Chapter Text
“Fuck you, bro! I've dated plenty of people before,” Leo says indignantly, glaring across the couch at Mascherano, who was grinning at him with a smug expression. Mascherano got up, shaking his head, and wandered off, presumably for more drinks.
They were at a party with their teammates, celebrating their latest win. While Leo didn't necessarily want to go in the first place—preferring to spend the night in, resting his sore muscles—Gerard Piqué had absolutely insisted that Leo could not miss this party because it was going to be the biggest and the bestest of the whole year. Leo had still resisted, but Geri quite literally dragged him out.
Resigned to his fate, Leo had decided to at least make the most of the free alcohol. Many hours and drinks later, the party had mostly died down and Leo found himself on one of the couches with his closest friends. Somehow, the conversation led to Leo’s lack of dating in the past few months or so, and now his friends were badgering him about it.
“Yeah, but you haven't dated anyone since Antonela,” Geri whined, “like, are you actually still hung up on her?”
Leo felt a flush crawl up his neck, so instead of replying he consulted the drink in his hand.
Clearly, he wasn't as discreet as he thought, because Lavezzi laughed loudly from across the table, “Look at him! He's clearly still so into Antoooo,” he dragged out “o” before collapsing into giggles.
Leo glared at him, but it was too late—the flush had reached his cheeks and burned fiercely. He clenched the drink in his hand and looked at his lap.
Kun simply chuckled from beside him, “Oh yeah, I can definitely see it.” He slung an arm over Leo’s shoulders and patted his shoulder in what felt like faux sympathy.
“You should really get back out there, Leo, before you're all old and wrinkly and can't move,” Cesc piped up from the couch to the left side of the table. Leo glanced at him, unamused.
Lavezzi, who recovered from his giggles, simply shook his head. “He can't, he won't be able to find anyone as good as Antonela.”
It was true, Leo thought secretly, because no one would ever be able to measure up to Anto. She was his childhood friend, and they had dated for years. While the breakup had shattered him, he still knew Anto was the best thing that ever happened to him.
“Even if he could, I bet he wouldn't be able to actually go out with them. He only got lucky because he knew Anto since childhood,” Geri said, looking at Leo, mischief twinkling in his eyes.
“No way, I absolutely could get anyone I wanted, if I wanted to,” Leo scoffed.
“You could,” murmured Kun, rubbing his shoulder a little with his fingers, thoughtfully.
Before Leo could respond to that, the rest of the room had erupted into laughter and started talking over each other.
“No way you could.”
“Man, someone’s confident…”
“Please, you wish!”
Leo glared around the room. “C’mon, seriously guys? You actually doubt in me that much? Ouch,” he says, clutching his heart in fake pain.
“Prove it, then,” Geri challenged, grinning widely. Cesc and Lavezzi nodded eagerly, agreeing with him.
Leo sniffed. “No, I'm not getting into a relationship just to prove my charisma. I've got more important things to do,” he said before finishing the rest of his drink.
“Yeah, like jerking off to pictures of Antonela,” Lavezzi giggled out. Leo threw him a look of annoyance and tossed his empty can at him, hitting him square in the chest. Lavezzi simply laughed harder and Cesc clapped him on the shoulder, muttering “good one”.
“Not funny,” Leo grumbled out. Kun patted his shoulder.
“He's saying no because he knows he'd fail,” Geri simply replies, shrugging his shoulders. Cesc makes a sound of agreement.
“No, I'm saying no because it's not worth my time,” Leo shot back.
“What's not worth your time?” Mascherano, who had wandered back into the room, questioned. He plopped himself down next to Geri and wordlessly handed him a beer, before chucking beers to everyone else in the room, except Kun, who had just been nursing soda the entire evening.
Lavezzi mouthed ‘thanks’ at Mascherano and Cesc spoke up, “Dating anyone, apparently.”
“Yeah, Leo thinks he could pull anyone he wanted. I told him to prove it,” Geri hummed.
Mascherano snorted. “No way. He's still head-over-heels for Antonela.”
“Right? Like, who'd want to date someone who's still in love with their ex?” Lavezzi agreed, popping open his can.
Leo could feel the blush creeping back, so he crossed his arms and tried to look nonchalant. “No no, I'm over Anto. I swear. I'm just not proving anything, because it's seriously not worth my time,” he said, looking pointedly at Geri, who raised his hands in faux surrender.
Kun, who had remained silent for a bit, coughs, drawing everyone's attention to him. Leo looked at him and Kun was staring straight at him. “I could make it worth your time,” Kun stated, looking thoughtful.
“What do you mean?” Leo asked, confused.
“Well… how about a bet?” Kun paused, thinking, “If you can stay in a steady relationship for… let's see… six months, I'll give you €10,000.”
“W-what?” Leo spluttered, “€10,000? Seriously?”
Kun just smiled slightly and nodded.
€10,000? That was… a lot to Leo. Of course, it was probably pocket change for Kun. It was simply no secret that Kun’s parents had money. He probably made €30,000 monthly just for being their son. Still, to Leo, €10,000 meant food, gas, paying his college loans and tuition, and so much more. €10,000 was more money than Leo had ever held in his hands before.
Leo simply coughed. “And… if I lose?”
