A/N: No, this is not a joke; yes, I support these two together. The idea was brought up to me by a friend and it did take me a while to see their potential, but I now think they'd really work together. Desarm and Aphrodi are both calm, rational people with their own talents and flaws; I can really see them work off each other in a healthy relationship, so... yeah, fic time. I'm just gonna ask you guys right now: if you hate the idea of this couple, please leave right away. If you do decide to read it and want to write a review, PLEASE refrain from saying stuff against these two together. It really doesn't make me feel good, even if the rest of the review is positive. I don't want to get ridiculed for having my own ships, guys... I'm sure you understand, as you have your own. I also want to mention between brackets (not really lol) that I wrote this fic in two parts, and both times I was a little tired. So if things seem off, that's the reason. Anyway, if you read it, I hope you enjoy! -heart-

"Saginuma-san, hurry up! It's about to start!"

Desarm emerged from the kitchen with a couple of popcorn bags in his arms. He entered the living room of Sun Garden, where the players of Gemini Storm and Epsilon were gathered in front of the TV. The Football Frontier finals were about to start, and even though they were supposed to be training for the upcoming invasion, the kids had talked Father into letting them follow the match between Raimon and Zeus Jr High. Asking the fresh captains for permission was no problem either; Midorikawa, more often called Reize these days, was amidst the most eager ones, almost jumping on his butt on the couch. Desarm would've personally preferred to follow Burn, Gazel and Gran's example of practicing at Aliea Academy, but his heart was too big for him to say no to the younger teens, all of whom he regarded as brothers and sisters to a certain degree. The master rank captains shared no such sentiment, though. Ever since the Aliea Project had been established, the trio seemed solely interested in gaining enough power to overthrow each other. Desarm himself didn't care all too much. He and Reize were of the lower ranks anyway; it wasn't like they had a chance at being among the strongest.

"Don't forget it's "Desarm" now," he pointed out to the greenet. He probably should've reminded him of their difference in ranks as well, meaning a "-sama" was in order. But Desarm decided this was not the time or place for such formalities. After today, it would take a very long time before he and his brothers and sisters would walk through the doors of the orphanage again. In just a few hours, Reize and his team would be sent off to launch the invasion, while Desarm had been ordered to prepare his team in case the fellow captain were to fail. But now, there wasn't the slightest mention of the Aliea Project. Right now, they weren't soldiers, driven apart by their difference in power or rank. They were just siblings enjoying the broadcast of a soccer match, like they had done so many times in the past.

Reize turned on the coach and apologized with a smile. He then took a bag of popcorn and Desarm handed out the others to the group, which soon resulted in both teams fighting for the snacks. Desarm simply smiled and leaned his elbows on the couch, eyeing the TV. He decided standing was fine; the couch was already stuffed with an unhealthy amount of teenagers and the others were scattered on the floor. Seating himself among them would just block their view, given his remarkable height.

The younger teens perked up and shushed each other when the match was about to start. The Epsilon players managed to keep quiet (save for an occasional remark from Maquia), but the members of Gemini Storm began to whisper when Raimon appeared onscreen. They had been ordered to visit their school first, after all. Desarm simply watched with a calm smile, not too hyped about the issue. It wasn't until the opposing team appeared that the event truly caught his attention. Among the Zeus players was, naturally, their captain. Aphrodi… Desarm had merely heard his name before, but he finally got the chance to see the much talked about midfielder in action. He would always hear his siblings talk about how powerful – fearsome, even – he was; how his strength was like a God's and his hissatsus like no other. Desarm kept his eyes fixed on the screen, curious to see if the blond deserved so much praise.

