━╋ cw : alcohol / smoking usage , cursing , slight ooc oliver aiku ..
it was four in the morning— the hour that was caught somewhere in the blur of yesterday and today. for u20’s captain, sleep was a lost cause. aiku’s bones were achy from the twelve hour flight from the tranquil city of osaka where he spent a few restful days with some of his teammates to the bustling streets of new york to prepare for an upcoming game.
although, aiku wasn’t quite sure how he had ended up here. at some point sendou dragged him along with an eager teppei and niou to k-town after complaining nonstop about craving juicy slices of samgyeopsal and crispy pajeon. aiku swore that he thought the center forward would explode if they delayed his request to go a second longer.
so there they were, unloading their things at the hotel by eleven, crammed into an uber by twelve and out into the brightly lit streets of the busy city on the hunt for sendou’s kbbq restaurant by one.
finding the restaurant wasn’t the problem, the waiting line was. it didn’t take long for aiku to become restless; a little bored of waiting around for what felt like the same spot for hours at this point. he was sure he had better things to do then listen to sendou and teppei argue about which cut of meat was superior and niou complain about how naoya inoue’s free fight wasn’t up to par like it usually was. after forty long minutes, he called it quits, telling his teammates he would head back to this room because of the jet-lag, a bullshit excuse his teammates saw right through.
“what? you’re leaving? dude, you’re the only one here who speaks fluent english.” a mildly distressed niou hisses, holding onto aiku’s wrist as the chortles and snickers of teppei and sendou don’t go unnoticed.
“relax, just point at whatever you like. you know enough english to get you through an order.” aiku replies coolly, prying off niou’s hand with little effort before shoving his hands in his pockets, giving niou a crooked grin.
“yeah, it’s not that bad, niou,” sendou adds, his attention fixed on a waitress passing by as he shoots her a grin and a wink. “just don’t say anything stupid, the waitresses here are cute, you’d embarrass me.”
niou scoffed, eyebrow twitching in annoyance at the lack of concern from his teammates, “at least i’d be trying to speak english unlike you- wait, come on, aiku, just a few more minutes.” niou pleads, looking back at his captain.
aiku smirks, pulling a hand out of his pocket to clap over the male’s shoulder. “look, you’re gonna be fine, alright? worst case scenario? just nod, say ‘yes’ to everything, and hope for the best. it’s on sendou, anyway.”
“hey!” sendou cuts in, eyebrows furrowed in irritation.
“that’s terrible advice…” niou muttered.
“yeah, well, it works.” aiku called out over his shoulder, slipping in between the crowd of people in line as he walks towards the exit. “enjoy your meal!”
and with that, aiku disappeared out of sight into the chilly night, niou’s exasperated groan, sendou’s grumbles, and teppei’s laughter muffling out behind the closed glass doors.
it doesn’t take long for aiku to find for a bar— one nestled in between a korean tea and medicine shop and an obnoxiously lit karaoke lounge. he’s underage, sure, but hell, who’s going to question him?
he’s got his hands in his pockets when he walks inside the dimly lit bar, greeted by low indie music playing in the background while the heavy smell of smoke fills the air. thankfully it wasn’t crowded; a few people scattered here and there across the booths and barstools, lost in their own conversations.
he slides into an empty seat, ring-adorned knuckles tapping out a quiet rhythm along with the beat of the music against the heavy wood as he scopes the scene silently. a deep hum leaving his lips as he glances up at the bartender, flashing a smile charming enough to melt hearts before leaning in a little closer.
“whiskey sour’s fine, sweetheart.” he murmurs out smoothly, leaning forward against the table to pull out a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket. he’s brings one up to his stubbled lips, lights it with fluid motion, and exhales out through his nose, the smoke swirling lazily into the dim light.
“you know,” aiku calls out, a smug grin tugging at his lips, “if you’re going to keep staring, you might as well say something. thought it was rude to stare around here.”
he scratches idly at his stubbled jaw before tilting his head to the side to take a better look at his little observer. the grin settling into something in between cocky and confident, maybe a bit of both.
split-color eyes land onto your burning face almost immediately, just a second too late as your gaze drops back, suddenly invested to swirling the ice around in your cup.
“oh, come now, don’t be shy. i already caught you, didn’t i? i don’t bite.” aiku coaxes, nodding at the bartender in acknowledgment as he slides his glass around before taking a sip.
“i wasn’t— you… you play for japan, don’t you? i’ve seen you before…” you hesitate before correcting yourself in a rather hushed voice, “on tv, i mean. you play soccer.”
“oh?” aiku raises a brow, slightly intrigued by your response. “you a fan of soccer?”
