Millie Bright

Summary: Y/n's on her period and having a hard time during training and Millie drives her home

Word count: 2.3k

..

Y/n shifted restlessly in bed, rolling over the tangled mess of pillows and blankets. Her stomach throbbed, the dull ache twisting deep in her lower abdomen, making sleep impossible.

It was 4:30 a.m., and she still had time before she needed to get up for training. Just a little more sleep–that's all she wanted. Enough to avoid dragging a headache around all day.

But her body had other plans. It was the second day of her period...the worst day! Cramps, back pain, mood swings, and of course, blood.

She hated training during her period. The ache in her stomach made everything uncomfortable; her back always felt stiff, and even the simplest drills felt ten times harder.

People always talked about "empowering your body" during your cycle, but Y/n couldn't bring herself to care about all that when she was the one bleeding out.

If someone asked her in an interview about playing football during her period, she'd say all the right things: "It's normal, it's natural, we push through". But actually being the one running around the pitch while her uterus staged a full-on rebellion? No thanks.

Y/n turned onto her right side, clutching her stomach tightly. The pain dulled a little, but her back started to ache. She sighed and flopped to her left instead, tucking a pillow between her legs and closing her eyes. It didn't fix everything, but it was better, warm and comforting, almost like when Millie hugged her.

She missed that. It had been a while since she and Millie spent proper time together. Chelsea's schedule had been relentless lately–training, physio, media duties–and now, with the season winding down, no one had time to even breathe.

Y/n and Millie had been dating for a few months now. When Y/n first joined Chelsea, Millie had been the one to show her around.

She made sure Y/n was comfortable, helped her settle in, and made things easier. Somewhere along the way, their friendship blurred into something more–coffee orders memorized, late-night phone calls, kisses stolen in quiet corners of the training ground.

But right now, they weren't speaking.

They'd had a fight–a stupid one–on Friday night, and Y/n had spent the whole weekend avoiding Millie. Well... Millie had tried to talk. Y/n was the one being stubborn.

Looking back now, the whole thing felt ridiculous. Y/n had snapped when she saw Millie hugging one of the girls from the team, they'd looked too close, too comfortable. Jealousy had flared, and with her emotions already heightened, she lashed out.

Millie had just been comforting a teammate who'd had a rough training session. Y/n knew that now, but at the time... well, blaming it on PMS sounded a lot better than admitting she'd been unreasonable.

Maybe it was time to apologize. But she wasn't going to text, she would wait until training.

..

The locker room was empty when Y/n walked in. She changed quietly, tugging on her training kit and pulling her hair into a ponytail. The sharp tug on her scalp made her wince, pain shooting down her temples.

She was pressing her hand to her stomach when the door creaked open. Erin walked in, her training jersey already damp with sweat and grass.

"Hey, Y/n!" Erin grinned. "How's it going? How was your weekend?"

"Horrible," Y/n mumbled, sitting down to pull on her boots. "I was... kind of a bitch to Millie, and then we had a fight. And now I've got cramps, so... yeah."

"Oh," Erin nodded knowingly. "That's why Millie's been walking around like a lost puppy."

Y/n's stomach twisted with guilt.

"Lucy asked me what happened, but I didn't know," Erin added. "But don't worry, baby–talk to her. I'm sure it'll be fine." She patted Y/n's back.

"Yeah," Y/n sighed. "I will."

Erin started toward the door but paused. "You coming?"

Y/n pressed her palm firmly to her stomach. "Cramps... just waiting for the medicine to kick in."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Erin said, her smile softening. "Maybe you could hit the gym instead of training today?"

"No, I need to be on the pitch," Y/n muttered. "Don't you remember the last game? That shot I took? It went flying over the goal... It was embarrassing."

Erin grinned. "Happens to the best of us."

"Yeah," Y/n snorted, "but you're annoyingly good at everything."

"That's because I am the best."

Erin ducked out the door just before Y/n's shin guard came flying her way.

