Early morning training wasn't normally a problem for Machi, in fact it was often expected, and she excelled at it. Normally. But when said training began at 4:30 in the morning, it was a bit excessive, even for her. Reo had returned early from whatever trip was supposed to last the full weekend, and in a foul mood. Any sane person might have gone straight to bed after arriving home at the ass crack of dawn, but Reo Harada wasn't one to play by the rules. So instead, he barged through the door, threw his bag down angrily, and dragged his still groggy daughter to the studio for some drills.

"You're technique is sloppy; you're distracted." He barked, watching Machi stumble through a perfectly simple combo, leaving an opening on her right. He took the chance and landed two quick jabs to her shoulder.

"I'm not distracted, I'm tired." Machi groaned, rolling her now aching shoulder. Ok, she was a little distracted. No matter how hard she tried to focus on sparring, Suga's kind hazel eyes kept appearing in the forefront of her mind, continuously reminding her of how soft they looked when gazing at hers. Never in a million years would Machi admit any of that to her father though. And in all honesty, she really was tired. "It's 5:45, we don't normally start training until now. Why did I have to wake up so early?" It sounded a bit whiny, almost like a child complaining when they don't get what they want, which only made Reo scoff before demanding they start the sparring sequence over again. When it looked like Machi was going to complain, Reo sent her such a withering stare that she changed her mind and they began their practice once more. The results were much the same the next few rounds; Machi flubbed her punches and missed opportunities to counter, while her father's strikes were fast, strong, and always found their mark.

"Damnit." After the fifth straight hit to the exact same spot, Machi's shoulder was starting to burn. Even swinging her arm back and forth now made her hiss in pain, which only earned her a tempestuous look from her father for being a wimp about it. He must have been in a really bad mood, because he didn't finally accept that things weren't going to improve until it was 7:15, and Machi felt like she had noodles instead of arms.

Barking angrily about picking up tomorrow, Reo stalked off the mats, slamming the door behind him. Sighing with relief, Machi flopped to the ground and lay there for several minutes. The sun had barely risen, yet she did not feel well rested. Everything hurt, especially that spot by her shoulder she knew would need an ice pack later, and it was a monumental effort to push herself up off the floor and shuffle slowly to her room.

So far the only positive note of the start to her day was Machi had all morning to take her time getting ready. And the way her muscles were screaming at her, it was definitely time she needed. When the girl had finally showered, rummaged through her entire closet before settling on a simple pair of jeans and Micky Mouse t-shirt, and dragged herself into the kitchen for food, it was almost 11:00. Another slow hour passed in which Machi finally started to feel awake with the help of the strong cup of coffee she had made herself, and the large bag of ice tied to her shoulder. The boldness of the coffee was enough to break the fog that came from waking up too early, and the sharp chill of the ice sent a shiver through her entire body, dulling pain and shocking her muscles awake. If these weren't enough to fuel an otherwise dreadful morning, Suga's customary morning greeting definitely did the trick.

To: Machi
Good morning! Though, I guess it's afternoon now. Hope your practice went well. I'm making popcorn for this afternoon so send a text when you're on your way. And feel free to bring any other snacks you may like. See you soon.
Sent: 12:03pm

With the anticipation of a more enjoyable afternoon than the start of her day, Machi sent a quick reply to Suga, shoved as many packets of chocolate and pretzels her tote could carry, and bounced out the door, a new spring of energy in her step. The newfound energy that seemed to propel her down the street was absolutely about a fun evening with friends, and had nothing whatsoever to do with seeing only one in particular.

***

"Damn, when you said you were making popcorn, you really meant it."

Suga chuckled, but kept his eyes on the stove where he was indeed making popcorn from scratch. The kernels had just started to pop when Machi rang the doorbell and Suga had rushed to the door before running back to the kitchen with her in tow. Of course he told himself the rush was because he didn't want any of the popcorn to burn, but he also just really wanted to see her. To see her, talk with her, watch her smile, hold her close again. Honestly, Suga had barely slept at all last night because he had stayed up half the night thinking about her, and the other half talking to Daichi about how to ask her on a date. Even now as they made easy conversation and Machi brushed away his third concerned comment about her shoulder, Suga would sneak frequent glances at her from his place by the stove. And every time Machi's eyes were already on him, the smallest dust of pink spreading across her face at being caught staring.

