Appetite (Epilogue)
Title: Appetite
Pairings: Rafael Nadal/Novak Djokovic, David Ferrer/Andy Murray, Carlos Moya/Tommy Haas
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters and this is a fiction.
Summary: One year has passed and things has become slightly different on the island.
Author's note: Sorry that this epilogue took me so long. Thank you for reading this story :)
One year later
‘Ouch… my back.’
Novak woke up with a dreadful sore in his muscles, listening to Rafael whistle in glee.
‘God... I’m sure I’m split in half. How come he looks so fine and joyful?’
Novak sat up from the bed and realized that he even had a sore throat.
‘Great! Now let’s keep in mind not to do anything ever to piss him off.’
Although the Serb thought that last night was one of their greatest nights ever, he didn’t think that he could survive another intense night like that. They still had their punishing tradition and Rafael insisted that his boyfriend needed severe punishment after burning all the Christmas cookies.
‘Next year, no baking. We’ll just buy them. I’m sure we can afford a few cookies.’
Novak grumped and kicked one of Rafael’s racquets that was leaning against the bed.
“Oh, you’re up! Good morning, Nole.”
Rafael almost sang his morning greetings and came over the bed to kiss his boyfriend.
“I think we enjoyed enough kissing, Rafa. I feel like my lips are swollen to the very limit.” The Serb couldn’t stop pouting but didn’t turn his head when the Spaniard left a short kiss on the lips.
“And that just makes you look even cuter!” The world number one beamed.
Novak made a face before asking, “Rafa, don’t you feel any pain... anywhere?”
He was curious and frankly he was a little bit bothered by the fact that his boyfriend looked so fine. He was also a world-class athlete himself.
“Pain? No. My body’s very happy everywhere, no?”
“You’re serious?”
“Yes. You’re not happy?” Rafael wriggled his eyebrows.
“Huh. I don’t know how to answer that.”
“You’ll know the answer when I bring you a warm cup of tea.” Rafael grinned as widely as he could and left the room.
“Don’t give me that tea Ferru brought… from China!! It’s bitter!” The Serb shouted at the back of his boyfriend, his voice cracking in the middle of the sentence.
“Your husky voice is so hot, Nole. And, yes, it’s that tea from China. He said that it’s good for men’s health.”
“I really don’t think you need to be any health…ier! Damn it, my voice!”
Novak punched Rafael’s pillow and groaned.
Their tennis season had been decent, their love had been strong and unlike last year, Novak didn’t have worrying psychological issues and Rafael managed to keep his knees in check. In the places of the ugly pictures that were supposed to help the Serb find peace in his mind, there was a photo of Rafael holding the Wimbledon trophy and another one with Novak holding the U.S. Open trophy.
They did have a problem with the paparazzi that took their pictures during their summer vacation where Novak was in Rafael’s arms but they had insisted that the Spaniard was only helping his friend who suffered from a leg cramp. Obviously, not many people bought that explanation but the two players’ tennis was solid enough to avoid further speculation.
On a sunnier note, they had officially introduced each other to their families, even had a nice meal all together, and Novak had gotten himself some cool friends on the island. His Spanish had gotten much better, even if Rafael still loved to tease his mistakes.
While Novak was going through the past twelve months in his mind, Rafael came back to the bedroom with a tray of two cups of tea.
“Okay. Drink it up.”
It was clear that Rafael’s English had improved throughout the year. It must have helped having a talkative boyfriend around.
“Can’t you drink both?” Novak frowned but picked up his cup when Rafael wriggled his eyebrows in a less than gentle manner.
“Good boy. You want a candy?” The Spaniard chuckled and patted the Serb on the head.
“No thanks. I’m not a kid, you know.”
“You do look like a kid with these pillow marks on your face, haha.” Rafael caressed the side of his boyfriend’s face and saw him yawn.
“Maybe you should take a nap, no?”
“Yeah, I probably should.” Novak quickly let go of his cup and lay down.
“Uh uh. After you finish drinking this.” Rafael picked up the Serb’s cup and held it in front of his mouth.
“Fine. Next time I’m going to make sure he only buys the right stuff.”
“I think this is one of the right stuffs. Ah, how much pleasure we had last… ouch! Don’t need to pinch me, no?”
Rafael rubbed his right arm while Novak finished his cup of tea.
“Care to join me?”
The Serb lay down again and patted the empty spot right next to him. It always helped him to sleep better when his boyfriend was in bed.
“I’m not sleepy but I can be your pillow. Let me grab the papers.”
In less than a minute, Novak had Rafael where he wanted. He had his head on his chest and put an arm around his waist. He was ready to fall asleep.
As if the Spaniard had read his mind, Rafael started humming a lullaby, careful not to make too much noise while reading the morning papers. It was a peaceful morning and they wouldn’t want it any other way.
Meanwhile, another adorable couple that didn’t live too far away, had just finished an essential part of their morning routine.
“Ha…”
The room was steamy as Andy let out a satisfied sigh.
“What a morning.” He added.
