2022-08-02 14:22![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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the_zone
oshitari_yuushi in the_zoneWho: Yuushi and Kenya
What: Cousin bonding time!
Where: Yuushi's room
When: Sometime just after Kenya arrived on base
Yuushi felt something like a childlike anticipation as he waited for Kenya to come over to his quarters, now they’d finally found a time when their off-hours coincided with Sanada being on duty. He hadn’t seen his cousin in what felt like forever, and these past few months were probably the longest he’d ever gone without updating Kenya on everything that passed his fancy.
Kenya had his arms full with all the snacks their family had sent with him, eager to see his cousin and best friend. Once he reached Yuushi’s door, he grinned. "Yuushi, I’m here, open up!" He had been cooped up for three months not knowing what was going on with Yuushi, and he was ready for that to be a thing of the past!
Yuushi released the door lock to let the man in, not quite able to keep his long perfected poker face in place. He pulled Kenya into a hug, snacks and all. “I can hardly believe you’re here,” he said warmly.
Kenya squeaked and then laughed. "You just couldn't wait." He teased, not minding the hug at all. "I mean, they're apparently pretty desperate for medical personnel ." He looked around. "Where should I put this?"
“Like you’ve ever been one for waiting,” Yuushi teased back, because Kenya was probably the most impatient person he knew. He gestured to the desk on his side of the room, already cleared in anticipation of Kenya’s arrival. “Make yourself comfortable… I’ve got hot water so we can break out the coffee my sister sent as well.”
"Yeah, waiting is for slow people!" Kenya cackled and went to dump everything onto the desk. He grabbed a bag of the coffee and handed it over. "She was in a particularly sappy mood when she bought it, so there is a tonne." He laughed, looking around the room. "Your room is so much tidier. My roommate is a bit of a plant freak."
Yuushi brewed two cups of the premium instant (anything fancier would be a luxury for the base) and cast a look around the room. “It helps that we arrived early on, with fewer belongings to clutter up the room…” He handed Kenya one of the cups. “Oh? Is your roommate working with Yukimura in agri, then?”
“No, he’s a doctor.” Kenya said, taking his cup. “He’s just kind of a hippy doctor?” Not that Kenya cared. “I’m sure they’ll end up being friends. Chitose is nice to everyone.” Kenya grinned. “What about your roommate? What does he do?”
Yuushi decided to file away the fact that there was a ‘hippy doctor’ on base for later, and took a dramatic sip of his coffee because now that Kenya was here, he had an outlet for venting his roommate related… frustrations. “He’s in Engineering,” Yuushi said, lowering his coffee mug. “And he is the bane of my existence.”
Kenya stopped mid-drink. “That bad?” He was used to Yuushi’s dramatics, but to hear that someone was the bane of his cousin’s existence was a bit surprising. “Does he snore? Is he rude? Does he smell?” What could be so bad that Yuushi looked so troubled?
Yuushi, never one to leave a fit of dramatics halfway, sat down heavily in his chair. “Kenya,” he said seriously, raising a hand to his forehead. “He’s an adonis. He’s just so… unfairly attractive I cannot for the life of me understand why.” He paused again. “No, I do understand why. He has abs like a damn washboard, that’s why.”
Kenya stared at his cousin before starting to laugh. "Oh my God, Yuushi. He's the bane of your existence because he's too hot?!" He giggled, grabbing one of the snacks he had brought and opening it. "So, like, he's so hot, it's hard to be around him without swooning?"
Of course Kenya was laughing. Yuushi would be laughing at his own predicament, if the weight of his self-pity wasn’t so great. “Yes,” Yuushi confirmed, proud of his cousin for using the appropriate word. Swooning was right. “If I were a heroine in a romance novel, I would be swooning every time he does his damned exercises in the room.” He cleared his throat. “Fortunately,” he said, before he got too dramatic. “I am not, in fact, a heroine in a romance novel.”
"He does his exercises in your room?" Kenya gasped. Okay, if this guy was as hot as Yuushi said he was, that would be a bit torturous. "No, you're not, so you sit there and just…. Watch? Excuse yourself? What do you do?"
Yuushi buried his face in his palm, nodding. “It’s not like I want to torture myself,” he muttered. “But I wouldn’t want him to think he makes me uncomfortable…” He would never forget the conversation where Sanada began to suggest as much. “When it’s rather the opposite.”
Kenya thought about it for a moment. Just stared at his cousin. "...Do you want to be his heroine?" He asked bluntly.
