Stuck with you

Alexia stood in the doorway of Y/n’s room, a ball tucked under her arm.

The soft morning light shone across the bed, where Y/n and Olga were curled up under the covers, not seeming to be bothered by the brightness of the sunrays.

Alexia watched the two girls. It was a rare sight, really. Y/n didn’t usually allowed herself to be comforted, she always had that tough expression on her face–that only meant Alexia had really fucked up last night.

The heaviness of guilt set on Alexia’s chest. She’d been harsh, even if she didn’t mean to. And now Y/n was hurt, which meant Olga was mad at Alexia.

Alexia stepped closer to the bed, nudging Y/n’s torso.

“Nena, come play.”

Y/n stirred, turning around and hitting Olga on the head in the process,

Alexia tried again.

“Desperta, vamos,” Alexia said again.

This time, Y/n turned around just once, her eyes barely opening as she stared at Alexia, confusion on her face. “Huh?”

“Football, you and me,” Alexia said again, showing the ball to Y/n as if it was enough for her to understand what was happening.

“What’re you even talking about?” Y/n mumbled, still groggy.

Y/n rubbed her eyes and blinked around the room–then froze when she saw Olga beside her, as if she'd forgotten what happened the night before.

Realisation set into her face, and that's when she frowned, glancing at Alexia.

“Do you hate me, Alexia?” Y/n asked, sitting up on the bed carefully not to wake Olga up.

Alexia shifted the ball in her arms. “No?”

“It seems like you do,” Y/n said. “First, you were a jerk last night, which I get it because I was annoying too–”

Alexia opened her mouth to say something, but Y/n lifted her finger, making Alexia shut up.

“And now you wake me up in the wee hours of my day off to play football?”

Alexia changed the weight between her feet, slightly uncomfortable.

“You and I love football,” Alexia said.

“But do we need to do this on a Sunday?” Y/n asked. “I was having such a good sleep, tio.”

“I think we need to spend more time together,” Alexia said. “As Ale and Nena, not…captain and player.”

Alexia was trying. She always did, Y/n couldn't complain about it. Sometimes she just got confused about the place she occupied in Y/n’s life. Maybe Y/n did that too sometimes, I mean… she always yelled at Alexia at the training center when she was being too bossy.

Most players wouldn't yell at their captain, but Y/n just knew she could do that and that Alexia wouldn't be mad.

Yeah, maybe both of them should talk more, hang around more often, just be who they were before Y/n was placed on the A team in Barcelona, when Y/n was just a kid, Alexia was looking out for.

It wasn’t easy–being a pre-teen and living with Alexia–but at least neither Alexia nor Y/n said things that hurt each other. They used to just play football and sort things out.

Olga wasn’t even in the picture back then, so she didn't need a peacemaker to make them realise they actually did not hate each other, that they were just too much alike.

Back then, it was just Ale and the kid who never stopped talking about football. There were no structured training schedules, no press conferences, no pressure. Just the two of them, a ball, and a big yard all for them.

“Football won’t fix everything, you know”, Y/n said, but quickly regretted it as a wave of sadness ran into Alexia’s face.

She groaned, but not loud enough for Olga to hear.

“Okay,” she said, getting up from her bed and taking Alexia’s ball from her hand. “Maybe football will fix this, come on.”

Alexia smiled, watching as Y/n went to the bathroom to freshen up and change clothes.

“You don’t know how to be smooth with apologies, do you?” Olga said against the pillow, eyes still closed.

“I’m trying,” Alexia said, running her hands through Olga's hair.

“And did you need to try it this early?”

“You and Nena are too much alike,” Alexia rolled her eyes, kissing Olga’s temple. “Too sleepy.”

“We just aren’t morning freaks,” Olga murmured. “Not even the birds are up.”

“Yes, they are, Olguita.”

“I doubt that.”

“Okay, let’s go,” Y/n said as she left the bathroom, wearing a training top and some shorts.

Alexia turned to her. “Don’t you wanna have breakfast first? I can make you some smoothies.”

“No,” Y/n said, shaking her head. “Let’s get this over with so I can come back to sleep.”

“That’s my girl!” Olga said, still tucked into the bed. “You guys be out sporty and all that, but don’t be loud, por favor” [please]

“And come back as friends,” Olga murmured before going back to sleep.

..

“You actually need to retire,” Y/n said when Alexia missed the ball y/n sent on her way.

“I was sneezing!”

“Whatever.”

