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The one (vaguely inconvenient) downside to wearing earplugs during free period was that when people were volunteering (usually other people) for things you couldn’t tell them you didn’t want to because you never heard them in the first place.
So when a girl from his class touched his arm to ‘wake him up’ (as if he’d be able to sleep at this hard desk) and told him he would be the one to turn the student opinion surveys into a member of the student council it wasn’t like he could outright refuse.
At least not being the only one left in the classroom as he watched the girl scamper away only partly processing what she had even said.
So by the end of the day when he hadn’t managed to pawn the papers off on another student (not like he’d tried very hard) he was left to hunt down a student council member and give them the surveys.
Club today had been morning practice, so all Takenaka wanted to do was hand off the papers and get home as soon as possible.
He made his way to the Student Council room but when he knocked on the door nobody answered. He weighed his options. On one hand he could just leave the papers on a table and hope one of the Student Council members found them. On the other he could hunt down a member and hand them over in person.
His classmate who had given him the surveys had told him that it was of the ‘utmost importance’ that he actually hand them over to a person and not just leave them lying somewhere. Something to do with the ‘right to privacy’ of each and every student.
That and the door was locked.
So finding someone it was.
Which led to an entirely new set of problems: Takenaka didn’t exactly know what the Student Council President looked like. Or the Vice President for that matter. He could probably listen in around school and hoped he heard someone thinking about important duties or something but that sounded like a huge waste of time.
Though, Takenaka mused, he did know at least one Student Council member. One Ritsu Kageyama. Not to mention his particular string of thoughts was pretty easy to pick out of a crowd.
It was better than nothing.
Takenaka turned back down the hall- he wasn’t going to find Ritsu just standing here.
-
He hears him before he sees him.
That same string of constant bitter narration. Something was off though- the thoughts were mostly along the same that Takenaka had heard from him before, but today they seemed more frantic? Tight?
They felt like a coiled spring ready to snap.
Takenaka shrugs it off as he turns the corner. It wasn’t any of his business what someone else was going through. He had one job and he was going to get it over with.
“Kageyama!” he calls as he approaches the other boy. Ritsu turns slightly to glance at him, his arms full and conversing with another student who Takenaka pays no mind. There’s something about Ritsu’s posture that sets off another flag in the back of Takenaka’s head. Too straight, too tall. Too tense.
(It’s not his problem though, so Takenaka shoves any sense of worry back down.)
Ritsu glances over and thinks oh it’s just him.
Takenaka tries not to be offended.
He gives Takenaka a placating smile and says “What can I do for you, Takenaka-senpai?” god i hope he doesn’t-
Whatever Ritsu was thinking is cut off abruptly with -i need to remember to grab my bag from the club room.
Ritsu Kageyama was an interesting character. Amusing, Takenaka thought. He’d never seen anyone try to control their thoughts in such a passive-aggressive manner before. Ever since Shigeo had introduced the two of them and subsequently told Ritsu that Takenaka was a telepath, though, Ritsu had been trying his hardest to constantly police his thoughts. Either by trying (and usually failing) to make his mind a blank expanse or by abruptly switching his train of thought. (It was all rather jarring.)
Either way, Ritsu wasn’t very good at it.
“Um,” says the classmate that Ritsu had been talking too- a girl, someone Takenaka didn’t know so probably an underclassmen- “I have to get to club practice; but I’ll see you in class later, Kageyama.” She smiles. i can’t believe i talked to him
oh thank god Ritsu thinks, and smiles back. “Of course, I’ll see you then. And don’t hesitate to ask me if you have anymore questions about the homework.” literally never talk to me again
“A-alright!” Her face is flushed and she has the most hopeful smile Takenaka has ever seen, “Will do, thank you so much!” wow he’s so nice She waves when she leaves and rushes off to presumably her club.
Ritsu waits just until she turns the corner before wheeling on Takenaka. “What do you want?” he asks. leave me alone
Takenaka tries for an easy smile and brings his hands up in front of him, packet of paper still held in one. He means it as an action to make him seem less threatening but Ritsu’s shoulders still hunch slightly. “Dude, chill. I just have some class surveys to give to a student council member.” He feels his smile stretch of his own accord, “and low and behold you just so happen to be a student council member. What a coincidence.”
Ritsu doesn’t return the smile. He doesn’t move. His eyes flicker to the folder and back to Takenaka’s face a few times. He’s in some sort of fight or flight mode that doesn’t even make sense for the given situation and his mind is racing a mile a minute. It’s hard to keep up.
Apparently he settles on pretending he was never defensive in the first place. His shoulders lower again and his back straightens. “Alright. Thank you for bringing them,” he says, ever the model student. He holds out his hand for the packet.
