In Which Advances Are Made
Hibiki doesn't bother moving to put space between them as Yamato takes a seat next to him so close that their thighs brush. By now, he's gotten used to Yamato being this close to him. Besides, it was hard trying to keep the other male always at a distance when they fight together more often than not now.
Yamato has been accompanying him more and more lately, a surprise since sometimes these battles run late into the night and he seems to be a higher ranking student of the school. Although he's never run into Yamato in the cafeteria or anywhere else in the building. Staying out late is fine for him, no one expects much from a level one like him and his performance there can't get any worse. But, he has to wonder if the late nights affect the other male's performance.
He shifts with a sigh and feels Yamato's leg press against his again. Whether they're fighting or catching their breath after a battle, his personal space is always being invaded, Yamato is rarely more than a hands breath away from him. Hibiki's not sure if it's intentional or not at this point. There are a lot of casual touches too, a hand on his shoulder to get his attention or on his arm to guide him. It wasn't that way in the beginning, but he didn't pay much attention and now apparently Yamato's gotten used to his presence.
He's not willing to have the awkward conversation that would follow if he brought it up anyway.
Although, unfortunately with that closeness also comes awareness. Awareness of how strong Yamato's thigh feels as it presses against his or how toned his biceps are on the rare occasions that he removes his coat. Yamato is absurdly attractive, all porcelain skin and sharp features, and with their continued shared time together, he's starting to see beyond the initial harshness.
Yamato isn't forthcoming with information and he doesn't even have an age yet, but from what he's been able to glean, Yamato spent most of his early years alone and doesn't interact much with the other students. His stunted social skills made a lot more sense after learning that, why every sentence was formal and direct, no hint of camaraderie to be seen.
Hibiki's been trying to gently drag him out of his carefully constructed isolation and if he's not mistaken, he's actually been making some subtle progress. It probably has more to do with the amount of time they spend together rather than any of his suggestions, though.
He drops his head onto his companion's shoulder and feels Yamato adjust to his added weight. "Can't you support your own weight?" He murmurs, even as Hibiki feels an arm slip around his torso to hold him steady.
"I can't, I'm exhausted. You've been working me to the bone. I barely have time to sleep anymore."
Yamato frowns, "Is that true?"
"Feeling guilty?"
"If you're unable to function at your full potential, you should let me know. It would be unfortunate to lose you in a battle due to lack of sleep. That can be easily remedied."
"So caring. And what about you? Do you sleep enough?"
"There are a lot of things I'm responsible for and I can survive on less sleep."
"Is that good for you, though? Maybe you should take a night off from battles and responsibility to get some sleep."
"I'm fine."
"Why do you have so much responsibility?"
"Someone has to keep things running smoothly."
"But, why not those in charge?" Hibiki questions insistently, sitting up to look Yamato in the eye. "I get that you're a top student and all, but all the responsibility shouldn't fall solely on you. You're at school during the day, then out running missions with me at night."
"The mission's with you...they're more for enjoyment." Yamato hesitates, "It's relaxing when others aren't hovering over me and watching my every action. The leader of the school rarely gets to enjoy such liberties."
"He's in charge, but he can't go and do as he pleases?"
"It's more complicated than that, he's supposed to be devoted to the protection of the country, so frolicking out into the night, even if it does help keep the demon population down isn't where his focus should lie. That can be relegated to a subordinate. He's under a stricter watch, something like this would be frowned upon."
"Sounds lonely."
"The country comes first."
Hibiki gives him a once over, "Are you sure you're okay, Yamato? He may be required to devote his entire being to others, but that doesn't mean you have to follow his example. Don't push yourself so hard."
"I am fine," Yamato repeats firmly. "Stop squirming, Hibiki."
"Sorry, this ground is hard, my legs are going numb."
"The car will be here any minute and you can sleep as you usually do." He pauses, "There won't be any assignments for a few nights, so you will be able to rest."
Hibiki turns to him with a smirk, "Are there no more assignments because I've done so well or are you just withholding them so I can have a few nights off?"
"There are other tamers who can take the assignments."
"So, it's the latter," he answers in response to his own question. "So considerate, Yamato." Hibiki teases, giving him a gentle pinch to the side and receiving a hard push that sends him sprawling in response.
"Support your own weight."
Hibiki laughs before standing up to stretch. Yamato never wants acknowledgment for anything he does. It's one of Hibiki's favorite things about him. Despite his sometimes harsh directives, Yamato is incredibly selfless, he does almost nothing for his own benefit, it's always for the whole. He doesn't hold everyone else to those same standards, but it's obvious he's no hypocrite.
Yamato frowns on the weak because they can't contribute as strongly to the greater good which is always his focus. There's no place for dead weight in his ideal world and he, himself, would never let himself settle into that type of existence. It's why he works so tirelessly, to change the world to his ideal standards.
Still, such an unwavering attitude towards his ideal world isn't the solution that everyone needs. It worries him sometimes that Yamato's so strong and such a supporter of the school's ideals, when he graduates and takes on a role with authority, he'll have way too much power to change things in his favor and leave the ones he deems useless out of society.
"Hibiki, what are you thinking about? You have that rare serious look on your face. I'm curious."
