"𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒘𝒆'𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒌𝒊𝒅'𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒔."
~ Synopsis: you broke it off with the bllk boys many years ago. But it seems they just won't leave you alone: how else would you justify the fact that your children's favorite football player, out of all players in the world, is your ex?
~ Characters: Meguru Bachira, Sae Itoshi, Michael Kaiser
~ Aged up characters!! They're all around 28-35 here, including you!!
~ A/N: ABSOLUTELY OOC KAISER UGH
You knew you shouldn't have let your son create a TikTok account.
It didn't look harmful at first. Just a 9 year old who wanted to show off his football skills to the world - and what kind of mother would you be if you didn't support his dream of being a football player?
Haruto loved football. He really did: from the moment he woke up to the moment he fell asleep at night, soccer plagued his thoughts and actions - and you loved it. You were proud of him. He was good - amazing, even. His dribbling skills resembled those of a "Joga bonito", and he played like it was a dance: with passion and ginga and everything that made you remember him.
It hurt at first. You were reluctant on agreeing to sign him up for soccer lessons, but you did anyways, not wanting to let your own silly emotions get in the way of your son's happiness - and you regretted nothing. It made him smile, and you'd do anything in your power to make your Haruto happy.
Looking back, maybe you should've established some limits though.
You remember it clearly: the day he asked you if you could help him create a social media account. You asked what was it for, and he said he wanted to "show his dribbling and his skills to the whole world". You thought hard about it, but ultimately decided that, if you monitored it, there was no reason not to do it.
He began posting. The account grew gradually but significantly - and, by the end of the account's sixth month, he already had 50k followers.
Huh. Maybe your kid was better than you first thought.
He recorded many things. From tutorials to random game highlights to match analysis - the kid clearly had talent.
Recently, though, he started a series of videos that got more views than the other contents on his account.
"Day 5 of showing off my skills until Barcelona FC notices me"
You thought it would lead to nothing, honestly. Not to discourage your own son, but Barcelona was a big team. They probably had many things to do, and watching some random kid's videos was not that important.
But hey, you thought it was cute, so you let him keep posting them.
You couldn't have possibly imagined that on day 57, Barcelona would actually comment.
"Mom!" You heard your son shout from his room while you watched your favorite movie "Mom, mom, mom! Come here!"
"Can't you just shout from there, sweetie?" You really didn't want to go up the stairs right now. You were just so comfortable on the sofa! Was it really a crime to have a lazy day once in a while?
"Barcelona commented on my video!"
Aaand you were up in a moment, blanket thrown across the living room and quickly running to Haruto's room
"Come look!" He gave you the phone and started running laps across the room.
Official_barcelona: Joga bonito🔥🔥👀
"What the- how did you- why would they-"
"Eeeek isn't this so amazing mom?!" He hugged you "I can't believe it actually worked!"
"It is, sweetie" you turned off the phone. Then, you kissed your son's forehead, secretly very proud of him "Now, what's the next series you want to record, huh?"
His grin widened (if it was even possible), and he began rocking his feet back and forth, hopeful eyes looking up to you
"I already know what we're gonna do!" He ran to his wardrobe and pulled out a jersey that made your smile instantly drop "'Dribbling until Bachira notices me'! What do you think, mom?"
Oh yeah, forgot to mention. Meguru Bachira, Barcelona's all star player, is your ex. And also your son's favorite football player.
It's not like you actively introduced Haruto to Bachira. He just naturally gravitated towards him, like everything and everyone else seemed to do - like you did, too, in the past.
Your relationship with Bachira didn't end in bad terms. You didn't really expect him to be so mature about it, but I guess your time together really helped in teaching hum how to take a more serious approach sometimes. You just decided, together, that it would be best to break it off. His carrer was too demanding, and you were a little too much of a coward to go on with your relationship. You didn't know if you could take the loneliness, the uncertainty, the lows.
You never stopped loving him, and he never stopped loving you. Looking back, you were kinda embarrassed about being such a pussy and not fighting for the relationship, but thinking about the past isn't gonna change anything, is it?
What matters is the present. And the future. And Haruto is your future.
