Anon asked: hey, have you ever written a story like ruben having an affair with his teammate's girlfriend? 

No, but here is a try! 

Enjoy!

"Pass the ball Bernardo!"

It was a late practice. Every player was already tired from a full day's training.

"Go on then!" The City players shouted. "Pass Ruben the fucking ball!"

Bernardo didn't listen. He wasn't even doing the drills correctly. It was pass, pass, dribble, then shoot. Bernardo just went on dribbling by himself, refusing to pass Ruben, who ran beside him, the ball. He was meant to assist him but Bernardo ran up to the goal and took the shot anyway. His teammates sighed, including Ruben. Coach blew the whistle and ordered everyone to the dressing rooms, everyone except Bernardo.

"What's wrong with him?" His teammates questioned. "I always tell him he looks like a donkey, now he plays like one too."

Ruben walked in silence, not looking back to the pitch where coach stood yelling at Bernardo like the child he was.

"Have you talked to him lately, Ruben?" His teammate, John, asked. Like the others, he seemed concerned.

"You know Bernardo." Ruben shrugged. "It's just a slip on soap, he'll be alright."

"Yeah, but do you know if everything is alright with him, like at home? You know his family don't you? His wife?"

Ruben would rather not. He hadn't thought about Ines since their last encounter, when she decisively told him never to come near her again. Bernardo however, thought otherwise, leaving Ruben with a black eye that day. It wasn't visible for long though, since Bernardo didn't hit very hard.

"I don't know John. Ask her yourself if you're so concerned." Ruben left his friend clueless, heading for the showers. He couldn't careless if Bernardo was in a mood, all he cared about was Ines and the fact that she refused to return any of his text messages.

"This is all your fault!"

Chaos erupted in the dressing room. Ruben, wet hair and a towel wrapped around his waist, had just stepped out of the shower. Bernardo had joined his teammates in the dressing room and as they tried to adress what happened today during training, Bernardo spotted Ruben and all he saw was red.

"I'll kill you!"

Ruben barley flinched as his teammates rushed to prevent Bernardo from getting to him. He found the sight quite amusing.

Bernardo gritted his teeth. "I invite you to my home and you try to fuck my wife!'

"He what?"

The other players frowned, heads shifting amongst each other.

"Ruben, you didn't?"

He didn't not answer them, letting them assume the worst.

"Come on man." Jack said. "Not even I would do that, even if Bernardo's wife is a ten."

"Shut up Jack." The others hissed. They tried to hold Bernardo back, but clearly struggled to.

"I trusted you! Ines trusted you! And now she's...." Bernardo's voice broke. He stopped fighting, his knees folding beneath him. He crumbled to the floor, trembling with the low sniffles that escaped his mouth. Pathetic, Ruben thought. The other player went to comfort Bernardo, Ruben however, got dressed and left the training grounds. He was done for the day.

Ruben went home to prepare one of his favorite meals, a fine piece of steak which he planned to stuff in the oven with some baked potatoes. However, half way through his long but relaxing cooking session, the doorbell rang.

"Ines?"

He opened the door to his apartment and to Ruben's suprise there she stood, dressed in a long coat.

"Can we talk?"

Ruben stepped aside, letting her into his apartment. A lovely suprise, he thought, since he hadn't expected her to show up at his doorstep unprovoked and without an invitation.

"You need to call Bernardo and tell him to come home." She said.

Ruben watched her remove her coat, her hair damped with water. It must be raining outside.

"Did you hear what I said?" She asked, her voice stern and determined.

Ruben smiled. "I heard you."

"Good."

"Would you like somthing to drink?" Ruben slipped back into the kitchen. Glad to see that Ines was comfortable following him. A sign that what happened between them hadn't been that appalling to her, perhaps she even had trouble admitting how much she had actually enjoyed it, Ruben hands, roaming her body.

"Water will be fine, thanks."

Again, she was being stern with him. Ruben was hoping that it was only an act, because she wouldn't want to see him get stern with her.

"Water it is."

Ruben handed Ines her glass of water and did not let his eyes diverged from her lips as she emptied the glass in one go.

"So." Ruben smirked, elbows resting on top of the kitchen island.

"What?"

"You said somthing about your husband, Bernardo?"

"Yes." Her face faltered, the glass still in her hand. "I need you to talk to him."

Ruben snorted.

"I'm serious Ruben, you owe me. Bernardo hasn't been home since...since..."

I tried to fuck you, Ruben thought.

"...you know." She said, ashamed to meet his eyes. "You need to find him and tell him to come home. I'm so worried Ruben, you have no idea."

"What makes you think that I want to chase after your husband who chose to leave you."

Ines shook her head, her voice barley above a whisper. "Please Ruben, you have to. We have a family."

Dammit, he thought. Her tears, Ruben couldn't resist her tears. She tilted her head, looking at him with sorrowful eyes.

"He doesn't deserve you." He muttered.

"Well, neither do you."

Silence fell.

Ruben rejected the feeling creeping in the pit of his stomach. Was it pain? Guilt? No, he thought. He turned around, the steak and potatoes were still cooking in the oven. He was hungry.

