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"These documents must be sent until next week, I know it's a lot as we currently speak Prim, but these are extremely important and cannot be delayed for longer. I'm handling the rest that Secondary had left on the desk prior to their departure, hopefully we manage to pull through February when we have to deal with the Showdown again. I've managed to extend your visas in Om for longer, so if you manage to complete all the tasks prior to your leaving, you have an entirety of two weeks free of charge. After that, we're back at training again. Understood?"
"Yes, coach Palette."
"Good. I'm counting on you. Just let me know if you have any questions related to the documents in cause. Tell Aryp to take his medicine as the doctors have prescribed and make sure he gets some rest and eat something. We all need to be at least in decent shape so we can continue from where we began. Other than that, have fun in Om and send my congratulations to Team Momo for their win."
"Noted, coach Palette. Will send your message to Team Momo when we reach our destination."
And with that, the phone call ended. Prim was at a loss for words looking both at his phone contacts and the amount of papers that must be sent in such a short interval of time. Sure, Team Primary has had essentially a cast of rotating captains throughout the years and the baton had to come to him at one point in time after Imar, Mary and Aryp all held the position, it's just that he did not expect this amount of responsibility coming his way. Thankfully for him, coach Secondary left the premises shortly after the qualifications ended and they did not qualify for the 2024 Marble League, so they got a new coach instead. Palette, as she introduced herself, scanned the situation of the 5 Primary athletes post Marble League qualifiers and considered that Prim should be put as captain for the meanwhile, given he was somewhat more lively than the other 4. At Aryp's insistence, he was demoted to member, while Imar was demoted to reserve for the time being. Aryp's health condition was concerning Palette as she got informed that he's been acting this way since a while, asking for a thorough check-up for the marble athlete only to be prescribed some medicine and ordered to rest due to extreme fatigue and insomnia, combined with other underlying health issues related to overworking himself. Aryp thought he could hide it for longer, but Palette had proven herself to be quite different from Secondary, so he obliged with her requests.
Most of the paperwork was what Aryp couldn't physically muster to pull through with due to his on and off health issues, Prim couldn't blame him for that. Rima is checking on him like a hawk, making sure he took the medicine and ate just enough before resting for the rest of the day. He'd been slowly getting better, but anyone could tell he'd been overworked to the point of extremes. Imar and Mary offered to help Prim given there's way too many documents to deal with and he couldn't pull through with all of them in a week, given they had to leave for another two. With coach Palette's verbal and written consent, giving Imar and Mary's prior experiences as captains in the past for Team Primary, they got green lighted by the association as long as they manage to pull through until the deadline was over. It was a humongous pile of papers that Prim couldn't get through even if he had to work day and night without a single pause, splitting it in 3 was a lot helpful.
And thus, after several days, they managed to give Palette a good part of the necessary documents for the meanwhile. They could happily go to Om, hoping that nothing else pops up out of the blue.
------
Their journey to Om was eventful, given that the documents providing Aryp's medicine were later released and there was still an air of unease given the documentation, but they managed to get into the plane after everything got checked and rechecked for everyone's peace of mind. The Primary members were all in surprisingly good mood, minus Aryp who still struggled to keep up due to being under too much medication. He mostly slept throughout the journey on Rima's shoulder, with the rest of the team talking about what the plans they made for the time they'd be in Om with Team Momo. Imar had talked to Mimo so there's at least one who knows, even if the other 4 currently do not.
The weather was nice in Om, surprisingly enough. The weather prognosis was telling that it was about to rain, so they came right in time given the distance between the airport and the Team Momo residence wasn't very far. The 5 of them walked a bit, slowly given Aryp was still doozy after that long nap and all, and even managed to stop at a local florist to purchase a custom made bouquet just as a way to offer their congratulations. They'd have gotten one in Van Gotterdam, but the land of Team Momo has strict rules about foreign species entering the native area, and thus it was better to stick to native flowers.
With Rima holding the bouquet and Prim leading the way, they reached their destination - it was a humble house a few streets away from their usual hanging spot at the Temple of Om, given that Team Momo were friends and they'd often spend time together there to eat dumplings. It wasn't anything outstanding from the usual architecture you'd meet in the city, and Momos seemed to really like this house due to its proximity to the spots they usually frequent. With a small knock at the door, the team was greeted by an overly ecstatic Mimo in her green onesie, now hugging the members one by one.
"Come in, come in, come in!" Mimo followed, essentially pushing them inside the house. "The rest are still asleep, but they'll be waking up soon. They have no idea you've arrived! I'll show you all to the rooms, we've renovated a little bit since last time you came here!"
