a/n: my freaking baby omg i love this man so much its NOT EVEN FUNNY.
this is in celebration of me bingeing (is that how u spell it idk) the bllk manga and officially being caught up!!! and also justice for my rin bruh i get why he was benched but like 😔 'rin icantdoshi'
the title btw comes from a really beautiful poem called "somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond" by e.e. cummings!
also look new banner for a new fandom im writing for!!! feel free to send in blue lock requests now :DDD
summary: your boyfriend has an interest in eyes, and you start being able to see it in so many different areas of your relationship.
it wasn't very well known, but rin had always had an interest in eyes. his own sharp, unamused teal ones with his infamous, unfairly long bottom lashes were iconic, of course, but he himself always had a fixation with more than just his own eyes.
as his girlfriend for over a year now, you'd been noticing it more and more. for example, when you'd visited a zoo, rin had looked mildly unimpressed by nearly everything- except the owls. he'd tilted his head slightly, watching the birds' intently.
"...i like their eyes," he'd admitted quietly to you a couple seconds later. "they seem so focused."
you'd smiled at that, glancing up at him. "are they your favorite animals?"
he nodded, just once, but you swore you could see the slightest smile play on his lips. you'd never say it to his face, but he was adorable when he looked so focused on something other than soccer.
another time, you'd gone to the convenience store, and when you'd texted rin about what he wanted, he'd simply replied: "eye masks. the warm ones. please."
that was one of the probably 3 total times you'd seen him say please over text.
so indeed, you'd made sure to buy those eye masks, along with his favorite food, chazuke. and the look on his face when you'd handed him those two items? absolutely precious. he still didn't enjoy verbalizing his emotions, but his eyes told you everything he didn't say out loud.
on the topic of things he didn't like doing, it was asking for help. the man would rather pass out than admit weakness in front of someone else. even you.
but late nights and exhaustion had a way of bringing down even the highest of emotional walls, which was why when he walked up to you, refusing to make eye contact and quietly asking, "can you help me wash my face?", you had to say yes.
so in seconds, the two of you were in front of the sink, warm water steadily running as you dabbed gently at his eyes with a damp cloth. "the temperature's alright?" he nodded wordlessly, and you could see the tension in his shoulders dissolve ever so slightly.
he'd mentioned briefly before that he always washed his eyes first when taking a bath, but he didn't enjoy having to do all of that blindly and by himself. you were certain he was enjoying himself right now.
that night, he'd gone to bed... happy. and with very clean, comfortable eyes that were covered by the warm sleeping mask you'd bought for him. that seemed to be a recurring theme ever since he'd met you that fateful day.
ironically enough, his first impression of you had been that you had pretty eyes. he liked the way they would so clearly communicate everything you were thinking. he liked how they'd shine when you talked about something you were passionate about. he liked how they looked at him as though he was just... a human. not some ruthless soccer player or a failure of a younger brother. just as rin itoshi, the boy who you would soon end up loving more than anyone in the world.
because of all of that, rin craved eye contact with you. even if it was something as small as saying 'i love you' before going to bed, you made sure he could see the way your eyes softened as you said those 3 words. after a match, no matter how proud or frustrated he was with himself, you made sure he could look into your eyes and know that there was nothing there but love for him.
similarly, your favorite sight was quickly becoming those wide, hopeful eyes that rin gave you every so often. the first time you'd seen them was when you'd suggested a horror movie binge watch. the second time had been when you'd remembered his birthday and sent him a cake even though he was miles away from you.
and from then onwards, you'd started seeing it anytime you complimented him. you knew it wasn't easy for him to be so open about that pure, childlike hope and joy of his, but day by day, he grew more comfortable about sharing it with you. you'd never been one for very cliché sayings, but if dating rin could be summed up in one, it would be that the eyes truly were the window to the soul.
goodness me i need someone to teach me how to end my fics properly
