The day he met her, he asked if she liked playing with people’s minds, few days of knowing her proved that not only she liked it, but she was damn good at it. The first night they spent talking together she asked him just how confident he could get and few days later proved to her that he could a lot. His tattoos were drawn with his ink on his skin, she could trace them all with her finger but the tattoos he left on her body were different. Every kiss, sharp enough to leave an invisible mark or sometimes visible on her skin. His touch, his palm on her hips, the morning after she could still feel it like his hands were stuck on her body. His smell, strong and invasive, filled her senses as she woke up. She stretched out her hands, out of the sheets that were covering her and let them land on the pillows, she tilted her head to look at them, biting her lips to stop herself from smiling. If she focused enough, she could still feel his curls in between her fingers, holding on to them for dear life while entered deep in her soul and made her mumbled every curse word she knew on the dictionary. She laughed at the memory, the memory of him turning her into a needy little girl while he whispered sweet nothings in her ear.

Her hand reached for her neck, her fingers gently pressing on the territory he had marked as his, she had to bottle down her laugh again, covering her lips with her hand. The lips that were only the night before. In the bed and after in the shower, when he stood behind her, kissing her shoulders while he helped her wash away every trouble and thought. Somewhere in between those moments she had covered his face with a shampoo, the two laughing like kids. Then back on the bed, there was silence this time, stillness and the feeling of sinking. Their bodies pressed into each other’s, his nose nuzzling on her neck. She held on his hands that were wrapped around her, interlocking her fingers with him.

They both must have moved in their sleep because now he was sleeping his face on the pillow, his head looking at the opposite direction of her and she was with her back on the mattress, her hair in a mess. Stealing glances at him. She reached for his broad shoulders that weren’t fully covered by the sheets, stroking his skin with her nail until he shifted just a little. She pulled her hand back, thinking about it. Then she put pressure on her body, twisting a little so she’d hover over him. She kissed his earlobe and his neck, earning soft sleepy ‘hms’ in response. She reached his lips “good morning” she whispered, making him smile in response before kissing him. That’s when he finally turned his body to face her, his arms finding it’s way to her waist, pushing her back gently, so he’d be over her instead.

“Bom dia” he kissed her, his tongue entering her mouth enough to get a moan. “So early in the morning?” he teased, making her blush while he moved closer to her. She placed her hand on his shoulders pushing him back a little, shaking her head. “What? No?” he narrowed his eyebrows.
“I want breakfast” she laughed, stroking his cheek.
“Anything my Princessa wants.” He smiled, giving her a quick kiss before getting up, pulling on the invisible string that was connecting the two of them, Gabriella felt her heart being dragged with him. She had to take a breath, in order to collect herself and get up with him. She looked around the room quickly spotting one of his Brazilian jerseys, yellow and green. She snatched it from the floor, putting it on quickly. The shirt reached down to her knees, she admired how it looked on the mirror, like she was always meant to wear it.

“Wow” he exclaimed when she went to the kitchen, clapping his hands “yellow looks better than blue on you Princessa” you laughed at that, walking up to him. He opened his arms to let you in his chest and you put yours around his neck.
“How long have you been rehearsing that line?”
“Ever since I saw you wearing Leo’s shirt” he confessed, leaning down to kiss her.
“You were drunk up your ass.” She reminded him, chuckling.
“And all I wanted was to take it off you.” He kissed her, reminding her that it was him that sent her on cloud nine last night and not any Argentinian guy. She laughed in between the kiss, pulling back out of embarrassment.
“Too bad because I’ll be wearing it again tomorrow.” She teased, getting an annoyed look by him. It was the first time she realized just how jealous he could get. She kissed his cheek and moved away to get a cup for herself. They drank their coffees while they were longingly staring at each other and it didn’t take long before they ended up on the bed, going at it for a second time.

It only took one time for him memorize all her weak spots, all the curves in her body, all the ways he could make her shiver. Ask him what she was doing to him and he wouldn’t be able to respond because if he could he’d keep his lips on her forever, satisfying her in any way and as long as he could.

When they finished, they laid next to each other, he was playing with her fingers, lifting them up and letting them down repeatedly.

