Cause and Effect

Twenty six

A/N: shout out to ya boys Auba and Laca, who I had to leave out of this story to make room for Nia and Neymar in the team lol. They'll get their own story once I've finished this one!

"Hey," I said, turning to look at Neymar. "Don't freak out. I'm not mad."

"What did he tell you?" He asked, still looking worried.

So I explained every detail to him, all of what Cris had said, and he allowed me to talk on without interruption.

"I just want to hear your side," I said. "Honestly, you know? You know I won't judge you for your past."

Neymar sighed, and gazed up at the sky, which was completely clouded over, no surprise from the London weather there.

"It's true," he said, finally returning his hazel eyes to mine. "At least, as far as what actually happened, his girlfriend broke up with him because she wanted to be with me. But Cris doesn't know everything. She truly wasn't a nice girl, not that I realised it until we went on that one date, of course. She told me quite early on that she was into me, but I wasn't and told her I was happy just being friends. If Cris perceived it as flirting, that was all her. But you have to remember, I already disliked him for how ruthless he was towards me on the pitch, so it tickled me a bit to see his girlfriend flirting with me, you know? After the breakup happened, I agreed to go on a date with her - I'd been single for a while and she seemed like a sweet girl, so I figured I might as well try, and see what came of it. But some of the things she said, and the way she acted with the wait staff in the restaurant we went to... it kinda opened my eyes to how she really was, everything I'd seen of her... well it was an act, she was completely fake. I guess Cris was blinded by his feelings for her, I don't know, but she was with him for his money, and after getting bored of him, was simply moving on to me. I highly doubt she knows how to feel any emotions apart from lust and greed."

If I'd been shocked hearing Cris's side of the story, I was even more so now.

"And Cris doesn't know this, I guess?" I asked him.

"No," Neymar shook his head. "I had no reason to tell him. He thought the world of her, and I know I hated him, but I didn't want to break his heart even further."

"Wow," I breathed. "Okay. That explains a lot."

Neymar was looking at me with so much affection in his gaze, and suddenly he pulled me into a hug, wrapping his arms around me tightly. I gladly accepted him, falling into his embrace like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Thank you for trusting me," he said softly. "You have the most beautiful heart in the world."

I felt my cheeks heating up, and was grateful for the covering of darkness so that he couldn't see, and tease me about it.

"Ney, how could I not trust you?" I said. "You're one of the best friends I've ever had, I'm not gonna reject your judgement in favour of someone I barely know."

Neymar smiled a little, but shifted his gaze away from me.

"I hate it when you friend zone me," he murmured, with a small sigh that was almost inaudible. "Will it always be like this?"

We were silent for a few moments, and I reached up to touch his face, wanting to comfort him in some way. Because I was starting to believe that maybe, sometime soon, I'd be ready for that too.

"I know this isn't what you want to hear, but I'm still scared of what I'm feeling. It's just consuming everything that I am, and I don't want to loose myself. That's why I need time."

I could feel tears gathering in my eyes, but I continued to hold his gaze, wanting to show him I was genuine.

"It's okay not to be ready," he replied, smoothing my waist with his thumbs, where his hands rested. "It's just part of who you are, you know? If you need to understand every emotion before you'll allow yourself to feel it, then so be it. I know I'm acting impatient, but in my heart, I want you to be sure of this, because I love you for being you, Nia, not for who I think you should become."