sae appreciator

✦ — lili || nineteen, she / her , istp-t .

blue lock based blog , SFW & NSFW!! requests : open !! (you can send me stuff you want me to write and i’ll do it after i finish my series!!)

✦ — NAVIGATION! || RULES || MASTERLIST || REQUESTS <- currently broken refer to one at top of profile🥹

featuring : hyoma chigiri

back to the Aftertaste collection masterlist

The summer heat shimmers over the empty practice field, the scent of cut grass heavy in the humid air.

You were sat on the grass with your knees pulled to your chest, watching that all so familiar red hair move across the pitch.

He’s in his element, doing all these precise dribbling drills. Since blue lock is on a temporary summer break, you’ve willingly become his consistent training partner, (even though you don’t do much) passing the ball back and forth or pacing him during his lighter laps.

Today, the heat is particularly draining. Chigiri starts his evening training run at a slower pace. He’s purposefully warming up, pacing himself after an intense workout session he had from the day before, and keeping himself far below a true sprint.

You get up and start to jog alongside him, feeling the sweat bead on your forehead already, you truly weren’t made to run but whatever. Seeing him run at a human pace for once, you decide to push yourself, accelerating just enough to cross the designated end line at the edge of the field maybe a second before he does.

Hands on your knees, breathless, you look back at him with a grin. “No way. I beat the Hyoma Chigiri.”

Chigiri doesn’t stop, simply slowing to a walk as he grabs his water bottle. He just rolls his eyes, a faint, indulgent smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

Two days later, the exact same thing happens. He’s actively recovering from a grueling leg day once more, keeping his strides short and deliberate. You jog past him near the end of the lap, lifting your arms in a mock victory formation.

“Guess I’m joining Blue Lock now!” you puff out, looking back at him.

He offers a small huff of amusement, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. It still feels entirely harmless.

But by the fourth time, the dynamic subtly shifts. So subtle you don't really realize it, but the lighthearted teasing is starting to sting. To you, it is pure playful banter, just classic couple behavior to break up the monotony of his what you consider ‘boring’ training. You know you aren't genuinely faster than him. Pfft, obviously. So you just assume he knows it, too.

To Chigiri, however, his speed is everything. His speed is his weapon, his identity, and his absolute pride. His past ACL injury is the exact reason he spent years terrified of ever playing football again, living in constant fear that his top speed was gone forever.

And with every repetition of your joke, the playful intent strips away in his mind. It starts sounding less like teasing and more like a cruel reminder: ‘You’re not as fast as you used to be.’

The confrontation finally happens on a Friday evening. The sun is setting, casting long orange shadows across the grass. You both finish a final lap, and you once again edge slightly ahead of his relaxed pace.

You let out a breathless laugh, wiping your forehead. “At this rate, I’m gonna outrun you again tomorrow and everyday after that!”

You turn around, expecting a witty retort or a playful shove.

Instead, he’s just quiet.

He isn't angry. Nor is he yelling at you..He stands there, staring down at the water bottle in his hands, completely and noticeably silent. The sudden drop in energy makes the humid air feel suffocatingly heavy.

After a long, agonizing pause, he speaks, his voice flat. “Can you stop saying that?”

The smile instantly disappears from your face. You feel a sudden, cold prickle of dread in your stomach. “What?” Had you been reading wrong this whole time? Were you making him uncomfortable and you had no idea?

“The speed thing.” He finally looks up, his pretty pink eyes devoid of their usual warmth. A pause stretches between you before he speaks again. “It’s not funny.”

The tension hits you like a physical wall. Suddenly, a rush of memories floods your mind. You remember Tuesday's joke. You remember yesterday's comment. All those playful jabs, all those laughs, replay in your head with agonizing clarity. You realize, with a sickening jolt of guilt, that you have been repeatedly poking at the deepest, most sensitive scar he possesses.

Chigiri looks away, admitting something he usually keeps fiercely guarded. His voice isn't dramatic, just honest.

“You know what happened to my leg,” he says quietly, his fingers tightening around the plastic water bottle. “So hearing it over and over gets irritating. Even if you’re joking.”

“Hyoma, I’m so—I’m so sorry,” the apology rushes out of you, frantic and sincere. You step closer, desperate to undo the words. “I never, ever meant it that way. I wasn’t thinking at all. I was just messing around because I know how incredible you are. I’m so sorry.”

Chigiri listens, his shoulders dropping slightly as the tension leaves his frame. He accepts the apology. But he doesn't do it instantly. He doesn't look at you with a reassuring smile, and he doesn't pull you into a comforting hug saying it’s okay.

He just looks at the grass and says, “I know.”

Because he does know. He knows your heart, and he knows you would never intentionally hurt him. But knowing your intent doesn't magically erase the sting. Hearing it repeatedly still hurt anyway.

A few minutes later, the two of you sit beside each other on the metal bench beside the empty field. The usual easy flow of conversation between you both is completely gone along with the playful teasing. There’s just a quiet, heavy atmosphere hanging over both of you.

It isn't an angry silence, and the issue isn't fully fixed. It’s just awkward…the heavy kind of awkwardness that only comes after you accidentally hurt someone you care about deeply. You sit watching the sunset, realizing that while the apology was accepted, the guilt is going to linger much, much longer.

Aftertaste : Sour

Even though the apology slipped out of your mouth easily, it didn’t erase the hurt you caused him as easily..

notes : omg i’m so bad with posting i’m sorry im

annoyed too💔💔 just life, i’ve been busy. please be kind thank you for reading

featuring : ryusei shidou

back to the aftertaste collection masterlist

notes : at bottom , i’ll stop putting this here after this post

The summer festival was supposed to be romantic. It was, instead, the most exhausting night of your life…both physically and mentally.

Shidou was too much for a crowded festival. He was too loud, too competitive, and kept dragging you around by the wrist like a rag doll. Seriously your wrist was starting to ache!

He was winning carnivals games through sheer aggression, instigating verbal fights with strangers purely for fun (that you had to drag him away from btw), and constantly vanishing into what seemed like the never ending sea of people.

At one point, you completely lost him. You weren’t worried…like at all. Instead, you were just plain irritated. This wasn’t the first time and you doubted it’d be the last.

"Oh my goddd, he wandered off AGAIN.” you groaned muttering to yourself.

Stepping away from the blinding festival lights, you ducked into a quieter, dimly lit side street just to breathe, and also just to get away from the headache the lights were starting to give you

Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed, and with them came Shidou barreling around the corner. He was a chaotic …something , arms loaded with a massive stuffed demon plush he’d probably won from a stall, two dripping skewers, and a plastic cup of ramune.

He skidded to a halt, his wide eyes locking onto yours.

"THERE YOU ARE!" he shouted, chest heaving. He sounded genuinely panicked.

You just stared at him, deadpan. "You disappeared."

