We Took the Fall

“How is work going?” Catalina posed gently as she set a plate of food down ahead of her boyfriend, offering him a gentle smile. It was late, after a dinner shift at the restaurant, Catalina hadn’t exactly been expecting to see Fernando, but she was pleased nevertheless. In the two weeks that they had been back together, they had almost been inseparable, and Catalina had to admit she liked it, even if it did make her seem a little clingy, she kind of liked having him all to herself.

“It’s going” Fernando quipped back, taking a spoonful of the soup she had cooked given the late hour “We’re going to finish 3rd behind Real and Barca and given that they won the league last season with pretty much the same players, the mood is pretty down” he mused thoughtfully.

“And your mood?” Catalina mused, curling up in the couch beside him.

“I feel alright” he mused softly, offering her a slight smile “I mean, I know it is not the same as it was prior to going to Liverpool, but it is kind of nice to be back and I don’t feel the same pressure that I did at Chelsea or in Milan” he explained.

“That’s good” Catalina enthused gently.

“It is” he smiled “And on the topic of my job, what it would take to get you to come to the Calderon for a game. We’ve only got a few more before the end of the season” he grinned.

Catalina shook her head. “I am not going near a football stadium, Fernando” she muttered. It was no secret, Catalina had never been the biggest football fan, but still Fernando tried to convince her. He wanted her to one day stand in the stands and cheer him on.

“Not even if I do this?” he murmured, kissing her cheek softly.

“Not even if you fly me out to Hawaii” Catalina replied firmly “I have no idea what is going on in a football match and I’d look out of place. I’m the kind of person that would cheer regardless of which team scored” she added.

Fernando smiled. “I could teach you” he mused, dropping a kiss against her collarbone.

“Why would you want to do that?” Catalina mumbled, snuggling against him.

“So, one day, you could be up in the stands cheering my name” he mumbled, kissing gently up the side of her neck, leaving the slightest of marks just below the collar of her shirt “You have no idea how many important games I have played and wished you were there for” he whispered, his hand gently resting against her hip.

“Like Euro 2008?” Catalina posed, her blue eyes watching him closely “Or the world cup final in 2010?” she posed.

“You…”

“Watched them on TV” Catalina interjected, offering him a tiny bashful smile.

Fernando tilted his head. “You did?” he quipped with a small smile.

“I had no idea what was happening, I had to have my papa explain almost everything, but I watched. All 3 Spanish finals, the Champions League final for Chelsea…”

Fernando leant forwards and kissed her lightly, offering her a small smile. “I can’t believe you did that” he murmured, resting his forehead on hers.

Catalina shrugged. “It was only a few matches” she replied almost nonchalantly “It’s not like I watched every match you played since you left” she added.

Fernando smiled and took her hand, gently pulling her to her feet.

“What are you doing?” Catalina posed.

Fernando turned back slightly and smirked, a look that had Catalina’s heart flipping in a way it hadn’t done in years. “Now?” she squeaked.

“We could wait” he returned, taking a little step towards her “But we’ve already waited 8 weeks in total given the thinking time you needed” he pointed out before he dipped his head, placing a light kiss against her lips. “Come on, Lina” he murmured “It’s a Friday night, and you’re not working tomorrow. Imagine what sort of time we have” he mumbled.

Catalina held him close, kissing him gently, before she nodded her head, something which made him smirk a little as he held onto her hand, pulling her towards her room.

~#~
“Leave it” Fernando mumbled as he placed his pillow over his head, trying to block out the annoying buzz of Catalina’s doorbell. It was early, too early given what they had gotten up to the previous night, and a little part of the striker wanted to hit whoever had decided that 7:30am was a good time for a visit.

“It could be important” Catalina mused as she padded around the room, collecting his discarded shirt.

“Or it could be some moron. Either way, you should really get back over here” Fernando replied, his hand patting the empty spot on the mattress.

“I will be back in second” Catalina mused as she peeled the pillow away from his head, placing a light kiss against his cheek.

“You could just not go” he mumbled before he pulled the pillow back down, something which made Catalina smile. She had forgotten that he had a childish side to him.

Ensuring that Fernando’s shirt was buttoned suitably, she padded down the stairs and into the hall, her hand quickly pulling the door open to her parents who stared at her, wide eyed.

“Mama, papa” she squeaked “What are you doing here?” she added, folding her arms over her chest as though that would disguise the fact that she had opened the door in a man’s shirt, making it abundantly clear how she had spent her night.

“We hadn’t heard from you in a little while, Lina” Santiago mused, trying not to smile at his daughter. He knew what had happened, it had been inevitable since the outset, but he knew that if Marisol saw him acting like it was alright, then she would insist on starting a fight. She had taken Fernando’s decision to leave Alicia as personal and was bound to be less than impressed that the striker had made a move on their other daughter so soon after he had broken up with the elder one.

“You could have called” Catalina replied, her blue eyes anxiously peeking up the stairs.

“We tried” Marisol quipped sharply “You weren’t answering” she added.

“I’m sorry about that” Catalina replied quickly “But as you can see, I am fine” she smiled.

“Why are you so jumpy, Lina?” Marisol poked.

“I’m not” Catalina replied.

“Yes, you are” Marisol quipped.

“I…”

“Lina, did you get rid of them?” Fernando’s voice called, causing Catalina’s cheeks to warm as he padded down the stairs in just his boxers.

“Fernando” Marisol quipped bitterly.

“Mr & Mrs De Marcos” Fernando breathed, offering the best smile he could muster “It’s so nice to see you again” he added.

Catalina sighed. She doubted that that morning was going to be pleasant.