(Ellie Carpenter and Daniëlle van de Donk)
The stadium lights burned bright above them, casting long shadows on the pitch as the final whistle blew. Ellie stood with her hands on her hips, her breath coming fast, her heart pounding—not just from the game, but from the woman standing a few meters away. Daniëlle. The Dutch midfielder had been electric all night, her movements hypnotic, her presence impossible to ignore.
Ellie had known Daniëlle for years, their paths crossing on and off the field. Teammates at Lyon, rivals in international play, and somewhere in between, something more had begun to simmer. It was never spoken outright, but it was there—in the stolen glances, the casual brushes of fingertips, the way their eyes met just a moment too long.
Tonight, that tension was unbearable.
As the teams shook hands, Ellie felt Daniëlle's fingers linger on hers. It sent a jolt through her, an unspoken promise hanging between them. "You played well," Daniëlle said, her voice low, a playful smirk tugging at her lips.
Ellie exhaled sharply, trying to play it cool. "So did you. Annoyingly well."
Daniëlle chuckled, her eyes twinkling under the floodlights. "You always did hate losing."
"I hate losing to you."
Their teammates were moving toward the locker rooms, but neither of them moved. Instead, Daniëlle reached out, tucking a stray strand of hair behind Ellie's ear. The simple touch sent heat rushing through Ellie's veins. "Meet me later?" Daniëlle murmured, barely above a whisper.
Ellie swallowed hard. "Where?"
"You know where."
—
The night air was cool against Ellie's skin as she made her way toward the quiet, hidden café on the outskirts of town. It had become their sanctuary, a place where they could be something more than teammates, more than competitors. A place where they didn't have to hide.
Daniëlle was already there, sitting at their usual table by the window. A candle flickered between them, casting golden light on her face. She looked up as Ellie approached, a slow smile spreading across her lips.
"You came."
"Of course, I did."
Ellie slid into the chair across from her, their knees brushing beneath the table. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them was thick with anticipation, unspoken words pressing against the silence.
Daniëlle leaned in, her voice soft. "Why do we keep pretending this isn't happening?"
Ellie's pulse quickened. "Because it's complicated."
"Life is complicated." Daniëlle reached across the table, her fingers finding Ellie's. "But this? This feels simple to me."
Ellie's breath caught. There, in the dim light, with Daniëlle's hand warm against hers, she realized she was done fighting it. Done pretending. She squeezed Daniëlle's hand, a slow smile spreading across her lips. "Yeah," she said, her voice steady. "It does."
Daniëlle grinned, and in that moment, it didn't matter what the world thought. It didn't matter if they were rivals on the field or teammates in the locker room. Here, in this moment, they were just Ellie and Dani, and that was enough.
—
They spent hours talking, the night stretching long into the early morning. It was easy, natural, like they had been doing this for years. They spoke about their careers, their dreams, their fears. Ellie admitted how she had struggled with the emotions she felt for Daniëlle, how she worried what it would mean for their professional lives.
Daniëlle listened, her thumb tracing small circles on Ellie's hand. "I get it," she murmured. "But I also know that what we have is rare."
Ellie nodded, her heart aching with the truth of it. "I don't want to lose this."
"You won't," Daniëlle promised. "Not if we fight for it."
A comfortable silence fell between them before Daniëlle smirked and leaned back. "You do realize I'm never letting you win on the field, right?"
Ellie laughed, the tension breaking. "Oh, trust me, I wouldn't want you to."
The café owner gave them a knowing smile as they finally got up to leave, their fingers still intertwined. As they stepped outside, the city was quiet, the streets empty except for them. Daniëlle turned to Ellie, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Walk me home?"
Ellie nodded, and as they strolled through the silent streets, the city lights glowing around them, she realized that this—walking side by side, their hands brushing, their hearts beating in sync—was exactly where she wanted to be.
