୨୧ — 糸師 冴 𐚁 ₊˚ʚ Sae never expected to fall so hard for someone ᧓
————
Practice ran late tonight, the constant drills and football exhausting his aching body.
The digital clock illuminates 11:24 in the darkness of your shared bedroom—in your empty shared bed. You wrap the duvet around your body, hoping to shield you from the cold side where sae is yet to lay.
You sigh, burying your face into his pillow, a mix of longing and drowsiness coursing through you as you fight to remain conscious.
Sae closes the front door with a soft click, already predicting your state in bed. He pads up towards the bedroom, damp bangs sticking to his forehead from his shower at practice.
Quietly slipping into the dim room, he spots your figure curled up, holding his hoodie in replica of him. His eyes soften at the sight, only slightly, but just enough that you would always notice.
His shirt gets tossed carelessly onto the floor, revealing his toned figure from years of ruthless training— to be the best of the best.
You stir as a pair of muscular arms wrap around you waist, pulling your body snug against his. The familiar scent of his cologne fills your nostrils, causing you to instinctively burrow your face into his neck with a groan.
“Did i wake you?” he whispers, pressing the lightest of kisses to your head, carefully not to completely wake you from your sleepy state.
“mm…no, you’re late….” you mumble, one hand coming up to rest on his solid chest.
He huffs softly in annoyance, not from you, but rather from himself. “i know.” he rubs your scalp in an attempt at soothing you from his absence, as if to make up for not being there. “i’m here now. Go back to sleep, yeah?”
You hum softly, already beginning to fade back into a deep slumber. “hm, love you…”
His hand pauses momentarily, then he presses a chaste kiss to your forehead. “…love you too, baby.”
Falling in love wasn’t in Sae’s plan, but he’s glad he did.
————
・ ꪖ/n - i was planning on writing my requests since i was writing this on a plane but my stupid ass forgot i had no connection so i couldn’t see the requests ☹️✌️heading to my hotel as we speakkk
PREMISE: There must be a guy out there that understands a woman's heart just a little! And your boyfriend might just be that with a small exception ; how a habit of theirs gets the both of you into a silly scandal!
wordcount: 3.2k (around 1k for each) | content & warnings: reader is referred to as "girlfriend" + usage of she/her pronouns, reader owns a purse, crackfick, teasing, joking, banter ; headcanons followed by scenarios
AUTHOR'S NOTE: love options is trending and rightfully so. its so catchy
RIN ITOSHI | 糸師凛
When you first started dating Rin was pretty new to all the relationship stuff.
He’d be awkward during physical affection. Quite literally stiffening when you’d hug him as a greeting. You think that even holding hands might have been too much for Rin at first, but over time as the two of you spent more time with each other and got more used to each other, Rin warmed up to you.
Still there were some habits of your early relationship phase that transcended over to your current relationship. Whenever Rin didn’t know how to behave around you, but still wanted to show you affection, he always insisted on carrying your purse.
Honestly, it was pretty cute. When you’d bring it, teasingly, Rin would just scoff and tell you not to bother with such lukewarm things, but it slowly turned into a habit. It was a gesture that made Rin show his love for you without having to verbally express it.
You didn’t even have to ask, Rin would always hold your purse. Whether that be on dates, on the way to the grocery store or to practice games. Rin would never let you carry it—he’d rather be a dead man. Seriously you’d have your purse slouched over your shoulder and he’d give you a stare that practically said “over my dead body.”
Now that you think about it, Rin was kind of like a puppy that would get territorial over their favourite toy—not that you’d ever tell Rin. Who would carry your purse then? Honestly, it’d still be him (who else?), because he can’t stand the thought of you thinking him as unreliable.
You can’t help but think that it also is some kind of an ego thing for Rin—having you rely on him makes him feel like a good boyfriend who’s able to take care of you. And honestly? It was really endearing, so you just continued to let him hold your purse.
There wasn’t ever an occasion where you’d have to carry your purse alone, at least not if Rin was around. But when the chance was given you took it, just to see how Rin would react.
Date night with Rin was something you'd always look forward to, this time especially. When the both of you decide to leave to go home you take your purse and slip it onto your arm. Normally Rin would take your purse to hold it for you, he’d never admit it but he’d be offended if you wouldn’t let him help you, so his reaction is no wonder.
