4
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The flight from Madrid to Lisbon is one that Cristiano is very familiar with. He takes it every few weeks, either by himself or with his teammates. He knows Barajas by heart, and on the rare occasions when he does fly alone, he’s almost sure he could pass through customs and immigration with his eyes closed.
(The last time he flew alone to Lisbon, it was in the summer to meet Fábio in Madeira so they could spend a few days alone. Their days were spent lounging lazily, watching little Cris playing with his favorite cousin Dinis, and Fábio had custody of Vitória for the holiday, so finally their little family was all together.)
Fábio, Pepe and Cris were waiting for their flight in the VIP Lounge. Fábio kept throwing his lover these slightly awestruck, disbelieving looks, still stunned at the fucking cojones on his man. His oldest brother keeps sending him text updates on the media frenzy in Spain.
"So. Apparently you're going to Russia now," he tells Cris blankly.
The other man laughs. "What happened to PSG? Did they get outbid?"
"I guess so. But also their market is closed now, so now all of this is your desperate attempt to join a Russian team with an unpronounceable name."
"Huh. Maybe I should call up Irina..." he mutters with a smirk and a wink. Fábio shoots him a mock-angry look and Cris squeezes his knee in apology. (He really just wants to kiss that pout away, but they're in public, and being careless in public was exactly what got them into this mess.)
Pepe looks up from his laptop at them, shaking his head. "You guys are crazy." Fábio and Cris exchange a look and burst out laughing, Cris finally giving into temptation a little bit, resting his head on Fábio’s shoulder and sneaking a kiss to his neck before turning away.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Neither of them had completely filled Pepe in yet on everything that had happened. He’d called Cristiano after the Granada game to bitch him out and demand an explanation, but Cris was already in the process of getting a verbal beat down from Jorge, so he just told his friend he’d tell him later and to not believe anything he was hearing.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">An airport attendee came in to inform them that their flight was ready for takeoff. They grabbed their bags and made their way out to the G4 on the tarmac, idly thankful there were no photographers out there. Once they were settled in their seats and listened to the safety demonstration, they were finally left alone. As soon as the last stewardess left the cabin, Pepe whirled around and grabbed the seat across from the other two and leveled them with a serious, expectant look, eyebrow quirked.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Pepe’s reaction when they explain everything that’s happened is pretty much the same as Cris’s reaction was when Fábio told him: angry and disbelieving.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Are you fucking serious? That guy has no right to do that,” Pepe fumes. “That’s blackmail, you know? He’s fucking blackmailing you!” Honestly, Fábio and Cris hadn’t really thought about it that way, but that’s what it boiled down to. Florentino was using his knowledge of Fábio’s relationship with Cris against him in order to make him do what the older man wanted. It was blackmail, in a way.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Damn! Marcelo’s gonna flip a shit when he finds out.” The defender whips out his phone and taps a few keys, opening a text.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio grabs Pepe’s phone out of his hands. “Wait, Pepe, don’t tell Marcelo yet.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Pepe looks up at him, confusion written over his angry features. “Why not? He needs to know what’s going on!”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“I know, but he’s a captain,” Fábio answers him. He and Cris had talked about this, about what and when to tell Marcelo and Pepe and the guys. They decide to hold off on telling the team anything at all until the international break is over. They’ll tell Pepe, however, because he’s coming to Portugal with them and they both trust him implicitly. It just that with Marcelo, even though they trust him, Cris is too worried about anything getting to someone like Iker before they can talk to him themselves.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Yeah, but he’s Marcelo.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio sighs, “Yeah, I know. But he’s still a captain, and I’m not sure I’m ready for the captains to know yet.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“But Marcelo already knows about you two,” Pepe points out insistently.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cris butts in, “Look, we’ll tell him eventually, but just don’t tell him right now. Leave that to us. Just-” he hesitates, “Just tell him not to believe anything he hears, OK?”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">When they get to the hotel they see some of their teammates in the lobby, as well as copious amounts of Louis Vuitton luggage. Nani is the first to spot them and he runs up to them, greets Fábio and grabs Cris in a bone-crushing hug.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Cris, is it true? You’re coming home?” His eyes are bright with laughter and anticipation.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“No Nani, I’m not going back to United. Don’t believe that shit.” He watches Nani’s face fall, comically exaggerated, and the winger gives him a friendly shoulder punch.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Asshole. Getting me all excited like that.” Honestly, he hadn’t believed any of it, but it was always nice to hope.