"Nooo! YOU disappeared!" Shidou immediately argued back, his voice dropping into that usual aggressive bite. "I turn around for one second to crush some scrub at the shooting gallery, and you vanish into thin air!" he makes a ‘poof!’ sound as if to make his point clearer.

You opened your mouth to point out the sheer hypocrisy, but stopped when you actually looked at him.

Shidou was drenched in sweat. His chest was rising and falling in rapid hitches. He had literally been sprinting through a crowd of thousands, frantic, just trying to find you.

The edge in his eyes softened into something raw, vulnerable. He tossed the giant stuffed animal at you, forcing you to catch it, before shoving a food skewer into your hand.

"Don't do that," he muttered. The sudden drop in his volume was jarring. He looked away, clicking his tongue, you could see a faint flush creeping up his neck that had absotootly nothing to do with the summer heat. "The hell am I supposed to enjoy any of this junk if you're not standing next to me? It’s boring."

Your annoyance disappeared, replaced with warmth that came unexpectedly. In all his wild untamable behavior, he was honestly just happy to celebrate with you

(Even though most of them were probably won through a verbal argument but who cares?)

"Fine," you sighed, taking a bite of the food. "I won't ‘disappear’ if you stop running off." you emphasized disappear because the only reason you apparently were was because he was running off.

Shidou grinned and that arrogant vibe returned to him immediately. With one hand still on yours, Shidou entwined his fingers around yours.

"Deal," he grinned, his thumb tracing the back of your hand.

"Now come on, I saw a goldfish scooping stall down here and I'm gonna catch the biggest one they've got." and he’s immediately back to dragging you..

You sigh but can’t help the smile that appears on your face as he drags you, seeing him this excited makes you feel 100x better.

Aftertaste : sweet

he ended up dragging you around again, but taking good care to not let go of you or go too far without you. but you’ve almost dropped your skewer 10 different times with how he’s dragging you…

notes : sorry this is so short! i took a 2 day break bc of my bday! ill be back to regularly posting now. i’ll be opening up requests this saturday, and over the next week ill be putting out a bunch of posts so all fandoms on my masterlist have at least 1 post😋

featuring : noel noa

back to the Aftertaste collection masterlist

notes : moved to bottom

The silence in your shared home was broken by the rhythmic clicking of your laptop keys. The front door keypad beeped as someone was entering the code. You didn't look up when the front door chimed open, nor when the familiar, heavy footsteps echoed down the hall.

You knew who it was, the man you fell in love with years ago, arriving home from training.

You and Noel had been together for years. You understood the almost machine-like discipline required of him. You weren't a teenager looking for constant praise, and he wasn't a man who made sloppy, careless mistakes. He valued your emotional maturity, and you valued his rationality just as much.

Which was exactly why the document open on your screen was causing a heavy knot to form in your stomach. Something about you was that you didn't like confrontation, but being with Noel, he taught you it's better to get whatever it is out than let it simmer and build up and cause issues in the future for you both.

"You're still awake," Noa noted, his voice carrying its usual calm tone. He stepped into your shared bedroom, already dressed in comfortable loungewear, wiping a towel over his damp, post-training hair.

You were sitting on the bed with your laptop on your lap as he came in.

"I am," you replied casually, shutting your laptop a little to draw his attention. You took a deep breath, taking a second to organize your thoughts before speaking. "Noel, we need to look at the calendar. Together."

He paused, sensing the shift in tone. Regardless, he nodded and stepped closer, leaning over your shoulder as you opened the shared digital schedule. He liked when you did this, communicating what you wanted or if something was wrong.

Highlighted in deep blue was your upcoming international professional seminar, an event you had discussed, locked in, and finalized with him six months ago. It was a huge stepping stone for your career.

But slashed right through those exact dates, was a newly updated Bastard München mandatory promotional tour and high-altitude training camp in South America.

Noa stared at the screen, his yellow eyes narrowing slightly as his mind processed the error. "The club pushed the camp forward. It is a mandatory clause in the new contract."

"I know how the club operates, Noel," you responded, your voice firm but entirely devoid of petty anger. "And I don't expect you to break a multi-million euro contract. But you signed off on the South American clause last week without checking our shared calendar. You overrode the dates we explicitly cleared so you could travel with me to my seminar."

For a moment, he was silent. He didn't offer a hollow excuse. Nor did he panic or stammer. He simply looked at the digital collision of your lives, realizing that a rare lapse in his hyper-fixated focus had directly compromised a promise to the person he valued most.

"It was an oversight," Noa admitted, his voice dropping a fraction lower. "My mistake. I thought your trip wasn't until the following week. I... am sorry."

"I'm frustrated, Noel," you said honestly, looking up to meet his gaze. You didn't raise your voice because you didn't need to. Neither of you ever had to, you would just communicate. That's how this relationship works.

"You know I've spent months preparing for this, and we agreed we would celebrate this milestone together. I just want- no I need you to understand that your schedule isn't the only one that carries weight in this house."

It felt good to get that out. You were 100% sure Noel wasn't deliberately planning to schedule his event on top of yours, but the thoughts had just been dwelling in your mind, so you just had to get it out.

Noel didn't mind in the slightest, once again, if you have something on your mind, he would prefer you tell him and communicate with him rather than let it simmer and build up more negative emotions.

"I understand," Noa said softly. He placed a large, calloused hand on your leg, rubbing up and down. There was no defense mechanism or dismissal. Just mature accountability. "Your work is entirely equal to mine. I allowed the club's schedule to crowd out my main priority. Give me a day to fix this, okay?"

True to his word, Noa didn't waste time on emotional brooding. The next evening, he bypassed his usual post-training routine entirely. He walked through the door and handed you a printed itinerary.

"I can't skip the camp entirely without legal repercussion," Noa explained, sitting down beside you and pulling you gently into his side, his arm wrapping securely around your waist. "However, I spoke with management and the coaching staff today. I have renegotiated my promotional appearances. As of now, I'll fly out 48 hours late, using a private flight to meet the squad directly at the training facility."

He turned his head, pressing a soft kiss to your temple. "This gives me exactly 2 days to fly with you, attend your opening keynote, and celebrate your achievement," Noa murmured, his thumb tracing a comforting circle on your hip. "It's the best I could get, I'm sorry. I won't let my focus slip past you again," he apologizes, he originally planned to be on the whole trip with you, but now it's been reduced to 2 days.

You smiled and leaned back into his chest, the heavy knot of tension completely melting out of your shoulders. The solid yet familiar warmth of him anchored you, his chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm against your back. He hadn't brought home expensive flowers to try to woo you over or make a grand, empty gesture he used his logic, influence, and the power he had to rewrite his own rigid timeline just to protect yours.

"I love you so much. How are you even real?" you teased softly, turning your head slightly to poke and then press a kiss against his jawline.

Noa’s lips twitched upward into a soft smile. He let out a quiet breath, the last remnants of his professional side dissolving the moment he looked at you. "You support me, put up with my schedules, and me coming home late, This is the absolute least I can do to support you and I'm sorry it's only 2 days."

