2022-08-02 23:50![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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spaceninja144 in the_zoneWho: Hiyoshi and Ohtori
When: July 31, after Jirou poked Hiyoshi about Gakuto
Where: Ohtori’s room
What: Hiyoshi goes to Ohtori for advice
Outwardly Hiyoshi looked calm as always, but inside he was dying. Being approached directly about your confusing romantic life would do that. If Akutagawa had achieved one thing though, he’d gotten Hiyoshi to realize that he couldn’t just ignore things anymore, which was why he was now knocking on the door of Ohtori’s room, hoping desperately that the other man would be able to make more sense of all this than he could.
Ohtori had taken a couple of minutes to clean up his projects and tuck them aside before Hiyoshi came over. He had no idea what Hiyoshi wanted to talk about, but it sounded important, and that took precedence; his projects could wait. Taking a moment to look it over, he sighed. It wasn’t as tidy as he’d normally prefer, but it would have to do for now.
That done, he answered the door and gave Hiyoshi a smile. “Come on in, Hiyoshi-san.”
Hiyoshi gave Ohtori a little bow and stepped in. He didn’t notice the mess, that was none of his business– but even if he had been the type to care about those things he wouldn’t have noticed today. His mind was too full right now. Hiyoshi stood in the middle of the room, stiff and formal. He’d gotten this far, but now that he was here it was harder than he’d expected. He knew he’d have to speak eventually though, so he spits out the simplest thing he can manage. “I have a problem.”
Ohtori blinked. That was sudden. And clearly, Hiyoshi was tense, so this had to be pretty important… “Here, come sit.” Ohtori gently guided Hiyoshi to sit on his bed (the desk chair too covered in WIPs to be useful) and then sat beside him. “What’s going on?”
Very few people could get Hiyoshi to sit beside them like this in his current state, but this was Ohtori, his shuttle buddy, and he naturally had that calm, trustworthy aura that had a way of easing Hiyoshi into things he normally wouldn’t do.
Hiyoshi still didn’t answer immediately of course, instead staring a hole into the wall, glancing at Ohtori for a split second, then going back to staring. “It’s stupid and embarrassing. I’m going to sound like an idiot or a crazy person.” Probably both.
Ohtori patiently gave Hiyoshi all the time he needed until he spoke, but he wasn’t sure he expected what he got. “Hiyoshi-san… I promise, I’m not going to tease you in any way for whatever it is. You’re clearly tense…so it’s important to you, whatever it is. That means I’m going to take it seriously.” He tipped his head in curiosity, trying to read Hiyoshi’s expression…but the guy was pretty good at keeping a lid on things. “And don’t rush yourself. I’m not going anywhere.”
Hiyoshi already trusted Ohtori not to make fun of him, but it was still nice to hear the reassurance. He let out a long breath to try to relax himself, and rubbed at his eyes and temples. “I can’t just keep you here forever. It’s– I don’t know where to start. It’s all stupid.” He paused again here, but it was shorter this time. “...It’s relationship stuff. Or something like that, it’s such a mess I don’t know what to call it. Akutagawa-san messaged me and now I have to put labels on the mess I created and I have no idea where to start.”
Ohtori’s eyebrows went up. Relationship stuff… Always complicated. “Well…start at the beginning. How is it a mess in the first place?” Labels helped simplify things, sure, but they weren’t always needed…and if one was going to get applied, it would be important to understand the relationship first.
The beginning, where was that again? It was hard with so many people involved, but it all had to come out eventually, so Hiyoshi picked the easiest thing to explain and went with that. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with Gakuto-san lately. I… we like each other, or something like that, but he didn’t want to give it a name. But then Akutagawa-san told me I should because Gakuto-san wants me to, so I don’t know what I should do.” Or worse, what to call it.
A big smile slowly spread across Ohtori’s face, and he clamped down on the urge to squeal and hug Hiyoshi out of excitement. It really was something worth being excited about, but Hiyoshi wasn’t telling him for that reason. “Do you want to give it a name?” Ohtori asked.
Even without looking, Hiyoshi could sense that grin, and it only contributes to his quickly reddening face. “I don’t know. It’s complicated.” And embarrassing. Very embarrassing. “I don’t like taking someone else’s word over Gakuto-san’s, but Akutagawa-san is probably right.”
Hiyoshi blushing so brightly made Ohtori unable to help a little chuckle. Of course, he’d probably looked just as red during his date with Shishido. Multiple times. And during the talk with Gakuto. “Well…I think that Akutagawa-san means well. He wants to make sure that Gakuto-senpai is happy and well cared for in whatever relationship he has. So it comes from a place of love, and…I get it. Saying you’re dating or that you have a boyfriend implies certain things. It makes it easier to describe the nature of relationship to others, and sometimes, to each other. But the most important thing isn’t what someone else thinks of your relationship. As long as you and Gakuto-senpai are on the same page about what you want and where this is going, then what you call it isn’t important.” He gently bumped Hiyoshi’s shoulder with his own. “Which means you should make it crystal clear to Gakuto-senpai, if you haven’t already.”
