#cosplayer reader

The blonde hair with that distinctive rattail. The blue rose tattoo crawling up his neck. The sheer arrogance radiating from every goal celebration, every interview clip Emma showed you afterward. You went home that night and fell down a rabbit hole of highlight reels, match compilations, and behind-the-scenes content.

Emma had created a monster.

"I can't believe you're more obsessed than me now," she'd said last week when you admitted you'd bought official Bastard München merchandise.

You'd just grinned. Because you weren't just obsessed. You'd already ordered the wig. Already practiced the temporary tattoo placement five times to get it perfect. Already planned out every detail of the costume.

When you love a character, you cosplay them.

And apparently, footballers counted.

The Allianz Arena is massive.

You knew it would be—you'd seen it in photos, in videos—but standing in front of it in person, the sheer size of it makes your heart race. The crowd flows around you like a river, thousands of fans, scarves held high, chanting songs you don't quite know the words to yet.

You adjust your wig one more time, making sure the rattail sits perfectly down your back. The blue roses of the temporary tattoo snake up your neck exactly like the real thing—you'd spent an embarrassing two hours getting the placement right. The red marks around your eyes took another forty-five minutes, careful precision with liquid eyeliner until they matched Kaiser's perfectly. The official Bastard München jersey hangs a bit loose on your shorter frame, but tucked into the matching shorts with the knee-high socks? You look good.

People stare as you walk, but you're used to it. Cosplaying in public always draws attention—you've walked through city streets as anime characters, posed in parks as video game protagonists. A football stadium is just another venue.

You can't stop smiling. You're about to watch Bastard München play live, and you're dressed as your favorite player. This is going to be amazing.

"Oh my god," someone says as you pass. "Is that—"

"Female Kaiser!" another voice shouts, and suddenly there's a small group of fans stopping in their tracks.

You turn, grinning. A teenager with face paint is staring at you with wide eyes, their friend already pulling out their phone.

"Can we get a picture?" they ask, practically bouncing with excitement.

"Of course!" You're beaming now, posing enthusiastically as they crowd around you. The energy is infectious. You've taken photos with people at conventions before, but there's something special about this—these aren't fellow cosplayers or anime fans, just regular football supporters who think your costume is fun. There's something really sweet about that, about sharing this weird crossover of your hobbies with people who might never go to a convention but still appreciate the effort you put in.

"The tattoo looks so real!" one of them says, leaning in to look.

"Thanks! It took forever to get the placement right," you admit, tilting your head so they can see it better.

"And the wig is perfect!"

More people are noticing now. A couple in their thirties asks for a photo. Then a group of university students. Then a family with kids who think "girl Kaiser" is the funniest thing they've ever seen.

"Say something arrogant!" one guy calls out, and you laugh.

You flip your hair dramatically and put on your best Kaiser impression: "Naturally, the crowd recognizes greatness when they see it."

The group loses it, laughing and cheering. You do a few more poses, mimicking some of Kaiser's goal celebrations you've memorized from watching too many highlight reels, and the crowd eats it up.

This is incredible. You're having the time of your life.

A security guard eventually approaches, looking tired but amused. "Alright, folks, we need to keep the walkways clear—"

"Sorry, sorry!" You wave apologetically at the dispersing crowd, giving them one last pose before following the guard's gesture to move along.

You're checking your phone—Emma has already sent you five messages demanding updates—when the security guard clears his throat.

"Actually, miss, can you come with me for a moment?"

You blink. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, no, nothing like that. Just... there's been a bit of a situation with the crowd and we need to move you through a different route. Stadium policy."

That makes sense, you suppose. The crowd had gotten pretty big. You follow him as he leads you away from the main concourse, down a side corridor that's significantly quieter. The noise of the stadium fades to a distant hum.

You're typing a response to Emma (literally caused a mob, security had to move me lmaooo) when the guard stops.

"Wait here just a moment," he says, looking uncertain. "I need to... check something."

He disappears around a corner before you can ask what he's checking. You shrug, leaning against the wall and scrolling through your phone. Someone's already posted a photo of you on social media with the caption "FEMALE KAISER AT THE ALLIANZ ARENA" and it's getting hundreds of likes.

Emma is going to die when she sees this.

You hear voices approaching—two of them, speaking German. Something about the pitch inspection being pointless, typical pre-match complaints.

Wait.

You know those voices.

Your head snaps up so fast you almost give yourself whiplash. Two figures round the corner, mid-conversation, and your brain completely short-circuits.

Michael Kaiser. The Michael Kaiser. In the flesh. Blonde hair perfect, blue eyes sharp, that same arrogant set to his shoulders you've seen in a hundred videos.

And next to him, Alexis Ness, looking exactly like his photos except somehow more, his magenta eyes bright as he gestures animatedly about something.

They stop dead when they see you.

You stop breathing.

For a moment, nobody moves. Kaiser's eyes go wide, tracking from your wig to your tattoo to your uniform to your face. Ness's mouth falls open, his jaw practically hitting the floor.

Ness points at you, his voice coming out strangled. "Female Kaiser."

Kaiser's head whips toward him. "What the hell are you—" He looks back at you, and his brain seems to short-circuit in real time. "What."

And you—because you're apparently incapable of being normal—let out a noise that's half-squeal, half-gasp. "OH MY GOD. KAISER! AND NESS! IN THE FLESH! HIIIIII!"

You're waving enthusiastically, practically bouncing on your feet, all the coolness you might've had completely abandoned.

Kaiser stares at you. Then at Ness. Then back at you. "What is happening right now."

"I'm cosplaying you!" you blurt out, still grinning like an absolute maniac. "I'm a cosplayer—I do anime and manga characters usually but my friend got me into football and I love Bastard München and you're my favorite player so I thought it'd be fun to dress up as you for the match and oh my god I can't believe I'm actually meeting you right now, this is insane—"

You're talking way too fast, hands gesturing wildly, but you can't stop. This is the best day of your life.

