[LOG] Hirakoba Rin and Tokugawa Kazuya

[legally_blond]

Who: Hirakoba Rin and Tokugawa Kazuya
What: Tokugawa continues to suffer Cooking, cuddling and kissing T_T
When: TUESDAY NIGHT ????
Where: Rin's place :'D
Rating: PG


Hirakoba doesn’t know how this happened.

He really hadn’t been expecting Tokugawa to train at swimming to make sure he won their little competition. And maybe he’s actually a little grumpy at that, but well, he has to see it through and Hirakoba stares glumly at the ingredients in front of him in the kitchen.

This can only end badly.

He’d asked his sister what the easiest thing to cook was… which is why there’s vegetables and curry roux on the counter, and chicken in the fridge. And he’s read the recipe quite a few times and it doesn’t seem difficult?

… How does one chop up a potato?

He hasn’t started cooking yet though, since he has a feeling Tokugawa will call foul if there’s already things on the stove when he arrives, which, should be quite soon, Hirakoba thinks as he looks at the clock. The rice is on though at least, happily cooking away in his trusty rice cooker.

Hirakoba sulking about the loss bothered Tokugawa a bit. It was just friendly competition to Tokugawa, but he's someone who doesn't like losing so of course he trained for it. The wager wasn't that big of a deal, but he still wanted to perform at his best. Plus, Hirakoba said he's a really good swimmer! Of course Tokugawa believed it--he still believes it up to now after seeing him in action--so he had to up his game.

So here he is now! Having been buzzed up to Hirakoba's apartment, he places a few raps on the door. It may not show in his expression, but he's eager to have dinner already.

Hirakoba sighs and puts down the recipe that he’s reading for probably the tenth time when he hears the knock on the door. Alright, time to go.

He puts on the apron - a very cute one, as promised - and is halfway through tying it behind his back as he opens the door. “Right on time, Tokugawa-kun,” he says, stepping back to let him in. “Do you like my apron, isn’t it cute?” He poses a little in it and then ties it tightly in a bow.

“I have everything ready, so you can see that I haven’t prebought anything cooked.” What a shame.

It is cute (the apron), but it's difficult to tell that Tokugawa agrees with the stern look on his face. It's only when he hums an "mm-hm" that Hirakoba would be to tell that he thinks it's cute.

Once he's inside, he takes off his jacket and folds it neatly in his arms. He'll wait for Hirakoba to give him a signal to feel at home or something before setting it down somewhere.

"What are you making?" He asks curiously. With just the rice being cooked, there are millions of possible recipes being used here.

Hirakoba leads the way into the kitchen and glances at Tokugawa - why is he still holding onto his jacket? “I’m making curry,” he says, tugging Tokugawa’s jacket out of his arms to toss it over the couch.

“It apparently takes like 20 minutes?” Probably longer actually, since he has to cut the vegetables and that’s… that will be an adventure. “You know where everything is, right?” This is Tokugawa’s 3rd time at Hirakoba’s place, he should have a pretty good idea. “You can go snoop through my bedroom if you want, I don’t mind. Everything’s in the nightstand drawer, if you’re curious.”

Tokugawa is just not allowed his second bedroom where all his clothes live.

Ah, curry! It seems like Tokugawa perks up a bit at the mention of it. It's not his favourite dish or anything, but it's still usually delicious. Usually.

With his jacket out of the way (and he does make sure it's folded neatly on Hirakoba's couch), he settles himself on it so he can watch some TV while waiting. He's not going to snoop, even if it seems like Hirakoba wants him to.

"I'm looking forward to dinner," Tokugawa says rather proudly. He's pretty sure Hirakoba prepared long and hard for this so he's optimistic!

“I’m interested to see how it turns out,” Hirakoba says quite honestly. At least Tokugawa is settling down and the he can look over the island counter to talk as he cooks.

Hirakoba ties up his hair and turns his attention to the ingredients before looking at his sister’s instructions again. … He has to chop up the chicken and the onion first, apparently.

“What did you get up to today?” he asks to maintain conversation as he pulls out the chicken breast from the fridge and prods it, grimacing at the sliminess. It’s even worse to hold in one hand and start cutting. “I hope this isn’t the first time today you’ve left the house.”

Ha! Hirakoba will be proud to know (at least, Tokugawa thinks) that this isn't he first time he's left the house today. He's actually been out the whole day, only managing to find some time to relax now that he's on Hirakoba's couch.

