Chapter Text
Lucy has always been confident. Well through most of her adult life that is. There was an awkward teenage stage but once through that everything fell into place. She worked incredibly hard and rewarded herself for that hard work. She was a good and loyal girlfriend for nearly a decade and when that relationship fell apart she found new ways to reward herself for the hard work she was putting herself through in the gym and on the pitch. Blondes, brunettes, redheads… she wasn’t picky. She had a thing for attractive women that had a thing for her. So sue her, she liked being appreciated. And following both the Lionesses' success and her move to Chelsea, there was no real shortage of people that fit the criteria.
“Fuck Abby you feel so good”
The girl between her legs looked up the length of the defender and they locked eyes.
“Its Gabby”
“Oh shit sorry, I guess it's not just my own name you’re making me forget”
It's definitely a line but it seems to do the trick and Abby/Gabby brings her focus back to her centre.
*****
The next morning Lucy wakes up to light streaming in through a gap in the blinds. She rolls over and immediately notices the arm that’s still thrown over her waist. This was exactly the reason she doesn’t invite women to her house. It is much easier to part ways when she can slip out before they wake up.
She opens her eyes to look over at the women still asleep next to her. Red head. She makes a mental note to add that to the tally. The woman stirs.
“Good morning” the woman is smiling at her, “last night was fun”
“Mornin’, yeah was good”
The woman leans in, pressing her lips to the defender's neck, “time for another round?”
Lucy goes to move away, “would love to but unfortunately I’ve got to get to training so…”
“Oh ok, another time then?”
“Um sure yeah I’ll call you”
Lucy sits on the side of the bed watching while the woman collects her belongings and re-dresses. The red head, once fully dressed, walks over the brunette and kisses her forcefully.
“Seriously, you should call me.” another kiss, “I’ve never felt that good before”
Lucy smiles cockily. “Yeah right back at you Abby”
The girl pulls away and frowns.
“Its Gabby”
“Oh yeah sorry” lucy feigns an apology, “but uhh yeah see ya”
Once Gabby finally leaves, Lucy returns to bed slumping down and grabs her phone from the nightstand. She opens a text from Georgia from the night before.
Georgia (23:14) Saw you leave with Gabby ;)
Georgia (23:15) Don’t do anything I wouldn't do!
Lucy smiles and replies
Lucy (08:32) I was on my best behaviour ;)
Lucy (08:33) How’s your head this morning?
Georgia (08:35) Yeah I’m sure you were lol
Georgia (08:35) I’m fine, fancy a run this morning?
Lucy (08:36) Sounds good, meet you by the river in an hour?
Georgia (08:37) *thumbs up*
*****
After they finish the run they stop at the coffee truck and sit down at a table overlooking the river.
“So Bronzey” Georgia takes a sip of her coffee, “how are you doing? We didn’t really get to catch up last night.”
“I’m all good G. Last night was fun. You know I hate the cameras and the red carpet shit but the party was good”
“Yeah it was good. But seriously Bronze, how are you holding up?”
“Seriously, I'm fine. We should have broken it off way sooner than we did and I'm happy for her that she’s found someone”
Georgia looks unconvinced.
“Honestly G, Keira deserves all the happiness in the world and if Laura can give her that then I am thrilled.”
“But what about you?”
“What about me? I’m fine, did you not see the woman that left on my arm last night? I am doing perfectly well for myself thank you very much.” She smiles half heartedly.
Georgia shakes her head.
“That's not what I mean Bronzey. We all know fine well that you are more than capable of getting laid. But don’t you want more than that?”
Lucy leans back in her chair, interlocking her fingers behind her head, her biceps on full display, “Honestly G, right now I am just enjoying being adored”
Georgia guffaws and throws a balled up napkin at her.
“Fine but at some point you are going to have to actually work through your feeling”
*****
Later that evening Lucy is at home on the sofa scrolling Instagram with the Man City game on in the background.
She scrolls past numerous dog pictures and dinner plates and friends' holiday pictures before freezing on a pair of bright blue eyes.
Alessia Russo.
She stares at the photo. The picture is of the striker on a red carpet. Black floor length dress hugging all of her curves. Blonde hair tied up in a slick back bun. Piercing blue eyes staring at her through the screen.
Lucy knew well that her England teammate was gorgeous but until recently, she couldn’t and wouldn’t let herself think anything further. Lucy was loyal. The type of person who when in a relationship only has eyes for that woman. But now things are different. Now she can let herself feel all the things that she had been shoving down. And top of that list: Alessia Russo is hot.