"Is it okay if I share a room with Aryp?" Rima asked, looking at her colleague, "He's not doing extremely well and the doctors recommended him to rest. I kept an eye on him since Marbula One, you know how Aryp performed there."
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that... Hope Aryp feels better, and sure Rima, I don't think anyone minds." replied Mimo, now checking the keys, "I can give you the room that's right next to the kitchen, so he doesn't have to go up and down on stairs if he feels sick. It's one bed there but I'm sure Mo and Momomomo can help get another one set."
"Thank you, Mimo." Aryp said, his voice hoarse. "I feel a bit better now, but the medication makes me more tired than anything."
"Don't worry, take your time Aryp. Health first, remember?" Mimo smiled, now following Aryp and Rima to their room. Momomomo came down, rubbing his eye with his only hand, only to be stopped in his tracks by the rest of the Primary members awaiting Mimo. He rarely showed up without his prosthetic arm in front of them, but now he was caught quite off guard. Prim greeted him, with Mary and Imar following him suit. Momomo and Mo turned up to see the commotion only to find them in and rushed to greet them immediately. And lastly, Momo came down with some papers in hand, only to be surprised by Prim smiling his way and saluting him the one way they knew best.
Team Momary was back in business and in full formation once more, now as a group of 10.
Momomo took the bouquet graciously, while Mo managed to single handedly install another bed in the spare room where Rima and Aryp would be staying for the meanwhile. They had a lot to chat about, all from the new changes in Team Primary's dynamics to Team Momo's win recently in Marble League, to personal matters and day to day life, they did not miss a single detail out of the hectic conversations to some nice dumplings.
------
It was the third day since they were in Om.
Prim was stuck in his room, trying to pull through with the leftover paperwork that was meant to be sent to Palette. He did not hold back Imar and Mary for that, given that he was sure he could pull through with them by the end of the day. The Momo's usually weren't morning people, besides Momomomo whose schedule changed dramatically since the accident back in 2017, so he'd usually accompany the few morning Primary members for a walk or a jog. Today was no different, given Aryp felt a lot better after some rest, taking his medicine and some good herbal tea Momomo specifically made for him, so he was able to join the group for a shopping spree across the big market that opened in the middle of Om. At the residence, only Prim and Momo remained behind, Prim stuck with the captain duties, and Momo oversleeping just as usual.
He hated bringing the work to a trip meant to be a break from constant team duties. His mind was all focused on the handful of documentation he still struggled to pass through, given one document had at least 5 pages front to back just about formalities and confirmations on paper when most of those could've just been an email. Admittedly coach Palette wasn't having it any lighter, but he always wondered how the hell Aryp and Mary dealt with all of this almost on a weekly basis. Imar at least did this so much earlier and felt like she was in charge of it all, but the other two? Even he didn't know how they endured it without having a meltdown.
Worst of all? It kept piling up.
Palette unfortunately found a lot of stuff undetected while rummaging through what was once coach Secondary's office, most of which were supposed to be sent months ago, if not even years ago. Prim felt like he was gonna scream whenever Palette messaged him about the new findings, given he had to deal with those just as much as the new coach did. Thankfully she was understanding and didn't force him to pull all the hard work in such short notice, but everything just felt too much and Prim was essentially stressed beyond repair. He needed a break.
It was just about mid afternoon when Prim finished the remaining documents Palette sent him initially, so he went down to get a cup of tea. His plans were definitely turned upside down since he became captain, and he couldn't let work just eat him alive for the rest of the time being. He noticed Momo sleeping on the couch, shirtless, with the blanket falling just slightly off the side where his legs would be. Prim tried his very best not to look, as he was already turning red as a tomato by second, so he focused on boiling the water in the kettle just so he'd have a distraction from work and well, Momo. Then something sparked in his mind, he had an idea.
Mary, his own sister, kept asking him sometimes whether he'd like to take painting again just to relieve stress. Prim wasn't too delighted by the idea, in spite of him being an art restoration major - he was specialized in sculptures, not necessarily paintings. Paintings were a Mary's thing. He could paint, technically, it was part of his degree after all - he just didn't really like to do it because it takes way too long to dry and he struggled with blending the colors.
However, he also promised Momo long time ago that he would pull a surprise present for him if Team Momo ever wins the Marble League. He almost completely forgot about it until Momo asked curiously what was the surprise a day prior. Prim just let him wait for the "upcoming days", leaving his friend slightly pouting but understanding. And perhaps he could pull a painting to commemorate this event? It's an idea but there's several problems:
1. No canvas, and art supplies are inexplicably tough to find in the city of Om. Finding one is gonna be a challenge, because finding a Momo artisan means he'll get proper painting supplies in a matter of weeks, and he did not have that time.
