Soft Launches & Sundays
St. Albans — October 2024
The problem with dating someone famous was the internet noticed everything.
The problem with dating Leah Williamson specifically was that people noticed things before Leah even noticed them herself.
Like now.
Elle sat cross-legged on Leah's sofa scrolling through TikTok while Arsenal played quietly in the background.
"Leah."
"Hm?"
"You're trending again."
Leah groaned immediately from the kitchen.
"What now?"
Elle turned the screen toward her as she walked back in carrying tea.
A fan edit.
Of course.
Clips from the Chelsea game. Them arriving at The Londoner. Grainy paparazzi photos outside the spa.
And unfortunately—
one very clear photo of Leah holding Elle's hand while staring at her like she personally invented happiness.
The comments were worse.
Leah Williamson has never looked this gone before.
No because the BODY LANGUAGE.
The jealousy at the spa was CRAZY.
I just know that American girl has Leah wrapped around her finger.
Leah sat down slowly beside her.
"That feels invasive."
"You hard launched accidentally six months ago," Elle reminded her.
"Against my will."
"Sure."
Leah rolled her eyes but couldn't quite hide the smile tugging at her mouth.
Because honestly?
A year ago this level of visibility would've terrified her.
Now it mostly just felt strange.
Like the internet somehow witnessed parts of her life she still thought belonged only to them.
Elle kept scrolling before suddenly freezing.
"Oh my God."
"What?"
Elle physically covered her face laughing.
"What?"
She turned the screen toward Leah.
A slowed-down video from outside the spa hotel entrance.
Leah stepping out of the car first before instinctively reaching back for Elle's hand.
Tiny moment.
Barely noticeable.
Except Leah looked at her afterward with so much unconscious softness it almost hurt to watch.
Leah stared at the screen for a second too long.
Then quietly—
"Oh."
There it was.
That expression again.
The one everyone kept talking about.
Like loving Elle had softened every hard edge inside her without Leah even realising.
"You look very in love," Elle murmured softly.
Leah looked away immediately.
"Rude."
"True though."
Leah laughed quietly under her breath before leaning back against the sofa.
Rain tapped softly against the flat windows while North London darkened outside.
"You know what's weird?" Leah murmured eventually.
"What?"
"I spent years being careful."
Her voice stayed thoughtful now.
"Careful with football. Careful with media. Careful with relationships."
Elle listened quietly.
"And now apparently I just look at you like that in public without noticing."
God.
The honesty in it made Elle's chest ache slightly.
Because maybe that was the biggest change of all.
Leah stopped performing control around love.
Now she just felt it.
Openly.
Instinctively.
Leah looked toward her again after a long pause.
Then softer—
"Does it scare you?"
Elle frowned slightly. "What?"
"The attention."
The question mattered more than the words themselves.
Because underneath it sat something older:
Are you still going to stay when this gets difficult?
Elle reached across the sofa slowly, fingers brushing against Leah's wrist.
"No."
Leah searched her face carefully.
"Really?"
Elle smiled softly.
"I think loving you publicly might actually be the least scary part."
Silence settled warmly between them after that.
Rain tapped softly against the windows while London glowed outside and Leah's flat felt impossibly calm around them.
Ordinary.
Peaceful.
Home.
Then suddenly Elle grinned.
"What?"
"I just remembered your jealous spa meltdown."
Leah looked deeply offended.
"I was protecting the relationship."
"You accused a massage therapist of emotional misconduct."
"He was flirting with you."
"He offered me lavender oil, Leah."
"Suspicious behaviour."
Elle burst out laughing properly then, falling sideways against Leah's shoulder.
And God.
There it was again.
That overwhelming warmth in Leah's chest that no longer frightened her.
Not anymore.
Leah wrapped an arm automatically around her waist, smiling softly into her hair while TikTok edits continued exploding across the internet unnoticed beside them.
Because for the first time in her life, being loved didn't feel temporary.
Now it just felt inevitable.