Archive of Our Own

"You really don't have to do this, you know."

Leah lifts another bag out of the car and smiles slightly. "How many times are you going to say that? You've got no hot water and the windows don't close properly. Those sound like terrible conditions for Arsenal's new star striker."

"You're not even letting me pay rent!" Alessia protests again, as she starts to carry the bags up the drive. Leah locks the car and follows her, taking the last suitcase.

"I don't really need you to," she says, once they reach the front door. "Ex-England captain brings in quite a lot. I keep having to go on talk shows and do photo shoots."

"You make it sound like you hate it but you're the best at it out of any of us. You look amazing in all of them." Alessia hesitates and then continues. "Anyway, you're not the ex-captain."

"I don't see any armbands around here, do you?" Leah closes the front door behind them. "Millie's captain and she deserves it. I'm sure she'll lead you all well in the World Cup."

Alessia doesn't push it. "Anyway, I'm sorry to intrude on you like this. It shouldn't be for long."

"You're not intruding. My house is way too big for just one person. I have three guest rooms - three guest rooms, Alessia. I think I'll survive with you staying in one for a few months. You'll be gone soon anyhow."

"It makes me look like I'm treating you like a storage unit," Alessia worries, looking down at the assortment of bags now stacked in the hallway. "I always overpack."

"I know. My room was opposite yours in the hotel for the first match of the Euros and at one point the staff came and asked me if we could swap because they weren't sure your suitcase would fit through the door."

"They didn't! Really?" Alessia goes red, but a small smile creeps onto her face. It makes her eyes light up, Leah realises, like the sun after rain. She reaches down and hurriedly grabs a bag.

"I'll show you to the guest rooms and you can, um, take your pick," she suggests, starting on the first step. "Maybe you should go ahead, actually. I'm quite slow on the stairs these days."

"I don't mind. I'll take a while anyway. These bags are heavy."

And for once it really does feel like she doesn't mind as Leah climbs her way slowly up the stairs until they reach the landing. She puts the bag down and leans against the wall.

"Alright?" Alessia asks quietly, as she joins her. "The case wasn't too heavy, was it? I just realised I gave you the one with all my books in it."

Leah huffs out a laugh. "No, I'm okay. You go on ahead, I'll follow you in a minute."

Alessia walks off towards the closed doors of the guest room and Leah closes her eyes, wondering if agreeing to this had been such a good idea. Beth had suggested it, pointing out Leah lived close to Alessia's rented flat, and that her house was far too big.

"It'll be good for you," she'd whispered to Leah afterwards, once Vic and Lotte had dragged Alessia away to choose pizza toppings. "Both of you."

"I'm fine!" Leah had protested. "I've got plenty of people in my corner."

"It never hurts to have another," Beth had replied, pulling her into a hug.

She straightens up and, albeit slightly gingerly, follows the path Alessia has made into the first guest room, closest to the stairs. The newly-signed Arsenal forward is busy unpacking already, a suitcase of clothes open on the bed.

"Oh. Hi." She gives Leah a bright smile. This time, her eyes sparkle too. Leah looks away, down at the bed. Her eyes alight on a flash of dark red.

"Oh, no. Sorry, but you're going to have to put this away immediately," she says, holding up the Manchester United shirt with a grin. "I won't stand for this being in my house."

"Will you melt like a vampire if I wear it around you?" Alessia giggles, taking it back and folding it up. "Don't worry. I'd never partake in such blasphemy. I haven't got my Arsenal training kit, yet, though, so I'm not sure what to wear yet."

"They'll give it to you. Or you can borrow something of mine, or maybe Viv's - she's probably more your size."

Alessia hums. "I'm not sure I'm worthy of wearing something of Vivianne Miedema's."

"Are you calling me untalented?" Leah quips, even though she knows perfectly well that Alessia isn't. The forward is always one of the first to call someone out on a self-deprecating comment, even if it's just banter. Alessia tilts her head to one side.

"I suppose you're quite good at football," she says at last. Leah, faux-offended, grabs a pair of socks from the pile on the floor and throws them at her. Alessia laughs, catching them one-handed.

The defender sits down on the edge of the bed and takes out her phone, reaching for the speaker on the dresser. She finds Alessia's Spotify and sets the first pinned playlist to shuffle.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" She asks. Alessia shrugs.

"I'm just enjoying your company, to be honest. You could fold my shirts, though. I'm terrible at it."

"That I can see." Leah shakes out a wrinkled T-shirt and begins folding it properly. They work in silence after that, each busy with their own jobs, until, a couple of songs later, Alessia starts to sing along.

Just quietly at first, barely under her breath, but it grows more confident with each line as the music continues, until her singing is properly audible. Leah leans back against the headboard, still loosely folding. Lost in her own bubble, Alessia seems to have forgotten about her. Leah wonders if she could sit here forever.

Abruptly, her phone chimes with a notification, breaking through the song. Alessia jumps and whips around, going crimson. Leah clears her throat and checks her phone. It's not even anything important.

"You have a very nice voice," she says softly, starting the playlist again. "I've never heard you sing."

"No, well. I don't sing in front of very many people."

"You should," Leah tells her. "You'll nail team karaoke, at least, I can tell you that." She pushes the pile of folded clothes towards Alessia. "There you go. Anything else I can do?"

Alessia shakes her head. "No, I think I'm alright. Thank you, though."

The first night, Leah lies awake tossing and turning. Is Alessia comfortable? Does she have enough blankets and pillows? Is the room dark enough? Can she sleep at all?

She knows she's being ridiculous. The guest rooms - all three of them - are perfectly adequate and if there was something wrong, Alessia would have told her. She doesn't need to put off her own sleep to worry about her teammate.

It's been nice, though, to have another person around. Beth was right, for once. They made dinner together - well, Alessia saw whatever Leah was trying to do and gently pushed her away from the stove - and ate it watching a crime documentary Leah had started the other night.

Leah did the washing up, telling Alessia it was the least she could do seeing as that was the best meal she'd eaten since Lia had moved back out, and Alessia dried, humming along to the radio. She didn't sing this time, though.

Sighing, Leah sits up and reaches for her phone. It's probably the last thing that will help her sleep, but it's a distraction at least. She opens Instagram first, scrolling through all of the England countdown posts and media shoots for the World Cup, making sure to like them all. She even comments on a few, nonsense 'good luck xx' messages that will please the fans and be forgettable to her.

She finds herself clicking on one of Alessia's comments and going to her account. She doesn't seem to have that many posts; Leah knows she uses her story more. But there's still plenty, and soon enough Leah finds herself six months back and touching the screen as little as possible in case she accidentally likes a photo.

There are some from her holiday to Ibiza last year, tanned and smiling and celebratory, and they send an unexpected spark through Leah's veins. She scrolls past quickly.

Leah's not blind, and she's not straight either, and Alessia is beautiful. That's all there is to it. It's late, anyway, and it's probably more her tired brain mis-reacting than anything else.

When she finds a photo of Alessia on a cliffside walk, hair swept back in the wind and her eyes bright with laughter, she knows from the weird ache in her chest that she really needs to sleep. She shuts off her phone and closes her eyes.

