Begin again

It wasn’t long until they’d been officially together for nearly two months.

Since that day on their walk, there had been a few cases of people not minding their business when it came to their relationship. Where someone had said something or announced their opinion when it wasn’t necessary. But it wasn’t too frequent, not enough to cause any issues anyway and Alessia mostly manages to push their words aside.

Sure, a woman loving a woman may not be something they were okay with, but Alessia was definitely okay with it. Especially loving Leah. Sure it had taken a while to get to this point, but once she had, it was one of the easiest things she’d ever done.

Today was Leah’s first proper game back since her accident, and not only was she buzzing, Alessia was too. But it was only when they were in the tunnel waiting to go out that Alessia realised excitement wasn’t the only thing Leah was feeling. With a few minutes spare, Alessia grabs Leah by the hand and tugs her to the back of the line. She gently pushes Leah against the wall and cups her cheeks. Alessia tilts Leah’s chin up slightly, her thumbs brushing soothing circles against her jawline.

“You alright?” she murmurs, voice just loud enough to be heard over the chatter of their teammates.

Leah’s lips part slightly, but she hesitates before answering. She exhales through her nose, then gives a small nod. “Yeah, I’m alright.”

Alessia raises an eyebrow. “Leah.”

Leah sighs, her hands coming to rest on Alessia’s wrists. “I’m nervous,” she admits finally, voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve been waiting for this for so long, but now that it’s here, I-“

Alessia leans in and presses their foreheads together, cutting off Leah’s rambling. “You’re gonna be amazing,” she says firmly. “No one expects you to be perfect. Just go out there and play, yeah? We’ve got you.”

Leah lets out a shaky breath, nodding against Alessia. “Yeah. Okay.”

Alessia grins. “That’s my girl.”

Leah rolls her eyes, but a smile tugs at her lips nonetheless. “You’re such a sap.”

“Only for you,” Alessia teases, pressing a quick kiss to Leah’s nose before stepping back as they were called to get in line. Leah takes one last deep breath, then squares her shoulders. She catches Alessia’s eye and nods once. She was ready.

As they rejoined the line, Alessia subtly reaches for Leah’s hand, giving it one last squeeze before letting go. Leah sends her a grateful smile, one that was quickly replaced with steely determination as they prepared to step onto the pitch.

The roar of the crowd was deafening as they walked out, the floodlights beaming down on them. Alessia steals a glance at Leah, whose gaze was fixed straight ahead, jaw clenched in focus. This was it -her first proper game back.

The match started at a high tempo, their opponents pressing aggressively, but Arsenal matches their energy. Alessia finds herself in a constant battle with the opposing defenders, using her strength to hold up the ball and bring her teammates into play. Leah, on the other hand, slots seamlessly back into the defensive line, barking orders, keeping everyone organised, and putting in crunching tackles when needed.

It was as if she had never left.

Midway through the first half, Alessia finds herself in a dangerous position near the edge of the box. With one swift turn, she evades her marker and takes the shot, the ball rocketing towards the goal. The keeper dives, fingertips grazing it, but it wasn’t enough -Alessia watches as the ball hit the back of the net.

The stadium erupted.

Before she could even process it, Leah was sprinting towards her, arms outstretched. Alessia barely has time to brace herself before Leah crashes into her sending her stumbling backwards, wrapping her arms around her neck in a tight hug.

“I told you,” Alessia laughs breathlessly, holding Leah close as the rest of the team crashes into them both. There were pats to her head, shoulders, back.

Leah pulls back slightly, grinning. “Yeah, yeah, alright. You were right.”

The rest of the match passes in a blur. Arsenal secures a solid win, and as the final whistle blows, Alessia turned to find Leah already looking at her.

Leah exhales, running a hand through her hair before shaking her head in disbelief. “God, I missed this.”

Alessia steps forward, pressing her forehead against Leah’s. “Told you you’d smash it.”

Leah chuckled, cupping Alessia’s cheeks and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “You did.”

The celebrations continued in the changing room, the team buzzing around Leah, showering her with praise for her return. Alessia watches from a short distance, a fond smile on her lips. She knows how much this moment meant to Leah, how much she had fought to get back here. Eventually, after the interviews and media duties, they found themselves walking out of the stadium together, hand in hand, the cool night air brushing against their skin.

“Fancy takeaway?” Alessia asks as they neared Leah’s car, brushing her thumb over Leah’s knuckles.

Leah groans as she nudges her shoulder against Alessia’s own. “God, yes. I could eat an entire pizza by myself.”

Alessia smirks, squeezing Leah’s hand once more before untangling her their fingers and making her way round to the passenger side. “I won’t stop you.”

Leah unlocks the car, but before getting in, she turns to Alessia. There was something soft in her eyes, a quiet kind of gratitude.

“Thanks,” she murmurs.

Alessia frowns. “For what, darling?”

Leah shrugs. “For earlier. For knowing exactly what I needed to hear.”