“I thought I had, but apparently Gakuto-san is better at second guessing himself than I thought.” Hiyoshi made a face at this, the differences in their amounts of confidence was still confusing and difficult to navigate at times. “I should say something, I know that. It was fine until Akutagawa-san said something about friends not making out with friends and throwing a wrench into things.”
Ohtori frowned, thinking about it. “I assume he meant that…incident with you and Niou-san…” Well, Akutagawa wasn’t entirely wrong. In general, friends didn’t make out with friends…but not everybody fit the same mold, either. “Have you talked to Gakuto-senpai about that?”
Incident... even just hearing Ohtori mention it made Hiyoshi blush harder. People he worked with knowing about it was one thing, but friends was so much worse. “We talked about it and he understands, that’s not the problem. The problem is Akutagawa-san is right.”
“Hiyoshi-san…” As far as Ohtori could figure, there was one thing that was adding up. “Do you like Niou-san as well?” That…would certainly complicate things…
Whomp, there it is. Hiyoshi was completely avoiding eye contact at this point, staring so hard at the contents of Ohtori’s desk that it wouldn’t be surprising if they spontaneously combusted. His arms were crossed and his face was on fire, and his whole posture was completely defensive because Ohtori was 100% right.
Oof. Hiyoshi’s body language said it all. “And I’m assuming Gakuto-senpai doesn’t know this part of it…” Definitely a challenging situation. “Is there one you like more than the other? And does Niou-san know?” That would explain a good part of why Hiyoshi had been so angry to find out Niou and Uion were the same… Bad enough if a friend did that. But if it was the person you liked……Ouch.
“He knows I kissed Uio– Niou, and that it was just as friends. And that’s true, the other part is unrelated.” Or as unrelated as it can possibly be when you agree to do something stupid that you normally wouldn’t based on the fact that you kind of like the person. “I think I like Gakuto-san more, but how do I know I can trust what I think and that it’s not just a reaction to being around people again after three months talking to no one but you? What if neither of them is the right choice?” As he went on, Hiyoshi sounded more and more aggravated. And he was, at himself. Wasn’t he supposed to be done with this kind of thing in middle school? He was a grown-up for fuck’s sake.
Ohtori put a hand on Hiyoshi's shoulder and squeezed gently. "Relationships are rarely simple things. All you can do is go with how you feel and be honest to the other person. If your feelings change, then be honest about that too. And it's possible, like you said. That this is just part of being around people again, and neither of them is right. But you can't know without trying." He wished it could be simple, that somehow you'd know your perfect match the moment you met them, but that was the stuff of fairytales.
Grumble grumble. “You’re too reasonable. I should have picked you instead.” But that ship had sailed and Hiyoshi knew it. “I haven’t dated anyone since I was fifteen. I feel like an idiot playing catch up.” This right here was about as close as Hiyoshi ever got to whining, or his version of it anyway. At this point he knew what he needed to do, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t annoying.
Ohtori chuckled. Hiyoshi was a great person, and anyone that ended up with him would have a great partner, Ohtori was sure. "I haven't dated in a long time, either, honestly. But there's nothing to feel like an idiot for. It doesn't matter how old we are or how long it's been. The basics don't change. You spend time together, get to know each other, and if things go well you stick with it. If they don't, you can either try to fix it or call it quits, and start over with someone new, eventually."
“You make it sound so simple.” As much as it made Hiyoshi feel like a kid who didn’t know what he was doing, it was comforting to hear the confidence behind Ohtori’s words telling him that it was easy and doable. It was exactly the reassurance he needed. And as doubtful as his words might sound, Hiyoshi’s tension was visibly draining, enough for him to focus on something besides his own problem for a second. “You’re dating Shishido-sensei now though, aren’t you?”
Ohtori was about to tell him it should be relatively simple…but instead it was Ohtori's turn to blush, at least as bright red as Hiyoshi had been earlier. "We've only been on one date, so far, but yes. We're both planning on not letting that be the only one."
Hiyoshi looked at Ohtori again for the first time since he'd been there, and ah, revenge was sweet. "He seems like a good guy. Smart. Protective of his friends. He's always at the gym early, too. Not the kind of guy I'd expect to sneak kisses in the library."
Ohtori’s eyes grew wide. He hadn’t made a secret of being on a date with Shishido, but he hadn’t told anyone that they’d kissed… “How did you hear about that?” ……wait. Hiyoshi was in security… “…oh god we’re on camera, aren’t we?” He had known it was a possibility, but when they’d gotten this far without one of Yanagi’s powerpoint reminders, he’d thought they were in the clear…
"Everyone's one camera all the time," Hiyoshi shrugged. "There's no rule against kissing in public, no one in security cares. Ensign Yanagi might, but he seems to leave you alone as long as you don't go too far. It's not his job to watch the cameras anyway." It was just a very unfortunate hobby. "If it bothers you, I can show you some blind spots for next time."
