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thesunisatangerine · 5 months

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against all odds (to wait for you is all i can do) – part eight

alexia putellas x photojournalist!reader

warnings: none

(a/n in the tags) [parts: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve]

word count: 4.2k

words in italics: whatever language you like

“Make sure you stick close to your uncle the entire time and remember: if you don’t feel well or if, at any point, you want to leave, just tell Uncle Robert and he’ll get you out of there, okay?”

Elisa nodded as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

“Alright. Put on your headphones and follow your uncle.”

“Follow.” Elisa pronounced the word slowly, before she continued in English, “you said it wrong, Mom. You say it like this.”

Then she repeated the word again.

You smiled, nodded before you repeated the word for her. “Got it. Thanks, ladybug. Now go, I’ll catch you guys later.”

Tucking a loose hair behind her ear, you hugged Elisa one last time and placed a kiss on the top of her head before you let her go. She bounded to where Robert was standing, gave you one last enthusiastic wave, then you watched as they began to walk off to the direction of their seats.

Now that you were alone, faced with the corridor that lead down to the pitch, you took a deep breath, exhaled, and then with leaden legs you began to walk.

To say that you were nervous was an understatement; you were absolutely terrified. Not only because this was you first coverage after… after the last one, but also due to the fact that this would be the first time you were going to see Alexia in person since the night you left.

Alexia wouldn’t recognise you–no, she wouldn’t even know you were here–you saw to it. You asked Derek to register you under Jersey’s name because the client was none other than Alexia’s agent, a request that earned you a dirty look from Derek but he indulged you anyway. And as a precaution, you made sure to wear a face mask–an accessory that was met by a knowing, raised brow from Robert and a worried, ‘Are you sick, Mom?’ from Elisa–not to mention that your hair now was different compared to then.

No. Alexia wouldn’t recognise you; you were, after all, only a face among the many that adored her.

You kept walking, shielding your eyes from the brilliant stadium lights as you stepped foot on the grass.

Fifteen months. What good did that time do you? Just the mere thought of Alexia’s eyes suffused you with such burning ardour that neither a kiss nor touch from another could come close to her–there simply was no competition. You couldn’t even let another touch you the way she did because the act of kissing another’s lips was enough to incite guilt in you.

But why? How could Alexia still have this much hold over you after all this time? Was it because this was the first time you felt something deeper for someone, something that transcended the physical aspect of a relationship? Or was it the fact that the moment you let yourself be vulnerable, almost offered yourself completely, everything came crashing down? And now, you found yourself hung up on someone who had clearly moved on.

But, a small part of you reasoned, if Alexia had truly moved on, why still try to commission you? Why would she want you around? Maybe she… No. You shook your head firmly. That wasn’t possible.

Pain throbbed in your foot as it collided with the sponsor board that lined the spot you picked, earning you a few concerned glances from the nearby photographers who were already there. You cursed internally, dropping your bag to the ground, as you offered the others a sheepish smile and an apology. The pain brought you back to reality though, a reminder that you needed to get your mind out of the gutter and that you had a job to do.

You had weeks to prepare yourself for this. Everything would be okay. How hard could this be, really?

An hour passed and the stadium was filled to the brim with Spanish red and Brazilian yellow to witness the first match of each team for this tournament. Each nation’s supporters clapped and roared when the players began to run out to the pitch. And all the mental preparation you’d done for this left you completely.

The moment she stepped out of that tunnel and the stadium lights shone down on her, it felt like you only learnt how to breathe again. There Alexia stood: the slope of her shoulder familiar, the strength carved in the curves of her back looked stronger, and the lines of her arms just as inviting as they were the first time you met.

And those eyes, even if there were meters between you the weight in them–that low, burning fire–was all too apparent from where you stood.

Despite yourself, you found yourself smiling beneath your mask. She looked healthy; happy.

As the starting whistle breached through the chants of the crowd and resounded through the arena, you found yourself content–content at being an spectator of Alexia’s life, to watch her shine from afar, that was enough.

Parc des Princes. Sweden vs. Spain: The Clash of the Titans.

Not even two hours before kickoff and a significant crowd had already gathered by the entrance points of the stadium donning their respective supporter colours. It was no surprise to see such numbers very early on this fine Saturday evening because ever since the results from the dramatic Semi-Finals that saw Sweden and Spain through to the Finals, it was the talk of the town: the World’s Number One against the World Champions; both formidable in their own rights made them titans indeed.

And the question of who would emerge victorious would be answered tonight.

You saw firsthand how Spain brazenly blazed through this competition, knocking out their tougher competitions in the form of Germany and Japan in the Quarters and the Semis respectively in a similar fashion. They were a force to be reckoned with driven by their purpose and it made you more than proud to see how far they’d come.

Though it had been difficult you managed to remain undetected throughout the length of this tournament, something that you were truly grateful for. And after tonight, you could as easily slip out of Alexia’s world just as you had seamlessly gone in for the last time. The last thing you wanted to do was to jeopardise Spain’s chance at winning no matter how little an impact your presence would cause if you were discovered by Alexia.

But the thing was, you couldn’t lie and say you felt nothing as you watched Alexia from afar because you did: all the regret and desire… the longing; they were all there with you. More than once you found yourself wanting to run into her arms, to tell her you missed her, to let her know she saved you, to tell her… But you knew in your heart that that couldn’t be, so you allowed yourself this brief luxury, this silent, intimate appraisal of what and who she’d grown into even if she herself didn’t know it–you captured it all and to you that was more than enough.

As for Elisa she was nothing but ecstatic, a bundle of energy through and through. If you were being honest, you had doubted your decision to bring her with you because you didn’t know how being surrounded with tens of thousands of people would affect her even though she’d told you multiple times she could manage it. But to your relief, Elisa had immersed herself in the sport, blanketed herself in its atmosphere and in fact, she seemed to thrive in it. On the way home after each of Spain’s match you went to, Elisa would recount in vivid clarity all the instances she deemed to be highlights of the match–of course most of them were about Alexia which wasn’t a surprise considering how much she meant to her.

Elisa was enjoying herself and that, truly, brought you immense joy and comfort. She never asked you for it but you knew how Elisa badly wished to meet her inspiration, her and Robert had tried at the end of each match to stick around to meet her but so far, they had no luck.

No, Elisa never asked for you to do anything about it but that didn’t mean you couldn't try. You couldn’t quite think of how to go about it just yet but seeing as how the match before your eyes was the last, you knew your time to decide was beginning to run out.

The thing about football was that it was unpredictable, one minute it could be going your way, the next it could be the opponent’s; nothing was set in stone and anything could happen.

