I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, my mind buzzing, unable to settle. The reality of what we'd just accomplished—the finals—should have had me on a high. The team's victory was everything we had worked for, everything I had dreamed about since I first kicked a ball. But instead of the pride and elation I should've been feeling, all I could think about was Caitlin.

I rolled over, checking my phone for what felt like the millionth time. Texts from friends, family, even headlines of the match were flooding my notifications. I should've been answering them, sharing the moment with those closest to me, but I couldn't bring myself to. My fingers hovered over Caitlin's contact instead, the urge to be near her too strong to ignore. We'd only had a few moments after the match, and while she had been so strong, I could still feel the weight of disappointment lingering in her voice.

Before I could second-guess myself, I typed a quick message asking if she was awake. I barely had time to drop my phone back down before it buzzed with her response.

𝘾𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙣 🤍

𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙪𝙥?

𝙔𝙚𝙖𝙝. 𝙔𝙤𝙪?

𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧?

There was a pause, my heart thudding in the silence, but then her response lit up my screen.

𝙊𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚.

A rush of relief flooded through me, and I found myself moving before I even realized what I was doing. I grabbed my jacket, pulling it on as I slipped out of my room, moving quietly through the hallways of the hotel. The last thing I needed was one of the girls or staff catching me sneaking out—questions would be asked, and I wasn't in the mood for explanations.

The air outside was cool, a welcome contrast to the stuffiness inside the hotel, but it did nothing to calm the nervous energy buzzing beneath my skin. Caitlin's hotel was about twenty minutes away, a walk that would never feel long to me on another night, but tonight it felt longer, the weight of what I wanted to say, of how I wanted to be near her, heavy in my chest.

When I finally reached her hotel, I made sure to avoid eye contact with anyone in the lobby, keeping my head down as I navigated the familiar corridors. Her door was at the end of the coridoor, and as I reached it, I took a deep breath before knocking softly. My heart raced in anticipation.

The door opened almost immediately, and there she was—fresh out of the shower, her hair damp, loose strands framing her face. She looked tired, but there was a softness in her eyes when she saw me.

"Hey," she says quietly, stepping aside to let me in.

I step into her room, and before I can even think of what to say, I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close. I hold on tightly, burying my face in her shoulder as if she's the only thing keeping me grounded.

Caitlin lets out a quiet laugh, surprised at the sudden embrace but quickly wraps her arms around me in return. "What's up?" she asks softly, her voice full of warmth and concern.

I shake my head slightly, my hold on her not loosening. "I'm just... happy to be with you. Away from everything."

Her arms tighten around me, and I feel her press a soft kiss to the top of my head. "I'm proud of you, you know," she murmurs against my hair, her breath warm against my skin. "I was so caught up in my own frustration after the game that I forgot to tell you."

I feel a wave of relief wash over me. As much as I knew Caitlin would never resent me for winning, a part of me had been overthinking, worrying that this might strain things between us. "Thanks, Cait," I whisper, pulling back just enough to look at her.

Her hands stay on my waist as I reach up to tuck a stray strand of damp hair behind her ear. The weight of the night—the match, the emotions, the tension—hangs between us, but in this moment, it doesn't matter. All I want is her.

Without thinking, I lean in and press my lips to hers. Caitlin responds immediately, her hands sliding to my back, pulling me closer until our bodies are pressed against each others. My heart pounds against my chest as the kiss deepens, the world outside fading away as it always did when we were together.

When we finally pull back, both of us are breathless. I rest my forehead against hers, our breaths mingling as we just stand there, holding each other.

We stay like that for a while, the silence comforting, until Caitlin grabs my hand and pulls me down onto the bed beside her. She wraps her arms around me, and I tuck myself against her, my head resting on her shoulder.

We stay, wrapped in each other's arms, the world outside Caitlin's hotel room fading into the background. The silence between us is warm, comfortable, but my mind is still racing, trying to process everything—my win, her loss, and now, being here with her.

Caitlin shifts slightly under me, looking down with a playful smirk. "You're wearing my shirt again," she teases, her voice breaking the stillness. "I thought I lost that thing."

I grin, glancing down at the oversized shirt I had claimed as my own months ago. "I'm just keeping it safe for you."

