In the End

“Are you sure that I can’t change your mind about tonight?” Ariella posed as she stepped into her bedroom, her blue eyes peeking towards Adrian who was sat up on her bed, scrolling through his phone. It wasn’t unusual, with him still making the most of his summer break, Adrian tended to spend a lot of time in Ariella’s apartment, and she had to admit that she had grown used to his presence, even if their relationship was still in its early stages. She had grown to like having him around.

Adrian, who’d been quietly perusing his texts, looked up at the sound of her voice before he quirked a grin, offering her a small shake of his head. “I don’t think so” he mused “I mean, I think that your friends liked me when we went out with them, but I don’t want to push my luck. You said that this is something that you and Antonella do, and I don’t want to impose on that. I’m sure, once you’re there, you’ll not even notice that I am not” he added as he shuffled across the bed a little, making room for Ariella at his side.

Ariella happily slipped into the space that he had made for her before she shook her head, cuddling into his side slightly. “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind” she mumbled, gently tracing the pattern of his t-shirt with her finger.

Adrian watched the movement of her finger for a moment before he reached his hand out, collecting hers so that he could press a soft kiss against the back of it. “Maybe not” he mused quietly “But, I am still going to have to pass. It’s your thing, Ella, and I don’t want to intrude on it, not this time around, anyway” he added, offering her a small smile.

He was pleased with how things were going between the two of them, despite the fact that they had only been together for a couple of months, things seemed to be settling down between them, but whilst he was pleased with how things were progressing, he wanted to remain a little cautious, especially when it came to spending time with Ariella’s friends. He knew what he was walking into, after he and Ariella had met, she had been quick to explain what Gerard was to her, and whilst he knew that spending time with Gerard, as well as her other friends was unavoidable, he didn’t want to push it too far too soon, not wanting to make an already awkward situation any worse.

Ariella admired his smile for a few seconds, quietly mulling over his words, before she returned it, offering him a small nod. “I get it” she mused “But, for what it is worth, I really think they did like you” she added, leaning over to press a soft kiss against his cheek.

Adrian grinned at the feel of her lips against his cheek before he turned, catching her in a sweet kiss before the sound of the doorbell filled the air, causing Ariella to pull away from him slightly. “That’s going to be Antonella” she mumbled between light kisses.

“I’ll come out with you” Adrian replied.

Ariella kissed him quickly once more before she pulled away, moving to collect the pair of shoes that she had left beside the wardrobe. Slipping them onto her feet quickly, she followed Adrian out of the bedroom before she padded towards the front door, pulling it open to Antonella who stood on the other side, a pleasant smile on her lips. “You ready to go?” she asked, stepping into the apartment.

“Just about” Ariella replied “Just give me a second” she added, sparing a look towards Adrian who stood in the doorway which led into the living room.

Antonella followed the line of her stare before she quirked a polite smile, offering Adrian a little wave. “Hola, Adrian” she greeted.

Adrian smiled at her in return before Ariella stepped towards him, pressing a soft kiss against his lips. “I’ll call you later?” she posed quietly.

“I hope so” Adrian replied boyishly.

Ariella rolled her eyes playfully before she pushed herself up onto her toes, sneaking another soft kiss before Adrian pulled back, offering her a quick wave before he ducked out of the front door. Antonella watched after him for a moment before she flashed Ariella a soft smile, something the brunette was quick to return before she mumbled something about needing to get her back before they left.

Antonella watched her duck out of the hallway before she quietly shook her head, noting just how strange it felt to see Ariella with someone that wasn’t Gerard. It had been inevitable, almost from the moment that Cesc had introduced Gerard to his childhood friend, Ariella, it had been clear that there was something between the two of them, and it was hard to believe that it hadn’t worked out for them. They made a lot of sense, Ariella and Gerard were clearly good for one another, and it surprised Antonella that things had fallen apart like they had. She had been pretty convinced that the two of them would make something work between them.

~#~
“Didn’t Adrian want to come tonight?” Antonella asked as she settled back into her seat, looking up at Ariella who sat beside her, typing something into her phone. It had been a tough match, with Real Madrid still on a high after reclaiming the champions league title and winning the league, they were keen to keep their momentum going, but Barcelona were working hard, determined not to let the first leg of the Spanish super cup slip away without a fight.

Ariella, who’d been composing a text to her boyfriend, shook her head. “I offered” she mused “I told him that I was pretty sure that you’d not mind, but he opted not to come along. I think he wants to be a little cautious for a while” she explained.

Antonella tilted her head. “Cautious?” she asked.

Ariella nodded, her eyes not shifting away from her phone. “He knows about me and Gerard” she mused, her voice faltering ever so slightly “I told him pretty early on about us, and I think he’s very aware that you guys are Gerard’s friends too. I think he’s trying to avoid making things more awkward than they already are” she added gently.

Antonella looked at her for a moment, mulling over her words, before she let out a quiet sigh. “We don’t want him to feel uncomfortable” she noted “It’s just...you and Gerard, I think we all wanted that to work out and it’s strange to see you with someone that isn’t him” she added hesitantly.

Ariella quirked a sad smile before she nodded. “I know” she noted simply.

Antonella spared her a glance, contemplating pushing her a little more, before the crowd let out a groan, something which pulled her attention down towards the pitch, her eyes settling on Gerard who stared at his own goal, the Real Madrid players celebrating around him. Shaking her head, she turned her attention back towards Ariella, not missing the sympathetic expression which had appeared on her face, one that was clearly reserved only for the defender. Quirking a sad smile, she scanned her expression for a moment before she reached over, offering Ariella’s hand a light squeeze.

~#~
Pushing the door of his locker closed, Gerard rested his forehead against it for a moment, a low grumbly sigh falling out of his mouth. It had been a bad night, after he had scored the own goal, Real Madrid had managed to score a couple more, even despite the red card of Ronaldo, and it had left the squad feeling less than optimistic about the return leg which sat only a few days ahead of them, even if they weren’t out of it entirely. They knew it was going to take a lot to turn the result around.

Relishing the feel of the cool metal against his forehead, he let out another sigh before he pulled away from it slightly, moving to pull his bag over his shoulder before he padded out of the changing room. Stepping into the tunnel, he allowed his eyes to survey it briefly before they met a familiar pair of blue eyes, a sight which caused his stomach to flip before he quirked a weak smile.

Ariella looked hesitant for a moment, as though she wasn’t quite sure what to do, before she took a couple of steps towards him. Sparing him a hesitant glance, she continued to walk towards him before she gently wrapped her arms around him, hugging him gently. Gerard stilled at the feel of her arms around him, surprised that she had opted to embrace him, but he reacted quickly, his arms taking up a familiar position around her as he hugged her back tightly, his face buried in the side of her neck.

Ariella’s lips quirked upwards for a split second before she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, something which caused Gerard to pull back, his blue eyes mirroring hers for a split second before he dropped his stare, his eyes quickly spotting the word ‘Adrian’ which had appeared on the screen of her phone. “You should get that” he quipped.

Ariella nodded. “I should” she confirmed “Gerard...”

“It’s fine” Gerard insisted with a smile.

Ariella hesitated, not quite believing his smile, before she stepped away, pressing the phone to her ear, a sight which made Gerard shake his head before he walked off.