Ohtori groaned. "No, I knew it was a possibility. But knowing that you saw it is the embarrassing part." It wasn't like he'd expected to never get caught…but oh well. At least he wasn't putting all kinds of details on the journals. "But listen to you, knowing where the blind spots are," he chuckled, giving Hiyoshi a teasing look. "Do a little research after your own on-camera moment?"
"I knew that would be on camera. I just didn't think people would make a big deal out of it." Hiyoshi was trying to play it cool, but his blush is coming back again. "It's not even his job, the PowerPoint isn't authorized. He just made it to bother people. What part of kissing someone implies I'm going to jump straight to unprotected sex with with them?"
Ohtori chuckled. They were a pair, weren't they? Both getting caught on camera… "Yanagi-san doesn't seem the type to do something just to bother someone. Maybe more like he made it for one reason, but it turns out to work well for other things, too." And then, partly to be a good friend, partly to embarrass the shit out of Hiyoshi, Ohtori added, "I do have a decent supply of condoms, if you find yourself in need…"
“Other things like reminding people that Big Brother is watching?” Hiyoshi grumbled… and then he heard the last bit and choked. Intensely. It took Hiyoshi a full thirty seconds to get it together, and when he does the glare he levels at Ohtori is teary-eyed from all the coughing. A stern “No,” is what Hiyoshi managed at this point, because there was no other reply Hiyoshi could come up with that didn’t involve confirming or denying whether he was having sex or not.
Ohtori couldn’t help it. Hiyoshi’s reaction was so funny that he just exploded with laughter, literally laughing so hard he doubled over and almost fell onto the floor in the process. He didn’t mean to laugh so hard - a chuckle, sure, but not like this - and a part of him felt bad about it, but it was so hard to stop laughing, and unfortunately, it took a moment.
When Ohtori finally did manage to stop laughing, he put a hand on Hiyoshi’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to laugh like that…” Just thinking about it made him chuckle again, and he fought to suppress it. “But. The offer stands. If or when you need it. At least I’ll know I’m not the only one being smart about it.”
The fact that Hiyoshi didn’t shrug Ohtori’s hand off immediately was an easy tell that his death-glare was toothless, but damn if that look couldn’t peel paint. “I don’t want your condoms. I’ll get my own condoms. I’ll use a plastic bag if I have to.” Not something he would actually do of course, but a dramatic example to underline how much he WASN’T going to rely on Ohtori for that sort of thing. “How many did you bring, anyway? You make it sound like you brought cartons of them. Sex maniac.”
Ohtori couldn’t help laughing a little more at the thought of Hiyoshi using a plastic bag. Suuuuch a bad idea…even if he knew Hiyoshi was only using it to make a point. “Well. I’m sure medbay has a supply as well…at least, I sure hope they do. But just in case…” He shrugged, then slapped Hiyoshi’s shoulder lightly for the sex maniac comment. “Hey, I’ll have you know I’ve hardly used any since I got here, thank you very much.”
But ‘hardly any’ is ‘some’, and Hiyoshi wasn’t going to let that slide. “Who have you been sleeping with? Shishido-sensei?” He was actually more confused than anything, hadn’t they only started dating? Then again, some people moved fast… but Hiyoshi had trouble imagining Ohtori as one of those people.
“No, not Shishido-san!” Ohtori immediately exclaimed. “I just…He’s different. There’s something about him that’s special…so I’m not going to rush that.” But…the answer to Hiyoshi’s other question… Ohtori ran a hand through his hair, scratching a little at the back of his neck out of awkwardness. “But…well. Eheh…How long have we been here again?”
Hiyoshi got two main pieces of information out of that: 1, that Ohtori was having flings, and 2, that based on that awkward little laugh it was more than one. Neither of these things were what he expected from pure, sweet Ohtori. “What does how long we’ve been here have to do with it?!”
“I don’t know! I was hoping it’d distract you!” And apparently, it had only made it worse.
Ohtori sighed. Okay, okay, fine. “So I’ve had a little sex. It’s not a big deal. It’s not like I was leading anybody on. They knew it was a ‘fun while it lasts’ kind of thing. But I’m not doing that anymore. Like I said, Shishido-san is special.” And might make him more frustrated than a celibate three month shuttle ride, but good things come to those who wait, right?
Hiyoshi, meanwhile, was in disbelief. “How often do you have sex?” Was he crossing a line? Quite possibly. But Ohtori couldn’t just go mentioning his massive condom stash and his casual sexual encounters and expect Hiyoshi NOT to ask.
Ohtori leaned back on his hands with a sigh and shrugged. “Generally whenever I feel like it, and can find someone to do it with? I mean it’s not like I can’t go without but…I don’t see a need to when there’s options.” Okay, it was weird, being this open about it. Aside from the people on Yomi that he had actually slept with…and to a much smaller extent, Shishido, he hadn’t shown his pervier side to anyone. “It’s only been a few times since we’ve gotten here.”
And there it was, Hiyoshi’s image of Ohtori, completely shattered. “We’ve only been here a month and a half…” Rather than judging Ohtori, Hiyoshi’s problem was that this new revelation made him feel somewhat inadequate. Poor, poor, virgin Hiyoshi.