"There was a tournament at the centre so I went there to watch the kids play," he says, looking at Hirakoba when he begins but moves his gaze towards the TV later on.

"The mothers always seem to enjoy my company." And by that, he means that some mothers always walk up to him to chat and they seem to be so fond of him. Either he's doing a good job at coaching or these mothers are so easily charmed.

Once he gets over the texture of the raw chicken, it’s not too bad to cut it and Hirakoba chops away feeling actually quite good about it all. “Oh, well done on not being a hermit,” Hirakoba says approvingly, glancing at the TV to see what Tokugawa has chosen to watch.

“Maybe they’re vying for your attentions so you can marry their daughters,” he says teasingly, scraping chicken to one side of the chopping board. “Shall I chase them off for you? Tell them I’ve already claimed you?”

"Their ten year old daughters." No, thank you. And hopefully, Tokugawa's unsaid "no thanks" gets across.

He flips through various channels, not really sure what he wants to watch just yet. Eventually, he settles on some kind of Japanese game show, reminiscent of Gaki no Tsukai. He's not sure why he's watching this either, but none of the other channels he flipped through had anything interesting. And he's all sportsed out for the day.

“Maybe they’re just planning for the future,” Hirakoba says with a bit of a laugh. Although, 10 years old is… definitely too young for Tokugawa.

He goes back to prepping, staring at the onion for a long time. He at least knows he has to peel it before he cuts it up and Hirakoba picks at the skin for a while before he can start cutting rather haphazardly into sort of (not at all) even sized pieces.

And it takes all of maybe half a minute before his eyes start to burn and “Fuck,” he clenches his eyes shut and argghhhh onions suck. And oh gosh, they’re making him cry. “Ow. Fuck.”

For a moment, Tokugawa thinks that there's an actual emergency which is why he gets up from his seat and heads over to where Hirakoba is. Then he sees the onions and the tears and he puts two and two together.

"Are you alright?" He asks. Briefly, he considers volunteering to chop the onions, but it doesn't feel right when the goal is to get Hirakoba to cook for him.

Well this is humiliating, he decides when Tokugawa comes over to investigate. Crying from cutting onions so early into the night. Which might explain why Hirakoba goes slightly pink and he waves a hand at Tokugawa, still squeezing his eyes closed. “Go away, Tokugawa-kun, get out of the kitchen.”

Actually no wait, Hirakoba changed his mind. “Just go get the tissue box from the bedroom for me.” So he can properly wipe his eyes without getting more onion in them. Until then, Hirakoba squints to find the sink so he can wash his hands quickly.

Well, if Hirakoba wants Tokugawa to go away, then he will. He at least gets the tissues from the bedroom (sparing an unsure glance at the nightstand for a few seconds) to hand it to Hirakoba.

"Let me know if you need anything." And with that, Tokugawa goes back to minding his own business as he watches TV. He decides that the game show is boring, too, so he changes the channel and stops at a music channel.

He’s never eating onions again, Hirakoba decides as he grabs the tissue box from Tokugawa to wipe his eyes. “Thank you, darling,” he manages, waving Tokugawa away with the box.

Onions the absolute worst, even if he isn’t the one cutting them up.

But it passes easily enough and he dumps everything in the pot, humming along to the music from the TV. It makes him dance a bit on the spot as he peels the carrots - actually something easy to do. “What’s your favourite food, Tokugawa-kun?” Hirakoba asks, frowning over a potato next.

If there's an easy question to answer, it's "what's your favourite food?" The answer may not be desirable, though, what with Tokugawa's… strange tastes.

"Natto," he says, not even looking at Hirakoba as he answers. "I'm not picky with food, but I like natto a lot." And it's probably why he doesn't mind eating goya - whenever that came up that one time they had a conversation about it.

Hirakoba gives Tokugawa the most judgemental look at his answer - natto, really? “Urgh…” is all he says before he turns back to pondering over cutting up a potato. Just… as long as the pieces are roughly the same size, it should be okay, right?

“Maybe that’s a bad question…” Since apparently natto is an acceptable answer in someone’s world. “What’s your favourite sweet food? I love shaved ice on a hot summer’s day,” Hirakoba says, automatically smiling just at the thought. “Sitting under umbrella with it on the beach…” Excellent thoughts.

Tokugawa seems to be always met with judgment. Thanks, Hirakoba! Then again, he isn't the first person to question Tokugawa's choices in food. As for sweets? He's not that much of a sweets person, despite offering and eating cheesecake and other desserts when he hooked for Hirakoba.