You weren't sure about how to go through the pregnancy first. To get your mind off of Bachira, you had many one night stands. None of them made you feel even slightly close to how he made you feel, but they helped you forget, at least for a while.
It all stopped when you started feeling dizzy. You didn't even remember the father's name (you didn't even know who it was, actually), and maybe that's why, when you saw the two lines, you pathetically gripped your bathroom's sink while repeating Meguru's name over and over (or maybe it wasn't only that. Maybe you were really ashamed of running and just wanted him back. Who knows).
It looked like your whole life flashed beside your eyes. You felt like everything was ending - like you were hanging by a single thud.
But time heals all wounds - and your close ones help, too. As the months passed, you started to love your little baby boy more and more. Your mom helped, your dad supported you, your cousins bought clothes and diapers. You could count on them. That's how you managed to survive nine whole months.
And that's why Haruto was so dear to you. You wanted to give him the best life ever - not only because the help you got made you see how important people that care are, but also because you took solace in each other. Being a single mom wasn't easy, but Haruto made it feel like it mattered. Like you could do it. Like there was a reason to fight.
That's why you didn't hesitate that much on agreeing. On starting the new series.
You helped him record the first one. And the second. And by the tenth day, seeing your son's efforts, you were really hoping it would work.
You just didn't think it would be so soon.
On the twelveth day, you receiver a call from a random number. You didn't think much of it at first, really. But the moment the person on the other side of the line introduced themselves as "One of Barcelona's PR managers", you started to grow agitated.
When they said they were willing to arrange a meeting, you felt like you were going to faint. When they ended the call after giving you a date and an address, you thought you were dreaming.
But you weren't. And that's how you found yourself where you are right now, in front or Barcelona's headquarters, all the way in Spain.
"Wait right here, miss" the kind secretary who was giving you a tour pointed to a big and clearly expensive sofa on the HQ's waiting room "I'll go call Mr. Bachira."
"Sure" you said, a little to quick for your liking "Sure. I'll wait"
She smiled at you and went off to God knows where, and you sat on the couch.
Your son, clearly, didn't do the same.
More like he couldn't. He was so, so excited about all of this - he even came dressed as Bachira. Same hair, his jersey, even the cleats were similar.
You were seriously freaking out. He didn't even know he was going to see you again. How would he react? Would he refuse to see Haruto because of you? Would he smile upon seeing you again? Frown? Call you by your name? Your surname? Don't acknowledge you at all?
Now you were the one growing agitated. Your leg was bouncing up and down, and you stared chewing your nails - a bad habit of yours. It got you a point where even Haruto noticed it and gently asked if you were alright - and that's when you pulled yourself together...
...for a grand total of 5 minutes. The moment the door opened and the same secretary from before called you in, the churning on your stomach got back.
You reached for Haruto's hand. Each step seemed heavier than the other, like you were walking right into a trap. A trap you set up yourself, one you couldn't escape from.
Haruto went through the door first. You heard him yell his idol's name, and you could sense the smile on his face.
You were going to walk into the room too. But the moment you heard his voice, you pathetically stopped.
It was the same voice. The same excited tone you grew to love. The carefree way of speaking that made you feel like nothing could potentially go wrong.
The memories came crashing out all together. How you met, your first date, when you went to meet his mom. The exact shape of his lips, the glimmer in his eyes, the blond of his hair that you loved so much.
"Miss [Surname]?" The kind secretary rested her hand on your shoulder, a worried expression on her face "Are you feeling alright?"
You heard the excited chatter inside stop. For a moment, you could only hear the air conditioner working and your own stupid heart, beating so fast you actually thought it would pop with out of your chest.
Then, from inside the room, came a low whisper that made your breath get caught in your throat.
Timed seemed to still. You heard quick footsteps coming towards the door, almost like someone was running in it's direction. Then, the steps came to a halt, and you saw him.
The same hair, just a little longer. He was a bit taller, too. But he was the same. And, for a moment, you felt like your 15 year old self again.
"[Surname]." He repeated himself, staring at you intensely. You tried to look anywhere else - your eyes scanned through his shocked expression and paused on the way his knuckles were white from how strongly he was gripping the doorframe. You couldn't look at him. You couldn't breath. Couldn't think of anything that wasn't him, him and him.
