Archive of Our Own

1. The first kiss (15.4.2022)

“Hey, you’re awake." Concerned, Gavi pushed himself off the door frame and approached Pedri when he noticed he was finally awake. The younger one slowly sat down on the bed beside him, while he still rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" he then asked the counter-question sleepily.

“You haven’t answered my messages since your diagnosis. I just wanted to make sure you were okay despite the circumstances," Gavi breathed and brushed a few strands of hair off his forehead. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Like shit?" he suggested bitterly but pushed into the touch. “I don’t know how often I can go through all this again before I give up at some point, Pablito."

"You'll come back stronger," Gavi assured him in a trembling voice.

“Do you know how many times I’ve heard that sentence? Maybe it's just not meant to be." Sighing, he turned his head away, causing Gavi's hand to slide off his forehead. He couldn't stand the suspiciously wet eyes of his best friend.

"Pedri," he whispered pleadingly. “You will make it."

"How can you be so sure?" he asked, looking back at him. He ran a desperate hand through his hair. “I have not once come back stronger. I wasn't even at my best before the same injury knocked me out again. So how the hell-"

"I'm so sure because I can't do it without you," Gavi interrupted his angry speech quietly and looked down. He rolled his eyes immediately. Sure, Gavi needed him. He got the good old "The team can only be strong with you" speech.

“Oh, please, Gav. The last few times the team got along just fine without me," he sighed.

"No, Pedri," the younger man shook his head resolutely. “I can’t do it without you. I freak out whenever you're not with me. And most importantly, it breaks me when you talk badly about yourself because you just don't realise how much we all need you, but mostly, how much I need you. I can't live without you, and I can't be happy if you're not happy. So please don't give up, because you won't be happy without football."

Speechless, he stared at his friend and needed a few moments to process what was said, to understand the message behind it. Of course, he knew that there had always been a special bond between them, but he had never known that Gavi felt that way about him. That Gavi felt the same way he did.

"Okay," he whispered now after Pedri still had not replied. Even though he had tried to suppress the hurt undertone, Pedri could hear it, and the older one cursed himself for still not finding the right words. “I’m sorry, I really didn’t plan this. I should get going, too, so let me know if you need anything, okay? You know I'm always here for you. No matter what happens."

Gavi gave him one last quick, watery glance paired with a trembling smile before he wanted to get up to leave. And that was the moment life returned to his body.

He quickly grabbed Gavi's wrist to stop him, and Gavi turned to him. Without a word, they just looked into each other's eyes and Pedri tried to convey all his emotions that he could not express with words. He didn't deserve Gavi. He didn't deserve Gavi's feelings for him. Again and again, he pushed him away when he had bad days, again and again, he let him down. But still, Gavi kept coming back to him, and at this realisation, tears came into his eyes.

"Please stay," he simply breathed, and Gavi's gaze immediately softened; he had obviously understood the meaning of the words. He tenderly put a hand on his cheek and then leaned forward to press their lips together. For that brief moment, his world stood still. All destructive thoughts vanished from his mind, and instead, all that mattered was Gavi. Gavi, who now backed away and gently smiled at him.

“I will stay as long as you’ll have me."

2. First time cooking together (May 2022)

“I think I did something wrong." Gavi looked sceptically at the onions, which just didn't want to become glazed. “They’ve been on the stove for 10 minutes and nothing happens."

"Let me see," he offered and put down the knife with which he was cutting the carrots. Gavi willingly gave him some space at the stove, and it didn't take five seconds until Pedri had already found the reason. Amused, he snorted.

"What?" his boyfriend demanded, insulted.

"Maybe it would be a good idea to turn on the stove, Gav," he smiled, turning on the heat before looking at him with raised eyebrows. The younger one blushed embarrassed.

"Perhaps that would be a good idea, yes," echoed the Sevillian softly. "Sorry."

“It’s okay, we have all the time in the world." Smiling, he held out his arms to him and his lover hesitated for a moment before accepting the embrace.

"There's no reason to be so nervous, Gav," he whispered to him, pressing a kiss on his temple. "It’s just like always, okay?"

"We've never cooked together before," the uncertain answer came quickly. “I’m afraid of doing something wrong."

“So what? Then you'd be doing something wrong. I'm not going to leave you for that," he said seriously, looking for Gavi's gaze, which his boyfriend averted.

"Gavi, I'm not going to leave you for that," he repeated in a firm voice. He gently put his hands on Gavi's cheeks so that he would look at him. “I’m not with you because of your cooking, and I’m certainly not going to leave you for your cooking. I don't care how good of a cook you are, okay? You don't have to worry."

Slowly the younger man nodded, whereupon he affectionately reminded him: “Words, Gav."

"Okay," he replied quickly. “I got it."

“Good." He tenderly stroked his cheek before stealing a short kiss. He immediately noticed how Pablo leaned against him and relaxed. Of course, he could have imagined that; his boyfriend simply needed physical touch to be able to deal with difficult situations, and today they hadn't really taken the time to just stop for a moment.

