#futfem x reader

[ellieputellas]

only we know | chapter 2

You had a lot on your plate: a little sister to raise, two jobs to juggle, and a massive secret. For years, you had been secretly working at a strip club to fund your sister’s needs: from school trips to football kits. Between keeping a secret and making ends meet, there was no room in your life for anything else, especially not romance. Meeting Alexia Putellas made that a little difficult.

fic index | chapter one | chapter two please do not repost, plagiarize or feed to AI!

 a/n: this is a lengthy chapter and i guess a bit slowburn with a bit of world-building (?) so just buckle up cause it’s a looong ride but i hope u think its worth it

⋆˙⟡♡ "Nana, please, just hold still." You heard the exhaustion and exasperation in your own voice before you could soften it. You took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to keep yourself patient as your sister moved restlessly in her seat.

Sometimes, you couldn’t find it in yourself to be in a good mood in the morning no matter how hard you tried, especially when you’ve had maybe three hours of sleep and your body was still sore from your performance the night before. You usually still tried to stay composed and to not let the exhaustion get to you but ever since that night, it felt like your patience had worn even thinner. You figured that it was perhaps due to your frustration with yourself or maybe it was just how that night left you feeling uneasy. Whatever it was, it had been affecting your mood.

Your fingers worked through your sister's hair, fixing it into a braid. You decided on nothing elaborate today, just a simple hairstyle that would survive the school day without falling apart. 

“Just stay put please, Aina,” you pleaded, tone getting annoyed. “Rocío is leaving soon and I don’t want you to go to school with messy hair.”

Aina sighed dramatically. "But why can't you take me?" she said with a tone of annoyance. "You never take me to school anymore."

A pang of guilt pierced your heart, sighing through it. Aina wasn’t wrong. It had been a while since you took your little sister to school. You probably didn’t think about how much it meant to her; you just knew it was difficult for you to keep up with it. You needed those one or two extra hours of rest before your shift at the coffee shop and Rocío  was more than willing to take Aina for you. Even if you wanted to, you knew realistically that you’d tire yourself out if you promised to bring Aina to school more often, and that would just put you in an even more sour mood.

You steered her attention elsewhere. "Your birthday is coming up," you said, tone lighter, and felt genuinely pleased with yourself for the redirect. "You’re turning eight, almost a big girl now. Have you thought about what you want to do for your birthday? Want to invite some friends over and I can cook your favorite meals?"

It worked immediately. Aina forgot whatever speech she'd been building about you not taking her to school more often; she turned around to face you, which you hadn't quite anticipated mid-braid, but you managed. She looked up at you with those eyes of hers — wide and glassy like a puppy dog.  "Well," she started, a smile already on her face. "I don't really want a party..."

"No party?" You asked, urging her to turn around so you can continue fixing her hair. “How about a mini party with you, me and Rocío ? Like we did last year for Christmas?”

"No." She shook her head, seemingly set on something else. "What I actually want… is for you to sign me up to be a mascot for a Barcelona game."

You furrowed your eyebrows. "A mascot?"

"Yes." She nodded, very certain. "You know, the kids who walk out with the players at the start. Matteo from school did it last season and he said his mum just entered him in a raffle. He got to go on the pitch and meet the players and show up on TV and everything. He told me he even got a high-five from Lamine Yamal, which is cool and all, but I wanna meet Aitana."

You opened your mouth, already doing the mental calculation of how hard it would be to actually get a slot through a raffle. Surely, there were also a bunch of kids in Barcelona who wanted that opportunity. "Aina, a raffle means they draw names at random, I can't guarantee—"

"I know what a raffle is, YN," she said, with a small eye roll. You chuckled at the expression but felt a bit guilty cause you were certain she picked up the eyerolling from you. You mentally noted to be more careful about rolling your eyes around her especially when she was at the exact age where she absorbed and copied everything.

"I just want you to try," she added, and the eye roll was gone, replaced again by those huge, pleading eyes. "Please."

Something in your chest went soft. You reached out and pinched her cheek gently. She scrunched her nose but didn't pull away. "Okay, cosita," you said. "I'll try."

She threw her arms around you, hugging you tightly, pressing her face against you as she did. You held her, resting your chin on top of her head, already worried about this whole raffle thing before you could even look into it. After a while, you could hear Rocío  emerging out of her room, already holding Aina’s backpack.

She smiled at you two. “Ready, Nana?”

Aina pulled away but not without giving you a cheek kiss. "Yesss, okay, bye YN." She said merrily before running off to take Rocío ’s hand.

You gave Rocío  a small, grateful wave and she gave you a nod that suggested she understood completely. As the door closed, you felt your shoulders slump and an exhale make its way out of your lungs. 

How am I going to get her that slot?

⋆˙⟡♡ As soon as the morning rush at the coffee shop calmed, you grabbed your phone and began researching on this whole mascot raffle thing. You were now on the page of the agency that handled the raffle. You scrolled back to the top of the page and started again, certain you must have missed something, because surely the process could not actually be this convoluted. 

But it was, in fact, this convoluted. The more you read, the less it made sense. You groaned in frustration.

"You know," Rocío  said from behind you, stacking the last of the clean glasses into their spot. "You wouldn't have to be standing there torturing yourself over a raffle if you would just talk to a certain someone."

"Don't." You didn't even look up from your phone, rolling your eyes. "Don't start with me right now, Rocío ."

"I'm just saying—"

"I know what you're just saying." You scrolled further down the page with a growing sense of despair. "Why is this so complicated? I have to sign-up on their website to get to an email with the online form which I have to fill out and submit just to get the details on when the physical sign-ups would be, where I still have to queue, and all of that is just for the chance that my sister gets to stand next to a footballer for five minutes."

Rocío  leaned against the counter with her arms crossed, shaking her head "If only there was a much simpler solution available to you."

You locked your phone and dropped it into your apron pocket. "Absolutely not. I’d rather fill up a hundred forms and stand in a line for two hours than do what you’re thinking."

She sighed through her nose. You made a mistake telling Rocío  about that night at the club, thinking naively that sharing it would make you feel better. But since that night, Rocío  had been bringing it up at every opportunity she could, insisting that you should try to message Alexia or whatever.

"YN, honestly," she said. "I don't understand why you’re acting like it was  such a catastrophic thing. She asked for your name. She didn't ask for your bank details or your home address or your email password or anything that should have sent you running out of that room."

You shook your head. "It's not about what she asked," you said, picking up a cloth and running it along a section of counter that was already perfectly clean, just needing something to do with your hands. "It's about the principle of it. I work very hard to keep things separate — who I am at work and who I am everywhere else. That line exists for a reason. It's why none of the Somni girls come to the apartment anymore, even if I love those girls dearly. I just…  I don't mix those parts of my life and it's why the whole thing works at all. It’s how I protect Aina from ever finding out," You pressed the cloth a little harder into the counter. "The moment you start blurring that line, shit gets messy and right now, messy is the last thing I need."

Rocío  was quiet for a moment, watching you clean a counter that did not need cleaning, exhaling. "What exactly do you think Alexia Putellas is going to do with your first name?" she said, not unkindly but just inquisitively.  "Hunt you down? Steal your identity? Blackmail you in front of Aina?" 

You stayed quiet, not looking at your best friend because you knew she was making a point. And you hated it when she was right. 

Rocío tilted her head. "She probably just thought you were attractive and wanted to know who you actually were. Maybe she just wanted to ask you out."

That was the point at which Rocío's argument fell apart.

"She wouldn’t want to actually date me. And quite frankly, I wouldn’t want to go on a date with her either," you said, with a dry laugh. "I told you… it was supposed to be harmless. A small crush on a client, something fun, a way to blow off some steam when I could without it meaning anything.”

You exhaled, shaking your head at yourself. “And then I let my guard down for five minutes and nearly handed her myself on a plate." You said. “This is why I can’t allow myself to let loose and have nice things. I can’t control myself once I do.”

Rocío and you fell silent for a moment. You sighed.  "Besides," you added quieter, "she hasn't come back anyway. So it's done."

Rocío made a sound that managed to communicate considerable skepticism without using any actual words. Then she straightened up and picked up a water pitcher to fill up the customer's empty water glasses. 

"Well, good luck with the mascot registration, then," she said with a fake pleasant tone. "Because I will tell you, that child could not stop talking about it the whole way to school this morning, on and on about the players and the pitch and meeting Aitana. So, you better be sure you’re getting that slot.”

You sighed. 

⋆˙⟡♡ You owed Rocío a very nice dinner for this.

She had agreed to cover for you during the morning shift at the coffee shop without too much negotiation, which either meant she was feeling generous or she felt guilty enough about all the Alexia comments and was doing it to make it up to you somehow. Either way, you were grateful.

You had set your alarm for an ungodly hour, barely slept a wink, dragged yourself out of bed, and spent twenty minutes in the kitchen making sure Aina's breakfast was ready before she woke up and that you at least had a quick shower.

Then you left the apartment, stepping into the cold of the early morning, the sky still grey and the streets quiet. The offices where the physical registration was being conducted were not nearby. 

Of course they weren't. 

Which was why you were on the metro by six, standing because the seats were already taken by other people who looked equally as tired as you were, holding the overhead bar and trying to mentally prepare yourself for whatever queue situation you were about to walk into.

Your body ached more than usual. Last night had been brutal in a way you had not anticipated. It was a bachelor party for a group of rich, finance dudes so Pilar was extra highstrung, making sure everyone did their numbers well. 

And by some unlucky fate, one of your co-workers had gone down during warm-up, tripping off of the stage and landing on her wrist. You, being the only girl who knew her choreography having done it before, was now tasked with performing it, on top of all of your other numbers. 

So, here you were, calves practically throbbing and a headache beginning to develop. The fact that the guy beneath you in one of the seats thought it’d be smart to chow down on what smelled like a purely onion sandwich, the pungent smell wafting to you, making your head throb even more.

I could have just asked Alexia for a favour, said a small, unhelpful voice somewhere in the back of your mind. That way I wouldn’t have to worry about this.

You shut it down immediately. No. Absolutely not. 

You were not going to be the person who leveraged a moment of weakness — a lapse in professionalism, a line you should never have crossed — into a personal favour. 

Most especially, you were not going to let Aina's name be connected, even loosely and privately, to that part of your life. Your sister existed in a completely separate world from Somni and everything that came with it, and that was not a boundary you had any intention of softening, not even for something she wanted this badly, not even when the alternative was standing in a queue at six in the morning with what you were increasingly certain was the beginning of a headache forming somewhere behind your eyes.

You were going to do this the right way.

The metro doors opened and you joined the stream of people moving toward the exit, adjusting your bag on your shoulder, preparing yourself for whatever was ahead. You just really, deeply hoped the queue wasn't as long as you feared it was going to be.

⋆˙⟡♡ Aina’s shrieks pierced your ear.  Your sister excitedly jumped up and down the couch after you had told her that you’ve gotten the email that confirmed that she was chosen for the mascot position for Barcelona’s next game. 

If her shouts from getting the signed shirt and armband didn’t wake up the entire apartment building, the shrieks from now certainly would have startled them. 

Nana, who was wearing the signed shirt like a dress and a Barcelona-themed party hat, was jumping up and down, clearly filled with glee. “Best birthday ever! Best birthday ever!” She chanted.

Rocío excitedly joined in on the chanting, grabbing your sister off of her bed so they can now prance around hand-in-hand in circles as they chanted together. You sighed, feeling a deep satisfaction settle inside you watching your sister so happy, giving yourself a pat in the back.

“YN, join us,” Rocío  said before continuing in their circular chant session.

You shook your head at the offer and laughed. “C’mon, Nana, you still have to blow your birthday candles.”

She ran up to you, hugging you tightly. “No need, YN. You made all my wishes come true already.”

You bent down to hug your sister tightly, feeling warmth spread through you. Maybe all the hard work and effort was worth it because nothing could replace this feeling. 

⋆˙⟡♡ The morning of the game, you were up before your alarm.

You laid in the dark for a few minutes, looking over at Aina who was in her princess pajamas, still sprawled beside you. She had begged you last night to sleep in the Alexia shirt but you refused. You were only realizing now that your sister had still stubbornly managed to sleep with Alexia’s armband hanging on her small arms loosely. 

You sighed as you got out of bed, heading for the shower. You already took the night shift off at Somni the other night for Aina’s birthday which meant that you could not have taken a night off last night. This meant that not only were you tired  but also that you had to wake up earlier than usual to scrub off the remnants of your heavy performance make-up and the body glitter you all had to wear.

You had been thinking about today all week, excited for Aina but anxious about seeing Alexia again. 

The Somni costume and make-up was enough to differentiate your real self from Rubi. In all your years performing, no one has recognized you outside of Somni. There would be times where regulars of the club would find themselves in the coffee shop you worked in and they all looked at you with the expression of unfamiliarity.

But then again, none of them got that close for that long. None of them has seen you without a wig.  It was just Alexia. 

And that was why you were roughly scrubbing the body glitter off of you so hard you were practically peeling off the first layer of your skin as you did. Taking an extra precaution to scrub off anything that could connect you to Rubi.

That also meant dressing as far as you could from Rubi. You didn’t put any make-up, just a light balm and concealer under your eyes, and you borrowed Rocío’s clothes — a loose Barcelona shirt and cargo pants. You looked at yourself in the mirror for a long moment.

You looked okay, which was good. The last thing you wanted was to stand out; you just wanted to blend in. And thankfully, you did. You looked just like someone's random older sister at a football match, which was precisely what you were, which was precisely the point.

You went and made breakfast, bracing yourself for the day ahead.

⋆˙⟡♡ By the time you arrived at the stadium, Aina was practically bouncing with excitement, nonstop yapping about how excited she was to finally meet Aitana. She had been good and behaved over breakfast, contained enough to sit down and eat, but the moment you'd left the apartment, her energy had accelerated steadily and has now officially gone off the rails.

You took her hand, making sure she wouldn’t break free and run off. She held your hand but she was looking everywhere at once: at the stadium exterior, at the other children gathering near the designated entrance, at the staff in their bibs with their clipboards, at everything with the wide-open attention of someone who wanted to memorize all of it simultaneously.

"YN, look, that's where they come out," she said, pulling your arm in one direction. “That’s where we’re going to go.”

You nodded as you got your wristbands from the staff, trying to pay attention to both the staff and your sister, who was still going on-and-on about everything she saw. 

"And look at the size of this stadium! It’s massive, YN!” She beamed. “Everyone is going to be so jealous at school when I tell them all about today.”

She giggled, which was a good sound, and you squeezed her hand and tried to let some of her excitement be contagious. 

Still, there was that anxiety of seeing her again.

She probably won't even look at you, you told yourself to calm down. And if she does, she wouldn’t know who you were.

The noise level in the room shifted as soon as the players arrived. The kids collectively cheered as they arrived, tugging on their parent’s arms, gushing as they arrived.

“YN! YN! It’s Alexia,” Aina said, excitedly pointing.

You followed your sister’s gesture and that’s when you saw her.

You knew exactly who you were looking at and yet it took a while for it to register that that was the same Alexia you knew. Because the person walking out in the Barça training kit with her hair scraped back in a tight ponytail and her eyes already somewhere past the room looked so disarmingly different.

At Somni, she was so loose and easy-going, eyes dark and fixated on you. Seeing her now felt somewhat unfamiliar. You carefully looked at her, watched her eyes level and distant, as if already focused on the game ahead. She took a deep breath before finally greeting the kids nearby, crouching down, smiling at them. Even her smile looked so different, bright and wide, so professional.

Your attention was interrupted once the staff took Aina, shuffling her into a line.  She looked back at you from where she was made to stand, giving you a thumbs up. You chuckled, waving one last time before you moved to the side along with the other guardians.

You watched Aina talk to the player beside her, excitedly bouncing and likely already talking the player’s ear off. You sighed and turned to head out, not sparing Alexia another glance.

It was good that Alexia did not recognize you, that she didn’t even look your way. It was safe that way. 

And yet… part of you couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.

⋆˙⟡♡ Aitana had been paired with kids before. It was a regular enough fixture of the pre-match routine that she had a general approach to it: smile, crouch down to their level, ask their name, keep it warm and simple because they were usually too starstruck to do much more than stare at her for the first thirty seconds anyway.

This one was different. The little girl had begun talking before Aitana even had an opportunity to crouch down.

"Hi, I'm Aina which kinda sounds like Aitana but everyone calls me Nana and I'm so excited to meet you, I've been excited since my sister told me I got in and that was already a few days ago so I've been excited for a while—"

Aitana blinked and let out an easy laugh, a bit overwhelmed at the kid’s obvious excitement. "Hi, Nana. I'm Aitana." She interrupted, not knowing when else she could have an opportunity to speak in between the kid’s rambling.

"I know! " Nana exclaimed, raising her hands up. "You're my favourite player ever!"

"Yeah?" Aitana said with a smile.

“Yes, you’re my favorite because I really want to be a midfielder like you!” Aina said with a small jump. “And also, because you’re the smallest one in your team like how I’m the smallest in my team!”

Kika, who was just behind Aitana heard the statement, and chuckled. “How about me? Am I your favorite too?” She asked Nana.

Aina hummed, genuinely thinking for a while. “I think you’re my fifth favorite.”

Kika laughed at the honesty, feigning offense. “Just fifth?”

Aina, oblivious to Kika’s acting, listed them down. “Yes, it goes: Aitana, Alexia, Patri, Salma, and then, Kika!” She said excitedly before remembering. “Oh you know, my sister got me a signed shirt from Alexia for my birthday too but —”

Aina paused, unsure of whether or not she should continue. Aitana furrowed her eyebrows. “But what?”

“I’m starting to think it isn’t real,” she answered in a quiet voice, looking back to check if you were there. “Cause when I told my classmate Matteo about it yesterday. He said those shirts cost a lot of money and well… my sister has no money.”

Aitana found the little kid’s honesty amusing, chuckling a bit at the candor. “You know what, I think your friend Matteo is just jealous.”

Aina pouted. “Yeah?”

Aitana nodded. “Let me tell you what, how about I give you another shirt later and we can take a photo so that your friend Matteo wouldn’t ever doubt you.” She smiled. “As long as you can wait a bit after the game.”

Nana nodded immediately, doing a little hop in her place. "Yes! Please! I would really love that!” She stuck out her hand towards Aitana. “It’s a deal”

"Deal." Aitana kept her voice serious, acting as if it was a serious negotiation, shaking the little girl’s hands. “Okay, just behave now and I promise, I’ll give you it later. Good?”

Aina saluted and stopped jumping, standing up straight. Aitana laughed and took her hand. “Okay, let’s go, Nana. Let’s win this game.”

⋆˙⟡♡ Aitana grabbed a marker from Irene as she continued to explain why she was asking everyone around for a marker.  “She might genuinely be one of the funniest kids I've met in a long time so I just felt like I had to give her something."

“Yeah, she’s hilarious," Kika added, in the middle of getting changed. “She told Aitana she was her favorite because she was the smallest in the team.”

Esmee and Alexia laughed. 

Aitana frowned and added. "Which is crazy because I'm not even the smallest. Vicky is shorter than me,” she said. “Plus, she said it was because she wants to be a midfielder too but of course, you only heard the short part.”

Kika gave her a teasing shrug and Aitana rolled her eyes but laughed. She sat down on the bench near the lockers, propping the shirt on her knee, signing on the back of it. “Okay, now, I gotta give it to her and take a photo so that her classmates wouldn’t think it’s fake.”

“Fake?” Patri asked.

“Yeah, apparently her sister bought her a signed Alexia shirt for her birthday." She looked towards Alexia’s direction to make sure that she was listening. "And now she thinks it’s fake because her classmate said so.”

The people nearby gave their awws, feeling bad for the girl. “Her classmates are just jealous,” Patri commented before pausing to think. “Though, the shirt might actually be fake. I saw someone selling a shirt on ebay that I apparently signed and the signature looked nothing like mine.”

Alexia laughed, shaking her head, turning back to Aitana. “How old is she?” She asked in the middle of undoing her boots.

"Seven, I think?" Aitana answered, throwing on a fresh shirt. “You should meet her too, Alexia. She said you’re her second favorite player.”

Kika scoffed. “Lucky you, I’m just her fifth favorite.”

Patri laughed. “How about me?”

“Third.” Aitana and Kika answered at the same time. 

Patri smiled before turning to Kika to tease her. Alexia chuckled. “Yeah, I should give her something too, just so she can flex on her jealous classmates,” she joked, standing up to borrow the marker from Alexia.

Aitana stood up and readied the shirt, hanging it on her forearm. “I’ll head on outside cause I don’t want to keep the kid waiting,” she said. “But I’m telling you: you’re going to love that kid. She’s like a puppy dog.”

Alexia chuckled. “I bet.”

⋆˙⟡♡ Aina was practically bursting with excitement in a way you have never seen her before. You could tell she was trying to contain her energy, stay patient, but it was obvious how hyped she was.

The Barcelona social media manager had approached you after catching part of Aina and Aitana's interaction from a while ago, finding it adorable and asked if she could film a short clip of Aina receiving the shirt for a Children's Day post. You agreed, and she positioned herself between you and Aina to get the angle she needed, which was just perfect cause now you could hide behind her just in case Alexia passes by.

Soon enough, Aitana came out, a shirt in hand. Aina exclaimed the player’s name, rushing over to hug her tightly. Aitana chuckled, crouching down to hug your sister. You watched from behind the social media manager’s shoulder, smiling warmly at the interaction, watching how your sister’s eyes practically sparkled as she talked to the footballer. You couldn’t hear much of what was going on but Aitana was genuinely listening and chatting with your sister, genuinely enjoying the conversation and even laughing at Aina’s statements.

Rocío always joked that Aina got all the humor and the charm but you never found it offensive because she was right. That girl was just so loveable even when she was brimming with energy.

You finally stepped forward when the camera lowered, reaching them just as Aitana straightened up.

"Thank you, Aitana." you said, and meant it thoroughly, shaking her hand as you did. "She won’t ever forget this. I bet she won’t let us forget either. She idolizes you so much.”

"I believe it," Aitana said, with a chuckle. "She reminded me of myself at that age, honestly, just eager and full of energy.”

She looked down at your sister, giving her a small cheek pinch. “Nana here told me that she plays midfield too,” she gave your sister another smile before looking back at you. “You should look into La Masia for her training. Might be worth the shot.”

You nodded. "I'll look into it."

Aitana opened her mouth to say something else, then glanced back toward the door. "Oh — wait.” She said, turning to the social media manager, stopping her from packing up the ring light. “You should keep filming.”

The staff looked at Aitana who simply explained. “I told my teammates about Aina, and Alexia said that she’s coming out to give Aina something too."

As soon as you heard Alexia’s name the same nervous feeling returned to your gut. You shook your head. "That's really not necessary—" you started.

"Alexia is giving me something too?" Aina exclaimed loudly with amused disbelief. She spun around to look at you with the biggest smile on her face. “YN, did you hear that? I’m getting something from Alexia too!”

You closed your mouth, forced a smile, and gave a stiff nod. As soon as the social media manager turned the lights back on, you told Aina to wait for Alexia and very deliberately moved behind the social media girl, who had her phone raised again, and stayed there, watching Aitana pull your sister into one last hug before disappearing back through the locker room door.

You took a deep breath. Calm down, you told yourself. She has no idea who you are or what you actually look like. It’s no big deal. 

But all that self-soothing proved useless as soon as Alexia came through the door, causing your heart to beat at an unhealthily fast rate

She had changed out of her kit, wearing their sleeveless training kit, showing off her arms. Alexia’s hair was still damp at the edges from the shower. Even without make-up, she looked breathtakingly beautiful. She gave the lingering staff a brief, polite acknowledgement and then her attention settled on Aina, who was looking up at her, eyes wide and teeth bared into a huge toothy grin.

You moved, quietly, directly behind the social media manager, moving even further away just to be safe. Though, at that distance, it meant you couldn't hear a word of what they were saying, which was its own particular frustration, but it was the safest option.

Aina greeted Alexia, rushing into a hug. Alexia crouched down as she took your sister into her arms, hugging her warmly. You watched Alexia smile at Aina as the two began to talk, handing her a shirt, which garnered her another hug from the little girl.

"Aitana tells me you already have my signature," Alexia said as she slowly pulled away from the hug, tilting her head a bit.

Aina nodded. “Yes, I have three.” She said before holding out the shirt Alexia just gave her. “And now four!”

Alexia looked a bit taken aback, chuckling, thinking to herself that maybe this little girl’s sister had gone a bit crazy with a Sharpie one night. "Four? That’s a lot! You’ll have your own Alexia collection soon,” she joked.

Aina smiled but something about it carried a hesitation. She paused, looking behind her to see if you were within earshot before moving closer to Alexia. “Well, I’m not sure if it’s real,” she said to Alexia in a small, guilty voice. “My classmate Matteo said that maybe my sister got scammed on the internet since he doesn’t think the signatures are real but please don't say anything because it'll really hurt her feelings. I bet she saved a bunch just to buy me those."

Alexia gave her a small, exaggerated pout, tilting her head. "Really? What makes him think that?" she asked, feeling genuinely bad about the situation. "Maybe your sister really did get it for you though. Has she ever met me before?"

Aina shook her head vigorously. "No, my sister doesn't even watch football anymore cause she’s always working," she said bluntly with a sigh. "But she said she bought the shirt and armband online and that the paper was from when she met you at a restaurant. I don’t know if the last part is true either."

Alexia nodded slowly, manufacturing a thoughtful expression. "You know what, now that I think about it, I think I did sign something for a girl at a restaurant once," she said, which was a complete lie, but the alternative was letting this child go home thinking her sister had wasted money trying to make her happy, and she wasn't going to do that. “And I think the girl did look a lot like an older version of you!”

At the end of the day, at least, she’d have one real signature, Alexia thought to herself. I’m not crushing this kid’s happiness.

Your sister immediately perked up, eyes widening. “Really? Then that might be her! Everyone does say we look alike!” she exclaimed. “I really had my doubts, Alexia. Cause it was just on this crumpled receipt and Matteo said she might have just traced your signature or something."

Alexia laughed but paused, expression turning serious for a moment, as a memory snagged in the back of her head. She furrowed her eyebrows together, blinking as she remembered the interaction she had backstage, from the time the other Somni girls asked her to sign a receipt for Rubi’s sister. 

Alexia tilted her head. “Did it say anything on the paper?”

Aina nodded “It said: Força Barça, Nana!” 

"Nana," Alexia repeated. When Aitana had mentioned the name Aina earlier, it didn’t really bring up any recollection with Alexia. It was a common enough name. But Nana was something she remembered. She looked past Aina's shoulder, scanning, but couldn't find you. She brought her attention back to the girl in front of her, keeping her expression easy so Aina wouldn't notice anything had shifted. "Where's your sister now?"

Aina turned around. She looked around before finally locating you, hiding behind the social media manager. You watched helplessly as her little arm went up, finger pointing directly at you with an innocent smile on her face, totally unaware of the fact that you were practically panicking at that point.

What’s worse was the social media manager shifted just enough to expose you.

Alexia looked up. Her eyes found yours and her face went very still. You looked away, fixing your gaze somewhere past her, jaw tight. She held the look for one more second before returning her attention to Aina, and whatever she had just recognized, she kept it entirely to herself, her expression resettling into a warm smile.

She continued to engage Aina for another few minutes, talking to her about football, the match. The conversation went on and at some point, Alexia gave the social media manager a thumbs up, as if signalling them to wrap up. The girl in front of you turned off the small ringlight and lowered the phone before walking off, leaving you completely seen. 

Alexia looked at you once more from across the small distance between you. Without the wig, without the makeup, without any of it, you looked so different that she understood immediately why she hadn't placed it sooner. If it hadn't been for Aina and the receipt and the name, she likely wouldn't have connected it at all.

"Aina," she said, glancing down at your sister, "why don't you introduce me to your sister?"

Aina nodded before turning around, rushing towards you. She came back to you with her arms occupied with the merch from both Aitana and Alexia, absolutely beaming with pride. You smiled at her, still avoiding Alexia’s gaze, crouching over to take the stuff from your sister’s arms and carefully placing it into your totebag.

Alexia trailed just behind Aina. Close enough now that she could see the resemblance clearly: same hair, face shape, same lips. Alexia smiled at her own observation, eyes flickering across your face, biting her lip to stop herself from smiling too widely.

“Alexia, this is my sister,” Aina announced with excitement. 

You straightened up and looked somewhere in Alexia's general direction but not making eye contact. “Thank you. Aina is a big fan.”

"Of course." Alexia glanced down at Aina. "You should come to watch more games, Nana. I’d love to see you again.”

Aina grabbed your arm immediately. "Hear that, YN? Alexia wants to see me again!”

You smiled at your sister but internally you were cursing at the situation, fairly certain Alexia had just heard your name loud and clear. "Yeah, of course, we will," you said, already reaching for Aina's hand. "Okay, we should get going. We don't want to keep Alexia. I'm sure she's very busy.”

Aina was a bit startled at your urgency but just nodded and agreed. You turned already, holding Aina’s hand in yours, ready to leave. “Say goodbye, Nana.”

Aina, thankfully, didn't put up a fight this time. "Okay," she said agreeably but not before letting go of your hand and running back to Alexia to give her another hug. "It was really nice meeting you, Alexia!"

Alexia hugged her back, laughing softly. "You too, Nana."

You gave Alexia a brief nod, eyes down, and turned for the exit with your sister’s  hand back in yours. Aina was still craning her neck back, looking behind at Alexia, reluctant to let the moment end. 

Alexia waved at her. "Bye, Nana!"

You kept walking, focusing on the exit.

“And bye, YN.” Alexia followed up.

You didn't turn around, just kept your eyes on the exit and your pace steady, like you hadn't even heard it.

Shit.

⋆˙⟡♡ "Bye, YN," Rocío repeated back to you, mouth wide parted in disbelief. She huffed, nodding as if impressed with it. "Oh, she's good. That's slick. Really cheeky."

You groaned and dropped your face back into the throw pillow. As soon as you got home, you’ve been wanting to tell Rocío everything that happened but Aina took up most of the conversation, yapping on and on. Thankfully, she got the idea to call her friends and tell them about it too which finally gave you an opportunity to recount what happened to your best friend, still in disbelief.

"How am I this unlucky," you said, muffled, into the cushion. 

"Unlucky," Rocío repeated. "How is that unlucky?”

You groaned, lifting your head up and reaching over to the pizza box on the coffee table, pulling out a slice that had gone a bit cold. You noticed that Aina’s  Aina's plate was still sitting there mostly untouched. You sighed, figuring you’d let her talk to her friends first and just remind her to finish it later.

“I mean unlucky in a sense that nothing goes how I want it,” you explained. You were interrupted mid-thought by the sound of Aina’s loud laughter from her room. You sighed. “At least one of us is pleased with herself.”

Rocío  smiled in the direction of the door, chuckling. "Imagine how much happier she'd be if you started dating Alexia."

You turned to look at her flatly. "You gotta let that go. You're constructing an entire narrative out of nothing."

"Out of nothing," she said, giving you a look. "The woman came back with gifts for your sister, fully made out with you, then recognized you out of your Somni costumes, and made it a point to let you know that she was going to remember your name. Clearly that’s not nothing.”

You stared blankly at Rocío  who rolled her eyes. “You can’t seriously tell me that you think she isn’t a little bit interested at least.”

You shook your head. “No, I know she is but she’s interested in Rubi, not me. That's an important distinction that you keep choosing to ignore." You scoffed. “And well, if Rubi is the kind of girl she likes, then the real me is certainly not going to catch her attention.”

Rocío  waved her hand dismissively. "I think you're being ridiculous.”

"I'm being realistic. " You took a bite of the cold pizza, chewed, swallowed. "Besides, I've seen the kind of girls she goes for. Her ex was really into fitness, like seriously into it, marathons and pilates and all that. While I’m here on the couch with you, eating my third slice of cold pizza.”

Rocío chuckled but shook her head. “Please, I know you have this whole self-deprecation thing going but you literally make money off of how fit you look.”

“That’s different,” you responded. "Anyway, whatever, the point is that I’ve seen her ex and she could not be more different from me."

Rocío was quiet for a moment, and you thought maybe you'd finally managed to close the conversation, until she said slowly, "How do you know all that about her ex?”

You stopped chewing, not answering. Rocío shook her head and pointed an accusatory finger at you.

“You sly woman,” Rocío  said with a chuckle. “You totally stalked Alexia and her ex.”

"I wouldn't use the word stalk—"

"You absolute hypocrite," Rocío interrupted, tone delighted. "You sit here telling me that you don’t like that she recognized you, that you don't like her, or that it’s not happening, meanwhile you've stalked her enough to know about her ex going on marathons.”

You shrugged.  "I was just curious," you said with a small voice. 

"You actually want her," Rocío said simply. "You’ve got an actual, massive crush on Alexia Putellas.”

You put the pizza down and exhaled slowly before rambling. "Fine, okay, I think she's hot and she kissed me so fucking good that I started seeing stars and yeah, I did find it cute that she took the time to greet and talk to Aina a while ago even if she didn’t know her and yes, I kinda think I really like her. Are you happy?" You looked at Rocío but before she could say anything, you went on. "But what exactly am I supposed to do with that? She’s this famous football star and I’m a stripper. If she does like me, it’s lust and nothing more.”

"You don't actually know that," Rocío said, more gently this time, knowing that there were times you had opened up to her about your worries of never finding anyone who could like you for more than just your body. 

"I know enough," you said, shrugging. "And even if I didn't, getting closer to her is a risk I can't afford. You know that." 

You leaned back into the couch. "Besides, it doesn't matter. She hasn’t shown her face in the club anyway. If there was any interest before, it’s gone now.”

⋆˙⟡♡ You didn’t tell anyone else about how Aina met Alexia, especially not your co-workers at Somni. They had more than enough questions about the last time Alexia visited and you didn’t want to add more to that.

Thankfully, the interest in Alexia died off and most of them left you alone.

“Chiqui,” Adriana said, walking over to you from where you were standing in the dressing, in the middle of wiping off her make-up. “You did well tonight.”

You smiled, taking off your wig and placing it on the wig holders. “Thanks. The new choreography was so fucking hard to learn but I guess I figured it out eventually.”

Adriana hummed, tilting her hair slightly. “Yeah, but to be honest, I still like your old solo better. I think that one was way sexier,” she nodded, and waved her hand like that wasn’t the point.  “Anyway, I just came over here to ask you something.”

You paused from changing out of your costume, eager to just get home already. “Yeah?”

Adriana bit her lip, already smiling. “So, Alexia…”

“No, no,” you shook your head at Adriana, in the middle of putting on a tanktop. “I told you it was nothing. She’s just a client.”

Adriana nodded. “Good, cause Lorenzo’s cousin is moving to Barcelona soon and I thought maybe we should go on a double date. All four of us.”

You squinted. “Didn’t you say it was over for you and Lorenzo?”

The girl shook her head dismissively. “Whatever, it’s complicated,” she groaned. “Anyway, are you up for it or not? She’s really cute and very much your type.”

“I don’t know, chica. I mean, I barely have any time and you know how Aina gets when I don’t spend my weekends with her,” you said, trailing off a bit. 

“C’mon, YN. It’s been a while since you and I hung out outside of work,” she pleaded. “And Lorenzo’s cousin is really hot too. She’s like… an Italian Alexia Putellas.”

You scoffed. “An Italian Alexia Putellas?” 

Adriana rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean – athletic and hot with great abs,” she tried to explain before simply stating again, as if it was a selling point. “An Italian Alexia Putellas.”

You rolled your eyes, putting your costume back onto a rack. “I don’t know why you’d think —”

“You ladies talking about me?” 

The voice came from just behind the costume racks. You were startled, instinctively covering yourself even though you were already fully dressed, and turned to find Alexia Putellas standing there looking thoroughly amused.

She was wearing loose jeans and a cropped, black cardigan that exposed a sliver of her stomach. Her brown hair framing her face. She had an amused look on her face, clearly having heard part of your conversation. You and Adriana exchanged a glance.

Right beside her was your club manager. "Alexia's teammate is getting married," Pilar said, cutting straight to it the way she always did. "She stopped by to book a date and thought you'd have some input on the lineup." She looked at you pointedly. "Since you've been here long enough to know what works."

You looked again at Adriana who just gave you a shrug but had a small smile on her face “I, uh… me?” You asked, pointing at yourself. “I don’t… usually…”

"You've been here over half a decade. You'll manage." Pilar was already typing something on her phone. “I’ll leave you two to talk about it.”

She thanked Alexia before walking off, already typing away on her phone like she always did. You stared after her for a moment, then turned back to Alexia, who just gave you a meek smile. You gestured for her to wait as you chased  after Pilar whose eyes were still on her phone.

“Pilar,” you said, waiting for her to stop in her tracks, just out of earshot from Alexia. She looked at you, raising an eyebrow. “Pilar, you know I don’t do… client relations.”

Pilar scoffed. “Client relations? What are we – a Fortune 500 company?” She said sarcastically “It’s no big deal. Her teammate is having a bachelorette. All they want is just to see new performances, different from last time. Just string together some new and some old performances and call it a day.”

You paused, nodding. “Can’t I just text you my suggestions? I mean, you usually take care of events like this cause I don’t really have much free time and I gotta go home and take care of—”

“Aina, I know, I know,” she said, nodding understandably. “Look, Alexia requested that you coordinate with her. You specifically. I’m not gonna waste time explaining why that is. You’re smart enough to know why.”

You blinked. “What?”

Pilar tucked her phone under her arm and gave you a look that was almost fond, in her particular way. "YN. The woman is infatuated with you." She said it plainly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm not asking you to do anything complicated. Talk to her, find out what she's looking for, pass it to me and I'll handle the rest. She's paying well. If you help coordinate it, I'll split the managing fee with you."

You went quiet, doing the math without meaning to. Aina's tournament was coming up and you had most of it covered, but new boots would certainly be a great gift to surprise her with.

"Can I go now?" Pilar continued without waiting for your answer. "I've got a situation with the laundry service. Sol's boots came back still smelling like absolute shit and there’s no way I’m paying that much for boots to be coming back still stinking."

You nodded, looking back at Alexia now who was now talking to Adriana, laughing easily at something Adriana said. 

“And YN,” Pilar said, drawing your attention back to her. She put a hand on your shoulder and squeezed. "If I were you, I'd just enjoy it." 

She walked away, already calling someone as she did. You stood there for another moment, then headed back to Adriana and Alexia.

Alexia turned her attention back to you and gave a smile. “So, are we sorted? Are you up to help me with this bachelorette?”

“YN’s been here as long as I have," Adriana offered cheerfully. "She'll know exactly what to put together."

You nodded slowly. Alexia's gaze stayed on you, unhurried, and she said, "Yeah, she looks like a girl with great taste." Her eyes scanned you before settling back on your face and gave you a crooked smile.

Adriana widened her eyes. She mouthed oh my god at you from just over Alexia's shoulder. “Anyway,” she said out loud. “I’ll leave you to talk. Lorenzo’s picking me up.”

Adriana gave you one last wink before heading back to her station to grab her bag. 

You turned to Alexia and you nodded. "Okay, we should probably go over what you're looking for quickly cause I do have to get home soon,” you said. “It is a bit late.”

"Honestly, I mostly took care of it with Pilar already: pencil-booked and paid the deposit." She slid her hands into her pockets, easy about it. "Why don't I drive you home? We can talk about all the preliminary stuff on the way to your place."

You pressed your lips together. The sensible part of you already had a whole list of reasons to say no. First, she was a client. And that you’ve blurred enough lines as it was. Lastly, there was no real benefit to getting entangled with a famous footballer.

But the other part of you was much louder. It was too busy noticing how good she looked and thinking about how much you'd secretly wanted to see her again to even listen to the logical side of you.

You figured you'd spent enough time being sensible.

You gave her a small smile. "Yeah, okay."

⋆˙⟡♡ As soon as you got into Alexia's car, you pulled out your makeup wipes and started scrubbing your face clean, cursing yourself for not doing this sooner.

Alexia glanced over but said nothing. "Let me just input your address," she said, tapping at her GPS.

You stuffed the used wipe into your bag. "I’m kind of regretting giving you my actual address now,” you joked, looking over at her as she input it. “You're not going to turn out to be some crazy axe murderer, right?"

Alexia laughed softly. "Do I look like an axe murderer to you?"

"I genuinely don't know what axe murderers look like," you said. "Maybe they look like you do."

She chuckled, shaking her head, and you settled into an easy quiet before you broke it. 

"So… bachelorette party, huh?" you asked.

"Yeah." Alexia's expression warmed, nodding her head. "Our goalkeeper, Cata, just got engaged. She missed Irene's party and had massive FOMO, so I figured I'd put together something for her. It’s gonna be my engagement gift."

You hummed, nodding. "And you want a different lineup of performances?"

Alexia began pulling out of the lot, brow furrowed in thought. "I'm not entirely sure yet. That's why I wanted to talk to you about it." 

You hummed, tilting your head, biting your lip. You hesitated before finally saying. "For a second, I thought you were just finding an excuse to see me again."

She smiled at the road. "Hmm, well, seeing you again is a nice bonus."

You went quiet, feeling the blush spread through your cheeks. You bit your lip and looked out the window, trying to hide your pinked face. Alexia noticed and smiled to herself.

"So," Alexia said. "How's Aina?"

You smiled, feeling a bit warm at the mention of Aina, flattered Alexia had remembered her name. If Aina knew, she would be pleased. "She's okay. She still can't stop talking about the game." You nodded. "She wears your captain's armband to sleep, you know."

"That's so cute." She said, pausing before asking. "So, do you two live with your parents?"

You frowned at the mention of your parents. "I thought we were here to talk about the bachelorette." You said simply.

"You look tired," she said easily, shrugging one shoulder. "Work stuff can wait. Let’s just chat, get to know each other."

You hummed, pausing before shaking your head. “No, we don’t live with our parents.”

“Why is that?” She asked, eyes still on the road.

“Oh, uh, they passed.” You said simply, looking down into your hands. No matter how long it’s been, talking about your parents. It never got easy. 

“I’m sorry,” Alexia said, the car coming to a halt as you reached a stop light, she looked over to you, eyes sincere. “I had no idea.”

You shook your head. “No, it’s fine, it’s been years anyway,” You said, brushing it off. “So, yeah, it’s just me, Aina, and well, my roommate. We’re kinda like a small family.”

Alexia nodded. “Oh,” she said with a tone you could not decipher. “That’s good. So, uh, how long have you been with your roommate?”

"It’s been a while since she moved in with us," you responded, not catching what Alexia meant. "Honestly, she's been with us since I was twenty. So, I really can't imagine not having her around."

Alexia nodded slowly. The car went silent for a moment, except for the sound from Alexia’s GPS. She hesitated before asking. “So, doesn’t she get jealous? Like, considering what you do for work?”

You frowned, pausing before looking over at Alexia in confusion. “Why would she be jealous…”

Then it clicked. You looked at her, and the realization broke across your face in a smile you couldn't help. "Oh, you’re fishing," you said. "You are absolutely fishing right now."

"I'm just asking," Alexia said, trying to look casual and nonchalant about it but you could tell she was bluffing.

"You're trying to find out if I'm single." You said, just making it clear.

"...and what if I am?" Alexia responded, a smile growing on her face.

You laughed, shaking your head. For one, there was no way in hell you and Rocío could ever date; you were practically sisters at this point. Secondly, the fact that Alexia Putellas seemed a bit jealous for a moment….

"Alexia. I wouldn't have kissed you if I wasn't." The words left your mouth before you could think better of it. You felt your face go hot but you didn’t take it back. You really didn’t want to bring up the kiss and yet your mouth got the best of you.

Alexia glanced at you, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, and you quickly looked away.

"Well," she responded, tone light. "I thought maybe that's why you ran off so fast."

You sighed and shook your head. "No. No, that's not…" you exhaled, trying to get your thoughts straight before responding again. "Alexia, I don't usually do that with clients. I mean — I've never done that with a client. I should have been more professional. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Hey." Her voice was easy, looking over at you. “Relax."

You stopped, biting your lip.  She turned to look at you at the red light, and her expression was warm and sincere.  "It was nice," she said simply.

