Next To You - Leah Williamson

Ours Again

Leah's POV

We'd had our first training session in Australia and it had been great; the team clicked just like always and Sarina somehow made the grueling hours fun.
To see Harley striving on the pitch was amazing, I'd get so caught up in her practising that I'd miss my mark, or accidently ignore someone because it was a sight I never expected to see again but yet by a strike of luck and a few million miracles, here she was. 

We'd had dinner and I'd just gotten back from an impromptu Ping-Pong tournament with Hempo and Mary. Every time I walked back into my room, I expected to see G there watching TV or studying her German, which somehow never improved; it was strange not having roommates anymore. I missed the constant company. 
I considered going to find someone but I was exhausted, still slightly jet lagged and it hadn't helped when Mum woke me up, at four, this morning with a facetime, forgetting about the time difference. 

So I opted for an evening filled with binging another crappy reality TV show that I enjoyed far more than I'd ever admit. It was another thing I'd never done before Harley, my pride would have gotten in the way but she'd opened the reality TV door for me and I couldn't say I regretted it. 

I'd gotten through a whole episode and half a bag of popcorn when there was a quiet knock on my door; I looked to the time and saw it was rather late so wondered who it could be. Perhaps Georgia just couldn't get through an hour at camp without me, the idea made me chuckle. 

Though I opened the door to see Harley, this excited little grin on her face as she held up a packet of cookies and a pint of milk; she never grew much more predictable. In fact, this was probably one of the least random things she'd done. 

"Evening snack?" She asked, her eyes full of life. 

I chuckled, "Come in," I stepped to the side, watching her parade into my room like she owned the place and settle the milk and cookies onto the table. 

"I thought you might be hungry," Harley said, her voice hoping she'd been correct though I saw right through her lie.

"We had dinner like two hours ago," I narrowed my eyes, my smile threatening to show through. 

"Okay," Harley sighed, rolling her eyes, "I just missed you, alright?"

I walked towards her, pulling her into a hug now that she'd admitted the truth, "I missed you too. Where were you at dinner?"

Harley perched onto the end of my bed, "I was with Esme outside, we were facetiming Jill because they had an announcement..." she paused, waiting for me to ask before she told.

"Which was?" I raised my eyebrows, forever amused by the slight dramatics she couldn't go without. 

"Jill's moving to Man City!" Harley raised her hands in the air. 

"That's great," I smiled, "You'll get to see more of her."

"I know, and she'll always be with Esme," Harley gushed, "Though I'm a little jealous that they'll always be together."

"You'll get to see them both in the season though," I reminded her, "It's definitely closer than Germany."

Harley furrowed her eyebrows, deep in thought, I just knew she was imagining a map of the world in her head to figure out the rather obvious fact, "I think you're right."

"I am right," I laughed, walking over to the pint of milk she'd brought with her, "Cookies and milk then?" I checked, knowing it was a snack we often had at home. 

Harley nodded, hugging her legs against her body, "A little piece of home."

I scrunched my face up, "You didn't bring it from England did you?" I honestly wouldn't have put it past her.

"No," Harley rolled her eyes, "I do understand the concept of food poisoning, you know?"

"How'd you get it then?" I asked, fetching two mugs meant for tea. 

"I took it from the kitchen," she casually shrugged.

I quickly turned around, "I don't think we're meant to go in the kitchen, Red."

"Well there wasn't a sign on the door," she said so matter of factly that I had to stifle a giggle, "but come to think of it there was a passcode, but I just thought that was so no one else came and poisoned us or something. You know, some team rivalries and all that stuff."

I just stared at her, blinking a couple of times and wondering what Harley's thought process had gotten her to this point in life. "And you figured out this passcode how?"

"Oh I just asked Sarina," Harley didn't seem at all fazed by any of this, it was like she didn't even see the rules whereas I was so rigidly trying to follow them everyday of my life, "she told me to keep it a secret but gave it to me."

I sat besides the brunette, milk in hand, "I don't even know the password and I'm captain," I mumbled, feeling rather out of the loop. 

Harley giggled, "Don't feel too sorry for yourself Sunny, I'll steal whatever you want from the pantry."

I widened my eyes, my jaw dropping slightly; I didn't think Harley should become the food thief around the England camp. "That isn't quite helping somehow."

Harley stood up, picking up the cookies and spinning around to show me, "Well cookies always help and apparently this brand is great, Steph is always going on about them."

I poured out the milk, putting the carton in my mini fridge and then handed Harley her glass as she exchanged it for a cookie. I took a bite, Steph had been right, these were good!

Harley glanced to my laptop open at the head of the bed, "What were you watching?"

I rolled my eyes, knowing Harley would gloat about having such an influence on me, "I was catching up on Love Island."

"Oh my god," Harley grabbed the laptop, "I'm on this episode too!"

I chuckled, seeing the excitement in her eyes, "let's watch it then." 

Harley quickly agreed, crawling under the covers and waiting for me to do the same before leaning her head onto my chest and continuing to sip on her milk. I looked down to the brunette, her eyes darting across the scene unfolding and even with all the drama, I was distracted by Harley; she looked like my perfect Christmas morning or the colors of summer when everything was at its' brightest and most alive.

I'd seen many different versions of this girl; angry, depressed, manic, excited and just about everything else inbetween. But recently, since her return and we'd found one another again, I'd met a new side to Harley and it was definitely my favorite.
This Harley was alive, she was full of hope and her eyes were electric again. She laughed and it warmed up the room, she spoke and I hung onto every last word. Though she still had that signature smirk, I never knew what it quite meant but that was part of the charm. This was the happiest I'd ever seen Harley, she had her moments but she knew they'd come to an end and that was something she'd never known before; it was special. She was special.

We were special. 

I'd never felt more lost than when I walked out of that house, knowing Harley and I were over. I'd never felt like more of a failure when I walked out of that house, again, knowing that I'd been too late and Harley was gone. But now I walked into that home everyday, knowing Harley was there with me and our life was ours again. 

The episode soon finished, I was surprised Harley had been so quiet through the recoupling but when I looked down, her eyes were shut and her breathing had slowed. I listened to her heartbeat, feeling it gently thump against my own as I put my laptop to one side and combed my fingers through her hair until my own eyes grew heavy. 

I knew we weren't technically meant to sleep in each others rooms, but no one had to know about this and I couldn't bare to wake Harley up when the tournament was so quickly approaching; we needed our star girl in perfect form. This was a completely selfless decision made for the team - that's what I told myself. 

The biggest lie I'd ever said.