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Chapter 48 - NEW
“I really appreciate you coming, Lukas. This will really mean a lot to the kids,” Katya finished typing up a report on her computer and turned the screen off, swiveling around in her chair to face him again. “But I do have to warn you, things may get a little hectic. I don't know if you have any experience with autistic children, but some of them can get a little loud.”
“How loud?” He didn't have any experience with that particular disorder, and the way she was grinning at him right now had him a little worried.
“Loud. You never know what may set them off, they could just be doing it to express their joy. But it can get a little annoying, so I just thought I'd warn you.” She winked at him and stood up. “But don't worry, I'm sure we'll be able to find you some earplugs.”
At that moment there was a knock at the door and they were joined by a few other therapists. “You guys ready?” The first to poke his head into the room was Greg Rothke, the man who'd been in charge of Lukas' physiotherapy. He nodded his head to Lukas, who grinned and stood up, making his way over to shake Greg's hand.
“Nice to see you again, under better circumstances, of course.”
Greg grinned back at him. “Nice to see you can walk and talk at the same time now.” Everyone laughed while Lukas just shook his head.
“Real funny, Greg. Here all this time I thought you'd been the nice one.”
“Oh stop being a princess, Lukas. You can't show these kids any weakness today.” Katya was there at his arm now, nudging him and winking. The group left her office and made their way toward the gymnasium, where the day's activities were set to take place. Lukas was told to wait outside so they could announce him properly, and he came in to thunderous applause (from both the kids, and their parents).
The day was spent doing a variety of games, and Lukas found himself involved in every one. He'd tried to pay attention to every kid who looked at him, offering everything from autographs to pictures and an awful lot of hugs. Eventually, though, he found himself face to face with the kid that had started it all.
“Hello, Nicholas!” He grinned when he saw his little friend, amused at how his eyes lit up when he heard his name. Instead of rushing over to him, Lukas waited for Nicholas to get to him (something Katya had told him to do, so the kids could feel as empowered as possible) and only when the boy reached him did he reach out and grab him, hugging him tightly. “How's my favourite seven year old?”
“Not s-seven!” Nicholas exclaimed, with a smile on his face. “Eight, now!”
Lukas was surprised to hear he'd had a birthday. He would have expected Katya to tell him. “You're eight? I missed your birthday? Katya!” He called to her, since she was nearby conversing with someone's parents. “Why didn't you tell me Nicholas had a birthday!”
Katya bid the parents goodbye before coming over. “Because it hasn't passed yet.” She winked at him.
Lukas turned to look at Nicholas, who was beaming. “Is today your birthday, Nicholas?” He nodded, a bright smile on his face. “Happy birthday, buddy! I just wish someone would have told me so I could have brought you a present,” he looked at Katya, a frown on his face.
She just continued to grin as she watched him. “His birthday present is you being here, Lukas! When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, that's what he told me. He wanted to see you again.”
Lukas looked down at the kid and smiled, hugging him tightly again. He'd definitely made the right choice in coming here. He also had a sudden idea, looking up at Katya and grinning. “Actually, you know what, I do think I have a present for him in my car. If you guys can hold on for a minute, I'll go out and grab it.” He looked back at Nicholas, who was smiling and shaking a little with excitement. Lukas stood up then, meeting Katya's curious gaze and smirking as he ran out of the gymnasium and went to his car.
Like every footballer, Lukas always kept a pair of cleats in his trunk, accessible if he was ever out anywhere and the fancy of playing a game struck him. Pulling out the red cleats, Lukas looked them over once, pleased with their condition. They were clean and not too beat up, obviously used and after a quick signature with a black marker, they'd be perfect. Hiding them behind his back he made his way back inside, grinning slightly and feeling like laughing. Being around all the kids was making him feel slightly childish, which he supposed wasn't too bad.
He made it back into the gymnasium and found Nicholas waiting with Katya and his parents, all of them curious about what he was going to bring in. Lukas grabbed a black marker from a table and motioned to the group to wait for a moment while he signed the boots. He'd thought about what to write on his way in, and had settled on calling to mind his first meeting with Nicholas. To my buddy Nicholas - you will always be my hero! Love and luck from Lukas Podolski! He grinned and tossed the marker back on the table before standing up and keeping the boots behind his back as he walked over to the kid.