Five days into her stay at Leah's place, Alessia has to go to St. George's Park to begin training for the World Cup. They have a week pre-travel to Australia, then they fly, train there, and have their first match on the 22nd.

Despite leaving most of her stuff in the guest room, Alessia still fills up two massive suitcases and a carry-on bag. Leah can't help laughing as she watches her haul it all down the drive.

"Don't laugh at me, Williamson! Help me!" Alessia gives the case a last shove into the trunk of the car and then slams it shut. "I'm going to be late now, because of this."

"No, you're not." Leah hesitates and then lets out a small laugh. "It's going to be weird not having you here. I've sort of got used to it already." She leans against the doorframe. "Weird, I know."

Alessia shakes her head. "No, I know what you mean." She comes back up towards the drive and then pulls Leah into a hug. "Thank you. Even if my landlord sorts the flat out-"

"-which he won't," Leah interrupts, having been told all about the man in the past five days. Alessia laughs and steps back, although she lingers close.

"Even if he does," she continues, "thank you for the five days. It's been nice."

"Thank you, honestly. I don't know when I've had so many good home-cooked meals," Leah admits. "My ham sandwiches aren't quite up to par with your cooking."

Alessia smiles at that. Leah shoves her hands into her pockets. "What are you going to get up to whilst we're all gone?" The forward asks. She shrugs and shakes her head.

"Nothing, probably. Annoying Beth and Viv. Dog walks. Rehab. That kind of thing."

"Sounds like a dream," Alessia sighs.

"Yeah? Well, when you get back, you can come on a walk with Bella and I, if you like. We can drive down to the beach and make a day of it. If you want," she adds quickly.

"I'd love to."

Leah takes a deep breath. "Well, good luck. I'm sure you don't need it, but have it anyway."

"Thank you." It's Leah who instigates the hug this time, wrapping her arms around Alessia and holding her close. She wishes with all her heart that she could be going, but if she can't, she can at least put on a brave face for the people who are.

Alessia steps back, says a last thank-you-and-goodbye, and then heads off down the driveway. She turns and waves just before she gets into her car. Leah waves back, and then the door shuts and she drives away.

It's weirdly lonely as she walks back into the empty house. It was only five days, but it was over a month of emptiness before that, of meals eaten alone and nights spent in a silent house.

Then it was meals cooked together laughing, shared TV in the evenings, tired goodnights. Alessia woke up earlier and so there would always be a cup of tea waiting for her on the kitchen table when she sloped down the stairs. It was only five days, but Leah was just getting comfortable with it.

She watches the Haiti and Denmark matches alone on her sofa, wincing for Georgia when she misses the penalty and then cheering out loud into the silence when the re-taken spot-kick is scored. She cheers LJ's stunner, too, and she's thrilled for her that she gets to show the world what she's about on such a global stage.

For the China match, Beth invites her over to watch with her and Viv and Laura, and she decides to go. It wasn't supposed to be the easiest match of their group - many would argue Haiti was - but it's easier than Denmark by stats. Anyway, the promise of football and snacks is enough to lure her.

Leah can't help noticing that Alessia has a bandage on her leg and wonders what's happened. She doesn't remember her being injured in the first games but, then, anything can happen in training.

She worries about it for a full four minutes before Alessia puts her anxieties to bed and scores the first goal of the match, setting it up herself. Beth lets out an excited cheer and she and Viv exchange a fond glance.

They watch as the team surrounds the goalscorer, and Leah's only wish is that she could be there too, to tell Alessia how much she deserved that goal, and how proud of her she is.

It sets up the match to be a good one, and it is. Hempo gets a lovely goal at twenty-six minutes, and LJ puts in another amazing performance, with two goals, one more disallowed, and an assist to boot.

Leah keeps finding her eyes drawn to Alessia, though: looking for her on the pitch, or scanning the post-game celebrations and handshakes to find the 23 shirt, and she watches right to the end of the programme in case she gets a post-match interview.

Leah W: Amazing game! And good goal. How's Australia?

Alessia messages back a few hours later, probably once they're back at camp and relaxing. In actual fact, Leah reckons she should probably be asleep, with the time difference.

Russo: thanks :) it's good, but tiring. haven't quite adjusted to the jet lag yet! how are you? xx

Leah smiles at that.

Leah W: I can tell - isn't it night where you are? Star strikers need their sleep!

Leah W: I'm doing fine. Watching a lot of football, obviously. Missing your lasagne.

For a moment she thinks that the last message is too much, too personal, but tells herself that Alessia will read it as banter, and that there's nothing wrong with it. Alessia sent her kisses, after all.

Then she panics again, wondering if she should have sent kisses, or maybe a heart or something? She's usually quite dry in messages, but for some reason she wants to get this one right.

Russo: it's not that late yet, I'll go to sleep soon. I'm glad you're doing good. hope you're enjoying the rest of the tournament, anyway. x

Leah invites the girls round to watch the Round of 16 instead of going to theirs, this time. They settle in front of the TV with bowls of popcorn, watching the pre-match buildup in the studio.

"I don't think I've ever been so nervous," Beth announces. "Not even before the Euros final. At least I could play then."

"I know what you mean," Leah agrees, slightly distractedly as she checks her phone. She sent Alessia good luck today xx three hours ago and the striker still hasn't read or replied to it.

They've been texting a lot in between games, actually. Alessia keeps sending her beach selfies - Ella sent her the video with the lobster - and pictures from the zoos and tourist attractions they've been visiting. Leah hasn't had many selfies to respond with, apart from photos of Bella.

But she sends Alessia funny videos she sees online, or links to articles she reads and thinks she might find interesting. They exchange notes about the various other games, when Alessia has time to watch them, and sometimes when she watches them live she'll leave the communal TV room and FaceTime Leah in her room instead.

Leah doesn't know why they text so much. Well, they're friends, obviously. But five days isn't really long enough to become close. Still, she expects Alessia would want a friendly face when she starts training for Arsenal, and she's happy to be that. So she replies to the messages and hearts the pictures of Alessia with a koala, and when it makes her stomach do flips she ignores it.

Russo: I thought I'd replied to this! thank you xx hope you enjoy the game :)

Leah lets out a little sigh of relief and reacts with a heart. She puts her phone down after that, as the teams are starting to line up in the tunnel and she should probably start to pay attention.

In the end, it is not an enjoyable game. Well, it's very good football tactically, and if she was watching as a neutral Leah's sure she would love it, but she's not neutral, and thus she spends most of the match in a state of panic.

Her knee isn't up to frantic pacing yet, so she leaves that to Beth - during the penalty check, during the card check, and during the various breaks in extra time and before the penalties.

"I thought England was good at penalties?" Viv says, trying to calm her girlfriend down.

"We were. We are. We won the Finalissima on penalties, it's virtually the same team. No Tooney, but Beth England has a good penalty." Beth speeds up her pacing and Viv laughs gently.

"Lieverd, sit down. You'll only make it worse." She pulls Beth into her side and the England forward collapses into her, a smile somewhere amongst her nerves. Laura reaches out and takes Leah's hand. She squeezes it gratefully.

