Of bratty demons and mushroom heads

CHAPTER 11

Hiyoshi and Sanada had just arrived back to the dorm. Hiyoshi was still in his gi and was looking forward to a nice long shower. They had just finished another long sparing session. He used the term ‘sparing’ lightly since it was more like an intense training session with Sanada playing kendo boot camp sergeant. Despite that; however, he was genuinely starting to enjoy these sessions. It felt good to be receiving a real workout again, and feeling as though he was getting something out of it. He wondered absently sometimes if Sanada would ever be interested in learning about Kobujutsu style martial arts. ‘Heh, even if he was, he probably wouldn’t be willing to give up sergeant status,’ he thought with a smirk.

Sanada ran a hand through his hair that was somewhat damp from sweat. He had yet to change out of his gi, having decided to wait until he'd had a shower. "You've gotten better," he stated. Hiyoshi had managed to get a hit in on him for the first time and it actually took work for Sanada to avoid the others attacks now.

Hiyoshi felt a small amount of pride at the rare compliment. Still slightly bitter about it, taking instruction from Sanada had taken some getting used to. His constructive criticism tended to sound more like insults, but he’d learned it was well meaning.

Akaya stretched his hands over his head and walked happily into the common room of his boyfriend’s dorm. He was going to spend the rest of the afternoon with Hiyoshi just hanging out. He'd already finished his homework so the other wouldn't be able to bug him about it.

When he walked in, his eyes immediately picked out the other boy who appeared to be alone. Grinning, he ran over to him and kissed him quickly, looking quite pleased with himself. "Hey, you look good in a gi— ” Suddenly, he felt the familiar burn of his fukubuchou’s eyes on his back and he spun around to face the larger man. "S-Sanada-fukubuchou!" He yelped and promptly stood rim rod straight. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Do I need permission to be in my own dorms common room?" Sanada snapped irritated. That was not something he had wanted to see.

"N-No sir! I uh--" Akaya turned his gaze to Hiyoshi pleadingly.

Hiyoshi had turned slightly red at Akaya’s sudden appearance and kiss, but he was starting to become used to it. No matter how much he tried, discretion was never going to be something his brat could comprehend. But, when Akaya noticed Sanada’s presence, his entire body language changed. Interesting, this was the first time he could remember seeing them together since middle school.

“What are you looking at me for, brat?” Hiyoshi answered to Akaya’s shiny pleading eyes. This was amusing. He turned towards Sanada again. “Sanada-san, when would it be convenient for you to meet next?”

Jerk. Akaya glared at him for a moment before turning his attention back to Sanada.

"Whenever you have time to practice. I'm not on the tennis team right now so I have no set time to practice." Sanada crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at his kohai, "What are you staring at?"

"Nothing!" Akaya stood stiff again and slowly moved himself so he was standing behind Hiyoshi.

“I’ll be free tomorrow evening around five.” Hiyoshi answered casually as he tried extracting Akaya out from behind him. He’d never seen Akaya act this way before. Sanada was one of his over-protective senpai that Akaya was always going on about that he apparently had wrapped around his little finger. So why was he acting like he was terrified of him?

Sanada’s eyes narrowed at Akaya, but he turned his attention back to Hiyoshi. "That will work." He said simply and waited until Hiyoshi was out of the way before grabbing his kohai by the back of the shirt and pulling him over. "Akaya," he grumbled warningly, earning a little scared yelp, "Apologize." He turned Akaya so he was facing Hiyoshi and moved his hand to the back of his head, forcing him to bow to Hiyoshi.

"S-sorry for kissing you in public," Akaya muttered, earning a little 'thwap' on the back of the head from Sanada.

It wasn't an ideal apology, but it was suitable. Sanada moved his hand back to his side and let Akaya scamper over to hide behind Hiyoshi again. "I'll see you for our next training session," he said and turned to take his leave.

That had been… interesting, remarkable even. Hiyoshi was in slight aw of Sanada now. He had just earned his ultimate respect on a whole new level. He was able to make Akaya apologize, and even acknowledge what he was apologizing for? With a fond smirk, Hiyoshi dragged Akaya back out from behind him, but still held him against him. He whispered in his ear, “It’s alright, brat.”

Hiyoshi thought he might need to ask Sanada a different kind of advice next time they met. A somewhat wicked grin came to his face. “Sanada-san?” he called out, as he turned to leave. “Akaya and I were going to get something to eat, would you like to join us?”

Akaya had regained his smile as Hiyoshi reassured him and kept him close. Maybe things weren't so bad after all, but then the other man spoke again and his smile disappeared to be replaced by a look that said he felt betrayed. "We were?" he squeaked.

Sanada paused and turned to face the two younger boys with a raised eyebrow. "I suppose food wouldn't be so bad."

Ignoring Akaya, Hiyoshi nodded at Sanada’s acceptance. “If you wouldn’t mind, I would like to take a quick shower first. Shall we meet you back here in a half hour?”

"Half an hour would be sufficient," Sanada nodded and walked away to go take his shower.

Akaya looked between his retreating back and Hiyoshi with a scared look on his face. "H-How could you!?" he whispered to the other man quietly so Sanada wouldn't hear him. He growled to himself and seemed to be debating something internally before he just threw his arms up in frustration and headed toward their room. "Fine, but I'm taking a shower with you."

Trying to keep himself from grinning at Akaya’s outburst, Hiyoshi hurried after him. Once inside his room, he closed the door behind them and began to collect his shower supplies. “I don’t see the problem. I only asked him to eat with us. Isn’t Sanada-san your idol senpai or something? And no, you’re not taking a shower with me.”

"Am too," Akaya said sticking his tongue out at Hiyoshi, "And you don't understand. It’s fukubuchou! He's... he's like the... I don't know! He's fukubuchou! You gotta be really careful 'round him or he'll 'tarundoru' you and make you run laps."

Hiyoshi rolled his eyes at that assessment. Sanada wasn’t that bad. “You know if you come with me, there’ll be more of a chance it’ll take longer. Do you really want to keep your fukubuchou waiting?” Feeling a little guilty, he added, “How about we go to a Yakiniku place I know you’ll like?”

