Stella Pulisic has been away at college - tucked away at Villanova. After graduation and a couple months with a grimy job, she takes time off to join her famous brother and his teammates in Qatar for the World Cup. She's reunited with her childhood...
The old-fashioned alarm sounded through the hotel room. It was a shrill ring that awoke Gio from his deep sleep. He could feel how heavy his caramel eyes were, drooping as he rolled over on his side.
They felt dry and full of crust, in definite need of eye drops. He glanced at the blurry red numbers: 5am. A groan escaped him, bellowing from his gut.
"Chris." He called out to the young man in the other bed. Gio slapped his hand against the alarm, trying to turn it off with no luck. It kept beeping. "Christian!"
The forward slept with one of the fluffy pillows sprawled over his face. He hadn't budged at any of the noise. Gio rubbed his temple, pushing himself up against the bed frame.
He narrowed his eyes on an orange prescription bottle sitting on top of the nightstand. An empty glass of water was resting beside it. Gio rubbed the back of his neck, wishing he could be in such a state of slumber.
"Christian! Get up!" Gio clapped, trying to gain his attention. "We gotta get dressed, bro."
Christian, finally showing signs of life, shifted his weight and tried to wave off the awakening. He shoved his hand towards Gio with a grimace. "Leave me alone, G."
"Dude." Gio forced a chuckle, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. "We have a flight to catch soon."
"They won't leave without us." Gio didn't have to look at him to know he was rolling his light brown eyes. "It's a private flight. Us- being the private."
"No shit, Kanye." Gio stood, feeling the ache in his legs. "But we still need to get ready. Neither one of us packed and our moms will kill us."
There was a long pause before Christian grumbled in response. "Fine."
Gio turned on a lamp, making his way to the closet. He grabbed all of his dirty clothes first and put them into a big plastic bag. He chucked his jerseys and tee shirts into his opened suitcase, and folded his jeans into tight rolls. Christian was sorting through his own stuff now, but took a second to glance at his friend.
"Why haven't you asked my sister out?"
Gio stopped moving, dropping whatever pair of shorts were in his hand. He felt how hot his cheeks were turning. They probably looked like a flaming red tomato. And although his back was turned to Christian, he knew that the signs were obvious. "What do you mean?"
Christian took in a breath before blowing out an annoyed puff of air. "If you like her just ask her out. You scared I'm gonna beat you up?"
Gio slowly turned to him with his lips twisted. "That's the least of my concerns..."
Christian was wearing a pair of too-big basketball shorts and a bare chest to match it. His brown eyes swirled with whites and gray. He was holding some words back- Gio could tell, by the way the forward kept looking around like a nervous cat. "Do you... love her?"
Gio furrowed his brows. His face grew tense, staring at his friend. He could feel his palms sweating against his side. He clenched his jaw, nodding slowly. "Yes."
Christian's eyes widened, not in shock, but dismay he had actually admitted his feelings. Gio sat on the edge of the bed. His suitcase dipped too. He let out a chuckle. "I think I've always loved her."
Christian sat across from him, awkwardly fiddling with the end of his shorts. "Yeah... I know."
Gio rolled his eyes as the two of them laughed. When it became quiet again, Christian looked like he was thinking about what to say next. "You should ask her, G. I don't wanna speak for her- because she'd hate me, but... ask her out man."
Gio nodded, feeling his heart warm. "You're okay with it?"
Christian grinned. "I know I'm not the best guy to give advice about relationships, but I've seen you and Stella love each other in silence all these years... I think it's time you guys get a happy ending."
"Where's this coming from?" Gio chuckled, trying to hide the gratitude in his eyes. "Mushy gushy Pully."
Christian groaned, slapping Gio on the knee. "Shut up."
"Maybe if you used your own advice you'd be back with Hannah." Gio crossed his arms. "I'm sure you're holding back too."
Christian shook his head, shrugging his shoulders. "I think we both know she's moved on."
"Let me ask you something, Cap." Gio narrowed his eyes at him. "Do you love my cousin?"
There was a long pause. Christian let out a sigh. "Of course I love her."
"Then why aren't you trying to get her back?"
Christian looked around, avoiding his gaze. "I think she'd be happier if I didn't."
Gio closed his eyes for a moment. He let out a breath of air, opening his eyes again. "Yeah... I know."
A knock erupted on the door. "Chris!? Gio!? Are you boys awake!"
