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If you asked Lamine, he wouldn't have been able to say where it all went wrong.
Maybe it was Rashford missing an open goal in the first twenty minutes, or his misplaced pass to one of the opponents. Maybe it was the red card Pau got that left them with ten men in the second half. Maybe it was all three.
Either way, the disappointment sat heavily in his stomach as he walked off the pitch. Losing two nil at home, especially to the same team that cost them the Copa del Rey was a hard pill to swallow. Looking around the pitch, it was obvious that his teammates felt the same way. A crying Gavi was being comforted by Ferran, and Fermin looked so angry he was about to explode.
The walk back to the locker room was silent, the atmosphere weighed down by the crushing feeling of defeat. There was no music from his speakers, no jokes from Balde, and Raphinha's absence meant no one was there to cheer them up after the loss. He was in his own world too— everything felt muted as if his brain had been dunked underwater. It was a game they could have won, he thought. If only they'd been better. If only they'd made less mistakes.
"Lamine?" a voice called out from in front of him. He looked up to see Eric Garcia, who was clearly worried about something if the furrow in his eyebrows was anything to go by. Lamine didn't say anything, just looked up at him with dull eyes.
Eric must have noticed how exhausted he looked. "I know you're still upset, but can you check on Pau, please? He won't talk to me or Pedri. He's in the medical room."
"Yeah, no problem." He got up, stretching his limbs to hopefully remove some of the fog in his brain. It was no surprise that Pau had shut down completely, he probably felt the worst out of everybody since he was the one who got sent off.
He walked along the halls, fluorescent lights illuminating the path to the medical room. The door was slightly ajar, and he pushed it open slowly. Pau was there, sitting on the floor in the corner with his knees up to his chest. Lamine could see his bloodshot and tear-stained face even in the dark room.
Pau didn't acknowledge him when he stepped inside. He shut the door behind him and leaned against the wall adjacent to Pau. He didn't say anything to fill the silence, content with just letting them be for a few minutes.
Of all of their teammates, Lamine could relate to Pau the most. They were both teenagers, expected to carry the weight of Barcelona's entire attack and defense respectively. The fame was a double edged sword— the same people that praised them when they won were the same ones who hurled vile insults at them when they lost. And they lost spectacularly today.
"Do you remember that one time," Lamine finally broke the silence. "when Ferran tried to dribble past you in training, and he fell on his ass?"
Pau still didn't look at him. Lamine continued speaking anyway. "We laughed so hard we had to pause the scrimmage. I remember you kept teasing him about it in the locker room, and he almost slapped you. Pedri had to hold him back."
That got a smile out of Pau. He still hadn't said anything yet, but the short smile confirmed that Pau was at least able to hear him.
"Or when Gavi thought it was a good idea to put blonde dye in Fermin's shampoo during an away game. Except he lent it to Lewandowski, who chased Gavi around the lobby when he found out."
"He was so mad, I remember." Pau's voice was soft. For a moment, they were both stuck in their own thoughts before Pau spoke up again, his voice shaky. "I fucked up."
"Maybe," Lamine spoke, watching Pau carefully. "But so did half of our teammates."
"It's not the same."
"How?" Lamine challenged. "I gave the ball away, Rashford missed like five open goals, and Joan missed an easy save. We all made mistakes today. Don't put all the blame on yourself."
"It's not the same!" Pau yelled at him. "I got sent off. My stupid mistake got them a penalty. Because of me, we lost two nil and we'll probably never make— make it to the—" Pau choked up. He didn't speak after that, just soft hiccups and sniffles as tears slid down his face once more.
"Come here," Lamine sighed as if it pained him, even though that was far from the case. He opened his arms wide, staring expectantly at Pau.
"Huh?" Pau looked up at him, still sniffling rather adorably.
"Are you really going to make me beg?" Lamine pouted. "Come here, Pau."
Pau got up on shaky legs, walking towards him in slow, unsure steps. As soon as he reached Lamine, the younger grabbed him and pulled him close. One arm wrapped around his shoulders, and the other found Pau's waist. His head fit like a puzzle piece in Lamine's shoulder. He couldn't help but give him a little kiss on his neck.
"It's okay," Lamine soothed when Pau began to sob again. His heart clenched as he felt his jersey dampen with Pau's tears. Pau almost never cried, not even shedding a single tear when he got a boot to the face. "Everyone makes mistakes. You'll do better next time. We all will."
It seemed Pau needed the comfort, as the arms that were once wrapped tentatively around Lamine tightened significantly. He rubbed Pau's back in what he hoped was a soothing motion as the defender tried to collect himself.
The door opened quietly as Eric stuck his head in. He could see the shadow of someone else standing outside the door as well— most likely Pedri, or one of the captains.
"He's okay?" Eric mouthed the words silently at Lamine. Eric was probably the senior that Pau looked up to the most. Eric returned the favour— he was a total mother-hen whenever he was around Pau. No doubt he was beside himself with worry when Pau wouldn't talk to him. Lamine tried to ignore the sense of satisfaction he felt that Pau only opened up to him.
He didn't show it as shook his head softly. "Give him a few more minutes."
Eric nodded before closing the door. He could hear muffled voices outside for a second, before they retreated.
He didn't know how long he and Pau stayed like that, stayed in each others arms, but eventually Pau pulled back from the embrace and wiped his face. His voice was hoarse as he spoke to Lamine. "Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me, silly." Lamine's laugh was gentle. "I'm always here for you."
This time, it was Pau who brought him into a hug. Lamine didn't hesitate to return it. The depressing air in the room lifted, instead being replaced by something warm and loving.
Cubarsi pulled back, scrunching his face like a kitten. "We need a shower."
"Who's fault is that?" Lamine teased as opened the door. "Let's go."
Even though things weren't okay right now, as he grabbed Pau's hand to lead him to the locker room, Lamine was sure they would be in the future. With Pau, and the rest of his teammates, he knew they could achieve even their wildest dreams.