Archive of Our Own

The weather was about to change.

Grayish and alarming clouds were playing with the sun at their usual game. Hide and seek, he believed, or was it tag? Anyway, no matter how hard the sun tried to claim victory for itself, it always ended up surrounded, cornered, as if it had nowhere else to go, as if the sky wasn't endless, a window to the universe embracing Earth in its entirety. As if that same sky had been caged, stripped of its infinity and turned into mere brush strokes on a canvas. And the sun couldn't escape the picture, the sun couldn't get out of the painting.

Nothing but the void beyond its borders. So the clouds happened to catch the sun, and now they were swallowing it, easily, quietly, suffocating its light, making everything seem a little bit colder, a little bit more lifeless.

A thunder. Nagi could swear he had heard the echo of a thunder. It sounded distant, but the next one would get closer. With the grass softly tickling on his skin right where his football uniform left him uncovered, while lazily lying down on the pitch, he felt it: a single raindrop falling from up there and then resting on his forehead. Nagi breathed in, deeply.

He had to leave. He knew he needed to stand up and leave, unless he was fine with ending up completely soaked in rain and for the record: he was not. But it felt nice, definitely too nice, the mild breeze gently ruffling his hair, the feeling of his sore muscles slowly relaxing as he lied down and his breathing finally going back to normal after such a hassle. And for hassle Nagi totally meant the training session. His professional training session, because it was true, he was a professional footballer now.

He had it all: a contract, a manager, brand new shoes and a monthly income which wasn't exactly stellar, but it was way more substantial than any other paycheck given to any other nineteen years old. He even had his own place now. A studio apartment very similar to the one he had lived in during his high school years, but still his own personal place.

He was the one paying for it now, not his parents. He was the one taking care of the bills, electricity and all that stuff, all by himself, with the money he was making by being an athlete. Almost an year had gone by, since he started playing professionally, since project Blue Lock had come to an end. His very first serious experience as a player and the calling card that had him recruited by one of the strongest teams within the J1 league.

It wasn't Europe, of course. It wasn't England nor it was Spain, but it was still something. The highest stage of Japanese football. It was still more than Nagi had ever imagined for himself a few years ago. A start. It was a start. He was still young and he had plenty of room for growth. 

He had to fight for his spot. He didn't sit on the bench all the time, but competition was high anyway. He couldn't slack off, he couldn't take his time. He had to train with the team and by himself, even harder than others because truth to be told Nagi might have been a prodigy, but he was still new to this and, even though he had learnt so much and he kept learning, he had to get better. He had to be better.

So he trained, every day. He read books. About general theory, rules, formations, biographies even, of famous coaches, famous players. It was a drag, definitely a drag. He liked to play, of course. He liked to be there, he enjoyed a match, the rush of adrenaline when he scored. He hated to lose and he loved the elation that came from winning.

He liked to live in the moment, but he knew football wasn't just about the moment. It wasn't just about his instinct and his natural predisposition for being perfectly aware of where the ball would fall. People weren't exactly giving out prizes to anyone who had a good control so Nagi couldn't rely only on his raw talent. Real football was about knowledge and experience and hard work. He was shooting for the stars after all, he was dreaming of a world cup, nothing less.

His life was busy and he kept adding numbers to his contact list on his phone. New rivals, new teammates, new friends and they had all helped him improve. But he wasn't perfect, he knew it. He had to update, constantly. The journey ahead was still far from being over, but he wasn't walking alone.

It wasn't just him. He wasn't the only one who dreamed. 

There was someone else.

And the both of them were dreaming of a world cup, to be more specific. 

Him and Reo. His dear Reo, the one who had initially ignited the spark. Reo, with his boisterous and lively personality, had Nagi discover a whole new world, a whole new version of himself.

There had been Reo and then there had been everyone else.

Their paths were aligned, their fates intertwined, Nagi would have said if only he had had some sense of poetry. Every step he took, every decision he made, everything was connected. His entire life was heading towards that direction. His heart was beating only to reach that goal.

At night, when he closed his eyes, he could see it clearly. The most important cup of the planet in his hands, confetti sprinkling all over, a gold medal shining on his chest and Reo smiling at him, euphoric and contagiously happy. It was theirs in his dreams, the trophy.

He had chosen long ago that he would do anything to make it real. He would give his all to win and to keep winning, he had no intention of letting go. They were going to claim their seats on top of the world. Together, Reo and him. It wasn't a simple fantasy, Nagi firmly believed they could make it. He wasn't going to stop and he knew Reo wasn't going to stop either.

Another thunder. Another raindrop and all of a sudden it was actually raining. Nagi closed his eyes, instinctively, as his clothes, completely drenched, started feeling quiet sticky against his skin. The sweet petrichor emanating from the grass chained Nagi to the ground as he savored the pleasant scent. He shivered. He was sweaty from practice, he couldn't mindlessly lie there. He was starting to feel cold, but he was tired and the rain sounded like a lullaby to his ears.

"Nagi." Here he came. Like a guardian angel, always keeping an eye on him, Reo was now offering his hand to him. "It's pouring. Let's get inside."

Nagi just nodded, gladly accepting Reo's hand as he helped him to stand up on his feet.

"And take a shower before we leave. Unless you wanna catch a cold." He added while ruffling Nagi's wet hair.

"You should too." Nagi replied as his fingers attentively moved back Reo's soaked locks previously falling on his forehead.

"Yeah." Reo huffed, the ball net almost falling off his shoulder. "I know." He then speeded up his pace.

"Reo." Nagi called his friend before he could disappear inside the small storage room right next to the field. So Reo turned around, watery rivulets framing his face. "I don't have an umbrella."

His lonely words echoed throughout the courtyard. There was no one around. Everyone had left the training facility, from their coach to their teammates. The janitor too. His daughter was turning four, he couldn't miss her birthday party, that's why he had entrusted Reo with his keys. It had become a habit to stay after practice and try a few things, just the two of them.

"Me neither." Said Reo as he tried to think in order to come up with a different solution. "I have a spare jacket, though." He considered. "We could try with that!"

