Chapter Text
Hany's POV
"Hello..." I answered the phone still half asleep.
"You're still asleep, aren't you?"
"Wait who is th- oh fuck Mostafa what time is it?" I asked in panic quickly getting up.
"Take a guess." I look at my phone...7:35.
"Shit I'm so sorry I overslept" I ran to the bathroom "hey you should go to practice I will follow once I get ready."
"No it's okay I'll wait for you."
"Coach is gonna kill me either way so just save yourself and get there now." I said brushing my teeth.
"How many times of me having the last word would it take for you to finally stop trying to argue with me? I'm waiting for you, end of discussion." So not only am I getting to practice late I'm also dragging him with me...okay cool love that for my conscience.
"Fine but at least come up you can't wait in your car it's 36 degrees outside."
"What's your apartment number?"
"306." he didn't even say goodbye he just hanged up on me...okay whatever I really need to hurry, I prepared my clothes while he was on his way up once I let him in I ran to the shower.
While I was showering I heard him say something I couldn't hear so I shouted "what?"
"I said you have a nice apartment." he shouted back.
"Thanks make yourself at home." I'm not sure if he said anything back because I was starting to panic we should have been at practice by now once I was done with my shower I got out and realized I didn't bring my clothes here with me I was used to being home alone all the time that I just get dressed back in my room, I wrapped a towel around my waist and got out...I know the whole team share a changing room so it's not like we're walking around each other shirtless all the time...but why does it feel more awkward now?
"Sorry I forgot to take my clothes with me." I said once I got out and found him looking at my framed pictures, when he heard me he looked back.
"Why are you apologizing this is your house...besides it's not something I haven't seen before." he said lowering his gaze for the second part then went back to looking at the pictures.
"Right." I said quietly and went straight to my room...god why am I always this awkward around him okay yes I think he's cool and I'd really like for us to be friends but being a nervous wreck around him is probably not the most efficient way to do that...shit I don't even have time to overthink I need to be ready in 5 minutes tops.
"Come on let's go." I said grabbing my things and heading to the door.
"Why are you running?" He said following me.
"Because we're late." god why is the elevator taking this long "you know what screw this we're taking the stairs." I ran to the stairs and he followed "stop laughing you're making me more nervous!"
"I'm not- okay yes I am but you can't blame me."
"Can't I? What's so funny about us being" I looked at my watch "40 minutes late..shit." We finally reached his car.
"You have never been late to anything in your life, have you?” He said fastening his seatbelt.
“What? No…of..of course I have just n-not to practice.”
“First of all take your breath” I didn’t even notice I was so out of breath I was just moving on autopilot “secondly god you’re such a goody two shoes.” he said laughing.
“No I’m not I’m just…I prefer to be punctual that’s all.” god he probably thinks I’m so lame…no he definitely does.
“Yeah?” He said keeping his eyes on the road.
“Yes.” I said firmly.
“Sure…if you say so.” He said with a smirk and kept driving…so not only did I oversleep and would probably have to stay extra late to make up for wasted time but I probably also made him think I’m an absolute loser…all the damage control I can do right now is to keep my mouth shut for the rest of the ride…and so I did “ready to face coach?” He asked me as we were standing in front of his office I just nodded and he knocked the door.
“Come in” “oh it’s you two can you explain to me why the fuck are you 80 minutes late to practice?” I was about to explain but before I could get the words out of my mouth he started talking.
“Sorry coach I had some car trouble and called Hany to come save my ass if you wanna blame someone blame me Hany has nothing to do with it he was just helping.” I kept looking at him with my mouth open in shock.
“Is that right?” Coach asked me.
“Uhh I-”
“It’s okay man you don’t have to take the blame just tell the truth.” Mostafa said squinting his eyes at me.
“Umm y-yes I uhh we went to a mechanic shop I know…it was nothing serious” I finally said.
“Okay then…I will let it slide this time but next time I won’t be as forgiving, now get to practice.”
