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“manu, but what if something goes wrong, and i embarrass myself in front of, like, pep guardiola or something? and then it’s so bad robert stops loving me???” thomas exclaimed emphatically. today was finally his wedding day, after nearly a decade of dating and playing together for the other half of his heart, bayern munich, with the love of his life, robert lewandowski. so of course things had to go well; in fact, thomas felt more fearful than when he walked out of the tunnel onto the pitch before the world cup final in 2014 (fun fact, winning the trophy wasnt even the best thing that had happened to him that year, since that was the year robert had joined bayern and the two had officially met).
thomas was snapped out of his worrying by his best friend manu’s exasperated sigh. he was helping him tie his tie since he didn’t know how, and he wasn’t with robert.“i’d be more surprised if that happened than if, like, uzbekistan won the world cup or something.”
“okay, but they have a bit of a chance still, right? it’s not like it’s technically impossible-“
“thomas, that way that man looks at you, i’ve never seen anything like it. so stop even considering the possibility that he doesn’t love you, ‘cause a blind person could tell that he does, alright?” manu looked genuine, which is rare. thomas felt a small grin creep up onto his face and his heart swell up in this indescribable feeling- a mixture of pride for their relationship, hope for their future together, and pure happiness.
manu finished tweaking his suit and ran his hand through his hair one last time. “okay, well, i have to go out now. thomas muller-lewandowski’s best man can’t be late for his duties, can he?” manu gave his best friend a reassuring wink. upon hearing his new last name, thomas felt an immediate flush of warmth on his face. he didn’t say so, but he loved hearing people say it: it just sounded so natural, like the letters belonged on their tongues, and it made him giddy every time he thought about it.
now alone and without manu’s steady presence to anchor him, thomas started to stress again. in his heart, he knew that robert could never not love him, it was clear as day. but… he was just so afraid of disappointing him. and all the other people present at their wedding. what if he had waited so long to do this just to have everyone’s memory of it be bad?
just then, thomas heard the sound of their officiator’s voice reverberate throughout the gorgeous venue they were at. he couldn’t quite pick up the words, but the chatter of the crowd dying down let him know that it was almost time. he hurried over to a window that offered a convenient view of the area he would be walking out to soon. luckily, he remembered clearly what he was to do- on the officiator’s mark, the grand wooden doors would open, and thomas would walk down the carpet to robert, who would be waiting for him.
he decided to get ready and wait. looking at the mirror in the room one last time, thomas straightened his cornflower lapel. it comforted him to remember that, beyond the doors, robert had a red poppy for his- the national flower of poland. germany didn’t really have one, but if they did, it would be the cornflower. thomas smiled as he remembered telling robert that fact, before they had started dating. and then robert had asked him to go on a picnic for their first date, where they fortunately didn’t get spotted by anybody. so the flowers were especially important to both of them, and would always show up at important milestones or moments as gifts, or just because.
thomas snapped his head back up and straightened his posture. he could hear the officiator well from here, and knew he was about to go out any second now, as all the speeches would be done outside.
“so, may mr. thomas please enter?” this is it. he steels his nerves the best he can and forces his hands to stop shaking. the heavy door open smoothly, revealing the dazzling venue outside. everybody’s heads craned towards him and thomas could see all their family and friends’ and teammates’ smiles. and then his eyes met roberts’, and suddenly it was just the two of them at training again, 10 years ago.
~
it was late in the evening, and a breeze was rushing through the dark trees. thomas decided to stay back after training for some extra practice, but when he walked onto the pitch, he saw that someone else had the same idea- robert, that new wonder of a striker from poland. he decided that it would be a good idea to stay and maybe bond with him a bit, as he was a new player after all.
“hey! robert!” the brunette’s head whipped around and gave him a small smile.
“oh, hey there. are you here to train too?” he asked shyly.
