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“Uaggggh!!! We have a few weeks until school ends, what will we do with no training every day?”
Riku was never a fan of the end of the school term. Yeah, there were no more exams or curriculum to work through, which was awesome. But it also meant that club activities were also mostly over for the term, and he just started getting used to all the extra training they were doing before the End Of Summer competition.
“Nothing’s stopping you from still training every day,” Takeru pipes in.
“Not everyone is as crazy as you,” Riku mumbles, the other scoffs in retort. Even Sensei Dan was taking forever to arrive in the classroom. His fingers began tapping on the table, and he was sure that Takeru would comment on it soon. After about two minutes he could see his eye start to twitch and his stoic expression start to fall.
”Okay fine,” Riku sighs and stands up. “I’ll move back to my own desk. Sensei shouldn't be too much longer right?”
Right as he’s making himself comfortable again at his seat, Nana strides over from her spot a few rows over. She shyly waves in her usual cute manner once she stops moving.
”Oh, hi Nana!”
”Hey Riku! I was wondering with training over, if you’d wanna come over and watch some movies this afternoon?”
“I’d love to, sounds great!” This would be nice, a chance to relax after the busy few months they’ve had. And he can finally get to know Nana a bit better without everything else going on.
”I would also like to join if you’ll allow” Another voice cuts in from behind him. He’s surprised that Takeru would want to join their movie night, and Riku surprises himself even more by reliving that he actually enjoys being around him. Yes they bicker a lot, but they also push the other to do their best and reach their goals. He’s become rather fond of the other.
“Nice, the three of us just hanging out with no training. This is going to be so much fun!” Riku starts fighting in his seat with excitement. “Oh, is it all right with you too Nana? Sorry I forgot to check with you first.”
Riku turned back around to face Nana, and was momentarily stunned. Her normally soft expression had tensed dramatically, the hands that were waving a moment ago were clenched at her sides and her eyes locked onto Takeru’s with no sign she intended to look away. While Takeru did look more relaxed, he too wasn’t breaking eye contact.
”Sure, no problem,” and almost as quick as it started, everything went back to as it was a second ago. Except for the awkward smile that now plastered Nana’s face. “We’ll meet at the gate after school and get the bus to my apartment.”
Finally Sensei Dan opens the door and walks into the classroom. “Sorry I’m late class, please return to your seats and we’ll start today’s lesson with a review on what we’ve worked on this year.”
”I’ll see you later Riku,” She holds up her thumb and index finger together before turning around and making her way back to her desk. Riku can’t help but blush a little. She made a finger heart to me! That’s so cute. Oh wow, I’m blushing aren’t I. He kept his head down for a moment, he didn’t need anyone else to see his face like this.
After a few moments he opened his notebook and tried his dang hardest to focus on what Senei was saying. How did such a simple gesture through him off like this? This afternoon was going to be interesting if he kept getting flustered like this.
”Hey c’mon stop gloating, not all of us strides gods like you.”
”Oh you’re calling me a god now?”
”Hey! I didn’t… You know what I…. Ughhhhhhh… Forget it.”
”C’mon you two, I’ll run inside and grab some towels. Just wait in the corridor for a second.”
”Thanks Nana.”
”Yeah, thank you Nana.”
They could still hear the water falling onto windows at the end of the corridor, and it only seemed to be getting heavier by the minute. The trio kept watching the clouds while on the bus, hoping it would wait just a little longer before opening up. But it seemed that luck wasn’t on their side that day, and right before their stop it started bucketing down. With the competitive streak flowing through them it’s pretty easy to guess that the short walk from the bus stop to Nana’s apartment would turn into an impromptu stride match. Only with the relationer running alongside them this time rather than keeping an eye on things through the monitors. Maybe she was still doing her best as relationer though. Because once she came back with towels and helped the boys dry their hair, Riku realized that she was always keeping an eye on them and helping out whenever she could. Even if that helping out was rubbing the towel through Takeru’s hair while he took his wet shoes and socks off at the front door.
”Um, I know this might sound weird. But is it okay if I take my shirt off so it can hang up and dry faster?” Riku shyly asks.
”Oh, sure. Let me find some coat hangers. And I’ll grab another one for you too Takeru,” Nana disappears into the apartment.
Riku starts to unbutton his shirt when the other boy comes up and throws a towel on his head.
”your hair’s still soaked,” is the only explanation Takeru provides.
”Hey! I can do that myself!” Riku protests.
”I know, but let me do it for you.”
