The captain and me

The final

The last couple days have gone by in a flash of intensive training and interviews but also volleyball tournaments and table tennis. This whole experience has made us very close as a team and I'm going to miss seeing them all everyday, especially Leah. In the very rare quiet times I have caught myself thinking about what's going to happen to us when we get home. Liverpool to London is a fair distance but throw in our schedules as well its going to be nearly impossible. My agent has been approached with various offers from clubs but I have asked her not to tell me which ones until the world cup is over I have to keep my focus.

It's the morning of the final and there is a nervous excitement buzzing around the camp, the biggest game of anyone's career so far.

"Alright mate?" G sits down next to me followed by Beth not far behind
"Yeah just trying to work out what to do today, any suggestions?"
"Have you been the beach yet?" Beth asks
"Yeah but only when we first got here"
"What about the aquarium, we went there the other day it was great" G adds in
"Nahh I dont really fancy it, you know what should we go and have a kick about maybe win the world cup?" I have to smile at the two next to me for playing along with me being an idiot
"Yeah alright then, I just can't be out late me mums doing me tea tonight" Beth finishes by winking at me
"Coach is leaving in 5 minutes, make sure you have everything" we are brought back from our little game by a member of staff

Leah sits up front with Serina, she had already let me know last night that she's going to be pulled all over the place today and I probably won't see her until the changing rooms. She's an amazing captain but times like this I wish she was sat next to me so we could enjoy this together, selfish I know but I'm allowed to think selfishly about spending time with my girlfriend.

During the warm up I'm paired with Kiera who is giving me an absolute masterclass in pinging the ball across the pitch, I'm just glad I have a decent first touch because the camera has been focused on her skills for the last couple minutes. She moves me up the field with a diagonal ball but she slips just as she kicks the ball and sends it further than she wanted. I step up my run to chase down the ball as I can see where the trajectory will take it and its not looking good. Just up the pitch on the sidelines are the commentators doing the prematch talks, one of them being Jordan nobbs, who coincidentally is going to get hit if I don't get there in time.

For a second and only a second the thought of pulling my run just slightly so it looks like I made the effort but didn't get there in time does go through my head but I can't... can I? .... No I don't want anyone getting hurt when I can stop it. I sprint to catch up with the ball, I can see the camera man point out to Jordan but she's not looking at him. I jump and stick my leg up high and the ball collides with my boot just missing hitting her on the back on the head by a couple inches. I land hard on the ground and end up doing a somersault with the momentum. As I stand up all three women are turned to look at me and I meet the gaze of the cause of so much drama in my life for only the second time this trip.
"Wow great save y/n, you been practicing with Mary?" Alex Scott says aiming her mic towards me
"Ahh well you know me Al, got a lot of hidden talents. Plus don't want to run the risk of Jordan getting injured .... again"
I had met Alex last week with Leah, being one of her best friends she wanted us to get along and we do, we spent a lot of the evening laughing about what Leah was like when she was younger.
"Jordan that would have hit you hard, luckily y/n was there to stop the ball" Fara Williams' comment made Jordan clench her jaw and grip her mic a little too tightly
"Yeah thanks" it was said through gritted teeth but it was more than I thought I was going to get
"Well I'll leave you ladies to it, let me know if anyone else needs saving" I wink  into the camera and run back to Kiera.

"For a moment there I thought I saw you slow up" she says when I get to her
"Who me? You must have imagined it"
"Did it feel good to be the bigger person?"
"You know what, it did, I may have been a little too cocky but I was a hero"  she pushes me in the arm with a hard shove
"Come on hero we have to warm up still"

At half time we are 1-0 up, the game is going in a blur but we are playing better than we ever have, the goal came from a corner and millie headed it in.  Honestly we could be 2 or 3 more ahead but their goal keeper is having a good game.

"Look girls I have no doubt in my mind that we are the better team on that pitch today but that doesn't guarantee us the win. I can see a lot of the shots being over planned and hesitant. Stop playing with your heads and play with your hearts. 45 minutes until our dreams come true. LETS FUCKING GOOOOO" Leahs speech was finished with stamping of feet and banging the benches as the girls run out to the pitch.

"I think I would follow you anywhere after that" I catch her just before we get to the tunnel. She stops walking and turns to me holding both my hands she takes a deep breath.
"You know this is everything I have ever wanted, captioning this team in a world cup final in front of my family and best friends" I can see her eyes starting to well up but by the smile on her face i kmow they are happy tears
" I know, we will win this game and you will lift the trophy,  we are all so proud of you"
"I'm so happy but I can't help thinking to the future, I want you next to me when my dreams come true and I want them to be our dreams"
"I do too, I meant it when I said I would follow you anywhere" I squeeze her hands and let go
"Right now though maybe you should follow me to the pitch, don't want to delay the kick off" I say half jogging backwards down the tunnel she laughs and follows me out.

The final whistle blows the score is 3-0 and we have just won the world cup my knees go weak and I fall to the ground with confetti raining down around me. I see a shadow above me.
"Hey kid it's not the time for a nap" I can barely hear her above the noise in the stadium
I reach my arms up and feel and strong tug and in no time I am looking in to the blue eyes that have been my home for the last month
I wrap my arms around her and I feel her body shake as she starts crying
"We did it. We did it. We did it." I keep repeating in her ear trying to convince myself what had happend. I pull back from the hug and wipe a tear from her face. In this moment everything else melts away and I pull her in for a very gentle kiss she pulls back and looks at me with a questioning look. I nod my head to tell her it's okay, with that confirmation she pulls me back into the kiss. It only lasts a couple seconds but my heart could explode at how happy I am.  I dont think im going to stop smiling for a long time. Our celebration is expanded when Georgia jumps on my back followed by the rest of the team joining for a big group hug.

The end.

A/n I hope you liked the story, this is the fist time I've ever written anything with the hopes people would read and enjoy it.  This part is finished but I have plans to continue on following y/n and Leah when they get back to their clubs. I will post here when the first chapter is up

Let me know what you thought / anything you would like to see in the next one.

Thank you for reading!