(Friday - Night)
Gran had wished Midorikawa good night and remained awake for a while longer. Worry for the human was on his mind and he was desperately trying to think of a way to find a solution to his thoughts. Sadly, nothing came to him, at least not immediately. The perfect idea struck and now would be the best time to put it into motion.
Patiently, the alien waited until Midorikawa was sound asleep. The sound of even and uninterrupted breathing was a sign that he was in a deep slumber. Quietly, he walked into the human's room, teal eyes searching for a single item. His phone was set on the desk beside his bed. With a single, silent swipe, the alien managed to take it. Without a sound, he left his room.
Once he was in the kitchen (the furthest room from Midorikawa's bedroom), Gran had to try and fiddle with this technology. It resembled a communication device he used to have, but less advanced. All he wanted to do was contact someone, a friend of his. That Saginuma person seemed the closest to him and thats who was aiming to call. He would know how to help them out, wouldn't he?
But instead, he finds himself accidentally pressing on another person's contact information. Suzuno Fuusuke. And instead of going back, he pressed the call button. He wanted to hang up the call, but worried that the other human would call back and ask about this accidental call.
"Seriously, Ryuuji?" A yawn comes from the other side of the phone after it had been picked up. "Do you know how late it is? I never thought you'd be up this late..."
"This is Fuusuke, correct?" Gran replies.
"Uhh...Hiroto, right?" Suzuno asks, tired and confused. "What are you doing over there and why do you have Ryuuji's phone?"
"I am living with him momentarily." Was that the right thing to say? Gran wasn't sure what to tell him without Midorikawa's guidance. "I am sorry for calling so late, but I have an important question to ask concerning Ryuuji..."
"I'd prefer if this was a time when I was more awake, but fine. What is it?"
"I...want to know what would make him feel better. He's been very stressed lately and you know him better than I do so...Do you know how to cheer him up?"
"Mmm..." There's a silent pause, only breathing heard from the other line. "I have one thing in mind. Although I'm guessing you want to be involved with making him happy?"
"Yes, he helped me recently and it was very fun." Gran smiled as he recalled their time together at the observatory. He wanted to do something like that but with an activity the human enjoyed. Gardening was one thing he had in mind, but he didn't think there was a place for them to go water planets and take some home.
"Well, besides sending him off to a library, you could play soccer with him."
"Soccer?"
"Yeah, soccer." Suzuno waited for a response from Gran, something that would indicate he knew what he was talking about, but when he didn't receive one, he continued, "Football? You know, the sport were you kick the ball around?"
"I've never heard of it."
"Oh my god..." He sighs and there's a slap sound as the other facepalms. "Well, soccer is fun with more players...I think I can get Haruya to go over and play around for a while."
"Really?" Gran asked, excited to hear that. Midorikawa would love to play with everyone, wouldn't he? "Oh, but it should be a surprise for him!" The observatory had been one for the alien, so its only right that it should be for him.
Suzuno chuckled. "Yeah, sure, it'll be one."
"Fuusuke! Who the hell are you talking to? I want to go to bed already!"
"Is Haruya with you?" Gran asked as he heard that other familiar voice. He had to wonder if they were living together like how he was with Midorikawa.
"Uhh...Y-Yeah. Anyway, I'll tell him about it and let Ryuuji know. Or not know exactly, you know what I mean."
"I understand. Good night, Fuusuke. And tell Haruya I say good to him as well."
"I'm sure he'd be thrilled to hear that..." Suzuno mumbled in a sarcastic tone. "Good night, see you tomorrow, Hiroto."
(Saturday - Morning)
Midorikawa woke up to an unexpected text. One that sounded more like a demand rather than anything else.
'Haruya and I will be at your place after lunch. Be ready. Also get that new friend of yours to come along with us.' - Fuusuke.
It took him a moment to read the text and understand what Suzuno had sent him. Those two were coming sometime after lunch and wanted Gran and him to be ready for...what? The human sighed, really wishing that Suzuno was more clear on what they wanted to do (he had texted him asking what was in store for the day, yet there was no response). But, he had to admit it was better than one of Nagumo's short and less informative texts.
"Gran, Haruya and Fuusuke want to hang out with us today." Midorikawa had to inform him about this upcoming meeting (he didn't know what else to consider it at the moment). "I hope you're alright with that."
