There was a lot of history behind El Classico and over the last couple of years the women's game became just as highly anticipated as then mens. With you leading Madrid and Alexia leading Barcelona. You were two of the best players in Spain, during the league you despised each other and with the national team you managed to play well together but that's the limit to your partnership. It was a rivalry that went deeper than the surface, you and Alexia both having different reasons for the hostility you showed each other.
For the first time in the clubs history both El Classico's would take place on the same day. The women had a 12 o'clock kick off at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano and the men would be play at the Bernabéu at 4 o'clock.
All of the Real Madrid girls would attend the game. Some planned on watching it their families, whilst others including you, had been invited to watch the game from one of the owners box's. A few of your team mates asked if they could invite some of the Barcelona players to watch the game with them and who were you to say no.
Your match was challenging to say the least. Both teams wanted to put on a show given that the game was sold out. You and Alexia butted heads, figuratively speaking, several times. That is until the last ten minutes of the game, the game is tied 0-0 and you have a corner. You jump for the head when your Barcelona counter part elbows you the face.
Alexia tries to check on you but you know it is fake concern which only pisses you off more.
"Really, we're playing kind of game are we?" You shove her away.
"I didn't even touch you" within seconds she is back in your face.
"Captains, everything alright?" The referee comes on to you.
"Ask her again in a few minutes" you body check Alexia before going back to you position.
Alexia watches you walk away and for a brief moment she allows her eyes to linger. The White kit really did suit you, this season you opted for white boots meaning then when you play at home you are in white head to toe. Your naturally tanned skin making your muscle look like they were sculpted. The sight alone reignited feelings she once buried deep.
During the final play of the game Olga plays you a ball down the wing and as you run for it Alexia is right in your tail. Seeing Nahikari making her way to the box, you know you need to slow the play down to give her time, this means you have to go one of one with Alexia. Knowing getting around her will be difficult you choose option B, go through her.
You do so cleanly and she cannot argue the tackle. You send the ball in and it lands perfectly at Nahkiri feet who then slots it in the back of the net.
You run past Alexia to celebrate with your team but not before turning around sending her a smug wink.
The game ends 1-0. The women have done their job now it's a quick shower and change so that you can see if the men can do theirs.
You look around the pitch at full time and see that a few Barcelona players have family in the crowd and are staying out to talk to them, Alexia included.
"You and Y/N re getting worse." Alba states and Alexia ignores her sisters question knowing that she is right.
"Can we meet Y/N?" Alexia's younger cousin asks.
After the altercation and the tackle that lead to the goal, there was a little more tension between you so asking you for a favour wasn't at the top of Alexia's list but this was for family so she put her pride aside.
She sees you talking to Misa near the tunnel whilst you meet the last of the fans.
"Y/N" Alexia's voice is low.
"Alexia" you both stare at each other for a few seconds "did you want something?" Your face remains stoic making it impossible for Alexia to read you.
"I do. My nephew, for some reason, is a huge fan of yours and he wants to meet you. Would you mind-"
"Of course, lead the way" your face softens. Although you and Alexia didn't see eye to eye, you always made time for those that support you.
Alexia watches as you talk to her nephew as if he is the only one there. It was a trait of yours that she admired. You are able to make the person you are speaking to feel like they are of the only person in the world no matter the environment you are in.
"Can I have your shirt?" Hearing her nephews question snaps her out of the daydream she was in.
You turn to face Alexia. You would love to see any Barcelona fan in a Real Madrid shirt but for it be a relative of Alexia's in a shirt with your name on the back, that would be the icing on the cake.
"I don't know about that one bud, you'll have to ask Ale"
You haven't called Alexia that in a very long time but you couldn't help it, it just slipped out. You can only hope she didn't pick up on it.
"Can I?" the young boy begs.
"Sure just don't wear it around me"
Your roll your eyes at Alexia's stubbornness before shouting to one of the coaches, signalling for him to bring you one of the warm up jackets.
You talk to Alexia's family and for a short moment it is like old times. You and Alba laugh about the time the three of you tried to make a cake for Eli only for it to end in a flour fight.
Alexia watches intently as you quickly strip off your game shirt and replace it with the warm up jacket in one swift movement.
