acchikocchi: (footie // the other rm)
acchikocchi ([personal profile] acchikocchi) wrote2011-06-07 01:08 am

ficlet

[livejournal.com profile] nahco3 posted hers, so I'm doing the same. :) background information: this is based off a brainstorming session inspired by the universe of [livejournal.com profile] meretricula's fabulous soulbonding fic the best luck I had was you. the angsty Raul/Mori backstory scenario is outlined here and here in particular.

as for this ficlet, the game in question was played 23 March 2008 and went pretty much as described here. the television footage tragically didn't focus on the right players after the match, but fortunately right-minded internet people were on hand with cameras.

and [livejournal.com profile] nahco3's DV/DS ficlet that she wrote for meeeee is here. :D

Raul/Mori, 850 words. other pairings predictably implied.



It's hardest playing Valencia. They've gotten used to it, otherwise -- Raúl hates that he can say that. The bond isn't as strong as it used to be, and he hates that, too. But when they play Valencia, Fernando's so close, but it's all wrong, disorienting, like looking in a warped mirror. Fernando's there but he isn't. The first time they played each other, Raúl could barely figure out which way to run.

He doesn't have that problem now. He scores, and scores again. But so does David Villa, and at the last minute, someone else entirely tears the game away from them. Final score: 2-3, Valencia.

Fernando's coming for him almost before the whistle blows -- he doesn't need to look to know that, even with the years and miles that have weakened the bond. This close, he couldn't possibly not feel him. When he finally turns around Fernando's right there, wrapping him up in one of those smothering full-body hugs. Raúl relaxes and breathes in, feeling the warmth of Fernando's thoughts as strongly as that of his arms, all wrapped up together.

When they separate, Fernando's smiling, and Raúl can't help smiling back. "Meet you after?" Fernando says, not really a question, eyes dancing. Raúl nods.

In the locker room, he's far enough from Fernando that the warm, fizzing cocktail of adrenaline and and excitement and happiness fades away, and there's room for the fullness of defeat to sink in. The rest of his team is quiet; the everyday clinks and rustles of the post-match routine are broken only by the occasional murmur. They're still top of the table -- but. But.

Eventually, they start to revive, as they usually do. Saviola invites anyone who wants to come over for a barbecue; he says it's good luck.

"Coming?" he asks Raúl.

"I'm sorry," Raúl says, politely regretful. "I'm meeting someone."

It doesn't mean anything to most of them. Iker's almost the only one left who remembers. He doesn't say anything; in fact, he carefully avoids Raúl's eyes. Raúl gets the feeling he doesn't totally approve. He'll be a good captain, eventually. Right now, it's just too bad.

Raúl can feel a faint warmth ahead as he makes his way toward the exit, just enough to tell him Fernando's waiting already. It strengthens as he gets closer, until he's close enough to hear a voice that's unmistakably Fernando's, from the end of the hall. Then he hears the second, and stops.

" -- beat them at their own fucking stadium, aren't you -- " Raúl can't make out the end of the sentence. He takes a few steps more, rounds the corner, so that he can see them, two shapes outlined by the floodlights of the parking lot coming in the open door.

Fernando must feel Raúl nearby, though nothing about him shows it. Now that he's close again, when Raúl tries he can pick up a little of what Fernando's feeling: a little wistfulness, a little wry amusement, a flash of possession.

"I'm happy," Fernando says, sincerely. "It was a good match. You were good, David. The first goal, especially."

Villa makes a noise of irritation. "That's not the point. You just -- fuck." There's a thud, followed by a steady stream of cursing. Raúl can't see, but he thinks Villa's kicked the wall.

It takes a minute for Villa to calm down. When he does, another minutes passes where neither of them speak. Fernando clears his throat, and says carefully, "Shouldn't you be -- "

Villa draws in a sharp breath. Then he snarls, "I don't need you to tell me what I should do."

He spins on his heel and stalks outside. Fernando watches him go.

Raúl comes forward. He doesn't say anything, and after a while Fernando lets out a sigh and turns toward him.

"Will that be all right?" Raúl asks -- he hopes neutrally.

Fernando exhales. "I'm fine. He's -- well." Fernando shrugs. "It's hard for him, right now."

