armando gonzalez x f!reader
summary: After meeting at a party, you and Armando develop a connection you never expected. While your long distance relationship with Jude becomes harder, your feelings Armando for him only grow stronger.
note: blue texts = Armando, pink texts = reader. Also, Thank you guys so much for all the support on part 1 <3 I hope you love this one too! I had to give him a slightly bigger World Cup experience, which he deserved. Those 15 mins in one match was playing in is face.
word count: 10.5k long fic guys
The night of the party was your last time seeing Armando. It was also your last time even speaking to him, not because you didnât want anything to do with him but because he was making you question things you never thought youâd have to question and it was making you go insane, you thought if you just stayed away everything would go back to normal.
Armando had texted you that night, and after it as well. Whenever you clicked on his chat you were always met with the messages, those messages that made it so hard to leave him on seen.
- me la pase muy bien, hiciste esta noche inolvidable :)
- oye, se que la situaciĂłn esta rara pero yo si sentĂ algo esa noche, y se que tu tambien..
o ns dime si me lo imagine. Ăłsea se que tienes novio y tal vez te arrepentiste pero no actĂșes como si no pasoâŠ
ya pues parezco bien migajero pero mañana regreso a gdl y me gustarĂa verte antes de irme
Those messages were a few weeks old now, Armando was back in Guadalajara, Jude in Madrid and you in CDMX, you were home and away from both of them with time to yourself. You were also back to long distance with Jude.
Long distance was something you both had grown used to by now. At first, the eight hour time difference made you wonder if saying yes to being Jude's girlfriend had even been worth it. But you were both so into each other that the two of you made it work. Most mornings, you woke up to a good morning message from Jude, sent at 11 PM his time the night before. It still amazed you sometimes, knowing that while your day was just beginning, his was already coming to an end.
Your days were basically flipped. Most of the time, you were okay with it, but every once in a while, the distance got tough. That is until one of you would fly out to see the other whenever your schedules allowed.
You had grown to love visiting Madrid. It was such a beautiful city, one that could never compare to your Mexico, but always exciting to explore. You had even visited England once, not long ago, where you got to meet his family, see where he grew up, and experience a completely different atmosphere.
You loved Jude. You loved the routine you had built together, the way he treated you, his family, and the world he had slowly introduced you to. You really did love all of it, which was why you couldnât let a random guy from one night ruin the relationship you had worked so hard to build, so you continued with your life and your relationship.
As the days went on you didnât think about Armando often. It was only when his name appeared as a notification, due to him liking your stories here and there, that you found yourself opening his chat before quickly closing it again. You told yourself it wasnât because of him, but because of what happened that night. The guilt of knowing you had crossed a line with someone else was something you couldnât just ignore, even if it had only been once.
Other than that, Jude was still your main focus. You looked forward to your morning calls with him, which were usually after training for him. Youâd tell him about the half of your day he had missed, and heâd tell you about his, from how training went to everything happening in his world. You loved being the person who wished him luck before his games and the person he came back to afterward.
life began to settle back into its usual rhythm, work kept you busy. Building your career as a makeup artist had turned into everything you hoped it would be, your schedule filling up with weddings, photoshoots, and clients almost every week.
You were in the perfect place with your career. Growing up, you were constantly sneaking into your mom's makeup drawer, bringing everything into your room and experimenting on your own face. At first, you were so little that every look ended up a complete mess, but as you got older, you fell in love with the art of makeup. You spent hours watching tutorials online and learning everything you could. Before you knew it, your cousins and friends were constantly telling you how good you had gotten and asking if you could do their makeup one day.
What started as doing makeup for friends and family eventually turned into your full-time job. As your work grew, so did your opportunities, taking you all over Mexico for weddings, photoshoots, and special events. Now you had all kinds of clients, and your favorite part wasn't just creating the looks it was talking with them and seeing their reactions when they looked in the mirror.
You were in CDMX, about a 25 minute drive from your house working on a clients makeup. She was a 19 year old girl, her birthday was soon so she had booked you to do her photoshoot makeup and you were extremely grateful, you always were.
âAmiga, Âży quĂ© tal? ÂżLista para dejar los 19?â you joked while organizing all your products on the table.
âNo sĂ©ee, siento que cada persona me dice algo diferente. Unos dicen que los 20 son los mejores años de sus vidas y otros que son bien difĂciles,â she said.
âLa verdad, para mĂ fue como estar en el medio. Los 20 son como empezar tus años de adulta, y sĂ, da un poquito de miedo porque ya no te sientes tan niña, pero tampoco tienes todo resuelto. Creo que esa es la parte mĂĄs bonita, ir descubriendo las cosas poco a poco.â you responded truthfully thinking back a bit to when you first turned twenty.
âÂżY siempre supiste que querĂas dedicarte al maquillaje?â she asked as you motioned for her to look up, gently applying concealer under her eyes.
âSĂ, la verdad es algo que siempre me ha dado mucha alegrĂa. Me encanta lo versĂĄtil que es el maquillaje y todo lo que puedes hacer con Ă©l.â
Your client slowly nodded her head, taking in your words.
You continued making conversation with her as you worked, asking about her dreams for the future, the life she was currently living, her interests, and the little things that made her who she was, you liked to get to know your clients. Eventually, you asked her what she was doing for her birthday, curious about how she planned to celebrate such a special day.
Once the look was coming to an end, you asked her if she had any plans for the rest of the week, just like you did with most of your other clients.
âSii, me conseguĂ unos boletos para ver el partido de las Chivas contra Cruz Azul, ÂĄquĂ© emociĂłn!â she immediately replied, her face lighting up as she talked about it. It was obvious she had been looking forward to it.
You immediately looked up when you heard Chivas. It was almost like a reflex, your attention shifting toward her before you even realized it. The sudden reaction caught even you off guard.
