Apologies taking so long for this chapter! Work has been crazy but i'd like to dedicate Wednesdays to posting new chapters so stay tuned~

Do you remember me?
Lost for so long
Will you be on the other side
Or will you forget me?
I'm dying, praying, bleeding and screaming
Am I too lost to be saved?

Hirato believed in fate, he'd certainly had a fated encounter. One that could completely change his life, he was sure that wasn't just coincidence. This encounter had not been happy, however, as many encounters can be sad and painful. He thought back to the day he destroyed the Kafka ship Gareki was on, how he came so close to killing him and yet, Gareki miraculously survived and stood before him. Hirato knew he couldn't let this chance encounter slip past him.

Hirato felt surprised the first time he truly met Gareki, he was the same kind of person as him, he could see himself in his eyes, it made him realize he was not truly alone in the world. Until he met him he couldn't find a soul to share the world through the same eyes with. But he could hear voices crying out to him "save me."

Hirato glanced up from his lap as the door before him slowly opened, Gareki stepping forward to speak. "I just wanted to discuss... possibly leaving here again." He muttered, closing the door behind him and proceeding to sit before the second ship's captain. "To pursue my education further, I really want to be stronger... so no one feels they have to protect me." As their eyes met Hirato felt saddened, because the moment he saw him - he knew they were meant to be, yet, Gareki refused to show the same emotions back.

So Hirato had to be content with these conversations, the little interactions they could share together, he wanted to help the boy he hurt so long ago.

One week, it had been an entire seven days since Yogi touched Gareki, he could still feel the warmth on his lips and yet, he almost felt as if the younger boy had been avoiding him since that night. On multiple occasions he caught Gareki almost tip toeing past his door so as not to be heard, he would then find him having small conversations with Hirato.

This enraged Yogi even further. He some-what understood being avoided after jumping all over him but he couldn't stand watching the way those two spoke to each other. It always felt so... secretive. It never failed that every time Yogi was nearby Gareki would even make a point to close to door and exclude him from the conversations.

This particular day Yogi had been sitting in a lounge area staring intently at his phone, debating what he could possibly say to Gareki to make him stop acting so distant after their encounter. He began to type, backspaced, typed, backspaced and finally let out a sigh before hearing footsteps moving down the hall.

From where he was he had a view of the narrow hall and across from the doorway as he sat in a small library. He saw Hirato facing his direction in the distance, quietly reading to himself in the room across the hall. He watched as Gareki walked through the hall, but instead of turning into the doorway where Yogi was, he turned away from him and entered the other room. As Hirato's eyes glanced caringly up at him he heard the words that Yogi felt would break his heart:

"I just wanted to discuss... possibly leaving here again."

Gareki closed the door behind him and Yogi could no longer hear the discussion, nor did he want to. His grip tightened on his phone and he felt his teeth clench together. Not only did he have to deal with being avoided all week but now this? It was too much, Yogi could do nothing but put his head down, stewing in his own thoughts.

It felt like he was sitting there alone for hours, he debated crying and running to Tsukumo's room but he didn't feel like moving. In actuality he was only sitting there for around ten minutes when Gareki opened the door back up to walk out, almost looking surprised when he saw Yogi sitting in the lounge area, curled up on the couch.

Before either one of them could say anything to each other Hirato exited the room behind Gareki, a smile crossing his lips when he saw Yogi.

"Ah, just the person I wanted to see!" Hirato spoke kindly to Yogi, as he normally did, walking towards him.

"Hm?" Yogi quickly jumped to his feet, his face flushing a slight shade of red, embarrassed at the thought that he just got walked in on after having such a petty moment.

"We're going on a mission, I need you and Gareki to come with me... it'll just be us three, we should only be gone about a week. Pack your things, we leave tonight." The black haired man smiled warmly as he walked past the two and exited the room.

It was going to be a very, very... long week; Yogi inwardly groaned to himself. But at the same time he was also happy he would get to be close to Gareki again.

And so the three departed for their mission, though to Yogi it felt more like a vacation. They arrived at a tropical island first thing in the morning. It was littered with beaches and palm trees, it felt refreshing to feel the warm sun and smell sea salt in the air. Hirato led them to the hotel they would be staying at, it was luxurious and rich, tucked away on a remote part of the beach. He paused before walking down the long hall in front of him to where the rooms were.

"I have two rooms reserved but..." As Hirato spoke he paused to glance at Gareki, "I need you to stay with me tonight." He said very matter-of-factly, giving no explanation.

"Hey!" Yogi half shouted, his demeanor switching from very happy to flustered in an instant, "That's not fair, I don't want to be all alone!" He whined.