"It's nice seeing you guys but I need to go" you point to your media manager who is calling you over.
"It's nice seeing you Y/N. I really wish you and Ale would make up, it's been 3 years, she misses you" Eli says as she gives you a hug.
Paris 2019, the World Cup. A trip that would be memorable more so for the bad times than the good.
"I love you Eli, you know I do but somethings can't be forgiven"
"What's that suppose to mean" Alexia says having overhead your conversation with her mother.
"I have to go" with that you leave to do media duties.
Alexia stands there for all of a second before running after you.
"Y/N!" She shouts but you don't stop, if anything you walk faster.
"Y/N" again she shouts only much louder. You can feel the fans eyes burning holes in your head.
You didn't know when or if you would be ready go talk to her but here in front of all these people wasn't the place.
You sigh a breathe of relief when you see Nahikari waiting for you by the tunnel. That girl and her sixth sense.
"Are you ok?" Nahikari asks.
You are about to respond but alexia cuts you off.
"I don't deserve this!" she never understood why you cut off all communication with her or why you couldn't look her in the eye.
"You deserve worse" the young forward speaks for you.
"Nai" you pull her arm "trust me, she is not worth it"
You all but drag her into the locker room in fear of what she would do or say to your former best friend.
Whilst getting changed you cannot help but feel defeated. Real had just won, you were able to talk to Alexia's family like you used to yet the joy you felt vanished in a second because of her....again.
**********************
The atmosphere at the Bernabéu is electric and you cannot wait to enjoy the match with your friends and their friends, you only hope that Alexia got the message earlier and that she will stay away from you.
"This is incredible" Leila says as a member of staff escorts her into the box.
"Benefits of of dating a Real Madrid player" Misa says as she greets her girlfriend.
Some the Real Madrid players are making the most of the gourmet buffet whilst the others are already in the seats watching the team warm up.
Alexia scans the room and tries her hardest to hide her disappointment when she realises you aren't there, not inside or outside.
The words you said earlier stung. In her eyes she did no wrong, you had all but cut Alexia out of your life with no explanation.
"Your captain couldn't grace us with her presence?" Alexia asks she stand near Ivana.
"Are you being serious?" the defender asks "look around" she points to the large screens around the stadium.
That is when she sees you. You are pitch side with some of the media team doing interviews.
"Y/N agreed to do media on behalf on the team so that we can enjoy the game. I know you don't like her but she is a good person. She deserves to have fun tonight please don't ruin it for her" Olga tells her Alexia as she brings her a drink.
"Oh and one more thing, Y/N told me to tell you to go into the bathroom until she tells you to come out"
"Do you always follow her orders?" Alexia asks given that she has no idea why you would suggest that.
"I have found that Y/N always has a reason for saying and doing what she does" Nahikari says as she walks staring past the forward, not turning to look at her as she does so.
Despite her stubbornness, Alexia goes to the bathroom. She sits on her phone wondering how long you expect her to stay then. If she texted you, would you reply? She then hears voices enter the box, yours is the one she recognises first.
"Yes, unfortunately Alexia is stuck in traffic" Alexia hears you say "I agree, we would hate for her to miss us beating her precious Barcelona" She rolls her eyes at your confidence then she hears you thanking them before the door closes.
"You can come out now" you knock on the door letting her know the coast is clear.
She hopes you are waiting for her but you're not, you have taken your seat in the stand, sitting between Athenea and Claudia Zornoza.
"Why did you do that?" Alexia asks as she takes a seat behind you.
"You don't like media, he was media" you say without taking your eyes of the pitch.
"Careful Y/N, it's almost like you care about me?" Alexia teases trying to break the tension that had built between the two of you.
Your head snaps around at her claim. Is she being serious?
"That's not funny Alexia"
The Catalonian swallows deeply having found that her attempt at lightening the mood has had the opposite affect.
"I was just -"
"Well don't. I'm here to have a good time with my friends"
"So we're not friends?" Alexia asks not caring that the discussion between the two of you had now gained attention of those around you.
"No we're not" your reply is honest and you can tell that you have hurt alexia but you cannot bring yourself to care.
"Why is that?" Leila asks rather casually.