They continued quietly kicking the ball under the soft sun. It was one of those cold, but sunny mornings. The grass on their back was brushing on their ankles, a little damp from the morning dew.

“Look… I’m sorry,” Alexia said suddenly, watching as the ball rolled toward Y/n.

Y/n paused, looking at Alexia. “Olga already talked to me, it’s okay.”

“I want you to hear it from me too,” Alexia said in a low, serious voice. “I’m sorry I acted like that…I didn’t mean to snap at you. I was–”

She looked down at the ball before shooting it to Y/n. “I don’t know. Frustrated? And I took it out on you. That's not fair.”

Y/n hesitated for a second. She and Alexia were never the ones to apologise through words. “Hm…Thanks for, hm, saying that.”

“I love you,” Alexia said. “The girls at the club love you. You know that, right?”

Y/n took the ball, playing with it and nodding with her head, not trusting her words.

Alexia shifted her weight. “Your parents… they called again and they said they really miss you, nena.”

“Alexia,” Y/n said in a warning tone, kicking the ball with more force than she intended, but Alexia caught it.

Alexia’s shoulders dropped. She needed to talk about it. Y/n might not open up about her parents, but Alexia knew how much it had bothered her when she was younger and how the hurt had turned into anger, avoidance.

Alexia sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. “I know that’s complicated. I just–” Her voice dropped, and she looked down.

“–I want you to know that they called and asked me to say that they loved you,” Alexia said, her voice softer now. “Cariño… you can’t ignore them forever.”

“Yes, I can. And I will. Just like they ignored me.” Y/n said.

“I just think you three should talk,” Alexia tried to argue. “I’m not asking you to forgive them, I’m just saying that maybe you could call them yourself and say you don’t want any more contact, or else they’ll keep trying.”

“They weren’t really trying when I was a fourteen-year-old kid calling them on Christmas morning, waiting for them to come pick me up for some family time, were they?”

Alexia let out a sigh. Of course, this wasn’t what she wanted to hear.

She remembered that Christmas very well, it was the first time Alexia and Y/n were together because her parents had ‘forgotten’ to tell Y/n that they were going to be travelling during the holidays.

It was also the first time Alexia had to calm down a crying fourteen-year-old girl. After that, everything changed. Y/n became distant from her parents and stopped calling them.

Now, five years later, the roles had flipped, the parents were the ones calling Alexia, desperate, as if she could undo what they’d broken years ago

And maybe that was what stung both Alexia and Y/n the most: they never asked what Y/n needed, they just told Alexia what they wished she would say to the girl in order to have her forgive them

“Nena, you know that I don’t like to be in the middle of this,” she said softly. “But I am and I want you to know that I’m on your side, si?”

“I just don’t think they get to choose when to show up, now” Y/n’s jaw tightened.

“You and Olga are family,” Y/n continued. “And that’s enough for me–it’s been enough for me for five years now.

Alexia absolutely wouldn't push Y/n to talk with her parents if she truly didn’t want to; although Alexia was aware of how much Y/n missed her parents, how she always searched for them after a match.

Her parents weren’t the best in the world. They forgot they had a daughter after sending Y/n to live with Alexia, but now they called her– not Y/n, never Y/n–hoping Alexia would fix it. She never knew what to say.

But she answered, anyway.

But now Y/n was already hurt. They couldn't do much, and Alexia couldn’t do much either, except encourage Y/n to talk to them.

Alexia hesitated, fingers drumming softly against the ball resting between them. “You don’t have to talk about it,” she said, quiet but certain. “But if you ever want to—I’m here.”

It was just a quiet offering. Alexia wanted Y/n to know that she was there. Even after their fight, even after she had said hurtful things. That she loved the girl.

Alexia watched as Y/n played with the ball on her feet. She looked…tired, emotionally tired.

This wasn’t going as planned.

Alexia had to use her last resort. The one she and Y/n had forced to swear off after Olga’s ban—a ban she declared necessary when they nearly broke the TV over a match for getting too competitive.

“…Wanna play FIFA?” Alexia offered, hopeful.

Y/n lit up instantly, mischief on her face. “Of course I do!”

Alexia smiled proudly, happy that at least she had made the girl smile in some way.

Alexia had found the PlayStation hidden away in Olga’s side of the closet. She took it quickly and put it on the TV in the living room. They had a few hours to play before Olga actually woke up.

They were playing nicely. That was, until Y/n purposely nudged Alexia just as her character–literally her–was about to score.