Takenaka weighs his options. On one hand (the hand he’s really favoring right now) he could just give Ritsu the surveys and leave. Be done with this whole weird fiasco and weirdly defensive younger brother of his maybe-friend.
On the other Ritsu’s mind is still flighty and frantic and full of doubt and what is he getting at and fearfearfear and it doesn’t make sense and it’s honestly making Takenaka a little uneasy.
He lowers his hands slowly- a movement which still manages to make Ritus flinch- and bites at his lip.
He can never just make it easy for himself.
“What’s going on, Kageyama?” He asks, even though he doesn’t actually care or really want to know.
Ritsu’s mind flashes- quick and defensive and screw off- and he clenches the fist by his side, other hand still outstretched. “What’s going on with what?” he asks, just drop it leave me alone i want to be alone i cant i cant i cant i- “I thought you had some papers to give me?”
There’s nothing in the tone of his voice or his expression that would ever clue Takenaka into knowing something was wrong. But Takenaka can hear the fast biting words (both directed at himself and Kageyama) he can see the tense shoulders and clenched fist.
Something’s up and he doesn’t want to care but he still does.
Ritsu’s mind speeds up faster with each moment Takenaka doesn’t answer him. His eyes flit around, never quite landing on Takenaka’s face. His thoughts aren’t complete sentences, more half formed words and ideas with- why is he- i cant i- i dont why- just give me the- i cant i canticanti- please just- dont just stand there why- give me the- dont look at me like that i cant- cant i cant i cant please i cant i-
It’s all a little concerning to say the least.
Takenaka looks Ritsu over. Really looks at him. It’s obvious he’s uncomfortable. Defensive stance, tense muscles, frantic thoughts. What had him so riled up? Why was he so upset?
Ritsu tries to reach over and take the folder from him but Takenaka pulls it away.
Why was he still here?
If he was this upset, having this bad of a time it’s obvious he wouldn’t be able to function properly. Why wouldn’t he just go home?
“Why are you here?” He asks, and the question confuses Ritsu enough to calm his racing layered mind for a moment.
“Why am I- you won’t give me the papers.” He hisses. asshole
Takenaka rolls his eyes. “No. I mean like why are you at school?”
Ritsu thinks some choice words in Takenaka’s direction. He squints up at him and thinks are you really this dumb?
“I’m not going to skip school?” what do you think i am? “Also I have student council.” idiot
Takenaka rolls his eyes. He’s not getting anywhere with this.
Still.
“Why are you doing this?” Takenaka presses, pulling the papers from Ritsu’s reach yet again.
“I- what?” Ritsu finally looks up at him, hand still outstretched midway between them. He lets his arm drop and Takenaka can practically feel his defenses raising. what is he- “Why am I doing what.”
Takenaka snorts and adjusts his posture so he can look down at Ritsu even more, “You know what you’re doing, Kageyama. Don’t play this game with me. We both know it.”
Ritsu’s shoulders raise and his hands are on the verge of shaking. “Sorry.” he spits, “I’m afraid I don’t know-”
“You’re freaking out,” says Takenaka, raising an eyebrow, “panicking but you’re still here. Dealing with this. Frankly, I don’t understand.” Didn’t understand why he was still here. Didn’t understand why he cared. He should have just given Ritsu the papers and been done with it. Not held Ritsu here even longer when he was just-
The flash of panic in Ritsu’s thoughts followed by a chilling silence catches Takenaka off guard.
Ritsu isn’t looking at him. He’s staring at some point just past Takenaka’s head like he’s not even really registering that Takenaka is there anymore. “Right,” he says, and the only thing that Takenaka can Hear is the slight echo of Ritsu’s words in his mind. “I forgot.” -orgot.
“You forgot?”
“That you could hear all of that even if it wasn’t at the forefront of my mind. Sorry. I’ll take the surveys and get out of your way.” Ritsu holds out his hand again.
Takenaka’s eyes flicker from the outstretched hand to Ritsu’s face a few times. He’s getting nothing but radio static not matter how hard he tries to Listen. Even trying to specifically key into Ritsu’s mind doesn’t get him anywhere. His face is blank, eyes dulled and mouth pulled into a thin straight line. He’s not getting anything. It’s almost like Ritsu isn’t even there. Like he’s not-
“Ritsu.” Takenaka says, still keeping the papers at a safe distance, “You’re actually freaking me out a bit here, dude.”
“Oh,” says Ritsu, and there’s no afterthought, no follow up, “Sorry.”
