👩🏼❤️💋👩🏼❤️🔥🕊️💋 — lover
bit of a long one but if you're enjoying this, please do comment! I love interacting with you all and knowing what you think x
20th august 2023
sydney, australia
If Sophia knew how much her body would go through withdrawal after one pathetic excuse of an interaction with Alexia, she would have avoided making eye contact with her in the first place. She thought that surely it wasn't normal to still be this hung up over a woman she should've gotten over in the year and a half that they hadn't of seen one another but nothing about their situation or relationship had ever been normal.
She felt disappointed, in both herself and her inability to keep a conversation going with the woman she could once talk the ears off of. But most of all, she felt upset that she had forced herself to watch the woman achieve the biggest victory that football had to offer from the sidelines, instead of by her side like she should of been.
For the past hour and a half, Sophia had been in a sulk, that was clear for everybody to see, it being present in her facial expressions and body language, those around her narrowing it down to the second place finish. However, after getting a couple of double pink gin and lemonades down her and having a little dance to ABBA with her best friend, the blonde had already begun to partially forget her conversation with her ex girlfriend because why would she want to keep thinking about the gorgeous, kind, talented, Spanish woman she once loved?
Once satisfied with her newfound positivity, Leah had brought Sophia back to their table to both catch their breaths and to allow everybody else to have a dance, the pair finding Ella and Alessia stuck deep in conversation, the two young lionesses soon ditching their own chat to get involved with the older blonde women, the quartet wasting no time in laughing and properly catching up with one another.
However, as much as they wish it hadn't, their debate about whether or not Smithy had in fact accepted or denied Nessa's proposal was soon caught short at yet another sight that Ella had seen over her sister's shoulder, the brunette's jaw dropping before a smile took over her face, nudging her best friend's knee so that Alessia could also see what was going on.
"Earth to Ella, what's the matter with you?" Sophia questioned with a furrowed brow, pondering on why on earth her sister had just interrupted herself and what had caught her interest so much.
Neither of the women had seen Ella this excited over anything before, the Manchester United player scooting forward to the point where she had nearly fallen off her chair resulting in Alessia holding out her arm in front of the brunette's body, exaggeratedly gesturing her hands to execute her point. "I swear it's as if the stars have aligned because guess who has just walked in."
That was all it took for the remaining two women to direct their attention to the sound of the door closing behind them, watching in disbelief as the two time ballon d'or winner casually made her way over to the bar leaving her mum and sister to find a vacant table in the crowd of England shirts; Leah nodding back at Ella with a smirk on her face, the pair in a mutual understanding that they needed to do something about this and quickly.
"Alexia." The teacher quietly breathed out her name, her name known all too well and soft as it rolled off the tip of her tongue, Sophia's eyes full of nothing but adoration as she silently thanked all of her lucky stars that their time at the stadium was not the last, thankful that she had a possible second chance of speaking to her.
"Bloody hell, calm down, your head has just nearly come off your neck." Ella laughed loudly, the drinks she had had catching up with her and her laugh enticed more from the other women on the table, Sophia knowing that she needed to turn back around before she got caught.
"I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting her to be here. What were you saying?"
It was as if Sophia was trying to diminish Alexia into a distant memory, the four women continuing on with their debate as if there hadn't been any interruptions at all, their joint laughter heard from all over the bar and they had no intention of quietening down. But no matter how much she tried, the blonde continuously let her eyes trail to the corner of the room where the three Spanish women sat, allowing herself to focus on them for five seconds at a time, the cycle repetitive until she was finally called out on it.
"Are you gonna sit here staring at her all night or will you actually go over and speak to her?"
"El, there's a reason why we left the conversation where we did."
"You mean, why you left the conversation the way it did." Ella was quick in correcting her older sister. "Because from where I was stood, she looked like she still wanted to talk."
"Really?" Sophia's eyes lit up at the revelation, whether it was true or not, it still made her heart skip a beat. It was in that moment that she had noticed a certain midfielder approaching the bar in her peripheral vision, knowing that she would be an absolute fool if she were to let this opportunity go to waste. "I'm going to get us a drink."
"Oh we do love you, Soph, you didn't even have to ask." Leah blew her best friend a kiss, earning a chorus of thanks and requests to bring some shots back with her.
With a deep breath and a smooth down of the shirt she was wearing, Sophia dragged herself over to the bar and silently stood beside the Catalonian woman, unaware that Alexia had in fact noticed her presence the second she got close enough, the smirk on her face unmissable and if Sophia were to see it, she's sure that her knees would've buckled underneath her.
