The greenhaired alien - Inazuma Eleven

65

"Hey, wanna go swim before we leave?" I asked Jordan when we were on a walk. He sweatdropped. "Yes, that's a great idea. Especially with all my bandages and your sprained ankle," he dryly said. I stuck out my tongue, but the boy was right, sadly enough. "I know Jor, but I just want to do something fun together," I sighed. 

He took my hand, and I felt a flutter in my stomach. "I know darling, I know." We wandered around the cute streets, filled with souvenir shops. There were beautiful drawings and postcards of Okinawa's beauty.

"Hey, what's the creative shit you like most? Like, what do you do yourself" Jordan's face lit up, it made me want to kiss him. "Well, there's a lot, to be honest. I mostly write, but I love painting as well." I smiled. "Can't wait to see it sometime." He heavily shook his head with wide eyes. "No, I'm not good at all! Besides, I don't think writing is interesting to many people, plus I'm not that talented." 

"Shut up." The boy furrowed his brows, and I quickly explained myself. "First of all, writing is intriguing as fuck. And I'm sure you have talent, I've seen you look at the canvas and brushes in the shop we passed." I playfully pushed him. "Don't look so anxious, you can show me when you're ready." 

After our lovely artsy talk, we returned to the team. Mark had clearly been waiting for us. 

"So, guess where we're going?" His grin broadened. "Royal Academy!" 

After hearing about his plan for an hour, we finally left. Personally, I thought that going there was a waste of time, but Jude was convinced it was the right way to learn the boys the Triangle something. He seemed a bit off as if he were guilty of something. But we went anyway, despite my protests. 

When we entered the van, a big T was painted inside. Nobody really cared, nothing serious had happened the past days anyway. We just had to find the Janus version of T, and for that we had to beat Alius. It was the only strategy.

I wasn't really in the mood to practice, so I just sat with the girls. But after watching the three boys fail with the triangle for an hour, which was hilarious, I decided to join the training at last. Not that it mattered, because after I stretched, a white glow stopped everyone. 

"Good afternoon, Raimon Jr. High," Gazel said coldly. "Good to see you, Jordan," he continued, and the alien nodded at Jordan. Axel snorted, and I glared at him. What was his problem? But Blaze looked away before jogging to his position on the field.

"Okayy, welcome to yet another game against Alius, people! I don't know if it's just me, but I'm starting to lose count!" Chester was yelling as always, giving me a headache.

It was a tiring game. Diamond Dust's game was so perfect and balanced, that it was hard to break through it. They weren't as rough as Prominence, which was a relief of course. But it frustrated us, and with that, I meant me and Kevin mostly. And so the coach switched us with Jordan and Aphrodi. 

My eyes wandered off to Axel. His stare at Jor was colder than Hokkaido, who in his turn looked away confused. I was close to dragging the striker off of the field to talk with him. I wasn't the only one who saw it.

"Has any of you noticed how Axel treats Jordan?" Nelly asked concerned. "Yes," I mumbled. Kevin, who'd been punching the bench in anger, looked up. "I have the feeling that he doesn't trust Jordan," he sighed. "But why? Hasn't he proven himself? The entire world loves him, literally. I made him sign up for Instagram last week, and now he's got almost a million followers." Kevin patted me on my shoulder. "Don't worry Rho, it'll be alright."

"Axel, we need to talk," I told him the second the game was over. "Why?" I pursed my lips. "I think you know why." I nodded at Jordan, who was staring into space with an empty look. He was biting his lip so hard, that it was bleeding. I looked back up at Axel. "Later we will."

"Careful love, I don't want you to bite off your lips. They're very important, you know," I said softly after I sat down. He turned his gaze to me and smiled sadly. He was about to take my hands, but he stopped right before we touched. I didn't understand what was going on, but a second later he hesitantly held them. I tightened my grip, and the boy somewhat relaxed. "Jordan, what's making you so insecure?" He glanced at Axel, who was speaking to a laughing Mark. 

"Am I annoying?" My heart skipped a few beats. "Say what now?" Jordan swallowed. "You know, like do I take up space, am I not needed?" It took me a bit long to process what he was saying.

"Of course not," I eventually said softly, "why'd you think that?" The boy shrugged, and I swore he blinked away some tears. "I just did." I followed his gaze to Blaze. "Let's talk somewhere else."

Jordan barely held it together until we sat down in a changing room. He dropped himself on a bench, with tears running down his face.

"But I am taking up space, aren't I?" I shook my head. "No, don't be ridiculous." I wasn't sure what else to say. The fact that it was Axel of all people, one of my best friends, surprised me a bit. "I'm not being ridiculous." I sat down next to him and cupped his face. "Sweetie, you're just as wanted here as anyone else." He shook his head heavily, and I was getting desperate. "Jor, just listen to me." He closed his eyes, but it didn't stop the tears from flowing. "But it's true. I'm not adding anything to the team."

"Shut up, everyone loves you!" He immediately opened his eyes, and I realized what I'd just said. We just looked at each other in shock.

"Does that include you?" He eventually asked with a cracking voice. Did it? I smiled at the most beautiful, strongest, and damaged boy I'd ever laid eyes upon. 

"Yes." I heard steps heading our way, the team was coming. "Now, who's gonna argue with Axel, you, me, or both?"

Torch almost felt bad when he watched Gazel lose from the hallways. Xene had come with him, probably to watch 'Raimon's true power'. Idiot. He'd been wondering what happened to Raimon's stalker, but he'd promised himself to let it go. Just precautions.

"You're quiet," Xene pointed out. "I'm thinking."

"Shocking."  He shot the smirking boy a death glare. Xene nodded at the field. "Game's over. This is why we don't play badminton as an exercise." Torch stuck out his tongue, and Xene chuckled. "I'm leaving, there's nothing to see anymore."

"Bye, Xav." Torch got no reaction, the other alien was gone.

He turned around to look straight into Gazel's frustrated eyes. "Well, go on, mock me," he sighed defeated. Gazel would never say something like that usually, it stranged Torch out. "What? I'd prefer if you'd do it here, so that we can work on our collaboration team back at the base. Remember?"

"Of course." The redhead smiled. "But I don't scold my teammates. Also, would you mind addressing me as Captain?" The other boy smirked. "Keep dreaming Sizzle." Gazel let the ball lit up and they left to practice yet another sport. "We could ice skate," Gazel suggested back at the base. Torch snorted. "Bryce, I even prefer golfing over that, and you know how boring golf is."