football imagines

e. fernández

pounding heart and sweaty hands. it was all that you could think about as you watched your daughter bounce in your lap. she was dressed in a chelsea jersey, her dad's name and number written across her back in bold white letters. while she was happily clapping along, taking everything in that she had only ever seen through a screen, you could barely focus on anything around you – the cheering, the chants and the football game.

despite enzo's reassurance and your seats in the family section of the stadium, safely tugged away from any harm, you could feel the anxiety crawl down your back. it was your daughter's first time in the stadium. though, if it had been up to you, this wouldn't have happened yet. your fears and doubts were far too high to simply forget them. yet it were your lover's words and the excitement in her eyes that convinced you. 

"look, mommy. there's papá." your daughter squealed, pointing down to the pitch. you followed her finger and immediately spotted chelsea's number eight running down the field with the ball at his feet. 

the sight of your husband brought a smile to your face and made you forget your fear momentarily. "yes, baby", you nodded and averted your gaze back to the toddler, pushing a strand of her hair out of her face. "are you having fun?"

looking over her shoulder, she sent you a toothy smile. "yes!", she exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement. "we need to do this more often. please, mommy." her eyes grew big as she pouted her mouth.

a sigh scraped your lips at the sight. despite her young age your daughter knew exactly how she could convince you. 

"i'll talk to papá and see what he thinks", you told her, which brought the smile back to her face.

"thank you!" the toddler grinned and threw her arms around you in a quick hug. before you had the chance to reciprocate it she already turned back around and continued watching the game. you shook your head, chuckles scraping your lips as you wrapped your arms around her to keep her steady. your daughter nuzzled into your touch, leaning back against your chest so the two of you could watch the rest of the game. 

the whistle echoed through the stadium and announced the end of the game. chelsea had managed to add another successful win to their record and enzo had played a crucial part in it. you watched with a proud smile as the players made their rounds around the pitch, applauding the fans and thanking them for their support. the chants around you picked up one last time once the team disappeared down the tunnel. your daughter immediately joined, clapping and bouncing happily in your lap. her excitement radiated off of her and infected you as your heartrate picked up, though, this time the reason was a good one – unlike earlier. 

"this was so fun!", your toddler exclaimed, turning around to look at you. "did you like it too, mommy?"

a smile spread onto your lips as you nodded, "yes, baby. it was great." you tugged a strand of her hair behind her ear, letting your gaze wander over her face. from her wide and twinkling eyes down to her dimpled cheeks and lips, which were curled into a wide grin. just seeing her this happy, made your heart skip a beat. 

"should we go down and wait for your dad?" you asked her once the turmoil around you slowly died out as most people were on their way to leave the stadium. 

your daughter nodded and got off your lap, which you followed suit, interlocking your fingers before you made your way down to the tunnel. 

you two had successfully made your journey through security – thanks to the badges enzo had given you – all while your daughter rambled on about the game. as you stood there waiting for your husband your gaze switched between the field that was only a few meters away and the toddler, who was constantly asking about her dad. 

"when's papá coming?" her question caught your attention and made you look away from the few staff members that were passing you. 

you crouched down and squeezed her hand, making her look at you. "he should be here any minute now." 

"you've already said that two minutes ago and he's still not here", she pouted.

"i know, sunshine, but—", you cut yourself off as you noticed some movement behind your daughter's head. you looked up and spotted enzo, a ball tugged underneath his arm as he approached you. 

meeting your daughter's eyes again, you nodded your head in the direction of her dad, "turn around." she furrowed her eyebrows, yet did what you told her nevertheless. her confusion was immediately washed away and replaced by a huge grin. 

"papá!" the toddler exclaimed and let go of your hand, running over to enzo. 

the corners of his mouth tugged upwards as he kneeled down and opened his arms. the ball he brought along was long forgotten and rolled down the corridor towards you once his daughter jumped into his embrace. from your spot down the tunnel you watched their interaction with a fond smile. you could hear your daughter's animated chatter and enzo's chuckles as he carried her in his arms towards you.

crouching down, you grabbed the ball before straightening up and meeting your husband's gaze.

"hello, mi amor." he greeted you with a smile. you mirrored his expression and leant forward, cupping his cheek with your free hand as your lips met.

"congrats on the win, baby", you mumbled, taking a step back to have a better look at the two most important people in your life.

his smile widened, "thank you."

before any of you had the chance to speak up again, your daughter tugged on enzo's tracksuit jacket. "can we play on the pitch?" she asked, pointing one of her little fingers at the ball in your hand. 

"of course, pequeña." your husband nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead before he put her down carefully. 

she looked up at you, "mommy, can you give me the ball, please?"

passing it to her, your daughter flashed you a wide grin. "thank you", she giggled before she took off down the corridor and up the stairs. "be careful, baby—" you yelled after her, though without success. the only reaction you received was by the man next to you, who chuckled at your over caution. you turned your head, narrowing your eyes at him. 

"she's safe here. don't worry", enzo reassured you, throwing an arm over your shoulders and pulling you into his side. 

his words let your muscles relax a bit as you welcomed his embrace. "i'm going to trust you with that." you told him, which made him smile. 

"come on, let's see what our little osita is up to." he nudged you, pressing a kiss to your temple. as the two of you walked down the tunnel you could hear the faint laughter of your daughter. you shared a look with enzo before you both shook your head and started laughing, too.