For the second time that day Riku was dealing with a bright red face and was stunned into silence. Only this time the perpetrator was still in font of him and very close. He brought his hands up to try and partially cover his cheeks, and luckily the towel was still being used to try his hair and was covering the top of his face.
Once his hair was dried to Takeru’s satisfaction he sat the towel on the floor next to them and proceeded to finish unbuttoning Riku’s shirt. Whatever blush had started fading quickly returned at that point, and his hands were still partially covering his face.
”Hands down,” Takeru commanded. And for some odd reason Riku’s hands fell to his sides with no hesitation. And somehow his face got even redder.
A barely audible “cute,” was uttered by the other boy, but Riku didn’t have any functioning brain cells left to process that, so it was ignored for the time being. Once the shirt was unbuttoned and taken off his arms, Takeru proceeded to do the same with his own shirt. By this point Nana had come back and put the boy’s shirts on the hangers and found a spot for them. She also used that opportunity to change herself. If a double-take was done when seeing the redness of his face, a glare thrown in Takeru’s direction and a shrug from the boy given in response, Riku was none the wiser. Still recovering from the earlier exchange.
They ended up deciding on some English super hero movie. It was one Riku had wanted to watch for a while, but never got the chance to. He was also surprised that the other two agreed. He didn’t think it would be to their liking, and only really suggested it to contribute, but Nana put it on without any question after Takeru’s “Sure.”
The three of them managed to fit on the one couch with Takeru and Nana either side with Riku squished up between them. Literally squished. Takeru on his left arms crossed and manspreading, and Nana on his right legs pulled up to her chest and snuggling a cushion. Riku was as taught as a bowstring, hands clasped in his lap and knees pressed together.
He fought the urge to wrap his arms around their backs and cuddle into them. Their presence felt so warm and inviting, but he knew that if he embraced it and gave in, he’d never want to let them go. They were teammates, if his feelings got out of hand it could cause tension and awkwardness between them, and could really mess up their team dynamics.
It felt pretty obvious to Riku that Takeru doesn’t harbour any romantic feelings towards him. The guy dedicated every waking and probably sleeping second to stride. There was no time in his schedule to maintain relationships. Tomoe had proved that much to him. It was either one or the other, and stride would always end up on top.
It was also unlikely Nana had any romantic feelings towards him either. Well, it was more likely than Takeru, but still not very. She has always been really nice and sweet to Riku, and didn’t push away when he playfully flirted. But she acted that way towards anyone. And not telling him to shut up and go away, doesn’t mean she was interested in his pathetic courtship attempts.
His disheartening thoughts are interrupted by a light thump on his shoulder. He looks to the side to find Nana sound asleep, it was likely she dozed off a few minutes beforehand before her head lolled to the side and onto Riku. It continued to slide down towards his chest, and he took the initiative to gently push her back up to his shoulder where he was sure it would be much more comfortable. He glanced towards the movie still playing on TV, it looked like they were about three-quarters of the way though and he hadn’t paid an ounce of attention.
He turns to his left to find Takeru mid yawn. “Are you able to help me put her to bed?” He nods while still yawning.
“You carry her, I’ll go find her room,” Takeru says and walks towards the hallway.
Riku moves the cushion from her arms and picks her up bridal style, It was the easiest way he tells himself.
“Down hear Riku,” Takeru comes back out of the hallway and quietly calls him over. He slowly starts to make his way over. Nana isn’t very heavy, but he rarely did any upper body training, so he struggled a bit more than he’d like to admit. It seemed Takeru was tired enough to not comment on it either.
He walks into the tidy bedroom and gently places her on the bed, the other boy had already pulled the sheets back. Riku moves her legs to the end of the bed and her head to the pillow, while Takeru pulls the blankets over the top over her.
They turn to walk out when she starts to stir. “Riku…Takeru…” They turn back around to face her. “…Please stay.”
As much as he wants to crawl under the sheets with her, he knows it’ll be best for them to leave, he has way too many thoughts to organise before seeing the two of them again. He indulges for a moment and places his palm on her cheek. And from the corner of his eye he notices Takeru resting his hand on top of hers. The two boys make eye contact for a moment, and they can tell they’ve both come to the same conclusion. It’s time to go home.
”As much as we’d love to Nana, we have to go home now,” he brings his hand back to his side and steps back. “Sleep tight Nana.”
Takeru echoes back a “Good night,” and steps back to. They both walk out of the room and shut the door. They silently grab their shirts and put their socks and shoes back on (ew they’re still wet), and lock the door before stepping out into the corridor. They step outside the building and are pleased to see that it stopped raining.