It's a shame you didn't look up. If you did, you would have seen the way his eyes brimmed with tears, and how a smile appeared on his face. Not one of his exaggerated ones - a gentle one, reserved only for you.
"[Name]..." You looked up when you heard him say your name. Your own eyes filled with unshed tears that begged to be let out. You couldn't speak, but you didn't need to. He always understood what you wanted to say, even when you said nothing. Your silence spoke to him.
And that's all it took for him to cover the distance between you and pull you in a long needed hug.
You inhaled deeply. He still used the same perfume, and it calmed you. It was still him. Right in front of you, again.
"Meguru..." You finally found the strength to whisper, and his hold around you only tightened. You felt your shoulder getting wet, and you could feel his shoulder moving up and down too.
He pulled away, much to your dismay, and stared at you straight in the eyes. He was crying. His eyes red and his nose stuffed and you still thought you've never seen him look more handsome. More yours.
He rested his hand on your cheek. It was shaking, you noticed. He was shaking. Like your presence affected him the same you his affected you.
"You're here" he muttered "You're back."
"I never left" you smiled at him. He pulled you into a hug again.
You didn't kiss, but the hug you shared was much more affectionate than any kiss could possibly be. It spoke everything left unsaid: I won't leave again. I missed you. I can't believe you're back.
His hands shakily traveled every inch of you. From your head to your face to your waist, like he was trying to convince himself you were real. That you were there with him, and it wasn't a dream like the many ones he had before.
The moment looked like it came straight out of a very well written novel. The secretary was crying, the other players were watching from a distance - even the bodyguards were letting out a few sighs and portly hidden sobs.
None of them dared to interrupt.
None of them, except one.
Haruto was watching the scene with an excited smile, jumping up and down.
"Are mom and Bachira dating, now?"
You laughed and stared at Bachira. His eyes weren't looking at you, though - he was staring at your left hand, looking for something. A ring. Anything that told him he needed to stop.
He found none. So, he just laughed and kissed your forehead.
"Not yet, kiddo" he then smirked at Haruto, crouching down to his height "But hey, if you want me to become your dad, throw in a good word for me with your mom, yeah?"
Safe to say Haruto wouldn't shut up about Bachira now. But it's not like he needed to do any propaganda for you.
You already knew exactly what you were getting into. And you loved it.
Sae thought you and him were endgame.
He never had any interest in relationships or whatsoever, but you?
You were a whole other deal.
Sae thought you were a match made in heaven, even if he didn't believe in fate, soulmates and those other silly things. Actually, scratch that - he knew you both belonged together. The same way the sun needs the moon and the sea needs the earth, you couldn't exist without each other. It would break the laws of nature. There was a stronger force connecting both your souls and merging then until they became one.
That's why he didn't want to believe you when you said he was changing. He knew he was not the same - his failed relationship with Rin proved that -, but his feelings for you still remained - his love for you was there. He's never had an easy time expressing what he feels, but you never seemed to have a problem with it. So why were you bringing this up now? Right as he was about to ask you to move in with him to his apartment in Madrid? Right as he was about to ask you to be a part of his routine? Of his life?
The break up was rough. You screamed. He threw words around as if they were spears, and shot then straight where it hurts. He called you selfish, stupid and dumb. You said he was irresponsible, avoidant and ignorant. Something about how you were "Not feeling like a priority".
He looked at you as if what you said was the biggest lie he's ever had.
That's when it hit you: he didn't realize he was straight up ignoring you.
Of course he didn't. He never noticed anything about you. And, somehow, that hurt even more.
You loved Sae. You really did, but it was clear he didn't have time for you anymore. Calls became rarer until they stopped happening all together, special dates were forgotten, his texts got drier. You felt like you were the other woman - and the first one was football. His career. Spain. It would always be anything but you.
He changed. And your relationship changed with him.
They say love can fix everything, but you quickly realized it can't. It can't when there no passion, no feeling of commitment and responsibility. You didn't feel like a priority, and honestly, you really weren't.
