autograph | Richarlison / Neymar jr

13

"You dated neymar?"

She nodded,

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Was it that important?"

She was terrified of the problems this could have caused, specially knowing that they were teammates. Friends even.

"Yeah you're right it's not" Richarlison said, "I love the guy on the field and he scores drop dead gorgeous girls off the field, idolized for real." He laughed. Surprisingly he was taking it so much better than Gabriela expected, she was in shock but not in the bad way because that was gonna save her so many fights to save.

"Damn he was dumb to let you go"

_________________

"Lovebirds, I'm leaving" Alma said early morning waking up the two who had fallen asleep in the same bed last night. Richarlison woke up but remained in the bed while on his phone. He looked at Gabriela "waking her up is impossible, good luck" Alma left and richarlison stared at the girl who indeed was in a deep sleep.

He wrapped his arms around her and his face pressed to the crook of her neck, placing soft kisses and she hummed in satisfaction. "What's the time?"

"12 noon" richarlison replied. Gabriela threw herself off bed and accidentally fell off. "Are you okay?" Richarlison laughed before helping her up. "NOON?" She freaked. "No I was kidding it's 8am" She had the most gruesome murder a person like face on. Did he just wake the almost never waking Gabriela early in the morning.

"I hate you so much" she said flipping him off and going to change and get ready for the morning.

She had plans meeting Duda at a cafe so she wore a cute little dress and a few accessories to top it. Meeting her they greeted eachother taking a seat, "I'm sorry I was terrified I got late" she said tugging her hair behind the ear. "Why, were you up late last night?" Duda asked taking a sip of her coffee. "No rich and I were watching TikTok's, which I have to tell you about by the way, and yeah just drifted off to sleep"

"You and Richarlison?" Duda asked, "no not exactly" Gabriela said. "I don't know this sounds odd, apart from all the rumors of y'all dating back then, I always thought you and neymar would be the power couple" Duda confessed, "they weren't rumors" I told her the truth. The whole truth.

"I had a feeling y'all had history the way he kept staring at you"

"He was not staring at me"

"He so was"

"What we had is history, I loved him but I think I'm moving on now" Gabriela said, "maybe for you Gabriela but for him, maybe he still has hope for you two." Before she was given the time to reply Duda changed topic. "So richarlison?" Gabriela tried to hide a smile. "Uhhhhhh hm I don't... maybe?"

The two of them bonded more and realized they were missing out on amazing friendship.

The day the team had been waiting for, the day they were getting ready to show the world. Brazil vs Croatia it wasn't going to be an easy way out but they all had faith. The Quarterfinals game was long but the fact that neither teams had scored made it feel longer.

in the 105th minute the anticipating Brazilian crowd began the screams as neymar jr scored, Gabriella's screamed till her voice was gone hugging everyone around her. Neymar jr equaled Pele's record of most goals for Brazil and as neymar celebrated he pointed at the crowd and it felt like he pointed at specific people, not that many people other than those special people noticed.

Davi, Rafaella and Gabriela.

As soon as Gabriela felt it she looked at Duda remembering what she said, was it over for them or was she just pushing the thought away.
The game continued, Croatia immediately scored one and now it was all based on the penalties.

If nervousness, anticipation and love for the team could kill, the whole stadium would be dead right now. So far croatias pens were in but Brazil missed the first, Marquinhos deciding the possible winner took his turn to score and the moment the goal keeper jumped to the other side did everyone think they got it in but it didn't and with absolute guilt and pain Marquinhos fell on the ground as the Croatian team moved forward cheering on

Throughout the World Cup one team that brought so much energy and happiness to fans from any place were the Brazilians. Their players were loved everywhere. Neymar jr specifically announcing it being his last World Cup initially was absolutely smashed. The Croatians might've cheered on but the silence the Brazilians felt in their heart was aching and breaking them to pieces.

Every turn you take, every place you look there were red teary eyed fans. But what killed the fans even more was watching their idols, their favorite people breaking in their own ways. They had lost what they came for, what they worked for.

Gabriela's pov

I watched as the players were all devastated, how could they not be. If I was alone right now I would have screamed but I couldn't I hated watching this moment. I hated that I'd have to be talking to them after such a huge loss for the purpose of my job.

My eyes immediately went to neymar who had very clearly been crying and watching him cry makes me fucking emotional and I can't control it. He was asked initially to speak to the press today but I would've understood if he didn't. His teammates comforting him as he balled his eyes in pain, he loved his country and he couldn't achieve his goal.

After he settled down he came up to the camera where I stood, sympathetically I made sure he knew he didn't have to do this but he did it anyway. Pushing away the loss the only thing I could help bring a sort of happier addition was telling him how he was the top scorer for Brazil side by side with pele and he nodded knowingly sharing a short response on it.

Simple questions simple answers but this time I decided I couldn't stand to watch him sad. "Finally what I have to tell you is not a question neymar, we all wanted Brazil to win the World Cup. From the richest man on the field to the little boy playing football at school, we were all rooting for the country but no matter the fact that we didn't get it this time. Something none of this can take away from you is, the fact that.." neymar stopped keeping his eye contact as he was getting way too emotional to handle this he was way to hurt to listen so he looked down but I needed him to hear it.

"Hey, look at me, I'm being serious" I said as he took a second wiped his tear and looked back at me. "There is not one Brazilian child at home without a poster of you in their bedroom. Not one salon that's not showing off the hairstyles you had" I added and he scoffed with a smile, "not one little girl asking for a boy who looks like you. Half of them tatted your face onto their bodies, You have made your mark in every single one, not only in Brazil but in the whole world. Quite literally, because some marks- tattoos ! are so damn risky too" he was tearing, he didn't even try stop it as he kept his eye contact with me deeply listening to every word I said.

"That is beyond winning the World Cup to me neymar and even though right now you feel like none of it matters. You will realize it. Your fans love you, your friends love you and so does your family. You have already made all of them happy and showed them who Neymar jr is. I hope you know that" I ended my share of words as he immediately said "venha Aqui" (come here) and tightened me in a hug. The microphone was cut so I was allowed to say anything I wanted.

But everything I needed to tell this man I told him as he embraced me in a tight hug, I could hear his sniffles at the corner of my ear. "você sempre consegue dizer a coisa certa na hora certa. você não gata?" (you always manage to say the right thing at the right time. don't you babe?)

I didn't say anything but I rubbed the back of his head in comfort. "Everything is gonna be okay Ney" I said as I kept my forehead on his.