Akaya hated it when Hiyoshi was right. "Okay, fine. I'll wait here, but hurry up, ok?" He sat down on the other man’s bed and held 'his' pillow to his chest. "Yakiniku sounds really good." He looked a bit like a pouting child.

Hiyoshi placed a quick kiss on a pouting Akaya’s nose. “I’ll only be a minute, so don’t break anything while I’m gone this time. And no, no matter how many times you look, you won’t find any porn.” Chuckling a bit, he left.

Akaya glared at him half heartedly and cursed. He had been planning on checking for porn again, just to see if he'd maybe caught Hiyoshi off guard. It just didn't make sense, damn it. With a frustrated sigh, he flipped over onto his side and squeezed the pillow against his chest harder while starring at nothing in particular.

It only took Hiyoshi about fifteen minutes later to get back with a towel wrapped around his shoulders and a worn out pair of jeans on. For once, it looked like Akaya hadn’t moved from where he’d left him. He went over and knelt in front of him, brushing some hair out of his face. “Do I need to have your brain examined? You shouldn’t stare at walls too long; they might start to stare back.”

Akaya blinked a couple times as Hiyoshi appeared in front of him. "I was bored," he murmured and yawned. The truth was he'd fallen asleep with his eyes open. It was a little something he'd started mastering for school.

Shaking his head, Hiyoshi stood up and toweled off his hair, not bothering to comb it, then went to pick out a shirt from the closet. He turned back toward Akaya who hadn’t moved from his bed a minute later. “Ready to go?”

Akaya nodded and got up, putting his pillow back in place. He then walked up to Hiyoshi and wrapped his arms around him before he could put his shirt back on. "You're warm," he mumbled and kissed the bare collar bone.

“It’s the showers’ fault. You know I’m naturally an ice cube.” Hiyoshi answered dead-pan while holding him back for a moment. “C’mon, if we don’t go, your fukubuchou is going to make us run laps, right?” He was now almost regretting making the dinner invitation, Akaya felt nice against him and was in one of his less rowdy moods.

Akaya nodded and leaned up to kiss him quickly on the lips before stepping away to let Hiyoshi put on his shirt. "Yeah, he assigns a lot of laps. He's given me 300 before! I almost died!! It took me all day and I had to skip all my classes and everything. Then I couldn't walk the next day. It sucked."

Hiyoshi raised an eyebrow at that. Atobe had never been that bad. Although, he made up for it by being a pain the ass in other areas, but he never would have let them miss classes unless there were private tutors arranged ahead of time.

Shirt on, wallet in pocket, they left the room to go meet Sanada in the common area. He was hoping by watching the two of them together, he could see how Sanada managed to rule Akaya with an iron fist while still maintaining his god like status in his brat’s eyes.

Sanada stood staring at the clock in the common room. They were late. His eye twitched and he continued to watch the seconds tick by. Didn't they know it was rude to invite someone then make them wait?

Walking swiftly down the hallway with Akaya right in back of him, Hiyoshi saw that Sanada was already there and waiting for them. Hiyoshi bowed quickly. “We apologize, Sanada-san for making you wait. I know a good Yakiniku place not far from here. Would that be alright with you?”
Akaya bowed his head apologetically to Sanada who just uncrossed his arms and nodded. "Yakiniku is fine." He knew his kohai had a fondness for it, so he didn't question it, even though it was by no means his favorite food.

"Nee, fukubuchou, what kind of sauce are you going to use?" Akaya asked, letting a grin spread across his face. It wasn't often he got to go to Yakiniku with his vice-captain.

"None of your business. Let's go," Sanada mumbled and waited for Hiyoshi to lead the way with a slightly softer expression than he'd had moments ago.

Akaya’s enthusiasm was infectious and Hiyoshi could already feel his body relaxing. ‘This will prove to be an interesting evening,’ he thought. He lead the way out of the building and then off campus, watching as Akaya slowly made even Sanada-san visibly loosen up a bit.

They arrived at Jojoen, a slightly upscale Yakiniku specialty restaurant known for its beef. It had both traditional and westernized booths available as well as your own person grill built into the table.

Sanada and Akaya both paused to stare up at the sign for the restaurant. "Jojoen?" Akaya muttered in awe. He'd heard about this place, but he'd never been. His features lit up and he grabbed an arm of both of his companions and dragged them inside. "Table for three!" He announced happily.

Sanada just rolled his eyes; he was far too used to the younger boy.

Hiyoshi had planned on bringing Akaya here after discovering his love for Yakiniku, and now seemed to be a good time. With Sanada-san there, Akaya might actually attempt to behave himself.

The waitress came by and asked if they preferred smoking or non-smoking which Hiyoshi requested the latter, but gave the others a questioning glance when they were given a seating option.

"Tatami," Sanada confirmed and led the way behind the waitress, Akaya still attached to his arm like a bouncy seaweed-headed leech.

They were brought to a semi-private room, where there was a set-up of tatami mats and floor cushions. The table was long with a grill built into the center of it. Without bothering to look at the menu, Hiyoshi turned to the waitress and asked for the group beef and vegetable special. After she respectfully bowed and walked away, Hiyoshi pulled a hyper-active Akaya into a sitting position next to him and explained the restaurant’s specialties.

Sanada sat down across from them, purposefully blocking the seat so Akaya had to sit by Hiyoshi. It would be easier to keep an eye on him that way and he could also use the opportunity to observe the two’s interaction.

Akaya listened to Hiyoshi’s explanation with an honestly curious expression that made Sanada relax. He'd missed the brat, even if he would never admit it out loud. It felt good to be back and listening to the child’s idle banter. It kept things from being completely silent and prevented him from having to talk.

It was odd to see Sanada in a relaxed atmosphere for once where Hiyoshi was not being lectured, pummeled, or being given orders every other minute. There was never much actual social interaction between them, despite that they saw each other on a fairly regular basis. He contributed this to the fact that neither of them were inherently social people.

