You're not sure if you regret your decision yet when you jolt awake in Aiku's bed early the next morning, feeling disoriented.

The man himself is still sleeping besides you, an arm around your bare waist. You look at the alarm clock on his bedside table; the time reads 09:00 am, and for a second you worry about missing your classes when you realise it's a Saturday.

You gingerly climb over Aiku's sleeping body, careful not to wake him, and see your dress from last night on the top of his chest of drawers, the clothes he'd lent you to wear still discarded somewhere in his living room.

You briefly debate having a shower- it's still early, so you tiptoe across the hallway to his bathroom, scrambling around in his cabinets for a spare toothbrush before hopping into his shower and turning the water on.

You've never stayed the night before, and everything feels so wrong.

Thankfully, nothing seems to have drastically changed within you; you haven't fallen head over heels for your womaniser of a friend, so you aren't too worried about the consequences of your actions. After all, there's no one more casual than Aiku when it comes to sex, and you doubt he's going to kick up a fuss about last night.

Which is why you decide that you don't need to leave sneakily or in a hurry- after all, you and Aiku are close, and you know his apartment like the back of your hand, so why not just stay till he wakes up? It's not like you've got anything to do today, either.

You're in the middle towelling your hair dry when there's a knock at the front door. You place the towel aside and peer out of the bathroom curiously- the knock sounds again, and Aiku doesn't seem to stir.

You're dressed in nothing but your underwear, so you creep back into Aiku's room and snatch a clean T-shirt and a fresh pair of shorts from his wardrobe, tightening the elastic waistband and walking over to the door.

The person knocks again, more urgently this time, and you yell a "Just a minute!" as you grab his keys and unlock the door, opening it just a little bit.

There's a girl you've never seen before absolutely fuming on the other side of the door, and her anger only increases once she sees you.

"Who're you?" She demands, arms crossed.

You raise an eyebrow. "I'm wondering the same thing."

"Listen, girl, I don't care who you are- is Oliver home?"

"Um, he's asleep, but I can pass on a message?"

"Not good enough!" The girl tries to push into the apartment but you block her way, frowning slightly at her. You're not one to intervene in Aiku's flings, but you don't like the vibes this girl is giving off.

"Let me in!"

"No."

"Listen here, okay? Just because Oliver showed a little bit of interest in you doesn't mean you're special, okay? I'm his actual girlfriend, so you can move your little whore ass and-"

"Hey, what's going on here?" Aiku emerges from his bedroom in his underwear, rubbing sleepily at his eyes.

He looks at you with a slight smirk, taking in your damp hair and the way you're dressed in his clothes, before redirecting his attention back to other girl.

"Hey, it's Rei-chan!"

"Hi babe!" She winks at him and pushes past you- this time you let her, but Aiku stops her in his entryway.

"Woah, don't push her like that, Rei-chan! It's not nice."

Rei huffs. "She wasn't letting me in, babe. Even though I told her we're dating."

"Dating, my ass." You snort, and she glares at you.

"I thought we've been through this." Aiku grabs Rei by her shoulders and steers her out of his apartment before she can react. "We're not together anymore, remember?"

"Babe, I was just being silly! I didn't mean it, come on!" Rei protests. "You're gonna choose this girl over me?"

"Hey, hey," You interject. "I've got nothing to do with this, so leave me out of your lover's spat."

You admit, it sounds a bit silly when you realise the situation you're in, considering the fact that you'd literally hopped out of Aiku's bed not too long ago, but still. It's not like you seduced him- quite the opposite, in fact.

"Oh, shut up." Rei spits. "You're just-"

"Don't talk to her like that." Aiku's voice has an uncharacteristic edge to it, startling both you and her. "We're over, Rei. I'm bored of you, so leave me alone."

He slams the door on her and walks away as if nothing had happened, leaving you speechless. Rei shrieks something incoherent behind the door before stomping off.

Aiku's started to brush his teeth in the bathroom, and you just stand there in the hallway, unsure of what to do.

You decide to make breakfast, skipping over to the kitchen, opening the fridge only to find that he's got nothing in there except for a few energy drinks.

You shrug, popping one open and taking a sip, sitting back on one of Aiku's sofas. He joins you a short while later, fully dressed (thankfully- you do not want to see him in his boxers ever again, you think), and he snatches the can from you, taking a long swig before passing it back to you.

"You're so gross." You remark, wrinkling your nose.

"You know you love it."

"No, I really don't."

"That's not what you were saying last night." He purrs suggestively.

A pause.

"You- you be quiet!" You hate the way your face flushes red and you point a finger accusingly in his smug little face. "That was a one-off thing, so don't get used to it!"

"But sweetheart," He protests innocently. "I enjoyed it so much."

"SHUT. UP." Your face feels like it's on fire and you have to cover it with your hands, doing your best to ignore his laughter.

"Oh, man, you're so cute, you know that?" His arm comes around to loop around your shoulders, pulling you into his personal space.

