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Noa had a great day. His team was improving steadily, his players were finally starting to figure out their playstyles, and they only had one last match to go through, having won all the previous ones.
They had a break this week, so he wasn't worried. The sole obligatory task he gave out was to watch one of the matches happening during their last free day before he'd make them go back to rigorous training. Rigorous training that he was carelessly doing in the middle of the night.
He finally had time to work out by himself, without being needed to analyze everyone’s statistics and having to help point them in the right direction. He refused to straight up tell the key to their evolution. The only thing he didn’t leave for the boys to decide was the lineup during official matches, the rest of the training all depended on the individual.
Noel never thought himself illogical, he always followed schedules and plans faithfully, but being a coach completely threw off his rhythm. From waking up until going back to bed, his life stopped being centered around absolute rationality.
He couldn't blame himself for becoming overeager to train.
He was sure Ego would air footage of him being stupid and stupidly hot out into the big wide world as the sneaky little rat he was, ready to make fun of the biggest name in the world of football. Free clips of Noel Noa working out? It was going to sell like hot cakes.
He was also sure that his little midnight stunt would get back to his managers and that they would chew him out for it once they’d find out. He didn’t really care though. Call it a well-deserved reward for the decades of dedication he showed the sport.
Still, a few minutes before 3 o’clock he decided to put a stop to his insanity. He wiped his face with his towel before cleaning and putting away the equipment he had used. He liked order.
Noel then went to the showers. He was provided a secure personal bathroom away from the eyes of everyone else as a master striker, but he was a curious man by nature. And it was late enough that he’d be the only one in the public bathroom. Or at least, he should be. If he wasn’t, he’d be sure to scold the living shit out of whichever Bastard München member decided to stay up so late.
He was an adult, he was allowed to do as he liked. They were kids, and they were also allowed to do as he liked.
Not to say this because Noel wanted to exercise his authority over the boys so much. But the younger members all came to train themselves and win better offers out of this trip, meanwhile he only came to amuse himself with Ego’s show. The stakes were clearly different.
The facility was peacefully quiet. Noa liked it.
He got to the changing rooms, took his clothes off and wrapped himself in a towel as per custom. He then made his way to the baths. Upon opening the door leading into the showers however, Noel heard noises. Specifically German speech.
“Alexis, hurry up, we are going to be late tomorrow!”
It was Kaiser speaking, apparently to Ness. Noa should have known it would be those two. He never had a normal day with them. The older mentally prepared himself to deal with the two idiots whose voices he clearly recognized.
“I’m sorry, Kaiser,“ came the meek reply from the midfielder, accompanied by clicks and clacks of tubes being handled.
“It’s fine…” Kaiser only sighed a bit. He knew Ness wasn’t at fault.
Noa stepped into the room fully, turning towards the direction where the German boys were at. Ness looked up at that, noticing the adult from the corner of his eye, looking at Noa standing stupefied with a single towel saving his dignity.
"What. The fuck. Are you two doing?"
Michael didn’t even have to look up. He was used to making Noa’s days hell. He was professional in the vicinity of everybody but Noa and Ness. No mask needed when they already got to know him before he put it on for the first time.
"Ness is dying my hair," he answered nonchalantly.
"I'm sorry Noa. I told him we should have done it back in Germany but Kaiser didn't want to ruin the usual timing for the trip. It's only needed once anyway, we'll be quick!" Ness tried to save the situation and placate Noa, who he knew wouldn’t necessarily make a big deal out of it.
The boys didn’t really have parental control since moving into the dorms of Bastard München, so whoever held the highest authority over them in their team was the one they answered to. Noa also knew of this, and tried to become an adult figure in the boys’ lives, at least until they got back to Germany to their usual coaches.
"It's 3:00 AM," was the only thing Noel could utter.
"And my hair is in need of some blue."
"Now?"
"Yes."
"…In the public bathroom?" Noa moved behind Kaiser and Ness during their conversation, looking the blond in the eyes through the mirror he sat in front of.
"Do you see any other bathrooms? I sure as hell don't think we are sitting in a private one, if they even exist here... did that answer your question?" Leave it to Michael to be a brat in his free time. He’s lucky nobody would believe how he acted even if Noa told everyone whatever happened there.