She swipes onto the striker's profile scrolling through her recently posted pictures. Lots of action shots of the girl in her Arsenal shirt on the pitch interspersed with holiday pictures, brand deals and red carpet events. The one thing that connected all of them was that she looked flawless in every single one.
Lucy spends longer than she had planned scrolling through analysing each of the pictures and every aspect of the striker's face and body. It wasn’t until she got to a picture of her in a UNC jersey that she clocked how long she had been scrolling for. This kicked her brain back into focus. She didn’t even know if Russo liked women. There was one way to find out.
Lucy (22:23) G you played youth teams with Russo right?
Georgia (22:25) uh yeah, why?
Lucy (22:26) What’s her deal?
Georgia (22:26) What do you mean what’s her deal?
Lucy (22:27) You know, like does she play for our team ;)
Georgia (22:28) No.
Lucy (22:28) No?
Georgia (22:29) I mean no as in you cannot go after Less, Bronze!
Lucy (22:30) So that’s a yes then?
Georgia (22:31) Luce I am being serious
Georgia (22:32) Less isn’t the kind of girl you sleep with once and move on from.
Lucy (22:33) Who said that’s all I wanted?
Georgia (22:34) Cause I know you
Georgia (22:35) And even if you did want something more, it’ll fuck up the team
Georgia (22:36) Find another blonde to pad your stats
Lucy (22:37) Why is she the kind of girl you can’t move on from?
Georgia (22:28) Cause she is literally perfect Bronzey
Georgia (22:29) She is kind and funny and one of the best strikers in the world
Georgia (22:30) She deserves the world and if you are just gonna fuck about with her
Georgia (22:31) Don’t.
Georgia (22:33) Plus she won’t fall for your ‘I’m a Lioness, feel my bicep’ bullshit
Lucy (22:35) Noted
Lucy exited her text chat with her friend and re-opened Instagram back to Alessia's page. She clicks on a video of her doing an interview with women's health.
Alessia: I am so incredibly honoured to be working with such an amazing charity. Young girls are so disproportionately affected by social media and in society when it comes to their physical appearance. Teenage girls are starving themselves to fit the mould that they think they have to fit in order to be considered attractive. If I can be a role model to show those girls that your body isn’t just there to be ogled and critiqued but instead is capable of doing immense physical feats then that is exactly what I want to do.
Interviewer: That is a lofty goal. What would you say to a younger Alessia Russo on this topic?
Alessia: I would tell her to throw out the scales. I would tell her that muscle weighs more than fat and I would show her what she can do with her body when it is nurtured in the right way. I would tell her that I wouldn't have been physically able to do what I did during the Euros and World Cup if I still ate the way she did. I would tell her that she is strong and powerful and beautiful but that she is also so much more than that. I would tell her that she is smart and kind and a good friend.
Interviewer: You seem to be confident in your own skin. What was the process like to get there?
Alessia: You are right that I am confident. You have to have a certain level of confidence to play the sport that I play and to the level that I play it. But you are also right in that I haven't always been this way. More recently than I think most people would think, I didn't feel like this at all. People around you will always have an opinion on you. Whether it be the press or even those in your closer circles. And sometimes it takes something or someone saying something that makes it click in your head. You realise that the outside opinions don’t matter.
Interviewer: You are absolutely correct. So what is your plan going forward with this charity?
Alessia: I am so glad you asked that. First and foremost, there is a raffle occurring this weekend. I have donated a pair of my boots and a signed shirt and would encourage anyone who is in a position to donate to please consider. In the longer term I have much bigger plans. As you may have seen, I broke a couple of records with my move to Arsenal. Primarily due to my fee. I think it is more than time to give back. I am pledging 5% of salary over the next 5 years, plus 10% of any competition winnings, to the charity.
Interviewer: Wow. Miss Russo that is quite the commitment.
Alessia: It is the least I can do. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. I will do everything in my power to support and uplift the charity to the best of my ability.
Lucy looks up from her phone as the video ends. She stares into the middle distance for a few minutes just taking on board everything that she had heard. How had she never noticed how charming and confident and strong willed Alessia was. Her feelings towards the topic were abundantly clear and her pledge was astounding. Georgia was right. Alessia wasn’t just the kind of girl you have some fun with and move on from.
Lucy (22:51) I want more.
Georgia (22:52) Fuck sake bronze
Georgia (22:53) You gotta get your own head straight first
Georgia (22:53) No more of this sleeping around, faux confidence bull shit
Georgia (22:54) Cause I swear to god, if you hurt her
Georgia (22:54) It won’t just be my wrath you’ll feel
Georgia (22:54) It’ll be half of England's.