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Who: Akutsu & Tachibana
When: Sept. 3
Where: The kitchen
What: Tachibana and Akutsu talk about the whole "Niou situation". And they might be bonding
Tachibana knew this talk was going to be awkward, but Niou had asked for it to happen, and Tachibana wanted to put Niou at ease, so he invited him to the kitchen and made a quick meal for them to share…
Food made everything better, right?
He waited, unsure of what to expect from all of this.
After the talk with Niou, Akutsu had been expecting to need a conversation with Tachibana. He just wasn't sure how the guy felt about the whole situation, and unfortunately, didn't know him well enough to guess. But when Tachibana reached out over the comms, well. It couldn't be avoided forever.
He headed down to the kitchen, running a hand through his loose hair to try and rake it out of his eyes before he knocked on the doorframe, and stepped through a moment later. "Under any other circumstances, I'd ask who you wanted me to punch for ya," he remarked, sticking his hands in his pockets.
Tachibana had made steak. A man couldn't be mad eating a steak, right? He couldn't help but chuckle at Akutsu’s entrance. "I'm hoping there will be no punching…" He motioned Akutsu to sit at the counter. "I'm not angry."
Akutsu followed Tachibana's motioning, his mouth already watering at the smell of what the guy had cooked up. God he hadn't had steak in forever. "Well that's good…I think." His brow furrowed as he looked over at Tachibana, trying to read his body language. "So. How much did he tell you?"
Tachibana served Akutsu before sitting down himself. "Just that he's in love with you and you feel something for him as well…" Tachibana ran a hand through his hair. "And that he's in love with me, too. You know, I want to be upset, but if I get pissed because he's polyamorous, I would be a giant asshole…"
"You can be upset. From what I could gather by lookin' back on conversations I've had with him, his feelings for me aren't a recent development. It's prolly just recent that he actually put a word to it. Situation like this…you can decide you'd rather be with someone who wants only you. Doesn't mean you don't accept him and how he is…just that that life's not for you. Not sayin' you should. Just that it's an option." A part of Akutsu wanted to dig right into the food, but most of him wanted to get at least a little bit of some kind of resolution to it before being even more self-indulgent than he already had been, lately.
"That's the thing. If it were anyone else, I might be upset, but somehow…" Tachibana groaned, not finding any way to say this without sounding weird. "Since it's you, I don't mind it. I know you'll take care of him just as well as I will, just in different ways…and the thought of you two being together doesn't eat at me. When it wasn't clear, I was jealous and confused, but now that it's clear…"
Tachibana took a deep breath. "I love him. I don't think I'm all he needs, though."
Akutsu just…stared, for a moment. He knew what Tachibana had said was a good thing, but… "This…is definitely, by far, the most weird as fuck conversation I have ever had. And considering I've had a lot of bizarre-ass conversations with Niou, that's saying something." He folded his hands and held them against his face for a moment, then lowered them with a sigh. "I get it, though. I can recognize that there are things you can give him that I can't, even though a selfish part of me tries to say otherwise." It made him wonder if that would have helped Akira…but he shook that thought out of his head. There wasn't anything he could do about that now, so it wasn't worth worrying about. "You gotta hell of a lot more patience than I do, for one thing."
"It is pretty bizarre…not a situation I ever thought I would see myself in." Tachibana said. "And you draw a personality out of him I could never dream of." He said. "I know we haven't spoken a whole lot, but I do consider you a friend. There’s no reason for us to deny him if we can both live with it." Five years was a long time. Who knows where their feelings would be by then.
Akutsu nodded in agreement. To just about all of it. “To be honest, I haven’t read much of the journal conversations between you two, so I dunno what you bring out in him. Except apparently his horny side.” Aaand that was all Akutsu was gonna say on that particular topic. “I can live with it. At least for now. But I think it’s gonna be important for us to be totally honest, with him and with each other. If we reach a point where we can’t do it anymore, for some reason, we need to be clear about that.”
Tachibana turned red, covering his face with a hand. "I can't believe he talks to you about that…" He sighed and took a drink of water. "Yeah. I agree. Right now, we are all stuck here, but eventually, we'll all leave…" He did feel a little sick, thinking about that. "But I promise, I'll be honest."
Akutsu snickered a little at Tachibana blushing like that. And, because now, with all this stuff, and the agreement to be honest, Akutsu decided to be a bit of his usual dick self. “Not just me. Marui, too. When he asked about the mechanics of sex, I noped out of that conversation and told him to ask someone else. Apparently, he decided Marui would make a useful encyclopedia.”
Tachibana groaned. "I like Marui but… he's not exactly someone I would go to for advice…" He was absolutely mortified. Then he looked at Akutsu. "Can I try something with you?"
“At least Marui knows what’s what in bed, though,” Akutsu shrugged. Did he 100% trust what Marui would tell him? Not necessarily, but at least so far he hadn’t led Niou down any too-questionable path. And if he did, Between himself and Tachibana, they could straighten him out.
At the question, Akutsu looked at Tachibana with one eyebrow up. “Depends whatcha got in mind.”
"I suppose he does…" Tachibana was still unsure that any of Marui's advice would be good for Niou, though. Tachibana thought about what he was going to ask and decided the day was already awkward, why not go for broke?
"Can I try holding your hand?"
If possible, Akutsu's raised eyebrow went even higher, and despite the part of him that was absolutely dying of laughter inside, he (somehow) managed to keep a straight face. ….And then he leaned in, looking closely at Tachibana, like he was examining his face. "....Niou? Is that you?"
Tachibana laughed. He could see why Akutsu might think that. "Come on now, there is no way Masaharu could make himself my size just to trick you." He shook his head. "No, he just always talks about how he likes holding your hand and I want to try it for myself."
"I wouldn't put it past him," Akutsu smirked with a shrug. "But seriously. Of all the things he tells you about me, it's the hand holding you're curious about?" So weird…but whatever. With a shrug, Akutsu flopped his hand palm-up on the counter. "Sure, why not."
Tachibana placed his hand in Akutsu’s, holding it firmly, but gently. "I like holding hands. But yes, I just wanted to see what your hands felt like." Akutsu’s were calloused in different places than Tachibana’s, covered in less knife scars and burns. "I don't hate it. Holding your hand."
As odd as it was, Akutsu actually held Tachibana's in return. He wasn't used to holding hands in general, but when he did they were typically smaller than his. Tachibana's was closer in size to his own, but it wasn't unpleasant. "Well, good. Because if you did I'd have to just call this whole thing quits right here and now," Akutsu remarked, keeping his face and tone mostly straight, but letting out just enough smirk and sarcasm to make sure Tachibana knew he was only teasing.
