[A/N: So, I usually don't like writing speculative stories like this, but I just can't wait for vol. 7 ch. 5, so I had to appease myself somehow XD; And I really, really want a conversation like this to happen between Masaki and Souichi – it would seriously make me all sorts of giddy. Tell him like it is, Masaki! Tell him! *cheers* This picks up at the last page of vol. 7 ch. 4. Disclaimer: Koisuru Boukun/The Tyrant Falls in Love belongs to Takanaga Hinako.]
"…Morinaga?" Souichi mumbled in disbelief at the sight of his kouhai following closely behind Masaki out the restaurant door only feet ahead of him.
"Huh?" the brunette asked, looking up to see who called his name. "Senpai?" Morinaga exclaimed, dread already sinking in his gut. The look of betrayal on Souichi's face tugged roughly at his heart, and he immediately regretted meeting with Masaki. Don't see him! Ever again! ran like a mantra through his head, berating him for ignoring his senpai's wishes. He fumbled uselessly to spit out some sort of explanation, but Souichi had already turned his now-angry gaze on Masaki.
"You," he growled deeply, "I thought I told you to get lost once your shit was done." Souichi's hands clenched into fists as he walked toward Masaki menacingly, making the other man take a wary step backwards. "I warned you what would happen if I saw your face again." He raised his arm to strike, but Morinaga stepped in his way and grabbed his wrist, urging Souichi to stop. "Why are you getting in the way? Didn't I tell you not to see him anymore?" Souichi yelled angrily, wrenching his arm out of his kouhai's grasp.
Morinaga cowered under his senpai's accusing glare and stuttered out desperately, "I-I know, but he really just needed advice, and I explained that I couldn't see—" A hand on his shoulder cut him short, and he anxiously looked back at Masaki, who gently nudged him aside so he could stand face to face with Souichi.
"Who are you to dictate whom Tetsuhiro can and cannot see?" Masaki questioned challengingly. "You said yourself you're not dating him, right?" he teased with a playful glint in his eyes that went unnoticed. "So, what's it to you?"
Souichi paled, his anger dissipating as he dropped his gaze and tried to swiftly sort through his conflicted thoughts. "You-you treated him like shit! You—"
"—apologized earnestly to him and he was gracious enough to forgive me," Masaki countered, making Souichi flounder around for a comeback even more frantically.
"Masaki-san, you don't have to—"
"Hold on, Tetsuhiro, let me finish. You," he said, addressing Souichi again, "should have more faith in Tetsuhiro. I only needed his advice, if you must know, on my situation with his brother. I'm not here to steal him away." He grinned inwardly at the sudden flush to Souichi's cheeks and continued, "You should be thankful, more than thankful, really, that he's stayed true to you for so long. If you hurt him any more than you already have," he warned severely, "you'll have both me and his brother to deal with. You're a man, aren't you? Quit being so indecisive and grow a pair, already."
Souichi's eyes snapped back to look Masaki in the face while his lips fumbled for a retort, but Masaki only smirked victoriously at him and turned to face Morinaga, who had been watching on in disbelief. "Thanks for the advice, Tetsuhiro. Maybe the next time I visit, Kunihiro will be with me." The mention of his brother brought Morinaga out of his shocked trance and he grinned sheepishly at Masaki and wished him luck. The two said their brief goodbyes and, before walking away, Masaki turned back to Souichi and said, teasingly, "See you 'round, senpai."
Morinaga and Souichi watched Masaki walk away until he disappeared into the crowd, then glanced back at each other awkwardly before Souichi stormed away in a huff. "Senpai, please wait!" he pleaded as his struggled to catch up with him. Souichi continued his ridiculously fast pace all the way back to their apartment, silently fuming and confused and still a little hurt, despite knowing that his kouhai hadn't really don't anything wrong. If he couldn't even acknowledge that there was something between the two of them, what right did he have to ask Morinaga not to see Masaki? Souichi kicked off his shoes angrily as soon as he walked through the apartment door and headed straight for his room. He slammed his door and locked it loudly, obviously, sending a wordless warning to Morinaga to stay away.
