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"Sae-chan! You just got an invitation to a party hosted by the international football association for the World XI!" Girolan, his manager, informed him.
Ugh, another party? This already sounded like a pain... "Pass."
"Sae-chan! It's mandatory!" Girolan insisted. "You're one of the special VIP guests, of course you have to attend."
Sae groaned. Why was being a football star so annoying? Don't misunderstand, Sae loved football, it was his only true love. He desired to be a star player, except that he hated everything that came with it: the paparazzi following his every step, the useless interviews where he got asked the same questions over and over again, and of course the parties.
There were quite a few parties hosted each year: for the end of the season, for the end of the world cup, for new years, or simply for no reason like right now. Sae always tried to avoid parties. He despised them. It was just a bunch of stuck up rich pricks trying to get you slightly tipsy to agree to stupid contracts and sponsorships.
This was what Sae hated about being a star player. Usually he'd simply ditch them, said he already got important plans or cancel last minute, but he hadn't attended a single party this year yet. His coach normally didn't care, but Sae knew damn well he'd get pestered by him if he were to skip another one.
"Fine. When is it?" Sae asked, defeated.
"It's a little bit on short notice, but it's in three weeks on the Thursday," Girolan hesitated nervously, "And you'd have to bring a plus one."
Sae's eye twitched. "Absolutely not."
"Sae-chan please... it's mandatory," Girolan sounded tired.
"Who the hell would I even bring? I assume all of my teammates will be attending as well?" God, Sae was even more annoyed now.
"You'd be correct. All the World XI, as well as their U20 starting teams, were asked to attend. And I'm sure you'll come up with someone. Maybe your brother?"
That almost made Sae laugh, "As if. You know as well as I do that Rin would never agree to something like that. He'd probably only cause a petty argument in the middle of the party."
"Maybe Aiku from the Japan U20 team? You seemed to not hate him?"
Sae's face scrunched up at the mention of that name. "Just because he's a half decent defender doesn't mean we get along."
Girolan tried his best to come up with someone Sae could bring when his face suddenly lit up, "I got it. How about that Shidou fella from Blue Lock? You seemed quite fond of him, and you have his number don't you?"
Oh, how Sae had prayed that Girolan wouldn't mention him. "The hell? I'm not fond of him." Theoretically, yeah Sae did have his number, and yeah maybe Shidou wasn't the worst person to talk to. He might be violent and blunt, but he didn't shy away from a challenge and didn't see Sae as just a spoiled, gifted kid.
Why the fuck was he actually considering this.
His silence must have been an agreement in his manager's eyes. "I'll send you the details, and you can ask him to be your plus one later," Girolan said as he smiled, "I'll see you later."
And fuck, he was gone.
What the fuck . No way in hell was Sae inviting Shidou. The demon would probably think it was some sort of date. But fuck, he was out of options. No, he had to come up with someone else.
An old classmate? No, he hasn't spoken to any of them in years.
An old teammate? No, they were all shit.
A family member? No, he didn't talk to any of them, really.
Fuck, he didn't even have any friends to invite. Sae enjoyed being alone, he truly did, but this was the first time he regretted keeping everyone at an arm's length.
Well... everyone except fucking Shidou. God, he couldn’t believe he was actually doing this.
You:
I have a question.
Demon:
SAE-CHAN! to what do i owe the pleasure
just ask away!!!
You:
Nevermind....
He couldn't do this.
Shidou would probably embarrass himself and Sae in front of everyone. While Sae didn't really give a shit about what people thought of him, he still didn't want to be humiliated in front of his past, current and maybe future teammates.
Demon:
NOO SAE-CHAN PLEASE ASK I WONT LAUGH OR ANYTHING I PROMISE
and if you want to ask me out dw the answer will always be yes ;)
You:
You're making this harder than it has to be...
Demon:
WAIT DID YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO ASK ME OUT
You:
fuck no
kinda
not really
Demon:
KINDA???
youre making me blush underlashes senior
You:
Oh fuck off I have to go to this party in three weeks
And I need a plus one
And I don't have anyone to ask, and you're currently my last option
Demon:
I DIDNT THINK YOU WERE SERIOUS OF COURSE ILL COME!!!
AHHH who would have thought Sae-chan would ask me out all by himself
youre lucky im on break from Blue Lock in three weeks <3333
You:
I'll send you the details later ...
