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To be quite frank, it already pissed Isagi off that Kaiser was such damn arrogant flirt on the field, acting as if his charm which swooned practically anyone who watched him play would make Isagi fall to his feet and give up his own goals to the idiot (He is not some lovesick girl who can be swooned by a simple smug smile). In all honesty, it made Isagi want to punch him. Though, for the sake of staying on the school's team and not being kicked off for the season like Shidou was for picking a fight with some junior a few too many times, he keeps his insults and fists to himself.
Isagi can handle Kaiser’s overflowing ego and shitty flirting on the field, however, it seemed the idiotic man wanted to meet his deathday from the way he’d flirt outside the field too. From pinning Isagi to a locker, randomly wrapping his arms around his waist and whispering the worst pick up lines Isagi’s ever heard into his ear, and even going as far as to call him sweet nicknames only lovers do, it made Isagi’s blood boil. It seemed the brat knew Isagi couldn’t do a thing, which is why he was getting so damn confident.
Isagi sometimes considers just beating the shit out of him and getting kicked off the team for a season, but wouldn’t that just be giving into exactly what Kaiser wants? That idea just makes him angrier, he would never give Kaiser what he wants. He sighs as he bangs his head against his desk, mind spinning as he thought of some way on how to make Kaiser get away from him.
“What has you so miserable?” Bachira singsonged, and Isagi grumbles out the wretched name of the other player as Bachira giggles, “You really do hate him don’t you?”
Isagi has to keep himself from lashing out about the 1000 (and counting) reasons why he absolutely despises the man, and settles for a depressed sigh and silence. “Well you could always get back at him somehow, then maybe he’d leave you alone!”
“Trust me there’s nothing I could do to get him off of me” he doesn’t even try to hide his scowl as he looks at Bachira, crossing his arms as Bachira hums, “Maybe you could play his own game! Flirt back with him to get him to leave you alone.” Bachira’s suggestion would be helpful if it was literally anyone else but Kaiser, but considering the man's personality Isagi can’t help but grimace as he thinks about all the ways it could go down, shuddering in disgust. “No, it’s Kaiser, he’d like it.”
“But you never know! What if he’s one of those super flirty guys who goes all shy when his crush flirts back?” Isagi rolls his eyes at the word crush. Yeah right, as if Kaiser would have a crush on him of all people, Bachira’s been watching way too much romance anime. “I really do doubt he has a crush on me…” Bachira’s eyes are pleading and Isagi lets out a gruff sigh of disapproval, “But, I can try your idea.” Bachira’s ecstatic as Isagi wonders how exactly he’s even going to go about this. He can’t be all sweet and cute, that’ll immediately set off all the red signals in Kaiser’s head. He can’t be like Kaiser either, or else Kaiser will know he’s just mirroring him. Isagi needs his own, unique way of putting Kaiser in his place.
He thinks to himself, running different scenarios through his head before finally finding the perfect strategy. A devious smile spreads across his face, just you wait Kaiser.
You’re going to regret ever coming near me.
Isagi waits patiently throughout the day for Kaiser to finally approach him, he knows Kaiser will, considering the fact he hasn’t left Isagi alone for practically a single day since he first saw the man on the field. Isagi is putting a few of his books into his locker when he sees the telltale colours of blue and blonde in his peripheral vision, and he takes it as a sign to close his locker to begin to walk to his next class.
As expected, Kaiser doesn’t give him a moment's peace and immediately cages him against the locker, tilting his chin towards him with that disgusting smirk on his face. “Where are you going Yoichi? Won’t even look at your lover? You wound me.” His words are anything but loving, they're taunting and annoying and it feels like he’s spitting them in Isagi’s face. Isagi, usually, would tell him to fuck off and shove his way out of his hold, but for the sake of Bachira’s idea, he keeps himself from throwing every swear in the book at the man.
He instead grabs Kaiser’s tie, pulling the man so close their foreheads are touching, “I’m going to my next class you lovesick fool, maybe learn your lover’s schedule before pulling them away don’t you? It’d do you some good to win over my heart if you gave a shit.” Isagi shoves him off once he’s finished, ignoring the way he internally cringed at his own words.
He has to admit though, it was deeply satisfying to see the way Kaiser’s eyes widened, caught off guard for just a moment as Isagi finally had him in his grasp for once and not the other way around. He smiled in pride to himself, let’s keep this going until it doesn’t work anymore.
