The Girl He Sees
Pairing:Lamine Yamal x Reader
Word Count:3206
Request open!
Football Masterlist
You always sit in the same seats.
Row 14, seats 7 and 8. Your father jokes that theyâre older than you are, that theyâre practically part of the family. He pats the plastic armrest every match like itâs a dog thatâs followed him home.
âHome sweet home,â he says as you both step into your row, the stadium already buzzing. âBest view in the world, eh?â
You smile, tucking your scarf tighter around your neck. âYou say that every time.â
âAnd Iâll say it when Iâm eighty,â he replies, dropping into his seat with a groan. âTheyâll have to carry me out.â
You sit down next to him, your heart already beating a little too fast. The players are finishing their warm-up. You know exactly which one youâll start watching.
Your father elbows you lightly. âHeâs starting again,â he says. âYour boy.â
âHeâs not my boy,â you mumble, staring determinedly at the pitch.
âSure, sure,â your father says, but his grin is maddening. âThe way you scream when he scores, you couldâve fooled me.â
You open your mouth to protest, but your eyes find him,Lamine,jogging toward the sideline to take a last drink of water. Heâs laughing at something one of his teammates says, and then he glances up.
You swear heâs looking right at your section.
Your lungs forget how to function for a second. He shields his eyes from the stadium lights with one hand, scanning. Row 14. Your row. Your seat.
No way heâs actually,
His gaze catches yours.
Itâs barely a second. A flick, a lock, a tiny familiar jolt that hits you square in the ribs. His mouth curves, just a bit, like heâs found what he was looking for.
You go rigid.
Your father frowns. âYou all right?â
âFine,â you squeak.
âYou look like youâve seen a ghost.â
âDonât be dramatic,â you say, heat crawling up your neck.
On the pitch, the whistle blows. The match begins.
It started a few weeks ago,at least, thatâs when you noticed it.
Heâd pulled off some ridiculous run, dribbling past two defenders, and youâd reacted before your brain could intervene. Youâd stood up, hands clasped to your chest, and shouted his name like heâd personally saved your life.
When the ball hit the back of the net, the stadium exploded.
You jumped. You screamed. You beamed so hard your cheeks hurt, spinning to your father.
âDid you see that?â you gushed. âDid you,he just,he went past both of them,â
âEasy, easy,â your father laughed, grabbing your coat so you wouldnât tumble forward. âYouâll end up on the pitch at this rate.â
When you turned back, breathless, Lamine was jogging toward the corner, teammates piling onto him.
And then, mid-celebration, he looked up.
Straight at your section.
You still remember the way his eyes seemed to find you, even in the chaos. Youâd frozen, mouth parted, heart stuttering. Your scarf slipped down your shoulder. You mustâve looked like an idiot.
Heâd smiled, quick and real, before letting his teammates drag him away.
Youâd spent the rest of the match trying to decide if youâd imagined it.
But then it kept happening.
Warmups. Corners. Throw-ins near your side. His eyes flickered up, searching. Always toward your seats. And whenever you met his gaze, your face betrayed you,joy, panic, awe, all written loud and clear.
Your father noticed something was off.
âYouâre awfully invested in that boyâs career,â he said one night as you walked home. âThink he owes you commission?â
âHeâs just⊠fun to watch,â you muttered.
âMhmm,â your father hummed, unconvinced. âIf your smile gets any brighter, theyâll have to dim the stadium lights.â
Tonight, though, the stadium feels different. Louder. Closer.
Every time Lamine gets the ball, your stomach does somersaults.
âGo on,â your father murmurs, leaning forward. âTake him on, lad.â
Lamine cuts inside, slips past a defender, and the crowd rises with him. You rise too, your body moving before your brain. Your hands are pressed together under your chin, your eyes wide.
He shoots.
The ball whistles just past the post.
The entire stadium groans.
You exhale like someone knocked the wind out of you. âSo close,â you whisper.
Down on the pitch, he curses under his breath, then glances up toward your section as he jogs back.
Youâre still watching him, caught.
He sees your disappointed little wince and huffs out a breath, almost laughing, like your reaction amuses him. He gives you a tiny shrug that says, My bad.
You feel your lips curve without permission.
âAre you smiling at a missed shot?â your father asks.
You yank your scarf up over your face. âNo.â
âLiar.â
Half-time comes with the score still 0â0. You scroll your phone out of habit, thumb flicking, not really looking,until a notification freezes you.