Hiyoshi felt the corners of his mouth rising as he spoke, having Akaya’s full attention on him. It always amused him how Akaya had the attention span of a fly, except for when it involved something he was genuinely interested in. You could literally see his energy pouring out as if he were about to burst out from his seat at any moment. Hiyoshi lifted his left hand to softly play and scratch at hair on the base of Akaya’s neck, as was his unconsciously habit now. “Calm down, brat,” he chuckled with a small grin, “The food will be here soon. It’s not going anywhere.”

Akaya leaned into the other’s touch and closed his eyes, temporarily forgetting the presence of Sanada and just enjoying the feel of being pet. "Alright," he mumbled and leaned against him, "But I am really, really hungry..."

Sanada raised an eyebrow at the way the two were acting, but didn't say anything. He knew they were somewhat seeing each other (which was a miracle in itself) but he never expected them to be so... open about it. Though for the two of them this appeared to be normal behavior. Well, as long as Akaya was happy.

Hiyoshi was about to reply to Akaya’s adorable response when he noticed Sanada observing them. Mortified that he’d forgotten even for a moment that they were in public, he quickly extracted his hand and pulled completely away from Kirihara, silently lecturing himself for not maintaining a more respectful distance in front of company.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Hiyoshi tried to distract from his embarrassment by asking Sanada conversationally if he had any intention to take part in the martial arts tournament approaching at the end of next month. He had only just recently decided to take part himself, but hadn’t yet had the chance to tell Akaya or anyone else. No one but Choutarou would even care to go anyway.

Akaya let out a whine as the petting stopped and looked to Hiyoshi with a pouting expression, "Why'd you stop?!" But before he got a response Hiyoshi was asking Sanada about some martial arts tournament. Akaya was about to tune out the Dojo-nerd talk when he realized Hiyoshi was going to be competing. "Hey! You're going to join the competition? Can I come watch?" He asked excitedly.

Sanada could have laughed at how quickly Hiyoshi tried to act more 'polite' and reserved. "No, the only thing I could enter for is kendo and I'd rather not run into my father who's probably judging."

Hiyoshi nodded to Sanada empathetically. He was only too well familiar with the circumstances, having had his own father judge him on many occasions. One of the reasons he was actually looking forward to this tournament was specifically because his father would not be there, already having a previous commitment in Okinawa.

Hiyoshi turned back to Akaya. “I guess… If you want.” He was bit taken back by the response. “But you’ll probably get bored. Have you ever been to a martial arts tournament before?” He thought it would be nice to have Akaya there, the thought pleased him, but he didn’t see why Akaya would be interested in going.

"My sister dragged me to one when I was little so she could look at the boys," Akaya explained simply and started playing with whatever he could find on the table, "but I wanna see you compete. You'll 'gekokujou' right?" He turned to smile at Hiyoshi with his big ear to ear childish grin.

Sanada glanced at his easily distracted kohai then turned his attention back to Hiyoshi. "I would like to attend as well. I'll keep him in line," he said gesturing to Akaya with a nod, "As I assume you're going to be rather busy most of the time."

It was that smile Hiyoshi couldn’t help but grin back at, and hearing Akaya use his own favorite phrase was rather charming. He was going to work three times harder now to show him just exactly how much he could ‘gekokujou’ at this tournament. “Of course, brat.” He said and ruffled Akaya’s hair.

In answer to Sanada, he added mostly for Akaya’s benefit, “That would be appreciated since I’ll have to arrive early for check-in, and will most likely be helping out around the tournament whenever I’m not competing.” He gave his characteristic smirk and thumbed towards Akaya, “and I don’t know if I trust him alone in a crowded room of martial artists with dangerous weapons.”

"There's gonna be weapons?!" Akaya’s eyes lit up with a devious glint, "Can I get nun chucks? Oh oh! Or shurikens?" He grabbed Hiyoshi’s arm and looked at him with excitement practically radiating off of him.

Sanada sighed and nodded. "Don't worry," he mumbled, ignoring Akaya completely at the moment. "I have a lot of experience with keeping him out of trouble."

Hiyoshi rolled his eyes. “Of course there are going to be weapons and NO.” The idea of Akaya getting a hold of weapons was a scary… scary thought. The last thing he needed was for his brat to find out he already owned both of those plus many others. He tiredly disentangled Akaya’s hand from around his arm, still trying to put a respectable distance between them.

“I would still like to train for Kendo once or twice a week, but it may be difficult next month due to the tournament. I usually take two or three months to choose my weapons and prepare my kata. Since I only have a month this time, I won’t have any time for much else.” Realistically, he wasn’t going to have time for anything else at all, except maybe sleep. “I may even take a few days to go home and prepare.”

The disappointment was obvious on Akaya’s face but he stayed silent. He wasn't going to get to spend much time with Hiyoshi it seemed, but he knew this was what Hiyoshi really wanted to do so he didn't complain. Even if Hiyoshi was busy during the day he knew he'd have to come back to sleep, and when he did, Akaya would be waiting.

"That's alright. Take the time off if you need. We'll continue when you're done," Sanada said, picking up the glass of water on the table and drinking it slowly. He didn't like Hiyoshi missing practice, but it was necessary for him to prepare and Sanada could sympathies with that.

When Hiyoshi saw the look of disappointed cross Akaya’s face, a new mixed feeling of both happiness and guilt assaulted him. It was amazing; all the new emotions the brat had been making him feel lately. He nodded in thanks to Sanada and discreetly took Akaya’s hand under the table and squeezed it, but let go just as quickly when the waitress chose that moment to come by and turn the burner on, placing the raw meat around the table.

Akaya smiled widely as he felt Hiyoshi squeeze his hand. As soon as the waitress was gone he took it in his own again and squeezed it back. "It all looks so good!" He laughed happily.

Sanada nodded in thanks to the waitress and waited a moment for the grill to heat up before setting a couple pieces of meat on it. He frowned as he looked over to see a couple of the waitresses giggling and whispering about them. Damn annoying women. The sound of their laughter was like nails on a chalk board.