Reo's car was broken and Nagi couldn't drive. He didn't have a license. He never passed the exam. Well, actually, he had never even tried. The whole process of getting a driving license seemed tedious and rather demanding. Also, Reo had always taken him home, he was like his personal chauffeur. He didn't need to drive. But it could have been useful now, to have a car, to have a license. The rain kept pouring and the two of them were standing on the sidewalk right out of the sporting center.

Waiting, while Reo held his spare jacket above their heads to protect them both from the heavy rain. And even if Nagi had rested his head on Reo's shoulder the entire time so they could save space, he had to say the whole jacket as a shelter thing wasn't working out that well. He hadn't complained though, nor he had moved away from Reo's shoulder. His friend was a few centimeters shorter than him, but Nagi was still comfortable. The sharp but weirdly nice fragrance of Reo's body shower felt vibrant against his nostrils. 

"Are we waiting for the limousine?" Nagi casually asked, hypnotized by the way the water flowed into a manhole on the other side of the street.

"We're waiting for Ba-ya." Reo replied laconically. 

"And is she coming with your limousine?" Nagi asked again. A solitary leaf had fallen into the manhole, carried by the stream. There was a video game in which the character fell into a manhole. Or did they fall into a tube? Was it Super Mario? Or was it a movie? That movie with mice wearing suits?

"No. She's not." His friend said without adding further details.

Reo was talkative, incredibly talkative, but it wasn't like he ran his mouth at any given chance. So, at first, Nagi didn't mind the silence, but they were close under that jacket, their bodies were and Nagi hadn't failed to sense the way Reo had been tensing up right next to him. Nagi turned his head to look up at him: his jaw was also tensed.

"Why?" Nagi picked it up again, now trying to investigate his friend's strange detachment.

"My dad's using it for the day." Reo attempted to cut it short, clearly bothered by the situation he had barely addressed. Too bad Nagi wasn't exactly the best when it came to respecting social cues.

"Isn't your family filthy rich or something?" He furrowed his brow, genuinely puzzled. "Doesn't your dad have his own limousine?"

"He does." Reo laughed bitterly. "But I guess he wants to piss me off." 

And Nagi would have asked why for the second time that day, if their ride back home hadn't suddenly shown up in the shape of an economy car.

Reo's expression was simply horrified. Nagi, on the other hand, didn't even blink. To him, the vehicle looked totally normal. He quietly proceeded to sit in the backseat as he politely greeted Reo's reliable attendant.

"You're not coming?" Nagi asked rolling down the car window.

Reo let out a loud sigh, then he opened the door. "This must be a joke." He muttered. "A very sick joke."

Their knees bumped against each other as Reo hopped in. It was a small car and they were significantly tall after all.

"Is everything alright, young master?" Ba-ya peeked over through the rear view mirror as she checked on Reo's mood. "Should I drive you home?"

Reo seemed upset, his gaze restless, wandering outside the window. "Is dad gonna be there?" He asked strangely cold.

"Your father said he's going to be home late today. He seems to be handling a rather delicate deal." The attendant quickly replied.

"Good." Reo told her. "Take us home then."

Like every Thursday, Nagi would rejoice at his friend's hospitality. Friday was all about morning practice and the Mikages' outstanding mansion happened to be a few blocks away from their team facility while his place was basically on the other side of the city. Reo was generous and Nagi was lazy. Why waking up at dawn and taking the subway when he could just crash at Reo's and have his chefs make him breakfast?

As they climbed up the stairs to Reo's room, Nagi realized nobody was actually home. Their quick footsteps were the only noise against an otherwise complete silence. Reo opened the door and Nagi immediately let himself fall on his king-size mattress. A sonorous sigh left his mouth as relief took over his body after a long day of physical efforts.

"That's my side." Nagi heard him say. Reo was standing in front of his mirror, fixing his hair for no apparent reason and he was now glaring at Nagi through the glass. "You can't wear your outside clothes while you're on my side of the bed. Or should I remind you that one time when I found literal rocks under my back?"

Nagi loudly snorted, but he didn't complain further, rolling to his own side.They always shared the bed. Considering how insanely huge Reo's bed was, it would have been stupid not to. So, every time Nagi had to stay over, Reo took the side next to the nightstand and Nagi the one close to the window. It was normal, they were friends. No big deal.

"I asked Ba-ya to bring us more blankets." Reo told him as he took off his clothes to slip into something more comfortable.

Nagi looked at him, his eyes falling on the bruises on his legs. Reo was working hard lately, he always worked hard. He seemed to be stronger. The muscles of his thighs were thicker. His chest was definitely more defined, but his waist was still slim. So slim Nagi could easily wrap his arms around it.

Following that strange line of thoughts, he found himself staring at Reo's body, as an unnamed and unusual feeling at the pit of his stomach started annoying him. At some point, Reo seemed to notice how he had been staring and their eyes met for a brief second.

Then Nagi looked away, ignoring the strange tension and he reached for his phone in order to start running some random game.

"More blankets?" He asked a little distracted, his attention captured by the many bright colors on the screen of his phone. "What for?"

"You always steal mine." Reo explained, patting on the hems of the plain t-shirt he was now wearing.

"I don't." Nagi disagreed in a few words, more focused on the movements of his thumbs as he tried to set a new score on the rhythm game he was playing.

"You do." Reo shook his head. "In your sleep." He clarified as he opened his wardrobe to then dive into it, looking for other pants. "Some people sleepwalk, so I guess you sleepsteal."

Nagi didn't reply to that. He didn't remember stealing Reo's blanket. He did remember waking up and find himself wrapped into Reo's blanket once or twice, but the theft part was still a mystery.

His thumbs were moving progressively faster. 450 was the combo number on the screen. Impressive, Nagi thought to himself, for a five stars difficulty song, a combo of 450 was definitely impressive. Spectacular he had to dare. He could beat him, with a record like that Nagi could do it. He was finally going to beat WeirdGuyLovesTwilightSparkle75 and jump on the top of the global ranking.

Twenty seconds, the song would be over in twenty seconds. Just one few tricks, one few moves and Nagi would earn it. Eternal glory.