Your father glances over. âWhat are you frowning at?â
You open the article link with a pit in your stomach.
Itâs a photo from last weekâs match. Lamine in the foreground, looking up, mid-celebration. In the background, blurred but unmistakable: you, hands to your mouth, eyes shining, leaning over the railing like youâre about to leap.
The headline punches you:
WHOâS THE GIRL LAMINE CANâT STOP LOOKING FOR?
Your veins turn to ice.
âDad,â you whisper. âDad.â
He leans closer, squints at the screen. âWhat the,â
There are other pictures in the article, from different angles. Lamine looking up. You in the background again and again, always in the same seats. Comments already piling up underneath.
He keeps looking in the same direction after he scores??
Bro found his lucky charm.
Find her @ the club, do it for science.
Your head spins.
âThis is bad,â you say. âThis is so bad.â
Your father reads silently for a moment, jaw tightening. Then he looks at you.
âDid you know about this?â he asks.
âNo!â you protest. âI mean, I knew he⊠sometimes looked up. But I thought,I donât know what I thought. I didnât think people would,â
âHey, hey,â your father says quickly, seeing the tremble in your hands. âItâs just some gossip article. Youâve done nothing wrong.â
Your heart drums against your ribs. âBut what if people find me? What if he gets annoyed? What if,â
The whistle for the second half blows, cutting through your spiraling thoughts.
âLook,â your father says gently. âIf you want to leave after, weâll leave. We donât have to come to the next one if it makes you uncomfortable. All right?â
You nod, throat tight. You try to push your phone back into your pocket and pretend you didnât see it.
Down on the pitch, the players take their positions again.
When Lamine looks up this time, he finds you⊠smaller. Wrapped into yourself. Your scarf pulled too high, your shoulders hunched.
His gaze lingers.
You duck your head.
You donât see his frown.
He scores in the 72nd minute anyway.
Itâs a brilliant goal,low, precise, the kind that makes the whole stadium roar. Your father jumps up, swearing happily, grabbing your shoulders.
âLook at that! Look!â he shouts.
You clap, you stand, you cheer,but you donât let yourself look at him. You stare at the big screen instead, where the replay loops over and over.
You can feel it, though. That pull.
You know, without seeing, that heâs searching for you.
You keep your face turned away.
After the match, your father threads his arm through yours and steers you toward the exits.
âWeâll go straight to the car,â he says. âBeat the traffic. Weâll talk about that article properly at home.â
You nod, still dazed, the stadium noise ringing in your ears like an echo.
Youâre almost at the gate when a security guard steps into your path.
âExcuse me,â he says, and your stomach drops. âAre you seat fourteen, row seven, seat eight?â
Your father narrows his eyes. âWhy?â
The guard checks a note on his phone, then looks back at you with a kind of careful politeness that makes you even more nervous.
âPlayer request,â he says. âIf youâre comfortable, one of the players would like to meet you.â
Your brain flatlines.
Your father blinks. âYouâre joking.â
The guard shakes his head. âI can escort you both. If youâd prefer not to, thatâs fine too. No pressure.â
You stare at him, mouth dry. âWhich player?â
The guard looks faintly amused. âI think you know.â
Your father turns to you, his expression a mix of stunned, proud, and I knew it.
âWell,â he says. âWhat do you think, kiddo?â
Your heart is trying to punch its way out of your chest. The article, the photos, the rumor storm,this is exactly what you were afraid of. But thereâs another feeling under the fear, bright and insistent.
He asked for you.
You swallow. âO-Okay,â you manage. âJust⊠for a minute.â
The corridors under the stadium are colder than you expect.
Your footsteps echo on the concrete as the guard leads you and your father through a maze of tunnels, past doors with signs you donât have time to read. The noise of the crowd above fades into a dull hum.
Your father squeezes your shoulder. âYou all right?â
âNo,â you croak. âI think I might be dead.â
He snorts. âIf you faint, Iâm telling everyone it was from the smell in the tunnels.â
You breathe out a shaky laugh.
The guard stops in front of a door, knocks lightly, then pushes it open.
âGot them,â he calls.
You step inside and see him.
Lamine is standing near a table, still in his kit, hair damp, socks half rolled down. Thereâs a towel around his shoulders, and a half-empty bottle of water in his hand. When he turns and spots you, his entire face brightens.
âThere you are,â he says, like youâre late for something heâs been looking forward to.
You freeze in the doorway.
