Chapter Text
The July sun was starting to disappear below the horizon but the heat was still intense. The stadium was already completely dark, deep shadow covering the entire field. The final whistle cut through the heavy summer air.
Ash stopped, putting his hands on his knees, trying to catch a breath. Sweat was pouring down his whole body, hair sticking to his forehead. His legs were starting to go numb. He could feel the fatigue creeping up.
He slowly straighten up and made his way towards the sideline where the coach stood. Ash plopped onto the grass next to his teammates. He was so tired that he couldn't even focus on what the coach was saying. Something about the upcoming match and their progress and the chances... Ash didn't even try to listen. The whole plan will be posted anyway so there was no point.
'Have a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday!' The man concluded, smiling at them warmly.
He was really like an uncle to the whole team. Always cheering them up, asking thoughtful questions and being the anchor they could always rely on.
Before he joined as a coach, the team was truly a failure. Ash wasn't even a part of it at that time but he learned the story from the older guys later on. Somehow the man managed to turn this team around, making them the contenders for the title of the best in the country. It took time, obviously, but they were at their peak right now.
His teammates started getting up, groaning and complaining. Ash followed them, but he remained quiet. He was too tired to even say anything. His jaw clenched when he put weight on his left leg.
He had been pushing himself harder than anyone else on the team and suspected that he had strained a muscle in the process. And now that the adrenaline wasn't there anymore, the pain returned. He didn't tell anyone about it though.
'Hey Ash!' A cheerful voice somehow managed to register in his mind.
'Hi.' He turned to face the team's physio.
The man was quite short, his figure slim. He had messy brown hair with dyed dark orange streaks. His intently blue eyes gazed up at Ash.
'Are you in a rush?' Ewron handed him a bottle of water.
'Not really.' He shrugged, taking a long sip.
'Great!' He smiled, that same smile that always lit up the room after a bad day. 'Because I have to check your leg.' He was still smiling, but his voice got quieter, so that only the two of them could hear the words.
Ash froze. And his whole scheme went to hell. What gave him away? He could swear that nobody had noticed.
'Sure...' He answered, trying to sound unbothered.
They went to the changing rooms. One of the little storage rooms there had been emptied and turned into a working space for a physio. There was a white settee, an old plastic chair and a metal cabinet.
It didn't look very professional but was always clean, neat and tidy. Ash knew that was partially Ewron's doing, as the man sometimes stayed behind to clean and organise.
'Sit, Ash.' Ewron closed the door behind them. The previous cheerfulness of his voice quickly evaporating.
He listened, plopping onto the uncomfortable white settee, already regretting not lying about being in a rush. He got to know Ewron well enough to know that now he was in for an angry reprimand.
He had been watching the brunette since he had joined the team seven months ago. Ash wasn't usually the type to observe people but something made him watch their new physio very carefully. Yet he still knew nothing about the man.
Ewron hunched over his leg and started pressing in different spots around the knee. Tense silence filled the room.
'How did you know?' Ash asked to distract himself from the pain.
'How did I know what?' Ewron's voice was a bit far-away as he was fully focused on locating the injury.
'How did you know I was injured?' Ash watched as experienced hands examined his leg.
'I don't know if you think that I am stupid or blind but either way, it's very rude.' He found the exact spot where the injury was located. He pressed there a little harder with his finger.
'I don-' A painful hiss cut his sentence short. 'Can't you be a little more gentle?' Ash frowned, but all he got in response was an annoyed glance. 'I don't think that you're stupid. Nor blind. I just didn't think that anyone would notice.' He followed Ewron with his gaze, when the man stepped away and started looking for something in the cabinet. 'But you hadn't answered my question. How did you know?'
'Zboczenie zawodowe.' [Professional bias.] The brunette shrugged and then had to try to explain words that Ash couldn't possibly understand. 'It's like a work thing, you know. Connected with my job.' Ewron returned to him, holding a spray ice can and a tube of some ointment. 'I see things like these because of what I do for work. I can't really help it.' He opened the tube.
Ash hummed at that, watching as the other man massaged in the ointment. The movement felt nice, relaxing in it's smoothness. The tension from the injured area started disappearing.