Tachibana chuckled. He liked Akutsu’s sense of humor. “Masaharu was filled with a lot of anxiety about this particular conversation and here we are holding hands.” He didn’t let go for right now. “I think he wasn’t thinking quite straight about all of this. I think he thinks that you and I must also be in a relationship for this to work.” He sighed softly. “I think we don’t know each other enough to really know if that’s a possibility or not.”
"Well, that's certainly one possibility for how this can go. But when I talked with him I even told him it could just be he has both of us and we each have him and leave the other one more or less alone about it." Not that that meant much. Akutsu knew Niou tended to be a weird ball of anxiety over just about anything, so that part of the conversation might've gone in one ear and right out the other. "As for that, though. You're right. I wouldn't say I'm opposed to the idea, necessarily, but we definitely can't assume it'd work that way at this point."
Tachibana nodded. “I guess what I’m saying is I would like to get to know you more.” He smiled softly, patting Akutsu’s hand with his free one before finally letting go. “I’m not opposed to it, either.” Akutsu was attractive and they got along very well, despite being so different. “But for now, you should eat or it’ll get cold.”
"Yeah. Getting to know you better would be good." Ideally, even if nothing beyond friendship ended up between Akutsu and Tachibana, it seemed like them being friends would be a better option than them just…awkwardly sharing Niou and trying to pretend each other didn't exist.
And the moment Tachibana mentioned eating, Akutsu couldn't help himself. He dove in, and oh god, so good.
Tachibana just watched Akutsu eat for a moment before deciding that he definitely needed to have more meals with the man. He really knew how to enjoy his food, and Tachibana really liked watching people enjoy food. “I’m not as creative as Masaharu is with questions, I hope that’s alright. I just tend to ask things as they come up.” He figured no one was quite as… inquisitive… as Masaharu was, but he figured he might as well mention it.
Akutsu laughed around his mouthful of food at the mention of Niou’s questions, but he took a moment to finish chewing and swallow before he answered. “Thank god for that. If you asked questions like he does I might lose my fucking mind.” He looked over at Tachibana. “I’m like that too. So. No weird ‘what names did you give to your teeth’ type shit.”
Tachibana snorted. “I promise, if I start asking those kinds of questions, please have me admitted.” He laughed. He took a few bites of food, mulling over all of this. “...I apologize for being a bit sappy right now, but I am glad you’re okay with this. I want Masaharu to be happy, and honestly, I want you to be happy, too.”
"Ehhh, you're the kinda guy that wants everybody to be happy," Akutsu waved it off. "Honestly, though, I'm relieved. I kept tryin' to remind myself you weren't likely to haul off and punch me over this insanity, but I was still kinda ready for it anyway. An' even if you didn't, you still coulda been an absolute dick to me, and…I'd probably say I deserved it." But instead here they were, having a very friendly conversation over a delicious meal. It was both a huge weight lifted and a little bit Twilight Zone-y.
“There are actually several people I really, really hate.” Tachibana admitted. “I’ve gotten better about it, but if I were younger, I would just go ahead and punch the people that piss me off.” He wasn’t even saying it to be edgy or anything. “The fact that I care what you think about all this actually does mean something.” He wasn’t sure exactly what that was. “Like I said, I honestly might have punched you over this if you were someone else.”
Akutsu just…stared. And then a slow, wolfish grin spread across his face. "Okay well now ya got me curious. If I'm not on the list of people that're punch-worthy, then I need to know who is." And why, would be interesting too, if Tachibana felt like sharing, but Akutsu knew there was a chance the reason might be too personal to share.
Tachibana tapped his fingers on the counter, smirking. “Well, there aren’t many here on base, but that Dr. Yagyuu is certainly one. Dr. Atobe… and for a bit there, Yanagi, for that shit he pulled with Niou and locking him in that room.” Tachibana’s smile eased some. “But I’m very good at letting things roll off my back these days.”
"Huh. I've actually not really talked with any of them. I've heard a lot of shit about Atobe, and from what I've seen on the journals he seems like a dick." Akutsu tried to think of if he'd paid any attention to Yagyuu, but…he really couldn't come up with anything. "As for Yanagi…I dunno. I know I've been tempted to lock Niou in a room at times…"
“I think my hate of Atobe stems from him being rich. I can’t stand rich assholes.” Tachibana frowned. It was quite unreasonable, really, but he knew it was just a character flaw he had. At the last bit, he chuckled. “Yeah, that’s why that hate was short-lived.”
Akutsu snickered. "Can't blame ya for hating rich assholes. Wouldn't mind smackin' a few around and robbin' em blind myself." Payback for getting off the failing colony he'd called home without making arrangements to evacuate everyone, leaving the average-joe citizens to become poorer and poorer while attempting to make their own arrangements. "Well. At least now you know if Niou really needs to be locked up for his own good, you've got an accomplice."
“Glad to see we have a few things we can agree on.” Tachibana grinned. He was quite glad that he and Akutsu seemed to be on a relatively similar wavelength. “We can double-team him into taking better care of himself. You wanna try to cover sleep? I’ll take care of eating.” He asked playfully.
Okay, it was weird how much Tachibana was growing on him already. Granted, it wasn't like Akutsu had disliked the guy before, but still. …Maybe the similarities in their personalities were part of why Niou ended up falling for both of them… "Oh, sure, take the easy one, mister chef. Me on the other hand, I guess I'll just have to manhandle him into bed and crush him under me to get him to stay there." Of course, Akutsu could barely cook, so really, it wasn't much of an option.
Tachibana laughed. “It’s actually pretty easy.” Tachibana insisted. “Just pet his hair. Even if he doesn’t sleep every time, he still relaxes, and that’s better than nothing.” Tachibana smirked. “But I bet he secretly likes a bit of manhandling, if he’s attracted to you.” Akutsu definitely looked like he was good at manhandling.
"Well look at you, figuring out all his secrets," Akutsu smirked. "The hair thing doesn't surprise me, though. He's kinda fascinated with the idea of touching mine without the gel…" And he'd definitely seemed to enjoy it the first time Akutsu kissed him and tugged on Niou's hair in the process. "The one time I did pin him down just to prove I could, he seemed pretty uncomfortable…but that was a while ago, now." And now Akutsu was curious if Tachibana knew Niou apparently liked gnawing on people…and unconsciously his hand went up to his neck, where Niou had bitten him when they'd talked. The mock turtleneck of his shirt covered most of the marks Niou had left, but if someone looked closely they could still be seen.
