℘ } ⫶ ft. rin itoshi. stubborn even when he's exhausted ! | pic
the fluorescent light over the indoor turf hummed. a sterile buzz that only made the vast concrete plain feel more isolating at one in the morning. the blue lock facility was entirely dead at this hour, a labyrinth of darkened hallways and silent dorms. yet, in this deep corner of the training rooms, the atmosphere was filled with the heavy heat of an athlete pushed far past his limit.
crack.
the sound was a sharp echo that slapped against the high concrete walls before tearing back down to the pitch. rin caught the ball flawlessly on each rebound, his thigh controlling the spin with a practiced grace before his cleat drove into it again.
crack.
you stood near the metal threshold of the glass, your hands slid deep into the pockets of your pajamas. you certainly weren’t here to hover over rin like a worried parent, you just stood there watching your boyfriend run himself ragged out of stubbornness.
he knew exactly who it was the second the heavy door clicked open five minutes ago. he didn’t even have to look up to recognize the specific sounds of your footsteps, but he was using the intensity of the drill to avoid admitting he should have stopped hours ago. he was running on spite—fighting his shadow, and completely ignoring the toll it was taking on his body. he struck the ball one more time, a vicious, targeted shot that hit the exact center of the target on the wall.
before it could bounce back, you stepped onto the edge of the green turf. your shoes making a soft crunching sound against the faux grass as you walked over beside the bench and pressed your palm flat against the kill switch on the ball launcher. the machine groaned as it winded down to its stop. the sudden silence in the massive room was deafening. the scuffed soccer ball rolled lazily across, bumping against your shoe before coming to a rest.
rin stood dead center on the pitch, his chest heaving as he stared down. his breathing was the only sound left in the room, loud and raspy. the sweat dripped down from the tips of his bangs, immense heat warping the air around him. slowly, his head lifted. his eyes a deep shade of teal, wide and hyper yet exhausted.
“i was in the middle of a set,” rin said. his voice was raw from the workout, and coated with his usual defensive irritation. “who told you to turn it off?”
“your posture is drooping because you’re exhausted,” you said calmly, your tone conversational as you kicked the soccer ball back towards him. “if you keep kicking like that, you’re just going to mess up your form. i’m saving you from a stupid injury.”
rin’s jaw tightened. he hated when you were right, especially when it came to soccer, and he hated it even more because you were the only person in this entire building who could. anyone else would’ve received a death glare and a “get out of my sight”, but with you, his defenses came crumbling down.
“i don’t need you analyzing my form at one in the morning,” he muttered, though he didn’t make a single move back towards the machine to turn it on. instead, he took steps toward you. he stood close, towering over you while his breathing started to settle. the scent of him, mixed with the familiar warmth of his presence took over the quiet corner of the room.
“you’re supposed to be asleep,” rin stared down at your face. his expression stern, mouth flat, just a stubborn friction meant only for you. “why are you still up?”
“because my idiot boyfriend is still down here trying to fight a concrete wall,” you countered, tilting your head up to meet his stare. you reached out, the tips of your fingers lightly tapping against his damp collarbone. “everything closes in five minutes. if you get locked in here, i’m going back to the dorms without you.”
rin let out a low click of his tongue, clearly annoyed by how unfazed you were. he reached past your shoulder to grab his bottle off the bench behind you. as he did, his bare forearm intentionally brushed against the side of your neck—a sudden jolt of touch that you’d never get tired of.
he didn’t back up, he stayed right there, his chest brushing your shoulder, head slightly tilted as he looked down at you quietly that was unreadable. to the rest, rin was a monster, an unfeeling egoist who only cared about destruction. but right here, under the buzzing, he was just a stubborn boy trying to hide how much he leaned on your presence.
“you’re so annoying,” rin murmured, his voice dropping into a jagged whisper that vibrated in the small space between you. he leaned in closer, knuckles turning white around the bottle, “stop looking at me like you’ve got me figured out.”
“i do have you figured out,” you whispered back. a tiny, knowing smirk touching your lips. “pack up your bag, rin.”
rin contemplated. his stubborn nature warring with the bone deep exhaustion dragging at every muscle. finally, he let out a rough, defeated breath against your hair. he set his items down, his irritation visibly melting away into something much softer. he reached up, his hand gentle despite the calluses on his palm from the years of practice, and cupped your face. his thumb slowly swept over your cheekbone, a tender, deliberate motion that shattered the remnants of his exterior before tilting your face up just a little more. you can’t help but melt into him.
“shut up,” he muttered, but there was no bite left in his words.
he leaned down, his face dipping into yours. his lips met yours in a slow tilt, closing over your mouth with an unhurried pressure. his lower lip slid smoothly between yours, parting them with a quiet gasp. his tongue swept forward smoothly, tracing the inner curve of your bottom lip. he deepened the angle, head turning slightly to lock your lips together completely, the movement of his mouth steady against yours.
his long lashes fluttered against the top of your cheek as his eyes half closed, his gaze clouded from the closeness. his free hand traveled down to the small of your back, long fingers bunching up your crewneck, gripping your waist with a firm squeeze that pulled your hips forward until your front was flush against him. his chest expanded in deep breaths, lips sliding against yours one last time in a drag before he reluctantly broke the contact.
when he pulled back, his forehead rested against yours. his breathing was still slightly uneven, his thumb giving one last firm swipe across your lower lip, smoothing the moisture there before his hand dropped down.
“come on,” he whispered, his fingers sliding down your arm until they interlocked with your fingers passionately, making sure you felt every motion. “let’s go.”
tags : @renardiererin
literally such a random short little draft i'm posting anyway while i finish up the sukuna fic
