prompt: you are shy and don’t talk much but ona batlle loves it when finally you do
word count: 1.9k
a/n:i am not all that happy with the way this turned out, it went in a completely different direction than what i had originally planned but i hope you guys enjoy it anyway. also can not believe that this is the first time i am writing about my favourite player <3
-
“What do you think (Y/N)?” Millie sits next to you, wrapping an arm around your shoulder in an attempt to force you to join the conversation that is occurring throughout the locker room.
You just shrug, ducking your head to avoid the stares of your teammates, not feeling comfortable with all the eyes that are now focused on you.
“I’m taking that as a vote for Dive” Millie proclaims triumphantly to the group.
“It only counts if she is coming out with us” Ella retorts, not wanting Millie’s restaurant choice to be the one that they have to go out to.
“Come on (Y/N), you have to come, it’s a team dinner” Millie explains, you can feel her eyes boring into your side even though you aren’t looking at her.
“Um yeah I’ll come” you speak quietly, your voice drowned out by Millie’s excited cheering as your vote is officially the one that allows her option to win.
You feel the attention that was just completely focused on you dissipate, likely due to it now being on Millie who is dancing around the room excitedly cheering.
You take the chance to look up again, as you do you are met with the sight of Ona still looking at you, a softness in her eyes. She notices you looking at her and sends you a small smile, you smile back but almost immediately you bow your head again feeling your cheeks heat up.
The next few minutes are spent quickly packing your training gear, hoping that you are not roped into any other situations that draw the team’s attention towards you.
Just as you are about to leave the locker room you feel a slight hold on your arm, it isn’t rough, in fact the colporate has very soft hands and the grip is in no way uncomfortable or hurtful to you.
You look towards the person who has a hold on your arm, again meeting the soft eyes of your Spanish teammate. Once you realise it is her you look down again, your vision now focused on her hand that is still wrapped around your wrist and the tingling of your skin from the goosebumps that her touch has given you.
Ona looks down to where you are looking, immediately removing her hand, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be weird, I just wanted to say that I am really excited that you agreed to come out to dinner with us, it will be a good time” she explains quickly.
“You weren’t being weird, don’t worry. Also um thank you? S-see you tonight then I guess?” you speak awkwardly, getting nervous in the middle of your sentence causing you to slightly stutter and speak in a confused tone which is not at all how you wanted to come across to your new teammate who you may or may not be crushing on.
“Yep, see you tonight (Y/N)” Ona speaks, her tone so carefree and confident. You wish you were able to be that comfortable speaking but to you any time there is an expectation or form of attention on you when you try to speak you completely shut down.
“See you then” you whisper, noticing as you speak that Ona has already left the room making you feel slightly dejected.
-
“(Y/N) you made it!” Millie yells as you walk into the restaurant not even allowing time for the hostess to speak to you. Instead she pulls you away from the hostess stand immediately. At first you assumed it would be to the table where the team are sitting but you instead end up standing at the bar with her as she orders the two of you shots.
“Take this” she hands you one of the four shots she ordered.
You do as she says hoping that you won’t regret trusting her later. As soon as you down the first shot she is handing you the second, looking at you expectantly waiting for you to take that one as well. You throw all caution to the wind taking that shot.
“How are you feeling?” Millie asks after the two shots, hoping that a little alcohol is all you will need to actually feel comfortable speaking to the team.
“Yeah fine, you aren’t expecting me to feel drowsy or anything, you didn’t spike them right?” a joking tone falling easily from your lips as you tease Millie.
“There is no way that all it took for you to banter with me was two shots” Millie exclaims in shock.
“Are you implying I’m easy Turner?” you ask, raising an eyebrow.
“OMG! I love this so much, come with me now, the rest of the team need to see this” she drags you towards the table where a number of your teammates are sitting. Your eyes caught Ona who is sitting at the end of the booth seating, furthest away from where you are standing with Millie.
“Okay guys I have something incredible to show you” Millie speaks loudly, catching the attention of everyone at the table, “Go ahead (Y/N), show them”
“I’m not a dog Millie, it’s not like you just taught me a new trick” you tease, laughter coming from around the table as well as some gasps.
“What did you do to her?” Mary asks, causing more laughter.
“Not too much, apparently after 2 shots, (Y/N/N) is down to banter” she explains.
“Okay is your show and tell over Millie? Can I take a seat now?” you give her an odd look, where one eyebrow is furrowed and the other is raised, it causes her to laugh loudly before she motions her hand towards the table, a sign that you are free to sit and socialise with the rest of your teammates.
