Work Text:
One word. That was all it had taken for Gemma Jay to become completely obsessed with getting a reaction from Alice Chilton. The word? “Move.” Not that that really mattered. What mattered was the way Alice had barked it as she looked straight through her. Like Gemma didn’t matter at all. Maybe it got under her skin because everyone else at Arsenal was so excited to have the ‘striker prodigy’ there and Alice’s reaction struck a nerve. Or maybe it stirred something in her competitive nature. Whatever it was, from that point on all Gemma wanted was for Alice to pay attention to her. For Alice to look at her and not through her.
Cocky as hell and full of more natural talent -thanks to her dad’s DNA- than most people could ever dream of, Gemma had been convinced getting Alice to pay attention to her wouldn’t be that hard. At first, she had tried the obvious things, like bumping into Alice in the locker room and when that didn’t work bumping into Alice in the locker room when she was only in a towel. The first time she had been ignored completely, but the second time? Alice had caught her by the elbow and told her to stop being so clumsy. The buzz she had gotten from the skin on skin contact had been enough to spur Gemma on to try even harder.
At training Gemma often found herself distracted by Alice. She moved with so much grace, controlling the ball like it was attached by a string to her foot. Despite being only twenty-two Alice carried herself with so much authority. It was sexy as hell and sometimes all Gemma could think about was if that authority was present in all parts of Alice’s life. One day she had been so focused on the way Alice’s thigh muscles moved while she ran that she had mistimed her pacing and when the ball from Alice had come her way, she had not been in the right position to complete the set piece. Embarrassed, she had quickly gone to apologise when she noticed something that had stopped her in her tracks. Alice had been glaring straight at her, her jaw clenched and her eyes filled with anger. She hadn’t said a word but, for a moment, Gemma had her full attention.
The training session moved on, but Gemma didn’t. At the next training session, she mishit a ball on purpose. The following one, she ‘accidentally’ tackled Alice even though they were on the same team. She just couldn’t help herself. She loved to watch as Alice tried to hold back her anger, the way she’d tense up and her breath would come out staggered while she glowered at Gemma. It was sick how exhilarating she found it.
Then, it happened.
Gemma didn’t even mean it this time. She simply hadn’t been quick enough to reach the through ball Alice had played for her.
“Oh my god,” Alice snapped, “you lazy fucking cow.”
Gemma was pretty sure she wasn’t meant to find being compared to a farmyard animal thrilling, but she hadn’t been able to believe she was finally getting what she wanted. Alice Chilton’s undivided attention.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” Gemma tried not to smirk as she watched Alice unfurl in her anger. She wasn’t moving with grace anymore, instead she almost tripped over herself as she stormed across the field.
“You heard me,” Alice spat, her hands gesturing wildly towards Gemma. “You’re a lazy cow and I’m tired of you ruining good plays because you won’t do the work.”
Gemma gaze flickered ever so briefly to the rise and fall of Alice’s chest, her breathing hard and ragged. Then she had looked back up into Alice’s eyes, the ones that now looked right at her. She’d never seen Alice so raw and unguarded. She wished she could keep her that way.
The coach had blown the whistle then and the eye contact ended as Alice turned her back on Gemma. Something had shifted though. Gemma smiled to herself, thrilled with the discovery that she had the power to unravel Alice Chilton.
Years had passed since Gemma and Alice had played for Arsenal and somehow everything and nothing had changed. It had taken Gemma a few weeks of being at Richmond for her to realise that despite it all, she still craved Alice’s attention in a way that probably wasn’t healthy. Alice was different to how she remembered her. That edge to her was sharper than ever, but she was more vulnerable too. Alice had hurt Gemma, but football had broken Alice. Gemma could see that clearly in a way she didn’t think anyone else at Richmond could.
Against all instincts for self-preservation, Gemma decided she needed to stoke the fire in Alice and bring it back out. That ‘once bitten, twice shy’ adage apparently didn’t apply to Gemma. Or more accurately didn’t apply to Gemma when it came to Alice.
“Was it hard to find me?” Gemma asked as she leant against the open door of the coaches’ office. She had been on her way out when she had seen that Alice was alone and, well, she didn’t want her to be. Alice looked like she spent too much time alone.
“What?” Alice turned to her with a frown, visibly confused by Gemma’s question and probably also by her presence.
“I just didn’t think searching lazy cow would be enough to find out where I played football or where I studied.”
Alice rolled her eyes but Gemma couldn’t help but notice that her ears turned a faint shade of pink.
