Work Text:
"Before you say no, just hear me out."
"What are you scheming hermoso?" Leandro asked, a yawn promptly following his question. It was getting late and the pair should've been asleep hours ago. The football season just ended and they were going to travel to Beijing for a friendly against Australia shortly. They needed to enjoy this short period of rest before they were thrust back into training.
"We haven't seen Leo, nuestra luz en la oscuridad, in person since March," Rodri started, "Since we're going to be with him up until the friendly in Beijing I was thinking-"
"That's dangerous," Leandro interrupted, his tone playful.
"This is serious!" Rodri said, his words not having any bite to them.
"Lo siento, querido."
"I'll forgive you if you kiss me as soon as Leo picks us up."
"As if I'd ever pass up an opportunity to kiss you, el deseo mi corazón."
Rodri turned his face away from his phone screen and squeezed his eyes shut. He took a few deep breaths to calm his now racing heart. His cheeks and the tips of his ears were tinged a vibrant red. Leandro laughed at how flustered that term of endearment made Rodri. It worked every time.
"This facetime is going to go into a completely different direction if you don't stop."
"Fine, have it your way," Leandro said with a fake pout before he yawned again. It was Rodri's turn to laugh. Lea playfully rolled his eyes at him and turned over to his other side. He yawned yet again and tiredly stared at the bright phone screen. His eyes drooping as his boyfriend spoke.
"As I've been trying to say," Rodri continued, "I was thinking... what if we asked the hotel staff in Beijing to let the three of us room together?"
Leandro was wide awake at that. He stared wide eyed at Rodri through the screen. An incredulous look on his face while Rodri just stared back at him innocently.
"What?"
"Are you crazy?!" Leandro asked, "We can't ask them that."
"Why not?" Rodri asked.
"Why not?" Lea parroted, "The three of us aren't out publicly and China is very conservative querido."
"So?"
"Dios dame feurzas," Leandro muttered under his breath as he used his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, "We could potentially be outed to the public if the staff member we ask to room the three of us together doesn't keep their mouth shut. You know how some people are. They live for drama even at the detriment of others. All that negative attention on the three of us will cause a lot of problems. Especially for Leo."
Rodri drew his lips into a thin line and looked away from the phone screen. His free hand came up to rub the back of his neck as his expression soured. Leandro frowned at this. Did he shoot down Rodri's idea too hard and hurt his feelings? Oh no, he probably did. That wasn't his intention at all. He was just being realistic and now he's potentially upset one of his boyfriends before they're all supposed to reunite on international duty. Leandro opened his mouth to apologize but Rodri spoke up first.
"Can we at least try?" he asked, his voice very small and shy which was very unlike him. Rodri's face was in full view of the facetime again and he was definitely at least a little upset. The tiny sad glint in his eyes gave that away. Leandro stared at Rodri's sad and slightly pleading expression for a few moments more before sighing. He shook his fondly and shot his boyfriend a small smile.
"I really need to learn to say no to you."
"I should have said no to you," Leandro whispered to himself as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Him and Rodri were standing in front of the receptionist's desk in the hotel the team was staying at. The latter was trying his best not to flip his lid and cause a scene as he pleaded with the receptionist to let him, Leandro and Leo share a room. As Lea expected, she wasn't giving into his boyfriend's request.
"My deepest apologies sir," she said for the umpteenth time, "It is against hotel policy for three of you to room together. One of you may switch with Mister Messi's assigned roommate if all parties agree. That is the best that I can do for you."
"But-"
"Mister De Paul," the receptionist interrupted, her voice slightly raised, "I have already explained it to you several times. I will not bend the rules for your and Mister Paredes' sake. I am sorry, but what you are asking of me cannot be done."
Rodri deflated at the finality in her tone. Leandro caught sight of his sad expression and had to resist the urge to frown as well. He hated seeing either of his boyfriends upset. Rodrigo in particular because he's always so upbeat. Leandro flicked his eyes between the receptionist and his pouty boyfriend Rodri a few times before sighing.
"Okay, please listen-"
"No," the receptionist said cutting him off and holding up a hand, "As I explained to your compatriot, the three of you cannot share a room. Please stop asking me about it and head up to your assigned room. I am sure that you are both exhausted from your journey and would like an opportunity to rest and recuperate."
"Right..." Leandro trailed off with a sigh. He glanced at Rodri out of the corner of his eyes and finally frowned. Lea hated seeing him so down. Unfortunately, it looked like nothing could be done about this. The two of them would just have to be content with gently kicking Nico out in order to spend some private time with Leo before they have to leave so as to not alert any wandering hotel staff as to what they're doing. It's not ideal for any of them but it's the reality they have to endure.