Alessia's off the pitch; Leah knows from experience that she can take a great penalty. She's seen her put her foot through thousands in training and in warm-up games. The pressure of this match is a lot more, though, and even though she's sad Alessia won't get to take a spot-kick, she's glad the younger player doesn't have to face up to that pressure.

All four of them let out noises of frustration when Georgia misses, and Leah feels awful for her friend. She curses her knee again, not this time for preventing her from playing, but instead just preventing her from being there, cheering them on and being able to support them.

Nigeria miss their first penalty, and their second too, which puts England 1-0 up seeing as Beth England fired hers straight into the back of the net. Both nations score their next two, Rachel and Alex both scoring with brilliant spot-kicks. Leah feels a fizz of pride as she watches Chloe walk up to the spot.

"So this is it?" Laura checks. "If she scores, England win?"

"All she has to do is score," Beth breathes. In fact, she might actually be holding her breath. Leah certainly is.

Chloe, equal to them all, hops and runs and sends the ball slamming into the top corner. Later they find out it's at 111 kilometres per hour, faster than any Premier League goal, but at the time they just jump up and shout and scream.

"I knew she would do it!" Beth yells, punching the air. Viv takes a video of her and posts it to Instagram later, sharing it with the Lionesses group chat, and Leah's glad, glad that the team knows how much their work means to them, and how proud they are.

She texts Alessia later that night: I was doing the same thing as Beth, just sitting down. You should be very proud.

Russo: we are. Chloe's in room 11 so someone's put up a note so that it reads 111 km/h instead.

Leah W: That's clever. But I meant you should be proud personally, too. You've played a big part in qualifying and I know you'll play a big part in the rest of the tournament.

Russo: it's hardly my euros run. I had three goals by the end of the group stage. I've only got one now.

Leah W: You still have three matches to score in. Goals aren't everything, anyway.

Russo: they sort of are. that's ... how you win a football game?

Leah W: Well, yes. But assists and setting them up are important too. Anyway, you're half the reason we're here. How many goals did you score in qualifying - 5?

Russo: sounds about right. a lot of people scored in qualifying. even you scored.

Leah W: What are you saying about my goalscoring skills?

Russo: nothing, Captain. nothing at all.

Leah W: I didn't know you were messaging Millie.

Russo: you're our captain too, Leah. when will you believe me when I say that?

Leah W: Easy. When I wear the armband again.

Russo: well, I'm going to keep calling you captain anyway.

Leah W: Go to sleep, it's late. You need your rest.

Russo: your wish is my command, Captain Williamson.

Leah W: You're an idiot. Go to bed x

Alessia sends back a single red heart.

The England staff notify her and Beth when the team will be arriving back at St. George's Park after the final and, after some discussion, they decide to go and meet them. To give out hugs and condolences and to remind them how proud they are.

It was hard for them at the final whistle, but it's infinitely harder for the team. Leah's never been in a World Cup final but she can imagine how crushing it would be to lose.

She gets to St. George's a little before the coach is due to draw up. Beth is stuck in traffic and won't arrive for another quarter of an hour, her message says. Leah waits in her car, listening to the radio and scrolling on her phone.

Then she hears the sound of an engine, the hum of voices, and looks up. The first of the team coaches is parked and the doors have opened, the first players straggling out. She's not alone in being here to meet them; several families and partners have come too.

For a moment, she hesitates. What if they don't actually want her here? What if it makes them feel like she's rubbing it in their faces that they lost?

Then Keira sees her, and gives her a tired, broken smile, and Leah's out of the car like a shot. She meets her best friends first, hugs them hard and tells them that she loves them, that she's proud, and then lets them go and say their greetings.

She goes to Rach and Lucy and Millie, who may never make another World Cup, and tells them all how well they played. "You're a good captain," she says to Millie.

She finds Lotte, who asks about her knee and her rehab first, and then all of the younger players. She finds Zels and tells her how much she deserved that first start when Keira was injured.

Then finally, right at the back of the bus, she finds Alessia and Ella. "What are you doing here?" Alessia asks, sounding exhausted.

"I came to see you all. To tell you how proud I am of what you did. Beth's supposed to be here, but she got stuck in traffic," she adds. That makes the duo laugh. "And I also came to give you a lift home," she says to Alessia.

"You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to," Leah says simply. "Come on, we should get off the bus."

There's another round of tearful hugs and goodbyes. Beth arrives and does the same. Sarina gives a speech about how proud she is and how much they've done for football.

"Still got everything?" Leah takes one of Alessia's suitcases and starts to lift it into the car. "It feels heavier, somehow."

"Souvenirs, probably," Alessia mutters. "I'm sorry, Leah. I'm not going to be great company for the next few days."

Leah shrugs. "As long as I get your lasagne at the end of it, I'm fine with anything."

That, at last, makes Alessia smile, and Leah starts the engine and drives off.

Alessia spends the first few days in bed. Or at least, she spends them in the guest room. Leah brings her cups of tea and trays of food but doesn't try to talk to her yet.

She notices Alessia's silver medal is still all crumpled up in her carry-on bag. She leaves it there for the first day, but on the second she picks it up and sets it on the bookshelf.

"Leah, don't-"

"Even if you're not proud of it, I am. And I think things people are proud of should be put on display," Leah says, and then leaves the room. When she comes back an hour later with a coffee, the medal is still there.

On the third day, Alessia comes down to the kitchen at about ten in the morning, her hair damp from the shower and wearing an old Tar Heels jumper over her clothes.

"Morning." Leah pours a second cup of tea and hands it to her. "Sleep well?"

"Better than I have been," Alessia settles on, after a pause. She takes a sip of tea and leans against the counter. "Sorry about the past few days. It's been ... hard."

"Don't be sorry. I can't even imagine how bad you feel right now. I'm sure I'd want to take a couple of days off if I went through something like that," Leah says gently. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"This is maybe going to sound weird, but, you know that dog walk you suggested? Before I left?"

"Oh, at the beach?"

"Yeah. Could we ... could we do that?" Alessia looks out of the window. "I want to go out, but I just - I don't want to be recognised. I need to be somewhere where I can just switch off."

Leah drains her tea. "That sounds good."

And that's how she finds herself walking on the shore of an empty beach two hours later, Alessia by her side. Bella is running ahead of them, off her lead, absolutely ecstatic at being by the ocean. Alessia laughs as she runs backwards and forwards, chasing the waves.

"She's adorable," she murmurs.

"Yeah. She is." Leah measures her next words carefully. "Is there anything else on your mind? Aside from the obvious, I mean. You seem really down, and I mean, maybe that's just the loss, but ..."

Alessia sighs. "I wanted a longer break. Even if we'd won. We've got preseason camp in less than a week, qualifiers in two weeks. I'm worried that this will impact Arsenal and I don't want that to happen."

"You think you might cause us to get knocked out?" Leah joins the dots and, on impulse, reaches out and takes Alessia's hand. "Don't think that. Football's a team sport; there's never an occasion where it's a single person's fault."

"I had to cover Lucy for the goal, I just - if I'd done better-" Alessia's words are broken up and Leah stops them in the sand, turns and tugs Alessia into her arms. "I don't want to make a mistake again."

