Chapter Two

~Cesc~

He looked down at his watch once again. Only another minute had passed. He mentally cursed, and shoved his hand back into the pocket of his jeans.

He was leaning against one of the airport pillars, hood pulled up, wearing glasses.

And luckily, no one had recognized him as of yet. Tapping his foot, he looked towards the gates, but no one had come out as of yet. With a small groan of impatience, he pulled out his phone, and scrolled through until he found her text that she’d sent earlier.

Aina: Plane leaving a little late. Will be landing around 16:15…

‘Flight 1343 is now arriving’ the electronic voice announced overhead. Looking up, he was immediately scanning the crowd again. And then he spotted her, slipping on a pair of sunglasses.

She had already taken note of him, and headed over. He immediately pulled her into a hug, twirling her around, causing her to drop her luggage. “Hey, watch it!” she chided in Catalan lightly.

He set her down, and then picked up her bags. She started to protest, but he silenced her, and led the way to his car. “Thanks for picking me up,” she said, staying in their native tongue.
“I’m excited that you’re here. I’ll introduce you to my teammates if you promise to be nice,” he said. She pouted, “That takes all the fun out of it though…” He chuckled, and opened the door for her.

She smiled at him, and flopped in the expensive car.

He drove to his condo, glad that he’d finished cleaning before she arrived.

“Well, here it is,” he said, allowing her to look around. She clapped her hands together brightly, “Aw, you cleaned for me!” He looked at her, stricken, “How did you know?”

She grinned, “I’ve known you for so long Cesc…you’re like a sibling to be. Of course I know your habits; one of them does not include cleanliness.” He nodded, pushing back a reminder of how she had labeled their relationship as specifically platonic. He reminded himself again how Geri would react, and how it was natural that Aina didn’t feel as he did.

~Olivia~

The tall man was before her once again, this time at her door, instead of Aina’s.

“What do you want?” she asked, arching a brow. “I’m housesitting for my sister…and she has a dog. How much food do I give him?” he asked. “You couldn’t call Aina?” “She’s on the plane!” Shaking her head, she estimated the amount, and advised him to call her when she landed to double check.

“I like your painting,” he said, indicating to the one that was hanging on the opposite wall. “Thanks…?” she replied, unsure of what was even happening.

He then brightened, “So what are you doing this afternoon?” “Working,” she replied. “Where…?” “My restaurant…” He looked at her in awe, “You own a restaurant? What type of food?” “Catalan and French,” Olivia replied. “I must go! Where is it?”

~Aina~

“Are you sure you don’t want to go out?” her roommate asked as she brushed a little more gloss on her lips. Aina nodded, “I’m not much of a club person.”

Bailey nodded, “That’s fine. Don’t wait up for me.”

“Have fun,” Aina chirped, rolling her eyes at the girl. She was that type. She was a blonde, spoiled American brat who thought the world revolved around her. Groaning, Aina turned on the television, and settled for watching an old Manchester United game. She smiled upon seeing some of her brother’s old teammates. Being away had been good for Geri. But she was glad he’d come back. Her phone vibrated in her pocket.

Cesc: What are you doing?

She bit her lip as she quickly sent a reply.

Aina: Making out with some stranger on the street.

Cesc: Ha, very funny. Really, what are you doing?

Aina: Watching an old football match. Why?

Cesc: Can you come rescue me? I’m getting hit on at the bookstore.

She laughed, and stood, pulling on a hoodie.

Aina: Where are you?

She smiled, and headed to the address via taxi. Paying the driver, she walked in. He was in the sports section, surrounded by several handsy women, all of whom were caked in makeup, and all but stripping for him. She placed on a dazzling smile.

“Cesc, there you are,” she cooed in Spanish, stepping through the circle of women. All turned to glare at her as his arm grappled around her waist.

“Sorry, I got distracted by the new book,” he said, showing her the volume he’d picked up. “No matter…let’s check out. I really, really want to get home,” she purred, running a finger down his chest. He gulped, and nodded, pulling her toward the register. She giggled at it all, and played with the collar of his shirt as they waited in line, or occasionally would nuzzle into his shoulder.