Kaiser leaves him alone for the rest of the day and Isagi considers it a major victory and he secretly wonders if Kaiser really was like those super cocky guys in manga who become shy when the love interest flirts with them. He snickers at the thought, him? Kaiser’s love interest? Not a damn chance. Kaiser can’t even meet Isagi’s eyes at practice, and even the others notice the change in Kaiser’s demeanor. Their coach is pleasantly surprised and genuinely happy at the two boys seeming to finally get along, and Isagi goes home with a smile on his face for the first time in months.
However, it seems Kaiser is a lot harder to drive away (as expected) and he comes back without a hitch the next day, ready to make Isagi’s life as miserable as he can. “Yoichi!” He practically sings as he calls out to the other man. Isagi grimaces as he can hear the other man practically run to him, calling out his name as a few other students stare or quietly laugh to themselves. Isagi rolls his eyes and hides his displeasure as he turns around, watching Kaiser come over to him with a teasing gleam in his eyes, “You keep ignoring me Yoichi! Don’t you think that's a little me-”
Kaiser’s promptly shut up as Isagi brings his finger to Kaiser’s lips. “Kaiser, you really should learn more about me before you go around acting like my boyfriend you know.” Isagi’s voice is drawled out and he hides his resentment with a poor smile, “I like boys who can shut the fuck up and keep their lovers business to themselves.” He doesn’t hide the irritation in his tone as he speaks to him. Isagi swears he watches all amusement fall from Kaiser’s eyes for just a moment, heat touching the tips of his ears, but Isagi doesn’t bother to wait and find out how far that reaction will go. He brings his finger back, giving him a feigned smile as he says quietly, “Be a better boyfriend and maybe you’ll actually have a chance.”
He walks off and leaves Kaiser to his own, ignoring the hushed whispers some students around him give. Let them gossip, as long as Kaiser was off his tail he frankly didn’t care what other people thought.
Their little game of cat and mouse continued, Kaiser being too stubborn to simply give up on his taunting yet being put in his place every single time. Isagi really did wonder why Kaiser didn’t bounce back and get used to his retorts but Isagi wasn’t complaining in the slightest. The only thing Isagi could really complain about is Kaiser getting aggressive on the field, but that only made their power surge to victory even faster so, Isagi wasn’t exactly angry at that.
However, Isagi must’ve made a very right move in his plan because now Kaiser was nowhere to be found. Had Kaiser finally given up on teasing him? Did Isagi’s shit flirting actually work at scaring him off? Isagi almost couldn’t believe it considering the man's stubborn habit of never giving up on literally anything, but isn’t this what Isagi wanted?
He should feel happy, and he is, but he can’t help but feel like he misses the other man’s teasing sometimes. It made his day more interesting.
It doesn’t matter though, it’s not like Isagi is going to seek Kaiser out and tell him to continue annoying him, so he continues with his school days as he would, study, practice, go home, a cycle that Kaiser no longer affected.
Isagi almost wants to curse himself for missing the man's overbearing affection.
Isagi’s sadness doesn’t last long however, since Kaiser’s back to clinging to him 2 weeks later, but Isagi can’t help but feel that something is different. Kaiser was quieter, calmer, less taunting and more fond and kind. It kind of freaked Isagi out, it felt almost ominous, like impending doom over his head. What happened to him?
“So, now you’re worried because Kaiser actually took all the lines you spewed to him to heart and is trying to become the ideal boyfriend you kept making up?”
Bachira is right on the money as always, and Isagi nods. “He definitely has a crush on you then” Chigiri pipes in, and Isagi shakes his head almost violently at the mere thought of it, “He’s Michael Kaiser, he’s the most arrogant man I’ve ever met, why would he like me considering the piece of shit he is on the field?” Chigiri smiles while Bachira laughs, “Oh you’re so innocent Yocchan! Don’t you know guys like Kaiser love to tease the person they love?”
“You both watch too much anime…” He mutters, “As if you’re any better!” Bachira and Chigiri say in unison. “No but really, if it bothers you, ask him why he’s suddenly flipped his attitude upside down!” Bachira suggests and Isagi, despite how embarrassing it might be to ask Kaiser ‘hey why aren’t you annoying anymore?’, was considering it.
So here he was, going over to Kaiser after practice and asking to talk to him. He can’t help but notice the flash of uncertainty which clouds his expression, but Kaiser agrees regardless, weird.
The two are packed up and ready to go home, the field is empty as they sit on one of the benches. A comfortable silence stems between them as Isagi wonders how he should word what he’s going to ask.