"Mistakes are part of the job. I nearly gave Germany a penalty in the Euros final - I made a mistake there. I scored an own goal against Australia in April, which put us 2-0 down - I made a mistake there."

"Germany didn't get the penalty," Alessia points out.

"No," Leah admits, "but if they had, and Mary hadn't saved it, we would've dealt with it as a team. We'd have regrouped and gone again, and if we'd lost, would you have told me it was my fault?"

"No," says Alessia reluctantly. "I wouldn't."

Leah doesn't follow that up. She knows she's got her point across and, when she steps back, Alessia squeezes her hand and doesn't let go. They walk on down the beach hand-in-hand, Bella a few yards ahead of them chasing seagulls.

"Shall we go and get an ice-cream?" Leah suggests, pointing to a kiosk a little up ahead of them. The beach is mostly empty due to the grey clouds up ahead, but the window is still open.

"We're professional footballers."

"And? Doesn't stop us getting an ice-cream." She pokes Alessia's shoulder. "You just played the biggest tournament of your life, you're allowed an ice-cream, okay?"

Alessia doesn't protest, although she does ask Leah to go and order without her, instead hanging back with Bella. She tries to press money into Leah's palm and the defender refuses easily.

She gets recognised at the kiosk, but finds she doesn't really mind. She pays for the ice-cream and signs the England scarf fluttering from the roof of the hut with a smile.

"My daughter made me put it up. She's obsessed with football," the man running it says.

"I'm glad." Leah adds a little message, to be nice, and then takes the desserts and with a last thanks heads back to where Alessia is drawing in the sand with a stick.

"Here you are, Less." She hands one across. "When do you want to head back?"

"I don't mind. It's nice out here. Do you ever wonder what it would be like to just leave? Leave the clubs and the media behind, and just run away somewhere like this?"

Leah hums, considering. She threads her fingers through Bella's fur. "I don't think I could," she says at last. "The memories I've made, the people I've met ... I think I'd want to keep doing that."

"I do want to win the World Cup," Alessia says quietly. "I've got a bronze and a silver, now, I'd like a gold."

There's a small, wondering smile on her face, and Leah has a sudden, strange urge to fly to Spain and bring her the trophy. "You will. Next time, we'll do it, I know we will."

Alessia laughs. It's not the sad, harsh laugh of the past few days, but it's an actual laugh - hopeful and warm - and it fills Leah with triumph and relief and something else she can't quite place.

As soon as the final whistle blows, Leah is up and on her feet, running down the steps as fast as her knee and an anxious Viv will let her. She has to wait impatiently at the barrier whilst the stewards push back excited fans. Leah can understand their eagerness - their first three points of the season, Beth's return and a broken attendance record all made for a very exhilarating game.

"You have got to stop running like that," Viv gasps, coming up behind her. "I'm still not up to sprinting that fast."

"Come on, come on," Leah mutters to herself, and then finally a steward lets her stumble through the crowd and onto the pitch, and then she's running again, as fast as she can, and before she even registers herself she grabs hold of Alessia and throws her arms around her.

Alessia stumbles backwards, laughing, and Leah catches just a glimpse of her smile before her face lands in the striker's shoulder as Alessia hugs her back.

"Hello," she says, still grinning, as she pulls away.

"Hello, you fucking star!" Leah exclaims, pulling her back in and then stepping away in the same movement, torn between hugging her and seeing her eyes shine like that. Alessia goes red. "Don't go bashful on me, Less."

"I just scored a goal," Alessia says, scratching the back of her neck. "It wasn't anything special."

"It was your first league goal for us, it won the game, and it got Beth an assist on her return to football," Leah lists, saying the last point more gently. "It was special. You converting that was really important for lots of people. Me included."

"I'm glad for Beth." They both turn to look at the shorter blonde, who is currently still hugging Viv. "Really glad."

"Are you glad for you, too?" Leah persists. "You should be."

Alessia smiles. "Maybe just a bit," she says bashfully.

"I suppose I'll settle for that. Go on, go and hug everybody else. I need to go and see Beth."

And she does; she pulls her friend close and kisses her hair and tells her over and over how proud she is. There are tears in Viv's eyes and Leah's face is definitely damp by the time they're all on the coach back to London Colney. Jonas stands up at the front and gives a speech about her, with Steph and Jen joining in, and Kim produces a recorded message from Jordan.

In short, everyone's emotional. They're all even worse when Viv announces she should be returning against Bristol City. Leah's a mess by the time Alessia parks in her - their? - driveway.

"Come on, softie," she says, nudging Leah's shoulder. "I'll make you a cup of tea and we can put the Premier League on." She gives her a one-armed hug as she unlocks the door. "Honestly, you're worse than I am."

She feels a lot better - well, a lot less like bursting into tears at anything remotely sentimental - twenty minutes into the match, but it feels nice to be curled into Alessia's side on the sofa, so she doesn't mention it.

At half-time, Alessia lifts her head from the cushions and blinks a half-awake smile at her. Leah's stomach fills with butterflies immediately.

Hm. She should probably do something about those.

"Are you making dinner?" Alessia appears in the doorway of the kitchen in her coat and shoes, looking more than a little apprehensive. Leah turns around from the stove, eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Yeah, I was just about to start. Are you going out?"

Alessia shuffles her feet. "Yeah, I'm going out to a restaurant. So I won't need dinner. I might not be back until late, we've got a lot to catch up on."

A million feelings roar through Leah's system in one go, and the only speech she can produce is a strangled: "Um, alright."

"Don't wait up for me. I'll take my keys and everything."

"Right. I hope you have fun?" It comes out like a question and Leah cringes at herself. "I'll see you later. Or tomorrow."

Alessia smiles and turns on her heel. A moment later, the front door opens and closes, with a yelled 'bye' echoing through the house. Leah's hand clenches around the worktop.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she mutters to herself. Stupid. Stupid to ever think Alessia was single, stupid to ever think her relationship status should matter to Leah, stupid to think she might be the one to change it.

There's a buzz from her phone. The Arsenal groupchat.

Meado: @Lessi who's your DATE?

Leah frowns. How does Beth know about the date? Has Alessia been telling them all, and not Leah? It's Alessia's business who she tells, but, well ... Leah thought they were close. Good friends. They've been living together for six months, for God's sake.

Less: what are you talking about??

Meado: Viv and I are in the same restaurant as you!!! He's hot!!!

Viv: I apologise. Beth is drunk. I'm taking her phone away now. Enjoy your date, Less :)

Leah collapses back against the cushions. Well, at least Alessia's keeping secrets from everybody, and not just her. That takes the sting out of it a little bit. She runs a hand through her hair desperately. This feels so pathetic.

She feels like a lovestruck teenager, but, God, she wants to be the one taking Alessia on a date - she wants to be the one opening the car door for her, pulling her chair out at the restaurant. She wants to be the one exchanging quips and laughs over a basket of bread and a glass of wine, wants to be the one who gets to see her eyes light up with mirth.

She wants to be the one walking down the river arm-in-arm with her, wants it to be her jacket draped around Alessia's shoulders when the breeze rises in the autumn air, wants to be the one kissing her under a porch light.