The master striker didn’t deign to affirm nor deny Kaiser’s last quip.
"People usually bathe here. Your hair is all over the place. And you’re even coloring it…"
"Don’t worry, Ness is really good." Kaiser had outmost faith in Alexis to do a good and clean job. Ness piped up after him.
"I used to do Kaiser's hair in the dorms too, ever since we passed the tryouts. I know how to clean up well, and so far, I’m managing not to leave a big mess behind to take care of."
“A small mess is still a mess. Not to mention, every single one of you should be sleeping. Tomorrow is the only day I gave you any work to do.”
“We know. Sorry.” Ness was the first to apologize at the sound of Noa’s dejected tone, followed by a tiny, inaudible but still somewhat sincere sorry from Kaiser as well.
“After Ness finishes painting and cleaning up, he will go to bed,” started Noa in a monotone voice as he turned around, walking to one of the numerous little bathing seats before continuing. “Kaiser will stay until the dye sets, and I’ll get it out for him if he can’t do it alone.”
Ness wanted to protest the decision but Kaiser shushed him with his index finger held in front of his mouth, sharing a brief moment of eye contact with each other. Ness nodded, accepting the order. The younger striker let himself go at times, but never enough to get Ness in trouble. And never enough to actively disobey Noa.
The man in question was already going through his routine, back facing the boys, cleaning himself quietly. Michael took a glance at him from the mirror. This was the man he couldn’t defeat… yet. Kaiser wasn’t a pro, because he couldn’t be both a pro and the centerpiece of his team when Noa was with him. Not because Kaiser was so much worse than the other, but a decade worth of experience was a lot. He couldn’t bridge that gap.
Don’t mistake his acknowledgement for jealousy though, he didn’t want to be like Noa in the slightest. He admired Noa’s precision and his will to follow through with his stern training plans, making his body his deadliest weapon, but he liked having a life for himself. Even if he didn’t have a lot of friends or close family members.
Talking about friends, Ness just finished painting the rest of his striker’s hair. He gathered the hair from the floor as he warned Kaiser.
“I’m finished. Leave the dye on for-“
“The next 40 minutes. I know, you might be the one to apply it, but I’m always the one who waits it through. Don’t worry, Alexis.” Kaiser cut off Ness, and sent him on his way quietly, the two wishing each other good night, even if the former would join the latter in their shared room later. They got to choose who they roomed with, and made sure to be assigned to the same room.
Ness slowly left, shooting one last questioning look at the blond currently drenched in blue dye, who only shook his head and motioned him to leave. And now for half an awkward hour to be spent with Noel Noa.
The older was finishing up, ever-so-quick with even his showers, wrapping himself back up and going back to dress himself. Kaiser made it a point not to look at him. He didn’t want to see Noa’s absolutely toned upper body that everyone online was acting so down bad for whenever they got a peek at.
He had to admit, he also thought Noel looked good. Everybody did. But he was a decade younger, for fuck’s sake, no, he wouldn’t think about Noa. He liked women, and maybe some men. But not Noa.
Okay, maybe a bit. But just as a fellow sportsman.
“I heard you’re going to need forty minutes,” said the man himself just a few steps away from the blond, scaring him shitless. He hadn’t noticed him move, off in his panicked dream world. “I’ll change and then wait with you.” Continued Noel before leaving Michael alone.
“Scheiße,” was the only thing the German whispered to himself after his heart rate went back to normal, being terrorized like that by an old man.
True to his word, Noel came back in a little more than a minute, now in comfortable clothing, what Kaiser assumed would serve as his pajamas as well, later. Or maybe not, depending on how good Noa would be at rinsing his hair.
“I can also take care of my hair, you know.” Said Kaiser as the master striker took a seat next to him. “You don’t have to wait up. It’s late.” Anything to send the other away.
“It’s late, but it’s fine. I’m not the one who has to pay attention in the morning,” came the tease with a smirk, Noa perfectly knowing how to get under Kaiser’s skin and make him feel small and stupid. It seemed like he never cared to express himself other than when he was messing with Michael’s dignity. “And I could see how panicked you were the moment I sent Ness away. You’re clueless.”
