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It’s silly. But it’s Isagi’s own personal revenge.
Michael Kaiser was a pompous asshole, truly fit for this team, and though Isagi recognized (as most of the world had) that Kaiser was talented and skilled, that he was a player who could embody Blue Lock’s ideal, it didn’t mean that he could forgive Kaiser’s completely rotten personality.
And why does an asshole like that get such a cool name like ‘God’s chosen emperor’? (Why does an asshole like that get a fucking beautiful face like that? Like he really was God’s favourite?) No, it was unfair, and though Isagi was fond of his own name as Blue Lock’s Hero, fond that he’d earned it as Kaiser no doubt earned his own, it didn’t mean that Isagi would so easily concede.
He begins to call Kaiser the awful cutesy name of bunny in his mind.
It doesn’t suit him at all. There was nothing about Michael Kaiser that was cute, which just makes it more hilarious for Isagi. And after all, there’s no harm, he only calls Kaiser that in his own mind.
Sometimes when Kaiser spoke to Isagi, Isagi would listen. But today was one of those days that all of Kaiser’s aggressive taunting and borderline flirting just slips right off Blue Locks Hero. Isagi had been spending the last few weeks calling Kaiser bunny, ‘oh bunny thinks he’s soo talented’, ‘ah shit, fuck him, bunny’s really fucking talented’, or ‘stupid bunny with his stupidly hot body and stupidly pretty face’.
It was just harmless and innocent, really, Isagi thinks it began because of his annoyance at Kaiser’s cool name. Or maybe there was some part of Isagi, deep in some dark corner of Isagi, that wanted to have a part of Kaiser all to himself, the name was Isagi’s only, the Kaiser that was bunny was Isagi’s alone. And bunny was going on and on about Isagi’s terrible play during their practice matches, how Isagi’s stats were embarrassing, how Isagi was a clown among clowns or something blah blah blah—
Isagi clicks his tongue in annoyance and rolls his eyes down from the ceiling of the training ground down to where Kaiser stood, proud and tall like God’s Chosen Emperor, but he wasn’t an emperor to Isagi. Isagi brings his water bottle down from his lips.
It was just an innocent little habit that had grown on Isagi. Until a few nights ago when maybe, he’d had a not so innocent dream about Kaiser. The older boy had been on Isagi’s mind constantly since entering the German Stratum. And even more frustrating than Kaiser’s title was his good looks. No, it wasn’t fair at all that a real demon like Kaiser could have an angelic face like that.
Kaiser in that dream had been cute, he’d been all blushing and dazed and shiny blue eyes and he’d had blonde bunny ears and a small fluffy tail that Isagi had run his hand over and he’d whimpered from underneath Isagi. Ah, Isagi swallows another mouthful of water from his bottle, thirsty for something else, he feels his skin warm at the false memory.
The Kaiser in front of him now curls his lips into a cruel smirk, eyes cold and venomous, glaring at Isagi like Isagi had committed some heinous crime against him even though Isagi hadn’t done anything like that, and Isagi wonders if Kaiser was even physically capable of blushing, of making a soft sound like that. A challenge, maybe?
“Oh my god,” Isagi finally snaps after Kaiser continues and continues and continues and my god, Kaiser must love the sound of his own voice with the way he never fucking shuts up. Kurona and Yukimiya who were sitting beside the resting Isagi look up in interest at the possibility of another fight between Isagi and Kaiser. It was common for the two of them to get into arguments and sometimes slightly physical fights (though neither would ever really want to hurt the other, and anyway Noa’s constant watchful eye made that all impossible).
At first, the Blue Lock members would try to stop Isagi from entangling with Kaiser, though the same couldn’t be said about the German members who just went along with anything Kaiser said so of course they’d never tell him to stop. Nowadays, even Noa just looks at the pair (though Isagi denies them being a pair vehemently!) with amusement. It was just a normal part of training. It didn’t mean that it wouldn’t garner attention from their team.
Isagi’s head throbs at the sound of Kaiser’s irritating voice. He snaps, loud and clear, “Can you just shut the fuck up, bunny? You’re pissing me off!”
Wasn’t it obvious that Isagi would slip up?
“What?”
“Bunny?”
“What did you call him?!”
Surprisingly, though there’s an assortment of reactions from the team, Kaiser and Isagi freeze in the moment. Isagi tenses up and he hadn’t told his teammates or friends of his little nickname for Kaiser, maybe he didn’t want to explain, maybe he didn’t want them to call Kaiser that too, it was his own personal nickname for Kaiser after all, it was his own way of owning a part of this beautiful fucking annoying pompous asshole that maybe Isagi liked more than he’d ever admit. He didn’t want them to know, and he sure as hell had never wanted the German members to know, lest Ness kill him in his sleep for reducing Ness’s precious God to a silly thing like a bunny.
Well shit. He hadn’t said it that loud, had he? But Isagi finds that Noa’s eyebrows have risen slightly in surprise even though he’s across the training room. Isagi groans inaudibly and it was Kaiser’s fault, really, for always antagonizing him this way.
But when Isagi looks back to Kaiser, he finds that Kaiser is blushing.
Isagi feels that time stops, that for just a moment, it’s only Kaiser and him. Blushing Kaiser and blushing him. The pink tinge on Kaiser’s cheeks cause Isagi’s own face to heat up, a natural response, probably, or because the suddenly blushing and embarrassed Kaiser looks like the bunny Kaiser from Isagi’s not-so-innocent dreams.
“Ah…” Isagi manages, but his voice comes out stupid, and he’s wearing an even more ridiculous and wobbly smile. What should Isagi say now? He’s sorry? Anyway, it’s too late to pretend he never said it at all.
Kaiser, for once, is silent. It should be Isagi’s win but it’s not a win at all.
He looks away, Isagi can’t help but wonder how deep the blush goes, and then walks away from Isagi. Isagi watches as Kaiser leaves and goes back to the small huddle of German Bastard Munchen players like Isagi had said nothing at all. Ness sends a murderous glare Isagi’s way before joining Kaiser and the rest of the German players in whatever training Kaiser wanted to do next.
Though the Germans pretend nothing has happened, probably for Kaiser’s own pride, Isagi’s ruthlessly bullied by the Japanese members about his stupid slip up.
“Dude,” Raichi ruffles Isagi’s hair before laughing, Isagi grimaces, “You have a petname for Kaiser?”
“It’s not a petname.” Isagi replies defensively before pushing Raichi off him. And then, there’s Yukimiya, with a stupid fucking grin like I thought you said you and Kaiser weren’t a pair of anything? It pisses Isagi off to no end.