“It’s my job as a football coach to keep track of potential talent,” Alice shrugged and turned her attention back to the paperwork she had been working on before Gemma walked in. Gemma knew she was meant to take that as the sign that the conversation is over. But that is exactly the kind of sign she preferred to ignore.
“ ‘Potential talent’ might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” Gemma said as she walked further into the room. Alice straightened her shoulders, yet did not turn back towards Gemma.
“Depends on if you waste it or not.”
Ouch. Gemma felt her eyes burn at the implied jab. Apparently, a calm, dismissive Alice could be just as devastating as an angry, fired up Alice. It would have been easy to leave, instead Gemma took a deep, calming breath and pressed on. She would not let Alice win the first round.
“I know your secret,” Gemma positioned herself right next to Alice's desk and finally Alice turned back to face her. She smiled to herself at her obvious irritation.
“I don’t have a secret.”
“Ted told me- ”
“Coach Lasso,” Alice corrected her, her eyes narrowing. “He told you what?”
“That I was your whole list,” Gemma didn’t even attempt to temper down her smugness. Alice almost dropped her papers and for a moment Gemma thought she had finally made her speechless.
“Well,” Alice stuttered before she steadied herself and met Gemma’s eye with the hint of a smirk. “That’s because the other top strikers I know didn’t quit and are earning more than we could afford to pay them.”
It’s meant to sting. Except all Gemma heard was two words.
“Ha! I knew it you think I’m a top striker.” The smirk dropped off Alice’s face as Gemma bounced in front of her in excitement. “Do you see me more as a Sam Kerr or a Bunny Shaw?”
“That’s not what I meant,” Alice tried to explain, though her shoulders slumped in defeat. Gemma just smiled more brightly. Pleased both with the reaction and the unintended praise.
“You think I’m better than Kerr and Bunny? Wow Alice, thank you!” Gemma voice was sickly sweet as she mockingly placed both hands over her heart.
“It’s Coach Chilton,” Alice corrected in an obvious attempt to get back some control of the conversation. It was adorable really, the way she still thought she might have some control.
“I know what your job is, Alice,” Gemma said slowly, like she was talking to a small child. “And I’m Top Striker Gemma Jay.”
She laughed at the wonderfully indignant expression Alice was wearing and with a wink in her direction she backed out of the room. It was the most alive Gemma had felt in years.
“You’re so-” Alice started to call after her, but Gemma cut her off with a wave.
“See you on the pitch, Alice!”
Sometime during Alice’s suspension, Gemma had realised that she might just be falling in love with her. At first, she thought she just missed teasing her and the rush she got when Alice yelled at her, years of pent-up frustration creating a tension between the two that was so thick everyone on the team had picked up on it. The truth was she had just missed her. She missed the way she sometimes caught Alice smiling at her. She missed her deadpan sense of humour and the way it confused Coach Lasso. Then New Year’s Eve had happened and Gemma had felt the way Alice looked at her in her dress. Those eyes had swept over her in a way that had made Gemma blush and when they stood on the deck of the ship, both letting go of the hurt of the past, Gemma had been so sure that Alice wanted her the same way Gemma wanted Alice. Unfortunately, things had not panned out the way she wanted and the night had not ended with Alice’s head between her thighs.
A slight complication had popped up in the form of Alice’s girlfriend. Camille. Alice had told her about Camille in typical Alice fashion, sharing the piece of personal information like she was under threat of having her teeth pulled if she didn’t. She had clearly told Gemma in an attempt at being more open and Gemma had done her best to disguise the way her heart dropped at the news.
Despite that, Gemma continued to tease Alice every time an opportunity presented itself. She lived for the moments they had alone, unable to stop thinking about the way Alice’s eyes had burned into her body when she thought no one was looking. A better person might have taken a step back, but Gemma couldn’t help herself. She wondered if Camille could get Alice worked up the way she could. It was stupid. Being jealous of someone she had no right to be jealous of and she wasn’t about to put Alice in a situation where she would cheat, but she could make sure that she stayed on Alice’s mind.
On a Thursday she found Alice once again alone in the coaches’ office- she had worked out a week ago that Coach Beard and Coach Lasso had dinner with Henry on Thursdays.
“I liked you in training today,” she said as she entered the room and sat on the edge of Alice’s desk.
“Thank you?” Alice quirked an eyebrow at her, perplexed, as she moved her work over so that Gemma could make herself more comfortable on the desk. Gemma liked to sit on the desk in such a way that the picture of Alice and Camille was no longer visible to Alice.