“I can be clueless and still take care of my hair.” The blond tried defending himself but Noel was cruel with his attacks.
“You’re going to do a bad job and force Ness to come back and help you.”
Kaiser couldn’t spit anything back at the other.
And so, a long minute of stretched out silence took place. Michael was growing visibly uncomfortable, bouncing his legs to a set rhythm, restless in his seat. He couldn’t stay in that atmosphere like that.
“So, we’re just going to sit still in absolute silence for the next 35 minutes?” Came the quiet question from him as he looked at himself in the mirror, not bothering to turn towards Noel.
“You want to talk?”
“No!” Kaiser panicked, and then realized he sounded… exactly like that, panicked. He coughed, adjusting the hem of his shirt. “No.”
“I’m not against speaking. It’s not any more entertaining to sit for me than it is for you.”
“But what would we even speak about?”
To that, not even Noa knew the answer. The two strikers had known each other for quite some time, but they never became friends. More like colleagues. A superior and an inferior one. One bound to replace the other sooner or later. After all, one could only play football competitively for so long. Even if that wasn’t fast enough for Kaiser.
“You know what, I’ll just get my phone,” said the blond, making to get up before Noa held his arm down from where he sat at, stopping him from rising and getting up instead of him.
“I’ll get it for you. You’re all wrapped up, you’ll make a mess.”
Kaiser blinked as the other rose to full height. They didn’t have a bad relationship, they both respected each other, but Kaiser didn’t think he’d live to see the day where Noa made a favor for anyone out of his own benevolence.
“Uhm. Thanks.”
“Which locker?” Noa didn’t even look back to ask.
“It’s just in my bag, nobody would take anything in here. On the benches.”
Noa came back a few moments later, having easily located the phone. Upon picking it up, the display lit up, lock screen a picture Ness took of himself and Kaiser not long after they first met, when the blond was fully blond without any blue. He switched the screen off before giving the device to its rightful owner, taking his seat afterwards.
“Cute picture.”
“Please not now.”
“Didn’t take you to be so sentimental.”
“I’m not sentimental. Ness wanted it.”
“Then I didn’t take you to be so nice.”
Kaiser didn’t answer back. The tips of his ears were burning, but luckily Noa didn’t look at him anymore. Rather, he looked at what the other scrolled through on social media.
Michael’s first thing to do was look at what people thought about Blue Lock. There were a lot of speculations for the games commencing in less than half a day. His page was also full of Yoichi. He had wanted to analyze his game, so he looked at what others had been saying about him, and now the algorithm picked up on it and didn’t set him free. Even after he blocked all his tags. The amount of untagged bullshit that made it through to him was astronomical.
Noel noticed his dismay.
“Don’t hyperfocus on Isagi. I told you last game too.” Noa sighed. He knew once Kaiser found a challenge, he wouldn’t let it go. Something about the impossible.
“Easy for you to say. You took his side every match.”
“Because he was more logical.”
“Of course, he’d be the better choice when we are on the same team,” Kaiser was getting mad, “It doesn’t matter anyway, I only have one match to go through with him on my team and when I meet him next time, I can destroy him.”
Kaiser hated his current situation. Yoichi was made stronger by having Kaiser on the team. Kaiser didn’t reap benefits from Yoichi being on his team. If anything, his resources just got taken from him. Just look at his last match. Lorenzo shut him down the entire game and let Yoichi rule the field.
Even then, it made another part of him fire up. Something to finally overthrow, like the countless others he beat, all undeserving of their fame. Yoichi was a diamond in the rough. Kaiser couldn’t forgive himself for being inferior to someone on the field, even if he was disadvantaged.
He took a breath, catching himself. Exactly what disadvantage was he thinking about? He was just tricking himself, something only the weak-willed did, and he hated himself for it. He looked up at his reflection, at his blue rose. At the thorns choking him, holding him back. Only Kaiser worked against himself, nobody else.
He was supposed to be better, having played professionally longer, having better overall stats, having more experience…
“Kaiser?” Noel asked him.
Ah, Noel was still there. Michael hadn’t been able to convince him to leave.
“Sorry,” answered Kaiser, “Got lost for a minute.”