“Thank you, coach” he said “come on dude let’s go” he said to me because I was still trying to comprehend what happened.
“Right..thanks coach.” I said with a smile and followed him outside “you didn’t have to do that.”
“You were panicking all the way here so I kinda did yeah.”
“Thank you…and I’m really sorry for dragging you into this.”
“Are you kidding? Missing 90 minutes of practice with no consequences? I should be the one thanking you…anyway come on.” he made his way to the changing room, practice went by quickly probably cause we already missed some of it we barely talked for the rest of the day but when we did it was normal so he probably doesn’t hate me…at least I don’t think so but still I felt so guilty for this morning I had to make it up to him somehow.
“Hey I was wondering if I can maybe buy you coffee? As a thank you for this morning and before you say no p-”
“Sure.” he said so casually before I could go any further with my convincing.
“Really?”
“Of course why would I ever say no to free coffee?”
“Okay cool follow me with your car then cause I’m not leaving my car here ever again.” he laughed and nodded, we got into our cars and I drove to a nearby cafe where I usually get my coffee before practice we parked and headed inside “what do you drink?”
“Flat white.” he said and I nodded and went to the cashier to order for us by the time I was done he had found us a table by the window “10 minutes till our order is ready” I said once I sat down across from him.
“Cool.” he said and we sat in awkward silence for a few seconds before we both started talking at the same time “you go ahead.” he said.
“Oh I was just gonna apologize again for this morning…”
“If you apologized one more time I’m telling coach you overslept and was trying to convince me to skip practice with you.”
“Okay fair I won’t.” I said chuckling “so what were you gonna say?”
“Huh?”
“Just now when I cut you off.”
“Oh yeah I was trying to break the silence I didn’t really have anything to say.” he said so casually that it made me envy him for being this upfront without overthinking.
“I was kinda doing the same to be honest.”
“Yeah? I guess we have to find a topic to talk about then.”
“Mmm how was it like growing up with a famous father?” I could see his reaction changing but he regained composure quickly.
“Fun I guess but also very challenging.”
“How?”
“People would always compare me to him, he’d always tell them that one day I’m gonna be even better than him but still I could see them judging…doubting…I know they talk about me behind my back and I get why they would but it’s still so annoying having to work extra hard just to prove you deserve to be your own person instead of living in your father’s shadow for the rest of your life…wow that was pathetic.” he said laughing at the last part.
“No no I totally get what you mean and I know you probably don’t need my validation but for the record I never saw you as a nepo baby I think you deserve to be where you are and more…you’re really good at what you do and that’s all you should care about.”
“Thanks…I’m not gonna say anything more about this topic cause you’re so easy to talk to I’m probably gonna end up oversharing and you’d regret ever asking but I really appreciate it.” he said with a smile.
“Good..and I’m still here whenever you wanna overshare.”
“Thank you and I won’t but same goes to you” I rolled my eyes “you know you’re the only one on the team that calls me Mostafa.” he said out of nowhere.
“Yeah but that’s your name?”
“Yeah but all my friends call me Oufa.”
“We’re friends?”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t know I didn’t wanna make assumptions.”
“Yes man we’re friends” he said chuckling.
“Okay cool I can call you Oufa if you want.”
“Good yes do that.” before I could continue I heard the barista calling my name so I went and got our drinks.
“Caramel frappe?” He asked laughing.
“Yeah what’s wrong with that?” I asked back.
“Nothing I just didn’t expect you to be an ice coffee kinda guy.”
“I feel like you’re making fun of me but I’m not sure so if you are screw you if you’re not then yes I prefer my coffee cold.”
“I’m not making fun of you I think it’s kinda cute.”
“So you ARE making fun of me!”
“No no trust me I’m not” he started laughing “I think it’s cool.”
“Okay if you say so.” I said giving him a suspicious look and he kept laughing, we spent another hour talking about basically everything and then we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways…well at least now I know I didn’t scare him away.