Completely oblivious to why the waitresses around them were being so annoying, Hiyoshi chose to ignore them. Unlike the last time they had gone out for Yakinuku, Hiyoshi had no intention of starting a food war in front of Sanada-san. He let go of Akaya’s hand and politely only took a few pieces of meat and vegetables, placing them on the burner.

“When is your first tennis match, Akaya? You’ve been practicing a lot, but you haven’t actually told me when your first tournament is.” It was only fair. If Akaya would be attending his tournament, than he should go to his tennis matches, he wanted to anyway.

"Eh? Oh, I don't know," Akaya mumbled as he took a few pieces of meat and arranged them on his little corner of the grill. "Are you gonna come watch me play?" He asked with a big hopeful grin. He wanted Hiyoshi to see all that he was capable of. In other words, he wanted to show off.

"Akaya, you need to keep track of these kinds of things," Sanada grumbled. He remembered the younger boy’s bad habits far too well. He couldn't count how many times he or Jackal had to go pick Akaya up because he'd forgotten about the tournament.

"Relax, fukubuchou, buchou will say something if we're gonna have a tournament," Akaya waved it off and reached over to steal one of Sanada’s pieces of meat that had just finished cooking.

Sanada glared at Akaya and gave him a look that dared him to try it again, though he knew he wouldn't do anything if the other stole more meat. He was used to it and glared on reflex and principle.

“You better find out when it is. I doubt your buchou forgives absentmindedness.” Jiroh was the only one he could remember ever being let off the hook for being late or forgetting tournaments, but that couldn’t be helped. It was Hiyoshi’s opinion that Atobe-buchou always had a soft spot for the narcoleptic energizer bunny, but then, who didn’t?

With a smirk, Hiyoshi added. “I don’t know if I’ll go. It depends whether or not you can tell me when it is and if the competition is worth seeing. Don’t want to be bored after all.” Of course he was going to go, but he didn’t want Akaya to know how much he was looking forward to it. Even though he didn’t play anymore, he still enjoyed watching.

"I'll find out from buchou soon, okay?" Akaya assured happily, not minding Sanada’s glare as he stole something from Hiyoshi’s side of the grill.

Using the same method Akaya had used on him before, Hiyoshi reacted immediately by stealing his piece of meat back right off Akaya’s chopsticks and placing it in his own mouth.

Akaya’s jaw dropped but his face quickly found itself contorting into a pout, "Wa-ka-shiiiiii, that was mine! I stole it, fair and square."

Sanada could have laughed at how quickly the tables had turned on Akaya. It was interesting to see someone who could match him so evenly.

“Eat your own food, brat,” Hiyoshi mumbled amusedly, trying to cover his smile by saying it into his drink. Was Akaya trying to embarrass him on purpose? Acting this cute… err… immature in front of Sanada? It was becoming difficult keeping his upright serious composure.

"But that's boring," Akaya mumbled, but did as he was told and started eating meat from his own side of the grill.

Sanada raised an eyebrow and gave Hiyoshi an approving look, most people didn't know how to handle the little demon, but the other man seemed to handle him easily.

Hiyoshi was surprised by Akaya’s almost too easy forfeit. It was probably because Sanada was there. He finished off another piece of meat and his last helping of vegetables before discreetly moving his last piece of meat over to Akaya’s side of the grill. He was full anyway. The busy day and always good but exhausting work out with Sanada finally caught up with him, he was ready to get back to his room and sleep.

Akaya’s eyes went a bit wider and his pout disappeared as Hiyoshi slid the meat over to him. He grinned happily and waited for it to finish cooking before dipping it in the sauce and popping it into his mouth.

Sanada watched the motion, but didn't comment. The former Hyotei boy made Akaya happy and as long as he didn't hurt him he saw no reason to interfere. When the check came he took it and walked over to the register to pay for all three of them without a word.

Hiyoshi was trying to hold back a yawn when he noticed Sanada get up to pay the bill. He had planned on paying for them; especially since the place was probably more expensive than they were used to. Not wanting to show disrespect to the upperclassmen or hurt his pride, he just leaned back with a disgruntled look and didn’t say anything.

Akaya noticed the look on the other man’s face and frowned. "Don't worry, he always does that," he said simply and finished off his water, "So don't feel bad or nothing. He likes being the one to pay for some reason." Not that he was complaining. He'd had many free meals on Sanada’s tab, but the older man still refused to let him pay.

Not feeling the urge to argue, Hiyoshi just grunted in response and stood up to make his way toward Sanada and the exit.

Akaya frowned and followed along after him, brushing his hand against the other boy’s gently and subtly.

Sanada didn't wait for them to catch up before walking out the front doors of the restaurant and starting back toward the school.

Hiyoshi noticed Sanada go off ahead of them and wondered if he had somehow managed to insult him. Sanada had a lot of odd mannerisms that confused him. Feeling Akaya at his side, he continued after him, back towards campus.

Akaya smiled at Sanada’s back and took Hiyoshi’s hand fully in his own. He had the greatest fukubuchou ever.

Hiyoshi’s eyes went wide when Akaya took his hand. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t held hands outside before, but… there were still a lot of people out, and Sanada was with them. He squeezed Akaya’s hand once then let go, picking up his pace to try and catch up with Sanada.

Akaya pouted as his hand was released and Hiyoshi rushed way, did he do something wrong? They'd held hands outside before, why couldn't they do it now? "Naa, Wakashi," he whined and tried taking the other boy’s hand in his own again. "What's wrong?"

This was embarrassing, but Akaya didn’t seem to get it. He slowed his pace, still outside of Sanada’s hearing range. “We’re in public, and Sanada-san is here,” he grunted, still looking forward and keeping his face expressionless as they finally caught up with Sanada. He felt Akaya’s hand come up to meet his again, but did not hold it back, hoping Akaya would understand. He was still trying to get used to the idea that Akaya and him were dating, they didn’t need to be so public about it.

Akaya looked rather irritated, but didn't let go of Hiyoshi’s hand, instead he held it tighter and reached forward with his free hand to hold Sanada’s hand as well.

