It's Not Your Fault | Mary Earps X Reader

Something out of a rom com | Steph Catley x reader

Summary; The night of Steph’s 30th birthday party leads to the telling of your romantic love story that really should be made into a rom com. 

Words; 2.5k

Pairing; Steph Catley x reader

Warnings; none really, pure fluff

A/N; This is in honour of her birthday and I wrote it because I had the idea during a shower and I just had to write it. It might not be the best but hopefully it's cute and decently written. I’ve also got two blurbs for other players in the process atm so stay tuned for that!

The 26th of January. A seemingly normal day to most people, but it was in fact one of your favourites. It not only marks the day you met the love of your life and future wife, but it coincidentally happened to be her birthday as well. It also happened to be today's date once again. 

So here you sat in your shared living room, Steph snuggled up to you on the couch surrounded by some of the people who loved her the most after a very successful 30th birthday party. 

A lot of other party goers had left as it was getting late, except for almost half of her Arsenal teammates who always seemed to linger after events such as these, not that you minded. 

Different conversations littered the room, most didn’t make sense because of the alcohol that was still flowing. But it was the newest team member Emily Fox who brought the group back together. 

“So, how long have you guys been together?” Emily asked, sitting directly across the room from you and Steph. 

“Almost 3 years now.” Steph smiled at her and the rest of the group listened in. 

“Oh my god, their relationship story is like something out of a rom com!” Jen talked excitingly whilst looking at Emily. 

“What do you mean?” You looked at Jen first and then down to Steph who looked just as confused. 

“Wait, I’ve never heard the full story.” Kyra piped up from her place on the floor beside Alessia. 

“Me either.” Alessia raised a finger while looking between you and Steph.

“It’s not that exciting.” Steph let out a laugh which caused Kyra and Alessia to pout. 

“Yes it is. Now listen up children…” Beth cleared her throat from the other edge of the couch next to Viv who was rolling her eyes as Beth began to tell your love story. 

6 years ago, January 26th 2018

“Oh come on, just let us go out one last time before you leave me forever!” Your best friend was standing in your room as you laid on your bed and stared up at her. 

“Do I have to?” You tried giving her puppy eyes but it wasn’t working, she walked closer to your bed, sitting down and taking your hands in hers.

“You, my best friend of 10 plus years, are leaving me for London for who knows how long.” She pouted at you. “Of course you have to go out with me one last time. So get up, look hot and start drinking.” She pulled your covers off you and dragged you to your vanity, placing a drink in front of you and leaving to go get ready herself. 

Over an hour later you were both ready and a little tipsy, ready to leave and adventure into the Melbourne nightlife. 

It took a while for you to find a club that was half decent and didn’t have ridiculously overpriced drinks but you secured a place in the corner and were finishing your like 10th drink of the night. 

“I’m going to get another, you want one?” You shouted over the music to your friend and pointed to the bar. She shook her head before talking into your ear.

“I’m gonna go on the dance floor, come find me when you're done?” She pointed to where most people congregated and you sent her a thumbs up before weaving through way too many drunk people. 

You accidently bumped into someone as you tried to reach the bar, someone else pushing you in the crowd causing you to fall into her. 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” You apologised as she began to turn around and you suddenly found yourself staring at the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen. 

“Don’t even, it’s so fine.” She replied with a sweet smile and placed a hand on your arm sending chills up it. 

“I’m going to take a wild guess and say it’s your birthday?” You laughed as your eyes drifted down the sash she was currently wearing. 

“My friends made me wear it, hoping I could score us a few free drinks.” She shook her head and laughed with you. 

“Well, let’s not disappoint and let me buy you a drink.” You smiled at her and if it weren't for the dark lighting, you would have seen the blush that accompanied her beautiful smile. 

“You don’t have to.” She immediately rejected but this time you reached down and held her arm. 

“I insist, birthday girl.” You winked before leading her through the crowd again and finally reaching the bar. “Order whatever you want.” You leant down to her ear as you waited for a bartender. 

She politely asked the bartender for her drink of choice before he looked over to you.

“Make it two, please.” You smiled before pulling your card out to pay. You both thanked the bartender before walking away and standing against a wall out of the way. 

“Thank you.” She looked up at you with a smile again. 

“My pleasure.” You couldn't stop staring at her, she was the most beautiful person ever and she was talking to you. “Wanna go dance? I told my friend I would meet her when I was done.” You asked after finishing your drinks in silence.

“I would love to, but…” She looked down at her watch and you could feel the smile falling off your face. “I’ve got an early morning and my cut off was supposed to be 12.” She made a pout at you.

“That’s okay, I get it.” You nodded and sent her a tight lipped smile.

“There is something I have to do before I go though.” She sent you a smirk and you creased your eyebrows in confusion. 

“What?” You looked down at her, barely having any time to think before she reached up and kissed you hard, placing a hand on your face. Immediately your hand fell to her waist and you fell into a rhythm.

The kiss was very nice and a little long but it ended and you parted with big smiles. 

“I really have to go now.” She smiled and let out a little laugh. 

“Okay cinderella.” You bit your lip before letting her go and she ran off through the crowd to find her friends. You stood in a daze for a second before a hand clasped your shoulder, shaking you out of your trance.

“Oh my god, who was that?” Your best friend had spotted the end of the kiss as she came to find you but didn’t see her face. 

“Um,” You blinked before turning to her. “I… don’t… know.” You realised she never shared her name and neither did you. And now she was gone; a mystery kiss from the mystery birthday girl. 

3 years later, May 19th 2021

You have been in London for 3 years now, working for an event planning company, establishing a close group of friends and having the time of your life. 

Some of the friends you made had managed to drag you along to a women's football match now that people were allowed back to the matches after the covid lockdown last year, despite your lack of interest in or awareness of the sport, either male or female.

So here you were at Meadow Park on a Wednesday evening, watching a sport you’ve never taken interest in but were enjoying to some degree in the fading spring sun.

“I told you. I knew you would enjoy it eventually.” Your friend shoved your shoulder after seeing you get up when it was thought a shot might finally go in for the home side and her team of choice, Arsenal. 

“Yeah, yeah.” You brushed her off, eyes focused on the game at play and becoming more and more invested with each pass. 

It wasn’t till halfway through the second half that a certain defender caught your eye as she ran past and towards the opposite end of the field. There was something about her that seemed so familiar but you couldn’t place it. 

The game ended in a 0-0 draw and left you with a new interest that would soon turn into a regular outing on Sundays and Wednesdays, instead of your regular dinner and drinks throughout the week. 

The players began to do their rounds and you stuck around, waiting to spot a certain defender once again and figure out the mystery that was the jersey with ‘Catley’ plastered over her back.

