'Loss' - Carlos Alcaraz
|WARNINGS: angst to fluff |SUMMARY: Forever by his side... |AUTHOR'S NOTE: Inspired by today's events...my poor carlitos..
Carlos sat on the bench, head bowed, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. He had fought fiercely, giving his all, but had come up short. The gold medal slipped from his grasp, and the weight of the world seemed to settle on his shoulders.
As he trudged off the court, his eyes met yours in the stands. You had been there for every match, every point, every moment of his journey. Your heart ached seeing the pain etched on his face.
Carlos stood near the sidelines, talking to a reporter. His voice trembled as he tried to articulate his feelings.
"I gave everything," He said through his tears.
“It’s painful to lose the way I lost this match," he added. "I had my chances to probably be up in the match. I couldn’t take it. Novak was playing great. He deserves this. In the tough moments he increased his level.
"He played unbelievable shots... an unbelievable game. I’m a bit disappointed but honestly I’ll leave the court with my head really really high. Fighting for Spain was everything to me. I’m proud with the way I played today.” He could barely talk and you knew that he was blaming himself, even if he did everything he could to win that match.In the past few days he had been under a lot of pressure: playing doubles, singles and having just a day to rest.You waited for him to come up the stands.
When he finally reached you, the weight of his emotions became too much to bear. Carlos looked at you, eyes red and glistening, his lips trembling. Without a word, he fell into your arms, his body shaking with silent sobs. You held him tightly, your fingers gently running through his hair, providing a comforting presence.
"Está bien, Carlos" "It’s okay, Carlos,” you whispered, your voice tender and soothing.
“Hiciste todo lo que pudiste. Estoy tan orgulloso de ti"
“You did everything you could. I'm so proud of you”
He clung to you, his tears soaking your shoulder. “I’m so sorry,” "Lo siento mucho," choked out between sobs. “Quería esto tanto… para nosotros, para España, ¿sabes?” "I wanted this so much… for us, for Spain., you know?”
You pulled back slightly, cupping his face in your hands. “You have nothing to apologize for,” you said firmly, your voice steady despite the lump in your throat. "Odio verte así, amor" "I hate seeing you like this,love" You hold him tighter, feeling his heartbeat sync with yours. "Te amo mucho," he whispers, his voice barely audible yet filled with raw emotion.
"Te amo mucho," you repeat,He looks at you, his eyes searching yours . Slowly, he moves away from your embrace, though his hand lingers in yours for a moment longer.Carlos turns to his team and family, who have been watching from a distance with pride and concern etched on their faces. As he approaches, they open their arms, enveloping him in a warm, collective embrace.They're always so proud of him, and that really fills your heart.
Today he will have a silver medal anyway, so he starts going down the stands to go towards the awards ceremony. Before letting him go you look at him with pride and a comfort smile. He may not have won the gold medal today, but you are so proud of him that you don't care. You will face this 'loss' together, as always and forever.
Roger just posted an open letter to Rafa and I'm in tears 😭
the laughs when carlos was about to answer ijbol 😭 they know how much his ass hates the calendar aundkednekqbejkfjf
oh carlos🥺🥺🥺
funniest example of rafa and roger not communicating is roger saying in 2020 during match for africa that rafa only just told him "today" that he cried when he watched roger win RG in 2009, meanwhile during this interview in spanish in 2010 where roger and rafa are literally sitting next to each other rafa says in spanish that he cried when roger won roland garros in 2009 while roger can't-speak-spanish federer sits there totally unaware. they have one brain cell between them and it's heart shaped.
Aww look at my baby 🥹 Had to write smthg about this
Headcanon
Carlos is drunk. He usually knows how to hold his liquor but after today's win he just wanted to be hungover. You reached the pub to take Carlos back home before he could do something stupid with his 1 braincell demeanour. "Baby lets go hmm?" you approached where he was sitting, slowly tugging his arm. He looks towards you doe eyed, a sheepy grin on his face as he looks up, as if you are all that he sees. "Hi baby, my beautiful girlfriend" he sways a little, holding onto your arm, emphasising on 'beautiful' a bit too loudly. People around look for a brief moment. "Hi baby, now cmon get up" You help him stand up, his arm engulfing you as he holds onto your shoulder. "I- lob you so much" he giggles, kissing the top of your head. You were a blushing mess, barely able to hold him straight. "I love you too. Now, let's go home, hmm?"
