Work Text:
Polyamory.
The act of dating multiple people at once. And having them all date each other.
Nobody's left behind.
Nobody's left unloved.
But there's a problem.
In modern society, polyamory isn't very well known. Nor very well accepted by those who do know.
...
But when have they ever cared about rules?
Cafe, 2:37, Tuesday, August 12th.
Ryo takes a bite of her croissant, teeth tearing through the pastry with ease. She's just as deadpan as usual.
Hitori is staring at her sandwich, looking like she just got told she'll never be able to play guitar again. Although she always looks like that, so maybe not.
Nijika has her phone open, but is barely even paying attention to it, instead opting to 'sneak' glances at Ryo, Kita, and Hitori.
Kita also has her phone open, but she's inversely only keeping her gaze on it. She doesn't want to look at them, it's too awkward.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...I'm glad to get free food, but why are you guys so quiet?" Ryo breaks the silence, her golden gaze glancing from person to person as she licks the sugary residue off her fingers.
'So improper...' Thinks Nijika, who promptly shoots a pointed look at the bassist.
Hitori finally picks up her sandwich, risking a glance at Kita and Nijika who sit across from herself and Ryo. "Uhm... I-It's kind of a-awkward... I t-thought you guys w-were having a t-thing, so I didn't w-want to i-interrupt..." She puts the sandwich back down. She doesn't take a bite.
Kita laughs a little too loud at Ryo's obliviousness, or simple lack of tact, though she's also more jittery than usual, clearly feeling the awkwardness Hitori mentioned. "Quiet? Me? Never! I was just... Savoring my drink! That's it!"
Ryo glances down at Kia's drink. It looks colorful. The name was really long and trendy too...
She's only taken a sip.
"You've only taken a sip."
"Ah, that's-"
"Can I have it? You aren't going to finish it so-"
"I-I-Isn't that a-an i-i-indirect k-kiss!?"
"It's fine, Ryo-senpai! I'll drink it..." Kita grabs the drink and takes a larger sip, cheeks flushing slightly at the prospect of an indirect kiss.
Ryo's lips twitch upwards slightly at seeing them talk again, even if they are acting weird as ever. She turns her attention to Nijika, who was watching the interaction quietly. "What about you, Nijika? You okay? You're pouting like you did after that one time where I accidentally broke your drumsticks by chewing on them."
"W-W-What?!"
"Oh my god, senpai!"
"I'm sorry, what?!" Nijika glares, though she also raises an eyebrow in shock. "You told me you accidentally stepped on them!"
"I lied."
Nijika rolls her eyes and turns to Kita and Hitori, face slightly redder, looking uncharacteristically shy. "I'm fine. It's just... Hot in here. I flush easily."
"No you don-"
"I recommend you shut up. You're already on strike 2."
"Strike 2? What was strike 1?"
"Mooching. We're paying for you, remember?"
"...No."
"Maybe I should make it strike 3 for my drum-"
"I second the heat statement." Kita interrupts the banter, plopping her face unceremoniously against the table. Her face is also redder, but that could be make-up. "I flush easy too, Nijika-senpai..."
"Mhm..."
As the two girls brood over the 'heat,' Hitori and Ryo share a look. 'We have absolutely zero clue what they're talking about.'
The small moment of camaraderie and banter fades back into silence. God, this is so-
"H-Hey!" Hitori exclaims, caught off guard by Ryo snatching her sandwich off her plate.
"Sorry, not sorry, Bocchi," 'I'm definitely not sorry.' "but you're staring at it with that thousand-yard stare. It's weird. And it's not tasty." She takes a bite of the sandwich, before tilting it towards Hitori with a raised brow. "Still wanna bite?"
"N-No! I-I-Indirect-"
Ryo doesn't even let her finish before shrugging and taking another bite of the sandwich. She turns his gaze to Kita, eyes narrowing slightly. "Ikuyo."
"Gueh... Yes..?"
"If you don't drink your drink, I'm going to rob you of it. It looks good."
"...Okay, senpai." She drinks it as she's told, but she doesn't look like she enjoys it nearly as much as usual.
"Nijika."
"I don't have any food, so you can't rob me." A glimpse of her defiant side returns as she sticks her tongue out at Ryo, only for her to reach out and boop Nijika on the nose.
"Wha-"
"You're being weird. And you're rarely on your phone that much. You're flustered." She points out before leaning back and finishing off Hitori's sandwich.
'My sandwich...'
Ryo sighs and speaks up again, and the uncharacteristic sincerity in her voice draws their attention. "...I'm not dumb, okay? I know what's going on."
The air is almost sucked out of the room with the noise. It goes dead silent over at their table.
A single thought echoes through three minds, save for blue-haired bassist. 'Is she... Is she going to say it?!'
"Seriously, I don't get what the problem is. Why can't one of you just say it?" Ryo asks, a rare hint of disappointment—More like a rare hint of something that isn't smugness—bubbling up in her voice. Not towards them, or not directly, but because it's clearly weighing down on their moods...
'And if they're in a bad mood, I can't leech off of them...'
"Why don't YOU say it?"
"Because I'm the cool and nonchalant one?"
"Mhm! Mhm! She totally is!"
"Don't encourage-"
Hitori squeaks, interrupting them and immediately covering her face with her hands. She's a bright red... And melting. "S-Social n-n-norms- r-reputation- m-my r-reputation- p-p-polyamory i-isn't-"
"Poly-what?"
Polyamory.
"P-P-P-Polyamory..." Hitori's stutter is getting worse as she repeats it, tilting her head downwards.
Kita looks up from the table.
Nijika raises an eyebrow.
The act of dating multiple people at once. And having them all date each other.
"I-It's when a g-g-group of people d-date each o-o-other a-at the s-same time..."
Nobody's left behind.
"...Nobody's left behind." Kita pipes up, a gleam of her usual energy starting to return to her eyes.
Nobody's left unloved.
"...Nobody's left unloved." Nijika continues, her dorito beginning to spin from rising excitement.
"B-But..." Hitori interrupts up once more, her voice small and quiet, lined with sorrow.
There's a problem.
in modern society, polyamory isn't very well known. Or very well accepted by those who do know.
"I-In m-modern society, p-p-polyamory i-isn't very well k-known... O-Or very w-well a-accepted..."
But when have they ever cared about rules?
"..." Kita looks away from all of them, her light fizzling out and then some.
'But when have they we cared about rules?'
"..." Nijika sighs and leans back in her chair, trying to hide her disappointment, to no avail.
"...But when have we ever cared about rules?"
Ryo stands up and puts her hand in the middle of the table.
Kita looks up. Nijika's eyes widen. Hitori's trying to fight a smile.
"I'm a rule breaker at heart. I don't listen to rules. Especially stupid ones." Ryo pats the table, giving a small nod.
"Pfft, you think all rules are stupid, Ryo." Nijika rolls her eyes, standing up and firmly placing her hand atop Ryo's.
A rainbow converges on the center of the table...
"Cool and nonchalant, like always, Ryo-senpai!" Kita hops up from her seat, quickly placing her hand atop Nijika's.
With the knowledge that some rules...
"Mhm..." Hitori stands up last, tentatively placing her hand on top of Kita's.
Are meant to be broken.