rcidandcrson

[rcidandcrson]

"Well.. what can I say, I know what I'm doing in the bedroom..." Reid spoke as he gave a big stretch and a long confident sigh, clearly playing it up a little. "But yeah, we're not just that now on either end. Once you have me, you get all of me, the better and the worse." Despite what most thought, and as he had pointed out to Mateo before, he was more private than he portrayed. Only those he really trusted got close enough to realise that.

"And how lucky I am for it," he grinned back at that. He'd always admired Reid as a player and had only had enjoyable interactions with the other, but getting closer with him in more ways than one had been a blessing in his eyes. "You're right, I wouldn't," Mateo had to agree when Reid pointed out that he wouldn't let him struggling with something on his own. It only made sense to let people in when he was going through something similar.

[rcidandcrson]

"Oh definitely nothing wrong in that respect. You've got me to stick around this long after all." Reid laughed as they discussed it, sipping on his beer in a relaxed manner. "Good, I would hate to think you were struggling with something on your own. You'd never let me do that." Whilst it hadn't always been easy for Reid to ask for help because he had a habit of feeling like a burden, it was true that Mateo would be there for him in similar circumstances.

"And thank Merlin for that. If anyone was ever bored around me I would seriously need to check what I was doing wrong," Mateo chuckled. He didn't have too many fears but being considered boring could probably be one of them. As someone who was so used to moving things around for others, it was touching to hear Reid say that to him in return, "That really means a lot to me. I'll keep it in mind."

[rcidandcrson]

"It's not like I have complained about that at all because I'm never bored with just your company." If anything, time sometimes went too fast because of just how much he enjoyed himself with Mateo. Still, even though he knew he meant something to the man, hearing him insinuate that he cared about him made warmth flood his stomach and chest. "That works both ways you know. But if you ever really need me you can call me too. Doesn't matter what I'm doing, I'll stop if it's urgent."

"It seems you two have been passing ships and I have been keeping you to myself a lot of the time, that's also a fair point," he chuckled when Reid figured why the two hadn't had all that much down time together. He had confidence that there would be opportunity for that in the future however. "There will be times where I'm really busy, sure. But I find a make the time for those I care about. And make up for it whenever there's a last minute change of plans," Mateo spoke truthfully.

[rcidandcrson]

"I'm surprised we haven't really spent time together already though I figure that most of the time when I come over to yours we don't make it out of the bedroom much, do we." He admitted with a laugh. "It's nice to have someone be so open. Not many people can manage that." Mateo seemed willing to expose even the parts of himself he probably thought were less interesting or embarrassing. He was simply comfortable in himself. "It's not like you have to so don't worry if there isn't the time." Reid gently brushed if off when Mateo said he could try and see if there was time in their schedules. "I don't wanna take all your downtime off you."

"You two would love one another– I'm quite confident in that," Mateo chuckled when Reid mentioned spending some time with his best friend. He was also sure that Bes would me more than happy to get to know the other. "Yeah, I'm not really one to hide things if I can help it," he agreed with a nod, "But I'm sure he'd still find a way to embarrass me if he really tried," he mentioned with another laugh. "If we could find times in our schedules it can be a more regular thing– I don't see why not."

[rcidandcrson]

"Oh, and we wouldn't want that now would we." Reid laughed, feeling like Mateo's ego was well earned at the very least which was more than he could say for most people. "Ah maybe I should make some plans with him some time then. Not that I'd ever shit talk you and honestly, I was gonna say he could tell me some embarrassing stories of you but I'm pretty sure you'd tell me yourself if I asked." Reid admitted with a little nod of his head. "So am I. I am pretty sure I'll be asking you to do it more often after the first time."

"I'd hope not. It'd be incredibly confusing to my already inflated ego," Mateo commented with amusement. "Although I'm sure my best friend would love you to knock it down a few pegs," he joked playfully. "I don't see how we couldn't arrange that," he shrugged with a little smirk when Reid joked about flowers and chocolates. It was sweet to see Reid seemed to be happy about the idea. Mateo was too. "Perfect. I'm already looking forward to it."

