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Chapter 37 - Bastian gets aggressive and Pizarro gets annoying; fun times for Lukas!
After spending the next few hours still in bed, just relaxing and taking advantage of not having to go in until the afternoon, Bastian and Lukas finally decided to get up to have lunch at eleven-thirty. After they finished eating Bastian went for a shower and Lukas teased him to make sure he cleaned it when he was done. Bastian had asked him if he wanted to join him, and Lukas had reminded him about having been traumatized enough for one day. Bastian had laughed and told him that he was still welcome any time he felt like coming in, and Lukas had grinned but not responded.
Now he was sitting in the living room, flicking through the channels on the TV but not really paying attention to the screen. He was thinking about what had happened this morning between himself and Bastian. It was kind of weird to really think about it, to actually admit it. Bastian had jerked him off, and he’d enjoyed it, despite everything else. He definitely hadn’t been ready for it, but things had worked out all right in the end.
But still, something drastic had happened between them, and who knew when the next step would be taken? Lukas was quite nervous about that. Because what would come next, realistically? Blow job? Was Bastian actually going to want to do that? To use his mouth to… He couldn’t even think about it. And whether or not it was something Bastian wanted to do, Lukas was pretty damn certain that it was something that he didn’t want to do. But he should want to, shouldn’t he? Would it be right for him to keep taking everything from Bastian without giving him anything back? Bastian might be okay with it for now, but there was no way he could stay okay with it. That wasn’t the way relationships were supposed to work.
And if he was worried about how a blowjob would work out, how in the hell was he going to manage actual sex? He wasn’t sure if he could. Sure he’d like to be able to, but when he thought about it, pictured it, he just wasn’t sure. It didn’t even matter to him which one of them was taking it or giving it; he didn’t think he could handle doing either. Not with a guy, at least. It was still too weird, too new. Maybe Bastian would change his mind, the way he had this morning; maybe he wouldn’t.
Lukas was still sitting and contemplating when he felt a hand drop onto his head, fingers flicking at his earlobes. He reached up to grab both of the hands and only seconds later he felt lips kissing his cheek, as Bastian leaned over the back of the couch.
“Both myself and the shower are clean now, just to let you know.” Bastian pulled his hands out of Lukas’ grip, sliding his arms down the front to rest against Lukas’ chest.
Lukas nodded, remaining seated, his hands moving up to rest on Bastian’s arms. He wished there was some kind of time-line; some way to know for sure how long these nervous and uncertain feelings would last; some way to know if they actually would ever go away or not. But for now he was going to stop thinking about it, as he had more important things to contemplate.
Namely going for a shower himself and then getting dressed and ready to go to his first day back at training. He was still battling between excitement and nerves over it, and he wished that they could just leave right now and go. Sitting around and waiting for it was making him more nervous than excited. With a final squeeze of Bastian’s forearms, Lukas stood up.
“Okay then, I’m going for a shower now.” He paused for a second, his eyes narrowing at Bastian. “And no, you are not invited.” He grinned and headed out from the living room, back toward his bedroom. He knew Bastian was following along behind him and he knew that the Bavarian was likely grinning and planning something. When he reached the bedroom and turned around, just as expected, Bastian was directly behind him and, not having expected Lukas to stop suddenly, walked right into him.
There was no way for Bastian to save himself from thudding ungracefully into Lukas, and he did so while cursing him. “Damn it, what did you stop for? I was going to throw you on the bed.” Bastian pouted as he explained his intentions, guessing that Lukas would more than likely be annoyed with him anyway.
As expected Lukas shook his head and put both hands on Bastian’s shoulders, pushing him away. “Did I not say I was going for a shower? Going for a shower does not mean getting shoved on my bed.” Sometimes Bastian had a bit of a problem with goofing around too much and while he usually ended up drawing Lukas into it with him, despite the younger one’s best efforts to keep Bastian on task, sometimes Lukas had the fortitude to actually stay on track himself. Today was too important of a day to goof off, after all. He didn’t want to run the risk of getting distracted and being late.
“Oh come on, we’re going to training soon and that’ll be a few hours during which I won’t be able to have fun with you, so I just want to get my fix now.” Bastian was feeling quite playful after having his shower and he wasn’t exactly certain why. But he wasn’t in the mood to give in so easily. They still had an hour left before they’d have to leave, after all, and it’s not like Lukas took long to get ready. So he moved in closer to him again and slid his hands around Lukas’ waist, his fingers brushing against the ticklish area of Lukas’ sides.
Lukas stiffened when Bastian tried to tickle him, his hands immediately flying to his sides and grabbing Bastian’s. “Oh honestly, haven’t you touched me enough already for today?” There was a touch of aggravation in the tone of Lukas’ voice, but Bastian knew him well enough to know that Lukas wasn’t really angry or aggravated at all. Maybe just slightly annoyed, but Bastian was certain he could fix that.
Bastian grinned and leaned his head closer to Lukas’. “Honestly? No.” Bastian was easily able to pull out of Lukas’ grip, which wasn’t strong at all, as though he were only half fighting Bastian off. Bastian liked to think that Lukas didn’t really realize just how easily his body gave his mind away. Many times he’d speak and sound entirely opposed to whatever Bastian was suggesting, but when Bastian would grab his hand to pull him along to participate anyway, Lukas would move so willingly, as though he’d been waiting for Bastian to pull him, waiting to take the responsibility of deciding away from him. But there were other times when Lukas really was opposed to Bastian’s plans, and he’d always know when to drop the issue because he could stand there and pull at Lukas all day and he wouldn’t move an inch.
But he was moving right now and Bastian couldn’t help but grin and push him back against the wall, pressing his lips down on Lukas’, his tongue quickly forcing its way in despite Lukas’ half-hearted attempts at pushing him away. If Bastian was going to be completely honest, he derived a good deal of pleasure in life just by asserting his control over others, be it obviously, like now, or covertly, like he did sometimes at training with the guys. As long as he got his way, he was happy. And right now it wasn’t just that he wanted to kiss Lukas for the thrill of it alone, but he knew that Lukas didn’t really want to kiss him at the moment because he’d prefer to spend the time getting ready. So by making Lukas give in to him, Bastian was asserting that dominance he always strove for.
Lukas eventually stopped struggling after a few seconds, figuring that maybe Bastian was right. They did have an hour after all, and he’d be ready in less than ten minutes. So maybe instead of sitting around and letting himself get more nervous about training for the remaining fifty, maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to let Bastian take his mind off of it for a little while. It did get awfully hard to think about anything else when you had Bastian Schweinsteiger’s tongue in your mouth. Lukas hadn’t even really cared for kissing that much before all of this had happened. He’d never really been much of the type to be all that physical with his affection when it had come to the girls he’d dated, which was kind of strange, since he’d always been enthusiastically physical with his team mates. But the bond between them was different, after all, and expressing physical emotions with them never meant anything as serious as it did when he’d done it with the girls.
But Bastian’s way of kissing was something Lukas had never experienced and it was awfully addictive. It was aggressive and kind of dominating in the way that it left you feeling like there was no way you could possibly even consider breaking it off. Not that he wanted to break it off, of course. Thus far in their kissing experiences it had always been Bastian in control, even on those few occasions when Lukas had been the one to start the kiss, because Bastian would always somehow manage to take over. Lukas didn’t mind, really. He’d never been the type who needed to be in control anyway. As long as he was enjoying himself, he didn’t care much who was calling the shots; he’d happily follow along and do as he was told, which had made him the perfect accomplice to many of Bastian’s plots over the years.
And right now Bastian was firmly in control, with one hand tightly gripping the back of Lukas’ neck, the other gripping Lukas’ hip. Taking Lukas’ mind off of the building nerves hadn’t been on Bastian’s list of reasons for kissing him, because he didn’t yet realize that Lukas was getting that nervous about it. Lukas may be painfully easy to read at times, but there were other times when he hid things so well that even he forgot about them temporarily.
But right now the feelings were being firmly compressed into a dark corner in Lukas’ mind, banished in the face of Bastian’s aggression. Usually Bastian thought these things through before doing them, but every now and then he just forged ahead without really thinking. If he’d stopped to think about this moment, he probably would have held himself back. After what he’d already done with Lukas earlier in the morning, perhaps he would have seen it as being a little too aggressive now that they’d turned that corner. Because even though Lukas seemed to be getting into the moment right now, Bastian knew there was a good possibility that if he pushed Lukas a little too much in one day, he might inadvertently push him away.
But right now his desire won out over his good sense, and he kept his lips firmly pressed to Lukas’, and his hands firmly clamped on the other’s body. They remained up against the wall for a few minutes, just kissing, nothing more. During the course of the action Lukas had wound his arms around Bastian’s back, holding him as close as possible. It was the actions like that, the ones that Lukas probably didn’t really realize he was doing at the time that Bastian loved. Sometimes Lukas would get so caught up in the moment and do things without even consciously realizing he was reacting at all. Bastian was pleased that kissing him was one of those things that could evoke that out of Lukas.
Finally he pulled away from him, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he looked down just slightly at Lukas. He was just a touch taller than him, after all, something that pleased Bastian. It was much easier to assert control if you could look down at the other person. He was silent for a moment, letting his grin speak for him before he opened his mouth. “So, you still want to go for that shower by yourself?”
It took Lukas a moment to regain his senses after Bastian pulled away. He grinned at the question and shook his head. “Yes, alone. Why are you so aggressive all of a sudden, anyway? You did take care of yourself in the shower, didn’t you?” He couldn’t resist making the joke, as disturbing as the thought of it was. He just wouldn’t picture it mentally.
Bastian grinned and leaned his head against Lukas’. “Do you really want me to answer that question?” He laughed when Lukas shook his head and said no. “I guess I should let you go have your shower, then. I’ll just be here, trying to decide what I should wear on this momentous occasion.” He grinned, wondering if Lukas was going to remember the joke from yesterday.
“Yeah, you need the hour to pick an outfit.” Lukas slid out from Bastian’s arms, a smile on his face as he crossed the short distance to the bathroom door. He suddenly turned around and fixed a stern look at him. “You are not going to wear all white, by the way.”
Bastian grinned. “Oh I’ll wear whatever I like, thank you.” Lukas gave him one last shake of the head before turning into the bathroom, heading to the shower to turn the water on. Bastian sat on the bed for a minute, lying back with his hands behind his head, feeling quite pleased with himself at the moment. Luckily for Lukas, Bastian didn’t own any white pants; otherwise he’d be tempted into wearing them. Instead he’d probably wear a white shirt, white sweater, and white ball cap. White sneakers too, just to complete the look. Sure it would piss Lukas off, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up. Lukas would get over it.
Meanwhile in the bathroom Lukas had stripped out of his clothes and was now in the shower, standing still while the hot water pounded his skin. His eyes were closed as he stood there, finally with a chance to really unwind over everything that had occurred this morning. He couldn’t help but be surprised at himself for just a moment ago. After that bit of time spent sitting on the couch, worrying over where their relationship was possibly going to go, it hadn’t taken much pushing from Bastian at all to make Lukas completely forget those worries and sink into the warm feeling of that kiss and those hands. It was actually a little unnerving, now that he thought about it, the way he kept giving in to Bastian so easily. He wasn’t the type of person who usually allowed someone else to change his mind about something, so why was he letting Bastian do it?
