fic: With Friends Like These (Ander Herrera/?, Iraizoz/Muniain, Llorente/Martínez, NC-17)
Title: With Friends Like These… (2/2)
Author: txorakeriak
Fandom: Football RPS, Athletic Club Bilbao
Pairing: Ander Herrera/?, Gorka Iraizoz/Iker Muniain, Fernando Llorente/Javi Martínez
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I'm a lying bastard and made this all up. I don't claim to know any of the players I write about, they're most definitely not mine, and this very probably didn't happen. No payment involved, no offence intended. This is for my own entertainment.
Summary: Ander has a crush on someone. Gorka and Fernando are not amused. Javi and Iker start scheming and end up causing a gigantic mess. Fortunately, there is someone who keeps a relatively cool head…
Word Count: 13,705
A/N: Set about three months into the 2011/2012 season, which makes this future-fic.
Dedication: For my princess july_v because she needs to embrace the awesomeness that is Ander Herrera and understand that Ander is not a homewrecker, he's just looking for help! XD
Also intended as a little thank you to Kellie for the great e-mails and photos and the kind compliments about my fics.
And, last but not least, to celebrate the wonderful news that Ander has started training with the rest of the squad again after tearing his meniscus at the beginning of September! He was sorely missed! Aupa Ander!! :D
Allergy Warning: May contain traces of HMS Gay and flangst. Read at own risk.
Thanks to pinktoothbrush8 for the beta, and to liberta and whiny_writers for inspiring me to write fic again! I'm indebted to you! :D
Feedback: Everything is most welcome, from squee to constructive criticism. I even accept rotten tomatoes, so don't be shy. ;)
» Part 1.
*****
Ander was sitting on his bed in his room, cursing Iker and everyone else who had helped him ruin Ander's life, when suddenly he heard a knock on his door.
"If that's you, Iker," he yelled, making no move whatsoever to get up and open the door, "I'm not going to speak to you ever again, so go away and leave me alone!" And neither was he prepared to speak to Fer or Gorka, who had clearly betrayed his trust.
"It's Mikel!" a muffled voice came through the door. "Come on, open up!"
Ander hesitated. Of all the people he wanted to talk to right now, Mikel was pretty low on the list. The defender didn't sound angry from what Ander could make out, but maybe that was just because he was standing in the corridor and didn't want to make a scene in front of everyone. Ander was quite certain that as soon as he'd open the door, Mikel would burst in and give him a tirade about why he'd had to drag him into all of this.
There was another series of knocks, more insistent this time. "Come on, Ander. Open the door. I need to talk to you!"
Ander rolled his eyes. And didn't he know what this 'talk' would be about. Yet, he started to feel bad about leaving Mikel waiting in the corridor like that, and so his heart finally got the better of him and he got up to open the door.
Mikel hadn't done him the favour of disappearing by then. Instead, he was standing there, tall and muscular, an unreadable expression on his face. Ander's pulse quickened at the sight, and he gulped nervously as he stepped aside to let his teammate into the room.
He shut the door and sat down on his bed, only realising then that Mikel was still standing in the middle of the room, looking at him as he stepped out of his slippers.
"Take a seat on the-" he started saying, already patting the spot on the bed beside him, but then stopped himself hurriedly, blushing beet-red as he became aware how inappropriate it would be to invite Mikel to sit on his bed after everything that had happened earlier. "Uhm, on that chair over there," he finished, pointing to the little desk right next to the television.
He thought he'd handled the situation reasonably well, but then Mikel plopped down on the bed right next to Ander, close enough for the midfielder to be able to smell the scent of his shower gel and sense the warmth he radiated. "Here is fine with me," he said, and Ander knew he should be grateful that Mikel still wanted to sit next to him, but at the same time having him this close, on his bed, made him feel uneasy.
He'd never batted an eyelash before when Mikel had sat that close to him because that was how it had always been, with all of his teammates. He had been comfortable around Mikel then, knowing that it was safe to enjoy the company and the closeness because nobody was aware of his true feelings. But now that Iker had made such a mess of everything, he wasn't comfortable at all anymore.
He risked a shy glance in Mikel's direction, cringing when he found the defender looking back at him. He figured he'd be safer staring at the floor, all things considered. Damn Iker to hell. Ander would never be the same way around Mikel, or the other way around. The defender was pretending nothing had happened, and he was doing it very well, but Ander knew it would just be a matter of time until he saw through Ander's lies and consequently shunned him.
The silence between them was stretching. Ander had no clue what to say, and Mikel didn't seem too eager to speak either, despite his earlier claim that he'd come here to talk.
"Promise me you won't take this the wrong way," Mikel finally said, and Ander knew this would be it, the words he'd been expecting, dreading, fearing. He was this close to interrupting his teammate, to kicking him out of the room, just so he wouldn't have to hear the inevitable, 'I'm really not into you at all, so please don't speak to me or look at me or even breathe at me again, and fuck off back to Zaragoza3.' There was no way he'd take any of this the wrong way, he was sure of it. However, if Mikel didn't say it now, he would say it some other time, so Ander bit his lip, bracing himself for whatever was to come.
"I just want to make sure you understand this one thing," Mikel said after a pause, quietly, and Ander tried hard to find even the smallest trace of annoyance or disgust or anger in his voice but didn't succeed. "No matter whether what Iker says is true or not, you can be honest with me. If he's wrong, you can tell me. If he's right, you can tell me. You're my friend, and I'd never think any less of you no matter what."