It was nearing the forty-minute mark, the scoreline was still down at all nil, when Aitana sent the ball lobbing from the middle, just at the edge of the penalty box, into one of Sweden’s goalposts for Alexia who’d already made her surge forwards. In response, Zećira Mušović dove for the nearest post, just about managing to grab the ball as it landed a few paces in front of Alexia’s feet but the ball went out of play as it slipped from her grip. Alexia was going too fast though and your heart jumped in your chest with worry as Alexia leaped over Mušović’s prone form, barely avoiding a collision with the Swedish goalkeeper, before she ended up slamming against the sponsor board and–

Suddenly, the air was knocked from your lungs as your back slammed to the ground and the back of your head throbbed with a dull ache that made you groan. And then you felt the warm weight pressed against you, dangerously familiar and way too close for comfort but it was gone before you could open your eyes. When you did you found honey-coloured eyes that you knew all too well as Alexia regarded you with concern.

“I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” Alexia asked, her ragged breathing made her accent all the more pronounced, and she took both of your hands in hers to help you to your feet. You tried hard not to think about the warmth of her palms on your skin–in fact, you hardly had any thoughts at all–and your throat was so parched you could only nod at her question.

Only once you got back on your feet did you notice Alexia had gone stock still. The sudden change in her demeanour worried you at first, especially when she hadn’t let go of your hands yet, and then confusion settled in. That was when you realised her attention was zeroed in on the string around your right wrist… at the bracelet she made you, the one you couldn’t bear yourself to part with.

Your eyes widened and you snatched your hands back, shielding your wrist from view with your other hand but you knew it was already too late. Alexia now looked at you, the concern in her gaze now shone together with… something else, eyes red as unshed tears clung to her lashes.

“You…” Alexia’s voice low–restrained–as her throat bobbed and her chin quivered.

The sound of the whistle barely registered in your mind and Alexia looked like she hadn’t heard it too, her eyes remained glued to you as if she’d seen a ghost. Then Aitana was by her side, hand around her arm as Aitana attempted to tug her back into the game but she just wouldn’t budge. Aitana regarded you briefly, the clear confusion in her eyes difficult to miss, before she tried to coax her captain away again.

“Alexia. Go.” You said as you gently pushed Alexia away with a hand on her stomach. She flinched from your touch–and her reaction really shouldn’t hurt this much but it did anyway–so you quickly retracted your hand away. Only after that did Alexia finally let herself be pulled away by Aitana but not without staring at you as she went.

This was bad. Out of all the times that this could happen, why now?

You picked up your camera, the fact that it was intact offered you little comfort, and the urge to run away pervaded you. You so desperately wanted to pack everything and leave, allow Elisa to enjoy the match and maybe just sit this one out in the crowd with her. Alexia didn’t need to know.

The thought was tempting.

But with clenched fists, you stayed.

A moment later, the Swedish supporters roared when Spain conceded a goal during extra time which left them now down to one goal. Spain still had enough time to try and equalise, and their chance was given in the form of a penalty.

Alexia stepped up but Mušović denied her a goal and your heart ached from the way Alexia shook her head, dejected as she looked up at the sky.

The halftime whistle blew and you watched as the players walked towards the tunnel entrance but, your eyes widened when you saw her, Alexia was making her way towards you, stride long and with purpose. Her face was neutral but the way her lips was pressed in a thin line revealed that she was anything but calm.

Oh, fuck.

You didn’t even have time to compose yourself–or do anything, really–because before you knew it, Alexia had leaped over the sponsor board, gripped the monopod with your camera and ripped it away from your hand. A protest left your lips but it was quickly cut off when you felt her other arm around your waist, pulling you to her with a strength that left you breathless. And when you felt her front pressed firmly against your own and her warmth immediately seeped into your bones, everything melted away–the flutter of camera shutters, the roar of the crowd–your world became Alexia entirely.

Everything just fell rightly into place. It felt like coming home.

Alexia didn’t say anything, just craned her neck so she could rest her head against your shoulder. At first you were frozen, your arms still and left hanging by your side, but as you felt the way Alexia’s ribs expand and the way her heartbeat jumped through her jersey, you came back to yourself and finally, you slid your arms around her, your hands immediately finding purchase in the small of her back.

You gripped her jersey as you sank into her embrace, pressing your cheek against her collarbone, and god, what did you do right in this lifetime–or the last–to have her back in your arms like this? You breathed her in and you nearly sobbed at the intimate familiarity of her scent.

“Alexia, I–” You began but you shook your head. So instead, you choked out, “Alexia, you shouldn’t be here.”

Silence was the only answer and Alexia seemed to cling all the more tightly to you after the words left your mouth. And you could feel it, the despondency in the slope of her back as if they already had lost the match. Guilt ate away at you. You did this, didn’t you?

“Listen to me, Ale. Your team is waiting for you. They need their Captain, Alexia. They need you.”

At those words, Alexia only buried herself further into you as if she wanted herself to disappear completely. Then she spoke in a voice so small you could barely recognise it was her talking.

“I messed up. I… I can’t be what they need me to be right now. I feel weak.”

You recognised this, the familiar shadow of doubt that tinged Alexia’s thoughts and marred her confidence. Although rare to rear its head, its venom was lethal when it did, attacking her weakest parts, right where it hurt the most.

Cradling the nape of her neck with a gentle hand, you let her fall all the more closer to you and you whispered softly, but firm in the way you enunciate the words, to get your message through to her.

“‘The match is not won until the last second is lost.’ Alexia, isn’t that what you told me? You can't just give up now. You can't lose faith in your teammates right now." Alexia’s breath hitched at your words, her arm around your waist tightened. You continued, “your strength is their strength, and theirs are yours. I used to tell you, remember? You're so strong but it's not all yours to carry, Alexia. You're only human but that doesn't make you weak. Have faith in them... have faith in you."

You turned your head just so so you could rest your temple against the line of her jaw before you said, “now go, Alexia. Your team needs you.”

Alexia leaned in to your touch and sighed. She nodded and finally she loosened her grip but before she fully extricated herself from you, she said in a raw voice but not with malice, “I’m still mad at you.”

You couldn’t help it, the small laugh that bubbled out of your throat as you rested your forehead against her shoulder.

“Fair enough. You can be mad at me all you want later but right now, you have a match to win.”

She pulled away and you finally saw her eyes. Albeit red and raw around the edges, the hazel in them shone with a familiar brilliance, a hungry fire undiminished by the tears in her eyes. You longed to dry her tears but Alexia did it herself, swiping the back of her hand over her eyes. She handed you back your camera, hand lingering on your right wrist as she brushed the pad of her thumb over the string there, gave you one last look and a nod, before she jumped over the sponsor board and sprinted to the tunnel entrance, the crowd roaring as she went past them.

At her departure, the rest of the world came back to focus: the stadium, the screaming fans, the blare of the halftime music… the cameras pointed at you, from the broadcasting channels to the phones of the fans on the stands; you were the subject of all their eyes, all their lenses. Even when you glanced at your fellow photographers, most of them had their cameras pointed at you, some looked at you with passing curiosity while some stared at you as if you’d grown an extra pair of head.

