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No one was quite sure how to explain when it all began. It seemed like the first part of this disaster started not long after Taiya and Genba started working together. The two had been questionable in their actions toward the other sometimes, though neither thought they would ever call what it was a relationship of sorts.
"Taiya, what are you doing?"
It had been a day like any other when for some reason Taiya had hugged Genba from behind. Genba wasn't sure how to react. He had been called to the house to discuss something he needed to do. This wasn't part of that as far as he could tell.
"Just wanted to see what it was like to hug you." Taiya replied, not letting go of him.
Genba took a minute to collect his thoughts over the situation. Taiya was being strangely clingy all of a sudden. What was he trying to do here? What was his motive? There had to be a motive to this, right? Was he testing him on something?
"Wouldn't that be better to experience from the front?" Genba said.
He could almost feel Taiya perk up at the seeming news he was being given permission to continue whatever this was. Genba still had no idea what to think of this situation, but had decided he would play along with it. He was curious about what Taiya was attempting to do, after all.
The arms around him vanished and then Taiya was in front of him, startlingly fast. He had a slight smile on his face that Genba wasn't able to read the intention behind. And then Taiya hugged him from the front.
Genba stood in place, unsure what to do. He had given permission for this so it wasn't like he could complain about it. He slowly brought his hands up and hugged Taiya back. That seemed to make Taiya happy.
"Genba?" Taiya spoke.
"Yes?"
"I... want to try something with you."
"What would... that be?" Genba questioned. Just what had he gotten himself into here? Was this a test of some sort of was this Taiya being genuine with his actions?
"I... I've always wanted to know what I was like to be in a relationship." Taiya said quietly.
"You... want to date me?"
"Maybe?"
"I-I guess." Genba couldn't say he hadn't been a little intrigued by the man in front if him either.
His confirmation resulted in Taiya moving in and kissing him. It caught him off guard from how suddenly it had been, but he recovered and found himself returning the kiss.
...
While it was technically a relationship, neither had really liked to talk about it that way. It was just a fling they had because of reasons.
And then Ishiro came into their lives and Genba got to watch as Taiya started to fawn over him. He wasn't jealous. Him and Taiya had ended things way before Ishiro showed up. It was just weird seeing Taiya becoming affectionate with someone so much more genuinely than they had ever been with each other. But, Genba was happy for him to have found someone he loved.
Ishiro had never been the most receptive to the romantic gestures Taiya did. Taiya never knew if it was because he wasn't interested or if he was just shy over the whole thing. Maybe he needed to be a bit more blunt in his intentions?
That was how Taiya found himself inviting Ishiro to talk late one night. Ishiro had agreed, but warned it better be worth him time. It was quite late. Taiya didn't blame him entirely for being a bit grumpy over such a late talk.
"I uh, have something I want to tell you." Taiya stated.
"Couldn't this have waited till the morning?" Ishiro grumbled.
"I love you."
There was a long silence from Ishiro. He was staring at Taiya, his eyes wide. His mouth kept opening and closing, showing he was unable to find the words he wanted to say. There was a slight flush coming onto his face now, Taiya noted.
"Is... this why you've been so... touchy with me?" Ishiro finally managed to find his voice.
Taiya nodded. "I thought I was making my intentions pretty clear but, guess not."
"Sorry... I've never been good at... getting hints like that..." Ishiro mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Do you feel the same way?" Taiya asked.
Ishiro hesitated. He dropped his gaze to the floor and then gave a small nod. "Maybe I do..."
A smile started forming on Taiya's lips. "Then... do you want to go out with me?"
Ishiro was silent for a while, his face bright red. Eventually he managed a meek nod. And then Taiya made him worse by pulling him into a kiss. Ishiro let out a startled squeak at the sudden contact.
Taiya chuckled a bit at the reaction and then moved back in to continue the kiss. Ishiro's hands slowly found their way to his waist and then he hesitantly returned the kiss.
