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Futaba knew there was something being hidden from him. He knew it. Ever since he had moved into the dorm there had been a weird hush of secrecy that hung over the group that just wouldn’t shake. Futaba knew he shouldn’t stick his nose where it wasn’t wanted, they all got along so well otherwise, but he couldn’t curb his curiosity. He just wanted to know what was being hidden from him.
The first time he noticed it was during dinner one night. It was about a week into living there and Futaba was still getting the lay of the land. He was helping Watari cook, or really, being kind of unhelpful about it since he had no idea what he was doing. Watari was surprisingly patient about teaching him, but it was making it take a lot longer to actually get dinner ready and the other boys were starting to complain.
“You should have let one of us help,” Shichigahama’s voice sounded from the other room.
“He’s gotta learn,” was Watari’s response without looking up from what he was doing.
“Hurry up, Watari,” Onagawa had been watching them from a seat at the table for the last half hour and Futaba didn’t know whether to feel unnerved by it or not. “You’re going to be late for your date if you don’t.”
At this Futaba looked up to find Watari glaring back at Onagawa. They seemed to be having some silent conversation.
“You have a date?” he asked.
“I’ll be quiet coming back,” Watari turned back to Futaba, “Don’t worry.”
Being woken up was not the thing he was particularly concerned about but it seemed like Watari didn’t want him to press it further so he didn’t. He didn’t even wake up to Watari coming into their room that night, but when he woke up early the next morning to go meet Misato for practice, Watari was sound asleep in his bed.
He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to bring it up or not after that but he couldn’t help himself. He was never one to handle curiosity well and as soon as he got the chance on the way back to the dorm, he had asked Watari how his date went. He felt a little bad when Watari nearly choked on air at the question, apparently not expecting it all. He could hear Shichigahama laughing behind him and he felt like there was a joke he wasn’t a part of.
“It was fine,” Watari had said and Onagawa had teased him the rest of the walk home about the date just being fine. Futaba didn’t know what he was missing.
The next instance came when he was watching a movie with Watari and Onagawa one night and he asked where Shichigahama and Tsukidate were since they didn’t seem to be home and it was pretty late.
Onagawa just shrugged and said, “Who knows, they’re old friends, they could be anywhere.”
“I thought you were friends with them way back too,” Futaba said, a little confused by that answer.
“I just felt like watching the movie,” Onagawa said with a grin and Watari punched him in the arm.
Futaba didn’t ask further about it but the feeling that he was being left out of something came back. He couldn’t seem to shake it. More and more instances popped up and now, he had been staying here for nearly two months and he still felt left out of whatever secret the four of them had. It always came across as a joke that he just didn’t get but there was always such a desperate hush that fell over them whenever Futaba asked the wrong question or noticed the wrong thing and he got the feeling that it wasn’t really that much of a joke in the first place. More frustratingly was that he couldn’t for the life of him figure out what the hell the secret was.
It bothered him a little that he was being left out, that they didn’t trust him with whatever this was, especially when they had become so close as a team, but mostly, it was just eating away at his curiosity.
Today, the four of them were leaving earlier than usual from practice. Shichigahama almost always insisted on staying as long as they could to practice, usually they had to be chased out of the gym by the girls who had it reserved after them. But today, as soon as Coach Shida had left, Shichigahama called it a day. Futaba was so so confused. He was still in the middle of trying to do this one element that had been giving him trouble and he was a generally stubborn person. He didn’t really want to leave yet.
“We’re done already?” he asked as everyone else started to follow him off the mat.
“You can stay, Shotaro,” Shichigahama said, “We’re not really going home anyway.”
“Huh? Where are you going?”
“Keep practicing,” Shichigahama brushed off his question, “Don’t overwork yourself.”
Futaba watched in confusion as the four of them filed out of the gym. He looked over at Misato who was also watching them leave.
“Misato,” he said, “Are you staying?”
Misato shrugged and stepped back onto the mat to keep practicing. Normally, Futaba would jump at the opportunity to just watch Misato, he was so mesmerizing and amazing to watch. Today though, he just felt confused, and after two months of trying desperately to figure what the hell was going on, all he could do was look back at the place where the other boys had last been.
“What’s that look for?”
Futaba jumped when Misato’s voice came from right next to him. He hadn’t noticed the other boy coming to stand next to him. He frowned.
“They’re keeping something from me.”
“Huh?”
“They’re hiding something from me and I can’t figure out what it is.”
“Why don’t you just ask them?”
“They avoid my questions.”
“Then stop prying.”
“But I’m curious. They’ve been acting so weird and I just want to know.”
Misato was quiet for a moment before shrugging and going back to practice. Futaba followed suit, practicing until they got kicked out again. They changed silently in the locker room and then left the school.
“I made sure it was okay to stay late again if you want to keep practicing on the mat at the house,” Misato said and Futaba looked up at him in surprise. It wasn’t often that Misato volunteered to stay late, normally he would have to be asked to and even then it was never a guarantee that he could.
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
The walk home started off quiet. Normally, Futaba went out of his way to try and make conversation but he was just caught up in his own thoughts today and he was tired. He could see Misato out of the corner of his eye and he knew that the other boy kept looking at him with growing concern and confusion.