Your ears and cheeks warmed at the attention, gut coiling uncomfortably as you adjusted your face mask, something that you were all the more grateful for especially after that little public display from Alexia. You kept your head down as you walked the length of the sideline towards Sweden’s goal for the next half, and you tried your hardest to ignore the weight of the stares by pretending to tend to your equipment.

Then you felt your phone vibrate in your pocket. You fished it out and found a message from Robert.

‘That was… pretty public. Are you feeling alright?’

You looked up, tried to pick out Elisa and Robert from the crowd but when you couldn’t, you typed out your reply.

‘I’m fine, thank you. How are the both of you?’

‘Well, Elisa’s just about as ecstatic as any child who found out that their mom knows their favourite football player. She’s been asking questions non-stop, I don’t even know how to answer them all. Please help.’

Despite your situation, you chuckled at the image of Elisa pestering her uncle.

‘Tell her she can save her questions for me later. Don’t say anything else.’

‘Okay, thank you. And hang in there.’

The loud cheers from the crowd drew your attention away from your phone and upon looking up, found that the players had begun entering the pitch. Automatically, your viewfinder was to your eye, framing the players as they went and taking a shot.

Alexia was last to step foot on the field and you didn’t miss the way she looked over the last spot she saw you and when she couldn’t find you there, her head swivelled around as she jogged to her position in the opposite half. She found you eventually and even with fifty meters between you, the intensity of her stare reached you. It made you shiver–hopeful in spite of yourself–but when the whistle cut through the air once more, you readied your camera, breath held for what was yet to come.

The game went on and you were so focused on trying to do your job that you couldn’t keep up with the details but the fact was this: no matter how hard Spain pressed forward, Sweden’s defensive effort increased twofold, and whenever Spain played deep to keep Sweden in check, Sweden prodded forward, constantly chipping away at Spain’s defensive line with each effort.

After Sweden’s attempt at Spain’s goal came an opportunity. One minute Cata had the ball in hand, the next the ball was by Alexia’s feet who took one touch before she passed it between two defenders to Salma who was waiting past the halfway line, who then dribbled the ball into Sweden’s penalty area, then she cut it back and crossed it to Aitana who angled her run just enough to tap the ball in.

One-one.

The crowd roared to life and Spain’s fire was reinvigorated. They had eleven minutes left of normal play to score another goal and win. Both teams clashed, gave their all throughout the remaining time, then through to additional and extra time.

Now the moment of truth: a penalty shootout at Sweden’s goal.

Your palms began to sweat, nervous for Alexia. When was she taking her penalty?

Spain went first. They got it in. Sweden as well. One-one.

Then it was two–two.

Spain got their third. Sweden took their shot but Cata deflected it.

Mušović stepped up this time and blocked Spain’s fourth. Cata, again, anticipated right and denied Sweden their own.

You drew in a staggered breath as Alexia began to walk. Once she got to the ball, she flicked it up with her foot and caught it easily with her hands. Click. Through the lens, you watched as Alexia turned the ball over then placed it right by the penalty spot. Click. Then she began fixing her socks, adjusting her shoes, brushed her left ankle with her thumb–click– and she leant back up, resting her hands by her waist as she waited for the whistle. You zoomed in on her face: she was stoic, calm as she eyed the goal, beads of sweat lined her forehead and the bridge of her nose–click.

The whistle blew.

Alexia took five steps back, one step to her right. She took two short strides forward and on the third, her left foot connected with the ball. The net moved with an audible swish from the power behind her kick, depositing the ball in the bottom right corner of the goal and the crowd roared–or was it you who was screaming?–as the rest of Spain’s team ran to their captain to hug her.

Spain won.

Photo after photo, you captured Spain as they celebrated, their cheers and victorious cries. And when each member of Spain’s team walked the stage to receive their golden medals, the feeling that surged through you was something else entirely.

The celebration went on but as the crowd thinned and the live broadcast ended, anxiety filled you once again. You tried to keep track of where Alexia was but she’d been surrounded by so many people that you lost her in the celebration. Not knowing what to do with yourself, you packed up your things but kept your camera out as you hung about at the edge of the pitch near the stands.

And then you heard it.

“Mom!”

You turned to the sound and found Elisa who was leaning against the safety rail of the stands just off to the side of the tunnel entrance, an enthusiastic arm waving in the air as she grinned at you. Beside her was Robert who, too, was leaning on the railing with his elbows who gave you a small wave as you jogged over to them, pushing your face mask down on the way.

“Elisa, ladybug, careful you might fall!” You reprimanded but a smile made its way on your lips all the same and either way, your words fell on deaf ears as Elisa excitedly bounded up and down.

“Mom! Did you see that?! That was so intense! And did you see how Alexia just went,” Elisa imitated Alexia’s strike and an affectionate laugh bubbled out your throat at her display, “and it was the best!”

Then Elisa stilled, eyes widening as she looked past you. “Oh my god, Mom, it’s–”

“‘Mom?’”

It was Alexia but her voice was almost unrecognisable because of how flat it sounded. You whipped your head back and surely, the expression Alexia wore accentuated the barely hidden animosity but it wasn’t directed at you nor Elisa. Rather, you found her glaring up at Robert and at his hand resting on the railing where the gold band on his finger was visible–glinting.

You looked at Alexia, whose demeanour was souring by the second, then at Robert who looked paler than you’d ever seen him before, then to Alexia again.

Oh, no.

#ap11 #not proofread #mine #my writing #a/n: manifesting for spain to get through the qualifiers and then win the olympics #also an extra round of apologies for any grammar/spelling mistakes for this one #hope you guys like this and would love to know what you think about the story so far #apologies for any grammar and spelling mistakes ill work on em later #woso x reader #alexia putellas x reader

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sunshine-theseus · 6 months

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Angel In Disguise | Esme Morgan x Reader

Word count: 2k

Summary: life’s hard when all your students prefer your footballer partner over you.

Warnings: fluff, children? idk how the English school timeline works and the Australian one doesn’t match up with the story so I’m just saying school starts in like September and ends in late May??

Request for: @wlwskyy i hope this is good! it's probably not as good as I hoped but i'm still pretty happy with it

Being a primary school teacher was hard. Trying to help students who struggle with the content while also helping others progress. Being strict while also wanting to be fun. My biggest struggle though, was a very me specific one.

Esme Morgan loves to visit me or help me out at school from time to time, and just like everyone else she meets, the kids fall in love with her. From the first time they meet her, they’re begging me to bring her back.

“Ms L/n it’s so cool you’re dating a footballer! Can you bring her back tomorrow? And the day after that and the day after that one until forever?” and once they realise that she actually has her own job to do, they beg I bring her in at least once a term.

It was my first year teaching after university, the first time she’d come to work, and it had been a complete surprise.