'I will have to put that on your file. You know that, right?' Ewron broke the silence, not stopping his movements.
Ash just groaned in resignation, leaning his head against the wall behind him. It was embarrassing. How does "strained a muscle during training" even sound like. It's so stupid.
'You really shouldn't overwork yourself like that.' Ewron's voice was accusatory.
'And you should start eating properly.' Ash bit back, but deep down he knew that the brunette was right. What he didn't know was how important was what he had just said.
Ewron froze for a moment, his hand stopped right below Ash's knee. He didn't look up though. He just went back to work.
'What's wrong with my eating?' His voice was now clearly annoyed but that annoyance masked something else. Something that Ash barely managed to notice. He straightened to look at the man. 'I don't need three thousand calories like you guys. I'm just a physio. Besides, I always eat with the team.'
'Or, much rather, you look like you eat with us but bring an empty lunchbox. Or a single apple, at most.' He scoffed, but watched closely as the other man tensed. 'You thought no one would notice?'
Ewron didn't respond for a longer while and when he did, his voice was quiet. 'When have you caught on?' He sounded so tired. His hands stopped. He reached for the spray ice, shaking the can slightly.
'About... Two weeks ago? Maybe three.' Ash shrugged. Cold hit his leg.
'Who else knows?' Ewron slowly straightened up, as he finished with the ice spraying.
'I don't think anyone else knows.' Ash pressed his lips together. Was this important?
Silence filled the room once again. The only audible sounds were Ewron searching through the cabinet and the faint buzz of the lamp.
'You want to explain yourself maybe?' Ash raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.
'Not really.' He stood there, opening different drawers, not looking at the other man. 'You already know too much anyway.'
'Excuse me?! I just-' Ash couldn't believe what he was hearing but the physio didn't let him finish.
'Massage it in for about three to five minutes, twice a day. In the morning and before you go to sleep.' Ewron turned back to him and handed him a different tube of ointment.
'Well if you don't want to explain yourself, it's your choice.' Ash stood up. Their height difference became painfully obvious. 'But someone might hear about it.' He turned to leave but was stopped by Ewron's next words.
'Wait! I... I might have a deal for you.' He had to tilt his head backwards to look the other in the eye. He was almost a head shorter.
'What deal?' Ash raised an eyebrow, curious what that cunning man had to offer.
'You don't tell anyone about what you know and I won't put the injury on your file.' Ewron put his hands behind his back. 'How does that sound?'
'So this conversation doesn't leave this room?' He still couldn't understand how could a man have so many faces. But maybe he, particularly, should...
'Exactly.' He nodded once, his accent a bit more audible than usual.
Neither of them had an upper hand in this situation. There was no neutral ground either. They could either shake on the deal or tell on eachother. Ash didn't really ponder about it for long.
'Deal.' He extended his hand. Ewron shook it without a second thought. 'Not a word about this conversation.'
'What conversation?' Ewron tilted his head to the side. 'It was just a routine check.'
'Right- Of course.' Ash observed how easily the brunette came up with a lie and how effortlessly he made it seem. The bright smile returned to his face, masking the rather unpleasant conversation they just had.
Ash left, feeling extremely tired. Whatever Ewron put on the injury definitely helped but by the time he reached his apartment his legs felt like they were made of lead. And he still needed to shower and eat something and do the washing and... The thought alone made him want to ignore the whole world and just lay in bed.
He reluctantly dragged himself to the bathroom and took a well needed shower. The cold water gave him a bit of energy and reminded him how hungry he was.
So he dragged himself to the kitchen and opened the fridge. There was barely anything there. Great... He'll deal with it tomorrow. Tomorrow? What's tomorrow? Sunday.
He managed to find a yoghurt and an old banana. This wasn't actually that bad. He opened a cabinet in search of any toppings. He found walnuts. That'll do...
He didn't even have the energy to mix the ingredients. He just ate them separately. He glanced at the clock. It didn't really matter to him what time it was. It's not like we was going to do anything productive now. He run a hand through his damp hair.