But then, on the last second, it slipped. His right thumb slipped out of his control. He missed a note and lost everything. His eyes widened, Nagi was shocked. How could he? Ruin such a phenomenal performance? Then a cramp hit him, a hand cramp, out of nowhere, and his phone tragically fell on the floor.

"Shit." He cursed and then he climbed down the bed to rescue it.

However, when he looked over, his old Samsung wasn't the only thing under the bed. If possible, Nagi's eyes widened even more.

"Reo?" Nagi called, slightly alarmed. "Did you rob a jewellery store?"

"What?" Reo didn't even turn around, still looking for sweatpants.

Nagi stretched his arm and he reached for a bag full of gold and silver and pearls. His rhythm game was no longer interesting now. There were necklaces, fancy wristwatches, bracelets, cufflinks and a crown. Nagi was holding a literal crown in his hands, with inset rubies and all.

After hearing the metallic noise coming from those things, Reo finally turned around. "Oh." He said, not even surprised. "It's just stuff my father gave to me."

"Just stuff?" Nagi wasn't materialistic. He didn't care for big houses, big pools, big cars. He was a simple man, but all that stuff? He couldn't ignore it, it was like the treasure of an Emperor. "Are these gifts?"

"Gifts?" Reo tsked. "Please, I hate that shit. I should burn it."

"You should sell it." Nagi considered, his fingers touching a pearl necklace. Did Reo wear pearl necklaces? He didn't seem the type. Did even men wear those? Maybe it wasn't a necklace. Maybe it was more like a chain. Chains sounded manly enough. A pearl chain. It was pretty, though, the necklace. Nagi wouldn't mind seeing Reo wearing it. He had a feeling he could pull it off.

"No. I don't wanna waste my time. And those are not even gifts. They're a reminder." Said Reo, sitting on the ground right next to Nagi.

"A reminder?"

"Yeah. He's reminding me that I make way less money than him, that my career is mediocre and I will never afford something like this... pen completely covered in topaz gemstones." Reo started saying. "That's why he buys things for me. Because he hates that I chose poverty over his business. He wants me to know that he's right and I did it all wrong." Reo shrugged, putting everything back inside the bag.

"He's still mad at you?" He peeked over, trying to read Reo's face. Nagi knew Reo's parents weren't actually supportive of him pursuing football. The Mikages were an empire and an empire needed a heir. But Reo wasn't interested and he was their only son.

"He's always mad at me." Reo replied.

"But you're a pro now and you're playing for a huge team." Nagi said.

"A huge team, sure." Reo sounded skeptical. "Anyway, he's torturing me. He's trying to convince me to take part in this dinner with his shareholders. He wants to introduce me, he said it's good if they get to know me."

"Sounds like a pain." Nagi genuinely considered.

"It is." Reo quietly agreed as his eyes were searching for something on the floor. "He even said: you should bring your girlfriend."

Nagi looked at him. "You... you have...?"

"No." Reo swiftly interrupted him. "Of course I don't have a girlfriend. We're always together. Have you seen me hanging around with a girl lately?"

Nagi had not seen him with a girl indeed.

"I guess he was trying to act like a cool dad. He looks down on me all the time and then he tries to act like a cool dad. Fucking idiot." Reo muttered. "Oh, there they are."

Nagi turned his head and looked right at where Reo was looking. Two rings. Two identical rings, except for the color of their diamonds.

One was purple and the other one seemed white, with a grayish undertone. They were simple. Totally alien to the luxury and the opulence the other jewels were giving off. Reo picked up the purple one and then his hand moved to pick up the other, but Nagi moved faster.

The ring was in his hands now. He looked at it, attentively, strangely drawn to a such a tiny object. He didn't know why. He just liked it.

"What?" Reo's face softened as he glanced at Nagi. "You like it?" He smiled.

"Uhm." Nagi nodded. The diamond didn't shine that much. Nagi tried to put it under the dim light that was filtering through the window, but that didn't help. Still, it was strangely mesmerizing.

"You can keep it." Reo told him. "I mean, if you want. You seem to have good taste."

"Taste?" Nagi looked up, taking his eyes off the ring.

"Yep. These two rings are the only decent things inside this bag. They're not tacky like everything else. My dad has no taste. This house looks fine 'cause my mom chose the furnishings. Certainly not thanks to him." He said. "So? Are you gonna keep it or not?"

"Okay. I'll keep it." Nagi replied as he kept observing the ring. "Are you gonna keep yours?" He then asked.

"Mine?" Reo gave him a look. "What do you mean mine?"

"That one." Nagi pointed at the purple ring in Reo's hand. "Are you gonna keep it? You said it's better than the other stuff."

Reo looked down at the small diamond and he rubbed it briefly between his fingers. "I don't know." He worded out.

Nagi looked back at his own ring instead and he decided to wear it, to see how it would look on him.

"Wait, Nagi." Reo stopped him before he could let the ring slide all the way through his ring finger. "You shouldn't wear it on your left hand."

"Why not?" Nagi looked at him.

"Just wear it on the right. Like this." Reo said as he wore the purple ring on his right ring finger. "See?" He showed him. "The left hand is connected to your heart. There's this vein called Vena Amoris, right here." He said as he gently reached for Nagi's hand to tap on his left ring finger. "In the past, people said that this vein ran from this one finger straight to the heart. That's why they placed a ring on here only when there was someone they loved." Reo explained.

Reo's hand was soft and it felt warm against his.

"I mean, it's just a story Ba-ya told me when I was a kid. There's no vein like that. So it probably doesn't matter." He brushed it off and let go of Nagi's hand, sounding a little embarrassed.

Nagi didn't say anything, but he still followed Reo's example by moving the ring to his right hand. It was cool. It was an extremely cool ring.

Reo was still wearing his. The purple stone really suited him.

"We're matching." Nagi pointed out considering how similar those two rings were.

Reo stared at him, then his expression changed. A gentle smile painted his lips. "That's true." He noticed as well. "We match."

Better, Nagi found himself thinking, he liked it more when Reo smiled.

Something rang all of a sudden and Nagi turned his head. The rhythm game. WeirdGuyLovesTwilightSparkle75. He still had to beat him. So he grabbed his phone, he climbed on the bed and he came back to work.

Reo, still sitting on the floor, seemed to be thinking. "Hey." He then called. "Nagi."