Sanada looked down at his hand then at Akaya’s face. His kohai was grinning like he'd just thought of the greatest thing in the world and he couldn't help but roll his eyes. He didn't hold the other boy’s hand back, but he didn't pull away.

That was too much. He was already having trouble, but there was no way he was going to hold Akaya’s hand while he was also holding Sanada’s. That was just wrong. Wait. Why was Akaya holding Sanada’s hand anyway? With an angry glare, he tried pulling away, but when the brat just held on tighter he yanked it back roughly.

“I’m going to my dorm. Thank you, Sanada-san, for dinner. I hope you’ll let me return the favor sometime.” He turned to leave, fuming internally.

"Oi! Wakashi," Akaya snapped, frowning as the other’s hand was ripped from his. "What the hell is the matter with you?" He had just been trying to be nice and make it so Hiyoshi didn't feel all awkward, but now he had the nerve to be mad? Bastard.

Sanada stopped and watched the two with a deep frown but opted to stay out of it. He had his own set of problems; he didn't need to deal with these two as well.

What was the matter with HIM? He wasn’t the one who was trying to hold hands with two guys at once. Maybe Sanada was used to that (he cringed at that mental image) but it was definitely something he wasn’t going to be apart of. He was aware that Sanada had been Akaya’s first crush, but he hadn’t cared (other than being appalled) until this moment. Glaring back, he replied tersely, “Nothing is wrong with me, brat. You’re the one who is obviously having difficulties deciding who you want to walk with.” He regretted saying it the minute it came out, but it was too late now. Turning back around, he resumed his fast pace walking toward the dorm.

Growling, Akaya grabbed Hiyoshi’s arm and spun him around to face him again. "Oi, you're the one who didn't want to walk with me! You jerk! I was just trying to make it so you didn't feel all embarrassed," he said, raising his voice, not caring for one second that people were starting to stop and stare at them.

Sanada sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. At least all the attention wasn't on him. He'd go home if he wasn't worried about having to break the two up if their little spat got more hands on. None of the people in the area could handle Akaya in bloodshot, let alone demon mode.

Embarrassment making his anger worse, Hiyoshi tried to untangle himself from Akaya again and replied in a cold low tone, “I didn’t know I needed to be holding your hand in order to walk with you. Are you that much of a brat? You thought by holding hands with Sanada too it would be LESS embarrassing for me?” This was ridiculous, and he was tired. Looking around, he noticed other people had stopped to look at them. Couldn’t people learn to mind their own damn business!? “Let go. I’m leaving.”

Akaya’s eyes tinged pink and he took Hiyoshi’s wrist and dragged him toward the school. "Fine! We'll fucking settle this when we get back then!" He yelled and tightened his grip on Hiyoshi’s wrist.

Sanada frowned and followed them at a discreet distance. He didn't want to be associated with the two rambunctious kohai, but he also wasn't going to leave them alone to beat each other up.

Shit. Hiyoshi knew that look. He was about to tell Akaya that he hadn’t invited him up to HIS room, but thankfully still had the peace of mind to keep it in. Completely forgetting about Sanada, he let himself be dragged back to campus, resolved to keeping his mouth shut until they were somewhere private. He could already feel the headache coming on. This was not how he had envisioned the evening going.

Akaya basically threw Hiyoshi’s door open and stormed in, pulling Hiyoshi behind him. As soon as they were clear of the door, he slammed it shut and turned his glare on the other man. "There! No one to be embarrassed in front of! Not like anyone fucking cares what we do anyway!"

Outside of the door, Sanada stood patiently and listened for any signs of trouble.

Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, Hiyoshi listened to Akaya’s rant before starting his own. “I care what we do! I wasn’t shoving you away or ignoring you. Excuse me for trying to show respect to the people around us, including your fukubuchou! I don’t appreciate being forced into uncomfortable situations, which you seem to delight in doing to me.”

"Well sorry if I like showing people how I feel, you emotionally constipated ass!" He yelled and kicked Hiyoshi’s desk chair. "Sanada-fukubuchou doesn't care that I was holding your hand! That's why he walked ahead of us, so we could hold hands! If you don't want to hold my hand then just say so! I thought that was something you were supposed to do when you like someone, but whatever." He ran a hand through his hair as his eyes got a little more pink.

“How the hell am I supposed to know what Sanada-san’s intentions are? Then why were you holding hands with him? How many other people do you ‘like’ enough to hold hands with in public? Apparently I’m too boring and emotionally lacking to be enough. Should I just change my personality and principles in order to go out with you?” At this point it was mostly his insecurities talking, but he didn’t care. If Akaya couldn’t get used to the way he was, then this would always be a problem. He closed his eyes and punched the wall behind him with the back of his fist.

"I was holding hands with him so people wouldn't stare as much, idiot! He doesn't care. I used to do it when I was younger all the time! You think I still like him?! Well I don't! I like you! You moron!! You're not boring or I wouldn't be with you in the first place! You're fun and cute and I want you, because you're you, you stupid mushroom!" He was almost panting from all the yelling, but he was starting to wear himself out and lose his anger, but he wasn't going to let it go just yet.

Hiyoshi knocked his head back hard against the wall a few times, which was probably counter productive to his headache. “I don’t know how to get used to public displays of affection.” Moving forward away from the wall, he tentatively walked toward Akaya and stopped right in front of him. He didn’t know if Akaya would lash out at him or not, but figured/hoped he could handle it. Being close to Akaya always helped him to calm down, even when he was frustrated with him. “You’re not a kid anymore. I like you … Of course I don’t like it when you hold hands with other people. Isn’t that normal?”

Akaya watched Hiyoshi approach, wondering if he was going to hit him or something, but when he just stood there and watched him he felt all the rest of his anger drain out of him. "I know I'm not... I... I don't know what's normal... I've never done this before. You know that..." He brought a hand up to scratch at his head and tangle in his own curly hair.