Nothing from Kaiser. His jaw was tight, lips parted, but no words came. He's so speechless it's making you laugh.

It was Ness who broke first. His gaze swept over you, almost trembling with intensity, his expression tipping from shock into something far more dangerous. "You…" His voice cracked and he tried again, softer. "You look exactly like him."

Kaiser snapped his head toward him, finally jarred out of silence. "Don't say that."

But Ness didn't stop. He stepped closer, eyes darting between your face and Kaiser's, like he was trying to reconcile the two. "No, really. The resemblance is—god, it's uncanny. The hair, the tattoo, even the way she's standing—it's like—" His voice dropped. "It's like you, but—"

"Don't finish that sentence." Kaiser's tone was sharp, but it carried a rare edge of unease.

Your grin only widened. "Okay, this is amazing."

Kaiser turned his glare on you, as though you'd somehow orchestrated this. "Amazing? He's practically drooling like a dog!"

That only made you laugh harder, covering your mouth to stifle the sound. Ness didn't even look at Kaiser—his attention was locked on you, pink rising across his cheeks.

"I mean it," he said, voice steadier this time. "You're… wow. God damn."

Kaiser let out a strangled sound, somewhere between outrage and disbelief. "Ness! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"It's not wrong," Ness muttered, brushing a hand through his hair. "It's… confusing. But I can't stop looking."

Kaiser dragged a hand down his face, visibly unraveling. "Oh please. She's dressed as ME. Pull yourself together."

"I'm trying," Ness said, but his eyes were still on you.

Kaiser looked between you both, his jaw tight with barely restrained frustration. "I'm being serious."

"Kyaaa!" You clasped your hands together, practically bouncing. "Is my cosplay really that accurate?! I'm so glad to be recognized by the original!"

Kaiser went very still. You could see the tension in his shoulders, the hesitation in the way he didn't quite seem to know what to do with his hands. Slowly—almost reluctantly—he raised his head and looked down at you with that signature gaze of his, the one that made it clear he was looking down on someone.

"You're too short for it to be accurate," he said finally. Then, after a beat: "But otherwise... it was a good attempt."

Your face lit up even more, but before you could respond, Ness cut in.

"That's the best part though!" Ness said, and there was something almost dreamy in his voice. "Who knew your female counterpart could be so hot. What a waste."

Kaiser's head snapped toward him. "What?"

"Thanks!" you said brightly, completely unfazed.

Kaiser stared at Ness, then at you, then back at Ness. He looked completely bewildered, like his brain was trying to process the fact that Ness was more into your female cosplay of him than... him. This is the weirdest thing he's ever been through. "What do you mean 'what a waste'—"

"Can we take pictures together?!" you asked, cutting through whatever crisis Kaiser was having. You were grinning up at him, eyes bright with excitement.

"YES. You should," Ness said immediately, already pulling out his phone.

Kaiser hesitated. He looked at you—this shorter, feminine version of himself—and you could see him struggling with how to feel about all of this. Finally, he sighed. "Yeah. Whatever. You're a fan anyway."

But he still looked distinctly uncomfortable, like he couldn't quite reconcile the sight of mini-female-him standing in front of him, and he definitely didn't know how to feel about any of it.

Five minutes later, your phone has several new photos that you're absolutely going to treasure forever: some of you and Kaiser side-by-side (he refused to smile, so you did his signature smirk for both of you), one where Ness convinced Kaiser to do a matching pose (Kaiser looked like he was in physical pain), and one candid shot of Kaiser looking baffled while you grin like an idiot.

You checked your phone and your eyes widened. "Oh god, I need to get to my seat before the match starts—"

Kaiser seemed almost relieved. "Go."

You started heading back down the corridor, then paused and turned back with a bright grin. "Thanks for the pictures! Good luck with the match!"

Kaiser gave a slight nod, still looking vaguely uncomfortable with this entire situation.

Ness waved, still smiling in that slightly dazed way.

You turned the corner, alone in the hallway now, still dressed as Michael Kaiser, still unable to fully process what just happened.

Your phone buzzed.

Emma: GIRL WHERE ARE YOU

Emma: THE MATCH IS ABOUT TO START

Emma: DID YOU GET LOST

You grinned, typing as you headed toward your seat.

You: oh you're not gonna BELIEVE what just happened

The next day, you wake up to your phone absolutely exploding with notifications.

You blink at the screen, confused, until you see it—Kaiser had posted to Instagram after the match. It was a carousel post: action shots from the game, aesthetic photos of the stadium lights, a photo of him mid-celebration after scoring. And then, casually slipped in as the last slide—you and him, standing side-by-side, you grinning while he maintained that signature arrogant expression.

The caption read: "Standards for cosplayers: must be taller. 3/10."

And Ness had immediately reposted it to his own account.

Now "Female Kaiser" was trending in Germany.

Your own social media had blown up overnight. Thousands of new followers. Hundreds of comments. People sharing the photos, making memes, asking where you got the wig.

Emma had sent you approximately fifty messages, most of them in all caps.

But you were too busy staring at the comments on Kaiser's post.

@;ness.alexis: 3/10 is generous from you

@;kaisermicheal: It was a decent attempt.

@;ness.alexis: you kept the photo

@;kaisermicheal: Your point?

@;ness.alexis: just saying 👀

@;kaisermicheal: Ness I swear to god.