“It’s definitely bordering on a fetish for him, but it’s harmless.” Tachibana said. “And who knows how he would react now that he realizes how he feels about you.” Tachibana would absolutely deny his curiosity in seeing that scene firsthand. He noticed Akutsu’s hand and then looked closely. “Ah, he likes to bite you, too?” Niou tended to bite his shoulder and not his neck. “He’s quite toothy, isn’t he?”
Oh thank god. With that overwhelming relief, Akutsu pulled the neck of his shirt down enough to show the extent of it. "I look like a fuckin' chew toy for shit's sake! But damn at least it's not just me." He tugged his shirt back into place, then ran a hand through his hair. "I gotta figure out a way to pay him back for this bullshit."
Tachibana whistled. “He’s never left a mark quite that nasty on me.” He laughed. “As for paying him back…Hmm…you could play a prank on him.” Tachibana thought about it for a second. “...I don’t want it to be too mean, of course…but…” He tapped his chin in thought. “...Does he have something about you that he’s weirdly obsessed with, like with me and my hair?”
Akutsu propped his chin on his hand, thinking. "Just tryin' to touch my hair. …and sometimes he whines about how much I smoke…" He shrugged. "Other than that, I can't really think of anything… Why? What're you thinkin', Tachi?"
Tachibana should have expected the nickname. Niou had told him about it after all, but he wasn’t ready to hear it out loud. He cleared his throat, as if that would fight down the blush. “Well, if it were me, I would snip just a tiny bit off my hair to teach him a lesson… You know, he was quite worried about this conversation…we could make it a little worse for him.”
It was a crazy plan, but it would mortify Niou enough to maybe think twice about marking Akutsu up. “You could bite me. I think that would be quite a punishment.” His train of thought was mainly in frazzling Niou’s brain enough to not want it to happen again.
Well. Akutsu had definitely not expected Tachibana to blush at being called Tachi. Hmm. Interesting…file that away for later… "...you want me...to bite you...to punish Niou for biting me? Hmm… That…actually has some potential… But how would you explain it to anyone else? Pass it off as one of Niou's?"
Tachibana shrugged. “I could do that, or just be honest and say it was a prank. I don’t really care what people think.” He grinned. “So what do you think?”
Akutsu smirked. "I think I like the way your mind works. That is downright diabolical." For most people, it really was just the most weirdly random thing, for Akutsu to bite Tachibana…but for Niou? Oh it would freak him out so much. "It's perfect. Let's do it."
Tachibana nodded and scooted his chair closer to Akutsu. “We both agree to just ignore any sound I make when you do it, okay?”
"Oh, so Niou's not the only one that likes getting bitten. Good to know," Akutsu's smirk just grew as he leaned in, one hand raising to brush Tachibana's hair out of the way while he decided on where. When he sunk his teeth in, he started kind of light, but gradually increased pressure until he was sure he'd leave a bruise, and the spot chosen was high enough not even a full turtleneck would hide it all the way.
“Yeah, no use hiding it.” Tachibana said, shivering a little when Akutsu brushed his hair aside. The initial bite was fine, but once he increased pressure, Tachibana couldn’t help but moan a little. He covered his mouth, embarrassed, even though he had warned Akutsu it was going to happen.
Oh-ho, now, that was an interesting sound there, Tachibana. It made Akutsu grin, and…just for shits and giggles, once he was sure he'd held on long enough to leave a good dark mark, Akutsu went ahead and licked that spot on Tachibana's neck before pulling back and sitting up right to admire his handiwork. "That should do the trick, I think," he remarked innocently enough, as if he hadn't just fucked around a little.
Tachibana’s heart was hammering in his chest, and he would have to do some soul-searching about other body parts that reacted to Akutsu’s little lick. His mouth was a bit dry, making him lick his lips. “Yeah…you should send a picture. If I just show up like this, it won’t connect that this was the punishment…”
It was official. This ‘befriending my love-interest’s boyfriend’ thing was shaping up to be oh so amusing. They were getting along, already had things in common, and better yet, Akutsu had discovered that Tachibana had a secretly devious mind to him. This whole weird-ass situation was turning out to actually be fun, so far. “Alright then. Say cheese,” Akutsu grinned, readying his communicator to take the picture.
Tachibana chuckled and made sure to crane his neck enough so the mark was nice and visible. “Cheese!” He couldn’t help but laugh. Sure, he loved Niou with all his heart, but he liked seeing him flustered from time-to-time. And he was really enjoying his time with Akutsu…way more than he thought he would.
Akutsu snapped the picture, chuckling a little as he added the message: ‘Hey, figured out your punishment for biting me. Have fun’. Then he sent it off to Niou…and turned off the notifications for replies, or else his device would probably not stop beeping. “I’ll see what he says about that later,” he smirked. “Nice job, Tachi.”
Tachibana rubbed his neck a little, really worried at himself for how much he liked how it felt. “I’m sure he’ll at least consider the consequences before biting you hard enough to mark next time.” He smiled, sitting up straight. “Still hungry?” He asked, changing the subject.
Akutsu snickered a little at the thought of Niou’s reaction…but resisted the urge to check for comments already. “Mmph. I”m stuffed,” he answered, eyeing the completely empty plate. It almost looked like he’d picked it up and licked it clean. “That was damn good. Oh! That reminds me. That Mont Blanc you made a little while back? Fucking amazing.”
“That’s a shame, because I might just have an even better mont blanc in the fridge.” Tachibana smirked. “But I am glad you liked it. Nothing says ‘I hope this conversation goes well’ like a nice steak.” He joked.
Akutsu's eyes narrowed at the mention of his favorite dessert. "Hey, now, don't go turning that evil mind of yours on me." Damn he was tempted…but so full… "Saying this conversation went well sounds like an understatement if ya ask me," he smirked.
Tachibana laughed and went to the fridge to fetch the mont blanc for Akutsu. “Indeed. It went swimmingly. I feel like we really got to know more about each other today.”
"Oh I know I did. I learned a whoooole lot about you today. All kinds of interesting things…" Akutsu teased with a little bit of a laugh as he remembered the sound Tachibana had made when he bit him. That had certainly been an unexpected development.