That's why he kissed Gavi's forehead again before he backed back a little. "Shall we continue cooking or do you need a moment?" He frowned, but the younger one smiled broadly again.

"It’s fine, we can continue cooking," he then confirmed and squeezed his hip briefly. “Thank you."

Smiling, he let him go and devoted himself to the carrots, while Gavi went back to the stove much more calmly.

Less than 30 minutes later they were sitting together at the dining table and Gavi looked proudly at his curry.

"It smells fantastic, Pablito," he remarked. “Enjoy your meal."

"You too," replied his boyfriend, smiling, and then took the first bite. Surprised, his eyes widened. "That tastes good!"

"Of course, it tastes good," he laughed.

"We have to cook together more often," Gavi stated and continued eating happily, as he smiled to himself.

What did he do to deserve him?

3. The first fight (May 2022)

Irritated, he watched how Gavi repeatedly avoided him during training. What had happened? Yesterday everything had been fine; his boyfriend was happy that he was finally allowed to start an easy training session, which took place parallel to that of the team, on the same pitch. Now, however, it seemed as though Gavi was not quite so convinced of the idea of having him around again.

While everyone else kept coming over to him during the short breaks, his boyfriend kept his distance.

"Wow, you're really happy to be back," Ferran remarked with a smile and sat down next to him with a water bottle. “I have seldom seen such a happy face."

"Sorry. It's not so easy watching you train and not being able to participate," he lied effortlessly.

“You’ll be ready again next season." His best friend patted him on the shoulder and then took a big sip from his water bottle. "Is everything okay with you and Gavi?"

"Hmm?" Terrified, he turned to him and noticed how his blood ran cold. Did Ferran know about their relationship? How could he just say something like that?

“Well." Confused, the elder tilted his head and then looked at Gavi, who was talking to Ansu a good distance away. “You guys got here together this morning and somehow, I thought he would be attached to you now that you’re back. He's been talking about how much he misses you all the time, and now you haven't even looked at each other."

He shrugged his shoulders more calmly. Okay, it didn't seem like Ferran had seen through the whole situation. “You don’t have to worry, Fer. I think he's just worrying too much. I'll talk to him later."

Agreeing, the Valencian nodded and squeezed his thigh briefly. "Our baby needs confirmation sometimes, huh?"

It was at that moment that Gavi's eyes fell on him for the first time during training and immediately they got stuck. Pedri swallowed heavily when he saw from afar how his boyfriend tensed and turned away to walk toward the cabin with the others. Only then did he realise that Ferran's hand was still on his thigh.

“Okay, we should go change." He stood up jerkingly and Ferran gave him a sceptical look but left the situation uncommented.

He was a little worried that Gavi would find an excuse not to go back to his house with him, but as he noticed half an hour later, these worries were for nothing. But what really bothered him was that his boyfriend wouldn’t say a word.

When he finally stopped in front of the garage, he had enough.

"Okay, spill," he demanded, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Surprised, the younger one looked at him but remained silent.

“Gavi." He stared at him with a serious look. "What the hell got into you today?"

"Nothing," he shot back and tried to reach for the door handle, so Pedri quickly locked the car from the inside.

"Forget it," he commented. “You can’t just run away like you did during training. I've been really looking forward to being back, but you're making it really hard for me right now."

“Oh, come on." His boyfriend snorted contemptuously and rolled his eyes. “Ferran has given you enough affection for all of us combined. And you seem to have enjoyed it, too."

Suddenly silence came and Pedri realised how much the words hurt him. What exactly was Gavi blaming him for? "What?" he breathed in shock.

“It’s okay. I know you like Ferran, but you really don't have to rub it in my face," Gavi murmured. “Message received."

That's when he became furious. Was he seriously accused of liking Ferran's touches better than his boyfriend's?

"Okay, first of all, I really don't know what's gotten into you today, but whatever it is, it's got to stop," he stated angrily and didn't hold back anymore. If Gavi could blame him for being affectionate with his best friend, he could shoot back. “Secondly, if you still can’t believe I’m not going to break up with you, you need to work on your trust. Especially when it comes to Ferran, who, by the way, is in a relationship with a woman, Gavi. And thirdly, all I've been doing all day is wishing you'd pay attention to me, that you'd be happy to have me back. Instead, you give me the cold shoulder without me even knowing what I did wrong. I'm trying really hard to make sure you're always comfortable with me, but if that's what I get in return, I can gladly stop." By the end, his voice had become louder and louder, and he waited for a brief moment to let the words sink in before unlocking the car and getting out. Then he slammed the door behind him and stepped into the house. Gavi didn't follow him.

After he had closed the door behind him, he leaned against it and took a deep breath. What the hell just happened? How could the situation have escalated like that? And above all, had he been too harsh?

Sighing, he closed his eyes and collected himself for a moment before slipping out of his shoes and walking into the living room, where he threw himself on the sofa. Nervously, he played with his fingers. Would Gavi still come, or would he go home? Or had he already left? They'd never fought before, and he just didn't know how Gavi handled it.

