Never Not You

Match day

A/N: NGL I have no clue how the mascot thing works and I'm not sure if they did the anthem for this match but it's happened in this ok cool.

Leah woke up that morning with an electric buzz of excitement coursing through her veins. Even though the sun had yet to rise, she felt wide awake, her mind already racing through the plans for the day. It wasn't just any game—today, Mateo was going to be her mascot for Arsenal's FA Women's League Cup match against London Bees at Meadow Park. The thought of walking out onto the pitch, holding her son's hand, filled her with joy.

She could barely contain herself.

Leah turned her head, glancing at Aurora who was still fast asleep, her dark hair spread messily across the pillow. She knew she should let her sleep—Aurora didn't need to be up for hours yet—but Leah was too excited. She couldn't wait.

So, with a playful smile, Leah gently reached over, brushing a few strands of hair away from Aurora's face before softly whispering, "Rory... babe... wake up."

Aurora grumbled in her sleep, rolling over to pull the covers over her head, clearly not wanting to leave the comfort of their bed. Leah chuckled and leaned closer, her lips grazing Aurora's ear. "Come on, love. It's game day."

Aurora mumbled something incoherent, refusing to emerge from her cocoon of warmth. "Le... it's so early," she whined, voice thick with sleep. "Why are you awake? We don't need to be up for hours yet..."

Leah bit her lip to hold back a laugh and crawled closer, pressing a soft kiss to Aurora's shoulder before resting her chin there. "I know, but I'm buzzing. It's Mateo's first time as my mascot, Rory! I'm just... I can't wait."

Aurora peeked one eye open, groaning softly but smiling. "Yeah, but he doesn't have to be your mascot until the evening, Le. Go back to sleep for a bit."

Leah shook her head, her excitement too strong to be tamed. "I can't! I've got pre-match stuff to do with the team anyway. But seriously, can you believe it? He's going to be on the pitch with me!"

Aurora, despite her grogginess, couldn't help but laugh softly at how excited Leah was. She finally pulled the covers down slightly, revealing her sleepy face. "You're like a kid on Christmas morning."

Leah grinned, her eyes sparkling. "I feel like it! This is going to be so special, Rory. My son, walking out with me... it just feels... I don't know, surreal."

Aurora reached out, her hand finding Leah's and giving it a gentle squeeze. "It's going to be amazing, babe. He'll be so proud to walk out with his mama. But right now, you need to let me sleep or I won't be able to handle him later."

Leah laughed, leaning down to kiss Aurora's forehead softly. "Alright, alright. You sleep, I'll get ready. But seriously... you better take a million pictures tonight."

Aurora's eyes were already closing again, but she managed a small smile. "I'll take a billion, I promise."

Leah lingered for a moment, watching Aurora drift back into sleep, her heart swelling with love. As much as she couldn't wait for the game, she loved these quiet moments with Aurora—when it was just them, wrapped in the simplicity of their life together.

But she had a job to do.

Leah slipped out of bed quietly, heading toward the bathroom to get ready. Her mind was already on the match, but more than that, she couldn't stop picturing Mateo in his tiny kit, hand in hers, walking out in front of all those people. She was going to make him proud.

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Leah had been vibrating with excitement all day. From the moment she woke up, through warm-ups, team meetings, and even during their final preparations, she couldn't stop smiling. Her Arsenal teammates had taken to teasing her, pointing out the way she kept checking the clock or looking over her shoulder as if her little boy might appear out of thin air.