Tachibana blushed, knowing exactly what Akutsu was getting at. “And we agreed not to talk about that, correct?” Except no, Akutsu didn’t agree to a damn thing. “...At least, I requested it…”
Akutsu laughed when Tachibana turned red, again. "Oh, I promise I won't tell. But if Niou knows you react like that, he'll probably figure it out." It was a picture of Tachibana with a very definite dental impression on his neck, after all.
Tachibana chuckled and shrugged. “That will make it all the better when he does react.”
"If you say so," Akutsu smirked. "Might end up bein your funeral. ….or maybe mine. Shit." Well, at least he knew he could hold Niou off if the guy decided to come at him physically.
Tachibana laughed. “Nah, I think he’ll forgive us pretty quickly.”
"If not, it was your idea," Akutsu pointed out. "And I will absolutely blame you for putting the idea in my head."
Tachibana held up his hands. “I accept all responsibility.”
Akutsu grinned and nodded. "Good. Hopefully the worst he'll do is decide he needs to leave marks of his own on you…and I know you won't be complaining about that." At least everybody pretty much knew about Niou and Tachibana, so it wasn't like any secrets would get out that way.
Tachibana passed Akutsu the mont blanc, wishing his face wasn’t so hot. “Just eat your dessert and shut up already.” He grumbled.
Unable to help a little bit of laughter at Tachibana’s expense, Akutsu took the dessert and made a mental note to go a little easier on the teasing. Just because they’d gotten along well so far didn’t mean it wasn’t possible to take it too far and screw things up. He took a bite and purred a little. “Okay, damn. You have gotten better at this.”
Tachibana was definitely going to have to do some thinking after this. “That last one was my first mont blanc ever. I hope this one would be better. I’ve been working hard on it.”
"That was a damn impressive first attempt, then. Just make sure you don't burn yourself out on makin' 'em. As much as I appreciate the effort, I don't want it to be somethin' you get tired of." Akutsu took another bite, and then another…and all too soon the whole thing was gone.
Tachibana smiled fondly. “They wouldn’t be special if I made them all the time anyway.” Tachibana pointed out. He stared at Akutsu’s face for a moment. “Ah, you got some on your cheek.” He said, pointing to his own in a mirrored fashion, hopefully so Akutsu knew where to wipe.
"They're not really supposed to be special…" Akutsu remarked, even as he wiped where Tachibana had pointed, and sure enough, he'd apparently gotten a little messy. But it had been too good to waste, and so of course he stuck his finger in his mouth, getting that last little bit. "Totally worth it," he shrugged.
"Mont blanc is pretty fancy." Tachibana chuckled. "But for what it's worth, I just really like watching people eat their favorite foods. You have some pretty good reactions, especially."
Akutsu laughed. "What can I say, apparently I enjoy the three Fs - fighting, fucking, and food." In no particular order, of course. "Maybe that last one has to do with it not being so easy to get when I was a kid, or somethin."
Tachibana nodded. "I get that. Didn't have much money ourselves." He cleared away the dishes, putting them in the dishwasher. "Not sure if fucking is in our immediate future, but I'm always good for food, and…" He looked at Akutsu. "Maybe I should throw some punches at you."
"Hah. Only if you want Niou to stress the fuck out when you end up black and blue. Besides. If I ever wanna punch something, I apparently have a little half brother that's eager to get his ass kicked." Akutsu shrugged. One of these days he'd get around to sparring with the mushroom head, but for now he was just still wrapping his head around the whole brother thing.
Tachibana snorted. "Yeah, that whole situation is bizarre… but no, what I mean is…do you know how to box?"
"Box? Eh, I picked up a little in prison, but I'd hardly call myself a boxer." Akutsu shrugged. Mostly it was just good stress relief with the heavy bag in the gym. "When it came to that kinda stuff, I did karate. Actually got pretty good at that, on top of the whole fighting dirty for survival thing that comes with a place like that."
"I used to box a little. Not a professional by any means, but if you ever want to spar, let me know." Tachibana offered. "...I’m glad prison didn't break you. I've known people that weren't so lucky. "
Hmm. Sparring with Tachibana. Might be a good idea, actually. "I'll definitely keep it in mind. Could do us both good now and then." Akutsu leaned back in the chair a little. "Eh, for me, it wasn't really all that different than the outside. Still got in fights, still fending for myself. Had regular meals for a change. Even kinda made a couple'a friends. One guy…I dunno if I'd say it broke him, but he told me he'd been in so long that any time he came up for parole, he'd get himself in just enough trouble to have it get denied, because he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle life on the outside anymore."
Tachibana frowned, going and sitting next to Akutsu again. "I can see why some people would find it better than life on the outside. Food is survival. I saw that firsthand. What denial of food sources can do, and what providing a community with the tools to make its own food can do… I hope your friend is well, wherever he is."
"He never did tell me what his life had been like on the outside. But if he preferred prison, must've been pretty fucked up. It ain't like prison's a walk in the park." Akutsu himself actually…sort of enjoyed it, in a weird way. Not that he was planning on going back anytime soon, of course, but still. "I hope so too. He was still inside last I talked to him, so…guess he's probably living his best life right now."
Tachibana nodded solemnly. "That's all we can hope for." Tachibana was strangely feeling very mellow and calm. "Back to the topic at hand," He said. "For now, we'll just tell Masaharu that we're both okay with him having us both, and that we're getting to know each other to see what happens beyond that. Does that sound good?"
Akutsu nodded. "Sounds fine. He'll be relieved we're not about to go nuts at each other, or him. ….And maybe weirded out by us getting along." Of course, the latter was a total bonus. "And just. Plenty of transparency when it comes to the whole 'can I keep doing this' thing. From all three of us. We can change it up as needed, if needed."
"Yes. Honesty will take us a long way." Tachibana smiled. "I should probably go for now. I've got some work to do and before I know it, it'll be time to go on my night run." He sighed softly. "...Thanks. Not only for being okay with this…but for being there for Haru."
Akutsu nodded, going ahead and getting up from his seat. "I'll leave ya to it, then. And…" ugh he was so awkward with being genuine…might have to work on that… "Thanks to you, too. For all of it. …And dinner. And dessert." Tachibana calling Niou 'Haru' made him chuckle a little. Maybe they really were pretty similar…since Akutsu had already knownf he nicknamed Niou anything, 'Haru' was the most likely thing.
Tachibana nodded. "Anytime. Have a good evening." With the dishes already in the washer, he was headed back to his room for some paperwork, but he was definitely feeling more at ease about this whole thing. Hopefully, this would be enough to calm Niou’s mind as well.
