tennis slash - Sweet Cream
this took me at least a half hour to post because, for some reason I still don't get, I kept getting an Internal Server error. Posted this piece by piece - and even had to retype some of it - so I'm praying this ends up looking correct after all that work!
Title: Sweet Cream
Author: Kris S.
Fandom: Tennis RPS
Players: David Ferrer/Richard Gasquet, Rafael Nadal
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: This did not happen.
Summary: David admits he’s never been a fan of Paris. Rafa wants to change that. Takes place the night of David's loss to Monfils at the French Open.
Author’s Note: This came up because of a meme. Everyone who did it ended up with this pairing for at least one question, which is rather amusing since I’ve never seen David paired up with any Frenchie.
David has never been a fan of Paris. It has bummed him out how, no matter how well his season has gone, he can’t seem to make a positive mark on the French Open. This match against Gael is just another in the line of misses. Two days of fight but ending with another “nearly but not quite this time”.
Rafa makes it look so easy, winning match after match year after year. In general, that is true year-round but especially here in Paris. He wishes he hadn’t passed Rafa earlier in the day, clearly energized about his own upcoming match which he’d most certainly win in straights. He especially wishes Rafa hadn’t accepted his attitude about Paris as a challenge.
David finds out that part later that night, when Rafa yanks him from his room before he knows what hit him. He sees Javier looking downright pleased, clearly in the know regarding whatever Rafa has planned.
Rafa doesn’t stop moving until they’ve gone through a maze of hallways and staircases to what is possibly a secret passage that only a number one player in the world would know about which ends with a car waiting at the end of the driveway.
“We’re going for ice cream,” Rafa declares before David can even get a word out, pushing him into the back seat before joining him.
David waits for Rafa to say more. When he doesn’t and the car begins to move, David says, “You could have just asked me that.”
“You haven’t yet seen the true beauty of Paris. Now I can’t stay long personally but I know someone who can and he will be your guide.”
He sees a fleeting glint in Rafa’s eyes that bothers him. “Why do I think you have something more in mind here?”
“What could you possibly mean?” but Rafa’s attempt at appearing innocent has long past effectiveness with David.
“Oh, no, you don’t! You are not fixing me up.” David shakes his head as Rafa nods. “In general, Rafa, it’s nicer to tell someone they’re going on a date before getting them in the car.” He looks down at his ratty t-shirt and shorts.
“It’s ice cream not a fancy restaurant. Besides, I figured you would say no once you found out who it is.”
“Why would I say no?”
“He doesn’t speak Spanish.”
"You’re right. That is a deal breaker. You know how uncomfortable I am speaking English when it’s something meaningless like a post-match press conference, much less a date.”
“If it makes you feel better, he’s the same way about that but we’re friends nonetheless so suck it up.” Rafa glances out the window as the car makes a stop. “Here you are. I’d join you but I’d need security to show up around that crowd. Not sure exactly how he avoided… Actually I don’t even see him. Hold on.” Rafa texts a brief message, continuing to talk, “He knows it’s you, was kind of wary but I tell him he’s playing tour guide and voila, he accepted.”
“I don’t hate Paris in general but I’d rather get back home and enjoy the extra few days off.”
Rafa shrugs, even though David is sure he would enjoy that as well, but is distracted by an incoming text. He leans over David to look at the tables across the street. “Oh, okay. I see him. That’s a funny disguise. Nobody would recognize him wearing a black baseball cap and lime green adidas jacket. Go on. Get your ice cream then join him. I recommend the dark chocolate.”
David mutters under his breath about how Juan Carlos was right to say that all Mallorcans are crazy as he exits the car. As he waits on line, he tries not to turn around to acknowledge either Rafa’s eager grin or if the guy is looking from across the street. He agrees with Rafa’s suggestion on the ice cream then heads to the tables.
The person who fit the description has his back to him and is texting someone but a cup sitting on the table that looked to be a raspberry flavor and an empty seat with a bag on it have him clearly be the right person. Once David sees who it is, he may be a bit surprised but he can’t help but say, “Okay, he’s right about you being unrecognizable in that outfit. Not a crocodile in sight.”
“Gilles had the jacket at the bottom of his suitcase. The hat is from an American basketball team that Gael follows. I look very much a tourist, yes?” He puts the phone away, then moves the bag to allow David to sit down before finally smiling his way.
“That you do. Did you really agree to this to be a tour guide?”
“Rafa did say that you weren’t a fan of Paris. You’ve done sightseeing, I’m sure. It wasn’t a good day for you…”
“I’m sure Gael is happy about that and you’re happy for him.”
“You’re happiest back home, around people you know.”
David wonders if one or both of them is missing a nuance of the conversation. Either that or it was an odd change of subject. “Well, yeah. I enjoy the comfort.” He takes a spoonful of the ice cream, muttering, “Pretty good.”
“So do I but you don’t get a chance to really experience what some of the other places in the world hold, either. Beyond the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame and other landmarks, I mean. This here,” gesturing to the other tables, all seats filled, “is what the city is really like.”
It’s rather abrupt but David wants to get back to the point. “Didn’t you lose yesterday? You shouldn’t be so… lively about losing in your home Slam.”
“Yes but I lost to Novak. Who hasn’t lost to him this year? Besides, I’d never made the second week here before. It’s a nice change. Hopefully, I can do some damage at Wimbledon. I’ve missed that tournament the last two years.”
David gives him a look, then shakes his head in disbelief wishing he could be in that kind of mood. "Are you usually this," pausing to try to remember the English term, "optimistic?"
"No. But sometimes you're so stuck in the little things that go wrong on the court that you don't realize how lucky you… we both are to be doing this for a living. Then it’s suddenly gone and, when you’ve been able to fully come back, you wonder why you were so worked up over everything the first time.” He shakes his head, as if he’s sorry to have admitted that out loud to someone he doesn’t know so well.
“If you knew I didn’t want a tour guide, why did you really agree?”
He seems awfully focused on the dessert all of a sudden, taking a rather large spoonful of the ice cream to keep occupied. David rests his elbow on the table, balancing his chin on his hand, as he edges toward his suddenly nervous date. Finally, David gets a reply in a shrug and, “I don’t know. Just thought it’d be nice.”
David looks around, noticing that nobody is noticing, then leans forward to say, “How is the raspberry? I’d like to find out if it goes well with the dark chocolate.”
That gets David a smile back, then a glance to the side as if seriously considering it. He holds the spoon toward David, teasing him with the ice cream. "Want to find out?"
David bites his lip to keep from smiling too big, then says, "Not quite that way."
"I see. Now you have me curious about the combination," his eyes drifting down to David's mouth, his voice barely above a whisper as he adds, "or I'm just distracted because of your habit of doing that." He shakes his head, then backs away. "We need to leave. Now. Before I do something really stupid and we get caught."
If asked later, David will blame having to hear complaints from others in the armada about his lack of flirting over the years. David says innocently, “You know where to go?”
The reward is a narrow glare, then some grumbling in French that David is attempting to pick up stray words in his head before realizing that he’s being kissed and that he’d really rather do that. When they part, he whispers in David’s ear, “We will never hear the end of this one, for sure. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s spying on us. Want to see if we can find out?”
David turns around and spots the car down the street. He supposes Rafa can live a little longer and win another French Open if it means ducking in and out of places with Richard. “Rafa does enjoy Paris for a reason. Very good ice cream.”