Chapter Text
Again. Gavi pursed his lips.
Again. And yet, all he could do was act like a puppy and forgive Pedri instantly. Running back to him as soon as he was given a chance. He knew Pedri was kind, he knew Pedri was understanding, he knew Pedri was easy-going, and so he found himself stupidly mesmerised whenever he even got the opportunity to be with his friend again. Gavi knew he was childish and he knew that if anything, Pedri was spoiling him like everyone else but – Pedri was something different, and no matter how bad Gavi hated a situation like this, he could never hate Pedri, only his very own heart, beating in his ribcage and grappling onto every weakness. But again, Gavi was left by the curb like an abandoned dog, but at least this time he actually had somewhat of a backup. That old man would probably agree if he was still here, Gavi had to take his bets. After all, contacting a “trusted adult” wasn’t a bad idea.
Me 19:27
r u still here? Can I hitch a ride w you? sorry 😣
Gavi knew he wasn’t a patient person, but when it was something like this, he kind of needed an instant reply. So he texted again.
Me19:28
hello? Pls text back asap
He stared at his phone screen. The silence was painful, he blinked. The man wasn’t even online, he didn’t even have a chance this way. Sure he could call Ferran or Fermin, not like either of them would mind after laughing at him for it. Fuck it, no matter how big of a brat this made him look like, he was going to do it. The thought of taking an Uber or asking other teammates who he knew way better didn’t even cross his mind, come on, give him a break. He clicked the number from WhatsApp, breathing lightly as he pressed call.
Viejo ://
Calling Mobile…
The light buzzing from his silenced phone was somehow much more irritating than a ringtone — it really made him realise how long this was taking, and how little hope he had. This meant he just had to accept the annoying feeling of defeat, of having to be alone with no other options…
00:00
The appearing numbers invoked a bigger reaction than he had liked.
00:02
“Gabi? Hello? What’s up?” The man’s low but soft voice rang as Gavi quickly brought his phone to his ear. He seemed to be in his car from all that muffled echoing, Gavi really had to test his luck, “Um, are you still here? Can I hitch a ride?” He could feel the slight awkwardness in his own voice, he knew he had to slow things down, but the more he did, the more he realised how childishly nervous he really sounded. The way he had to enunciate every syllable dragged the sentence out longer than it should’ve ever been, not to mention how the other man had to try to respond in Spanish — After all, Gavi was way too tired to learn English.
“Oh, uh, yes, Frenkie is also here, do you mind having dinner together?” Robert replied, his voice in the same low, soft tone that Gavi had slowly gotten used to. But that mention of the Dutchman struck something in his head…
”Who’s that?“ At the mention of his name, Gavi could hear the blonde on the other end speak in his accented English. Although it was clear he was away from the speaker, the volume of his voice was low on its own as well, Gavi couldn’t help but pick up every single syllable. “Oh, it’s Gavi.” He heard Robert turn to respond to Frenkie, who seemingly makes an acknowledging “Ah.” sound. Of course. Frenkie. One of the best midfielders in Europe. One of the best in the team that he constantly looked up to. He wasn’t stupid, he knew that Robert and Frenkie were the closest, but it was somehow still annoying when he had to face the truth. Why was he always encountering situations like this? Hell, he couldn’t even catch a ride without having to face the sad truth that he kept being second to someone? Regardless, he had to respond. “Oh yeah, I don’t mind, if it’s not a problem for Frenkie.” He spoke again, and he hated the fact that slowing down his words meant he had to painfully contemplate his emotions — he didn’t even know why, it was literally just hitching a ride with his teammate he barely knew, there was nothing to be sad about.
Robert, as he always was, seemed to carry a smile in his voice, “Alright, come to the main driveway, I’ll meet you there.” Then, he hung up. Whatever, don’t think about it. He slipped his phone into his back pocket and walked back into the training grounds, waiting for an elevator to bring him straight to where he needed to be. There was no reason for him to be this thrown off about a teammate he’s known longer than Robert, and yet, here he was, so hesitant. It’s normal, he told himself, he’s just not close with Frenkie, he’s scared that the dinner will be awkward because he didn’t know what language to speak with these two. Spanish? He knew Frenkie spoke good Spanish, Robert… would he be able to hold a good conversation? Oh well, it’ll work out somehow, Robert will sort it out, he caught himself thinking.
