Lover II- ML

311. Italy Engagements

It was 7am, and Kaia could feel the surface of her skin burning like she was about to break a fever she never had.

In reality, it was because of the ache in her foot that was now being iced, the feeling of throbs shooting pain up her foot and increasing her adrenaline far too early in the day.

She wasn't going to lie, playing on her foot probably pushed her recovery back a week or so, but they were in knockout games where everything had to be put on the line.

Kaia knew she'd have almost a month away from games after this competition, all who played for Barça would. She knew she could sunbathe to her hearts content on the Sicilian south coast for a fortnight and get foot rubs from her wife, she can build the strength back up slowly in her foot and have nurturing support in her rehab.

They had rescanned her foot the day after the Sweden game, confirming their thoughts that it was the contusion that was causing Kaia the most overall aching pain.

Dozens of micro blood vessels broken in her bone, increasing fatigue and decreasing oxygen in her foot which she needed to heal.

It wasn't anything serious, it just meant it would take longer with the contusion around the main fracture.  

Leah found Kaia fast asleep on the sofa in their shared room an hour later, foot raised on a cushion with an ice pack tapped to her foot.

While looking to her left, Leah spotted the tiny boy starfished in the middle of the double bed next to her.

Fabian was on his stomach, cheek squished by a pillow as he snored softly, dressed in his Lightning McQueen pyjama set and looking incredibly comfortable.

It wouldn't be Leah disturbing his sleep, so she got up quietly and walked towards her best friend.

"Kaia," Leah whispers quietly, brushing some of her hair out of her face. "Kaia, I'm making a cup of tea. Do you want a coffee?"

"Mm." Kaia nods lethargically. "Can you grab me some ibuprofen?"

"Is your foot sore?" Leah assumes, walking over to the drink station in their room which had been the young mother's save and grace.

"My whole body." Kaia groans as she sits up, finally looking over and only being met with her son's bum at this angle, and his very full nappy. "I'm on fight or flight mode, my body is just overreacting." She elaborates.

"That happened to me when I hurt my knee." Leah recalls quickly, glad to know what Kaia was referring to. "I thought it was the medication I was on. I was sweating and trembling so much."

"Yeah." Kaia chuckles tiredly, amused by Leah's enthusiasm. "The adrenaline of being hurt does that, it's just survival instincts kicking in."

"It's so fascinating." Leah muses, getting Fabian a bottle of cold milk along with hers and Kaia's hot drinks. "I love how the body regenerates cells, how all animals do. Like we cut ourselves a little and our skin just scabs and sows itself back together."

"Uhuh." Kaia urges her on with a smirk, grabbing Fabian's leg to carefully roll him onto his back. "Proliferation is a wonderful thing." 

Leah turns to her amused best friend now fighting with Fabian's sleepy leg kicks. "Are you mocking me?" She huffs with a disbelieving smile. 

"No, no." Kaia assures, yanking Fabian's shorts off in one quick motion which makes him giggle. "I love that you're a nerd, because so am I."

"Yeah, you are." Leah agrees. "Aren't you doing a 10,000 word thesis currently?" She laughs.