Work Text:
Jyushi was in his room, eating some snacks and hugging Amanda. He was wearing his—or rather, his boyfriend's—Japan national team jersey, but he set it aside for a moment. It had been a grueling match for the team.
Jyushi isn't one to watch soccer, but seeing Jiro's excitement—and his confidence that they might get close to the trophy this year—piqued his curiosity enough to watch the Japan vs. Sweden match. He was impressed by the result, as well as the various players and the comparisons Jiro drew to Blue Lock. He felt he could catch a glimpse of that same passionate spark Jiro experienced when watching the sport and following the clubs—that level of focus that could lead someone to become a player or even coach the Japanese national team.
However, the Japan vs. Brazil match was a disappointment. Taking an early lead can give fans false hope, especially with a goal scored so soon in the first half. Every time Brazil played the ball near the Japanese net, Jyushi would get a bit nervous; he told Amanda that he couldn't watch games like that from so close up—otherwise, he might get so worked up that he’d actually feel sick right there in the stadium.
But unfortunately (or fortunately for the writer of this fanfic), the Brazilian national team equalizes, leaving him even more anxious than before. To make matters worse, they manage to turn the game around in stoppage time—a scenario that is the stuff of nightmares for die-hard Japanese fans, and not just for them, but for the players themselves.
And that was it... Japan lost to Brazil. The players gave their all trying to at least secure a draw, but that’s just how soccer goes. Jyushi isn’t disappointed or sad; he’s just... more worried about someone.
Someone calls Jyushi.
Jyushi knows who it is; he picks up his phone and takes a deep breath, bracing himself for the angry, desperate shouts of a soccer-obsessed teenager. He answers, but hears nothing at first.
"Hello...? Jiro? Are you there...?" He waits a moment, then hears a sad sniffle on the line; he grows more worried. "Jiro!? Answer me...!"
"JYUSHI! WE LOST!" The voice was tearful. Jiro was actually crying over the game. Jyushi was completely taken aback—he never would have imagined such a reaction from his beloved—and, naturally, a bit desperate. It was rare for Jiro to cry over anything.
"Hey... Jiro, calm down... We might make it in 2030! But they played well... M-Maybe next time..." Jyushi struggles to find words to comfort Jiro, a difficult task while the other weeps uncontrollably. Deep sobs come through the call, making him even more worried.
"But it’s always the same thing... Jyushi... We’ve been trying for years to win that trophy! We only ever make it to the Round of 16... Argh!... I wish I could play instead of all those idiots!" Jiro says between sobs—sounds almost inaudible to anyone who doesn't know him well. Jyushi feels a shared sadness—not over the national team's loss, but at seeing his boyfriend, who had been so hopeful, crying like that.
Jyushi reflects on Jiro's words for a moment, then decides to turn his pain into a solution. "Jiro... Do you want to tell me what you'd change about the game? To help the team win?" Jiro sniffles on the other end of the line; the sharp creak of his bed is audible, and his voice sounds less muffled. "Jyushi... Would you really listen?"
"Of course, sweetheart! If it makes you feel better, I'll even stay on the call with you while I sleep." Jyushi speaks in a friendly tone, hoping to comfort Jiro.
"Hmm... Alright... But I'd need to make a video call... And I'm not exactly in the best state right now." Jyushi lets out an innocent laugh. "That's fine! If you want to video call, let's do it! I don't mind seeing your teary face—even though I really wish I were there to wipe away your tears..."
Jiro lets out a soft groan. "It's not just that... I'm in bed without a shirt on because I threw my national team jersey across the room, and I don't want to look at it until I've recovered from this loss..."
Jyushi hadn't expected to hear that. A healthy flush spreads across his cheeks as he notices the Japanese national team jersey he’s wearing; he quickly pulls it off and tosses it to the other side of the bed. "That's wild! I—I'm shirtless too. We'll be shirtless together!" Jyushi tries to use the thought to put himself at ease, but he’s simply met with a gentle laugh from the other end of the line.
"Hahaha! Did you really do that for me? Wow... Thank you so much. I actually feel more at ease now. Alright, let's do this call." Jyushi laughs shyly at his beloved's reaction, happy to have made him feel comfortable.