And it's not a date you hear me demon
Demon:
i cant hear anything over the sound of my heartbeat <33
oh wait fuck is the flight and stuff covered?
im kinda too broke to afford a flight to Spain or wherever the hell this party is
You:
I don't actually know
I should probably read the invitation But if it's not, I'll cover it
Demon:
ah the life of a sugar baby sure is great
You:
Stfu or im asking someone else
Demon:
didn't u say im ur last option?
but oh well fine ill shut up just for you love <3
Sae was already starting to regret this. As it turned out... Shidou didn't even own a fucking suit. And when Sae asked him for his measurements, he didn't have a fucking clue either, of course. Now his manager had to message Ego of all people to tell him Shidou's measurements because that creep most definitely had them.
Sae would under no circumstances let Shidou come with a cheap-ass suit. He needed to, at the very least, have an actually tailored suit, which he most definitely wouldn't be able to afford either. One more thing for Sae to pay for. It's not like he gave a shit, he had more than enough money to spare. At least this way, he could make sure Shidou would look presentable. Maybe he should make them have matching suits...
"SAEEE!!!"
Oh, god. He wasn't prepared for this after all.
"Sae-chan! I missed you so much!" The blond demon proclaimed as he threw himself at Sae.
Shidou was still taller than him, but it looked like he had gained a good amount of muscle in the few short months they haven't seen each other. Sae would never admit that it made his heart flutter. It was just a simple observation, really. It didn't mean anything at all. That's what Sae told himself when he pushed the other boy away from him and saw the mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Ah, my beloved Sae-chan! I'm so excited for our date!" Shidou beamed.
Sae scoffed, "I already told you demon, it's not a damn date."
"Keep telling yourself that Sae-chan!" Shidou chuckled and send a wink Sae's way.
"But anyways! I just flew all the way from Tokyo to Switzerland to see you, so the least I deserve is a kiss!"
Sae's eye twitched. "You don't deserve shit. Do you remember who paid for your suit? And your flight and hotel have already been covered as well."
The party was being held in Switzerland, the country of FIFA headquarters. The two of them decided to meet up an hour in advance to arrive together.
"But Sae-chan!" The blond demon fucking pouted.
"Shut it. Be glad that I invited you in the first place," Sae retorted, not even trying to hide the annoyance in his tone. "Just follow me, our driver is waiting outside."
The two of them made their way to the limousine parked just outside their hotel.
"Woah! I've never been in a limo before! You keep spoiling me, Sae-chan!" Shidou chirped as the car door closed behind him. Shidou took the seat next to Sae as the driver started driving. Shidou leaned into Sae and asked, "When are we going to arrive at that fancy-schmancy party anyway?"
"We'll the driving for around half an hour, so we'll be a little early," Saw replied cooly.
"Get comfortable and try to sleep. You look exhausted after that 16 hour flight," Sae muttered, and his expression softened slightly.
Shidou nodded sluggishly. "Ah, fine, fine."
Sae rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Now shut up and go to sleep."
Shidou dozed off rather quickly after that. They drove in silence for a while, Shidou's deep breaths being the only sound in the limousine. Eventually, Sae found himself staring at the sleeping form next to him instead of focusing on the road ahead. He watched the steady rise and fall of Shidou's chest and tried to convince himself that his heart wasn't racing at the mere sight of the other boy. There was no reason to worry, it wasn't like he'd catch feelings. That would be stupid. He was Itoshi Sae for god's sake.
He closed his eyes, while listening to sound of the boy breathing next to him, and he fell asleep like that. When he woke up, he heard some shuffling sounds next to him and Shidou's face appeared above him, a wide smile plastered on his handsome features.
"Hi Sae-chan! Did you sleep well?"
Sae blinked blearily, "Huh. Are we there yet?"
"Only three more minutes!" Shidou answered cheerfully.
"Sae-chan, wanna know what I woke up to?"
"Your shit-eating grin tells me I don't," Sae muttered.
Shidou continued, undeterred by Sae's lack of enthusiasm, "Well I woke up just a minute before you did, actually. And low and behold, there's this mysterious weight on my shoulder! I look down and guess what! It's none other than the football star Itoshi Sae himself!" Shidou paused dramatically, then continued, "I'm not lying, really. I even took a selfie to prove it!"
Sae sighed and pinched the bridge of his slightly rosey nose, "You did what?"
"Took a picture!" Shidou grinned, "Wanna see?"
"Nope."
"Aw cmon Sae! Come on! Look at the selfie of you and your beautiful boyfriend!"
Sae scowled, "No, thanks. And you're not my damn boyfriend, we're not dating."