“That’s a red card!” Alexia yelled, tossing the controller onto the sofa and turning to Y/n. “You can’t do that, you cheater!”

“Why am I a cheater?” Y/n asked, brows furrowed in anger. “Pushes happen in real life, Alexia. Get over it.”

Y/n rolled her eyes before jumping onto the couch, arms raised in celebration as her goal was confirmed on the screen, shining bright on Alexia’s face.

“Yeah!” Y/n shouted triumphantly, pointing a finger at Alexia. “One point for me, zero for you!”

“Què!?” Alexia turned to the TV, then back to Y/n. “No! I wasn’t paying attention–that doesn’t count!”

“Yes, it does! Not my fault you weren’t focused.”

“I would be focused if you didn’t cheat!”

“Cry about it, Capi.”

“You cheat at FIFA, you cheat at tug of war–”

“Oh my god, not the tug of war again!”

“Cállense!” Olga’s voice cut through their argument as she entered the room, her hair was a complete mess, and her eyes were barely open.

“Olguita,” Alexia started, standing quickly, nervousness on her face “, We’re sorry we woke you–”

“Putellas,” Olga said in a warning tone, eyes sharp. “Keep quiet.”

She made a beeline for the TV and snatched the PlayStation and hugged it protectively to her chest, as if either Y/n or Alexia would fight her for it.

They would never. They were actually scared of Olga.

“How is it that you two still don’t know how to play a game amicably? You play on the same team!” Olga huffed, walking out of the room.

Alexia and Y/n glanced at each other, then at the console in Olga’s hands as she made her way upstairs.

“Quina merda!” Y/n whispered, “She’s gonna ban it again.”

“She already has,” Alexia muttered back, sighing.

..

After Olga took away Alexia’s and Y/n's source of happiness, Y/n had to find other things to keep her mind busy during her day off. That’s why she went for a run later that afternoon.

It was good, it helped her put things in perspective. Especially her fight the other night with Alexia and the whole situation with her parents…maybe she should call them just to make sure they would stop bothering Alexia.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t realize it was almost 7 p.m. The air had turned colder, but Y/n didn’t feel it– she was still moving, headphones on.

Her hair was completely messy, she was all sweaty, and her gym clothes were dirty from all the running she did around the park.

She needed a shower. Desperately.

Yn walked to the big white house on the hill and pushed the door open…and then she paused.

Alexia and Olga were right in front of the door.

Looking pretty. Fancy even.

Y/n looked at them with furrowed eyebrows as she closed the door behind her.

“Cariño,” Alexia called, hand on her hip. “Why did you take so long?”

“We were going to look out for you,” Olga said, already turning around, Alexia and Y/n quickly following her.

“What?” Y/n blinked. “Look out for me? I’ve been out for just two hours!”

“Yeah, but you are late for dinner!” Olga replied, rolling her eyes as she urged the girl inside into the kitchen.

“What dinner?”

“Tonight’s dinner!” Alexia said, exasperated as she handed Y/n a stack of plates. “I told you about it.”

“No, you didn’t!” Y/n said, automatically setting the table, putting one plate down after the other.

“Yes, she did, cariño,” Olga said, passing by holding a salad bowl. “This time I have to agree with Ale.”

Y/n huffed and watched the table she had just set. One, two, three…four plates?

Y/n frowned. “Who’s coming–?”

Ding dong.

Alexia placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding her gently but firmly. “Nena, get the door while we finish setting the table.”

“Me?” Y/n asked, pointing at herself. “I’m disgusting!”

Ding dong

Alexia pointed at the door, her voice more stern. “Go.”

Y/n rolled her eyes, still confused as she trudged to the door.

It was probably Alba coming. It had to be Alba. They always did those dinner dates every once in a while.

‘Please be Alba. Anyone…boring. Anyone safe.’ Y/n thought, not wanting to deal with another dinner with hers and Alexia’s manager or Olga’s coworkers

Y/n got close to the door, trying to get rid of the leaves of grass on her top, and quickly ran her hands through her hair, trying to look a little presentable. She put on her default polite smile and breathed.

She opened the door, then she completely froze.

Kika stood there, holding a flower pot tight to her chest. Her eyes were wide, nervous, as if she also didn’t expect Y/n to be on the other side of the door either.

Okay. Everything was fine.

Kika was at her door. On their day off. Holding flowers. And unfairly cute.