He supposed it was probably some sign of trust, or love, or something along those lines. Something you’d hear explained in some sappy movie your girlfriend would drag you to, that you’d sit there and roll your eyes over. But now he was experiencing it himself, he was seeing those very effects working over him like magic. He couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable about it. He didn’t want to be that vulnerable to anyone.
But maybe he was just taking the whole thing too seriously, worrying about it too much. Maybe it wasn’t that big of a deal after all. Maybe it had nothing to do with his head at all and it was just the result of a mass of hormones being prodded by his best friend. Boyfriend? Because really, that’s what they were now, wasn’t it? Together. Dating. A couple. In love?
He moved his face directly into the path of the stream of water, shutting his eyes and letting the spray hit his skin, pinpricks of heat that weren’t distracting in the least, unfortunately. He hadn’t really thought of that until now. Even if they ever did have the chance to be public with everything, how weird would that be? What if he ever had to introduce Bastian to the rest of his extended family who’d never met him before? ‘I’d like you guys to meet Bastian, my boyfriend…’ No. That was just, it wasn’t right. Not that it felt wrong, it just didn’t feel right. None of this felt right, really, at least not when he was alone. The only time he felt okay about the whole thing was when Bastian was right there in front of him, when they were touching, when they were connected. If the connection wasn’t there, then he easily forgot just how right it could feel when he was in the midst of it.
And that really wasn’t fair. Did Bastian ever have any doubts? It certainly didn’t appear likely, not with the way he so aggressively went for things. How could this all seem so normal to him anyway? It hadn’t been going on for that long, and already Bastian seemed as though being intimate with Lukas was something he’d been wanting for months. That wasn’t right either.
There seemed to be an awful lot about the situation that wasn’t right, and Lukas had a bad feeling that maybe his gut instinct was right about the whole thing. He finished washing and shut the water off, reaching out for a towel to start drying off with. And even though the possibility existed that maybe this was all wrong, he knew there was no way he could possibly break it off. Maybe he’d feel relieved to have the pressure off his shoulders, but after a few hours alone and without Bastian, without the one person he’d come to depend on so much over the past weeks (originally for help, but now for everything else), he knew he’d be left feeling unhappy and incomplete and depressed in a way he’d never been yet in life (unless he counted those first few weeks, when he thought he’d never have a normal life again).
No, he was definitely stuck with the relationship for now. And maybe stuck was the wrong word to use, really. He didn’t think of himself as being stuck, after all. Maybe caught would be better. He’d wandered into something unexpected and now he was so entangled in it that getting out simply wasn’t an option. But even that analogy would imply that he didn’t enjoy the situation, which he did, most of the time, so maybe stuck was wrong too.
And while he continued drying off and thinking about this he couldn’t help but wonder just what this was all doing to him. He wasn’t the type of person who over-thought things or made analogies about relationships. Maybe he was right. Maybe this was all simply a case of him thinking too much. He just needed to stop thinking and let things happen. It was pointless to waste your time thinking about things that you couldn’t help. Better to just let the leaves fall where they may, if he was going to make one final analogy before calling that practice off.
He finished drying and wrapped the towel around his waist, walking out into his bedroom. Surprisingly enough Bastian was actually dressed for the day, lying on his bed and flipping through the channels on TV. But then the bastard had already had a plan for his outfit for the day, hadn’t he? Lukas stood in his spot at the door, his eyes on Bastian. Aside from his pants, everything was white. Just as he’d threatened. Lukas suppressed the urge to punch him.
Bastian noticed Lukas finally, glancing over at him with a grin. “Oh you’re done! Wonderful.” He sat up and tossed the remote aside, patting the bed beside him. “Come here.”
Lukas narrowed his eyes as he looked at him before shaking his head. “Yeah, I’d kind of like to get dressed first, thanks.”
“You know, it would really make more sense if you were the one dressing in white.” Bastian knew those narrowed eyes meant that Lukas was annoyed, but he pressed on anyway. After all, maybe if he annoyed Lukas enough about it right now, it wouldn’t be so bad when they got to the training ground, because the guys there were bound to harass him even more.
“Oh fuck off.” Lukas went to his dresser, pulling out clothes at random, not really paying attention to whether or not they went well together. He’d wear whatever he pulled out, he wasn’t feeling particularly worried about it at the moment. It was just training, after all.
Bastian smirked and got up from the bed, walking over to where Lukas was standing. He slid his hands over Lukas’ shoulders, squeezing them before pressing up to his back. “Oh come on, lighten up. You’re not getting all tense on me again, are you?” Bastian leaned forward, pressing his lips to Lukas’ neck. No matter if Lukas was tense; he knew how to fix that.
Lukas had been about to respond, to push Bastian away so he could put some clothes on because he really didn’t trust him all that much at the moment to not try and do something crazy. But when Bastian kissed him on the neck, when he kissed him on that spot that Lukas hadn’t even realized existed on his body, he couldn’t help but relax back against him. It was ridiculously comforting, the touching and kissing, and if he was being honest now that Bastian had started, he really didn’t want him to stop just yet.
Bastian was amazed when Lukas all but melted back against him. Either he’d found a very important spot on his body, or Lukas had been so tense all morning since earlier that he was dying for some way to relax and his body was reacting strongly to the first given opportunity to do so. Either way it didn’t matter, he kept kissing him and he let his hands drop from Lukas’ shoulders to his waist, fingers running softly over the skin. And maybe this wasn’t exactly the best idea, getting himself worked up all over again, potentially getting Lukas worked up as well, but at the moment Bastian didn’t care. He just wanted to enjoy the bit of time they had left before they took off for training.
He pulled his mouth away from Lukas’ neck and turned him so his back was to the dresser now, pushing him against it, pressing his lips to Lukas’. He slid one hand across his back, wrapping an arm around him possessively, while the other slid down over Lukas’ towel-clad ass, not pinching or squeezing but just resting there.
He knew he was pushing him again, but he couldn’t help it. After this morning he was having a hard time keeping his hands off of Lukas, and whether that turned out to be good or bad for them in the long run, he’d have to wait and see. But it couldn’t hurt to be a little aggressive, could it? Lukas would never get used to it if he didn’t experience it much, after all. So Bastian kept kissing him, because really, what else were they going to do for the next forty or so minutes anyway? They might as well make out, at least for a little while.
And unlike Lukas, Bastian wasn’t too interested in questioning himself for so easily accepting the fact that he was making out with a guy. It felt good, it felt right, and there was no point in wondering how or why things had changed so quickly for him. It just was, and that was good enough for Bastian. Thinking things over too much never did anyone any good and he wasn’t about to start right now.
Like he’d contemplated in the shower, Lukas’ will to push Bastian away ebbed quickly out of him with the lingering kiss, the feel of that closeness too good to turn away. At the moment the reasoning was unimportant and Lukas wasn’t looking for an explanation. But unlike Bastian, Lukas would start looking again once they’d separated, and right now that was the biggest difference between them. Bastian could let it all go, and Lukas couldn’t.
And speaking of differences, their willingness to touch was another one. Lukas’ hands never strayed below Bastian’s waist, always remaining safely on the upper half. Bastian’s hands went just about anywhere, and after this morning, nothing was off-limits anymore, as was evident at the moment. He still had one hand on Lukas’ back, pressing against him, holding him where he was, but the other hand had moved from his ass to his thigh, his fingers moving steadily upwards, dying to dart in under that nuisance of a towel.
Just as he brushed over the newly grown hardness in between Lukas’ legs, fingers indeed stretching for the edge of the fabric, he felt Lukas tense and suddenly slap at his hand. Bastian reacted in a startled manner, pulling away and looking at Lukas, who was regarding him with raised eyebrows.
“What were you doing? Did you forget about the whole enough traumatization for one day conversation from before?” Though he’d reacted suddenly, Lukas wasn’t really upset with Bastian for going where he’d been going. It had just been a knee-jerk reaction, and especially given their diminishing time-line before training, he was surprised Bastian had gotten so caught up.
Bastian pulled away from him, an apologetic grin on his face. He looked at him for a moment, the grin turning less apologetic and just a touch embarrassed. “Fuck, you know, I’m such an asshole.”
Lukas hadn’t been expecting that comment and when he heard it he couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, you really are.”
Bastian frowned and playfully hit his arm. “You weren’t supposed to agree with that.” But then he smiled again and slid his hand down Lukas’ arm, fingers running along skin and finally entwining with Lukas’ hand. “Look, I’m sorry about this morning, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s like now that we crossed that line, I just don’t want to have to stop. I look at you and I just want to touch you, and fuck I hope that didn’t come out sounding really sappy or anything.” He frowned again and ran his free hand through his hair.
Lukas laughed again, finding the apology more amusing than he probably should. It had just been so unexpected after the aggression of the morning. But at least it showed that Bastian was thinking about him too, or at least trying to think about him. And really, Lukas didn’t mind. And maybe it was better if Bastian pushed so much, because the more time they spent with each other, really together, the less time he had to feel doubtful about things.
“Don’t worry about it; I understand. And you know, I guess I can’t really blame you, when I think about it. I am pretty fucking hot, after all.” Lukas grinned.
Bastian shook his head and pushed at Lukas’ arm. “Oh shut up and get dressed.”
Lukas heard that tone creep into Bastian’s voice, the one that came when he realized that someone else had the upper hand over him. He wasn’t about to let it go so easily. “I’m completely irresistible to you, aren’t I?” He leaned against the dresser, playful grin on his face. The idea didn’t seem so strange to him when he realized he could use it to make fun of Bastian. No opportunity ever went amiss.
Bastian looked like he was about to make an annoyed retort, before a grin suddenly settled over his lips. He gave a little laugh as he made an obvious point of looking Lukas over with his eyes before settling that playful gaze on Lukas’. “It must be the Axe body spray.”
There was a moment of silence during which Lukas’s face blanked, making it more than obvious that he had not been expecting that to come up. Almost immediately after though he grabbed his balled-up socks and threw them at Bastian’s head. “Oh fuck off and let me get dressed.”
Bastian laughed, secure in the knowledge that he had definitely won this round. It had been close, but thanks to Lukas and his ill-advised advertising spots (to which Bastian would forever be grateful) he’d managed to come out on top yet again. So he retreated to the bed, sitting down with Lukas’ socks in his hand, watching him as he got dressed.
It was a little crazy, he supposed, the way his views on guys had changed so quickly now. Not that he’d ever refused to see the attractiveness in a guy before, but looking at one naked in front of him had never really done anything for him. Not the way it was working on him now. And Lukas did have one damn attractive body after all, maybe the definition wasn’t quite as sharp as it had been at one point in time, but Bastian knew it would be back to its former glory in a short while. It was still pretty damn captivating for him at the moment.
