STAY (FAR AWAY, SO CLOSE!)
Disclaimer: I do not make any money out of this story, nor does Galactik Football belong to me.
Chapter 1
It was Christmas time, and tonight was Christmas Eve. This was the night that the Snow Kids all celebrated together as a team at their annual Christmas Party, held at Aarch's place.
All of the Snow Kids looked forward to this party; they exchanged their gifts, there would always be great food, they would all gather up around the fireplace listening to music, and reminiscing funny stories of the late year. Not to mention, getting drunk with no hassle and worry at all.
This party was a very informal one and of a comfortable setting, consisting of only the members of the team and their technical staff - excluding snobby, formal, and important league people wearing tuxedos. One could say that it was pretty much like camping in the civilized indoors.
The night this year was perfect - falling snow filling the misty sky. The kids were having a blast of a time. Food was disappearing off the tables in seconds, alcohol likewise.
Funny how Mei and Aarch ended up alone on this night. Rocket and Tia had left earlier than the others because they had secretly planned a special night together, while some of the other kids were too foolish in their drinking and had to be carried to their rooms by Clamp and Simbai. Mei was in the bathroom when their technical staff decided that it was time to make sure everyone returned safely to their rooms. They knew Mei was in a sober enough state to leave on her own.
She came out of the bathroom, after quite some time, to find no one but Aarch playing guitar in a trashed room of food left-overs and empty alcohol bottles on the floor. Not a lot of people knew he could play guitar; he had started playing it while recovering from smog poisoning as a way out of The Shadows and smog addiction. It was there for him when no one was. Music was a warm therapy away from the chaos and competitiveness of football.
"Micro-Ice got really drunk and the others took him to his room. I guess they're all calling it a night," Aarch said as he turned his sight to face Mei as she was coming out of the bathroom.
"Ah, I see coach. He was pretty drunk wasn't he?" she said jokingly.
"Heh, he's still a kid. Let him have some fun," Aarch sighed.
"I'll just finish my drink and head to my room afterwards too. It's getting pretty late," she did not want to be rude. He was the one who organized the party every year, and paid for all the food and drinks - the least she could do was be polite and keep him company. Even though she felt there was no reason for her to remain there as all her friends had left.
"Of course. It''s always a pleasure to have company," assured Aarch.
They were alone in his apartment at night, and Mei got the sudden thought of the uncomfortable moment they had shared three months earlier. They had forgotten all about it and their relationship as player-and-coach remained as professional as it was before. There was no awkwardness or tension in the air tonight.
He had drank a little, and it had gone to his head. Since being coach and not having the duty to be a hundred percent fit, during these past few years he let himself drink more than he used to when he was still playing - despite wanting to set an example for his young players. He thought it justifiable for an athlete to drink a little more on Christmas Eve.
Though he was slightly drunk, he still kept on playing guitar, somewhat clumsily. They had never really spent time getting to know each other well, and they realized there was more to their mutual interests than football. Despite the age gap, they found talking together was not at all boring, unlike her predictions.
Her one last drink lasted more than they thought it would. They kept on talking and laughing, mainly because of the fact that Aarch was drunk; Not the passing-out-on-the-floor-having-no-idea-how-you're-still-alive-the-following-morning type of drunk, but rather the happily type of drunk. She found him a nice person to talk to, he invited confidence without demanding it.
As he paused from talking to refresh with a sip of beer, she bursted out speaking enthusiastically. "You know what? One of my dreams has always been for someone to play a song especially for me," she said sparkling, then her tone fell down to one of a disappointment, "But unfortunately I haven't dated anyone who knows how to sing or play an instrument yet.
He drunkenly placed his beer bottle on the table and smiled. "Well, I know it's not much, and certainly not how you ever imagined it would be, but I will grant your wish and play you a song till you get the chance to date a musician. Though, any type of artist can be a little crazy, so be careful." Aarch laughed as he kidded around. He slowly picked up his guitar from the floor.
