Chapter Text
The grand hotel was bustling with uncommon energy at the news that Real Madrid’s players would pass through their halls. Paparazzi, hotel staff, and individuals staying at the lavish hotel were loudly and desperately thinking about how to go about trying to get pictures, autographs, or just to express their love and support for their favorite players as they passed by. The scene inside and outside the hotel—no matter how much security or police was present—was hectic as supporters clamored to see their finalists live and in person.
Outside the noisy hotel, a midfielder waiting outside the hotel doors grimaced at the sounds coming from around the hotel. The rest of the Real Madrid team conversed casually or laughed at some absurd joke while waiting to head inside. The sighing man turned and raised his eyebrows while gaping at how energetic his fellow teammates could be, even after a long day filled with hours of packing, group lectures, and flying.
He was worn out after dragging his luggage from place to place and was excitedly awaiting the comfortable bed, huge shower, and the chance to rest his tired mind and muscles. He rubbed his eyes with his hands in a vain effort to appear slightly energized to the multitude of cameras and fans expecting to see the team sharp and ready for the upcoming final clash with Atlético Madrid.
He also had to please the much-appreciated fans of his dear club, and there were better ways to do this than to appear disinterested.
He tiredly dropped his hand to meet the eyes of his tattooed teammate, who was already staring at him with an amused expression.
“Tienes sueño, mhm?” The tattooed teammate said to him lightly with a fond expression, dark eyes full of joy.
The smaller of the two nodded and met the taller one's eyes. Luka smiled softly at how his friend read him so well. The corner of the other man's eyes creased as he shot him a beaming smile at the midfielder, pleased with how he had made the other smile. The taller man moved closer and wrapped a built arm around the other's waist to raise his spirits.
“Is it obvious?” groaned the Croatian man grumpily while taking a hand and moving the blonde strands out of his face. The tattooed man’s eyes discreetly followed the movement of his hair while counseling the Croat with sweet words.
“It looks like you're ready to crash. I don’t like it. No te preocupes Lukita, I’ll help you with whatever you need, ok?” replied the taller man while lightly tightening his arm around Luka and placing a delicate kiss on the top of his hair. The tattooed man looked down and offered a closed-lip grin at the smile on the blonde's face and the effect his kind words had on the other man.
“Don’t start worrying about tomorrow either, I know you. During dinner, you can stay calm knowing I’m there, trust me. I don’t care who they sit you next to, I’ll be taking their seat as my own.”
The blonde man chuckled at the almost too self-assured words coming from the dark-eyed man’s mouth. The taller man gently smiled at the sound of Luka’s laughter.
“And how will you manage that?”
“I have my ways, like I said—trust me. I’ll happily be stuck to your side the entire night.”
He was silently grateful for the promise the other had made to him as he felt more comfortable and confident whenever the tattooed man was with him. After transferring to Real Madrid four years ago, he had made a deep connection with the man currently trying and succeeding to lift his spirits, Sergio Ramos.
Luka thought about how to respond to Sergio’s words and wanted to let the taller man know how much he truly appreciated his words. He felt genuinely touched by Sergio’s assurance and was now even more excited for tomorrow's dinner. Knowing the other man, he would stay glued to his side the entire night and, more likely than not, at the very least, walk him to his room.
He wouldn’t mind, though, as Sergio would always ask him to come into his room to continue the brilliant conversation they started at dinner and order an expensive bottle, a Croatian liquor he had memorized being Luka’s favorite. He was taking note of it after a passing comment the blonde had once made years ago when they first met. They would talk about anything from the highly personal to the stupidly amusing. Sergio could hook Luka in every time, for he had a captivating personality and was Luka’s dearest friend. Their conversations never failed to brighten his days and nights. Sergio would continue their talks until the sun rose; Luka would have to physically push Sergio out of his room because ‘it's far too late’ and ‘we have plans for tomorrow.’ Sergio would dejectedly drag his feet towards his hotel room while giving Luka various ‘valid’ reasons why he should stay the rest of the night. He never failed to end the day on a high note with Sergio.
The tattooed man always made sure of it.
Luka’s body temperature rose at the thought of letting Sergio know how much he truly cherished him. He didn’t know why the idea made his body feel like it had gone through the first half of a training session, but he ignored the embarrassing feeling of his face heating up and pushed through to let him know because it was Sergio. How could he not let him know? It was only a few simple words, anyway.
Sergio had always let Luka know how revered he was to him. It was only fair that Sergio understood how appreciated he was, no matter how off-balance he felt speaking. Sergio always says what he's thinking and pushes Luka to be more outspoken, so he tilts his head to look up at the taller man through his long bangs and speak.
“Gracias, I wouldn't know what to do without you here.” Luka professed in a sincere yet almost whispering tone.
He fought himself to maintain eye contact with Sergio. The taller man, in response, gave a private smile reserved for the blonde, and Luka knew it was for him.
He didn’t know why he knew.
All he did know was that he was the only one privy to the extra particular grin playing on the other's full lips. Luka was utterly bewildered to find Sergio’s eyes held a weighty quality about them. His eyebrows furrowed, and Luka could only look at the man with concern. Just as he was about to question him, a bellowing voice came from one of the louder teammates, calling them over.
Luka jumped and turned his head quickly, while Sergio followed with a long delay after having to force his eyes from the pretty blonde's face. Luka felt a bit put off by the unusual attention Sergio was giving him, but he wrote it off as jet lag. But he had to admit that the taller man’s eyes lingered on him more than ever.
It was unusual.
They both turned to see what had happened.
A stocky, light-skinned player called them over from the front doors that were far away. The man laughed with another player next to him at Luka and Sergio’s reactions. The man beside the light skin brought a tan hand to his mouth and called them over in slightly broken Spanish. The men turned to join the other players, and proud jerseys splayed with their names—Pepe and Marcelo. The team would finally enter the splendid hotel and rest up to prepare for their busier-than-normal week. They both laughed at the team's antics together. When Luka turned to Sergio, relieved that the hotel staff had admitted them, he certainly wasn’t expecting to find Sergio’s eyes already on him, with an atypical heaviness to them.
An awkward beat of silence passed between the two men.