Sae thought he could manage it. He thought you wouldn't ever leave - you loved him too much for that. But love's not a feeling - it's a choice, and he wasn't choosing you. That much was clear.
So, you choose yourself. You left. You slammed the door to his family's house on that fatidic snowy day, and he could see your car slowly disappearing through the living room's window.
Everything will be fine, he told himself. She'll come back. She always does.
But you didn't. Days merged into weeks and weeks into months, and not a single trace of you. You blocked him everywhere - even your friends blocked him -, and never once did you reach out.
At first, he was too prideful to admit it was all over. He was actually angry at you - how could you do this to him?
But one day, when practice was a little to rough and life felt a little too unforgiving, he finally acknowledged it.
He tried calling. Dozens and hundreds of times, swallowing his pride if it meant getting you back - but nothing. Not a single word.
All he wanted was your touch back. Your voice soothing him. Your cooking. To see your shoes by his next to the door. All he wanted was you - you as a whole.
He kept trying to contact you, but with each failed attempt he grew more desperate.
Your shirt that he had brought to Spain with him served as a cape to his pillow, the jacket you gave him was still his favorite one and your songs played on repeat in his earphones. He had the perfume you wore right beside his bed, and the scented candles you used were always on his shopping list.
You weren't there, but you were. Your absence screamed louder than your presence.
Maybe that's why he was here. Right in front of that damned football field where he used to train at. With you by his side, helping him with his kicks and passes.
It was still the same. It's just him that wasn't.
He could remember it clearly: how you and him kissed in the middle of that same field. How he tried to teach you how to play soccer and you failed miserably. How you and him laid there, hands intertwined while you made promises about the future. Your future.
Maybe he just missed you. Or maybe he was seriously hoping that whatever red string that was between you led you to him, right there. Maybe he was hoping you'd be there, waiting for him.
That's what you always did, after all: you waited for him. Until you couldn't. Until the wait was too long and his presence too short.
He stepped into the field. The falling of snow created a movie-like scenery, and if he closed his eyes and thought hard enough he could pretend he was his 13 year old self, nervous about kissing you for the first time.
He inhaled. Then exhaled hard. He closed his eyes and just tried to forget everything - you, football, Madrid, himself.
He was in this beautiful philosophical, self-awareness moment - until he snapped out of it. Or rather, was snapped out of it. By a ball. Hitting him straight on the face.
"I'm so sorry, mister!" He heard a high pitched voice "Are you okay?"
He opened his eyes slowly, hand moving towards his forehead and rubbing on the now red spot.
It was a kid. Not older than 8 - perhaps 5. He was never good at guessing people's ages.
She held a football on her hands and was bowing, not daring to look up, clearly embarrassed about hitting him.
He didn't speak, so she started to get really shy.
"I'm, uhm, still not good at controlling the ball" she admitted bashfully while slowly raising her head "So I'm really, really... Wait"
She suddenly stopped. She stared at him for almost a whole 30 seconds, her eyes widening slowly "Wait" she repeated, a smile appearing on her face "You're Sae Itoshi! You're my favorite football player!"
Sae didn't know how to feel about that. A part of him was glad he proud he had so many fans - the other was kinda still annoyed at the kid for disruptins the moment he was having early
"...yeah." he muttered, blasé expression on his face.
The girl didn't stop smiling though, and for a split second her smile looked a little too similar to yours.
Maybe he was hallucinating.
"Shiori! Shiori, where are you?"
Maybe he was, indeed, having hallucinations. He could swear he just heard your voice...
"Mom, I'm right here!" The kid shouted, giggling "Look who I found!"
A figure started to take form across the snow flocks. A figure he knew too damn well - the one who appeared in his dreams and nightmares.
"Who is it, sweetie?" You asked your daughter, finally looking up to see...
An awkward silence settled between you. Sae felt so much - he had so much to say. To admit. To ask for forgiveness about.
You grabbed her hand, desperate to get away from this terrible situation.
Sae wasnt having any of that.
"[Name]" he muttered, and you flinched. He reached for your other hand, the one that wasn't holding your daughter's, but you pushed him away. "[Name]." He repeated, stronger "Listen to me."
You turned back, and he forgot how to breath for a second. Then, he quickly added "Please."