“Stop that right now.” grumbles under his breath, his eyebrows furrowing together in irritation. “What?” You hum, pretending to be oblivious. “That.” His eyes drift downwards to where your purse rests in your arm. “What’s wrong with my arm?” You ask in disbelief and Rin just groans in annoyance. He most likely caught up to your scheme and you have to bite the inside of your cheek to refrain from laughing. “You know what I mean.” Acting confused by his words you tilt your head to the side. “Enlighten me.”
Rin practically yanks the purse off your arm and you tumble back against your seat, the cushioned material softening your fall. “Someone’s in a foul mood.” You joke and give him a knowing look. “It’s enough.” He remarks and you can’t help but frown playfully. “But Rin, it’s not even that heavy. Like seriously, it’s not a lot.” Your boyfriend's last thread of patience starts to loosen. “No more of this.” He says flatly and the corners of your mouth start to twitch.
Before you can drop the act, one of the servers comes up to your table.“Miss, are you alright?” You know you can order as much as you like. It’s on the house then.” It’s only then that you notice that the people around you are staring at Rin and you. They’re whispering and exchanging worried glances among each other. However when Rin gives them a dirty look they turn their heads away quickly and continue to poke around in their food.
Mental note to yourself: Rin’s PR team works hard, but the press works harder.
RIN ITOSHI SEEN ARGUING WITH GIRLFRIEND IN PUBLIC? THE YOUNG FOOTBALL PRODIGY HAS SUPPOSEDLY FAT-SHAMED HIS GIRLFRIEND FOR ORDERING TOO MUCH FOOD TELLS US A TRUSTED SOURCE: CLICK HERE TO READ MORE !
The both of you are already lying in bed, his arm resting over your waist. Distracted by the game he’s analysing before going to sleep, Rin doesn't notice the article you're reading.
Only when he hears you laugh does he lower the volume of the TV a little before facing you. You show him the article and put a hand over your mouth, muffling your laugh—it’s obvious that you find it quite hilarious.
Rin doesn't even need to read the whole article, the title alone is enough to piss him off. He grabs one of the pillows before softly tossing them at you and your laughter continues.
“What’s so funny about that anyway.” You just shake your head, cheeks hurting from how much you were laughing. “Tsk.” Rin grabs your phone and turns it off before putting it on the nightstand. “These lukewarm losers don’t even know what they’re talking about.” You swat his arm away before sitting up. “Oh, so you’re not even denying it?” There’s a tilt of teasing to your words and Rin rolls his eyes. “Only idiots would care about something like that.”
He pulls you into his embrace and you melt into him. “I’d never do that shit. What you eat is the least of my concerns and I know you can take care of yourself, so eat what you want.” It was rare for Rin to be this expressive and you can’t help but grin in happiness. “But, you like taking care of me.” You remind him before pressing a chaste kiss to the underside of his jaw. “Yeah, so let me carry your purse next time.” He nuzzles his face into the crown of your head and you simply hum in agreement.
“Gotcha.”
NAGI SEISHIRO | 凪誠士郎
When your boyfriend would stay over at your place, he’d use your expensive hair products, not to mention A LOT of it. However you’d always accentuate how it’s an exception that he gets to use them.
If you were to ever catch him using it without your permission you’ll start throwing hands at him.
But he didn’t stop. He said it was a hassle to bring his own shampoo and that he likes your smell, so what?
It got worse when you moved in together, to the point where you had to hide your shampoo in your room, your conditioner somewhere in the depths of the bathroom drawers that Seishiro and you never really bothered to clean and your hair mask was hidden somewhere in between the folded towels.
Luckily for you, that seemed to do the trick, because after that he’d no longer smell like whipped vanilla and soft cashmere.
Admittedly, him using your products because of their price wasn’t the only reason, the other and actually real one, was that for some reason the products smelled better on him than they ever did on you??? You doubt that Nagi would even care that much if you’d told him that, however it was very much a BIG deal for you.
After all, you can’t have your boyfriend smelling better than you, right??? Especially if you share the same products!
Summer was unbearable, but so was winter. A few months ago you wished that summer would come sooner and now that it’s here you should’ve just lived in the freezing cold for a little longer. With that knowledge you dragged your boyfriend outside to enjoy the last bits of summer as long as you can.
There wasn’t really something you had in mind, but as you took a stroll around your local park you saw an ice cream vendor and just couldn’t resist yourself. Plus points because it also helped you cool off.