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Besides, it’s not going to be home if you won’t be there,” Cris smoothly steers the conversation away from himself and to Nani’s own transfer drama.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Nani groans, “Oh god, the never ending saga.” He starts to fill Cris in on all of the harrowing details.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio is all the way on the other side of the room catching up with Miguel and the rest of the guys. It feels a little bit like coming home, like seeing old friends and relatives again. They don’t mention what happened the last time they were all together as a team, losing in penalties or the end of their Euro Cup dream. They just talk about everything that’s happened in between then and now, talk shop about their clubs and shoot the shit, just happy to be back together. Everyone congratulates Pepe on the birth of his daughter, and he goes around with his cellphone, showing off pictures of her to anyone who would listen. Someone (João? Raul? He’s not sure) has their speakers out and is blasting some rhythmic dancy reggaeton and pretty soon the whole team is singing along off-key.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">They breathe easier, Fábio and Cris, when they’re with Portugal. It makes everything feel lighter, this air of easy camaraderie with their teammates. And for Cristiano, it makes the crest on his jersey feel more like a badge of honor and less like another leaden weight for him to carry.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The lime green Nike training shirts always feel different than his white Adidas ones somehow, the first time Cris puts them on after a while. It’s almost like he can sense the difference in the drag of the fabric against his skin, the weight of a different crest. He looks in the mirror and the letters ‘F.P.F’ stare back at him. Federação Portuguesa de Futebol. Somehow, those letters always mean more to him than the ‘M.C.F.’, ‘M.U.C.F.’ or even the ‘S.C.P’ on all the other crests he’s played for.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Paulo Bento had taken him aside before the first training, right as they’re about to leave their hotel. Cris had known what was coming, was expecting the talk he was about to get. Bento asked him point blank if whatever was going on with his club was going to affect him out on the pitch. The immediate answer was no, of course not, and his coach nodded like he hadn’t expected any different. Above almost everything else, Cristiano is a professional, and while he doesn’t know exactly what he would do if it was Portugal he was having a problem with instead of Madrid, he knows that right now he’s putting his country first.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">He hears about what Álvaro said about him from Jorge. His agent sends him the transcript of it, and when Cris reads it, he’s actually surprised. Álvaro, of course, has absolutely no idea what’s going on, only knows what everyone else knows. That didn’t stop him from being the only one so far to speak up for him to the media and defend him against their criticism to the extent that he did. Álvaro said the team was a family, and that families stick together during the good times and bad. He even dropped a Malcolm X quote, for god’s sakes. That’s solidarity.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cris sends him a text message: Álvaro. wow. It’s all he can really say, he’s just surprised by the show of support. He figured the media would be going crazy asking all of his teammates for any scrap of information they could get about his “mystery sadness”, but he had expected all of his teammates to politely decline to comment and ask to talk only about the national team. He didn’t think anyone would actively defend him.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Álvaro replies: jajaja, you’re welcome. every word is true.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The text makes Cris stop for a bit. Álvaro actually has no clue about Cris and Fábio and their situation. But he spoke up for them anyway, and now people are talking about him and criticizing him over it. He feels like he owes the Spaniard at least an explanation; Álvaro has always been a good friend and teammate, so Cris trusts that he will be discrete with anything he tells him. He replies: thanks. but i’ll explain it to you when we get back and i’ll let you decide if you want to take it back. That way he’ll at least know what cause his words are defending, and if he’s asked about it later, he can say ‘no comment’ instead of standing up for him again.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Álvaro’s reply comes quickly: you can explain whatever you want but im not taking anything back. i already told you i meant it.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">A smile creeps onto Cris’s face when he reads it. It’s very rare to find unconditional support like that from anyone, even teammates. If anything, it gives him a spark of hope. He sends back: that means more than you know. good luck with la roja.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Álvaro answers: good luck to you!!! forca!!! but not too much, hahaha
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cris locks his phone with a smile still on his face. He hasn’t heard much else from his other teammates, as they are all off with their national teams and busy focusing on their own qualifiers. Marcelo had sent him a text telling him that the captains had been forbidden from speaking about him in public until the break was over. He sent his support anyways, along with Clarisse’s picture of Enzo and Junior’s play date. Even with all the shit going on, he can’t help a grin at how fucking great his friends are.