Once they reached his car, she burst out laughing. “Those girls looked ready to kill me!” she grinned, buckling her seatbelt.
She turned and looked out the window, hoping the blush that’d spread over her cheeks would be mistaken for a mixture of the cold and her laughing so much. But it was all because of the man beside her. A man whom she thought of as her brother, but now as a very attractive brother – and that wasn’t supposed to happen.

She knew she was in trouble.

~Olivia~

“What do you want now, Rosy?” Olivia asked as she opened the door.

“I wanted to give this to you,” he said, shoving an envelope into her hand. She looked at it blankly. “Open it,” he encouraged. She slipped her finger under the flap, tearing it open. Inside was a piece of paper, and her mouth dropped upon seeing it. “This is a ticket to Camp Nou,” she said, flabbergasted. “Yes, normally Aina goes. But I thought you might want to in her stead?” he said with a smile, rubbing the back of his neck.

“How the hell could I say no?” she demanded. “Good!” He then shoved another thing into her arms before retreating back to Aina’s apartment.

She opened the larger package, and gasped when a large jersey tumbled out with Gerard’s number on it, and obviously in his size. She gaped at it in awe, struggling with what to do. She let out a whine, “Puta Rosy…” before going over and flopping on the sofa, jersey clutched in her hands.

~Cesc~

“Are you alright, man? You seem distracted.”

The Arsenal captain nodded, rubbing his head where the ball had just hit him, “I’m fine, Jack. Don’t worry.” The younger player rolled his eyes, and folded his arms over his chest. “So what’s bothering you? Not playing well enough? Not enough money? A girl…aha! That’s what it is!”

“What’s this about a girl?” “Cesc has a girlfriend?” “Is she hot?”
The Spaniard groaned, and ran a hand through his hair, “I don’t have a girlfriend.” “But there’s someone you like.” “Yes,” he admitted. “And she’s hot?” “For God’s sake, yes…”

“So what’s the problem? Is she a Chelsea fan and hate you?” Jack teased.

He huffed, “She’s my best friend’s little sister.” All of the guys around him winced. “Ouch,” Nasri said, patting his shoulder.
“And what’s worse is she sees me as another brother,” he added, “she told me that herself.”

Jack patted him on the back, “Well you’ll just have to change her mind about that, no?” “How…? Besides, her brother wants to kill anyone who even thinks about dating her.” “Who’s her brother?” Nasri asked. “Gerard Piqué…” Once again, they all winced, for they’d all faced the large defender.

~Aina~

Yes, Geri, I’m doing fine here in London. No problems at all. Cesc has been showing me around. Oh, speaking of Cesc, when did he get so handsome?

“I’m having a great time, Geri. But Cesc is really an idiot. Not quite on your level, but close…”

Seriously, and he sounds sexy speaking English. What is it about men with accents like that? They just ooze sex appeal, I sweat.

“Yeah, we’ve gone to see Buckingham Palace, and the Big Ben Clock. Oh, and we rode on one of those funny buses.”

I swear, those weren’t dates, but I wish they’d been. Fuck, when did this happen? I knew that he wasn’t the same little Cesc from home, but I didn’t know how handsome he’d become. And that immaturity was suddenly sweet instead of grating. What was happening to her? She had noticed some of that when he’d come home for the summer, and when he left she realized she missed him more than she thought she would.

“No, I am not going to bring home a British boy toy, idiot. I’m hanging up now – bye.”
Groaning, she threw her phone across the room onto the sofa, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Bailey waltzed out of her room at that moment. “Last chance to go clubbing,” she sang. Aina blinked, and then sighed, deciding it’d be a good distraction. “Alright, give me a few minutes to get ready.”

~Cesc~

His glare at Jack and Robin was far from subtle as he sank lower in his chair, beer clutched tightly in his hand. A blonde girl had already tried to hit on him, and it took him over fifteen minutes for her to understand he wasn’t interested. She strutted across the floor, to where another female was dancing.

She said something which made the girl stop, and then shake her head. The girl then turned as a guy tapped her shoulder, and his breath caught.

That girl was Aina. And she looked stunning.

