Work Text:
Reunite With You
Written for mofutem
[NagiReo Secret Santa 2025]
Nagi's excitement over his team winning against Reo's was unfortunately overshadowed by the argument he and Reo had. He'd thought that Reo had been mean when they had their confrontation in the bath before agreeing to this match. But that was nothing compared to the words that Reo spat at him, accusing him of forgetting their promise. That promise was the whole reason Nagi had done any of this. The anger and frustration that Nagi felt was so overwhelming that he had lashed out, wanting to hurt Reo back.
Then he'd just tried to distract himself from the whole thing. That was easy enough at first, with needing to shower and find their new room. Then he'd found trapping videos to watch, and Chigiri had suggested some more. He'd actually found himself having some fun as Chigiri threw random items at him to trap, even if it'd led to a fight with that stubborn king.
"Guess we should probably get some food before bed," Chigiri sighed as the two reluctantly stopped messing around.
"What you need to do is clean up your damn mess!" Barō snarled. Nagi and Chigiri both ignored him.
"Hassle… but don't wanna deal with this guy, so I guess," Nagi agreed.
"Are you both fucking deaf? I said to clean up your mess!" Barō was getting even more angry, even as Isagi unsuccessfully tried to calm him down.
"Yeah, let's escape while we still can," Chigiri said, so the two dodged around Barō and headed to the cafeteria. "So, that seemed like a nasty fight between you and Reo."
Nagi pouted, because that was the last thing he wanted to think about. "Guess so. We never fought before Blue Lock."
Not seriously, anyway. It had always been light bickering, where Reo would push and Nagi would whine, but they both always would end up giving into each other. Especially once they had started dating, which was something that would forever be burned into Nagi's memory.
It was really hard for Nagi to pinpoint when things had started to change. Reo had quickly gone from being a stranger to being an integral part of Nagi's life. He had never anticipated actually enjoying another person's company. People were loud and confusing and got easily annoyed by Nagi being Nagi. Reo was also loud and confusing, but he didn't seem to mind all of Nagi's negative traits. Sure, he gave Nagi shit all the time, but he still kept indulging all of Nagi's requests and whims. Even those grueling hours of soccer practice weren't so bad when rewarded with Reo's sunny smile and praise.
Even then, though, Nagi had no idea when he went from considering Reo as his friend to something more. No matter how much he scoured his romance manga and otome games, he just couldn't figure it out. It took a while to even realize what he was feeling, since he'd never experienced any sort of attraction before. Everyone at Hakuho knew that Reo was beautiful. It was just a fact of life. So Nagi noticing that didn't mean anything, right? But then there was all the other stuff. Everyone else just saw only what Reo allowed them to see. Nagi got to see all the hidden stuff. He saw Reo's bossy and bratty side. He saw Reo's petty side. He saw Reo's insecure side and the burning desire to prove himself to his parents. He saw Reo's caring side, where he went out of his way to make Nagi feel treasured. It was just all so much, and before he knew it, Nagi was actively wanting to be around Reo.
Eventually, he couldn't keep lying to himself. As surprising as it was, Nagi had actually developed feelings for someone. He just didn't know what to do about it. He could confess, but that was a lot of work, and what if Reo didn't like him like that? Sure, Reo always complimented him and spoiled him and said he loved being around Nagi. But he always talked about their partnership in terms of soccer. What if he only liked Nagi the soccer player, and not just plain old Nagi? Then Reo would probably be all disgusted and not wanna be around Nagi at all. And that just wouldn't do. Even if he kindly rejected Nagi, then things still might be all weird.
Feelings sure were a hassle.
Unfortunately, Nagi's worries had led to him acting differently, and Reo of course took notice. He should've known better than to think that the super-elite wouldn't notice. He at least left it alone until after soccer practice. They'd stayed later than the rest of the team, which was the usual for them. Reo always wanted to practice more, and Nagi found it easier most of the time to just go along with it, rather than try arguing. This time, though, he only wanted to keep going until their teammates had all finished up in the locker room and left.
"Alright, Nagi, let's wrap up," Reo declared.
