Someone Like You | Toni Kroos

Chapter 25 - Home

Gabi's POV

I was completely exhausted when we reached our old street in Munich. We were back here for the winter holidays, even though I was worried that it would be a little weird if he was spotted here. But it didn't seem to bother him much. Knowing Toni, he must have had something up his sleeve.

Toni was being all fidgety and mysterious as we approached our old homes. It was midday, and although it was chilly, the sun was out. I stood outside Toni's place and gazed up at the windows, at the familiar windows I used to look at from the other side, and the familiar windows I would look out from.

I knelt down on the ground beside Johann and Mia's pram. "This is home," I whispered to them. "This is where mummy met daddy."

They just gazed back at me calmly, evidently not understanding a word I'd just said. Smiling, I leaned over to give them a kiss each and adjust their dainty little beanies, red for Mia and yellow for Johann. They even had matching mittens of the same colour, and they really liked to warm their own faces with them.

I checked my surroundings and saw that Toni was at the door, preparing to enter – thankfully, for I didn't want him to overhear me and think that I was still brooding over Munich. I still wished that we hadn't had to leave, but it didn't matter so much to me as long as Toni could do his thing. Besides, he knew that Munich would always be my home, and thus the twins' half-home.

"Ready?" he cocked his head to the side as he held on to the doorknob with one hand and carried the beagles' kennel with the other.

"Why should I be ready?" I asked him, suspicious of how secretive he was being.

"Ummm," he paused. "Because it might be cold and dusty...and...yeah."

I smirked at him, knowing there was something up his sleeve, but he just rolled his eyes at me and opened the door.

"SURPRISE!" a chorus of voices rang out, with Amelie and my parents leading right at the front. Literally everybody was there. Felix, Josef, Eva, Louise, and even Elisa and Bertha. And Toni's ex-teammates. His Bayern teammates. Manuel, Thomas, Bastian, Mario – everybody was there.

"Oh, my God," I whispered, my mouth open in horror and surprise and fascination all rolled into one. Even though I knew Toni was up to something, it never occurred to me that it would involve so many people.

Toni grinned at me proudly. "I hope you like it."

"Are we having a party?" I asked, and he nodded. "Oh, Toni!"

He laughed and leaned over to kiss the top of my head as the rest of the people looked on. And laughed, possibly at how shocked I was. "Close your mouth, baby," he mumbled into my ear.

I snapped my mouth shut and wheeled the babies into the living room as calmly as I could. As expected, everyone started crowding around them, cooing at them, pinching their cheeks, trying to make them talk, and grabbing their little chubby hands. Toni and I were left at the side, all the attention going to our twins.

"They were born to be famous," Toni beamed at the crowd lovingly as he held my hand.

"How did you do this?" I asked.

He turned his smile to me. "You like?"

"It's awesome!" I exclaimed.

"Your parents helped, and Amelie," he said. "I thought you'd like to see your favourite players again."

"But...isn't it weird? Will it be awkward?"

"Most of them are my Germany teammates, anyway," he shrugged. "And as long as you're happy."