The Surprise of the Hinrunde
by 4or5paragraphs
Jens Lehmann was a quiet man.
Mario didn't really believe it at first, although he was told that it was true. They hadn't spoken much at the Euros, certainly, but Mario hadn't been expecting to. He had his own issues to deal with. And Jens was clearly talking with other people- he talked with Christoph Metzelder and Miroslav Klose, and Lukas, who was forever inserting himself into Jens' line of sight. He was quiet compared with some people on the team, but he was also older, and a goalkeeper, so Mario never thought much of it.
At Stuttgart, though, it was noticeable. He'd yell and scream on the pitch, of course, and during training he'd always have something to say to Alex and Sven, but once they were all back in the lockers and showers Jens was surprisingly silent. He stood in his corner with a little smirk on his face, watching the rest of the team goof off.
Mario had never thought about the allure of the "strong, silent type" before, but he was starting to see why Lukas was always hanging around Jens when Germany met up. Jens had a certain allure. And, at 38, he looked better in a towel than anyone else on the team.
So, Mario had a goal for the season. He wanted to get Jens interested. As long as he didn't make a fool of himself the way Lukas did, it should be fun.
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Seducing Jens was not the easiest thing to do, which Mario tried not to find surprising, but did. He knew what he had going for him, and he knew what had worked in the past. He smiled a bit, made eye contact with whoever he was going after, a few touches on the upper arm, and Mario had what he wanted. Maybe it was luck, or a good ability for spotting those who would be interested in him, but Mario hadn't needed to try much since he was a teenager.
He supposed, as he walked slowly past Jens, towel slung low across his waist, Jens was more discerning than what he was normally used to. He was older. He'd met everyone, played at the biggest teams in Europe, and was less likely to be impressed by Mario's hipbones and scoring record. He barely looked up as Mario crossed to his locker.
Mario frowned as he pulled on his shirt. He was starting to understand Lukas a little more. Jens was difficult and…quiet. Mario wasn't sure if he was interested, not interested, paying attention, preoccupied, or whatever. It was a new feeling. Mario knew he could just back off, but he was too curious now. After the summer he'd had, the ego boost of getting Jens Lehmann interested would make him feel better.
Dressed, he walked back towards the door, pausing by Jens. "Have any evening plans?"
"I'm trying to get through The Wire." Jens said. He had that smirk on his face again, the one that made Mario think there was something he just wasn't understanding. "It's a bit difficult, the American words..."
"Is it good?" Mario shifted from foot to foot, unsure of what to do with his hands. "I've heard it's good."
"It is. Very good."
"Good. Good." Mario shoved his hands into his pockets. "Well. Enjoy that. Uh. See you tomorrow?" He rushed off before Jens could respond, feeling embarrassed and ridiculous.
This was not going well.
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Mario was a little disheartened, but after reviewing his actions he decided that he hadn't done anything that wasn't beyond repair. He'd acted a little silly, but that was what Jens did to people. He'd noticed a certain amount of giggles and blushes in his teammates, and he was almost positive that wasn't just him projecting. Jens was quiet, to everyone except maybe Alex and Sven, and he didn't avoid Mario. So that could be counted as a win.
So he proceeded as he had been- patience, he was learning, was a virtue in anything worth having. A few touches, a few comments to teammates and magazines about Jens. Enough to remind himself that this was supposed to be about fun.
He undressed in Jens' line of vision, slowly, reaching for his towel in a twist that was designed to show off the lines of his body. It was a deliberate pose, he had to admit. It must have been a good one, though, because he caught Jens looking at him when he looked up. Mario smiled at him, momentarily flustered out of it. Still smiling, he knotted the towel around his waist and walked towards the direction of the showers. And, most importantly, Jens.
"You looked good today," Jens said as Mario passed him.
Mario stopped abruptly. "Yeah?" It wasn't the best of answers, but it was one.
"Very sharp."
Mario smiled, flustered with the unexpected praise. He fidgeted with the edges of his towel. "Thanks. I'm really trying to…work on things, you know?"
"Of course." Jens smiled. "But it's paying off. I like the way you're moving."
"I've been learning from what you're saying." That had to be deliberate phrasing. Mario had never known Jens to not know what he was doing.
"Good. I like to see that you're paying attention." Jens leaned back against the lockers, with an expression different than his usual smirk on his face.
"You don't have to worry about me not paying attention." Mario slid closer, smiling.
