Lil cheeky request from @yellowkitkieran because sometimes we all need someone else hold down the fort and write about our fave people for us so we don't have to.
Kieran at Scotland camp, missing his girlfriend so bad he decides to get a 2nd opinion from a teammate about how to woo a girl. Cute and sweet.
Hope you are all enjoying int break!
Word Count: 2.2k
Days on international break have become mundane and repetitive to say the least, the weather of somehow always cold and rainy Scotland making the days seem grimmer. Kieran used to yearn for international break, the chance to play for his country and wear the crest above his heart being his favourite time of year. But this time it's different. This time he had to leave you behind and travel back up north. His heart had almost broken and shattered when he had to get out of your comfortable and warm bed to say goodbye, painfully aware that you would be out of his reach for so long. He had however not expected missing you to be this hard and painstaking. He did not account for that worry that you have somehow forgotten him would cloud his mind once in a while, even though you texted at any chance. He had also not accounted for the fact that not being able to spoil you would somehow make him feel less worthy of your time.
The man has spent the last three hours pacing his room trying to figure out how to make you feel loved and appreciated. He knows you are not the type for grand gestures like hiring a skywriter or a limousine that would take you to Scotland, although the thought has crossed his mind. He also doesn't want it to come off as a second thought like sending you a balloon that said I love you. It was too early for that and somehow also too late for that.
Kieran has always insisted that his one true love is the beautiful game of football. Ever since he was a wee lad his life has revolved around the ball at his feet. No matter what was happening around the man, whether it be teenage breakups or moves across the country to follow his dream, to a place where he has no friends, football had been the one constant in his life. But now after you have come into his life everything has changed and been tossed upside down.
No matter how he tries to wrap his head around the issue and live up to his own expectations, somehow none of the ideas in his mind seem to measure up to what he thinks you deserve.
—-
And so here he is, standing at the door bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet. He stretches the sweaty fingers from the fist they have been the whole way here, trying to calm down. The man tries to stretch his neck, to hopefully get rid of the cramp that has formed between his shoulder blades.
He's never been stressed to talk to any of his teammates, let alone Andy. But somehow he is thrown back in time, back to being a child about to ask one of the older kids if he can join their football game after class. Kieran considers giving up and retreating to his room and spending another five hours trying to find a way to swoon you.
But it's too late, because the door is swinging open and he is met by the warm brown eyes of his captain.
“Kieran!” the older man sounds excited, the surprise evident on his face.
Kieran doesn't reply, suddenly a knot is stuck in his throat, all the colour drained from his face.
“Are you okay?” Andy's eyes fill for worry and honestly it almost makes the Kieran cry. Andy's eyes have always given away every ounce of his emotion he's feeling and now seeing himself be the reason for those same usually gleeful eyes to be full of pain and sadness and worry makes him want to scream into a pillow.
“Yeah I'm okay.” Kieran almost doesn't recognize his voice from how strained it sounds.
Andy doesn't reply.
“I-” Kieran stammers “I- Can I come in?”
“Yes, of course,” Andy replies instantly, stepping aside so Kieran can walk into the room. “You are not making my worry less however.”
“Now tell me, what's wrong?” Andy asks Kieran, who stands awkwardly in the middle of the room, feeling the burning gaze of his friend on him. “Kieran? Sit! You are stressing me out!”
“Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!” The younger scrambles to plop down on the end of the bed. Andy sits down on one of the chairs in the corner of the room.
An awkward silence falls between the pair, the only sound is Kieran awkwardly and rather desperately running his hands up and down his thighs in an attempt to dry his hands over his pants.
“Kieran!” Andy is the first to break the silence, his voice dripping with urgency.
“I shouldn't have come here,” the younger groans.
“I'm worried about you and I won't let you leave. You look absolutely distraught, dripping with sweat and pale as a ghost…” Andy raies an eyebrow, “and that's coming from me!”
Kieran cracks a smile letting out a heavy breath. “I need advice” he finally let's out.
“Oh God if you need me to check a spot that may be a std-” Andy exclaims, rubbing his hand over his face.
“Ew no! Is that something that happens?” Kieran looks at him startled.
“Oh thank God! You would be surprised and slightly concerned if you knew how often.” A heavy sigh of relief tumbles out of Andy's chest.
“Who?” Kieran cracks a half smile.
“Did you come here to gossip or?” Andy laughs lightly, an undertone of authority still evident beneath the playful exterior.
“Okay okay.” Kieran rubs his temple in defeat.
“Well?”
“Okay so…” Kieran begins and pauses.
“Okay so?” Andy repeats as if to encourage Kieran to talk.
“Okay so… I miss my girlfriend.” Kieran pauses waiting for Andy to laugh, but no sounds follow, instead Andy watches him with genuine kindness and almost love in his eyes.
So Kieran continues, “Like, it's new and I know it's silly but she's so different from anyone before. Like usually I love being here, but right now there is nowhere else I'd rather be than on her couch watching one of her stupid shows and laughing about the people on the screen or walking around London trying to find the best kebab in the whole city or trail behind her as she explores every inch of the museum, observing her never ending curiosity to learn new things in real life. Fuck I'd even gladly sit shoulder to shoulder with her on the stuffy train, just cause she needs to try a specific doughnut flavour on the other end of the city just to find out they had a store around the corner from her apartment a few days later. As long as she's next to me. Like how the hell have I fallen this bad for someone in a few months…”
He looks at Andy through his lashes, a helpless look in his eyes.