Whatever control over his unruly hair had the long braid possessed, was long gone after getting the curls wet. Usually he didn't wash his hair as often but it seemed like the summers were his biggest enemy. All the sweat and pollens made it unbearable to go more than two days without washing. Sometimes it was even less. It wasn't the first time Ash thought about just cutting it all off. But overtime he grew fond of those black curls. And the long braid became his signature style.
He looked around. His eyes landed on the sports bag that he had left at the door. He sighed. Of course... He had to do the washing. He contemplated the meaning of life for another minute then he got up and lazily unpacked the bag. He went back to the bathroom, found a few more pieces of dirty clothing, threw them into the washing machine and turned it on. Maybe his neighbours won't be mad about the noise.
· . ° • ⁰ o O o ⁰ • ° . ·
He did absolutely nothing the whole Sunday. Almost. He went to get some food so that his fridge might have something more inside than just the light. He watched a film and spent the rest of the day wondering what to do. The boredom was starting to get to him.
He cleaned the apartment last week so, he abandoned that idea. The washing was done so that was also off the list. It was far too hot to even think about ironing anything. For that same reason he didn't dare turn on the stove or the oven. There was nothing reasonable to do.
So he decided to go for a walk. The temperature was starting to get bearable. After he comes back, he'll iron the clothes. That sounds like a plan.
He put on the plainest looking t-shirt and shorts, grabbed the first pair of shoes that came to hand and threw on a cap. He didn't really bother trying to hide when going out. It wasn't like he could do that really. But the people in the neighbourhood knew him and never bothered him.
Hot air hit him as soon as he stepped out of the building. Maybe he should just stay inside? But the boredom was insane. No, he's not going back inside. Besides, a bit of wind really helped.
Most of the day it was relatively quiet outside as most people were at work and those who weren't avoided the scorching sun. Now the neighbourhood was starting to get busy. Everyone was trying to enjoy those colder hours of the day. Chatter surrounded him from all directions.
A few blocks down stood a playground now occupied by running children. Right beside it was a small football field. Six teenagers were playing there, laughing and enjoying the moment. Ash smiled, remembering his own childhood on similar fields with his friends.
He was about to turn the corner when something caught his attention. Among parents watching over their children he recognized a messy brown hairstyle with dyed orange streaks. Ash stopped for a moment.
Ewron was talking with a dark haired woman that Ash recognized as an interior designer responsible for decorating half the public buildings in town. She was there with her kid if he were to guess. But what was Ewron doing there?
Ash was close enough to clearly see their faces but far enough to not hear their conversation. They were smiling, gesturing and laughing. They surely knew eachother but where could they have possibly met? He just shrugged. It was none of his business.
He was about to walk away-
'Watch out!' a scream echoed through the whole street. Everyone turned.
Ash instantly noticed the ball cutting through the air with surprising speed. A second later all the other people noticed it too. But it was too late to move away.
The ball was going straight for a kid standing near benches.
Ash wanted to move but he knew he wouldn't make it. He was too far and the ball was too fast.
But someone else moved.
The next second the ball was trapped under a worn-down shoe. Silence filled the whole street.
Ewron just performed the cleanest sole receive that Ash had seen in months. And it was a high one as well. This was something that many good players struggled with. Including himself.
Then the man just picked up the ball and tossed it to the teenager who crossed half the field and the whole playground to get there. He was out of breath and immediately started apologizing. Ewron approached the boy, talked to him for a while and walked back to the woman he had been talking with. He had a serious face but he wasn't angry.
Ash wondered if he had ever seen Ewron angry. He was almost sure that he had not.
Chatter slowly returned, children went back to their games and the teenagers went back to playing but way more carefully. A few people, however, were staring at Ewron with various expressions on their faces. He must've noticed because, soon after, he left.
Ash resumed his walk. All the way home was replaying the situation in his head. There was no way that what Ewron did was an accident. It was too clean, too precise. Another thing was that he had to notice the ball at the same time as Ash did. Any other way he wouldn't be able to make it. He didn't really pay attention but Ewron's moves seemed calm and controlled. Like he wasn't thinking about what he was doing and rather moved on instinct and muscle memory.
