Sunsets and footballers

Jordan Nobbs x Leah Williamson (12)

She sat up and kissed and pet him as if making up for lost time. "I really, really missed him." She admitted. Leah was always stoic, always had her emotions in check. Only with Jordan had she ever properly opened up, and for the past year, she'd closed that emotional side out to deal with not having her around. And so it was hard for her to open up, to admit her feelings, to admit she missed him and Jordan and their life, but she did it because she trusted that her vulnerable self would be safe with her. It always had been, even before they were together.

"Do you want to see him more?" Jordan asked. Leah looked up from her place on the ground. What exactly was she offering?

"I'd like to see you both more."

"I'd like that too, but Lea, I... I need time."

Jordan was sticking up for herself. She was proud of her.

"I know, Jord. Take as much time as you need – I'm here to stay. Whatever you want, whatever you need."

Jordan played with the eggs on her plate. "It's a bit harder now that we're in different cities..."

Leah knew she was looking for reassurance. "YFN and Lucy do just fine in different countries."

"They've been through a lot in a small amount of time," she sighed, suddenly empathetic for them. Jordan was always the one who felt more and wasn't afraid to show it. "Lucy messaged me this morning. She's organising a surprise party for YFN's birthday."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she sort of threw out the idea of us both going to London today to meet up with them."

"YFN won't be suspicious? It is a 'surprise' party, right?"

"Yeah, but Lucy has worked it so she'll be busy all day with players and things, which will give her a chance to chat to them all while she's distracted. Something about us going into the Lumos office?"

"Oh, she was saying she had that pencilled in for this week sometime... wait, was it Lucy who invited the girls over to their house last night?"

Jordan smirked. "Yeah, she's so sneaky. She had a few of the girls ask YFN about interviews and photos, and then suggest today because it's everyone's day off after the matches yesterday."

"The confidence of that woman. How sneaky," she agreed.

"I think she has to be to avoid YFN finding out. She's really good at picking up on things," she smiled at her plate.

Leah wondered at her expression. "Do you miss her being around?"

Jordan nodded. "Yeah, but I know London is best for her right now. I do wonder if she'll come back to Birmingham and live when she's healed. I hope she does. She's really good to be around. She makes me a better person, and she's always there for me." She cleared her throat as if she'd opened up too much. Her eyes met Leah's and just as quickly flickered away.

"What about your birthday?" Leah murmured. It was also coming up soon, just a week after YFN's.

"It's a joint birthday that Lucy is planning. She knows YFN and I would both love that. And I'm not too fussed on surprises..."

Jordan distracted herself by pushing the food around her plate, though Leah knew that look on her face. She was turning 31 and didn't want to admit how it made her feel.

Leah reached out hesitantly and laid her hand over Jordan's. She paused her actions and stared at their hands, smiling smally. They both knew what it meant.

"Lea... do you want to go to Lumos today with me?"

"Yeah... yeah alright," Leah chuckled nervously, not expecting the offer. More time with Jordan.