That's ... scary. It shouldn't be, she supposes, but it's been a good three years since she was in a relationship, save for a few truly disastrous dates. And she feels so much for Alessia. It's not just butterflies and giddiness, it's full on feelings. There's so much of them, all the time, even if Alessia is miles away on a date with someone else.

And not a single one of those feelings is reciprocated.

Well, they are, but for somebody else.

Alessia doesn't come home that evening. It feels weird to turn off the TV and walk upstairs alone, to go and get ready for bed and not stumble upon Alessia cleaning her teeth or doing her skincare routine.

There's nobody to say goodnight to, and after she locks the front door and closes her own bedroom door, the house feels eerily silence without the creaks and rustles of the guest bed from Alessia's room.

Leah's eyes sting, and she lets the tears fall. Alone, head facing the wall, duvet pulled up to her chin, she lets herself cry. It's not like anyone's here to stop her, or to try and make it better.

She must fall asleep at some point, because she's startled awake by a loud slam from downstairs. She sits straight up in bed, fully awake immediately, heart racing.

The clock reads 02:43 a.m. Either Alessia is home very late - or very early, depending on your vantage point - or somebody has broken into the house and not thought about being quiet.

From the kitchen downstairs, Leah hears the noise of the tap running and a cupboard opening, then the sound of cereal being poured into a bowl. It's a very hungry burglar, then.

There are footsteps on the stairs and then Alessia's door closes, and a moment later there's the familiar creak of the bed. Leah leans back onto her own pillows, breathing finally evening out again.

She's selfish enough to hope that her abrupt entrance means the date went badly, and part of her feels awful, but the rest of her doesn't care.

In the morning there's a note on the counter that reads: sorry about last night/this morning, hope I didn't wake you. I've already left for camp, so I'll see you next week. Less xx

Leah smooths it between her fingers and can't decide if it's a curse or a blessing that she won't see the striker until next Wednesday.

Jordan has a spare ticket to the England-Scotland game and Leah decides there's no harm in tagging along. After watching Beth make her national return at Wembley - more tears - and watching the Lionesses make an epic comeback - even more tears - and avoiding Alessia at the hotel after - uncomfortably easy - she's eager to watch the team play again.

Of course, it's a tense and painful game, both for players and spectators. They don't celebrate their goals except for running high-fives and brief waves at the crowd, and each time the board showing the score changes again it ignites a little bit of hope in Leah.

The one goal they celebrate is Beth's, just before half-time so there's little problem with wasting thirty seconds or so, and the highest point of the match. She roars into the crowd and Leah hopes that she sees her and Jordan and Jen in the crowd, making hearts with their hands.

Towards the end of the match, Jordan gets up the Dutch game on her phone and starts watching them side-by-side. Leah feels sick with anxiety. It's worse than in the World Cup final, she thinks - at least for her - because at least then it was only one game, and they were playing it.

This time, the Lionesses have no control over the other game, and they never will. They can't stop the Dutch from scoring. They can only do their very best.

And they do their very best; it's the highest scoreline they've had since they beat Luxembourg 10-0 the September after the Euros. It's the kind of golden match that in which, in any other situation, the goals would be celebrated with hugs and cheers, Sarina would be smiling, and the whole thing would be a victory.

Instead, it's more tears, and more heartbreak, and more hugs all round. Not even Beth's goal makes it better. Leah sticks to the forwards side for most of the evening, not in a rush to interact with Alessia.

She's cornered at the hotel, when she's saying her last goodbyes before she and Jordan embark on the journey back to London. "Are you avoiding me? You haven't spoken to me all night."

Leah tries to look innocent. "No? We just haven't come across each other."

"I would've thought you'd be right at my side as soon as the final whistle blew. You usually are," Alessia points out, folding her arms. "Have I done something to upset you?"

"Of course not," Leah says truthfully. It just hurts to be around you, she adds mentally. "I was celebrating Beth's goal with her. I'm sorry, Less. You deserve to be at the Olympics."

"Well, we clearly don't, or we'd be in the finals," Alessia snaps. She doesn't apologise for the harsh words, even though Leah flinches. "You have been avoiding me. You haven't messaged me all camp - and you were there at Wembley, but I didn't see you once."

"There was nothing to message about."

"Wasn't there? That never stopped you during the World Cup, or during the past two international camps. You don't need something to message about. You just message anyway."

"Well, sorry. You could've messaged me," Leah adds angrily. "Or were you too busy?"

"I've certainly got less free time than you do."

"Like I chose to have that free time?" Leah demands.

"No. Fuck. I don't want to argue, Leah." Alessia shakes her head. "I'm exhausted and angry and upset, can we just ... not?"

All of the fight goes out of Leah at that. She nods slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm sorry." She holds out her arms. "Come here?"

Alessia steps into them gratefully and closes her eyes. "Sorry for not qualifiying. Again." She sniffs. "We tried so hard. So fucking hard, Leah. I just wanted to go to the Olympics."

"You're only twenty-four. You'll go to the next one," Leah soothes, hugging her close. "We all will. We'll make it next time. I know we will. We're just in an off season right now."

"You think so?"

"I know so," Leah whispers, and she hopes that it's true.

Towards the end of February, a letter arrives for Alessia. She opens it without thinking too hard, half an eye on the film playing, and then stops, scans the paper, and sits up to read it properly.

"What is it?" Leah questions, pausing the movie.

"It's my landlord!" Alessia laughs. "He says they've fixed the problems! I can rent it again." She smiles up at Leah. "I'll finally be out of your hair. He says I can move in at the beginning of March - so, after camp, basically."

Leah's stomach sinks. "That's brilliant! Though it's not like you've been a bother," she adds quickly.

"Even when I watch the Manchester United games and cheer against Arsenal?"

"Well, that is quite annoying." Leah grins. "Seriously, though. I've lov- liked having you stay with me. If you ever need to crash somewhere for a bit, you can always come to me."

"Thanks, Lee." Alessia smiles softly and Leah's heart feels like it's taken a trip to Alton Towers. "You've been a great roommate." She hums. "Well, I guess I'd better ... pack, or something."

"Time to crack out the massive suitcases, right?" Leah jokes weakly. Alessia chuckles, sinking back into the cushions and unpausing the film.

It's the funniest deja vu. She sits cross-legged on Alessia's bed, folding shirts for her, but this time she packs them straight into the suitcase instead of handing them to Alessia to put away.

The striker plays music, this time. When the first song kicks in, Leah has to smile a little. You're Still the One by Shania Twain sings out quietly into the empty air.

"Go on," Alessia encourages. "You got to hear me sing the first time. Now it's my turn. I've been told you have a very nice voice."

Leah snorts. "Whoever told you that was lying," she replies, but a few lines later she relents and starts to hum along. By the time the chorus kicks in, she's daring to sing properly. It feels weird at first, but then she manages to lose herself in the song.

The song changes, but she knows the next one, and the next, and then she realises it's a playlist of her own. When the Luke Combs part of it starts to play, Alessia joins in too.

They get twice through the playlist before all the cases are packed, and by the end they're singing at the tops of their lungs. "You really have a nice voice," Alessia compliments, during an ad break. Leah sips a glass of water.

