#wolfsburg

you were an absolute natural at your job, but there was a particular element about your next mission that had you feeling all sorts.

you paced about your room, phone in hand, the night before you were about to be faced with one of the people who was the main reason for one of the sweetest times in your life.

"y/n... this is huge! just breathe... compose yourself..." your fellow journalist friend, diana, reassured to you over the facetime call that you shared with her.

years ago as you attended university in germany as you'd been accepted into the journalism program you'd had your eyes on for a good bit...

had university also brought to you plans aside from schoolwork, but for a taste of love which you had first been fed when you were doing fieldwork alongside wolfsburg ii.

there at that football club, was an egyptian boy that you'd caught glances from as you sat on the sidelines jotting in your memo book. the glances started out as from time... to frequent... to a calibre where coach would have to snap at omar to stay focused during training, which you found increasingly cute.

it turned into something sweet. the hearts and arrows with "omar + y/n" written faintly in the margins of your memo book became a reality.

it was with that boy from wolfsburg ii you shared your first kiss with... your first date with... a myriad of joyful and emotional moments as one would have with their first love.

but after nearly a year, home called you back... and the demand of omar's football career began to grow. "maybe this was just to see what love's like," you thought to yourself the first few nights after being away from him. you both went on about your respective lives—it wasn't a bad breakup like you'd seen your friends go through... which you were so grateful for, and are.

and now, you were going to see him again—as you'd been blessed the opportunity to interview that same 18 year old egyptian boy... now a 26 year old man. omar marmoush... who now plays for one of the biggest clubs in all of european football, manchester city.

"hellooo? you still there y/n?" diana's voice sounded over the phone.

you snapped out of the reverie, shaking your head. "yeah—i was just thinking...

...yeah. i'm... i'll be ready. this will go nicely."

"oh i'm sure it will. i was there with you when you got word that you'd be interviewing him. you were all blushy~" diana teased.

"oh stop~" you said, the sarcasm quite evident.

you didn't want the teasing to stop. the thoughts of possibilities between you and your first ever love years after it had been.

it had been once. and you sat in wonder, in bouts for those years after deciding to live your respective lives on one's own to keep up with the demands of academia and football. "could we try again?" was a question that had never gone away.

you always managed to brush it off because you were focused on your grind in academics as was he in football... seemingly.

"this is going to be such a beautiful reunion, y/n." diana continued. "i can already hear omar and his voice going on about how 'you're all grown up.'"

you sat on the edge of the bed and sighed contentedly as she said that... smiling as you looking out to the skyline from your room, the city lights contrasting the near black sky calming. it radiated hope in a way.

diana chimed again. "i'm rooting for you, babes. get some sleep for tomorrow's interview, okay? i'll pick you up."

you smiled. classic diana, bearing burdens of her loved ones.

"love you, di," you sighed.

"love you, babes. see ya~"

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that next evening after an ecstatic city win, it was time you had come face to face with that boy, now the all-grown-up international who had scored a hattrick in a span of just fourteen minutes versus newcastle. you were in awe yourself as you watched from the box way up with diana - who shook you gently by the shoulders from time - "oooh, someone's gonna be all prideful when he's coming off the pitch."

it was like that, in a way. omar - cocky, yet still so humble about it. walking with gratitude as he carried the match ball underneath one arm as he went to hug his teammates and staff postmatch.

it was the same "proud of myself" sort of smirk that you could always remember him giving when he'd achieved just about anything.

but his entire expression faded into something softer as he was coming through the tunnel and into the very area where you stood, mic in hand in front of that backdrop that all postgame interviews occur in front of.

"it's... her." omar whispered to himself, quiet enough he could barely even hear himself over the clamour surrounding as he approached you, even his walk becoming humbler.

it was a sweet greeting omar gave you... the kind kiss on each cheek that one would greet a loved one from family with, and you could both tell from each other's tender smiles shared that there was so much you guys wanted to talk about and catch up on that had little to nothing to do with the match that had just wrapped up.

though you both stood on business - as you stood in front of that backdrop, mic in hand... you readied yourself to speak for the masses on that camera, as did he. you skimmed your interview questions just once more in your mind before all had gone live.

and there was diana off-camera working the rest of the medias, right in front of you and omar. giggling... making a heart with her hand that she could hold up to her eye to keep you two within the frame of the shape her hands curved into.

you tensed and felt your cheeks tinge with heat and blush. in your peripheral vision, you could see omar. noticing your colleague's teasing. he smiled to himself and looked down... giving a silent chuckle.

and then he looked at you, his gaze still soft. giving a kind and gentle nod - one that let you know he was ready to speak. ready for the cameras to get rolling.

you were done for - it was for certain you couldn't live down the remnants of your subtle, rarely-surfacing, yet steadfast crush on your first ever boyfriend, omar marmoush.

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"gosh, the whole world must think i'm a fool. i must be so rosy right now." you thought to yourself in your head after that hell of an interview.

well, it had gone nicely, looking at it from an outsider's perspective. you asked all the right questions, and omar gave all the right answers, singing his praises to all the positive forces that he knew accoladed to this brilliant hattrick in his professional career. his confidence mixed with humility was moving...