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:
minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Portugal wins both their matches. Cris scored one goal and he celebrated it. It was a low key, subdued celebration, but a celebration nonetheless. Because, what the fuck? He’s happy to play for his Seleção and has no problem showing it. This gives fuel to the media blaze, however, as it cements the fact that it’s solely a club issue.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">On the last day before they have to go home to Spain, Cris sneaks out of his hotel room and goes up to Fábio’s. They have a routine down. Cris always rooms with Pepe, and Fábio always rooms with Miguel Veloso. Miguel had known about Fábio and Cris for a while, and he and Fábio always work out an agreement that ends up with Miguel going to temporarily room with Pepe in order for them to spend some nights together. Fábio always goes down to reception and, with his clueless-blond act, feeds the receptionists the same story: ‘I’ve lost my keycard, can you make me another one? Actually, do you mind giving me two? Just in case.’ He can never tell if they suspect anything because they usually acquiesce with little comment, and so he gives the spare card to Cris so the other man can come and go as he pleases.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">When Cris comes in, Fábio’s on the phone with his father. He’s lying face down on the bed, shirt off, resting on his elbows as he listens to his father’s latest fishing story. With all the money Fábio makes, his father doesn’t need to work again for a single day, but he still goes out to sea. It’s all the man knows how to do. And because he goes away a lot, Fábio doesn’t get to talk to him as often as he talks to the rest of his family. Cristiano gets that, just crawls into bed next to him and loops an arm around his waist, pulling him closer and dropping slow kisses on his bare shoulder. Fábio shifts to give Cris some room, and when he looks over at him, Cris just gestures, ‘don’t-worry-about-me,-keep-talking.’ He’s content to just be here with his lover in his arms, letting the other man’s voice drift over him.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio ends his conversation with “Cris says hi” (even though Cris didn’t), and his father gruffly sends Cris a greeting in reply. It’s a bit of a sore subject, his relationship with Cristiano. It’s not that his father doesn’t accept him, because both his parents do, it’s just that they’re both very traditional in their beliefs and still have a hard time getting used to the fact that their youngest son, who himself is a father and who was straight up until two or three years ago, was in a steady relationship with another man. The fact that that man was Cristiano fucking Ronaldo didn’t help them much. Fábio loves his parents all the same, and knows they just need time to get used to it and they would accept him the way his brothers did.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio hangs up and finally twists his body around to face Cris. He takes the man’s face in his hands and leans in, pressing his mouth against those full lips. Cristiano responds eagerly, letting Fábio deepen the kiss. It feels like forever since it’s just been the two of them, no teammates or media or family or anyone to interrupt them.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The same thought must be running through Fábio’s mind, because the kissing gets more frantic and soon Cristiano finds himself on his elbows and knees with Fábio underneath him, who’s rolling his hips up to meet his. Cris chokes down a moan.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin"> “Wait wait wait,” Cris pants out between kisses, pulling back. Fábio follows him up brushing his lips with his own, half-dazed. “Hang on.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“What?” Fábio asks impatiently, pulling him down again.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cris tries to sit up, but he just ends up straddling the other man and pressing his ass right onto Fábio’s erection. The defender moans and his hips jerk up again.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano flings himself off of Fábio and crawls up next to the headboard. Fábio’s slowly sitting up, utterly confused and absolutely turned on. Cris ignores the other man’s raging boner and his kiss-swollen lips and his messed up hair and-