"I'm just thinking about how bad it would be if you got in power," he answers honestly. He has no reason to lie to Yamato, the other male knows how he feels about his ideas.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you're incredibly strong and incredibly focused on your skewed ideals, so if you were to have power added to that, we'd all be doomed. Actually," he amends, "the weakest of society would be doomed, the rest of us would live in fear of being deemed useless."
Instead of the argument he's expecting, Yamato merely studies him with an expression he can't quite place, almost like...guilt? Is he finally getting through to him?! "We should go, the car's here."
Yamato's weirdly silent in the car, he's always quiet, but now it's an uncomfortable atmosphere
between them. He doesn't even want to break the silence by crunching on the snacks Yamato keeps stocked for him, which is a shame because he could really go for a pack of pocky right now.
Before he exits the car, Yamato grabs his wrist, "Are you sure you won't join the school?"
"Nope," Hibiki shakes his head. "You know I won't support that." He watches at the corners of Yamato's mouth turn down into a frown, but he stays firm. If I listened to everything that came out of his pretty mouth, I'd be screwed, Hibiki thinks to himself. Although, he's pretty sure Yamato would be happy. He gently frees his wrist from the other male's grip, "Cheer up, I'm sure you can make plenty of friends there if you try."
"None compare to you."
He blinks in surprise at Yamato's blunt honesty and tilts his head, that's surprisingly forward. "Yamato, you can barely stand me."
"If that was the case, I wouldn't be out here anywhere near as often. We could be great together, Hibiki."
Hibiki shifts uncomfortably, there's a lot of ways he could take that, but he's not sure how he should take it. There's certainly one way he wouldn't mind taking it, but this is Yamato and he's pretty sure his focus is solely on abilities. It's useless to let himself hope. Yamato barely comprehends friendship, let alone anything more.
"It's late, you should go."
Yamato frowns and scoots closer, "Did I do something wrong? Do you not consider us worthy of being equals?"
Where is this coming from? Hibiki thinks as he stares back speechless. Yamato never expresses such personal feelings. He wasn't even aware Yamato thought of things on that level.
"Yamato, really it's not that at all. It's just really late. I'm sure you're busy tomorrow."
Without another word, the other male turns away from him to stare out the window and Hibiki sighs before stepping out of the car, watching as it drives away. What was that about? It's not that he would mind getting to know Yamato better, but not in a way that revolves around battling demons. He's more interested on a personal level, what does he like? What makes him tick? What's his daytime life like? However, it doesn't seem like that's what Yamato's offering. Unlike the other male, his life doesn't solely revolve around defending the country, he wants other things, a life more than that.
Yamato might be right, if there's a way for them to resolve their differences, they could be great together, but if it's only deep in the night, then what's the point? Never see each other outside of a few hours a night? That's not what he wants and Yamato doesn't seem to have any inclination to move their relationship into the day time hours.
No, he can't give Yamato what he wants without hurting himself in the process.
~~~~
It's been a few days since Hibiki rejected him. He still doesn't know why. Hibiki never seemed opposed to his presence anymore, they fight well together. It doesn't make sense, why wouldn't he want to be closer? He's closer to Hibiki than he's ever been to anyone, so why?
He wants Hibiki, yearns for him to be his, but Hibiki resists him. Yamato breathes out a sigh of frustration, he's never wanted someone so much, it's an unfamiliar feeling. The more time he spends with the other male, the stronger the feeling grows. Hibiki should be at his side and he can't understand how he's so powerless to make it happen.
What is he doing wrong?
"Chief?" He glances up to find one of his subordinates standing in his doorway. It's one who's farther down in the ranks, he didn't want anyone closer to his level questioning this special assignment. "I have all the information I've gathered here."
"Thank you," he takes the manila folder and dismisses the man before shutting his door and opening the file to see Hibiki's bright blue eyes staring up at him.
He reads,
Hibiki Kuze
Age 18,
and his eyes skim over his address and contact information landing on his present status. Yamato sucks in a breath, currently a student at JPs Academy. All along...Hibiki already attended the school. So even he, who hated his ideals, couldn't avoid the law of Japan. With a full name now in his possession, he pulls up the student directory to search for Hibiki. Level 1? Level 1?
How is someone with Hibiki's skill in level 1? Are these people as incompetent as he always thought? His Hibiki should not be with the weakest of the weak, absolutely not. It's easy for him to send an email requesting Hibiki's immediate transfer to a level 2 class and then he heads down to observe.
He runs into Hibiki's new head teacher, Professor Shigeta, along the way who corners him to question the weakness of his new transfer student. "He may be one of our weakest students, but perhaps all he needs is a bit of motivation. I pushed him up a level and now maybe the higher difficulty will give him reason to try a bit harder. His file said he's been in level 1 since he started, sometimes we need a change to help us." Yamato explains his reasoning before sidestepping the man and continuing on his way, he's eager to see Hibiki's performance.
Yamato arrives just in time to catch the tail end of Hibiki's battle. It's...a pathetic performance to say the least. Hibiki spends all of the time he can see on the defensive and not a well thought out defense either. It doesn't appear he has any offensive planned, he just runs erratically around the training room doing his best to avoid attacks. What is this? Yamato shakes his head at the sight, What are you doing, Hibiki?