"Yeah, well you are definitely not." You grumble, and he kisses your cheek.

You push his face away from yours with a frown.

"No more of that, okay? I'm serious, Aiku. Go and get back together with that Rei chick if you want some action."

Aiku sighs. "No, thank you. That girl is far too clingy."

"You're really the worst."

"I know."

You decide to spend the rest of the day at Aiku's- as promised, he makes no more advances on you, thankfully, though you do catch him sneaking a few glances at you here and there, but you don't say anything.

It's not as if you're special, after all. He treats literally every girl like that, and you'd be a fool to fall for it.

Seeing as he's got literally zero groceries in his house, the two of you order takeout, and watch a random movie on tv to pass the time. It's a boring action film that nearly has you falling asleep, but Aiku seems to enjoy it and you suppose that's all that matters.

-

It's around 3 when Aiku shakes you awake- you don't even know when you'd fallen asleep- telling you to get dressed in your own attire because it's nearly time for practice and he needs to go.

You groggily strip his clothes off and throw them into his laundry basket, grumbling as you pull on your dress and slip back into your heels.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry." Aiku says for the fiftieth time as you frown at him from the entryway, grabbing his kit from his room. "It's my bad, I should've told you sooner."

"So annoying." You huff. "Now I'll have to walk home alone looking like a mess."

He pulls out his car keys from his jacket pocket, waving them in your face. "Who says you're walking?"

"Oh, you're the best!" You cry gleefully, mood doing a full 180, wrapping your arms around him for a quick hug. "The best, you know that?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," He grins at you as he opens his door and ushers you outside, locking it behind him. You take the lift down the ground floor and go through the back door of the building to find his car, sitting in the passenger seat and kicking your heels off immediately.

He laughs. "They're that uncomfortable?"

"So uncomfortable." You confirm solemnly. "Beauty is pain."

The drive back to your apartment is in comfortable silence, and it's already half past three by the time you arrive. You thank him and move to exit his car, but he grabs your wrist, startling you.

His eyes gaze into yours, the bright green and violet of his eyes hypnotising you, making you unable to break his gaze. His long eyelashes brush against the ends of his hair when he blinks, and you resist the urge to reach out and brush it out of his face.

"...Aiku?"

"Wanna come to practice with me?"

You're hesitant. Last time you'd been, it didn't exactly go well...

"I don't think that's a good idea. Your stupid coach is gonna burst into tears."

Aiku smirks. "All the more reason for you to be there! I feel bad leaving you alone at home when we were supposed to hang out today."

"You sure you want me there?" You're still skeptical, but he seems genuine- and besides, you're good friends with the other u-20 guys, so deep down, you do want to go.

"Hundred percent! Just run up and change into something cute and then we'll go." He winks at you, and you gag.

"Just because you said that, I'm going to dress like a tramp."

"Atta girl."

"Shut up."

You change as quickly as you can into a comfy pair of blue sweatpants and a matching hoodie, pulling your hair into a low pony and slapping a cap onto your head to divert attention away from your bare, makeup-free face. You slip your feet into comfortable sneakers and head back down into Aiku's car, where he wolf whistles as you slide into the passenger seat.

"You shush, you." You swat his arm. "You find literally anyone attractive."

"Not true," He shakes his head as he starts his car, two-coloured eyes trained on the road. "Not just anyone- I have standards, you know!"

"Right." You agree dryly, and he rolls his eyes- but he doesn't say anything.

You take this opportunity to appreciate his good looks; when he isn't talking, Aiku really is one attractive guy, with a jawline sharp enough to cut glass, even if slightly scruffy with his light facial hair. His hair, two toned like his eyes, is temptingly soft (you know from experience) and falls over his face rather charmingly, the green tips of it curling up slightly against the back of his neck.

It's weird, you think. You've always known Aiku was attractive- yet for someone who's been by his side this whole time, you're only just able to appreciate those little details now.

"You liking what you see?" Aiku smirks at you, and you look away, embarrassed to have been caught staring.

"Hardly," You say, shrugging. "Just wondering what possessed me last night to even try it with you."

"Oh, please," Aiku scoffs, and your eyes snag on the muscles in his forearm as he turns the wheel. "You know you enjoyed it, don't even try and tell me otherwise."

"That's the worst part." You laugh, unable to look away from his arm. "I actually did- who would've thought?"

"Girl, you've known me for years and you're only just finding out I'm an absolutely wonderful partner in bed?"

"Ew. Never talk about this again." You practically convulse in your seat, and he just slaps your thigh in response, still with that smug attitude that you've come to love so much.

"Brat."

"Whore."

"That's fair, actually."

You let out a surprised laugh with that one, and he looks rather proud of himself as he pulls up to the u-20 Japan training facility, parking his car rather sloppily and hopping out.

"You're not gonna fix this?" You point at the way his car is slightly askew, almost bumping the car next to his, and he shakes his head dismissively.

"Nah," He grabs his kit from the boot of his car before locking it. "Niou won't mind."

