#rashy

When you and Marcus fight, which is rare in and of itself, it's always calm. You're the hot head, quick to anger and jump to conclusions. But Marcus always kept his cool, imploring you to sit with him and talk it out.

Which is why his mood throws you off the second he walks in the door. He slams the front door, startling Saint who lounged with you on the couch. You'd taken a lazy day; the most you've done is walk Saint around the block a few times. Otherwise you'd taken advantage of your rare day off to lounge on the couch, watch reruns on the television, and cuddle up with Saint while Marcus was at training.

"Oh, that's great." Marcus' laugh is devoid of his usual warmth. "Just what I need."

"Rashy?" You pause the television and sit forward, waiting for him. "Baby what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? How about the fact that I was out at training all day and I come home to find my foyer covered with the remnants of destroyed toys?"

You frown at Saint who just cocks his head in return. "Sassy boy," you whisper, getting up to help Marcus.

You wince at the whirlwind you find in the foyer. It looks more like a bomb went off, and Saint's favorite stuffie was a casualty of war. "I didn't realize. I fell asleep at one point and I guess-"

"Whatever." Marcus is crouched down, plucking up bits of ripped cloth and stuffing. His glare is trained on the floor, anger rippling off him in red waves.

"Hey, I got it." You bend down and Marcus straightens, walking away without so much as a hello. "Alright then."

Last week's loss had rubbed at him. Coupled with World Cup rumors flying about him possibly not being selected, he had been more tense than usual. You've done your best to support him, but lately he simply seems to be trending downhill.

And today was clearly not a good day.

A cabinet slams in the kitchen. This time it's your turn to wince. Saint whines softly, making himself small on the couch.

"It's alright bubs. I'll figure him out." You pat the Cane Corso's head and follow the noise to the kitchen to toss the destroyed toy.

Marcus whirls on you the second you're in sight, "did you do anything while I was gone?" He motions to the dishes next to the sink. "Dishes, the washing, anything?"

You narrow your eyes at him. "We both agreed last week that I was gonna have a day off-"

"Right, so you can enjoy yourself while I'm out working. Does it ever occur to you to help me out?"

You blink, taken aback by his outburst. "Marcus, I know you've been struggling at the club lately, but it's all gonna work out. You don't have to take it out on me."

You step forward with the intention of hugging him. Cuddling and having you close always calmed him down, no matter how bad his mood.

To your dismay, Marcus retreats a step. You step forward again and he does the same thing, keeping distance between you. You frown, dropping your arms.

"If you need help, just ask-"

"I shouldn't have to ask!"

In two years of being together, Marcus has never once raised his voice at you. It brings tears to your eyes to hear him do it now.

You've had your fair share of shitty relationships. Hell, the guy before Marcus was horrible, treating you more like a mum than a girlfriend. You'd always thought Marcus the opposite, but apparently stress was bringing out an entirely new side of him.

You don't like it at all.

Saint's nails click on the tile. He nudges at the backs of your knees, then noses at the hand hanging limp at your side.

"What do you want from me Marcus, huh? Am I supposed to be your maid, picking up your messes and working myself to the bone instead of taking one day a month to myself?"

Marcus scrubs a hand over his face. "I just want-"

"You know what I want?" A tear slips down your cheek. "I want my boyfriend back. I want my Marcus, not the one who yells at me for relaxing. And you know what? I was gonna do the dishes after the next episode. And I did the washing, and folded it, and put it away, but now I want to take it back out and throw it in the yard."

Marcus avoids your eye. You can see the gears turning as he tries to find something else to pick at you for. "Well did you pick up the stuff on the list I texted you?"

Your stomach sinks. "I forgot."

Marcus laughs and shakes his head. "Which means now I have to go in the morning. Thanks for that."

Without another word, you turn on your heel and head for your bedroom, Saint trotting after you. Marcus' voice follows you, "where are you going?"

"Anywhere but here!" You stuff a few days worth of clothes into a backpack. Marcus needed to cool down and you don't feel like sticking around to be his target while he does.

Marcus leans in the doorway, blocking your exit. You stare him down, too stubborn to speak first.

Marcus sighs, "where are you gonna go?"

"I dunno. Maybe Jesse's, if he isn't pissy like you and doesn't yell at me."

Marcus tips his head back and sighs at the ceiling. "I'm sorry, alright? I'm stressed about the loss and the Cup, and everything else-"

"Save it, Marcus. I need some space." Saint squeezes out past Marcus and barks at him from the hall. "See? Even the dog wants you to let me go. At least someone still loves me."

You know it's a low blow, but the hurt on Marcus' face tells you it finally hits home. He drops his arm and let's you pass. Ignoring the man at your back, you crouch down and kiss Saint's massive snout.

