She keeps on texting me do i like her no definitely~ Rin Itoshi x f!Reader ~

Chapter 8

Blue Lock had granted a rare and unexpected break, and for the first time in what felt like forever, you were back home. The sound of the clock ticking in your quiet living room felt alien compared to the relentless energy of Blue Lock's training grounds.

You'd barely had time to settle back into normalcy when your aunt showed up at your doorstep, baby bag in hand and a wide, relieved smile on her face.

"Thank you so much, [Your Name]! I swear, it's just for a couple of hours. Little Aki has been fussy, and I have a meeting I absolutely can't miss!" she gushed, handing you your baby cousin—a chubby, wide-eyed little boy with a mop of dark hair and an impish grin.

You blinked down at the baby, who stared back at you with a curious expression, and then looked back up at your aunt. "Wait, I don't really—"

"Thank you, you're a lifesaver! I owe you big time!" She was already halfway out the door, leaving you standing there with a baby in your arms.

"Oh no," you muttered. "Oh no, no, no."

By some twist of fate, Rin Itoshi, who had begrudgingly agreed to come over for a casual afternoon hangout (though he'd insisted it was "for training purposes"), showed up just as you were attempting to decipher how to assemble a baby bottle.

When you opened the door, baby Aki perched awkwardly on your hip, Rin's teal-green eyes went wide.

"...What is that?" he asked, pointing at the baby like it was an alien.

"This is Aki, my cousin. I'm babysitting for a few hours," you explained, slightly exasperated. "And I have no idea what I'm doing."

Rin raised an eyebrow. "You invited me over knowing this?"

"No!" you groaned. "It was a surprise. And now you're here, so... you're helping."

Rin blinked, clearly regretting every life choice that had led him to this moment. "Why me?"

"Because you're here, and I'm desperate," you said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him inside before he could protest.

For someone so disciplined on the field, Rin was hilariously out of his depth when it came to dealing with a baby.

"Why is it crying?" Rin asked, panicked, as Aki let out a wail loud enough to rattle the windows.

"I don't know! I fed him, I changed him... Maybe he's bored?"

"Bored? What do babies even do for fun?" Rin's voice was incredulous, and you couldn't help but laugh at how helpless he looked.

"They like... silly faces and stuff." You demonstrated, sticking out your tongue and crossing your eyes. Aki stopped crying almost immediately, bursting into delighted giggles.

Rin stared at you, then at the baby, then back at you. "You're kidding."

"Go on, try it," you said, smirking.

Rin looked mortified but leaned in hesitantly, his face stiff. "Uh... boo?" he said awkwardly, his expression barely changing.

Aki blinked at him, unimpressed.

"Wow, terrifying," you teased. "Come on, Rin. Loosen up."

With an audible sigh, Rin rolled his eyes but tried again, pulling a slightly exaggerated frown and wiggling his fingers like claws. Aki's laughter exploded, filling the room with pure joy.

You couldn't help but smile. "See? You're a natural."

"Don't," Rin warned, his ears turning pink.

After a while, the three of you settled into a sort of rhythm. Aki seemed to take a liking to Rin, which amused you to no end. The baby crawled after him wherever he went, tugging on his sweatpants and babbling nonsense that Rin surprisingly didn't seem to mind.

At one point, you both ended up on the couch, Aki nestled between you. The baby had finally dozed off, his tiny fist clutching the edge of Rin's sleeve.

"Guess he likes you," you whispered, careful not to wake Aki.

Rin glanced down at the sleeping baby, his usual stern expression softening ever so slightly. "He's not bad. For a baby."

You smiled, leaning your head back against the couch. "Thanks for helping. I didn't think you'd actually stick around."

Rin shrugged, his gaze focused on Aki. "It's not like I had anything better to do."

A comfortable silence settled between you, the kind that only came with years of knowing someone. For a moment, it was easy to forget about Blue Lock, about the pressure, about everything else.

Unfortunately, the peace didn't last.

Your phone buzzed with a flurry of notifications.

Group Chat: "Blue Lock Chaos"

Bachira:
GUYS. LOOK AT THIS.

Attached was a photo—how on earth had he gotten a photo?—of you and Rin on the couch with baby Aki, looking for all the world like a happy little family.

Chigiri:
Is this real? Are they married now?

Isagi:
Wait. Did we miss something???

Bachira:
I KNEW IT. They're practicing for parenthood.

Kunigami:
...I don't even know what to say.

Nagi:
This looks like it belongs on the cover of a parenting magazine. Too much effort.

Rin:
How did you get this picture?

Bachira:
I have my ways. 😏

[Your Name]:
You're all insane. It's my cousin. We're babysitting.

Chigiri:
Sure, sure. And Rin just happened to be there?

Isagi:
It's suspicious.

Bachira:
I'm calling it now: [Your Name] and Rin, married with three kids in ten years.

Rin:
I'm blocking this entire chat.

You sighed, tossing your phone aside as Rin groaned beside you. "Why do they always make it weird?"

"Because they're nosy," you said, laughing. "But hey, we do make a pretty good team."

Rin didn't respond right away, his gaze lingering on you before he turned back to the sleeping baby.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "We do."