Bored and admittedly a little bothered, he ruffled his own hair, scrunching his nose at the smell of sweat, and sprayed a few pumps of deodorant, scrambling it some more with his towel. Sure, it was somewhat clean now, but now his hair was a complete mess. The hazel coloured strands were sticking up in ways just playful enough to be played off as being cute, and he couldn’t really bother to fix it any further.
When the same Porsche from last week pulled up in front of him, he couldn’t help but feel that extra thing tingle in his chest – especially because of the cheery blonde sitting in the passenger seat. His blonde hair was well-groomed and somehow always so exuberant as usual, sitting nicely and accentuating his pale skin and clear blue eyes. There was always something so infectious about the way Frenkie smiled or laughed, his lips spread into a wide grin, showing his teeth. It would look odd on anyone else, but all it did was make Frenkie ever so slightly more attractive. It was the way his blush gathered around his cheeks, it was his glittering eyes, it was… everything. Gavi doesn’t meet his eye, subconsciously gulping down the feeling of hiding his own hair or the need of practising his smile in front of a mirror.
Of course, he’d rather not think too deeply about the reason for this feeling. Without a word, he tossed his drawstring bag into the far end of the back seat before sliding into the car. Frenkie didn’t seem to pick up on much, and continued to speak to Robert with that accented English of his. The blonde man turned around to smile at him, “Gabi, thought you were with Pedri, you always are, no?” He spoke to Gavi in Spanish, and somehow, that caught him a little off guard. Robert didn’t turn around after nodding to acknowledge him, so a conversation with the Dutchman was his best bet.
“Ahh, no, he left early today.” He liked speaking in Spanish, and Frenkie always made it more convenient for him, but at this very moment, all he could feel was the syllables jumbled and tumbling in his mouth. He could see Robert’s cool blue eyes in the rear view mirror, but they were not turning to look at him, and something in his stomach twisted in irritation. He was the golden boy, he grew up with everyone’s love, everyone’s congratulations, with everyone’s eyes on him. What made those blue eyes so different? Frenkie’s voice snapped him out of it, “Really? That’s a first, isn’t it, I’ve never seen you go home on your own, but maybe its time for a licence.” The smile in his voice was apparent, and it warranted a chuckle from Robert as they pulled up in front of a red light. Sweetness from Frenkie’s voice was something that just didn’t sit right with Gavi, it felt so… unsettling. It wasn’t like he didn’t trust or like Frenkie, it was just the way that it suddenly bothered him. Almost like he didn’t warrant or deserve the kindness… but why? He had never felt something like this when he interacted with Frenkie. In fact, he liked to stick with the Dutchman sometimes, it was almost like having an older sibling who would laugh him off and help him with whatever he needed. He blinked a few times, and looked towards Frenkie who had his head turned to face the back, “Well, y’know, it's always best to just rip off other people’s efforts, isn’t it?” He responded, and that seemed to be a sufficient answer, getting another short laugh from the Dutchman.
The car got back into silence as Gavi turned on his phone, scrolling mindlessly through social media as he heard the low conversation between the two adults in the front. Their bluest of eyes seemed to intertwine and ripple into each other, forming an ever-flowing ocean. Ever so slightly, he felt like a child again, sitting on the backseat of his parent’s car, watching them laugh and flirt as he fiddled with his shirt with a small pout. There wasn’t any reason for him to even be bothered by something like this, perhaps he was just a little worn out? The weather sure was unbearable in Barcelona, so there was nothing to be surprised about.
