Follow Your Passion: A Seamless Tumblr Journey
Words; 1.5k
Pairings; matildas team x astrid taylor (OC), kyra cooney cross x astrid taylor (OC)
Warnings; swearing
masterlist
After 2 days off in Melbourne and a quick flight to Sydney, the team were officially heading into training camp for the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup. The first game of the entire tournament being theirs meant alot to the girls, kicking it off on home soil and starting their journey to hopefully take the trophy in front of a home crowd.
Astrid could never have imagined she would be standing here amongst some of the best players in the world, and the people who had become her family.
The training ahead of the game was tough and tiring but all while sticking their heads down and focusing, they still knew how to have fun and enjoy this tournament as best they could. The girls made Tiktoks and other content for social media to show the fans everything that went on behind the games and get them hyped up for the opening match.
The morning of the Ireland game Astrid became very quiet, unusually silent and disengaged from the group. The night before she had woken up many times from nightmares that vocalised all her deep down fears about the upcoming games; That she wasn’t worthy enough for the team, she couldn’t score a single goal and the team hated her for it, that she really was just a young naive girl who didn’t have the skills to solidify her place on the squad. The worst one being her parents looking down on her in disappointment for mess ups and missed shots in every game.
Astrid was thankful that for the tournament they got their own rooms, meaning she didn’t wake someone else up everytime she shot up in bed, gasping for air between her sobs. She wouldn’t dare tell anyone what happened and explain why she was so quiet any more than saying she was focused on the match that night. A lot of those who asked simply dropped their questions after that, but Charli and Kyra were still hung up on her behaviour even hours after greeting her that morning.
They eventually arrived at the stadium and the team's energy shifted. Everyone was switched onto the game and the tournament ahead of them. Astrid was feeling very nervous and uneasy heading into the game, but still tried her best to push past those feelings and get into the zone.
She hadn’t been chosen for the starting eleven but was promised minutes in the second half by Tony which was all she could ask for as a young and less experienced player on the squad. Astrid noted the energy in the stadium as she walked out with the other subs, it was the most amount of support she had felt yet and the game hadn’t even started.
It was a very tough first half, both teams fighting hard and slightly dirty but it proved how much the game meant to every single person out on the pitch. A 0-0 scoreline at half time only pushed the girls to work even harder and stronger in the second half and get some points for a lead in the group stages.
Tony had listed when the subs were going to be made for the second half and Astrid was marked for the 75 minute mark to bring out fresh legs and her super-sub reputation once again.
The roar from the crowd when Steph made that penalty shot as captain on home soil was something Astrid had never heard before. The girls on the side jumped up and down in joy as they watched the girls on the pitch celebrate Steph with the crowd.
Astrid had a fire burning in her belly to push further ahead and safely secure the win in the group stage as she stood on the sidelines, waiting for Cortnee to swap out with her. She ran on and high-fived the girls as she passed them, taking her spot on the left corner as Mary shifted into the middle.
Astrid hadn’t had the chance to get much of a touch onto the ball for the first 10 minutes, but it eventually made its way to the left side of the pitch and onto the feet of Steph. Astrid didn’t have a plan of how she wanted to score but she subconsciously made her way to where she knew she could catch it, somewhere her and Steph had made a connection many times in training this week.
Her mind went quiet as she saw the ball rolling over to her feet, taking off running with it and trusting her team to keep the opposition away from her as she attempted a risky shot. Although Astrid was known for tapping it in from close distance, there was the odd time she had been able to make it from further out. This was one of those times.
Her left foot planted itself in the ground, angling towards the goal as her right foot swung hard and booted the ball up into the air. The crowd went silent as they watched it spin in the air, everyone including Astrid hoping she had planned it well enough to catch the inside corner of the net and not pass over it.
It felt like slow motion for Astrid as she watched it pass by Brosnan’s outstretched fingertips and landing in the white net behind her. The Australian crowd erupted once again with cheers and screams as Astrid began running down the length of the pitch towards Steph. Her smile was wide and her arms reached up to the sky, hands forming a heart shape as she looked up towards the sky.
She looked back down and saw Steph waiting for her with open arms, Astrid jumping into them and holding onto Steph tight. The rest of the girls had followed behind, cheering for their shooting star before dogpiling her and Steph. She was encased with love and pride by her family as their supporters celebrated in the stands with them.
They released and placed plenty of head pats onto Astrid, Steph placing a kiss to her hair before leaving her with just Kyra lingering to walk back to their places together.
“That was fucking insane.” Kyra whispered into her ear, pulling the forward closer as they walked. “I love you.” Astrid whipped her head up with speed, staring at Kyra before she jogged off to her place in the midfield leaving Astrid to quickly run back to her place with a slightly dropped jaw.