He did. He really did. In fact, he received way too little. In less than a minute, Aphrodi had given his team the first point with a more powerful shoot than Desarm had ever seen. And that was just the beginning; Zeus scored point after point, leaving Raimon in the dust. The other team didn't stand a chance… Desarm gradually widened his eyes whenever Aphrodi reappeared, proving his worth with his breathtaking hissatsus over and over again. What ferocity… what enormous power. Desarm was completely drawn to this power, and he had no idea why. His heart beat faster and faster, sending an exciting shiver throughout his entire body. Desarm instantly admired this boy… moreso, he desired to play against him. He wanted to be there in person, take over the goal and have his own try at stopping the midfielder's shoots. And even he couldn't… he still wanted more. He wanted more and more of this power. He wanted Aphrodi to shoot at him with all his might.

That didn't change when the match took a sudden turn. While his siblings gasped in awe at Raimon's comeback, Desarm remained in some sort of daze. His focus had solely diverted to Aphrodi, who, in spite of the overwhelming counterattack, continued to try and prove his God-like strength. It was only when the blond sank down on the field that Desarm seemed to receive some kind of wake-up slap. He gasped silently when Raimon became victorious. Zeus had lost… Aphrodi had lost. The camera focused on him one more time to record his and his team's reaction to their defeat. Once it switched to Raimon, the dark-haired teen shot up and marched out of the room. A few of his siblings turned around and asked where he was going, but even when Reize called out his alien name (at least he got it right this time) Desarm paid no attention to their remarks. He made straight for the foyer, where his backpack rested on the hatstand. He fished out his black and red soccer ball and decided this was a good opportunity to test its teleporting abilities.

The sunny weather had made a complete one-eighty. Firm drops of rain hit the Zeus captain, forcing themselves through his clothes and dripping down his chin. Aphrodi was on his way home, feeling utterly humiliated by the downfall he had just suffered. Mere moments before the end of the match, he had been struck by a horrific realization, forcing him to hit the field in utter appallment. The Gods… had lost. His team had lost. Even though they had obtained divine power… even though they had the Aqua of the Gods on their side… their strength hadn't been enough. It was unbelievable as well as unacceptable. Aphrodi felt how the rain reached his skin straight through the fabric of his clothes, causing shivers to race down his spine. He was cold… and that made him feel even more pathetic. He couldn't even bear a simple rain shower, let alone win a match against a team that shouldn't have stood a chance from the beginning. How he had fallen… How worthless he had become.

The blond boy, staring at the sidewalk as he walked, perked up when something that appeared to be dark mist surrounded his feet. Aphrodi blinked in confusion and looked up, only to find a fog bank heading his way. Why was there a fog in the middle of a storm…? And since when were fogs this dark? Before Aphrodi could think up a possible answer to this odd occurrence, a flash of purple struck him from the front, blinding him for a second. He nearly fell on his butt as an invisible force threw him back, sending his golden locks flying.

When Aphrodi was able to open his eyes again, the fog had disappeared and the blinding light dissolved at one particular point: inside a black and red soccer ball. Said object was being held up while its owner struggled to escape from the bushes bordering on the concrete. Aphrodi watched the person in total awe. He hadn't been there a second before… Where did he come from? The stranger managed to free himself from those nagging branches, mumbling something about "having aimed wrong", and Aphrodi saw he was holding a closed umbrella in his other hand. Inspecting him a little further, he realized the boy had to be little older than him. His long, dark hair was up in a ponytail and his eyes were slightly squinted, but that didn't prevent his expression from being a gentle one. Aphrodi stared at him, having no idea what to do. He eventually found his voice back and stammered: "Who… who are you…?"

The boy didn't answer immediately. He opened his umbrella and walked over, shifting it to shield Aphrodi – and only Aphrodi – from the rain. "De—Saginuma Osamu. I followed the match between you and Raimon. Nice to meet you."

Aphrodi widened his eyes. This boy had seen his fight with Raimon? And he had seen him lose? Instantly reminded of that depressing humiliation, Aphrodi took a step back to walk out into the rain, but froze when his heart beat way more heavily than it should. It was only one, sudden thump, but it was enough to make him lose his balance. It felt like that one pound had drained all of his energy, abruptly leaving him completely exhausted.

