Chapter Text
Joan’s trembling fingers extended toward the call button.
His heart was beating at a frantic pace, as if it were the 90th minute of a crucial match where he was guarding his net under the gaze of thousands.
But the tension this time was different
it was a sweet, intoxicating tension.
Suddenly, a real wave of fear hit him, What if Nico actually watch football? What if he recognized his voice?
He made up his mind instantly.
He decided to speak in an extremely low register, a warm, deep, and resonant whisper that was completely different from his usual voice.
On the other side, Ferran was sitting in his bed, hugging his knees to his chest with his eyes locked onto the screen, nervously biting his lower lip.
He pressed "Accept" holding his breath.
A dead silence filled the space for a few seconds that felt like an eternity.
It was broken only by the hesitant breaths traveling through the airwaves between two apartments in the very same city, without either of them knowing just how close they actually were.
"Hello... Nico?"
Pablo’s voice echoed through the speaker.
It was a masculine, deep whisper, exaggeratedly calm, carrying a mysterious huskiness that sent a shiver straight down Ferran’s spine.
Ferran swallowed hard, feeling his heart leap into his throat.
He tried to steer away from his usual casual, rambling tone, speaking in a faint, hesitant voice
"Hi... Pablo... I’m... I’m here, I can hear you"
Joan sighed into the microphone, and that soft exhale made Ferran automatically pull the bedsheets tighter over his shoulders.
Joan spoke with a voice full of relief
"Your voice... it’s so warm, Nico, It’s gentler than I imagined, I’m really not exaggerating, it’s as beautiful as a song"
Ferran smiled in the dark, feeling his cheeks burn crimson.
"Really? I was afraid you’d find it annoying... I usually talk a lot and very fast when I get nervous"
Joan let out a very low, muffled chuckle, like a quiet whisper.
"No, please speak as much as you like, I am all ears, Tell me, how is your heart doing now? Has that sadness faded a little?"
Ferran leaned his head back against his pillow, letting out a long exhale.
"Yeah... your words yesterday changed something inside me, I used to feel like a fool, like I lived a delusion for years while the other side only saw a friendship, But you made me realize that I am not a victim... I just risked my heart and it didn’t work out, And that happens, doesn't it?"
Joan remained silent for a few seconds, absorbing Nico’s sad tone, before saying with a warm seriousness
"It absolutely happens, Risking your heart is a bravery that not everyone possesses, Nico, To love for years in silence means you have a very pure and loyal soul... and someone like that doesn't deserve pity, they deserve to be loved back the exact same way"
Ferran felt a lump form in his throat, not from sadness this time, but from the sheer weight of emotion.
"Pablo... you are truly strange, How can someone who doesn't even know my real name touch the deepest part of my soul like this? Sometimes I feel like you're not real"
"I am very real... and I am here for you"
Joan replied in a firm tone carrying a strange confidence.
Then, wanting to lighten the mood, he added
"But since we are speaking with our voices now, and I’ve heard your angelic voice, let’s move away from the sadness a bit, Tell me, what do you like to do with your day away from work?"
Ferran sat up a bit straighter, his natural spontaneity gradually beginning to show.
"Ummm, I love shopping a lot! Lately, I’ve become obsessed with fashion and styling clothes, I care a lot about my appearance, And also... I like cooking sometimes, even though I’m not a skilled chef, but I love trying new things, What about you? What are your secret hobbies, Mr. Deep Voice?"
Joan smiled as he listened to Nico’s passion.
"I’m a simple and boring person compared to you, I love quietness, reading, and I adore cinema and classic movies, Most of the time, I find myself focusing on organizing everything around me... I’m not obsessed with fashion like you, but I like simple, practical elegance"
Ferran said in a slightly teasing tone
"Oh, a classic and organized man... you sound like someone who wears carefully ironed shirts even while just sitting at home!"
Joan laughed out loud this time.
"Pretty much! I like everything to be in its correct place, Maybe because the nature of my work requires a precise, vigilant eye all the time"
Curiosity piqued, Ferran asked
"You’ve made me curious... what is this job of yours that makes you act like a watchman?"
Joan sensed the danger, so he cleverly maneuvered around the answer.