The picture that came to Yuushi’s mind was of himself as Scarlett O’Hara in the arms of Rhett ‘Genichiro’ Butler. It was somewhat alarming. Attractive, certainly because Yuushi didn’t doubt his own charms and Sanada looked like he could be carved from marble. He brought his digressing thoughts back. “I don’t think so,” he said honestly, “I’m terribly, impossibly attracted to him, which is in itself strange because I’ve never been an… abs man.”
Kenya nodded, finally realizing what the issue was. At least, he thought he had it figured out. "I see, he's not your normal type." Kenya grinned. "So you're struggling because you're stuck staring at it everyday. Does he have nice legs, too?"
“The nicest,” Yuushi sighed. “Perfectly toned, just the right amount of muscle. He wakes up at absolutely ungodly hours to go to the gym, Kenya. He’s the kind of person who…” He waved his hand dismissively. “What’s the phrase? ‘Respects his body’.” Which was fine, and Yuushi respected it, for certain, but all of these were decidedly not his type at all. He pulled himself together, taking a long sip of coffee. “Do you think I’m just attracted to the novelty of it all?”
"Probably." Kenya said flatly. "I mean, he's definitely not your type. You probably are just going a little stir crazy. Maybe you should find someone on base who is your type." Honestly, Yuushi’s roommate sounded like a great guy to work out with! "But appreciating someone aesthetically doesn't make you a bad person. I mean, at least I don't think so." Spoken like a guy who had never been on a date in his life.
“It’s not just the aesthetics, you understand. It’s the aesthetics combined with that very righteous exterior…” Yuushi said. “Of course I’ve already considered that it’s merely proximity that’s causing this.… That said,” he sipped his coffee thoughtfully. “Honestly, I’m not sure it’s wise to pursue any kind of romantic relationship with someone you’re trapped for five years with on a desert planet. A mutually casual fling, perhaps…” Which would describe, possibly, most of Yuushi’s dating life.
Kenya shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you'll find your one true love here!" He cried excitedly. "That would be awesome! But flings are more your style, huh?" Kenya didn't understand it. "You're really popular here."
“Well, perhaps,” Yuushi agreed, charmed by Kenya’s optimism. “Isn’t that, after all, what the greatest literature writes of? That one great love?” As for flings and his own popularity… “I quite enjoy the occasional flirtation. There’s a certain pleasure in the chase, Kenya,” he chuckled. “The early give and take of a relationship as it grows…” He raised an eyebrow. “Come to think of it, you’ve never… dated, have you?”
Kenya pouted. "I've just been too busy!!" He insisted. The truth was that his spazzy nature made him more cute than cool and no one wanted to date a spaz. "I'll get to it eventually…"
“Really? Too busy? Forgive me if I’m reluctant to believe you,” Yuushi teased. “Kenya, that’s the worst kind of excuse…” He narrowed his eyes, studying his cousin. “Is that really all it is?”
Kenya turned bright red, flustered under his cousin’s stare. "Of course it is! It's totally not that no one has ever asked me on a date or that everyone I have asked has turned me down what are you talking about?!" Kenya flailed.
Yuushi took a moment to take in the confession and just about stopped himself from flaring up indignantly. “That’s preposterous,” he said. “I fail to believe that someone as attractive as you with as many endearing qualities would be turned down. Clearly,” he continued, “You’re asking the wrong kind of person out.”
Kenya shook his head. "I don't know. It doesn't matter. I've got so much going on. We were talking about you, not me!" He crossed his arms. "Anyone else interesting around he, or just Mr. Abs?"
Yuushi gave Kenya a pointed look. “I’m not letting it go that easy. Perhaps you will be the one to find someone on base.” He hummed thoughtfully. “Miss Chitose is quite adorable, don’t you think?” As for himself.... “Oh yes, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s an abundance of very attractive men and women in Yomi,” he chuckled. “Mr Abs just happens to be… ugh, horribly distracting.”
Kenya was not going to address his datelessness. "Mi-chan? She's awesome! We're pals!" Kenya grinned. He started poking around Yuushi’s desk. "You just need to get it out of your system…" he grabbed a book. "What the…. " He stared at Yuushi as he started pulling photos of Sanada out of an envelope stuck in a book. "You've got it bad..."
Yuushi was about to start on a path of teasing his cousin and the delightful young welder the base had recently acquired when The Complete Works of Shakespeare spilled out the envelope Niou had given him, complete with candid pictures of Sanada.
He bit down on a swear. “It’s not what you think,” he said, facepalming. “Those aren’t mine… well they are, but not by design.”
"Uh-huh…" Kenya grinned, waving the photos around. "You've got them in one of your favorite books. They must be real special!" Kenya cackled. "Should I tell Auntie about your new crush??? I could send her a picture!"
