Their Love Is Real

Tis the time of the year! 

Make any kind of fan work for the Cristiano Ronaldo x Lionel Messi ship (or take his chance to finish any incomplete works too heh), around this year’s simple word prompt: Courage. Post them on 7th October 2021 under the tag #cressiday2k21 and we’ll reblog them on our Cressi Week blog. If you’re on AO3, add it to the Cressi Day 2k21 collection! Any media is accepted, from fanart to fanfic to playlists or videos or photo edits.

We’r not rivals.

“We shared the last 14 years of our lives. It’s always amazing facing him. It’s obvious that people’s talking about our rivalry but we’r not. It’s just a privilege facing him to me.”

Summary: “I said I was a monster,” Leo says. “Did I not?” He skims his eyes up Cristiano, lets them swirl red for an instant, this time vividly, before the inky blackness comes back. “But then again, I’m not the only one.”

Summary: Cristiano looks at him in surprise. “The penthouse?” He flicks his eyes over Leo, starting with the oversized hoodie and ending with the worn sweatpants and flip flops. His lips curl in the strangest way as he finds Leo’s face again. “There’s a band staying there currently, I believe. Are you with them?” he asks as if the answer can’t possibly be yes, and Leo knows then that Cristiano has no idea who he is. “Staying with one of the members for the night, maybe?” he asks then, delicately.

Leo breathes a sigh of relief.

And then makes a face, because it sounds like Cristiano thinks he’s some booty call. Or a hooker. A sweatsuit wearing version of Pretty Woman.

Summary:

It’s not that Leo particularly minds rehearsal.

Standing up on the stage and belting his heart out is easy. He knows the songs like the back of his hand and never forgets a word. How could he? Those songs are his life. He can feel the beat under his feet, vibrating through his body with every word he sings. One moment he’s back to back with Luis, his friend’s solid muscle leaning against him as they share the standing mic, and the next minute he’s striding over to put the focus onto Neymar at the drums.

There’s a rush that comes with performing.

Leo can’t even begin to put it into words, though he’s always tried. His notebook is full of unfinished songs about the subject. But none of his words can describe what it feels like to stand up there and be worshipped by a hundred thousand people. When he stands up there, soaked with sweat after hours of singing, with the music pounding, with the pyrotechnics shooting off behind him? His body might be aching, but he’s a fucking *god*.

Chapter 3

Leo holds his breath. “This is Luis,” he says, trying to act casual while Luis holds out his hand for Cristiano to shake. “He plays bass for M.S.N.,” Leo adds while the two of them size up each other. And then when Neymar pokes Leo in the side, “And Neymar. Drums and keyboard,” he says when Neymar holds out his hand too. In the meantime, Leo tries not to draw too much attention to himself, sinking down in his seat as Cristiano studies both of his friends. “And they both sing, too, of course.”

This is the moment.

If Cristiano recognizes him, it’s going to be right now, with him between Luis and Ney.