> .'tags ; angst with comfort, fluff, gn!reader +.* - ❥︎ atelophobia « (n.) fear of imperfection, » fear of not being good enough ꨄ︎
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*.+ 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑, 𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐒𝐇𝐈 𝐑𝐈𝐍 was obsessed with the concept of absolute perfection.
wether it was in privat, during soccer practices and matches- as his close friend, you were quick to notice the subtle changes in his overall self during the past weeks. you knew that rin had always been a very competitive and ambitious person, and those attributes often came in handy for him. but now, his dedication to soccer started to backfire on him. and you couldn't bear to stay silent and see him neglecting his own health for any longer.
" rin, don't you think that's enough for today ? ", you asked him softly. today, you were watching him practicing by himself again in the park, and it has already been a few hours in which he constantly kicked the ball in the same motion, over and over again. the sun already started to set. " it's not perfect yet. ", he would answer in a toneless voice, continuing with what he was doing which only left you sighing.
a few minutes passed by before you decided to walk up to him. knowing that he was a stubborn and introspective person, it wouldn't be easy to get him to hear you out in his current state.
" rin, look at me. ", you spoke softly, not expecting him to stop with his movements and turning his full attention towards you so fastly, " i know how much soccer means to you, but you're only overworking yourself at this point ".
the two of you remained silent for a while, only staring at each other. you hoped that he could see the care and worry you felt towards him in your eyes, for he was your dearest friend after all. whenever rin was alone with you, he allowed himself to let his guard down and he sometimes even opened up to you about his feelings and thoughts. maybe he did so because he knew you wouldn't judge him or perceive him differently after such conversations.
you made him feel safe.
his inner urge to best and compete against his brother had always been following him like a glooming shadow through his life ever since sae had gone to spain. you had always listened to him attentively whenever he had decided to open up to you, since it wasn't as easy for him to do so himself.
you cared deeply for him, and that's why it somehow bothered you that now, he didn't seem to want to be reasoned with at all.
" you can always continue tomorrow- ". " no, I can't. ", rin cut you off mid sentence, " the time won't stop for me to take a rest until I can continue with my training. and as long as I can't perfect this shoot, I won't rest ".
this caused you to sigh.
" are you actually doing this for yourself, or for the sake of besting your brother ? ", you asked calmly but direct. you didn't want to hurt him in any way with your question, you just wanted to let him think about his current way of living more.
again, there was a tensed silence in between the two of you. but this time, he was the one to approached you, and was now standing close infront of you. his teal colored eyes were staring deep into your own, and for a short moment, you felt yourself drowning in them.
" you don't know what it feels like to be me, y/n. you don't know how much I crave perfection. ", his voice was quiet, yet there was a slight undertone of bitterness in it which one could've easily missed if they weren't paying as much attention. but you did. and you noticed the subtle change in his tone. " do you crave it so much that you'd be willing to risk your health for it ? ", you asked calmly. " ... why would you even care ? ", his voice was quiet, no more than a mere whisper.
his question made your eyes widen slightly.
" because you are my friend, rin ! how could I not care for you when I've seen you neglecting your own needs like this for the past weeks ? ", your voice was calm, yet you couldn't hide the hint of frustration in your tone. " you... worry about me ? ", rin seemed to be surprised at your statement, which in return surprised you since you thought it would've been obvious after all this time. " of course I do, rin. of course i do... ", your voice was soothing and soft as you gently grabbed his arm, " please don't neglect your health further ".
again, it was silent between the two of you. but this time, the atmosphere wasn't tensed.
" i don't know how... ", he eventually murmured, " I've been chasing perfection since sae had left me back then, and I just- I don't know what else to do ".
the fact that he now opened up to you about his inner thoughts and feelings made you feel somewhat at ease. this meant that he would be willing to hear you out now. you could only imagine how lonely he must've felt with all those feelings and thoughts being pent up in him.
" i will help you through this, alright ? ". " you will stay by my side ? ". " yes, I will be ".
during that short conversation, the two of you held each other in your arms. it wasn't meant to be in a romantic way, you simply wanted to underline the fact that you were really caring for him. and though rin never was a lover of long, physical touch, he couldn't help but feel his body relax as soon as he felt your arms around him, and he was glad to be able to burry his slightly blushed face in your neck.
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*.+ a/n ; I'll probably edit this chapter once I have time to do so since this hc was pretty rushed :') i should be studying rn but I just couldn't get this idea out of my head, so here y'all go with a longer chapter until I have time to publish the others <3