For several minutes, he lay still in silence, hardly daring to breathe so as not to break through it, then there was a sound at the front door. He held his breath as the steps drew closer and closer to the living room. Then Gavi finally stood in the door frame and he was immediately back on his feet.

"Gavi," he breathed as he saw tears running down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he whimpered and quickly brushed them away. “I really didn’t want to cry, I just-"

He quickly bridged the distance between them and pulled him tightly against himself. “It’s all right, Gav. I'm here, yes?"

He allowed Gavi to cry, feeling his own heart break. He should have known that the younger one would not cope well with the situation. He shouldn't have left him alone in the car, alone with his thoughts.

"I'm not going anywhere, okay?" he whispered to him as he noticed that Gavi was slowly calming down. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have left you alone."

"It’s fine," he muttered, clawing at his top. “I spiralled."

“It’s okay, it was a stupid situation. We both didn't handle it well," he said. He waited a few more moments until his boyfriend was fully calm again, and then he pushed him away a little. “You still have to explain to me what happened today."

"Can we sit down?" Gavi asked uncertainly and he nodded. They sat down on the sofa together, where he grabbed the hands of his boyfriend, who briefly smiled gratefully in return. “I didn’t know how to act now that we’re together. I'm so afraid I'll lose control if I get too close to you for anyone to find out about us. And then Ferran was there the whole time, holding you and hugging you without even thinking about it. He could be with you without having to worry about what other people think. I couldn't, and then I got jealous. Which is stupid, after all, it's my own fault."

He sighed heavily and slipped closer so that Gavi could bury his face in his neck. He gently kissed his head before he started: “Believe me, I’m worried about someone finding out, too, but you can’t avoid me in training. Everyone notices if we're not attached at the hip and they get sceptical. Ferran has already asked me about it. So please don't avoid me. You can hug me, you can come to me, you can kiss my shoulder or whatever, because that's what you do with everyone, Gavi. You don't have to hold back, and if I feel it's getting too much, I'll let you know in time, but I doubt I'll ever get enough of being around you."

He noticed how his lover’s lips twisted into a smile before he kissed his neck briefly. Pedri stepped back to take his boyfriend's face in his hands and look into his eyes. "As long as I'm the only one who gets to kiss you properly, everything's fine."

Embarrassed, Gavi laughed and leaned their foreheads together. "You’re the only one who can do that, Pepi," he smiled, whereupon he pulled him in a tender kiss.

"I only want you, Gavi," he whispered against his lips. “No one else but you."

4. The first “I love you" (July 2022)

They were just sitting on the sofa watching a movie when he got this urgent need to finally tell Gavi how he felt about him. Over the last few days, the voices inside his head, pushing him to do so, grew louder and louder, and now made him cuddle closer to his boyfriend. When he turned his head up to him, the younger man was already looking at him with a smile.

He reached out to kiss him, whereupon Gavis moved the hand on his stomach to his cheek. He would never get enough of those little moments where they could just be happy together.

As he pulled away slightly, Gavi immediately chased his lips with his eyes closed, so he smiled and pressed one more kiss to his lips before finally retreating. Satisfied, he put his head back on Gavi's chest and enjoyed how he tightened his grip around him.

"Hey, Gav?" he then broke through the pleasant atmosphere and gently stroked the younger man's forearms.

"Hmm?" he hummed, obviously focused on the movie again.

"You know I love you, right?" he smiled and Gavi immediately froze. Chuckling, he took his boyfriend's hand to kiss it. He had already thought that Gavi would need a moment to accept the words.

"You still there?" he laughed affectionately when Gavi had still not replied after about a minute and turned to him again. His boyfriend had put on his best pout. "What?"

"That's not fair!" he whined. "I had a plan, Pepi!"

"A plan?" he repeated, laughing in disbelief.

"Yes, a plan!" the younger man fired back. “I wanted to cook the curry, which we cooked back then, and surprise you with it and then tell you how I feel about you. And now you just dropped the bomb while watching this boring movie. You didn't even look at me!"

Now he could not suppress his laughter anymore and his boyfriend immediately pouted even more.

"Asshole," Gavi hissed at him and moved underneath him. Before Pedri could realise what his plan was, he had already landed on the ground. Giggling, he looked up at Gavi, who was still not very amused and watched him from the sofa above him.

"It's not funny, Pepi!" he said. “This was supposed to be a romantic moment that we want to look back to."

"Oh, I'll always remember the moment my boyfriend pushed me off the sofa after I first told him I loved him," he rolled his eyes with a grin. "Don't you want to look back to that, too?"

The younger one sighed heavily and stretched out his hand to help him up again. Immediately he saw his chance. He grabbed his hand and dragged Gavi to the ground, pulling him straight onto him.

"Idiot," Gavi muttered after he had caught himself again, holding himself up next to his head. His eyes had a worried glow despite his words, and shortly afterwards he also checked: "Did you hurt yourself?"

“No, I didn’t. Don't worry," he smiled and put his hands on Gavi's cheeks. "Hey, Gav?" he whispered.

Of course, his boyfriend immediately understood what he was getting at and rolled his eyes, but now, he also had to smile. "Hmm?"