You held her gaze, taking the moment for what it was. Looking at her, face illuminated by the street lights and the faint red of the stoplight, accentuating her features. You cherished it: a girl driving you home, telling you she liked kissing you, making you feel giddy in ways you haven’t felt in such a long time. You wanted to hold it a little longer.

Unfortunately, your stomach growled and ruined the moment..

You covered your face with both hands. "Oh my god,” you said, embarrassment rushing through you. “That was not — that was not a fart, I need you to know that."

Alexia bursted out laughing, so much so that she almost didn’t notice that the stoplight had gone green. As she calmed down, she said, “Chica, you didn’t tell me you were hungry.”

You just realized that you hadn't actually eaten anything since noon, when you and Rocío split a sad little sandwich at the café before your shift. You meant to grab something before your shift at Somni but it must have slipped your mind.

Your stomach offered another confirmatory rumble.

Alexia tutted her tongue. "That's it. I'm not taking you home like this." She was already signaling to change lanes, going the opposite direction from what was directed in the GPS. "There's a place I know that's still open. Come on, my treat."

"I have to be up early," you said, waving your hands to gesture refusal "I still have to prepare Aina's breakfast —"

"I'll buy enough so you don't have to cook in the morning." She glanced at you, easy, like it was already settled. "You can't go to sleep on an empty stomach."

You looked at her biting your lip before letting yourself smile. There was just something so attractive about a girl who wanted to be with you so much that she’d find a solution to your excuse. You deserved to revel in it for a moment so you nodded and leaned back into your seat.

"Okay," you said. "Let's go."

⋆˙⟡♡ You moaned embarrassingly loud at the first bite of the fried chicken.

Alexia grinned across from you, her own wing already half-eaten. "Right?"

"This is so fucking good," you said, still chewing, covering your mouth with your hand.

"I know." She reached for a napkin, looking genuinely pleased with herself. "My nutritionist is gonna kill me if she finds out I’m eating fried chicken past midnight in the middle of a season.”

The place was small and loud, wedged between two clubs, full of drunk people who were too drunk out of their minds to notice that Alexia Putellas was sitting in the corner at 1 in the morning, splitting a plate of chicken wings with some random girl. 

You looked at her and thought about how absurd it was seeing her like this. The whole La Reina thing had always seemed like football hyperbole to you until you saw her like this, in an ordinary place, and understood that it wasn't really just about football at all. She had an almost regal aura, the type that just exuded effortless confidence. It didn’t feel like she belonged here.

She caught you looking. "What?"

"Nothing." You dropped your gaze back to your food. "I just didn't picture you as a fried chicken at one in the morning kind of person."

“Oh trust me, I’m not usually. I typically stick to a diet plan from my nutritionist.” She leaned back slightly, amused, tilting her head to the side. "But what did you picture I was like?"

You thought about it genuinely for a second. "I don't know. You seem like the person who only wines and dines,” you answered. “You know, steak, halibut, filet mignon.”

She fully laughed, her laugh melodic. “Filet mignon? I look like I only eat filet mignon?”

You couldn’t help but smile but still rolled your eyes. “I meant… it just seems uncharacteristic of you to be into fast food. At least from what I hear about you.”

“From what you hear about me huh,” she said, raising both eyebrows, face amused. “And what have you heard?”

You just gave her a shrug and continued to eat your chicken, afraid to accidentally slip and reveal that you have been secretly stalking her online since the first time you met. You didn’t want the fact that you did have a crush on her to get to her head.

“Well, I guess you’d learn there are a lot of things about me that might surprise you.” She said, a smile playing on her face as she took a sip of her water.

"Yeah? Like you regularly take strippers out on fried chicken dates?" You responded quickly.

She nearly choked. You watched her grab a napkin, pressing it to her mouth, shoulders shaking even as she tried to compose herself. She chuckled, coughs coming out as she did. She shook her head.  “I mean, I don’t but….” She coughed a bit more, making you chuckle to yourself. As soon as she calmed down, she exhaled and gave you a look, eyes slightly squinted. “Wait, so, this is a date?”

You could feel yourself blush, ashamed at the fact that you said that, but you just tried to play it cool, just giving the Catalan another shrug.  

She shook her head slowly, still smiling to herself. "You can call it a date," she nodded. "If you want to."

You put down the chicken wing you had been munching on onto the paper tray before grabbing a paper towel to wipe the sauce off of your hands. You sighed, shaking your head. "I don't think I want my first date in years to be me in an old, ratty tank top at a fried chicken shop full of drunk people."

Alexia’s eyes widened, in disbelief. "Years?"

You scoffed but felt a bit embarrassed. "I'm busy, okay?" You reached for your water. "I have a little sister and two jobs. You try living my life and let’s see if you’ve got time to date.”

Alexia held her hands up in surrender but she was still smiling, and you looked away feeling your energy shift a bit, suddenly feeling out-of-place. She must have noticed your expression because her face grew serious, straightening up her posture.

“Well, you know,” she started, tone careful. “If I were to actually date you, I’d take you somewhere more special, not some small chicken shop. If you’d let me, I’d love to—”

“It’s getting late,” you interrupted, nodding and avoiding her gaze. As much as you enjoyed tonight, how you were able to get to know her more, you knew that hoping for anything more than this was foolish. 

This wasn't going anywhere real. Not beyond this booth and this chicken and whatever had already happened between you. The distance between your lives wasn't the kind of thing you could close just by wanting to.

When you finally checked your phone, you sighed, seeing that it actually was way too late. "I really have to go."

Her face dropped but she just nodded. “Yeah, okay,” she said, nodding. “I’ll just order something for Aina then we can go.”

You crossed your arms and nodded, giving her a small smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes.

⋆˙⟡♡ Rocío headed to the moka pot, pouring herself a cup of coffee, looking curiously at you as you took out the reheated chicken from the air fryer. She furrowed her eyebrows together. "Fried chicken for breakfast?" Rocío asked. 

"Complaining?" you said, moving past her to the fridge. 

"No, just surprised." She turned to watch you, brown hair in a bun that bounced slightly as she walked towards you. "Good tips last night, I assume?"

You grabbed the orange juice and poured yourself a glass. "You could say that." You said with a suggestive tone.

She frowned and opened her mouth as if to say something but Aina came padding out of her room, hair still damp and unbrushed, nose already sniffing about. She stopped in the middle of the kitchen and looked at you.

"Do I smell chicken?” She asked.

You nodded. “Yeah, come, have some, I just heated the chicken up.” You smiled. “I packed you some for lunch too.”

Aina beamed, giddily getting into her chair, grabbing one with her tiny hands. “I thought you didn’t want me eating too much unhealthy food,” she said, sauce all over her mouth. 

You smiled. “I had some last night after work and thought it’d be unfair if you didn’t have any.” You responded. 

Rocío looked at you over the top of Aina's head with an expression that communicated that you were going to sit down and tell her everything the moment that child was out of earshot. You took a long sip of your orange juice and gave her a small smirk without saying anything at all, which she understood to mean she was completely right.

⋆˙⟡♡ You weren't supposed to be here today.

You had Mondays off and you usually spent your free day either catching up on sleep or treating yourself to a self-date or even a massage, if you had the money. Instead, you were coming to Somni to have a client meeting with Alexia.

Not that you had any complaints. You were going to get paid to plan and well, being around Alexia never really was all that bad. So, when Alexia asked if she could come over to continue planning, you didn’t hesitate too much.

The club was in its pre-shift chaos when Alexia arrived, walking up to you in your area where you were lazily scrolling through your phone and sipping on your coffee. To Alexia, the sight of you was a sharp contrast to everyone else who was moving in every direction, zipping each other up in costumes, gluing lashes and having multiple, overlapping conversations.

“Girlfriend alert,” Sol blurted out as she passed by your station, borrowing your setting spray without even asking.

You looked up from your phone to see Alexia walking towards you, dressed in a sleeveless black top and baggy jeans sitting low on her hips, waist showing and arms bare. Two of your coworkers noticed her before you could even get to her and you caught your co-worker’s looks as you did. You were going to hear about this later.

She smiled, then let her eyes drift around the room, taking it in. "Gets busy here, huh?"

"That was why I asked you to meet earlier," you said, and then immediately softened it because you hadn't meant it to come out quite that way. "It gets hectic here at this time."

"Yeah, but I really couldn’t meet any earlier. I had crazy meetings," She said with a shrug. Her eyes scanned you as she said it. 

You were out-of-costume today but you were slightly made-up today. You were wearing a strappy, black top and jeans. You didn’t have much product on your face since on your days off, you liked to let your skin breathe but you did have some tinted moisturizer and a light lip gloss. 

Alexia smiled, thinking to herself that she liked this version of you more. "We kinda match," She said instead, gesturing towards your outfits. “That’s cute.”

You chose not to engage with that particular observation but that didn’t make you blush any less. "Uh, I think we should go to the private room," you said, gesturing to the private rooms. "We're not going to get anything done out here with all this happening."

She nodded and let you lead the way.

⋆˙⟡♡ You headed to the same room you were in before. You pushed the door open and crossed to the light panel on the wall, turning on only the fluorescents instead of the red lights. You didn’t want to create too much ambience like you did last time.

Alexia closed the door from behind her. You settled onto the couch and pulled up your notes app, waiting for Alexia to sit next to you. Instead, she drifted toward the costume racks, fingers trailing along hangers, carefully looking through the clothes. 

You just let her explore, figuring it’d be less unnerving than with her sitting next to you, hazel eyes gazing at you as she did.

"Tell me about Cata," you said. "What does she like, music-wise? What kind of energy is she?"

"Uh, well, upbeat?" Alexia said, still moving along the rack, not looking at you. "I know she likes reggaeton, pop. Y’know, energetic music." She paused somewhere in the middle and her hand stopped moving, and then she turned around holding the Little Bo Peep costume out in front of her on its hanger, apron and crook and all. Her face beamed with amusement "Please tell me this is yours."

"No way. That was Sol’s," you said, waving the costume off dismissively before continuing in your questioning. "So... Cata likes upbeat, maybe something more dance-heavy. Would you want it to stay mostly in that lane or would you want a mix of different styles, because I was thinking of pulling in one of Sol's other pieces, there's this burlesque number she does with a giant martini glass. It’s very theatrical and classic but I do think it costs a bit more, given all the work that goes into it.”

"A mix sounds good," Alexia said, barely paying attention as she returned the costume to the rack. "Whatever you think works. Keep your solo in though. I liked it."

You made a note. She was already moving further down the rack. You watched her for a second before looking back at your phone.

A sound escaped Alexia’s lips, something that sounded a lot like delight, like she found something interesting. You looked up and she was holding out a blaugrana bikini top and tiny matching shorts, clearly a nod to Barça. "Did you–”

"Absolutely not,” you responded, interrupting her. “One of the retired girls wore that. It was from when I was new and before Pilar took over. The old director thought sexy and vulgar were the same thing. That whole performance involved sitting on giant footballs and making sex faces. I don’t think anyone liked the idea except him?”

Alexia laughed, shaking her head at the ridiculous idea. You smiled but tried not to get yourself too carried away from the planning.

"Have you worn any of these?" she asked, still at the rack.

You looked up at Alexia who was already anticipating your answer. She pouted a bit and raised her eyebrows. “C’mon, YN. Indulge me,” she said.

You couldn’t help the smile on your face. You looked down on your phone before rolling your eyes, standing up with a groan. “Fine, just cause you asked nicely.”

You walked towards the other rack beside it. You didn’t have to look for too long because it was immediately apparent what it was. You pulled it off of the hanger and showed it to Alexia

It was a neon pink, high-cut one-piece with ankle warmers tucked into the inner part of the hanger. It looked exactly as bad as you remembered.

Alexia stared at it, looking amused and full of disbelief. "That's an eighties workout instructor outfit."

"Well, It was an eighties workout themed dance," you said, sighing. "My first solo piece. I want you to know that I genuinely almost quit after my first performance. It was so, so bad.”

Alexia chuckled, nodding understandingly. "What kept you?"

"Pilar took over shortly after and retired the whole concept immediately." You put the costume back on its hanger, which was where it belonged, in the past with the rest of that era. "She had an actual vision. The old director just had a permanent boner and no taste."

Alexia laughed but then went quiet. You were half-way back to the couch when you heard Alexia hum. You looked back at her, seeing a small smirk on her face, eyes looking at you with a look you couldn’t figure out.

You tilted her head at her, waiting for her to say what she wanted to say.

"I want to see you in it," she said finally.

You shook your head and put a hand up at her. "No,” you said with finality. “Absolutely not.”

"Just to see what it looks like,” she asked again. “Please?”

"You're looking at it right now." You gestured towards the hanger. “You put it on if you want.”

She bit the inside of her lower lip and the pout resurfaced, eyes pleading. "It's for the bachelorette," she tried. "I need a full sense of what you can do."

You gave her a frown. "That doesn't follow logically."

She just looked at you with a pleading look. You looked away and shook your head, mostly in disbelief with yourself that for a second, you almost let a thirty year old giving you puppy dog eyes convince you to wear that.

"It probably won't even fit the same," you commented.. "I was like twenty when I last wore it."

Alexia shrugged. “I mean, you won’t find out if you don’t try.”

You looked at her and she just looked back at you, already waiting. Something told you that you weren’t going to get any planning done tonight if you didn’t give in to this one request.

You groaned.

"Fine," you said. "But you have to agree to actually plan after I try it on.”

Alexia nodded. “Of course, of course, this is all just part of it.

⋆˙⟡♡ The outfit fit better than you expected and now that your body had grown more mature, it looked even better than before: tighter across the chest and fuller through the hips. You took one last look at yourself in the mirror before adjusting your hair slightly. 

You bit your lip, thankful that you looked pretty good because part of you was worried that you’d look ridiculous, and ridiculous was the last thing you wanted to look like around Alexia Putellas.

You pulled back the curtain from the make-shift changing area and immediately saw Alexia who was now sitting on the seat in front of the stage, sitting forward to face you, alert in a way that was so genuine that it almost made you laugh.

When she saw you, her whole face beamed and she smiled, eyes taking you in as she did.

"Okay," you said, crossing your arms. "You've seen it. Can I change back now?"

Alexia stood up. “No!” She said, taking a step towards you. “I want to see your dance.”

"I don't remember the dance,” you lied, shaking your head

Alexia shrugged. “Then just show me what you remember."

You shifted your weight, suddenly self-conscious and shy. "I don't have the music either."

Alexia chuckled before walking towards you, gently taking your hand and guiding you to the stage. “I have a good imagination,” she shared as if to convince you. “I’ll fill it in.”

You stood there on the stage and looked at her and thought about all the perfectly reasonable things you could say next, all the ways you could redirect this back toward the planning you were supposed to be doing, and then you thought about the fact that it was your day off and you had come in anyway and she was sitting there looking at you like you were the most interesting thing in the room without apparently trying to, and you thought, fine. 

No harm in letting yourself have fun.

“Uh, I guess, there was some of this,” you said, starting off the choreography.

You did a power-pose before continuing the bits that you remembered. It was awfully a lot like those old workout shows except with way more bending over, squats and rolling your hips. Back then, you felt so grossed out every time you were performing it but now, with Alexia, you were kind of enjoying doing parts of the dance as you narrated.

"This part," you said, demonstrating a sequence of counted squats paired with a hip thrust on each beat. "I remember clearly that this was the part that got the most applause"

Alexia tried not to laugh, biting her lip. You pointed at her. “I’m serious,” you said, still laughing. “It was a banger.”

Alexia finally let herself laugh, shaking her head at the ridiculousness of it all. “There’s absolutely no way that this is the actual performance.”

You stopped and gestured at her. “Exactly!” You exclaimed. “I’m telling you. The old Somni just did a bunch of horny bullshit.”

Alexia continued to laugh. You smiled and stepped off the stage and talked directly to her chair, holding out your hand. "Yeah, you're doing this with me,” you urged. “You made me wear this. It’s the least you can do.”

She shook her head and yet allowed you to drag her on stage with you. "I don't know any of it."

“Just think that I’m those instructor ladies and follow,” you said, putting your hands on your hips. 

Alexia sighed, shaking her head but she smoothened her jeans before she got into the same position as you. You instructed her to spread her legs wide before telling her to follow your steps. Alexia did it with some self-consciousness and hesitation.

“Don’t think too much about it,” you reprimanded. “Just try it.”

"Okay, okay, I’m trying.” She said, chuckling. “It’s not exactly easy to do this in jeans.”

“Wanna switch outfits?” You joked.

“Sounds like a threat,” she quipped back jokingly.

You nodded. “It absolutely is. Now, lock in.”

Alexia followed along, struggling to keep up but you made her do all the squats and high kicks anyway. In the middle of it all, there was more laughing than dancing. You stumbled through it but by the time you got to the squats so deep that your bum touched the floor, Alexia was laughing so hard that she was inconsolable, clutching her stomach as she knelt on the stage.

You eventually gave up, sitting beside her, laughing together at the ridiculousness of it all. At this point, you two were too tired and out-of-it to even continue planning.

And yet, you couldn't make yourself care about it even a little bit.

⋆˙⟡♡ The planning sessions happened more often. 

You were seeing Alexia almost every other day, talking and laughing the entire night, barely getting any planning done which gave both of you an excuse to keep seeing each other to actually “plan.”

But you didn’t really mind. Hanging out with Alexia made going to work so much more enjoyable, even if it meant going home later and feeling more physically tired the next morning. 

All of it seemed worth it because every morning after those late-night sessions, you would wake up with an easier feeling. You seemed to have a much lighter disposition too.

You didn’t bother telling Rocío too much about it. You didn’t need her further feeding into your delusions. The last thing you wanted was to be carried away, and actually let yourself get too invested with Alexia. For now, it was light and fun, nothing too serious.  Just like you intended it.

And it worked out pretty well. You managed to keep it a secret and to convince Rocío that the reason why you were coming home late was because of some new promo Somni was doing. Rocío somehow bought it.

Which was why it was so shocking when Aina seemed to notice it before Rocío could even grow suspicious.

On your day off, while you were preparing dinner, Aina watched as you hummed along to the song playing on the speakers. She tilted her head, trying to make sure she was seeing and hearing you right. 

“YN,” she called over from her seat on the dining table.

You looked over to her, raising your eyebrows inquisitively. She paused, hesitating for a while as if she wasn’t sure how to ask, before continuing. “Are you seeing anyone?”

Rocío, who was setting up the table, let out a snort once she heard Aina’s question. You let out a nervous chuckle as you fully turned your body to completely face her, eyebrows furrowed. “Seeing anyone? Why would you think that, Nana?”

You turned back to the tomatoes, shaking your head, hiding the fact that your face was starting to grow pink. From her seat, Aina continued to just look at you, barely paying attention to the video playing on her iPad. She shrugged. “You seem happy lately.” 

You kept your eyes on the food. "What? But I'm always happy,” you tried to sound convincing but even you knew that you weren’t selling it.

"No, I mean like." She said, explaining as she pushed the stray hair from her face. "You’re like a different happy."

"Nothing's different,” you responded with a lighthearted tone. “Maybe I’m just excited for you to taste this pasta I’m cooking.”

Aina hummed, not buying it. You turned to check her reaction. She was looking up, as if thinking to herself. Rocío gave you an amused smile, now incredibly intrigued with the topic, looking at you with an expression of disbelief.

“No, cause you’ve also been coming home later,” she said. “When I wake up in the middle of the night to go to you, you’re usually in bed already. But lately, you don’t get home until even much later.”

Rocío chuckled. “You’ve got a point, Nana.”

Aina nodded, looking validated. “And the other night, YN, I was pretending to be asleep beside you when I heard you giggling while looking at your phone,” she said more accusatorily. “And I’m sure you weren’t just looking at memes.”

You sighed, trying to think quickly, wiping your hands on a kitchen towel. "I… have new friends at work. One of them sent me a funny photo,” you lied.

Aina squinted, still not buying it. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind if you had a girlfriend.  It’d actually be nice for you to have some romance in your life.”

At this point, Rocío was fully laughing at the sound of the little girl talking so maturely. Aina looked over to her then at you, shrugging as if she didn’t understand why you two were laughing at her. “I’m serious,” she commented, frowning and shaking her head. “I might get a partner before you do at this point, YN,” she looked pointedly at Rocío. “You too, Rocío.”

You and Rocío exchanged glances, as if you couldn’t believe what Nana was saying. 

You chuckled, thinking that you certainly had to be more careful around your sister now.

⋆˙⟡♡ You smiled to yourself as you read Alexia’s text after that night’s performance. She instructed you to wait for her in the private room, which was now becoming your regular space.

You changed out of your costume hurriedly and headed to the room, waiting patiently as you sat on the stage where you two usually liked to sit. Alexia showed up soon after, carrying a heavy-looking totebag, bearing a smile already.

You smiled at her, feeling your heart flutter as she flashed her smile at you. Alexia was so good-looking that you weren’t sure when you would get used to it. Weeks later and she was still giving you butterflies just by smiling at you.

“Took you long enough,” you jokingly said.

She shrugged. “Sorry, I had to get something from the car before I headed here.”

You raised your eyebrows, waiting for her to elaborate. 

She stopped in front of you before grabbing a bottle of wine from her tote bag. “Thought we could do some wine tasting,” she handed it to you before taking another one out of the bag. “I figured out you could help me decide which wine we should have for Cata’s bachelorette.”

You looked at the bottle then back at her and the giddy look on her face. “Pretty sure wine tasting  requires more than two bottles," you said to Alexia who was now sitting beside you on the stage. “You just wanna drink, don’t you?”

“And you don’t?” Alexia counterd

You chuckled. “Never said that.”

Alexia chuckled, pulling out two flimsy-looking, plastic wine glasses out of her tote bag and a wine opener. She smiled and took the wine bottle from your hand, opening it up and pouring you both a glass. 

You took yours from her. “Plastic wine glasses?” you said as you made a face at her before taking a sip of the wine.

She rolled her eyes. “Awful lot of complaints from a girl who's drinking 200-euro wine for free.”

You stopped drinking, shaking your head. “200 euros? What business do we have drinking wine that costs that much while on the floor of a strip club?”

She gave you a shrug and a chuckle. “I told you – wine tasting.” She gestured for you to clink glasses. “Salut.”

“Salut,” you said with a small smile, clinking with Alexia before taking another sip, finally able to appreciate it more now. “Mmm, smooth.”

Alexia nodded before grabbing the other bottle and opening it up. “Guess how much this one cost.”

You glanced at the bottle, seeing a familiar label, chuckling to yourself. “Oh I know a 7-euro bottle when I see one,” you smiled. “I’ve finished one of those all by myself several times before.”

Alexia smiled. “Then consider this a reunion between old friends.”

After you finished your glass, she refilled it with the cheaper wine. You swirled it around your glass, mimicking an actual wine taster, sniffing it before drinking it, smacking your lips pretentiously. “Ahhh, yes, tastes like supermarket wine.”

Alexia took a sip of hers and shook her head. “Personally, I don’t think I can tell that much of a difference,” she commented.

“Maybe that’s because the 200-euro one is something you’re used to,” you responded. “I can definitely taste the difference.” 

Alexia shrugged. “I like it better with some Pepsi anyway.”

You chuckled, rolling your eyes before trying to finish the wine from your glass just so you could taste more of the expensive one. It wasn’t everyday you could enjoy good wine with a gorgeous footballer.

Alexia took one more sip of hers, eyes fixed on you, before asking. “So, why don’t we make this wine tasting a bit more interesting?”

You hummed. “Hmm, are you gonna tell me you got some tapas hidden in that bag too?”

Alexia laughed. “Unfortunately not,” she said. “I meant… maybe we should get to know each other. Ask questions while we drink.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Haven’t we been doing that? I don’t think we’ve planned anything in the last few meetings we’ve had just because all we’ve done is get to know each other.”

She shrugged. “Not enough. All you talk about is work.”

You hummed, thinking as you sipped on your wine. “Okay, let’s do it only if we’re back to business next session. No more impromptu dance sessions and wine tastings.”

Alexia chuckled. “Yeah, promise.”

⋆˙⟡♡ The rules to Alexia’s drinking game were simple. You asked each other questions and if you didn't want to answer you drank instead without having to explain.

It started light. She asked you about your best and worst experiences working at Somni, about how you ended up here. She asked about Aina, how it felt like raising her, and how you met Rocío. On the other hand, you asked her about if all the fame and accolades got to her head. You asked about dealing with fans, the pressure of football.

But after you were halfway through both wine bottles, the questions got more personal and intimate, forcing you two to even drink more too.

Alexia hummed, an expression on her face that told you she was about to ask something scandalous. “Hmm, have you ever felt yourself get aroused while performing for a client?”

You hummed, making her wait for the answer. “I guess you can say that,” you responded, not wanting to drink. Alexia waited for you to elaborate but you waved her off. “You only asked if I had been and not how it was like.”

Alexia bit her lip, eyes heavy with inebriation and playful look on her face. At this point, she was resting on the stage, partially laying down and propping herself up with her hand by her side. “I have a good guess as to who though.” She said with a wink.

You rolled your eyes. “You’re too conceited.”

Alexia just chuckled. “Okay, your turn.”

You hummed, thinking your question through. You looked at Alexia, who was anticipating your question. You moved your head closer to her. "Is there actually a bachelorette or is it mostly just an excuse to come see me?"

Alexia’s smile dropped for a moment before it came back, a bit shyer. She chuckled as she looked down at her glass, just briefly, and then back at you. 

"I mean, there is a bachelorette,” she paused. “But… the planning is mostly bullshit.”

You chuckled. Alexia bit her lip. “Is that embarrassing to admit?" she asked, blush spreading across her face. You held the answer and sat with it for a second. Then you picked up your glass and drank.

Alexia widened her eyes, realizing she had wasted her question. “No, no fair,” she said. “You knew that wasn’t an actual question.”

You gave her a coy smile and a shrug. “Sounded like an actual question to me,” you chuckled. “My turn again.”

Alexia sighed, rolled her eyes but gestured for you to go on. 

You looked at her. The wine was sitting warm in you and you were suddenly aware of how close she was and of the way she was looking at you. You smiled at her before looking away again.

You paused before you finally asked. "Why didn't you just ask me out?" you asked. "Instead of making up this whole elaborate reason to see me."

Alexia looked at you for a moment before looking away again, shifting her focus on the wine glass. She swirled it around a couple of times. "Well, if I did," she said, pausing to lock eyes with you. "Would you have said yes?"

You held her gaze for just a moment, looking between both her eyes as she looked at you with a sincerity that could not be faked. You smirked at her before finally raising your glass to your lips, taking another sip.

Alexia exhaled a short disbelieving laugh, shaking her head. "That's not fair. This really is not fair.”

“You gotta learn your lesson, Putellas.” you teased.

“I’m drunk,” she reasoned out, pouting. “It’s hard to keep up with this game, okay?”

“You made it!” You countered.

Alexia huffed. “Well, I still hate it.”

You laughed at her. “Okay, my turn again.”

Alexia sighed and waited.

You leaned in closer to her, making her wait for the question. "Is it obvious…" you started. She turned to look at you, waiting, eyes flickering between your eyes and lips. You smirked before continuing. "Is it obvious that I want to kiss you right now?"

Alexia’s eyebrow raised a bit, smiling to herself. She held your gaze before putting down her glass then taking yours, setting it aside with hers. Then she just looked at you, biting her lip.

“Well?” you prodded. “Is it —”

Suddenly, Alexia grabbed your face, capturing your lips with hers. She moved closer to you and you let her, holding onto her shoulders now. Alexia snaked her arm around your waist, gently laying you down onto the hardwood stage as she made her way on top of you, parting your legs so that she could slot herself between it.

Her kiss wasn’t tentative at all. You could feel it: all the tension from the last meetings you’ve had in this room, the fact that neither of you acknowledged in detail what happened between you two before. It felt like she was holding onto it for so long and was letting all of it out now.

Alexia’s left hand found its way under your shirt, gripping your waist with a firmness that felt almost possessive. You felt her tongue swipe against your lips, waiting for you to part her lips more as her tongue entered it. You moaned as she deepened the kiss, arching your back into her.

You pressed your tongue firmly against hers, following her lead. Alexia’s moan vibrated in your mouth. Alexia’s lips gave yours one last peck before she pressed one on the cheek beside it, then your jaw, then your neck. A sharp inhale left your mouth as you felt her mouth form a suction on your neck, kissing it in a way you were certain would leave a mark.

You wrapped your arms around her, overwhelmed with pleasure. Alexia put both her hands behind you before swiftly and effortlessly lifting you up and smoothly changing your positions so that you were straddling her lap.

Her hands now settled on your hip, just above your denim shorts, gripping tightly before guiding your hips to grind against her lap. Alexia continued to kiss your neck as you did, a string of soft moans escaping your mouth.

You began to move your hips on your own, settling nicely with one of her thighs slotted in between your legs. You continued to grind against her, biting your lip and tilting your head back in pleasure. Alexia’s hands now moved to the bottom of your tank top, pulling it upward to take it off, leaving you completely topless.

“No bra,” Alexia hummed it against your neck, not as a question, more as a statement. She pulled away to look at you, to take in the sight of you, pupils practically blown out at this point. “You’re so gorgeous.”

Before you could react, her hands were on your body as she captured your breasts with her mouth. You moaned louder at the sensation of her warm mouth on your nipple, continuing to grind against her as you felt her tongue move against it, moving in circles before flicking it up and down.

You felt her bite at it lightly, eliciting a louder reaction from you, before wrapping her mouth once more around it. Alexia’s other hand moved onto your other boob, squeezing it against her hand before rolling your nipples with her hands, pinching lightly at it to mimic what she was doing with her mouth.

You were so overwhelmed by the sensation and the feeling of Alexia pleasuring your chest that it took you over a minute to realize that your phone was ringing. You frowned to yourself at first, thinking about what was making that annoying sound, before finally realizing that it was your phone.

Your eyes opened quickly, tapping Alexia to stop, getting up so fast that the room tilted a bit as you did. You grabbed your top from the stage floor, haphazardly covering yourself up with it, as you crossed the room quickly, rummaging through your bag to get your phone.

You cursed once you saw the time on the blindingly bright screen. It was almost 5 am – the time you typically woke up to prepare for Aina’s day. Rocío was calling.

“Hola? Yeah, is Aina okay?” You said, clutching the top closely to your chest.

“Yeah, she isn’t up yet,” Rocío said in a hushed but concerned voice. “Where are you? I woke up and you still weren’t here.”

You bit your lip and looked over at Alexia who was looking at you from the stage, looking equally frazzled. “I, uh —” You stumbled for a reason. “I was with a client.”

Rocío went silent. “It’s Alexia, isn’t it?” She asked. 

“Well,” you said, nervously bringing your thumb to your mouth, slightly nipping at the nail. 

“So, Aina was right,” Rocío said, tone pleased but also accusatory. “God, I can’t believe you’ve been hiding this from me. I hate you, ugh, but whatever, that’s besides the point. Aina’s gonna wake up soon and I don’t know how to explain to her why you’re not home yet at this time.”

“Uh, just tell her I went on a run,” you responded as you struggled to singlehandedly put your top back on. 

“A run.” Rocío deadpanned. 

“I don’t know, Rocío, but I’ll be there soon. Just take care of it before I get there,” You said, hurriedly grabbing your stuff, slinging the bag on your shoulder before hanging up. 

You turned to Alexia. “I, uh, I gotta go.”

She didn't argue. She was already reaching for her phone. "Clearly, I can’t drive us but I can book an Uber. I'm taking you home."

"You don't have to do that, I can book it myself.” You said, scrolling through your app lists.

"You're not getting a cab at four in the morning by yourself." She said it plainly, not like a discussion. "I’m gonna make sure you get home safe."

⋆˙⟡♡ You sat beside Alexia in the back of the car with her jacket pulled around you, watching the blocks go past, neither of you talking.

She was warm beside you, her arm against yours. She was looking straight ahead, watching the street.

When the car pulled up outside your building she got out with you, which you hadn't expected. You thought she was literally just going to drop you off. Instead, she shut the door behind her as the Uber drove off.

“How are you getting home?”

She shrugged casually, both hands in her pockets. “I can just get another Uber.”

You nodded, biting your lip as you stood facing each other on the sidewalk in front of your place, feeling the cold morning air nip at your exposed cheeks. 

"I should go up," you said as you took her jacket off, handing it back to her.

She nodded as she took it from you, not moving yet. She gave you a small smile and an expression you could not read. "Say hi to Aina for me,” she said.

You looked at her flatly. "I will absolutely not be doing that,” you responded. “She has no clue you and I are… hanging out. And if she finds out, I doubt I’ll ever hear the end of it.”

Alexia laughed. "Fair point."

After the chuckles dissipated, you both just stood there for a moment longer, as if neither of you knew what to say at this point. You crossed your arms, starting to feel more of the cold against your skin without her jacket. You watched a car pass on the street behind her before awkwardly looking down on your feet, trying to piece your words together as you did, still feeling a bit light-headed from the wine.

"Look," you started, trying to sound firm and serious. "I like this. All of this, the last few weeks, I've liked it more than I probably should have let myself." You nodded, watching Alexia’s expression. 

You sighed, looking away again, feeling uneasy with the way those hazel eyes looked at you so earnestly. "But I have a life that I actually have to be present for,” you continued. “I have Aina; she relies on me. I can't just lose track of time because I'm having a good night and roll through the door at four in the morning like I don't have anyone counting on me. I'm not in a position to be careless about it." 

You stopped. You hadn't entirely meant to say that much. But now, it was out there and you felt slightly exposed by it. You nodded, almost to yourself, as if urging you to get it done and over with.

“And quite frankly, I can’t keep playing flirty event planner anymore. I really enjoy it – I promise I do – but I don’t think it’s good for either of us to keep up this illusion that this is going somewhere,”  you said, exhaling as you locked eyes with her again.  “I just need you to understand that,"

Alexia was quiet for a moment. She hadn't looked away from you and there was nothing defensive or hurt in her expression. She looked like she was actually listening to what you were saying and taking it in, trying to understand your situation.

After a moment, she nodded. "I understand," she said.

You looked at her and nodded. "Good."

She gave you a small shrug then a small smile. "So then let's do it properly."

You frowned. “What?”

"No more showing up after your shift when it's already late. No more pretending the bachelorette is the point when we both know it's not." She said it calmly, like she'd been thinking about it too. "Let me take you out on a real date. I'll pick you up, we'll have a proper night, and I'll have you home before the clock strikes midnight.” She chuckled at her own joke.

You bit your lip, certainly not expecting Alexia to actually ask you out. You had said to yourself that you weren’t going to let yourself get too deep into this thing with Alexia, that you were going to keep your walls up and your boundaries clear. And yet, as she said those words, you felt an immense wave of relief, as if your subconscious had been waiting for her to ask you that.

"A real date," you said, almost to yourself as if just to hear it.

"A real date," she confirmed.

You stood there on the pavement outside your building, the wine mostly worn off now, the morning quiet enough that you could hear yourself think. 

You looked at Alexia again, taking the look of her in, and just how different she looked now. You noticed how the early morning made her hair look lighter, how she looked softer at this hour, how her eyes had a different glean to them.

You were used to seeing Alexia in the dark of the club, to seeing her as a client and to keep that line between you clearly drawn. And yet here she was – standing outside with you in the early morning, looking at you with the most genuine expression you had seen. You were, quite literally, seeing her in a different light.

And something about it was making it harder for you to stop yourself from giving in.

"Okay," you said quietly. "I'd like that."

The smile that crossed her face was small, almost private and restrained, as if she was trying hard not to react too much. "Good," she said with a nod. “That’s good.”

You felt your own smile grow on your face before you could stop it. You looked down at the pavement for a moment because looking at her again. "Good," you said back.

You stood facing each other awkwardly, not moving or saying anything for a moment. You laughed first, feeling a mixture of giddy and awkward at the situation. She caught it and smiled again, wider this time.

"I’ll text you the details," she said with a smile. “But for now, maybe you should get to your sister.”

You nodded. “Yeah,” you said as you took a couple steps back toward your building, biting your lip. “Guess this means I’ll see you soon?”

Alexia smiled wider. “Guess you will.”

You bit your lip, nodding before fully turning to walk back to your building. “Good night, Alexia.” you said one last time as you looked back at her.

She chuckled. "Good morning, YN."

a/n: ack long ass chapter. i'm sorry it took so long but i hope it was worth it. barely had time to proofread; ill do it after i post hahaha anyway, please comment if u want to be added to the taglist to be notified for the next part!

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[purplereina11]

You and Alexia Putellas have never liked each other. She thinks you’re uptight and impossible to please. You think she’s arrogant, emotionally unavailable, and incapable of committing to anyone for longer than a few months. The only thing you have in common are your best friends, a happily married couple with a one year old daughter. But when a tragic accident leaves that little girl orphaned, everything changes, because hidden inside their will is one final surprise. They named you and Alexia as the legal guardians.

Masterlist

The first time you met Alexia Putellas, she flirted with the waitress while her date was in the bathroom, that pretty much told you everything you needed to know about her.

Your best friend Sofia had spent months insisting Alexia was “actually really sweet once you got to know her,” but all you saw was arrogance wrapped in expensive perfume and cocky charm. She always walked into rooms like she owned them, like people should be grateful she acknowledged them and worse she knew it.

Alexia thought you were impossible, too guarded, too stubborn, too quick to judge her before she’d even opened her mouth. Every dinner with your mutual friends ended the same way, sharp comments, eye rolls, sarcastic digs disguised as jokes.

The only reason you tolerated each other at all was because of Sofia and her wife Marta, Alexia’s long suffering personal trainer. They were disgustingly in love. The kind of couple who danced in the kitchen while cooking. The kind who left voice notes just to say “drive safe.” The kind who made everyone else at the table feel painfully single.

And then one rainy Thursday night, they were gone.

A drunk driver crossed the centre line on the motorway, neither survived.

You still remembered the way the hospital waiting room spun around you when the social worker gently explained there had been a will.

A plan in the event something happened to both of them.

You and Alexia had been named legal guardians of their one year old daughter, Olivia.

You actually laughed at first not because it was funny, because it made absolutely no sense.

“You’ve got the wrong people,” you told them immediately, voice numb, “There’s no way Sofia chose us.” But she had.

Apparently, months ago over wine and dinner and one of those stupid hypothetical conversations nobody thinks will ever matter. Who would take Olivia if something happened?

Marta had chosen Alexia, Sofia had chosen you, and together, they’d decided Olivia deserved both.

Which was how, three days later, you found yourself standing in Sofia and Marta’s apartment holding a screaming toddler while Alexia argued with a car seat instruction manual like it had personally insulted her.

“This is impossible.”

“It literally clicks in.”

“It does not click in.”

“You’re a professional athlete and you’re losing a fight to plastic.”

Alexia shot you a glare sharp enough to cut glass, “Why is she crying again?”

“She’s one, Alexia.”

“Well what does she want?”

You stared at her in disbelief, “You seriously don’t know?”

“I know footballers, not babies.”

Olivia’s cries only got louder, for one awful second, silence settled between you and Alexia, not angry silence. Scared silence, because underneath the fighting, resentment and grief, the truth sat heavily in the room neither of you knew how to do this and neither of you could walk away.

Olivia needed you.

So when Alexia finally looked at the baby trembling in your arms, eyes red from crying, something in her expression cracked. Just for a second, fear, real fear, “She keeps looking for them,” Alexia whispered quietly.

The comment hit like a punch to the chest, because she was right. Every time the apartment door opened, Olivia turned her head expectantly.

Every time a phone rang, she perked up, waiting, still waiting for her mothers to come home and suddenly your anger toward Alexia didn’t feel nearly as important as the tiny little girl caught between both of your grief.

“She liked when Sofia sang to her,” you murmured.

Alexia swallowed hard, “Marta used to bounce her when she got fussy.”

The baby hiccuped another sob, then slowly, awkwardly, Alexia stepped closer, “Can I…?”

You hesitated before carefully handing Olivia over, at first she looked unnatural in Alexia’s arms, all long limbs and uncertainty but then Olivia grabbed onto the front of her hoodie with tiny fists, and Alexia completely froze. Like that tiny hand had shattered something open inside her.

“She trusts you,” you whispered before you could stop yourself.

Alexia looked down at Olivia, devastated, “No,” she said softly. “This is Marta's”

------

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

[putellas14]

Friends to Lovers (An “It Was Only a Matter of Time” fic) - Alexia x Reader

Warnings: Explicit content. Minors DNI.

If you haven't read It Was Only a Matter of Time yet, I'd highly encourage you to read that first. This takes place between ficlet 1 and ficlet 2.

Alexia made it exactly 3 hours after you arrived in Ibiza. You'd landed a day after everyone else and so when you walked into the rental house, everyone was already outside enjoying the pool and recovering from a hangover from the night before. You saw Alexia in her bright red bikini sitting on the edge of the pool with Vir, talking. You'd texted her to let her know you were on your way from the airport and had gotten a string of hearts and kissy face emojis in response.

It was like she sensed you. As soon as you walked out of the house, her eyes snapped to you, and she faltered in her conversation. You awkwardly waved at her. This was the first time you two were seeing each other since the morning she left for Barcelona. And it was true, you had talked every day. But seeing her, here in the flesh, was so different from seeing her through a screen. You were less sure of yourself here. You didn't know if you could just rush to her and haul her into a hug. You didn't know if you should approach with a small kiss. You didn't know what steps to take to not make a fool of yourself in front of Alexia.

As if she could see the turmoil on your face, she stood, carefully walking along the edge of the pool towards safer ground. And then sprinted. Full force. Right into you. You had enough wherewithal to brace before she slammed into you, and were glad when you managed to stay upright.

"You made it!" she said, squeezing her arms around your shoulders, grin massive on her face.

"Hi, babe," you sighed into her neck, keeping your arms locked tight around her waist. She smelled incredible, like that rose body wash she had always preferred. Not like a girl who had been sitting, baking, out in the Spanish sun for hours.

She pulled back just enough to take your face in her hands and kiss you. You moved in perfect sync with each other. Her pushing, you pulling. As her tongue explored your mouth, you were both hit with freezing cold water. You jerked away from her.

"What the hell?" You glared at Leila, who was standing next to you holding an empty cup.

"Get a room," she tossed out.

"If you say so," Alexia said. She held out her hand to you, and when you took it, lacing your fingers together, she led you into the house. "Is this yours?" she asked pointing at the suitcase by the front door. You nodded and she took it in her other hand, rolling it behind her. "I'll show you where you're sleeping." The two of you walked through the house and down a flight a stairs, coming to a door at the end of the hall. She pushed opened the door and stepped through with you.

There was a beautiful view of the ocean from the room. You took in the simple room around you - the king size bed, small side tables, the large mirror in the corner propped against the wall, and a few bags, already sitting in the opposite corner.

"I figured we could share a room. I hope you don't mind," Alexia said nervously.

You obviously didn't mind sharing a bed with Alexia. The two of you had shared beds hundreds of times over the year. You were also logical enough to know that you and Alexia would probably end up having sex on this trip. Sharing a room, sharing a bed, wasn't something you were concerned about.

But it was the way Alexia was looking at you. Nervously, like she wasn't sure if she had overstepped some unspoken boundary. Your favorite little crease was forming between her eyes as she watched you.

Not wanting her worry to drag on, you brought your linked hands up to your lips and pressed a kiss to her fingers. "Wouldn't have it any other way," you said, looking at her over the top of clasped hands. "Here, let me," you said gently, gesturing towards your bag. Taking it from her, you put it on the bed and unzipped it. You'd packed your swimsuits on top, knowing today was a pool day.

"I'll wait outside," Alexia said.

You didn't say anything, just let her go. You weren't shy, and the both of you had been in locker rooms with each other for years. But things were different now. Maybe that meant the rules were different too. You didn't think too hard about that. There was time to figure all that out still. A lifetime if you had your way.

You changed quickly into the emerald green bikini you had bought for this trip. It left very little to the imagination, leaving all your muscles on perfect display. Looking at yourself one more time in the mirror, you shut your suitcase and moved it off the bed.

Alexia was leaning back against the wall waiting for you when you stepped out into the hall. One of her long legs was bent, her foot resting against the wall under her. She let her eyes slowly work up you, taking in every detail that was now on full display. Your body had changed since you'd moved to England. Where before you were skinny, now your muscles had filled out. You no longer looked like a kid but had become a woman.