"Not as nice as yours," she says back.

"I'm going to miss living with someone else," Alessia admits, looking around the room, which is now very much a guest room again, walls bare and wardrobe empty and bookshelves abandoned, save for one thing.

Leah picks it up. It's Alessia's World Cup medal, still draped over the shelf from when she left it there six months ago. She runs her thumb over the engraving and then hands it to the striker.

"You're always welcome here. Whenever you want to drop in, do." Alessia nods, sniffling a little, and Leah laughs. "You're such a sap. C'mere." She leans over the end of the bed to hug her. "Have a good time on camp."

She doesn't actually leave until the next morning, so that evening Alessia makes lasagne and they eat it whilst they watch Aston Villa's 2-1 win over Spurs, and then an episode of Love Island.

Leah sleeps badly. She keeps remembering that tomorrow's cup of tea will be her last, that breakfast will be the last time she laughs until she cries over her cereal, that the only voice humming along to the radio as she washes up will be her own now.

She helps Alessia pack the car in the morning, loading in too many bags for a week in Spain, and trying not to glance back at the cases piled up in the hallway for transport on Alessia's return. She waits in the doorway as Alessia closes the trunk and then walks back up the drive.

"Well. Thanks for the room." Alessia grins and pulls Leah into a hug. As she moves away, she presses a kiss to Leah's cheek.

She tries to, anyway. But Leah makes the same movement, and as they both go in, the defender's lips accidentally find Alessia's. For a fleeting moment, they brush, and Alessia lets out a startled noise.

Leah goes to pull away, feeling her cheeks burn scarlet, but Alessia presses closer, drawing her in, kissing her.

It lasts a few seconds, just a little longer than anything friendly, and then Alessia shuffles backwards.

"Sorry," Leah says instantly, hoping she hasn't ruined anything. "I didn't mean to do that."

Alessia shakes her head, her eyes sparkling with joy and just enough mischief to make Leah's head spin. "Don't be sorry. Because I did." She waves, fluttering her fingers. "See you in a week."

And then she's gone.

Leah knows it's a mistake to watch the England matches, but Laura and Viv invite her round, and she can't resist it in the end. It's bittersweet, because she was supposed to be there, was supposed to be her return, but it fills her with pride to see Alex and Georgia and Keira with the armband too.

As soon as Alessia's face comes onscreen, a shot of the striker singing along to the national anthem with her arms around Georgia and Tooney, Leah is transported right back to her front door.

Her mind fills with the way Alessia's lips had felt against hers, the way her hand had wrapped around Leah's bicep in a gentle grip, the way she had pulled her closer with such confidence. It was only a brief kiss, but it made Leah dizzy. Makes Leah dizzy, just to think about it.

The memory is bad enough on its own, but then Alessia scores within the first ten minutes, poking home Beth's saved shot, and she faces the camera all smiling and bright, eyes crinkling at the corners, and Leah bites her lip, remembering.

At half-time, when Laura's gone to go and get a drink, Viv nudges her. "You've been quiet tonight. Something on your mind?"

Leah sinks down into the sofa, covering her face with her hands. "Me and Less, we ... um, we kissed, just before she left." She peers out from between her fingers, looking very hard at the commentators on ITV Sport.

"You and Less?" Viv repeats. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It only happened on Sunday," Leah replies. "She was leaving, and we hugged, and I went to kiss her cheek, and I guess I missed." She shakes her head. "It's so stupid."

"Why didn't you call her, for goodness' sake?" Viv says, fondly exasperated. "What happened afterwards?"

"I don't know ... She kissed me back, I'm sure, and then when I said I was sorry, she said she meant to do it." Leah rolls her head along the cushion and looks up at her friend. "It's driving me crazy, Viv."

The Netherlands striker chuckles. "Just talk to her, Leah. It's the easiest way to get an explanation. Are you into her?"

"Yes, too much." Leah groans and curses herself for ever accepting Beth's proposal. "I have been for months, but she's in a relationship, I think, and anyway she doesn't like me back."

"So kissing someone and saying you mean to do it isn't romantic anymore?" Viv jokes. She reaches across and pats Leah's shoulder. "Look, you know where I stand. After camp, go to her flat and speak to her. Get some closure or clearance or whatever, and then ask the girl out."

She buries her face in her hands again. "I don't ... I'm not sure I can. If she said no, I think it'd ruin us. I haven't been with anyone since Jordan. I'm not sure I remember how."

"Leah." Viv mutes the TV and Leah looks up at her. "You don't have to remember. Alessia isn't Jordan. If she likes you, she likes you. All you have to do, then, is be yourself. You'll figure the rest out together."

Alessia comes off at half-time and Leah's mildly relieved at it, because it means she can just settle down and watch the rest of the match, and it's a good match, ending with seven goals for the Lionesses.

Italy's match is just as good, with five goals for them but less conceded, and the three of them are filled with pride when Lotte gets a rare start for England and scores two minutes in.

"So, you'll talk to her?" Viv says again, when she drops Leah off the next morning, the defender having stayed the night after watching the game. "Please, Leah. For your own sake."

"Fine. I'll talk to her," Leah grumbles. Viv squeezes her shoulder.

"You can come over afterwards, if you like. Beth's a very good shoulder for crying on."

Leah takes a deep breath and nods. "Yeah."

The England team fly home that afternoon and return home to St. George's Park at about 5 p.m. Leah chooses not to go and pick Alessia up, instead tidying up the house and making a start on some dinner, guessing that the forward will be hungry.

At just past six, the front door creaks open and there's a loud crash. Leah jumps up. "Lessi? Is that you?" She hurries into the hallway and finds the striker sprawled in the hallway. "Oh my God, are you okay? What happened?"

"I tripped over the suitcases," Alessia mumbles, flushing red. "I'm fine."

"Of course." Leah smiles warmly and crouches down, grabbing her hands to pull her up. "Come on. I've got dinner on. How was Spain?"

"Hot. It was very nice. And great games, two more goals is always nice. It was a really nice camp, to be honest." Alessia clambers to her feet and follows Leah into the kitchen.

"That's good. When do you need to move in to your old flat?"

"Eager to get ready of me? You've changed your tune."

Leah doesn't buy into the joke and grips the edge of the table for courage. "No, no. We ... need to talk. About what happened just before you left." She watches realisation dawn on Alessia's face. "I'm sure you're tired, you can go and shower and relax and we can have dinner first, but we need to talk."

"Right." Alessia picks up one of her bags. "I'm not that hungry, we ate before the flight, so we can talk after I shower. If that's okay?" She sounds afraid and Leah can't quite bear it.

"Yeah. Lessi - I'm not angry. I'm not mad at you. I just need some stuff clearing up."

Alessia's frown twists into a smile and the change makes Leah beam. "Okay. I can do that, I'm sure."

It's only a quick shower. Leah only has time to drink a cup of tea and take some deep breaths and think about what to say before Alessia's back in the kitchen doorway, looking all gorgeous and soft with her damp hair around her shoulders and a last-season grey England hoodie.

"Hey. Kitchen or living room?"

"I don't mind," Leah answers truthfully, so Alessia pulls out a seat by the table and looks at her expectantly. "Right. Um. Why ... why did you kiss me?"