The guy was gesturing to the bar, and she was shaking her head. Glad, he was about to relax when he saw her being dragged over. He stood suddenly, startling Jack and Robin, and stormed over. “Stop,” Aina said firmly, clawing at his hand. “I want to buy you a fucking drink, bitch. Accept it,” the man snapped.

Cesc wrapped his arm around her waist, savoring the feeling over her smooth skin of her hip under his hands. “That’s my girlfriend you’re talking to,” he snapped. He felt Aina relax against him, and her arm wrapping around him in return.

The man’s eyes widened in recognition, and he quickly backed down.

“Just play along with me,” Cesc whispered in her ear, unable to drop the act when he wished so much that it was real. He led her back to where Jack and Robin were, both staring at him in shock. “Guys, this is Aina. Aina, this is Jack and Robin.” He sat down, and pulled her onto his lap.

She shifted slightly, smiling shyly at the guys. Jack was openly checking her out, earning an annoyed look from Cesc.

“I owe you,” she said to him in Catalan. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just happy nothing happened. Why did you even come?” he asked.

She sighed, “To be distracted.” “Did it work?” “Not at all…”
He returned to talking with his teammates, his hand sliding lower from her hip. It stopped on the exposed flesh of her thigh, lightly caressing it. He felt her shudder under his touch, which in turn made him suppress a groan. God, she looked so unbelievably sexy. But she wasn’t his, and he doubted she ever would be.

~Gerard~

Would she wear the jersey? Did she even come?

The team had easily won over Villarreal, but that wasn’t where his mind was focused. He had told her, in a note, to stay in the seat after the game. After showering and changing, he ran up to the level where she sat, and was relieved to see her tiny form sitting there.

His jersey was more akin to a dress on her, which she wore with leggings and boots, but he found it adorable.

“I’m glad you came,” he said, announcing his presence. “You had a good game,” she answered, turning around, collecting her things.

“Nah…the real heroes were Messi and Abidal,” he shrugged.

“Is your ego bipolar?” Olivia asked, making him laugh. “What can I say? You make me shy,” he grinned. She blushed slightly, but rolled her eyes. “So…since you technically took me out to dinner the other day, can I take you out for dinner?” he questioned, “I know a great place with ethnic Catalan food I think you’d enjoy.” “Alright,” she agreed, surprising herself with her forwardness. He smiled, and led the way out of the stadium.

~Olivia~

He was a complete idiot.

But his childlike innocence was charming, in some absurd way. He was goofy and immature, but it was refreshing. He wasn’t trying to impress her. Instead, he made her laugh. He told her about his family, and listened when she talked about hers.
It also helped that he was incredibly handsome. She often caught herself staring at his mouth – those rosy lips. But his eyes were rather mesmerizing as well. They were such a clear blue, a trait that all three siblings seemed to share.

“So when Cesc and I told Aina she couldn’t play football with us, she drilled it into Cesc’s groin. He didn’t talk normally for a week! After than we never argued with her again, though she took a liking to Leo, and started playing with him instead…not that I blame her. He’s el puto crack!”

“Can Cesca still have children?” Gerard roared with laughter, smacking the table.

She smiled upon seeing the wide, infectious smile that spread across his features. “I don’t know…he’s not really into dating. I’ve set him up a couple times, but he always comes back pissed saying that she’s not his type. But he won’t tell me what he likes. I think the poor guy likes someone, but they’re taken.”

She shrugged, “I don’t know, but I hope for his sake Aina didn’t break him.” He chuckled once more, “He called earlier, whining about going out to the club.”

“Not the type?” she questioned. “No, I am more so than him. He like Xavi…prefers to watch old matches and such. Poor guy always calls to mope about how he misses Barcelona. He wanted to transfer, but Wenger wouldn’t let him go…” he indulged. “He told you that?” she questioned. “Well, he told Aina, and she told me,” he shrugged. “They seem close…Aina and Cesc, I mean.” “When Cesc decided to go to Arsenal, not many people supported him, but she was one of them. He has never forgotten that.”

Olivia nodded, “She said she cheered for Manchester United when you played for them.” “She actually has a soft spot for Sir Alex…they talk weekly. Somehow she charmed him into thinking she was a complete angel.”

Olivia snorted. They both knew better.