"I am. What are we going to do?" Gran asked as he looked over to him with a grin.
"I don't know. Fuusuke didn't say. I just hope it doesn't involve going to the mountains or anything..." He wasn't exactly prepared for any cold activity, but he was certain that Nagumo would protest to it as well. The more he tried to think of what they were planning, the less options he could imagine.
It won't. Gran nearly responded with that but held his tongue. He didn't want to give away what they were going to do today. Even so, he was just too excited about it. If Midorikawa liked soccer, then he didn't want to ruin this surprise.
~...~
"Can't you tell me where you're taking me already?" Midorikawa asks, walking alongside Gran, his eyes looking to the backs of his two childhood friends as they are eagerly walking ahead of the two.
"And ruin the surprise? No way!" Nagumo responds, glancing back over to them for a moment. "Geez, you don't have to know what you're doing all the time."
"But I'd like to..." Midorikawa sighed. "I really don't understand why you even wanted to bring me out...wherever we're going in the first place."
"We can pull surprises every once in a while for you, can't we?" Suzuno asked, keeping his focus straight ahead. "Besides that, just relax. It's not like we're going to rob a bank and leave you two to take the blame."
"But that does sound like a fun idea," Nagumo said with a grin.
"I don't know how you could even think of something like that..." Another sigh from Midorikawa.
Gran reaches out a hand, taking a hold of Midorikawa's for a moment. This causes the human to look over and see a warm smile aimed towards him. It made him feel at ease knowing that he was beside him.
"It'll be okay. You can trust them." Gran knew they meant well after all. Even if he hadn't known them long, he trusted the friendship the humans shared amongst each other.
"Yeah, if you can't believe us, believe your new buddy instead," Nagumo grumbled.
"I do trust you both," Midorikawa said. "I just really need a break..."
"Well, you're going to get one, whether you like it or not!" Nagumo exclaimed, quickly running around those two, breaking their linked hands and beginning to push Midorikawa forward. "You're both to slow, we could have been there already, you know! So, pick up the pace!"
Midorikawa made some protests, claiming he could walk himself but Nagumo just did not listen. Suzuno chuckled as those two went on ahead, Gran now walking by his side.
"Will Ryuuji be alright?" The alien asks. He looked a little troubled with Nagumo, but assumed this was natural.
"Don't worry, Haruya is a little rough, but he means well." Suzuno answered. "That and he doesn't put on the big bully attitude he used to when we were younger." If he did, then he would have to be worried for their green haired friend. But, he wasn't going to go on about that right now.
"That is relieving," Gran said with a sigh, looking ahead at those two, though his gaze was mostly upon the human he lived with. "Though, I still have to ask, where exactly are we going?"
"I forgot you don't know anything about soccer..." Nor were you with us back then. "Well, when we were younger there was a pitch nearby the orphanage we lived in. We'd kick the ball around there. Surprisingly, it's still in shape, but no one really uses it now."
"I really hope he likes it..." Gran mumbled. There was silence between the two for a moment, the only thing being heard were Nagumo's comments towards Midorikawa. Eventually, Suzuno was the one to speak again to break the silence.
"You really do care for him, don't you?"
Gran was caught off guard by that question. He smiled as he glanced over to Midorikawa before speaking. "Of course. He's helped me more than I could ever repay him. I don't think I ever could, but...I just really want to see him happy."
"Hmm..." Suzuno's gaze lingers on him for a bit, not saying a word. He could tell that he really did want to help out Midorikawa, but there was always something off about him.
"No way!" His thoughts are broken as he hears that surprised shout from Midorikawa. "This is where you wanted to bring me? You should have told me sooner!"
"Hey, we weren't going to ruin the surprise!" Nagumo shouts, pushing him ahead before looking at the field before them. Suzuno and Gran quicken their pace to catch up and stand beside them.
"Come on, Ryuuji, like old times?" Suzuno gently nudges the boy before nodding to Nagumo. He returns the nod and slings off his bag, revealing a soccer ball from inside.
Midorikawa's eyes practically lit up to the sight of the ball. "What are we waiting for than? Let's play soccer!"