Luka fidgeted with the long hair that curled around his neck as both men took in the impressive hotel's scenery. They both listened to the sounds of people chattering, expensive cars speeding past, and the general hustle and bustle of the hotel. They could see the inside of the hotel through extravagant glass doors, and the expectant audience and staff awaiting the team's entrance covered the marble floors and pillars. The night was cool and windy, making Luka pull his long-sleeved jersey over his hands.
Sergio’s body faced forward, but his eyes kept landing on the more petite man. The tattooed man’s sharp eyes seemed deep in thought while taking in every feature of the blonde's visage. Luka shut his eyes and inhaled to calm his suddenly frayed nerves, the cool air barely relaxing him. He felt the others gaze thickly on his skin, making him feel too conscious of how his hair looked and how tinted his skin was. He began playing with the thin collar of his Real Madrid jersey, and, after a moment, just as Luka built up the confidence to question him, the Spaniard spoke suddenly—Seemingly having made up his mind.
“Viste, Lukita? Vamonos, I’ll unpack for you tonight if you order me room service and rub my feet.”
The Croatian abruptly chuckled as he silently thanked the Spaniard for breaking the strange air between them. Luka started thinking of comebacks but came up short. His body seemed to be working on autopilot while his mind was working to find the reasoning for Sergio’s behavior. He lightly shoved the taller man and giggled at Sergio’s stupid proposition. The taller man barely moved from the playful shove and continued to stare in a way that made Luka’s clothes feel stuffy.
In the four years he had known the man, jet lag had never made him act this way.
Luka wouldn't have noticed the energy shift if he hadn’t known Sergio like the back of his hand, but the uncomfortable silence had made the more petite man feel almost skittish. Luka felt a slight adrenaline rush from how unnerved this situation had him. Did he do something wrong? What made Sergio so different tonight from all the other nights they had spent together? Luka’s thought process was derailed by Sergio moving quickly towards him. His large eyes followed the other man as he wordlessly took his and Luka’s luggage and sped off toward his teammates like a man on a mission.
Luka had to jog to catch up with Sergio’s quick pace. He caught up and noticed they would be the last ones entering the packed, far too lively hotel. His fellow players and coaches seemed to be completely fine with walking through the crowd of people, but the blonde had so much brewing in his head that he just couldn’t put on his game face. The finals were approaching closer and closer, the sponsored dinner he didn’t want to dress up for, the media outlets asking for interviews at every moment, and now Sergio’s perplexingly deep stare and meditative silence added to his already heavy load of stress.
He was standing closely behind Sergio when the large man turned and put a strong and steadying hand on Luka’s nape, silencing the turmoil in his head. Luka didn’t even notice he was staring at the large marble tiles underneath his feet until Sergio forced him to look up. Sergio’s hand played with the long blonde hair strands as he spoke. Luka loosened up and unconsciously leaned his head back into the other's touch. Sergio happily answered Luka’s unspoken demand to keep playing with his lengthy hair by gently scratching his scalp and running his hands through it.
The blonde fought a shiver from the base of his neck to his spine at the tingling sensation of Sergio’s nails, pleasantly scratching at his scalp. It was the norm for Sergio to pull and twiddle with his hair. The Croat knew that the Spaniard liked his long hair. He always complimented him on it and complained when he cut it ‘too short,’ but Sergio’s fingers kept at it longer than they ever had.
Luka wasn’t provoked into unease by the taller man taking his time playing with his hair, though. He relaxed, and the tension had left his body before he knew it. He had to let Sergio play with his hair more—wow. A deep, calm voice spoke smoothly into his ear, making his eyes shoot open from how close it came.
“Ahì estas, relajate amigo mio. Yo te tengo.” He felt Sergio 's presence comforting him from behind.
A tingly sensation overcame his head and body. The tingles made him twitch slightly into Sergio’s still-moving hands. His eyes landed on Sergio’s face in closer proximity than ever before. The closeness made him feel smothered by the other presence, and he could count the individual lashes on the other's eyes.
The moment lasted no more than a minute, and Luka was already overwhelmed by Sergio’s behavior since the bus stopped in front of the hotel. The Spaniard was acting strange, unlike him, but Luka just made excuses for him in his head.
Anyway, it’s not like he genuinely disliked the feeling of Sergio taking both their bags, having him worry over him, and reassuring him with delightful words and hands. He could get used to this. The thing was, though, what was this? Since they landed, it was like a switch flipped in the Spaniard, which conflicted Luka. He liked it, but it was odd—off-putting even. The taller man had accustomed Luka to the specific level of attention that only applied to himself, but this type felt different.
It was an entirely different affection than the norm. It was less friendly and more directed at him and him only. Luka blinked up at the taller man.
He didn't know what to make of it.
“Sólo sígame, I have a big enough smile for the both of us.” The Spaniard’s sincere yet playful words made Luka slightly relax and feel silly for overanalyzing the silence. Sergio would always let him know how he felt. After all, the Spaniard was outspoken in every aspect of his life, and Luka was no exception. Sergio got even more frank when he spoke to Luka, and Luka thought it would be difficult for him to believe that if Sergio had something to say to him, he wouldn’t know it.
The blonde couldn’t shake off the feeling of uncertainty, though. Sergio was acting as he usually did with him. He was touchy and lively and kept making Luka laugh at every moment, but the Croatian felt the heaviness behind the Spaniard's opaque eyes, and the intimate quirk of the lips was suffocating him.
Luka’s soft, appreciative grin reflected the one currently painted across Sergio's striking features. Sergio confidently stepped through the massive doors with a now calm Luka trailing closely behind them. The immediate cameras were going off, and reporters threw questions at them from every angle. The news station had Luka’s head hurting, and his body tensing, but Sergio’s charismatic nature had them through the lobby and the elevators in no time.
Luka’s body relaxed, and he let out a heavy sigh. The elevator doors closing meant he would lie in his bed unbothered for the next few hours. It was just the two of them, as they were the last two to enter the hotel, and Luka found himself extremely relieved by his current situation. It wasn't that he disliked his teammates; on the contrary, he loved them all dearly and would say they were his brothers on and off the pitch.
