Chapter Text
Colin met Michael when he was out with the boys. It was at the very end of a season, and two of the players were leaving the team.
Colin wasn't in the mood to party. The end of the season meant months without anything to do. Everyone else was going on vacation or visiting family. Like every year, Colin would spend a few awkward days visiting his childhood home, and come back to London and sulk for a few weeks.
Colin was a mediocre footballer in a mediocre team owned by a mediocre man. He's been at Richmond for two seasons now, and he was getting a little less sad with time.
He had accepted that he'd probably always be at least a little bit sad, but he was finding ways around it. Isaac helped. They met when Colin arrived from Cardiff. Colin doesn't really know how they ended up friends, but it's like Isaac adopted him. It's a weird thought, that someone could willingly want to spend time with him.
Colin's been sad his entire life. Never completely alone, but always lonely. But he was getting better. Colin really liked Isaac, and for some reason, Isaac liked him too. Colin didn’t want to mess that up.
So Colin was there, with Isaac and Roy Kent and Jamie Tartt and the entire team. Colin was a little sad, but also kind of happy. He had a best friend, and his dream job. He didn’t have a reason to be sad.
He was sitting alone in a booth, sipping a beer he wasn’t sure was his, when a guy approached him.
“If you keep staring at them like that, there’s a good chance they don’t invite you next time they go out.” Colin blinks. He forgot he was in a public space, where people could see him sulking. He was impressed that Isaac or the other boys didn’t come to check on him yet.
Colin knows he's a little bit of a piece of shit. He's always been like that, following the mean boys around at school, playing with his scrawny neighbor that no one liked. Colin doesn't know how to not be one. He's a footballer anyway, so no one really questions it.
“We’re a team, I’ll always be invited.” If Jamie Tartt, the ultimate asshole is always there, Colin, the small time asshole follower, will always be there too. Except, Colin is no Jamie Tartt, Colin is a mediocre midfield player. Colin doesn’t score goals, he just passes the ball around and hopes for the best.
“So why are you looking so sad when your entire team is clearly having the time of their life ?” Colin doesn’t have an answer to that.
"We won our last match of the season. It's the start of the off season, we're celebrating." Colin finally turned around to look at the other guy. He had a very clean look, something Colin knew he could never achieve.
"That's nice, congratulations. To be honest, I have absolutely zero interest in football, I was just wondering why a cute guy like you would look so sad. Which, you still didn't answer."
Colin spit beer out of his nose. A cute guy like him ? One, he was like, bottom tier in the cuteness area, have you seen his team ? Two, was this guy hitting on him ? Could he tell Colin was gay ? Could everyone tell ?
Colin opens and closes his mouth four times, looking for something to say, but his head was absolutely empty. It was just like him, to overthink every one of his moves during a match but not be able to process anything when he needed it the most.
“I’m sorry, who are you ?” Stupid. Fucking stupid.
Pretty guy holds out his hand and says, “Michael, I was hoping you’d ask me out, but I guess I’ll have to do it myself”
Colin feels himself flushing. He looks around the club. He can see Jamie dancing with a girl in a corner, if you can call it dancing when they're busy licking each other’s face off. Isaac’s at the bar, talking with one of the guys who’s retiring this year.
He thinks about it. About going out with this guy just because he’s cute, and interested. It should be that easy. It’s that easy for every other guy on the team. Fuck it.
Colin shakes the hand. Shit, how long was Michael holding it out ?
“Colin.”
Later, Colin will think he was brave in this moment. Actually, he was just sad. He was jealous of the other guys. He was feeling a little bit selfish too.
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Colin never ends up telling Michael why he was sad that day, but he has a feeling Michael knows anyway. Michael is the one who texted him. He's the one who asked him on a date, and another one when Colin freaked out and bailed on the first one.
They sleep together that night. Isaac always says that if you want a serious relationship, you shouldn't put it out on the first night, but Michael is right there, and he's so perfect. He’s so gentle, and he doesn’t blame Colin for his lack of experience.
MIchael doesn't care about football, but for some reason, he cares about Colin.
They're at Michael's house, and Colin thinks he should leave. After two rounds of energetic sex, he knows they won't go again. Colin doesn't have plans the next day, but he now knows that Michael has a normal job in a normal office like normal people.