It was not in the least what Ander had expected. A minute ago he had felt like drowning, now he was thrown a rope. Nevertheless, he didn't dare to speak. Mikel might think he could handle it now, being told that Ander loved him, and yes, he was long past a simple crush now, long past anything he could ignore or cast aside or hope to grow out of. But once the words were out, Mikel might realise that he couldn't handle it after all. He might try to continue treating Ander the same way, just like he had promised so prematurely, but something would change. They wouldn't be the same again.
"If Iker is right," Mikel prodded when Ander kept silent, "then you better tell me now." His voice was different than usual, thicker maybe, deeper, but quiet, encouraging - hopeful, maybe? No, Ander told himself, you just want it to be.
Still, it caused him to turn his head against his better judgement, slowly, hesitantly, until his eyes found Mikel's. The defender was looking at him with a steady gaze and a small, encouraging smile on his lips, but there was something in his expression that didn't quite fit the picture of confidence. Could it be fear? Ander vaguely remembered Mikel looking like that near the beginning of the season, after having caused a penalty, his gaze fixed on Gorka as the opponent's striker took the shot. And yet, what did Mikel have to be afraid of this time?
"You better tell me now," Mikel repeated, slowly lifting his arm to put a hand on Ander's shoulder as if to calm him down, but it did quite the opposite. Ander's throat went dry, his heart beat so fast it threatened to break out of his chest, his mind was racing, and there were goosebumps all over his body even though the room was warm. Even if he had wanted to speak, he couldn't. He swallowed, but the lump in his throat just wouldn't leave. Mikel's hand felt scalding-hot on his shoulder. His scent was all around him. He could hardly breathe.
Mikel ran a tongue over his dry lips - an almost cruel gesture, and Ander had to bite his, forcing himself to ignore the wave of heat that went through him. He never thought it was possible to be sweating and freezing at the same time but there he was, a miracle of nature. A fucking miracle indeed. How pathetic.
"I'd have no problem with sitting here all evening," Mikel said, ever patient, ever quiet, yet still looking at him that way, as if he were Gorka, as if he hoped Ander would save the penalty he'd caused. Only, Mikel hadn't caused anything. It had all been Ander's fault.
"But I'd rather not waste time sitting around," Mikel continued, more quietly than before, and there was a faint pink glow on his cheeks as he pointedly averted his gaze to look at the bed beneath them, "when we could do other things."
Ander stared at him, eyes as wide as saucers. He had to have misunderstood, he had to, there was no way Mikel had just implied… And yet, the defender seemed to be blushing, and the hand on Ander's shoulder was shaking slightly - or maybe that was just Ander, about to die from shock - and then Mikel was looking at him again, and there was definitely fear in his eyes, and hope as well, and something else, something like…
"It's true," Ander finally managed to get out, almost too quietly for Mikel to hear. "What Iker said about me. It's all true." Every word took a great deal of courage, but he felt a bit better once he had said them all, just like some weight had been lifted off him.
He was still afraid of what Mikel's reaction would be, despite his calmness and patience and despite all the signs, because signs could be misinterpreted, and people might think themselves capable of enduring or tolerating certain things, until they are actually confronted with them and they have to admit that their confidence had been premature.
But then, Mikel's face lit up, and his smile reached his eyes, and he breathed, "Thank God it is," and a gigantic wave of relief crashed over Ander, almost making him feel dizzy.
His head was spinning, and his heart threatened to explode, but Ander didn't care. He didn't even care about the little voice in his head that told him that maybe he had misheard what Mikel had said. Instead, he finally allowed himself to be happy, smiling at Mikel, enjoying the closeness, the warmth, the scent of him. He was not close enough yet, not as close as Ander wanted him to be, but the midfielder couldn't move, too overwhelmed by the situation.
Mikel was beaming at him, his eyes glinting, and Ander couldn't remember ever having seen him so happy. His right hand was still on Ander's shoulder, fingers moving softly across the white polo shirt, and Ander still thought the heat would make his skin melt, but in a good way this time. He wanted to take off his shirt, to feel Mikel's hands on his skin, but he didn't dare to, afraid to rush things.
Finally, the defender shifted a little closer, and Ander could hear him breathe, air coming out in little puffs. "Can I…" Mikel said, his face flushed, and Ander almost laughed as he realised that Mikel was as shy as Ander was himself.
Instead of a reply, the midfielder pulled him close and kissed him, full on the lips, just like he'd dreamed of kissing him countless times before. Mikel responded eagerly, nibbling and licking at Ander's mouth, and when their tongues met, rubbing against each other softly at first, then more roughly, it felt better than he could ever have imagined. After only a couple of minutes, before Mikel had actually touched him anywhere (except for that hand on his shoulder, and the other hand that had moved to cup his face), Ander was hard, his cock pressing against the confines of his boxers.
He pushed Mikel on his back and straddled him, and his heart did a leap in his chest as he noticed that Mikel had an erection as well, and that it was because of him, and for him, and he rubbed against him eagerly, enjoying the way Mikel moaned into his mouth at the friction.
They were still wearing too many clothes though. Spurred by his want, Ander broke the kiss to take off Mikel's shirt, which was a bit complicated but eventually managed, and then allowed Mikel to take off his own. Ander's hands were shaking as he finally touched Mikel's skin, but he was relieved to find that Mikel's hands weren't that steady either as they started exploring him tentatively, stroking his skin and making it prickle. Somehow the defender could sense where Ander was the most sensitive, and more often than not Ander's breath hitched in his throat at the other man's touch.
He wanted to make this last for hours and hours but it felt too good, and after a while Ander was painfully horny, and the friction of their pants and boxers was nowhere near enough.