SFW

he would compliments you everytime he'd see you try out a new costume

sometimes helping you out with your wigs and ironing your costumes because he just loves you like that

smile whenever he sees you interact with small children

WOULD CHEER LOUDLY IF U JOIN ANY COSPLAY COMPETITIONS RAHH

hold your hands as you two walk around the venue

he'd probably carry all your bags 😭

would be very very very very ready for everything, you need to retouch? he's got your makeup bag right there, you need to fix your wig? here's a hairspray, oh no, your shit started falling off? he's already holding the safety pins you need 😭

he'd spoil the shit out of u fr, i mean he's happy that you're an independent person and all that shit but no, he's gotta spoil u mamas

he's probably try to learn a thing or two about cosplaying so he can try to help you:3

NSFW

would fuck the shit out of you in those costumes fr

you'd have a stash of lingeries for characters but only wearing them whenever it's sexy time

another cosplayer tries to flirt with you infront of him? he'd pull you in a nearby bathroom and bend you over fr

he likes watching you looking so pretty, would compliment you when he fucks you

"Oh, sorry, you two were just funny. You look like a Jedi and his padawan having a spat."

Seonghwa tore his eyes off of you long enough to regard Yeosang. "I told you I looked like a Jedi!"

"You sure do," you added, tilting your head toward the boxes in his hands, "what are you looking at getting there?"

Seonghwa shakily lowered the AT-TE back to the table. "Oh, well, I think I'm going with the TIE Advanced set."

"Good choice," you loudly whispered, leaning a bit closer, "355 to that one's 794. A little under half the pieces, but a quarter of the price."

"That's what I thought, like the TIE is way more iconic too, sorry Battle of Utapau."

"Yeah, I'm more into the OG movies myself."

He nodded toward your cosplay. "I see that. Did you make that yourself, or buy the pieces?"

"Oh, no, I made this."

Seonghwa feels his jaw drop, warmth pooling in his chest at the way you giggle again, this time at his expression, which rises from shock to a wide, awed grin. "You- you really? How do you do it? How long does it take? One of my roommates just customizes regular clothes and it seems like he can spend hours."

"Oh, yeah, hours is about right," you chuckle, "but it feels like the hardest part is finding the right fabrics sometimes, like these thicker ones aren't at every fabric store."

"Yeah, you really sound like my friend," Seonghwa jokes, "but you look way better."

He flushes the moment the words leave his mouth, immediately stuttering backtracks. "Well, um, that is, I mean, he doesn't do cosplay, more just like paint and cutting stuff up and-"

"Don't worry, you wouldn't believe how many creeps have told me I should have gone with the slave look," your voice cuts into his ramble, "I'm not offended. I actually appreciate it, um...what was your name again?"

"Oh," he lit up, "Seonghwa. This is my first convention."

Introducing yourself, you smiled and waved a hand at the legos he paused the conversation to purchase. "And it looks like you're getting something out of it already."

"More clutter for his room," Yeosang supplied.

You laughed. "You don't want to see mine, then. Besides, I can't help but notice you bought a ship too."

"A tiny one!" Yeosang sheepishly defended himself, quickly laughing at the m-hm sound you made.

"That's how it starts. Get him addicted, Seonghwa."

He nodded. "I'm trying."

"That's the spirit," you said with a mischievous grin.

Seonghwa nodded, then felt his eyes start to lose focus from looking at your own. "Er, well, we'll see you around, (y/n)!" He waved, starting to turn and walk away with Yeosang, who immediately shoved him.

"Whoa, what's that for?"

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting back to the convention?"

"Don't you think you should talk to her?"

"What, and follow her around like a weirdo?"

"No," Yeosang fought, "invite her to go check out the voice acting stall or build your legos together or at least just take a picture with her to remember her by if you're too scared to do anything else."

Seonghwa frowned slightly. "I'm not scared."

"Ok," his long-haired friend shrugged, "then prove it."

"I will," he said with a satisfied smile as he turned on his heels, heading back for you.

"Oh, hey, (y/n)?"

You turned around too, white cape billowing around you like angel wings. He swallowed, trying not to stare too hard.

"Can we take a picture? I- I haven't really gotten many pictures with cosplayers, and-"

"Sure!" Smiling brightly, you accepted his proffered phone, taking a couple selfies that left Seonghwa feeling like a boiled lobster, he must be so red. He wasn't expecting you to put your arm around him, but he sure wouldn't complain, either. You also had Yeosang take a few head-to-toe ones so you could see your full outfits and the poses you guys did.

By the time you were done, you both were laughing, especially at one selfie you caught of all three of you where both you and Seonghwa posed and Yeosang just had the most confused expression. In another, you reached behind you to the book stall, each picking one up to pretend to read. Seonghwa made a shocked face at James Luceno's Tarkin, Yeosang mimed intense focus on Timothy Zahn's The Icarus Hunt, and you pretended to laugh at the bowl of petunias in Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

"Well, thanks!" Seonghwa exclaimed after your photoshoot, trailing off before Yeosang elbowed him from behind. "Er, well, I was wondering if you are on any social media for your cosplays?"

"Yup," you nodded, closing out your Photos app with a smile at all the new shots of you guys that had been added to your phone and sliding over to instagram, "Here's where I post a lot of my photos, but if you want to see anything more in-depth or show your fashion designing friend, I can give you my youtube."

Wow... "You have a cosplay youtube? That's so cool! I bet it's a lot of fun!"

"Sure, it's where I track progress, share my processes, and do hauls and stuff too. Oh, and these guys," you shook the box of lego you'd bought at the stall that introduced you, "will get built on there, too. Hey, would you wanna be in a video?"

This time, no elbowing was required. "On your channel? Yes, of course! We could build our legos," Seonghwa replied, feeling excitement rush to his face as he strolled past a life-size Dalek, fingers reaching out to gently brush the smooth dome atop the metal structure.

"For one, yes," you said, a hand reaching up to straighten your Leia braids, "but how would you feel about modeling a legit cosplay?"

His eyes flew open. "You'd make me a whole outfit?"

"Well, I need practice doing men's fits too," you giggled, swerving around a couple dressed as Zoë and Wash from Firefly, "and you have, like, perfect proportions."