Your father nudges you forward. âGo, go.â
You take a few uncertain steps. The room smells like grass and tape and detergent. Your fingers twist in the edge of your jersey.
âHi,â you say, voice too small.
He laughs, a little breathless. âHi.â
Thereâs a beat of silence where you just⊠look at each other. Up close, the stadium lights and camera flashes are replaced by something softer. His eyes are warm, curious. Nervous, you realize with a tiny spark of disbelief. Heâs nervous too.
âIâm Lamine,â he says, then winces. âObviously. You know that. Sorry.â He rubs the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. âIâm bad at this.â
You let out a nervous laugh. âItâs okay. Iâm worse.â
He glances behind you, where your father hovers, pretending to read some poster on the wall.
âThis is my dad,â you say quickly. âHe, um⊠heâs had these seats since,forever.â
âAh,â your father says, stepping forward to shake Lamineâs hand. âPleasure, son. You gave us a bit of a scare missing that first chance, you know.â
âSorry, sir,â Lamine says with a grin. âI fixed it later, no?â
âThat you did,â your father says, eyes twinkling. âIâll wait outside. Let you kids talk.â
âDad,â you hiss, but heâs already heading for the door.
âDonât worry,â he calls back. âI wonât go far.â
The door clicks shut.
Youâre alone with him.
You stare at your shoes for a moment. âI⊠didnât know you could do that,â you murmur.
âDo what?â he asks.
âAsk for people,â you say. âFrom the crowd.â
He shrugs, leaning back against the table. âYou can. I mean, they donât always find them. But I asked, and⊠they did.â
âWhy?â you blurt.
His gaze softens. âBecause you didnât look at me today,â he says quietly. âNot like before.â
Your cheeks burn. âI,there was an article. With pictures. People in the comments were saying things, and I thought,I didnât want to cause trouble. Or make you uncomfortable. Or make it weird.â
He stares at you for a second, then laughs, incredulous. âYou were worried about making me uncomfortable?â
âYes,â you insist, then falter. âI mean. Yes?â
He shakes his head, a smile tugging at his lips. âDo you know how many cameras are in that stadium? Iâm used to weird. ButâŠâ His expression grows a little more serious. âIâm sorry they picked you up in it. That canât have been fun.â
âIt wasnât,â you admit. âPeople were trying to figure out who I was. I didnât reply, obviously. But it was⊠a lot.â
He shifts like the ground matters suddenly. âDid anyone bother you? Like⊠properly?â
âNo,â you say quickly. âJust speculation. I just donât⊠Iâm not used to being seen.â
His eyes flick thoughtfully over your face. âYouâre very expressive, though,â he says softly. âKind of hard not to see you.â
Your breath catches. âThatâs not a compliment,â you mumble.
âIt is to me.â
You have to look away. âYou keep⊠looking for me,â you say, your voice barely above a whisper. âDuring matches.â
He chuckles quietly. âYou noticed.â
âHow could I not notice?â you say. âYouâre⊠you.â
âAnd youâre always in the same place,â he counters. âEvery match. Same seat. Same scarf. Same way of⊠doing this.â He mimics the way you clasp your hands under your chin, eyes wide.
You want the floor to swallow you. âStop,â you groan. âThatâs embarrassing.â
âItâs nice,â he says. âIt makes⊠everything feel less big. You know? All the noise. When I look up and see you, itâs like,oh, okay. There you are. I can breathe.â
You blink at him. âYou can breathe⊠because Iâm panicking in row fourteen?â
That makes him laugh, a proper one this time. âYouâre not panicking.â
âIâm constantly panicking.â
âNo,â he says, still smiling. âYouâre just⊠honest. With your face. I score, you light up. I miss, you look like someone stole your phone. Itâs,â He shrugs, searching for the word. âReal. And I donât get a lot of that, I guess.â
You swallow hard. Something warm unfurls in your chest, mixing with the nerves.
âI thought youâd be mad,â you admit. âAbout the article. Like, âWhoâs this random girl the media thinks Iâm obsessed with.ââ
He raises an eyebrow. âAre you random?â
âYes!â
He looks unconvinced. âI donât think so.â
Your heart does something painful.
He glances down, fidgeting with the cap of his water bottle. âLook,â he says, voice turning shy. âI just wanted to tell you myself. So you wouldnât⊠stop. Because of some stupid gossip.â
âStop what?â you ask.
âComing,â he says simply. âBeing there.â
He meets your eyes, and itâs suddenly so quiet you can hear your own pulse pounding in your ears.