"This might be the best swimsuit you've ever worn," Alexia said.

"Thanks. It's new." You reached out to touch her hip. "Ready to go back to the pool?"

"In a minute." She looked up at you expectantly, waiting for you to catch the hint that she wanted another kiss. Smiling at her, you leaned down, letting your lips find hers. But only for a second.

"Last one to the pool has to make the bed all week," you said quickly, running in the direction of the pool.

"Cheater!" Alexia yelled, running after you.

You let Alexia win, grabbing her around the waist and canon-balling into the pool with her. She came up, sputtering and pushing her wet hair out her face. You grinned at her, your face already hurting from how wide your smile was.

"You asshole!" She pushed your shoulder and when you just laughed in response, she went for your head, dunking you under the water.

You took the opportunity while you were down there to graze your fingers over her thighs. She let you go almost immediately and you floated back to the top.

"Even?" you asked.

She just nodded at you, eyes wide, mouth slightly slack.

"You want something to drink?" you asked, swimming to the side and hoisting yourself out of the pool. You glanced down at Alexia and found her staring. "Babe? You want a drink?

Alexia dunked her head back under the water for a moment. When she came back up, she closed her eyes, tipping her head back to sweep her hair off her face. "I'll take a beer," she said, not opening her eyes yet.

"You got it." You went in search of the cooler. You found it tucked away in a shaded spot of the patio. Opening it, you dug around, looking for something you knew Alexia would like.

"Y/L/N," Vir said.

"Vir, hi. How you doing?"

"Better now that Ale is better." There was something sharp in the way she said it.

You grabbed the two beers and straightened, closing the lid of the cooler. "We cool?" you asked cautiously.

"We will be if you never break her again."

Your heart pounded in your chest. Tears burned the back of your eyes, an immediate response that you had no control over. Thinking about the last year, your heart hurt. For yourself and for Alexia. You both had wasted so much time. Had hurt each other so much.

"I love her, Vir. She's it for me." You looked across the patio, where Alexia had pulled herself out of the pool and was laying on a chair next to Leila. "I'll never break her again," you said with as much conviction as you could muster when your heart was in your throat. "At least on purpose. Because if I do, it'll break me too."

Satisfied with that, Vir nodded and left you standing there. You took a minute to yourself. The year without Alexia had been such a dark time for you. You had survived, finding people in London that you cared for deeply. But no one had filled the Alexia-shaped hole that was ingrained in your soul. No one could ever fill that hole other than Alexia. She'd been it for you since you were teenagers and now that you had her, you weren't ever letting her go.

Not intending on wasting any time, you went back over to her, pulling a chair closer to her. You held the beer bottle out to her. "Here you go."

She smiled at you, taking the bottle. Studying your face, she scrunched her eyebrow and reached out to rub a hand over your shoulder. You knew how tight it probably felt. "Everything okay?"

You looked at her, taking in everything about her face. The way the crease on the left side of her smile was deeper but longer on the right side. The way her eyes held yours, waiting for you, nothing but gentleness and kindness in those big beautiful brown eyes. The way her smile started to falter the longer you sat there, not saying anything. How had you ever let this break? This woman knew every bit of you and had shown up every day for you.

"All good, gorgeous," you finally managed. You dropped a kiss to her collarbone. "Ready to get this vacation going," you said easily. You turned in your chair, stretching out your legs in front of you.

"You're too far," she whined. Instead of waiting for you to move, she put a hand under your chair and pulled it towards her until your chairs were right next to each other, no space left between you. People shouted across the patio at her for causing such an abrupt loud noise.

"Well alright then," you said with a small laugh. You tipped your head back, letting it rest against the chair and closed your eyes, intending on taking a nap.

You made it 5 minutes. A hand landed on your leg. Your eyes snapped open and you looked down. Slowly, torturously slowly, it slid toward the middle of your thighs. Alexia's hand stopped just short of where you wanted her, just pushing on the boundaries of what their friends would likely tolerate from them. You glanced at her, eyes wide, but she was completely engrossed in her conversation with Leila. When her fingers flexed into your thigh, you bit back a groan. You adjusted your hips, trying to squeeze your thighs together without drawing any attention. You needed to relieve some of the pressure that was so quickly building. You saw the corner of Alexia's lip turn up into a smirk.

You barely registered Leila stand up, your mind hyper-focused on the hand between your legs. Alexia turned her body towards you, dragging her hand across the top of your thigh to rest in the space between you.

"Ale, what are you doing?" you whispered.

"Nothing," she said innocently. "Can't I touch my girlfriend if I want?"

"Yeah. On my head, my arms, my chest, whatever. But not there!" you hissed. "We're surrounded by our friends."

Alexia straightened, leaning her weight on her hands so she could get closer to you. "Just making sure we're ready for lunch."

"How is that going to help me get ready for lunch?"

"You're the lunch," she whispered. She pressed a kiss below your ear, letting her tongue touch the sensitive skin there.

Every nerve in your body short circuited. "Jesus." You looked around to make sure no one could hear your conversation. This was a new side of Alexia that you had never seen before. If you weren't already so attracted to her, the boldness would've sent you spiraling over the edge.

Alexia smirked, letting one of her fingers trail up your arm. This time you let the groan out rather than biting it back.

"Ale, it's a while before lunch. Keep your hands to yourself or I'm going to end up embarrassing both of us."

"Yeah, don't care." She moved closer, her body almost covering yours. Her chest met yours, wet bikini tops slightly sticking together. She cupped your cheek, looking at you for a minute. "I love you, Y/N." And then she kissed you. She pushed your shoulder back and moved to straddle your hips.

"Nope." You broke the kiss, pushing her backwards. "Nope, we're not doing it like this. Like two horny teenagers who can't wait."

"We've waited so long, baby." Alexia dropped her forehead to yours. "I can't wait any longer."

You'd thought about this, Alexia desperate and nearly begging. But this was wrong. You were in public. Your friends were around. You might already have a small pool forming between your legs, but you weren't going to let Alexia go further right now. Not this first time. Not when you'd both already waited so long.  

"Just a little while longer, gorgeous, and then I'm yours." You pulled her back into you for a brief kiss. But it was full of heat. Full of promise. "How about you sit here with me for a bit? I haven't gotten to spend nearly enough time just holding my favorite girl." You could tell Alexia liked that. She turned, positioning herself between your legs and melted back into you. You let your hands settle around her and pressed a few kisses to the side of her head.

And if over the next hour, you let your hands wander a bit, you told yourself you were just getting her back for working you up earlier.

The girls went inside about an hour later, needing time to get ready for their lunch. They had booked a private patio for a new poke place on the island. You and Alexia stayed curled on that chair.

When they were leaving, Vir came out to make sure you didn't want to go with them. You both smiled and politely declined. Vir gave you a look, like she knew why you were declining lunch, but left you behind anyways.

The house had been quiet for ten minutes before Alexia stood and held her hand out to you. You knew what it was, an offer to keep going or not. But you'd never been more sure of anything before. You wanted Alexia. Had been wanting her for a long time. You took her hand, lacing your fingers with hers. She pulled you up off the chair, giving you a kiss.

You had barely closed and locked the door to your bedroom before Alexia was attacking your mouth. You wrapped both arms around her waist to pull her closer. The movement brought her to her toes. You walked her backwards, until her knees hit the edge of the bed. Not wanting to break the kiss, you gripped her waist tighter and hurled both of you backwards on the bed. She moved backwards until her head hit pillows, dragging you with her deeper into the bed.

You started to wander down her body. Pressing your lips to her collarbone. The slight whimper let you know she liked that and you filed that information away for later. Years of thinking about her under you and now that she was here, you were starved for her. The edges of your brain were already going foggy, and you forced yourself not to pass out. Forced yourself to pay attention.

Running your tongue along the edge of her swimsuit top, you reached under her to untie the tiny string holding the bikini in place. In every scenario you'd run through of this in your head, none of them included peeling Alexia out of a tiny little bikini. You scraped your teeth lightly over the sensitive skin.

Alexia's hands came up, cupping the fabric to her and she moved back a little, breaking the contact between you.

"Hey," you said, sitting back slightly. You put a hand on her cheek. She leaned into the touch. "Are you okay?" Worry was settling in. Had you hurt her? Had she changed her mind? It was okay if she had. You wouldn't push her to do anything she didn't want to do.

She reached out, resting a hand on your chest. Her eyes were searching your face, for what you didn't know. "Have you ever done this before?" she asked quietly.

"No. I was waiting for you," you said honestly. She gave a small smile at that.

"I'm scared I'm going to do it wrong," she admitted. "Scared you won't like it."

"Baby, there's no right or wrong here. Just tell me if there's something you don't like or something you want. And I'll do the same. Okay?" you asked gently. "I'm already a mess for you."

"Really?" she asked, bewilderment clear in her tone. Her eyes skimmed down your body.

"Really. Look at me, babe." You waited until Alexia's eyes met yours again. You could still see the fear behind those beautiful brown eyes. "We can stop anytime you want."

"I don't want to stop. I'm just scared."

"We'll talk each other through it, just like we talk each other through everything else." Alexia nodded. "Can I please get back to what I was doing?" Alexia nodded again. "I love you." You leaned down to kiss her, waiting for her to settle again. Eventually her arms relaxed, the hand on your chest moving around your body to rest on your back.

You moved back to her chest, trailing open mouth kissies as you went. "Can I take this off?" you asked, hooking a finger under one of the strings. She looked up at you again, that fear still evident on her face. But she nodded. And that trust, that willingness to go forward despite her fear, made your heart turn in circles. Because her ewas Alexia, literally baring herself whole to you. You'd both seen every corner of each other's souls and this was the last barrier between you. Drawing the swimsuit away from her body, you took a minute to just look at her. She was so beautiful. Instinctively, her hands came up to cup herself again.

"Let me," you said, moving her hands to replace with your own. She didn't protest. Progress. Her nipples were already hard, pressing into the pads of your hands. Her hips involuntarily jerked under you when you rubbed your thumbs over the tips. "Okay?"

"That feels good," she said, watching your every move. 

Pushing her, you leaned down and took one of her nipples into your mouth. Your own stomach was filled with a thousand butterflies. Alexia tasted so good. You let yourself just feel her, flicking your tongue over her nipple a few times, seeing how she responded. With your hand, you gently massaged her other boob. You felt her fingers grip the hair at the base of your neck. You dragged your mouth to her other nipple, wanting to give it the same attention, encouraged by Alexia's reaction.

Needing to feel more of her, you moved your hand down her body, skimming her waist, her hip, and stopped at the top of her bikini bottom. "Can I?" you asked, looking up to meet her eyes. Your voice was thick, and you barely recognized yourself. She nodded once, her eyes unfocused, her lips parted, that crease evident between her eyes like she was trying to focus and failing.

Sitting back on the bed, you were careful not to break all physical contact with her. One hand stayed on her stomach. You were trying to make sure she stayed grounded in this moment. For now.

Swallowing, you ran a finger over the space where the fabric met the top of her thigh. She sucked in a breath. Testing, you tried it on the other leg as well. Same reaction. You trailed her finger to the top band, where fabric met her stomach.

"Y/n/N." You looked up. She was looking at you through hooded eyes. Don't pass out, you reminded yourself. "Can I see you?" she asked quietly, her hand moving up your side to play with your bikini top. She sat up, her hips shifting away from your hands. "I need to feel you." She waited, patiently, for you to nod at her before carefully untying the strings. You let the top fall away. Alexia's eyes moved hungrily over you.

"Fuck," she whispered. Your eyebrows shot up. Alexia rarely swore. "You're too beautiful, Y/n/N, it's driving me crazy." She leaned into you and greedily took one of your nipples into her mouth.

"Shit," you breathed out, hooking an arm around her shoulders to hold yourself up. You were certain your knees were going to give out any second. Her mouth on your skin was so much warmer than you anticipated, so much warmer in comparison to her colder hands. Her mouth was wet, creating a sensation that was wholly unfamiliar to you. Now you understood why Alexia had such a reaction to your earlier. You could feel yourself getting wetter every second that she worked your nipples between her hands, her lips, her teeth, her tongue.

Needing to see if you were having the same effect on her, you trailed your hand back down her stomach. This time you didn’t let the fabric stop you, instead moving back in, down between her legs, to the heat. The front of her swimsuit was soaked against the back of your hand. You moved your fingers down, trying to decipher what you were feeling while Alexia continued wreaking havoc on your chest. She was so warm, so wet, and when you accidently grazed her clit, she jerked so hard against you that you pulled your hand out.

"Are you okay?" you rushed out.

"More than okay. I need you to touch me, baby, I can't wait anymore."

Fuck. That was all you could think. No fantasy you'd had over the years had even come close to the real girl. Keeping your eyes on hers, you moved your fingers back down, through the heat, the wet. You tried to push one finger into her. And now you really were on the verge of passing out. Nothing had ever come close to the feel of Alexia squeezing around your finger.

"You're gonna have to move it, baby."

"Uh, right," you said, momentarily embarrassed that you had just stuck your finger in her and left it there. Refocusing, you leaned down to kiss her neck as your hand got to work. You moved in and out her slowly, your thumb starting to rub slow circles on her clit. Her hips were rolling into your hand with each movement. You bit down, maybe too hard, when you felt her fingers move into your bikini and through your folds. "Fuck, Ale." You bucked against her hand. "God, you feel so good."

She kissed you, hard, as you both kept moving your fingers, kept pulling different reactions, exploring each other's bodies for the first time. You were having a hard time holding on, a hard time focusing. But you couldn't stop, not when Alexia's body was moving under yours, when she was clearly getting closer to the edge.

Your entire body was tightening and you used what little willpower you had to keep yourself up on your knees. You'd never had an orgasm in this position and you were desperately afraid your body was going to give out and collapse on top of Alexia any second.

"Ah, shit," Alexia said, burying her face in your shoulder. "I can't hold on much longer."

"Let go, Ale." You circled your fingers around her clit, trying desperately to give her what she needed. Alexia's head fell backward just a second before her entire body started quaking. And when she let out the filthiest moan, your stomach tightened and the orgasm ripped through you. You tried to keep your fingers moving, to help her through her own orgasm but you blacked out for a second, collapsing down.

You came to with the feel of her fingers drifting up and down your back. Gently. Too gentle in comparison to what had just happened. You shifted so your weight wasn't fully on her, and propped yourself up your elbow to look down at her.

"You look pleased with yourself," you said, taking in the closed eyes, the softened features, the smirk.

"I made you pass out," she said. Opening her eyes, she looked up at you, cocky smirk still on her face. You buried your face in her neck, embarrassed beyond words. "Oh, I'm never letting you forget that one," she said, laughing.

And then you were teenagers again, laughing at each other, with each other, rolling over the bed as you tickled each other. You tickled the space under her ribs that was most sensitive. "Say mercy," you said as her laughter grew to silence and strangled breathing.

"Mercy mercy mercy," she said, throwing up both hands. 

"That's what I thought." You had ended up side by side. Rolling onto your elbow again, you rubbed a finger over the band on her bikini. She sucked in a breath, the air in the room immediately changing. "Can I take these off now?" She gave you permission and you slipped your fingers into the band to pull them down her legs. "God, you're so beautiful."

Alexia's hands went to your bikini. "Off," she sighed. You wiggled your hips, pulling them off and throwing them on the floor.

You leaned over, trailing your lips from her shoulder to her neck to her jaw, stopping to nibble just under her ear. "I need to taste you, Ale. Do you trust me?"

"With my life," she said.

You wrapped an arm around her waist and rolled until she was on top of you.

"Wha-?"

"Sit on my face," you said, more confidently than you thought you'd feel asking her for what you so desperately needed.

"I- Are you sure?"

Cupping her face in both your hands, you kissed her, tongues and teeth, messy, just bordering on the edge between so fucking good and too messy. "I want you to sit on my face. I'll take care of you, baby," you promised.

You could see the fear in her eye but also the curiosity, the excitement. Tapping her hips, you helped her get settled above you. She hovered over you, just out of reach. You could feel the heat of her on your chin and your mouth watered.

"Won't I crush you?"

"I'll let you know if I need to tap out." You wouldn't need to but if it reassured Alexia, you would promise her anything. Dragging your hands up her thighs, you settled them on her ass. "Ready?" Alexia gave the smallest nod and you yanked, pulling her flush down on top of you. Her hands flew to the top of the headboard to hang on.

Using your whole tongue, you licked from her entrance all the way up to her clit in one broad stroke. "You taste amazing," you sighed into her. You let your tongue explore, sliding up and through her folds, over the sensitive bundle of nerves that was already jerking. Closing your lips over her clit, you let your tongue swirl around it a few times before returning to the flat broad strokes. Alexia's taste was intoxicating.

Alexia gasped above her, one of her hands coming down to play with her chest. You glanced up, burning the image of Alexia into your mind. You moved her other hand to her chest as well, encouraging her to give into the feeling fully.

You continued your work, moving to pay her clit some attention before sliding your tongue down further, sliding into Alexia. Alexia was talking above you, no coherent sounds coming from her. You gripped her tighter as you felt her start to slide, her muscles clearly having turned to Jello above you.

You had one goal and one goal only - make Alexia fall completely apart.

Anything that pulled an extra twitch or moan out of Alexia got extra attention. When it started to become too much, Alexia reached down and grasped your hair, holding it tight. You slid your tongue back into her and Alexia moved her hips, fucking herself on your tongue.

It's how you knew she had finally given in. She wasn't worried about anything but pleasure now. And that drove you crazy. You squeezed your own thighs together, feeling the slick spread around your thighs. When Alexia's thighs tightened around your head, you dove deeper, trying to pull everything she had to offer, every bit of pleasure she had in her, out to the surface.

"Baby, I'm gonna cum." She said it like a warning.

You figured you weren't working hard enough if she was still saying full sentences. You drew away from her, letting air move between you. She whined at the loss of contact. Moving your hand between her legs, you pushed two fingers into her without warning and attacked her clit with your tongue. You set a furious pace, intent on making her lose her mind.

"Baby," she whined. Her hips were moving fast, trying to keep up with the pace you had set, that you weren't letting her out of. As her movements became messier, your own pleasure grew. Finally. She was giving in to you, to herself, to this feeling you were creating together.

The orgasm took you both by surprise, moving into her so fast it left her breathless, gasping. You fucked her through it, letting your fingers slow but giving her something to clench onto. You gave yourself the pleasure of licking through her a few more times as you withdrew your fingers. She whined again, pushing your head back.

"Too sensitive?" you asked. She nodded, unable to speak. Success. Wrapping an arm around her waist, you brought her down to lay next to you. When you could feel her eyes back on you, you lifted your fingers, the ones still covered in Alexia, to your mouth and sucked them clean. "Damn, Ale, you taste good," you moaned.

"Jesus," she said, when she could breathe again. "You're trying to kill me."

"Can't have that. We're just getting started."

"Oh obviously. I haven't even had my lunch yet."

The laugh was automatic. You didn't know how the both of you had managed it, but in your first time together, you'd found the balance between sexy and best friend, between breathy moans and laughter, between coming apart and coming together. It shouldn't have surprised you. You two had always been in sync with each other.

"I just need a minute," she said, sliding a hand up your thigh to rest at your waist. You bit your lip to keep the moan from escaping. Pleasing Alexia had turned you on so much you weren't sure how long you could hold on. But you wanted to. For her. For her to get the same pleasure of tasting you for the first time.

After her allotted minute, she turned her head to look at you, leaning her head towards you for a kiss. She grabbed your jaw in her hand, holding you in place, groaning as the taste of herself hit her tongue. Her hand moved down, stopping to squeeze one of your boobs before continuing down over toned abs to your heat. When her finger slid through, she broke the kiss.

"You're so wet," she said in fascination.

"That's what you do to me, babe."

"Oh my god." She moved her fingers through your slick folds a few times, unable to believe this was because of her. You moved your hips into her hand, trying to get her to touch you where you wanted. "Aren't you a needy girl?"

"I need you, Ale." You were on the verge of begging. "Please."

Alexia moved down the bed, positioning herself between your legs. You widened your legs for her, giving her room. She used two fingers to spread you open and used the flat of her tongue to swipe through you, causing your eyes to roll back in your head.

"Fuck, that feels so good."

"You taste incredible." She moved her tongue through you slowly, deliberately. You looked down to find her looking up at your face, which nearly sent you over the edge. She reached up for your hand, lacing her fingers with yours over your stomach. "Relax, baby," she mumbled when you strained against her.

Keeping her eyes on yours, she put her mouth back to work. But this time, there was nothing soft about it. Now she was devouring.

Her tongue moved quickly, searching, swirling, her lips closing over your clit to suck. You had lost your mind. The heat had spread throughout your entire body. Her tongue pushed into you, and you moaned, completely at her will.

It wasn't perfect. You were still learning each other. But it was so fucking hot. Alexia was eating you like it was her job. And she had always been really devoted to her job.

"Ale, don't stop. Don't - ah." Your body bowed back, your hand going up to grip the pillow below your head. She whined into you when your muscles tightened around her tongue. You was so close, barely hanging on. "I'm so close."

Alexia continued the same movements until you fell apart, your legs fighting to stay open and not kill Alexia between your thighs, your entire body pulsing. Alexia's moans vibrating against your clit making it more intense.

"God that was so fucking hot," she said when your body stopped shaking. She crawled up, hovering over you. "You're incredible." She leans in and kisses you, the taste of yourself on her tongue sweet. "You okay?"

"Perfect." You tipped your face back towards her, needing her to keep kissing you. She kissed, cupping your face to hold you to her.

When your body calmed down, you rolled off the bed. Alexia stared at you, nerves clear on her face. You leaned over and gave her a small kiss. "Give me a minute."

Not caring that you were completely naked, you walked out of the room to the bathroom across the hall and got a washcloth. You turned on the faucet, waiting for the water to warm and wet it, wringing out the extra water.

In the bedroom, Alexia was still laying on the bed, waiting for you. You nudged her legs apart and cleaned her up. She stared up at you in awe. You used the same washcloth to quickly clean yourself. Dropping it near the door, you climbed back onto the bed and pulled Alexia into you. You let your hands wander, left small kisses on her shoulder, her forehead, the side of her head. These touches weren't to turn her on. These touches were to comfort. To keep you connected.

She pulled the blanket from the bottom of the bed and covered both of you. Tucking her head into the curve of your neck, she threw her arm around your waist.

"I need a nap," she mumbled. "And then we're doing that again."

[katelynnwrites]

And That’s How It Works (That’s How You Get The Girl) | Ona Batlle

warnings: m for major fluff

word count: 678

summary: a short sequel to last year’s fic for ona’s birthday, Birthday Presents

a/n: unedited because i rushed to write this a whole hour before 10 june ended for me but happy international ona batlle day 🤣

It’s late at night by the time your love arrives home from national camp.

You’re already in bed and Ona’s gaze softens as she sets her bag down quietly.

You are sleeping on her side of the bed, wearing one of her oversized t-shirts.

Ona doesn’t know it but the whole time she’s been away, you’ve been sleeping on her side of the bed, more often than not, wearing her clothes.

It is Ona’s familiar, comforting smell that you have grown to love, on her pillow and on her clothes that gets you to sleep when she isn’t there to hold you.

Your England teammates often teased you when you wore Ona’s clothes at national camp but you didn’t care.

It was rare for you to sleep without Ona, England camps being the only times you do so and she had never seen you sleep in your shared bed, without her.

This is the one exception because you had gotten injured, right before the international break.

A concussion had kept you from attending your national camp and had nearly kept Ona from hers because you had barely been able to convince her to go.

Your girlfriend had been very worried, anxiously wondering if it would be better for you if she stayed to look after you.

While her concern had melted your heart, you had insisted she go to Spain. Millie and Hannah would come and check in on you, you promised.

Still, Ona had called or texted you every chance she had. She made time in her busy training schedule to frequently remind you to take your medicine and rest.

You love her, you really really do. How could you not when she so clearly cares for and loves you as much as she does?

Ona finishes changing into a more comfortable set of clothes and then climbs into bed with you.

She lightly pushes loose strands of hair out of your face before kissing you awake.

Sleepily, you reach for her.

‘Need cuddles.’

‘Okay.’ Ona murmurs, more than happy to put her arms around you.

You press yourself closer to her, fingers closing tightly around the material of her shirt.

‘I missed your cuddles when you were gone.’ You admit.

The Spaniard brushes a feather light kiss onto your hair, ‘Spots was no help?’

That had been the other thing she had done, that had melted your heart, bringing new depth to the love you had for the brunette.

She had left the stuffed cheetah you had gifted her with, for her birthday last year, with you while she had gone for national camp.

The cheetah that she had been inseparable with for a year.

When Ona had video called you one night, during the international break, Mapi had expressed her displeasure at the absence of their designated team mascot.

Ona had simply flicked the older woman’s ear in response, saying that you needed Spots more.

Despite Ona’s efforts to leave you with some form of comfort in her keenly felt absence, it wasn’t the same as having your girlfriend with you.

And you tell her as much, mumbling, ‘She wasn’t good enough. Not as good as you mi amor.’

‘Naughty Spots.’ Ona teases.

Rather smugly, you say, ‘I put her in the laundry basket.’

Your girlfriend tries really hard not to laugh, kissing your forehead gently.

‘A wash will do her good.’

You huff, fingers slipping under Ona’s shirt in search of the skin to skin contact you craved with her, ‘I hope she drowns.’

At that, the Spanish fullback that you are oh so in love with is no longer able to hold her laughter in, dissolving into a fit of giggles.

‘I’ll forgive you for saying that simply because I missed you so much amor.’

Ona kisses you sweetly and makes sure you’re covered by the blanket before she settles down for the night.

With your love back beside you, it’s not long before you’re falling back asleep again, this time into a much more fitful rest, with a smile on your face.

Spanish Translations:

mi amor - my love

amor - love

[ellieputellas]

summergirl | a.putellas

summary: For the past ten years, you’ve played it safe: same small town, same predictable routines, same long-term boyfriend. But when your boyfriend asks for a break, calling your relationship “too boring,” something inside you snaps. Determined to prove him wrong, you book a spontaneous flight to Spain, flood your socials with thirst traps, and kiss a stranger you just met at a club in Ibiza. But that stranger? It turned out to be Alexia Putellas — global football star, your brother’s best friend, and the last person you should be kissing. She’s stunning, confident, and completely off-limits. Suddenly, your plans of revenge and proving a point start to unravel as you find yourself slowly falling for her.

— tags / contains: 18+ mdni, brothersbestfriend!Alexia, forbidden relationship, set at a wedding, island summery vibes, lots of fluff, angst, smut, fingering r!receiving, cunnilingus r!receiving, making out in public, some build up in the start, slight age gap, use of pet names, minimal use of yn, coming of age (in your 20s lol), barely edited so may have errors, wc: 27k

fic masterlist | masterlist | please do not repost, plagiarize, or feed to AI.

⋆˙⟡♡ The last thing you expected on the night of what should’ve been your tenth anniversary with your boyfriend was to be wildly tequila-drunk in some club at Ibiza, making out with a gorgeous footballer.

If someone had told you a year ago that you’d end up single and kissing a girl — let alone a stunning, hazel-eyed goddess with cheekbones for days — you would’ve laughed in their face and probably told your boyfriend Matt how ridiculous that sounded.

But life had a funny way of blindsiding you right when you thought that you’ve got everything figured out. A year ago, you never would’ve imagined how completely your life was about to blow up.

And it all started when Matt broke up with you.

⋆˙⟡♡ You’ve been with Matt since you were thirteen. He sat next to you in art class and just randomly slipped you a note asking to be your boyfriend, and, somehow, you just… never broke up. You went through everything together from high school, college, and eventually, moving in together. He was your constant.

Even as life pulled everyone else away — first with your brother leaving for college, your dad passing, your mom traveling to cope with the loss — you stayed. Law school was the biggest change you allowed yourself, but even then, Matt remained the one stable thing in your life. It made you feel safe... or rather, secure. He was the reason why you felt no urge to step out of your comfort zone. 

You were mostly happy. But when your college friends started getting engaged, buying houses, having kids, you couldn’t ignore the creeping feeling of stagnation. While they were moving forward, you were still in the same town, with the same boyfriend, doing the same things you did ten years ago.

So, for the last year, you started dropping hints that you desired an engagement: a couple wedding Pinterest boards left open on your desktop, reposting engagement videos on Tiktok for him to see, mentioning that yet another college friend is getting married. You figured if you took that step, maybe things would shift, maybe you would finally feel like you were moving forward.

And you expected that he'd get the hint and pop the question before your tenth anniversary... only for him to drop a bomb on you.

"I think we need a break," he dared to say. "I just... think we're getting too comfortable and settled in our ways. We've grown boring."

He kept rambling about spontaneity, about trying new things, about how maybe time apart would magically make your relationship stronger… as if that made sense.

You sat there, irritation simmering under the surface. You were the one who put in the effort: planning dates, booking weekend trips, making sure things stayed somewhat interesting. And yet, somehow, that wasn’t enough. You never saw him make an effort on that aspect and now, he wanted an out? It was infuriating to you but you didn’t bother arguing. You were too busy thinking of a way to make him regret it.

⋆˙⟡♡Your brother was getting married in Spain in three months, to a beautiful and ridiculously wealthy woman named Inés. The wedding was set to be held at her family’s private resort on an island near Ibiza which meant that your whole family was flying in for two weeks of all-expenses-paid luxury. It was a dream… and the perfect opportunity.

This was your chance to remind Matt exactly what he was missing: some well-timed bikini thirst traps, fancy dinner photos that made it look like you were going on dates, and a couple of curated clubbing IG posts. Maybe then he’d realize his mistake.

But the idea of staying at home for a couple more months felt unbearable. So, you decided to head out to Spain earlier.

A couple of your close, younger cousins were backpacking in Europe for their summer break from college, and as soon as they heard about your little timeout with Matt, they pestered you about hitting Ibiza with them. 

So, you said fuck it. You drained the savings that you’ve been stupidly putting aside for a wedding, booked a last-minute flight, and landed in Spain with no itinerary or plans. 

How's that for spontaneity?

⋆˙⟡♡ You didn't like parties. Never liked clubs. Always hated the hangovers that inevitably came after drinking. 

But here you were, barely twenty-four hours into your trip, at a club in Ibiza with your college-aged cousins on your very first night and already two shots of tequila in. They dressed you up in their tiny strappy clothes and did your hair and makeup. You thought it was a tad too much, but now that you were stepping out of your comfort zone, you figured you might as well go all out and dive in.

Daisy slid another shot in front of you. “God, you’re so hot,” she said, hyping you up. “Stop looking so mopey, girl, Matt isn’t worth another thought.”

You forced a laugh, though your chest tightened. “It’s just… today was supposed to be our tenth anniversary.” You sighed. “I thought our anniversary would look more like a candlelit dinner where he’d propose. Not this.” You said, gesturing around the club.

“God, that was today?” Cam asked, biting her lip. “Why didn’t you tell us a while ago?”

“Well, duh, I didn’t want to really think about it but now it’s all I can think about.” You groaned, annoyed with yourself. 

“Two more tequila shots and I promise you, you will not be thinking about him for the rest of the night.” Cam said before eyeing the shot in front of you.

You chuckled before taking the shot and drinking it. You winced as the alcohol burned your throat. “How long until the memory loss kicks in?”

Your other cousin Daisy scrunched up her face. "I swear, cuz, if I were you, I would have forgotten about him like years ago." She commented. "He really isn't all that.

Cam nodded in agreement. “He's probably just wants a break 'cause he thinks he's gonna get to fuck around with models and shit. Little does he know you're as good as he can get."

"Gee, thanks, Cam." You retorted sarcastically at your cousin. She laughed at your reaction.

“I’m just saying,” she shrugged. “He’s an accountant from the suburbs who is a couple months away from a bald spot and he bagged you. You were practically doing charity work dating him for that long.”

Daisy snorted. “I hate when ugly men ask for breaks to go find themselves when really they just wanna find other women.”

Can scoffed. “All Matt’s gonna find is the fact that he’s made a huge mistake.”

"Fuck, that's so mean but you're so right." You responded. "I just wish I can show him precisely that — that he got lucky with me, that I'm the catch."

Cam hummed. "If I were you, I'd take a cheeky photo with one of those tan hotties by the bar," she pointed at the group of buff and tall guys, clearly looking around for their conquest of the night. "That's a way to show him."

Daisy burst out laughing. “Girl, please. I doubt she can even ask that guy to pass her a napkin.” She looked you up and down. “No offense, cuz. But you lost your game hanging out with Mister Tax Returns.”

You frowned. "I thought you said I can bag any guy I want."

“Yeah, but… you actually have to flirt,” Daisy said simply. “And I love you, but I don’t think you can. Dating culture has changed a lot since you were last on the market. Guys don’t always make the first move anymore.”

You turned to Cam for backup, but she winced. “Sorry, cuz. If you’re waiting for a guy to come up to you, your chances are about as good as Matt’s hairline.”

“Don’t feel bad though,” Daisy added quickly, patting your arm like she was softening the blow. “I mean, also like… you’re just too nice. You’re like the kind of person who wouldn’t wanna feel like you’re using someone to move on.”

You rolled your eyes, mildly annoyed. Sure, there was some truth to it. You were a little meeker than your cousins, a little more awkward. You could blame Matt for stunting your ability to socialize, but if you were being honest, you’ve always been like this. 

But that was the old you. The one who thought she’d be celebrating a tenth anniversary tonight.

You were rebranding. You weren’t the same small-town girl anymore. You were going to be spontaneous.

“Nah, fuck you guys,” you said, shaking your head as your multiple tequila shots warmed your veins like liquid confidence. “I bet I can flirt with anyone in this club tonight.”

Your cousins’ eyes widened, then slowly lit with amused disbelief.

Cam leaned back, grinning. “I’ll stake a hundred euros on that right now.”

Daisy nodded. "I'll match that bet… but only if you can get absolutely anyone to kiss you right now."

Cam wrinkled her nose. “Ew, not just anyone. Pick someone who is at least a seven out of ten. And you can’t just ask. You gotta work for it, like actually flirt.”

You hummed, considering the challenge. Technically, you were single, so it wouldn’t be cheating. And if you couldn’t even convince your cousins that you could be bold and spontaneous, how were you supposed to convince Matt?

You had to do this. Not just to prove it to them but to prove it for yourself.

“Okay. Game on.”

⋆˙⟡♡ All your confidence was slowly being chipped away with every failed flirtation attempt.

You went big for your first try: the tall, tan guy who looked like he belonged in perfume commercials or romantic erotica book covers. You walked up to him, determined to charm him and get him to kiss you. Only for you to stumble upon the first three words you said. In an attempt to save face, you just pretended to be looking for the toilet, too pussy to continue after fucking up your introduction.

You settled for another guy: someone who resembled Matt more, someone who looked like they could be a suburban guy. This one, at least, looked like he was a tourist too. There was less pressure to speak in your broken and barely practiced Spanish. But even your English failed you. 

"Hey," you smiled at him. "Are you here alone?”

The guy smiled. “I’m with friends.”

You hesitated, nodding. “That’s one thing we have in common then. We both have friends.”

“...Right.” The guy responded, unsure of what else to say as he looked at you with confusion. You stood still there for a moment, unsure of how to salvage the situation, before apologizing and walking away.

You were ready to give up when you made eye contact with another guy on the dance floor. Moderately cute, definitely fit, chest obnoxiously exposed, overly tan and hair gelled within an inch of its life. Basically a walking red flag, but at this point you were desperate.

He motioned for you to come over and dance with him. You gulped and nodded, trying to spread out the morsel of confidence left in your body. For a moment, it felt like shit was going well. You weren't speaking, which was good, because as verbose and well-spoken you were in your regular life, you seemed to have misplaced twenty IQ points on the plane ride to Spain. You followed the rhythm, dancing near each other.

You figured this could be your shot... until he touched your waist. That caused you to jump like a ghost and scurry off, uneasy over the physical touch from someone who looked like a herpes magnet.

You didn't have to look over to your cousins to know that those two were having the time of their lives watching you make a fool out of yourself. They were amazing girls who were always supportive of you but they did enjoy teasing you a bit. 

Those bitches, you thought as you dragged your feet to the bar, deciding that you should just settle for getting plastered instead of getting kissed. You figured you set too high a bar for your first night of spontaneity.

"Well, that was painful to watch." 

You turned around to see a girl walking up to you. She was tall, had light brown hair that was slightly curled, framing her beautifully chiseled face. If she wasn’t so intimidatingly pretty, you would've scoffed at her statement. "Excuse me?" You blinked.

"I've been noticing your little... attempts," she gestured lazily toward the dance floor. "I mean, I respect the hustle but... wow."

You sighed, resting your head in your hands that were propped up on the counter. "You noticed all of that, huh?"

You felt her step closer to you, resting her hand on the table space beside you. "Hard not to," she said with a low, teasing voice. 

A groan escaped your mouth, feeling a bit annoyed that this girl was all up in your busInéss but you knew she was right. "I'm just... out of practice, okay?"

The bartender set the shot of tequila you just bought in front of you. You quickly got it with a curt thanks and threw it back into your mouth. The taller girl looked at you with amusement. She smiled. "Yeah, clearly."

You turned to face her again as you set the shot glass back on the counter. This time, you got a better look at her... and she was even prettier when you took the time to notice.

She was tall and incredibly beautiful. Her muscular body was evident from her cropped vest top, which gave you a sight of both her abs and her sculpted arms. There was a small smirk on her face and a twinkle in her eyes that just added a bit more of an intimidation factor on top of all that. You gulped.

"What?" The girl asked you, raising her eyebrows as she noticed you staring.

You paused. "Nothing, you just look like someone who knows how to flirt." 

She laughed. Fuck, even her laugh is hot, you thought. "What makes you think that?" She asked. 

You shrugged in response. "I don't know. You tell me."

She shrugged back, mimicking you. "I guess I do okay when it comes to flirting." Her smile grew. "Better than you did, definitely. Not that that was hard to beat.”

You rolled your eyes and sighed. "Well, if you're so good," you dared. "Show me how."

She laughed again. "Show you?"

"Yeah, like, teach me."

She paused, taking a moment to eye you up and down. Her eyes scanned your face, then your small top, your skirt, your legs. Her gaze made you feel tense... but not in a bad way. A small shiver ran up your spine.

You bit your lip, breaking the tension that you were suddenly feeling. "Okay, I'll be honest," you said. "My cousins actually dared me to flirt with anyone, and they're paying me if I do it successfully."

She raised an eyebrow. "The two girls in the corner?" She nodded her head towards them slightly. "Yeah, they've been cackling at you the entire time."

You groaned. "Fuck, I know. Those two are my best friends... but they could be such bitches."

She laughed. "And how much is the bet?"

"200 euros," you sighed, knowing there was no way in hell you were winning that bet anymore. Could've used that money to buy new sandals, you thought to yourself sadly.

The brunette whistled lowly. "Damn. They really didn't believe in you, huh?"

"Not even a little," you shook your head. 

The girl looked at them surreptitiously before looking back at you. She paused, biting her lip as if considering something. "Okay, fine," she smirked. "Split the cash prize with me and I'll teach you."

"A hundred euros for an impromptu flirting lesson," you scoffed. "Sounds a bit steep."

She shrugged. "I think it's a fair price, given your current capabilities."

You squinted, feeling a bit annoyed with the teasing but you sighed and nodded your head. "Fine, deal."

The tall girl smiled moving closer to you. She moved her hand, touching and fiddling with the necklace on your neck with your initials on it. You were a bit startled by the sudden gesture but you stayed put.

"Physical touch is key," the girl explained as she continued to touch your necklace. "It can be as subtle as touching their shirt or their arm..."

She paused, moving her hand from your necklace, slightly grazing fingertips along the skin of your collarbones before moving to tuck a stray hair behind your ear. "Or, it can be as deliberate as this."

You gulped, looking away and nodding. You never thought of being attracted to girls before but suddenly, you were feeling a bit flustered already. Fuck, she is good.

Suddenly, the girl's hand was under your chin, tilting your head gently so that you'd look at her. Once your gaze met hers, she dropped her hand gently. "Also, eye contact is key," she said. "This makes the moment more intimate."

You nodded, feeling a bit hypnotized with the sight of her hazel eyes. They sparkled so slightly under the light from the dance floor, shifting colors as the club lights danced around the space. 

Alexia smirked. "See? I'm not even touching you and you already feel connected to me, right?"

You nodded. "Okay, is that it?"

She shook her head and chuckled. "No, you gotta ask them stuff too. Make it seem like you're absolutely interested in what they're saying even if it's a bunch of nonsense," she said. "Why don't we try it out? Just say a bunch of random crap and I'll show you."

You huffed a bit but acquiesced. "Uh, I don't know? Monkeys like bananas?"

The tall girl moved in closer and suddenly, her hand was resting on the curve of your waist comfortably as if that was where they always belonged. She bit her lip as a subtle smile grew on her face. "Yeah? Where'd you learn that?"

You felt yourself grow a tad flustered at the feeling of her body almost pressed against yours, her warmth wafting on to you. "Uh," your voice came out softer than you intended. "Grade school."

"Sorry, I didn't hear that," She moved in closer to you, so close that you could smell her shampoo. "Can you say that again?"

You gulped. "Uh, school..." you repeated.

She lifted her head back to her normal position, hand still on your waist. "See?" She said with a small smirk on her face, clearly enjoying how flustered you were by her.. "I'm pretty good at this, huh."

You sighed, nodding in agreement, unable to say anything more.

"Okay, you try."

"What? Now?" You said worriedly. 

She smiled. "I mean, practice... on me."

You paused. "Okay," you agreed. Slowly, you tried following her steps. You looked down on the hand on your waist, tracing it up with your gaze before your eyes settled on the tattoos on them.

You gently rested your fingers on her arm, tracing the outline of the tattoos, staring at them to admire the detail before looking up at her to look into her eyes. "These look so good," you complimented. "Where'd you get them?"

She smiled, silently impressed by how quickly you were picking up her lesson, integrating all three of her tips into one move. "Barcelona," she responded. "I actually live there."

You nodded, hand moving to graze her biceps a bit. "Yeah? What do you do there?" You asked. "Are you a bodybuilder or something?"

She laughed at your lame attempt at a compliment but she let it slide. "I'm not remotely buff enough for that," she responded. "But I am a professional athlete. Do you like sports?”

You paused. “Well, I used to watch my brother play Fifa when we were kids.”

She laughed. “Fifa, huh? You ever played?”

“God, no.” You were starting to get comfortable. “That was more of my brother’s territory.”

She hummed, eyes scanning your face again. “Do you mind if I pull you closer? I just wanna see how much you can take without getting completely flustered.”

You nodded, a little hesitant. Just moments ago, you’ve been easing into a sense of comfort, no longer completely on edge from her presence. And now, here she was, hands firm on your waist, guiding you closer. The warmth of her body, the scent of her perfume, the way your chest was nearly flush against her body. It was overwhelming. You worried for a second that she might actually feel the rapid beat of your heart with how close you were.

Awkwardly, you rested your hands on her arms, trying to steady yourself. Sensing your nerves, she gave your sides a reassuring squeeze, snapping you out of your thoughts. You met her gaze again.

"Relax," she murmured. "Don’t overthink it. You're doing great."

You nodder, feeling flustered but encouraged at the same time. "Uh, hmm," you paused before abruptly pulling away. "Would you like a drink?"

She smirked and let you break free from her grasp. "Didn't teach you that one but... I guess you're learning pretty quickly." She complimented. "Okay, I'll let you buy me a drink.”

With the help of some cocktails, you started to grow more comfortable with her, not tensing up so much whenever she’d touch your waist or said something a bit cheeky. You learned quite a bit about each other. You mentioned you were studying law, and that she studied Business Administration for sports. Even if your conversation was quite short, you could tell that she was very passionate about football. Her hazel eyes sparkled as she talked about it. 

This woman is insanely attractive, you thought as she passionately talked about her career. Is it even possible to be this interesting and this hot?

"You think your cousins bought it?" She asked, snapping you out of your thoughts.

You furrowed your eyebrows together. "Huh? Bought what?"