She had been talking with another player as they walked, eyes scanning the crowd for any fans with signs or hopeful smiles when she found your eyes further up, you resting along the barrier. The words fell from her lips and the player beside her was tapping her shoulder in an attempt to gain her focus once again but it was no use. 

“One sec.” She gently spoke before running over to where you were standing, now looking down at your phone and missing her completely until a familiar accent fell on your ears. 

“Hi.” She gave you a smile and your head whipped up from your screen, finding that beautiful face from all those years ago in your sights again. 

“Hi.” You breathed out as you assessed her features and reassured yourself you weren’t once again imagining those eyes that plagued your dreams every few months. 

“Fancy seeing you here, halfway across the world.” She spoke again, noticing that you were in a sort of daze still. 

“Uh yeah. Sorry, this is just so weird.” You shook your head, letting out a laugh. “Not in a bad way,” You spoke quickly. “I just never thought I would see you again. Especially not halfway across the world.” She smiled at your shyness, the opposite to the confident you she remembers; though you are quite confident with alcohol in your system. 

“Yeah.” Steph laughed and continued to analyse your features, every part of that night coming back to her in full view rather than scattered pieces of memory like she has for the last three years. 

“So,” You tried to keep the conversation flowing, realising you would have to wrap up soon so she could get back to her team and you to your friends. “Do you think I could finally get the name and number that's not on the back of your shirt? I think that’s something you forgot all those years ago.” You smiled at her and began pulling your phone from its place in your pocket. 

She let out a laugh, a real one before nodding. “Oh yeah. I guess so.” She held your phone in her hands and began adding a contact in, handing it back quickly. “There you go.”

“Thank you.” You took a look at your phone before returning eye contact with her, feeling once again that same thing inside your chest from the night you first met. “I’ll call you, Steph.” You nodded, beginning to retreat from the barrier and up the stairs. 

“And who should I be expecting said call from?” She called out to you, stopping you in your tracks to turn your head back around. 

“Y/N.” You smiled before being the one walking away this time and leaving her with a dazed expression and confused friends. 

“Who was that?” Beth appeared beside her, looking at the retreating girl Steph had just interacted with but couldn’t see the face. 

“Um,” Steph shook her head. “An…old…friend.” She turned her face to Beth who was more confused than ever but began walking towards the changerooms with the rest of the team. 

Over the next few weeks it seemed like you and Steph were texting every spare second you each had when she wasn’t training and you weren't working, even before you could finally arrange a time to meet up and have your official first date. 

She suggested you go out for dinner one night before she was set to go off and play in the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics over the summer. You had the best time together, chatting for hours and catching up on everything over the past few years, talking as if you had known each other forever. The night ended and she walked you back to your apartment which happened to be just down the street from hers, once again leaving you with a kiss that left you feeling dazed; but this time she couldn’t run and hide from you. 

After watching and cheering on Steph and the national team at the Olympics from home, you knew that this was the person you wanted to pursue a future with. 

So when she came back you made it official with one another, a private time for the two of you to continue to learn everything about one another until you were ready to share it with your friends and the world. 

After a few months of secretly dating, realising this is how the rest of your life was going to look like, you began to share with friends, family and eventually the media which caused a flurry in the football world because of Steph’s public status. It turned out to be even better for your relationship now that you could express your love for one another to other people. 

“And then last year, Steph decided to pop the question the day before Y/N wanted to do it.” Beth concluded the story, somehow managing to keep everyone invested despite the late hour and disappearing energy from tonight's events. 

“Thank you Beth, that was quite an accurate retelling.” You smiled over at the blonde, reaching out for a high whilst trying not to disturb Steph who had actually fallen asleep. “But I think you bored Stephy here to sleep.” You brushed the hair on her head and her eyes snapped open with a sharp inhale. 

“Huh?” Steph began to sit up, looking around the room in confusion, all of her teammates letting out small giggles, you simply looking down at her with admiration. 

“I think you’re too old now for all this partying darling.” You laughed at her watching her face form into a scowl. 

“I am 3 months older than you!” She pointed a finger at you, now pouting while looking up into your eyes. 

“Well this looks like fun, we’ll leave you two to it then.” Lia spoke for the group as they all began standing from their places, yourself and Steph rising from the couch too so you could say goodbye at the door. 

“Bye!” You both waved at the last people before you closed the door, Stephs arms securely wrapped around your waist, head against your chest. 

“Let’s get you to bed, cinderella.” You laughed, picking her up by her thighs and carrying her like a koala to your bedroom. 

“Thank you, my princess charming.” Steph mumbled into your neck, placing a soft kiss there while you let out a small laugh. Maybe this was like something out of a rom com.

THE END

Stargirl | matildas x original character fic [part seventeen]

Words; 2.9k

Pairings; matildas team x astrid taylor (OC)

Warnings; alcohol and drinking, swearing

masterlist

So after spending the past three weeks and Christmas with their families, it was time for the Sweden Squad to jet off to Fiji for new years, basking in the sun before heading back to the Sweden cold.

They had all departed from their closest airports, figuring it was easier and cheaper than all congregating to one airport then taking another flight from there, so they were all arriving in Fiji at separate times. 

In Astrid fashion, the youngest member was the last to touchdown and make her way to the hotel, getting slightly lost in the airport after landing, trying to make her way to the taxi departures. It also didn’t help that her bag was the last to come out from the plane, waiting almost an hour for it to appear. It was honestly a miracle nothing else went wrong. 

“Maybe we should have taken a flight together, it might have been an easier experience on my end.” Astrid spoke as she appeared behind the other three girls who were waiting in the hotel lobby for her. 

“Took your sweet old time then.” Kyra laughed while getting up as Charli raced to hug Astrid, who then flipped the brunette off behind Charli’s back with a smile.

“You know what Kyra-.”  Astrid let go of Charli and began walking closer to Kyra. 

“No!” Courtney pointed between the two girls, stopping them in their tracks. “You two will not fight while we’re here, I’m not dealing with it, this is our relaxation time.” She looked sternly between the misfits who nodded at her, holding in their laughs that threatened to escape. 

“No fighting.” Kyra put her hand out to shake, Astrid stepping forward to connect her hand to hers. 

“No fighting.” Astrid repeated before pulling Kyra into a hug as well. 

“Alright, let's get you unloaded and off to the beach we go!” Charli had grabbed hold of the bags Astrid dropped during her arrival and signalled to the lifts, everyone else following behind as they headed to their shared room. 

The rest of their arrival day was spent on the beach, soaking in more sun and swimming in the beautiful water, enjoying their time together. And after a nice dinner, followed by a bit of partying, the four players eventually made it to bed and slept well into the next day. 