Lukas slid on his jeans, leaving the belt unbuckled for the moment as he reached for his shirt, turning around finally and seeing Bastian on his bed, staring at him. Lukas frowned at him. “Could you stop leering at me? If we grey your hair a little you could pass for a perverted old man.”
Bastian sarcastically laughed at the comment, though he had to admit that it really was quite humorous. When Lukas pulled his shirt over his head though, Bastian couldn’t resist the opportunity, knowing it was sure to get a laugh out of Lukas. He stuffed the pair of socks down his pants, arranging them so there was a much bigger bulge down there, barely able to keep from laughing himself, he felt so stupid. When Lukas’s head emerged from the shirt, Bastian spoke. “I’m sorry for the leering; really, I just don’t think you realize the effect you have on me.” He made an obvious point of looking at his crotch, suppressed laughter threatening him again.
Lukas took one look at him and knew immediately what he’d done. “Oh for fuck’s sake; you’re fucked.” He shook his head at Bastian, unable to keep from laughing, and when he started Bastian couldn’t hold it in any longer either. He reached down with his hand, rubbing over the bulging socks beneath his jeans, making Lukas laugh even harder.
“Fuck, Schweini, this isn’t your way of telling me that you have a foot fetish, is it?” Lukas finally got the laughter under control, grinning at him and winking.
Bastian grinned back and shook his head. “Well, not that I know of.” He reached into his pants and pulled the socks out, throwing them at Lukas, who dodged them as though they were carrying the plague. That only made them both laugh all over again, Bastian leaning his head back against the pillows and Lukas leaning on the dresser. Finally after a moment Lukas sat down on the bed, a different pair of socks in his hands.
“Fuck, there was nothing wrong with the other pair; they weren’t even touching my dick, you fucking baby.” He nudged Lukas in the leg with his foot, grinning at him.
Lukas looked at him and frowned. “That’s not the point. Every time I look at those socks from now on I’m going to picture you with them stuffed down your pants! And I don’t think that’s a story you want me repeating at training today, is it?” Lukas grinned at him as he slid the new socks on his feet.
Bastian grinned and sat up. “You have a point there.” When Lukas was finished he pulled on his shirt, and they both stared at each other for a second, before suddenly laughing again. The day wasn’t even half-over yet, and it was already one of the most interesting mornings they’d had in ages. Lukas was grateful for the laughter, his mood extremely high right now despite the ups and downs of the morning. And really, those down points had only been the cause of him over-thinking things, and this was definitely a sign that he needed to stop doing that.
The drive to training was a little quiet, mostly due to the blasting music. Lukas sat with his right arm on the door, the window down because it was a gorgeous day and the sound of the wind rushing in making conversation even less likely. It wasn’t uncomfortable though because the majority of the time they didn’t talk in the car anyway. At one point though, Bastian laid a hand on Lukas’ thigh, squeezing it until Lukas finally looked at him. Bastian smiled before looking back out at the road, and Lukas couldn’t help but smile too.
Bastian removed his hand as they pulled into the parking lot at Säbener Straße, directing his car into the spot next to Andi’s. They sat in silence for a moment as the engine died, glancing at each other in anticipation. The day was finally here; Lukas was taking that first official step back to full recovery as far as football was concerned. They were both a little nervous, though neither of them spoke it out loud. Bastian hadn’t even been nervous about it until now, but since they were here, everything was more real now. Soon enough they’d know for sure just how long it would be before Lukas came back, be it only weeks, or a matter of months.
With the car parked facing away from the crowd of fans, Bastian took one final opportunity for a private moment between them. He reached over and took one of Lukas’ hands, squeezing it tightly. “Well, today’s the day, then.” They stared at one another for seconds, until Lukas finally nodded.
“Today’s the day. Hopefully, it’ll be a good day.” He squeezed Bastian’s hand back and another few seconds passed before he reached for the car door handle, about to let go of Bastian.
“It will be a good day. I’m confident in that.” Bastian squeezed the hand one last time before letting it go, reaching for the handle of his own door, pushing it open and stepping out of his car. He turned around to look at the fans, whose attention had been focused on the white sporty coupe, some of them recognizing it. And the second Lukas stepped out all hell appeared to break loose, near deafening screams for the young striker resounding across the parking lot.
Lukas looked over the top of the car at Bastian, a smile coming unbidden to his face. As much as he’d hated the attention during his recovery, now that he was fine he was quite happy to have it back. Bastian grinned at him across the hood of the car before slipping on his sunglasses and walking around to the back, opening the trunk so they could retrieve their bags. Upon doing so they made their way across the parking lot, toward the barricaded area where the fans were, all of whom had apparently heard the rumor that Lukas would be returning to training today. The excitement they were all displaying had made him completely forget about Bild’s breaking news of the day before, so he approached them without the slightest sign of wariness. They were a few minutes early after all, so it couldn’t hurt to sign some autographs.
Bastian was delighted to see Lukas go straight to the fans, no lingering sense of hesitation left over from earlier weeks. He was glad he’d put his sunglasses on because there seemed to be an absurd amount of cameras flashing today. He took a moment to look over the crowd before signing a few autographs himself. It was good to have Lukas back here; it was that final piece to life going back to normal. Even if he’d be working on his own with the trainers for a while, he’d still be here, and they’d still arrive and depart together, greet the fans together, do everything they’d done before. It was good to finally have that back. He moved a little closer to where Lukas was and some of the girls close by squealed and shouted requests for them to pose for a picture together. Lukas finished signing a few things first, but that happy smile was there on his face as he did so, finishing with the last one and turning to look at Bastian, who was waiting for him to finish. Without needing to say anything to each other, they both put an arm around one another and looked at the girls, giving their now signature hand salute with the thumb and little finger, the one they’d stolen from Ronaldhino.
When the picture was taken Bastian kept his arm around Lukas, leaning over to whisper to him that they ought to go in now. Lukas agreed and they waved one last time at the fans before heading in. While walking in Bastian kept his arm around Lukas, commenting on how good it was to have him back here finally, how crazy it was to have so many fans out there to celebrate his return. He’d thought about lowering his arm from Lukas’ shoulder, but it’s not like this was anything obviously different for them to be doing. Not that Bastian had always walked around with an arm on Lukas, but it had been done often enough to not look strange. And given the importance of today, of course it would seem normal to everyone that Bastian was excited to have Lukas back, so if they were a bit closer physically than they normally would have been, no one would think anything of it.
Eventually they made their way inside the building and Lukas greeted everyone he came across who he hadn’t seen recently, eventually making it down the hall to the locker room where everyone else was. Greeting the fans had gone well, but what kind of mayhem was awaiting him inside this room?
“Come on, chubs. There’s no delaying this any further.” Bastian winked at him before opening the door, holding it for Lukas. Lukas glared at him before walking in, giving him a well deserved elbow to the side as he walked by. Walking into the room suddenly made everything come together for Lukas. It was strange how something as simple as a locker room could have such an impact on a person. It was a home, of sorts, a place to sit and socialize before getting to work, a place to bond with your teammates, a place to discuss anything and everything. It was a place he’d sorely missed without even realizing it.
“Hey! Princess is back!” Roque was the first one to notice him, nudging Pizarro with his elbow, grinning mischievously. Pizza matched the expression, looking even more amused when Bastian appeared behind Lukas.
“And there’s the little puppy, right on cue.” He winked at Bastian, who directed a glare his way.
Before anyone else could make a comment Mark was there, quick to embrace Lukas, his arms tight around the young striker. “It’s good to see you back here; it’s been way too long without you.” Mark planted his hand on Lukas’ head, fingers ruffling through the hair. Usually Lukas would swat his hand away, but today he was quite content to let the Dutchman do as he pleased.
“I can guarantee it’s felt twice as long for me,” Lukas offered in reply, still smiling. He was waiting for the comments to start any second now, but he was so happy to be back that he really didn’t feel as though he’d even mind them all that much. Being teased really wasn’t such a high price to pay for being back, after all.
“So Schweini, nice to see you’re dressed for the occasion.” Pizza, who wasn’t about to let Mark interrupt the planned harassment of Lukas and Bastian, was leaning back against the wall with his feet up on a chair, a devious gleam in his eyes.
Bastian grinned at the comment, walking over to where the Peruvian was sitting, shrugging his shoulders. “Just thought I’d offer my support, you know.”
Roque grinned as well. “We should train in white kits today, don’t you think?”
Bastian smacked him on the shoulder lightly with his hand. “That’s what I was thinking yesterday! Only a shame he won’t be out on the field with us, huh?” He looked over his shoulder at Lukas, who was still standing beside Mark. The Dutchman himself was sporting a bit of a grin at the comment, though Bastian could tell he was obviously holding it back a little. That was Mark, always looking out for Lukas. With anyone else the midfielder would have jumped in on the joking, but those two had a bit of a bond that resembled the one Lukas shared with Michael Ballack. Bastian had always found it amusing; often teasing Mark that Lukas only liked him because he’d played for Barcelona.
Lukas, however, was quick to glare at the three. He wasn’t surprised that Bastian had so quickly jumped in on the teasing, and he also wasn’t surprised that it was Pizarro who was starting it. They got along wonderfully, but the man so enjoyed taunting everyone, constantly on the lookout for new opportunities to comment about. Roque was always quick to jump into the fun as well, just enjoying getting a laugh.
“So were you properly mortified when you saw the paper yesterday, Poldi? I’m a little surprised to see you in, myself. Takes a lot of balls to show your face after that kind of announcement.” Pizza winked at him, hoping Lukas wouldn’t take it too harshly. Besides, he’d been around long enough to know to expect this, and Bastian must have warned him about it anyway.
Lukas didn’t respond, he just continued glaring. Instead it was Roy who spoke up, walking up to greet his younger strike partner. “Don’t worry about Pizza; he’s just a little grumpy because now that you’re back, he’s worried about being relegated to the bench again with the other joker over there.” He slung his arm around Lukas and nudged his forehead as a greeting, before looking over at Pizarro and winking.
The Peruvian shook his head and whistled at Roy’s comment. “That was cold, Makaay. What have I done to you lately?” There was amusement in his voice though, no sign of any offense that may have been anticipated after the comment from the Dutch striker.
Roy just grinned and squeezed Lukas’ shoulder before moving away, not bothering to respond to Pizarro’s comment. Lukas was grinning a little himself after hearing it, glad to know that someone was willing to fight back for him. Roy had always been good that way after all, always quick to stick up for him were it in a mock battle like this one, or something more serious. But now that the momentary attack had been waylaid, Lukas walked over to his spot beside the Peruvian, flinging out a hand to hit him in the head with. “Did you miss me?”
Pizarro tried to move out of the way but was still hit by Lukas’ hand. He grinned and caught the hand, pulling on Lukas’ arm. “Of course I missed you, come here.” He pulled on Lukas until he finally leaned down, embracing his fellow striker. “It’s good to have you back; we’ve all been worried about you.” There was a seriousness in the Peruvian’s eyes that was very rare, and it reinforced the fact that despite all the teasing and harassing and joking around that went on in a team, it was a lot like a family and when one member was hurting, it affected the others.