“I love you." Smiling, he caressed his cheeks, which twisted into a broad grin. “I love you so much."

"I love you too, Pepi," he replied without any hesitation and then kissed him tenderly.

Yeah, that was definitely a moment he wanted to look back to forever.

5. The first vacation together (July 2022)

"Why didn't you bring me here earlier?" Gavi glanced at the white sandy beach and the turquoise sea, which stretched for miles.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged his shoulders insecurely. "I've actually thought about it many times, but I didn't know how to invite my best friend and secret crush-" At these words, Gavi rolled his eyes, even though his cheeks turned bright red. “-to my family to Tenerife, purely platonic of course. Imagine if I asked Ferran that, it would just be weird."

"Ew," Pablo scrunched his nose. “Nope, thank you, I don’t need that picture in my head. But I bet nobody would have been surprised anyway, if you had asked me before."

“Because we were never just friends, Gav." He glanced lovingly at him and stopped in a shady spot. Luckily, his family lived in a rather unknown and therefore quiet corner of Tenerife, so they rarely had to deal with tourists.

"So you could have asked me sooner," Pablo concluded, whereupon he laughed.

"You've always been the braver one of us, Pablo," he smiled as they spread the blanket on the sand. “I would never have dared to put our friendship at risk."

"You're lucky I did it," his boyfriend winked at him playfully and stripped himself down to his swimming trunks. “And most of all, I’m glad I did."

“I sure hope it’s because I make you happier than you’ve ever been in your life." Challenging, he raised his eyebrows and put his hands on his hips, which caused Pablo to grin even wider.

"Among other things," he giggled. “But mostly, because it allows me to finally taste your parents’ food, which you praise all the time. Seriously, I always thought you were a good cook, but that's nothing compared to the food we get here."

"You take that back!" he exclaimed indignantly and took a step towards the younger man. Pablo immediately took off and fled towards the sea. Of course, he immediately ran after him.

When they reached the water, he finally caught up with him and launched himself onto Pablo’s back. For a while, they wrestled, dipped each other into the water, and enjoyed the carefreeness, until he finally got Pablo into a headlock. His boyfriend tried to get out of it but eventually gave up. Breathing heavily, he leaned even more against him and grinned up at him.

"Will you take it back?" he asked again.

"Yeah, yeah, fine," murmured Pablo, turning around in his arms. “I’m glad I was so brave because you make me the happiest person on the planet."

"And?" he hooked up.

"And you cook at least as well as your parents." The Sevillian rolled his eyes. “Even though I didn’t know I should lie to you."

"You’re not lying," he winked cheerfully at him and looked around once. Since it was still very early, the beach was still empty and the few people who were already there did not pay attention to them. So, he turned back to Pablo and pulled him a little closer.

"Come on, Pepi," he grumbled. “You can’t deny that your parents cook perfectly."

“I am not denying it. I was just expecting a little more gratitude from my boyfriend, who eats my home-cooked food regularly." Smiling, he tilted his head and Pablo rolled his eyes again.

"I always show gratitude," he exclaimed vehemently.

"Right now, I can’t really feel it," he grinned broadly, and Pablo stared at him angrily for a moment before pulling him into a passionate kiss. Somewhat surprised, he gasped but reciprocated the passion. Well, now he could feel the gratitude.

He was just getting to really enjoy the kiss when he felt a hand on his head. Not a second later, it was already underwater.

Breathing, he emerged from the water and was immediately greeted by Pablo's resounding laughter. In disbelief, he ran a hand through his face before giving the younger one a reproachful look.

"I hate you," he remarked dryly.

"I don't think so, honey," came the cheeky answer. “I don’t think so."

6. The first Coming-Out (September 2022)

He sat back happily in his chair as he listened to Frenkie’s and Ferran's heated debate over which Premier League club had the best history. Presumably, this would not come to a conclusion today.

After the 3-0 win against Sevilla, they had decided to have dinner together as a team. They had not done this for months and they all found it a necessary team-building measure. Not that they had a bad bond - quite the contrary - but they had not had a great team evening for a long time.

Pablo sat diagonally opposite him between Ansu and Fermín and they exchanged short glances from time to time, which had become a habit. It was just a brief moment in which they made sure that the other one was feeling fine.

"I'm just saying that City has little history compared to Arsenal or United," Frenkie just remarked. “City is only successful because some rich people suddenly invested a lot of money. Same with PSG, there is no denying that. And you can't just defend City because Pep is the coach and you used to play there. That doesn't change the facts."

"Give it up, Frenkie," he stepped in and reached for his glass. “Discussing with Ferran is pointless."

"Great team building, guys," the Valencian snorted, directly offended. “You just pick a bullying victim, very classy."

“Your argument is simply incoherent." Shrugging his shoulders, Frenkie tilted his head.

“Okay, new question: Who is the best player of all time? Without Leo and Ronaldo", Ferran changed the subject and now their other teammates also intervened.

"Neymar," Pablo said, and everyone turned to him indignantly.

“Okay, wow. The baby has no idea about football history."