The two switch the connection to a video call, and when Jiro answers, the blue darkness of his room is visible, along with his messy hair, puffy face, and bare shoulders. Jyushi feels a bit guilty for finding the sight beautiful, but he can't deny that his boyfriend is incredibly cute in every way. Then, a mental image of a casual, just-woken-up Jiro flashes through his mind, making Jyushi feel even more flustered.
"...Hmm... Er... You can go ahead and say what you'd change about the game..." Jyushi scratches his cheek to hide his embarrassment. Jiro smiles at Jyushi's permission and begins to explain his major perspective on the game.
There was so much for Jyushi to process: various game plans, individual player performances, and complaints about the coach pulling certain players while keeping others on the field—players Jiro, in particular, didn't like.
It was as if Jiro were an expert on the subject—well, he is a soccer expert. He could also speak to Brazil's style of play, noting where the team positioned itself well and the openings Japan could have exploited but didn't—leading to the final result.
Jyushi finds Jiro’s knowledge of soccer really... attractive. He just soaks it all up, agreeing with whatever Jiro says about the sport. Even without fully understanding it, it’s satisfying to see his boyfriend speak about it with such genuine happiness and professionalism.
"Jyushi... Am I talking too much? If so, I'm sorry..." Jiro shifts his posture, revealing a bit more of his torso.
"Go right ahead, my prince... You look so attractive like that, and...!!!" Bad timing for Jyushi to let his guard down. He gets so flustered that he drops his phone. "NO—! I-I'M SORRY, JIRO... Just ignore me, or you can hang up and..." Jyushi picks up the phone and sees Jiro looking so stunned that he thinks the call has frozen. "Um... Jiro...?"
"I-If you find it interesting, I can talk more!" Thank goodness Jiro is so dense that he didn't even realize the obvious flirting was actually flirting. In reality, he really loves talking about soccer, but his schoolmates ignore him, and whenever he tries to talk to his brothers, Saburo makes a point of saying it's uninteresting.
The bright, heterochromatic eyes of the sweet boy Jyushi loves so much only make him feel more self-conscious about his flushed face. He unconsciously brings a lock of hair to his mouth to bite it, looking away for a moment. "Y-You can always tell me whatever you want; I’ll always listen... My love..." Jiro snuggles deeper into his bed and props his phone up against the headboard so his face is clearly visible.
Jiro talks more and more about soccer—how he started watching it, how he got his first ball, and how he wants to become a great soccer player.
Jiro probably never said this to Jyushi, but ever since Jyushi told him he knows what it’s like to care about a friend—even if that friend is an object—he’s thought about it. He thinks that perhaps what Jiro considers a "precious thing" translates for Jyushi into "best friend"; obviously, the two cases are different, but he can understand what Jyushi feels for Amanda—not with the same intensity, perhaps, but with the same level of importance.
Their moment was... magical. Jyushi loved hearing more and more, and even managed to take note of a few things—like penalty kicks and the difference between a friendly match and a bracket-deciding game. It was a long four hours.
And since no one has endless energy... they fell asleep.
Jyushi wakes up the next day, annoyed by the light streaming in through the window. Thank goodness he had at least remembered to change his clothes, brush his teeth, and keep his snacks off the bed.
He groans as he wakes up and manages to turn over, seeing his phone screen reflecting a rare sight.
Jiro was sleeping on his stomach, still shirtless; the light played across his sleeping face, highlighting his tanned skin and dark hair.
Jyushi was struck by the sight. It was magnificent—the kind of scene he wished he could wake up to every day, perhaps in the future... Who knows?
But naturally, he took a screenshot of it for further analysis later on.
Moments after the screenshot was taken, Jyushi’s Prince Charming woke up—an event that was likely even more surprising than the sight of him asleep.
Jiro groans as he wakes up, turns over, and sits up, trying to shake off the sleepiness; Jyushi notices this.
Oh, Jyushi—calm down; you’re so eager to be there for the moment Jiro wakes up that you keep playing the scenario over and over in your mind. "...Jiro... Good morning! Did you sleep well?"
"Huh...?" Jiro hears Jyushi’s voice and turns around, thinking he’s in the room, only to realize it’s the call he had completely forgotten about. "Good... morning... Jyushi... Yeah, I think I slept well."
"That’s great, my dear! Are you feeling better than yesterday?" Jyushi asks just to be sure...