"Mh?"

"My father doesn't like you. You know that, right?" Said Reo and Nagi, who was adjusting his earphones, furrowed his brow.

"He doesn't like me?" That was new. Nagi had never had an actual relationship with Mr. Mikage. He didn't even remember the last time they talked.

"He says it's partly your fault. He says that my fixation on football comes from you and our friendship."

"I didn't know that." And it was true, he didn't know. How could he? Not that he cared, though. 

"Are you free on Saturday? Saturday night."

Nagi glanced at Reo from over his phone. He had that look. That pleased look he had on his face when his mind came up with an idea. "Yeah." Nagi replied, careful. Reo was setting him up. He knew he was setting him up. "I'm free on Saturday."

"What about you coming with me to the dinner? The dinner with my dad's shareholders." Reo suggested, almost enthusiastically. 

"I don't know..." Nagi didn't share the sentiment. "It sounds boring. We're not even playing this weekend. I just want to stay home."

"What if I told you that we're going to that one restaurant?"  Reo had no intention to give up.

"What restaurant?" Nagi asked suspicious. 

"The plant based one." He told him. "Remember when we got to eat that vegan crème brûlée with the team?"

"The restaurant that gifted me with one of their super rare cactuses." Nagi was suddenly interested.

"Except you asked for it and you said you wouldn't leave without it. It wasn't a gift. We had to apologize to the owner." Reo corrected him.

"Whatever." Nagi shrugged.

"So?" Reo looked hopeful. "You wanna come?"

"Food is free, right?" 

"Nagi."

He snorted. He didn't have a choice, did he? Best friends had to help each other. "Fine." He reluctantly accepted.

"Great! You're the best!" He uttered. Then he placed a quick kiss on his cheek and Nagi rolled his eyes, pretending he didn't adore seeing Reo so excited. 

The next two days went by smoothly. As much as Nagi hated to have to practice at the rise of the sun, he knew the strict routine was helping him.

The coach had been observing him for the entire training session. He had even given him a thumb up after a particularly high header jump when they were all trying a new tactic for place kicks. 2.58 meters. Nagi had reached 2.58 meters with his jump and the ball had gone in.

"Good job, Seishirou." The coach had told him, patting on his shoulder. "How about you do that in a real game, huh?" He had smiled at him and Nagi realized he had a chance.

He could be a starter next week. He had to be a starter. It wasn't an ordinary match. It was a derby. Which meant excitement would overflow and reporters and talent scouts from overseas would be there watching the game. Possibly watching him too. Reo was playing.

One of their teammates had a bad injury and Reo had been the most logical alternative to replace him. So Nagi needed to play. They had to play together. Six months in and they never got to show everyone how good they were, how sharp and effective their partnership was on the pitch. This had to change. Nagi had an opportunity and he had no intention of wasting it.

"Reo?" It was late afternoon and the sun was losing its intensity. "Why did you drive past my house?" Nagi had asked, he felt tired and he just wanted to go home.

"'Cause you're coming with me." Reo quickly answered. "We have a dinner tomorrow night, don't you remember?" The dinner. Why did he say yes in the first place? "We're getting you a new suit."

"Now?" Nagi complained.

"Now." Reo was inflexible, his hands firm on the steering wheel. "I need you to be handsome and classy and... looking like you come from money."

"Why is that? Your father knows I don't come from money." Nagi pointed out.

"You're right, and he'll be fuming when he sees you with clothes made by our family tailor. He hates it when peasants dress sophisticated." Reo told him and Nagi raised his brow.

"Did you just call me a peasant?"

"What?" Reo spared a quick glance at Nagi. "No." He said, his gaze back on the road ahead now. "I'm not calling you a peasant. My father would, though. Everyone is a peasant to him."

"That makes sense." Nagi murmured. "So you really are using me to get your father mad." He then said.

The traffic light turned red. The car stopped and Reo turned his head. "I'm not using you, Nagi." Reo was doing that thing. That thing where he searched for his eyes and he forced Nagi to look at him. "You're helping me, alright?" He clarified. 

Nagi shivered. It was probably cold.

"And I don't want to get my dad mad." He said. "I mean, that wouldn't be bad, but... that's not why I asked you to come with me." Green light. Reo took his eyes off him.

"It's just that I need you." Reo admitted, his voice clear and stable. "I need you there, by my side. Or else, I don't know if I can make it through the night. Business men are insufferable. Look at my father." He spit out those last words, resentful.

Nagi didn't know why Reo and his father's relationship had suddenly taken that turn, why Reo seemed so hurt lately. He didn't like it. He wished he could do something. More than something.

"I wouldn't mind, though." He said quietly.

"What?" Reo asked, as he looked for a parking slot.

"I wouldn't mind seeing your father mad."

Reo laughed. "Really?"

"Yeah. It sounds fun." Nagi actually meant it. "He's always so..." He paused, struggling to find the right word.

"Composed?"

"Composed." Nagi nodded. 

"Hell, if I hate that." Said Reo.

A few hours later, after a meticulous scrutiny, Nagi was holding four shopping bags and three of them were his. He never bragged, not about his looks, but he felt quiet handsome. The suit was flattering and he liked the new necktie.

But mostly he had liked the way Reo had been staring at him the entire time back in the tailor's changing room.

〰️️

The gloves itched on Nagi's skin and hated how he couldn't tap on the screen of his phone with them on. Reo had come to pick him up, on time, like clockwork. They hadn't talked much on their way to the restaurant. Reo had put on a song and started humming along.

He was upbeat, Nagi noticed, suspiciously upbeat. The place was fancy, just like Nagi remembered. As soon as they had reached the entrance, someone from the staff politely greeted them while other ones promptly helped them removing their coats. Nagi felt a little awkward. He wasn't used to receive that kind of treatment. Of course he earned way more money now and he wasn't exactly a nobody, buy that was not how he was born.

On the contrary, Reo seemed in his element, totally comfortable as people around him addressed him like he was royalty. They couldn't be more different, Nagi found himself thinking sometimes. He wondered what would have been of their friendship if it hadn't been for football. Reo's world would always be foreign to him.