But Sergio was different from the rest.
Sergio seemed to understand his personality and quirks better than… well, anyone.
The generic music in the elevator played as they made it up to their destined floor. From the corner of Luka's eyes, he saw Sergio reaching into their bags and pulling out their room cards. The Spaniard handed him his card as the elevator reached their floor. Sergio stepped out first with their luggage in hand and led the blonde to his room.
“I could’ve taken my own luggage, you know?” the blonde casually claimed as they walked down the long hall towards their rooms. Sergio stood behind Luka, patiently waiting for him to enter the lodge.
“Yo se, pero I wanted to. You're stressed, and I can’t stand seeing you so riled up,” Sergio replied in a genuine yet teasing tone that touched the Croat.
Luka finally opened the unoccupied room and saw everything looked spacious and comfortable. The Spaniard whistled while following the other into his room as if it were his room. Luka didn’t mind, though. He had expected the Spaniard to take claim of his space soon. Sergio seemed to do that with most aspects of Luka’s life happily, and the Croat hadn’t even begun to notice just how far they had intertwined their daily routines.
It was a tad too late to start complaining about how Sergio seemed to be everywhere, but he was far more than content with their close friendship.
Luka turned a corner and saw the lovely and comfortable bed plopped right in the middle of the classy bedroom. Luka threw his hands in the air, quickly praising whoever on Real Madrid's management got them the massive king-sized bed and flopped himself on the made mattress. Sergio laughed fondly at how adorable the man lying on the bed was. He left the suitcases at the foot of the bed and threw himself hard next to Luka, making the Croat jump from the sheer force of it.
“¡Ya tienes tu camita, Lukita!” Sergio yawned while stretching and somehow took most of the bed space, leaving little space between them. Luka could only laugh inwardly at how Sergio magically made a king-size bed seem like a twin.
Sergio shifted, digging deeper into Luka’s bed and throwing his arms behind his head. Luka looked at the large window and took in the view. It was lovely and peaceful. He felt his eyes closing and his body melting into the covers.
“Now you can rest up. Hopefully by tomorrow, you should be back to your usual bouncy self.”
Luka turned his head to face Sergio and rested on his elbows with a drained face. He rubbed at his face while staring at the lying man incredulously at the choice word used to describe him.
“With that dinner, ugh… I don't think so. Also, bouncy…? Is that how you see me?”
Sergio peeked open one of his closed eyes and giggled at Luka’s expression. He shrugged and teased back.
“And what if that’s how I see you? There’s nothing wrong with that. You're real… springy, me gustas así.”
Luka scoffed, grabbed the nearest pillow, and pelted it at Sergio beside him, who was far too comfortable. The taller man shot up and prevented the pillow from shattering his face while giggling like a moron at Luka’s actions. The taller man laughed harder as Luka made a valiant second attempt at hitting him, but it failed. Luka stubbornly didn’t smile at his teammate's actions and sat on the bed while glaring at the other. The other simply walked back to their luggage with a goofy grin, showing off his pearly whites.
“Viste! The way you got up was super springy! You can’t fight me on this while proving me right, Lukita.”
Luka crossed his arms while fighting the smile creeping on his face. He blew his bangs out of his face while Sergio opened his luggage and started to put things away accordingly in their spots. Luka’s snarky counter died on his tongue as Sergio took extra care to put his things away just as the defender promised. Luka was shocked to see Sergio organize his clothing and other miscellaneous objects, which was exactly how he preferred.
Had he been watching the Croat?
“Just for the record, I am–in fact, not going to order you room service.”
Sergio laughed while organizing Luka’s folded clothes into the spacious drawers beside the bed.
The laughing man turned his head toward Luka and replied, “You're lucky I'm feeling generous tonight.”
Luka raised an eyebrow and mentally disagreed with Sergio. The tattooed man was always doing things like this for him, and the thought made him chuckle warmly.
Sergio absentmindedly spoke as he moved from the drawers to the far right side of the spacious closet to start organizing the blonde's shoes.
“Anyways, I was planning on spoiling you on this trip. And, I’m a man of my word. You really can rely on me for anything, you know? You're tired, the very least I can do for you is put away your stuff. I wish I could do more for you though…”
He suddenly felt a surge of fondness at the sincere words from the man starting to hang his shirts. Luka looked down for a split second to let the stupidly affectionate smile on his face. His long hair blocking his face allowed him to compose himself after Sergio’s words made him feel hot inside.
He was also very excited at the prospect of getting spoiled by Sergio. He was getting giddy as his mind started coming up with ideas about whatever Sergio was plotting for him.
All he knew was that it was going to be incredible. The tall man knew what Luka liked and always delivered when it came to that department.
After a few seconds, he saw Sergio delicately holding a suit in his hands. The Spaniard's aura was tranquil, making the blonde feel cozy as he carefully examined the designer suit.
“You’ll be wearing this tomorrow?” Sergio asked while reading the label on the garment bag. Luka suddenly felt the same self-consciousness he had felt downstairs creep up on him again. The Croat rolled his shoulders and ran a hand through his lengthy hair. He was being ridiculous. Sergio had just asked a simple question, and he was taking far too long to respond.
“Yes, I didn't pick it out though. To be honest, I don't even know who picked it out for me. They just took me to a tailor and in three days, I had a suit.”
“Can I see it?” Sergio inquired while fiddling with the zipper. His eyes darted from the blonde to the suit and back, and a hopeful gleam in his eyes made Luka sheepish.
“On me? But, you’ll see it tomorrow?”
Luka bent over to busy himself by taking off his shoes to avoid meeting Sergio’s eyes, only to look up and see Sergio’s lip twitch. The taller man looked at Luka from the corner of his eye with an expression that the blonde couldn't read.
Ramos vehemently shook his head and stood his ground. He took a few steps to sit next to Luka with the suit in his hands and nervously chuckled. Sergio took a moment and then looked up while shifting his weight to turn more towards Luka. The Croat looked at those strong hands, and his whole body heated up from where their thighs were pressed flush against each other. Luka could see how much Sergio honestly wanted to see him in the suit just from his body language and the way his eyes kept darting between him and the suit. The blonde’s eyes widened at the typically loud man's now anxious movements.
