I didn't choose her, my heart did

The question

Keira's POV:
Lucy leaned towards me and whispered, 'Well, I'm glad I helped you.' Then she kissed me again. I felt her smile in the kiss and noticed that there was more meaning and passion behind this kiss. My heart skipped a beat. This was the moment I had longed for for so long.

We were interrupted by the doorbell. Lucy got off me and pulled me up with her. 'Come, the Chinese is here,' she said with a mischievous smile. She went to open the door, while I slumped down on the sofa.

I heard her talking to the delivery man. 'Good evening! Here is your order,' I heard the man say. Lucy thanked him and accepted the bags of food. She closed the door and returned to the living room with a broad smile.

'Chinese is here!' she said cheerfully as she put the bags on the coffee table. I smiled back and helped her unpack the food. As we opened the dishes, I looked at her for a moment and felt a warm glow inside.

The evening went very cosy and fun. We sat in front of the television all evening while eating Chinese food. This was a daily activity for us, except this time it felt different. For the first time in a long time, I felt safe and happy.

As if Lucy could read my mind, she placed her arm around my hip, pulled me towards her and kissed me on my forehead. Her gesture felt like a promise of protection and love. I looked straight into Lucy's eyes and felt a wave of gratitude wash over me.

'Thank you for being who you are,' I said softly, looking deep into her eyes.

Lucy smiled and her eyes radiated warmth. 'Thank you for letting me be myself with you,' she replied.

We kept looking at each other for a while, the silence between us filled with deep understanding and mutual feelings. Everything felt perfectly in place. This evening, these moments together, gave me confidence that we could handle anything, as long as we had each other.

Lucy pulled me even closer to her, and we nestled on the sofa together. As the television continued to play softly, I felt her heartbeat against my arm. The rhythm was comforting and familiar. We sat like this, enjoying each other's presence and the peace that had finally settled over us.

_

The next morning went as usual. Getting up, showering and eating. Everything felt normal again, but somewhere deep inside I knew something had changed.

We were currently in the car on our way to training. I was in my familiar spot in the passenger seat and Lucy in the driver's seat. Normally we would sing together to the music from our shared playlist, but today I could only admire her while she was singing. How could someone so perfect, have kissed me?

And then doubt began to set in. Was it genuine? For me it was, but what if for her it was an impulsive reaction to the good news? Did she feel sorry for me? The uncertainty nibbled at me and made me uneasy.

Just then, Lucy put her hand on my leg. My worries disappeared and all I could think about was the beautiful woman sitting next to me. Her touch was reassuring, a sign that she was really there for me.

'Kei, you seem a bit quiet today. Is something wrong?' asked Lucy, her voice soft and concerned.I looked at her and forced a smile.

'No, everything is fine. Just a bit nervous before training and camp.'

Lucy gently squeezed my leg and smiled encouragingly. 'You're going to do great, Kei. I believe in you.'

We arrived at the complex and walked together to the changing rooms. Our cubbies were unfortunately at opposite ends of the room, so we had to leave each other for a while. I know it might sound silly because she was only 10 metres away from me, but it felt like she was on the other side of the world.

I started to put on my shoes, but my thoughts kept wandering to her. I felt a constant urge to be near her, to feel her touch, to inhale her scent. When I buckled my shoes and looked up, I caught her gaze. Lucy had taken off her shirt and stood there in her sports bra, her muscular body illuminated by the light of the changing room.

My breath stopped for a moment and I couldn't take my eyes off her. She caught my gaze and a mischievous grin appeared on her face. She winked at me, a gesture that made me blush. Oh, she knew exactly the effect she had on me.

I had to pull myself together. This was not the time to be distracted, especially with training coming up and England Camp approaching. But it was hard to organise my thoughts with her so close to me, her presence so intensely noticeable.

Lucy's POV:
Throughout the training, I could not take my eyes off her. I concentrated on the exercise, but my thoughts kept returning to that kiss over and over again. Her initiative, her gentle touch, it all felt so natural. As if it should have always been this way. It brought out a sense of completeness in me that I had never experienced before. She is the missing piece of my puzzle.

Keira radiated something special today. She seemed more confident, maybe due to the fact of confirming her place at England Camp. I felt proud of her and at the same time excited about what this meant for us. We had always been a great team, but now it seemed like a new dimension had been added to our relationship.

After practice, we walked to the changing room, showered and got ready to go home. Throughout the drive, my thoughts kept wandering to what I really wanted. I was already sure I liked her. I rarely feel comfortable around people, but with her it was different.

Keira sat next to me in the passenger seat, and although she was singing softly along with the music, she also seemed lost in thought. The evening sun shone through the window and cast a warm glow on her face. It was an image I wanted to keep forever.

We drove on in silence, but it did not feel uncomfortable. It was a silence filled with understanding and unspoken words. I knew we both needed time to organise our thoughts, to process what was happening between us.

Keira brought me out of my trance by putting her hand on my knee. 'Luce, is everything okay?' she asked, her voice soft and concerned.

I put my hand on hers and calmly replied, 'I'm just a bit tired from training.'

She didn't quite seem to believe me, but she didn't push. That was another thing I love about her: she always wants to make sure everyone is okay, without being pushy.

The rest of the drive home was quiet. The radio played softly in the background, and the sounds of the city night filled the car. Keira's presence next to me was a calming constant. 

We arrived home, changed clothes and decided to take a walk with Narla.

We were currently in a park a little further from my flat. Narla was playing in the high grass while Keira and I stood at a distance, watching the little dog go wild. The sky was clear and the evening sun cast a warm glow over the park. It was a perfect moment.

I took Keira's hand and led her to a bench a little further away, where we could still keep an eye on Narla. My heart was beating in my throat, this was the ideal moment I thought to myself.

'Kei,' I started, my voice slightly shaky.

'Luce,' she replied, her eyes full of curiosity and warmth.

'I need to ask you something. Don't feel obligated, I mean, I know it's early and I don't want to make you uncomfortable because...' My words began to falter and I suddenly felt very nervous.

Keira took hold of my face in both hands and looked straight into my eyes. 'Luce, just tell me,' she said with a nod and an encouraging smile.

I looked away for a moment, took a deep breath and decided to just go for it. 'Kei, do you want to go on a date with me?'

AN: I'm sorry I haven't posted much lately but I have exams coming up and if my results are bad I have to redo my year. So I hope you understand that my priorities are elsewhere. I finish on the 21st so I can post more after that.