“I don’t know if we should be hiding this…” Koganegawa says, his body tense, his face in utter shock. Futakuchi lets out a deep sigh and rubs his temples. This guy…. honestly. Alright, he’s a first year and alright, he’s trying hard. At least that much Futakuchi is able to give him.
But everything else… huh. “What do you plan on doing then? Giving us away? Don’t forget what consequences that would have. Besides, weren’t you the one saying we should do something ‘that he would never forget’?” Futakuchi crouches down in the dark and rather stuffy storage room, running his fingers through his hair. He should receive an award for being the best captain. He definitely should for coping with Koganegawa.
“N-No! I mean, yes! I’m sorry… if I’d known it would lead to being like this I…”
“Too late to think about that now, that we are sitting here, just the two of us and our secret.”
Of course, Futakuchi knows about Koganegawa. About how he probably has a small puppy crush and the like. He would rather it’d be admiration than anything else but alas. For such a big body, he surely is still just a hatchling inside. Quite unsure whether to why he agreed to keep quiet for Koganegawa and to hide here, of all places. It’s crampy and it’s hot.
“O-O-Our… m-maybe we should have told the others after all….” he mutters and while it is dark enough for Futakuchi to recognize nothing but silhouettes, he can tell Koganegawa must have gone beet red. It’s… well, oddly endearing? Who would still see someone like him in a light good enough to have a crush on him? Given Koganegawa does irritate him enough to deserve being thrown out sometimes. But hey, he’s trying.
“Oh, come on. This is how it is now and we have to deal with it. As long as no one finds us in here, we will be safe. For the time being.” Futakuchi breathes the last part to give it a touch of mystery - but he should have considered who he is with before doing so.
It’s ridiculous how tense someone can be, making it hard for Futakuchi to still breathe any longer. Damn summer and damn August. Damn everything right now, in this very second. Futakuchi isn’t quite sure whether Koganegawa is like this because of their secret or… well, because of him. He never said anything, of course. Never confessed nor told anyone else for Futakuchi to overhear but it’s blatantly obvious and maybe it’s a little fun to tease him. Just maybe.
He reaches out to touch Koganegawa’s hand, thinking he is definitely still standing - but that part of skin is too soft to feel like a hand. Too few fingers, too much… wait.
“F-F-F-F-F-Futakuchi-senpai, wh-what are you doing?”
Yeah, what is he doing? Now that he already embarrassed himself, feeling the heat rushing to his cheeks because wow honestly his hands wander up a bit and he realizes it must be Koganegawa’s face he is touching, having longer strands of hair between his fingers. This is worse than in any romance novel Futakuchi has definitely never read. Then again, if his skin wouldn’t be as soft (is he using moisturizer? That’d surely be a surprise!) Futakuchi might as well think he is touching an ironing board there, that’s how stiff the entirety of Koganegawa’s body is. ...Well, hopefully not as entirely.
“I was just trying to find out where you are. It’s too damn dark in here,” he says and his voice wavers so much that he is sure even someone like Koganegawa realizes it’s a lie. He doesn’t, actually.
“A-Ah, yes, I’m here!” he shouts, loudly and Futakuchi is about to slap his hand over his mouth for him to shut up when the door of the storage room opens and light falls in. Futakuchi turns around reflexively, his hand still frozen in Koganegawa’s hair and he feels like he definitely did a bad thing when Aone stares down at him. At first, at least. Most of everything, he looks confused though.
While Koganegawa tries to mutter something that Futakuchi thinks might be an explanation or an apology or maybe both, who knows, he probably short-circuited somewhere along the way, Futakuchi tries to smooth over this awkward situation as well as possible, picking up the cake Koganegawa brought along with him (and his baking skills are infinitely better than his volleyball skills) and standing up before holding it out to Aone.
“Can you believe he got me involved into his plans for a surprise and had me be quiet? Be proud of me, Aone, I didn’t tell you.”
Aone looks at the cake, face as stern as always to anyone who doesn’t have the slightest clue about the small differences within his expressions. He kicks back to signal Koganegawa to stand up as well, and in the absolutely worst synchronicity for such a small expression, they both speak up at once.
