3 of their goals last week, and I didn't create enough chances for us tonight...I'm starting to think I might not be good enough anymore. I mean, I know I'm past my prime, but I've been off too many times this season. I think playing on the broken tibia during the summer really screwed me over. I don't feel as strong, and I'm scared of letting any more people down...I think it might be my time."
Y/n pushed a strand of hair that had fallen out of Lucy's bun behind her ear.
"Luce, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. At some of the games I've seen, you've been the one doing the most. It's everybody's responsibility to win, not just you. Besides," she said, smiling gently at her, "you've got a World Cup to win next summer."
A small half-smile appeared on Lucy's lips, but she quickly turned serious again.
"I don't want to miss it...But, after? I think I need to be real with myself that I may be done."
Y/n thought for a moment about how to respond. She knew that returement was a challenging topic for Lucy, and she wanted to make sure she felt supported.
"I mean, you will be 36 not long after, so I get that you'd be thinking about retiring after that. But don't end your career out of insecurity, Luce. When the time comes, it should be a decision you make because it's the right thing for you, not because you're worried about disappointing people. And I will be there to support you through it. For now, love, try to be kinder to yourself."
Lucy turned her body to lie on her side and pulled Y/n in for a tight hug, head resting in the crook of her neck. Y/n placed one arm around her waist, the other resting on her shoulder, massaging it gently. Lucy's body was still tense, but she seemed more open to letting herself relax now.
"How do you always know just what to say, love?" she whispered in her ear.
Y/n smiled, looking down at her.
"Because I know you, and I know the bad thoughts that go through your head, and I've been with you long enough to know how to help you fight them," she said, placing a tender kiss to her forehead.
At that, Y/n felt the tension in Lucy's back loosen, her muscles easing at the safety that she had provided. A loving smile appeared on her lips, her eyes softening and filling with adoration.
"You've always made me feel so loved, even when I was at my lowest. I've always been scared of retirement, of what will happen after, but with you, I feel able to face that scariness. Anything feels possible when I've got you by my side. All I wanted to do the second the whistle blew was come home to you. You're my safe place, Y/n."
Y/n beamed at her, fingers stroking her side.
"You're mine too, Luce. And you will always have my support. Whether you win or lose, whether you stay or retire, you're always a winner in my eyes."
Lucy's eyes lit up even further, a cheeky grin appearing on her face.
"You know, you're right. I am always a winner. I won today, I won yesterday, and I'm going to win tomorrow."
Y/n cocked her head to the side, indicating that she didn't understand. Lucy reached her hand up to caress Y/n's cheek.
"I'm a winner because I'm dating you," she explained.
"Luce..." she whispered, feeling herself tear up.
"I'm serious," Lucy continued, "there's no better way to feel like a winner than to wake up every day knowing that of all the people in the world you could've chosen, I'm the one you picked to be your long-term partner. I can't wait to put a ring on your finger one day. And that's why I'm willing to retire, because I've got a long life with many adventures to live out with you. My dreams go further than trophies. They have since I met you. I know, I mean I am absolutely certain, that if we win the World Cup next year, the moment the final whistle blows won't be the greatest moment of my life. The greatest moment of my life will be when I get to look you in the eyes in front of everyone we love and say "I do"."
A tear fell down Y/n's cheek, and she leaned in. Her lips grazed Lucy's softly, as if she were the most precious thing in the world. Lucy placed her palm on the back of her head, pulling her in. As their lips parted, Y/n could see the exhaustion coming through Lucy's smile.
"Let's get some sleep, baby," she whispered.
Lucy grabbed the duvet, tugging it up to their necks, and pecked her left temple.
"Goodnight, baby. I love you."
"I love you too, Luce. Goodnight."
a/n: Just a short one to get back into it after taking a bit of a break. Hope you enjoyed!
A random question for any Lucy Bronze fans out there:
Could anybody tell me the songs that Lucy has mentioned liking in various interviews etc. or even posted on Insta with?
I know she’s got a few playlists on Spotify but I know she’s mentioned various songs throughout the years and she has good taste and I’m trying to get into new music!
Also I’ve been in a creative slump for the past week but I’m hoping to post another fic by the end of the week!