A/N:

Me: Wow I can't believe I managed to write two fics in a row I hope I don't burn out.

Also me: Writes a 3k+ word fic based off a song on a whim and finishes last minute.

Happy Birthday, Me.

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"We're going to bury a time capsule, so write a letter to yourself and come over!"

Shirou stared at the thick envelope in his hands, crouched down at the gates of Raimon Middle School. He ran his thumb over his name, written with a bright blue glitter pen that one of his classmates had given him as a set for his birthday several months ago and sealed with a snowflake-print deco tape.

It was still two weeks before graduation, but with all the preparations for the soccer team - he still had to pick a new captain - and school in general, they'd decided it would be for the best if they got a head start on their plan.

So he sat there, two Sundays before they were set to leave middle school, in his lightest letter jacket and jeans. It was only spring, but Tokyo was still a bit warmer than Hokkaido by a long shot and he didn't want to risk collapsing. Again.

He'd been forced to promise not to wear knit sweaters during summer anymore. That birthday party had been interesting.

He sighed and pressed the envelope to his forehead, regretting a thousand times what he put inside.

It's Hiroto's fault for making me think about it, he thought, remembering the question the red-head had jokingly asked. Shirou had, of course, turned the question around on him, which had earned him an amusing sputter. Not like he can talk, he still hasn't figured things out himself.

Although he'd managed to change the subject, the question still stuck to him for weeks before he'd finally come to the realization that maybe the answer was yes.

But he stayed quiet. He'd been alone for so long, he wasn't about to risk it all for this… minor thing.

… Maybe it wasn't Hiroto's fault. Not entirely at least.

He sighed again and tilted his head back, looking up at the bright pink cherry blossom trees, flower petals falling slowly. They were probably in his hair and on his clothes, but he couldn't be bothered to shake himself off, enjoying the sight instead.

Until a petal fell into his eye, causing him to jerk and lose his balance, falling backwards. He shook his head violently - there were definitely some in his hair - and a hearty laugh sounded a few feet away.

"I definitely saw that." Someoka said, grinning down at Shirou and holding a hand out when he got close enough. Shirou puffed out his cheeks.

"I was attacked. Your trees are vicious." He said, though he took the hand, brushing off the back of his pants. Someoka did the same with his jacket sleeves. "You're not going to tell me if there's any in my hair, are you."

"Nope." The taller boy said, patting him on the shoulder and turning him towards the gate. Shirou faked an exasperated sigh. "You finish your letter?"

Shirou turned his pout into a grin and waved the letter, which he miraculously managed to not drop. Someoka raised an eyebrow.

"Is that glitter?" He asked, reaching for the letter. Shirou quickly pressed it to his chest, hands covering it protectively.

"Yes, I got a set as a gift and it's very cute." And fun to use on your teammates and/or classmates when they fall asleep, which he'd done more than once.

Someoka just snorted in laughter, saying something about how it suited him, and they continued towards the clubroom.

They ran into Fudou and Sakuma, who were locked in a heated discussion, on the way. Fudou took one look at Shirou and - without warning - grabbed his head and began ruffling his hair.

"Sorry Fluffy, you had a bunch of shit in your hair." He said, face completely blank, though Shirou could see a sparkle of amusement in his eyes.

"Please stop calling me that." Shirou said, running his hands through his hair in an attempt to settle it back down.

"Stop being a freaking cotton ball then."

"I'm not-"

They could have gone on for longer, but Sakuma reminded them that there were probably people waiting for them and they could continue later. Looking around, Shirou realized he was the only one not in his school's uniform.

Awkward, but he didn't want to risk heatstroke.

When they finally reached the clubroom, Shirou realized they were probably the last to arrive, since Haruna announced that they could start.

He took his spot next to Hiroto, who greeted him with a bump to the elbow.

"What did you write?" He asked quietly, not taking his eyes off Endou as he gave them a riveting - and by that he meant awkward and bumbling - speech about friendship and time. They ignored how Aki had to constantly plug words for him.

"What do you think. You?"

"Same."

That caused Shirou to glance at him in surprise, but the red-head had a serene expression. Like he'd made peace with a problem that had been plaguing him for years.

"I found it got easier once I had it all on paper. This way it's all out there, in some form."

Shirou could practically feel the click as he realized what his friend meant.

"That's a… literal approach." He said, and Hiroto chuckled softly.

"Better than losing everything I've worked so hard for. Besides, in a few years I won't have time for it anyway."

Shirou considered saying more, considered telling his friend not to give up and that there was an alternative, but…

He looked down at the letter in his hands, slightly crumpled from his tumble earlier.

Maybe it was better this way.

Cheering snapped him back to reality, and he realized their crowd was moving now, everyone going towards the round, hopefully metal container on the table. Hiroto patted him on the shoulder and smiled before following the others. Rather than doing the same, Shirou watched him, and saw how his shoulders sagged as he placed his letter - in a bright red envelope - inside. Then he turned around and walked back to his seat, looking a little less satisfied than Shirou thought he would be.

Maybe it's not for the best, He thought, following close behind Tsunami as the boy chattered without pause. His heart began pounding, and he wondered if this was how hiroto felt. Maybe I should just say it, here and now.

