On average, it took about one minute for someone to realize that Wheeler and Linka liked each other. The formula was set: Wheeler flirted shamelessly, Linka shot him down, and then they would bicker and spend the rest of the day complaining and obsessing about the other to anyone they could wrestle into listening. They tried to hide it from each other, but they certainly weren't fooling anyone else. They wore their hearts on their sleeves; their mutual infatuation was obvious.
Ma-Ti and Gi weren't like that. Their relationship was beneath the surface—it took a long time for their teammates to even notice the signs that Ma-Ti had a crush on her, and even longer before they realized that Gi might actually reciprocate those feelings. Tabloids desperate for more superhero news would sometimes speculate about her and Kwame having a secret relationship, but it took months after their hook-up before they caught the real couple on a date together. (At which point they started speculating about Kwame having a fling with Bambi Blight. Tabloids are weird.)
It was understandable that people not notice the couple's attraction; there were no obvious clues. They didn't show much physical affection—at least, not while anyone else was around. They didn't fight or flirt much, they didn't kiss, they hardly ever even held hands. Mostly they shared looks, their eyes twinkling at each other. They smiled from their respective seats on the Geocruiser. They had quiet conversations, even though often they didn't even need to speak to understand each other perfectly.
Despite how close Ma-Ti and Gi were, despite having known each other for years at this point, it actually took them a while for the two of them to get together. Ma-Ti was reluctant to approach her, Gi seemed to be waiting for him, and eventually Wheeler got sick of it and not-so-subtly roped them into coming with him and Linka to some kind of party with the plan to push them into the closet together if he got half a chance. Not that either of them were exactly "party people"—they spent most of their time sitting quietly in a corner together, listening to the music and talking. It was only after a few hours that Ma-Ti felt bold enough to ask Gi to dance. And it was only after their dance that Gi felt bold enough to kiss him, feeling his face burning as their lips touched.
Meanwhile, Linka was throwing her drink in Wheeler's face, and after a few minutes of screaming they stormed away from one another, having suffered their fourth official break-up.
The mood on Hope Island was obviously tense the next day, with Wheeler and Linka refusing to talk to one another and Kwame awkwardly trying to force a conversation over the breakfast table. Only Ma-Ti and Gi seemed to be in good spirits, glancing and smiling at each other more than ever before. But Wheeler, it seemed, was just as oblivious to that as they were to his foul mood; it was after noon when Kwame happened to mention that Ma-Ti and Gi were dating now, and when he did Wheeler jumped in his seat, spinning around to stare at the pair as if they had each just grown a second head.
"Ma-Ti finally made his move? ! When did that happen?"
The new couple shared a quick look and both nearly choked on their laughter, which of course went completely beneath Wheeler's notice.
Author's Notes: No, really. Kwame/Bambi for the win.
It took me a long time to come up with a good angle for this prompt, and while this isn't perfect, I think it works well enough. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and all of these stories! Thanks for reading!