Seonghwa's mouth opened and closed a few times, but he didn't know what to say to that. You didn't say any more, either, your interest suddenly captured by a stall selling Padme-inspired jewelry, including one thick silver choker that honestly captured Seonghwa's eyes too...

"So, uh, would you be interested?" You glanced back and forth between the stall and Seonghwa, the way your eyes peered up at him involuntarily raising the corners of his lips.

"As long as my outfit is as pretty as yours."

~

"Everyone's commenting asking if you're a professional model," you giggle at Seonghwa, glancing up at your phone as you hand him the bright orange brick separator.

He pries apart two misplaced lego pieces before meeting your eyes. "Me?"

"Yes, you," you fire back, closing your phone and leaning a bit closer, scanning first Seonghwa's progress, then his face, "have you seen yourself?"

Heat creeps back into his cheeks. "Yes, but I've seen you, too, so I know they should be asking that about you, not me."

"Wow, that was really smooth. No wonder I dressed you up as Lando," you grin, resting your chin on your hand.

Seonghwa just gazed into your eyes with a fond smile. That had been a long, but amazing, process as you got measurements, pinned him still until he was stiff all over, but put hours of work into detailing a masterpiece, complete with a cape of his very own. All the standing around was so worth it to feel the way your hands gently grazed his sides, to hear you laugh at his little comments and even feel it against his neck when you were working on his shoulders, to always make sure you were stopping to take care of yourself, too, and hear how grateful you were when he reminded you you were doing amazing, no need to push yourself. Watching the transformation, your busy hands at work, getting to embody a piece of the universe he loved so much, all of it made for some of the best weeks Seonghwa had had in a long time.

"That was fun," he commented, attaching two more pieces to the wing of the ship he was building.

"Yeah," you agreed, "especially when you almost kissed me."

Seonghwa reddened, stiffening and lowering the wing in his hand slightly.

It had happened one of the last times you'd met up when you were attaching his cape, hands on his shoulders. He'd relaxed too much, falling into watching you work with dazed eyes, dreaming of leaning in, and then you pulled a little too hard, sending him surging forward, his face almost crashing into yours. He'd managed to catch himself just in time and you'd edited that part out of the fitting video of course, but that moment, your awkward but thrilling almost-kiss, had been living rent-free in Seonghwa's mind ever since then. A part of him wished he'd just managed to fall all the way, but that also wasn't how he wanted your first kiss to go. If you liked him back, which Yeosang and Hongjoong insisted you did. Hongjoong had even taken to texting him 'May the flirts be with you' before he went to your studio, which strangely had encouraged him on a couple occasions to just say the compliment or to brush your hands a little when he handed you supplies or made sure you had water.

"I'm so sorry about that, I really was just clumsy and-"

"It's all right," you smirked faintly, putting the constructed cockpit in your hands down, "I was ready for it."

Seonghwa's brows furrowed as he fully set the wing down. "You... you..."

"Wait, I'm sorry, did I read things wrong? I thought we were flirting. But if not, I'm so sorry! I'm not good at this," you confessed, "you know what they say about nerds and all."

Any and all dissatisfaction about Hongjoong being right dissipated into the great sparkly abyss of joy rising and thudding out of Seonghwa's chest because holy cow, the super cool girl who makes Star Wars outfits and builds lego with him and doesn't laugh at his ASMR is interested in them? Sure, let him and Yeosang rub it in Seonghwa's face. He'd endure anything if it meant getting closer to you.

"I didn't want to make you uncomfortable, either," he chuckled, grin widening by the second, "but yes, I was. My roommate even started texting me to hype me up before I visited you, look!"

He showed you the text, which was followed by a gif of Han Solo and a whole bunch of teasing ㅋㅋㅋㅋ.

"I was worried you were going to see all the youtube comments teasing me about my obvious crush on you or how cute we were together!"

His eyes widened again. "So you have an obvious crush on me?"

"Seonghwa," you folded your arms, "you don't exactly want someone to kiss you because they're like a brother to you."

"Right, right, sorry, it's just so hard to believe a real-life space princess like you is interested in a lowly smuggler like myself."

"Ok," you snorted, "that was corny."

"I was trying to be corny."

"Good," you tease, leaning in closer until your nose is almost brushing his, "I like corny."

"That's why you like Attack of the Clones. It's the dialogue."

"It's the childhood appeal and you know it! I always say they got a little confident in their millions with some of the writing, but something in it really captured a youth vibe. It's like what they did in Twilight, but better because of the rest of the worlds happening around it-" You rambled, distracted by Seonghwa's claim.

Seonghwa, meanwhile, could only stare at your animated gesticulating and think how you're most definitely the girl of his dreams. "Ok, seriously, please kiss me."

WEEWOO

ok so

ranboo was completely clueless, like he didn’t know you were a cosplayer

all he knew really was that you had uhhh how do you word this,,

things that people don’t usually own

like for example you two were hanging out and he wanted to use the his hoodie that you stole borrowed

he really wasn’t expecting to see your closet full of,,, hmm

ranboo didn’t expect to see so mANY different costumes from, mostly, different animes

you had mikas costume from seraph of the end

you had ALL the school uniforms from haikyuu

AND LOTS MORE

he also saw your wonderful collection of different types of wigs, varying from colors to hairstyles

so he connected the dots!

“Wait y/n I didn’t knew you cosplayed?”