“yeah, i was gonna ask if you wanted to maybe practice with me? no pressure if you don’t though, of course.” thomas was lying, if he got rejected, he planned on leaving the facility entirely and going home to reflect on his lame life. luckily for him, however, robert seemed relieved that he had asked and nodded enthusiastically. thomas gestured for him to follow him to set his stuff down.
the two started discussing training and walked onto the pitch. quickly, they discovered that they had a lot in common with each other and clicked in a matter of minutes. they worked for a while before settling down onto the grass, utterly exhausted. the moon was shining in the sky and some stars had begun to reveal themselves. thomas and robert kept chatting- about anything, really. football, the team, funny stuff, their lives, stuff on their mind, just whatever the conversation asked of them. eventually, robert had even gotten enough courage to admit that he had forgotten the other’s name.
“whattt??! we’ve been together for what, two hours!” thomas said, clasping his chest in mock horror. “lewy, how could you do this to me? i thought you were my friend!” robert rolled his eyes, a faint smile tugging at his lips at his teammates’ acting.
before they left, they vowed to keep in touch outside of training, and as the lights of munich at night danced across his car window, thomas’ mind was filled with memories of laughing with the striker until his stomach ached, sharing things about each other while they lay on the ground, and a feeling of serenity he couldn’t identify. later, he’d recognize it as love.
~
thomas took one step forward. than another, and another until he reached him. his soon-to-be husband looked impossibly good, and so beautiful, as always. robert put out his arm ever so slightly and took both thomas’ hands in his own; they fit snugly, where they belonged. he barely heard the officiator at their side continue talking, too lost in his and robert’s world, until manu was called up to deliver his speech. they met each other’s eyes and manu knew his best friend would truly be alright- this was where 15 years of friendship got them, an ability to almost read each other’s mind.
“alright everybody, i’m going to keep this short and sweet, because i know that thomas here can’t keep his attention on somebody talking for over a minute- sorry, pep.” the crowd laughs, and pep himself shakes his head, but can’t help but to chuckle. manu takes a breath and continues.
“thomas. when i first came to bayern in 2011, i was alone. it was a big move, and i didn’t have anybody i could turn to.”
“and so i am so thankful i found you. i remember on my first birthday at the club, you organized a surprise party for me, even though i was new, and from then on, i knew you were someone i could trust. you befriended me, with no regard for anything but my character. and that’s something about you that i appreciate a lot.”
“you are the best friend i’ve ever had, and will ever have. throughout the years, you’ve changed me so much to become a better version of myself, and i share some of my fondest memories with you; and the trophies we won together will always be secondary to our friendship. i’m so happy and proud that you’ve found the one for you, because you deserve every small moment, every good thing that’s ever happened to you, and i have confidence that you will be rewarded- with people to brave the world with, forever. i know you’ll be happy with this new chapter of your life, even though it can be so different and new and scary: but no matter what, i know you’ll still be my best man, and i’ll still be yours. please always remember how proud i am to call you my best friend, through highs and lows. may the bonds of our friendship last us forever.”
the audience erupts into applause. they all know how close the two are, and his words were just so real, too. by the time he finishes, manu’s voice hitches a bit and he wipes a tear from his cheek. thomas can feel himself tearing up to, his speech was so heartfelt and hearing his best friend say this about him- he was so lucky to have him. he breaks free from robert’s grasp for a second and hugs manu as hard as he can. “thank you, so much.” he whispers, his friend only able to nod back, smiling despite the tears in his eyes. thomas walks back as the guests finish clapping.
the next person to speak is wojciech, who delivers an equally heartfelt speech, robert does the same thing he did and gives him a tight hug. other people throw in their own two cents as well, sharing stories of the two. pep and jurgen praise their determination; mats, marco, and mario tell them about their appreciation of their friendship, even fips and basti call them legends and joshua and leon share their favorite funny stories and favorite moments of the two. and then it’s time for the vows.
robert goes first.
“thomas.” he says.
