Chapter Text
“You like Akane-kun, don’t you?” Aoi asked as they walked down a dark street, the midnight silence and lack of passerby's eyes giving her courage.
This got Teru's attention, his pale eyes full of surprise but no panic “What make you say that?”
‘You perk up when I mention him. You annoy him far too much, like the kids that use to bully me to get my attention. You can’t look at us in the eyes when he confesses to me, yet you get starstruck when he smirks at you.’
“You aren’t as subtle as you think, Minamoto-senpai.”
Teru chuckled, more quietly than usual. “Ah…” He blushed “I guess we have that in common.”
She frowned, having heard variations of “Do you like Akane-kun…?” be asked plenty of times in her life, but not sure how to face his casual implications ‘of course you like him, you aren’t subtle either.’
It makes her feel transparent, which she supposes, is a step in the right direction to opening up more, but it was uncomfortable to hear assumptions about her that are actually right, it made her want to raise her walls again until only she could tell what everyone’s feelings are. Comfortable above it all.
“No need to frown.” Teru chuckled, as bright and cheerful as a Golden Retriever “He loves you too, Akane-san, I’m sure you know.”
Love.
… So Minamoto is one of those people.
Personally, “love” is not the word she would use.
Love is supposed to be a beautiful feeling, isn’t it? A fairy tale that turns you into a hopeless fool, she feels like a fool near him, but her affection for Akane is strange: It makes the world feel more beautiful, it tells her that people aren’t fundamentally bad, yet his affection can act as a Russian Roulette, typically comforting in her eyes, but occasionally hitting as a personal attack would, making her insides grow cold.
She’s trying to get better, not focus on how unfriendly she is compared to him, not waste her time overthinking what she deserves or doesn’t. But it's hard when he loves so effortlessly and she has grown as desensitized as she had grown addicted to his affection.
Still…
She is aware Akane loves her now.
She is aware of many things, far more than people give her credit for.
“...He likes you as well, Minamoto-senpai.” Aoi shared her suspicions with a slight weight in her heart, not blind to the way her childhood friend paid full attention when Teru was mentioned. How his eyes immediately focused on Teru when he walked in, looking fondly at the president when he believed to not be watched. Growing careful with his enchanted glasses as he does with the hanitarou she gave him. The only times he was ever late in doing what Aoi asks always always because 'the president' held him up.
“...Does he now?”
She hummed a positive.
Teru looked at a streetlight, not arguing but not agreeing either “What makes you think so?”
Aoi inwardly sighed, stretching the sleeves of her shirt to fight off the cold wind “He is not a very subtle person.”
Teru chuckled in good nature “Of that we can agree- Oh, are you cold Akane-san?”
“It’s rather windy tonight.”
“It is.” Teru unzipped the same black jacket he always wore in these late-night meetings and casually dropped it on her shoulder.
It was far too big. It smelled weird.
(She hopes there isn’t any supernatural blood in it, just because she can no longer see the Far Shore, it doesn't mean she isn't aware of the monsters crawling in the night)
But Teru didn’t use the action as an excuse to touch her, and his jacket is very warm, so Aoi gave him a strained smile, refusing to properly put the oversized jacket on, but using it as a cape to block off the wind “...Thank you.”
“No problem, Akane-san!” He beamed, his smile sweet like hers, but seemingly genuine “We can’t have you catching a cold.”
.
“Ao-chan!” Akane rushed to her, flustered and mortified enough to almost step on her garden. There was only one person that could make him this careless “Why would you lie to the president that I like him?! He is being insufferable!”
Ah, she didn’t expect Teru to tell him.
She should, they may not be close, but even she could tell Teru has a mischievous streak.
“I heard about it.” She tilted her head in fake innocence, “Was it a lie?”
“Of course! I only have eyes for you!”
Liar.
Stop being a big liar.
Something must have shown on her face, cause Akane sobered up, his anger disappearing “It may have a sprinkle of truth..." He straightened his back, grabbing her hand and speaking more quietly “But it doesn’t matter, you're much more than a crush to me Ao-chan, you’re everything. No matter who I like, I’ll always love you the most.” His eyes shined in determination, that familiar passion all consuming “Always.”
