𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐝'𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐨⠀ ... .ᐟ⠀

"That I am," he laughed, raising an eyebrow at him with a playful look in his eyes. "Cute, huh? You think so? You should look at yourself, Angel..."
            
            
            // they're my everything <333

   "yeah,  well,  you're a ridiculous romantic."  tom scoffed lightheartedly,  the look in his eyes amused and endeared.  "cute,  but ridiculous." 
            
            /   @-NEVERALONE    <3333 love them 

"I see," he narrowed his eyes at the other, as if to emphasize how much he didn't believe him. "Indeed — although those facts I tend to *try* and ignore in favour of the romantic scenes. It's kinda sweet."
            
            
            // ofccc, tysmm as well <333

"Exactly," he would agree, picking his bottle of beer back from the coffee table, raising it towards Tom in a playful motion. "A drink to that," to all the stupid scenarios, because they were entertaining! It was upsetting to acknowledge it, yes, how their very profession brought them close at the same time it forced them 'apart' — at the same time, he would always dismiss the feeling as it came to him, because what mattered the most to him is the fact that both of them were doing what they were passionate about. And he wouldn't have wanted it to be any different in detriment of their happiness. "And why the heck would I want to write about anything or anyone else but you? You're the one and only reason to write songs about. You know, like Robert Smith! Plenty of songs for and about his wife. That's exactly how it would be!"

   "there would have to be a suspicious paparazzi shot of us leaving a restaurant together or something."  he was willing to pretend that he wasn't a little bit upset that it would've been so much less of an issue if they were in a different profession.  because neither one of them would've ever gone into anything other than football,  so it was useless thinking up all those stupid scenarios.  "that's nice.  no doubt all your songs would be about how badass and impressive i am."  
            
            /   @-NEVERALONE 

Naturally, Jon would always find reasons to admire his partner: his eyes, the lines and curves of his face, those kissable lips, that fluffy hair of his... the man was like a damn painting! A legit piece of art... but to look at him, especially the way he was looking back at him now — goodness, Thomas D'Angelo's gonna be the death of him, he's sure of it! If he couldn't resist it and give him yet another short kiss, it did only emphasize how much of a loser he was when it comes to anything about Tom. "Imagine that. You and I on the cover of a scandal magazine... if only we were, like — musicians or something, I really wouldn't have cared less," he laughed, continuing that thought: "You would give people the impression that you were a pop singer, but surprise everyone when they found out you were part of a punk rock band. I, on the other hand, would look like a punk rock singer... when, in fact, I would write songs about love. That does seem very in character for us!"

He only did stop laughing when Tom pulled him closer for a kiss. It made him melt, completely — taking a deep breath when they parted and sighing out as if living a daydream. "I love you too, my Angel. Very much so."

   "oh,  that is  *not*  what i meant.  you're an idiot."  he pulled him closer and pressed a reassuring kiss to his lips that lingered for a few moments.  "you're lucky i love you anyway,  sweetheart."  
            
            /   @-NEVERALONE 

"Yer do?!" he blinked a couple of times in disbelief, before a playful smile spread across his lips. "Is right. Of course — self-love is very important. I get that," he joked around, trying to keep his composure, although *that* wink made things *very* difficult to him.

For the moment Tom was speaking, all the keeper has done was listening — very *closely*. What he was saying was more than valid, and there was nothing wrong with working on their mistakes and seeking improvement. All that was needed was a healthy balance, though. "And you'll give them," he nodded with confidence. "Just be patient with yourself." he brought up their connected hands, just so he could kiss Tom's knuckles — reassuring him: "You won't be. That version of you is in the past. You've learnt, you've grown, your skills sharpened and you gained far more experience — you are no longer that version of you, as much as you're no longer that kid who had just recently joined United's academy." he punctuated his sentence by locking his eyes with the midfielder's, offering him with sincerity: "I'm here for you. And to assist you. If you'd like... whenever you catch up on something you need to work on — count on me. We can train together, you can try new things with me... anything."

   he rubbed his face with his hands as jon spoke,  almost wishing he could just snap himself out of it.  endless worrying was draining him,  leaving him feeling half asleep whenever he wasn't playing football.  everything revolved around that,  and yet he  *still*  wasn't perfect.  how did  that  work?!  so many of his thoughts were taken up by football and it didn't seem to make any difference at all.  to tom,  that didn't feel  fair.  "i know.  i just also know there's more i can do.  there's more i can give."  defeat stung like a bitch against any team—  sure,  a rival was way worse,  and other big teams hurt too,  but none of them ever felt like they lacked significance.  "but...  i get that i'm only human.  and this is normal.  it's fine.  i just don't want to be how i was a few years ago,  y'know?  so i just wanna catch every mistake i make and fight it before it snowballs into more than that."  
            