He shifted backwards a little, running his hand down Mikel's taut stomach and across the waistband of his trackpants, smiling at the defender's gasp as his hand came to rest on the bulge and started stroking along the outline of his cock. He had lost count of how often he had dreamed of doing this, of feeling Mikel in his hand, hard and ready for him, but no dream had ever come close to the real thing. He didn't even dare to imagine how it would feel like inside him, afraid he would come into his boxers right this instant if he did.
Mikel lifted himself off the mattress until Ander was sitting in his lap and kissed him again deeply, hungrily, until Ander's lips were swollen and glistening wet. A moment later Ander found himself lying on his back, legs spread wide, and Mikel was kneeling between them, spreading kisses and bites all over his body, and Ander wondered how suddenly every single nerve had become so sensitive and directly connected to his cock. He thrust upward, hoping Mikel would get the hint, and even tried to pull down his trackpants and boxers all at once, but the defender stopped him and continued kissing and lapping at his skin, taking his sweet time.
"Please," Ander groaned, unable to bear the teasing any longer, "please…" He was beyond caring what exactly Mikel would do as long as it involved touching his cock in some way.
"You're impatient," Mikel said with a grin, pulled down Ander's trackpants and took off his socks, and then, without a warning, bent down to run his tongue across Ander's length, right through his boxers, before sucking at the tip, and even though there was still a layer of cloth between his mouth and Ander's cock, it was almost enough to make Ander come on the spot. The midfielder bit his lip, trying to concentrate, but it was difficult. Mikel definitely wasn't doing this for the first time.
When he finally took off Ander's boxers and sucked him in for real, it felt so good that Ander groaned out, fingers digging into the bedsheet, toes curling at the sensation. He knew he was being too loud, the walls of the hotel were pretty thin, but he couldn't stop moaning even if he wanted to. Mikel's lips and tongue were doing things to him that he couldn't even have imagined in his wildest dreams.
"Shh," Mikel whispered in between licks, "be quiet or they'll hear us!"
"I… oh God, I can't..." Ander breathed, before letting out another moan. He was very close already, and Mikel was entirely too good at this. "Not when you're doing this- oh God, fuck!"
"Shh!" Mikel reached up to put his hand over Ander's mouth, but it didn't help much. Ander hoped that whoever was in the room next to them was not in there at this very moment, or at least would have the kindness to ignore what he was hearing through the wall.
Suddenly, a warm feeling spread in his stomach, growing stronger and stronger, and even though Ander was fighting it with all his might, wanting to prolong the moment, all it took was two quick flicks of Mikel's tongue against the head of his cock and he was coming with a deep groan, his abdominal muscles spasming rhythmically as he rode out his release.
Mikel was sucking and licking at him until he was done and his cock was all raw and sensitive, greedily lapping up every little drop. Ander was groggy, not just from the match earlier and Iker's horrible plan but also from the force of his orgasm, but he was determined to return the favour nevertheless.
He pulled Mikel up into a deep kiss, palming the other man's cock through his pants for a while before finally digging his hand into Mikel's boxers and touching him properly, using both the palm of his hand and his thumb to draw Mikel closer to the edge. The angle was awkward, but he did his best, and soon he had Mikel squirm under his touch, breathing raggedly into his mouth, and spreading his legs for better access.
Ander had other plans, however. He took his hand out of Mikel's boxers, ignoring the moan of frustration at the sudden lack of contact, and quickly took off the other man's socks, trackpants and boxers before kneeling between his legs. He hadn't done this often before, but he hoped that his eagerness to please the guy he loved would make up for his lack of experience or skill.
He gave Mikel's cock a couple of quick strokes, then bent his head to taste him, circling his tongue around the head until Mikel whined and put a hand on Ander's head, as if to push him down. And you were calling me impatient. Ander would have laughed if his mouth wasn't otherwise occupied at the moment.
Instead, he closed his mouth around the head of Mikel's cock, put his hands on the other man's hips to hold him steady, and then sucked him in slowly, as deeply as he could. Mikel inhaled through his teeth, making a hissing sound, then exhaled loudly as Ander released him, directing another couple of quick flicks of the tongue against the sensitive head before sucking Mikel into his mouth again. He didn't get far, Mikel was a big guy, but he tried best he could. Mikel was not particularly articulate, just like Ander in that matter, and he was considerably more quiet as well, but the way his breath hitched in his throat and the little moans that escaped his mouth whenever Ander was sucking him in hard or rubbing his tongue along the length of his cock told Ander that he had to be doing something right.
"I wish you could fuck me now," Ander said in between licks, running a finger across the vein of Mikel's cock.
"Oh God, yes," Mikel groaned, his fingers digging roughly into Ander's hair. "I want to, you bet I want to." He was hoarse from breathing, gasping out the words as Ander sucked hard, coating his cock in spit.
It would be so easy to just straddle Mikel and take him inside, but they had no condoms, and while Ander could be persuaded to ignore that - they were tested regularly from head to toe, after all - they had no lube either, and Ander hadn't had a cock up his arse in a very long while (and only twice, at that).
"We have time," Mikel said, as if he could read his mind. "Right?"
Ander hummed around Mikel's cock in response, enjoying the way it twitched in his mouth at the vibrations. He loved the taste of him, the way he reacted to his lips and tongue, the sounds Mikel made, and the unique scent of him, filling his nostrils and almost getting him hard again. He wished he weren't so damned exhausted and could do this all night, taste every inch on Mikel's body, feel him breathe into his ear or against his skin, hot and tingling, and kiss him until their jaws ached and their lips were thick and red and their bodies were covered in hickeys. Mikel was everything he had imagined, and so much more, and Ander knew he wouldn't get enough of him now that he had him.