He kneeled down in front of him, looking Nicholas in the eyes. “Alright, buddy, I know this was last minute and all, and that's Katya's fault, but I hope you like your present anyway.” He winked at him before presenting Nicholas with the shoes.
The little boy was shocked and couldn't answer for a second, his eyes taking in the offer. He looked back at his parents, who were both battling emotions (and tears) before looking at Katya and then finally back at Lukas, realizing that he was serious. Nicholas reached out to touch the cleats, excited and awe struck. “For me?” was all he could say, but for Lukas, that was more than enough.
He put one arm around Nicholas, nearly crushing the kid against him, and kissed the top of his head. “Yeah, for you. You're really special, Nicholas.” When the kid looked at him with disbelieving eyes, Lukas smiled and leaned forward to speak into his ear, his voice barely above a whisper. This was for Nicholas alone to hear. “You know, when I was hurt, and I couldn't do much, I always felt like quitting. But then I met you and I knew I couldn't give up. And now I'm better, and I'll be playing again really soon, and it's all because I met you. You taught me to keep working hard. So you and me, we're gonna be friends forever, right?”
Nicholas was shaking a little at the words, all the happiness in his heart barely able to be contained in his body, and he still couldn't say anything, but Lukas just grinned and hugged him again. He'd meant every word of his speech.
“So, overall, what did you think?”
Lukas was stacking some chairs up, wanting to help everyone clean up after the day (even though he was a little tired and hungry - the kids had worn him out). “It was fun, a little tiring, but a great experience. I'll definitely talk to the club and see if we can get some more guys to come out some time, I think they'd enjoy this.”
“Great, exactly what I was hoping to hear!” She added a chair to his stack.
“My only complaint is that I need some food. I haven't eaten since breakfast, except for the birthday cake. I think it's some kind of record for me.” They both laughed and she followed him as he picked up the chairs and brought them over to the storage room.
“Well, they do have food for us, but I'd suggest we skip it and go out somewhere else. I'm sure you remember the food here is alright, but you can get a little tired of it day after day.”
He nodded, remembering the meals he'd had while here. They'd been surprisingly good for a hospital, but it would be nice to have something a little better. “Is there anywhere good around here?” He figured that she would know the area a little better than he did.
“You like Italian?”
“Katya, I'm an athlete. I'll eat anything.” He grinned as he set the chairs down and turned to face her, noting the way she rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“Well that's good, because we're going for Italian. I actually already made us reservations somewhere.” She winked at him before turning around and surveying the room to see if there was anything left to help with.
“Well, aren't you a little forward?” He was amused that she had already appeared to have planned their evening, which he didn't mind. As long as they ate, he didn't care where it was.
“I'm just taking advantage of you and your money, that's all,” she joked before declaring that it appeared as though they were free to leave. The pair made their way from the gym, pausing for a moment to say goodbye to some of the other therapists and declining offers to grab some food with them. They walked out to Lukas' car and got in, Katya directing him where to go. They pulled up to a restaurant that Lukas had heard of, but never gone to before.
“Acquarello, Katya? If I didn't know you'd better I'd think you really were just using me for my money.” He parked and shut his car off, looking at her and grinning.
Katya laughed at the comment, “well, that and I'm secretly hoping that we'll be spotted by someone. I'm dying to make Bild!” She winked at him and he shook his head before laughing too. They exited the car and made their way inside, immediately being shown to their table. Lukas had to admit that it was a really nice looking restaurant, very calm and serene with its paintings of Mediterranean seascapes.
“This place is nice,” he remarked, his eyes still taking in the paintings.
“I know, isn't it? Very soothing, I find. I came once before, food was fantastic too.” They made small talk while perusing the menus, finally settling on their choices. Lukas decided on the lamb, while Katya wanted the lobster, and they'd be starting things off with a plate of sliced roast beef, done up in nine different flavours. Katya ordered wine, while Lukas stuck to water for the time being. After the long day it felt nice to sit back and unwind in a good restaurant, especially when you had good company.