"Never!"

"He's good, but seriously, Gavi?"

"Are you stupid?"

Laughing, he took a sip of his coke and watched as Pablo desperately tried to defend himself against the accusations.

"Pedriiii," he lamented. “Help me! You like Neymar, too."

“Nope, I’m not going to help you out of this one. Your opinion is just wrong," he replied, putting his glass back. “This one’s on you."

“Okay, wow,” he snapped and crossed his arms in front of his chest while the team followed their chit-chatter amused. “No sex for you, then."

At that moment, he was glad that he had put his glass down, otherwise, it would probably have fallen out of his hand by now. Pablo had obviously not realised yet what he had just said and instead continued sulking.

At the table it had become quiet, their teammates gaped at them, but no one made a sound, including the two of them. To be honest, Pedri didn't even know if they could talk themselves out of it at all - let alone if they wanted to. They hadn't outed themselves to anyone before. Certainly, some family members suspected it, but no one had known officially. So far, at least.

Pablo seemed to have slowly returned to reality and wiggled uncomfortably on his chair. "Sorry," he then threw into the circle in a low voice, probably most directed at Pedri. “That was stupid."

"I'd like to say I’m surprised, but I’m really not." Marc was the first to find his language, and then the big questioning began.

"How long have you been together?"

“Please spare us your sex life."

"Who took the first step?"

"Why didn't you tell us about this before?"

"Okay, one at a time," he interrupted quickly before the situation could escalate any further. Pablo already seemed to be overwhelmed and had frozen. “We’ve been together since April and you’re the first to know, so relax, everyone. We’re not keeping it a secret, but we’re also not exactly rubbing it in anyone's face either."

“And I had already wondered why your secret gushing had become so little in the last few months. You just don't need it anymore," Ferran remarked and raised his eyebrows. "Damn. I really thought I'd never live to see this moment, but you finally got him, Pedri."

"To be honest, Pablo took the first step," he smiled and winked kindly at his boyfriend, who slowly relaxed again. “But enough of us. We're still the same as before."

“I know. We were not exactly spared from your longing looks over the past few years," Sergi scoffed, but one could immediately hear that he didn't mean it as an insult, which is why everyone could laugh about it.

Their teammates let the subject be after that, but at the end of the evening, when Pablo almost fell asleep at the table, he noticed that he was being looked at more and more often. And somehow, he thought to himself that the whole unplanned situation had to come along with something good, so he stood up and rounded the table.

After a brief plea, Ansu kindly switched places with him so that he could now sit next to his boyfriend. Pablo, of course, immediately slid closer to him and put his head on his shoulder.

"Hey." He stroked Pablo's hair affectionately as Pablo smiled at him sleepily. "We can leave soon, yes?"

“It’s fine. If you want to stay, we'll stay," he muttered and kissed his shoulder briefly. “It’s nice right now." Satisfied, the younger man put a hand on his thigh, which made him smile.

"Okay, then we'll stay a little longer," he decided and tenderly kissed his forehead. He knew that this short conversation and physical touch was just a more intimate form of their normally short check-ups, which they could now have in front of their team.

When he raised his head again, he noticed that some teammates had been watching them smilingly but were now returning to their own conversations. At that moment, he realised that, for the first time, he had the feeling of being truly free, and that realisation immediately warmed his heart.

7. The first anniversary (15.4.2023)

"What are you doing today?" Ferran asked him after the training. "Something exciting?"

“I don’t think so." He quickly looked at Pablo, who was just putting on a fresh shirt. “Maybe relaxing a bit and enjoying the evening. Depending on what Pablo has planned."

“And I thought I might have a chance with a FIFA tournament." Ferran held his hand to his forehead in mock hurt and thus made him laugh. “But fine. The injured old man wants to rest with his husband."

“First of all, I am no longer injured. Tomorrow will be the last game I miss," he quickly corrected. “Secondly, not my husband."

"Not yet," commented the Valencian, wiggling his eyebrows, prompting Pedri to kick him half-heartedly. “Don’t you feel like having a FIFA tournament? You know I really need this before an away game."

"Alright, I'll ask him," he chuckled and walked over to his boyfriend, who greeted him with a smile.

"What’s up?" Pablo asked as he stood between his legs, and put a hand on his hip.

"Ferran invited me to a FIFA tournament," he began hesitantly. “Would that be okay? I wouldn't stay long."

"You don't have to ask my permission, Pepi," his boyfriend laughed straight away and shook his head slightly. “Go with him, it’s fine. As long as you're home tonight and we go to bed together, everything's fine."

Once again, he noticed how his whole body tingled when he heard how naturally Pablo now spoke of their home, although technically it was his home. But it was true - in the last few months it had become their home, and it probably wouldn't be long before Pablo officially gave up his apartment.

“Okay. I really won't stay long, I promise," he repeated seriously, and Pablo grinned at him broadly.

‘Pepi. Stop it," he giggled happily. “Have fun and see you later."

"Shouldn't we take you with us?" Surprised, he tilted his head and brushed Pablo's hair briefly, who said, "Ansu can take me with him."

