Notes

In which I use fictional characters to write out my frustrations with how long these two are taking to reveal their feelings. This is mostly based on one of the times I was rereading the manga and Kannagi basically implied that he had known for a while Arata liked Kotoha, and the fact that these two are not subtle at all about their feelings makes me think everyone is aware of it. Also I guess this is an AU where Mikusa doesn't have feelings for Arata.

"They're so annoying," Kannagi said, glaring ahead at the two youngest members of their group.

"Let them be," Yataka chastised without any heat in his voice as he, too, watched the pair of teens wandering ahead. "They're sweet." His gaze was soft as he reminisced on his own love and the days when he had been just as in love as they were now.

"I didn't say they weren't," Kannagi said, mostly to himself. "I just said they're annoying. And they are. Look at them."

Ahead, Arata's hand grazed the tips of Kotoha's fingers. They both pulled their hands back, blushing.

"I get it," Mikusa said, rolling her eyes at the sight. The first time it had happened it had been somewhat endearing. Now, it was almost physically painful to watch. "They were like this when Rami and I joined. That was months ago. You'd think they would have pulled themselves together by now."

"You weren't even there for the beginning." Kannagi grimaced and shook his head. "He was always pulling back while she kept pushing. That got really annoying. It got better for a little while. Now I think we could shove them in a closet for days on end and still nothing would happen between them."

"Do you think we should?" Mikusa wondered, glancing over at Kannagi. "It could help."

"We're not doing that," Yataka said before Kannagi could answer. "We should just let them be. They'll realize it eventually - they have to."

"That's what I thought," Kannagi said grimly. "I thought Mikusa would make Arata jealous enough to confess - when I thought you were a man, that is. Nothing. Then I thought Kotoha might get jealous after Mikusa revealed herself to be a woman. And look at where we are now."

Kotoha suddenly tripped on a tree root sticking out from the ground. Arata caught her before she could fall. They could hear Kotoha thank Arata and say, "You always manage to save me." Arata turned vermillion.

Even Yataka had to roll his eyes at that. He was more willing to forgive the two for their avoidance of the topic of romance - they were just teenagers, after all, they both were guilty of being shy and having low self-esteem, and Yataka was more of a romantic than Kannagi and Mikusa were - but he had his limits.

Though, he still couldn't help but smile as he remembered how similar he and Kikuri had been, once upon a time.

"This is just embarrassing," Mikusa said. "I feel embarrassed for them."

"I know what you mean." Kannagi sighed.

"They know they like each other," Yataka said. "Don't they?"

"No, that's why we're in this mess," Kannagi said in a tone that suggested he was questioning Yataka's intelligence.

Yataka rolled his eyes. "What I meant was, are they aware of their own feelings? Do they know they have feelings for the other?"

Kannagi stopped walking. The other two stopped as well and turned to look at him. Kannagi stared straight ahead at Arata and Kotoha, who had finally noticed how far ahead of their friends they were and had stopped at a fork in the road.

Kannagi kept staring. Mikusa thought if she looked into his eyes, she could see him processing the idea that Arata and Kotoha were not aware of their own feelings, much less the feelings of the other person.

Finally, Kannagi said, "If they haven't realized it by now, they're worse off than I thought." He shook his head and sighed.

"You guys, hurry up!" Arata called to them. Mikusa waved to let him know they were coming. Arata shot her a thumbs up before he returned to the conversation he had been having with Kotoha.

Kannagi kept walking, staring at the two teens like they were idiots. Finally, he said, "I just don't want them to have any regrets." He said it so quietly, Mikusa and Yataka almost didn't hear him. They didn't think he had meant to say it out loud.

Yataka gave him a small smile. He, more than Mikusa, knew why Kannagi might be concerned about the young couple. Sometimes he caught Kannagi staring at them like he wasn't seeing them, but rather himself and Emisu (or maybe even Akachi, if Yataka was being honest). "They're going to be fine," he said reassuringly. "They'll figure it out eventually."

"They better," he added under his breath before he quickened his pace. This left Mikusa and Kannagi alone together.

The two continued to walk with their normal pace, neither of them speaking.

Then they saw a soft, enamoured look Kotoha gave Arata when he wasn't looking, and they both groaned and rolled their eyes.

"I think," Kannagi began, "if they haven't confessed in a week, we should just shove them in a closet when Yataka isn't looking."

Mikusa shook her head. "Let's make it two - maybe something will happen before then."

Kannagi gave her a dubious look. Mikusa nodded. "You're right. One week is the better option."