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“I just have to say something, OK?” Cris blurts out before he gets distracted again. Fábio gives him such a blank look that clearly transmits ‘this couldn’t wait until after I got laid?’ but he humors his lover and sits up, pulling his legs in Indian style near the foot of the bed.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cris sucks in a breath. “I know that we’ve been going through a lot lately. But, I think it feels like we’ve spent so much time dealing with this and on top of that, doing our job, so I feel like I’ve been neglecting you a bit,” Fábio jerks his head up and opens his mouth like he’s about to disagree, but Cris cuts him off, “It might not be true, but that’s what it feels like.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio’s face softens and he shakes his head, “Don’t be such an idiot, Cris. Come here.” He unfurls his legs and makes room for the other man, but Cristiano doesn’t move.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“I’m not being an idiot,” he answers sternly. “I love you. OK? I just want you to know that.” His face is so serious and earnest at the same time, and Fábio feels a slow smile creeping onto his face.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">He sighs like he’s amused, but in his eyes there’s nothing but affection. “I know. I love you too.” He looks into Cris’s eyes as he says it, lets the other man know that he’s serious, that he gets it. “Now come here.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cris finally moves from his spot on the other side of the bed and he’s straddling Fábio again, this time with purpose. He lets Fábio rip all of his clothes off of him and leans down to mouth at his tanned neck, kissing and licking patterns on the smooth skin there. Cris sits up on his knees to let Fábio shimmy out of his sweatpants underneath him, and as soon as the other man is naked he grinds down on his lover’s cock, pulling deep, ragged moans from the other man’s throat.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio yanks Cristiano back down by the faux hawk, and Cris moans when he feels his hair pulled. He smirks against Cris’s skin, lips curling around the other man’s earring. So he’s in the mood to be manhandled tonight? Fábio is more than happy to oblige.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano tries valiantly. He really does.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">But the next day at the airport, every time he has to take a seat he can’t help but let out a low hiss of pain as he sits down slowly, gingerly. He resolutely ignores the knowing smirks certain teammates are giving him, as well as the high five Miguel gives Fábio.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">That little shit.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
Next
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The flight from Madrid to Lisbon is one that Cristiano is very familiar with. He takes it every few weeks, either by himself or with his teammates. He knows Barajas by heart, and on the rare occasions when he does fly alone, he’s almost sure he could pass through customs and immigration with his eyes closed.
(The last time he flew alone to Lisbon, it was in the summer to meet Fábio in Madeira so they could spend a few days alone. Their days were spent lounging lazily, watching little Cris playing with his favorite cousin Dinis, and Fábio had custody of Vitória for the holiday, so finally their little family was all together.)
Fábio, Pepe and Cris were waiting for their flight in the VIP Lounge. Fábio kept throwing his lover these slightly awestruck, disbelieving looks, still stunned at the fucking cojones on his man. His oldest brother keeps sending him text updates on the media frenzy in Spain.
"So. Apparently you're going to Russia now," he tells Cris blankly.
The other man laughs. "What happened to PSG? Did they get outbid?"
"I guess so. But also their market is closed now, so now all of this is your desperate attempt to join a Russian team with an unpronounceable name."
"Huh. Maybe I should call up Irina..." he mutters with a smirk and a wink. Fábio shoots him a mock-angry look and Cris squeezes his knee in apology. (He really just wants to kiss that pout away, but they're in public, and being careless in public was exactly what got them into this mess.)
