Work Text:
"-chira.."
"Bachira!"
Bachira snapped out of his mind as a hand was shaking him rather violently. "Huh? Wha-?"
"Did you hear anything we just said?" Rin was seated across from him. A deep scowl could be seen on his sharp features, clearly not happy with Meguru not listening to whatever he had to say.
He was about to tease him that he shouldn't scowl so much if he didn't wanna have wrinkles soon but a quick scan to the others's face threw that thought out of window.
Rin wasn't the only displeased one. His other friends looked at him with quite a variety of upset. Even Nagi slightly frowned at him.
"Hehe.. Sorry Rin-chan." He said instead.
Rin tsked before standing abruptly. "I'm going to the restroom."
Bachira could just stare at him until he disappeared on the corner.
The hand on his shoulder spun him around. It was Isagi. He looked more worried than upset. "Bachira, are you okay?" Always the mother hen.
"That is so not stylish of you, Bachira." Aryu shook his head disapprovingly. Nagi nodded once from his left.
"I-I'm fine... I'm sorry guys." He smiled sheepishly.
Kunigami looked at him sternly. "Are you sure? You've been spacing out the whole time we're here you know."
Bachira honestly wasn't sure. Heck he didn't even know why they were there in the first place.
As if reading his mind, Isagi carefully placed a small booklet in front of him. 'Player Exchange Off-Season' was written in bold letters. "We were discussing whether we're staying or switching team, remember?"
It took Bachira a few moments but the memory of the past 20 minutes rushed in his mind.
Ego had informed them of the opportunity to exchange teams on the coming league. 'The more team you played, the more experience you'd gain thus easier for you to adapt to all kind of teammates and opponents' he had said.
They had gathered that day to discuss about their respective teams to give each other insight and general idea of it.
Rin had explained about PXG team to them and how he was considering to try Barcha. He was (almost shyly) asking Bachira to ask Lavinho to give his proposal more chance than the others. But Meguru wasn't even half listening which lead them to the current predicament.
Bachira's eyes widened at the realization. Rin had lowered his pride to ask him a favor and Bachira didn't even pretend to listen. He fucked up big time alright.
"Guys I-" he started but Rin was already walking back to their table.
Bachira straightened up suddenly almost knocking Nagi in the process.
"I'm so sorry Rin-chan! I didn't know what's gotten into me!"
"Dude not so loud," whined Nagi.
Bachira ignored him but lowered his sound. "I'm sure Lavinho would be thrilled to have you on the team!"
Rin glared at him coldly. Everyone looked back and forth between them before Rin finally sighed. "Of course he would. Wouldn't kill to have another sane person in the team."
Bachira smiled brightly. "As if you're any saner than I am, Rin-chan." Rin glared at him but no venom this time. "And if anything I was thinking to try going to PXG this time! We can switch!"
And just like that their chatter resumed twice as lively.
They spent the rest of the day discussing about it as more of their friends coming later.
Reo had been among the late ones for picking up Chigiri and Barou from the airport. "Can't have a random chauffer picking up my fiance." he had said. Nagi had asked him to pick up Barou as well, as he and Chigiri apparently were sharing the same flight. They had a rather big banquet for dinner and spent the night at the same building, courtesy to the Mikage corps.
***
"Bachira." Isagi called out to him after they retreated to their own room. Bachira had insisted to have a 'sleepover' at Isagi's for old time sake.
He hummed absently as he's stacking the pillows to make them a fort. Isagi followed his every movement from his position on the bed with worried eyes.
Rin and Bachira had called their respective coaches to inform them -which ended up with a three way face time filled with Lavinho threatening Loki to treat his bee boy extra special and how they should all have dinner later- and sealed the deal.
After that Bachira seemed to be more present but it could also been because there were more people constantly chatting with him. Isagi had caught him staring into space several times but someone always nudged him over before he got 'lost'.
Worried couldn't even start to explain Isagi's feeling.
Bachira had always been prone to daydreaming but it got way worse nowadays.
Otoya said it didn't affect his performance but outside the matches it'd been tricky to keep him 'around'. He'd even given his teammates quite a scare on Lavinho's birthday after failing to show up after being excited for it for weeks. They had found him in his own apartment laying so still on the bed, eyes opened but empty. The only indication of him being alive was the soft rise and fall of his chest. The doctors didn't know what's wrong with him, the tests claimed he's completely healthy.
