Reunion - Mapi Leon x Reader

Chapter 24 - Returning Home

Bravery. Knowing the risks yet going ahead and doing something anyway, because you know it’s the best decision. I shouldn’t have to call Lottie brave for making this decision, but unfortunately that’s the sort of world we live in. Stepping up and saying that you don’t fit into the box society tries to put on all of us is a brave thing to do, and I’m proud of Lots for making that decision. That doesn’t mean I’m going to like the consequences of it.

I know as I wake up, that checking my phone this morning is going to be hard. I know there’ll be comments that I don’t want to read, but I also know there’ll be lovely ones from friends and family, and that’s what really matters. In fact, I don’t even care if people are saying bad things about me. As soon as I read something about Lottie, that’s when I’ll flip. So we spend the next couple of days in our own little internet free bubble, just enjoying each other's company. It all feels very calm, and normal, and still.

Ale and I decide we’re going to meet up at the airport. Lottie wants to come with me to say goodbye, but she has to be at training so can’t. I’m not sure when the next time I see her will be, and there’s tears in my eyes as I say goodbye to her. One last delicate kiss to last me till the next time I see her.
“Saying goodbye’s going to get harder every time we see each other, isn’t it?” she asks.
“Probably,” I nod, “I think it’s hard because we don’t know when we’ll see each other again.”
“World cup?” she questions.
I shake my head, “I’m not going to go.”
“Not even to watch me?” she asks.
“Okay. I’ll go to watch you.”
She smiles, “I’ll see you then.” She continues to hold my hand as I turn around, reaching out as I walk away till it’s only our fingertips touching, and then I have to continue on out the door, and to my taxi.

At the airport, Ale's easy to spot. Unexpectedly, since the last time I saw her she’s decided to dye her hair pink.

“Nice hair,” I comment, as I walk over to where she’s sitting.
“You think? I’m still not entirely sure it was a good idea.”
“It looks good, but why did you do it?”
“Just wanted a change,” she says before changing the topic, “so I saw your post.”
“I briefly scrolled through the comments this morning,” I tell her, “aside from that, I have no clue what sort of reaction people had.”
“It’s mostly positive,” she assures me, “well, as positive as it can be.”
“That’s good.”
“I saw a really funny video,” she starts, and I cut her off.
“Funny because it’s actually funny, or funny because I look like an idiot?”
“Someone’s found footage of you two looking over at each other at the last Spain vs USA game from a few years ago, and edited it.”
“Oh dear.” I laugh, envisioning what this video must look like.

Ale gets out her phone to show me, and it’s exactly what I thought it would be like. Close ups of us with strange facial expressions, and romantic music to tie it all together. Who knows who we were actually looking at.
“Is it always this hard saying goodbye?” I ask. I expect her to argue with me, saying she doesn’t know what it feels like to be in a long distance relationship, but she doesn’t.
“Yes. It is always this hard.”
“She wants me to come watch her at the world cup,” I tell her.
Ale looks at me with concern in her eyes, “are you going to go?”
“I told her I would.”
“But are you?”
“Yes.”

Ale turns to face me properly. I can tell she wants to say something, and I know what it’s going to be. Showing up to the world cup and supporting Lottie playing for the US after refusing to play for my own country, really isn’t a good look. I fully intended to stay as far away from the world cup, and the national team, as possible this year, but not everything works out how you want it to.

“I’m going to go watch her Ale. I need to see her, and she wants my support,” I tell her firmly, “you’re going to play for Spain, right?”
“If I get asked to,” she replies.
“Alexia, you’re Alexia. You are going to get asked to.”
“I mig-”
“Ale.”
“Okay, I will get asked to, and I will say yes. Try and bring about change on the inside,” she nods.
“That was always the plan. Refuse to play to try to bring media attention from the outside, then have some people continue to play to try to bring about change on the inside.”
“We need more people who’ll refuse,” Alexia says, “I would, but.”
“Yeah, I understand. You need to get your career back on track after your injury. It’s a big deal to ask people to not play, because of the impact it’ll have on their careers.”
She looks at me, “not everyone is as brave as you.”
“Ale, this isn’t bravery. This is just believing in something badly enough that you falsely believe you’re able to actually make change.”
“We’ll get there Maps, we’ll get there.”

I decide I’ve had enough of feeling sad, as I have a wonderful girlfriend, a wonderful club career, and many great things going on in my life, so I change the topic again.
“How Jen-”
“Don’t say her name.”
“But it was.”
“Mapi! Shh,” she brings her finger up to her mouth, “I’ll tell you on the plane.” With that she stands up, and starts to head towards our gate. I realise that we actually haven’t got much time to get onto our plan and run after her.

Once seated she does tell me about her week with a warning that she will steal my cat if I tell any of the team what she’s admitted to me. I fall asleep for the rest of the flight, briefly wake up to help navigate the way through the airport in New York, and promptly fall back asleep on the plane to Barcelona. As I wake up, I can see the city out of the window, and am filled with that lovely feeling of knowing that you’re home. Ale, and I have a busy day ahead of us. We cut it close with the timing, and have to be at training in a couple of hours. We say goodbye to each other, knowing that we’re going to see each other again very shortly.

I don’t bother bracing myself for the girls as I enter the changing rooms.
“So you’ve made it official then?” Lucy says as I put my stuff down on the bench.
“Still can’t believe you’re dating Peyton Moore,” Patri adds.
“Carlota,” Keira corrects her before I can. I can see Aitana in the corner looking like she wants to add something on, and Alexia giving me a smirk from the other side of the room. I am so tempted to tell the team about Alexia’s reason for visiting America, but I know she would never trust me again if I did.
“I still can’t believe you decided to just go and see her,” Jana comments.
“Guess you’ve never been in love then,” I reply. I know instantly that I shouldn’t have said that.
“Awe, Mapi’s in love,” Patri coos.
“Shut up,” I say, and then turn around to leave the room.

Alexia follows me down the corridor.
“You’re smart not telling people,” I say.
“I’ve learnt from experience,” she replies, “anyway don’t pay any attention to their teasing. We’ve got El Clasico to prepare for.”

(It makes me sick how quickly you wrote that, does1tmatt3r. You guys do realise you'll be waiting, like, a week till the next ones out bc it's my go again, don't you? Anyway, love ya<3)