You fixed yourself, smiling at her before replying âÂżenserio? ÂżY cuando juegan?â
she replied telling you the day but what made you freeze was her telling you the game was in CDMX.
she noticed the way you froze, joking that she could sneak you in if you wanted.
âNo, no, ni que quisiera ir. Casi ni veo el fĂștbol, solo lo veo cuando juega mi novio,â you joked, trying to brush it off. You looked away for a moment, fixing your expression before facing her again.
Soon after, the look was finished. You let her take a look at herself in the mirror, watching as a smile slowly grew on her face. She immediately gave you a hug, telling you how much she loved the makeup.
Once the appointment was over you were then in your car on your way back home, you still had one more client in a few hours but for now you sat in your car driving home thinking about Armando and how heâd be near you in just a few days.
You tried your best to ignore every thought about Armando that popped into your head, but soon enough, you couldnât ignore the fact that the idea of him being near again affected you more than you wanted to admit.
The morning of the match day, you were off. Jude even noticed it during your morning call. He was telling you about training, occasionally stopping to ask if you were okay, mentioning how distracted you seemed. You kept insisting that you were just tired, saying you hadnât gotten much sleep the night before.
While eating your breakfast at your local coffee shop you stumbled across Armandos story. It was a post to remind fans of the game.
You stared at the screen for a fat minute before sliding up, your finger hovering over it for a few seconds as you debated whether or not to begin typing.
seconds later you had formed a message.
y ya llegaste a la ciudad?
you didnât want to think about it too much, thinking too much was all you had been doing the past week so you quickly pressed send, and couple minutes later so did he.
You stared at the message, unsure if you should just like it and leave it there or actually reply. Why would you ask him, wait for his response, and then not say anything? That didnât make sense⊠right?
In the end your fingers began typing away, forming multiple sentences but deleting each one because maybe you shouldnât. You then settled on:
he seemed to already be on your chat waiting because your message was viewed immediately and then the three dots popped up.
no lo see, estoy en el Camino Real
you were surprised he was texting you back so calmly. You opened google quickly searching up how far his hotel was from you.
seconds later he sent another message replying directly to the one you sent asking how far he was
â>pues a unos 20 minutos :)
you caught a small airy laugh escape your lips, which was when you realized the was no point in delaying the message
Crees que podamos vernos?
Once you sent the message, you quickly turned your phone off and placed it face down on the table. Your legs bounced up and down as you took an anxious bite of your sandwich, and then another one until you ended up finishing your sandwich before you even checked your phone again, when you did the reply was not what you expected.
you sent a single question mark, not sure what to say to that.
cuando yo te pregunté eso me dejaste en visto hace semanas
You werenât sure what the vibe was. Was he being petty, or was he simply trying to make a joke? You were too anxious to tell the difference.
you believed that to be the end of your conversation before he texted again
JAJA ntp, pero no creo que podamos, estaré ocupado con el equipo y luego el partido :/
You began to regret texting him at all. He had every right not to want to see you, and you couldnât blame him for that. You felt a little disappointed, but why would it play out any differently?
His message didnât seem harsh, and you genuinely believed he was just going to be busy. After all, his game was today, and he had an entire schedule to follow. But there was still a long day ahead, one that couldâve made room for even a few minutes together wether or not it aligned with your schedule, it wouldâve been nice to know he was down to see you.
But maybe he just didnât want to see you.
ahhh ya entiendo, perdon por molestar
after that he liked your message. Choosing to not have a horrible day today you put all that in the back of your mind before heading out to a short meeting.
You only had one client today. She was also in CDMX, just in a different part of the city, so the drive was a bit long. Still, it was nothing you werenât used to.
by the time you were back from the appointment it was about 3 pm, still you had a long day ahead with not much planned. You thought about what Armando could be doing at the moment before brushing off the thought and texting your friends to hang out instead.
The rest of the day consisted of you and your friends shopping and trying new things around the city.
Every now and then your friends would talk about each others love lives, which was usually a nice topic for you but lately there had been some things going on.
You and Jude werenât doing bad at all but you still had a huge secret you hadnât told him, and not just him but your friends as well. It had become hard having to hold it in, not being able to talk to anyone about it, scared it would ruin everything.
What made it worse was the conversation you had with Armando not long ago. You couldnât even convince yourself it was just a one time thing anymore, something you could move past and forget about. Because if you were being honest, he had always been somewhere in the back of your mind since that night. Some days barely, almost enough to ignore, but other days he was impossible not to think about, like today.
You had texted him asking to see him, not even knowing what you would do or what you would talk about. You just knew you wanted to see him. And that alone made everything so much harder to tell.
soon this would go away, Armando was clearly over it , you would be too and life would go on.
After your eventful day with your friends you made it back home at around 10 at night. You put your bags down in your room before grabbing your towel to go shower. Once you got out you noticed your phone buzz, you quickly changed into your pajamas before going to check what it was.
It was a message, one you did not expect tonight.
you felt your heart skip a beat, maybe even two. youâre eyes now wide open. you took your chance and replied.
regresamos a gdl mañana temprano, aun tengo tiempo pa verte.
pero esta tarde, entiendo si no puedes
you found yourself smiling for a second, a couple hours ago you were sure he could care less about seeing you, now he wanted to see you after his game before he left in the morning.
va, a mi también me gustaria.
no tengo carro, no puedo ir hacia tiâŠ
you remember he was traveling around with his team so all he had was a bus, a laugh escaping your lips before you sent the message.
bien huevon, pues maneja el camion
JAJAJ si pudiera lo hiciera
hasta te mando uber si quieresss
you let him know that it was okay, you could drive over to him. Before you knew it you were back in your undergarments looking for an outfit. Nothing crazy but you also didnt want to go in your pajamas.
you then stood in front of your mirror, you had on some black flared leggings, a white tank top with a small black bolero that tied in the front. You took a deep breath before grabbing your bag, phone, and keys, secondâs later you were out the door.
your drive there was very nerve wracking. The whole time, you wondered if you were making a mistake, if someone would recognize you, or if this was even a good idea.
