Warning: English isn't my native, so it may hurt you a bit
Comment: Yes, this is my way of seeing Hirato. And more manga I'm reading more confident I become. My view is rather unlike the popular ones, but... Let me say, I am the professional psychologist who spent 6 years learning things like psychological defenses. So, yes, I think Hirato's dominate and troll-like behavior is more like mask to hide his real nature.
Akari finished his work lately, but it wasn't something unusual. He used to live like that for quite a long time - since he left teaching, if you want to be accurate. Everyday paperwork was quite hard and it went only after the surgeries and researches. But it didn't annoy him as there were no stupid students to steal his precious time.
There were almost no students, except those two pricks. And one of them has been waiting him in his chambers.
'Don't you know that it's private?' - Akari asked with cold arrogant voice.
'And also that's 1 am' - he added', - 'this time belongs only to me, so, please, go away and leave your new jokes for tomorrow. Or tell them to your stupid colleague. I'm not going to listen to them in my personal time or see your annoying face'.
'Leave me sleep' - the doctor finished, wondering why his guest is so unexpectedly silent.
He was going just to ignore him and sleep instead of everything, but it was the time Hirato replied him.
'Please!' - He said, - 'I need your help'.
Those words… they sounded unlike him. May be too desperate? But Akari used to his and Tsukitachi's jokes, so he didn't let himself fall for this.
'What do you need from me' - he asked' - 'I mean, in this hour. We're not even friends or something like that'.
'But you are my doctor' - Hirato replied, and his voice continued to sound strange.
'First', - Akari answered, closing the distance between them because he found himself a bit consumed by what Hirato was planning this time, - 'I am just a doctor, not yours'
'Second' - he added, - 'What the hell is your problem, which made you think you can disturb me in the middle of the night'.
But Akari got this answer himself. When he came near Hirato, he saw the captain was terribly drunk like he has never been before.
'Why don't I feel anything?!' - asked his former student clutching the sill of the window he was standing near.
'Because you're drunk' - Akari answered, grasping his face. He came even closer to make sure about his conclusion and also to check how bad was Hirato's statement. And it was rather bad but with no danger for his health.
'Or may be because you have no heart', - he added, releasing captains face, - 'If you have some psychological stuff to discuss, go find Tsukitachi. Why aren't you with him, anyway?'
As Akari remembered it was always Tsukitachi who started all the drinking events.
'How could it be like that?' - Hirato asked as he wasn't listening what Akari just told him, - 'How could they be so airily minded, so… bold? And so straight'.
That's was also too unexpected from him.
'Who' - Akari asked thinking what he could give this guy to prevent the vomiting on his floor and all the other unpleasant stuff which goes with drunken men.
'My subordinates', - Hirato replied, - 'This dumb unmannered brat which I had adopted. And this loud stupid cat-fucker. Who does he think he is? We're in Circus, there are no more princes or princesses anymore.'
Akari understood about whom the captain was talking. But how could these stupid kids make him so… drunk and so desperate? In fact Akari never saw Hirato so exhausted. Even if his face stayed deadpan now. And his voice was as always emotionless. Akari felt Hirato's tension inside this drunken captain. It's appeared through his hands and his clothes which wasn't perfect as always, just not anymore.
'Okaaay' - Akari sighed, feeling that he needed to do something with him or else he'll spend all the night with this guy here.
'Let me examine you and tell me what they have done to you' - he said, taking the tools. The tools were quite old styled, but he was going more to simulate the examination rather than perform real one.
'Did they make you feel like a fool?' - Akari asked, listening to Hirato's heartbeat, while the captain showed no cancellation. And doing this he suddenly realized that captain's heart was on its place and it was beating too fast.
'No' - captain replied, - 'They did nothing with me. They just… they fucked up all the manners and discipline and went kissing in captain's presence. As if I wasn't there and they weren't at work'.
Examining Hirato's eyes Akari tried not to focus himself on the image of two kissing guys. What Hirato said was rather annoying and impudent. But was it worth for the captain to drunk himself deadly and without his redheaded friend?