Now, it's extremely clear why Hibiki's name has never before reached his ears. There would be nothing to say. Here at the school, he's merely a weak tamer with no practical use. Quite a hidden identity and double life he's running. He has to admire the other boy's dedication to his cause to keep this act up everyday all day.
Hibiki….Yamato watches as his abysmal performance gets him sent to the sidelines and the derogatory looks from his classmates. He hates it, but Hibiki might never join him if he interfered, might even distance himself if he were to find out what Yamato's position here actually is.
He can't ignore the other boy's words from a few days ago, 'We'd all be doomed.' Is that really how Hibiki sees him? Someone to fear? Someone who will cost lives rather than save them? His intention is not to be seen as some kind of heartless monster, his responsibility is to all of Japan and to fulfill that, he can't prioritize everyone. But perhaps in his haste to bring Hibiki over to his way of thinking, he neglected to even consider the other boy's point of view. A grave error on his part if he wanted to be in Hibiki's good graces.
And perhaps that is the very reason Hibiki never even considered him.
As he watches Hibiki interact cheerfully with a brown haired classmate who also put up a subpar performance, he feels a subtle stirring of hostility towards the unknown student and for the first time in his life, he finds himself not wanting to share someone.
"Cheer up, man," Daichi consoles before slurping down a milkshake. "It's only hard in the beginning. Soon enough, you'll be on the same level as me." He punctuates the statement with a pat to his chest.
HIbiki blinks, "Uh, thanks for the encouragement, but you do realize you've failed every exam too, right…?"
"Well, yeah, but I'm not as bad as I was in the beginning and that's progress!"
He steals a fry off Daichi's plate, ignoring the hand that slaps at him and chews thoughtfully. "I suppose you're right." Hibiki grins, "But maybe a better idea would be to improve more than you, so Io admires me."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"I dunno, Daichi, you're really encouraging me here, I might not be able to help myself. Then Io will swoon all over me."
"You don't even like her!" Daichi explodes, swiping his cup and slurping down a long suck in retaliation.
"Of course I do, she's my friend."
"But, not like I do. You couldn't care less if Io swooned over you. You probably wouldn't even appreciate it," he mumbles.
Hibiki smiles sympathetically, "Things aren't going too well with her?"
"They aren't going anywhere! I don't think she's picked up on a single hint I've dropped."
"Well…"
"Well what, Hibiki?"
"I dunno," he shrugs, "Maybe she's noticed, but just hasn't decided how to respond? I mean it's pretty hard not to notice that you're interested and Io doesn't strike me as the oblivious type."
"So...she's ignoring me?"
"Not ignoring, just considering. Maybe a cool it a bit? I think you've dropped enough hints by this point, if she's interested, she'll reach out to you. Give her time."
Daichi sighs, "I suppose you could be right, I don't want to push her away. What about you? Any prospects?"
One, but it's not returned. "No, been kind of busy getting my butt kicked in class."
"Yeah, he really doesn't like that you were dumped into his class. Even your winning personality can't make him like you after that."
He shrugs, "Our last professor didn't like me much either, so it's nothing new."
"I do wonder why they moved just you though."
"Who knows, maybe we'll have a bunch of new students and they're trying to make room. I wish they'd just kick me out."
"What?" Daichi abruptly puts down his burger. "Dude, I know we suck, but we're part of the small percentage of the population who can use demons, that's awesome!"
"Yeah, but in the case of an emergency, we'd be the ones saved." Daichi gives him a blank look, "Only the strong will be helped."
"I know that sucks, but the way we were taught is that it would be a mercy for the weak. In the aftermath of a disaster, they would be most likely to suffer."
"It's just the whole motto of the school, I don't wanna defend that."
He nods, "I get that, I really do, but if you get kicked out of school, you won't be able to protect yourself at all and that's worse."
Hibiki gives a small smile, Daichi is his best friend, but he's not sure Daichi has put the same thought into it that he has and without revealing his own skills, he doesn't see the merit in trying to dissuade the other boy from trying to do his best. Daichi is proud of his accomplishments and he'd be a crap friend if he tried to diminish that. Maybe he just needs break, he's pretty sure a few cities over they're having a festival tonight and wouldn't it be a nice miracle if he could drag Yamato along with him.
After saying goodbye to Daichi, he opts to head home for a late nap before meeting Yamato that night. If they can finish up the assignment quickly, then he may have a chance of getting them to the festival.
When they meet up, Yamato is polite as usual, but not one for conversation as they ride their separate demons to the location. Normally he wouldn't mind it, but the other male has been distant since that night he refused to join the school.
It makes him feel a bit guilty about his decision, maybe Yamato is actually lonely. With his personality, Hibiki can see why the other male might have trouble making friends, but he'd never given any thought to whether Yamato was okay with that. In which case, a carefree night would do them both good.
He waits until the demon has been taken care of and Yamato's entering final notes into his laptop to bring it up. "Hey Yamato, what are you doing after this?"
Yamato gives him a puzzled look, "After? It's late. I'll be returning as should you."
"Hmm." Hibiki climbs up a tree, balancing precariously and he can just see the night time lights of the festival still going on a short distance away. Not too late then.
