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Daniel Agger entered the locker room as he did every other training-day, not expecting one bit what he would find there. As the door closed behind him, more than half of the team looked up, clearly planning to tell him something, though he had no idea what. They were standing in a line, right in front of him and, frankly, it was quite frightening.
_Ok, what’s up with you guys? Asked Daniel, nervous (and that surely meant something coming from him).
_This is an intervention, announced Fernando.
Daniel rolled his eyes. Seriously, his mates had to stop watching How I Met Your Mother, or he swore that would be the end of them all.
_What about?
_About your smoking. You have to stop, right now, proceeded Steven.
_What… I… I don’t
_Oh, come on Dan, don’t try to cover it up, we know you did start smoking, interrupted Carra.
Fuck, he thought he was being careful…
_Your clothes reek, you sneak out several times a day and, no offense, but you happen to be out of breath quicker than before, observed Xabi.
_Oh, ok, great, should I be applauding your great investigation skills?
_No, you should stop smoking because we don’t want you to suck, which is obviously going to happen if you keep on consuming these performances-ruiner shits that are cigarettes.
_Oh, ok, now I’m impressed Steven, did you prepare this line?
_Yes I did, thank you very much, replied the captain, while glaring at Daniel.
The defender sighed and looked down, ashamed.
_Ok guys, I know I shouldn’t smoke… I started on the international break… at the time, I didn’t think about... he trailed off. Well, I didn’t think, period.
_So, will you stop? Asked Steven in a softer voice.
_I promise I’ll try, answered Daniel honestly.
And then, everyone went to training, pretending that they did not just have a mushy moment, worrying about their teammate and all. Later in the locker room, Daniel and Martin were sitting side by side, both taking their boots off, when the latter admitted:
_I’m glad that you are trying to stop… You know, the others said it was for the sake of your performances and shit like that… but we are all worried about your health above everything else… And, if you need someone to talk to, or to just be there… well we’re here for you… I’m here for you...
He blushed, realising he was rambling, but Dany found it adorable and thanked him with a genuine smile, despite the nervousness caused by his fellow defender, as usual.
Get a grip Daniel.
It was going to be hard to keep it together without his precious cigarettes. But, fortunately, the team was going to travel to Spain for a Champions League match, and Daniel was grateful for the distraction it would bring. He would probably be less on edge with the presence of his teammates than he would have been if he had to stay home on his own.
What he hadn’t planned was that he would be with Martin all the time. First, they sat together in the bus and on the plane, as always, and then, they got roomed together. The boss was supposed to be the one to assign the rooms… but it was suspected that Steven had a say in the matter after he and Xabi started being put in the same room all the time, which obviously contributed in him winning the Basque’s heart. And Carra highly suspected the happy couple to be trying to play matchmaker with Daniel and Martin. Hell, they had even started to refer to them as Skagger… Could they get any more ridiculous? However, Jamie didn’t say anything, because the tension between Dany and Martin was becoming more than annoying, and he thought that bringing them together was not that bad of an idea. Not that he would ever admit it to his stupid and cheesy friends, aka Gerlonso (no, he did not call them that way in his mind! Absolutely not! Are you crazy?)
However, their matchmaking plan was not going so well because Daniel was in a hell of a sour mood. He didn’t speak unless he was addressed to directly and then… well, let’s say that the person instantly regretted trying to make conversation. Most of the players wondered how it was possible that Martin didn’t lose it yet. He surely had patience.
After dinner, Martin got up to their room and found Dany sulking, as usual these days, sprawled on his bed, head buried into his pillow.
Had he just missed a meal? Ok, something was seriously wrong… Plus, wasn’t stopping smoking supposed to increase appetite?
_Are you okay Dany?
_I’m walking on sunshine, he replied, his voice muffled by the pillow, though not enough to prevent Martin from hearing his snappy and sarcastic tone.
_Ok, sorry, stupid question.
Martin was not angry at Daniel for his behaviour, or he tried his best not to show it when it upset him, because he knew it was hard for his friend and that he didn’t mean anything by it.
Daniel looked up, feeling suddenly guilty.
_No… I am sorry Martin, you, you’ve got nothing to be sorry for… You are a great friend you know… It’s just I…
_Hey, hey, I know, it’s alright ok. I know what you’re going through is not easy, but it will get better.
Daniel forced a smile. Maybe his need of nicotine would get better, but not his former need… the need that made him start smoking in the first place.
