#dannando

A beautiful day, the sky was clear, there was hardly a cloud.

After 10 years Fernando Torres moved back to Liverpool, his wife got a job there, and as long as he used to play there years ago, he decided that he will open his 9 fitness club there and start a new life.

After a few months, everything has been settled and he started work.

One day he got home, his wife, Olalla greeted him as usual, she often came home before him, so probably she had enough time to prepare some food.

“Hey sweetie.. what’s in the kitchen?” Fernando said, pecking Olalla’s cheek

“Pasta, hope you don’t get bored”

“Nah, pasta is fine, give me that plate I’m starving”

“Anyway, after you finish eating, I’ll go and pick up the kids from school and you go out to the supermarket and buy some things, we ran out of some goods, the list is on the table”

“Sure” Fernando smiled and finished eating.

He took the shopping list, pecked Olalla’s lips and quickly headed outside and got into his car.

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At the supermarket, Fernando did have some problems with shopping, there are several types of each thing, and he couldn’t determine which one Olalla had asked for.

“Headache” he mumbled, suddenly, he heard a crying sound, turning around, he found out it was a little boy, he was crying, probably he had been lost from his mother.

“Hey kiddo, what’s wrong?” Fernando at the little boy and smiled “Can I help you?” the boy looked at him with curious but suspicious eyes, “It’s okay, I won’t harm you” the boy finally revealed that he had been lost from his father, and his ‘papa’ like he said was nowhere to be seen.

“Okay, I’ll help you find him” Fernando smiled “What does he look like?”

“papa has green eyes, and freckles like you, and tattoos like you too”

“Okay.. how old are you?” Fernando asked the boy

“Nine”

“Great, so, do you have hobbies?”

“Yes, I like reading, and I like football, my father plays with me, he used to be a football player”

“What a coincidence, I used to be a football player too” Fernando smiled, and then he heard someone yelling…

“Jamie? Jamie baby? Where are you? Jamie?” the boy suddenly let go of Fernando’s hand and ran away, Fernando chased after him and finally ended up finding him standing with a man. “Oh my god, I thought you were kidnapped or something” the man said, hugging his son “I was so scared”

“Me too, papa, but I met this man and helped me to find you” the boy said pointing at Fernando, the father turned around, Fernando’s eyes widened in surprise

“Fernando?”

“Daniel?”

The man suddenly broke out laughing

“Oh Fernando, it’s been a long time” Daniel said

“Yeah… I didn’t expect to see you again, here, like this, how have you been?”

“I’ve been good, thank you, and you, Fernando?”

“Good”

“Papa… you know him…?

“Yes baby, we used to ….. we used to play together, he was a good friend” they fell in silent for awhile

“So… it’s really nice to see you here… well I gotta go and buy the things my wife ordered, it’s frustrating, so it will take time” Fernando said, smiling awkwardly

“Oh… I see, do you need help?”

“Sure”

Daniel Agger, he was still the same, his eyes, his voice, his accent, his smile, they were still the same, he was still the very same Daniel Fernando had known.

Looking at his son, Daniel smiled

“Let’s do this”

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After buying all the things he needed, thanks to the help of Daniel and Jamie, Fernando offered them some drinks, and they gladly accepted

“So you are now married, to Olalla, your girlfriend?” Daniel asked, taking a sip of his coffee

“Yeah…”

“Do you have any kids?”

“Yes, two” Fernando smiled “Nora and Léo, so you’re married too? How’s your wife?”

“Well… Uh, I… we…”

“Mama left papa when I was 3, and she married another man, but she calls me every week”

“Jamie…” Daniel sighed

“I’m sorry to hear that, Daniel” Fernando spoke

“It’s alright… I can be a good father” and silence covered them for awhile

“Papa?” Jamie finally spoke “I have homework”

“Oh, right, excuse me, Fernando, I have to go, Jamie has school tomorrow” Daniel stood up and bid Fernando goodbye

“Okay, it’s really good to see you again, I hope we can meet up sometimes, you can come to my office, it’s right next my old house, remember it?”

“Of course… goodbye Fernando, I’ll see you around”

(Fernando’s POV)

When I first met him, I thought he was great, handsome, and the best and most determined defender I had ever played with. He didn’t talk very much, and when he did, it was when we train together.

It was later that I realized I loved him, I remember quite well how I’d build up courage for over a month. And when I finally told him how I felt, I was rejected, and on a harsh way, I have never felt that way before, I never expected that being rejected will affect me that much, and the way he treated me after I told him, was pure torture, but that didn’t stop me from loving him, in fact, it made me fall for him even more and that’s what I’m trying to understand why.

After he apologized, we bonded, we became closer, he loosened up a bit when being around me. And for me, that was enough. I didn’t feel as if he necessary had to feel the same way about me. Being friends and seeing him happy was enough for me.  I couldn’t ask for more.

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(No POVs)

Today happened to be Daniel’s girlfriend’s birthday, and Daniel planned a surprise party for her at his house, and Fernando helped of course.