But the moment you pulled up to the hotel and saw him waiting outside in a hoodie, some of that anxiety faded. It was late, and the lobby was quiet, with only the receptionist at the front desk. She was focused on her computer and barely glanced up as you walked in. Trying not to draw attention, the two of you quickly made your way to the elevator and up to his room.
âhola..â he let out once you both made it inside.
you were fidgeting with your own fingers, the corners of your mouth slowly turning upward as you opened our mouth. âhola.â
he offered you a bit of water, which you accepted and now you were both sat on the edge of the bed.
âsabesâŠ.cuando vi tu mensaje no me lo pude creer.â He let out with a tiny smile on his face
âni yo me lo pude creer cuando lo mandeâ you laughed
It had been a while since you last saw each other. There was so much you both wanted to say but neither of you knew where to start. And so for a moment, you just stood there looking at each other, trying to take in the fact that you were finally together again.
A small smile appeared on his face as he looked down. âno se que decirâ
you both laughed before you decided to avoid the serious conversation you should have for just a couple minutes, instead you just asked him about his game.
He told you about the game, spending minutes ranting about the other teamâs players, what his team couldâve done better, his own performance, and everything that happened with the fans and interviewers.
Once he was done, the conversation shifted to you. He asked how work was today, and you simply told him it was good.
But he wanted to hear more, insisting you tell him all about it after he had spent the last few minutes talking your ear off about his own day.
after some time, you both ended up lying on the bed, backs against the mattress as you stared up at the ceiling. You could feel his eyes on you every now and then, but you kept looking straight ahead, pretending not to notice.
âme alegro que hayas venidoâ he whispered
he sounded so sincere, this time you turned to look at him.
âsi, la verdad pensĂ© que nunca volverĂamos a estar asiâ
he then stared back up at the ceiling before adding on.
âEsa noche se me quedĂł grabada en la cabeza. Quise verte despuĂ©s, pero nunca me respondiste, y tuve que intentar dejarlo atrĂĄs.â
You hesitated before speaking, knowing this wasnât the time to hide or avoid what you were feeling. You were already here, so you might as well be honest with him and yourself.
âno te respondĂ por que esta todo bien complicado pero si quise.â
you paused for a moment before you spoke up again.
âLa verdad es que desde esa noche no he dejado de pensar en ti. Lo he intentado, tal vez por unos dĂas funciona, pero al final siempre termino volviendo a esa noche.â
he looked at you before letting out a laugh âBueno⊠creo que estamos jodidos, Âżno?â
You let out a small laugh, shaking your head, but neither of you looked away.
Before you knew it, you both gave in to the âfuck itâ mindset, no longer trying to fight what you had been feeling. You leaned into each other, finally letting the moment happen.
This time you didnât pull away, you both continued to kiss each other like it was long overdue. one moment hes on top of you and the next youâre on top of him.
That was all it was though. A moment where you both gave in to what youâd been trying to ignore. You wanted each other, that much was obvious, but neither of you were ready to let it become something more, not yet.
By the end of the night, you had fallen back into a sense of comfort with him. The next thing you knew, you were waking up in Armandoâs arms. It had been weeks since you woke up in someoneâs arms. They werenât his, but being there felt strangely natural.
You began to put your shoes on and making sure you had everything you came with. Armando woke up at the sound of you walking around.
you knew the team would probably be waking up right now as well so that they could get ready to head back to Guadalajara. You both said good morning to each other, he got up asking how you slept to which you replied saying good, with a soft smile.
You made it clear that you would have to talk about this later, but for now, you knew you had to leave before any of his teammates saw you. He glanced out the door, making sure the hallway was clear before letting you know it was safe.
You stepped out, and before you fully walked away, you turned back to say goodbye. You held his hand for a second longer than you needed to before finally letting go and turning around.
After that night, you and Armando began texting more often. You both agreed to keep it a secret for now, while you tried to navigate your feelings for him and your boyfriend, figuring out what to do next.
You knew it was wrong, but you also knew you couldnât keep lying to yourself. You wanted Armando. You enjoyed every moment with him, from seeing him in person to the late night texts and calls. You liked his humor, the way he carried himself, the way he made you laugh, and how he made you feel.
Obviously, you still loved those things about Jude, but as time went on, it started to feel different. With Armando, you had those random good morning messages and late night conversations that matched your own schedule. Slowly, you started seeing each other more often, finding excuses to meet whenever work brought you to each otherâs cities.
Whenever Armando had a game in CDMX youâd meet up, once or twice depending on your schedule as well, sometimes youâd stay in his hotel and sometimes youâd bring him over to your apartment.
The same thing happened whenever you were in Guadalajara for a client. Slowly, things started becoming something more. At some point, if your client was close enough to Armandoâs house, you stopped booking a hotel altogether and stayed with him instead.
As things began to change between you and Armando they also began to change between you and Jude.
Without even realizing it, you started pulling away from Jude. Calls felt different, you texted less, and you stopped telling him about the little details of your day like you used to. You werenât as affectionate anymore, and on the mornings you woke up at Armandoâs house, you found yourself not going through with the morning calls.
You didnât want to hurt Jude, but you didnât know how to tell him or how to fully let go.
and soon enough Armando began expressing his feelings on the situation. He wasnât complaining because he knew what he signed up for and he wasnât trying to rush you into figuring things out but he would tell you how hard it is for him to not show you off.
âquisiera poder publicar contigo o salir a comer sin ser tan discretos y poder besarte cuando quiera.â
the thing is, you wanted the same thing.
