falling [asanoya/ennotana] 🌦

i care about you more than you know

"you tell me that you're lonely, you tell me something isn't working out right. i ask you to be honest, make a promise, tell me that we'll work this out right."

.ennoshita.

daichi started to wrap up practice and called for people to start cleaning up, and as i moved to grab a mop, i noticed tanaka sitting and talking to kiyoko and yachi.

wait, wait, wait, back up a minute... tanaka and kiyoko... actually talking? usually she ignored him...

my chest felt all weird and twisty, but i realized that there couldn't be anything happening with yachi sitting right there too. besides, i was pretty sure kiyoko was definitely not interested in tanaka.

that's what i told myself anyway.

i plastered on my fake confident face like i wasn't terrified that my crush was getting a girlfriend.

as i came up behind him, he looked up and back at me. i smiled.

"practice is over. you wasted the last 15 minutes over here talking."

"wait, for real?" he looked around the gym wildly for a moment, then back at me. "guess time flies when you're spilling that good tea."

i cringed. god, it's so awful when the straights try to use gay slang.

"you're straight, are you even allowed you say that?"

he looked a little nervous, so i laughed to let him know it was just a joke, and he wasn't 'in trouble' or anything.

"anyway, let's go now."

he nodded, and i reached my hand out to him to help him up. he took it, his face coming very close to mine for a moment as the momentum propelled him forward. and it might've been my imagination, but he seemed almost... reluctant to let go of my hand?

i tried to clear these thoughts from my head. it was obviously just in my imagination, there was no way he could like me back.

i mean, obviously i'm a catch and anyone would be lucky to have me, but only if they happen to like guys. and tanaka, very decidedly, does Not Like Guys.

we headed to the supply closet together and began mopping the floor.

///

some time later, i was helping narita take down a net, and tanaka was passing near the third years, who were just standing around and chatting rather than helping clean.

suddenly, he yelled out, "I SAW YOU HANGING OUT WITH KAITLYN THE OTHER DAY!"

i groaned internally, knowing what was about to happen, but smiled in spite of myself.

"R- REBECCA, IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!" noya yelled from the opposite side of the gym.

"I WON'T HESITATE, BITCH!"

he held up his hands, pretending to shoot noya, who promptly fell to the floor at the feet of a giggling hinata and yamaguchi.

i looked back at tanaka and the third years, and asahi looked incredibly nervous and confused.

i shook my head, and finished rolling up the net, taking it back to the supply closet.

///

as i was heading out, i noticed tanaka lingering in the club room, even though almost everyone else had left.

"you alright?" i asked.

he looked up.

"i... maybe? noya and asahi are Talking again, and he told me not to wait up, but i'm still worried about him. i know there's nothing i can do, but i still find it hard to leave..."