"Hibiki, get down from there."
"It's just a tree, Yamato."
"An old, unstable tree." He holds out his hands impatiently, "Come down before you fall."
Hibiki smiles and jumps down next to him, taking Yamato's hands in his own and pulling him in the direction of the lights. "I just wanted to see if the festival was still going on."
"Festival?"
"Yep, we should go. There'll be tasty food and probably games."
"Hibiki, we are on work business."
"You are, I'm not and we've taken care of the demon, we have time."
"I don't think-"
"Come on, Yamato," Hibiki tugs him through the entrance. "Lighten up. I'm tired, you're tired. Let's relax together."
"Why are you tired?"
Hibiki slides his eyes away, "Reasons, just come on, it'll be fun."
"I doubt it."
He shrugs, not letting go of the other boy's hands. Yamato may be against coming, but he hasn't physically refused in the slightest. Hibiki drops one hand and lets their joined hands swing freely between them. Yamato hasn't protested this either.
"Let's start with food!" Yamato shrugs, looking around the festival curiously, he doesn't seem excited, but more like he's simply absorbing everything. He wouldn't be surprised if Yamato had never been to a festival before. "I'm going to get some donuts, any requests?" Hibiki releases his hand and Yamato squeezes tighter, intertwining their fingers.
"You don't need to let go, I'm going with you." He calmly answers the unspoken question in Hibiki's eyes.
"Okay, then, let's go," he grasps Yamato's hand tighter, ignoring the the growing pleasure in his stomach at Yamato being the one to keep contact between them. He's still not going to get his hopes up, this could just be his way of making sure they don't get separated. Hibiki's only too aware that if they got lost, Yamato would probably just return home, leaving him here on his own.
Hibiki leads the way to the food stalls, one handedly buying a few of his favorite freshly fried donuts to start before settling at an empty table. He nudges the mini donuts towards Yamato and rests his head on folded hands to wait.
Yamato glances between him and sweets in front of him, "What are you waiting for?"
"I think you're smart enough to figure that out."
"You want me to eat this?"
"Good job Yamato. Sweets are my favorites, try them."
"No thanks."
"Yamato," he sighs, "Try one, for me?"
Yamato wrinkles his nose minutely, giving him an indecipherable look and without breaking eye contact, he takes one small bite before placing it back. "Happy?"
Hibiki breaks into a wide grin, "Yes! How was it?"
"I can feel myself slipping into a sugar coma already," he states plainly.
Hibiki laughs, shoving the rest of the donut into his mouth and standing up. "You're so dramatic! Come on, we've got the rest of the stalls to explore."
"I can't wait," he murmurs, catching Hibiki's hand when he passes and letting himself be led along.
Hibiki smiles to himself at how easily Yamato accustomed himself to that, but should he really have expected any different from someone who's constantly in his space. Either way he has no complaints, spending time with Yamato outside of battling is a new and delightful experience.
They pass through several more stalls, HIbiki feeding Yamato small tastes from his own snacks, the other male declining to have his own. They stop in on a few performances and craft stalls before he begins to feel Yamato's weight lean heavier against him every time they stop. It's almost time to call it a night for the both of them, but first.
"There, Yamato," he points to the classic fishing game at one of the stalls. "Show me your talent."
"Excuse me?"
"You've got to be good at something more than battling and it's not socializing, so let's see it."
"I don't see why-"
"I'll hold your hand more," he teases.
Yamato gives him a scathing look and drops his hand, "That's not necessary, I will do this pathetic excuse for a game and then we'll move on, preferably home."
Hibiki smiles as Yamato pays the owner and squats down over the little pool. It becomes immediately apparent that he has no idea what he's doing. The furrow between his eyes grows deeper with each successive miss and he finds himself holding back a grin at how cute Yamato looks struggling with the fishing game, but his pride won't let him quit.
"Cute couple."
Hibiki glances to the side and catches a man with sunglasses and a striped hat, behind a flower stall nodding at him. "Um, we aren't actually a couple."
"Really? Then why are you stringing him along?"
Game forgotten, Hibiki turns to face the man in surprise, "What?"
"He's clearly very interested."
"It's...complicated."
"You're young, what's complicated? You like him and the way he spent the last hour glued to your side and trying to pretend he wasn't watching you says enough. Time's ticking, better act before it's too late."
Hibiki shakes his head, "You don't know him, that's just his personality. It doesn't mean anything."
"Nope, half the stuff I've seen you feeding him, he didn't want to eat, but he did because you wanted him to. Cut him a break, he's clearly pining for you." He hands him a rose, "Put him out of his misery. My fiance loves when I give her flowers and guarantees these roses. She grew them herself."
"He's not the sentimental type."
"Just trust me, take it." He sighs and accepts the rose with a thanks, if only to stop the owner from insisting. He's positive the man is wrong. "I'm Joe."
"Hibiki?" Yamato appears beside him at that moment, frowning between the two of them. Joe smirks and Yamato shifts subtly closer into his side.
"Here."
Yamato stares down at the rose, "What am I supposed to do with this?"
"It's a flower, I'm giving it to you."
"Why?"
