control - Alexia Putellas

17.

Alexia's heart stopped as the blondes delicate lips part, her powerful gaze lingering on the captain's glassy, hazel eyes.

Everyone on the pitch was so quiet, that you could hear a pin drop.

The midfielder feared the worst.

She feared the words she was about to hear.

She feared that in a couple of seconds, her dream of finally playing a tournament, after all that had happened last year, would once again shatter into a million pieces.

Palpating the captains ankle once again, not risking to make a wrong prediction, the blondes eyes were fixed on Alexia's as she mumbles a calm, but confident, "It's only stretched, and-"

"Ay dios mio", the brunette interrupts her, squeezing her eyes shut in relief as she lays down on her back, sweaty, trembling palms covering her face as she mumbles to herself, "Thank god"

She couldn't stop the tears from falling. She couldn't suppress them.

She couldn't control it.

Not even the cameras and all those eyes fixed on her stopped the two time Ballon D'Or winner from allowing her emotions to run wild.

"Hear me out completely", the blonde continues, her voice soft and calm as she takes the bandage Martha was handing her, starting to accurately wrap the white material around the blue swelling, fixing the ice pack to the ankle as she says, "From what I can tell so far, nothing is torn. It's just overstretched. But we should do some more tests, and also some scans... just to make sure"

Nodding in understanding, flawless visage still hidden behind trembling hands, the midfielder mumbles a sorrowful, "Gracias"

In the meantime, Martha jumps back to her feet, signaling a thumbs up towards the side line, where the head coach was standing with his hands tucked into his pockets, the black-haired's gesture causing everyone on this pitch to breathe a sigh of relief.

Phew.

"How... how long?", was the athletes first question, of course, Alexia's glassy, hazel eyes following the blondes every move as Erin bandages her swollen ankle.

Flinching slightly, the midfielder felt goosebumps form all over skin as the therapist, those talented, ice cold fingers, wrap around the bandage, Erin's intense gaze shifting towards her hazel eyes once again.

The power those eyes held.

"If the scans confirm my prognosis, then I'll have you back with the team by next week", the blonde smiles, her own heart pounding furiously after this shock as she allows her cold hands to linger on the captains toned legs for a few more moments, before standing up, smiles, "Let's get you back to your feet, Ale"

Ale.

There was the word - the sound of it so soft, so caring and so comforting - that it caused the captains heart to skip a beat.

Reaching for Erin's cold hands as the blonde offers to help her up, the midfielder, bleached straightened hair pulled up into a higher ponytail, slowly gets back to her feet, earning a round of applause from everyone.

She hated that moment, for everyone's eyes were fixed on her.

For the cameras wouldn't stop taking pictures.

But all that mattered for her, was the feeling of those cold hands, and the softness of Erin's touch, providing her with the comfort she never felt before, and the power of the words this irresistible woman had said.

She'd be fine.

She'd be back with the team very soon.

"Thank you so much, Bonita", the midfielder whispers, only for Erin to hear as her sparkling, hazel eyes linger on the stunningly beautiful blonde, unable to help herself but melt into the therapists gentle touch when the blonde guides Alexia's arm around her shoulder, helping her hop to the sidelines.