Work Text:
"Bye, guys!" Bachira called out as he left the changing room, waving his hand energetically and smiling at the others.
Rin heard some of the boys respond enthusiastically, while others paid no attention, busy talking to their friends. He said nothing himself, bending down to tie his shoes, artificially prolonging his time in the changing room. He packed his bag, carefully arranging each item and checked the time on his phone. It should be just right. He threw on his sweatshirt and grabbed his packed bag.
"See you tomorrow," he muttered as he left the changing room, hearing a slight murmur of farewells as the door closed behind him.
It didn't take him long to get to the flat. The door was open, so Rin quietly entered and closed it behind him. He took off his shoes and went further inside.
"Welcome home, Rin-chan," Bachira sang cheerfully. He was sitting at the table drinking tea, a second mug already waiting for Rin.
"We saw each other half an hour ago," Rin said, rolling his eyes. Bachira didn't respond, but looked at him expectantly. Rin sighed and added reluctantly, "I'm back."
Bachira beamed at these words. He took another sip from his mug and put it back on the table. Rin put his bag on the floor and joined the older man.
"You know we don't have to hide the fact that we live together, right?" Bachira asked when Rin sat down opposite him. Rin was staring at the steaming mug for a moment, then looked up at the familiar, perpetually smiling face.
"It won't be long," Rin said through clenched teeth.
"You don't have to be so proud," Bachira scolded him. "And you can stay here as long as you want."
Rin nodded and took a sip of his drink. It had been three days since he moved into Bachira's flat because his own needed to be fumigated. In fact, Rin wanted to move into a hotel until the manager of his building had all the flats fumigated to make sure all the bugs were gone. But Bachira insisted that Rin should move in with him for a few days because he had a spare room in his flat and it was close to their training centre.
Rin had to admit that he hadn't had a bad time living with Bachira over the past few days. It was surprisingly pleasant to get up in the morning and leave his room to find hot coffee waiting for him and a lively person whose cheerful chatter was filling the space. Rin lived alone in his flat and treated his space as a place where he had to sleep and eat so that he could then get to training. Bachira's flat was more chaotic, but there was something cosy about the mess. It was as if a part of the older man's soul had left its mark on the colourful walls of his home. Rin's flat, on the other hand, was a bit like an empty shell. Currently infested with vermin, due to the building owner's oversight. Despite this, Rin was checking his phone every day, eagerly awaiting information about when he would be able to return home.
Besides watching Bachira for hours every day on the pitch and then in the comfort of his own home was strange. It felt too close, too intimate.
"I'm not proud," Rin began, but stopped when he saw Bachira's sceptical look.
He nervously tapped his fingers on the table and continued.
"It's not that I'm proud. I just don't need to announce that I've moved in with you, because there are stupid bugs in my flat. Nobody cares."
"I do care," Bachira bristled and furrowed his short eyebrows. Rin looked into his eyes for a moment, trying to read whether he was serious or just joking.
"I live at your home, of course you care," Rin stated simply and took a sip of strong, green tea. It was starting to cool down, so he gulped down the rest of the drink and put the mug back on the table.
"I care, because you're my friend and teammate," Bachira said bluntly.
Rin grimaced at the remark. They were indeed teammates. Rin was sometimes wondering if he had chosen the right team, he had so many options, but he decided on something less obvious. PxG seemed like a good team, he got along with them well, but it wasn't quite right. The offer from ReAl just before the World Cup promised him a chance to play with his brother on the same team, but for some reason Rin didn't want to accept it. As for Barcha, Rin didn't seriously consider playing for that club at first.
Firstly, he defeated their team during the NEL. That line-up didn't consist solely of stars, but mainly of second-string players, yet he still had their defeat in mind.
Secondly, there were only weirdos playing there. Lavinho, who always looked like playing football was one big party. Bunny, who seemed to have some kind of shared past with his brother. Rin had been playing with the Spaniard on the team for almost two years, but he still couldn't figure out what had happened between them.
Thirdly, Bachira. Rin was already sure that if he decided to go to that club, Bachira would be there. No other club suited him as well. The way he was playing, the way he was dancing on the pitch, was absurdly eye-catching. Despite all this, Rin decided to join the team from Barcelona.