It was nearing nine thirty by the time they finished, but neither one felt much like going home. Katya suggested a walk through the English Garden and Lukas obliged, enjoying her company. There was something about her that was just so familiar and easy. Lukas found that he never had to force conversation, and he was never at a loss for something to say when he was with her. Of course her interest in (and knowledge of) football was an added bonus, since they could switch from discussing the latest episode of their favourite TV shows to memories of watching the 2002 World Cup with their parents. Katya had watched every qualifying match with her father and older brother, but it wasn't until the tournament start that her mother began watching, not wanting to feel left out on game days.
Much to the whole family's chagrin, the older woman had found herself teetering on the verge of an almost schoolgirl-like crush on Oliver Kahn.
This shocked Lukas. “Women find him attractive?” He laughed while they walked along the water, amused.
“I don't think it was necessarily physical, I think it had more to do with his, uh, aggressive behaviour? Mom likes her men manly,” Katya tried to keep from giggling too much at the memories.
“Understandable,” Lukas nodded, still amused. “Who did you like during the tournament?”
“Oh, well I set my sights more in line with many younger women.”
“Let me guess,” he jumped in before she had a chance to say anything more. “Ballack? My sister Tina was obsessed with him during the tournament.”
“Correct! He was gorgeous, and the fact that he moved to Bayern after the tournament enabled me to continue my love affair for the next few years.” The transfer had made her dance around her bedroom with glee when her brother had popped his head around her door that day to tell her. By the time she'd gone to join her family for lunch an hour later she'd managed to contain her girlish squeals and listen to her brother and father talk tactics of the transfer. She'd enjoyed the closer bond she'd shared with her male family members during the tournament and hadn't wanted to ruin it by turning into a squealing girl over her favourite players. She'd leave that behaviour strictly to her bedroom.
“Lucky you. As soon as the league started up again that fall, Tina went back to hating him. Broke her heart, of course, but she got over it.”
“I think me and your sister would get along really well,” Katya said, grinning and nudging her arm into Lukas' chest.
“I agree, though to be honest, that kind of scares me.” He narrowed his eyes at her momentarily after the elbow, before smiling a second later. “I got lucky with my sister.”
Katya smiled at his comment, finding it adorable. “I take it you guys must be really close.”
Lukas nodded, the smile on his face giving it all away. “We are, she's always there whenever I need her. She annoyed me sometimes when we were growing up, but really, she was the best older sister in the world.”
“Aww,” Katya couldn't help but link her arms through his, pressing close to him. “That's so adorable, Lukas!”
Lukas didn't mind the contact, and didn't say anything as they continued to walk along, Katya clinging comfortably to his arm. It was nice. “How about your brother? Are you guys close?”
Katya nodded, “we are, he's not in Munich anymore though, which sucks. He's in Bochum, getting his PhD in biochemistry.” She grinned and rolled her eyes. “He's clearly the genius of the family.”
Lukas laughed, though he couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit intimidated by Katya's brother. He respected anyone who continued their education to such a degree. “I'm lucky I was good at football, otherwise I'd probably be working in a factory assembling cars or something.” They both laughed at the comment.
“Oh come on, I'm sure if you'd devoted more time to your education when you were young, you'd have turned out smarter. You footballers just focused too much on the sport, and when you're young, anything that distracting keeps the brain from soaking everything else up.”
Lukas grinned and looked down at her. “Are you saying you think I'm stupid?”
“No!” Katya laughed and smacked his arm with her free hand, “you just would have turned out a little more intellectual had you devoted more time to studies. Probably.”
“Probably not,” Lukas replied, which caused them both to laugh. “But that doesn't matter anyway, because I turned out to be really good at football.”
“Lucky you, then. I'd hate to think of you wasting away assembling Audi cars in a factory.”
“Yeah, instead now I get a new one with the start of each season! I'll take that over struggling through an extra few years of school.” They reached a point in their path that came across a stream. There was a bridge, of course, but the water also wasn't that deep, and there were stones large enough to step on to walk across. Lukas looked back and forth from the water to Katya, wondering if she would contemplate crossing on the stones. Then again, she had consumed a few glasses of wine over dinner, so maybe he'd better not bring it up.