Alessia smiles, making her way round to the drivers side of the car and gently tugging her into a hug. She squeezes tight, feeling the way Leah falls against her and nuzzles her nose into the crook of her neck. Alessia reaches up to cup the back of her head, feeling the way Leah clutches the material of her hoodie at the small of her back in response.

Eventually, reluctantly, she pulls away, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Leah’s ear. “Always.” She murmurs.

Leah rolls her eyes playfully, though Alessia doesn’t miss the way her eyes shine with what she hopes are happy tears. “Alright, stop being soppy and get in the car.” She chokes out, and with a laugh, Alessia climbs in, Leah following suit.

When they get home, they don’t even bother turning on the lights as they head straight for the bathroom.

Leah twists the shower handle, letting the water warm up as she peels off her kit. Alessia follows, sighing as she finally gets rid of her sweat-soaked jersey. The bathroom fills with steam, curling around them in soft, misty tendrils as they step under the spray together.

Alessia tilts her head back, letting the hot water cascade over her shoulders, soothing the aches in her muscles. Leah stays close, pressing her forehead lightly against Alessia’s collarbone, eyes slipping shut as she just breathes. It’s quiet, just the steady patter of water against their skin, the occasional drip echoing through the tiles.

Alessia lifts a hand and slowly runs her fingers through Leah’s damp hair. “You alright?” she murmurs, easily welcoming Leah closer when the blonde shifts to wrap her arms around her waist. She could feel the way Leah’s stomach rises and falls against her own.

Leah nods, exhaling against Alessia’s collarbone. “Just tired.”

Smiling softly, Alessia reaches for the shampoo and pours a small amount into her palm before working it into Leah’s hair. She takes her time, massaging the shampoo into Leah’s scalp with slow, deliberate movements, her fingertips pressing just hard enough to make Leah melt under her touch. Leah hums in appreciation as she finally lifts her head, eyes still closed as she leans into Alessia’s hands.

“This is dangerous,” Leah mumbles, voice thick with contentment. “You keep doing that, and I might fall asleep standing up.”

Alessia chuckles, pressing a quick kiss to Leah’s temple. “I’ll catch you if you do.”

Once she’s sure the shampoo is thoroughly worked in, Alessia guides Leah under the water, watching as the suds slide down her back and disappear down the drain. Leah blinks sleepily, reaching for the shower gel, but Alessia gently takes it from her hands.

“Let me,” she says softly.

Leah doesn’t argue. She stands still as Alessia squeezes some of the gel onto a loofah and slowly runs it over her skin, starting at her shoulders and working her way down to her chest and stomach. Alessia’s touch is careful, unhurried, and Leah relaxes completely under it, muscles loosening as the last remnants of tension fade away.

When Alessia kneels slightly to run the loofah over Leah’s legs, Leah huffs a quiet laugh. “You’re spoiling me.”

Alessia grins, looking up at her. “You deserve it.”

Leah rolls her eyes fondly but doesn’t stop her, simply watching as Alessia finishes, then trades places with her. Leah mimics Alessia’s movements, working the shampoo through her hair with the same slow tenderness, fingers massaging small circles over her scalp. Alessia sighs, closing her eyes and letting herself lean into the touch.

They rinse off together, the warm water washing away the suds and the lingering weight of the match. After they get out,Alessia throws on an oversized hoodie and a pair of shorts before grabbing her phone to order the takeaway. True to her word, she orders Leah an entire pizza just for herself, while she opts for her own meal. Leah, now dressed in one of Alessia’s t-shirts and nothing more, flops onto the couch, her damp hair fanning out over the cushions.

By the time the food arrives, Leah is already looking half-asleep, but she perks up when she sees her pizza. Alessia chuckles, handing her the box. “I wasn’t joking when I said I wouldn’t stop you.”

Leah grins sleepily. “You’re the best.”

They eat in comfortable silence, the only sounds being the rustle of pizza boxes and the occasional hum of approval from Leah. Once they’ve finished -with Leah actually managing the entire pizza herself- Alessia disposes of their rubbish in the kitchen before sitting back down, nudging Leah with her foot as she does.

Not even five minutes before Leah shifts closer, pressing her body against Alessia’s side.

Alessia immediately shifts her position so she was sat in the corner of the L shaped couch, allowing Leah to settle completely against her chest with her body curled up in between her legs. She strokes slow circles over Leah’s back as Leah nuzzles her nose against the underside of her jaw, and Alessia smiles, leaning her head down to press a lingering kiss to her forehead.

Leah lets out a small sigh, her breath warm against Alessia’s skin.

Within moments, she is drifting into a light sleep, her body completely relaxed in Alessia’s embrace. Alessia watches her for a moment, a soft smile tugging at her lips as she grabs the blanket off of the back of the couch and covers them both up, scooting down slightly so she was more slouched than sat. She then presses another gentle kiss to the top of Leah’s head, her fingers continuing their soothing movement as she brings her attention back to the tv.