Huh, he guessed Sergio honestly did want to see him in the suit?
“Profavor, I've never seen you in a tailored suit before. Quiero ser el primero en verte tan vestido…”
Sergio extended his arms towards Luka in a hesitant manner. Sergio's pleading to see him in the lavish suit threw Luka off. His hands took the suit, and Sergio’s immediate shift in mood would've made Luka laugh—if he wasn't suddenly so nervous that he felt his heartbeat in his throat. Luka sighed shakily and nodded. He could tell the Spaniard was trying to contain himself from how his eyes gleamed, and his hands wouldn't stop fidgeting. He stood up from the bed and walked to the bathroom, suit in hand.
He made it to the sizable bathroom and took an audible deep breath in and out. He laid the suit on the white granite countertops and flattened his hands on the white stone. He looked up and stared at himself in the mirror while questions bounced around in his head. It was far too late into the night for Sergio to have him questioning his behavior and relationship with him in such a fundamental way.
His body heated up as he contemplated Sergio’s normal behavior from the start of the trip to now standing in the middle of a bathroom with an expectant Ramos bouncing from excitement at the prospect of seeing Luka in a tailored suit on his bed.
His contradicting thoughts were on the verge of giving him a headache.
He was a grown man, meaning he shouldn't be reflecting and overthinking Ramo’s actions. He wasn't young anymore; he could rationalize clearly. While Sergio's request was bizarre, it didn’t mean anything. He was just curious and wanted to see how the suit fit him. After all, Sergio’s words did ring true. The man had never actually seen him in a wholly customized suit before. It was customary for him to be curious.
Luka’s hand shot up restlessly as he ran his fingers through his hair so roughly that he winced a little.
But he still couldn’t shake off his uneasiness, from how Sergio had looked at him to his need to comfort him to his knowing precisely how he liked his clothes hung and organized. It was all too much, too fast, and he had not expected Sergio to act like this. What was it about this specific trip that had made the Spaniard act so intensely?
Luka didn’t even know that Sergio knew how he liked his clothes organized. Sergio only learned something once he had administered the knowledge to himself. Why on God’s green earth would his dear friend learn his complete routine from top to bottom only because ‘he didn’t like to see him tired’? The excuse was so vague.
The entire situation was so odd.
Granted, Sergio was acting as he always did, but Luka could sense the switch.
He understood that they had clicked instantly since the day they met. Sergio had become an immovable force in his life, and he wasn’t ashamed or scared of that at all. After four years of getting to know one another, he acknowledged that they had a connection like no other team members had with each other, and their relationship had only kept growing as the years went by.
He understood that their friendship was much closer than the average male friendship. To the point of constant teasing from his team and anyone who had observed them for more than a couple of hours; even his manager had teased them about how close they were during practices and games. The public had known that Sergio was a ‘lady’s man’ and had never expressed any interest in the opposite sex. It was delusional for him to start questioning Sergio’s intentions, especially with that information. He felt like he was going insane from the last hour or so. And, the worst part was that Luka couldn’t even begin to fathom why Sergio’s words and actions had made him feel so off balance yet made him buzz overall from the prospect of Sergio being into him.
Sergio’s behavior had unlocked a Pandora's box of locked-away desires that Luka had previously locked away deep into the recesses of his mind.
He shook his head and turned on the sink. He splashed water on his face and leaned back, tightening his eyes to clear his mind. After a moment of recollection, he looked at himself in the lit mirror, the suit, and then back at himself in the mirror. The memory of Sergio pleading and being delighted to see him in the suit made his stomach flutter.
He knew his mind had entered dangerous and unapprovable territory, which he would’ve never even breached if not for Sergio’s erratic behavior.
He felt this trip would kill him, and it wouldn’t be on the pitch.
The blonde grabbed the garment bag and took the suit out. Luka did his best to ignore his hands' shakiness while removing his clothes. He didn't know why he couldn't say no to Sergio, but he had never seen the Spaniard so nervous to ask something of him (or hopeful).
He felt almost indebted.
Sergio always gave him whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. No matter what or when he asked for it, Sergio always gave.
So, Luka felt foolish for not granting the weirdly ecstatic Spaniard the simple wish of changing into a lovely new suit.
Once undressed, he wore the suit and looked at himself in the mirror. He suddenly regretted being unable to say no to Sergio’s because he looked plain.
He had to admit, the suit was gorgeous. It was a pitch-black three-piece with shiny, intricate designs in the jacket. The tailor folded the vibrant red pocket square into a shape that resembled a rose. The suit cinched in the right areas and fit magnificently compared to his regular outfits and suits. He stepped back to admire the fit of the black slacks while his hands felt the top-notch material of the suit.
He felt especially overdressed. The suit was eye-catching, and Luka didn’t want to attract any extra attention.
He stuffed his hands in the pockets of the ironed slacks and twisted and turned to see how it fit. The suit jacket and shirt pulled tightly against his waist no matter where he turned, making his slim shoulders appear angular. His slacks were tighter than what he would go for. His leg muscles were evident through them, and Luka felt self-conscious again. The Croatian unnecessarily pulled at the jacket and readjusted the already well-fitting slacks. No matter how extravagant the suit was, he still felt like he looked plain. He looked at the bathroom door behind him through the large mirror, and his anxiety spiked at the thought of Sergio seeing him. He lightly shook his head and arms to shake off his nerves.
God, he hadn’t even gotten this anxious for a partido in years. A humorless chuckle came from the man at that thought.
He glanced up again and decided he had left the other man waiting too long. He steeled his nerves while fixing his hair, ensuring his bangs lay nicely. He fluffed up the long hair falling down his neck and made sure the ends that nearly reached his shoulders curled. One last check-over later, he deemed his appearance fit.
He exhaled roughly while his hands hesitated on the doorknob. He pushed through the nerves and slowly went to the bedroom, thinking about how Sergio would react. He was so excited to see him, making the blonde even more edgy.
Luka wanted to meet Sergio's expectations, even if he didn’t know why or what Sergio was looking forward to. No matter how hard he tried, he didn’t know why his outfit stirred up the Spaniard. He couldn’t devise an ordinary reason for the taller man to want it so badly.