So unfortunately, he couldn't deny that they were teammates. As for friendship, Rin automatically wanted to deny it, but he held back. Bachira was the only person on the team he had actually met before. It wasn't like they hung out a lot in their free time whenever they had a spare moment. Rin spent more time playing online games with Hiori when they arranged to play ranked matches. He was also texting Isagi more. They often sent each other photos of cityscapes, like postcards.
But Bachira simply was there with him. Sometimes Rin walked him home. Sometimes Bachira walked Rin home. On the day it turned out that there were bugs in Rin's flat, he was also seeing him off, so he heard directly that Rin had to move out for a few days. And he immediately offered his flat. Maybe it really was friendship. But Rin wouldn't say that out loud.
"It doesn't matter, it's only a temporary situation," Rin muttered. "As soon as the bugs are gone, I'll go back home."
"All right," Bachira replied simply with an exceptionally sad smile.
***
Rin had been living with Bachira for a week when he woke up in the middle of the night with an unpleasant feeling inside. He had the impression that he had had a nightmare, but he couldn't recall even a shadow of the dream from which he had awakened. He only knew that his heart was pounding and hurting as if it had been trampled on. He rubbed his chest for a moment as if it would help, then sat up in bed. He took a sip of water from the glass on the bedside table and looked at the door, under which a streak of light was visible, which meant that Bachira was also awake. Rin got up slowly, still drowsy, and left his room. The light in the kitchen was on and Bachira was sitting at the table enthusiastically eating something from a bowl. He paused when he noticed Rin.
"Tough night?" he asked cheerfully.
Rin just nodded, not wanting to engage in unnecessary discussion. He sat down on the chair next to the older man, watching Bachira devour something that looked like cereal with milk. Although he wasn't sure, because the liquid had a strange colour.
"Why is it pink?" Rin finally asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
"Strawberry milk," Bachira explained calmly.
"And it's good?" Rin asked sceptically. The square cereal in the bowl looked like the cinnamon ones. He wasn't convinced by the combination.
"It's fine, wanna try?" Bachira asked and pushed a spoon towards Rin's face. Rin reluctantly opened his mouth and ate a small portion. He was chewing for a moment while Bachira was looking at him as if waiting for his verdict.
"You'll get diabetes if you eat things like this," Rin said seriously, grimacing, still feeling a sweet taste in his mouth.
Bachira laughed at this remark and thoughtlessly put the empty spoon that had just been in Rin's mouth into his own.
"Why aren't you asleep?" Rin asked, trying to change the subject. Bachira took the spoon out of his mouth to scoop up another portion of his midnight snack.
"Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and can't sleep because I'm alone," he said, stirring the pink milk. "What about you?"
"I think I had a bad dream, I don't remember," Rin said truthfully. Bachira nodded. Rin was watching as he finished his cereal and pushed the empty bowl away.
"You said you wake up and can't sleep because you're alone," he began slowly. "But now you're not alone."
Bachira smiled gently at the corner of his mouth.
"So when I wake up in the middle of the night again, can I wake you up to keep me company?" he asked doubtfully.
"We can sleep together," Rin said bluntly. He saw that the older man was clearly surprised by this suggestion and realised that he might have phrased it badly. "If you sleep next to someone, maybe you won't wake up at night."
"Okay."
"Okay," Rin repeated deafly.
"We should brush our teeth. I'm not worried about diabetes, but I'm worried about tooth decay. My bed's bigger, we can sleep there."
"Okay," Rin repeated again, not quite grasping what was happening. He brushed his teeth at the sink in the bathroom with Bachira, went to his room to get his bedding and headed to Bachira's bedroom. He hadn't been there before because he didn't have to. It was a bit messy and chaotic, but Rin didn't pay any attention to that. He just looked at Bachira, who was moving his bedding around, unable to make up his mind.
"Do you prefer to sleep by the wall?" the older man asked, turning around.
"Yes," Rin confirmed sluggishly. Bachira made room for him and let him pass. Rin threw down his pillow and duvet and began to settle down on the bed. It was a little softer than the bed in the other room, but he didn't mind. He turned his face to the wall and closed his eyes. He felt Bachira lie down next to him and begin to fidget, unable to find a comfortable position.
"May I hug you?" he asked timidly.
"If it will stop you fidgeting," Rin muttered without opening his eyes.
