17

Stress

TW: FLASHBACKS, PTSD, ANXIETY ATTACKS, MENTIONS OF ASSAULT AND HOMOPHOBIA, NIGHT TERRORS. PLEASE SKIP AHEAD IF YOU STRUGGLE WITH THESE TOPICS IF THERE'S A NEW CHAPTER. THANK YOU.

The Blacks v. Pinks Inter Miami game ends with a 4-3 victory, Ronaldo's Blacks win the game with a goal by Ronaldo at the 90+5 minute mark. Everyone gives each other a high five at the end of it to project proper sportsmanship. The crowd is at ease for the first time tonight as there are no more assaults. Claps, cheers, and whistles can be heard throughout Chase Stadium. The team groups together to take a photo before ultimately leaving to get changed. They all walk into the locker room, Cristiano and Lionel walk in together slowly, Lionel is a little more reserved and antisocial than usual. Peering around to scan for safety before coming in. He firmly squeezes onto his larger boyfriend's arm as they walk into the team locker room. Their appearances excite everyone, they come to surround Cristiano and Lionel. Cristiano can sense that Lionel is stressing out a little bit. "Guys, I'm just as happy as all of you. I'm proud of how we picked each other back up. Can we please get a little space, please?" Gentle as Cristiano can be, the rest of the team agrees to back off so they can have a reasonable amount of privacy, given the sensitivity of the mood Lionel was in, they go to sit down to take their shoes off and grab towels behind their heads to head off to shower. The fact he was assaulted has started to set in, he was thoroughly hated for who he was outside of the Futbol world, this was real. Because of who he loved, he was maimed for it. "Why are people like this, Cristiano? All I wanted was to play, I didn't ask for this..." Lionel whispered and he keeps his head down to not show his emotions in front of the team, voice breaking and struggling to keep it together. "Mi Amor, I am so sorry." Cristiano's own voice breaks as he takes Lionel to hold him as he silently cries, they sit on the ground. Derek Callender overhears and slowly sits down next to the two distraught strikers, and offers himself to soothe his captain and new teammate. "You two have nothing to fear here, you are around people who love, care about, and support you. We as a team want you to feel as awesome as you can be. Who you two were before your relationship should really be all there is when people judge your character. If they judge you for finding love in the most unorthodox of ways, they don't deserve to have two incredible people by their side. That is their loss, and it's more of you two for me! I won't complain!" Derek tries his best to slowly reassure the two men, they do eventually start to calm down and the tears from both men do start to stop.  "Thank you, Derek. Really, you are such a nice guy, an open book and kind heart." Lionel says as he wipes away his tears with a towel. Derek joins the two in a hug. "How do you know what to say in this situation, did you have to deal with this before?" Cristiano inquires. "Yes, I had to for a family member when their parent kicked them out. I took them in after they came out so I can get them back on their feet. They're doing so much better with their partner." Derek happily reminisces. "Can, can you and your family member join us for a dinner sometime this week?" Cristiano excitedly asks.  Lionel sniffles and asks "I'd love to meet them too, I want to know how they overcame it and how they're doing!" "I'll ask them if they're going to visit town this week, I'll let you know what they say! They might be able to see us for a little bit during an upcoming business trip." 

4 AM, THE NEXT MORNING.

Lionel is tossing and turning away, little beads of sweat grow in his hairline. Cristiano is startled awake by his younger boyfriend's twitching. The assault is playing like a reel in his head over and over, causing him to whimper in his sleep like he's being hurt and hit all over again. Sweating bullets, and now there are tiny tears leaving his eyes. Ronaldo gets up and looks at Messi with sorrow and mild panic. "He's experiencing night terrors, I need to wake him up. Derek told me this would happen, I need to help him" He whispers to himself. He goes to touch his shoulder and makes contact. Lionel wakes up and initially panics, but Cristiano quickly holds him and consoles his stressed and wrecked state "Shh, Mi Amor. You are safe with me. There's no need to panic or cry, I'm here to hold and hug you as long as you want." Lionel gives into his emotions and cries into Cristiano's arms, his whole body is shaking with the anxiety and fear overwhelming him "This is absolutely terrible, I hate seeing you like this, Mi Amor. This makes my heart break." Cristiano's emotional empathy gets the better of him and he bursts into tears. Lionel looks up at his sad and crying boyfriend and his tears of pain and overall feeling of uselessness. he wipes his tears with his bruised and cut knuckles but it's no use as more fall. "Cris, I am s-so sorry, you're probably scared too! C-come here, please!" the younger man stutters and begs of his older boyfriend through tears of his own, Cristiano eventually falls back into the pillows with Lionel. They look into each other's red and glassy eyes. they give into each other, embrace and softly kiss. Both still in tears as they slowly strip each and every piece of clothing from each other's bodies. "Mi Amor." Cristiano tearfully whispers to his younger boyfriend...