Yuushi made a half-hearted grab for them, knowing his cousin had him beat on the speed and dexterity front. “I had them there because no one would look there,” he said flatly. Clearly, he would have to move them because that was not the case. “And don’t you dare let my mother in on this, for the love of all that is holy.”
Kenya dodged the grabs, grinning. "But she'll be so happy for you! And oh my gosh, have you already written your roommate into your new book??? I bet you have!!"
“She will not be happy for me moping after someone because he looks like that and has an endearingly dense personality,” Yuushi said flatly. “And - yes. Not this one, the next one. I was…” Yuushi fixed his gaze on the middle distance because he couldn’t believe he was admitting his moment of weakness. “Distracted. And inspired.”
Kenya put down the pictures and gave Yuushi a hearty pat on the back. "Maybe you just need to get laid!" He offered helpfully. "You're popular, you could find someone!" Kenya never actually read any of Yuushi’s books. They really weren't his thing.
Yuushi choked on nothing for a moment. "It's not sexual frustration," he said. "And of course I can find someone, a lack of partners has never been an issue for me…" He smirked. "As for you, however… I look forward to seeing how you remedy your lack of experience."
"There is nothing that needs fixed!" Kenya smiled. "Not like you. Oh man, do you want to top him or do you want him to do you??" Yeah, Kenya was on a roll.
“Oh I beg to disagree,” Yuushi began. “Kenya!” he gasped. “Don’t be crass, my attraction for Sanada does not involve such… inappropriate fantasies, for shame!” And if the thoughts had ever presented themselves - which they certainly had not Yuushi had never allowed himself to dwell on them long enough to take solid shape.
Kenya laughed. "Okay, okay. I'll drop it." Even if he thought Yuushi was lying. "And I'm fine, Yuushi! I've got to focus on becoming a doctor! I thought just being a Nurse Practitioner was fine, but mom insists I get my PhD ...."
Yuushi drank his coffee thoughtfully. “Do you want a PhD?” he asked, because he did know how their parents could be somewhat overbearing when it came to their opinions. More of the reason why his career as Murasaki Yu was secret from everyone except precious few people.
"I mean, it's better right?" Kenya scratched his cheek. "There's only so much I can do right now…" Kenya hadn't wanted to go into medicine at all, but he couldn't disappoint Mom and Dad! "And I mean, Shouta is going to be a brain surgeon. I can't go on being a loser!"
“Shouta is a little brat,” Yuushi said dismissively. “What he does shouldn’t concern you. Kenya, you shouldn’t compare yourself to… anyone. You know that, don’t you?” He meant himself, of course, because he loved his cousin dearly but knew that his own gift of intellect meant he often garnered more attention than Kenya did. “If not for this PhD and practicing medicine in general, what would you have wanted to do?”
Kenya looked away, as if changing his eyesight would change the subject. He did always sort of live in Yuushi, Erina, and Shouta's shadows, but he was usually cheerful enough to not let it bother him. "You know what it would be." He pouted. Track and Field was his passion, but there was no career for an Oshitari in that.
Yuushi looked at Kenya for a long moment. One couldn't really tell someone on a five year mission on a remote planet to pursue their passion. "I'm not about to tell you to drop your PhD, but…" He reached over to put a hand on Kenya's shoulder. "Honestly, Kenya, what you want for yourself is important too. At least give yourself the space to think about it."
Kenya shrugged. "You're just saying that so we stop talking about your roommate." He accused. "Besides, I'm a little old to be thinking about it anyway. I quit sports in high school so I could cram for nursing school."
"Trust me he's on my mind often enough without my having to talk about him," Yuushi said wearily. "But there are other sports related fields you could always explore. Or, or course, just give Tooyama company on the treadmills, I hear that's quite a challenge," he chuckled.
“Sounds rough. If it gets too rough, see if you can switch rooms?” Kenya suggested. If it was really an issue, he didn’t see why the UEA couldn’t accommodate. Then again, they had sent him a skirt to wear instead of pants. “I was planning on that, at least. I still run, no one is taking that from me…but…” He reached out and pinched Yuushi’s cheeks. “Couldn’t one of the three of you have fucked up in some way so I didn’t look so bad?! Geez…”
Like hell he was going to change rooms, Yuushi thought. Sure it was suffering, but what was wrong with a little bit of suffering in the name of the greater good, which in this case was his very active imagination. “I think I’ll hold on,” Yuushi told Kenya. He laughed as he fought his way out of Kenya’s grip on his cheeks. “I’m so sorry,” he said insincerely. “It’s not my fault I was born with a genius intellect, it makes up for the fact that I can’t run more than ten feet without losing my breath,” he chuckled, ruffling Kenya’s hair in revenge.
