Work Text:
Alisson knew that his teammates sometimes walked on eggshells around him, to say the least—a stark contrast to his joyful and carefree personality from less than a year ago. It nagged at him to almost always be on the receiving end of the comfort, while his teammates struggled as well. So on Easter Monday morning, Alisson rolled out of bed with a mission.
He was going to make at least three of his favorite people smile before breakfadt. And he knew just how to do it.
*
Okay, so it might not have been Alisson’s best idea to squeeze into such a small space. His limbs screamed at him for doing such a thing, folding into a million pieces to hide under a desk like he was five years old. Alisson would’ve listened to his limbs, if the desk didn’t happen to be Klopp’s desk and he wasn’t the only thing taking up space.
At exactly six fifty-five, Klopp stumbled into the office with a muffled yawn. The Liverpool manager always woke up early to get things started, even earlier than Henderson, and he’d do so every morning without fail. He nearly tripped over thin air as he opened the blinds, blinking heavily in an attempt to stay awake.
You really need more sleep, boss. Alisson spotted Klopp walking towards his desk and decided that his time had come. He grabbed Klopp’s ankle, eliciting a surprised gasp from him.
“Ali! You’re up early,” Klopp noticed, taking a seat at the desk. “Trouble sleeping?”
“N-no boss, I just wanted to give you something.” Alisson produced a small package from behind his back. It was a soft, muted dark peach color`with small fireworks. “You looked tired yesterday and…I thought you’d like this.”
“Peach?” Klopp chuckled, carefully unfolding the wrapping paper. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen paper this color before.”
“Well, I’ve been here five years and I still don’t know your favorite color,” Alisson admitted with a shy grin. “You never told us.”
Klopp opened the box, holding up a small crystal. “Is this rose quartz?”
“Yeah, I read it’s good for healing and restoring energy.” Alisson set the crystal on the desk, turning it until it was just so. “I don’t know if you believe in that stuff, but it does look nice around here.”
“It does.” Klopp wrapped Alisson in a tight hug, ruffling his hair like he always did. “Thank you, it’s wonderful.”
The two watched as the sun shone through the rose quartz, refracting the light into multicolored rainbow spots all around the room.
*
“ Siiii senor!” Alisson perched himself on the edge of Firmino’s bed, strumming his guitar. Firmino always woke up rather late compared to the rest of the team, but that was okay with Alisson. Firmino would wake up to a serenade.
“Give the ball to Bobby and he will score!!! There’s something that the Kop wants you to know—” A mischievous idea suddenly crossed Alisson’s mind. He put down his guitar and turned on his Spotify, going straight to the playlist titled “Bobby”.
“It might seem crazy what I am 'bout to say! Sunshine, she's here, you can take a break! I'm a hot air balloon that could go to space! With the air, like I don't care, baby by the way—”
“I’m awake, I’m awake!” Firmino yawned, contentedly vibing and humming to the music while still lying down. “What’s the big newsflash?”
“Nothing,” Alisson admitted, turning off his phone. “I just wanted to see that smile of yours again. Flaco’s right—you really are the sun.”
A broad, dazzling grin stretched across Firmino’s features. “If I’m the sun, you’re Neptune.”
“So far away?”
“I was just saying that because of your eyes! Uranus, then? It’s lopsided, small, and has a great ring to it…”
Alisson shook his head in fond amusement. “Cale-se, idiota.”
“ Eu sou seu idiota, ” Firmino answered with a warm smile.
*
If hiding under the desk was a bad idea, Alisson was pretty sure hiding in the showers was even worse. At least under the desk he was sure that Klopp would come, but what was to say that Van Dijk would find him here? There were about thirty cubicles in the shower rooms, and Van Dijk could go to any one of them. He could even be done with his shower already, leaving Alisson waiting for nothing.
But Virgil’s never up this early, Alisson assured himself, checking his watch. It was seven-thirty AM, and soon all the players would be awake.
Alisson had had a special relationship with Van Dijk ever since he’d joined the club. They were excellent friends at the very least, and while he didn’t talk much, the Dutchman had carved out a special place deep in his heart.
“Ali!” a familiar voice called out. Heavy footsteps filled the room, a sign that Van Dijk definitely hadn’t got ready for the day yet. Van Dijk before a shower was the definition of grumpy. “Where are you hiding this time?”
Alisson stepped out of the stall, revealing the balloons he held in one hand. He’d filled them up since the night before, hiding them in his closet. “Surprise!”
Van Dijk nearly jumped out of his skin upon seeing Alisson wide awake and dressed before he was. “Oh, there you are, mijn jade! I thought something was wrong, but I guess I panicked.”
“You, the great Dutchman, panicked? I don’t think so,” Alisson joked, handing Van Dijk the bunch of balloons. They were Netherlands orange and dark red, similar to the Romaine colors, and some were shaped like hearts. “For meu amor. I know it’s a little too late for Valentine’s Day, but—”
“Shush! These are perfect.” Van Dijk tied the ends of the balloons to his wrist, hugging Alisson. “ Dank je wel, teddybeer.”