Jiro’s eyes well up as he starts to whimper tearfully.
"Jiro—! D-did I ask something silly...?"
"WE LOST!! AAAAAH!" Jiro bursts into tears again over his team's defeat. Concerned and shaking off his drowsiness, Jyushi searches for the right words to comfort his boy. It’s hard to do right after waking up, but naturally, he’d rather see his love happy.
"Oh... Jiro... Calm down..."
Jiro was still taking it hard. He knew Japan had never won a World Cup before, but he hadn't expected to see that scenario play out again so soon this year.
He had been confident that they would at least reach the quarterfinals this time around, but since that was just speculation, it didn't happen; he was so disappointed that he worried his friends and family—but especially his boyfriend.
Even from afar, Jyushi kept in touch; he made a point of trying to understand how Jiro was doing, ready to help without hesitation should the need arise. But the help Jiro asked for was simply having Jyushi by his side—something Jyushi couldn't provide at that moment.
Finally, on a Friday, Jyushi heads to the Yamada household.
He is welcomed by Ichiro, who knows full well why Jyushi has come; Ichiro greets him with a broad smile, though a clear look of concern still lingers on his face.
"Hello, Jyushi-kun. Thanks a lot for coming over to support Jiro." Saburo glances at the door and crosses his arms. "I'm so sorry about our brother... He gets emotional over games." Jyushi steps inside and takes off his shoes; the change in height makes the moment a bit amusing. "No need for thanks or apologies; as Jiro's boyfriend, I just want to make sure he's okay."
Ichiro sighs with relief; Saburo wants to say more to Jyushi but decides to let him handle the rest. "Well, you already know where that idiot Jiro's room is, so we don't need to show you the way." Jyushi smiles in response. "That's right, you don't have to—I'm heading over there now!"
Upon arriving at Jiro’s room, he knocks on the door, keeping his hands behind his back to hold a bag containing clothes, food, and whatever else Jyushi thinks is essential for survival.
It takes a moment for Jiro to open the door; Jyushi is met with a dark room and a boyfriend who seems more withdrawn and downcast than usual—a sight that truly breaks his heart. "Hey, I'm here...!" Jiro says nothing, simply hugging Jyushi and burying his face in the other’s shoulder. Taken aback, Jyushi slides his free hand across Jiro’s bare back. "Jiro... Let's go inside..."
Jiro simply pulls him into the room and shuts the door firmly, without letting go of Jyushi. The older one, meanwhile, tries to set his things down while also hugging Jiro, and begins to tousle his messy hair.
"You're exactly what I needed right now..." Jiro's plaintive, affectionate tone strikes a chord deep in Jyushi's heart; he can't hide his blushing cheeks. "I'm here for you, my prince."
Jiro shifts to look into Jyushi's eyes; seeing a tear roll down, Jyushi wipes it away and kisses Jiro on the forehead. Jiro pouts. "I wanted a kiss on the lips... but that's okay." Jyushi laughs at his reaction, then steals a gentle kiss from Jiro, who kisses him back.
They lie down on the bed, staying wrapped in each other's arms; Jyushi removes his heavier outer layers so he won't be uncomfortable for Jiro, who is wearing only a pair of loose shorts.
"Are you feeling better...?" Jyushi has been asking this every day, and the answer was always no. "With you here... Yeah." Jiro snuggles a little deeper into the crook of Jyushi's neck and shoulder, catching his scent. This makes Jyushi feel self-conscious, but he chooses to stay focused. "I-I'm glad you're feeling better, sweetheart... Let's spend this weekend together." This catches Jiro off guard, and he looks up at Jyushi in surprise. For a moment, Jyushi worries he said something wrong. "U-um... is something wrong?"
Jiro started crying again.
Jyushi panicked, unsure of exactly what to do. "Wait—! Jiro! What happened?" Jiro wiped away his tears and hugged Jyushi tighter. "I didn't know you were coming to spend the weekend with me... Thank you so much, Jyushi! I love you so much."
Jyushi’s heart overflowed with love; he returned his beloved’s tight embrace and kissed him on the head. "You're welcome, my love."
They spent a good part of the day lying down, holding each other and talking about all the things they both enjoyed. It was something quite... romantic—a moment just for Jyushi and Jiro.
But that didn't change the fact that Brazil had beaten Japan.