“And I was out on an expedition for two of those weeks, so they don’t count.” So…four weeks, total, he’d been actually in Yomi. Because really, there was nothing sexy about that expedition, despite the nanosuits.
Ohtori just shrugged. “What can I say? I enjoy it. There’s not really a point to denying yourself of something you enjoy when it’s not harming you, especially when you’re in a place with so limited options for entertainment.” And sure, Ohtori had a few plans in the works to fix that, but they weren’t exactly the kinds of plans that would satisfy an active libido.
“You’re an adult, you can do what you want. It’s not my business.” But despite saying this, Hiyoshi was clearly a bit tetchy about the whole situation. Sorry Ohtori, not your fault. “Keep your condoms for yourself. It sounds like you need them more than I do.” Especially with his fancy new thing(?!) with Shishido-sensei. Ohtori might have said he would take things slow, but that didn’t mean they probably wouldn’t end up there eventually.
Ohtori laughed softly. “Oh, I don’t know…You and Gakuto-senpai might end up getting there eventually…” Or Hiyoshi and Niou….or…well. Who knew, really. Five years could potentially add up to a lot of partners, depending on the level of buildup to each encounter. “Plus, I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t have plenty. But fine. Have fun asking Atobe-sensei or Shishido-san for them when you need them…”
A certain name snapped Hiyoshi out of his moping and back to reality immediately. “I’d rather die of syphilis than ask Atobe for condoms.” The mere idea was so distasteful Hiyoshi couldn’t help but grimace. “I’ll take care of it when it comes to that. Besides, I still need to clear things up with Gakuto-san first.” Which brought them back to their original topic, full circle. “...thank you for putting up with me. I feel less like a directionless idiot now.”
Ohtori just grinned. He knew bringing up Atobe’s name would get a reaction out of him. “It’s never ‘putting up with’ you, Hiyoshi-kun. You’re my friend. I’m here for you for anything I can help with. No matter what.” He kind of liked the thought of Hiyoshi and Gakuto together. He hadn’t actually seen how they interact in person, just conversations on the journals, but what he had seen was awfully cute. “Oh! Maybe the four of us could double-date sometime!”
And there it was, that earnest and sincere loyalty that drew Hiyoshi to Ohtori as a person. Even early on in their shuttle ride Hiyoshi had innately known that Ohtori was the sort of person he could trust.
There was just one small problem with the double-date suggestion though. “I think Akutagawa-san might feel left out if we did that.” Those three were a package deal, whether they liked it or not.
“Hmmm…you might be right… Although I know he’s trying to find someone to date…maybe when he finds someone he’s serious enough about to not be a one-off, then we could do a triple-date. The six of us.” Ohtori knew Hiyoshi was probably right. As happy as Akutagawa would likely be for his two closest friends, it would probably be weird for him to be the only single one. And while Ohtori was okay with the idea of having Akutagawa join them even if he didn’t have a date, that could be at least as awkward, if not worse. “I really hope he has good luck with his dating endeavor. He deserves someone that will appreciate him how he is. Unusual sleep habits and all.”
“He’s cute. He’ll find someone.” And his willingness to just ask anyone and not worry about failure would get him somewhere even if nothing else did. Akutagawa had tried to ask out Akutsu of all people after all, and directly after being told that Akutsu didn’t date. “Or if he doesn’t, maybe he’ll stop worrying about it eventually. Relationships aren’t the most important thing in the world.” Or maybe they were. Ohtori was the expert on that, it seemed; Hiyoshi was still learning the ropes.
With a sigh, Hiyoshi stood up. “I need to go eat something before I spend the rest of my night thinking so hard I forget. If I’m lucky there might be real food leftovers in the kitchen.” He gives Ohtori a tiny nod of a bow, ever formal. “If my life falls apart after this, I’ll be sure to come and blame you.”
Ohtori stood too, and pulled Hiyoshi into a hug. He made it firm enough to let Hiyoshi know that Ohtori wasn’t going anywhere, but at the same time kept it quick enough to make sure Hiyoshi didn’t get uncomfortable with the lack of formality. “Good luck, Hiyoshi-kun. I really do hope it all works out well for you. You deserve to be happy.” As he walked with Hiyoshi the few steps to the door, he had an idea, and detoured to the closet, pulling something out of one of the boxes inside. “And here. Hopefully there will be real food…but if not, these should help with the aftertaste of the replicator stuff.” He handed Hiyoshi a vacuum-sealed pack of cookies.
He wasn’t one to initiate things like hugs much, but that didn’t mean they bothered Hiyoshi at all. He let Ohtori do his thing, then stopped at the door to look at the cookies Ohtori had just passed him. They looked real and homemade, and since that sort of thing was so scarce on the base it lent a certain weight to the gift. “Ah… thank you. They look good, I’ll enjoy them. Thank you again.” Another tiny bow, and Hiyoshi was off. If he was lucky, the novelty of the cookies might even distract him enough that he only spent half the night fussing instead of the whole thing. But not likely.