Even though you so badly want to sit and talk with Ona, you instead decide to avoid that end of the table knowing that two shots are definitely not enough for you to confidently speak to the Spaniard you are crushing on. Instead you take a seat at the complete opposite side of the table.
You sit talking with Ella and Alessia, the two of them firing questions at you, quickfire style trying to find out as much as possible about you in case they don’t have the opportunity to speak to you like this again.
“Favourite colour?”
“Cerulean”
“Favourite movie?”
“Flightplan”
“Number of siblings?”
“Eight”
“Favourite animal?”
“Axolotl”
“If you weren’t playing football what would you do?”
“Work for NASA”
“Favourite Song?”
“La Copa de la Vida by Ricky Martin”
“(Y/N) in the best way possible you are so damn weird, I absolutely love it” Ella exclaims, herself and Alessia giggling at every single answer you have given them not expecting such random answers for everything.
“Why thank you” you laugh too, you know that your interests and favourite things are extremely random. You are just thankful that they genuinely seem to be laughing with you and not at you like many people had in the past.
You are brought out of your thoughts by Millie sitting next to her, you smile at her sweetly.
“I’m sorry if the teasing was too much before, I just thought it may be a fun way to break the ice and also I am a lightweight so those two shots definitely did enough for me” you explain.
“You don’t have to apologise at all (Y/N), all your jokes were hilarious and I am just happy that you are feeling comfortable enough to interact with us more. Although I know there is one person here who you want to interact with but you are too nervous too which is why I got you this” she holds out another shot, encouraging you to take it.
You take the shot quickly, “who do you think I am too nervous to interact with?” you challenge her, in your head you know you have been too scared to actually speak to Ona but she wouldn’t know that, right? Wrong.
“I’ve seen you longingly looking at Ona all night, she likes you too just go talk to her” Millie urges you to go and speak with Ona, knowing that there is little chance that you would actually do it on your own.
“No I’m alright, thanks anyway” you fake laugh off her comment hoping she accepts what you have said and leaves it alone. But of course this is Millie Turner you are talking about so there is no way that she will leave it alone, which she doesn’t.
Millie grabs your arm, just like Ona had early except her hands aren’t extremely soft like Ona’s are and her grasp doesn’t give you goosebumps like Ona’s does.
She drags you towards the end of the table where Ona is sitting having a conversation with Ivava, she lets go of your arm and pushes your shoulders down into the chair across the table from Ona.
“Hi” you speak to Ona through a sigh, looking back at Millie who is looking at you, she gives you two thumbs up and a goofy smile before walking away. Ivana also dips out of the conversation she was having with Ona. She turns to talk to another of your teammates, leaving just you and Ona to make conversation.
“Hey, I’m glad you could make it, are you enjoying the evening?” she asks, a look of genuine interest on her face. Her hands rest on her chin and she maintains sweet eye contact with you, proving that she is ready to intently listen to whatever you have to say.
“Yeah it has been good actually, I’m glad Millie made me come and that she gave me those shots, it has made things exponentially easier, especially this” you motion between the two of you in reference to the conversation that you are currently having.
“You think it would be hard to talk to me?” Ona asks, behind the question there is an air of disappointment. Obviously she is aware that you haven’t spoken to the team much before this unless it was on the pitch. She had some hope though that you could possibly feel comfortable talking to her more once you got more settled in but from your tone it seems to her that you are the least comfortable around her.
“Well I find it hard to talk to everyone but it is a lot harder to gain the courage to speak to beautiful girls” you immediately slap your hands over your mouth as soon as your sentence is complete.
“I m-meant ahhh look it it’s just-”
“I like it when you talk, a lot” Ona states, a small giggle escaping her lips as she speaks, finding your nervousness absolutely adorable.
“You mean that?” you ask in shock.
“Of course I do, I have been infatuated with you from the moment you walked into the locker room on your first day” Ona explains.
“Do you want to go on a date with me?” you blurt out, a sudden confidence coming over you.
“I would love to, also remind me to thank Millie for giving you alcohol, it is the smartest thing she has ever done”
“It’s the only smart thing she’s done in recent times that’s for sure” you joke, the comment causes you and Ona to crack up laughing as the rest of the table watches on knowing they have just experienced the beginning of an adorable love story.
Manchester United have announced today that, due to the demands of his new role as manager of the Austrian National Team, that Ralf Rangnick will no longer be staying on in a consultancy role following the appointment of Erik Ten Hag as his successor at Old Trafford.