“Oh! Well, it’s kind of a knew thing I guess? I only started a few last year so ٩( ᐛ )و”

he went ahh (｡･ω･｡)

now he was curios of one thing

how you looked like when cosplaying (｀・∀・´)

he didn’t ask you the same day he found out, he actually just thought out of the blue-

wait a sec... I’ve never seen them cosplay before...

suddenly you go back to your phone with ranboo spamming you about wanting to see one of your cosplays oops

so you being the sweet and nice you, sent him your tiktok where you started to post your cosplays!

he has never click a link so fast my god-

the first video he saw was of you showing the process of cosplaying as beidou from genshin impact

starting with the makeup and then the outfit

his jaw? dropped

heart? doki doki

hotel? this joke is so dead

HE THINKS YOURE JUST SO SO PRETTY LIKE- APXJEPXCKWKSLCME

yeah his brain just stopped functioning

ranboo: heart eyes

he couldn’t stop watching your other tiktoks

of course not in a creepy way ( ˘ω˘ )

HE THINKS YOU LOOK SO CUTE IN EVERY ONE OF THEM!

like seriously the minute he got to finish your last tiktok, he immediately went to twitter and tweeted

“I may or may not have fallen even harder now.”

and go to you and start praising you- through text and calls

like he appreciates you so much and supports you!

you ask him if he wants to watch you do your cosplaying process one time

he never said yes faster（≧∇≦）

"Hey there, you stunning woman you!" You said into your phone, a smile across your features.  You sat upon your dresser, staring at your newest project confidently.  It had just been finished, and you couldn't be happier with how it turned out.  Everything was as perfect as you could make it, from each in seam all the way down to the wig styling.  Your best friend was the first person you thought to contact, primarily for a fun little favor.  She always seemed to love participating in your little projects anyhow, when she wasn't busy.  "Guess who just finished up a masterpiece." 

"No way, Joe Biden?" She guessed, with a clear smile against her own features.  

You rolled your eyes at your silly friend.  "I'm sure Markie Mark would be so jealous," you teased back.  "But seriously, Les, I'm super duper proud of this one.  You have any time coming up that we could head over to the park for some pics?" 

"What did you do this time?" She said curiously.  "Come on, you're on speaker.  Let us hear all about it!" 

"Who am I on speaker phone with?" You asked cautiously.  "Oh well, eff it.  I'm going to be the mother of dragons, Khaleesi outfit.  I even made a little dragon plush for Drogo." 

"I have no idea what any of that means," Leslie said with a chuckle, a smile clear in her voice.  "But the stupid surprise face on Ben's face means it has to be nerdy." 

"Hey!" You heard a male voice counter, likely the Ben that she meant.  

"I figured you wouldn't," you said with a chuckle.  "It's fantastic that at least someone does.  It's Game of Thrones.  I know your schedule is normally packed, but I'm flexible.  Whenever you're up for it." 

Leslie paused for a moment, an idea coming to mind as she glanced between the others at the Parks Department meeting.  "Do you mind if I bring some friends?" She said slyly.  "I've been dying to get you to meet them." 

You bit your lip, thinking about it.  Your eyes glanced over to the hopeful outfit that you had made, thinking maybe one day you would have you Khal.  "You think any of them would fit in a male's medium?" You said slyly, a little jest in your tone.  Knowing best not to get your hopes up, though you would love some killer Khal Drogo and Daenerys Targaryen photos.  

"I mean," Leslie said, laughter clear in her words, "if you want to drop off the outfit at City Hall, I could have someone try it."

*** 

You felt a little anxiety bubbling inside of you as the time drew closer.  A few days prior, you dropped off your Khal Drogo cosplay that you custom made at City Hall, with absolutely no inkling as to who Leslie was going to have wear it.  On top of that, she gave you that whole sneaky wink that she has that only showed she was up to no good.  Being her best friend, you knew she was far from sneaky.  

"Well, if they all hate me, at least they'll hate me as Dany," you mused as you spun around in front of your window, checking out the cosplay one more time.  You were in your mid twenties, likely younger than most of Leslie's friends.  As the Khaleesi, you wore practically snow white blonde hair down past your chest and slightly crimped.  Your outfit consisted of the ragged off white outfit that Daenerys wore after marrying Khal Drogo.  Everything you had created for it was mint, while the little dragon plush was simply for a little extra fun.  

A knock sounded at your door and you inhaled deeply to calm yourself.  Striding to the door with confidence, you slipped out your door to literally be surrounded by the entire Parks Department, and more.  Apparently when Leslie meant she wanted you to meet her friends, she meant all of them.  Immediately pulling Leslie into a hug, you whispered, "You're lucky I have a lot of acreage." 

"Well, I couldn't pick just a few, so," Leslie said with excitement in your tone, "I brought everyone." 

Beside her stood Markie Mark, as you liked to call ark Brezanowitz, her long term boyfriend.  Next to him stood Ann Perkins, whom you had met offhandedly a few times.  The rest of the crew, though, you had no idea.  After greeting Mark and Ann, Leslie introduced you to each and every one.  

As you noticed that little twinkle in her eyes, you knew there was something strange up.  For one, no one out of the group you were introduced to clearly wore your Khal Drogo outfit, and the fact that she was practically beaming at you had you curious.  When she said, "I already set up your backyard for the set!  Let's go!"  you could feel anxiety rising.  

When she said she set it up, it was clearly an understatement.   The camera was set up professionally, surely by someone else, since you always had to fix it for her.  What caught your eye was something that would truly have the Khaleesi blush, and your face was as red as a tomato.  

Looking off, clearly awaiting everyone's arrival, stood a handsome and lithe Khal Drogo.  Though he did not have the perfect body type for the cosplay, he was clearly handsome covered in the outfit you created.  He stood taller than you, and once he glanced your way, you could see his chocolate brown orbs that made you melt.  The excited smile that tugged upon his lips had your heart aflutter.  

"M'ach," you greeted in Dothraki as you moved closer to the male.  "I didn't expect Leslie to get me such a handsome Khal, but I greatly appreciate you doing this." 

"You speak Dothraki?" He said with an eyebrow raised, though the excitement did not leave his face.  "I was thrilled to be chosen, especially since I'm sure I'm the only Game of Thrones fan in the majority of City Hall.  I'm Ben Wyatt, and you must be Y/N?" 

