For The Longest Time

Chapter One: The Secret Wedding

Nibbling on his bottom lip, Lionel Messi swallowed looking at his watch as he waited for his girlfriend of three years to arrive at the court house; he knew that it was common place for a bride to be late on her wedding day but he hadn't thought that Rosalie would be late for this.

"Lionel will you relax, she will be here," Sergio Agüero said looking at Lionel, he knew that his friend was nervous about getting caught by their parents; their parents would never approve of what they were about to do.

"What if she had left me at the altar?" Lionel said worried that his girlfriend would do that to him, he was nervous enough about the fact that he was doing this without his parents' permission and he didn't want anyone to stop them before they could say I do.

"Would I ever do that to you?" asked a voice that had Lionel grinning as soon as he heard it; he turned around and swallowed as he looked at Rosalie Maradona who was wearing a champaign V-neck knee-length sash lace wedding dress paired with nude heeled sandals.

"You look hermonsa," Lionel breathed stepping towards her before they were called inside; Sergio chuckled as he patted the footballer on the back as he carefully dragged Lionel away from his girlfriend and towards the room where he would marry Rosalie.

***

"We are gathered here today to join together Lionel Andrés Messi and Rosalie Violet Maradona in matrimony; which is an honourable and solemn estate and therefore is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently and soberly. If anyone can show just cause why they may not be lawfully joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace," the official said opening the wedding.

Lionel closed his eyes dreading the moment anyone would speak up, they had two witnesses that were with them and no one else knew that they were getting married right now.

The official nodded his head before he continued on with the ceremony, he had been a little surprised when he had been asked to do this small ceremony; it was rare that he helped teenagers elope.

"Lionel, do you take Rosalie as your lawful wedded wife, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honour, comfort, and cherish her from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto her for as long as you both shall live?" the official asked making Lionel swallow as he realised that this was happening; he took a deep breathe to calm himself knowing that he wanted this.

"I do," Lionel said making Rosalie grin as she looked at him, she couldn't believe that she was marrying her boyfriend of three years.

"Rosalie, do you take Lionel for your lawful wedded husband, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honour, comfort, and cherish him from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto him for as long as you both shall live?" the celebrant asked as the blonde felt Lionel squeeze her hand, he grinned at her knowing that this was what they both wanted.

"I do," Rosalie said grinning back, her father would kill her when he discovered that she was marrying her boyfriend; she had only just turned eighteen and was about to start university in Madrid.

"I, Leo Messi, take thee, Rosa Maradona, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honour, and cherish, 'til death do us part, and thereto I plight thee my troth," Lionel said as he recited his vows putting her 18ct white gold half carat diamond double row eternity ring onto her finger, he grinned knowing that she was nearly his wife.

"I, Rosa Maradona, take thee, Leo Messi, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honour, and cherish, 'til death do us part, and thereto I plight thee my troth," Rosalie repeated slipping his 18ct white gold diamond wedding ring, the blonde knew what she was signing herself up for by marrying Lionel but she couldn't bring herself to care.

"May this couple be prepared to continue to give, be able to forgive and experience more and more joy with each passing day. Lionel and Rosalie have consented to live forever together in wedlock, and have witnessed the same before this company, having given and pledged their troth, each to the other, I pronounce that they are husband and wife," the official said making the couple grin at one another before they kissed.

Lionel held Rosalie close knowing that they were going to have to be careful so that no one realised that they had married; it was safer if everyone assumed that they were breaking up instead of revealing the truth of their marriage to them.

***

Rosalie sighed looking at Lionel, she would have to head home soon so that her father didn't question her about where she had been; she hated that he treated her like a child even though she wasn't the youngest.

"When do you head back to Barcelona?" Rosalie asked looking at her new husband, she hated that he would be leaving her so soon and that they wouldn't really be able to get to spend time together.

Diego Maradona had never wanted his daughters to be involved with footballers even if he had been one himself.

Diego claimed that because of his own wrong doings as a footballer and a man that he wanted to protect them from ever being hurt that way and their mother, Claudia Villafañe had agreed.

Neither of the couple had been pleased when they had learnt that their daughter was dating Lionel Messi and it didn't even matter to them that he seemed to care and love Rosalie; it didn't even bother him that the blonde was his idol's daughter.

"In the next few days," Lionel admitted, he hated that he had preseason so soon after he had married Rosalie but they'd had to wait until the blonde had turned eighteen before they could marry without her parents' consent.

"When will you be joining me in Spain?" Lionel asked knowing that it had taken her a lot to convince her parents to leave Argentina to go to university even if they didn't expect that it was because of him.

Rosalie kissed his lips as she looked at him, she was looking forward to escaping her parents and just being with him.

"Next month... my padre won't let me leave any earlier," Rosalie said annoyed that she would be spending four weeks without her husband; it was far too long for them to be parted.

The couple knew that this was going to be dangerous; Lionel was already working on a plan that would allow him to hide his wife away from the world so that she would never have to worry about the press.

"It'll be okay," Lionel reassured Rosalie knowing that she had worries like he did; they would be in a lot of trouble if their secret was ever revealed and their parents would demand that they have an annulment or divorce.