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He sees Mario just two blocks further down the street, hands shoved into his pockets and staring straight ahead even when he hears the low purr of Robert’s car as Marco steers it towards the younger man. He lets down the window of the passenger side and looks over to his friend.
“Mario, please get in the car. We need to talk.”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Mario replies in a clipped tone then he resumes walking.
Marco bites his teeth angrily then he exits the car and stalks after Mario. “Don’t be a coward and fucking talk to me!”
Mario stops and scowls at him darkly. “Go back to the car. Someone will steal it if you just leave it in the middle of the road and then Robert will rip your head off.”
“I’m not leaving without you!” Marco retorts and he almost expects more fighting.
Mario bites his lip before turning around and stomping towards to the black vehicle, tearing open the door with a lot more force than necessary and flopping down on the passenger seat with a grim expression.
Marco breathes a sigh of relief before getting into the car from the other side. They drive in silence for a minute or two as they head towards Mario’s home.
In the end it is Mario who speaks first.
“Why did you kiss me?”
“Because we were supposed to act like boyfriends,” Marco retorts immediately.
Of course his answer is just weak pretense and he’s avoiding the actual question. And Mario knows that as well, judging by his miffed tone.
“I told you during training yesterday that I didn’t want you to kiss me,” Mario reminds him. The cold anger emanating from him takes Marco completely off-guard. “Why did you still do it?”
Marco sighs. “Because I was hoping I could provoke a reaction from Philipp. That he would get jealous or angry that I dared to kiss you while he was sitting at the same table.”
Somehow his explanation seems to upset Mario even more judging by the way he stiffens and turns to look out of the window.
Marco keeps throwing glances at him until they have reached Mario’s apartment a few minutes later.
“So,” Mario says as he leans back against the kitchen counter and crosses his arms defiantly. “What is it that you wanted to tell me? Besides your admission that you kissed me to make Philipp jealous.”
So this is it, the moment of truth.
Marco has no clue where to begin, but he figures starting with the least dangerous thing is perhaps a good idea.
“Do you remember the reason I told you for me being in Munich?”
Mario looks surprised by the question, but nods. “You wanted to comfort Robert after his fight with Thomas.”
“Well, that was a lie,” Marco admits and ducks his head sheepishly. “It was Robert’s idea. Actually he visited me in Dortmund because of you.”
“Me?” Mario’s anger seems to be forgotten as he waits for Marco to elaborate.
“Yes, you. He told me what happened with Philipp and I came back to Munich with him instantly.” He finally focuses on Mario again, unable not to let his hurt show. “Why didn’t you tell me about Philipp? How could you keep something like this from me?”
Mario frowns. “Marco, I don’t mean to be rude, but I didn’t tell you about Philipp and Manu because it’s none of your business and I was obviously not in the position to tell you about them.”
Marco can’t believe what he’s hearing. “Of course you were! But to be honest I’m not mad at you for not telling me that Philipp and Manu are a couple.”
“Then what is the reason?” Mario retorts clearly frustrated.
“I’m mad at you for never telling me that you were in a relationship with Philipp!”
Mario stills and suddenly all signs of anger have left his body. “Hold on, you thought there was something going on between me and Philipp?”
His question takes the wind out of his sails. “Why do you sound so irritated?”
“Because I’m wondering how you could think something like that,” Mario says with a deep frown on his face.
Marco thought this conversation couldn’t get any more confusing, but apparently he was wrong. “Because Robert told me that you and Philipp broke up.”
Mario looks like someone just slapped him. “Why would he say something like that?”
“So it’s not true?” Marco feels hope rising in his chest, mixed with the desire to strangle Robert for making something like this up. “But why would he lie to me? And most importantly why are you so sad then?”
Mario drops his eyes to the ground. “I’m not sad because of a heartbreak. I’m sad because I have to leave Bayern.”
How many twists can a conversation even have? “What?!”
“They want to sell me to another club, I don’t know yet which one it will be. Arsenal London seems to be very interested, among a few others. But I don’t want to leave.”
Marco blinks once, twice and then he feels blissful happiness coursing through him as he realizes just how wrong he interpreted things – thanks to their friend Robert – and a wide joyful smile appears on his face.
Mario looks at him as though he suspects that Marco has lost his mind. “What is so funny about that?”
Marco chuckles amusedly. “Nothing actually. It’s just kind of ludicrous that I was trying to bring you and Philipp back together when you never even were boyfriends.”
Mario’s eyes widen comically. “Wait, so you don’t want to be with Philipp?”
The idea is so ridiculous that Marco can’t even laugh. “What the hell made you think that ?”
“During training you kept throwing murderous glances at Philipp and Manu. And then you asked me to be your boyfriend to make Philipp jealous. What else was I supposed to think?”
Marco can’t believe it. This has to be the most anticlimactic outcome possible. “Okay, no, let me explain my side of the story first, there’s obviously a lot to clear up.” He motions towards the living room and they both sit down side by side on the couch. Then Marco turns towards the younger man and starts speaking.
“Two days ago Robert showed up on my doorstep after Thomas needed a bit of alone time.”
Mario nods. “I remember the earth-shattering tragedy with Thomas’ horse. Or was that a lie as well?”
“No, that’s true. Though I suppose Thomas may have overdramatized it a little bit. Robert wouldn’t have left him like that unless Thomas explicitly asked him to.”
Mario looks doubtful though. “Unless they were planning this.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. Why would Robert tell me that you and Philipp have broken up even though he knows it’s not true? What would he want to achieve with that?”