When: July 31, after Jirou poked Hiyoshi about Gakuto
Where: Ohtori’s room
What: Hiyoshi goes to Ohtori for advice
Outwardly Hiyoshi looked calm as always, but inside he was dying. Being approached directly about your confusing romantic life would do that. If Akutagawa had achieved one thing though, he’d gotten Hiyoshi to realize that he couldn’t just ignore things anymore, which was why he was now knocking on the door of Ohtori’s room, hoping desperately that the other man would be able to make more sense of all this than he could.
Ohtori had taken a couple of minutes to clean up his projects and tuck them aside before Hiyoshi came over. He had no idea what Hiyoshi wanted to talk about, but it sounded important, and that took precedence; his projects could wait. Taking a moment to look it over, he sighed. It wasn’t as tidy as he’d normally prefer, but it would have to do for now.
That done, he answered the door and gave Hiyoshi a smile. “Come on in, Hiyoshi-san.”
Hiyoshi gave Ohtori a little bow and stepped in. He didn’t notice the mess, that was none of his business– but even if he had been the type to care about those things he wouldn’t have noticed today. His mind was too full right now. Hiyoshi stood in the middle of the room, stiff and formal. He’d gotten this far, but now that he was here it was harder than he’d expected. He knew he’d have to speak eventually though, so he spits out the simplest thing he can manage. “I have a problem.”
Ohtori blinked. That was sudden. And clearly, Hiyoshi was tense, so this had to be pretty important… “Here, come sit.” Ohtori gently guided Hiyoshi to sit on his bed (the desk chair too covered in WIPs to be useful) and then sat beside him. “What’s going on?”
Very few people could get Hiyoshi to sit beside them like this in his current state, but this was Ohtori, his shuttle buddy, and he naturally had that calm, trustworthy aura that had a way of easing Hiyoshi into things he normally wouldn’t do.
Hiyoshi still didn’t answer immediately of course, instead staring a hole into the wall, glancing at Ohtori for a split second, then going back to staring. “It’s stupid and embarrassing. I’m going to sound like an idiot or a crazy person.” Probably both.
Ohtori patiently gave Hiyoshi all the time he needed until he spoke, but he wasn’t sure he expected what he got. “Hiyoshi-san… I promise, I’m not going to tease you in any way for whatever it is. You’re clearly tense…so it’s important to you, whatever it is. That means I’m going to take it seriously.” He tipped his head in curiosity, trying to read Hiyoshi’s expression…but the guy was pretty good at keeping a lid on things. “And don’t rush yourself. I’m not going anywhere.”
Hiyoshi already trusted Ohtori not to make fun of him, but it was still nice to hear the reassurance. He let out a long breath to try to relax himself, and rubbed at his eyes and temples. “I can’t just keep you here forever. It’s– I don’t know where to start. It’s all stupid.” He paused again here, but it was shorter this time. “...It’s relationship stuff. Or something like that, it’s such a mess I don’t know what to call it. Akutagawa-san messaged me and now I have to put labels on the mess I created and I have no idea where to start.”
Ohtori’s eyebrows went up. Relationship stuff… Always complicated. “Well…start at the beginning. How is it a mess in the first place?” Labels helped simplify things, sure, but they weren’t always needed…and if one was going to get applied, it would be important to understand the relationship first.
The beginning, where was that again? It was hard with so many people involved, but it all had to come out eventually, so Hiyoshi picked the easiest thing to explain and went with that. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with Gakuto-san lately. I… we like each other, or something like that, but he didn’t want to give it a name. But then Akutagawa-san told me I should because Gakuto-san wants me to, so I don’t know what I should do.” Or worse, what to call it.
A big smile slowly spread across Ohtori’s face, and he clamped down on the urge to squeal and hug Hiyoshi out of excitement. It really was something worth being excited about, but Hiyoshi wasn’t telling him for that reason. “Do you want to give it a name?” Ohtori asked.
Even without looking, Hiyoshi could sense that grin, and it only contributes to his quickly reddening face. “I don’t know. It’s complicated.” And embarrassing. Very embarrassing. “I don’t like taking someone else’s word over Gakuto-san’s, but Akutagawa-san is probably right.”
Hiyoshi blushing so brightly made Ohtori unable to help a little chuckle. Of course, he’d probably looked just as red during his date with Shishido. Multiple times. And during the talk with Gakuto. “Well…I think that Akutagawa-san means well. He wants to make sure that Gakuto-senpai is happy and well cared for in whatever relationship he has. So it comes from a place of love, and…I get it. Saying you’re dating or that you have a boyfriend implies certain things. It makes it easier to describe the nature of relationship to others, and sometimes, to each other. But the most important thing isn’t what someone else thinks of your relationship. As long as you and Gakuto-senpai are on the same page about what you want and where this is going, then what you call it isn’t important.” He gently bumped Hiyoshi’s shoulder with his own. “Which means you should make it crystal clear to Gakuto-senpai, if you haven’t already.”
