Work Text:
[Image 1 - posted by @sae_itoshi: a picture of his wardrobe, stocked with Calvin Klein as part of a promotional campaign. In the background, two jerseys are draped together over a chair. They are emblazoned with No. 10 and No. 99, respectively.]
itoeshi: WHO IS NUMBER NINETY-NINE
itoshisae's-wife: i am 😈
pink-devil: no you're not fuck off
itoshisae's-wife: who the fuck are you?!
pink-devil: i don't think i care enough to type my own name out for you
itoeshi: itoshi sae is untouchable he's dating NO ONE
itoeshi: he's a soccer machine
itoeshi: no feelings
itoeshi: so cLEARLY he's not gay like some people keep saying
itoshisae's-wife: exactly
pink-devil: ...fuck you
[pink-devil has signed off.]
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"Sae, you have to tell people about us."
"You keep saying that."
"Because you keep not telling people."
"Well, devil." Sae leans his head on Shidou's shoulder, and the latter visibly relaxes. "You don't have to fight for my honor with everyone in the comments section."
"Obviously, I do. Look at this!" Shidou motions at the screen. "This bitch thinks she's your wife!"
"She's not."
"I know that," Shidou continues, "But she's acting like it, and it's pissing me off."
"You're jealous, Ryu?"
Suffice to say, Sae is promptly kicked out of the room, but he can still hear Shidou on the other side of the door.
"I'm not jealous, I'm annoyed!"
"Okay, Ryu."
"Okay yourself, Mr. Prodigy." Sae can hear the faint crack of knuckles popping, and he can almost see it - Shidou, gearing up to flame Sae's fans in the comment section. "I can handle this."
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As it turns out, Shidou cannot handle this himself. It's only a month later when Sae hears a loud exclamation of "Fuck!" from across the house (their house).
"Jesus Christ, Ryusei. I was sleeping."
Shidou has clearly not been. There are faint dark circles under his eyes, and perhaps Sae should've stayed up even an hour later to listen for the distinct sound of someone clacking away at the keyboard, but he hadn't expected Shidou to make commenting a full-time job.
"I wasn't, because did you see what some people say in your comments?!"
Sae is fully aware that some of his fans are...thirstier than the ones for an average soccer player, but he reads neither the comments nor the DMs and the weirdly decorative declarations of love that show up in his mailbox nearly every day. He squints at the screen.
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[Image 2 - posted by @sae_itoshi: a landscape photo of a soccer field at dusk. Two water-bottles sit on the edge of the bench - one marked 10, S. Itoshi, and the other as 99, Sh- where it cuts off.
itoeshi: number 99 is probably just a friend of his
pink-devil: yes a very CLOSE friend dipshit read between the lines
itoshisae's-wife: uh huh sure
pink-devil: oh my god lady why are you still here
itoshisae's-wife: why are you still alive
pink-devil: what the fuck is your problem
itoshisae's-wife: leave my husband alone
pink-devil: hes not your husband hes MINE
itoshisae's-wife: jesus some people are delulu with no solulu i guess
pink-devil: im dELUSIONAL?!
[itoshisae's-wife has signed off]
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"I don't see why you keep talking with them," Sae points out.
"They're your fans," Shidou rebuts. "Tell them that we're together, and maybe they'll stop being delusional."
"That's a maybe."
"Uh huh." Shidou pulls Sae onto his lap. "There is nothing wrong with us being together. Well, maybe some people will be upset that I stole you away, but who cares about people?"
"Other people."
"Huh." Shidou nestles into Sae's neck, and rocks the chair back and forth. "That's not what I've found in my experience."
"You argue with people in the comments section."
"Because they're insane."
"You constantly argue with Rin."
"Ah, yes, Rinnie-Rin." Shidou breaks into a wide grin. "That's just because he's so fun to tease."
Sae sighs, but it comes out as more of a laugh.
"C'mon, babe." Babe. Shidou must see him weaken a little at that, because he keeps pushing. "No one cares."
"I care."