His large hands slid down to wrap completely around your waist, pulling you securely into his lap. For a man who lived his life by the second, he seemed to have all the time in the world right now. He rested his chin on your shoulder, his thumb gently tracing soothing circles over your hip, right through the fabric of your clothes.

"I don't like making mistakes," Noa murmured near your ear, his voice a low tone meant only for your ears. "But I dislike disappointing you even more. Thank you for talking to me clearly. Your clarity is… one of the many reasons I'm so in love with you."

"You taught me it..." you giggled as you replied, turning in his embrace to properly face him. You reached up, your fingers gently smoothing down the stray hairs of his undercut.

Noa leaned into your warm touch, closing his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them, those intense yellow eyes were directed entirely at you. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to your lips.

"Come on" Noa said softly against your lips as he pulled away just a fraction, a gentle glint in his yellow eyes. "The scheduling conflict is resolved. Now let me help you start packing for your seminar yeah?"

As he stood up, he lifted you effortlessly with him before setting you gently on your feet as you two start packing now because if he doesn't make you it most likely won't get done.

Aftertaste : sweet

You two go on to start packing your suitcases, he helps you decide outfits and you help him pack too. (even though he didn't need it) but how could he deny you?

notes : the series is so behind haha and I hate that myself bc if I was a reader it's something that would peeve me, like why make a series you can't keep up with🤨. I'll do better I promise!! I've posted some regular posts in between these series posts to hopefully keep you guys satisfied until I post the next one. please keep supporting me and please be kind to everyone around you! thank you for reading!

if u wanna help me : I debated on even posting this/continuing the series bc when I write my work I'll normally put it through grammarly (to add commas I missed mainly) then a ai detector and I just correct it based off of that but idk anymore I've spent the past hour editing and its still not good enough 💔 if anyone has any tips to sound less ai with writing pls message me im BEGGING.

Being childhood friends with Bachira, you quickly got accustomed to how clingy he was. He was always attached to you or always asking to hang out.

You couldn't complain, though; you were a kid, and having a friend felt amazing.

One thing you weren't necessarily prepared for was sharing everything with him. Given you were a single child, sharing wasn't a common concept to you.

But with Bachira, if your parents took you both out to eat, he was eating some of your fries, drinking some of your drink, etc.

"What's that?" he asks, pointing at your cup of food.

"It's pudding!" you tilt it to show him, not suspecting anything.

"Can I try it??" he smiled as he asked.

But your answer had been almost immediate. "No."

You continue eating small bits of it, talking to Bachira about something else. But just as you were distracted Bachira stole the spoon straight from your hand and took a big bite.

"MEGU!" you stared at him in complete horror, not sure why he would do that.

He just hums, "It's good!" he laughed.

At first, it annoyed you. You weren't used to sharing and didn't like the idea, but for some reason with Bachira, you just got over it. He would hug you every time he 'borrowed' some of your food, and that softened your resolve.

After that, it just became the norm. He would eat some fries off of your tray, take sips of your juice without asking, and take so-called 'tiny bites' that ended with half of your snack being gone.

And every time you'd complain.

"Bachira!"

"What?? No, megu?? Am I in trouble this time?" he'll pout to make you feel bad.

"That was mine!"

"You still have some left though!"

"That―" you frown. "That's not the point!" you nag him.

But even though you would complain and nag, it wasn't serious. You were never truly mad at him.

It continued, even until today, where you two are currently 17 years old.

Getting food from a food truck in the park? You already expect to share it with him. Why would he get his own when he can just share yours?

Bachira shared back too. He'd hand you his drinks without thinking, offer you the last bites of his food or desserts, and even shove popcorn and snacks towards you during your routine movie night.

He shared as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

You let Grim borrow your phone for two minutes. What was the harm in it…?

Well it turned into ten minutes.

Grim was muttering to himself. "This human has the recommendations." He was completely locked in just scrolling through your phone.

He was sitting on your couch sideways like he owned the place. His tail flicked every time a video he took interest in loaded.

You weren't really paying attention until your phone lit up.

Floyd: where are you shrimpyyy

Grim looked at the screen and squinted. "Shrimpy?"

He tapped the screen away. "Wait I'll answer for you."

You didn't even look up, not thinking much of it. Oh how wrong you were.

Grim: they're busy now

To be fair grim wasn't exactly lying, you were attempting to take a nap. But something as minor as that wouldn't stop Floyd.

There was a pause.

Then the typing bubbles showed up.

Floyd: …you’re not my shrimpy

Grim blinked. "Huh?"

Floyd: give the phone back

Grim tilted his head, confused how he could tell. "What how did he know?" He wasn’t secretly spying on him right…? He looks up and doesn’t see anything.

He typed again slower this time.

Grim: i’m just helping out

The reply came away.

Floyd: no you’re not

Floyd: you smell like trouble

Grim stiffened. "He can smell trouble through text?"

Before you or Grim could react, the door to your room swung open.

Floyd was already, in the doorway eyes closed like he was expecting chaos.

He looked at your phone at Grim and then he smiled. It was a dangerous smile. "Shrimpys phone " he said lightly.

Grim froze. "I was just... Holding it."

Floyd stepped inside still smiling. "That's cute."

Then his eyes narrowed a bit. "You’re so small, perfect to squeeze." he teases

“GAAAAAHHH! HUMAN HELP ME!” grim runs jumping behind you.

“Floyd…stop scaring him” you sigh opening your arms.

“But shrimpyyy he had your phone and was texting me..” he gets into your arms and lays on top of you.

featuring : sae itoshi

back to the Aftertaste collection masterlist

notes : before anyone asks yes sae isn’t a blue locker but he’s in the anime/manga so😋 , also the dashes are intentional its not ai💔

The heat in Spain stayed around even after the sun went down. Warm air came into the apartment through the balcony doors while music and chatter from the streets below floated up. It was late, but people were still out having fun. You were sitting on the couch looking at your phone for what felt like the 200th time... You were scrolling through it without paying attention. You hadn't heard back from sae. while this wasn't unusual.. It was enough to make you look at the clock every few minutes. Sae had mentioned that training might go late tonight. You knew this. You understood it better than anyone, and you were supportive of him 100%. Usually Sae sent you a message. At least a short one.. A thumbs up.. Even just "busy". Buttt tonight there was nothing... You got up from the couch and walked over to the balcony. The city looked beautiful at night. The streets were lined with lights. The warmth of the day was still on your skin.

You leaned against the railing. Then your phone buzzed. You immediately grabbed it. Sae had sent you a message. "downstairs." You were confused to say the least... Downstairs? How very informative of you Sae Itoshi. You quickly put on your shoes and went downstairs to the lobby. Sae stood near the apartment entrance still dressed in dark training clothes, hair slightly damp with sweat while exhaustion sat heavily across his features He was out of breath. Your eyebrows went up. "Sae? You're out of breath are you oka―" Sae put his hand on the back of his neck. "I ran the entire way here." You laughed a little. "Sae—" "The buses stopped running near the training center" he said. "I didn't notice how late it was until training was over." You saw how tired he looked. Not just his body,. Everything. You walked closer to him. Your face softened. "You should have just stayed there and rested..." you can't imagine leaving practice, your body sore, and running all the way here. Gosh he really loved you.. Sae looked at you. "You were waiting for me." Something in your chest felt tight. He said it like it was obvious. Like of course he would come.

