On the morning of his first day back, Watanuki was met with whispers from surrounding classmates. Each hushed voice seemed to grow louder than the last as the students' eyes darted between him and their friends. Furrowing his brow, Watanuki slowed his steps, watching the students around him. Their eyes never left him and their mouths never stopped moving. He couldn't see any spirits that could possibly be causing this strange activity among the students as he shrugged it off. Maybe something really big had happened while he was off for the few days. Though come to think of it, Watanuki just realized someone should have delivered his work to him while he was away. He figured Himawari or Doumeki would have done that, but why they hadn't he couldn't understand. Or at least maybe someone else would have dropped off his homework, but no one ever came to. He would have to explain this situation to his teachers as he made his way into the school

Once more the endless throng of whisperers appeared before Watanuki. Each move he made was noted by their eyes and discussed with their mouths, their words merging together into an indecipherable chant. At the end of the hall stood an all too familiar feminine figure that sent chills down Watanuki's spine. Feeling his lithe frame shiver from the sudden cold, Watanuki shook a bit in an attempt to shake it off. The shivers turned to tremors, paralyzing his bones and allowing only his eyes to move. His cobalt orbs darted left and right, seeking solace in passerbys only to find none. At the loss of any relief, his heart beat faster, the sound reverberating in his skull, and out his ears. The hall hearing his anxiety laughed at him while whispering under their breaths. Their words now escalated into loud chants, each line becoming clearer to his senses.

'Doumeki fucked Watanuki. Doumeki fucked Watanuki. Doumeki fucked Watanuki.'

The syllables stirred his soul as he wondered how they knew about his sexy session with someone he least suspected. His mind raced with questions, each one tracing back to Doumeki's sly smirk and soothing tone and how he passionately thrust into Watanuki's tight ass. Each thrust was more powerful than the last, the sound of skin on skin silencing every surrounding chant. Watanuki's cheeks reddened at the returning memories as the questions filled his head like a water behind a damn wall. With no escape in sight, his cobalt blue eyes returned to the feminine shadow that made his spine shiver. He didn't even notice how she approached him, a maddened trait in her body that made her curvy frame rigid and her stride as straight as a soldier's march. Staring at her, confusion and anger raged in her orbs and Watanuki couldn't blame Himawari.

The one person in life that Watanuki never wanted to bring harm to was Himawari. He knew how feverishly his heart pounded and how whenever she spoke, his mind grew still with ease, listening to every word that fell from her lips. He clung to every single thing she ever said as though his heart was uplifted by her sentences and feelings. Her voice was the very structure of his world and it would probably implode on itself should those gentle tones ever be eliminated. Her very smile illuminated the darkness in his day. Often he would find comfort in Himawari's smile, but today that smile was replaced with a pair of sour curled lips hiding gritting teeth. There was no joy found in her narrowed eyes either, exposing unforgiving fury that was only reserved for Watanuki. Watanuki's heart sank at the woman he had loved so dearly, now glaring at him wondering what exactly was going through his head.

A woman's heart, much like any other heart, was a fickle thing. All this time she had adored him and yet, she was never sure of his emotions. Yes, he appeared to like her but never once did he come out front and confess nor did she, for that matter. Himawari needed confirmation from him and instead of receiving that, she was given a video of her two best friends going to town in a supposedly secluded locker room. Without her affirmation and with this new view of them, Himawari was thrust into a world of confusion and madness.

"Himawari," Watanuki whispered beneath his breath and the hall fell into silence.

From her name, Himawari allowed her anger to silently engulf the hall and drown out any students that stood in their line of vision. In this moment and possibly for many more moments to arise, they were the only two people standing in the hallway. No homeroom bells rang, no teachers scolded other students, and no other classmates surrounded them. No one else's words whispered in their ears or in the school, not even their appearances mattered to Himawari and Watanuki. Even their hearts were in sync; Himawari's in pure, unfiltered unrequited love and anger quivering with every beat and Watanuki's in wild confusion with reckless thrusts. Their rhapsody unfurled in the school, running wildly and clashing like beasts.

"Hima-"

"Don't. Don't say my name. Don't say anything. It's like I don't even know you and the man I-," she bit her tongue fiercely, her words spitting at him like sparking lightening. From her words, sparks flew, stinging Watanuki. Reeling from her demands, he rooted himself to the ground. He knew not to run; he had come this far to stand and tell her the truth.

"I couldn't face you after seeing the video."

"What video?"

"You don't…know…?"

In that moment, their hearts slowed drastically, silencing any emotion that passed through their bodies and radiating through their demeanors. Shock dominated their bodies, stretching their eyes and sinking their jaws with invisible stones. Awe stunned their hearts, quieting their beats, and forcing them to focus at something beyond their control.

"What video?"

Watanuki's voice was as quiet as a breeze, trying to talk through the rattling horror that tore through his body. The very idea that someone invaded their privacy and recorded something so intimate and passionate made his skin turn ghostly white.

"Someone posted a video of you and Doumeki in the locker room having –"

"H-how? No one was there with us."

"I…I don't know. I guess they must have slipped in."

Thoughts ignited, how many eyes had seen Doumeki thrusting into Watanuki without abandonment and how many ears had heard their grunts and groans. Would they be suspended or expelled and if so, why were they not alerted sooner? Surely Himawari or Doumeki would have said something had either one delivered Watanuki's work to him.