"No, I don't think you do." Jens paused and Mario shifted from foot to foot, failing to look composed. "What are you doing tonight?" the goalkeeper asked, finally.
"Nothing!" Mario blurted, then pulled back, slightly embarrassed by his eagerness. "I mean. No plans." He shrugged, trying to look as nonchalant as he could with a towel tied around his waist and his plans coming to fruition.
"Want to come over for dinner?"
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Jens came to the door barefoot in a dark grey V-neck sweater and slim jeans. A bright white collar peeked out, framing the lingering remnants of his summer tan. Mario's mouth went dry. It was a ridiculously simple look, but Jens inhabited it in a way that struck Mario dumb and made him feel overdressed in his designer T-shirt.
"Come in," Jens said, stepping back. "Did you have trouble finding me?"
"Oh, no," Mario laughed, ducking his head as he slid off his shoes, adding them to the careful line by the door. "I know Stuttgart well, it's hard to get lost any more…"
"Good." Jens smiled, looking over Mario appraisingly. "Wouldn't want to lose you."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that." Mario stood back up. It smelled good, whatever Jens had cooked, but he wasn't all that interested in food. "I'll find you wherever."
"Oh?"
"Yeah." Mario grinned, hooking his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans. "I'll track you down..."
"Come after me?"
Mario stepped forwards, towards Jens, adrenaline making his heart beat faster. He was in Jens' space now, enough to hear his breath and see the faint freckles on his face. "I'm persistent like that." Jens was smirking again. Mario kissed him.
Jens pinned Mario back against the wall before Mario could think. The kiss wasn't broken for more than a second, not even enough time for Mario to gasp before Jens renewed it, stronger and fiercer. Mario grabbed Jens' jeans, pushing up against him, but otherwise letting Jens do whatever he wanted.
They stumbled to the couch and Mario folded himself onto Jens' lap, careful to make sure he wasn't poking Jens with a shoulder or knee or hipbone. Leather slid against his knees as he rocked against Jens, losing himself in the kiss. Jens made him dizzy. He slid a hand down Mario's pants, finding a way against the tight fabric, long fingers curling against the curve of his ass and Mario gasped. His heartbeat rushed.
"Bedroom?" Jens growled in his ear, and Mario couldn't speak, just nod.
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"He's waking up, I think. Talk to you later."
Mario yawned, the English words filtering into his head. He was a little too groggy to remember what they meant. With a sigh he pushed himself off the bed, rubbing his hair and blinking at Jens. "Hey."
"Good morning," Jens still held his cellphone in his hand. "Sleep well?"
"Very." Mario grinned and stretched his arms above his head. The blanket pooled around him. "You have a nice bed..."
"Well, I like to be comfortable." Jens smiled, warm and relaxed. "Are you hungry? I have breakfast..."
"Great."
"Come out when you're ready." Jens turned and padded out the doorway, disappearing from view.
Mario shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. The bed was comfortable- somewhat minimalist with its black comforter and pale green sheets, but Mario was unsure how Jens managed to make it to training early every morning if he had to get up out of it every day. The promise of breakfast and need to pee was what forced Mario away from the blankets.
He splashed a bit of water on his face and ran a finger covered in toothpaste over his teeth. He resisted the urge to look in the medicine cabinet. If he was back at another date, maybe. Satisfied with himself, he trod back to the bedroom to find his clothes.
The jeans were crumpled on the floor. The T-shirt looked like it had its neck messed up. Mario contemplated the boxers and decided that they would be enough. Jens liked his body well enough.
Mario hadn't been paying attention to the apartment before, but he looked around as he left the bedroom. Everything was tasteful, well-decorated, even organized. It wasn't quite a design museum of a place, but it wasn't far off. And the kitchen was spectacular. "It looks nice in here," Mario sad, watching Jens fish the eggs out of the water.
"Thanks," Jens said with a soft laugh as he placed the eggs in cups. "I didn't do any of it."
"Well, whoever did, did it well."
"Do you know Freddie Ljungberg?" Jens brought the eggs to the table, putting one on each of the plates set out. "He did the decorating, the entire thing. He decided he was into interior design right as I moved here, so I suppose this was his first commission..."
"Ah." Mario nodded, sitting down.
"I think he was pleased with it. He even talked about going into interior design when he retired." Jens chuckled, amused, and sat down himself. "I suppose it is a career."