2. Speaking of which, he did not have anything with him to paint. No paints, no brushes, no palette-like surface he could mix colors on. Perhaps Mary may have something with her, but at most he'd be getting a brush and some water-based colors if he's lucky.
3. He wouldn't be able to maintain the surprise in a house of 10 given how often the Momos and Primary members roam around like crazy to either take something or check whether Prim's alive or not. Preferably, the surprise should be done now, given Momo's fast asleep and the rest are outside.
Prim was pouring the water on his cup with a teabag, thinking what to do. He had some paper with him, but a sheet of paper is too thin for a canvas and things will not go as he envisioned. Perhaps asking Mary won't hurt after all. What he's got to do while waiting after all?
Prim: hey sis
Prim: do you have any paint i could borrow from you?
Mary shouldn't be far from the residence, but she's probably with Mimo for their shopping errands. He was shaking the small tag hanging from the teabag up and down repeatedly to accelerate the infusing process while he awaited his sister to respond. Thankfully, she noticed quickly.
Mary: i do have two brushes you could use but i didn't bring a canvas nor paints
Mary: but Mimo has some body paint if it's any help, she didn't use it at all
Mary: it's water activated so you don't need an airbrush, just a glass of water and something to mix on
Prim started to drink from his tea, while contemplating what to do. Body paint? He definitely did not work with that kind of paint before during university, but what else is there to use in these circumstances?
Prim: can you ask her if i can borrow them for the time being?
It didn't take long to respond, and as he suspected, Mimo was with her.
Mary: heyyyy it's mimo, i stole your sister's phone to reply
Mary: you can take them! it's in the drawer in my room, right next to my books
Mary: i think momomomo has something you can use as a palette too, just give him a call!
Prim drank his tea and cleaned the mug, only to rush to Mimo's room and find the said body paint collection. It was not much, the primary colors of red, yellow and blue, and the monochrome paint by their side. He could definitely work with these. Afterwards, he went to Mary's room, where he found two decent brushes she often used. They weren't rough since the tip of the brush was natural rather than artificial, which was good news to him. As Mimo suggested, after giving Momomomo a call, he guided Prim to the back of the garden where he held a piece of wood he kept as an extra, and told him to take it given he doesn't really need it anymore. He tested the paint briefly, see how it manifests on the wooden surface and on bare skin by testing it on his arm, and he was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to blend and how fast it took to dry.
With a chair, a glass of water and after a plethora of time of testing the paint's consistency - he was ready to paint. He just needed a canvas.
And he knew the perfect one.
So he headed right into the living room, putting everything on the table nearby and sitting on a chair he brought from the kitchen. Momo was still asleep, and as far as he remembered, he's always been quite a heavy sleeper. He had his phone on the side with a picture of Mary painting some intricate traditional motif from the Temple of Om a while back as inspiration for his artwork. His only hopes were that Momo wasn't the ticklish type or that he wouldn't move too suddenly so he'd have the paint smudge on the couch itself as long as it was fresh. He knew he showered this morning, given their rooms were close and the shower was right next door to his, so on the clean canvas section he wouldn't have a problem... the problem is how to keep himself composed in front of his shirtless friend right there.
Prim dipped the brushes into water to mix a few colors in, matching as closely as possible the iconic purple and green shades Team Momo had on their jersey. The yellow was slightly easier since the color from the paint resembled it quite well, but it was the purple that was the trickiest out of them. After a lot of mix and try, a dip of black to darken it, and a handful of colors used, he was ready to go. Following the picture on his phone, he started to paint Momo's shoulder first since it was the closest to him, checking once in a while on Momo just so he wouldn't wake up. Through each stroke of the brush, Prim was contemplating often about his friend and how much success he's achieved after so much work and determination. He was definitely proud of Momo and Team Momo overall, given that Team Primary saw them grow into the powerhouses they are now, achieving what would've been the impossible ages ago, how they fought through thick and thin to now be called Marble League winners.
But he couldn't help on thinking whether this win and this rise to success may affect their friendship.
Prim and Momo were friends ever since they met that one time when he and his sister jumped on the project to restore Temple of Om, that's how they've first met the first four members of what would later become Team Momo. They bonded easily, given how Prim was the more extroverted one of the siblings and Momo was always the one in charge of every trip and exploration - so it didn't take long for them to find common ground and become the best of friends. But at the same time, Prim saw how victory could change the minds of some marble athletes, making them act superior and hungry for another one of these, and he despised the idea of his friend ending up like that... and Team Primary wasn't one of the toughest teams in the roster to begin with. They were barely scraping by as an unit, and now Aryp was ill due to being overworked as a player and as a captain at the time. There were high chances for them to miss the Marble League again for all they knew. The Momo's could've joined teams at their level, not sit with the dysfunctional Team Primary and stick along for that ride.