He smiled at the comment and sat down next to him. “Yeah well, worry no more. Soon enough I’ll be back on the field scoring goals while you watch on in awe.” He winked at him before leaning over to untie his shoes.
Pizza shook his head and looked at Roque. “Oh did you hear that? Tough words on his first day back. Did Schweini find someone to make you a man last night?” Pizza nudged Lukas in the arm, that sparkle of deviance once again present.
Roque chuckled beside him. “Or maybe they got desperate and Schweini offered himself up. They did come in together after all.” Roque looked up at Bastian, who immediately gave him a look of disbelief.
“Are you kidding? You think I’d let him anywhere near my ass? Not unless I demonstrated it on him first.” Bastian winked back at Roque, who laughed at the response.
Pizza patted Lukas on the head. “Isn’t that sad, not even your puppy would offer himself for practice. Maybe we’re going to have to launch that reality show after all.”
Michael Rensing came over to join the conversation now that he was dressed and ready for the day. “We don’t need to make a big production out of it, we could easily find him a lovely girl out at a club.”
“Yeah, a strip club. They’re experienced there and for the right amount would definitely keep their mouths shut. Well, figuratively speaking, of course. You’d want them open, you know, because your chances of having it last a little longer would be quite good if you got a blow job first.” Pizza grinned, winking at Lukas when he turned to glare at them.
“Oh, is that so?” Lukas responded sarcastically, before glancing at Michael and punching him in the leg. The second keeper grabbed his leg, rubbing the spot where Lukas had made contact.
“Yes it is. You know, we’re all experienced men here, well the rest of us are, so maybe we should sit down and write up a little guide for you. Share our knowledge.”
Roque clapped his hand on Pizarro’s shoulder enthusiastically. “Now there’s an idea! We can make this thing a team effort; add it to our plans for the year’s end. Win the league title, win the Champion’s League, and make a man out of Poldi! Is everybody in?”
There were yells throughout the locker room, everyone laughing and shouting their support. Lukas could barely keep from telling them all off. Instead he ignored the comments and stood up, unbuckling the belt on his jeans. It was nearly time for him to be heading over to meet with the trainers, so he needed to get changed. He slid his jeans off, laying them on the bench and reaching for his shorts. He wasn’t about to get off so easily though, as Bastian came up behind him.
“It really shouldn’t be that hard, I mean, he is a sought after guy, right? Maybe we should go out and look through the girls outside, huh? There were some cute ones out there after all.” Bastian squeezed Lukas’ sides before slapping him on the ass, an action that made everyone laugh again.
Lukas looked at Bastian, glaring certain death at him. “Hands off the ass, thank you.” He felt like cursing him at the moment, though he wasn’t surprised. It was so like Bastian to take advantage of an opportunity like this to get one last playful touch in. And from the grin on his face, Lukas knew he’d been waiting for the opportunity.
Bastian glanced at Pizarro and Roque, not moving his hand. “You know, he’s actually got a pretty nice ass, I have to say.” He knew the comment would piss Lukas off, which is why he made it. It was true though, in all honesty. Lukas did have a nice ass.
Bastian was really going to pay for that comment later, Lukas decided. For now though all he could do was glare and try not to act too bothered by the action. “Unless you want to lose your hand, move it.”
Bastian knew he was tempting fate and pushing Lukas’ boundaries, but fuck if he could help it. There was something a little exciting about letting his hand linger over Lukas’ ass in front of everyone, no one knowing or realizing why it was really pissing Lukas off. Bastian was so tempted to glance down at Lukas, wondering if there was any chance in hell that he was getting turned on by this the way Bastian was. But he wasn’t going to go that far.
And the problem was that Lukas was getting a little turned on by this. God, Bastian was such an asshole! He quickly pulled on his shorts, moving away from Bastian so his hand dropped. He knew there was no point in trying to make him understand what he was doing to him at the moment; it was obvious that Bastian was trying to embarrass him. He supposed that he should be thankful, really, because this just proved that despite everything that was happening between them as of late, things hadn’t really changed that much. Bastian had always jumped at the opportunity to embarrass him, and right now was no different. He still wasn’t happy about it, though.
Bastian grinned when Lukas moved away and pulled on his shorts. He was pretty damn sure that meant that Lukas was getting turned on, and that pleased him a great deal. Maybe it wasn’t fair to Lukas, but Bastian knew he’d be forgiven later. After all, he’d done some pretty mean things to Lukas in the past, and Lukas never stayed mad. He simply didn’t have it in him to hold a grudge, he was far too forgiving.
Lukas finished pulling on his shorts, hoping that no one would pick up on the reason for his hurried dressing. That would make the revealing of his secret by Bild pale in comparison to what Pizza, Roque, and the others would say to him if they noticed him getting hard due to Bastian touching him. And why the hell was that making him hard anyway? It wasn’t fair. He certainly didn’t feel turned on by it, at least not mentally. Mentally he was still annoyed with Bastian and he wanted to punch him in the face.
Lukas pulled off his shirt, replacing it quickly while Bastian finally moved back a little, talking to Michael while Lukas finished getting ready. He glanced at Pizarro, who was staring at him with that troublesome grin still on his lips. After a few seconds of staring at each other, Lukas finally addressed him. “Is there something else you’re dying to say? By all means don’t hold back.”
The Peruvian grinned and winked at Lukas. “No; just checking out your ass.” Lukas didn’t respond to the comment, he just shook his head and pulled on his sneakers. As he was about to turn around to leave the room though Pizarro made a final comment. “Hey; you hurry up with your training, alright? You and I have to work on our partnership so we bench that old timer.”
Lukas returned the grin this time. Yes, despite everything else, it was good to be back. He nodded to Pizza before turning around, coming face to face with Bastian who’d stepped in front of him. The deviousness of just earlier was gone and now Bastian was looking at him with a much more affectionate expression, one that matched the light touch of Bastian’s fingers curling around his wrist. They just stared at each other for a moment before Bastian spoke.
“It’ll go well.” He didn’t need to say anything else, because Lukas understood what he meant. Lukas’ smile was proof enough that he understood the comment and when he squeezed Bastian’s fingers, that said more than any spoken ‘thank you’ possibly could.
Lukas made his way out of the room, pausing to have a few words along the way, but eventually he was gone, out in the hall and making his way down to meet with the trainers. All in all, it hadn’t been too painful so far, and he was a little surprised at the underlying feeling of support and relief at his return. He supposed it was probably due to the severity of his injury, to the uncertainty of his future. No one liked to think about the possibility of being that injured, so whenever someone could come back from something of that nature, everyone celebrated. It was nice to feel that wanted by your teammates.
Finally he made it to the training room, wondering what they had planned for him today. It would probably mostly be strength and endurance training at first, working on making up for those weeks he’d been off. While he had been working out every day for the past while, none of that would compare to what he’d be able to do at the club. Lukas was looking forward to it.
While Lukas spent the afternoon following a routine designed to get him back to the level he’d been before the accident, the rest of the team were running plays, working on strategies to use during this weekend’s game against Stuttgart. It was a needed three points they’d have to take this weekend. They were currently lying one behind Werder Bremen, two behind league leaders Schalke, and only two ahead of Stuttgart. They couldn’t afford to lose this game, not this close to the end of the season.
One thing they’d noticed though throughout the afternoon was the absence of Felix Magath. Nothing had been said and no one had bothered to ask any questions yet, but as the hours passed and the coach didn’t appear, everyone was starting to get curious. When things wrapped up for the afternoon and the guys started filing back inside, the missing member of the coaching staff became a bit of a hot topic among them. It wasn’t like him to miss practice sessions without reason. Were they going to get an explanation?
Conversation continued about it in the locker room, even when Lukas came in a little later than the others. He made his way over to sit down in between Roy and Pizza, looking at Bastian and smiling, letting him know without words that things indeed had gone well today, and that he was more than pleased with being back. He noticed the concentrated conversations taking place around the room and asked his fellow strikers what was going on.
“Well we’re not exactly sure. Magath wasn’t around at all today; no one appears to know why. Something must be up though. This is really weird.” Roy filled him in on the activities from outside, leaving Lukas sitting between them with a slight frown on his face.
“None of the other trainers said anything?” That was strange, he thought. Things had been going well lately for the team, so why had Magath skipped out on today? Pizarro mentioned that he hadn’t appeared sick the day before, so it was unlikely that anything was wrong with him to keep him away.
After a few moments spent talking about it, the door to the locker room opened suddenly and in walked Uli Hoeness. Everyone immediately shut up upon his entrance; this couldn’t be good.
He was followed by team captain Oliver Kahn, who’d disappeared on his way inside after training had ended. The look on Kahn’s face wasn’t pleasant. Hoeness called for everyone’s attention, though he hadn’t really needed to; all eyes were already on him.
“As you’ve all noticed I’m sure, a very important member of the staff was missing today.” Hoeness paused, looking around the room. He nodded at Lukas, not having had the chance to formally welcome him back yet. “Unfortunately, I have bad news to pass along. Earlier this morning Felix had to rush his wife in to the hospital, we don’t know yet exactly what’s wrong, but it doesn’t appear to be good. He and I have spoken and I’ll be stopping by later to the hospital to see him, and hopefully then we’ll have an idea about what’s happening. It’s unknown right now if he’ll be able to continue on though, as I’m sure you all understand. He’s asked me to search for a short-term replacement for the time being, so he’ll be able to take care of things with his family. I only spoke to him an hour ago, which is why nothing was announced before training earlier. But we can’t keep something of this nature from you, so now you’re aware.” He paused again, letting the news sink in.
Kahn, who was still standing beside him, looked around the room and spoke up. “I know this is really bad timing for us, especially with this weekend’s important game and Wednesday’s away match with Barcelona, but guys, I don’t need to tell you how important it is that we really keep things running right now, despite whatever happens with the staff. We all know what we have to do this late in the season; we don’t need anyone to tell us. So there won’t be any excuse for anyone not putting in maximum effort right now; we need to keep this team running smoothly.”
The words of the captain were a little sobering, cutting through the shock of the manager’s. Changes to the coaching staff were always rough, but to have one this late during the season? It was practically the kiss of death. They couldn’t let it affect them, though. Kahn was right; they all knew what had to be done and potentially losing their coach couldn’t distract them.
There weren’t any question for Hoeness, who left them with the promise of more information tomorrow morning. There was silence in the locker room after he’d gone; everyone in varying states of disbelief. It was even harder because they didn’t even know what was wrong with the well-liked wife of their coach. Though they might not spend a great deal of time all together, in times of crisis like this everyone’s family became important. It was a shocking reminder like the one they’d gotten in mid-March when Lukas had unexpectedly been taken out. It was the sort of moment that made you realize how thankful you were for everything you had, for the people you had around you, and for their good health.
They’d know more tomorrow and tonight would be spent with their loved ones, reminding themselves of the joy they got from everything they’d started to take for granted. Hopefully the morning would bring good news. They couldn’t afford anything bad.