Now you really did have everyone's attention. Each player not wanting to miss out on hearing why you and Alexia, two people who were thick as thieves, can no longer be alone in the same room as each other, never mind talk to each other.
You remain quiet, you hadn't even talked to Alexia about what happened, no way was you about to discuss a very personal matter with your team mates.
Alexia on the other did not share the same need for privacy.
"Y/N woke up one morning and decided throw away a ten year friendship"
You look at alexia in shock, how dare she say that when she is the reason why you did what you did.
"What are you doing?" You say through gritted teeth.
"Telling them the truth" Alexia blatantly replies.
"No need Ale, we knew Y/N must have done something" Patri says clearly on the Barcelona captain's side.
"You don't know shit. If you did then you wouldn't have treated me like the bad guy for the past 3 years" you stand up abruptly "And you" you point at alexia "how dare you sit there and blame me. This all happened because of you"
Having nothing else to say and no longer being interested in the game you walk back into the box as you try to rid yourself of the nausea that is building within you.
"Y/N! Wait!" Alexia chases after you.
"No Alexia, I'm not doing this with you. You don't get to sit out there on your high horse and blame me for this. The destruction of our friendship is on you, it is your fault not mine."
"I'm sorry" her words are barely audible.
"No!" You shout "3 years, you never said a thing and now in front of everyone you choose to apologise" you point to your team mates who are all watching the exchange between the two of you.
Alexia shakes her head as she walk over the the doors to the outside area. She closes the them and the curtains to give the two of you more privacy.
"Because I am sorry"
"You told me you love me and I stupidly believed you, that's on me"
Alexia looks like a deer caught in headlights as she listens to you talk about the moment you two shared in 2019.
"Do you have any idea how much pain you have caused me? To see you chose her over me when you looked me in the eye and told me it was over"
"It was over" Alexia replies thinking she knows what you referring to.
"Jesus Christ Alexia, stop with the lying. I came to Barcelona wanting to surprise but it was you who surprised me"
"What are you talking about?"
"Three days after the World Cup I came to your house and imagine the betrayal I felt when I saw you with Jenni. You broke me Alexia, you did, out of all the people in the world I never thought my heart would get broken by you"
"I couldn't be around you. I hated you, even the thought of you would make my blood boil. It took me years to rebuild myself and now you think you can say sorry and it will fix everything well it can't, I wont let it"
"Y/N" Alexia begs you to stand down, to end the wrath that you are so adamant to bring down on her.
"No! Your actions costs me my friends and the people I once considered family. Do you want to know what hurts the most? Our team mates see you as this angel, the girl who can do no wrong. So when we stopped talking they assumed I was the bad guy, that it had to have been me that did something wrong but the only mistake I made was loving the wrong girl" you quickly wipe a tear from your cheek, not wanting alexia to see the pain that she is causing you.
"For months, every time I closed my eyes I saw you with Jenni on your door step kissing"
"We didn't kiss" Alexia knows she is burying herself a deeper whole but she doesn't know what to say. The anger and pain you are showing has been building for years, all she can do is stand there and lie hoping that you believe her version of events.
"Alexia listen to me" you take a step forward as if asserting your dominance and small smirk tugs at your lips when Alexia takes a step back, she knew who was in charge in this moment.
"I want you to remember I turned up that night. I could tell you what day it was, what time It was, heck I could even tell you what you were wearing. I know you don't care about me but at least have some common decency and not lie to my face"
"I didn't know" it is all alexia can say "She was bringing back her things, she kissed me and I didn't push her away but you know that"
She had no idea you turned up that night. At least now she knows why you cut her off, she would have done the same thing.
"I know this is new information for you but it is in the past for me" you voice is eerily calm which worries Alexia all the more.
"I-"
"Y/N the game is about start" Nahikari tells you.
"I'm coming"
You leave alexia standing in the middle of the room.
"She told you didn't she?" Alexia asks her, it would explain the forward's reaction earlier, why she is so protective over you.
"No but I knew she loved you. I knew she would never do anything to hurt you"
Both players go back out to the seats. Alexia wanted to talk to you, she wanted to be near you. She now knew that you didn't cut her out of your life because you didn't love her, it was because she made a mistake, she was too focused on her past and it cost her her future.