Unfortunately, the smile didn't last long. Another wave of pain knotted her stomach sharply. She glanced at her watch–30 minutes late already. Erin had probably told Sonia she was in the changing room, but Y/n knew she couldn't put it off any longer.

She sucked it up and headed to the pitch.

Her teammates were already running drills; Y/n eyes quickly found Millie running, but she wasn't in her natural spot upfront, instead she was behind the other girls. Her eyes were focused on the floor as she ran, clear sadness on her face.

Yep, Y/n needed to apologize. Fast.

But not right now, Y/n had responsibilities to fulfil first, and that meant talking to the manager.

She saw Sonia standing in the middle of the pitch, scribbling notes on her clipboard alongside her assistant coaches. Y/n considered slipping straight into training, but she knew she owed an explanation to Sonia first of why she was late.

"Hey, Y/n!" Sonia was greeted warmly when she approached. "Everything okay? Erin said you weren't feeling well."

Y/n shifted on her feet. "Yeah... cramps."

Sonia's expression softened. "I'm sorry–feel free to sit this one out if you need. I know how tough it gets for you."

The good thing about being in a club that cares about your health? The best doctors, physios, and support staff were always available. The downside? Everyone knew way too much about your body.

Even the manager.

"No, it's alright– I'm sure I'll feel better soon," Y/n said, even though she wasn't actually sure about it. She just didn't want to feel like the odd one out.

What was the point of coming to training if she wasn't going to train?

"Just want to give you a heads up that my performance will be poor though," Y/n said with an awkward laugh, while fidgeting with the hem of her jersey.

"Don't worry about it, do your best." Sonia gave her an empathetic smile. "And take some water breaks, alright? Don't overwork yourself."

As Y/n jogged beside Millie, she kept sneaking glances at her. Y/n's chest tightened. What if Millie wasn't so quick to forgive her this time? What if she was tired of Y/n's moods?

"Hey," Y/n said softly, voice tight with nerves.

Millie turned her head, and to Y/n's surprise, she smiled– small, but genuine. "Hey," Millie said back.

Y/n exhaled, guilty in her voice. "I-I'm sorry for ignoring you the whole weekend and...well, for being kind of a bitch really."

"What got you so angry, huh?" Millie's teasing smile softened. "Spent the whole weekend thinking, what have I done to get on your nerves?"

Y/n felt even more guilty, even though Millie seemed to have forgiven her already. She always did. Millie was patient and understanding; two things Y/n was still learning.

"I got my period so...hormones," Y/n said. "I'm sorry about that, I know it's not an excuse."

"Oh, are you feeling okay?" Millie asked while cleaning sweat off her forehead. "How are your cramps this time?"

"Bad, very bad," Y/n said. "I was waiting to see if the pain would alleviate a bit with the medicine, but it didn't work."

The assistant coach blew the whistle twice, which meant everybody had to start running faster, so Millie and Y/n did so. Although Y/n's cramps were getting worse and worse.

"You should've called me," Millie said. "I would've come to your house, we would cuddle– you know medicine doesn't always work for you."

Millie was right. Y/n had such bad cramps that not even the strongest medicine could get rid of them, but she still tried to take them and hoped for the best every time.

"I know, I just didn't want to make a big deal out of it," Y/n mumbled, slightly out of breath.

"It's a big deal if you're in pain," Millie said gently.

Y/n smiled sweetly at Millie as they ran laps quietly, the drill becoming too intense for them to have a conversation.

As the team ran, Millie's eyes kept flicking toward Y/n. Every time Y/n pressed a hand to her stomach or slowed down for just a second, Millie noticed.

She shifted closer, gradually shortening the gap between them until her elbow brushed Y/n's arm.

"You sure you're okay?" Millie asked quietly, like she didn't want the other to overhear, since Y/n didn't like when others knew she was in any type of pain, even her teammates.

"I'm fine," Y/n muttered, trying to pick up her pace– but Millie stayed beside her, watching the girl carefully.

As if it were the bells of the angels themselves, the assistant coach blew the whistle, indicating the running drill was over, after an hour and a half of running, in between breaks, obviously, the girls were free to carry on with their day.