“not really.. i only watch it here and there…” you admit with embarrassment, letting out a quiet breathy laugh, feeling a lot more self-conscious under the man’s stare.
aiku clicks his tongue, taking another slow gulp of the whiskey sour before turning his body towards you completely, “that’s a shame. would’ve liked to take you to a game or two.”
his heterochromatic eyes drinking in the sight of you with a lazy sort of interest, his head tilting to the side to pull your gaze back into his. he raises his cigarette up to his lips, taking another slow drag, the embers glowing faintly before he exhales.
it gives you an excuse to really get a better look at him. the dark blue sweater that clings to his body in all the right ways. clinging on to his torso just enough to see the light outline at the sculpted definition beneath. his broad shoulders leading down to the firm chest that rises and falls almost too easily with the steady rhythm of his breath. his sleeves have been pushed up just enough to expose his forearms, the muscles shifting from just the slightest movement, the veins on his arms trace down to his large hands, decorated with silver rings that catch upon the dim light perfectly. his jewelry sits just right on his skin— down to the cuban link chain resting upon his prominent collarbone to the chain swaying at his jeans with every shift. everything about the man seemed to work in perfect harmony.
lord have mercy. you just had to look away completely after taking in such a sight, shifting around in your seat in an attempt to regain your composure before glancing back over at the man over to your left. “you.. you, uh, got that one game is coming up, right? over at metlife.”
“ah, look at that. you do know your stuff.” aiku grins, a low chuckle rumbling from his chest as he leans in a little closer, clearly amused at your flustered state and refusing to waste the opportunity to take advantage of it. “alright then, what else do you know about our team? give it a shot.”
well, it wouldn’t exactly hurt to play along either. “well… i know that you guys have some game coming up with some team called blue lock. saw some advertisement for it a while back.” you point out, lifting your glass to your lips.
“oh yeah? not bad, not bad. what else?”
you tilt your head, feigning in deep thought before the words casually slip out, “that you’re too young to be in here— aren’t you 19?”
“i, uh… what?” aiku freezes up, the sheer look of shock and almost confusion at your statement had you fighting back laughter. there’s been a fair amount of times that aiku has froze up in his life; not once did he think someone he was potentially hitting on outing him in a bar would be one of them.
your lips twitched in amusement at the male’s face, gone was the lazy confidence that practically oozed out of the defender, what was left was a man who looked like he had just been hit by the red card. his back suddenly straightened out and drink placed back on the table with a soft clink.
oh, this was cute. too good even. “your team, you’re all under-“
“alright, wait, wait—“ he cuts in, looking around as if a bouncer magically appear out of nowhere. “let’s keep our voices down, yeah? you don’t need to announce that to the whole bar.”
the poor man looks at you with such a look of dejection that you can’t help it— you burst out laughing, any tension from earlier almost melting away. “sorry! i’m sorry!” you manage to laugh out, covering your mouth with your hand. “i swear, i didn’t mean to say that so loud.”
aiku lets out a breathy yet nervous laugh, running his hands through his hair as he shakes his head. “yeah, well, think it’s a little too late for that now. the damage has been done you know— actually, i think you owe me for that one.”
you raise a brow, “i do?”
“oh, absolutely.” he leans in again, chin rested on the palm of his hand as he gives you another lazy grin. “you like karaoke?”
before you can even protest, aiku’s ushering you out of the bar, covering the tab for both of you as he bids a quick ‘good night’ to the bartender. he juts his chin towards the karaoke lounge close by once you two head out.
“you know, i really don’t sing…” you mutter out, your voice trailing off, the words seeming to enter one ear and go out the other.
“that’s fine, that’s fine! give it a shot. your singing voice can’t be too bad,” he gives you a lazy grin, making sure to keep eye contact with you before dropping his voice low enough to make your stomach flip. “besides, i already like the way you sound.” his smile seems to stretch a little wider with knowing. your eyes flicker away, unable to keep contact after such a comment while you hold onto the strap of your bag a little tighter to ground yourself.
it isn’t long before you two are tucked inside of a dimly lit karaoke room, the swirling spotted lights of red, green, and blue dancing across the small space. aiku flips through the song library with the remote while you sit beside him, picking nervously at the peeling leather on the seat.
“what’re we feeling tonight? k-pop? no, hmm… oh, pop? ah, wait— maybe slow rock?”
“oh, come on,” he chuckles out, glancing back at you before leaning back into the seat. his weight dips the cushion, tilting you toward him subtly, his arm casually draped along the back of the leather seat— his hand brushing up against your shoulder before you even take a second to adjust. the smell of his cologne lingers and you swear sticks right onto your hair and skin. the light smell of smoke dulling your senses and leaving your heart a poor mess.
“here, how about this, i pick the genre, you choose the song?”
you swallow, trying to adjust yourself in the seat. “ye… yeah, alright, fine.”