"Alright," he agreed, not enthusiastically. He would have at least liked to save Pablo and Ansu the trouble. “I love you."

“I love you too." Pablo stuck out his lips, whereupon he leaned down to him and kissed him. Then he stroked the younger man's hair tenderly again, before walking back to Ferran.

"Okay, let's go!"

They spent several hours together in Ferran's living room, and he had to admit that he might have neglected Ferran a little over the past few months. Although they saw each other often, they rarely met up with only just the two of them, and he enjoyed spending time alone with his best friend.

"Oh, Jesus!" Ferran called out suddenly in shock after looking at his phone. “You have to go."

"What?" he laughed perplexedly. "You wanted me to come over, and now you're kicking me out?"

"Sorry." Ferran stood up and pulled him up. “Sira wanted to come over, I had completely forgotten. You know, we're in a bit of a crisis right now.”

"I wonder why when you forget her," he murmured, grabbing his things. "I thought we were having dinner together?"

"Nope, sorry," he apologised again and looked at him guiltily as he kind of pushed him out the door. “You really must go. But it was a nice afternoon, we should do it again!"

"Yes, I'd love to," he replied, completely surprised. "Good luck tomor-" Before he could finish the sentence, the front door was shut in front of him, and he paused for a moment. The fact that Ferran sometimes behaved strangely was nothing new, but that was a whole new level.

"What the hell," he muttered to himself, but then shook off his shock and walked to his car to drive home. At least he had an interesting story to tell Pablo.

When he opened the door of his home, he was immediately greeted by a familiar smell, which made him frown. It smelled like the curry they had cooked together.

"Pablo?" he shouted sceptically as he slipped out of his shoes. "I'm home!"

Immediately footsteps sounded and shortly after his boyfriend appeared in the hallway. "Hey," Pablo breathed and approached him. Happily, Pedri wrapped his arms around him and held him tightly for a moment.

"Hey," he muttered back. “Is there curry left? Ferran suddenly kicked me out before we could order dinner."

"I know," Pablo replied, and he immediately broke the embrace. What? How would Pablo know about it? Had Ferran texted him? Embarrassed, the younger smiled at him. “He helped me with my plan and lost track of time."

"Plan?" he repeated irritated, and Pablo reached for his hand to drag him into the kitchen. There, Pedri froze as soon as he took in the surroundings.

The light was dimmed, on the dining table were a candle and two plates full of curry, which was still steaming. What was that supposed to mean? Confused, he turned to his boyfriend, who nervously played with his fingers.

“Uh...I know that dates are not so important to you and that’s okay, really. I just thought I'd use the day to show you how much I love you," Pablo began hesitantly and immediately, his brain started working. What was he getting at? “Since we’re together, I’m happier than ever, Pepi. I don't think I've ever known a person who understands me as much as you do, and I'm even more grateful that you're not only my best friend, but also my partner. Every day I wake up next to you automatically starts with a smile. You show me over and over again how much you love me; you support me unconditionally and you always make sure I'm okay. So I thought I'd give you something symbolic back today. Happy first anniversary, Pepi. I love you more than anything."

Stunned, he looked at his boyfriend. During the short speech, his eyes had watered, and he quickly rubbed them away before any tears could leave. "Mi amor," he whispered shakingly, but then did not know any further. No words in this world could be good enough to reply to what Pablo had just said. So he quickly decided to bridge the distance between them and involve him in an intimate kiss.

He tightly wrapped his arms around Pablo and tried to let all his emotions flow into the kiss. He felt his boyfriend smiling against his lips as his hands wandered to Pedri's cheeks. Their lips moved against each other lovingly and when he slipped one hand under the hem of Pablo’s shirt, the latter moved back.

"First the main course, then the dessert," he winked at him but did not make any effort to detach himself completely from him.

He grumbled a little disgruntled but knew himself that this was the better decision. He hadn't eaten for hours, and Pablo also had a game tomorrow - they couldn't risk anything anyway.

"I love you too, by the way," he whispered to Pablo's lips. “And I’m sorry I didn’t know that today’s our anniversary."

"All good," Pablo smiled, rubbing his shoulders. “As I said, I know that dates are not important to you and you show me differently every day that you love me. I really just wanted to make you happy."

“You have definitely succeeded." Happily, he leaned forward and joined her lips for another tender kiss.

A year. He had already been with Pablo for a year, and he couldn't wait for the next few years to come.

8. The first championship(June 2023)

As soon as the referee blew the final whistle, Pedri did the same as the other injured players and jumped up to run from the grandstand towards the pitch. They had won the league. They had won the league, and he hadn't contributed much because his stupid thigh injury had knocked him out again and again.

And despite everything, he could swallow the bitter aftertaste when he arrived at the pitch and congratulated one teammate after another, hugging them. By the time his radiant boyfriend stood in front of him, every negative emotion had completely disappeared.

"Campeones!" Pablo shouted towards him and quickly bridged the last meters between them to jump into his arms. Of course, he caught him easily.

"Campeones," he laughed. “Congratulations on the first championship, mi amor."