"Why?" Shidou holds his hands out wide, stretching them to encompass the entirety of the room. "You're Sae fucking Itoshi. You do whatever the hell you want and everyone loves you for it." His voice turns, edging towards something darker, crueler. "Or is it me?"
"It's not you, Ryu."
"Then why won't you just tell them?"
Sae doesn't scream. When he gets mad, he stews in it; soaks in resentment until every muscle in his body is screaming from the agony of tensing too hard.
"This is my entire career."
You don't care what people think of you.
"I can't just do shit like this."
You don't want to see what they think of you, not really.
"I don't have to explain myself to you."
His tone is cold.
"Where are you going?"
Sae barely spares Shidou a glance before walking out the door, snow coating the ground and transforming the road in front of him to a blinding, empty white.
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Sae knows that it's immature, he knows, but there isn't enough time to call Shidou and apologize. He doesn't think that it would help now, anyways, not when they're both too proud and ashamed to respond even if the other had called them first.
"Makeup!"
Sae looks at himself in the mirror, as the assistants swarm his vanity; brushes and puffs circulating between people and his face, as they admire his flawless skin and beautiful eyes and sir, would you consider working for us?
The lights come on, and Sae reminds himself of the role he must play: Sae Itoshi, model player, snarky commenter, the pinnacle of athletic and professional success.
"Hello, Sae," the reporter says, and Sae blocks off that guilty, whispering voice in his head.
"Hello."
"Anddddd we're live!"
Lights, cameras, action.
Sae adopts an expression of nonchalance as the red circle in the corner appears, a witness to his lies. He's never considered how small the audience is; is to him, to be contained in that single, flashing dot.
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"Sae Itoshi, who is this number ninety-nine you keep referencing?"
"I have no idea what you mean."
Sae Itoshi is completely calm and composed, barely moving an inch, while the reporter's hands are trembling.
"Your fans are convinced that there's a special someone out there, cheering you on!" Sae raises an eyebrow.
"When have I needed someone to cheer me on - " the poor reporter winces at his own words, repeated back to him, "when I already win by myself?"
Shusaku Nihei is a nice man. He is a kind man. He is hardworking, and generally liked by his peers, and he likes his job, except for when he has to interview Sae Itoshi. Sadly for him, Sae is apparently one of the most requested players; seconded only by the Blue Lock Eleven - or, the Japan official U20 team.
Nihei is so nice, in fact, that he keeps interviewing Sae despite the fact that he is constantly being intellectually bullied by someone fifteen years younger than himself.
"Hypothetically, if you had a partner - "
"Hypotheticals don't need to be discussed in a news report, do they?"
"Of course not, but it would be an interesting discussion." The reporter leans forward, a hungry glimmer in his eye. "Tell me, Sae Itoshi. Who is this mysterious number ninety-nine?"
And then: "Does it happen to be Blue Lock's Shidou Ryusei?"
Sae could've said anything in that moment.
He could've denied everything. Said that it was all a misunderstanding, swept it under the rug like he had done for the past year and a half. He could've chosen not to respond; which would have been an answer in itself.
No, Sae imagines himself saying, I do not engage in those activities. Then, he imagines Shidou watching the broadcast, picking up the phone to call Sae and ask him What the hell was that, prodigy, I thought you would come clean about us during the next interview?
Sae thinks of his parents watching the broadcast, and then he thinks of them not really caring. They'd given up on him and Rin a long, long time ago.
Sae imagines, then, holding Shidou's hand, and Shidou telling Sae's fans that he likes men, to get over it already because Sae wouldn't have dated them anyways - and Sae slapping a hand over his mouth because it's one thing to be gay in a relatively conservative country, and another to insult his entire female fanbase.
Sae thinks about this, about these choices that he can step into and make a reality with a single sentence, and Nihei stops the broadcast.
"Are you alright?" The man's voice is much gentler than usual, but Sae can't process it right now.
"Fine. Next question?"
