I didn't choose her, my heart did

Settling down

Lucy's POV:
When we finally arrived at my flat, getting Keira inside was a chore. Her ankle injury made it difficult for her to walk, so I carefully carried her inside, navigating between the narrow corridors and the clutter that adorned my flat.

It was already late when we entered, and I decided to take Keira to my bedroom so she could put on some more comfortable clothes. As I searched through my wardrobe, I turned and saw that Keira had already fallen asleep in my bed.

A soft smile played around my lips as I looked at her. She looked peaceful, her face relaxed in sleep. Carefully, I placed the blanket over her, making sure she was comfortable before getting ready to go to the guest room.

But just as I was about to leave the room, Keira whispered softly, "Can you please stay?"I hesitated, surprised by her question, but before I could answer, she continued, "Don't forget that you are now hired as a teddy bear, Luce."

Her words melted my heart and a warm feeling spread throughout my body. I knew I should actually go to the guest room, to set a boundary between us, but still I couldn't get it over my heart to leave her alone.

With a sigh of resignation, I gave in to her request and lay down next to her, with a little space between the two of us. I felt the warmth of her body next to me and the rhythmic sound of her breathing soothed me. And as I lay there, with Keira so close, I felt filled with a deep connection, a bond stronger than any distance.

_

The next morning, I was the first to wake up. Slowly, I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. The sun shone gently through the curtains and filled the room with a warm glow. It took me a while to realise that something was different from normal.

Looking down, I saw Keira's head resting on my chest, her face peaceful and relaxed in sleep. A wave of confusion engulfed me. How had this happened? How had she ended up here? But at the same time, it also felt familiar, as if this new image might become a regular part of my mornings.

Carefully, I moved my arm around her and pulled her even a little closer to me. Her breathing was calm and even, and her presence brought a sense of calm and peace over me.

I thought about the night before, about how she had asked me to stay with her and how I had given in to her request. Maybe it was a sign of trust, of friendship, that she allowed me to be so close, even in her sleep.

Slowly I began to get used to the idea of having Keira so close to me, her warmth and closeness felt reassuring and familiar.

Carefully, I tried to crawl out from under Keira, making sure not to wake her. With small movements, I slid my arm out from under her head and gently slid off the bed. A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I managed to slip away unnoticed.

Once out of the bed, I stood up and stretched, relaxing my muscles after a long night. I smiled at Keira, who was still sleeping peacefully, and felt a warm sense of affection for her.

I decided to go downstairs and prepare breakfast in bed, as a little surprise for Keira when she would wake up.

I started making a tray full of goodies: warm croissants, fresh fruit, and a steaming cup of coffee. I made sure everything looked perfect, a smile on my face as I thought about the surprise I was preparing for Keira.

When the tray was ready, I carefully picked it up and walked back to the bedroom. Keira was still asleep, her face peaceful and relaxed, and I couldn't help but smile at the sight of her.

Gently, I set the tray down on the bedside table next to the bed and watched as Keira slowly woke up. Her eyes opened and she looked in surprise at the breakfast on the bed in front of her.

"Surprise," I said with a smile, my heart warm with joy at the sight of her joy. "Breakfast in bed for my favourite person."

When Keira saw the breakfast in bed, she broke the silence with a joke. "I know I look like a disabled person now, but I can really go downstairs though." Her voice sounded light-hearted, but I could feel the underlying insecurity and frustration.

For a moment, I didn't know how to react. Should I laugh at her joke? Should I reassure her? In the end, I chose to acknowledge her vulnerability.

"Keira," I began gently, my voice softer than usual, "you don't have to be big for me. I understand that this is hard for you, and it's okay to admit that."

Her smile weakened and I watched her gaze wander down, away from the happy scene of our breakfast in bed. I felt my heart grow heavier at the sight of her struggle, at the realisation that she was trying to protect herself from her own insecurities.

"I know," Keira whispered, her voice soft and broken. "It's just so frustrating to be dependent on others, to not be able to take care of myself."

I felt the pain in her words, the deep emotion she tried to hide behind her jokes and smiles. And in that moment, I felt a deep connection with her, a sense of solidarity and compassion that made me realise how much she meant to me.

"Keira," I said softly, placing my hand on hers, "you don't have to bear this alone. I'm here for you, always. We are a team, we are friends, and we will get through this together."

Keira's POV:
As we ate our breakfast together, we talked about everyday things: the weather, the latest match results, and even some teasing comments about our teammates. It felt good to just relax and enjoy each other's company, without the pressure of training or matches waiting for us.

But when I looked at the time on my phone, I saw that Lucy should normally already be getting ready for her training. With a slight frown, I looked at Lucy and showed her the time on my mobile phone, expecting her to shoot into action and get ready to leave.

To my surprise, however, Lucy just remained seated, her gaze fixed on the breakfast that was still in front of us. There was an unusual restraint in her demeanour, as if she was hesitant to get up and start the day.

"Luce," I began cautiously, my voice filled with concern, "shouldn't you go and train? It's almost time."

I looked at Lucy wide-eyed as she told me that she had already phoned Gareth to say she would not be going to training so that she could join me for my appointment. My heart skipped a beat as I realised I had completely forgotten about my own appointment.

"Shit," I muttered, bringing my hands to my face in frustration. "I can't believe I forgot that."

Lucy put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Keira. We'll get through it, together."Her words were a source of comfort in the chaos of my thoughts. I was scared of what the appointment would bring, scared of the idea of surgery and the long recovery period that would follow.

"I hope so hard I don't have to have surgery," I whispered, my voice barely audible from the anxiety compressing my throat.

Lucy nodded understandingly. "I understand, Keira. But no matter what, I will be there for you. We'll deal with this together."

I smiled weakly, grateful for Lucy's support. "Thank you, Luce. You really are a good friend."Lucy shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, I know."

Her dry reaction surprised me and I had to suppress a small smile. So typical Lucy, always confident and direct. But those simple words also brought me a sense of reassurance. Because despite her sober reaction, I knew I could count on her, that she would always be there for me, no matter what.

Just as Lucy left the room to give me space to get ready, I heard my phone go off. It was Leah Williamson. It had been a long time since we had spoken, so I was pleasantly surprised to hear her voice.

"Hey Leah, how are you?" I greeted her as I picked out my clothes.Leah sounded excited on the other end of the line. "Keira, I'm sorry I haven't heard from you for so long. How are you doing?"

I smiled, knowing that Leah was always busy with her own training and matches. "No worries, I'm doing well. How about you?"

We chatted a bit about our lives and football careers, and then Leah suggested we come over. But when I told her I was staying with Lucy Bronze, she suddenly seemed very excited.

"At Lucy Bronze? Seriously?" Leah sounded almost out of breath with excitement. "Oh my god, are you... are you together?"

I chuckled, shocked at the leap Leah made in her conclusion. "No, no, we're not. I just temporarily moved in with Lucy because I needed some help."

But Leah didn't seem to be listening to my explanation. "Oh my god, this is so great! You guys were already such a perfect match on the pitch. I just knew there was something between you guys!"

I tried to calm Leah down, but her enthusiasm only seemed to increase. She was firmly convinced that Lucy and I were in a romantic relationship, even if that was not the case at all.

As I hung up the phone, I couldn't help but chuckle at Leah's wild assumptions. But somewhere I also thought it was kind of cute that she was so involved in our lives, even if she completely misunderstood the situation. I decided to explain it to her later, but for now it was just a funny misunderstanding that made us both laugh.

AN: I really don't like this one