“It feels too good to be true” she mumbled suddenly, getting his attention. He tilted his head on the pillow to be able to see her face, she had a melancholic expression. He held her hand, pulling it to his lips and kissing the back of it.  “I don’t think I’ve been happy in a while Ney. So long that if I felt it, I think I wouldn’t even recognize it.”
“Where is this coming from?” he asked, worryingly, watching her while she stared at the ceiling.
“I was 8 when they died. I had just gotten my first role in a children’s show, just a week before.” She started; her eyes stuck on the ceiling “every time I’ve been remotely happy in my life it has been stolen by a tragedy. Especially after Peter… did you know I was about to start my tour the day after? Instead, I spent the half of a year on a rehab center- and don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for my privileges” she looked at him “but I’m scared that if a let myself be happy with you, something’s gonna happen. Something bad.”
“I know the feeling.” He spoke. She looked at him surprised, raising her eyebrows “when I came to Paris I thought the best to come and then I had to deal with tragedy after tragedy.” He paused, thinking about it “the same thing that fuels me, that drives me when I win, is the same thing kills me when I do and it will never end. It’s a never-ending circle, but you have to deal with it whether you like it or not. Meanwhile the tabloids are having the time of their lives, tearing every loss, every misstep apart…”
“It takes a tall on you.” She finished it the sentence for him, getting closer.
“Yeah.” He responded “but I have a secret advice.”
“Really? What is it?”
“Sit up!” he told her, sitting up himself while she did the same. He stared in her eyes “feche os olhos. feche os ouvidos.”
She stared at him confused, before laughing “I have no clue what that means.”
“Close your eyes.”
“Neymar” she laughed
“Come on.”

She obeyed, closing her eyes, then he placed his hands over her ears and leaned in to kiss her. She repaid the kiss, kissing him back like her life depended on it. His hands slipped away from her face “close your eyes. Close your ears. Shut the world out, live at the moment, ignore the rest.”

She smiled because that was all she could master at the moment and leaned in to him again.  But his advice was short-lived.

Neymar drove her back to her house in the afternoon, for the whole day Ashley had her phone shut off, which is why she didn’t expect what she was met with. Groups of Paparazzi right outside of her house, yelling, some going as far as knocking on the door. She was terrified, it brought back horrible memories, it made her feel so small. Neymar drove away quickly before they were seen and parked the car away from the chaos. Gabriella got out, meanwhile she was talking with Maggie on the phone.

“I’m sorry- I know. What am I supposed to do now?”
Neymar watched her, feeling useless. He wanted to know who the hell leaked the information and go and punch him in the face. Gabriella seemed scared and angry at the same time. When she hanged up, she walked up to him and dropped her head on his chest, groaning. He rubbed her back, sighing disappointed. “You, ok?”
“no.” she answered quickly. She looked up at him, God he wanted to take her sad expression away, he hated seeing her like this.
“Meu amour.” He whispered, holding her face in his hands.
“It was the taxi driver.” She said bluntly, shaking her head “motherfucker recognized me.”
“Wait does he have my address too?”
“No.” she shook her head “he didn’t drop me off at your house. I told him to leave me at the park.” She hid her face in her palms, groaning louder “I fucking hate this.”
“What are you gonna do?”
“I need to get back. Help Maggie with everything.”
“I can come with you.”
“No.” she raised her finger “I’ll walk.”
“Amor they’ll eat you alive if they see you!”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll lock myself in the house until we find another apartment.”
“You can stay with me.” He suggested, it seemed obvious to him but not to her. She narrowed her eyes. “If Maggie wants, she can come as well. You can rent an apartment as a cover up. Under your name. they’ll never guess.”
“We will have a tail on us if we go now.”
“Tomorrow. After the game. There will be chaos in the stadium, no one will see us. Maggie can drive to my house during the match, I’ll send someone to help with the bags. We’ll sneak out the stadium and go after-“he pushed her hair behind her ear “come on, it sounds harder than it is.”
She seemed to be thinking about it, the wheels in her head turning. “Maggie is not gonna like it.”
“Why? It’s a good plan!”
“No. she’s not going to like the part of moving in with you.”
“well…” he shrugged “I’m not a fan of Ms. Maleficent either but I’m willing to settle for my sleeping beauty.” She hit him on the shoulder, laughing.
“She’s not as mean as you think!”
He raised his one eyebrow “right of course I’m sorry.” He nodded “is she worst?” he asked, making her laugh more and hit him again.

When she got back to the house, most of the paparazzi stepped on her, trying to get a picture. Maggie dragged her in the house. Locking the doors. Gabriella told her of Neymar’s plan, talking quickly while she tried to say everything before Maggie could interrupt her. In the end Maggie dropped herself on the couch holding her head.
“I want a raise.” She mumbled.

