It takes an ocean not to break
Title:It takes an ocean not to break (title from a song by The National called 'Terrible Love')
Rating: R
Pairing: Robin Van Persie/Mikel Arteta, past mentions of Robin Van Persie/Cesc Fabregas
Summary: One day Aaron notices Robin wearing a turtleneck....he decides to find out why, basically Aaron Ramsey is a snoop.
Warning: none, a little angst
Word Count: 1261
Disclaimer: I made it all up, none of this is based on anything factual.
A/N: inspired by this celebration after the Chelsea/Arsenal game.
I was just going to write a PWP, but, as is my want, it became a little bit more angsty. I hope you enjoy & I promise I will be getting back to 'Detroit Waves' very shortly. I just had to write this.
Aaron doesn’t think too much of it at first, Robin’s turtle neck at training. The days are starting to get colder. But then he shows up on a freakishly warm day wearing it. This time Aaron isn’t the only one to notice. He watches Robin go uncharacteristically red in the face as their teammates give him grief about his wife, and being too old for hickeys. He thinks it’s a bit odd, usually Robin is the one joking with the guys, and giving them grief, usually he’d be up for this. Aaron wonders what’s different, what’s going on? And then he happens to look over to catch Arteta smiling discreetly. He thinks about asking him, but then decides against it, it’s probably none of his business.
Later though, Aaron finds his mind wandering, again, to Arteta’s smile, and Robin’s blush, he wonders if there’s a connection-he thinks there is, but he wants to prove it, if only to himself. The question is how? Turns out, he doesn’t have to do much snooping. He comes out from an, admittedly planned, very long shower, to find Robin pinned against the locker by Arteta. Robin’s head is tilted back, his eyes closed, as Arteta nibbles and bites and sucks on his neck. Arteta shifts, and Robin groans.
“Please….”
Aaron can just barely hear Arteta mumble against Robin’s neck. “Please……what?”
Robin guides Mikel up, forcing him to look at him, and something passes between them, what it is Aaron can’t tell, but when their lips meet-it’s tender, it’s achingly private. It’s something that Aaron knows shouldn’t have an audience, and yet he can’t help but stare, watching Arteta…..Mikel continues to suck and lick his way down Robin’s body, removing his sweaty kit as he goes. Aaron stares in fascination, watching the way Mikel almost worships his body. It should be rough, this moment between two teammates, just off the pitch, working off adrenaline, but it’s not. Robin responds, making sounds that make Aaron blush. At one point Robin’s eyes fly open and connect with Aaron’s, there is a flash of recognition, but then it passes as Mikel hits that spot (oh Aaron is all too familiar with that spot). He finds that he’s a little jealous, but of who he can’t decide, and so he backs away, dresses in silence, exiting quietly. He really isn’t surprised, it sort of makes sense. He’s just surprised that it happened so soon after he left……..left them, left Robin.
Aaron remembers the days after his departure all too well. They were all devastated of course, but they’d all known he’d leave them eventually, go home. Robin, however, seemed to take it more personally. The whole team knew about their close bond-the affection Robin had for him, and his absolute adoration of Robin, but Aaron had always suspected it went beyond the pitch, beyond friendship, and a week after the transfer, he happened to overhear a conversation that confirmed his suspicions.
~
“Cesc, why do you keep calling me?” Aaron can overhear Robin sigh. “It just makes this harder.”
He can’t, of course, hear Cesc’s response, but whatever it is, Robin doesn’t like it. “This was your choice. You were the one that wanted to go home, whatever the fuck that means.”
There is a pause and Aaron can imagine Cesc, headstrong and sometimes foolish, interrupting Robin, no doubt sincerely apologizing and begging forgiveness, while at the same time telling Robin how he is right.
“No Cesc, no! You don’t get to do that, you don’t get to play the victim in this whole thing. You abandoned the team……..you abandoned me. Fuck Cesc! I………I love you but I can’t do this, please…….just please leave me alone. Don’t call, don’t text, don’t visit.”
Aaron can hear Robin breathe out shakily, and he makes to leave, but Robin’s voice stops him in his tracks.
“I know you overheard that Ramsey.”
He turns around to find Robin looking at him, his expression guarded. Before Robin can speak, he interrupts.
“Look Robin, I’m not going to say anything to anyone if that’s what you’re worried about…….I know you’re taking this harder than the rest of us, but I miss him too, not like you obviously, but still. So, yeah, don’t worry, at least about that.”
Robin offers him a small smile and claps him on the shoulder before heading out. “Thanks Aaron.”
~
Over the next couple of weeks Aaron watches the two of them, and he starts to notice things-the small touches, the glances. He notices the way Robin responds to Arteta……..Mikel-he seems happier, more relaxed, smiling more than Aaron has seen him do since he left. They don’t train together during practice, they don’t sit next to each other during team meetings, they aren’t obvious about it. It’s the type of affection……attraction that if you’re looking, as an outsider, you miss. Aaron’s not sure when it begin, or the why-because there’s more there than sex, so it can’t be Robin’s need to replace one Spaniard with another. He wonders if Cesc knows, if Robin has told him-he doesn’t have long to find out the answer to that question.