One day you were at home when you woke up to a message from Jude, nothing unusual but what was different was what the message said.
hey goodmorning, lmk when youâre awake we have to talk.
it didnât take long before you were wide awake. You didnât call him immediately, you went to wash your face and brush your teeth first. Then, anxiety washed all over you, you hesitated a bit before pressing the call button on his contact.
you knew the conversation wasnât going to be fun.
âheyâŠ.that message sounded serious..â you said once he picked up.
âyeah, i donât know i justâŠ.i just feel like we havenât been the same lately.â
he continued to explain himself. He began to point out all of the things going wrong in your relationship, things you yourself had already noticed by now mixed with things you hadnât noticed.
you began explaining yourself, you didnât want to lie and keep this going but you also didnât want to tell him the truth and ruin everything by hurting him.
you explained how work was getting busier, you were getting more bookings outside of la ciudad, you were traveling and all which made it hard. That was true.
you both went back and forth until he suggested something you hadnât expected.
âi love you but i donât think your hearing me and maybe whats best for us is a break.â
but you didnât fight it, you knew you shouldnât not after everything.
all you did was ask, âa break or to break upâŠ?â
âi mean, break upâŠi feel like theyâre the same thing, to me they are.â
you knew the difference but you werenât going to waste your time explaining it, there was no need.
he continued to speak. âThat way you can keep focusing on your work, and you know the World Cup list is coming out in a couple of days, maybe being alone will just be better for me, so i can be 100 percent focused on the game with no distractions.â
He was right, not being together would probably be better for the both of you, being with him was beginning to make you feel guilt and he was still putting effort into you while all you did was pull away because of said guilt.
it still hurt to hear him mention distractions, knowing he was talking about you.
after a couple more minutes you hung up and you were now broken up. You didnât cry, not yet, you just knew things were about to be very different in many different ways.
despite the fact that your feelings for Armando had grown immensely, Jude was still someone you shared a lot of memories with, someone you loved, which was why you sat in your bed reminiscing for the rest of your morning.
You knew you had to talk to someone about the situation, you were holding everything in for far too long. You picked up your phone and called on of your closest friends.
âheyyy- hey what happened?â she immediately showed concern when she noticed your face wet from your tears.
you told her about the break up call and you admitted to being the one to ruin things by being distant. But your friend sensed you werenât telling her everything.
so you hesitated a bit but then eventually you told her you had been seeing someone else. You made sure to tell her not to give you shit about it because you already felt like shit.
She admitted it was wrong of you to do that, but she didnât give you too much shit about it. She could tell you already felt bad. What she noticed though was the way you talked about Armando, in the present tense, like this wasnât just some mistake you made, but something you still wanted to continue.
Which you did, and that was why you felt so many mixed emotions. You felt sad because you had hurt Jude, because your relationship had fallen apart, and because you were the one who pulled away. What made it harder was knowing the reason you did was because of someone you didnât actually want to pull away from.
the call with your friend made you feel a bit better, you felt like a weight was lifted off your chest as you were finally able to talk about everything.
a couple hours later you texted Armando the news
nothing more nothing less.
sigo en el entrenamiento pero casi termina
me llamas? cuando llegues a tu casa
you were back in your house and you knew this was a talk you had to have with Armando. Two serious conversations in one day was not what you were expecting but you couldnât avoid them much longer. You thought back to when Jude mentioned the World Cup, you knew he wasnât the only one waiting on that list, Armando was too.
About forty minutes later, your phone lit up with a FaceTime call from Armando. You answered almost immediately. At first, all you could see was his chin as he fumbled with his phone. It looked like he had just gotten home. He pushed his front door open with one hand before glancing down at his screen, a small smile tugging at his lips when he realized you had picked up.
you smiled at the scene going on in front of you as he began to speak.
âhola hermosa, Âżcomo te sientes?â
âhe estado mejor, Âżcomo te fue el entrenamiento?â you softly replied.
he answered your question, telling you it was good and adding a few details here and there, you let him know you were listening by asking questions and when he was done he asked you about your day.
instead of giving him details on your sad day you just told him âehâŠArmando tenemos que hablar.â
his eyebrows furrowed a bit before slowly nodded his head âsi, dime..â
âno es nada malo, pero como te dijeâŠacabo de terminar con Jude y la verdad no seâŠâ you stopped yourself realizing you werenât sure how to express what you wanted to say
his eyebrows remained furrowed, showing confusionâÂży no quieres conmigoâŠ?â he softly asked, like trying to understand what you were getting at.
He thought that maybe breaking up with Jude made you realize you made a mistake and you wanted Jude back. But you immediately shook your head.
âno no, si quiero contigo. enserio. solo queâŠÂżno se si serĂa lo mejor?â
âÂżporque no? no entiendo. Âżterminaron porque el se entero de nosotros oâŠ?â he kept asking questions, trying to understand.
âNo... terminamos solo porque nuestra relaciĂłn ya no era igual. Y pues... sĂ, parte de la razĂłn fuiste tĂș.â you admitted.
You admitted to feeling sad about the breakup, but you assured him that didnât mean you wanted nothing to do with him. You explained that what you were getting at was that you knew he was likely going to make the final World Cup list, and you couldnât help but wonder if maybe this thing between the two of you would make him lose focus. The conversation you had with Jude started coming back to you.
You started wondering if maybe this was your karma. Maybe you didnât deserve either of them, and maybe all you would do was bring problems into their lives. Ever since the word âdistractionâ left Judeâs lips, it had been stuck in your mind, replaying over and over again.
âAmor, lo Ășnico que he querido es tenerte para mĂ solito. No importa si todavĂa no quieres decirle a nadie, yo solo quiero estar contigo.â he assured
âpoder llegar al mundial y compartir eso contigo serĂa increĂble, jugarĂa mejor sabiendo que estas ahi.â He added.
Hearing those words come out of his mouth made your shoulders relax, and the worry slowly started to leave your body.
You both kept reassuring each other for the rest of the call while also talking about remaining a secret for now. The breakup had just happened, and you needed time before letting the world know about the two of you. You still had to figure out exactly what you were and how you wanted to navigate this together.
