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He had never considered himself very romantic, and sometimes he wondered how he'd managed to open up enough to be with Bachira. He was incredibly grateful to his partner for being so patient with him throughout everything that came before they started dating. Rin used to think that whatever was meant to happen would happen, and that's exactly what did. They had been together for so long now that sometimes he lost track of time, and even though he wasn't particularly romantic and did struggle to show his feelings, one of the ways he had found to do so was through music.
Music was something he shared with Bachira. Even though their tastes were slightly different, they both loved music and were always sending each other playlists that reminded them of one another. Rin genuinely hoped Bachira understood that every song he sent was one he dedicated to him with all his heart.
Every love song was about the two of them, and every beautiful lyric and melody always led him back to Meguru.
One of his oldest memories involving Bachira and music dated back to the very beginning of their relationship. At the time, Rin still wasn't very good with people and had no idea how to express everything he felt for Meguru.
They were in Bachira's kitchen in Barcelona during one of the longer breaks between matches. Meguru had said he wanted to make a recipe for Rin to try. While Bachira cooked, Rin simply watched him carefully, his only responsibility being the music playing in the background while they talked, when Heaven Knows by 54 Ultra started playing, Rin remembered how many times he'd listened to that song while thinking about his boyfriend. Without thinking, he said,
"This song always reminded me of you, bob-cut."
Bachira had always been better at reading Rin than anyone else. He knew these little moments were Rin's way of showing affection, and even knowing that, he still had a soft spot for them.
"What is it, Rin-chan? The lyrics or the melody?" he asked, smiling so brightly it seemed impossible to smile any wider.
"Both. The lyrics make me think of us, and the melody is really beautiful." Rin said it with a hint of embarrassment, while Bachira's face lit up even more at his boyfriend's words. To Rin, that was a love confession, and one of the cheesiest ones at that. But then again... what love confession isn't cheesy?
They all are. That's exactly why they're love confessions.
Bachira fell in love with the song instantly, and to this day it's still saved in one of the playlists he made for the person he loves.
Barcelona, the club Bachira had been playing for ever since Blue Lock ended, often collaborated with artists, especially pop artists. This time, the collaboration was with Olivia Rodrigo, Bachira was excited. He already knew who she was and genuinely liked quite a few of her songs. During one of their daily phone calls, he'd confessed to Rin that he couldn't wait to hear her new album. He'd gone on about how much he'd enjoyed meeting her during the club's promotional campaign with her.
It was one of the countless little things he rambled about to Rin, who always listened, and secretly loved hearing them. Those random facts and stories about Bachira's day made Rin feel closer to him, especially when their schedules kept them apart for weeks at a time. They made the distance a little more bearable.
Rin stored every single one of those details away in a drawer somewhere in his mind labeled "Bachira"
So when the campaign popped up on one of his social media feeds, he looked up the album and listened to it. He would never admit he'd done it just to make Bachira happy or simply because he wanted one more thing they could share.
Bachira didn't think he'd ever get tired of the way Rin loved him. There were so many little things he adored about his boyfriend that sometimes he thought he was becoming hopelessly soft. But if he had to choose just one, it would be the fact that Rin truly listened, he remembered. To be loved was to be seen.
Bachira loved how he could casually mention something he considered completely insignificant, only for Rin to bring it up again months later as if it had always mattered. Every time it happened, his heart melted, so when Rin texted him saying he'd listened to Olivia Rodrigo's album, Bachira's heart skipped a beat. How could something so small affect him so much? The funny thing was that Bachira himself hadn't even had time to listen to it yet. All he'd heard was everyone saying how heartbreaking it was, that even the love songs sounded sad.
I listened to that album from the girl who did the campaign with Barça.
omg really??
i haven't even had time to hear it yet
you listened because of me, didn't, rin-chan? :p
ew, no
but honeybee reminded me of u
listen to it and tell me what you think.
Bachira happened to have some free time that day, and after being with Rin for so long, he knew his schedule almost as well as his own, he knew Rin wasn't busy, so he called.
"You know," Bachira said teasingly, his tone completely at odds with the words coming out of his mouth, "if you want to break up with me, it'd be easier if you just told me."
"...Where the hell did that come from?"
Rin didn't sound startled.
He knew Bachira well enough to recognize that there was something hidden beneath the joke, he just didn't know what.
"You know the album's famous for being really depressing, right? Even the title, honey. Why does it remind you of us?"
Bachira still hadn't listened to it, and a tiny part of him had genuinely worried. What if Rin had connected with an album full of breakup songs for a reason? No relationship was perfect, theirs worked because both of them constantly chose to make it work. That didn't mean insecurities disappeared, it only meant they knew how to deal with them. Bachira had never been the type to fear irrational things, and he'd always believed in complete honesty between them.
Even so...
Sometimes he still had nightmares about the possibility of Rin getting tired of him one day.
"Not every song is about breaking up," Rin replied calmly. "Just listen to the album. You'll like it. I'm sure you will."
Somehow, Rin had an almost uncanny instinct for the things Bachira would love.
Luckily, they had a break in their schedules that allowed them to spend five days together. This time, they were staying at Rin's apartment in Madrid. They were lying on the couch. Bachira had one of his legs tangled with Rin's, while his boyfriend's arm was wrapped around him. Some movie he'd already seen was playing on the TV, one he'd wanted to show Rin.