“I don’t know what’s normal either.” Hiyoshi reached out and took Akaya’s hand in his, the same way Akaya had been trying to do earlier. He brought the hand up to his lips and lightly kissed the back of it once. “All I know is that you’re driving me crazy. I don’t know how to stop…” He sighed, not knowing how to finish that thought. How the hell was he supposed to deal with Akaya being affectionate to everyone when he couldn’t even stand it when he held hands with Sanada?

With a little smile, Akaya squeezed Hiyoshi’s hand and set his other hand on the other man’s hip. "Then don't stop," he said softly and pressed their lips together.

Surprised, but not at all unhappy with this turn of events, Hiyoshi kissed him back. “Mm… and I’m not cute.” He grumbled out between the soft kisses. His free hand ran up and down along Akaya’s back in an easy slide.

"Yes you are. You're a cute fungi," Akaya grinned devilishly and slowly walked forward, pushing Hiyoshi back, until he was up against the door. He bent a little and pressed their lips together a bit more forcefully.

When he heard the thump against the door, Sanada raised an eyebrow and walked off toward his room. He really did not want to think about what the two were doing in there.

“Am not...” Hiyoshi replied grumpily as Akaya claimed his lips again. Really, Akaya distracted him far too much and far too easily for what was healthy. He could feel their hands still tightly clasped between them as he let his other hand relax on Akaya’s hip. He pushed himself back against the other boy and continued to allow him control over the quickly turning far from chaste kiss.

Akaya slipped his hand up from Hiyoshi’s hip to explore his abs under his shirt. "You totally are," he smiled and moved to kiss and nip at his neck. "Nn... but you're hot too..." he purred.

Hiyoshi smirked and let his head fall back against the door as his neck was being seductively attacked. “Heh…You’re one-hundred percent brat. Devious, adorable, idiotic, sexy brat.” The word sexy had been whispered, as if he was embarrassed to have said the word (which he was). He let himself relax against the door as he was completely encompassed by the warm body in front of him.

The words made Akaya shiver and groan happily. "I'm not a brat, but I'll take everything else," he purred and licked his way up to Hiyoshi’s ear and nibbled at the lobe lightly. He could handle the idiotic thing if that meant he got to be devious, adorable, and sexy. "You drive me crazy too," he whispered huskily into his ear. "I don't know how, but I can't help but want you near me."

Then they were both idiots. A shiver went up Hiyoshi’s spine when the words were whispered in his ear. “I wonder if it’s a sign of insanity that I have similar feelings to a chibi demon?” He chuckled before turning his head to capture Akaya’s lips with his own in a slow lazy kiss, grinning against them. The evening he had imagined earlier was definitely back on track again.

"Mmm..." Akaya moaned into the kiss and rolled his hips against Hiyoshi’s. "Probably, but... nn... Sometimes crazy can be fun," he purred and started tugging his boyfriend’s shirt off.

“I think… this kind of fun…” Hiyoshi let out a low moan as his hips came in contact with Akaya’s again and lifted his arms so that Akaya could remove his shirt “...Can be dangerous.”

"Nnn... Definitely..." Akaya whispered against the other’s lips and tugged off his shirt before moving down to kiss all over Hiyoshi’s chest and abs. He kneeled and started unbuttoning the other’s pants with a devious little grin, but his eyes looked uneasy like he was asking for permission to continue.

Hiyoshi had been disappointed when Akaya’s lips had left his, but sucked in his breath when Akaya’s breath hit his lower abs and stomach. When he saw what Akaya was attempting to do, he felt conflicted. He didn’t like the idea of Akaya giving him something that he himself was unsure he could return, but… This wasn’t the first time Akaya had attempted this and he didn’t want to push him away again. Deciding to let Akaya do as he pleased, he nodded his head once, making sure to show no weakness in his gaze.

Akaya smiled appreciatively, undid Hiyoshi’s pants, and tugged them down, exposing the other’s erection. He knew his boyfriend was probably not ready to go all the way yet, but he wanted to make him feel good, even if he didn't get anything in return. Without hesitation, he started licking and sucking at the dripping tip of Hiyoshi’s length, keeping his eyes fixed on the other’s face to see his reactions.

When the cold air hit his erection, Hiyoshi’s first instinct was to close his legs, but when he felt Akaya’s mouth over him… “Fuck!” His head immediately slammed back against the door and his hand came up to cover his mouth. Damn… It was different than the last time in the shower… The variation in temperature from the cold air to the heat of Akaya’s mouth surrounding him felt incredible. His eyes were starting to glaze over as his breath became quicker and he had to reach behind and grasp the locked doorknob to steady himself.

Akaya smiled before he took the head into his mouth and teased it with his skilled tongue a bit. The reactions he got from Hiyoshi were perfect. Growing impatient, he took the whole length into his mouth and moaned around him, knowing just how good it would feel.

All Hiyoshi could do was let out tiny moans and grunts through a covered mouth as Akaya continued to make his mind go completely blank with nothing but sensation. His knees trembled at a particular moment when he felt more than heard a moan over his now painfully hard member. He opened his eyes to see Akaya’s head bobbing up and down slowly, and couldn’t stop a harsh shudder go through his body as their eyes connected.

If his mouth hadn't been occupied already, Akaya would have said his lover’s name and kissed him hungrily, but he could do it later. Right now his goal was to push him over the edge and make him cry out so loudly that his hand wouldn't be able to muffle it anymore.

It was taking all of Hiyoshi’s will power not to thrust into that hot mouth and he knew he wasn’t going to last long. Using the hand covering his mouth, he tried to push his brat away, not trusting his voice enough to warn him out loud of his impending release. Not even knowing if the message got through before it became too much, his head tilted up and he arched his back. Biting his bottom lip hard, he almost drew blood as he came. He body trembled with relief as he slumped back.

Akaya refused to pull away when Hiyoshi urged him to, because he could tell why the other was trying to stop him. He could feel it under his tongue and hands. Thus, it was no surprise when the hot salty liquid filled his mouth. He was used to this, and instead of choking or pulling away, he swallowed and milked Hiyoshi for all he was worth, greedily taking as much of the liquid as he could as the aftershocks shook the other man. Once he was done, Akaya stood and pulled Hiyoshi to him, supporting his weight as he tried to catch his breath.

