NUR DIE SGE

Soft Heart (Kevin/Luca)

Soft Heart

They had their moments, then there was nothing, and Kevin pretended to be okay for a long time, before realizing that the emptiness he felt inside of him wasn't going to magically disappear. So he's focused on training, he's pushed Jensson and Diant to always be better, he's kept teasing Jan about his somber look whenever he's lost in thought, and he did his best to integrate Simon as best as he possibly could into their small team of goalkeepers. Kevin still couldn't forget it, and the freezing cold that answered him like an echo with each defeat didn't forget him either.

Luca only stayed six months in Frankfurt, and the season more or less ended in November because of the world cup, but Kevin probably had the most vibrant and true love of his life, and he doesn't know if he will one day manage to get rid of the hold of his feelings on his heart, when he would have liked the Pokal final to be this trigger for him to move on... Unfortunately, instead, there was only a silver medal around his neck, and the burning memory of Luca's lips on his, when he saw Rafa vent all his anger on Kristijan, Spanish and Croatian mixing in one of the unused locker rooms, right next to the one where he had taken shelter to be alone with only himself...

Kevin held his head high during his two weeks of ordeal with the national team, before leaving on vacation without looking back, his suitcases had been packed for a while, and the pain under his rib cage finally left him in peace for a while, when the warm Mediterranean sun caressed his skin. Italy, it is not for him that he went there, but to find some roots, to do tourism, to tan. That kind of things. The girls' eyes on him, of course, but Kevin didn't respond to them behind his sunglasses, though it did flatter his bruised ego to know that people would still want him that way.

He refused a vacation in Portugal with Timmy and Gonça–despite Timmy's insistent look who seemed to understand what he was going through since the announcement of Luca's departure had been made official–claiming not to want to prevent them from rediscovering each other after almost a year apart. Timmy just shrugged, before advising him to go see him . Kevin didn't answer, but he immediately understood that his sorrow echoed the one of his teammate, with their enforced break ups affecting them more than fans and coaches could ever know.

Kevin had one hell of an Italian road trip, visiting several world famous tourist sites, toasting with former players he knew from Paris, asking Filip how everything was going with André (and only receiving an emoji with the middle finger), before finally stopping in Turin, to spend his last three days before returning to Frankfurt, and starting a new season with new teammates, a new coach, a new life after rejuvenating spiritually between the ruins and the pizzas.

Well, that's what was planned, before crossing Luca by chance at the bend of a shopping street. His heart stopped for a moment, as he set his eyes on the man who had changed him so much in such a short period of time, and he had to slide his sunglasses down his nose to make sure it was really him, as he was refusing to believe that life could give him this gift... Kevin doesn't remember exactly what happened after that, because it was one of those moments when the adrenaline took over (like after the Europa League final, he doesn't remember Sevilla after midnight), but he knows that Luca noticed him too, and threw himself into his arms without waiting.

Kevin won't ever admit in front of anyone, let alone Timmy, that he cried like a baby as soon as they went to hide in a dressing room at the nearest store, but he might be willing to make his teammates guess what happened after his tears dried. Luca laughed at him for a few seconds for his show of emotions, but Kevin saw his red eyes, and it didn't take him long before he pressed his lips to his, as they used to do to warm up when winter was beginning to set in in Germany. His fingers naturally got lost in Luca's hair, to make sure it really wasn't a dream and that he was indeed there, and Luca had to whisper something to him in Italian for Kevin to really believe he was that lucky.

They spent the afternoon together shopping, then the evening around a restaurant table, before staying together for the night, intertwined in each other's arms after a long moment of pleasure... Kevin won't tell nothing of what they may have done once they got to his hotel room, but he did keep a souvenir of it, with a fresh mark on his collarbone, and his fingers tracing Luca's body to remember all the time spent together, and be sure to remember it until their next meeting caused by chance...

When Kevin set foot in Frankfurt for the first time in three weeks, back from vacation, there was no longer any question of letting that emptiness inside take control of him, not after Luca promised him to become the best left-back in Italy, if he became the best goalkeeper in Germany. The little time he spent with the man who makes his heart beat was enough for him to rest, and it's surely the same for Timmy, because as soon as they hug in the locker room, Kevin knows they have the same promise engraved in invisible ink on their hearts: to do everything to quickly get back to the ones they love...

The End