"Congratulations to you too," Pablo whispered to him and pressed a short kiss on his hair. Carefully, he let his boyfriend slide back to the ground, but for now, they remained arm in arm.

"I know it hasn't been an easy season for you, but you did your part, Pepi," Pablo smiled softly. “Without you on the team, we wouldn’t have won this championship, believe me."

And somehow, he could. With any other person, he probably would have just nodded out of kindness, but inwardly would have been vomiting, but he could just trust Pablo. He knew his boyfriend would never lie to him. And even if he only helped with the fact that Pablo was in good shape and played well, it was still his merit and he accepted it with gratitude.

"Thank you," he muttered back. “I could almost get used to life as a husband who watches your home games in the stadium and waits for you to come home after away games."

"Oh, don't get used to it. I'm counting on starting the new season side by side on the pitch," the younger man laughed and pulled him into a hug. “But husband sounds good."

With a smile, he pressed him to himself and then the team seemed to have had enough of their loving exchange, because not a second later at least four colleagues jumped at them screaming.

"Campeones, Campeones, olé, olé, olé!" they all shouted together, and who were they not to join in?

The whole evening, they celebrated together. After the trophy presentation, the party started on the pitch, continued in the cabin, then they all met in their regular restaurant before finally ending up in some club that the club had rented just for them.

With his current alcohol level, he could actually be proud that he hadn't completely lost his control over his desire for Pablo yet because he had already had to pull himself together all night long. This certain pride about the championship, which was reflected in the whole body posture of his boyfriend, was incredibly attractive and so it was no surprise that they ended up on the dance floor, tightly pressed together. Once again, he thanked his boyfriend inwardly for having accidentally outed them in front of the team, so he could press open-mouthed kisses all over his neck.

"Mhhh..." Delightfully, Pablo dropped his head back on his shoulder, his eyes closed. They didn't move to the music anymore, but to be honest, that was the least of his worries.

His hands ran over his boyfriend’s body and God, he could not even blame it on the alcohol. The sheer closeness to Pablo drove him crazy. Automatically, his fingers slipped under Pablo's shirt and brushed over the heated skin, whereupon his boyfriend turned in his arms.

He looked at him through half-lidded eyes and breathed heavily. "Okay, let’s go home," he whispered.

"Yeah?" he smiled crookedly, even though he knew the answer perfectly well.

None of their teammates commented on the moment they left the club holding hands, but as expected, they had to listen to comments about how unbearable they were together for months afterwards.

9. The first marriage proposal (June 2025)

"Fuck!" he cursed and immediately it became awfully quiet around him. The silence lasted for a while before Ferran dared to carefully ask: "What happened?"

“I left the chain of lights with my brother." Stressed, he rummaged through the boxes again, but it could not be found. He had seriously forgotten it at Fer’s house. Of course, he had to forget the most beautiful of the three chains of lights.

"Okay, uh... how about this: I'll go back to Fer and get it," suggested Frenkie and grabbed his car keys, but he already pulled at his hair in frustration and murmured: "No, we don't have time for that. Pablo's gonna be here soon, and the food's not even finished yet, and I have to get ready, and-"

“Okay, I’m out. Have a nice day." Ferran threw both his arms in the air and dropped himself theatrically on the sofa. "Who dares to say it?"

"Dares to say what?" he chuckled, irritated, but received no reply. He appealed to Frenkie, Ronald and Alejandro, but they still did not answer, so he turned back to Ferran. He groaned angrily and gave the others a nasty look before starting: “You are unbearable."

"Excuse me?" Insulted, he put his hands on his hip and frowned. “I really don’t have time for this right now, Ferran."

"That's exactly what I mean!" his best friend exclaimed, and before things could escalate, Frenkie stood between the two.

"What Ferran actually wanted to say," the Dutchman started with a sharp look in the direction of the Valencian. “We can understand that you are nervous. Believe me, I could have pissed myself when I asked Mikky to be my wife. But the evening will remain forever in your memory, whether with or without a chain of lights. That string of lights will never appear in any story, so don't forget to breathe from time to time, Pedri. Everything's going to be fine, Gavi's going to be happy and of course, he's going to accept the proposal, and then you're engaged. You don't have to worry about anything."

Guilty, he lowered his gaze and let the words of his teammate sink in. He was right - he had been incredibly stressed all day and had made little things his priority that were unimportant. Pablo and he had just moved into this house together and had taken the next big step, so he finally wanted to make it official. What he and Pablo had was forever. He was so desperate for everything to be perfect that he had forgotten what was really important: they were going to be engaged later that evening.

"I'm sorry, I'm pulling myself together," he muttered to them before giving Ferran a nasty look. “But you’re out."

"Gladly," he snapped back, rolling his eyes and showing him the middle finger. God, as if Fer wasn't enough, he's had Ferran as a second brother for years now.

Of course, the Valencian had not left but had continued to help, so that only an hour later they were finally finished with everything. He looked sceptically in the mirror as the older man entered the bedroom.