"Already?" Nagi wasn't complaining, but he was expecting Reo to drag out the practice for longer. "Okay, Boss."
"Hm, thought you'd be okay with it," Reo said, looking amused.
Nagi trailed after Reo to the locker room, and was quick to get out of the soccer uniform and back into his school uniform. The hoodie and school jacket were a bit warm after all the running around, but he'd cool down on the bike ride home. He always did.
"Nagi," Reo said, and Nagi's gaze instantly locked in on his friend. Reo had just about finished changing as well, and was absent-mindedly pulling the hair tie out of his hair and running his fingers through the purple strands. Nagi couldn't look away. "You're staring, treasure."
Oh. He was, wasn't he? "Does that bother Reo?"
"I didn't say that," Reo hurriedly responded, a pretty pink flush appearing on his cheeks. "You've just been… you've been staring way more lately, and you're even more quiet than normal. I just wanna make sure everything's okay."
Wow, had he really been so obvious? Nagi wasn't the type to usually feel embarrassment, but Reo always excelled at pulling new feelings out of him. "I'm fine, Reo. Promise."
Reo frowned slightly, his small eyebrows creased as he looked at Nagi with concern. "I didn't do anything to upset you, did I?"
"No," Nagi immediately said, not wanting Reo to think that for even a moment longer. "Reo could never."
Sure, he put Nagi into tiring and annoying situations, but he never did anything that would actually make Nagi sad or mad or anything. Honestly, he didn't know if he could even feel any of those things.
"Okay, if you're sure…" Reo looked uncertain. It was an unusual sight to see. "Can you tell me what's been going on, then?"
Nagi really didn't want to. He looked away from Reo, feeling his lips form his signature pout. "Reo shouldn't ask questions he won't like the answer to."
"Well, if you're not mad at me or anything, then it can't be that bad," Reo insisted. "So just tell me already."
"So bossy," Nagi whined. He hesitantly looked at Reo again, who was watching him with intense purple eyes. So pretty. "Reo has to promise not to stop being my friend."
"Of course I won't stop being your friend!" Reo seemed almost offended at the thought. "Jeez, you should know that much by now."
Easy for Reo to say. Nagi knew very little of friends. Then again, he supposed Reo didn't really, either. The people Reo had surrounded himself with before meeting Nagi were all just people who wanted to befriend the Mikage heir, not Reo.
"Reo better keep his promise," Nagi insisted. Well, best to just get it over with. "I like Reo."
"Okay? I like you too, Nagi. That's why we're friends," Reo responded, looking confused.
Wow, Reo sure wasn't going to make this easy, was he? And Nagi thought that Reo was supposed to be smart. "No, Reo. I like you."
There. Maybe using daisuki instead of suki would help Reo grasp what Nagi was saying. This was such a pain. In manga and games, if a person told their crush "I like you" there was never this kind of misinterpretation. Reo was lucky that Nagi liked him enough to deal with all this.
"N-Nagi?!" Reo's face was rapidly turning red. Yay, he finally got it. Hopefully he wouldn't be upset with Nagi now. "Do you — you get that, um. What you just said… it sounds like a confession."
That sure was the point. "Mm. Yeah. Because it is."
Reo's mouth opened and then closed. He stared at Nagi with wide purple eyes as his blushing grew even more intense. Reo was so cute. "Y-you… do you really mean it, Nagi?"
"Why would I lie about that?" Nagi asked. That would be even more of a pain.
"Yeah, I guess you wouldn't," Reo responded slowly. "I just… I didn't want to get my hopes up and then be disappointed."
Wait, that sounded like Reo wanted Nagi to like him. "Reo? You're not upset?"
"Of course not! I want you to like me back, you stupid genius," Reo immediately responded. "Ah, wait, I'm messing this all up! I wanted to be way cooler right now."
"Reo's perfect just the way he is," Nagi insisted. "Reo really likes me?"
"Yes, Nagi. You're my treasure. You're really talented and cool and easy to talk to. And, um. You're really handsome too," Reo admitted. Wow, Reo thought he was handsome.