“I don’t know,” Mario replies. “But if Robert really hatched a plan and wanted for all of this to happen, we should break it down step by step. How did you react when he told you about this alleged break-up?”
“I was furious that you hadn’t told me about Philipp,” Marco recalls. “And then I drove to Munich with him.”
“Then that’s your answer. He wanted you to come to Munich with him.”
“But why?”
Mario smiles patiently. “I said step by step. What happened after you came to Munich with him? Did he say something that could indicate why he was doing this?”
Marco tries to think of something suspicious, but nothing comes to his mind. “Not really. Robert was very supportive during the last days. I just don't get it.”
Mario doesn't respond for a very long time, but then his eyes widen.
“What is it?” Marco asks warily.
“I was just thinking that Robert had to know that his plan wouldn't work for long. That you and I would talk and then find out about his scheme.”
Marco doesn't understand what Mario is trying to say. “Yes. And?”
He doesn't know what to make of the fond smile appearing on Mario's face. “We definitely owe Robert. Big time.”
“Mario, can you please explain first and kiss Robert's feet later?!” Marco pleads anxiously.
Instead of answering Mario sits up on the couch and pushes against Marco's chest so sudden that the blond falls onto his back, Mario straddling him.
“Mario, what are you doing?” he asks, unable to avert his gaze from the younger man's eyes staring down at him intently.
“I think I figured it out. Robert meant for all of this to happen. For us both to become entangled in a web of misunderstandings until we are so deep in this mess that we have to talk openly to each other.”
“Mario, you're not making any sense,” Marco complains. “Why would he-”
The words die on his tongue when Mario's hand once again pushes against his chest, pressing Marco deeper into the cushion. “He knew how I felt about you, Marco. He knew even before I left Dortmund.”
How Mario felt about him? Marco doesn't know what to make of these words, so he keeps quiet to let his friend continue.
“Back then he urged me to tell you, but I wasn't ready yet. You were one of my closest friends and I was so afraid to lose you that I kept quiet. Robert and I barely talked about it anymore, but I knew that he was disappointed with me. And when Manu and Philipp recently announced that they were together, I had a fight with Manu.”
“With Manu? Why?”
“I mentioned it to you during training. Manu called me out on being a coward and claimed I could be in a happy relationship as well if I had admitted my feelings to myself.” He swallows before adding, “And you.”
Marco freezes as the pieces finally fall into their place. “You have feelings for me?”
Mario raises one hand to Marco's face, his fingertips ghosting lightly over the older man's jawbone. “Of course I do, silly. I can't believe you still couldn't see it until now.” He leans down and presses a feather-light kiss to the side of Marco's mouth before whispering against his lips, “I love you, Marco.”
A shiver runs down Marco's spine and his heart is beating painfully hard against his ribcage as though it wants to break out of its prison.
“Why did you never tell me that before?”
Mario sighs. “I never imagined you could feel the same way. I'm sorry.”
Marco brings up his hand to Mario's face and pulls him closer again until their lips are touching again. But this time neither of them pulls back, instead Marco opens his mouth in a silent invitation. Mario takes it instantly, deepening the kiss by sliding his tongue into Marco's mouth, sparking the fire inside the blond's body.
Marco pulls back one last time to say the words he should have said a long time ago. “I love you as well, Mario, please never doubt that. I was just too blind to see it and I needed someone to finally open my eyes.”
Mario smiles gently. “We definitely owe Robert and Thomas.”
Marco hums in agreement before surging forward and capturing Mario's mouth in another kiss, this time a more confident one. Mario's low groan is all the incentive he needed to reverse their positions; Mario lying underneath him now as Marco licks into the hot cavern of his mouth, their bodies slowly rocking against each other as they lose themselves in their passion...
***
Mario and Thomas are both asleep in the backseat of Robert's car while the latter as well as Marco are sitting at the front, neither of them having said a word for the past hour.
“Thanks for driving me home,” Marco starts in a quiet voice.
“It's no problem,” is all that Robert says without looking at Marco.
The blond is slightly confused, wondering what is up with his friend. “Something the matter?”
Robert bites his lower lip and there's definitely guilt in his eyes now. “I have good and bad news. Though I suspect Mario should be telling you the good ones.”
Marco frowns. “Okay. So what are the bad news?”
There's a long moment of silence. “Philipp and Manu knew the plan.”
“Okay, and how is that a bad thing?” Marco asks.
The answer indeed shocks him though. “It's not a bad thing, it's the true tragedy of the whole story. They're not a couple, they were just pretending because I asked them to, in order to sell my lies.”
“WHAT??!!”
Thomas and Mario both jerk at his shrill tone; Thomas groaning in annoyance while Mario gives Marco an irritated look.
“What's wrong? Why are you shouting now?”
But Marco is too shocked and pissed off at Robert to say anything, barely able to contain his anger.
Robert looks at Mario through the rear view mirror. “Tell him the good news first before he's going to strangle me.”
Marco doubts anything would be able to make him forget his anger.
“Marco, I got a call from Thomas Tuchel this morning. They asked me if I would like to come back.”
Marco whips around in his seat, staring at Mario with big eyes. “You're going to come back to Dortmund?”
Mario smiles fondly. “Only if you want me to.”
“Of fucking course!” Marco replies instantly before straining in his seat until he manages to put a sloppy kiss to Mario's lips.
Robert coughs. “I may need your help though.”
“With what?” Marco and Mario ask in unison.
“With bringing Philipp and Manu together.”