The group had decided not to plan anything for the 5 days they were there, wanting to just unwind and decide on the day if they wanted to do anything. But Astrid just wanted to swim like she had the whole time she was home. 

Growing up right on the water instilled this love and connection in her, wanting to spend as much time as she could before heading back to Sweden where the chance to swim was nonexistent unless it was in the form of an ice bath. 

This was something Astrid had been pondering for a little bit, whether Sweden really was the place for her. There was much to love; she was thriving at Hammarby, she was with her best friends everyday, she was experiencing life in a new place. But like she had felt when talking with Steph a few months ago, there was something missing but she couldn’t place it. 

Her deep thoughts were rudely interrupted when a pair of hands gripped her shoulders and disrupted her peaceful float in the pool. She let out a scream and quickly stood up in the water, turning around to face the culprit that had a wide grin spreading across her face. 

“KYRA! Really?!” Astrid pushed Kyra by the shoulders, earning a laugh from Kyra and holding back her own laugh. 

“What! I just wanna have some fun.” Kyra flashed her smile and it broke Astrid, the younger girl shaking her head and biting back a smile. “You wanna play mermaids?”

“Kyra Cooney-Cross, you are more of a child than Harper.” Astrid joked yet Kyra seemed to take it as a compliment, smiling even wider. “Come on then.” Astrid nodded her head to the deeper part of the pool, taking off under the water and Kyra excitingly swimming behind her. 

Charli and Courtney watched from their pool chairs, shaking their heads at the duo and their childish nature that seemed to match one another perfectly. Everyone was marvelled at what the pair seemed to be oblivious to but wouldn't dare bring it up, waiting for them to eventually figure it out. 

New Year's Eve. The most exciting and fun night of the year, especially when you were partying it up in Fiji with your best friends.

They spent the day lounging around once again before heading off to get ready for the hotel’s party that had been set up. Before the party had even started the girls were already tipsy and borderline drunk, taking their pre-drinks a little harder than normally, but they were on holidays so why not. 

As usual, Astrid was the last one to be ready, rushing the final steps of her makeup because Charli was hounding her to hurry up so they could get down to the party. They made it down in time, nearing 11pm and the party was definitely going strong. Everyone from the hotel had gathered outside near the pool area mingling with one another, celebrating the year ahead and most of all getting drunk as hell. 

Although they were professional athletes who were on pretty healthy regimes, no one was here to stop them from getting drunk and having fun like normal young people in their late teens and early 20s. So it went without saying that there were no limits to the amount of drinks they would consume tonight.

The four of them stayed together for the first part of the night, dancing near the DJ and scouring the people around them to hopefully find someone for a midnight kiss, but very clearly struggling as they all stood in a close circle downing drink after drink. Eventually they split up, hoping to find luck by not standing together and closing off everyone else around them.

Time had passed and suddenly it was 5 minutes till midnight; plenty of time to find a random stranger for a New Year’s kiss, right? Surely it can’t be that hard to find. But yet here Astrid was, eyeing off everyone and anyone that looked like they could be her type, but finding no one to do the job. 

3 minutes. She didn’t know where the other girls were and was getting slightly overwhelmed by the people around her, she ended up retreating out of the crowd outside and finding her way back inside the hotel. 

2 minutes. Astrid finds an empty hallway to find her breath, using the wall behind her to stabilise her as the alcohol makes her head spin. The music outside had decreased in volume largely, fading into the background of her ears, instead hearing the thump of her heartbeat in her chest. 

1 minute. She had zoned out while staring at the wall opposite her, the patterns on the wallpaper seemed to be moving or maybe it was her as she swayed on her feet, her body feeling the effects of the alcohol now that she had stopped. This is how Kyra found her, stumbling down the hallway herself when she spotted a familiar face. 

“Hey there.” Kyra’s slightly slurred words broke Astrid out of her trance and turned her head towards the midfielder, a smile instantly appearing on her lips. 

“Kyra!” Astrid’s voice was high pitched as she stepped towards Kyra with a wide smile, wrapping her hands around Kyra’s neck and pulling her into a hug. 

“I thought we lost you to someone in the crowd.” Kyra embraced the hug before pulling back, Astrid’s arms staying where they were and Kyra’s subconsciously falling to Astrid’s waist. And if there wasn’t plenty of liquid courage involved, both girls would have never found themselves so close so casually. 

“Too many people and I couldn’t find you.” Astrid playfully booped Kyra’s nose, both girls laughing before focusing in on the noise coming from outside. 

Seven…six…five…

“It’s almost midnight.” Kyra whispered, bringing Astrid’s attention back to her, the countdown fading to the background once again. 

“Yeah.” Astrid breathed out. Her heart began racing as her eyes fell back on Kyra’s. 

Four…

Three…

Two… 

One… 

The group outside cheered as the clock struck midnight, fireworks going off on the beach and yet Astrid and Kyra couldn’t be less interested. 

All they were interested in was the fact they were closer than before and now their lips were touching. 

Astrid’s hands had moved up from their place on Kyra’s neck, now resting on her cheeks as Kyra held her close by the waist. 

The kiss lasted 22 seconds before they both realised what was happening and they stepped apart. The noise outside returned to its full volume as they stepped back into reality, awkwardly looking away from each other. 

“Should we…” Astrid spoke as she pointed back to the glass doors that led back outside. 

“Uh… yeah… probs.” Kyra nodded and they walked back outside, Astrid once again feeling overwhelmed with the amount of people squished together. Kyra noticed her hesitation and silently placed her hand in Astrid’s, keeping her close as they weaved through the crowd together. Astrid followed, trying to ignore the feeling of having Kyra’s hand in hers and instead focusing on finding Courtney and Charli. 

“There you guys are!” Charli’s voice was what helped them locate the two girls, Astrid and Kyra turning around instantly, dropping their hands and stepping closer to them. “Where were you for the countdown?” Charli looked at Astrid, Courtney was now talking to Kyra separately. 

“Uh somewhere over the back.” She looked vaguely in that direction before Charli spoke again. 

“Did you get your midnight kiss?” Charli teased with a big smile. Astrid paused for a second before answering. 

“Uh yeah, I did.” Astrid scratched the back of her neck. “I think I’m gonna head up.” Astrid just wanted to get away and go to bed, her brain moving too fast for her to keep up with the thoughts. 

“You sure? You okay?” Charli instantly became worried but Astrid was quick to brush her off. 

“Yeah I think I had too much, stay safe okay.” Astrid gave her a hug before weaving herself back through the crowd and back to their room. 

“Where’s stargirl?” Courtney asked as Charli reappeared beside her, herself and Kyra noticing that Astrid was now missing. 