When: Sept. 3
Where: The kitchen
What: Tachibana and Akutsu talk about the whole "Niou situation". And they might be bonding
Tachibana knew this talk was going to be awkward, but Niou had asked for it to happen, and Tachibana wanted to put Niou at ease, so he invited him to the kitchen and made a quick meal for them to share…
Food made everything better, right?
He waited, unsure of what to expect from all of this.
After the talk with Niou, Akutsu had been expecting to need a conversation with Tachibana. He just wasn't sure how the guy felt about the whole situation, and unfortunately, didn't know him well enough to guess. But when Tachibana reached out over the comms, well. It couldn't be avoided forever.
He headed down to the kitchen, running a hand through his loose hair to try and rake it out of his eyes before he knocked on the doorframe, and stepped through a moment later. "Under any other circumstances, I'd ask who you wanted me to punch for ya," he remarked, sticking his hands in his pockets.
Tachibana had made steak. A man couldn't be mad eating a steak, right? He couldn't help but chuckle at Akutsu’s entrance. "I'm hoping there will be no punching…" He motioned Akutsu to sit at the counter. "I'm not angry."
Akutsu followed Tachibana's motioning, his mouth already watering at the smell of what the guy had cooked up. God he hadn't had steak in forever. "Well that's good…I think." His brow furrowed as he looked over at Tachibana, trying to read his body language. "So. How much did he tell you?"
Tachibana served Akutsu before sitting down himself. "Just that he's in love with you and you feel something for him as well…" Tachibana ran a hand through his hair. "And that he's in love with me, too. You know, I want to be upset, but if I get pissed because he's polyamorous, I would be a giant asshole…"
"You can be upset. From what I could gather by lookin' back on conversations I've had with him, his feelings for me aren't a recent development. It's prolly just recent that he actually put a word to it. Situation like this…you can decide you'd rather be with someone who wants only you. Doesn't mean you don't accept him and how he is…just that that life's not for you. Not sayin' you should. Just that it's an option." A part of Akutsu wanted to dig right into the food, but most of him wanted to get at least a little bit of some kind of resolution to it before being even more self-indulgent than he already had been, lately.
"That's the thing. If it were anyone else, I might be upset, but somehow…" Tachibana groaned, not finding any way to say this without sounding weird. "Since it's you, I don't mind it. I know you'll take care of him just as well as I will, just in different ways…and the thought of you two being together doesn't eat at me. When it wasn't clear, I was jealous and confused, but now that it's clear…"
Tachibana took a deep breath. "I love him. I don't think I'm all he needs, though."
Akutsu just…stared, for a moment. He knew what Tachibana had said was a good thing, but… "This…is definitely, by far, the most weird as fuck conversation I have ever had. And considering I've had a lot of bizarre-ass conversations with Niou, that's saying something." He folded his hands and held them against his face for a moment, then lowered them with a sigh. "I get it, though. I can recognize that there are things you can give him that I can't, even though a selfish part of me tries to say otherwise." It made him wonder if that would have helped Akira…but he shook that thought out of his head. There wasn't anything he could do about that now, so it wasn't worth worrying about. "You gotta hell of a lot more patience than I do, for one thing."
"It is pretty bizarre…not a situation I ever thought I would see myself in." Tachibana said. "And you draw a personality out of him I could never dream of." He said. "I know we haven't spoken a whole lot, but I do consider you a friend. There’s no reason for us to deny him if we can both live with it." Five years was a long time. Who knows where their feelings would be by then.
Akutsu nodded in agreement. To just about all of it. “To be honest, I haven’t read much of the journal conversations between you two, so I dunno what you bring out in him. Except apparently his horny side.” Aaand that was all Akutsu was gonna say on that particular topic. “I can live with it. At least for now. But I think it’s gonna be important for us to be totally honest, with him and with each other. If we reach a point where we can’t do it anymore, for some reason, we need to be clear about that.”
Tachibana turned red, covering his face with a hand. "I can't believe he talks to you about that…" He sighed and took a drink of water. "Yeah. I agree. Right now, we are all stuck here, but eventually, we'll all leave…" He did feel a little sick, thinking about that. "But I promise, I'll be honest."
Akutsu snickered a little at Tachibana blushing like that. And, because now, with all this stuff, and the agreement to be honest, Akutsu decided to be a bit of his usual dick self. “Not just me. Marui, too. When he asked about the mechanics of sex, I noped out of that conversation and told him to ask someone else. Apparently, he decided Marui would make a useful encyclopedia.”
Tachibana groaned. "I like Marui but… he's not exactly someone I would go to for advice…" He was absolutely mortified. Then he looked at Akutsu. "Can I try something with you?"
“At least Marui knows what’s what in bed, though,” Akutsu shrugged. Did he 100% trust what Marui would tell him? Not necessarily, but at least so far he hadn’t led Niou down any too-questionable path. And if he did, Between himself and Tachibana, they could straighten him out.
At the question, Akutsu looked at Tachibana with one eyebrow up. “Depends whatcha got in mind.”
"I suppose he does…" Tachibana was still unsure that any of Marui's advice would be good for Niou, though. Tachibana thought about what he was going to ask and decided the day was already awkward, why not go for broke?
"Can I try holding your hand?"
If possible, Akutsu's raised eyebrow went even higher, and despite the part of him that was absolutely dying of laughter inside, he (somehow) managed to keep a straight face. ….And then he leaned in, looking closely at Tachibana, like he was examining his face. "....Niou? Is that you?"
Tachibana laughed. He could see why Akutsu might think that. "Come on now, there is no way Masaharu could make himself my size just to trick you." He shook his head. "No, he just always talks about how he likes holding your hand and I want to try it for myself."
"I wouldn't put it past him," Akutsu smirked with a shrug. "But seriously. Of all the things he tells you about me, it's the hand holding you're curious about?" So weird…but whatever. With a shrug, Akutsu flopped his hand palm-up on the counter. "Sure, why not."
Tachibana placed his hand in Akutsu’s, holding it firmly, but gently. "I like holding hands. But yes, I just wanted to see what your hands felt like." Akutsu’s were calloused in different places than Tachibana’s, covered in less knife scars and burns. "I don't hate it. Holding your hand."
As odd as it was, Akutsu actually held Tachibana's in return. He wasn't used to holding hands in general, but when he did they were typically smaller than his. Tachibana's was closer in size to his own, but it wasn't unpleasant. "Well, good. Because if you did I'd have to just call this whole thing quits right here and now," Akutsu remarked, keeping his face and tone mostly straight, but letting out just enough smirk and sarcasm to make sure Tachibana knew he was only teasing.