“I thought I had, but apparently Gakuto-san is better at second guessing himself than I thought.” Hiyoshi made a face at this, the differences in their amounts of confidence was still confusing and difficult to navigate at times. “I should say something, I know that. It was fine until Akutagawa-san said something about friends not making out with friends and throwing a wrench into things.”
Ohtori frowned, thinking about it. “I assume he meant that…incident with you and Niou-san…” Well, Akutagawa wasn’t entirely wrong. In general, friends didn’t make out with friends…but not everybody fit the same mold, either. “Have you talked to Gakuto-senpai about that?”
Incident... even just hearing Ohtori mention it made Hiyoshi blush harder. People he worked with knowing about it was one thing, but friends was so much worse. “We talked about it and he understands, that’s not the problem. The problem is Akutagawa-san is right.”
“Hiyoshi-san…” As far as Ohtori could figure, there was one thing that was adding up. “Do you like Niou-san as well?” That…would certainly complicate things…
Whomp, there it is. Hiyoshi was completely avoiding eye contact at this point, staring so hard at the contents of Ohtori’s desk that it wouldn’t be surprising if they spontaneously combusted. His arms were crossed and his face was on fire, and his whole posture was completely defensive because Ohtori was 100% right.
Oof. Hiyoshi’s body language said it all. “And I’m assuming Gakuto-senpai doesn’t know this part of it…” Definitely a challenging situation. “Is there one you like more than the other? And does Niou-san know?” That would explain a good part of why Hiyoshi had been so angry to find out Niou and Uion were the same… Bad enough if a friend did that. But if it was the person you liked……Ouch.
“He knows I kissed Uio– Niou, and that it was just as friends. And that’s true, the other part is unrelated.” Or as unrelated as it can possibly be when you agree to do something stupid that you normally wouldn’t based on the fact that you kind of like the person. “I think I like Gakuto-san more, but how do I know I can trust what I think and that it’s not just a reaction to being around people again after three months talking to no one but you? What if neither of them is the right choice?” As he went on, Hiyoshi sounded more and more aggravated. And he was, at himself. Wasn’t he supposed to be done with this kind of thing in middle school? He was a grown-up for fuck’s sake.
Ohtori put a hand on Hiyoshi's shoulder and squeezed gently. "Relationships are rarely simple things. All you can do is go with how you feel and be honest to the other person. If your feelings change, then be honest about that too. And it's possible, like you said. That this is just part of being around people again, and neither of them is right. But you can't know without trying." He wished it could be simple, that somehow you'd know your perfect match the moment you met them, but that was the stuff of fairytales.
Grumble grumble. “You’re too reasonable. I should have picked you instead.” But that ship had sailed and Hiyoshi knew it. “I haven’t dated anyone since I was fifteen. I feel like an idiot playing catch up.” This right here was about as close as Hiyoshi ever got to whining, or his version of it anyway. At this point he knew what he needed to do, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t annoying.
Ohtori chuckled. Hiyoshi was a great person, and anyone that ended up with him would have a great partner, Ohtori was sure. "I haven't dated in a long time, either, honestly. But there's nothing to feel like an idiot for. It doesn't matter how old we are or how long it's been. The basics don't change. You spend time together, get to know each other, and if things go well you stick with it. If they don't, you can either try to fix it or call it quits, and start over with someone new, eventually."
“You make it sound so simple.” As much as it made Hiyoshi feel like a kid who didn’t know what he was doing, it was comforting to hear the confidence behind Ohtori’s words telling him that it was easy and doable. It was exactly the reassurance he needed. And as doubtful as his words might sound, Hiyoshi’s tension was visibly draining, enough for him to focus on something besides his own problem for a second. “You’re dating Shishido-sensei now though, aren’t you?”
Ohtori was about to tell him it should be relatively simple…but instead it was Ohtori's turn to blush, at least as bright red as Hiyoshi had been earlier. "We've only been on one date, so far, but yes. We're both planning on not letting that be the only one."
Hiyoshi looked at Ohtori again for the first time since he'd been there, and ah, revenge was sweet. "He seems like a good guy. Smart. Protective of his friends. He's always at the gym early, too. Not the kind of guy I'd expect to sneak kisses in the library."
Ohtori’s eyes grew wide. He hadn’t made a secret of being on a date with Shishido, but he hadn’t told anyone that they’d kissed… “How did you hear about that?” ……wait. Hiyoshi was in security… “…oh god we’re on camera, aren’t we?” He had known it was a possibility, but when they’d gotten this far without one of Yanagi’s powerpoint reminders, he’d thought they were in the clear…
"Everyone's one camera all the time," Hiyoshi shrugged. "There's no rule against kissing in public, no one in security cares. Ensign Yanagi might, but he seems to leave you alone as long as you don't go too far. It's not his job to watch the cameras anyway." It was just a very unfortunate hobby. "If it bothers you, I can show you some blind spots for next time."
