CHAPTER THREE: JUST GREAT!
An unsuspecting Yamaguchi turned the knob of the door to the laboratory, where he would usually find either Morinaga, Tatsumi-senpai or both hard at work. As he glanced down at the papers he was carrying in his hands, he called out, "Hey, Morinaga! I have the notes here for..." his words however abruptly stopped as he glanced up. It took him a few seconds to comprehend what the scene was in front of him. His friend and classmate, Morinaga as well as their Senpai, Tatsumi-san, appeared to be in each others arms.
No, they were in each others arms, with their heads bent down, so that their foreheads were almost touching. He further noted that Tatsumi-senpai's ears were a bit red and there was a tender smile evident, even from the angle he saw it from, on Morinaga. It was in that moment that Yamaguchi was finally able to understand why his friend, Morinaga, could stand Tatsumi-senpai, even with his all too volatile temper. He did not, however, get much time to run through his thoughts as the two glanced in his direction and spotted him.
Tetsuhiro had been too overwhelmed by the news, that his senpai, his lover, Tatsumi Souichi, was pregnant. Sure, it was strange, but, if it were actually true and he didn't think a doctor would lie and surely neither would Souichi, then he was going to be a father. He was also overwhelmed by every feeling that flooded through him in that moment, which had prevented him from hearing the click of the door as it began to open.
Though he had heard it, albeit feintly and hearing its echo, he opened his eyes slightly, though most of his attention was directed upon being in his beloved's arms.
He watched the following events inevitably unfold. Yamaguchi had just caught them in a compromising position.
It seemed that, his Senpai, too, had noticed Yamaguchi, if the stiffening of his body were any indication, followed by the quick motion of removing himself from his embrace.
They'd both been stopped in their tracks when Yamaguchi had spoken, seeing the shock, evident upon his countenance, knew that the other laboratory student was obviously stunned.
At that very moment though, Senpai had swiftly closed the door behind him and had even managed to corner the other man, who happened to be Tetsuhiro's good friend. He hoped that that title wouldn't change, just because of what he'd just witnessed.
Yamaguchi, felt as though a dark cloud were surrounding him and felt too, a shiver run down his spine, goose pimples rising upon his flesh as the room seemed to have had a severe drop in temperatures.
It was then, at that moment, that he looked into the scowling, furrowed brows and lips twisted down in displeasure of one very angry senpai, Tatsumi Soucihi. "Yamaguchi!" The older students voice sounded quite threatening. "Do you value your life?"
At the question presented to him, he found it difficult to swallow, but he was able to manage a single, quick nod of his head. He couldn't even speak, though apparently, his nod had been enough to satisfy the older student.
"Then I'm sure, that you understand, the terrible consequences you'll face, should you even dare tell anyone what you just saw," he growled, banging one fist against the wall beside his head.
"Are we clear?" Tatsumi asked darkly, of him.
He managed, albeit nervously, to agreed, stuttering only slightly, but non-the-less frightened, finding it somewhat difficult to breath properly. "Y-yes Senpai. O-of course Senpai. Not a word."
"Good," said the long blonde haired graduate student of Nagoya University as he removed his hands and headed in the direction of the door. "I need coffee. Take care of this!" His amber-gold eyes glared in Morinaga's direction as he motioned to Yamaguchi with a wave of his hand and then proceeded to march out the door.
"Senpai! Remember, only decaf!" Morinaga called out to Tatsumi-senpai.
A frown appeared upon Morinaga, but although he wanted to go after his Senpai, right at that moment, he had something he had to take care of.
Green eyes glanced over at Yamaguchi, who seemed to be getting over the shock he'd just had, of facing the wrath of his lover.
Yamaguchi, soon found a stool in order to sit down, still shaken by what had just gone on, with that threatening aura of Tatsumi-senpai aimed at him. He didn't know what he'd done wrong, but it seemed that, whatever relationship the senpai and Morinaga had, wasn't something that the blonde graduate student wanted broadcasted.
He still couldn't believe what he'd just seen. It was one thing to find out that his friend, Morinaga, was gay, which was a surprise in itself, but then, to also find out that his friend liked Tatsumi-senpai of all people?
