Six Hours Behind
London / New York — May 2024
Long distance became unbearable after Miami.
That was the problem.
Before, missing each other had felt exciting. Romantic even.
Now it just hurt.
Because now Leah knew exactly what waking up beside Elle felt like. Knew what her laugh sounded like across open water at midnight. Knew how peaceful life became when they existed in the same place for more than a weekend.
And suddenly FaceTime felt painfully insufficient.
"You're doing the thing again," Elle murmured through the screen.
Leah blinked from her spot in Arsenal's recovery room. "What thing?"
"The staring thing."
Leah smiled slightly despite herself.
"Sorry."
"You look tired."
"I'm fine."
Lie.
Both of them knew it instantly.
Rain hammered against the training ground windows while physios moved around somewhere behind Leah. Her hair sat messily tied back after training, hoodie sleeves pulled over her hands while ice wrapped around her knee.
Elle hated seeing that knee sometimes.
Not because of the injury itself.
Because of what it took from Leah mentally.
Especially after missing the World Cup the summer before.
"You've been limping again," Elle said quietly.
Leah looked down automatically.
Traitorous body language.
"It's just overload."
"Leah."
"I'm okay."
But she sounded tired saying it.
Emotionally tired.
The kind of exhaustion that settled deeper than sleep fixed.
New York sunlight streamed through Elle's apartment windows on the other side of the screen while she sat cross-legged on her sofa in gym clothes, coffee balanced beside her.
Different cities.
Different time zones.
Always missing each other slightly.
"You know what I hate?" Leah murmured suddenly.
"What?"
"That you're waking up while my day's ending."
The honesty in it made Elle's chest ache.
Because that was the worst part lately.
One of them was always leaving while the other stayed.
"You know what I hate?" Elle whispered softly.
Leah looked up.
"You hanging up."
Silence settled quietly between them.
God.
They missed each other so much now it physically sat beneath conversations.
Leah leaned her head back against the wall behind her and closed her eyes briefly.
"You should be here."
The words slipped out softly.
Honestly.
And instantly something painful twisted inside Elle's chest because Leah sounded so certain when she said it.
Like it wasn't even a question anymore.
"I know," Elle admitted quietly.
The physio room emptied slowly around Leah while evening settled grey outside London windows.
Eventually it was just her sitting there alone with FaceTime light glowing against tired eyes.
"You know Beth threatened me today?" Leah said suddenly.
Elle smiled faintly. "About?"
"She said if I keep looking miserable between your visits she's confiscating my passport."
That earned a real laugh at least.
Leah smiled immediately hearing it.
There it was again.
That feeling.
Like sunlight through clouds.
"You smiled," Elle noticed softly.
"Because you laughed."
The answer came too quickly.
Too honestly.
Neither looked away afterwards.
And suddenly the distance between London and New York felt unbearable again.
"I miss you," Leah admitted quietly.
Not dramatic.
Not flirtatious.
Just true.
Elle swallowed slightly.
Because no matter how many times Leah said it, it still sounded important.
"I miss you too."
Leah rubbed tiredly at her face before smiling weakly.
"No, like... stupid amounts."
That nearly broke Elle completely.
Because Leah Williamson — composed, careful, emotionally guarded Leah — now looked at her through a phone screen like missing her physically hurt.
And maybe it did.
"You know what's embarrassing?" Leah asked softly.
"What?"
"I keep reaching for you in my sleep."
Silence.
Real silence.
Because suddenly neither of them knew how to make this lighter anymore.
The love between them had become too big for jokes sometimes.
Elle looked down briefly before whispering—
"Come to New York."
Leah's expression shifted instantly.
Like she would.
Without hesitation.
"If I could right now," she admitted quietly, "I would."
The words settled heavily between them.
Then softer—
"England camp starts soon."
There it was.
Reality again.
Football.
England.
The thing Leah loved most before Elle arrived and complicated everything beautifully.
But also the thing that broke her heart twelve months earlier when she watched the World Cup from home instead of Australia.
Elle smiled gently despite the ache in her chest.
"You're going to have the best summer."
Leah laughed quietly under her breath.
"That's terrifying confidence."
"I'm serious."
Leah looked at her for a long moment through the screen.
Then softer—
"I just wish you were there for all of it."
The room fell quiet again.
Rain against London windows.
New York traffic somewhere far below Elle's apartment.
Six hours and an ocean between them.
Then Leah sat forward slightly like she'd made a decision.
"Actually..."
Elle looked up immediately.
Leah smiled faintly now.
"There is something."
"What?"
Leah rubbed lightly at the back of her neck — nervous habit.
Interesting.
Because Leah only got nervous when something mattered emotionally.
"Kiera's playing in the Champions League final later this month."
Elle blinked. "In Bilbao?"
Leah nodded once.
"And I was thinking..."
She hesitated briefly.
Then smiled softly.
"Meet me there."
Elle's heartbeat stumbled instantly.
"Leah—"
"I want you there."
Her voice had gone quieter now.
More vulnerable.
"I want you to meet people properly."
The meaning underneath the words settled heavily between them.
Not secret anymore.
Not separate from football.
Real life colliding fully now.
Leah looked down briefly before admitting softly—
"And I want you to meet Kiera."
Elle smiled immediately. "Your best friend?"
Leah nodded.
"She's important to me."
Then after a second, quieter—
"And so are you."
God.
That nearly undid Elle completely.
Because Leah still spoke about love like confessions. Like truths she carefully placed into someone else's hands.
"You want me in Spain?" Elle whispered softly.
Leah smiled helplessly.
"I want you everywhere lately. Spain's just the next option."
Elle laughed softly through the emotion suddenly climbing into her chest.
And somewhere between London rain and New York sunlight and a Champions League final waiting in Spain, both of them realised something terrifyingly certain:
they were already building a life around each other now.