The whole situation was quite normal. Something like that could happen any day. But Ash couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something more to it.
· . ° • ⁰ o O o ⁰ • ° . ·
Monday started off rainy and the clouds never really disappeared, bringing sudden downpours from time to time. They were never long but intense enough to leave puddles everywhere.
Ash looked out the window and sighed at all the water hitting the glass. Today's training is going to be terrible.
By the time he finished packing the rain had almost stopped. That's something... He left the apartment a bit earlier than usual. He wasn't sacrificing his shoes to take the shortcut through the park.
Somehow he managed to make it to the stadium without getting wet. He considered it his personal miracle. Well, some people weren't this lucky.
Ewron was already drying but it was obvious that he was dripping wet just a while ago. He reminded Ash of a wet cat. His messy hair looked comically when flat. Ash occasionally glanced at him the whole training.
Everyone was sliding and slipping on the wet grass, trying to keep themselves standing. The field was terrible but at least the weather change brought lower temperatures. That was the only positive thing about today.
Ash had already fallen twice. Not hard but his clothes were dripping wet and were dirty beyond recognition. He cursed under his breath when he looked at them during the break
His teammates didn't look better. Everyone was miserable due to today's conditions. They became a bunch of grumpy, dirty and tired yobs. Even their coach seemed to be in a bad mood.
The only person still trying to spread positivity was Ewron. He was smiling ear to ear, handing everyone water. But his attempts at conversation were mostly turned down. It didn't discourage him though. He continued his positive comments until-
'Can't you ever shut up?! You're so fucking annoying!' One, particularly grumpy, player shouted. Ash looked over. Vincent.
Ewron looked staggered. He went motionless and very quiet. 'Sorry... I didn't-' He stammered to apologize.
'What is wrong with you?!' Someone shouted.
'He just wanted to be nice!' Someone else added.
'That was rude, man.' Everyone stood up for their physio.
Ewron was widely liked, his positive nature and witty character winning over everyone's hearts. So the shouts continued, defending the brunette.
'That's enough!' The coach cut them off. 'Everyone, back on the field.' Then he glanced at Vincent. 'Stay.'
Ash managed to hear a tiny bit of the reprimand that the man received. He looked like a train hit him. He probably realized that in his terrible mood he did something very stupid. After a while he jogged back onto the field.
The training resumed and chaos returned with everyone fighting to stay upright and failing miserably. Ash fell once again and had a close call just a moment later but managed to catch his balance. He was basically waiting for the training to be over. And so was everyone else.
Then he heard a painful scream. He turned around to see Vincent on the ground, clutching his ankle. It was a matter of time before someone got injured in these conditions. And karma has a twisted sense of humour.
Ewron was at his side in less than twenty seconds. He kneeled down and started examining the ankle, trying to move it as little as possible. A few players gathered around. Ash was one of them.
Ewron started mumbling something to himself. It didn't sound like anything so Ash assumed he wasn't speaking English. What was that language?
'We need a stretcher.' Ewron didn't hesitate, his voice calm and collected. 'And I'll need at least one of you to help me carry him.' Someone ran off to get what he asked for.
'I'll do it.' Ash was insanely interested in how the situation will evolve. And he absolutely didn't care what the brunette was implying with a warning glance.
'I can help as well.' Their left winger added.
'Okay. Great. The rest can go back to training.' Ewron's professional side was so different from his usual cheerfulness that many people were staggered by the change.
However these guys had seen it all. Everyone on the team has, at least once, ended up on the settee in Ewron's "office" how they called the tiny room. They also knew how much a man needs no attention in times like these. So they walked away, occasionally glancing back.
They loaded Vincent onto the stretcher as soon as it was brought. They carried it off the field and into the changing rooms. Ewron's "office" was far too small for that many people so they put the stretcher down onto a wooden bench. Ewron crouched right next to it.
'You guys can go.' the physio waved them off.
Ash was a bit disappointed but who was he to argue with a professional in a situation like this. The left winger was gone before he managed to form another thought. Ash followed, but when he reached the door he was stopped by Ewron.
