ficlet: please don't let me be misunderstood (tennis rps)

[meretricula]

aramley and I have been egging each other on with this post-AO-horribleness hurt/comfort fest. she totally started it by writing this adorable ficlet of Rafa/Nole! so, basically, BLAME HER.

title: please don't let me be misunderstood
fandom: tennis rps
pairing: andy murray/rafael nadal
rating: g
word count: 500
summary: Ibero-Caledonian relations post-quarterfinal.
notes: for dearest darlingest aramley, my mad partner in crime with regard to this strange fascination with Andy Murray's childhood crush on Rafael Nadal. we are sick, sick bastards. takes place immediately after Rafa was forced to retire from his AO '10 quarterfinal against Mandy. title (obviously) from the song originally recorded by Nina Simone. I don't speak Spanish (thanks, babelfish!) but since Mandy isn't supposed to be fluent let's pretend the poor idiom is intentional.

Rafa was still sitting on a bench in the locker room, his team nowhere in sight, when Andy finally escaped from his interview. The excitement roiling in his stomach took a sudden turn for nausea when he saw Rafa's face, the unhappy stare directed at his own knees. "Rafa," Andy blurted. "Are you - "

"Oh, Andy," Rafa said, and smiled up at him, a little tiredly. "You gonna want to talk with your team. Sorry, I go shower now." He started to gather himself to rise to his feet.

"No, don't!" Rafa gave him a strange look but obediently settled back again. "I, I just, I didn't want - are you going to be okay?"

The noise Rafa made, caught halfway between a snort and a laugh, almost made Andy smile. "Don't know, no? Gotta see what the doctor gonna say. Anyways, always the knees, no? We know what we gotta do."

"Okay." Andy bit his lip, then went on, the speed of his words progressively increasing until he was nearly babbling, "Because, I mean, I really hope you'll be back soon, and I don't want - I didn't want to win like this, I mean, of course I wanted to win, but I just, I really, really like you and I hate it when you're hurt, you're like my favorite player ever and I've always really, really - " He suddenly realized what he was saying, and shut his mouth in a hurry.

Rafa was frowning, his eyebrows knitted together in thought. Andy braced himself for the forthcoming rejection as Rafa tilted his head back to look him in the eye and said, "Andy, you know I can't understand nothing you say, no?"

Andy blinked, silent.

"Is your accent, very difficult for me, no? Sorry. So, you say again, more slow, please, and I try to listen better." Rafa smiled at him encouragingly. Andy looked away, trying to pull himself together.

"Yo no soy como Roger," he said at last, in the stumbling, ungrammatical, badly-accented Spanish that he never used on tour, because it made most of the Spaniards and all of the Argentineans laugh until they cried. "Yo no soy como tú. Cuando jugamos, es muy difícil para mí, porque - porque tú - porque te quiero. Sé bien, okay? Por favor sé bien."

Andy was staring steadfastly at a locker several feet to Rafa's left, but he heard him get up. He was still surprised when Rafa came right up to him, close enough to feel the heat of his body and smell the reek of unwashed post-match athlete - God, Andy hadn't showered yet either, he probably smelled disgusting - and folded his arms around Andy's body in a hug. "Está bien," Rafa said gently. "Andy, todo está bien."

Andy buried his face in Rafa's shoulder, too grateful to really be embarrassed, though he knew he would be as soon as he calmed down. He felt something press lightly on the top of his head, like when he was very small and his mother had sometimes kissed his hair before sending him off to school, and Rafa patted his back patiently and repeated, this time in English, "Everything's gonna be okay."

Comments

[ifeelfinite.livejournal.com]

I'm so proud that I understood Andy's Spanish :')

Lovely ficlet, bb! I'm even starting to like the new mature (and also more interesting on and off court, thank god) Andy M... and (unrequited) Andy crushes on Rafa... I always cave on the players I don't like once I pay attention to them a bit more. Nole converted me last year, I guess it's Andy's turn now!