Alessia shrugs. "I thought it was obvious that I'm into you. Or at least that you'd have gathered that by the fact that I kissed you. If you didn't, well, there you go."

Oh. Oh. Leah runs a hand through her hair.

"Are you into me?" Alessia asks. "You kissed me back, so I assume you are." She pauses. "I appreciate it was a little mean of me to not message or call you, but when you didn't, I figured you didn't want to talk about it."

"I thought the same," Leah reveals, scoffing at her own stupidity. "I ... I am into you." Alessia's face grows into a smile at the words and she breaks off, pointing at her. "There. When you smile like that, it's so beautiful - you're so beautiful. All the time, but especially when you smile."

Alessia gets up and crosses the room to where she's standing, smirking a little as she brings up a hand to cup Leah's cheek. "Have you got a thing for my smile, Williamson?"

"I've got a thing for all of you, if I'm being honest," Leah admits. She can feel herself blushing under Alessia's scrutiny. "But your eyes and your smile, they're ... my favourites."

"I've got a thing for you too," Alessia whispers, leaning in closer but not making contact. "Can I kiss you?"

Leah nods quickly, probably embarrassingly so, but she doesn't have time to care because then Alessia's lips are on hers, soft and warm and gentle. She doesn't push further and they just stand there, kissing for the sake of it.

Then Leah has a thought, and she pulls away. Alessia's brow creases. "Wait. Don't you have a boyfriend?"

Alessia bursts out laughing. She looks guilty about it when Leah pouts, but it takes a good minute for her to stop herself. It's sort of infectious, and by the time she's done, Leah's mouth is turning upwards at the corner.

"Sorry." Alessia wipes her eye. "Um, no. What made you think that?"

"That night you went out - when Beth and Viv were in the same restaurant as you. Wasn't it a date?"

Alessia shakes her head. "Nope. A friend of mine from college is in the UK for work, we went out to catch up. We had so much to talk about that I didn't come back until late."

"Oh." Leah goes pink. "I feel a bit stupid now. I was jealous and everything."

"You? Jealous?" Alessia grins wickedly. "I made the Leah Williamson jealous?"

"Shut up," she grumbles. Alessia laughs and kisses the corner of her mouth, effectively quietening her, but then Leah has a second thought and moves away again. "Less, I, I want to take this slowly. I haven't dated in a while and I - I don't want to get hurt."

The nod she receives is understanding. Alessia brushes her fingers along Leah's jaw, then tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. "I understand that. We can take this at your pace. One step at a time."

"Thank you." She reaches down and takes Alessia's free hand in hers. "Would a good step right now be to kiss more?"

"That can be arranged," Alessia assures her, leaning back in.

There's no time for a date before the North London derby on the following Sunday, but after they win 1-0 off Alessia's second-half goal, Leah gets a text at midday on Monday.

Lessi: they've just opened a new café near my flat. fancy going and trying it out? (if a date is too much of a step, we can just kiss more x)

Leah laughs at that.

Leah: I'd love to.

Fifteen minutes later, Alessia is at her door with a bunch of flowers. "Hello. These are for you."

"Thank you," Leah says, flustered and charmed and her stomach swirling with butterflies. "I'll just put them in some water, and we can go."

Alessia keeps up a steady stream of chatter as they walk leisurely down to the café - even with recovery and ice-baths, their legs are both still aching - and it's not different from any other visit to a café they've made together.

It's relatively empty, being new, so they find a booth in the corner. Alessia pays for both their drinks without even leaving room for a protest, and gets them a slice of cake to share.

"Have I told you how proud I am of you, by the way? Yesterday was your league debut," she says, setting the tray down.

"Only a hundred times," Leah quips, rolling her eyes. Alessia had ambushed her on the coach after the game with a forehead kiss and a bright smile. Everybody else was doing that too, but it felt special from her.

"Well, I'll tell you again," Alessia decides, stirring her coffee. "I'm very, very proud."

Leah flicks the paper from her straw at her. "I'm proud of you too. Another Emirates goal, sold-out, against Spurs? We seem to have made a right Gunner out of you."

"It's almost as though I play for the club," Alessia says drily. Leah chuckles out loud at that.

The drinks are good and so is the cake, but Leah would have taken dry bread and water to spend time in Alessia's company like this, conjoined hands resting on her knee under the table, Alessia's thumb brushing over her knuckles every so often.

"Want to stay for a bit?" Leah suggests, when they've finished their meal and walked back. Alessia shakes her head.

"I've got to get back. I'm calling Tooney soon, she wants to know all about - well, you," she admits, blushing. Then she tilts her head. "Goodbye kiss, or is that too much?"

"All kisses are good," Leah tells her, but when she leans in and kisses her she tries to convey how grateful she is that Alessia is asking.

"Continental Cup finalists again!" Jonas says in his post-match huddle. "This is our best chance at silverware this season. We will play Chelsea, we have beaten them this season and in last year's final. Think of next week as a rehearsal, yes?"

Viv catches hold of Leah as they clap the crowd. "Good game, Lee. Your return's going really well." She pulls her into a hug and, as she does so, whispers a quick, "Alessia?"

Leah allows herself a grin. "Really, really good. We went on a date on Monday. We're taking things slow, but I can tell you it wasn't an accident that she kissed me after all."

"See? I do know things." Viv pats her head like she would after a goal or an assist. "I'm really happy for you. I think she'll treat you really well."

"What are you talking about?" Beth jumps up beside them. "Good game, Leah!"

"We're talking about Russo," Viv says, and Beth catches the hidden meaning, her eyes glinting with mischief. Leah goes scarlet. "No teasing, lieverd, we just played a game."

"Boring!" Beth ruffles Leah's hair. "Good for you, Leah, though."

"Thanks, Meado." She catches sight of Alessia up ahead, doing her post-match sprints with Kyra. "I really like her, you know?"

Viv and Beth exchange a glance. "Yeah. We know. And so does she."

"Want a lift home?"

Leah stands in the carpark and turns when she hears the voice that is both her favourite and most hated right now. She knows Alessia is offering comfort and she craves it, but she also doesn't want the forward to see her like this.

Her voice breaks as she replies. "Yes, please. I got a lift with Kim."

"I know." Alessia opens the car door for her and somehow gets a kiss to the side of Leah's head as she climbs in. "Are you okay?"

"I suppose." Leah leans against the car window. "I just need to sleep. For a really long time. And forget about Easter." She looks across at Alessia, who's own eyes are red. "Are you okay?"

"More than you are."

The drive back is short and quiet. Alessia parks on the drive and then pulls out the keys that Leah never asked for back and unlocks the front door. "I'm going to stay for a bit, if you don't mind."

"I don't."

Leah sits on the bottom step of the stairs, slowly unlacing and removing her trainers, whilst Alessia acts like a functioning person, locking the door behind them and making hot chocolate and putting out some water for Bella, who comes sleepily to greet them.

She helps Leah up the stairs and into her room, finds an old Arsenal shirt and some England joggers in the wardrobe. "I'll be back in a bit. Go and get ready for bed."

