Unexpected (bayern munich)

Chapter 33

"So, you and Muller," Manuel said leaning against the door of the medics office, after Natalia and Cat showered quickly before the rest of the team slowly trickled in slowly, but loudly ready to shower themselves and head home.

Natalia glanced at Tony who raised an eyebrow but didn't object to her walking closer to him.

"Me and Muller," Natalia confirmed, searching his face, "It just...kind of happened."

"I'm happy for you," Manuel said nudging her playfully.

"Thanks," Natalia said nodding, remembering Manuel's support and company, and there was a reason you once liked him.

"Ms. Klein!" Naomi's voice interrupted their conversation.

"Yes, Naomi?" Natalia said her stomach plummeting to the bottom of her pelvis, heart pounding—hard.

"Why don't you and Mr. Muller join me when you're ready?" she said, her expression unreadable. She turned on her heel after Natalia nodded and headed to Pep, who glanced over at her.

Oh my God.

I'm going to get fired. They're going to chew me out.

"Will you tell Thomas I'm looking for him?" Natalia said turning to Manuel, who stood with a grim expression on his face.

"Yeah, Natalia, you'll be fine," he said quickly before disappearing.

After pacing outside of the dressing room, and watching more than half of the team leave the dressing room, Thomas finally emerged, clean, with a sports bag slung over his shoulder and holding gauze to his head.

"I had to take it off in the shower—", he said noticing Natalia.

Natalia took him into the now-empty medics room, and urged him to sit.

"Naomi wants to talk to us," Natalia said putting on gloves, and treating the gash with more antiseptic at which he winced.

"Hey!"

"Don't be a baby"

"She wants to see us now?" Thomas asked raising his eyebrows at Natalia, who stood over him.

She nodded, unable to speak.

"So we'll tell them the truth. We've been seeing each other for a while and if this relationship is to move forward we can't hide." Thomas said rationally while Natalia pressed fresh gauze to his wound.

"I'm freaking out, Thomas," Natalia said applying a bandage carefully to the wound, "They might not fire me, but I don't want to be fired, or worse, known as the nutritionist who sleeps with her charges."

"Hey," Thomas said grabbing Natalia's wrist after she removed her gloves, which happened to bear the charm bracelet he had given her.

They both glanced at it then, and Natalia sighed.

"Natalia Klein, do you love me?" Thomas asked standing up and locking fingers with Natalia.

"I do," Natalia responded inhaling his familiar, soothing scent. Dryer sheets, bergamot, and his deodorant.

"And I love you," Thomas said running his hand along the side of her face grasping the side of her neck, "So lets go tell Pep and Naomi to fuck off," he whispered with a smirk, kissing Natalia briefly.

Natalia's heart pounded in her chest as they made their way to Naomi's office hand in hand and Thomas raised his hand to knock on her door.

"Hello," Naomi said typing rapidly on her computer, "Please have a seat," she said motioning to the two seats in front of her.

After a few seconds, she looked at them: Thomas was smiling broadly while Natalia sat with what she hoped was a poker-face expression. She felt her hands shaking, so she folded them in her lap, between her thighs, hoping Naomi wouldn't notice how close she was to having a breakdown.

"We cannot condone a relationship between the players and the staff," Naomi began, as Natalia's heart sank, "That being said, we also can't excuse either of you. Thomas you are too useful to the team. Natalia, you are even more valuable," at this Natalia's eyes flew up to meet Naomi's.

"Don't look so surprised, dear," she said kindly, "You're a huge asset."

"As of this afternoon, Thomas is officially out of your nutritional care. Either Cat or I will be making all decisions pertaining to his health," Naomi said, a small smile playing on her lips, "Don't throw bad press at us, no large public displays or anything of the sort. Especially nothing that will negatively impact the team," she warned, Natalia hardly hearing a word she was saying.

I'm not fired?!

"You are excused," she said waving them off with her hand.

Thomas stood, helping a still-stunned Natalia up as well.

"Off the record?" Naomi said halfway to the door, "It took you two long enough," she said with a cheeky wink before dropping all sense of emotion altogether and turned back to her computer to type furiously.

After the door shut behind them, Natalia threw herself in Thomas' arms, kissing him, hard.

"Nat," Thomas said between Natalia's kisses all over his face, "Ow," he said as she accidentally grazed his wound.

"Sorry!" Natalia said sheepishly, placing a gentle kiss over the bandage.

Thomas kissed her forehead, "Let's go home, you lunatic," he said slinging his bag over his shoulder, and keeping an arm around Natalia as they walked from the stadium to a van that waited to take them back to the training grounds.

The entire drive home from the training ground, Thomas jabbered on about one thing or another, but Natalia was too happy to focus on what he was saying. They rode up in the elevator together, as he briefed her on the many restaurants and other "public" activities they could now partake in. He fiddled briefly with the lock on the door, before walking in and throwing down his bag.

"There's this one bar downtown—" he began to say before Natalia pushed him against the front door and pressed her lips to his.

"Hello minx," Thomas said breathlessly after Natalia pulled away to remove her shoes.

"It's the only way I know how to get you to shut up," she said in a low voice, turning around and swaying her hips as she walked away.

Thomas quickly grabbed her hips, turned her around, and pulled her close, one of his hands cupping the side of her face.

"Shut me up anytime," he said quietly reconnecting their lips in the foyer, sending shivers down Natalia's spine, and she ran her hands down his chest and to his waistband.

Nataliasmiled at him devilishly before making a beeline for his bedroom, but notbefore stopping in the doorway to carefully remove her medic's polo and bra inthe doorway, with her back still towards Thomas (earning a few selective Germancurse words in the process).