Chapter Text
Reo Mikage has taken a slight liking to his playmate Nagi Seishiro.
Sometimes he finds himself looking his way during their daily training, almost wanting to spend time with him outside the court.
But that would be going too far, he tells himself, after all, Nagi only started hanging out with Reo because of football and not because of anything else.
However, he still can't help but feel slightly envious when he catches glimpses of friends just hanging out together to do nothing and simply talk.
Reo wanted to get to know him better, he wanted to learn about his shitty mobile games and the stupid dramas he mentions liking. He wants to know why he agreed to play football with him or if he even likes it. He wants to know what would he think of his parents if Reo were to tell him exactly what they say and not just the gist of their words.
But he can't.
In some ways, his friendship could even be taken as a professional partnership.
Reo subconsciously sighed and took a long sip out of his bottle of water.
"Are you okay?" Nagi asked, knocking his head softly while tilting his own. Reo jumped in place and nodded.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Reo asked, cleaning his mouth. "We had a great practice. And you scored some pretty awesome goals."
"Huh..." Nagi hummed."Yeah I suppose... 'm pretty tired..." he answered, barely opening his mouth to speak.
"Learn how to articulate better, you moron " Reo hit him softly on his forehead, trying to change the topic. "Nobody will understand you if you keep speaking like that."
Nagi shrugged. "It's too annoying to do so," he argued. "You understand me anyway."
Reo could not find any way to deny his words. He turned away. "Well, whatever," he replied. "We should get going, it's already kinda late."
"Yeah, maybe..." Nagi answered, but didn't move a single centimeter.
Reo raised an eyebrow. "Are you coming?"
Nagi huffed. "Carry me." he asked.
(It was more of an order than a request if Reo was being honest.)
"Again?" Reo complained, Nagi nodded and closing his eyes, he raised both of his hands, already expecting Reo to agreed. He sighed softly but still walked to him, kneeling slightly so that Nagi could climb his back.
"Woo~" Nagi exclaimed in a monotonous voice. "Reo-express~"
"You're taller than me, it should be the other way around," Reo spoke as he walked to the school's showers. "Don't you worry that you could crush me under your weight?"
"Do you think it could happen?" Nagi asked, tilting his head
"Well, no, but—"
"Then there's nothing to worry about..." Nagi muttered, relaxing his body and leaning his face into Reo's shoulder.
Reo sighed as he quietly made his way through the football field and the basketball court, walking his way through the school.
"Huh... I wonder if they're speaking about us..." Nagi suddenly muttered, Reo tried turning his head to face him, but his neck could no stand such angles so he kept looking forward.
"Who?" He asked.
"The guys in the basketball team, they keep talking between them and staring at us." Nagi yawned; Reo froze and discreetly turned his head to the side, and noticed how they indeed looked like they were talking about them, one of them even smirking at Reo when he noticed his gaze.
Reo stopped in his tracks immediately, looking at the ground while feelings his blood run cold in his veins.
What were they saying? Was it going to create nasty rumors about them? Hell, what if his parents found out? And what if...?
"Why're you stopping? Don't pay attention to them." Nagi interrupted his thoughts, hitting his softly on top of his head. Reo opened his eyes wide and faked a laugh.
"Y-Yeah, you're right..." he answered and before Nagi could speak again, Reo jumped softly and gave him a slight push upwards and ran away, ignoring everything and everyone while focusing only on each step forward.
I want to spend more time with Nagi...
Step, step...
If I did, would more people start talking about us?
Step...
What would mom and dad think if they were to hear rumors about us?
He stopped abruptly.
"Reo...?"
He laughed nervously. "Sorry, Nagi..." he muttered as he kneeled and put him down. He took a step back while awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. "I forgot I have to do something..."
"Huh..."
"I... See you!" Reo spoke and before Nagi could even think of an answer, he was running away without looking back, his things left forgotten on the floor.
He ran as fast as he could, immediately forgetting about how tired he was as every step he took was fuel only by adrenaline, that threatened to run out at every second.
He was quickly in front of the back gate of school, quietly staring at it. He couldn't go out from the front gate, Ba-ya, his butler, would be waiting for him in front of his father's limousine to take him home, and out of all things, a limousine, fancy drinks and Ba-ya’s questioning about his day were not what he needed right now.
He opened the forgotten gate and was quickly out of school, walking quietly down the road. It had been a while since Reo had gone outside besides school, training and his father's dinners. The busy roads were surprisingly loud, filled to the brim with working adults and highschoolers enjoying their afternoon in local shops.
Reo wasn't particulary interested in any of those right now. He couldn't picture himself going for an ice cream or going shopping after school with friends.
If I were to invite Nagi...
Reo's eyes widened as he thought of the consequences. Reo is not an idiot, so it's not like he hadn't noticed the weird side glances they recieve when they're walking beside each other on school or when the two of them stay late for practice.
It hadn't been so bad, and Reo hadn't thought much of it until a few days ago, when he realized just how naive he had been about the way their relationship was perceived by others. And how stupid he was for allowing it.
"Damn, it's hard to keep up with those geniuses..." a first voice had exclaimed tiredly.
It was late, and the school showers were mostly empty. In fact, Reo had thought that only he remained inside until he had heard his teammate speak. He couldn't help but to smirk softly as he allowed the cold water to wash his sweet away.