"Come on querido," Lea whispered, his hand brushing against Rodri's but not daring to take it in his own lest a hotel staff member see. The pair didn't even get to take more than two steps away from the front desk before an all too familiar voice cut through the lobby.
"Lea? Rodri? Is there a problem?"
It was Leo.
Leandro internally cringed and the pair stopped in their tracks. Him and Rodri spun on their heels to face their third. Both nearly frowned as they took in the confusion on Leo's face before it morphed into concern as he saw the sadness in Rodri's eyes.
"Rodri, cariño, are you okay?" Leo asked, lowering his voice and gently guiding them out of the receptionist's earshot and direct line of sight.
Leandro and Rodri exchanged a look. A silent conversation passing between them as Leo's eyes searched both of them for answers. They didn't want Leo to find out like this. In fact, they'd prefer if he never knew about Rodri's idea since it got shot down so hard. Although, they both knew it couldn't be hidden forever. Leo has a sixth sense for picking up on when his boyfriends are hiding things from him. Particularly when it has something to with their emotions. They might as well come clean now.
"I... I just wanted to see if the three of us could room together for once instead of having to sneak around," Rodri said, his voice uncharacteristically quiet and sad, "Lea was even reluctant to try it when I told him over facetime. Now I see how silly the idea truly was."
"Oh nene," Leo whispered, cupping Rodri's face and not caring who saw them, "Don't beat yourself up over this."
"But-"
"Shh," Leo interrupted, his tone soothing "It's okay. Your idea wasn't silly. I've actually thought about asking the hotel staff to bend the rules for us many times these last few years. I'm proud that you were brave enough to even try."
Leandro couldn't help but smile softly as Leo comforted Rodri. He always knew the right things to say calm either of them down. Or to calm anyone down really. It was one of the many things he really loved about Leo.
"Now you two stay here while I sort this out."
"Wait, what?" Leandro asked, "You really don't have to. We both already tried and-"
"I know I don't have to but I want to," Leo spoke, cutting him off, "You both know that I'd do anything to ensure your happiness."
"Well yes but-"
"Then what's the problem?" Leo asked.
Leandro opened and closed his mouth as he wracked his brain for what to say. He shifted his gaze over to Rodri, who was a bit calmer now, and silently asked for help. Lea didn't want Leo to get disappointed by having the request turned down as they both did. However, Leo was incredibly stubborn. Rodri and Lea knew that all too well. They would have more luck in convincing Leo to do something rather than to not.
"Okay," Leandro said, "go ahead and give it a shot."
Leo smiled at him and gave his closest hand a squeeze before vanishing towards the receptionist's desk. Leandro and Rodri watched on as Leo spoke with her. Their fingers subconsciously found the other's and interlocked. Rodri squeezed Lea's hand as time ticked on. Then finally after a tense few minutes, Leo made his way back to them with three identical keycards in hand.
"Come on mis amors," he said, holding out a keycard to each of them and pocketing the third, "Let's go up to our room."
Rodri and Leandro's jaws dropped as they let go of each other's hands to take the offered item. They stared down at the plastic keycards in disbelief. They then turned their gazes to each other and exchanged equally shocked looks.
"How did you convince her to do this?" Leandro asked.
"Yeah," Rodri cut in, "She kept going on about how it was against the rules when we asked. Why did she do it for you?"
"I explained to her that we don't get to spend much time together during the season and not really that much outside of it either," Leo said, "I didn't say anything about the nature of our relationship but I suppose she put two and two together based on how fondly I spoke of you two."
Leandro and Rodri smiled as Leo's cheeks lit up with a blush. The red tinge spread to the tips of his ears dipped down beneath his shirt. Leo sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck as his boyfriends stared lovingly at him.
"A-anyway," he stammered, causing Lea and Rodri to chuckle, "She's sworn to secrecy and bent the rules for us just this once. We'll be rooming together until the match just like you wanted nene."
It was Rodri's turn to blush. Leandro recaptured his hand in his and gave it another squeeze. The action made Rodri turn his head toward Lea. The pair smiled at each other and Leandro felt better knowing that the other's mood had been uplifted. He absolutely hated seeing either of his boyfriends upset.
"Enough with the goo-goo eyes you two," Leo said, making his boyfriends' gazes turn to him, "I expect to be rewarded with cuddles for my efforts."
Leandro laughed and the throuple started to head towards the elevators with their things in tow. Once inside, Leandro came up behind Leo and snaked his arms around the shorter man's small waist. He leaned in close to Leo's ear but made no effort to whisper his next words.
"You'll be rewarded with more than just cuddles mi rey."
"I'm counting on it."
"And you guys call me the horny one."