‘I love you and mama the most!’ Dad’s voice rang in her head, the lie still heavy, feeling like betrayal.
(No. Akane isn’t a liar.
He always kept his promises. He usually tells her the truth when she gets the guts to actually ask him for it.)
“How sweet~” Aoi smiled in an adorable manner, tone almost playful. Some comfort zones are hard to abandon. “But you do love him.”
She knows he does.
Akane sweated, able to see the spite underneath her smile, the fears “Maybe…?" He sounded a tad guilty "It’s complicated..." He bit his lips, conflicted.
There was a beat of heavy silence that filled her with dread.
"...It doesn't matter." Akane decided, being very firm and serious "I can avoid him if it helps, quit the student council." He couldn't quite hide his unease by the ofer, and despite how unfair, how plain cruel it would be, Aoi can’t deny an ugly part of her was tempted. "I'll never do anything without your permission."
“Permission?” She cupped her cheek, staring deep into his copper eyes: so earnest and kind and selfless, far more beautiful than the bland purple in her mirror. “If I let you, will you kiss him?”
“Yes,” He didn’t hesitate, there was something sweet but visibly wilder to him whenever he spoke of Teru “I’ll try.”
Aoi knows she was the one that encouraged him to always be honest , preferring call outs over sweet lies, but sometimes his lack of tact was too much.
He softened at her silence, kneeling in front of her and kissing her knuckles “Only if you let me. I promise I will always put you above everything.”
A familiar heat burned her at his devotion, the vulnerable feeling fighting with a more familiar habit to ruin all that’s good, run away before he left her when she needs him the most “Do it.”
Akane blinked “Hum?”
“You can kiss him.” She lied, “I know he likes you too <3”
"Ao...chan??"
Aoi smiled cutely at his disbelief, keeping her hand in his loose hold despite how strange she feels. What is she doing?
"I want my first kiss to be with you.” He squeezed her hand, getting back up “A proper one.”
Her heart skipped a beat, the heat in her stomach reaching her face.
He is so selfish.
Who says these things with a straight face? Even if she feels the same, you can't just say it!
There is never anyone in the garden this late in the evening, the ants on her legs and the grass on her ankles making her feel comfortable: Reckless.
‘Then kiss me, idiot’ She thought.
He didn’t.
She needs to give him a sign he can, but her tongue feels heavy. She shyly held his sleeve, hoping he notices how she sneaked glances at his lips.
Akane got red when he caught her message, approaching slowly. She blushed just as hard at the feeling of his hand on her cheek and waist, melting into the touch and waiting with giggly and nervous energy for him to steal a proper kiss.
His eyes are so beautiful, the way they melt with affection mesmerizing. It left her weak, so she closed her eyes to spare herself at least a bit of control, able to feel how Akane smiled on her lips, making a show with his grand gestures but keeping the kiss short and sweet, gently hugging her once they broke apart.
She held on tight to his back, feeling Akane’s heart speed up.
.
Akane stayed to help with her garden, giving her whatever she needed and staring at her when he thought she wasn’t looking, not arguing when she corrected him on how to take care of specific flowers and what weeds needed to be taken out.
It was peaceful, Aoi got comfortable enough to feel herself fall back into her routine, talking to the plants to help them grow and getting immersed in her work, both her knees deep in mud. She even showed him the caterpillars and beetles she found, getting his full attention. Akane didn’t react when she dared to tiptoe outside her ‘sweet’ persona. It made her feel like a careless kid again, just her and her best friend, playing in the garden, having fun.
Akane also seemed to be looking for bugs after all the weeds were taken out, but she knows him well enough to see his mind was elsewhere. She softened, poking his cheek and snapping him back to reality.
“I think the president likes you.” Akane shared out of the blue.
What.
“Do you like him?” Akane continued, those big eyes full of curiosity and something else she couldn’t quite read. Maybe anxiety?