He looked once more at Momo's face. He looked content, at peace even. No shred of remorse. He was still surprised Momo did not move in the slightest while he was painting, thinking if the paint itself wouldn't, the brush gliding on his body could've startled or tickled him a bit. Prim was halfway done with the design he had in mind, and it worked out wonderfully thus far, but his mind was suddenly moving elsewhere. Dipping his brush into water to clean it and move to the next color, he couldn't help but stare at Momo a bit longer than he might have initially expected. He shook his head and moved onto the green details, using a smaller brush this time around and following the pattern he started off initially.
Mary kept asking Prim on whether he had feelings for Momo as of late. Prim usually brushed his sister off, saying that it's all platonic and everything, but with the current situation... he was debating on if she could be right and that he may have ended up with a slight crush on his best friend. After all, they've been friends for way too long, had been the shoulder to cry on whenever his sister wasn't in the equation at the time, have shared so many memories together and even found solace in the newfound captaincy situation Prim was still struggling to adjust at. But at the same time, he looked at Momo, the Momo that was sleeping right in front of him shirtless and couldn't help but feel like his face was turning red once more. It's not like they haven't seen each other shirtless after so many years of knowing each other, but today the air felt a lot different and Momo looking a lot more desirable for Prim's artistic eyes. He could swear the man was built like one of the finest sculptures he could find at an art gallery in Von Gotterdam, he was gorgeous. And he felt like an absolute fool for even thinking he may have a chance to have this man beside him someday.
They may be friends, but Prim also knew Momo valued their friendship more than ever and a potential relationship could've ruined the dynamic among the two teams forever. So, he was stuck into this limbo between having the courage to admit he is in love or to brush off these few feelings to maintain their friendship.
At that time, his little thinking bubble burst immediately, as he heard a groggy voice merely waking up from the slumber.
"Prim?" Momo asked, trying to open his eyes, "Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me, don't worry. And I'd advise you to stay still for a few minutes if you can, Momo. I'm not done yet." Prim replied, much to Momo's confusion.
Momo opened up his eyes slightly, seeing the table next to him filled with a few items on - a glass with a brush inside it, a few paints, a block of wood he assumed was a substitute for a palette, and right at his side being Prim on a chair coming closer to his body with another brush. He rubbed his eyes with the arm that was tucked on the margin of the couch, leaving Prim to work on his other one.
"What's this about?" Momo asked, his green eyes looking directly at his friend, who was very focused.
"Your surprise, remember?" Prim briefly locked eyes with Momo before returning to his work, "I wanted to make this look special, and this came up out of the blue."
Momo looked intrigued, but as he tried to slightly rise up to see what Prim was working on, he got stopped on his tracks by Prim's hand locked on his chest and pushing him back on the couch. Neither of them knew who was more shocked, Momo that was pushed back or Prim who had his hand on Momo's chest and outright trying to hide his embarrassed face for that gesture.
"Alright, alright, I got the message." Momo replied, defeatedly. "I was just curious to see what you're working on."
"It's not a surprise if you peek at it when it's not finished yet. Sit still." Prim responded back, now taking his hand off Momo's chest to focus on the artwork.
Momo pouted, but he didn't feel like he had a choice against his friend, given this was a special gift after all. He did notice Prim's face progressively getting more red, but he blamed it on how hot it was inside due to Momomomo lighting up the fireplace early in the morning. He was not expecting himself to be painted by Prim, but if there was one thing he could trust, it's definitely Prim's artistry. His left arm was at a brush's mercy, with Prim dabbing on the color on several spots across his arm and Momo just watching Prim's every move. Prim let his hand low, putting Momo's arm on his leg to let the paint dry, before proceeding to do the same technique on his chest. Momo felt at one point that he was about to faint due to lack of breathing, even if Prim was just laying his hand lightly on him.
At one point their faces came close to one another, or at least their gaze did. Prim's blue eyes meeting Momo's green ones for a split second before they hid their faces out of reach, and somehow that did the trick for both of them. Prim had to recollect quick to finish, but Momo was simply motionless for the rest of the time. It took about half an hour and a lot of recovery time from Prim to finish the piece, making very sure that the paint was completely dry by the time Momo rose up.