Tachibana chuckled. He liked Akutsu’s sense of humor. “Masaharu was filled with a lot of anxiety about this particular conversation and here we are holding hands.” He didn’t let go for right now. “I think he wasn’t thinking quite straight about all of this. I think he thinks that you and I must also be in a relationship for this to work.” He sighed softly. “I think we don’t know each other enough to really know if that’s a possibility or not.”
"Well, that's certainly one possibility for how this can go. But when I talked with him I even told him it could just be he has both of us and we each have him and leave the other one more or less alone about it." Not that that meant much. Akutsu knew Niou tended to be a weird ball of anxiety over just about anything, so that part of the conversation might've gone in one ear and right out the other. "As for that, though. You're right. I wouldn't say I'm opposed to the idea, necessarily, but we definitely can't assume it'd work that way at this point."
Tachibana nodded. “I guess what I’m saying is I would like to get to know you more.” He smiled softly, patting Akutsu’s hand with his free one before finally letting go. “I’m not opposed to it, either.” Akutsu was attractive and they got along very well, despite being so different. “But for now, you should eat or it’ll get cold.”
"Yeah. Getting to know you better would be good." Ideally, even if nothing beyond friendship ended up between Akutsu and Tachibana, it seemed like them being friends would be a better option than them just…awkwardly sharing Niou and trying to pretend each other didn't exist.
And the moment Tachibana mentioned eating, Akutsu couldn't help himself. He dove in, and oh god, so good.
Tachibana just watched Akutsu eat for a moment before deciding that he definitely needed to have more meals with the man. He really knew how to enjoy his food, and Tachibana really liked watching people enjoy food. “I’m not as creative as Masaharu is with questions, I hope that’s alright. I just tend to ask things as they come up.” He figured no one was quite as… inquisitive… as Masaharu was, but he figured he might as well mention it.
Akutsu laughed around his mouthful of food at the mention of Niou’s questions, but he took a moment to finish chewing and swallow before he answered. “Thank god for that. If you asked questions like he does I might lose my fucking mind.” He looked over at Tachibana. “I’m like that too. So. No weird ‘what names did you give to your teeth’ type shit.”
Tachibana snorted. “I promise, if I start asking those kinds of questions, please have me admitted.” He laughed. He took a few bites of food, mulling over all of this. “...I apologize for being a bit sappy right now, but I am glad you’re okay with this. I want Masaharu to be happy, and honestly, I want you to be happy, too.”
"Ehhh, you're the kinda guy that wants everybody to be happy," Akutsu waved it off. "Honestly, though, I'm relieved. I kept tryin' to remind myself you weren't likely to haul off and punch me over this insanity, but I was still kinda ready for it anyway. An' even if you didn't, you still coulda been an absolute dick to me, and…I'd probably say I deserved it." But instead here they were, having a very friendly conversation over a delicious meal. It was both a huge weight lifted and a little bit Twilight Zone-y.
“There are actually several people I really, really hate.” Tachibana admitted. “I’ve gotten better about it, but if I were younger, I would just go ahead and punch the people that piss me off.” He wasn’t even saying it to be edgy or anything. “The fact that I care what you think about all this actually does mean something.” He wasn’t sure exactly what that was. “Like I said, I honestly might have punched you over this if you were someone else.”
Akutsu just…stared. And then a slow, wolfish grin spread across his face. "Okay well now ya got me curious. If I'm not on the list of people that're punch-worthy, then I need to know who is." And why, would be interesting too, if Tachibana felt like sharing, but Akutsu knew there was a chance the reason might be too personal to share.
Tachibana tapped his fingers on the counter, smirking. “Well, there aren’t many here on base, but that Dr. Yagyuu is certainly one. Dr. Atobe… and for a bit there, Yanagi, for that shit he pulled with Niou and locking him in that room.” Tachibana’s smile eased some. “But I’m very good at letting things roll off my back these days.”
"Huh. I've actually not really talked with any of them. I've heard a lot of shit about Atobe, and from what I've seen on the journals he seems like a dick." Akutsu tried to think of if he'd paid any attention to Yagyuu, but…he really couldn't come up with anything. "As for Yanagi…I dunno. I know I've been tempted to lock Niou in a room at times…"
“I think my hate of Atobe stems from him being rich. I can’t stand rich assholes.” Tachibana frowned. It was quite unreasonable, really, but he knew it was just a character flaw he had. At the last bit, he chuckled. “Yeah, that’s why that hate was short-lived.”
Akutsu snickered. "Can't blame ya for hating rich assholes. Wouldn't mind smackin' a few around and robbin' em blind myself." Payback for getting off the failing colony he'd called home without making arrangements to evacuate everyone, leaving the average-joe citizens to become poorer and poorer while attempting to make their own arrangements. "Well. At least now you know if Niou really needs to be locked up for his own good, you've got an accomplice."
“Glad to see we have a few things we can agree on.” Tachibana grinned. He was quite glad that he and Akutsu seemed to be on a relatively similar wavelength. “We can double-team him into taking better care of himself. You wanna try to cover sleep? I’ll take care of eating.” He asked playfully.
Okay, it was weird how much Tachibana was growing on him already. Granted, it wasn't like Akutsu had disliked the guy before, but still. …Maybe the similarities in their personalities were part of why Niou ended up falling for both of them… "Oh, sure, take the easy one, mister chef. Me on the other hand, I guess I'll just have to manhandle him into bed and crush him under me to get him to stay there." Of course, Akutsu could barely cook, so really, it wasn't much of an option.
Tachibana laughed. “It’s actually pretty easy.” Tachibana insisted. “Just pet his hair. Even if he doesn’t sleep every time, he still relaxes, and that’s better than nothing.” Tachibana smirked. “But I bet he secretly likes a bit of manhandling, if he’s attracted to you.” Akutsu definitely looked like he was good at manhandling.
"Well look at you, figuring out all his secrets," Akutsu smirked. "The hair thing doesn't surprise me, though. He's kinda fascinated with the idea of touching mine without the gel…" And he'd definitely seemed to enjoy it the first time Akutsu kissed him and tugged on Niou's hair in the process. "The one time I did pin him down just to prove I could, he seemed pretty uncomfortable…but that was a while ago, now." And now Akutsu was curious if Tachibana knew Niou apparently liked gnawing on people…and unconsciously his hand went up to his neck, where Niou had bitten him when they'd talked. The mock turtleneck of his shirt covered most of the marks Niou had left, but if someone looked closely they could still be seen.
