Victoria and Pablo meet by chance when she has to interview him after the Nations League final 2023.
He's immediately infatuated by her, but due to a few years age difference, she only sees him as a younger friend.
Will he make it out of the friendz...
After a sleepless night, it was finally Sunday. They day I'd hopefully return to Barcelona, my home again. The day I'd return to the man I loved, he was my home too. My parents had thankfully brought me some fresh clothes and after showering and putting them on, I felt somewhat human again.
An Embassy employee came to get me and we walked to an office where some people were already assembled. They introduced themselves as members of national intelligence and security and started interrogating me. I knew that this was standard procedure, they were testing me if ISIS hadn't turned me. But they finished and cleared me for returning to Spain and I felt a huge relief.
My parents and Kike now were also brought in and a woman spoke: "Ok, so a plane will be ready this afternoon to bring you back to Barcelona. When you land, we will hold a small press conference where you will express your gratitude-" She was cut off by me scoffing and saying: "Press conference?" "Yes. Well, this is what usually happens when-" she started, but I cut her off again. "I know. In case you forgot, I am press. Funny how you assume that I will feed our concurrents with a story. Vanguardia will obviously get my exclusive. And as for expressing my gratitude: the only ones that did their job is the Embassy here. And that's what they're literally getting paid for with the tax money the government robs me of every month. Intelligence and military? You lot left me there to die. If it hadn't been for the literal person who got me there in the first place, I would be dead. I was played like a puppet on strings for your operation. So no, I won't be doing a press conference and I sure as hell won't sing praises to you. Are we done here?" I said sternly. "But, Miss..." someone said. "Listen, I just want to get back home, back to my boyfriend, back to my job and I sure as hell need to see a therapist to process everything I've been through. Please let me go." I said with a tired voice.
They saw that it was unnecessary to argue with me and promised to embargo the press release of my return until an hour after my landing and by that time, I hoped to be at Pablo's already. After having lunch with my family and packing up our stuff, a car drove us to the airport where a jet was waiting for us and some of the people that had been at the Embassy this morning. My parents had hoped that I would tell them what happened to me during the upcoming 5-hour long plane ride, but I wasn't ready to open up.
"Wait, is Barca playing tonight?" I asked Kike. "Yeah, Atlético, but I doubt that Pablo went, he was ordered to rest. Vicky... the last time I saw him I told him you were dead..." my brother said and as a tear rolled down his cheek he squeezed my hand. "Well then I hope he'll be happy to see me again" I whispered and my brother chuckled. "He'll fall off every cloud." he replied and we smiled at each other.
When the plane landed, I couldn't wait anymore. It felt like ages until they opened the doors and I immediately stumbled outside and into the car that was waiting. When my parents and brother had also gotten in, the driver started moving and I told him Pablo's address. "Game just finished - we won!!" Kike announced excitedly while scrolling on his phone.
We finally arrived in front of his house and I immediately noticed my scooter standing in the driveway. Ana must have left it here for some reason, maybe she hadn't used it after all. "Don't wait up for me... I'll see you guys tomorrow" I said excitedly and hurried to the entrance while their car drove away. I picked up the rock under which Pablo always left a spare key and turned it in the lock as silently as I could. I tiptoed inside and walked towards the living room, but what I saw made my heart stand still.
My boyfriend was there on the couch kissing my best friend. In a shock reaction, the key slipped out of my hand and onto the floor, which startled them and they pulled away, now looking in my direction. They looked as if they had just seen a ghost - which was probably what was going through their minds as they both apparently had been thinking I was dead. My eyes were open wide in horror, this couldn't be, it just couldn't be. I don't know for how long we all stayed petrified like that, but at some point I snapped out of my trance and ran out the door.
I came to a halt in the driveway as a car was pulling up and its headlights were pointed at me. It stopped and the passenger and driver's doors swung open aggressively as Pedri and Chiara stumbled out of it. "VICKY!" Chiara shouted and ran towards me. She wanted to hug me but was greeted by me slapping her face instead. "DID YOU KNOW?" I shouted at her. She was very surprised and looked at me shocked as she said: "Know what?" "ANA!" I shouted again. Her face changed to horror and she shouted now too: "ANA WHAT?" She honestly didn't seem to know what was going on and Pedri had now reached us too. "Ana... a-and Pab-" I tried to stammer as tears were now rolling down my cheeks. "Oh my God" Chiara mumbled and put a hand on her mouth. "I'm going to kill him" Pedri said and turned around but he didn't have to go far as Pablo now came hobbling out on his crutches.
Pedri walked up to him and was ready to punch him but just let out an angry and loud groan. "You're lucky you're injured or I would punch your soul out of you right now!" he shouted at him and Pablo flinched. He tried to hobble over towards me but I hugged Chiara as a reflex and hid my face, I didn't want him anywhere near me. "Don't come closer!" my friend shouted at him and he stopped in his tracks. "Vicky... Is this real?" he whispered, but Pedri answered for me. "Of course she is, you potatohead" he shouted at him again. "Chiara, I want to go home" I sniffled and in that moment Ana appeared in the doorway.
Chiara was quick to push me into Pedri's arms now and angrily walked over to Ana. "You bitch! You had this planned all along didn't you?" she shouted at her and punched her right in her nose. Ouch. She was ready to punch her again but I turned to Pedri and whispered: "Please, take me home" "Chiara, let's go!" he shouted and she debated on whether punching her again or coming, but she turned around to walk towards us. Apparently, she changed her mind though and turned around again to punch Ana one last time and she fell to the ground. Then, she walked over to us and helped me get into the backseat.
I was a mess, crying and sobbing into her jacket. Pedri started driving towards my place and as we turned into my street he mumbled: "Fuck." "What is it?" Chiara asked. "Street is full of paparazzi, they're camped in front of your building, Vicky" Pedri said and I started panicking now too. I was a whole mess. "Shall we go to my place?" Chiara asked but I shook my head. "I just want to be home, we'll push through." I sniffled quietly. "Ok, you girls get our first and I'll park the car and come up then" he said.
"You ready?" Chiara asked as she was about to open the door. "No, but let's go" I whispered. As soon as the door opened, madness started. There were flashes everywhere and people shouting questions, but I couldn't see or hear anything, in my head, it was all a blur. The entrance door was opened from inside and I saw Kike opening and shutting it behind us quickly. "I got your message. What the hell happened?" he asked Chiara, but she just shook her head and signalled cutting her throat. Whatever she thought that meant.
"Where are Mum and Dad?" I asked as Kike unlocked my apartment door. "At their hotel, shall I call them?" he asked but I wildly shook my head. I walked over to my bed automatically and fell flat on it. "I don't want to see or hear from anyone" I whispered, before shutting my eyes.
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📍 Barcelona, Catalunya, España holacom La Vanguardia's Victoria Hernandez, who had been imprisoned and presumed dead after a NATO operation blew up the ISIS compound she was being held at, returned to her home in Barcelona around midnight. She was accompanied inside her apartment building by a friend and driven by none other than her boyfriend Gavi's teammate Pedri.
user1 this is all very fishy gaviandpedrilove 😨👀 user2 We all can't imagine what she's been through user3 why the fuck are paparazzi waiting at her doorstep????? leave her alone, she's probably going through hell