"Reo's really amazing too. And super pretty," Nagi said, wanting Reo to know how genuine he was being.
"You think so?" Reo looked super pleased and a little of something else that Nagi couldn't quite pinpoint. "Well, of course I am. I'm a super elite, you know."
"Mm. I know, Reo," Nagi agreed. "So what happens now?"
It always seemed to progress more smoothly in fiction. He'd confessed and Reo reciprocated, so maybe they were dating now? But he wasn't entirely sure.
"We could… be boyfriends, if you want," Reo was hesitant again. So weird. Still, Nagi knew what he wanted.
"Yes, Reo. I wanna be Reo's boyfriend," Nagi confirmed. He didn't know what all that entailed, exactly, but it would mean he was Reo's, and Reo was his, and that's what was important.
"Y-yeah? Good. Then we're dating now, Nagi," Reo said, a sweet smile spreading across his still-flushed face.
"Yay," Nagi responded. Reo stepped forward, lessening the gap between them. "Reo?"
"We don't have to, Nagi, but… I really wanna kiss you," Reo admitted. Nagi felt his own cheeks warming at that. Kissing Reo…? He'd never really wanted to kiss someone before, but it was Reo, so now the idea actually had some appeal.
"I want that too, Reo," Nagi said, moving his face closer to Reo's. He wasn't exactly sure what to do, but he knew they'd have to press their mouths together.
He wasn't sure which of them made that final move, but all of a sudden Reo's lips were against Nagi's. They were soft. Nagi was surprised by how nice it felt. His whole body felt warm, and his heart was beating faster. Then Reo's lips were moving against his, and that felt even better. Nagi instinctively copied the movements, earning a little gasp from Reo. Nagi liked that sound. He found himself grabbing onto Reo's arms as Reo wrapped them around Nagi, pulling them closer together. Nagi wasn't sure how long it was before they pulled apart to breath. Reo's face was beautifully flushed, and his lips slightly swollen. His jewel-like purple eyes were practically sparkling under the lights in the locker room.
"Wow," Reo said, and Nagi couldn't help but feel smug. "That was…"
"Yeah," Nagi agreed. "Felt really good, Reo."
"Should've known you'd be a quick learner," Reo said, a delighted grin on his face.
"So I did good, Reo?" Nagi asked, unable to resist fishing for praise.
"Of course, treasure. Really good," Reo confirmed, looking a little embarrassed but pleased.
"I'm glad. I wanna make Reo feel good," Nagi murmured. He leaned forward, draping some of his weight against Reo as he pressed his face against Reo's neck. There was the smell of sweat, to be expected after soccer practice, but underneath that was the smell of lavender, citrus, and something uniquely Reo.
"You did, Nagi," Reo promised, running a hand through Nagi's hair. "That's my good boy."
Nagi let out a pleased hum. He liked that. He liked being called Reo's good boy. He liked Reo holding him and petting him and speaking sweetly to him. He just really, really liked Reo. And now Reo was really his.
Nagi was brought out of his reminiscing by Chigiri's next words. "Well, it's kinda expected for you guys to not get along after breaking up, isn't it?"
"What did you just say?" Nagi stopped walking, staring intensely at Chigiri. The redhaired boy looked surprised.
"I said that it's not surprising for people to be fighting after a breakup," Chigiri said. "Not trying to be rude, man, but what did you expect?"
"But Reo and I didn't break up," Nagi told him. He would never let that happen. Couples could have arguments without breaking up, right?
"Uh… okay, if you say so," Chigiri responded, looking uncertain and as if he was regretting his life choices.
"Why does Chigiri think that Reo and I broke up?" Nagi demanded. Just the thought made his chest hurt and his body feel cold all over.
"Because Reo said so!" Chigiri said. "He said you dumped him and ran off with Isagi. And now you rubbed it in by choosing me to join your team instead of him, and you told him you don't care anymore. What else is he supposed to think?"