The Big 4 texting on their group chat, a day before Rafa's retirement: Roger: Good luck for tomorrow, Rafa. Play well. 🤭🤩😁 Rafa: I always do when you watch. 😉 Novak: Am I… interrupting something? Andy: I regret opening this chat. Every. Single. Time.
this is so gooodddd 🤧💖
Tap tap tap tap
The water droplets falling onto the plate in the sink. Room dimly lit by the glow of the tv, Carlos's interview on it. Only if you could still call him yours. The texts started becoming shorter, the dry replies from his end. He didn't share goofy pictures on his last tour, the calls being cut short by him, saying to call you later, but the calls never came. You tried to console him after losses, just to be met with silence on the other side.
"I-I need a break, right now this feels like a burden" He sighs, head down, afraid to even look at you. "Burden? Carlos what are you ⎯" "My game's shit, my focus is off, my points are dropping. Just, not now. I need a break, from this, from us. Please." His tired eyes meet your tear stained ones. Every bone in your body wants to confront, wants to know if all that you have given him wasn't enough, all that he gave you, about all of those times. "We can talk it out baby" you move closer to cup his cheeks, but he takes a step back. It made you feel distant. Going back and forth for god knows how long, breath shaking, a barely audible agreement, him leaving. Then silence. The silence was deafening. Your eyes refocus on the screen, he smiles at something in the interview, which just didn't feel....right. His hair has grown, his beard looked a bit unkempt. Face, mostly stoic. You could see how he uses his hands a little too much, touching his face frequently, like he used to do when he was not quite present, zoning out. This was background noise for you. You are in his hoodie, breathing in the smell of his aftershave. It feels as if the ghost of his memory is wrapping its arm around you, just like how he did numerous times. The weight of his arms around your waist after an exhausting day. His head snuggled onto your chest. His laugh ringing in your ears. Your mind drifts to glimpses. His socks lying in the corner of your wardrobe, folded neatly. His shirt, the dark blue one of RG which you loved (and stole from him), still hanging in the closet. His brush, that silly "carlitos" you had engraved on it with a permanent marker, was facing yours, in the cup holder. Except that his owner wasn't. Your apartment had parts of him still left, even though it had been a month. You didn't want to put his things away, this was the only way that you could cling onto him a bit longer. Neither did he say anything about coming to pick up his stuff from you. The loud sound of applause brings you back, as you see him leaving the court, his kit resting on his shoulders. He still has the keychain you made for him, dangling from his kit. You bring your feet closer to your chest, resting your chin on your knee. A sigh escapes your lips. The couch feeling a little too comfortable. Just like one of those rainy days, with Carlos holding your legs over his , a blanket over your bodies, as he told you about his childhood. Just like one time, when you both planned on a movie night, but then he fell asleep, the pout on his lips making him look adorable. The light causing a soft glow on his face, his cheek slightly pink, his face peaceful as he breathes out soft snores . You could watch him like this for hours, as you move a strand of hair from his forehead, bringing him closer to your chest. He snuggles, melting into you, the movie forgotten in the background. This is just a break, but why does it hurt like a breakup? Your chest feels tight and it's difficult to breathe. You don't even realise that tears have fallen, rolling down your cheeks, where his thumb used to caress ever so often, his touch gentle. How he used to hold your face, the green in his eyes gazing into yours, like you meant the world to him. How he would bend down, his lips, so soft, pressed against yours. He would kiss you, making you forget everything around you, just the warmth of his love radiating. How his fingers would hold your neck so softly, fingers grazing over your jaw, supporting your head. How he would take your breath away. The tv fell silent, the screen black. Your body sinks into your bed, finger hovering over his picture. You had secretly taken this when he was sleeping, sheets over his bare chest, hands over his head. Perhaps he still thinks about you, he still hasn't blocked you anywhere. Perhaps he still misses you, just like you do. Perhaps a part of you never left him, the duck keychain in his kit. Perhaps, he will come back into your arms again. But all you can do now is wait for him to come running home, to you. __________
masterlist
my babyyyyy 😭😭😭
the crowd was fujoshing so hard actually