"I’m always in the backlines, My responsibility is to protect the rest, cover their mistakes, and be a wall that cannot be easily breached... If I lose focus for even a second, the entire team could get hurt"
Ferran expressed clear admiration in his voice
"Wow... so you work in security or crisis management? That explains your leadership personality, It’s a brave and difficult job"
Joan didn't correct the misunderstanding, instead replying gratefully
"You could say that... and it consumes all my energy, But talking to you right now made all that exhaustion disappear, I’m going to start getting used to this"
Ferran smiled, shifting into a playful tone
"Oh, so you weren't intending to get used to it before?"
"My intentions are clear, my dear, But I meant hearing your voice daily, I’m certain it’s a cure for my soul"
Ferran pulled the blanket over his face, as if trying to hide his blushing from Pablo, and spoke in a muffled voice from beneath the covers
"Yaaah, stop acting like this"
"Like what? I didn't do anything"
"Tricking me with your sweet talk, I’m going to die"
Joan adjusted his posture, speaking softly
"I’m not tricking you, my beautiful, I’m only speaking what’s in my heart clearly so you know your worth in it"
(My beautiful)
Pablo’s simple, direct way of speaking was like a remedy for Ferran’s soul, someone who wasn't used to hearing those words directed specifically to him.
The conversation continued to flow seamlessly.
They drifted between discussions about their favorite foods, their secret spots in Barcelona, and some flirting here and there, until the first threads of dawn began to creep through the window.
They only ended the call after sleep finally overcame Ferran, saying goodbye in tender tones that left a deep mark on both their hearts.
The next morning, Ferran walked into the club’s locker room.
His steps were light, and a calm smile rested on his face, one that had been entirely absent since Pedri announced his relationship.
Eric didn't miss the observation.
He approached him slyly, winking his eyes
"So, aren't you going to tell me what's new?"
Ferran shoved him with his shoulder, smiling
"Shut up, Eric... after training"
At that exact moment, the door opened and Joan walked in.
He was wearing the black training shirt, his hair neatly styled, looking entirely in his usual composed manner.
He headed toward his locker, which was just a few meters away from Ferran, and offered a morning greeting in his natural, clear voice
"Good morning, guys, A tough day awaits us today"
The moment Joan uttered those words, Ferran’s hand froze right as he was pulling his shirt out of the locker.
He turned slowly and looked at the goalkeeper with intense focus, his eyes widening slightly.
That tone...
the way he pronounced the letter 'R'...
that specific low huskiness that appeared at the end of his sentences...
A very familiar shiver ran down Ferran’s spine, a shiver he had felt just last night under his bedsheets!
He kept staring at Joan for a few seconds until Eric noticed his gaze and nudged him in the side.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you looking at Joan like you've seen a ghost?"
Ferran shook his head quickly, trying to regain his composure while feeling completely stupid inside.
"No... it's nothing... just... I felt a sudden headache"
Ferran turned back toward his locker, his heart pounding violently as he began to scold himself internally
What is wrong with you, Ferran? Have you gone mad? Have you become so obsessed with Pablo that you’re imagining his voice in every man you meet? Joan is a serious, cold person, the furthest thing from the tender, romantic man who made me cry last night with his words... It’s impossible!
On the other side, Joan pulled out his phone quickly, taking advantage of the players being busy changing their clothes.
He logged into Discord and wrote a swift message to "Nico"
@Anchor_G
Good morning, my dear
I woke up and I can still hear the echo of your laugh in my ears
I hope your day is light and bright just like you 🤍
He returned the phone to his pocket and walked out onto the pitch with his calm, confident features.
Meanwhile, Ferran’s phone vibrated inside his closed locker, announcing the arrival of a message
leaving the strings of the game to tangle even further in the shadows, without either of them realizing that they were exchanging feelings behind screens while training side-by-side on the exact same pitch.
After several hours of exhausting training in preparation for the upcoming match, Ferran met up with Eric at their usual cafe, fulfilling his stupid promise to tell him everything.
"Sooo??"
The moment Eric sat down, he spoke with intense excitement and curiosity.
"Ugh, Eric, you’re acting like a kid"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Just tell me about your new lover"
A look of pure shock took over Ferran’s face, making him cough in panic
"What lover, you idiot? He’s not my lover... just a friend..."