"I'll come visit you, okay bubs? I'll come while he's out." Saint locks your hand and you smile a little.

Marcus clears his throat, "when are you coming home?"

1st person POV

"Are you sure we're taking the right turn Mum?" I asked my mother who was driving the car, my dad giving her directions.

"I think we'd know more about Manchester then you do. We lived here for twenty years!" My father exclaimed.

"Yeah Dad but I grew up here. You can't beat that." I shot back.

"Good point. But it's been what 7 years? You're twenty one now. Are you sure you'd remember much about Manchester?" Mum added.

"You make it seem like I was a fetus when I was 14. Fourteen year olds aren't babies." I scoffed.

"Also, where are we going? The turn to Gran's house was back there." I questioned with confusion.

"Were you not listening when we left the house this morning?" My Mum quizzed knowingly.

"Even if I was listening, how would I remember? It's been like four hours since we started driving. And I was half awake. I wouldn't remember shit if my life depended on it." I defended.

"No swearing." My dad scolded.

"Sorry." I apologised sheepishly.

"Now where are we going?" I inquired, "Like do I need worry about it or can I nap?"

"Let's just say we're seeing someone who you should look presentable in front of." My mum advised.

"Is this presentable?" I checked for confirmation.

My dad turned from the passenger seat and took in my appearance. It consisted of high waisted boyfriend jeans that ended a little above my ankles, a cropped white spaghetti strap tank top, and some Nike trainers.

"That's acceptable, you might be a little cold due to the top though." My dad warned.

"She can use my shawl." My mum offered, tossing a silky item back towards me.

I nodded and thanked her. It technically threw off the whole look, but I didn't care that much.

"So who's so important that I need to look presentable in front of?" I repeated my everlasting question.

"Remember my good friend, Mel?" Mum reminded.

Melanie Rashford. The sweetest, most hardworking woman in all of Manchester. Her and Mum had became good friends after Mum and Dad moved to Manchester. She never had much with being a single mum, feeding five kids. However she always welcomed new neighbours with a dinner. Even if that meant she couldn't eat for the rest of the week.

"How could I forget her? She's the best!" I grinned.

"Well, you and your father haven't seen her since we left. And it's been a couple years since I saw her. Last time I met her in London I promised that she'd be the first person we saw when we came to visit Manchester. And since you're going to be job hunting in Manchester, it'd be a perfect place to start. As you know, Mel knows almost everything going on in Manchester." Mum explained.

"She also said she was very excited to entertain us in her new home." My father chimes in.

"Oh yeah didn't one of the kids become a footballer or something?" I queried innocently.

I was lying, completely. I knew that Marcus had become an amazing footballer. We'd been good friends up until I moved to London. Sure he was two years older than me, but I always loved kicking around a football with him. His elder siblings treated me like a little sister, and no matter how old I got, I never felt embarrassed playing football in front of him. Even though he was pretty good, I wasn't half bad. I just wasn't professional level like him. It didn't really matter though because I doubted that he'd remember me.

"Stop pretending that you don't remember Marcus." My Mum teased.

"Wha— I never said I didn't remember him! I just couldn't remember if he was a footballer. Anyways, didn't he get knighted or something recently?" I continued.

"MBE actually." Dad revealed.

"Does that mean I need to call him Sir?" I groaned.

"Knowing Marcus he probably wouldn't ask that of you. He's done so much for England though. He's a good kid." Mum answered.

My eyes bulged out, "So he'll be there?"

"He should be, yeah. Why? You nervous to see him?" Mum joked.

"What? No. Why would I be nervous? This kid used to be a good friend of mine." I stuttered.

"It's a shame you two couldn't keep in touch." Dad lamented.

"I mean I would've kept in touch if he could. But he was really busy and there was a point in life where they couldn't afford it either." I responded, my heart suddenly aching for what the family had to endure.

I was happy they were finally getting the lives they deserved.

"Did you hear Marcus became one of the youngest English captains in almost twenty years?" My father brought up.

I did know it. I was very aware of everything England football related.

"Wow that's crazy. Good for him. It's a shame I didn't know." I gritted my teeth, lying.

"He's coming off of some injuries right? Can he function?" I asked with genuine concern.

"From what Mel says, he's fine. His injuries don't hinder his ability to get around. He'll look fine when we see him I'm sure." Mum nodded.

The remainder of the car ride consisted of my parents talking with me chiming in occasionally. I wasn't just nervous to see Marcus, but his whole family too. Last time I saw them I was an awkward teenager. Now I was a slightly less awkward young adult. I looked at my reflection in the rear view mirror and put my hair into a bun with a few strands falling out in order to achieve that "effortless" look.

I wasn't huge on makeup, especially when I had a long car ride. I was not going to be that person who tried to do makeup when the car was moving, so I waited. What? Marcus was an MBE, I needed to look decent. When the car finally did stop for more than a few seconds, I grabbed some mascara, foundation, contour, and concealer. All of which happened to be my mum's.