A moment later, he felt the older man hug him from behind, his hands wrapped around Rin's waist. Rin felt the warmth of another body on his back, and a pleasant warmth began to spread inside him as well. And then he fell asleep and slept through the night without waking up.
***
On the tenth day of his stay, Rin finally received the news he had been waiting for.
Dear Mr Itoshi, the pest control treatment in your block of flats has been successfully completed. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. As part of...
Rin put his phone down without reading the rest of the message.
"Oh, is it about the flat?" Bachira asked with a smile. Rin looked at that familiar heartening smile and sparkling golden eyes. He felt a strange twinge in his heart.
"Yeah, they're still fighting bugs. You know, they're multiplying," Rin lied without batting an eyelid.
"Oh dear, all right," Bachira nodded understandingly. "What's for dinner?"
As a token of gratitude for his stay, Rin insisted on making dinner from time to time and Bachira suspiciously quickly agreed to these proposals.
"Curry," Rin replied, cutting carrots.
"Oh my God, I haven't had that in ages." Bachira visibly beamed.
"What do you eat when you're alone?" Rin asked suddenly, still cutting vegetables.
"I order something to eat or just make something quick," Bachira began scratching his chin as if he were really thinking about it. Rin put down his knife and looked at him in disbelief.
"You're an athlete, you can't eat junk food," he said with disgust.
"I don't eat only junk food! I eat vegetables and fruit. Like pineapple, banana, corn, peppers..."
"Do you only eat yellow things?" Rin interrupted impatiently.
"Not only that, sometimes it's a red day and sometimes it's a green day."
Rin couldn't tell whether Bachira was serious or just joking. But judging by his eating habits, Rin wouldn't be surprised if the only things he was eating when he wasn't being monitored by the club's nutritionist were sweets and junk food or something stupid like single-colour meals.
"It doesn't matter. Today is a colourful day, you're gonna eat a lot of colours."
"For me, every day with you is colourful."
Bachira's tone was so sincere, as if he were simply stating a fact, rather than saying something that might make Rin's stomach clench.
"You should be careful about what you eat. You shouldn't eat in the middle of the night either," Rin said, changing the subject. He had a picture in his mind of Bachira, whom he had found in the kitchen a few days earlier, eating cereal with pink milk.
"That was a one-time thing!" the older man bristled and stuck his tongue out at him. "I don't wake up in the middle of the night anymore, so you don't have to worry about that."
"Right," Rin said. He knew that Bachira didn't wake up; they had been sleeping together since that night. Rin was falling asleep facing the wall, while Bachira was hugging him from behind around the waist. Sometimes they woke up in the same position. Sometimes Rin was lying on his back and Bachira was snuggling up to his side.
"Well as for the meals, since we're still living together for now, you can keep an eye on me," Bachira said, winking at him and smiling exceptionally nicely. For some reason Rin felt remorseful.
***
"I think we can go to training together," Rin said over morning coffee.
It had been two weeks since he moved in. They still hadn't told anyone that they were living together. Because, according to Rin, there was no point in announcing something that was temporary.
"Oh? Why the sudden change?"
"Don't you want to?" he deflected the question without answering directly.
"I do. It's just... never mind. What about coming back?" Bachira asked, resting his head on his hand for support. He was looking at Rin with interest, as if trying to read his motives. Rin himself didn't know what was on his mind.
"I think we can go together, we used to do that before."
Bachira nodded and then chuckled to himself.
"What now?" Rin asked impatiently.
"Nothing, but you know how it sounds?" the older man asked with mischievous smile.
"How?"
"Like we're dating and hiding it."
Rin blinked when he realised what Bachira had just said. Oh. Oh. Discussing going out and coming back together so that others wouldn't notice. That's how it sounded.
"Maybe a little," he admitted reluctantly.
"Oh, Rin-chan," Bachira began dramatically, clutching his chest. "How can you hide our wonderful love from the world? You're hurting my poor heart."
Rin rolled his eyes as Bachira began to giggle after playing the role of the wounded lover.
"If we were in a relationship, we would have to hide it anyway," Rin stated rationally. He could've ended the conversation with the older boy's theatrical performance, but he decided to continue.
"We would have to," Bachira admitted, nodding. "But in your case, it probably wouldn't make a difference?"