Eric raised an eyebrow in disbelief
"You don't sound too sure?"
Ferran sighed, leaning closer to Eric with impatience
"I don't know what we are, Eric, He is so gentle, has a very sweet tongue, he's attentive, considerate, and his voice is extremely warm and masculine... Also... it kind of sounds like Joan’s voice... Ugh, what am I even thinking? I mean he’s good, Joan has nothing to do with it, it's just a resemblance"
Eric went silent for a few seconds before bursting into laughter
"You fell in love with him without a doubt, Ferran"
"Shut up, I’m really lost, Eric, What if this is just his personality? What if he doesn't love me? Ugh, I don't want to fall and get hurt again"
Eric adjusted his posture when he noticed Ferran’s sadness.
He loved teasing him, making jokes, and annoying him, they had always been like that since childhood, but Ferran’s sadness was a red line he hated to see.
"Why don't you call him and ask him directly? If he's clear and wants you in his life as a partner, he’ll tell you, If he wants more time, he’ll tell you, And if he just wants to play around and waste time, it’ll be obvious too"
Ferran panicked at the mere thought
"Impossible, Eric! I’ll die, I won't be able to"
Eric leaned in and placed his hand on Ferran’s shoulders to calm him down
"If you want, let’s do it together, Call him while I’m with you, He won't know, I’ll just be here to support you, What are the odds? Whatever happens, don't let it affect you, you've only just met him anyway, Wait, what is his name and where does he work? Did he tell you?"
"He asked me to call him Pablo, and I think he works as a manager or in crisis management... something related to protecting the team from mistakes, I don't know"
"Sounds like a responsible man, Good, now call him"
Ferran looked at Eric one last time, attempting to convince him to back down from this decision.
But when he met Eric’s determined eyes, which were set on putting an end to his anxiety, he sighed, pulled out his phone, and dialed Pablo.
Seconds ticked by, his heart beating with everything it had, every bone in his body wishing that Pablo wouldn't answer.
But his prayers went unanswered when that same calm voice washed over the phone lines
"Oh, hello my dear, How are you?"
Ferran looked at Eric, shifting nervously in his seat.
Following a silent, demanding gesture from Eric who was urging him with his facial expressions, Ferran switched the call to speakerphone.
"I’m good... how are you? Where are you?"
"I was putting my clothes in the washing machine and didn't hear my phone ringing, I apologize, my beautiful... is something wrong? Your voice sounds tense"
In that exact moment, the enthusiastic smile vanished from Eric’s face entirely.
He froze completely in his seat, his eyes widening in genuine shock as he listened to that resonant tone, the familiar pronunciation of the letter 'R', and that calm huskiness at the end of the sentence... This wasn't a voice that just sounded like Joan Garcia.
This was Joan Garcia himself!
Their goalkeeper and his close friend!
Ferran quickly looked over at Eric, completely failing to understand the look of sheer, petrified disbelief on his face, he assumed Eric was just shocked by the sweet "my beautiful" pet name.
Trying to ignore his friend’s bizarre staring, Ferran swallowed hard to continue nervously
"No, no, I’m fine... I just... wanted to ask you something"
"Ask whatever you wish, I am always all ears for you"
Eric was staring at the phone placed on the table as if it were a ticking time bomb.
His mind was rapidly connecting all the dots
Joan’s irritation at the party, his sudden eagerness to leave, the weird smiles he kept giving his phone screen lately, his shifting mood, and now,doing laundry and organizing just after the training! These were textbook Joan habits!
Ferran rubbed his flushed fingers, whispering
"Ummm... what are we?.. I mean, are we just frien-"
Joan interrupted him with a tone that was deeper and more serious, making Eric slap a hand over his own mouth to stop himself from screaming out loud in pure shock
"Do you want us to be just friends, Nico?"
"...No"
"Neither do I, Nico, I don't want to rush things on you, I know your heart is tired and needs time, so I’m just waiting for you to get used to me and my presence... before I ask you"
Ferran turned toward Eric in confusion, his eyes shining with a shy, breathless vulnerability
"Ask me what?"
Pablo’s warm chuckle resonated through the speaker, before he spoke with a tender, absolute certainty
"To allow me... to be your lover"