Chapter Fifteen

~Leo~

He ran a hand through his hair anxiously as he waited for Aina to come out of her apartment. When she appeared, she looked more casual than normal, but she still held an air of poise.

She wore simple jeans and a tee that had the ADIDAS logo on it.
She sat down in the backseat beside him, and buckled up.

“Excited?” he asked. She nodded, grinning at him. “I am very excited. I’ve seen pictures, and the children are precious,” she responded. He smiled at her enthusiasm, and they fell silent for the rest of the ride.

Once at the hospital, there were some photographers, but not too many. They were given masks, just in case, and were then shown to the first few rooms.

Leo watched as Aina started talking to a little girl, and ended up doing her hair, and taking a picture with her.

He ended up separating from her as he visited some of the other children. When he came back, he found her reading a story to a large group of children, doing the voices, and making hand motions that sent the kids into peals of laughter. Sh grinned at him as she finished the story, and was given another one to read.

“Would you guys like Leo to help read?” she asked. They all nodded eagerly.

He sat down next to her, and took the book from her hands.

“Once upon a time…”

~Aina~

Her smile was wide as she left the hospital. She looked over at Leo, and saw the same contented look on his features as well.

“Thanks for letting me come,” she said brightly. “Thank you for coming,” he replied.

Her eyes lit up as she turned, the light bulb illuminating in her mind. She came to a complete stop, surprising the footballer. “I just realized it!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

“Realized what?” her companion asked, arching a brow. “What I want to do once I graduate!” He smiled, glad she had finally found something that connected with her. “And what is that?” he questioned.

“Can I work for your foundation?” she questioned, “Or rather, volunteer? I don’t really need an income, what with my parents and brother.

He looked at her in shock. “That’s what you want to do?” She nodded decisively.

He lunged forward, and picked her up, spinning her around. She laughed as her feet left the ground. She wasn’t much shorter than him, but he was fit from playing professional football. “Is that a yes?” she teased. He nodded eagerly, setting her back on the ground at last.

“Did you have to do that?” she asked, struggling to maintain her balance. He just smirked, and continued onward to the car which was parked several meters away.

~Olivia~

When she woke up she immediately realized the other half of the bed was empty. Her hand felt around for the tall man, but came up empty.

She salt bolt upright, groaning at the vertigo which washed over her. “Shit…” she groaned, pressing a hand to her head.

She rolled out of the bed, and padded out of the room. She heard a soft sizzle coming from downstairs, and headed to use the bathroom and wash up before heading down. Once on the lower level, she wandered into the kitchen, and saw Gerard making breakfast. There were eggs and sausage, as well as a stack of pancakes.

“Good morning,” he said upon spotting her, “Would you like juice or water?” “Juice, please,” she said, realizing she’d never seen him cook before.

He nodded, and quickly set down the spatula, and turned to the refrigerator, grabbing the pitcher of orange juice, and pouring it into the waiting glasses. He passed one to her before replacing the pitcher back in its spot. She sat down at the breakfast bar, watching him resume prodding the sausage with the spatula, squinting occasionally to judge their readiness.

He didn’t have any of the training, or technique, but his food had turned out delicious. She took another bite of the sausage, admiring its flavor.

Normally Catalan breakfasts weren’t as substantial, but he had fallen in love with such foods over his time in England, he’d told her as they ate. It was interesting to see the mash-up of likes he had from his brief time in Manchester. He also talked about Sir Alex as if he were a second father.

At last he finished his food, and placed his dish in the sink.
“Well, I’m off to practice. I’ll see you later?” he asked. “I have work later,” she answered, leaned up for a kiss. He paused, millimeters away, “I’ll come by for dinner then.” He then closed the distance for several seconds before pulling away. “See you later, mi amor.” “Have a good practice,” she called after him. He smiled at her over his shoulder, creating an eruption of butterflies in her stomach – not from nervousness, but from girlish attraction.

The things that man did to her…

~Gerard~

“Are things better with Olivia?” Leo asked him as they shoved their feet into their boots. The tall defender looked over at the much shorter man, and nodded.

“We had a misunderstanding, I think…” he mused, rubbing the scruff along his angular jaw, “but we’re both moving forward. It’s difficult to dwell on the past.” The striker nodded, “I’m glad you two made up. Your feelings for each other are obvious to all of us, and we want you to be happy.”

He looked at the Argentine curiously.

Leo always had been quiet, but also very insightful. In time under Ronaldinho had been great for him, getting him out into the world, and loosening up.

“What about you Leo? Are you happy – I mean, you’re single…and I don’t really ever really remember seeing you with anyone.” The striker looked down in embarrassment, “Not many women are attracted to me…I have big ears and nose…they’re in it for
money.”

He looked at his friend sympathetically, “The right girl will come, amigo. You just might have to wait a bit.”

The Argentine sighed, “But waiting is difficult, especially when you know exactly what you want.” He paused, wondering if that meant Leo had someone he liked. But before he could ask, the shorter man was finished lacing up his boots, and exiting the locker room.

Sighing, he tied his other boot, and followed the Barcelona star.

~Aina~

After practice Leo came over to her place to help her decide what she wanted to do in the organization.

“Well, I’m good with English, so I can help spread things using that, not just Spanish. I can also go speak on your behalf,” she thought aloud, pondering what would be best for her talents.

“We always need fundraising, and the more sponsors we get, the better,” he agreed.

She nodded, and was about to speak when there was a knock on her door. “Hang on,” she said, and looked through the peep hole. She froze, hand grasping the handle of the door tightly. “Who is it?” Leo asked, frowning at her reaction. She sighed deeply, and pulled the door open.

“Hola, Cesc,” she greeted coolly.