Desarm gasped when the boy fell forward and hit his chest with his face. When Aphrodi didn't move, he dropped his soccer ball to hold him by the shoulder. "O-oi, are you alright?"

Aphrodi didn't even seem to hear him. He made no effort to create a distance, nor did he even lift his head to make eye contact. He couldn't. He was way too tired. Suddenly, all he wanted was a bed to crawl into and sleep for hours to come. "… so… tired…" was all he managed before he lost consciousness.

Aphrodi woke up to the sound of clattering rain. He wearily opened his eyes and knew he was still outside when the open air gave him an unpleasant chill. As he regained a bit more focus, the blond realized the view was passing him by… even though he wasn't walking. He flinched abruptly, but something strong and fierce prevented him from hitting the sidewalk he was hovering above. "Careful," a low voice told him, and Aphrodi finally realized where he was. The stranger he had only met a while ago was cradling him in one arm, his bottom resting on his hand and his cheek leaning against his chest. Aphrodi carefully looked up and found the boy was holding his umbrella in his other hand, securing them from the ongoing rain. He had taken his messenger bag and thrown it over his shoulder, seemingly unaffected by its weight as well as its owner's. When the blond's eyes shifted to his face, he met the same squinted eyes and a friendly smile.

Aphrodi, very much to his surprise, felt his cheeks heat up. His first impulse was to rip out of Desarm's grasp, but his body made it clear it did not appreciate his attempt by aching all over. Aphrodi leaned back with a sigh. This must be the Aqua of the Gods having its aftereffect on him… It had never occurred before, but Aphrodi didn't need long to figure out what was happening at this moment. Near the end of the match, he had let his rage take complete control of his body, causing the drug-filled drink to overstimulate his muscles and make him extremely dangerous. Now that he was suffering from the aftermath… he was anything but. He was so weak he could barely move. "… S-Saginuma…"

"I didn't know the way to your house, so I just decided to head onward," Desarm suddenly said. He flashed another smile that instantly convinced Aphrodi he didn't mean a single harm. "Could you tell me if this is the right direction?"

Aphrodi blinked a couple of times, trying to will away the last bits of blur in his vision. He then turned his head and easily recognized the area. They were headed right for the Afuro residence. "… t-this is fine," he muttered, suddenly remembering a much more important matter. "… Saginuma… W-what is the meaning of this? How did you appear like that before, what is your business with me, why are you—"

Talking too much was a no-no too. Aphrodi gagged and started to cough into his fist, earning a worried look from Desarm. He was about to say something, but when the blond went quiet and merely rested against his chest, he smiled again. "… I was intrigued by you," he answered truthfully, his eyes aimed at the front. "I watched your plays during the match, you were… amazing."

Aphrodi frowned at the sound of this. Normally, he would've received such a compliment with nothing short of a casual smile, but this was the first time he felt far from worthy of any kind of praise. "… I am a failure…" he whispered, keeping his voice low both because of his physical and emotional condition. "… I fail as a God. I was supposed to be the strongest, and yet… We lost. There is nothing to admire."

"I believe there is," Desarm responded, not a single hint of judgement in his voice. Aphrodi looked up in surprise, but the taller teen continued to gaze ahead as he spoke. "… you showed tremendous power… I've never seen anything like that before. I'm a goalkeeper myself, I've taken a lot of different shoots over the years. But your strength… it's really something else. It's… unique. Exceptional."

Aphrodi felt himself blush again, clueless about the reason. It's not like he had never heard anyone say that to him before… It was only normal his powers were beyond belief. That is, until today, when they had been crushed by an even greater force. Now that Aphrodi realized how weak he actually was, therefore disregarding all the praise he'd ever gotten, it actually meant something that there was still someone who sincerely admired him.