Suddenly Mikel's fingers tightened in his hair and he gasped, once, twice, three times, before the first salty drop hit the back of Ander's throat and Mikel was coming hard, almost choking Ander as he tried his best to keep his lips around Mikel's cock and swallow every last bit of his release.
They lay like this for a while, Mikel on his back with his legs spread wide, and Ander between them, sprawled on his stomach. If it was possible at all, Mikel smelled even better right after having come, and Ander breathed him in, tracing a lazy finger across the other man's taut abs. He knew Mikel would have to leave soon, even though Ander would rather keep him in his bed all night, sleep with his arms around him, and wake up to his face the following morning, but they couldn't risk it, not with the entire team around them.
Finally, Ander lifted himself off Mikel and lay down beside him, stealing another kiss from those inviting lips. Mikel's arm came to rest on his hip, pulling him closer as he responded to the kiss, his mouth and tongue moving against Ander's softly, languidly.
"What time is it?" Mikel asked, sounding almost drowsy as they pulled apart.
Ander stretched to peek at his watch. "Almost half one."
They exchanged a guilty look. Bielsa had given them two hours of curfew extension, which meant they should have been in bed (their own beds, at that) half an hour ago. It also meant that two hours and a half had passed since Iker had locked the both of them into the storage room. It seemed inconceivable to Ander how so many things could have passed during those two and a half hours, how at first everything had been such a mess and Ander had been convinced that nobody would be able to fix it, and how, suddenly, they had fixed themselves thanks to Mikel's patience and insistence. He realised with surprise that he didn't even hate Iker anymore, or Fer, or Gorka, nor wanted to kill them neither. As much as he dreaded to admit it, maybe their Bart4 had done something right by locking Mikel up in that room with him.
"I'm going to miss this," Mikel said suddenly, kissing Ander again before disentangling himself from him and getting up from the bed to put his clothes back on.
Ander smiled, a warm feeling spreading in his stomach at the adorable pout on Mikel's face. "You won't have to miss it for long if you don't want to," he said. "You can come back for more any time you like."
Mikel laughed. "Any time I like would be right now."
It made Ander laugh as well. "Well, I can give you another kiss right now," he suggested, and Mikel immediately bent towards him to accept the offer. "And there will be more tomorrow, once we get back to Bilbao."
"Excellent," Mikel said, pulling his polo shirt over his head. "Well, then…"
Ander got up from the bed. "I'll walk you to the door." It was just a few steps but meant a couple more seconds before they had to say goodbye.
When they reached the door, Ander expected to be hugged, or kissed maybe, but instead Mikel was standing opposite him, looking at him, his gaze wandering over Ander's body with obvious admiration.
"What?" Ander said after a while, feeling naked in more than one way.
Mikel chuckled. "I just realised once again how stupid I was," he explained, finally pulling Ander close. "Seeing you at training all those weeks, or in the showers, and never even noticing how gorgeous you are, until today."
Ander blushed at the compliment, not believing his ears. "You didn't notice until today?" he said, surprised. He didn't know exactly what to make of Mikel's words, wasn't sure if they were good or bad, but after everything that had passed between them, he figured he didn't care how long Mikel had wanted him, all that mattered that he did want him.
"No, I didn't notice," Mikel admitted, looking slightly embarrassed. "Well, I did notice you, but not as a potential boyfriend, only as a teammate and a friend. I never looked at you the way I do now, I never really saw you, like, really saw you." He let out a little laugh. "Imagine what it was like for me when we were in that room together earlier, and you said that Iker thought you had a crush on me, and the scales fell from my eyes."
Ander began to understand. "Wow, that must have been tough."
Mikel laughed. "It was a lot tougher when you said you weren't interested in me at all. By then the damage was done."
"Sorry," Ander said, biting his lip. "I was scared. It's quite a big deal, this."
"I hope it is," Mikel said with a smile, pulling Ander closer. "I wouldn't want to risk so much for something any less than a big deal."
Ander leaned against his new boyfriend, his heart swelling with pride as he realised he could finally call Mikel that. "We're not going to tell Iker though, right?"
Mikel chuckled. "No," he decided. "I don't think his ego needs to be inflated even more."
Ander nodded, grinning. "Exactly."
"Good night, then."
Mikel stole a last good-night kiss. "Sleep well," he said, then added with a cheeky wink, "and keep your hands above the blanket."
Ander snorted. "I wouldn't dream of playing with your favourite toys. Unless you play with mine…"
"I'd never dare, no worries," Mikel said, his grin wide. He opened the door. "See you tomorrow," he whispered, careful not to attract anyone's attention.
"See you tomorrow."
***
A door closed in the corridor, then another. And, further in the distance, a third door closed.
i was riiiiight!!!!!!! Iker typed into his phone, a smug grin on his face.
what happened? came the reply a few seconds later. Of course Javi wouldn't go to bed without getting the latest news.
what do you think? xDD Iker texted back, grinning.
you peeped on them??????
nooooo, just listened at ander's door abit, hahaaa!
whoa, you perv, lol!
Iker chuckled and switched off his phone for the night. Nothing tasted sweeter than victory.
______________________________________________________________
3 Ander Herrera was born in Bilbao as the son of former Real Zaragoza player and technical secretary Pedro Herrera and joined his father's club in 2004 at the age of 15. He made his way through Zaragoza's youth system and was part of the first squad for two seasons before signing a 5-year-contract with Athletic in February 2011. [source]
4 Iker is nicknamed "Bart Simpson" by his teammates and fans because of his cheeky style of play as well as his similarity in appearance to the cartoon character (though honestly I think it's more than just similarity in appearance XD). Iker clearly approves of the nickname, wearing a picture of Bart Simpson on his shinpads and owning a Bart Simpson doll wearing an Athletic shirt. [source | source]
Author: txorakeriak
Fandom: Football RPS, Athletic Club Bilbao
Pairing: Ander Herrera/?, Gorka Iraizoz/Iker Muniain, Fernando Llorente/Javi Martínez
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I'm a lying bastard and made this all up. I don't claim to know any of the players I write about, they're most definitely not mine, and this very probably didn't happen. No payment involved, no offence intended. This is for my own entertainment.
