26 word challenge 2

Pairing: Katsuro/Sho

Mostly done from Katsuro's perspective.

1. Above

Katsuro liked being tall. He could go on most rides at the amusent park, climb trees fairly easily, and he looked extra threatening to his team when he got angry. Only very occasionally was being tall an inconvenience. One such a time was when he had to bend over to hug his rather short date. Though admittedly, he rather liked giving Sho free piggyback rides.

2. Blanket

Katsuro had long since realised Sho liked soft things. It didn't particularly matter what they were but Sho loved to curl up in or with something soft and warm. Which is why Katsuro always made sure he had an extra fuzzy blanket on hand whenever Sho came over late.

Sometimes it paid to be prepared.

3. Comfort

It didn't happen very often, but when it did Katsuro always felt powerless. He didn't like feeling powerless. But there was not a lot he could do except wait it out and offer quiet consolations.

Katsuro absolutely hated it when Sho cried.

4. Date

Dates could be very challenging. Katsuro and Sho had needed to find shared interests that weren't soccer related. It was fortunate they liked similar music ( Classic rock was a favourite), the same types of movies (anything with a decent story), and they both loved spending time outside.

Katsuro liked that soccer didn't have to be the defining point of their relationship.

5. Ears

" Aren't you going to get cold?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure you don't want a hat?"

"Sho, I'm fine. Stop asking."

"I just don't want your ears to freeze is all."

"...Give me the hat."

6. Friends

" Oi Captain!" Katsuro inwardly groaned, he had to meet Sho in ten minutes and was already running late. "Captain!" "Ne, Seiji can this wait?" he asked, pleading inwardly the striker wasn't in trouble. "Why, do you have somewhere to be?" Katsuro sighed, "Since you asked, yes I'm meeting Sho and he's not going to be happy with me if I'm late." "You seem to spending a lot of time with him lately." If he could, Katsuro would have face faulted. God he wasn't that obvious was he? Katsuro turned walk away but a hand grabbed his shoulder and turned him to look in the eyes of his team mate. "Don't you hurt him." Seiji said quite seriously before walking away, "That's from all of us by the way." There was not need to ask who 'us' was.

'Clearly I don't give my friends enough credit.' thought Katsuro as he ran to catch his bus.

7. Goal

Katsuro had been a goal keeper since he began playing soccer. He had racked up a lot of experience over the years and had seen almost everything. Which was why it was such reality check when Sho kept finding new ways to score on him.

Katsuro's favourite thus far had been when Sho had run up and kissed him before softly kicking the around his legs. He hadn't minded missing that one so much.

8.Heat

Summer was hot, there was just no way around that fact. Soccer practices became a hot and sweaty torture sessions on those clear July days. Practice especially sucked when you came home to find your air conditioner was busted.

Katsuro thought fate was laughing at him when a shirtless Sho came up from behind and dumped ice water on the unsuspecting keeper.

9. Injury

Katsuro really hated seeing Sho come to practice covered in bruises and bandages. Call him old fashioned and over protective, but that wouldn't change the fact that Katsuro wanted to protect sho from receiving those wounds.

Katsuro just didn't want to se Sho get hurt.

10. Juice

It was generally a better idea to drink water during soccer practice. Water hydrated you better than juice did. Katsuro sometimes suspected that his team mates only asked for juice as a way to torment the seventh graders. He sighed.

"Ne Shibusawa-sempai, you didn't tell me what you wanted, so I brought you some water."

Katsuro smiled and accepted the bottle from the tiny substitute. Apparently they could be taught.

11. Kiss

Katsuro liked kissing. He liked holding another body in his arms and pressing his lips to another's. He liked being able to make that other person fell good.

Katsuro loved kissing Sho most of all.

12. Lesson

There were days when Katsuro absolutely despised Coach Kirihara. It was rare for those times to be during an actual game. Coach didn't just want them to beat Josui, he wanted them to destroy Josui. Katsuro felt this was just a bit over-the-top. Josui didn't have much of a chance to begin with, he didn't understand why they needed to break Josui's spirit too. Later Katsuro would reflect on the game and realise he needn't have worried.

It was Sho who taught him why soccer was fun again.

13. Math

"Sho, you really need to understand this."

"I'm trying."

"Sho, you can't fail this class if you want to stay on the soccer team."

"Katsuro, I suck at math. I always have and I probably always will."

" I think you can do this. It's just like soccer, you just need to practice more."

"Soccer's more interesting."

"...Yes, yes it is."