You reached up. Brushed the hair back from his forehead. "You are sweating literally everywhere." you fan his face a bit. "That happens when you run across half the city " he said. "There are cars for a reason " you said. "They're slower depending on traffic. " he said. That sounded like the Sae you knew. You smiled a little. Sae relaxed when he saw your smile. "Have you eaten?" you asked. He shook his head. "No." "Then come on " you said. You gently took his wrist. Started walking down the street with him. Spain felt nicer at night. It was less crowded. The streetlights made the sidewalks look nice. Music came from the restaurants. You could smell food and the ocean. Sae walked beside you without talking at first. His shoulder would sometimes touch yours. After a while he spoke up. "You are not upset?" You looked at him. "Why would I be?" you let out a short laugh. Out of all things he thinks this is something you'd get upset over?? "I disappeared for hours " he said. "I should have answered your messages." You were a little surprised by how honest he was, most men won't admit their mistakes so bluntly. Sae looked away. His jaw set a little tight. "I got too focused. Stopped checking my phone." "I figured something happened." you said. "Not bad" you quickly clarify. "But something." Sae looked at you carefully. "Most people would have been angry." You shrugged. "Most people don't know you like I do Sae." That made him quiet.. It was a comfortable quiet between you both. You stopped at a shop near the street market, got food and drinks and sat outside. The city was still buzzing around you two.

Sae sat beside you with his arm on the back of your chair. His legs were stretched out under the table. He still looked tired.. It wasn't as bad now though, like tension had been released from him. You looked at him. "You really ran all the way." you repeat, it sounded crazy. Yes where he trained wasn't incredibly far but no normal person would willingly choose to run that distance. Sae took a sip of his drink. "I knew you'd stay waiting." Your chest felt tight again. "You could have just come later, I wouldn't have minded. I'd still get to see you." "I didn't want to " he said. A breeze came through the street. Cooled things down a bit. Sae got out his team jacket. Put it over your shoulders. "You're sweaty Sae" you said, you weren't sure that the jacket was sweaty too but it's a reasonable assumption tbh. "And you're cold " he said. "What's it gonna be freeze or be warm in my 'sweaty' jacket?" The way he quoted sweaty confirmed he hadn't wore it and it was still clean from the last time it was washed. You just pulled the jacket closer around you. Later when you were walking home Sae's hand grabbed yours, interlocking your fingers. You really have the sweetest boyfriend ever.

Aftertaste : Sweet

You both went back to your apartment, as soon as you entered you forced Sae into the shower. He was NOT sitting on anything until he was squeaky clean.

featuring : Yoichi isagi

notes : this is my first post I'm making on my new MacBook hehe. I'm def motivated to post more. reqs open back up this thursyay!! also reader doesn’t walk slow isagi is just like sprinting💔 also (again?!?!) the kaiser reference is random so NO spoilers.

This is how life is. Yoichi was born from playing soccer and doing soccer drills. He has a lot of energy inside him that never really stops.

When Yoichi talks about his soccer matches, he gets really excited about the picture and how everything works together and how the pieces fit into place. He starts talking fast. He literally gets so excited that he’s basically running down the sidewalk.

Then he realizes you are not walking with him. "And then Kaiser tried to block the ball," he says. He stops talking and spins around.

You are half a block behind him. You're trying to catch up to him. You thought you just looked away for a second, but then you couldn't hear his voice anymore, and when you looked back, he was gone. Now you see him coming back to you. His ears turn pink.

"I did it again. I'm so sorry!" He quickly walks back to you. He takes your bag from your shoulder and puts it on his own shoulder. He keeps talking as he gently steers you forward.

After that, it becomes a habit. At crosswalks his hand reaches back. Holds your wrist. He does this to keep you close before the traffic changes. Sometimes you slow down on purpose just so you can watch the moment he realizes he is not with you. His face shows a halt; a frantic look is displayed across it. He offers a soft apology as he runs back to you.

When Yoichi thinks about soccer, he's in his own world.. he always comes back for you though, and he makes sure you are with him for the rest of the dayy.

featuring : reo mikage

back to the Aftertaste collection masterlist

notes : erm my autocorrect goes to his full name instead of just reo so like if u see that anywhere in here i didn’t notice lmk😔😔💔 also tysm for 100 followers !!

You tried not to be dramatic about it at first. Reo was usually busy. You knew that. Outside of Blue Lock, he still had expectations piled onto his shoulders from every direction possible.

His father constantly dragged him into business dinners, meetings, interviews, and networking events.

At first, it didn’t really bother you. You were proud of him! Really..!

Somewhere during the past few weeks things had started changing or better wording, going downhill.

Phone calls became shorter, dates got canceled often, and convos slowly turned into "I’ll make it up to you later baby I promise.” Yet somehow that ‘later’ he spoke of never came.

Your phone buzzed suddenly. Reo had sent you a message.

reo :

meeting ran long again.

You stared at the message quietly. Then typed:

You said that yesterday too.

Three dots appeared instantly.

reo :

I know, I’m trying.

Your chest tightened. Because that was the problem. Reo was trying. Just not enough. You locked your phone without replying.

That night you ended up at Reo’s house anyway. Mostly because he kept texting apologies every twenty minutes until guilt finally got the better of you.

The Mikage estate looked as polished and untouched as always, lights glowing warmly through windows while staff quietly moved through the halls.

A maid led you upstairs automatically. Like you practically lived there already.

His bedroom door was cracked open when you reached it. Inside Reo sat at his desk still dressed in clothes with a tie loosened while several folders and papers sat scattered around him. His laptop screen glowed brightly in the room.

The second he noticed you standing there Reo’s entire expression softened. "There you are." Relief. Actual relief. Like he’d had been worried you wouldn’t have come.

You stayed near the doorway of walking in fully. "You’re still working..?" He nodded and rubbed tiredly at his face before leaning in his chair.

"My father wants me sitting in on company stuff this summer."

"You’ve been doing company stuff every day it seems like." A quiet silence followed that.

He looked away first. "I know." You stepped further into the room slowly.

"I feel like I haven’t actually seen you in weeks."

"That’s not fair." He snaps out, not harshly but he strongly disagreed with your statement.

Your eyebrows lifted slightly at his tone. "Isn’t it?"

Reo immediately sighed, pushing himself up from the chair. "You know I’m busy now..."

"You know I’m trying to be understanding." Your voice wasn’t angry, but anyone could tell you were upset.

He could hear the disappointment underneath it instead. "I’m doing all of this for our future you know.." Reo muttered quietly.

