lemonade | p.dybala

ventisei.

« keep love in your heart. a life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.»

'i better go after him.' says tina getting up and following paulo out of the dining room.

'paulo.' she says but he ignores her.

'paulo!' she says louder but he still ignores her. she grabs his hand to turn him around but he shrugs her off.

'come on paulo, i was only joking around.' she says.

'joking around?' he says looking at her.

'you think that was joking around? you really think telling my teammates private parts of our relationship is joking around?'

'at first, it was fun. i didn't mind you saying stupid shit i've done but then you started saying things that should only be private between us, that crossed the line valentina!'

'they'll have forgotten about it by tomorrow, come back and join us.'

'you don't fucking get it!' he says getting louder.

this is the third time they've argued within the space of two weeks. their relationship was slowly crumbling down but none of them wanted to admit it.

'that was private information! do you really think i would say stuff about you? no i fucking wouldn't, because it's got nothing to do with any anyone else!'

'wait where are you going?' she says as he puts his coat on.

'you really think i can show my face now? i'm going home.' he says opening the front door.

'no come on paulo, i'm sorry.'

'if you really cared about us, you wouldn't have said it in the first place.' he says before shutting the front door.

|x|

it's the next morning and the tension in the air is so thick, a knife couldn't even cut it. tina stayed for another hour, just talking to his teammates, asking them to forget what she said.

when she came home, she went into their bedroom and noticed some tissues by the side of his bed. she decided it would be best if she would just sleep in the spare room.

she's sat in the kitchen, eating her cereals in silence as paulo has already left for training. she's just scrolling through news articles until she gets a message on instagram.

neymarjr : hey tina, long time no speak! i know what happened between us what slightly odd but i was just wondering how you are? i've noticed you're dating paulo, you both look incredible happy and healthy

i wasn't expecting that, thought tina.

valentinafranco: hey neymar, yeah it has been a while. i'm good, i'm just going through a current situation with paulo, hopefully we'll get through it, how are you? i see you and bruna got back together, i can tell there was some anger and revenge between us but i'm glad we can be mature adults about it now

neymarjr: what's happening between you and paulo? if you don't want to talk about, i understand completely

valentinafranco: a lot of things, my life is slowly crumbling down. i thought moving to europe would improve it but it's making it worse

neymarjr: do you want to talk about it? i'm not a life expert but i could give you some advice

valentinafranco: i'd actually appreciate that, could you call me?

valentinafranco : i mean do you still have my number?

by the time valentina sent that message, a phone number appeared with the location "paris" located. she lost her number when she changed phone.

'hey t.' says a familiar voice.

'it's nice to hear your voice again.' says tina.

'same to you. so tell me, what's on your mind?' he asks. he's currently at home, lying down on the couch while davi plays on fifa.

'a lot of shit. i lost my best friends, i'm a foreign country where i don't know the language well enough to talk to people, my relationship with paulo is slowly crumbling, i haven't got a job yet and i'm incredibly homesick!' she says.

'wait what? you lost alejandro and luisa?' he says surprised.

'yeah, it's a long story. it's for another day.' she says.

'and about the foreign country, i completely understand you. when i left brazil to go to spain, to play for barça, not only was it a completely different country but also a language i didn't know. i missed brazil like crazy but the barça players made me feel right at home. you just need to surround yourself with the right people.' he says.

'and then i left barça for france and had to do it all over again! french is such a hard language i swear.' he says laughing slightly.

'and what's going on with you and paulo?'

'we just keep arguing about the stupidest things. okay sometimes it's serious but most of the time it isn't. we're similar yet so different at the same time. this is my first proper relationship, i just want it to go well.' she says biting her lip.

'but maybe we're just not meant to be, that's why we keep arguing.'

'no! don't you dare say that tina. you can't give up now. look, no relationship is perfect. if both individuals were the exact same, it would be the most boring couple on earth i swear. sometimes your differences can make a relationship stronger. you just need to sit down and talk about it properly. when you're both in a good mood, not just when he's back from training or whatever.'

'communication is key. but don't forget, i'm not a relationship expert. I'm just telling you this because this is what i eventually realised what was missing from my relationship to make it work. I haven't seen you and paulo actually together but i've seen that you look very happy together, don't give up on him tina please.' he says, making tina stop and think about it.

'you're right. we do need to talk but not end up shouting at each other. thanks neymar.'

'you're welcome, and also tina if you want to take a break from the italian countryside, just hop on a plane to paris and i'll pick you up.' he says laughing slightly.

'i'm pretty sure i'll be there sooner than you think.' she says laughing.

|x|

'look, i've been thinking.' says paulo, they are currently sitting at the dining table.

'about?'

'us.' he says, making tina's heart beat fast.

he's breaking up with me, thought tina.

'i'm not breaking up with you tina, breath.' he says laughing slightly.

'about what happened last night, i'm over it. i've made mistakes and you forgave me so it's my turn. i just don't want us to continue fighting like this.' he says.

'i really am sorry about that paulo, i think i had a little too much to drink and it just blurted out. but i am taking full responsibility for my actions.'

'it's fine honestly. let's just forget everything happened and start again. and let's try and communicate more by arguing less. agree?

'agreed.'

ending was boring but i might have another idea for a fanfic! this might be rather neymar or marc, or would you like another paulo fanfiction?