(no subject)
title: when
pairing: leo messi/david villa
rating: g
words: 900
summary: pretty much just a transference of feelings about Missing David Villa.
No one talks to Leo in the tunnel, and he doesn’t speak to anyone either. Maybe they’ve learned their lessons in the past or maybe they don’t have anything to say; he doesn’t really care either way.
In the dressing room he’s fast. A brief shower to rinse off and he’s in his clothes in record time. He wants to get out of there, and quickly. He pulls a sweater over his head, not caring that the collar gets soaked from his still dripping hair.
Someone touches his shoulder, a gentle squeeze. The figure moves past him and he sees it’s Ibi; he looks around and notices for the first time that while he was in the shower all the guys from the stands made their way down to the locker room. Isaac’s with Cristian, listening to him intently; Marc and Andreu are with Gerard and Cesc, all in a huddle, their young, earnest faces somewhat tinged with confusion. David’s sitting, hunched on the bench in front of Xavi’s locker, and the latter is gesturing animatedly, his eyebrows drawn as he speaks, low and intense. Probably talking tactics. Leo couldn’t care less.
Javier’s still in the shower and Pinto has disappeared with Victor, so Leo thinks he can slip out without saying goodbye. No one else will mind, or notice. He’s halfway out the door when there’s a hand at his elbow, stopping him.
David. “Can I walk you out?” he asks. Leo wants to say no, but he has no reason to, so he nods wordlessly.
David falls into step with him, but doesn’t say anything, and after a moment Leo virtually forgets he’s there, lost in his own thoughts. David follows Leo all the way to his car, and it’s only then that Leo looks at him with a question on his face, rooting in his bag for his keys.
“Do you ever feel,” David says suddenly, breaking the silence and then cutting himself off. “I don’t know - I kind of feel bad for being upset right now. After everything I’ve won at this club.”
Leo shrugs his bag off his shoulders and opens the door to his backseat so he can toss it in. “It’s our job to feel bad,” he says wearily, closing the door as quietly as possible and turning to face David.
“Yeah,” David nods, and meets Leo’s eyes for a split second before his gaze shifts to somewhere over Leo’s shoulder. “I know. It’s just, sometimes I think - why does anyone care? I mean, right now Abi is at the hospital, and maybe his girls are there with him, and…” he trails off, shaking his head.
Leo opens the driver’s side door and rests his arms on top of it, and his chin on top of those. He lifts his eyes to Villa’s. “And you broke your leg, and Andreu won’t play for months, and Ibi never even got a chance,” he goes on, blinking slowly. “Yeah. I get it.”
David doesn't quite smile, but his eyes crease in that familiar way. Leo’s chest hurts, he’s tired. “I thought you would,” David murmurs, half to himself.
Leo wants to close his eyes and lay his head down, but he doesn’t look away from David. “We missed you out there,” he says finally, and does not allow his voice to break. What he means is, I missed you, I miss not being alone up there, and maybe David gets it because he cuffs a hand around the back of Leo’s neck and touches their foreheads together briefly.
When he backs up, he leaves his hand at Leo’s neck, idly stroking the hair that’s getting long at the nape. His hand is warm. Almost comforting. “Just think what it’s going to be like,” he says, “Next year. If I’m back, and if Alex can stay healthy…”
“When,” Leo interrupts him, straightening up. “Not if. When.” It’s dangerous, usually, to think that way, in definites, especially when it comes to football, but Leo is going to allow himself that, just for tonight, just for now.
Maybe David feels the same, because he smiles easily. Leo would touch those deep creases at his eyes if they weren’t in the parking lot, out in the open. “Okay,” David says, and nods. “When.”
Leo does let himself lay his head down then, just for a minute, against his arms and with David’s hand on his neck, his shoulder. He feels David push his hair back and then his hand falls away. Leo straightens.
“Are you coming on Tuesday?” he asks.
David’s eyes are bright and teasing. “How could I be anywhere else when you guys go through?”
Leo rolls his eyes a little, but allows himself a small smile for the first time that night. “Right,” he says. “Okay.” It’s quiet again, but in an easy way. “I should go.”
David nods. He steps closer, and before Leo can react, his lips are against the side of Leo’s face, somewhere between his cheek and his temple. He’s smiling when he pulls away, his hand on Leo’s arm.
“Try to sleep well, okay?” he says. He’s backing up, headed back toward the dressing room. “And remember: when. Not if.”
Leo nods, and starts to get in his car. He watches as David turns and walks back to the building; he’s not limping at all, he looks perfect, if Leo didn't know any better. Leo stays until he disappears inside. He thinks, when.
pairing: leo messi/david villa
rating: g
words: 900
summary: pretty much just a transference of feelings about Missing David Villa.