He seemed serious, so Aoi paused, needing a moment to process what he said.
…Teru likes her?
Was his weird offers and puppy behavior his way of flirting? Did he insist on getting her valentine’s chocolate as a bizarre way to feel like he has a chance? That’s atrocious. She was weirded out, though admittedly, vaguely amused as well: To think the school prince was an even bigger trainwreck than her. It’s almost comforting in its irony.
Almost.
It’s good to finally have an explanation as to why he was so friendly, to finally silence all the questions that bounced in her head, overthinking 'Why are you so happy near me? What do you want from me?!' But she disliked the answer she was given regardless.
“I’ll take your silence as a no.” Akane's eyes crinkled, amused “Sucks to be the president.”
“It is unfortunate.” She agreed, trying to understand where this came from “Does Minamoto’s feelings bother you?”
“Not really.” He sounded awkward, scratching his hair with his dirty gardening glove “I just thought that if everyone liked everyone... We could all date?”
Aoi blinked, caught off guard “...All date?”
Akane nodded.
She doesn’t dislike Minamoto, exactly, and on a superficial level he is a very attractive boy, anyone would be delighted to date him, but Aoi isn’t a fan of his inability to read a room, openly happy when others are screaming in terror. She also dislikes how unreadable his actions are, the way he hasn’t hesitated to use his favor to get her to do what he wants, no matter how innocent or surprisingly fun his candy-making request had been, it rubbed her the wrong way.
For as unpredictable and powerful as Teru is, she has never been scared of him, but she is hesitant to call him a friend. The idea of extending that much trust to him felt unrealistic, unable to see herself as close to the older boy as she was with Akane… Maybe if she was in a good mood she could hold his hand, but she didn’t want to date him.
Akane had a nervous and hopeful spark in his eyes that made her throat feel dry. She is used to see him wear his heart on his sleeve, but it was rare for Akane to ask anything of her, so she has very little resistance to it, her desire to see him happy fighting her desire to keep him to herself.
“...I never thought about it, give me some time to think,” She said, needing time to find a good excuse.
“Yes! Of course!” Akane lit up, acting as if her lackluster response exceeded his highest expectations. He threw his gardening gloves away to lift her up without dirtying her dress (how foolish, her dress was already caked in dirt) unaware of how hard her heart was beating.
“Akane-kun!” She yelped, blushing when he nuzzled her neck, the blood rushing to her head made her dizzy. It's addicting scary.
“Sorry, I got carried away." He softened, somewhat sheepish "Take all the time you need, I won’t do anything while you decide. I promise, no matter what, I’ll be the happiest man alive dating you. Decide what you are okay with.” He reassured, gently putting her on the ground again. A bit of the mud from her dress got on his cheek, his words sounding far too sincere.
Aoi gulped, cupping his face instead of answering and gently whipping the mud off it, her dirty gloves only leaving a bigger stain on his face. He is so stupid. Why does she love him so much?
.
“Congratulations! I heard you and Aoi are finally dating,” Teru chirped, meeting her in the same convenience store as last time, wearing the same black jacket as wekk. It should be offputing, this lack of wardrobe change, but he still looked beautiful, ‘perfect’ in a way she both understand and pities.
“No one was there to interrupt us,” She hummed, her jab made him laugh, seemingly genuine, but Aoi doubted it.
No matter how happy he acts, no one would like to see their crush date someone else.
“My bad.” Teru didn’t sound apologetic at all.
She can’t say she is surprised, his timing had been far too convenient for it to not have been on purpose.
“Do you like me, Minamoto-senpai?” She asked, still confident that he has a thing for Akane, that's why he interrupted their kiss, but after hearing Akane's declaration, she might be wrong.
(She isn’t wrong. Call it pride or even arrogance, but she knows she is smart, she can understand what most can’t in a single glance. It’s far more likely for Akane to be the wrong one, his smarts may occasionally surpass hers, but his naivety runs deep when he falls in love.)
“Of course,” Teru tilted his head at the change in topic, “You’re a lovely girl Akane-san.”
