Title: City of Angels
Genre: Romance
Rating: K+
Pairing: Nakatsu x OC
Spoilers: Manga
Summary: And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years.
Word Count: 503
Warnings: N/A
Disclaimer: Not mine. Summary is an Abraham Lincoln quote.
A/N: My little lion man deserves some love. I also know very little about soccer. Sorry…
"Go Nakatsu! Yay!"
Nakatsu glanced up, grinning broadly, to where his group of High School friends were in the crowd. Mizuki was the loudest and the most buoyant, bouncing up and down and cheering loudly. Her two young children were emulating her every move, but at one and two years old, they weren't as loud as their mother yet. Sano was more reserved, but he was waving a little flag with a lion on it, no doubt on his wife's orders. Sekime and Rie were clapping with more reservation, but still boasting broad smiles.
"You, Nakatsu the Lion-Hearted!"
His head flipped around at the shout, just in time to head butt the soccer ball that was heading directly for him. As it bounced down, he gave it a light tap with his knee, flipped it to his ankle, then let it hit the ground, where he immediately set off down the field with it. He feinted around one of the opposing forwards, then shot off towards the goal.
As his teammates and friends cheered his name, he executed a perfect kick, the ball flying directly through the goalie's outstretched arms. Score!
"Yes!" His teammates enveloped him in back slaps and manly hugs, but his eyes were seeking out his friends.
"Nakatsu that was awesome!" Mizuki's eyes were shining brightly. His heart still skipped a beat when she did that, but it was smaller now, softer. She was so incandescently happy with Sano that he couldn't help but be happy for her, too.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah! That was awesome!" Their oldest child, a little boy named Ren, grinned up at him. "I wanna be like Uncle Nakatsu when I grow up!"
At that he really did feel his heart melt all the way. He leaned down so he was eye level with the kid. "Then you gotta work really hard and practice every day!"
"Hai!"
Nakatsu ruffled his hair with a laugh, before standing up and cooing into the face of Rie and Sekime's six month old little girl. "You guys are so lucky."
"It's not all roses, you know," Mizuki said, watching as Sano wiped a snot bubble off the face of their youngest. But her eyes were proud, and Sano's face was full of love, so it was hard to believe her. "Besides," she said abruptly, turning back to him with a grin, "you'll find someone soon, I just know it!"
"Yeah, Nakatsu the Lion Hearted," Sano said, slapping him on the back.
He laughed, heart full and happy as he stood surrounded by his friends and their families. One day soon, he hoped to have what they had.