Walking hand in hand with Seishiro was comforting and warm, actually, maybe a bit too warm, but you didn’t mind. When Nagi lets go of your hand to throw away the stick of his icicle in the nearby trashcan you notice a leaf stuck to his snowy hair.
“Sei, you have something in your hair.” You mention, eyes glinting with curiosity as you glance up at him. He doesn’t even have to ask what your intentions are, just hums and bends down in compliance for you to remove it. Amused by his adherence, you reach forward to pick the leaf out of his hair, by doing so catching a whiff of his shampoo.
He smelled good. Really sweet and cozy, like a scent you could get used to. Matter of fact—where have you smelled that familiar scent before? And that's when it hit you—
“Seishiro!” You yell, dumbfounded by what he’s done. Eyes widening in shock and slightly backing away from him to create distance. “What?” Your boyfriend shakes his head to clear it of any further plants that could somehow have gotten stuck in his hair. “Which shampoo did you use?” You ask cautiously, eyes narrowing to scrutinize his face. To your dismay, he doesn’t show much of a reaction besides a simple shrug of the shoulders.“I dunno, I just grabbed the first battle I got my hands onto.” He says and cocks an eyebrow at you. “Why do you ask?”
“Oh my God.” You whisper more to yourself than him. His response hits you like a truck, because how could you have been so clumsy? The other day you were so caught up with your everything-shower you forgot to hide all your products afterwards. That’s how Seishiro must have gotten his hands on your shampoo. “Do you understand the gravity of the situation?” You step forward on your tip toes and put your hands on his shoulders—well, barely—to get him to look at you. “You’re confusing me.” He simply says, face blank and question marks comically popping up all over his head.
“Seishiro.” You practically groan in frustration before face palming yourself. Left in the dark, your boyfriend just stands there in confusion.
As soon as you got home you took a shower, firstly because you wanted to check how much of your product was left and secondly because this heat was unbearable. When you were done you tucked the products away in their usual hiding spots, before going into the living room where Seishiro already sat on the sofa. With how focused he looked you didn’t even have to guess what he was doing and as you glanced over to the TV your suspicions were confirmed. Once again he was immersed in playing video games. Cute.
He doesn’t take his eyes off the screen, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t notice your presence. “You got a message while in the shower.” He nods at your phone that lays on the coffee table in front of him and you can’t help but smile. As if on instinct, Seishiro moves to make space for you on the sofa, despite there being plenty. He always enjoyed having you near him, no matter where he was or what he was doing. “It’s from Reo.” You say and Seishiro hums to let you know that he’s listening.
What could Reo possibly want from you? You unlock your phone with one hand as the other continues to pat dry your hair with the towel.
Opening your unread messages, you see that Reo has sent you a link. Beneath it was a message of his own. His message reads: “i told him to drop the 3 in 1 shampoo smh” Curious about the meaning of his words you open the link and whatever you were expecting certainly wasn’t that.
SEISHIRO NAGI REEKS! SPOTTED OUTSIDE WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND THE FOOTBALL PLAYER APPEARS CONFUSED WHEN HIS GIRLFRIEND LOOKS DISGUSTED AS SHE SMELLS HIS HAIR! INTERESTED? FIND MORE HERE!
The noise from the screen dies down, a sign that Seishiro has stopped playing. Luckily for you your hair shields you from his view point, hiding the big smile that’s plastered on your face. Without any comment you show him the article, in response to seeing it, he simply sighs.
“I don’t reek.” Seishiro groans, pulls you onto his lap and nuzzles his face into the crook of your neck. “Yeah, that better be the case, especially when you’re using my products.” You scoff before slithering your arms around his waist, your face pressed against his chest and inhaling his scent.
SAE ITOSHI | 糸師冴
Sae never really understood the purpose of social media, but he wasn’t one to spoil your fun and still listened to your ramblings about how you didn’t know which picture to choose to post on your story
When he told you that “you look the same” on each of them you got mad at him and slapped his shoulder
Due to his poor wording he had to repeat his words, what he actually meant was that you looked pretty in every picture, so it shouldn’t really matter which one you post
However, posting yourself was one thing. Posting Sae was a whole new universe, because no one ever believed that you were really dating Sae
Why? Oh, simple. Sae lets all his social media accounts be managed by his PR team which meant that he never likes your stories, posts or reposts any of the stories that you tag him in
To make things better: he didn’t even follow you—Sae’s PR team removed all his following which just made you look like A) a parasocial and obsessive fan with stalker like tendencies or B) a neglected girlfriend that needs to be pitied, because her boyfriend gives her the cold shoulder
Both weren’t true, at least partially. Firstly, you and Sae have been together for a long time and also made public appearances together, secondly, Sae was a great boyfriend, well, with the exception that he doesn’t follow you, likes your stories or reposts them—yes, you’re bitter about that, so maybe the rumors aren’t that wrong. (They are.)