Hirato gave a small chuckle, "Someone sounds jealous." He teased as he always did, infuriating Yogi even further. Gareki slumped his back against the wall, watching as they began to argue.

"Am not! I just..." Yogi shouted.

"You just... what? You want to spend the night with him? Share the same bed perhaps?" Hirato continued to chuckle.

"NO" Yogi yelled, tears stinging the corners of his eyes. He suddenly regretted wanting to go on this trip.

Hirato shook his head at the younger man, "I said I need him to stay with me tonight. You two will be sharing a room the rest of the week, I need my privacy as I have some matters to attend to." He clapped his hands together, "Now! Our mission won't begin right away so we better enjoy being here while we can."

Yogi's ears perked up with those words, his tears seemingly vanishing, "Enjoy? L-Let's go to the beach!" He shouted cheerfully.

Yogi was in a dead run for the shoreline, wearing nothing but bright green swim trunks and carrying a Nyanperona floatie under his arm, and no one even bothered to ask him where he got that floatie from. Gareki walked lazily behind him, his hands buried in the pockets of his black swim shorts while he still wore his black tank top that he loved. Hirato walked slowly beside him, wearing blood red shorts and a white tee shirt, leaving his hat behind at the hotel.

It was rare they could have a laid back day like this, it made Hirato smile as he watched Yogi squeal when he ran head first into the cool water. He thought about sitting down for a moment then decided on something much more entertaining. He glanced at Gareki who was about to sit down on a towel he laid out and quickly grabbed him by the wrist.

"We didn't come out here to sit down, right?" Hirato's voice sounded playful and devious, causing Gareki to glare at him. The older man guided him to the water, forcing him to walk in just ever so slightly.

Just as Gareki's feet adjusted to the cool temperature of the water Yogi came running full speed towards him, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him harshly forward, causing him to stumble and fall face first into the cold water.

"I'm sorry!" Yogi exclaimed, trying to help the now shivering Gareki to his feet as Hirato laughed next to them, receiving him yet another glare from Gareki, it reminded him of the look an angry cat would give if you tried to approach it.

By the end of the afternoon the three were worn out from the days activities which had involved swimming, getting slushies, and watching Yogi panic as his Nyanperona floatie got pulled in and drifted away to sea. Even Gareki had lightened up a little, not realizing he had been laughing as often as he had that day. He couldn't help but feel grateful that Hirato had actually taken them to where they were, maybe it was his way of giving everyone a much needed break, and maybe Gareki would even thank him later.

It came time for everyone to make their way back to the hotel to change and head out for dinner. They walked to hall where Yogi parted with Gareki and Hirato. Yogi couldn't help but think about how he wished they were sharing a room together this first night. He wondered if the younger boy would change his shirt in front of him if they did, the thought made him smile to himself.

He showered and changed as quickly as possible before jumping onto his bed to patiently wait for the other two to get ready to eat, he would have already ran across the hall and been waiting impatiently at their door but Hirato had assured him they'd come get him when they were ready.

Hirato took it upon himself to shower and change first. He did so very quickly, stepping out of the bathroom in a white button up shirt and black dress pants, leaving his glasses behind on the counter. Gareki was sitting on the bed waiting impatiently, still wearing his wet, sandy clothes.

"You had to sit there..." Hirato furrowed his eyebrows as Gareki stood up.

The boy responded with a snort "Tch. Don't act like it's my fault you got a room with one bed and I sat on it."

As he went to walk by, Hirato grabbed him by the arm, pushing him against the wall and pinning him there with his body. He pulled both of Gareki's hands above his head, holding him by the wrists.

"What are you doing?" Gareki said calmly, not one to be intimidated or made uncomfortable very easily.

"Let me ask you... do you believe in fate?" Hirato's voice became low and soothing as he spoke with his mouth very close to the boy's ear, his black hair brushing against Gareki's cheek.

Gareki narrowed his eyes, pausing for a moment as if carefully deciding what to say. "I hate that word." he muttered, a tinge of malice in his voice. He felt Hirato flinch slightly at his words before he continued. "If everything is already set in stone by fate then what is my purpose in life? To be born poor and ugly, or to be born with a beautiful mother and wealthy." Gareki clenched his hands into fists, feeling Hirato's grip tighten on his wrists. "If this is all caused by fate then it's incredibly cruel and unfair. Because the only thing that's certain is that we'll never amount to anything if that's the case. Everything is so pointless."

Hirato looked like he wanted to argue but he remained completely silent. He felt almost rejected by the one person who could see the same scenery as him. He wanted to change his mind, let him see that fate did not always, always have to be a bad thing, and that they could share their life together, but Gareki's words cut him.