...and your elegance was unmatched. not like you were sure of it at first due to how many feelings you have been feeling inside and still are, but as soon as the cameras cut after that one exceptional take of an interview, diana came to you, with the most excited grin on her face, nudging you teasingly...

"you did beautifully, girl. gonna go take care of some more media stuff around... text me when you're ready to head back home. i got you." diana reassured, hugging you quickly though affectionately before she scurried off, giving an exaggerated wink to you.

you found it hard to believe her... for as you were interviewing omar, you were unable to read your own demeanor. for the heart hands she was giving and the pouts she gave you whenever omar shot that charming smile right your way... you weren't so sure you were that composed during the interview.

"agh- sorry about my friend! she's... just being silly. i love her though..." you sighed. omar stepped closer to you, facing you, the smile on his face bigger and sweeter than ever.

"awh, she just cares about you..." omar started.

"...wow. y/n. it's really you. is it?"

"i am thinking the same thing you are, omar..." you sighed.

your eyes met omar's... like... for good, this time. not locked into an interview... but just naturally sharing eye contact. it made you feel warm inside. those dark brown eyes that shone when he was thinking of or looking at something... or more so someone he loves was bringing back memories of teenage you. teenage you two.

he held that awestruck gaze upon you for a second longer, but it broke just as you were about to speak.

"whewwww!! marmoushhh..." city's famous striker none other than erling haaland, chimed in as he walked past, in the direction of the club dressing room, accompanied by winger savinho who whistled at the sight of you two. "shooters shoot, marmoush..!"

and both you and omar were left with your lips parted, in quite a bit of disbelief...

...could that mean there's something you don't know? something you don't know about omar's feelings... could they be there..?

the way he sighed softly, almost adorable - no, very adorable... let you know something.

"ahhhh... sorry. well... i guess it may make you feel better than you aren't the only one being teased by the ones you work with~" omar said, clearly a little more humbled.

"but wow..." he continued.

"you...

...you've blossomed, y/n."

"omarrr... look at you! from second division wolfsburg... to here. man city. you're a star."

he laughed softly, giving you that up-down look that made you blush even more than you already were.

"it's been so long." you sighed.

"it has... i just- wow..." he murmured, in such disbelief.

you could notice a twinkle in his eyes. not like he even had to mention it... because to omar... you are beautiful. he couldn't believe it. you, his first girlfriend... now interviewing him as he's a player for one of the most well known first tier clubs in all of the lands. he still saw the same sweet girl who was always jotting her fieldnotes at his training sessions...

...only now was he graced the moment in time to take in you now.

not just a... but the beautiful young woman doing journalism, who he only has fond memories of from when you two hung out while living life in germany.

you were taken by surprise as you felt a touch at your hand... his large fingers delicately clasping your hand into his hold. his look was full of sincerity.

"we have so much to catch each other up on, y/n." omar confessed. "just... let me know the day that works best for you."

were the sparks really flying again?

the familiar butterflies flitting about in your stomach gave you that inner feeling of deja vu. you'd been here before. not physically here relative to the etihad... but you'd been here, given this feeling by omar from something he's said that made your heart skip a beat.

"i'd... really like that, omar." you agreed, not even needing to think twice about it. "i'm not on the same number that i was while in germany years back, of course... but i've got you~"

you unclasped your purse that was slung over your shoulder, and reached and felt just what you were looking for. you always kept just a few of your business cards on hand... though just as you looked up with the card in hand... omar's hands were busy.

his match ball on the ground, him slipping out of his postmatch jacket... hands tugging at his jersey which he slipped with ease over his head, off of his body. his eyes caught onto your business card as he was about to hand his matchworn jersey to you. your gazes met one another's again, eliciting a giggle from both of you.

"hehe, for me?" you blushed, eyes darting between omar's charming expression and his match jersey in hand, outstretched for you to take... which you did. and he smiled, as he used that same hand that once help his jersey out to you to take the business card gently from your fingers, in between his own... examining it with a smile before his eyes met yours again.

"all for you, dear. and thank you for this~" omar said, holding onto your business card with your contact inscribed in it as if it was something precious...

...for it was. a reminder that the first girl he'd ever fallen in love with had come this far in life. and all that he felt for you was beginning to resurface just like that... as it was for you... and boy, at this point was it difficult for both you and omar to hide.

"y/n... it's so lovely to see you again, you know that?"

"it is, omar. life's so cool like that, eh? we're just, i don't know... here! face to face, after all this time." you agreed with a smile.

his smile was so charming that the feeling of having to look away before you turned completely beet red had come over you for the first time in a long time.

"yes y/n... and after all this time, we're going to be seeing so much more of each other...

...i promise you."

as if anyone around could actually see it, but you were certain that your heart was warmed like nothing else in the world had ever done to you after omar avowed that to you.

he still looked at you like you were the only girl that was to ever exist. right there, post interview at the etihad, one day after seven years of not having seen each other.

this moment let you know, as you and omar kept up that innocent gaze for one another...

...nothing's changed.

that subtle, rarely-surfacing, yet steadfast crush that you brushed off as silly was not so silly anymore... for it was not only a certainty you had about him... but him, for you.