Chapter Nineteen

The last game of the tournament happened to be an important one, deciding their final placement in the league tables.  This year, the team had experienced ups and downs.  One could say there had been mismanagement by the coach on odd occasions, however in all honesty, many clubs could blame bad results on this or on the weather or on a single player's unfortunate circumstances.  In truth, all excuses were just excuses and wouldn't change the final results.

As it happened, during this last game, all the stars must have been in alignment and the heavens looked down favourably upon Zee's team, for each and every player played at their finest with tactic understanding and almost to the point that they seemed to be able to fully read the intentions of their team mates.  Not to say that there were no mistakes, just that they were too few and none were able to stunt their momentum.  Zandre was not in the initial line up, the coach was still obstinate in the face of the manager and club owner, but due to an injury caused by an unfortunate tackle in the first ten minutes, Zandre was finally sent out to play.

There were a great many cheers from the audience when they became aware just who was running to take the blindside flanker position, causing a certain discontented Fly-half to spit out a curse beneath his breath.  Fortunately, that man was still more serious about the game than he was about suppressing Zandre's fame, thus his temper did not effect the game in the end. In fact, it couldn't really have been better.

Despite all of their excellent efforts and continuously brilliant plays, their opponents were no pushovers, being at the top of the league tables for a good many years already, the result by the final minute was that scores were tied. Both coaches stood in their respective dugout's, fists clenched and knuckles white, as Lewis, who'd been unable to find an open path to the scoring line tossed the ball backward to another player, who in turn slipped it back to Dan.

They were too short on time to make the try, he only had one option and could only pray it would work. Zandre was not too far from his position and understood the tricky manoeuvre the Fly-half was attempting as did a nearby opponent, his eyes widening as he burst into a run to tackle Dan and cause him to fail. Zandre also leapt into gear and managed to intercept that man, throwing them both to the muddy ground. The ball dropped to the ground, bouncing up at an awkward angle, but this had been anticipated, Dan's boot captured it on its slight ascension and sent it flying towards the goal posts. Zandre and the man beneath him watched its flight as did the audience in the stands, as did the coaches and other players as they jogged to intercept, as they hoped that it would or would not reach where Dan intended it to go.

The ball flew through the two white goal posts on high. Three points were scored. They had won! Tremendous bursts of cheerful screams leapt out of the throats of the men and women that supported the winning team, while the rest could only look on despondently. With only seconds left of game play, no amounts of effort would steal back what Dan just earned for his team and sure enough, the whistle blew and Dan was tackled to the ground by ecstatic team mates. Zandre joined in the hugs and back slapping, shaking the scorer's hand willingly. Dan was an arsehole, but he was still an excellent player.

They did not top the league tables, but their position was better than the previous year and this game, against the staunchest of opponents had topped off the tournament with sweetness. Naturally, their manager was in the mood to celebrate, booking out a bar and insisting all his players join him in. Spouses and plus ones were extended to in invitation. Zandre's reached for his phone and told Ichiro that he was coming to pick him up from his apartment.

Ichiro had been enjoying a rare day off, laying in in the morning, pottering around in the afternoon. He couldn't enjoy the game as he had no television and Jiro had to hand in an urgent essay after the weekend, so the computer was not free either. However, his brother did pass on the final results, having checked when he realised the time. So when he saw Zandre's name appear on his old phone, a smile came unbidden to his lips and he answered the call with a hearty; "Congratulations!"

"We won," Zandre said, his deep voice brimming with emotion as he confirmed what Ichiro already was aware of.

"I know," Ichiro smiled, a melting sensation in his chest. He'd never heard such unrestrained emotion within the Alpha's voice. Possessiveness, yes, authority, yes, lust, most definitely. But there had still remained some vestige of clarity, a feeling that he was not entirely controlled by these intense feelings. This time was different.

"I'm coming to pick you up," Zandre declared and before Ichiro could question him, he ended the call. Ichiro scowled, so much for his lazy day!

Picking himself off of the sofa, he quickly went to freshen up in the bathroom and throw on decent clothes, the reliable old skinny jeans and a shirt combination.  It really didn't seem to take long for Zandre to appear and drag him out of the apartment, suggesting that the boys within should lock the door and not wait up!  That earned him a slap on the arm, but it was like hitting a brick and Ichiro, despite the strength earned within his own sport, ended up the one hurt.

"Ow!" He pouted, looking at his reddened palm, only for Zee to place a kiss upon it, causing the redness to spread elsewhere instead.

An awkward silence followed them into the elevator, one Alpha smug due to tasting a little tofu, one Omega feeling indignant that he'd once more allowed his tofu to be tasted. Ichiro broke the silence in the end after rubbing at his palm for half a minute. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Thank you," Zandre grinned, cheerfully, glancing down at those paws he wished to grab once more and hold indefinitely.

"So..." Ichiro drew out the syllable, before continuing to ask; "Where are we going?"

"To celebrate," Zee replied. All manner of questionable thoughts ran through the Omega's mind, clearly echoed upon his face, Zandre thought it was adorable. "My manager has booked out a place, he's paying for all of the food, drinks are on ourselves. Guests are invited." He didn't mention that the majority of those guests would be wives or partners.