You just stared into each other's eyes, the weight of every emotion and feeling making the air tense. Then, a weak voice interrupted the moment.
"...Sae and mom know each other?"
"...we do" he stared at you, eyes finally shining again after what seemed like forever. Just seeing you made him instantly better, what kind of effect did you have over him?
"We did." You corrected, and the glimmer in his eyes darkened a little. You sighed, then crouched right in front of Shiori again "You want a picture with him? Go on."
Your daughter smiled, kissing your cheek and running towards him. The attitude made you smile too and - oh, how much he missed your smile. The one that used to be his. The one that still held his entire existence.
"Wait, [Name]" he stopped "Are you serious? Don't we have more important stuff to talk about?"
"Pose." you scoffed, rolling your eyes at him, and he mentally beat himself up for being so insensible.
He quickly shut up and just stayed unmoving right beside Shiori. He heard the phone's camera click and felt a little hand holding his.
"You're the best player ever!" The girl smiled - it was really yours "No wonder you won balloon d'or! It seems like you always know exactly what to do!"
Except he didn't. He didn't know what to do now that you were finally right in front of him.
Every scene he created on his mind and every speech he prepared seemed to disappear from his mind the moment he stared into your eyes, and he couldn't bring himself to snap out of it.
He didn't even realize it when your daughter finished talking. He was too busy staring at you, after all.
He was not gonna let you walk away again.
"...thank you" he didn't know what Shiori said, but he thanked her anyway.
"Now we can go, Shiori" you grabbed her hand and started walking away.
Damn. Were you really that desperate to get away from him?
He needed to think of something, and fast. He quickly grabbed your hand again to stop you - but, this time, he held on too strong and stripped your glove away.
And that's when he saw it. What would absolutely shatter him.
"...you're married." He affirmed, almost like he couldn't believe it. He stared at the ring on your finger like it personally wronged him - and it did.
"I am" you answered, curtly and final. He took your hand in his and you let him, almost as if you wanted to see him suffer. The metal pressed cold against his skin - colder than the snow falling ok your heads. "With an amazing man who treats me like I deserve. The father of my daughter."
He stilled. Time stilled. But you didn't.
You took your hand away, giving him a pity look.
He watched your figure disappear in the distance, your daughter in one hand and his heart in the other.
Kaiser always had a rather soft spot for children.
It was one of the things you both most talked about. Having kids. Starting a family, as insane as it sounds when we analyse his childhood.
Maybe that's why he wanted a family so much. To prove he was not like his shitty father.
He was so sure it would happen. You were clearly meant for each other, everyone could see that.
But life doesn't always follow your plans, and soon enough, you broke up. A nasty fight between the two of you managed to bury all of Kaiser's dreams, hopes and expectations towards your future. The children you both talked about so often were nowhere to be seen, and your wedding disappeared. Everything he wanted to do with you - every travel, every kiss, every dedicated goal - gone. Just like that.
And just like that, life went on.
He continued being the best. Continued practicing and pushing himself to just be better - secretly hoping that, if he got better, you'd come back to him.
He could fool the whole world that way, but he could never fool his pillow. The one who saw him cry so many times, pathetically whispering your name while his hands went in the direction of his neck.
He pretended he had gotten over you. Parties and drinks and beautiful women started to be a constant in his life - but none of it ever mattered to him. Only you did.
He was still the same, underneath. Changed, of course, as everyone is when 10 years pass by, but still the same boy who was so enamored but everything you did, and the same boy who secretly smiled every time he heard a kid genuinely laugh.
He always wanted a kid with you. A boy or a girl, didn't really matter. He'd love them the same.
After the break up, he still had a soft spot for kids - he never cussed in front of them or mistreated them. Instead, s soft smile appeared on his face, even if it was a little sadder than before, as now, everytime he sees a kid with blond hair and your eye color, he thinks about how amazing the future he had planned would be - not that his ego would ever let him admit that.
That's why he really liked to enter the field with kids. The emotion in their eyes when they saw the crowd, the way they smiled at that experience - at football.
And, today, he was entering the field with a kid again.
It was a Bundesliga match. An important one at that, one that could guarantee Bastard's advantage on points if they won.
