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Michael opened his eyes and immediately felt a sharp ache in his lower back. He couldn't help but curse Jamal under his breath. They hadn't seen each other since the World Cup had started, but Jamal had been far too much. Michael remembered begging him to stop, but the man behind him had seemed oblivious to his pleas. Jamal had kept going, and in the end, Michael had passed out from sheer exhaustion. Michael picked up his phone, and a message from Jamal immediately popped up on the screen.
Baby, I've already made breakfast for you. Remember to heat it up before you eat.
Michael stared at the message for a few seconds before typing his reply.
Fuck you.
He hit send without a second thought.
Barely a second later, his phone buzzed again.
Love you too <3.
With a quiet groan, he pushed himself out of bed.
The soreness wasn't exactly pleasant, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He was a professional athlete, after all. His body would recover in a day or two. Bayern had a training session that morning, but since Michael had only just returned from the third-place match at the World Cup, Kompany had given him the day off. Still, there was a team meeting scheduled for the afternoon, so he had to go to the training ground anyway. After finishing breakfast, Michael walked over to his wardrobe. Normally, he would spend a ridiculous amount of time putting together the perfect outfit. But thanks to his doe-eyed boyfriend, he had completely lost interest in dressing up today.
He grabbed a Bayern training jersey, paired it with a pair of jeans, and called it a day. The jersey hung a little loose on his frame.
I need to put the muscle back on, he thought to himself.
Fortunately, Jamal hadn't left any visible marks on his neck. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for his inner thighs. They still ached from a few overly enthusiastic bite marks.
That idiot bites way too hard, Michael thought.
Michael and Jamal had been back together for several months now, but they had agreed to keep their relationship private for the time being. Truthfully, it had been Michael's decision, and Jamal had respected it. He knew Michael was a naturally shy person, and if the rest of the team found out, the teasing would never end. As much as Jamal loved seeing Michael blush, he also knew he'd end up sleeping on the sofa if he let their secret slip. Not that he hadn't come close a few times. He had accidentally said things that sounded suspicious more than once, but fortunately, his teammates had always laughed them off as jokes.
Still, it was torture for Jamal.
Every time he opened TikTok or Instagram, he was greeted by countless edits of Michael, followed by an endless stream of comments from people declaring their love for him. Men, women, everyone seemed to have a crush on his boyfriend. Jamal would stare at the screen, fighting the overwhelming urge to reply to every single one of them.
He's taken.
Sadly, that wasn't exactly something he could post online.
Michael, however, knew nothing about Jamal's daily internal struggle. After getting dressed, he grabbed his car keys and drove to the training ground.
The sun was shining brightly, and the pleasant weather immediately lifted his mood. He quietly hummed along to the song playing on the radio as he cruised through the streets before pulling into the parking lot at the training ground. As soon as Michael stepped inside, he was greeted by Kimmich. The midfielder smiled and waved at him, an empty coffee cup still in his hand. Michael returned the wave and started walking away.
A second later, he heard something hit the floor. He turned around. The paper cup had rolled across the hallway, coming to a stop near his feet.
Kimmich was staring at him.
"...Are you okay?" Michael asked, picking up the cup and handing it back.
"Y-Yeah. Sorry."
Kimmich accepted it automatically, but his eyes never left Michael. He kept looking at him like Michael had suddenly grown a second head. Michael shrugged it off and continued toward the training ground.
As he walked, he couldn't help noticing that almost everyone was looking at him. The stares weren't malicious, though, so he paid them little mind. He had been on the receiving end of enough different kinds of looks throughout his life to recognize them. These weren't judgmental.
If anything, they seemed... amused. And strangely fond. He could even hear a few quiet chuckles as he walked past.
Germans are weird, Michael thought.
Then he came across Bayern captain Manuel Neuer. The goalkeeper greeted him with a quick hug. During the hug, Michael noticed Neuer stiffen for a brief moment. It was so subtle that he dismissed it almost immediately.
"You did an incredible job at the World Cup." Neuer said with a smile as they pulled away. "It's good to have you back."
"It's good to be back." Michael shrugged.
"So," the captain said with a mischievous grin, "how are things with Bambi? I take it you two have been having a great time lately, ja?"
"Jamal?" Michael thought Neuer's choice of words was a little odd, but he had heard Germans say much stranger things before, so he didn't think much of it.
"Yeah, we had dinner together last night. We talked for a while."
...And slept together, he silently added to himself.
"Great, great." Neuer nodded with an amused smile. "It’s good to be young."
They chatted leisurely about the weather, upcoming schedule for a bit before Neuer bid goodbye.
"I've got to go now. Jamal and the boys are already out on the training pitch. Go keep them company."
"Sure."
"Oh, and the meeting has been cancelled. Could you let them know for me, please?"
"Of course. Will do."