However, some people would always read too much into things and would stir up drama or maybe they were aware and just wanted to create drama for the fun of it—whatever the reason it didn’t quite help your and Sae’s predicament. His PR basically rubbed more salt into the wound, by reposting a post of a sports event Sae recently attended. Coincidentally both Sae and a rising female football player were in the photo together.
Usually this wouldn’t be a problem, if it weren’t for the fact that said athlete had expressed her interest towards Sae in a recent interview. She made it clear that she admired him and looked up to him, but somehow fans decided to twist her words and internet rumors started to circulate.
Of course, his fans thought that Sae reposted the post and was secretly hinting at something. When it was in fact his PR team that messed up and should’ve done their research better. After all, there had always been a few fans who joked about how Sae didn’t even follow you, unfortunately this joke quickly snowballed into an internet debate whether Sae was cheating on you or not and just soft launched his new partner.
People started bashing Sae for being a disloyal asshole, then there were people who pointed out that it was so obvious that you and Sae broke up, others speculated that maybe Sae and you were maybe never dating to begin with, you just played with his feelings and that Sae deserved better—it took some time and nerve for you to ignore that comment. However there were also comments that said that you deserved better which did make up for it. You liked them on your private account for the sole reason of pissing Sae off.
Safe to say, the post didn't make it better and his PR team was now cleaning up after the mess they caused, deleting the story and going as far as releasing a statement. But what’s posted on the internet, stays on the internet forever. It didn’t take long for the first posts to appear, evidenced by screenshots, interactions in public and other stupid things people were trying to take apart and nitpick.
The two of you had just finished dinner, you were sitting at the dining table, enjoying a glass of Kombucha, while Sae was in the kitchen rinsing the dishes. You were just mindlessly scrolling around until an article pops up on your feed and it immediately catches your interest.
SAE ITOSHI CAUGHT CHEATING? GOING FROM A FOOTBALL PLAYER TO A PLAYER ! UNLOYAL TO HIS COUNTRY AND GIRLFRIEND !!! FOR THE FULL ARTICLE WITH PROOF CLICK HERE! SUBSCRIBE TO GET AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FROM YOUNGER ITOSHI BROTHER, RIN ITOSHI AND HIS THOUGHTS!
As you read the last sentence you can’t help but laugh, choking on the Kombucha while doing so. You can’t believe that they even dragged Rin into this. Upon hearing the sound of your coughing, Sae rushes over to your side to check up on you, only to find you smirking and giving him a smug look that indicates trouble. He’s furrowing his eyebrows and asks. “What is it this time?” You don’t answer him, all you do is show him your phone and the rest is for him to figure out. (Not like it’s hard.)
Instead of showing him the article, you show him your story that’s uploading right now. Sae squints his eyes together to make out what the text on your story says, although he wishes he didn’t.
Your newly posted story shows the article you’ve read. To make matters worse—much worse for Sae—you tagged his account and wrote “This is how I find out???” Obviously meant as sarcasm, but he’s sure that some of these delusional reporters and journalists will use your story to create some other shitty article.
“Delete that.” He says plainly, not asking, but demanding. You just shake your head and give him a playful smile. “Nah, let’s wait. Maybe a new article will emerge from this. Best believe I’m gonna repost that too.” Just like he expected. Sae pinches his nosebridge in annoyance, before stealing your phone out of your hand to delete the story on his own.
He doesn’t say anything as he takes out his phone from the pockets of his pants. Without a warning he grabs your hand and puts it onto the dining table, his right next to it. With a precision only Sae could achieve, he takes a meticulous photo. No—not just an ordinary one, the photo is clearly supposed to point at the matching promise rings you and Sae wear. The photo goes straight to his story and you laugh.
It’s quite endearing. You brought up the idea of promise rings a few months ago because you saw a cute pair at your favourite jeweler. What you didn’t plan on was Sae taking your idea so seriously and going as far as ordering customized rings. They were quite simple, but you liked them a lot.
