blackout - Alexia Putellas

47.

tomorrow is semi final day and i'm already nervous + excited. if you don't hear from me the next few days, i've fainted.

enjoy this chapter ☕️✍🏼🪴

"Hey, a little gentler on the turns, please," a voice drifts from the backseat, soft and playful. "You don't want to bruise our leafy friends back here."

Glancing at the rearview mirror, the captain chuckles at the sight behind her, where Erin is nestled amidst a forest of plants, their lush foliage casting a verdant shadow over her.

"Can't hear you over the rustling leaves, jungle girl," the two-time Ballon d'Or winner jokes, adjusting her speed as requested while taking another turn right.

"We're almost there, Bonita," she adds, sweeping aside the leaves cascading from the sizable plant perched on the passenger seat, before reaching over to adjust the music volume, ensuring Erin's voice comes through clearly.

"Thank goodness," the blonde exclaims, her laughter bubbling over as she steadies herself against a nearby potted plant, peering eagerly at the navigation screen between the front seats. "Your car isn't as spacious as I thought. I'm never sitting back here again."

"Well, that depends on how many more plants you're planning to buy," Alexia remarks with a grin, wiping her eyes as she guides the car smoothly into the driveway of their home. "I'm not sure how much more space our place can accommodate."

With a sigh of relief, Erin unbuckles her seatbelt as soon as the car comes to a stop.

But however, she finds herself entangled in a tangle of lush leaves when she tries to exit.

"Um, care to lend a hand?" Erin asks, her voice sweet and pleading, just as the door to her right swings open, granting her release from the leafy confines.

"Wasn't that a bit excessive?" Alexia queries, gesturing towards the now opened trunk of the car, where an array of plants and matching flower pots in different colors and sizes await.

"One can never have too many plants," the blonde declares, sliding out of the backseat and joining the captain by the trunk.

She deftly plucks two plants from Alexia's hands, nodding towards the largest one still nestled in the trunk. "You're handling that behemoth. It's way too heavy for me."

"As you wish, jungle girl," the two-time Ballon d'Or winner chuckles as she hoists the hefty flower pot from the trunk with ease, before following Erin inside.

"I'm just wondering who's going to take care of them when we're out of the country," the midfielder muses, her voice deep and thoughtful as they make their way towards the elevator. "You do realize the therapists travel with the team, right?"

Nodding, the blonde presses the button for the top floor, stifling a laugh as she watches her girlfriend struggle with the oversized plant.

"How can you even see?" Erin teases, gently pushing aside a stray leaf that obscures Alexia's face as they wait for the elevator doors to close.

But balancing the pots in her own arms suddenly became a precarious task.

"Gracias," Alexia chuckles, blowing a strand of hair from her face as the elevator begins its ascent.

Leaning against the wall, she carefully cradles the plant in her arms. "So, are we hiring a florist to tend to them while we're away, or do you have another plan in mind?"

Shrugging, Erin leads the way out of the elevator when the doors slide open, guiding them towards their apartment door while Alexia grapples with maneuvering the unwieldy plant through the narrow gap.