“So, do you guys want pasta?” Robert spoke, idly steering the car. Gavi couldn’t help but feel his eyes linger on the man’s large hands settling on the wheel, so much so that it took him longer than needed to answer the blonde Dutch’s small affirmative hum. “Oh, yeah, for sure.” He went for the quickest answer that came to mind, moving his eyes back onto his phone quickly like an angsty teenager. “Gabi,” He flinched a little at the way Frenkie said his name, so he lifted his head again to meet the man’s eyes in the rear view mirror, “Do you like pasta, or do you want something else?” He quickly shook his head, pushing out a quick smile, his brown eyes barely actually filled with anything, “No, it’s fine, pasta is good.” Nodding, Frenkie turned his head back to Robert, “Are we eating at that same restaurant near Palau Robert?” Robert nodded, turning at another crossroad, “Yeah, didn’t book, but I’m sure we can get spots.” The car was filled with idle chatter once again, nothing too overwhelming, and Gavi once again, found refuge in the pixel world on his phone. If anything, he just seemed like an annoyed and rebellious little teenager, begrudgingly involved in a road trip. The idea that the two of them were speaking Spanish just to accommodate him was a little unbearable.
Everytime Frenkie asked him another conversation-starting question with a smile, the same feeling sunk further into his gut. What did he do to deserve it? Sure, he was the star boy, he got everything from his teammates, and he deserved it, but… there was just something. He felt sorry for Frenkie, for having to put up with him. For once, he felt like he was out of place, he felt like he didn’t belong. For once, he felt uncomfortable with the company of these two teammates who had been nothing but kind to him, he wanted an escape, just anything but being here. He gulped again, lowering his eyes, scrolling on his phone, and just hoping that the inexplicable thoughts and emotions could dissipate. Velocity and its sudden disappearance made Gavi work his legs slowly, opening the car door as the three of them wandered into the restaurant with the curious and impressed gazes shot at them all over the restaurant.
Entering, trailing behind his two teammates, Gavi still inevitably caught the attention of a group of young girls who soon crowded over for pictures. This wasn’t too out of the ordinary or anything to be surprised about, so as always, he just stuck up a thumb and a small smile, leaning in for the photo while Frenkie and Robert sorted out seating with the manager. As he quickly caught up on them and slotted himself into the empty booth seat next to Frenkie, shuffling a little awkwardly as he joined into the conversation. Frenkie, looking at him with a smile, added with a light dig, “Gabi’s a celebrity now, so popular with the girls. You have a girlfriend?” That was not a random question, Gavi was pretty private with his life – he wasn’t eighteen yet, so he practically only hung out with the younger players. Someone like him would probably have a girlfriend, or at least he should, but Gavi couldn’t help but laugh at himself. His answer should be ‘No, because I have a pathetic crush on my best friend and am jealous of his girlfriend.’ But Frenkie didn’t need to hear that, so he shook his head, again, giving the answer he had computed for every single time he had to face a question like this, “Nah, I want to keep the career going first, so not really interested.” That wasn’t entirely a lie, but if Pedri asked him out, he knew that he wouldn’t even be able to see straight for a few days. Both his teammates nodded, and the slight amusement Robert’s blue eyes held made him cower.
The rest of the dinner was just Gavi trying his best to focus on the food. It was so much worse than last time when it was just him and Robert. Maybe it was just him being used to having all the attention, maybe it was just him eating dinner with two teammates that he didn’t interact with much. It was nothing too serious. Frenkie was someone he looked up to, and Robert was someone he was proud to be in the same team with, so there really shouldn’t be anything wrong with this dinner. The meal was great, he still decided to order a gourmet burger, although admittedly guilty even thinking about Xavi judging him with that grumpy face, it was delicious. Only thing was the way he felt his eyes darting up at the Polish man with intervals too short for his own comfort, but not once, not once had those cool blue eyes met his in equal exuberance.
As expected, the bill was quite hefty, but it wasn’t something he had to worry about as he and Frenkie headed out of the restaurant, seemingly both coming to a mutual understanding that Robert would handle the bill. Gavi felt bad for always making the older man pay… it was probably best if he returned the favour sometime. Frenkie, on the other hand, didn’t seem bothered by it, humming and scrolling on his phone with a smile. From the corner of his eye, Gavi could tell that he was texting his wife. He turned his head around again. Maybe he should seriously consider answering the huge surge of DMs he’s getting from girls, because at this point, his loneliness on this front was an annoyance.
