For the gx_100. Set after the events of the Seven Stars with established Ryo/Fubuki.

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It was awkward for her as well as him. Shou just knew it was.

Well, he didn't know for certain that it was, but he had a strong idea that it could be. She just had to know. He wasn't afraid to admit that she was most likely smarter than Shou was himself, and if he'd found out than she'd probably know about it for much longer than he had.

The problem was talking to her about it. It wasn't as if they'd never exchanged words before at all, but since the start of the year Shou had felt shy about talking it Asuka. He wasn't like Manjoume who could yell his feelings for her from the rooftops; when Shou saw Asuka he turned bright red and choked up.

So how could he possibly talk to her about something as strange as this?

But he couldn't keep it inside him forever. It was his brother and… and… it just wasn't something his brother would do.

He couldn't talk to Juudai about it because Juudai wouldn't understand, and while Hayato would probably be easier to open up to Shou didn't want to tell the whole world about a matter so awkward that was associated with his family.

But Asuka was different because she was involved. It wasn't as if she wasn't going through the same thing that he was. Was it?

It was just doing the actual talking that Shou had problems with. It was hard enough catching Asuka on her own without Junko or Momoe giving him pointed glares that suggested he wasn't wanted. And whenever she was on her own Shou was around Juudai. On the rare occasions when he did see Asuka alone and Juudai wasn't with him Shou just lost the nerve.

Maybe… he could talk to the other person about this. He wasn't sure what to say or how they would respond to being discovered but talking to them would be a lot easier than finding the nerve to talk to Asuka.

He made his way to the Blue dorm, being careful to sneak in when not many people would see him so he wouldn't get verbal abuse for trespassing on their territory. After a short walk through the maze of elegant stairways and corridors Shou found the room he was looking for. He raised his hand to knock on the door…

"Shou?"

He turned around to see a confused Asuka blinking at him.

"What are you doing here?"

It was no good, his cheeks turned red and he looked straight down at the floor. This couldn't get anymore awkward.

There was a loud moan from the other side of the door.

Okay, it icould/i get more awkward.

He risked a glance up at her, as he heard his brother's name muttered lustfully inside the room. To his surprise she was blushing too. The usually calm and collected Asuka actually had colour to her cheeks.

"…Fubuki…"

But then it was her brother in there too.

For a moment their eyes met, and they really didn't need to say a word. Shou's brother Ryo and Asuka's brother Fubuki was in there doing, who knows what they were doing, but it certainly wasn't anything other people knew they were doing. Except Shou and apparently Asuka.

That was all there was to it. He opened his mouth to attempt to say something but then closed it and smiled. They both had a silent secret to share now.

Quietly, Asuka whispered, "We probably shouldn't be standing here like this."

Shou nodded mutely and walked with her back out of the Blue dorm. Perhaps his brother's romantic interests weren't so much of a trouble to him after all.