football | one shots

Rose > Antoine Griezmann

Antoine aimlessly rolled the ball between his feet, keeping himself busy as he stole glances at the arguing couple ahead of him. Behind the low barricades stood his teammate, Matias, and Matias' girlfriend, Rose.

They had been rooted to the spot for fifteen minutes by then, and from their body language, Antoine knew that they weren't there for pointless sweet-talk. He kept his head low as he watched Matias run a hair through his hair in apparent frustration.

The next thing he knew, Matias stormed away from her, and she was doing nothing in protest. Instead, she simply sighed before glancing at Matias one last time, and then walking away in the opposite direction.

"I can't believe her," Matias uttered as he ambled through the gate toward Antoine. "What is it this time?" Antoine asked, his face expressionless. That was not the first time the two had been seen quarrelling outside the training grounds.

Rose was a very supportive partner. She frequented the training grounds just to watch Matias train. Antoine always noticed her presence. She would stroll toward the stands, giving Matias a small wave before taking her seat at her usual spot.

But they fought quite a lot. Even when the couple were arguing, he found himself observing them. Observing her. It wasn't because he was intruding on their personal lives, but rather it was because he didn't like the way she looked when they fought.

She always looked so powerless. She would always be the one eventually giving in. Antoine never approved of that. But what could he, a random teammate of Matias, do?

"She wants me to come to her mom's birthday dinner tomorrow," Matias grunted, as Antoine kicked the ball toward his friend. "I've already told her I'm hanging with you guys tomorrow," he continued, effortlessly stopping the ball with his dominant foot.

Antoine furrowed his eyebrows, "can't you go after that?"

Matias made a face at him, "no way, it's the bar for us after that." He swiftly passed the ball back to Antoine, whose mind was elsewhere at that moment. The ball rolled away from Antoine, prompting Matias to raise his hands in annoyance.

"Maybe you could skip the bar," Antoine tried. He quickly chased after the ball, as Matias crossed his arms over his torso. "You're kidding me right?" Antoine shrugged as he dribbled the ball back. He was definitely not joking. "Isn't her mom's birthday dinner important?" He said, trying to sound as unpremeditated as possible.

He didn't want Matias thinking that he was concerned about Rose. Even though there was a vague possibility that he was slightly concerned about her. Or extremely.

"I've been to that dinner twice; it's no fun," Matias retorted as he caught the ball between his feet. He picked it up, laughing as he persuaded Antoine to drop the topic, "she'll get over it."

Matias walked over to the rest of the teammates, leaving Antoine to wonder if that was really the best way to treat someone as sweet as Rose.

Because Rose visited the training grounds regularly, everyone was fairly familiar with her, including Antoine. He knew he clearly shouldn't be, but he really admired the girl. Not only did she have the biggest heart, but she was also the funniest and brightest person he had ever met.

Antoine thought she was worthy of someone more capable of showering her with the love and affection she deserved. And maybe, just maybe, that someone could be right under her nose.

☁

The following day, as Antoine strolled into the training ground, he spotted Rose seated at her usual spot with a book in her delicate hands. She looked so immersed in the book, her hazelnut brown hair cascading smoothly down her back.

Antoine's eyes darted around the area, searching for any sign of Matias. Once he was positive Matias was not around, he casually ambled over to her.

"Hey, Rose," he greeted her, a wide smile across his face. Rose looked up from her book, and mirrored his smile when she saw the Frenchman. "Hey Antoine," she tucked a stray hair behind her ear, "what's up?"

"I heard it's your mom's birthday today," he said, clutching the bag in his hands tighter to calm his nerves. Rose chuckled, "did Matias tell you?"

Antoine nodded, "too bad he's not going for dinner later."

"Matias will be Matias," she shrugged, and Antoine was amazed how cool she was about the situation. He cleared his throat, "anyway, I have something for you." He held up the paper bag in his hands, flashing her a shy smile. "And your mum."

She raised her eyebrows, evidently showing him how surprised she was. Who wouldn't be, if their boyfriend's teammate decided to randomly give them a present? She eventually took the bag from him, "you didn't have to."

"It's fine," he ran a hand through his hair, feeling the heat rising to his cheeks. "Anyway I should go. Training's about to begin. Happy birthday to your mum," he smiled before turning for the locker rooms, leaving Rose feeling both touched and awkward.

She examined the bag, and looking inside she found none other than two gorgeous red roses set in simple yet elegant packaging. There was a small note inside, with Rose written on the front. She picked it up, not knowing what to expect from Antoine at all.

Dear Rose,

So, the second rose is for you because, well, you deserve one. I just want you to know that you are an absolutely amazing person. I feel like people don't say that enough to you. Matias is one lucky guy. So, I hope he keeps you happy all the time because the world is a better place when you're happy.

Love, a random teammate of Matias, Antoine.

Rose should have been utterly shocked. How could Matias' teammate flirt with her like that? But inside she found herself blushing, and she watched as Antoine disappeared into the locker room. Maybe, just maybe, things might get better for Rose after all.

✖

Wow, Antoine's such a badass here. Lol. Anyway, as requested by Maleen, @MaleenMalik ☺ I hope you guys liked it! Sorry this took a while, been a little busy lately ): But keep the requests coming, love writing for you guys. Thank you for reading and voting! ♡