Mario made an uncommitted noise and reached for the bread.
"I’m not sure I can see him in management..." Jens chuckled, still carrying on his own conversation. It didn't seem as if Mario's input mattered much. "How's the bread?"
"Hmm?" Mario looked up from his plate. "Oh, fine. Good."
"Good." Jens nodded, looking at the piece he held in his hands. "I don't have a lot of people over, so..."
"Oh." Mario fidgeted with his butter knife. "Well, I'm enjoying being here, for what it's worth."
"Good." Jens smiled, warmly, and Mario relaxed.
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Jens was still quiet. It was just a different quiet. His face was expressive enough that he didn't need to talk. He could raise his eyebrows or tilt his head and Mario would nearly spit out his water laughing. He rolled his eyes and huffed. He said a lot of things without saying anything. And he could put his hand on Mario's back and look into his eyes and Mario would shiver.
He was incredibly easy. He'd admit to that. But Jens deserved that kind of reaction. Jens could do things in bed that Mario hadn't even pictured. (And not just in bed- in the kitchen, the couch, the physio room, the closet where the club kept extra towels.) He was enjoying himself. He was getting laid regularly. And Jens was surprisingly pleasant to spend time with.
Jens met Mario's eyes and cocked his head. Mario followed the direction and couldn't help but giggle at Bastürk fixing his hair in the mirror, posing and pouting. He had to bite down on the collar of his track jacket to muffle it, lest he figure out what was going on.
"Come over tonight?" Jens asked, leaning over as he passed Mario, heading out of the dressing room.
"Sure." Mario grinned. When Jens asked, he usually did.
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They went to training and came back to Jens' place- always Jens'- and went to training again. The knowledge that this wasn't forever- that someday Mario would look back on being in Jens' bed fondly, from somewhere else, was kind of comforting. Romantic, in a literary sort of way. Still, though, it would be hard to let go. "I'll miss you when you leave."
"When I leave?" Jens laughed, curling a finger into Mario's hair. He was always fidgeting with Mario's hair. "What about you?'
"Me?" Mario wrinkled his nose.
"Yes, you. Summer comes again, you'll have admirers."
"I don't know." Mario sighed, snuggling into Jens' chest. "Not after this summer."
"Of course you will." Jens released the curl, only to run his whole hand through Mario's hair. "You're a young guy with an eye for goal. Tall. Strong. You'll go somewhere." He sighed, letting his hand drop. "Just don't go to Bayern."
"Why not?" Mario frowned. Bayern was... well, Bayern was Bayern, but it was slightly less intimidating. It was, at least, close to home, somewhere he could get a level and maybe not screw up so badly.
"You'll never leave Germany." Jens smiled, rubbing Mario's chin with his thumb. "And you should get out. See the world."
"What's wrong with Germany?"
"Nothing." Jens shrugged. "It's just good, you know. To go to other places…even if you come back. It's good for a person. And I like you, I want to see you do well in the future."
"Hmm." Mario wasn't going to promise Jens anything. But it was nice to get the advice, anyway.
------
It wasn't only sex. Just mostly. But Jens didn't seem to have anything else happening in Stuttgart but him- another mystery about Jens that Mario, despite himself, was curious about. He knew that Jens had his family in Starnberg. There could be friends there. He hadn't seen any in Stuttgart.
"What do you do here?" Mario asked, stretching his legs out over the couch. It was a moment of relaxation, watching one of those American crime shows Jens liked. A quiet evening.
"Besides you?" Jens replied dryly.
"Besides me." Mario laughed, nudging Jens with a toe, trying to get him to smile. "I’m serious. What do you do in Stuttgart?"
"Read. Catch up on my television." Jens grabbed Mario's foot, tweaking the toe that poked him. "It's relaxing."
"Is that it?" Mario attempted to squirm away, although he didn't try that hard.
"Can't I be boring, at my age?" Jens teased, not letting go.
"You can do whatever you want. It just..." Mario squealed as Jens tickled his foot. "Stop that!"
"I can do whatever I want, as long as I don't tickle you?" Jens paused, fingers hovering dangerously centimeters above Mario's foot.
"I'll kick you," Mario threatened, narrowing his eyes. "Really. And I kick hard."
"Fine." Jens let his hand drop, patting the top of Mario's foot instead. "No tickling. I'll be nice."
"As if I could believe that." Mario stretched, back arching off the couch. "But really. Do you go out?"