She laughed. "I mean, this whole teaching lesson. I bet that from an outsider's perspective, it definitely looks like regular flirting." She explained. "You think they bought it?"

You paused, not understanding her statement before it finally sunk in. She was "practice flirting" with you to make it appear that you were actually flirting.  "Oh!" You exclaimed. 

You took a quick glance at your cousins and just with a microsecond of a look, you could tell that they were absolutely invested with the sight of you flirting with this gorgeous woman. 

"Fuck, you might be a genius," you chuckled, shaking your head.

She laughed. "Yeah, the easiest hundred euros I've earned."

You bit your lip. "Well... about that..."

"Don't tell me it didn't work," she muttered.

"It wasn't just a flirting bet..." you trailed off, gazing away from her, feeling too awkward to say it to her face. "The dare was actually to get someone to kiss me after I flirted with them."

There was a silence between you and you were almost too sure this girl would call you a lying perv who was just trying to get kisses but when you turned to look at her, she had a lazy smirk and a half-lidded expression on her face.

 She snaked her hand around your waist again. "Well," she said, her voice low. "Let's give them a show."

Before you could even process her statement, she was leaning into you, capturing your lips with hers. In shock, you initially had your eyes open but it didn't take you long to melt into the kiss, wrapping your hands around hers as you allowed her to liplock with you, eyes slowly fluttering shut.

Normally, you'd probably push off anyone who wasn't Matt but this kiss... it felt good. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was the adrenaline. But kissing this beautiful stranger felt almost as good as kissing your boyfriend. Maybe even better.

You didn't even know her but she knew exactly how to respond to your kisses. She knew to kiss you gently first before slowly intensifying the kiss. And there was also a different edge to her kiss.

Her lips were smoother. Her tongue in your mouth felt less imposing, less obscene. It felt... so natural and yet so foreign. 

When you finally broke the kiss, you were breathing heavily. You looked into the girl's eyes, flickering in between them as you held onto her arms. She smirked, but she didn't say anything.

You wanted to lean in for another kiss. Fuck, you wanted more than just a kiss.

But as soon as that thought entered your mind, you were snapped awake and it was as if all the alcohol in your system evaporated in a second. You blinked, stiffening up slightly. "Uh, I gotta go collect the bet now."

You let go of your grasp from her, feeling yourself tense up in embarrassment at the sudden intimacy with a stranger, as you rushed back to where your cousins were sat at the opposite end of the bar.

⋆˙⟡♡ "GIRL, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Cam practically barked at you as soon as you made your way to the table. "THAT GIRL WAS SMOKING FUCKING HOT. GET BACK THERE."

"But why?" You groaned. "I already won the bet and it was getting awkward..."

"It was NOT getting awkward until YOU made it awkward," Daisy scolded, shaking her head. "Did you at least get her number?"

You bit your lip. "No..."

"Ugh, okay, her instagram?"

You shook your head. "I forgot to ask her name."

Cam chuckled. "Y'know what, I'll give you that," she nodded. "Got a kiss before you got a name. Baller move."

Daisy growned. "No, Cam, don't coddle this lame behavior," she scolded. "She needs to go back there and ask that girl out on another date.”

Daisy pushed you slightly. You looked back at her and frowned, wanting to remind her that you were older than her, but you just walked on back. Besides, this girl did give you one of the best kisses of your life. You might as well give it a shot.

But as soon as you got to the bar, she was gone. If it weren't for your cousins witnessing the whole thing, you'd probably think you encountered a ghost. You looked around the area, peeking through the crowd, even asking the bartender in your broken Spanish but she was nowhere to be found.

Fuck, maybe I am an idiot

⋆˙⟡♡ You stared down at the leather sandals that your bet money got you. They sure were cute... but not as cute as that girl from the bar.

Almost a week has passed and you've visited countless clubs, attended various parties, hit all the hot spots in Ibiza and you still couldn't get the tall, brunette girl out of your head.

Something about the way she kissed you, the way it felt better than th way Matt kissed, the way she held you — it was all so good that it practically imprinted on your brain.

Your cousins teased you about it, simulating a scene from Inside Out as if they were the emotions in your head discovering a new core memory after that kiss. It was as amusing as it was annoying. You couldn't blame them. You chickened out and that was a hundred percent your fault. You sighed. At least I got slippers out of it.

"She's staring at her dumbass sandals again," Daisy rolled her eyes as she set down the smoothies you ordered on the table. "Girl, move on. You're acting more mopey about this girl than you were about Matt."

Cam got her smoothie and shrugged. "I'd rather her be hung up on the hottest woman we've ever seen in our life than the balding personification of boredom himself."

You rolled your eyes but couldn't help but smirk at the playful insult. "I just... feel like I had a chance to explore, y'know." You explained. "Explore that flirty side of me... and I completely fumbled it."

You groaned as you grabbed your smoothie. "I can't believe I'm only now finding out I like girls and instead of that making me cooler, it's making me mopier and lamer."

Your cousins looked at you with pity. "You're acting like she's the only girl ever," Daisy commented. "You proved to yourself that you can get a girl... why not use those skills to do it again?"

Cam nodded. "Yeah, maybe Ibiza is all about getting your lesbian on." She smiled then paused. "Maybe I should get lesbian too."

Daisy laughed. "Fuck it, let's all go lesbian!" She raised her arms. "Woooh! Lesbian holiday!"

⋆˙⟡♡ The concept of lesbian holiday was abandoned soon after. Later that night, Daisy found herself making out with a tanned guy who did not speak a lick of English, and every night, Cam seemed to find some random guy who would indulge her with drunken salsa dancing. 

Meanwhile, you were the only one who actually stuck to it – not that it felt like some noble commitment. Maybe it was because you were on a break from Matt, and this was your one chance to explore something you would have never let yourself consider. Maybe you were actually bi or something and just never realized it. Either way, you took advantage of the opportunity.

With the skills that stunning girl from the club taught you, you managed to almost perfect your flirting skills. It started off rocky but after a few nights out, you were practically a different person. 

And of course, you kissed girls – femme girls, masc girls, tall girls, short girls. Ibiza never seemed to run out of beautiful women..and yet none of them came close to her. 

No matter how many lips you tasted, nothing replicated that night with the tall, stunning Catalan. You’d go through the same motions of flirting as you did that night — the eye contact, the flirtatious touching, the feigned interest in whatever the other person was saying – but it just… did not feel the same. There were a lot of girls who were probably just as interesting and just as passionate about their careers but they never really made an impact on you. 

And, sure, plenty of those girls were great kissers. But the way she kissed you… it was something else. It felt like cliff diving, like free-falling, like discovering what kissing actually should feel like.

You wondered when you could ever feel that way again.

⋆˙⟡♡ Time moved fast, and before you knew it, your wild month with your cousins had come to an end. Now, you were on a yacht, sailing toward your future sister-in-law’s luxury resort in a nearby island.

The next month seemed more your speed:  private beaches, morning yoga, spa sessions. A welcomed change from Ibiza’s chaos, especially in the no more hangovers department.

You had done what you set out to do. Your Instagram was flooded with party clips, bikini thirst traps, and blurry videos of late-night adventures. You flirted, dance, and kissed with every pretty girl that caught your eye. There was no doubt that you had stepped out of your comfort zone — travelling and partying and making out with a stranger, things you’ve never done before — but all of it felt inauthentic. 

Perhaps Matt bought the illusion. Maybe even your cousins were starting to believe it too. But you knew it was what it was: just a façade. 

But now, it felt more than just that. You were beyond proving to Matt that you could be fun. You wanted to prove to yourself that you could be a complete, full person without him, without the safety net of your boring stability. 

And sure, you had learned things about yourself over the past month, like the fact that you hated flaming shots, that you could apparently do the splits while drunk, and that... you liked girls. But it still felt like you were only scratching the surface, dipping your toes in without truly diving in.

You had just over a month left in Spain before you’d be back in your same hometown, your same apartment, your same routine. And you knew yourself. Once you were back in your bubble, it’d be too easy to shrink back into old habits, to stop exploring, to let fear keep you from changing.

Maybe this was your chance... to get to know yourself in a quieter way, away from the sloppy make-outs with strangers, body shots and neon lights. Maybe being around your family again, seeing all of them together for the first time in years, would remind you of something you’d forgotten.

Maybe, in a different way, this next month could change you just as much as the last.

⋆˙⟡♡ You settled in pretty quickly with the help of the very hands-on staff of the resort. You knew from stories and photos that your brother's fiancé was loaded but you didn't know that she was this loaded.

The staff treated you like royalty, carrying your bags and escorting you. Not to mention that the resort itself was serene and beautiful; the kind of place you knew you could never dream of affording with your own money.

"Another smoothie?" The staff at the juice bar asked. 

Your eyes flickered to the clock on the wall. Your cousins were late again. They agreed to meet up and head to your family lunch together but of course, those two were taking their sweet time curling their hair and applying their lashes. 

You sighed and shook your head. "No, I'm good, thank you."

As you were about to dial up Daisy, someone behind you spoke up.

“Hey, don’t you owe me a hundred euros?”

You turned around, and your stomach dropped. It was her.

The girl from the bar.

After days of scanning every club, every crowd, hoping you’d run into her again, here was where you found her. And she looked even better than you remembered.

She smiled as she slid onto the stool beside you, casually ordering a smoothie like this wasn’t completely throwing your brain into disarray. Her hair was in a low bun, strands falling loose around her face, and she wore a white linen vest and matching shorts. The sunlight caught on her skin, golden and warm. She looked incredibly stunning.

You realized you were staring. “Oh my god,” you breathed before you could stop yourself.

Her smile widened, amused at your reaction. “So, should I give you my bank details, or do you have the cash on you?”

Your brain short-circuited for a second before you processed the teasing lilt in her voice. You chuckled. "Cash good?"

"I change my mind," she smiled warmly at you. "No need to pay me."

You narrowed your eyes. “Huh?”

“The sight of you in that dress is already worth a hundred euros.”

Your breath hitched. You thought that after all that flirting practice that you would be more chill about this but apparently not, not with her. Heat crawled up your neck, flushing your cheeks but you managed to roll your eyes, trying desperately to play it cool. “You really are a flirt.”

She grinned, taking a slow sip of her smoothie. “Yeah… but only with cute girls.”

You swallowed, gripping your glass a little tighter. You tried to think of something clever, something equally flirty to say back, but your brain was a static mess.

She must’ve noticed the way your confidence wavered because she let the moment linger before speaking again. She chuckled. “I really hoped that I’d see you again after that night,” she admitted, her voice softer now, more sincere. “I was so annoyed I didn’t get your number.”

Your fingers curled slightly around your glass. There was something about the way she said it – so effortlessly honest – that made your stomach flip. You exhaled, your voice quieter when you spoke, meeting her eyes. “I’ve been thinking about that kiss too.”

The brunette girl chuckled, tilting her head slightly. “Hmm. Are you just practicing flirting with me?”

You shook your head quickly. “No, I mean it.”

That made her smile. It didn’t look teasing or naughty. It looked genuinely, like she was relieved you’d say so.

“Yeah,” she said, watching you. “I believe you.”

You let out a small, nervous laugh, rubbing the condensation off your glass with your thumb. “I feel like such a wimp,” you admitted. “Sorry, but… yeah. It was a nice kiss.”

She hummed, like she was replaying it in her mind. You looked at her, noticed the playful glint in her eyes and the curve of her smirk. God, this woman is so beautiful. 

"You’re getting better at this, though.” She leaned in closer, brushing her knees against your deliberately.

You looked back at her, confused. “At what?”

She smirked. “Flirting," she answered, her tone back to a playful tone.

Your breath caught slightly. "Hmm?"

She tilted her head, eyes scanning your face like she was committing every detail to memory. “You actually held eye contact just now," she mused, clearly amused. "Last time, you could barely look at me without turning red.”

You pressed your lips together, trying not to react. "I did not turn red."

She smiled like she knew she had you exactly where she wanted. “Mmm.”

You scoffed, but the pink dusting your cheeks betrayed you. “Don't be cocky now.”

She shrugged, taking a slow slip of her smoothie. “I don’t know. I think I have a pretty solid case.” She chuckled. “But yeah, you’ve been practicing without me?”

You bit your lip, hesitating just long enough for her to catch it. Her eyebrows lifted in amusement before she pouted at you, clutching her chest in mock heartbreak. “Aww, that look just gives it away,” she sighed dramatically. “And here I thought I was special.”

You rolled your eyes, but the growing heat on your cheeks told a different story. “Hmm… I didn’t say anything.”

You hated how much she was enjoying this... and how much it made you flustered. 

She tapped her straw against the rim of her glass, watching you with the kind of interest that made your pulse stutter. “So,” she said, dragging out the word, “what brings you here? Aside from fate bringing us together as destined lovers, of course.”

A breathy laugh escaped you, shaking your head. “Well, aside from that, I’m here for a wedding.”

Her eyes lit up. “No way. I’m here for a wedding too.” She said, eyebrows furrowing together in genuine surprise.

Your gaze snapped back to hers. "You're joking."

She leaned in just a little more, a smirk playing at her lips. “Would I lie to you?”

Your heartbeat quickened. “I don’t know yet.”

She chuckled, leaning back and shaking her head. “But yeah, I am here for a wedding.” She nodded. “My friend’s getting married and they’re treating us with a mini vacation. I genuinely don’t think I can afford to stay here for more than a couple days without going bankrupt.”

You furrowed your brows as it sunk in. “Wait, so you must be Inés’ friend?”

She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could—

“Bunny, is that you?”

You barely had a second to react before a familiar voice cut through the conversation. You turned to see your brother Xavier making his way toward you, his face lighting up.

“Oh my god,” you muttered under your breath before standing up just in time for him to pull you into a tight hug. It had been two years since you’d last seen him, back when he visited home.

Even though Xavier was seven years older and had left home to study in Spain for college, you had always been close. Growing up, he had been more than just an older brother; he was your best friend. He was the kind of brother who was incredibly protective but also very caring. When you were little, he was the one who carried you on his back when you got too tired to walk, who stayed up with you when you were scared of the dark. He helped you with your homework, even when he was busy with his own. He was your number one person, even after you met Matt.

Although, in the past couple years, you did grow apart only. When he finished med school and got a job, he was always busy or exhausted. Your late night calls practically stopped when you entered law school too, with your own schedule becoming just as hectic. The last time you two saw each other was when your dad passed, and that has certainly been too long.

“Did you get taller?” he teased, patting your head.

You rolled your eyes and wafted his hand away. The last thing you needed was your new crush seeing you get treated like a kid by your brother. “You’re a doctor, Xavier. You know the answer is no.”

He chuckled before his eyes flickered to the brunette girl. He furrowed his eyebrows together, looking at you then looking at her. "You didn't tell me you knew Alexia?" He said with an amused tone.

You blinked and turned to face the girl who looked just as surprised as you did. "Alexia?"

Xavier nodded. "Yeah, I told you about her over call. Alexia's my best man... or, best woman? Best lady?" He corrected, chuckling. "I told you about her. She's my friend who is an absolute football superstar."

You looked at Xavier then at Alexia. You cursed yourself mentally, thinking you should have guessed it sooner. Alexia did briefly mention being a football player and being from Barcelona. And now that you were looking back, you were starting to remember Xav and Inés’ posts with their friends where you must have seen Alexia from before. After all, she did seem familiar. But maybe you were too drunk then and too nervous now to piece those two facts together.

After med school, your brother secured a job as one of the resident doctors for Barcelona FC. He mostly worked with the men's team until one of the women's team's star players got injured, and he was assigned to monitor her recovery. Xavier told you about her a bunch of times before, mostly in passing, either bragging about his friend won all these awards or talking about the women’s team. You just never really tuned into it. 

“When you told me about your sister, I thought she was a kid,” Alexia said, eyeing Xavier. “Is she really named Bunny?”

You groaned, shaking your head. “No, Xavier just calls me that because I used to chew like a rabbit when I was little.” You corrected, rubbing your elbow awkwardly as you turned to Xaviewr. "Alexia and I just met now, actually, Xavs. I recognized her maybe from one of your photos and we chatted just a bit before you got here."

Alexia cocked an eyebrow up at your made-up story. "Yeah..." She responded, going along with it without questioning you. "Your sister's shy, huh?"

Xavier ruffled your hair again much to your annoyance. “Yeah, she’s not a loud motherfucker like me.” He slung an arm around your shoulders. “Anyway, as much as I’d love for you two to hang out, I gotta take Bunny to the family lunch. Her cousins who we're supposed to pick her up ditched her.”

Alexia nodded, her expression unreadable. “Right. We’ll catch up later.”

You hesitated before following Xavier, sneaking one last glance at her. She gave you a smile and a look that you knew meant that you had some explaining to do.

⋆˙⟡♡ "My poor, sweet, angel baby," your mother cooed in an infantilizing tone as soon as you entered the restaurant. She wrapped her arms around you and took you in for a hug. 

Xavier furrowed his eyebrows. "Damn, mom, you haven't seen me in a while too but your greeting for me was way less dramatic." He feigned offense. "Favoritism much?"

Your mother pulled away and glared at your brother. "Well, you're not the one who got broken up with, right?"

Xavier blinked and the smile fell from his face. "What?"

You bit your lip. On the walk to the restaurant, you two caught up with each other — law school, his job, wedding prep — but the one thing you purposely left out was Matt.

Xavier and Matt got along pretty well. They used to go on jogs together and play video games. Another reason as to why you held onto Matt for so long was because he got along so well with your family, especially Xavier. 

You had no idea how to tell him that you and Matt were on a break. Or that you weren’t even sure if the break would ever end. You haven’t figured it out yet.

“You didn’t tell me you and Matt broke up,” Xavier said, his voice softer now as he placed a reassuring hand on your back.

Before you could respond, your mother took it upon herself to answer for you. “Oh, Xav, it’s even worse,” she sighed as she took her seat, the two of you following suit. “They’re on a break.”

Your aunties and cousins tutted their tongues in disapproval.

“It’s like relationship limbo, Xav!” your mother went on, shaking her head. “Imagine the horror of a breakup but without the certainty. It’s tragic.”

Cam seated across from you, wiped her mouth with a napkin before chiming in. “Don’t worry, Auntie. Your daughter has been managing well under Daisy’s and my care.”

Daisy nodded, grinning. “She’s moved on! Never mind that bum,” your loud-mouthed cousin exclaimed. “It’s her time to flirt and be free! You should’ve seen her in the clubs, especially our first night here when we met this gi—”

You shot her a wide-eyed look, shaking your head violently in warning. daisy hesitated before clearing her throat and turning her focus back to her salad. “Never mind,” she muttered, exaggeratedly poking at her salad. “Forget everything I said.”

Xavier let out a small chuckle but didn’t look entirely amused. “So… are you guys actually broken up?” he asked, tilting his head as he looked at you. “Like, for real?”

You exhaled sharply, picking at the napkin in your lap. “I don’t know,” you admitted. “It’s complicated.”

Xavier hummed, nodding slowly, but his expression was tight, like something about this didn’t sit right with him. He was always the traditional family guy. Not in a homophobic way, but in the way that made him sentimental about things that felt secure, structured. He liked the idea of you and Matt. Liked that Matt was a “good influence,” someone who pushed you to be your best, just as you had for him.

And now? Now it probably looked to him like you were throwing all of that away to mess around.

⋆˙⟡♡ Xavier pulled you aside after the family lunch. Even if you managed to dodge all the questions about Matt, you knew there was no escaping your brother. He was too… doting and protective, to say the least.

You sighed, already sensing where this was going. "Xavs, if this is about—"

"I just want to make sure you're okay," he cut in, arms crossed. His tone was light, but the concern was clear in his eyes. Xavier studied you carefully. "So are you…okay?"

You let out a small laugh. "Yes, Xavs. I promise."

“Okay, cause I didn’t hear much about how you’re coping with it,” He didn’t look convinced. "And it’s just that Cam was saying—"

You groaned. "Ignore Cam."

Xavier narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly not satisfied with that answer, but he let it slide. "Fine. But I just want to make sure you're coping healthily. And not just doing things to hurt yourself." His gaze flickered over your face, reading you. "Or others."

That last part made your stomach flip uncomfortably. You swallowed, shifting your weight. "I’m not."

"Good," he said, but he was still watching you, like he knew there was more you weren’t saying.

You tried not to fidget. Because if he knew, if he even had the slightest clue that you had kissed Alexia, that you had a crush on his best friend… how would he even react?

You cleared your throat. "Can I go now, or do you have more of your big brother wisdom to impart?"

Xavier huffed a small laugh but didn’t move. "Just… take care of yourself, Bunny. Okay?"

⋆˙⟡♡ Later that day, the rest of the family headed to go for a by-the-beach hangout but you just felt a little too out-of-it to join. You didn’t know why but maybe the fact that your entire family was now intrigued by your break was a factor.

You loved your family but they could be overwhelming. Plus, Cam and Daisy decided to ditch the whole gathering too after meeting a couple of the scuba instructors who looked exactly like their type. You figured that without them, you’d be the target of countless inquiries from your aunts and uncles.

So, instead, you decided to hit the bar which was on the opposite side of the beach. It was quiet, save from a few of what seemed like Xavier and Inés’ friends who were drinking beers and playing beach volleyball.

As you made your way toward the bar, your eyes immediately landed on a familiar brunette. A slow smile curled your lips before you could stop it. She was turned around, sitting on one of the stools with her phone in hand. She had changed into a light blue bikini, the sheer cover-up dress doing little to hide the toned lInés of her body. You bit your lip. God, she’s so fine.

Almost like she could sense you staring, Alexia turned her head, her lips already tugging into a knowing smirk. She pushed her shades to the top of her head to get a good look at you. "You planning on saying hi, or are you just gonna stand there and check me out like a creep?" she teased, reaching for her bag and pulling it off the stool beside her, signalling for you to sit beside her.

You let out a breathy chuckle, slipping onto the seat next to her. "You just looked so busy, Alexia," you said, letting her name roll off your tongue with deliberate ease.

She arched a brow, amusement flickering in her gaze. "Yeah, bunny?" she murmured, her voice dipping just enough to make you feel a bit tense. "You know, the way your brother used to talk about you… I would have thought you were an actual innocent little bunny."

You chuckled, shaking your head. “Yeah, you know Xavier. He’s protective and he genuinely still thinks I’m his baby sister.”

She hummed, bringing her straw in between her lips, taking a sip of her drink and not breaking eye contact. You felt your skin heat under her gaze, your fingers instinctively tucking a stray strand of hair behind your ear.

"So, uh," you started, clearing your throat, "you never mentioned that you’re one of the most famous football players in the world."

Alexia wrinkled her nose, shaking her head. "No, no," she laughed, waving a dismissive hand. "I'm definitely not. I mean, I might be a little well-known, but Xav probably hyped me up way more than I deserve."

“Hmm, so a million instagram followers isn’t famous, huh?” You shot her an unimpressed look.  Suddenly, it was your turn to tease her. “So, that means that I must be a total nobody with my 271 followers.”

She smirked. "Oh, so you've been stalking me?"

You leaned forward, tilting your head. "If checking your Instagram counts as stalking, then yeah, whatever." You pulled out your phone, unlocking it to show her the proof. "Also, I don’t buy the whole 'I’m not that good' thing when your pinned posts are literally you holding the award that practically says Best Football Player Ever.”

Alexia pouted dramatically. "No fair. Your account is private."

You chuckled and pointed an accusatory finger. “Hmmm, sounds like someone tried to stalk me too.”

"Guilty as charged," she admitted, resting her chin on her hand. "But can you really blame me? It’s not my fault my best friend’s sister is fine as fuck.”

You bit your lip, a blush growing in your cheek. Alexia smiled, incredibly pleased by your reaction. “So, are you gonna accept my follow request or…”

You rolled your eyes, scrolling through your notifications to approve her request. “Here. Happy?”

Alexia beamed, immediately checking her phone to check out your account. She whistled lowly as she clicked on the photo you posted days ago of just your torso in a tiny, yellow bikini. She liked the photo immediately. You chuckled as you watched her scroll through more photos, liking each and every single one of them. 

You were mildly relieved that you archived all remnants of Matt from your profile or else, you’d be figured out by now.

“I think I’m your number one fan now,” Alexia teased, looking back at you before her eyes fell lower to scan your body. “Kinda a bummer you’re not wearing one of those bikinis from the photo now.”

You smacked her arm playfully. “I seriously don’t know if you’re messing with me–”

“I’m not,” She cut you off. You looked to meet her eyes and while she had a playful smile, her eyes looked warm and sincere. “I genuinely think you’re cute. I’m not just teasing you.”

You paused before nodding, averting your gaze. Fuck, she’s so charming. I actually don’t even know how to respond to this. “Hmm,” you said before turning your head back to look at you. “You better not let Xav hear that though.”

She furrowed her eyebrows and let out a weak chuckle. “Xavier?”

“Yeah, you know him, he still acts like I’m his baby sister.” You said, purposely leaving out the fact that that main reason why you didn’t want him finding out was because your brother had just warned you earlier that day about messing around while on a break with Matt. “He’s just… protective. Last thing I need is him breathing down my neck the entire trip."

Alexia hummed, dragging her straw through her drink before glancing at you. "Well," she said after a pause, "that’s a bummer."

You tilted your head inquisitively. She smiled. "I was gonna ask him if it was okay to take his younger sister out on a date."

You blinked, brain short-circuiting “Oh… what?”

Alexia let out a low chuckle, clearly enjoying your reaction. "Well, if you don’t wanna go out with me since I’m your brother’s friend and all—"

"No!" you blurted, a little too loudly. You clamped your mouth shut, feeling the heat rush to your cheeks. "I mean… no, I do wanna go out with you."

Alexia’s smile fully grew. “Good, cause that would’ve sucked if you said no.”

You smiled. “But… you gotta keep this from my brother, for now. He’s just extra tense about the wedding and he can be such a… bridezilla.” Alexia chuckled at your description, knowing fully well how much of a control freak Xavier was when it came to the wedding. You continued. “So, we can’t let him know… just for now. After the wedding, I’m sure he’ll cool off.”

Alexia nodded, understanding. “Okay, then that will make this more interesting.”

You forced a casual smile, relieved that she had bought your excuse. If she thought Xavier’s overprotectiveness was the only reason you wanted to keep this a secret, that was fine by you. You had a good feeling about the date, even with the circumstances. And surely, there was no way things would go wrong over just one date.

…Right?

⋆˙⟡♡ When Alexia said that she would pick you up from your hotel room at 5 in the morning, you didn’t know what to think or expect of that date. What was more intriguing was that she asked you to wear a swimsuit under your clothes. 

What kind of date is she taking me on? You thought to yourself, yawning as you put on a short, beachy dress on top of your bikini. Are we going to the Little Mermaid’s restaurant or something?

Tote bag in hand, you headed to the port where you agreed to meet Alexia. Your lips turned up to a smile when you saw her standing there in denim shorts and a crocheted white top. “We’re lowkey coordinating our outfits,” you remarked as you walked to her.

She chuckled. “You look stunning.”

A blush crept up your cheeks. "Yeah?" You bit your lip, glancing between her and the sleek boat behind her. "So… why are we here?"

She gestured to the fancy-looking boat behind her. “You mentioned yesterday that you haven’t seen much of the non-tourist sights in Ibiza when you were there with your cousins,” she said. “So, I figured we’d hitchhike on the bride’s boat going there.”

“What?” You said, unable to process what she just said.

"Inés’ bridal team has to pick up a few things in Ibiza, so I pulled some strings and got us on board." She gave a little shrug, like it was no big deal. "Hope you’re not prone to seasickness, because I kinda had the staff prepare breakfast for us too. Called in a special favor from Inés."

Your eyes widened. "Wait, she knows?"

Alexia chuckled. "Relax. I didn’t tell her about my secret date with her future sister-in-law." She shot you a wink before holding out her hand. "But we gotta hurry. I wouldn’t want us to miss any part of our itinerary today." 

You let her take your hand, heart skipping a beat, and let her lead you into the boat.

⋆˙⟡♡ The boat was spacious, the sea breeze light and refreshing as Alexia led you to a seating area with a cushioned booth and a small table. Waiting for you was a basket of empanadas and carafes of juice.

You slid into the seat beside her, eyeing the pastries curiously. "I’ve never actually had an empanada before."

Alexia’s head snapped toward you so fast you almost laughed. "Huh? No way. You’ve never had one?"

You shook your head, amused at how scandalized she looked. She grabbed a plate and served one for you. "That’s insane. Inés makes really good ones too. She usually makes some whenever I visit." She shared. “These ones are prepared by the hotel staff though.”

You took a small bite, eyes widening as you bit into the buttery pastry, humming with satisfaction. "Fuck, where has this been all my life?"

Alexia grinned. "Told you. You’ve been missing out."

You wiped a few crumbs from your lips, leaning back. "Story of my life," you muttered, more to yourself than anything.

She raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

You hesitated before shrugging. "I’ve never been to Spain before. Actually… I don’t really travel at all."

Alexia looked surprised. "Really? That’s the total opposite of your brother. He’s been everywhere."

You laughed softly, shaking your head. "Yeah, well, Xavier always was the more adventurous one. I mean, I’ve always wanted to do the same but I guess, life just always got in the way…" You trailed off, leaving out the real reason: how much of that was because of your ex. How you turned down trips, stayed behind, convinced yourself that you didn’t need to see the world because love was enough.

And now that it was over, you were realizing just how much you had missed.

Alexia studied you for a moment, then nodded, looking out at the ocean. "I travel a lot for work, but nothing ever compares to Barcelona. That’s home." She glanced at you. "Maybe it’s the same for you? Love for your hometown?"

You exhaled, shaking your head. "No," you admitted. "I think I just didn’t know what I was missing out on."

She smiled, something warm and knowing in her gaze. "Well, then that’s more reason for me to show you a good time today.”

The moment stretched between you, lingering just long enough to make your pulse quicken. Then, with a playful nudge, she gestured to the table. "Come on, cariño. Eat more of the empanadas before they get too cold."

⋆˙⟡♡ "I don’t know about this," you said, watching as Alexia swung a leg over the Vespa with effortless ease. You held the helmet between your hands, feeling iffy about getting on the motorcycle. “I’ve never really ridden a motorcycle.”

Alexia chuckled and gave you a playful look. “Come on, trust me.”

You hesitated, gripping the helmet a little tighter. The idea of speeding through unfamiliar streets made your stomach twist. But then you thought about what you had just been saying. You wanted to experience more, to stop holding yourself back. And here was your chance.

You met Alexia’s gaze, and even though you barely knew her, something about her made you feel safe. You exhaled, put the helmet on, and climbed onto the Vespa behind her.

She smiled, adjusting her grip on the handlebars. "Hold on, cariño."

As soon as the Vespa took off, your hands hovered awkwardly at her sides, unsure. But when the wind picked up and the city blurred past you, your instincts took over. Your grip on her waist tightened, and Alexia let out a quiet chuckle. You felt her laughter through your chest, warm and steady.

At first, the speed made your heart race. It felt even more frightening than a rollercoaster. As much as Alexia liked how close you were, clinging onto her for dear life, she felt like she was going to suffocate with how tightly you were hugging her waist. “Cariño, relax. I won’t be reckless, I promise.”

You took a deep breath before loosening up, hands still around Alexia. You straightened your back a bit before looking around, taking in the views around you. 

Alexia slowed the bike as you neared the farmer’s market. “Still full from the empanadas, cariño?” she called over her shoulder, her voice rising above the hum of the cars and the market’s chatter.

You looked at the farmer’s market and immediately spotted a booth that sold fresh smoothies. You could practically feel your mouth water at the sight of the seller slicing strawberries. “Never too full for a farmer’s market.”

Alexia laughed, pulling the bike to the side and parking it. She hopped off first, offering her hand to help you down. You hesitated, your heart picking up pace as she held your hand, guiding you gently as you dismounted.

A warm blush crept up your neck as she turned to you with a playful smile. “You don’t have to take my hand if you don’t want to,” she said, her tone softening. “I just don’t want to lose you in this crowd.”

You glanced at the market. There weren’t even that many people. Sure, it was busy but you doubted you’d lose her that easily. Still, you played along, taking her hand in first, allowing her to fit her fingers in between yours. The warmth of her skin emanated against yours, causing your blush to grow.

“So, what do you want to try?” Alexia said as she led the way.

You hummed, looking around. “I kinda want a smoothie but maybe we should go around first? See what else they have to offer?”

Alexia nodded, agreeing, keeping you close and not letting your hand go as you two weaved through the stalls. The two of you tried some cheese, cured meat, bread, and a lot of other goods, humming in delight as you indulged in the free samples. Alexia seemed incredibly intrigued by cherry wine, even taking note of the name of the seller to buy from them later on. 

You couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed, though. Everywhere you looked, there were tempting options. What to eat? What to drink? The variety was endless, and you didn’t want to fill up on something just to find something even better a little further down the path. As you were lost in thought, your eyes landed on an ice cream stall. The warm afternoon sun was starting to set in, and suddenly, the idea of a cold treat felt like the perfect answer.

Alexia noticed your lingering gaze at the stall, chuckling a bit. “Never thought you’d have a sweet tooth,” she commented. “Want to get some?”

You nodded shyly, feeling caught staring longingly at the ice cream. She smiled back at you, hand still entangled with yours, leading the way once more and taking you there. The stall owner, a small tan lady with short curly hair, gasped as you two approached their booth. 

“La reina! En persona!” The woman gushed, clearly starstruck by Alexia.

“Ah, sí, sí,” she said, offering a warm handshake with her free hand. The vendor practically shook with giddInéss as she continued speaking quickly in Spanish, her words tumbling out as she gushed about how amazing it was to meet Alexia in person.

You stood there awkwardly, trying to follow the conversation, but your Spanish was rough at best. You caught a few words — novia and guapa —and your cheeks instantly heated up. You bit your lip as you felt your face grow warmer, gaze falling to your feet. 

You only looked up again when Alexia squeezed your hand, eyes fixed on you with a soft expression. She gave you a small smile before looking back at the lady. “No, aún no…” She responded in Spanish but continued in English. “But who knows? Maybe soon?”

The vendor yelped out, giggling like a schoolgirl as she bounced on her feet, speaking in fast Spanish that you could barely catch a word of. But her body language and the way she teasingly pointed at Alexia then at you told you all you needed to know. Alexia just chuckled as she watched you blush even more.

“Okay, now, what flavor do you want?” She asked you. 

You almost forgot about the ice cream because of the exchange. You looked inside the display to see huge containers with simple labels, all in Spanish. 

You blinked, momentarily forgetting about the ice cream, your mind still stuck on the exchange. When you finally looked at the display, you saw a bunch of large containers with simple labels, all in Spanish. You hummed, feeling a little overwhelmed. “I have no clue. They all look so good.”

Alexia chuckled softly, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. “Would you mind if I chose for you?”

You  shook your head, not needing to think twice. “I’d prefer it either way,” you admitted with a shy smile.

Alexia continued talking to the vendor, and you watched the lady scoop generous amounts of ice cream into your cones. When it was time to pay, the lady was insisting that Alexia not pay, practically forcing Alexia’s money back to her pocket; the whole sight made you laugh. Alexia finally agreed not to pay but while the vendor’s guard was down, she slipped her money into the tip jar, throwing a cheeky wink at the lady.

“Okay, ice cream time,” Alexia said, smiling wide as she held up the cones slightly. “Fuck, these are heavy. I think she wants to give us a toothache.”

You chuckled and glanced at the flavors Alexia had picked. “Which one’s mine?” you asked, a little unsure.

“The strawberry and balsamic one,” Alexia replied, her smile widening as she nodded towards the cone in your hand. “I saw you practically lusting after those strawberries earlier, so I thought you might like this one.”

You raised an eyebrow, still skeptical. “Strawberries with balsamic… vinegar?” you said, voice cautious, not quite sure what to expect.

She laughed, the sound rich and warm. “Trust me, it sounds crazy, but it’s perfect. You’ll see.”

“Hmm, and what did you get?” You looked at her cone. “Looks like chocolate.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I got a basic flavor just in case you don’t like yours so we can switch.”

You couldn’t help but feel even more drawn to Alexia and the date had barely begun. She was just so unbelievably thoughtful, remembering you mentioning the strawberries from earlier, noticing you looking at the ice cream stall, even picking a flavor you would have never chosen for yourself. She just felt so confident about you liking it but still making sure to have a back-up plan in case you didn’t. It may have seemed like such a small thing but it said a lot about her to you.

Suddenly, you were thinking about Matt. You two were together for years and yet he had not ever displayed the same level of thoughtfulness as Alexia had, and you practically only just met Alexia.

Feeling a drop of ice cream reach your knuckles, you hurriedly licked up the drips on the side of the cone. A hum escaped your lips as you tasted the ice cream, eagerly eating more of it. Alexia smiled as she watched you, a soft gleam of pride in her eyes. “See, I knew you’d like it,” she said with a warm tone. 

“Mmm, s’good…” you said, having more of it. You paused, looking at her before offering. “Do you want to try some?”

She paused for a moment, looking at your face as if to study you before simply leaning in. You gently moved the cone towards her lips, watching as she took a delicate lick of the ice cream. It wasn’t seductive or sexual but something about it made your heart beat faster. You bit your lip as you watched her lift her head, lick her lips and nod approvingly. 

Alexia noticed your look, the redness of your cheeks, the way you were biting your lip and the bashful look in your eyes. She was about to tease you but before she could even say anything, you could hear the vendor giggling, a few meters away. The two of you turned to look at her and she just have you two a playful air swat and a head shake from behind her booth. 

“Looks like we got our first fan,” Alexia teased.

⋆˙⟡♡ After roaming a bit more around the stalls, you finally made your way back to the motorcycle. Alexia revved the engine, and you slipped on your helmet, even if you had been on the motorcycle early today, a part of you still felt nervous getting on it.

You asked as you two took the road, feeling the warmth of the noon sun against your shoulders. “Where are we off to?” you asked loudly, above the sound of the cars beside you.

Alexia kept her eyes on the road ahead. “It’s not too far,” she said. “You’ll know when you see it.”

You took a deep breath, suddenly feeling yourself get a bit nervous. You weren’t someone who had ever done this kind of thing: travelling abroad with beautiful women, riding a motorcycle, allowing said woman to decide your fate for the day, taking you to places you have never even heard of before. It was all new to you. 

And yet, despite the nerve-racking uncertainty, there was this other new feeling bubbling up inside you. Excitement. It was the kind of excitement you never really knew you were capable of feeling. It wasn’t the excitement you’ve known, like the kind of excitement you got for birthdays, going to Disneyland, or prom. It felt much bigger than that.

Alexia shifted slightly, adjusting her grip on the handlebars, her posture relaxed. She didn’t seem nervous at all. 

The engine revved again, and Alexia’s voice broke through your thoughts, a little louder now to cut through the wind. “Hold on tight, cariño,” she shouted over her shoulder, giving you just enough time to adjust your grip on her before she sped up, zooming up the inclined road.

You yelped as you felt the speed, holding on tighter to Alexia. You could feel Alexia’s body vibrate with laughter, clearly amused by your vaguely frightened screams. Normally, you’d be a bit embarrassed holding onto someone like this but you were too anxious to care; you weren’t going to risk falling off and cracking your head.

“Relax, cariño,” Alexia teased, her voice cutting through the rush of wind. “You’re safe with me.”

And just like that, suddenly, you felt your body loosen up a bit, becoming more relaxed. You straightened up a bit, hands still wrapped around Alexia. Now that you calmed, you could finally appreciate the wind, the sight of the trees you passed, the sight of the ocean just peeking past the trees. It was beautiful.

You still had no idea where you and Alexia were heading but if this was the journey towards it, the destination must have been out-of-this-world.

⋆˙⟡♡ “There is no way in hell that I am jumping off of that, Alexia!” 

The Cataln laughed at you, gesturing with her hand for you to come over. “Come on, it’s really fun, I swear.” She urged with a wide smle. “Besides, we’re not jumping off here. We’ll take a few more steps down there and jump off that cliff.”

She pointed at a cliff that was significantly lower than the one you first encountered during your hike up from where you two parked. You sighed deeply, contemplating whether or not you would still go with it. On one hand, the thought of jumping off was already making your knees shake and your hands clammy. On the other, the hike up here was already enough to knock the wind out of your lungs… and you did say that you wanted to be more adventurous.

“If you don’t want to, we can just hike back down to the motorcycle,” Alexia offered with a shrug, seemingly unaffected by the walk up. “It’s no problem.”

“No problem for you, you’re literally a world-class athlete.” You joked, shaking your head. You took a deep breath and peeked once more at the cliff Alexia was pointing too. The jump did not seem that high. The water seemed calm too. “How many feet is that?”

Alexia paused, looking over to the cliff. “Uh, I don’t know in feet but maybe a little over 3 meters?” She responded. “It’s gonna be fun, I promise.”

“If you’re nervous, I can go first, break the surface tension a bit. That will make it easier for you to jump in after me, soften the impact.” Alexia offered, sticking her hand out to you for you to take. “We can also swim back to where we parked from down there.”

The sun beat down, making the idea of jumping and swimming in the cool ocean pretty tempting. You bit your lip, then carefully took her hand, nodding. Alexia smiled warmly and led the way down toward the smaller cliff.

Alexia went first on the way to the cliff, carefully making her way downthe rocks that were conveniently shaped like steps. You took a deep breath as you used one hand to hold on to the rocks and the other to grip Alexia’s arm tightly as you stepped down. Finally, you were on the lower cliff and being closer to the sea, you could hear the soft sounds of the waves beneath you.

You looked over at Alexia who was now taking off her clothes to reveal a small white bikini underneath and suddenly, the nerves were replaced by a flustered feeling. There is no way that I’ll ever get used to seeing her body, you thought to yourself.

She caught you staring and laughed. “I know I look good, but you’re going to have to change into your bikini too,” she teased. “Swimming in those clothes would be way harder.”

You nodded. “But where do we put everything?”

Alexia held up a black bag. “I brought a waterproof bag for exactly that.” She grinned. “Just toss your shoes and clothes in here.”

Feeling a little shy, you slowly peeled off your clothes. The hard rock under your feet made you wince as you slipped off your shoes. You stepped closer, reaching over Alexia to place your things in the bag.

She watched you with a smirk, her eyes lingering appreciatively on your body before letting out a low whistle. You swatted her arm playfully. “No teasing,” you warned.

She chuckled softly. “I’m not teasing. I’m just saying you look great.”

Your eyes widened in surprise. “Says you?”

She raised an eyebrow, her smile teasing. “You haven’t said anything yet.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “Okay, fine. I think you look… sexy.” Your cheeks warmed as you admitted it.

Alexia laughed, clapping her hands together before rubbing them in excitement. “Gracias, cariño. Now, are you ready? I’ll show you how to jump without hurting yourself.”

“You’re telling me it’s going to hurt?”

She rolled her eyes, laughing again. “No! I said I’m going to show you how not to get hurt.”

She explained patiently, “Just step off the cliff and keep your legs straight and together. Don’t bend your knees or else, it’s gonna hurt a bit more when you hit the water…” She continued to explain, enacting how your position should be once you do jump. “Did you get that?”

You took a deep breath, feeling the nerves kick in. Never in your life would you have thought you’d end up where you were now: standing on a cliff in Ibiza, having a beautiful Catalan woman teach you how to jump off of it. The most daring thing you ever did in past dates was maybe eat deepfried frog legs in a state fair.

You looked over to Alexia who was walking to the edge, tightening her ponytail as she did. “I’ll go first just to show you how not scary it is.” She said, looking back at you. She smiled at your worried expression, finding it adorable you seemed with your hands grasping each other, eyebrows furrowed.

“Come closer, just to get a feel of it.”

You stepped cautiously as if every next step would cause the cliff to crumble. You took a sharp inhale, feeling the wind blow against your hair and trying hard not to focus on the sound of the ocean beneath you.

“I usually throw my bag or a rock first to break the surface tension,” you turned to Alexia who suddenly chuckled a large rock into the water, followed by the waterproof bag with both of your stuff in it . “Then as soon as I feel confident, I just jump.”

“You just do it?” You swallowed.

Alexia chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, it’s easy.”

“I don’t believe you.”

She raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit challenged. “Just watch me,” she said with a wink but before you could even react, Alexia stepped forward and jumped off.

