eleven years too late : Ferran Torres
Ferran Torres X Reader
synopsis : After eleven years of silently loving her best friend, a sleepless night in Barcelona finally gives you the courage to tell Ferran the truthâonly to discover he's been waiting just as long.
content warnings: mutual pining, friends to lovers, unrequited love, emotional angst, fear of rejection, crying, mentions of past relations, kissing
word count ~ 4K
The silence answered you.
Barcelona suddenly felt... boring, leaving you suspended in guilt and disbelief, with the cityâs energy somehow out of reach. Which sounded ridiculous. People travelled across the world just to spend a weekend here. The city was beautiful.
There were beaches. You pictured the historic streets, incredible restaurants, and nightlife that most only dream about. Amazing restaurants. Nightlife that most people dreamed about. At this hour, your awe faded; isolation ached hollow within you.
Looking around at everything Barcelona offered, a hollow feeling settled inânone of it useful at two A.M. You considered going for a walk alone. The thought lasted approximately three seconds.
"Nope."
Absolutely not.
You weren't stupid. Walking around alone at this hour wasn't exactly the safest idea. Besides, what would you even do?
Watch the waves? Count pigeons? Would complain to the moon? Each option sounded more ridiculous after the next.
You laughed quietly to yourself before rolling onto your back again.
Then, finally, an idea appeared. One that immediately made you smile.
Ferran.
Your best friend.
If anyone else had called him at this hour, he'd probably let the phone ring until voicemail picked up.
But with you...
He always answered. Even when woken up from the dead of sleep, he somehow managed to pick up for you.
You reached for your bedside table, picked up your phone, and unlocked it. Your thumb hovered over your contacts. Eventually, it found exactly who you were looking for.
Ferran â€ïž
You smiled despite yourself.
God...
You groaned quietly. Frustration welled up and then gave way to a vulnerability you tried to hideâwhen did your feelings become this hopeless?
Probably eleven years ago. Fifteen years old. Valencia's academy. A split strawberry milkshake. And one ridiculously kind boy. That was all it had taken. You could still remember it perfectly.
You'd been rollerblading with a couple of your friends around the training ground while waiting for your older brother to finish. One wrong turn. One loss of balance. And suddenly your milkshake had ended up all over a poor academy player's training top. You had been convinced he was going to be furious.
Instead...
He'd looked down at himself. Looked back at your horrified face. Then laughed. Actually laughed.
"It's alright."
Those two words had stayed with you ever since. You spent the rest of the afternoon apologising while helping him clean up. By the end of the day...
You'd somehow gained a best friend. But tonight, instead of comfort, nostalgia brought an anxious longing that pressed sharply at your chest. A massive crush. One that never seemed to disappear. You had triedâreally tried.
God knew you had tried. You'd gone on dates. Dating apps became your distraction: each new guy brought hope, but none erased him from your mind. You'd convinced yourself that every new guy would finally distract you from him. None of them did. Because none of them was Ferran.
He was the one who remembered your coffee order without asking. The one who noticed when your smile wasn't genuine. The one who somehow managed to make every terrible day better just by existing. The push and pull inside youâhopefulness tangled with helplessnessâonly made everything more frustrating.
Because while you were hopelessly in love with him...
He seemed completely oblivious.
Or maybe...
He simply didn't feel the same. Throughout the years, you'd watched him fall in love. More than once. You'd watched him introduce girlfriends to the group. Listened while he asked for relationship advice. You always smiled and supported him, pretending to be fine while crying later, out of sight. You always smiled. You always supported him.
Then you'd go home and cry where nobody could see. Your friends had stopped trying to convince you years ago.
"You need to move on."
"You deserve someone who chooses you."
"He doesn't see you like that."
Maybe they were right. Maybe they always had been. Yet every time you convinced yourself you were finally over him...
He'd smile. Or hug you. Or call you one of those stupid nicknames.
And suddenly...
You were fifteen again. Completely hopeless. You sighed before looking back down at your phone. Maybe tonight could be the night. Maybe tonight you will finally tell him.
If he rejected you...
You'd leave, even though the thought terrified you. Nearly three months ago, a marketing company in Toronto offered you a jobâa possibility tugging at your heart with anticipation and fear.
A fantastic opportunity. Higher salary. A fresh start.
You kept delaying your answer, over and over again, all because of him.
Because of him, uncertainty lingeredâparalysing doubt competing with fragile anticipation, as you struggled to choose a path.
How ridiculous was that?
An entire career opportunity...