After she broke her leg in 2021, Esme struggled to fill her time. She’d made about 27 bracelets in the first 3 days, then tried to bake a little, although it went rather poorly. She then watched all the original Disney movies in release order. I think she got to Mulan II before she decided enough was enough.

I was in the middle of teaching the times tables when there was a light knock on the door. I could see her cheeky smile through the small pane of glass and rushed to open it for her. Esme stumbles through the door, her moon boot and crutches making it difficult for her to fit through the rather narrow frame.

She pecks me on the lips and the room erupts in childish giggles. Romantic affection was something so foreign to 8 and 9 year olds.

“Es… what are you doing here?” I whisper as I pull a chair for her sit on.

“I got bored, and I miss yoouu.” She smiles up at me and I can’t help but smile back.

“Oh! And I brought gifts for the kiddos!” she holds out a paper bag and I peak inside.

My heart melts at the pile of hand-crafted bracelets, ranging in colour and design, that fill a significant proportion of the bag.

She spent the rest of the day surrounded by my class. Eventually I had to stop teaching because they were so in love with this angelic limping figure who brough them friendship bracelets. I don’t think Esme prepared for them all to assume she was every single one of their best friends.

~~~~~

It was nearly Christmas break when she first met my class for this year, and everyone knew who she was. For the first time, I didn’t have to introduce her or tell them what she does for them to get hyped.

“I WATCHED YOU IN THAT FOOTBALL THING” and other similar phrases are shouted many times when she enters the room.

When I looked at her it was hard not to smile. She was playing and talking with kids and giving them all little bracelets, just like she does every year.

As she was crouched in front of a small group who were excitedly asking her questions, Marley, a rather shy and quiet girl, walked up to Esme and lightly tapped her shoulder. She fiddles with her fingers and avoids looking at anyone as she waits.

“Excuse me Mrs Esme?” Esme is already smiling when she turns to look at Marley.

“Hey kiddo!”

“Um you’re my favourite player of all time. I watch all your games and wanna grow up and play just like you.” And Esme’s smile grew bigger, something I wasn’t sure was possible.

“That’s so cool! Can I give you a hug?” Marley nods and giggles into the embrace, and then they begin to talk about Marley’s interest in football and Esme’s work.

I’d been struggling to get her to talk for 2 months, and Es came in and got her to talk within minutes, but I can’t stop staring lovingly at the angel of a woman in front of me. There was a part of myself I saw in Marley. I’d struggled to be very open for a long time until I met Esme. She just had this gentle, caring nature that was hard to ignore.

Marley misses her the most between visits. They’d made a secret handshake and love to chat and giggle on the oval at lunch, kicking the ball around.

In between visits Esme and Marley both interchangeably would give me something to give the other; a bracelet or a packet of lollies or a flower they found randomly. It was so hard for me to not burst from how cute their friendship was.

It had changed Es as well. Obviously, she has always been welcoming and warm-hearted but she’d become more confident about her play and sometimes I would catch her bragging to her teammates.

“I’m Marley’s favourite player!” it took them a while to realise who Marley was, but they found it adorable.

We’re in our last week for the school year, just in time for Esme to make one more surprise appearance before she has leave for camp for the France Olympics. I’d told the kids she wasn’t sure if she would have time to make it between finishing up the season and preparing for the Olympics, but that didn’t stop them from begging me to bring her in.

It’s the last day, everyone already buzzing for their long holiday, and admittedly from the lollies I gave them. I always try to make the last day super fun, activities and music and a surprise guest.

By midday I’d already had to apologise that Esme couldn’t make it. 17 times and counting.

And by 1, there was a knock on the door. A knock the kids were all too familiar with, and Esme rushes into the room, kids swarming her from all angles.

“Hey kiddos!”

“Hey pretty lady” she turns to me and kisses me quickly. Gags and loud ‘ewww!’s echo out.

Marley waits patiently with a small bag in her hand, still considerably shy. Esme wastes no time in getting to the young girl, with a similar bag in hand.

“Hey Mar! I got you a little something.” Esme hands the bag over, and everyone watches carefully as she pulls out whatever lays inside.

I see the familiar light blue peak out, and recognise the jersey design I sport most weekends. The present is clear when Marley starts jumping up and down in excitement.

“It’s one of my spares so don’t tell Gareth, ok? I got all the girls to sign it.” Marley is wrapped around Esme before she can finish the sentence.

“Thank you!” she scrambles to put her bag in Esme’s hands before tugging the shirt over her head.

I nearly scream when I see Esme pull out a black and purple jersey, colours I know from all the pictures Marley shows me of her games, usually with a trophy in her hands. Her last name and the number 14 adorn the back with a tiny ‘Marley’ in black sharpie on the ‘1’.

“Oh my god Marley this is so cool! I’m going to keep this forever. In a few years time I’m going to see you playing for England and know I got the first ever Marley jersey and signature. And of course you’ll play for Manchester City yeah?” the little girl eagerly nods her head.

The day goes on and the kids go home for the last time. Esme leaves after an hour of helping me pack up the classroom, to start dinner and I don’t finish until 5:30.

By the time I pull into the driveway, I’m exhausted, but satisfied with my work for the year.

I leave most of my gear in the car to unpack another day and walk to the door. I struggle to open it for a moment but when I do, I’m hit by the smell of my favourite meal cooking and the sound of Esme singing, albeit not well.

I drag my feet into the kitchen and wrap my arms around my wife, kissing her back as I just rest against her.

“Hello my love.”

“Hey sunshine.” I pause for a moment.

“You’re so good with kids.” She hums as she turns the stove off.

“And you helped Marley so much.”

“She’s a good kid, it’s hard not to like her.” I pull away and reach up to kiss her on the cheek before looking for the small gift bag.

“What are you doing?” Esme questions as she begins to plate to the food

“Well we have to measure Marley’s shirt for a frame so we can hang it up don’t we? I want to be able to boast to the world in like 8 years time about how I taught her and how we have her first ever signature.” I poke her in the side as I grab my plate.

“Well how about we do that tomorrow? I just want to cuddle with you tonight before we have to pack and get ready for camp.” I let out a loud groan.

“I can’t believe you’re taking me to France, and we’ll barely be able to do any of that gross romantic shit together.” Esme smiles down at me, regret floating behind her eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

“Noo I’m so excited I just think they’re cruel for making players do their job or whatever.” I jokingly roll my eyes before I lean back into her on the couch, both our plates sat in our laps.

“I promise to take you to that restaurant on the top of the Eiffel Tower before we leave.” She kisses my forehead.

~~~~~

“This is light work for the defender, tapping the ball passed Courtney Nevin and chipping it passed the Australian goalkeeper! IT’S A GOAL FOR ENGLAND AND THEY FIND AN EQUALISER IN THE OLYMPIC FINALS!”