“I get you,” Andy says without much thought. The earnest look in the older's eyes almost shocks the younger, but then Kieran realises that Andy and him may not be in such different situations. It's the way Andy looks beyond Kieran's shoulder, his gaze searching for someone or something. Kieran thinks about how he's seen Andy and his wife embrace whenever they have games, how the older looks at the woman and how she looks at him. Like they are each other's light in the dark, he thinks about how Andy always sneaks off away from the other lads to call home and wish her goodnight, to read bedtime stories. Kieran thinks back to how he's never seen his captain more happy than when his son runs into his arms at games.
Andy might not have a hot, sexy girlfriend that makes his head spin and butterflies erupt in his stomach, but he has a family. He has a wife that loves him through all the highs and lows, someone he's withstood the trials of time with. Andy has something Kieran wishes he would have with you in a few years.
“So what can I help you with?” The curiosity in Andy's voice brings Kieran out of his little daydream. The suddenness of reality makes his cheeks sting and burn.
“I'm not sure she knows how important she is to me,” he croaks.
“Now that I doubt. I'm sure she knows how important to you she is.” Andy softens his voice, mistakenly thinking Kieran is here looking for comfort. The slight unintended pity makes Kieran want to crawl into the ground never to be seen again.
“No! It's not that!” the words fall from his mouth like a waterfall, harsh and messy. His hands grow sweaty and shame fills his eyes. This was a mistake.
Andy straightens up, clearly slightly taken aback by the younger's outburst. The older's face is contorted in concentration, searching for an answer without having to ask. He must have noticed the panic in the eyes of Kieran.
“I wanted to ask for advice on how to make her feel special… Like you have a wife, you know these things.” He scratches the back of his neck, each word making him internally cringe and retract.
“Oh?” At first it sounds like a hiccup but based on the expression on the other man's face Kieran deduces that it was Andy who was left surprised.
“Do you think,” Kieran is suddenly overly aware of everything around the two of them, “you might have any advice?”
“I can try.” Andy laughs, the sound making Kieran feel more safe and relaxed instantly, “Does she like flowers?”
“Uh I think she does,” Kieran says unsure of himself.
“What's her favourite flower?” Andy asks, leaning forward, waiting for an answer.
Kieran doesn't reply at first. He closes his eyes replaying every moment of the two of you together, trying to remember you mentioning flowers or plants. With each passing second his heart beats faster, his skin becoming moist again and worry creeps up his spine inch by excruciating inch.
“I don't know." Kieran's voice sounds pained and small and full of shame. His eyes are now lined by tears.
“It's okay,” Andy says softly. “It's still early in the relationship. Maybe you just forgot at the moment. How about we go off what flowers remind you of her?”
Kieran nods.
“How about roses?” Andy offers.
“She's not basic like a rose,” Kieran instantly retorts.
“Okay no roses.” Andy nods, mentally noting down the comment, “I'll know not to get you roses too.”
The comment makes Kieran ease up again, to relax back onto the bed.
“What about lilies?” Andy asks again.
“Too posh.”
“Daisies?”
“Not special enough.”
“Irisis?”
“No…” Kieran feels frustration creep into his mind at coming off so difficult when it's just flowers. It would have been so much easier if he had just known what your favourite flower is.
“What about peonies? They are very beautiful and I think those are special.”
Kieran shakes his head, eyes filling with tears again and his lip quivering. There has to be a million types of flowers in the world and none of them seem to hit the mark.
“Okay no peonies.” Andy nods “How about you tell me what she reminds you of? Maybe then we will know what flower to look for?”
“She's like the sun. She makes every day worth waking up to and she brightens my world. Until I met her everything seemed to just be chaos but now I feel like she's pulled me into her orbit and now we revolve around each other. Like it's not been so long since we started dating but all I think about is her and I know I sound crazy and whatever but something about her just pulls me in and I can't explain it.” Kieran's face lights up as he talks about you.
“You really like this girl huh?” Andy's smile illuminates his eyes.
“Yeah.” Kieran feels himself blush.
“You should get her sunflowers,” Andy says, “they are pretty and special and have the name sun in them.”
Sunflowers! Sunflowers are perfect! You took Kieran on your first date to the art museum to see an exhibit about Vincent Van Gogh and you spent hours telling him about how much you loved his art, especially the painting of sunflowers. You were wearing a lingerie set with tiny embroidered sunflowers the first time the two of you were intimate.
“I should send Rachel some peonies,” Andy wonders to no one in particular. “It's been ages since I sent her flowers just for fun.”
Kieran smiles at the older.
“You want some company at the flower store tomorrow?” Andy asks Kieran. “I'm sure they will let us sneak out for a few hours.”
“I'd love nothing more,” Kieran grins at his friend.
As Kieran and Andy stand at the door Kieran hugs him tightly.
“Thank you so much Andy ” his voice is muffled against his friend's shoulder.
“Any time,” Andy chuckles. “I'm here to help you on and off pitch after all.”
I'm slowly becoming a Scotland fan. I'm German but after the game I was literally SAD for Scotland for losing (this high). It's not just the players but also the fans. Like how can you be such a crazy fanbase but at the same time so damn respectfully, that is not what happens often in football 😭. So many other fans really should try to be at least a quarter of what the Scotland fans are. LOVE TO THE SCOTS OUT THERE ❤️