As he neared the capsule, an image came to mind. Memories, of his first game with the others, his first combo shot with Someoka, their talk on the roof of the hospital-

-The fight against Dark Emperors, playing together on the national team, playing against each other in the Football Frontier earlier this year-

His heart stopped pounding. He was in front of the box.

… Maybe this was easier than I thought. He clutched his letter a little tighter, paper crinkling. Maybe it was easy, but I don't know how to do it yet.

He stretched out his arms, leaning towards the box and carefully placing the white envelope down, the glittery ink spelling his name sparkling in the sunlight.

It's up to you then. I'm wishing you the best of luck.

.

Shirou narrowed his eyes, glaring up at the cherry blossoms as the petals fell around him, shuffling around.

"For god's sake Shirou, they're not out to get you."

His head snapped in Someoka's direction, the taller male frowning down at him. Shirou frowned back.

"You say that, but your kid seems to be weaponizing them." He said, pointing to how Nishiki was currently gathering petals off the ground and throwing them all over Yukimura, while the other boy hissed at him.

"Yeah, well maybe you should tell your kid not to kick people in the shin."

"I claim no responsibility for his actions. I blame puberty."

That got an indignant shout from Yukimura, who ran between the two of them and shook off more petals. Shirou assisted by brushing them out of his hair. He briefly flashed back ten years, remembering Fudou doing the same, only more violently.

"Since you're here now, we should head in." Shirou said, grabbing Yukimura in a headlock and dragging him through the gates.

"Maybe if we're lucky we'll run into Fudou." Someoka snorted. "I can't wait to hear his nickname for your new haircut."

Shirou groaned loudly at that, reaching up and running a hand through his short hair.

And as if to spite him, Fudou was there on the path to the clubhouse, leaning on a tree and staring at his phone. He looked up at the sound of their footsteps.

"'Sup Snowball." He said, and Shirou felt a familiar twinge of annoyance. Fudou was his friend, but he sure knew where to hit. "What's with the haircut? Breakup?"

"Aww, you worried 'bout lil' ol' me?" He said, laying his accent on thick and batting his lashes cutely. At least, he thought it was cute.

"That was gross, man." Fudou snorted, grinning.

"You waiting for someone?" Someoka asked. Fudou swung his phone around by the strap.

"Kazemaru. He went to pick up Kirino, kid was at the doctor for a cold and it's across town, so he said it'd be faster to just drive back and forth."

"Did you want company?" Shirou asked, previous annoyance already fading.

Fudou waved them off, saying something about playing a game while he waited, so they continued on with a "see you later".

When they reached the new clubhouse, Shirou marveled for a second how much bigger the group was. He'd only brought Yukimura with him, but the entirety of the current Raimon team and Taiyou were also there, crowded around Endou and Gouenji, who seemed to be discussing something.

"I almost can't imagine what it was like when it was just us as kids." Shirou said, looking around for a spot to sit down. He finally let go of Yukimura, who rubbed his neck and asked if he could join the others. Shirou sent him off with a pat on the back, and he was off with Nishiki.

"We were just as noisy, I'm sure." Someoka laughed, grabbing two folding chairs from inside and handing one to Shirou. The white-haired male looked around before pointing to an empty spot, dragging the chair behind him.

He spun it around and let it fall open before sitting down and grinning at the person next to him. Hiroto smiled back.

"Deja vu, huh?" He said, and Shirou nodded. "Nice haircut, by the way."

He reached out to ruffle his short - but still just as soft - hair, earning a surprised yelp. Shirou batted his hands away.

"Why is everyone treating me like a dog?" He asked, attempting to fix his hair. Not that it was hard. Hiroto chuckled.

"Maybe because you act like one." He said.

They continued to talk, exchanging stories about the past few months that they hadn't already told each other about. It was maybe twenty minutes later when they heard the sound of an airhorn, and looked over to see Fudou yelling at Endou, who laughed while Kazemaru stood between them. Another few minutes of getting everyone organized, pulling the large metal capsule out of the ground - along with jokes about how they were "getting too old" and getting the kids to help them dig - and they were seated on the ground around it. Shirou had assisted in spreading picnic blankets around the area they were meant to open it up while the others struggled to remember the exact location they'd buried it. Of course they'd forgotten to mark the exact spot, with nothing but an old, rusted sign nailed to the back of the clubroom telling them is was there.

Once it was popped open - and the cloud of dust it produced was fanned away - they got to searching through the letters, calling each person up two at a time.

Kazemaru smiled when he pulled the first one out, light blue and...

"Shirou, this one's yours, right? It was right on top." He said, and the glitter of the ink catching in the sunlight. It made Shirou's heart skip a beat, seeing it had lasted all these years. "It's pretty thick, what did you put in here?"

Shiro hummed as he leaned over and took it, curious eyes now on him. He remembered being the last one to deposit his letter, but what did he put in there…?

"Little me must have had a lot to say." He said, turning it over in his hands and picking at the deco tape on the back. It was slightly smudged, probably from the dirt that managed to get in and the ink from the other letters.