The words made your stomach twist immediately.

"Our future?"

Reo Mikage nodded quickly almost desperate for you to understand. "My father already thinks Blue Lock is a waste of time. If I keep proving I can handle company responsibilities too things get easier later."

You crossed your arms tighter around yourself. "What about now? You’re so focused on the future you can’t even stop to be in the present.”

Reo opened his mouth. Then stopped. Because he didn’t have an answer.

The room fell silent except for the hum of his laptop. Finally you spoke again. "You keep talking about later like it’s guaranteed."

Reo’s expression tightened slightly. "It is guaranteed–"

"You don’t know that."

"I do."

"No, Reo you don’t ." Your voice cracked slightly for the time that night. "You want it to be.”

“Whose to say i’ll even be with you by then?? I’m not just going to sit idle until your ‘foreseen fortune’ comes.”

That visibly hit him.. You kept going anyway, if there was a time to get your feelings out it was right now. "I feel like I am constantly waiting for you reo."

Reo stepped in immediately. "You’re not."

But you’re equally as quick to cut him off, upset he can even try to deny that. "Yes I am." Your eyes burned slightly now.

"I wait for texts. I wait for canceled plans to magically happen later. I wait for you to stop checking emails during dinner."

He looked guilty after that. "I.. I didn’t realize it was this bad."

"That is the problem." The quietness in your voice hurt more, than yelling would have. "You didn’t realize. Or maybe you didn’t care to.”

Silence hung in the air between you two.

Suddenly Reo reached out and took your hands gently. "I'm sorry " he apolgizes, and it seems genuine, you can only hope it is

You looked down where his fingers were wrapped around yours.

It felt warm, familiar, and comforting. You loved moments like these between you two. You just couldn’t remember a time you guys had some times alone.

"I know you are " you replied.

Reo took a breath. "I'll fix it " he promised.

You wanted to believe him badly.

God you really did.

Maybe that's why this hurt much.

Reo Mikage wasn't a person.

He wasn't ignoring you on purpose. He just thought you would wait while he dealt with everything first. But it’s clear you two weren’t on the same page. He understands that’s now..

Reo squeezed your hands gently. "I'll start saying no to some meetings " he said.

You looked at him quietly.

"What if your dad gets mad?" you asked.

Reo hesitated for a second.

You noticed it of course.

His confident expression wavered a bit before he looked away. "I'll deal with it " he said.

Your chest felt a little tight.

You let out a sigh and pulled one of your hands free to rub your face tiredly.

"I'm not asking you to drop everything for me Reo " you said. “That’d just be unrealistic and crazy for me to ask of you.”

His eyes came back to yours away.

"I know you have responsibilities " you continued. "I know your dad pressures you." Your voice softened a bit. "I get it really."

Reos expression faltered a bit at how calm you sounded.

"But you leave me hanging…over and over” you said.

The guilt on his face deepened away.

"You tell me you'll come. Then I'm sitting alone at some restaurant for an hour checking my phone like an idiot waiting for updates."

"I know…" he started.

"And then I get a second apology after I've already been sitting there wondering if something happened to you " you finished.

Reo closed his eyes for a second.

You could tell he hadn't thought about how painful that part was.

"I don't even need everything to go perfectly " you admitted quietly. "If you can't make it please… just tell me you can't make it. I feel like a fool waiting alone.”

Reo looked down at your hands still clasped together.

"I thought I could do both " he said.

"You can " you said softly. "Just not like this."

The room fell quiet again.

Slowly Reo stepped closer until your foreheads almost touched.

"I hate disappointing you " he said.

The honesty in his voice made your chest ache.

"I know " you replied.

"Every time I cancel something " he continued quietly "I tell myself I'll make up for it later. Then more things happen and—"

He stopped himself frustrated.

For once Reo looked his age.

Not polished.

Not composed.

Just tired.

You finally relaxed a bit. Rested your head against his chest.

Away his arms wrapped around you gently.

Like he'd been waiting for permission to hold you again.

"I'm still upset with you " you mumbled against him.

A small laugh escaped Reo.

"I figured " he said.

"If you leave me sitting at another restaurant I might block your number " you joked.

That made him laugh for real.

Soft.

Relieved.

"I deserve that " he said.

"Yes you do " you replied.

Reo lowered his chin against your head. Held you tighter.

"I'll do better " he promised.

You closed your eyes for a second.

Part of you still wondered if this cycle would just continue.

If Reo would get caught up in expectations more.

But for now, at least he was here.

That was enough.

Aftertaste : Sour

You weren’t sure if he meant the promise he made but you could only hope he did because you gave him another chance.

featuring : floyd leech

notes : i love floyd

You tried to take responsibility over it. This is how you should do things, you know it.

The one thing Floyd Leech loved doing?

Squeezing literally everything. Everything. Everybody. Any part on your body, your dignity…

So you were ready, waiting for him with a little squishy toy in your hands.

It took pride of place as Floyd entered your room.

“What’s that?” he immediately asks, leaning his head to one side.

“A training tool.”

Floyd blinks. “A training tool for what?”

You handed it to him reverently, as if it was an offering. “You! it’s a squishmallow.”

“…Squishmallow? For what?” he narrows his eyes at it.

“Instead of squeezing people, you squeeze this.”

Floyd looks at it carefully. Pokes it gently once. It indents under his finger. “…It doesn’t fight back.”

“Well…yeah it’s a squishy pillow..”

He squeezes it a second time for a long moment.

Then, it entirely vanishes in his grasp. “…Shrimpy.”

“Hmm?”

“This is kind of fun.”

Your face lit up like it was Christmas!! It really worked?!! "Yes, exactly! So, instead of me, you squeeze this." You were just daydreaming of the praise you’d get from the others if you make floyd’s squeezing habit for people go away!!

Floyd raises an eyebrow and looks from the squishmallow to you. And as soon as you are excited you were disappointed again when he said “… Why not both?"

“FLOYD!"

He doesn't even listen to you as he squeezes it in one hand and laughs softly. "It reminds me of you," he remarks idly.

“That doesn’t help my case any.”

“Mhm.” He leans closer, squeezing the squishmallow idly. “But it’s not warm.”

You hesitate. “…Pardon?”

Floyd tilts his head innocently. “I prefer squeezing you more.”

The squishmallow is promptly forgotten as Floyd grabs your waist, pulling you closer.

You attempt to pull back.

You truly do.

But he wins, of course. You never stood a chance against this sneaky little eel.

“…Floyd, don’t—you’ve got five minutes until the training—”

“Training’s over.”

“…FIVE MINUTES!”

“Improvement.”

In that second, you are grabbed into a hug while the squishmallow is ignored and squished senseless next to you on the bed.

“…I tried,” you mumble weakly.

Floyd smiles happily against your neck.

