see you later // Pablo Gavi

Chapter 88

~ Author's Note ~

I know y'all are probably all die hard for Spain and nothing else, but any French there?

Because gosh, the drama with Mbappe becoming captain and Griezmann's...

disappointment.

I don't know. I have a hopeful feeling he's over it, or at least will be soon. It'd be stupid to let something like that get in the way of a very skilled man and his international football career.

At the same time, I get where Griezmann is coming from. It makes sense he'd be disappointed, considering all his years with France.

10 year, isn't it?

I'm sure making Mbappe captain was a very good decision.

Opinions on it?

𝐈 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐘 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌 𝐁𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐇𝐈𝐌 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐑, 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 𝐈𝐒 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐁𝐘, 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐈 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐈𝐓 𝐎𝐅𝐅 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐃-𝐀𝐈𝐃 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. When I finish, I ask him, "So you really don't have anyone who can take care of you right now?"

"No... Mama said to stay by the camper and the playground today while they're gone. It's okay, though. They leave me alone a lot... It's okay, though."

I look at him, concerned. "You sure? Do you have a phone that you can use to call somebody if you need help?"

"Yep," he smiles.

"Okay, how about this? Do you have a paper and pen?"

He quickly gets me that, and I scribble my phone number on the paper. "You get hurt, or scared, you just call me, okay, sweetie?" I ask, giving it to him.

He grins, saying, "Okay! But I'm pretty tough, you know."

"Good," I smile. "It's good to be tough."

"What's your name, Miss?" he asks me.

"I'm Ember. What's your name?"

"I'm Leo! You wanna know why my name is super cool, too?"

"Why?" I smile.

"Because it's just like Messi!"

I grin at him, saying, "You like Messi, huh?"

"Yeah... I really like Barcelona."

I grin at this. "Guess what, buddy? I really like Barcelona too, and can I give you a small surprise?" I'd love to bring him to meet the whole team, but I don't want to disobey his parents' orders of keeping to the playground and the camper.

"Yeah!" he screams in excitement, and he follows me out of the camper, leaping, having no idea what the surprise will be, but excited anyway.

Children are so sweet and innocent.

When I get back to the bench, the other boy from earlier is just finishing getting a shirt signed by my boyfriend.

When Leo sees Gavi, his mouth drops, and he screams, "Is that Gavi?!"

Gavi looks up, a crooked smile on his face, because his smile isn't perfect, and I love that. "Hey," he smiles.

Leo runs up to Gavi and literally leaps onto his lap, hugging him tightly. "You're my hero!" he screams.

I watch as a strange look appears in my boyfriend's eyes. It's good, but I can't place my finger on what it specifically is. I watch as Gavi signs their shirts and different things for them and answers all their questions. The wonder in their eyes is absolutely priceless.

Gavi glances to me, and I give him a soft, encouraging smile, before gently massaging the back of his neck and his shoulders, standing behind the bench.

Suddenly the first boy stares in awe and says, looking right at me, "Are you and Gavi married?"

Gavi's eyebrows shoot up at this question, and his eyes become wide. I just giggle, shaking my head, "No, we aren't married."

"Hmmm..." is all he says, before they continue hitting my poor boyfriend with question after question.

I can tell it exhausts him. But I can also tell, in a way, he feels good. And I know that it's the right thing for him to sit with these boys and talk.

"Gavi, I wanna be a football player just like you someday!" the first boy says.

"Me too!" says Leo. "And Messi. I'm gonna be just like you and Messi. Do you think I could do that...?

I watch as a light appears in my lovely's eyes, and he says, "Of course you can do it. I want both of you to become really good footballers someday. Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah!" they both say.

"Good. Do it for me. You ever feel like you can't do it, too, keep pushing, okay? Ask your parents now about football clubs and teams, okay? Get started early, and I'm sure you'll both go a long way, okay? Most of all, have faith in yourself."

Suddenly Leo buries his face in Gavi's chest and starts crying, which takes my boyfriend totally off guard. He very awkwardly puts his arm on his back, patting it, before saying, "What's wrong?"

"I can't believe that you, my hero, the guy I look up to, just told me I could be a footballer. That you got faith in my to do that... Thank you!" he cries, not moving, speaking with his little kid voice, mispronouncing some of his words.

I can't help but smile at the awkward way Gavi pats his back, saying in surprise, "Of course, little dude."

"Mama and Papa don't think I can be a footballer..." he says. The other boy is called by his other friends, and he runs off to go with them, but little Leo stays.

"I think you can be a footballer. And a really good one, too. What position do you like to play?"

"I wanna be a midfielder just like you!"

"Alright, well, you'll be one of the best midfielders there is, then."

"Could I play for Barcelona?"

"I'm sure if you strive hard enough. You could get into La Masia."

"And play for Spain someday?"

"Sure," he smiles. "I think you could."

Leo grins, shouting, "You're my bestest hero ever, Gavi!"

Gavi smiles again, nods, and says, "Why don't you go play with your friends now?"

"Sure!" he stands up, about to run off, but then stops, looking back in confusion all the sudden at Gavi, "Wait, hold on, how come you're here, going camping?"

Gavi smiles. "Celebrating a friend's birthday."

"Who?" he says with wide eyes. "Is it De Jong? Or Raphinha? Or Lewandowski?" The way the young lad mispronounces Lewandowski is hard not to laugh at.

"No," Gavi grins. "It's Pedri."

"Pedri?!"