Yes. Alexia had definitely not told Y/n about this dinner. Y/n would remember if she had told her Kika would be coming tonight.

“…Hi,” Kika said, voice small. “Sorry, I hit the doorbell twice, I didn’t hear it quite well the first time.”

Y/n blinked, looking at the flowers, then at Kika and then gluing her eyes to the sunflowers like they might explode. “What the he–”

“Can I give them to you or…?” Kika extended her arms with the flowers, urging Y/n to take them, but she didn’t; instead, she just watched as Kika’s hand wrapped around the flower pot.

Y/n opened and closed her mouth, almost like a fish.

“The flowers?” Y/n finally asked. “I mean, do you wanna give me the flowers?”

Now it was Kika’s turn to open and close her mouth.

“Yes, I-I guess?” Kika said, flushing.

“You bought me flowers?!” Y/n said.

“No! I mean–yes? No. I bought them for Olga and Alexia.” Kika said, fidgeting. “I mean, it’s kind of…hm…It’s a house gift! So I guess… yes? You can take them–since you live at this house?”

“Oh. Okay,” Y/n said, a little too quickly. “So they’re for the house. Not for me.”

“Right,” Kika nodded. “House flowers.”

Y/n looked down. Then up. Then back at the flowers.

Kika shifted her weight and cleared her throat. “You've got a little something–” she pointed at Y/n’s head. “It’s a leaf…in your hair.”

“What?” Y/n stiffened

“It looks like a whole branch, actually,” Kika said, tilting her head.

Before Y/n could shake the…branch away, Olga swept in and dodged Y/n to the side, giving a disappointed side eye, muttering something.

Y/n grasped it as ‘hopeless’.

“Oh, Kikinha,” Olga said quickly, taking the pot from the girl’s hand and kissing her cheeks. “You bought us flowers! That’s so sweet of you!”

Y/n just stood there like her brain had short-circuited.

Kikinha? Were Kika and Olga the best of friends now? Greta, they had nicknames now.

Olga welcomed Kika, a hand on her back as she led her through the hall. Y/n didn't realise Alexia was also there, in the doorway, watching with an amused smile on.

Y/n had the impression that they had been watching her interaction with Kika.

At dinner, Y/n tried to sit as far from Kika as humanly possible. But Olga just smiled and tugged her chair closer to Kika–way closer.

“Come sit here, cariña!” Olga patted at the seat beside Kika as she took her own place on the other side of the table, by Alexia’s side.

Y/n glared internally, but sat down anyway, shuffling her chair ever-so-slightly away, which resulted in an embarrassing screech of wood against tile that echoed through the room, indicating very well what Y/n was doing.

Silence.

Y/n smiled awkwardly and plopped herself down to her chair, Kika’s tight, very close to her own.

They began to eat as Olga chatted away, completely oblivious to Y/n’s rising panic.

It wasn’t that Y/n wasn't happy that Kika came over to dinner. It was just that she wasn’t prepared. Before training, she would give herself a pep talk, urging herself to act normal, cool and collected.

But right now? She was everything but collected. Y/n looked like a mess while Kila looked pretty. Y/n smelled like sweat while Kika had the sweetest perfume on.

“Do you want rice, Alexia?” Olga asked.

“No, tha–”

Too late.

Olga scooped a generous spoonful onto Alexia’s plate before she could finish.

Alexia smiled resignedly before eating.

“Kikinha, you should come around more often!” Olga added happily, taking salad from the bowl and serving herself and then Alexia, who once again didn’t request any food.

‘Come here more often?’ Y/n squinted her eyes at Olga. This didn’t seem like a normal dinner. It felt more like a trap.

“So, how’s the adaptation going, Kika?” Alexia asked, staring sadly at the lettuce Olga had put on her plate.

“It’s nice being away from my parents for the first time.” Kika smiled shyly. “I lived in Portugal my whole life, and now. It’s like I get to be freer. Like, I can make my own choices, you know?”

“Oh yeah, that’s the best thing ever, sweetie,” Olga nodded. “You get to make your own rules, all that.”

“So, how’s training been for you lately, Kika?” Alexia chimed in, still trying to avoid the lettuce.

“It’s intense, but I love it,” Kika said. “I’m starting to get the hang of things. I feel like I’m learning a lot from everyone– especially from you, Alexia.”

Alexia smiled smugly, and Y/n kicked her under the table. Not enough to hurt, just enough to deflate her ego.

Olga turned to Kika, smiling warmly. “Do you get much free time outside of training, Kika?”