Summary: Ander has a crush on someone. Gorka and Fernando are not amused. Javi and Iker start scheming and end up causing a gigantic mess. Fortunately, there is someone who keeps a relatively cool head…
Word Count: 13,705
A/N: Set about three months into the 2011/2012 season, which makes this future-fic.
Dedication: For my princess july_v because she needs to embrace the awesomeness that is Ander Herrera and understand that Ander is not a homewrecker, he's just looking for help! XD
Also intended as a little thank you to Kellie for the great e-mails and photos and the kind compliments about my fics.
And, last but not least, to celebrate the wonderful news that Ander has started training with the rest of the squad again after tearing his meniscus at the beginning of September! He was sorely missed! Aupa Ander!! :D
Allergy Warning: May contain traces of HMS Gay and flangst. Read at own risk.
Thanks to pinktoothbrush8 for the beta, and to liberta and whiny_writers for inspiring me to write fic again! I'm indebted to you! :D
Feedback: Everything is most welcome, from squee to constructive criticism. I even accept rotten tomatoes, so don't be shy. ;)
» Part 1.
*****
Ander was sitting on his bed in his room, cursing Iker and everyone else who had helped him ruin Ander's life, when suddenly he heard a knock on his door.
"If that's you, Iker," he yelled, making no move whatsoever to get up and open the door, "I'm not going to speak to you ever again, so go away and leave me alone!" And neither was he prepared to speak to Fer or Gorka, who had clearly betrayed his trust.
"It's Mikel!" a muffled voice came through the door. "Come on, open up!"
Ander hesitated. Of all the people he wanted to talk to right now, Mikel was pretty low on the list. The defender didn't sound angry from what Ander could make out, but maybe that was just because he was standing in the corridor and didn't want to make a scene in front of everyone. Ander was quite certain that as soon as he'd open the door, Mikel would burst in and give him a tirade about why he'd had to drag him into all of this.
There was another series of knocks, more insistent this time. "Come on, Ander. Open the door. I need to talk to you!"
Ander rolled his eyes. And didn't he know what this 'talk' would be about. Yet, he started to feel bad about leaving Mikel waiting in the corridor like that, and so his heart finally got the better of him and he got up to open the door.
Mikel hadn't done him the favour of disappearing by then. Instead, he was standing there, tall and muscular, an unreadable expression on his face. Ander's pulse quickened at the sight, and he gulped nervously as he stepped aside to let his teammate into the room.
He shut the door and sat down on his bed, only realising then that Mikel was still standing in the middle of the room, looking at him as he stepped out of his slippers.
"Take a seat on the-" he started saying, already patting the spot on the bed beside him, but then stopped himself hurriedly, blushing beet-red as he became aware how inappropriate it would be to invite Mikel to sit on his bed after everything that had happened earlier. "Uhm, on that chair over there," he finished, pointing to the little desk right next to the television.
He thought he'd handled the situation reasonably well, but then Mikel plopped down on the bed right next to Ander, close enough for the midfielder to be able to smell the scent of his shower gel and sense the warmth he radiated. "Here is fine with me," he said, and Ander knew he should be grateful that Mikel still wanted to sit next to him, but at the same time having him this close, on his bed, made him feel uneasy.
He'd never batted an eyelash before when Mikel had sat that close to him because that was how it had always been, with all of his teammates. He had been comfortable around Mikel then, knowing that it was safe to enjoy the company and the closeness because nobody was aware of his true feelings. But now that Iker had made such a mess of everything, he wasn't comfortable at all anymore.
He risked a shy glance in Mikel's direction, cringing when he found the defender looking back at him. He figured he'd be safer staring at the floor, all things considered. Damn Iker to hell. Ander would never be the same way around Mikel, or the other way around. The defender was pretending nothing had happened, and he was doing it very well, but Ander knew it would just be a matter of time until he saw through Ander's lies and consequently shunned him.
The silence between them was stretching. Ander had no clue what to say, and Mikel didn't seem too eager to speak either, despite his earlier claim that he'd come here to talk.
"Promise me you won't take this the wrong way," Mikel finally said, and Ander knew this would be it, the words he'd been expecting, dreading, fearing. He was this close to interrupting his teammate, to kicking him out of the room, just so he wouldn't have to hear the inevitable, 'I'm really not into you at all, so please don't speak to me or look at me or even breathe at me again, and fuck off back to Zaragoza3.' There was no way he'd take any of this the wrong way, he was sure of it. However, if Mikel didn't say it now, he would say it some other time, so Ander bit his lip, bracing himself for whatever was to come.
"I just want to make sure you understand this one thing," Mikel said after a pause, quietly, and Ander tried hard to find even the smallest trace of annoyance or disgust or anger in his voice but didn't succeed. "No matter whether what Iker says is true or not, you can be honest with me. If he's wrong, you can tell me. If he's right, you can tell me. You're my friend, and I'd never think any less of you no matter what."
It was not in the least what Ander had expected. A minute ago he had felt like drowning, now he was thrown a rope. Nevertheless, he didn't dare to speak. Mikel might think he could handle it now, being told that Ander loved him, and yes, he was long past a simple crush now, long past anything he could ignore or cast aside or hope to grow out of. But once the words were out, Mikel might realise that he couldn't handle it after all. He might try to continue treating Ander the same way, just like he had promised so prematurely, but something would change. They wouldn't be the same again.