"Alright... I think I'm done." Prim said, wiping the paint off the brush. "Hope you like it."
Momo needed some time to process everything before slowly rising up with the help of his friend and walked to the nearest mirror. Momomo had a large one that she left in the living room not far from the couch, so he headed straight there, with Prim following up slowly. Momo stared at the piece - a long traditional motif identical to the one that was laid at the Temple of Om that was extending all the way to his arm and on his chest, following by the Team Momo logo as its centerpiece and an overly realistic painting of a gold medal wrapped around his neck. It took Prim a handful of time, but the final result was nothing short of a masterpiece.
"Thoughts?" asked Prim, now coming closer to the mirror.
"Prim, I... I think you outdid yourself on this one. I swear. It's phenomenal." Momo replied, grinning from ear to ear and looking at the piece from up close. "It would be sad when I have to wash it up though, is it body paint you used?"
"Yeah, I didn't have any other paint, I borrowed from Mimo."
Momo was turning around, checking the design in full display, before lightly brushing off his arm with his fingers to test on whether the paint dried fully. He even searched for his phone to take some pictures of the art, he was so impressed by it that he wanted to immortalize it forever through pictures at the very least, much to Prim's happiness. Prim went back slightly, leaving Momo admire the art piece, while he was cleaning everything from the table and putting them back in their designated spots. He was about to take the brush he used in the last section of the artwork before Momo startled him to the point of Prim turning around and landing a streak of paint over the right side of his face. Momo looked funny now with a whole green stripe all over his face, but Prim suddenly became apologetic.
"It's fine, I should've announced first." laughed Momo, now rubbing his eye, "I just wanted to say thanks, that's all."
"Leave the thanks, I didn't accidentally strike you in the eye with paint, did I?" Prim looked concerned, but Momo took his hand as a sign of reassurance, making Prim feel like over the moon by that point.
"Hey, Prim, it's fine, I promise you did not. It's just paint, it'll come down with a bit of water and soap." Momo chuckled slightly, now taking the brush off Prim's hand. "That's the last one?"
"Yeah, I need to wash it and give it back to Mary."
"Well, that can wait. Are you okay?"
Prim looked like he got caught in full swing. He thought he'd hide it well, if Momo is really asking about that... He felt like an absolute trainwreck thinking that he didn't hide that crush away from him. Momo looked worried, now placing his hands on Prim's shoulders before pulling him into a hug.
"The captaincy really drained you out of any energy, didn't it, Prim? I told you that you should've advocated for Imar to take the lead again..."
Prim sighed in relief, for a moment he did forget about the captaincy duties after doing the painting and his mind rambling elsewhere.
"It's a lot but I'm managing. I just need time to adjust to everything. Thought doing the surprise for you would've helped taking my mind off the stress with the paperwork."
"And the surprise was worth waiting for. Thank you, it really means a lot."
"Alright Momo, I think you're hugging me a bit too tightly, let go." Prim retorted, but Momo wouldn't even budge. Prim was lucky that body paint held on pretty well on Momo's arm and torso, because they'd both look like an absolute mess if it was any other kind of paint.
"I can't hug my best friend now? That's mean of you, Prim..."
"I didn't say that."
"You implied it."
"I did not!"
Momo laughed a bit, seeing Prim's slightly embarrassed face laid on his shoulder. It didn't take long for Momo to place a hand on Prim's hair, ruffling it a bit in the process. He noticed how calm he ended up becoming in his arms, in spite of his friend's visible embarrassment, but the moment was shortly ruined by their members that came by with groceries and other purchases they have made at the Om Market. Momo quickly broke the hug, now facing the other members looking intrigued.
"Woah, is that body paint? That looks so cool!" Mo replied, coming closer to Momo, "Prim made this?"
"Yeah, Prim did a great job with it." Momo said proudly, with the other members coming close to the two in the living room to admire the artwork. Mary pat her brother's shoulder, looking extremely impressed, with Prim smiling at her in response.
"He wasn't even considering painting again at one point, I kept pestering him to start taking painting again." Mary stated, much to Momo's surprised look, "Thought it would help him relax with the new captain duties he has now."
"You're the painter in the house, Mary - I can do only this much with a brush and a palette." Prim replied, now scratching the back of his head, with Mary side eyeing him specifically. "But yeah, you were right. It helped a bit."
"But you also had a good model, mind you." Momo smirked, leaving Prim speechless for the moment.
"I'm surprised he even managed to keep you sitting still given how often you move." Momomomo said.
"He was asleep this whole time, I'm pretty sure of it!" Mimo exclaimed, now with the rest feeling amused.
"I was not!" Momo replied in the same fashion Mimo exclaimed.
"Yes, you were!" Mimo counterattacked, now with Rima and Momomo defusing the small nitpicking.
"Alright you two, we still need to cook something and Aryp needs to rest, so perhaps we leave that debate for the time being?" Momomo suggested, now holding the groceries.
"We aren't going to the Temple of Om today?" Prim asked, curiously.
"Nope, apparently Rima offered to cook today. She got a recipe from home she wanted to try, Imar is helping her." Momomo answered.
"At least I don't have to dress up, thank the marble gods for that." Momo said, now looking at Prim. "That hard work would've been a waste if I covered it up."
"You're lucky I saw you thousand times shirtless over the course of the few years we know each other." Prim slightly rolled his eyes, much to Momo's amusement, before heading upstairs to wash his hands, now covered in paint.
------
The kitchen was full of spices, food and a lot of talking between the chefs of the night - while Imar and Rima took the center stage, Mo and Momomo helped them out with food preparations and preparing the table for the meal that was about to come. Rima's recipe was nothing but a stew that she had in her family for ages, one that relied a lot on cutting the ingredients and preparing the meat rather than the meal itself, so extra hands were great to have. Aryp stayed at the table too, helped a bit with cleaning and cutting potatoes, but they didn't force him too much given he was still feeling weak, so he was mostly making sure everything went smoothly. Rima was doing the heavy lifting with Imar being her aid in need, even if it's for a recipe that did require some time to prepare. Later on, the meal was almost ready and everyone gathered around the table, some more enthusiastic than others, and Momo still with the body paint in full display.
This moment was the Momo's way to reflect on their day to day routine and everything they've accomplished, a thing the Primary members later on adopted, much to their therapists' suggestion. They've covered everything - from their challenges to their future prospects, no plate had been left unturned. Prim also narrated the long email that their new coach had sent towards them as a way of saying congratulations, from which a few tears of joy were shed. The stew was also great, even if the herbs and spices tasted different from what the Primary members were accustomed with, they learnt to embrace it. Aryp also took his medicine by that time, much to everyone's relief. He thought they were mostly overreacting anyway, in spite of his condition, he was just overworked to the bone due to Secondary and now he gets back to his usual routine he had prior.
While everyone was preparing for the movie night and cleaning up the dishes after their meal, Prim took his time to check on whether coach Palette received the documents and what else there needs to be done. He opened the laptop, went straight to emails and found a reply from Palette not long after he sent them.
(Coach) Palette: They look great Prim, just exactly what we needed for the time being! If there is anything else you need to complete, I'll send them to you as soon as possible. It's been tough to sort out the documents left out by your former coach, but I think we manage to find a way to clear them out slowly by the time the upcoming Showdown proceeds. Just enjoy your time in Om for the meanwhile, and remember to make sure Aryp gets his medications in time.
Prim felt so relieved when he read the email. Felt like he had a stone lifting off his heart by that time when he closed the laptop, now with his eyes staring at the ceiling of the guest room. For the time being, he was free - no need to worry about officialities or anything of that sort besides whatever relates to his visa or phone payment.
By then, Momo made his appearance, sitting at the frame cautiously before silently knocking at the door, which caused Prim to look at his direction.
"Are you gonna parade my design all over the house?" Prim asked, slightly amused.
"I mean you made it for me. It's worth sitting on for at least the rest of the day. And between me and you here, I don't really have the heart to take it off." Momo replied, standing next to Prim on the bed. "Everything alright between you and the new coach?"
"Yeah, she gave me the green light for everything I've sent. I'm free for the time being."
"Let's go!" Momo exclaimed, lightly punching Prim's shoulder. "We have so many plans for the following day, I'm glad to hear you can finally join us!"
"Punch me like that and we're brawling again." Prim glared at Momo, with Momo being slightly caught off guard.
"And what if I want a little brawl?" Momo took a pillow and flung it at Prim, with Prim getting in defense mode. It's not the first time they fought like that, they'd usually play with pillows or plushies in order to see which one can pin the other one down. It wasn't anything harmful, it was a friendly match all done in a short time and both of them would often take a turn at the pining. This time, Momo was guarded with said pillow, while Prim essentially tried to jump on him to win the match. At one point Momo gave up on the pillow, so the brawl was even on both sides, ending with Prim being pinned down by Momo in a close call, much to Momo's overjoy.
"Guess I won this one!" Momo smiled, while Prim accepted defeat. He did notice the same flushed reaction on his friend's face, the same one he'd blamed on due to being hot inside, now staring at him as if he could merely meet his eyes. Prim looked adorable that way, as he thought, although that wasn't a reaction he'd have expected to have in regards of his best friend out of all people. He pressed one of his hands of Prim's forehead, checking any signs of a fever of some kind, but everything looked normal.
"Momo, you can... uh, release me now, please..." Prim pleaded, his voice softer than he was accustomed with. Momo removed his hands that pinned Prim's arms, slightly standing up on the bed just to give Prim some space. This was a different Prim than the one he's known for ages, even Momo himself did not know what to think of it.
"Everything okay? I didn't press too hard on your arms, did I?" Momo looked worried, more so when Prim even started to avoid his gaze altogether.
"I'm fine, Momo. I promise." Prim responded, but Momo didn't buy the act.
"Is there something bothering you? You can talk to me, you know that..."
"I know, it's a stupid thing, you don't have to bother with it. I swear, I'm fine."
"It's not stupid if it bothers you. What's wrong?"
Momo kept insisting, but what could even Prim say in such a situation? He was too prideful to admit he had a problem to deal with, but he was also way too embarrassed to admit he was falling for his best friend in situations they've repeated dozens, if not hundred times before. All he could hope was for Momo to cave in and give up, but if there is anything about Momo, he was keen to press someone into telling the truth. And Momo being shirtless in this situation did not help things one bit.
"If I tell, it's gonna ruin things."
"Prim, what things? How bad could it possibly be?"
Prim stared at Momo, at the man he was convinced he wouldn't have as a partner romantically, now growing increasingly more concerned as the silence increased.
"Prim, is it about me? Did I do something to make you feel this way?"
It was tough to even say the truth. When their friendship was at full risk and there was a halfway chance of Momo hating him after that, he'd rather swallow his pride and act like everything's okay. Like, yes - Momo is indeed the one that made him feel this way - but Prim mostly blamed it on himself for even falling for his friend in such a manner. He knew deep down that Momo cared at least as a friend, he's proven this countless times over the past years, and he was certain he wouldn't get volatile after a confession, but truth be told, Prim feared the idea of rejection.
"It's complicated, Momo. You didn't do anything wrong, if that's what you thought first, it's just... hard to explain this."
"Prim, I promise I'm not getting mad at you, regardless of what you're about to say. It's not like you want to end our friendship or anything. You can tell me anything, remember?"
Friendship. That word, as sincere as it sounded on Momo's lips, felt like a punch in the gut. How was he able to even say he wanted more than that? Momo grew increasingly worried, now facing Prim directly.
"You... don't want to end the friendship, do you?"
"No, no, absolutely not!" Prim almost yelled defensively, much to Momo's relief.
"Then?"
Momo scanned the subtle moves coming from Prim, hoping he'd find anything about what may have bothered him so much. He noticed the flushed face right from the get go, but he also noticed how Prim usually tended to avoid eye contact with him, his head bowed down in the same fashion when he had something bothering him. Momo wasn't a man with an eye for detail quite like Prim was, but after the few years they've known each other, he caught onto a majority of Prim's traits and behaviors. He went from an enigma to someone so easy to read that it felt almost comical. This time around, Momo did notice he was bothered about something, just not something he was particularly familiar to. Prim's eyes alone looked like he was debating on whether to say it or not, whatever it was, it was definitely something important.
But what was it?
Momo had a few ideas in mind, one that thankfully Prim debunked in a matter of seconds, but he felt he went the opposite side instead. He noticed a few things earlier - the short lived eye contact between the two while Prim painted on his body, the way he felt calmer in his arms after the hug, the hesitancy in his tone after Momo kept insisting on what's wrong - all of that definitely didn't feel like Prim was seeking to distance himself from Momo. There was one left though, a theory that felt a lot more plausible given Prim's reactions.
Momo smiled softly at Prim, now taking his friend's hand in his own, planting a small kiss on the back of it. Prim was left astounded by the gesture, like he was not expecting this coming from Momo, but let his hand guided by Momo's. He opened Prim's hand, releasing it from his grip, only to put it over his right cheek, the same side where he had the paint streak. Momo immediately noticed Prim looked at him almost as if he was in awe, which confirmed his theory on the spot.
"Do you like me?" Momo asked, now facing Prim at his level.
Prim tried to claim he did like him as a friend just as he always did, but his body language betrayed him long time ago. He wanted the romantic aspect too, to love and be loved, and he wanted Momo. He eventually ended up with his hands on his face, hiding it from Momo's sight, nodding in approval. It was no use hiding it from him anymore, he figured it out in spite of hoping that he wouldn't. Momo stood there silent, standing up to head for the opened door, much to Prim feeling almost heartbroken. He felt like he messed up everything and he kept slouching into the mattress, looking at Momo getting closer to the exit.