He turned before the bedroom and peeked to see Sergio, his hands clasped as if praying on the spot he had sat next to Luka, elbows resting on top of solid thighs. The blonde took a deep breath and stepped numbly inside the bedroom from the pure nerves.
Sergio’s head moved faster than Luka could announce himself. Luka felt his heartbeat in his ears as he and Sergio made eye contact instantly. He forced himself to stand as calmly as he didn’t feel, as the same suffocating feeling from earlier came back as he saw Sergio’s eyes unabashedly rake in every inch of the other. His eyes were sharp yet unfocused while gazing upon the beautiful man in the designer suit. Sergio’s mouth gaped slightly, and his hands slowly fell as his eyes worked hungrily. Luka could feel his skin bloom with color as Sergio took his sweet time, taking every fold and square inch of fabric on his taut body.
The Croat could swear he even heard Sergio swallow.
Luka didn’t feel the need to protest. Sergio was getting his expectations blown away, which was, admittedly, exhilarating for the blonde. Sergio’s raw reaction stroked the blonde's ego and satisfied him. Sergio’s eyes met Luka’s as he slowly got up from the bed, and Luka could only stand there, feeling proud of the reaction he pulled from the taller man.
“Dios mío…”
Sergio stood up from his seat on the bed and stood still as the air in the room grew tenser. Luka held eye contact with the Spaniard, making the taller man’s dark eyes murkier. Luka’s body still felt numb from the nerves, but Sergio's unexpected intensity made him feel confident. A few moments passed as neither dared to speak—as not to break the atmosphere.
The moon's natural light came in through the large window and scattered across the room. The silence buzzed in Luka’s ears. Sergio appeared utterly unaffected by the fact that the man he was outright admiring was Luka, his coveted companion of many years.
Sergio then started stalking across the suddenly cramped bedroom, making Luka feel like Sergio’s stare had nailed him to the floor, where he stood deadly still. Sergio’s energy had transfixed the blonde to the point where he couldn’t move, but simultaneously, a sudden urge to get away crossed his racing mind. Sergio finally made it in front of Luka and stared as though he wanted to burn the very image of Luka into his mind.
Luka fought to keep eye contact, but the other man’s fervent gaze felt like a poor substitution for the need to feel out and just touch. Sergio’s hands twitched with the need to take, and he was sure that the heat of his stare reflected that.
The concentrated stare made the blonde finally break and lower his gaze.
God, did Sergio even notice how he was affecting him?
Luka rubbed his arm in a self-soothing motion while timidly speaking, “Do you like it? It’s a bit flashy for me, but they insisted.”
Luka cringed at how weak his voice came out, literally cracking when he asked. His face faced the ground as he took a peek at the suddenly confident Spaniard.
Sergio made it a point not to break eye contact, and Luka felt his knees almost give out at the heated gaze he felt under his clothes.
Sergio let out a disbelieving bark of laughter at the question. He gently grabbed Luka by the shoulders while walking him over to the wall-length mirror positioned diagonally from the bed. The blonde let Sergio’s firm hands lead him to the side of the room, and those tattooed hands made him face himself directly in front of the mirror. Luka was taken aback by how this simple motion took his breath away.
He could feel Sergio’s body heat, making him look down again at the floor out of fear of how Sergio was making him feel. Sergio leaned his head over Luka’s shoulder while holding onto them. He then took a tattooed hand and lightly clasped the blonde's well-defined jaw, tilting his head to look directly at Sergio’s low eyes through the mirror.
“If I like it? Is that even a question?” Sergio’s deep tones vibrated inside Luka’s ears, making his head spin in a way it had never done before.
Sergio’s other hand lightly trailed down the blonde’s back, making him jump as though electrified. The hand then stopped at Luka’s waist and rubbed up and down as if examining the quality of the suit.
Luka’s abs clenched at the touch and an almost cloying hot and honeyed feeling from where Sergio’s touch started and ended at every point on Luka’s body.
“Luka, I could die a happy man just from how you looked when you stepped through that hall…” Sergio stressed each word he ushered into the blonde's burning ears.
The hand that lightly held onto Luka’s jaw loosened and started to trail upwards toward the Croat’s heart-shaped lips. Luka’s eyes widened as his mind finally began to work after the trance that Sergio had put him in. The room stood still as Sergio’s thumb started to caress the very bottom of Luka’s pouty lips lightly, and the movement made Luka’s body drown in the hot, honeyed feeling he was experiencing.
Luka’s wide eyes lowered as he admired how Sergio looked behind him, with one hand massaging his waist and the other toying with his bottom lip. The Spaniard’s intense, opaque eyes and the hard angles of his face caught the scattered moonlight coming into the suddenly boiling hotel room. Sergio’s tattoos danced on the exposed skin on his arms and neck, making the Croat suddenly remember how insanely attractive Sergio was to him at every moment. He had trained himself well not to sexualize his friend, but Sergio had plucked this moment straight from his deepest fantasies (how much more sexy could Sergio get, ugh). Luka could mark the moment when he had let his inhibitions win the internal war he was fighting with himself.
He decided to stop thinking at that very moment.
The blonde bit his tongue to ensure no embarrassing sounds came out at the sight and feel of Sergio’s presence, completely hypnotizing him. Sergio had effectively lulled Luka’s mind and made the ends of his body tingle with excitement. At the same time, his eyes could not stop immersing themselves in just how perfect Sergio looked, touching him.
The hotel was empty and silent, magnifying each noise that came out of either of them by a thousand, yet Luka knew it was pointless to think like that.
He would always have his full attention on Sergio. The way his longer-than-average hair fell slightly on his chiseled face drove Luka crazy, and he felt the need to brush it away. The way his breathing had picked up. The way Sergio’s veiny hand was gentle with his jaw and body. The smell of his cologne. The way Sergio always treated him like a treasured possession.
It all drove Luka up the wall, no matter how desperately he tried to ignore it.
His mouth gaped slightly, which allowed a hot and heavy Sergio to pull at his bottom lip marginally harder and start moving his tattooed hands even closer to Luka’s full lips.
