02. Xabi's Beginning
Title: How Xabi Alonso Moved to America
Rating: PG-13 for some language
Characters: Xabi Alonso, Pepe Reina, Alvaro Arbeloa
.
The bright mid-morning sun sneaked its way past his flimsy blinds, and Xabi Alonso groaned in frustration. His head pounded as he turned his back to the window. He cursed the aftereffects of drinking anything Pepe and Alvaro had ordered for him and once again promised not to ever go to a club with them again. His eyes squeezed tightly, he burrowed his face into the pillows. His arm reached out to pull the covers over his naked body, but he stopped when he felt something next to him.
Xabi flinched as he touched soft skin. His fingers traveled up smooth muscle, probably a thigh from what he was feeling, and his heart almost skipped a beat. His eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks, but he didn’t open them. His hand moved, patting gently at the body next to him to make sure it was really there.
A slight grumble issued forth and the bed shifted as the body moved closer to him. An arm wrapped around his waist and Xabi’s eyes flew open. He stared, wide-eyed, at the pale hand laying against his chest. His breath caught in his throat.
There was someone in his bed! A very naked male someone that was most definitely not his boyfriend.
Panic had never been a word in Xabi Alonso’s vocabulary, but he began to seriously rethink that philosophy as he looked over the man laying next to him. Pale skin, a mop of curly dark hair, nice muscle tone. But most definitely not his boyfriend.
"Shit, shit, shit!"
Xabi scrambled out of bed, pushing the man away from him in the process. Not even waiting to see what the man might say or do, he ran out of his bedroom and down the hall to wake his roommate.
"Xabi, you can’t just stay in here," Pepe Reina tried to calmly tell his roommate, "He’s probably awake by now."
Xabi crossed his arms over his chest as he settled his back against Pepe’s headboard. His head still pounded terribly, and he grimaced at the pain.
"I’m not leaving here. Not until he is gone."
"Xabier Alonso...you’re not thinking correctly."
"And," Xabi added, still grimacing, "I’m never drinking again."
Pepe laughed.
"I’m serious. This is what I get for listening to you and Alvie all the time. One more drink does hurt and I feel like a total whore now and you know I never act like that and WHY IS YOUR ROOM SPINNING?"
Xabi was too busy passing out on Pepe’s bed to notice the dark-haired man from his bedroom pass by his roommate’s door. If he had seen that, he also would have seen the sad eyes that turned his way before disappearing out the front door. And maybe even heard the small sigh of discontentment that issued from soft lips.
"I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life, Alvaro. I can’t stay here in Spain after what Mikel said to me. I can’t even stand to be in the same country as him!" He paused to throw a wrinkled blue polo into the suitcase at the foot of his bed. "Fuck! He told me I was-that I was-I can’t even begin to think that-"
"I don’t think he meant any of it."
"Oh he meant it! You should have seen his face when I told him about that guy. I’ve never seen Mike so angry." Xabi took a deep breath, blinking back tears. "I can’t believe he would say that to me!"
Alvaro crossed the room and wrapped an arm around his friend’s waist. Not knowing what else to do, he laid his head on the older man’s shoulder and held him close. Xabi tensed for one split second, but then relaxed into Alvaro’s touch.
"What about the magazine though? We’re scheduled to print our first anniversary issue next week..."
"Pepe can handle it."
"No," came Pepe’s voice from the doorway, "He can’t."
Xabi and Alvaro turned to watch him cross into the room. He held out his right hand, showing off a packet of papers. Xabi’s eyes grew wide as he noticed the logo in the upper left corner.
"No..."
"We’re going to America with you."
Xabi shook his head and pushed Alvaro away from him.
"No, Pepe, no! I’m not going to let you throw away everything that you two have worked so hard for just to follow me on some stupid-"
"It’s not a big deal." Pepe shrugged, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "We’ll just move everything to America and take off where we started here. I’ve already talked to Ruben and he said that the bank can recommend some nice American banks once we get there for any loans we might need. And Xavi told me it’s not big deal to close the magazine down here and-"
Xabi’s lip trembled.
"You mean you already did all the research for this?"
"All taken care of."
"Shit! Pepe, why are you doing this? You could be successful with the magazine here in Spain and now you’re going to just throw it away?"
"You’re my best friend, Alonso. I’m not letting you trot off to America by yourself with a broken heart." He paused and smiled fully now. "Who knows what kind of trouble you might get into without me and Alvaro around..."
"You had this all planned and you didn’t tell me?" Alvaro asked his boyfriend, finally speaking. He glared accusingly at the taller man. "I can’t believe you!"
"I thought you liked surprises, love?"