~...~
Gran had decide to simply observe and learn from their interactions as to how to play this 'soccer' sport. It was a curious thing, just kicking the ball around, stealing it (not in the literal term) from each other, and then trying to make it into the net, or goal as it was called. The three humans looked like they were enjoying themselves to the fullest. Was the sport truly this much fun?
"Why don't you come and play with us, Hiroto?" It was Midorikawa who had asked that after some time had passed. The man was sweating (so were the other two) as he tried to catch his breath during this mini break.
"I...don't know how to play," the alien admitted. There wasn't an equivalent to soccer on his home planet. Although playing with a spherical object certainly was a common thing, yet it was never so detailed and taken seriously like this sport.
"We'll teach you, come on, you should have fun to." And Gran could not say no to him, especially as the man had flashed him that joyous smile of his.
Nagumo let out an annoyed groan. "Great, a noob. Oh well, at least I can beat him a million times."
"You can't play nice, just for once?" Suzuno sighed to his comment, knowing he was going to take full advantage due to the alien's lack of skills.
As Gran had come onto the field, Midorikawa had gently kicked the ball towards him. He had seen enough to know he was either supposed to kick back or 'dribble' the ball towards the goal. He tried for the latter, which was not so easy. The alien stumbled a bit, unable to keep the ball in his possession. It was going to take practice to pull off what they had done so effortlessly.
Nagumo was having the time of his life picking on Gran, happily stealing the ball from him, passing it to Suzuno who (sadly) passed it back to either Midorikawa or Gran. It made him angry to even see Suzuno wanting to help out the other red head, but at least he could continue to steal the ball away from him, even if it did make him receive (annoyed) looks from the other two.
Midorikawa continued to be supportive towards Gran, giving him praise over practically anything, filling him with encouragement. Suzuno occasionally said one or two things, but most of his words were aimed at Nagumo, telling him to stop being rude to Gran. Of course, the alien didn't mind it, seeing as it was part of being competitive, as well as making a personal goal to manage to keep the ball away from the fiery red head.
Their play time together came to a halt the moment a stomach rumbled. All eyes fell onto Nagumo, the source of the sound. For once, his cheeks heated up and looked away with a bit of embarrassment.
"I guess that means its time to go back?" Midorikawa asked, plopping down onto the grass for a moment. "We really have been out here for a while, haven't we?"
"We should have brought some snacks, than we could have played longer!" Nagumo whined, practically sounding like a little kid yearning to play more.
"I told you we should have, but you didn't want to..." Suzuno reminded, but Nagumo simply pouted towards him before looking away, pretending he never heard that in the first place.
"You guys can eat with us if you'd like to?" Midorikawa offered.
"Hell yes!"
"May we?"
Suzuno sighed before telling Nagumo how they should still be polite, even to Midorikawa. And he was simply acting as a child, rolling his eyes and arguing back that he should be happy that he was agreeing to spend more time with their friend. Gran chuckled to their antics before glancing over to Midorikawa. He moved to go and sit down beside him for the time being. "Did you have fun today, Ryuuji?"
"I did." Midorikawa wore a huge grin as he answered that. It made the alien happy to see him smiling like before. Perhaps he did manage to forget his worries for today. The human was so relaxed, cheerful, bright. It was almost infectious. "Did you? I don't know how you feel about soccer..."
"It is an interesting sport. I never thought one could have fun by kicking a ball around and applying certain rules to it. Although, I am sorry for not being as good as you are."
"Don't worry about being good or not. I'm...actually not the best one at it."
Gran was surprised to hear that. "But you have such amazing skills, Ryuuji." They all did, of course, but he couldn't see how Midorikawa considered himself worse than others.
"Thank you, but...compared to them and even Osamu, I'm just mediocre. But, I don't let that get to me. I decided that as long as I have fun, then thats all that really matters."
"You really are an interesting human..."
"Hey! Stop chatting by yourselves and let's get going! I'm starving!" Nagumo shouts, impatient with the hunger that is plaguing his stomach. "You can chat at home, so let's go!"
"Alright, we will!" Midorikawa playfully shouts back before looking to Gran. "Let's go home."
a/n: okay I think I can get back to posting regularly-ish! I might jump back and forth between working on this and the other short fic I'm working on but I'm back to working on this fic for sure. also, I couldn't resist throwing soccer into this fic either~