The following silence is something Takenaka’s not used to. He can still hear the constant surrounding whispers from the students displaced around the school, but nothing from the boy in front of him. Whatever it is Takenaka can’t imagine that kind of repression (of your thoughts, your soul, your being) as any sort of healthy coping mechanism.
Ritsu should really go home.
But that probably wasn’t something he’d do on his own.
Takenaka takes in Ritsu’s outstretched hand still hovering between them, takes in his dull eyes and blank thoughts and groans, dragging a hand down his face. He really needs to learn to mind his own business.
Takenaka takes his free hand and grabs Ritsu’s with it. There’s a jolt and the softest .. what? before he turns and starts dragging Ritsu through the halls.
“Which way is the Student Council room?” he asks, but doesn’t wait for an answer before saying “Nevermind I think I remember.”
For a while he has the element of surprise on his side before Ritsu gathers his bearings and tries to dig his heels into the linoleum. It slows them down but Takenaka doesn’t stop.
“Take-takenaka what are you doing?” There’s the stirrings of confusion somewhere within the confines of Ritsu’s mind, and Takenaka is just glad there’s something.
“I’m going to take you home. Since you’re too stubborn to do it yourself.” Takenaka rolls his eyes, he was pretty sure it was obvious.
“What? I- I can’t go home, Takenaka. I have- work, I have things I need to get done I-”
“Sorry,” says Takenaka shrugging, “Not my problem.”
Ritsu makes a disbelieving sound and there’s the barest hint of a screw you somewhere in there.
Takenaka smiles, careful not to let Ritsu see. At least he was getting back to his old self.
It’s only when he’s nearing on the Student Council room that Takenaka remembers it had been empty (and locked) earlier. Thankfully now he can hear thoughts bouncing around. He knocks but doesn’t wait for an answer before he’s opening the door and striding in.
He plops the papers in front of a student that looks particularly tired but important. “These are the student surveys for class 2C.” he says as the boy looks up, “Also Ritsu isn’t feeling well so I’m taking him home.”
There’s a tug on his hand but he only tightens his grip. “Takenaka-” dont
The other Student Council member glances at Ritsu, “Kageyama? Why didn’t you say you were feeling sick.” you seemed fine earlier
“I’m not-” he tries to wrench his hand from Takenaka’s grip but to no avail, “I’m fine-”
“You know how he is.” Takenaka interrupts, “He’d work himself to the ground if he could.”
The other nods looking thoughtful, “Yes. Kageyama you should really go home and rest if you’re not feeling well. Don’t worry about things here, just make sure to take care of yourself.”
Ritsu tries to protest but Takenaka steps slightly more in front of him, cutting him off. “I’ll make sure he gets home.” He gestures to a bag resting against the wall, “Is that his bag?”
“Ah-” there’s the slightest of confirmation in the other’s thoughts before Takenaka scoops to pick it up, throwing it on his shoulder.
“Cool, thanks."
He turns and starts to pull Ritsu out of the room. There’s a rude, but im glad kageyama has a friend to make sure he takes care of himself from behind him.
He doesn’t bother closing the door behind him, if they want to think he’s rude (which is more or less true) so be it.
Ritsu is protesting from behind him but Takenaka pays him no mind. Once they have their shoes and are off of school grounds he’s pretty much home free.
There’s a sudden movement where Ritsu digs his feet into the ground and rips his hand from Takenaka’s grip.
Takenaka turns to look at him, “Dude-”
“What are you doing?” Ritsu is breathing heavily, face scrunched up and confused. His thoughts are frantic and flighty but still not quite words yet.
“I’m taking you home,” he says, slowly this time. He’d thought they were on the same page this time. It should definitely have been clear by now at least.
Ritsu shakes his head. His hands come up to do something but end up just hovering in the air. “I don’t- I-” why?
Takenaka shrugs, looking away. His own hands find his pockets where they bury themselves, fiddling with the seams. “I wasn’t just going to leave you here when you were like that.”
Ritsu’s confusion doesn’t lessen but his posture drops just slightly, “Why do you care?” he asks, his thoughts are still muddled but at least they’re there now. Takenaka feels almost guilty for how relieved he is at that fact.
“I don’t know,” he says truthfully, finally glancing at Ritsu. “I didn’t think I did, but I guess I do.”
Ritsu’s eyes squint up at him. what does that even mean
Takenaka’s heart stutters and he’d never thought he’d be so happy to hear someone’s thoughts. He grabs Ritsu’s hand again, pulling him back down the hall. “It means what it means, Kageyama.”
Ritsu scoffs but lets himself be pulled along, “That doesn’t even make sense.”
Takenaka smiles to himself again, “Yeah, I guess it doesn’t.”