Where the wind whispers

Title: Good Enough – Chapter Two – No Other Option
Characters: Guti, Iker, Sergio, (OFC) Angelina, Raul/Mamen
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,668
A/N: This chapter is shorter than I would like, but it does have a few good comedic moments in it I think. So anyway, here’s the next chapter and I hope you like it. :-)

Comments > Life





Guti was certain he hadn’t noticed that his ceiling had a swirl pattern in it. He probably still wouldn’t know it did had he not been staring at it for the past few hours. As he lay on his back in his living room, he could hear Sergio rummaging in his freezer for ice for an icepack. Iker was flipping through the television channels from an armchair next to the couch. Raul, Raul was tapping his fingers, annoyed, on the counters in Guti’s kitchen.

His leg was propped up on a pillow and he was lying on his back. He absently wondered if he would have to end up moving down on the first floor of his house. Certainly would make things easier, he thought.

Sergio closed the freezer door and Guti could hear him closing the bag. He listened as his footsteps brought him closer and then finally he was there.

“Gracias Gypsy.” Guti said as Sergio placed the bag on the injured ankle.

“De nada.” Came Sergio’s reply. Guti opened his eyes as Sergio backed off and sat on the loveseat. Weird name for it, Jose thought as he relaxed at the coolness that was resting on his injured ankle.

“Guti…” Raul spoke finally. It wasn’t a light, friendly tone that Guti usually enjoyed with easy conversation; it was the business capítan voice.

“Mmm?” Guti asked with his eyes closed. He tried to be ‘light’ about what he knew was coming from his captain.

“Who do you want me to call?” Raul’s voice was closer now. “I can call your mom? Aran—”

“No.” Guti’s eyes were open and his tone was resolute. “Do not call her.”

Raul sighed. “Guti, I have to call somebody…”

“I know. But I’ll work it out Raul. Do not call Arancha. I don’t want to worry the kids.”

“Damnit Guti! They already know! Everybody in Spain knows. Hell, probably everybody in Europe knows.” Raul argued back and the two elder men missed the nervous expression passing from Sergio to Iker.

Guti just remained in aggravated silence. Finally Raul sighed again.

“Look, somebody has to stay with you.”

“I know Raul. I will work it out on my own. Thank you for your concern, Capítan.”

Raul didn’t respond to the sarcastic shortness in Jose’s voice. Then again, he didn’t have too.

“See that you do. Tonight.” Raul said shortly. “Sergio, Iker, let’s leave him to collect himself.”

Iker and Sergio both stood up. They both smiled unsurely at him as they mumbled their goodbyes. Jose just nodded and managed a goodbye. He heard all three sets of footsteps lead to the door. Finally, the door closed and he was alone.

---+---

Angelina sat in a booth, tired after dancing to a lively song with Sergio. Iker sat nursing a whiskey as Sergio slid into the booth next to her. Angelina took a sip of her fresh martini before nudging Iker’s arm. He blinked at his whiskey and then looked over at her with a quirked eyebrow.

“What’s with the frown?” She asked. She was glad that she didn’t have to shout thanks to the slow song that was currently playing.

Iker just shook his head. “Just…thinking.”

“About what…?” Angelina looped her arm around his and leaned into him.

Iker smiled at her persistence and the pout that was currently on her face. Damn the man that could resist such an expression. “About Guti.”

At once her pout disappeared and she frowned too. “Oh yeah. That is bad. I’m just glad it was a sprained ankle and not anything worse.”

“You and me and Raul both.” Iker agreed.

“Hey! Me too!” Sergio said from her other side.

Angelina released Iker and smiled over at him. “Yes, you too Gypsy.”

Sergio smiled and then went back to staring around the room for women that he could potentially seduce. Angelina shook her head at him and then re-looped her arm around Iker’s and leaned back into him.

“His problem,” Iker started, “is that he’s too stubborn sometimes.”

“Sometimes? All the time!” Angelina said with such a vehement tone that Iker chuckled. “What? It’s true!”

Iker continued to chuckle. “Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

“He’s stubborn and he won’t let anybody worry about him.” Angelina said quietly.

“Well…I guess you can’t blame him for that.” Iker shrugged.

She sighed after a while. “So what are we going to do about him?”

Iker waited in silence for a few moments before sighing himself. “I don’t know Angelina, I really don’t know.”

