Take a chance (S.M. soccer player AU)

03. Goodbye

Shawn didn't stop bringing Leila flowers every chance he got, even if she did roll her eyes at him each time he showed up with them in hand.

However, with every bouquet, Shawn had planted a single yellow rose bearing a cute note for her to find. It had become a habit of his, not knowing if she even noticed them as she never once made a comment about it. He hoped she had seen them, maybe even elicited a smile every now and then.

Sometimes he wrote her lyrics of music he worked on in secret, other times there were compliments or just pick up lines. Each was special in its own way and Shawn was happy with his little idea. Maybe it wasn't a big romantic gesture, but it was something a lot less usual and more from his heart.

On the other side of things, Leila had become a girl who jumps out of bed with excitement in the mornings, even though she never considered herself to be a morning person.

She grew to expect the flowers from Shawn and actually craved to see his timid smile and yellow batches of sunflowers in his hand. She didn't know if he knew, but she noticed every rose he had hidden inside, read every message he left behind.

Her heart thumped louder and her mind overflown with serotonin as she read each note, hiding them in her wallet. She kept them safe, reading them before bed every night to help her sleep better and to quiet her mind.

„Any girl like you deserves a gentleman."

„I wanna tell you how beautiful you are from where I'm standing."

„Darling, don't you know that I'm the only one for ya? One day you'll see. One day."

„Without your kisses, I'll be needing stitches."

„Please have mercy on me, take it easy on my heart."

„Are you a magician? Because whenever I look at you, everyone else disappears!"

„They say Disneyland is the happiest place on earth. Well apparently, no one has ever been standing next to you."

These notes were all she held on to, but kept to herself. It was incredibly sweet of him to do these and not berate her about what she thought of them. In fact, she even searched them online and failed to find any of these mentioned which meant he must have written them himself. His dedication surely made an impact and for once, she found holes in the walls she built around her heart. Those defences were meant to stop wicked men from entering, but Shawn was turning out to be anything but.

Neither knew what to say or do once the practices came to an end. A month in and the last practice for the time being closed in and after that, Shawn was meant to leave the country and play for his football team; Real Madrid. He'd be far from her for months on end and it hurt them both in different ways.

Shawn was unsure how he'd make it without being close to the girl he had already been thinking about forever with, treasuring each and every moment they spent together.

Leila struggled with the thought of having no one chase after her and make her heart beat faster, stomach twist in knots and knees go week just by one look in her eyes. It was ridiculous how fast he grew on her, but like every flower he brought her, whatever they seemed to have had to wither and die.

Leaving was killing Shawn's soul just as sure as a dagger can stop a beating heart. He feared once he was gone and out of sight, all the progress he made with her would be diminished and gone. In all honesty, he was scared she'd meet someone new and fall in love, leaving him in the dust. Even though she never spoke of love or any kind of feelings she may or may not feel for Shawn, he was certain he made a dent in her armour. He knew she was starting to soften and just when he might have gotten a chance, he had to leave and say goodbye for the next few months.