December 31st - football fic - Kaka/David James
December 31st
Kaka/David James
~1200, PG
Written in the same universe as this fic. Six year end moments in David and Kaka's relationship. I am a massive sap. Where is this all coming from. Whatever, it's aaaalll for the_wild_son.
December 31st 2010
He gets a call at midnight. There's faint music and laughter in the background, and the sound of champagne glasses knocking against each other.
"Where do they think you've gone?"
"To call my secret boyfriend," David says, and Kaka can hear him grinning. "They've been trying to guess who you are all evening. It's like living out a real life blind item."
Kaka laughs. "Who did they guess?"
"Wait," David says. "You'll love this. It was only your other boyfriend."
Kaka is confused for a second. "Wait," he says. "I don't - what?"
David laughs. "Cristiano," he says, and - Kaka snorts. "Shut up," he says. "Really?"
That's kind of funny, but also kind of, well, Kaka might be a bit jealous. David laughs again.
December 31st 2011
They mean to be together but Kaka doesn't want to let his family down and in the end it's a phone call again at five minutes past midnight. David tells him that next year he wants them to be together, that he wants Kaka to be there when he wakes up. Kaka doesn't know how this can happen.
"It's the logistics," he says weakly to Cristiano.
Cristiano scoffs at him. "Kaka," he says, "You earn millions and you can't figure out the logistics of being in England on New Year's Day?"
Kaka changes the subject, because really, who knows if they'll even be together still?
December 31st 2012
As it turns out, that is not a problem. Logistics are a lot easier when all that separates you is a run down the M4. Kaka likes Bristol better than London; he likes the sea, he likes the colours of the buildings and the steep roads that remind him of home. He likes walking with David up the gorge, where the scenery is like a painting. Bristol is bright and breezy in a way that London cannot be. And Bristol seems entirely apart from football too, even when Kaka drives down on Tuesday evenings to watch David play.
David wants them to go to London to see the fireworks and stroll down the South Bank, but Kaka only wants to sit outside David's hilltop home and kiss him at midnight. Kaka gets his way in the end because David finds it too hard to say no to him, but they do watch fireworks over the Bristol Channel, and they do hold hands when they walk down to the bridge. They wake up together the next morning and Kaka is so thankful for the good things that his move brought. He misses Spain and Madrid and his friends there more than he can admit to himself, but days like this make it easier.
He plays two days later and David is watching. Kaka scores a brace, and waves to the box, and gets mobbed by his team who aren't really his team even if they play in the right colours, and hopes for a year of belonging.
December 31st 2013
"What are your resolutions?"
Kaka doesn't like saying his resolutions out loud. He says them to God, and considers them an agreement between himself and his religion, not something to be bandied about in full view of everyone. But then, David isn't everyone.
"Last year," he says slowly, "I resolved to stop missing Madrid and to learn to appreciate the good things about my new life."
Except it hadn't worked, he had failed that resolution quite miserably. The season hadn't been so bad, but no one could say he had gelled with the team. A peak in January had been followed by a run of poor games and then the bench for the rest of the season. Kaka drove to Bristol more and more, and in May he disappeared to Madrid before anyone noticed he was gone.
"It wasn't your fault," David says, arms around Kaka. Kaka rests his head against David's and sighs.
"Yes," he says, "It was a little bit."
"And I think it was meant to be," David says, holding Kaka tighter. "Look where you are now."
Kaka smiles. "I'm right here," he says, deliberately misunderstanding David, craning his neck to look up at him. "Where I should be."
David laughs. Another New Year's Eve in Bristol was something to smile at.
December 31st 2014
"I rented this place," Kaka says cautiously, unsure if this gesture is too romantic, if David wanted to be in a city with other people, celebrating with loud cheers and revelry. "It's in the lakes."
"It sounds brilliant," David says. "I can't wait to see you."
There are always things to be thankful for, Kaka reminds himself. David retiring was hard on him, and on them, but they see each other a lot more these days. David spends whole weeks in Milan with Kaka now that he is allowed to take holidays. "I keep feeling like I've got somewhere to be," he says all week, and calls his fellow coaching staff far too often.
When the year ends it is them on a hilltop again, except the fireworks are reflected on Italian lakes this time.
"The scenery's a bit different," David says, and Kaka squeezes his hand and laughs. "Not so much," he says. "It fits us."
December 31st 2015
Kaka waits until after midnight to call Cristiano. "I was waiting," Cris says, "We want to go to bed but I had to wait to talk to you."
Kaka laughs. "The world superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, going to bed at half past midnight on New Year's Day? What has the world come to?"
Cristiano laughs. "Okay, okay," he says, "You're one to be throwing around words like superstar."
"Happy New Year," Kaka says. "I hope yours is a good one."
"Yeah," Cris says. "Thank you, you too. And to David. Have you made your resolutions?
"I bet," he says, before Kaka replies, "I bet I know them. Don't tell me. 'I resolve to wait until my best friend and the footballer I most admire in the whole world moves to Italy and then I'm going to move to -' " he pauses. "'Saudi Arabia'."
Kaka laughs and laughs. "Where?"
Cristiano is laughing too. "No no," he says, "You don't fool me, I know your plans, all the greats go there when they run out of clubs who will pay their wages. You're a money grabbing consumerist, Ricardo, I know you, don't try it with me."
Kaka is still laughing. "Okay," he says, "You got me. Except it's China."
"Oh shit," Cristiano says. "We're not moving to China. I have a kid in school."
"You're not moving to Italy either," Kaka says. "No," Cris admits, "Probably not."
"I miss you though," he says. "Can we at least try to see each other this year?"
"Logistics," Kaka says, and Cris laughs. "No way," he says. "Not that again."
"No," Kaka says, smiling and moving to stand in the doorway where he can see David. "I think I'm over logistics."