Held hostage by one stupid boy with messy hair and the prettiest smile you'd ever seen.
You rubbed your face.
"Get a grip."
Maybe a drink would help. You stood up and opened one of your kitchen cupboards before reaching for a bottle. Your hand stopped halfway.
"No."
You quietly closed the cupboard again.
If you confessed...
If you confessed, you wanted to remember it all honestlyâeven if it left you exposed and raw. You braced yourself, knowing honesty might make you vulnerable. Even if it ended in heartbreak, you braced for whatever emotions honesty might unleash.
You wanted to know you'd been honest. No alcohol. No excuses. Just the truth. You took a deep breath and pressed his contact.
The phone rang once.
Twice.
Three times.
Just as you thought he might actually be asleepâ "Everything okay, mi corazĂłn?"
God. His voice. Sleepy. Low. Still slightly raspy from being woken up.
You squeezed your eyes shut. He had absolutely no idea what that voice did to you.
"Y-Yeah." Smooth. Very smooth. "I was just wondering..." You cleared your throat. "If you wanted to go for a walk."
Silence. You immediately regretted asking.
"It's really late."
"I know."
"You should probably just go back to sleep."
He interrupted before you could finish rambling. "No."
You blinked. "No?"
"I couldn't sleep either."
You smiled without realising. "Really?"
"Mhm."
His voice sounded more awake now. "I've been staring at my ceiling for an hour."
You laughed. "So have I."
"See?" He smiled through the phone line. Your heart melted, relief and hope mingling in an unexpected wave. "I'll come meet you."
"You don't have to."
"I want to."
A pause.
"Anywhere specific?"
You looked out of your apartment window. The city lights stretched before you, endless as a string of golden prayers. "Not really. I just..." You shrugged, even though he couldn't see you. "I'm bored."
He chuckled. "That's the worst excuse I've ever heard."
"I know."
"But it worked."
"It did."
You could practically hear his smile.
"Give me ten minutes."
"You sure?"
"Positive." He paused. "And Y/N?"
"Hm?"
"I'm glad you called."
The line disconnected.
You stood frozen in your kitchen, heart racing. Your heart was beating far faster than it should've been. One sentence. And with it, a tidal wave of feelingâelation, embarrassment, hopeâswept through you. And he'd already managed to make your entire night.
Exactly ten minutes later, your phone buzzed.
Outside.
You grabbed your hoodie, slipped on your trainers, and hurried downstairs. The moment you stepped outside, you spotted him leaning casually against his car. His hood was pulled over his head, though a few strands of longer brown hair escaped around his forehead. Growing his hair out had easily been one of the best decisions he'd ever made. The grey hoodie clung comfortably to his broad shoulders, while matching joggers sat low on his hips.
He looked like he'd climbed straight out of bed.
And somehow...
He still looked unfairly attractive. When he noticed you, his entire face brightened. "There she is." He pushed himself away from the car. "You ready, hermosa?"
Beautiful. There it was again. One of the countless nicknames that constantly confused your heart. Mi corazón. Hermosa. Cariño. Princesa. Anyone overhearing your conversations would assume you'd been together for years.
Yet this was simply...
How Ferran loved people. Warmly. Openly. Without realising the effect he had.
And so, you smiled, resigned yet hopeful. "As ready as I'll ever be."
He dramatically held the passenger door open. "After you."
You laughed. "What a gentleman."
"I try."
Little did either of you know...
This ordinary walk through Barcelona was about to change both of your lives forever.
Barcelonaâs streets were unlike anything you'd seen. Usually, they were overflowing with people. Tourists filled every corner, musicians performed outside cafĂ©s, and conversations echoed between the narrow streets.
Now...
It felt like the city belonged only to the two of you. The soft glow of streetlights danced across the old stone buildings, while the cool breeze carried the Mediterraneanâs salty scent through silent, empty streets. For once, Barcelona was quiet. Peaceful.
You walked beside Ferran with your hands tucked into your hoodie pocket. Every so often, your shoulder bumped his. The silence between you lingered, comfortable and unhurried. Neither of you minded the silence. Somehow, silence with Ferran never felt awkward. It felt like home.
"So," he suddenly said.
You looked over at him. "What?"
"You interrupted my beauty sleep."
You gasped dramatically. "I did not."
"You absolutely did."
"I saved you from staring at your ceiling."
He thought for a moment. "...Fair point."
You grinned victoriously. "I win."
"You always think you win."
"I usually do."
