Unravel Me

12: Minor Inconvenience

"Dude, are you good?"

   It was a fair question for Tachihara to ask. Chuuya had just come back with a spray bottle in hand, accidentally leaving the refill jug in its place at the equipment cleaning station. He muttered a quick curse as he realized his mistake and went back to fix it. Once everything was as it should be, Chuuya slid back behind the front desk.

   Tachihara eyed him as he set the jug of cleaning solution under the counter. "You know, I wasn't gonna say anything, but you kinda look like shit tonight."

   "Thanks," he grumbled in response, casting a glare his friend's way.

   He put his hands up in defense. "Hey, i'm just saying that i'm worried about you! You're clearly out of it. Is something up?"

   "No, I'm fine, I just. . ." He sighed. "You know my tutor from the academic resources center?"

   "I think you've mentioned him before. It's that Dazai guy, right?"

   "Yeah, that's him. Anyway, he spent the past couple of nights at my place—"

   "Oh?"

   Chuuya frowned. "Not like that. I'm just doing him a favor and letting him crash for the weekend."

   "Riiight. You come in looking exhausted as shit, blame this Dazai guy, and expect me to believe the two of you aren't fu—"

   "We aren't!"

   Chuuya had to cut him off. God forbid any of their patrons overheard their conversation, which—thanks to Tachihara and the ever-ready gutter his brain always fell into—was rapidly nearing nsfw ratings. And sure, it wasn't as if the few people that were in the gym on a Sunday night weren't wearing headphones, anyway, but still.

   Tachihara laughed. "Alright, so then what's he got to do with anything?"

   "He's just annoying as hell. He tries to be, you know? He's got this endless supply of energy and this smart ass brain and he uses it all for evil. Like, he picks me apart until he figures out how to get under my skin and then he just doesn't stop. I can't fucking stand the bastard."

   "Mhmm, so then why'd you invite him to stay with you?"

   "Well, I needed help with calc anyway."

   "So you guys are up late studying every night?"

   "I mean, the first night we were."

   Tachihara raised an eyebrow. "And what have you been doing since then?"

   "I dunno, hanging out? We went to The Archives yesterday."

   He hummed.

   "What?" Chuuya demanded.

   "Nothing," he dismissed airily.

   "Come on, spit it out." After spending the weekend with Dazai, Chuuya was losing patience for games like these.

   Tachihara crossed his arms with a shrug. "It just seems like maybe you don't hate him so much after all."

   "What makes you say that?"

   "I know how much you love The Archives. You wouldn't go with someone you genuinely couldn't stand, would you?"

   He huffed in response, straightening the pens that lay on top of the desk to look at least a little bit busy. "Whatever."

   Tachihara smirked, knowing he'd won. "So, is he hot?"

   Chuuya groaned, glancing at the nearest monitor to check the time. He was very relieved to find that his shift had ended a few minutes prior. He wouldn't have to answer any of the other boy's absurd questions. He grabbed his water bottle from underneath the desk, hoping his friend would get the hint and drop the subject of that lanky bastard.