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

07. When a heart skips a beat

"That was one hell of a kiss." A raspy voice startled her awake, causing her to lift her head from the bed and steer her gaze towards the boy she spent the night next to. She was afraid to leave him, even for a moment. It wasn't a fear of him dying for she knew better, rather of him waking up alone. She was scared of loneliness and didn't want that for him as she cared deeply for the man. Leila wasn't even certain if she was glad he remembered the kiss or not, but she needed him and she wasn't afraid to admit it anymore.

"You're awake." She stated, jumping to her feet promptly, her hands grabbing his face. Placing her fingers on his chin, she moved his face left and right several times, watching every inch of his skin intently, terrified to spot any imperfections even though she had done the same a couple of times throughout the night.

"Of course I'm awake. I couldn't exactly walk toward the light after that kiss. It just wasn't an option." He teased, a cheeky smile on his lips causing her face to turn a light shade of pink. Even so, without hesitation, her hands moved to his cheeks, cupping his face, while her lips found their way to his. The kiss was sweet, but short-lived as it got interrupted by a beeping sound of the machine monitoring Shawn's heart.

"Treacherous machine." Shawn exclaimed dramatically while the fast change in his heart rate had caused her to giggle, the sound filling the room and warming Shawn's insides. He watched the corners of her eyes crinkle and her lips part as her mouth opened. She began to laugh, full blown, body shaking, tears streaming down her face laugh. Shawn was starstruck, watching her unfiltered, completely natural behaviour take over and all he could do is admire her in all her glory.

"Stop staring, it's creepy." She complained, wiping away the tears that spilled.

"I'm not staring, I'm gazing. It's romantic, not creepy. I almost died and I'll be dammed if I deny myself watching all the beautiful things in this world and you, my Sunflower, are the most enchanting of them all." Shawn sassed, throwing in a compelling compliment on the side as her smile fell.

"Shawn...you did die. Your heart stopped beating and I swear I thought I'd follow suit. If I wasn't so focused on restarting your heart, I would have followed you into the dark." She admitted honestly and Shawn had felt a sinking feeling deep in his gut. He hated knowing she was in anguish because of him, his hand taking hers and tightly wrapped itself around to provide her comfort.

"I'd never leave you. Ever. I love you, my darling Sunflower. More than anything." Shawn confessed as he watched her eyes water.

"I love you too. So, so much." She didn't waste time in pressing her lips against his, once again only getting a taste before a loud beep caused them to separate. She chuckled against his lips, relishing in the feeling of his nose brushing up against hers, knowing she made his heart go haywire.

"If we keep this up, you'll be admitted for an arrhythmia." She whispered, feeling his lips stretch in a wide grin under her fingertips.

"I'll just tell them you did this to me." Shawn brushed away a loose strand of hair from her cheek, kissing the tip of her nose gingerly.

"I'll claim you as my victim." Her eyes flickered to the monitor, smiling when she saw just how high his heart rate was.

"On another hand, I don't want to actually kill you, so slowing down would be a good idea." She pulled back, watching his face scrunch up at the loss of contact.

"I'd choose that death any day. As long as you're by my side." Shawn nuzzled his face in her palm, kissing it lightly to show how serious he was.

"First we need to get you out of here. We can do whatever once that happens." Leila winked, watching his heart literally skip a beat on the monitor, smiling smugly at the discovery. People often say their heart skipped a beat, but that's simply untrue. It's not as often as everyone believes and for the occurrence to be filmed in a healthy individual?

Extremely rare.

"You know we lost?" She told him, watching him purse his lips and an annoyed expression takes over his handsome face.

"Figured. But I got the girl in the end."

"Men. Not quite like the World cup." She bit her lip, aware of his unwavering gaze on her face, monitoring her reaction carefully.

"Do I not have the girl?" He panicked, sitting up immediately.

"You got the girl." She set her hand over his chest, pushing him back into the bed, feeling an electrode underneath her fingertips.

"I got the girl." Shawn whispered to himself, finally happy things worked out.

4 years later

"Hurry up or we won't be able to surprise daddy." Leila beckoned her two year old to take her hand and move to the stage. She had a plan set in motion, one that would have long term consequences regarding her relationship with Shawn.

Ever since Russia, they were inseparable. Shawn played for Real Madrid a couple more years, until his daughter was born. At this point he had a chance to sing the music he worked on since he was a teenager, changing his life completely.

He was afraid Leila would see him differently, after all she fell for him when he played soccer, but she wrecked his fears with her undying support. She held his hand throughout the years, never once faltering even when he did. She was his rock, a safe Harbor to hide from storms and his biggest fan. Well, one could argue that it was actually Josie, his daughter.

She came as a pleasant surprise to the young couple, but one they cherished most.

However, tonight, Leila had something in mind. It was the last performance of his first tour and a perfect opportunity to do something she always wanted. Well, Shawn arguably wanted it more but life got in the way so far. With a little help from Andrew, she found herself by the main stage, Josie standing before her.

Leila handed her a paper, watching her daughter's face light up at the sight of her father after many months of being away.

Josie ran out on the stage, the crowd noticing her before Shawn did. She ran to him so fast, clinging to his leg like a baby panda, making him scream into the microphone at the unexpected guest. He looked down, chuckling when he saw his daughter giggling.

"Hey there princess. How did you get here? Where's mummy?" Shawn questioned, grabbing her tightly, holding her close to his chest while the crowd cheered. Little Josie didn't even turn to the crowd, watching her father closely, handing him the paper inside her tiny hands. Shawn kissed her hand, causing the girl to giggle more while he unwrapped it.

'Marry me?' was written on the paper next to a paper showing the exact moment his heart skipped a beat.

Shawn was shaking, his knees a little weak as his eyes searched for Leila in the backstage. He didn't have to look far as she was already getting on stage with a wide smile. She noticed him tearing up, her own eyes following his lead as they stared at each other like no one was watching; just the two of them alone in the world as time stood still.

"Is that a yes, Mendes?" She asked, her voice cracking.

Shawn nodded, but his dry throat and pure bliss rendered him speechless for a moment.

In that moment they got what they both wanted, having their own family and living out their dreams side by side. Shawn might have lost his game, but he won her heart and there was never a day where he didn't feel like the luckiest man in the world.