'Ash, wait! Could you help me a little?' The physio stood up.
'Sure. What do you need?' He approached the bench.
'Stay here for a minute. I'll be right back.' Ewron walked out, leaving them alone.
Ash plopped onto the bench on the opposite side of the room. The dull pain in his leg was still there but it was far better than two days before. At this pace it will be gone before next week starts.
Ewron came back with spray ice, a tube of ointment, an ice pack and a small cardboard box. What had he not had in that tiny room? Ash watched him with interest.
'So, how has your fiancée been?' The brunette asked, gently taking off the shoe so as to not move the joint too much. 'Did she finally sign for those pottery classes?'
The man was speechless for a second. 'Wha- How- You...' His eyes went huge. 'Well, yes. She did. She signed for the classes. But how did you remember... Why?'
'Remembering is a very important part of my job.' Ewron shrugged, ice spraying the swollen ankle. He worked quickly but with surgical precision.
Silence filled the room. Ash watched as Ewron gently worked in the ointment. Vincent looked like he was trying not to cry. The quiet ticking of the clock suddenly became very loud.
'Did you drive here today?' It sounded like another attempt to distract the patient until Ash realized that it, in fact, was not.
'No. Ellie dropped me off before her class.' Vincent glanced at what the physio was doing. 'She's picking me up later.'
'Can you call her? It would be great if she came a bit earlier.' Ewron looked over the shoulder to find Ash. 'I will need a hand here.'
He approached, stopping right next to them and slightly leaned forward, waiting for instructions. He could see from the corner of his eye how Vincent fumbled to get his phone from the bag laying under the bench.
'Okay, yes. Lift his leg a little. No, not like that. One hand on the knee. Yes. The other a bit lower. Great.' Ash listened to instructions and tried to follow them as precisely as possible. 'Don't move it. Okay, yes. A bit higher. Good. Stay like that.'
Meanwhile Ewron opened the cardboard box and pulled out a clean cloth. He quickly made a cold compress and secured it with elastic bandages.
Finally Vincent managed to get his phone and he called his fiancée. He told her a very shortened story of what happened and asked if she could come earlier.
After he hung up, silence lay upon them once again. Ewron sat cross-legged on the floor, writing something in a notepad that he pulled out of the box. Ash returned to his previous spot on the bench. They stayed like that for a solid five minutes.
'I'm sorry.' Vincent spoke suddenly, drawing the attention of both his companions. 'I'm so sorry for what I said. I just- It's just been a terrible day and...' He hid his face in his hands. 'What am I even saying? There's no excuse for being a cunt.'
'Nah, man, don't worry.' Ewron chuckled, putting away the notepad. 'I've heard much worse.'
'I just... I feel so bad for yelling at you...' He pulled the hands away and laid them down at his sides.
'I'm telling you, man. Don't worry.' The brunette waved him off with a smile. 'It doesn't move me.'
'I owe you, mate.' Vincent propped himself on one elbow, trying to catch a glimpse of the physio.
'I'm just doing my job.' Ewron spread his arms helplessly. 'Back to more important things... We're actually in a good place right now. The back entrance is just at the end of the hallway.'
'Isn't it like...' Ash raised an eyebrow. 'Always closed?'
'Yeah.' Vincent chipped in.
'Oh, it sure is!' He responded cheerfully. 'But it's not a problem since I have a key.'
'What?! Where the hell did you get a key to that?!' Ash looked at him baffled. Vincent just laid back down with resignation.
'I have my ways.' Ewron stood up, dusting off his black trousers. 'What? Did you really think I would tell you?' He noticed Ash's grimaced expression. 'Let's go! It will take us a while to get to the parking so I guess it's a good time to leave.'
'Do we take the stretcher or...' Ash got up once again.
'I don't think that will be necessary.' Ewron examined the cold compress. 'I think the ankle is lightly sprained. But I can't rule out the tendon being partially torn.'
'How long until it heals?' Vincent sat up, grimacing at the pain.
'Depends.' Ewron spread his arms again. 'From two, three weeks to even seven.' He watched the man's face crumble. But he couldn't do anything about it. 'Come on, Ash.'