"If you're doing makeup for the first time in forever might as well add some lip gloss." My mum suggested, handing me her gloss.

I put it on quickly and draped the shawl over myself quite fashionably. I got out of the car and looked around. Where were we?

It was almost as if my mum could read my mind. Because she answered, "The Rashford home."

I don't know whether I was just dumb, but I didn't expect our stop for my makeup to be OUR FINAL STOP.

"Let's go then. I guess." I shrugged my shoulders, dying on the inside.

The three of us walked over to the door and rang the bell. I expected to see Mel's warm face, but instead we were greeted with a smiling maid who brought us to the sitting room. It was absolutely gorgeous. Not very family room like and super chill, but visually it was stunning.

"I feel like I'm in a room at Buckingham Palace." I whispered to my dad.

"You're telling me." My dad muttered.

"Well if it isn't my favourite family in the world." A female voice greeted.

I looked up to see my mum and Melanie racing towards each other, getting into a bone crushing hug. My father followed and also gave Mel a huge hug. Just not bone crushing. After they were done, Mel smiled at me. I got up and walked towards her. I saw unsure of what to do so I just copied my parents.

"Uhm hi Auntie Mel." I spoke softly.

"Oh my god y/n. Look at how beautiful you've become. You're all grown up!" Melanie sighed, her eyes watering with pride.

"Thanks Auntie Mel. We've all missed you." I replied earnestly, giving her a hug.

"As have we!" Mel grinned while four of her five kids arrived in the sitting room.

They were a bit older than me and even though they treated me like a younger sister, we weren't insanely close. So you'd imagine my surprise when they all gave me hugs and began to chatter animatedly about my life. I told them about how I was finishing up university in a month or so and was on the hunt for a job, possibly in Manchester.

"What did you study in university?" I was asked.

"Psychology." I informed.

"I believe Man City is looking for a team psychologist or therapist or whatever you call it. You should submit an application." One suggested.

"Yeah right! Marcus would not be happy about that." The eldest sibling exclaimed.

"I wouldn't be happy about what?" A new voice entered the conversation.

It was Marcus. Obviously. He walked into the sitting with a look of confusion on his face. This look quickly turned to a smile upon seeing my parents beaming faces.

"Mr and Mrs y/l/n! It's a pleasure to see you again!" He greeted, giving them big hugs.

"My god Marcus, we're so proud of what you've become!" Dad complimented.

I found it kind of odd how my parents acted the same to Marcus and his elder siblings. They showed the same pride in each of the Rashford children's accomplishments. I was sure they would've favoured Marcus since he's the footballer.

They talked a little bit before the attention was finally directed towards me. Great, just what I wanted. Note the sarcasm.

"Marcus you remember our daughter I'm sure, y/n." My Mum reintroduced, pointing towards me.

Marcus's line of vision shifted so that he looked directly at me. He looked at me with peculiarity before a wave of recognition passed over his face. He grinned.

"Of course. Oh my days it's been a while hasn't it?"

I nodded, "Uhm yeah. It's so nice to see you again Marcus. I mean sir."

Marcus and the other people in the room chuckled when I addressed him with sir.

"We practically grew up together. No need to call me sir y/n." He chuckled.

I held out my hand for a handshake, but he hugged me instead. I smiled a little against his chest.

"I missed those two." I heard Mel whisper.

We broke the hug after thirty seconds and waited for conversation to resume.

"Do you know Marcus, that y/n has been looking for a job in Manchester." One of Marcus's elder brothers informed.

Marcus looked at me for confirmation, and I gave him a small smile and nod.

"That's great! What do you plan on doing?" He asked with genuine interest.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Well I'll be getting my psychology degree from university in about two months. So I'm just seeing what options I have in Manchester. Your sister told me that Man City was looking for a team psychologist, so maybe them."

Marcus's eyes widened.

"What? You can't work for Man City. Work for Man United instead!"

I held in laughter at his reaction, "What's wrong with City? Plus I'd prefer the team that tends to win more."

"Well they lost the champions league." He defended.

"At least they qualified for the champions league." I shot back with a smirk.

He was stuck there. He rolled his eyes with a small smile while the others laughed.

"Still, I'd be happy to show you around Manchester again and perhaps help you find a job that's not at Manchester City." He offered.

"I'd like that." I accepted.

"Well why don't you two go now?" Mel suggested.

"What?" We both questioned.

"Well it's a Saturday. And you two are young so I'd imagine you'd want to be out and about rather than spend some time here with the old adults. All we'll do is talk and eat. So go and explore Manchester!" Mel encouraged.

"I'm okay with that if you are..." I told Marcus who nodded.

