𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙫𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙨, 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥

𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒖𝒆 ｡ﾟﾟ･

february 5, 2003
barcelona, hospital universitari dexeus,

"She's beautiful," Leo breathed. Antonela and Leo looked down at the newborn baby with shining eyes. The little girl's eyes were shut, but her hand twitched. Leo held his finger out and she wrapped her tiny fist around it. Just like that, Leo knew he would do anything for her. Anything she could ever want, he would be powerless to stop her. He looked at Antonela whose eyes were watering. She looked at him and he could see the exhaustion and the joy written all over her face. Could she see his?

Months of apprehension easily faded away the moment his daughter slowly opened her eyes. Leo's breath caught at the pools of brown gazing back at him. They were easily the most beautiful things he had ever seen in his life. He placed a shaky finger and slid it delicately down the newborn's cheek. She blinked lazily and scrunched her small nose. Leo knew he'd give anything to live in this moment forever, nothing seemed to matter more than this anymore. Football matches, and social events— he could not bring himself to care about them and was so grateful he canceled every single one he could think of for the next 2 months.

It didn't matter to him that they were 'too young' or 'unprepared' like the media said he was. He knew he could do this as long as Antonela was by his side. He had his family and his team, who were a second family to him. They would help guide him and teach him, just like they always have.

"I know," Antonela hiccuped, a tear streaking down her face, and Leo gently wiped and brushed it away, " and she's ours."

— • — • —

germany, 2006.
stadium; arena aufschalke

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐮𝐩

"Root for Papi, okay Mi Princesa?" Leo cooed at his 3-year-old daughter. She grinned at him and he couldn't help the urge to pinch her chubby cheeks.

Aurelia scrunched her face, "No, don't pinch me, Papa!" Leo smiled and rubbed her cheeks.

Antonela laughed, gently waving her hand at him, "Leo, you have to go! They're calling you!"

"I know, I'm going!" Leo said but didn't move from his spot. Antonela rolled her eyes.

"I don't want to go," Leo whined and Aurelia raised her arms for him to lift her, Leo immediately picked her up, pulled her close to him, and kissed her face, "I love you so much, Chiquita," he said softly.

Aurelia placed her chubby hands on his cheeks, "I love you too, Papi,"

"LEO! COME ON!"

Leo groaned at the sound of his coach calling for him. Now, he really needed to go.

"Okay, I'll  see you both after the match, wish me luck." Leo kissed Antonela on the lips. He brushed Aurelia's hair away from her forehead and placed a kiss there.

"LET'S GO!" Someone Antonela didn't recognize shouted impatiently at the end of the tunnel. They slapped their hand on the wall, "OR WE'LL START WITHOUT YOU!"

"I'm coming!" Leo called out, "Just, wait for a second!"

"Go!" Antonela laughed. Leo laughed and raised his hands backing away, "I'm going!"

"You've got your Papi wrapped around your tiny little fingers, dont you?" Antonela murmured softly to her daughter, watching her boyfriend sprint away from them. Aurelia looked up at her mother and gave a happy grin. "Let's go watch Papi,"

3 weeks later,
barcelona, camp nou,

"What do you mean, 'she's gone?' She was just here!" Leo shouted, fear rising in him, "Where did she go?!"

"We checked the cameras, and it looks like someone...took her," the police officer said hesitantly. He clearly didn't want to say the wrong thing and upset the professional footballer; unfortunately this was not a happy situation to be in for any of them, "We don't know where they are, the cameras stop just down the street. It looks like they knew this,"

"I don't care about the stupid cameras, can you find her?" Leo spat angrily, "Or are you incapable of doing your damn job?"

His teammates tried to calm him down but they were also angry and afraid. Aurelia was like the team's daughter, she was there for most of the matches, cheering them on, and after, would hug them all even if they lost. They would often find her on the training pitch, kicking footballs. They had all spent time with her and cared for her like she was their own. Leo and Antonela looked to them when they first found out about the pregnancy, and together, they helped them raise her.

"We are doing the best we can but—," the man tried but Leo refused to hear of any of it.

"NO, YOU'RE NOT! If you were, she would be here! Here," Leo pointed to himself, "with me, not alone with—with—," Leo couldn't breathe. His face felt like it was burning. He wiped his face and numbly realized he was crying. Someone grabbed his shoulders and he could see a blurry face. Someone pulled him in their arms and Leo just...wept. It felt like days. He collapsed on his knees, feeling the realization of the grave situation starting to pull him down.

'She must be so scared,' he thought in pain. She was so small, why would anyone want to take her? Why would they want to hurt her?

He couldn't stop crying, he didn't know where his little girl was. What was he going to tell Antonela? How could he do this?
His little princess. He would never get to brush her hair again, never get to have imaginary tea parties with her, or watch her build legos up into a tower. He would never be able to see her go to school, never help her drive her first car, or support her if she ever wanted a job.

Leo gripped whoever was holding him, his body shook with the force of his sobs. What kind of father was he, if he couldn't even keep his daughter safe?