FOOTBALL ONESHOTS || boyxboy

lukasz piszczek+julian brandt

ŁUKASZ PISZCZEK X JULIAN BRANDT

LUKASZ

I wasn't someone to go to Starbucks until I turned like 30. In fact some might have even called me a Starbucks hater back in the day. For some reason, I never found out, I just didn't like the thought of getting coffee that cost me at least four euros and Marcel's idea of buying smaller coffee bucks wasn't a thought worth thinking.
But then I went to Starbucks or more I was forced into Starbucks by Marcel, while we were in the states during the pre-season some years ago. And I tried... and the fact I remember the first drink I got from Starbucks is kind of romantic in a way (in fact it's the most romantic thought I had in a while).. I got a vanilla cappuccino in grande. Yep, I traded all my coins for that and it was fucking worth it. Since then I've been a slave to the Starbucks industry with its drinks and muffins and bagels and cookies and all the other dirty things they create.
Some days I even find myself driving into the city in Poland, just to get me a good coffee because the machine at home can't cope with the deliciousness of Starbucks. Kuba calls it pathetic and it probably is, but I'm a single in my mid 30s, so who cares if I'm being pathetic or not.
Right now, you can see me standing in the Starbucks shop ordering another drink from the menu I haven't tried yet because I set myself a goal to try every drink Starbucks has to offer.
So it is an iced brown sugar oatmilk shaken espresso with maple syrup for me today, though I wouldn't be able to order this without reading from the menu card over the counter.
„Woooow, what the fuck did you just ordered?"
I turn around to a voice which sounds pretty familiar to me and meet with Julian's face, though, it's mostly covered by a beanie and the collar he hides in. I can't blame him, I mean, I'm wearing sunglasses at 10 in the morning inside a shop.
But we're right in Dortmund, so the likelihood of people knowing us is high and honestly, I don't want to be recognized right now. But I've been playing with Julian for a couple of years and know how to recognize him, mostly by the sound of his voice.
„Well, I don't know yet, but it sounds pretty amazing", I say and safe a little smile to him, while moving forward.
„It sounds pretty sweet", he says, before ordering. I wait for my drink and also for him to step next to me again. We aren't really in touch anymore, except for a little smalltalk once in a while but it still feels wrong to leave him like that, especially since we had a pretty good chat yesterday after the Season opening show at the Signal-Iduna-Park. I still think it was an amazing idea to invite everyone, also the former players to open up the new season.
„I thought you were leaving today like the rest", Julian says, while we wait for our drinks. I look to him and shake my head.
„Nope, I miss Dortmund too much to not take the chance to spend some more days here"
„Dortmund misses you, too!"
He glances over at me, just for a brief moment, but long enough so I notice. Nonetheless, I say nothing. Instead I smile shyly because that's just what I do. Smile, when I have no idea what to say.
At least the girl at the counter calling my name with the coffee buck is excuse enough to move three steps forward and break the nervous silence between us.
„Let's give it a try", I say with false confidence as I see Julian's left eyebrow rising in doubt. I sip at the coffee and allow my tongue some seconds to get to know the taste of it and another couple of seconds for my brain to proceed the taste.
„Good?", Julian finally asks. I take another sip.
„Yep", I nod and for some reason hold the drink over to him.
„You can try it if you want but not as much as you had of my champagne yesterday!", I warn him. He blurs out a loud laugh but takes the drink. At the same time the girl shouts his name and he moves to the encounter to take his boring cappuccino. He tries my special order and it doesn't take him as long as me to decide that he likes it.
„I think I'll order it next time!", he admins.
„Think of me, if you do so!", I say. We step out of the shop into Dortmund's streets, which are pretty empty in the morning. For a couple of meters we walk in silence until I hear Julian laughing.
„What?", I ask and look over to him.
„Nothing, I just... isn't it funny, somehow we're always meeting at Starbucks!"
I laugh a little as well. It's true. The first time I met Julian in person wasn't at training or at the bvb terrain. It was at Starbucks on a Sunday. I remember it as if it was just yesterday. That time I was standing behind him and somehow recognized him. At this point his move from bayer leverkusen to bvb was already signed, so I took the opportunity to greet my soon-to-be-teammate. We have met a couple more times at Starbucks, some summer we even met in Berlin in a Starbucks. It turned out we both visited Berlin at the same time. Starbucks and us seems to be a match.
We start talking about senseless crap, he tells me what I missed in Dortmund since my retirement and it turns out Mats and Marcel aren't as reliable resources as I thought cause they haven't told me everything e.g. they haven't told me about Jude and Gio finally going out with each other and just to be clear: that is something worth telling.
„You have training today?", I ask. Julian shakes his head.
„I mean we can come to the gym for some weight training but it's out of free will."
„So you are lazy and decided to go for a free day instead?", I resume.
„Ey!"
Julian punches me in the arm and I start laughing again, so does he and, like it was yesterday, I get lost in the way his eyes shine while laughing. The intensive way he stares at me, while laughing doesn't help much.
There is just some different kind of energy between us. I felt it yesterday and I feel it now. I mean, I always thought Julian was a handsome man, but now, it's just as if our souls connect on another level than before. I now it might sound crazy but I guess the heart was never meant to be logical.
„You know, Dortmund isn't the same since you've been gone", Julian whispers.
We somehow got into a smaller alley and I don't know where we're going but I also don't plan on asking because truthfully I don't even care as long as we keep going and keep talking.
„Don't be melodramatic!", I say. I take another sip of my coffee and look over to Julian, who shakes his head.
„I ain't, Marco and Mats say the same! You have to visit us more often!"
I grin: „You're not the only one suggesting that. Mats writes me at least twice a week to come to visit again. But you all forget that I have a life going on down in Poland. I can't just leave whenever I want!"
„I'm sure you have your free days you can use to visit us!"
„You're still pretty stubborn, aren't you?"
I look to him and see him shrugging.
„Guess I never grow out of it!", he says. Than he turns around to me and says: „I like you hair like that, it looks cute!"
I feel my head turning red. 37 and still can't take compliments. Amazing.
„Thanks", I whisper. I didn't ever notice when we stopped walking but now we're standing on the side of this small alley, which reminds me of some alley in Italy or Spain. It's cozy, I like it.
„I'm living here", Julian says and points with his finger up one of the old houses.
„Oh, you are?"
He nods.
„Wanna come upstairs? I have nothing to do today and was thinking, you're up doing something together? It's supposed to rain today but maybe we can watch movies or something, order pizza later. You said yesterday that you miss the Dortmund pizza, so we can take the chance!"
I laugh.
„You remember that?"
Julian nods and I immediately start smiling a bit brighter. It's just lovely when you see that people actually listen to all the small thinks you say.
„So...?", Julian asks. I smile over at him and nod: „Sounds like a perfect idea"
„Great!"