"Mille-feuilles, if I had to choose," he finally says after some moments of silence. He actually had to think about it! "So long as it isn't too sweet, anyway."

“So I assume you wouldn’t agree to going on a crepe date with me, then,” Hirakoba says with a bit of a laugh. His carrot chopping is just as questionable as his potato chopping and Hirakoba stares at the misshapen orange pieces… it all gets cooked together, it doesn’t matter so much.

But that’s finally it for preparation and it takes him a couple of tries but he gets the stove going and peers at the onion and chicken pieces. Hirakoba stirs them around curiously and then glances at Tokugawa. “A quick question,” he says. “How do you tell when chicken is cooked…?”

Crepes are okay so long as they aren't messy. Tokugawa isn't particularly fond of those that you have to eat like a cone. He frowns just thinking about it. "The ones on a plate are fine."

He finally turns his attention to Hirakoba when the question is asked. It's a lot different when you're trying to cook curry—you don't exactly fry the chicken. It's why he gets up to join Hirakoba in the kitchen. He'll leave if shooed but right now, he wants to see what colour the chicken is.

"You can take a piece and press it down a little bit. If it breaks nicely, then it should be done. It should be a different colour now, too."

On the surface… that seems like useful advice, but Hirakoba prods at the chicken with his spoon and… yes it’s definitely changing colour. But it still squishes when he prods it.

Cooking is stupid, he’s very quickly deciding.

But he’s also getting impatient and before Tokugawa can tell him that it’s not cooked (like he probably should), Hirakoba dumps the rest of the vegetables in the pot.

“Go sit down again,” Hirakoba says, pushing Tokugawa lightly on the side. “I’ll just add the water and I’ll come entertain you while it cooks.”

Without a word (mostly because he can't butt in), Tokugawa heads back to the couch to watch whatever's on tv. Hopefully for the less than a minute that he was gone, something interesting has started to air. Unlikely, but he can damn well hope there is.


Once he's seated, he relaxes into the couch with a frown. There's nothing good on, and he's not particularly fond of male idol groups.

"What do you do when you're just at home but not studying?" He asks. Hopefully it'll give him an idea on what to do, too.

Water added, everything stirred and Hirakoba washes the ick of the chicken and onion off his hands sets the timer on his phone - 15 minutes, apparently. And then he goes to join Tokugawa on the couch, curling up and squashing up next to him.

“I invite people over? Or I go outside and do things.” Beyond the occasional lazy day, Hirakoba really does just like doing things, or going places. Sitting at home doing nothing makes him itchy.

He rests a hand and his chin on Tokugawa’s shoulder and smiles at him. “I don’t think you want to know what I do with people when they’re here though.”

Tokugawa doesn't want to know, but he at least has an idea just from the wording itself. What happened the last time he slept over also gave him a glimpse of what happens. Still, Tokugawa's reaction doesn't seem too violent. He doesn't seem all that disturbed either.

"I hope you at least clean up." He's seated on the couch right now and… he doesn't want to get cooties.

Tokugawa’s remarkably unbothered by the physical contact now and it makes Hirakoba want to keep pushing at it. It really does make him laugh that it wasn’t that long ago that Tokugawa gave him grumpy looks for just touching his arm without warning.

“Of course I clean up,” he says, fluffing up a bit and prodding Tokugawa in the side. “The couch isn’t a good place anyway, I much prefer the bed and that’s easy to clean.” Hirakoba shifts to stretch his legs out over Tokugawa’s lap. And he wonders how far he can go as he moves his arms to give Tokugawa a loose hug too.

Hopefully Hirakoba missed those grumpy looks, because he's getting one now. And yet, Tokugawa makes no motion of pulling Hirakoba's limbs away.

"You lost," he says. No cuddles for you, supposedly!!

“I’m not on your lap, so it doesn’t count,” Hirakoba says - his bum is very clearly still on the couch. Tokugawa’s grumpy face does make him just smile more though and he pats him fondly on the cheek.

“So what do you do when you’re at home?” he asks and Hirakoba moves not at all subtly to sit sideways on Tokugawa’s lap, shifting to hug him better. It’s a much better angle for it, even if he’s twisted awkwardly. “Besides going swimming in your pool and lying on your comfortable bed?”

Okay, that's partly on his lap now and Tokugawa's brows furrow as he gives Hirakoba a disapproving look. He doesn't want to repeat himself and rub salt on the wound, so he says nothing. Maybe his unamused face is enough to point it out?

