[Log-Tachibana and Akutsu]

[wildlionchef]

Who: Tachibana & Akutsu
When: October 19?
Where: Library then Akutsu’s room
What: Akutsu confronts Tachibana



Akutsu was determined to find Tachibana, now that he was back on base and had had his…quality time with Niou. He'd already checked the obvious spots - Tachibana's room, the gym, the kitchen - and a lot of the less-obvious ones, like Niou's office in engineering, Agri (because wasn't Tachi working on something with fish and the plant guy?) and Niou's official room, even though their boyfriend was very rarely in it. And still, Tachibana was nowhere to be found.

It was time for a change of tactics. Time to -ugh- use his brain, and think like Tachibana. If he was going to hide from someone, and there was a limited amount of space to run in…then the best place to hide would be the one place your opponent was least likely to go. So. Where would Akutsu avoid like the plague? Big boss Ryuuzaki's office (or worse, her personal quarters) was high on the list, but Tachi was too much a good boy to hide someplace that risked getting him fired. He wouldn't intrude on other people's rooms… Except the hippy doctor's, but that was too obvious and Akutsu wouldn't have a problem going there…

He wandered a little as he ran through the mental checklist of places he hadn't already checked, and when he thought he'd got them all, without a real solution, he paused…and found himself right outside the library. THE LIBRARY, of course… Akutsu had absolutely zero reason to go the library…and had even forgotten they had one until he'd ended up there. With a smirk and the quietest steps he could manage, he stepped inside, and started checking the rows of books methodically.

To be fair to Tachibana, he did have a work-related reason to be in the library. He was returning some books on fish husbandry. The fact that Akutsu would probably never go there was just an added bonus.

And he thought he was safe until he spied Akutsu through some books. He mumbled a curse under his breath and ducked, rushing along the shelves in the opposite direction with hopes to get out the door quickly.

Akutsu heard footsteps and doubled back to follow, crouching low and hiding behind the shelves, carefully closing the distance between them. He knew Tachibana had probably spotted him, so he was extra careful and extra quiet. He decided to get himself ahead of Tachibana, since the other was likely to look behind him…and once he'd found a good spot to hide, he simply waited, every muscle in his body coiled and ready to pounce.

Tachibana stopped in front of a bookshelf, peering through to see if Akutsu was still on the other side. When he didn't see him, he decided to make a break for the door.

Aaand….now. Akutsu took off like a shot from his hiding place, going straight at Tachibana. When he got close enough, he ducked down, putting his shoulder at roughly Tachibana's stomach level just before they connected. He wrapped his arms around Tachibana's middle, and using the momentum, he stood up quickly, with Tachibana hanging over his shoulder. And oof, Tachibana was heavier than he'd expected. "Gotcha, chickenshit."

Tachibana didn't even have time to react before he was thrown over Akutsu's shoulder. "Is this really necessary?" He grumbled. He didn't fight though, because he really didn't want to get dropped.

"Would you have come talk to me any other way?" Akutsu asked, giving a grin to the rather shocked librarian as he carried Tachibana a few steps outside the library. He wasn't sure how long he could actually hold Tachibana up there, so he added, "I'll put ya down if ya promise ya ain't gonna try to avoid this anymore."

Tachibana didn't want to make that promise, but he also wanted to be let go. "...Fine." He frowned. "There's nothing really for us to talk about, anyway."

Even though Tachibana sounded reluctant, Akutsu took him at his word and bent down, putting Tachibana back on his own two feet. After all, if the guy did take off, it was only a matter of time before Akutsu would find him again. "Oh, no, not much at all. Just how you're bein chickenshit and avoiding me. How you went and told Niou something you really didn't have to, cuz I sure as hell wasn't about to. Oh, and how he reacted to that interesting confession of yours. You're right. That ain't nothin."

Tachibana was a man of his word, at least, so he didn't run. "I put my foot in my mouth there and he blew it out of context." Tachibana ran a hand through his hair. "I just find you physically attractive. That's all."

Akutsu crossed his arms over his chest, eyes narrowed at Tachibana. Hadn't the guy said something about how they just got each other? Which, if he was remembering correctly, made him wonder if it really was just physical like Tachibana was claiming now. "That's all, my ass. If that was it, why the hell did you decide suddenly that you couldn't talk to me at all? Why the hell have you been avoidin me since I got back to base?"

Tachibana avoided looking Akutsu in the eye. "It's complicated." Which was a complete contradiction to what he had just said. "It's not like it matters, right? I'll get over it and we can resume things as normal." He hated that Akutsu seemed to know exactly what he was doing. Like he could read Tachibana’s every move. "That's for the best. We should both be focusing on Masaharu."