Shoulders slumped, his body weighed by his head now hanging in shame and humiliation. The anger that once shrouded Himawari was now extinguished by Watanuki's embarrassment. Her eyes softened with empathy, her heart beating gently but sternly, sore from what she had witnessed and her feelings for Watanuki being denied. Confusion coursed through her veins, poisoning her mind and wrecking her thoughts. The man before her was probably just as confused as she was or so she suddenly realized. Yet her heart could not escape the burning anger which cooled slightly, but still wracked her body. Watching Watanuki, he slowly raised his head, eyes locked in a cloudy stalemate of self victory and self loss. He wasn't expecting today to be filled with giggling gossipers and secret videos. Staring at Himawari, he felt the dam within him break and his world slowly begin to unravel. Once more, his quiet voice emerged from his pale lips.

"Himawari, I…Doumeki…he….he came into the locker room. He…he started it."

"So you finished it?"

"Well…yeah. If you want to put it like that."

"Did….did you want it?"

Watanuki had loved Himawari dearly as a friend and a secret crush. He knew this since the first day he met her. Never before had he felt or experienced anything like what he had with Doumeki or any other man. He had never considered the notion of anal sex or possibly being a homosexual before, having placed all his peaches in one pie with Himawari. He ruled out the idea of sexual exploration and homosexuality, knowing how society frowned upon such relationships. Yet, he could not deny what the sankaku kankei revealed to him. Straightening his shoulders, he sighed to himself. It wouldn't be easy to throw out his initial idea of who he was, but at his age he could do such a thing and perhaps, it would be for the better. He was young and had many years to explore his sexuality and himself, should he so desire. He could reinvent himself until he was completely content with whom he was and by doing so, he would learn more about himself; more than he ever knew and that reassurance made him internally smile.

"Ye-"

"Maybe it would be better if you went with Doumeki."

Himawari felt her heart sink as any emotion she had for Watanuki eroded into a void in her head. A seemingly endless black hole that slowly sapped her admiration for Watanuki. With every morsel of adoration, the chasm grew like a shadow, stretching over the functions of her mind. She had missed the ship and felt her body gradually slink in defeat. She couldn't allow him to see her sorrow and quickly straightening herself, Himawari smiled softly. Perhaps, this would be for the better and Watanuki would be much happier which in turn, would make her happy for him.

"Er…what?"

"Well you know, you two are always acting like brothers. So it only seems right that you two are together."

Himawari's heart sank into the dark abyss of her brain knowing it would be useless to confess her feelings and knowing that there would be no reciprocation. If she did continue to profess her love for Watanuki in hopes to change him, she knew it would be wrong on her end and cause more heartache than she initially desired. She would need to take a break from him and Doumeki for a while. How long, she wasn't certain, but she knew that she would want to keep her friendship with Watanuki and Doumeki. She would need some time to herself, learning how to cope with the loss of possibly close romantic relationship, and how to wrestle with the demons of unrequited love. She would also realize that life would be better if she was more straightforward in the world of dating and that maybe, she would find someone better.

"Himawari, I'm sorry, but…I do love Doumeki."

Himawari saw the honesty in his eyes which caused the last shred of emotions for him to be swallowed in one, big gulp. She knew they would haunt her at home and make her cry in the comforting darkness of night. But like many other loves in her life, Himawari would learn to move on from them like a river rolling over rocks. Sighing deeply, she nodded and smiled softly, knowing that Watanuki would be happy and in due time, she would be too.

"Don't be, please."

Her gentle voice was like a dandelion and it brought solace to Watanuki who couldn't help but to return her smile. Her voice slipped into his ears and away into the people around them, now returning to their vision. They never left the rampant rumor runners, but that didn't seem to change anything. Rather, it reinforced the strength in their hearts to tell the truth to a wide variety of masses while speaking only to each other. It was the spontaneity of a secret conversation among thousands of people who hungered for their words and no one else's. Somehow, they managed to block those people from their sight and mind, only focusing on each other and the dire situation at hand. Those around them who happened to hear their conversation and take note of their actions understood the way Himawari and Watanuki left things. It wouldn't be easy, but it would be for the better. Embracing each other for their temporarily last time, the two parted ways; Himawari having to wrestle with the internal beasts of heartbreak and Watanuki having to tango with his newfound affections for a man he never considered loving before.

Once again, the locker room was empty. Watanuki's eyes searched the location, finding no peeping toms or secret recorders. In the distance, he heard the soft shuffling of clothes sliding onto skin. Poking his head around a few corners, he managed to find one tall, lanky student changing in the last aisle. Smirking softly, he recognized the back of the person and began to walk towards him. Nervousness had eluded him like light to the fog since he had his conversation with Himawari and given thought about Doumeki and his future the night prior.

He was at the age to explore and to understand who he wanted to be in life. Sexuality made up a part of him and that was something he especially wanted to get right. After all he would be spending the rest of his life someday with the man or woman he loved. Which gender would be his ultimate calling, he was unsure. But for now, Doumeki called to him as the sankaku kankei exposed, revealing the true owner of Watanuki's heart. Watanuki accepted this, knowing full well what his heart desired and to deny such love from his heart would be the ultimate crime that he could possibly ever commit against himself. Watanuki understood his heart, knowing full well it wanted Doumeki, and all the closeness the man could offer mentally and physically.

"What are you doing here?

"Well you found me here before, so I figured I'd find you."

"So….what are you going to say, Watanuki? Will you be mine and love you as I do you?"

Doumeki's answer was given in the form of Watanuki pressing his lips tightly to his'. Smiling against his lips, Doumeki pulled the skinny student close to him. Hands running up and down his back, Watanuki no longer shivered at that touch but rather did the same thing to Doumeki. They lost time in each other's arms, as the world fell around them to reveal their own personal paradise. Time could not restrain them nor could the love in their hearts as they held each other for what seemed like hours. Only when the lights started to flicker in the locker room was it time for them to hold hands and walk through the threshold of a new future together.