The rest of the game played out resulting in a 2-0 win to the Matildas thanks to Steph and Astrid, the crowd once again cheering when the whistle blew and the rest of the squad making their way out to the field, congratulating the Irish team before celebrating with their own.
“I’m so proud of you!” Astrid felt a body jump onto her back, wrapping her legs around her waist out of instinct before turning her head to see Charli’s smiley face like suspected.
“Thanks, Cha Cha.” Astrid smiled awkwardly up at her before she began walking to find Courtney and Kyra on the other side of the pitch, Charli still high up on her back.
“There she is, star of the show.” Courtney began clapping as Astrid and Charli began falling into view of herself and Kyra. Charli jumped down and they all embraced in a group hug.
“Hey Stargirl.” Astrid lifted her head from the closed circle of giggles and turned to find Caitlin walking over to her with someone in a green jersey. “This is Katie.”
“Holy shit.” Astrid cursed softly as she realised Katie McCabe, one of her idols, was standing one metre in front of her. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.” She held her hand out awkwardly for a handshake but Katie surprised her by bringing Astrid in for a hug instead. Safe to say she was kind of freaking out but trying to keep her cool.
“That goal was impressive, nice to see you’ve got a long range shot in ya too.” Katie remarked as they stepped away from each other. Astrid smiled and nodded her head in acknowledgement.
“Thanks, means a lot.” Astrid spoke again towards Katie, but she could feel her friends behind her snickering with Caitlin not so silently.
“Of course. I hear you’re a big Arsenal fan.” Katie comments and Astrid nods her head silently. “Well, let’s just say I hope to play with you and not against you one day.” Katie smiles before saying goodbye to the group and walking off.
“Okay fangirl.” Charli teases after making sure Katie was far enough away.
“Shut the fuck up.” Astrid rolls her eyes and begins to walk to where the team and staff had begun gathering for post match talks.
“Watch your mouth young lady.” Caitlin calls out from behind her with the other girls. Astrid contemplates flipping them the bird but too many cameras and eyes looking at her so she reminds herself to do it later.
to be continued...
Summary; Being so good so young brings a lot of attention to you, especially when you make a simple mistake. Leah notices you struggling and helps you as you begin to crack under the pressure. Inspired by "Mirrorball" by my mother, Taylor Swift.
Pairings; Leah Williamson x young!reader (platonic), lionesses x reader (platonic)
Words; 2k
Warnings; sad, swearing, angst.
A/N; Is it too much to ask just to be comforted by Leah. Sorry about the sadness but it's so fun to write and play it out in my head. A little it rushed but I wanted to get something out and i'm off work sick so very clearly bored atm. Enjoy.
It was no secret that Leah felt a need to protect you and basically adopt you when you entered the senior team just a few months ago. You were quite young, like most of the other girls were when they got their first call ups, but there was a naivety and innocence to you that she felt the need to take you under her wing very quickly.
You had excelled very easily in the youth and U23 squads, becoming one of the best defenders for your age and following closely behind in the footsteps of the one and only Leah Williamson. So when you got that call from Sarina inviting you to your first senior camp, you were both excited and extremely nervous to be in the presence of your biggest inspirations.
There was a lot of press when your call up was publicly announced, people who had watched you in the younger squads cheering you on and other fans ready to see how you would fit within the senior team. A lot of the younger players in the squad were more than excited to hear of you finally moving up, most of you playing together and growing up together at national camps over the years. So there was no reason for you to worry about when arriving at St Georges park for the first time.
But the thought about being in an unfamiliar environment with new people and a new team still made you nervous. So it was understandable that you were quiet and reserved for the first day, still greeting everyone but unsure of where your place in the squad was just yet. The girls you had grown up with were lovely as always but it had been a few years since you were all together, so it was different.
That's when Leah knew she had to make the effort and ensure your transition to the senior squad was smooth and easy, making you comfortable with the girls which would benefit your performance on the field.
"Hey, y/n!" A voice called out to you, making you turn your head to find the Leah Williamson waving you over to her table. You swallowed your nerves before walking over to her with your breakfast tray in your shaky hands. She shifted over to make a space for you between herself and Keira. That was the first and certainly not the last time Leah had made sure you felt welcome and supported on the team.
A few camps in and everyone was calling you a mini Leah, not that you minded. You and the older defender had a lot in common, making it easy to get along and create a sisterly bond quite easily.
Despite being in a lower-ranked team of the WSL, many people already knew who you were and were ready to support you as you joined the senior squad. This helped with your nerves as you waited to sub on during your first national game, hearing the home crowd cheer as your number displayed beside Leah's.
"You've got this little one." Leah whispered as she hugged you, making your heart swell and your eyes roll at the nickname before you ran out and took her place on the field next to Millie and Lotte.
It's safe to say your run with the national team has been going quite well since your first game, finding yourself appearing in every match and even starting in the two in the previous camp.