"I read," Tokugawa says. "Books about business or some autobiographies." He likes keeping his brain moving and learning! He didn't go to college to pursue a tennis career, but it doesn't mean he hates studying. In fact, he likes it.

"When I have guests over, I cook barbecue by the pool."

No, the unamused face is definitely not enough of a deterrent. Especially since it just makes Hirakoba more amused

“Barbecue by the pool, huh?” Hirakoba muses in interest. That sounds… really nice, actually. It hadn’t been the best sized pool, but enough to happily splash around in and Hirakoba pokes Tokugawa in the back of the neck lightly. “I feel like I missed out. I think I need to visit again to experience that.”

He pauses and goes to pick up one of Tokugawa’s hands to move it around him and place on his back. “You know, you can hug me back too.”

Hirakoba says that, but Tokugawa's left with no choice, isn't he?

"You lost, so I shouldn't be hugging you." But despite that, he doesn't move his arm away. He even shifts in his seat so be can be more comfortable with this position.

“Just because you shouldn’t doesn’t mean you can’t,” Hirakoba says, smiling much too smugly at Tokugawa as he moves his other hand to his back too.

And then it’s nice just to rest his chin on Tokugawa’s shoulder and bring his hands up to play with the ends of dark hair that touch at his collar. “You should practice more, anyway. And I’ve been told I’m a nice person to hug.”

Look! Hugging is not his forte. He likes hugging those kids at the centre, but when it's friends or whatever, it becomes a bit more difficult! "Fine. This is practice." And with that, he gives Hirakoba a soft, barely there squeeze… ah.

If Tokugawa hadn’t preempted the uh, hug with a comment, Hirakoba honestly would have missed it. As it is though, it makes him laugh and he has to press his face into Tokugawa’s neck to smother the sound.

He pats Tokugawa on the hair and gives him fond kiss on the cheek. “You’ll have to practice that a bit more, I think,” he says. And it really is difficult not to laugh.

The pat on the head catches Tokugawa off guard. He looks up slightly out of reflex, mouth agape by a centimetre because what was that? He's quick to be pulled back to what's happening right now, though.

Oh, right. Hugs.

"Fine. Teach me." And even though Tokugawa says that, he doesn't sound all that willing. (He is, though! Emotions are hard.)

Well that’s an unexpected request. Hirakoba recovers quickly though and sits up, shifting his legs so he’s straddling Tokugawa’s lap, facing him directly. He fusses for a little bit more to tuck his legs under and to get comfortable. “Alright.” It is … very strange having to try and now explain to someone how to hug properly.

Hirakoba leans in to hug him, and pauses. “You’ll have to hug me around the waist. Quite tightly. Your face goes here,” he vaguely gestures around the side of his neck. And then Hirakoba moves in, pressing against Tokugawa in a lot more physical contact than they’ve had before probably.

Because Tokugawa doesn't want to piss Hirakoba off (he's seen the blond partly pissed at the pool), he does as he's told. He's not quite comfortable with his arms around Hirakoba's waist, though. With a deep breath, he sighs and calms himself down. And with how close they are, Hirakoba will be able to notice that Tokugawa does need to calm down.

"Does my face really have to go there?" Waaaay too close. He's at least hugging Hirakoba properly now.

“Yes, it does,” Hirakoba says stubbornly, burrowing his own face into Tokugawa’s shoulder quite comfortably. At least Tokugawa is actually doing this and it makes him quite… happy?

“You don’t pat on the back either,” Hirakoba says, shifting slightly on Tokugawa’s lap. Because that had just made him laugh last time. “Stroke lightly. Just don’t touch the back of my neck, please.” He can feel how tense Tokugawa is and Hirakoba turns his head slightly to kiss him lightly on the neck.

The hairs on Tokugawa's neck stand at the kiss, and if he was tense earlier, he's more tense now. His neck is a sensitive spot… he even shudders a bit and breathes out a heavy breath. He can't exactly tell Hirakoba to go away -- he doesn't want him to. He just needs to get used to this, that's all.

"What's wrong with the back of your neck?" Not that Tokugawa touch it, anyway. He's curious! He does at least stroke the small of Rin's back a couple of times. Look at him! He's learning.

Oh now that’s an interesting reaction and Hirakoba has to press his face into Tokugawa’s shoulder to stop himself from giving him another kiss on the neck just to see it again. The touches on his back are nice though and Hirakoba shifts a little more to hug a bit closer.