You also talked about the World Cup, acknowledging how important this would be for him. And for the rest of the night, that was all you did, talk about life, learning more and more about each other every day.
âOye, Âży si me quedo contigo unos dĂas antes del Mundial? Cuando termine la temporada con Chivas, podrĂa ir a verte.â
You liked the sound of that. Him wanting to spend time with you before leaving for the biggest event of his career meant more than you wanted to admit. You knew it would be different from the other times he came over to your house. This time, he wouldnât have to worry about leaving early or rushing back to the hotel.
So a few days later, Chivas was eliminated in the semifinals. It was frustrating, especially with how much he wanted to keep going, but not long after, Armando flew over to CDMX to see you. You were there to comfort him, and together, you started this new chapter between the two of you.
Knowing Armando was coming over sometime that week, you tried your best to keep your schedule open. You only accepted a few nearby appointments, avoiding any that would require you to travel out of the city.
And for the next few days, you kept things simple. You took him out to eat, showed him places that meant something to you, and let him see little pieces of your life. You avoided going anywhere too crowded or noticeable, though, knowing you still had to keep this between the two of you.
And while you were home, you cooked together and spent hours messing around with makeup. Sometimes youâd experiment with different looks on his face, and heâd patiently let you try whatever you wanted, even if it was just for fun. Other times, heâd take the brushes from you and try doing your makeup, failing at almost every step while you laughed and tried your hardest to teach him, explaining what everything was used for and showing him different techniques.
At night, youâd end the day watching a TV show or a movie together. Most of the time, heâd insist on finishing that one anime you both started way back at his house. Youâd pretend not to care, acting like you werenât that interested, but somehow you always ended up being the one talking his ear off about every episode afterward.
A few days before he left, the final World Cup list came out. He knew he had been under the watchful eye of the national team all season. Making the preliminary list had already been a huge step, and the conversations heâd had with his coach and the DT of the Mexican national team gave him hope that he was in a good position. Still, nothing felt real until he saw his name officially there.
You felt so much excitement for him. You were practically jumping up and down, yelling congratulations while he laughed at your reaction. But behind his smile, you could see the relief, after months of waiting and wondering, his name was finally there.
He was close with most of the players who made it onto the list, but seeing two names in particular brought you right back to the night you met.
Those were the two guys he had been accompanied by and the two guys you heard so much about after that night, throughout this whole journey.
You felt like being a little extra that day, so you bought a small cake to celebrate. His phone didnât stop ringing, with teammates, friends, and family calling him left and right to congratulate him, but you still wanted to do something special for him.
At some point you were both scrolling on your phone when it popped up
Jude Bellingham set to feature in his second World Cup with England.
it was a post Jude had reposted to announce his spot im the tournament
âÂżlo vas a felicitar?â he asked with genuine curiosity
âNoâ you quickly responded. âestoy feliz por Ă©l, pero creo que no hace falta.â You added
he just nodded before giving you a kiss on your forehead.
You were genuinely happy for Jude, but things had changed so quickly. You werenât the one congratulating him anymore, and you had slowly become okay with that. You could still be happy for him, still wish the best for him, even if you werenât the person standing beside him anymore.
Once the national team called him up, Armando had to leave. You wished him so much luck with everything, knowing how important this moment was for him. Meanwhile, he kept asking if you were sure youâd be there for at least the first game, wanting to have you there before everything got even crazier.
You assured him youâd try to make it to every game, especially the final.
âAy, no digas eso⊠imagĂnate si de verdad llegamos tan lejos. Dios, serĂa un sueño.â
You stayed in contact for the next two weeks, and the excitement kept building as the days got closer. Mexico was set to play the very first game of the World Cup, and Armando made sure to get you a good seat so you could be there. You invited the friend you had told about him, along with two other friends who would soon find out as well.
To your advantage, the first game was in CDMX, so you didnât have to go far for it. You made sure to see him quickly before the game to congratulate him once again and wish him luck, as well as receive the jersey he was more than willing to give you so you could show your support. He gave you a couple, making sure you had all three colors and one with his number on it.
You both knew you wouldnât use it, at least not for the first game, but having it was enough.
Being in the stadium felt insane. It was packed with thousands of people ready for a beautiful match. The stands were filled with a mix of people wearing Mexico jerseys and others wearing their South Africa jerseys. Though the stadium was clearly dominated by Mexicans, you were in Mexico after all.
You were full of joy seeing both teams cry during their himno nacional, knowing how this was such a big dream for everyone.
You spotted Armando, along with Brian, Mateo, and his other Chivas teammates. The other 3 werenât aware of your relationship, but they were people you had heard a lot about through Armando.
Armando wasnât starting, and you werenât even sure if he would get minutes, but you still held onto hope. You were only a few minutes into the game when the entire stadium erupted with joy. Seconds after Quiñones scored Mexicoâs first goal, giving them the perfect start to the match, the World Cup and their journey, the energy in the stadium was unreal.
For the rest of the first half, you completely immersed yourself in the game, yelling out of frustration, anxiety, and joy as the match continued.
Armando was subbed in during the second half, and you immediately jumped with joy, yelling like crazy without caring about anyone around you in that moment. Seeing him step onto the field after everything made you so happy. Soon after, RaĂșl JimĂ©nez scored Mexicoâs second goal, and the cheers and excitement only grew louder.
You, along with your friends, were still processing everything that had just happened. It was the perfect start to the tournament, one given by your beautiful Mexico.
You were a bit upset that you couldnât run up to him right after the game, hug him, kiss him, and tell him how amazing he had done in front of everyone. But you knew youâd get that moment later, just the two of you.
and you did, he had come over to your place a few hours later and you did exactly what you wanted to, you hugged him, kissed him and told him how amazing he did and how proud you were.