Meguru loved moments like this, when that aching feeling of missing each other had already passed and all they had left were quiet moments together at home. They didn't need surprises or anything to "keep the relationship exciting." These were the moments he used to memorize every little detail about Rin: the way he breathed, the tiny smiles he tried to hide whenever something silly happened, even the sound of Rin's heartbeat. He felt an overwhelming urge to hide himself between Rin's ribs and hold his heart in his hands. He wanted to be the blood flowing through every part of his body. He even liked watching the bruises heal, the ones he had caused himself by biting the places only he was allowed to touch.
Bachira Meguru was possessive by nature.
He wanted to mark every inch of Rin's skin, let everyone know that he had been there, that he was there, and that he would continue to be there. For as long as Rin wanted him to.
One of Rin's favorite moments, though he'd never admit it, was when Meguru chatted nonstop in the kitchen while he cooked for the two of them.
The album came up again, this time because Bachira had listened to it every single day since their phone call until he came to Madrid.
"You know," Bachira said between laughs, "you really scared me that day. How do you tell your boyfriend you relate to songs that are about breaking up?"
By the time he'd finished listening to the album, he'd realized not every song was about a relationship ending.
Rin rolled his eyes and kept chopping the vegetables and herbs, but answered anyway.
"You decided that before you even listened to the song I sent you."
"How could I not? Everyone kept saying that even the happy songs sounded sad."
Bachira genuinely agreed with that. He couldn't really call it an album with a happy side to it, so he was surprised when Rin disagreed, they ended up discussing what actually made a song sad.
"Just because it isn't upbeat doesn't mean it isn't a love song," Rin argued. "The romantic part of the album is actually very romantic."
"But, honey, in almost every song she's either dwelling on something or upset about something between them."
"That doesn't change the fact that it's genuine love," Rin replied. "It's just... anxious love."
Bachira eventually gave in.
"I kinda understand her when she sings about feeling empty whenever her partner isn't around."
He smiled when Rin frowned at him, a question written all over his face.
"Remember when I got injured during the match against PSG last year? You didn't hear anything from me for two hours, and you got so worried that you got on a plane without thinking twice just to be with me, i think the moment I saw you in the hospital looking more worried than I'd ever seen you before... I realized just how much I loved you. That was when it really hit me that we were something serious." Bachira smiled to himself just remembering how he felt that day.
"I was happy for about three seconds that I'd gotten hurt, because it meant I got to see you, it's crazy. After that, every time I missed you so much it hurt, a tiny part of me wished for some kind of accident, because then you'd come stay with me."
Bachira admitted it with a slight fear that Rin would think he was insane.
Instead, Rin answered immediately.
"You know you don't need an accident. If you asked me, really asked me, I would go wherever you are."
Bachira didn't think he could possibly fall any more in love than he already was. Yet somehow, he did.
Rin really was terrible at expressing himself, but he had never had a problem with being vulnerable around Meguru. That had gradually become easier as their relationship grew. He was happy knowing that the intimacy between them was almost tangible. That was why he decided to answer his boyfriend's confession with one of his own.
"I liked honeybee and purple the most because I feel like I could've easily said everything in those songs about you. even honey being your only pet name, wanting to never watch you leave, being able to memorize your face forever. Loving you quietly and hoping you can feel it." Rin keeps talking about the songs that make him think of Meguru
"And purple... because I really have changed the way I see things because of you. It's like there's a tiny version of you whispering in my head, making me see things the way you do."
He let out a quiet laugh.
"It's funny how intertwined our lives have become. Like... why the hell do I have a favorite coffee shop that I only found because I was walking around Barcelona with you? Why is there so much candy in my apartment when I don't even like sweets? Why do I have so many recipes saved that I never would've wanted to try before? Why is there a dolphin plush on my bed when I've always preferred owls? It's all of you in me"
He said it all with a calmness that was almost unnatural coming from Rin.
Meguru, on the other hand, felt his heart stumble in the most ridiculous way.
He climbed down from the kitchen counter and walked over to his boyfriend, wrapping his arms around him from behind and burying his face in Rin's neck. He had to stand on his tiptoes to reach him. Even though he'd grown since Blue Lock, Rin had grown even more, so the height difference was still there. Rin set the spoon down and turned around, pulling Meguru into a proper embrace.
Meguru liked to kiss his way up Rin's neck and along his jaw before finally reaching his lips. Almost like a ritual, he genuinely believed that if someone gave him one last wish before he died, it would be to kiss his boyfriend one more time. It was one of the things he missed the most whenever they spent too long apart.
Rin kissed Meguru slowly, as if he had all the time in the world to appreciate him. There was something sweet about the way he held Meguru's face with one hand, guiding the kiss however he wanted, while his other hand rested on his waist so there wouldn't be enough room for even an atom between them.
Meguru, meanwhile, kept his arms around Rin's neck, making sure there was no other option but to stay pressed against him. Those kisses usually escalated very quickly, especially after they'd spent so long apart and knew their days off would soon be over. Who could blame a couple for wanting to make the most of the little time they had together?
But Rin still had to finish dinner.
"I love you, Meguru."
He said it as soon as their lips parted.
Still dazed from the kiss, Meguru smiled, that smile Rin would kill anyone to protect.
With his arms still around Rin, he answered,
"I love you more, honey."
Rin smiled. The kind of smile he only ever saved for Meguru. He felt like the luckiest person in the world for knowing the most beautiful smile in existence, and for having it all to himself. If it were up to him, it would stay that way forever. Rin leaned close and whispered into his ear
"Impossible."
A shiver ran all the way down Bachira's spine.