When Michael arrived at the training ground, the players were already out on the pitch, running drills and joking around between exercises. He even spotted Thomas Müller fooling around with the others. Although Müller had transferred to the MLS, he still dropped by the training ground from time to time to work out with the team. To Michael, it felt as though he'd never really left. The moment Müller noticed him, he waved both arms dramatically.
"Our football star is back!" he shouted. "How've you been, Michael?"
Before Michael could answer, Müller jogged over and pulled him into a tight hug. Still laughing, Müller slung an arm around Michael's shoulders and dragged him over to where the rest of the team had gathered. The moment Jamal saw him, his eyes lit up. He immediately got to his feet and walked over. Müller suddenly gave him a playful shove from behind. Caught completely off guard, Michael stumbled forward. Jamal instinctively reached out to catch him, but the impact threw both of them off balance. They tumbled onto the grass together, Michael landing right on top of Jamal.
For a split second, the entire training ground fell silent. Then loud gasps and a chorus of surprised shouts erupted from every direction.
"Bambi, you bastard!" Upamecano yelled from somewhere behind them. "You stole France's greatest treasure!"
"When did this happen?" Alphonso exclaimed. "Why didn't I know about this? The trio has turned into a duo, and now I'm the third wheel!"
“Is that the reason why Michael only followed you on Instagram and not us?” Luis shouted. “That’s so unfair.”
Jamal could barely make out the individual voices anymore. Müller's unmistakable laughter rang out above the chaos, blending with a chorus of shouts in French, German, and English.
How on earth did everyone find out? he wondered.
Then he looked down at Michael. His eyes widened. Instead of OLISE and the number 17, the name across the back of the jersey read MUSIALA. Number 10.
His boyfriend had accidentally worn his jersey to training. After hearing Upamecano's shout, Michael completely gave up on facing anyone. He buried his face in Jamal's neck, refusing to look at the rest of the team. Unfortunately for him, everyone could clearly see the tips of his ears turning bright red.
The teasing only got worse. Even Jamal couldn't hold back a laugh. Michael slapped him lightly on the arm. Jamal immediately stopped laughing.
Somewhere in the crowd, he vaguely heard someone mutter, "Bambi's been trained."
He wisely chose to ignore it. Clearing his throat, he raised his voice.
"So... as you've probably all figured out by now, Michael and I are together."
The crowd erupted once again.
"I told you!" someone shouted.
"Alphonso, pay up! Ten euros, right now!"
"I knew it was only a matter of time," another voice chimed in.
Meanwhile, Michael stubbornly kept his face buried against Jamal's shoulder, refusing to acknowledge the rest of the team. Knowing him, his entire face was probably burning bright red. Jamal had to bite back the urge to cup his boyfriend's face and kiss him right there in front of everyone. Otherwise, he'd be sleeping on the sofa for the next few weeks.
"Baby, are you all right?" Jamal whispered softly. "I can princess-carry you to the car if you want."
"We're not letting you off that easily," Tah said. "Answer our questions, or you're never leaving this training ground."
The entire squad cheered in agreement.
"Fine, fine." Jamal scratched the back of his head. "I'll answer your questions."
He glanced at Michael, who was still hiding behind him.
"But you guys have to promise me one thing."
He pointed at the team.
"No more teasing Michael."
A chorus of disappointed groans answered him.
Jamal knew Michael wouldn't want to face anyone anytime soon. So he adjusted their position, letting Michael stay comfortably tucked against him while he turned to face the rest of the team. They had all settled onto the grass by now, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"So, when did you two get together?" Alphonso asked, still sounding personally betrayed.
"It's... a little complicated, to be honest." Jamal chuckled. "I've liked him ever since we trained together at Chelsea, but we didn't officially start dating until April."
"Wait," someone called out. "Did Michael know you liked him back at Chelsea?"
Jamal laughed and shook his head.
"Probably not. Back then, he just saw me as a little brother. Besides, we didn't really get many chances to talk."
"So who confessed first?" another teammate asked. "You?"
"Actually..." Jamal smiled. "He was the one who asked me out."
Several surprised gasps echoed across the training ground.
"No way!"
"What did he say?"
Jamal glanced down at the man still hiding against him.
"We'd just finished dinner when he looked at me and said, 'We should date.'"
"...That's it?" someone asked in disbelief.
Jamal shrugged.
"That's Michael for you."
The moment the words left his mouth, Michael drove his elbow straight into Jamal's ribs.
"Ow!"
"So... do you think the French national team is going to assassinate you when they find out about this?"
Jamal rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"I've thought about that too. But Mike told me not to worry about it."
"Because," Müller laughed. "Upa's probably going to beat you up before the French team even gets the chance."
The squad burst into laughter.
"Which part of Michael do you like the most?"
Jamal didn't even hesitate.
