Trampoline
Language English
Fandom Football
Characters Javi Martínez, Fernando Llorente
Words 1,328
Summary Javi finds a pensive Fernando on his new trampoline after a cosy evening
Rating PG
Beta'ed No
Disclaimer This is all in my head and in no way meant to be real.
Note I put my trampoline back together this weekend and this is what I came up with while relaxing on it, gazing at the blue sky.
Trampoline
“Where is Fernando?” Javi asked as he returned from saying goodbye to Markel. Someone had suggested a barbeque after training today as the weather was beautiful and they had the day off tomorrow. Those who were free of any obligations had responded with enthusiasm and Javi had offered his house and garden as location.
He had pulled his barbeque out of the shed and cleaned it while the rest had arrived with meat and salads. Andoni had taken care of grilling the meat, proving to be a pro at grilling and it had turned from a cosy afternoon to evening. Someone had brought a few bottles of wine and Ander had helped Javi with bringing his stereo outside so they had some music.
It had started getting chilly and people slowly started to leave as the sky got darker and darker until only Amore, Ander, Iker and Fernando were left. Markel was the last one to leave and Javi had walked him to the door, coming back to find the tall striker missing.
“I think he went outside.” Ander said, distracted by the story Iker was telling.
“I’ll go look for him then...” Javi trailed off, noticing no one was paying attention to him. He shrugged and walked to the backdoor, sliding it open. The coals in the barbeque were still smouldering, a faint orange glow in the dark. He sighed and mentally noted he had to fix his outside lights again as they stayed dark when he flipped the switch.
He looked into the dark garden, hardly able to see anything but the soft squeaking of springs told him were Fernando was. Javi approached the trampoline that stood in the back of his garden, a new addition since last week. He could make out a dark figure bouncing up and down, not jumping very high. He got closer, his eyes adjusting to the dark so he could make out the blond striker.
He stood still for a moment, taking a moment to just look at Fernando. The striker had tilted his head up, gazing at the sky. The light of the stars reflected in his eyes and Javi concluded that they looked troubled and sad. A look that hadn’t left his eyes since Bucharest. Javi missed the normal carefree and playful look in his friend’s blue eyes.
Fernando let out a sigh and let himself fall backwards, bouncing a little before he laid completely still. Javi climbed on the trampoline, lying down next to the striker, an arm behind his head.
“Hey.” He spoke softly, his other hand brushing against Fernando’s arm, feeling the goose bumps there. The air was chilly, a soft breeze stirring their clothes and the leaves in nearby bushes.
“Hey.” The striker replied, the only indication that he had noticed Javi lying down next to him.
A silence fell between them, Javi waiting until Fernando would say what was bothering him. The best thing to do when the striker was in this kind of mood, was to just wait until the blond would speak first. It was no use trying to pry it out of the tall man, it would only cause him to clamp down.
“I don’t know if I can do it.” Fernando’s soft voice broke the silence, causing Javi to turn his head to look at the blond. He was still gazing at the sky, his profile outlined in the silvery light from the moon.
“Do what?” The defender asked as he studied the striker’s face for his reaction. A frown appeared and Javi wanted to reach over and smooth out the skin.
“Meet all their expectations. They all expect me to singlehandedly score the goals to win the games.” Fernando sighed and it sounded tired to Javi’s ears.
“Who are ‘they’?” The defender propped himself up on an elbow so he could see the striker better.
“The fans, the club, even you, the team, sometimes.” Fernando looked over, his blue eyes meeting Javi’s and the exhausted look in them made the defender’s heart clench.
“That’s not true.” Javi tried to protest but the striker shook his head, clearly not believing him.
“It is though. You all expected me to score in Bucharest and you expect me to score Friday.” Javi dropped down on his back again, realising the striker was right. The team always relied on Fernando to score and help them out of difficult situations.
“I’m sorry,” The defender muttered softly, regret clear in his voice. He saw Fernando open his mouth to say something so he quickly continued. “but Fer, we are a team and football is a team sport. The fans, the club, they all rely on us to win it. Us as a team, not just you. That responsibility lies with all of us.” Javi spoke firmly, meeting the blond’s eyes to convince him.
The striker was silent for awhile, the frown deepening as he mulled over Javi’s words. The defender took his time to study Fernando in the silvery light of the moon. He was wearing simple shorts and a T-shirt, the same as Javi, goose bumps covering his exposed skin due to the chilly air. A day old stubble graced his face, giving him a rough edge.
“You are right.” Fernando said, making Javi tear his eyes away from the strip of skin visible from where the shirt was ridden up, to look at the striker’s face, a happier look in the blue eyes. The defender grinned, puffing out his chest.
“Of course I’m right. I’m always right.” The striker looked surprised for a second before bursting out in laughter, the lines around his eyes crinkling and his body shaking. Javi smiled, pleased to have successfully cheered up Fernando.
His laughing stopped after the need for air got too much, a big grin still on his face as the striker took deep breaths. The trampoline bounced a bit from the shaking, pushing Javi and Fernando closer together in the middle, arms and legs brushing.
They gazed at each other before turning their heads, look at the starry sky again. A comfortable silence fell between them, occasionally broken by loud laughter from the house where the rest still was.
“Thank you. I needed that. And I’m sorry for saying you rely on me.” Fernando’s voice was soft and grateful, filling Javi’s heart with warm emotions. The defender looked over to find the striker looking at him with warm eyes, no longer carrying the troubled look he had found there earlier. He smiled reassuringly at the blond, almost reaching out to brush an unruly curl away for his forehead.
“No problem. And we do rely on you but you also rely on us because we are a team, never forget that.” Javi poked Fernando in his side to emphasise his point, making the striker laugh and twitch away from the tickling sensation.
“I won’t.” It was said playfully but with a serious undertone, a promise the blond intended to keep.
“Good.” Javi nodded, shifting closer to Fernando, arms brushing again. “Now, show me the constellations.”
The blond smiled, teeth white in the dark as he lifted an arm to point at a group of stars.
“See those seven stars? That one is called the Big Dipper.” He drew an imaginary line between the seven stars, connecting them.
“Where?” Javi asked, trying to follow Fernando’s gaze. The striker grabbed his arm, lifting it up to point at the stars again.
“Right there, you see?” The blond tangled their fingers together and Javi looked over at Fernando, heart melting at the joy written on his face. The striker turned his head, eyes meeting and a soft smile played on his lips.
“The stars are up there.” He flicked his blue eyes up before looking back again. Javi smiled and leaned forward, quickly brushing his lips against Fernando’s.
“I know.” He said softly, brushing their lips together again before looking at the sky with an easy smile.