Akutsu was silent for a long moment. There was a lot he wanted to ask, and to say…but they were still just barely outside the library, and Akutsu had zero desire for an audience. Making a decision, Akutsu uncrossed his arms and grabbed Tachibana tightly by the wrist, pulling him along as he headed towards his own room. The one place he could think of that was completely private, away from prying cameras, and had the least chance of someone popping in unexpectedly.

Akutsu had a strong grip, but if Tachibana actually wanted to, he could have pulled away. Instead, he followed. He knew this conversation was going to happen whether he wanted it to or not. "What, the hallway wasn't a good enough stage for you?"

It wasn't until they were in his room with the door locked that Akutsu dropped his grip and said anything at all. "I'm not puttin on a fuckin performance, Tachi," he remarked, annoyed by the stage comment. "It just ain't anybody's business." He ran his hands through his hair, belatedly realizing he hadn't bothered to gel it. Oh well. "So. What did Niou say when you told him?"

Tachibana still wasn’t willing to look at Akutsu’s face. "He freaked out at first. Didn't want us to leave him behind. Then asked to just call him if we do anything. I'm still not sure he's actually okay with it…" Tachibana breathed out through his nose. "Can't we just forget I ever said anything?"

Akutsu didn't like Tachibana so clearly avoiding looking at him, but that was one thing he wasn't going to force. He was being enough of a bully about it as it was. "My memory might be shit, but that's one thing I ain't gonna forget." He sighed and sat down on his own bed. "He might well not be. I dunno. But that's why we gotta sort all this shit out. Neither of us is likely to leave him, so he ain't gotta worry 'bout that." And yes, they needed to make sure he knew it, no matter what. "But…" Ugh. This was gonna sound stupid. "I don't wanna lose a friend over somethin like this, either."

Tachibana really wanted to just leave. This was a dangerous conversation that was bound to end badly. "What is there to sort out? The problem is all on my end." He was the one that apparently couldn't get close to people without weird things happening. "You'll find more friends, Mr. Popular, that will want to be around you no matter what."

Akutsu sighed. Damn Tachi was stubborn. "Maybe I will, maybe I won't. I don't give a fuck. Weren't you the one that said somethin about havin someone that 'just got you'? Even if I do end up with other friends, they ain't gonna get me like you do. It ain't the same." And who else could he share complaints about Niou with? No one else would get it like Tachibana did.

He wasn't expecting his own words to be thrown back at him. "Yeah, well, I went and fucked that up by apparently not being able to tell the difference between friendship and something else." But God, he wasn't expecting Akutsu to go there.

"Didya, though? I still get you. And you get me. And I ain't had a lot of quality relationships, of any kind, but I ain't an idiot that lets go of the good ones when I get 'em." It definitely felt like Tachibana was trying to push him away. And…Akutsu did understand. It couldn't be easy, loving one person so intensely but finding yourself also drawn to someone else. But that didn't mean he was going to just sit back and let it happen. "What're you really afraid of, Tachi?"

Tachibana felt sick, and he couldn't even find any holes to try to make Akutsu angry. "What am I afraid of…?" Tachibana looked at his feet. "I'm afraid I'm broken. I'm afraid I'm seeing things that aren't there…I'm afraid of losing you both because of my stupid, messed up brain…"

Akutsu frowned, just looking at Tachibana's body language. The guy really was freaking out…and if it had been almost anyone else, Akutsu probably would've called him a whiner or baby or something else insulting but… Like him, Tachibana had had a hard upbringing. And everything he'd gone through made him into the person he was today, for better or for worse. "Tachi…" He got up and walked toward Tachibana, roped an arm around his shoulders, and pulled the guy over to sit on the spare bed. Then he sat next to him, leaning forward, arms on his knees. "Two things I wanna say right now. First, if there's one thing my crappy childhood taught me, it's that anybody who gives up on you over somethin like this ain't worth keepin around in the first place. Your time and energy are better spent investin in the people who stick around, no matter what you're goin through."

Akutsu was surprising him at every turn, and when he was pulled over to sit down, he finally looked at Akutsu. "I don't have many friends…not real ones…I'm used to people just sticking around to get things from me." He took a deep breath. "I like you, Akutsu. We get along. I don't want to lose that…"

"So quit tryin' to push me away. I don't wanna lose it either. I'm here havin this talk with ya for exactly that reason. Not countin' Niou, you're the first friend I've had in a really long time. A lotta the people I thought were friends…turned out not to be. An' I know I act unbothered by a lotta shit, but it hurt." Akutsu hated admitting it. He'd rather not admit he was a normal guy with normal feelings just like everybody else. But…he really didn't think keeping all that under wraps like usual was going to do any good.

Tachibana knew it took a lot of courage for Akutsu to admit that. "I feel like I've betrayed your trust, feeling the way I do." He admitted. "I never meant for this to happen." He realized he cut Akutsu off . "Sorry, what was your second point?"