After spending the next few hours still in bed, just relaxing and taking advantage of not having to go in until the afternoon, Bastian and Lukas finally decided to get up to have lunch at eleven-thirty. After they finished eating Bastian went for a shower and Lukas teased him to make sure he cleaned it when he was done. Bastian had asked him if he wanted to join him, and Lukas had reminded him about having been traumatized enough for one day. Bastian had laughed and told him that he was still welcome any time he felt like coming in, and Lukas had grinned but not responded.
Now he was sitting in the living room, flicking through the channels on the TV but not really paying attention to the screen. He was thinking about what had happened this morning between himself and Bastian. It was kind of weird to really think about it, to actually admit it. Bastian had jerked him off, and he’d enjoyed it, despite everything else. He definitely hadn’t been ready for it, but things had worked out all right in the end.
But still, something drastic had happened between them, and who knew when the next step would be taken? Lukas was quite nervous about that. Because what would come next, realistically? Blow job? Was Bastian actually going to want to do that? To use his mouth to… He couldn’t even think about it. And whether or not it was something Bastian wanted to do, Lukas was pretty damn certain that it was something that he didn’t want to do. But he should want to, shouldn’t he? Would it be right for him to keep taking everything from Bastian without giving him anything back? Bastian might be okay with it for now, but there was no way he could stay okay with it. That wasn’t the way relationships were supposed to work.
And if he was worried about how a blowjob would work out, how in the hell was he going to manage actual sex? He wasn’t sure if he could. Sure he’d like to be able to, but when he thought about it, pictured it, he just wasn’t sure. It didn’t even matter to him which one of them was taking it or giving it; he didn’t think he could handle doing either. Not with a guy, at least. It was still too weird, too new. Maybe Bastian would change his mind, the way he had this morning; maybe he wouldn’t.
Lukas was still sitting and contemplating when he felt a hand drop onto his head, fingers flicking at his earlobes. He reached up to grab both of the hands and only seconds later he felt lips kissing his cheek, as Bastian leaned over the back of the couch.
“Both myself and the shower are clean now, just to let you know.” Bastian pulled his hands out of Lukas’ grip, sliding his arms down the front to rest against Lukas’ chest.
Lukas nodded, remaining seated, his hands moving up to rest on Bastian’s arms. He wished there was some kind of time-line; some way to know for sure how long these nervous and uncertain feelings would last; some way to know if they actually would ever go away or not. But for now he was going to stop thinking about it, as he had more important things to contemplate.
Namely going for a shower himself and then getting dressed and ready to go to his first day back at training. He was still battling between excitement and nerves over it, and he wished that they could just leave right now and go. Sitting around and waiting for it was making him more nervous than excited. With a final squeeze of Bastian’s forearms, Lukas stood up.
“Okay then, I’m going for a shower now.” He paused for a second, his eyes narrowing at Bastian. “And no, you are not invited.” He grinned and headed out from the living room, back toward his bedroom. He knew Bastian was following along behind him and he knew that the Bavarian was likely grinning and planning something. When he reached the bedroom and turned around, just as expected, Bastian was directly behind him and, not having expected Lukas to stop suddenly, walked right into him.
There was no way for Bastian to save himself from thudding ungracefully into Lukas, and he did so while cursing him. “Damn it, what did you stop for? I was going to throw you on the bed.” Bastian pouted as he explained his intentions, guessing that Lukas would more than likely be annoyed with him anyway.
As expected Lukas shook his head and put both hands on Bastian’s shoulders, pushing him away. “Did I not say I was going for a shower? Going for a shower does not mean getting shoved on my bed.” Sometimes Bastian had a bit of a problem with goofing around too much and while he usually ended up drawing Lukas into it with him, despite the younger one’s best efforts to keep Bastian on task, sometimes Lukas had the fortitude to actually stay on track himself. Today was too important of a day to goof off, after all. He didn’t want to run the risk of getting distracted and being late.
“Oh come on, we’re going to training soon and that’ll be a few hours during which I won’t be able to have fun with you, so I just want to get my fix now.” Bastian was feeling quite playful after having his shower and he wasn’t exactly certain why. But he wasn’t in the mood to give in so easily. They still had an hour left before they’d have to leave, after all, and it’s not like Lukas took long to get ready. So he moved in closer to him again and slid his hands around Lukas’ waist, his fingers brushing against the ticklish area of Lukas’ sides.
Lukas stiffened when Bastian tried to tickle him, his hands immediately flying to his sides and grabbing Bastian’s. “Oh honestly, haven’t you touched me enough already for today?” There was a touch of aggravation in the tone of Lukas’ voice, but Bastian knew him well enough to know that Lukas wasn’t really angry or aggravated at all. Maybe just slightly annoyed, but Bastian was certain he could fix that.
Bastian grinned and leaned his head closer to Lukas’. “Honestly? No.” Bastian was easily able to pull out of Lukas’ grip, which wasn’t strong at all, as though he were only half fighting Bastian off. Bastian liked to think that Lukas didn’t really realize just how easily his body gave his mind away. Many times he’d speak and sound entirely opposed to whatever Bastian was suggesting, but when Bastian would grab his hand to pull him along to participate anyway, Lukas would move so willingly, as though he’d been waiting for Bastian to pull him, waiting to take the responsibility of deciding away from him. But there were other times when Lukas really was opposed to Bastian’s plans, and he’d always know when to drop the issue because he could stand there and pull at Lukas all day and he wouldn’t move an inch.
But he was moving right now and Bastian couldn’t help but grin and push him back against the wall, pressing his lips down on Lukas’, his tongue quickly forcing its way in despite Lukas’ half-hearted attempts at pushing him away. If Bastian was going to be completely honest, he derived a good deal of pleasure in life just by asserting his control over others, be it obviously, like now, or covertly, like he did sometimes at training with the guys. As long as he got his way, he was happy. And right now it wasn’t just that he wanted to kiss Lukas for the thrill of it alone, but he knew that Lukas didn’t really want to kiss him at the moment because he’d prefer to spend the time getting ready. So by making Lukas give in to him, Bastian was asserting that dominance he always strove for.
Lukas eventually stopped struggling after a few seconds, figuring that maybe Bastian was right. They did have an hour after all, and he’d be ready in less than ten minutes. So maybe instead of sitting around and letting himself get more nervous about training for the remaining fifty, maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to let Bastian take his mind off of it for a little while. It did get awfully hard to think about anything else when you had Bastian Schweinsteiger’s tongue in your mouth. Lukas hadn’t even really cared for kissing that much before all of this had happened. He’d never really been much of the type to be all that physical with his affection when it had come to the girls he’d dated, which was kind of strange, since he’d always been enthusiastically physical with his team mates. But the bond between them was different, after all, and expressing physical emotions with them never meant anything as serious as it did when he’d done it with the girls.
But Bastian’s way of kissing was something Lukas had never experienced and it was awfully addictive. It was aggressive and kind of dominating in the way that it left you feeling like there was no way you could possibly even consider breaking it off. Not that he wanted to break it off, of course. Thus far in their kissing experiences it had always been Bastian in control, even on those few occasions when Lukas had been the one to start the kiss, because Bastian would always somehow manage to take over. Lukas didn’t mind, really. He’d never been the type who needed to be in control anyway. As long as he was enjoying himself, he didn’t care much who was calling the shots; he’d happily follow along and do as he was told, which had made him the perfect accomplice to many of Bastian’s plots over the years.
And right now Bastian was firmly in control, with one hand tightly gripping the back of Lukas’ neck, the other gripping Lukas’ hip. Taking Lukas’ mind off of the building nerves hadn’t been on Bastian’s list of reasons for kissing him, because he didn’t yet realize that Lukas was getting that nervous about it. Lukas may be painfully easy to read at times, but there were other times when he hid things so well that even he forgot about them temporarily.
But right now the feelings were being firmly compressed into a dark corner in Lukas’ mind, banished in the face of Bastian’s aggression. Usually Bastian thought these things through before doing them, but every now and then he just forged ahead without really thinking. If he’d stopped to think about this moment, he probably would have held himself back. After what he’d already done with Lukas earlier in the morning, perhaps he would have seen it as being a little too aggressive now that they’d turned that corner. Because even though Lukas seemed to be getting into the moment right now, Bastian knew there was a good possibility that if he pushed Lukas a little too much in one day, he might inadvertently push him away.
But right now his desire won out over his good sense, and he kept his lips firmly pressed to Lukas’, and his hands firmly clamped on the other’s body. They remained up against the wall for a few minutes, just kissing, nothing more. During the course of the action Lukas had wound his arms around Bastian’s back, holding him as close as possible. It was the actions like that, the ones that Lukas probably didn’t really realize he was doing at the time that Bastian loved. Sometimes Lukas would get so caught up in the moment and do things without even consciously realizing he was reacting at all. Bastian was pleased that kissing him was one of those things that could evoke that out of Lukas.
Finally he pulled away from him, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he looked down just slightly at Lukas. He was just a touch taller than him, after all, something that pleased Bastian. It was much easier to assert control if you could look down at the other person. He was silent for a moment, letting his grin speak for him before he opened his mouth. “So, you still want to go for that shower by yourself?”
It took Lukas a moment to regain his senses after Bastian pulled away. He grinned at the question and shook his head. “Yes, alone. Why are you so aggressive all of a sudden, anyway? You did take care of yourself in the shower, didn’t you?” He couldn’t resist making the joke, as disturbing as the thought of it was. He just wouldn’t picture it mentally.
Bastian grinned and leaned his head against Lukas’. “Do you really want me to answer that question?” He laughed when Lukas shook his head and said no. “I guess I should let you go have your shower, then. I’ll just be here, trying to decide what I should wear on this momentous occasion.” He grinned, wondering if Lukas was going to remember the joke from yesterday.
“Yeah, you need the hour to pick an outfit.” Lukas slid out from Bastian’s arms, a smile on his face as he crossed the short distance to the bathroom door. He suddenly turned around and fixed a stern look at him. “You are not going to wear all white, by the way.”
Bastian grinned. “Oh I’ll wear whatever I like, thank you.” Lukas gave him one last shake of the head before turning into the bathroom, heading to the shower to turn the water on. Bastian sat on the bed for a minute, lying back with his hands behind his head, feeling quite pleased with himself at the moment. Luckily for Lukas, Bastian didn’t own any white pants; otherwise he’d be tempted into wearing them. Instead he’d probably wear a white shirt, white sweater, and white ball cap. White sneakers too, just to complete the look. Sure it would piss Lukas off, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up. Lukas would get over it.
Meanwhile in the bathroom Lukas had stripped out of his clothes and was now in the shower, standing still while the hot water pounded his skin. His eyes were closed as he stood there, finally with a chance to really unwind over everything that had occurred this morning. He couldn’t help but be surprised at himself for just a moment ago. After that bit of time spent sitting on the couch, worrying over where their relationship was possibly going to go, it hadn’t taken much pushing from Bastian at all to make Lukas completely forget those worries and sink into the warm feeling of that kiss and those hands. It was actually a little unnerving, now that he thought about it, the way he kept giving in to Bastian so easily. He wasn’t the type of person who usually allowed someone else to change his mind about something, so why was he letting Bastian do it?
