𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐘 | ᴍᴀꜱᴏɴ ᴍᴏᴜɴᴛ

𝗧𝗘𝗡

"Mason Mount. Chelsea starlet, England professional, my best friend." Ellie's voice surrounds the room as the camera focuses on Mason's bright smile.
The equipment is set up on her coffee table, the camera balancing on top of a pile of random books she has accumulated over the years. She sits behind it, her notebook placed on her lap with all her questions ready to be asked.

"For this interview, I thought that we could do nineteen questions? For MM19, to keep in line with your brand." She winks playfully at her best friend as he straightens up on the sofa.
"Some of them will be quickfire, for others, I'd like a more detailed answer please."
Ellie playfully scowls at Mason from behind the set-up, trying to keep her composure intact.
Mason nods assuredly, looking over the camera at Ellie, giving her a you got it boss look, "Sounds good. Let's do it."

"Your full name?"
"Mason Tony Mount."
"Your age?"
"I'm 20 years old." Mason laughs, "El, you know this."
"Shush, I'm going to have to edit this out now." The redhead rolls her eyes playfully at her best friend.

As Mason answers the introductory questions, an overwhelming sense of awe for his best friend settles in his heart. Even though she knows the answer to every question so far, he can't help but smile at her professionalism and enthusiasm for this interview.
He knows that she'll have to do this all over again in May, but seeing her do what she was born to do makes his heart swell.
After answering what his position is and which of his childhood football shirts he wore the most, Ellie begins with the more interesting questions.

"As you've only been playing in the Premiership for a couple of months, which fixture are you most looking forward to playing?"
"Oh, that's a tough one. From a personal perspective, I'd have to say West Ham because that's Declan's team and it will be fun to be rivals for ninety minutes and to test each other as much as we can." Mason gently laughs.
"And it's a London Derby so that makes it all the more interesting, for the players and the fans too." He ponders for a moment.
"From a professional perspective, I'd have to say Liverpool or Man City. They've been battling in the top four for a while, as well as Chelsea, so I think they're the perfect opponents to challenge us, as a team, and as individual players looking to improve our game."

"How did it feel to score your first goal for Chelsea on your Stamford Bridge debut?" Ellie asks with an overjoyed smile, the memories of watching the game in the stands and being overly emotional as Mason scored flooding her mind.
"It's a moment I will never forget. I always hoped that I'd score on my Bridge debut, but never thought that I'd do it in the first ten minutes of the game. I can still hear the roar of the crowd when I think about it. Then to score the week after, away from home, was incredible. To be able to show all the fans what I'm about in my first two Prem games was fantastic. I can only hope that I keep going and score more goals for my club."
The memories of those goals flood Mason's mind, his eyes sparkling as he reminisces.

Twenty minutes pass as if they were seconds, Mason and Ellie becoming fully engrossed in the questions and answers, forgetting about the camera capturing every moment. After laughing about a stupid question Ellie had asked, she looks at her notebook and examines the last three questions, wondering which one she wants to ask first.
Gently she asks, "Who are the people that inspire you the most?" Like clockwork, Masons answers.
"Professionally: Frank Lampard, John Terry and Eden Hazard. I think they're Chelsea legends and were masters of the game when they played at the Bridge. I can only dream of having a career like them."
Ellie had anticipated this answer, knowing Mason like the back of her hand, but without it, the interview wouldn't be complete.
"Outside of the game, my parents and siblings have always been role models to me and have always inspired me to follow my dreams. They'll always be inspiring to me. Words cannot express how grateful I am for my family."

Ellie smiles sweetly, her adoration for the Mount family evident on her face. "What was the first emotion you felt when the ball hit the back of the net in Kosovo?"
"Oh god, it was all such a blur but I remember feeling a sense of relief. Ever since the call-up, all I've wanted to do is help the team, and I wanted to show that by netting a ball. I thought my chance to score in that game was over as the clock just kept ticking and I'd have to wait for the next game but when the opportunity came in stoppage time, I took it. The fact that it was in stoppage time and helped to secure Euro qualification was incredible. I'll remember it forever."

"When you score a goal or have a fantastic game, who do you look for first in the stands? If they're not there, who is the first person you contact?" Ellie lightly chews on her pen lid, her eyes burning holes into the open page of her notebook.
"The expected answer would be my Mum and Dad but I know that they'll always be there for me and that they're proud of me no matter what."
"The first person my mind flashes to when something like that happens is you." Mason looks over the camera to lock eyes with Ellie as she lifts her head in surprise.
Shaking his head gently, with a small smile on his face, he says, "It's you. Every single time. Don't ask me why, I can't explain it. All I know is that when I look up into the stands I just want to see my best friend cheering, nothing but pride and happiness on her face. That's all I need."
Ellie casts her eyes back to her lap, wringing her fingers that are resting on her knees.
"Mase, you don't mean that. Surely your family's pride means more to you than mine."
"They've had pride since the moment I was born. Your pride is something that I had to earn from the moment I met you, and I had to work so damn hard for it. That's why it means the most to me because once I had earned it, I vowed to myself that I was going to do everything I could to keep it for the rest of my life, along with your friendship."

"Mase," Ellie whispers in shock, "What are you doing to me?".
Within a few seconds, Ellie had stopped the recording, put her notebook and pen on the chair and placed herself next to Mason on the sofa. His surprisingly soft fingers brush a loose tendril of redhead behind Ellie's ear, thumbs stroking her cheeks simultaneously. He smiles softly.
"Just being truthful, Ellie. That's all I'm doing."
"Well if this is you just being truthful then I'm trouble." She shuts her eyes for a brief second, a shaky exhale following. "Shit."

Before she could take any more time to think herself out of it, she places her hands on Mason's muscular shoulders and connects their lips. He gasps but swiftly kisses her back, both of them getting lost in the shared passion. Their kiss becomes hurried, both of them desperate for each other.
In no time at all Mason has carried Ellie to her bedroom and is shirtless as she lay below him, their eyes searching each others for any hesitation. There is none.

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