Bachira finally 'came to' a good 5 hours later. He was so confused on why he was on a hospital room with his teammates sprawled around him. It took him another hour to completely recall the recent events. He too didn't know how he get 'in trance' (as the doctors dubbed it). All he remembered was getting ready for the coach's party. He then lied down to wait for Darai's to go together since they lived in the same neighborhood. A call he never heard since he was so deep into daydreaming.
They never left him alone after that. Otoya and Hayate had moved in with him the next day to make sure he's never alone.
Fortunately Bachira wasn't upset with being treated like a child, if anything he used that opportunity to bring everyone closer as a team. He still got caught in it often but someone was always around to nudge him before he went too far.
Isagi had done his share of keeping Bachira 'around' by facetiming him daily to talk about the most random things. He had suggested to tell their other friends but Lavinho was against that idea saying someone could be very stupid and use that to take adventage of him. Isagi had begrudgingly agreed. Bachira was kept in the dark of that discussion. They had felt bad for discussing him behind his back but Bachira was just way too nice for his own good.
This was actually the first time he saw him in person since the condition. Ignacio and Hayate had given him a crash course of looking after the symptoms of 'the trance' and what to do when he did get into it. Otoya was just across the hall and had told him to knocked anytime but he just couldn't help but feeling nervous. He was more than happy to spend the time alone with Bachira but he was also very afraid of messing everything up.
"Hey." Bachira nudged him gently. Bachira had nudged HIM awake from his own head. He'd fucked up already.
Bachira laughed heartily seeing his mortified face. "I wouldn't disappear the moment you take your eyes off me, you know."
Isagi sighed heavily. "But it really feels like it." he muttered to himself.
If Bachira heard it then he didn't show it. "C'mon now the fort is ready."
That did lift his mood a little. Okay, maybe a lot.
They had bought plenty of snacks and Reo was generous enough to spare them some of his booze collection.
"Remind me to ask Reo where he gets this wonderful excuse of a liquor from. I could seriously MARRY this thing, how does something taste so good! smh"
Isagi almost spilled his drink all over. "Bachira did you just say smh out loud?"
"... No?"
"Bwahahaha you totally did!"
"Naah you're just drunk~"
"Dude these are literally fancy juice." Isagi read the ingredients. "Fancy juice with fancy milk?"
"Ew did they put s-"
"NO! OMG what's wrong with you? They mean high quality milk from the best cows or something!"
"Are you sure though? I mean they kinda look the same with the-"
"No no no no! Shut uup! Arrgh images in my head!"
"Dude chill, it's just some m i l k~"
"Stop saying it like that! I swear to freakin Nika!"
Bachira laughed so loudly. Oh he missed seeing agitated Isagi alright.
"Hey now that i think about it, how are we so sure some asshole worker there aren't.. you know..."
"BACHIRA MEGURU IF YOU DON'T STOP TALKING ABOUT IT RIGHT THIS SECOND I SWEAR TO ANYTHING HOLY I'LL PULL A KAGARI ON YOUR SIGNED DRAGON BOOK COPY!"
"FIRST OF ALL IT'S GAME OF THRONES YOU UNCULTURED SWINE! LEAVE MY BABIES OUT OF THIS! AND SECOND OF ALL!"
Isagi heard a loud sob and before long Bachira was openly weeping, fat tears rolling down his face. Oh shit, Isagi went too far.
"Kagari..."
Panicking, Isagi gathered him in his arms and apologized profusely.
"He did *sob* nothing wr-wrooong"
"I know.."
"H-he didn't de-deserve i-it"
"I know..."
"The-e system *sob* fa-failed himm. Just l-like you failed yo-our english *sob* test the other da-ay"
"I kno- wait what?"
Bachira pried himself from his embrace to stick his tounge at Isagi. "I g-got you~"
"... Bachira Meguru"
Bachira quickly jumped to his feet. "Bathroom break!"
Isagi could only shake his head. He made a mental note to be careful about mentioning Kagari though, Bachira looked genuinely upset for a second there.
Bachira came back a few minutes later and plopped himself beside Isagi.
They were silent for awhile. It was a comfortable silence but Isagi had to cut it short.