"… why would you say that to someone like me, Saginuma…?" he whispered, gazing at the passing sidewalk. "I'm nothing but a fallen God… I'm worthless. My power was never real, it—it was merely an act to become the strongest player of Japan. Without the Aqua of the Gods… I'm nothing."

Desarm looked at him in surprise. "Aqua of the Gods?"

"It's a drink that gives you power," Aphrodi confessed. His voice softened with every word he spoke, expressing the shame he felt. "That was the source of my team's strength… We wouldn't have made it this far otherwise. We cheated. Without tricks like that, we're worth nothing!"

Desarm was taken aback by the desperate tone in his voice. Aphrodi had shut his eyes in complete helplessness, clearly torn by his own revelation. Little did he know that the boy carrying him shared the exact same problem. Desarm also had help from an incredible source – one that wasn't even from his planet. He was fully aware that he was as strong as he was thanks to the Aliea meteorite. And yet, he didn't doubt his true strength… the strength he had possessed ever since he touched a soccer ball. The motivation and enthusiasm he'd maintained throughout the years, aiming to become a talented soccer player.

"… do you really think you're worthless?" Desarm questioned, and Aphrodi slowly lifted his head to look at him. This time, Desarm returned eye contact, a serious look in his eyes. "Are you saying you can't score a goal without your drink, or aren't even capable of passing the ball properly?"

Aphrodi blinked a couple of times before averting his head, nervously. "… no…"

"Exactly. It's not like all of your capability disappears the moment you stop drugging yourself. Power doesn't come from some weird chemicals, Aphrodi… it comes from within you. Your power depends on your determination, your hard work. The more you do your best, the stronger you become. Of course, the Aqua of the Gods must have extended that power… but that doesn't mean it's no longer inside you. You showed how brilliant a player you are during the match, when you evaded your opponents and continued to fight even when the odds were suddenly against you. If that's not strength… I don't know what is."

Aphrodi was in total shock. It was the first time anyone had ever spoken these words to him. His true abilities didn't come from the Aqua of the Gods… it came from him. Of course. He didn't need some silly antics to play well; all he needed was self-confidence. Ever since his new commander had forced the Aqua of the Gods on him and his team, his certainty had come from there… from that fake energy. But that wasn't who he was. He wasn't a true God. He was a human who, if he put his mind to it, was capable of surpassing the Gods. And that kind of power was more precious than anything else.

Amidst his realization, Aphrodi felt his body grow light. The pain in his muscles began to vanish, and revived energy slowly drove his exhaustion away. The Zeus captain felt better by the second… as though he'd awakened from a horrible nightmare. Which, he now acknowledged, he had.

As if on cue, the clattering on Desarm's umbrella suddenly stopped. Both boys looked up to find a slowly clearing sky, and it didn't take long before the rain stopped altogether. Desarm smiled and closed his umbrella, holding it at the side instead. It was then Aphrodi realized he had been holding him for quite some time, and he once again began to struggle.

"I-I'm sorry! I must be heavy, right? I'll get out of your hai—" Aphrodi gasped when Desarm pressed him a little closer. Rather than relieving himself of his weight, he chose to hold him in his grasp. A strong, tight, but gentle grasp… it was one of a kind, one that made Aphrodi feel at ease. Desarm possessed strong arms and even stronger muscles. As he continued to lean against his chest, Aphrodi realized how safe he actually felt with him. He had only met Desarm just now, but… he felt so comfortable in front of him. Even though the other boy might come across as scary to others, he had proven his worth by not only carrying the Zeus captain home, but also talking him out of his depression when no one else could. Aphrodi looked at him once more, his eyes widened in amazement. Who was this boy…?

After shaking himself back to reality, the blond checked their surroundings again. He realized they were nearing his house and soon announced: "We're here." Desarm stopped in front of a relatively big house with a beautiful garden, separated from surrounding houses by a fence.