***
Kaka/David James
~1200, PG
Written in the same universe as this fic. Six year end moments in David and Kaka's relationship. I am a massive sap. Where is this all coming from. Whatever, it's aaaalll for the_wild_son.
December 31st 2010
He gets a call at midnight. There's faint music and laughter in the background, and the sound of champagne glasses knocking against each other.
"Where do they think you've gone?"
"To call my secret boyfriend," David says, and Kaka can hear him grinning. "They've been trying to guess who you are all evening. It's like living out a real life blind item."
Kaka laughs. "Who did they guess?"
"Wait," David says. "You'll love this. It was only your other boyfriend."
Kaka is confused for a second. "Wait," he says. "I don't - what?"
David laughs. "Cristiano," he says, and - Kaka snorts. "Shut up," he says. "Really?"
That's kind of funny, but also kind of, well, Kaka might be a bit jealous. David laughs again.
December 31st 2011
They mean to be together but Kaka doesn't want to let his family down and in the end it's a phone call again at five minutes past midnight. David tells him that next year he wants them to be together, that he wants Kaka to be there when he wakes up. Kaka doesn't know how this can happen.
"It's the logistics," he says weakly to Cristiano.
Cristiano scoffs at him. "Kaka," he says, "You earn millions and you can't figure out the logistics of being in England on New Year's Day?"
Kaka changes the subject, because really, who knows if they'll even be together still?
December 31st 2012
As it turns out, that is not a problem. Logistics are a lot easier when all that separates you is a run down the M4. Kaka likes Bristol better than London; he likes the sea, he likes the colours of the buildings and the steep roads that remind him of home. He likes walking with David up the gorge, where the scenery is like a painting. Bristol is bright and breezy in a way that London cannot be. And Bristol seems entirely apart from football too, even when Kaka drives down on Tuesday evenings to watch David play.
David wants them to go to London to see the fireworks and stroll down the South Bank, but Kaka only wants to sit outside David's hilltop home and kiss him at midnight. Kaka gets his way in the end because David finds it too hard to say no to him, but they do watch fireworks over the Bristol Channel, and they do hold hands when they walk down to the bridge. They wake up together the next morning and Kaka is so thankful for the good things that his move brought. He misses Spain and Madrid and his friends there more than he can admit to himself, but days like this make it easier.
He plays two days later and David is watching. Kaka scores a brace, and waves to the box, and gets mobbed by his team who aren't really his team even if they play in the right colours, and hopes for a year of belonging.
December 31st 2013
"What are your resolutions?"
Kaka doesn't like saying his resolutions out loud. He says them to God, and considers them an agreement between himself and his religion, not something to be bandied about in full view of everyone. But then, David isn't everyone.
"Last year," he says slowly, "I resolved to stop missing Madrid and to learn to appreciate the good things about my new life."
Except it hadn't worked, he had failed that resolution quite miserably. The season hadn't been so bad, but no one could say he had gelled with the team. A peak in January had been followed by a run of poor games and then the bench for the rest of the season. Kaka drove to Bristol more and more, and in May he disappeared to Madrid before anyone noticed he was gone.
"It wasn't your fault," David says, arms around Kaka. Kaka rests his head against David's and sighs.
"Yes," he says, "It was a little bit."
"And I think it was meant to be," David says, holding Kaka tighter. "Look where you are now."
Kaka smiles. "I'm right here," he says, deliberately misunderstanding David, craning his neck to look up at him. "Where I should be."
David laughs. Another New Year's Eve in Bristol was something to smile at.
December 31st 2014
"I rented this place," Kaka says cautiously, unsure if this gesture is too romantic, if David wanted to be in a city with other people, celebrating with loud cheers and revelry. "It's in the lakes."
"It sounds brilliant," David says. "I can't wait to see you."
There are always things to be thankful for, Kaka reminds himself. David retiring was hard on him, and on them, but they see each other a lot more these days. David spends whole weeks in Milan with Kaka now that he is allowed to take holidays. "I keep feeling like I've got somewhere to be," he says all week, and calls his fellow coaching staff far too often.
When the year ends it is them on a hilltop again, except the fireworks are reflected on Italian lakes this time.
"The scenery's a bit different," David says, and Kaka squeezes his hand and laughs. "Not so much," he says. "It fits us."
December 31st 2015
Kaka waits until after midnight to call Cristiano. "I was waiting," Cris says, "We want to go to bed but I had to wait to talk to you."
Kaka laughs. "The world superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, going to bed at half past midnight on New Year's Day? What has the world come to?"
Cristiano laughs. "Okay, okay," he says, "You're one to be throwing around words like superstar."
"Happy New Year," Kaka says. "I hope yours is a good one."
"Yeah," Cris says. "Thank you, you too. And to David. Have you made your resolutions?
"I bet," he says, before Kaka replies, "I bet I know them. Don't tell me. 'I resolve to wait until my best friend and the footballer I most admire in the whole world moves to Italy and then I'm going to move to -' " he pauses. "'Saudi Arabia'."
Kaka laughs and laughs. "Where?"
Cristiano is laughing too. "No no," he says, "You don't fool me, I know your plans, all the greats go there when they run out of clubs who will pay their wages. You're a money grabbing consumerist, Ricardo, I know you, don't try it with me."
Kaka is still laughing. "Okay," he says, "You got me. Except it's China."
"Oh shit," Cristiano says. "We're not moving to China. I have a kid in school."
"You're not moving to Italy either," Kaka says. "No," Cris admits, "Probably not."
"I miss you though," he says. "Can we at least try to see each other this year?"
"Logistics," Kaka says, and Cris laughs. "No way," he says. "Not that again."
"No," Kaka says, smiling and moving to stand in the doorway where he can see David. "I think I'm over logistics."
***