As he finished uploading his story you decide to tease Sae. “People are gonna think we’re engaged now.” You laugh, amused how this situation turned out. “We’ll be soon anyway.” he says nonchalantly before walking away towards the bathroom and you take a moment to register his words. He already locked the door when you were fully able to comprehend his words. Unfortunately, you can’t help the blush that creeps up onto your face and spreads faster than a wildfire.
is the blue lock fandom alive bc a vision just came to me where it’s a sae itoshi x reader and you just graduated highschool and you go to spain for the summer and he’s your summer love…👀👀👀
Sae Itoshi entirely repulsed by anything he deems "lukewarm," superficial, or weak. despises those who put on fake personas or act helpless. that's what the media would say, and they believe he wouldn’t ever be seen having a mutual connection with anyone.
But the media doesn't know the truth, because Sae Itoshi's love manifest towards you in subtle, fiercely protective ways. Sae would never utter a single word of praise for the cute things you buy, but his actions speak a different language entirely. Sae who would hold your plushies in his lap without any hint of complaints, and who—in a gesture that would shock anyone familiar with his rigid preferences—now walks around with a cute keychain permanently clipped to his sports bag.
Sae knows you and he knows who you truly are behind your mask. your playfulness wasn't a sign of weakness the real you is the only one he allows himself to see. And he treats those private moments as something incredibly fragile protecting you from the stressful demands of the outside world so you can just be your self around him.
[1.2k]
Pairing | Sae Itoshi x fem!reader
Summary | Y/n needed a little reassurance on why Sae liked her so much in the first place.
Warnings | Fluff, little angst w/comfort, ooc Sae most likely.
Authors Note | My Blue Lock debut fic!! So, I apologise if it's blegh, I'll get there!! Sae and reader are referenced to be into their early-20s ish. Thank you for reading!!
She didn't know exactly why Sae liked her so much, he'd never explicitly said it aloud. Then again, Sae didn't say a lot aloud and sometimes that was his biggest downfall, especially in his relationship. He'd never explained why he personally chose her to be his assistant, one minute she started her internship and the next, when it was over, she got the call. But Sae never told her why. No one did.
As the sun set over the city, dusk fell leisurely with orange skies slumbering into lavenders and navy, the streetlights becoming beautiful constellations close to the busy streets of Madrid below. She leaned against the balcony railing, the details old and rusting but held the perfect view to people watch and lose herself in her thoughts.
Why her? She thought her internship a year ago was mediocre at best, despite trying so hard to keep up and understand Sae. She truly believed he'd just make her do the dirty work: carry his stuff, bring him what he asked on top of the admin roles but instead, she didn't do half of that. Admin, yet he'd engaged frequently with her about football and data, as if he'd known her eye for the details and stats, the analysis. Yet she never felt as if she were on par with the other interns. And he still called her back for a permanent role.
The relationship came after. And that was no one's business.
Sae hadn't heard her voice in hours, hadn't listened to her speak, heard her hum, hadn't even heard her phone play TikTok at an unpleasant volume. He began to think she'd left completely until he peeled his eyes away from the TV.
'Fuck’, he thought. He promised he'd cut back on the game analysis. Spend more down time with her.
He turned the TV off and exhaled, rubbing his face in his hands before standing up from the sofa, following the breeze and floating curtains across the room, the balcony door slightly ajar, only letting a faint sound of the nightlife seep through. There she stood, with her back to him, beautiful as the day he'd met her. His feet padded over, silently, strong arms winding around her waist and pressing his chest to her back, head leaning against hers in a brief silence, feeling her body relax into his and head descend back to Earth and the present. He always knew when she was thinking. The balcony was always the escape.
“Come inside, mi amor.” He mumbled, voice deep and rumbly from sitting in silence for so long. “Us time, I promise.”
She turned her head slightly, her eyes meeting his. They always looked perpetually disinterested, but they seemed to soften when he looked at her, and if she looked long enough, she could see them glimmer under the rising moonlight.
“Why me?” She whispered, sombre.
His arms tightened, “Why you what?”
“Why did you pick me for the job? I was, as you say, lukewarm.”
“Mm, not really.” He pressed his lips to her cheek, placing a kiss, “Out of all the interns that showed up, you were the only one who kept up. Still are.”
Silence fell as she thought about his answers.
He continued softly, “Then I fell in love with you.”