Pepe looks up from his laptop at them, shaking his head. "You guys are crazy." Fábio and Cris exchange a look and burst out laughing, Cris finally giving into temptation a little bit, resting his head on Fábio’s shoulder and sneaking a kiss to his neck before turning away.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Neither of them had completely filled Pepe in yet on everything that had happened. He’d called Cristiano after the Granada game to bitch him out and demand an explanation, but Cris was already in the process of getting a verbal beat down from Jorge, so he just told his friend he’d tell him later and to not believe anything he was hearing.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">An airport attendee came in to inform them that their flight was ready for takeoff. They grabbed their bags and made their way out to the G4 on the tarmac, idly thankful there were no photographers out there. Once they were settled in their seats and listened to the safety demonstration, they were finally left alone. As soon as the last stewardess left the cabin, Pepe whirled around and grabbed the seat across from the other two and leveled them with a serious, expectant look, eyebrow quirked.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Pepe’s reaction when they explain everything that’s happened is pretty much the same as Cris’s reaction was when Fábio told him: angry and disbelieving.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Are you fucking serious? That guy has no right to do that,” Pepe fumes. “That’s blackmail, you know? He’s fucking blackmailing you!” Honestly, Fábio and Cris hadn’t really thought about it that way, but that’s what it boiled down to. Florentino was using his knowledge of Fábio’s relationship with Cris against him in order to make him do what the older man wanted. It was blackmail, in a way.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Damn! Marcelo’s gonna flip a shit when he finds out.” The defender whips out his phone and taps a few keys, opening a text.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio grabs Pepe’s phone out of his hands. “Wait, Pepe, don’t tell Marcelo yet.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Pepe looks up at him, confusion written over his angry features. “Why not? He needs to know what’s going on!”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“I know, but he’s a captain,” Fábio answers him. He and Cris had talked about this, about what and when to tell Marcelo and Pepe and the guys. They decide to hold off on telling the team anything at all until the international break is over. They’ll tell Pepe, however, because he’s coming to Portugal with them and they both trust him implicitly. It just that with Marcelo, even though they trust him, Cris is too worried about anything getting to someone like Iker before they can talk to him themselves.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Yeah, but he’s Marcelo.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio sighs, “Yeah, I know. But he’s still a captain, and I’m not sure I’m ready for the captains to know yet.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“But Marcelo already knows about you two,” Pepe points out insistently.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cris butts in, “Look, we’ll tell him eventually, but just don’t tell him right now. Leave that to us. Just-” he hesitates, “Just tell him not to believe anything he hears, OK?”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">When they get to the hotel they see some of their teammates in the lobby, as well as copious amounts of Louis Vuitton luggage. Nani is the first to spot them and he runs up to them, greets Fábio and grabs Cris in a bone-crushing hug.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Cris, is it true? You’re coming home?” His eyes are bright with laughter and anticipation.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“No Nani, I’m not going back to United. Don’t believe that shit.” He watches Nani’s face fall, comically exaggerated, and the winger gives him a friendly shoulder punch.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Asshole. Getting me all excited like that.” Honestly, he hadn’t believed any of it, but it was always nice to hope.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Besides, it’s not going to be home if you won’t be there,” Cris smoothly steers the conversation away from himself and to Nani’s own transfer drama.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Nani groans, “Oh god, the never ending saga.” He starts to fill Cris in on all of the harrowing details.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio is all the way on the other side of the room catching up with Miguel and the rest of the guys. It feels a little bit like coming home, like seeing old friends and relatives again. They don’t mention what happened the last time they were all together as a team, losing in penalties or the end of their Euro Cup dream. They just talk about everything that’s happened in between then and now, talk shop about their clubs and shoot the shit, just happy to be back together. Everyone congratulates Pepe on the birth of his daughter, and he goes around with his cellphone, showing off pictures of her to anyone who would listen. Someone (João? Raul? He’s not sure) has their speakers out and is blasting some rhythmic dancy reggaeton and pretty soon the whole team is singing along off-key.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">They breathe easier, Fábio and Cris, when they’re with Portugal. It makes everything feel lighter, this air of easy camaraderie with their teammates. And for Cristiano, it makes the crest on his jersey feel more like a badge of honor and less like another leaden weight for him to carry.