Kenya wiggled away from Yuushi, crossing his arms in mock anger. "You would have better stamina if you didn't spend all day at a desk!" He laughed, unable to actually be mad at Yuushi. "I wouldn't want you to be the loser of the family. I was really hoping Shouta would, but I guess it's me!" Seriously, brain surgery. Of all the fields to go into… "...if they found out about my uniform, I would never be able to face them again."
“Mmm, but I have a… sufficient amount of stamina where it counts,” Yuushi smirked. “And honestly, your brat of a younger brother is bound to mess up eventually…” He couldn’t deny that the uniform would not be doing Kenya any favours back home. “Perhaps the UEA will revise its uniforms before it comes to that, although I still hold that you look fantastic in a skirt,” he said, not even teasing.
“Why is almost everything you say sound so dirty?” Kenya whined. He sighed heavily and went to drape himself over his cousin. “I never realized how gross people were until I had to wear a skirt all the time…” The amount of looks and comments was astonishing! “Also, running in heels is hard.”
“Most of it is unintentional…” Yuushi said. He leaned into the cuddle that Kenya was giving him. “If they’re too inappropriate, Atobe has a spray for that,” he told him, astonished that people on base would dare to be ‘gross’ with medical personnel. “You should take it up with him. As you should the matter of…heels. Kenya,” he said, leaning to look at his cousin. “Are you certain you weren’t actually given someone’s personal ‘sexy nurse’ outfit?”
Kenya continued to cuddle. "If they keep it up, I have a fist for that." Kenya hummed a little in thought. "Atobe is your friend, not mine. He doesn't seem to care much about my comfort. And the outfit had my name on it, and it fits perfectly. I guess I can wait for my pants to come in, but maybe I can get them to change their minds about the heels…"
“The spray may be a little more… subtle,” Yuushi chuckled. “Atobe is fine, he just takes getting used to, and he’s heard enough about you over our acquaintance despite his pretense to the contrary… I do recommend telling him. As for the uniform, well, it isn’t like we can expect much sanity from the UEA, hmm?”
"But the fist would make me feel better." Except it wouldn't. Kenya wasn't actually the violent type. "Oh, so if I just use you, he'll listen to me better?" He could see that. "And no, we've followed them around our whole lives, we've seen the aftermath of some of the UEA's brighter ideas…"
Yuushi frowned, though not with any heat. “Use me sounds so unethical, Kenya, but if you absolutely need me to intervene with Atobe on your behalf, I would in a heartbeat.” He laughed at the memory of what they’d seen growing up, some of the the bizarrest of the UEA’s decisions. “The month in Eden colony was probably the highlight. I am impressed that settlers managed to find a way to survive in a poisonous swamp regardless.” What with poison gas settling in over the swamp over a good part of the day and several varieties of venomous plants and animals, it was probably one of the worst ideas they’d had.
Kenya laid his head on Yuushi’s shoulder. “You know what I meant! He listens to you.” Kenya swore Atobe was trying to just pawn him off on the other doctors. “Yeah, that was something. Dad was so busy during that time.” So many people getting poisoned and sick. “I swear they just do things to see what will happen.”
“To a certain definition of ‘listen’,” Yuushi commented, leaning his head lightly on Kenya’s for a moment. “They seem to have gotten their act together since then…” His own parents were scientists but Kenya’s side of the family were all in the medical sciences, it was not surprising that they had all but shoehorned their son into it as well. “Even if it’s not… what you wanted to do with yourself, I think you should commend yourself for being able to help people,” he said, half talking to himself and half to Kenya. “God knows the UEA needs people qualified to clean up its messes.”
Kenya was having a good old time cuddling his favorite cousin. “Thanks, Yuushi. I needed to hear that. I do like working in medical. I like helping. Maybe I can start a little sports group or something!” He grinned. “You wanna start running with me? You need to work on your stamina!”
“I’m sure there are enough people on base who are sports oriented enough to join in,” Yuushi said. “I am not even going to entertain the thought of running with you for a moment,” he continued. “I will stay fit like every scientist who moonlights as a romance novelist, through caffeine and sleeplessness.”
Keny mock gasped, hugging Yuushi tight. "My cousin is going to perish if he keeps this lifestyle up! Simply perish!" He said dramatically. And then he snuggled some more. "I'm glad you're here, Yuushi."
“Now look who’s being dramatic,” Yuushi chuckled, leaning into the embrace. There was something so comforting about having family, about having Kenya within literal arm’s reach. “And that’s my line,” he continued, once again ruffling Kenya’s hair with his free hand. “I’m glad you’re here too.”
