Just f*****g Friends

The lighthearted chatter began to die off as the siblings finally caught up with each others daily life. It’s been a few weeks of sparse texts and short phone calls but neither minded that they barely found chances to see each other or talk as often as they’d like. It always made moments like this more meaningful. Not that a Semi would ever admit to sappy s**t like that out in the open. “So…” Keiko slowed her movements of carefully chopping the veggies Eita passed to her as he finished washing them, side eyeing her baby brother with a sly grin she finally found an opening to pry into his love life. Something that has become a hot topic in the Semi family ever since a certain Futakuchi Kenji showed up during a family get together a few months back. “You gonna invite that cute boyfriend of yours to dinner tonight?” Eita’s hands jerked to a halt just as he was passing over a cucumber, his brown eyes blinking rapidly up at her. Droplets of water splash silently on the rug beneath their feet as they just stare. Arching a brow he aimed the most confused, ‘what-the-f**k’ stare Keiko has ever seen coming from him, an impressive fact in itself as she has seen similar looks aimed at her from him all their life. It caused her own actions to falter, a look of confusion also spread across her features as she replayed her spoken words inside her head. Searching for what she could have possibly said to force that look to cross her baby brothers features. Thankfully she didn’t have to wait too long. Eita opening his mouth after a short, almost too awkward, moment. “My f*****g what?” flinching back as if she’d just been slapped, Keiko fixed a hard stare at her brother. Telling herself he had to be f*****g with her to not know who she was so clearly talking about. In the background a sharp bark of laughter rang through the charged air between the siblings, the source openly showing his amusement. “Um… Futakuchi,” waving around the hand that held the knife she was chopping with, Keiko made a swirling motion as if it was enough to explain her meaning. Eita continued to stare right back at her, face unfalteringly scrunched and squished up and slowly becoming more and more intense as seconds ticked by. Keiko sighed dramatically. Laying a hand on her hip she c****d it to the side, her free hand still swinging the knife into the air as she spoke. “Your boyfriend?” a shake of his head and a shoulder lift added to the expression. “Futakuchi Kenji?” Eita dropped the cucumber onto the cutting board with a dulled thud before turning himself fully to face his sister. She was a good head taller than him, much to his annoyance whenever she decides to used it against him, so he was forced to tilt his chin up to keep their gazes locked. Copying her stance he leaned into the counter, hand lazily slipping up to rest on his hip as he swung the other around much like her and the knife. “He’s not my boyfriend,” scoffing disgustingly, their mother’s lecturing voice on acting like a lady and not a heathen briefly ringing in her ears, Keiko nodded her head enthusiastically. The wavy strands of her short hair whipping around and tickling against her skin. Somewhere in the background Tendou, their unofficially adopted brother, snorted. He was blatantly ignored as the siblings continued to bore holes into each others heads. “Yeah, yeah he is?” rolling his eyes, even going as far as to tip his head up and around to follow their movements, Eita sighed heavily, dramatically. Chest heaving up and down in a noticeable movement even through his baggy hoodie. With a quick snap of his head back and forth in a solid denial he turned his attention towards the sink once again to continue washing the rest of the veggies they needed for the salad. “Nope,” his lips formed a loud ‘pop’ on the word as if he’d just popped a gum bubble. “We’re just friends,” Keiko was beginning to believe that he utterly, truly, deeply believed that fact. Despite it obviously not being true in any way, shape, or form. And it was just so like him, just so much like every other Semi man in their family it immediately sent a wave of annoyance through her very core. Turning her head towards Tendou she met his obvious, highly amused, yet somehow still lazy, gaze as he leaned on an elbow and watched the exchange. Eyes hooded and a just as lazy grin barely lifting a corner of his upper lip. She searched his face for any signs that her brother was still f*****g with her in some way. But Tendou simply shrugged his shoulders at her questioning look. His arms slowly thrown up and out as his shoulders rose, then dropping down with an inaudible whoosh as he leaned back into his elbow again. Head lolling to the side into his hand as he went back to casually watching their exchange. “Uh huh,” whipping her head back towards Eita she fixed him with her best bullshit-calling look, held it on the side of his head for several seconds, then went back to chopping. The sound of their breathing, running water and crisp chopping filled the silence now stretching out