He supposed it was probably some sign of trust, or love, or something along those lines. Something you’d hear explained in some sappy movie your girlfriend would drag you to, that you’d sit there and roll your eyes over. But now he was experiencing it himself, he was seeing those very effects working over him like magic. He couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable about it. He didn’t want to be that vulnerable to anyone.
But maybe he was just taking the whole thing too seriously, worrying about it too much. Maybe it wasn’t that big of a deal after all. Maybe it had nothing to do with his head at all and it was just the result of a mass of hormones being prodded by his best friend. Boyfriend? Because really, that’s what they were now, wasn’t it? Together. Dating. A couple. In love?
He moved his face directly into the path of the stream of water, shutting his eyes and letting the spray hit his skin, pinpricks of heat that weren’t distracting in the least, unfortunately. He hadn’t really thought of that until now. Even if they ever did have the chance to be public with everything, how weird would that be? What if he ever had to introduce Bastian to the rest of his extended family who’d never met him before? ‘I’d like you guys to meet Bastian, my boyfriend…’ No. That was just, it wasn’t right. Not that it felt wrong, it just didn’t feel right. None of this felt right, really, at least not when he was alone. The only time he felt okay about the whole thing was when Bastian was right there in front of him, when they were touching, when they were connected. If the connection wasn’t there, then he easily forgot just how right it could feel when he was in the midst of it.
And that really wasn’t fair. Did Bastian ever have any doubts? It certainly didn’t appear likely, not with the way he so aggressively went for things. How could this all seem so normal to him anyway? It hadn’t been going on for that long, and already Bastian seemed as though being intimate with Lukas was something he’d been wanting for months. That wasn’t right either.
There seemed to be an awful lot about the situation that wasn’t right, and Lukas had a bad feeling that maybe his gut instinct was right about the whole thing. He finished washing and shut the water off, reaching out for a towel to start drying off with. And even though the possibility existed that maybe this was all wrong, he knew there was no way he could possibly break it off. Maybe he’d feel relieved to have the pressure off his shoulders, but after a few hours alone and without Bastian, without the one person he’d come to depend on so much over the past weeks (originally for help, but now for everything else), he knew he’d be left feeling unhappy and incomplete and depressed in a way he’d never been yet in life (unless he counted those first few weeks, when he thought he’d never have a normal life again).
No, he was definitely stuck with the relationship for now. And maybe stuck was the wrong word to use, really. He didn’t think of himself as being stuck, after all. Maybe caught would be better. He’d wandered into something unexpected and now he was so entangled in it that getting out simply wasn’t an option. But even that analogy would imply that he didn’t enjoy the situation, which he did, most of the time, so maybe stuck was wrong too.
And while he continued drying off and thinking about this he couldn’t help but wonder just what this was all doing to him. He wasn’t the type of person who over-thought things or made analogies about relationships. Maybe he was right. Maybe this was all simply a case of him thinking too much. He just needed to stop thinking and let things happen. It was pointless to waste your time thinking about things that you couldn’t help. Better to just let the leaves fall where they may, if he was going to make one final analogy before calling that practice off.
He finished drying and wrapped the towel around his waist, walking out into his bedroom. Surprisingly enough Bastian was actually dressed for the day, lying on his bed and flipping through the channels on TV. But then the bastard had already had a plan for his outfit for the day, hadn’t he? Lukas stood in his spot at the door, his eyes on Bastian. Aside from his pants, everything was white. Just as he’d threatened. Lukas suppressed the urge to punch him.
Bastian noticed Lukas finally, glancing over at him with a grin. “Oh you’re done! Wonderful.” He sat up and tossed the remote aside, patting the bed beside him. “Come here.”
Lukas narrowed his eyes as he looked at him before shaking his head. “Yeah, I’d kind of like to get dressed first, thanks.”
“You know, it would really make more sense if you were the one dressing in white.” Bastian knew those narrowed eyes meant that Lukas was annoyed, but he pressed on anyway. After all, maybe if he annoyed Lukas enough about it right now, it wouldn’t be so bad when they got to the training ground, because the guys there were bound to harass him even more.
“Oh fuck off.” Lukas went to his dresser, pulling out clothes at random, not really paying attention to whether or not they went well together. He’d wear whatever he pulled out, he wasn’t feeling particularly worried about it at the moment. It was just training, after all.
Bastian smirked and got up from the bed, walking over to where Lukas was standing. He slid his hands over Lukas’ shoulders, squeezing them before pressing up to his back. “Oh come on, lighten up. You’re not getting all tense on me again, are you?” Bastian leaned forward, pressing his lips to Lukas’ neck. No matter if Lukas was tense; he knew how to fix that.
Lukas had been about to respond, to push Bastian away so he could put some clothes on because he really didn’t trust him all that much at the moment to not try and do something crazy. But when Bastian kissed him on the neck, when he kissed him on that spot that Lukas hadn’t even realized existed on his body, he couldn’t help but relax back against him. It was ridiculously comforting, the touching and kissing, and if he was being honest now that Bastian had started, he really didn’t want him to stop just yet.
Bastian was amazed when Lukas all but melted back against him. Either he’d found a very important spot on his body, or Lukas had been so tense all morning since earlier that he was dying for some way to relax and his body was reacting strongly to the first given opportunity to do so. Either way it didn’t matter, he kept kissing him and he let his hands drop from Lukas’ shoulders to his waist, fingers running softly over the skin. And maybe this wasn’t exactly the best idea, getting himself worked up all over again, potentially getting Lukas worked up as well, but at the moment Bastian didn’t care. He just wanted to enjoy the bit of time they had left before they took off for training.
He pulled his mouth away from Lukas’ neck and turned him so his back was to the dresser now, pushing him against it, pressing his lips to Lukas’. He slid one hand across his back, wrapping an arm around him possessively, while the other slid down over Lukas’ towel-clad ass, not pinching or squeezing but just resting there.
He knew he was pushing him again, but he couldn’t help it. After this morning he was having a hard time keeping his hands off of Lukas, and whether that turned out to be good or bad for them in the long run, he’d have to wait and see. But it couldn’t hurt to be a little aggressive, could it? Lukas would never get used to it if he didn’t experience it much, after all. So Bastian kept kissing him, because really, what else were they going to do for the next forty or so minutes anyway? They might as well make out, at least for a little while.
And unlike Lukas, Bastian wasn’t too interested in questioning himself for so easily accepting the fact that he was making out with a guy. It felt good, it felt right, and there was no point in wondering how or why things had changed so quickly for him. It just was, and that was good enough for Bastian. Thinking things over too much never did anyone any good and he wasn’t about to start right now.
Like he’d contemplated in the shower, Lukas’ will to push Bastian away ebbed quickly out of him with the lingering kiss, the feel of that closeness too good to turn away. At the moment the reasoning was unimportant and Lukas wasn’t looking for an explanation. But unlike Bastian, Lukas would start looking again once they’d separated, and right now that was the biggest difference between them. Bastian could let it all go, and Lukas couldn’t.
And speaking of differences, their willingness to touch was another one. Lukas’ hands never strayed below Bastian’s waist, always remaining safely on the upper half. Bastian’s hands went just about anywhere, and after this morning, nothing was off-limits anymore, as was evident at the moment. He still had one hand on Lukas’ back, pressing against him, holding him where he was, but the other hand had moved from his ass to his thigh, his fingers moving steadily upwards, dying to dart in under that nuisance of a towel.
Just as he brushed over the newly grown hardness in between Lukas’ legs, fingers indeed stretching for the edge of the fabric, he felt Lukas tense and suddenly slap at his hand. Bastian reacted in a startled manner, pulling away and looking at Lukas, who was regarding him with raised eyebrows.
“What were you doing? Did you forget about the whole enough traumatization for one day conversation from before?” Though he’d reacted suddenly, Lukas wasn’t really upset with Bastian for going where he’d been going. It had just been a knee-jerk reaction, and especially given their diminishing time-line before training, he was surprised Bastian had gotten so caught up.
Bastian pulled away from him, an apologetic grin on his face. He looked at him for a moment, the grin turning less apologetic and just a touch embarrassed. “Fuck, you know, I’m such an asshole.”
Lukas hadn’t been expecting that comment and when he heard it he couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, you really are.”
Bastian frowned and playfully hit his arm. “You weren’t supposed to agree with that.” But then he smiled again and slid his hand down Lukas’ arm, fingers running along skin and finally entwining with Lukas’ hand. “Look, I’m sorry about this morning, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s like now that we crossed that line, I just don’t want to have to stop. I look at you and I just want to touch you, and fuck I hope that didn’t come out sounding really sappy or anything.” He frowned again and ran his free hand through his hair.
Lukas laughed again, finding the apology more amusing than he probably should. It had just been so unexpected after the aggression of the morning. But at least it showed that Bastian was thinking about him too, or at least trying to think about him. And really, Lukas didn’t mind. And maybe it was better if Bastian pushed so much, because the more time they spent with each other, really together, the less time he had to feel doubtful about things.
“Don’t worry about it; I understand. And you know, I guess I can’t really blame you, when I think about it. I am pretty fucking hot, after all.” Lukas grinned.
Bastian shook his head and pushed at Lukas’ arm. “Oh shut up and get dressed.”
Lukas heard that tone creep into Bastian’s voice, the one that came when he realized that someone else had the upper hand over him. He wasn’t about to let it go so easily. “I’m completely irresistible to you, aren’t I?” He leaned against the dresser, playful grin on his face. The idea didn’t seem so strange to him when he realized he could use it to make fun of Bastian. No opportunity ever went amiss.
Bastian looked like he was about to make an annoyed retort, before a grin suddenly settled over his lips. He gave a little laugh as he made an obvious point of looking Lukas over with his eyes before settling that playful gaze on Lukas’. “It must be the Axe body spray.”
There was a moment of silence during which Lukas’s face blanked, making it more than obvious that he had not been expecting that to come up. Almost immediately after though he grabbed his balled-up socks and threw them at Bastian’s head. “Oh fuck off and let me get dressed.”
Bastian laughed, secure in the knowledge that he had definitely won this round. It had been close, but thanks to Lukas and his ill-advised advertising spots (to which Bastian would forever be grateful) he’d managed to come out on top yet again. So he retreated to the bed, sitting down with Lukas’ socks in his hand, watching him as he got dressed.
It was a little crazy, he supposed, the way his views on guys had changed so quickly now. Not that he’d ever refused to see the attractiveness in a guy before, but looking at one naked in front of him had never really done anything for him. Not the way it was working on him now. And Lukas did have one damn attractive body after all, maybe the definition wasn’t quite as sharp as it had been at one point in time, but Bastian knew it would be back to its former glory in a short while. It was still pretty damn captivating for him at the moment.