You nodded with a large smile against your lips.  "It's a pleasure, and I speak a little," you said sheepishly.  "Just as Dany, I know bits and pieces of the dialect." 

"Okay, nerds," the man you were introduced to under the name of Tom Haverford said with a laugh.  "How about you two get into positions." 

You ended up positioning your Khal for multiple photographs, before he began getting into the character more.  The two of you had been blushing messes half the time, and you were sure that a great deal of the photographs would not be useable, but kept for memory purposes.  

As the two of you got further into shooting, Ben moved his hands to either side of your face as he said, "Yer zheannae sekke." 

You prayed your face did not hold too much blush as you replied, "Yer mezahe sekke."  A smirk pulled upon your lips as you replied, though you did wish to call him handsome instead of simply sexy, your knowledge of Dothraki was small.  

As the two of you simply stared into one another's eyes, you could hear the camera continuing to take photographs.  The one thing you had been too shy to accomplish, Ben was not, as he captured your lips for the photographs.  Surely, you thought he was simply putting on a show for your collection, but you could still feel your heart reverberating in your chest.  Mentally, you had been screaming.  

When the two of you had been done modeling your outfits, you both excused yourselves inside to change.  Ben had thankfully brought a spare outfit, knowing he wanted to leave your property with you.  Once he entered your home, though, his eyes were wide in shock.  

"So, you're a professional cosplayer?" He questioned as his eyes moved between different creations you had made.  

You hummed in approval, a smile against your lips as you moved to grab your street clothes.  "Are you sure you haven't modeled like that before?" You asked with an eyebrow raised, turning to meet chocolate brown eyes.  "You surprised me out there." 

He took off your wig to reveal partially mussed brown locks, appearing much more handsome than he had even in the Khal Drogo attire.  Sheepishly, he smiled, a clear bit of blush risen in his cheeks.  "That was genuine," he replied sheepishly.  "You're very beautiful, and I apologize if I crossed a line." 

You told him just a second before you went to change back into your normal clothes.  Brushed through y/h/c locks and your normal attire, you bit your lip gently, wondering if the handsome man would still be attracted to you as, well, you.  Emerging from the bathroom, you were shocked to see that he had already changed out of his own outfit as well, simply buttoning up his shirt as you came out.  

"I'm curious, handsome, do you still think that without the cosplay?" You teased, a smile tugging against your lips.  

His chocolate gaze was sincere as he smiled down at you, nodding and he said, "Khaleesi or not, you're beautiful, and I'd love to get to know you better." 

"I'm sure I'd love that," you said shyly.  

____________

But then something happens that makes your brain short-circuit all over again.

You're scrolling through your notifications—trying to keep up with the comments, the tags, the shares—when you see it.

@;ness.alexis started following you.

You drop your phone.

It clatters on your desk and you just stare at it, heart hammering in your chest. You pick it up with shaking hands and check again, convinced you imagined it.

Nope. Still there. Alexis Ness is following you.

And then you notice something else.

He's been going through your account. Methodically. There are notifications going back hours—he's liked your recent posts, your older posts, posts from months ago. He's hearted your story highlights. He's saved some of your posts to favorites.

And every single one of your Kaiser cosplay posts? Liked AND saved.

You take a screenshot and immediately send it to Emma.

You: EMMA

You: EMMA LOOK

You: NESS IS STALKING MY ACCOUNT

Emma: SHUT UP

Emma: SHUT UP RIGHT NOW

Emma: HE LIKED EVERYTHING???

You: EVERYTHING

You: HE SAVED ALL THE KAISER ONES

You: WHAT DO I DO

Emma: okay okay calm down

Emma: this is good

Emma: this is VERY good

You: HOW IS THIS GOOD I'M HAVING A CRISIS

Emma: because now you have an IN

Emma: you know what you should do?

You: what

Emma: cosplay ness next time

You stare at your phone.

Then you scream into your pillow.

Because that's genius.

Weeks later, you're standing in front of your mirror, adjusting the magenta wig for the fifth time.

The Ness cosplay had come together faster than you expected. The wig had been easier to style than Kaiser's, no rattail to worry about, just that distinctive magenta color and the way it frames his face. You'd found his Bastard München jersey in the right size, and you'd spent an embarrassing amount of time studying photos to get the details right.

No tattoos this time, but you'd worked hard on the makeup. Foundation to even out your skin tone, a touch of contouring to match his face shape, and carefully applied blush on your cheeks to give that softer, cuter look. You'd even practiced some of his expressions in the mirror, that soft smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes when he's focused on Kaiser.

You take a photo and post it to your story with the caption: "Guess who's going to the match today 💜"

Your phone buzzes almost immediately.

It's Ness. He's replied to your story.

@;ness.alexis: no way

@;ness.alexis: you're cosplaying me??

Your heart is in your throat as you type back.

You: surprise!!

@;ness.alexis: that's

@;ness.alexis: wow

@;ness.alexis: the wig looks really good

You: THANK YOU

You: i wasn't sure if i got the color right

@;ness.alexis: it's perfect

There's a pause, then another message.

@;ness.alexis: are you actually coming to the match?

You: yes!!

@;ness.alexis: that's really cool

@;ness.alexis: maybe we'll see you there

You screenshot the entire conversation and send it to Emma, who responds with approximately fifteen exclamation points and the words "MARRY BOTH OF THEM."

The Allianz Arena feels different this time.

Maybe it's because you know what to expect. Maybe it's because you're dressed as Ness instead of Kaiser, the magenta wig drawing just as much attention as the blonde one did. Maybe it's because you're actively hoping to run into them instead of it being a complete accident.

People recognize you immediately.

"Oh my god, it's Female Kaiser!"

"Wait, no she's Ness this time!"

"Can we get a picture?!!"

Emma stands off to the side, filming some of the interactions on her phone and grinning like a proud mom. You pose with group after group, people gushing about the costume, about how they didn't expect you to do Ness, about how excited they are to see what you'll do next.

