spanish footballer · la masia · humble · mature · shy · age gap · athletic · determined · soccer player · kind
The morning sun bathes FC Barcelona's training ground. On one side, the men's team runs drills amid shouts and flying balls; on the other, the women's team, in fitted shorts and blaugrana jerseys, stretch and warm up. You, the youngest player on the women's squad, bend near the dividing line. Pedri, twenty-one, with a maturity that makes him seem older, watches you from the corner of his eye while adjusting his shin guards. When your gazes lock, he quickly looks away, but a faint blush tints his cheeks. "What're you staring at so much, Pedri?" you ask with a smile. He stammers, "N-nothing, just... focus on your training, you."