Lukas slid on his jeans, leaving the belt unbuckled for the moment as he reached for his shirt, turning around finally and seeing Bastian on his bed, staring at him. Lukas frowned at him. “Could you stop leering at me? If we grey your hair a little you could pass for a perverted old man.”
Bastian sarcastically laughed at the comment, though he had to admit that it really was quite humorous. When Lukas pulled his shirt over his head though, Bastian couldn’t resist the opportunity, knowing it was sure to get a laugh out of Lukas. He stuffed the pair of socks down his pants, arranging them so there was a much bigger bulge down there, barely able to keep from laughing himself, he felt so stupid. When Lukas’s head emerged from the shirt, Bastian spoke. “I’m sorry for the leering; really, I just don’t think you realize the effect you have on me.” He made an obvious point of looking at his crotch, suppressed laughter threatening him again.
Lukas took one look at him and knew immediately what he’d done. “Oh for fuck’s sake; you’re fucked.” He shook his head at Bastian, unable to keep from laughing, and when he started Bastian couldn’t hold it in any longer either. He reached down with his hand, rubbing over the bulging socks beneath his jeans, making Lukas laugh even harder.
“Fuck, Schweini, this isn’t your way of telling me that you have a foot fetish, is it?” Lukas finally got the laughter under control, grinning at him and winking.
Bastian grinned back and shook his head. “Well, not that I know of.” He reached into his pants and pulled the socks out, throwing them at Lukas, who dodged them as though they were carrying the plague. That only made them both laugh all over again, Bastian leaning his head back against the pillows and Lukas leaning on the dresser. Finally after a moment Lukas sat down on the bed, a different pair of socks in his hands.
“Fuck, there was nothing wrong with the other pair; they weren’t even touching my dick, you fucking baby.” He nudged Lukas in the leg with his foot, grinning at him.
Lukas looked at him and frowned. “That’s not the point. Every time I look at those socks from now on I’m going to picture you with them stuffed down your pants! And I don’t think that’s a story you want me repeating at training today, is it?” Lukas grinned at him as he slid the new socks on his feet.
Bastian grinned and sat up. “You have a point there.” When Lukas was finished he pulled on his shirt, and they both stared at each other for a second, before suddenly laughing again. The day wasn’t even half-over yet, and it was already one of the most interesting mornings they’d had in ages. Lukas was grateful for the laughter, his mood extremely high right now despite the ups and downs of the morning. And really, those down points had only been the cause of him over-thinking things, and this was definitely a sign that he needed to stop doing that.
The drive to training was a little quiet, mostly due to the blasting music. Lukas sat with his right arm on the door, the window down because it was a gorgeous day and the sound of the wind rushing in making conversation even less likely. It wasn’t uncomfortable though because the majority of the time they didn’t talk in the car anyway. At one point though, Bastian laid a hand on Lukas’ thigh, squeezing it until Lukas finally looked at him. Bastian smiled before looking back out at the road, and Lukas couldn’t help but smile too.
Bastian removed his hand as they pulled into the parking lot at Säbener Straße, directing his car into the spot next to Andi’s. They sat in silence for a moment as the engine died, glancing at each other in anticipation. The day was finally here; Lukas was taking that first official step back to full recovery as far as football was concerned. They were both a little nervous, though neither of them spoke it out loud. Bastian hadn’t even been nervous about it until now, but since they were here, everything was more real now. Soon enough they’d know for sure just how long it would be before Lukas came back, be it only weeks, or a matter of months.
With the car parked facing away from the crowd of fans, Bastian took one final opportunity for a private moment between them. He reached over and took one of Lukas’ hands, squeezing it tightly. “Well, today’s the day, then.” They stared at one another for seconds, until Lukas finally nodded.
“Today’s the day. Hopefully, it’ll be a good day.” He squeezed Bastian’s hand back and another few seconds passed before he reached for the car door handle, about to let go of Bastian.
“It will be a good day. I’m confident in that.” Bastian squeezed the hand one last time before letting it go, reaching for the handle of his own door, pushing it open and stepping out of his car. He turned around to look at the fans, whose attention had been focused on the white sporty coupe, some of them recognizing it. And the second Lukas stepped out all hell appeared to break loose, near deafening screams for the young striker resounding across the parking lot.
Lukas looked over the top of the car at Bastian, a smile coming unbidden to his face. As much as he’d hated the attention during his recovery, now that he was fine he was quite happy to have it back. Bastian grinned at him across the hood of the car before slipping on his sunglasses and walking around to the back, opening the trunk so they could retrieve their bags. Upon doing so they made their way across the parking lot, toward the barricaded area where the fans were, all of whom had apparently heard the rumor that Lukas would be returning to training today. The excitement they were all displaying had made him completely forget about Bild’s breaking news of the day before, so he approached them without the slightest sign of wariness. They were a few minutes early after all, so it couldn’t hurt to sign some autographs.
Bastian was delighted to see Lukas go straight to the fans, no lingering sense of hesitation left over from earlier weeks. He was glad he’d put his sunglasses on because there seemed to be an absurd amount of cameras flashing today. He took a moment to look over the crowd before signing a few autographs himself. It was good to have Lukas back here; it was that final piece to life going back to normal. Even if he’d be working on his own with the trainers for a while, he’d still be here, and they’d still arrive and depart together, greet the fans together, do everything they’d done before. It was good to finally have that back. He moved a little closer to where Lukas was and some of the girls close by squealed and shouted requests for them to pose for a picture together. Lukas finished signing a few things first, but that happy smile was there on his face as he did so, finishing with the last one and turning to look at Bastian, who was waiting for him to finish. Without needing to say anything to each other, they both put an arm around one another and looked at the girls, giving their now signature hand salute with the thumb and little finger, the one they’d stolen from Ronaldhino.
When the picture was taken Bastian kept his arm around Lukas, leaning over to whisper to him that they ought to go in now. Lukas agreed and they waved one last time at the fans before heading in. While walking in Bastian kept his arm around Lukas, commenting on how good it was to have him back here finally, how crazy it was to have so many fans out there to celebrate his return. He’d thought about lowering his arm from Lukas’ shoulder, but it’s not like this was anything obviously different for them to be doing. Not that Bastian had always walked around with an arm on Lukas, but it had been done often enough to not look strange. And given the importance of today, of course it would seem normal to everyone that Bastian was excited to have Lukas back, so if they were a bit closer physically than they normally would have been, no one would think anything of it.
Eventually they made their way inside the building and Lukas greeted everyone he came across who he hadn’t seen recently, eventually making it down the hall to the locker room where everyone else was. Greeting the fans had gone well, but what kind of mayhem was awaiting him inside this room?
“Come on, chubs. There’s no delaying this any further.” Bastian winked at him before opening the door, holding it for Lukas. Lukas glared at him before walking in, giving him a well deserved elbow to the side as he walked by. Walking into the room suddenly made everything come together for Lukas. It was strange how something as simple as a locker room could have such an impact on a person. It was a home, of sorts, a place to sit and socialize before getting to work, a place to bond with your teammates, a place to discuss anything and everything. It was a place he’d sorely missed without even realizing it.
“Hey! Princess is back!” Roque was the first one to notice him, nudging Pizarro with his elbow, grinning mischievously. Pizza matched the expression, looking even more amused when Bastian appeared behind Lukas.
“And there’s the little puppy, right on cue.” He winked at Bastian, who directed a glare his way.
Before anyone else could make a comment Mark was there, quick to embrace Lukas, his arms tight around the young striker. “It’s good to see you back here; it’s been way too long without you.” Mark planted his hand on Lukas’ head, fingers ruffling through the hair. Usually Lukas would swat his hand away, but today he was quite content to let the Dutchman do as he pleased.
“I can guarantee it’s felt twice as long for me,” Lukas offered in reply, still smiling. He was waiting for the comments to start any second now, but he was so happy to be back that he really didn’t feel as though he’d even mind them all that much. Being teased really wasn’t such a high price to pay for being back, after all.
“So Schweini, nice to see you’re dressed for the occasion.” Pizza, who wasn’t about to let Mark interrupt the planned harassment of Lukas and Bastian, was leaning back against the wall with his feet up on a chair, a devious gleam in his eyes.
Bastian grinned at the comment, walking over to where the Peruvian was sitting, shrugging his shoulders. “Just thought I’d offer my support, you know.”
Roque grinned as well. “We should train in white kits today, don’t you think?”
Bastian smacked him on the shoulder lightly with his hand. “That’s what I was thinking yesterday! Only a shame he won’t be out on the field with us, huh?” He looked over his shoulder at Lukas, who was still standing beside Mark. The Dutchman himself was sporting a bit of a grin at the comment, though Bastian could tell he was obviously holding it back a little. That was Mark, always looking out for Lukas. With anyone else the midfielder would have jumped in on the joking, but those two had a bit of a bond that resembled the one Lukas shared with Michael Ballack. Bastian had always found it amusing; often teasing Mark that Lukas only liked him because he’d played for Barcelona.
Lukas, however, was quick to glare at the three. He wasn’t surprised that Bastian had so quickly jumped in on the teasing, and he also wasn’t surprised that it was Pizarro who was starting it. They got along wonderfully, but the man so enjoyed taunting everyone, constantly on the lookout for new opportunities to comment about. Roque was always quick to jump into the fun as well, just enjoying getting a laugh.
“So were you properly mortified when you saw the paper yesterday, Poldi? I’m a little surprised to see you in, myself. Takes a lot of balls to show your face after that kind of announcement.” Pizza winked at him, hoping Lukas wouldn’t take it too harshly. Besides, he’d been around long enough to know to expect this, and Bastian must have warned him about it anyway.
Lukas didn’t respond, he just continued glaring. Instead it was Roy who spoke up, walking up to greet his younger strike partner. “Don’t worry about Pizza; he’s just a little grumpy because now that you’re back, he’s worried about being relegated to the bench again with the other joker over there.” He slung his arm around Lukas and nudged his forehead as a greeting, before looking over at Pizarro and winking.
The Peruvian shook his head and whistled at Roy’s comment. “That was cold, Makaay. What have I done to you lately?” There was amusement in his voice though, no sign of any offense that may have been anticipated after the comment from the Dutch striker.
Roy just grinned and squeezed Lukas’ shoulder before moving away, not bothering to respond to Pizarro’s comment. Lukas was grinning a little himself after hearing it, glad to know that someone was willing to fight back for him. Roy had always been good that way after all, always quick to stick up for him were it in a mock battle like this one, or something more serious. But now that the momentary attack had been waylaid, Lukas walked over to his spot beside the Peruvian, flinging out a hand to hit him in the head with. “Did you miss me?”
Pizarro tried to move out of the way but was still hit by Lukas’ hand. He grinned and caught the hand, pulling on Lukas’ arm. “Of course I missed you, come here.” He pulled on Lukas until he finally leaned down, embracing his fellow striker. “It’s good to have you back; we’ve all been worried about you.” There was a seriousness in the Peruvian’s eyes that was very rare, and it reinforced the fact that despite all the teasing and harassing and joking around that went on in a team, it was a lot like a family and when one member was hurting, it affected the others.
