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Pablo was not pouting, fuck you! He wasn't!
He knew he gave off that impression when he stormed of in the middle of practice and slumped down on the other half of the training grounds with his head hanging low and a frown on his face, but he wasn't. He wasn't a child anymore. He wasn't the youngest anymore. Damn, he was far from it. Lamine, Héctor, Pau Curbasí and Marc Bernal were all younger than him. And still he was the one that was mocked for being immature and having a baby face, for not being able to control his temper and behaving like a child. It was so stupid. Like some of the things weren't even true and he was born with that face, it wasn't like he could change it.
He hated them. So much. All of them. Even Pedri had joined in. And yeah, normally he wouldn't mind a bit teasing, especially not from Pedri, since he teased Pedri way more often than the other way around, after all they were still friends besides being boyfriends. That was always a priority to them. They were friends and then boyfriends. And it was normal for his other friends to tease him too, they always did, with everyone being on the receiving end of the jokes at some point.
But today had been unfair. Everyone, literally everyone, even the older players who stayed out of the teasing for the most part, had joined in on it. And it hadn't just lasted a couple minutes, it had been going on the whole practice. Normally, a joke would have been dropped after a couple minutes to go on to the next one, but apparently not today. At some point, Gavi had just snapped at them to not trouble with a kid if he was so annoying and stormed away. He could still hear them laughing. Gosh, he hated this. He wasn't made to stand outside and watch, but he also couldn't just swallow his pride and just go back. Besides, he was still fucking annoyed, so annoyed and mad and stressed. He jumped up in rage and kicked the grass, before he found a ball and shot it as hard as he could against the wall for a couple minutes.
He was still mad when he heard someone come closer, but he didn't bother to turn around. He didn't feel like talking to any of these idiots. If they really didn't appreciate him at all, why bother?
"Come on Pablo, it is just a joke, come back." He heard Fermín say. His friend sounded like he was still laughing. It didn't help at all to calm Gavi down.
"Fuck off, Fermín. Talk to someone who wants to listen to your shit."
He couldn't see Fermín's face, because he was still facing the wall, but when Fermín spoke again, he sounded more serious. "We really didn't mean it like that, it was all just a joke, but uhm- I guess I'll give you some time."
Gavi just huffed, he wasn't in the mood to talk, they kind of did hurt his feelings, even if that sounded childish. He only turned around once he was sure that Fermín was gone.
After that he sat down on the grass kicking the ball slowly from foot to foot and rolling it around with his hands. This was stupid. They should all fuck off.
He couldn't enjoy his peace and quiet for long though. A staff member came over. "Gavi, come on, get back, practice will last at least another hour."
Gavi just huffed and avoided eye contact with the guy. "Give me a second." He snarled not even trying to cover his anger. "Mental health and all. It's important, I need a damn minute."
To his luck, the guy fucked off again. Not that he could enjoy the peace this time. He just wanted to sort out his thoughts, couldn't everyone leave him alone for just a minute. They had made him leave and behave like that, why were they so desperate to change it immediately now. It was their own fault.
Lewandowski was the next. And at this point Gavi was just fed up. "No, no, just go. I don't want fucking talk. I appreciate the effort, but fuck off." He hissed and shrugged Lewandowski's hand off.
Lewandowski seemed shocked, if his body language said anything. "Okay. We're just sorry and think you should come back."
"Yeah, go. You all can enjoy practice without having to take care of a child, especially you. Fuck off. They probably miss you."
"Gavi." Lewandowski started, but Gavi cut him off again. "No! Can't you all leave me alone for two minutes. I get it, kids have to be watched, but I won't hang myself in two minutes. I got it, leave!"
He watched as Lewandowski made his way back to the group, his eyes big and surprised as if he hadn't expected Gavi to yell at him like that. Gavi watched him return to the other players again, huddling in a group. They're probably talking about me, Gavi thought, but he decided he didn't even want to know. Lewy was probably telling them what an asshole Gavi was anyway. Great. Just great. He was behaving like a child. He turned around, not wanting to see the drama continue and pulled his knees to his chest, placing his head on them, before letting out his anger by pulling tufts of grass out of the practice grounds.
He sat there for a while, but his anger didn't die down. Anger at his teammates and anger at himself. Why did he snap like that? Why did he prove them all right? Why was he like that? Was he really that annoying? It was just a small part of himself that asked that question, but it was there none the less.
At first he didn't hear another person approach, but he was ready to yell at them, by the time they arrived next to him. To his surprise they didn't say anything though and sat down next to him, their knees pulled up to their chest just like Gavi's were. He turned his head, wanting to find out who it was.
Gavi wasn't really surprised when Pedri threw him a tiny smile, before focusing his attention on the lowering sun. Gavi wondered why he hadn't noticed Pedri sooner. Normally, he could tell that he was coming, even without hearing him, just feeling his presence. He figured his anger had clouded his senses.