He didn't open it, even after he'd made a dent in the tape. He waited until everyone had their letters and started opening them, some even reading them aloud despite the embarrassment of what they'd written at age fifteen. Endou wrote about how much be loved soccer and how it had brought them all together, and that he hoped he was still playing, Kazemaru asked if he was still doing track or if he'd decided to pursue a new career, Tsunami asked if he decided to become a professional surfer along with playing soccer…

Really. All of them were obsessed with soccer.

Not that I can talk, Shirou thought, finally ripping the tape off. I bet I wrote something super sappy.

He blinked when he saw not one, not two, but three pieces of paper. The first two were white folded together, but the third was pink and folded letter-style, sealed with a bear sticker.

Seriously, what did I do?

He felt someone bump his elbow, and something in the back of his mind sparked. He glanced in their direction and saw that it was Hiroto, smiling, but his brows were furrowed.

… I think…

"Shirou, you wanna go next?" Gouenji asked, distractedly handing his letter to Taiyou and Tenma after he'd finished reading it. They looked excited.

"Sure." He shrugged, unfolding the two papers. Whatever the pink one was, it could probably wait.

He read the first few sentences to himself, then began out loud, letting the memories flow into his mind.

-I bet everyone's saying how much they love soccer-

Shirou refrained from rolling his eyes.

-and I know this is going to sound annoying, but I do too, and I'm really grateful for it. That everyone was so friendly and accepting, even though I had my own problems and got in a way a lot, they never gave up on me.

He briefly flashed back to Gouenji kicking a soccer ball into his stomach in their match against The Genesis, and said as much, earning a groan from the blonde.

-So are you still playing soccer? I hope you are, I can't imagine giving it up after everything that's happened. And I hope you're still friends with everyone, because I don't think I'd be able to live without them.

The rest of his letter went along the same vein, and he couldn't help but think his was pretty cute back then, even if he was starting to sound a little… codependent.

Wasn't he still though? He glanced at Someoka, who looked amused.

Once that letter was finished and he'd effectively melted a few hearts, he switched to the other one.

" 'But you see, I have a big problem'…?" His brows furrowed as he read the sentence, and there was a light chatter around him as the others discussed what it might have been. Except Hiroto, who was bending the corners of his own letter.

"Problem? I don't remember anything…"

"Did something change in the past?"

"Maybe we should…"

While they spoke in not-whispers, Shirou continued to read the next few sentences to himself, before he started snickering. Which turned into suppressed laughter, before he collapsed onto the blanketed ground, laughing uncontrollably.

"No- no, it's nothing. It's just- I was so cute."

Confused, Yukimura was the one to reach over and grab the crumpled paper from his hand, eyes scanning the page before he let out an "ugh, really?" and shoved it back into his coach's side. Shirou took the paper and sat back up, still chuckling.

" 'The truth is, there's someone I like'." He said, and the group quieted down. " 'I don't know what to say or do, because I don't want to mess things up. You know what I'm talking about, right? I'm hoping you can handle things maturely for me, because that's something I'll be able to do eventually, right? I don't think I can do it right now, I've never had to think about this before and it's honestly really painful. So I'm handing this off to you, along with all my feelings that I've managed to put on paper. I hope things work out on your end, I'm counting on you.' "

He remembered now, those weeks and nights of writing and rewriting probably a hundred letters before he finally found the words to say how he felt. What was in the other letter, and who it was meant for.

… Well, he didn't need to worry about that anymore, did he?

"If only I could tell him it's no big deal." He laughed.

"I'll say. You guys started going out, what, a year later?" Fudou asked, looking directly at Someoka as he said this. The taller man threw his hands up.

"How was I supposed to know he liked me that much?" He said, scratching the back of his neck. "And hey, I asked him out!"

That spurred a whole new conversation, several teasing comments thrown Someoka's way for "being dense as a brick".

While they were distracted, Shirou tucked the pink letter into his jacket pocket, earning a raised eyebrow from Hiroto.

"You're not giving it to him?" He asked, and Shirou shook his head.

"He's heard it all anyway." Then he grinned brightly, and the red-head suddenly felt a sense of dread come over him. Loudly, he said: "So now it's Hiroto's turn, right? I bet you wrote something nice!"

Immediately, Hiroto sputtered, clutching the red envelope to his chest and denying it. Everyone's attention was on him now, and Kariya was shaking his shoulder, excitedly asking what was in it.

He slid back a little to get out of the fray and felt someone settle down next to him, and he leaned against Someoka's shoulder.

"So what was in that other letter?" He asked. Shirou felt his hand over his own, flipping it over to intertwine their fingers together. He chuckled.

"Everything I can say now."

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A/N: I should not be dying right now. On another note(not literally), short-haired Shirou has become my aesthetic, mostly because I couldn't stand his canon hairstyle in GO. I got the idea from artist Moyu on Pixiv, whose art style I really like. It was a last second decision to reference their Shirou design, but I think it worked out.

Also I wanted to write Shirou with an accent. So.

All in all, I spent most of my birthday attempting to finish this thing I've been working on for a month. I'll definitely be using the "time capsule" more, it's a fun idea. Maybe I'll make it a series.