Can you pliss do Jamal musiala x reader who is friends with his little sister and reader is little bit shy
jamal musiala x female reader
note: thank u for ur request, i don’t know how old his sister is so pretend there is only like a year or two age gap!
you and jamal had known each other for almost three years. three years of him coming downstairs on a saturday morning to find you curled up on the sofa with his sister, laughing at something on her phone after a sleepover. three years of hearing your tiny ‘hi jamal’ before you would immediately look back down at what you were doing. three years of watching you blush whenever he looked at you for a second too long.
his sister always described you in the same way, claiming you were just shy, to give you time and that you were actually really funny once you were comfortable. but that was the problem, you never seemed comfortable around him, as you somehow got even quieter every time he walked into a room. so, because he believed it was easier than admitting that he got nervous around you too, jamal started teasing you.
“so… have you hit your monthly world limit already?” he asked one time when it was just the two of you in his kitchen.
“no…” you would reply, smiling awkwardly as he carried on.
“hm, could’ve fooled me.”
another time you were eating dinner with his family when he suddenly turned in your direction.
“you know, i’ve never actually heard you finish a story.”
“i…” you couldn’t find the words to reply.
“you always stop halfway.” he continued laughing as his sister would roll her eyes and you’d laugh too, or at least he thought you were laughing.
if anyone had asked jamal why he teased you so much, he’d never have been able to admit the truth. the truth that he liked seeing your cheeks turn pink, that every tiny smile felt like he’d won the world over, that he wanted your attention, and that he liked you far more than he should’ve liked his little sister’s best friend. the problem was that jamal thought you understood, he thought his comments and jokes were harmless, he never noticed the way you’d started speaking even less when he was around out of fear of him noticing you and making a joke.
jamal’s sister decided to throw a party while their parents were away for the weekend, nothing huge, just close friends, you almost didn’t come, unsurprisingly crowded rooms had never been your thing, but his sister had begged so here you were.
music drifted through the house while people filled the kitchen and garden, laughing over drinks and conversations, as you stood awkwardly near the drinks table clutching your cup tightly in both hands trying not to feel out of place. jamal noticed you immediately, of course he did, he always had. he’d been planning all evening to work up the courage to actually have a proper conversation with you and stop hiding behind the jokes, however his thoughts were quickly cut short as he watched someone else walk over first. a boy he’d vaguely recognised as one of his sisters friends from university made his way over to you, tall, confident and smiling, he said something to you that made you laugh, actually laugh, and then you started talking, not just answering but talking enthusiastically to the point where your hands moved as you spoke and you smiled properly. the boy leaned against the counter, his body turned towards yours, clearly interested.
“since when does she do that?” jamal frowned as his sister looked over before following his gaze.
“oh…” she smiled knowingly, “i think ethan likes her.”
“and i think she likes him too.” she continued.
“no.” jamal uttered, his stomach tightening at the thought.
“what do you mean, no?” his sister asked, raising an eyebrow.
“nothing” he brushed off.
except it wasn’t nothing because he’d spent months convincing himself you were just shy, yet here you were chatting away with another guy like you’d known him forever. you were laughing and smiling, looking happier than he’d ever seen you around him as something hot and ugly settled in his chest and before he’d even realised he’d moved, he was walking towards you.
you looked up just as jamal reached you.
“oh.” your smile faded slightly, “hi.”
he looked between you and ethan.
“so…” he folded his arms across his chest before continuing, “you do talk.”
your face fell immediately.
“i was beginning to think you physically couldn’t.”
ethan looked awkwardly between the two of you and jamal continued before he could stop himself.
you stared at him, silence filling the space.
“you’ve said more words in five minutes to him than you have to me in three years.”
jamal laughed lightly expecting you to roll your eyes, maybe tease him back, but instead you looked completely humiliated.
“oh.” you whispered so quietly he almost didn’t hear.
“i, uh…” ethan scratched the back of his neck, looking between the two of you, “i’m gonna go grab another drink.”
ethan didn’t bother waiting for an answer, not sparing you a second glance and within seconds he had disappeared into the crowd as you watched him leave.