            /   @-NEVERALONE 

"But y'know, it's a team. They all gotta do their part as well. You can't solve all the problems, it's impossible. We gotta focus on ourselves and what we can do — without overworking, that won't help us nor our teams. Exhaustion leads to injuries, more often than not," he paused then, flashing him a small, but hopefully, encouraging smile. "No team loses for one player's mistakes. Just like it doesn't win if there's just one player doing everything right. When the team wins, don't we say '*we* won'? A defeat should be a '*we* lost' too. Always. I won't tell you not to worry and hope you'll stop worrying indeed, because that's not how it works. I just want you to remember... everyone's responsible. For the good and the bad results." 
            
            (2/2)

   "absolutely."  he agreed,  perhaps with far too much eagerness,  but he wasn't really that ashamed.  how could he be?!  he was,  in fact,  shameless about it.  "i'll hold you to that.  now i can't help but look forward to that."  
            
            /   @-NEVERALONE 

He would glance at him upon hearing the matching tone of his voice — a shame he couldn't get lost in his thoughts whilst admiring his boyfriend's handsomeness... he had to drive! — that small, loving smile of his changing into a teasing grin: "A lot better, innit?" he shook his head then, biting down his bottom lip to try and hold back a chuckle. "Not now, though. It's very cold outside! When we're back home... I could help you out of it, and all." he added, innocently batting his eyelashes to him.

   jon had that gorgeous look in his eyes that tom couldn't look away from—  and,  luckily,  he wasn't driving so he didn't have to.  "i know."  he responded,  a similar tone in his own voice for that moment before they picked up their teasing again.  "maybe i could go without the jacket.  i'd almost prefer it."  
            
            /   @-NEVERALONE 

"Of course," he reassured him, nodding his head slowly but surely. "I don't know what people listen to nowadays, though," he chuckled, thinking of all the vinyl records and tapes in his possession, all from the past decades — most of them collected by his uncle, yes, but now in a shelf at his garage for safe keeping, played whenever he was there fixing the car or working in something. "Maybe I'll need your help catching up —" he smiled then at the tease, apologetically at first, it's true, before it became a much sweeter and intimate smile. "Absolutely. Deal."

  "would you?"  he questioned,  just to be sure,  seeming so much more honest and true when it was just the two of them.  instead of hiding behind stupid banter and a fake confidence,  with jon he could get rid of all that.  sometimes it felt weird to feel so comfortable,  but he never really doubted its worth.  "i'd like to hear you play more.  maybe just at a normal time,  though."  a smile appeared on his face for a moment,  mirroring the one on his boyfriend's face at that moment,  as his thumb traced jon's jawline idly.  
            
            /   @-NEVERALONE 

He could understand his decision and even better *why* he made such a decision. Jon knew that his father had passed away, and how close they were, but he didn't know when it sadly happened, nor that it was directly connected with the period he had mentioned to him, when he was struggling with his form and lost his place in the English squad. But had he known how everything was related, he would be even firmer on his opinion and supportive of Tom's choice. For he had the right to *choose*. Nothing wrong with wanting a little bit of control over what gets told in the media or not, considering how their lives were simply *exposed* with little to no regard about how that affects them. Jon brushed his fingers over Tom's ribs, gently, offering him a small smile. "Just yet another reason to play something nicer for you."

   "aw."  there was no roll of his eyes after the flirty comment,  mainly because the way he said it was sweet enough that he couldn't find it within himself to protest.  he was absolutely in love and it almost made it look silly,  watching jon draw away with a reflected look.  he did,  however,  shake his head at the comment about his voice,  but he supposed the keeper was always going to be entirely biased about that kind of thing.  he was happy with the knowledge that between them,  jon was the one that did better with the musical stuff.  "if you insist.  i suppose."  tom used their connected hands to tug jon back,  only being gentle for the sake of not forcing him into balancing himself with his other hand.  
            