“It’s definitely bordering on a fetish for him, but it’s harmless.” Tachibana said. “And who knows how he would react now that he realizes how he feels about you.” Tachibana would absolutely deny his curiosity in seeing that scene firsthand. He noticed Akutsu’s hand and then looked closely. “Ah, he likes to bite you, too?” Niou tended to bite his shoulder and not his neck. “He’s quite toothy, isn’t he?”
Oh thank god. With that overwhelming relief, Akutsu pulled the neck of his shirt down enough to show the extent of it. "I look like a fuckin' chew toy for shit's sake! But damn at least it's not just me." He tugged his shirt back into place, then ran a hand through his hair. "I gotta figure out a way to pay him back for this bullshit."
Tachibana whistled. “He’s never left a mark quite that nasty on me.” He laughed. “As for paying him back…Hmm…you could play a prank on him.” Tachibana thought about it for a second. “...I don’t want it to be too mean, of course…but…” He tapped his chin in thought. “...Does he have something about you that he’s weirdly obsessed with, like with me and my hair?”
Akutsu propped his chin on his hand, thinking. "Just tryin' to touch my hair. …and sometimes he whines about how much I smoke…" He shrugged. "Other than that, I can't really think of anything… Why? What're you thinkin', Tachi?"
Tachibana should have expected the nickname. Niou had told him about it after all, but he wasn’t ready to hear it out loud. He cleared his throat, as if that would fight down the blush. “Well, if it were me, I would snip just a tiny bit off my hair to teach him a lesson… You know, he was quite worried about this conversation…we could make it a little worse for him.”
It was a crazy plan, but it would mortify Niou enough to maybe think twice about marking Akutsu up. “You could bite me. I think that would be quite a punishment.” His train of thought was mainly in frazzling Niou’s brain enough to not want it to happen again.
Well. Akutsu had definitely not expected Tachibana to blush at being called Tachi. Hmm. Interesting…file that away for later… "...you want me...to bite you...to punish Niou for biting me? Hmm… That…actually has some potential… But how would you explain it to anyone else? Pass it off as one of Niou's?"
Tachibana shrugged. “I could do that, or just be honest and say it was a prank. I don’t really care what people think.” He grinned. “So what do you think?”
Akutsu smirked. "I think I like the way your mind works. That is downright diabolical." For most people, it really was just the most weirdly random thing, for Akutsu to bite Tachibana…but for Niou? Oh it would freak him out so much. "It's perfect. Let's do it."
Tachibana nodded and scooted his chair closer to Akutsu. “We both agree to just ignore any sound I make when you do it, okay?”
"Oh, so Niou's not the only one that likes getting bitten. Good to know," Akutsu's smirk just grew as he leaned in, one hand raising to brush Tachibana's hair out of the way while he decided on where. When he sunk his teeth in, he started kind of light, but gradually increased pressure until he was sure he'd leave a bruise, and the spot chosen was high enough not even a full turtleneck would hide it all the way.
“Yeah, no use hiding it.” Tachibana said, shivering a little when Akutsu brushed his hair aside. The initial bite was fine, but once he increased pressure, Tachibana couldn’t help but moan a little. He covered his mouth, embarrassed, even though he had warned Akutsu it was going to happen.
Oh-ho, now, that was an interesting sound there, Tachibana. It made Akutsu grin, and…just for shits and giggles, once he was sure he'd held on long enough to leave a good dark mark, Akutsu went ahead and licked that spot on Tachibana's neck before pulling back and sitting up right to admire his handiwork. "That should do the trick, I think," he remarked innocently enough, as if he hadn't just fucked around a little.
Tachibana’s heart was hammering in his chest, and he would have to do some soul-searching about other body parts that reacted to Akutsu’s little lick. His mouth was a bit dry, making him lick his lips. “Yeah…you should send a picture. If I just show up like this, it won’t connect that this was the punishment…”
It was official. This ‘befriending my love-interest’s boyfriend’ thing was shaping up to be oh so amusing. They were getting along, already had things in common, and better yet, Akutsu had discovered that Tachibana had a secretly devious mind to him. This whole weird-ass situation was turning out to actually be fun, so far. “Alright then. Say cheese,” Akutsu grinned, readying his communicator to take the picture.
Tachibana chuckled and made sure to crane his neck enough so the mark was nice and visible. “Cheese!” He couldn’t help but laugh. Sure, he loved Niou with all his heart, but he liked seeing him flustered from time-to-time. And he was really enjoying his time with Akutsu…way more than he thought he would.
Akutsu snapped the picture, chuckling a little as he added the message: ‘Hey, figured out your punishment for biting me. Have fun’. Then he sent it off to Niou…and turned off the notifications for replies, or else his device would probably not stop beeping. “I’ll see what he says about that later,” he smirked. “Nice job, Tachi.”
Tachibana rubbed his neck a little, really worried at himself for how much he liked how it felt. “I’m sure he’ll at least consider the consequences before biting you hard enough to mark next time.” He smiled, sitting up straight. “Still hungry?” He asked, changing the subject.
Akutsu snickered a little at the thought of Niou’s reaction…but resisted the urge to check for comments already. “Mmph. I”m stuffed,” he answered, eyeing the completely empty plate. It almost looked like he’d picked it up and licked it clean. “That was damn good. Oh! That reminds me. That Mont Blanc you made a little while back? Fucking amazing.”
“That’s a shame, because I might just have an even better mont blanc in the fridge.” Tachibana smirked. “But I am glad you liked it. Nothing says ‘I hope this conversation goes well’ like a nice steak.” He joked.
Akutsu's eyes narrowed at the mention of his favorite dessert. "Hey, now, don't go turning that evil mind of yours on me." Damn he was tempted…but so full… "Saying this conversation went well sounds like an understatement if ya ask me," he smirked.
Tachibana laughed and went to the fridge to fetch the mont blanc for Akutsu. “Indeed. It went swimmingly. I feel like we really got to know more about each other today.”
"Oh I know I did. I learned a whoooole lot about you today. All kinds of interesting things…" Akutsu teased with a little bit of a laugh as he remembered the sound Tachibana had made when he bit him. That had certainly been an unexpected development.
