I fucking hate you but I love you - Leah x Y/N

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Leah Williamson x Y/N L/N

The crowd's roar echoed through the Emirates Stadium as the final whistle blew, signaling Arsenal's 2-1 victory over Tottenham. Leah Williamson, Arsenal's star defender, stood tall, her jersey drenched in sweat but her spirit unbroken. She had outplayed her fiercest rival, Y/N L/N, Tottenham's dynamic forward.

Y/N, meanwhile, was a picture of frustration. She kicked the ground, her hands clenched into fists. Losing to Arsenal was bad enough, but losing to Leah made it worse. Leah, with her fierce determination and undeniable talent, had always been a thorn in Y/N's side.

As Y/N made her way to the locker room, she could feel Leah's gaze on her. She turned to meet Leah's eyes, expecting to see smug satisfaction. Instead, Leah's expression was unreadable. For a moment, the intensity of their rivalry faded, replaced by something else, something Y/N couldn't quite place.

"Good game," Leah said, her voice steady, betraying no hint of the enmity that usually crackled between them.

Y/N nodded curtly, not trusting herself to speak. She was too full of emotions-anger, disappointment, but also a grudging respect for Leah's skills. As she walked away, she felt Leah's eyes on her back, and she wondered what was going on in that head of hers.

***

That night, Y/N sat in her small apartment in North London, replaying the match in her mind. She was lost in thought when her phone buzzed. It was a message from an unknown number.

Unknown: Tough game today. You played well.

Y/N frowned, wondering who it could be. After a moment's hesitation, she responded.

Y/N: Who is this?

The reply was almost immediate.

Unknown: Leah.

Y/N's heart skipped a beat. What could Leah possibly want? She debated whether to reply but curiosity got the better of her.

Y/N: What do you want, Williamson?

Leah: Just thought we could talk. Off the pitch, I mean. No rivalry, just two people.

Y/N was skeptical. This had to be some sort of trick. But something about Leah's words seemed genuine.

Y/N: Fine. Where?

Leah: There's a café on Highbury. Tomorrow at 10?

Y/N: Okay.

As she set her phone down, Y/N couldn't shake the feeling that tomorrow would change everything.

***

The café was small and cozy, a world away from the intensity of the football pitch. Y/N arrived first, her nerves on edge. She didn't have to wait long before Leah walked in, looking surprisingly relaxed in a casual outfit.

"Hey," Leah greeted, her smile disarming.

"Hey," Y/N replied, still unsure what to make of this.

They ordered coffees and sat down, an awkward silence hanging between them.

"So, why did you want to meet?" Y/N finally asked.

Leah took a sip of her coffee before answering. "I know we're rivals, but I've always respected you as a player. I just thought... maybe we could see if we could be something more than that."

Y/N raised an eyebrow. "Friends?"

Leah shrugged. "Maybe. Or at least not enemies."

Y/N considered this. She had always seen Leah as the enemy, the one she had to beat. But sitting here, she realized Leah was just a person, like her, with the same passions and struggles.

"Okay," Y/N said slowly. "No enemies."

They talked for hours, about football, life, and everything in between. Y/N found herself laughing at Leah's jokes, and she was surprised at how much they had in common. By the time they left the café, they were exchanging phone numbers, not as rivals, but as potential friends.

***

Over the next few weeks, they met regularly, sometimes for coffee, sometimes just to walk around the city. Y/N was amazed at how easy it was to talk to Leah, how natural it felt. The animosity that had once defined their relationship seemed to melt away, replaced by a growing bond.

But as their friendship deepened, Y/N found herself feeling something more. She tried to push it aside, telling herself it was impossible. Leah was still her rival on the pitch, and the world of professional football was not kind to relationships between players from opposing teams.

One evening, after a particularly grueling training session, Y/N received a message from Leah.

Leah: Meet me at the park?

Y/N agreed, her heart pounding. She had a feeling this meeting would be different. When she arrived, Leah was already there, sitting on a bench, looking out at the sunset.

"Hey," Y/N said, sitting down beside her.

"Hey," Leah replied, her voice soft.

They sat in silence for a while, watching the sun dip below the horizon. Finally, Leah turned to Y/N, her eyes serious.

"I've been thinking," Leah said. "About us."

Y/N's heart raced. "And?"

"I like you, Y/N," Leah admitted. "More than I should, probably. But I can't help it. And it's weird cuz I think I've felt like this for a while because it was always 'I fucking hate you but I love you'"

Y/N felt a rush of emotion. Joy, fear, uncertainty. "I like you too, Leah. But this is complicated."

"I know," Leah said. "But maybe we can figure it out. Together."

Y/N looked into Leah's eyes, seeing the same mix of hope and fear that she felt. "Okay," she said. "Together."

They leaned in, their lips meeting in a gentle, tentative kiss. It felt like the most natural thing in the world, and Y/N realized that maybe, just maybe, they could make this work.

As they pulled apart, Leah smiled, a genuine, happy smile that made Y/N's heart soar. "We'll take it one day at a time," Leah said.

Y/N nodded, feeling a sense of peace she hadn't felt in a long time. "One day at a time."

They stood up, hand in hand, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. Rivals on the pitch, maybe. But off the pitch, they were something else entirely. Something stronger. Something real.

Word count: 1010

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