Luka swallowed a noise as he saw Sergio's eyes trail the movement of his Adam's apple. Luka could feel Sergio’s desire to bite and lick from the simple flick of his eyes. Sergio’s tongue ran over his bottom lip, making it appear soft and inviting as Luka’s eyes followed the movement through the mirror.
“This suit, mhm… does you more than I can even begin to describe. Te ves divino.” Sergio’s accent came out even rougher into Luka’s scalding ears, making the more petite man shake as Sergio’s thumb slowly breached his lips and touched the tip of his tongue.
Luka had no clue how he was still standing, but he was grateful that his legs hadn’t given out.
Luka couldn’t even speak. His voice was seemingly gone, and his heart felt weak as he basked in Sergio’s praise. He had never received this type of treatment from anyone, much less Sergio. Sergio’s hand stayed firmly in Luka’s mouth and played with the tip of his tongue. Luka would deny he was happy to allow Sergio’s thick fingers in his expecting mouth later. Still, his mouth merely stayed gaped for now, and his whole body shivered at the sensation of Sergio engulfing all his senses and rationale.
Sergio’s eyes were now darker and more hooded than Luka had ever seen them. Biting his lower lip while leaning forward, Sergio dragged his nose over Luka’s slender yet strong neck. Sergio inhaled Luka’s scent and visibly shivered, allowing himself to stick his face between Luka’s neck and shoulders. Luka’s body made room for Sergio’s head before he could even stop it.
The way the taller man was still staring Luka squarely into his own made him feel like someone had stuck cotton in his brain. Luka kept silent as Sergio glided his eyes over Luka’s body in the mirror. Sergio then met his eyes again, and Luka swore he wanted him to see. To see how his eyes couldn’t stop finding things to admire, how they couldn’t stop staring and greedily taking in his appearance. Luka felt his skin prickle with goosebumps wherever the taller man’s skin made contact with his own.
Luka could feel himself losing grip on reality as Sergio’s parted lips trailed dangerously over his ears, neck, and jaw. Luka threw his head back slightly and jumped when he felt Sergio’s lips stop over his racing pulse and just stay there, making Luka’s skin burn with Sergio’s warm breath on his pulse. Sergio’s eyes displayed a craving emotion he had never imagined seeing from Sergio in his entire life.
(Luka’s best teammate, best friend, and loyal confidant. The blonde never thought he could form such a close bond with anyone, much less the showy Spanish show dog Sergio encapsulated, a complete one-eighty from Luka’s reserved character. All those nights and days spent together doing nothing but enjoying each other’s company, and the many more in front of them…)
That thought made Luka shut his eyes and roughly exhale as his mind finally booted up. He couldn’t handle any more of this. His heart would give out at any second, and his boxers suddenly became claustrophobic. His body shook from the pressure Sergio had applied in minutes, and he started sweating in the stuffy suit.
Just as he was about to reach a breaking point, the blonde could see just how difficult it had been for Sergio to withdraw his hands. Sergio’s eyes took one last frantic look over as if he would never see the suit or Luka again. The blonde could see just how entrapped the taller man was by him, just from how dazed Sergio looked.
Sergio appeared as though he had just run a marathon.
Luka was left catching his breath. Finally, just when he thought his heart would stop trying to escape his ribs, he turned and opened his eyes. The blonde found Sergio sitting where the taller man had asked Luka to try on the suit with a dreamy look on his face. Luka’s mind and body were left reeling from the interaction as he watched Sergio sitting so out of it that he could only stare at Luka while balling his hands into fists.
The men took a moment to rein in their emotions and bodies. Luka glanced outside to see his room's beautiful view as he took the tension out of his entire body.
Sergio spoke first after a long pause.
“They should make it an official rule to wear suits on game days. Truly, only God knows how happy I’d be to see you in them.”
Luka stared at Sergio dumbly. His emotions and brain felt even more drained than when he had left the outside of the hotel, and not even an hour had passed. Luka stood in the same spot, not knowing where to go or how to act now.
Sergio’s face fell, and his eyes similarly went to the ground like the blondes. He let out a heavy sigh as his eyes glossed over. His body language suddenly became small and regretful as he stood up from the bed and moved Luka’s now empty suitcase inside the room’s closet.
Luka could only stare as a gloomy Sergio did everything just how he liked it, to the tee.
Sergio crossed the room and slowly moved to close their arms-length distance. The blonde fought the urge to step back, and Sergio’s mood fell impossibly lower at the Croat’s skittish movements, but Sergio still held his gaze toward Luka. Luka harshly swallowed while waiting for Sergio to speak.
The Spaniard took a moment, then gingerly reached for Luka’s hands. Even while conflicted, the blonde gave him his hand with as much—if not more, hesitation than Sergio. Luka fought to stay still, and Sergio cringed at the unease painted onto Luka’s face, yet his heated gaze never fell.
“Thank you for trying on the suit for me. It sincerely means the world to me.” Luka could hear Sergio's gratitude. His soft, murmuring voice soothed Luka and let him relax his hand into Sergio’s.
Sergio rubbed Luka’s knuckles with his thumb soothingly while looking at the Croat’s eyes unashamedly.
Luka could only remind himself to breathe.
“I’ll let you get the rest you deserve now. Hopefully, I did everything to your liking.” Sergio continued while profoundly looking Luka in the eyes. Luka could almost hear the unsaid thoughts bouncing around Sergio’s mind.
By the way Sergio had planted himself and kept looking at the blonde as if hyping himself up. Luka could tell they wouldn’t stay there for long, and he prepared himself for whatever the taller man’s mind was arranging to say.
Luka just hoped it didn’t end with him having an unseemingly sudden heart attack in the middle of this hotel room.
“Pero, realmente te ves increíble. Las palabras ni siquiera pueden comenzar a describir cómo te ves con ese traje puesto… y para ser honesto, siento lo mismo cuando te veo todos los días.Tu belleza es sorprendente, por decir lo menos.” Sergio spoke in muttered tones, but his eyes never once faltered.
Even while muttering, Sergio spoke strongly. His words held weight, and the tattooed man made sure of it. His words left no room for platonic Interpretation.