A strangled gasp escaped your lips. “Oh my god!” You exclaimed as you looked over the cliff. Before you could even realize it, Alexia was already down there, swimming up to the surface.

She flashed you a smile and shouted. “Come! The water is warm!” She swam backwards, allowing you ample space to comfortably jump into. “Just don’t think about it.”

The normal you would have backed out. You would normally think about the potential consequences — injury, drowning, scraping against a rock or whatever. But the reason you came to Spain was not to be the old you. 

It was to be spontaneous, to actually live the only life you have — something that you have not done in the past couple decades you existed. 

It was time to just let go.

And just like that, you stepped off.

The feeling was nothing like you have ever felt before; it was exhilarating, overwhelming, amazing. It only lasted a couple seconds before you felt your body crash against the water.

Then it felt like silence. Just being enveloped by the silence of the ocean. You slowly swam to the surface, quickly being met by Alexia who swam towards you.

“Did you have fun?” She asked as she threaded above the waves with the waterproof bag floating behind her.

You could not contain your laughs. “Oh my god!” You exclaimed. “I wish I could do that again.”

She laughed. “I told you it was fun,” she responded, now mirroring your enthusiasm. “We can go again, if you want!”

“Hell yeah, I wanna go!” 

⋆˙⟡♡ The waterproof bag Alexia brought along turned out to be a little less waterproof than you thought. Water somehow got into the bag and drenched most of your clothes, including your towels.

So, Alexia and you figured that it was best to lounge on the beach for a while and let the sun dry you. 

Alexia laid out her damp towel beside yours on the shore, signalling you to sit down as she ran over to a nearby shop to buy you two some bottled water. You dropped your bag on the spot beside the towel and sat down, immediately massaging your sore calves.

The adrenaline somehow got you to climb up that hill real fast multiple times before jumping off. At the time, you didn’t feel tired or strained due to the adrenaline from all the cliff jumping but now your calves were killing you.

But even if your legs hurt like hell and your arms felt like jelly from all the swimming and threading, you didn’t regret it a single bit.

It felt exhilarating, like nothing you felt before, like you were finally living. You came to Ibiza, wanting to show Matt that you could be fun. But now that you were actually having fun, doing things you never thought you’d do, he didn’t even enter your mind once while you were running up that hill or when you were jumping off or swimming back to the shore. He was pretty much forgotten.

It wasn’t even just because of Alexia. Sure, you loved your date so far and ever since you met her, you’ve practically felt infatuation like never before but the biggest part of being able to forget and move on from Matt so quickly was discovering what you've been missing out on. It felt like you were living life for the first time.

You looked over your shoulder to see Alexia returning back, a large liter of water in hand, bikini-clad body still damp and hair dripping wet, looking a shade darker now that it was wet. You smiled at her.

“They didn’t accept cards and I only had a couple euros on hand,” she said, handing you the large water bottle. “Hope you don’t mind sharing.”

You chuckled, opening the bottled water as she sat beside you on the towel, moving close to you, stretching her legs on to the sand. “Why would I mind?”

“I don’t know, indirect kissing or whatever,” she said with a lilt to her voice. “Maybe you’re the type to care about that.”

You chuckled, feeling more at ease with Alexia after the cliff jumping. You couldn’t help but think that she was beyond clever for planning all that to get you to be more at ease and open to her. Something about jumping and adrenaline, you thought.

“Why would I mind an indirect kiss when I’ve already kissed you?” You retorted before drinking from the bottle.

She chuckled. “I don’t know. You might run off again.”

You nearly choked on the water as you chuckled. You shook your head. “Hey, not everyone can be like Alexia, the expert flirter.” You rolled your eyes. 

“Expert flirter?” She laughed.

You raised your eyebrows and nodded. “Yeah, exactly. It was so intimidating flirting with you for the first time. It was intense.” You opened up. “I’m honestly still a little bit intimidated by you, actually.”

She furrowed her eyebrows. “What? Why?”

You averted your gaze, handing the bottle for her to drink from it next. “I don’t know. You’re older, and apparently, a really famous footballer.” You started, pausing before looking back at her. “Doesn’t help that you’re actually so stunning, especially in that bikini.”

Her lips turned into a smirk. “Hmm, and I’m the expert flirter, huh?”

You chuckled and nodded. 

“I still don’t get it,” she said.

“What?”

“How you sucked so much at flirting when you look like that,” she responded, tone vaguely serious. “Don’t you ever flirt back home?”

You sighed, chewing on your lip, contemplating on whether or not you’d tell her about Matt. “Uh,” you paused, fidgeting with the sand beneath you. “I haven’t actually flirted much. Barely at all before I came here.”

It wasn’t the exact truth but it wasn’t a lie either. 

“I was in a really long term relationship,” you said, opening up just a bit more. “And, well, we broke up.”

“Oh, when?”

You paused. “A year ago.” You didn’t know why you lied but it just came out of your mouth. It felt like it would have been too awkward to correct it but also, it felt wrong that you were lying. 

She nodded. “Not so long ago,” she commented, face turning more serious. “Why’d you break up?”

You paused. “Uh, the feelings weren’t there anymore.” You paused, absentmindedly drawing patterns on the water bottle’s condensation. “Now, that I’m here. I’m starting to question if they were ever there in the first place. Part of me just feels like I settled because I felt comfortable.”

You looked over to Alexia and she had her eyes fixated on you, listening intently. You continued. “It was always stable, calm… stagnant. I don’t think I ever felt strong emotions during the relationship. I thought it was a good thing because that meant we barely ever fought but really, there just wasn’t any passion either.”

“Looking back, I feel like I was just staying because I thought that all relationships just… felt like that.” You sighed. “It felt like mechanically going through milestones together and I guess, eventually, we both just realized we were done living like that.”

“It was mutual?” She asked, eyebrows furrowed with curiosity.

“Yeah.” Another lie. Well, partially. 

Because you figured that even if Matt was the one who initiated the break, you figured that you’d want to be the one to put the last nail on that coffin, completely turning that break into a definite break-up.

The two of you fell silent. Alexia seemed to not know what to say after you had openly talked about your past relationship. You didn’t mind it; there was really nothing more to say. You were just glad that you partially told her about your situation.

You grabbed your phone, thinking about shooting Matt a quick ‘let’s talk’ text but as you tried to open it, you realized that the battery was drained.

Alexia noticed. “Oh no, the sun must have gotten to it.” She said, “My phone battery always drains quicker whenever I leave it out under the sun. I should have warned you.”

You sighed but returned it back to the bag. “No problem, that just means you have to keep me entertained.”

Alexia smirked. “Yeah, want me to entertain you now?” She said moving closer to you, reaching over to tuck hair behind your ear, making you blush. 

Your eyes flickered to her lips involuntarily but you just chuckled, feeling a bit too shy to initiate a kiss “Why don’t you tell me more about yourself?”

She smiled as she leaned back, resting her weight on her propped-up arms. “What do you wanna know?”

“Hmm… you take a lot of girls cliff diving?”

She laughed at your question. “No, no,” she responded, shaking her head. “It’s my first time doing this cliff diving date.”

“Why do I have a hard time believing that?” 

“I’m serious. Even ask Xavier,” she responded. “I haven’t gone on a date in months. I just never have the time.”

You nodded, understandingly. Of course, a footballer like her with her popularity would be busy. But you still couldn't comprehend how someone as stunning as her would be single. “So, when was your last relationship?”

“A year ago too,” she responded. “It was a pretty long relationship too – almost a couple years, I think? She ended things when she realized she was scared of commitment. That… honestly fucked me up for a while. Gave me trust issues.”

You gulped, suddenly feeling the guilt spread through your body. “Yeah? Why?”

She sighed. “Well, she lied to me.” She shrugged, seemingly unaffected by it. “She broke up with me, said she was scared of committing but then a month later, she was dating someone else. Some guy she knew back from college. Just felt like a major backstab.”

She sighed before looking at you again with a weak smile. “They’re engaged now.”

“Oh… I’m sorry,” you responded. “I feel bad for asking.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I’m over it.” She shrugged, before moving over closer to you. “Besides, I’m kinda dating this hot girl right now.”

She bit her lip as she leaned closer. A blush crept across your cheeks, feeling your heart flutter as she did. “Yeah?” It was all you could muster to say. She just had the crazy ability to make you feel too stupid to say anything.

“Great kisser too,” Her eyes were practically fixated on your lips now, zeroed in on them. Even if you already shared that kiss at the club, you still felt incredibly on edge with her being so close. Perhaps it was the lack of alcohol or maybe it was the fact that you were even more attracted to her now.

Alexia’s lips curled into a small smirk. “The only problem is that she's a bit of an overthinker at times.”

You bit your lip, feeling called out.

“I don’t mind though. I can help her with that,” She said in a lower tone as she moved her hand to cup your face as she leaned in, capturing your lips with hers. 

All your muscles unclenched and all your thoughts just fizzled away. Suddenly, all you could focus on was her lips on yours. It started off slow, tentative as if she was testing out the waters before her hand snaked around your waist, deepening the kiss as soon as she felt you reciprocate.

You wrapped your arms around Alexia, pulling her in close as you tangled your fingers into her hair. 

God, I could do this all day.

⋆˙⟡♡ While your clothes had mostly dried, they still weren’t completely comfortable to wear. They’d also taken on a weird, musty scent from not being able to dry properly. And, every step made you wince a little, with the damp fabric clinging to your skin in all the wrong places. It was just not an ideal situation.

“Okay, I can’t do this anymore,” you groaned loudly, tugging at the moist fabric of your clothes which had begun to cling awkwardly to your body. “This feels like wearing a cold rag.”

Alexia, equally uncomfortable, gave you a half-laugh, half-groan. “Remind me to never trust those ‘waterproof’ bags again.” She shook her head disapprovingly. “Let’s head over to those souvenir shops, pretty sure they’d have something decent. Just pick out whatever you want. I’ll pay.”

With that mutual agreement, the two of you wandered through the line of souvenir shops near the boardwalk. Most of the stores were packed with overpriced towels and tacky magnets… exactly what you'd expect from tourist trap shops. But tucked between all the novelty junk were racks of clothes. Mostly polyester shirts with tacky designs or corny phrases, and mostly overpriced… but at least, they were dry. That was all you needed.

You grinned as your eyes landed on a rack filled with bootleg football kits. You pulled out a clearly fake Spanish national team shirt with the logo slightly wonky and the color being a tad brighter than the original. 

“Would you be mad if I got one of these?” you asked, holding it up with a small smirk on your face. 

Alexia averted her attention from the rack of beachy, button-up shirts and looked over, immediately laughing. “Mad? No. But if you seriously want one, I’ve got like, a dozen at home. All legit. All worn in actual matches.” She said with a small shrug. “If I sign it, you might even get a couple hundred euros off of it.”

You chuckled and looked back at the dupe in your hands. “If you sign this, I bet it would fetch me five euros at least.” You joked before returning it back to the rack. As you hung it back, something caught your eye: a white jersey with golden details. 

“Okay, I’ve made my decision,” you announced, feigning innocence. “I really like this one. It’s got that classic, retro charm.”

Alexia barely glanced up at first, focused on looking at a rack of overpriced crocheted tops. “Yeah? Which one?”

You turned slightly as you held the shirt, keeping the logo out of view, but letting her catch just enough of the white fabric. “It’s cute, right? The crown on the logo makes it look regal.”

Her attention snapped fully to you now, eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Wait… show me the front.”

You bit your lip to suppress your smile and slowly lifted the hanger up, revealing the shirt in all its glory. A Real Madrid jersey.

The effect was instant. Alexia shook her head, furrowing her eyebrows as she walked over to you.  “Ay, por favor, not that.”

You tilted your head, feigning confusion. “What? It’s a nice shirt,” you said, looking back at it to pretend like you’re analyzing the details. “I mean, white goes with everything.”

She strode over and plucked it from your hands. “Absolutely not, you can pick anything else. Not this.”

“What?” you said, letting your voice rise with exaggerated hurt. “You said I could choose whatever I wanted!”

“I obviously didn’t think you’d pick that when I said it,” she said, hanging the jersey back on the rack. “I’ll buy you the Spanish knock-off instead. Dios mio, I’ll buy you all these ugly dupes before I buy that one.”

You couldn’t hold it in anymore and you laughed at her reaction. “Yeah, I’m just messing with you.” 

Alexia looked at you and shook her head slowly. “Oh, I can’t believe you,” she said with a tone of slight annoyance and amusement. “You’re just like Xavier, always messing with me.”

She reached over, pinching your cheek. “If you weren’t so cute, I would have been annoyed.” She teased. 

You shrugged and gave her a cheeky grin.

Alexia chuckled before taking your hand in hers. “Come on, I think I saw the perfect dress for you inside anyway.” She said, flashing you a playful smile. “Let’s get away from these ugly kits.” 

You beamed, comfortably settling your fingers into hers. 

⋆˙⟡♡ “This is just ridiculous,” you said as you looked at yourself in the mirror, clad in a white shirt-dress which had the illustration of a cartoon body with comically large boobs, an impossibly tiny waist, and huge hips. It supposedly gave the illusion of you having the body of a sexy cartoon lady.

Alexia exited the dressing room, wearing virtually the same thing except the cartoon body on hers was wearing a yellow bikini while yours was wearing a pink bikini. “It’s so stupid but I love it.”

You laughed at the sight of the two of you in the mirror. “What if a fan spots you and you’re wearing this horrendous shirt?”

She shrugged. “A real fan would embrace me for who I am — huge cartoon tits and all.” She joked, making you laugh. 

“Come on, let’s pay for it so we can get dinner sooner. I’m so hungry from all the swimming.”

⋆˙⟡♡ Originally, Alexia planned for the two of you to check out a more upscale bistro nearer the city center but you two eventually figured that you would rather spend more time together by the beach. 

Besides, you were pretty certain that the restaurant manager would not be pleased if you two showed up dressed in shirt-dresses that had big-breasted cartoon bodies on them.

So, instead, you settled for one of the restobar with an outdoor area by the boardwalk. The place also had a band playing some older songs, mostly in Spanish. Alexia and you sat side-by-side, angled toward the band and the ocean.

She took a slow swig of her beer, pausing before turning to face you. “So,” she began, “if you would give this date a score, what would you give me?”

Confused, you looked over to her. “A score?”

“Yeah, like a grade or a rating. Out of 100.” She grinned.

You chuckled lightly and took a bite of your sandwich as you thought it over. “That’s rough,” you commented, wiping some of the sauce off of the corner of your mouth. “I think… maybe an 89? Or an 87?”

Alexia gave you a crooked smile, lifting her eyebrows. “Not bad, I guess.” She said, nodding. “Why not 100?”

You let out a laugh. “Well, I have to leave some room for improvement, right? You might just end up outdoing yourself next time.”

Suddenly, the Catalan perked up, straightening her posture and eyes suddenly wide and bright. She was like a puppy who just saw a tennis ball. “Next time?” She repeated, practically beaming. “So you do wanna go on more dates with me, huh?”

You chuckled at her reaction. “Well, duh,” you shrugged. “I’ve got a huge crush on you and this has been the best date of my life. Of course, I want more of you.”

Her brow arched, lips curling into a playful smirk. “You want more of me?”

You playfully smacked her on the arm as you rolled your eyes. “Don’t be disgusting.”

Alexia laughed at your playful smack. She flashed you a genuine, warm smile and the way her eyes just sparkled as they gazed into yours… it was insane how much this woman made your heart beat so fast.

“Yeah, uh, I do wanna go out with you more,” you said, your voice quieter now, looking down at your sandwich awkwardly.

Her smile widened and her cheeks grew red. She looked almost flustered which was something you didn’t see much. She always was the more confident, bold one but now she was red in the cheeks and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. 

“Guess I gotta plan on some more dates then,” She said, locking eyes with you again.

⋆˙⟡♡ After you shared another drink, Alexia and you decided it was time to rush back to the dock to make the boat back to the island. The staff had prepared blankets just in case the cold sea wind nipped at your skin but you two opted to share one inside, sitting impossibly close as you draped the smooth blanket on top of you two, feet flirtatiously grazing each other beneath it.

You went back to your room almost with a pep in your step. If life was like a classic cartoon, you felt like you would have floated back to your room on a cloud with hearts in your eyes. You kicked off your shoes, humming the same song from the bar as you padded toward the bathroom.

You blushed as you rinsed off the saltwater and sweat from the day, smiling like a fool as you towel-dried your hair. You couldn’t stop grinning. You replayed everything as you took a bath and brushed your teeth. 

After you finished getting ready for bed, you sank onto the edge of your hotel bed, still feeling warm and giddy, now wrapped up in the hotel robe. You reached over for your phone, which you finally were able to charge after leaving it drained all afternoon, and finally lit up the screen.

Your smile faded almost instantly.

The screen was bombarded with text notifications… from Matt.

The first message startled you — an “I miss you” — and saw another one that started with “I know it’s late but…”

That was enough for you to toss the phone to the far edge of the bed, not wanting to deal with that mess right now. You rubbed your hands down your face and flopped backward, hair still slightly damp against the pillow.

You stared at the ceiling for a moment, exhaling hard. After your wonderful date with this girl who just made you feel things you never ever felt all those years with Matt, you just didn’t want to deal with drama right now. You weren’t going to let Matt ruin this feeling. Not after you’re realizing how much you’ve missed out, and how much you’ve realized about yourself.

“Whatever,” you muttered to yourself. “I’ll deal with it later.”

For now, you just wanna relish in this feeling, pushing all thoughts of Matt to the back of your head for you to sort out later on. 

⋆˙⟡♡ The next few days felt like a dream.

Alexia and you took advantage of the activities that the resort had to offer. After all, Inés did say this was an all-expense paid trip and you both figured you’d rather spend all of that on jetskis and paddle boards instead of wasting it on overpriced margaritas by the pool.

So, you and Alexia did it all. You went paddleboarding. You went snorkeling. You tried one of those inflatable rides wherein you both had to hold on to the flimsy straps on the inflatable as a speedboat skidded through the ocean, swerving in an attempt to get you to fall off. Basically, if the resort offered it, you two were there. 

And well… you kissed a lot too. On the boats. By the beach. In a small cove at the edge of the resort. Every hidden nook, tucked away, you kissed her.

You made sure you were in the more remote, hidden parts, not wanting your brother or anyone else in the family to find out about it.

It wasn’t that you were ashamed or anything. It just felt right to keep this relationship private for now. There was something intoxicating and thrilling about knowing that Alexia belonged only to you. She might have been Barcelona’s star player, your brother’s best friend, or everyone’s idol. But now, she was just yours.

You giggled helplessly when Alexia hovered above you on the sand, her hair falling into her face as she pressed light, teasing kisses along your neck.

“Alexia! Stop, it tickles!” You said, giggling while trying to push her away.

Alexia giggled, planting a few more feathery kisses around your neck and jaw before returning back to rest on her own beach towel beside yours. “Sorry, cariño, you’re just so yummy-looking right now.”

You rolled your eyes at her and put your sunglasses back onto your face, feeling the sun hit your eyes now that Alexia’s shadow wasn’t covering your eyes. “You say that when your stomach literally looks like a chocolate bar,” you teased back, playfully poking her abs.

Alexia chuckled. “This? Please, this is nothing. This is my off-season bod,” she said with a head shake. “You should see me during the season, when I get to work out everyday. That’s when I get really fit.”

You bit your lip, blushing. It was hard enough sitting beside her like this – half sun-drunk, half overwhelmed by how attractive she already was. The idea of her being somehow even more toned left you speechless.

Alexia smirked at your reaction. She paused, propping herself up on one elbow, scanning your face before saying. “I can’t wait to take you back to Barcelona.”

You blinked, caught off guard. “Take me back?”

Her brows furrowed, lips twitching into an embarrassed smile. “Does that sound too possessive? Sorry. My English. I meant that I want you to come to Barcelona.”

The soft stumble made you laugh. You reached out, cupping her cheek. “I’d love to visit you,” you admitted.

She leaned into your hand with a low hum, letting you caress her cheek. “Hmm, you want to?”

You nodded with a smile. “I have a break from law school anyway so I definitely want to spend that time with you.”

Her eyes brightened. “How long is your break?”

“Well, the earliest one I think is Thanksgiving? So, a little less than a week.” You said, trying to recall the academic calendar in your head.

Alexia looked at you with an offended look. “A week? You can’t possibly visit me for just a week?”

You chuckled. “I mean, I could always come back for Christmas. And isn’t a week enough to see Barcelona? It’s not exactly huge.”

“Hmm, let’s see. You’ll need one full day to recover from your flight.” She kissed your cheek gently.

“Two days for the tourist spots.” She kissed your other cheek.

“A day for shopping and food,” she continued, dropping a kiss onto your forehead.

“Another for your brother. He’ll want time with you too.” A kiss beside your ear.

“And then of course, I want you to meet my family and friends.” She moved to the other side, pressing her lips softly to the other side. You were giggling by then, heat spreading through you.

Finally, she met your gaze, biting her lip before her voice dipped lower. “And I’d need one whole day.” She leaned in to capture your lips in a gentle peck. “Just us. You, me… and my bed.”

You made a face, shoving slightly at her shoulder. “You’re so gross, Alexia.”

She feigned innocence, smirking all the while. “What? I only meant cuddles and Spanish movies. You’re the one with the dirty mind.”

You rolled your eyes, though your cheeks burned at how easily she unraveled you.

Alexia flopped back onto her towel, arms folded behind her head. “Maybe I should just visit you before the season starts.”

“There’s not much to do back home,” you admitted with a shrug. “It’s definitely no Barcelona.”

“I don’t care,” she said simply, turning her head to look at you. “I’m not going for the city. I’m going for you.”

You looked at her, analyzing her face. Alexia looked sincere and genuine, saying it so casually as if it wasn’t a big deal. You bit your lip, mostly flattered that she was becoming this interested in you.

But also, scared. 

It was easy being with her when you were here on some remote island in Spain, away from reality. But you had no clue how this relationship would play out in the real world where responsibilities, judgement, and ex-boyfriends existed. 

Alexia must have caught your worried reaction and your hesitation because her tone softened. “I mean, only if you’d want me there.”

You swallowed hard, then laughed at yourself for even doubting. Alexia made you feel things you didn’t even have words for yet, things that made your chest ache in the best way. “Of course,” you smiled. “I’d love to have you over.”

She returned your smile, before leaning in again to capture your lips. 

⋆˙⟡♡ Even if you and Alexia have technically only been dating for a short period, you’ve grown attached and clingy to her, wanting to spend every day and second with her.

But wedding duties came. 

Alexia had to go to your brother’s bachelor party while you had to go to Inés’ bachelorette.

⋆˙⟡♡ The boys chartered a yacht back to the main island to party at one of the big, high-end clubs. The entourage was a mix – players and staff from the club, a couple family members, Xav’s med school friends. Alexia knew most of them well enough to be comfortable being the only girl in the group, yet she couldn’t bring herself to relax. The loud music, the lights, the drinks… it all felt distant. In her mind, all she could focus on was her yearning to go back to the resort to be with you

Still, her quiet detachment went unnoticed. The others were too busy scanning the dance floor, competing over who was getting attention from the pretty girls at the bar.

“She’s definitely looking at me,” Lewandowski boasted, tipping his drink toward a girl across the room. “I’m the famous one here. It’s obvious.”

One of the staffers snorted. “Please. This isn’t the pitch. It’s a club. Looks are what matter.”

“Come on, bro, look at me.” Lewa countered, gesturing at himself.

Xav laughed at the banter ongoing about which of the guys was getting flirty smiles and looks  from the pretty, long-legged blonde at the bar. “You guys are blind,” he commented. “She’s clearly checking Alexia out.”

Everyone looked at Alexia who looked completely off guard, previously just spacing out as she stared at her glass of whiskey. “Me?”

The group chuckled. Xav nodded. “Yeah, go on, try and wave at her. Let’s test it out.”

Alexia frowned but acquiesced anyway, raising her hand in the smallest, most reluctant wave paired with a tight-lipped smile. Unexpectedly, the girl giggled and whispered something to her friend before biting her lip and waving back. The entourage practically hollered at the reaction, realizing that Xav was right.

“What are you waiting for? Go on!” Marc, one of Xav’s med school friends, urged, half-shoving her off her stool.

Alexia chuckled, cheeks warming, but shook her head. “No thanks. I’m seeing someone.”

Xav looked shocked. “Wait, huh? Since when?”

Alexia’s lips curved into a smirk and she shrugged, taking a swig of her drink, letting Xav wait for her answer. The rest of the crew shifted their attention elsewhere, more interested in the booze and the other girls than Alexia’s current relationship status.

“Just recently, seeing how it goes.” She said as she put her glass on the counter. She flashed Xav another lopsided smile, feeling a bit cheeky knowing that she was talking about his sister.

“You never told me,” Xav said with a shocked tone but flashed her a smile. “It’s good though. After… everything with your ex, it’s nice to see you giving someone a real chance again. She must be something special if you’re turning down blondes in a club.”

Alexia gave him a small shrug and a smile, not wanting to let him in on more of the details.

Xav playfully nudged her. “No, I’m serious ‘cause weren’t you just talking about flirting with other girls before the wedding?” 

Alexia responded to his inquiry with a head shake paired with a small eyeroll, forgetting she did mention kissing some girl (which turned out to be his sister) at a club in Ibiza. 

“So, this new girl really must be something, huh?” Xav asked again.

Alexia sighed and felt her cheeks warm.  “Yeah, this girl… she’s really great.” 

Xav seemed happy but tilted his head in confusion. “So, who is she?”

Alexia smirked, shrugging. “Just someone I met recently.”

He looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. “Is she someone I know?”

She just looked at him with a blank expression. His eyes widened as the silence stretched a beat too long. “Please don’t tell me it’s one of my cousins cause if it is, you gotta end it. Those girls are a mess.”

Alexia chuckled and shook her head. “No, no… I can assure you it isn’t them. I met them and I don’t thonk they’re my type. No offense.” She paused, pouring herself another drink from one of the several hard liquor bottles the group ordered. “But I’m sure you wouldn’t approve either way.”

Xav narrowed his eyes but didn’t push further. Deep inside, he thought it must be one of Inés’ Instagram influencer cousins or something. Little did he know, it was someone much closer to home the truth really was.

⋆˙⟡♡Across the island, the girls had gathered for something far tamer. Inés had never been the type for wild nights. She preferred green smoothies to tequila shots, yoga mats to dance floors. She was one of those holistic girlies who was more into health and well-being than anything else. So instead of a typical bachelorette party with male strippers and alcohol, her “last hurrah” was a yoga session followed by sound healing.

It wasn’t bad, exactly. 

The air was soft, laced with the subtle scent of the burning incense, the steady rhythm of waves carrying through the gigantic open window. You stretched and bent alongside the others, breathing through the motions. It was calming, if you let it be. (Daisy and Cam, however, looked as though they were being tortured, exchanging eye-rolls and pained expressions with every new pose. You were certain they’d rather be sneaking onto the boys’ yacht than holding some kind of “hip-opening pose.”)

And while you found some comfort in the stretches, you couldn’t fully commit either. 

Your mind kept slipping away, drifting inevitably back to Alexia. You felt like a silly highschooler with a crush. The instructor kept telling you to clear your mind and to let all thoughts go but even when you thought you finally succeeded, suddenly you’d be seeing an image of Alexia in your head. Or those beautiful hazel eyes. Or the sensation of her lips on yours.

By the time the sound healing began, you had resigned yourself to your distraction. You lay down on your mat, eyes closed as the instructor struck her bowls, sending gentle vibrations through the space. Your body was beginning to loosen and your mind was softening… until a buzz at the edge of your mat snapped you back. It was your phone.

Your eyes perked up and you surreptitiously grabbed it while the instructor was making her rounds with her bowl on the other side of the room.

It was a text from Alexia.

“Hey, meet me at the beach once you’re free?” 

You smiled, glancing at the instructor, biting your lip. Quietly, you got up and silently but swiftly made your way out of the room. Being seated right by the door made your escape easy, almost comically so. By the time the next bowl rang through the room, you were already gone.

⋆˙⟡♡ You ran over to the beach which was dark and windy. The area was completely vacant with everyone either asleep or in one of the stag parties. 

Goosebumps crawled through your skin as the cold wind nipped at your exposed arms.

You immediately saw Alexia who was sitting on one of the beach lounge chairs. You smiled, making your way to her.

She must have heard your footsteps because she immediately turned around, flashing you a grin. “That was quick.”

You chuckled, catching your breath a bit. “Yeah, I ran out of sound healing while the instructor wasn’t looking.” You responded. 

Alexia chuckled before standing up to take your hand with hers, quietly leading you closer to the shore. 

“How did you even get here?” you asked, glancing at her in disbelief. “I thought you all were partying on the main island.”

“I couldn’t take being away from you, so I had to swim back,” Alexia teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

You rolled your eyes, laughing. “Right. I totally believe you swam all the way back in the middle of the night.” You responded sarcastically. 

“Claro. I’m a professional athlete so it was easy.” she shot back proudly, with a playful smile on her face. 

As you shook your head, a cool breeze swept across the shore, raising goosebumps on your arms. 

Alexia’s gaze flickered down, and without a word, she shrugged off her blazer. She held it open, waiting. “Here, let me.” You hesitated, but the warmth of her expression made you give in. You slipped your arms through, and her hands lingered just a second too long on your shoulders as she adjusted the fabric. You smiled, a quiet “thank you” slipping from your lips.

“Better,” she said softly, before reaching for your hand again, glancing at the matching athleisure set you were wearing. “I like your outfit but it kinda reminds me of something Inès would wear to pilates.”

You chuckled, walking closer to her, feeling the sand sink slightly with every step. “She all sent these gift bags to our rooms before we met for her bachelorette and this set was a part of it.” You responded. “Must have cost her a lot of money. I can’t believe my brother bagged a sugar momma.”

Alexia chuckled. “Oh, he’s really lucky.” She paused. “But with you, I think I got luckier than him.” 

You rolled your eyes, bumping into her slightly. “You’re so corny.”

You looked at her as she shrugged and chuckled, before locking eyes with you. “I’m not lying.” She chuckled before moving closer to you, taking your hand with hers. She smiled and something about it was just so intense and intimate that it made your heart clench a bit.

You averted your gaze. “So, uh, why are you here again? I’m pretty sure all the guys are still partying it up tonight.”

“Well, yeah, the guys are glued to the clubs tonight so I doubt they’ll be home before tomorrow.” Alexia answered. “I’m just here cause I asked the boat guy if he could drop me back real quick. Told him I forgot my maintenance meds or something just to convince him.”

You laughed. “I’m surprised Xav let you go so easily. Or that he even believed you.” You said, knowing fully well what your brother is like. 

“Oh, please. Xav got wrecked the second one of the guys poured half a bottle of vodka down his throat. He won’t even notice I’m gone until tomorrow… maybe not even then.” Alexia said.

That made you laugh, the sound carrying across the water. But then your smile softened, a different thought slipping in. “Still, you ditched a whole night of fun to come back here.”

Alexia glanced at you quickly before falling silent for a moment, gaze eventually falling to the ground, watching the sand sink underneath your feet. “I told Xav I was seeing someone, you know.”

You froze mid-step.

Her lips quirked into a small smirk, squeezing your hand a bit to comfort you. “Relax. I didn’t tell him it was you.”

“Okay, good. For a second, I thought you snitched on me.”

“Not yet,” she teased before pausing. “Still, I do wonder what he’d think about us. He seems protective of you.”

“He is, which is why I really want to wait it out. I just know he’d have a lot of questions and concerns.” you admitted quietly. “But then again… he loves you. Even before I knew you, he spoke very highly about his polite, talented, and passionate best friend. He thinks the world of you so I don’t think it would be a problem.”

Alexia smiled at that, though she was quiet for a moment before finally asking. “But how about you?”

You turned your head. “Me?”

“Yeah. What do you think about me?” She looked at you with those beautiful hazel eyes. Her gaze was soft but almost pleading, as if asking you to let her into your thoughts.

The question caught you off guard, and you let out a nervous laugh, letting go of her hand to brush the hair that flew into your face as the wind blew against it. “What do I think…?”

You exhaled, thinking.

“Well,” you began slowly, a smile growing on your face. “I think you’re kinda crazy.”

She chuckled.

You continued. “But then again, I must be crazy too for letting you drag me into cliff-jumping, jet skiing, and all that crazy stuff that I never thought I’d ever do before.”

You hummed. “I think you’re confident and you carry yourself with a lot of self-assurance but also have this soft side,” you looked at her and she just gave you a head tilt to go on. “Well, my first impression of you was certainly…something to remember. But I also liked seeing you blush and get a bit shy with me.”

“I don’t get shy,” she denied but the slight flush on her cheeks gave her away.

You chuckled.

“I think you’re sweet, too.” You said. “You actually listen when I talk, and you remember the little things I say, which… most people don’t.”

“Hmm,” Alexia said. “That’s it?”

“And well… I think you’re beautiful.” Now, it was your turn to blush. “I like your eyes, the way they look almost golden under the sun. I like your laugh and how contagious it is. I like your smile…. I just… I think about that smile as I fall asleep.”

You looked at Alexia shyly, trying to see her reaction. She tilted her head, pretending to think. “Hmm. Sounds suspiciously like you’ve got a crush on me.”

You smirked, nudging her shoulder. “Don’t flatter yourself too much.”

You paused, “And you? What do you think about me?”

There wasn’t even a moment of hesitation.

“I like you,” Alexia said firmly, looking at you. “I really like you.”

The words landed so direct that you blinked at her, taken aback by the candor. “Yeah?”

She nodded, her voice steady. “And I don’t mean that in just a ‘summer fling’ or ‘find you sexy’ kind of way. I mean… sure, it started that way a bit.” She said honestly. “But now, I know for certain that. I like you a lot. I want to know you better. I want this to be more than just for the summer.”

Your heart thudded so hard it drowned out the waves. She was looking at you nervously now, waiting. “What do you think about that?” She asked.

You were speechless. It felt like your brain had no clue how to respond. It might be the lack of actual romantic experience or the intensity of all your emotions but you just blanked. Luckily, your body knew exactly how to respond. 

Before you could even realize it, your arms were wrapped around her neck and you were kissing her. 

You kissed and made out a lot but this time, it was different. It had the same intensity and passion as your first kiss in the club but this time, there was a tenderness and intimacy to it. Alexia deepened the kiss, holding you flush against her body.

By the time you two broke apart, you both were breathless, foreheads pressed against each other. Even if your brain was still going haywire, leaving you completely unable to say anything more, words didn’t seem necessary.

Not much more was said after the kiss. Alexia just asked if she could go back to your hotel room with you and you nodded, grabbing her hand as you two made your way back to your room.

The moment the room door clicked shut behind you, Alexia’s restraint vanished. 

Her hands slid over your body, tugging her blazer off of you with a sharp pull and letting it crumple to the floor. She pressed you against the wall, lips finding their way back to yours while her hand held your waist firmly.

A shaky breath escaped your mouth as you felt her body press against you, lips now travelling from your jaw to the base of your neck, wrapping themselves around the round of your collarbone. Her hands were just as demanding as her lips, tugging at the waistband of your leggings with impatient insistence. She kissed and nipped at your throat even as you wriggled free of the fabric.

Before you had time to steady yourself, with one swift motion, Alexia picked you up, hooking her arms beneath you. You gasped and your legs instinctively wrapped around her waist as she carried you to bed. She lowered you onto the sheets gently, crawling over you again, claiming your lips with a kiss as her hands found their way to the base of your sports bra. She peeled it off of you, struggling slightly as the athletic fabric clung to you, but that barely slowed her down. She was determined to see you bare before her, clad in just the thin fabric of your underwear.

Alexia scanned you with lustful eyes, biting her lip as she took in the sight, pupils blown wide. “Dios mio…” she whispered, voice thick. “I’ve wanted to see you like this since the moment I met you.”

Your cheeks warmed. You reached for her, tugging her down with your arms again, your lips meeting hers desperately. She allowed you to help her tug her vest top over her head, leaving her topless, the warmth of her skin pressed to yours.

Before you could even react, her mouth was back to attacking your neck, kissing you with a roughness that caused you to moan louder. Her lips found their way down to your breasts. She placed a kiss on your right breast before carefully taking it into the warmth of her mouth. 

You gasped as you felt her carefully roll it around her tongue before sucking slightly. Her hand found your other breast, mirroring the action of her mouth, twisting it with her fingertips and pulling slightly. 

You could feel your body move involuntarily, bucking your hips at the sensation, yearning for more of her touch. 

Alexia chuckled against you, the low vibration against your skin making you shiver. She pulled back just enough to murmur against your skin. “Paciencia, mi amor.”

God, I love it when she speaks Spanish.

She pinned your hips gently with her hands, forcing you to stay still as she looked down at you with hungry eyes. Her expression was intense, wild but still calculated, like a predator savoring the moment before the strike.

Alexia kissed you again deeply, tongue sweeping across yours. You felt her hand slide down, finding their way to your inner thigh, pinning it down slightly to keep your legs from clamming shut. You whimpered as she drew careful patterns on your inner thigh with her thumb, teasing touches as she moved up closer to your core.

She hummed against your lips as her hands found its way to your heat, feeling the moist fabric of your underwear clinging delicately to your wet core. You moaned as you felt her fingers gently move up and down, feeling the friction tickle your clit slightly.

“Please, Alexia, please.” Your voice cracked, tone sounding more desperate than you intended. You bit your lip and looked at her with pleading eyes, clutching her arms. “I want you… por favor, cariño.”

The Spanish slipped from your tongue awkwardly, but it made her freeze. Alexia perked up at the use of Spanish, feeling touched but also smug seeing you so riled up and impatient beneath her. “Tranquila, cariño,” she whispered. “Te voy a hacer sentir bien.”

She gave you one more gentle kiss on the lips before planting more kisses down your body, lingering slightly with a tenderness that caused your breath to hitch each time. She was deliberate and slow as if she wanted you to feel every second of her devotion, a sharp contrast from the impatience she was showing a while ago. A part of you felt like she was only slowing down because she liked hearing you whimper impatiently underneath her. It felt like she was teasing you.

Her hands rested on your hips as she moved closer to your core. She smiled before she planted a kiss on the wet fabric of your underwear, causing you to shiver. “Fuck, I don’t know how I can control myself.” She murmured against you, words vibrating softly against you.

“You don’t have to,” you responded quickly. “I can take it. I want you.”

Alexia looked up to you, her eyes dark but also soft. She looked pleased to be allowed access to you like this. There was gratitude in her gaze, as though you’d just entrusted her with something precious. You nodded quickly, bottom lip caught between your teeth.

You never had much experience before this. 

Of course, Matt and you had your fair share of sexual encounters but it left you vaguely unsatisfied every time. After your first time together, you were convinced that sex was something men enjoyed more than women. It became something you never really craved or wanted; you only ever acquiesced to Matt’s request whenever it was his birthday or whenever he begged. And, for the longest time, you thought all your friends were lying about the kind of sex they were having, thinking to yourself, “Surely, it can’t be all that.”

But god, were you wrong.

Alexia had barely touched you and yet, you were finally seeing what you were missing out on. She hooked her fingers gently at the edges of your underwear, pulling them down carefully, before setting it aside on the edge of the bed.

She lowered herself, leaving kisses from your neck to your collarbones to your stomach. 

“Look at me,” she ordered in a low but gentle voice. “Look at me while I show you how much I want you.”

You bit your lip and looked down at her, meeting her eyes. Suddenly, a gasp escaped your mouth as you felt her lips around your throbbing clit, carefully wrapping her lips around it before sucking it gently. You struggled to keep your eyes open as she continued, now drawing firm but slow circles with her tongue.

Alexia could have devoured you. You felt it in the restrained strength of her grip, the hunger in her eyes but she held back, choosing instead to take her time, to actually savour you. She wasn’t just trying to consume you nor to simply satisfy her own prurient desires. Instead, she wanted to give, to worship, to cherish you with every movement. She wanted to make you feel desired in a way that left no doubt in your mind about her feelings for you.

This was another way of her showing you that she wanted you.

Your fingers tangled in her hair, tugging, urging her closer to your core. Your hips shifted restlessly, grinding against her mouth as frustration bled into your desperation. She smiled against you, the curve of her lips sending another shiver straight through you, before she picked up her pace, her tongue working you more intently.

Then her hand slid lower, teasing along your entrance, the soft pads of her two fingers pressing gently until you were trembling again. You gasped, your head tilting back, and when she finally pushed inside, you moaned out, a bit overwhelmed by the sensation.

Alexia thrusted into you slowly, almost measured, all while her tongue continued its careful movement around your clit. Every flick of her mouth, every thrust of her fingers seemed designed not to overwhelm you. She was careful not to go too rough with you, even if she just wanted to absolutely ravish you.

“Feel good?” she asked softly, pausing just long enough to glance up at you. Her lips glistened with your nectar.

You nodded frantically. “Y-yes, Alexia.” You responded with a slightly strained voice. “You can go faster.”

“Hmm?” Her voice vibrated against you, making your core clench. “Faster?

“Yes, please, Alexia.” You begged, breath catching as you tangled your fingers in her hair. “I want more.”

And just like that, something shifted in her. It was as if a switch had been flipped. Her restraint was replaced by hunger. She pressed her mouth harder against you, her tongue moving faster, a tad messier, while her fingers drove deeper, curling until they found that tender spot that made your entire body jolt. The white sheets bunched beneath your fists, bed shifting as Alexia thrusted faster and rougher into you.

“Alexia!” Her name tore from your lips.

She answered with a satisfied, muffled sound, her pace only growing more urgent, eating you out as though she couldn’t get enough of you, as if only you could satisfy her hunger. Every thrust of her fingers pushed you closer to the edge, every flick of her tongue causing the warmth to build up in your stomach, the tension in you growing tighter and tighter until it was almost unbearable.

You couldn’t say any more. Suddenly, you were coming undone. You couldn’t form a coherent thought as the pleasure rippled inside you. You looked down at Alexia who was smiling widely, looking incredibly satisfied with herself. You felt a blush creep across your cheeks, a bit embarrassed by how fast you came.

“Oh my god,” you covered your face. “I - I didn’t know I’d finish that fast.”

Alexia laughed at your meekness, feeling endeared by you. She moved up to you, pressing a kiss on your cheek. “Cariño, it’s fine. It’s more than fine.” She chuckled. “I thought it was cute. You must like me a lot to orgasm that fast, huh?”

You giggled but still felt embarrassed. “I just… I just don’t think anyone has ever made me cum that fast…” you paused, hestitating.  “Actually, I don’t think anyone has made me cum ever.”

Alexia’s eyes widened. “You’re joking with me.”

You shook your head.

Her laugh was warm, disbelieving. She pressed a trail of quick, teasing kisses along your neck. “So that was your first orgasm?”

“Well… not my first.” You shifted, clarifying. “The first one someone else has ever given me.”

She smiled, looking extremely pleased with herself. “Hmm… well, are you ready for your second?”

You chuckled but bit your lip, giving Alexia a look that told her everything she needed to know.

⋆˙⟡♡ “Good morning, guapa.”

You blinked your eyes open, feeling the warm sun fill the room as Alexia opened the curtains. She was dressed in a robe and her hair was tied up into a bun.

You smiled groggily, still sinking into the warmth of the sheets. “Why are you up so early?” you mumbled, your voice heavy with sleep, furrowing your brows as the bed suddenly felt too big and empty without her beside you. “You’re not the type to cuddle after sex?”

Alexia laughed, shaking her head as she turned toward you. “We literally cuddled all night. What are you talking about?” She smiled. “Besides, I wanted to make sure we’d have breakfast, so I ordered room service.”

That woke you a little more. You shifted onto your side, propping your cheek against your hand. “Hmm. What did you order?”

“Well, I noticed you went back for seconds on the french toast at the buffet the other morning,” she said as she headed to you, sitting at the edge of your bed. “So I ordered that. And since I didn’t know what you’d want to drink in the morning, I just ordered a small variation of drinks.”

“You’re actually an angel.” You reached up, cupping her cheek gently with your palm. Her skin was warm against your hand, and she leaned into your touch without hesitation.