“If you touch it too much, I’ll probably have to go into my room for a bit, and you’ll have to take care of the rest of dinner,” Hirakoba says, laughing softly. It doesn’t stop him from lightly stroking the back of Tokugawa’s neck though and Hirakoba gives him another kiss on the jawline this time. “Relax, Tokugawa-kun. Hugging isn’t meant to be a stressful thing.”

Tokugawa cranes his neck away from Hirakoba just after the kiss by his jaw. If he could bristle like a cat, he would, too. He's ticklish there and on his neck. While he doesn't say it, it's probably already obvious from what he's doing. "Don't.

He leans back on the couch to show that he is relaxed. (He's not.) Needless to say, he takes Hirakoba with him as he sinks down on the mattress of it, arms still wrapped around the smaller boy.

"And I'm not stressed. Just don't kiss me on the neck." Still trying to deny that he's ticklish: Tokugawa Kazuya.

Oh this is so bad and he really should just call their ‘hugging practice’ to a close, but Hirakoba’s feeling so reckless now, knowing that this is apparently okay and he can keep pushing at boundaries. He pets the back of Tokugawa’s neck again, his mouth curling into a sneaky smile.

“Does that mean I can kiss you elsewhere?” he asks, not really for permission though, since he follows it up with a kiss to the corner of Tokugawa’s mouth. And oh, screw it, gives him another one just teasingly on the lips before he pulls back a bit and looks at his expression carefully.

This time, Tokugawa doesn't pull away or anything, even though he visibly tenses at, well, just about everything. From the neck touching to the kisses, he straightens himself and tries to pull it all together. At least, that's what he hopes to achieve. What actually happens is Tokugawa kissing Hirakoba back once the blond presses his lips against Tokugawa's.

When it happens and Hirakoba pulls back, he'll find that Tokugawa looks like he has no idea what just happened. He decides not to say anything in case that might make the situation worse or more awkward or whatever.

... when will the curry get cooked? That's the only thing that can save him now from. . . whatever this is.

Hirakoba licks his lips thoughtfully as he thinks on the kiss he just got. He hadn’t been expecting Tokugawa to actually… sort of reciprocate given everything so far. But he keeps that thought out of his facial expression and tries not to look too much at Tokugawa’s mouth. “You’re not as bad at kissing as hugging,” he concedes finally. “I think you just need more practice.”

Which of course is a totally reasonable explanation for why Hirakoba kisses him again, deeper this time. “Move your hands a bit, darling,” he says, breaking away for just a moment.

Without saying a word, Tokugawa kisses back, even leaning forward this time. One hand moves towards Hirakoba's waist to keep him still while the other pushes the boy slightly closer towards him. Tokugawa's hold immediately loosens though when Hirakoba pulls away.

"Satisfied?" He asks, still looking as serious and edgy as ever.

Tokugawa is just filled with surprises and Hirakoba makes a soft, rather pleased noise at the returned kissing. He looks… maybe a little confused at the question and his eyebrows pull together as Hirakoba tries to process how this happened.

He laughs quietly almost regretfully and shakes his head. “No I’m not,” he says, huffing a laugh onto Tokugawa’s lips before he presses their foreheads together and sighs. “It’s addictive.”

He just doesn’t himself linger on thinking why it’s addictive.

Hirakoba has to pull away though as his phone suddenly chimes loudly at him, and… the 15 minutes for the curry to cook are up. And just like that, Hirakoba gives him one last kiss on the cheek before he hops off Tokugawa’s lap. “Do you want to set the table?” Hirakoba asks, turning off the alarm on his way to the kitchen. He just needs to add the roux and cook it for another 5 minutes. “The rice should be ready too.”

Tokugawa lets out a satisfied "hmph" because he sure as hell doesn't want to get insulted by being told he's a bad kisser. He can accept being told he sucks at giving hugs, but kissing is something else. Not that he's kissed anybody in a while, anyway.

in any case, he gets up from the couch as soon as he's asked, or rather, invited, to set the table. He's not sure where everything is, but he's able to survive looking for the placemats, the plates and whathaveyous, nonetheless. With the table all set, he hangs by the counter, arms crossed.

"Anything else?"

Well, the curry smells okay, at least after he adds the roux and stirs it a bit. The potatoes seem a little solid when Hirakoba pokes them with the spoon, but… the chicken might be cooked? And maybe it might be not too terrible?

“Just go sit down,” Hirakoba says and it’s almost as if the interlude on the couch never happened as he picks up the pot, bringing it over to the table. And then grabs the plates to dish out rice onto them. “What would you like to drink?” Hirakoba asks, carefully making mounds of white rice - it’s actually cooked really well too, as expected of his rice cooker. “Do you like wine?”