“Yeah, you did,” he whispers into your ear before biting it ‘gently’

featuring : seishiro nagi

back to the Aftertaste collection masterlist

notes : pls expect mistakes im really tired and don’t feel like proofreading

The sound of buttons clicking filled the room quietly. It was not loud enough to annoy you, but it was just constant enough to notice.

You sat curled up against the end of Nagis bed your legs tucked beneath the blanket while the pale glow from his monitor lit the otherwise dark room. Nagi barely moved, besides his fingers.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Sometimes he would mumble something at the game under his breath. Sometimes he would shift closer absentmindedly until his knee rested against yours again.

At some point earlier you had started talking. You were talking about your day. You were talking about a café you passed earlier. You honestly could not remember anymore. Not when halfway through the story you realized he hadn’t responded even once!

You said his nickname, Sei quieter this time fingers tracing absentmindedly along the sleeve of his hoodie.

“Hm?" His response sounded automatic, per usual.

Your eyes slowly lifted toward Nagi. “Are you actually listening?"

“Yeah " he mumbled lazily.

A pause.

Then:

“…What did you say again?"

Your chest tightened slightly. Not enough to hurt. Just enough to notice. You glanced down at your hands forcing a small laugh like it did not bother you.

“Nothing important."

He finally looked over then silver eyes blinking slowly like he could tell something shifted in your mood.

“You upset?"

“No."

“You are."

“I am not."

He stared at you quietly for another second before his attention drifted back toward the screen again.. Somehow that felt worse. Because even while talking to you part of his attention was already else.

The clicking started again.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

You swallowed quietly before speaking “Are you busy tomorrow?"

“Hm?" Seishiro Nagi hummed softly eyes still fixed on the game. "Probably."

“Oh."

A small pause followed. “…Why?"

You hesitated before shrugging “I thought maybe we could go out or something."

He leaned further back against the pillows one hand lazily rubbing the back of his neck. “Sounds troublesome."

The words left him naturally, like he didn’t even realize how rude they sounded..

“Oh " you repeated quietly. "Right."

Now did he glance toward you properly. “What?"

“Nothing."

“You got weird again." he replies.

You let out a breath through your nose staring down at the blanket gathered in your lap. “I’m not weird Sei."

“Mhm."

His attention drifted back toward the screen. You weren’t angry, If anything you were jjsttired.

Because Nagi still let you come over. Still pulled you close when he slept. Still rested his head on your shoulder whenever he was bored.. Lately it felt like you were only there to exist beside him while he focused on everything else. Like he had gotten so used to your presence that he just stopped reaching for it completely.

“…I think I’m gonna go " you announce

The controller clicking finally stopped. “Huh?" He asks as if that’s the craziest thing you’ve said.

“I’m tired."

“You can sleep here." His response came quickly. Almost too quickly… You almost laughed at that. Because now he was auddenly paying attention? Of all the times he could’ve?

“I kinda wanna sleep in my bed tonight…” you come up with the excuse, it was an very obvious lie... You’d prefer to stay with nagi and sleepover with him all the time, being in your bed actually feels quite lonely.

Nagi finally set the controller down beside him brows furrowing as he watched you stand. “You’re upset."

“I said I’m not."

“. You are."

His voice sounded quieter now. Less distracted. You grabbed your bag from beside the bed before looking at him properly.

“You know what the worst part is?" you asked softly.

He blinked slowly. “What?"

“I don’t even think you realize you are doing it."

His brows knitted together slightly. “Doing what?"

You looked away before answering. “Making me feel lonely while I am sitting next to you."

Silence, like actual silence this time. No game sounds. No clicking buttons. Nothing. Nagi stared at you like he genuinely did not know what to say.. Probably because he didn’t, because he never meant to hurt you. That was the problem too. It wasn’t intentional at all. It was thoughtless, he didn’t put much effort into the relationship, he didn’t think he needed to.

Your fingers tightened around your bag strap slightly before you forced out a smile that did not quite reach your eyes. “I think I miss you even when I am with you lately." you force out a small laugh.

Something changed in his expression at that, it was like it finally clicked to him. “I didn’t know…”

His voice came out quieter than before. Honest. You believed him immediatwly. “I know.”

You moved toward the bedroom door before Nagi suddenly reached out fingers wrapping around your wrist. Not lazy this time. Not absentminded. Careful.

“…Don’t go yet."

There was no teasing in his voice now, no boredom. Just something that was almost uncertain. You stopped for a second staring down at where his hand held your wrist. Usually this would have been enough. Usually one small moment of attention from him would have made you stay, would’ve made you feel wanted. but you felt exhausted.

Not because you stopped loving him..no never…but because you were tired of feeling grateful for crumbs, the bare minimum. Your throat tightened slightly before you carefully pulled your wrist from his hand. His fingers loosened immediately. The look on his face afterward almost broke you.

“…I think " you said quietly avoiding his eyes now "I need some space."

For once Seishiro Nagi had nothing to say. No lazy excuse. No soft complaint. No ‘hassle’ talk. He just sat there silently on the edge of the bed while watching you walk toward the door.. It hurt you to leave, because part of you still wanted him to stop you properly, to stand up, fight for you a little and tell you that he really wants you there and he’ll do better. But to no one’s surprise he just stayed still.

The only sound left in the room was the buzzing from the paused game behind him. You paused at the doorway for a second before quietly speaking again.

“I don’t wanna to feel lonely every time I'm with you, the guy I love." you admit.

His expression finally cracked at that. Just slightly. His eyes lowered toward the floor fingers tightening slowly around the controller sitting forgotten in his lap.

“…Sorry " he said softly.

It was genuine. You knew it was.. but it came far too late to fix the ache already sitting in your chest. So of answering you simply left.. Long after the bedroom door closed behind you Nagi stayed sitting there motionless in the dim light of the monitor.

The game remained paused. Unread notifications continued flashing across the screen.. For the first time, in a long while— everything felt painfully quiet without you there beside him.

At first the distance felt strange.

It was too quiet.

You still found yourself reaching for your phone to text Nagi whenever something funny happened during the day. You still found yourself expecting to hear Nagis lazy voice mumbling your name whenever your apartment got too silent at night, and that made the hurt in your heart worse.

Because despite everything. You missed Nagi constantly. Which isn’t crazy, you love him, he’s your boyfriend after all…

Nagi texted sometimes. He sent things, simple things.

"u awake?"

"saw ur drink today :x”

"reo says im bad at this"

The messages from Nagi almost felt awkward in a way they never used to. it felt forced. Like he was trying to fix something he didn’t know how to.

Then eventually the messages from him became more frequent. He started calling, sometimes it’d late at night when he couldn’t sleep, other times after training, or just because.

The time Nagi showed up outside your apartment without warning you almost thought you were imagining it. He stood there in his hoodie with his hands shoved into the pockets his silver eyes looked heavy with exhaustion as he stared down at you quietly.

“…This sucks " Nagi mumbled.

You blinked softly. “What does?"

"You not being around."

His honesty nearly shattered you on the spot.

Nagi rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before continuing. "My room feels annoying now."