Senses heightened, Hiyoshi could feel all too clearly Akaya’s warm body holding his as he tried to get his breathing under control. He leaned his weight on Akaya, not trusting his knees to completely support him. His face was buried in Akaya neck, and he moaned as he felt one last tremor go through him. ‘Fuck, that was amazing,’ was the first thought that went through his head once he could properly form a coherent thought.

There weren't many other things that were this satisfying and relaxing as feeling Hiyoshi recover from post-orgasmic haze, especially when it was because of him. Akaya kissed the side of the other’s head and smiled, quite proud that he'd made the other come so quickly and so hard.

Finally steadying, with a small grin, Hiyoshi turned his head to say in Akaya’s ear, “I suppose the proper etiquette in this situation is to say, thank you?” He reached out to run one hand through Akaya’s hair, while the other hand began inching down to where Akaya must be hurting.

With a little chuckle Akaya smiled, "Thank you isn't necessar---eh?" He couldn't help but groan as Hiyoshi’s finger traced over him through his pants. "D-damn... What are you--you don't have to... Nnn..." Akaya rolled his hips against Hiyoshi’s hand automatically, seeking out more friction.

Hiyoshi rolled his eyes at the brat’s objections as he gently outlined the front of Akaya’s pants. He then unzipping them and pushed them down far enough to have access to his very hard, and very wet erection. “After what you just did, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I left you like this?” It was the first time Hiyoshi had ever referred to himself as Akaya’s boyfriend. The thought made him smile. Leaning back against the door with Akaya leaning against him, one hand massaged Akaya’s scalp while the other took hold of his member, massaging it teasingly.

Akaya gasped and gripped at Hiyoshi’s shoulders with a hint of desperation. "Wakashi..." He smiled despite his gasping for breath. Hiyoshi really was a good boyfriend even though Akaya didn't really have anything to compare to. He rested his head against his lover’s shoulder and moaned. He was overwhelmed. Hiyoshi’s scent, his taste, the feel of his hands, it all left him craving more.

Pleased at Akaya’s response, Hiyoshi thought with a smirk that this seemed liked a good time for a chibi demon interrogation. He teased his him a bit before moving back to rub lightly at the head. “So, Akaya… I heard you have been giving lessons?” He hadn’t known what to think about it at first, having heard from Gakuto. He wasn’t sure if, as Akaya’s boyfriend, he was supposed to be jealous. He trusted Akaya enough to know he wouldn’t cheat on him purposely, so instead decided to just ask him about it. “What exactly have you been teaching?”

Akaya growled quietly, more interested in friction than talking at the moment, but it didn't seem he was going to get what he wanted unless he answered the other man’s question. "I was giving Inui-sa--nngh... tips..." He moaned and closed his eyes tightly, gasping again as his hips jerked forward, "Tips about sex."

Hiyoshi chuckled. “Oh? What kind of sex tips?” He took Akaya’s length in a firmer grip and began leisurely stroking up and down. “Should I be taking lessons as well? Maybe I could ask Gakuto…” Using the hand in Akaya’s hair, he pulled his head to the side and began licking and nibbling at Akaya’s neck and ear lobe.

"Ah!" Akaya moaned and shuddered under the licks and bites. "Y-You don't need any tips..." He whispered. That was the last thing he needed. If an inexperienced Hiyoshi could do THIS to him, he didn't want to know what an educated one could do to him. Okay, maybe he did, but if anyone was going to teach Hiyoshi, it would be him.

Hiyoshi took a moment to just look at Akaya. His eyes were closed, but his face looked as if he was concentrating hard on something even if his lips were slightly open and panting. “Hmm... I may have to disagree with that assessment if you’re still able to think about it.” He somehow loved the feeling of Akaya pulsing in his hand. Finally, he let his grip on Akaya become hard and strong, stroking him and rubbing his thumb occasionally over the head. His lips came into contact with Akaya’s gently, licking and sucking, a complete contrast to how he was handling him. His free hand went to play with the curls at the base of his neck.

Before Akaya could argue, his lips were captured and any protest he had died out immediately. The only thing running through his mind was the mushroom headed boy in front of him and he found he didn't mind at all. He kissed back, letting Hiyoshi set the pace since he was doing a damn good job of it. Why fix what wasn't broken? One of his hands found its way into the straight soft strands of his boyfriend’s hair and tangled there, using it as a kind of anchor to keep him from getting swept away by the feeling, and for once, the emotions being with Wakashi caused in him.

Hiyoshi pushed his lips harder against Akaya’s when he felt hands in his hair and was kissed back, while still maintaining the harsh grip and movements on his erection. Somehow, doing this to Akaya was almost as enjoyable as having it done to him. If he hadn’t already come once just a few minutes ago, and wasn’t so tired from the long day, he might have been able to come again just from the look on Akaya’s face, the sound of his voice, and the feel of his body trembling against his.

Akaya started slowly rolling his hips with Hiyoshi’s movements while his tongue poked at the other boy’s, enticing him to explore his mouth since it was almost always the other way around. He liked having his boyfriend take the lead sometimes, even if he'd never admit it.

Groaning low in his throat at Akaya’s actions, Hiyoshi automatically followed Akaya’s encouragement by shyly exploring the inside the other boy’s mouth. After only a few moments of sweet exploration and the feel of Akaya still pulsing in his hand, he was trying not to let his emotions get the better of him, but he soon lost the internal battle

Pulling away hastily, Hiyoshi turned them around before slamming Akaya against the door, pressing him back between the hard surface and his body. All traces of shyness gone, he claimed the other boy’s mouth, feeling no resistance as he hotly explored with a new found urgency. One hand went back to the weeping erection, pumping him even harder, while the other stroked Akaya’s cheek, slowly making a path to his chin and then down to his sculpted chest and abs.