"Are you staying for dinner?" Ruben asked, turning back to Ines.

She frowned. "Are you serious."

He shrugged. "I'll give your husband a call once we're done eating."

She bit her lip, contemplating the deal. Ruben watched her carefully, he watched her give into him again. "Fine. One plate but that's it."

They ate in silence. Ruben would've enjoyed a silent dinner with anyone else, but with Ines, he wanted to know what was on her mind. Like what did she think of his kitchen? It was newly renovated.

"I..." He cleared his throat. "I probably shouldn't have come onto you the way I did."

"You think." Ines muttered, head down as she cut into her steak.

"But please, feel free to tell me what you see in Bernardo? We both know I'm the better match for you."

She sighed. "I love him Ruben. Sometimes there is no explanation for why we feel the way we do. It's human, the rawest form of humanity. Love."

Ruben felt an urgent sense to vomit. He must have expressed it on his face because Ines shook her head in disbelief. "I know someone like you won't understand."

Ruben frowned. "Someone like me?"

"Yes, someone like you. Someone so...so..."

"Broken?"

Her mouth didn't close.

"That's what I am to you right?" He said, his turn to be stern with her. "A broken man?"

"Oh Ruben. Your not broken more than me or Bernardo. But I am convinced that you've chose to be alone longer than what is good for you."

He snorted, but let his gaze fall onto his half eaten plate. "It's better this way."

There was movement. It shook the table. Ines had left her seat, now approaching Ruben. Somthing warm and gentle grasped his face, a hand. He tilted his head with her touch. Ines was looking down at him, smiling. "You deserve to find love Ruben. Just like everyone else."

"What if I've already found it?"

Her hand left the side of his face.

"No, Ruben, you haven't. Perhaps you've just realized what kind of love you want, like the love between me and Bernardo."

She went to garb her coat. Ruben was still glued to his seat, unable to move. She had paralyzed him, mostly with fear and her ability to read his mind, thoughts he believed he had hidden too far back in his head.

"Love forgives Ruben." She stood by the door, dressed to leave him. "Remember this when you give my husband a call." She reached for the doorhandle, the door coming ajar.

"Ines wait!"

Ruben stood, springing towards her. Her expression shifted when he came near, but she did not scream, nor push him away. Ruben's hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her body close. He tilted his head, meeting her lips in a gentle exchange as they shared a first kiss. She hesitated, pulling away, Ruben could feel it and promised himself to let her go if that was what she wished. However, she stopped fighting him, finally giving in. Her hand went to her face, resting upon his cheek again. Ruben leand against it, feeling the comfort spread throughout his body, throughout his entire soul and then...

"A first and last." She said, her lips parting form his. It was over before it had begun.

"Ines I...."

"Aha!" A voice exclaimed.

Both Ruben and Ines turned dramatically. The door to Ruben's apartment stood ajar and seen in the hall marching towards them, was Bernardo. "I knew it. I knew you two were doing things behind my back."

"Bernie." Ines sighed. Even Ruben understood that their kiss was one of goodbye.

"Don't Bernie me!" Bernardo said, marching up to Ruben. Their height difference was so significant that Ruben had to tilt his head down just to look at his friend.

"You and me, outside, let's go!"

"Bernie please, you're drunk."

Alcohol was on his breath and he had large bags underneath his eyes, as if he hadn't slept in days. No wonder he had tried to assassinate Ruben during training today.

"No, I'm fine, I'm perfectly fine. Come on Dias, you and me, man to man, downstairs."

Ruben stepped forward, to Ines concern. However he only stepped forward to put a hand on his friends shoulder. "I'm sorry." He said.

"What?"

Bernardo had been jumping from side to side, knuckles held high, like a boxer preparing for a fight. That ended however, as Ruben put a hand on his shoulder.

"I said I'm sorry." He repeated.

"For what?" Bernardo spat, throwing Ruben's hand of his shoulder. "Sorry for trying to fuck my wife?"

"Yes, that and other things." Ruben thought of their kiss, his and Ines. He was pretty sure Bernardo had appeared just after it happened, not baring witness to it at all.

"What makes you think I'll ever forgive you for what you've done?"

Ruben looked to Ines, they shared a glance. Love forgives, he thought. "I don't." He said. "I don't expect you to forgive me Bernardo. I mean, I literally tried to fuck your wife. I don't thinks there is no coming back from this, I'm sure you can agree."

Bernardo snorted, but did not appear amused.

"But I do believe that we can at least go back to being teammates if you want? What do you say?" Ruben stretched out a hand. Bernardo regarded it with disgust. "Come on Ines, let's go." He turned around and led the way back to the elevator. Ines followed but turned around, glancing at Ruben. "Thank you." She whispered.

Ruben took one last look at her as she swung her hips on the way to join her husband by in elevator. Then he shut the door and let silence capture the apartment, that and other things. He didn't feel lonely, no. Ruben remained resilient in his need for a pedantic lifestyle. However, he was open to the thought of true love. But only because he had witnessed it first hand. Love forgives, he thought. That he knew now.

The End