Let Me Love You | Toni Kroos

Chapter 4 - Sparks

Gabi's POV

Over the next year, Toni and I didn't hang out much during the day, because we went to different schools, and sometimes he was also busy with training. But he'd always hang out with me in the evenings, whether it was taking a walk down the street, kicking the ball around at the park, or just having dinner with my family.

We were best friends, although Toni always had this mysterious aura around him when we hung out – as if he always wanted to tell me something, but he didn't know how to say it. Every time he went quiet, I'd just shrug and ignore it, because it could just be my imagination.

"How's Toni?" Amelie asked as she plopped down on my bed in her pyjamas for another gossip session.

"How's Toni?" I repeated. "Fine, why?"

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about!" she elbowed me in the stomach.

"What?" I said, rubbing it where it hurt. "We're just friends. He's my best friend."

"Best friend, hm?" she said, suspicious. "Have you seen the way he looks at you?"

"Like how any other normal person looks at me?"

"He looks at you like you're the most amazing person he's ever seen!"

"Well, I am the most amazing person anyone has ever seen," I said, catching sight of something moving around outside my window, before a lock of blonde hair appeared at the window ledge. Toni's blonde hair. He was climbing up to my window again, like he'd been doing occasionally, to just sit with me and talk without alarming the rest of my family. Slowly, his face popped up, and a grin crept across his face when he saw Amelie sitting with her back towards the window.

Amelie continued talking. "Oh shut up, Gabriele. He likes you, trust me. Trust your big sister."

I tuned her out, watching as Toni slowly, silently opened the window and popped into my room, just standing there quietly behind Amelie. I glanced at him occasionally as Amelie couldn't shut her mouth, rolling my eyes at him when she was looking away, until she looked up once and saw me mouthing "she's so annoying!" at him.

She turned around and jumped when she saw Toni there where there wasn't supposed to be anybody, losing her balance and falling off the bed, landing on the floor.

"JESUS, TONI," she yelled, still lying flat on the ground. "What the hell are you doing here?! Oh, my God, I could've died!"

"I came for my usual visit," he said, and I glared at him. Busted.

"Usual visit?!" Amelie yelled again, sitting upright and staring at me. "Usual. Visit. What have you guys been up to? Crawling up pipes and through windows? And you say you're only friends?"

"Amelie!" I stopped her before she could say any more. I grabbed her arms and dragged her out of my room while she was still sitting down on the ground and threatening to tell my parents. "Shut up, Amelie. He's just here because he needs to tell me something. Shut up!" I pushed her into her room and pulled the door shut.

Toni's POV

"Is she alright?" I asked as Gabi returned to the room and sat down beside me.

"Yeah, just ignore her," she said. "What's up?"

"I'm going to play for the senior team," I told her. "I just signed the contract today."

"Really?" she exclaimed. "That's great, congrats!"

"Thank you," I smiled at her. She was right. I could make it big. I'd already taken my first step.

She moved closer and put an arm around me. "I'm really proud of you."

Without thinking, I turned and wrapped both my arms around her. Throughout the past year, she was always there for me, even when she was busy with her work. She never frowned, and never got angry with me whenever I threw stones at her window or just directly climbed in through it. She was so patient, it was as if nothing could ever throw her off.

I felt her tense up in between my arms, and then she relaxed, leaned her head against me, and smiled.

"Thank you," I whispered into her long, ash brown hair. "Thank you so much, Gabi."

"Don't thank me," she mumbled. "You're my best friend."

"You, too," I told her. I wanted to keep my arms wound tightly around her for as long as I could, but after a few moments, I felt my heart picking up speed. I didn't know why, but it had been happening the last few times I saw her, and the last few times we'd accidentally touched.

Before she could suspect anything, I pulled away, holding on to her shoulders. She stared at me, not sure what was going to happen next. I looked at her, at her calm, peaceful face, her blue eyes and her brown hair – the two things she'd always complained about because their colours didn't match – and tucked a stray bunch of hair behind her ear.

She smiled at me, and I smiled back. I had the sudden urge to kiss her; to lean forward and kiss her lips, her face, her hair, anywhere. I just wanted to kiss her. But I knew she probably didn't feel the same kissing vibe as I was feeling. After all, she'd just called me her best friend a few minutes ago. And best friends didn't kiss, did they?

"Hey," she whispered after a while. "You alright?"

I finally woke up from my daze, gave her shoulders a warm squeeze, and then stood up. "Good night, Gabriele," I said as I climbed out the window.

"Good night," she said, watching as I shimmied down the pipe and landed safely on my feet. She smiled, her head disappearing behind the window ledge. I stood and watched as her bedroom lights dimmed, and then went off. I crossed the road, sat on my front steps and stared at her pitch-black window for a long while, wondering what exactly it was that I felt towards her.

We were best friends, and I guessed I was happy with that. I was happy enough just being by her side, and I wasn't going to be greedy. But I just couldn't suppress the feeling rising within me. Every time I saw her, I just wanted to wrap my arms around her and hold her tightly, to protect her from any worries or troubles, to calm her down when she's nervous or sad, to make sure she's always happy, that she always gets the best.

Maybe it was for the best that we stayed this way. I knew that she didn't want her friends to find out about us and spread false words about us. And I'd do anything for it to stay that way so that she wouldn't be hurt.

Besides, Gabi was a really attractive girl, even if she didn't believe it herself. I was sure that there were many guys in her school after her. Although Gabi never admitted it, Amelie always mentioned it discreetly during dinner. Who knew if I had a chance against any of them? I didn't even attend the same school.

I'd wait forever for you, Gabriele. Even if I never get you, I'll be by your side, waiting, doing whatever I can, as long as you're happy. I know that we're still young, we're only seventeen, but as long as you live life just as you're supposed to, and for as long as you live, you'll always be my precious Gabriele Meiser.