Alvaro pursed his lips, thinking.
"Yes, I do." He went from glaring to grinning in a matter of seconds and he quickly crossed the room to embrace his boyfriend. Their lips met quickly before Alvaro turned back to Xabi, still grinning. "Wonderful! It will be like a vacation, Xabi!"
Sighing, Xabi finally gave in. He knew it would be useless to argue if both of his friends ganged up on him. And somehow Alvaro always managed to take Pepe’s side in everything. How convenient. He squared his shoulders and looked his roommate full in the eye.
"You’re sure about this?"
"Of course."
"And everything is taken care of at the office?"
"I’ve got everything under control. Xavi is going to print the last issue for us and he’s already got pay arranged for the staff. We’re all set to go."
"What about the apartment?"
"I already talked to the landlord."
"You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?" Alvaro asked, looking up at his boyfriend.
"Absolutely."
It was quiet for a moment as Xabi perused his closet and Alvaro and Pepe hugged each other close.
"WAIT!"
Pepe and Xabi both looked curiously at Alvaro. The smaller man smiled sheepishly, but shrugged off his sudden outburst.
"I need to pack my bags!"
"Already taken care of, love. They’re in my room."
Alvaro exhaled sharply and sagged against Pepe’s shoulder. Relief flooded his face.
"There’s no way I’d let you pack. We wouldn’t be ready to go for another week."
"Did you pack my red dress shirt? And my book on computer programming? And what about my moisturizer? I need my moisturizer, Pepe!"
Pepe laughed.
"Everything." He turned to his roommate. "Well?"
"Okay," Xabi relented. He managed a small smile. "You win."
"Meet you out front in ten minutes. Ruben is coming to pick us up." Pepe turned to the door, plane tickets still in hand.. "Don’t forget anything..."
Xabi nodded and turned back to packing. Obviously he had to have the two best friends in all the world. Secretly, he was a bit relieved to know that the two would be traveling with him. Life without Mikel would be hard enough, he didn’t think he could go on without Pepe and Alvaro as well.
He had just finished placing the last sweater into his bag and zipped it up, when Alvaro’s outraged voice traveled across the apartment and into his room:
"WE ARE NOT BRINGING YOUR COLLECTION OF BACKSTREET BOYS CD’S WITH US, JOSE REINA!"
And Xabi could only shake his head, praying that the three of them would be able to make it to America without too much trouble.
Rating: PG-13 for some language
Characters: Xabi Alonso, Pepe Reina, Alvaro Arbeloa
.
The bright mid-morning sun sneaked its way past his flimsy blinds, and Xabi Alonso groaned in frustration. His head pounded as he turned his back to the window. He cursed the aftereffects of drinking anything Pepe and Alvaro had ordered for him and once again promised not to ever go to a club with them again. His eyes squeezed tightly, he burrowed his face into the pillows. His arm reached out to pull the covers over his naked body, but he stopped when he felt something next to him.
Xabi flinched as he touched soft skin. His fingers traveled up smooth muscle, probably a thigh from what he was feeling, and his heart almost skipped a beat. His eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks, but he didn’t open them. His hand moved, patting gently at the body next to him to make sure it was really there.
A slight grumble issued forth and the bed shifted as the body moved closer to him. An arm wrapped around his waist and Xabi’s eyes flew open. He stared, wide-eyed, at the pale hand laying against his chest. His breath caught in his throat.
There was someone in his bed! A very naked male someone that was most definitely not his boyfriend.
Panic had never been a word in Xabi Alonso’s vocabulary, but he began to seriously rethink that philosophy as he looked over the man laying next to him. Pale skin, a mop of curly dark hair, nice muscle tone. But most definitely not his boyfriend.
"Shit, shit, shit!"
Xabi scrambled out of bed, pushing the man away from him in the process. Not even waiting to see what the man might say or do, he ran out of his bedroom and down the hall to wake his roommate.
"Xabi, you can’t just stay in here," Pepe Reina tried to calmly tell his roommate, "He’s probably awake by now."
Xabi crossed his arms over his chest as he settled his back against Pepe’s headboard. His head still pounded terribly, and he grimaced at the pain.
"I’m not leaving here. Not until he is gone."
"Xabier Alonso...you’re not thinking correctly."
"And," Xabi added, still grimacing, "I’m never drinking again."
Pepe laughed.
"I’m serious. This is what I get for listening to you and Alvie all the time. One more drink does hurt and I feel like a total whore now and you know I never act like that and WHY IS YOUR ROOM SPINNING?"