Tachibana blushed, knowing exactly what Akutsu was getting at. “And we agreed not to talk about that, correct?” Except no, Akutsu didn’t agree to a damn thing. “...At least, I requested it…”
Akutsu laughed when Tachibana turned red, again. "Oh, I promise I won't tell. But if Niou knows you react like that, he'll probably figure it out." It was a picture of Tachibana with a very definite dental impression on his neck, after all.
Tachibana chuckled and shrugged. “That will make it all the better when he does react.”
"If you say so," Akutsu smirked. "Might end up bein your funeral. ….or maybe mine. Shit." Well, at least he knew he could hold Niou off if the guy decided to come at him physically.
Tachibana laughed. “Nah, I think he’ll forgive us pretty quickly.”
"If not, it was your idea," Akutsu pointed out. "And I will absolutely blame you for putting the idea in my head."
Tachibana held up his hands. “I accept all responsibility.”
Akutsu grinned and nodded. "Good. Hopefully the worst he'll do is decide he needs to leave marks of his own on you…and I know you won't be complaining about that." At least everybody pretty much knew about Niou and Tachibana, so it wasn't like any secrets would get out that way.
Tachibana passed Akutsu the mont blanc, wishing his face wasn’t so hot. “Just eat your dessert and shut up already.” He grumbled.
Unable to help a little bit of laughter at Tachibana’s expense, Akutsu took the dessert and made a mental note to go a little easier on the teasing. Just because they’d gotten along well so far didn’t mean it wasn’t possible to take it too far and screw things up. He took a bite and purred a little. “Okay, damn. You have gotten better at this.”
Tachibana was definitely going to have to do some thinking after this. “That last one was my first mont blanc ever. I hope this one would be better. I’ve been working hard on it.”
"That was a damn impressive first attempt, then. Just make sure you don't burn yourself out on makin' 'em. As much as I appreciate the effort, I don't want it to be somethin' you get tired of." Akutsu took another bite, and then another…and all too soon the whole thing was gone.
Tachibana smiled fondly. “They wouldn’t be special if I made them all the time anyway.” Tachibana pointed out. He stared at Akutsu’s face for a moment. “Ah, you got some on your cheek.” He said, pointing to his own in a mirrored fashion, hopefully so Akutsu knew where to wipe.
"They're not really supposed to be special…" Akutsu remarked, even as he wiped where Tachibana had pointed, and sure enough, he'd apparently gotten a little messy. But it had been too good to waste, and so of course he stuck his finger in his mouth, getting that last little bit. "Totally worth it," he shrugged.
"Mont blanc is pretty fancy." Tachibana chuckled. "But for what it's worth, I just really like watching people eat their favorite foods. You have some pretty good reactions, especially."
Akutsu laughed. "What can I say, apparently I enjoy the three Fs - fighting, fucking, and food." In no particular order, of course. "Maybe that last one has to do with it not being so easy to get when I was a kid, or somethin."
Tachibana nodded. "I get that. Didn't have much money ourselves." He cleared away the dishes, putting them in the dishwasher. "Not sure if fucking is in our immediate future, but I'm always good for food, and…" He looked at Akutsu. "Maybe I should throw some punches at you."
"Hah. Only if you want Niou to stress the fuck out when you end up black and blue. Besides. If I ever wanna punch something, I apparently have a little half brother that's eager to get his ass kicked." Akutsu shrugged. One of these days he'd get around to sparring with the mushroom head, but for now he was just still wrapping his head around the whole brother thing.
Tachibana snorted. "Yeah, that whole situation is bizarre… but no, what I mean is…do you know how to box?"
"Box? Eh, I picked up a little in prison, but I'd hardly call myself a boxer." Akutsu shrugged. Mostly it was just good stress relief with the heavy bag in the gym. "When it came to that kinda stuff, I did karate. Actually got pretty good at that, on top of the whole fighting dirty for survival thing that comes with a place like that."
"I used to box a little. Not a professional by any means, but if you ever want to spar, let me know." Tachibana offered. "...I’m glad prison didn't break you. I've known people that weren't so lucky. "
Hmm. Sparring with Tachibana. Might be a good idea, actually. "I'll definitely keep it in mind. Could do us both good now and then." Akutsu leaned back in the chair a little. "Eh, for me, it wasn't really all that different than the outside. Still got in fights, still fending for myself. Had regular meals for a change. Even kinda made a couple'a friends. One guy…I dunno if I'd say it broke him, but he told me he'd been in so long that any time he came up for parole, he'd get himself in just enough trouble to have it get denied, because he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle life on the outside anymore."
Tachibana frowned, going and sitting next to Akutsu again. "I can see why some people would find it better than life on the outside. Food is survival. I saw that firsthand. What denial of food sources can do, and what providing a community with the tools to make its own food can do… I hope your friend is well, wherever he is."
"He never did tell me what his life had been like on the outside. But if he preferred prison, must've been pretty fucked up. It ain't like prison's a walk in the park." Akutsu himself actually…sort of enjoyed it, in a weird way. Not that he was planning on going back anytime soon, of course, but still. "I hope so too. He was still inside last I talked to him, so…guess he's probably living his best life right now."
Tachibana nodded solemnly. "That's all we can hope for." Tachibana was strangely feeling very mellow and calm. "Back to the topic at hand," He said. "For now, we'll just tell Masaharu that we're both okay with him having us both, and that we're getting to know each other to see what happens beyond that. Does that sound good?"
Akutsu nodded. "Sounds fine. He'll be relieved we're not about to go nuts at each other, or him. ….And maybe weirded out by us getting along." Of course, the latter was a total bonus. "And just. Plenty of transparency when it comes to the whole 'can I keep doing this' thing. From all three of us. We can change it up as needed, if needed."
"Yes. Honesty will take us a long way." Tachibana smiled. "I should probably go for now. I've got some work to do and before I know it, it'll be time to go on my night run." He sighed softly. "...Thanks. Not only for being okay with this…but for being there for Haru."
Akutsu nodded, going ahead and getting up from his seat. "I'll leave ya to it, then. And…" ugh he was so awkward with being genuine…might have to work on that… "Thanks to you, too. For all of it. …And dinner. And dessert." Tachibana calling Niou 'Haru' made him chuckle a little. Maybe they really were pretty similar…since Akutsu had already knownf he nicknamed Niou anything, 'Haru' was the most likely thing.
Tachibana nodded. "Anytime. Have a good evening." With the dishes already in the washer, he was headed back to his room for some paperwork, but he was definitely feeling more at ease about this whole thing. Hopefully, this would be enough to calm Niou’s mind as well.