He turned away as Shidou laughed, "Not yet!"
Suddenly, the vehicle stopped, and the driver announced, "We are here."
Shidou unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the limousine alongside Sae. While looking around they saw a very posh looking building. It was a grand hall reserved specifically for the event.
As they entered, they saw there was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, while the walls were covered with floor to ceiling windows. This whole thing reeked off money.
Shidou whistled, "Damn! This place is fucking fancy!"
"It's hosted for the World XI, of course they wouldn't settle for anything less," Sae replied.
"Oh my god, is that Loki? HEY LOKI!" Shidou suddenly shouted in recognition. The man in question looked their way, alongside various other guests, and his eyes lit up when he saw his past part-time teammate. He made his way towards them.
"Ah Ryusei, long time no see! I wasn't expecting to see you here today, especially with Sae," the French man exclaimed as he turned his gaze towards Sae.
Luckily, all the guests were given the Mikage cooperation's translator ear-pieces. "It's good to see you, Julian. We haven't played against each other for quite a while now," Sae stated casually, "If we're lucky we'll see each other at the next world cup."
"That'd be great. It's always fun to play against you guys!" Loki replied cheerfully. The younger man was one of the most sane players among them and Sae actually enjoyed conversing with him. He was a monster in his own right of course but at least he wasn’t annoying.
"LOKI! GET BACK HERE, WE NEED TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THE THE TEAM!"
"Ah, I'm sorry seems like I have to go, but it was nice seeing you two today," the man smiled as he took his exit.
"Why'd you call him Julian? You never call me by my first name!" Shidou remarked.
"I've known him way longer than you, but we're also in Europe. Everyone calls eachother by their first name here," Sae replied cooly.
"Call me by my first name too, then!"
"I don't even call you by your last name, demon." Shidou groaned.
"Ugh fine. One day I'll make you call me Ryusei, I swear!" he announced. He looked around the room again and suddenly cursed. "Fuck, it's that zombie freak from Italy."
"Ah, you mean Lorenzo?" Sae replied when he saw the man in question. He was currently at the bar chatting with someone.
"Yeah, him or whatever. Dude annoyed the shit out of me at our match. He wouldn't let me score..."
"Sounds like Lorenzo," Sae smirked. He wasn't as close to him compared to Loki, but he didn't mind the man. He was definitely quite eccentric, but who wasn't.
"Oh god, they started making out. Is he already drunk? We've been here for barely half an hour, fucking hell," Shidou complained.
"I could go for a drink right now too, let's go," Sae mentioned as he grabbed Shidou's wrist and dragged him along.
"Woah Sae-chan! Don't take me wrong, I'd love to get hammered but I don't want our date getting cut short after getting kicked out early for underage drinking."
Sae gave him an amused stare, "Ryusei, we're in Europe, remember?"
The casual use of his first name made Shidou trip over his feet. "HUH? What did you just call me Sae-chan?" He asked with a slowly reddening face.
"Nothing. What are you talking about?" Sae replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Shidou eyes widened even more, "You called me by my first name!"
"I don't know what you are talking about, demon. Must have imagined it when you heard of the prospect of alcohol," he chuckled.
"No fair..." Shidou sighed.
"Anyway, order whatever you want, it's all already paid for," he signaled at the bartender when the two of them sat down, "Just a champagne, thanks."
"Uhhh same," Shidou stuttered. It wasn't his first time drinking by any means, but he still wasn't versed with any fancy drinks. He never actually tried champagne, he only ever went for cheap beer or sake. He just hoped it didn't taste like shit, but Sae usually has good taste, right?
The bartender soon came back with their drinks. Shidou grabbed the slightly golden drink and stared at Sae, who raised his glass expectantly. Shidou raised his as well and let them clink together. "Cheers." they proclaimed at the same time and took a sip. The fuzzy drink tasted a little citrusy. He wasn't sure how to decribe it, but it wasn't bad.
"Do you drink often?" He asked the man sitting next to him.
"Nah, but I damn well know I won't survive the night without any alcohol at all," Sae replied after taking another long sip. "The good thing about having you here is that all those rich pricks that usually approach me to try and get me to sign some contract are way too scared of you."
Shidou looked around and there were indeed quite a few older men in suits pestering the other players. He turned back to Sae. "Bet it's the dyed hair and eyeliner?"
Sae only hummed.
"You know, that suit does look good on you. I have damn good taste," he uttered and immediately took another calculated sip.