“Thanks for helping out bro,” Riku voices his appreciation.
Takeru turns towards him and nods in acknowledgement, and he understands that it’s the most the other will contribute towards a conversation at the moment.
“Well, see ya next week.” He turns and runs off towards home. Disappointed that no more was said between the two.
“You’re asking me….for relationship advice?” Heath asks, completely bewildered.
“…maybe,” Riku is very lost and confused about all the dealings and thoughts zooming around his head currently. The weekend was torture. He had no one to vent to, and it was too complicated of an issue to talk about over the phone.
“I don’t know. I’m just so confused Senpai.” Riku hid his face behind his hands. Sure he was being dramatic, but he really was so lost. Now Heath, Stride captain, third year student and his Senpai, wasn’t willing to help him out or even let him vent. His shoulders sagged, he just felt so defeated.
”Health,” Kyosuke walks over from the corner he was hiding in and sits down next to Riku. “You’re not helping, and the poor boy’s about to break and implode.”
He sits a hand on Riku’s shoulder and uses the other to pull his hands away from his face. It’s common knowledge that Heath and Kyosuke’s relationship has been a bit iffy through the years, but he expected Heath to be more likely to want to help him than Kyosuke. Not the other way ‘round.
“Sorry. I want to help, I just don’t know why you came to me for it,” Health mumbles while fiddling with his hands.
”Because he trusts you,” Kyosuke puffs out, exasperated. “But we’ll talk about this later,” He turns back to Riku. “What’s got you so confused?” He pushes a strand of Riku’s hair away from his face, and it feels so gentle and comforting. That is what confirms his suspicions and feelings. When he thinks of Kyosuke, Heath and the other team members, he thinks of comfort; and maybe a little bit of love. But he takes a second to imagine Nana and Takeru doing the same gesture, and his heart skips a beat. The feeling is so different from what the others give. And it solidifies what he’s been fretting over. He takes a deep breath.
”I’m in a bit of a predicament,” he somehow says calmly. “I’ve got a crush, and I’m not sure what to do about it.”
“Hmp, that’s easy! Just tell them how you feel, “ Heath blurts out, and is immediately stared down by Kyosuke.
“There’s a ‘but’ isn’t there,” Kyosuke quietly states. Damn this guy is great to talk to, it’s like he knows exactly what’s going on. Riku nods solemnly.
”It’s not just one person.”
At this admission Heath eyes go wide and mouth drops open, while Kyosuke acts like he was expecting this, and starts running his fingers through Riku’s hair. After a few seconds Heath’s face returns back to an acceptable state, and in his head opts to stay silent and let Kyosuke do the comforting.
”I’m going to stand by Heath’s statement,” Kyosuke decrees. “Just tell both of them how you feel.”
The other two go wide eyed at this, and he continues talking before they can protest.
”You may think that telling them will ruin the friendship between you, or even how the club functions. But trust me when I say that the worst that could happen is they say no. The club won’t fall apart again, you won’t lose any friends and the world won’t end. And besides, polyamorous relationships are a thing and not crazy.”
Riku takes a deep breath.
”Thanks Kyosuke senpai, I really needed that. Thanks too Heath senpai, see you do give good advice, you just need to trust yourself.” Riku stands up and tries to shake the daze off. Wow, Kyokuke’s really good with his hands.
The door slides open and Hozumi and Ayumu run in, laughing and yelling.
“That’s my cue, see ya.” Riku grabs his bag and walks out the door.
”Wait Kyosuke, you spoke like you knew what was going on before he even said it.”
“Just a hunch.” He turns to find Heath looking unimpressed with his arms crossed.
”OK fine, I’ve already heard the other two perspectives and they all need to get it together already. And it’s also pretty obvious to anyone with eyes.”
Heath raises an eyebrow at that statement.
”It’s not to my eyes.”
”Oh are we talking about the trio?” Ayumu pipes in.
”They’re really getting annoying now, they need to hurry up,” Hozumi adds.
”Who are the other two? Can someone please tell me?” Heath starts yelling now.
Only a chorus of “nope”s answer back.
Riku knew he should find Nana and Takeru and talk to them before the motivation from Kyosuke left him. But, he needed maybe ten more minutes to process the information, and that was the perfect amount of time to go for a run and still catch them before class started again.
He was half-way through his run when of course whatever higher power was up there loved making him suffer. It should really be no surprise that Takeru would be training in his spare time, but anything is surprising when you’re not ready to face someone yet. They kept up a consistent pace side-by-side, and not outrunning the other. Riku wanted to use this time to try and keep his pace fairly quick but also consistent, so he didn’t tire towards the end. And Takeru has probably picked up on it.