Despite yourself a tiny laugh escaped you “Annoying..? How’s your room annoying sei…you live in there.” the statement sounded crazy from him, from someone who spends 99% of his time in his room playing games you’d assume that’s his favorite place.

"Mhm." His gaze finally lifted toward yours. "Too quiet."

Silence settled between the two of you for a moment.

Then he spoke quieter, "…I think I got too comfortable." The words sounded strained. It was clearly difficult for him because admitting things like this didn’t come naturally. "I thought you’d just…stay there no matter what."

Your chest ached hearing that, and he wasn’t wrong. He could ignore you for hours and you’d still stay there. Fall asleep on his bed as he’s still playing games, even if he hasn’t spoken a word to you.

Nagi stepped closer after a second, reaching for your hand, Intentionally this time. "I’m trying " softly. "So…can you give me another chance?"

Honestly. Part of you wanted to say no. Part of you wanted to protect and stand up for yourself from feeling that lonely again. But another part of you could see it clearly now. Nagi loves you. He just never realized loving someone still needed effort until he nearly lost it.

And so you take his hand, giving him another chance. If there’s anyone that believe in him, it’s you.

Aftertaste : Sour

The feeling of being lonely was still there. Not as strong as before. This time Nagi actually noticed when your hand slipped away, from his hand, and he realized he didn’t wanna lose that. So he’ll try, try to be a better boyfriend for you.

featuring : noel noa , meguru bachira , sae itoshi

notes : more smaus???

featuring : floyd leech

notes : established relationship , comment if you want other characters!

You had gotten quite good at hiding your wounds. Not because you got hurt often. Because being with Floyd Leech taught you quickly what not to tell him.

Especially when others were around..Because Floyd reacted strangely to things like that.

past occasions: Someone bumped into you hard, and he spent an hour wondering if he should “squeeze them a little.” Another student stepped on your foot. He was already out the door before you stopped him from chasing them.

The truth was that this time really was an accident.

A student pushed open a door too quickly while you were standing on the other side. The edge slammed into your ribs leaving a bruise.

It hurt, of course. A lot more than you wanted to admit.

Dealing with Floyds reaction seemed easier. So you hid it. And it worked!

For exactly one day.

Floyd was like creepily observant when it came to you.

You were sitting in Floyds room above Mostro Lounge trying not to react when you shifted on the couch.

Floyd was sprawled on the end one arm over the backrest watching you. “You are acting weird,” he says.

Your stomach dropped and you laughed, trying to sound casual as you look away from him. “No I’m not?”

Floyd tilts his head slightly, eyes narrowing. “You flinched three times already.” You curse yourself internally, were you really that obvious?!!?!?!

“Maybe I am just dramatic.” you try to reassure him, surely it wouldn’t seem out of the odd because you do over exaggerate sometimes.

“You are dramatic,” he says. “It’s different this time.”

You try smiling but it feels weaker.

“I think you are imagining things.”

Silence.

That was worse.

Whenever Floyd got quiet it meant he noticed something.

Before you can think of an excuse his hand wraps around your wrist.

Quick.

Not painful.

But impossible to pull from.

“Floyd—!” you gasp.

“What happened?”

His voice lost its teasing edge.

No nicknames. No joking tone.

Just direct.

“Nothing.”

His eyes narrow.

“Liar.”

Floyd pulls you into his lap. The movement sends an ache through your ribs and you suck in a breath quietly.

The second the sound leaves you—

his expression changes.

“Oh.”

The room feels still.

Floyds arm tightens around your waist.

“Who did that?”

“Nobody did anything.”

“I know,” Floyd says quietly.

“It was an accident,” you add quickly.

“Aaaah…”

Floyds humming makes your stomach twist.

You know that tone.

It’s the tone he uses when hes getting irritated.

“Who.”

“Some student opened a door fast.”

“And hit you.”

“By accident floyd,” you repeat.

Floyd smiles.

A small dangerous smile.

“Did they apologize?”

“Yeah.” you knew you had to tread carefully, wording anything wrong right now and floyd would try to squeeze a poor student

“Did you forgive them?”

“Yes.”

A long silence follows after that..

Floyds hand slides against your side, fingers brushing close to the bruise and you tense.

That makes his eyes sharpen. “That bad, huh?”

“No no, It’s probably worse than it looks.” you brush it aside.

“Can I see?”

You hesitate, and that basically tells Floyd how bad it is.

His arm squeezes firmly your waist as he stares at you. “Shrimpy.”

“Okay okay.” You lift your shirt to show the bruise.

Everything is quiet for a second. Then- “Whoa.”

Floyds eyes stay fixed on the bruise, his expression flattening. “You hid this from me,” he mutters.

Your expression softens. “Because I knew you would overreact.”

“What do you mean overreact?” he asks, eyebrow raised, not liking the implication

“Hmm, planning a murder over a minor incident such as me getting hit by a door isn’t overreacting??”

Floyd grins. “Not murder.” then he admits, “Maybe just a little squeeze.”

You look at him.

“You are bruised all over.” Floyd purrs the words softly.

It sends vibrations down your spine.

It is the realization that Floyd hates seeing you hurt “Hate it,” he mumbles.

Your breath catches. “What?”

“I do not like seeing you all banged up.” His voice is quiet, muffled, and sincere.

Some tension leaves your shoulders.

“I am okay.”

“You are not.”

“I will be.”

Floyd stares at you for a moment before leaning down, pressing kisses against your ribs.

Careful, almost gentle, you notice every time he’s touching you he’s making sure to be gentle and not use too much of his strength on you.

“Still wanna squeeze them till they leave dents,” Floyd murmurs.

“Floyd.” you deadpan.

“Joking,” he says. Then mumbles “Mostly.”

back to masterlist

✦ — heartslabyul solo works

✦ — heartslabyul multi-character works

✦ — savanaclaw solo works

✦ — savanaclaw multi-character works

✦ — octavinelle solo works

you can’t hide your injuries from bf! floyd leech ! - floyd leech

attempting to fix floyd’s squeezing problem ! - floyd leech

grim watching videos on readers phone when bf! floyd texts and grim decides to reply - floyd leech

✦ — octavinelle multi-character works

✦ — pomefiore solo works

✦ — pomefiore multi-character works

✦ — ignihyde solo works

✦ — ignihyde multi-character works

✦ — diasomnia solo works

malleus can’t find you?!!?!! - malleus draconia (coming soon)

with rin itoshi .

back to the Aftertaste collection masterlist

notes : sooo sorry this is posted a day late, i’ll be posting nagi’s tomorrow. i had to get labs done and my hands were hurting so bad💔

The TV had been on for close to an hour, but neither one of you was actually paying any attention to it by now.

You stretched out across the foot of Rin Itoshi's bed, scrolling through your phone lazily as Rin typed at his computer at the headboard next to you.

Light reflected off the screen every time he replayed another clip of an old match. Like clockwork he would

Pause.