Your impressive defensive skills and tactics had been noticed when you were on national duty and during regular matches, causing your agent to call you with many offers from many different clubs in the WSL and even other leagues. But there was one that stood out and would be a no-brainer to transfer during the January window, especially as a place to work on your skills ahead of the World Cup this summer.
So you officially left the club that started your professional career at 18 just three years ago and set off to North London, moving into Leah's flat; nice and close to the Colney.
It was in a friendly against Australia where you made a simple mistake that would impact you and your career so harshly, so quickly.
3 months out from the world cup and this one mistake almost cost you your spot in the World Cup squad... or so you were made to believe.
It was a simple mistake that plenty of players all over the world had made before; stepping out that little bit too much during a tackle and risking the player you were trying to mark, especially with the current weather conditions. That's all it took. But you knew the moment your studs hit Kyra's boot, your match was over.
The whistle was blown within seconds of her body hitting the floor and her grabbing onto her foot where your studs had accidently landed. You looked down to where her team was beginning to surround her, frozen in place until a hand on your shoulder shook you out of it and your head moved the ref who was reaching in her back pocket. The red card came into view and although you knew it was coming, your heart still sunk as she wrote your number on the back.
A few of the England girls began to start arguing with ref that it should have at least been a yellow, but you knew there was no point, anyone could see that it was a definite red and you were officially benched for the rest of the game and the next one coming. So with a hung head you walked off the field and over to the tunnel, the voices of your teammates and the disappointed home crowd blurring into the background, everything feeling as though it was in slow motion as the rain continued to fall.
"I'm sorry." You spoke to Sarina who silently nodded her head at you, both a sympathetic and disappointed look on her face as you passed by and walked down to the change room.
You sat down on the bench in front of your cubby and stared down at the boots that let down the team and left them a man down with 20 minutes still to go.
There was something bubbling in your chest that should have been anger at the situation but it was just bitter disappointment in yourself and that was ultimately worse. Water formed in your eyes and your throat began closing up as you bit back the tears that were trying to escape, but you couldn't let them.
You ended up showering and changing into your tracksuit as you waited for the match to end and what you presumed would be a lot of upset teammates ready to storm in and hurl their anger towards you. You curled up in your cubby, headphones on but no music playing, and closed your eyes as you waited.
You were so buried within yourself that you hadn't noticed all the girls coming in and spotting you making yourself so small, breaking all of their hearts as they could see how hard you were taking this.
It was Esme who eventually disturbed you, tapping your shoulder gently, silently nodding to the door of the once again empty changeroom after everyone began to leave for the bus.
She threw her arm around you, tucking you into her side as you walked out to the back and towards the bus where everyone was waiting. Once again you were left alone by the girls on the bus, they could see you were utterly disappointed and didn't want to accidentally make it worse. So although you were sat by yourself, you could feel 22 pairs of eyes on you every so often, but most intensely from a blonde captain further back on the bus.
It didn't take long for the press to have their say on the incident, immediately shaming you for your mistake and basically flushing your name and reputation down the toilet. So as you mindlessly scrolled through social media on the way back, your feed was filled with posts and comments about the incident. You knew better than to read what they wrote about you, but you couldn’t stop, obsessed with reading every article that featured your name.
Most of the comments were the same, things like "how dangerous it really could have been" and that you were "young and reckless and irresponsible with your choices as a defender." Deep down you knew they were wrong about you but it was hard to fight through the voices saying they were right and that you were a bad footballer.
Leah started to get worried when you were not only ignoring the other girls, but then you began distancing yourself upon returning home with her. You stayed in your room as much as you could and tried to stay away from Leah but it was hard when living in the same house.
The night that you got back she barely heard from you, wanting to respect your privacy for as long as she could but when she heard your soft cries through the door she couldn’t ignore it any longer.
“Y/N?” She knocked softly on the door, waiting for a response but you stayed quiet. “I’m coming in okay.” She gave a warning before opening the door softly, her eyes instantly finding you tucked into the covers facing away from the door. “Oh little one.”
Her soft voice made a sob finally escape and you began properly breaking down for the first time. She hated seeing you like this, contrastingly different to the bubbly, mischievous person you were known to be. She crawled up under the covers, rolling you over and placing your head upon her chest.
“What can I do?” She began smoothing your hair with her fingers, she knew this is what came with becoming a footballer in the spotlight but she didn’t think it would get you this early in your career.
“Just hold me please.” Your voice was soft and broken, trying to stop the images and words they were saying from spiralling in your mind.
“None of what they say is true, I need you to know that.” Leah spoke again after a few minutes of silence, finally feeling your breathing slow and the tears stopping. “It was an accident and you know it, I know it, she knows it and they know it too.” She was referring to Kyra who you had already sent a message to, apologising for hurting her and the media who were riling up a story to fill their articles full of nonsense for more money.
