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Ike and Shu have been dating for years and currently living together, but they decide not to make their relationship public. They just don’t want the attention others will give them if they know.
Later on, Mysta moves in with the couple at Shu’s invitation, since apparently Mysta couldn’t find a suitable place near his uni.
The three of them frequently watch movies and play games together over the weekend, and sometimes even picnicking when one of them is having a rough day. The longer they spend with one another though, Mysta becomes all the more aware that he gradually develops feelings for Shu.
And not just any feeling. Mysta’s almost 100% certain it’s romantic.
These complicated feelings get even clearer for Mysta when he prepares dinner with Shu on a cloudy sunday evening. It is breezy out front, Ike basks in the common room reading a novel which looks too thick to be finished in one sitting, and Shu’s not making things easy for him either. Shu laughs at his every joke. His brilliant eyes sparkling and his mouth curls up into a joyful smile.
He almost deliberately drops the pot on the floor just to hear Shu’s laughter linger longer, brushes his hand past Shu’s slender waist, and speaks in a hushed voice as if what they are talking about is a confidential information.
At a certain point he stands too close behind Shu and he swears, it takes everything in him not to grab the other by the waist and embrace him right then and there.
At last dinner is ready and the three of them eat together peaceably. Shu asks Ike questions about his reading experience and almost immediately the two engage in an easy and comfortable chitchats, in which for one reason or another, Mysta cannot get into no matter how hard he tries.
He feels a peculiar emotion like a flame on the stove awakens inside, and that whole dinner, he only opens his mouth when he’s spoken to.
Once they eat and do the dishes, they gather on the couch to watch TV together. Mysta attempts—‘attempts’ being the keyword here—to focus on the epic fighting scene on the screen, but the corners of his eyes are following Ike’s hand that draws nigh unto Shu. Ike kisses the back of shu’s hand, then places it on his lap, and once again the flame lights up in Mysta’s chest, never really dies out.
Ike saunters into his own room after the credits rolls, presumably getting ready for bed. Seeing this as a perfect time to be alone with Shu, he immediately calls out to him, “Shu, hey, wait – wait! I got something to say to you.”
“You do?” he asks, his tone confounded, albeit as gentle as he always is. “What is it? You were quiet during dinner, too. Is your stomach okay?”
Fuck, is this it? The moment where he reveals all his pent-up feelings and braces himself for the worst? He doesn’t even know what Ike is going to do to him for letting his boyfriend be around somebody who clearly has feelings for him.
To top it all off, it is happening in their own flat, too!
“Seriously I dunno how to put it, it’s probably ‘cus I haven’t had much of an interaction with anyone but you... lately. Well, and Ike too, but you get what I mean! so, ah, what I’m trying to say is... ah, Shu?”
“Yes?”
Why does Shu look at him like that? So anxious, full of concern, so utterly beautiful and not his?
Ah, the hell with it, Mysta will think of the ramifications of his action later.
“I.. think you look... okay. I mean, not okay! You’re beautifulamazingcutecool, and everything else ... I guess?”
This is the first time he doesn’t like to hear Shu’s soft and unconstrained laughter.
“God, you scared the daylights out of me! I really thought you’d say you got into a trouble on campus or something. Hehe, but I like you too, Mysta. I thought that was obvious, no?”
He swallows the aching lump down his throat, telling Shu he was just being his silly self.
“All right, have a good night, then. Don’t forget to turn off those hallway lights, okay?”
Shu kisses him on his brow, a habit which first started when he joked about his homesickness and that it must be nice getting a goodnight’s kiss from Shu—since among the three, he sees Shu as his most reliable person; making him instantly qualified to assume a parenting role—, and what is more shocking is that Shu was totally on board with this bullshit.
Now Mysta just regrets everything: his selfish longing for more, his greed that said it would never suffice. not unless he has Shu all to himself.
There is only one light left when he catches Ike coming out of his room. Though he is unable to put a finger on it: he sure thinks Ike feels somewhat different, a bit distant perhaps. his glasses reflecting a bored look.
“Hey, Mysta.”
“Hey, bro. You still up? Thought you’d been to bed by now.”
“Yes, about that. You know, I just can’t seem to fall asleep somehow.”
“Insomnia? I get that. It’s something I experience too, sometimes, when things go wrong or when the exam week is fast approaching.”
“Hmm. It’s something else, I’m afraid.”
Ike moves towards him, his voice low as he sighs, “Let’s just get this over with, shall we? Shu may fail to notice it, but I know exactly what you’ve been doing.”
“Huh? What are you—”
“You like him. Perhaps more than a friend’s supposed to feel. You really think I wouldn’t notice? When it’s as clear as day...” Ike clicks his tongue crossly. “But that’s fine, I don’t blame you. After all, everybody flocks to him as if he’s a magnet for people.” Ike sighs again, pushing up his glasses. “I know you’re starting to expect a lot more from him. That’s where the problem lies, Mysta. Tell you what, it’s only fair to dream, but if you start expecting the impossible...”
He feels his chest constricting, and he holds his breath, waiting for a jolt of surprise.
“...I’m sorry it has to be this way, but I must take action. If you pose a threat to my relationship’s safety, I have to do something about that. Do you understand the position I’m in? I have him now, and I shall always have him. Frankly, I think there is no place for you in Shu’s life. I may allow you to join us from time to time: picnics, dinners, playing games, you name it. But that’s as far as it goes. You have to make do with it, my dear friend. Because that is where you ought to be.”
When Ike finds Shu in his room that night, he throws himself directly onto the bed. His lips immediately on Shu’s neck, kissing it hard.
“Ike— wh— you’re not usually like this. What’s all this about?”
“Mm, nothing other than I finally settled the matter.”
“Huh? You mean...?”
“The bug problem. You know.”
“Ooh... so you- okay. Thanks for the hard work.”
“I took care of it, yes, I did.”
“That’s good. I mean, you’ve been in a bad mood lately it’s severely affecting our entire place!” Shu says between the sighs of contentment, stroking Ike’s hair. Shu’s head is thrown backwards as he enjoys the ardent kisses, a hint of smile on his lips.
“You know what would cheer me up right now?”
“I think I can guess.”
“Make a guess then, Shu.”
Shu tilts Ike’s chin with his index finger, before softly pressing his lips upon the other’s temple. A blush runs across his cheeks, growing darker by the minute. “Is this it?”
“A lot better than what I could have imagined, actually.” He smiles, sincerity detectable in his tone as he brings Shu to lie down next to him. “Let me sleep with you tonight, okay?”