Luka blinked as his friend left him with his mouth agape at the words he would have never, not even in a million years, been expecting to come out of Sergio’s mouth. His body heated up as he squirmed under the taller man's eyes and comments. The buzzing in his ears came back, and his hand started to stick to Sergio’s as he felt his heart beat at a hummingbird's pace.
Sergio’s raw words had confirmed Luka’s thoughts. Sergio did want him to see the new tender expression and hand movements, the want in his eyes, and the intimacy of his praise. Sergio wanted to make Luka fall for him by seducing him, murmuring pretty things in his ears, gifting him wines and rum, playing his guitar for him, talking all night with him, and always being a shoulder to lean on.
If only Sergio knew just how whipped he had Luka from the moment he saw him.
He felt the need to run, yet did not.
Before Luka could panic, Sergio leaned down and raised Luka’s shaky hand. Luka gasped lightly as Sergio’s kind lips gave the blonde a light peck on each knuckle. Like a gentleman, Sergio took his bag in hand and left without saying anything.
Luka’s hand burned where Sergio had kissed him. His head was left reeling as he heard his door shutting and closing, indicating a leaving Sergio. His room felt cold and far too huge in the absence of Sergio. The thought made him feel delirious as he lamely dropped his hand from where Sergio had left it in the air.
After a minute or two, the sensation in his body finally returned, and his mind started to process what had happened.
Luka walked over to his drawers and pulled out a white undershirt and black boxers. He had to get out of this suit immediately. The Croat rushed over to the bathroom and took off the suit haphazardly, leaving it forgotten on the bathroom counter. He then threw on some boxers and a white tee while still disbelieving Sergio’s actions.
After getting ready for bed, the blonde exited the bathroom and walked over to the mini fridge as his mind unhelpfully relived the last few moments. He took a cold water bottle and, as he drank, realized his mouth had gone dry. It wasn’t surprising considering how many times Sergio had left Luka’s mouth hanging open dumbly with his words (and hands, his brain helpfully supplied).
He left the water bottle on his nightstand and bed's edge while still processing what had happened. He felt as though he was disassociating with how easily he had turned off the lights, laid down on the bed, and thrown the plush covers over himself. The room's calm atmosphere had returned as Luka stared at his roof, trying in vain to relieve the tension from his stiff muscles. The room was so deadly silent that he could hear buzzing as the soft moonlight bled into the room in a picturesque way he would have appreciated (if he wasn’t so utterly distracted). The small man could see the mirror Sergio had moved him in front of from the corner of his eyes.
He shifted in bed as the memory made him feel hot and bothered.
Though he tried to force his body to relax, he simply could not. Sergios’s actions had made him question his entire relationship with the man. The friendship they had built over these few years, which had gone through hardships and difficulties, was now being challenged and seen in an entirely different light by Luka.
Though Luka could try to once again make excuses for the man, this was simply too much. He could try his hardest to put this night behind them, but Sergio left no room for platonic interpretation with his flattering words and loose hands.
The more he replayed the night in his mind, the more he found himself conflicted.
When he and Sergio first met, he could remember how taken aback he was at how handsome Sergio was. The tall Spaniard had taken a liking to Luka and stayed close to his side from day one (even with their rocky beginnings). Luka recalled how overwhelmed he was in proximity to the striking and loud man. The blonde tried his hardest to avoid the extroverted man, hoping to have minimum interaction with him.
He would say hello, sit beside him, review game film, and have casual conversations during practice, public signings, etc. Luka had an entire game plan ready to minimize his and his hot new teammate’s interactions, but Sergio had incredibly differing plans.
His hands would always get clammy when Sergio unnecessarily guided him through the training facility that Real Madrid’s assistant coaches had already gotten him accustomed to. He would always try to turn down Sergio politely, but the bold man would get far too close and wink at him in a way that made Luka’s stomach twist. Sergio’s arms would always end up wrapped around him and lifting him off the floor, no matter the occasion. Sergio would always be next to him for photographs, award shows, partidos, training, and any excuse that Sergio could find to be next to him.
Sergio was not the only one to blame, though. Luka should have been colder to him, but in hindsight, he fed into Sergio’s unnatural need to be next to him.
The blonde would never admit it to himself, but having such attention from such a charming man made him feel special. It allowed him to live a fantasy he would never have the privilege of experiencing.
Even from the start, Sergio would always pull, and Luka would push. The taller man would always find a way to get Luka next to him, though, no matter how cold he acted towards Sergio. The Spaniard always knew how to melt his frigid walls and intertwine himself in Luka’s life before the lithe man could even protest.
While he had never gotten into a serious relationship with a man, Luka could admit that he found men attractive. He had never acted on these feelings but realized they were there. The blonde remembered a few players on his old team that made him stare longer than socially acceptable. He could recall being a young man in Croatia, realizing he was different. He could also depressedly remember the repercussions that came with being an openly gay man, so he kept it close to his chest forever.
He never could act on these impulses if he wanted to, no matter how badly he wanted it.
Just the thought made him feel nauseous.
His career was far too important to him to give it all up for a love he never thought he could have. Anyways, he knew he was into women as well.
Luka always hoped to find an attractive young Croatian woman, fall in love, settle in a quaint little house in his home country, and have children together. He never, not even in his wildest dreams, thought that he would have a man pursuing him. And for that man to be Sergio?
It was like a sick joke that life was playing on him.
Luka let out a dry chuckle at the thought of Sergio pursuing him romantically. Sergio had never shown any interest in the same sex—not a glance, not a comment—absolutely nothing indicated his being into men, but Sergio had been so open. His dearest friend had blatantly broken through the several well-placed and fortified walls Luka had built between them, only to crash into them and demolish them in a single night.
Luka had very set boundaries in place for him and Sergio. The blonde tried his hardest to remain only friends as two male friends.
To not have his eyes all over Sergio and not to have memories of Sergio dancing underneath his closed eyelids in his more intimate moments, even Luka, with his iron will, couldn’t stop Sergio from appearing in his mind. Those images of Sergio sweating while working out or his arms flexing while telling a funny story. Sergio was always well-groomed and smelled like expensive cologne. The way his tattoos moved around the intricate muscles on his fit body. The defender always cared and thought of him, even in the most minor ways. And, especially not on how easily Sergio could carry him, muscular biceps wrapped around his trim waist. Luka could feel Sergio’s beard scratch him as he leaned to kiss him on the cheek, and the simple sensation of Sergio’s beard on his neck made him shiver.