He laughed. "I'll let you believe that."
You nudged him with your shoulder. "Liar."
"You caught me."
God...
That laugh.
You could pick out that laugh from anywhere. It was the same one you'd heard when you were fifteen, after the great strawberry milkshake disaster. Whether at youth tournaments or late-night FIFA matches, it remained unchanged. You'd heard it when you were fifteen years old after accidentally covering him in strawberry milkshake. You'd heard it after Valencia won youth tournaments. You'd heard it after late-night FIFA matches where he'd insisted you were cheating despite losing fairly every single time.
It had never changed. Neither had the way it made your heart race.
"So..."
Ferran interrupted your thoughts.
"Where are we actually going?"
You shrugged. "I don't know."
"You dragged me out here without a destination?"
"I dragged?"
He pointed towards himself. "Did I call you?"
"...No."
"Exactly." He laughed again.
"I walked straight into that one."
"You did."
You smiled proudly.
The two of you wandered through the Gothic Quarter, taking random turns simply because they looked interesting. Every now and then, you'd stop to admire another beautiful building. Or another tiny hidden street neither of you remembered seeing before.
"I've lived here for years." You looked around in amazement. "How have I never walked through here?"
Ferran looked around too. "I don't think I've ever come here this late."
"You've been missing out."
He looked at you instead of the scenery. "I suppose I have."
You completely missed the way his eyes lingered on you. Because, if he were being honest... The city wasn't what fascinated him tonight.
It was you.
The way the streetlights softened your features. The way you smiled every time you discovered another hidden alleyway. The way you somehow managed to make an ordinary walk at two in the morning feel like an adventure.
His friends were going to kill him. Not because he was out this late. But because they'd spent years telling him exactly what he was only now beginning to realise.
'She's been right in front of you this whole time.'
Pedri had told him that. Gavi had too. Even Alejandro had rolled his eyes every time your name came up.
"You two act like you're already married."
He'd always laughed it off.
Now... He wasn't laughing anymore. Maybe they'd been right. Maybe he'd simply been too scared to admit it.
"Earth to Ferran."
Your voice pulled him back.
"Hm?"
"You've gone quiet."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Just thinking."
"Dangerous."
"I know."
You smiled. "What were you thinking about?"
He hesitated.n"You."
Your heart skipped. "What about me?"
He immediately panicked.
"Ohâ"
"I mean..."
"My best friend."
"...Obviously."
You nodded. "Obviously."
Why did that sting?
Neither of you noticed the disappointment mirrored on the other's face. Eventually, you found yourselves standing in front of Barcelona Cathedral. Even after years of living here... It never failed to amaze you.
The building looked almost magical beneath the moonlight. Its detailed architecture casts long shadows across the empty square. You immediately reached for your phone.
"Oh, we're definitely taking pictures."
Ferran laughed. "I knew you were going to say that."
"What?"
"You take pictures of everything."
"They're memories.
âThey're evidence."
"Evidence?"
"So I can prove I went somewhere."
You rolled your eyes. "You literally came with me."
"Exactly."
You handed him your phone. "Take one."
He nodded. One picture quickly became ten. Then twenty. Then fifty.
Every time he insisted he'd taken enough...
You found another pose. Another angle. Another excuse.
"One more."
"You've said that six times."
"I promise."
"You said that last time."
"This one is actually the last one."
He sighed dramatically. "You are impossible."
"And yet..." You smiled proudly. "You still take my pictures."
"Unfortunately."
"You love me."
The words slipped out so naturally that neither of you realised what had been said. Silence followed. Your smile faded ever so slightly. You looked away first.
Ferran swallowed. "I do." He answered so quietly that you almost didn't hear him. "...As a friend."
There it was again. Those three words. As a friend.
You forced a smile. "Good."
Because that's all we are. Friends.
You hated how much that word hurt. Trying to move past the awkwardness, you wandered into a small convenience store that was somehow still open. After several minutes of arguing over snacks...
You walked back outside carrying far more food than either of you actually needed.
"You bought enough for an army."
"We're preparing."
"For what?"
"I don't know."
He laughed. "I admire your optimism."
You handed him a packet of chocolate biscuits. "You'll thank me later."
"I probably will."
The city slowly became brighter as the hours passed. Not because the sun had risen. But because the two of you had talked your way across nearly half of Barcelona. You spoke about everything. Life. Football. Work. Your families. Funny childhood memories. The embarrassing hairstyles Ferran insisted weren't that bad.
"They were terrible."
"They were fashionable."