“You’re quiet,” Misato finally observed.
Futaba nodded, “Just thinking.”
“About the secret?”
“Am I that obvious?”
“You’re just stubborn.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“Okay,” Misato sighed, “we still have a ways to go, you may as well tell me. Why do you think they’re keeping some secret from you?”
And Futaba explained it all. He explained the weird disappearances and the strange answers to his questions that didn’t actually answer them at all and the general hushed feeling that he always got whenever he brought up anything. He told Misato about the date all those months ago when he first got the feeling that something was being kept from him and how he was starting to suspect that there was never any date at all. By the time he was done explaining every instance he could remember, they had made it back to the dorm and had sat down on the makeshift mat.
“I just,” Futaba said, “I really want to know, I can’t help it. I’m so curious.”
Misato was looking at him thoughtfully as he took in what Futaba had said.
“Futaba,” Misato said carefully, “I mean this in the nicest way but you’re an idiot.”
Futaba gaped at him, “What?”
“It’s so obvious what they’re hiding from you. It’s like they’re not even trying to be subtle about it.”
“What?” he said again, “How come you were able to figure it out so easily? What is it?”
“Dude, they’re all gay.”
“Huh?”
“Yeah, you keep saying they get weird whenever you bring up anything about dating and you said they keep disappearing in pairs but it’s always the same pairs. Seriously,” Misato gave him a flat look, “how did you not figure it out?”
“How is any of that evidence of them being gay?”
“You’re really dense.”
“Just tell me.”
“They’re clearly dating each other.”
“What? All of them?”
“No,” Misato paused, “Though I wouldn’t put it past them. But come on Futaba, you can’t be that much of an idiot, think about the things you told me.”
“I still don’t- oh. Oh .”
“There you go.”
“How did I not see that? Wait, why have they been hiding that from me?”
“Maybe they thought you wouldn’t be nice about it.”
“Huh? But I’m-” Futaba stopped himself from saying more.
“You’re what?”
“I’m also gay, how would they think I wouldn’t be nice about it.”
“Oh my god, you’re all dense.”
“How did I not notice that this entire team is gay… except for you.”
“No including me, the whole team is really gay. And apparently stupid.”
“What? Really?”
“Didn’t we come here to practice?”
“Oh!” Futaba stood up again, feeling slightly flushed but mostly thrilled, “Yeah let’s do that.”
~a couple months later (after Futaba and Misato get together)~
When they got to the dorm, the older boys were all out. Futaba was a little thankful for that, it meant more alone time with Misato. It was still so new to be able to have Misato to himself and to be able to kiss him whenever he wanted and hold hands and all that coupley stuff. It had only been about two weeks since they finally sorted out their feelings together and Futaba liked the newness of it. He liked Misato.
“They’re not here,” he tugged Misato further into the dorm toward the living room. They hadn’t mentioned their relationship to the other boys, mostly because they still hadn’t told Futaba about themselves and Futaba was a little petty. Maybe more than a little.
“I can see that,” Misato said, and Futaba could hear a smile in his voice. Misato’s smile was so nice. When they had first met, Futaba was convinced that Misato never smiled but now, now he got to see Misato smile all the time.
“I don’t know when they’ll be back,” he said and flopped back onto the couch, pulling Misato down with him, “but we’ve probably got some time.”
Misato didn’t bother responding, choosing to lean over and kiss him instead. Futaba would never get used to kissing Misato. It was so intoxicating and mesmerizing and wonderful. Misato kissed the same way he did gymnastics, with quiet determination. It always made Futaba feel like he was floating.
They were so wrapped up in each other, they didn’t hear the other boys coming in, they didn’t hear the footsteps down the hall. Futaba didn’t fully register that they were back at all until someone walked into the living room.
“What the hell?”
Futaba broke away from Misato to look up at Onagawa standing over them and he flushed a little. He hadn’t expected that this would be how the secret got out but in retrospect it made sense that it would happen this way.
“You,” his voice came out a little too high and he cleared his throat, “You guys are back.”
Onagawa just gaped at him as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The other guys came in behind him and Futaba was starting to feel a little self conscious laying under Misato with everyone staring at them.
“I don’t understand, what is he yelling about?” Tsukidate glanced over at Onagawa in confusion.
Onagawa spluttered and gestured emphatically toward Futaba and Misato as if that would convey the message.
“You all are so stupid,” Misato said and dropped his head to Futaba’s shoulder. Futaba was reminded of that day all those months ago that Misato had called him an idiot. They really were all idiots, weren’t they.
“They were kissing!” Onagawa finally managed to get out.
“They were what?” Shichigahama turned to look at Futaba in surprise.
“Don’t act like it's some crazy revelation,” Misato said, “Kissing isn’t worth that much excitement.” Futaba would probably disagree with that, kissing had been a revelation for him, especially with Misato. It was funny however, to watch Onagawa’s jaw drop at how casual Misato was being about it.
“I told you guys,” Tsukidate said and Shichigahama smacked his arm, “What? I did.”