...
It was just the three of them working together for a while. Genba was in and out constantly, so it wasn't like there was much time to talk to him. Was he avoiding them? Taiya had started to wonder that ever since him and Ishiro announced they were dating to him.
But, Genba did still hang around them at times. And Taiya started to notice that Genba was not so subtly flirting with his boyfriend at times. Ishiro seemed oblivious to it all, so Taiya wasn't that concerned anyway. Besides, he knew Genba wouldn't steal his boyfriend from him. He was probably finding amusement in how daft Ishiro was to the very obvious flirting going on.
Genba did eventually ask him if he was okay with it, after seeing him staring a lot. Taiya reassured him he didn't care. He was also finding it amusing how Ishiro did not realize what Genba was doing.
It was only when Mira joined that she ruined the secret. She had very concernedly asked why Genba was flirting with his boyfriend and that was when Ishiro finally realized what Genba was doing and turned to look mortified.
"Aw... I was enjoying teasing him..." Genba gave Mira a fake pout at her interference.
"You were flirting with someone who already has a partner. That's weird." Mira replied.
"Come on, I wasn't going to do anything. Besides, Taiya's known what I'm doing and he hasn't said a word about it. I think if he was truly worried he would've said something to me by now, don't you think?" Genba replied.
"You've been letting him flirt with me?!" Ishiro yelled in shock.
Taiya shrugged. "It wasn't something I was worried about. Besides, you didn't even realize what he was doing."
"Why don't you go flirt with Taiya then." Ishiro grumbled.
"Already did that before you met us." Genbs replied a small smirk on his face.
"Eh?" Both Ishiro and Mira looked between the two of them now.
"We had a small fling before." Taiya shrugged. "Why is that so surprising?"
"You didn't think to tell me?" Ishiro questioned.
"It was over even before we met you. I didn't see the importance."
"We'll talk later. In private."
...
After that, there was a slight change in how things went. Genba had stopped doing any pretend flirting with Ishiro. He figured Ishiro wouldn't like it anymore.
But then, Taiya noticed Ishiro was seeming to be taking an interest in Genba. And suddenly the flirting returned. It was a surprise. He hadn't expected Ishiro to actually care for Genba like that but here they were.
The two danced around each other. Ishiro still only considered Taiya his boyfriend and that Genba was just a random thing. Taiya just nodded along. He didn't care either way. Though, he was certain it was bit more than just some little thing on the side.
He had come home after being out for almost the entire day. He entered the living room, not really expecting to see anyone there, but instead found Ishiro and Genba having a make-out session on the couch. Taiya just smiled and shook his head and let them be for now.
The noise he made when he started heating up some leftovers seemed to have disturbed them as Ishiro entered the kitchen. Taiya pressed a kiss to his cheek as he came over.
"Having fun there?" Taiya teased.
Ishiro went red at the knowledge that Taiya had seen that. Taiya chuckled and poked his cheek.
"You sure he's just a friend still?"
Ishiro glared at Taiya. "You don't care what I do with him."
"I don't. But you should stop pretending you don't have feelings for him at this point." Taiya replied. "Say... would you mind if I joined in sometimes? I'd always wondered what it would've been like to actually get into a real relationship with Genba instead of whatever the hell we had going on back then."
"If... he agrees I guess so." Ishiro hesitantly agreed. He seemed quite nervous about the option he had been presented with.
And that was how Taiya found himself back involved with Genba, now with his boyfriend as well. It was a strange relationship, but the three of them were making it work. Though, Ishiro insisted Genba wasn't his boyfriend, or rather their boyfriend, he was just a bonus. Taiya wondered how long that would last for before he finally admitted that he wanted an official relationship.
...
And then Jou came into the picture and suddenly Genba's focus shifted onto their new member. Taiya found it amusing, especially as Ishiro seemed offended he was being ignored for Jou. They had all gotten into some very strange relationship going on. No one was really sure what to call it.