Ohtori groaned. "No, I knew it was a possibility. But knowing that you saw it is the embarrassing part." It wasn't like he'd expected to never get caught…but oh well. At least he wasn't putting all kinds of details on the journals. "But listen to you, knowing where the blind spots are," he chuckled, giving Hiyoshi a teasing look. "Do a little research after your own on-camera moment?"
"I knew that would be on camera. I just didn't think people would make a big deal out of it." Hiyoshi was trying to play it cool, but his blush is coming back again. "It's not even his job, the PowerPoint isn't authorized. He just made it to bother people. What part of kissing someone implies I'm going to jump straight to unprotected sex with with them?"
Ohtori chuckled. They were a pair, weren't they? Both getting caught on camera… "Yanagi-san doesn't seem the type to do something just to bother someone. Maybe more like he made it for one reason, but it turns out to work well for other things, too." And then, partly to be a good friend, partly to embarrass the shit out of Hiyoshi, Ohtori added, "I do have a decent supply of condoms, if you find yourself in need…"
“Other things like reminding people that Big Brother is watching?” Hiyoshi grumbled… and then he heard the last bit and choked. Intensely. It took Hiyoshi a full thirty seconds to get it together, and when he does the glare he levels at Ohtori is teary-eyed from all the coughing. A stern “No,” is what Hiyoshi managed at this point, because there was no other reply Hiyoshi could come up with that didn’t involve confirming or denying whether he was having sex or not.
Ohtori couldn’t help it. Hiyoshi’s reaction was so funny that he just exploded with laughter, literally laughing so hard he doubled over and almost fell onto the floor in the process. He didn’t mean to laugh so hard - a chuckle, sure, but not like this - and a part of him felt bad about it, but it was so hard to stop laughing, and unfortunately, it took a moment.
When Ohtori finally did manage to stop laughing, he put a hand on Hiyoshi’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to laugh like that…” Just thinking about it made him chuckle again, and he fought to suppress it. “But. The offer stands. If or when you need it. At least I’ll know I’m not the only one being smart about it.”
The fact that Hiyoshi didn’t shrug Ohtori’s hand off immediately was an easy tell that his death-glare was toothless, but damn if that look couldn’t peel paint. “I don’t want your condoms. I’ll get my own condoms. I’ll use a plastic bag if I have to.” Not something he would actually do of course, but a dramatic example to underline how much he WASN’T going to rely on Ohtori for that sort of thing. “How many did you bring, anyway? You make it sound like you brought cartons of them. Sex maniac.”
Ohtori couldn’t help laughing a little more at the thought of Hiyoshi using a plastic bag. Suuuuch a bad idea…even if he knew Hiyoshi was only using it to make a point. “Well. I’m sure medbay has a supply as well…at least, I sure hope they do. But just in case…” He shrugged, then slapped Hiyoshi’s shoulder lightly for the sex maniac comment. “Hey, I’ll have you know I’ve hardly used any since I got here, thank you very much.”
But ‘hardly any’ is ‘some’, and Hiyoshi wasn’t going to let that slide. “Who have you been sleeping with? Shishido-sensei?” He was actually more confused than anything, hadn’t they only started dating? Then again, some people moved fast… but Hiyoshi had trouble imagining Ohtori as one of those people.
“No, not Shishido-san!” Ohtori immediately exclaimed. “I just…He’s different. There’s something about him that’s special…so I’m not going to rush that.” But…the answer to Hiyoshi’s other question… Ohtori ran a hand through his hair, scratching a little at the back of his neck out of awkwardness. “But…well. Eheh…How long have we been here again?”
Hiyoshi got two main pieces of information out of that: 1, that Ohtori was having flings, and 2, that based on that awkward little laugh it was more than one. Neither of these things were what he expected from pure, sweet Ohtori. “What does how long we’ve been here have to do with it?!”
“I don’t know! I was hoping it’d distract you!” And apparently, it had only made it worse.
Ohtori sighed. Okay, okay, fine. “So I’ve had a little sex. It’s not a big deal. It’s not like I was leading anybody on. They knew it was a ‘fun while it lasts’ kind of thing. But I’m not doing that anymore. Like I said, Shishido-san is special.” And might make him more frustrated than a celibate three month shuttle ride, but good things come to those who wait, right?
Hiyoshi, meanwhile, was in disbelief. “How often do you have sex?” Was he crossing a line? Quite possibly. But Ohtori couldn’t just go mentioning his massive condom stash and his casual sexual encounters and expect Hiyoshi NOT to ask.
Ohtori leaned back on his hands with a sigh and shrugged. “Generally whenever I feel like it, and can find someone to do it with? I mean it’s not like I can’t go without but…I don’t see a need to when there’s options.” Okay, it was weird, being this open about it. Aside from the people on Yomi that he had actually slept with…and to a much smaller extent, Shishido, he hadn’t shown his pervier side to anyone. “It’s only been a few times since we’ve gotten here.”
And there it was, Hiyoshi’s image of Ohtori, completely shattered. “We’ve only been here a month and a half…” Rather than judging Ohtori, Hiyoshi’s problem was that this new revelation made him feel somewhat inadequate. Poor, poor, virgin Hiyoshi.
