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Fury was coursing through his veins. That pathetic play on the field from Yoichi… taking his leavings and then scoring some kind of fluke goal. That was his midfielder. His partner. Alexis had no right to immediately go running off to Yoichi, just because he had wanted him gone for a fleeting moment. Hadn’t Alexis always been the one following him, hanging on to his every word? And now he would be doing the same to Yoichi. The thought sent a white-hot surge of rage through him, and he slammed a fist into Alexis’ locker. Alexis was his. He was the one who found him, the one who gave him life, the one who breathed magic into his heart.
“Scheiße!” He screamed, kicking the bottom of the locker as a stray tear escaped his eye. “Damn you, Alexis!”
He needed to get out of here. Just staring at that locker was enough to bring him to tears. Shoving the door open, he stormed into the shower room, where no one could disturb him.
…Or so he thought.
His eyes immediately fell on the two people huddled in the corner. What… the fuck ?
Alexis was practically in Yoichi’s lap, sighing as the boy left feather-light kisses upon his neck. His arms were wrapped around him while Yoichi’s hands were on his waist, looking as if they’d been lying there for hours already. The striker hummed and moved his left hand to grasp at Alexis’ cheek, skimming those high cheekbones of his and fondling the lobe of his ear.
Kaiser continued to stare at them, dumbfounded. Yoichi lifted his head and shot him a smug look, resting his chin on Alexis’ shoulder and looking him directly in the eyes.
“Yoichi, what…?” Alexis’ voice trailed off as he followed the striker’s line of sight and locked eyes with Kaiser. “K-Kaiser! Um…!” He tried to scramble out of Yoichi’s embrace, but the boy held him firmly.
“Why hide, Alexis? I think it’s best he knows what he’s missing out on.”
Heat rose to Kaiser’s face, mind fumbling to understand what exactly was going on. Know what he was missing out on? Did Yoichi… know? Know about his secret, hidden desires for the both of them?
Swallowing uncomfortably, he tried to look nonchalant. “What makes you think I care about whatever crap you freaks are doing?” His voice broke but he desperately tried to maintain his composure, rubbing the palms of his hands together and subtly wiping them on his shorts.
“Oh? Alright, my mistake. For some reason I just assumed,” Yoichi let his voice trail off, a smirk playing on his lips. “Well if you change your mind, let us know. I’m sure Alexis in particular would be interested to hear about it.” He stood up, holding out a hand for Alexis.
Kaiser’s brain wasn’t computing what he was hearing fast enough. Did Yoichi mean what he thought he meant?
“Tschüssie,” Alexis said in a painfully adorable tone, waving at Kaiser as he followed the striker to the locker room. “Let’s talk tomorrow!”
Panic hit him. Was he throwing away his chance to reconcile with Alexis? He hadn’t meant what he said before. Did Alexis think… what was Alexis thinking?
“Wait,” Kaiser said, catching the door before it could close behind them.
Yoichi turned, giving him a slight smile. “Yes, Mihya?”
The nickname caught him off guard and he choked on his words. “Um… well…” He scratched at his tattoo nervously, lowering his head and pausing, unsure of what to say. “I just…”
A finger caressed his chin, tilting it up and forcing Kaiser to stare directly into Yoichi’s eyes. “What’s the matter? You know you can tell us anything…” He didn’t know when Yoichi had got so close, but the firm grip of his thumb against his chin and his wandering index finger was making him relax a little too much, the slow strokes creating a lull in his mind.
“What you said earlier…” Kaiser mumbled, leaning into the touch as the striker’s hand slid upwards to cup his cheek. “Did I misunderstand?”
“Hmm?” Yoichi hummed. “Tell us, Mihya. What do you want?”
Alexis reached out to him, gently taking his arm and settling him down on the bench, tugging at his shoulders so the boy fell into his embrace. Carding his fingers softly through his blond-blue hair, he spoke in a low undertone. “We just want to help you, Mihya. Tell us what you really want.”