"I want to say that I'm surprised to see you here but I'd be lying if I said i was." Sophia finally spoke up, having absolutely no clue where this random surge of confidence had popped up from, easily remembering how much she was shitting herself a mere three hours ago at just the thought of seeing the other woman, mentally kicking herself at her inability to say a simple hello.
"Yeah, I just wanted a quiet night to celebrate with mum and alba, there's always more time to go wild with the team." Alexia confirmed politely, a sweet smile resting on her face as she scanned her hazel eyes over the blondes features for a few moments, embracing all of the familiarities and the changes she was yet to familiarise herself with.
"Have I got something on my face? Oh god, how embarrassing." And as fast as the confidence had overtaken her body, it was gone just as fast by one look from her ex. It had always been an easy task to make Sophia blush, and whether she may realise it or not, Alexia was always the main culprit of doing so. The first time the pair had met and the women locked eyes with one another, blush. The first kiss they had shared, blush. Every time Alexia would move a piece of hair out of Sophia's face, you guessed it, she would blush.
It was quite comforting in a way. To know that somebody held you in such high regards that they would turn red at any little thing that you did, no matter how big or small the action would be, it was flattering. And Alexia made sure to let Sophia know each and every time just how much she adored it, the once rosy flush on her cheeks never failing to transform into a burning red at the confession.
"No, sorry, I just zoned out." The Catalonian woman slightly shook her head, getting out of her own daydreams and bringing herself back to reality, noticing the rosy hue peeking out from underneath the tanned woman's cheeks, not having any time to think about the next thing she said. "And now you're blushing, it's cute."
"It's nice to see that you've not changed, alé." The teacher let out a genuine giggle, the angelic sound doing nothing to calm Alexia's nostalgic mood, unknowingly matching Sophia's. "I remember when you won the Champions League in 2021 and you didn't want to do anything but get in bed and order a pizza."
"You were the only person I wanted to celebrate with, you were there with me through it all, the highs and the lows of the season and all of the seasons we were together, it was only right that I wanted to be with you."
"Would you like a drink?" Alexia was quick in offering, feeling as though the other woman would slip away yet again if she didn't, neither of them wanting this night to end.
"It should be me asking you that, not the other way around." Sophia laughed, pulling her phone out of her back pocket to pay.
With a shrug of her shoulders and a twinkle in her eye, the Barcelona player came up with an idea. "Let's call it making up for lost time."
"In that case, I should definitely be buying you one." Sophia nudged her shoulder against Alexia's, letting her touch linger for a mere couple of seconds, sparks flying in the stomachs of both women. "And I also need to get Ella, Leah and Alessia's so I'm technically saving you some money."
"Thoughtful as always."
"I'm presuming your order hasn't changed?" Alexia shook her head, allowing herself to continue her gaze at the Mancunian woman, smiling as she watched her respectful and kind nature appear even more as she spoke to the bartender. "I still can't get over how you find that enjoyable, I couldn't think of anything worse."
"That's because the first time you tried it you decided to drink the whole thing in one go and then went on to throw it up not even two minutes later."
"I can't take full responsibility for that, you were the one who let me do it."
"Because by the time I was about to warn you, you had already swallowed it."
"And we both know the sight after that was not a pretty one." Sophia giggled, remembering that night as if it was yesterday, always loving the various nights that the pair had spent together.
"I don't know how you managed to still look good with your head halfway down the toilet but you did."
"Debatable." Tilting her head, the younger blonde pursued her lips in contemplation, leaving Alexia to laugh in response, the two ex lovers unconsciously and progressively getting closer by the second. "The sight you woke up next to for three years were certainly not my best looks."
"Maybe not in your eyes but you always look beautiful." Look, not looked, Sophia thought to herself, surely it must have meant something right?
"Sorry to disturb, I've just come to get our drinks because somebody forgot to bring it over." A brunette came in between them both, Sophia and Alexia letting out an awkward cough once they realised how close they had in fact gotten. "Congratulations on the win, Alexia, it's good to see you."
"It's good to see you too, Ella, you played a great game." The smile on the Catalonian woman's face was genuine as she greeted the woman she had grown quite close to during the three years that she was with her sister.
"Thank you very much. Anyways, I'll be on my way. Have fun lovebirds!" And with that, Ella had blown the pair a kiss as she walked back to Leah and Alessia, all three drinks very carefully balancing in her hands.