No. No no no no. There's no way Reo could've misunderstood this badly, right? Not Reo, who was super smart and always understood Nagi? Reo, who was Nagi's first friend, first crush, first boyfriend, first everything basically, couldn't think that Nagi would just… throw him away so easily. But hadn't he basically just done that? Sure, it was because Reo was saying stuff that made Nagi upset, but what he said back was…
"I fucked up," Nagi realized. "Chigiri, this is all wrong. I would never ever break up with Reo. I didn't mean any of that, I was just mad."
Chigiri sighed, running a hand through his long hair. "That sucks, Nagi, but there's not much you can do now. All you can do is wait and hope Reo makes it through Second Selection so you can fix things with him."
Nagi froze. The idea of Reo not making it had never occurred to him. Why would it? Reo was so amazing. But what if he'd made Reo so sad that Reo wouldn't wanna try anymore? "Chigiri. Reo's gonna make it. Right? Reo's too good not to. And he has your hero friend with him."
"I mean, yeah, Reo and Kunigami are both really good, but we still weren't good enough to beat you. I want to believe that they'll both make it through, but there's just no way of knowing," Chigiri said, looking sympathetic. "The best thing you can do now is focus on our team. We still haven't cleared Second Selection either. Let's beat the Top Three, and then you'll see Reo again."
Easier said than done. Nagi couldn't stop picturing Reo's face the last time he saw him. He'd made Reo so upset, and for what? His own stupid anger? He was so frustrated with himself. Reo was everything to him, and yet he'd made Reo feel like nothing. The thought made him sick. He just wanted to see Reo and hug him and beg him not to leave. Even if he deserved it, he just couldn't let Reo go. All of this was pointless without him. He did his best to follow Chigiri's advice, but at night he found himself not falling asleep right away. Instead, he just kept dwelling on the situation until he felt his eyes starting to burn with the threat of tears. He just wanted Reo back.
"Nagi, stop, we can't do this at school," Reo said, though he was laughing as he did.
"Nobody's up here but us," Nagi mumbled before going back to covering Reo's face in kisses.
The rooftop that had once been Nagi's sanctuary had become Nagi and Reo's sanctuary, and he was glad for the change. As much as he'd been disgruntled at the initial upheaval of his solitary life, now he couldn't imagine things any other way. Nothing could be better than snuggling with Reo and giving him all the affection he deserved.
"Anyone could come up here," Reo weakly argued.
"Does Reo really not want me to kiss him?" Nagi asked, unable to hold back a pout.
Reo blushed cutely. "...Of course I want you to kiss me, dummy. Just… be careful, okay?"
"Yes Boss," Nagi agreed happily, before going right for Reo's pretty lips this time.
They didn't end up finishing their lunch, but neither of them complained.
Reo had made it through Second Selection. Nagi had never been so relieved in his life, though that relief was quickly followed by hurt when Reo refused to even look at Nagi. It was as if Nagi didn't exist. It was so, so wrong, when Reo had always looked at Nagi like he was the most important thing. Maybe he wasn't, though. Maybe soccer really was more important, and now that Nagi had let him down so badly, Reo just wasn't going to bother.
As cool as it was to be in the Top Six, it was also a giant hassle, because they were quickly separated from everyone else. Nagi didn't even get a chance to talk to Reo, and all he could do now was watch Reo on the screen that showed all the other players. He would get to talk to Reo during their match, right? Assuming Reo even picked Nagi's team. He would, wouldn't he? But that wasn't a given anymore. Fuck, what was Nagi going to do if Reo didn't pick his team? When would they even get to talk?
Luck seemed to be on his side, though, because Reo did pick his team, and got randomly chosen for Nagi's first game. He went straight for Reo as soon as they were on the field.
"Reo," he said, desperate for Reo to even just look at him.
Reo did look at him, a determined expression on his face. "Nagi. Just keep your eyes on me."
Of course. That was always going to happen. "Yes, Reo, but—"
But there was no time, because the kick-off was already happening, so Nagi was forced to focus on the game. All he could do was try to show Reo how much he had learned, all for their dream. Maybe then Reo would get why he'd made the choices that he had. Having Reo pass to him again felt so good, almost as if they were back at Hakuho, back before anything had gotten in between them. Playing with Reo would always be the best.
