Reassurance || Leah Williamson

Eight

Jonas told me right before I walked into the changing room that I'd be starting with Lotte due to Amanda having a slight hamstring injury. To say I was scared is an understatement. I thanked Jonas, then walked into the changing room with a look on my face that Lotte saw immediately.

As I sat down, Lotte came to sit next to me. "Hey, are you ready for today? I heard you're starting with me." I just nodded my head slightly.

"Hey, you're going to do great. We work together really well, and I know nothing bad is going to happen." Lotte reassured me.

I gave her a small smile, "Thanks, Lotte." She smiled and put her arm around me. "Now get hyped! You're making your debut!" I laughed, and it made me feel just a little bit less worried.

When we walked out of the tunnel, I looked into the crowd, and all I saw was a sea of red. Looking into the crowd, I also found the pair of eyes I was searching for. Leah and I locked eyes, and she smiled at me, giving me a thumbs up. I grinned and looked down. Now I was ready to play.

—

We ended up winning 2-1 with beautiful goals from Caitlin and Beth. It sucked to concede one, but I couldn't have asked for a better debut.

"Team bonding tonight at 7! Don't be late!" Beth shouted. "I'll send details to the group chat soon." She continued as she and Viv walked out. "How much you wanna bet she'll forget and someone will have to ask," Katie said from across the room. This caused everyone to laugh as Beth popped her head back in, saying, "I heard that!" Causing everyone to laugh even more.

Once I was getting ready to leave, Kyra came up to me asking for a ride home, to which I agreed. Come to find out she lives in the complex over from me. "Hey, wanna get ready for tonight together and take one car to make it easy?" She asked before she got out.

"Yeah, of course! Come over 'round 5:30? And we can leave about 6:30?"

"Perfect, see you later, Tess." Kyra then walked into her complex, and I drove home. I decided to take a quick nap because it was already 5.

Kyra and I getting ready didn't take long as we both are pretty low maintenance and decided on wearing pants and a nice top. Before we left, I made sure to grab my stuff and a jacket before walking out. We decided to take an Uber into London so we could both enjoy the night, which I was thankful for.

Once we arrived at the club, most of the team was already there except for Leah and Wally, who were apparently running behind. According to Stephanie, 'Leah can't decide what to wear.'

An hour or so later, I was sitting at a table with Beth, Viv, and Lotte while Kyra was off, causing chaos with Katie, Caitlin, and Vic. Viv and Lotte seemed to be pretty mellow while Beth was trying to get us to have more fun and loosen up. Beth looked past me for a second before yelling, "Finally! You guys made it!" I quickly downed the rest of my drink before turning around. Liquid confidence, right?

I turned to see Wally and Leah walking towards us. Wally was in black pants and a gray top, while Leah was in black cargos and a black top. I couldn't look away; she was gorgeous. Leah caught my eye and never broke her gaze until she reached us. I got up to hug both of them. When I hugged Leah, my arms went around her waist while hers went around my neck. "You look nice, Le." I whispered in her ear. "As do you, Tess. Care to get a drink with me?"

"C'mon." I slipped my hand into Leah's and pulled her towards the bar. I was very aware that my hand was in hers and that she never let go even while I ordered for us. And that she didn't let go until we got back to the table where I slid into the booth and she slid in next to me. My hand felt cold, but I quickly felt warm again when she slid in next to me and our thighs were touching.

The bunch of us at the table talked for a few, and the drinks were definitely flowing, but I couldn't focus on anything except for how close Leah was to me. And how pretty she was. I've got no clue how long I was staring at her until Lia called my name. I looked at her with questioning eyes as she smirked at me for a second before repeating her question. "Do you guys want to go and dance?" Now everyone was looking at me. "Oh, yeah, sure. Let's go."

Leah slid out of the booth and offered me her hand, which I took but not without a blush. If she noticed she didn't say a word, I would've blamed it on the drinks anyway. We walked towards the dance floor, and Leah never dropped my hand. Before she could pull me into her, I pulled her into me. Placing my hands on her waist, Leah's backside was pressed into my front. I was maybe an inch taller than her, and she leaned her head against my shoulder while I leaned forward to whisper into her ear. "You are aware we have an audience, yes?" Beth and Wally were staring at us, trying not to be seen.

"That's too bad." Leah then grabbed my hands, placing them on her hips.

Leah and I moved to the music; our drunkenness was very present, but I didn't care. She turned around to face me, putting her arms around my neck, and rested her forehead on mine. I couldn't focus on anything else except for her. The way she moved to the music. The way she fit perfectly in my arms. The way her eyes were closed. The way her lips looked so kissable. "I can feel your eyes on me, Te." I brought my eyes up hers that were now open. "Hard to look away when something so beautiful is in front of me." Leah blushed and looked down. I grabbed her jaw and made her look up. "I'm serious." I stated.

Leah looked at me for a moment before placing her hand on my cheek. I leaned into her touch, closing my eyes. "Hey lovers, everyone's heading home. And Kyra needs looking after." Katie appeared, making Leah and I break apart. Then Kyra appeared, smirking at me, though it was evident there were no thoughts behind her eyes.

"Right then, time to head out. Leah, do you need looking after as well?" I asked, silently hoping she did. "I think Wally left, so yeah."

"Alright then, let's get going." Kyra, Leah, and I took a cab back to my place, and I told Kyra she could take the guest room. She gratefully took it and passed out almost immediately, as it was 2 in the morning. Leah had continued walking down the hall and into my room, where I found her almost asleep already. She was lying spread out across my whole bed, causing me to laugh. "Don't you want to change into something comfy?" She mumbled something I took as a yes, so I grabbed her a pair of Netherlands training shorts and an oversized t-shirt. I grabbed clothes for myself and told her I'd change in the bathroom.

Once I had changed, I called out, asking Leah if she was done. When I didn't get a reply, I slowly opened the door to see her passed out. I smiled and tucked her in before quietly making my way out to the couch. "Come back." Leah sleepily whispered. I turned, debating it before I ultimately decided to stay. Leah made room for me, and I got under the covers. I lay there for a moment before Leah's hand snaked under my shirt and across my stomach, and she laid her head on my chest. My heart rate picked up as I wrapped my arms around her; all I could think about was wanting this moment to last forever.

Leah quickly fell asleep after I started running my hand through her hair. She whispered a 'goodnight' before her breaths started to even out. I have never been more content in life.