She carefully got into bed with you, resting her head on your bare chest as you wrapped an arm around her, tangling your fingers in her hair. You and Alexia certainly had a long night, to say the least. It was intense, intimate but never vulgar or impersonal. It felt almost vulnerable giving yourself to her over and over again, allowing her access to you.

You didn’t regret it one bit. 

The attraction with Alexia might have started a bit shallow. When you kissed her at the bar, you already felt that initial sexual attraction but back then, you wouldn’t have expected thst there would be to be more to it. Part of you was happy that you were a coward then, chickening out from pursuing her any more than just a kiss. If you gave in earlier, you weren’t so sure you’d feel the way you were feeling now.

You placed a kiss on Alexia’s forehead, soft and tender.

“I enjoyed last night,” you whispered. 

She hummed. “I did a great job?” She looked at you with a small smile.

You nodded. “Well duh.”

Alexia hummed back, smiling. “So, how about we have a little more fun before room service arrives.”

You playfully swatted her, making her chuckle.

Before you could add anything more, the room’s doorbell chimed.

“Saved by the bell.” Alexia stood up slowly, brushing her hair down. “You stay in bed. I’ll get it for you.”

You watched her walk to the door, your heart doing a funny little flip. You had just spent the night with the most beautiful person ever. And now, she was about to bring you breakfast in bed. You couldn’t stop smiling, overwhelmed with the thought: wow, how is this my life right now?

You heard the door open.

“Where did you go last– wait, huh? Did I get the wrong room?” The muffled voice from the door said.  “No, wait, I know you! Aren’t you that hot girl from the club?”

You recognized that voice. Your stomach dropped as you sat bolt upright, clutching the duvet to your bare chest as you crawled to the edge of the bed, peeking at the door. Your cousin Cam was standing in the doorway, eyebrows raised and a grin spreading across her face.

Shit. You were in so much trouble.

⋆˙⟡♡ You tightened the robe around yourself, heart hammering as Cam leaned against the wall outside your hotel room, arms folded. Her eyes were narrowed, but she looked more entertained than angry.

“So,” she said finally, tilting her head toward the door. “That’s the girl from the first night, isn’t it? The one who we had to pay you like, what, a million euros to kiss?”

You felt heat rise to your cheeks. “Cam…”

“Don’t even try to deny it.” She raised her brows. “I’d recognize that face anywhere. That was the face you were practically swallowing at that club.”

You winced, contorting your face in disgust. “God, can you not say it like that?”

Cam smirked. “So? Are you going to explain why the girl from the club is now ordering room service in your hotel suite?” She gushed, eyes widened. “I’m kinda impressed, cuz. You literally ran away from her in the club but now, you’ve quite literally been inside her cooch!”

You smacked her for her language. “Oh my god, shut up, Cam!”

She giggled. “How did you even get her here? I’m surprised they let a random girl into the resort.”

You hesitated a bit. “…Because it’s not just some random girl. It’s Alexia.”

Cam blinked. “And that means… what exactly? Should I know who that is?”

You ran a hand through your hair, groaning. “She’s Xav’s best friend.”

That landed like a bomb. Cam’s mouth fell open. “You’re kidding. The same Alexia who he was yapping about before? Like the soccer player?””

You nodded, crossing your arms cautiously.

“No, you’re actually kidding.” She laughed in disbelief, pressing a hand to her forehead. “Of all the people on this island, you managed to hook up with his best friend?”

You winced again. “It’s not like I actively targeted his best friend specifically.” You groaned. “You knew we met at the bar and then we got along hanging out here and I don’t know, okay? It just… happened.”

Cam looked like she just connected the dots. “Is that why you were rushing out of the sound healing last night?” She asked. “I can’t believe you left me and Daisy with that bowl-clanging lady while you were out here doing the nasty with your brother’s best friend.”

“I… I don’t know. She just told me that she bailed on the guy’s bachelor party and that she wanted to see me again and I don’t know.” You sighed. “It was just so unexpected.”

She paused, nodding. “So, it’s not just a hook-up?”

You bit your lip and nodded.

“So, you’ve actually been dating?” She asked.

You nodded again, sighing.

“Damn, I wanna see how Xav would react to this.” Cam asked with a small smile on her face.

“Cam, He cannot know.” You replied promptly. “You absolutely cannot tell anyone, especially not Xav.”

Cam sighed and just looked at you. “He’d freak out if he found out now, at his wedding of all places. That man is a Bridezilla.”

You bit your lip, lowering your voice. “…So you won’t tell?”

She studied you for a moment, then smirked. “Well, duh. I’m not saying a word but I just know this is going to blow up on your face.”

“Cam,” you warned, giving your younger cousin a dirty look, asking her with your eyes to take you seriously.

“What?” She shrugged. “It’s true. I mean, come on. You’re sneaking around with his best friend. At his wedding week, in the same hotel. And, right after he gave you that speech about making amends or whatever with Matt. It’s a mess, girl.”

You groaned, covering your face with both hands. “You’re not helping.”

Cam nudged you with her elbow, grinning. “Hey, on the bright side? At least she’s hot.”

You dropped your hands to glare at her. “That’s your takeaway?”

“Well, that and the fact that Daisy can never know,” Cam added quickly. “Because if she finds out, you’ll have the entire extended family updated by lunch.”

“Exactly. So this stays between us. No one else.” You emphasized. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m not gonna let anyone know until after the wedding.” She responded with an eye roll. “If anything, you kinda owe me twice now. One, for kinda setting up the conditions that landed you that absolute hottie, and now for keeping this all under wraps.”

You nodded. “I swear, I’ll make it up to you.”

⋆˙⟡♡ “So, luckily, she agreed to keep it a secret until the end of the wedding.” You shared with Alexia as she chuckled, shaking her head as she ate another bite from her own plate of french toast. 

You continued. “I’m just glad it was Cam who caught us and not Daisy… that girl would have blabbed already if it were her.”

Alexia nodded, a small smile on her face. “So, you’re really not gonna tell your brother until after the wedding?”

You gave a quick nod and took a sip of water, trying to sound casual. “Yup. That’s the plan.”

She pouted. “But what if I want to dance with you during the party?” She said with a teasing tone.

You chuckled and rolled your eyes. “We can dance but we gotta keep it lowkey, you know. I can’t have him suspecting anyway.” You said. “Not until all the festivities are over, at least.”

“Hmm.” She tapped her fork against the plate, thinking. “You do know that your brother already filed a leave from the club, right?”

You shook your head, tilting it slightly. “No, why?”

Alexia sighed, brushing the crumbs from her robe with the back of her hand. “Uh, he mentioned that Inés wanted their honeymoon in France since her family owns some kind of château there. Then he said maybe Germany after that for Octoberfest or whatever. Knowing them…” she chuckled, “…it probably won’t stop there. I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up honeymooning for half a year if no one stops them.”

You bit your lip, the thought sitting heavy in your chest. “Uh… then I guess we just tell him after they get back. I just don’t want him all bothered or irritated while he’s still in that post-wedding glow or whatever.”

Alexia hummed in acknowledgment, but her nod was distracted, almost absent. She reached for her coffee, wrapping both hands around the mug as if grounding herself. You watched her carefully, trying to read her expression. 

A part of you wanted to reassure her and comfort her that you weren’t keeping her a secret because she didn’t mean something. If anything, it was the opposite. You didn’t want your brother or other people thinking that you were treating her like some rebound, especially since you literally just ended your last relationship.

“Alexia?” You said carefully. “You good?”

She gave you a tight smile. “Yeah, yeah, of course.” 

⋆˙⟡♡ As the wedding came closer, there were more activities set for everyone: family bonding, drinks by the beach, dinners with the entire wedding crew. It was all fun and nice but it also meant that you and Alexia had less alone time together.

You two could get away with a casual conversation or walking together to grab some drinks. But whenever Alexia’s hands routinely slithered around your waist, you’d have to shoot her a look and carefully move away from her touch, not wanting anyone else to notice.

Today, there was yet another lunch with the entire family and all the other guests, this time in the open restaurant by the beach. Tables were arranged with a mix of both families. By some lucky twist, you and Alexia were seated at the same table.

She leaned in close, her perfume mixing with the ocean air, and slipped a hand onto your lap beneath the tablecloth. You looked around but everyone seemed too busy lining up for the food to notice her moving closer to you. “Hmm, you look really pretty.” She gushed, eyeing your face, gaze lingering too long on your lips.

You blushed, whispering back, “You don’t look so bad yourself.” You let your eyes sweep her over. Her hair was pulled into a neat bun, strands framing her face, and the backless brown dress she was wearing clung in all the right places. She looked absolutely stunning.

She smirked at you, leaning closer. “Yeah? Funny thing: I actually forgot to finish my makeup.”

You furrowed your eyebrows together. “Really? It looks really nice.” You said, looking at her face. “Not that you need any make-up to look good anyway.”

She chuckled, eyes glinting mischievously. “Mm, yeah… except I forgot to put on lipstick.”

You arched an eyebrow, not even noticing that she didn’t have lipstick on. “Oh?”

Her smirk deepened as she leaned even closer, voice low and eyes now fixated on your lips. “Yeah. Mind helping me out with that?”

“There you two are!”

You jumped, nearly knocking over your glass of water. Both your heads snapped up to see your brother walking toward the table, brows knitting as he caught your guilty expressions.

“You two good?” he asked, confusion flickering in his tone.

“Uh, yeah, yeah, Alexia was just asking me if her breath smelled.” You blurted out the first excuse as to why you were so close to each other. You chuckled nervously, cheeks burning. “She’s all good, if you’re wondering.”

He chuckled hesitantly, a bit confused. “Oookay, well, I’m sorry I have been a bit MIA lately. Groom duties, y’know?” He said. “But hey, you two seem like you’ve grown close. That’s great.”

You nodded. “Yeah, Alexia’s been… great.”

There was a pause, then he clapped a hand on the back of Alexia’s chair. “Anyway, I gotta make more rounds. Alexia, am I seeing you later? The guys from the club were saying there’s a local match on the main island. They kinda want to go on the yacht and head over there to watch.”

 Alexia nodded politely. “Maybe. I’ll see how I feel. Got a little seasick on that last trip.”

Xav chuckled and nodded, remembering the bachelor’s party when Alexia went home earlier because she said she got “seasick” on the way there. “Well, fair enough, just text me. And you –” he turned to you, ruffling your hair. “I’ll see you later, bunny.”

When he walked off to head on to the next table to make some small talk with the other tables, you slumped in your chair. “Fuck, that was close.”

Alexia smirked, unbothered. “Hmm. You know, it wouldn’t be so bad if he found out.”

You groaned softly. “You have no idea. Seriously. Don’t even joke about it.”

She tilted her head, clearly holding back something but letting it go for now. She sipped her water before glancing at you with mock seriousness. “For the record though… I really did forget my lipstick. Come with me to the bathroom?”

You nodded, grabbing your clutch and followed Alexia into the ladies’ room. You fished inside your clutch before pulling out a tube of lipstick. “I only have this one.”

“That’s fine.” She nodded, stepping closer. You handed it over to her but she shook her head. “Put it on me.”

You giggled nervously but you agreed anyway. “What are you, twelve?”

“Yeah, I’m twelve which makes you a pervert.” Alexia teased.

“You’re so inappropriate.” You rolled your eyes at her as you uncapped the lipstick and stepped close, steadying her chin with your hand. You carefully applied the lipstick on her but faltered a bit when you felt her arm slip around your waist, tugging you closer. 

You swiped a little too much on her bottom lip. “Wait, hold on, let me blot –”

Before you could grab the tissue, she caught your wrist. “No need.” Then she leaned forward, pressing playful kisses along your neck, smearing the lipstick and making you squeal.

“Alexia!” you laughed, swatting at her shoulders. “Not here, please. It’s gonna stain!”

She hummed against your skin, completely unbothered, her lips dragging further down toward your collarbone.

At first, it was sweet and funny but then, reality hit you. She knew you two had to head back out soon. Lipstick marks all over your face and neck would raise more than just a few questions. The nervousness in your chest twisted into irritation.

“Alexia, stop.” You said with a sterner voice, as you pushed her shoulder a little firmer.

She froze, blinking at you as if testing whether you were serious. When she saw that you were, the playful warmth drained from her face. She pulled back slowly, widening her eyes just slightly, and then gave the smallest shake of her head, like she couldn’t believe you’d ruined the moment. The mood instantly shifted.

You frowned and groaned. “Come on, Alexia, I told you…”

“Told me what?” She said, voice low but still sharp. “That I can only kiss you or hold you when no one’s looking?”

You looked at her, suddenly taken aback by the sudden outburst. 

“Look around, there’s no one here. And I still can’t kiss you?” She sighed. “Why do I have to be some secret anyway?”

Alexia shook her head, looking at the mirror to wipe off a bit of the lipstick that smudged off to the sides of her lips. “I understand not wanting to shock your brother but honestly, I think it’s a bit silly.” She said, candidly. “He’s not going to drop dead because his adult best friend and his adult sister are dating. Sure, he’s stressed right now, but he’s not irrational.”

You leaned against the counter, exhaling hard, running both hands through your hair. The thing was… she wasn’t wrong. She just didn’t understand the whole picture. You had only just broken things off with your ex of nearly a decade. Your family was just learning, still partly convinced it was just a short parting, a momentary falter. They’d think you were just using Alexia as some rebound. You couldn’t help but go back to what your brother said during the first day here about not involving anyone or hurting anyone’s feelings.

It wasn’t just about them, though. It was her. The last thing you wanted was for Alexia to think the same: that she was just the rebound, a distraction from your break-up. Maybe that first kiss had been exactly that but so much has changed since then.

But still, you understood why she’d be upset

“You’re right,” you said quietly, forcing yourself to meet her gaze in the mirror. “I’m sorry, Alexia. I like you. I want this. I really do.” You took a deep breath. “I promise I’ll tell him… during the reception. Okay?”

Her brows rose, skeptical. 

“I swear. We won’t have to hide after that.”

That softened her. She smiled, tugging you by the waist and kissing you gently. Suddenly, a toilet flushed behind you. You both froze.

Slowly, the stall door creaked open.

And out stepped your mother.

⋆˙⟡♡ Alexia excused herself after you signalled for her to go, giving her a look and a subtle tilt of the head that said go, i’ll talk to you later. She hesitated for a moment, wanting to get a word in, but ultimately decided it was best to leave it up to you and your mom. So, politely, she excused herself and stepped out.

Your mom didn’t seem all too bothered. She headed over to the sink, turning on the tap. “That Alexia girl’s real nice, isn’t she?” She said it so casually. “You know I’ve watched her play, when I visited Xav after dad died. She’s a great player.”

You just looked at her incredulously as she reached over the soap dispenser and lathered her hand. “Sorry, by the way,” she added. “I should’ve said something when you two entered but I was taking a dump.”

You chuckled awkwardly. “Look, mom. About what you saw…”

She raised her brows, shaking excess water off her hands before grabbing a towel. “Let me guess,” she said, completely unfazed. “You like Alexia. You two have been seeing each other, started dating a little, and you’re terrified your brother will have a meltdown about it if he finds out that his little sister, who he treats like a child and who just broke up with her boyfriend, is dating his best friend, who also just broke up with her ex.”

Your lips parted in surprise, and you could only nod. “…How’d you know?”

“I’m a mom.” She rolled her eyes lightly, like it should’ve been obvious. Then she gave you a pointed look. “And, well… I like to gossip. You two should be more careful because the staff were also starting to talk about you two galavanting about together. Alexia isn’t exactly incognito. She’s literally a famous athlete so people talk.”

You groaned, covering your face with your hands. “Oh my god.”

You sighed. “Mom, I know it looks like I’m rushing into things or whatever.” You started, wanting to rush before she got into a lecture. “But Alexia… she’s different. She’s amazing and I just… I feel like I’m seeing the world for the first time when I’m with her. Like everything finally makes sense.”

“I know it might seem soon to say that.” You paused. “But, trust me, I actually like her.”

Your mom hummed, fishing into her bag to grab her own lipstick. “You know, dear,” she said. “I never liked Matt all that much anyway. He was a little too boring for you.”

You blinked at her, head jerking up. “Wait, what?”

She gave a half-shrug, flicking her hand dismissively. “Don’t act so surprised.” She said. “Of course, I’ve always found him boring. I only liked him because I thought you liked him… which was why I was so upset when you said you two were on a break. I just thought you were upset.”

You nodded, understandingly. She continued, “Had I known that you were already taking interest in someone else, someone who actually excites you and makes you happy,” she stepped closer with a piece of paper towel, wiping the lipstick marks off your neck. “Then, I wouldn’t have been all too sad about you and Matt parting. If anything, it’s kinda exciting if you do end up dating Alexia. I’d have an excuse to drag you along with me to Barcelona.”

You chuckled, feeling a bit relieved that your mother seemed approving of the relationship. Your mother paused and looked you in the eyes. “But listen,” she said, tone growing more stern. “You need to sort that situation out with Matt first. I know a break is a break, but you gotta make sure there aren’t any loose ends. If Alexia’s who you really want, you need to settle things first before you pursue her. It’s what she deserves.”

You nodded. “I will,” you promised, though your voice wavered. “I’m just worried about Xav.”

“He’ll be fine,” she said, shaking her head. “You know how he is – romantic, traditional, very big on commitment and working things out like your father. But he loves you. He’ll be fine… or at least, he’ll come around. Besides, he can’t dictate what you do with your life. You’re not actually his pet bunny, y’know.”

You chuckled. “Yeah, I guess I was just being nervous about it.”

She smiled knowingly. “He’s not as neurotic now as he was before. Inés softened that man up, trust me. I wouldn’t worry too much.”

You felt relieved and also a bit ridiculous for caring too much about what your brother would think. Sure, he might worry and give you a whole lecture about commitment again but it was such a little thing. Alexia deserved to explore your relationship together publicly instead of keeping it all under wraps.

⋆˙⟡♡ The very next morning, you planned on telling your brother.

You stood outside your brother and future sister-in-law’s private villa, rehearsing what you were going to say to him under your breath. You hadn’t told Alexia about your plan; this was something you needed to do alone. You were the one who had pulled her into this mess, and you owed it to both of you to clear a way forward. But standing there, pacing on the stone path in front of the villa’s entrance, your stomach tied itself in knots.

“Chiqui!” 

You jumped and turned around to see Inés in a linen dress, her dark hair falling loosely around her shoulders. She tilted her head as she looked at you, narrowing her eyes. “What are you doing out here? Did Xavi rope you into helping with some wedding thing again?” She groaned. “I swear, that guy is too anxious about everything.”

You chuckled nervously, shaking your head. “I… uh…” 

She furrowed her eyebrows together, stepping closer to her. “Is everything okay?”

You opened your mouth to say yes, but the word stuck in your throat. “Yeah, I…” You stopped, closed your eyes briefly, then sighed. “No. Actually… I don’t know.”

Inés didn’t press, just slipped her hand gently around your wrist and steered you toward one of the woven hammocks strung between two posts by the villa. She sat down first, then patted the spot beside her.

“Sit. Tell me what’s going on.”

You hesitated, biting your lip. Then, cautiously, you asked, “So… you know Alexia, right?”

Inés blinked, then let out a laugh. “Of course I know Alexia. We hang out with her all the time. And every single time she has dinner at our house, she asks for an extra serving of empanadas to take home.” She shook her head fondly. “Why? Did something happen?”

Your chest tightened. You took a steadying breath. “Well, yeah… about Alexia. I, well, I–” You swallowed. “I like Alexia.”

Inés tilted her head, a little confused. “Yeah, that’s great. Xav has been saying that you two would get along.”

You shook your head and chuckled. “Uh, I mean… I actually like her.”

“Oh!” She exclaimed, finally realizing what you meant. She changed her tone to a more excited tone. “Oh, well, that’s amazing actually.”

You looked up at her.

“Alexia’s great. She’s really nice, passionate, and responsible.” She nodded. “Xav always told me Alexia was also really great to the people she dated. She’s loyal and she loves to take care of people. Funny girl, too. I can totally see that working. Why? Are you thinking of dating her?”

You bit your lip. “I kinda… already am.”

Inés looked shocked again but still kept the chipper tone. “Well, even better.” She said with a shrug. “I mean, it’s a little unexpected, sure. I wouldn’t have put you two together in my head. But unexpected doesn’t mean bad. It doesn’t make it any less great.”

She caught the way your shoulders remained tense, your hands twisting nervously in your lap. Inés reached over, laying her long, slender hand gently over yours in a comforting gesture.

“Hey,” she said softly. “I get it. But you don’t have to worry so much.”

You exhaled, your voice small. “Yeah, but… you know how it looks. I just broke up with Matt. Everyone’s still adjusting to that, and… Xavi was so close to him. He already gave me this whole lecture about commitment and not dragging anyone into a mess. I just—” Your voice cracked. “I’ve always looked up to him. And if he disapproves, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

Inés nodded slowly, her expression understanding. “I get it. Honestly, I’d be a little anxious too.” She squeezed your hand. “But listen, Xavi is like that because he means well. And right now, he’s wound up tighter than usual because he’s been planning this entire wedding basically on his own.” She smiled ruefully. “My fault, really. All I did for planning was buying my dress and booking my hair and makeup. Everything else was Xavier’s doing.”

You shared a laugh. 

“But it’s fine,” Ines continued, more serious now. “I support you. I think you and Alexia could be really good for each other.”

You felt a little bit more relaxed, nodding gratefully. 

But then, Inés hesitated, her smile faltering for a bit. “But, chiqui… I think you should wait to talk to him. At least for now.” She nodded, eyes filled with thought. “I need to speak to him about something first, okay?”

Your stomach dipped. “Why? What’s wrong?”

Before she could answer, the villa door swung open. “Hey, Bunny,” your brother greeted warmly, stepping out. His face lit up when he saw you. “What’s up?”

Out of the corner of your eye, you caught Inés giving the smallest shake of her head as if to say not now.

“Xav, come inside with me,” she said quickly, slipping her hand onto his arm. “I need to talk to you about something. Your sister can wait a few minutes.”

“What is it?” He looked confused.

“We just have to go inside now.” Inés said, tugging his arm.

“Okay, okay, but bunny,” He said, gesturing at someone to follow you. “Look who just dropped by.”

You looked behind him. Xavier stepped aside, showing who was lurking behind the villa door. Your stomach plummeted. 

It was your ex.

Matt gave you a lopsided smile. “Surprise, babe.”

next a/n: pretty long fic but we still got a long way to go. this may have errors and typos so apologies for that. sorry this took too long to upload too but i hope it was worth the wait. next part coming soon! originally planned to post this as one part but tumblr has a limit apparently lol. reply anything to get tagged in the next part. also please reblog and like! it's what keeps me writing! i appreciate asks and comments too but pls be nice! 🏷️ @alexiaputellasera @grimleaper @aannyx @papimapileon @pinkhavenn @jazard7 @vex91 @femmeputellas @wosolipa @a1exia9ute11as @northbankheart @bonmatellisme @characteristicallyobservant @moonystoes @alotofpockets @alexialareina @whiskeredshrimp-blog @hella-hecka-gay @annalou1se @fortifyde @bears-05 @aleszias @steffi-209 @tbreezzyygyal @spideycat13 @madthoughtsword @mccabeskcc @sofisarch @miaereen @blaured @eliotwoolfpoe

[ellieputellas]

only we know | a. putellas

summary: You had a lot on your plate: a little sister to raise, two jobs to juggle, and a massive secret. For years, you had been secretly working at a strip club to fund your sister’s needs: from school trips to football kits. Between keeping a secret and making ends meet, there was no room in your life for anything else, especially not romance. Meeting Alexia Putellas made that a little difficult.

tags: stripper!Reader, slight age gap, client!Alexia, angst, smut, secret/forbidden relationship, drama, femme!Reader, minimal use of YN, lap dances, suggestive content, strap r!Receiving, cunnilingus r!Receiving, cursing, use of pet names, tldr: u meet alexia when she attends irene's bachelorette in the club u work at (irene not yet married in this fic haha)

index — fic playlist — moodboards

— chapter one tags: 18+, 16k words, smutty content, mature scenes and themes

— chapter two tags: 18+, 17k words, smutty content

— chapter three tags: wip

taglist below the cut; reblog/comment on latest chapter if you want to be added!

taglist: @krazyyoung @hjjc23 @putellasgirl @x-ani @l4c1f3r @ihavenolife1234 @liverpoolfan96 @natalia-alianovna-romanova84 @charlotteonpoint @vlt503 @mywomankatarina @ravenfcb @ainsley9967 @jenny0818 @fluffykitten11 @coxlong @ainoha @oohtobeagooner @justareader7 @sannyone @littlelvmb @sevenbasquiat @hella-hecka-gay @yamaris-reputation

@yellowbaseballglove @tayrausi @wlwfandomfics @joyfulthingsandwich @buzzinrusso @kenslm @aliesia @crybabysbakery @miaereen @goodloe-e @gabi-16 @wosolipa @priyajoy @rnm17 @actua11yromantic @alexialareina @96tidal @lallaaaaaaaaaaaaaa @tahastilinski @bears-05 @sasatata @lay1212 @culiculer @newyork1215 @summertime1a1 @ppppolarrrr @pb1fan @ktrout7 @steffi-209 @pickle14 @blamekris

@rikisboba-blog @my-favorite-sign-blog @awfcloml @tomy5girls @juniperpoop @kookielover9711 @samkerrworshipper @wintrjen @lenasobi @il0v3w0m3n @kaziee2 @nerdyem88 @eldolmendelabruja @vendra-reads @annalou1se @what-no-way @woso-scotland @riyaexee @wlsecret @vbueckers @sparklingbloom6 @joy2006 @sgthesstuff @nyainterlu4ee @clexaspace @bl0nd3dtatum @chenygtlover @sporty-girl-457 @bueckersgirl22 @fortifyde @mariaaaaaaasstuff @zxirxxx @ghostlyninjadefendor @maeshoneyles

[ellieputellas]

only we know | a. putellas

summary: You had a lot on your plate: a little sister to raise, two jobs to juggle, and a massive secret. For years, you had been secretly working at a strip club to fund your sister’s needs: from school trips to football kits. Between keeping a secret and making ends meet, there was no room in your life for anything else, especially not romance. Meeting Alexia Putellas made that a little difficult.

fic tags: stripper!Reader, slight age gap, client!Alexia, angst, smut, secret/forbidden relationship, drama, femme!Reader, minimal use of YN, lap dances, suggestive content, strap r!Receiving, cunnilingus r!Receiving, cursing, use of pet names, tldr: u meet alexia when she attends irene's bachelorette in the club u work at (irene not yet married in this fic haha), view specific chapter tags/warnings in fic index

chapter index | masterlist please do not repost, plagiarize, or feed to ai!

⋆˙⟡♡ “You won’t believe who’s here tonight,” one of the girls said as they huddled in the one spot backstage where you could see the crowd without being seen, peeking through the heavy stage curtains.

You chuckled at the sight of everyone crowding desperately in that one spot. You shook your head, turning your attention back to the mirror, adjusting the white, bluntly cut bob wig that you were wearing, making sure you looked presentable. 

You didn’t understand why everyone seemed so intrigued in who tonight’s guests were. After all those years working at the Somni Lounge, you’ve gotten used to having VIPs and celebrities in your crowd. You were way past the fangirling stage of your career here.

“Madre mia, is that Patri Guijarro?” One of the girls gushed. “Her face is so much prettier in person.”

You paused as soon as you heard the familiar name, turning once more to look at everyone crowding, peeking through. From where you were getting ready, you really couldn’t see much through the small opening of the curtains. 

Someone hummed in agreement. “Those shoulders, uh, meow.”

“Is it just the Barça girls,” someone asked, “or is it the whole Spanish team?”

“Just the Barcelona girls,” someone else responded.

Huh, that’s why they’re all so intrigued, you thought as soon as they confirmed who it was. They weren’t your usual clientele. 

Your co-worker Sol, whose vanity was right beside yours, noticed your reaction change upon learning who it was. “Oh, if Nana finds out that you were in the same establishment as the Barça girls, she would freak out.” She said, bringing up your little sister.

You sighed. “If I’m lucky, she’ll never find out,” you said with a head shake. This part of your life was something you worked so hard to keep from your sister. To her, you were just a barista and waitress.

Sol sighed. “How is Aina by the way?” She asked as she continued to fix her lashes.

You nodded. “Oh, Nana’s good, still obsessed with football. She’s starting to play better but she’s mad at her coach for assigning her a defensive position,” you chuckled, remembering your little sister’s rant. “She wants to be a midfielder like her idol Aitana.”

Sol chuckled before pausing to look at you earnestly through the mirror. “You’re doing a great job at raising her, chiqui.” She smiled. “Even if you’re purposely withholding from her that you’ll be meeting her idols tonight.”

“Well, I don’t think I’d like her to find out that her idols are visiting a strip club,” you scoffed.

Another co-worker Adriana overheard your conversation as she was returning to the make-up area, coming from the crowd at the curtains, and corrected you, tone jestful. “Don’t you mean premium cabaret?”

“Girl, please, you can add ‘premium cabaret entertainer’ to your CV but everyone knows you just mean stripper,” Sol responded jokingly. You all laughed. 

“So, what are those girls doing here anyway?” You asked, genuinely curious. An all-female crowd was rare enough; a crowd of only female celebrities were another thing entirely.

Adriana plopped onto the empty folding chair beside you, looking at herself in the mirror as she readjusted her wig, tucking in any of her stray hair back into her wig cap. “Bachelorette party,” she answered. “I heard that the younger girls from the team organized this to surprise their captain who’s getting married.”

“Oh, Alexia?” Sol asked, raising her eyebrows. “I didn’t know she was getting married. I thought she broke up with her last girlfriend.” 

“No, Irene Paredes, the tall one.” Adriana responded. “It’s a nice change on our part. We get to dance for these hot women instead of the usual old men.”

You chuckled and nodded. “Amen to that.”

Another one of your co-workers pranced on to join you three, moving closer to the mirror to check her teeth for any lipstick marks. “YN, Nana is going to be so jealous of you if she finds out that you’re meeting her favorite team.” She said, looking at you through the mirror. “If only we weren’t working, then we could ask them for an autograph or something.”

You nodded and sighed. As much as you hid your job title from the world, you were at least thankful for your co-workers, who were all sweet girls and who all cared about your little sister. 

“Is Aitana here too? She’s Nana’s favorite.” You asked.

She shook her head in response. “Nah, but Alexia’s there.”

You hummed. “Which one is Alexia again?”

The other girls laughed. “Aina is gonna be so mad if she heard you ask that,” Sol tutted her tongue.

“I work a million hours a week,” you said. “I don’t exactly have the time to memorize all of these footballers she watches.”

Adriana nudged you. “Don’t worry. You’ll notice which one Alexia is,” she wiggled her eyebrows at you. “She’s exactly your type.”

“I highly doubt that,” you responded. “Cause my type wouldn’t go to a strip club.”

Everyone chuckled, shaking their heads at you. 

Just moments later, your stage coordinator started calling everyone over for the opening number of the show. You all got up hastily, calmly getting into formation. You adjusted your tights for one last time before settling into your starting pose, ready for when the curtains would rise. 

When you first started working at Somni Lounge, you almost always had mini panic attacks before the show itself. You were always a performer, having been classically trained when you were younger. You were used to performing for a crowd. But it was just different here.

You weren’t just performing; you were seducing.

With your childhood ballet recitals, everyone was focused on the artistry, the dance and the choreography. Here, while the artistry was still present, it always came second because your crowd was always focused on your body and their own carnal desires.

Your goal wasn’t just to entertain them but to arouse them, to satiate their needs.

It freaked you out a lot when you were just starting. You were barely 20 then, wearing costumes that were practically nothing, performing in front of mostly old, sleazy men. Sure, the clientele here was more high-end and elite than your generic strip club, but having more money didn’t exactly mean your clients were less lustful or creepy. It also didn’t make Somni less of a strip club.

At the end of the day, you were there to make men horny. The thought of it alone used to linger and fester in your mind but at some point, all the anxieties and the self-consciousness fizzled into nothing. After all, at the end of the day, it was just a job.

And god, did you need this job.

⋆˙⟡♡“I cannot believe I let you guys rope me into this,” Irene tutted her tongue as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. 

Alexia laughed and shrugged. “I didn’t exactly plan this either. I just pitched in some cash to the bachelorette fund and trusted the kids to plan it.”

Irene exhaled through her nose, eyes drifting around the cabaret. The place gleamed with its deep red velvet seats with gold accents – the type that looked understated instead of gauche and tacky – and dark marble floors. It did seem a bit theatrical in a sense, but not totally kitschy; it still looked elevated. 

Irene sighed. “At least  this one has floors that aren't sticky.”

“True.” Alexia laughed, shaking her head. “But really, had I known this was their plan, I would have taken over.”

“You should have,” Irene sighed. “This is not my scene.”

Alexia chuckled, leaning back into her seat. “Well, let’s just get through this.”

Suddenly, the lights dimmed, conversation dissolving into anticipation as music rolled through the room. The curtain began to lift.

Alexia was never really the type to attend these types of shows. She’d been in a relationship for years, and even before that, places like these never really were her thing. The idea of sitting in a dark room watching strangers strip and dance in pasties just didn’t do anything for her. 

So, when she’d found out the team had arranged this for Irene, she’d resigned herself to just playing along, smiling through it. Besides, it’s been a while since the team blew off some steam together. It would be good for them to have some fun.

⋆˙⟡♡ The first number started minutes after everyone settled into their seats and had their first round of drinks. 

As soon as the opening performance started, Alexia felt herself completely engaged. The dancers emerged one-by-one, wearing identical wigs and matching make-up. Their glossy, latex bodysuits caught the light as they moved through the stage. They moved in a straight line, bodies moving with intent. Alexia thought she was getting the typical pole dance and vulgar strip dance choreography but this wasn’t that… at all. The choreography was controlled and elegant, more artistic than she expected.

Without realizing it, Alexia leaned forward in her seat.

All of the dancers were amazing, moving in perfect sync, but there was one dancer that Alexia couldn’t look away from. There was nothing immediately obvious to set her apart; she had the same latex body suit, same bluntly cut wig, and same bold makeup. 

But her body moved differently, as if she was one with the music. Her body flirted with the rhythm and each step just flowed naturally with the next. Her expressions were so alive and vivid, eyes bright as they swept the room, making sure to give each person a moment that made it feel like she was dancing just for them.

Then, briefly, her eyes landed on Alexia’s.

Her lips curved into a small smile that widened a beat later, teeth flashing briefly under the lights, practically sparkling. Alexia felt her heart skip a beat, breath catching. If someone was paying close attention to Alexia, they would probably notice how her pupils dilated, practically doubling in size, absolutely taken in by the scene unfolding before her

Before she could even process the opening number, it ended, lights dimming once again and dancers scurrying out. She finally exhaled, realizing she had been holding her breath since you two locked eyes. She blinked, a bit embarrassed that she got that into it.

She looked around, trying to see if any of her teammates noticed, only to meet Patri’s playful smirk, eyebrows raised and a teasing glint in her eyes. “Let’s just get through this, huh?” She teased, using Alexia’s own words against her. 

Alexia scoffed and rolled her eyes, though she was smiling. “You’re telling me that wasn’t good?”

“Sure,” Patri shrugged. “But I wasn’t as smitten as you were.”

Alexia chuckled, rolling her eyes at Patri, but unable to deny it.

⋆˙⟡♡ Your second performance was a solo.

You stood backstage as the costume settled onto your body — crisp white button-up that was so tight that it could practically pop, short black skirt, and some black-rimmed, prop glasses. You took one breath before stepping into the dark stage, baring yourself for the dance.

This number was the perfect mix of camp and seduction. You were meant to be a business lady in a makeshift office set-up. Projections of stock market graphs flickered behind you, showing stocks in the green as you started, sauntering seductively across the stage, looking through the prop papers on the table. Then, the projections would start the stocks plummeting, supposedly sending you into a panic. 

At your cue, you scattered the paper into the air as you spun around in the swivel chair, putting both your hands on your head as you rolled it around, acting in distress. After that, you got up, kicking the swivel chair to the side before sprawling your body on top of the table, letting the remaining paper on it fall onto the floor as you did.

You’d been doing this routine for a year. Every beat practically lived in your muscles. Normally, you could perform it flawlessly in your sleep.  But tonight, your focus just kept slipping.

You could feel her gaze again, as intense as they were a while ago. During the first number, you thought it was just nerves that made you think she was staring at you like this. That perhaps it was just your imagination amplified by stage lights and the adrenaline that came with your dance.  But even now, with the light dimmer and softer, it was undeniable.

It wasn’t that you weren’t used to people staring at you during shows; that was practically part of the job description. But it felt completely different now because instead of the usual random dude, it was this impossibly beautiful woman with her gorgeously piercing eyes.

You got off the desk swiftly, trying hard not to let her gaze get to you. You walked around to the front of the desk before graciously spinning, presenting your back to the crowd, bending over the desk with practiced fluidity, moving as sensually as you can. The room erupted with cheers and whistles, making you smile a bit, feeling validated that you were doing a good job. You breathed before you got off the table again, spinning around to face the crowd once again.

Your confidence was shaken up a bit once more, seeing those same hazel eyes fixed on you, but you tried to keep your gaze trained on the bride-to-be, Irene. 

Perform for the bride, you repeated to yourself. This is her bachelorette.

You bit your lip seductively as you kept your eyes fixated on the tall blonde. You began unbuttoning your top slowly and deliberately, hips swaying with the music. After the first hip pop to the side, you parted your lips, rounding your mouth, simulating the look of pleasure. Irene grimaced, visibly tensing as she looked away, unable to keep eye contact with you.

And with that, you suddenly let your attention go back to the girl beside her, the one with the intense gaze. She was still staring at you, expression unreadable. You gulped, trying not to let it get to you. It was hard not to overthink when you weren’t sure what to make of the way she looked at you.

Was she judging you? Was she drawn to you? Impressed? Disgusted? You couldn’t tell. You took a deep breath. 

Might as well lean into it, you thought. I’ll give her something to stare at.

You let your hands drag slowly down your torso, palms flat, unhurried, keeping the distress on your face while the stock projections kept tanking behind you. The crowd was already loud. You let them get louder. Your thumbs hooked into the waistband of your skirt and you eased it down your legs, slow enough to be deliberate, stepping out of it and tossing it offstage without looking where it landed.

Now, you were exposed, just wearing your heels and the lingerie that barely covered anything. You stood tall and let them look, feeling your confidence grow, knowing that the crowd was loving what they were seeing.

Your hips started to move again: a slow roll that built as you sank down into a squat, hands trailing up your own thighs on the way back up. The crowd noise swelled and you rode it, turning, bending forward over the table with your weight on your palms.

The music shifted, softening toward its end. It was your signal to get into your final pose.

And so, you climbed onto the desk and lowered yourself across it slowly, arching your back as you continued to trail your hands on your body. You turned your head to the side, and your eyes found hers in the crowd once again.

You held it a beat longer than necessary. You flashed her one last smile before the lights cut and the curtain dropped. The crowd erupted in cheers.

You exhaled, quickly slid off the table, and walked offstage, pleased with your performance.

Sol met you with a grin as you rushed to the changing area, quickly taking off your current lingerie. “I haven’t seen you dance like that in a while,” she commented. “You looked amazing.”

You smiled, hurriedly taking off your lingerie to get into your next costume. Your hands still shook, buzzing from performance adrenaline. “That’s the kind of energy I can only give a crowd of women.” 

“Oh, they loved it,” Adriana said, nodding, as she grabbed her pair of heels set up by the rows of steel racks. “Well, I know for certain that at least one of them did.”

“She was staring so hard at YN that even I felt flustered when I saw it,” Sol commented, helping you clasp the sparkly, pearl-crusted bra for your next performance. 

Your eyes widened as you looked at them. “You noticed too? She was staring, right? The girl beside Irene.”

Adriana snorted, adjusting her own bra. “Don’t act like you don’t know Alexia.”

“Oh,” you said, blinking. “Alexia… Alexia Putellas?”

The girls nodded in unison. You hummed, realizing that that was her. You probably weren’t able to process that it was her while you were performing. But you should have known who she was, especially given that your sister Aina had begged you last Christmas to buy a kit with Alexia’s name on it. 

Maybe I should be paying more attention whenever Nana watches football, you thought to yourself.

“Her gaze was kind of intense… but she really is kind of cute.” You said, admitting to finding her attractive.

Sol chuckled. “Kind of? She’s gorgeous. If I were a lesbian, I’d have ran off the stage and given her a show she could never forget about.” She nodded. “Especially with how she was staring. Ugh, babe, you should’ve jumped her.”

“Please, I’m not even sure she liked my performance,” you shook your head. “She was just… staring. Who knows? She might have been horrified.”

“Please, she didn’t look horrified,” Adriana said. “If anything, she looked like she was trying to memorize your buttcheek.”

You laughed and rolled your eyes, trying not to let it get to you too much. This was just a job and you were just a stripper. A client staring at you like that shouldn’t be anything to blush about and yet…

You shook your thoughts away, trying to focus on getting ready for your next performance.

⋆˙⟡♡ The last number was a full ensemble piece.

You stood in the wings with the rest of the girls, masks secured over the top half of your faces — sleek, black-lacquered ones with gold trim that curled up at the edges like something out of a Venetian parade. They covered your eyes, your nose, the bridge of your cheeks, leaving your mouth completely bare and painted deep red. You were all wearing matching corsets with short, structured skirts and long, silk gloves. 

Compared to your other performances, this was way campier and theatrical. This was one of your favorite numbers because it focused more on the dance aspect rather than the seduction aspect; it was one of the few numbers when you actually had fun.

The dance was a mix of the traditional can-can with a modern twist. With half of your face covered with a mask, you had to animate your expressions even more, which honestly made the dance enjoyable for you. 

As you performed, you tried to focus more on the rhythm of the music and on your moves. You kept your chin up, gaze trained just over the heads of the audience the way you always did when you needed to stay in your body and out of your head

But even from your peripheral vision, you could feel her eyes on you from the same position she was in; you practically memorized her location without meaning to. Even if you weren’t looking at her, you were hyperaware of her movements: the way she laughed at the comedic parts of the choreography, the way she would lean over to Patri beside her, whisper something, making the other girl laugh. 

You were so aware of her that it was deeply inconvenient given that you were currently in the middle of a performance. It was even more odd, given that you were never like this with anyone. For the past few years, in this job, you were always laser-focused on just nailing the moves. 

Focus, you told yourself firmly. You are a professional and she is a client. 

You snapped back into the number, hitting the final sequence with everything you had, pouring the nervous energy directly into the performance. By the time the lights cut and the curtain dropped, your heart was hammering and not entirely from dancing.

⋆˙⟡♡ The applause was still rolling when your co-worker Adriana stepped out in front of the curtain with a cordless mic and her most theatrical smile, chandelier light catching the sequins on her bodysuit. Along with the rest of the girls, you were hurriedly getting out of your costumes. 

You changed into a sleek black bodysuit, simple and fitted compared to the more elaborate costumes from the earlier numbers, paired with a new mask that was simpler and was just enough to hide your identity up close. 

"Ladies," Adriana said with a projected voice, echoing into the backstage area. "On a regular night at Somni, our girls are on that stage and you are in those seats, and that is where the evening ends." She paused, letting the anticipation settle. "But tonight is not a regular night."

The Barcelona girls cheered and whistled.

"Tonight, since we are performing for our nation’s pride," Adriana gestured broadly toward them. "We offer something a little more personal." She smiled. "Tonight, for our bachelorette party…. we have lap dances!”

The team erupted. As soon as you were all made-up, everyone waited by the wings, taking a peek of the crowd. You could catch a glimpse of the bachelorette Irene, shaking her head, with her head in her palm as the other girls practically forced her to be on stage.

"Let’s welcome our bride-to-be on the stage! Irene Paredes,” Adriana said, welcoming Irene to the stage, her teammates clapping and hollering excitedly.

Irene lifted her head, expression caught somewhere between amusement and genuine distress. She held up her hand and reached for the mic. 

"I adore all the girls, such amazing performers… really," she said, "but my future wife is going to kill me if I get a lap dance, so… maybe, all my co-captains can go in my place, instead?"