He smiled at the comment and sat down next to him. “Yeah well, worry no more. Soon enough I’ll be back on the field scoring goals while you watch on in awe.” He winked at him before leaning over to untie his shoes.
Pizza shook his head and looked at Roque. “Oh did you hear that? Tough words on his first day back. Did Schweini find someone to make you a man last night?” Pizza nudged Lukas in the arm, that sparkle of deviance once again present.
Roque chuckled beside him. “Or maybe they got desperate and Schweini offered himself up. They did come in together after all.” Roque looked up at Bastian, who immediately gave him a look of disbelief.
“Are you kidding? You think I’d let him anywhere near my ass? Not unless I demonstrated it on him first.” Bastian winked back at Roque, who laughed at the response.
Pizza patted Lukas on the head. “Isn’t that sad, not even your puppy would offer himself for practice. Maybe we’re going to have to launch that reality show after all.”
Michael Rensing came over to join the conversation now that he was dressed and ready for the day. “We don’t need to make a big production out of it, we could easily find him a lovely girl out at a club.”
“Yeah, a strip club. They’re experienced there and for the right amount would definitely keep their mouths shut. Well, figuratively speaking, of course. You’d want them open, you know, because your chances of having it last a little longer would be quite good if you got a blow job first.” Pizza grinned, winking at Lukas when he turned to glare at them.
“Oh, is that so?” Lukas responded sarcastically, before glancing at Michael and punching him in the leg. The second keeper grabbed his leg, rubbing the spot where Lukas had made contact.
“Yes it is. You know, we’re all experienced men here, well the rest of us are, so maybe we should sit down and write up a little guide for you. Share our knowledge.”
Roque clapped his hand on Pizarro’s shoulder enthusiastically. “Now there’s an idea! We can make this thing a team effort; add it to our plans for the year’s end. Win the league title, win the Champion’s League, and make a man out of Poldi! Is everybody in?”
There were yells throughout the locker room, everyone laughing and shouting their support. Lukas could barely keep from telling them all off. Instead he ignored the comments and stood up, unbuckling the belt on his jeans. It was nearly time for him to be heading over to meet with the trainers, so he needed to get changed. He slid his jeans off, laying them on the bench and reaching for his shorts. He wasn’t about to get off so easily though, as Bastian came up behind him.
“It really shouldn’t be that hard, I mean, he is a sought after guy, right? Maybe we should go out and look through the girls outside, huh? There were some cute ones out there after all.” Bastian squeezed Lukas’ sides before slapping him on the ass, an action that made everyone laugh again.
Lukas looked at Bastian, glaring certain death at him. “Hands off the ass, thank you.” He felt like cursing him at the moment, though he wasn’t surprised. It was so like Bastian to take advantage of an opportunity like this to get one last playful touch in. And from the grin on his face, Lukas knew he’d been waiting for the opportunity.
Bastian glanced at Pizarro and Roque, not moving his hand. “You know, he’s actually got a pretty nice ass, I have to say.” He knew the comment would piss Lukas off, which is why he made it. It was true though, in all honesty. Lukas did have a nice ass.
Bastian was really going to pay for that comment later, Lukas decided. For now though all he could do was glare and try not to act too bothered by the action. “Unless you want to lose your hand, move it.”
Bastian knew he was tempting fate and pushing Lukas’ boundaries, but fuck if he could help it. There was something a little exciting about letting his hand linger over Lukas’ ass in front of everyone, no one knowing or realizing why it was really pissing Lukas off. Bastian was so tempted to glance down at Lukas, wondering if there was any chance in hell that he was getting turned on by this the way Bastian was. But he wasn’t going to go that far.
And the problem was that Lukas was getting a little turned on by this. God, Bastian was such an asshole! He quickly pulled on his shorts, moving away from Bastian so his hand dropped. He knew there was no point in trying to make him understand what he was doing to him at the moment; it was obvious that Bastian was trying to embarrass him. He supposed that he should be thankful, really, because this just proved that despite everything that was happening between them as of late, things hadn’t really changed that much. Bastian had always jumped at the opportunity to embarrass him, and right now was no different. He still wasn’t happy about it, though.
Bastian grinned when Lukas moved away and pulled on his shorts. He was pretty damn sure that meant that Lukas was getting turned on, and that pleased him a great deal. Maybe it wasn’t fair to Lukas, but Bastian knew he’d be forgiven later. After all, he’d done some pretty mean things to Lukas in the past, and Lukas never stayed mad. He simply didn’t have it in him to hold a grudge, he was far too forgiving.
Lukas finished pulling on his shorts, hoping that no one would pick up on the reason for his hurried dressing. That would make the revealing of his secret by Bild pale in comparison to what Pizza, Roque, and the others would say to him if they noticed him getting hard due to Bastian touching him. And why the hell was that making him hard anyway? It wasn’t fair. He certainly didn’t feel turned on by it, at least not mentally. Mentally he was still annoyed with Bastian and he wanted to punch him in the face.
Lukas pulled off his shirt, replacing it quickly while Bastian finally moved back a little, talking to Michael while Lukas finished getting ready. He glanced at Pizarro, who was staring at him with that troublesome grin still on his lips. After a few seconds of staring at each other, Lukas finally addressed him. “Is there something else you’re dying to say? By all means don’t hold back.”
The Peruvian grinned and winked at Lukas. “No; just checking out your ass.” Lukas didn’t respond to the comment, he just shook his head and pulled on his sneakers. As he was about to turn around to leave the room though Pizarro made a final comment. “Hey; you hurry up with your training, alright? You and I have to work on our partnership so we bench that old timer.”
Lukas returned the grin this time. Yes, despite everything else, it was good to be back. He nodded to Pizza before turning around, coming face to face with Bastian who’d stepped in front of him. The deviousness of just earlier was gone and now Bastian was looking at him with a much more affectionate expression, one that matched the light touch of Bastian’s fingers curling around his wrist. They just stared at each other for a moment before Bastian spoke.
“It’ll go well.” He didn’t need to say anything else, because Lukas understood what he meant. Lukas’ smile was proof enough that he understood the comment and when he squeezed Bastian’s fingers, that said more than any spoken ‘thank you’ possibly could.
Lukas made his way out of the room, pausing to have a few words along the way, but eventually he was gone, out in the hall and making his way down to meet with the trainers. All in all, it hadn’t been too painful so far, and he was a little surprised at the underlying feeling of support and relief at his return. He supposed it was probably due to the severity of his injury, to the uncertainty of his future. No one liked to think about the possibility of being that injured, so whenever someone could come back from something of that nature, everyone celebrated. It was nice to feel that wanted by your teammates.
Finally he made it to the training room, wondering what they had planned for him today. It would probably mostly be strength and endurance training at first, working on making up for those weeks he’d been off. While he had been working out every day for the past while, none of that would compare to what he’d be able to do at the club. Lukas was looking forward to it.
While Lukas spent the afternoon following a routine designed to get him back to the level he’d been before the accident, the rest of the team were running plays, working on strategies to use during this weekend’s game against Stuttgart. It was a needed three points they’d have to take this weekend. They were currently lying one behind Werder Bremen, two behind league leaders Schalke, and only two ahead of Stuttgart. They couldn’t afford to lose this game, not this close to the end of the season.
One thing they’d noticed though throughout the afternoon was the absence of Felix Magath. Nothing had been said and no one had bothered to ask any questions yet, but as the hours passed and the coach didn’t appear, everyone was starting to get curious. When things wrapped up for the afternoon and the guys started filing back inside, the missing member of the coaching staff became a bit of a hot topic among them. It wasn’t like him to miss practice sessions without reason. Were they going to get an explanation?
Conversation continued about it in the locker room, even when Lukas came in a little later than the others. He made his way over to sit down in between Roy and Pizza, looking at Bastian and smiling, letting him know without words that things indeed had gone well today, and that he was more than pleased with being back. He noticed the concentrated conversations taking place around the room and asked his fellow strikers what was going on.
“Well we’re not exactly sure. Magath wasn’t around at all today; no one appears to know why. Something must be up though. This is really weird.” Roy filled him in on the activities from outside, leaving Lukas sitting between them with a slight frown on his face.
“None of the other trainers said anything?” That was strange, he thought. Things had been going well lately for the team, so why had Magath skipped out on today? Pizarro mentioned that he hadn’t appeared sick the day before, so it was unlikely that anything was wrong with him to keep him away.
After a few moments spent talking about it, the door to the locker room opened suddenly and in walked Uli Hoeness. Everyone immediately shut up upon his entrance; this couldn’t be good.
He was followed by team captain Oliver Kahn, who’d disappeared on his way inside after training had ended. The look on Kahn’s face wasn’t pleasant. Hoeness called for everyone’s attention, though he hadn’t really needed to; all eyes were already on him.
“As you’ve all noticed I’m sure, a very important member of the staff was missing today.” Hoeness paused, looking around the room. He nodded at Lukas, not having had the chance to formally welcome him back yet. “Unfortunately, I have bad news to pass along. Earlier this morning Felix had to rush his wife in to the hospital, we don’t know yet exactly what’s wrong, but it doesn’t appear to be good. He and I have spoken and I’ll be stopping by later to the hospital to see him, and hopefully then we’ll have an idea about what’s happening. It’s unknown right now if he’ll be able to continue on though, as I’m sure you all understand. He’s asked me to search for a short-term replacement for the time being, so he’ll be able to take care of things with his family. I only spoke to him an hour ago, which is why nothing was announced before training earlier. But we can’t keep something of this nature from you, so now you’re aware.” He paused again, letting the news sink in.
Kahn, who was still standing beside him, looked around the room and spoke up. “I know this is really bad timing for us, especially with this weekend’s important game and Wednesday’s away match with Barcelona, but guys, I don’t need to tell you how important it is that we really keep things running right now, despite whatever happens with the staff. We all know what we have to do this late in the season; we don’t need anyone to tell us. So there won’t be any excuse for anyone not putting in maximum effort right now; we need to keep this team running smoothly.”
The words of the captain were a little sobering, cutting through the shock of the manager’s. Changes to the coaching staff were always rough, but to have one this late during the season? It was practically the kiss of death. They couldn’t let it affect them, though. Kahn was right; they all knew what had to be done and potentially losing their coach couldn’t distract them.
There weren’t any question for Hoeness, who left them with the promise of more information tomorrow morning. There was silence in the locker room after he’d gone; everyone in varying states of disbelief. It was even harder because they didn’t even know what was wrong with the well-liked wife of their coach. Though they might not spend a great deal of time all together, in times of crisis like this everyone’s family became important. It was a shocking reminder like the one they’d gotten in mid-March when Lukas had unexpectedly been taken out. It was the sort of moment that made you realize how thankful you were for everything you had, for the people you had around you, and for their good health.
They’d know more tomorrow and tonight would be spent with their loved ones, reminding themselves of the joy they got from everything they’d started to take for granted. Hopefully the morning would bring good news. They couldn’t afford anything bad.