It's hard for anyone at Valencia, Raúl thinks, but doesn't say so. Fernando knows what he's thinking of course, and grimaces. "Not just that. There's -- I don't know where to start -- "

He doesn't want to talk about it, but he thinks he has to. Raúl shakes his head, cutting him off. "You don't have to tell me anything, not unless you want to." Fernando looks skeptical, and Raúl says, "I'm not his captain. Or yours."

Fernando's brow furrows. "Raúl," he says.

Raúl presses his lips together. That's not what he meant; he's not thinking about that. He doesn't want to. He says almost the same thing to Fernando: "Do you really want to to talk about it?"

Fernando starts to speak -- then stops. "I... don't, really," he says, sounding a little surprised. "I don't even want to think about it. For now."

"Then don't," Raúl says.

Fernando gives him a smile, one of those smiles Raúl thought would melt him like candlewax, when they were younger. "All right," he says.

Fernando kisses him. Raúl closes his eyes and tries, for as long as the kiss lasts, to remember the time when he didn't know it wouldn't be like that forever.
ext_475658: (raul y mori | let's go old school)

[identity profile] distira.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 05:40 am (UTC)(link)
they will never not be heartbreaking
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[identity profile] acchikocchi.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 05:44 am (UTC)(link)
It doesn't help that I go for angst like a shark scenting blood in the water. XD I suppose you could write, like, cute early days fic? but you'd know that tragedy was looming in the distance.
ext_475658: (raul y mori | let's go old school)

[identity profile] distira.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 05:48 am (UTC)(link)
jaja brilliant analogy

it's like the thundercloud you know is coming, yet you go outside anyway. even happy early days would be dinged with soul-drenching sorrow because you know how it has to end

[identity profile] nahco3.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 06:38 am (UTC)(link)
YOU. THIS. SLDKJFLSKDJGLKDJGLKJG. essentially my reaction is unchanged.

I feel so proprietary of all of this though. MINE MINE MINE YOU WROTE IT FOR MEEE MUAHAHAHA and so on.
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[identity profile] acchikocchi.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 10:28 pm (UTC)(link)
LIKE I DON'T, as evidenced by the incredibly subtle strikethrough up there.

(YOU KNOW WHAT WILL MAKE ME WRITE YOU MORE THINGS. though maybe this is not the comment I should leave on the heels of, um, another demanding one. I trust you know it's all said with love. and flexibility.)

[identity profile] nahco3.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 10:35 pm (UTC)(link)
LOVE AND FLEXIBILITY, who are you, Sergio Ramos? XD

and I don't mind, don't worry. I'll write more of something for you today.
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[identity profile] acchikocchi.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 10:40 pm (UTC)(link)
ksdadlfslfajsdfjldjfdslfds. sergio ramos would never be so unaware of a double entendre.

:D :D :D ♥

I should write too. short vacation is over, I have no more excuses. *prods WIP folder unenthusiastically*

[identity profile] nahco3.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 10:55 pm (UTC)(link)
I wrote you like 2000 words of Greek gods fic. I'm just saying, you know. quid pro quo or whatever.
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[identity profile] acchikocchi.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 10:58 pm (UTC)(link)
NO I KNOW I'm starting to feel guilty here and that usually doesn't happen until sometime after I should feel that way. XD okay it's either Raul/Alvaro or CRon/Leo time. we'll see which likes me more.

[identity profile] nahco3.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 11:01 pm (UTC)(link)
dkjflsdkajglkdfjglkdfjglk. YOU KILL ME EVERY TIME YOU EVEN TALK ABOUT WRITING.

maybe I will even attempt greek gods sexytimes for you. since intense angsty fic progress has been...slow. plus I am having a social life RIGHT NOW and that puts a cramp in my writing style, haha.
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[identity profile] acchikocchi.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 11:07 pm (UTC)(link)
NOW YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL. only you actually follow through on it so I've gotta step up my game.

and by know how I feel I mean know how I feel RIGHT THIS MINUTE skldjkal;jdksf. I would be. very appreciative. I mean, for now you can socialize I guess. but eventually.