Rewind.

Replay.

Over and over.

You glance up at him after watching him do it the fourth time.

"You know," you murmur, "normal people typically watch movies during a sleepover, not ignore their partner”

Rin doesn't even respond, his eyes still glued to the computer.

"I am watching something," he replies as if it were obvious.

"That is not watching something. You're just replaying the same clip like 20 thousand times! That’s gotta be a bit boring surely…” you exclaim, how was he not tired or bored of it already? It’s been like 20 minutes??

Plus you were already feeling sleepy, just being around rin makes you tired, now add being cuddled up beside him in his bed.

"It's productive."

Rolling your eyes, you flop over onto your back. "Your idea of fun is seriously worrying." You lay your arm over your eyes.

Rin ignores you as he continues typing.

You get bored and remove your arm, your eyes flick around his bedroom, finally landing on the soccer ball next to his desk.

For a second, you think about it silently before glancing up at him again. "...Can you teach me how to play?” Rin usually has a hard time saying no to you so you figured this would be an easy yes!

There's a pause in his movement, followed by Rin looking over at you.

"No." his answer was short and he didn’t elaborate.

Your eyes go wide. "Can you at least consider it?" you plead, shocked he just refused you that quick.

"There's nothing to think about." how could he?! the audacity of this man, he won’t even teach you about the sport he’s devoted his life too.

"You're actually so rude." you push against his legs with your feet, trying to get him off the bed.

Rin half-closes the laptop before he actually looks at you. "You'd complain after five minutes." He says it as if he already knows what you’ll do!

"I would not."

"You complained coming up the stairs."

You sit up in an instant, offended.

"Because your stairs are the stairs of misery and despair!” you recall going up them, your legs felt like jelly.

"They're normal stairs."

"No, rich people stairs are different." you insist.

Rin gives you a slight look of irritation before looking away from you.

"You make soccer look easy," you continue, moving a bit closer to him. "Maybe I would actually be decent if someone showed me."

"You wouldn't."

"Oh my godddd, just crush my dreams, what if i wanted to become the best player in japan?”

"You wanna be the best in japan but you’re just now starting? Your chances are lukewarm.” He says, as he shuts his laptop.

"You really know how to motivate people."

"That's not my job." You frown at that. Despite those words, he gets off the bed, bending down to take the ball.

Your eyes light up with interest. "Oh, so you ARE teaching me?"

Rin takes a breath and walks out of bed, keeping the ball under his arm. "I said I'd try."

"That still counts as something!” You jump up

"You bruise easily," he mutters before he leaves the room. "Don't blame me later."

You blink before quickly following him.

"That sounded weirdly threatening." you hold his arm as he walks.

"It wasn't meant to."

The sky was already turning into a pleasant combination of colors by the time both of you arrived in the little field near his apartment building.

It was still hot from the previous hours of the day, but finally the wind managed to bring some relief.

Rin kicks the ball onto the ground while glancing at you.

His face frowns as soon as he sees how you stand.

“…Why do you stand like that?” and to that you look down at yourself questioningly.

“What’s wrong with my stance? Is it not defensive enough?” you look down trying to see.

“You look like you’re going to fall.”

“Okay…but i’m not falling! I’m standing!” you gesture to yourself clearly standing upright.

“You look like you might fall.”

You look at him speechlessly, wondering if this really matters or if he’s just nagging you to nag you.

Rin pushes the ball with his foot again, towards you.

“First, stop the ball.”

“Easy!” You agree, smiling confidently.

Only to fail instantly. The ball slides easily past your foot, you could’ve sworn you could do this! It’s just a ball!

Silence.

Rin sighs quietly through his nose and touches his forehead with one hand. “…You’re worse than I thought.”

“Well you’re a terrible teacher.” you cross your arms.

“You’re a terrible listener.”

While he’s insulting you, he moves even closer, bending just a little bit as he adjusts your foot in a surprisingly patient way.

His hands pause for a second, steadying your ankle, before tapping your shoe lightly. “Like that,” he mumbles. “You’re stopping the momentum, not kicking it away.”

You look at his hands before turning back to him “You’re taking this too seriously.” But then again this sport was his life, it would be difficult for you to understand.

“I’m teaching you properly like you wanted.” There’s something in his tone that warms your chest.

After that, Rin backs up a bit, crossing his arms.

“Again.”

The second attempt is much better.

The third comes close.

On the fifth one, you’re laughing more than you’re actually improving.

He looks annoyed throughout the entire process, but the fact that he hasn’t ended the lesson seems like a win in itself.

Eventually, he sighs before moving toward the ball again. “Move,” he orders.

You move out of the way as he kicks the ball underfoot easily.

“Watch closely now.”

After tapping the ball once, Rin kicks it toward you again, much harder than the last one.

Right after he kicks it, his face changes in a subtle way as if he knew what was going to happen, but it's already too late.

You move too slowly.

As a result, the ball doesn't stop, and it hits your thigh on the outside with such force that you stumble back right away.

"Ah—shit—"

A sharp pain spreads through your leg right away.

You grab your leg and try not to fall.

The field suddenly falls silent.

Rin’s face falls right away.

"…Fucking hell."

This curse is said by him under his breath before he starts to walk towards you quickly. "Are you alright? Let me see it.”

You let out a weak laugh despite the pain. "Yeah. Totally. I think my leg exploded a little bit." you joke to try and lighten the mood, ease the tension.

"Don't joke around at a time like this."

His tone of voice was unusually harsh, but you could tell he wasn't actually angry. He was only mad at himself and you realize it right away.

Rin squats down in front of you, placing his hand above your thigh carefully but hesitantly.

You flinch involuntarily.

Just this makes his jaw clench. "I fucking kicked it too hard." You can tell he’s beating himself up about this in his head.

"Hey it’s fine don’t worry," you try to give him a reassuring smile, still struggling to regain your senses, "at least now I can say I lived through Rin Itoshi’s gruesome training."

"You barely made it." Even with his lackluster reaction, he continues to be very careful in how he maneuvers you into sitting down on the bench nearby.

It’s already starting to turn a little dark under your skin. Rin spots it right away, Of course he does. “Woah it’s so dark already?” you exclaim, you don’t normally get bruises, at least ones this obvious or that you know about. So seeing it darken in real time was pretty crazy

His eyes trail over it for an extra second before looking away again, as if he couldn’t stand to look at it. “You’re such an easy bruiser,” he says. “I told you that already tch.”

He ends up sitting next to you after that, elbows propped casually on his legs while staring off into the abandoned field.

Silence falls between the two of you for a brief second.

And then he mumbles the quietest but sincere “…Sorry.”

You look at him, surprised.

But Rin avoids your gaze as he says that, his tone hesitant as if apologizing was physically painful for him to do.

You smile and lean onto him as the sun goes down, pain aside you’re just happy to have spent time with him.

aftertaste : sweet

the sun set with you learning new soccer skills and rin taking care of your battle scars!!