"This is how my dad always makes it." Suga explained casually. He gave the pan a deft shake, making sure all the kernels were popped before transferring them to a bowl and adding seasoning. "It tastes so much better than the microwave bags." As fast as a cat, Machi stole a handful and popped a few in the air to catch, not caring that they were still too hot.

"Oh I'm not complaining, all popcorn is good."

Laughing as one of the kernels she tossed bounced off her nose, Suga gathered a handful for himself, "You'll change your mind once you try eating microwave popcorn again. They don't compare."

Humming, Machi hesitantly pulled the largest bag of M&M's from the quantity she had brought, "Though, the best way to eat any popcorn is with—"

"M&M's!"

Dumbfounded, Machi watched as he took the bag of chocolate from her and enthusiastically dumped its contents into the popcorn, just as she was about to suggest. "I thought I was the only one who did that?" Tsukki had always made fun of her for it, saying it took away from the buttery flavor of the popcorn. And Tadashi never complained, but Machi had seen him pick around the candy the last time they all went to the movies.

"You kidding? It's the perfect balance of sweet and salty." Now Machi was beaming, unable to hide how happy it made her to know someone else had the same weird food preferences.

"Finally, someone understands high class cuisine." Machi grinned and winked, thinking nothing of it, but it sent a shock of confidence to Suga's heart, and he saw a chance to test the waters. Tapping her nose playfully, Suga winked back, "Just another thing I like that's both sweet and a bit salty."

The resulting squeak and flustered way Machi slapped his arm made Suga laugh loudly, "You're only proving my point, you know?"

"S-Stop talking nonsense Suga and—go set up the movies." Mortified, Machi shooed him into the sitting room with the bowl of popcorn, "I'll, uh, be right back. Need to get rid of this stupid ice pack..." With one final glance at the still chuckling Suga, Machi rushed back to the kitchen to hide.

Untying the now mostly melted bag of ice from its place, Machi placed the still cool surface against her forehead for a brief moment to try and draw away the heat that was there. It was all becoming too much; he was becoming too much. With frequently more moments together now encompassed by flushed faces and more-than-friendly banter, Machi could feel her resolve slipping further and further away.

"The movie's ready. But Daichi texted, said they're going to be late." Suga's voice drifted over to Machi from the doorway where he leaned, arms crossed and expression uncharacteristically cloudy. Their playful back and forth had been cute and garnered the reaction Suga was hoping for: flustered, but not angry. Yet the remainder of the day's success was rooted in the carefully planned out events he and Daichi had spent all evening preparing. Every situation was accounted for with plans and backup plans, but none of them had included instructions for what to do if Daichi was late. Now faced with an entire evening of just the two of them and no idea how to proceed, Suga was starting to panic. "But I have the first movie set up, we can watch it anyway and catch them up when they get here."

"Ok." Her voice still squeaked a bit in response, which Suga took as a good sign as he pulled her back into the sitting room. The shades had been drawn over the large windows next to the sofa and Suga had dimmed the lights so only the soft glow of the television illuminated the room.

When he saw the way Machi surveyed the room he whispered quietly, "Didn't want a glare on the screen," which she only responded to by nodding, before taking a seat on the couch and tucking her feet next to her. While Suga fussed with the TV volume, Machi curled her hands around the popcorn bowl, silently chanting to herself. This is fine. It's fine. Everything's fine. Suga is your friend, he's just being nice. Don't read anything into it.

Machi's thoughts were interrupted by the familiar image of a castle and trumpets blaring indicating the start of the film. Suddenly curious, Machi inquired to him, "Which did you choose to start with?" Good, her voice sounded steadier, less like a star-crossed teenager and more like herself again.

Taking a seat next to her, but leaving a comfortable space between them, Suga grinned as he took a handful of popcorn and M&M's, "My favorite of course." But before she could argue that he didn't answer her question, the opening song to Aladdin began to play and both of their attentions snapped to the screen.

Clapping her hands like an excited toddler, Machi almost dumped the bowl of popcorn in her excitement. "I love Aladdin! You definitely have good taste Suga." She wiggled further into the comfortable couch cushions, unknowingly shrinking the space between them. While his attention was focused on the movie, Suga watched Machi's reaction out of the corner of his eye, and started to wonder if maybe things wouldn't be so bad without Daichi's fool proof plan after all.

