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He should have left ten minutes ago, but he’d been nervously tidying and putting things away, trying to make the house look as good as possible. He didn’t know why he was so nervous; okay, he did. He had been thinking of this day ever since he got the message: Flying to LA. I don’t suppose you could pick me up? If you don’t have training that is.
Of course he would! He was always happy to have people visit him. He loved his life here. It was exactly the adventure he’d needed to ease his way into semi-retirement, the only thing that could have been possible after Dortmund. But he missed his friends, having people around him.
Great. I’m flying from Warsaw. I’ll send you the flight details.
The reply had got his heart beating a bit faster. Who randomly flew from Poland to LA in April?
And then came the next message.
Can you recommend a hotel?
Maybe it was just an innocent question. Or maybe …
Of course. There are a couple the team uses for guests. Or … if you want … I have plenty of space …
He hadn’t realised he’d almost been holding his breath until the answer came and he breathed out heavily.
Perfect. Looking forward to it!
And that was how he found himself running around trying to make his house look as welcoming as possible, even though one of the downsides to life in California was the traffic and how long it could take to drive anywhere.
Luck must have been on his side today and he made to the airport in just over an hour, parked and in the terminal building just as the flight was coming in to land. Immigration always took an age, so he had even had time to get them some drinks.
The wait for Łukasz to come through the door from arrivals passed so slowly. And then he saw him, pulling his case behind him. Sunglasses. Tight black jeans. Crisp white t-shirt, looking fresh even after a long flight. Leather jacket slung over his shoulder. Fuck, he was still hot, incredibly hot.
He managed to stop himself from staring too much as Łukasz walked over to where he was standing waiting, scooping him into a tight hug. It felt good, better than hugging your friend should, but he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind.
“How was your flight?” It wasn’t the best conversation starter after so long without seeing each other, but it was the best his confused brain could come up with.
“Good. I could even sleep a bit on the plane. Even if the time difference takes a bit of getting used to.”
Okay, that gave him an idea. “We can go straight home if you need to rest. But if you’re up for it, we aren’t that far from the training centre. I could show you around. It’s a bit more relaxed than in Dortmund, so there’s no issues with getting you in. And then we could drive back along the coast.”
Łukasz smiled, the smile that tugged at the heartstrings of his memories. “I’d love that. I want to learn everything about your new life here. And of course I want to see the ocean as soon as possible!”
Once they were in the car and on the way to the training centre, the conversation easy and relaxed, just like in the old days when they had seen each other nearly every day, he trusted himself to sneak a proper look at Łukasz. He looked older – they all did now – but he still looked good, like really good. And his smile shone as bright as ever.
The drive to the training centre didn’t take that long and in a matter of minutes he had Łukasz checked in and was showing him round the facility. They got to see the training pitches and the gym, as well as the cafeteria and the treatment rooms. He was able to introduce Łukasz to several teammates and members of staff. He wasn’t sure what he was more proud of: showing Lukasz his new club or showing off his Łukasz to everybody.
The final stop was the locker room. He heard Łukasz sigh slightly as he looked around.
“Brings back memories, doesn’t it”.
Łukasz nodded, obviously lost in thought.
It was the same for almost all of them. They lived to play football, for the stadium, for the fans. But for many players the biggest challenge after retirement was missing the daily routine: playing, training and being with their teammates. He’d heard that so often. It was one of the many reasons he’d not been ready to retire yet. And even if he had his own fitness issues and things were going as badly as they could for the team, the past months had been more complicated for Łukasz.
He gestured for Łukasz to sit down in his spot, sitting on the floor himself.
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. But how bad was it?”
The sigh was much louder this time. “It was bad. Really bad. You know I never really wanted to be a coach, not in my own right, not at this level. But this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Back in Dortmund. With Nuri. Like a dream, really. It was never easy. But it was so bad at the end. I felt so helpless. Whatever I did, I couldn’t find a way to help, to change anything. Those last few days, knowing the end was coming, that there was no way to avoid it, were some of the worst of my career.”
He'd thought that would be the case, but hearing Łukasz saying it, hearing the pain in his voice, made it so much more real.
“I’m sorry. I can only imagine what it was like.” And that was true. He had been injured most of the season in which they’d faced relegation, but they had always been a team, never lost hope, always been supported by their fans. Without thinking about it, he reached up and stroked Łukasz’s hand. He was about to pull back when Łukasz closed his fingers round his, caressing his hand with a thumb. It only lasted a moment, but it felt incredibly intimate, almost like …
“Shall we go to the ocean?” Łukasz’ question broke his train of thought.
“Yes, I know exactly where to go!”
It was another comparatively short drive by American standards to the ocean and he couldn’t help but being pleased at Łukasz’ reaction, his long whistle and his “It’s like being in a movie!”
“Well, it is kind of a movie set! You had to see Long Beach. It is a bit quieter and more charming where I live, but here is something special.”
They still had a couple of hours before the sun set, so there was time to explore for a bit and get something to eat. It was fun showing everything to Lukasz, the things he himself had discovered just a few months ago when it was all fresh and exciting.
“Shall I drive to where we can park and go for a walk on the beach and see the sunset? Or is that too cheesy, even for LA?” He laughed, hiding his nervousness at the thought of a romantic walk on the beach with Lukasz.
“No, that is exactly what I dreamed of when I booked the flight.”
He hadn’t actually asked Łukasz why he was here. Had he really flown all this way just to see him!
It was a perfect evening, like a scene from a Hallmark movie. The evening was pleasantly warm, with only a slight ocean breeze. The sand crunched beneath their feet as they walked side by side until they found the perfect spot to sit and watch the sunset.
Łukasz was so effortlessly elegant even sitting on the beach. Somehow, even after a long day, he still looked fresh, even smelled good, his muscles visible under his t-shirt.
Łukasz must have guessed some of what he was thinking and said “You might have to help me get up again, though. The old hip is getting stiff. Not as young as I used to be.”
He punched Łukasz on the arm. “Always here for you, old man!”.
It was such a cliché, but the sun setting over the ocean bathed the sky in gorgeous hues of red and orange. This really was like being in a film, as if the world was standing still just for them.
This time it was Łukasz who stretched out a hand, entwining their fingers together in the sand. They had talked a lot during the day, so now there was just silence, just being together in the moment, even if one question remained both unspoken and unanswered.
They waited until the sun had finally sunk below the horizon, the sky dark but not yet black, the lights starting to twinkle in the twilight. And then he couldn’t wait any longer, he had to know.
“Łukasz, why are you here? Do you have plans? Or are you here to … well … to see me?”
The answer made his heart sink, dashing the hope he had been daring to start to feel.
“I’m tired after the long travel day. I need to shower and go to bed. Shall we go home?”
Okay, he shouldn’t have pushed it. But in a way he felt better knowing, even if that wasn’t the answer he’d hoped for. He started to stand up, but Łukasz held onto his hand, pulling him back down and even closer.
“Did you make up the guest room for me?”
“Yes, I did,” he answered, now confused. “I wanted you to have your own space.”
Łukasz looked at him intensely, their faces just inches from each other.
“Do you want me to use it?”
“If you want to.”
“And what if I don’t want to?” Łukasz’ blue eyes were almost hypnotic.
He chewed his lip as he considered how to answer.
"Well, I also put fresh linen on the bed in the master bedroom."
“Perfect. A long hot shower and a freshly made bed is exactly what I need right now.”
He must have still looked confused, so Łukasz leaned closer, kissing him softly on the forehead.
“Is that okay for you?”
He could only nod, his throat too dry to speak. Okay, it was more than okay, so much more than okay!