"Your parents are waiting for you, this way." A waiter led them to their seats. Nagi's eyes wandered around. The hall was grand, the lights were low and champaign glasses seemed to shine as they walked past the many tables. White tablecloths, silver spoons, people elegantly chatting, a manifesto of gentility. The restaurant looked even more distinguished somehow.

Nagi recognized Reo's mother. The hems of her long dress brushed quietly against the floor and its striking red tonality was impossible not to notice. Reo's father was there too, as well as everyone else.

Nagi looked at Reo. "Are we late?" He asked.

"We're not late." Reo replied as he fixed the collar of his shirt. "We're fashionably late." Then he took a step forward and Nagi begrudgingly followed him, dreaming of the peace of his own average bed inside his own average studio apartment.

"Oh!" Reo's mother saw them first. "Our Reo's here." She smiled softly, then her eyes moved on Nagi. "And that's..."

"Good evening everyone." Reo interrupted her, standing by his seat. "Mom, dad." He bowed his head and Nagi did the same, starting to sense a general unease.

"Look at him!" An old man at the head of the table with a strange looking mustache shouted all of a sudden. There were bread crumbs at the sides of his mouth and Nagi found it incredibly distracting. "We finally get to meet your golden boy!" He said with unyielding enthusiasm. "Sit with us, Reo! And that's..." Then the man looked right at the Mikage Corporation CEO. "That's not his girlfriend. Didn't you say he was coming with a girlfriend?"

"I didn't..." Mr. Mikage laughed, but he seemed rather nervous. Unless Nagi was imagining it. "I made no promises."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too." Reo said, polite, friendly. "All of you." Then he took his seat and Nagi mirrored him. The knot of his tie suddenly feeling a little too tight. "And yeah, Nagi's definitely not my girlfriend."

"Nagi?" Another man joined the conversation. "Nagi Seishirou? The football player. You were together in that... that national project. That one project we sponsored, right?"

"Yes!" Reo nodded accordingly. "That's him. He is..."

"Not the girlfriend we were expecting to see." The moustache man giggled.

The atmosphere was weird, Nagi had to state. Reo's father seemed tensed and his wife seemed to be holding her breath. They were staring at their son, waiting. Nagi looked down. Reo had clenched his fist. Everyone stayed vigilant around the table. Who was that mustache old guy? And why did he seem to hold so much power over the other guests?

"No." Reo spelled slowly, his expression unchanged. "But he's a friend."

Mr. Mikage was looking at him. His grip around the fork he held was progressively tightening. "And he's a boy." Said Reo, staring right into the moustache man's eyes. Nagi knew. He knew Reo.

Time stood still.

"He's a friend and he's a boy. I didn't bring any girlfriends, but you might as well consider him as my boyfriend."

A glass shattered a few tables away and a loud metallic sound followed the fall of Mr. Mikage's fork to the ground. Reo's mother flinched. The tension could be cut with a knife.

"What?" The moustache man sounded bewildered.

"Reo." Nagi called him quietly. "Is it...?" But Reo immediately reached for his hand under the table and he squeezed it tight.

"Don't worry. It's fine." He whispered reassuringly, then he let go of his hand.

Nagi caught a glimpse of Reo's father sitting right in front of them. He was silent, but he was furious.

Reo shook his head.

"I'm joking." He confessed, but nobody dared to say anything. "You should look at your face." Reo was openly smiling. "Dad." And he set his eyes on him.

Nagi genuinely thought Reo was insane. He had always thought that, deep down.

Then a laughter, a boisterous and uproarious laughter erupted and broke that dangerous silence. Everyone turned around to look at the moustache man. His head was tossed back as he held his stomach, laughing and laughing, his breath coming short and tears spilled from his eyes.

"He's right." He said. "You should look at your face. It's hilarious!"

And the tension was gone, as if a counterspell had been cast upon them all. Reo's mother chuckled. "He's not wrong, my dear. Your expression is quiet humorous." 

"Your son is fantastic!" The moustache man playfully punched the table. "And nice to meet you, Nagi Seishirou. I don't know much about football, I'm more of a baseball fan, but you seem like a good young man."

"Thanks." Nagi awkwardly smiled, glad that the general mood had switched.

"Yeah." Reo's father seemed to relax. "That's how my son is. One would say he's a prankster."

"He didn't get that from you, though." Moustache man said. "You're a pain in the ass."

All the guests laughed and Mr. Mikage looked down, staring at the empty plate in front of him, trying to hide the embarrassment. 

"I have to disagree." Reo suddenly spoke. "He can be fun. I might have a story about it."

"A story?" Someone asked.

"May I? Dad?" There was hope in his voice. Reo didn't have the heart to actually antagonize his own father.

"Sure." He allowed. "Go ahead."

And Reo started talking. They adored him, his father's associates. He was confident, well spoken, bright and intelligent. He didn't need him there, after all, but Nagi was glad he had accepted to come.

The food had been great and the company quiet okay. He hadn't spoken much, Nagi just smiled and nodded every time he was required to. Then, the gathering had moved to the Mikages' house for a special treat made by their personal chefs.

Nagi looked at his phone. The clock read past midnight. Past midnight and he was laying on the sofa of Reo's office, thoughtlessly staring at the ceiling. Yes, Reo had an office, a real one his father had designed for him when he was little. It looked like a normal office, it had a spacious desk, a swivel chair and lots of bookshelves. And a view, Reo's office came with a view. The wide frameless glass windows panned on Tokyo in all its glory. 

In any case, Nagi wasn't there for the view. He was hiding, actually. Reason? Those rich people's conversations were boring him to death and he had nothing particularly smart to share anyway. So he had excused himself, blaming it on his bladder seemingly seeking relief and he had disappeared, waiting for the night to be over. Waiting for Reo to come and find him so he could take him home.

Footsteps.

Someone was coming upstairs. 

Nagi stood up. He walked to the door he had previously closed and he placed his hand on the handle. But then someone spoke.

"Why? Why did you have to act like that?" It was Reo's father. Nagi instinctively took a step back.

"Like what?" And that was Reo's voice. "Say it. What is it that I did?"

Nagi had a feeling he shouldn't be there.