And he got to see Reo's own growth when he copied Yukimiya's gyro shot after just seeing it once, landing triumphantly with his tongue sticking out. That beautiful, confident look made Nagi just crave to pull Reo close to him.
Nagi couldn't bring himself to care when their team lost, not when Reo was right there. Reo, who was lamenting about the loss and saying how he knew he wasn't yet at the level that Nagi needed, as if any of that mattered right now.
"Reo," Nagi interrupted him, grabbing Reo's wrist. "Come with me."
"What the — let go of me!" Reo frowned, trying to pull away. "What could you possibly want with me now?"
"I need to talk to you, Reo. Please," Nagi said earnestly, and something about his face made Reo soften, just slightly, though he still looked wary.
"Ugh, fine, but make it quick, okay?" Reo said, looking resigned.
Nagi didn't even bother with the locker room, instead just going into the main building and pulling Reo into the first empty room they came across.
"Jeez, Nagi, we couldn't even get changed first?" Reo complained, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Not gonna give Reo the chance to slip away again," Nagi said, entirely unapologetic. Reo scowled at him.
"Ever thought that maybe I have nothing to say to you?" Reo challenged.
This time, though, Nagi understood. He saw the hurt in Reo's eyes, the fear of what else Nagi might say or do. Reo was protecting himself by trying to put distance between them. If Nagi were a better person, he might respect Reo's wishes, but he was selfish. He needed Reo to at least hear him out.
"I don't think that's true, Reo. Besides, I have stuff I wanna say," Nagi told him.
"I've already heard enough from you," Reo said, glaring at Nagi. "You've made things abundantly clear."
"No, I haven't. Reo's misunderstood everything," Nagi insisted.
Reo scoffed. "Oh, have I? What did I misunderstand about you calling me a pain? You saying that you don't care anymore? You're the one who walked away, Nagi, not me."
"Reo, no. It's not like that," Nagi told him, guilt squeezing at his chest.
"Then what the fuck is it like, Nagi?" Reo spat. Nagi hated how Reo was saying his name like that. He usually said it like it was special. Now, it felt like Reo was disgusted by saying Nagi's name.
"Reo, I didn't break up with you!" Nagi blurted out.
Reo's eyes widened, but his face quickly hardened. "Felt like a breakup to me, Nagi. You threw me away. That's not… you didn't even treat me like a close friend, let alone your boyfriend."
"Reo, no," Nagi said, feeling horrified. "I did it for us. We lost, Reo, and I wanted to get better. For our promise."
Reo's angry look started shifting to confusion. "What are you saying, Nagi?"
"I wanna win the World Cup with Reo. Isagi was better than me, so I had to learn from him, so I can be good enough," Nagi said earnestly. "I thought Reo would understand. It was just a temporary separation so we could get better."
Reo shook his head. "You — did you not even think of what this would look like to me?"
Nagi pouted. "...No. Reo usually knows what I'm thinking."
Reo scoffed. "I'm not a mindreader, Nagi. You have to tell me this shit instead of just — assuming that I'll know your intentions!"
"Yes, Boss," Nagi said, feeling extra bad. He really had completely messed this up. "Is Reo… does Reo not want me anymore?"
Just saying the words were so hard. The thought that he may have ruined everything was too awful to bear. If Reo didn't want him, what was the point?
"Of course I still want you!" Reo snapped, looking frustrated. "I'm that weak, you know. I'll probably always want you, no matter how much you hurt me."
"I don't wanna hurt Reo," Nagi said, voice trembling and his eyes starting to sting. "I didn't mean to, Reo. I messed up and I made you sad and then I said mean things. I was a really bad boyfriend. But please don't leave me, Reo."
Reo's eyes widened. "Nagi…"
Nagi stepped forward and clasped Reo's hands in his. "Reo. I'm sorry. Give me another chance?"
"Nagi, you're crying," Reo sounded panicked and horrified. Oh. When had Nagi last even cried? He couldn't remember. "I'm not leaving you, Nagi. You're not the only one who made mistakes. I didn't even try to hear you out, and I purposefully tried to hurt you and push you away."
