⚽
It all started with a football ball hitting you straight in the face.
Not the most glamorous way to meet Toni Fernández, the star striker of your school’s football team.
You were just walking across the field, earphones in, minding your own business, when—BAM!
The world went black for a second, and the next thing you knew, someone was crouching beside you, his messy curls bouncing as he waved his hand in front of your face.
“Hey—hey, you okay? I didn’t mean to hit you! I swear I was aiming for the goal, not your face.”
You blinked. And there he was.
Toni Fernández.
The boy half the girls in your class had crushes on.
The same boy you swore you’d never fall for because ugh, football boys are so full of themselves.
Except… he didn’t look cocky at all.
He looked… worried. Genuinely worried.
“I’m fine,” you muttered, though your nose was stinging.
“Just… my pride is broken.”
That made him laugh—loud, contagious, the kind of laugh that made your cheeks warm even more than the embarrassment.
⚽⚽
The next day, he surprised you.
Instead of ignoring you like most popular kids would, Toni walked straight up to your classroom, leaned on your desk like it was the most natural thing, and whispered:
“So… do I owe you an ice cream for attempted murder yesterday?”
The whole class turned to stare.
Your best friend gave you the look, the one that screamed oh my gosh he’s talking to you.
You rolled your eyes.
“One ice cream won’t fix my face.”
“Okay, then. Two.”
That was the beginning.
⚽⚽⚽
From that day on, Toni became an unexpected constant. He’d show up at your locker with random snacks, jog alongside you in PE even though he usually led the pack, and somehow, he started walking you home “because practice ends the same time as your class.” (Which you later realized was a total lie.. he stayed after just to wait for you.)
The banter never stopped.
“Wow, you’re actually studying? Didn’t know footballers could read.”
“Ha-ha. Very funny. Says the girl who thought a corner kick was just… kicking into a corner.”
Sometimes, though, the teasing softened. Like when he lent you his jacket on a chilly afternoon. Or when he defended you against some annoying classmates who made fun of your presentation. Or when you caught him staring at you in the cafeteria, only for him to look away, ears turning red.
⚽⚽⚽⚽
The school fair sealed it.
You were manning your booth when Toni appeared, holding a tiny stuffed bear he clearly won from the shooting game stalls. He shoved it at you with a scowl.
“Here.”
“What’s this for?”
“You like bears, right?”
“How do you know that?”
“…Because I pay attention.”
You laughed, but your heart did this annoying little flip.
Before you could say anything, your friends pushed you toward the school’s photo booth.
“Go! Take a picture together!”
And that’s how you ended up squeezed inside the small curtain, Toni awkwardly holding the bear between you. The camera clicked, and in one of the shots, just as you were laughing, he looked at you—soft, shy, almost like he couldn’t believe you were real.
⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽
Later that night, scrolling through the photobooth strips, you noticed something.
In three of them, you were laughing like an idiot. But in all of them, Toni wasn’t looking at the camera.
He was looking at you.
And maybe—just maybe—you realized you were starting to look at him the same way too.
YOU ARE READING
Echoes of Glory: FC Barcelona Imagine
Fanfiction✨ To feed your imagination. ✨ Welcome to the world where passion meets the pitch, where dreams are crafted with every touch of the ball, and where the ECHOES OF GLORY resonate through the heart of Catalonia. This is a place where the spirit of FC B...
