Alessia Russo Oneshot

Noticed Too Late

The sound of football boots tapping against the locker room floor echoed through the training grounds as the team gathered for their morning session. You, however, found yourself detached, your mind swirling with thoughts far removed from the pitch. Lately, you'd been trying to care less about everything—trying not to let the little things get to you, trying to be more carefree like everyone else seemed to be. So far, it was working. Or at least, that's what you told yourself.

As you laced up your boots, you heard a chorus of voices rising in excitement. Something about Alessia. You glanced up to see your teammates crowding around her, chattering away, but you didn't really pay attention to what was going on. Instead, you finished tying your laces and stood up, stretching to prepare for the training session.

When Alessia finally made her way over to you, her usually bright smile seemed a little forced. You figured she was just tired or had a rough morning, so you flashed her a quick smile and greeted her.

"Hey, Less, ready for training?"

"Yeah, I guess," she replied, her tone clipped. She looked at you, almost expectantly, but you didn't think much of it.

The two of you made your way to the pitch, Alessia unusually quiet. Normally, she'd be chatting your ear off, but today she seemed distant. You brushed it off, trying not to read too much into things. After all, wasn't that what you were working on? Caring less?

Training went by in a blur. Alessia seemed off the whole time, missing passes and not putting in her usual effort. The coaches noticed, but they let it slide, figuring she was just having an off day. When practice finally ended, you watched as Alessia stormed off the pitch without a word.

You were about to head to the locker room when your phone buzzed in your pocket. Pulling it out, you saw a message from Ella Toone, Alessia's best friend.

Ella: You seriously didn't notice?

You frowned, confused. Notice what? you quickly typed back.

Ella's response came almost immediately.

Ella: Her hair. Alessia got it cut yesterday, and she was hoping you'd notice. She's been talking about it all week.

Your heart dropped into your stomach as realisation hit you like a ton of bricks. Alessia had been looking at you like that because she wanted you to notice her new haircut. All week, she'd been excited, probably dropping hints, but you hadn't paid any attention.

You felt a wave of guilt wash over you. In your effort to care less, you'd missed something important—something that mattered to Alessia. And now, she was upset, and you had no one to blame but yourself.

Quickly, you typed a response to Ella. I had no idea... I'll go talk to her.

Ella didn't reply, but you didn't need her to. You knew what you had to do.

You hurried to the locker room, your mind racing. Alessia was sitting on the bench, staring at the floor. You approached her slowly, sitting down beside her.

"Hey, Less..." you started, your voice soft. "I'm so sorry I didn't notice your hair. I've been so caught up in my own head lately, and I didn't realise..."

Alessia looked up at you, her eyes shining with hurt. "I just wanted you to notice," she said quietly. "It sounds silly, but I was excited to show you, and when you didn't say anything... it hurt."

You reached out, taking her hand in yours. "It's not silly. I'm sorry I made you feel like that. Your haircut looks amazing, really. I should've noticed right away."

She studied your face for a moment before sighing, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. "It's okay. I know you've been dealing with a lot, but... I just wanted to feel like I mattered to you, you know?"

"You do," you assured her, squeezing her hand. "More than anything. I promise I'll do better."

Alessia nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Okay. Just... don't make a habit of it, alright?"

"Deal," you said, leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead. "Let's go get some lunch, my treat."

As you both stood up, you couldn't help but feel a weight lift off your shoulders. Maybe caring less wasn't the answer after all. Maybe, just maybe, it was about caring more—about the right things, the right people. And Alessia was definitely one of those people.