“To bed. Said she had too much to drink.” Charli shrugged her shoulders, Courtney nodded along before taking another sip of her own drink but Kyra was concerned and slightly disappointed but kept it to herself. 

The next day didn’t start till almost 1pm when they all finally rolled out of bed, slowly pushing back the curtains to let in some light but not enough to further increase their pounding headaches. They headed straight down to lunch, hoping to soak up any remaining alcohol and cure their growing hangovers. 

A few words were mumbled between one another but it seemed like more than a few were too much energy and they fell back into silence. To be honest, Astrid didn’t have much she wanted to talk about, especially because there wasn’t much of last night she remembered. Except for a very specific moment she was very scared to bring up. 

Kyra had easily returned to her normal self by dinner time, once again acting more like a child than an adult and attempting to encourage the other girls to join in. Astrid slowly joined in with her antics and jokes, watching Courtney and Charli shake their heads in disappointment but silently hiding their laughs behind stern faces. 

It seemed to Astrid like all had returned to normal within the group, Kyra obviously not wanting to bring it up or she in fact had no recollection of the kiss, which Astrid was grateful for. But there was a feeling in her stomach she couldn’t pinpoint when she thought about Kyra and the kiss, choosing to push it to the side and continue on with their holiday as normal. 

After one last day of fun in the sun, the group had returned to the airport, dreading heading back into a cold Swedish winter but excited to return to the sport they all love so much. The flight was long, way too long, they had kept themselves entertained individually, movies and naps taking up most of the time. But they finally landed back in Sweden, more than ready to fall in their beds and sleep, especially now that it was leaning towards 11pm. Charli had taken a separate flight from the other three like usual, wanting to land closer to her home and also stay away from Kyra and Astrid who were bound to fight over something and then make up after 5 minutes. 

An uber brought them home, dropping Astrid off first before heading up the road to Kyra and Courtney’s place, the younger girl bidding them goodnight as she lugged her suitcase up the front steps. Once inside Astrid locked the door, flicked on the lights and pulled her phone out faster than ever. 

“Pick up, pick up, pick up.” Astrid paced her small kitchen as she waited for the line to pick up, looking at the small mess in her living room that she had left behind months ago, before the last Matilda’s camp.  

“Hello?” A semi groggy voice answered from the other end and a sigh of relief left Astrid’s mouth. 

“Oh thank god.” Astrid was still walking back and forth, bringing her hands up to her mouth. 

“Astrid?” Cortnee recognised the voice and quickly acknowledged the slight panic in her voice. “What’s wrong?” 

“Something happened and I don’t know what to do.” She began letting out the thoughts that had been building over the past 3 days, running her hands through her hair. 

“What do you mean? Are you okay?” Cortnee was even more worried, sitting up a little more as concern raced through her.

“Yeah, no, I’m okay. I think.” Astrid shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. 

“Just calm down and tell me what happened.” Cortnee was trying her best to calm Astrid from the other side of the phone, needing her to speak properly.

“I kissed Kyra. She kissed me. We kissed.” Astrid finally spat it out and bit her nails even more now, waiting almost 10 seconds for Cortnee to process and finally speak.

“WHAT?!” She tried not to shout and wake Charlotte up, crawling out of the bed beside her and moving outside her bedroom. “Are you serious?!” She whispered into the phone, a small smile donning her face.

“Yes.” The line went silent as she waited. “Cortnee, help!” She whined into the phone.

“It’s about fucking time.” Cortnee commented and Astrid was confused.

“What do you mean?” She paused her pacing. 

“You guys have been pining and obliviously flirting practically since the day you met, but especially over the last few months, I’m surprised it didn't happen earlier.” Cortnee tried not to let out a laugh.

“No we have not. It wasn’t even supposed to happen.” Astrid let out a frustrated sigh. 

“You didn’t do it on purpose?” Now Cortnee was the confused one.

“No… not really.” Astrid paused, letting out a breath. “It was on New Year's Eve. We were both really drunk and I don’t remember much, I don't even know if she remembers.” The familiar feeling returned to her stomach as they brought the moment up again.

“You haven't talked about it?” Cortnee asked her softly.

“No! She didn't say anything the next day or the rest of the trip, we just got back and I needed to call you.” She stopped her pacing. “I’m so sorry, did I wake you?” Astrid prayed she didn’t mess up the timezones and it wasn’t the middle of the night there.

“I was getting up in a few minutes anyway, it’s all good.” Cortnee began walking towards her kitchen and away from her bedroom door. 

“Okay.” Astrid let out a soft sigh.

“But you need to talk to her. She might remember it too but is scared you didn't or don’t want to remember.” Cortnee leant against her kitchen bench, hoping to speak some sense into Astrid. 

“But I'm scared. What if it was a mistake for her?” Astrid was confused with the feelings that were building inside her as she thought about it again.

“Was it a mistake to you?” Astrid paused at Cortnee’s words, letting her brain stop racing for a moment and focus on a single thought. 

“I don't know, I mean I don't regret it…. But I don't know what this would mean for us.” The pacing began again and her heartbeat began to quicken.  

“What do you want it to mean?” Cortnee softly asked.

“Stop asking me questions about things I don't know the answers to!” Astrid let out another frustrated sigh.

“You called me for advice!” Cortnee laughed at Astrid’s clear struggle with this issue.

“And I haven't gotten any yet.” Astrid remarked, holding back the small laugh she was harbouring. 

“What time is it there?” Cortnee asked her yet another question.

“Almost midnight.” Astrid looked at the clock on the stove.  

“You’re probably exhausted, get some sleep, when you get up, think about my questions and maybe, just maybe, you’re both ready to talk about it.” Cortnee reasoned, and finally Astrid was happy with a response. 

“Okay. Okay, I'll do that. Thank you, Viney.” Astrid smiled on her end. “Any time, star. Go to sleep.” Cortnee spoke one last time before hanging up, leaving the young forward standing alone in her own kitchen and thinking about Cortnee’s words. But she took her advice and headed off to shower and then crawled into bed, trying to ignore the growing thoughts that began racing around again.

to be continued...

Love you to the moon and saturn | Emily Prentiss x gn!reader

Summary; Emily Prentiss and Y/N have been dating for a long time and Y/N decides it’s finally time to tie the knot. 

Parings; Emily Prentiss x gn!reader

Warnings; none, pure fluff with kissing

Words; 1.6k

No one is permitted to steal, copy, or reblog my work as their own!!

Not my gif. @pagetbrewsterfansite​ 

It was no secret that Emily and Y/N were deeply in love with each other. When they started dating 3 years ago they were able to keep it a secret for a good few months. That was until Garcia caught them sneaking off together during a team get together at Rossi’s, outing them to the whole team. No one had a problem with it, if anything they were obsessed with their relationship and the love they had for each other. The two agents were obsessed with each other, with one another more than not. 