It seemed that she could read his mind, though. “Go figure, we talk about my brother, and then wind up here. Max and I used to play here when we were kids, I recognize the spot. We'd pretend a troll lived under the bridge, and we'd climb around and hop on the rocks to try and steal his treasure.” She let go of his arm and walked down the side of the stream, not hesitating before stepping out onto the nearest stone. She stopped and looked back at him and he wasn't exactly sure what it meant when he felt his heart beating a little bit faster in his chest. “Come on, Lukas! Unless you're too old to go hunting trolls with me?” She winked before turning around and hopping onto another rock.
Lukas didn't need to be asked twice, he joined her in an instant, following her path across the wet rocks. Luckily the water was calm, so they weren't too slippery. “Tina and I used to play the same kind of games when we were kids,” he said, as he came up and stood on the rock behind her.
“I remember one time, when it was raining, and I slipped on one of the rocks and sprained my ankle. I was only six, Max was nine. He carried me all the way home.”
Lukas slid his arms around her without thinking, remembering things about his own childhood. “When I was little, Tina used to give me piggyback rides everywhere. Even when her friends were around; we used to pretend that I was a knight and she was my horse.”
Katya laughed and laid her hands on his arms. “That is adorable! Did she ever make you brush her hair?”
Lukas was surprised by the question. “Actually, she did. She used to say it was part of a knights duties in tending to his horse. Actually, now that I think about it, she used to make me feed her carrots too.” They both laughed anew at the comment, and Lukas looked down at her. “How did you know?”
Katya grinned and glanced up at him. “It's what I would have done. Smart girl.” Katya let a moment pass before pulling away and continuing on to the next rock. “Come on, I have to show you where the troll kept his treasure!” They moved further underneath the bridge and Katya climbed onto the bank. “See this spot right here?” She pointed to a hollowed out log that rested right underneath the beams of the bridge. “I had no idea at the time, but Max used to sneak under here before we started playing and he'd hide candy and toys. I always thought it was real treasure.” She looked back at Lukas and he couldn't help but smile.
“That was really sweet of him. Really thoughtful for a kid.”
Katya nodded before looking back at the log. “Yeah it was. Just one of those things you look back on as an adult and can't help but be surprised about.” Finished with showing him the spot, Katya climbed back out onto the stones, figuring that they would finally climb over to the other side of the path now. But she slipped on a particularly slippery rock and her foot plunged into the water. “Damn it, now I have to walk around with a wet foot.” She carefully made her way over the next few rocks to where Lukas was, frowning and trying not to laugh.
“You're not hurt, are you?” He asked her, grinning slightly, wondering if she'd catch on to his intent.
“No,” she started, but upon seeing the look in his eyes she hesitated. “Actually, now that you mention it, it does kind of sting a little.”
Without saying another word he was at her side in an instant, leaning down and easily picking her up in his arms. “Well, just to be sure, maybe you shouldn't walk on it.”
Katya grinned and reached up with her hands, cupping his cheeks. “Well, aren't you my knight in shining armor?”
He grinned back and couldn't help but notice how soft her hands felt on his face. “Well you know, I had a lot of practice as a kid.”
Katya nodded before pulling his face closer, “remind me to thank your sister.” Without giving Lukas a chance to reply she pressed her lips to his, and he didn't hesitate in kissing her back, his mind on nothing but this current situation. There was no thought of Bastian, no thought of his career, even those childhood memories had disappeared. Right now all he could think about was this moment, and how utterly perfect it felt.
It felt natural, and it felt like something he'd always been waiting for. His heart was racing and pounding so heavily he thought it might punch a hole through his chest, but it was exhilarating, and it was even magical, as corny as that sentiment was.
He felt like Katya was filling some hole in himself he'd never realized was there. It never once occurred to him to stop. All he felt like doing at the moment was sinking into the grass and lying with her on top of him, kissing her and feeling her fingers on his skin. He'd never felt this way about a woman before.
He'd never felt this way about anyone before.