What: Cousin bonding time!
Where: Yuushi's room
When: Sometime just after Kenya arrived on base
Yuushi felt something like a childlike anticipation as he waited for Kenya to come over to his quarters, now they’d finally found a time when their off-hours coincided with Sanada being on duty. He hadn’t seen his cousin in what felt like forever, and these past few months were probably the longest he’d ever gone without updating Kenya on everything that passed his fancy.
Kenya had his arms full with all the snacks their family had sent with him, eager to see his cousin and best friend. Once he reached Yuushi’s door, he grinned. "Yuushi, I’m here, open up!" He had been cooped up for three months not knowing what was going on with Yuushi, and he was ready for that to be a thing of the past!
Yuushi released the door lock to let the man in, not quite able to keep his long perfected poker face in place. He pulled Kenya into a hug, snacks and all. “I can hardly believe you’re here,” he said warmly.
Kenya squeaked and then laughed. "You just couldn't wait." He teased, not minding the hug at all. "I mean, they're apparently pretty desperate for medical personnel ." He looked around. "Where should I put this?"
“Like you’ve ever been one for waiting,” Yuushi teased back, because Kenya was probably the most impatient person he knew. He gestured to the desk on his side of the room, already cleared in anticipation of Kenya’s arrival. “Make yourself comfortable… I’ve got hot water so we can break out the coffee my sister sent as well.”
"Yeah, waiting is for slow people!" Kenya cackled and went to dump everything onto the desk. He grabbed a bag of the coffee and handed it over. "She was in a particularly sappy mood when she bought it, so there is a tonne." He laughed, looking around the room. "Your room is so much tidier. My roommate is a bit of a plant freak."
Yuushi brewed two cups of the premium instant (anything fancier would be a luxury for the base) and cast a look around the room. “It helps that we arrived early on, with fewer belongings to clutter up the room…” He handed Kenya one of the cups. “Oh? Is your roommate working with Yukimura in agri, then?”
“No, he’s a doctor.” Kenya said, taking his cup. “He’s just kind of a hippy doctor?” Not that Kenya cared. “I’m sure they’ll end up being friends. Chitose is nice to everyone.” Kenya grinned. “What about your roommate? What does he do?”
Yuushi decided to file away the fact that there was a ‘hippy doctor’ on base for later, and took a dramatic sip of his coffee because now that Kenya was here, he had an outlet for venting his roommate related… frustrations. “He’s in Engineering,” Yuushi said, lowering his coffee mug. “And he is the bane of my existence.”
Kenya stopped mid-drink. “That bad?” He was used to Yuushi’s dramatics, but to hear that someone was the bane of his cousin’s existence was a bit surprising. “Does he snore? Is he rude? Does he smell?” What could be so bad that Yuushi looked so troubled?
Yuushi, never one to leave a fit of dramatics halfway, sat down heavily in his chair. “Kenya,” he said seriously, raising a hand to his forehead. “He’s an adonis. He’s just so… unfairly attractive I cannot for the life of me understand why.” He paused again. “No, I do understand why. He has abs like a damn washboard, that’s why.”
Kenya stared at his cousin before starting to laugh. "Oh my God, Yuushi. He's the bane of your existence because he's too hot?!" He giggled, grabbing one of the snacks he had brought and opening it. "So, like, he's so hot, it's hard to be around him without swooning?"
Of course Kenya was laughing. Yuushi would be laughing at his own predicament, if the weight of his self-pity wasn’t so great. “Yes,” Yuushi confirmed, proud of his cousin for using the appropriate word. Swooning was right. “If I were a heroine in a romance novel, I would be swooning every time he does his damned exercises in the room.” He cleared his throat. “Fortunately,” he said, before he got too dramatic. “I am not, in fact, a heroine in a romance novel.”
"He does his exercises in your room?" Kenya gasped. Okay, if this guy was as hot as Yuushi said he was, that would be a bit torturous. "No, you're not, so you sit there and just…. Watch? Excuse yourself? What do you do?"
Yuushi buried his face in his palm, nodding. “It’s not like I want to torture myself,” he muttered. “But I wouldn’t want him to think he makes me uncomfortable…” He would never forget the conversation where Sanada began to suggest as much. “When it’s rather the opposite.”
Kenya thought about it for a moment. Just stared at his cousin. "...Do you want to be his heroine?" He asked bluntly.
