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Youichi rolled over so fast he forgot his position on the bed and ended up on the floor. Luckily, he’d been on Sawamura’s bed, or he’d probably be more than just winded and and a bit light-headed.
"What was that?" he wheezed.
Sawamura, hugging his legs on Masuko’s former bed, mumbled, “You heard me.”
Youichi would punish him for his lippiness later, but just then he had more pressing concerns. “Say it again, because there’s no way you just asked me how to get Miyuki to fall for you.”
Sawamura blushed but didn’t say anything, picking at a toenail and not meeting Youichi’s eyes.
Oh my god! Youichi screamed inside his head. Half of him wanted to giggle for days and half of him wanted to lock Sawamura away until he came to his senses. They were both fairly powerful urges, to his surprise.
Youichi rubbed his forehead, trying to scrub away the overprotective impulse. He considered Sawamura, who was still being uncharacteristically quiet. Waiting.
I’ll admit, he might be good for that bastard. But what does Sawamura get out of it?
"Why do you like that guy, anyway?"
Sawamura shrugged.
"Come on, there has to be a reason!" If you can’t name even one, maybe you’re not the one I should be feeling protective of.
Sawamura looked at him helplessly as the seconds ticked by. “I don’t—because he’s Miyuki! I don’t have a reason. I just like him!”
Youichi stared for a moment, then he snorted. “I can’t tell if you’re a masochist or just stupid.”
"I don’t know either!" Sawamura whimpered, tipping over onto his side while maintaining the fetal position.
"And why are you asking me?" Youichi groused.
Big eyes so earnest Youichi kind of wanted to kick him in the face, Sawamura replied simply, “Because you’re his friend.”
Youichi looked away and felt his face heat up. “Well that’s—”
"And because I thought I could bribe you with information about Wakana."
Youichi was definitely kicking the little shit…as soon as he got that information.
***
Sawamura was terrible at flirting.
He laughed too loudly, and when he batted his eyelashes he looked demented, and every conversation he tried to start ended with him yelling and Miyuki snickering.
It was kind of endearing in a really embarrassing way. Youichi cursed himself for ever getting involved, because now he couldn’t even find it funny. He spent a lot of time hiding his face and wincing the next few days.
"Do you know what’s wrong with Eijun-kun?" Haruichi whispered.
Sawamura brayed again and Youichi twitched. “Yeah,” he said waspishly. “He’s a dumbass.”
"I don’t think this is working," Sawamura said later. "He just keeps looking at me like I’m weird."
Youichi smothered him with a pillow, working out his frustrated second-hand embarrassment. “That’s because you totally suck at flirting! Who even taught you? Natural, I said! Act natural!”
"It’s not like I’ve had practice!" Sawamura gasped when Youichi removed the pillow. "Now it’s all awkward and I can’t be natural because I don’t remember how I acted before I realized I liked him!"
Youichi held the pillow over his face again for a vindictive ten-count, then threw it aside and sat on the edge of the bed, thinking.
"Okay, so the subtle approach isn’t going to work for an idiot like you. Why don’t you just try confessing to him?"
"No, that won’t work," Sawamura said immediately.
Youichi frowned. “Why not? Isn’t that how these things usually go?”
Sawamura thought about it for a moment, like he was trying to put his thoughts together. “I found this stray cat on the farm once. He wasn’t exactly unfriendly, but he didn’t trust me either. If I tried to pet him or pick him up directly he’d scratch me, but if I left him alone he’d sometimes brush up against my leg as I did my chores or sit beside me when I was on the porch. If I tried to feed him by hand he wouldn’t come near me, but if I put the food down and stepped back he’d eat it. So I just tried my best to be friendly and let him know I wouldn’t hurt him through my actions.”
Sawamura met his eyes, and Youichi flinched because that was a look he usually only saw when the other boy was standing on a pitcher’s mound. “Miyuki reminds me of that cat,” he said simply.
Youichi swallowed. This kid… “What happened to him? The cat?”
Sawamura’s irises almost disappeared with the force of his grin. “Well, actually Mom says ‘she’ just had a litter! I never even knew! Isn’t that funny?”
Silence.
“Ow! What’d you do that for?” Sawamura yelled, rubbing his head. Youichi shook out his hand. That wasn’t as easy as Ryou had always made it look.
He honestly couldn’t tell whether Sawamura was weirdly smart about some things or just extremely lucky, but either way he was kind of scary. If Youichi asked him to describe himself, he wondered what sort of stupidly accurate anecdote he’d come up with.
"Alright," Youichi said, resolved. "Your stupid story about your stupid cat—"
"Ugo is not stupid!”
—gave me an idea!” Youichi did a double-take. “Your female cat’s name is Ugo?”
"I didn’t know she was a girl when I named her!" Sawamura yelled, flushing.
But it was too late. Youichi was already rolling around on the floor, laughing so hard his guts hurt.
***
"Are you sure this is going to work?" Sawamura said skeptically. "It seems kind of counterintuitive."
"Don’t try to use big words, you’ll sprain your brain. And yes, I’m sure it’ll work. You said it yourself didn’t you? If you leave him alone, he’ll warm up to you."