Hibiki huffs, handing the rose back to Joe with an 'I told you so look.' "Nevermind, let's get some takoyaki, then we can leave."
Yamato reaches for his arm as he abruptly turns and walks away, letting his arm drop when his fingers only manage to brush against his sleeve before he's gone. There's a sour feeling forming in his stomach and he doesn't like it one bit.
"Should've just taken the rose."
Yamato's head snaps up with a glare, Ah yes, it's his fault. "Why?"
"You like him, people give flowers to those they like."
"Flowers are worthless."
Joe raises an eyebrow, "Expensive tastes, huh? Then what do you want from him?"
"I don't need material things from Hibiki, just himself is enough."
A quiet whistle blows through his lips and he chuckles lightly, "Then you better figure out a way to let him know that. Seems pretty daft, that one."
Yamato bristles at his words, "You have no right to insult him."
Joe waves his indignation off, "You'll only have yourself to blame when he ends up with someone else." He winks, "Give him a kiss and see how he responds."
Yamato shoots the man one final look of disdain, then leaves to catch up with his companion, looping an arm through Hibiki's when he finds him. "You left me," he states accusingly.
"Sorry, I thought you were right behind me." Yamato frowns and Hibiki knows he's caught the lie. The vendor hands him his container and he quickly holds out a stick to Yamato to cut off a disagreement, "Here try this."
"Another snack? How are you not yet fat from all these carbohydrates?"
"Everything in moderation, Yamato," he replies, pushing the small serving of food towards him.
Yamato rolls his eyes and uses his mouth to grab the entire ball at once. He chews carefully, tilting his head in consideration before swallowing. "...I'd like another one."
Hibiki lights up, "You like it! We finally found something you like!"
Ignoring him, the other male takes the container from his hands and polishes the remaining takoyaki off in record time. "It wasn't terrible. What was this called?"
"Takoyaki. And yes, you loved it." Hibiki orders a second serving for himself and they take a seat on a quiet hill to finish the last of the food. He sighs, leaning back on his hands, it's been a nice night, better than he'd even hoped.
"Hibiki."
"Hm?"
"If I kissed you right now, would you push me away?"
Hibiki whips around to stare at Yamato in shock. That's somewhat out of left field, definitely not unwelcome, but surprising. Maybe Yamato isn't as single minded as he'd thought. "I wouldn't, but-"
He doesn't get a chance to finish before Yamato's hands are on his face and his mouth is on his. Firmly and insistently Yamato's mouth presses against his as the other male drags him closer. Hibiki presses his hands over Yamato's and kisses him back, using his tongue to pry the other boy's lips open, tasting the remnants of takoyaki sauce.
His hands drop from his face to slip under Yamato's long coat and wind around his waist. Fingers tighten on his face and Yamato quietly groans, pulling himself closer and moving to straddle his lap. It's messy, but not rushed, he's intent on savoring this moment and committing it to memory.
Hibiki finally breaks away, flushing lightly at Yamato's noise of protest, and lets out a shaky breath. "Well, I'm shocked. I didn't know you had a single romantic bone in your body. I never would've thought you'd make the first move."
Yamato glares down at him before shifting off his lap to sit next to him, "Don't be funny, Hibiki."
"I'm not! I'm just saying, I've wanted to kiss you for a while, but I didn't think you'd be receptive."
"What? If you wanted to kiss me, then why did you reject me? I told you we could've been great together."
Hibiki turns to look at him and shrugs, "I thought you meant join the school and become your battle partner. I didn't want to do that."
"...I did mean that. I wanted that also."
He sits up straight with a grin and leans over to place a quick kiss to Yamato's cheek, "Aren't you the greedy one?"
Yamato's hands reach out to keep him from moving away, "I'm not greedy, it's for the good of everyone if we work together."
"Don't kill the mood."
"Also, I want to do that again."
Hibiki grins, sliding himself closer to whisper in Yamato's ear, "Whatever you want."
~~~~~
If he's honest with himself, things have become far better since the recent development in their relationship. Hibiki's emotions aren't quite so mysterious to him now, perhaps communication was really all they needed. And if missions end with more kisses than before, well, it's not affecting their work in any way.
Really, it's probably a positive because now he's justified in keeping so much of his attention on Hibiki, better for his safety too. He can admire the efficiency in which Hibiki eliminates rogue demons, taking very little damage himself. His spells have also gotten much stronger.
Hibiki returns to his side with a grin, "See, I told you I could do it alone."
"Yes, yes, I'm so proud of you," Yamao replies placidly.
"I know you are," he nudges his shoulder. "You could barely keep your eyes away, I noticed."
"Perhaps, you should have been more focused on the battle."
"Nah, I had it." He stretches his arms over his head and turns to Yamato, "Do I get a kiss for succeeding?"
"You-"
"Help!" They both turn towards the shout to see a man frantically gesturing towards them, "There's another one! It has my son!"
Without checking to see if Hibiki's following him, he runs after the man, stopping at the edge of the small town when he sees the Quetzalcoatl destroying the town with ice and the young child held wrapped securely in its tail, screaming for his parents.
Yamato flinches when ice rains down, slicing the roofs as people run to escape the demon's fury, useless when it can fly. There's only one thing to do, strike it down to keep it from causing any more destruction.