And sit down Tokugawa does, not really bothering to say anything to start conversation just yet. He doesn't want to dwell on what happened just a few minutes ago or put spotlight on it because that would just make things awkward, wouldn't it? He's already socially awkward enough as it is.

"Wine is fine," he tells Hirakoba, looking at his direction. "Red?" Hopefully it's merlot. He's not that fond of sweets, but merlot is delicious.

Well… he was going to get a white, but he can drink that by himself later, it doesn’t matter too much. So he gets a bottle of red out instead and two glasses. Wine on the table. Rice on the plate to the table and Hirakoba exhales almost nervously as he turns the serving spoon towards Tokugawa.

“If it’s terrible, we can just… eat dessert and drink wine instead,” he says, pulling off the apron and draping it over his chair. Maybe the glass he pours Tokugawa is a bit bigger than necessary, but his own is as well. “Please don’t actually force yourself to eat it, I’m sure it’s terrible.”

Tokugawa will actually force himself to eat it, though, if given the chance. He doesn't think of the food as all that horrible as he begins to serve himself, although he does notice that the vegetables are chopped up a bit too big compared to how they're normally served. He dismisses it as a mistake a beginner would commit and lets it pass. It's fine!

"Give yourself more credit. Thank you for cooking this."

Upon taking a bite of a small piece of carrot, though, the crunchy sound immediately echoes throughout the room and Tokugawa's eyes widen by a fraction. His eyes scan the room to meet Hirakoba's, and without saying anything else or reacting further, he continues to bite on it and start chewing. It's... raw. . . he's not sure how it's raw, but it is and it doesn't mesh well with the curry sauce's flavour.

Hirakoba watches with with narrowed eyes as Tokugawa takes the first bite and he winces at the sound. That’s definitely not normal. And he flushes as Tokugawa looks at him… and serving himself curry is definitely not going to happen.

“Stop eating, Tokugawa-kun,” he says, leaning over the table to pull the plate away. “It’s…” He sighs and how even did the vegetables end up raw anyway? Is the chicken going to be overcooked and gross now too? “I wasn’t lying when I said I don’t cook.”

At the very least, Tokugawa can say (but he won't) that that was wasn't the worst meal he's ever had. Even though Hirakoba was so unwilling, he still cooked for Tokugawa and that's what matters most to the dark haired man.

He smiles at Hirakoba. Not a wide one or anything, but it's big enough to show his appreciation. "Thanks for trying, anyway. I like that you did."

Hirakoba pauses for a long time over Tokugawa’s smile and his eyebrows draw together slightly. He… does not know how to respond to that, he realises. “Maybe I should kiss you more often,” he says finally, packing up their plates to take to the kitchen. “If it makes you loosen up enough to smile like that, it might be worth it.”

He dumps the plates and pot in the sink - to be dealt with later, probably not by him - and pulls out the box of cakes from the fridge on the way back. They’re lovely strawberry shortcakes and Hirakoba pokes one to straight up the strawberry on top. “We can have dessert and then… if you’re still hungry, we can go out and get food.”

"This is the first time I've had dessert before dinner," Tokugawa says. And Hirakoba was the one who told him a while back to eat healthy. Would you look at that? It's a comment he doesn't expect an answer to, though. Instead, he waits for dessert to be served.

“Sometimes I only have dessert for dinner,” Hirakoba says, putting them neatly on plates and bringing the cakes over. “But, I’m also not an athlete.”

He puts the plate down in front of Tokugawa - much better than the failed curry from before and sits back in his own chair with his wine and cake. He sighs and glances over at his sink. “Well, hopefully everything else makes up for the failed dinner,” he says, grimacing a bit. “You got a bonus hugging lesson.”

A hugging lesson and more. Tokugawa merely lifts an eyebrow as he cuts a small part of the cake. "I feel like I still lost, in the end."

He's not even kidding! There's no jest in his tone nor in his appearance, but he doesn't truly mean it.

Hirakoba looks curiously at Tokugawa over the rim of his wine glass and puts it down to poke at his cake. “Did you really dislike it?” Hirakoba asks, keeping a close eye on Tokugawa to try and read his expression if he lies.

“I quite enjoyed it,” he says casually, picking the full strawberries off the top of the cake to put to the side for the end.

