It was late by the time Reo finally left the college campus. After hours of grading papers and answering emails, he was exhausted, but the thought of seeing Nagi at home kept him going. He just wanted a quiet night with his husband, something that didn’t involve work or the constant pressure of their careers.

As soon as he stepped into the car, his phone buzzed in the cup holder. Reaching over, Reo glanced at the message. It was from one of Nagi’s teammates, Kaito:

“Hey, Reo, Nagi’s pretty drunk. He’s at the bar with some of the guys, but he’s starting to get really sleepy. He keeps saying he wants to go home, but he’s too out of it to walk. Can you come pick him up?”

Reo's heart sank. Nagi rarely drank to the point of getting this drunk, and the thought of him out there alone made his chest tighten. Without a second thought, Reo started the engine and headed toward the bar.

The streets were mostly quiet at this hour, the city lights reflecting off the wet pavement. Reo's thoughts drifted to Nagi, wondering what had happened. Was he okay? Was he upset about something?

When he arrived at the bar where Nagi’s teammates were waiting, he spotted Kaito outside, holding Nagi upright. The soccer player was leaning into Kaito for support, his usual confident demeanor replaced with a flush of embarrassment.

"Nagi," Reo called softly, stepping up to them.