Kun hummed thoughtfully. “Well… you'll have to do something for me. I'm not… entirely sure yet,” he said, but his eyes twinkled with something.
Leo inhaled slowly. It was extremely tempting, €10,000 would be so helpful right now. All he had to do was find a nice, pretty girl, date her then dump her. Simple. Plus, if he did lose, he doesn't think Kun would make him do anything too over-the-top.
So he looked at Kun and nodded, a slight smile gracing his face. “Ok, ok. I'll do it. It'll be easy. Any girl I want?” he confirmed, and Kun nodded. Leo fully grinned and held out his hand to shake. He could already imagine the €10,000 in his hands.
Kun started to reach out his hand, but before they grasped hands, Lavezzi suddenly interjected, “Now, no, no, hold on.” Everyone looked at him, and he was shaking his head. “This is way too easy for Leo,” he stated.
Leo tilted his head. “Seriously? I thought you said I couldn't do it?” he questioned, frowning.
Lavezzi grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, but we were just pulling your leg.”
Next to him, Cesc was nodding. “Yeah yeah, this'll be too easy. We need to add something…” he trailed off, thinking.
“What if… we chose the person?” Mascherano spoke up, looking over to Kun. Kun hummed and nodded.
The group was silent for a minute, clearly thinking up someone for Leo to date. Suddenly, Lavezzi broke into a huge grin, glancing at Geri for a second before turning to Kun and Leo.
“Hah, I got just the person,” Lavezzi stated loudly, pausing for dramatic effect, “How about… Neymar?”
“Wait—Neymar?” Geri asked, leaning forward and frowning deeply, but he was drowned out by the howling laughter from Cesc and Mascherano, Lavezzi giggling along with them.
Leo frowned alongside Geri. Neymar Jr. was the college’s biggest, most well-known homosexual. He was a loud, rambunctious, colourful Brazilian first-year who seemed to have connections all over the school. He had spoken to Neymar before, but tried to avoid him after the kid had made a pass on him. Ok, well, all Neymar had really done was ask if Leo had wanted to go to the movies once, at a party not too long ago, but Leo was with Anto at the time. Plus, well, Leo’s not gay.
Leo voiced these thoughts after the laughter died down. “Neymar? The first-year Brazilian? Seriously? Lavezzi, I'm not gay, you know that,” he said, his frown deepening. His finger idly traced the rim of his can.
Lavezzi simply shrugged, still grinning.
Cesc is the one to answer Leo, “Yeah, well, Kun can't just give you €10,000 for nothing. You gotta work for it.”
Mascherano let out a low laugh. “Neymar would definitely make you work for it.”
“C'mon guys, Neymar is actually a nice guy. Don't play with his feelings like this, the kid’ll actually take everything to heart,” Geri interjected, looking slightly agitated, for some reason.
“Oh c'mon, please. That guy has thick skin. He doesn't care what people say about him,” Cesc simply shoots back. Geri furrowed his brow, but just got up and left the room.
Leo takes this moment to speak, “Guys, please. Not Neymar. He has… so much energy, it's exhausting. Plus, y'know, I'm not gay. Please. Kun?” He glances to his left, but Kun is currently staring into space, a frown tugging down the corners of his lips. If anything, if Leo squinted, Kun actually looked a bit… sad? But before he could speak, Lavezzi threw a can at Kun, jerking Kun out of his blank staring.
“Kun? What about Neymar? That'll certainly make Leo earn the €10,000, right?” Lavezzi asked.
Kun just nodded. “What? Yeah… yeah, sure, Neymar'll do,” he muttered out. Leo sighed, but accepted his fate.
Lavezzi whooped, punching the air, but it was Mascherano who spoke next.
“And Leo, you gotta actually, like, put effort in. Y'know, go on dates, kiss, hold hands, have sex,” he said the last two words with a wild grin.
Leo simply nodded. €10,000 is €10,000, and he's sick of arguing with the guys, plus the alcohol is making his head whirl. “Yeah, fine, whatever,” he muttered.
Cesc clapped his hands together. “Alright, a deal’s a deal. Shake on it,” he nodded towards Kun and Leo.
Leo turned his body slightly towards Kun, who is just staring at him. As always, he is hard to read, so Leo simply grabbed his outstretched hand and shook it.
After that, the group fell into easy conversation.
That night, after a few more drinks, Kun drives him back to his dorm. They sit outside in silence for a bit, before Kun speaks up.
“Y'know, you didn't have to accept the bet,” he simply says, staring at the wheel.
Leo, who is completely inebriated at this point, laughs and hiccups. “C'mon, man, I'd do anything for €10,000. Not all of us are made of money, Kun Kun.”
Kun just looks up and gives him a small smile. “Yeah, I know. Just… don't worry too much about losing, ok?” he says.
“No, no. I will not be losing,” he opens the door, but faces Kun, “Thanks for the ride.” He leans in and gives Kun a peck on the cheek before jumping out.
He doesn't hear Kun drive off as he walks away.
On his way to his room, he pulls out his phone and opens Instagram. He searches Neymar’s account up. As he figured, the account is just as colourful as he is in person.
Leo doesn't waste too much time looking through his posts. Instead, he opens up a chat thread and shoots off a simple “Hey :)”. He pockets his phone as he reaches his door.
As soon as his body hits his mattress, he's out.