The team cheered. Adriana pointed the mic toward Patri, who had both hands already raised in surrender. "I have a girlfriend," Patri said simply, refusing with huge hand gestures, shaking her head, staying planted in her seat.

Adriana pivoted smoothly to Marta who everyone else was pointing to, seated right beside Caroline Graham Hansen. Marta tilted her head consideringly, then looked sideways. "I'll do it if Caro does it too."

All eyes went to Caro, who was already shaking her head with much fervor. "No, no, absolutely not."

Everyone reacted in disappointment until everyone turned to Alexia who looked caught. Soon, all the other girls started chanting. "Capi-ta-na. Capi-ta-na. Capi-ta-na."

You heard it from backstage and felt something in you tense up. You looked at your co-workers. You were all prepared to dance for more of the girls but now, it seemed like only Alexia was up for a lap dance. The other girls giggled, looking at you pointedly which just made you feel more nervous.

Looks like I’m doing this alone, you thought.

You turned your attention back. Alexia was laughing, shaking her head, the particular expression of someone who knew they had already lost and was deciding how to accept it gracefully. She looked at Irene, who gave her a cheerful, unhelpful shrug. She looked at Patri, who gestured as if to say this is completely out of my hands. Alexia looked over to Marta who was at the far end of the room, already shaking her head with Caro mimicking the same action.

Alexia exhaled, realizing that she was the only captain of the team left who didn’t have to worry about a girlfriend or partner getting mad about a lap dance. 

"Fine," she acquiesced, and the crowd lost its mind.

Adriana grinned and lifted the mic again. "Now hold on," she said, drawing it out with practiced showmanship. "For our nation’s capitana, I'm not sending just any of our girls out here." She turned back toward the curtain, expression conspiratorial. "I know someone who really, really wants to give Alexia Putellas a lap dance. Someone who is really going to put on a show for La Reina."

The Barcelona girls wolf-whistled and cheered, excited to see the girl who was so eager to give their captain a lap dance.

“Let’s give it up for… Rubi!” 

You barely even processed Adriana calling you by your stage name when everyone backstage began pushing you further towards the stage. You frowned and glared at them. “Oh my god, calm down. I’m going,” you groaned at the girls who were just giggling at you.

Adriana rushed back on stage, stopping just right in front of you. “You owe me,” she teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

"I fucking hate you,” you said, feeling the nerves build inside you. “I didn’t ask you for this.”

She chuckled. “Keep pretending, sweetheart. We know you want to anyway.” Adriana rolled her eyes. “Enjoy.”

⋆˙⟡♡ Soon, the lights dimmed and the red lights covered the room in a deep crimson. The song that rolled in was unhurried and heavy. It had a steady tempo with a slow burn of a bass. In Somni, the lap dances were often not choreographed so you didn’t know what song to expect but this one felt just right. It was the perfect amount of sultry and intimate.

You took one slow breath backstage, rolling your shoulders, shaking out your hands. You closed your eyes, calming yourself, before stepping from out of the wings, meeting the immediate and generous wave of noise and cheering. Just like that, all your nerves dissipated. You let it settle around you, smirking at everyone. 

You were used to lap dances, even if they weren't a regular thing at Somni. Pilar reserved them for special occasions and private reservations mostly — bachelor parties, birthdays, the nights a VIP booking came with specific requests attached. It wasn't like you were doing this every shift. But when Pilar did assign them, your name came up more often than not.

You had your theories about why Pilar kept picking you. Maybe it was your dance background. Perhaps it showed in the way you controlled your body or maybe it was that you just had more energy and endurance that by the end of the night, you could still deliver another performance while most of the other girls were just too knackered. 

Or maybe it was for humanitarian reasons. She knew the situation with your sister and considering that the girls doing the lap dances got a bonus, she was assigning it to you, knowing you’d be willing to do it for more money. 

Whatever the reason, you were just glad the clients never seemed to notice that you weren't really present for any of it. That the smile was just something you put on or the eye contact was something practiced and mechanical. You figured you must have put on a good enough show for them to not realize that while you were grinding on their laps, you were thinking about what groceries you needed to buy or how you were going to budget your salary for the next week.

But tonight, it was different. You were certain that you weren’t going to be thinking about groceries tonight. Not when she was the one on that chair.

Alexia turned her head to catch a glimpse of you. Her smile faltered, just briefly, like she hadn't quite expected you specifically, walking toward her in the low red light. You gave her a small smile, winking as you walked towards her slowly, legs crossing over each other with your heels clicking against the hard floor.

The smile found its way back to her face as you moved closer. Her eyes moved over you unhurriedly, and the lazy confidence of it made your heart slam against your ribs in a way that you hoped absolutely did not show on your face.

You circled her first, taking your time. This was the part of a lap dance that most people didn't expect; they usually expected you to just start grinding on them. But it was better to build up the anticipation, to keep them waiting. It was a sort of foreplay. 

You let your fingertips trail across her shoulders barely even touching her, just close enough that she'd feel the proximity. You heard a quiet exhale from her that she probably didn't intend to be audible. In contrast, the Barcelona crowd was incredibly audible, shouting and whistling nonstop. 

You tuned them out the way you tuned out everything when you were working. But right now, you were also grateful for the dark red lights because they were able to hide the slight tremble in your hands.

Pull yourself together, you thought to yourself. It was not usual for you to be affected by your clients but then again, this was the first time you were actually attracted to your client. 

You came around to face Alexia, moving down slowly onto her lap just until you were just barely hovering above her, hands bracing on the armrests on either side of her hips, bringing your face level with hers. The space between you was small and up close, she was so much more than she had been from across the room. The red light did something extraordinary to her features, sharpening the line of her jaw, catching in her eyes, and you had a half-second of clarity in which you recognized that this was genuinely one of the most beautiful people you had ever been this close to, which was an observation that was neither helpful given the circumstances. 

You kept your movements fluid and unhurried, working with the rhythm of the music, rolling through each beat. Your body moved over hers without direct contact, watching her lick her lips unconsciously in anticipation. 

Then, deliberately, you reached down and guided her hands off the armrests. You placed them at your waist and covered them with your own. You smiled as you felt her fingers press against your waist. You began to roll your hips, guiding her hands with yours, letting her hands trail up your own sides and back down.

Alexia’s gaze never left yours and the line of her jaw had tightened. Her composed stillness from a moment ago was working a lot harder now and you could see it in the set of her shoulders.

You smirked before abruptly turning, now facing the crowd, giving them a flashy grin. You placed Alexia’s hands back onto your waist, feeling them settle there with a less restrained grip. You placed your hands on the arms of the chair, using them to support you as you lowered yourself slowly onto her lap. You moved against her slowly and deliberately, grinding slowly against her, making sure that you were firm and flush against her as you did.

Her grip on your waist tightened, pulling you closer without you prompting it and the crowd must have noticed because they lost their composure, cheering even louder. Your eyes widened and you nearly yelped as Alexia pulled you towards her, causing your weight to fully be on top of her. Her chest pressed firmly against your back as she leaned in, lips brushing against your ear.

"You really, really wanted to give me a lap dance, huh?" Her voice was low and quiet but definitely teasing. You can tell by the tone of her voice that she definitely seemed too pleased with herself.

The corner of your mouth twitched but you stayed composed. You stood once more, facing her again before leaning in, just an inch away from her ear. “Don’t flatter yourself, superstar.”

You felt rather than heard the low laugh in her chest, the vibration of it pressed against you. You pulled away and stood in one smooth motion, turning to face her again. You decided to take her by surprise, strongly planting your hands on both of her legs, parting it abruptly, garnering you a collective noise from the crowd. And, of course, you didn’t miss the way Alexia’s expression flickered: the way her throat moved as she swallowed.

There it is.

"Keep those there," you said, holding her gaze. "Okay, superstar?"

You didn't wait for an answer. You turned and moved toward the crowd, putting your back to them, hips dropping into a slow rolling gyration that made the room erupt. You gave them a few beats of it before sinking down to the floor with an unhurried ease.

You lowered yourself onto your back, still facing Alexia, propping up on your elbows so your chest angled upward. As you settled into it, you found Alexia's eyes immediately. You gave her a slow smirk. Then you raised your legs — straight and crossed over each other — and began moving your legs into a traditional clockwork move. Alexia’s eyes were fixated on your legs, as if hypnotized by the fluid movements. You smirked, legs sweeping in circles in a controlled rotation, tracing the air above you in a precise and deliberate motion before meeting back at the top. On the next beat, you let your legs fall open into a wide split, holding it just long enough for Alexia’s eyes to widen and for the room to react, before swiftly snapping them back shut, heels connecting with a satisfying clack at the top, the sound punctuating the beat of the song.

The crowd cheered in amusement but you barely paid attention to them. Your attention had already locked into Alexia.

You rolled onto your hands and knees, letting the movement flow into the next count as you seductively crawled back towards her. She was still sitting exactly how you had left her, knees apart, hands gripping the arms of the chair like she had decided it was safer than touching you. The sight sent a sharp little thrill through you. There was nothing more that could boost your confident than a girl coming undone just by looking at you. 

You took your time crossing the space between you, slow enough to make her watch every inch of it. Her eyes flickered all over your body, following the line of your back, the sway of your hips, the way you moved like you knew exactly what she was looking at at any given moment.

When you reached her, you placed your hands on either side of her thighs and lifted your gaze to hers. You leaned your head closer to in between her legs, sticking your tongue out and tracing the air just above her. You moved it in a line, starting low then dragging it in a path upward from in between her legs, past her stomach, and towards chest. You never touched her. You only came close enough for her to feel the warmth of your mouth, leaving it all to her imagination.

This time, there was no teasing smirk or comment from Alexia. She just looked at you with her mouth slightly parted, eyes dark beneath the red light, and hands gripping the arms of the chair. You smirked.

You straightened up, striking one last strong pose as the final beat of the song landed. The crowd cheered loudly and you gave them a small, cheeky bow before walking back towards the curtain, without looking back at Alexia.

You didn’t need to; you could feel her eyes on you the entire way out. 

⋆˙⟡♡ You woke up with a groan, scrubbing the sleep from your eyes as the alarm clock blared mercilessly. It was too loud, too early; it was certainly enough to sour your mood before you were even fully conscious. 

You sat up, sighing deeply as you turned the alarm off, feeling your calves and feet ache from the night before. No matter how many nights you performed in heels, it never made the morning-after muscle pain any less annoying.

You turned your head and found your sister Aina beside you, completely unconscious, sprawled diagonally across more than her fair share of the bed. You must have been so tired last night that you didn’t even notice that she had snuck into your room late into the night.

Even if Aina was already seven, she still looked impossibly young to you. It didn’t help that she was tinier than most girls her age. 

People often thought that Aina was your daughter given the huge age gap between the two of you; they often assumed you must have had her when you were young. At first, it bothered you, the way they filled in your story without asking. But over time, you stopped correcting them. It was easier that way and, honestly, it was less unusual than trying to explain how two sisters could be separated by more than a decade.

When Aina was born, she came as a pleasant surprise to everyone in your life. She was born when you were already a teenager and your parents were almost in their 40s. You had pretty much accepted your life as an only child by then, which was why you were so pumped to hear the news that you were getting a baby sister. 

Even as a baby, Aina was always so sweet and well-behaved. She’d always been an angel but that didn’t mean that raising her was a walk-in-the-park. It was still a lot to handle. 

You were left with the responsibility of being Aina’s sole legal guardian when you were in college, just a teenager and barely an adult. The car accident happened on a random Tuesday night. You could still remember answering the phone to the news that your parents had passed, struck by a drunk driver. The next few days felt like a whirlwind. 

There was no one else to take care of you and your sister.  Your maternal aunt was living in France with her own family. There were no living aunts or uncles on your father’s side. Both sets of grandparents were already gone. 

It had just been the four of you for as long as you could remember, and then it was just the two of you, and you had gone from being a teenager with a half-finished art degree and a vague idea of your future to being the legal guardian of a three-year-old.

Your parents were careful people. They'd left the apartment in both your names, and there was money set aside for Aina's schooling through secondary, which was more than a lot of people had and you knew that. But schooling money didn't cover utilities, groceries, health insurance, the football kit Aina had asked for three birthdays in a row or the school trip deposit that came due at the worst possible time every single year.

So, you had to work and work and work. You started doing a bunch of retail and waitressing gigs. You stacked jobs on top of each other until your prospect of an art career became a distant memory and you had to drop out of college. The only artistic thing you did now were the repetitive coffee flowers you made each morning at your barista job.

Even if you were exhausted and drained, it was doable. You just had to manage your time well and take loads of vitamins just so you wouldn’t have to ever be sick and miss a day of work. Unfortunately, just as you were getting used to the flow of it all, the restaurant where you served as a hostess shut down. It was your biggest source of income so with it gone, you were going to suffer a massive financial loss.

That’s where Somni came in.

An old friend of a friend worked in Somni but had quit after she got engaged. Apparently, she needed someone to replace her — someone pretty, with a dance background. Your friend mentioned it, thinking about how you mentioned that you did ballet and jazz as a kid. She knew you were at your lowest, stretching every check, barely making ends meet, and even considering dipping into Aina’s school fund. She said you might as well give it a shot, quit if you ended up not liking it.

At first, you felt ashamed that stripping had become an option. But it felt worse seeing your sister as the only girl on her football team with worn-down shoes, or the only student carrying an old, ratty backpack. You wanted to give Aina a better life. In the end, that meant you didn’t really have a choice.

Your job as a stripper paid decently, way better than any job you had and the hours were better. It meant you could live semi-comfortable lives and that you could drop all your other jobs you were juggling. Now, you were just working at Somni and at the cafe near your apartment. Although, Aina thought you only worked at the cafe as a barista in the morning and as a waitress at night. It took a lot of effort covering up the truth, especially as she had grown up and started asking more questions.

Thankfully, your best friend helped a lot with it. You met Rocío at your first job at the coffee shop after your parents died. She was in a similar situation. She ran away from home as a teenager, wanting more independence, barely able to afford it. You two had bonded a lot over your experiences so much so that when you heard that she needed a new place to stay, you offered her a place in your apartment in exchange for some help with utility bills and taking care of Aina whenever you worked at Somni. At some point, it started to feel like Rocío had become like your sister too.

You looked over to Aina who was still fast asleep, unaware of you staring wistfully at her, reminiscing about your past. Slowly, you eased yourself out of bed, not wanting to wake Aina, and padded out into the hallway. Rocío was already in the kitchen, still in her pajamas, thick brown hair thrown into a messy bun. She stood at the stove with the posture of someone who had just woken up, placing the moka pot on it.

She turned at the sound of your footsteps and gave you a slow nod.

"Did you come home later than usual last night?" she asked. 

“Yeah, bachelorette party.” You said, heading to the refrigerator to start preparing breakfast. “And you would not believe who was there.”

The statement woke Rocío up a little. Her thick eyebrows lifted. "Bachelorette? Who?"

You opened your mouth but just as you were about to share your story, Aina came shuffling out of your bedroom, hair messy from sleep. "G'morning," she mumbled, in the direction of no one specifically.

"Good morning, Nana," you and Rocío said, almost in unison.

Aina smiled without fully opening her eyes and disappeared into the bathroom. The shower started a moment later. You looked at Rocío and sighed, deciding it was best to discuss details from your work later on, when you were far from Aina’s earshot. "I'll tell you at work.”

⋆˙⟡♡ "No fucking way," Rocío said, staring at you. The cloth she'd been using to wipe down the counter had stopped moving entirely. "Alexia. Alexia Putellas."

"Yes, Alexia Putellas," you confirmed, mimicking the emphasis she put on the last name.

"You’re telling me that you gave Alexia Putellas a lap dance." Rocío set the cloth down. She seemed to need a moment, shaking her head in disbelief. “How are you so calm about this right now?”

You laughed, leaning against the counter. “I’m not calm. I’m just tired.” You said, with a shrug. “But honestly, at that moment, I guess it was just the adrenaline powering me through. I don’t know how I got through that lap dance alone. We all planned to do a group lap dance for the bride and maybe her other teammates but it just turned out to be me and her. It was…”

“Hot.” Rocío said, nodding.

You laughed. “No, I mean… well, yeah but more so crazy,” you said, stumbling on your words. “Like, I don’t think I ever expected that to happen. We were only told that it was going to be a VIP bachelorette so I really had no way of knowing beforehand that it’d be the Barcelona team.”

“Oh, so, was Aitana there too?” Rocío asked. “Nana would kill you if she finds out that you met her idol and you didn’t get her a signature.”

"No, she wasn't." You shook your head. "And even if she had been… when exactly was I supposed to ask for an autograph? In the middle of the lap dance? That would have been very professional."

Rocío laughed. "I'm just saying. Nana loves Alexia too. You could have at least tried to get something." Rocío shrugged, helping you out with the clean-up. “But I swear, I feel like if you had asked her for a signature during the lap dance, I am sure that she’d give it to you. Heck, if you asked for her number, I’m pretty sure she’d give that too.”

You frowned and rolled your eyes. “Be for real,” You said with a deadpan tone. "Besides, even if I'd wanted to, it wouldn't have been appropriate. They were there as clients."

"Yeah, and she was a client who was very clearly into you and checking you out during your dance," Rocío said pointedly, recalling the details of your story. "And I've heard she just went through a breakup recently, so…"

You gave your best friend a flat look. “I’m a stripper, Rocío. Of course, she was checking me out. That doesn’t mean she wants to date me.” You explained. “I’m not sure I wanna date her anyway. I’m not into girls who go to strip clubs.”

“Please, it was for a bachelorette. It’s not like she was there just to perv out randomly. You can surely understand the nuance of that,” Rocío said, wiping the work table even if it was already spotless, clearly too distracted by your story to do anything else. “Plus, she is totally your type.”

“My type? How would you know my type?” You scoffed. “I’ve been single for ages. I don’t even know if I have a type.”

“Tall, gorgeous, hard-working, a good person… is that not your type?" Rocío prodded. “Rich too.”

“Yeah, sure, but I don’t think we can say she’s a good person just because of her public persona. You know how celebrities are,” you corrected. “Also, being rich doesn’t matter that much to me. Most rich people are actual assholes.”

Rocío hummed before turning to you, giving you a cheeky grin. “You didn’t deny that she’s gorgeous though.” 

You paused before chuckling in partial defeat. "That," you said, "I can't deny."

⋆˙⟡♡ Dress rehearsals were your favorite kinds of shift at Somni.

There was no crowd or clients; it was always just you and the girls trying out new costumes, choreographies, looks. Usually, it didn’t require the full energy typically needed for an actual performance night. The best part was you still got paid for it. Sure, there weren’t any tips but you didn’t mind that much. If every shift could be a dress rehearsal, you would have no complaints about this job whatsoever.

You were sitting in your dressing chair, surrounded by the hair and makeup team who were experimenting with a new look for your solo number at the lounge's anniversary event next month. It gave you an excuse to sit still and scroll through your phone while your coffee went lukewarm beside you.

"Who are you stalking?" Sol appeared beside you without warning, peeking between two members of the makeup crew, craning her neck to look at your screen.

Instinctively, you tilted the screen away from her. “Nobody.” You said, looking at her with an innocent look.

"Hmm. Because if I saw correctly, that looked a lot like Alexia Putellas' Instagram account to me." Sol chuckled, dropping into the seat beside you, pulling her long hair into a tight bun so the wig cap would sit flat.

"I was just looking," you said with a small shrug. "I was curious."

“Sure, yeah, curious,” Sol said, tone teasing. She gave you a playful look as she accepted the wig one of the crew handed her and let them settle it into place. "She must have really left an impression on you last night."

The girl doing your eye make-up paused and looked at you. “Wait, you guys met Alexia Putellas?”

You pressed a finger to your lip, as if to gesture that it was a secret. "Her team was here last night. Bachelorette party." You answered in a low voice. 

“Yeah, and my good friend here…” Sol trailed off as if building anticipation. “Gave her a lapdance.”

The hair and make-up team looked amused and shocked and you just rolled your eyes. “Guys, it’s a strip club. Why are you all acting so shocked? What else do you think we do here?”

"Was she as good-looking in person?" the makeup girl asked, resuming her work. "I'm a Madridista but even I can admit that Alexia—"

“She was okay,” you responded curtly with a shrug.

Sol rolled her eyes. 

“What?” You said.

“She was okay? Yeah, says the girl who had a lady boner while giving her a lap dance.” Sol retorted.

You frowned at Sol. “Excuse me, I think I did pretty well,” you retorted, feeling a bit defensive. 

“I’m not saying you sucked,” Sol corrected. “I’m saying you danced a little too well.”

“I was just giving my all that performance,” you defended, crossing your arms. “Is it a crime to be good at my job? That doesn’t mean I like her.”

“Well, Rubi,” your hairstylist said, using your stage name. She met your eyes in the mirror with a look of calm amusement. "You've also been on her Instagram for the last twenty minutes."

You stared at her through the mirror’s reflection with a shocked expression. Sol bursted out laughing.

“God, the betrayal,” you said flatly.

“You can never hide anything from a hair stylist,” Sol joked, garnering a high-five from your hair stylist. 

You sighed, slumping slightly. "Fine. Okay, maybe I have a small crush on her." You held a hand up before Sol could open her mouth. "But it’s just that – a small crush. Don’t make it a thing."

Sol made a face that suggested she was absolutely going to make it a thing, but before she could say anything, your club manager Pilar appeared behind you in the mirror, arms crossed, studying your look with a contorted expression.

You caught her eye in the reflection. “What do you think, boss? Cute?”

Pilar frowned, touching one of your teased and curled pigtails, shaking her head. “You look like the guy from the Saw movies,” she commented before turning to the makeup crew. "I said sexy clown. Apparently you all only heard the clown part."

You bit the inside of your cheek to keep from laughing. You understood where she was coming from; the white base they'd applied was too pale, and the blush that sat on your cheeks in two perfect circles was too off-putting. Your hair looked more deranged clown than anything too. The only part that you liked was the sparkly pink eyeshadow and the thick, animated lashes.

Pilar directed the crew, instructing them to change the white foundation to something only a shade or two lighter than your natural tone. The circles of red blush were replaced with a softer, blended-out pink. The eye look stayed thankfully. The difference was immediate and you looked way better now than you did just moments ago.

“And no more of this messy pigtail look,” Pilar said, already moving away toward Sol’s station. “Just give her a pink wig and put on a ton of body shimmer. Then, get her under stage light and see how it reads when she performs her number.”

You watched in the mirror as the crew hurriedly put your hair into a hairnet and placed a pink wig on your head, making adjustments until it sat exactly right. You tilted your head, studying your own reflection. 

As cliche as it seemed, it always was unsettling to you just how completely different Rubi looked from yourself. It was crazy how much make-up and a wig could completely transform you, putting distance between you as a performer and you as a person. 

But there was some comfort in putting on this costume. It kept you anonymous. It reassured you as if to say that whatever happened here stayed here. Just the way you liked it.

⋆˙⟡♡ You were in the middle of taking off your costume when the energy in the room shifted. 

It started with a few girls drifting from their stations towards the wings followed by a few more. After a while, the low chatter picked up into something more animated.  After returning your costume onto the racks, you pulled your short, black silk robe over your shoulders, the one with your stage name embroidered across the back in red thread. You knotted the belt loosely as you made your way toward the small group that gathered at the edge of the stage area.

"What's going on?" you asked.

Adriana turned to you with a smirk. "Looks like your girlfriend's paying a visit."

"My what?" You stepped past a few of the girls and looked out toward the floor. 

With the house lights fully on, it was easy to see her – tall, cap pulled low perhaps to mask her identity from potential paparazzi, leather jacket on. It was Alexia. 

"What is she doing here?" you said in a low tone, more to yourself than anyone.

"Security said she's picking up some things her teammates left behind," one of the girls answered, hearing your question. "Apparently, someone got a bit drunk and forgot their keys and stuff."

"Or…" Adriana said, elbowing you jestfully, "that's just an excuse to see you again."

You gave her a look. “You’re delusional.”

Before Adriana could respond, Pilar’s voice cut through the room. “Girls,” she announced, clapping her hands together once. "Back to your stations. We have to finish figuring out your looks so we can focus on choreography tomorrow. You're all acting like you've never seen a footballer before."

Everyone reluctantly moved back to their stations. You turned and headed back to your station. Sol was already there beside your station, wig off and halfway through removing her stage make-up with a cotton pad. Adriana stood on your other side, carefully plucking out her false lashes. 

You sat down, opting to take care of the blister that was forming on your heels over removing your wig and make up; the pain had been bothering you since a while ago. You kicked off your stilettos and examined the back of your heels.

"Your feet okay?" Sol asked, glancing at your heel.

"It's fine," you said, applying a hydrocolloid bandage on the blister. “I’m used to it.”

You were midway through applying the bandage on your other ankle when you heard footsteps and low voices approaching from the corridor. It was your head of security's voice and another beneath it, quieter. You kept your eyes on your heel, growing frustrated at the fact that your hydrocolloid bandages weren’t sticking properly.

Out of nowhere, Adriana was suddenly beside you, grabbing your arm and pulling you to your feet before you'd fully processed what was happening.

You looked at her in annoyance, noticing that her eyes were not on you, instead were set straight ahead. You followed her gaze to see Alexia passing directly by your stations, seemingly heading towards the admin room where all lost-and-found items were kept. 

Without a modicum of subtlety whatsoever, you felt one of your friends firmly push you, propelling you forward. Still barefoot, you stumbled directly into Alexia’s path, blister bandage half-stuck to your heel and silk robe gaping slightly.

Alexia stopped. She looked at you, then at Adriana and Sol behind you, whose expressions were the picture of feigned innocence. The corner of her mouth pulled upward into a sly smirk, realizing the situation.

She looked at you carefully, noticing the contrast between you and your co-workers, how you were still fully wigged and made-up while the others were already practically undone. “Do you stay in costume even when there’s no one watching?” She asked with a tone of amusement, taking in the sight of your wig and the costume lingerie underneath your robe.

“Dress rehearsal,” you said, pulling your robe closed, feeling faintly embarrassed. "I just finished my part. We run everything in full costume so it reads properly under the stage lights."

You weren't sure why you were explaining it so thoroughly, as if she didn't know what a dress rehearsal was. Perhaps it was the adrenaline from practically getting propelled in her direction by your friends.

She nodded slowly then her eyes moved over your face slowly. "I recognize you," she said, fully smiling now. "You're the one who gave me a lap dance.”

Your friends didn’t do a good job concealing their giggling behind you. You rolled your eyes. God, you’d think we’re teenage girls and not actual strippers, you thought to yourself.

“Uh, yeah, that was me,” you nodded, giving her a shy smile. “Thank you, by the way, for the tip that you and your team left. It was very generous.”

After the night, the team left a considerable tip. It wasn’t an extravagant or performative amount; it felt like a genuine token of appreciation. It was certainly more than what a typical bachelor party would ever think to leave. Split between all the girls, it hadn't changed anyone's life but it wasn’t exactly pennies. At least, it had made the night feel worthwhile.

“It was well-deserved,” Alexia said simply, eyes dropping briefly to your robe then to your bare feet, noticing the half-applied bandage that was practically hanging off of your ankle. “Maybe we should have left more so you could get better bandages.”

You blushed lightly at the joke, consciously hiding your ankle behind the other one. You laughed, adjusting your wig as you did. You were thankful that you still had the wig and makeup on. The anonymity helped you from feeling completely vulnerable in front of her.

“Hey,” Adriana stepped forward, noticing that you had gone silent. “By the way, Alexia, this one has a little sister who is absolutely obsessed with you. Any chance you'd sign something for her?"

You turned to Adriana, reprimanding her with your eyes before turning back to Alexia. "That's really not… it's fine, it's not necessary—"

"It's not necessary?" Alexia said, with a look of mild amusement. "What's not necessary is me walking past when apparently your sister is a big fan and not doing anything about it." She looked at you. "Do you have something I can sign?"

You looked around your station. Sol and Adriana immediately began rummaging through the general clutter before Adriana pulled the receipt from beneath your coffee morning, slightly soft at the edges from sitting underneath your cup for the better part of the night.

Alexia looked amused as she was handed it.

“It’s all we have,” you explained, nodding.

She laughed, taking it carefully between two fingers. "It's falling apart."

You shrugged meekly. 

"Okay then." She accepted the pen Sol produced from somewhere and looked back at you. "What's your sister's name?"

You hesitated, just briefly. Something in you was instinctively cautious about handing over even something that small about your personal life.

"Nana," Sol said, filling the silence without missing a beat. Deep inside, you seethed a bit, not liking that Sol was giving your sister’s name away to a client. 

Alexia nodded and bent over the counter, writing carefully on the damp receipt. She wrote a short note before signing it. She straightened up and examined it for a moment, holding it by ‘the corner as though uncertain it would survive the transfer. "I hope this gets to her in one piece.”

“She’ll love it,” you said, giving her a small smile, looking at the receipt. “She really will.”

Alexia smiled. “Uh, if you want,” she started. “I could drop off one of my kits, sign it properly. That’d be more durable than a damp receipt.”

You chuckled, carefully placing the paper on your station. “No, that really isn't necessary.” You shook your head.

“No, no, come on, just think of it as a gift of gratitude. You made Irene’s bachelorette truly memorable," she said with a smile before lowering her voice, quieter so that the other girls wouldn’t hear. “Also… I’ve just been looking for an excuse to return.”

"Oh," you said, caught off guard. "Thank you."

"Yeah," she said simply, holding your gaze, eyes flickering to look at your body for a half-second. It was barely noticeable but it was enough to make you feel flustered.

Your head of security appeared behind her. "Miss Putellas, I think we identified all the stuff left behind by your party. Maybe you would want to double-check?"

Alexia nodded, then looked back at you one last time. "I'll see you soon, then."

Before you could respond, Adriana popped up at your shoulder. "She'll see you!"

Alexia laughed before walking off.

What the fuck just happened?

⋆˙⟡♡ The night ended earlier than usual. Even after cleaning up and scrubbing off all the make-up and body glitter in the club’s shower, you still reached your apartment at a more godly hour. 

As you stepped in, you could see Aina’s attention turn from her iPad to the front door. An instant smile plastered across your sister’s face as soon as she saw you. “YN!” She shouted excitedly, running off to give you a welcoming hug. “I missed you so much.”

You pouted and felt your heart warm at the interaction. Between your work at the cafe and your shift at Somni, you usually barely had any free time to spend with your sister. By the time she got home from school, you were already getting ready to go to work at Somni, and by the time you got home, she was usually fast asleep. You tried really hard to make time for important events – important football games, school performances, holidays – but honestly, to you, it never felt enough.

You hugged her warmly, sniffing the familiar scent of her shampoo. “Nana, have you eaten?” You asked.

“Yeah, I warmed up the meal you prepared for us,” Rocío said, smiling at you from the coach. “Shift at the restaurant ended early?”

You nodded. “Yeah,” you responded, keeping your answer short so as to not raise suspicion about your ‘work at the restaurant.’

Aina and you settled at the coach after you had set aside your coat and bag. “Nana, I actually met someone at the restaurant tonight,” you said, giving your sister a smile. “I didn’t have anything else on me at the time but I think you’d still appreciate it.”

Your sister tilted her head. “What? Who did you meet?” She said, not understanding what you were saying without context.

You giggled, pulling the carefully folded paper from your pocket. “I really wish I had a better piece of paper or a shirt or whatever but this was all I had,” you re-explained, handing her the receipt.

Aina took it, not understanding at first but as soon as it registered, her eyes widened and she gasped. “Alexia? You met Alexia?” She exclaimed. “Oh my god, YN, did you take a selfie? Please tell me you took a selfie with her, please.”

Rocío looked over at the paper before looking at you and raising her eyebrow. You ignored her, looking back at Aina. “Well, she was kinda in a rush so I was only able to ask her for her signature,” you excused. 

Aina immediately rushed towards you, wrapping her arms around you once more. “This is so cool, YN,” she gushed. “Thank you so, so much.”

You chuckled, patting her back. “Be careful with it. The paper is kinda flimsy; you wouldn’t wanna rip it.”

Aina pulled away, nodding in agreement. “I’m gonna go to my room and put it in one of my frames,” she said before running off to her room.

You smiled warmly, happy to see your sister excited like that. As soon as Aina was in her room, you turned to Rocío who was already looking at you suspiciously. “Alexia was at the restaurant again tonight, huh?”

You widened your eyes and raised your eyebrows, lips pressed into a thin line, nodding. 

Rocío shook her head and chuckled in disbelief. “Did she get another lap dance?” She asked, voice low. 

You shook your head. “No, she was just returning because her teammates forgot their keys or whatever.” 

Rocío rolled her eyes. “Please, that’s such a flimsy excuse,” she said, voice still hushed, just in case Aina came back any time soon. “I’m willing to bet all of my life savings that she just came back to see you.”

“That’d be, what, 12 euros?” You joked.

Your best friend rolled her eyes. “Shut up. You know I have a point.”

You paused, debating whether or not to mention to your best friend what Alexia had said. Rocío immediately noticed your demeanor, widening her eyes, scooching closer to you on the coach. “What? I know that look,” she prodded.

Carefully, you looked over to Aina’s room, making sure she wasn’t going to suddenly pop out. “Well,” you started, eyes returning to meet Rocío’s expectant gaze. “Where do I even start?”

“Hurry, before Aina returns.” Rocío said, gesturing for you to just spill the news.

You nodded before quietly recounting the details of the night to Rocío, checking constantly to make sure that Aina wasn’t suddenly going to pop out of her room and overhear that one of the women she looked up to was frequenting the strip club her sister performed in. That was certainly too difficult to explain had she overheard. 

“And really quietly, she said that she was also just looking for an excuse to return,” you said, finishing off your story.

“Girl,” Rocío grabbed your hands excitedly and practically began bouncing on the couch. “Oh my god. Oh my god. OH MY GOD!”

You chuckled. “Shh,” you reprimanded her. “I mean, I don’t want to think anything of it but at the time, I definitely was blushing a bit. I mean, it really was flattering… but whatever, it’s nothing. It’s silly.”

Rocío groaned. “Why do you do that, YN?”

“Do what?” You asked with a deadpan expression.

“Always undermine your feelings,” she responded. “You know, you’re allowed to feel giddy about a hot footballer being interested in you. It’s not a crime. You don’t have to act like it’s not a big deal.”

You shook your head. “I mean, it’s nothing. It’s just a client liking what I have to offer which is… a fantasy, a sexual fantasy,” you cleared up. “She isn’t really interested in me. She’s interested in my performance. Probably has something to do with her break-up.”

You paused, recalling the news you read about her recent break-up, before continuing. “You know divorced guys are like a huge demographic of our crowd,” you added. “We’re just something to distract them from their heartbreak. It really is nothing.”

“God, you’re such a bummer.” Rocío looked at you, scrunching up her nose. “You know, next time you see her, try not being so guarded. Try to be warmer.”

You scoffed. “Why? For what reason?”

“Girl, just do it for yourself!” Rocío exclaimed, a bit louder than intended. She paused, lowering her voice again. “I mean, you work endlessly and you barely have any time to date anyway. Why not use this as an opportunity to just bring some excitement in your life? It doesn’t have to mean anything. Just… have fun.”

You sighed, nodding. She had a point. You had been so highstrung for so long and you needed something to take the edge off. You weren’t a smoker and you were way too busy to go out and drink. Maybe getting a thrill from having this small crush on your hot, professional footballer client might be the thing you needed to loosen up a bit.

⋆˙⟡♡ On stage, it was easier for you to put on this persona of Rubi, who could seduce everyone so easily and was just constantly oozing with confidence. 

But off the stage, you weren’t anything like that. You were mostly quiet; you kept to yourself. You spent most of your free time hanging out with Aina – watching her football games, taking her to the museum, watching whatever cartoon she was interested in. And when Aina was busy, you mostly just stayed in the house, cleaned, and slept. You liked it that way.

Or maybe, you just convinced yourself that you did.

Secretly, a part of you did feel a pang of jealousy whenever you saw couples on dates in the cafe or even when you watched romance movies. You hadn’t dated anyone in ages. Aside from the fact that you had no time, you just worried that you wouldn’t meet anyone who was simultaneously okay with you being a stripper and who was a good enough person for you to want to introduce your sister to. Those two things seemed like impossible traits for any person to have.

Even when you initially rolled your eyes at your best friend, you knew she was right. You needed a little excitement in your life. Hell, you deserved just a little treat of it.

And a gorgeous footballer with a face chiseled by god was the best thing a girl could treat herself to.

So, you internalized Rocio’s advice and decided that the next time you crossed paths with Alexia, you told yourself, you would be different.  You would be the girl who just let herself flirt, the one who would enjoy the attention. The one who allowed herself to indulge in a little harmless crush.

The next time you see Alexia, you would be more relaxed and confident, a lot more like the version of yourself that existed under the lights, the one who knew exactly how to hold a room. You wanted to make sure that the next time she saw you, you weren’t barefoot with a bandage hanging onto your foot.

You’d be less YN, and more Rubi.

⋆˙⟡♡ Alexia hadn't exactly given an exact date when she'd said she'd come back, but the vague promise of it gave you something to look forward to in a way you hadn't expected. 

Each night, before a show, you would peer out the curtains, trying to find her.  Even if you hadn’t seen her in your initial scan, you still gave your all, performing with a renewed energy and a little anticipation, just in case she happened to be in the crowd that night. 

Thankfully, it didn't take long. Just a few days after her last visit, Alexia was back. 

You weren’t actually able to spot her until your signature solo number. As you were bending over the table, almost towards the end of your performance, your eyes somehow drifted to the side of.

She was there, baseball cap pulled low, dressed down in just a plain shirt and loose pants, tucked in the corner of the room. This time, there were no teammates around her; it was just her, sitting alone in the middle of your regular crowd, obviously looking like someone who didn't want to be recognized. 

You smiled as her eyes met yours. Her lips curled into a smirk and you swore your heart skipped a beat.

⋆˙⟡♡ After the show, you sat at your station with your wig still on and your stage makeup still intact. You didn’t take off the black latex bodysuit from the closing performance, which probably caught the attention of Sol who was now looking at you quizzically.

“You good?” She asked. “Normally, you’re the first to get out of the costume and into the shower.”

You pressed your lips together, trying to not make it obvious that you had been watching the entrance to the back stage, waiting for Alexia to be accompanied by Miguel.

A few days ago, you'd quietly briefed Miguel — the head of security — letting him know that Alexia might be coming back. You asked him to signal you if she was there and to usher her backstage, if he could. He had looked at you for a long moment with a weirded out look, as if you were delusional, but he had just agreed, not making a joke about your obvious crush on a client even though he really wanted to tease you about it.

“I, uh,” you stumbled upon your words. “Just… wanted to keep it on, for now.” 

Sol widened her eyes, pointing a finger at you. “She’s here, isn’t she?”

Before you could respond, you saw Miguel from the entrance to the backstage, waving over at you before nodding his head once. You tensed a bit. Calm down, You said. Enjoy it. Just have fun. 

Sol giggled and you gave her a wide eyed look and a shake of the head to reprimand her. She smiled but obliged and continued to pretend to be focused on wiping off her make-up. 

Alexia came through the backstage door with her cap still on, a paper bag in one hand, looking around the room once just to be sure. She pulled the hat off as the door closed behind her, ran a hand through her hair once to fix it. After scanning the room once more, her eyes found yours.

Around you, your work friends were doing an extremely poor job of not staring. You tried not to let it get to you, telling yourself for the nth time to just savour this moment. It was rare that a pretty girl was coming backstage to your job. Actually, not just rare. It never happened before.

She crossed the room toward you and held out the paper bag. "As promised."

You smiled at her, tilting your head in curiosity. “What’s this?”

She raised her eyebrow. “Do you get so many gifts from your clients that you’ve forgotten about what I said?”

You rolled your eyes but felt a flush grow on your cheek. Alexia seemed pleased at your reaction. “Just look inside.”

You peered inside and folded carefully in the bag was a signed armband and a Barça kit with her name and number on the back. Across her number was a signature. You’ve been looking forward to simply seeing her again that you had forgotten that she mentioned that she wanted to bring something for your sister.

"Alexia, thank you so much." You said as you looked at it again. "My sister is going to absolutely lose her mind over this."

"Good," Alexia said simply, with a small smile. “There’s, uh, better bandages there too. For your feet.”

You felt touched at the gesture; she didn’t just remember to give a gift to your sister, she also got you something thoughtful as well. You bit your lip, looking back at her. "Gosh, wow, how can I thank you for this?”

She shook her head, the corner of her mouth pulling up. "Seeing you on stage again was enough.” She said with a playful lilt in her voice. “You did great.”

You held her gaze, feeling the warmth in your chest that you were trying very hard to keep off your face. A part of you found the gesture incredibly touching and sweet. You loved your sister a lot, wanted to give her everything she wanted, and this was certainly something that would have brought more than a smile on her face.

If Nana reacted to the soggy receipt like that, you thought. I cannot imagine how she’d react to this.

On the other hand, on the more practical side, letting a client of yours at the strip club know a crucial part of your life felt a bit… too much. Sure, it was just one small fact – that you had a little sister named Nana who loved football – but even that felt like too much to reveal to a client. 

Even if Alexia Putellas was this gorgeous woman who seemed great, and who you definitely wanted to keep coming to watch you, you didn’t really want to give off too much of yourself. You didn’t mind her seeing you naked, bare in front of her. But your personal life… that felt too intimate. You were just glad that she seemed to not remember Aina’s name. 

"Anyway," she said, breaking your train of thought, glancing around the room. "I don't want to intrude further since everyone is clearly getting ready to go homel. So, I should go—"

You widened your eyes, setting aside your apprehensions. I barely meet anyone I’m interested in these days, you thought to yourself. I’m not letting this just slip by.

"No, wait," you said, reaching out and touching her arm. She paused, looking at you with quiet interest. 

You bit your lip and blurted out the first thing you thought of. "Let me give you a tour. The crowd's gone and the floor's being cleaned up. Maybe you just want to see what the place looks like?”

Alexia looked at you for a moment, something pleased moved through her expression. Truthfully, Alexia had no interest in touring a strip club but she found it endearing that you were finding a way to get her to stay longer.

"Yeah," she said, nodding. "If it's no trouble."

"None at all," you said, setting the paper bag carefully on your station. “Come. I’ll show you around.”

You guided Alexia away from your dressing area. From the corner of your eye, as you were walking towards the side of the room, Sol and Adriana were watching you with matching expressions of barely restrained delight. You shot them a look as if to tell them to play it cool. 

But that was too much to ask of your work friends, who were already giggling to themselves.

⋆˙⟡♡ You led Alexia through the door on the far side of the dressing area that opened out onto the main floor which now fully lit and being slowly worked over by the cleaning crew. Without the low lighting and the crowd filling every seat, the place looked different. It looked mostly the same but more ordinary; more like a regular performance venue rather than an actual strip club.

"You already know this side," you said, gesturing out toward the floor. 

"I do," Alexia said, nodding while looking around with unhurried curiosity. 

"It looks better now than when I first started here, actually." You walked slowly alongside her toward the bar. "It was a bit darker back then and way tackier. My old manager had a thing for neon.”

Alexia hummed, feigning interest in the interior. “Hmm, then this must be an improvement.”

You nodded, awkwardly. You bit your lip, feeling the awkwardness grow inside you. You hyped yourself up for Alexia’s return. You wanted to have fun, explore this sexier side of you beyond performance. 

But now, you were awkwardly touring her around the place like a museum guide or whatever. 

Just like that, you got an idea.

“Anyway, this shit’s pretty boring, sorry,” you apologized. “But I do know a place here you’d find interesting.”

Alexia raised her eyebrows. “Yeah?”

“Come,” you said, reaching for her hand which she gave without hesitation. “Let’s make this tour more interesting.”

⋆˙⟡♡ The private show rooms were tucked in the corner of Somni, just before the dressing room entrance. It was pretty much defunct now. Your club manager Pilar found that the private show rooms gave Somni a less premium feel, and made it feel more like your typical, grimy strip club. 

There was an issue of safety too; it was no surprise that the privacy made clients more bold. After the third night in a row where a client got too handsy with a dancer, Pilar closed the operations of the private show rooms permanently, deciding that they were more of a liability than an asset. 