"They were tragic."
"You hurt my feelings."
"I'll survive."
"You've changed."
"I've matured."
"You've become mean."
"I've become honest."
He laughed so hard he nearly dropped the snacks.
Eventually...
The familiar sound of waves reached your ears. You both looked towards the sea.
"The beach?"
You smiled. "The beach."
Without another word, you headed towards the shoreline. The sand was cool beneath your trainers as you stepped onto it. The Mediterranean stretched endlessly before you, reflecting the final glow of the moon. It was almost empty. Just a handful of people scattered far down the shore. You slipped your shoes off without hesitation.
Ferran watched with amusement. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going in."
"You'll freeze."
"I won't."
"You definitely will."
You ignored him completely. The cold sand squeezed between your toes as you hurried towards the water. The first wave splashed against your feet.
You laughed. "It's warm!"
"It is not."
"It is!"
You turned around dramatically. "Come here!"
Ferran stayed exactly where he was. "I'm alright."
You pouted. "Coward."
"I am not a coward."
"Then prove it."
He sighed. "I knew you'd say that."
You hurried back towards him before grabbing his wrist. "C'mon."
He laughed as you pulled him across the sand. "You are unbelievable."
"I've been told."
The second his feet touched the water, his eyebrows lifted. "...Okay."
"I told you."
"It is warm."
You grinned triumphantly. "I win."
"You never let me forget when you're right."
"Never."
The next thing he knew...
You kicked water towards him. It splashed across the front of his joggers.
He stared at you in disbelief. "...Really?"
You laughed.
"Oh no."
His grin slowly widened. "You've started something."
Before you could react, he splashed you right back.
"Ferran!"
"You deserved it!"
Within seconds, the two of you were laughing uncontrollably, running through the shallow water like you were fifteen again instead of adults with responsibilities waiting for them in a few hours. Neither of you realised that somewhere between the laughter... The lingering glances... And the quiet smiles...
Something between you had already begun to change. The two of you eventually wandered away from the shoreline, shoes hanging from Ferran's hand while the cold sand clung stubbornly to your feet.
"You know," you laughed, nudging his shoulder, "I should probably apologise."
"For what?"
"For attacking you with seawater."
He looked down at his damp joggers.
"I was wondering if that apology was ever coming."
"I said probably."
He gasped dramatically.
"Unbelievable."
You laughed, the sound carrying over the gentle waves behind you.
"I'll buy you breakfast."
"Now we're talking."
The pair of you climbed onto the wooden pier overlooking the sea. It had become one of your favourite places over the years. Whenever life became overwhelming, somehow you always ended up here. Sometimes alone. Sometimes with Ferran. The ocean always seemed to quiet whatever was racing through your mind. You sat beside each other on the edge of the pier, your legs dangling over the water below.
For a while... Neither of you spoke. You shared the last packet of chocolate biscuits in comfortable silence. Every now and then, Ferran would steal one from your hand. Every now and then, you'd glare at him before stealing one back.
"You know," he smiled, licking the crumbs from his thumb, "you're still terrible at sharing."
"I literally bought them."
"And yet they're somehow becoming my biscuits."
"You've got confidence."
"I've got talent."
"You've got audacity."
He laughed.
"I've been told."
The conversation drifted naturally, just as it always had. You spoke about Valencia. About old teammates. About school. About the day you'd accidentally rollerbladed straight into him.
"I still can't believe your first words to me were 'I'm so sorry, please don't tell my mum.'"
You buried your face in your hands.
"I genuinely thought she'd ban me from skating forever."
"I probably should've."
"Oh?"
"You ruined my favourite training top."
"You laughed!"
"Because you looked like you were about to cry."
"I was."
"I know."
He smiled softly.
"I thought you were sweet."
Your heart fluttered. The breeze became cooler as the sky slowly shifted from deep navy to softer shades of blue. Morning was approaching. Your stomach twisted. This was it. If you didn't tell him now... You never would. Your fingers tightened around the empty biscuit packet. You stared at the horizon, gathering every ounce of courage you had.
"Ferran..."
The change in your voice made him turn towards you immediately. He could tell something was wrong. Or important. He wasn't sure which.
"Hm?"
You swallowed.
"Can you... not interrupt me?"
His smile disappeared. He nodded. "Of course."
Your heartbeat echoed so loudly in your ears that you were convinced he could hear it too. You took one slow breath. Then another. "I met you when we were fifteen." A small smile appeared on your face. "You were covered in strawberry milkshake because of me."
