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Ryuusei doesn’t mean to catch feelings for Mikage Reo. It just sort of happens.
It starts out as interest, not much more. Hard for Ryuusei not to be interested in the newest addition to his team, the swift-footed, dexterous midfielder with big, expressive eyes and that cute little ponytail that Ryuusei can’t help but want to tug on. He’d caught Ryuusei’s eye during the 2v2 match, more so than his heroic teammate, which was why Ryuusei had been so quick to snatch him up, but it doesn’t take long for Ryuusei to realize that there’s a lot missing from the way he plays football.
A day or two of careful observation leaves Ryuusei with the understanding that Reo’s got some baggage, or at the very least is not having a great time here in football jail. His technical skill is there, but Reo lacks anything Ryuusei could even really begin to call passion, except for a grim determination that Ryuusei certainly admires, but that just doesn’t seem to sit right on his face. He’s got the kind of mouth that Ryuusei thinks is made for smiling, but he hasn’t seen Reo’s lips so much as twitch even once, not even when Ryuusei is harassing Igaguri, which is objectively hilarious. And it could be that Reo just always has the energy of a sad, wet cat, but Ryuusei’s gut tells him it’s more than that.
“Hey,” Ryuusei says under his breath at dinner, watching from the other end of the table as Reo picks listlessly at his rice. “What’s up with Purple Bun?” Not like he expects Igaguri to actually know the answer, given how empty the guy’s head is.
But Igaguri looks at him like Ryuusei’s the clueless one. Eyes darting around, he leans closer. “Well, you know. It’s probably about Nagi,” he whispers, conspiratorial. Like that’s supposed to mean something. Which it doesn’t. Shit, maybe he is the clueless one.
Ryuusei blinks at him. “What’s Nagi?”
Igaguri blinks back. “You don’t know about Nagi?”
“Am I supposed to?” Ryuusei scratches his head, racking his brain in an attempt to figure out what ‘Nagi’ could possibly be. “Is it some kind of drug? Is he going through withdrawals or something?”
“What? No, Nagi’s not…” Igaguri starts, but something seems to dawn on him, because he trails off, a bewildered sort of comprehension creeping across his expression. “Actually, I guess you could put it that way.”
“Damn,” Ryuusei says, and whistles. “Didn’t think pretty boy had it in him. It’s always the ones you least expect, isn’t it?”
Igaguri sighs. “No, I’m telling you, Nagi isn’t a drug…”
It doesn’t take long for him to catch Ryuusei up to speed with what he knows. Ryuusei takes it with a grain of salt, since he wouldn’t exactly consider Igaguri to be a reliable source, but he’s the best thing Ryuusei’s got, since they were in each other’s first selection strata. Knowing that Reo’s pining after some partner is useful information for understanding him, but it doesn’t really change anything for Ryuusei; Reo’s on his team, now, not some lazy genius’. And Reo seems to understand that, because he doesn’t seem to waste time during practice wishing he was playing with somebody else—over the past couple of days, Reo has been nothing if not committed to adapting to Ryuusei’s playing style. It’s just that outside of practice, he seems, well, depressed.
Which is how Ryuusei ends up hatching a bit of a plan to cheer Reo up. Although “plan” might not quite be the right word for it, because it isn’t like Ryuusei has anything detailed in mind. But even though he barely knows Reo, there’s already something wiggling its way into Ryuusei’s heart, a desire to see Reo’s handsome face bloom into a genuine smile. To hear him laugh for real, to see him get back even a little bit of the spark that Ryuusei’s sure he has, deep down. And when Ryuusei’s latched onto an idea, good luck getting him to let go.
So on their way out of the cafeteria, Ryuusei sidles up next to Reo, hooking an arm around his shoulders. “Yo, Reo-chan,” he drawls. “Why don’t you sit with me and Igaguri-chan when we eat? We don’t bite, y’know.” A smirk tugs at his lips. “Well, Igaguri-chan doesn’t bite, anyway.”
Reo eyes him warily, those cute, stubby brows tilting together in confusion. Ryuusei hadn’t really realized, because Reo hunches his shoulders a lot, but they’re the same height, putting those big, big eyes of his right at Ryuusei’s level. “You… want me to sit with you?”
“Sure I do! We’re teammates, right?” Ryuusei’s grin is blinding. “No need to be so aloof. You should hang out with us. It’s more fun than sitting all by yourself.”
A conflicted look flickers across Reo’s face. “Ah. I wasn’t trying to be aloof, exactly, I just…” He laughs, a little, but it’s all self-deprecating, nothing sincere about it. “Have a lot on my mind. Sorry. I’ll try to be more outgoing.”