[identity profile] nahco3.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 11:10 pm (UTC)(link)
my follow through is actually kind of limited, but that's ok. I'm trying to improve. XD

I KNOW YOU WOULD BE. the things I do for you. and haha, my friends at home are actually awesome so I say things like "oh I need to go write fic" and they're like OK WE'LL JUST EAT THE COOKIES YOU MADE US. what a good relationship this is.
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[identity profile] acchikocchi.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 11:15 pm (UTC)(link)
omg I'm so envious. my fic-writing RL friend is like WRITE A THOUSAND WORDS OR YOU CAN'T HAVE DINNER. which, okay, I was working on [livejournal.com profile] cornerflag at the time so actually that was kind of a good thing.

[identity profile] nahco3.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 11:36 pm (UTC)(link)
hahaha, if someone tried to deprive me of food I might kill them even if they meant well. ALTHOUGH YOUR CORNERFLAG FIC WAS SO GOOD SO THAT IS VERY OK WITH ME SORRY.

[identity profile] louis-quatorze.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 09:21 am (UTC)(link)
awwwwww. ;_; This is lovely, though.

(now I want to write soulbonding fic.)
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[identity profile] acchikocchi.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 10:29 pm (UTC)(link)
:))) Thank you.

(DO IT. Those old school Arsenalistas are calling you. or, you know, anyone else you felt like.)

[identity profile] louis-quatorze.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 10:45 pm (UTC)(link)
(Freddie Ljungberg and Dennis Bergkamp! I have it all unspooling in my head. But this one is a non-sexual one, so when Jens shows up the next year (they do the bonding in early 2002 after Robert Pires got injured) he's all like "um what can he hear everything" and Dennis is the most intimidating older brother ever.)
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[identity profile] acchikocchi.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 10:48 pm (UTC)(link)
.....aw, that is AWESOME. and a nice contrast to the "soulbonding is true love!!1!" crowd over here. *guilty cough*

[identity profile] louis-quatorze.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 10:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Thierry and Robert have that covered in Arsenal. :D they see how well it worked for Freddie and Dennis so they make Dennis take them to Amsterdam (you know, because it's a Dutch thing) and get it done, except it's Bobby and Titi so OBVIOUSLY true love abounds. Dennis and Freddie are more about making perfect runs and intimidating Jens (not that Freddie doesn't have a bit of a crush on Dennis but Dennis is pretty devoted to Mrs. Bergkamp).
Edited 2011-06-07 22:52 (UTC)
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[identity profile] acchikocchi.livejournal.com 2011-06-08 02:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, yes, yes! This is all wonderful. You should write at least a ficlet or something. :D Particularly Dennis messing with Jens. Hee.

[identity profile] louis-quatorze.livejournal.com 2011-06-08 03:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Dennis is totally the worst big brother ever to poor Jens. All "what are your intentions" and "I can tell when he's upset". Which Freddie just finds hilarious, so he's no help at all. :D

[identity profile] meretricula.livejournal.com 2011-08-17 03:58 pm (UTC)(link)
I keep meaning to ask and forgetting - would you be all right with me linking this to the original prompt on the kinkmeme? I'm closing up everything I had still going there (blah blah I do not need to put up with this kind of treatment and I am much happier not bothering with that place/my OCD compels me to at least link to where things will be completed instead) but I don't want to publicize your work if you're not comfortable with it.
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[identity profile] acchikocchi.livejournal.com 2011-08-19 05:44 am (UTC)(link)
So sorry for the delay - yes, of course, link wherever you like! It was awfully nice of you to acknowledge my sandbox intrusion in the first place. :)

[identity profile] meretricula.livejournal.com 2011-08-20 01:07 am (UTC)(link)
all done! and it's my pleasure. :) I'm just encouraging you to do what I want you to!

WHAT.

[identity profile] labelledcaustic.livejournal.com 2011-10-21 03:57 pm (UTC)(link)
WHY DID I NOT KNOW THIS EXISTS IN MY UNIVERSE?

Why. Why. Why does this fic-- why do I want this to be real but not because I don't want them to ever be sad ever, but now I'm sad. And happy. There are many emotions playing here.
ext_20958: (footie // the other rm)

Re: WHAT.

[identity profile] acchikocchi.livejournal.com 2011-10-22 11:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Ahahaha I don't know! I'm happy you found it now, though! :D And thank you -- it's not Raul/Mori without lots of Feelings, after all.

(And, er, it's usually pretty awkward to pimp one's own fic but I feel like I should mention that I also wrote a longish Raul/Mori AU back in March, just in case. XD)