Once again, he has the fortune (ok this time he really was snooping) of overhearing another conversation.
“ I love him Cesc, that’s why I’m telling you.”
This time Aaron can hear Cesc through the phone, he’s yelling so loud.
“YOU LOVE HIM???!! THAT WAS FUCKING FAST WASN’T IT?!”
Robin rubs his forehead in frustration, sighing dramatically before answering.
“I don’t know, it just happened. You left…..I needed someone, and before you say it, no, he’s not your replacement. This is different……he’s different.”
Cesc has apparently calmed down a little because Aaron can’t hear his response, but Robin’s response breaks his heart a little, for both of them.
“It takes an ocean not to break. You….when you left Cesc, you broke me, what we had…….it all changed, it fell apart…..broke. And maybe, maybe that’s for the best. You can become the player you never were at Arsenal, you’re……” Robin sighs. “Home, back with your friends, it can’t be like it was before. Anyways Aaron is listening in, so I have to go.”
Cesc says something, and Robin responds. “I know.” And then hangs up and turns towards Aaron.
“Snooping again Ramsey?”
Aaron nods. “I know about Mikel….Arteta………How long?”
Robin looks at him carefully. “Does it really matter?”
“No, not really. I was just curious.”
Robin smiles. “You know that’s a bad habit, you should quit being so curious.”
Aaron smiles back. “Never.”
Robin’s expression turns serious for a moment. “Please don’t share this with anyone ok?”
“No of course not.”
Robin nods once and heads into the other room.
~
They’re at Stamford Bridge, the sight of so many of their defeats, and of their humiliations. Aaron knows everyone, even their fans, expects them to lose, or at best draw, but he doesn’t care. He’s anxious to get out there, to prove himself. On the pitch he’s everywhere, making passes, attempting decent shots, he’s hustling. And Robin, well, he’s Robin. Spurring them on with each goal he scores. Aaron almost can’t believe it when the fifth goal goes in-Robin has scored a hat trick at the Bridge. He smiles as he watches Mikel tackle him to the ground, nuzzling his neck. He sees Robin smile and laugh in response, and he knows Robin is right, it doesn’t really matter when it began or why. All that matters is that it began.
Rating: R
Pairing: Robin Van Persie/Mikel Arteta, past mentions of Robin Van Persie/Cesc Fabregas
Summary: One day Aaron notices Robin wearing a turtleneck....he decides to find out why, basically Aaron Ramsey is a snoop.
Warning: none, a little angst
Word Count: 1261
Disclaimer: I made it all up, none of this is based on anything factual.
A/N: inspired by this celebration after the Chelsea/Arsenal game.
I was just going to write a PWP, but, as is my want, it became a little bit more angsty. I hope you enjoy & I promise I will be getting back to 'Detroit Waves' very shortly. I just had to write this.
Aaron doesn’t think too much of it at first, Robin’s turtle neck at training. The days are starting to get colder. But then he shows up on a freakishly warm day wearing it. This time Aaron isn’t the only one to notice. He watches Robin go uncharacteristically red in the face as their teammates give him grief about his wife, and being too old for hickeys. He thinks it’s a bit odd, usually Robin is the one joking with the guys, and giving them grief, usually he’d be up for this. Aaron wonders what’s different, what’s going on? And then he happens to look over to catch Arteta smiling discreetly. He thinks about asking him, but then decides against it, it’s probably none of his business.
Later though, Aaron finds his mind wandering, again, to Arteta’s smile, and Robin’s blush, he wonders if there’s a connection-he thinks there is, but he wants to prove it, if only to himself. The question is how? Turns out, he doesn’t have to do much snooping. He comes out from an, admittedly planned, very long shower, to find Robin pinned against the locker by Arteta. Robin’s head is tilted back, his eyes closed, as Arteta nibbles and bites and sucks on his neck. Arteta shifts, and Robin groans.
“Please….”
Aaron can just barely hear Arteta mumble against Robin’s neck. “Please……what?”
Robin guides Mikel up, forcing him to look at him, and something passes between them, what it is Aaron can’t tell, but when their lips meet-it’s tender, it’s achingly private. It’s something that Aaron knows shouldn’t have an audience, and yet he can’t help but stare, watching Arteta…..Mikel continues to suck and lick his way down Robin’s body, removing his sweaty kit as he goes. Aaron stares in fascination, watching the way Mikel almost worships his body. It should be rough, this moment between two teammates, just off the pitch, working off adrenaline, but it’s not. Robin responds, making sounds that make Aaron blush. At one point Robin’s eyes fly open and connect with Aaron’s, there is a flash of recognition, but then it passes as Mikel hits that spot (oh Aaron is all too familiar with that spot). He finds that he’s a little jealous, but of who he can’t decide, and so he backs away, dresses in silence, exiting quietly. He really isn’t surprised, it sort of makes sense. He’s just surprised that it happened so soon after he left……..left them, left Robin.