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As Sae walks home, his finger hovers over the post button, until his phone buzzes with an incoming call. He stands stock still in the street, letting the phone ring and ring until the voicemail plays.
Hey, Sae-chan! Prodigy-kun. Babe.
Babe. I'm going to call you that now. Call you that more, anyways. A laugh. I'm going to be so annoying about it. I'll use it whenever you get mad at me, and you won't be able to stay mad. A louder, longer laugh this time, warm and deep over the line.
Sae can hear Shidou's breathing over the phone, and he can tell that the blonde is running from the quick pace of his exhalations.
I picked up some food. Can't have your midfielder muscles wearing down.
Sae stifles a chuckle, and he can hear Shidou's smile in the response. Told you I'm funny. And annoying.
"I already knew that," Sae says, but he's speaking to no one in particular.
Still your boyfriend. Oh, not a boyfriend anymore, I guess, but I still haven't gotten used to the phrasing.
"Never thought you cared much about terminology."
I'll use the other one because I know how much it'll annoy Rinnie-Rin.
"Rinnie-Rin." Sae chokes out a laugh. "He hates that."
He despises that nickname. Glee tinges Shidou's voice, and it's noticeable even over speakerphone. I'm going to use that for the rest of our lives.
The rest of their lives.
Love you, babe. And - Shidou pauses, and so does Sae. I got mad about the people in the comment section, but, you know. A long sigh. I figured that I could play with you instead of fighting with them. Awfully mature of me, isn't it?
"Good job, demon."
See you when you get home.
The voicemail ends, and Sae doesn't wait a second longer before pressing post.
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[Image 3 - posted by @sae_itoshi: a picture of him and a blonde haired man with pink edges standing side-by-side (man later identified as Shidou Ryusei by the general public), holding hands with rings on both of their fingers.
pink-devil: I FUCKING TOLD YOU SO YOU DIPSHITS I TOLD YOUUUUUUUUU
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"Calm down, Ryu." Sae closes the laptop, and Shidou stands up from the computer chair. "Now, there's no reason to argue with the people in the comment sections anymore."
"This isn't arguing," Shidou replies, wrapping his arms around Sae.
"Really?"
"This is bragging."
Shidou sways, rocking back and forth on his heels with Sae in his arms. There are no cameras, no roles to play in this house that they can call a home.
"I kind of liked arguing with people in the comments section," Shidou admits, and watches Sae's face freeze in an expression of shock.
"I thought you were defending my honor."
"No." Shidou scoffs. "Mine, obviously. How would it look if my fiancee is known on the internet as dating some mystery person when I announce the wedding?"
"Your fiancee can handle his shit."
Shidou snorts.
"I can handle it."
"That's what I said, but I was wrong."
A moment of stillness. Then: "Do you think Rinnie-Rin will want a monogrammed invitation?"
"Because he's so happy to see you with me?"
"Because he isn't. When have I ever based my decisions off of his personal contentment?
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THREE MONTHS LATER:
Rin is having a wonderful day, until Isagi drops an package on his desk.
"What is this."
"Your invitation, apparently. And don't you remember our lessons on 'please' and 'thank you'?"
"You're a horrible teacher."
Rin slices through the packaging with his butter knife, cutting it cleanly open and shaking out a single, monogrammed card along with a large wrapped bundle.
"Open the present first."
"What makes you think it's a present?"
Isagi blinks in confusion. "What kind of psycho gives a card and a package without it being a present?"
Rin sighs, and opens the present. It's a white, dense fabric, and as Isagi's eyes further widen in surprise, Rin sees that it is a monstrosity of tulle and lace, pink and white ribbons slapped on haphazardly.
Isagi reaches for the card a second before Rin can, and reads the inscription aloud.
"Dear friends and family - "
"Stop."
"That means you, Rinnie-Rin - "
"Be. Quiet."
"are cordially invited to your big brother's wedding to the roach. Yes, the roach that you tried to kick the shit out of multiple times, but failed because I'm obviously better than - "
Isagi doesn't even finish the letter before Rin kisses him just to shut him up.