I cheer at the goal with the rest of the stadium, hugging the small girl next to me as she bounces in excitement.

“Did you see that mumma? She scored! Mar Mar scored!” Reese shouts over everyone else.

“I did! It was amazing, wasn’t it?”

When the game ends, I pick Reese up and we rush down to the pitch with the other family members, celebrating as we make our way. It takes us a few minutes to spot the players we’re looking for but when Reese points them out, I put her down and she runs toward them without a single thought.

“Congratulations!” I pull Esme into a kiss before turning to Marley. The 16-year-old smiled brightly at me before hugging me tightly.

“Your goal was fucking phenomenal Marley! They should make you a striker.”

“But then she wouldn’t be just like her favourite player” Esme buts in, our daughter falling asleep on her hip. We all laugh and continue to talk with the other girls and celebrate until we decide to head back to the hotel to put Reese to bed.

“I’m so proud of how far you’ve come you know?” I pull Marley into my side as we wait for the elevator.

“From ‘shy little 8 year old who refused to talk to her teacher’ to ‘number 14; defender and debut scorer for her country at the 2032 Olympics at 16 years old’.”

“And one of the youngest and best signings for Man City!” Esme chimes in

“Thank you for always believing in me.”

After we say goodnight to Marley and make sure Reese is definitely asleep, I climb into bed with Esme.

“You’re so amazing.” I stare at her. Sometimes I don’t understand how I was blessed with such a kind-hearted, gentle woman.

“I try.” We break out in giggles and I slap her lightly on the shoulder.

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.” we don’t say anything else.

She kisses me hard before I rest my head on her chest, her arm wrapping around me as we fall asleep. She’s my angel in disguise.

#woso x reader #woso #wwc 2023 #olympics 2024 #esme morgan #esme morgan x reader #womens soccer

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totaly-obsessed · 2 months

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🕯️🕯️dfb please don’t be shit 🕯️🕯️

#dfb frauen #gerwnt #germany vs france #woso #help #pls win #i cant take another loss #we need the olympics

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misskelley · 18 days

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Proper reaction

#woso #nwsl #Canwnt #brzwnt #vanessa gilles #Marta #true legend #love that she’s absolutely beaming #Orlando pride #lyon #Olympic Lyon #she believes cup #she believes 2024

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chaosology · 6 months

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my footage of sam’s fall LMFAO i’m so sorry sam 😭 kinda funny i can’t lie

#SORRY SAM #I LOVE YOU #sam kerr #matildas #AUSvPHI #PHIvAUS #asian olympic qualifiers #kerr #sk20 #woso

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outsideratheart · 7 months

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#they’re playing at the Olympic stadium #my trip keeps getting better and better #fcb femeni #Barcelona femeni #woso #real madrid femenino #liga f #el Classico

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is2katiemccard · 5 months

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I'm feeling sad that England didn't qualify for the Olympics but, Leah, girl, if you want to play we can get you Brazilian citizenship. You will compete in the Olympics and you will play alongside Rafa again, we need a defender, please 😭😭😭☝️

#leah williamson #rafaelle #rafaelle souza #england #lionesses #brazil national team #women football #olympics #paris 2024 #woso

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melodiousoblivionao3 · 24 days

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Lynn and Sammy calling KA out by name on the podcast in such a genuine way that shows how much they care about this topic…love to see it

Watch

#lynn williams #sam mewis #good vibes fc #it means so much to see them do this #sam as a leader who is retired #lynn as someone who is very much currently in contention for the Olympics and a regular on the team #woso #uswnt

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mccardswife · 2 months

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READY TO TAKE ON PARIS🇫🇷

paris2024 here we come!

💚💛💚💛

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soccersoccer · 9 days

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This is a poster for a horror movie.

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museszm · 2 months

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A little photoshop experiment

#woso #football #women’s football #woso community #artists on tumblr #arsenal wfc #awfc #arsenal #photoshop #graphic design #steph catley #matildas #australia wnt #aussie #women’s Olympic qualifying Asia #Australia vs Uzbekistan #paris 2024 #australia

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sunshine-theseus · 4 months

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Slow | Chloe Logarzo x Reader

Words: 1.9k Summary: despite a rough relationship with your parents, your closeness to your sister brings you Chloe, the only girl for you. Warning: NOT PROOF READ I have no clue if this is any good and I’m so sorry I think it might be one of my worst ones😭, I know the WBBL started in 2015 but who fucking cares, I changed it – no COVID but Olympics still postponed for some unknown reason :D Requested by - @charligrantismygirlfriend - not happy with this one at all i'm genuinely so sorry

Sport wasn’t something I was unfamiliar with. In fact, it was my favourite thing. As a kid, my mum and dad put me through many different clubs for different sports, from tennis to AFL. We always landed back at the same lush green cricket pitch in the western suburbs of Sydney on a Saturday morning, surrounded by other girls of all ages who shared my passion.

On Sundays my younger sister would play her soccer games, so we’d spend the weekend in a hotel in the city, then go to each other’s games, pretending to do our homework as we watch.

Not long into Ellie’s soccer journey, our parents decided the move from Cowra to Sydney was necessary for her to develop. The hours long trips to and from training in the depths of Sydney every afternoon proving to be more difficult as she progressed in school.

I no longer lived with them when they made the move, but I resented Ellie for a while. I’d been playing cricket before she could walk, albeit poorly as a 6-year-old, and had moved up through the stages into the best group in the academy by the age of 14. My parents insisted nothing much would come of it, so there was no reason to make such a drastic move and leave the farm and small-town life behind.

I started playing professionally for Sydney in the Twenty20 Cup at 17, the same year I got my first call-up for the women’s national cricket team. We, or they, still didn’t live in Sydney, so I dropped out of high school my senior year, and lived with one of the older girls who was also on the national team. I made my national debut a couple months after in a test match against England. My parents didn’t come, Ellie had some important game on that was simply impossible to miss.

At 15, when they finally joined me in the city, Ellie joined her first W-league team, and had her first senior team call-up. I made sure to be there for both debuts, avoiding my parents who sat in the crowd nearby. I cried the moment she first touched the pitch in a Matilda’s jersey, and rushed down from the stands to pick her up and hug her when the match was over.

That’s when I first met her… Chloe. My age, a beautiful brunette in the midfield who celebrated with my sister after their 9-0 win against Vietnam. We introduced ourselves and exchanged numbers but nothing much came of it. I can’t deny the many nights I spent awake dreaming of the girl.

The next time I saw Chloe in person was a Sydney Derby. Naturally I’d come to support my sister, but I couldn’t help but cheer whenever the older girl got a touch on the ball. I met up with her and Ellie again after the game, shouting them both dinner. That’s when Chloe asked me out on our first date.