“This does not change who you are as a person or a player, it happens to everyone and it will go away once they find something new to talk about. But you need to ignore them.” She continued, waiting for any kind of response. “Promise me you’ll ignore them.” Leah looked down at you, tapping your head as a signal to look up at her.
“I promise.” You gave her a small smile while nodding.
“Come on, let’s go eat some smileys.” She flung the covers off and pushed you up with a laugh, getting one out of you for the first time since it happened.
“You have the pallet of a five year old.” You shook your head as you crawled out of your bed.
“And what about it?” She wrapped an arm around your shoulder as you exited out to the kitchen, pressing a small kiss to your head as you walked together.
It was at that moment you felt truly grateful for Leah and all she had given you since joining the Lionesses and Arsenal. She took you in and gave you an environment to thrive and be comfortable in a new place when she didn’t have any obligation to. But you would forever be in debt to her kindness and never reject anything she gave to you.
Summary; The news of Jessie leaving hits you hard but your bond is stronger.
Words; 2.2k
Pairing; Jessie Flemming x chelsea reader
Warnings; just sadness (soz)
A/N; I’m not even a Chelsea fan but when this news came out about her transfer I did start crying because I know how much that team means to her and then it led me to inspiration for this blurb. This may not be accurate as to how she’s leaving but it’s how I’m imagining it because I love making people cry (sorry y’all) This song is also my favourite Noah song and I thought it fit pretty well. I'm sorry for the pain you’re about to feel but hopefully you enjoy reading it.
After a long day of training in preparation for the match in two days, all you and Jessie wanted to do was lay down and enjoy the quiet together. So after a quick dinner and some TV, it was officially time for bed and you were both more than relieved as you headed to the bedroom of your shared apartment.
You had been living together for almost a year, being together for almost 3 years now since your arrival to Chelsea in 2020 alongside her. It didn’t take long for you and Jessie to drift towards each other during training and bonding nights, eventually evolving from friends into lovers, which didn’t take long at all.
Now here you both were, cuddled up in bed together and basking in the silence after a tough training day. But as you laid your head on Jessie’s chest you could tell something was on her mind, she had been preparing to say something for the last few minutes but stopped herself before she could.
“You okay?” You sat up slowly next to her, turning your head to look at her in the low light of the room, a sliver of moonlight shining through the curtains, reaching down and placing a loving squeeze on her thigh.
“Hmmm?” Jessie looked down at you, not fully catching your question as she was in her head.
“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” You brushed a small curling back behind her hair, watching her visibly relax at your touch, a soft smile donning her face.
She inhaled quickly, thinking about how she could say what she needed to say to you, knowing it would pain you as much, if not more than her.
“I-” She paused and finally looked into your eyes. “I’m leaving Chelsea.” It was just above a whisper, but as soon as the words came out your heart dropped.
“What?” You thought for a second she might be joking, but from her expression you knew it was real. “What do you mean?” You whispered again and she looked away, unable to look at you, a tear slipping down her face. She had gotten the call two days ago from her agent, and then Emma, saying that she was being transferred and that there was nothing else to be done. She was being sold and she had no choice.
It had been eating her alive for the last two days, trying to find the right time to tell you but realising there would never be a right time.
“Is it a loan?” You asked after she hadn’t spoken again. She sniffled and continued to break at your hopefulness.
“They sold me.” Jessie spoke, dragging her knees into her chest and letting more tears fall.
“They can’t do that.” You sat up on your knees, running your hands through your hair.
“They can.” Jessie rested her head on her knees, still refusing to look at you. “They did.” She sniffled and you shook your head in disbelief.
“Where are you going? Some other club in the league?” You stood up from the bed, pacing back and forth along the side, watching Jessie sit silently on her side. “Jessie?” You called out after no response.
“Portland Thorns.” She whispered and you stopped in your tracks, heart breaking further in your chest. The room once again became silent bar the sniffles from Jessie. Tears filled your eyes and you continued to stare at her frame that became smaller and smaller as she curled further into herself.
You bit the inside of your cheek as your thoughts began to spiral once again. She’s leaving the team, she’s leaving the country. She’s leaving me.
“Baby?” Jessie’s voice snapped you out of your thoughts. Your head snapped up from its focus on the bed, finding her no longer sitting there, but now in front of you after watching you zone out and your breaths become shorter and quicker.
“They’re sending you to America?” Your voice was quiet, a sob threatening to escape as more tears brimmed your eyes.
“I fought hard to avoid it. I don’t want to leave you.” Her eyes looked similar to yours as she brought her hands to your face, her gentle touch breaking you even more. Your heads found their natural place against each other, tears falling down both of your faces and arms holding onto one another.