Gareki pried his wrists free, pushing Hirato away from him before turning to walk out the door, like a small child throwing a temper tantrum.

"Gareki, wait!" He said before chasing after him, once again shoving him against the wall just outside their door.

"I just want a moment to think..." Gareki began to speak but was cut off as Hirato's lips caught his own. He gasped and quickly pushed the taller man away from him. Hirato grabbed Gareki's hand, pushing it away to move back in.

Hirato's words came out calm, almost soothing, "Nothing in this world in completely pointless." He said it as if trying to convince him, as if saying 'Let's share this fate together, please believe me when I say it's not such a bad word.' He reached under Gareki's chin to tilt his head up towards him, the younger boy's face looking surprised and taken aback by the words.

Hirato slowly leaned forward this time, kissing him tenderly. Gareki's eyes halfway closed as he returned the kiss, his mind going blank, leaving him with a peaceful silence. He could feel the passion behind the kiss, and yet, Hirato didn't try to deepen it, it was almost as if he was savoring it completely. But in the back of Gareki's mind he couldn't help but recall the lust filled, passionate and sloppy kiss he shared with Yogi.

Why now of all times did he have to think of that moment? He tried so hard all week to forget about it and tell himself that Yogi was that way with anyone who would give him attention - that's what Gareki had convinced himself anyway. He intentionally distanced himself so that Yogi would have time to get over him and maybe find someone who could really care about him, or love him, since Gareki no longer felt he had the capacity to love someone else; especially a crazy, loud man.

But still, he replayed their kiss in his head over and over in that minute that Hirato stood there kissing him. Gareki inadvertently reached up and brushed his fingers against the taller man's cheek, sliding his tongue past Hirato's lips, just as Yogi had done to him.

He recalled how sweet the the eccentric man had tasted, that was the first time Gareki had ever tasted anyone else before. Their tongues danced together, they weren't clashing desperately like with Yogi's kiss. Hirato was moving slow, gentle, memorizing every detail of Gareki's mouth with his tongue. Gareki felt his phone vibrate in his pocket but ignored it, he wanted to stay like this just a little longer.

Yogi rolled around on his bed, his impatience clearly getting the better of him and he found himself unable to sit still. He kept flipping his phone open and closed hoping for a text or staring at the door waiting for a knock.

He finally flipped his phone open once more, scrolling down to Gareki's name. It had been a week since his last journal-like text so maybe now was a good time to send one, since they had such a wonderful day, it was all he could think about. He was no longer hung up on thinking about all the small conversations Gareki had with Hirato lately, he even told himself he must have misinterpreted when Gareki said he wanted to leave, his only thoughts were of the beach and how much fun he had.

'Today will be such a precious memory of mine. I felt alive because you were there with me! No matter what the days may bring, as long as I have you, it's all that matters. I truly hope you had as much fun today as I did, you looked like you really enjoyed everything, I want to see happy Gareki... always. So please let me stay by your side and continue to make you happy! I promise I will always, always be here.'

He smiled to himself and he sent the text and closed his phone. He heard a soft thumping sound on the other side of the hotel wall. It snapped him out of his thoughts as he figured that he may as well take it upon himself to go see if Gareki and Hirato were ready yet. After staring at his phone for another minute he made up his mind to go.

His whole body froze as he opened his door to see Gareki shoved against the wall with Hirato's tongue in mouth. But Gareki wasn't fighting it, instead his hand was placed delicately on the second ship captain's cheek.

Gareki jumped, shoving the man roughly away from him as he heard the door open. His heart stopped, a knot forming in his throat preventing him from saying anything. Hirato calmly turned to look at Yogi's frightened face.

"Oh, hello Yogi." Hirato sounded as if he wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary, looking almost confused by the hurt expression Yogi gave him in return.

Without saying anything in response Yogi's eyes swelled up with tears as he turned and ran as fast as he could down the hallway, away from the hotel, away from everything. Leaving behind Gareki who was still slumped against the wall, and a slightly confused but still very calm Hirato.

On the next chapter:
"That's when Yogi realized he became someone who would be found. He broke into tears of happiness. No matter how far he ran, he knew Gareki would definitely find him. It was nice knowing someone will find you."

Phew! I definitely, definitely need some reviews because the next chapter could go in MANY different directions! I need to know how people feel about Hirato, should I make him a very important part of this story, or are you all craving some straight up Yogi x Gareki? :3

Ideas, comments and concerns are all welcome here!

Hope you enjoy~