It was somewhat rushed. Her departure for Newcastle was pending and it limited our options, leaving us to grab some shitty take away and dance around in a field down the road from where I lived. The sun was bright, but her smile was brighter. I stumble on my own feet whenever she looked at me, her beauty beyond compare. The beginning of a sunburn kissing my cheeks only provided me so much of an excuse as to why I was so red.

“I’m going to come to every single one of your games.” She whispers in my ear as we lay on the picnic blanket, beneath the over looming gum tree, me playing with her hair as she rests a hand beneath my loose linen shirt.

“You have your own training. And you can’t drive 2+ hours back and forth once a week. Also we have away games you can’t possibly make...” Despite my desperate want for her to be there every game, I begin to list all the reasons it wasn’t logical.

“I’ll find a way. And if not all, most home games.” She gives me a satisfied smile, one that tells me she knows she’s won whatever little argument we had.

Chloe keeps her promise, and I join her in my own. We both attend each other’s home games as often as possible, and very rarely, we managed to catch an away game. It usually happened when we were both playing a game in the same city, but we took whatever we were given.

Things went down hill when she moved to Sweden.

She hadn’t been the one to tell me. Ellie was spending a week with me after returning from the Olympics, which I had managed to attend most of, and asked me how I felt about the move. Chloe and I had been dating for a year, so the shock that she hadn’t told me was bigger than the shock at the news.

“What do you mean? She would tell me if she was moving to Sweden.” The pity in my little sister’s eyes is enough to break me. She pats and rubs my back as I sob into her shoulder. My whole body shakes as I moan and weep, and by the time I stop my eyes burn and there isn’t a dry spot on her shirt.

“So this is it? You’re breaking up with me because I’m moving?” Chloe looks at me like I’ve got 2 heads as I stand on her front step.

“No, I’m breaking up with you because I had to find out from my little sister, by accident, that you’re moving. Were you ever going to tell me? Or was I just going to have to find out when The Jets removed your name from the squad list?”

“I’m going to come back for the A-League season anyway! It’s not like I’m never coming back, I’ll barely be gone 8 months. And I was going to tell you!”

“When? Once your plane touched down in Stockholm or wherever you’re going? In 5 months when I called you so you can explain why you didn’t come to my game? When were you going to tell me Chlo?” I’m met with silence.

“That’s what I thought.” I turn and walk away, never expecting to see her again.

I can hear her shouting something at me as I continue to walk down the road, droplets of rain beginning to fall on the pavement in front of me. Nothing really registers until I’m standing in front of my sister’s apartment door, clothes heavy with rain and a face void of any other emotion except heartbreak.

I don’t see Chloe for years to come following the tragic end of our relationship. Despite her coming back during the summer to play for Sydney, I had no reason to watch her games, Ellie having moved to Portland to develop her career.

Then Ellie moved to Lyon, and I decided to move with her, putting a pause to my cricketing career. Further away from Chloe and closer to Ellie seemed like the perfect deal.

So I helped Ellie move and meet her new teammates. Every morning I’d make her breakfast and then walk around the city, usually finding myself in a caf�� or museum and writing a book. Something I never planned on doing anything with, but found a solace in.

That’s how I found myself in the same café I go to every Saturday, typing in the same document I have been typing in for 5 months. Desperately pressing the backspace as I sip the now cold coffee, I don’t notice someone sliding into the seat across from me.

“Fancy seeing you here.” I’m surprised I didn’t get whiplash at the speed in which my head snapped up to look at the girl across from me.

She looks different. Not really, just… older. And her hair is bleached, skin just a fraction more tan, eyes still that shimmering blue. Still beautiful

“Chloe- what the fuck are you doing here?” the words nearly get caught in my throat as I try to process what’s going on.

“Well, I’m playing for Bristol now, in case you didn’t know. Only spent 2 seasons in Sweden then went back to Sydney, went on loan to Washington for a season, back to Sydney, now I’m in England. We have a small break so I thought I’d come see Ellie. Planned everything around you, knew you wouldn’t want to see me. I didn’t take into account you might still like coffee as much as you used to.”

“How’d you even know I’m with Ellie?” it’s a dumb question but I ask it none the less.

“You think I stopped tracking your career because we broke up? I have to say, when I read the “renowned cricketer Y/N Carpenter taking a break for an unforeseen amount of time to help her little sister, Matildas star Ellie Carpenter, settle into the big leagues at Olympique Lyonnais.” headlines, I was shocked.” I finally managed to meet her eyes, the crow’s feet that crack at the corners making her ever the more pretty. It’s aggravating.

“Thought it’d help me get away from Sydney.”

“Sydney? Or me?” I almost want to grab her by the shoulders and scream at her how much I miss her, but I stay sat and silent. A satisfied hum escapes her lips and a smile graces her face.

“I miss you.” She says what I’m thinking, and I begin to think how much of a coward I am. It was so easy for her, why am I struggling?