"She always knows how to make an entrance, doesn't she?" Alexia laughed, taking a moment to look back at the table she had come from, both women laughing at the loud cheers that soon followed at the sight of their long awaited drinks.
"That's our El." The nursery teacher playfully shook her head, swiftly continuing their conversation from before they were interrupted, unaware that her friends and sister were discussing the entire situation.
"I thought you said you were going to be subtle about it! See what they were talking about, that was far from subtle." Leah smacked Ella's arm once she had sat back down, the three lionesses sipping from their drinks as they carried on watching the show in front of them.
"It's me, there's nothing subtle about me." Ella defended herself, the younger blonde humming in agreement. "Besides, they both needed a kick up the arse to get to the good stuff."
After an internal battle of going back and forth with herself, Alexia decided to finally bite the bullet. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Always."
"When do you go home?"
"I fly back on Tuesday morning."
"Okay good." The Catalonian woman nodding, the sincere smile on her face not doing a lot to calm Sophia's racing heartbeat, unsure when she last felt this way around someone. "We don't fly back until Tuesday evening before we do a celebratory thing in Ibiza."
It wasn't until Sophia had listened to what Alexia had said that she realised the deep breath she had been holding in, letting it out at the realisation that Alexia wasn't going to say all what she wanted to hear, hiding a grimace behind a smile to hide her disappointment. "More than enough time for you to celebrate with everybody."
"You know, I still like a post match day ice cream." Alexia ran her finger around the top of her glass, having to fight herself to tear her eyes away from her ex, the taller woman now the one with a blush on her cheeks.
"I do too." And the penny had finally dropped, the hopeful spark in Sophia's eyes relighting at the insinuation. "Are you asking me out?"
"That all depends on your answer but I'm hoping you say yes."
"I'd love to go out with you, Alexia." Both women trying their hardest to suppress their beaming smiles, ultimately failing to do so, before Sophia held her hand out in front of chest. "Here, pass me your phone, I'll put my number in."
"Oh you don't have to do that." Alexia was quick in declining, only realising after how weird it must have been with an explanation, whispering as if she was ashamed of herself. "Your number is still on my phone."
"You still have my number?" Sophia questioned, her voice quiet as she tried to fathom that the love of her life had only been a message away this whole time they had been apart, the blood rushing to her cheeks, so scarlet it was maroon.
"I never got rid of it." Alexia returned the look, a shy smile on her face as she watched Sophia trying to mask her own from appearing. "I'm sorry, i know i should have after my surgery but I thought because we ended on good terms then I wouldn't have to get rid of it."
"It's okay." Were the only words that the teacher could get out, thankful that her action had been reciprocated, even if she had absolutely no clue of it. "I didn't get rid of yours either."
The silence between them brewed for a little while longer, both women appreciating this long awaited time together, shyly taking sips from their respective drinks before one would bring up a memory from those adoring three years that they wished they could go back and relive. Along with sharing the nostalgia and laughing at all of the memories, Sophia and Alexia taking turns to lovingly gaze at one another, occasionally catching the other doing it, resulting in pink hues burning up their cheeks.
"Would you like to come and sit with us for a bit?" Alexia offered, her Spanish accent only growing thicker the more she spoke her exes mother tongue, that being one of the things that Sophia loved about her, the footballer checking over her shoulder to gesture towards her family's table that she had abandoned a long while ago. "Only if you're not busy, of course, I don't want to take you away from Ella."
"I would love to, thank you." Sophia nodding with a gleam in her eyes, excited to see the women she once classed as a second mother and sister. "She's got enough friends to keep her company, she won't even notice i've gone."
"Sophia? Is that you, my love?" Eli called out with happiness when she looked over to see her daughter walking over to their table with a hand resting on the small of Sophia's back, allowing the younger blonde to walk in front of her.
"Eli! It's so good you see you, how are you?" Sophia barely finished her sentence before she was pulled into a breathtaking hug, wasting no time in wrapping her arms around Eli's waist, politely rubbing her hand against her back.
"I'm very well, thank you, darling, oh how I've missed you. We've got so much to catch up on, come sit!" Once she had sat down herself, she patted the space next to her for the English woman to sit in. "I've especially missed your cups of tea, Alexia can never do them the same way as you."