“Saying yes to things suits you,” Gemma smiled, nudging Alice’s arm with her knee.
“I thought you liked me being an asshole?” Alice asked, teasing. Her eyes were brighter now than they had been months ago.
“Actually, I said that I liked you even when you were being an asshole.”
Alice laughed and Gemma joined her. That was something they did now. It was almost more thrilling than driving Alice insane.
Almost.
Gemma looked down at the play Alice had been working on and frowned at where her name was positioned. She grabbed the pen that had been next to her on the desk and scribbled out her name before writing it again where she thought it should be. Front and centre. Alice tried to stop her, swatting at the back of her hand and trying to pinch the paper off her. This just made Gemma more determined to make the changes. She rather liked Alice grabbing at her.
“You’re the one being a bit of an asshole right now, Gemma,” Alice poked her in the side, using the moment where she squealed to steal the paper back.
“Just wanted to see if you liked it when I’m a bit of an asshole,” Gemma shrugged and when Alice blushed she bopped her adorable nose .
“I think you do.”
“Shut up,” Alice grumbled though she didn't deny it. A warmth had settled between them that made Gemma forget all about Alice’s girlfriend. She couldn’t help but think it might have made Alice forget her too.
Gemma wouldn’t go so far as to say that she would have deliberately injured her knee if she had known it would get Alice to spend more time with her, but she won’t deny that it’s worked wonderfully on that front. The pain had been a total bitch, but Alice’s hands on her waist, holding her steady in the rehab sessions had made it easier though.
There had also been something else that had made everything more bearable. So often growing up, Gemma had been caught in moments where her mother’s inability to read social cues led to embarrassment. But then her mother had cornered Alice after she had dropped Gemma home from a rehab session and asked to hear all about her life and Gemma had realised a lack of social awareness could be a very good thing. Because it was during that very awkward, incredibly stilted conversation that Gemma got the very best news. Alice was single again.
Every interaction they had had since that conversation was filled with a new kind of tension. Gemma was determined she would not be the one that crossed the line, even as it started to feel rather inevitable. Alice needed to be the one to make the first move.
Gemma said goodbye to her physiotherapist before she looked down at Alice who had knelt down to help get her trainers on. It was something Gemma could have done for herself, but Alice always mumbled something about keeping the knee stable so she happily let her. She could tell that Alice liked to have an excuse to touch her, not that she needed one.
“You sure do like getting on your knees for me,” Gemma smirked as Alice’s eyebrows shot up and her face drained of colour. God, Alice made it so easy.
“Fucking hell, Gemma,” Alice groaned, her hands fumbling as they tried to tie the laces of Gemma’s left trainer.
“Sorry, I just thought after all the surgeries you’d be more of a pillow princess,” Gemma teased and was rewarded with the sharp intake of Alice’s breath as her hand flexed around her ankle.
“I’m choosing to actively ignore you now,” Alice said after she had collected herself, the blush that lingered on her neck told a different story. Gemma knew Alice couldn’t ignore her. It had been years since she’d been able to.
Alice finished tying up her other trainer and then stood up, staying close even though there was no longer a need to. She had been so attentive since the injury. A large part of that had clearly been driven by a need to be the person for Gemma that Alice had not had during her own injuries. But her hands would linger on Gemma longer than was necessary at every appointment and every time she looked her way, Alice would be gazing at her with a gentleness that Gemma hadn’t realised Alice possessed.
“Thank you, by the way,” Gemma said sincerely.
“For what? Helping you with your trainers?” Alice asked with a laugh.
“No, I mean yes,” she reached out and took hold of one of Alice’s hands. “But also, for well everything.”
“Oh,” Alice replied softly and her lips quirked up into that tiny smile that made Gemma’s heart beat faster. “You’re welcome, it’s what I’m here for.”
For a moment they just stared at each other, the tension that lingered around them now felt particularly thick. It could have been the moment if they weren’t still in a physiotherapist’s office. Gemma coughed and pointed at her crutches, breaking the moment. Alice blinked herself back to reality before she clumsily hurried to pass Gemma her crutches.
“If you’re taking requests, I think next time you beg me to stay you should be on your knees now that we’ve established you like that,” Gemma said, her tone light and playful, mostly to stop the silence from becoming awkward. Alice’s shoulders relaxed as she huffed out a laugh and then moved to open the door so Gemma could go through first. Such a gentlewoman.
“There will be no more begging.”