---+---

Raul paced his living room. Mamen was helping get their sons ready for bed. Usually he would help but it wasn’t everyday that one of your best midfielders decided to be a pain in the ass about their injuries.

Raul made another turn by the bookshelf as he started back for the sofa.

Jose needed somebody to look after him. He didn’t say no to his mother being there but even Raul knew that Jose’s parents were enjoying the Bahamas until Friday when they would return. Raul would feel bad to ask them to come back from their vacation so he would have to think of someone else to Guti-sit until Friday at least.

Arancha was out of the picture completely. Guti’s response to even her name was enough to say ‘hell no’ to that idea.

Raul had toyed with the idea of getting one of the boys to do it but that could potentially jeopardize them for the Classico. Raul needed all of his team members to be focused and ready a-thousand and one percent.

He didn’t hear Mamen come in so he jumped when she put her arms around him and hugged him from behind.

“Amor, I know he’s your friend and it is el Classico, but…for one moment could you put it all aside and come tuck your sons into bed so that they can sleep of glory themselves?”

Raul smiled and held Mamen’s hands against his belly. “Si. It would be my pleasure. Te queiro Mamen.”

“Te queiro Raul.” She squeezed him and released him. Raul spun around enough to catch his wife before she could get too far. He pulled her to him and kissed her lengthily.

“Te amo.” He said breathily.

“Te amo tambien.” Mamen said, eyes alit with love.

Then, as if in a moment of brilliance, something flashed in Raul’s mind. A thousand looks given in seemingly innocent ways…a few touches here and there…

“You son of a bitch!” Raul exclaimed.

“Raul!”

“Lo siento,” Raul replied to Mamen already on his way to his cell phone. “I’ll tuck the boys in in just a minute. I have a phone call to make first.”

“Men.” Mamen sighed and rolled her eyes.

---+---

Guti groaned when he heard the pecking on his door. He waited a few minutes in hopes of the person to go away. Annoyed when they didn’t, he flipped his TV to mute and reached for the crutches the hospital had given him.

Carefully, he maneuvered himself to get up and used the crutches as support. He then made his way past the couch and out of the living room. He got down the hall slowly and finally reached the front door.

“This had better be pretty damn important.” He said while opening the door.

“Well, I would say so…”

Guti’s jaw hit the floor as Angelina stood before him dressed in something he could only describe as sinful.

“Am I dreaming?” He asked aloud and then wished he had a filter on his mouth so he wouldn’t say such stupidity.

“I’m afraid not…” Angelina bit her lip and he swore she was trying not to laugh. “Um…can I come in?”

“What? Yes! Sorry!” Guti hobbled backwards and Angelina came in the front door, shutting it behind herself softly.

Guti took a moment to study her. She was wearing a black mini-dress that clung to her in all the right places. Jose was committing this outfit of hers to memory to serve him in the future on lonely nights.

“Um, Guti?” She asked after he stared at her for quite sometime without speaking.

“Sorry.” Guti swallowed and then tried for coolness. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, because I am,” very happy to see you, “but, what are you doing here? At…” He checked his watch. “Midnight?”

“Well…” She sat a bag down he hadn’t noticed she’d been holding. “The way it was put to me was, and I quote, ‘there are no other options. You’ll have to watch after him for a few days.’”

“Raul sent you.” Guti’s mouth shut in a tight line. So much for coming to see me of her own free will…

“Actually…no.” She said with a grin. “See that’s what they said you’d say.”

“Who is ‘they’?”

“Iker, Sergio, and as you previously stated, Raul.”

“I don’t follow…” Guti started back towards the couch and Angelina followed.

“See, Iker and Sergio and I were out at a club, hence this outrageous outfit,” Guti didn’t think it was so outrageous, “and Raul called Iker and asked if I was there. Apparently he couldn’t just call me, don’t ask me why because I couldn’t tell you. Anyway, the two of them talked for a while and decided that I would be the best candidate to watch you. Since I’m so good with my eyes and all…” She shrugged as they reached the couch.

“Right.” Guti said. It never ceased to amaze him that women could tell an entire story without breathing.

“So, here I am. I hope you don’t mind…” She bit her lip and Guti recognized the expression. It was her ‘I hope I’m not making a big fuss’ look.

“No. I welcome the company.” Guti said as he sat. “Don’t tell the others, they think I’m a grouch.”

Angelina smiled. “I couldn’t imagine why they would think that.”

Guti cracked a smile and Angelina grinned widely at him.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad…