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Something was up with Yamato and Sougo. They had been acting… weird around eachother recently. Ever since their fight at the breakfast table a few weeks ago, they had been closer than Tamaki had remembered them being. He needed to get to the bottom of it.
—
First, Tamaki had noticed them being awfully physical with eachother out of the blue. Things like Sougo sitting next to Yamato on the couch and at practice, or Yamato draping an arm around Sougo without being gently pushed away, like usual. Sure, they were innocent enough, but Tamaki has known Sougo for a long time – he probably knows Sougo better than anyone! Stuff like this just wasn’t normal for the other half of MEZZO”.
The group had just finished a rehearsal for an upcoming concert and they were exhausted . Everyone was practically falling asleep, either on eachother or on the practice room floor, including Tamaki, who was sitting with his back against the wall and knees curled up against his chest. Sougo was sitting to his left, wiping the sweat off his brow with one arm and barely managing to keep his eyes open.
“Sou-chan,” Tamaki whined, reaching out and lightly shoving his duet partner on the shoulder. “I’m hungry, go get me some King Pudding.”
The older one of the two groaned and leaned back, hitting his head against the wall. “Tamaki-kun, can’t I get you one later?”
Tamaki only pouted in response. He knew that Sougo had a soft spot for him and fully intended to use it to his advantage, as he had done countless times in the past. He was younger, so he deserved to be spoiled once in a while – and by ‘once in a while’, he meant ‘all the time’.
When Sougo sighed fondly and moved to stand up, he knew he’d won this battle. Maybe he’d get him a gift later in return. Maybe . For now, he was too tired to think of ideas, so he stuck his tongue out playfully at the other man, earning him a stern look and an exasperated shake of the head from Sougo.
He watched as Sougo grabbed his wallet from his bag and made his way to the exit, noticing Yamato getting up from his previously face down position on the floor and walking towards Sougo, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him into a side hug. Instead of pulling away, the white haired man seemed to lean into the touch, even going as far as to rest his head on Yamato’s shoulder.
…Huh. That was different.
“Hey,” he heard Yamato say nonchalantly, but something about his tone was different than usual. It sounded more affectionate, the way one would greet a lover – but that couldn’t be the case. Tamaki stared in confusion as Yamato leaned his head against Sougo’s, giving his body a light squeeze.
“Hi,” answered Sougo, and Tamaki could practically hear him smiling from a mile away. Just what was going on?
“Where are you off to?”
“Tamaki-kun wanted me to get him a snack, so I’m going to the store.” Sougo responded, stifling a yawn and bringing a hand up to absentmindedly fiddle with Yamato’s sleeve.
Yamato only chuckled in response and removed his arm from Sougo’s waist, slipping a hand into his and leading him towards the exit. “I’ll come with you, then. You look dead on your feet.”
With that, they walked hand in hand out of the practice room together, leaving Tamaki completely and utterly bewildered. Surely everyone else saw that, right? Why was no one saying anything? Grumbling to himself, Tamaki simply closed his eyes and curled into a ball, intending to take a discreet nap while he waited for Sougo to come back with his pudding.
It was probably just a one time thing. Everyone acted different when they were tired, right?
—
It was not, in fact, a one time thing. Since that day at rehearsal, Tamaki had been noticing more and more of those lingering touches and quiet conversations between the two. It wasn’t that it bothered him, per se, but he was curious to find out just why those two were so close all of a sudden. Sougo was his best friend, so surely he’d tell Tamaki anything, right?
He decided to push those thoughts to the back of his mind for the time being. The group had a rare day off and he’d noticed that Sougo was feeling a little bit under the weather recently, so Tamaki decided he’d invite himself to hang out in his unitmate’s room and make sure he was okay.
Two pudding cups in hand (because he was such a nice person and was definitely always willing to share), he knocked twice on the door to Sougo’s room, before letting himself in anyways without waiting for a response. To his surprise, Sougo was passed out cold on the bed, surrounded by a pile of used tissues and a stack of empty cough drop packets piling up by his bedside.
He was about to open his mouth to ask if Sougo was okay, if he needed anything, when he noticed a figure next to Sougo, sitting up with his back against the headboard of the bed and gently carding his fingers through silky white hair.
“Yama-san? What are you doing in here?”
Yamato gave a two fingered salute in response, then brought his finger to his lips, motioning for Tamaki to keep his voice down. Nodding, Tamaki mimed zipping his lips shut and sat down cross legged on the floor, staring up at Sougo’s sleeping form with a worried expression. He definitely looked paler than usual.
“He’ll be fine, if that’s what you’re wondering,” whispered Yamato, gently rolling Sougo onto his back and pressing the back of his hand to the other’s forehead. “He’s not burning up too badly. Poor guy overworked himself again.”
Tamaki could only nod again, shuffling closer to the bed and setting one of the two pudding cups he had brought with him onto Sougo’s bedside table, as a makeshift ‘get well soon’ gift. Yamato’s lips quirked up in a smile at that, and he reached out to ruffle Tamaki’s hair affectionately.
“You’re a good kid, Tama, you know that?”
Sensing the worries running through Tamaki’s mind, he continued, “Sou’ll be fine. Onii-san’s got it all under control, ‘kay?” Yamato declared with a grin.
“Can I at least help make Sou-chan some tea?” requested Tamaki, “For when he wakes up, I mean.”
Still grinning, Yamato nodded his head. “He’d appreciate that. I’ll tell him it’s from you.”
Immediately, Tamaki was up on his feet and running out the door. He was going to make Sou-chan the best cup of tea he’d ever tasted in his life! He was going to do such a good job that both Sougo and Yamato would definitely praise him for it! Overflowing with determination, he resolved to do his best to help Sougo recover and headed for the kitchen.
With his back turned, he may have missed the way Yamato leaned down to give Sougo a kiss on the forehead – but he did not miss the fact that Yamato had come down with a cold about two days later.
—
Backstage at a live performance was the perfect chance for Tamaki to figure out what had been going on with Sougo and Yamato. The whole group was in close quarters with eachother, having to share a dressing room, so Tamaki could observe as much as he pleased. Part of him felt guilty for sticking his nose into Sougo’s business, but he was just curious! Who could blame him?
He was half listening to something Iori was telling him – probably something about Riku – while looking straight ahead of him, towards the dressing room mirrors, where Sougo and Yamato were sitting facing eachother, engaged in another quiet conversation. Sougo’s hand was cupping Yamato’s jaw, holding his head steady as he carefully touched up his eyeliner.
That was strange. Didn’t they have makeup artists for that? Sougo looked really concentrated, too, and it seemed like Yamato was almost leaning into the other’s hand. If he tuned out Iori, would he be able to make out what the two were saying to eachother? Listening closer, he could very faintly make out that Sougo was chiding Yamato for moving too much, apparently taking his new job as Yamato’s personal makeup artist very seriously.
Yamato only gave a very half-hearted apology, promising to stay still and then refusing to keep his promise, which made Sougo roll his eyes and pull a face, evidently disappointed.
“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” lamented Sougo, leaning backwards and giving Yamato a stern glare. “Seriously, Yamato-kun, stop moving or you’ll have to do your makeup yourself.”
…Since when did Sougo change the honorific? Coming from someone as polite as Sougo, this proved to Tamaki that the pair had gotten closer, that he definitely wasn’t imagining things.
Oblivious to the gears turning in Tamaki’s head, Yamato laughed sheepishly and flashed Sougo a shameless grin.
“You caught me,” he admitted, causing Sougo to scowl petulantly, though it was clear he too was about to burst out laughing. “You’re just too fun to tease, Sou.”
He did as he was told, though, dutifully sitting still while Sougo repositioned his head for a better angle and finished his eyeliner, while Tamaki continued to stare at the two in shock. He was pretty sure Iori was still talking away next to him, but he just couldn’t ignore this new revelation. He looked on as Sougo put the finishing touches on Yamato’s makeup, letting go of his jaw and stepping back with a satisfied smile on his face.
“There,” he exclaimed, “I’m all finished.”
Yamato turned to look in the mirror and admired Sougo’s handiwork, before feeling around the dresser to search for his glasses. Putting them on, he turned back towards Sougo and smiled softly.
“Looks great, Sou. Thanks for the help.”