14. Naive

Katsuro wondered how Sho could be so dense. It seemed like everyone knew how Katsuro felt except him. He didn't know how much more obvious he would have to be.

Katsuro would later on be surprised that Sho had just been in denial about his actions.

15.Oblivious

It irked Katsuro that Sho let Miyuki hang off of him. Anybody with eyes could see she was crushing on Sho. It got to the point that even Sho noticed the heated glares he gave the girl.

"Jealous?" whisper Sho. Katsuro nodded.

"Don't worry, she's just a friend. A very helpful friend, but I only have eyes for you."

16. Plaid

"Does it really look that bad?"

"Yes, yes it does."

"My grandmother gave me this shirt."

"Well, that explains a lot."

"..."

"Well it does."

"Huh."

"We could just burn it."

"Yeah. Because are parents are going to believe my shirt spontaneously combusted."

"..."

"I'll just take it off now, shall I?"

17. Quintessential

People wondered why soccer was so important to them.

it didn't take a genius to work out that they were absolutely obsessed with it.

Katsuro wondered why they cared, everyone had something they cared about. He was just lucky his two thing coincided so nicely.

18. Relax

It was rare for Katsuro to see Sho relaxed. It seemed like the small forward was always on the move, always practising, always giving his all to his current task. The boy was a bundle of energy on most days and absent on all of the rest. Katsuro honestly wondered why Sho hadn't had a nervous breakdown by now.

So it was to his great surprise to wake up in the early evening and find his date curled up on the couch with him, sleeping peacefully. He looked even younger then, more childlike when he slept. Sho had such a huge presence you tended to forget how small he was.

Katsuro decided he needed to convince Sho to relax more often.

19. Safe

There was no question who took the lead in their relationship. Katsuro preferred to take control of such things anyway. Besides, he knew what Sho was comfortable with, he wouldn't dream of doing anything the short forward wasn't totally comfortable with or would object too.

Katsuro always wanted Sho to feel safe in his arms.

20. Truth

The truth of the matter was simple. The two boys complemented and opposed each other well. Now sure, they fought once a day when Sho was finally comfortable enough to freely express his opinions and feelings, but that only served to keep things interesting between the two. Their disagreements and debates made it worth getting out of bed in the morning.

Katsuro had long since decided this what true love was.

21. Virtue

Katsuro wondered how Sho managed to get through the day smiling sometimes. The goal keeper knew that Sho was smart enough to know when he was being insulted, so how he kept a smile on his face was a great mystery to the older boy some days.

Forgiveness was a virtue he supposed as he watched Sho interact with people who had resented him a mere month earlier.

Katsuro was just glad to know he was one of the things behind Sho's smile.

22. Unique

"I don't know about this Katsuro."

"Come on, you said you liked my cooking."

"Yes, when I know what you're feeding me isn't going to suddenly come alive and walk away from me."

"It does not look that bad."

"..."

"It doesn't Sho."

"You eat it then."

"That would defeat the purpose of having someone else test it for me."

"..."

"Please, please try it."

"...Fine"

bite

"So, how is it?"

"Like nothing I've ever tasted before."

"..."

"Can we please order some pizza now."

Laughs

"Alright."

23. Win

The way Coach Kirihara talked some days losing a match was a crime comparable to first degree murder. And until very recently, Katsuro had believed that. What was the point of playing if you couldn't win? The match with Josui however, had taught him that a team that could lose together could stay together. Katsuro wondered how he had played on his team for 3 years without ever really calling anyone a friend whereas Sho had only played on Josui for a month and everyone seemed to be friends with him.

Winning must not be everything after all.

24. Xylophone

"Wow, you are good at this."

"With the amount my parents spent on lessons, I'd better be."

"I'm glad you chose soccer though."

"Me too."

25.Yesterday

Katsuro was sure the world had ended or the day before had been a terrible dream. Honestly he couldn't believe it had even happened. Katsuro wondered why he felt like such a jerk, he hadn't caused it. Okay, maybe he had indirectly contributed to it, but so had everyone else. So why was he feeling like this? At least he knew now why Sho didn't really talk to anyone. He wondered how much of the team had seen it, he was sure Tsubasa had at least.

Sho had been crying yesterday and apparently he was the only one who cared.

26. Zebra

Katsuro watched his team as they ran from one side of the field to the other chasing after the ball in groups. He watched them come together after the game to be yelled at, praised, yelled at dismissed, yelled at and dismissed again and in that order, by Coach Kirihara. Seiji asked why he was so happy about being chewed out liked that. Katsuro just shook his head and walked away smiling.

Sho was right, they really did resemble a herd of zebras.

FIN.