No one talks to Leo in the tunnel, and he doesn’t speak to anyone either. Maybe they’ve learned their lessons in the past or maybe they don’t have anything to say; he doesn’t really care either way.
In the dressing room he’s fast. A brief shower to rinse off and he’s in his clothes in record time. He wants to get out of there, and quickly. He pulls a sweater over his head, not caring that the collar gets soaked from his still dripping hair.
Someone touches his shoulder, a gentle squeeze. The figure moves past him and he sees it’s Ibi; he looks around and notices for the first time that while he was in the shower all the guys from the stands made their way down to the locker room. Isaac’s with Cristian, listening to him intently; Marc and Andreu are with Gerard and Cesc, all in a huddle, their young, earnest faces somewhat tinged with confusion. David’s sitting, hunched on the bench in front of Xavi’s locker, and the latter is gesturing animatedly, his eyebrows drawn as he speaks, low and intense. Probably talking tactics. Leo couldn’t care less.
Javier’s still in the shower and Pinto has disappeared with Victor, so Leo thinks he can slip out without saying goodbye. No one else will mind, or notice. He’s halfway out the door when there’s a hand at his elbow, stopping him.
David. “Can I walk you out?” he asks. Leo wants to say no, but he has no reason to, so he nods wordlessly.
David falls into step with him, but doesn’t say anything, and after a moment Leo virtually forgets he’s there, lost in his own thoughts. David follows Leo all the way to his car, and it’s only then that Leo looks at him with a question on his face, rooting in his bag for his keys.
“Do you ever feel,” David says suddenly, breaking the silence and then cutting himself off. “I don’t know - I kind of feel bad for being upset right now. After everything I’ve won at this club.”
Leo shrugs his bag off his shoulders and opens the door to his backseat so he can toss it in. “It’s our job to feel bad,” he says wearily, closing the door as quietly as possible and turning to face David.
“Yeah,” David nods, and meets Leo’s eyes for a split second before his gaze shifts to somewhere over Leo’s shoulder. “I know. It’s just, sometimes I think - why does anyone care? I mean, right now Abi is at the hospital, and maybe his girls are there with him, and…” he trails off, shaking his head.
Leo opens the driver’s side door and rests his arms on top of it, and his chin on top of those. He lifts his eyes to Villa’s. “And you broke your leg, and Andreu won’t play for months, and Ibi never even got a chance,” he goes on, blinking slowly. “Yeah. I get it.”
David doesn't quite smile, but his eyes crease in that familiar way. Leo’s chest hurts, he’s tired. “I thought you would,” David murmurs, half to himself.
Leo wants to close his eyes and lay his head down, but he doesn’t look away from David. “We missed you out there,” he says finally, and does not allow his voice to break. What he means is, I missed you, I miss not being alone up there, and maybe David gets it because he cuffs a hand around the back of Leo’s neck and touches their foreheads together briefly.
When he backs up, he leaves his hand at Leo’s neck, idly stroking the hair that’s getting long at the nape. His hand is warm. Almost comforting. “Just think what it’s going to be like,” he says, “Next year. If I’m back, and if Alex can stay healthy…”
“When,” Leo interrupts him, straightening up. “Not if. When.” It’s dangerous, usually, to think that way, in definites, especially when it comes to football, but Leo is going to allow himself that, just for tonight, just for now.
Maybe David feels the same, because he smiles easily. Leo would touch those deep creases at his eyes if they weren’t in the parking lot, out in the open. “Okay,” David says, and nods. “When.”
Leo does let himself lay his head down then, just for a minute, against his arms and with David’s hand on his neck, his shoulder. He feels David push his hair back and then his hand falls away. Leo straightens.
“Are you coming on Tuesday?” he asks.
David’s eyes are bright and teasing. “How could I be anywhere else when you guys go through?”
Leo rolls his eyes a little, but allows himself a small smile for the first time that night. “Right,” he says. “Okay.” It’s quiet again, but in an easy way. “I should go.”
David nods. He steps closer, and before Leo can react, his lips are against the side of Leo’s face, somewhere between his cheek and his temple. He’s smiling when he pulls away, his hand on Leo’s arm.
“Try to sleep well, okay?” he says. He’s backing up, headed back toward the dressing room. “And remember: when. Not if.”
Leo nods, and starts to get in his car. He watches as David turns and walks back to the building; he’s not limping at all, he looks perfect, if Leo didn't know any better. Leo stays until he disappears inside. He thinks, when.