Let's Find Forever | Herophine Fic

Just One Bite

HERO

As my eyes flicker open, the familiar buzz I felt last night at the stadium is still coursing through my veins. It was absolutely electric. Just as it always is in London too. I can't wait to get the Ajax team there and play against them. I'm holding the manager to the deal we made yesterday, I'll be putting 120 per cent in with Holly to get my foot right.

I really wanted to start. I really fucking did. I didn't want my first Champions League contribution to be sitting up in the rafters, cheering the team on. As lovely as it was with my girls to share that with them. Deep down, and they know it too, I wanted to be out on the pitch. Kicking the ball about, contributing to the match, finding goals and getting the all-important three points. But it wasn't meant to be.

Rolling to face the middle of the bed, my right arm reaches for Jo but hits the cold mattress instead. My eyes open wider and I realise she's not here. She's already up. Slowly, I push myself to sit and pull the duvet off me. As I stand, I stretch my arms above my head and hear a smattering of laughter and giggles from the adjoining room where Mila slept last night. Unable to contain my smile, I wander around to the door and push it open, finding it's partially ajar anyway.

My smile grows as my eyes find them all on the bed. Mila is laid down, as is Sydney. They're side by side while Jo is sitting cross-legged behind them both. Mila and Sydney's eyes lift up behind them, their giggles filling the room as Jo bends down and kisses their faces, making over-exaggerated mwah sounds as she does. I can't help but just stop and watch. I love capturing little moments like this in my mind and seeing them play out in front of me. Moments like these remind me of just how lucky I really am. I could've had the shittest day and everything would be forgotten about the moment I see my girls.

Slowly, Jo's eyes shift over to meet mine and her smile grows as she leans down once more, kissing both our girls before lifting up again.

"Good morning," she sighs, the smile remaining on her face.

"Good morning, you're having fun without me," as soon as I say this, Mila hops off the bed and rushes over to me. She leaps into my arms, curling her legs around my waist while resting her head on my shoulder.

"Morning, daddy. You can join in if you want?" My smile grows before I place a kiss on the side of Mila's head. She pulls away and in my peripheral vision, I see Jo carefully slide Sydney into her arms, resting her against her chest.

"I'd love to. But I'm absolutely starving. How about we go and get some breakfast? We could go out," Mila nods in agreement and as I place her down, Jo rises from the bed with Sydney still curled against her. I'm just glad she's sleeping better than she was. She's definitely not working on Australian time now, thank God.

As Mila states she can take care of herself and get herself ready, Jo and I take ourselves back to our room, closing the door behind us. Once it's closed, I wrap my arms around her waist from behind and place a kiss on her neck, staying there just a fraction longer than I usually would.

"Hmm, good morning to you too, skipper. Can you take her, please?" Jo turns in my arms, a familiar blush rising from her chest to her cheeks as she does. Nodding yes, she places Sydney into my arms and heads over to the vanity unit to collect her bag. I've no idea what she's doing so I just sit myself down on the edge of the bed and turn Sydney to face Jo so she can watch her too. We've discovered she's a very nosy baby and likes to look at everything going on.

Jo continues to hunt in her bag and eventually lifts out something that sounds like foil. I lean over slightly and see something familiar but something I've not seen since the night we literally made Sydney.