“alright, how aboutttt…” he drags out, lifting the remote up as he scrolls through the various genres on the tv. the tabs of genres blur past before coming to a sudden halt— “soft rock.”
you watch as he scrolls past the songs titles; slow enough for you scan them before you make a choice.
“that one. do you know this song?” you point, glancing over at him warily.
aiku scrolls back one song, his gaze flickering over the title before nodding, “of course! solid song choice.” he hums out in content as he clicks on ‘just the way you are.’ “we’re in new york after all, i mean, you can’t go wrong with billy joel, right?” he laughs out before tossing the remote side and clapping his hands rubbing them in anticipation, “alright, time to sing!” he bends forward to reach for the two microphones on the wooden table that clink against the cold bottles of soju with a soft grunt.
you hesitate, a smile breaking forth from your face at his excitement despite your nerves, “really, i told you, i’m not any good at singing…”
“come on, i’ll sing with you.” he hands you one microphone before resting his elbows against his knees, glancing up at you with an unreadable expression. “hey, how about this— i tell you my name, you tell me yours. that should make this a little less of a daunting experience, yeah? and i’ll sing the first bit for you.”
it nearly knocks the still sir in the lungs at how effortlessly smooth the man is— how aiku basically found a way to pull your name out of you without making it seem like he was prying and that somehow… you were willing to give it to him.
when you gather enough courage to tell him your name, you notice for the first time that night the man doesn’t look you in the eyes. he just sits there and nods in thought, saying your name quietly— testing it under his breath as if he lets it sink in; savoring the way it rolls off his tongue. the he turns over to you and you swear everything you were a jittery mess over seems to dissipate into thin air when he replies softly, “yeah… i like that.”
aiku exhales through his nose, glancing over at the TV before grabbing the remote and pressing play. he rolls his shoulders, settling forward into a much more comfortable position before leaning into the mic, “alright then… i’m a man of my world, so… guess i’m up first.” his eyes flicker back towards the screen as soon as the first notes begin to play.
don’t go changing to try and please me
you never let me down before, mmm ..
out of everything you could’ve expected, this was definitely the last— the usual husky lilt in the captain’s voice fades away as soon as he sings into something practiced and rich. his tone was smooth… low— his experience with karaoke and singing in general was clear. the warmth of his voice wrapping around such gentle lyrics left you with bated breath, your tense muscles melting away into the couch as you just gaze at the man beside you in awe. the way his accent still lingered at the edges of the lyrics made your heart flutter even faster with each second passing by.
don’t imagine you're too familiar
and i don't see you anymore
aiku’s eyes flick towards you as you bring the mic up to your lips, licking them nervously before starting the next two lines, your heart practically pounding out of your ribcage; fingers wrapping tighter around the mic.
i would not leave you in times of trouble
we never could have come this far, mmm ..
the way he looks at you—steady, reassuring, as if he’s coaxing you into easing up—made it easier to let loose, for the words to come out more naturally; each second passing by helping to loosen up your nerves bit by bit.
i took the good times, i’ll take the bad times
your attention flickers back to aiku before you begin to shift around in the seat, the cool leather sticking to your clammy palm before you both instinctively to finish the line together, voices blending together in an unspoken reassurance.
i’ll take you just the way you are.
after a few more soju bottles and a couple more songs, you’ve managed to loosen up— a hell of a lot more. you’re no longer tucked away on the leather seat and singing in a hushed voice. but up and on your feet, swaying slightly to the beat as you feel the beat buzz through your ears and pulse through your wasted veins, singing away without a care.
it doesn’t take long for you start really, well, feeling it. feel everything around you— the buzz of alcohol burning down your throat and into your stomach; settling warmly inside of you. you’re oblivious to the shift in aiku who has been glued to his seat for the past hour, though. how his teasing and singing had died out at some point.
the usual lazy grin plastered on his face was gone. for the first time in forever, oliver aiku is stunned.
maybe it’s the way you look. how the dim, cheap lights flicker over your soft face and cast shadows that seem to perfect shadow your features. how your smile seems impossibly bright in such a dingy room. maybe it’s the way your laugh bubbles up every time you slur out a lyric or miss a beat, stumbling to catch up or correct yourself for messing up the lyrics.
aiku stopped his teasing a long time ago— in fact, he stopped singing too. he was watching. completely enchanted by you. the light flickers across your face when your eyes meet his and for a second his world stops dead in track. the cigarette burns a little lower in his hand, completely forgotten. the usual lazy smile faltering in its track. this felt different.
this wasn’t a feeling aiku had felt before. something inside him twists, deep inside— unwelcome and foreign. he drinks in the sight of you like he wants it to be permanently burned into his wasted brain. for once, aiku doesn’t want to charm you. he doesn’t want to poke fun or make you stumble over your words in flustered excitement over his actions.
aiku wants to be here. with you.