Luka threw the plush blanket off him as a heat wave ran over his body to the compelling images swirling around in his head.
He turned his head to look at the mirror, standing innocently with such a conflicted look that he couldn’t make out the expression he was pulling. His eyes were soft and low, yet the lines around his mouth drew his large lips into a tight, straight line. His whole body expresses the clash of emotions in the pretty Croat’s mind.
Luka sighed so profoundly that his lungs shook with the effort.
No matter how badly he internally fought with himself, he knew how badly he wanted this. How the mesmerizing fantasy of having the only man he’d ever consider confessing to (in his weaker moments) being put at his feet on a golden platter. He would have never expected that from the Spaniard, but as he painstakingly went through the memories he had made with Sergio, he could find questionable moments.
Sergio had always been one for physical affection: hugging and jumping on his teammates, dancing with them, kissing them, but as Luka dove deeper and forced himself to take a closer look, he could see where he missed some things.
Since the day Luka met Sergio, he had to push his eyes, attention, hands, and himself off the man when he saw him. It wasn’t an obsession, but the closest Luka had ever come to another having that level of subconscious control over him. Luka, therefore, forced himself to filter out Sergio until he became a part of everyday life. Still, the signs were obvious now that he examined his relationship with him.
Sergio would dote on him to the point of teasing from outsiders. He had introduced Luka to his family with an unfamiliar, nervy smile on his usually confident face. The defender would bring him gifts from all over the world, constantly offer food and drinks to ‘see that bright smile,’ and always fight to be next to Luka—no matter the occasion. For goodness sake, he even wrote and dedicated a song on the guitar to Luka when he was learning!
Luka’s stomach flipped, and his face grew hotter as he started to view the Spaniard’s past and current actions through a romantic lens. Sergio was practically courting him, and Luka had voluntarily closed his eyes to the nature of Sergio’s words and actions to the point where he had not even noticed. Even though he wore thin clothes and threw the plush covers off of himself, his bed felt like a furnace, and the room suddenly became too small.
He sat up quickly and regretted it immediately as the room shook slightly, dawning this earth-shattering revelation.
He ran a trembling hand through the long blonde locks, which were starting to stick to his forehead. He had no idea why he had sat up, but his body had to move. The adrenaline coursing through his body made the tips of his extremities tingle as he felt his heartbeat in his chest.
The calm air of the room lingered in the cool air of the hotel room in a startling juxtaposition to the lively Croat sitting on the bed. The cold floor froze Luka’s bare feet, but Luka could barely feel it as an entirely new world opened up to him in the form of a man Luka had wanted so badly that he physically felt his absence whenever the Spaniard was away from him.
His large pupils dilated at the thought of being given the privilege of being Sergio's one and only partner. Luka could practically taste it as his mind raced through how it would be to have this good-natured, kind-hearted, handsome, and great friend of a man as his official lover.
His brain nearly burst from the surge of serotonin that rushed through his neurons at the thought of having that beautiful man giving himself to him as his devoted, one and only partner.
Luka’s mind racked for (non-existent) reasons to be wary of Sergio’s past actions, but he felt a strange thrill at the knowledge that Sergio wanted him as more than a friend. Luka felt a smile slowly creep onto his face, and he couldn’t wipe it off, even if he wanted to.
Sergio wanted him as a lover…
The tattooed man always told him how handsome he was, but this was significantly different. Sergio had let Luka know he wanted Luka’s body in the sexual sense as well. Luka never considered himself undesirable, but he never found himself highly attractive. His grin grew as he remembered how Sergio’s eyes drank in his appearance like a dying man who had stumbled upon a life-saving oasis.
Luka felt a small surge of confidence at the vivid memory.
The sitting blonde’s thought process abruptly stopped as he remembered how late it was. Sergio’s untimely confession made Luka’s mind work far past business hours. He grabbed his charging phone from his bedstand table and squinted at the bright light invading his sensitive eyes.
His eyebrows shot up as he read the current time. The digital clock read well over one am, and Luka groaned. He needed to be asleep about two hours ago, but Sergio had to come and rock his entire world in a single night.
Luka's anxious thoughts rapidly overtook his giddiness about the tattooed man. At the moment, things seemed like a dream, but the reality was that Luka would have to meet the other man eye to eye tomorrow. On top of that, Luka also had to act completely normal in the morning.
Well, as normal as he possibly could with the object of his desires across the room.
His heart rate picked up, and suddenly, he felt a pang of nervousness hit his stomach so fast that he was experiencing slight waves of nausea licking at his throat. Luka held onto his abdomen and centered himself by taking deep, controlled breaths. He grumbled in frustration at the feeling of helplessness that overcame him.
Sergio wasn’t even present, yet Luka was affected as if the Spaniard was in the spacious bedroom with him.
With heavy limbs, Luka slowly got up and went rummaging around his previously unpacked bag. His frustration grew as the melatonin pills he was looking for somehow evaded his tired hands. His eyes started to ache from straining to stay open after such a tiring day, and his body felt no indifference, showing how worn out it felt with each creak of his bones.
Luka stubbornly gave up and attempted to start up his brain to remember where he had put them. His mind finally racked up where he could have put that damn bottle. After a beat, his chest warmed at how the taller man remembered where he liked putting his melatonin medication.
He dragged his feet to the bathroom and pointedly ignored the costly suit thrown across the granite countertop. He’d feel bad for treating the suit so poorly in the morning, but for now, he took the bottle with a genuine smile, thinking of how Sergio cared enough to unpack for him. He popped two in his mouth and washed them down, praying that the small pills would knock him out.
He sighed as he finally got comfortable in the large bed and threw the covers over himself in a valiant and final effort to go to sleep. After such a physically and emotionally exhausting day—in addition to the melatonin pills—Luka’s eyes shut quickly, and the medication answered his prayers for sleep; the thick cover of sleep halted his mind.