Would You Fall Too?

“Ramos”

Sergio lifted his head at the sound of his name, his brown eyes landing on Cristiano Ronaldo who padded over towards him, a wide grin on his face. It was late, the team had just completed their first home match of the season, and Sergio felt good. Good games against Sporting Gijon and Real Betis had seen them come away with 6 points from their opening 2 matches and he was starting to feel a little more comfortable about their chances, especially since Barcelona had stumbled against Bilbao on the opening weekend. “Ronaldo” the defender returned, pulling on his jacket “Can I help you with something?” he posed.

“I was wondering if you had plans for the rest of the night” Cristiano commented “A few of us are thinking of heading out for a late dinner and a couple of drinks. Since you’re not with Pilar anymore…”

“I have plans” Sergio interjected, his expression tightening a little at the mention of his ex-girlfriend. It was still raw, even if a few weeks had passed since they’d ended things, and he didn’t want to mention it. He didn’t see what the point was.

Cristiano’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “You have plans?” he repeated.

Sergio nodded. “I do” he confirmed gently. It was nothing concrete, he’d merely suggested that he would visit Emilie when the game was over, but he wanted to follow up. He liked her, even if she was still a little closed off around him, and the past couple of weeks had merely confirmed it in his mind. She was sweet, funny, and that was without mentioning how beautiful he found her even if he didn’t mean to. It was too soon, only a few weeks previous, he had been preparing to propose to his ex-girlfriend, and he knew that he couldn’t rush into something, especially since Emilie still struggled to hold a conversation with him, but it didn’t stop him getting close to her. After finding her, it was going to take a little more than poor timing and awkward conversations to ward him off.

“A girl?” Cristiano smirked.

“None of your business” Sergio replied, hauling his bag onto his shoulder.

Cristiano smirked. “You’re ditching us. It must be a girl” he teased.

Sergio rolled his eyes. “It’s a friend of mine, my neighbour actually, and I said I would head over once the game was done. We’re friends” he insisted as he made a move towards the door.

Cristiano tilted his head. “The pretty ginger girl?” he posed.

“You’ve seen her?” Sergio posed. For some reason, he didn’t like the idea that his friends had seen Emilie. For a little while, he wanted to keep her as his little secret.

“She lives next door to you, Sergio. We’re not all as oblivious as you are” the winger grinned.

“I have to go” Sergio muttered.

Cristiano smirked and patted his back. “Go and get her” he teased, earning a small curse on the defender’s part.

~#~
Pinning her hair up onto the top of her head, Emilie stepped through the hall, quietly pulling the door open. It was late, too late for her usually, but with the suggestion of a visit from Sergio, she had made sure to stay up, something which concerned her slightly. She was making room for him, accommodating him in her life, and that wasn’t something she usually did for people, especially people she wasn’t sure about. Pulling the door back, she allowed him over the threshold before she turned to look at him, a small smile on her face. “I didn’t think you would actually come” she noted gently.

“I said I would try” Sergio responded “And so I tried. Not happy to see me, Emilie?” he teased, moving to set down the small bag of snacks he had bought.

Emilie shook her head. “Do you always have to bring food with you?” she teased.

“It seems to make you smile” Sergio shrugged nonchalantly.

“I am sure you could come up with something else that would do that” Emilie noted as she took the bag out of his hands, moving to settle it in the kitchen.

“I am not so sure” Sergio replied “We’ve been having these meals together for almost a month and I swear I have seen you smile at the food more than you have smiled at me” he smirked.

“I have told you more than once that smiling and people are not my forte” Emilie quipped, returning to sit on the couch at his side.

“You seem to be at ease around me” Sergio pointed out “Now, unless I missed something, I am a person, and I know that you have Isla too. I think you need to give yourself a little more credit” he reasoned softly. There was something he didn’t know, a reason for Emilie’s closed off behavior, but he never asked, not wanting to pry too much into her life. They were forging something, a friendship that he wanted to be a part of, and he was sure that when the time was right, she would confide in him.

Emilie shook her head. “You’re different” she mumbled “I don’t feel…I don’t feel so nervous around you” she mumbled.

“Nervous?” Sergio posed, shifting a little closer.

Emilie shook her head. “Please, don’t press it” she murmured “It’s not something I want to talk about OK? You make me feel comfortable, surely that’ll do for you” she muttered.

Sergio nodded, sensing he had touched a nerve, and leant back slightly. “I’m sorry” he murmured.

Emilie shook her head gently. “You don’t have to apologize” she murmured “My personality and my issues with being around people are not a subject I enjoy talking about to anyone, even to Isla. There’s somethings I don’t want to discuss, that I don’t want to remember, and I need your word that you won’t try and press me on it again, Sergio” she mused, her blue eyes peeking up at him in a way that made him swallow thickly. She looked innocent, her blue eyes were wide and her lips were parted slightly as she waited for his answer, and for a second, a brief one, he contemplated taking a kiss, but he swallowed it. The moment was nowhere near being the right one.

“Sergio” Emilie pressed.

“I won’t ask, Emilie” he promised her gently “I won’t press again. It’s your secret and if you one day want to tell me then great, but if you don’t, I am not going to hold it against you. I just wonder why you hide yourself away when I now that there’s a wonderful girl here” he explained gently.

Emilie shook her head. “That’s for me to know” she mused before she stood up, mumbling something about finding them something to drink.

Sergio shook his head. He wanted to know, there was no denying it, but he couldn’t push it. One wrong word and she would call quits on whatever it was they had and that was the last thing he wanted.