Y/N knew they would like Emily as soon as she walked into the BAU on her first day, capturing the attention of Y/N almost instantly. That was 5 years ago, and it took them 2 years of working together and becoming best friends to realise that they actually liked each other and it wasn’t one sided pining. From then it’s been smooth sailing, rarely having fights and saying I love you within a few months. 

Y/N has been planning this for a few months, even going to a specialty jeweller, creating the perfect ring for Emily. They’ve been carrying the ring in their pocket for at least 2 weeks now, waiting for the perfect moment to drop to one knee and ask the question. There have been many occasions when they’ve been ready to do it; at a fancy dinner date night, at Rossi’s with the whole team around, during a work trip to the mountains. But something has always interrupted them, stopping the romantic moment before they could ask Emily to be their partner for ever and ever. 

And that leads us to today. The team had just gotten back from a case in Texas, a particularly tough one at that. The team had been investigating a number of mysterious explosions throughout a small town and when Emily almost ran into a building that was seconds away from exploding, Y/N knew. They knew that with this job, their lives could be taken away from them and Y/N didn’t want to go another day without having Emily as their wife. Today was the day. 

Everyone exited the elevators, ready to see Penelope’s smiling face greeting them like always but when those doors opened, the hallway was empty. Everyone’s face fell to confusion while Y/N’s gained a smirk. The plan was in motion. Before they got onto the plane, Y/N called Penelope back at Quantico, telling her that they were finally going to propose to Emily and they needed her help. Penelope was over the moon excited, she’d been waiting for this to happen ever since Y/N told her about the ring. 

“That’s weird.” Derek commented finally, stepping out of the elevator, everyone else following behind. He wandered down the hall to her lair, opening the door. “Baby girl?” She was nowhere to be found. 

“Maybe she’s inside.” Emily walked towards the glass doors, pushing the open simultaneously, ready to spot the analyst wandering around or in the kitchenette. Once again it was empty. 

Y/N hid their excitement, wandering over to their desk and placing their bags down. “I’m going to check up there.” They announced, nodding their head towards the stairs that lead up to the round table room where the shutters were oddly closed. Whilst walking, they reached into their jacket pocket to make sure the ring was still in there, it was. When they opened the door they were met with a very excited Penelope, she was grinning ear to ear. Y/N smiled back before she pulled them into a hug. 

“Oh my god, I’m so excited! I’ve been waiting up here for so long, you guys seem to take forever.” Penelope stepped away from the hug. Y/N looked around the room, spotting flowers scattered and small candles lit. 

“Pen, this is amazing! Thank you so much.” They thanked Penelope, the room looked amazing. “Now I just have to get her up here. And hope from there on everything goes smoothly.” They were getting stressed out, thinking about what they were about to do. 

“Hey, it’s going to be fine. I’ve never seen two people more in love, she’s going to say yes.” Penelope grabbed their hands, bringing them back down. “Is it time to go get her?” Penelope asked, releasing their hands as they nodded. “Okay, good luck my love.” She kissed them on the cheek and walked out the door that led to the catwalk, closing it softly behind her. Y/N breathed deeply, thinking of the words they had prepared on the plane. 

“Emily Prentiss,” Penelope finally appeared to the rest of the team that were milling around the bullpen. “Your presence is requested at the round table.” Penelope tried to contain her happiness, walking slowly to the steps and hiding her smile. 

“Uh, okay.” Emily shook her head, walking up the stairs and passing the mysterious analyst. Her brows were furrowed as she walked to the door. 

“What are you up to, baby girl?” Derek asked, wrapping an arm over Penelope’s shoulder. 

“Something magical.” She smiled, looking up at the windows of the room that was still closed off to everyone else. 

Emily finally approached the door, opening it slowly. A small gasp left her lips as the romantic setting was revealed. She let go of the door handle, walking further into the room. “Y/N?” She spotted them in the corner of the room, pacing nervously. 

“Hi.” Y/N breathed, walking to meet Emily in the middle of the room. 

“Hi.” Emily smiled at her lover, curiosity running through her veins. “Baby, what’s going on?” She chuckled nervously, interlocking her hands with theirs. 

“Emily,” They paused, making sure to capture her attention, meeting their eyes with hers. “The day I met you, I knew we were meant to meet. You came into my life at a time where I really needed someone, to listen, to talk and to understand me. And you did that and so much more. You became my best friend but I always wanted more than that. And I’m mad it took us so long to realise that we both liked each other, because then we could’ve spent so much more time in each other’s arms, spilling the secrets of our hearts instead of stealing glances across the room.” They paused, watching Emily laugh. 

“You, are my favourite person in the whole world, the love of my life, and I never want to spend another day without you in my arms. I’ve known that for a while, but today really made me realise that with this job our lives could be cut short at any moment.” They took a second, blinking away the tears in their eyes, taking a deep breath. “So, with that said,” They let go of Emily’s hand, reaching into their pocket. Emily’s eyes filled with tears, shock running over her face. Then they got down on one knee, looking up at Emily with a box in their hand.

 “Emily Prentiss,” They opened the ring box, revealing a silver ring with a sparkling sapphire diamond. “Will you do the absolute pleasure of marrying me?” They smiled up at Emily, her hands now covering her mouth with a big gasp. 

“Oh my god. YES! Yes, yes, yes!” She reached down and pulled Y/N up by their shoulders, grabbing their face and pulling them in for a passionate kiss. They split apart, smiling at each other, laughing. Emily pulled Y/N in for a hug, holding them tightly. Y/N took the opportunity to grab Emily’s waist, lifting her legs off the ground and spinning her around. 

“Y/N, I love you so much.” Emily jumped down to look into her fiance’s eyes. Y/N kept smiling, pulling the ring out of the box and placing it onto Emily’s finger. “It’s beautiful.” She examined the ring. 

“I got it made specifically for you.” Y/N smiled at Emily, wiping the tears of joy that had fallen onto their cheek. “I love you.” Emily leant in for another small kiss, unable to wipe the smile off of her face. 

“Do they know?” She nodded her head to the blocked window, gesturing to the team who were patiently waiting downstairs. They shook their head.

“Only Pen, she set all of it up.” They pointed to the flowers and candles scattered. 

“Should we go tell them then?” Emily asked, grabbing a hold of Y/N’s hand. They nodded enthusiastically, kissing her again before they walked to the door hand in hand. They were silent as they appeared on the catwalk, waiting for the team's reactions. 

The bullpen was silent, tension and anticipation circling the air. When no one said anything, Emily finally shot their hands up in the air, her engagement ring shining in the light. 

