For The Love of The Game

I stayed with Sergio in the locker room and watched the match from the television they had in the commons area there seeing as Sergio wasn’t allowed back on the pitch for the rest of the match. Nando was hitting shots off like his life depended on it every chance he got, perfect laser precision shots. He had scored two goals since the altercation, but I knew he was letting his anger out through his play because he wasn’t celebrating when the others would jump on his back, he would just turn his head and bitchface at Cristiano. Every time Cristiano’s face would appear on the screen, instead of squirming in my seat with a smile on my face like I used to, I would clench my fists and glare at the screen, causing Sergio to laugh next to me, and I in turn would punch him in the arm, only hurting my own hand in the end. The Spaniards did an amazing job with 10 men, holding off any attacks from the Portuguese, Puyol even kept Ronaldo back most of the time. But when Cris did shoot, I knew Iker had listened to me because he was in front of the shots every single time. The defense was well under control. The match ended, the score not even what was on my mind, all I knew was we had won, and I had some people to talk to. Sergio kissed my cheek, bringing me back from my thoughts. I turned to him before hearing the celebratory sounds from outside. “You’re going to have to leave now.” Sergio laughed as he gently pushed me out of my seat. I smiled, standing up and adjusting my outfit before walking towards the door, pulling it open just as Iniesta was about to push it. He jumped on me, all smiles, yelling in Catalonian that they had won. Whenever he is full of excitement, that man never ceases to mix his Catalonian with his Spanish. My smile grew as he let me step out of the locker room before the rest of the boys followed him in, singing and cheering. I shook my head and turned the corner to head down the hallway, making sure I wouldn’t run into the Portuguese locker room that was around the other corner. I nearly screamed as I was pulled into a little crevice in the long, dimly lit hallway, but a hand over my mouth prevented that from happening. My back was pressed against a firm chest as I faced the opposing wall of the hallway while my captures other hand that was not occupied with my mouth ran down the side of my body and rested on my hip before he leaned down and whispered in my ear.

“Cariño, don’t scream.” I felt my body relax in Fernando’s arms once his breath tickled the back of my neck. I slowly nodded letting him know that I wouldn’t make any noise. He loosened his grip, allowing me to turn around and face him. He kept his hands on my waist as I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. I opened my mouth, allowing him to slip his tongue in, causing me to let out a silent moan. He only deepened the kiss more as he picked me up and turned me around, slamming my back into the wall. He moved his lips, trailing them down my jaw to my neck, resting on my collarbone as I tilted my head back.

“Fernando.” He only responded to the way I said his name by pushing me against the wall harder. I in turn tangled my fingers in his blonde hair, letting out a gasp as one of his hands trailed up my dress and grabbed my ass. We both froze once we heard the studs from someone’s boots clicking against the floor.

“Fernando?” It was Villa, and from the sound of it, he was pretty close, probably only a few feet down the hall. Fernando looked at me wide-eyed, wondering if he should say anything. I knew this was too good to be true; someone was bound to notice he wasn’t in the locker room with the rest of the team and they would come looking for him. Fernando gently let me slide down until I was standing on my own again. I pulled my dress down as he cleared his throat.

“Un momento David.” Fernando called out. We both smiled as Villa huffed and replied with an okay. “I’ll see you at the hotel.” Fernando whispered before he kissed me again but pulled away, holding his finger up, telling me to wait till the two of them had left. I nodded and watched him walk out. I listened as the sound of their boots on the floor got farther and farther away until it was just a faint noise. I quickly walked out and towards the VIP section where I knew the girls and Geri were waiting for me.

+++

“So tell me again how he pulled you from his hiding place in the wall!” Megan squealed as she pulled at my arm in the back seat of the car while Addy was turned in the passenger’s seat looking on in awe at me as I told them what happened after I left Sergio in the locker room. I looked up at Geri in the rear view mirror while he was driving; he just rolled his eyes and shook his head at us.

I was so engulfed in the warm feelings that I had after my encounter with Nando that I couldn’t even remember the whole car ride and entering the hotel. I placed my purse down on the ground by the dresser and stepped out of my heels after I closed the door to my hotel room behind me. I left everyone once I had reached my room, promising to meet up with Addy for dinner in a few hours. I felt a chill go up my spine as I remember the feel of Fernando’s hands running up and down my arms. I smiled, hearing my cell phone going off, thinking it was Nando. I quickly picked up the phone, not bothering to see who was calling. “Hola cariño.” My smile grew as the words left my mouth. The background noise invaded my hearing and I couldn’t hear a reply. It sounded like a lot of chattering and conversation, but I couldn’t make out what was being said. I tried again, thinking Fernando didn’t hear me pick up. “Hello?”

“Karmen, what are you doing with him? Where are you? I have to see you, we need to talk, please, in person, mi querido, I miss you so much.” I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh, frowning a bit as Cristiano spoke in a rushed tone, jumbling some of his words together as if he was trying to get a thought that was bothering him off his chest.

“Don’t call me that.” I mumbled quietly.

“What did you say, Karm? I can’t hear you. Ficar quieto!” (Shut up!) The background noise immediately ceased to exist after Cristiano hollered at the team, I could only guess he told them to keep quiet. It reminded me how he always loved to be in control of things and took pride in being in charge. I didn’t plan on talking to him this soon, but better to get it out of the way now than later.

“Cris,” I paused to gather all my thoughts, Cristiano taking the silence with a different message, thinking that I was waiting for him to reply.

“Baby.”