"...hi" a girl walked up to him, hands behind her back and rocking back and forth.
He uncharacteristically smiled soft, talking to her while tying his shoelaces
"My name's Mia" she held her hand towards him, and he shook it "It sounds like yours"
"It does" he smiled again, now looking at her. Then, he patter her head "Are you excited to enter the field?"
"Yes!" She smiled, looking up at him "I love football! My mom teached me everything about it! She's also a big fan!"
For a second, he paused. That was exactly what you and him always planned to do: teach your kid how to play soccer. Together.
He quickly shrugged the thought away
"Yes!" She beamed even more, and his heart skipped a beat when he swore it was your smile "Your my favorite player, you know? And my mom's too! She really likes you!"
He giggled, getting up and taking her hand on his "That's because I'm amazing, so everybody loved me." he couldn't help but still be a little smug. It was his personality, after all
"You are!" She shouted "And I'm gonna be as amazing as you!"
"Then you're gonna have to train hard for it."
His heart ached once more. Her smile, her determined behavior, heck even her eyes - they looked like yours. Everything about her screamed you, and Michael wondered if he was going crazy.
They went together to where the parents were. Before the kids entered the field, they had a little time to say goodbye to the parents.
The girl was now running on front of him, pulling him with her
"C'mon, let's meet my mom!" The girl giggled, then abruptly stopped. She made a gesture for him to lean down, and he did. She then quickly whispered "She's single!"
Kaiser could only laugh, but some strange feeling settled in his stomach. Almost like disgust. Not towards the kid, of course, but towards the thought of dating someone that wasn't you.
He couldn't picture a future without you. He still didn't know how to win you back, but he's do it. He had to. He couldn't take any more sleepless nights or crying sessions or random hook ups. He needed you again, like it was always meant to be.
The girl continued pulling, unaware of his mental consternation. They got closer to where the parents were, and the kid started calling for her mom.
"Mom!" She screamed "Moommm! I'm entering with Kaiser!"
He couldn't see the mom amongst the crowd of parents, but he heard her response. And it was like suddenly only the three of them were in the room.
"Really? That's great, Mia!"
It was undoubtedly you. His heart memorized the curve in your voice, even if his mind screamed at him to let you go.
He repeated your name in a low tone, tasting how it felt against his lips after so long.
He was now searching for you, too. But it was like you had a magnetic pull that attracted him - because he spotted you almost immediately.
He repeated your name again, this time with more intensity than the first one, which he thought was impossible (but hey, he's always been the one to do the impossible, right?)
He thought this was a dream. I mean, he's dreamt about this moment many times already, but nothing could prepare him for the real deal.
He tried to look nonchalant, but his shining eyes betrayed him.
You lifted your daughter and kissed her forehead, then put her back down. Kaiser was still silent and unmoving - until a smirk slowly crept on his face. And now, it was your turn to be silent.
You missed that idiotic smirk. You really did.
"Favorite player, huh?" He crossed his arms "I see you still have good taste, schatz."
"Do I, now?" You smirked back "I think you're the one who does. You dated me, after all"
"And I intend to do it all again" he grabbed your hand and kissed it, to which you rolled your eyes
"As charming as ever, I see"
"Only with you" he joked, but you could see the sincerity in his eyes. You actually hoped he was telling the truth. That he only does this to you. That he waited for you like you waited for him, between oceans of people.
You just stared into each other's eyes, until his manager came screaming at him to get in line to enter the field and he swore he never wanted to kill someone more than he wanted to kill his manager right now.
You smirked at his expression and quickly start rummaging through your purse. Kaiser stares at you curiously until you pull out a pen. Then, without explanation or warning, you grab his arm and start scribbling. He smirks again, replacing the frown that got on his face when the manager screamed at him
"I thought I'd be the one signing autographs today"
"Autographs are for fans. Or strangers" you brought his arm towards his face, and he stared at it. A phone number. He looked at your eyes that were already staring at him, soft and kind and everything he missed "We were never that."
And there, between the referee's whistle, his manager screaming at your daughter giggling, you found each other again.
And this time, neither of you were willing to let go.