“We’re getting married!” She shouted into the space. The team was cheering and clapping, filling the room with happiness as the couple made their way down the stairs. Emily and Y/N were laughing at the reaction. Rossi was the first to greet the couple, kissing both of them on the cheeks. 

“Congratulations!” He smiled at the pair. Hugs and laughter were shared with the team, everyone stopping to admire the ring Y/N designed, complementing them. The last person to congratulate them was Hotch. 

“I’m very happy for you two.” He smiled at Y/N before bringing them in for a hug. And that’s how the night continued, laughs shared among friends as the happy couple reminisced on their relationship. It was a happy day for everyone. 

A life for a life |Derek Morgan x platonic!reader

Summary; while chasing down an unsub, reader has to make a haste decision on whether to take the kill shot, making it their first. 

Pairings; derek morgan x platonic!reader, bau team x platonic!reader (gender neutral, no direct pronouns used)

Warnings; guns used, blood, typical cm plot things, fluff, angst and sadness wrapped into one.

Words; 1.2k

Not my gif; @just-my-fandom​

Once the team had figured out who the unsub was, they split up between his home and work addresses, racing against the clock towards each. Morgan, Spencer and yourself were currently heading to his house with Garcia on the phone still spitting out random facts about him.

 The SUV pulled up outside the small house, the three of you jumping out straight away. 

“Reid, you take the back entrance.” Morgan instructed, Spencer running around the side of the house instantly. “You take the kitchen entrance and I’ll take the front.” You nodded at him, giving him a fist bump before taking off, it was your way of saying “be safe” without words. 

You stayed quiet and low as you travelled around the west side, looking through the windows for any sign of the unsub. 

“I got him. He’s in the living room with Carrie.” You whispered into your radio, spotting him and the missing girl through the side window. You continue until you get to the door. Derek’s loud voice can be heard throughout the whole house. 

“Samuel Rogers! Drop the weapon and let Carrie go!” 

You twist the handle of the door slowly, attempting not to make any noise as you open it easily, stepping inside the house quietly. You had your gun raised, checking each corner before you found yourself at the edge of the kitchen and the living room. Derek was directly in front of the unsub, gun trained at him as best as he could with the unsub moving back and forth, arms tight around Carrie’s neck. Spencer was only 2 feet away from you, standing between the dining and living room, doing the same as you, standing silently behind them in case things went south. 

Derek was talking to him, trying to calm him down and encouraging him to let her go but he wasn't budging. “Give it up man, let her go. Your plan didn’t work.” Morgan kept saying to him. Your gun was pointed directly at him from behind, Samuel being unaware of the two agents currently behind him. 

“SHUT UP!” Samuel yelled, squeezing Carrie tighter in his arms, pointing his gun directly at Derek’s chest. 

Adrenaline was pumping through your veins, heartbeat pounding in your ears as you stood closer to an unsub than you ever have before. Your finger was pressing on the trigger and within seconds a shot was fired, your arm jolting back as your own gun fired. Your eyes were squinted shut, not seeing directly where it was fired. 

You opened your eyes seconds later, spotting Spencer moving closer to Samuel’s body checking for a pulse, Derek reaching forward to move Carrie out of the way. Your eyes then travelled to the lifeless body on the ground, spotting the bloody hole in his forehead. Your breath left your chest, arms still raised with your gun in your hands.

This isn’t the first time you’ve shot someone while being in the FBI, normally opting for the shoulder or the thigh, pretty much just knocking them down. But this was your first kill. The first time your shot has killed someone else. You were frozen in your spot, watching the scene unfold before you as the rest of your team showed up, moving Carrie out to an ambulance and covering Samuel’s body with a white sheet.

A soft hand on your shoulder finally broke you from your trance, you blinked and the air finally returned to your lungs. 

“Y/N.” Derek called out softly from beside your ear. He reached out and placed his hand on your extended arms, lowering them and removing your gun from shaking hands. “It’s okay.” He whispered and your head dropped, playing back the same moment over and over again. He wrapped his arm around your shoulders and walked you out of your head, guiding you to stand next to one of the SUV’s. 

You were in a state of shock, staring down at the pavement while people walked past you, sirens rang and lights flashed in the street, neighbours coming out of their houses to look at the spectacle happening in their street. 

“Hey.” Derek appeared in front of you again. “You okay?” His voice was soft and calming. You kept your head down. 

“I- I’ve never killed anyone before. I didn’t want it to end like that.” You shook your head, eventually meeting his soft eyes with your sad ones. 

“I know. I know, kid.” He consoled you. “I also know that you saved my life.” He held your shoulder again, pulling you closer to him. 

“Well yeah but-” You looked down again, sighing deeply. 

“No buts. Look at me.” He instructed but you didn’t. He used his hand to grab your cheek softly, pulling you up to meet his eyes again. “You did what you had to. Okay?” He was telling the truth but there was part of you that knew it could’ve ended differently and he sensed this. “Okay?” He asked again. 

“Okay.” You sighed, nodding your head. 

“Come here.” He pulled you into a soft hug, holding your head against his chest as you wrapped your arms up under his shoulders. You didn’t care if people or your team saw you hugging in the field, they knew how close you guys were. He was like your big brother and your best friend rolled into one. He was close to Spencer in a similar way, everyone including yourself knew that. But he was the first to take you under his wing when you joined the team not that long ago, finding comfort in you and your presence; you felt the exact same. 

“Thank you Morgan.” You pulled back from the hug, smiling softly up at him. 

“Anytime Y/L/N.” He ruffled your hair like he always did. “Let’s go get a drink.” He laughed slightly, brightening the mood. You nodded, never passing up the chance to hang out with your team in a fun setting. 

You had all made your way back to the hotel you were staying at, taking some time to get yourselves ready before heading down to the hotel bar. You were the last to arrive, taking a little extra time in the shower to wash the day off. As you walked down the stairs into the bar, the whole team turned to look at you, cheering lightly as they said hello. Your face changed quickly from happy to confused. You walked closer to them, standing next to Derek. 

“What’s going on?” You looked at him, whispering through a smile. His own smile grew larger as he handed you your favourite drink. 

“To Y/N,” Everyone raised their glasses. “For saving my life today.” He continued and wrapped his empty arm around your shoulder. Everyone clinked their glasses together, making sure to smile and make eye contact with you. “Thank you, I’m proud of you.” Derek whispered in your ear, placing a kiss on your temple as the rest of your team talked amongst themselves again. 