Aaron remembers the days after his departure all too well. They were all devastated of course, but they’d all known he’d leave them eventually, go home. Robin, however, seemed to take it more personally. The whole team knew about their close bond-the affection Robin had for him, and his absolute adoration of Robin, but Aaron had always suspected it went beyond the pitch, beyond friendship, and a week after the transfer, he happened to overhear a conversation that confirmed his suspicions.
~
“Cesc, why do you keep calling me?” Aaron can overhear Robin sigh. “It just makes this harder.”
He can’t, of course, hear Cesc’s response, but whatever it is, Robin doesn’t like it. “This was your choice. You were the one that wanted to go home, whatever the fuck that means.”
There is a pause and Aaron can imagine Cesc, headstrong and sometimes foolish, interrupting Robin, no doubt sincerely apologizing and begging forgiveness, while at the same time telling Robin how he is right.
“No Cesc, no! You don’t get to do that, you don’t get to play the victim in this whole thing. You abandoned the team……..you abandoned me. Fuck Cesc! I………I love you but I can’t do this, please…….just please leave me alone. Don’t call, don’t text, don’t visit.”
Aaron can hear Robin breathe out shakily, and he makes to leave, but Robin’s voice stops him in his tracks.
“I know you overheard that Ramsey.”
He turns around to find Robin looking at him, his expression guarded. Before Robin can speak, he interrupts.
“Look Robin, I’m not going to say anything to anyone if that’s what you’re worried about…….I know you’re taking this harder than the rest of us, but I miss him too, not like you obviously, but still. So, yeah, don’t worry, at least about that.”
Robin offers him a small smile and claps him on the shoulder before heading out. “Thanks Aaron.”
~
Over the next couple of weeks Aaron watches the two of them, and he starts to notice things-the small touches, the glances. He notices the way Robin responds to Arteta……..Mikel-he seems happier, more relaxed, smiling more than Aaron has seen him do since he left. They don’t train together during practice, they don’t sit next to each other during team meetings, they aren’t obvious about it. It’s the type of affection……attraction that if you’re looking, as an outsider, you miss. Aaron’s not sure when it begin, or the why-because there’s more there than sex, so it can’t be Robin’s need to replace one Spaniard with another. He wonders if Cesc knows, if Robin has told him-he doesn’t have long to find out the answer to that question.
Once again, he has the fortune (ok this time he really was snooping) of overhearing another conversation.
“ I love him Cesc, that’s why I’m telling you.”
This time Aaron can hear Cesc through the phone, he’s yelling so loud.
“YOU LOVE HIM???!! THAT WAS FUCKING FAST WASN’T IT?!”
Robin rubs his forehead in frustration, sighing dramatically before answering.
“I don’t know, it just happened. You left…..I needed someone, and before you say it, no, he’s not your replacement. This is different……he’s different.”
Cesc has apparently calmed down a little because Aaron can’t hear his response, but Robin’s response breaks his heart a little, for both of them.
“It takes an ocean not to break. You….when you left Cesc, you broke me, what we had…….it all changed, it fell apart…..broke. And maybe, maybe that’s for the best. You can become the player you never were at Arsenal, you’re……” Robin sighs. “Home, back with your friends, it can’t be like it was before. Anyways Aaron is listening in, so I have to go.”
Cesc says something, and Robin responds. “I know.” And then hangs up and turns towards Aaron.
“Snooping again Ramsey?”
Aaron nods. “I know about Mikel….Arteta………How long?”
Robin looks at him carefully. “Does it really matter?”
“No, not really. I was just curious.”
Robin smiles. “You know that’s a bad habit, you should quit being so curious.”
Aaron smiles back. “Never.”
Robin’s expression turns serious for a moment. “Please don’t share this with anyone ok?”
“No of course not.”
Robin nods once and heads into the other room.
~
They’re at Stamford Bridge, the sight of so many of their defeats, and of their humiliations. Aaron knows everyone, even their fans, expects them to lose, or at best draw, but he doesn’t care. He’s anxious to get out there, to prove himself. On the pitch he’s everywhere, making passes, attempting decent shots, he’s hustling. And Robin, well, he’s Robin. Spurring them on with each goal he scores. Aaron almost can’t believe it when the fifth goal goes in-Robin has scored a hat trick at the Bridge. He smiles as he watches Mikel tackle him to the ground, nuzzling his neck. He sees Robin smile and laugh in response, and he knows Robin is right, it doesn’t really matter when it began or why. All that matters is that it began.