[meretricula.livejournal.com]

you're doing better than me, then... seriously, I have no Spanish whatsoever, it's embarrassing.

aww, thank you! I warm up to players as soon as they declare their affection for Rafa. I'm a total sucker for people who crush on my boy. =D

[ifeelfinite.livejournal.com]

I warm up to players as soon as they declare their affection for Rafa. I'm a total sucker for people who crush on my boy.

Me too. Roger even wiggled his way back into my heart when he recently defended Rafa in an interview. It doesn't take much, does it? lol

[meretricula.livejournal.com]

yeah, I didn't mind him for a few minutes after that and then again after the Hit for Haiti. but then I remembered that I hate his stupid face (no, seriously, idk what it is but his face really just makes me angry for some reason) and all was right with the universe again.

[ifeelfinite.livejournal.com]

Roger's nose bugs me. I hate to admit because I sound like a shallow bitch, but it just does! I still like fic versions of Roger and Roger in interviews that mention Rafa and Hit for Haiti (thanks for reminding me!)... but I still won't root for him to win unless it results in Rafa playing Roger (my original OTP, won't ever give that one up! I just keep whore-ifying poor Rafa with every other guy in the ATP, lol)!

[meretricula.livejournal.com]

yeah, I think it's mainly because so many people think he's some kind of love god, and I just look at him and think, really? this guy? Mirka is a saint for dating him, she's way out of his league! I mean, Muzz's teeth don't bother me all that much because everyone acknowledges that Murray was hit multiple times with the ugly stick. his fans don't think he's good-looking. whereas Roger fans are... kind of creepy and obsessed, not going to lie.

[ifeelfinite.livejournal.com]

Yes, this! In a few angles I do think he's almost... pretty (like, from far away and not straight on, lol). But I don't think he's that good looking, apart from his lovely hair. His chest kind of grosses me out, as do his oddly shaped arms. Not exactly what I'd call hot. I'm so glad that no one has ever mentioned his chest rug in a fic! Such a turn off for me. I love how soft and smooth Rafa looks all over--simply beautiful imho.

And yes, Roger fans are creepily KAD. But then again, so are some Rafa fans. I try to stay away from those folks.

[meretricula.livejournal.com]

poor Rafa, though, you know he has to shave his chest for all those shirtless magazine covers. he's got that hilarious little patch over his sternum the rest of the time. XP

yeah, I really appreciate that Miri tries to keep them in line over at NadalNews. but then I don't go to VamosBrigade.

[ifeelfinite.livejournal.com]

It's true. I even love that little patch and I usually hate chest hair. Oh Rafa ♥

Yep, and my love Meriko keeps the KADs in line over at Vamos Brigade on her posts. So I only read her posts. lol :)

[aramley.livejournal.com]

It's a creepy mental image, but Roger's face looks to me like you could put your fingers on it and mould it around, like it's made of plasticene or something. It looks...squidgy.

[meretricula.livejournal.com]

great, thanks for that picture, now I'll never sleep again. XD

[aramley.livejournal.com]

At least now I know there's at least one other person in the world who thinks that when they look at him. I am no longer alone with this burden! :D

In semi-related news that isn't news: Roger is kind of a jackass about Mandy.

[meretricula.livejournal.com]

I just, I don't get it with him. why is it so difficult for him to bite his tongue and say, "yes, Andy played really well"? (god, read Rafa's post-Rotterdam presser if you need tips.) even if it isn't true! you know you're being a dick because you start off by fake-apologizing for it, so STFU and play tennis, not media wars. ugh.

[ifeelfinite.livejournal.com]

P.S. Please keep this up, you guys! I beg you! I've been starved for fic lately and these are so, so welcome :')

[oneshottoyour.livejournal.com]

I love this fic like Andy loves Rafa - babbling and blushing awkwardness and not-quite-coherent sentences, but all sincerity. as;dlkfj ♥

(Your Andy is so adorable and so perfect; you should write him more often! *shameless prodding* :D)

[meretricula.livejournal.com]

aww, thank you bb! &hearts poor Andy, though - I'm always so mean to him, haha.

