Soccer/Football Imagines (Part 2)

Leroy Sané [~] Girl Next Door

Leroy Sané

For Zara_Maria_:

The whole 'girl/boy next door' love story idea was a plot that Sara usually found incredibly cheesy and unrealistic. There were plenty of movies and songs dedicated to the phenomenon and Sara was sick of all of it. Mainly due to the fact that her best friend on the entire planet happened to be a boy next door. Growing up in Essen, Germany, Sara found that she never really fit in with the other girls.

For one thing, she loved mud. She loved sliding in it, especially during a game when the field would get all muddy. Her mother hated it, having to live and work completely as a single parent and therefore the only one there to do laundry. Sara also loved one thing more than anything else on the planet—football.

It was the one connection she had to her father, who had been a part time player in the second tier of German football when Sara was born. This was before he died in a car crash, leaving Sara and her mother on their own since Sara was two. After growing up in near isolation, Sara wasn't one to make new friends easily or get along with other people.

Her mother, who was always busy with her job, tried to get Sara to make new friends, but Sara refused, and spent the whole day outside alone, kicking the ball at the fence to pretend that she was taking free kicks at a game. One day when Sara was trying to copy the style of several professional players, she unfortunately kicked her new ball over the fence and into the yard next door. Cursing, Sara ran up to the fence and peeked through the small hole in the fence.

On the other side of the fence, Sara saw a yard very similar to her own, only that it had a real football goal in it. Looking through the whole, Sara tried to find the ball she had recently kicked over. Little four-year-old Sara wasn't going to lose the new ball her mother had bought her as a start to school present. It was the coolest ball she had seen yet and she wanted it back.

Stepping back from the fence, Sara looked around for things she could use to climb up and over the fence. Pushing the trash can and a box over, Sara pulled herself over the fence, landing on the mulched garden. Rubbing her butt painfully, Sara got up and started looking around the yard for her ball. Spotting it easily, Sara ran over. Before she could reach it, however, a little boy about her age walked up and grabbed it.

"Hey, that's my ball!" Sara shouted, charging at the boy.

"This is my yard, therefore it's my ball," the boy challenged, putting the ball behind his back so that Sara couldn't reach it.

"No, it's my ball. I kicked it over the fence and it landed in your lawn. It's still my ball. Give it back!" Sara demanded.

"Make me!" The two kids proceeded to spend the next ten minutes chasing each other around the yard. Sara finally caught up to the boy and grabbed the ball, starting a tug of war. "It's my ball!"

"No it's my ball!" Sara shouted, pulling at the ball. The ball slipped out of both of their hands but neither was ready to give up. Wrestling each other, Sara managed to pin the boy to the ground. "It's my ball!" she shouted.

"Fine, it's not worth this much trouble anyways," the boy replied, pushing Sara off him. Both glared at the ground before sighing and looking at each other. "What's your name anyways?"

"Sara, and what's yours?"

"Leroy," the boy stated, staring at Sara unamused. "Look, I have to get inside for dinner soon, so unless you want me to tell my parents about this, you should get back over to your side of the yard."

"Fine," Sara huffed, grabbing the ball and walking up to the fence. Throwing the ball over, Sara then proceeded to climb up the tree that had a limb hanging over each yard. "I guess I'll see you later, Leroy." He nodded and waved as Sara disappeared over the fence. This was the start of something that neither was old enough to comprehend at the time. After that day, sneaking over the fence became a daily occurrence for Sara. The two would play football together then just hang out and talk.

Their parents eventually found out and allowed the two to continue to see each other through play dates. Sara still insisted upon climbing over the fence. One day, Sara climbed over the fence, a somber look on her face. "What's wrong?" Leroy asked her, now nearly sixteen.

"My mom says we're moving. Her job transferred her and I have to go with her," she sighed.

"Are you serious?" Leroy gasped, to which Sara could only nod.

"I have to go back and start packing soon, but I wanted to give this to you to remember me by," Sara said, handing Leroy the now roughed up ball she had kicked over the fence all those years ago.

"I can't take this, this is your favorite ball."

"You're not taking it. You're borrowing it and you'll give it back to me when we see each other again," Sara smiled. The two embraced in a hug and Leroy cursed at himself for being unable to tell Sara exactly what he felt for her at that moment. The two had sat and watched the stars come out before Sara climbed over the fence and disappeared from Leroy's life for several years.

Several years had passed and Sara found herself on the women's national team for Germany at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Walking out of the stadium, medal in hand, Sara picked up her head to see a familiar figure standing in the tunnel. A smile crossed her lips as she continued to walk towards him. "Long time no see, Leroy," she smiled.

"Last time I saw you, you gave me this," Leroy said, pulling the beat up ball from behind his back. "And I'm here to return it," Leroy smiled, walking towards Sara. Handing her the ball, Leroy cupped Sara's cheek and rubbed it softly. "You know, not one day passed without me thinking about you," Leroy said, causing Sara to blush.

"The great Leroy Sané remembered little old me. The girl next door."

"The girl that won't get away," Leroy corrected before pressing his lips to Sara's. Sara smiled and kissed Leroy back, the ball clattering to the floor, forgotten as the two embraced.