Leah feels too exhausted to do anything except change into the proffered clothes, clean her teeth and run a brush through her hair, and then drag herself back into her room and climb into bed.

When Alessia returns, she pulls the door closed behind her and comes to sit on the edge of the bed. "Is it too much of a step for me to stay over? I can go and sleep in the guest room, like before, but I don't want to leave you alone."

"No. Stay, please. Here." Leah shifts across to make space in the bed. Alessia tugs back the duvet and climbs in beside her, pulling her close to her chest. Leah presses her face into Alessia's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise." Alessia shakes her head. "Tonight was a lot. Everything's been a lot recently. You're allowed to react." She hums. "What was it you told me after the World Cup? Mistakes are part of football. Tonight was a mistake, and it was a team mistake."

"You made the game better."

Alessia snorts. "Didn't score, though, did I? We needed an own goal to pull one back. Tonight just wasn't our night. We'll come back again; we're Arsenal, we always do."

When they have matching Conti Cup medals hung up alongside their Euros gold and Alessia's silver two weeks later, Leah is on the receiving end of a strong I told you so look, and she knows she deserves it.

Meado: You probably already know this, but there is a lot of media speculation after your celebration with Less against Bristol. Just a heads-up that you might want to stay off the Internet for a couple of days.

Leah's grateful for the message, even if it was fairly unnecessary, because she's already seen all the GIFs and videos of how she ran to Alessia after her first goal last night.

"It's not my fault, you know," she says. "I would've let go so much earlier if you hadn't smiled at me like that."

Alessia flashes her the same smile, turning it into a grin as Leah visibly melts. "I know. I don't care about it all, you know? Most people still think we're friends, anyway. You grabbing me after Villa and Chelsea certainly helped."

"Mm, I guess having a ginormous crush on you came in handy at some point." Leah leans against her. "You seem so calm about all of this."

"So do you."

She sighs. "Yeah, but I'm used to it. My relationship with Jordan was one big mess of speculation from the fans and I'm pretty heavily in the eye of the media, what with the captaincy. You've been quite sheltered."

"That's true. I mean, this is all very positive. Everyone just thinks it's cute how much you care about me." She pauses and kisses Leah's cheek. "As do I."

"Goals are important, and you hadn't scored since Spurs, except for England, which is different. I think if I'd been on the pitch against Sweden, I would've done the same thing then." Leah plays with the rings on Alessia's left hand. "I know how much it meant to you to score again."

"Well, I don't plan to stop. We've got four matches left; how many do you reckon I can score by the end of the league?"

Leah hums. "Let's go four. One per match."

"Or a really impressive hat-trick."

"You did score three against Leicester with United," Leah remembers. "I watched that match. It was a good one."

Alessia turns her phone off at last. "I'm setting that photo of us as my lockscreen," she decides. Her hand gently runs through Leah's hair. "Something's bothering you, isn't it? Is it the videos?"

"It's only been two months," Leah mumbles. "Is this ... too early? To be doing stuff like this, I mean. Goal celebrations and videos like that. I don't want to reveal anything before we aren't ready."

"What you did on the pitch is essentially you did after we beat Chelsea back in November. You were by my side for ages, in front of 40,000 people. This was in front of less than 5000. We were doing it before we were anything than friends."

"That's true." Leah chews her lip.

"And, anyway, there's nobody's timeline for this except our own. I don't mind the videos or anything. If you'd done it against Spurs five days after we kissed for the second time, I wouldn't have minded then."

"I wasn't on the pitch when you scored against Spurs."

Alessia huffs. "Not the point, Leah." She looks down at her phone, which is currently locked, showing a photo of Leah as the background. She'd taken it from behind on a dog walk, and it's the evening, so she's mostly shadow. "The people who's opinion we should care about the most is our own. And I don't care."

"I don't care either." It's the truth, even if it's scary to admit it.

"Then, who gives a fuck? Hug me after every goal I score, and let people think what they think. We're what matters."

After a trip to Ibiza with Tooney, a trip to Germany to watch the Euros final, and a trip to Paris to watch the knockout stages of the Olympics, they're both thoroughly done with travel by the time they arrive back in England.

It's only a week before pre-season camp begins. Jonas is determined not to make the same mistakes as last year and their training is focused and rigorous and determined.

They spend the week lazily, going out for brunch and mucking around in the park rather than doing the fitness drills they're supposed to, whilst Bella chases the ball and barks at them in confusion.

The day before their second game of the league is their six-month anniversary, and Leah spends a whole afternoon trying to make it perfect. She finds a big bouquet of roses for the kitchen table, buys Alessia fancy coffee and works out a pancake recipe that shouldn't burn the kitchen down.

She buys her a new ring as well, to add to the collection she already has, and she gets L.W. inscribed on the inside of the band. She hopes the message is clear - it's not serious, but it is serious.

Her alarm goes off at six-thirty on Saturday so she can get out of bed and make breakfast. Thankfully, nothing catches on fire, and apart from one burnt one, the pancakes are a success. She lays out the tray with a smaller bunch of flowers and the ring wrapped up in tissue paper in the corner and then, taking a deep breath, goes up the stairs.

Alessia's alarm goes off at seven; Leah can hear it through the door as she approaches. They haven't quite moved in together yet, but Alessia sleeps over most nights, following up movie marathons and coffee walks after training each day.

"Leah?" The striker's voice is slightly groggy, but there's a smile in it. "What are you doing?"

"I made you breakfast. Anniversary treat." She places the tray down and kisses the top of Alessia's head. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, but ... Leah, our anniversary is tomorrow."

Leah freezes. Shit.

Then she clocks the smirk on Alessia's face and grabs a pillow to throw at her. "You're horrible! I'm trying to do something nice for you and you do that? You gave me a heart attack, Less!"

"Your face was hilarious." Alessia kneels up and kisses her. "I'm sorry, though. This looks amazing. It looks actually cooked through!"

Leah raises her eyebrows and folds her arms, but she can't be mad at all, not when Alessia is smiling at her like that. "You're too pretty to be angry at. Let me have some breakfast."

They're late to training, but Alessia lies and says her car got a flat tyre. When her hand brushes Leah's on the way to the locker room, she feels the cold metal of the new ring and smiles a secret smile to herself.

Alessia says the words first: I love you, whispered into her hair whilst they're watching Lord of the Rings. Leah is so caught up in the surprise and how it makes her feel that she kisses her instead of replying.

It lasts for two weeks. Alessia doesn't say it much - probably deterred by Leah's reluctance to repeat them - but she says them when they're waking up in the morning, or saying goodbye before different activities at training.

Then, one evening at dinner, she reaches across and takes Leah's hand. "Leah. I wanted to talk to you about something."

"I love you," Leah blurts. Alessia frowns, putting down her fork. "Sorry - sorry, I don't know where that came from. Um, if that's what it was about, I love you. I really love you."

Alessia chuckles. "I was going to ask if you wanted me to stop saying it, but I don't think that's the case anymore."

"I love you." It seems to be all Leah can say now. She sips her water but it doesn't change it. "Sorry for taking so long to tell you."

"You don't need to apologise. Everyone goes at their own pace." Alessia leans across the table and kisses her. "I knew anyway. I love you too."