golden blonde¹

a rejuvenating victory

please read my note at the end! (after you finish the chapter of course :))
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late december 2022
there would never really be enough time to process an injury such as an acl. it was always a season ending injury and elena knew that. knowing that fact didn't stop her from looking miserable on their flight over to switzerland.

frida attempted to have a conversation with the spaniard, and it actually made elena forget about her troubles for a bit.

"are you going anywhere for the winter break?" the norwegian offered kindly.

elena looked up at frida to see the smiling midfielder staring at her with concern.

"i'm spending some time with my family and then jill and jana invited me to go to disneyworld with them, so i guess there's that," elena shrugged, clearly lacking excitement. "what about you?" she tries to steer the conversation away from herself and her personal life.

frida's grin grows two times larger, "i'm glad you asked!"

the midfielder goes on about visiting oslo and seeing her girlfriend, and especially her sister.

elena had learned that her sister also played football, for linköping in the swedish league. the sixteen year old had just transferred over there in the summer and she became a staple in the defense despite being so young and new to the team.

frida and elena exchange plans for their breaks and it leaves elena feeling full and complete. for once somebody had made her forget about football after the break, and just to focus on the break itself — a break elena really needed.

despite their loss to lyon just days prior, the girls felt confident. they were sure to score more goals than they did in the reverse fixture.

they train at LIPO park the day before their game, and it's safe to say it is quite cold for elena.

"how are you in short sleeves and shorts katie?" elena asked the irish woman as they walked out of the tunnel.

katie was in a sleeveless shirt and shorts that rode up high on her thighs. elena on the other hand, was in sweats, gloves, a long sleeve shirt that was beneath another jacket. she was also wearing leah's snood because she had somehow managed to lose hers somewhere in the colney locker room.

leah had been really kind to offer hers once elena groaned in the locker room and complained quietly to herself.

katie only smirked, "the cold feels me!" she pointed at elena cheerfully before jogging off to join caitlin and steph for warmups.

"que?" elena mumbled confusedly as the irish woman only jogged further and further away from the spaniard, leaving the 18 year old utterly lost.

new voices emerged behind her, with lia telling leah about the stadium and the english woman nodding along showing interest.

"you should've told me to bring a snood i didn't think it was that cold," leah mumbled to lia as her teeth chattered loudly.

elena froze in place.

"did you want mine?" lia offered as leah looked back at not only the swiss woman but elena as well.

their eyes locked as guilt crept up elena's insides.

"i'm good, don't worry," leah mouthed softly to the spaniard.

they warmed up with various different exercises, she was grouped up with lina, katie and jen.

in one particular drill, the four were tasked to run around some poles while holding footballs in their hands, but after the first person went, they'd give their ball to the one behind them and so on.