"Why would I go out?"
"I don't know." Mario shrugged. "Because you're bored, I guess?"
"I'm only here four days a week, or so. I'm in training all of those days. I need to stay in shape, mentally and physically, so it's not like I'm going to go clubbing. What should I be doing with my time?" Jens raised his eyebrows, looking and sounding so completely reasonable that Mario felt bad for even asking the question.
"I was just curious." Mario shrugged.
"If there's somewhere you think I should go, I wouldn't mind a guide." Jens smiled warmly, stroking Mario's foot. "Show me."
"Yeah, all right." Mario smiled. He was flattered, at least.
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They went to a café, as smart as Mario could think of. He wanted to impress Jens. He wanted Jens to be impressed by Stuttgart, to have a good impression of the city. It wasn't London. Mario felt like he had to defend it.
Jens drank coffee and looked happy to be there. "This is nice."
"Is it?" Mario asked, brightly, straightening his posture at the compliment.
"Yeah." Jens smiled, looking over at Mario. "Nice spot, good people to watch, good company..."
Mario snorted. "You're being silly."
"I'm not!" Jens twirled his spoon in his coffee leisurely. "I'm serious. It's nice. I don't get out much, so…"
"Why not?"
"Where would I go? And who with?" Jens shrugged. "I didn't even like going out by myself when I was young, now that I'm nearly 40…
"You could find someone to go out with."
"Who?" Jens raised his eyebrows. "I don't know anyone here. You, Horst. And Horst is my boss now, it's a bit awkward."
"Is that really it?" Mario tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear. "You've got to know other people here."
"Probably not that I'd spend a lot of time with." Jens didn't look upset by that- just resigned.
Mario frowned at that, picking at the label of his beer absently. '"If it wasn't for me, would you see anyone in Stuttgart?"
"I don't know." Jens shrugged. "But there is you."
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The end of the Hinrunde came before Mario expected it- suddenly, almost, it was cold everywhere and he's made plans for a getaway to see the sun for a few days. He needed the rest, or at least thought he did, which was enough. For a moment he even entertained thoughts of Jens coming with him before dismissing them as ridiculous. Instead, he made sure that there was enough time to get in a stop at his apartment before he left.
It wasn't until he was leaving that he'd even remembered to talk to Jens about the break. "Have big holiday plans?" He grinned, tucking the DVD set Jens had leant him into his bag. "Going somewhere?"
"No, I don't think so." Jens shrugged. "I've not had a chance to really be home for the holidays in years. I'm looking forwards to actually participating this year."
"Oh, neat."
"The kids will appreciate it." Jens laughed softly, looking wistful. "And Freddie is coming down for the holiday. I didn't think he was going to make it, he's got rehab and recovery, but they're letting him as long as I make sure he does some exercises."
"Oh." Mario fidgeted with the flap of his bag. Jens brought up Freddie fairly often. Mario never knew how to react. "I guess, that's good?"
"It'll be nice to see him. I don't get to enough." Jens sighed.
"I'm sure you'll have a good time," Mario said, in what he hoped was a diplomatic tone.
"I keep telling him he should come to Stuttgart, but he's so busy all the time now." Jens shrugged. "What can you do, right?"
"Here?" Mario squeaked. He wasn't the jealous type, he was sure, but he didn't know how Freddie would react to him.
"Why not?" Jens raised his eyebrows at Mario. "He'd like to meet you, I'm sure. He likes you."
"He does?"
"He likes that I'm not spending all my time alone. I think he worries about me." Jens wrinkled his nose, conspiratorially grinning at a faintly astonished Mario. "He told me to sleep with you. His words. Well, with more English curses."
"Oh." Mario laughed nervously.
"I'll tell him you said hi." Jens grinned warmly and rubbed Mario's thigh. His eyes caught the clock on the wall. "And you'll miss your train…"
"Shit." Mario jumped up.
"Don't crash into anything." Jens stood up as well. "I don't want to come back and find you injured, too."
"Don't worry." Mario managed a smile, still processing the information that Jens had revealed so casually. "I'm a good driver, unlike some…"
"Hey, I haven't crashed yet." Jens laughed and walked Mario to the door. "See you next year?"
"Next year," Mario promised.
Jens kissed him, a lingering goodbye kiss. "Have a great break, Mario."
Mario looked at the closed door for a long moment before he left to his car. Jens, he was certain, he would never figure out.