Tetsuhiro's heart sank at the literal and emotional walls between them and he toed off his shoes before trudging sluggishly to the kitchen to brew some coffee. Drink in hand, he slinked over to the coffee table and sat down, propping his folded arms on the tabletop and drinking from his mug periodically. He glanced at his senpai's door every now and then, sighing in defeat and wondering, not for the first time, if the day would ever come that the lock would be taken off. The usually comfortable apartment suddenly felt too big, too empty, and far too quiet. If he listened closely, Morinaga could hear Souichi typing away at his laptop, burying himself under his pile of never-ending work so he wouldn't have to face their awkward situation. Coward, he thought bitterly as he dragged himself off the floor and cleaned up around the apartment before showering and retiring to his room for the night. He dropped onto his mattress wearily and fell asleep to the sound of Souichi's typing.
Unable to work his tired mind any further, Souichi saved his work and turned off his laptop before sneaking quietly to the shower. He let the hot water wash away his anger at Morinaga's supposed unfaithfulness, only to be replaced by anger at Masaki's words. Every fiber of his being wanted to completely disregard the man's argument, but he grudgingly admitted to himself that he really was lucky to have Morinaga around. He'd already recognized his kouhai's helpfulness in the lab, but really, what were the odds that he'd ever find another person out there who could deal with his slave driving work ethic and his rollercoaster of unpredictable emotions? Only Morinaga could put up with such abuse and continue to spout "I love you" while taking care of Souichi with such limitless devotion. He cursed himself inwardly and decided to apologize now before he chickened out and went back to pretending nothing had ever happened.
Souichi stepped out of the shower and toweled himself off, mentally formulating his speech as he slipped into his warm pajamas. He stopped in front of Morinaga's door, preparing himself to knock, but the unusual silence from his kouhai's room stilled his hand. Is he asleep? He grabbed the door handle warily, batting away the phantom Morinaga that clung to him the last time he stood in this very spot, and opened the door without making a sound. The room was dark and still, save for Morinaga's quiet, even breathing as he slept. Souichi hovered in the doorway, unsure of whether he should return to his room or stay. Gathering his courage, he shut the door quietly behind him and made his way to the bed.
What the hell am I doing? he thought as he reached for the covers. Souichi slid in bed hesitantly, making every effort not to wake his snoozing kouhai. He drew up the covers around him and relaxed between the cozy sheets, rolling on his side to stare at Morinaga's back. Souichi's eyes drank in the sight of the broad, strong shoulders he had clung to so many times and he wondered absentmindedly if the scratches he'd left there had finally healed. What was it that Morinaga said with that sincere, almost shy, grin on his face? These wounds… They're proof of you embracing me. I kinda feel like I don't want them gone. Souichi felt his face warm in embarrassment, overwhelmed by just how much Morinaga cared for him. How could I have doubted him? he mused silently. I'm so stupid.
He inched closer to his kouhai under the covers and reached out a wary hand to lightly touch Morinaga's shoulder. The pleased hum from Morinaga startled Souichi and he jerked his hand away quickly in fear. He stayed completely still until he was sure he hadn't woken his kouhai before timidly returning his hand to where it was. Morinaga arched into his touch unconsciously, and Souichi was overcome with the longing to hold him close. Finding courage only in the fact that the younger man was peacefully and deeply asleep, he gently trailed his hand down Morinaga's strong back and around to his chest, resting his hand over the other's heart as he inched close enough for his body to be flush against his kouhai's. Struggling to slow his frantic heartbeat, Souichi buried his face between Morinaga's shoulders and soon found himself lulled to sleep by the steady breathing of his lover.
[A/N: OHDANG WHAT. I may or may not write a second chapter, depending on how busy I am and how soon chapter 5 comes out. Uni starts back tomorrow and I've gotta make every effort not to let senioritis get the best of me ugh. I feel bad enough for writing this when I haven't even finished the ConradxYuri fic I started halfway through last semester before everything went to hell. I promised my readers of that fic a second chapter and still haven't delivered, so I don't want to promise anything now. Also, I apologize for any OOC-ness, I've had quite the creative dry spell lately.]