Work Text:
It'd been nearly a year now and Leo had lost count of the amount of times he'd caught ter Stegen watching him. At first they were just glances, quick and subtle enough that he had chalked it up to his newness at the club. It was common at such a huge team, that new players were sometimes starstruck, but it usually wore off once they settled in. It didn't though, and Leo started to constantly feel the sensation of someone watching him.
Whenever he caught him staring, the keeper usually looked away and pretended to fix his gloves, cheeks tinged red even from where Leo was half way across the field. He found Marc staring a lot when he shouldn't be and Leo couldn't help but look back. It became a habit then when he was idle, eyes straying across the pitch to catch the German practicing with the other keepers. Marc noticed too and began to stare back, sometimes even smiling, lips quirking just slightly, when he caught Leo looking back.
It had become a distraction, one Leo knew he had to deal with, not just for the keeper but for himself. He didn't want to though, he really didn't. Leo hated the responsibility that came with being a captain but then he remembered how young ter Stegen really was, a child in comparison to the likes of Iker and Buffon, so he had to. Ter Stegen was becoming too brazen and it starting to catch the other's attention. Leo catches them looking between them sometimes, eyes questioning.
He knows the drill, he isn't as oblivious as his teammates think. Leo knows hero worship when he sees it, has seen it too many times to count. It's something that Leo has even been accused of before, eyes tracking Pablo Aimar across the field feverishly, and something that never ends well. He really likes the German though, had formed a friendship after those first few months where the other had struggled to learn Spanish, now that he was fluent the two could converse easily enough.
Marc also gave the best hugs and Leo couldn't deny that he sought the keeper after games to embrace him. There was something nice about folding into the other's arms and feeling the strength in hands when he rubbed Leo's back. It was easy to forget how young Marc was when they hugged. Leo had been spoiled by Geri over the years and looked for hugs were he could find them.
Leo waited for him after training, barely managing to convince Ney, Luis and Geri that he was busy after training and didn't want to go for lunch. They exchange suspicious looks as they leave, pausing to watch Leo root around in his bag. Leo smiles cheerfully and waves goodbye, letting out a sigh of relief as they go. Finally Andres nods at him before leaving, and Leo waits for the keepers who came in late from training to finish in the shower.
He can hear Marc and Jordi laughing from where he stands and smiles to himself. The third goal is usually so shy when he isn't with Marc. He loves how the blonde has integrated himself into the team, attracting the attention of Dani, Ivan and Rafa. in the process He sometimes wonders about him and Rafa but shakes his head to dispel the thought, definitely for another time.
Claudio comes out first, pausing when he sees Leo but nodding his head and hurrying about to get home to his wife. Ter Stegen and Masip follow seconds later, giggling at eachother as they do. Masip notices Leo first, freezing when he does, his cheeks heating a ruddy red. Marc follows his gaze, smile turning into a full fledged grin when he sees him. "Think you could give me a lift Marc?", Leo asked quietly, smiling when the other nodded enthusiastically.
Leo eased himself down on the bench in front of his own locker, knee aching in protest from an earlier tackle, but not wanting to rush the other. He watched Marc get dressed, easily interacting with Masip who seemed more withdrawn with Leo watching. Claudio didn't speak much but smiled often, and patted Marc on the back and ruffled Jordi's short hair before he left. "Bye Leo", the Chilean said quietly, still cautious with him after the Copa so Leo rewarded him a genuine smile.
Jordi followed soon after, muttering a quick goodbye to the two before dashing out the door, leaving just the German the Argentine behind. A comfortable silence fell over them as Marc finished getting dressed, taking a trip back to the mirror to fix his hair. It was nice sometimes, to just enjoy someone's presence. Geri and Ney were constantly talking, active, the kind of people Leo liked to surround himself with so they could do the talking. Leo liked Marc though.
"All done, sorry I made you wait", Marc said, sun burnt cheeks stretching as he smiled again. "No problem, thanks for the lift", Leo replied, glad the other didn't ask why he didn't get a lift home with Luis or Masche like he usually did. He followed Marc out to his car, chatting easily about the upcoming season. The sun was out in full that day and the leather in the car was warm when Leo sat down.
"So", Marc said finally as they pulled out of the carpark, eyes flickering between Leo and the road. Leo chewed his lip in reply, suddenly unsure of exactly what to say now that he was sat in front of the other. What could he say without coming off as rude or conceited? Or more importantly, what could he say without hurting the other's feelings and ruining their newly budding friendship?
"I... I just wanted to spend some time together", Leo said and was surprised to find that what he said true. He really did. Maybe if he just spent time with the other instead? Marc didn't seem entirely convinced but he nodded easily enough and began to talk about his old club. Leo listened attentively as he spoke, enjoying the accented Spanish that flowed from the other's mouth.
"How about lunch?", Marc asked, drumming his long fingers along the steering wheel and humming a unidentifiable tune. "I know this alemanes restaurant in town, it's kinda small but hopefully no one will notice us there, I mean they never notice me but you...", Marc continued when Leo nodded, trailing off suddenly to gauge Leo's reaction. "Sorry", Leo replied bashfully, aware that being with him sometimes made the simple things complicated.
"It's okay Leo, I just meant I don't want us to be bothered", Marc corrected him, a hand leaving the wheel to grip Leo's knee. "So you and Rafa?", Leo blurted, grinning when Marc reddened and his grip loosened on Leo as he began to splutter excuses. "Me... and, I mean Rafa? He's just a great friend, yep, a friend!", Marc stuttered, brow furrowing as he spoke. Leo had to bite his lip to stop himself from grin, struggling to keep his face neutral when the blonde's eyes flickered between him and the road.
"Well..", Marc started, mouth opening and closing several times before he let out a huff of exasperation. "It's silly", he said finally, not looking at Leo. "Nothing you say is silly to me", Leo offered, doing his best to encourage the other to open up. He relaxed into his seat as it worked, a gentle look washing over his face as he watched the young German talk about the Brazilian, face flushing as he remembered conversations and shared moments that had happened between the two.