We said our 'see you laters' to everyone and I followed Marcus to the garage. Once we got to the garage I was stunned to see multiple expensive cars. Very unlike teenage Marcus.

"This one's the one we're going in." Marcus gestured to a smooth black Mercedes.

That was more like Marcus. He wasn't the flashy type who drove bright coloured flashy cars. I walked towards the car but stopped when a football was passed to my feet.

"You still any good at football?" Marcus queried with a smirk.

I scoffed,"Please. I was never good."

"What do you mean? You were the best partner I had before signing to Man United."

"Did you not beat me almost every time we played?" I reminded.

He rolled his eyes, "Well you were holding your own against a current professional footballer. So I'd say you were pretty good in retrospect. Can you still juggle?"

I blushed a little at his compliment and nodded.

I placed the ball on my foot and began juggling, doing several touches with my feet before working up to my knees, shoulders, and eventually head. I was careful to not hit any of the cars. After a little bit I caught the ball with my hand, as I had a feeling it'd hit a car.

"Not bad y/n. Not bad at all." Marcus complimented.

I curtsied jokingly before we both got into the car. He was actually a decent driver.

"Y/n, I missed you, a lot." Marcus confessed.

I looked at him very confused.

"What? Really?"

He nodded.

"How come you never visited when you were in London then?" I gulped.

Marcus ran a hand through his hair, "I thought you forgot about me."

I felt like laughing, "How could I forget you Marcus? We were almost like best friends. Plus even if I wanted to forget you it'd be too hard. You face was plastered everywhere in London. There was no escaping you. Especially during the World Cup."

"I was also a little too shy." He added.

"That's something we both have in common." I jested.

"You wanna know a secret?" Marcus asked.

"Obviously."

"Well when I was younger, I kind of fancied you. But I thought it was weird because I had two years on you." Marcus admitted.

"I could see how that would be weird yeah. But I adored you Marcus. Still do, kind of." I agreed.

"Wait what happened to your girlfriend?" I suddenly remembered.

"Oh we broke up last year. We've stayed friends though, so it's all good." He informed.

"She was such a sweet girl. Pretty too." I muttered.

"Not as beautiful as you." Marcus murmured.

I did a double take in his direction to make sure I heard correctly.

"What'd you say?" I eyed him.

"Nothing." He shook his head, eyes focused on the road.

"Really? Because I swear I heard you call me beautiful." I smirked.

"Maybe I did. It's no secret you've grown up to be even more gorgeous then you were before." Marcus sighed.

I thanked him and felt my cheeks become warmer rapidly. We said nothing for the remainder of the ride till we got to downtown Manchester. We were just about to get out of the car before I stopped him.

"Marcus?" I spoke, putting a hand on his forearm.

"Y/n?" He mimicked with a laugh.

That was all I needed for confirmation because the next thing I knew, I was brought my lips to his. Within a second his lips responded to mine and they began to move in sync. After a whole minute we broke the kiss. I was breathing heavily.

"I-uh. Marcus I'm sorry, I don't really know what got int—" I started but was cut off with Marcus kissing me.

"Don't be sorry. At all. Unless you're sorry that you did it. In that case I'm sorry." Marcus started rambling.

I giggled at how cute he was.

"So. Job hunting? I don't know about you, but suddenly I really want to stay in Manchester." I smiled.

"Let's go!" He cheered.

Like a gentleman, he opened the door for me and we walked through the city with his arm wrapped around my waist and my head against his chest.

five hours…

@footballnews:

Liked by @rashford_fan22, @mancitylove7, and 22,673 others

@footballnews: This just in! Manchester United forward was spotted leaving the HR department of rival club Manchester City. He was seen with his arms wrapped around a girl, who was grinning madly while the forward was seen with a smile on his face as well. Are we sensing a certain footballer signing for Manchester City? Or was his business at the Manchester City building strictly due to the lass who appears to be his girlfriend? Whatever it is, we know one thing for sure, and that is that this woman has the one time England Captain wrapped around her finger. Link to the photos of the 'couple' in our bio!

Tagged: @marcusrashford, @manutd, @mancity

Comments:

@marcus.rashy: We'll support our king whether he goes blue or stays red❤️💛💙🤍

@mancity_news: this will be some of the best news I've heard all summer😁😁

@gloryglory_manutd: LIES! Fake news! Rashford wouldn't leave just to go to city😬

@simp_for_rashford: who's the girl? 🤫

@my_raheem_STARLING: excited🤩🤩

@ashanti_grayson: @y/n.y/l/n this you girlie? don't lie😏

↳@y/n.y/l/n: I have no idea what ur talking about cuzzo;)

↳@marcusrashford: no idea my arse @y/n.y/l/n

↳@y/n.y/l/n: I hate u😡 @marcusrashford