“i-i want to share a story first.” and it’s just the two of them, lying on their backs on the grass again.
“we had just played a difficult match against dortmund. and even though we won, i personally didn’t feel like i deserved it- the rest of the team was phenomenal; i failed to convert a lot of great chances, and i felt that i was a failure to the club. the moment the whistle blew, you ran over to me and gave me a hug. you walked me to the dressing room and reassured me that i would have a great game next time. and i did, of course.” he smiles, and thomas thinks for the millionth time, that robert’s eyes are so beautifully blue.
“but… me having a good next match wasn’t the part that stuck with me. because to this day, i remember that you told me this: ‘someday, you’ll realize, you’re right where you belong.’ and i don’t think you were completely correct, up until now. because being with you for the rest of my life is where i truly belong.”
thomas could feel his eyes begin to water already.
“through every loss and every win, you were always there for me, and i came to expect your comfort.” robert paused for a second. he looked deep in thought.
“on september 27th, 2015, i realized i loved you. it wasn’t anything very special: all we’d done was walk through a park, but seeing you laugh at something i’d said made me realize, i wanted you by my side for the rest of our lives. and it was so refreshing, because before that, i had felt so lost with my emotions, labeling the yearning as loneliness and the spark in my heart as a connection between good friends. i was wrong, and i’m forever grateful that i was.”
“on december 15th, 2015, we went on our first actual date, even though we had gone on many trips that felt like dates. i asked you to go to a picnic with me by offering you a bouquet of cornflowers, and that day we started dating. and they’re my favorite flower now.”
robert took a shaky breath. a tear escapes and it runs down his beautiful face.
“on april 14th, 2018, i told you that i might leave for psg. immediately after the words came out of my mouth, i regretted it. not just because of how broken you looked, but because i realized that i couldn’t live without you, no matter how hard i tried. so before you even asked me to, i made my decision: i stayed.”
“on august 23rd, 2020, we won the champions league. but it was also the first time we’d shown affection in public. the moment the match ended, you ran to me and i ran to you. you were so happy that you just took my face and kissed me, and we didn’t even face the press until the next morning.” robert smiled fondly at the memory. by this point, thomas’ vision is totally blurry and he couldn’t see a thing, but he’s immobilized by his lover’s words.
on august 14th, 2025, i asked you to marry me. i didn’t propose with a ring or at a fancy restaurant; i hadn’t even planned it, the thought just came to me just like you always have: sudden, but perfect in its way. we were at your house eating waffles for breakfast before we left for training when i felt something. and i decided to just propose right then and there, in our training shorts and an old
hoodie. and you said yes. to me, even though i didn’t have anything planned, even though there would still be the press, even though we had gone through so much as footballers. but that’s what made it worth it- knowing that we could keep on being with each other, where we belong, forever. and i’d known that no matter what happened, having your love would make it worth it. and that was the best day of my life so far.”
“thomas, something that makes you unique is how unprecedented you are. where your words and actions comes from and how you appear in people’s lives. and that makes you so beautiful, and the best person i could’ve ever hoped for to have in my life. and i’ll forever be thankful for your spontaneity, because that’s how i met you: somewhere out of the blue. and for me, it doesn’t get any better than calling you mine.”
thomas has a red hot longing to just close the gap between them and kiss robert, but he knows he can’t; he has his own vows to deliver. but oh god, that just moved him unlike anything he’d experienced before. and it was so amazingly beautiful from the love of his life.
he doesn’t even take notice of the audience’s reaction, only looks into robert’s loving eyes. they’re still tear brimmed, and thomas takes a second to reach and brush them away. robert smiles at him, and he knows he must continue now. his speech wasn’t as long or as well-planned, but he hoped he knew how his love would react.
“robert, one time i told you that you were the best thing to ever happen to me.” robert gasped slightly, probably knowing what was coming.