“I really appreciate you coming, Lukas. This will really mean a lot to the kids,” Katya finished typing up a report on her computer and turned the screen off, swiveling around in her chair to face him again. “But I do have to warn you, things may get a little hectic. I don't know if you have any experience with autistic children, but some of them can get a little loud.”
“How loud?” He didn't have any experience with that particular disorder, and the way she was grinning at him right now had him a little worried.
“Loud. You never know what may set them off, they could just be doing it to express their joy. But it can get a little annoying, so I just thought I'd warn you.” She winked at him and stood up. “But don't worry, I'm sure we'll be able to find you some earplugs.”
At that moment there was a knock at the door and they were joined by a few other therapists. “You guys ready?” The first to poke his head into the room was Greg Rothke, the man who'd been in charge of Lukas' physiotherapy. He nodded his head to Lukas, who grinned and stood up, making his way over to shake Greg's hand.
“Nice to see you again, under better circumstances, of course.”
Greg grinned back at him. “Nice to see you can walk and talk at the same time now.” Everyone laughed while Lukas just shook his head.
“Real funny, Greg. Here all this time I thought you'd been the nice one.”
“Oh stop being a princess, Lukas. You can't show these kids any weakness today.” Katya was there at his arm now, nudging him and winking. The group left her office and made their way toward the gymnasium, where the day's activities were set to take place. Lukas was told to wait outside so they could announce him properly, and he came in to thunderous applause (from both the kids, and their parents).
The day was spent doing a variety of games, and Lukas found himself involved in every one. He'd tried to pay attention to every kid who looked at him, offering everything from autographs to pictures and an awful lot of hugs. Eventually, though, he found himself face to face with the kid that had started it all.
“Hello, Nicholas!” He grinned when he saw his little friend, amused at how his eyes lit up when he heard his name. Instead of rushing over to him, Lukas waited for Nicholas to get to him (something Katya had told him to do, so the kids could feel as empowered as possible) and only when the boy reached him did he reach out and grab him, hugging him tightly. “How's my favourite seven year old?”
“Not s-seven!” Nicholas exclaimed, with a smile on his face. “Eight, now!”
Lukas was surprised to hear he'd had a birthday. He would have expected Katya to tell him. “You're eight? I missed your birthday? Katya!” He called to her, since she was nearby conversing with someone's parents. “Why didn't you tell me Nicholas had a birthday!”
Katya bid the parents goodbye before coming over. “Because it hasn't passed yet.” She winked at him.
Lukas turned to look at Nicholas, who was beaming. “Is today your birthday, Nicholas?” He nodded, a bright smile on his face. “Happy birthday, buddy! I just wish someone would have told me so I could have brought you a present,” he looked at Katya, a frown on his face.
She just continued to grin as she watched him. “His birthday present is you being here, Lukas! When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, that's what he told me. He wanted to see you again.”
Lukas looked down at the kid and smiled, hugging him tightly again. He'd definitely made the right choice in coming here. He also had a sudden idea, looking up at Katya and grinning. “Actually, you know what, I do think I have a present for him in my car. If you guys can hold on for a minute, I'll go out and grab it.” He looked back at Nicholas, who was smiling and shaking a little with excitement. Lukas stood up then, meeting Katya's curious gaze and smirking as he ran out of the gymnasium and went to his car.
Like every footballer, Lukas always kept a pair of cleats in his trunk, accessible if he was ever out anywhere and the fancy of playing a game struck him. Pulling out the red cleats, Lukas looked them over once, pleased with their condition. They were clean and not too beat up, obviously used and after a quick signature with a black marker, they'd be perfect. Hiding them behind his back he made his way back inside, grinning slightly and feeling like laughing. Being around all the kids was making him feel slightly childish, which he supposed wasn't too bad.
He made it back into the gymnasium and found Nicholas waiting with Katya and his parents, all of them curious about what he was going to bring in. Lukas grabbed a black marker from a table and motioned to the group to wait for a moment while he signed the boots. He'd thought about what to write on his way in, and had settled on calling to mind his first meeting with Nicholas. To my buddy Nicholas - you will always be my hero! Love and luck from Lukas Podolski! He grinned and tossed the marker back on the table before standing up and keeping the boots behind his back as he walked over to the kid.