Akutsu shook his head. "You didn't. Took me by surprise, sure, but I don't see it as betrayal." He thought about it a moment, before adding, "you tryin to push me away is closer to betrayal than that." Finding out Tachibana was attracted to him was a huge surprise, but there'd never been any kind of expectation one way or the other.

He shifted a little and put a hand on Tachibana's shoulder. "The second thing…is that finding yourself attracted to more than one person ain't weird. After all, we both know at least one person who's attracted to multiple people," he chuckled. "Maybe more, and we just don't know about it."

The hand on his shoulder grounded him. "I'm sorry…for running." Not many things scared Tachibana, but this whole situation was frightening. "I get that…being poly isn't weird…you're just…. You're dangerous. You have the power to not only deny me friendship, but if you wanted to, you could take Masaharu away." He backpedaled. "Not that I think you would! I just…"

Akutsu had been called dangerous before, but not like that. It was usually in reference to his fighting ability and his give-no-fucks attitude. "Tachi. I promise. I am not a threat to you. I want our friendship, and…" He squeezed Tachibana's shoulder. "Niou loves you. Tryin to take him all to myself would hurt him, too, so even if I wanted to - and I don't - I wouldn't. The only thing that would make me even consider it is if I somehow thought you were dangerous to him. And I know you're not. There is not a single fiber of me that doubts that."

Tachibana leaned closer to Akutsu. Hearing that did help him feel better. "So what do we do? About those feelings? If I keep hanging around you, they might get stronger…"

Akutsu gave Tachibana's question serious thought. There was a lot to consider, after all. He knew Tachibana was right; the more time they spent together, there was definitely the chance of those feelings growing. But…what if it worked both ways? He hadn't given Tachibana much thought beyond friend and Niou's other boyfriend…he did genuinely like the guy, though. Felt comfortable around him in a way he usually didn't around most people. And it wasn't like he was unattractive… "I think…we take it a day at a time. And just see what happens. I'm not the type to stress over what-ifs, most of the time, so…" he shrugged.

Tachibana laughed softly. "I absolutely am a person who worries about what-ifs, so I apologize for that." He looked at Akutsu and smiled. "I'll try not to think too hard about what kissing you tastes like in the meantime."

It was a really good thing Akutsu wasn't drinking anything, because he would have absolutely done a spit-take if he was. It was one thing to hear about it, or read it…but to have Tachibana actually say it…so embarrassing. "And people say I'm too blunt," he muttered, looking at Tachibana from the corner of his eye and giving a small smirk. Embarrassing as it was…it was nice to see him smile.

Tachibana chuckled. "I have a habit of speaking before I think." Still, it was nice that they were joking around. He was worried they were going to fight, or that things would get really awkward. "You're blunt… but you're sincere…and I'm grateful for that."

"An' I have a habit of deflectin from the hard stuff. Least until there ain't no other way to handle it." Being called sincere was weird, and Akutsu didn't know what to do with it. So…he ignored it. "Whatever happens from here on out…we gotta make sure to keep Niou informed. The more he knows the less anxious he'll be. Hopefully." And it probably wouldn't hurt to have a conversation with all three of them, to make sure they were completely on the same page.

Tachibana nodded. "I did plan to report back to him…" He was glad he could report back something good. "He wasn't worried about this while he was with you, did he?"

Akutsu smirked. "Let's just say I didn't give him a chance to think about it." He'd definitely kept Niou's mind occupied, but not as much with sex as he was willing to let Tachibana believe. "But you know he's gonna start stressin' 'bout it eventually. That's also part'a why I needed to sort this all out with you. So we can be on the same page and hopefully keep him from worryin' himself to death."

Tachibana blushed at the innuendo, but he slowly nodded. "Yeah. I'll let him know we're okay."

Akutsu eyed Tachibana carefully. "We really are good, right? You're not gonna try to pull this stunt again in a week, or a month, no matter what? Cuz…I might actually have to punch ya if you do."

Tachibana shook his head. "No, if the feelings get too much, I'll just take a cold shower."

Akutsu slapped a hand over his own face. Boy, Tachi really did tend to talk before he thought, didn't he? "Okay, y'know what? Get outta here. I'm done holdin ya hostage," he remarked with a laugh.

Tachibana laughed brightly. He was glad he was able to get a reaction out of Akutsu. "Okay. Thanks for chasing me down. I promise I'm done running."

"Good. Cuz I really don't like havin to hunt people down and beat sense into them." Akutsu grabbed the pillow from the spare bed and hurled it at Tachibana. "Now scram."

Tachibana caught the pillow, still laughing. "Thanks. Come have dinner sometime this week." He flashed a smile before heading to the door…and just to be ornery, he took the pillow with him.