“Don’t. I just…what did Fernando tell you on the pitch? I need to know what he said after Sergio got carded, you two looked like you got into a little argument, he said something and pushed you before you all started playing again. I need to know what he said to make you play the way you did.” I heard him let out a deep breath and I could just see him running his hand down his face, contemplating whether he should tell me the truth or not, I knew him too well. “Don’t lie to me, for once, por favor, don’t lie to me, tell me everything, and don’t give me that bullshit that it was anger meant for the pitch and nothing more.” He sighed and side stepped the conversation.

“You still love me, diga-me.” I closed my eyes and shook my head.

“No Cristiano, escuche, I loved you, but I’m not talking about that now. I’m not asking because I care, I’m asking because I can’t imagine Nando saying anything that hurtful that it would affect you into playing differently. You would’ve easily gone around Puyol, and your shots, though on target, you weren’t changing the way you’d shoot, it was all the same, so predictable…” I trailed off as I heard him huff on the other line.

“I’m not predictable,”

“Don’t I know that.” I cut him off only to cover my mouth in surprise at interrupting him.

“Karmen, I never meant to hurt you, you know that.”

“I told you, I’m not talking about that right now, just, please tell me what Nando said. If you really still love me, you’d tell me.” I pushed my back against the wall and slid down wrapping my free arm that wasn’t holding my phone to my ear around my knees and pulled them close to my chest as my dress flowed freely around me. I didn’t need to be reminded of what was while things were starting to turn around for me. And I knew I was making this hard for Cris, but I had no other way to get what I wanted.

“I can’t even remember all of it, but he told me that I was never good enough for you, I never treated you right, and that I wasn’t half the man that you deserve, he was right, and that’s what bothered me. He also told me that you would never forgive me after all I did to you, and that he knows this wasn’t the first time, even if Sergio didn’t, he would personally get me back for what I’ve done. He doesn’t want me to come near you anymore, that you were his now.” The line was silent for a while as I let the words sink in. I had nothing else to say to Cris at the moment but I knew I’d need to talk to him again, he was right, we needed to talk in person soon, no matter how much I didn’t want to, we needed to.

“Gracias Cristiano. I’ll call you later.” I whispered as I heard him let out a little ‘okay’ before I hung up. Fernando was always the last person to let his anger get to him, but this past week he’s changed that, I didn’t know if I should be upset about it or let it go. I Let my arms drop to my sides, my phone falling next to my heels. My head quickly jerked to the door as I heard an anxious knock. I stood up as the knocking continued, sauntering towards the door. I looked through the peephole to see Fernando on the other side. I unlocked the door, ready to pull it open and talk to him, but it was pushed open and closed so fast as I was pushed up against the wall behind the door. As Fernando’s lips attacked mine, I forgot all the thoughts that were running through my head and only thought of what was happening right here, right now, between the two of us. The straps of my dress quickly fell down my arms as the soft material fell to the floor. I pulled at Nando’s shirt, pushing back this time, sending his back against the opposite wall. As he removed his shirt, I pulled down his shorts, taking his boxers down with them. He threw his shirt by my dress as I removed my bra and stepped out of my panties. Fernando grabbed me by the waist and threw me down on the bed, falling on top of me, resting his weight on his elbows as he pushed me back up the bed, crawling over me as I squirmed beneath him. He grabbed my face in his hand as the other moved down my arm. He held my face a bit forcefully as he furiously dropped his head down and kissed me as if he needed to kiss me to live. I tangled my fingers in his blonde hair as I wrapped my other hand around his waist. The hand that Fernando was running down my arm moved down my hip and spread my legs open, moving my right leg to rest up on his shoulder as he positioned himself. I broke away from the kiss, pulling his head down to my neck with my hand, only to whisper in his ear as he nibbled at the tender skin by my collarbone.

“Fernando, I will not be a play thing between the two of you, letting you show dominance because you ‘won’ me in this game.” He slowly lifted his head to look me in the eyes as he replied.

“Nena, I would never use you like that, and there is no game, what I feel is true. It hurts me right here, and that’s how I know it’s real.” He took my hand that was in his hair, in his and placed it over his heart. I moved my hand out of his grasp to pull at his hair again. Our lips colliding again as I felt him push himself inside of me. My back arched as I let out a groan. He only smirked as he continued to move in and out, running his hand down the side of my face as I called out his name through pants. He nuzzled his face in the crook of my neck, working on my collarbone as I dragged my nails down his back, not wanting the pleasure I was feeling to end.

+++

I rested my eyes as I felt Fernando run his fingers through my hair, his heartbeat calming me and lulling me into a light sleep as I rested my head over his chest, the sheets pulled up, covering the both of us. I grumbled as I heard my phone going off, I felt Fernando shift under me, knowing he was looking for it. “Let it ring, it’s probably Addison, I told her I’d go to dinner with her, she said she wanted to hang out because Megan was going out with Iker and Geri was going to hang out with some of the guys.” Nando kept running his fingers through my hair as my phone went of three more times, finally stopping, only to have a vibration start on the bedside dresser where Fernando’s phone was. I turned my head to look up at him as he reached for his phone, showing me the caller ID screen that read Sergio “Oh, that one, I would answer.”

“Ramos.” I replied ‘yes’ to Nando only to have him roll his eyes at me as he lightly shoved my shoulder. I smiled knowing full well that he was referring to my brother and not me. I sat up as he talked to Sergio on the phone, deciding I needed a shower and needed to meet Addy because I was starving. I dropped the sheets on the bed and walked over to my phone, feeling Nando’s eyes on me the whole time. Looking through my phone I found out one call was from Addy, the other from Sergio, and the last missed call from Cristiano, with a message from him. I decided I’d listen to it later and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. I heard Nando whine while he was still on the phone with my brother. I only turned to him smirking as I shut the door. I sighed knowing that Addy would know all about this soon, and I couldn’t wait to tell her how much my feelings for Fernando had developed since we first talked about feelings between the both of us even coming into play.