But instead of leaving through the door as Prim had expected, Momo checked to see if there was anyone on the hallway, before using the spare key placed behind a vase to lock the door. He put the key on one of the shelves in plain sight, before coming back to Prim's side and lifting him up at the same level.
"Is this what you really wanted all day, Prim?" Momo asked, coming closer. "You wanted me?"
"You make it sound like I'm some kind of pervert." Prim added, with Momo chuckling lightly at the comment.
"You aren't, I'm just surprised you started falling for me out of the blue given this isn't the first time you saw me shirtless. What changed?"
"I don't know either, I just... felt guilty I felt that way."
"You know you shouldn't feel guilty in front of me, you can't control how your heart feels." Momo reassured, but Prim didn't budge - if anything, Momo noticed that his hesitancy became even worse. "I'm not mad, really."
"It's not just that, Momo. You're a Marble League champion. I'm the new leader of a ship about to sink. Would you still look at me that way if, you know, we weren't friends before?"
Now it all made sense to Momo. It's nothing new for him that Team Primary had been quite the dysfunctional team at their humble beginnings and Team Momo tried their very best to maintain their ship afloat whenever they could by suggesting group therapy or finding hobbies that suited all of them, but Prim doubting their friendship due to that? Never happened before. If anything, Prim tried to make things look better than they were, so hearing him say that question out loud was extremely out of character. Having a crush is one thing, but doubting yourself and your friendship because it happened for their friends to win once? That's entirely different.
"What do you mean? You think I'd abandon you because we just happened to win this Marble League recently?"
"Momo, you'll get to new ventures. Find better marble athletes to compete with, reach new heights. You and your team deserve all of it, you worked hard to get here. I just don't want to lose you due to fame or let fame change you for the worse..."
"You're not losing me, Prim." Momo affirmed, now looking straight into Prim's eyes, "So what if we won Marble League now? I'd still choose you over them, even if you may not be the most skilled marble athlete. That's not going to change anything and you know it."
"You would?"
"Absolutely! You've been there for me in ways I didn't imagine, and you think a trophy will change it? Prim, I'm not leaving you behind. Never. I'm still the Momo you knew from decades ago, I don't want to change that."
Prim smiled at Momo's affirmation, feeling somewhat more at ease now that they cleared this one detail out.
"In that case, may I add one little surprise?" Prim said, much to Momo's confusion. "It's... something I wanted to do for a while now."
It took Momo too long to realize it, embarrassingly longer than he would've, but he immediately caught on once their lips interlocked. It was a tender kiss, one that Prim hesitated on, but Momo eventually replied slowly. Neither knew how long this one went on, only that it ended with Momo sharing more kisses all over Prim's face over the span of a few minutes with a share of laughter breaking through from Prim's side. This whole thing felt so cheesy, but it felt so liberating.
"Congrats, champion. Now you got every surprise you could get from me." Prim said, now looking at Momo who was almost breathless after it all.
"Honestly, this was more worth the wait than the painting was." Momo took Prim's hand, clasping over it, "And you could've started with this first, you know?"
"Now don't tell me you liked me first or else I'll throw this pillow at you, Momo."
"Probably not as long, but after this I certainly do like you quite a lot." Momo laughed, now moving closer to put his head on Prim's shoulder. "I guess this could be our little secret now."
"But what about-"
"Our friendship? It'll stay, don't worry. It's all the same, just that we can cuddle and kiss now. Is it really any different?"
Prim guessed he couldn't argue with that logic, even if a romantic relationship isn't quite like the platonic one they had for almost a decade now. But Momo seems to like him back that way, which was the best thing out of it all.
"Doubt this will stay for long a secret among our teams though. Think they've figured it out before us did?" Momo asked, with Prim checking his phone for any notifications.
"I'm sure Mary and Mimo know. Not sure about the rest, but I feel like Momomomo may have an idea about it too. I'd give it two weeks at most until we're found."
Momo stood up, now pulling Prim off the bed. Prim propped himself on Momo's shoulders, before they went for another hug.
"Are we together now?" Prim asked, being met with Momo kissing his forehead as a response.
"After all the kisses, it would be a shame for me to say no, isn't it?"
Prim headed for another kiss, to which Momo replied with same amount of passion. Suddenly everything just became brighter in a span of a few minutes, now that everything came to light and no mysteries had to be uncovered. It may take a while to make Momo realize there's more to a relationship than the kisses, but they'll figure it out together after the movie night.