Now each player had their own schedule– the goalkeepers had their own training session, some girls had physiotherapy, others pilates, while Millie and Y/n, alongside some other players, had a gym session.

Y/n trudged in the direction of the gym, her head pounding and stomach still aching. She was halfway through peeling off her boot to change it into her sneaker when Millie pulled her shirt, catching Y/n's attention.

"I'm driving you home," Millie announced, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"I'm fine," Y/n protested.

Millie scoffed. "Yeah, sure," Millie snorted. "Because you're totally the type to clutch your stomach like that for fun."

"I've got gym," Y/n mumbled.

"Not anymore." Millie grabbed Y/n's bag, slinging it over her shoulder like it weighed nothing.

"C'mon," Millie added, her voice softer now. "I've already talked to Sonia– we've got the rest of the day off."

"I can–"

"You can barely stand up straight," Millie interrupted, her hand finding Y/n's elbows gently. "I saw you dragging your feet out there. And don't even think about arguing. You're pale and sweaty. You look like you haven't slept well in days.

"I always look sweaty after training," Y/n tried.

Millie arched an eyebrow. "Not like this." Her grip on Y/n's arm tightened slightly, trying to get the girl to stand up from the bench. "I'm serious, babe. Just let me take you home."

Y/n wanted to argue, but honestly, she didn't have the energy. Her stomach twisted again, and she grimaced, a frown on her face.

"See?" Millie's face softened immediately. "I knew it– you're miserable! With all the respect."

She shifted Y/n's bag higher on her shoulder. "You're getting on my sofa with a blanket, a hot water bottle, and we can watch whatever movie you want. Non-negotiable."

Y/n groaned at Millie but followed her until they were in the parking lot. Millie opened the door for her, and Y/n got in as Millie began driving.

Y/n was feeling more and more pain. The sharp tugged in her lower back was getting stronger, too. They didn't talk on their way to Millie's house. Instead, they were in a comfortable silence.

Millie gently placed her hand on Y/n's thigh as the girl lay her head against the windows, closing her eyes.

..

By the time they reached Millie's house, Y/n was practically dragging herself out of the car, but Millie was at her side in an instant, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Alright, no arguments," Millie muttered, her voice softer now. "You're going straight to the sofa."

"I can walk," Y/n grumbled, even as she leaned heavily against Millie.

"Yeah, yeah," Millie said teasingly. "You're walking, I'm just steering."

Once inside, Millie guided Y/n to the sofa and immediately began fussing–like Millie usually did–tossing blankets over Y/n and adjusting pillows and practically tucking her in like a kid.

"You comfy?" Millie asked, getting down on her knees in front of Y/n.

"Uhm," Y/n mumbled, eyes half-closed.

"You're a bad liar, baby," Millie muttered, kissing her forehead before disappearing into the kitchen.

Y/n let her eyes fall shut, barely registering the sounds of cupboards opening and closing. Soon enough, Millie was back, pressing a heating pad to Y/n's stomach and placing a glass of water on the table.

"Here," Millie murmured, coaxing Y/n into sitting up just enough to hand her some more painkillers. "Take these."

Y/n swallowed them obediently, letting her head fall back against the pillows with a groan.

"You want tea?" Millie asked. "Or soup? I can make soup–or maybe you want something sweet? Huh?"

"Millie–" Y/n's voice was barely above a whisper. "I just wanna sleep."

Millie chuckled softly. "Alright, alright." She tucked the blanket higher over Y/n's shoulders, then grabbed the remote. "But when you wake up, I'm making you eat something."

Y/n hummed in agreement, her breathing already slowing as the heating pad eased her pain away. Millie's presence was also comforting, making her relax.

Millie stayed close, sitting on the floor with her back against the couch. Every few minutes, she'd reach up and gently squeeze Y/n's calf–just enough to remind her she was there.

"You're such a good girlfriend," Y/n mumbled sleepily.

"Yeah?" Millie grinned, giving her leg one more squeeze. "Good. Now go to sleep, grumpy."

..

Notes: Hope u liked liked it!