"So uh why did you choose PXG? You never told us."
"Huh?"
"Y'know the exchange program."
"Oh that's right! You haven't told me which team you'd go to!"
"Oh, it's Ubers! I wanna try playing under Snuffy's guidance!" 'Like I told you at dinner' he didn't say.
"Classic Isagi~"
"You haven't answered my question though. Why'd you go with PXG?"
"Well at first I didn't, I came up with it on the spot. But I kinda miss playing with Ryuu so there's that I guess."
"Ehh? But I heard Shidou's going to Ubers as well?" 'He told us earlier' he didn't say.
"Whaat? The traitor! He didn't even tell me! Boo Ryuu boo!"
"Nagi is going to PXG though."
"Nagicchi! Lucky~"
Bachira started rambling about the fun things they'd do together in France but Isagi didn't even pretend to listen.
Instead he wanted to shake Bachira and screamed at his face because what the actual fuck was that? They all shared which team they'd go earlier at dinner. Barou even made a scene about Nagi's choice because Nagi and Bachira just spelled trouble. Bachira had laughed about it. He even teased Barou how he was just jealous.
Isagi saw it, they all saw it. So how did he not remember any of it??
Ignacio had mentioned this development as well. He said recently Bachira would sometimes forget about the previous day events but it'd come back after awhile. Seeing it with his very eyes though was another matter. It was overwhelming to say the least.
He was frustrated but he was also scared. So so scared. He couldn't put a finger on it but something felt terribly wrong. Like he missed something very important and that mistake would cost him Bachira.
He stared at Bachira's excited face intently.
"Did you remember when we first met?" He said suddenly.
Bachira stopped mid rambling. He looked at Isagi with twinkling eyes. "Yes! I kicked buzz cut in the face!"
Of course he'd remember that part.
"I thought you were obnoxious you know." He said with a chuckle.
"Oho? Look how far you've come. You lo~~ve me now~"
"Haha yeah. That I do."
Bachira must not have expected that because his face was red.
"Oh come on. You can't possibly be flustered by that?"
"S-Shut up! I just remember that Nagi actually told us about his transfer. And the other things."
Oh. Nice save. Or not.
"Don't apologize" he said before Bachira could utter another word. "It's okay."
Silence again.
"No it's not! It's so annoying and I really hate it but I- I just-"
"I know... I know..."
Bachira didn't cry. He just slumped heavily on Isagi and let him manhandle him so that they were laying down.
They were just cuddling and listened to each other's heartbeat for about 20 minutes.
"I haven't told Eita or Lavinho this but... sometimes I feel like... slipping. Like I'm getting further and further, y'know."
Isagi went rigid against him but Bachira didn't falter.
"Further from what? I don't know. But I've been thinking... " He shuffled to get a more comfortable position.
"If I'm getting far from something or somewhere then... it only means I'm getting closer somewhere else right?"
Isagi could only offer a nod.
"Somehow I feel... excited? About the getting somewhere part I mean. Like I don't know. It just... feels right? Does that even make sense?"
Isagi shook his head weakly.
"Haha I guess it doesn't."
A few seconds passed before Bachira continued. "Hey Isagi. Do you... believe in making a wish upon a shooting star?"
Isagi took a few moments to compose himself and to swallow a sob down. Bachira waited patiently.
"I-I don't know. Why?"
"No reason. But if it were true... What would you wish for?" Bachira's voice was so soft, barely a mumble. Isagi heard it anyway.
"I-" he was about to say something about winning the world cup but stopped himself. "I... wish I could play soccer with you... forever." He said instead.
"Classic Isagi." He chuckled softly. "I feel honored. I too would like to play soccer with you for a long time." He snuggled closer to Isagi. Isagi draped an arm protectively around him.
"I would be happy playing soccer with you forever." He whispered to Isagi's neck.
Isagi tensed and moved to look at his face but Bachira was already asleep. He pulled him closer to his body and hugged him tightly.
He was well aware he could wake him up with how much his body was shaking but he didn't care.
He embraced him with his ounce of life he could muster of himself. Like Bachira'd just slip away and disappear from him if he didn't.
He held on to him with everything he got, like there was no tomorrow.
And who knew.
Maybe there was.
Or maybe there wasn't.