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The lime green Nike training shirts always feel different than his white Adidas ones somehow, the first time Cris puts them on after a while. It’s almost like he can sense the difference in the drag of the fabric against his skin, the weight of a different crest. He looks in the mirror and the letters ‘F.P.F’ stare back at him. Federação Portuguesa de Futebol. Somehow, those letters always mean more to him than the ‘M.C.F.’, ‘M.U.C.F.’ or even the ‘S.C.P’ on all the other crests he’s played for.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Paulo Bento had taken him aside before the first training, right as they’re about to leave their hotel. Cris had known what was coming, was expecting the talk he was about to get. Bento asked him point blank if whatever was going on with his club was going to affect him out on the pitch. The immediate answer was no, of course not, and his coach nodded like he hadn’t expected any different. Above almost everything else, Cristiano is a professional, and while he doesn’t know exactly what he would do if it was Portugal he was having a problem with instead of Madrid, he knows that right now he’s putting his country first.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">He hears about what Álvaro said about him from Jorge. His agent sends him the transcript of it, and when Cris reads it, he’s actually surprised. Álvaro, of course, has absolutely no idea what’s going on, only knows what everyone else knows. That didn’t stop him from being the only one so far to speak up for him to the media and defend him against their criticism to the extent that he did. Álvaro said the team was a family, and that families stick together during the good times and bad. He even dropped a Malcolm X quote, for god’s sakes. That’s solidarity.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cris sends him a text message: Álvaro. wow. It’s all he can really say, he’s just surprised by the show of support. He figured the media would be going crazy asking all of his teammates for any scrap of information they could get about his “mystery sadness”, but he had expected all of his teammates to politely decline to comment and ask to talk only about the national team. He didn’t think anyone would actively defend him.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Álvaro replies: jajaja, you’re welcome. every word is true.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The text makes Cris stop for a bit. Álvaro actually has no clue about Cris and Fábio and their situation. But he spoke up for them anyway, and now people are talking about him and criticizing him over it. He feels like he owes the Spaniard at least an explanation; Álvaro has always been a good friend and teammate, so Cris trusts that he will be discrete with anything he tells him. He replies: thanks. but i’ll explain it to you when we get back and i’ll let you decide if you want to take it back. That way he’ll at least know what cause his words are defending, and if he’s asked about it later, he can say ‘no comment’ instead of standing up for him again.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Álvaro’s reply comes quickly: you can explain whatever you want but im not taking anything back. i already told you i meant it.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">A smile creeps onto Cris’s face when he reads it. It’s very rare to find unconditional support like that from anyone, even teammates. If anything, it gives him a spark of hope. He sends back: that means more than you know. good luck with la roja.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Álvaro answers: good luck to you!!! forca!!! but not too much, hahaha
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cris locks his phone with a smile still on his face. He hasn’t heard much else from his other teammates, as they are all off with their national teams and busy focusing on their own qualifiers. Marcelo had sent him a text telling him that the captains had been forbidden from speaking about him in public until the break was over. He sent his support anyways, along with Clarisse’s picture of Enzo and Junior’s play date. Even with all the shit going on, he can’t help a grin at how fucking great his friends are.
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:
minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Portugal wins both their matches. Cris scored one goal and he celebrated it. It was a low key, subdued celebration, but a celebration nonetheless. Because, what the fuck? He’s happy to play for his Seleção and has no problem showing it. This gives fuel to the media blaze, however, as it cements the fact that it’s solely a club issue.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">On the last day before they have to go home to Spain, Cris sneaks out of his hotel room and goes up to Fábio’s. They have a routine down. Cris always rooms with Pepe, and Fábio always rooms with Miguel Veloso. Miguel had known about Fábio and Cris for a while, and he and Fábio always work out an agreement that ends up with Miguel going to temporarily room with Pepe in order for them to spend some nights together. Fábio always goes down to reception and, with his clueless-blond act, feeds the receptionists the same story: ‘I’ve lost my keycard, can you make me another one? Actually, do you mind giving me two? Just in case.’ He can never tell if they suspect anything because they usually acquiesce with little comment, and so he gives the spare card to Cris so the other man can come and go as he pleases.