The evening was beautiful. The light of the setting sun came in through the open window and painted the wall gold. Of course, it would be even more beautiful if Hyuuga wasn't spending it in his own office by the pile of paperwork. And if Konatsu didn't keep bringing to his desk the portion of documents one after another. For some reason, beauty of the evening didn't include Konatsu...
For the whole last month, Hyuuga had been thinking of what he should do. Of course, having a Begleiter was a good thing - Hyuuga had had already a couple of them before and he could confirm nothing made the day enjoyable more than a good sla... assistant. The problem was Konatsu differed from all his previous Begleiters like Kor from the bats, and Hyuuga had found it out very quickly. Not only had he refused downright to do Hyuuga's paperwork, but also had thrown at him all the backlogs arisen in the meantime. Hyuuga's all protests spattered like soap bubbles against the wall of Konatsu's stern look, that, for some reason, made Hyuuga remember the childhood and his mother's glare look when he had happened not to clean his room.
He gulped.
He'd rather not learn if Konatsu and his mom had more in common.
Hyuuga was talented and had divided attention. He was looking through the documents with one eye, while with other he was peeking at Konatsu. He was signing the reports with one hand and drawing the generic scenes about the Black Hawks on their margins with the other. And all the time he pondered on what to do with Konatsu. It had been a month since the inconspicuous blonde had become his Begleiter, and Hyuuga was under the vague impression he had dug a hole for himself, recruiting Konatsu to the Black Hawks by his own hands. Konatsu had seemed so adorable, almost angelic. Far too soon he had turned out to be a devil incarnate. Hyuuga was sure he had to handle the situation somehow, otherwise all his free evenings would cease being free...
In other words: he had to make the Begleiter know his place.
The last days Hyuuga had spent analysing Konatsu. The boy was a walking kindness and humbleness - towards anyone else. He respected Aya-tan, he brought the books for Katsuragi from the library of the staff, he kept telling bedtime stories to Kuroyuri, and he talked with Haruse on any topic. Everything with his angelic smile.
In relation to Hyuuga, he yelled or merely glared.
Ultimately, Hyuuga decided Konatsu probably had to vent some kind of frustration on him. He probably was a shy boy in need of a strong arm that would brace his self-confidence. There was no other option. More than anyone else, Hyuuga had an experience with such characters that behind the façade of haughtiness proved to be lost lambs. Yes, that ought to be it. Hyuuga smiled to his brilliance, pleased with his own generosity as well. He would try to reach the boy, offer his support and make him realize there was no need to shout. He would try to give Konatsu to understand he could approach Hyuuga with any problem. He would try to tame the small creature that struggled in the cage of duty and obligation.
Hyuuga felt the love towards all living creatures flood in him suddenly. Yes, Konatsu probably needed patience and love. Hyuuga smiled even wider and nodded. Konatsu would realize he didn't need to play an adult or take everything on his shoulders, and than he could trust his superior a bit. Paperwork wasn't the most important thing in the world. That way everyone would be equally happy. He only needed an opportunity now...
"Major Hyuuga! Please, do not doodle on the documents!" a shout of outrage rang over his head.
Konatsu bent over to examine the papers his superior treated in a way not exactly due to their original use; the strand of the fair hair fell down by his cheek. He turned his head to look at Hyuuga with reproach. His amber eyes shone with gold in the light of setting sun.
Hyuuga realized the opportunity had just shown itself.
"It's Admiral Oak's letter concerning..." Konatsu started, but didn't finish as Hyuuga moved the face closer to his lips and kissed him lightly. Ah, as a bonus, he unexpectedly found a method for keeping his Begleiter silent, and its effect seemed to last even longer.
Konatsu stiffened. He was still leaning over the desk, his hand still on the Admiral's letter. His eyes grew wider, the flush coloured his cheeks. Slowly, he straightened up, never taking his eyes off Hyuuga. Hyuuga expected the boy to relax now, discard that pose of self-reliance and understand he could... well, even cry on Hyuuga's shoulder if he felt like.
Konatsu stood petrified, his eyes fixed on Hyuuga's face. His blush disappeared slowly. His lips set in a thin line, and something flickered in his eyes. Hyuuga felt uneasy and suddenly he was not sure if everything went according to plan. On the contrary, suddenly he was pretty sure he would be slapped across his face. Konatsu was capable of it...
But Konatsu only stood there, looking at him. Nothing happened. Hyuuga thought his Begleiter's shoulders fell a bit, the corners of his mouth twitched, and in his eyes appeared something akin to... sadness? Hyuuga swore, out of the sudden angry with himself. It looked like he had done something he shouldn't have. He was to solve the problems, not create the new ones. With that innocent mischief, he had intended to break the boy's seriousness, not distress him. He realized that the sight of Konatsu close to tears was unbearable.
He rose from the chair, wanted to apologize - it seemed the right thing to do, even if he looked foolish. Damn, Konatsu was still a child after all. What was that Haruse used to do with Kuroyuri in such situations? Oh yes... He embraced the boy and awkwardly patted him on the back, trying to cheer him up. He opened his mouth to...
"That's all?" he heard Konatsu's unexpectedly calm voice. "It's my turn now, then?"
Hyuuga pulled himself away from his Begleiter and regarded him astonished.
"If you don't do anything, I'll do," Konatsu added in a tone as if he was commenting the weather.
"A- What...?" Hyuuga stuttered with a sudden feeling he had absolutely no grasp of situation.
The next moment he lay on his own desk, pinned down by Konatsu's slender body, the boy's greedy lips pressed against his own. Some documents flew on the floor, the other got crumpled. The most shocking was that Konatsu didn't bother in the slightest.
"You should have said earlier," the Begleiter whispered into his ear. "I'm still learning about my duties."
"It's not like..." Hyuuga tried to object, but another kiss deprived him of that possibility.
After a while, Hyuuga decided he didn't feel like objecting.
After another while, he was already sure Konatsu wasn't a bad choice, after all.
Later that night, he had to accept the fact that despite his noble plans and assumptions, he became dominated in yet another field of life.
It was not the worst, though. The next morning, when he was so tired he was falling asleep on his desk he realized the dreadful truth. His future, the near and the distant one, looked as following: paperwork by day, Konatsu by night. The feeling he had brought it down upon his head himself - yet another time - didn't help anything. He was sure his chance to live up the retirement age decreased drastically.
Konatsu put a hot cup of coffee in front of his nose and patted him on the head.
"Don't worry," he declared in a soft voice, though there was no-one else in the office. "I'll take care of you."
Hyuuga sighed inwardly with a feeling something more than merely fatigue weighed his shoulders down.
His downfall was a fact.
Konatsu's hand rested on his shoulder. Hyuuga lifted the head up and looked at his Begleiter, standing next to him and smiling gently. For a moment he thought - out of weariness probably - he could see a shadow of wings.
He felt somewhat lightened. He smiled back at Konatsu.
In the arms of his own angel he shouldn't fear to fall.