Like the two Disney geeks they were, Machi and Suga spent most of the movie singing along with the characters, not at all worried that they both sounded like two strangled cats. When the final credits rolled, the popcorn was gone, the space the bowl had occupied between them replaced by their entwined arms that had stayed that way since A Whole New World.

Reluctant to move from their spot on the couch, Suga elected to sit crossed legged and face her instead. "What do you think, should we wait for Daichi and Asahi before starting the next movie? It would only be fair." Neither had texted again since Daichi's first response, despite Suga and Machi both sending messages asking where they were. As much as it should have worried him, Suga brushed it off almost entirely as soon as he saw the look on Machi's face as she held up the box for Tangled.

Puppy dog round eyes stared back at him as she pleaded, "But we can't wait to watch this one, it's too good to put on hold. Pleeeeaaassseeee?" Not like he was going to say no anyway, "Besides, if they can't bother to be here on time they don't get to watch the best movies."

"Point taken." Silently happy that Machi seemed content that their supposed group party was reduced to two, Suga took the DVD case from her and quickly switched out the discs, eager to return to the warmth by her side. The first twenty minutes was focused on the movie again, Machi quietly singing along with Rapunzel. Yet when Suga saw her shiver a few times, he turned his attention to her. "Are you cold? I could make us some tea?"

Machi shook her head but the goosebumps on her arms gave her away. Slinking an arm behind her on the couch, Suga pulled the gray fuzzy blanket that lay there onto her lap. "You're very convincing. Here, at least take this." The blanket was so warm Machi didn't even complain, but pulled it up to her chin instead. Safely nestled into a cocoon with Suga's arm still resting comfortably behind her, Machi refocused on the movie, sighing happily.

"So is it really because of Flynn Rider that you like Tangled so much? Or did I just make that up?" The way Machi engrossed herself into the movie was adorable; she was so focused that she even forgot to sing along like they had done with Aladdin. But his question made her turn away from the screen, suddenly embarrassed.

"Well, not exactly."

"Oh? Now I'm really curious."

"Well if you must know," She readjusted on the couch, pulling her knees up to her chest, embarrassed at the gushy reasoning she was about to share, "It's stupid, but I love that scene when they're releasing the lanterns. And the way Flynn is watching Rapunzel when she doesn't know it—is just really sweet."

"Awww, you really are just a big softie aren't you!" Suga cooed, drawing her into a side hug while she hide her head under the blanket, "I totally knew it."

"If you say anything I swear I'll—"

He broke her off by gently pulling her face out of the blanket and placing another playful tap of her nose, but his smile was genuine, "Don't worry Machi, your secret is safe with me. Can't have everyone knowing how adorable you are or they'd try and steal you away."

When Suga's arm didn't move from its new place around her shoulders, and Machi didn't make an effort to move away, they both stayed silent; too embarrassed to address it but also too comfortable to change anything. However, as Machi's favorite scene began to play and her thoughts weren't focused on Flynn and Rapunzel, but the boy sitting next to her, she felt...happy. Truly happy, like there really was a real life Flynn Rider, sitting right there next to her.

Feeling her gaze watching him, Suga glanced down at Machi, who had somehow slumped sideways onto the couch and was leaning against his side. "Comfortable?"

"Actually, yes. This is...really nice."

He began running a hand up and down her arm. "Yeah, it really is."

Five movies into their marathon it was still just the two of them, nestled on the couch under a mountain of more blankets. Suga was absentmindedly tracing circles on Machi's arm the whole time, not knowing how relaxing she had found it until he felt her head fall onto his shoulder, and she was snoring softly. He took a moment to watch her quietly, noticing the way her entire face had softened until no traces of the 'Machi' she portrayed at school existed. And while he really liked that Machi, she was strong and confident and not afraid of anything, he had to admit, he liked this one more. Brushing a stray hair behind her ear, Suga rested his head on top of hers, and lowered the volume on the television, making sure it wouldn't wake her.

***

"Are you sure this was a good idea, Daichi? What if something went horribly wrong and we weren't there to help?" The nervous ace whispered hurriedly to his friend as they walked through the front door to Suga's house, Daichi not even bothering to knock.

"You underestimate my powers of perception, Asahi, everything is fine." Confident that he was right, Daichi poked his head into the darkened room where he could still hear a movie playing, and immediately grinned. "See, we had nothing to worry about. It went exactly as I thought it would."