"Well you don't look too shabby either, underlashed senior!" he replied with slightly rosy cheeks. Shidou took another sip and saw that he already finished his drink. Should he get another?
At that exact moment, he looked up and, "Oh god," Shidou muttered.
"What is it?" Sae replied.
"There's that Emperor with a superiority complex."
"Ah Kaiser. Oh, I see he came with his midfielder again." Sae's eyes lit up slightly when he saw them.
Shidou groaned, "Fuck, he pisses me off."
"Yeah, he doesn't have the most pleasant personality, but he's a good player," Sae stated.
"You never care about anything other than skill, hm?" Shidou mused.
"Indeed."
"Oh god he's coming towards us what the fuck."
Kaiser waved at them, Ness trailing a few meters behind. "Ah Sae! Long time no see Little Prince, how have you been?"
"Kaiser," Sae greeted the other and nodded.
"We've known eachother for ages now Sae, just call me Michael. Oh and I see you came with that mud from Blue Lock," he stated as he turned his gaze towards Shidou, "I didn't know you were close Sae."
"We're not. You came with your lapdog again? Didn't except anything else from you," Sae replied as he shot the midfielder behind Kaiser a glance.
"It's not like anyone else can tolerate him," Shidou muttered under his breath as he shot the German forward a glare.
"Ah your dog doesn't seem to be very fond of me Sae. You should keep him in check," Kaiser smirked.
"He doesn't bite. At least most of the time he doesn't. But your lapdog over there has been glaring at me for quite a while as well. Maybe check up on him, hm?" Sae shot back.
Kaiser chuckled. "If you say so Sae. See you around. And get yourself another drink while you're at it, might help you loosen up a little." He sent the two of them a last wave before dragging Ness away to the balcony.
Shidou exhaled in relief. "Thank fuck he's gone. Him and that pink servant of his are a pain in the ass to deal with. Can't tell what the short one sees in that annoying prick," he pondered.
Sae only shrugged, "Everyone in the World XI is pretentious. I'm not excluded."
"At least you're hot."
"Kaiser was right, I need another drink," he sighed. "Bartender! Another round, please."
The more they drank, the redder their faces became. They weren't drunk by any means, but they were definitely past tipsy at this point.
"Hey Sae-chan."
Sae looked at the other and hummed. He looked handsome, Sae couldn't deny it. The black suit jacket, which the other had at some point discarded on the seat next to him, with the pink dress shirt complimented his appearance well. Maybe Sae should have drank a little less.
Suddenly Shidou extended his hand and put it on Sae's cheek. He pulled him slightly closer and Saw leaned it. What was he doing.
Shidou held Sae's face with both of his hands. "I’m going to kiss you," he whispered. Sae didn't have enough time to respond before Shidou crashed their lips together. It wasn't an amazing kiss by any means. It was sloppy and rough and everything Sae could have ever wanted. He didn’t want it to end anytime soon, so he wrapped his arms around Shidou and pulled him closer, trying desperately to chase the taste of Shidou's mouth with his own. Shidou's tongue slipped past Sae's lips and into his mouth. Sae tried to open his mouth wider, but Shidou pulled away from him, panting heavily. He looked at him with wide eyes, like he couldn't believe what had just happened.
Sae felt his cheeks flush red. He had never kissed anyone before. But in that moment that didn't matter, nothing mattered except Shidou.
He pulled him in again for a second kiss. And then a third. Then fourth. He would kiss him as many times as he needed, give him anything he wanted, anything he desired, just to keep the blond by his side — to feel Shidou's warm breath on his lips and hear his soft moans in return. He felt alive when they kissed, more alive than he had in years, maybe even decades. Fuck he was in love, wasn't he?
They finally pulled apart. Shidou's eyes were still a bit glassy from the kiss. Everything seemed quiet, the music and chatter of the crowd had long since faded into the background. Their first kiss didn’t happen at Sae's apartment or in the middle of the field, no, it happened here, at this shitty party that Sae never even wanted to go to in the first place.
Shidou laughed. "I think I'm going to need another drink to process what just happened."
Sae's expression softened as he looked at Shidou's face.
“Let's ditch,” Shidou declared.
“Sure. Let's get out of here,” Sae agreed wholeheartedly, letting himself be dragged away by a smiling Shidou, who had grabbed his suit jacket with his other hand.
As they headed outside Sae couldn't keep his eyes off of Shidou — Ryusei? — fuck, if he knew. But it didn't matter anyway. They had enough time to figure it out, didn't they?