The rest of the night was spent talking,laughing and drinking with your newfound family. It was a tough case, especially for you and tonight was exactly what you needed.  

me after seeing cait come on and i’m wearing my new foord jersey 🥹🥹

(almost screamed down the house at 2:30 in the morning)

safe to say i’m terrified for what’s about to come

i love being an arsenal supporter ❤️🤍

no seriously. cause how doesn’t hazel have a million girls hanging off her arm. i would be all over that woman

"Bottoms is unrealistic" well obviously, they called Ayo Edebiri, Rachel Sennott and Ruby Cruz ugly the whole movie

Do you also write on wattpad? As I've seen the star girl fics over on there....

Yes. I have my fic stargirl posted under this same username.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/355129979?utm_source=ios&utm_medium=link&utm_content=story_info&wp_page=story_details&wp_uname=overtrred28

My live reactions to the Arsenal v Chelsea match

london is red ❤️🤍

me when the commentator is already messing up the names

i just love alicia russo and keira cooney-cross

me when meado scored after 8 minutes

me when Kaneryd scored 5 minutes later

me having heart attacks every five seconds

miss amanda pulling through before half time

UP THE LESSI RUSSO

me realising we’re going into half time with a decent lead

so real

Stargirl | matildas x original character fic [part eleven]

Words; 2.4k

Pairings; matildas team x astrid taylor (OC)

Warnings; swearing

masterlist

The camp ended and everyone headed back home to their clubs for their next matches, sad to be leaving each other but it was only a month until the next camp against South Africa and then Denmark. 

Kyra, Courtney and Astrid had returned to training at Hammarby, quickly preparing for their next match in only four days' time. It was going to be one of the quickest turnarounds for a match Astrid had ever had but she was ready to jump back into training and get onto that pitch. 

On their second day of training, before they had even begun their warm up, Astrid and Kyra had been approached by the club’s social media manager as they were walking through the halls together.

“God morgon tjejer." (Good morning girls) She waved to them as they got closer. 

“Hallå.” (Hello) Kyra smiled, slowing down her speed to meet her halfway. 

“God morgon.” Astrid spoke with a bright smile.

“Before you start training today, could we film a quick video with some questions? For the instagram page.” The woman spoke with a heavy accent. 

“Ja, of course.” Astrid nodded, looking over at Kyra who was nodding yes to her as well.

“Perfekt. Come with me please.” She gestured back down to where she came from, the two Australians following close behind. 

They were led to an empty pitch, not far from where the rest of their team were chatting before they began warming up. Two chairs were placed in front of a camera where the two girls had been led, sitting next to each other in their warm jackets, trying to block out the changing weather and cold breeze. 

After being told what they were doing and briefed what to say, they started rolling. 

“Hi! I’m Astrid Taylor.” Astrid waved to the camera. 

“I’m Kyra Cooney-Cross.” Kyra waved with a smile. 

“And today we’re going to…” Astrid looked at Kyra.

 “Take a best friend quiz and see how well we know each other.” The older girl finished the sentence. The social media manager handed them each some cards and instructed Kyra to go first. 

“Okay, easy one. When is my birthday?” They were now facing each other and Kyra could see slight panic forming on Astrid’s face. “You better know this.” She raised a brow at her. 

“I do, I do. Uhhhhh.” She lifted her head to the sky, pretending to think even though she knew the answer. “February 15th, 2002.” Astrid looked back at the girl who was smiling. 

“That’s correct. One point to you.” Kyra nodded. 

“Yay. When’s mine?” Astrid’s eyes flicked down to the card then back up to Kyra’s.

“April 13th, 2004.” Kyra spoke confidently. 

“Well done.” Astrid nodded with a smile. 

“Okay, when did I make my Matilda’s debut?” Kyra read from the card before looking up. 

“Oh shit. Uhhhhhh.” Astrid had to actually think about this. “I know it was like mid 2021.” She looked at Kyra who was nodding. “And it was against Denmark?” She tapped her chin. “I wasn’t even on the team yet so it’s not like I was there to know, but I did watch it at home. Is that good enough?” Astrid pleaded with Kyra.

“Is it?” Kyra looked to the manager. 

“Half a point.” She responded. 

“Yes! I’ll take it.” Astrid smiled. “When was it though?”

“10th of June.” Kyra nodded at her. 

“Right. When was mine? This will be easy cause you were there and it wasn’t that long ago.” Astrid argued but waited for Kyra to respond. 

“9th of April, 2022. AND you scored your first goal too, which is just crazy.” Kyra complimented the girl across from her who blushed slightly but moved on quickly. 

“Another point to you. How many goals have I scored with the Matildas?” Astrid asked the next question with a smirk. 

“Uhhhh…” Kyra filtered through her brain for the answer. “I’m gonna say 5 or 6 maybe?” She looked hopefully at Astrid. 

“It was 5, so far.” Astrid smiled as she waited for Kyra to ask the next one. 

“Point for me. How many siblings do I have? And what are their names?” Kyra asked with a smile. 

“Easy. Three sisters.” She looked at Kyra who nodded. “Mia, Shani and Mali?” She raised her brow hopefully.

“Another point to you.” Kyra nodded.

“Final questions, because from the looks of it,” She paused and both girls looked over to where their team was beginning to warm up in the background. “We’re technically late to training.” Astrid laughed towards the camera. “Okay, what are your three favourite qualities of mine?”

“It does not say that!” Kyra laughed and leant forward to check Astrid’s card, finding the question was true. “Ugh, okay. I would say… you're very goofy, you have an incredible strike from both feet and… you’re always very positive. You have an ability to bring the energy up in everyone without even doing much.” Kyra spoke and Astrid felt it very hard to not blush at her, heart melting at her words. 

“Oh my god, you’re so sweet.” Astrid playfully pushed her shoulder. “Finish this off will you, please?” Astrid nodded to the final cue card in Kyra’s hands. 

“Alright, how would you describe me in five words?” Kyra confidently held up five fingers, ready for Astrid to begin. 

“Ooooo, okay. Hilarious, quick, silly, determined and….” She trailed off as she watched Kyra drop a finger at each word, only one finger remaining. “Bright.” 

“Bright?” Kyra smiled but was slightly lost.

“You just like, are never dull, or down. You’re always smiling and just, bright.” Astrid creates a gesture with her hands, making both girls laugh in their seats. Once they settled they looked up to see the manager telling them to wind things up.

“I think you won. But only by like half a point.” Astrid collected herself, looking at Kyra. 

“Still counts.” Kyra shrugged proudly. “Anyway, we better get going and get to training.” Kyra turned to the camera and then to Astrid. 

“Let’s go.” Astrid smiled before they both got up and pretended to run off to their team. 

“Cut. Thank you.” Their social media manager thanked them as they removed their mics before saying goodbye and finally heading off to their warm ups. 

