tennis slash - The Unlucky Roger Federer (14)
Title: The Unlucky Roger Federer (14)
Author: Kris S.
Fandom: Tennis RPS
Pairing: Roger Federer/Andy Roddick
Other Characters: Mirka Vavrinec
Disclaimer: This definitely did not happen.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: AU. What if Roger Federer wasn't the great champion? What if his career was plagued by injuries, bad luck and constantly losing to a certain American?
Author's Notes: This Wimbledon will not mirror what happened to Andy this year (he'd lost in the second round to Tipsy). Anything else I cannot say though the draw will stay the same.
Part 14
The day after the French Open final, Roger heard the following voicemail message from Mirka: "Sorry I wasn't able to see the match but looking at the final score, I must say this. I can't figure out what on earth Andy did this time for that horrible score to exist but... four games. Really, Roger?!"
Roger had to chuckle. He wished he could say that his mind was elsewhere. No, his mind was definitely there, soaking in every part of that disaster of a match. Rafael Nadal had steamrolled every other opponent at the French Open. Roger was no different.
He had to head to Germany for his next tournament. After this, there would be a week before Wimbledon. The place that caused the most drama.
Winning the warm-up tournament was a definite boost. This year could really be the year.
Yet it was with four days until the start of the tournament that Roger found himself holding that bottle in his hand. Wanting to drink away everything he was remembering about the past. Yet not really wanting to do that either.
Whatever was going to happen could not linger until Wimbledon. So he had the time and Andy had been in England for a few weeks.
Roger wouldn't say he was drunk by the time he finally decided to seek Andy out. He definitely was drunk after trying for hours with no success. It was a blur exactly who he had asked but there were definitely some odd looks and puzzled voices.
He returned to the hotel room and collapsed on the bed, sleep soon taking over. Hours passed before there was a knock at the door, then the sound of the door opening.
Followed by, "You know, I shouldn't have been able to do that. Security is terrible here. Maybe you should find another place to stay."
Roger sat up quickly, then soon remembered what he'd been doing earlier and held his head in his hands. "Andy? Are you really here?" He couldn't see anything and he couldn't remember dreaming anything.
"Yeah. I ran into Henman and he said you were looking for me. He gave your new manager's number." There were a few tentative steps before Andy was in view, extra room card in hand. "Wow. Love the training method."
"Thanks," Roger mumbled. He stood up, walking past Andy to get to the bathroom sink, throwing cold water on his face once there. "So, you were curious?"
"David talked to you. I wish he hadn't but... when Novak mentioned a conversation you two had in Shanghai, it caught my attention. I never knew you were there."
"Oh. Yeah I was." It never occurred to Roger that it would matter. His hands were on the edges of the sink and his head down, not wanting to react.
Andy's voice softened as he asked tentatively, "You travelled to China for me?"
"Yeah, but I was clearly a day too la..." Roger looked up and saw Andy staring at their reflection in the mirror. Andy's eyes widened in horror upon getting caught and turned away, heading out of the bathroom.
It seemed to happen in a flash but Roger spun around, grabbed Andy's hand and pulled him back in.
"You're here now," Roger said, his other hand settling on Andy's waist. "Please don't go," it sounding almost like begging but ending it with a tentative kiss. Roger closed his eyes, as if imagining the kiss instead of believing it as really happening. Andy quickly responded, eager to finally be able to enjoy this moment, pushing against Roger to try to get closer contact.
What was initially sweet was soon turning a lot less so. It was clear that there had been years of frustration, as Andy's fingers struggled with the buttons of Roger's shirt. Roger opened his eyes, seeing those years in front of him. Years of Andy's awkward fumblings against his own obliviousness. Roger's hands travelled under Andy's shirt, sweat from Andy's worry about coming here evident.
Andy murmured, "Bed," and they were gravitating toward the main room. They were soon on the bed, Andy taking control as he managed to straddle Roger while continuing to work on having fewer clothes.
* * * * *
"You're three and I'm four so we'll be on opposite ends of the draw," Andy said as soon as he noticed that Roger was waking up. Andy was having trouble keeping the goofy smile off his face and he was restless when it came to being in the same bed as his longtime crush.
It took a minute for Roger to realize he was talking about Wimbledon. "Yeah? So?"
"If we face each other in the final, you now have no reason not to be on your game. You're the hottest player on the tour, I keep hearing from the press even though I already knew that. Now, you'll either have Rafa or Novak as an obstacle. Rafa, tough to say because you two have never faced each other on the surface. I think you're better than him on grass but who really knows. I know you're better than Novak."
Roger pressed himself against the warm body next to him. "You sound like a commentator. You sound like Brad."
Andy gave Roger a light shove away. "You're rotten, you know that? Anyway, my point is you should be a challenge to those two. I'm not really in playing shape so it'll be tougher for me to get to the final. But hopefully, I'll get my game back by the time I have to face a big name.
"You want to face me?" Roger asked.
"As far as the press is concerned, that would be the ultimate showdown. Better than you against Rafa anyway." Andy rolled his eyes. "Though it really wouldn't matter if you just won the damn title, regardless of the opponent. They can never take that away from you."
"So if I beat you..."
"No, we're not going there." Andy leaned over to brush a kiss over Roger's cheek. "I'd get over it... in a few days. You'd just have to deal with the adoring press on your own until I get out of my funk over losing to an opponent I normally defeat," Andy barely able to finish the sentence without laughing. "I'm sorry this is just too bizarre. We'll have to get used to this."
Part 15