“So, you admit it. You did beg?” Gemma asked, jumping at the opportunity to needle Alice who sighed dramatically.
“Stop treating me like a hostile witness,” Alice whined as they walked towards the exit of the building. Gemma grinned broadly at her. She loved when Alice’s voice got all pitchy.
“Stop being a hostile witness.”
“I could leave you know,” Alice threatened as they paused at the steps of the building. “I could make you get the tube home on your crutches.”
A few months ago, Gemma would have taken the threat seriously. She might have missed the glint of playfulness in Alice’s eyes. It might not have even been there to begin with.
“No, you like me too much to leave me here.”
Alice didn't argue the point, instead she slipped an arm around Gemma’s waist to help guide her down the stairs. There had been a ramp at the other exit to the building but Gemma had neglected to mention that to Alice. She felt bold in that moment, with Alice’s arm holding her close.
“Plus, now that you’re single you have nothing better to do.”
It was meant to be a way to get closer but Alice stiffened and as soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, she dropped her arm from around Gemma’s waist.
“Right.”
“Sorry,” Gemma said quickly, she clearly shouldn’t have pushed. “Was that too personal?”
“No,” Alice shook her head and offered a half smile in reassurance. “I just didn’t think you’d want to talk about my ex.”
“I don’t,” Gemma said bluntly. She had no interest in talking about Camille. She wanted to talk about Alice. “I do, however, want to know if you’re doing ok. I know you told my mum it had been coming for a while but break ups suck. I also cannot believe you told my mother before you told me.”
Alice rolled her eyes affectionately at the mention of the conversation with Gemma’s mother.
“Well Bunny asked about my life and at the time that included Camille. You, however, knew about Camille and you never once asked about her.” Alice’s tone had been teasing but something in the way she looked at Gemma made it clear she understood at least on some level why Gemma never asked about Camille.
“And to answer your question, I’m ok. Promise. It’s new still, but I did mean what I told your mum it had been coming for a while.”
They studied each other for a moment. Gemma wanted to delve into why Alice’s break up had been coming for a while. Wanted to poke her about it until Alice had to shut her up with a kiss. But it wasn’t the moment. Not outside a hospital while Gemma’s pain killers had stopped working and her knee screamed at her. Thankfully, she spotted Alice’s car just ahead.
“Good,” Gemma nodded, smiling. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
Alice smiled too before she moved to open the passenger door to her car. The silence had felt nice, but Gemma didn’t want the conversation to end on the thought of Alice’s ex.
“Now that I’ve asked about you, I can be the centre of attention again.”
Alice laughed affectionately and held out a hand for Gemma to take so she could be guided into the seat.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Alice smiled at her so fondly that it had taken all of Gemma’s self-restraint to not grab the collar of her jacket and pull her in for a kiss.
As they had driven away she wondered if maybe she should have. The rules she had set out for this had started to feel pointless.
It would be incredibly cliché for Gemma to have said that losing Mae had put things into perspective for her, but she supposed things were cliché for a reason. Ted had broken the news after they had all taken their place on the team bus after their locker room celebration. She’d been sitting next to Alice and all she had been thinking about was that she wanted so badly to kiss her silly grinning face. Then the elation gave way to grief and without saying a word Alice had wrapped her arms around her, pulling her in close. The bus seats had made it a little awkward but she had felt so safe, so loved in Alice’s arms that she had known that she was in love in a way she had never been before.
After the funeral the team had decided to go out for a few drinks to celebrate Mae’s legacy and for once Alice had agreed to join them. Since they’d arrived at the bar that Boots and Lizzie had chosen-one that they had promised would allow for dancing but that wouldn’t be too wild so it would still be a respectful post funeral location- Gemma had once again felt Alice’s eyes on her. They followed her everywhere. It had her intoxicated in a way that had nothing to do with the alcohol.
Gemma realised this might not be what some would consider the right time, but life was unpredictable and she was simply done not having Alice the way they both wanted. With the confidence she had had when they had first met, Gemma downed her drink, placed it back on the table and zeroed in on Alice whose gaze remained on her.
“Shannon said you can dance,” Gemma said as she reached Alice at the edge of the dance floor.
“You really know how to start a conversation,” Alice raised an eyebrow at her, amused.
“I just don’t think I believe it,” Gemma shrugged.
“Why?” Alice asked, looking mildly offended.
“In all the years I’ve known you I’ve never seen you dance. If you were good at it, you’d have shown off.”