"Cerberus, Agidyne!" He misses his target. Instead the spell is reflected back towards him by a surprise Suzaku.
Hibiki appears beside him on the back of Byakko, "Yamato, what the well were you thinking?!"
"Me?" He points at another house just destroyed by ice, "I was containing the destruction."
"There's a kid!"
"Sacrifice one kid to save the rest of these people? That's not even a choice, Hibiki."
"You didn't even try to save him!"
"Enough sympathy! While you're focused on saving that one child, many more could die. It's not worth it!"
Hibiki shakes his head and launches Byakko towards the Quetzalcoatl, leaving Yamato to watch in annoyance as he risks himself and the lives of others for just one kid. If Hibiki were to get hurt or worse die, it would be a needless waste.
His first move to let loose a well aimed Ziodyne on Quetzalcoatl's tail, right above where he's holding the child. It spasms just enough to drop the kid and he sends Suzaku to catch the falling child before turning his focus back to the stronger demon.
Yamato watches as Hibiki battles the demon, not hesitating in the slightest which is good because he's feeling vindictive enough to not want to assist him. Once he defeats Quetzalcoatl, Hibiki stands a few feet away, glaring back at him, a storm raging in his blue eyes. Rather than look away, he stares back at him, breathing heavily from battle, anger and tension in every part of his body.
And...he wants.
Yamato turns away, making his way back to the car, and buckling himself in until Hibiki joins him. No words are spoken as the driver heads back to the city. Once they make the outer limits, he knows he'll have to say something before they split.
"Hibiki…"
"Yamato, don't. You almost killed that kid back there."
"It was -"
"I know why you did it and I still don't agree."
"I know you don't agree, but you can't deny it makes sense."
Hibiki stares at him for a moment before opening the door, "I need some space."
Yamato blinks, sinking back into the seat. That stings. They haven't had 'space' for months, since the first time they fought together and he decided Hibiki was worthy. It feels like they've regressed back to the very beginning when Hibiki wanted as little to do with him as possible. Yamato does nothing as Hibiki shuts the door and walks away. After all, what could he say to that?
HIbiki doesn't show up for weeks, even though Yamato waits in hope every night for him. He's never felt more pathetic than when he sits on the rooftop with only Cerberus for company, yearning for someone who never shows. It's a loneliness he's never experienced. Before he never had anyone to lose.
Yamato glimpses the raven haired teen at school on occasion, but he's well aware that he can't speak to him there. He hadn't realized quite how much he'd come to rely on their nights out together, the simple comfort brought by Hibiki's presence. A momentary reprieve from his day to day life.
He's lost two things at once, Hibiki and what could have been. It's miserable and more than he's willing to take. After weeks of repressing his feelings and pretending that nothing is wrong, he breaks. Once the majority of his work is done for the day, he clears everything off his schedule for the rest of the evening and pulls Hibiki's address from the system. He justifies it with the fact that the demon sightings are increasing without Hibiki's interference and for the good of everyone, he should return to his rogue activities.
Skipping a chauffeur in order to leave no evidence of this excursion, he takes a cab to Hibiki's address and even as he does his best not to touch anything, it gives him a chance to prepare himself for whatever Hibiki's reaction to his uninvited presence is.
When he arrives, Yamato takes the four flights of stairs to the fifth floor and knocks. Hibiki swings open the door and his gaze meets the blue eyes he's been aching to see for weeks.
"Yamato?" The other boy questions in surprise, making no move to unblock the doorway. "How did you know where I lived?"
He hesitates, "I followed you home one night."
"That's very creepy and borderline stalkerish, Yamato. What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to talk to you."
"So talk."
"Hibiki, can we please do this inside?" The other teen pauses before sliding aside slowly and pulling the door open a little wider to let him in. "Hibiki, I -"
"Stay over there, Yamato," he interrupts.
He grunts out a noise of frustration, but obeys no matter how much he hates being this far away. Either way, he's determined to fix this. "You were right, I should have considered other methods rather than jump immediately to sacrifice."
Hibiki regards him skeptically, "Tell me the truth, Yamato."
Yamato sighs, he should have known he wouldn't be believed that easily. "In truth...I value efficiency. Your method managed to save both the boy and defeat the demon, but if you had failed, more lives would have been lost and the boy would likely have still died. Rather than risk those odds, I chose what was more efficient. I do realize we have very different ways of viewing things though."
"Do you regret your choice?"
"I still think my way carried less risk and I only regret it because it upset you."
Hibiki sighs loudly, "You're terrible. One life isn't less important than another." He wisely chooses to remain quiet on that point. "As I said before, I understood why you did what you did, but I still don't like it."
"I understand your point of view as well, Hibiki."
"I've had some time to think about things," he reaches out a hand and Yamato takes it immediately, drawing him in closer. "We have such drastically different ways of doing things that unless we agree on some kind of compromise, I don't think this will work out." He pauses, "I do want this to work out though, do you Yamato?"
"Of course, I wouldn't be here if I didn't," he answers, letting his free hand lightly rest right under the hem of Hibiki's shirt. "What do you suggest we do?"
"Well, for one, you could stop trying to cop a feel in the middle of such an important conversation."