Sae Itoshi had never said those words before. He'd never said the word ‘love’ aloud. He'd never actually told her that he loved her until that very moment when she needed it the most. Sae was picky when it came to people, and the fact he'd chosen her had others burning with jealousy.
Her eyes widened slightly hearing the words fall off his tongue, her heart almost stopping before skipping a beat. She managed to turn in his arms, facing him with her hands cupping his jaw, the breeze light in their hair. His gaze remained locked on her, still that slightly bit softer than usual and searching her for something in response. His hands squeezed her waist and a fuzzy, yet warm tingling ran through her nerves and embraced her whole.
"And you fell in love with me…” she whispered, echoing his words, thumb caressing over his cheeks, the skin soft and cool under her touch, “And what made you fall in love with me?”
Sae exhaled and almost felt frustrated for a second - almost. But he understood now the effect the media and gossip impact others, even if it didn't impact him. So, he pulled her close instead, fingers peeking under her tank top and rubbing small, soothing circles on her lower back.
“Cariño, is this about the tabloids again? You know they're pathetic.” Sae asked, his brows furrowing slightly yet he kept his voice calm, “What's with the sudden questions? Who-”
He never got to finish his sentence, she'd already pressed her lips to his firmly, pulling him down and feeling him hum into the kiss. His fingers paused, now his palms grasped her waist and caressed along the natural shape, melting into her kiss easily as the outside buzz seemed to soften, their attention concentrated on each other. She let the feelings of his palms on her body awaken a heavenly bliss to bloom through her chest and stomach, let his comfort and company lighten the weight off her shoulders.
She pulled away, smiling a little, “It's not about those. I just wonder since you don't tell me these things. Promise. Sometimes I just need reassurance.”
Nodding gently, Sae's hands moved to hold hers, slowly guiding her back inside, feet padding along the cool wooden floor until he sat back on the sofa, bringing her to straddle his lap and into his chest. Taking her hands in his, he pressed soft kisses to her knuckles before looping her arms around his shoulders, his own hands finding her thighs.
He sank back into the cushions, hands running along her skin, admiring how the remaining light glimmered over her face, giving her an ethereal glow.
“You're interesting and I like your personality. Not too loud, not too quiet, you teach me about things other than football, even if they're kinda stupid and, I don't know, I think we click.” He tried to explain with his usual flat tone, listing more things he adored about her, but she knew underneath he was smiling, since he claimed to do that on the inside. "And I think you're beautiful."
Smiling had never come so easy until he came out of his shell with her, a state of serenity clearing her once fogged brain caught up in way too many thoughts. Her nails gently scratched the hair on his nape as she watched his chest slowly rise and fall, his heartbeat falling into a calm rhythm that matched hers, her touch worth more than the jewellery he'd bought her around her neck.
Sae never talked too much but in those chosen moments when he did it felt special, meaningful.
regular in the sense that he didn’t do much or more like he didn’t have to do much to excel in what he wanted.
regular in the fact that he was just good at soccer, just perfect at reading the field and was amazing at honing his skills to improve even without trying.
he was born that way. others will just have to deal with it.
in his schedule nothing was because it was needed. he got up for practice because it was scheduled, he cleaned because he wanted to and he didn’t like dust, he did the bonding exercises to shut up his coach on the days he had enough patience to go through with it.
he played soccer because he was the best…and because he loved it, there’s no doubt about that.
but he was meticulous about one exact thing.
and that was his health.
he had meal plans, time took carefully to fry the onions in his dishes on each side to a perfect sear.
the dishes lined up perfectly as he drifted his spoon over to you for a unneeded taste test.
his greens tucked, potatoes mashed and beef…was very beefy.
and his body? a temple.
a talented cherished fucking temple. especially when it came to rest.
so on a normal day he would be lucky to get home at 3pm for his daily nap, for a quick snuggle before he got up to do more match review.
but in all honesty that’s when he got home, toeing his shoes off at the door, showering, eating, reading over the interviews, then keeping tabs on his rivals…it was HARD WORK!
hard enough that by 5:30 everyday but his rest days: monday and sunday, sae would stretch one long arm up from his position, turn to you, who usually was snuggled next to him dozing already or watching the next dumb reality tv show…
and telepathically he’d communicate that he was ready to nap.
or in actuality, he’d huff tossing the ipad somewhere on the table in front, his long arm wrapping around you, until you finally turned to his big sleepy green eyes.
