FROM FRIENDS TO MORE || Gavi x Pedri

Chapter 25 :: I'm not in love with you

The knock on the door was hesitant, almost apologetic. Pedri, sprawled on his couch, a half-eaten pizza box beside him, jumped at the sound. He hadn't expected anyone, especially not now. He glanced at the clock – it was late, almost midnight.

He shuffled to the door, his heart pounding in his chest. He opened it a crack, expecting to see his neighbor, maybe with a complaint about the music. Instead, he was met with Gavi's worried eyes.

"Gavi?" Pedri said, his voice a surprised whisper.

Gavi stepped into the apartment, his eyes scanning the room. He looked small and vulnerable, a stark contrast to the fiery, confident player on the field.

"Pedri," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "I need to talk to you."

Pedri stepped aside, allowing Gavi to enter. He closed the door behind him, the silence in the room heavy and suffocating.

"What are you doing here, Gavi?" Pedri asked, his voice a low growl. He couldn't meet Gavi's eyes, his guilt and shame burning like a coal in his chest.

Gavi sat down on the edge of the couch, his gaze fixed on the floor. "I saw what happened," he said, his voice barely audible. "I saw you hit João."

Pedri's heart sank. He had hoped Gavi wouldn't find out. He had hoped he could keep this secret, keep this burden to himself.

"I... I didn't mean to," Pedri stammered, his voice barely a whisper. "I was just... I was angry."

"Angry at what?" Gavi asked, his voice a soft but insistent plea. "Angry at me?"

Pedri looked at Gavi, his eyes filled with a mixture of shame and desperation. "No," he said, his voice cracking. "Not at you. At him. At João."

Gavi's eyes narrowed, a flicker of suspicion crossing his face. "Why?" he asked, his voice low and steady. "Why are you so angry at João?"

Pedri hesitated, his throat tightening. He knew he had to explain, had to be honest with Gavi. He had to let him know the truth.

"Because... because I'm jealous," he said, his voice a barely audible whisper. "I'm jealous of him, of everything he has."

Gavi's eyes widened in disbelief. "Jealous?" he repeated, his voice a soft whisper. "Jealous of what?"

"Of you," Pedri said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Of you, Gavi. Of the way you make me feel."

He looked at Gavi, his eyes pleading for understanding. "I'm not in love with you, Gavi," he said, his voice trembling. "But I care about you, more than I care about anyone else. And I don't like seeing you with him."

Gavi stared at Pedri, his eyes filled with a mixture of shock and confusion. He had never heard Pedri say those words before. He had never imagined Pedri could feel this way about him.

"I... I don't know what to say," Gavi stammered, his voice barely audible.

Pedri took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest. "I know it's a lot to take in," he said, his voice a soft whisper. "But I had to tell you. I had to let you know how I feel."

He reached out and took Gavi's hand, his fingers intertwining with his. "I'm sorry for hitting João," he said, his voice filled with regret. "I was just... I was scared. I was scared of losing you."

Gavi looked at Pedri, his eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and understanding. He knew Pedri had been hurting, had been struggling with his feelings. He knew Pedri had acted out of jealousy, out of fear.

He squeezed Pedri's hand, a silent promise of understanding. "It's okay, Pedri," he said, his voice soft and reassuring. "I understand."

He leaned forward and patted Pedri's arm, a gesture of friendship, not romance. "I'm not with João, Pedri," he said, his voice firm. "I'm not with anyone. And I'm not sure I ever will be."

The silence in the room was no longer heavy and suffocating. It was filled with a quiet understanding, a shared bond of friendship that had been unspoken for so long.

***

The air in the room was thick with the scent of pizza and unspoken words. Gavi sat on the edge of the couch, watching Pedri pace restlessly, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

"I'm not sure what I was thinking," Pedri muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just... I couldn't control myself."

Gavi, ever the calm one, simply nodded. He knew Pedri's outburst had been fueled by a mix of insecurity and jealousy, a cocktail that had been brewing for weeks. He didn't judge Pedri for it, though. He understood the complexities of emotions, the way they could twist and turn, leading to actions that were impulsive and irrational.

"You're a good friend, Pedri," Gavi said, his voice soft and sincere. "Maybe the best friend I have."

Pedri stopped pacing and turned to face Gavi, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He rarely heard those words, not from Gavi, not from anyone. He was used to being the one offering encouragement, the one providing a shoulder to lean on.

"You too, Gavi," he replied, a genuine smile finally gracing his lips. "You're the best."

The silence returned, comfortable this time, filled with the unspoken understanding that had blossomed between them. They sat in companionable silence for a while, the only sound the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Pedri, suddenly feeling exhausted, slumped back onto the couch, his eyes closing. "Gavi," he mumbled, his voice thick with sleepiness. "Could you... could you lie on me?"

Gavi looked at him, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "On you?" he echoed, his voice a soft chuckle.

Pedri nodded, his eyes still closed. "Yeah, on me. It's... it's just... I feel kind of lonely."

Gavi hesitated for a moment, then a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He carefully climbed onto the couch, settling his weight on Pedri's chest. The warmth of Gavi's body, the gentle weight of his limbs, was surprisingly comforting.

Pedri sighed contentedly, snuggling into Gavi's warmth. He felt a strange sense of peace, a feeling of being safe and protected. It was a feeling he had never experienced before, not with anyone.

Gavi, too, felt a strange sense of comfort. He had never been one for physical closeness, but with Pedri, it felt different. It felt natural, almost inevitable.

As the night wore on, they drifted off to sleep, their bodies intertwined in a way that was both intimate and innocent. The silence in the room was no longer filled with unspoken words, but with the gentle rhythm of their shared breaths. They were two young men, bound by a friendship that was deeper than words, a bond forged in the heat of their shared emotions.