One day I'll have it all. // Williamson

Hungover

The sun was shining brightly as we gathered on the training ground, the lush green grass stretched out before us like a welcoming carpet. Despite the picturesque scene, there was an unmistakable air of exhaustion hanging over the Arsenal squad, particularly the England girls who had indulged a bit too much the night before.

As we began our warm-up drills, it was clear that the effects of last night's festivities were still lingering. Groans of discomfort could be heard as we stretched muscles, and more than a few players were rubbing their temples in an attempt to alleviate the pounding headache that accompanied their hangovers.

Leah I think was one of the worst.

When I woke up, I had to practically drag her out of bed, and even then, she stumbled around like a newborn foal, barely able to keep her eyes open. In the car, she mumbled an unusual amount of profanities, blaming my music for her headache, even though I had kindly agreed to turn the volume to the bare minimum. By the time we arrived at the training ground, Leah was practically dragging herself along, her movements sluggish and her usually vibrant energy nowhere to be found.

In the locker room, the mood was close to the one I imagined would happen after a lost Champions League final.

Beth, our usual DJ, offered us death stares when the door creaked as we entered. She looked as affected as Leah. I hid my smirk as best I could.

Despite the hangover-induced haze that clouded some of our players' minds, there was still work to be done. And every non-English player looked at the top of their form. Compared to the rest, at least.

"You okay, baby?" I asked Leah, while she was definitely struggling with lacing her boots.

She grunted at the question, rubbing her temples. "Mh... why are you talking so damn loud?"

I chuckled softly at Leah's response, realizing that even my normal speaking volume was too much for her sensitive head. "Sorry, didn't mean to shout," I replied in a quieter tone, getting on one knee to tie her laces for her.

Leah let out a soft sigh of relief as I took over the task of tying her laces, leaning against the locker behind her with a grateful smile. "Thanks, baby" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Proposing already, Vale?" Teyah joked. I rolled my eyes at her words, reaching out to grab a towel and throwing it at her face.

"Shut up, Goldie," I said, and Teyah laughed loudly at my words, catching the towel mid-air.

"So whipped, that one." Katie joked, earning a playful glare from me as she tied up her boots.

"Watch it, McCabe. I know things."  I retorted with a smirk, and Katie immediately lost her smile, her eyes widening in fear I would reveal something. Of course, I never will. But her face, that was gold.

"Alright girls, let's get to work!" Kim said, clapping her hands together, earning a chorus of groans from the hungover squad.

So here we were, stretching on the grass and under the sun. I was so happy the sun was finally out in London. Leah didn't seem to enjoy it just as much, though.

She moved through the stretches with a lethargy that was uncharacteristic of her, her movements slow and sluggish compared to her usual agility on the pitch.

"Come on, baby. It can't be that bad." I told her, gently nudging her shoulder as we moved through the warm-up drills. Leah let out a soft groan in response, her movements slow and labored as she struggled to keep up with the rest of the squad.

"It's like my brain is stuck in molasses," Leah muttered, her words slurred slightly as she attempted to mimic the stretches being demonstrated by one of our coaches. "I swear, if I could just lie down on this grass and take a nap, I would."

I chuckled softly at her words. "Hey. See the positive. I'll finally get to score a header against you. And you're gonna be so proud of me."

Leah let out a weak laugh at my remark, though her smile quickly faded as she winced, holding her head in her hands. "Oh god, please don't make me regret laughing," she replied, her voice laced with genuine concern as she glanced up at me with bleary eyes.

I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt at Leah's discomfort, realizing that perhaps my attempt at humor had only worsened her headache. "Sorry, babe," I murmured softly, reaching out to gently rub her back in a soothing gesture. "I'll go easy on you today, I promise."

As we continued with our warm-up drills, I made sure to keep a close eye on Leah, and the rest of Hungover squad. Lotte seemed pretty okay. I guess she didn't drink as much as the others, or maybe she was more resistant.

It was clear that today's training session would be more about mental toughness than physical prowess. We all ended up giving a pretty good performance though. And me forcing the girls to drink water had seemed to help.

When Jonas announced we wouldn't work on corners, my disappointment was immense. And Leah made fun of me. Which meant she was feeling better. And I was all for it.

She may have started the day feeling like her brain was stuck in molasses, but by the end of the session, she was back to her usual vibrant self, laughing and joking with the rest of the squad as if last night's antics were nothing more than a distant memory.

No injuries and a whole lot of stupid jokes; that was definitely a good training session.

After showering and changing, we went back to the locker room, and Beth finally agreed to put music on. Very low, and some very mild tunes, but it was still better than it had been earlier that day. We all walked to the cafeteria together, Leah recounting to me the very little she remembered from Mary's birthday last night.

Leah leaned against me as we ate, her warmth and presence grounding me amid the chaos and excitement of our team. She even peeled my orange for me, like the fine gentlewoman she was.

We spent almost two hours at the lunch table with the rest of the team, mostly talking about nothing at all. Lessi, who had barely drunk last night, shared with us a whole bunch of pictures and videos she had taken of the girls, and it was a sight to see; Beth basically passed out in a corner, Lotte dancing on a table, or Leah attempting to perform a karaoke rendition of "I Will Survive" with Teyah as her enthusiastic backup dancer.

We laughed until tears streamed down our faces, Leah dying of embarrassment and Beth asking Alessia how much she had to pay for these pictures to never see the light of day.

When we parted ways with the girls, Leah asked me to go on a stroll in central London, and I could never say no to that woman.

In my few months in the English capital, I had never really taken the time to actually visit the iconic landmarks and attractions that London had to offer. So, I eagerly agreed to Leah's suggestion, looking forward to spending some quality time with her and exploring the city together.

We wandered through the bustling streets of central London, hand in hand. She took the initiative to tell me all she knew about the city, and about every landmark we passed by. I listened to her carefully, soaking in as much as I could, especially when she seemed entranced by something in particular, like she was with the East church garden and Princelet Street.

We ended up eating dinner at a little Italian restaurant tucked away in a quiet corner of Soho. Ever since I had met Leah, my life had turned into a rom-com. It was moments like these that made me realize just how lucky I was to have her in my life, and how much she meant to me.

We ate pizza, then walked back to our car while eating gelato, our fingers intertwined. Leah leaned into me, resting her head on my shoulder as we walked, her warmth seeping into my skin and filling me with a sense of comfort no one had ever managed to provide me before.

We drove back home, the city lights of London twinkling in the distance, Andrea Bocelli's voice filling the car. Leah hummed softly beside me, her fingers tracing absent-minded patterns on the back of my hand as we drove.

As we arrived home and settled into bed, exhaustion began to weigh heavily on our eyelids. With Leah's soft breathing lulling me into slumber, I closed my eyes and let sleep carry me away, feeling more loved and cherished than I had ever imagined possible.