Anger. He was angry at Pedri too. He wouldn't get any special treatment, just because he was fucking Gavi. But up until now he hadn't actually done anything. He just sat there, not even looking at Gavi. He could have sat here randomly, it didn't have to have anything to do with Gavi.
He could yell at Pedri once he dared speaking, but now he wanted to sort out his thoughts that were running wild and stop the buzzing under his skin, because Pedri's presence had the advantage of noone else bothering them. He kept picking the grass, but the silence grew and grew. It felt heavy between them and after not even three minutes, Gavi couldn't take it anymore.
"I hate you. You're so stupid. Stop doing that."
He couldn't see it, because Pedri hid it well, but he knew Pedri was smiling on the inside. "I'm not even doing anything."
"Yeah, exactly! I could yell at everyone else, but there is literally nothing that I can yell at you for."
He still knew that Pedri was amused, but he didn't even pull up a corner of his pretty lips. "I'm sorry?"
"Shut up." Gavi mumbled and leaned his head against Pedri's shoulder. Pedri let him, not doing anything. He didn't thread his fingers through Gavi's hair like he normally loved to, nor did he speak and make him try to start a conversation. It gave Gavi finally the time that he needed.
"I know I acted childish and I was so unbelievably rude to Fermín and the staff, even Lewy. I feel so bad. And like I'm stupid. I feel like I proved you all right."
"You're neither dump, nor a child, I'm not that kinky. And we all know that, that's the only reason we made that joke, and your facial expressions are hella cute." He brought a hand up and squeezed Gavi's cheek. Gavi smacked it away, but there wasn't any real heat behind it. Pedri's presence had lessens it by the second.
"Seriously, I'm sorry, I should have never let it come that far. I would have stopped and said something if I'd known. And the others didn't mean it in a bad way either. You know the whole team adores you. They're really sorry."
Gavi huffed taking it all in. He wasn't ready to accept the apology yet, but he also didn't know what to reply, so he stayed silent. Pedri let him, and Gavi was thankful for it. Slowly, Gavi started picking at Pedri's hand, playing with his fingers for a while, before interlacing them.
"You could have come earlier." Gavi complained, he wanted a reason to be mad at Pedri.
"You didn't want anyone to come. Not even when I did. You wanted your space."
Gavi huffed annoyed. It was true, why did Pedri know him so well. "Why are you here now then?"
"The others were worried and didn't want to listen to me saying you needed to calm down first. So Fermín and Lewa went, they thought it was more likely that they wouldn't get yelled at."
Gavi grinned. "I would have yelled at everyone, even you, if you'd have dared to speak to me or touch me. And they did. Their loss."
Pedri chuckled. "Yeah, they think I get some special treatment."
Gavi had to suppress his smile. Pedri was definitely fishing for compliments. But he wouldn't give him that. Instead, he shoved his head jokingly away.
"You didn't answer my question."
"I came over here because they peer pressured me into it. I would have come immediately if you wanted company, but you didn't, I watched you, and I know you, corazon."
Gavi huffed again, this time more fond. "Creep." He mumbled, but scooted closer to his boyfriend.
They didn't bother with words for another while, before Gavi shamefully admitted: "I do feel terrible, though. I was so rude, especially to Lewy and the staff man didn't deserve it either. Hell, not even Fermín deserved it. What am I supposed to do now?"
"Apologize?" Pedri suggested.
Gavi groaned. "That won't cover it. I was too mean for that. I have to get them something. What do you normally buy people if you apologize?"
"Flowers?" Pedri questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, that's a good idea."
"No! Don't you dare. You haven't even gotten me flowers." Pedri complained.
"I can buy you some on the way home. Besides, you haven't gotten me any either."
"That's not very romantic. And I don't think you would appreciate flowers."
"I didn't think you wanted some either." Gavi teased back, because that's what it was at this point, just light teasing.
"You can start with apologizing though, come on." Pedri stood up and held his hands out for Gavi to help the younger up as well.
"This is gonna be so embarrassing. You should definitely take pity on your poor boyfriend and coddle him later."
Pedri pulled him into a joking headlock and ruffled his hair. Gavi let him, just taking in his scent, so Pedri, so home.
"Thank you." He whispered quietly, just loud enough that Pedri could barely catch it. "I love you. You're my favorite person. Thanks for giving me time and space and letting me come to you."
"Always." Pedri whispered back and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
It was a little awkward to come back to everyone staring, but thankfully no one said anything or made any jokes, so the rest of practice was bearable. And Gavi did apologize to everyone he had let his anger out on earlier.
And when he smiled a little mischievous once Lewy, Fermín and the poor staff guy received enormous flower bouquets, only Pedrj had to know, since he knew already anyway, staring at Gavi with a glint in his eyes. But not only that, they were filled with so much love, when he looked from the two red and one blue rose up to Gavi and back, Gavi had to steady himself. "Three roses for three words." He whispered into Pedri's ear, before kissing him softly.