“Not a lot– our schedule is crazy–but it’s enough to do some fun things!”

“What do you like to do, sweetheart?”

“Hm, I like to walk around, explore. It’s beautiful here.” Kika said, taking a bite from her food. “There’s a lot of old buildings, good food, and pretty places…”

“You should take Estrelita with you!” Olga beamed, pointing at Y/n, who was slowly leaning back in her chair, as if trying to disappear. “She never goes out. She’s lived here her whole life but barely knows the city!”

Y/n froze, eyes darting to Kika as she felt her cheeks blush instantly. Great. Now Kika was going to think she was some sorta antisocial freak.

She could feel Kika’s gaze drifting towards her, but she didn’t look up, instead, she just stared at her fork as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

“Come on, cariño,” Olga pressed. “You two would have a great time. Right, Kika?”

Kika blinked. “Hm… sure! We could…go for a walk? Or something.”

“You know, Estrelita’s favorite ice cream place is just a few blocks away from here,” Olga said, dodging Y/n’s leg that tried to kick her. Instead, Olga casually hooked her ankle around Y/n’s and held her in place under the table, smiling sweetly as she spoke. “You should take Kika there sometime, nena.”

“It got closed,” Y/n deadpanned, trying to wriggle her leg free, but in the process, she accidentally kicked Alexia’s shin.

Alexia winced. “Ouch!”

“Oh, why did it close?” Olga asked quickly, trying to be louder than Alexia ,still holding Y/n’s leg.

Poor Kika looked from Alexia, then to Olga, then to Y/n with a confused expression on.

“Sanitary inspection,” Y/n muttered. “Rats and all that.”

The table went completely silent.

Kika paused mid-chew, fork frozen halfway to her mouth.

Olga blinked. “Well… maybe don’t go to Y/n’s place of choice, Kikinha.”

“I think rats are cute,” Kika offered quietly..

Everyone turned to look at her.

“I mean–not like in ice cream.” She added quickly. “ Just… in general. As animals.”

Y/n stared at her.

Y/n watched as Kika’s cheek blushed. “I didn't mean as pets... I've never had a rat–or any rodent–as a pet,” Kika said, trying very hard to explain herself over something that really didn’t need explaining.

“I saw the other day a video about a rat painting with its paw,” Y/n said with a smile, hoping it would ease the tension. “I thought it was cute.”

“Oh, I also saw it,” Kika said, smiling.

“You know, nena had a rat when she was younger,” Olga chimed in, nodding as if this was a perfectly normal conversation to be having over dinner.

“Oh, Y/n had a rat when she was younger,” Olga chimed, trying to fix whatever happened to their whole conversation.

“It was a guinea pig,” Alexia murmured, correcting Olga under her breath.

Olga let go of Y/n’s leg to kick Alexia lightly under the table, but it only landed directly on Alexia's knee.

Hard.

“Olguita!” Alexia gasped, jerking back on her chair. “My ACL!”

“Oh!” Kika said, eyes wide with concern.

Y/n dropped her fork and stared at the whole scene in front of her. They really couldn't have a nice and normal dinner, could they?

“Oh, I’m sorry, amor,” Olga said, urging Alexia to get up from the chair, hands on her shoulder. “Let’s go to the living room, I’ll get you some ice. Just elevate it, okay? It's fine!”

Olga grabbed Alexia by her shoulder and gently guided her towards the hallway. “Perdón, mi amor, no fue mi intención pegarte, fue sin querer.” [I’m sorry, my love, I didn’t mean to hurt you.]

And just like that, they were gone.

And Kika and Y/n were alone.

Y/n stared at her plate. The silence was loud.

Kika cleared her throat, attempting to break the awkward silence. “So… you had a guinea pig?”

“Not quite the same as rats.”Y/n glanced up, smiling faintly.

Kika nodded quickly, a hint of a smile. “Right, less…tails.”

“His name was Cerdito.”

“That’s a cute name,” Kika said softly, poking at the piece of broccoli still on her plate.

“Yeah.”

Silence.

“Alexia killed him,” Y/n added.

“Oh.”

“I left him out in the yard to get some sunlight,” Y/n continued. “She didn't know and was practicing her shooting.”

Kika's fork froze mid-air. "That's..terrible."​

"We had a whole burial for him," Y/n said.

Kika searched Y/n's face. “Poor Cerdito.”

"Yeah," Y/n agreed. "He never saw it coming."