            /   @-NEVERALONE 

"Sshh," he played with the midfielder in return, trying to hide a smile. "My priorities lie with everything that involves you, sweetheart," he added in a flirty tone — of course, not forgetting to wink, it was his signature move, after all! —, as he pushed the bedroom's door open with his shoulder and proceeded to place Tom down on the bed carefully. The keeper hovered over him to press a kiss to his forehead, withdrawing just enough to meet his eyes with a look of adoration in his own. "I doubt that — your voice is beautiful," he commented genuinely, finally moving to sit on the edge of the bed, but keeping a hand (his good one) linked with his. "You *are* a prince, my Angel. Trust me."

  "it's nice to see where your priorities lie."  he teased,  poking fun at the fact that his main ask for any sort of marriage would be to get to carry him at some point.  tom supposed that was quite sweet,  though,  so you wouldn't catch him complaining at all.  he knew exactly who he'd fallen in love with,  and never once did he regret it.  "i think i'd kill a bird with my voice,  actually,  but you asked for it,"  the midfielder grinned.  "a crown?  that's nice.  i'm no prince,  so it feels a little silly,  but i'll take it." 
            
            /   @-NEVERALONE 

   "i know."  he responded,  confident enough that he was very aware that jon wouldn't ever mind if he  *did*  speak about those silly worries.  still,  though,  tom doubted they were even worthy of saying out loud,  and was more than happy to feel comfortable under the touch he was given.  the reminder was reassuring and the midfielder leaned into it,  giving a steady nod of his head as if to say he could see the sincerity in jon's eyes and he would hold onto that.  "yeah,  well,  i noticed.  it's not fair."  
            
            /   @-neveralone 

"No way, I didn't even notice," he joked, sending him a bright smile while watching him laugh. Nothing looked nor sounded more beautiful than that. Upon realizing he wasn't going to be talking about it, though, which he totally understood and respected, but... he felt like he had to tell him something before they just moved on from the topic indeed, if that's what he wished — he moved closer to him, then, just a hand propping himself up as he hovered over him, using his free hand to cup his face: "You know... if there's anything worrying or troubling you... you can always talk to me, right? I'm here for you. For everything and anything you need," he told him, looking him deep in the eyes to convey his sincerity — before chuckling at Tom's next words, accepting his help to stand up. "Sorry, gorgeous. I can't resist it sometimes."

   "nah,  i'm just—  just thinking.  about stuff."  he realised it wasn't that eloquent at all and he exhaled with a laugh at the knowledge of that.  the midfielder brushed it off,  not wanting to bring the mood down with his worries that he was fully aware were futile and short-lived.  "it's not funny when you tease me,  jonathan."  he pretended to be heavily offended at the concept,  standing up and extending his hands for jon to take them and join him.  "not in the slightest."  
            
            /   @-neveralone 

  for tom,  he was already warmed up before even entering the building.  the nickname made his knees weak and jon's smile made his face warm appreciatively.  he felt like he was floating!  love was a powerful thing,  and tom would totally be more profound than that if he could find the words.   "that's okay."  he answered with a sweet tone,  gesturing for them to leave again with their cups in their hands.  he was very aware of the look the keeper was sending him,  but shook his head to openly dismiss it.  "c'mon,  i still need to show you off."  
            
            /   @-neveralone 

"Says you," he commented with a quirk of an eyebrow, when his boyfriend opened the door for him and gestured for him to go in first. Jon did so with a small smile on his face, sending a wink his way. "Thank you, my angel," it was far more comfortable inside, for sure. A huge contrast to the cold weather out there. The hot chocolate (and the hot company — respectfully, of course, the opportunity to play with the words was too good to pass on) would only make it better. Jon accepted the cup with another "Thanks," sending a playful look his way that made it clear he noticed what the other did there, but making no comments about it. He could repay him in the next chance he got.

   tom,  predictably,  rolled his eyes as his boyfriend pretended to be fatally wounded,  angling his head downwards to press a kiss to the same spot of his arm.  "what a gentleman."  he mused,  leaning into his touch.  once they'd gotten to the petrol station,  he held the door open and let jon go in first,  before following behind him and heading to one of those awful drink machines from the corner of the shop.  he got their drinks  (  paying for it before the goalkeeper had a chance to pipe up about it  )  and handed the drink over with a grin.  
            