These days, these rooms were mostly just used as extra dressing areas and storage for old costumes and props.

Racks and racks of costumes lined the walls now but the room itself hasn't changed much since it was shut down. The dim light revealed the low stage that ran along the far wall and a single chair positioned in front of the stage center unmoved since then. A pole rose from the middle of the stage, floor to ceiling, catching the faint light.

You looked around, struggling to find the other light switches. As you did, Alexia looked around with quiet amusement, taking in the circus-themed private room, looking up at the roof which was painted to look like the ceiling of a circus tent. "This room’s cute. Is this a dressing room?”

Finally, you found the switches which illuminated the small line of bulbed lights on the stage and the scenic red lights of the room, bathing both of you in a soft red hue. 

Alexia chuckled, amused. “That’s one way to answer,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “Certainly looks less like a dressing room now.”

You smiled, ushering her further in as you closed the door behind you. “Well, it kinda is a dressing-slash-storage room now,” you answered. “But it used to be more than just that. It used to be a private room for, y’know…”

Alexia smiled at the way you trailed off, nodding. “So, you guys don’t use it anymore?”

"Too much effort and risk," you said. "It became more trouble than it was worth. Pilar figured that when we do lap dances, it should be on stage instead of here. So, now this room is mostly just where costumes and props go to retire." 

Alexia had drifted further inside, hands in her pockets, taking in the space. She moved toward the chair eventually, examining it with the expression of someone who was finding this more interesting than they expected. Then she looked at you over her shoulder. "Who was the most famous person to use this room?"

"I have no idea," you said honestly. "I've only been here a couple times before it closed." You paused. “So, I guess, in a way, you’re the most famous person to use it.”

She chuckled at the comment, shaking her head. She turned to face you fully, something settled and easy in the way she stood there then she pulled the chair back slightly and sat down, looking at you with a smirk. 

“Must have been fun though,” she said. “Seems more… intimate.”

You watched her settle into that chair and felt something shift inside you. It was the same quiet click that happened before every performance, the moment where your usual self stepped back and something more deliberate took its place.  You had built that other version of yourself carefully over the years, piece by piece, and for a long time it had been a wall or an armor as much as anything else; it was a way to move through the work without letting too much of it touch you, to perform desire without feeling too exposed by the performance itself.

But standing here now, with Alexia looking at you like that, it felt more than just a barrier between your Somni alter ego and yourself. It almost felt like permission. It was like you were giving yourself — your actual self — permission to experience the performance for yourself, to exist in this space for yourself and not just to be consumed.

You had spent years performing desire for other people. This felt like the first time you were allowing yourself to fully feel and immerse yourself in it.

You moved away from the doorframe, moving closer to Alexia.

"You know," you said, keeping your voice easy, the way she always seemed to be. “Given that you went out of your way to bring my sister a gift," you crossed the room slowly, heels clicking against the floor. "I feel like I owe you something better than just a backstage tour."

Alexia straightened slightly, noticing that your gaze and demeanor had changed, "You don't owe me anything. The kit was a gift,” she said with a nod. 

"I know," you said, stopping right in front of her and placing a hand under her chin, making her look up at you. "Which makes me want to give you something in return even more."

Alexia’s mouth parted to say something but she stumbled on her words. She gently took your hand away and shook her head. “No, no, it’s not nece—” she said, beginning to stand up.

You interrupted her by pressing a hand on her shoulder, guiding her back down on the chair. "I insist," you said with a smirk.

She went still, eyes tracking you with an expression that was very carefully composed, and you could see the effort of it — the same quality you'd noticed during the lap dance, the deliberate composure of someone choosing how much to show.

You gestured for her to stay put before walking your way to the music player, turning it on, and thanking your lucky stars that whoever used this room last had a great playlist because the first song that played was a sultry, R&B song. Something perfect for an intimate encounter such as this.

⋆˙⟡♡ You settled into the song slowly, letting it find you rather than chasing it. A breath in, a breath out, and then you turned around.

Alexia's eyes were already on you. Of course they were.

You gave her a small smirk as you got to her. You walked seductively behind her the way you had the first time, one hand trailing along the back of her seat, barely grazing her shoulders before you continued past her, unhurried, deliberate. You heard the quiet exhale she let out when you didn't stop, when you kept walking toward the stage instead of her lap.

As soon as you reached the stage, you wrapped your hand around the pole.

It had been a while since you used it. Pilar had quietly retired the pole from the Somni image sometime around the rebrand. You could not remember the last time you poledanced but thankfully, your body remembered. Your hand closed around the cool metal and something in your hips already knew what to do.

You started slow. There was no reason to rush. You let the music set the pace, moving around the pole with an ease and confidence. You moved gracefully, your body a long unhurried line as you leaned back, one leg extended, letting your upper body dip as low as you could before you pulled yourself back in one controlled and fluid movement. 

You still have it, you thought, almost with surprise. You absolutely still have it.

Then you let yourself look at her.

Alexia had shifted forward in the chair. Her feet were apart, elbows on her knees, and she was watching you with an expression that made something low in your stomach pull tight. Her eyes looked darker under the dim light of the room. Right now, what you were seeing was not the distracted, slightly performative yet guarded appreciation she'd had the first time, in the club with her friends around her. 

This was different. She was focused and intent in a way that felt almost uncomfortably sincere, like she wasn't just watching the performance but savouring it, committing every single motion to memory.

If she's going to watch, you thought, give her something to watch.

You hooked your knee around the pole and let yourself spin. You spun slowly  at first before you tightened your grip and brought both your legs up, lifting yourself higher up the pole, thighs closing around the metal as you inverted in one clean motion, the room turning upside down for a moment, letting the momentum from a while ago spin the pole on its own. After a couple of satisfactory spins, you lifted your torso, hands gripping on the pole as you slid back down in a controlled descent, letting go of the pole after your feet found the floor again. You heard Alexia's breath catch from across the room.

When you finally stepped off the stage and crossed toward her, you watched Alexia sit up slightly, straightening her posture, as if she was trying to prepare for what was about to come. She looked up at you, eyes unsure where to look as they flickered across your face and body. You smiled at her, settling onto her lap, and this time there was nothing tentative about it.

You let her feel your weight, your flesh fully. While the first lap dance had been a performance that felt precise and calibrated, this was more than just that. You weren’t just doing this for an audience. Hell, you weren’t even just doing it for Alexia. You were doing this for you, to experience the intimacy you never wanted to admit that you craved all these years.

You moved against her with the music, slower than you needed to be, and you felt her hands come to your hips. Her touch didn’t feel demanding; it just felt present, settling there with a firm, steady pressure, like she was grounding herself as much as keeping you in place. You rolled your hips down into her lap and heard her exhale sharply through her nose.

You kept your hands on her shoulders, legs on either side of her now, with no arms on the chair hindering you from fully grinding against her. Alexia’s breathing was now heavy as she felt the friction against her, the weight and heat of your body against hers.

You moved against her again, deeper this time, and a sound escaped your own throat before you could stop it and you tipped your head back without thinking, not caring about the wig, not caring about much of anything. You were so deeply entrenched in the moment that you had not noticed that the wig fell off, your hair revealing itself in soft curls from the bun it was in.

When you brought your head back down and met her eyes, you couldn’t help but feel satisfied and a bit proud of yourself. Alexia’s pupils were blown wide and she looked completely undone, breathing heavy and unsteady.

You went still for a moment, just sharing that moment, eyes locked with each other. You looked at her properly. The clean line of her jaw, the way the low light caught the angles of her face and made her look even more beautiful. And her mouth — god, her lips, which you had been pointedly not thinking about for longer than you were willing to admit.

Alexia finally made the first move, reaching out to tuck a loose strand of your hair back behind your ear. A small smile flickered on her face, hand still lingering around your face. Before you knew it, she was taking your face, guiding it until your lips were on hers.

The kiss started out with some hesitation. You felt it was mostly on your part. There was just something so disarming about how soft her lips were, how gentle it seemed. You paused, lips still touching, as if you were still deciding whether or not to continue.

But Alexia seemed to have decided for you. Her hand found the back of your neck, pulling you closer as you continued moving against her, lips locking as you grinded your hips slowly. Her lips parted slightly and she dragged her lips across the bottom in a way that made you grip her face a little harder than you meant to, fingers pressing into her jaw. 

The kiss deepened and at some point, Alexia’s hands found its way to your ass, gripping tightly as she pressed your body against hers, guiding your thrusts and gyrations against her. A groan slipping out from her lips to yours as she did.

You had absolutely no idea how long it went on. The song that was playing when you kissed her was not the song that was playing when you finally pulled back, desperate for air.

Her eyes fluttered open, scanning your face as it did. Her thumbs were still moving against your hips in small, absent circles.

She swallowed, eyes now fixed wuth yours again. "What's your name?"

“Rubi," you responded automatically.

She looked at you. Her expression didn't change, but something in it shifted. "No," she said, voice low and soft. "I know your stage name. What's your actual name?"

It took you a moment to process the question. The way Alexia asked it just came off as so simple, and sincere. It was her trying to get to know the person in front of her, beyond just Rubi. 

The softness of it, the ease and lack of pressure in the way she asked it… it was just so disarming. Because you had almost done it. You had almost answered, and the realization of how close you'd revealed your identity, how easy it was for you to be lost in the moment startled you. It was rare that you lost control like that.

You got off her lap, running a nervous hand through your hair, realizing that the wig had fallen off at some point, revealing your actual hair. You picked up the wig off the floor, smoothing down your bodysuit right after with unsteady hands, still breathing heavily from the make-out and now from anxiety.

“Sorry,” you said it almost as a reflex, barely audible before you turned toward the stage and headed to the speakers to cut the music.

Alexia looked confused, standing up and straightening herself up as she did. "Did I say something wrong?" Alexia asked from behind you. Again, the sincerity in her voice cut through, which made you feel worse. 

You wished that she reacted negatively, got angry and frustrated for leaving her hanging. but there she just stood with a worried expression, genuine concern on her face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable,” she said, stepping hesitantly towards you. “It’s just… I just –”

"No," you said, shaking your head, avoiding her gaze now. Not wanting her to see more of your face. "I just — I can't. I'm sorry. We should go back."

She didn't push. She just watched you with that patient, unhurried expression and said, quietly, "Okay."

You were already moving toward the door before she could say another the word, heels clicking against the floor, not running but walking fast enough to get out of there before Alexia could even make a move. You didn't look back as you did.

You had spent years keeping the line clean: Rubi on one side, yourself on the other. And yet, it felt like that line was erased by just one night, one careless decision to indulge in something you knew you shouldn’t have

The worst part of it all was how you knew, deep inside, a part of you wished you had introduced yourself, allowed yourself to enjoy intimacy beyond just that moment. Just to see if there could be more than just this.

But that privilege was not available to someone like you.

⋆˙⟡♡ next part

a/n: yayyyy posted right before the uwcl finals! this chapter is pretty long but i decided it was better to post it in its entirety because it felt like a more well-rounded first part that way.

special shout-out to @moonystoes and @muffinpink02 who helped me out by giving comments on my initial draft of the initial lap dance scene like... months ago hahah! i finally posted it <3 thank u for all the help

also yn's solo number was heavily inspired by crazy horse's "CRISIS? WHAT CRISIS?" performance. you guys can look it up for better visuals

anyway! comment or reblog to get added to the taglist so u can get notified when the next part is up.

taglist: @krazyyoung @hjjc23 @putellasgirl @x-ani @l4c1f3r @ihavenolife1234 @liverpoolfan96 @natalia-alianovna-romanova84 @charlotteonpoint @vlt503 @mywomankatarina @ravenfcb @ainsley9967 @jenny0818 @fluffykitten11 @coxlong @ainoha @oohtobeagooner @justareader7 @sannyone @littlelvmb @sevenbasquiat @hella-hecka-gay @yamaris-reputation @yellowbaseballglove @tayrausi @wlwfandomfics @joyfulthingsandwich @buzzinrusso @kenslm @aliesia @crybabysbakery @miaereen @goodloe-e @gabi-16 @wosolipa @priyajoy @rnm17 @actua11yromantic @alexialareina @96tidal @lallaaaaaaaaaaaaaa @tahastilinski @bears-05 @sasatata @lay1212 @culiculer @newyork1215 @summertime1a1 @ppppolarrrr @pb1fan @ktrout7 @steffi-209 @pickle14 @blamekris

[purplereina11]

You and Alexia Putellas have never liked each other.She thinks you’re uptight and impossible to please. You think she’s arrogant, emotionally unavailable, and incapable of committing to anyone for longer than a few months.The only thing you have in common are your best friends, a happily married couple with a one year old daughter.But when a tragic accident leaves that little girl orphaned, everything changes, because hidden inside their will is one final surprise.They named you and Alexia as the legal guardians.

Part 2 Word Count: 6k

You didn’t come back that night, or the next morning. Everything after the argument blurred into one long shift of fluorescent hospital lighting, stale vending machine coffee, and stubbornly refusing to check your phone more than necessary.

Alexia sent exactly two messages.

Olivia poo'd in her bath

Then three hours later

Olivia's asleep.

You didn’t answer either, partly because you were still angry. Mostly because every time you stopped moving long enough to think, grief hit you so hard it felt like drowning.

By the time you finally made it back to the apartment the following afternoon, your entire body ached with exhaustion.

The key turned quietly in the lock, there was no television, no crying, no cartoon music, just soft silence.

You stepped inside cautiously, shrugging your bag off your shoulder. The apartment lights were dimmed low now, afternoon sunlight stretching gold across the floorboards.

Alexia was sitting cross legged on the living room floor beside the sofa in grey sweatpants and an oversized hoodie, one arm resting against the couch cushion while Olivia slept beside her. Not in her crib, on the sofa, surled sideways against a pillow with her tiny stuffed rabbit tucked beneath one arm and her pacifier half hanging from her mouth.

Alexia looked up the second the door clicked shut, neither of you spoke immediately. You noticed things automatically, Olivia was clean. Fed, still wearing the little yellow sleepsuit from yesterday, but freshly washed.

A half empty bottle sat on the coffee table beside a folded muslin cloth and what looked suspiciously like handwritten notes.

Alexia followed your gaze, “She refused her nap unless she could still see me.”

Your chest tightened unexpectedly, because Olivia was one year old and grieving already, you swallowed hard, “How long’s she been asleep?”

“Twenty minutes.” Her voice was quieter than usual, careful, like she’d spent the last twenty hours thinking about every word before saying it.

You crouched automatically beside the sofa to brush a curl away from Olivia’s forehead. She stirred slightly but stayed asleep, tiny fingers flexing once against the cushion.

Relief moved through you so sharply it was almost embarrassing, Alexia watched you for a second before speaking, “You and I should talk.”

You leaned back onto your heels slowly, “About?”

Alexia let out a short breath through her nose, “Yesterday.”

Immediately, your shoulders tightened again, “I was tired,” you said flatly.

“So was I.”

“And?”

“And we said things.”

You stood before the conversation could settle properly, suddenly restless again, “You were late.”

“I know.”

“You can’t do that.”

“I know,” Alexia repeated, sharper this time, the irritation flared back to life so quickly it startled you both.

You folded your arms, “You say you know, but you don’t actually understand why it mattered.”

Alexia’s jaw tightened, “Because you think I don’t take this seriously.”

“You forgot Olivia.”

Alexia looked away first, eyes flicking briefly toward the sleeping toddler beside her, “I forgot the time,” she corrected quietly.

“She’s not training, Alexia. She’s not a meeting you can reschedule.”

Something flickered sharply across Alexia’s face then. Hurt. Anger. Exhaustion, “You think I don’t know that?” she asked softly.

The quietness of it hit harder than shouting would have, you rubbed tiredly at your forehead. “I just needed you there.”

Alexia looked up immediately at that and the fight underneath the fight sat exposed between you both, not lateness, not schedules, fear, you were terrified of doing this alone.

Alexia looked exhausted in a way that had nothing to do with football, there were dark shadows beneath her eyes, damp hair pushed messily back from her forehead like she’d been dragging frustrated hands through them all day.

“She cried for you after you left,” Alexia admitted eventually.

Your stomach dropped instantly, “What?”

“She sat by the front door for almost ten minutes.” Alexia swallowed once, “Every time someone walked past outside, she looked up.”

You sat down heavily into the armchair opposite her before your knees gave out entirely, neither of you spoke for a moment after that.

Olivia made a tiny sleepy noise on the sofa between you both, one little hand twitching toward the empty space where Alexia had clearly been sitting before you arrived.

Alexia noticed too, “She wouldn’t nap in her room,” she murmured quietly, “I tried twice.” A faint, tired smile crossed her face, “Turns out she just me close i think.”

You looked at Olivia for a long moment, then at Alexia sitting on the floor beside her automatically like it was the most natural thing in the world and something inside your anger shifted uncomfortably. Not gone, just harder to hold onto completely.

Alexia picked absentmindedly at a loose thread on her sleeve before speaking again, “Do you think she gets scared we won't come back like they did?”

The question hollowed the air out of the room, Alexia still wasn’t looking at you when she said it. Her eyes stayed fixed on Olivia sleeping beside her, thumb rubbing slowly back and forth over the seam of her sleeve like she hadn’t even realised she was doing it.

Your throat tightened instantly, Olivia shifted softly in her sleep, pacifier bobbing once before settling again. Completely unaware she’d become the centre of two grieving adults trying desperately not to break around her.

You swallowed carefully, “Maybe.” Alexia’s jaw flexed, “She’s one,” you said quietly, “She doesn’t understand death, not really.” Your eyes stayed on Olivia. “But she understands people disappearing.”

“She watches the door constantly,” Alexia admitted softly. “Every time I stand up she watches me to see where i'm going.”

“She did that with me too.”

Alexia rested her forearms against the sofa cushion beside Olivia carefully, keeping herself close enough that the baby could still feel her there even asleep. “She cried when I showered,” Alexia said after a moment, sounding almost bewildered by it. “Like heart breaking cried. I was gone five minutes.”

You looked over at her then at the confusion underneath her exhaustion, Alexia was used to pressure, to interviews, Champions League finals, pain, expectation, but this? A tiny grieving toddler needing her constantly that terrified her.

“I think she’s scared everyone leaves now,” you admitted quietly.

Alexia closed her eyes briefly. You looked around instinctively at the traces of Sofia and Marta everywhere again, ghosts in every corner.

“We can’t fight in front of her like that again,” Alexia said eventually.

You opened your eyes immediately, “I know.”

“She cried.”

“I know,” you repeated, sharper this time, like the memory was already cutting into you enough without help, you rubbed both hands over your face tiredly. “I hated leaving.”

That slipped out accidentally, Alexia looked surprised.

“I was angry,” you admitted quietly. “But when I got to work all I could think about was her crying.”

Alexia stared at you for a long second before looking back down at Olivia, “She kept sitting by the door,” she said softly again. “I didn’t know how to fix it.”

The honesty in that hurt, because neither of you knew how to fix any of this.

You slowly slid down from the armchair onto the floor opposite her, exhaustion finally outweighing pride, for a while neither of you spoke, then slowly, sleepily, Olivia stirred.

It started with a tiny frown, a twitch of her fingers around the stuffed rabbit. Then her eyelashes fluttered softly as she blinked awake, disoriented and warm from sleep.

Immediately, her eyes searched, you watched it happen in real time, that tiny moment of panic before recognition. Then she spotted you sitting on the floor beside the sofa, her whole face changed. Relief, pure, uncomplicated relief.

Your chest hurt so suddenly you almost couldn’t breathe through it, “Hey, baby,” you whispered softly, shifting closer automatically.

Olivia blinked slowly at you, still sleepy, pacifier bobbing gently between her lips while she stared like she was making sure you were actually there.

You smiled despite yourself, “You have a nice sleep”

Beside you, Alexia stayed very still watching, Olivia pulled the pacifier from her mouth clumsily with one tiny hand, then she smiled, huge, sleepy and gummy and absolutely devastating.

It hit you straight through the chest, your eyes burned instantly, “Hi,” you whispered again, voice rougher now.

Olivia made a tiny happy sound deep in her throat, one little hand opening toward you instinctively, and before you could stop yourself, the words slipped out quietly.

“I’ll always come back,” you promised softly, “I promise.”

The room went completely still after that, Alexia looked at you sharply, but Olivia just reached harder. A tiny whining noise escaped her as she stretched both arms toward you now, desperate to be picked up.

You moved immediately, carefully scooping her up from the sofa into your arms. The second she settled against your chest, her whole body relaxed, like something inside her had unclenched, “Oh, sweetheart,” you murmured, pressing a kiss gently into her messy curls.

Olivia tucked herself impossibly close, tiny fingers gripping the front of your hoodie while she buried sleepy warmth against your neck.

Suddenly you understood exactly what Alexia meant, being needed like this was terrifying, because Olivia trusted completely, without hesitation, without conditions. She had lost the centre of her world and somehow still believed the people left behind would catch her.

Across from you, Alexia watched quietly from the floor, something unreadable moved across her face watching Olivia melt into your arms so completely, not jealousy, something sadder and softer.

“She does that with your hoodies,” Alexia said quietly after a moment, you looked over, “When she’s upset,” Alexia explained, eyes still on Olivia, “She curls into them like that.”

Olivia made another sleepy little noise against your shoulder as if proving the point, you rubbed slow circles against her back instinctively

Alexia’s gaze followed the movement, “She didn’t want me putting her down earlier either,” she admitted softly. “I made coffee holding her because every time I tried she cried.”

Despite the heaviness in your chest, a tiny smile pulled at your mouth, “That sounds dangerous.”

“I nearly dropped a spoon.”

“That’s because you probably make coffee like a psychopath.”

Alexia looked mildly offended, “I make excellent coffee.”

“You put sugar in it.”

“It adds depth.”

“It adds betrayal.”

To your surprise, Alexia laughed quietly. a real one this time, small and tired but warm enough that Olivia lifted her head slightly at the sound.

The baby blinked sleepily between both of you before reaching one tiny hand outward toward Alexia now too. Alexia froze immediately, like she still couldn’t quite believe Olivia wanted her too.

“Go on,” you murmured softly.

Carefully, uncertainly, Alexia moved closer on the floor until Olivia’s fingertips brushed her sleeve.

The baby made a pleased little sound instantly and just like that, Alexia’s entire expression cracked open. You saw it happen in real time. All the fear, grief, all the panic she kept trying to bury under sarcasm and irritation, gone for one tiny second beneath pure love.

Alexia touched Olivia’s little hand carefully like something precious, “She trusts us,” she whispered quietly, almost like she was afraid to say it too loudly.

You looked down at Olivia curled safely against your chest, then at Alexia sitting beside you on the floor, for the first time since the hospital waiting room, the future didn’t feel impossible.

Terrifying, yes, messy, painful and still completely overwhelming, but maybe not impossible.

🍼

For a little while after that evening, things got easier, not good, not easy, just easier.

The shouting matches became arguments, the arguments became irritated conversations and Olivia slowly started settling into the strange new rhythm of her life.

She learned that if one of you left, the other would still be there, that breakfast happened every morning, that bath time came every night.

That even when the adults looked exhausted, somebody always came when she cried, but the peace between you and Alexia didn't last.

Because grief wasn't the only thing living in the apartment anymore. Reality had moved in too and reality was making you want to strangle her.

The first major fight happened three weeks later, you got back from a twelve hour hospital shift with aching feet and a headache building behind your eyes.

The apartment door opened and you immediately stopped, the kitchen looked like a crime scene, bottles in the sink, breakfast dishes still on the counter. Olivia's highchair covered in dried fruit, laundry overflowing from the basket still unwashed, toys absolutely everywhere.

You stood there staring, slowly blinking trying to convince yourself this wasn't real. Then Alexia appeared from the living room looking fresh and completely relaxed.

"Oh good," she said, "You're home."

You looked from her to the kitchen then back to her, "...What happened?"

Alexia frowned, "To what?"

You gestured at literally everything, "The apartment."

"Oh."

That was it? Oh. You felt your eye twitch, "Alexia."

"What?"

"Have you done anything today?"

Her face immediately tightened, "I had fun with Olivia today."

🍼

The second fight happened over punctuality, again, because apparently Alexia viewed schedules the same way pirates viewed international law, as vague suggestions.

You were supposed to leave for work at seven, Alexia was supposed to arrive at six thirty, simple, easy, straightforward or so you thought because at six twenty nine, you were ready. At six thirty five, she wasn't there. At six forty two, you were pacing. At six fifty, Olivia was getting fussy. At six fifty three, Alexia finally walked through the door carrying a coffee and looking annoyed that you were annoyed.

"You are twenty three minutes late."

"It was traffic."

"You live fifteen minutes away."

"There was construction."

"There was a phone in your pocket."

Alexia dropped her bag onto the floor, "I said sorry."

"No, you offered a poor excuse."

"Same thing."

"It is literally not."

🍼

The third fight happened over overnight shifts, you were halfway through making dinner when Alexia casually wandered into the kitchen.

"Hey."

Immediately suspicious, you looked up, "What?"

"Quick question."

"No."

"I haven't asked it yet."

"No."

Alexia rolled her eyes, "Can you switch Thursday?"

You stared at her, "Alexia."

"What?"

"It's Thursday every time."

"It is not."

"It absolutely is."

"Okay, sometimes it's Thursday."

"Every week."

She leaned against the counter, "We have sponsor obligations."

"We have a toddler."

"I have both."

You pointed the wooden spoon at her, "You agreed to the rota."

"I know."

"Then stop trying to change it."

"Can you or not?" "Going to have to aren't I"

🍼

The worst argument happened a few days later, because by then, the resentment had started building, quietly and dangerously one small thing at a time.

You noticed every missed pickup, every late arrival, every half finished chore. Every time you came home from the hospital to find Olivia happy and cared for but everything else left for you.

You did the laundry. You cleaned the kitchen. You organised Olivia's medical appointments. Bought nappies. Restocked wipes. You became the default parent without ever agreeing to it.

And one night after another twelve hour shift, you walked into the apartment and found Alexia sitting on the floor playing with Olivia while three overflowing bags of rubbish sat untouched by the door.

Something finally snapped, "You didn't take the bins out."

Alexia looked up, "What?"

"The bins."

"I was going to."

"When?"

She frowned, "Later."

"You said that yesterday."

Immediately, her shoulders stiffened, Olivia looked between you both from where she sat chewing enthusiastically on a toy giraffe, "Can we not do this?"

"No."

Alexia sighed heavily, "You always do this when you get back tired."

A laugh escaped you, a dangerous one, "Oh, that's interesting."

"Don't."

"No, explain."

Alexia stood, "You're acting like I don't do anything."

"You don't."

Alexia's expression darkened immediately, "I look after Olivia."

"So do I."

"That's not what I meant."

"No," you snapped, "What you mean is you play with Olivia and then leave everything else for me."

Alexia stared, actually stared like she couldn't believe you'd said it and maybe she couldn't, because the truth was ugly.

Olivia adored Alexia, she was wonderful with her you couldn't deny that, patient and so loving, but somewhere along the way, all the invisible work had quietly become yours and Alexia had never really noticed.

"You think I'm not trying?" she asked quietly.

"I think you're used to people picking up after you."

The silence that followed was brutal, Alexia looked genuinely hurt. Which somehow made you even angrier, because you were tired, so unbelievably tired.

Every time you thought about Sofia and Marta choosing the two of you for this, you wondered if they would recognise what you'd become. Two exhausted people constantly arguing over dishes and schedules while trying desperately not to fail the little girl asleep down the hall.

🍼

The handovers had evolved over the last few weeks, not because you and Alexia had become particularly good at communicating.

Quite the opposite, but after the seventh time she arrived late and after the third occasion you'd nearly missed the start of a hospital shift because of it, you'd found a solution.

You brought Olivia to training, Alexia was never late for football, never. So now, on swap days, you'd park outside Barcelona's training ground and wait.

It was annoying, inconvenient, but it worked, Olivia seemed perfectly happy with the arrangement. She sat on your hip wearing a little pink cardigan, one sock already missing because apparently that was her life's mission, happily chewing on the ear of her stuffed rabbit while watching players and staff move around the training complex.

A familiar laugh sounded nearby, you looked up to see Patri Guijarro crossing the car park toward you.

"Well, hello."

Patri immediately reached for Olivia and Olivia immediately went to her.

Patri grinned, "I knew she liked me."

Olivia rewarded her with a delighted giggle.

"See?"

"You fed her chocolate you'll be a favourite for life now."

"It made an impression."

Patri bounced Olivia lightly on her hip while the little girl immediately started investigating her ponytail.

You'd known Patri through Sofia and Marta for years, not particularly close, but enough that she'd checked in regularly since the accident.

She knew far more about your life than you probably were comfortable with considering the lack of time spent together, which explained the smirk that appeared next.

"Dora tells me you keep putting off that date Sofia got her with you."

You groaned immediately, "Oh my God."

Patri laughed, "What?"

"I'm busy, Patri."

"You've been busy for three months."

"I'm raising someone else's child," You pointed toward Olivia, "And saving lives. No time for dates."

Patri rolled her eyes dramatically, "Oh please."

You narrowed yours, "I'm serious."

"No you're not."

"Patri"

She tilted her head knowingly, "Or are you just nervous to actually put yourself out there for a change?"

You scoffed, "No. I'm just busy."

"Mhm."

"I am."

"Mhm."

You hated that noise, the knowing one, the one that suggested she could see straight through every excuse.

Patri adjusted Olivia higher against her hip, "Oh come on."

You sighed, "No."

"Just get Alexia to switch nights." The comment barely registered at first, then she continued, "You do it all the time for her so she can go on dates."

Everything inside you stalled, your chest tightened unpleasantly. All those switched nights, all those last minute changes, you'd rearranged hospital shifts, cancelled plans. Worked around Alexia's schedule because she'd always made it sound important, necessary.

You thought she needed help, you thought she was overwhelmed, every conversation replayed itself differently.

Every excuse, every request, every time you'd bent over backwards because Alexia needed you to.

While your own life had quietly stopped, no dating, no social life, no time. Just work and Olivia, meanwhile Alexia apparently still had enough freedom to go on dates.

The unfairness hit like a punch to the ribs, not because she was dating, because she'd lied.

Patri shifted awkwardly after the long silence, "You okay?"

You forced a smile, the kind that fooled absolutely nobody, "Yeah."

Patri looked unconvinced, thankfully, movement across the car park saved you, Alexia walking toward you from the training facility laughing at something someone had said behind her. Completely unaware she'd just become the centre of your rapidly worsening mood.

The second she spotted Olivia, her face softened automatically the sight usually annoyed you, today it hurt, because apparently while your entire world had changed, hers had found room to keep moving.

"There's Ale," Patri told Olivia playfully, Olivia immediately perked up.

Alexia reached you a moment later, "Hey."

Normally you'd answer, today you just nodded, Alexia frowned instantly, noticing.

Of course she noticed, "What?"

"Nothing."

Her eyes narrowed, you looked away first, Patri suddenly found the clouds fascinating.

Alexia took Olivia from Patri's arms carefully.

The toddler immediately buried her face into Alexia's shoulder before looking back toward you, expectant, waiting, the goodbye ritual.

You forced yourself to smile, "Bye bye."

Olivia immediately reached toward you, whining softly, you took her for one final cuddle, pressing a kiss into her curls.

"Be good." Another kiss, "I'll see you in two days."

Olivia patted your cheek, before you handed her back carefully, Alexia was watching you now, trying to work out what was wrong.

You ignored it, turning instead toward Patri, "Good to see you." You pulled her into a quick hug, Patri squeezed back, then you grabbed your keys from your pocket, "I have to go."

Alexia frowned, "You're leaving already?"

"I'm going to be late for work." That wasn't entirely true, but close enough.

You headed toward your car before she could ask anything else, behind you, you heard Olivia making little unhappy noises, then Alexia calling your name.

You kept walking, the car door slammed shut, a second later you were pulling out of the car park and in your rear view mirror, you caught one last glimpse of Alexia standing there holding Olivia, confusion written all over her face. She had absolutely no idea why you were angry and that just made you angrier.

🍼

The confrontation happened three days later, not because you planned it or because you wanted it, because eventually there was nowhere left for the resentment to go.

It had been building for days, layer upon layer. Every late pickup. Every switched night. Every dirty dish. Every excuse. Every time you'd swallowed your frustration because Olivia came first. Eventually something had to give and it happened after Olivia had finally gone to sleep.

The apartment was quiet, you were in the kitchen loading the dishwasher when Alexia walked in, looking fresh and well rested, again when again you'd come home to find laundry untouched on the sofa.

Again you'd found yourself doing dinner, bath time, bottles, all the cleaning, the endless invisible work that never seemed to stop.

Alexia opened the fridge, “What are we eating?"

Something snapped, not loudly or dramatically, you laughed a short, exhausted sound.

Alexia looked over immediately, “What?"

You closed the dishwasher harder than necessary, “Nothing."

"That's not a nothing laugh."

You turned around, “Did you not eat at your 'friends' tonight no?"

The question hit so suddenly even Alexia froze, “What?"

Her expression changed instantly, not guilt, but recognition, she knew exactly where this was coming from, “Patri said you've been going on dates, do those not include eating something other than your date no?" Alexia sighed heavily, “Are we seriously doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"This."

You stared at her, “This?"

"Yes."

“Yes, Alexia. Let's do this."

The frustration in your voice made her shoulders straighten immediately, defensive, always defensive, “I haven't done anything wrong."

That almost made you choke, “Haven't you?"

"No."

You looked at her in disbelief genuine disbelief, because somehow she still didn't get it, “You've spent weeks asking me to switch shifts."

"You agreed."

"Because you lied."

"I didn't lie."

"You told me it was sponsor events, work things.”

"Some of them were."

"Jesus Christ."

Alexia slammed the fridge door, “You act like I'm committing crimes."

"No." Your voice cracked unexpectedly, “No, I act like I'm tired."

The room went quiet, Alexia stopped talking, you hadn't raised your voice or shouted, but something about the exhaustion in those words landed harder than anger.

Because you were tired, god, you were so tired, you gripped the edge of the counter, “I don't even recognise my life anymore."

Alexia's expression shifted slightly, you kept going, because once it started coming out, it wouldn't stop.

"I go to work."

You laughed weakly.

"I come here."

A gesture around the apartment.

"I clean."

Another laugh.

"I do laundry."

Your eyes were burning now.

"I make sure Olivia has everything she needs."

Alexia opened her mouth, you didn't let her speak.

"I do hospital shifts where people die."

Your voice cracked harder.

"I come home and everything still needs doing."

The apartment had gone completely silent, Alexia was staring now, not arguing or interrupting. Just staring, you suddenly hated that, being looked at, hated feeling exposed. Months of pressure started spilling out before you could stop it.

"My entire life has just stopped."

The words echoed, they were raw, ugly and true.

"I don't get time to date."

You swallowed.

"I don't have any friends.”

Another swallow.

"I don't sleep more than 4 hours.”

Your chest was heaving now.

"I spend every second trying to keep this apartment running because if I stop for one second everything falls apart and I can’t let that happen for Olivia.”

Alexia's face had gone pale still she didn't interrupt. So you kept going, because apparently you'd been carrying this for far too long.

"You know what's funny?"

You laughed again, tears suddenly blurring your vision.

"I don't even live here."

The words cracked, you gestured around the apartment, Sofia and Marta's apartment.

"I spend more time here than my own flat."

Your voice broke completely.

"I wake up here."

You pointed toward the hallway.

"I sleep here."

Then toward the living room.

"I eat here."

The tears were falling now.

"I can’t grieve here."

Alexia looked devastated, you barely noticed, because for the first time in months the truth was finally coming out.

"This place is suffocating me."

You wiped furiously at your face, immediately angry at yourself for crying.

"I can't breathe in here anymore."

The confession hung between you, heavy and terrible, Alexia still hadn't moved from where she stood, hadn't said a word, hadn't defended herself which somehow that made everything worse.

Because now there was nothing stopping the last thing, the thing you’d never talked about, you looked down at the floor, voice suddenly small.

"I identified them."

Alexia froze, you hadn't said it out loud before, not to anyone.

"I had to identify them."

The memory arrived instantly, cold, the morgue with the fluorescent lights, the smell, the metal. You squeezed your eyes shut and they were there again. Sofia and Marta.

Your voice shook violently, “Every time I close my eyes…"

The sentence broke apart, you tried again but failed then finally forced the words out.

"I still see them."

The tears came harder, uncontrollable now.

"I see them every time I shut my eyes. I see them every single night and then I wake up and Olivia needs breakfast and the washing needs doing and she needs nappies and work needs me and everybody just keeps expecting me to keep moving."

Your chest hurt, everything hurt.

"I don't know how."

The words barely existed, a whisper.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep doing all of it."

The apartment fell silent, just your breathing and Alexia standing motionless across from you, staring at you like she was finally seeing the full weight you'd been carrying. You didn't look angry, you looked broken.

You scrubbed angrily at your face, the tears wouldn't stop, you hated that, hated crying in front of her, hated being seen, hated that she'd now witnessed the complete collapse you'd spent months desperately holding together.

"Don't," you muttered.

Alexia hadn't even moved yet, "What?"

"Whatever you're thinking."

Her expression softened you immediately hated that too, before you could retreat further into yourself, Alexia crossed the kitchen.

You frowned immediately, "What are you doing?"

She didn't answer, instead she reached out and touched your arm just lightly, you recoiled like she'd burned you.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to help."

"Don't." Alexia ignored you, which was apparently becoming a theme, "Alexia." She grabbed your forearm firmly, you stared at her in horror, "No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Y/N."

"What are you" And then she pulled, not violently just decisively straight toward her, you looked genuinely appalled, "Absolutely not."

Alexia rolled her eyes, "You are literally crying."

"I know."

"So stop fighting me."

"I'm not hugging you."

"You are."

"I'm really not."

"You really are."

You attempted to back away, unfortunately for you, Alexia Putellas spent most of her life training at an elite athletic level.

This became apparent immediately, because she barely even noticed your resistance. One second you were trying to escape, the next her arms had wrapped around you securely , like some sort of incredibly stubborn human trap.

Your entire body locked up, "Oh my God."

"There we go."

"No."

"There we go."

You stood rigid every muscle tense arms trapped awkwardly between you, Alexia sighed dramatically.

"Just hug me, fucking hell, Y/N."

"I'm being kidnapped."

"You are being comforted."

"This feels illegal."

"It isn't."

"It should be."

Alexia tightened her grip slightly, you stared blankly at the kitchen wall.

"This is awful."

A laugh escaped her an actual laugh the first one you'd heard from her ever, "See?" she said. "Is this so bad?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

You considered your options, unfortunately, there weren't any, because she was annoyingly strong, "I feel like I'm being suffocated by a boa constrictor."

Alexia snorted, "All I got from that is you think I have muscly arms."

You groaned, "You're an idiot."

"And you've stopped fighting."

Damn it, you had, mostly because you were exhausted emotionally and physically. You'd simply began enjoying it slightly, Alexia seemed deeply pleased by this discovery.

You narrowed your eyes at the cupboard in front of you, "I haven't stopped fighting."

"You have."

"I haven't."

"You absolutely have."

You muttered into her shoulder, "This isn't me stopping fighting."

"No?"

"No."

"What is it then?"

You considered it seriously, "You know when goats get scared?"

Alexia blinked, "What?"

"They freeze.. they just sort of lock up and fall over."

Alexia stared, "What kind of information is that?"

"It's true."

"Why do you know that?"

"I don't know."

Alexia laughed again, "You've goat fainted?"

"I'm emotionally goat fainted."

"That isn't a thing."

"It is now."

You could feel her shoulders shaking with laughter, which was incredibly annoying, because despite everything despite being forcibly trapped in an unwanted hug some of the crushing pressure in your chest had eased.

At some point during the ridiculous argument about goats and boa constrictors, you'd stopped crying stopped feeling like the world was collapsing around you.

Alexia's arms loosened slightly, not letting go, just giving you room if you wanted it.

You didn't move, mostly because moving would involve admitting the hug had helped and absolutely nobody was getting that victory, especially not her.

After a moment, Alexia spoke quietly, "You should've told me."

Your eyes closed, "You would've argued."

"Probably."

"You would've gotten defensive."

"Definitely."

Despite yourself, a small laugh escaped you, "See?"

Alexia said, "You know me."

You rolled your eyes, "Unfortunately."

Her chin rested briefly against the top of your head, a tiny gesture almost unconscious, when she spoke again, the humour was gone, "I'm sorry."

Alexia didn't apologise often.

"I'm sorry I kept asking you to switch nights."

Her voice was quiet now.

"I'm sorry I didn't realise how much you were carrying."

You swallowed hard, Alexia tightened her arms briefly, just once.

"And I'm really sorry you had to identify them alone."

The kitchen fell silent again, the silence that followed felt different, the kind of silence that settled after a storm had finally spent itself.

You were still trapped in Alexia's arms, or choosing not to leave them, you hadn't decided which explanation annoyed you less.

You stepped away finally, leaning back against the counter, Alexia stayed where she was, watching you.

"You really don't sleep?" she asked quietly.

The question caught you off guard, you shrugged, "Sometimes."

"That's not an answer."

"It kind of is."

"Y/N."

You looked away, immediately giving yourself away.

Alexia sighed, "How bad?"

You rubbed the back of your neck, bad, very bad, but saying it aloud somehow felt worse, "Three or four hours."

Alexia's expression darkened instantly, "Every night?"

"Most."

"Jesus Christ."

You laughed weakly, "Yeah."

"And the nightmares?"

Your stomach tightened, you hadn't meant to tell her that part that had slipped out. Alexia waited patiently, which felt unnatural enough that you almost checked for a fever, "Most nights," you admitted eventually.

The words sat heavily between you Alexia looked genuinely devastated like she'd just realised how much she'd missed, how much she'd failed to notice, "You should've said something."

"There wasn't time."

"There was."

"No."

You gestured vaguely around the apartment, "Olivia." Then yourself, "Work." Then the mountain of laundry visible through the doorway, "Everything else."

Alexia looked down and she looked ashamed, "I thought you had it handled."

The confession came quietly, you laughed once, the sound was broken around the edges, "Everyone thought that."

Alexia swallowed, because she knew exactly what you meant, at the funeral, in the hospital, with social workers, family and friends. Everyone had looked at you and seen competence and reliability, the person who always knew what to do. Nobody had stopped to ask whether you were surviving it.

A soft sound drifted down the hallway, both your heads turned immediately silence, then another sleepy little whine from Olivia.

You and Alexia exchanged a look and without thinking, both started moving at the same time.

The absurdity of it almost made you laugh, months ago you could barely stand each other, now you apparently responded to Olivia's noises like emergency services.

You reached her room together, the moon nightlight cast soft shadows across the walls.

Olivia was sitting up in her crib, messy curls, sleepy eyes, pacifier hanging loosely from one hand.

She looked between both of you, processing, then immediately held her arms up, demanding.

Alexia huffed a laugh beside you, "You go."

"What?"

"You go." Alexia nodded toward the crib, "She wants you."

You stepped forward carefully and lifted Olivia into your arms, the little girl immediately tucked herself against your shoulder with a sleepy sigh, like she'd been waiting for that exact thing.

For a moment, none of you spoke, Alexia stood beside the crib, you held Olivia who yawned hugely against your shoulder.

Alexia smiled automatically, the expression softened her entire face and for a second, you saw exactly what Marta must have seen all those years ago.

Not the football star, or the woman who flirted with every woman she came in contact you, or the person you'd spent years arguing with.

Just someone who loved fiercely once she let herself, someone who had been thrown into the same impossible situation as you, who was grieving too.

Alexia looked over and caught you staring, immediately suspicious, "What?"

You shook your head, "Nothing."

"That was definitely a something."

"It wasn't."

"It was." You adjusted Olivia higher against your shoulder, Alexia narrowed her eyes. Then suddenly sighed, "Fine."

The word sounded reluctant like it physically hurt her, but then she glanced around the room, at the crib.

The photos of Sofia and Marta still sitting on the dresser and when she spoke again, her voice was quieter, "I'll do better."

You looked at her, she didn't look away this time.

"No more lying about why I need switches. No more assuming you'll just pick everything up. And tomorrow I'll do the laundry."

You nodded and you genuinely smiled and judging by the tiny victorious look on her face, Alexia noticed.