"You would think she could after spending three years with me." It all felt so natural. To be laughing and joking with the woman she called her mother in law and to be talking with her like she hadn't been gone a day, it was something that Sophia could only be so thankful for. "It's like I've taught her nothing!"
"I am sitting right here, you know." Alexia had decided to sit on the other side of her mother, not wanting to make Sophia feel trapped or uncomfortable if she sat beside her, no matter how close they may have gotten at the bar.
"Oh we know, Ale!" Eli laughed, gasping again as she remembered her youngest daughter, resting a comforting hand on Sophia's thigh. "Alba is going to be so happy that you're here with us, she was the first to notice you when we came in."
"You noticed me?" The teacher asked in disbelief.
"Of course we did, how could we miss your pretty face." Using her spare hand, Eli cupped the blondes face before using it to gesture to the two time balon dor winner next to her. "But somebody was too nervous to come over to you."
"Alba shouldn't be too long, she's just gone to the bathroom." Alexia was quick to interrupt the conversation, not appreciating the way her mother was selling her out to her ex girlfriend, missing the way that Sophia's lips pressed together in hopes of hiding her excitement.
"That's no worries, I'm in no rush anyways." Sophia chuckled as she shook her head, not wanting Alexia to feel embarrassed after the new revelation that her mother had exposed.
"Stop trying to change the conversation, Alexia, we could all tell that you were nervous to see her."
"In all honesty, I was nervous too when I saw you again." Sophia confirmed and as soon as their eyes locked, it was as if it was just them two in the room yet again. "So how have you been?"
"Oh you know, just all of the same old stuff, nothing too interesting." Eli was quick to dismiss her own stories. "All I care about is how you have been, what have we missed since we last saw you, are you still teaching?"
"I'm still teaching, yeah." She confirmed with a nod and a proud smile, always loving when she got an opportunity to mention her job. "And even after a year, I'm still not used to the British weather, I miss the sunny christmases and winters."
"Has Barcelona really changed you that much?" Yes it had but it hadn't been the city, it was a certain somebody in the city. Her. She changed Sophia's life in so many ways and even after they had split up and she moved back to Manchester, she was all she ever thought about. "Do you ever think about coming back? I've only seen Alexia this miserable twice before-"
"Sophia!" Saved by the bell, Alexia thought to herself, mentally thanking the gods at her little sisters impeccable timing, the excitement in her voice not going missed by the people sat close by them, Alba immediately wrapping her arms around Sophia, the pair swaying slightly. "Oh I've missed you so much. You look so beautiful, mi amor."
It hadn't taken long at all for Alba to whisk Sophia into a conversation of their own, both women communicating in fluent Spanish as they caught up on the stories that hadn't been shared on Instagram, their respective jobs and all the things that had been missed since they last saw.
It was only when Despechá by Rosalía had come on that their conversation came to an abrupt end, both women gasping at the sound of the song, Alba recognising all the times that the blonde had used it on her stories. "I know you love this song, come dance with me!"
"You need that girl back in your life, Alé." Eli spoke lowly to her eldest daughter, the mother and daughter watching on in adoration as they watched Sophia and Alba singing and dancing with one another, Eli patting Alexia's thigh.
"I know, mamí." Alexia sighed in defeat, not wanting to let her one get away yet again.
An hour had very quickly passed, the older Spanish woman announcing her departure once she realised the time, Alba soon agreeing with her once she had let out a long yawn, Sophia in understanding that meant Alexia would be the next to follow. Exchanging pleasantries with the other two women, Sophia walked with the trio as her and Alexia fell behind wanting nothing more than to talk until there was nothing left to say, the pair stopping at the threshold of the pub.
"I loved seeing you again tonight."
"Me too." Sophia blushed for the hundredth time that night, nodding in agreement before placing her soft hand on Alexia's tanned arm. "Congratulations again on your win."
"Gracias. What time are you free tomorrow?"
"I'm free all day."
"Perfect, I'll text you the details." Just like Sophia at the start of the night, Alexia had no clue where the random urge of confidence had suddenly come from, leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on the teachers cheek, letting her lips linger for a couple of seconds before pulling away.
"I'm looking forward to it." If Sophia wasn't blushing before then she definitely was now, feeling like a giddy schoolgirl with a crush, only managing to give a slight wave as they began to part. "Goodnight, Alexia."
"What have we just missed?" Ella questioned with wide eyes and a dropped jaw, all three women celebrating amongst themselves at the flirty interaction between the pair.
"That was me planning to meet up with my ex girlfriend."