"All of him, honestly. But if I had to choose..." He paused thoughtfully. "Probably his eyes. No, wait—I love his smile too. But then again, his legs are also—"
"Ew!" several teammates interrupted at once.
"We did not need to know that much!"
The entire squad broke into a chorus of boos.
"Next question!" Someone declared. "Does your family know about you two?"
"Yeah." Jamal nodded. "They kind of figured it out after Michael and I went to a basketball game together."
A fond smile spread across his face.
"My mom's invited Michael over to our house so many times that I think she likes him more than she likes me."
The team burst into laughter.
"At this point, I'm pretty sure Michael's her favorite son."
"What about Michael's family?" someone else asked.
Jamal smiled.
"His mom and my mom are best friends, so I'd say they probably know too. His mom sometimes sends us homemade food and fresh fruit."
"Anyone else? If not, I'll take Michael first."
"Wait, don't we still have the meeting at 3 p.m.?"
"Manu said it was cancelled," Michael replied, his voice still muffled.
The whole team cheered.
"Take Michael home, Bambi," Müller said. "I'm afraid he's going to die of embarrassment, and then both Bayern and the French national team will come after us."
After a long round of questions and answers, Michael finally seemed to regain his composure. He slowly got to his feet, his expression settling back into the cool, unreadable look that had earned him the nickname "Mr. Nonchalant" online. Unfortunately for him, his teammates had all noticed that the tips of his ears were still an unmistakable shade of red. Jamal was practically dying from cute aggression, but he somehow managed to keep a straight face. He picked up his jacket and gently draped it over Michael's shoulders, making sure it covered the MUSIALA 10 printed across the back of the jersey. There was no need to give the team any more ammunition.
Michael took Jamal's hand and practically dragged him away, weaving through the team's laughter as quickly as he could. Jamal couldn't help but chuckle. For a brief moment, it felt as though they were some celebrity couple escaping a swarm of paparazzi.
Which was a funny thought, considering he actually was a celebrity.
When they reached the car, Michael quietly slipped into the passenger seat. That was unusual. Most of the time, Michael insisted on driving because, in his words, Jamal drove like a maniac. The only times he willingly gave Jamal the keys were when he had too much on his mind to focus on the road.
"So..." Jamal began, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Don't you dare," Michael grumbled without even looking at him.
Jamal chuckled.
"It's okay, baby. They were all really supportive."
"That's exactly the problem," Michael groaned, burying his face in one hand. "They're never going to let this go."
His voice was full of despair.
"But... don't you want people to know about us?" Jamal asked quietly. "Am I not good enough to be your boyfriend?"
He looked at Michael with those puppy-dog eyes.
Michael let out a long, helpless sigh.
“You know that’s not true Jam.”
"You have no idea how hard it is to stay calm when people keep hovering around my boyfriend."
If Jamal had puppy ears, they would have been drooping pitifully by now.
“But I’m yours, am I not? Did any them get to fuck me?” Michael calmly stated.
Jamal heard those words and immediately flushed bright red.
"M-Mike..." he stammered. "Why would you say it like that?"
Michael frowned, genuinely puzzled.
"Why shouldn't I?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"I'm just stating a fact."
"I know, but..." Jamal buried his face in his hands with a groan. "You can't just say things like that so casually."
"Fine." Michael shrugged. "I thought Germans like you would be more open-minded than I am. My point is... none of those people matter. I don't give a fuck what they think."
His voice softened.
"So stop worrying about it, okay?"
Jamal couldn't help himself anymore. He leaned forward, gently cupped Michael's face in both hands, and pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek before stealing a quick peck on his lips.
"I love you so much, baby," he murmured.
Michael lightly smacked his boyfriend on the arm and pushed him away.
"We're still in public, you idiot."
"But you're just too cute, Mike." Jamal grinned shamelessly. "Now that the team's found out, I can kiss you whenever I want, right?"
"Who told you that?"
"Michael, that's cruel!"
Michael let out an exasperated sigh.
"Fine. Hugs are allowed."
He pointed a finger at Jamal.
"But kissing is off-limits."
"But—"
"No 'buts.' It's either that or nothing."
"...Okay."
Jamal pouted dramatically, looking every bit like a scolded puppy.
Michael rolled his eyes. As if Jamal didn't spend every waking moment at home clinging to him already.
"Stop giving me those puppy eyes," he warned. "Or you're sleeping alone tonight."
Jamal's expression instantly fell.
"...That's emotional abuse."
Michael snorted.
"No, those are the consequences." Michael leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. "Now start the car and drive me home. I'm exhausted."
He paused before adding dryly,
"And my back is still sore, thanks to you."
Jamal's ears immediately turned red.
"...In my defense, you were just too attractive."
Michael cracked one eye open and shot him a flat look.
Jamal immediately zipped his lips.
Happy wife, happy life, he thought to himself.