He kneeled down in front of him, looking Nicholas in the eyes. “Alright, buddy, I know this was last minute and all, and that's Katya's fault, but I hope you like your present anyway.” He winked at him before presenting Nicholas with the shoes.
The little boy was shocked and couldn't answer for a second, his eyes taking in the offer. He looked back at his parents, who were both battling emotions (and tears) before looking at Katya and then finally back at Lukas, realizing that he was serious. Nicholas reached out to touch the cleats, excited and awe struck. “For me?” was all he could say, but for Lukas, that was more than enough.
He put one arm around Nicholas, nearly crushing the kid against him, and kissed the top of his head. “Yeah, for you. You're really special, Nicholas.” When the kid looked at him with disbelieving eyes, Lukas smiled and leaned forward to speak into his ear, his voice barely above a whisper. This was for Nicholas alone to hear. “You know, when I was hurt, and I couldn't do much, I always felt like quitting. But then I met you and I knew I couldn't give up. And now I'm better, and I'll be playing again really soon, and it's all because I met you. You taught me to keep working hard. So you and me, we're gonna be friends forever, right?”
Nicholas was shaking a little at the words, all the happiness in his heart barely able to be contained in his body, and he still couldn't say anything, but Lukas just grinned and hugged him again. He'd meant every word of his speech.
“So, overall, what did you think?”
Lukas was stacking some chairs up, wanting to help everyone clean up after the day (even though he was a little tired and hungry - the kids had worn him out). “It was fun, a little tiring, but a great experience. I'll definitely talk to the club and see if we can get some more guys to come out some time, I think they'd enjoy this.”
“Great, exactly what I was hoping to hear!” She added a chair to his stack.
“My only complaint is that I need some food. I haven't eaten since breakfast, except for the birthday cake. I think it's some kind of record for me.” They both laughed and she followed him as he picked up the chairs and brought them over to the storage room.
“Well, they do have food for us, but I'd suggest we skip it and go out somewhere else. I'm sure you remember the food here is alright, but you can get a little tired of it day after day.”
He nodded, remembering the meals he'd had while here. They'd been surprisingly good for a hospital, but it would be nice to have something a little better. “Is there anywhere good around here?” He figured that she would know the area a little better than he did.
“You like Italian?”
“Katya, I'm an athlete. I'll eat anything.” He grinned as he set the chairs down and turned to face her, noting the way she rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“Well that's good, because we're going for Italian. I actually already made us reservations somewhere.” She winked at him before turning around and surveying the room to see if there was anything left to help with.
“Well, aren't you a little forward?” He was amused that she had already appeared to have planned their evening, which he didn't mind. As long as they ate, he didn't care where it was.
“I'm just taking advantage of you and your money, that's all,” she joked before declaring that it appeared as though they were free to leave. The pair made their way from the gym, pausing for a moment to say goodbye to some of the other therapists and declining offers to grab some food with them. They walked out to Lukas' car and got in, Katya directing him where to go. They pulled up to a restaurant that Lukas had heard of, but never gone to before.
“Acquarello, Katya? If I didn't know you'd better I'd think you really were just using me for my money.” He parked and shut his car off, looking at her and grinning.
Katya laughed at the comment, “well, that and I'm secretly hoping that we'll be spotted by someone. I'm dying to make Bild!” She winked at him and he shook his head before laughing too. They exited the car and made their way inside, immediately being shown to their table. Lukas had to admit that it was a really nice looking restaurant, very calm and serene with its paintings of Mediterranean seascapes.
“This place is nice,” he remarked, his eyes still taking in the paintings.
“I know, isn't it? Very soothing, I find. I came once before, food was fantastic too.” They made small talk while perusing the menus, finally settling on their choices. Lukas decided on the lamb, while Katya wanted the lobster, and they'd be starting things off with a plate of sliced roast beef, done up in nine different flavours. Katya ordered wine, while Lukas stuck to water for the time being. After the long day it felt nice to sit back and unwind in a good restaurant, especially when you had good company.