LUSAIL STADIUM - NEXT DAY

Gabriella went on the game with Antonella, Neymar was sitting as far way from them as he could but the two would glance at each other from time to time until Gabriella got so lost in the game she would only look at the field. Screaming for Messi to go faster or for Alvarez to wake up and score. When the ref blew the whistle, she yelled on top of her lungs, partying with Antonella and the kids until they all went down on the field to celebrate with the team. Neymar watched as every man on the team, hugged her or picked her up, or spoke to her even- no one knew that she was his and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He and Gabriella had set a specific hour they would meet behind the stadium, drive away together when no one could see them. She was late and when she came, she seemed-

“Are you drunk?” he asked in shock.
“Boys are going to a party- you wanna come?”
“Gabriella- “
“Come on just for a little while.” She begged, pulling his hand “it’s just a night out before they start training for the final.”
“Usually, this conversation would happen the other way around, me telling you to go- “
“I know!” she smiled, holding on his shirt “but it will just be for an hour.”
“You’re already drunk, I can smell it”
“I’m not drunk, I’m happy!” she corrected and he thought about what she had told him a day before. Every time she was happy, a tragedy would follow. A part of him liked to see her this way, careless and joyful, not a worry in the world. He couldn’t say no.

But he wished he had because he couldn’t dance with her on the dance floor, he couldn’t hold her or kiss her. Or move his body close to hers along with the tempo. He had to endure everyone else doing those things to her from afar. Leo sat next to him, offering him a drink.
“estás mirando” he said, smiling. Neymar looked at him, a little embarrassed. He laughed it off and thanked him for the drink.
“no puedo evitarlo. Es demasiado guapa.” [I can’t help it. She’s too beautiful.]
“Ah… Pensé que estabas mirando a los chicos. Preguntándote a cuál matar primero.” [I thought you were staring at the guys. Wondering which one to kill first.]

Neymar looked at Messi, his eyes darkening “no.” he said quietly. Looked back at Gabriella who was talking with Alvarez, whispering something in his ear. “Although that boy, Alvarez, is staring to get on my nerves.”
Messi laughed “You should go, stop her.” He said in his broken English “She drinks too much.” Neymar glanced between Gabriella and Messi, debating on the actions he should follow when Messi suddenly started looking in his pockets. He took out his phone, narrowing his eyes and picked it up, yelling on the microphone “Ola?” Messi was struggling to listen to whoever was on the other line, a few seconds later he was passing the phone over to Neymar. “¡Es para ti!”

Neymar gave him a questioning look but took the phone “Hello?”
“Where the hell are you trouble?”
It was Maggie. Last person he wanted to talk to right now. He closed his eyes, cursing God for his luck. “We are on our way, we had to make a quick stop!”
“It’s 2am- is she drunk?”
“No.” he lied.
“Get her home!” She responded angrily and hanged up. Neymar gave the phone back to Messi.
“Fucking Maleficent.” He mumbled and walked over to her direction before he could stop it, suddenly he standing next to her being offered shots.

“JUNIOR!” She yelled excitedly, giving him one of the tequila shots the barman had just passed over to her “Come on! Let’s do this.”
“I think you had too much.”
“Don’t be a buzzkill Jr.” said Alvarez, his arm slipping around her shoulders, a movement that made Neymar’s stomach twist. Gabriella didn’t seem to bother, she just knocked the shot and the wood and after counting to three, drank the whole thing. He did the same, his eyes remaining on Alvarez who kept whispering in her ear, laughing with her, he started getting to close, way to close. Neymar slapped his hand off her, pushing him back.

“Back off!” he warned, while Alvarez was rebalancing himself. He stepped in front of Gabriella like he was going to protect her from anything.
“What’s your deal man?” he asked “It’s her fucking choice-“
“She’s fucking drunk- she’s not making any choices!”
“She seems to be enjoying herself!” he tried to reach over Neymar at Gabriella but Ney grabbed his hand, throwing it back at him. Alvarez went to punch him as a respond but was stopped by mess, standing in between both of them. “Why don’t you go back to Brazil- you fucking losers-“ Neymar was gonna jump past Messi, if it wasn’t for Gabriella gripping on his arm, his attention turning back to her. She was pale and dizzy.
“Let’s go.” He whispered in her hair.

They walked outside of the club and she looked better the second she was hit by the cold air in her face. She looked up at Neymar laughing. He knew that laugh; it was the laugh of a drunk person about to lose all their senses. She pulled on his shirt, making a ball of the fabric in her hands and pulled him down to kiss him, in front of everyone. Cameras clicking, the flash blinding them both. He tried to say her name in between the kiss, she didn’t listen. She moved back only a few minutes later, a naughty look in her eyes, she laughed “I like getting you jealous, it’s sexy “she sang, making him laugh as well. His driver helped him get her in the car, on the whole drive she was trying to kiss him, touch him everywhere. He didn’t want to take advantage of her state but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy it, then she four words. Four words that he had read online but he never really processed until now and the affect they’d have on them

“I’m going on tour.”