“Kaiser, why have you… been… well.” Isagi really isn’t sure how to word it, he can’t just say ‘why are you taking my shit spewed advice on how to be my boyfriend?’ and he can’t say ‘why have you been less annoying recently?’ either.
“Why have you been teasing me less recently?” He chose probably the worse option out of all fathomable options.
Kaiser laughs lightly, and Isagi wonders if he’s genuinely seen Kaiser laugh before. “Ah well..” his face flushes and he rubs the back of his neck in nerves, “See, like that! You’re all nervous and quiet now!” Isagi points out, and Kaiser is jolted out of his thoughts as he flushes even deeper. There's a moment of silence in between them and Isagi wonders if he said something wrong before Kaiser quietly jokes, ”I thought you liked guys who shut their mouth.”
“Huh?”
Isagi’s stunned into silence as the realization hits him like bricks to the head.
Did Kaiser…? Holy shit were Chigiri and Bachira right?
(He shouldn’t be surprised, they always were.)
Isagi’s still processing everything when the words Isagi isn’t sure if he was dreading or anticipating leave Kaiser’s lips, “I like you, Yoichi.”
Isagi’s quiet as Kaiser turns his head, “I’m sorry, I should go-'' He's quick to get up and Isagi almost lets him go if it weren't for him grabbing onto his uniform coat.
“Kaiser don’t go.”
Kaiser refuses to look at him but he doesn’t make a dash to leave either. Isagi’s head spins at a million questions a minute, Kaiser liked him? Of all people? Even after treating him like he did on and off the field?
Isagi’s seriously at a loss for words when he considers how easily Kaiser falls into the stupid trope of being a tsundere (would that be the word for it? Probably not. He’s more like a reverse tsundere if anything…)
Isagi wonders to himself for a moment, what are his feelings towards Kaiser? Sure he hated him, sure he felt strongly towards his hate for him, but he couldn’t deny how he admired the man, how his annoying taunting made Isagi’s days more interesting, and how even through his little experiment of ‘flirt with Kaiser to shut him up!’, he still subconsciously waited for Kaiser to show up to annoy him.
It hits him faintly that maybe, he liked Kaiser more than just as a rival. The fact he liked Kaiser at all was starting to make his head hurt, since when did he even like the man at all?
Kaiser’s still quiet as Isagi buries himself in his own thoughts. He can practically feel Kaiser wishing he could just leave, leave this confession behind them and pretend it doesn’t exist (and Isagi doesn’t blame him one bit considering how Isagi has yet to give him any sort of answer.)
“Turn around, Kaiser.”
Kaiser turns around hesitantly, his face is red and he looks vulnerable. Isagi wonders if he’s ever seen Kaiser so emotional, it’s almost ill-fitting for someone of his character, but Isagi can’t help but feel his heart catch in his throat and he really doesn’t know what comes over him to make him pull Kaiser down just slightly.
Isagi doesn’t know if he’s acting on impulse or his own feelings when tugs Kaiser into a kiss. He isn’t sure if his feelings are punching him in the gut or if he’s simply deluded himself into believing he likes Kaiser too from his own confession.
He has to admit though, he isn’t the type to sympathize and accept a confession just because someone confessed, and he definitely wouldn’t do it for Kaiser.
Kaiser’s lips are soft, movements unsure against his own, his hands nervously placed on Isagi’s shoulders.
The kiss is short and fast, but both men are flustered by the end of it. Kaiser looks at him in something akin to awe and disbelief as Isagi crosses his arms, unsure of why he even did that. Isagi breaks the silent tension between them as he mutters, “I don’t actually like quiet guys.”
“Then who do you like?”
Isagi has to bite back a stupid grin which spreads across his face at the genuine curiosity in Kaiser’s voice, as if he aims to become any guy he mentions. “I like annoying guys, arrogant and annoying, always clinging to me like I’ll disappear if they don’t annoy and taunt me at least once a day.”
Kaiser looks at him questioningly and Isagi sighs, not even trying to hide his smile, “I like men like you. Damn idiot.”
The realization sets in and even through his heightening blush Kaiser frowns, “I’m annoying?” and Isagi can’t help but laugh.
“I’ll tell you all about how damn annoying you are as we walk to my house, come with me.”
Kaiser doesn’t have to be told twice as he follows Isagi, his own smile setting on his face as Isagi intertwines their fingers together.
Isagi isn’t sure what he and Kaiser really were. He had shut down all his feelings as simple rivalry and anger towards the other man, and any form of adoration as just looking up to his talent in football. He wonders, when did Kaiser’s annoying personality actually became endearing to him.
He can’t wait to find out.