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Something about Shidou Ryuusei is magnetizing.
Rin knows this intimately, as someone who had previously never thought this long and hard over anybody in his life—if you ignore the frequent plans of revenge against his elder brother. Shidou draws his attention and won’t let it go, loud and clingy and everything Rin should hate.
(because- and he despises this, he does, it's humiliating- rin sees himself, the him before sae's final choice, in shidou’s manic smiles.)
“Not bad, Rinchan,” the boy in question laughs as Rin tackles him to the bed. Putting the two in close quarters due to their similar status in Blue Lock may have been the worst decision management has made thus far. He leans over Shidou, pins both arms with a hand, and is half-shocked the other hasn’t resisted.
Rin nearly chuckles at the absurdity of it all. He was never supposed to feel this much, not like this. The way Shidou can drag these emotions to the surface is frightening in itself. He schools his face into its usual frown and demands, “What the fuck is wrong with you? God, he would hate your guts!”
Mentioning Sae breaks another one of his own preset rules—especially considering nobody at the program has even met his brother—but Rin wants to see Shidou angry. While he picks fights with anyone within arm's reach, it never seems genuine. It's like he’s an actor on a too-bright stage, waiting for the big monologue.
“You think?” Shidou says, incredulous, and Rin sighs. He’ll have to prod a little harder, it seems. “Were you seriously watching me? Think you know me well enough to judge? I had no clue you cared so much. It’s really cute!”
If it were from anyone else, 'cute' would be an insult. But when Shidou says it, his face open with that reckless joy—it's... tolerable.
Rin adjusts his grip anyway, squeezing tighter. “I wasn’t watching you, shitty insect. I was practicing to beat Niichan. You just happened to be in the way.”
Shidou blinks. His mouth parts for a moment, and Rin wonders if he's actually broken him. Feeling a flicker of guilt, Rin loosens his hold around Shidou’s wrists—bonier than he’d imagined—right as Shidou starts laughing. This time, though, it’s closer to a screech or cry, garish and ugly.
“Niichan? Niichan? Rinchan, oh my god-” Shidou gasps for air and tries to sit up, but Rin drives a knee into his chest and sends him back onto the pillows. “Oi, let me-ugh-seriously, Rinchan, you still call him Niichan? Isn’t Sae like-”
“Shut up,” Rin groans, certain his ears must be redder than a fire hydrant. “Don't ever bring this up again. I swear I’ll make you regret it.”
“Sounds hot,” Shidou lilts, grin widening. “I totally wouldn’t mind you trying to choke me out a little."
“There will be no choking,” Rin says stiffly, “Or anything in that vein of… weird shit.”
Shidou’s fangs glint in the dim dorm light. “So normal shit is on the table, then.”
“Depends what you classify as normal,” Rin replies. “Me beating your ass is definitely on the table. You are the worst teammate I could have ever asked for. Even stupid Isagi was more helpful on the field than our supposed number two player.”
At that, Shidou lets out a low growl. Nothing close to real anger— Rin knows the difference—but he definitely hit a nerve. Shidou’s grin snaps right back into place, bright and irritating. “Or,' he says lightly, " we could just, oh, I don’t know, kiss and make up?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. We aren’t five,” Rin scoffs, pressing Shidou’s arms firmly into the pillows. They’re decent material, a bit scratchy, though Shidou hasn’t said a word about it.
“Exactly, so we can use tongue!”
Rin flushes deeper, says, “The last thing I want is your tongue in my mouth.”
“Relax, you party pooper," Shidou sing-songs. "We’d have a blast!”
Before Rin can argue any further, one of Shidou’s legs kicks up and knocks him forward. He’d already been off balance—with one of his own legs on Shidou’s chest and his arms occupied—so he can’t stop himself from tipping over with a sharp huff of air. His face ends up somewhere between the hollow above Shidou’s collarbone and his broad shoulder.
(when was the last time he’s gotten this close to anyone? the pressure is kind of nice.)
“This is cozy too, yeah?” Shidou teases when Rin doesn’t immediately push him off. “Didn't peg you as a cuddler, honestly.”
“‘M not,” Rin mumbles into the side of Shidou’s neck. “You’re warm.”
If he were normal, less severely fucked up, this would be the part where they kiss. Instead, Rin shifts enough for his mouth to reach the tan skin at Shidou's shoulder and bites. Shidou barely reacts, he just hooks his legs around Rin’s waist and holds him there. Rin doesn’t mean to go deep, but soon the metallic tang of blood hits his tongue and he jerks back immediately.
“Come on,” Shidou says, voice pitching toward a whine. “You started it, so commit!”
Rin pauses. This whole situation is a strange fever dream run amok, so he might as well indulge in it. Though he isn’t particularly sure what he feels for Shidou, their current closeness is almost... cathartic? Deciding not to overthink things, he leans back in and goes for the lips. He keeps it chaste, his mouth closed. Swapping spit sounds absolutely disgusting, and Rin's not keen on the idea of having to brush his teeth a second time tonight. Shidou doesn’t seem to mind; he goes still, unexpectedly pliant, and lets Rin do as he pleases.
Suddenly petty, Rin bites at Shidou’s top lip until it breaks. The red is a striking contrast to the rest of him, akin to a dark shade of lipstick. “If I'd known all it took to shut you up was a bite, I would've done it ages ago.”
“Bite me all you want,” Shidou replies cheerfully, completely unfazed. “Just don’t be surprised if I bite back.”
“So childish.”
“Am not! You’re the biter.”
“You’re the one who likes it! I can tell, you pervert.”
“Well excuse me, Rinchan. Compared to you, I’m a right angel.”
"An angel who got booted from heaven and dumped down here with the rest of us, maybe.”
Shidou huffs like a child—proving Rin’s point—and pulls him back into an embrace. They stay like that for a while, unmoving, until the lights click off automatically and they’re plunged into darkness. It’s easier like this, Rin decides, to pretend that he can be held without anything at stake.
Then he remembers he’s dressed in his training gear, which is a nightmare to peel off, and he nudges Shidou with a small shake.
“Move, I want to get my pajamas,” Rin grumbles.
No response. Shidou draws him in closer, rolling them across the bed until Rin is pinned underneath his weight. He’s squished, overheated, and seriously considering shoving the idiot off so he can breathe. But, like always, his feeble, traitorous heart hesitates. Even if he can’t see Shidou clearly in the dark, some part of him knows he must look annoyingly pretty like this.
And then the consequences of his actions slam into him like a semi-truck. He kissed Shidou. He bit him, hard, somewhere their uniforms probably won’t cover. A rush of possessiveness spikes through his veins, sharp enough to make him shiver. Sure, Shidou's a nuisance: brash and utterly impossible. But Rin doesn’t entirely hate him either. The thought of Shidou competing with someone else—someone who isn’t him—makes Rin's teeth grind and his hands clench into fists. Their egos constantly clash, devoid of chemical reactions. They're a terrible combination, destined to fail in this one regard. Still, Rin wonders... could he bend Shidou to his will when it matters most? Would he want that?
By morning, Shidou is gone. The announcement over the PA system makes the decision for him.
“Itoshi Sae will be playing during the U-20 game. He had a choice of one striker from Blue Lock, and he has selected Shidou Ryuusei.”
Rin sees red.