“there you go.” jamal smiled.
he meant it as a joke, a stupid joke, but the second the words left his mouth he realised you weren’t smiling and instead your eyes were fixed on the floor, fingers tightening around your cup.
“you…” your voice cracked slightly, “…you didn’t have to do that.”
“i was,” you swallowed hard, looking up at him, “i was actually having a nice conversation.”
his stomach sank as he saw the tears glistening in your eyes, threatening to slip down your cheek.
“i don’t… I don’t have those often.” you continued, “he was the first person all night who actually came over and spoke to me.”
every word felt like a punch to jamals gut as he blinked.
“and then…” you forced a laugh, “and then you reminded everyone why people think I’m weird.”
only silence followed as you looked up at him, eyes shining now.
“i know I’m quiet and that i get nervous but you don’t have to keep pointing it out.”
“you always do.” your voice was now barely above a whisper.
“everytime i’m here its always ‘wow you actually spoke’, ‘you know how to talk’, ‘you’re quiet’, ‘you’re shy’.” you laughed bitterly. “i get it, i’ve always been quiet, i don’t need reminding.”
jamal opened his mouth but the words wouldn’t come out.
“i wasn’t making fun of you.”
the words hit harder than anything he’d heard all night.
“i finally worked up the courage to talk to someone,” you looked towards where ethan had disappeared, “and now he probably thinks i’m pathetic.”
“he doesn’t.” jamal tried to say.
your eyes filled with tears.
“i really thought…” you shook your head. “never mind.”
“i thought maybe he liked me.”
jamal felt something twist painfully in his chest.
“but that’s over now.” you stated, placing your untouched drink on the counter. “i’m going home.”
“wait.” he moved infront of you desperately.
“please. i don’t want to cry in front of everyone.” you pleaded, stepping around him, and then you were gone.
jamal didn’t move, he simply stood there, his sister appearing besides him a minute later.
he looked completely lost.
“i…” his voice barely worked. “i think she hates me.”
“no. she doesn’t hate you.”
“then why did she look at my like that?” he asked exasperated.
“because,” she started quietly, “she’s liked you for nearly two years.”
his head snapped towards her.
“and every joke you’ve ever made, she thought you were laughing at her.” she finished, looking genuinely disappointed.
jamal felt sick. every blush, every quiet apology, every time you’d left early, every forced smile. he hadn’t been flirting, he’d been breaking your heart without even knowing it, and suddenly watching you walk out that front door felt like the biggest mistake he’d ever made.
jamal barely remembered leaving the kitchen. one second he was standing where you’d left him and the next he was outside, staring at the front gate that had already swung shut behind you.
“go after her,” his sister said quietly behind him.
he didn’t move, his chest felt tight.
“i’ve really messed this up, haven’t i?”
“i’ve been telling you for months.” she pointed out, folding her arms.
“i thought she knew i was joking.”
“no,” she sighed. “you know she’s quiet, you don’t know what it’s like to be shy. she overthinks everything, and every time you’ve made a joke about her being quiet, she’s gone home asking me if she was annoying you.”
“she asked if you only tolerated her because she’s my friend.”
“she asked if she should stop coming over.”
“stop.” he spoke, louder this time.
“i told her you were just an idiot.”
“i know, but she didn’t.”
the next day his sister came downstairs.
“she’s not answering me either.”
“i think she’s embarrassed. she said she doesn’t really want to come over anymore.”
his chest tightened. the words hurting far worse than he expected.
a week passed and then another, the house feeling strangely empty. No shoes by the front door, no quiet laughing coming from his sister’s bedroom, no cups of tea abandoned around the house. whenever jamal came home from training he found himself automatically looking towards the sofa, but every time it was empty.
“you miss her.” his mum stated one evening, smiling knowingly.
his mum reached over and squeezed his shoulder.
his chance came almost three weeks later, his sister had convinced you to come over under one condition; ‘jamal won’t be home.’. he wasn’t supposed to be but training had finished early and as he walked through the front door, laughing with one of his teammates on the phone he looked up, freezing, to find you sitting on the sofa.