"Safe?" she raises an eyebrow, her lips twitching like she's trying to hold back a laugh. "You've basically moved into it. I haven't seen you in anything else for a while now."

"Why would I wear anything else when I can have this?" I tug at the hem of the shirt, exaggerating its softness as if it's the best thing in my entire wardrobe. "Besides, it smells like you."

Caitlin rolls her eyes, giving my arm a gentle squeeze. "I don't know if I should be flattered or creeped out."

"You should be flattered," I shoot back, smiling mischievously. "Admit it—you love seeing me in your clothes."

She lets out a small laugh, her eyes bright with amusement. "Yeah, yeah. You're lucky I love you," she quips, shaking her head as if I'm the most ridiculous person she knows.

I smirk, raising my chin slightly. "Of course I am. I'm irresistible."

"Oh, is that what you are?" she teases, pulling me even closer, her fingers tracing absentmindedly along my back.

"Absolutely. Irresistible and adorable. Full package, really," I reply, leaning in to press a quick kiss to her cheek, trying to ignore the warmth spreading through my chest at how easily we slip back into this, no matter the circumstance.

Caitlin chuckles, her eyes softening as the laughter dies down. For a moment, she just looks at me, her gaze tender in a way that makes my heart stutter. The air between us shifts, becoming heavier but still comforting.

"I love you," she whispers suddenly, her voice quiet but full of certainty, as if the words have been waiting on the tip of her tongue, ready to spill out.

I blink, my playful retort dying on my lips. Her words settle over me like a blanket, warm and heavy in the best way. The teasing falls away, replaced by something deeper, more vulnerable.

I shift slightly, lifting my head to meet her eyes, my own heart now pounding in my chest. "I love you too," I whisper back, my voice softer now, the teasing gone.

Her arms tighten around me, pulling me impossibly closer as our foreheads press together, the moment sinking in. Even in the quiet of the room, even after everything—the match, the tension, the exhaustion—it's moments like this that make everything else seem small.

"You know, you're lucky I love you too," I murmur against her, a small smile tugging at my lips as the warmth of the moment lingers between us.

She laughs softly, the sound vibrating against my skin. "Yeah, I know."

And for a while, we just lay there, curled up together, letting the world outside disappear.

I toss and turned, unable to find a comfortable spot in the small bed despite Caitlin's steady, warm presence beside me. My mind was restless, replaying moments from the game, wondering what the finals against Spain would look like. I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling, listening to the soft rhythm of Caitlin's breathing beside me.

Eventually, I gave up on trying to sleep and slowly slipped away from Caitlin, careful not to wake her. As I reach for my phone on the bedside table, the screen lights up, and I notice a message from Ona.

𝙊𝙣𝙨

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙨, 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙖?

I smirk at the nickname she's teasing me with, typing a quick reply.

𝙏𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥.

The response comes quickly.

𝘽𝙞𝙜 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙝
𝙞𝙩. 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙬𝙚'𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨
𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙠𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙤𝙛𝙛 😉

𝙎𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧
𝙠𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙤𝙛𝙛, 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣. 

I can't help but smile, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement swirl in my chest. Spain versus England. It's surreal to think that we're on opposite sides now, both just one game away from making history.

𝙒𝙚'𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙚, 𝙘𝙖𝙥

I shake my head, smiling at the screen when, out of the corner of my eye, I notice Caitlin shivering slightly in her sleep. I glance around the room and spot the spare blanket folded up on a chair. Without thinking, I get up and grab it, gently draping it over her sleeping form.

She stirs slightly, her eyelids fluttering, and as I lay back down beside her, she mumbles softly, her voice barely above a whisper, "Don't leave me."

My heart clenches at her words, and I lean in closer, brushing a strand of hair away from her face as I settle back into bed.

"I'm not going anywhere," I whisper, pulling the blanket tighter around us both, my arm wrapping around her waist.

Caitlin lets out a content sigh, her body relaxing again, and within moments, she's fast asleep, her breathing even once more. I close my eyes, finally feeling the weight of exhaustion settle in. My mind quiets as the warmth of her body against mine grounds me and I finally feel sleep wash over me.