A/N! Hi guys! Goodness, I'm so, so sorry this has taken so long. This chapter's a fair bit shorter than the other ones too. But I think I've finally got at least a fairly good idea of how I want this story to go, so with luck it'll be picking up pace soon! I hope you're all having a really good summer, it's cold and stuff here, but I think maybe we'll have a kind of nice day today! Also, official Hibi-feelings are going to start happening now, so there's that! Anyway, story time~! GO!
Three weeks later, just over a month into his tutoring lessons, Hibiya realizes this is not a thing he can ignore. He catches himself gazing into space, imagining scenes involving his older teacher, and tuning out the world to instead shut his eyes to conjure his light oceanic smell, cobalt stare, or imagine the feel of his tutor's callused fingers. Things so uniquely Tsugaru that Hibiya cannot help but shiver. And it is with these fragments of senses that his mind takes his want to a new level and the dreams begin to come. Sweet dreams where the two walk hand in hand, exchange the gentlest of touches, or, more and more frequently, Hibiya's body speaks for itself and the dreams delve further into shamefulness. He wakes up, exhausted, frustrated, and embarrassed. And each time this occurs, he wants the man more than ever. But even more than that he wants the gentle demeanor of the man, he wants to experience firsthand the sensation of melting into those arms he has imagined as so strong, and he wants to taste the love his mind won't cease to illustrate whenever it wanders.
It's getting harder to pay attention in lessons at Tom's now. Even the soothing lull of Heiwajima-sensei's voice narrating the words before them is lost to Hibiya's overactive imagination. He catches himself starting at him, trying to memorize his every feature, and wondering what his lips would taste like. Once, he alarmed himself with the realization that he had absentmindedly lifted a hand, and was moving to touch him. The realization had set in with immediate panic and retraction of his hand. The sharp way Hibiya jerked back to his body however, caused enough force that his chair tipped back and he almost fell: arms flailing as he let out an undignified yelp. And even in a situation that embarrassing, when Tsugaru's eyes turned to him first in confusion, then wrinkled with laughter, Hibiya still relished in the sensation of having his tutor's attention centered on him.
Hibiya wondered if he should quit. No matter what he felt, the highschooler was no idiot. The laws that restricted such an age difference, more so those that banned same-sex attraction, were not foreign to him. But no matter the foolishness, he could not bring himself to stop the lessons and instead remained to feed his addiction. Even if it was only silent, Hibiya would settle. Any moment with this man was a moment in heaven as far as he was concerned. That was, until the day Psyche showed up.
It was a Tuesday afternoon, and their lesson was drawing to a close. Hibiya had noticed from the first few minutes in that Tsugaru looked a little more…tired, than usual. His subtly slower movements and the mild darkness under his eyes would have gone unnoticed to most people, but with the lengths of time that Hibiya had spent admiring the taller man's features, the change was clear as crystal to him. Even so, it wasn't until the very end of lesson, as Heiwajima-sensei packed up the books, that Hibiya had the nerve to speak up. "Sensei, you look tired…are you alright?"
Once again, the blonde was caught off guard. Really, at this point he should be used to the boy's spontaneous questioning. "Ahha, keen as always, Orihara-san" His trademark gentle smile graced his features as he let out a light chuckle. "I've just had a busy day at home. Nothing for you to worry about, Mr. prince." Tsugaru let the last word hang a moment longer, the teasing successfully veering the conversation in another direction-much to the taller man's relief.
"Why do you insist on using such dumb names? Insolence" Hibiya's facial expression, some strange combination between a pout and a dismissive sniff, brought another laugh to Tsugaru's lips, followed by a small, breathtaking smirk. "Because I like seeing you flustered, Orihara-san. Until tomorrow."
And with that, Tsugaru tuned swiftly on his heel and disappeared back into his office; leaving Hibiya, dazed and flushed, staring after him. "U-until tomorrow…"