After training hard for the past few days it was finally game day against Rosengård, Teagan’s current team and Charli’s previous one before going on loan to Vittsjö a few months ago. Although Rosengård were tough opponents already, Astrid knew it would be even tougher with Teagan in goal against her. She knew how Astrid played and where she liked to go for goals from being in training together, but this is what happens when you play for club and country, sometimes you have to go against your friends and alter playing styles to come out on top. 

None of the three girls had been selected for the Hammarby starting XL but they were at least on the substitute bench and they would likely get put on later, Astrid especially. She didn’t mind the ‘super-sub’ reputation she had earned, always being able to deliver towards the end of games, but she would also like to start in more games and gain more minutes with her club. 

The game started and within 17 minutes they had secured a goal and only a few minutes later a second in the 25th minute by the same player. Going into halftime they were buzzing, but still determined to keep going and secure the win because they knew Rosengård would come back fighting. And they did. 

Kyra had been subbed on at around 60 minutes, Astrid not far behind at 70 minutes, coming to the left forward position with Kyra behind her in the midfield; it was time for them to make some magic. The coaches knew how good Astrid and Kyra were together, and how effortlessly they could pass the ball,wordlessly connecting with each other, proving them very useful subs in the later half of the game. 

Kyra had battled the ball from the Rosengård midfielders, Astrid watching her and making a run closer to goal, trying to escape their tough defence. Once she had found enough empty space up near the corner, Kyra launched the ball to her, Astrid catching it with her chest and rolling it down to her feet. Immediately a defender found her again and she paused with the ball at her feet. She had two options here; be quick with her feet and dance around them with the ball. OR she could take inspiration from her national teammate, Caitlin Foord, and try for a nutmeg to get around her. Let’s just say Astrid was feeling adventurous today. 

She made quick eye contact with the defender, both paused before looking back down at the ball. She moved her left foot to resume her play, making it look like she was going around the Rosengård player, instead shooting it through her and darting around the frozen player, catching the ball with her foot and heading for the goal.

She kept running with it, too risky to pass it down to anyone and deciding to go alone as she inched closer to a ready Teagan, expecting Astrid to take her regular shot with her right foot but scoop it to hit the left side of the net. But Astrid knew she would be expecting that so instead she struck powerfully, still with her right boot, but let it go directly to the right side of the net, watching as Teagan jumped for the left and missed the ball completely.

And in the 87th minute, the net rippled and the home crowd cheered, Astrid running straight for Kyra as she always did, jumping onto her when they met. 

“SHE’S BACK!!!!” Kyra screamed in her ear as she caught her, holding her close as the rest of the team joined, patting Astrid on the head and cheering her on. “You fucking nutmeged her!” Kyra spoke into Astrid’s ear, shaking her shoulders slightly as the group of players parted, returning to their spots. 

“I know. Cait will be proud.” Astrid smiled proudly, before parting with Kyra to go back to her position for the last few minutes of the game. As soon as the whistle blew, the Hammarby bench cheered and the team began to shake hands with their opponents. 

“Good game.” The first player Astrid made her way to was Teagan in the goal, putting her hand out for a fist bump against her gloves. 

“Nice shot. Wasn’t expecting that.” Teagan laughed before they pulled each other into a hug. “I’ll catch up with you later.” Teagan pulled back, nodding towards where both teams had started their separate huddles, Astrid following her gaze and turning back to Teagan. 

“Of course! Bye.” They shared another fist bump before they jogged over to their huddles, Astrid slotting in between Kyra and Courtney, waiting for the coach and captain to speak about the game and their win. After the huddle was done, the team took their lap around the pitch to thank the fans for coming and supporting. The three Aussies were walking around the pitch, Kyra and Astrid now wearing jackets Courtney had given them, still not used to the cooler weather in Sweden. Astrid was chatting with the two girls when Kyra nudged her shoulder and pointed out a sign in the crowd. 

‘Astrid Taylor/No. 13 Can I please have your jersey? (You’re my favourite… shhhh)’

A little girl, no older than 8, had been holding the sign over the barricade, waiting for her to spot it, eyes lighting up when Astrid finally did. Her heart instantly melted and she walked closer to where she was standing. 

“Hello.” Astrid smiled sweetly to the young player. 

“Hi.” The girl spoke shyly with a Swedish accent. 

“Am I really your favourite?” She leant closer to the little girl who nodded with wide eyes. “Thank you! Well, I won’t tell the others then, but neither can you. If you promise to keep it between us… you can have my shirt. Deal?” Astrid grinned at her. 

“Deal.” The girl spoke with a big smile. Astrid stood up again, unzipping her jacket and holding it between her legs. She was glad to have her long sleeve on underneath, shielding her from the wind once she took off the jersey on top. She slipped her jacket back on before holding the shirt out, grabbing a pen from her mum and signing her name and Hammarby number on the front before giving it to her. 

“Tack!” (Thank you!) The girl squealed while looking at the shirt. Her mum held out her phone and passed it to Astrid with the camera open.

“Varsågod!” (You’re welcome!) Astrid spoke before snapping a selfie with the young girl and her family, passing the phone back, waving goodbye and walking back to Kyra and Courtney who were waiting by the tunnel for her. 

“That was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.” Courtney remarked as they all walked towards the home side changerooms.

“That was the nicest I’ve ever seen you be.” Kyra spoke from the other side and Astrid’s jaw dropped, giving the older girl a light smack on the arm. “Jokes.”

“You are so annoying, Kyra Lillee Cooney-Cross.” Astrid scoffed at the aforementioned girl whose jaw had dropped; Courtney stifled a laugh at Kyra’s reaction and the full name drop.

“And you’re not? Astrid Mae Taylor.” Kyra fired back quickly, Astrid had the same reaction, eyes wide at Kyra. 

“How dare y-” Astrid moved forward to hit Kyra again but Courtney held her arms back and pulled her away from Kyra.

“Enough, you two! You’re acting like an old married couple or something, my god” Courtney mumbled the last sentence as she pushed Astrid into the changing room, Kyra stalking in close behind. The closer they got, the more playful they became with one another. And boy was it annoying Courtney. 

She was very glad that they didn’t in fact live with each other, even if the bickering didn’t last long, it would be a nightmare to live with the two of them under the same roof. She dealt with it enough at training, outside of training and even more at national camp, especially when you add Charli into the mix; the three of them were known to be annoying, playful and goofy off the pitch, often roping some of the other younger girls into their plans and tiktoks while they had time off. 

This was one of the main reasons Astrid loved Matildas camps. Not only did she get the honour of playing for her country and her family; she got to spend all of her time with the girls she quickly called family and make memories with her best friends at the same time. So it was safe to say the next camp couldn’t come soon enough for Astrid.

to be continued...