"It's okay, Reo. I deserved it," Nagi said, sniffling.
"Nagi, no, that's not how this works. I'm sorry too, okay? I should've tried talking to you instead of assuming," Reo said, hesitantly wrapping his arms around Nagi. Nagi immediately sunk into his embrace, pushing his face into Reo's neck. "Hey, it's okay. I'm here, Nagi."
Nagi clung to Reo as he quietly cried. This was so cringe, but he couldn't make himself stop. Reo started rubbing his back and murmuring into his ear, though, and Nagi slowly started to calm down. As he did, he realized he could hear Reo sniffling too.
"Is Reo crying?" Nagi asked, his voice somewhat muffled against Reo's body.
"What else do you expect?" Reo could still sound this defensive even when crying, huh? "I can't just s-see you cry and not start too."
"Reo," Nagi said, tightening his grip on the other boy. "I'm here, Reo."
"Me, too, Nagi," Reo said. "Not going anywhere."
Nagi pulled his face away from Reo's body so he could look into those teary purple eyes. "Promise, Reo?"
"I promise, Nagi," Reo said, and Nagi leaned in and kissed him softly. He'd missed this so, so much.
"I promise too," Nagi said after he pulled away. "Always gonna be Reo's."
"You better be," Reo said, trying for stern, but his smile ruined that effect. "Since I'm yours forever."
Forever. Nagi liked the sound of that. He wanted to live each day knowing he had Reo's love. He wanted Reo's smiles and laughs and hugs and kisses. Someday, he even wanted matching rings and even the hassle of a ceremony, because he knew Reo would love that. For now, though, he could be happy knowing that he still had Reo's love, even if he'd need to work to fully rebuild the trust. It would be worth it, because it was Reo, and he was worth everything.
Ah, that was right. There was something important Nagi still needed to say.
"Hey, Reo."
"Yeah, treasure?"
"I love you," Nagi said confidently, the words coming easier than he could have imagined.
Reo's dazzling eyes widened and his face began to flush. "Y-You… Do you really mean that, Nagi?"
"Of course I do, Reo. Why would I lie about something like that?" Nagi pointed out. "I love Reo. Does Reo not love me?"
"Don't be stupid, of course I love you!" Reo immediately answered, and oh, that made Nagi so, so happy. Reo loved him. Reo loved him even after everything. "I just wasn't expecting you to say that."
"I didn't want any more misunderstandings, Reo. Need you to know exactly how I feel," Nagi explained.
"Jeez… what am I gonna do with you?" Reo asked, but he was smiling at Nagi.
"Love me and pamper me forever," Nagi suggested helpfully.
Reo laughed. "That's a given."
"Yaaaay," Nagi said, resting his forehead against Reo's. "I'll love Reo forever too. I'm not sure how to pamper you as good as you pamper me, but I'll try my best."
"Just having you with me is already enough, you know," Reo told him. "Just… tell me what you're thinking more often, okay?"
Yeah, that would probably be smart. Nagi never wanted to hurt Reo again. "I think Reo's really pretty. Reo looks even prettier when he blushes. Reo smells really good too. And Reo's super warm."
"W-wait, I didn't mean you had to say all that!" Reo was turning even more red now.
"Whoops," Nagi said, not feeling sorry in the slightest.
"You are such a menace," Reo grumbled.
"But I'm your menace," Nagi reminded him, feeling incredibly pleased.
"Yeah, you are," Reo agreed, and he sounded so fond. Nagi had no other choice but to kiss him again. And again. They had a lot of time to make up for, after all.
Nagi still didn't know what was going to happen next, but he wasn't worried anymore. Everything would be fine as long as he and Reo were together. They were the best team, after all. He knew there was no guarantee that Reo would get to play in the match against Japan's U20 team, but Nagi had faith. Ego would have to be a complete moron to not recognize Reo's skill. Nagi just knew that they'd be playing together again soon, and they were going to be more in synch than ever.