Sae Itoshi x childhood bsf!reader fluff
The last time you and Sae Itoshi had spoken properly, you were twelve.
Back then, you spent almost every day together.
You lived only a few streets away from him, so it wasn't unusual for people to see the two of you walking around town after school. You were always arguing over something silly.
Who ran faster.
Who was better at soccer.
Who got the bigger popsicle.
Who cheated during races.
The answer to the last one was usually Sae. At least according to you.
According to Sae, he was simply "too talented to lose."
Which always made you throw something at him.
A leaf. A tennis ball. One time, an entire shoe.
Sae wasn't very social as a child.
He didn't like talking to most people.
He found most conversations boring.
But with you, it was different.
Talking to you was easy. You weren't intimidated by him.
You didn't care that he was the best player in your age group.
You treated him like a normal kid.
Actually, you treated him worse than everyone else.
And somehow, Sae liked that.
Every afternoon, the two of you met at the park.
Sae would bring a soccer ball.
You would bring snacks.
You'd spend hours together.
Sometimes playing soccer until sunset.
Sometimes sitting on the swings talking about your dreams.
You wanted to travel the world.
Sae wanted to become the world's best striker.
Not one of the best.
The best.
"I'll see you on TV one day," you told him once.
The two of you were sitting on top of a jungle gym, watching the sky turn orange.
Sae didn't even hesitate.
"Obviously."
You laughed.
"You're so full of yourself."
"I'm just right."
"Promise you won't forget me when you're famous."
For once, there was no arrogance in his voice.
"I won't."
At twelve years old, he genuinely meant it.
But dreams have a way of changing people.
As Sae grew older, soccer became everything.
Training.
Matches.
Improvement.
Winning.
His goal consumed more and more of his life.
Then came bigger opportunities.
Stronger competition.
The chance to play overseas.
The chance to become something extraordinary.
And Sae took it.
Without looking back.
At first, the two of you still talked.
Texts every few days.
Then every few weeks.
Then birthdays only.
Then nothing.
No fight.
No dramatic goodbye.
Just distance.
The kind that quietly grows until years have passed.
You missed him sometimes.
Especially when articles about him appeared online.
Interviews.
Highlights.
Photos.
The world got to watch Sae grow up.
Meanwhile, all you had were old memories.
The stubborn boy who stole your snacks.
The boy who claimed he could beat anyone.
The boy who promised he wouldn't forget you.
Years later, you found yourself sitting in the stands during the Blue Lock versus Japan U-20 match.
The stadium buzzed with excitement.
Thousands of fans filled every seat.
People screamed at every play.
The atmosphere was electric.
When Sae stepped onto the field, the crowd erupted.
And you found yourself staring.
It had been years since you'd seen him in person.
Seeing him on television had not prepared you at all.
He looked different.
Taller.
Broader.
More mature.
His features had sharpened.
His movements were confident and effortless.
Every touch of the ball looked perfect.
He looked exactly like the kind of player everyone admired.
Yet every now and then, you'd catch a glimpse of something familiar.
A small expression.
A certain look in his eyes.
And suddenly you'd see the twelve-year-old boy you once knew.
The match eventually ended.
The crowd slowly began leaving.
Fans chatted excitedly as they headed toward the exits.
You stayed behind for a few extra minutes.
Part of you didn't want the night to end.
Eventually, you stood and made your way toward a railing near the tunnel.
Checking your phone, you didn't notice someone staring at you from below.
Sae was walking through the tunnel with several staff members.
People were congratulating him.
Asking questions.
Trying to get his attention.
He barely listened.
Then his eyes drifted upward.
And everything stopped.
At first, he thought he was mistaken.
Because there was no way.
No way after all these years.
Yet there you were.
Standing only a short distance away.
His feet stopped moving.
The staff around him continued walking before realizing he'd frozen.
"Sae?"
No response.
His heart was beating strangely.
A feeling he couldn't identify.
Something unfamiliar.
Something he hadn't felt in years.
Because the little girl from his memories wasn't there anymore.
The girl with messy hair and scraped knees had grown up.
The girl who used to laugh whenever he lost his temper.
The girl who knew him before anyone else did.
You looked beautiful.
Not because of fancy clothes.
Not because you were trying to impress anyone.
You just were.
Effortlessly.
And for the first time in a very long time, Sae completely forgot about soccer.
You looked up.
Your eyes met.
And suddenly all those years disappeared.
Neither of you moved.
Neither of you spoke.
The noise around you faded.
It felt like the entire stadium disappeared.
Leaving only the two of you.
Then you smiled.
The exact same smile.
The one he remembered instantly.
The one that hadn't changed at all.
And something inside his chest tightened.
"Hi, Sae."
Your voice hit him harder than he expected.
Because he remembered it.
Every bit of it.
"Hi."
It was all he managed.
Which annoyed him immediately.
Because Sae Itoshi was never speechless.
Except apparently now.
You laughed.
A sound he'd forgotten he missed.
"That's all?"
Sae rubbed the back of his neck.
A rare sign of nervousness.
"I didn't think I'd see you again."
The moment he said it, he realized it was true.
"Neither did I."
For a second, the two of you simply looked at each other.
Trying to process how much had changed.
And how much hadn't.
"You became famous."
"I know."
You groaned.
"Oh my god."
"What?"
"You're still impossible."
A tiny smile tugged at the corner of Sae's mouth.
You pointed immediately.
"There it is."
"What?"
"That smile."
Sae blinked.
"What about it?"
"You only do it when you're happy."
The words hit harder than they should have.
Because you remembered.
After all these years.
You remembered things nobody else noticed.
Not reporters.
Not fans.
Not teammates.
You.
For the first time that night, Sae genuinely smiled.
And you stared for a moment.
Because you'd almost forgotten how handsome he looked when he did.
Neither of you noticed the growing group of Blue Lock players watching from nearby.
Or the fact that several of them looked completely shocked.
Because Sae Itoshi—
The coldest person any of them knew—
Was smiling.
At a girl.
At her.
The childhood best friend he hadn't seen in years.
And as he watched her laugh beside him, Sae couldn't stop thinking about one thing.
Losing contact with her might have been the biggest mistake he'd ever made.
And for perhaps the first time since childhood, Sae wanted something that had nothing to do with football.
He wanted another chance with her.