'That’s not what I meant'
“Would you kiss me?”
Teru blinked, scratching his cheek in a sheepish manner with a tiny blush “...I would rather not.” he paused “Do you want to?”
She has no idea what his tone meant, though she can’t blame him this time. Anyone would be wary of this question right after she and Akane started dating.
“I would rather not as well, I barely know you,” she admitted, cupping her cheek “But Akane-kun seems under the impression you like me.”
“Aoi?” He frowned “I didn’t take him for the gossip kind.”
“He usually isn’t,” Aoi said, unable to keep going, to spill out ‘But he likes you. Akane-kun mentioned your feelings when he proposed poly and I have no idea what to think. Maybe I want you to tell me how stupid it is so I can stop thinking about it.’
Teru must have noticed she was omitting information, his smile turning patient, calmly waiting for her to keep going.
Oh my…
She stared at the colorful oat packages in front of her, going over her mental grocery list instead of thinking too hard about this.
Teru got the message pretty quickly, leaving her in favor of focusing on his own groceries. He headed towards the cereal section, the drag in his feet similar to her own when she was dejected.
Aoi watched him go with a strange poison in her heart. She doesn’t relate in the slightest to Teru, barely keeping up with his neverending energy and peculiar view on things, but she could see enough similarities in their lives to feel like he is a twisted and improved version of herself.
(She can see why Akane would fall in love.
It’s a dreaded realization.)
“These look cool!” Teru skipped to her side with a tacky cartoon themed cereal in hand, smiling once more “Akane-san, do you want to share it-”
“What are your thoughts on poly Minamoto-senpai?” She asked in one breath, ripping the band-aid.
Teru froze, his smile not shaking but his grip now slightly crinkling the cereal box. “Poly?”
Aoi tried not to feel anxious, sure he could connect the dots “...Would that bother you?”
say yes say no say yes say no
He had to think for a moment, his smile growing dimmer, almost innocent in its sincerity “No” He blushed “If you two are okay with it, I’ll be happy to share.”
Share?
Truly it would be more about sharing Akane than dating as a trio, which is a surprisingly relieving concept. One relationship already overwhelms her. Two? That would kill her.
She would rather just see it as an open relationship. A limited... Open relationship.
Aoi made a face at her own thoughts, not liking the sound of that.
( 'You’ll always come first Ao-chan! No matter what.' )
She inwardly sighed. Not sure why she was still thinking about this.
She knows if she says “No” without beating around the bush or trying to be subtle, Akane will back off, but when she tried to think of the last time he asked her something, her mind went blank. For as greedy as Akane is, he has the bad habit of neglecting himself for her since they were kids. If he was passionate about this idea enough to voice it, he must really want it.
It has been even harder for Akane to express desires that are selfish to the core than it had been for Aoi to open up. If she shut him out, make him only date her, she fears he’ll be so busy thinking about her, he’ll sacrifice everything for her again.
Still…
“Would that bother you?” Teru asked without a hint of judgment.
Aoi inwardly sighed, looking up at the weirdo with a seemingly good heart and admitting “I don’t know.” She tried to picture this, unable to add Teru to most of their routine. The exorcist doesn’t live close, he isn’t in their class, he doesn’t share any clubs with her, and yet… There is no way things would be the same if they both started dating Akane “We would see each other a lot more.”
“You speak as if that’s a negative.” Teru pouted, yet he still sounded cheery, placing the wrinkled cereal box in his basket “We could become best friends. We already have matching bracelets!”
Aoi unconsciously looked down at her bell bracelet, having not taken it away after the nightmare that had been her rescue, craving any sense of protection. She smiled awkwardly, not inclined to call it a 'friendship bracelet' but unable to deny there is a strong connection that comes from experiencing near-death together and catching a glimpse of a world beyond the grave. Recently, these late-night talks in the middle of the streets have been happening often enough for her to expect it as well.
Oh dear... Maybe they are friends.
That’s somewhat concerning.