"No, I guess not," Tokugawa says. Hirakoba may be picking his strawberries to eat for later, but Tokugawa's cutting the fruit in smaller pieces so he can have one with each bite.

He makes no motion of looking at Hirakoba's direction, though. He's back to being shy again.

Only when the strawberries are off can Hirakoba start eating his cake. The cake is soft and delicious and Hirakoba sighs happily at the first bite. Definitely worth travelling to get the cake, then.

“Then did you really lose?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. Because as long as he got something out of it that he enjoyed… Hirakoba doesn’t really count it as losing. “You can practise hugging me whenever you want, Tokugawa-kun,” he says cheerfully enough. “No need to be shy about it.”

The more Hirakoba pays attention to the hugging and the kissing and the what-have-yous, the more Tokugawa will feel awkward about it, really. It's why he immediately denies that he's shy with a soft "I'm not."

He leans back in his seat, though, eyeing Hirakoba carefully as he tries to relax. He doesn't.

"I guess we both won." And normally such a proclamation would be said with more joviality to it, and here Tokugawa is to break the notion that two parties winning has to be a happy thing.

(He just always sounds like this. Don't worry, Hirakoba. It's not you.)

“If all you wanted out of me cooking you dinner, was seeing me in an apron, sure,” Hirakoba says with a bit of an amused smile. Because as far as he’s concerned, with the failed cooking adventure… Tokugawa really hadn’t gotten anything.

Whoops.

“If I challenged you again to something, what would you want if you won?” Hirakoba’s quite curious, now that Tokugawa knows he can’t cook. “Would you ask for more food you can’t eat?”

Tokugawa's expression goes dry. Hirakoba can almost see through him, because, okay. He did think that the apron and the ponytail were cute. (He will die never telling anybody about it.)

"I'm not sure." He truly doesn't! It's not like there's a lot he wants. He's not a terribly picky guy, after all. Plus, if there's anything material he needs, he can buy it on his own. "Definitely not food this time, but maybe something you don't usually do again."

Something he doesn’t normally do… which apparently in Tokugawa’s mind means something that he really doesn’t like doing. “Just make sure it’s something I’m good at, so I can at least show off a little to you,” Hirakoba says, again sending a grumpy face towards his kitchen.

“Well, I think I’d want to cuddle again. On your bed, maybe, since it’s nicer than mine,” he says thoughtfully. “And I don’t let clothes into my bed.”

It doesn't have to be something Hirakoba doesn't like doing. Maybe a trip to somewhere with snow so they can snowboard would also be good -- Tokugawa enjoys it, so he really will feel like he won if he got that as a prize.

"What are you good at, aside from hugging and kissing people?" He's still not looking at Hirakoba as he speaks. These strawberries sure look nice! And cuddling is fine. He doesn't object to it.

Oh, well at least Tokugawa thinks he’s good at hugging and kissing, and that makes Hirakoba perk up and smile at him. The question itself is a bit more difficult though and Hirakoba eats the first of his loose strawberries as he thinks.

“Spearfishing? Both free diving and on the rocks.” He hasn’t done it for a while, mostly since he’s only in Okinawa for a few weeks a year now, but that’s fine. “I’m also very good at surfing.” He points at Tokugawa with half a strawberry between his fingers and looks a little displeased. “Not all of us can be as perfect as you are, Tokugawa-kun.”

Tokugawa's already said before that he's not perfect, but it's good (?) to know that Hirakoba thinks highly of him, anyway. At least, that's what it sounds like to him.

"Have you ever gone snowboarding before? What about skiing?" Granted, his doctor would hit him upside the head with a clipboard if Tokugawa tells him that he's going to a cold place given his injury. It's just an idea, anyway.

“No, I’ve never been to any snow fields.” And beyond the snow in Tokyo… he hasn’t really actively gone looking for snow. And Hirakoba usually escapes the winter by heading back to Okinawa at the end of the year anyway.

“I’ve always liked the look of those cosy ski resorts, though,” Hirakoba says, smiling happily. Curling around a cup of tea in front of a fire seems like a lovely idea in the snow.

That is a lovely idea! Tokugawa doesn't read Hirakoba's mind or anything, but he does outwardly suggest it. "We can go there sometime, then." Not as a prize for anything, just as an outing! It'll be fun.

"Once I'm all healed, anyway." He moves his knees under the table, wiggling them slightly. "I should be fine come next winter."

This seems… off, to Hirakoba but he makes himself smile anyway and moves onto the next strawberry. “You won’t be too busy trying to prepare yourself for the Australian Open?” he asks, sucking cake icing off of his fingers. He might not watch tennis anymore, but he at least still knows when the big tournaments are on.