She doesn’t let me reply, getting up and walking out. I get up to follow her but she’s vanished in the crowd, so I sit, letting my coffee grow colder, thinking about her.

~~~~~

“Ellie this is a bad idea.”

“Common. Meeks is bringing Harley and Kirstey. You love Harley. You can babysit!” my little sister is determined, although my fighting is useless as we drag our suitcases through the airport.

“Chloe is going to be there El.”

“Chloe is going to be here.” I nearly bump into her as she stops in front of us.

“And she’ll be your plane buddy.” The cheeky grin I was once so familiar with graces her face and I can feel the corner of my own lips twitching as my heart clenches. Fuck.

“Oh goody.” I try to ignore the sweat that begins to prick through my skin as Ellie stalks away from us to meet Emily Gielnik.

“Real talk.” Chloe’s face is serious as soon as we take our seats on the plane.

“I miss you, and I want to try this again. I get you may not want to but you can’t tell me you don’t still feel even the tiniest bit of love for me still.” Her finger waggles back and forth between as to indicate exactly what she’s talking about and I sigh.

“I miss you too…” I meet her eyes and I can see the hope that grows behind them.

“But if we try this out again, we have to take it slow. Like go out on a few dates to start with.”

“I can do that.” She eagerly nods her head in agreement.

“I’d really like that.” I smile back at her, and that seems to end the conversation.

As the engine rumbles and we begin moving along the tarmac, I rest my arm on the armrest. I gently slide my hand into Chloe’s and rest my head on her shoulder, closing my eyes. Maybe slow wasn’t necessary, I love her too much.

#woso x reader #woso #womens soccer #woso fanfics #wsl #olympique lyonnais #the matildas #chloe logarzo #chloe logarzo x reader #the matildas x reader #2020 olympics #olympics 2020

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falseclosure · 10 months

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let the games begin - part 1 (fem!oc x fem!oc)

part 1/?

summary: the one where they fall in love (kinda) in one of the biggest stage of their lives.

pairing: fem!oc (auswnt) x fem!oc (usa swimming)

warnings: none

word count: 2.8k

a/n: hello! it's my first story here! this has honestly been sitting in my drafts for a year. i'm back in my swimming phase so it has sparked some inspiration hopefully someone will like this. not proofread btw! also, there's a hint of kellex in there somewhere :)

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July 19, 2021

Kaiden (kay-den)

We just arrived in Tokyo after our Pre Olympics training camp in Nara. Even though I slept the entire time we were traveling, I'm still exhausted, so it's a good thing our coaches offered us a day off tomorrow. I'm ecstatic to be participating in the Olympics. I'm not sure if I'll start any games, but I'm happy to be a substitute when my team needs me. My seniors are incredible; they have supported me when I was first called up to the senior team. This Olympics, all I care about is gaining experience with my teammates.

“Hey Kai, let’s go explore the village with the others!” my ‘mom’, Chloe Logarzo, said touching my shoulder to divert my focus away from stowing my belongings

“But I still have a lot of things to put away and besides I’m really tired. Do I really have to go with you guys?” I answered her while pouting and scrunching my eyebrows together.

“You’re cute, almost gave in. But you know we’re leaving the village after a few days because we’re gonna transfer to another venue for the final group game right? Don’t take everything out of your bags, you're the only one that’s gonna have a hard time.”

“Okay, I guess my signature pout did not work.” I said with a shrug of my shoulders. I straightened my face and nodded, indicating that I would be joining them.

Chloe tugged me towards the lift entrance with her right arm across my shoulders. We went downstairs and waited outside our apartment for our other teammates so that we could explore the village together.

“Hey bitches!” Sam Kerr yelled at us while obnoxiously flailing both of her hands. Steph Catley tried to put Sam's hand down because a number of people were looking at her; while Emily Van Egmond slapped her mouth. Soon after, Ellie Carpenter and Caitlin Foord trailed behind the three of them.

“Where are the others?” Chloe asked the five of them after observing that no one was following them anymore.

“They said they’ll follow behind.” Ellie, who was engrossed in her phone, answered. I went up to Ellie to see what she was up to because the other four women continued bickering as we were walking.

“What’re you doing?” I asked Ellie, leaning in close enough to see her phone screen.

“On Bumble trying to look for hot Olympic athletes.” Ellie replied in hushed tones, fearful that the older women would hear her. I just chuckled and wrapped my arms around her shoulders.

“Don’t curse in front of the kids!” Ellie and I heard Emily say behind us scolding Sam.

“You guys know we’re not kids anymore right? I’m like 19 and Ellie’s 21.” I said.

“But you’re still our baby!” Steph stated, and I just rolled my eyes as she said it. I'm not sure if I enjoy it or not that they continue to treat me like a child. It can work in my favor sometimes because they do what I want, but when I want to do 'adult things,' they always become protective for some reason.

"Yeah, right. Please, let's go eat first; I'm starving. I think the last meal I ate was breakfast." I remarked, dragging Ellie after me as I hurriedly proceeded towards the dining hall, oblivious to the group of athletes from various countries who were walking around us.

"Do you know how to get to the dining hall?" Ellie inquired from beside me, her right hand now held in my left.

I looked back at her while still walking and said, “I’m sure it’s this- ow!” I crashed on someone's back and came to a halt; Ellie almost collided with me since I was dragging her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," I apologized to the girl.

“It’s alright. I also wasn’t aware of my surroundings.” she replied with a smile. She caught a sight of my hands intertwined with Ellie's, which I noticed. She looked up and smiled at Ellie and Ellie returned one back.

“Uhm, do you possibly know the way to the dining hall?” I awkwardly asked her since I think she was also on her way there.

“Yeah! I'm on my way there. Do you want to walk with me?" she asked me and Ellie. I turned around to check whether Chloe and the others were following us, but I was dismayed to see that they weren't. I returned my gaze to Ellie, who was watching the person I had collided with. I tugged on her hand to see whether she agreed to go with the stranger. Ellie gave me a little nod and let go of my hand.

“Sure! I can’t see our teammates behind us and we don’t want to get lost. We should just meet them there." I replied, gazing down at her a little because I was a few inches taller. We began going in the direction of the dining hall, with her leading the way. Ellie was standing right alongside me, observing the woman in front of us.

"What sport do you guys play?" she inquired, her gaze returning to us as she listened to my response.

"Footy for Team Australia." I said, peering into her light brown eyes.

Before responding, she returned her gaze ahead of her. “Oh! So you're on the same team as Sam Kerr?" I was taken aback when I heard that, but not for long because I knew our skipper is a well-known football player all over the world. Nonetheless, I asked how she knew Sammy.

“Yeah, how’d you know her?” She looked me in the eyes once more before responding,

"My cousin’s also a football player. I know Sam since I've watched a couple of games." I nodded and didn't press the issue any further because I realized we were getting close to the hall.

"This is it," she said as we approached the doors. "Are you guys waiting for your teammates to arrive before you come inside? I think mine are already here.” She questioned and informed me at the same time.

"We should, but I still don't know your name or what event you're participating in. I'd like to support you." I told her with a smile.

She smiled brightly at me. "My name is Raegan, I swim for Team USA." she said, shaking my hand.

"Oh, Team USA!" I exclaim. "I’m Kaiden, and this is Ellie." Ellie extended her hand to Raegan to shake.

"It's great to meet you, Raegan, and thank you for accompanying us to the hall. You'll undoubtedly have a tough time against Team Australia, but I'll be rooting for you."

"That's cute," she remarked with a playful smirk. "We'll see about that." Before entering the hall she looked back at Ellie and me and said, “It was also nice to meet you guys too!"

“Ells, why were you like gawking at Raegan?” I looked back at Ellie and questioned her after Raegan went into the dining hall.