[rcidandcrson]

Reid always enjoyed Mateo's company. He was never bored in his presence but he was finding, that the more time he spent with the dark haired man that the more he realised it wasn't just about that for him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so content in someone's company the way he did with Mateo. Even after the heavy conversation they had just had, Reid found himself surprisingly relaxed as he settled back on the sofa with his drink and a small smile playing over his lips. "I'm not gonna argue with you on that one." Because he really was special. "A date huh? Do I get flowers or chocolates too?" Reid playfully teased the man. "But yeah, we'll align our calendars for that."

Mateo welcomed the action, kissing Reid back and matching its tenderness. There had been something so sweet and warm about it, his gaze still watching Reid even when he'd dropped back down on the sofa. While he could understand that the little things like this mattered to Reid given how used to compromising he was in the past, he didn't realize just how much of an impact they made until he saw the other express his gratitude in the ways he knew best. Mateo had always been the type of guy who liked to show up for others and make them feel seen, but he'd never had someone appear so grateful for it. "Unreal? I'd hardly say so much," he snorted softly, "But I suppose I am pretty special," he finished off with a light smirk. "It's a date then."

[rcidandcrson]

Hearing the other male say that left Reid genuinely speechless for a moment. He found himself shifting on the couch, drawing himself forward on one knee as he cupped Mateo's cheek, tilting his head up gently and pressing a kiss to his lips. It wasn't full of heat as one might normally expect from Reid, but significantly sweeter. "Pretty sure there was never really a question there because I feel like I've always been clear on my answer." He stated with a soft grin playing over his lips as he looked down at Mateo. Reid planted a final peck to his lips before dropping back onto the sofa once more. "I hope you know how pretty bloody unreal you are."

"We can totally make the plans for a full day like that sometime then," Mateo offered. While the offer seemed to come off casually and as though he barely had to think twice about putting it forward, it was still very much genuine. Especially after everything he'd learned about Reid, he wanted the other to know that he was very much interested in spending time with the other on a frequent basis. "If you'd like to that is."

[rcidandcrson]

RAFAEL SILVA FLUIDITY (2019)

[rcidandcrson]

"I'm pretty fucking sure you know you have that kind of effect on me already without me having to remind you." Reid snorted out, a smile playing across his features. There had been plenty of times where that fact had shown to be true after all. "You're curious are you?" Though he'd not had anything particular in mind about how it would be made perfect, Reid considered it for a moment. "I mean, for a start it would be a whole day thing rather than part of a day-- not that I'm complaining, I just mean that a whole day of just being able to do activities starting with waking up lazily is where I'd go first." He said with a chuckle. "It's also very situational."

"Distract you? While I wouldn't want to pull your focus so much at the same time I'm flattered that it'd have that affect," Mateo grinned in reply. He knew he'd really be looking forward to it too. "Pretty close to perfect?" he quirked a brow at that. "And what would make it perfect? I'm curious."

[rcidandcrson]

"I didn't before but now I do. Pretty sure that's gonna distract me on the run up." Because Reid already found himself excited at the prospect of their time together. He always looked forward to it but this was something different for them. Plus it was sharing something they both enjoyed too. Honestly, he couldn't remember the last time he'd gone up in the air with anyone who wasn't on his team... well not like this anyway. "Sounds pretty close to a perfect way to spend a day for me."

"That Wednesday is looking pretty promising. It seems as though we'd finish around the same time," Mateo pointed out, gesturing in Reid's schedule as he held it out to him. "Do you have any plans then? If not, we can make a whole afternoon to evening of it? Grab some dinner and then head up into the air to catch the sunset and all?"

[rcidandcrson]

The smile just grew on Reid's face as he saw the others response to his words, giving him a playfully heated look in return though he didn't seem in any rush to develop that further at the moment. "Um..." He hummed softly, dragging his phone out of his pocket at the mention of next week, flicking through it until he got onto his calendar and shifting closer to the man so he could share his schedule with him. "This is what it's looking like for me. Do you have any time that works with it?"

"And there's something very enjoyable about the thought of that," licking his lips absentmindedly at the thought. When Reid seemed open to keep it as a low stakes sort of flight, Mateo smiled. "It's a date then," he was already looking forward to their plans. "I've got some availability next week. If your schedule allows for it we can figure something out maybe?" he then suggested with a little shrug.