"Am I overdressed?" he asked uncertainly, and by Ferran's look he could tell that he had a joke in store, thus he continued: "Serious answer."

“Fine, fine." Innocently, he held up his hands. “You look good, Pedri, the suit fits perfectly. Gavi is going to want to undress you right away, and I'm glad I won't be there to see that."

He snorted amused but gave him a grateful look through the mirror for the honest opinion.

“Fermín has just told us that Gavi is coming home, so we’re going to get out of here. Everything is ready downstairs," Ferran told him and patted him kindly on the shoulder. "Are you ready too?"

"Yes," he answered without hesitation, turning to him with a smile. “I am ready."

Immediately his smile reflected on Ferran's lips and together they went down the stairs. He kindly thanked his friends, without whom he would probably have gone completely mad today, and after a few last positive affirmations, he was alone in the house.

Excitedly, he strolled through the living room until there was a sound at the front door, and he came to a standstill.

"I'm back!" Pablo greeted him cheerfully and he immediately calmed down. Everything would be fine now.

"I'm in the living room," he called back. He listened to the sounds Pablo made as he probably put his keys and shoes away before heading towards the living room. The younger man then froze in the door frame.

„What’s all this?“ he asked and pointed to the chains of lights and the decorated dining table before everything seemed to fall in place. “Jesus Pedri. Warn a guy! I’m underdressed!”

"I haven't even said anything yet!" he laughed and reached out his hands. “Come here." Pablo came up to him, grumbling, grabbed his hands and let him lead him into the middle of the room.

"I love you more than anything," he began and briefly squeezed Pablo's hands, which immediately began to tremble. “The last few years with you by my side have been the best years of my life and even though we like to drive each other crazy sometimes, I wake up every day knowing that I have found my soulmate in you. The mere fact that I'm standing here giving this cheesy speech for you should be proof enough of how much I love you." Pablo had to laugh lightly at that but nodded quickly and put one hand on his cheek. His eyes were already suspiciously wet.

"I've never been so sure of anything as that the future holds a lot for us and I think it's time to take the next step," he continued, kneeling in front of his boyfriend, and opening the box with the ring. "Pablo Martín Páez Gavira, would you do me the honour of marrying me?"

"Of course, I'll marry you," he whispered without hesitation and couldn't stop beaming. “I love you so, so much." With these words, he let himself fall on his knees to pull him into a deep kiss.

"I told you I was underdressed," the younger one breathed against his lips, making him smile.

"Oh, shut up," he grinned back and tightened his grip on his fiancé. “You can take my suit off after dinner."

10. The first wedding (August 2026)

"Pablo, mi amor." His voice trembled suspiciously as he began his vows, and he had to really pull himself together to not start crying. “I can’t promise you that we’ll only have good times, but I can promise you that I’ll be by your side in good times as well as in bad. I can't promise you that we'll always agree - we rarely do - but I can promise you that I'll always respect and cherish you. I can't promise you that we'll never be sad, but I can promise you that I'll always hold you and hug you and comfort you. I can't promise you that we'll always be treated fairly and justly, but I can promise you that I'll always stand up for you - for us. I can promise you that I will always fight for you to be happy, because only then can I be truly happy, too. Pablo, you make me the happiest man on the planet every day, and I will do everything I can to be the perfect husband for you because it's the least you deserve."

Smiling, he raised his hand and wiped Pablo’s tears that streamed down his cheeks. Then he grabbed the ring and put it on his ring finger, before taking Pablo's hands into his and squeezing them tightly.

"Pedri," said Pablo, and unlike him, he didn't even try to suppress his tears. “Today I stand before you to express my love and devotion to you. We have experienced so many wonderful moments together. I promise I'll always be by your side, for better or for worse. I remember all the first things we experienced together - our first kiss, our first curry, which has been with us for years now, our first vacation. And today I promise you that I want to experience a thousand more first things with you. I want to explore new places with you, go on new adventures and create new memories. I promise to love, honour, and respect you in every moment of our lives. I'll be there for you when you need me and support you when you have doubts. I look forward to laughing with you, crying with you, and spending every day by your side, and I can't wait to see what our "forever" will look like."

Now it was his turn to put the ring on Pedri's finger and smile at him lovingly. How far they'd come. He could still remember the insecure Gavi, who at that time confessed his love for him and preferred to get out of the house immediately afterwards. The man standing in front of him now had nothing to do with the Gavi at that time.

"I hereby pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss now!" declared the registrar solemnly and Pedri no longer hesitated but leaned forward to kiss his husband. Pablo clung to him tightly, as if he needed something to hold on to.

When they broke away again, they took a moment to just look each other in the eyes with a smile. Then he again kissed Pablo's temple before reaching for his hand to start the journey out of the church into their future together.

The man he had married was a new Gavi. He was confident, he was a leader, he loved so loudly and openly, he was caring and always had an open ear for everyone. And above all, he was the man he loved a little more every day. And every time he thought it wasn’t even possible anymore, Pablo surprised him again.

He'd never get enough of it; and he didn't have to. Their "forever," as Pablo had called it, had just begun.