“Girl I was not gawking at her,” she answered with an eye roll. “She looks familiar. I can’t tell where I saw her before though.” Ellie’s phone rang after she told me why she was looking at Raegan.

“Hey, Cait.” I heard Ellie say, letting me know that it was Caitlin who was calling her.

“Yeah, just in front of the right-side entrance.” I was trying to look for them while Ellie was talking to Caitlin. As I spotted Emily’s short ponytail I raised my hands so they could see us. Chloe spotted us first and ran towards me.

“Why didn't you two wait for us? What would happen if you both got lost? " Chloe questioned us right away.

"It's fine, Chlo, and we met someone on the way here. She helped us in getting here without getting lost." I tried to hide my smile but failed miserably because Chloe saw and teasingly smiled at me. I looked at her sternly and signaled her to keep her mouth shut.

"Just for now, Chlo?" I pleaded with her. She gave me a nod of her head. I adore Chloe for this reason. She simply understands what I'm thinking and feeling, and she always respects my decisions. She's a little protective of me, but I don't mind. We went inside together after we had all gathered at the entrance to eat.

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Raegan (ray-gan)

Oh my gosh. Did I just meet Kaiden fucking Moore? The Kaiden Alexandre Moore (yes I know her middle name), the girl I've had a crush on for the past year? I believe I did, and I'm currently floating on cloud nine. I'm not sure how I kept my calm as we were talking and heading towards the dining hall together!

When I walked into the hall, I dialed my best friend and teammate Emma's number, and she answered on the fifth ring. “Oh my gosh! Where are you? I just met-oh my gosh I can’t do this over the phone!” I said when she picked up.

"We're near the Filipino food bar because we figured you'd want to eat Filo food. Who did you meet, though? " Emma calmly said, as I examined the map on the side of the doors to determine where they were.

“I’ll tell you in person, oh my gosh I don’t even know how I managed my cool. Can you stand and wave your hand? I'm on the escalator and I can already see the food bar, but not you guys." As I approached the top of the escalator, I surveyed the hall for Emma, who was standing and waving her hand to attract my attention. I dashed up the remaining stairwells till I reached her.

“You know you could’ve walked right?” I heard Emma exclaim as I approached her. “I-i just met Kai-Kaiden Moore.” I told Emma while catching my breath. I saw her scrunch her eyebrows but smile at me after she realized what I said. Emma drew me down to a chair and demanded that I tell her everything that had happened during our encounter. I told her about how Kaiden had bumped my back and how I tried to hide my surprise when I realized it was my crush who had done it.

After informing Emma what had happened, I took her to the food bar with me so I could get something to eat. “I was about to scream at her when she bumped into me because I was still upset at you for leaving me in our room. But oh my gosh I don’t know what to say. I didn't expect to meet her here.” I told Emma while we waited in line at the food bar.

“I’m sorry about that. I didn't want to wake you up because you were sleeping soundly and I didn't want to dist—wait, don't you follow her on Instagram? " Emma inquired, interrupting her explanation. Gosh, she’s so random sometimes.

"Yeah, I follow her. Why? What's wrong with that?" I replied. "By the way, she was with Ellie when I saw her, and they were holding hands."

"What's wrong with that? Rae! Are you kidding?!? She'll think you're odd because you pretended you didn't know her. You need to unfollow her or it'll be awkward the next time you see each other." she reasoned, “And Ellie? Ellie who? Carpenter?”

"If we see each other again and yeah, Ellie Carpenter, their hands were like, linked." I remarked, a bit confused and sad. I took my phone from my back pocket, went to Kaiden’s profile but contemplated on unfollowing her or not.

"Well, the odds of you seeing her again are high, you know, considering Kelley's playing against them; aren't you planning to watch that game?" Emma inquired as I surveyed the food bar for possible options. I saw grilled pork and it made my mouth water, but I decided to go with the fried tilapia because I had a race coming up in a few days. Of course, I got some rice with it and a delicious squash soup.

“Yeah, I am. Our teammates are only swimming heats that afternoon and we would be done with our event before the 27th so I decided to come and support my dear cousin. Do you want to come with me?” I answered Emma after I got out of line with my food.

“Are you sure you’re coming for Kelley and not dear Kaiden?” Emma teased, a knowing grin on her face. I pretended not to hear what she said and continued walking towards where our other teammates were. I sat down in front of Katie, the youngest swimmer out of all of us.

“Hey Katie! How’s your day so far?” I asked her so that I could continue avoiding Emma’s question. I think Katie knew what I was doing because she was holding a laugh in while she gave me her answer.

“Good! So excited to be here! How about you Rae?” She questioned me back. I smiled a bit but that faded when Emma answered for me.

“She met Kaiden!” Emma blurted out. Everyone at our table heard what she said and looked at the both of us. Some of them gave me teasing gazes and smirks. I immediately felt my face heat up. I felt my phone vibrate saving me from this embarrassing moment caused by my best friend. I took my phone out and saw that Kelley was calling me. I excused myself and went out to the outdoor seating area of the food hall to answer Kelley’s call.

“Oh my gosh! Thank you for saving me from that embarrassing moment!” I told Kelley.

“Why what happened? You seem a bit nervous. You’re on speaker by the way. Alex is here” I don’t lie to Kelley, so I was contemplating if I was going to answer her question. But in the end, I took a deep breath before revealing the reason behind the nervousness in my voice.

“I met Kaiden before lunch today.” I kind of whispered to the phone afraid that people would hear what I just revealed to Kelley. On the other side of the phone I can hear Kelley trying not to laugh at how I told her what happened.

“Babe!” I heard Alex shout at Kelley, a bit of disappointment in her voice.

“Don’t fucking laugh at me Kelley Maureen! That was the most nervous I’ve been and you know how nervous I get before my races.” I rant out to her. I can hear Alex scolding her a little bit on the other end of the line and I can’t help but smile a little bit about their relationship. “Okay, okay, I’ll stop teasing her now.” Kelley replies to Alex. I heard her shuffling around followed by the door being slid shut. “Sorry Rae, just really love to tease you.”

“I know. I need your opinion, by the way.” I asked her.

“Go on.” She replied.

“Emma said I should unfollow Kaiden on instagram because she’ll think I’m weird. I acted like I didn’t know who she was when she bumped into me.” I said with a sigh. Looking back at our interaction, I really think I was a bit stupid for acting like I didn’t know her. It’s just that I felt an overwhelming feeling in my heart. You know when people say that they have butterflies in their stomach? I felt that but I felt all those butterflies fluttering their wings around my heart.

“Well, she can just think that you followed her after your interaction earlier. From what I've heard from Sam she’s really not that big into social media she probably won’t care either way.” I groan at her answer. I really feel stupid right now. I don’t really know how to explain how I feel. I’ve had a big freakin’ crush on that girl for the past year. I never thought I would meet her even though the odds are huge with KELLEY O’HARA being my cousin. Am I in a state of gay panic?!?

“Kels I think I’m gay panicking.” I tell her as I feel my heart beat faster. I could feel my breathing pick up a bit and Kelley noticed it too.

“Okay, Rae calm down. Deep breaths for me please I don’t want you to go into a full on panic attack. Inhale, Exhale.” I followed her instructions. “That's it, very good sweetie. Again. Inhale, Exhale.” It took a while but I felt myself calm down a bit.

“Thanks Kel. You’re the best cousin ever. I might have to end this call now though I still haven’t finished eating my lunch. I’ll see you soon.” I heard Kelley sigh a breath of relief after hearing normalcy in my voice.

“Don’t let Erin and Jerry hear you say that. Love you kid! See you soon!” I laughed and ended the call with a sigh of relief.

*ping*

[raegan.gvr]: Kaiden Moore (kai.mooreee) started following you.

Oh. I guess it’s too late to unfollow her now.

#fem oc #wlw #olympics #woso imagine #swimming #australia wnt #uswnt #kelley o'hara #sam kerr #auswnt #woso #woso imagines

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