Before the next match, you saw him one more time. You made a meal for the two of you while he rested after training. He woke up to eat, immediately telling you how amazing it smelled, and once he took a bite, he wouldnât stop talking about how good it was.
Before he left, you both enjoyed the rest of the night together, playing games and talking about the next match, whether he was scared, anxious, nervous, or simply ready to get back on the field.
You continued to make sure you saw him and wished him luck, just in case you couldnât see him right before the next game. The second game was in Guadalajara, so he had left you a key to his house, allowing you to get ready there before the match. He even let you know you could stay for as long as you wanted, which you wouldnât do since he would be staying with the team, but the gesture was cute. Things were starting to get serious between the two of you, and you werenât complaining.
You flew out to Guadalajara with your friend so you wouldnât have to travel alone or experience the game by yourself, something you didnât think you couldâve done. Armando made it clear that he didnât mind you bringing her along to his house.
By their third game against Czechia, you felt much more secure about what you and Armando had. You both knew this was something you wanted, and he made it clear how much he wanted you there for every game. You were more than willing to support him every time, cheering like crazy whenever he stepped onto the field.
By the end of their game against Ecuador, you knew you couldnât go straight home. You made your way down to where he was, giving him a huge hug; not caring who saw. They had just won again, and he had given it his all like always.
You reached him as he was about to make his way through the tunnel back to the locker rooms. You both tried your best not to draw too much attention, but you were still able to accompany him down, holding his hand while sharing your excitement, as well as your frustrations and concerns about the other team.
Hours later, pictures began to surface across the internet. Some were clearer than others. In some, you could barely make out your face, while in others, it was visible but still slightly blurry.
¿La Hormiga Gonzålez ya tiene novia? La misteriosa chica que estuvo presente después del partido contra Ecuador
ÂżSerĂĄ la ex de Jude Bellingham la nueva novia de âLa Hormigaâ? đ
ÂżQuiĂ©n es la nueva novia de La Hormiga GonzĂĄlez? Esto es lo que descubrimosâŠ
La Hormiga Gonzålez estrena romance después de la victoria contra Ecuador.
The World Cup was huge. You almost forgot just how much attention came with it until you saw all the pictures and videos spreading online about a short interaction that everyone had witnessed. Nothing during a regular club season for either Armando or Jude compared to this level of attention.
cual fotos? Salieron fotos??
SĂ⊠mira, ahorita te mando, se estĂĄ armando un berrinche en las redes.
JAJAJ y no estås molesta? osea segura que ya no quieres seguir escondiéndo?
seguraâŠ. no digo que publiquemos una foto de nosotros de la nada asi, pero ya si te quiero besar, te voy a besar. No me importa, hermoso.
you joked and he sent you a sticker sending kisses which made you smile before you sent your next message.
En serio⊠no quiero sentir que tengo que esconder cada cosa. Quiero poder estar contigo sin pensar tanto en lo demås.
Te quiero muchĂsimoooo. No sabes lo feliz que me haces, de verdad. Gracias por elegirme y por querer vivir esto conmigo <3
Then came Mexico vs England.
You knew the match was incredibly important for Mexico, and you had so much faith in them. But you also found yourself thinking about Jude. He had been having an incredible tournament, and despite everything that had changed between you two, you were still happy for him. You knew that feeling wouldnât disappear, even if the outcome of this game ended up being in Englandâs favor.
Armando had never made you feel bad for still caring about Jude. He was confident in what the two of you had and knew your heart was simply too kind to stop caring about someone who had once meant so much to you.
Though he did make jokes here and there, saying things like, "El ex vs. el novio," or, "El pasado vs. el presente y el futuro." you playfully rolled your eyes softly telling to shut up each time.
The game wasnât until much later so he was able to get breakfast with you quickly before he had to head back to the hotel with his team.
You guys went over to your local coffee shop. It was your first time going out since the pictures had come out, and like you said, you were done watching your every move. Once he arrived, you shared a small kiss, and as you ate breakfast, you held hands across the table every now and then, taking a bunch of silly pictures before moving on to the cute, aesthetic ones.
When he was about to head back to the hotel, you wished him the best of luck, promising you'd see him soon.
he smiled and thanked you with a kiss before letting out one last joke "Nada mĂĄs no me salgas con una playera de Inglaterra."
You tried to give him your serious face as you jokingly replied, âCreo que aĂșn tengo una en mi clĂłset,â while putting your hands under your chin as if you were trying to picture your closet.
âEsa no me la encontrĂ© chistosa, Ă©chale fuego, amor.â He replied with his pointer finger raised.
After everything, you decided it was only right to finally wear the jersey with the big 14 and âA. GonzĂĄlezâ across the back. Though you were a little nervous, partly because of Jude being present. You knew this was a big decision.
This game was the most nerve wracking, you constantly held onto your friends hand, both of you squeezing each others hands like crazy.
and when Jude scored two goals in two minutes, the first two goals mexico had received throughout the whole tournament, you froze while your friend threw a tantrum on the side.
It was such a bittersweet moment. Jude was playing insanely well, and you were genuinely happy for him, but you couldnât help worrying about what this would mean for Mexico, for Armando. Shortly after, Quiñones scored Mexicoâs first goal of the match, restoring a bit of hope for everyone.
The hope lasted until the very last second. They were given 11 minutes of added time, and with the score still at 3-2, no one in the stadium was ready to give up. Everyone held onto that small bit of hope until the final whistle blew⊠but the score remained unchanged.
Mexico had had a beautiful run, but it ended here. You and your friend sat in your seats, defeated, not ready to get up and leave.
The stadium began to grow louder, all of Englandâs fans standing up to sing âWonderwall.â You didnât know whether to cry from sadness, a slight bit of happiness for Jude, or just the overwhelming emotions of the moment. In the end, two or three tears left your eyes as a small smile appeared on your face. You were heartbroken for Mexico, but you were proud of everyone.