[rcidandcrson]

"I mean you could, but you'd be lying. Though I suspect it would be a good way to get me to prove you wrong." Reid gave as an afterthought, a soft snort of amusement falling from his lips. "You know, with how competitive I can be, I don't feel like we need to go there with this. I think it's nice to just enjoy what you pointed out in the first place, the wind in your hair and shit, you know?" When Mateo added about catching a sunset, Reid found himself smiling despite himself. "Yeah... that sound like a really nice evening. I'd love to do that sometime with you."

"There's absolutely no way of denying that," Mateo smirked. The two had a bad habit of teasing one another and leaning into each other's irresistibility at the worst of times. "That admittedly sounds amazing, Reid," he then said, enjoying the idea of going for a casual flight together. "If you'd like to make it competitive, we can. But there's something about taking it easy that sounds appealing to me too. Maybe we can even catch a beautiful sunset or something."

[rcidandcrson]

"I can be very tempting, as you've learned first hand." Reid smiled, feeling lighter as they joked around. Whilst getting the heavy stuff off his chest had been nice in its own way, it was good to know they could always fall back into this relaxed conversation too. "Not that I'd be opposed to it at any point really." He considered a moment later, giving a gentle shrug of his shoulders. "I don't blame you. There is nothing like it. We've never flown together before though, have we?" He certainly felt like he would remember something like that. "When we get a nice day, we should go out and take the brooms for a spin. Just a ride... well unless you're feeling competitive."

He broke out into another laugh at that. "I can't deny that does sound tempting," Mateo replied with a smirk on his lips when Reid proposed potential massages. "Not super often, but from time to time I do," he nodded lightly. "Do I kind of use it as an excuse to get some wind in my hair... yeah. I love flying. But I also know most of my job can be done pretty efficiently from the ground."

[rcidandcrson]

"Hey, I can't dictate what days my mood is gonna take a nose-dive." Reid said with a snort of amusement. "But I'll make it a soft flop where necessary." He offered up with a warm smile. "Play your cards right and I might even be generous enough to give you a massage when you've had a rough day. Throw me a message and who knows." He added, grinning a little. Honestly, Reid always liked helping those he cared about when he could. It was why he'd moved in with James after all. Well, one reason.

"Do you do a lot of practice with the players like that then?" He asked after a moment.

"I can understand that," he nodded lightly. "Thank you for sharing all of this with me, Reid. I can't imagine any of it was easy to relive or talk about," Mateo spoke with consideration for the other. He was still angry with the man responsible for all of this trauma that Reid carried with him, but it only made him want to make sure the man was treated better now. As long as he had a say in it, he'd make sure Reid never felt that way again. At least not around him.

"Nothing wrong with that," Mateo chuckled. "Although if I've just come from the gym or I was up in the air with my players... maybe ease up on me. My body is usually broken," he added with another laugh as he thought about being flopped on after an intense physical day.

[rcidandcrson]

"Given how long it's been, I guess I just thought I'd be over it by now, or expect others to think that. Things like this though... I suppose they just take much longer than you ever anticipate. They impact deeper than you realise." Reid mused softly, feeling sad at that knowledge but lighter for having been able to share that part of himself with Mateo. It wasn't really something he tended to discuss much and it wasn't an easy topic but that didn't mean he wasn't glad when he could. Knowing that even this part of himself wasn't a burden to the other man made him smile that little bit more.

"But I'm basically a big curly haired dog at heart so when I'm feeling shitty, if I'm not just in my own shell I will just flop on people." Those he trusted of course. "So I mean maybe that'll happen sometimes if you're available? Pretty sure you've figured out by now I'm tactile and that doesn't change when I'm upset, if anything it just gets worse." He said with a light shrug of his shoulders and a little laugh.

"Understandable. I think that's unfortunate going to be a consistent battle until one day it doesn't affect you in the same way anymore. Just like grief or any other sort of heartbreak, with time it feels a little less heavy even if it doesn't necessarily go away. "I also understand not wanting to be a bother. I'm no pro at sharing what's bothering me either– sometimes it feels easier to shut yourself off and deal with it in silence. And while that can work on occasion, it doesn't mean you have to take that approach every time."

"You don't owe me anything just because I've been open with you, but it means a lot to me that you felt comfortable sharing all of this with me," Mateo said when Reid thanked for listening to his story. "I hope sharing it could make you feel even a tiny bit lighter in all of this," he added softly, squeezing back the man's hand.