Jens Lehmann was a quiet man.
Mario didn't really believe it at first, although he was told that it was true. They hadn't spoken much at the Euros, certainly, but Mario hadn't been expecting to. He had his own issues to deal with. And Jens was clearly talking with other people- he talked with Christoph Metzelder and Miroslav Klose, and Lukas, who was forever inserting himself into Jens' line of sight. He was quiet compared with some people on the team, but he was also older, and a goalkeeper, so Mario never thought much of it.
At Stuttgart, though, it was noticeable. He'd yell and scream on the pitch, of course, and during training he'd always have something to say to Alex and Sven, but once they were all back in the lockers and showers Jens was surprisingly silent. He stood in his corner with a little smirk on his face, watching the rest of the team goof off.
Mario had never thought about the allure of the "strong, silent type" before, but he was starting to see why Lukas was always hanging around Jens when Germany met up. Jens had a certain allure. And, at 38, he looked better in a towel than anyone else on the team.
So, Mario had a goal for the season. He wanted to get Jens interested. As long as he didn't make a fool of himself the way Lukas did, it should be fun.
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Seducing Jens was not the easiest thing to do, which Mario tried not to find surprising, but did. He knew what he had going for him, and he knew what had worked in the past. He smiled a bit, made eye contact with whoever he was going after, a few touches on the upper arm, and Mario had what he wanted. Maybe it was luck, or a good ability for spotting those who would be interested in him, but Mario hadn't needed to try much since he was a teenager.
He supposed, as he walked slowly past Jens, towel slung low across his waist, Jens was more discerning than what he was normally used to. He was older. He'd met everyone, played at the biggest teams in Europe, and was less likely to be impressed by Mario's hipbones and scoring record. He barely looked up as Mario crossed to his locker.
Mario frowned as he pulled on his shirt. He was starting to understand Lukas a little more. Jens was difficult and…quiet. Mario wasn't sure if he was interested, not interested, paying attention, preoccupied, or whatever. It was a new feeling. Mario knew he could just back off, but he was too curious now. After the summer he'd had, the ego boost of getting Jens Lehmann interested would make him feel better.
Dressed, he walked back towards the door, pausing by Jens. "Have any evening plans?"
"I'm trying to get through The Wire." Jens said. He had that smirk on his face again, the one that made Mario think there was something he just wasn't understanding. "It's a bit difficult, the American words..."
"Is it good?" Mario shifted from foot to foot, unsure of what to do with his hands. "I've heard it's good."
"It is. Very good."
"Good. Good." Mario shoved his hands into his pockets. "Well. Enjoy that. Uh. See you tomorrow?" He rushed off before Jens could respond, feeling embarrassed and ridiculous.
This was not going well.
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Mario was a little disheartened, but after reviewing his actions he decided that he hadn't done anything that wasn't beyond repair. He'd acted a little silly, but that was what Jens did to people. He'd noticed a certain amount of giggles and blushes in his teammates, and he was almost positive that wasn't just him projecting. Jens was quiet, to everyone except maybe Alex and Sven, and he didn't avoid Mario. So that could be counted as a win.
So he proceeded as he had been- patience, he was learning, was a virtue in anything worth having. A few touches, a few comments to teammates and magazines about Jens. Enough to remind himself that this was supposed to be about fun.
He undressed in Jens' line of vision, slowly, reaching for his towel in a twist that was designed to show off the lines of his body. It was a deliberate pose, he had to admit. It must have been a good one, though, because he caught Jens looking at him when he looked up. Mario smiled at him, momentarily flustered out of it. Still smiling, he knotted the towel around his waist and walked towards the direction of the showers. And, most importantly, Jens.
"You looked good today," Jens said as Mario passed him.
Mario stopped abruptly. "Yeah?" It wasn't the best of answers, but it was one.
"Very sharp."
Mario smiled, flustered with the unexpected praise. He fidgeted with the edges of his towel. "Thanks. I'm really trying to…work on things, you know?"
"Of course." Jens smiled. "But it's paying off. I like the way you're moving."
"I've been learning from what you're saying." That had to be deliberate phrasing. Mario had never known Jens to not know what he was doing.
"Good. I like to see that you're paying attention." Jens leaned back against the lockers, with an expression different than his usual smirk on his face.
"You don't have to worry about me not paying attention." Mario slid closer, smiling.
