OFFSIDE

91

❝ And you flashback to when we said, "Forever and always". ❞
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August 10, 2019

Pablo's POV
The sun is beginning to dip below the horizon, casting a warm, golden light across the football field. The air is still, the only sounds are the distant chirping of birds and the soft rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze. It's the end of another long day, but I'm not tired. Not really. How could I be, when Elena is sitting beside me on the grass, her hand resting lightly in mine?

I just finished training and Elena and I decided to stay put for a while. So here we are, sitting in the grass. Elena in a cute white dress with red cherries on it and me in my training outfit. I watch her as she pulls pieces of grass out of the lawn with her other hand and throws them in the air, where they are blown away by the wind.

We've been together for two years now. Two whole years. It feels like no time at all and like forever all at once. When we first got together, it was like something out of a dream—too good to be true. But here we are, still together, still happy, still dreaming of the future. I can't imagine being with anyone else. I don't want to. She's everything to me.

"Do you ever think about the future?" Elena asks, breaking the comfortable silence between us.

"Of course," I reply, squeezing her hand gently. "I think about it all the time. I think about us, what we're going to do, where we're going to go... who we're going to be."

She smiles at me, and it's like the whole world brightens up. "What do you think it'll be like?"

I lean back, lying down on the grass, pulling her down with me. She laughs softly as she rests her head on my chest, her hair tickling my chin. I look up at the sky, the fading light giving way to the first stars of the evening.

"I think," I start, my voice thoughtful, "that we're going to be happy. Really happy. We're going to have a house together, somewhere nice, maybe by the sea. I'll be playing football for a big club, maybe even FC Barcelona. I know it sounds like a crazy dream right now, but I can feel it, Elena. I'm going to work hard, train harder, and one day, I'll make it there. I'll make you proud."

Elena lifts her head to look at me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I already am proud of you, Pablo. And I know you're going to make it. You're going to be one of the best, and I'll be there cheering you on every step of the way."

Her words make my heart swell with emotion. She believes in me, just as much as I believe in myself. I take a deep breath and continue, my voice filled with hope and determination.

"And we're going to have kids," I say, my mind racing ahead to the life we're going to build together. "Two, maybe three. I don't know. I just know I want a family with you. I want to teach our kids how to play football, take them to matches, and watch them grow up. We'll grow old together, Elena. Forever and always."

"Forever and always," she repeats, her voice soft and full of love. She rests her head back on my chest, and I can feel her heart beating in time with mine.

I smile to myself, the future playing out in my mind like a movie. I see us, years from now, still together, still in love. We're sitting on the sidelines of a football match, watching our kids play. Elena is sitting beside me, her hand in mine, just like now.

"We'll be unstoppable," I say, my voice confident. "No matter what happens, we'll get through it. We'll have each other, and that's all we need."

Elena nods, her eyes closed, as if she's seeing the same future I am. "You're right, Pablo. We're going to have an amazing life together. And even if things get tough, we'll face it together. I promise."

I tilt my head to look at her, my heart so full it feels like it might burst. "I promise too. No matter what happens, I'm going to love you. Forever and always."

We lie there for a while, just the two of us, lost in our thoughts, dreaming of the future. The stars come out one by one, dotting the sky like tiny diamonds. I don't want this moment to end. I want to stay here forever, just the two of us, in this perfect, peaceful moment.

But eventually, the cool night air starts to set in, and we both know it's time to go. I help Elena up, and we stand there for a moment, looking at each other, our hands still intertwined.

"I love you, Elena," I say, my voice steady and sure.

"I love you too, Pablo," she replies, her eyes shining with emotion. "Forever and always."

"Forever and always," I echo, sealing the promise between us.

We start walking back towards the changing rooms, our fingers still linked. The field is empty now, the echoes of the day's training fading into the distance. But I don't mind. I feel like we're the only two people in the world right now, and that's enough for me.

As we walk, we keep talking about the future, about all the things we're going to do together. We talk about our dream house, the places we want to travel to, the names we might give our kids. It's all so far away, but it feels close too, like we're already living it in some way. I know we're young, just fourteen and fiveteen, but it doesn't matter. Our dreams feel real, and I know we're going to make them happen.

"I can't wait to see you play for a big club," Elena says, her voice full of excitement. "You're going to be amazing, Pablo. Everyone will know your name. Pablo Gavi."

I laugh, but it's not out of disbelief. It's out of joy. "And you'll be there, right? Watching every match?"

"Of course," she replies, squeezing my hand. "I'll be your biggest fan."

Her words make me feel like I can do anything. With Elena by my side, I know I can achieve my dreams. I can see myself in that iconic Barcelona jersey, running out onto the pitch at Camp Nou, the crowd cheering, and knowing that somewhere in the stands, Elena is watching me, just like she promised.

We reach the edge of the field, and I stop, turning to face her. "You know, no matter where I end up, no matter what happens, I'm always going to come back to you. You're my home, Elena."

She smiles, and it's the kind of smile that makes everything else fade away. "And you're mine, Pablo. Wherever life takes us, we'll face it together."

We hug then, a warm, tight embrace that feels like the safest place in the world. When we finally pull away, I feel a sense of calm wash over me. The future might be uncertain, but our love isn't. I know that as long as we have each other, everything will be okay.

As we walk back to our homes, our conversation shifts to lighter topics. We joke and laugh, talking about our favorite players, and what it would be like to meet them. We debate who's better—Messi or Ronaldo—and make plans to watch the next big match together. Every word, every laugh, feels like another thread tying us closer together.

When we finally reach Elena's house, we stop at the gate, neither of us wanting the night to end. We stand there for a moment, just looking at each other, smiling.

"Goodnight, Pablo," she says, her voice soft and sweet.

"Goodnight, Elena," I reply, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course," she replies, smiling up at me.

I watch her walk up the path to her front door, and only when she's safely inside do I turn to head home. My heart is light, and my mind is full of dreams. I know we're young, but I also know that what we have is real. And I know, without a doubt, that one day, all our dreams will come true.

As I walk, I think about what the future holds. I think about playing for a big club, about making Elena proud, about the life we're going to build together. I know it won't always be easy, but I also know that nothing worth having ever is. And I'm ready to work for it, to fight for it, because I believe in us. I believe in our love.

When I finally get home, I lie in bed, staring up at the ceiling, my mind still buzzing with thoughts of the future. I can't wait to see what it holds. I can't wait to live out all the dreams we talked about tonight. And most of all, I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with Elena, by my side, forever and always.

As I drift off to sleep, I whisper the words to myself, a promise to her, to us, to the life we're going to have: "Forever and always."