He chuckled quietly. "I remember."
"I thought you were going to hate me.â
âI couldn't."
You smiled sadly before continuing. "I never expected one accident to completely change my life." You looked down at your hands. "You became my best friend. The person I called whenever something good happened. The first person I wanted to tell when something bad happened. The person who somehow made every city feel like home." Your voice trembled. "And somewhere along the way..." You laughed quietly through your nerves. "I completely fell in love with you."
Ferran froze.
"I've loved you for eleven years." The words finally escaped. "I've watched you fall in love. I've watched you date other people. I've smiled while pretending it didn't hurt." You wiped quickly at your eyes. "I kept thinking... What if one day he'd look at me the way I look at him? What if one day he'd realise?" Your voice cracked. "But eventually I realised... Maybe you never would."
"So..."
You forced yourself to keep going.
"I got offered a job in Canada."
His head snapped towards you.
"What?"
You nodded. "I haven't accepted it."
"Why?"
"Because of you."
His breathing became uneven.
"I couldn't imagine leaving while wondering... What if?"
You looked directly into his eyes.
"I love you, Ferran. I don't expect you to say it back. I just... I couldn't keep pretending anymore." A tear rolled down your cheek. "If you don't feel the same..." You smiled weakly. "I understand. I'll take the job. I'll leave. And eventually..." You laughed bitterly. "I'll learn how to live without you."
You stood before he could answer. "I just needed you to know."
You picked up your trainers. Your hoodie. Your bag. Everything suddenly felt unbearably heavy.
"Thank you..." Your voice was barely audible. "For being my best friend."
You turned.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Ferran still hadn't spoken.
Your heart shattered a little more with every step. Maybe your friends had been right. Maybe loving someone for eleven years didn't guarantee they'd ever love you back. You reached the end of the pier. You couldn't do it. You couldn't look back.
Thenâ
"Y/N!"
You stopped.
His voice cracked. You slowly turned around. Ferran was already running. The distance between you disappeared in seconds. He stopped in front of you, breathing heavily. For a moment... Neither of you spoke. He simply looked at you. Really looked at you.
Then he laughed. Not because anything was funny. Because he couldn't believe how unbelievably stupid he'd been.
"You idiot."
You blinked. "...Excuse me?"
He shook his head. "No." He pointed at himself. "Me. I'm the idiot."
You stared at him in confusion. He let out another breathless laugh.
"Do you have any idea how many times I've wanted to tell you exactly what you just told me?"
Your eyes widened. "What?"
"I've been terrified." He admitted quietly. "I thought you'd never see me that way."
You couldn't move.
"My friends have been calling me an idiot for years."
He smiled through watery eyes.
"Pedri. Gavi. Alejandro. They all kept telling me to stop being a coward. I thought if you loved me..." His voice cracked. "...you would've said something."
A laugh escaped your lips despite the tears. "I thought the exact same thing."
He smiled. "We're hopeless."
"The biggest idiots in Barcelona."
"The biggest?"
He nodded confidently. "Without question."
You laughed.
"So..." He stepped closer. "You've loved me for eleven years?"
You nodded.
"So have I."
Everything around you seemed to stop. The waves. The breeze. The sounds of the waking city. Nothing mattered anymore. Only him.
"I nearly lost you because I was scared." He whispered. "I almost let you move halfway across the world. You wouldn't have known."
"I know."
He gently reached for your hand. "But I know now."
His fingers intertwined with yours. "I love you."
He smiled. "I think I've loved you since the day you apologised more than fifty times over one milkshake."
You laughed through your tears. "I did apologise a lot."
"You were adorable. You still are."
A comfortable silence settled between you. Neither of you needed to fill it. After eleven years... There wasn't much left to say. Ferran lifted his free hand and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear.
"Can I kiss you?"
You smiled so widely your cheeks hurt. "You've waited eleven years."
"I think you've earned it."
He smiled. Slowly... Carefully... He leaned in. His forehead rested against yours first. Giving you every chance to pull away. You didn't. Instead, you closed the tiny distance yourself. His lips met yours softly. The kiss wasn't rushed. It wasn't dramatic. It was gentle. Patient. Like something both of you had been waiting for far too long. When you finally pulled away, neither of you stopped smiling.
"So..." Ferran murmured. "I guess you're not moving to Canada?"
You laughed. "I suppose that depends."
"On what?" He squeezed your hand.
"You planning on asking me out properly?"
He grinned.