“It’ll be okay.” You finally spoke after a few minutes, finally pulling her into a hug, resting your head on top of hers with your slightly taller frame. “We’ll be okay.”
You stayed like that in the moonlight for a few minutes before crawling back into bed and returning to your original positioning, finally falling into sleep from exhaustion and sadness.
The next morning was quieter than normal as you prepared for training. You were still thinking about what you found out last night, Jessie letting you process while also preparing how she was going to tell the team today that she was leaving.
When the pair of you arrived to training, you immediately clung to one another's side, intertwining your hands as you walked in the doors and towards the locker room. A few people were confused at your entrance, normally you two were quite disruptive, loud and separating into your little groups. But you remained close to one another and only greeted your teammates politely before returning back to silence.
“Meeting room, 5 minutes.” Emma strolled by the room and yelled through the door before continuing. One by one everyone left to follow their manager to said room, you and Jessie hung behind before leaving together after everyone else.
Two spots were available in the front on the end so you and Jessie sat down, Niamh in the seat beside you squeezed your shoulder and you smiled back at her.
“Alright, match tomorrow against United…” Emma began her talk about the plan and her lineups for the game but you and Jessie were focused on something else, holding her hand and squeezing every once and a while.
“Finally, Jessie-” Emma looked over at her, Jessie nodding as she prepared to stand, letting go of your hand and walking to the front.
“Thanks.” Jessie stood in front of the whole team who were visibly confused. “Um.” She paused, looking over to you but you were looking down at your hands to prevent yourself from crying again. “Chelsea has been my home for the past three and a half years and you girls my family. I cannot express my love and gratitude for every single one of you enough. Which,” She looked up at the roof, trying to make the tears stop. “Which is why it’s so hard to say goodbye.” A few girls gasped and the rest were in shock, no one could have seen this coming at all.
“I’ve been transferred to Portland Thorns.” Jessie spoke with slight anger in her voice and wording, communicating that she’s not happy with this news at all and it wasn’t her choice to leave them. You finally looked up at her, tears brimming your eyes again at the thought of not playing with her for the first time in three years.
Jessie had been there with you through it all; injuries, coming back injuries, being benched by Emma when she thought you weren't good enough, when you scored your first of many goals, when you were having a bad day. She was always there with you and you there with her for every high and low of life.
The meeting ended and everyone began leaving for training after stopping by Jessie to give her a hug and wish her good luck. You were the last to reach her, silently taking her hand and leading you both out to the training pitches.
Almost everything was normal, everyone was training as they always did, but there was an atmosphere and all the girls felt it but pushed on and listened to Emma.
Emma didn’t put Jessie in the starting line up or on the bench as a sub, so instead of playing one last game in blue, she stood in the stands and supported as you started for the second time this year. Since Sam did her ACL, you had been Emma’s go to as the centre forward, which encouraged you but you had a feeling you were just a replacement and not as valued as the Matilda’s captain. But a start was a start and you would take what you could get.
The game was long and tiring but with a hat trick from LJ, Chelsea had retained their top spot in the WSL table and gained another three points in their defeat over Man United.
You were walking around the pitch trying to celebrate the win and points but it was hard. Not only was Jessie leaving but she wasn’t even part of the match squad for what should have been one of her last games.
But it wasn’t long till she made her way onto the pitch and over towards where you were walking with Guro. A tap on your shoulder removed your eyes from the crowd and towards your girlfriend who was standing behind you. Immediately you brought her into a hug and she held onto you tightly.
You hadn’t spoken about it properly since that first night, waiting until this match was done so you were focused on playing and not the fact that Jessie was moving away with very short notice. So when you returned back home that night, it was time to talk.
“When do you leave?” You asked her as you sat on the couch together, your legs laid over her lap with your head on the armrest and her sitting up against the backrest.
“Preseason starts on the 5th. I’m supposed to be signing on the 1st. My flight is the day before.” Jessie looked up at the roof while you calculated how many days you would have left together before she leaves.
“That’s 9 days Jessie.” You speak softly and your eyes gloss over as you stare at her.
“I know. I pushed it back as late as I could.” She looked down at you, tears falling down her face. “I’m sorry.” She spoke and you immediately sat up, crawling over to straddle her lap, holding her face in your hands.
“You don’t have any reason to be sorry Jessie.” You looked her directly in the eyes. “It’s just what's happening and even though it’s very, very shitty,” You wiped the tears under her eyes. “It could end up being the best thing for you and your career.”
“I don’t want to leave you.” Jessie’s main concern was you and your relationship, but she had nothing to worry about.
“We’ll make it work, I promise.” You rested your forehead against hers, closing your eyes and softly holding her neck, her hands resting gently on your hips.
For the next 9 days it seemed you and Jessie spent every waking moment you could together, savouring even the smallest of moments before you begin long distance. It hadn’t been publicly announced yet but rumours began flying around about the transfer and fans were beginning to investigate.