Sougo practically glowed in response to the praise, a light blush dusting his features as he set the eyeliner pen aside and stepped backwards to allow Yamato room to get up. Tamaki barely registered the fact that they had both rejoined the group until Sougo stood in front of him, ready to move backstage.
“We’re on in five, Tamaki-kun. Are you ready?”
Tamaki nodded and followed the group out of the dressing room and into the wings, keeping a mental note of the way Yamato and Sougo walked side by side with their pinky fingers intertwined.
—
Ever since Yamato and Mitsuki had temporarily moved out, Sougo hadn’t been the same. Well, nobody in the dorms was happy about it – including Tamaki – but Sougo had seemed more upset than the rest of the group. It was easy to miss, but Tamaki had noticed that his partner was skipping meals and holing himself up in his room during his free time. Sometimes, if Tamaki pressed his ear to Sougo’s door, he could hear the other man talking to someone on the phone – sometimes crying, sometimes not – but could never make out the words.
Any time he had tried to ask about Sougo’s behaviour or make sure he was okay, the white haired man had simply brushed him off or changed the subject. He was quite good at doing that, and it angered Tamaki to no end. His best friend was clearly hurting, but he had no way of helping, not unless Sougo told him what was wrong. Although, he had a tiny suspicion that it had something to do with Yamato not being around.
Even when they were all together again for live shows or photoshoots, the tension in the air made it practically impossible for the group to interact normally. Tamaki had noticed that Sougo had been glued to his side more than usual, instead opting to give Yamato shy smiles and awkward waves from afar, and he could see Yamato doing the same.
Tamaki wasn’t sure when, how, or why those two became so important to eachother, but he was determined to make sure Sougo was happy again. Which is what lead him to dial a certain someone’s phone number at one o’clock on a school night, speaking in a hushed tone so as to not wake the rest of the dorm.
“...Tama? What gives?” the voice on the other end of the receiver was scratchy from sleep and laced with annoyance. Tamaki understood – no one liked to be woken up this late, but it was important. “What’s so important that you’re calling me so late?”
“Come to the dorms,” demanded Tamaki. “Go see Sou-chan. I dunno what’s up with you guys, but I can tell you both miss eachother, or something.”
Only silence came from the phone speaker, before a faint, watery chuckle could be heard. Was Yamato crying?
“Alright, Tama. Don’t tell Mitsu I was there, though.”
“‘Kay. I’ll wake up Sou-chan.”
He hung up without waiting for a response from Yamato, setting his sights on Sougo’s room. He knew the white haired man almost never left his door unlocked, and had told Tamaki as much, in case he ever needed anything. He almost felt guilty abusing his privileges like this, but it was for the greater good and would make his friend happier in the long run.
Gently opening the door and stepping inside, he made his way over to Sougo’s bed and stood over his sleeping figure, reaching out to poke at his cheek.
“Sou-chan,” he stage-whispered, but received no response. Another poke. “Sou-chan. Wake up.” Sougo stirred slightly, blearily swatting at Tamaki’s hand before opening his eyes slowly.
“Tamaki-kun? What are you,” he cut himself off with a yawn and a stretch. “What are you doing up this late?”
“Doesn’t matter. Follow me.”
Tamaki all but dragged Sougo out of bed, and he’d be inclined to laugh at the way Sougo briefly stumbled and fell, if he weren’t doing this to cheer him up. Rubbing at his eyes and stifling another yawn, Sougo allowed Tamaki to lead him by the arm towards the common area, then down the stairs to the entrance.
Almost immediately, the cold night air chilled them to the bone, and Sougo began to shiver. Tamaki mentally cursed at himself for not considering the fact that his friend only slept in a T-shirt and sweatpants. He’d definitely have to apologise later.
“Tamaki-kun, why did you bring me outside?”
Tamaki said nothing, only pointed straight ahead towards what looked to be Yuki’s car. Looking in the same direction, Sougo’s eyes met bright green as Yamato sat on the hood, clearly waiting for him.
“Come for a drive with me, Sou?”
And from the way Sougo grinned, one would think Yamato had hung the moon and stars for him. Tamaki still didn’t get it, but, as he headed back inside, he knew his mission had been successful.