Yamato frowns at Hibiki's smirk and drops his hand, "I was not. I am merely glad to be near you again."
"Aren't you developing a way with words, having withdrawals?"
"Don't tease, Hibiki," he responds, tightening their fingers together. "What will you do? I will try to consider other options first, but in the chaos of a battle, I can't guarantee I won't do what needs to be done."
"I will try to be more sympathetic to the way you were taught, even if I don't agree."
"I guess that's all we can ask for." Yamato leans forward to kiss him before abruptly pulling back and looking around, "Where are your parents, Hibiki? Do you live here alone?"
"Nah, they're out of town for a business meeting. I was going to ask Daichi if he wanted to come over, grab some okonomiyaki or something from the convenience store and watch a movie."
Yamato frowns, wrapping his arms around Hibiki's waist, "But I'm here."
"I said was, do you even like okonomiyaki?"
"I've never tried it," he admits. "But I've eaten everything else you have given me."
"Alright," Hibiki steps out of his embrace and reaches for his phone, "I'll just call Daichi and we'll go get some food."
Yamato reaches out to grab his wrist, "You don't need to call Daichi," he states firmly.
"You want me all to yourself?"
"It's been weeks and I'm sure you see him all the time. No, I don't want to share right now."
"Ha...okay, Yamato." Hibiki places a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth, "Let me get my jacket."
Once Hibiki gathers his things, they head out. Yamato waits for him to lock the door before taking hold of his hand and leading him outside, "I don't want convenience store food for dinner, it's unhealthy."
Hibiki turns to him with a raised eyebrow, "I thought you said it was fine."
"I thought about it, we should get takoyaki instead."
"There's no takoyaki around here, Yamato. You can choose something else though, but don't be picky. I'm hungry."
He nods, letting his gaze flick down the street and to every storefront, finally deciding on a sushi restaurant that looked the least like fast food. "There."
"Sushi? It's kind of expensive though…"
"It's fine. You bought all the festival food, I can pay for this." Yamato leads them into the restaurant, leaving the selection to Hibiki until it's time to pay and he pulls out a solid black credit card, ignoring the questioning look Hibiki gives him and making sure to cover his full name up.
With food in hand, they head back and settle down on the couch with the array of sushi spread out in front of them. Hibiki doesn't hesitate before digging in, dipping all his pieces into the special sauce he ordered.
Yamato follows suit and it's far from the best sushi he's ever had, but he's hungry too and more than that, he's with Hibiki again and that makes everything better. Hibiki holds out a piece for him to try and he gags around the first bite while the other boy laughs. "You didn't tell me it was spicy," he frowns.
"Then you might not have tried it and it's delicious." He pauses, "It's just takes some getting used to, kind of like you."
"Haha, very funny, Hibiki."
They pass the rest of the evening and into the night in a comfortable atmosphere watching some movie or another, he's not sure of the titles. It's the most TV he's ever watched, but at some point, Hibiki slides close to him and at that point he's in no hurry for the night to end. Yamato breathes in Hibiki's scent and lets his body relax into him, content at last.
When Hibiki finally moves to disentangle them several hours later, it's dark out and already past when he's expected to have returned. Yamato blinks the lethargy from his eyes as Hibiki stretches, wondering if all has truly been forgiven. "May I use your bathroom?"
"Sure, it's down the hallway, second door on the left."
Yamato steps inside, shutting the door, and pulling out his phone to check his messages. There's nothing urgent, but as he expected, there are plenty of messages asking where he is and shaming him for not having his whereabouts known. He sighs, he's the head of the JP's organization and one of the strongest demon tamers, yet they treat him like a child that needs to be kept track of at all times instead of like the capable leader he is.
Even though he may still be only seventeen, he's handled far more than many of them have and with ease, yet the other board members still expect him to always bow to their whims and be available for them at every call. Another reason he strives for a meritocracy.
He finishes in the bathroom and when he returns to the living room, the remains of their dinner has been put away, the TV is off, and Hibiki is nowhere to be seen. Yamato continues past, stops in the doorway of Hibiki's bedroom, and stares. His eyes take in bare skin and roam over the lines of muscles in his back as if he'll never see the sight again. His gaze drops to Hibiki's calves, toned from training at school and his own night time exploits.
Hibiki finishes pulling his shirt over his head and turns to him with a smile, "How long are you going to stare at me without speaking?"
Yamato clears his throat, "I wasn't. I didn't want to interrupt."
"Uh huh," Hibiki drops onto the bed with a bounce and keeps smiling at him.
"Why are you in here?" Yamato questions to fill the awkward silence only he seems to notice, the other boy content to smile quietly..
"Well, you were getting ready to leave, so I figured I might as well get ready for bed."
He drops down onto the bed next to him, "I didn't say I was leaving."
"It's almost ten o'clock and I know you have class tomorrow, so...I figured. Although, I suppose," Hibiki catches a few loose strands of his hair and tucks them behind his ear, letting him thumb linger lightly over his cheek. "You could stay the night if you wanted to, my bed's big enough for two…"
Hibiki's other hand shifts to his thigh hesitantly, leaving the choice of whether to leave or to stay up to him, and he knows that if he stays, more than sleeping will happen tonight and it stirs a heat inside him. Even more so than the way Hibiki's fingers have begun to slowly stroke down his thigh, making him almost positive of what he wants.