"If Iker is right," Mikel prodded when Ander kept silent, "then you better tell me now." His voice was different than usual, thicker maybe, deeper, but quiet, encouraging - hopeful, maybe? No, Ander told himself, you just want it to be.
Still, it caused him to turn his head against his better judgement, slowly, hesitantly, until his eyes found Mikel's. The defender was looking at him with a steady gaze and a small, encouraging smile on his lips, but there was something in his expression that didn't quite fit the picture of confidence. Could it be fear? Ander vaguely remembered Mikel looking like that near the beginning of the season, after having caused a penalty, his gaze fixed on Gorka as the opponent's striker took the shot. And yet, what did Mikel have to be afraid of this time?
"You better tell me now," Mikel repeated, slowly lifting his arm to put a hand on Ander's shoulder as if to calm him down, but it did quite the opposite. Ander's throat went dry, his heart beat so fast it threatened to break out of his chest, his mind was racing, and there were goosebumps all over his body even though the room was warm. Even if he had wanted to speak, he couldn't. He swallowed, but the lump in his throat just wouldn't leave. Mikel's hand felt scalding-hot on his shoulder. His scent was all around him. He could hardly breathe.
Mikel ran a tongue over his dry lips - an almost cruel gesture, and Ander had to bite his, forcing himself to ignore the wave of heat that went through him. He never thought it was possible to be sweating and freezing at the same time but there he was, a miracle of nature. A fucking miracle indeed. How pathetic.
"I'd have no problem with sitting here all evening," Mikel said, ever patient, ever quiet, yet still looking at him that way, as if he were Gorka, as if he hoped Ander would save the penalty he'd caused. Only, Mikel hadn't caused anything. It had all been Ander's fault.
"But I'd rather not waste time sitting around," Mikel continued, more quietly than before, and there was a faint pink glow on his cheeks as he pointedly averted his gaze to look at the bed beneath them, "when we could do other things."
Ander stared at him, eyes as wide as saucers. He had to have misunderstood, he had to, there was no way Mikel had just implied… And yet, the defender seemed to be blushing, and the hand on Ander's shoulder was shaking slightly - or maybe that was just Ander, about to die from shock - and then Mikel was looking at him again, and there was definitely fear in his eyes, and hope as well, and something else, something like…
"It's true," Ander finally managed to get out, almost too quietly for Mikel to hear. "What Iker said about me. It's all true." Every word took a great deal of courage, but he felt a bit better once he had said them all, just like some weight had been lifted off him.
He was still afraid of what Mikel's reaction would be, despite his calmness and patience and despite all the signs, because signs could be misinterpreted, and people might think themselves capable of enduring or tolerating certain things, until they are actually confronted with them and they have to admit that their confidence had been premature.
But then, Mikel's face lit up, and his smile reached his eyes, and he breathed, "Thank God it is," and a gigantic wave of relief crashed over Ander, almost making him feel dizzy.
His head was spinning, and his heart threatened to explode, but Ander didn't care. He didn't even care about the little voice in his head that told him that maybe he had misheard what Mikel had said. Instead, he finally allowed himself to be happy, smiling at Mikel, enjoying the closeness, the warmth, the scent of him. He was not close enough yet, not as close as Ander wanted him to be, but the midfielder couldn't move, too overwhelmed by the situation.
Mikel was beaming at him, his eyes glinting, and Ander couldn't remember ever having seen him so happy. His right hand was still on Ander's shoulder, fingers moving softly across the white polo shirt, and Ander still thought the heat would make his skin melt, but in a good way this time. He wanted to take off his shirt, to feel Mikel's hands on his skin, but he didn't dare to, afraid to rush things.
Finally, the defender shifted a little closer, and Ander could hear him breathe, air coming out in little puffs. "Can I…" Mikel said, his face flushed, and Ander almost laughed as he realised that Mikel was as shy as Ander was himself.
Instead of a reply, the midfielder pulled him close and kissed him, full on the lips, just like he'd dreamed of kissing him countless times before. Mikel responded eagerly, nibbling and licking at Ander's mouth, and when their tongues met, rubbing against each other softly at first, then more roughly, it felt better than he could ever have imagined. After only a couple of minutes, before Mikel had actually touched him anywhere (except for that hand on his shoulder, and the other hand that had moved to cup his face), Ander was hard, his cock pressing against the confines of his boxers.
He pushed Mikel on his back and straddled him, and his heart did a leap in his chest as he noticed that Mikel had an erection as well, and that it was because of him, and for him, and he rubbed against him eagerly, enjoying the way Mikel moaned into his mouth at the friction.
They were still wearing too many clothes though. Spurred by his want, Ander broke the kiss to take off Mikel's shirt, which was a bit complicated but eventually managed, and then allowed Mikel to take off his own. Ander's hands were shaking as he finally touched Mikel's skin, but he was relieved to find that Mikel's hands weren't that steady either as they started exploring him tentatively, stroking his skin and making it prickle. Somehow the defender could sense where Ander was the most sensitive, and more often than not Ander's breath hitched in his throat at the other man's touch.
He wanted to make this last for hours and hours but it felt too good, and after a while Ander was painfully horny, and the friction of their pants and boxers was nowhere near enough.
He shifted backwards a little, running his hand down Mikel's taut stomach and across the waistband of his trackpants, smiling at the defender's gasp as his hand came to rest on the bulge and started stroking along the outline of his cock. He had lost count of how often he had dreamed of doing this, of feeling Mikel in his hand, hard and ready for him, but no dream had ever come close to the real thing. He didn't even dare to imagine how it would feel like inside him, afraid he would come into his boxers right this instant if he did.