"I'm sure you know this one," he said holding his guitar comfortably.
He started to play the first chords of the song, and then sang.
"My love she throws me like a rubber ball
Oh oh oh, The Sweetest Thing!
She won't catch me or break my fall,
Oh oh oh, The Sweetest Thing!
Baby's got blue skies up ahead,
But in this, I'm a rain cloud,
You know she wants a dry kind of love,
Oh oh oh, The Sweetest Thing!"
He cut the song straight to the last verse and chorus.
"Blue-eyed boy meets a brown-eyed girl,
Oh oh oh, The Sweetest Thing!
You can sew it up, but you still see the tear,
Oh oh oh, The Sweetest Thing!
Baby's got blue skies up ahead,
But in this, I'm a rain cloud,
Ours is a stormy kind of love,
Oh oh oh, The Sweetest Thing!
Oh oh oh, The Sweetest Thing!
Oh oh oh, The Sweetest Thing..."
She was mesmerized. She thought his voice was perfect despite his drunkenness and slight voice-fluffs. Somehow he managed to remember all the lyrics.
"Coach! That was amazing," she said in awe, gazing into his blue eyes.
"Don't you know that you can call me 'Aarch', tonight?" he said with a smirk. His eyes a bit red under the effect of beer and wine.
She felt the same dreaded sensation she had felt three months before as she saw him looking at her in the way he unintentionally meant to.
There was silence. She slowly, and hesitantly, leaned in close to him.
"Mei," he said, as they got too close for comfort. Tension built up inside him as she approached closer.
She gave him a small kiss, hesitant at first. He had no time to say anything. He did not kiss back.
He tried to pull away, "I, just.. possibly couldn't." Still having the guitar in his hands.
Despite his drunkenness, he knew far well that he could not do such a thing again. Not with a player from the team he coaches, and definitely not with a girl who was almost twenty years younger than him. He knew well right how much he regretted it for kissing back in their encounter three months earlier.
She was innocently mad about him. She thought it was alright - she thought of him as a good man, not any type of pervert; she couldn't help herself.
She stared into his tired eyes, slightly closed looking down at her. Somehow he remained close and did not move away. His drunkenness was playing it's tricks. She slowly took the guitar from his hands and put it on the floor; his sight never leaving her as she did so. He was admiring, without realizing it himself, her long brown hair flowing down in rhythm with her movement as she leaned down.
"You never give up, do you?" he said jokingly, though still filled with tension. Jokes made him feel relaxed and confident, and helped him control any situation - perhaps just not this one.
"I've learned from what you've been teaching us," she wittingly said. She knew how to place her words in a way that both made sense and was seductive. These choice of words were doing their effect on Aarch. And this time, he kissed back.
He was drunk, he wasn't quite sure what he was doing. He had forgot what it felt like to be with someone, to have a bit of a human touch. His relationship with Adim was going nowhere from friends, and he hadn't had any interest in anyone else. He was missing the action.
As things started to heat up she slid onto him. Her thighs around his, body contact together was high. He was surprised, though he didn't mind her. He thought of it as just making out, and he was drunk - maybe he wouldn't hate himself for it so much.
But, then, her hands started to slide down his chest, slowly unbuttoning his shirt.
He got startled, he didn't think she would want to take it this far. He pulled himself away astoundingly. "I can't, Mei."
She kissed him again with no response at all from her coach. Her desire was on fire. As she continued, he got even more weak, and started to tolerate it in his mind.
He thrusted himself forward to her. His hands sliding passionately around her waist and sides as their kiss grew more steamy, his shirt on the floor while his bare torso started to heat up.
He had forgotten everything about how critical this situation was, and started to enjoy it almost as much as she was.
None of them thought it would go as far as it did..
Author's Notes: Thanks for reading my story. Had written this way back in April, but never really continued it until now. Hope you guys like it, reviews are much appreciated!
Chapter 2 comes when I decide on which way to continue it ;)