“...It's not like we would see each other that much regardless, Akane-san,” Teru commented, distracted “I have a busy schedule, so you won’t have to worry about me stealing him from your dates.”
Aoi tilted her head, not finding any resignation in his tone, but still considering his words strange.
“That’s a relief.”
“Hah! You really said it.” His eyes crinkled, still sounding chirpy, but not looking her in the eye, focusing instead on his grocery list. He chose a jam jar with the most offensively bright strawberry illustrations on it. At least one thing was predictable with him.
She isn't sure how to explain it, but his casual attitude was nice, she was somewhat grateful that he was able to give this topic serious thought without making a big deal out of it.
It makes her feel as if she wasn’t judged.
It’s a rare feeling.
“I would recommend this one,” Aoi pointed at a jam brand with bland packaging but far better taste.
Teru paused at the unassuming jar, immediately picking the new one and beaming at her, his eyes softer “Thank you.”
This smile was different from the others, it made her wonder if it was real...
(Just how many of his smiles are real?)
.
Aoi thought about all these talks, not feeling any tension when the three found themselves in the same room.
Maybe this can work.
(Maybe it will destroy everything-)
She wants to take a leap of faith. She wants to actually try before regretting it, not decide what will and won’t fail without sparing the idea more than a glance.
Aoi stoped by the student council's door, having learned from her previous mistakes and not wanting to bottle up her emotions anymore. She faced monsters and survived. If she can come back from the edge of death, she can get the guts to sit down and properly talk about this!
She is not a coward.
She is not a coward.
She bit her lips and gently opened the door, freezing on the spot.
...Maybe she should have knocked. As it is, she was faced with Teru smirking in a borderline cruel manner and Akane tied up to the ceiling, tangled in Teru's beads.
Why?
Does Akane like... This?
What even is this?
She is scared to ask.
“Ah, Akane-san.” Teru sounded surprised, his smirk disappearing. She would say he was embarrassed but his eyes were still crinkled with lingering amusement "Good evening."
“Ao-chan?!” Akane startled, wiggling around to face her with a blush on his cheeks “What are you doing here-”
Teru let go of the beaded rope, making Akane fall from the ceiling with a loud blam.
Aoi sweated, worried by the groan he made when he hit the floor. That was a solid two meters fall, she hopes he didn’t break anything.
“...Asshole.” Akane mumbled, getting up and rushing to her side, seemingly not injured “Sorry about that Ao-chan!” He hovered, a bit nervous “Do you need anything?”
She smiled politely, wondering if she should ask what that was all about, but deciding to focus on what she came here for “Are you two busy?”
“Not currently,”
Okay, alright. That’s it.
Aoi held on tight to her schoolbag straps, switching her gaze from the boys to the ground, needing some time now that they were right here, but eventually able to speak "...I wanted to talk. I thought about what you said. Talked with Minamoto-senpai about it as well.” Akane didn’t seem surprised about her and Teru's chats, so the president must have told him “We are willing to give it a try.”
Akane blinked, breaking into one of his happiest smiles and visibly holding back from spinning her in the air again, likely self-conscious under their senpai's eyes.
“Really?” Teru asked, tilting his head in… Surprise? Intrigue maybe?? She really needs to learn to read him better for this to work.
“Yes~” Aoi said, feeling her cheeks color in embarrassment at the attention, her sugary sweet smile coming back as she closed her eyes“Take it as a test run <3”
“Great idea Ao-chan, you're so smart!” Akane beamed, already lost in lalaland. “Where should we hang out for this test?”
“I will likely only be free before 5 and after midnight,” Teru informed.
"And we can go to the ice skate ring at 7."
“At seven...?” Akane snapped out of his excited bubble, caught off guard. "Wait," He frowned, looking from Aoi to Teru in confusion, “I thought we would go together. As a trio date.”
Oh
Oh lord, that sounded… Hectic.
Teru would destroy any atmosphere no matter the location they decide. If he runs loose like a five-year-old on a mall date or gets everyone banned from a theater, she will never recover from the shame.
She sneaked a look at Teru, feeling dread at the excited spark in his eyes.