Reunion - Mapi Leon x Reader

Chapter 14 - Warmth

This chapter is dedicated to addiesalignment and her hungover ass 😘

When I wake up this morning, I feel content. Yes, Lottie has left. Yes, I don’t know when I’ll see her again. Yes, I’m slightly confused about how confused she was yesterday evening. But, I can now relax in the same way I used to be able to before Lots showed up. I’m sitting on my sofa, a book in one hand, and a coffee in the other. My cat’s curled up against my leg, his chest softly rising and falling as he sleeps. The peaceful silence of the room is interrupted when my phone begins to ring. It takes me a moment to locate where it is, but once I have, I smile at the name on the screen, knowing that I have good news for her.

“Morning Ale.”
“Hey Mapi. You sound cheerful?”
“Yeah. I’m back.” I tell her, as if she knows exactly what I mean by this.
It appears she does. “Brilliant. I expect the Mapi I know to be at training this week then, proving she deserves to play this weekend, even if she’s been told she won’t.”
“That’s the plan.”
“So, you finally admitted your feelings for her?” Alexia says in a more cautious manner than I’m used to.
“Yeah.” I smile. “Yeah, I did.”
“Tell me everything.” The excitement fills her voice.
“Can we do it over coffee?”
“Boring. Going to get coffee is like your go-to meeting place.”
“What do you suggest then?”
“The park down the road from your place.”
“Oh, so you want to see if my football skills are up to scratch like I claim.”
“Maybe.” She admits.

10 minutes later I’m sitting on the grass with a football next to me, waiting for Ale to show up. I start talking the moment she does, and she just listens.
“I kissed her. I mean, of course I was respectful about it, and made sure that it looked like she wanted it too, and then I told her I liked her. She was so confused, but she also kissed me back, and well a few days ago she basically told me she was straight, so I think she was confused about the fact that she could feel… well, you know what it’s like when you realise, oh my goodness, girls. Gay panic was written all over her face. And she started worrying about her boyfriend, who’s a terrible person from what she’s told me, but then she also kissed me again, and well it was her sister's wedding, but we spent the whole night just dancing in our little bubble, forgetting everyone else existed. It was just the two of us, for what seemed like too little time. But it was magical. Everything you expect, and more when you think of what it’s like to be in love.”

This is where she chooses to cut me off. “In love? Already?”
“Okay, not quite in love, but maybe very close.”
“Anything else happen?” She asks.

I think back to what happened as the night continued. In normal Spanish wedding style, the celebrations continued well into the early morning. Lottie and I spent some time with Amalia and her new husband, chatting about who knows what. I think Amalia’s motive the entire time was getting us drunk. Lottie and I were already too high on discovering we both felt the same way about each other, so we didn't drink very much. Once the newly wed decided it was time for them to head off, we thought we’d better as well. The party was still raging as we ran barefoot across the garden - our shoes far too uncomfortable to bear by this point - and onto the cold flower patterned concrete tiles of the streets of Barcelona.

It was almost 3 in the morning by then, and Lots had to be at the airport at 6. This meant we had time to slowly make our way back to her hotel. We walked towards the beach we’d been at a few days earlier.
“Race you to the water!” I had shouted before sprinting off.
“Mapi! The sand!” She’d cried out, refusing to step foot into it. I gave in, ran back towards her, picked her up, and started running towards the water again.
“Mapi!” She’d tried to protest but just ended up laughing. I was tempted to drop her once we reached the water, but she jumped down and landed on her feet.
“You know the other day when we were here, I wanted to do this.” She started before reaching up to place her lips on mine. You would think we’d have been sick of this feeling by how often we’d done that by now, but it was just like the first time. Once she pulled back, I realised I had something important to ask her.

“So, what are we?”
She looked into my eyes and said seriously. “When I get back to San Diego, I’m finally breaking up with Lucas. What you said to me about how you’d follow me around the world to be with me, I’ve realised I feel the same way about you. The way I felt about Lucas was never anything compared to what I feel about you now.”
And I kissed her again. Eventually, we made our way back to her hotel, she got in a taxi to the airport, and I - admittedly unwisely - walked alone in the dark back to my apartment.

“Mapi! I asked you a question.” Ale brings me back from my thoughts.
“No. There’s nothing else to tell.” There are some moments I want to keep just for myself.
“I’m glad you’re happy. Do you want to have a little kick around then?”

I’m up on my feet in an instant. “1v1. Between those two trees is my goal.” I look around to see if there’s any other natural feature that could be used as a goal, but end up taking my sweatshirt off. Alexia catches on to my idea and hands over hers. I place them on the ground about the same width apart as the trees, completing the mini makeshift football pitch.
“I feel like a kid again.” Ale comments.
“Me too, but playing around at the park with neighbourhood kids may be some of my best memories. Football should be about a lot of things, but what’s the point of continuously striving to be better if you don’t enjoy it.”
Alexia has that thoughtful look on her face again. “First to 5 goals wins.”
“Only 5?” I challenge.
“Well I don’t intend on going easy.” She smirks.
“Me either.” I say this and kick the ball by her feet between her legs before running after it.
“That’s not fair!”
“Well tough luck.”

She laughs as she runs after me, and her being her manages to get the ball back from me in one swift movement.
“Now the fun begins.” I say, and I mean it. It feels so good to be playing this game with a clear mind. I feel like myself again.

(Yay! Congrats, does1tmatt3r for getting this done so damn quickly.. my go. Leave a comment. Love ya<3)