uncomfortably between them. After several minutes of her obvious silent prying Eita sighed again, drawing it out in a long winded gust of air. “Look, we’re just f*****g friends okay?” rolling her head to the side she raised a brow in his direction, lips twitching in the corners, Keiko sent him another one of her bullshit-calling looks, one that he didn't even need to look over to see because Eita felt it. Barely holding back a cringe he passed her the freshly washed and skinned carrots in his hands. “Don’t look at me like that! We’re just friends. f*****g. Friends,” “Literally!” Tendou’s chipper voice chimed in. Turning her torso just enough to fix Tendou with his own, much softer than the ones she’s sent her brother in the past few minutes, questioning gaze. “They are literally f*****g, friends!” not sure if she really understood, though Keiko would hazard a guess she probably was, Keiko grinned devilishly over in her brothers direction. Giving him a swift, firm wiggle of her brows when he flicked his eyes up to hers through his lashes. “Shut up Satori or I bring up you and Aone,” Snapping back towards Tendou her mind zoned in on the new name like a bullseye. Forming around the kanji she went to ask until she saw the looks crossing over Tendou’s face. Several strong emotions flashed over his features one by one in a tidal wave. Something tender and soft which relaxed his face almost completely, confusion, sadness and even a short-lived twinge of anger. Looking down and away from her Tendou’s face flushed a deep red which drowned out his soft scatter of freckles across his nose and cheeks. Slamming her mouth shut she decided that was one topic she would not touch. Yet. Whoever this Aone is, Tendou obviously needed to work through his own feelings. Another heavy silence fell over the trio as the siblings worked to finish preparing dinner. Keiko made up the usual bowl of mixed, sliced veggies for Tendou which she gently slid over to him where he sat. A soft, barely heard thanks babe, reached her ears which sent a wave of worry to course through her. Tendou was rarely that quiet and when he was it meant he was slipping into a bad space inside his mind. Biting down on her tongue she reminded herself that if Tendou wanted to talk about it he would. Obviously Eita is aware of what is happening, so Tendou’s in good hands if he needs someone to vent to. Once the salad was made and stored in the fridge until supper was ready Keiko hopped up on the freshly cleaned counter. Semi took over Tendou’s spot at the island as Tendou stepped forward to wash the few dishes they’d dirtied, carrying his now empty bowl and setting it down with a gentle ‘clink’. “Okay… But,” Eita groaned deeply as his hands slid roughly over his face. Fingers digging into his skin until red streaks were left behind. “You’ve been hanging out,” slamming his hands down on the islands surface Eita glared at her. “Everyday,” “Uh huh,” throwing his hands up in the air Eita left the and? So what? hanging between them. Soft chuckles filtered around them from Tendou’s direction helped lift the strong mood slightly. “For like, months now,” snorting Eita’s head bobbed up and down in agreeance. “Yup,” leaning back in the chair he crossed his arms over his chest. “And your f*****g point is..?” it was her turn to throw her hands up into the air, voice growing higher as the incredulity of the whole situation began mounting again. “You’ve gone on dates!” a drawn out pfft fell from Eita’s parted lips as he laughed. “Booty-call premeet-ups but…” sitting up onto the edge of the seat, back straight and arms uncrossing to wave into the air as if he was waving fairy dust around Eita shook his head at her. “Sure, we’ll call them ‘dates’,” “You’ve met each others family!” flopping back into the chair with a creak a dopey grin replaced the semi-annoyed look that had plastered over his features. Eyes taking on a nostalgic glaze as Eita thought back to a memory. “His mom adores you! Or so Satori’s claimed,” a gentle ‘Yuppers!’ was sent to her as Tendou chimed in. “Oh f**k man, I love his mom,” crossing his arms behind his head, fingers linking Eita’s tongue darted out, swiping over his lips as he remembered all the baked goods Kenji had brought him from his mother. She told Kenji to make sure he he told Eita that he needed to come around more often. “Plus she makes the most amazing desserts!” “Ooo is she the one who made those mini cinnamon rolls you shared?” Tendou leaned back until he could look at Eita upside down. Bubbles from the sink flying around with the sudden movement, as he grinned back at Eita. Grinning just as childishly as Tendou he nodded at his friend. “Yee,” “Damn those were good,” she could practically hear the happy moan in Tendou’s voice as he remembered the sweets he’d received thanks to Eita’s association with Futakuchi’s mom. Shaking her head she followed their conversation, head bobbing back and forth like one of those bobble heads. Arms half raised and lips forming what the f**k each time one of them spoke. “I know right?” blinking