'Your ship is also their home', - Akari calmly replied, - 'As you can remember, those two has nowhere else to go. And maybe this is what made them so close. As for you, you can make a reproach to them and bide them never to do such thing on public again. You're the captain, remember?'
But Akari himself wasn't sure that Hirato felt like a captain this time. He looked more like… his student. Arrogant and too self-confident to bother his teacher in such an hour.
'Why can't I behave this way?' - Hirato suddenly asked him, - 'Why is it so complicate?'
The doctor thought that his former student lost his confidence as he had been insulted by insubordination. But he was mistaken.
'Why can't I feel anything?' - Hirato repeated his first question, grasping the doctors elbow, - 'Why? They can worship me, admire me, or beat me, or wound me, or even tear me apart. But I will feel nothing, only the boredom. What's wrong with me, Akari-sensei? You're the doctor, so tell me!'
Akari was choked. He was right remembering the times Hirato had been his student. But even then he'd never confessed about his imperfection.
'Hirato' - Akari said trying to make his voice sound more carefully, - 'Can you tell me what exactly your problem is? I can't help you like that. I need to know all the symptoms'.
Hirato smirked rather angrily instead of the reply. Then he made a step for Akari. As he was drunk this was rather hard for him. But he didn't let himself fall holding the doctor.
Then he tilted to Akari's ear and said: 'They are very delicate. So delicate, that I'll kill you if you tell it somebody. Especially Tsukitachi'.
Drunk captain was panting in doctor's ear. He was disgusting. His way of whining was also disgusting as was his problem. But Akari was once his tutor so he felt some responsibility for him. And also he was a doctor and a scientist. So he surely could solve such stupid problem.
'Haven't you tried any pills?' - He asked.
Hirato answered: 'Yea, I had. I've also tried different mind stimulations like videos. I've spied on Tsukitachi in his countless affairs. I've spied on my subordinates at night with the use of the sheeps. I'm touching Tsukumo every time I can. But it doesn't help'.
'You're the medicine genius' - he added, - 'So cure me. Please, I'm tired of myself'.
Akari wasn't so genius. You needn't be genius to suggest the thing he was asking: 'Have you tried the other way?'
'Don't think I approve it in normal situation' - he added, - 'But there is a way of trying to make you stuff work'.
'What?' - Hirato asked nervously.
'Your two gay subordinates' - Akari said rather roughly, - 'Have you spied on them? One of those two has to do it the way that may help you'.
"And I mean you don't have to come gay' - he added rapidly, - 'But there are zones you could... treat yourself. They say it work for some guys'.
'Now can I go and sleep?!' - Akari asked being tied of this topic, his guest and himself.
He made a step aside and heard Hirato laughing.
"So can you...' – The captain moaned, - 'Just can you imagine me, the seсond ship's captain doing such stuff?'
Looking at him Akari suddenly felt like this guy was going to cry. And he suddenly felt sorry for him.
"Am I so pathetic?' - Hirato asked, rushing on the floor.
Yes, his was so pathetic. And even more. He was so disgusting and desperate, so Akari felt a kind of comparison for him. He felt himself eager to help. But there was only two ways. One was to comfort him as a child, and second...
The most of everything in the world Akari hated the kids.
"What would I get if I help you?' - He asked, - 'Would you grant me a week without seeing your and Tsukitachi's faces in my office or anywhere else?'
'I'll do everything you ask me' - Hirato replied in a low voice.
And that was the moment when Akari's world crushed and reanimated anew. The moment he realized that he was living only to hear this word from this drunken stupid prick, from his insolent but always perfect and gracious four-eyed student Hirato. From this lonely maniac who came to him for confession and help.
'Okay' - the doctor replied, - 'I will help you. But that means you need to help me. To makeme able to help you'.
'Don't worry, doc' - Hirato replied, - 'As you know me, I'll do it perfectly as everything'.
'As everything', - his word echoed in doctor's mind as Hirato was kissing him with his tongue. And accepting it Akari surprisingly realized it was not so disgusting.