Katie McCabe x Arsenal!Reader
Prompt: "I don't care what they say, I want to be with you."
A/n: this contains the red card moment against Chelsea, please remember I'm just writing a fictional version of it.
~
After playing sixty minutes of the match against Chelsea, you were watching the rest of the match from the bench. With the girls around you, you watched the match intensely. It had been back and forth since the starting whistle.
London derbies against Chelsea were always nice to be a part of, because the level of football was so high. It brought out the best and the worst in people, but you loved it. Now not playing anymore, you were sitting on the edge of your seat, nervously watching the ball constantly switching halves.
Watching from the bench might be even more nerve wracking than being out on the pitch. From down there you aren't able to make any difference. You tried distracting yourself by chatting to Beth and Lia, but all conversation stopped when Chelsea was reaching the Arsenal box.
You watched Lauren James on the ball, and Kim sliding in to stop her from scoring. The referee instantly pointed to the penalty stop, you couldn't believe what was happening. From the game being equal to Chelsea now getting the opportunity to score from such a close range.
But, you didn't have time to focus on that thought long as you saw Katie speaking to the referee. You saw the yellow card come out, but before it was even lifted, she showed Katie a red card. "I'm sorry, what?" you said speaking your mind before you even realised you were saying it out loud.
You watched Katie walk towards the sidelines, and immediately talk to the fourth referee. All you wanted to do was drag her away to not get in even more trouble than she already was, but you were too far away to do anything.
Luckily one of the staff members had the same idea, and guided her into the tunnel himself. You got up from the bench and made your way into the tunnel yourself. Waiting outside of the locker room to let her have the moment with the trainer.
Once he left the room he nodded to you. You stepped inside and closed the door behind you. She was pacing the room, mumbling to herself when you entered, so you said "Hey." softly, not wanting to scare her.
Her head shot up at you. "Why did you follow me in?" She asks as she wipes away a tear. Her tone gave you the feeling that she didn't want you to be here, so you said, "I just wanted to check on you and be there for you, but I can leave if you want me to."
You gave her the choice, not wanting to overstep in any way. "I want you to stay, but I also think you shouldn't." The statement confused you, so you gently asked, "What do you mean?" While stepping closer but still giving her space. Katie ran a hand through her hair, sighing deeply before leaning against the lockers.
She let out a frustrated groan before speaking. "We both know what happens when I get a yellow. With the red it's going to be even worse. They will all be saying that I am too aggressive, should've kept my mouth shut, and that I am a disappointment to the team."
Katie takes a deep sigh. "And they're right, I should've kept my mouth shut, but I didn't and I can't take it back. But what I can prevent from happening is them turning on you as well."
You frown slightly, wondering what she meant, but she already continued explaining. "You're here all calm and collected. But, they see you walking in here and they'll all be saying that I'm rubbing off on you, you know? That I am corrupting you. The next time you get a card, they will blame me for it. I can handle when they talk trash about me, but not if they talk trash about you because of me."
Now things started to make sense, and you took a few steps closer to Katie. "You're not corrupting me, and I don't care what they say, I want to be with you."
"You're passionate and sometimes that shows in ways that get you carded. It won't mean that I all of a sudden don't want to be with you anymore because of what some people, that have nothing to do with our relationship, think or say."
You took the final step and sat down next to her. "You really don't care?" With a shake of your head you answered, "Not even a little bit. If people want to talk, let them talk. We know the truth, and that's all that matters."
Katie studied your face for a moment, looking for any sign that you weren't telling the truth, but when she couldn't find one she let herself relax into your side.
"I hate that I got sent off." She spoke softly. "I know you do." You say as you wrap your arm around her, holding her close. You could feel the frustration radiating off of her. Katie was never one to take things lightly, and you knew how much getting this card would affect her. She felt her emotions strongly, and that was one of the things you loved about her, but sometimes that also meant that things would sting just a little bit more than others.
"I just wanted to stand up for the team, you know?" You press a kiss to the side of her head. "I know, but sometimes standing up comes with consequences." She lifted her head off of your shoulder and gave you a look that made you smile.
"You sound just like Kim." She chuckles lightly. "Well, I'll take that as a compliment. I get that you feel like you are going to get called out for this in bad ways, but people should remember that that same level of feeling and love for the club is what gets us going. We can't have Katie McCabe without cards, but we know that you also come with some amazing bangers, impressive tackles, and a whole lot of love for the club and sport."
She leans back into your side. "How do you always know what to say?" Her hand found yours and you let her intertwine your fingers. "Because I know you, darling."
You feel her smile into your side. "Thank you for being here."
"Always." You promised while squeezing her hand softly.