Swirling patterns were being traced onto his scalp, the weight of Alexis’ fingertips firm and comforting while Yoichi stroked his back from the opposite side. “I just… I don’t know, I… I miss you, Alexis,” Kaiser said, burrowing his face into the midfielder’s chest. “You abandoned me for Yoichi.”
The two exchanged glances. “Mihya, I… I wasn’t abandoning you; I just sought out Yoichi for help when you weren’t available.”
“But it hurt… to see the two people I want the most team up without me,” Kaiser said, a tremor in his voice as a tear slid down his cheek. “It sounds stupid, I know it’s just football, but it always feels like more than just a game to me. I thought there was a reason Alexis only passed to me. I thought it meant… more.”
Doubts filled his mind, insecurities that had been multiplying exponentially ever since Alexis first walked away from him. Even in his current position, face nestled comfortably into the crook of the midfielder’s neck, the feelings of safety he was experiencing were still only temporary and he knew it could be ripped away from him at any time.
“Mihya,” Yoichi started, carefully resting his hand on Kaiser’s back, leaning closer so he could whisper into his ear. “I agree, it’s not just football. Your partnership with Alexis meant something to the both of you. I could see it in your eyes, whenever he assisted you… you looked at him like a lover, not a teammate.”
A startled noise escaped him upon hearing that, but Alexis’ fingers had reached the sensitive spot just behind his ear, brushing up and down in slow strokes, and his mind emptied. “Y-Yeah… I guess so…”
“And you know it wasn’t just one-sided. You know how he always does everything you ask, desperate for your approval,” Yoichi sighed. “So you should understand that our team-up didn’t, and will never, take away from what you and Alexis have together.”
“Honestly, Mihya?” Alexis said, leaning back and tilting Kaiser’s face up, wiping the fallen tears from his cheeks. “It hurt. It really did hurt, in the moment. But even at that exact second, I knew you didn’t mean it.”
“Then why did you…?”
“If it hadn’t been for your very obvious desire for Yoichi, I would have never done it. I would’ve gone the rest of the match alone, and talked to you afterwards. But when you told me to find a new king, some petty part of me wanted to go after your prize. You weren’t making any moves, so I thought, fine. I’ll bring him his prize.” Alexis laughed softly, locking eyes with Yoichi. “Turns out I wanted the prize too. And so did he. Both prizes.”
The cogs were turning. The pieces of the puzzle were truly coming together. So, what he’s saying is…
“So… what started off as a problem between you and me led to a petty decision and ultimately became a solution for the three of us?” Kaiser said, finally sitting up properly and drawing both Yoichi and Alexis’ hands close.
Yoichi grinned and reached out his hand for Alexis too, completing their circle. “Oh, you finally understood. I’ve wanted both of you all this time, but you were wrapped up in your own world for too long.”
“So, can I…?” Kaiser started, but the striker cut him off and captured his lips with a kiss, the pressure firm and comforting until he pulled away after only a few seconds. “I’d apologise for not letting Alexis be your first kiss, but I know you want me pretty badly too.”
“I don’t even care,” Kaiser said, leaning back in for another whilst lacing his fingers together with Alexis’. “I’ve waited too long.”
Tugging at Alexis’ waist, he gently withdrew from his kiss with Yoichi and turned his attention to the midfielder. “Alexis… I’ve wanted this for so long.”
This time it was Alexis who closed the gap between them, brushing his lips against Kaiser’s and eventually going in for a long, slow kiss. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this to happen either.”
“Oblivious, isn’t he?” Yoichi remarked, grinning wickedly at Kaiser when he turned to him in outrage.
“It’s not my fault you were speaking in riddles!” Kaiser huffed. “Can’t believe I had to cry just to get that information out of you…”
“Well, at least you look adorable when you cry,” Alexis giggled, dimples forming in both cheeks.
Yoichi took the chance to poke at his left cheek, making the midfielder screw up his face and laugh even harder. “You’re just as adorable, Alexis,” he whispered fondly, ruffling the fluffy magenta hair atop the head of the blushing boy and leaving a soft kiss on his forehead.
Ah, scheiße. They’re both adorable.