âI play better when youâre here,â he says, like itâs the most natural thing in the world. âDonât stop coming.â
The words land with the weight of something thatâs been waiting a long time to be said.
You stare at him, lips parted. âYou donât have to say that,â you whisper.
âIâm not saying it because I have to,â he replies. âIâm saying it because itâs true. You saw me tonight, yeah?â
âI didnât look at you,â you say helplessly.
He huffs a soft laugh. âYeah, I noticed. Thatâs why I had to work twice as hard. Terrible conditions.â
You canât help it,you laugh, the tension cracking. âYou scored an amazing goal.â
âAnd it wouldâve been even better,â he says, âif Iâd seen your face after.â
You want to bury your flaming cheeks in your scarf. âYouâre ridiculous.â
âMaybe.â He tilts his head. âWill you come next match?â
Your instinct is to say yes. Your fear says maybe not.
âWhat if the media keeps going?â you ask. âWhat if they say⊠worse things?â
He considers that for a moment. âThen they say them,â he says finally. âTheyâll get bored eventually. And if they donât, we deal with it. The club can help if it gets serious. Youâre not⊠alone in it.â
âWhy would you bother?â you ask, almost to yourself.
He looks at you like the answer is obvious. âBecause I like when youâre there,â he says. âIs that not a good enough reason?â
You exhale slowly.
âIt is,â you say.
He smiles, relief softening his shoulders. âSo?â
You bite your lip, but your face has already decided for you,your eyes bright, your mouth curling up, that traitorous glow your father always teases you about.
He sees it and laughs under his breath.
âIâll come,â you say. âNext match. Same seats.â
âGood,â he says, his grin spreading. âIâll look for you before kickoff this time. Not just after I mess up.â
âYou donât mess up that much,â you say.
âMmh, tell that to my coach,â he jokes. âBut itâs easier to try things when I know youâre up there, freaking out.â
âI thought you said I wasnât panicking.â
âI changed my mind,â he says, eyes dancing. âYou panic very nicely.â
You groan. âYouâre never letting that go, are you?â
âNot a chance.â
Thereâs a knock on the door, and a voice calls, âLamine, media in five.â
He rolls his eyes. âYeah, yeah!â he shouts back, then looks at you, softer again. âI have to go be boring and say the same three sentences a hundred times.â
You smile. âYouâre good at that. Iâve seen interviews.â
âDonât expose me,â he pleads dramatically. âIâm trying my best.â
You laugh, and he watches you like he wants to keep that sound.
âCan I ask you something?â he says suddenly.
âSure.â
âNext match,â he says. âWhen they say my name in the lineups⊠cheer for me, yeah?â
You splutter. âI always cheer for you.â
âI know,â he says. âBut now Iâll know you know I know.â
You blink. âThatâs⊠confusing.â
He shrugs, grinning. âDestiny usually is.â
Your heart stutters at the word, and you hope it doesnât show on your face,but judging by the way his eyes soften, it does.
âOkay,â you say quietly. âIâll cheer.â
âAs loud as before?â he asks.
âMaybe louder.â
âGood.â He starts toward the door, then hesitates, glancing back at you. âAnd, uh⊠if it gets too much,â he adds, âwith the media or the comments⊠tell me. Or tell the club. Just⊠donât disappear without saying anything, yeah?â
You nod. âI wonât.â
He smiles, satisfied. âSee you in row fourteen.â
âSee you on the pitch,â you reply.
He opens the door, then pauses one last time, looking over his shoulder at you.
âAnd, hey,â he says. âFor what itâs worth? I donât think youâre âthe girl in the crowd.ââ
Your eyebrows lift. âNo?â
He shakes his head. âYouâre my girl in the crowd,â he says, a little bashful but not taking it back. âThereâs a difference.â
Before you can answer, heâs gone, swallowed by the hallway.
Your father slips back into the room a moment later, eyebrows raised. âWell?â he asks. âDid you survive?â
You press your hands over your burning face.
âI think,â you say, voice muffled, âI might actually die next match.â
Your father chuckles, slinging an arm around your shoulders as you walk out together.
âIf he plays better when youâre there,â he says, âyou donât have much choice, do you?â
You think of Lamineâs words, the quiet sincerity in them.
I play better when youâre here. Donât stop coming.
You hug your scarf to your chest, heart full and terrified all at once.
âNo,â you say softly. âI donât.â














