We are Real Madrid

Red cards and other dramas

After Iker's confession I tried to stay away from him, Sergio and Cristiano. I just couldn't believe that they still treated me like a little girl. I was that withdrawn that even Jesé, Isco and James started worrying. Now even the three of them started to spent every free second at my side. That meant that since Jesé started training again with the team and Luka got injured, they let Luka help me out in my office. As if Fiona Iker's spy aka my assistant wasn't enough.

However I started to appreciate the company of the silent Croatian. He seemed to live in his own universe which included football, Real Madrid his family and Gareth Bale. He didn't talk much but was always there when needed. Fiona didn't like the footballer around us. She found him suspicious.

He didn't really do some helpful stuff most of the time and she found it weird that he always just stares out of the window and watch his teammates while they had training or drew things silently in his corner of the office. He never showed us one of his drawings but I secretly stole one of his sheets without him even noticing.

The picture showed Gareth, James and Cristiano hugging after one of Cristiano's wonderful goals of whose he scored quite a lot lately. The drawing was marvellous and ever since then I admired the quiet man for his skills to see situations within the second and could draw them neatly on a piece of paper.

I really intended to give him his masterwork back but I just couldn't, it was so amazing. So I decided to frame it and pin it at my fridge.

One evening James found it hanging there and asked me about it. "Wow, darling. Stop working for us, you are wasting your talent with us.
That picture is amazing" I looked at the handsome Colombian slightly confused "Are you fed up with me or do you just want to get me off your hands?" At this point Isco entered my kitchen in search for food (as always)

"Who wants to get rid of you, sweetie?" He asked slightly worried.

I pointed meaningfuly to James and the young midfielder held his hands up in defence. "No, I was just joking around. Just look at this picture, she has such a great talent in painting, see?" he showed the number 23 the sketch on my fridge. "Well, samba boy, it wasn't exactly me who drew it. It's your silent Croatian teammate who keeps such an amazing talent from you." I offered when Isco's jaw dropped at the sight of the painting.

"That's Lukita's work? Well he got James a bit too chubby but apart from that it's absolutely amazing" the Spaniard commented and continued to looking for some food in my kitchen cupboard. "Hey, I'm not chubby! It's you who should look out for his weight, Golden boy" James teased and I chuckled.

"Well, speaking of food, you won't find anything over there, Isco. It's in the other cupboard on your left side" I helped out and me and James vanished out of the kitchen, leaving Isco alone with his newly found package of crisps.

"What kept you so long in the kitchen, guys?" Jesé who was lying on my couch asked. I shoved him to the side and took place on one end of the sofa but the striker just laid his head in my lap.

James was making himself comfortable on my other side, picking up the play station controller while occasionally stroking my arm up and down which sent comfortable shivers down my spin. "James was admiring Modric's work on my fridge." I eventually informed the Spanish number 20, who would start playing games again next week against Cornella in the Copa del Rey competition.

"I always new that guy has some hidden talents" he stated unimpressed and was then focused again on the television. The boys loved to play FIFA in my flat because Cris gave me a huge television as a moving-out present. The three of them spent already more time at my place than they were at their own homes. That's mainly because Isco's girlfriend was back in Malaga after a huge fight. James wife visited her family and stayed in Colombia until Christmas and Jesé just had nothing better to do at home, so my apartement was their best option.

They even started to crash at mine over the nights. It first started with them just fslling asleep on my couch but after some days they just occupied my guestroom and my living room frequently and I didn't have the heart to throw them out. Although Cris offered me to do it himself on more than one occasion.

"Boys, don't you have a game against Malaga today?" I asked after Isco joined us again. The crisps jar already half empty. "Oh fuuu-" The gorgeous midfielder muttered with his mouth stuffed full with food, while starring at me and Jesé.

I carefully lifted Jesé's head off my lap and was standing up. "I'll drive you to the Bernabéu. I already indented to watch the game in the stands" I offered and shushed the footballers out of my flat.

We arrived just on time before the bus headed out of town, luckily they had all their stuff already at my place so we saved the time to stop by their houses. Iker was already waiting impatiently for our arrival. He didn't say a word though because Ancelotti scolded the boys as soon as we all took our seats in the coach. I sat right next to James who slept deeply while we drove.

Isco was just across the aisle next to Jesé and chatting with Iker and Sergio. I was tired myself and so I soon fell asleep, leaning my head against James shoulder, and the Spanish chatting of the other players in my ear.

We won the game. It was our fourteenth consecutive win. We never lost a game since two months and I doubt that the player even knew how it felt to lose a game anymore. However not everyone was happy after the match. Isco got a red card after he twice fouled an opponent pretty badly. He was sent off while the crowd chanting his name.

He appeared just ten minutes afterwards at my side in the stands. The game has already finished but I waited for him because I knew he now wanted someone to listen to him. However he remained surprisingly silent while Jesé shots dark glances in his directions. "hey... Isco it's fine we won and-" I tried to calm him but he interrupted me. "No, it's shit. I let the team down by forcing my luck with that action. Iker warned me not to become like Sergio. He said I was doomed to become like him, we are just so similar in so many ways" He whined.

"Stop pitying yourself. Even though you are very similar to Sergio, that's not a bad thing at all. He saved your team in the latest second in the Champions league final. He is a great player, passionate and sometimes a bit aggressive but overall lovely and caring. You should be proud to be compared to him." I scolded the young midfielder. I sensed a hand on my shoulder and as I turned I stood face to face with Sergio Ramos. "Thank you girl. I didn't know that you feel that way about me" He said and then he hugged me thight. After a second I felt another pair of arms around me and I heard a familiar voice whispering in my ear. "Thank you, love, I'm so lucky to have you by my side"