“Are you okay?” Noel asked with his slight French accent coming out. He has been speaking German for a long time, but being tired and now surprisingly concerned wore his walls down.
“Huh?”
“Your hand.”
Kaiser didn’t notice himself stroking his rose. His neck. Thank fuck his hair was dark and all over the place, because he didn’t really have any well-covering clothes on. He just had a cape over his pajamas to make sure he wouldn’t have to change again before going to bed. They had planned on quickly doing Kaiser’s hair and dipping right after.
“Oh, no, that’s nothing, don’t mind that.”
“Do you often do that?”
“No. Not at all.” Kaiser made a sad smile.
Noa let the topic go. They weren’t friends. He had no right to overstep if the other didn’t want to open up. The two sat in silence until it was time to wash the blond’s hair, Kaiser finally putting his phone away and Noa picking himself up from the seat he was ready to melt into at one point in the past several minutes.
“Okay, let’s get started.”
“You have one last chance to leave, I’ll let you.” Kaiser tried convincing the other one last time, giving him an out if he changed his mind in the unbearable silence.
“I told you. It’s fine.”
“Tell that to your hands when they become all blue.”
Noa only rolled his eyes and got to work. His hands were big, bigger than Kaiser’s and bigger than Ness’s, and steadier too. Reliable.
Kaiser watched Noa work the paint out of his hair for a while before closing his eyes. Noa kept his head firmly anyway. He relaxed.
“Enjoying yourself?”
Kaiser only hummed once, “Yes. I gave you many opportunities to leave, you can’t deny me now. If it bothers you, suck it up and finish faster.”
The older was glad. The tension between the two disappeared as fast as it came, putting the slightest ever upwards tilt on the corners of Noa’s lips.
“Don’t fall asleep yet. You can do that once you’re back in your room.”
“Who are you to forbid me from sleeping?”
“Someone who will punish you tomorrow for your recklessness. You’re not off the hook for staying up just because I stayed with you.”
Michael’s annoyed face with a scrunched-up nose, like a scowling mad kitten, was worth staying up for. Even at 3:40 PM, approximately a fuckton of hours after Noa’s usual bedtime.
“Sorry.”
“You better be. With this attitude, you might just lose your bid from La Real.”
“Wouldn’t you like that?” Asked Kaiser, “Afraid I’ll leave your team? Surely you didn’t get that used to me.”
“I did,” stated Noa without a second of reconsideration.
Kaiser only laughed. He thought Noa was joking. He hoped Noa was joking. He didn’t know how he would feel if Noa was telling him the truth, so he made sure not to entertain the smallest thought of Noa telling the truth.
The truth was that Noa got used to being around the young members of his team, even if he didn’t spend most of his time with them. Observing them with the intention to help them grow made him grow closer to them, even if the members of his team must not have felt any closer to him.
In no time, Noel finished taking care of Kaiser’s hair, letting the other’s head plop to the side as he stopped securely holding it. Kaiser opened his eyes, sleepy, and now also disappointed to have his free relaxation time taken from him, and moved to get his hair dryer. He was ready to tell Noa he’d finish up by himself when the other took the device out of his reach, plugging it in and getting started on drying the freshly dyed hair with a silent yawn.
Seems like not only the blond was tired.
Their eyes met, Kaiser’s eyebrows high on his forehead, questioning whatever sanity remained in Noa. The other only made an uninterested, unimpressed face back at him, getting back to his task like his help was not worth to be the subject of a question at all.
Thankfully the hair didn’t need a long time to dry. Noa was somehow great at handling Kaiser’s hair even though his own was shorter than short in comparison. Kaiser took his cape off as Noa put the dryer away.
The two made their way out wordlessly into the changing room, Kaiser picking up his bag and putting his phone away, Noa gathering his own clothes in record speed, ready to sleep the rest of the night. Which admittedly wouldn’t be a long time, but he’d have to make do.
“And now go to bed. No funny business like this next week or you’ll regret it all the way back to Germany.”
“Yes sir,” replied Michael, looking and sounding dead tired now that he left the chair he had been glued to for the past hours.
Noa only sighed as the two parted ways, not bothering to chide the other about the honorific he teasingly used. Both men already regretted staying up so long. At least Ness got to sleep a bit more.