“You liked it?” David rolled off his boyfriend.
“Yeah, as always.”
The Scot smoothed his sweaty hair and saw David pull the bedcovers over his head. His Spaniard had gone back to his shy old self again.
“I’m still not certain if the one who sleeps with me is you or not.” Andy chuckled and pulled down the covers just enough to kiss the flushed cheeks.
“Of course, it’s me, no?” David protested.
“Well, it could be another personality in you. Like, for example… Percy.”
“Percy? But that’s a British name!”
“Oh, right. Then… Jorge or someone.”
“Ah, I like David better.”
“Haha, me too.”
Andy wrapped himself around the Spaniard and closed his eyes. He felt peaceful. It had been already more than half a year that he had moved to this island. When the hard court season ended in spring, David had asked to come live with him and Andy had surprised himself by saying yes right away on the scene.
He had totally forgotten about Tim by now. He couldn’t afford even thinking about him because whenever he was about to feel a little bit blue, David would come out of nowhere and make him laugh.
They enjoyed running and taking a walk in the park, right in front of their house, and got along well with neighbors including their fellow tennis players that lived across the park. David came back into the top ten and he always liked to thank his boyfriend for that. He still called him “pretty Andy” even though the Scot had more masculine features now and Andy still called him “SpongeBob”.
“Ahahaha.”
“What are you laughing at?” David looked at his boyfriend with curiosity apparent on his face.
“I’m thinking about the day when we played that tampered Monopoly. The day when you kissed me.” Andy rolled onto his side to face the Spaniard.
“Ah, I wanted to hit Safin on the head, no?” It had been quite a shock to see someone mess with the sacred SpongeBob Monopoly.
“Well, perhaps we should thank him for it. I liked your kiss.” Andy smiled and let his fingers play with David’s long strands of hair.
“You need a haircut.”
David didn’t know if he should laugh or pout.
“Funny you say that, no?” He decided to laugh.
“Hey, at least my hair doesn’t obstruct my view. I saw you pushing your hair out of the way when you practiced yesterday.” Andy pointed out.
“You saw that?” Now it was time to pout.
“But I don’t like to get a haircut. They never know the appropriate length, no?”
Andy pondered on his boyfriend’s complaint and blurted out, “What if I cut it for you?”
David’s eyes grew impossibly wide as he swallowed hard. If he had heard him right, he needed to find a way to refuse politely. His hair was serious business; he couldn’t let unprofessional hands touch it like that.
“Don’t say no before you see how skillful I can be with scissors.”
Andy got out of bed and pulled out a pair of scissors from the desk drawer. Worried that the Scot might come after his hair, David quickly grabbed a blanket and put it over his head.
“Haha, relax. I’m not going to cut your hair unless you let me.”
Andy rather grabbed a sheet of paper and thought for a minute before he started to cut out different shapes.
“Uh… Andy, I don’t need you to cut out a triangle, no? I’m just worried that you’ll cut my hair too short and make the ends uneven.”
“Hmm, you’re right. This isn’t the best way to make you feel safe.”
Andy went out of the bedroom and returned with a wig that he had received from his fans.
“What is that?” David hoped that his lovely boyfriend didn’t collect people’s hair as a twisted hobby.
“Relax. It’s just a fan gift. I’ll show you I can cut people’s hair.”
Andy took a deep breath and started cutting as if he was Edward Scissorhands.
“You’re ready?”
Tommy asked the serious looking Spaniard. He had always been ready for this moment but he wasn’t still sure if Carlos could handle it.
“Yes. I’m ready.” Carlos fixed his tie one last time and smiled.
“What happens to us if you regret this decision?”
Tommy didn’t want to make a mess out of their relationship. He had to be a hundred percent sure that they would be all right.
“I won’t regret it, Tommy. Don’t worry about that. We talked this over and over again. I’d say this is the perfect time.”
“You really think so? I mean, we still have a choice. We can only talk about our retirement today.” The German bit his lips.
“No. We talk about our retirement and our relationship today.” Carlos grabbed his lover’s hand and pressed a kiss on the back.
“Okay. But if you change your mind, let me know during the press conference, alright?”
“Alright.”
The two shared a smile and a kiss full of trust and affection before Tommy opened the door in front of them.
“Ah, right there. Mmm…”
Novak was lying on his stomach, giving out orders to his personal masseur. Just like their very first night together, Rafael was performing some world-class massage on the bossy Serb.
Feeling much better than this morning, Novak was enjoying the familiar fingers that soothed his muscles when he heard a buzz.
“Hey, isn’t that a cell phone?”
“That’s yours, no?”
“Really?” Novak looked over his boyfriend’s shoulder and let out a groan. People always interrupted them whenever they were having a good time.
“I’ll get it for you if you give me a kiss.” Rafael demanded.
“You kiss whore.”
“You hug monster.”
“Fine.”
Novak pulled his boyfriend down and soon got his cell phone without moving an inch from the bed.
“Huh, it’s a text from Ferru.”
“What does he say?”