            /   @-neveralone 

He was surprised at his own restraint himself — it was hard to resist it when the embodiment of the word 'irresistible' was lying there, right beside him. Jon brushed his thumb carefully over the midfielder's cheekbone, studying those stunning eyes of his now that he had an opportunity to do so from this close. Little magnets retaining his attention, he couldn't look away from them even if he had tried to — but of course, he didn't even dare trying to, he didn't want to miss a single detail of the way the stars shone in them.
            
            The keeper listened attentively, to everything he had to say to him. Yes, he understood his point, of course he did. But he didn't want Tom to think he took him and their relationship for granted, that he didn't feel grateful everyday for what they had — for having Tom in his life. Maybe, he would just have to get creative in ways of showing that gratitude! Even if told him he didn't have to. But they were stubborn like that, right? They always told each other they didn't need to be thanked, but they did it anyways for the other, so...
            He focused on that tone of promise and smiled slightly up to him, nodding his head as if he was making him the same promise in return — moving his hand up to his hair to play with it, he leaned closer and gave a soft peck to his lips. While, yes, trying but not succeeding to hide how emotional he still was due their sincere and loving moment.

   he was surprised at the fact that jon had showed enough restraint to wait until that moment,  and was happy to use the hand on his jaw to pull him in and keep him for a moment.  in that split second before they kissed,  where they darted their focus from eyes to lips and back again,  slowly drawing closer and closer,  tom liked to imagine that anyone watching would've had the smarts to look away then.  besides,  it was greedy to use the whole  *sky*  to look after them.  why not,  like,  a bird?  his mum also subscribed to the idea that every robin they saw was dad,  too,  checking in occasionally by sitting in the tree in front of the family home.  it was sweet.  
            
              "stop thanking me.  i accepted it the first time,  but you don't have to.  in fact,  you  *shouldn't*.  i'm—  seriously,  gorgeous,  i love you more than anything.  you don't have to thank me for letting you in when i'm this obsessed with you-  i wouldn't have wanted this any other way.  i want to spend as long with you and share as much with you as you'll let me."  tom spoke as though he was making a promise and,  in fact,  he took jon's hand and kissed the ring on his finger.  he was swearing to stick by everything he said,  he meant every word to the highest degree,  and if it was his first time experiencing a love this tantalising,  then he tried his hardest not to show it.  
            
            /  @-neveralone 

He didn't know when it happened, the moment when he teared up. If it was when he spoke of that 'inevitability' — Tom's unwavering faith in him always made him a tad emotional. But, how could it be any different? When the person who means the world to you looks at you like you meant the very same to them? When they support you even when you fail, when they believe in you even when you don't believe in yourself? — or if it was when he kissed him, a reminder that he was loved and that he wasn't alone? That they understood each other in so many levels, from what they did for a living, with all the pain and joy that came with it, to a deeper and personal level, such as their losses, men who raised them and had a huge impact on who they are today? Jon just knew that he had teared up. And after feeling the soft touch of his boyfriend's lips, when he met his eyes and smiled to him, he couldn't really hide that fact. Nor tried to. Tom's eyes were teary up too, it seemed. And in that moment, all he could do was to kiss him in return — under the stars themselves, for he truly couldn't have waited till they had a roof over their heads. Sorry, ancestors!
            "Thank you," he said, when they were forced to separate. His free hand cupping Tom's cheek, as he looked right deep into his eyes. "For your kind words. And for telling me what your mom told you about the stars. I'm sure your dad is watching over you, and is very proud of you," he paused, pressing a kiss to his forehead, now — giving his hand a light squeeze, before meeting his gaze again. "Thanks for having me... as your boyfriend. Thanks for allowing me to be part of your life, for letting me get to know you, for being with you. It's an honour. And a privilege. I love you... *so much*."