"No, I don't think you do." Jens paused and Mario shifted from foot to foot, failing to look composed. "What are you doing tonight?" the goalkeeper asked, finally.
"Nothing!" Mario blurted, then pulled back, slightly embarrassed by his eagerness. "I mean. No plans." He shrugged, trying to look as nonchalant as he could with a towel tied around his waist and his plans coming to fruition.
"Want to come over for dinner?"
-------
Jens came to the door barefoot in a dark grey V-neck sweater and slim jeans. A bright white collar peeked out, framing the lingering remnants of his summer tan. Mario's mouth went dry. It was a ridiculously simple look, but Jens inhabited it in a way that struck Mario dumb and made him feel overdressed in his designer T-shirt.
"Come in," Jens said, stepping back. "Did you have trouble finding me?"
"Oh, no," Mario laughed, ducking his head as he slid off his shoes, adding them to the careful line by the door. "I know Stuttgart well, it's hard to get lost any more…"
"Good." Jens smiled, looking over Mario appraisingly. "Wouldn't want to lose you."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that." Mario stood back up. It smelled good, whatever Jens had cooked, but he wasn't all that interested in food. "I'll find you wherever."
"Oh?"
"Yeah." Mario grinned, hooking his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans. "I'll track you down..."
"Come after me?"
Mario stepped forwards, towards Jens, adrenaline making his heart beat faster. He was in Jens' space now, enough to hear his breath and see the faint freckles on his face. "I'm persistent like that." Jens was smirking again. Mario kissed him.
Jens pinned Mario back against the wall before Mario could think. The kiss wasn't broken for more than a second, not even enough time for Mario to gasp before Jens renewed it, stronger and fiercer. Mario grabbed Jens' jeans, pushing up against him, but otherwise letting Jens do whatever he wanted.
They stumbled to the couch and Mario folded himself onto Jens' lap, careful to make sure he wasn't poking Jens with a shoulder or knee or hipbone. Leather slid against his knees as he rocked against Jens, losing himself in the kiss. Jens made him dizzy. He slid a hand down Mario's pants, finding a way against the tight fabric, long fingers curling against the curve of his ass and Mario gasped. His heartbeat rushed.
"Bedroom?" Jens growled in his ear, and Mario couldn't speak, just nod.
----------
"He's waking up, I think. Talk to you later."
Mario yawned, the English words filtering into his head. He was a little too groggy to remember what they meant. With a sigh he pushed himself off the bed, rubbing his hair and blinking at Jens. "Hey."
"Good morning," Jens still held his cellphone in his hand. "Sleep well?"
"Very." Mario grinned and stretched his arms above his head. The blanket pooled around him. "You have a nice bed..."
"Well, I like to be comfortable." Jens smiled, warm and relaxed. "Are you hungry? I have breakfast..."
"Great."
"Come out when you're ready." Jens turned and padded out the doorway, disappearing from view.
Mario shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. The bed was comfortable- somewhat minimalist with its black comforter and pale green sheets, but Mario was unsure how Jens managed to make it to training early every morning if he had to get up out of it every day. The promise of breakfast and need to pee was what forced Mario away from the blankets.
He splashed a bit of water on his face and ran a finger covered in toothpaste over his teeth. He resisted the urge to look in the medicine cabinet. If he was back at another date, maybe. Satisfied with himself, he trod back to the bedroom to find his clothes.
The jeans were crumpled on the floor. The T-shirt looked like it had its neck messed up. Mario contemplated the boxers and decided that they would be enough. Jens liked his body well enough.
Mario hadn't been paying attention to the apartment before, but he looked around as he left the bedroom. Everything was tasteful, well-decorated, even organized. It wasn't quite a design museum of a place, but it wasn't far off. And the kitchen was spectacular. "It looks nice in here," Mario sad, watching Jens fish the eggs out of the water.
"Thanks," Jens said with a soft laugh as he placed the eggs in cups. "I didn't do any of it."
"Well, whoever did, did it well."
"Do you know Freddie Ljungberg?" Jens brought the eggs to the table, putting one on each of the plates set out. "He did the decorating, the entire thing. He decided he was into interior design right as I moved here, so I suppose this was his first commission..."
"Ah." Mario nodded, sitting down.
"I think he was pleased with it. He even talked about going into interior design when he retired." Jens chuckled, amused, and sat down himself. "I suppose it is a career."
Mario made an uncommitted noise and reached for the bread.