Reo was showering in the stall that was farthest away from the door. The two guys that had entered had probably not idea that Reo was still there.
"Y'mean Reo and Nagi?"
"Mhm..."
Reo smiled lightly and turned off the shower, ready to put his towel around his waist and walk out to pride himself on Nagi's improvement and how it was him who that discovered such jewel.
His hand was already in the handle, when the second voice spoke again.
"I bet they're fucking..."
Reo froze.
"Huh?"
"Aren't they too close with each other? They're all touchy and shit with each other. The other day I heard Reo call Nagi a 'good boy' on the field. There's no way they ain't together."
Reo could potentially walked out right one, scare those that were talking about him to death and immediately deny his words, embarrassing them and probably taking away all chance at a normal high school experience since they had mess with the Reo Mikage.
However, he could not move a single muscle, his body tense and cold like he hadn't just been running for two hours straight.
"So the Mikage heir is gay? What a joke... I bet Nagi's just his sugar baby."
The first voice laughed. Reo had never heard such a disgusting sound in his life. "If Reo wasn't rich he would've never been the team's captain... When have you heard about a football captain being gay?"
Both voices laughed as if they had heard the funniest joke in the world, but Reo could not move. He stared wide eyed at the handle of the door.
Both of them entered a shower and it was only then that Reo could open the door and get out of the suddenly suffocating shower, changing as fast as he could and walking out the room. Outside, he stared at Nagi who sat down at the bench outside, staring down at his phone while he waited for him.
Nagi raised his head and stared at Reo for a few seconds, before frowning. "You look pale." He said.
Reo stared wide eyed at Nagi and opened his mouth, almost like he wanted to say something, but the words died on his tongue.
Reo shook his head, and started walking away. "Let's go." He said, Nagi nodded and putting his phone in his back pocket, he followed Reo.
Reo was not gay. He just couldn't be.
He was the Mikage heir, son of the man whose face appeared when you googled 'successful'. How could he fall in love with a man? Ridiculous, if anything!
He kept walking down the road, when his shoulder was tapped softly. For a second, Reo imagined Nagi behind him, asking what had happened and worrying about him, however, Reo was dissapointed to see a girl from his class with all of her friends behind her, looking extremely interested on their interaction.
"Reo-kun..." she greeted, her cheeks flustered as she could barely keep her eyes on his. "I saw you walking by and if you're not expecting anyone, would you like to join me for a coffee?"
Reo opened his eyes wide and stared at the girl. She wasn't ugly, at all. She had round, black eyes with long, braided hair. Any guy would probably kill to be looked like the way she was staring at him. But Reo felt nothing, not even the slightest nervousness.
"I bet he'll say no, saying that he has to practice with that boy from the other class... what was his name, again? They’re always together…”
Reo breathing stopped for a second when he caught the girl's friend murmur under her breath. He forced a smile and nodded.
"I'd be glad too," he lied. From his peripheral vision he noticed her friends surprised expression by him accepting, and the girl's face lit up, smiling from ear to ear and blushing strongly, her eyes set only on Reo.
She was beautiful, really. The type of girl which would call the attention of guys when she walked down the street, and the type that any man would think about for the rest of the day if they were to catch a glimpse of her while walking down the street.
Reo felt disgusting for accepting.
She grabbed his arm and rapidly pulled him away to the nearest coffee shop.
She was a beautiful girl with innocent intentions, and looked at Reo with admiration. Not the kind of admiration for the name Mikage, but for himself.
She looked at him.
Yet, Reo couldn't bring himself go look at her.
The afternoon was spent faking smiles and pretending to be nervous or flustered by her words. Copying mannerisms and attitudes he'd learned from TV shows or dramas.
She was sweet, too. She was almost perfect.
When they said goodbye, the girl said that she had a good time, and Reo said too. This time, he did call Ba-ya and his family's limousine was in front of him just a few minutes later, hearing to the butler's scolding without paying attention to any of the words she said.
He had fun. The girl was sweet and they did connect with each other.
As friends.
It always turns out like this.
Whenever he accepts a date with a girl, there's no increase in his heartbeat nor do any girl awaken butterflies inside his stomach. He can't even recall a single time when he had thought that a female classmate as nothing else but a friend.
The only time that he has felt his heartbeat rate increase or his stomach turn uncomfortably while he was nervous was when he was with...
Reo opened his eyes wide and unconciously gripped his fists, hard enough that his nails would leave trails of red moons on his palm. There was no way, there was just no way.
It was so simple and predictable, too.
Whenever they would lean against him to play games on his phone.
Whenever they would open their mouth and Reo would obediently place a chip on their tongue.
Whenever they would muttered something directly into his ear when Reo was carrying them on his back.
Every. Single. Time.
Mundane situations, accidental touches and even some quiet moments. All of those meant more to Reo than the fake date he just had.
Those were the only situations where Reo's heartbeat rate would increase, where the butterflies of his stomach would awaken and his face would burn, flustered with embarrassment.
And of course, with whom else could it be if not with his playmate and treasure, Nagi Seishiro?
Reo, heir of the Mikage industry and captain of Hakuho football team, was gay and in love with Nagi Seishiro.
Reo doesn't thinks he's ever wanted to throw up so badly in his life.