LOVE ON THE PITCH || Woso oneshots

Shiny eyes [Ingrid and Mapi]

INGRID'S POV

I find looking people in the eyes the easiest thing to do. When they talk to me, I like to listen, and when they smile at me, I just stare at them silently. The problems usually start when I'm the one to talk, since I can't. I don't know why. I have tried to force myself to speak more during my entire life, and that has got me nothing but anxiety, panic and the deep fear of saying something inappropriate.

Right now, I have to talk. I can't do otherwise. I'm the middle of the Barcelona locking rooms, with just Fridolina Rolfö on my left, finishing up with her own presentation.

As I'm trying to find the right words and put them together properly in a sentence, I can feel the strangers staring at me, since my beautiful Swedish friend has just stopped talking. I look around the room in fear, wishing for all of this to be over, and I meet a pair of beautiful brown eyes, shining while looking at me and, weirdly, reassuring me and calming me down.

«Ing, är du okej?» Frido asks me, giving me a little nudge. (English: Ing, are you okay?)

I nod and take a deep breath, blocking out the fear I have in my mind.

«Hey guys, I'm Ingrid» I smile shyly and quite awkwardly. «I am really happy to join this team and I hope to be able to bring something more to this already wonderful squad.»

Wow. That went well, I think to myself, finally being able to breathe out.

Frido knows how hard I find public speaking, so she hugs me from the side and smiles at me.

In front of me, the girl with the shiny brown eyes has put her thumbs up, and is actually smiling my way.

Luckily, in training it's not required for me to actually talk. I just shout a few names occasionally, especially when we're playing a 5v5, but other than that, everything I say during my first day at Barca is just a combination of "here!", "pass" and "drop down".

At least, even if I have been the quietest on the pitch, the coach is happy with me and pats me on the shoulder before telling the other girls that we're done for the day and to enjoy our weekends.

«Ing!» Fridolina shouts from afar, jogging right at me. «A few of the girls are having a get-together at their house. They asked if we wanted to go.»
«Du går.» (English: You go.)
«Vi åker dit tillsammans eller så åker vi inte dit alls. Det kan vara trevligt att lära känna dem, försök. För mig?» she frowns, basically begging me with her eyes. (English: We go there together or we don't go there at all. It might be nice to know them, give it a try. For me?)

I nod, but only because I don't want her to miss out of what could be a really beautiful bonding night. She jumps up and down a little, then hugs me as a way of saying thank you.

Alexia welcomes us in her beautiful – frankly also huge – apartment, with two other girls right behind her, smiling at us.

«Hola!» she smiles. «Welcome in my humble home. The others are in the living room.»

As a matter of fact, we hear some laughter and chattering coming from around the corner, and when we finally get there, the whole team is already eating some chips.

«Hola!» they exclaim, almost in unison.
«Hello» Fridolina immediately says back, getting seated on the couch.

I take the seat next to her and only exchange a few words, since some of the girls are talking in Spanish and my shyness doesn't really help me start a conversation.

As I look around the room, I don't see any shiny eyes, so I sigh.

Great, now the only person that really seems to be interested in you joining the team is not here, I think, beaten.

When I look up, though, she's in front of me, in a deep conversation with Alexia. It seems quite important, as they are both really serious, but when she notices me staring at her, she waves and gets closer, while the team captain goes back into the kitchen.

«Hola, princesa» she winks at me.

I don't need a translator to understand that: she's flirting with me, and I don't even know her name yet.

«Hi» I smile, having to fight my mind to get the words out loudly enough so that she could hear them.
«Mapi, encantada de conocerte» she says back, reaching out to shake my hand. (English: Mapi, nice to meet you.)

She actually engages in a conversation with me, even if that means that she will do all the talking and I will do all the staring. As I look at her passionately talking about her love for cats, I focus on her: she's got a thousand tattoos all over her body, but a particular one on her neck gets my attention.

«¿Aún me estás escuchando, princesa?» she raises her eyebrow, quite confused.
«Sorry?»
«Are you still listening to me, princess?»

I nod and blush from the nickname she has given me. She obviously notices it and smirks, happy to have hit her target.

«You don't seem okay.»
«I'm just shy, that's all.»
«Vamos, bebé» she chuckles, grabbing my hand and conducting me outside on the balcony. (English: let's go, baby.)

We get outside, and from Alexia's apartment I get to see the beautiful city skyline in front of me. I am trying to focus on the landscape, but Mapi is staring at me so intensely that I have to turn around.

«You've got really beautiful eyes.»
«Yours are just as gorgeous» I awkwardly admit. «Why did you give me the thumbs up today? After my introduction.»
«You seemed stressed out. I know what that feels like. Not myself, but my brother is like you. Sometimes he's so quiet you might forget he's even there» she explains, still with a thick Spanish accent.

I chuckle, knowing exactly that this is how I feel.

«I have never forgotten, though» she adds, almost immediately.

I smile at her as a thank you, and she tilts her head a little.

«Oye Mapi, tenemos que hablar» Alexia interrupts us. (English: Hey Mapi, we've got to talk.)
«Sorry princesa, my beautiful roommate needs me» she winks at me.

I follow them inside, so that I can join – or more listen to – some other conversations, but I can't keep my eyes off Mapi: she's different from the others, she's just mesmerizing.

«You okay?» Fridolina asks me, concerned. «I saw you going out with Mapi. You look hot together.»

I roll my eyes, but blush at the same time. I've got to admit, if it wasn't for the fact that I have just met her and something seems to be going on between her and Alexia Putellas, I would totally nail the chick.

24/01/2023