under a sky without moon and stars (bachira x rin)

One

Bachira brushed furiously at his teeth, eyeing the time on his phone every few seconds.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, Bachira cursed himself. I overslept again.

He had stayed up late last night in the training field, trying out some fun dribbling techniques that he imagined using against the World Five when, and if, he would ever play against them again.

That late night adventure was catching up to Bachira now as a yawn erupted from his lips. His vision glossed over with tears—the way they always did when he yawned. Nothing out of the ordinary until–-

Ting. Ting. Ting.

Bachira paused mid-yawn, mouth still open, and looked down at the countertop before him.

He had expected to feel moisture stain his cheeks as the tears fell, but instead, he felt tiny pricks against his skin.

And the tears weren't tears at all.

Bachira stared up at his reflection in the mirror, eyes following the trail of stars falling from his eyes, mesmerized by their blinding colors. Each drop was so unreal, so delicate—Bachira nearly convinced himself that he was dreaming.

A faint jingling sound accompanied each tear, complete with the sound of shattering crystals when each drop made contact with the counter. The sound was crystalline.

And so very unreal.

Bachira reached a hand out to the mirror, half in fear, half in awe. His cheeks were glistening in something like gemstone powder and the sink in front of him was smothered in glittering colors.

His toothbrush sat, forgotten in his hand, as he examined the situation, captivated by the stars' magical, illogical appearance. As more stars began to leak from his eyes, Bachira couldn't help but be fascinated by his reflection.

What were these things falling from his eyes? An illusion of the light?

Bachira scrunched his eyebrows, thinking back to his first encounter with these stars from a few days ago.

It had been in the second selection—in the middle of the match against Isagi's team.

***

Rin looks upset.

Bachira frowned at the thought. In the past few days that he had spent on Rin's team, Aryu and Tokimitsu had done most of the engaging. Rin tended to isolate himself, and if he happened to be in the presence of the others, he was usually completely disinterested in conversation.

Now, Rin looked fired up, his eyes glaring at the area where Isagi stood.

Bachira had been delighted by the thought of playing with two monsters on the same field. It had been all he ever hoped for in this sorry life of his—a person who understood the kind of soccer that Bachira indulged in—and he had ended up finding not one, but two people that made his heart beat in anticipation.

Bachira had smiled on the field that day, eyes glazing over in excitement. In hope.

But then that moment on the field happened... that moment when Rin and Isagi had run past him as if they couldn't see him.

As if he didn't exist.

Bachira had swiveled his head to look towards their turned backs, a crippling bout of fear gripping at his chest. Every part of his body had felt excruciatingly painful in that moment, like the air around him had suddenly morphed into poisonous gas.

It was then that a single star fell from his eye, landing on his jersey. Bachira spared no extra glance, brushing it off as a figment of his imagination, as he fought against his monster to make himself a crucial player in the game once more.