Colin's sighs. He should go, but Michael is looking at him with curious eyes, like he wants to ask something. He's tracing patterns on Colin's chest. For once, Colin doesn't feel insecure.
Michael suddenly shifts and buries his nose in Colin's shoulder.
"You can stay there tonight. If you're as bad a driver as you say, it would be irresponsible of me to let you leave at night. Plus, I have a great shower."
Colin stays.
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When he wakes up the next day, Michael is already in the shower. Colin is a little sad he wasn't invited, but he's also glad to be able to sleep a little longer. He lays in bed, and looks around the room. It's mostly beige, but the blue sheets make a nice contrast. Colin thinks he should buy Michael a plant. Put a little more color in this room. Make it feel more like Michael, who's so bright. Then, Colin realizes there's a good chance he never sees the other man again, and he suddenly feels very awake. He grabs his clothes on the floor and slips them on. He can shower when he's back at his place. It's fine. He grabs his shoes in his hands because he can't remember if Michael Is a 'no shoes inside kind of guy'. He probably is, with how perfect everything looks.
Colin goes for the door. He's mentally preparing to drive his awful car. He thinks next time he hooks up with someone, hopefully Michael, you should get an Uber. So, he goes for the door, except he hears the shower stop, and he sees the kitchen on his way out, and he somehow finds himself making breakfast for two.
He hesitates for a while, before deciding that one cup of coffee during the off season wouldn't have any bad consequences. When Michael gets down, a towel in his hands and joggers slightly wet, he looks surprised to see Colin in his kitchen.
“I made coffee and toast. Sorry, I’m not a very good cook.” This time, it’s Michael who opens and closes his month, looking for the right words. He has the softest expression, so Colin figures out he did good. He opens a cabinet looking for cups, when a body wraps itself around his back.
Something happens. The universe shifts. Just a tiny bit, just enough so that just Colin can feel it. Maybe Michael can too. He’s whispering against Colin's neck, and Colin can’t hear anything, but he can feel the smile on Michael’s face.
For the first time in years, Colin thinks maybe, just maybe, he could be happy. He could be a slightly better than mediocre footballer who plays in the premier league, and who has a boyfriend. It’s a crazy thought. On so many levels. He doesn’t even really know Michael. And he could never be out. The team would find out, and everything would probably go wrong after that. except, MIchael lifts his head up and goes for a kiss. Colin isn't the most experienced lover, but he knows one thing: hookups don’t stay the night, and when they do, they don’t kiss in the morning.
Michael opens another cabinet, and takes a plate and two cups out. He places both toasts on the plate, and lets Colin pour the coffee in the cups. They sit at the kitchen island, next to each other. Colin takes a sip of coffee, and it’s perfect. He keeps sending little glares at Michael, but Michael does the same thing. Colin blushes when their eyes meet.
“I have to go to work, but I’d love to see you again.” says Michael when he puts the cups down in the sink. He doesn’t wash them, just puts them there. Colin wonders if Michael is the kind of person to let dirty dishes pile up before he washes them. Colin does that sometimes. He feels like a child in an adult body, not having been given the instructions to adulthood.
Colin takes his Lamborghini and goes home. He almost dies about three times, which is on the lower end of the usual spectrum (you would think he would do more, being that giddy and everything). He doesn’t want to shower, he wants to keep the pieces of Michael that are still on his body.
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The next day, Colin decides to text first. He likes Michael, and he’s going to do everything he can to make it work. If it doesn’t, he has the entire off season to get over it. He thinks about it way too much, and finally sends.
“I think it’s my turn to ask you out. Do you want to come to my place for dinner tonight ?” Tonight is soon. It’s so soon, and Colin’s gonna sound too eager, and he’s fucking stupid.
“I’d love to! I can be there by 7”
“Perfect. I’ll send you my address”
Oh. Michael didn’t say no. Actually, he replied very quickly. Maybe he’s just as eager as Colin. Colin has butterflies in his stomach. He thinks about Michael’s smile, and his hands, and his hair, and suddenly, he imagines Michael in his bed, in his arms, and maybe even in the stadium when he scores a goal.