[rcidandcrson]

"I still have my days where I wonder if I was being dramatic over it all but then I have James and I suppose now you to remind me that it wasn't me." Reid said with a soft smile as he reached out to give the others hand a squeeze for a moment. "I suppose I don't really trust my own judgement on the situation any more. Like I understand it of course but I still just go back and forth on it, really depending on where my head is at on that particular day. But I know I'm not doing this alone, I just sometimes forget that or I don't want to be a bother." It was going to take a lot of time and patience on other peoples part for him to get his head around that but he knew he had to try. He'd had those closest to him telling him that for a while now.

"I really appreciate you taking the time to listen though. It's not something I discuss much. I'm never sure how people will take it and it always makes me feel a certain type of way but I didn't want to shut you out. You've always been so open with me, I wanted to be able to give the same back."

"Don't feel stupid. You were emotionally manipulated, Reid. Don't blame yourself for that. He took advantage of your open heart and forgiving nature. Please do not blame yourself for being a considerate person and wanting to do something good for somebody you loved," Mateo insisted, rejecting the way Reid was putting himself down for how he had behaved. While he was grateful to not have personal experience with something like this, from what he knew it was hard for people in those situations to recognize it's wrong or pull themselves out of it even if they did. "I understand that. But it can happen to anyone. We're all susceptible," he said it in hopes it would reassure Reid even a little bit. He was human and it really wasn't his fault he'd ended up in a situation like this. He'd just fallen in love.

Mateo smiled softly when Reid had said that he had himself back. It must've felt freeing to be able to acknowledge that. To be able to see there was a change for the better again. When Reid spoke about his habits that were most likely repercussions of what had happened to him, Mateo looked sympathetic, "It's not easy. It was such a large, impactful and emotional part of your life. Of course it's going to leave an impression. But you can see it and you're clearly working on these things," he hoped his words offered comfort, but he was also saying it as he saw it. "But you are good enough, Reid. You're more than good enough," Mateo insisted. "And you also don't have to do any of this alone. You've got incredible friends around you. They've got your back. I've got your back. You never have to worry about doing this on your own."

[rcidandcrson]

Knowing Mateo the way he did by now, he'd gotten pretty good at reading the others body language. He could tell there was a lot he was holding back but he was appreciative how how attentive the other male had been with him throughout all of his story. Maybe he'd explain in deeper detail some time but right now, he'd given him what he needed to understand a little about what had happened in his relationship. Reid took a deep breath.

"I know. I mean somewhere inside I know but I still feel pretty stupid for all of it. I mean, I feel like I should have never fallen for all of that in the first place but then I have to remind myself if it was someone else it had happened to, I wouldn't be so hard on them at all. I'd be doing what you're doing now. I just... never thought it would happen to me I suppose." He'd never saw himself being fooled but it was all too easy in the end and he'd been stupid not to see it for what it was. Each word he'd seen as care for him, the man trying to make his life better and easier when in actual fact it had done the opposite.

"These days? I mean, I have me back. At least on the outside but I suppose you've seen some of the negative repercussions. I tend to just deal with my feelings myself. I'm not always honest when I'm upset. I let things build and then it end up with me just feeling really low and shutting myself away until I can find a way to drag myself out of it. I might not seem like I care about peoples opinions of me but they really do matter, especially those I care about. I just... I guess I worry that I'm not good enough?" Because he'd never been for him. "It's a lot and it's most of the time but I deal and try to move on cause what else can I do?"

Mateo was furious to hear all about how Reid had been treated. How he'd been taken advantage of. How he'd questioned his own character and self just because of someone who wasn't even worth his time. He couldn't even begin to fathom what it must've been like to live every day that way. How much Reid must've suffered. To be made to think that his problems weren't all that big of a deal to the point where he just let it all chip away at him quietly day-by-day. "Seriously thank Merlin for James," he had to say. It felt like without some sort of external stability in Reid's life, he really had the potential to lose his way entirely. "It was incredibly brave of you to do that, Reid. You know that, right? It was incredibly brave of you to not go back. To choose yourself. To walk away from someone that wasn't giving you even a fraction of what you gave him. It was not an easy thing to do and yet you did that. You found a way out of it," Mateo spoke supportively. "How do you feel these days? I imagine the impact is not something anyone could shrug off after all."