Cause and Effect

Thirty two

A/N: shout out to one of my friends who helped me immensely with this chapter. In her honour, Riley (who'll you'll meet in this chapter) is loosely based on her. I believe if she met Ronaldo she would sass him too.

"Do we have to do this?" Sighed Cris dramatically, toeing his shoe through the sand.

"Of course we have to do this," Neymar responded, looking at him like he was sporting several more heads than usual. "You can't just say it and then back out."

"Anya said it actually, it wasn't my idea," Cris grumbled.

Anya, Leroy and I were following the two disputers along the beach at Brighton, watching this strange friendship that was finally growing between them. They still argued like cat and dog, but things were infinitely better than they had been. Strictly speaking, none of us had any time to be down at Brighton for the day, but City had just won the league, and although Neymar and I hadn't won anything yet, we deserved a break as well, thank you very much.

"I didn't think they'd take me seriously when I said we should find Cris a girl," Said Anya.

"Neymar will interpret whatever you say in the way that will give him the most benefit," I chuckled.

"It's so good to be on the beach though," Said Leroy, and I hummed in agreement, running my eye over the pleasantly warm sands, and the water which was somehow simultaneously crystal clear and the deepest of greens. It wasn't Spain, but it was still the beach, and after seeing nothing but football fields for who knows how long, I'd take it. The gentle ripples of the ocean were literally dancing in the sunlight, and although summer was still a good month away, it felt warm enough for it to be here already. Brighton gave off a vibe that tended to put me in holiday mode even in the middle of winter, and maybe that wasn't such a great thing just before the champions league final, but I was in too good of a mood to care.

"Football follows us everywhere we go," smiled Anya, raising the hand that wasn't holding Leroy's to point out the game that was in progress further up the beach.

"I fancy some beach football, you know," I said. "We should have brought our own ball."

"You are definitely not playing anything that could jeopardise your chances of playing in the final," Anya scolded me. "Your wrist is nowhere near 100% yet."

I sighed.

"True. Oh well."

"Hey, isn't that..." Leroy broke off, squinting at the group we'd spotted playing football earlier. "I don't know. Anya, why do I recognise them?"

"That's Ashley Young, isn't it?" She responded, squinting too. "Oh, he's seen Neymar and Cris, he's going to talk to them."

"We should catch up with them," I said.

The three of us jogged over to join them, and Ashley greeted us cheerfully.

"I heard you solved your mystery over those articles," he smiled at us. "I'm sorry it turned out to be a teammate. That had to have hurt."

"Yeah," I nodded, returning his smile nevertheless. "You'd think everyone would be on the same page as far as privacy goes. But I think as a team we're okay."

"More than okay, I'd say," he laughed. "Bet your gaffer didn't expect a champions league final in his first season in charge."

"I don't think anyone did," Said Neymar with a smile.

"What are you doing down here in Brighton anyway, Ash," Anya asked of her England internationals teammate.

"Holiday," he shrugged. "Catching up with my family. Can't escape the football though, it seems." He gestured to the game that was still in progress.