Cause and Effect

Nineteen

A/N: never ever ever put "Neymar cute" into google images you will loose far too much time looking at them all. But hey I needed a pic for this chapter so... you're welcome ;)

I was awakened by the click of an iPhone camera shutter, and I felt Neymar stirring beneath me. I kept my eyes closed, not wanting to face the light just yet, but I could hear voices talking. Hector was the one with the camera, and he was talking to Neymar.

"You two are so cute," Hector grinned. "Did you sleep here all night?"

"I think so, it was unintentional though," Neymar responded. "Hec, I know this must look bad, but..."

"No I trust you, it's okay, and I know Nia would never do that."

"She was crying, Hector, like... heartbroken. She just looked so vulnerable and small, there's no way I could just leave her."

"Why was she crying?" Hector asked, incredulously.

Neymar didn't respond audibly, but he must have responded somehow, because Hector said

"Oh. Right."

"I know."

"What did he do?"

"I'm not entirely sure to be honest, but he's gonna cop it when he gets in today."

I couldn't help responding to this.

"No he's not," I said, blinking my eyes open to see Hector standing above us. "It wasn't really Lex's fault, I told you that."

Neymar rolled his eyes.

"Nia..."

"Neymar." I glared at him.

He sighed, and shook his head.

"Okay, I'll leave him alone. But you better sort this out."

"I will," I nodded, smiling a little. "Thanks, Ney, I... I really needed someone to just be there, y'know, and..."

"It's okay," he murmured, kissing my temple and leaving shock waves over my skin where his lips touched it. "Just don't cry anymore."

"I won't," I shook my head.

I avoided Alexis during training that morning. I'd come face to face with him in the dressing room beforehand, and we'd both decided it would be better to talk after the session. Somehow, though, that didn't happen either. Not that we were really to blame for that - we were both otherwise occupied when the time came.

There was a new girl in training that morning. I recognised her as Zara from the U21's. She was Italian, and had only been at Arsenal for a year, so even though I was only twenty, I didn't actually know her. First team football had consumed all of my energies, and I hadn't played for the U21's since I was eighteen.

Zara seemed nice enough, although she was very quiet, but I went out of my way to talk to her, since I was the only other girl there. She was tall - taller than me, with long black hair and black eyes, and immaculate pale skin. The contrast reminded me of Snow White. And call me judgemental, but I'd never seen anyone wear so much makeup to the training ground. That was merely personal taste, however, and I was prepared to welcome her to the team. She spoke only English and Italian, but somehow she picked up a friendship with Mesut and Alexis, which made me smile. Alexis would get the much needed practice at his English. I always spoke Spanish with him, it was both of our first languages, so it made sense.

"Is she any good?" Was the first thing Anya wanted to know."

City had played Tottenham at their midweek game (yesterday - ours was tomorrow.) So today we were catching up at my house, before duty called her back to Manchester, and me to the Arsenal training ground ahead of our West Ham game.