Hmm. Well, that’s not exactly what Ryuusei was going for, but any progress is good progress, right? “It’s all good, Reo-chan!” Ryuusei says cheerfully, moving his arm from around Reo’s shoulders in favor of ruffling his hair. He’s pleased to discover it’s just as soft and silky as it looks. “Honestly, I’m glad to hear it. I’ve been getting sick of just having Igaguri-chan for company! He’s fun to mess with, but you’re a lot prettier.”
Reo doesn’t flinch, exactly, but he seems startled by Ryuusei’s hand in his hair, tensing next to him. He’s got that wide-eyed look again, and this time—unless Ryuusei is imagining it—there’s a pink tinge to his cheeks. “You…” His voice comes out strangled, and he clears his throat. “You think I’m pretty?”
Dropping his arm around Reo’s shoulders again, Ryuusei peers closer. Yup, that’s definitely a blush, and it’s spreading across his cheeks, growing pinker the longer Ryuusei stares at him. Adorable. “Uh, yeah. Duh. Have you ever looked in a mirror before?”
A pout twists Reo’s lips. “Of course I have. I just…” He fidgets. “I’ve been called a lot of things before, but not… pretty.”
“Well, that’s a shame,” Ryuusei hums. He twirls a strand of Reo’s hair idly around his finger as they near the end of the hallway. “Pretty boys deserve to be called pretty.”
Reo’s face is properly flushed by now. “What are you doing, Shidou?”
“Telling the truth?” Ryuusei grins at him and bats his lashes, giving that lock of hair a little tug before sliding his fingers free. Fuck, but Reo’s cute when he’s flustered. “Don’t look so down all the time. You’re still here, aren’t you? I know you’ve still got some fire left in you. That’s why I picked you.” He taps his finger against the tip of Reo’s nose. “So I don’t wanna see you sulking all alone anymore. Got it, bunny?”
A myriad of emotions flicker across Reo’s face—conflict, sorrow, regret, guilt, embarrassment, a whole host of things that Ryuusei can only begin to guess at. There’s probably more, deeper down, layered underneath what’s on the surface. Reo is expressive, sure, the kind of boy that keeps his raw, beating heart pinned to his sleeve, but Ryuusei gets the feeling he’s got more layers underneath that he can’t see. Brows knitting, Reo blinks at Ryuusei like he’s trying to sort through all those complicated feelings and decide which one to confront first; eventually, though, the only thing that comes out of his mouth is a weak, “‘Bunny’?”
Ryuusei’s grin is so big, it makes his cheeks hurt. “Yeah,” he purrs, warmth fluttering low in his chest at the way Reo’s eyes get even wider. “Y’know, ‘cause you’re so cute. And when you put your hair up, it looks like a fluffy little bunny tail.”
Reo’s hand goes to the back of his own head, as though feeling for what Ryuusei means, even though his hair isn’t even pulled back at the moment. He’s more red than pink, now, sporting a truly impressive blush that makes Ryuusei want to—bite him, or pinch his cheek, or something. “I—wh—”
“Good talk,” Ryuusei says brightly, patting him on the shoulder before pulling away entirely. Their pace has slowed while they’ve been walking together, but they’re almost back at their dorm now, which Ryuusei takes as his cue to split off. “See you later, Reo-chan!”
He leaves Reo standing outside their door, dumbfounded and spluttering. Not smiling, yet, but—Ryuusei thinks—in a better mood than he was before.
It’s all downhill from there.
Or uphill, depending on how Ryuusei wants to look at it. He’s still focused on football, of course—even something as entertaining as flirting with Reo isn’t enough to make him lose sight of the real reason he’s here—but fuck, flirting with Reo is entertaining, even more so than Ryuusei thought it would be. Ryuusei thought Reo would’ve been the popular type in school, and maybe he was, but it’s easy to see that no one’s ever paid this kind of direct attention to him before. He just flusters so easily, always getting all wide-eyed and blushy whenever Ryuusei gets up close to him, or wraps an arm around his waist, or holds his hand in the hallway on the way to practice, or calls him a stupid nickname, or drops a kiss on his cheek. Bright red. Like a little strawberry. And it really does seem to be improving his mood, which is a net positive, because a happy Reo is a more focused Reo, and a more focused Reo means that the two of them can create even better chemical reactions on the field.
But it’s having another unintended effect, too. The first time Ryuusei sees him crack a real smile, shy but warm and genuine, shaking his head at some dumb shit Ryuusei said—something starts to bubble up inside Ryuusei, bright and fizzy and hot, little heart-shaped explosions pop-pop-popping in his stomach and chest.