Mikel lifted himself off the mattress until Ander was sitting in his lap and kissed him again deeply, hungrily, until Ander's lips were swollen and glistening wet. A moment later Ander found himself lying on his back, legs spread wide, and Mikel was kneeling between them, spreading kisses and bites all over his body, and Ander wondered how suddenly every single nerve had become so sensitive and directly connected to his cock. He thrust upward, hoping Mikel would get the hint, and even tried to pull down his trackpants and boxers all at once, but the defender stopped him and continued kissing and lapping at his skin, taking his sweet time.
"Please," Ander groaned, unable to bear the teasing any longer, "please…" He was beyond caring what exactly Mikel would do as long as it involved touching his cock in some way.
"You're impatient," Mikel said with a grin, pulled down Ander's trackpants and took off his socks, and then, without a warning, bent down to run his tongue across Ander's length, right through his boxers, before sucking at the tip, and even though there was still a layer of cloth between his mouth and Ander's cock, it was almost enough to make Ander come on the spot. The midfielder bit his lip, trying to concentrate, but it was difficult. Mikel definitely wasn't doing this for the first time.
When he finally took off Ander's boxers and sucked him in for real, it felt so good that Ander groaned out, fingers digging into the bedsheet, toes curling at the sensation. He knew he was being too loud, the walls of the hotel were pretty thin, but he couldn't stop moaning even if he wanted to. Mikel's lips and tongue were doing things to him that he couldn't even have imagined in his wildest dreams.
"Shh," Mikel whispered in between licks, "be quiet or they'll hear us!"
"I… oh God, I can't..." Ander breathed, before letting out another moan. He was very close already, and Mikel was entirely too good at this. "Not when you're doing this- oh God, fuck!"
"Shh!" Mikel reached up to put his hand over Ander's mouth, but it didn't help much. Ander hoped that whoever was in the room next to them was not in there at this very moment, or at least would have the kindness to ignore what he was hearing through the wall.
Suddenly, a warm feeling spread in his stomach, growing stronger and stronger, and even though Ander was fighting it with all his might, wanting to prolong the moment, all it took was two quick flicks of Mikel's tongue against the head of his cock and he was coming with a deep groan, his abdominal muscles spasming rhythmically as he rode out his release.
Mikel was sucking and licking at him until he was done and his cock was all raw and sensitive, greedily lapping up every little drop. Ander was groggy, not just from the match earlier and Iker's horrible plan but also from the force of his orgasm, but he was determined to return the favour nevertheless.
He pulled Mikel up into a deep kiss, palming the other man's cock through his pants for a while before finally digging his hand into Mikel's boxers and touching him properly, using both the palm of his hand and his thumb to draw Mikel closer to the edge. The angle was awkward, but he did his best, and soon he had Mikel squirm under his touch, breathing raggedly into his mouth, and spreading his legs for better access.
Ander had other plans, however. He took his hand out of Mikel's boxers, ignoring the moan of frustration at the sudden lack of contact, and quickly took off the other man's socks, trackpants and boxers before kneeling between his legs. He hadn't done this often before, but he hoped that his eagerness to please the guy he loved would make up for his lack of experience or skill.
He gave Mikel's cock a couple of quick strokes, then bent his head to taste him, circling his tongue around the head until Mikel whined and put a hand on Ander's head, as if to push him down. And you were calling me impatient. Ander would have laughed if his mouth wasn't otherwise occupied at the moment.
Instead, he closed his mouth around the head of Mikel's cock, put his hands on the other man's hips to hold him steady, and then sucked him in slowly, as deeply as he could. Mikel inhaled through his teeth, making a hissing sound, then exhaled loudly as Ander released him, directing another couple of quick flicks of the tongue against the sensitive head before sucking Mikel into his mouth again. He didn't get far, Mikel was a big guy, but he tried best he could. Mikel was not particularly articulate, just like Ander in that matter, and he was considerably more quiet as well, but the way his breath hitched in his throat and the little moans that escaped his mouth whenever Ander was sucking him in hard or rubbing his tongue along the length of his cock told Ander that he had to be doing something right.
"I wish you could fuck me now," Ander said in between licks, running a finger across the vein of Mikel's cock.
"Oh God, yes," Mikel groaned, his fingers digging roughly into Ander's hair. "I want to, you bet I want to." He was hoarse from breathing, gasping out the words as Ander sucked hard, coating his cock in spit.
It would be so easy to just straddle Mikel and take him inside, but they had no condoms, and while Ander could be persuaded to ignore that - they were tested regularly from head to toe, after all - they had no lube either, and Ander hadn't had a cock up his arse in a very long while (and only twice, at that).
"We have time," Mikel said, as if he could read his mind. "Right?"
Ander hummed around Mikel's cock in response, enjoying the way it twitched in his mouth at the vibrations. He loved the taste of him, the way he reacted to his lips and tongue, the sounds Mikel made, and the unique scent of him, filling his nostrils and almost getting him hard again. He wished he weren't so damned exhausted and could do this all night, taste every inch on Mikel's body, feel him breathe into his ear or against his skin, hot and tingling, and kiss him until their jaws ached and their lips were thick and red and their bodies were covered in hickeys. Mikel was everything he had imagined, and so much more, and Ander knew he wouldn't get enough of him now that he had him.
Suddenly Mikel's fingers tightened in his hair and he gasped, once, twice, three times, before the first salty drop hit the back of Ander's throat and Mikel was coming hard, almost choking Ander as he tried his best to keep his lips around Mikel's cock and swallow every last bit of his release.