“He says that Andy is cutting his hair. How on earth did that happen?” Novak looked at the Spaniard who didn’t have the answer either.
“Strange day, today.” He shrugged.
“Maybe Andy forced him. He can force things every once in a while.” Novak knew his best friend well.
“Ah, I’m sure he…” Just when Rafael was about to defend the Scot, his cell phone started to ring.
“It’s probably Ferru.”
“I’m sure it’s Ferru.” Rafael flipped open his phone and shook his head, “No, it’s from Carlos and… he says that we should turn on the TV.”
Novak sprang up from the bed and Rafael ran out to the living room. They had heard from the elder Spaniard that sometime in the off-season he would announce his retirement.
“I can’t believe it’s today.” Rafael smiled bitterly as he picked up the remote control.
“Me neither. I was hoping to hear that he changed his mind and would play another season.”
Novak grabbed a cushion as Rafael turned on the TV and joined him on the couch.
Carlos and Tommy were sitting next to each other, facing the journalists that they had grown familiar with during their careers. The press conference was supposed to be broadcasted live in Spain and in the country where they were at the moment, in Germany.
The two players had already gone through announcing their retirement, thanking the fans and everyone who had supported them, and now it was time to drop the final bomb.
Tommy searched for his lover’s hand under the table. He wanted to see if the Spaniard had changed his mind. He gently held Carlos’ warm hand and waited for an answer. They didn’t need many words these days. They had found that comfortable spot back and it had helped their relationship kept hidden.
‘Carlos?’
Right before an ounce of doubt crept into the German’s mind, Carlos grabbed the lovely hand with all his heart. He wasn’t going to change his mind.
Thump-thump.
Both hearts started beating faster but they knew that they could deal with it. They had nothing to worry about; their career had come to an end and their family and friends had already shown them overwhelming support. So if their fans were true fans, the two of them knew that they would get their blessings at some point.
“Before we end this interview, we have a very special announcement to make.” Carlos’ voice was elegant and strong, which helped Tommy to breathe with more ease.
This was it. They were finally telling the whole world their deepest, most precious secret.
Thump-thump.
Tommy took another deep breath, wondering if he should do the hard yet proud part of the talk. But Carlos didn’t give him much time to think.
“We would like to make something official in front of your eyes today.” The Spaniard had a peaceful smile on his lips while the journalists started to whisper to each other.
Thump-thump.
“Tommy and I are building a new future together.”
Carlos put their laced hands on the table and Tommy tried his best to smile. He had always thought that he would be the one to say it out loud but he was pretty nervous at the moment to even think about opening his mouth.
Flashlights nearly blinded the two but they were used to so much light, noise, and confusion. The intimacy that wrapped them must have been good enough, since no one seemed to ask them whether they were talking about a partnership in business.
Once the moderator silenced the journalists, Carlos kept talking.
“First, we would like to say sorry to those whom we had to lie to. Please understand that we were trying to protect our career and focus more on tennis. And, our special thanks go to my dear friend Juan Carlos who had been very supportive and helped us get back together. I think we got the courage to do this, thanks to Marat and him from last week. I wish you guys all the happiness in the world.”
The Spaniard smiled softly at the camera, hoping that his best friend would get to feel how thankful he was.
“Yeah, thank you, Juanqui. We’ve decided to send him the finest bottle of vodka every year on our anniversary. So if you want your alcohol, pray that we’d be together for a very long time, haha.”
Tommy could finally start talking, happy and relieved. He knew that once their statement was over, the two would have to face an impossibly long Q&A session and deal with all sorts of reactions from the tennis world, but he thought that they would be fine.
He already felt much better for telling the world that in fact, he had had a soul that loved him and made him feel safe throughout all those years. He knew that as long as he was holding Carlos’ hand like this, they would be fine.
“They look happy.” Novak observed.
“They do.” Rafael agreed, holding his boyfriend’s hands.
They were still in shock but they absolutely admired their friends’ courage.
“Rafa… do you think we’ll be there one day? Telling the whole world?”
The Spaniard shrugged his shoulders. “Very possible, no?”
“They’re extremely brave to do that.”
“That’s true.”
As the television showed another round of prepared images of the two players throughout their careers, Novak moved closer to his boyfriend.
“They’ll be fine, no? Don’t worry.”
Rafael placed a soothing kiss on top of the spiky head and received a kiss on the neck.
“It’s a good thing, right? They’ll be free. Nothing to hide anymore.”
For the Serb, it had always seemed like an impossible thing to do. He couldn’t really picture himself doing such a press conference, but perhaps that was because he didn’t reach the stage of ending his career yet.
“It’s a good thing. They’re strong enough to handle that. And, one day, hopefully, we could be that strong too.” Rafael reassured both his boyfriend and himself.
“But until then, I like the way you want to keep it as a secret, okay? No worries.”
“Okay. No worries.”
Novak smiled and leaned in for a kiss. As any other day, Rafael was more than happy to fulfill his boyfriend’s request and like any other day, their kiss felt like a piece of heaven.