[http://users.livejournal.com/rilla_/]

Oh my god, LOVE IT. I am developing a soft spot for Andy Murray lately and this was completely adorable and wonderful. And Rafa's reaction! Omg <3 so lovely.

[meretricula.livejournal.com]

yay, thank you! it's pretty convenient that we all seem to be softening on Mandy at the same time, right? otherwise I feel that there would be less awww-ing and more questioning of my sanity. XD

[http://users.livejournal.com/rilla_/]

hahaha yes, totally. I've been thinking that a lot of what I perceived as his douchey-ness was actually just intense awkwardness and that was TOTALLY IN THIS FIC and I loved it.

[meretricula.livejournal.com]

oh, Mandy. it isn't his fault! he can't help having absolutely no social skills! (I am just waiting for the Laura-Robson-as-yenta fics to appear.)

[bronze-ribbons.livejournal.com]

Awesome summary. Nicely done.

[meretricula.livejournal.com]

haha, thought way too long about what the right compound would be. thank you!

[aramley.livejournal.com]

YOU KNOW I LOVE THIS LIKE MANDY LOVES RAFA.

[meretricula.livejournal.com]

&hearts&hearts&hearts

[likeviolins.livejournal.com]

I find Andy's crush on Rafa to be so endearing, too! He's so quiet and softspoken and then he just lights up whenever Rafa is mentioned and his voice gets just a little sharper and alert when he mentions him. Plus, I like how he does the smart thing and goes for the opportunistic man grab at net. Gotta love a boy who uses his mind!

Ahh! I love how they are characterized in this! Of course Andy would be silly enough to end up making Rafa comfort him after he's lost. And of course Rafa is going to be so adorably selfless about it and probably even see the good in it even though he sucks. I bet Andy's going to send him bad Spanish texts, just so Rafa will send him a nice message in return that he's going to save and possibly print.

[meretricula.livejournal.com]

I know, right? I love that he's so apparently emotionless most of the time and then when Rafa comes up you can tell he just really likes him. (though who could blame him. boy clearly has good taste.) Andyyyyy ;_;

[likeviolins.livejournal.com]

:((((( I was fine and all willing to accept that he got outplayed, but when he started tearing up. And his comment about being able to cry like Roger, but not play like him... :((((((((( At least crying diminished his significant number of bad angles. He looked rather pretty doing so.

...Maybe he's waiting to surprise us all at Wimbledon!

[meretricula.livejournal.com]

I accept that in fact I care less about the actual tennis than a real fan would. but I still just want him and Laura to win mixed dubs at Wimby. >_>;;

[likeviolins.livejournal.com]

This better happen!!! Every year my friend and I do cuteness tournaments at Wimby based on the draw (this is how I know so many players) and let me tell you, this is seed one material here.

[meretricula.livejournal.com]

cuteness tournaments! that's such a great idea. we should do one at ontd-tennis for all the Slams. =D

[krisherdown.livejournal.com]

Andy being embarrassed by his Spanish-speaking ability just made my day. Well done.

[meretricula.livejournal.com]

lol, embarrassing Andy is becoming almost a hobby for me. thank you!

[to-hellxweride.livejournal.com]

God I love this pairing like no other. They're the cutest together.
& this is just, god cute as efff.

I love this. I love Andy's butchered Spanish and that he's trying for Rafa.
& I love Rafa being comforting after the whole spiel. SO CUTE.

Thanks for writing it!
=]

[meretricula.livejournal.com]

haha, oh good, aramley and I have company! I'm glad you liked it. =) thank you for commenting!

[hopeandjump.livejournal.com]

This is awesome.
I want to kiss Andy's hair too! *sigh*

[meretricula.livejournal.com]

hee, thank you! though you know, his hair is probably really gross and sweaty... =P