But after about fifteen minutes, you're getting antsy. You keep scanning the area, wondering if they're here somewhere, if you should go looking-

You catch Emma's eye and she immediately understands. She makes a shooing motion with her hands.

"Do it," she mouths.

You grin and excuse yourself from the current group of fans. "I need to head to my seat soon, but thank you guys so much for the photos!"

You make your way over to Emma, who's practically bouncing. "Go find your boys," she says. "And text me EVERYTHING."

"I will!"

Your heart is hammering as you navigate through the crowd, heading toward the area where you'd run into them last time. It's a long shot—lightning doesn't strike twice, right?—but you have to try. You remember Ness's message, the way he said maybe they'd see you there, and something in your gut tells you to check.

The corridor is quieter here, away from the main flow of foot traffic. You're looking around, trying to remember exactly where you'd been standing when-

"Looking for someone?"

You spin around so fast you almost trip over your own feet.

Kaiser is standing there, arms crossed, that signature arrogant expression on his face. And next to him, Alexis Ness, whose eyes go wide the moment he sees you.

"OMIGOSHHH!!" The sound escapes you before you can stop it. "You're really here! Were you two searching for me?!"

Ness's face immediately flushes pink, his mouth opening and closing like he can't quite figure out what to say.

Kaiser sighs, looking vaguely annoyed as he glances at Ness. "I was forced to come. He was searching for you."

"Kaiser—" Ness starts, but his protest is weak.

You can barely contain your excitement, practically bouncing on your feet. "Awwww reallyyy? You were really looking for me?! That's so- I'm so happy right now!"

Ness is staring at you, taking in the magenta wig, the costume, the blush on your cheeks, and he looks completely overwhelmed. "You're..." he manages. "You're... really dressed as me."

"I am!" You do a little spin. "Do you like it? Is it accurate?"

Ness opens his mouth, closes it, then nods. "It's... really accurate. The wig, the uniform..." His voice is softer now. "The makeup. It all looks really good. Cute, I guess."

Before you can stop yourself, you're walking up to him, closing the distance with pure enthusiasm. "I'm so glad you think so! The wig was SO hard to style I spent like three hours on it! I kept worrying it wouldn't look right, and you probably don't even spend that much time on your actual hair but I was busting my ass trying to get it perfect!"

You're laughing now, and Ness can't help but smile, some of that tension easing from his shoulders.

"It's accurate enough," he says, and there's warmth in his voice. "Really. You did a great job."

"Your hair is so cool though!" you gush. "Like, it's not even dyed? This is your natural color? It's so pretty! I was thinking maybe I should just style my actual hair like this instead of wearing a wig—"

Without thinking, you reach up and your fingers thread through his actual hair. It's soft. Incredibly soft and fluffy, and you can't help but play with it a little, marveling at the texture.

"It's so fluffy!" you say, delighted.

Ness has gone completely still. His face is getting redder by the second, and he's just standing there, frozen, as your fingers gently tug at his hair, styling it slightly, testing how it moves.

"Do you think I could pull off this color?" you're asking, still playing with his hair, completely oblivious to the way he's stopped breathing. "I mean, I'd have to bleach it first, and then tone it, but—"

You finally look at his face and pause. His cheeks are flushed a deep pink, his eyes slightly wide, and he looks completely flustered.

You grin. "Oh! Now we really match! Look, you're blushing just like the makeup I did!"

Kaiser, who's been watching this entire exchange with barely concealed amusement, actually laughs. "Ness, you're blushing like a dumb school girl."

"Stop..." Ness mutters, but he doesn't move away from your touch.

"Can't handle someone playing with your hair?" Kaiser's smirk is vicious. "How pathetic."

"I'm really not..."

"She's dressed as you and your knees are buckling."

"Kaiser, I swear to god—"

You finally drop your hand, giggling at their dynamic. "Sorry! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I really can get ahead of myself sometimes—"

"You didn't," Ness says quickly, then seems to realize how eager that sounds and clears his throat. "I mean. It's fine. You're fine. I mean- don't worry about it."

Kaiser is still grinning like he's won something. "So, now that you've thoroughly flustered Ness, I assume you want photos again?" He turns to you, tilting his head.

Your face lights up. "Yes! Oh my god, yes—I was actually hoping we could do some really specific shots this time? I have references and everything..."

"References." Kaiser repeats, amused. "Show me."

You pull out your phone, showing him the photos you'd saved—action shots of Kaiser and Ness together, some of their dynamic on the field, that infamous moment where Kaiser shoves Ness's head down into a bow.

Kaiser's expression shifts into something dangerous. Something very pleased.

"Oh," he says slowly. "You want to recreate that."

"If you're okay with it! I know it's kind of intense but it's such an iconic moment—"

"I'm very okay with it," Kaiser says, and there's something sharp in his smile. He looks at Ness. "You good with this?"

Ness, still slightly flushed, nods. "Yeah. Let's do it."

"Perfect." Kaiser's already moving, positioning himself. "Turn around."

You turn, facing away from him, and suddenly you're very aware of how tall he is compared to you. How much space he takes up. You can feel him behind you, close enough that you're hyperaware of his presence.

There's a moment of silence, and then you feel it—his gaze. Heavy and intense, boring into your back like a physical weight. It makes a shiver run down your spine, and you fight the urge to turn around and look at him.

"Nervous?" His voice is low, amused.

"A little," you admit.

"Good."

And then his hand is in your hair—in the wig—and his grip is firm, almost rough. Before you can process what's happening, he's shoving you forward and down, forcing you into a deep bow, the same way he does to Ness.

His hand is so big, completely engulfing the back of your head, controlling the motion with ease. Your heart drops straight to your stomach in the best possible way.

"That's no good, Ness."