because he would not could not sleep without you.
and it was nonnegotiable that this was nap time for you too.
you knew that when his body, curled up over you, one long arm slung around your waist pulling you into his body, his face tucked in the place where your shoulder and neck meet, his bangs tickling you as he took one long breath and finally relaxed.
it was soothing, his hair fluffy, product free from the shower and down, a nice relaxer when you would turn in his arms and watch his face sink deeper into rest.
usually you’d follow right behind or be knocked out already, but today it was movie night of love island! you didn’t want to miss that for his oddly timed nap…you let him have it for the first two hours but once 7:30 hit you knew you needed to catch up on the last episode and his bulky body was not going anywhere.
so you devised a plan, large bear stuffy tucked on the side of the couch just in your reach that he some how completely missed, ready to be your freedom for the next two episodes.
your hand grabbed at his fuzzy ear, the other slowly gripping sae’s arm and pulling it out from underneath you.
pausing when he huffed and shifted his arm going back in its original spot.
BUT NEVER FEAR!
you rolled carefully around in his grip, his arm loosely in the air just enough space to pass the teddy bear through…
“you tried it.”
his arm twisted out your grip and grabbed the poor teddy by his face chucking him across the room.
“now” he scrunched his brows at you under his sleep messed up bangs, “we nap.”
the rain outside fills the silence of sitting alone, waiting patiently for Sae to arrive home— you watched his match on tv earlier, 2-3 to the opposing team. camera’s caught a glimpse of him in the background of an interview, looking calculated in his usual manner to others, but you see the defeat in his eyes.
so once you heard the jingling of his keys at the front door, and the weight of his footsteps, you knew he was upset, whether or not he decides to show it openly.
you get up from your spot on the couch, carrying yourself to where he stands slouched in the hallway, his hair is damp from the rain, causing his gel to wear off and reveal his damp bangs, droplets of rain sticking to his skin and jersey.
he looks up slowly, his eyes meeting yours despite the distance between you both. He drops his bag down with a heavy thump. “i’m having a shower.”
you didn’t push. You never did.
simply nodding, you head back to your spot into the living room, not upset or offended by the tone of his voice because you understand him— you’ve been with him long enough to know how he is after a loss, and how to deal with it.
Meanwhile, Sae steps into the shower, huffing softly as he allows the lukewarm (heh) water to trickle down his muscular body and hair, soothing his aching muscles but not his busy mind— completely drowned in thoughts of where he went wrong and what he shouldn’t have done, rather than what he did right and good.
After his shower he changes into something simple— white shirt and grey sweats, and heads downstairs. parts of his wet hair sticks to his forehead, making him look effortlessly adorable.
He finds you lying on the couch, phone in hand as you endlessly scroll through your feed. As he comes closer you notice his footsteps and discard your phone to the side, turning to look at him.
His earlier frustration is mostly dissipated, instead he looks exhausted. “sae?” you ask, concern creeping into your voice, but he doesn’t reply, instead he climbs onto the couch and lays on top of you, being mindful of the weight he puts on you as he buries his face into your chest.
“you did good today,” you mumble, hand coming up to brush through his dampened locks. “i lost” his voice is muffled against you as he speaks, but it doesn’t seem to hide his true emotions, despite his weak attempts at hiding it.
“doesn’t mean you didn’t do good,”
“i still lost”
“i’m still proud”
he freezes momentarily, but soon relaxes, mumbling something similar to a ‘thank you’ as he slowly succumbs to sleep— not that he would ever admit it, but your words put him to ease more than any win could.
————
・ ꪖ/n : listened to some peak tunes while making this (cough cough deftones, pierce the veil and Jeff Buckley) and i’m actually happy with this considering i’m my own number one hater and hate basically all my writing 😔
It was no surprise that most of your relationship with your boyfriend, Sae Itoshi, would be long distance. His career was demanding and you understood that before even becoming his partner. Between packed schedules, flights, matches, interviews, and training—you barely got time with him. It was frustrating.
It didn't just take away from quality time but you barely got any physical affection. It wasn't just intimacy but things like kisses and hugs became strained. Because of this, you developed a small habit of blowing kisses at him whenever the two of you facetimed each other. This continued everytime he was away.
Not to fret, he wasn't the type of man that left you unsatisfied. When he got home, he allowed you to cover him in kisses and endless hugs. He also made up for lost time. However, you'd just have to kiss him though the phone until he got home.