Fast asleep, Suga and Machi lay curled together on the sofa, Machi's head resting against Suga's collarbone while he hugged her to him. The blankets had fallen to the floor, but they seemed to have stayed warm by snuggling closer together.

Not wanting to interrupt such a tender moment, the two turned to leave as quietly as they could, but not before Asahi re-covered their sleeping friends with the blankets, and Daichi took a series of photos (for evidence, of course). Back outside, they spoke at regular volume again.

"Did you know that was going to happen when you lied and said we'd be late?" Asahi watched as Daichi shrugged his shoulders, but the toothy grin gave him away.

"Who can say, but Suga asked for my help, and I am nothing but a good friend."

"But—don't you think he'll be mad we never showed up?" Asahi had been all ready to help Suga, silently thinking he and Machi would make a cute couple, "We were supposed to be the wingmen so he could ask her out, right? I feel like he'll be so angry we didn't do our job."

Daichi was flipping through the number of photos he had just taken on his phone, tilting the screen so Asahi could see them as well. "Trust me, we did our job."

***

Machi hadn't slept so well in ages; the bed felt warmer than she remembered, and the pillows more comfortable. While she could feel herself slowly starting to wake, Machi refused to leave the warmth, so instead, she squeezed her pillow closer, pressing her face further into it and inhaling the comforting cedar wood and lemon.

But that wasn't right? Her shampoo was vanilla, so why did everything smell—not like vanilla? Still confused, Machi was trying to piece the information together when her pillow moved, grew a hand and ran it through her hair.

"You're very cuddly, it's cute."

Machi's eyes snapped open and came face to face with a bleary eyed Suga. She had been laying with him for who knows how long, and apparently clung to him like a body pillow. "Suga?" She croaked, "Oh god, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep, I should go—"

Yet when she tried to wiggle free, Suga's arms held more tightly around her like a vice. "Nope. Can't run away this time, sorry."

"What do you mean run away?" She tried to push herself up again, but he held firm. Suga may not have woken up that long before she did, but it was long enough for him to decide he didn't want this moment to end. So it was now or never.

"I still don't quite know why, but you've been running away from what you really feel. How you feel about me." He watched her eyes grow round as saucers as she tried to shake her head in denial. Still keeping a firm hand on the small of her back to keep them close, he brought his other to cup her face. It shook a little, and his throat had gone dry, but he had never felt so sure of what he was about to say. "I really like you, Machi. And I know I said I wanted us to be friends, and I do! But, I don't want that to be all anymore." His thumb traced a path along her cheek, "And I know you feel the same. That cute way you blush all the time keeps giving you away."

Shit. He was right of course, and she was pretty sure Suga heard her heart racing from the way his eyes seemed to lighten with hope. He had said the very thing Machi had been secretly hoping for, yet instead of feeling overjoyed, she only felt abject terror. Speaking so softly it was almost a whisper, "But I can't...I'm not—"

"I know, your dad doesn't like you dating." He knew this would cause a snag, and after having met Reo, Suga could understand her fear. "But I'm not asking him, I'm asking you." He shuffled on the couch a bit so they were laying next to each other and leaned forward till their foreheads touched. Speaking again, his voice was softer and full of so much affection it made her heart melt. "Don't think about what he wants for you. What do you want?"

Machi searched his eyes for a few seconds, her own still round with fear. She kept thinking of all the things that could happen if they were found out; Reo's anger would be unyielding. Towards both of them.

"He'd be so mad, I can't put you through that..." she hadn't realized she was shaking until Suga pulled her closer and she pressed her ear to his chest.

"I don't care." His steady heartbeat was like a metronome, "I only care about you. Besides, you didn't deny it just now. You feel something too, don't you?"

"Oh."

"Oh? That's not quite an answer, Sunshine."

There it was again. That nickname. Machi always thought she hated nicknames; the only one who would bestow them upon her had done so out of malice. But every time Suga called her Sunshine, it was like she was suddenly special. Treasured. Taking a shaky breath, Machi nodded against his chest, smiling when she heard his heartbeat jump. "Yeah, I do."

"So what do you say to that date?" He didn't care that she was laughing now at how fast his heart was racing. He was on top of the world, smiling so broadly his face hurt.

"Depends on what you have in mind." She still couldn't believe it herself. This was really happening. Unlike when Nakagawa-San had presumed her feelings before, she actually cared about Suga, and couldn't hide the excitement and anticipation.

"Only the best of course. What're doing Tuesday evening?"