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">When Cris comes in, Fábio’s on the phone with his father. He’s lying face down on the bed, shirt off, resting on his elbows as he listens to his father’s latest fishing story. With all the money Fábio makes, his father doesn’t need to work again for a single day, but he still goes out to sea. It’s all the man knows how to do. And because he goes away a lot, Fábio doesn’t get to talk to him as often as he talks to the rest of his family. Cristiano gets that, just crawls into bed next to him and loops an arm around his waist, pulling him closer and dropping slow kisses on his bare shoulder. Fábio shifts to give Cris some room, and when he looks over at him, Cris just gestures, ‘don’t-worry-about-me,-keep-talking.’ He’s content to just be here with his lover in his arms, letting the other man’s voice drift over him.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio ends his conversation with “Cris says hi” (even though Cris didn’t), and his father gruffly sends Cris a greeting in reply. It’s a bit of a sore subject, his relationship with Cristiano. It’s not that his father doesn’t accept him, because both his parents do, it’s just that they’re both very traditional in their beliefs and still have a hard time getting used to the fact that their youngest son, who himself is a father and who was straight up until two or three years ago, was in a steady relationship with another man. The fact that that man was Cristiano fucking Ronaldo didn’t help them much. Fábio loves his parents all the same, and knows they just need time to get used to it and they would accept him the way his brothers did.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio hangs up and finally twists his body around to face Cris. He takes the man’s face in his hands and leans in, pressing his mouth against those full lips. Cristiano responds eagerly, letting Fábio deepen the kiss. It feels like forever since it’s just been the two of them, no teammates or media or family or anyone to interrupt them.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The same thought must be running through Fábio’s mind, because the kissing gets more frantic and soon Cristiano finds himself on his elbows and knees with Fábio underneath him, who’s rolling his hips up to meet his. Cris chokes down a moan.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin"> “Wait wait wait,” Cris pants out between kisses, pulling back. Fábio follows him up brushing his lips with his own, half-dazed. “Hang on.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“What?” Fábio asks impatiently, pulling him down again.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cris tries to sit up, but he just ends up straddling the other man and pressing his ass right onto Fábio’s erection. The defender moans and his hips jerk up again.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano flings himself off of Fábio and crawls up next to the headboard. Fábio’s slowly sitting up, utterly confused and absolutely turned on. Cris ignores the other man’s raging boner and his kiss-swollen lips and his messed up hair and-
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“I just have to say something, OK?” Cris blurts out before he gets distracted again. Fábio gives him such a blank look that clearly transmits ‘this couldn’t wait until after I got laid?’ but he humors his lover and sits up, pulling his legs in Indian style near the foot of the bed.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cris sucks in a breath. “I know that we’ve been going through a lot lately. But, I think it feels like we’ve spent so much time dealing with this and on top of that, doing our job, so I feel like I’ve been neglecting you a bit,” Fábio jerks his head up and opens his mouth like he’s about to disagree, but Cris cuts him off, “It might not be true, but that’s what it feels like.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio’s face softens and he shakes his head, “Don’t be such an idiot, Cris. Come here.” He unfurls his legs and makes room for the other man, but Cristiano doesn’t move.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“I’m not being an idiot,” he answers sternly. “I love you. OK? I just want you to know that.” His face is so serious and earnest at the same time, and Fábio feels a slow smile creeping onto his face.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">He sighs like he’s amused, but in his eyes there’s nothing but affection. “I know. I love you too.” He looks into Cris’s eyes as he says it, lets the other man know that he’s serious, that he gets it. “Now come here.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cris finally moves from his spot on the other side of the bed and he’s straddling Fábio again, this time with purpose. He lets Fábio rip all of his clothes off of him and leans down to mouth at his tanned neck, kissing and licking patterns on the smooth skin there. Cris sits up on his knees to let Fábio shimmy out of his sweatpants underneath him, and as soon as the other man is naked he grinds down on his lover’s cock, pulling deep, ragged moans from the other man’s throat.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio yanks Cristiano back down by the faux hawk, and Cris moans when he feels his hair pulled. He smirks against Cris’s skin, lips curling around the other man’s earring. So he’s in the mood to be manhandled tonight? Fábio is more than happy to oblige.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano tries valiantly. He really does.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">But the next day at the airport, every time he has to take a seat he can’t help but let out a low hiss of pain as he sits down slowly, gingerly. He resolutely ignores the knowing smirks certain teammates are giving him, as well as the high five Miguel gives Fábio.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">That little shit.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
Next