Xabi was too busy passing out on Pepe’s bed to notice the dark-haired man from his bedroom pass by his roommate’s door. If he had seen that, he also would have seen the sad eyes that turned his way before disappearing out the front door. And maybe even heard the small sigh of discontentment that issued from soft lips.
"I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life, Alvaro. I can’t stay here in Spain after what Mikel said to me. I can’t even stand to be in the same country as him!" He paused to throw a wrinkled blue polo into the suitcase at the foot of his bed. "Fuck! He told me I was-that I was-I can’t even begin to think that-"
"I don’t think he meant any of it."
"Oh he meant it! You should have seen his face when I told him about that guy. I’ve never seen Mike so angry." Xabi took a deep breath, blinking back tears. "I can’t believe he would say that to me!"
Alvaro crossed the room and wrapped an arm around his friend’s waist. Not knowing what else to do, he laid his head on the older man’s shoulder and held him close. Xabi tensed for one split second, but then relaxed into Alvaro’s touch.
"What about the magazine though? We’re scheduled to print our first anniversary issue next week..."
"Pepe can handle it."
"No," came Pepe’s voice from the doorway, "He can’t."
Xabi and Alvaro turned to watch him cross into the room. He held out his right hand, showing off a packet of papers. Xabi’s eyes grew wide as he noticed the logo in the upper left corner.
"No..."
"We’re going to America with you."
Xabi shook his head and pushed Alvaro away from him.
"No, Pepe, no! I’m not going to let you throw away everything that you two have worked so hard for just to follow me on some stupid-"
"It’s not a big deal." Pepe shrugged, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "We’ll just move everything to America and take off where we started here. I’ve already talked to Ruben and he said that the bank can recommend some nice American banks once we get there for any loans we might need. And Xavi told me it’s not big deal to close the magazine down here and-"
Xabi’s lip trembled.
"You mean you already did all the research for this?"
"All taken care of."
"Shit! Pepe, why are you doing this? You could be successful with the magazine here in Spain and now you’re going to just throw it away?"
"You’re my best friend, Alonso. I’m not letting you trot off to America by yourself with a broken heart." He paused and smiled fully now. "Who knows what kind of trouble you might get into without me and Alvaro around..."
"You had this all planned and you didn’t tell me?" Alvaro asked his boyfriend, finally speaking. He glared accusingly at the taller man. "I can’t believe you!"
"I thought you liked surprises, love?"
Alvaro pursed his lips, thinking.
"Yes, I do." He went from glaring to grinning in a matter of seconds and he quickly crossed the room to embrace his boyfriend. Their lips met quickly before Alvaro turned back to Xabi, still grinning. "Wonderful! It will be like a vacation, Xabi!"
Sighing, Xabi finally gave in. He knew it would be useless to argue if both of his friends ganged up on him. And somehow Alvaro always managed to take Pepe’s side in everything. How convenient. He squared his shoulders and looked his roommate full in the eye.
"You’re sure about this?"
"Of course."
"And everything is taken care of at the office?"
"I’ve got everything under control. Xavi is going to print the last issue for us and he’s already got pay arranged for the staff. We’re all set to go."
"What about the apartment?"
"I already talked to the landlord."
"You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?" Alvaro asked, looking up at his boyfriend.
"Absolutely."
It was quiet for a moment as Xabi perused his closet and Alvaro and Pepe hugged each other close.
"WAIT!"
Pepe and Xabi both looked curiously at Alvaro. The smaller man smiled sheepishly, but shrugged off his sudden outburst.
"I need to pack my bags!"
"Already taken care of, love. They’re in my room."
Alvaro exhaled sharply and sagged against Pepe’s shoulder. Relief flooded his face.
"There’s no way I’d let you pack. We wouldn’t be ready to go for another week."
"Did you pack my red dress shirt? And my book on computer programming? And what about my moisturizer? I need my moisturizer, Pepe!"
Pepe laughed.
"Everything." He turned to his roommate. "Well?"
"Okay," Xabi relented. He managed a small smile. "You win."
"Meet you out front in ten minutes. Ruben is coming to pick us up." Pepe turned to the door, plane tickets still in hand.. "Don’t forget anything..."
Xabi nodded and turned back to packing. Obviously he had to have the two best friends in all the world. Secretly, he was a bit relieved to know that the two would be traveling with him. Life without Mikel would be hard enough, he didn’t think he could go on without Pepe and Alvaro as well.
He had just finished placing the last sweater into his bag and zipped it up, when Alvaro’s outraged voice traveled across the apartment and into his room:
"WE ARE NOT BRINGING YOUR COLLECTION OF BACKSTREET BOYS CD’S WITH US, JOSE REINA!"
And Xabi could only shake his head, praying that the three of them would be able to make it to America without too much trouble.