fluffy - axel x mark

63 - pummelled, crushed, burned

It was a regular training day for Raimon. Practicing tricks. Mark and Axel stealing glances. Nathan looking longingly at Mark wondering when he was going to get over his crush.

Sylvia cheering trying to motivate the team. Nelly sitting on the sidelines, grinning at Axel and Mark, loving the feeling of knowing something that other people didn't.

It was a peaceful enough training session when Sylvia came bounding down the stairs, her glasses fogged up and fully out of breath.

Mark grinned and ran over to her. "Well? How did Royal do in their match today."

Celia held up her hand to Mark while she caught her breath.

"How many goals did they win by? I bet it was like ten!"Mark grinned.

By this point, most of the team were surrounding Celia.

"They do have a lot of skill, Mark, but even that is pushing it. I think I'm going to put my bet at three,"Axel said jokingly.

"No way!"Nathan said. "They definitely won by at least seven!"

"All of you are wrong!"Celia shouted, shocking everyone. "They were completely pummelled! The score was 10-0, and not in their favour!"

Everybody gasped.

"No way,"Mark whispered.

"That new team must be strong, eh,"Nelly said nonchalantly, filing her nails.

"Concentrate, Nelly! This is a massive deal! Royal were champions for the past forty years! This is such a big deal! Oh no!"Sylvia sighed.

"I guess we're fucked,"Kevin said.

"We are!"Celia cried.

Mark gasped. "Team, pull yourselves together! We can, and will win against Zeus. Maybe we won't have our final battle with Royal like we originally planned, but that's ok! Change is a part of life!"

"Doesn't change the fact that we're fucked,"Kevin retorted.

"Stop with the negativity! With enough practice we can do this!"Mark yelled. "Who is with me!"

Axel and Nathan yelled back first, and eventually the whole team joined, while Kevin and Celia still looked extremely skeptical.

"Of course you guys are going to win. I order it. And I speak for the chairman on all matters!"

The team stared at her until she burst out laughing, so of course, they joined her. A lot of the anxiety was eased, but this scary team that nobody had ever seen before still scared them at the back of their minds.

*****

Somehow, Mark knew where Jude would be. On the pitch where he had lost.

"So, have you come to laugh at me?"

"It's true?!"Mark's eyes bulged. "I struggled to even believe it."

"There was nothing I could've done,"Jude sighed. "I've never seen anything like it. It was unparalleled."

Mark sat down beside him. He could still smell the charred air from whatever hissatsu that Zeus had used against Royal.

"I'm so sorry, Jude. I hate that we can't play against each other like we planned."

"I was looking forward to it too. I didn't even play in the game at the start because I was saving myself for later games, you know? I wish I hadn't, but I guess hindsight is 20/20,"Jude sighed.

"Come on! Stop feeling sorry for yourself on this beat up pitch! Let's go somewhere nicer!"

Jude suddenly had a wistful look in his eyes. "I know a place."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah,"said Jude, taking out his signature orange flip phone. "I'm just going to call my driver. Do you want him to pick up Axel on the way?"

"Do you mind being a third wheel?"

"Of course not. Maybe your love will rub off on me and I won't be single anymore,"Jude laughed as he dialled his drivers number.