"What do you mean?" Rin bristled, as he nervously clenched his fists under the table.
"It's just..." Bachira began slowly, trying to find the right words. "You're not the type of person who shows affection in public. I don't think you'd kiss someone or even hug them on the street."
"But you are that kind of person."
"Cuddling on the street type of person?" he asked, amused.
"Person who doesn't mind showing affection in public."
"You know, that it's okay if you prefer privacy, right? I wouldn't have a problem with that."
Rin looked at him blankly.
"What?" he asked, confused.
"You know, apart from the fact that in our community, a relationship between two men is still controversial, if we were dating, I wouldn't show my feelings for you in public since you don't like that. Everything can be made up for when we're alone together," Bachira chattered cheerfully, finishing his coffee. He looked at his watch and nodded. "We should get going if we don't want to be late. I don't want to do extra laps around the pitch as punishment, it's boring. I want to play right away."
What?
Rin didn't register it as he put down his empty mug and got ready to leave. He was acting as if he were on autopilot. Bachira's cheerful humming next to him served as a backdrop to his thoughts as they walked towards the training facility. Together, just like before.
***
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Bachira asked, putting on his shoes. It was Friday evening and he was going out on the town with their teammates.
"I don't like clubs. They're too loud and there are too many people."
"I like noisy places full of people," Bachira said with a laugh. Of course he liked such places. "It's a pity you're not coming with us, I'd love to dance with you."
He moved his hips a few times, simulating dancing. Rin stared for a moment at the spot where his shirt had ridden up slightly, revealing a patch of tanned skin.
"Don't worry, I'll probably play with Hiori, have fun," Rin muttered.
"Oh, say hi to him for me! See you later, Rin-chan!"
The door slammed shut with a loud bang. It had been three weeks since Rin moved in and Bachira went out with his friends for the first time. When Rin lived alone, he had the impression that Bachira saw his other teammates much more often. In the locker room, they were talking a lot about going to clubs or the cinema, so Rin had the impression that Bachira spent all his free time outside the house, except for training. But when he moved in, Bachira spent a surprising amount of time in his flat. Maybe he felt bad about going out and leaving Rin alone at home. Rin was wondering if his presence was actually a problem for Bachira. He was taking advantage of the older man's kindness and hospitality by prolonging his stay in Bachira's flat. But Rin had grown accustomed to their routine. Breakfast and coffee together in the morning. Exhausting training sessions with the rest of the team. Sometimes lunch together, which Rin cooked as a thank you for the accommodation. Bachira's cheerful chatter. It was all starting to feel like home.
Rin spent the night playing ranked games with Hiori. Time passed far too quickly, because when he finally went to bed, it was four in the morning and Bachira was still gone. Rin was tossing and turning, but sleep would not come. He closed his eyes and lay on his side facing the wall. He didn't know how long he lay there, but after a while he heard the front door open. He heard the sound of water in the pipes and quiet footsteps in the hallway, followed by the door to the bedroom opening. He felt Bachira slip into bed and snuggle up to him.
"Rin-chan, are you asleep?" the older man asked quietly.
"No," he replied, without turning around, still facing the wall.
"I'm back," Bachira whispered and chuckled softly.
"Welcome home," Rin muttered. He felt the older man's hands wrap around his waist, so he breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, he fell asleep.
***
A month had passed since Rin moved in. Those days flew by in the blink of an eye. Their mornings together, training sessions, and sleeping in the same bed were starting to mess with his head more and more.
That day, Bachira said they needed to have a serious talk. Rin expected that when they got home, he would be politely asked to leave the flat. It would make sense, a lot of time had passed and Bachira had surely had enough of him. He probably preferred to be able to leave the house freely to spend time with more entertaining people than Rin. He wouldn't blame Bachira for that at all.
When they returned to the flat, however, it turned out that Bachira had a more absurd proposal.
"You know, Rin-chan. Since we live together and it's a secret anyway, how about we try dating?"
They were standing in the hallway when the question was asked. They had thrown down their bags after training and Rin was taking off his shoes. At first, he thought he had misheard, but when he turned to the older man, he was looking at him with shining eyes.
"You want to date me?" Rin asked incredulously.
Bachira nodded affirmatively, strangely determined.
"Why?" Rin was clearly confused. This was not what he had expected when he came home.