It was nearing nine thirty by the time they finished, but neither one felt much like going home. Katya suggested a walk through the English Garden and Lukas obliged, enjoying her company. There was something about her that was just so familiar and easy. Lukas found that he never had to force conversation, and he was never at a loss for something to say when he was with her. Of course her interest in (and knowledge of) football was an added bonus, since they could switch from discussing the latest episode of their favourite TV shows to memories of watching the 2002 World Cup with their parents. Katya had watched every qualifying match with her father and older brother, but it wasn't until the tournament start that her mother began watching, not wanting to feel left out on game days.
Much to the whole family's chagrin, the older woman had found herself teetering on the verge of an almost schoolgirl-like crush on Oliver Kahn.
This shocked Lukas. “Women find him attractive?” He laughed while they walked along the water, amused.
“I don't think it was necessarily physical, I think it had more to do with his, uh, aggressive behaviour? Mom likes her men manly,” Katya tried to keep from giggling too much at the memories.
“Understandable,” Lukas nodded, still amused. “Who did you like during the tournament?”
“Oh, well I set my sights more in line with many younger women.”
“Let me guess,” he jumped in before she had a chance to say anything more. “Ballack? My sister Tina was obsessed with him during the tournament.”
“Correct! He was gorgeous, and the fact that he moved to Bayern after the tournament enabled me to continue my love affair for the next few years.” The transfer had made her dance around her bedroom with glee when her brother had popped his head around her door that day to tell her. By the time she'd gone to join her family for lunch an hour later she'd managed to contain her girlish squeals and listen to her brother and father talk tactics of the transfer. She'd enjoyed the closer bond she'd shared with her male family members during the tournament and hadn't wanted to ruin it by turning into a squealing girl over her favourite players. She'd leave that behaviour strictly to her bedroom.
“Lucky you. As soon as the league started up again that fall, Tina went back to hating him. Broke her heart, of course, but she got over it.”
“I think me and your sister would get along really well,” Katya said, grinning and nudging her arm into Lukas' chest.
“I agree, though to be honest, that kind of scares me.” He narrowed his eyes at her momentarily after the elbow, before smiling a second later. “I got lucky with my sister.”
Katya smiled at his comment, finding it adorable. “I take it you guys must be really close.”
Lukas nodded, the smile on his face giving it all away. “We are, she's always there whenever I need her. She annoyed me sometimes when we were growing up, but really, she was the best older sister in the world.”
“Aww,” Katya couldn't help but link her arms through his, pressing close to him. “That's so adorable, Lukas!”
Lukas didn't mind the contact, and didn't say anything as they continued to walk along, Katya clinging comfortably to his arm. It was nice. “How about your brother? Are you guys close?”
Katya nodded, “we are, he's not in Munich anymore though, which sucks. He's in Bochum, getting his PhD in biochemistry.” She grinned and rolled her eyes. “He's clearly the genius of the family.”
Lukas laughed, though he couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit intimidated by Katya's brother. He respected anyone who continued their education to such a degree. “I'm lucky I was good at football, otherwise I'd probably be working in a factory assembling cars or something.” They both laughed at the comment.
“Oh come on, I'm sure if you'd devoted more time to your education when you were young, you'd have turned out smarter. You footballers just focused too much on the sport, and when you're young, anything that distracting keeps the brain from soaking everything else up.”
Lukas grinned and looked down at her. “Are you saying you think I'm stupid?”
“No!” Katya laughed and smacked his arm with her free hand, “you just would have turned out a little more intellectual had you devoted more time to studies. Probably.”
“Probably not,” Lukas replied, which caused them both to laugh. “But that doesn't matter anyway, because I turned out to be really good at football.”
“Lucky you, then. I'd hate to think of you wasting away assembling Audi cars in a factory.”
“Yeah, instead now I get a new one with the start of each season! I'll take that over struggling through an extra few years of school.” They reached a point in their path that came across a stream. There was a bridge, of course, but the water also wasn't that deep, and there were stones large enough to step on to walk across. Lukas looked back and forth from the water to Katya, wondering if she would contemplate crossing on the stones. Then again, she had consumed a few glasses of wine over dinner, so maybe he'd better not bring it up.