“i’ll call you later.” he said into the phone, hanging up, refusing to move his gaze from your presence.
the second your eyes met his you stood up.
his sister sighed dramatically, letting you know she was going upstairs but neither of you noticed her leave as attention was focused on you reaching for your coat.
you stopped. Jamal stepped closer.
“i know saying sorry isn’t enough, but i’ve had three weeks to think about what i said.”
“and i realised.” he laughed bitterly. “i’m an idiot.”
“you don’t have to say that.”
“i do. i thought i was flirting.”
“i wasn’t teasing you because i thought you were weird, i teased you because i never knew what else to say, you always looked so nervous around me i thought that if i made jokes, you’d relax.”
a sad smile spread across your face.
“it had the opposite effect.”
“i know. i know that now.” he admitted rubbing his hand over his face. “my sister told me everything.”
jamal watched as your expression immediately filled with horror.
“you asked if i hated you.” he clarified whilst you looked like you wanted the floor to swallow you whole. “you thought i only put up with you because your friends with my sister. you almost stopped coming here because of me.”
s tear rolled down your cheek before you wiped it away.
“i didn’t want to make things awkward.”
“you’re just trying to be nice.”
jamal’s heart broke as he asked “you really believe that.”
“why else would you keep pointing out how quiet i am?”
“i notice because i notice you.”
you looked confused so he continued.
“i notice when you’re here, when you’re not, when you’re tired when you’re smiling, i notice that you only drink tea if its got way too much sugar.”
a tiny smile appeared on your face and he noticed that too.
“why?” you asked, your voice barely audible.
“because i’m completely gone for you.” he laughed softly.
“what?” your breath caught.
“i’ve liked you for ages, so long so that my teammates have started making fun of me because i somehow bring you into every conversation, but i thought you liked that boy?”
“ethan?” you asked, staring at him as he nodded causing you to actually laugh before continuing. “he was nice, but, he wasn’t you.”
at this jamal felt like he’d forgotten how to breathe.
“i only talked to him because it’s easier to talk to people i’m not trying to impress.” you confessed, looking away.
“you were trying to impress me?” he wonders, eyebrows raised.
“i’ve been trying to for about two years.”
“you’ve got to be kidding me.”
“i thought if i talked too much you’d think i was annoying,”
“and i thought if i teased you, you’d realise i liked you.”
you both stood there for a second then for the first time in weeks you both laughed properly.
“i need you to know something.” his smile slowly faded as you looked at him. “i’m never going to joke about you being quiet again, if you’re comfortable speaking, i’ll listen. if you’re not, then we can just sit together. you never have to force yourself to be louder for me.” he smiled gently.
“no one’s ever said that to me before.” you told him, your eyes filling again.
he took one cautious step closer.
“you don’t have to become someone else just because i’m in the room.”
his hand hesitated between your bodies and only when you slowly placed yours in it did he finally let himself hold it.
“i’ll spend however long it takes making it up to you.”
you looked down at your intertwined hands.
“i don’t want you to spend forever making it up to me.”
i just want you to stop making me think you hate me.” you smiled shyly as he squeezed your hand.
“i don’t think i could hate you if i tried, i’d much rather kiss you.”
your cheeks immediately turned pink.
“i’d much rather kiss you.” he stated simply waiting just long enough for you to nod, almost imperceptibly, before closing the remaining distance.
the kiss was soft and tentative, his lips brushed yours, locking, almost hesitantly as if he was afraid you’d disappear if he moved too quickly. when he pulled away, your forehead rested against his.
“you know,” he murmured, a smile tugging at his lips, “i think that’s the most you’ve ever said to me.”
your eyes widened for half a second as he immediately raised both hands, his face filled with panic desperately trying to take back his statement before you burst into laughter, real laughter, the kind that made your shoulders shake as jamal stared at you in disbelief.
“you are never living this down,” you giggled.
“i nearly ruined my own confession.”
“i was trying so hard.” jamal groaned dramatically.
“i know.” you said reaching up and brushing your thumb against his cheek. “but this time, i know you’re laughing with me.”
“always.” he kissed your forehead.
