Hirota walked through the streets of Tokyo with a single destination in mind. SPR.
Like the traditionalist that he was, he was going to confess. To his one true love. His Nacchan.
He spotted the building and the beginnings of a bead of sweat formed on his brow. Hirota wiped it away, his face set in a determined grimace. He strode through the front doors and began up the stairs, knowing what was to come.
Hirota opened the door to the SPR office to be greeted by Mai.
"Oh, hello Hirota-san, how can I help you? Would you like a drink?" Mai asked, smiling sweetly.
"This is not a coffee shop."
Hirota's head spun around to the source of the voice. Standing in the door of his private office, hair beautifully ruffled and a cup of steaming tea in his hand. Hirota's mouth fell open. He quickly closed it again, gulping.
"I need to speak with you," Hirota stated. "Drinks will not be necessary."
He brushed Mai aside, striding towards his Nacchan, upon whose face a smirk formed.
The two men stepped inside the office, Hirota closing the door behind him with a sigh of relief. Finally, they were alone.
"Well?"
His Nacchan's voice was smooth, like velvet. It made Hirota want an argument just to hear him speak more. But now was not the time for that.
"I want to speak to you about a personal matter," Hirota began.
"Oh really?"
His Nacchan took a seat, crossing his legs and pressing the tips of his fingers together. He peered up at Hirota with a curious expression. Hirota envied his Nacchan's calm manner as a new bead of sweat ran down the side of his own head.
"Yes." Hirota gulped, another bead of sweat forming. "I have struggled in vain━"
"In vain? What do you have to be vain about?"
His Nacchan was still smirking, enjoying Hirota's suffering.
"Please!" Hirota pressed, trying not to raise his voice. He did not want others listening in to this. It was private. Between him, and his Nacchan. "I must confess my feelings."
His hands had balled into fists in determination as more sweat dripped down his forehead.
"Ever since that case," Hirota began, "I have not been able to stop thinking of you. What happened there was… It challenged my thinking and my understanding of the world around me. You challenged me."
His Nacchan's face remained impassive, but this did not deter Hirota.
"I am in love with you."
His Nacchan's face showed no sign of surprise as Hirota held his gaze, ignoring the sweat dribbling down the side of his face.
"Say something," he muttered, finally looking away.
"Like what?"
"Well an acknowledgement would be nice. I do not expect you to return my━"
"Why would you presume that?"
Hirota's mouth fell open in shock.
"You… You feel the same way?"
"It would be idiotic of you to presume something like that considering we have never previously spoken on the matter."
Hirota gaped, unsure how to react. His Nacchan had not given him a flat out 'no'. There was a chance…
"Then… Then how do you want to proceed?" he asked, tentatively.
"Proceed?"
"Well we could go on a date?" Hirota suggested, only now choosing to wipe the sweat from his brow.
"Why would we do that?"
A cold breeze emanating from nowhere washed over Hirota. The sweat on his skin emphasised the harshness of of the chill.
"To… To talk."
"We are talking now," his Nacchan countered.
"Alone…"
"We are alone now."
"We could get a drink together or something…"
"You denied Mai's offer of a drink."
His Nacchan had him there.
"I think," his Nacchan went on, "that what you are trying and failing to say is that you want us to go somewhere special to talk and drink, potentially eat."
As eloquent as always, Hirota thought.
"Yes. Yes that is exactly what I meant."
"So why did you not say that?"
Hirota looked down at his feet in shame, but he knew he could not stop there. He must go on.
"How about this evening?"
"I am busy."
"Oh."
"I am taking Mai to dinner."
"Oh…"
All confidence drained from Hirota. His beloved Nacchan was buying Mai dinner. He had no chance.
"Yes, BSPR has a new initiative to reward their workers with an annual meal. In England they do this at Christmas. My father insisted that the JSPR branch should also partake in this initiative. But Lin has declined the offer."
A ray of hope.
"Tomorrow then?" Hirota suggested.
"Hmm. If I'm free…" His Nacchan suddenly raised his voice, "Mai!"
Mai. Why must he call her in? She was everything that Hirota was not. Small, cute, lovable… And considerably less sweaty.
Mai entered a moment later.
"Yes?"
"Check my diary for me, am I free tomorrow night?"
"Will do!"
She danced away from the door only to return a moment later holding an organiser. Hirota watched as she ran a finger down the page.
"You're free any time after five according to this."
"Excellent. Put me down for dinner at…?" His Nacchan looked up at him, expecting a time.
"Seven," Hirota provided.
"Seven," his Nacchan repeated with a smile. "I will see you then."
"Excellent."
"Mai, show Hirota-san out."
"Of course."
Hirota's disappointment that his Nacchan did not show him out personally was minimal. His Nacchan was a busy man after all. And they had a date. He was going on a real date with his Nacchan.
And it was going to be perfect.
"So, what was that all about?" Mai asked, curious.
Oliver leant forwards, picking up the next request to read through. Mai had already filtered these requests of course, but it would be up to him to make the final decision.
"He confessed his feelings for me."
"Hirota-san? Really? That's why he wants to take you to dinner?"
"It would seem that way."
"But, you told him about us, right?" Mai asked, still amused.
"I did not say I returned his affections," Oliver muttered, dumping the case down on the reject pile. "But he's offered to buy me dinner and I am sure he'll even go so far as to recommend me a dish. Saves the bother of thinking of something for myself."
"You're insufferable."
Author's note: Happy Birthday TeaAddictedGhostHunter, my favourite Narota shipper!