he just quietly watches you. admiring you. he thinks he could honestly die right now a happy man with the smile you managed to give him. his heart hammering out of his chest. what was this? he wasn’t a light drinker— hell, he couldn’t have had that many bottles. the forgotten cigarette burns dangerously low between his shaky fingers, the ash threatening to tip over onto the floor. his whole world managed to somehow narrow down on just you; to the way you gaze over at him, blissfully unaware that you’ve managed to knock the wind out of him.
the song fades to an end, leaving a tense silence between you two. aiku opens his mouth, searching for the words that fail to come out. for once, he doesn’t have his usual smooth comeback, an easy quip, a flirtatious comment. his mouth slowly shuts again as he makes a poor attempt to clear his throat, his eyes still trained on you before opening his mouth again—
only to be interrupted by the sound of an alarm on your phone going off; piercing through the silence and startling you the both out of the trance you’d been left in before you immediately whip your heads down to look at your buzzing phone.
“fuck!” you gasp out, voice slightly hoarse from all the singing as you stumble forward to reach for your jacket. “it’s— it’s late, oh my god. oh.. oh my god, i have work.. i—“
“you got to go?” aiku asks softly, his voice laced with a hint of dejection and reluctance on letting you go already. he slowly runs his fingers through his hair as he presses the cigarette onto the ashtray before standing up and stretching out his long limbs. “here,” he grunts out, pulling out his phone from his back pocket. “i’ll book you an uber. i’d drop you back home myself if i could’ve. this is the least i can do.”
“no, no, you’ve already done so much for me already, i’ll book one myself, i insist.“ you begin to protest as you begin to pick up your bag and belongings, beating him to it as you pull out your phone to book the uber.
usually, aiku wouldn’t have stood for that. he would’ve playfully insisted— maybe through teasing you, snatching your phone away, or booking the ride faster in the end. aiku always won. he always had it his way, one way or another.
but this time, he’s still.
he just watches you, eyes never leaving your face as his hand falls to his side. all he could do was stand there in a daze, caught up at the way your eyebrows were furrowed in thought, the way you mumble out under your breath about the shitty internet while struggling to input your address. it wasn’t anything special, it was ordinary, yet— he can’t pull himself away.
after settling the bill, aiku holds out the door for you, ushering you out. the city life buzzed all around you both with laughter and car horns, distant conversations— creating a comforting atmosphere that’s wrapped around you both. he’s all ears when you begin to chat about the city’s landmarks, your weary voice still tinged with excitement despite the late hour. he wanted to keep you here. with him. just for a little longer. to listen to your voice, to watch the way you took a moment to pause to take a breath or to lick at your lips before continuing. he drinks in every detail selfishly, greedily consuming each action as if committing them to memory will somehow make them last longer.
it isn’t long before the uber arrives. he pulls open the car door before glancing back at him. his heart stops again, throat closing in itself as he gives you his usual smile, his eyes flickering down to every feature of your face. he grips the car handle a little tighter, unsure to close it or keep it open for just a second longer.
but then you speak first.
“this… this was fun. i, uh, i had great time tonight. thank you, aiku.”
you said his name. you said his name and he swears it’s never sounded prettier. he has to swallow down the lump against his throat before replying.
“yeah, me too.” he tilts his head to get a better look at you, the corner of his mouths twitching up. “try not to miss me too much. get home safe, yeah? night.”
his words are playful— effortless like always. yet, hiding something else behind them. his voice a little softer and lower, almost quieter, like a part of him almost hopes you will. you scoff, shaking your head, amused at how the man always managed to keep up his teasing until the very end. he steps back, shutting the door and watching the car slips off into the stream of headlights ahead. aiku stands still on the cracked curb, hands in his pockets as the wind cuts through his hair. it stings. sharp and sudden just like the realization that hits him like a ton of bricks later:
he doesn’t have your number.
his head dropping in defeat as he lets out a breathy laugh of total disbelief at how stupid it was. how someone like him had managed to stray away from something so simple. of all the ways this could’ve ended—
how the hell is he supposed to find you again?
ᣟ៹ ❤︎៝ : oh my gawd .. this took A LOT longer to post n for some reason i don’t like the way i wrote the ending ughh :[ BUT I MISSED YOU GUYS SMMM i am so sorry this took so long!! i genuinely thought i’d be able to finish this in a week bye omg i had billy joel, dean, n yoshii lovinson on repeat really tried to get into that aiku mindset. i hope i wrote him well .. kind of ooc just a little but still he’s sm more fun to write than i thought. i will get better trust!! but let me know what you guys think!! i have break next week so i should be more active! i have so many assignments to do though until then pls not excited .. Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑) but it’s okay everything will work out pls i hope you guys are doing well i love you all smsmsmsm <3 i hope you enjoyed this mess n i am so sorry again for the delay ..