You made your way down to where all the players were, and soon enough you saw Armando find you. He immediately made his way over, his face red and his eyes filled with tears that streamed down his cheeks.
Seeing him like that broke your heart. He didnât waste any time making his way to you, pulling you into a tight hug as he cried.
You began to cry as well, as if his tears were contagious. âNo te sientas mal, amor. Hiciste-⊠hicieron muy bien, no solo hoy, sino durante todo el torneo.â
all he did was shake his head up and down taking in what you were saying.
âpara mi eres campeĂłnâ you assured
He let out a small laugh, mixed with a shaky sob, before pulling you in for a kiss.
when you pulled away you stood there looking into each others eyes for a couple seconds and then he spoke âgracias por estar aquiâ
you gave him a soft look, nodding your head up and down.
You saw Jude walk past you, but not before he stopped in his tracks at the sight of you and Armando. He let out a small, amused laugh before walking away.
You noticed, and so did Armando. He could tell by the look on your face that you wanted to go after Jude, to explain everything and tell him the whole truth right here, right now.
Armando nodded his head and gave your hand a quick squeeze, silently letting you know it was okay. You picked up your pace as you made your way over to Jude, who was walking inside, away from the stadium.
You yelled his name. The first time, he ignored you. The second time, he finally turned around, giving you a simple, âWhat do you want?â as he threw his hands up before letting them drop back down against his thighs.
âcan we talk?â you asked.
He looked at you for a few seconds, almost as if he was trying to figure out what to say. He didnât say anything, only motioning with his head for you to follow him somewhere quieter to talk.
once you made it somewhere quieter he closed the door, turned to look at you and told you to âgo on.â
âfirst of allâŠ.congratulations, seriously.â you startedâŠ
you were about to speak again before he cut you off. â how longâŠ.? how long have you been seeing him? because we only broke up almost two months agoâŠand youâre already kissing him and wearing his jersey at the World Cup?â He rambled
âa couple monthsâŠ.â you softly admitted
âmore than almost two?â
you hesitated before slowly nodding.
once again an amused laugh escaped his lips.
âplease just let me explain everything from the beginning, im not trying to excuse anything i just want to tell you the whole truth, you deserve it.â
He slightly lifted his chin, silently telling you to begin
âi met him at the party we went to before your season resumed..â you stopped for a second seeing Judes eyes wide, clearly shocked .
â we shared a kiss that night which i pulled away from after realizing what i had doneâŠafter that night i didnât talk to him for a while, i was so conflicted becauseâŠ.i had you and i- iâŠhated that i did that.â
You explained how one day he had a game in CDMX rather than a regular home game in Guadalajara, and the two of you found a chance to see each other. It was your first interaction after the party.
âafter that night, we continued to see each other, and im deeply sorry, i didnât want to hurt you and i didnât know how to tell you because i care about you.â you were trying your hardest not to cry.
âsoâŠis that whyâŠevery time you were in Guadalajara you acted stranger than usual, always avoiding my callsâŠ?â he finally spoke as everything began to click.
You nodded your head slowly. âIâm sorry⊠the situation was just so different. We rarely had time for each other with the crazy time difference, and with him⊠it was different. I realized long distance just wasnât for me anymore, and I didnât want to keep forcing something that was becoming harder for both of us.â
âI donât know what to tell you. You had all the time in the world⊠all the time to be honest with me, and youâre only telling me now?â
âIâm just glad I ended it when I did. I wouldâve hated to keep putting effort into a distraction when I had something as important as this in front of me.â he spit out.
There it was again, that word.
You knew you didnât have the right to be so hurt by his words because, in a way, you had done something worse. But you couldnât help the way it made you feel.
Jude was clearly done with the conversation. He didnât waste any time, he simply turned, opened the door, and walked away, not even saying goodbye.
a single tear escaped your eye as you held the others back.
After the next few days, you started to feel okay again as you returned to your normal routine and went back to work, you felt better knowing Jude knew the truth and you could really start leaving that all behind.
Armando was back home in GDL, surrounded by his family and friends, updating you every now and then. He had been telling you how his family already wanted to meet you, but the thought scared you. Meeting the parents felt like such a big step, especially after all the chaos you two had just gone through. You just didnât feel ready yet.
Liga MXâs Apertura season was close to starting, and Armando promised heâd come visit you before he had to return to training. Since you didnât have any bookings in Guadalajara, he admitted he liked being at your home more than his own anyway.
You told him you werenât so sure about him staying at your place for so many days because, although you didnât have any appointments in Guadalajara, you had one in Puebla and another in Puerto Vallarta. Youâd have to fly out a couple of times, and you didnât want him sitting around alone while you were gone. He didnât even hesitate before responding, âÂżY? Voy contigo. Nuestro primer aviĂłn juntos.â
You guys were able to go out, and you got to show him so much more of your city. You went shopping together, explored different places, and even had a much fancier dinner.
He simply waited at your house, watching TV while you went out for nearby work. When you came back, heâd always ask how it went, how the clients liked the looks, and if you took pictures of your work.
Then came the day of your appointment in Puebla, you decided to drive up there since it was only a two hour drive, flying would shorten it to about thirty five minutes but you didnât mind, you had time.
Armando helped you pack your makeup bags into the car, and as the road trip went on, you played your shared playlist, both of you singing at the top of your lungs without a care in the world. When you werenât singing, it was just light conversation, talking about the Apertura season coming up, how excited you were for this client, and everything in between.
You even played 21 Questions, the conversation game, just to learn more about each other. You both always enjoyed discovering new things about one another.
Since the trip was about two hours, you took turns driving. You drove for the first hour, then switched, letting him drive for the remaining hour and a few minutes. Even while he drove, his hand almost never left your thigh, when it did it was to hold your hand.