“And I was out on an expedition for two of those weeks, so they don’t count.” So…four weeks, total, he’d been actually in Yomi. Because really, there was nothing sexy about that expedition, despite the nanosuits.
Ohtori just shrugged. “What can I say? I enjoy it. There’s not really a point to denying yourself of something you enjoy when it’s not harming you, especially when you’re in a place with so limited options for entertainment.” And sure, Ohtori had a few plans in the works to fix that, but they weren’t exactly the kinds of plans that would satisfy an active libido.
“You’re an adult, you can do what you want. It’s not my business.” But despite saying this, Hiyoshi was clearly a bit tetchy about the whole situation. Sorry Ohtori, not your fault. “Keep your condoms for yourself. It sounds like you need them more than I do.” Especially with his fancy new thing(?!) with Shishido-sensei. Ohtori might have said he would take things slow, but that didn’t mean they probably wouldn’t end up there eventually.
Ohtori laughed softly. “Oh, I don’t know…You and Gakuto-senpai might end up getting there eventually…” Or Hiyoshi and Niou….or…well. Who knew, really. Five years could potentially add up to a lot of partners, depending on the level of buildup to each encounter. “Plus, I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t have plenty. But fine. Have fun asking Atobe-sensei or Shishido-san for them when you need them…”
A certain name snapped Hiyoshi out of his moping and back to reality immediately. “I’d rather die of syphilis than ask Atobe for condoms.” The mere idea was so distasteful Hiyoshi couldn’t help but grimace. “I’ll take care of it when it comes to that. Besides, I still need to clear things up with Gakuto-san first.” Which brought them back to their original topic, full circle. “...thank you for putting up with me. I feel less like a directionless idiot now.”
Ohtori just grinned. He knew bringing up Atobe’s name would get a reaction out of him. “It’s never ‘putting up with’ you, Hiyoshi-kun. You’re my friend. I’m here for you for anything I can help with. No matter what.” He kind of liked the thought of Hiyoshi and Gakuto together. He hadn’t actually seen how they interact in person, just conversations on the journals, but what he had seen was awfully cute. “Oh! Maybe the four of us could double-date sometime!”
And there it was, that earnest and sincere loyalty that drew Hiyoshi to Ohtori as a person. Even early on in their shuttle ride Hiyoshi had innately known that Ohtori was the sort of person he could trust.
There was just one small problem with the double-date suggestion though. “I think Akutagawa-san might feel left out if we did that.” Those three were a package deal, whether they liked it or not.
“Hmmm…you might be right… Although I know he’s trying to find someone to date…maybe when he finds someone he’s serious enough about to not be a one-off, then we could do a triple-date. The six of us.” Ohtori knew Hiyoshi was probably right. As happy as Akutagawa would likely be for his two closest friends, it would probably be weird for him to be the only single one. And while Ohtori was okay with the idea of having Akutagawa join them even if he didn’t have a date, that could be at least as awkward, if not worse. “I really hope he has good luck with his dating endeavor. He deserves someone that will appreciate him how he is. Unusual sleep habits and all.”
“He’s cute. He’ll find someone.” And his willingness to just ask anyone and not worry about failure would get him somewhere even if nothing else did. Akutagawa had tried to ask out Akutsu of all people after all, and directly after being told that Akutsu didn’t date. “Or if he doesn’t, maybe he’ll stop worrying about it eventually. Relationships aren’t the most important thing in the world.” Or maybe they were. Ohtori was the expert on that, it seemed; Hiyoshi was still learning the ropes.
With a sigh, Hiyoshi stood up. “I need to go eat something before I spend the rest of my night thinking so hard I forget. If I’m lucky there might be real food leftovers in the kitchen.” He gives Ohtori a tiny nod of a bow, ever formal. “If my life falls apart after this, I’ll be sure to come and blame you.”
Ohtori stood too, and pulled Hiyoshi into a hug. He made it firm enough to let Hiyoshi know that Ohtori wasn’t going anywhere, but at the same time kept it quick enough to make sure Hiyoshi didn’t get uncomfortable with the lack of formality. “Good luck, Hiyoshi-kun. I really do hope it all works out well for you. You deserve to be happy.” As he walked with Hiyoshi the few steps to the door, he had an idea, and detoured to the closet, pulling something out of one of the boxes inside. “And here. Hopefully there will be real food…but if not, these should help with the aftertaste of the replicator stuff.” He handed Hiyoshi a vacuum-sealed pack of cookies.
He wasn’t one to initiate things like hugs much, but that didn’t mean they bothered Hiyoshi at all. He let Ohtori do his thing, then stopped at the door to look at the cookies Ohtori had just passed him. They looked real and homemade, and since that sort of thing was so scarce on the base it lent a certain weight to the gift. “Ah… thank you. They look good, I’ll enjoy them. Thank you again.” Another tiny bow, and Hiyoshi was off. If he was lucky, the novelty of the cookies might even distract him enough that he only spent half the night fussing instead of the whole thing. But not likely.
