Football Imagines (England players mostly)

Rage - John Stones

John and I have had the love life every couple dreamt of. We supported each other through hard times and always stood for each other. 

We met in Boston when he was on vacation. I was a Harvard student majoring in law. We exchanged numbers, went on a couple of dates until he asked to be my boyfriend. I accepted and we have been dating ever since. Every now and then, I would take trips from Boston to Everton to meet him and would surprise him by attending his matches. It was sweet love. 

He moved to Manchester a year later. I graduated from Harvard, and applied for a job near Manchester so we would no longer do long distance. The day I moved in with him, we were both ecstatic. We visited Maldives when he was on vacation again together with the squad and since then, I got along very well with the boys and we often went on double dates. 

Six months after moving in with him, we got engaged and had a daughter together. He missed the derby so he could be with me while I was in labour. Manchester City won the derby  2 - 0. We named our daughter Amelia but everyone close would call her Lia. After Lia was born, John and I got married and moved into a bigger home in Oldham. I also got promoted to a bigger post at work and got a way bigger pay. Our life was perfect.

Until, when Lia was around two years old, John started spending most, maybe even all , of his free time outside. The only times he would be home was when when he would be sleeping. He came home at odd hours in the middle of the night and would just plop on the bed and sleep there until the morning. 

This had been going on for months now. Even though in the mornings and evenings, he seemed like the 'normal' John.  I was afraid to even bring up the topic during a conversation at first but his actions started affecting Lia. She would wake up and start crying endlessly asking for John, and it would deprive me from sleep too. When she was awake, it was hard to put her back to sleep. 

I decided to bring up the topic after lunch a Friday afternoon, before he was about to go pre-match training. I let the conversation flow naturally until I finally brought up the question. "So how was your night yesterday? Have fun?", I asked him while fumbling with my phone for a moment so I could hide my face expressions, if I even was showing any. 

"Good", he replied, "But why do you want to know?"

"Where were you?"

"At the pub"

"At the goddamn pub, you have a fucking two-year old at home, John. And you are at the pub every night? John, learn to be a responsible father", I screamed in my mind and maybe even said it aloud.

"I am a responsible father, Harriet", he said it like everything was normal, but he was concealing his true emotions. His eyebrows furrowed for a split second, then went back to how they were before I asked him the question. That was enough for me to know I was successful in making him question his parenting during the last few months. 

"Who are you with at the pub, John?" I was determined this conversation would be in favour of Lia but I felt like this question was somewhat selfish of me, regardless of what a huge difference it made when I looked up and quickly stole a glimpse of what his face registered: his face softened as soon as I asked him. I saw his eyebrows furrow again, like he was putting everything we ever had in question and then let the thought go at the back of his mind while he looked down and poked at the table with a fork. 

My focus was no longer on my phone. The conversation was  more serious and I was now looking deep into his eyes while he did the same. I was looking fiercely into his eyes while maintaining eye contact. "This shit doesn't matter, Harriet", he said, while standing up form his chair. He brought his plate to the sink. 

I stood up form my seat and followed him there. "Answer me, John", I said in a stern voice. For the first time, I doubted his answers, they weren't enough in any way. 

He gripped the bottom edge of the cabinets and looked down while exhaling a sharp sigh. "I told you it doesn't matter", he said while raising his voice higher than mine. 

"But I want to know, John", I was now screaming at him. I walked a step closer toward him. He took his hand off the cabinet and turned around. He leaned against the counter and his gaze met mine. His eyebrows were furrowed, but this time he didn't think to conceal it at all. I realised that this time, it wasn't only between his eyebrows; it was everywhere. That emotion was everywhere, staring at me, intimidating me for the first time in front of him. He took a step closer looking at me with disgust. It was a side of him I never witnessed before, a side of him that was probably the worst, a side maybe he never even showed to anyone. 

My heart was beating so fast. He was standing so close to me that I could feel his warm breath against my neck. His breath was always calming, soothing and relaxing to me, this time his breath felt like rage, threatening and anger. He was breathing fast, he clenched his teeth and flung his hand across my cheek. It happened so fast; I was motionless. 

My eyes welled up. I looked up to see John, expecting to see rage registered on his face, but his expressions were now softer. He smoothly ran his thumb against my cheek and when it reached my jawline, he cupped my face with both of his hands, looking at me with a pleading look in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Harriet. I promise it won't happen again", he said in a much softer voice. He released my cheeks and within a split second, I felt his hands around my waist. He pulled me closer into a hug. 

I didn't say anything. I never said anything the whole time. He probably assumed I forgave him. I felt rage. Presumably the same rage he showed me a few seconds ago. I was not going to be a subject of abuse. I was a lawyer; I fought for people to get out if this mess. I was not mundane enough to stay or let my daughter reside in an abusive home. "It won't happen again." It's what they all say, but it does. It happens. Over and over again. 

The tear fell from my eyes and wetted the surface of John's shirt. "I'm sorry", he whispered. I didn't hug him back. "I want a divorce", I said. 

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A/N: Hope you liked this part. Leave a comment and a vote. It helps so much. Thanks if you made it till here.