"You made fun of me, you disrespected my authority and your condescending attitude towards my business partners cannot be ignored."

Nagi definitely shouldn't be hearing this, but it wasn't like he had a choice. 

"Condescending attitude?" Reo retorted. "Well, they seemed to appreciate me and my condescending attitude. They seemed to like me better than they like you, actually."

The voices sounded more distant now, as if the two had walked past the room Nagi was in, but stayed in the corridor. He had to check. He slowly reached for the door, just to open a small gap for himself so he could see. An almost invisible breach. Nagi peeked over.

Mr. Mikage had his back turned on him as he faced his son, standing right in front of him.

"That's because you're a natural!" His father told him, his tone suggesting an obvious frustration. "You can bring people to like you even when you're behaving incorrectly. You have a talent and I'm telling you this because I don't want you to waste it." 

Reo crossed his arms, his eyes escaping the other's. "No." He spoke firmly. "I'm sorry, Dad, but we're not having this conversation again. I don't wanna hear it, alright?" He took a step back, trying to walk away, but his father didn't let him. His grasp firm on his son's forearm. 

"Why don't you get it? Why don't you understand that this is your future?" He let out, almost exasperated. "You're born for this, you're born for the role, you're born to rule! At some point, you'll have to accept it! I'm not going to live forever, Reo, and all that we have is not going to end with me."

"But I don't want this, Dad!" Reo pushed him away, wiggling out of his father's grip. "I don't want to inherite your position. I don't want your fortune, nor I want your lame company. I don't care! I couldn't care less!"

"I raised you, Reo, your mother and me raised you and we did it thanks to this lame company." Mr. Mikage insisted as the weak light of the night was casting shadows of the two on the wall. "We did everything for you, we gave you everything, so it's time to grow up and choose what's the best for you and this family. Your family."

Reo didn't reply, he just glared at him, a harsh expression on his face.

"What?" So his father said. "Don't tell me this is about your hobby."

"My hobby?" Reo's eyes widened all of a sudden.

"Yeah, your hobby. That one hobby that distracts you from what's important." He continued, disdainful. 

"Hobby? That's my job, Dad. That's not a hobby." Reo said, sounding hurt.

"It shouldn't be! It shouldn't be your job! It's stupid and it's useless! And you're not even that good, don't you get it?" Mr. Mikage snapped and his impulsive words broke Reo's facade and his now fractured mask was showing a deeper bitterness. 

"Reo." He called, his tone softer now. "We supported you. We fully supported you. We made sure you could train with the help of our best technologies. We even put money into that show you were part of. We valued what you wanted, we sacrificed time and resources." He said. "But we can't keep supporting you now. You're not a kid anymore, you need to take on your responsibilities."

Reo looked at him, betrayed, disappointed. "You're doing this again." He told him. "You don't take me seriously, do you?" He shook his head, in complete disbelief. "You come here, telling me how talented I am, how I shouldn't waste myself, but you don't respect me. You don't see me as an equal, as an adult. You think I should be your puppet." His voice came out poisonous. "I hear you, dad. I hear you whispering to mom about how much of a disappointment I am. About the shame I bring upon this family. I see how you look at me, as if you're pitying me, as if I'm crazy just because I chose a different path for myself!"

"I understand." Mr. Mikage quickly followed. "I understand, Reo. You want to be your own person, you want to make your own decisions. I used to be like you. I used to be just like you. You want your independence and I get that, but..."

"No, you don't!" Reo was almost screaming at that point. "You don't get it! You don't understand! I have a goal." He said. "I'm trying to build something for myself. I'm trying to create something for myself. I can't quit just because you want me to. This is my life now and... and there's something I need to do." He was nervous. Nagi saw him. Reo was fidgeting, he never did that.

"Something you need to do?" His father immediately picked up on his words. "What is that? What's this something you need to do? What is this something you need to do that is so important that you can't even consider my offer? Tell me, Reo."

Reo bit his lower lip. He didn't answer right away. He was hesitating. He looked away, away from his father and, for a split second, Nagi almost believed Reo had seen him behind that door. He was looking at him. His eyes met, or was Nagi imagining it? But then Reo's gaze was on back on his father.

"I need to... I need to win the World Cup." His voice came out in a whisper. Mr. Mikage replied with a laugh, cynical, contemptuous.

"The World Cup? Reo, you're turning twenty soon, so why are you talking like a child?" He shook his head and threw up his hands. "The World Cup. My son decides that our family business' destiny is to implode and fail because he needs to win the World Cup! That totally makes sense!" His sarcasm did sting.

"See? You're looking down on me! You don't care about me! You don't believe in me!" Reo yelled at him.

"This is ridiculous. Don't you realize how ridiculous this..."

"It is not! I want this! I'm working hard for this and I made a promise!"

A promise. Nagi found himself holding his breath.

"A promise?" Mr. Mikage asked. "You made a promise."

"Yeah." But Reo didn't hold back. "I made a promise to Nagi. We'll win the World Cup, dad. Together."

"Of course." His father nodded. "Of course he's in the picture. Of course." He sounded exhausted. "But you don't want to get me started on that, right? You don't want to get me started on that friend of yours."

"What do you mean?" Reo glared at him.

"Why did you bring him here tonight? I understand that you two are friends, but this wasn't the place. And that joke you made? You cannot make such jokes at a dinner with my shareholders, especially when they're going to be your shareholders one day." Mr. Mikage scolded him, his tone severe. 

"Joke? What joke?" Reo seemed to be trying to remember. "Wait." He said. "Are you talking about-"

"Yes." His father didn't even let him finish. "And as much as I am tolerant, open and patient, you need to understand that not everyone is. You cannot let people think such things. In this business, you cannot let people talk, Reo. You get it? It was a joke, okay, but it was inappropriate and humiliating." He firmly judged.

"Humiliating?" Reo laughed in his face. "So it's not about me, this is about you, right? You're always the focus after all. This whole conversation is about you, isn't it? I let you down, once again, and now you fear for your reputation. You're afraid of those cows you milk out for money leaving you once they realize there's no future for this corporation. Once they realize that I don't care about this stuff and I'd rather let it all sink."

"Watch your mouth, son." 