They don’t talk. And even though Riku really doesn’t want to be near him right now, his presence is comforting. It’s also good for his training as Riku subconsciously started matching his breathing to the other boy’s, further helping his endurance.
The other five minutes pass, and the timer Riku set on his watch alerts him. He gradually slows down with Takeru right beside him. And as much as he wants to, doesn’t lay on the ground to catch his breath with a certain someone there to witness.
We’ll, it’s now or never.
”Um…Takeru,” he stutters out.
The other turns to face him.
”I just want to say, before I lose confidence, that I really like you. I would love to have more movie nights, actual sleepovers and have you fall asleep on my shoulder too. I adore your dedication to what you love. Can I ask you to be my boyfriend?” He was more calm in saying that than he expected, but his hands were super sweaty.
Takeru looks at him for a moment as if contemplating his answer. He takes a few steps and crosses the short distance to the other boy, and grabs both his hands.
”I very much want to be your boyfriend, but I have a question for you that may put a spanner in the works.” Riku holds his breath.
“I need to know where Nana falls in all of this,” Takeru continues. And oh great, Riku is really freaking out now. He knows, he knows I want her too and it’s not gonna work with three of us. It’s over before it even begins…
”Riku!” Then there are two hands on either side of his face. “It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere. Just breathe.” He demonstrates with an exaggerated deep breath in, in which Riku copies. And does the same out, and repeats a few times.
”I really like Nana too,” He confesses in a whisper, looking at his feet. “I want the both of you.”
“Riku, can I kiss you?” That gets his attention. He brings his eyes back up to the other boy’s and almost cries. He can feel the love and adoration beaming towards him. He tries his best to nod with the hands still on his face. He doesn’t trust his voice right now.
Slowly Takeru brings his face closer to him and all thoughts leave his head. He leans forward to close the final centimetres between their lips. It’s at this initial contact when he remembers the words uttered by the other just a minute ago, and feels them course through him. It’s okay. The kiss only lasts a few seconds, but it’s the most calm Riku has been in the last few days. He slowly opens his eyes to Takeru’s soft smile.
”Let’s go find Nana,” He grabs the other’s hand, and they start walking towards the classroom.
They find her in the classroom already, there’s still five minutes before class starts, so there should still be enough time to talk to her. Takeru walks in and grabs her attention.
“Nana, can we talk to you outside for a moment,” She follows him out of the room and to a nearby quieter area. Once they’re there, Takeru nudges him with his elbow.
”Ow! This might be really sudden, but I really like you Nana. Initially I was just play flirting with you, with nothing behind it and I expected nothing back. But being around you a lot this year has made me realise that I enjoy being around you, and have lots of fun playing and talking with you.” Riku felt more confident having one successful confession under his belt now, but he was still quite nervous.
”I can see you’re excited Nana,” Takeru buts in. “There is a bit of a catch with this one though. Riku and I are already in a relationship, and it’s package deal. Unfortunately I don’t harbour quite as strong feelings yet, but if you’re willing to see where all this goes, I assure you, you won’t regret it.”
”What is this? A sales pitch?” Riku is a bit on confused on the direction it has gone in, but if it works it works.
”Of course I like you back Riku! And I accept the package deal. I feel the same way Takeru, no strong romantic feelings yet, but let's see where this new adventure takes us,” Nana exclaims.
Riku grabs a hand each, his boyfriend on the left and girlfriend on the right. He decides to pop a quick kiss on her cheek before letting them go and walking into class. Somehow still before Sensei Dan walks in to start the class.
The last week has had a lot of new feelings to deal with and understand. But as Kyosuke and Takeru have reassured him, It’ll all be okay. Now he can say from experience that thing’s turn out for the better. And he can also brag that he ended first year with and boyfriend and a girlfriend.
Ayumu slides Kyosuke some coins from across the table.
”I really didn’t think they’d get there this quick.”
”They just needed a little push is all,” Kyosuke counted the money. “All three of them came to me for advice in three days, they were more than ready.”
”Did you two actually see it happen?” Heath probes.
”Yep,” Hozumi supplies. “I had to pull Ayumu out from under the bleachers.”
”It’s still crazy that Heath never noticed anything,” Ayumu pokes.
”I know, he’s oblivious to everything though, this wasn’t special,” Kyosuke smirks while double checking the money also coming over from Hozumi now.
”Hey, leave me alone!”