Kaname just doesnāt get it.Ā
Cupid shots just donāt failĀ like this.Ā
Heād checked, multiple times. Theyāre compatible. Futakuchi was the target. Fine. His cupidās gun was working.Ā
Heād shot him almost two years ago though, and still, Futakuchi shows no signs of falling for Kamasaki. Why? Was he losing his touch? Had his aim been off?Ā
It hadnāt. Cupids are sharpshooters. Give him any kind of ranged weaponāheāll hit the target. (Sadly, setting doesnāt count) Midway through his second year, heād got the assignment, lined up his shot, taken aim, firedā¦ and nothing. Itās not even like Futakuchiās been shot already by another Cupid, or shown any signs of being in love already. Itās ridiculous, is what it is.Ā
Itās been bothering him since he noticed the utter lack of signs between the two of them. Theyād hang out in club, but rarely out of club. When they all go to the cinema, he tries to get them to sit together and theyāll always somehow evade his efforts. Futakuchi usually ends up sitting next to Kaname and leaving over to make comments to him instead of Kamasaki.
Dammit! Heās had plenty of successes before them and since his attempt, but thatās his one failure. Everyone else has worked, so why not them?
This, the final get-together before all the third years move on to different universities, is his one last chance. Heād thought it might be easy, pushing them togetherā
But here he is, sitting outside, watching as they donāt even look at each other. Heās actually considering trying to instigate stupid party games, such is his level of exasperation. Honestly.
āCaptain?ā
He twists. Backlit by the party behind him, Futakuchi steps out onto the deck with him, drink in hand, and sits down next to Kaname.
Kaname is running on the fumes of confusion and frustration.
āHow come youāre not with Kamasaki?ā he asks. Normally, he prefers to be subtle, despite it not being generally known as a cupidās art. Now, heās at his witās end. Why didnāt it work?
āBecauseā¦ Iām here with you?ā Futakuchi offers, sounding just as confused as Kaname. āI could ask how come youāreĀ not with Kamasaki,ā he replies; when Kaname twists to look at him, Futakuchi seems a little nervous.
āYouāre meant to be with him.ā Thatās how it goes. Unless it interferes in some way, the bullet of a cupid is infallibleā¦
Futakuchi laughs, a pitch too high to be normal. āAm I?ā Kaname nods morosely. āLikeā¦ romantically, or just, physically next to him?ā Kaname huffs.
āItās not a magnet,ā he murmurs under his breath, and when Futakuchi makes a questioning noise, he huffs again. āYouād work together,ā he asserts, winding his hands together. Or at least theyād meant to.
Futakuchi runs a hand through his hair, the motion attracting Kanameās gaze; only then does he notice the shading of heat on Futakuchiās cheeks, his emotions in flux.
āWe wouldnāt, believe me,ā Futakuchi states, uneasy. Kaname pouts. He has honest-to-goodness proof they would, or were meant to. The window might have passed, now. Maybe thereās still timeā
āI mean, I kinda came out here to say that Iām more interested in you, actually.ā
Huh?
Kaname blinks at him owlishly; Futakuchi catches his gaze, and laughs at what he finds there.
āDid you never actually consider that? Iā¦ made it pretty obvious, I thought,ā Futakuchi mumbles. Kaname is calculating, changing the equations in his mindā all the times that Futakuchi went towards him instead, despite him pushing him towards Kamasaki, all the timesā
Heād not put himself into the equation, at all. So focused on being an outside observer, heād justā
Futakuchi shifts, making to stand.
āI only said it ācause I donāt want any regrets after you leave,ā he says, but his tone is heavy, and his emotions. All because Kaname hadnāt considered himself in this.
His hand whips out to clamp around Futakuchiās wrist; Futakuchi stares at him wide-eyed. Kaname doesnāt know if the cupid is allowed this, but maybeā maybe he can try.
Kaname smiles. Heāll give it a chance, being on this side of the scope.