The picture that came to Yuushi’s mind was of himself as Scarlett O’Hara in the arms of Rhett ‘Genichiro’ Butler. It was somewhat alarming. Attractive, certainly because Yuushi didn’t doubt his own charms and Sanada looked like he could be carved from marble. He brought his digressing thoughts back. “I don’t think so,” he said honestly, “I’m terribly, impossibly attracted to him, which is in itself strange because I’ve never been an… abs man.”
Kenya nodded, finally realizing what the issue was. At least, he thought he had it figured out. "I see, he's not your normal type." Kenya grinned. "So you're struggling because you're stuck staring at it everyday. Does he have nice legs, too?"
“The nicest,” Yuushi sighed. “Perfectly toned, just the right amount of muscle. He wakes up at absolutely ungodly hours to go to the gym, Kenya. He’s the kind of person who…” He waved his hand dismissively. “What’s the phrase? ‘Respects his body’.” Which was fine, and Yuushi respected it, for certain, but all of these were decidedly not his type at all. He pulled himself together, taking a long sip of coffee. “Do you think I’m just attracted to the novelty of it all?”
"Probably." Kenya said flatly. "I mean, he's definitely not your type. You probably are just going a little stir crazy. Maybe you should find someone on base who is your type." Honestly, Yuushi’s roommate sounded like a great guy to work out with! "But appreciating someone aesthetically doesn't make you a bad person. I mean, at least I don't think so." Spoken like a guy who had never been on a date in his life.
“It’s not just the aesthetics, you understand. It’s the aesthetics combined with that very righteous exterior…” Yuushi said. “Of course I’ve already considered that it’s merely proximity that’s causing this.… That said,” he sipped his coffee thoughtfully. “Honestly, I’m not sure it’s wise to pursue any kind of romantic relationship with someone you’re trapped for five years with on a desert planet. A mutually casual fling, perhaps…” Which would describe, possibly, most of Yuushi’s dating life.
Kenya shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you'll find your one true love here!" He cried excitedly. "That would be awesome! But flings are more your style, huh?" Kenya didn't understand it. "You're really popular here."
“Well, perhaps,” Yuushi agreed, charmed by Kenya’s optimism. “Isn’t that, after all, what the greatest literature writes of? That one great love?” As for flings and his own popularity… “I quite enjoy the occasional flirtation. There’s a certain pleasure in the chase, Kenya,” he chuckled. “The early give and take of a relationship as it grows…” He raised an eyebrow. “Come to think of it, you’ve never… dated, have you?”
Kenya pouted. "I've just been too busy!!" He insisted. The truth was that his spazzy nature made him more cute than cool and no one wanted to date a spaz. "I'll get to it eventually…"
“Really? Too busy? Forgive me if I’m reluctant to believe you,” Yuushi teased. “Kenya, that’s the worst kind of excuse…” He narrowed his eyes, studying his cousin. “Is that really all it is?”
Kenya turned bright red, flustered under his cousin’s stare. "Of course it is! It's totally not that no one has ever asked me on a date or that everyone I have asked has turned me down what are you talking about?!" Kenya flailed.
Yuushi took a moment to take in the confession and just about stopped himself from flaring up indignantly. “That’s preposterous,” he said. “I fail to believe that someone as attractive as you with as many endearing qualities would be turned down. Clearly,” he continued, “You’re asking the wrong kind of person out.”
Kenya shook his head. "I don't know. It doesn't matter. I've got so much going on. We were talking about you, not me!" He crossed his arms. "Anyone else interesting around he, or just Mr. Abs?"
Yuushi gave Kenya a pointed look. “I’m not letting it go that easy. Perhaps you will be the one to find someone on base.” He hummed thoughtfully. “Miss Chitose is quite adorable, don’t you think?” As for himself.... “Oh yes, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s an abundance of very attractive men and women in Yomi,” he chuckled. “Mr Abs just happens to be… ugh, horribly distracting.”
Kenya was not going to address his datelessness. "Mi-chan? She's awesome! We're pals!" Kenya grinned. He started poking around Yuushi’s desk. "You just need to get it out of your system…" he grabbed a book. "What the…. " He stared at Yuushi as he started pulling photos of Sanada out of an envelope stuck in a book. "You've got it bad..."
Yuushi was about to start on a path of teasing his cousin and the delightful young welder the base had recently acquired when The Complete Works of Shakespeare spilled out the envelope Niou had given him, complete with candid pictures of Sanada.
He bit down on a swear. “It’s not what you think,” he said, facepalming. “Those aren’t mine… well they are, but not by design.”
"Uh-huh…" Kenya grinned, waving the photos around. "You've got them in one of your favorite books. They must be real special!" Kenya cackled. "Should I tell Auntie about your new crush??? I could send her a picture!"
