Chapter Text
Oufa often asks himself if he's really not that qualified for Hany's attention. Everyone gets to hold him, talk to him, kiss his cheeks during a goal on the pitch while Oufa stays out and is excluded on such occasions. When will Hany look at him too?
“Come on” Emam shouted as he pulled Hany and joined the celebration outside the hotel. They were dancing in a circle, Salah was at the center along with Trezeguet who was holding the speaker.
Emam was squeezed out by Shobeir as they began jumping in a circle. Eman holding Shobeir's shirt, Shobeir on Hany's shirt ‘what a fantastic feeling’. They circled for around 2 minutes and it was one of the best feelings Shobeir ever felt since they lost the game to Argentina.
Hany doesn't feel genuinely happy about this, still thinking about his own goal when the team begins clapping and singing. Oufa stepped out a bit to answer his mom's call and when he came back Hany was surrounded by Rabia, Emam and Trezeguet who were clapping and singing, Rabia was holding Hany's hand as they all danced. That stirred something in Shobeir's heart and insides, he felt the urge to push Rabia away from Hany, pull the older guy to him and bury his face on Hany's neck, inhale his scent and hold him tightly away from the rest of the team.
“Let's go now” Mo Salah uttered as he stepped inside the bus along with the staff and the coaches.
“Don't think too much about it, we were able to enter the Round of 16. And we all know the game was rigged. No hard feelings there Hany” Rabia uttered while his arms around Hany's shoulder who just nodded and laughed a bit.
Hany knows Rabia could see through him. They've been playing side by side in Al Ahly for quite some time now.
Shobeir on the opposite side was fuming with jealousy. They get to hold Hany, they get to talk to him, they get to ruffle his fluffy hair, they can make him laugh and all Shobeir could do was watch? Watch them all get all over the man he'd been craving for, he'd been wanting to hold. That's kinda unfair.
Even back in Egypt as they get out of the plane, Hany was talking with Salah and walking with him along with the others. Even back in the hotel where they had their beach outing Hany was playing with Trezeguet and Emam while Shobeir's stuck with this god forsaken fool Marmoush who's been on his phone forever.
“Can't you leave the phone for a sec?” Oufa asked the man beside him.
“Nope, my baby was talking to me.” Omar answered, which made Oufa’s eyes roll.
“How does it feel to get treated by Hany?” Oufa suddenly asked out of nowhere while looking at Emam who's on Hany's shoulder by now and was in the ocean.
“Man…Hany was a great company, though sometimes he got lost in his own world but he is caring as fuck. Remember when Emam got injured? Emam got all whiny and bitchy and Hany handled it well”
Oufa felt his gut clenching at that information. ‘Why did you even ask? Gaining information like that and making yourself jealous about everything you cannot have while others got the privilege to do so was gut wrenching’ his mind was spinning and turning into the directions he will regret if he ever did it to Hany. For the love of God, Hany was so beautiful for his own good, even if he was trying so hard to bury his feelings, brainwash himself that this was all wrong, abnormal, not right. He just can't get enough of Hany, his obsession with the older man was reaching its point. He even prayed and prayed that Allah take this feelings away, let him be normal, let him just treat Hany as a brother and a teammate not like this that he wants Hany on his bed, under him, cuddling Hany, giving him princess treatment, got to hold him anytime but that's all in his imagination.
Oufa couldn't take it anymore and joined the group who was playing volleyball on the ocean. Hany hit the ball not much and it flew towards Oufa.
“Don't give it to Ashour” Hany shouted laughing. Oufa held the ball up high as Emam tried to go to him.
Oufa hit the ball towards Rabia and he missed it. Hany was laughing, laughing so hard. Maybe because Rabia and Emam were losing. Trezeguet stepped aside and gave the spot to Shobeir.
“Oufa will play with Hany. I'm gonna go rest” he uttered and moved towards Ziko.
Oufa stood not too far from Hany. ‘Calm down bro, calm down’ he uttered to himself, trying his best not to grin because of his excitement.
“Noooo that's unfair!” Emam shouted as he wanted to team up with Hany.
“Stay there we're gonna play again, if you two manage to score then let's swap teams” Hany shouted.
That statement made Oufa motivated, who tf will want to team up with an idiot Emam who hits the ball for a short distance when the wave was coming, and ofc he won't want to swap Hany with any of the two.
Hany serves the ball and Rabia manages to take it, making it fly again toward Oufa who hits the ball hard enough for Emam to get caught off guard. Emam groaned and Hany came beside Shobeir and patted him.
“Gonna beat his ass off?” Hany asked, Oufa stared at him for a moment, this is the first time Hany initiated a conversation.
“I will, who wants an idiot to be his partner? Not me. So play well baby” Oufa answered and received the ball from Rabia.
Baby? Who's baby?
Hany was flustered, his mind racing. Who is the baby? And why did Mostafa say that? Is he the baby? Why? He's a grown ass man. He's not a baby! But what if Oufa treats him like a baby? A princess? Hany shakes his head and focuses on the game again, Oufa sees it and smiles. His baby was thinking again.
At last, they didn't swap teams and Emam and Rabia gave up. Emam wanted to jump again on Hany when Shobeir pulled Hany away and shield himself from the big wave that was coming. They got under the water and Oufa panicked a bit when he lost his grip on Hany. He instantly resurfaced and looked for the older one who just resurfaced too and was on his side now. He was coughing.
“You okay?” Oufa asked and patted Hany's back who was nodding.
“Yeah yeah, got caught on it.” Hany brushed his hair away from his face and Oufa chuckled.
“We better get out of the water before you drown”
“You're gonna need to rescue me if I did” Hany retorted back, which he regretted instantly, he looked at Oufa who was smiling like an idiot by his side.
“Of course I'll save you, baby” Oufa winked at Hany. He wanted to tease the older man because his face shows it all, all the confusion and self questioning.
Back in the hotel Hany had been on himself for a very alarming time now (based on Emam, who's really over dramatic when it comes to Hany's thinking process) they were done eating, done with the congratulations, done with playing a bit but still Hany was thinking about the small conversation they had in the beach. His mind was racing, his mind was overthinking. He felt as if Oufa was playing with him, mocking him, as if Oufa knew his feelings for him.
It's been years since he admitted to himself that he likes the younger guy, that's why he barely speaks to him, barely looks at him during practice, get together and such because he doesn't want to get attached, and holds his hopes high from their interactions. He's okay being on the sidelines, just a teammate, just a brother to Oufa. He'd been praying more than enough, trying to plead with Allah to take away these sinful thoughts and feelings away from his heart, he's been crying his heart out and begging Allah to lead him to the right path. But none of it all happened and he was just sinking and sinking with self-hatred and questioning himself for the thing that had been going on. When did it all start, why did he fancy Oufa, why was he so drawn to him, why does it hurt when Oufa looked at him during those own goals he scored. Why does it hurt to be ignored by him at that time even if he wanted to apologize for what he had done. Mohamed Salah tried his best to talk to him but he was being consumed by self-blame and overthinking. He cried to Salah that night and confessed what he had felt for Hany. The older man reassures him that it's all okay, time will come that he won't be thinking about Oufa anymore, that the feelings will fade away. But every time he looked at the mirror or anything that had reflection he could see how foolish he was, he could see how sinful he was for liking a man. A man that was out of his reach, a man that wouldn't be treating him the same if he ever finds out what he feels about him.