That wasn’t really the truth. Alice had never been one to show off. That was more a Gemma speciality.
“Actually, I didn’t say I was good. I believe I told Shannon I was brilliant,” Alice smiled smugly at her and Gemma snorted. She really had fallen in love with a dork. The alcohol had clearly upped Alice’s confidence levels and Gemma planned to use that fully to her advantage.
“Well that I really don’t believe,” Gemma said dismissively, completely tickled by how offended Alice looked.
“Trust me you would be wowed by my dancing skills if I wanted you to see them,” Alice glared playfully.
“Show me then,” Gemma quirked an eyebrow at her, challenging her.
“Now?” Alice asked, looking around like a dance floor at a bar was an absurd place to be asked to dance.
“Yes now.”
“Gemma, we are at drinks to honour Mae and you want me to…bust a move?” Alice looked borderline scandalised and Gemma had never found someone so endearing before.
“Bust a move?” She asked through her giggles. Alice slumped forward in embarrassment, her head landing on Gemma’s shoulder. Gemma felt the heat rise to her cheeks and she wondered if from that angle Alice could see down her top. She hoped so. It might speed this up a bit.
“Shut up,” Alice mumbled as she pulled away.
“Alice, everyone else is dancing,” Gemma gestured towards the rest of the team on the dance floor. “It’s a shame you want to be a chicken about it, Mae would be so disappointed.”
It had been a low blow and Gemma hadn’t wanted to pull that card but, Alice had left her no choice.
“I-ok fine. For Mae.”
Alice closed her eyes for a beat than turned to Gemma with grin. The kind of grin Gemma last remembered seeing on New Year’s Eve. “But I need someone to dance with so you’re coming with me.”
She’s dragged onto the dance floor and into Alice’s arms before she can blink. Not that she would have protested. Alice hand on the small of her back pulled her in closer, making Gemma's breath hitch. There’s that authority she loves so much. She’s spun out and in again over and over with a grace that reminds her of the Alice she knew at Arsenal. She’s held close with a look of adoration that is entirely that of the Alice that had been made by Richmond. Her Alice. She blushed at the thought as her fingers toyed with the hair at the nape of Alice’s neck. Her skin felt so soft there and Alice shivered at her touch. Gemma's whole body hummed and she desperately wanted to skip to the part of the night where she would find out just how responsive Alice is to her hands.
“Do you want to pop outside?” She asked as they stopped spinning and swayed in each other’s arms. The room felt hot now and Gemma didn't want to do this next part here. Not with the team so close by.
“I could use a breather, yeah.”
Reluctantly Gemma stepped out of Alice’s arms and led them over to the outdoor balcony. Thankfully, it's empty.
“You know I keep thinking about the first time I met you,” Gemma confessed as she turned towards Alice. “All I wanted was for you to look at me. To actually see me.”
Alice looked at her, really looked at her and moved to cup her cheeks. Gemma leaned into the touch, swaying slightly. The power this woman had over her should be studied.
“I see you,” Alice whispered, her eyes searched Gemma’s as her thumb moved along Gemma’s cheekbone to her jaw, smoothing over her jawline until it landed on her bottom lip. “I’m sorry that I didn’t back then. I’m sorry for a lot of things that happened back then.”
Gemma had never been looked at so intensely before. It’s everything.
“I don’t need anymore apologies,” Gemma leaned into Alice’s touch, watched as Alice’s eyes slipped shut and then pulled back with a smirk.
“I do need you to stop being a lazy cow though.”
Alice’s eyes snapped open as did her mouth.
“I-what-Gemma?”
The sputtering would be adorable if Gemma didn’t feel a desperate need to prove a point.
“Stop being passive and make a goddamn move already. Honestly I’ve done all the work to get us here and-“
Finally. Gemma closed her eyes as Alice captured her lips in a bruising kiss. She pulled at the collar of the shirt Alice was wearing to bring her in closer as long arms wrap around her waist. She doesn’t know who moved to deepen the kiss but suddenly she’d been lifted up to sit on the half wall of the balcony, Alice positioned between her thighs.
Alice pulled back slightly and gazed at her with the smuggest look Gemma had ever seen.
“Would a lazy cow do that?”
Later, Gemma would punish Alice for choosing that moment to be a brat. Not that Alice took being tied up while Gemma did whatever she wanted to her as punishment.
In the moment though, Gemma tightened her thighs around Alice’s hips and pulled her back in for another kiss. She had Alice Chilton’s undivided attention and she wasn’t going to give that up.