His voice is different now. That same tone he uses on the field, commanding and sharp and absolutely in control. It makes something in your chest tighten, your breath catching.

Ness is standing off to the side, and he looks like his brain is trying to process something it can't quite handle. His face is flushed, his eyes fixed on the scene in front of him—Kaiser pulling your hair, you dressed as him, the whole thing—

"This is the weirdest thing I've ever experienced," Ness says faintly.

"Good." Kaiser's smirk is vicious now. He tugs your hair again, gentler this time, and you can't help the small noise you make.

"Got the photo?" Kaiser asks, and you realize Ness has been taking pictures the entire time.

"...Yeah," Ness says, and his voice sounds slightly strained. "Got it."

Kaiser releases you, and you straighten up slowly, trying to catch your breath. Your hands are shaking slightly as you turn to look at him.

"Oh my god," you breathe out. "This feels so good—Ness, I'm so jealous!"

Kaiser's smirk is absolutely wicked. "Good to know."

Ness, who's been watching the whole thing with a complicated expression, just nods. "Yeah. It's... intense."

"Intense doesn't even cover it!" You're fanning your face. "I think I need a minute to recover from that."

"You asked for it," Kaiser points out, looking far too pleased with himself.

"I know! And it was worth it! But also—wow—okay—" You're still trying to catch your breath, turning to Ness. "Can I see the photos?"

"Yeah," Ness says, his voice strained. "Here."

They're perfect. The angle captures everything, Kaiser's hand in your hair, the way he's forced you into that bow, the clear power dynamic. Your face is partially hidden but you can see the flush on your cheeks, the way you're completely at his mercy in that moment.

"These are so good," you mumble. "Please can you send these to me?"

"Already did," Ness says.

You're checking the photos on your phone, still blushing, when you suddenly gasp. "Oh! Can I get a selfie with you guys? Like, just regular selfies?"

Ness blinks, surprised. "You want—"

"Yes!" You're already moving closer to him, holding up your phone. "Please?"

Ness looks completely caught off guard, but he nods. "Yeah. Okay."

"You're the best, Ness!!!" You practically bounce with excitement as you stand next to him, holding your phone up for the selfie angle. "Smile!"

Ness manages a soft smile, and you beam at the camera, snapping a few photos. When you check them, your heart does a little flip—you in the Ness cosplay, standing next to the actual Ness, both of you smiling. So cute.

"So cute!" you say, showing him. "Thank you!"

Then you turn to Kaiser, who's been watching with an amused expression. "Your turn!"

Kaiser raises an eyebrow. "You want a selfie with me too?"

"Obviously!" You're already moving over to him. "Please?"

He doesn't protest, just stands there as you position yourself next to him. You hold up the phone, grinning widely while Kaiser maintains his signature arrogant expression—though you swear there's a hint of amusement in his eyes.

You take several photos, checking them with satisfaction. "These are amazing! Thank you...!"

"You should dress as Kaiser next time."

Both you and Kaiser turn to stare at him.

"What?" Kaiser says.

Ness is looking at you with an intensity that makes your heart skip. "Next time you come to a match. Dress as Kaiser again." He pauses, then adds quieter: "I liked that one better."

There's something in the way he says it that makes the air feel heavier. You glance at Kaiser, who's watching Ness with an unreadable expression.

"I—" you start. "I can do that."

"Good," Ness says simply.

You turn to Kaiser suddenly, remembering. "Oh! Thank you, by the way. For doing the whole—" you gesture vaguely at your hair, at the bowing position, "—that thing. I know it was kind of a weird request."

And then you get it. The way he's been looking at Ness, that smug expression—this whole thing was revenge. Payback for Ness being weird about you cosplaying Kaiser last time.

Your face heats up even more, but you can't help the slightly breathless laugh that escapes you. "Oh my god, you did that to get back at him, didn't you?"

Kaiser's smirk widens. "Maybe."

Ness is very quiet, his face still flushed, and he's avoiding looking directly at either of you. He seems to have no idea how to react, just standing there with his phone in hand.

You're grinning, riding the high of the whole interaction, when a thought pops into your head. "You know what? Maybe I should cosplay Yoichi Isagi next time! That one Japanese boy, from... er... Blue Lock?"

"Absolutely not," Kaiser and Ness say at the exact same time.

You blink, surprised by the synchronization. "Whaat? Why not?"

"Just no," Kaiser says firmly. "No."

"Don't," Ness adds, his voice unusually sharp.

You can't help but laugh at their identical reactions. "Okay, okay! Kaiser it is then!"

Kaiser checks the time. "We need to go. Warmups."

"Right—yeah—" You step back. "Thank you again! Good luck with the match!"

Kaiser nods, already turning to leave.

Ness lingers for just a moment, finally meeting your eyes. "Thank you. For the cosplay. Um, no one's ever done that for me before."

"Of course! You're amazing, Ness."

His smile is soft before he jogs after Kaiser.

That night, you post the photos.

The carousel includes the hair grab photo where Kaiser has you bowed, and a few others Ness took during that moment.

The caption reads: "Round 2: Ness edition 💜 Thank you @;kaiser.michael and @;ness.alexis for being the absolute best. (PS: Kaiser is terrifying in the best way possible.)"

The responses flood in immediately.

@;emma.alpha: THE HAIR GRAB PHOTO OMG OMGHELLO???

@;lickylickylicky1: FEMALE NESS THIS TIME OH YEEAS

@;onikaburgers: the power dynamic in that photo is INSANE

@;tigereli: i need what they have NOOW,,,,

@;bunnyishotasf: ness watching this happen must have been an experience

You're waiting for their comments, and they come about fifteen minutes later.

@;ness.alexis: this was really cool

@;ness.alexis: thank you for cosplaying me

@;ness.alexis: you should do kaiser next time 👍

Your heart does something complicated.

Then:

@;kaiser.michael: 4/10. Better execution than last time. Still too short.