"Fuck Toni, just do it," Alex says staring at me

"I'll go slow, I promise," I say holding onto her hand as she nods her head.

"tell me to stop if it gets too much," I say making sure I'm not causing her too much pain.

"Okay let's just get going," Alex says restlessly

"one, two, three," I say

"Aghh" Alex screams as I rip off the bandaid in one quick motion.

"you said you'd go slow," Alex says rubbing the spot where it once was

"but it's over now it's it," I say smiling at the forwards.

"I'm never putting a bandaid over my arm hairs again" Alex whines to me

"do you want me to kiss it better," I say in a childish voice

"yes" Alex answers back sticking her bottom lip out at me

I just laugh at her but grab her arm anyways and kiss around the area, I look up at her in the eyes before speaking again

"all better?" I ask my voice in a whisper

She nods her head and the next thing I know we're both leaving in closer, neither one of us breaking eye contact with the others. I watch Alex close her eyes getting ready for our lips to touch so I do the same when there's suddenly a knock in the door.

"Hurry up before you're late to training!" The distinctive voice of Kelley shouts from outside our door making me and Alex jump apart.

"we should erm" I say struggling to find the right words

"Yeah we should go," Alex says walking to the door where I follow behind her

Neither one of us say a word as we walk down to the coach and head off to training. I still take my seat next to Alex hoping she doesn't mind but after a while I feel her hand slip into mine. I don't look up but I know that she's not mad at me which is all I want.

Another day of training goes by and the team morale is still pretty high, everyone eager to play our next game against Chile. On the way back I can't help but think about mine and Alex's moment earlier today.

Once we arrive back at the hotel me and Alex's head up to our room and I stop her before she can get into the shower.

"Hey Alex" I ask the forwards

"Yeah?" She asks turning to look at me

"go out with me tonight?" I ask trying to shoot my shot before I go bat shit crazy

"like on a date?" Alex questions making me think about whether this was a good idea

"Yes if you want it to be," I say not wanting her to feel awkward although I think we're already past that.

"I'd like that, what should I wear?" Alex asks me, I let out a breath I didn't even realise I was holding.

"Something nice," I say smiling as I figure out a plan in my head.

"Very cryptic there T, but I'll do my best," She says giggling at me

"Perfect! You get ready while I sort some things out" I say before running out our room and straight to Jill.

After some persuasion and a little blackmail, I manage to convince her to let me take Alex out for dinner tonight. I ring a place in advance and book a table for two asking them to put some flowers on the table.

I run back up to our room and open it to see Alex doing her makeup by the window.

"everything is ready to go I just need to get sorted myself," I say to her

"that's fine I'll be a little bit longer so don't rush" She says, I nod my head smiling and hop in the shower.

Once I've showered I brushy my hair and blow dry it straight before applying some light make up.

I step out the bathroom door and see Alex slipping into her dress, I can't help but admire her figure as she stands in front of the mirror.

"if you're going to stand there you can at least zip me up," Alex says snapping me out my daydream, I walk over to her a lightly push her hair out of the way before slowly zipping her up.

"thank you," She says in a quiet voice flashing me a small smile.

I just smile back and head to my wardrobe to get changed myself, I put on some nice dress trousers and a button io shirt before adding my watch and necklace too.

"Well don't you look handsome," Alex says coming up to me and straightening out my collar

"Only for you," I say winking at her which makes her blush again

"are you going to tell me where we're going," She asks as we head out our room and down to reception doing our best avoid any teammates

"It's a surprise Lex, you'll have to wait and see," I say smiling at the brunette

We head into reception and are about to leave the hotel when someone calls my name

"Miss O'Niel!" I turn around to see it's the same girl from reception coming towards us

"Is there a problem ma'am?" I ask confused ask why she's stopping me

"No not really but I'd thought you'd like to know there are a dozen or so reporters outside this hotel waiting for you to come out, so unless you want to be bombarded with questions you should probably follow me" She says making me and Alex look at her in shock

"are they even allowed to do that?" I ask as we follow behind her

"Unfortunately yes, the area outside our hotel isn't private property so as long as they stay there we can't do anything about it," She says apologetically

"well thank you for letting us know, they would've had a field day if we went out looking like this" Alex says

"it's quite alright, what they did to you the other day was completely wrong and everyone deserves privacy," She tells us smiling

"Here you go, just go left at the end of the street and you'll end up on the same road of the entrance. Take this so you can get back inside, I trust you not to give it to a random stranger" She says hanging us a key card

"thank you so much ma'am, really," I say gratefully

"it's no problem, now go have fun on your date," She says winking at us while walking away.

"ready Lex?" I ask taking hold of her hand.

"definitely" she replies smiling at me.

We make the short walk to the restaurant I've booked and keep our head down trying to avoid any paparazzi roaming the streets of France.

When we finally arrive I open the door for Alex and let her step in first.

"Bonjour! How can I help you today?" A guy says his French accent very heavy in his voice.