Yuushi made a half-hearted grab for them, knowing his cousin had him beat on the speed and dexterity front. “I had them there because no one would look there,” he said flatly. Clearly, he would have to move them because that was not the case. “And don’t you dare let my mother in on this, for the love of all that is holy.”
Kenya dodged the grabs, grinning. "But she'll be so happy for you! And oh my gosh, have you already written your roommate into your new book??? I bet you have!!"
“She will not be happy for me moping after someone because he looks like that and has an endearingly dense personality,” Yuushi said flatly. “And - yes. Not this one, the next one. I was…” Yuushi fixed his gaze on the middle distance because he couldn’t believe he was admitting his moment of weakness. “Distracted. And inspired.”
Kenya put down the pictures and gave Yuushi a hearty pat on the back. "Maybe you just need to get laid!" He offered helpfully. "You're popular, you could find someone!" Kenya never actually read any of Yuushi’s books. They really weren't his thing.
Yuushi choked on nothing for a moment. "It's not sexual frustration," he said. "And of course I can find someone, a lack of partners has never been an issue for me…" He smirked. "As for you, however… I look forward to seeing how you remedy your lack of experience."
"There is nothing that needs fixed!" Kenya smiled. "Not like you. Oh man, do you want to top him or do you want him to do you??" Yeah, Kenya was on a roll.
“Oh I beg to disagree,” Yuushi began. “Kenya!” he gasped. “Don’t be crass, my attraction for Sanada does not involve such… inappropriate fantasies, for shame!” And if the thoughts had ever presented themselves - which they certainly had not Yuushi had never allowed himself to dwell on them long enough to take solid shape.
Kenya laughed. "Okay, okay. I'll drop it." Even if he thought Yuushi was lying. "And I'm fine, Yuushi! I've got to focus on becoming a doctor! I thought just being a Nurse Practitioner was fine, but mom insists I get my PhD ...."
Yuushi drank his coffee thoughtfully. “Do you want a PhD?” he asked, because he did know how their parents could be somewhat overbearing when it came to their opinions. More of the reason why his career as Murasaki Yu was secret from everyone except precious few people.
"I mean, it's better right?" Kenya scratched his cheek. "There's only so much I can do right now…" Kenya hadn't wanted to go into medicine at all, but he couldn't disappoint Mom and Dad! "And I mean, Shouta is going to be a brain surgeon. I can't go on being a loser!"
“Shouta is a little brat,” Yuushi said dismissively. “What he does shouldn’t concern you. Kenya, you shouldn’t compare yourself to… anyone. You know that, don’t you?” He meant himself, of course, because he loved his cousin dearly but knew that his own gift of intellect meant he often garnered more attention than Kenya did. “If not for this PhD and practicing medicine in general, what would you have wanted to do?”
Kenya looked away, as if changing his eyesight would change the subject. He did always sort of live in Yuushi, Erina, and Shouta's shadows, but he was usually cheerful enough to not let it bother him. "You know what it would be." He pouted. Track and Field was his passion, but there was no career for an Oshitari in that.
Yuushi looked at Kenya for a long moment. One couldn't really tell someone on a five year mission on a remote planet to pursue their passion. "I'm not about to tell you to drop your PhD, but…" He reached over to put a hand on Kenya's shoulder. "Honestly, Kenya, what you want for yourself is important too. At least give yourself the space to think about it."
Kenya shrugged. "You're just saying that so we stop talking about your roommate." He accused. "Besides, I'm a little old to be thinking about it anyway. I quit sports in high school so I could cram for nursing school."
"Trust me he's on my mind often enough without my having to talk about him," Yuushi said wearily. "But there are other sports related fields you could always explore. Or, or course, just give Tooyama company on the treadmills, I hear that's quite a challenge," he chuckled.
“Sounds rough. If it gets too rough, see if you can switch rooms?” Kenya suggested. If it was really an issue, he didn’t see why the UEA couldn’t accommodate. Then again, they had sent him a skirt to wear instead of pants. “I was planning on that, at least. I still run, no one is taking that from me…but…” He reached out and pinched Yuushi’s cheeks. “Couldn’t one of the three of you have fucked up in some way so I didn’t look so bad?! Geez…”
Like hell he was going to change rooms, Yuushi thought. Sure it was suffering, but what was wrong with a little bit of suffering in the name of the greater good, which in this case was his very active imagination. “I think I’ll hold on,” Yuushi told Kenya. He laughed as he fought his way out of Kenya’s grip on his cheeks. “I’m so sorry,” he said insincerely. “It’s not my fault I was born with a genius intellect, it makes up for the fact that I can’t run more than ten feet without losing my breath,” he chuckled, ruffling Kenya’s hair in revenge.