They lay like this for a while, Mikel on his back with his legs spread wide, and Ander between them, sprawled on his stomach. If it was possible at all, Mikel smelled even better right after having come, and Ander breathed him in, tracing a lazy finger across the other man's taut abs. He knew Mikel would have to leave soon, even though Ander would rather keep him in his bed all night, sleep with his arms around him, and wake up to his face the following morning, but they couldn't risk it, not with the entire team around them.
Finally, Ander lifted himself off Mikel and lay down beside him, stealing another kiss from those inviting lips. Mikel's arm came to rest on his hip, pulling him closer as he responded to the kiss, his mouth and tongue moving against Ander's softly, languidly.
"What time is it?" Mikel asked, sounding almost drowsy as they pulled apart.
Ander stretched to peek at his watch. "Almost half one."
They exchanged a guilty look. Bielsa had given them two hours of curfew extension, which meant they should have been in bed (their own beds, at that) half an hour ago. It also meant that two hours and a half had passed since Iker had locked the both of them into the storage room. It seemed inconceivable to Ander how so many things could have passed during those two and a half hours, how at first everything had been such a mess and Ander had been convinced that nobody would be able to fix it, and how, suddenly, they had fixed themselves thanks to Mikel's patience and insistence. He realised with surprise that he didn't even hate Iker anymore, or Fer, or Gorka, nor wanted to kill them neither. As much as he dreaded to admit it, maybe their Bart4 had done something right by locking Mikel up in that room with him.
"I'm going to miss this," Mikel said suddenly, kissing Ander again before disentangling himself from him and getting up from the bed to put his clothes back on.
Ander smiled, a warm feeling spreading in his stomach at the adorable pout on Mikel's face. "You won't have to miss it for long if you don't want to," he said. "You can come back for more any time you like."
Mikel laughed. "Any time I like would be right now."
It made Ander laugh as well. "Well, I can give you another kiss right now," he suggested, and Mikel immediately bent towards him to accept the offer. "And there will be more tomorrow, once we get back to Bilbao."
"Excellent," Mikel said, pulling his polo shirt over his head. "Well, then…"
Ander got up from the bed. "I'll walk you to the door." It was just a few steps but meant a couple more seconds before they had to say goodbye.
When they reached the door, Ander expected to be hugged, or kissed maybe, but instead Mikel was standing opposite him, looking at him, his gaze wandering over Ander's body with obvious admiration.
"What?" Ander said after a while, feeling naked in more than one way.
Mikel chuckled. "I just realised once again how stupid I was," he explained, finally pulling Ander close. "Seeing you at training all those weeks, or in the showers, and never even noticing how gorgeous you are, until today."
Ander blushed at the compliment, not believing his ears. "You didn't notice until today?" he said, surprised. He didn't know exactly what to make of Mikel's words, wasn't sure if they were good or bad, but after everything that had passed between them, he figured he didn't care how long Mikel had wanted him, all that mattered that he did want him.
"No, I didn't notice," Mikel admitted, looking slightly embarrassed. "Well, I did notice you, but not as a potential boyfriend, only as a teammate and a friend. I never looked at you the way I do now, I never really saw you, like, really saw you." He let out a little laugh. "Imagine what it was like for me when we were in that room together earlier, and you said that Iker thought you had a crush on me, and the scales fell from my eyes."
Ander began to understand. "Wow, that must have been tough."
Mikel laughed. "It was a lot tougher when you said you weren't interested in me at all. By then the damage was done."
"Sorry," Ander said, biting his lip. "I was scared. It's quite a big deal, this."
"I hope it is," Mikel said with a smile, pulling Ander closer. "I wouldn't want to risk so much for something any less than a big deal."
Ander leaned against his new boyfriend, his heart swelling with pride as he realised he could finally call Mikel that. "We're not going to tell Iker though, right?"
Mikel chuckled. "No," he decided. "I don't think his ego needs to be inflated even more."
Ander nodded, grinning. "Exactly."
"Good night, then."
Mikel stole a last good-night kiss. "Sleep well," he said, then added with a cheeky wink, "and keep your hands above the blanket."
Ander snorted. "I wouldn't dream of playing with your favourite toys. Unless you play with mine…"
"I'd never dare, no worries," Mikel said, his grin wide. He opened the door. "See you tomorrow," he whispered, careful not to attract anyone's attention.
"See you tomorrow."
***
A door closed in the corridor, then another. And, further in the distance, a third door closed.
i was riiiiight!!!!!!! Iker typed into his phone, a smug grin on his face.
what happened? came the reply a few seconds later. Of course Javi wouldn't go to bed without getting the latest news.
what do you think? xDD Iker texted back, grinning.
you peeped on them??????
nooooo, just listened at ander's door abit, hahaaa!
whoa, you perv, lol!
Iker chuckled and switched off his phone for the night. Nothing tasted sweeter than victory.
______________________________________________________________
3 Ander Herrera was born in Bilbao as the son of former Real Zaragoza player and technical secretary Pedro Herrera and joined his father's club in 2004 at the age of 15. He made his way through Zaragoza's youth system and was part of the first squad for two seasons before signing a 5-year-contract with Athletic in February 2011. [source]
4 Iker is nicknamed "Bart Simpson" by his teammates and fans because of his cheeky style of play as well as his similarity in appearance to the cartoon character (though honestly I think it's more than just similarity in appearance XD). Iker clearly approves of the nickname, wearing a picture of Bart Simpson on his shinpads and owning a Bart Simpson doll wearing an Athletic shirt. [source | source]