He could live with his friend being gay, in fact, he didn't really care, but for him to have fallen for Tatsumi-senpai, was beyond his comprehension. It wasn't like he was trying to be mean in regards to the relationship, but Tatsumi-senpai had never tried to give a good impression; at least not to other students, perhaps some of his professors, if in a rather reserved way.
The graduate student, was always by himself and, when approached, he would glare one down and intimidate you to the point where one would not want to speak with him ever again, not if they could help it. That was in and of itself, his experience, other than having to speak with him, when it concerned time in the lab. He'd thought Tatsumi-senpai lived there, Morinaga as well, since he was always with the senpai. Now though, he knew, why. That still didn't help him to understand, just what it was that Morinaga found so appealing about the older student.
After all, from what he'd heard and even had some experience of, Tatsumi-senpai could care less about the people who were around him and would forget them as soon as he'd met them. The elder student also easily lost his temper and was constantly antisocial, one would need to be really determined to be able to have a relationship with him. Which left, Morinaga, as the mystery he thought, as he glanced up at him from where he sat.
Finally, he asked, "Morinaga, how long has this relationship between the two of you been going on?"
Morinaga shrugged, "That depends, are you asking, how long I've had a a cush on Senpai, or are you asking how long have we been together?"
Yamaguchi, upon hearing that, felt thrown aback. What sort of question was that, though it obviously meant, that Morinaga had been the first one to feel anything. So, perhaps it was Morinaga whom had pursued Tatsumi Souichi, but it made sense, since he couldn't imagine the blonde graduate student pursing anyone or anything, unless it had to do with his research.
"I don't really want to talk about this right now," Morinaga said.
It was then, that Yamaguchi got up, passing a hand through his hair, his face somewhat distorted by his struggle to understand, but then, finally asked what was on his mind, despite what Morinaga had said.
"Just tell me one thing, Morinaga," he asked the other on the spot, "are you the uke?"
Morinaga seemed to be staring back at him, blankly, before his eyes softened and his mouth curved into a smile. "Honestly, Yamaguchi? As long as it's Senpai, I don't think I'd actually mind at all, since I love him." And it wasn't as though, he'd not had his share of being an uke, because of the time after he'd lost Masaki and before he'd entered a University and found Tatsumi Soucihi.
"Now, if you'd excuse me, I need to go check on Senpai. I'll see you later, Yamaguchi." And with that, spoken cheerfully, he bowed out of the lab.
Yamaguchi himself, looked on, completely stunned, sighing and then soon after, a chuckle escaped from between his lips, shaking his head as he determined, that that day, had turned out to be one of amazement.
He guessed love really did come in all shapes and sizes, all genders and temperaments too. Now, if only he could find such a love, despite whatever temperament or gender was between them, not that he was gay, but perhaps, he thought, he might swing both ways. Just hadn't actually found his type. But now, he returned to his own lab work.
Morinaga, once outside of the laboratory room, walked hurriedly through the hallways of the University laboratory building. Only a small part of his mind was set on his conversation with Yamaguchi. They'd been moderately good friends for several years and now, he believed, that he knew him enough to be able to trust that the other agricultural student within the same year as himself, wouldn't say anything, to anyone. Or if he did, wind up discussing it with anyone, it would be with him, or names and appearances would be omitted so as not to arouse suspicion.
Not that he, himself, would have minded it all being out in the open.
But, along the lines of Yamaguchi, since he thought he knew him well enough, were the other to ever ask for a more refined explanation, some other time, he'd not be adverse to giving it to him.
In that moment, however, he had another person, whom he also knew quite well, and sure enough, there he was, in front of a coffee machine, doing exactly what he'd feared.
From the distance, Morinaga found himself, he could clearly see, Souichi's hand, pressing the button for the regular coffee and not decaf like he'd asked him to get whenever he had a craving for the stuff.
If what the doctor had told his lover, Tatsumi Souichi were true, they were going to have a number of long months ahead of them.
Author Note: This chapter was written by baby_ritz over at live-journal and edited and somewhat, re-written, by me... yay for co-writing.