It seemed that she could read his mind, though. “Go figure, we talk about my brother, and then wind up here. Max and I used to play here when we were kids, I recognize the spot. We'd pretend a troll lived under the bridge, and we'd climb around and hop on the rocks to try and steal his treasure.” She let go of his arm and walked down the side of the stream, not hesitating before stepping out onto the nearest stone. She stopped and looked back at him and he wasn't exactly sure what it meant when he felt his heart beating a little bit faster in his chest. “Come on, Lukas! Unless you're too old to go hunting trolls with me?” She winked before turning around and hopping onto another rock.
Lukas didn't need to be asked twice, he joined her in an instant, following her path across the wet rocks. Luckily the water was calm, so they weren't too slippery. “Tina and I used to play the same kind of games when we were kids,” he said, as he came up and stood on the rock behind her.
“I remember one time, when it was raining, and I slipped on one of the rocks and sprained my ankle. I was only six, Max was nine. He carried me all the way home.”
Lukas slid his arms around her without thinking, remembering things about his own childhood. “When I was little, Tina used to give me piggyback rides everywhere. Even when her friends were around; we used to pretend that I was a knight and she was my horse.”
Katya laughed and laid her hands on his arms. “That is adorable! Did she ever make you brush her hair?”
Lukas was surprised by the question. “Actually, she did. She used to say it was part of a knights duties in tending to his horse. Actually, now that I think about it, she used to make me feed her carrots too.” They both laughed anew at the comment, and Lukas looked down at her. “How did you know?”
Katya grinned and glanced up at him. “It's what I would have done. Smart girl.” Katya let a moment pass before pulling away and continuing on to the next rock. “Come on, I have to show you where the troll kept his treasure!” They moved further underneath the bridge and Katya climbed onto the bank. “See this spot right here?” She pointed to a hollowed out log that rested right underneath the beams of the bridge. “I had no idea at the time, but Max used to sneak under here before we started playing and he'd hide candy and toys. I always thought it was real treasure.” She looked back at Lukas and he couldn't help but smile.
“That was really sweet of him. Really thoughtful for a kid.”
Katya nodded before looking back at the log. “Yeah it was. Just one of those things you look back on as an adult and can't help but be surprised about.” Finished with showing him the spot, Katya climbed back out onto the stones, figuring that they would finally climb over to the other side of the path now. But she slipped on a particularly slippery rock and her foot plunged into the water. “Damn it, now I have to walk around with a wet foot.” She carefully made her way over the next few rocks to where Lukas was, frowning and trying not to laugh.
“You're not hurt, are you?” He asked her, grinning slightly, wondering if she'd catch on to his intent.
“No,” she started, but upon seeing the look in his eyes she hesitated. “Actually, now that you mention it, it does kind of sting a little.”
Without saying another word he was at her side in an instant, leaning down and easily picking her up in his arms. “Well, just to be sure, maybe you shouldn't walk on it.”
Katya grinned and reached up with her hands, cupping his cheeks. “Well, aren't you my knight in shining armor?”
He grinned back and couldn't help but notice how soft her hands felt on his face. “Well you know, I had a lot of practice as a kid.”
Katya nodded before pulling his face closer, “remind me to thank your sister.” Without giving Lukas a chance to reply she pressed her lips to his, and he didn't hesitate in kissing her back, his mind on nothing but this current situation. There was no thought of Bastian, no thought of his career, even those childhood memories had disappeared. Right now all he could think about was this moment, and how utterly perfect it felt.
It felt natural, and it felt like something he'd always been waiting for. His heart was racing and pounding so heavily he thought it might punch a hole through his chest, but it was exhilarating, and it was even magical, as corny as that sentiment was.
He felt like Katya was filling some hole in himself he'd never realized was there. It never once occurred to him to stop. All he felt like doing at the moment was sinking into the grass and lying with her on top of him, kissing her and feeling her fingers on his skin. He'd never felt this way about a woman before.
He'd never felt this way about anyone before.