"Miyuki is not actually a cat, you know."
"Yeah, but if you stop paying attention to him he’ll…"
"Think I hate him," Sawamura finished dutifully.
"No stupid! He’ll be curious at the very least. That guy can’t stand to be ignored, he’ll definitely want to know what’s up."
"That’s kind of shady and manipulative, senpai."
"‘That’ is called ‘playing hard to get.’ Don’t you ever watch movies? Guys appreciate a challenge!”
"If you say so…"
***
"So, any idea why this morning Sawamura suddenly informed me that from now on he’d be ignoring me?" Miyuki asked casually when first period was over, and Youichi wandered over to his desk as usual. He was glad he didn’t have anything in his mouth or he’d be choking on it or spitting it out.
“That little…”
"Ah, so it was your idea. I figured. You’ve been awfully close to our little Ei-chan lately, haven’t you You-kun?” he said with a little smirk.
Youichi almost, almost panicked.
There was a tightness around his eyes, very faint, but there. And the way he’d said their names and the form he’d given them…
He’s rattled! Youichi thought, awed. This is actually getting to him! Then, I can use this.
Youichi leaned back in his seat, and smirked right back. “Well, he’s not so bad.” He bit the inside of his cheek sharply, so he wouldn’t start grinning. “He is my room mate after all. So we should try to get along don’t you think?”
Miyuki didn’t respond, but Youichi saw the way his grip went white on the pencil he’d been playing with idly.
The teacher came in and Youichi practically sauntered back to his seat. This was going to be way more fun now.
***
He gave up on Sawamura. That guy was hopeless. Anyway, his participation wasn’t needed.
An arm around the neck while they were in plain sight here, a hand cupped over the ear while he said something guaranteed to make Sawamura giggle there, and Miyuki was like putty. Hilariously ill-tempered putty.
Honestly, it was almost too easy. The game got so much better when it went from “Try to make Miyuki have feelings” to “Try to make Miyuki realize he has feelings.” Better and funnier.
And Youichi was a little disappointed in himself for missing what, in hindsight, was so plain—they were both of them so obvious now that he knew what to look for. Miyuki’s playful jibes that were never quite as sharp as they should have been. The way Sawamura lit up when Miyuki agreed to catch for him and at every compliment, no matter how spare.
They expected things from each other that no one else expected from them, and the give and take was…
Youichi didn’t have a word for what it was, but he knew it made him look away and smile, genuinely glad for them. Well, future them. Once they got their heads out of their asses.
And in the end, when he judged he’d sufficiently prepped Miyuki (and was himself in very real danger of being murdered in his sleep by a jealous catcher), Youichi dropped a casual hint that he and Sawamura would be busy later.
It was all about emphasis he mused as he walked away, leaving Miyuki to fume silently behind him.
He and Sawamura played video games after they bathed. Youichi kept checking the clock, worrying he’d overdone it when the minutes and hours ticked by and Miyuki still didn’t show.
Sawamura got belligerent over a combo he said was cheating so Youichi had to teach him a lesson, of course. He him pulled into a painful backward arch in no time, enjoying his attempts to tap out and begs for mercy.
There was a knock on the door.Youichi checked the clock, and tsked. “What an unexpectedly wishy-washy guy,” he murmured. He looked down at his captive, who apparently hadn’t heard. Then he grinned, sly and gleeful.
He dug his knee into Sawamura’s back and pulled at the same time, heard vertebrae popping.
Sawamura let out a loud, breathy moan, and a second later the door slammed against the wall. Even Youichi, who’d expected something of the sort, jumped.
Miyuki stood in the doorway, eyes blazing and mouth open—probably to start yelling—but he stopped when he saw their positions.
Youichi stood. “Oh did I forget to mention, Sawamura? He’s got it pretty bad for you, too. I’m going to sleep somewhere far away tonight, so have ~fun!”
He walked out the door, snickering. He made it all the way to the stairs—he’d already told Maezono and Haruichi to expect him—when he realized.
He threw the door open and choked. Sawamura had his hands under Miyuki’s shirt! And was that a kiss mark already?
"You guys don’t waste a minute, do you? Geez…" Youichi looked away to compose himself. "Sawamura?"
"Huh?" He looked a little dazed.
"My payment?"
"Um…" He was already turning back toward Miyuki’s mouth as if drawn. Miyuki’s shoulders were shaking, the asshole.
"The information!"
Sawamura’s eyes cleared. “Oh yeah! Top drawer of the desk.”
Youichi quickly found the folded sheet of printer paper with “Wakana” scribbled on it and beat a hasty retreat. “And don’t touch my bed!” he yelled before closing the door.
He opened the paper and began to read as he walked. Stopped. Started over and read it again.
Kuramochi-san, if you want to know about me, why don’t you ask me yourself? I already know you have my e-mail address! \(^0^)/ —Aotsuki Wakana
The message had obviously been printed directly from Sawamura’s e-mail. The idiot had probably come right out and asked her. Youichi lowered himself to the first step of the stairway and laughed and laughed, face going hot.
He wondered if his temporary room mates would let him use their computer.