"You know we already live like a couple, right? We spend time, sleep and eat meals together. We play for the same team, so you could say, that we even work together," he chuckled under his breath. Rin watched as dimples appeared on the older man's cheeks.
"But we don't have sex, we don't even kiss," Rin said bluntly.
"We could," Bachira replied, winking at him.
"You don't have to force yourself."
Bachira looked at him incredulously, as if he had only just realised what the younger boy meant.
"Oh my God, Rin. I'm not forcing myself. I've liked you for a while, I want this."
"You like me," Rin repeated hesitantly.
"Of course I like you. I offered you to live together and ignored the fact that you lied to me."
"I didn't lie to you at all," Rin automatically denied it and then remembered what the older man was talking about. "Oh, so you knew."
"You know, at first I believed you that the bugs were still nesting. But a month has passed. I may be naïve, but not that naïve," Bachira said, crossing his arms.
"And yet you let me live here."
"I told you. I like you."
Rin didn't quite understand what was going on. Why did Bachira like him? Since when? Was that why Rin was able to live here for so long, because the older man liked him from the start?
"Please stay and live with me, but this time as a couple."
"You said we already live as a couple," Rin pointed out provocatively.
"I said, that we live like a couple not as a couple," Bachira corrected him immediately. "I want you, Rin."
Rin felt Bachira gently grab him under the chin to force him to look down at himself. He saw the older boy looking at his lips and biting his own. Then he moved his golden eyes to Rin's teal ones. Rin felt as if the little suns were about to burn him alive. He felt a blush involuntarily appear on his cheeks under the intensity of the man's gaze.
"I want to kiss you. I want to hug you. I want you to fuck me," Bachira said all this while looking Rin straight in the eyes.
Rin didn't expect such directness from him, not that he was overly prudish himself. But hearing such words from Bachira's mouth had a strangely stimulating effect on him. Suddenly Bachira's expression changed, his eyes softened, and a gentle smile appeared on his lips.
"I want to go to training with you, I want to drink coffee with you in the morning, I want you to scold me for eating unhealthy food."
Bachira let go of his chin and took his hand in his, then pointed it towards his own heart. Rin could feel the older man's heart beating strongly. It was as if it wanted to break free and chase after something.
"I want to snuggle up to you when I come back from a party you won't go to because you don't like crowds. I want to watch you get angry because you're losing some computer game. I want to watch you rejoice because we're winning the match."
Bachira's expression was soft, vulnerable when he finished speaking. A faint smile was playing at the corners of his mouth; even in such a situation, he couldn't suppress it.
"I..." Rin began, but stopped. He could still feel Bachira's rapid heartbeat under his palm. His own heart was probably beating just as fast. He could hear the blood rushing in his ears. "I shouldn't have lied to you."
"I said it didn't bother me..." Bachira started, but stopped when he saw Rin's irritated look. "I'm sorry, continue."
"I don't just mean the bugs. I liked living with you, but I pretended I was only doing it because I had to." Rin paused and took his hand off Bachira's chest for a moment, only to jab his finger accusingly at him. The older man seemed surprised for a moment, but then the corners of his mouth turned up in a slightly mocking gesture.
"What else were you pretending, Rin-chan?" he asked impishly, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
Rin felt completely exposed. It was irritating how well Bachira could sometimes see what was on his mind before he had even articulated his thoughts to himself. Maybe that was why Rin liked him.
"You're irritating, too lively and energetic." Rin pressed his finger harder into his chest and sighed.
He grabbed Bachira by the chin, just as he had grabbed Rin earlier. He didn't have to force him to look at him, because the older man was watching him closely, but it gave him the impression of being in control of the situation.
"But it doesn't bother me at all. It hasn't bothered me for some time now."
Bachira was literally radiating happiness as he looked up at Rin's face. Rin wondered what his own face looked like at that moment, certainly not so joyful and sincere. But the older man was looking at him as if he were looking at something important.
"What else wouldn't bother you?" Bachira asked cheerfully.
"Living with you as a couple might not be so bad after all," Rin admitted slowly.
Bachira nodded enthusiastically. "Can I kiss you?"
"You can do more than that," Rin said and leaned in to kiss the shorter man on the lips. The kiss was slow, after all, as long as they were at their home, they had all the time they needed.