NUR DIE SGE

His Champion (Niko/Jürgen)

His champion

Niko can't help but want to stay away as much as possible, he doesn't like being linked to someone, especially since he doesn't know this person, and he has neither its name, address, or even any image to find it. It was a rotten plan to enter into relationships, neither of the couple could have the exact certainty that they would live happily without ever meeting their soulmate. He almost hates nature or any form of divinity for creating this human feature. But for now he's just the captain of Croatia and he better stop thinking of everything (and nothing) during training for the Euro, his last Euro. Niko should stop repeating it to himself, he would probably suffer less when he retired. Sometimes Robert laughs at him, telling him that at least he will be able to de-stress and no longer panic in the middle of the night before or after a match.

Yeah, it's better to calm down sometimes, to think of nothing, to enjoy moments of rest, to have fun with the youngest. But, surely it's a life for someone else, Niko can just think about what it means to be the captain, the role model for newcomers, what retirement means, no longer playing means staying alone before finding an occupation, what the stupid star-shaped mark to represent his soulmate can really mean. Being alone was good, but finding the one with whom he is linked seems as well, it surely means that they would be made for each other, that they would love each other at first sight, that their mark would match the other. At the moment this is not important, it may just be a dream invented by society, an utopia based in its youth. Niko may also be just a dreamer, a child in an adult body when it comes to love, an idealist quickly drowning in the hope of finally finding his soulmate.

But the only bond that bind him to his soulmate is that mark on their wrist, and the fact that they can feel part of the other's physical feelings and emotions. It's not huge to feel loved, Niko blames the nature of not having just put the name of the person he must learn to love on his wrist, but he doesn't fight unnecessarily, what is essential is to focus on Croatia, on Robert who counts on him, on the young people he must inspire.

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His legs are heavy, his hair falls on his eyes, tears fight not to run down his cheeks, his chest rises too quickly.

Jürgen can say it without even having him in front of him. The one with whom he is linked is in bad shape, suffering from deep sadness, horrible disappointment, the heavy weight of defeat on his shoulders. He doesn't like it, he doesn't know him but he has to keep his head above water, he doesn't intend to let him hurt himself any longer. Jürgen takes it upon himself to comfort his soulmate, doing his best to think of calm thoughts, warming up to make his champion understand that he is with him and that he isn't going to let him get depressed for very long. He doesn't try to get an answer in any form, the only fact of being able to help is fine, it is in his nature. Sometimes Jürgen has access to the dreams of his distant friend, he sees images of cups, the flag of Croatia, a neon yellow armband, he hasn't yet understood all of his captain's dreams, but he hopes every time that he wins his games. He lives almost more for the success of the other man than for the success of the teams he coaches. Jürgen isn't waiting for an answer, but he is happy when the tears disappear and he feels that his champion is held firmly by someone he trusts. It's good, that's what he deserves.

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Niko doesn't prevent a small smile from taking possession of his lips, and yet they are in the middle of the Pokal final against Bayern, it is not easy to find the strength to smile as much under tension, but he smiles when he feels his soulmate encourage him from a distance by a kind of telepathy that they have developed over the years, they still haven't given themselves the time to meet, to love each other, but there is a kind of friendship between them. He notices the look of Heynckes in his direction, surely surprised by his smile, Niko remains focused on the match, this is not the time to think about love, not when he plays his last game with Frankfurt.

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Jürgen surprises him, he even wonders how he didn't reveal anything by telepathy, but he is present in front of Niko, his soulmate who has just proved to the whole world what he can do. It doesn't take him a long time to take Niko in his arms, finally, after all these years of mutual comfort... He still thinks that it would have been much easier with their names marked on the wrist of the other, but right now the most important thing is to comfort his champion who doesn't hold back his tears, maybe because of the victory, maybe because of their meeting, he doesn't really know... Jürgen just makes sure to not let go of Niko, it is out of the question to wait a long time again, they are finally together, and he doesn't want to change that, whatever the obstacles, it was them, just them...

The End