"And on top of it all, you're mad because I embarrassed you. Our facade needs to be impeccable, right? And you couldn't stand the idea that your stupid partners could think that your son is not perfect. That your son is not your property, that your son is not the business man you want him to be and that your son may occasionally suck dicks."

It was sharp and unexpected the sound that reached Nagi's ears. Mr. Mikage had slapped his son, causing his head to tilt to the side. Reo stood still, petrified, facing the wall, his father's hand still in midair. Then he put his arm down, slowly, silent. Nagi couldn't see the man's face, but he seemed to be trembling.

"I thought we could find a common ground." He breathed out. "But it's not the right time apparently."

Reo wasn't looking at him. His eyes were fixed on the floor.

"I won't let you speak to me like that anymore, but you can always come and talk to me." He said as he walked past him. "As long as you clear up your mind." Then he left, leaving Reo standing in the middle of the corridor.

He wasn't moving, Reo. He seemed to be frozen, paralyzed, but then he raised his gaze and he looked right in the office's direction. He took a step forward and Nagi leapt away. He hadn't meant to overhear. He wasn't spying on his best friend, he just happened to be there. Nagi tried to reach the couch. Reo would walk in in seconds. He had to act natural. He could pretend he was sleeping. He could pretend...

"I know you heard everything."

The door opened behind his back. Mission failed. Nagi didn't dare to turn around. "And don't worry." Reo reassured him. "We weren't trying to keep it quiet anyway." He stated and when Nagi looked at him, he could notice his tired expression.

Reo didn't say anything more. He walked past the desk, his fingers casually trailing the cover of some book and then he stopped in front of the broad windows, the view of the city unravelling for his eyes to see. The room was in the dark, except for the moonlight. Nagi followed him and he went standing right next to him.

"I'm sorry." Nagi said all of a sudden. "That sounded tough."

"And that's not even the worst argument we had." Reo pointed out, as he smiled ironically. "Usually I don't care, you know. About what he says." He started. "He's an old man who firmly believes he's some kind of god pulling the strings of the world just because he's the richest man in Japan. But what is he outside of this country? Who is he outside of his money?" Said Reo, his hand resting on the glass window. "He's nothing. He's a nobody. He got lucky, that's all, and now he's rich, but that doesn't mean anything."

"Money does mean something, actually." Nagi considered and Reo side eyed him. It was true, though. Money could get you places.

"When I was a kid, he brought me here, he made me look outside and he told me that this would all be mine one day." Reo continued. "I smiled at him back then, but I failed to understand the appeal. Everything felt so plain, boring and uninteresting. Honestly, it didn't make sense. All that stuff he promised me, I didn't want any of it." He exhaled, clenching his fist against the window.

"My life was empty, but then I found something and I met you, Nagi. I finally had a purpose. I have a purpose. And it's fine if they don't support me, if my father thinks that I'm a disgrace to this family, but... what if he's right? What if I'm not cut out for this?" His voice cracked and Nagi turned to look at him. Messy hair was falling on Reo's forehead.

"What? Reo, you're..."

"Look at Isagi. That idiot is playing in Bundesliga and Blue Lock ended less than a year ago. Also did you hear about that team in Spain taking an interest in Bachira? And Kunigami's playing in Poland, it might not be a major league, but that's still better than here." Reo stated, strangely disheartened. 

"So what if my father's right? What if this is not what I'm made for? What if the World Cup is just a fantasy and I'm simply bound to mediocrity?"

It was odd to see Reo act like this. His usual confidence seemed to be vanished, his natural glow withered. Reo never talked like this, Reo never let others define him, put him in a box and tell him what he could do or not do. Reo was dedicated, focused. He was ambitious and Nagi liked it. He was drawn to him for a reason.

"You play for a great team." So he tried to say.

"Yes, a great team. In Japan." Reo replied skeptical. 

"So what? It's Japan, but it's still something. I'm here too" Nagi pointed out as he couldn't stand Reo's self pity. "We are playing for the same team."

"It's different." The other immediately said as he turned around. Nagi, however, didn't move, his eyes falling on his friend's back.

"How?" He exhaled. "How is it different?"

He was tensing up. Nagi could see it. Wrinkles appeared on his jacket, around his shoulder blades.

"You're a star, Nagi." His voice was more clear now. "You're a star and you're going to achieve great things and I know that because I saw it in you. I see it every day. You're a treasure to me, I told you, and I want us to win everything together, but... maybe this is not the way." He paused. He breathed in. "Maybe I... Maybe I am holding you back."

That was not true. It wasn't true, it could never be true. Reo had opened doors for him. He wasn't holding him back.

"Reo." Nagi wanted to say something, he wanted to speak to him, to tell Reo how things really were. To clear his mind and destroy his doubts, but Nagi didn't know how to do it.

It was hard for him, to find something meaningful to say. He never knew how to express himself. Reo didn't mind his inability to communicate, he didn't need words to understand him. He had always made him feel accepted and appreciated. But Nagi wanted to help him now. He wanted to change things, make a difference. He wanted to reach him and he hated how his tongue felt tied. He hated the chaos inside his head. 

"I mean, you're stuck with me when you should focus more on yourself. You're perfectly able to grow on your own. Blue Lock made that pretty clear." Reo reminded him. "You may have no other options now, but you will. One day, some huge team will call you and you'll fly away and I'll... and I'll watch. Maybe we should drop it." He sounded defeated and Nagi simply couldn't bear it.

"Drop it?" Nagi took a step towards him, without thinking. That wasn't his Reo. He wasn't the Reo who had lit up his life. All of a sudden, Nagi felt mad. 

"This World Cup thing. Maybe we should drop it."

Nagi felt heaviness upon his chest and small knives seemed to be stabbing him at the pit of his stomach. "I'm not saying I'm quitting football altogether, but... maybe I..."

"Stop it." Nagi grabbed his arm and he had Reo turn around. "Seriously, just stop it." He didn't want to hear him anymore.

But when Nagi looked at him, when Nagi looked at Reo from up close, he felt his heart clench. He looked sad. Reo never looked sad. He could look angry, he could look annoyed, bitter, but he never looked sad. And Nagi couldn't stand it. He wasn't even looking at him, Reo, his eyes were distant, staring at the ground.