The rumours kept growing about her transfer every day that she wasn’t featured with Chelsea and not named in the next two matches against Real Madrid and Brighton. But nothing was said from Chelsea or Jessie until the last minute and you were driving her to the airport to say goodbye.
After Jessie posted her goodbye to the club she turned off her notifications and focused on spending every last second focused on you. But you didn’t say anything on the drive, you couldn’t without your throat closing up and tears leaving your eyes.
“Don’t forget about me.” Jessie laughed as you held each other in the departure terminal.
“How could I ever Jeff?” You pulled back to look in her eyes, brushing a curl off her head. She let out another laugh but this one held a little more pain behind it. “Promise me one more thing before you go?”
“Anything.” She pressed her forehead against yours.
“Marry me?” It was a whisper from your end but made her eyes light up with both shock and love.
“Yes.” It was a simple answer but it was the right one. And good thing it was because the ring you were holding in your pocket wasn’t one you could easily return.
“Good.” You leant in and kissed her, both of her hands moved to your face and yours to her waist. “I love you.”
“I love you.” You pulled her hand down and slipped the ring on as she admired it, pulling you in for one last kiss. “Forever.”
“Forever.” She pulled you into a hug one last time before looking at the clock; it was time to go.
“Go get em superstar.” You pulled away and pushed her further into the airport, watching her walk away as you wiped the tears from your eyes.
y/n.y/l/n. posted
liked by _jessflem, niamhcharles17 and 745,985 others
you’re the greatest thing we’ve lost
once a blue, always a blue my girl 💙
tagged @_jessflem
THE END
Summary; 2023 and the start of 2024 seem to have something in common already; everyone in the WOSO community seems to be getting engaged. And when you bring this up to your long term partner Jen, it seems she has nothing to say, or does she….
Pairings; Jen Beattie x famous!reader
Words; 2.5k
Warnings; pure fluff, swearing
A/N; It seems to be the season of getting engaged and even though I am way off getting engaged and very very single, I thought I would pretend and imagine that I was getting engaged to the one and only Jen Beattie. There is also a lack of Jen fics on here and I feel the need to write one for her. Enjoy!
First it was Steph and Dean all the way back in January. Lynn and Marley finally did it back in May. Then in June it was Emily and Kat, and Katrina and Clara just a few days after. Kristie and Sam finally revealed theirs from September after months of teasing. Chloe Kelly and Millie Bright got it within the same week, sharing photos with their partners around christmas. And finally a surprise from Ellie and Daan on the first day of a new year.
It seemed 2023 and now 2024 was the time for engagements in the world of women’s football and you were quite caught up in all the news.
“Oh my god babe, another one!” You let out a gasp as the post from Ellie and Daan popped up on your instagram feed, stopping your pre-dinner scrolling as you paused and assessed the picture. It was from a few days ago, and you were seeing it now because you had been away with Jen and her family, avoiding social media to spend time with them and only now catching up.
“What?” Jen’s voice called from the kitchen, you jumping up from the couch with your phone and running quickly into the kitchen.
“Look.” You aggressively shoved your phone into her face and she adjusted to the bright light as she tried to look at the photo.
“Oh wow, congrats to them.” Jen smiled quickly before turning away and back to the food on the stove. You frowned at her quick response and disinterest at the post.
“Do you not think it’s funny?” You asked with a small laugh from beside her.
“What is?” She asked whilst moving around the kitchen to find the rest of the ingredients for your dinner.
“That everyone in the footballing world seems to be getting engaged at the moment?” You asked again and she didn’t respond with any excitement, again.
“Oh, guess I didn’t notice.” She shrugged and continued to stir the pot. You opened your mouth to talk again but she got there before you. “Could you grab me some bowls, love?” She asked while keeping her eyes on the pan. You paused for a second before grabbing two clean ones from the dishwasher and placing them next to her. “Thank you.” She smiled at you briefly before beginning to dish up the pasta that was now done.
“You’re welcome.” You snapped out of your trance and silently moved to grab some glasses and the wine from the fridge. She waited for you to finish pouring your drinks before she grabbed both bowls and headed for the couch, you following close behind her.
“What are we watching tonight, love?” Jen asked as she sat beside you on the couch, now both holding your dinner and the wine glasses on the coffee table.
“I don’t mind, you pick.” You shrugged before taking a bite of your food and now it was her turn to frown at you, normally you always took control over what to watch together.
“You okay?” Jen asked simply and you nodded silently while eating and staring at the screen in front of you. “ Okay, how about Bridgerton? We still haven’t finished season two.” She suggested and once again you nodded silently from beside her.
You weren’t sure why you were feeling slightly off after Jen’s reaction to the post and your comments, but you still snuggled into her on the couch after finishing your pasta and wine.