rapidly Keiko took in her brothers relaxed, surprisingly open face the longer he talked about it. She wished she had her phone on her, Eita being like this is such a rare occurrence that their mother was never going to believe that he showed his softer, well hidden, side about a f*****g cinnamon roll. “Can you get some more of them?” Tendou and Eita ignored her completely, probably forgetting she was actually in the room. Keiko shook her head at Tendou anyways, poking his side to get his attention. Grunting his gaze slid from Eita to her in surprise. Blinking owlishly up at her from his bent back, painful to look at position. Shoving a finger up towards the air she silently requested for him to stand up straight again, knowing he’d catch on that he was starting to freak her out. Grinning he did just as she asked, going back to the dishes in the over bubbled sink. “Man I’d love some more. I’ll text her and ask,” Tendou whooped, spilling more bubbles into the air as he threw his arms up. Eita grinned as he pulled out his phone and Keiko began rubbing slow circles into her temples, wondering how the hell these two actually survive in the real world. She made several attempts to reel the conversation back to where she wanted it, gaining intel on Eita and Futakuchi’s relationship, or apparent lack thereof. But each time her mouth opened the two idiots remembered something else about the Futakuchi family that just had to be mentioned or talked about. Huffing in annoyance Keiko finally grabbed the damp dish towel Tendou finished using as he placed the last dish away where it belonged. Balling it up she tossed it towards her brother imagining it slapping him across the face with a cringe worthy splat like in a cartoon. Instead it fluttered down onto one of her socked feet. Kicking out she flailed her legs to kick it off. “Hello! Trying to make a goddamn point here!” Tendou bent and picked up the abused towel with a snort. Leaving the room to place the dirty rag in the hamper so their mom wouldn’t show up and scold them for not putting it where it belongs after using it. He always was the better kid out of the three of them. Keiko briefly thought about how it was no wonder Tendou was her favorite but she quickly shook those thoughts away for another day. There was more important things to think, and discuss, at the moment. “Well hurry up and f*****g make it then,” Ahh there he is! she mentally grinned as her little brothers face darkened, nose turning up at her as he showed his clear annoyance. Breathing in slowly, holding, then releasing she calmed herself. Actually the whole show was mostly to annoy the hell out of him more, even going as far as to lift and lower her arms as she breathed for dramatic affect. It worked when she heard him sigh, saw him pinch the bridge of his nose as his eyes closed. Holding back a bark of laughter Keiko continued. “Even your cats are attached to him,” lifting his head a sparkle glinted in his eyes at the mention of his precious hoard of cats. “Especially that skittish thing I still haven’t even seen with my own eyes,” rolling her wrist around she began waving and flicking her hands and fingers as she talked. “And you’ve had him for what… Four years?” “Six actually,” choosing to ignore just how offended he sounded over her mixing up how old his eldest rescue was Keiko blinked at him a few times. “Jesus, really?” “Mhmm,” he nodded as another rare, soft look crossed his face. “And they take naps on my couch together,” gasping he sprung forward and grabbed at his cell, which he’d discarded earlier after texting Futakuchi’s mom in a request for more sweets. “Oh! I have pictures, wanna see?” it was her turn to sigh, pinch the bridge of her nose and close her eyes. Counting slowly to ten she blocked out Eita’s continuous chatter about his cats. Reaching ten she zoned back into reality, opened her eyes and swung her hands out to her sides. “Okay so… You do realize that he’s your boyfriend right?” halting his sentence Eita scowled at her, but it wasn't as heated as earlier and it slipped as he stood up. “Like, everything you do together is couple s**t, you do get that,” practically skipping over to her side he hopped up on the counter next to her just as Tendou returned. She looked at Tendou with such confusion that the redhead barked out a laugh, shrugged and slinked back out of the room. “Nah we’re just friends,” shoving his phone screen in her face an image of Futakuchi passed out in nothing but boxers came into view. His neck and chest was littered with what was obviously a mix of bite marks and hickies. Squinting Keiko looked closer and swears his shoulders also held very angry looking scratches. Yet Eita was unbothered by the display as he chatted away… About the cats. “Okay so this is Kenji passed out, and drooling like a disgusting fucker all over my couch, with Pumpkin and Puddles laying on him. And this one is Pumpkin in his Pumpkin costume for Halloween… You’re not even f*****g looking!” covering her face with her hands Keiko fought off the urge to scream into them.