“but you said that couldn’t be true, because i had won so many things. you said there was no way you could be better than a world cup trophy or a champions league.” thomas left out the part where he shut him up with a kiss, unsure how to voice that. and besides, robert was starting to cry as well.
“and i just wanted to tell you, nothing physical like gold or silver could ever compare to you, or your love. because trophies can be obtained over and over again, but what you gave to me is incomparable. you have made my life so beautiful, and every second i spend with you is one i wouldn’t trade for any trophy. because you, robert lewandowski, are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. by far. i love you so much, lewy.”
thomas cut his vows short, unsure if he would be able to finish without breaking down. he held onto robert’s hands harder while he struggled to keep himself composed, too, his body trembling and tears still rolling down his cheeks. they were both crying now, but in an almost poetic way, because anything was fine with him as long as he and robert were together.
the audience seemed to need a second to respond, before rising up off their feet and giving them a standing ovation as if they’d just won a ballon d’or. he saw multiple people in the audience dabbing at their eyes, including his parents, although they looked proud as well. their vows were finished by the officiator.
“i now pronounce you, married. you may kiss.”
and suddenly all the tension, all the emotion he’s been holding in since the start of the wedding he let run free. thomas could finally kiss his- husband. it felt surreal to finally say it, but it felt so incredibly right as well, like it was always meant to be. they crashed into each other, driven by a hunger only lovers would know, and the sound of cheers floated around them. robert’s hand was on his face, his other on his waist, and thomas’ own arms were around his neck, subconsciously playing with his dark hair. the kiss felt proper and sealing, as if making it official that they were married and therefore bound to each other for life. which thomas had absolutely no problem with, whatsoever.
~
the cake they had was actually baked by joshua, jerome, and arjen, and tasted amazing. they had cut it after the official part of the wedding ended and the guests had all congratulated the happy pair, especially on everybody’s speeches, something which thomas knew his husband took pride in, it being so well written and all. but the cake (along with the other food) was quickly eaten, as everyone was excited for the after party and were scrambling to get into comfier clothes if they could, fit for dancing.
but before the festivities could begin, robert found thomas out in the hallway away from the crowd, with a happy but dazed look on his face. “tommy?” he said.
“oh hey love, i was hoping you’d find me, actually. y’know, since we’re alone here.”
the two sat down on the floor and robert looked into thomas’ eyes. “god, thomas, i love you so much.” it felt good to finally say that today, and robert could tell thomas appreciated is as he curled in next to him, smiling, and resting his head on his shoulder, robert’s arm snaking around to hold his waist. and nothing else had to be said.
~
the pair finally got up after twenty minutes, their disappearance concerning only a few of their close friends who noticed. but it was now time for the dancing to begin, so all worries quickly faded.
of course, the newly wed couple got the first dance, something which the two had prepared for for months. they danced slowly, looking like they’d rather be nowhere else, which was true, with one of robert’s hands on his husband’s shoulder and the other on his waist, thomas with both on robert’s side. the two moved like one, effortlessly moving across the floor and adding in some fancier moves that matched the live music. they ended beautifully, robert lifting thomas a bit off the ground and spinning him around, and then closing with a kiss. the applause was thunderous; but now for the real fun, as people could come onto the dance floor to join them.
the intro of stern des sudens filled the bustling hall, and the guests (being who they were) rushed onto the dance floor. joshua grabbed an unhappy but smiling leon and pulled him with him to dance, mario and mats quick to join them, with other people coming too.
thomas turned to face robert, a bewildered grin on his face, looking for an explanation.
“remember, once you told me you wanted to play stern stern des sudens at our wedding?” his husband said.
“oh my god, that was, like, 9 years ago, how do you remember that? and i was joking, too.” thomas laughed. this man- his man- never ceased to amaze him.
“well, you should’ve mentioned that earlier, because it’s too late now.” and then robert took him by his waist, pulled him close, and kissed him.
and all was right with the world once again.