—
Even though Tamaki was a successful idol, he still, unfortunately, had to attend school. If he had things his way, he’d make sure he never had to attend another class in his life. Thankfully, he had been given the option to go home early, which he gladly accepted. Iori chose to stay and catch up on his schoolwork, which Tamaki just didn’t understand. Therefore, he was left to walk home by himself.
As he trudged through the streets, one of IDOLiSH7’s songs playing in his headphones, his thoughts began to drift to Yamato and Sougo once again. Was it really just a coincidence that the two had become closer? Was everything all in his head? Most importantly, should he just ask Sougo if anything was up, rather than meddle in his personal life? The older member of MEZZO” did tell him that communication was an important part of their work life and most importantly, friendship.
Though, communication should work both ways. If Sougo and Yamato really were as close as Tamaki perceived them to be, he would’ve known about it from the start. Sougo wouldn’t hide things from him, would he? Kicking a stray rock on the pavement in front of him, Tamaki sighed and kept walking home. Why did friendships have to be so confusing? Deep in thought, he barely even realised he had made it back to the dorms until he had ended up almost walking straight past them.
He figured he’d ask Sougo about everything today. He knew the other man wouldn’t lie to him, even if he did (infuriatingly) keep things from him all the time – a habit that Tamaki had been begging him to break. Perhaps both of them were overcomplicating things again. Lazily swinging open the front door, Tamaki opened his mouth to announce his presence to whoever was around, but he stopped dead in his tracks at the scene playing out in front of him.
Yamato and Sougo were standing over by the kitchen counter, aprons over their clothes and a pot of curry boiling on the stove. That wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, Tamaki knew both of them were decent cooks. What was out of the ordinary, however, was the fact that Yamato’s arm was around Sougo’s waist, Sougo’s hand was resting on Yamato’s cheek, and they were kissing .
Tamaki stared in shock for a minute or so as everything fell into place in his head: this made so much sense , he honestly wondered why it took him this long to figure everything out. He cleared his throat, causing both men to pull away from eachother to see where the noise came from. Once he locked eyes with Tamaki, Sougo’s face flushed bright red as he scrambled to push Yamato away from himself.
“T..Tamaki-kun!” stammered Sougo, refusing to meet Tamaki’s eyeline and directing his gaze to the floor, “welcome home..!”
Tamaki’s first instinct would have been to tease Sougo. His over the top reaction was, quite frankly, hilarious. However, he knew what his friend was like. He knew that even though (if his assumptions were correct) Yamato and Sougo had likely been in a relationship for a few months, the white haired boy was uncomfortable being seen in ways he deemed ‘shameful’.
So instead, he flashed a lopsided grin towards the two and headed towards his room, unceremoniously tossing his schoolbag on the couch and leaving it there for someone else to deal with.
“Call me when lunch is ready, guys. Yama-san, make sure Sou-chan doesn’t make it too spicy.”
As he walked away, he could hear Sougo breathe a sigh of relief, and Yamato complaining about being pushed too hard into a kitchen cabinet.
—
When lunch was ready, he joined Yamato and Sougo at the kitchen table to eat. Thankfully, Yamato had listened to him and the curry wasn’t nearly as spicy as he feared it would be. Sougo seemed to have calmed down, too, which relieved Tamaki. However, he was still curious…
“Why didn’t y—” he started, before choking on the mouthful of rice that he didn’t bother swallowing before trying to speak. Sougo, who was sitting next to him, leaned over to slap him on the back a few times as he coughed and Yamato ran to fetch him a glass of water. They all sat in silence as Tamaki composed himself, before beginning to speak once more.
“Why didn’t you guys tell me you were together?”
Yamato and Sougo exchanged puzzles glances, then looked towards Tamaki quizzically.
“We did,” Sougo responded slowly, tilting his head slightly in confusion. “I mean, I did. I told you over breakfast months ago, remember?”
Distantly, Tamaki remembered Sougo sitting down next to him at the table, nervous and fidgeting, asking to speak with him. He also remembered that there had been a lemon slice left out on the table, unused in someone’s tea. There may have been a chance that he wasn’t listening, instead preoccupied with trying to fit the entire lemon slice in his mouth.
That explains it.