head over heels

63 ~ everybody, keep it the fuck together

[A/N - RAHHHHHHHHHHH. its the start of the ending arc guys. i was going to end the release on the last chapter, but this one has too good of an ending haha. sorry guys lmao. i was feeling evil.]

On the bus to the tournament, Evan became Ethan, and Ethan became Evan.

The team stared as they swapped clothes, and all but shapeshifted into each other.

"So— you want us to just... pretend you're each other?" Callum uttered.

"Yup," Ethan uttered, shoving Evans glasses on, and handing over his contacts case to Evan. "Exactly."

"Can I ask... why?" Callum piped up, eyebrow raised.

"We've been over this," Ethan uttered, "Theo."

At that, Ben nodded dumbly from across the aisle, "Huh, right."

Beside him, Kei piped up, "Still think this is a bad idea."

"Probably," Ethan sighed, "But— we're doing it anyway."

Evan turned to Kei, "Sorry babe," he murmured absently as he fixed his shirt, and Kei melted. Evan looked up to find a dumb grin on Kei's face.

"I'll forgive you snot face," Kei uttered fondly.

He groaned, "Oh come on—"

"Snot face?" Ethan snickered.

"He cried on me once, then sneezed everywhere—" Kei gestured vaguely, "I got drenched. Hence, snot face."

Evan whacked Kei's shoulder, "Kei, seriously—" he complained. Everyone did not have to know about that. 

Ethan was laughing now. "That's so good."

Evan sunk into his seat, head in his hands.

They were just over half way into the long ass drive to the stadium, and the bus was already divided.

Hugo sat by himself in the back, lost in some daze that was so utterly unlike him, Evan didn't even know what to think.

Alex and Callum sat in front of them, Ben across the aisle, basically putting as much distance between them and Hugo as possible. The three of them whispered amongst each other.

Ethan sat across from Evan and Kei, while Oliver sat up front with Coach, somehow having a long, easy conversation with the man. Did they know each other well or something?

The rest of the team filled in the gaps.

Luke's absence was a void. He couldn't play for the next month, taking him out of the finals completely. It had been a mild fracture, but still a fracture nonetheless.

Usually he and Hugo were attached at the hip. They were total partners in crime, but since he had in fact fractured his foot, they hadn't talked once. There was obviously something getting between them, but Evan had no idea what it was.

It was throwing the whole team off.

Evan had seriously underestimated the impact Hugo's relentless energy had on the team. He'd only realised how much it affected everyone, until it was gone entirely, and it felt like the team had a gaping void at its center.

However, Evan was thankful that all of the drama was thoroughly distracting him from what he was walking into.

He had to admit that pretending to be Ethan felt like he was putting on a giant safety blanket. So— Even if it failed, it was seriously giving him an absolutely wild sense of calm.

When compared to last time, hell— his mood was worlds different.

Even as they pulled up to the gym, Evan only really felt a pulse of anxiety, as opposed to the roaring inferno he was used to.