Then Genba and Jou announced they were a couple a little while later. Well, announced was being nice about it. The two had been making out in the base when everyone else had walked in and seen them.
Taiya could see Ishiro tense at the news and pulled him aside later to talk in private. The last thing they needed was resent going on between anyone. He had to solve this somehow.
"What's with you? You seem upset that Genba found someone." Taiya questioned. He didn't bother dodging around the question. Ishiro preferred things said straightforward anyway.
Ishiro let out a long sigh. "I... I feel... jealous. I don't know. I... I liked the attention he gave me I guess. Not that I don't like you! It's just... I liked the thing us three were doing..."
"I do kinda miss it too." Taiya said. "You think those two would be down for a polycule?"
Ishiro stared at him with wide eyes. "Huh?"
Taiya gave him a lopsided smile. "What? We all kind of seem to like each other. Why not just all date in some capacity. Though, Jou would be the one singled out then... unless he's down to date one of us too."
"I... I need time to think about that." Ishiro stammered out. That was a lot to be thrown at him at once. Taiya simply nodded and left it at that for now. They could discuss this again later.
...
It had been almost a week before anything was brought up again. And that was because Ishiro had been caught seeming jealous of the sight of Genba and Jou being all lovey-dovey with each other.
Jou was the one who brought attention to it. "Is something wrong, Shiro-senpai?"
Ishiro gulped at the realization he had gotten caught. He fumbled for an explanation and ended up with something he regretted saying. "What happened to us, Genba?"
"Eh?" Jou looked between the two of them. "What are you...?"
Genba sighed and walked over to Ishiro. "I thought that was just for a bit? You have Taiya already."
"Who said I didn't want you too?"
Jou was staring at the two with a lot of confusion. And then Taiya walked in and noticed the tension as well.
"There's nothing left for us now though." Genba said. "I thought that was apparent?"
"I didn't want it to be over!"
"Taiya-san?" Jou whispered to him. "What is going on?"
Taiya sighed. "It's... complicated."
Taiya walked over to the two arguing and forced himself between them. "Okay. Enough."
Ishiro took in some deep breaths. "Sorry... I... I let my emotions get the best of me..."
Taiya looked at Genba expectantly. Genba sighed and then spoke. "I'm sorry I never said anything beforehand about this."
"I still don't understand what's going on!" Jou inserted himself into the conversation.
"Where do I begin..." Taiya said. "Well, Genba and I had a brief fling when we first met, and then Casshiro and I started dating, and then Genba got involved with him somehow, and then I inserted myself in with both of them, and now you're with him. Confused? I think we all are."
"You were... hitting on someone already taken?" Jou stared at Genba.
"Taiya didn't care." Genba shrugged.
"Now, about this." Taiya spoke again. "Can we compromise with polyamory by chance?"
There was silence at his words for a bit as everyone pondered his request.
"So like, we all would be dating?" Jou questioned.
"If that's what you want. It could just mean on person is dating someone but that person is dating someone else as well and so on. We don't all have to be in one big relationship if we don't want to be." Taiya explained. "I think it would be a good way to solve this jealousy and stuff. I'm down with it."
"I wouldn't mind..." Ishiro mumbled.
"Would you be fine with that?" Genba looked at Jou.
He was the oddball in this equation as he hadn't been with anyone else before. He needed to be the one comfortable with letting someone he was dating be dating others.
Jou thought over his answer for a while. "Um... if I'm allowed to try and date everyone else..."
"Of course." Genba nodded.
"Then, I'm okay with it."
"Alright, that settles it." Taiya clapped his hands together. "So, are we all dating each other then?"
Everyone looked at each other and then slowly nodded. It seemed like that was the case.
"Now how the hell do we tell this to Mira before she sees something and freaks out about it again?"
"I think it'd be funny to watch her see someone being romantic with someone else's partner and see how she reacts again but that might be a bit cruel to her..."