Akaya couldn't hold back a yelp as he was slammed back against the door. Now that was more like it. No hesitation. He moaned into the kiss and bucked his hips into his boyfriend’s hand. Almost there, he could feel the tug at his gut that meant he was finally going to relieve all of the pent up pressure that Hiyoshi always seemed to cause.

Hiyoshi could hear Akaya’s breath coming faster as he pulled away from the kiss and instead started to attack his neck non-too-gently, Akaya’s moans urging him on and causing a small growl to escape his own throat. Akaya was beautiful like this. Hiyoshi didn’t use that word often, but it was true. It was beautiful the way he seemed to so effortlessly discard his worries and just throw himself into passion, something he didn’t think he would ever be able to do without feeling some form of self-consciousness. He brought his free hand back up to cradle the back of Akaya’s head just in case he hit it on the door. Not wanting to hold back the words, wanting Akaya to know exactly how he felt, he tilted his head up and whispered almost hoarsely with restrained passion in his ear, “You’re beautiful.”

Akaya had never had anyone be considerate of him like that. Most of his lovers had tried to make him throw his head back against whatever surface he was pressed up against. Tile, sheetrock, brick, it didn't matter to them. It had never really mattered to him either, but he was fairly certain Hiyoshi would never understand just how much that little gesture meant to him.

Beautiful? That was a new one, but coming from his boyfriend’s lips it sounded like the best adjective in the world. After being called brat, chibi, and demon it was soothing and flattering to be called something else for once, especially something so full of emotion. Consequently, those hoarse words were just what he needed to fall over the edge.

Akaya saw nothing but white as he came hard in Hiyoshi’s hand and he couldn't stop himself from crying out loudly. He'd never been very good about being quiet in bed (or anywhere else for that matter).

Hiyoshi was grinning too hard to be worried about the neighbors hearing. It figured since Akaya was loud at basically everything else, he wouldn’t be any less so at this. He stroked him a few more times slowly before stopping all together and sighing as he relaxed against him, trying not to mind the hot liquid that now covered both of them. His brat was quickly turning into a very potent drug for him, never seeming to have enough. He was becoming worried that he was starting to depend on the brat too much. Basically controlling his moods and even in order to have a good nights sleep. Curiously, he brought his hand up to his mouth and hesitantly licked a finger, wincing slightly at the salty taste. How did Akaya do this?

Panting, Akaya brought one arm up around Hiyoshi’s shoulder and the other brought his boyfriend’s hand to his own mouth with a little smirk. He saw the way the other man winced and knew it was very much an acquired taste, so slowly he started licking the liquid off for him. His whole body tingled and his vision was a bit blurry, but he'd never felt better.

It really shouldn’t have been that erotic; watching as his boyfriend licked his own come off his fingers… but it was, especially when Akaya was looking at him like that. Removing his hand from that hot mouth, he grasped Akaya’s chin instead and leaned in to claim another possessive kiss. Somehow, the salty taste was much better coming directly from Akaya. After a moment, he leaned back and commanded gently, “Wait here a moment.” He went to pick up a wash cloth in order to attempt cleaning them both up.

Akaya could really get used to those possessive kisses. Akaya couldn't have moved if he'd wanted to and when Hiyoshi stepped away he had to grab the door for support since his legs wouldn't do it anymore. He smiled gratefully at Hiyoshi as he cleaned him up.

Good to know he wasn’t the only one having problems staying on his feet. Without saying a word, Hiyoshi gently wiped them both down with the wash cloth, leaning over to kiss his boyfriend gently a few times during the process. Once he was satisfied, Hiyoshi quickly rid them of the rest of their clothes. For once not caring where they landed on the floor, he navigated them both to the bed where they collapsed in a heap. He wasn’t quite ready to sleep yet, but keeping Akaya close to him was top priority at the moment.

As soon as his back hit the bed, Akaya grunted and closed his eyes, his arms and a legs immediately finding their way around the other man’s body. "Hmm... Naa Wakashi... You're really good at that..." He closed his eyes, but his grin didn't fade. He was tired, but if Hiyoshi wasn't going to sleep just yet he'd keep himself awake too.

Hiyoshi chose not to comment on Akaya’s statement, instead pulling him closer. “You can sleep if you want.” He was going to be very busy for the next couple of weeks starting tomorrow; he didn’t know when he would actually have time to spend with Akaya. He had to talk to the fraternity and find out exactly what the different events to be judged would be as well as if he was eligible to compete in the one on one combat events.

Akaya shook his head and nuzzled against his boyfriend’s neck. "I'm ok..." Now that he knew he wasn't going to get to spend as much time with him, he wanted to savor what he had.

Hiyoshi relaxed his head on top of the other’s curls, feeling them slightly tickling his chin, and leisurely combed his hand through them. “I have to be up early in the mornings for training starting tomorrow, and I probably won’t be back till late most nights for the next few weeks. It may be better if you start going back to your own room.” It wasn’t that he wanted him to, but he didn’t want Akaya to constantly be coming by only to find him not there.

"Oh..." Akaya said quietly and tightened his arms around Hiyoshi unconsciously, not wanting the other to leave him alone, especially not for so long. But he knew this was what the other wanted to do and he knew he'd do the same if it was him and a tennis tournament. "You have to come spend at least a couple nights a week with me then," he said softly, his tone came out joking but he was very much serious.

Hiyoshi could feel his chest swell at the command. “I’ll tell you what. You can help me decide what weapons I use at the tournament.” He smirked, knowing that Akaya would probably think it was cool. “I’ve never let anyone else have a say before, so you better appreciate it.”

Akaya grinned and nodded. "I'll pick good ones," he said excitedly and adjusted his position somewhat so he could kiss Hiyoshi in appreciation. He couldn't wait to tell people that his boyfriend was a ninja.

Laughing softly to himself, Hiyoshi turned his face into curls as he replied contentedly, “Good. Now sleep.” With that, he breathed in Akaya’s scent which helped his body relax and slowly enticed him to sleep.

When Hiyoshi’s breathing evened out, Akaya smiled and closed his eyes, letting himself finally drift off into a peaceful dreamless sleep.