The episode finished and you could feel the both of you drifting off after a long day. Jen had been back at training after winter break and your schedule had been hectic since returning from time off. You were an actress and your new movie was about to come out so all the promo shoots and interviews were now in full swing, though you were grateful it began in London so you could still go home to Jen every night.
You met Jen a few years back at an event in London you had both been invited to, catching her eyes from the other side of the room and instantly knowing you had to go talk to her. You knew who each other were, an actress making her name in the world and a famous sports star who silently followed each other in their respective lines of work. One conversation and you knew there was something there, and so did she. You both knew it would be hard with your professions and the distance you would have at certain times, but you wanted to make it work, somehow keeping it from the public eye for two years before hard launching it on your anniversary and sending both sets of fans into a frenzy.
“Ready for bed love?” Jen spoke softly into the dark living room, smoothing your hair softly.
“Definitely.” You yawned and sat up, rubbing your tired eyes as Jen stood up and held a hand out for you. You smiled at the gesture and met your hand in hers, pulling yourself up and making your way to your bedroom together. You both had already showered when you got home earlier so all that was left to do was to brush your teeth together.
Your night routine was almost the same every night, no matter what was going on in your separate lives, you always spent those last few minutes together before crawling into bed. So once you both finished in the bathroom, you hopped into bed on your chosen sides but made your way closer to the middle and each other, Jen opening her arms to you as you laid your head on her chest.
“Sorry I’ve been quiet, tired.” You mumbled into the darkness against Jen as she drew small circles against your back.
“It’s okay, me too.” Jen looked down at you to meet your soft eyes.
“I love you.” You smiled and snuggled into her chest once more, eyes drifting closed.
“I love you too.” Jen placed a kiss against your head before closing her own eyes and drifting asleep.
The topic of last night's conversation was mostly forgotten in the morning, or at least it wasn’t brought up again between you too. That didn’t mean it wasn’t brought up with different people. Jen arrived at training and as both Steph and Beth walked up to her, they could tell something was on her mind.
“You alright there Jenny?” Steph bumped her shoulder as herself and Beth joined her sides.
“Hmm? Oh yeah.” Jen nodded at them but went silent straight after.
“You sure?” Beth dragged out her words and brought her face as she could to Jen’s, their height difference proving to be a little difficult.
“Yeah, just thinking.” Jen tried to brush them off again but these two were persistent and she knew she wasn’t going to get very far if she didn’t tell them. She stopped her walking and sighed before speaking. “Last night, Y/N brought up how it seems like everyone’s getting engaged at the moment, and I didn’t really say anything back. And then she seemed upset for the rest of the night, but she said she was just tired, which I know she has been, but I also think I might have upset her in some way.” She let out in almost one breath as Steph and Beth tried to process her words.
“Well she’s not wrong, especially in the last few weeks.” Beth added with a shrug.
“Do you think she’s ready?” Steph ignored Beth’s comment and looked at Jen.
“Well, I wasn’t sure before, but after last night I think she is.” Jen looked between the two of them. “Just the way she was talking about it and then when I didn’t really say anything…” She trailed off and looked down.
“I think she’s ready.” Steph spoke with a smile. She had watched from the beginning of your relationship with Jen just how happy you were with one another, and how easy the relationship seemed even when spending time apart due to work.
“Are you?” Beth asked sincerely, her and Steph awaiting Jen’s reply. Jen was silent for a few seconds, bringing her eyes back up to look at her best friends.
“I bought the ring like 2 months ago.” She mumbled but they still heard it and instantly started beaming at the Scottish woman.
“You sly little bastard.” Beth punched Jen’s arm softly as they began to walk again so that they wouldn’t be late for training.
Throughout the whole day the three of them, mostly Steph and Beth, were coming up with ideas on how she should propose but Jen kept shooting them down. She wanted it to be private, special and a surprise, so anything that involved taking you out somewhere would instantly make you suspicious.
While Jen had been conversing her thoughts and plans with her best friends at training, you were in your head all day thinking about last night. Which wasn’t really helping especially when you were trying to film press interviews all day and talk about your movie.
You could have talked to your co-stars about it, after all they had become close friends while shooting and now being with each other everyday for promo, but the only person you really wanted to talk to was Jen; it was always Jen.
Jen got home long before you, taking her time to deep clean the flat and cook dinner for you once again, knowing you would be exhausted from your long day of work.
She didn’t hear you opening the door and making your way through the flat, she had been vacuuming with her headphones on and dancing around your bedroom. You stood in the doorway for a few minutes after spotting her, admiring her and waiting for her to see you. And when she did, boy did she get a fright.
“Ah fuck!” Jen almost jumped out of her skin when she finally turned around and spotted you lurking in the doorway, using one hand to remove her headphones and the other to turn the vacuum off. “How long have you been standing there?” She dropped the vacuum and began to walk over to you.