"Oh," Ichiro replied, wondering if there would be plenty of meat. Their tightened belts had lead Jiro into shopping late in the evening for bargains; hugely reduced cost bread and meat, vegetables on special and the cheapest of staples he could find. Breakfast was usually plain porridge or congee and dinners were whatever Saburo could create with what they had to hand. Fruit was a luxury that they couldn't grasp and sweet things were definitely not on the menu. Ichiro wasn't too bothered about this, Jiro didn't say anything about it either and Saburo was scrounging sugar treats from his girlfriends, so they were getting by okay.  If there was meat at this place Zandre was taking him to, Ichiro hoped he could take home a doggy bag afterwards...

The other thing that hadn't been available in Ichiro's life style for a very long while was alcohol.  It hadn't been too big a thing before; maybe a glass of wine at dinner with a date or a cocktail... so Ichiro wasn't one who could hold alcohol too well.  And the results were quick to show.

Zandre glanced over at the Omega who was giggling with a group of females around a table, their men all ignored as they joked about.  Zee couldn't say he wasn't jealous, but these women were mostly wives and girlfriends of the players, taken.  So he quietly sipped his beer as he watched his Omega happily mingling.

Ichiro was definitely a social butterfly type, quick to integrate, happiest in amongst group, but Zee could also tell that his flirty behaviour was light-hearted.  Ichiro had no other intentions towards these women.  He'd not noticed it before, just thought Ichiro was trying to keep him at a distance due to his issues with their genders, but actually, with the exception of his brothers, he clearly raised a thin wall between himself and everyone else. Zandre just pushed against that wall too much hence Ichiro fought more incessantly against him.  However, Zee had also begun to breech the Omega's defences, Ichiro was no longer as guarded against him and his affections were not being so quickly rejected.

Zee felt the loosening of his inhibitions as his eyes grazed over Ichiro's flushed cheeks and glazed eyes thanks to the wine glass beside him that had been refilled more than twice.  He caught the Alpha staring at him and his colour deepened, but he met Zee's eyes with a genuine smile.  Zandre was a heartbeat away from throwing his empty glass to the bartender and tossing Ichiro over his shoulder to steal him away from here.

"Yo, so you haven't introduced me to your friend," Lewis lifted his arm to wrap it over Zee's shoulders.

"Who says I plan to?" Zee growled beneath his breath.

"Possessive much!" Lewis laughed and indicated the redhead that happened to stand next to Ichiro. "You know I'm here with my girlfriend, right?  We've been dating for two months and I'll have you know that for me, that's already a record!"

"Should I ask why?" Zee asked him, curious.  The girl was attractive, but had nothing on his Omega.

"Apparently, I am more than one night stand, less than husband material," he shook his head dismissively, before taking a gulp of the deep coloured beer in his glass.  "Whatever that means.  Anyway, spill the beans.  Who is he?"

"He is the person I am pursuing," Zandre admitted.  Lewis's jaw dropped as he turned back to look at the young man, who'd clearly not having stepped into adult shoes for more than a handful of years.  He couldn't be more different from Zee's ex, Elani.  She was an actress, a small starlet with ebon skin, curvaceous with a tiny waist, pretty, though not exceptionally so.  Not at all like the exotic, dark blond-haired youth with jade white skin and stunning coal-black eyes wearing clothes from a cheap chain rather than some luxurious brand.  He'd not been actually been serious when he had suggested Zee was being possessive, but apparently he had spoken the truth!

"I didn't see that coming," he said with a low whistle.  "Since when?"

"I met him when I was dating 'Lani," Zee sighed, recalling that fateful meeting that turned his life upside down and sent it down a completely unexpected path.  In retrospect, that had been for the best, he never could have made a lasting relationship with 'Lani with his half-assed feelings towards her.  His heart had never beat for her.  "Nothing happened," he added when catching Lewis's questioning stare, not admitting that actually it might have if not for the interruption that time.  "But it wasn't long afterwards that I called it off with her, I just couldn't ignore my attraction to him."  Being a fated pair, to ignore him was impossible.

Lewis slid over to the bar, ordering two more drinks.  "You said you're pursuing him?  So you're not dating yet?"

Zee frowned, glancing away as he was unable to clarify their relationship completely and could only give an ambiguous reply.  However at that moment, an arm curved around his and the slightly intoxicating scent of warm spices hit his nose and stirred his blood.  "They're gonna start Karaoke!" Ichiro slurred as he tugged Zee's unmoving form with effort.  "Come sing with me!"

"Can't sing," Zee admitted.

"Then come listen to me!" Ichiro laughed, his face lighting up like a firework in a moonless sky.  "I'm fabulous!"  Zee could not turn down such an invitation and was easily drawn away from the bar.  Abandoned, Lewis took his own drink and joined his girlfriend.

"Aw, they make such a cute couple!" She cooed, delightedly as she leaned into him.  Lewis couldn't help but agree.  Even if Zandre wasn't certain, their relationship was clearly much more than just friends, even if they hadn't officially become partners.  His arm curled around his girl's waist and together they winced as out of tune crooning hit their eardrums.