Your appointment in Puerto Vallarta was the day after, and Armando still had three more days before he had to leave back home. He suggested staying longer than just a day, wanting to make the most of the little time you had left together before he was back with the team.
Your first plane ride together was calm, you decided to watch a movie, you put on Guardians of the Galaxy, thought you did not completely finish it because you ended up falling asleep on each other. You woke up with a few minutes remaining and were able to capture a picture of the view to your left as well as your right.
When you got there, you both settled into the hotel before you had to leave for your client. While you worked, Armando stayed behind, finishing up the itinerary for the next two days youâd spend together, texting you every now and then to check if you liked his ideas.
Your first day together was beautiful. You were both so free, in a completely new city, all alone and able to explore together. After finishing your client, you met back up with Armando and spent the rest of the day wandering through Puerto Vallarta without worrying about anything else.
You walked through the colorful streets of the Romantic Zone, stopping at little shops and laughing as you looked through things you didnât actually need. You made your way down the MalecĂłn while there you took pictures of the ocean, the sculptures, and each other whenever the other wasnât paying attention. You also tried different foods, sharing bites with each other.
As the sun started to set, you ended up at the beach, enjoying the view and each otherâs company. You sat together on a blanket placed on the sand, surrounded by snacks and drinks, your head resting on his shoulder as you both watched the sky change colors. And before you left back to the hotel, you guys walked around a bit, feeling the water hit your feet. You both kept stepping on shells, making you guys begin to grab and collect some.
The next day, Armando woke up with a completely different energy, already ready to start the day. When you asked him what he had planned, he only gave you a grin and told you to put something cute on and make sure you had your bathing suit underneath.
You insisted he tell you what you were doing, but he wouldnât. Eventually, you gave up and just got ready, even more curious about what he had planned.
After somewhat of a drive, you looked out through the window, spotting boats and yachts lined up along the docks. You turned to him confused, but all he did was smile as he parked. He opened the door for you and slowly began leading you toward one of the boats, letting you take everything in.
âArmandoooo!!â you exclaimed, practically glowing with excitement. You loved boat rides. You hardly ever got the chance to go on them, and it had always been something you wished you could do more often.
âÂżte gusta?â he asked.
you immediately gave him a hug, then slowly pulled away a bit to place a kiss on his lips, he smiled into the kiss only making you do the same.
He had arranged a private boat tour for the two of you. As you stepped onto the boat, you immediately noticed the rose petals scattered across the floor and the few candles placed around the space, creating a small but thoughtful romantic setup.
You both enjoyed the view and each otherâs company throughout the boat ride. At some point, he managed to convince you to jump into the water with him. You were terrified at first, but you trusted him, and you were always willing to step out of your comfort zone for the memories youâd make together.
âÂżLista? No lo pienses tanto, solo agĂĄrrate de mĂ,â he said, making sure your arms were wrapped around each other. Before you could overthink it, you were both jumping, your screams filling the air until they were cut off the second you hit the water.â
it felt cold but not extremely cold, you didnât let go of Armando not one bit, he found it so cute all he did was giggle. Slowly but surely you began to let go just a bit, not going too far from him but floating on your own.
âque hermosa te ves, quisiera quedarme aqui contigo para siempre.â he stated as he slowly inched closer reclosed the gap between the two of you.
âque mal que eres jugador muy profesional y trabajador que siempre esta ocupadoâ you joked
âay si.â he groaned pretending he hated it.
Then, after a couple minutes of fooling around, he stared into your eyes with soft admiration before speaking up. Slowly, he said your name, his voice quieter than usual. For a moment, he just looked at you, like he was taking in the fact that you were really there with him, trying to find the right words before saying what had been on his mind.
âSĂ© que en mi cabeza ya eres mi novia desde hace mucho⊠pero quiero hacerlo bien. Quiero que seas mi novia, oficialmente,â he finally said.
His voice carried a little nervousness as he looked at you. âQuiero ser tu novio⊠oficialmente.â Even though you both knew already how much love you had for each other, doing everything like boyfriend and girlfriend, you could tell this moment still meant a lot to him.
âÂżQue te parece?â he asked while you stared at him in awe.
âobvio que si quiero ser tu novia Armando, y quiero que seas mi novioâŠ.oficialmenteâ you said while laughing, you felt so much joy im that moment.
The two of you wasted no time before pulling each other into a kiss. It was long, the kind of kiss that told you both everything you needed to know. After all the chaos, the doubts, and the moments where you werenât sure where things would end up, this was exactly where you wanted to be.
once you both pulled away you looked at him, while fixing his hair that was in his face as well as admiring it âmi hormi, te amo.â you admitted.
His eyes widened just a bit as the corners of his lips turned upwards. That had been the first time you had ever told him you loved him. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face, his heart feeling impossibly full.
Then it hit him. You hadn't called him Armando... you had called him "Hormi," shortening the nickname you once swore you'd never use.
At the party, you had laughed about it, joking that the nickname stopped with you, and he had found it funny. Now, though, hearing it slip so naturally from your mouth only made his smile grow wider.
Realizing what you had just called him, you couldn't help but smile even wider. âNo te emociones, fue sin querer,â you teased.
âÂżEl âte amoâ o el âHormiââŠ?â he teased, a playful smile forming on his face.
âNo, pues de que te amo, te amo, Armando,â you admitted with a grin, emphasizing his name this time.
He leaned in with a grin, kissing you before pulling away just enough to look into your eyes. For a moment, he simply admired you before softly saying, âTe amo.â and then planting multiple kisses on you.
You both held onto each other in the water, a small smile slowly forming on your face as you took in the moment.
Your mind wandered back to when the nickname had slipped out, realizing how different it felt now. Deep down, you knew you were slowly getting used to it. What once felt weird to say now came out naturally, and you had a feeling it wouldnât be the last time you called him that.
Everything felt right, and you were ready for everything this relationship had to offer you.
ââââââââââââââââââââââââââ
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