Aphrodi smiled as the taller boy gently let him down and returned his bag to him. He swung it on his shoulder and gave his companion a grateful smile. "… thank you… Saginuma… for everything. I don't know what possessed you to go to these lengths for me, but… thank you."

Desarm simply returned the smile, his hands resting at the sides. "I suppose I wanted to do you a favor. I was impressed by your plays today, and… well, I'd rather not call myself a 'fan' or 'admirer'…" He looked away, reluctant to label himself like that. He didn't want to thrust himself into the endless pool of fans he knew Aphrodi had. After a moment, Desarm regained eye contact and smiled again. "… I'd say that I… look up to you. And I wanted to meet you just this once."

Aphrodi nodded, but stopped when those words reminded him of Desarm's peculiar… appearance. "Speaking of which… how did you do that back there? You know, arriving like that out of nowhere? I don't think you were waiting in the bushes all along…"

Desarm let out a kind-hearted chuckle. "I didn't. You saw correctly. Why did it surprise you so much, though? After all, didn't you basically teleport to the stadium yourself?"

Aphrodi had nothing to say. That was true. He was confused by Desarm's appearance, even though his own at the start of the match had been no different. He lost complete focus on the subject when the other teen continued: "By the way, I put my soccer ball in your bag so I wouldn't have to carry it… May I have it back?"

"Oh, of course!" Aphrodi quickly unzipped his bag and wanted to fish out said soccer ball, but the task was easier said than done. He almost hit the ground when he lifted it with all his might, overwhelmed by its ridiculous weight. Desarm smiled and quickly took the item from him, apparently perfectly capable of holding it without nearly toppling over. He held it in his hands like a feather… just like he had done with Aphrodi himself.

The midfielder felt a badly timed blush come up and quickly looked away. "… well… if that's all… I'll be heading inside before it starts to rain again."

"Good idea," Desarm grinned. His expression then softened into a bit of an awkward glance. "… I hope I didn't bother you too much by showing up so suddenly. It's just… like I said, I really wanted to meet you, and…" He looked away himself, now entirely nervous. … and this might be the first and last time I get to see you.

Aphrodi, having not the slightest clue the boy in front of him was about to take part in a revenge plot that would soon change the world, simply gave him a friendly smile. "It's okay. It was sudden, but… I'm glad you came. I doubt I would've made it home if you hadn't," he laughed shortly.

Desarm nodded calmly at him. Those words were a comfort. "I hope you're feeling better?"

"Yes, don't worry. It was merely a side effect of the Aqua of the Gods," Aphrodi explained. When Desarm gave him another nod, he turned around to open the fence, not realizing his movements caused a small object to drop out of his open bag. Desarm picked up what turned out to be a necklace, holding a small, blue gemstone.

"O-oi, you forgot this!" He held up the jewelry for emphasis, but Aphrodi simply smiled over his shoulder as he walked to the front door. "Keep it. As a token of gratitude."

Desarm, surprised by the sudden generosity, instantly intended to refuse the gift, but he changed his mind when Aphrodi gave him a wink. He grew shocked as he felt his cheeks heat up, something they rarely ever did when he wasn't ill.

"One more thing!" he stammered when Aphrodi put his hand on the doorknob. The blond turned to him once more and Desarm asked: "W-what's your real name?"

Aphrodi smiled at that question and flicked his hair over his shoulder, his voice shining with its usual confidence as he answered: "Afuro. Afuro Terumi. It was nice to meet you too, Saginuma." He then nodded politely and closed the door behind his back.

After he had vanished from view, Desarm smiled softly at the necklace, vowing right away to treasure it. Afuro Terumi… That was the name of the boy who had intrigued him with his plays. The one who had stirred his emotions and made his heart beat faster. Desarm couldn't even describe the happiness he felt after the same amazing person had actually given him something to remember him by. The captain of Epsilon put the necklace around his neck and activated his soccer ball, soon disappearing into thin air. He might be in time to see Reize off.