settle down [reus]

vierzehn: the park

MARCO

"We've gotta start being serious here boys," Jurgen said to all of us. We were sat in the locker room after a gruesome training session and we were all huffing and panting. "Bayern Munich won't be easy opponents - they've got a deadly attack, a tight defence and a solid midfield. But, we do too!" he smirked happily, making all of us whoop and holler in reply. The DFB-Pokal final was in a few weeks and we were all anxious yet excited.

"This is the time to start training your physical and mental strength. In two weeks we will see who will take the cup, and I'm really hopeful about this one, boys," Jurgen grinned. "Remember, although individual strengths are great, teamwork is more important." he finished before clapping his hands once to dismiss us all.

I wiped some sweat off my forehead and walked over to my locker, opening the door and rummaging around for a t-shirt so I could get changed.

"So, have you gotten into her pants yet?" I heard. I leaned my head against the door, wanting to listen in on the conversation.

"Who, Mia?" I heard Erik. I clenched my fist hard and my grip on the locker door tightened as I listened to Erik talking. 

"I think he has," the other voice said with a laugh, "Look at his smug little face!"

I waited for Erik to defend himself, to say something to deny the claim. I knew for a fact that Mia and Erik weren't even close to getting together yet.

After a few moments of nothing but the boys cheering for Erik, I grabbed a shirt and pulled it on carelessly before grabbing my bag. I slammed my locker shut and gave Erik a hard glare.

"You're a fucking asshole, Durm. Mia would never do that." I snapped at him before leaving the locker room angrily, not listening to Erik's calls for me.

-

I panted as I ran faster and faster through the empty park. My muscles were in pain and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I was exhausted after training, but when I got home I just felt the need to run and clear my head.

It was a normal evening in Dortmund - the sun was setting and something about the evening made me calm down. I was about to slow down to a walk when I felt myself crash full-body into someone.

I groaned as I felt my back hit the grass. I shut my eyes tightly and pressed my hands to my face before slowly sitting up. I squinted my eyes and turned to look at who I crashed into, hoping to see another jogger just like me but instead I saw Mia.

"Marco?"

"Mia?"

"Oh god, Reus," she chuckled, "We keep meeting like this."

She was wearing running apparel as well. She had her iPod strapped to her arm in one of those Nike arm band thingies and her blonde hair was tied into a ponytail. She looked pretty normal except for the ice cream that was sticking to her clothes.

"Scheiße," I cursed, "Did I-" I trailed off, pointing at her shirt. She nodded and then we both looked at the empty ice cream cone she was holding in her hands. 

"Oh well. It's probably a sign for me to stop eating ice cream cones." she joked before tossing the cone into a trash can.

Without thinking, I pulled off my BVB jacket and gave it to her. "I'm sorry, I'll get you another ice cream." I said quickly. 

She looked at me in alert and shook her head quickly, "No, no, it's fine. You need it, it's getting pretty chilly."

"I'm not the one wearing a sleeveless shirt." I smirked at her. She gaped at me for a while before slowly taking the jacket from me and pulling it on. 

"Geez, Marco. Why'd you have to be so polite?" she laughed before pulling it on.

The jacket was too big for her, but she looked good in it and something about her wearing my clothes made my heart do all kinds of gymnastic tricks.

"Well, shall we go get another ice cream cone?" I offered.

She shook her head, "You don't have to. I was supposed to be looking where I was going." she blushed. 

I tilted my head and raised my eyebrow, "Amelia Bauer, are you saying no to something sweet?"

"Ice cream's not-"

"I meant me."

"What?" she looked confused for a moment before realisation flashed on her face and she realised what I meant, "Oh! Oh, you sly bastard." she laughed out loud, giving me a small shove.

"Anyway," I straightened up, "I'm not taking 'no' for an answer. Shall we go?" I smirked, giving her my arm as if we were walking down the aisle together, She giggled, making me smile furiously, and looped her hand into my arm.

I started leading her to the nearby ice cream shop. We talked about random things on the way and I felt like I needed to tell her about Erik, but the way she was smiling and how happy she looked right at this moment with me made me want to push it all to the back of my mind - she was all I could think about right now.

After we ordered our ice creams (Mia taking at least 5 minutes because she couldn't decide on vanilla or chocolate chip), we took a seat in front of the café to admire the last few moments of the sun setting.

Mia started talking about the songs she was writing and the stuff that happened at the studio today. I didn't really mind what she was talking about, she could talk about anything and I'd still listen.

She stopped talking and turned towards me with a smile, her blue eyes now shining in the moonlight. I smiled back at her. And just when I thought the timing was perfect and everything was going to be fine if I leaned in and kissed her...

Flashes went off.

I quickly jumped in my seat and turned to see a few papz taking pictures of us and yelling questions at us. I stood up and so did Mia, I turned towards her and took her hand in mine. "Ready for another run?" I smirked.

She looked back sadly at her ice cream cup that was on the table, still halfway uneaten. "I'll buy you another one, liebe." I laughed. She looked back at me with a blush and nodded.

"Okay, let's go." I said before leading her through the swarm of paparazzi, never letting go of her hand once.

//

the freaking papz ugh! i feel like every time marco and mia go on a date to get something ice cream-y papz seem to find them lmao its like they have radars or something

ok im so sorry i didn't update in a thousand years but i hope this chapter is worth it and you guys like it :)x

aaaaaaaAAAANNDD also i'd like to dedicate this chapter to @germanynt who never fails to crack me up with her comments xx

okay so i hope you guys liked this chapter:)

happy reading, my lovelies!