Where We Are

Bouncing his leg irritably, Iker glanced down towards his phone, not missing Maia’s name on the screen. She hadn’t been happy, when he had called her back to inform her that there had been a change of plans, she had been more than a little irked, but he knew that he couldn’t get out of the meeting, even if he and Maia had had plans. He knew that he couldn’t avoid the conversation with his agent. He knew what was coming, the tone of his agent’s voice on the phone had given it away, and he knew that he had to face it, even if it was more than likely going to lead to a conversation that he didn’t particularly want to have with Maia so soon. He knew that shying away from it wasn’t an option.

Scanning the latest text that Maia had sent to him, he quirked a small smile at the picture which had been attached, before the sound of the office door opening and closing reached him, causing him to look away from his phone. “You’re late” he quipped, his voice only half teasing.

“I know I am” the agent replied “And I am sorry for that. Have you been here long?” he posed.

“About fifteen minutes” Iker replied “But that’s fifteen minutes too long for Maia. She’s pretty upset that she’s having to have lunch alone with my parents” he teased awkwardly.

The agent caught the awkwardness in his voice before he let out a soft sigh, shaking his head slightly. “I don’t want to beat around the bush” he noted.

“Then don’t” Iker noted “I am pretty sure that I know why I am here” he added, his voice growing slightly more firm.

The other man noted the change in the goalkeeper’s voice before he nodded. “I spoke to Porto this morning” he noted “They’ve submitted a bid for another target of theirs” he added.

Iker merely nodded stiffly.

“They’ve also received a couple of bids for you” the agent continued.

“They have?” Iker posed.

“They’ve received a bid from England, one from Italy too” the agent confirmed with a nod “And an offer from a club in Spain, but seeing as it isn’t Real Madrid...” he trailed off as he moved to place a couple of folders down onto the desk.

Iker offered him another stiff nod. “Are there deadlines?” he posed quietly.

“You’ve got a few days” the agent replied “So, I suggest that you take these home, talk things over with Maia...”

Iker scoffed. “She’s going to be so pissed” he muttered.

“You don’t know that” the agent countered, trying to sound reassuring.

Iker offered the other man a glance before he shook his head, moving to stow the folders into the bag which sat beside his feet. “I’ll be in touch” he mumbled before he pushed himself up to his feet, padding out of the room.

~#~
Staring up at the door which stood ahead of him, Iker heaved out a sigh, trying to alleviate some of knots which twitched in the pit of his stomach. He hadn’t been surprised, from the moment that he had heard his agent’s voice over the phone, he had known what was coming, but still it had unsettled him, something which had led to him driving around for a while before he had returned home. Shaking his head quietly, he spared the door another gander before he jammed his hand into his pocket, retrieving his key.

Unlocking the door, he tentatively padded inside before the sound of the word ‘papa’ reached his ears, causing him to drop his stare, settling it on Ella who had toddled into the hall, her little arms extended up towards him. “Papa!” she chirped excitedly.

Iker quirked a soft smile at the sound of her voice before he knelt down, gently wrapping her in a soft hug. “Hola, princesa” he mumbled quietly.

“You know, I was starting to think you weren’t coming back”

Iker, who’d moved to push himself back up to his feet, startled slightly at the sound of Maia’s voice before he lifted his head, not missing the teasing smile which played on her lips. “I’m not that late” he pointed out as he leant down, lifting Ella against his hip.

Maia shrugged. “Late enough” she quipped “Me and your parents, we’ve already had lunch” she pointed out.

Iker sighed. “I am sorry for missing it” he noted.

Maia shook her head. “It’s OK” she noted “I mean, I was slightly surprised when you called to tell me you weren’t going to make it, but it was fine. Your parents seem to be pretty fond of me, Iker” she added impishly as she reached her hand out, pushing the dark hair off of Ella’s face.

Iker watched the interaction briefly before he shook his head, moving to press a light kiss against Maia’s forehead. “You’re pretty likeable, nena” he mused sweetly “I mean, I like you quite a lot” he added.

Maia let out a soft laugh at his joke before she pulled back slightly, her blue eyes looking up into his darker ones. “Are you going to tell me what led to the sudden change of plans?” she posed “I mean, when I called you earlier, you seemed to be in a pretty good mood, and then when you called back, you sounded like you had something on your mind. Is everything alright?” she asked softly.

Iker offered her a soft look, mulling her question over briefly, before the sound of his mother’s voice calling for Maia filled the air, causing Maia to let out a soft sigh. “Charlie’s awake” she noted “And I should...”

“You should” Iker agreed.

“We will talk later?” Maia posed.

Iker nodded. “Of course we will” he noted, his voice slightly uncertain.

Maia quirked an eyebrow, not missing the shift in his voice, before she shook her head. “I’ll hold you to it” she quipped before she pushed herself up onto her toes, pressing a swift kiss against his cheek before she ducked back into the living room.

Iker watched her walk away before he flicked his attention back towards Ella, pressing a soft kiss against the top of her head. “I’ve got to tell your mama something” he murmured “And I know that she’s not going to like it, but it will be OK, princesa. I will make sure of it” he insisted quietly before he padded after Maia, greeting his parents politely.

~#~
“Iker?”

Iker, who was quietly rocking Charlie in his arms, lifted his head, sparing a soft look towards Maia who stood in the doorway, her weight resting against the doorframe. “You need something?” he posed.

Maia shook her head. “I was just looking for you” she quipped “I’ve barely seen you all day” she added.

Iker shrugged, diverting his stare back towards Charlie who laid in his arms, his blue eyes blinking quietly. “It’s been a busy day” he noted quietly.

“It has” Maia noted “But I think there’s more going on here than that” she added, settling down on the bed beside him.

“Maia...”

“I know you, Iker” Maia cut in “And I know when there’s something on your mind, and when you’re trying to avoid me, so drop the coy act. I’m not stupid” she added, her voice caught between teasing and irked. She knew that he was skirting around her, since he had arrived home that afternoon, he had barely uttered two words in her direction, and she wanted to know what was going on. She didn’t like the idea that there was something he wasn’t telling her.

Iker opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, briefly contemplating insisting that it was nothing, before he let out a sigh, gently moving to settle Charlie down into his crib. “I...I got a phone call” he noted, not lifting his stare to meet Maia’s.

Maia tilted her head. “A phone call?” she asked.

Iker nodded slowly. “After I spoke to you, I got another call. It was...it was from my agent” he explained.

Maia frowned. “I thought that you’d sorted out your contract?” she posed.

“I have” Iker noted “But that’s not what he wanted to talk about” he added.

Maia furrowed her brow. “Iker?” she posed.

Iker took in a deep breath before he shook his head, his dark eyes flashing up to hers briefly before they dropped back down towards his hands. “I...I...” he stumbled out.

Maia shifted a little closer to him, her hands gently taking a hold of his. “What’s going on, amor?” she pressed softly.

Iker spared a soft look down towards their hands before he let out another sigh. “I think I am going to be leaving Porto” he revealed.