Yamato moves forward to meet Hibiki's mouth, answering his question with actions rather than words. Hibiki smiles against his lips as he eagerly opens for Hibiki's searching tongue and he can taste a bit of the spicy sauce he ate making his tongue tingle.
Letting his hands wander up Hibiki's loose sleep shirt and over the taut muscles of his torso, Yamato sighs quietly before pulling his shirt off in one quick movement. Hibiki breaks away and gently pushes him back onto the bed, laughing at his protest from interrupting his exploration before settling between his legs, "Are you sure you want this, Yamato?"
"Hibiki, yes," he groans, tugging him closer. "I want this with you and only you. Have I given you any reason to doubt that?"
"Okay, okay, just making sure before this goes any further." He lifts his hips as Hibiki slides his clothing off, though his eyes shut with nerves. There's a rustle of clothes, then a weight on his chest. When he opens his eyes, Hibiki is resting on his chest, smiling up at him.
"I think you'll have to keep your eyes open if you want this to work."
"Obviously."
Instead of responding, he reaches for this bedside drawer and Yamato feels fingers covered in something lukewarm pressing between his legs. His eyes widen and his hand squeezes onto Hibiki's shoulder as he begins to ache a bit from the intrusion.
Murmured words from Hibiki and he widens his legs, giving him better access. Hibiki sits up on his knees and Yamato watches as he rubs the lubricant along his own length. Despite his own nerves at having Hibiki inside him, he's already aroused and it takes all his will not to cover himself as he lays there hard and bare.
Hibiki must sense how uncomfortable he is because he reaches down to slide a warm hand over Yamato's length before bracing his legs on either side of his own hips. "You ready?" He gives a tight nod and Hibiki begins sliding inside, stretching him out more with each reluctantly given inch.
He tries to relax as Hibiki advises him to, but his body tenses as if to keep him out with each push. It's something he'll have to work on. When Hibiki is fully sheathed inside him and he's practically in the other boy's lap, his arms wrap around Hibiki's neck and Yamato breathes in deeply, trying to adjust to the feeling. It's...different and somewhat painful to be filled like this if he's being truthful. With every slight movement he makes, he can feel Hibiki inside him, pushing at his walls.
"Does it hurt?" Hibiki questions, swiping a few sweaty strands away from his face and adjusting their position slightly to lessen the pressure.
"No."
He laughs lightly, "Yamato...if it hurts, say so."
"It's fine," he grits out, burying his face in Hibiki's neck. Hibiki pushes him back and smiles fondly at the two spots of red, vibrant on Yamato's pale cheeks. He's in pain, but won't admit it. Yamato locks his legs around his waist, "Don't."
"You're so stubborn."
"Quite a pair we make then, hm?"
"Mmhmm," Hibiki kisses him again and Yamato digs his fingers into thick curls, deepening the kiss and grounding himself as Hibiki begins to thrust inside him slowly. It does still hurt, but now there's an edge of pleasure starting to creep in and when Hibiki hits a certain spot, he can't help tensing up and crying out at the feeling.
Hibiki's mouth kisses down his neck before latching on as he tightens his grip on Yamato's waist, pressing him harder into the bed. The moans fall from his mouth non stop as he feels the need for release building fast, and when Hibiki wraps his free hand around his length and pumps, Yamato sees stars.
When he comes to, Hibiki is rolling off him and he grimaces both at the slow drag against his tender insides and the sticky warmth left behind.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine. A little sore, but fine." He shivers and pulls Hibiki closer, letting him cover them both with the blankets.
"You sure? Do you need anything?"
"Hibiki," he glowers, "I'm seventeen, I don't need coddling.
He pulls away to gaze down at him with wide eyes, "You're only 17?! I deflowered a child! What have I done?"
"Hibiki, shut up."
"What will my friends say, what will my parents say?"
"It's only a year difference! Mentally, I'm far older than most people."
"Yeah, that's true," Hibiki concedes, holding an arm out to allow Yamato to curl back into him. "I'm still surprised, all that authority and confidence, I wouldn't have guessed..."
"It isn't something I advertise."
"You know," he begins thoughtfully. "If I joined the school, you'd technically have to call me 'senpai.' It might be worth joining just for that."
"Never," Yamato responds flatly.
"I'm only kidding," he murmurs, and Yamato feels the other boy's relaxing around him as he begins to drift off. He has the brief thought that maybe he should return home, but gratification wins out and he lets himself follow after Hibiki.
~~~~~
The next morning the bright sunlight streaming into the window wakes Yamato to an aching lower back and his head resting against Hibiki's clavicle. He feels Hibiki's breaths, deep and warmth against the top of his head. He lifts up to give a small smile at his sleeping face. Yamato rests a thumb against his lip and gives him a quick kiss before pulling away with a wince.
He wants to stay, but he's got work and it's already been too long since he checked in. No doubt he has a mountain of complaints waiting for him. It's already late if there's that much sunlight, Yamato grabs his clothes and phone, then with a final look back, makes his escape.