Kenya wiggled away from Yuushi, crossing his arms in mock anger. "You would have better stamina if you didn't spend all day at a desk!" He laughed, unable to actually be mad at Yuushi. "I wouldn't want you to be the loser of the family. I was really hoping Shouta would, but I guess it's me!" Seriously, brain surgery. Of all the fields to go into… "...if they found out about my uniform, I would never be able to face them again."
“Mmm, but I have a… sufficient amount of stamina where it counts,” Yuushi smirked. “And honestly, your brat of a younger brother is bound to mess up eventually…” He couldn’t deny that the uniform would not be doing Kenya any favours back home. “Perhaps the UEA will revise its uniforms before it comes to that, although I still hold that you look fantastic in a skirt,” he said, not even teasing.
“Why is almost everything you say sound so dirty?” Kenya whined. He sighed heavily and went to drape himself over his cousin. “I never realized how gross people were until I had to wear a skirt all the time…” The amount of looks and comments was astonishing! “Also, running in heels is hard.”
“Most of it is unintentional…” Yuushi said. He leaned into the cuddle that Kenya was giving him. “If they’re too inappropriate, Atobe has a spray for that,” he told him, astonished that people on base would dare to be ‘gross’ with medical personnel. “You should take it up with him. As you should the matter of…heels. Kenya,” he said, leaning to look at his cousin. “Are you certain you weren’t actually given someone’s personal ‘sexy nurse’ outfit?”
Kenya continued to cuddle. "If they keep it up, I have a fist for that." Kenya hummed a little in thought. "Atobe is your friend, not mine. He doesn't seem to care much about my comfort. And the outfit had my name on it, and it fits perfectly. I guess I can wait for my pants to come in, but maybe I can get them to change their minds about the heels…"
“The spray may be a little more… subtle,” Yuushi chuckled. “Atobe is fine, he just takes getting used to, and he’s heard enough about you over our acquaintance despite his pretense to the contrary… I do recommend telling him. As for the uniform, well, it isn’t like we can expect much sanity from the UEA, hmm?”
"But the fist would make me feel better." Except it wouldn't. Kenya wasn't actually the violent type. "Oh, so if I just use you, he'll listen to me better?" He could see that. "And no, we've followed them around our whole lives, we've seen the aftermath of some of the UEA's brighter ideas…"
Yuushi frowned, though not with any heat. “Use me sounds so unethical, Kenya, but if you absolutely need me to intervene with Atobe on your behalf, I would in a heartbeat.” He laughed at the memory of what they’d seen growing up, some of the the bizarrest of the UEA’s decisions. “The month in Eden colony was probably the highlight. I am impressed that settlers managed to find a way to survive in a poisonous swamp regardless.” What with poison gas settling in over the swamp over a good part of the day and several varieties of venomous plants and animals, it was probably one of the worst ideas they’d had.
Kenya laid his head on Yuushi’s shoulder. “You know what I meant! He listens to you.” Kenya swore Atobe was trying to just pawn him off on the other doctors. “Yeah, that was something. Dad was so busy during that time.” So many people getting poisoned and sick. “I swear they just do things to see what will happen.”
“To a certain definition of ‘listen’,” Yuushi commented, leaning his head lightly on Kenya’s for a moment. “They seem to have gotten their act together since then…” His own parents were scientists but Kenya’s side of the family were all in the medical sciences, it was not surprising that they had all but shoehorned their son into it as well. “Even if it’s not… what you wanted to do with yourself, I think you should commend yourself for being able to help people,” he said, half talking to himself and half to Kenya. “God knows the UEA needs people qualified to clean up its messes.”
Kenya was having a good old time cuddling his favorite cousin. “Thanks, Yuushi. I needed to hear that. I do like working in medical. I like helping. Maybe I can start a little sports group or something!” He grinned. “You wanna start running with me? You need to work on your stamina!”
“I’m sure there are enough people on base who are sports oriented enough to join in,” Yuushi said. “I am not even going to entertain the thought of running with you for a moment,” he continued. “I will stay fit like every scientist who moonlights as a romance novelist, through caffeine and sleeplessness.”
Keny mock gasped, hugging Yuushi tight. "My cousin is going to perish if he keeps this lifestyle up! Simply perish!" He said dramatically. And then he snuggled some more. "I'm glad you're here, Yuushi."
“Now look who’s being dramatic,” Yuushi chuckled, leaning into the embrace. There was something so comforting about having family, about having Kenya within literal arm’s reach. “And that’s my line,” he continued, once again ruffling Kenya’s hair with his free hand. “I’m glad you’re here too.”
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