You're greeted with the mental image of Niou Kazuma yelling at some poor guy in the street for parking "too close to his car" the last time you saw him- you'd had to hold him back to prevent a fight from breaking out.

You laugh in disbelief. "Niou will kill you. He's feral about these things."

"Then, it's a good thing you're here to protect me!" He grabs your hand and pulls you along into the building, and you hate the way your stomach slightly flutters.

You don't like him, you tell yourself. You're just excited to see the guys again after so long.

You stand outside the changing rooms, mentally willing Aiku to hurry up so you don't have to stand there by yourself awkwardly.

The door swings open- about time- and Sendo Shuto walks out, dressed in his training kit.

He positively beams when he sees you, shaking his hair out of his face and extending his gloved hand towards you.

"Aiku said you'd be here," He says, shaking your hand. "Nice to see you again! Man, it's been ages."

"I know!" You smile back, pleased to see him. "I haven't seen you in a while! How are you?"

"I'm alright," He says, and you walk with him to the football pitch, forgetting all about Aiku. "You?"

"Ah, same old. Uni is kicking my ass, as usual."

"You better be attending all your classes, young lady."

"Ugh. Yes, sir." You offer him a salute, and he nods approvingly.

Once you get to the pitch, you wander off to the stands to watch them from afar. Sendo's the first one there, and the coach kicks a ball at him and tells him to just do whatever he likes.

You roll your eyes. What a useless coach.

He spots you in the stands and his face drops. You smile sweetly and offer him a wave, which he doesn't return, ignoring you and acting as if he'd never seen you.

Good. It's better that way.

Aiku appears not shortly after, accompanied by Niou, Hayate (has he gotten even taller?), Darai and the rest. He scans his surroundings for you with a frown, which disappears as soon as his eyes land on you.

"Hey!" He calls, and everyone's attention is redirected towards you. "You left me!"

"You were taking too long!" You yell back with a shrug. "At least your ace knows how to be punctual!"

Sendo's face flushes slightly, and you giggle to yourself. It's obvious that getting such attention from a girl flusters him, and you're amused by the effect your words have on him. You don't recall him ever reacting to your jabs like that before- but then again, it's been a while.

Aiku organises the practice immediately, opting for a practice match while coach Yasumori watches. He's got a clipboard in his hand, but you doubt he's doing anything.

You've watched the u-20 team play before, but the improvement is insane; you're not an expert in football, but you can see why these men are the starters for the national team. They're incredible.

What amazes you most of all is Aiku's seriousness and leadership as he plays- as a regular guy, he's a womaniser with no morals or integrity, but as a footballer? He's incredibly trustworthy, and you can see how much the team rely on his skills as they play.

You end up scrolling idly through your phone- really, what else is there to do?- until the end of their session, sighing out an exasperated "Finally." as you hop down down from the stands to join them.

"What, you didn't enjoy yourself sitting up there doing nothing?" Aiku asks you sarcastically, and you shove him slightly.

"Ugh, shut up. I was seriously falling asleep."

"Don't lie, you pervert. I saw you staring."

"What- no I wasn't!" You protest, and some of the other guys snicker. "False accusations! Don't believe him!"

Hayate pats the top of your head consolingly- he really has gotten taller, you realise, and you have to crane your neck to look at him.

"You're a goddamn giant now." You tell him, gobsmacked, and he just smirks proudly in response.

"Maybe you're just a pipsqueak."

"I assure you, that is not the case. You're a literal mountain."

"Hey, I've gotten taller too!" Niou bumps your shoulder. "You didn't realise?"

"I just assumed you were wearing heel lifts." You reply innocently, much to the amusement of the other guys. Sendo laughs particularly loudly, which leads to him being shoved around by Aiku. You don't understand it, but you dismiss it as boys being boys.

"You brat." Niou seems genuinely offended, so you pat his shoulder.

"Nah, I was just messing. Obviously I realised! And you got a nice little goatee going there, too."

He puffs up his chest, all proud, and stalks off the pitch in content, and you follow. Aiku slings his arm around you; this time, you push it off in disgust because he's sweating like a pig, barking at him to go take a shower first. He laughs good-naturedly and obliges, and once again you wait outside the changing room alone.

When Sendo approaches you, fingers fidgeting with the hem of his football jersey nervously, you aren't sure what to expect.

"Is something wrong?" You ask him, concerned. It's not like him to appear so anxious.

"Do you want to go out with me?"

"All of a sudden? What-"

"Listen," Sendo cuts you off, eyes staring into yours. "I've had my eye on you for a while now, okay? I thought that it's a little crush, whatever, it'll go away, but it didn't. I saw you today after so long and I swear I just- I had to ask."

You're stunned into silence.

"You don't need to answer me now," Sendo assures you. "It's fine. We're all going out after this anyways, and I'm assuming you're coming. Just think about it, okay?"

And with that, he walks into the changing room, leaving you to wonder about what on earth had just happened.