"Bonjour, J'ai une table réservée pour deux?" I ask

"Nom?" He asks rooting through his book

"O'Neil" I reply, he soon spots my name and looks up at me smiling.

"ah oui, suivez moi s'il vous plait" He smiles and walks off so I follow behind me

"I didn't know you knew french" Alex whispers to me.

"I got bored one day and decided to learn it" I whisper back.

"voici votre place madame, j'espère que vous passez une bonne nuit" He tells me kindly

"Merci Monsieur" I reply back pulling out the seat for Alex

"what did he say?" Alex ask me

"Just that he hopes we have a good night" I translate for her.

"I thought you would know this since you did spend a season with Lyon" I say

"doesn't mean I actually remember any of it, all I knew how to say was stuff on the pitch" She replies laughing

"well I'll have to be your translated then" I reply

"Anyone will be better than my last, he was a total creep," Alex says in disgust.

"anyways, how are you feeling?" She asks me

"a lot better thank you, as much as I hate the fact my criminal recorded is out to the public, I just have to own it now" I answer having come to terms with it a few days ago

"you know the reasoning behind it and they don't, so they have no right in judging you," Alex tells me.

"you guys have been amazing about it too, I was a little scared coming here because I knew some way or another my secrets would be spilt but I wasn't letting Jill down again," I say her

"I don't think anyone actually knows how you and Jill know each other" Alex questions me

"oh god," I say going about how the two of us first met

"you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Alex says quickly making me laugh a little.

"No it's fine Lex, it's just a complicated story" I reply smiling at her when she calms down a little

"Jill fostered me for a while actually, it was just before my last home and I must have been about 12 maybe at the time. I'd just been kicked out another house and sent back to the orphanage, I was sent to the market to buy the food for tonight's dinner and I was paying at the till but didn't have enough money with me, I tried asking the guy if he let me take it since I think it was only about $3 or something but he wasn't budging. Then Jill came over and handed the guy the extra cash I needed to pay and helped me pack it all up. She even carried it back to the orphanage with me leaving her car in the parking lot because I didn't want to get in it." I explain

"to be fair that does look very creepy to anyone," Alex says

" that's exactly wanted I thought! Anyways, she helped me carry it back home and made sure I got in okay, I thought that was the last time I'd see her but turns out it wasn't. She came by a week later and said she was fostering me. I couldn't believe it, someone had picked me instead of myself just getting handed over to anyone one." I answer thinking back to that day Jill came into the oranges with a huge smile on her face.

"that must have to be the sweetest thing Jill has ever done" Alex says as we laugh together.

"It honestly was, she had just fully adopted Lilly a year ago and was settling into her new job. I stayed with her for almost 3 years and I can honestly say it was the best years of my life. She actually treated me like her daughter, and I looked at her as a mother. She planned on adopting me and it was all going to go through but she lost her job so the court didn't think she was fit enough to care for me. Jill tried so hard to keep me and I know that now but luck has never been on my side so I was sent back" I explain fidgeting with my fingers

"I'm so sorry that happened to you, could Jill not have adopted you when she got another job," Alex asks me

"Well I got sent to that home next and you know the rest," I tell her not wanting to have to repeat that story again.

"so that's why you're so close with Jill and she has a motherly instinct over you because she was your mother," Alex says figuring out all the clues

"exactly, when I finally got out she still couldn't take me back just yet so I had to go to another home, they were the ones who found out I was gay and made me basically run away," I tell her

"that's awful, I thought my parents splitting up was bad" Alex says which makes me laugh

"it wasn't all bad, I finally found out what it was like to have loving family and I know how to treat my kids one day" I tell her smiling

"That's the most mature thing I've ever heard and your only 25 like I'm 30 and I'd still be mad," Alex says to me

"certain experiences make you realise what is important in life and what's just a minor inconvenience," I say probably giving too much away

"you sound like you're making about another experience there" Alex questions

"I am, and I do want to tell you Lex, trust me, but it's a part of my life only Jills knows and that's still only some of it." I say looking back down at my hands again

"Hey, listen to me" Alex says reaching down to grab my hands.

"Whatever you want to tell me will be only between us and I'll still see you as the badass Toni O'Neil you are" Alex says grinning at me.

"I don't think it's a story to tell over dinner, I want tonight to be special and not just remembered as when I told you my secrets because I like you, Alex, like a lot and that's rare for me, I rarely make friends with people let alone allow myself to open up to them the way I feel safe enough to do with you." I tell Alex honestly not being able to hold it in anymore.

"That good because was going to tell you tonight how I like you too, I know it's only been a week or so but I know you're different already, you bring out this side in me I haven't seen since I was a carefree teenager hanging with my friends. I don't want to rush into things especially under the circumstances we're in now, but I do want to give this a go, give us a go when the World Cup is over." Alex tells me and I can't help but grin widely at her.

"It looks like you read my mind then, I want us both to focus on the World Cup but that doesn't mean we aren't cuddling anymore, it seems to be my good luck charm," I say winking at her

"good because want going to let you stop even if you wanted to" She replies smirking herself.