The party was amazing, and everyone was having fun,

Daniel was watching Fernando, who was happy around the guests, and explaining that he made all the decorations was especially entertaining. The way Fernando looked when he was proud of himself made Daniel smile each time.

Daniel wasn’t sure when things changed, or maybe it was there all along but he couldn’t admit it at first, he just noticed how beautiful Fernando was, with his shiny, blond hair, and the way his chocolate brown eyes shined when he talks to him.

He had watched him all the party, trying to discover what had changed about him, but it was everything and nothing all at once. When Fernando playfully shoved him now, a little shock of warmth seemed to shoot through his body from the place he had touched and when he smiled, it took a great effort to look elsewhere. Daniel had just barely caught himself from reaching out and running his fingers through Fernando’s hair or across his cheek, to check if the skin there was as soft as it appeared. What was happening to him??

It was all too confusing, but being around him and stopping himself from staring or touching Fernando was getting to be too difficult, he was going crazy..

“Fernando, I need to talk to you” his expression hard and emotionless

“Everything okay? Your girlfriend didn’t like the party?”

“No, it’s not about that”

“Then what is it?” Fernando started to worry

“Not here, with all these people” Daniel said, taking Fernando’s hand and leading him upstairs to his bedroom, closing and locking the door behind them

“Okay, what’s going on? You’re scaring me”

“Don’t get me the wrong way Fernando, I think you need to leave” Fernando’s expression shifted from worried and curious to shock and hurt

“Why?”

Daniel didn’t respond

“Just like that? And I thought we are friends”

“We are, we are friends Fernando” he was exhausted, he didn’t want to fight with Fernando, he didn’t want to ever let him go, “It’s just too hard for me now, being around you is hard, resisting the urge to touch you, I can’t keep doing it. I don’t know what happened or why, but I can’t stop thinking about you, even when you aren’t with me, I can’t keep fighting it off”

“What are you saying, Daniel?” Fernando was really shocked, he couldn’t believe his ears, “This can’t be true! No, no, you’re only feeling sorry for me, for what I’ve been through, you’re just feeling responsible for it, this can’t be true”

“It is true, I swear, and it was even before what happened to you, it started when you confessed your feelings for me, but I was too afraid to admit it, even to myself, I couldn’t accept it, I never felt like this before, this is new for me, I don’t even know what to do, I don’t know”

“Dan” Fernando said, slowly stepping up to Daniel, without him even noticing, his eyes locked on his, as his soft hands found Daniel’s in a loose grip, his brown eyes searching Daniel’s for an answer, “Don’t be afraid, jump, I’ll catch you”

Daniel squeezed Fernando’s hands, his breath caught in his throat as he gazed at Fernando and he knew that he only had two choices now. He could either walk away or keep going, and for the first time in his life he was worried about regrets and consequences. He was worried about hating himself forever either way, about the what-if’s if he left him here alone tonight. So he pushed these thoughts away and did what he had done for his entire life up to that point and he didn’t think, instead, he acted.

Their lips met in what was a somewhat clumsy kiss, their noses bumping awkwardly and for a split second he thought that perhaps he had made a very big mistake as they both pulled back a bit. Then, Fernando was giggling and he was laughing as well as their failed attempt as a first kisss, and he knew it was perfect as he leaned in again to kiss Fernando, a hand resting on his cheek, Fernando’s skin was even softer than he imagined it to be, as they pressed their mouths together in a perfect fit this time around, the world around them seemed to melt into nothing and it was just them, kissing slowly at first and them deepening the kiss, Daniel’s tongue brushing lightly against Fernando’s as he memorized the feel and taste of him. He wasn’t sure how long they had spent kissing by the time they finally broke apart, but it didn’t matter, Fernando couldn’t believe what was really happening, he caught his breath with excitement in his eyes.

Fernando was beautiful inside and out, and Daniel had no idea how he had gone so long without kissing or noticing him.

“I don’t want you to leave” he said quickly, recalling the conversation they’d just had

“And I’m not going anywhere” Fernando confirmed in a whisper seconds before their lips met again

“I was afraid that you will reject me” Daniel said after breaking the kiss, Fernando nodded in denial

“Why would you think that?”

“I mean after everything I did to you, after everything I put you through, you almost died”

“And I didn’t die”

“I would never forgave myself if I lost you” Daniel said softly, and laughed as Fernando blushed “My god, I can’t believe how much time I wasted” he added, Fernando smiled

“We still have all the time we need” Fernando said, Daniel brushed Fernando’s cheek, and leaned again to kiss him, but somebody knocked the door

“DAN, ARE YOU IN THERE?”

“Yes, why?” Daniel answered after clearing his throat

“COME ON IT’S TIME FOR THE CAKE”

“Okay" he replied, and the person went away "I’m sorry, I totally forgot about the party downstairs”

“It’s okay, let’s go”

“Fernando”

“Mmhmm”

“Nothing, I just love to spell your name”

They stared at each other for awhile before leaving the room, hands still entangled…