“A few minutes. I was admiring your hidden dance skills.” You smiled and stood up straighter, welcoming her into a hug like you do every day. “Hi.” You mumbled into her shoulder.
“Hi love.” She pulled back and leaned in for a soft kiss. No matter how many times you kiss Jen, it feels like the very first time all over again, even after 4 years. “Busy day?” She asked as you parted, taking in your tired expression.
“Busy day.” You nodded and smiled at her. “How was training?” You asked as you walked hand and hand to the kitchen.
“Good, good to be back with the girls.” Jen smiled at you before letting go to retrieve dinner from the oven. You stood at the counter, simply watching her as she moved about wrapping up dinner. “Go put something on, I’ve got it.” Jen smiled and placed a kiss on your temple before ushering you to the lounge room.
“Okay bossy.” You laughed before making your way to the couch and switching the TV over to Netflix to finish the final episode of Bridgerton. You wait patiently for her on the couch, looking over your shoulder every few seconds to see if she is coming around the corner.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Jen is trying to hide her anxiety and nervousness as she plates up dinner and feels her pocket one more time. With two champagne glasses now full and a tray full of food she finally makes her way to you, letting out a final breath before entering the living room.
“Dinner is served.” She places the tray down on the table and bows which makes you laugh. Your eyes fall on the glasses and you’re instantly confused.
“What’s with the champagne? Decide the wine wasn’t good enough?” You joked and she let out a small laugh shaking her head.
“Some nights are a little more special than the others.” She cryptically says and has you even more confused but you leave the comment alone and hit play on the remote.
You eat dinner together while watching the episode, silently watching with a bit of commentary along the way before cuddling up after eating. The episode finishes and you can feel Jen’s heart beating particularly fast, her fingers are nervously playing with one another and she hasn’t spoken in a few minutes. You sit up silently and look at her, she doesn’t look at you. You’re about to fill the silence when she beats you to it.
“You know how much I love you, right?.” Jen rushes out and leaves you slightly bewildered.
“I know. I love you just as much.” You reply. “What’s wrong?” You bring your hand up to brush her hair back into her low bun.
“I’m about to do something and I hope you don’t think it’s random and forced because it’s not and I’ve been thinking about this for a long time and I didn’t want to make a massive deal about it because it’s just you and me and that’s all that matters.” Jen speaks in one long breath and you need a second for your brain to catch up but before it can she’s pulling you up off the couch with her and standing in front of you. She holds your hands in hers and looks directly at you.
“Wha-” Before you could even think about finishing your sentence, a giant gasp leaves your mouth at her next action. She drops down to one knee whilst still holding holding your hands, smiling up at you as tears well in your eyes.
“My love, I could go on and on about how much I love you but you already know. There is no one else I would rather spend the rest of my life with, no matter where it shall take us. So,” She let go of your hands, you bringing them up to your face and hers reaching down into her pocket. She fishes the small, black box out, opening it to reveal a sparkling ring and looks back up at you. “Y/N Y/L/N, will you-”
“YES!” You interrupt her before she gets to finish causing her to laugh and shake her head.
You just stand there admiring her as she gets up and removes the ring from the box. She brings your shaking left hand from your face and slides the ring on. Your jaw drops at the ring before you jump into her arms, causing her to react quickly and grab hold of your legs. “I love you so much Jen.” You cry into her shoulder as she holds you before you lift your head up, meeting your eyes with hers before pulling in for a kiss.
The rest of the night is spent in one another's arms just admiring each other and talking softly with each other about the rest of your lives while wrapped up in your sheets.
yourinstagram and jbeattie91
yourinstagram we joined the club 💍
liked by jbeattie91, stephcatley, bethmead_ and 834,032 others
stephcatley so happy for you! welcome to the club 😉
bethmead_ about time jen jen. congrats 🥰
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THE END!
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Should I open requests for things to write? lmk xx
Stargirl | Matildas x original character fic - masterlist
Gnomeo and Juliet | Alanna Kennedy x reader
it’s not your fault | Mary Earps x Reader
Joining the club | Jen Beattie x Reader
You're gonna go far | Jessie Fleming x chelsea!reader
Something out of a rom com | Steph Catley x reader
Watch my shattered edges glisten| Leah Williamson x young!reader (platonic)
So high school | Jessie Fleming x ucla!reader
Welcome home kiss | Emily Prentiss x GN!reader
Time Bomb | Criminal minds x fem!reader
love you to the moon and saturn | emily prentiss x gn!reader
goodbye my lover, goodbye my friend | emily prentiss x gn!reader
A life for a life | Derek Morgan x platonic!reader
Hey can anyone please give me the drive link of Alexia's documentary? 🥺🥺🥺🥺Thanks!!!