"I’m not sure I can see him in management..." Jens chuckled, still carrying on his own conversation. It didn't seem as if Mario's input mattered much. "How's the bread?"
"Hmm?" Mario looked up from his plate. "Oh, fine. Good."
"Good." Jens nodded, looking at the piece he held in his hands. "I don't have a lot of people over, so..."
"Oh." Mario fidgeted with his butter knife. "Well, I'm enjoying being here, for what it's worth."
"Good." Jens smiled, warmly, and Mario relaxed.
----------
Jens was still quiet. It was just a different quiet. His face was expressive enough that he didn't need to talk. He could raise his eyebrows or tilt his head and Mario would nearly spit out his water laughing. He rolled his eyes and huffed. He said a lot of things without saying anything. And he could put his hand on Mario's back and look into his eyes and Mario would shiver.
He was incredibly easy. He'd admit to that. But Jens deserved that kind of reaction. Jens could do things in bed that Mario hadn't even pictured. (And not just in bed- in the kitchen, the couch, the physio room, the closet where the club kept extra towels.) He was enjoying himself. He was getting laid regularly. And Jens was surprisingly pleasant to spend time with.
Jens met Mario's eyes and cocked his head. Mario followed the direction and couldn't help but giggle at Bastürk fixing his hair in the mirror, posing and pouting. He had to bite down on the collar of his track jacket to muffle it, lest he figure out what was going on.
"Come over tonight?" Jens asked, leaning over as he passed Mario, heading out of the dressing room.
"Sure." Mario grinned. When Jens asked, he usually did.
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They went to training and came back to Jens' place- always Jens'- and went to training again. The knowledge that this wasn't forever- that someday Mario would look back on being in Jens' bed fondly, from somewhere else, was kind of comforting. Romantic, in a literary sort of way. Still, though, it would be hard to let go. "I'll miss you when you leave."
"When I leave?" Jens laughed, curling a finger into Mario's hair. He was always fidgeting with Mario's hair. "What about you?'
"Me?" Mario wrinkled his nose.
"Yes, you. Summer comes again, you'll have admirers."
"I don't know." Mario sighed, snuggling into Jens' chest. "Not after this summer."
"Of course you will." Jens released the curl, only to run his whole hand through Mario's hair. "You're a young guy with an eye for goal. Tall. Strong. You'll go somewhere." He sighed, letting his hand drop. "Just don't go to Bayern."
"Why not?" Mario frowned. Bayern was... well, Bayern was Bayern, but it was slightly less intimidating. It was, at least, close to home, somewhere he could get a level and maybe not screw up so badly.
"You'll never leave Germany." Jens smiled, rubbing Mario's chin with his thumb. "And you should get out. See the world."
"What's wrong with Germany?"
"Nothing." Jens shrugged. "It's just good, you know. To go to other places…even if you come back. It's good for a person. And I like you, I want to see you do well in the future."
"Hmm." Mario wasn't going to promise Jens anything. But it was nice to get the advice, anyway.
------
It wasn't only sex. Just mostly. But Jens didn't seem to have anything else happening in Stuttgart but him- another mystery about Jens that Mario, despite himself, was curious about. He knew that Jens had his family in Starnberg. There could be friends there. He hadn't seen any in Stuttgart.
"What do you do here?" Mario asked, stretching his legs out over the couch. It was a moment of relaxation, watching one of those American crime shows Jens liked. A quiet evening.
"Besides you?" Jens replied dryly.
"Besides me." Mario laughed, nudging Jens with a toe, trying to get him to smile. "I’m serious. What do you do in Stuttgart?"
"Read. Catch up on my television." Jens grabbed Mario's foot, tweaking the toe that poked him. "It's relaxing."
"Is that it?" Mario attempted to squirm away, although he didn't try that hard.
"Can't I be boring, at my age?" Jens teased, not letting go.
"You can do whatever you want. It just..." Mario squealed as Jens tickled his foot. "Stop that!"
"I can do whatever I want, as long as I don't tickle you?" Jens paused, fingers hovering dangerously centimeters above Mario's foot.
"I'll kick you," Mario threatened, narrowing his eyes. "Really. And I kick hard."
"Fine." Jens let his hand drop, patting the top of Mario's foot instead. "No tickling. I'll be nice."
"As if I could believe that." Mario stretched, back arching off the couch. "But really. Do you go out?"