Robert walked out the door in a few minutes, getting his keys out of his pocket and gestured for the two of them to get into the car. Gavi had recognised that the restaurant was probably pretty near to wear he lived, so by the time they hit the road again, he zoned out. Again, his two teammates didn’t seem to mind, entertaining conversations as they had before. If he recalled correctly, Frenkie lived in Pedralbes, only around ten minutes away from his own home, so he sucked up his slight guilt of making Robert chauffeur him again. If he didn’t want to, he could’ve pretended to be gone already. With that thought, he stared out the window and watched the increasingly familiar streets. He hadn’t moved out even after his increasing salary, so the feeling of familiarity since childhood amongst the fleeting shadows of the swaying leaves was incredibly comforting.
“Alright, see ya at training.” Pulling up at the entrance of the neighbourhood, Robert turned back to smile at him, giving him the cue to grab his drawstring bag and leave the car. Of course, he turned to wave at Robert and Frenkie with a timid smile, his large brown eyes always held that childish innocence which most people could never say no to. The heat of Barcelona’s still brightly lit sky made him flinch, but without looking back, he headed into the neighborhood, nodded at the guards and walked through the gates.
It would take him a little longer to realise that last time, rather than stopping by the street, Robert had driven him straight to his door. But that wasn’t anything significant, at least he didn’t think it would be.
As he slumped onto his sofa, he couldn’t help but check every notification all over again, and he couldn’t help but feel a sting.
Pedrito :p Sent 4h ago
“Good kid, huh?” Robert chuckled as the car took off again, the dimmed sunlight leaving fleeting streaks on the sleek dashboard as he carelessly put a hand on Frenkie’s thigh, causing the blonde to flinch ever so slightly. “I mean, he’s quite sweet.” He shrugged as he leaned back into the seat, letting Robert gently stroke down his thigh, coming in contact with his bare skin. Frenkie was always so pale, no amount of running around under the scorching Spanish sun ever did anything. Almost like a tulip, he always held that sort of tenderness comparable to a breeze, and yet, he was so easily obsessed and fought over. Of course, even during the tulip fever, a specimen of Frenkie would rack up prices much higher than the rest, so far into the realm of luxury. That elegance but also breath of fresh, sweet air was what drew Robert to him. The blonde hair, the blue eyes, the wide smile with the puffy pink cheeks – what was there not to like.
Did he feel guilty? Of course, but it didn’t matter. Drawn to tulip’s fresh honey-like scent like a helpless insect, he could do nothing but follow suit in whatever his instincts intended. This impulse brought necessary consequences, but they were consequences that both of them simultaneously accepted the moment they broke through whatever virtues or morals they had upheld for so long. If every word in his vows came out to be a vicious and vain lie, so be it, because as long as they existed in that moment, nothing mattered. As they passed through the streets, Robert rolled down his window, letting the wind pour into the car and getting a quick surprised reaction from Frenkie, who quicky combed his blonde hair back into order. This was the ideal night, the ideal night where he could delude himself and pretend that none of this was wrong. He could pretend that it was only them left in the world.
Driving through to the back gate of the community, Frenkie pat Robert’s hand, swatting it off his leg as he took his bag. Just as he rested his hand on the door handle, he felt a gentle but firm grip on his chin, he turned around and was quickly flustered from the quick but almost desperate kiss Robert had planted on his lips. “I love you.” Robert heard himself say. Frenkie, on the other hand quickly pulled away, now all flustered as he mumbled the phrase back at the man, he pushed down on the handle, scurrying out of the car, and waved Robert goodbye as he disappeared into the corner.
Now, the car really was silent.
Even during dinner, he had been taking glances at Frenkie. That was something he enjoyed, Frenkie was just so gorgeous, so pale, and so delightful to look at. He could say the same about the sight he had just enjoyed, the way his pink and plump lips were coated with saliva and a little puffy was more than enough to bring a smirk of pure entertainment to Robert’s face. Now, what else was there to say? Oh right, that he wasn’t stupid. Although he was staring at Frenkie most of the time, he didn’t have tunnel vision, he could feel the dark brown, glimmering gaze from the corner of his eye, testing his senses like a lion cub. Gabi likes him, or at least, feels something more than he should. But that wasn’t for Robert to think about, whichever little kid’s crush or interest was none of his business, and he didn’t intend to care.
Oh poor Gavi, he’ll just have to live on like that. What would he think once he realises all this? Sad, probably, the way he pouted his lips like a child was quite telling, and Robert believed he invoked no lesser emotion and attention.