They put his arms over their shoulders and hauled him up. Ewron on his right, Ash on the left.
'Who the hell decided that getting the tallest and the shortest man on the team to support the injured was a great idea?' Vincent spat but he wasn't really being for real.
They both glanced at him and immediately started laughing. Then they realized that he was right. They must have looked ridiculous. Somehow they managed to make it work.
They slowly made their way down the hallway. It was a long way and, just like Ewron predicted, it took them a while. They stopped in front of the metal door that almost no one had ever seen open.
Ewron reached into his pocket and pulled out a bunch of keys. There were at least ten of them attached together and they clinked with every little move. He looked at them for a moment and fixed his grip on a big, heavy one. They clinked again when he opened the door. Thankfully it wasn't the type to close on its own so they made it out of the stadium without a problem.
They walked out basically straight onto the parking lot. It was mostly quiet, except for the distant sounds of traffic. Then a car door was slammed and a blond woman ran up to them.
'What happened?! Do you need help?! Is anyone else hurt?! Is he going to be okay?!' She fired a bunch of questions at them before they could get a word out.
'Yes, everything will be fine.' Ewron finally managed to get to her through her panic. 'Could you open the passenger door?' He pointed to the car that she jumped out of just a moment before.
They helped Vincent inside and turned to his fiancée. She had calmed down what was a great sign.
'What should we do now?' She asked, her gaze darting between Ash and Ewron.
'Go to the hospital. I can't say if something is torn in the joint so a CT scan is highly recommended.' Ewron handed her a piece of paper. 'I wrote down exactly what happened, when it happened and what I did about it. Give this to the doctor.' He put his hands behind his back. 'It's stamped by the club so they will know who to contact in case of missing information.' He looked at Vincent who was listening to their conversation. 'Don't move the ankle too much. As little as possible.'
'Thank you.' She grabbed Ewron's hand and started shaking it.
'I'm just doing my job.' He managed to gently take it out of her grasp. 'Well, I have to go back. I was gone for too long already. Everything well to you.'
'Thank you!' She called out after him.
Soon the keys clinked again when he closed the door behind them. The badly lit corridor echoed with their footsteps. They reached the door to the changing rooms and Ewron turned to just go back onto the field but stopped when Ash walked in.
'Aren't you coming?' He tilted his head.
'I'll be there in a second.' Ash tried to look as nonchalant as physically possible until the door closed behind him.
He heard the quiet footsteps fade away. Then he moved. He noticed how Ewron had left everything right next to the stretcher that remained on the bench. Now that he thought about it, they weren't gone from the field for more than twenty minutes. He shrugged and threw all the different things into the cardboard box. Then he added an unassuming paper bag. He put it aside and folded the stretcher.
Ash walked out of the changing rooms with a stretcher in his hand and a very precise plan already in motion.
He returned the thing to where it came from and jogged back onto the field, almost slipping barely five steps in. He somehow managed to stay upright for the rest of the training. He stopped counting the close calls after the seventh one.
Thankfully nobody else was injured. Just in terrible moods and dirty from head to toe.
Ash was one of the first to leave after the last whistle.
· . ° • ⁰ o O o ⁰ • ° . ·
He woke up early the next morning. He tried to fall back asleep but with no luck. So he got up and decided to go for a walk.
The neighbourhood was quiet but it was half past five in the morning so it shouldn't really be surprising. That's why he heard them long before he saw them.
Those same six teenagers on the same football field. Why are they up at this hour? They were playing a game, Ash realized. It warmed something inside him. Just a group of friends and their love for football.
He noticed another person walking down the street on the opposite side. He couldn't see the face because it was hidden under a huge hood but something felt familiar. The quick pace and the slight, almost unnoticeable, limp rung a bell in his head.
The ball flew off, landing on the street. The man noticed it, glanced at the teenagers and back at the ball. He approached it in a few swift strides and popped the ball up with one smooth motion of his foot. He kicked the ball as it was falling, sending it back onto the field, straight to one of the teenagers.
They thanked him and everybody's life went on