"Why would I go out?"
"I don't know." Mario shrugged. "Because you're bored, I guess?"
"I'm only here four days a week, or so. I'm in training all of those days. I need to stay in shape, mentally and physically, so it's not like I'm going to go clubbing. What should I be doing with my time?" Jens raised his eyebrows, looking and sounding so completely reasonable that Mario felt bad for even asking the question.
"I was just curious." Mario shrugged.
"If there's somewhere you think I should go, I wouldn't mind a guide." Jens smiled warmly, stroking Mario's foot. "Show me."
"Yeah, all right." Mario smiled. He was flattered, at least.
--------
They went to a café, as smart as Mario could think of. He wanted to impress Jens. He wanted Jens to be impressed by Stuttgart, to have a good impression of the city. It wasn't London. Mario felt like he had to defend it.
Jens drank coffee and looked happy to be there. "This is nice."
"Is it?" Mario asked, brightly, straightening his posture at the compliment.
"Yeah." Jens smiled, looking over at Mario. "Nice spot, good people to watch, good company..."
Mario snorted. "You're being silly."
"I'm not!" Jens twirled his spoon in his coffee leisurely. "I'm serious. It's nice. I don't get out much, so…"
"Why not?"
"Where would I go? And who with?" Jens shrugged. "I didn't even like going out by myself when I was young, now that I'm nearly 40…
"You could find someone to go out with."
"Who?" Jens raised his eyebrows. "I don't know anyone here. You, Horst. And Horst is my boss now, it's a bit awkward."
"Is that really it?" Mario tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear. "You've got to know other people here."
"Probably not that I'd spend a lot of time with." Jens didn't look upset by that- just resigned.
Mario frowned at that, picking at the label of his beer absently. '"If it wasn't for me, would you see anyone in Stuttgart?"
"I don't know." Jens shrugged. "But there is you."
--------
The end of the Hinrunde came before Mario expected it- suddenly, almost, it was cold everywhere and he's made plans for a getaway to see the sun for a few days. He needed the rest, or at least thought he did, which was enough. For a moment he even entertained thoughts of Jens coming with him before dismissing them as ridiculous. Instead, he made sure that there was enough time to get in a stop at his apartment before he left.
It wasn't until he was leaving that he'd even remembered to talk to Jens about the break. "Have big holiday plans?" He grinned, tucking the DVD set Jens had leant him into his bag. "Going somewhere?"
"No, I don't think so." Jens shrugged. "I've not had a chance to really be home for the holidays in years. I'm looking forwards to actually participating this year."
"Oh, neat."
"The kids will appreciate it." Jens laughed softly, looking wistful. "And Freddie is coming down for the holiday. I didn't think he was going to make it, he's got rehab and recovery, but they're letting him as long as I make sure he does some exercises."
"Oh." Mario fidgeted with the flap of his bag. Jens brought up Freddie fairly often. Mario never knew how to react. "I guess, that's good?"
"It'll be nice to see him. I don't get to enough." Jens sighed.
"I'm sure you'll have a good time," Mario said, in what he hoped was a diplomatic tone.
"I keep telling him he should come to Stuttgart, but he's so busy all the time now." Jens shrugged. "What can you do, right?"
"Here?" Mario squeaked. He wasn't the jealous type, he was sure, but he didn't know how Freddie would react to him.
"Why not?" Jens raised his eyebrows at Mario. "He'd like to meet you, I'm sure. He likes you."
"He does?"
"He likes that I'm not spending all my time alone. I think he worries about me." Jens wrinkled his nose, conspiratorially grinning at a faintly astonished Mario. "He told me to sleep with you. His words. Well, with more English curses."
"Oh." Mario laughed nervously.
"I'll tell him you said hi." Jens grinned warmly and rubbed Mario's thigh. His eyes caught the clock on the wall. "And you'll miss your train…"
"Shit." Mario jumped up.
"Don't crash into anything." Jens stood up as well. "I don't want to come back and find you injured, too."
"Don't worry." Mario managed a smile, still processing the information that Jens had revealed so casually. "I'm a good driver, unlike some…"
"Hey, I haven't crashed yet." Jens laughed and walked Mario to the door. "See you next year?"
"Next year," Mario promised.
Jens kissed him, a lingering goodbye kiss. "Have a great break, Mario."
Mario looked at the closed door for a long moment before he left to his car. Jens, he was certain, he would never figure out.