Fuck. Not exactly the most convenient time or place for a crush, but, hey, Ryuusei’s never been the type to not go after what he wants, and in a place like Blue Lock, where none of their futures are certain? Where they could be separated or eliminated any day? Ryuusei can’t afford to take any chances.
And if the way Reo reacts to Ryuusei’s flirting is any indication, then Ryuusei is pretty damn sure Reo likes him, too, so it can’t hurt to give it a shot, right?
The only problem is timing it. If Ryuusei had it his way, he’d just tell Reo straight up that he likes him and wants to make out, but while Reo would probably appreciate the straightforwardness, something that blunt might also make his head explode. Not to mention how difficult it is to get more than just a couple of minutes of alone time. Ryuusei thinks Igaguri means well, but he’s also kind of a cockblock, and he seems totally oblivious to the fact that Ryuusei is trying to get his smooch on with Reo. With every missed opportunity, it becomes more and more tempting to crack Igaguri’s head open like an egg. Ryuusei thinks he deserves a reward for his patience and restraint. A reward like kissing Reo as soon as possible. Shit, he’s got it bad.
So, ultimately, Ryuusei’s goal is to get some time alone with Reo and then confess his love in dramatic Ryuusei fashion. But it seems that fate has other plans.
It’s early in the morning, early enough that Igaguri hasn’t made it out of bed yet—he’s usually the last one up between the three of them, and Ryuusei sees no need to haul his ass out of bed, especially not when it means he gets a few extra minutes to flirt with Reo in peace. And on this particular morning, Reo’s cute purple head is the only one Ryuusei sees when he enters the cafeteria. A grin tugs at Ryuusei’s lips as he starts to head Reo’s way. Looks like luck is on Ryuusei’s side today.
“Good morning, my sweet little bunny,” Ryuusei coos from right behind Reo. He leans down, arms wrapping around Reo’s shoulders, intending to press his lips to Reo’s cheek.
But at the last moment, Reo must turn his head, because when Ryuusei’s lips meet skin, it definitely doesn’t feel like the soft, familiar warmth of his cheek.
No, it feels an awful lot like lips, less familiar but equally soft and warm, slightly parted in surprise. And, yep, those are Reo’s big violet eyes, so close that they’re kinda out of focus, all wide and startled. Ryuusei jerks back, pulse skyrocketing. For a moment, they just stare at each other, both equally shocked by the sudden kiss.
Kiss. They kissed.
He kissed Reo. On the mouth. With his own mouth.
“Uh,” Ryuusei says, very eloquently. This time, it’s his turn to blush, heat rising to his face—he doesn’t fluster easily, doesn’t usually see the point in feeling something as unproductive as embarrassment, but his mind keeps replaying the sensation of Reo’s lips on his, over and over. Soft. Warm. A little sticky from his breakfast rice. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
At least Reo looks equally flustered, stunned speechless, really. Twin spots of that bright strawberry red form high on his cheeks, the color spreading to the tips of his ears. He brings a hand up, pressing his fingers against his lips. Lightly, as though trying to replicate the feeling of Ryuusei’s mouth. “Oh,” he says faintly.
Fuck, where has Ryuusei’s confidence gone? He needs to get out of here. “Whoops! Forgot I need to go, um—” he fumbles, here, for an excuse, for a reason to give for why he has to dip “—wake up Igaguri. Yeah. Totally forgot, I promised him I would, so, yep, just gonna…” He backs up, gesturing vaguely toward the door.
Slowly, behind his fingers, Reo’s lips begin to curl. His eyes glitter, alight with something new, a confidence dawning that Ryuusei hasn’t seen on him before but that has Ryuusei’s stomach flipping pleasantly. “Is that so?”
“Yep.” God, fuck, Ryuusei’s done for. Absolutely doomed—but what a way to go, right? Done in by a pretty boy’s smirk. “So, I’ll be right back! See you, Reo-chan!”
Reo’s giggle echoes in his ears as Ryuusei makes his escape. Outside the cafeteria, he slumps against the wall, presses his hands against his still-flushed cheeks, and laughs, giddy, borderline delirious. His heart feels like it’s going to explode.
“Shidou?” A little further down the hallway, Igaguri squints at him blearily. “Are you… okay?”
“Never been better, Igaguri-chan,” Ryuusei sighs dreamily. “Never been better.”
Igaguri looks at him strangely, but he’s learned by now not to question Ryuusei too much, because after a moment, he just sighs and progresses onward into the cafeteria. Still floating on cloud nine, Ryuusei follows, and spends the entirety of breakfast making heart eyes at Reo over his food and locking ankles with him under the table.
And if Ryuusei drags Reo off to the supply room later that night, after Igaguri’s already asleep, just so they can kiss for real—well, that’s nobody’s business but theirs.