Nagi moved by instinct. He framed Reo's face with both of his hands and forced him to look at him. They were close. So close Nagi could feel Reo's breath tickling on his skin. Reo raised his eyes, he was finally seeing him.

Nagi knew that was the time for him to say something, but he was distracted. Completely distracted by how long Reo's eyelashes were. Distracted by how soft his skin felt under his palms. Did Reo use some kind of moisturiser? Nagi had no idea. He didn't even know why his brain was noticing such a thing.

"What are you doing?" Reo's tone was cautious, confused. Nagi opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out it. What was he doing? 

Nagi shut his eyes and then accidentally bumped his forehead against Reo's. He breathed in. He didn't know what he was doing. He opened his eyes again, Reo was still there, staring at him.

Nagi wanted Reo to stop belittling himself. Nagi wanted Reo to shine, maybe for selfish reasons. Maybe he wanted Reo to shine just so he could still follow his light.

"Nagi? Seriously, what..."

"I'm not leaving." Nagi blurted out. The tips of his fingers were strangely quivering as he held Reo's cheeks.

"Leaving?" Reo asked. Time seemed to stay still. "What do you mean leaving?" He was whispering now.

"I'm not leaving you." Nagi replied.

"And what does that..." Reo looked lost anyway as he clearly needed Nagi to elaborate further. "I mean, okay, cool, but..."

Nagi found it difficult, to explain himself, to explain how he felt, to put a name on things. Reo couldn't say that, they couldn't just drop it. They had to keep faith to their promise. Nagi wasn't going to leave him, so Reo had to stick through as well.

"Nagi?"

They were close. They were too close and Reo was talking so it was really not his fault that his eyes had fallen on the curves of Reo's lips. They were interesting, appealing, all of a sudden. How would they feel? Their texture? How would his friend's lips feel against his? It was weird, his brain had never prompted him such a thing. Nagi had never kissed anyone before. So where did that urge come from?

"Nagi." Reo called again, his hand on his, as if suggesting to move it away from his cheek. But Nagi didn't do it and Reo didn't force him to do it. "What is going on?" He ran his tongue on his lips and Nagi didn't feel like holding back anymore.

"Can I kiss you?" His own words echoed throughout the room, his tone impatient.

"What?" Reo exhaled, frowning a bit.

"I want to kiss you." Nagi told him. He wasn't thinking. Nagi was talking, he was reacting, but he wasn't thinking.

"Is this... Ehm..." Reo seemed to stumble upon his own words. "Is this about tonight? About that joke? Nagi, I was kidding, I'm not ga..." Then he stopped and swallowed nervously. His breathing was heavier and Nagi could feel his eyes on his mouth as well.

"So?" Nagi insisted. "Can I kiss you?"

Reo just nodded. "Yes." He said. "Yes, you... you can kiss me." So Nagi leaned in and he kissed him. Nagi kissed Reo for the first time.

It was a mere brush, lips against lips, but their noses seemed to be in the way. Nagi had no experience and he didn't know if Reo had any. It was foreign, the feeling, and he suspected he wasn't doing it right. He removed his hands from Reo's face and his arms instinctively surrounded his waist. Reo didn't complain nor he pulled him away, but he took a few steps back, leading the both of them to the wide window right next to them and leaned on it, as if searching for some kind of support. His back glued to the frameless glass as Nagi kept naively pressing his lips onto his.

Reo put his arms around Nagi's neck and Nagi tilted his head, a bit unsure about what to do next, but their noses were not bumping anymore so he guessed he was improving already.

They pulled away, slowly. Reo was still in his arms and he was looking at him, but his expression was unreadable.

"Sorry." Nagi found himself apologizing, feeling a little embarrassed by his underperformance. "That's a first, I've never..." But his lips were captured again before he could finish.

Reo's mouth was open against his and Nagi could feel his tongue tracing the lines of his lips. So Nagi opened his mouth too. It was ecstatic, electrifying, exhilarating. Nagi's heart kept beating against his ribcage and he felt a rush he had never felt before, not even on the pitch. Reo's tongue felt hot and frenetic inside his mouth and Nagi did everything in his power to follow his friend's lead.

He wasn't breathing. He didn't know when to breathe. It was new, all new. Nagi felt like suffocating at some point, and it was strange how he found himself liking it. Reo was commanding even when kissing.

Nagi bit on his lips, not on purpose of course, so Reo had to pull back a little and he made a noise, like a whine, which sent cold shivers down his spine. He liked it, he liked the sound. He wondered if there was a way to hear it one more time.

That's when Nagi finally took the upper hand and he dived into Reo's mouth again, trying to kiss him differently, with more confidence. Reo's arms had left his neck by now and his hands were roaming freely on him, on his back, on his chest. His senses were tingling and his body felt like breaking under Reo's touch.

Nagi sucked on his tongue, or at least he tried, and he probably did it well because that noise from earlier left Reo's mouth once again. So Nagi insisted, eager, excited. He had never felt like this. It was comprehensive, the whole experience. Reo smelled nice, his sweet cologne making Nagi feel elated and his lips were so warm and good.

Nagi kissed him once more, basking in that extraordinary sensation. Then, Reo gently pushed him away, breaking their kiss. When Nagi looked at him, he noticed how his lips were red and swollen, as a trail of saliva was making them glisten. He simply stared, fighting the need to taste them again. 

"It's kinda late." Reo said, clearly out of breath. "And I had to give you a ride home, remember?"

It was late. It was very late in the night. "Yeah, right." Nagi nodded.

"Nagi." Reo called him one last time before leaving that room as he stood in front of the door. "What was that for?" He genuinely asked.

"You seemed sad tonight, and... I didn't want you to be sad." Nagi answered.

"You're unbelievable." Reo was smiling at him. "I mean it." And he kept smiling all the way to Nagi's place.

Nagi was staring at the ceiling of his room. No alarm set for the next morning. It was going to be a free day and not getting out of the bed sounded like a decent plan.

He would see Reo on Monday, for practice with their team.

He ran his fingers to his mouth. He could still feel Reo's lips on his.