_What would you say about watching a movie? Asked Martin, wanting to take his friend’s thoughts away from his problem.
_Yeah sure.
After having gotten the movie started, Martin lay in their bed (in fact, they had separated beds of course, but they were used to stick them together) and Dany had to face an inner battle: should he keep his distances to prevent getting even more hurt than he already was (which would probably happen if he got any closer to Martin even though he was sure that he’d never have him the way he wanted to), or should he get as much contact as he could? He knew that the first choice would have been the most reasonable, but Dany needed comfort, he needed his friend’s touch. So, he put his head on Martin’s chest and draped his arm around him. In return, the defender put his hand on his arm and started passing his other hand through Daniel’s hair repeatedly.
About halfway through the movie, Martin’s hand moved and his fingers intertwined with Daniel’s. That was the last straw. Daniel started shaking and, a few seconds later, he jumped off the bed, mumbling excuses incoherently.
_Sorry… I just remembered… need to see Steven… Thanks for putting up with me and all.
And then he quickly exited the room, leaving Martin wondering about his weird behaviour… Was that it? Had Martin gone too far by taking his hand? Damn, he knew he should not have pushed his luck. Well, at least Daniel was not snappy anymore… now he was just strange. Was it an improvement though? Martin could not decide.
Meanwhile, Daniel knocked (or more like punched) at Stevie and Xabi’s door, urging them to help him.
Xabi opened the door, his flushed cheeks and tousled hair letting Daniel know that he was interrupting something, but the latter was in no state to care about or even to acknowledge such a fact.
_Guys you have to help me, I’m screwed…
_What is it? And why are you shaking so much? I don’t remember it being in the withdrawal symptoms, recalled Steven, who had read a lot about nicotine withdrawal.
_Oh, no, it’s not about that, he said dismissively.
_Then what it is? Asked Xabi, concerned.
_It’s Martin… I can’t do it anymore. I want to jump him like, all the time! Exclaimed Daniel… and you could see the guy was really stressed out because he wasn’t usually one to… express himself this explicitly.
He received a slap behind the head from Xabi, which was also very surprising, coming from the shy and discreet Basque.
_Ouch, Xabi man, what was that for?
_You two are so stupid! Oh my God, what are we going to do with you?!
_But, what are you talking about?
_I think that what Xabi meant to say here is that… maybe you shouldn’t restrain from “jumping” Martin when you want to “jump him” as you elegantly put it. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.
_he wouldn’t mind, he wouldn’t mind, he would fucking love it you mean?! Corrected Xabi, who wasn’t one to curse much (that was why Daniel’s mouth was gaping at this moment, making him look like a fish out of water).
_Are you sure? Dan managed to choke out, after he had regained some sort of composure.
_Seriously, are you blind? You’re like always together, and Martin looks at you like you’re the most precious thing in the world and you’re always saying mushy things about each other. It’s sickening really.
_Oh, that’s rich coming from you Xabi, the defender replied.
_Come on Daniel, time to get your man, or I don’t think Xabi will survive, interjected Steven, afraid for his boyfriend’s sanity.
Daniel got up and thanked the lovebirds; decided that, anyway, telling Martin how he felt about him was not much more frightening than staying with Xabi at the moment.
He came into the room and sat on their bed. He instantly started fidgeting and kept his gaze locked on the sheets:
_Hey…
_Hey, are you alright Dan? You’re shaking… I thought it wasn’t part of the withdrawal sym-
_Did you all google it or what? Asked Dany in disbelief. You know what, never mind. I’m not shaking because of nicotine withdrawal… the thing is that… Daniel was struggling with words, so he tried another approach:
_I never told you why I started smoking, did I?
Martin shook his head.
_Well, I started because of you… Well not really because of you, he added as he saw the surprise on his friend’s face, but because of the things you made me feel. See… I like you… a lot, he admitted, and then he looked up tentatively, not expecting Martin’s giant smile.
Dany didn’t really have time to register what was happening, but the next thing he knew is that they were kissing as if there were no tomorrow.
Later, when they were lying in bed together, Daniel suddenly said:
_Gerlonso was right after all.
_Damn, we’ll never hear the end of it, replied Martin, knowing that their teammates would probably tease them to no end.
_I think it’s worth it, Dany admitted before going back to kissing his boyfriend.
And Martin thought he could not agree more with him.
It was definitely worth it.