Well, there's participating in the Australian Open, but he doubts that he would be at his peak by then. Tokugawa merely shrugs his shoulders as a response, then proceeds to finally touch the wine served to him.

"No, it's unlikely. But I'm aiming to finally go back to playing for the French Open." Plus, it's held in Paris. There are so many things to like about it.

“Ah, so in a year from now.” That’s quite doable, then, even if planning something ridiculous like a snow trip makes him frown and look a little doubtful. “That sounds fun, then.”

Cold. But fun? He’ll just have to make sure he buys warm clothes and drink a lot of tea. “I’ll just have to take a photo of you though, to show my grandmother to convince her to let me not visit her for winter break. She likes my handsome friends.” If they also looked like upstanding citizens.

"If you want to take a photo, you should probably do it now before I grow my hair long and grow a beard." Is Tokugawa joking? Yes he is, but he sounds completely stoic that it hurts. He likes his clean look, thanks.

Hirakoba winces openly at the mental image. That is really… not a good look. “I don’t think you’re the type who can pull off longer hair, sorry darling…” he says, touching his own ponytail. “I mean, I think people like playing with my hair, but… maybe not with your face…”

He’s not even going to touch the suggestion of a beard because that just makes him want to ensure Tokugawa is always clean shaven so there’s no chance of that happening.

"What's wrong with my face?" Tokugawa blinks curiously, almost offended that his idea (despite being a joke) is so rejected. "And my hair wouldn't be as long as yours, anyway." This time, he grabs some strands of hair and twirls it around a finger.

“You’re very handsome, Tokugawa-kun. It’s just not really a good face for long hair,” Hirakoba says apologetically. He gets up and moves closer to Tokugawa, reaching out to run a hand through Tokugawa’s hair to push it out of his face. “Yeah, you definitely suit shorter hair.”

Tokugawa almost wants to challenge Hirakoba again, but it's more like a "really? I beg to differ" sort of thing so Hirakoba doesn't really have to do anything but wait for Tokugawa's hair to grow longer. Eh. It's not worth it.

"If I end up with a modeling gig, I might have to wear extensions," he says. Whatever happens to that, he's sure he'll end up looking nice, anyway. And with that, he's eaten his cake. There's still two strawberries on the side of the plate which he offers to his host.

"Do you want these?"

“Are you actually going to go into modelling?” Hirakoba asks, running his fingers through Tokugawa’s hair some more to style it a little bit. It’s difficult though, his hair’s a bit too soft and silky to really want to be messed up. He could probably go get some wax or something, but… maybe not. “It seems like it could be fun.”

Hirakoba looks down at the plate in surprise and oh! how generous. “Thank you.” He pops the first strawberry quickly into his mouth so he can go back to petting Tokugwa’s hair and hums approvingly around his mouthful.

Tokugawa closes his eyes some, just a tad bit tnese at the petting of his hair. He relaxes eventually, though, coming to the conclusion that Hirakoba won't accidentally poke him in the eye or anything with his finger.

"It could be fun. And it's worth a shot." No harm done, he thinks, if he tries. "My mother certainly thinks it's a good idea." But she also wants her son to be popular and be on billboards or magazines or advertisements.

Hirakoba pauses long enough to pull a chair a bit closer so he can sit down and continue, tracing his fingertips over the shape of Tokugawa’s ears. “Really? Your mother was supportive of it?” That’s… such a strange thought to him!

“Shuuji-kun asked me if I was interested in modelling,” he says vaguely. “I don’t think my family would approve overly much though.”

When your mother is a socialite, being a model or gaining more traction is a good thing for the entire family! Tokugawa isn't really bothered by the idea, nor does he feel pressured even though his mother wants him to call back the agent.

"She i--" he jerks slightly away from Hirakoba's touch. "Don't." Again, another ticklish spot.

Oh, now that just makes him want to kiss Tokugawa on the ear to see what he does. But Hirakoba stops himself, touching down the sides of Tokugawa’s face lightly instead. “Sorry,” he doesn’t sound very sorry, but, whatever.

This would be so much easier to do sitting on Tokugawa’s lap and Hirakoba pokes him on the cheek. “Before you continue, can we move to the couch? You can take your wine.”

Tokugawa already has half an idea on what's going to happen if they move to the couch, so he gets up and heads go the kitchen so he can put his plate in the sink before anything else. His glass of wine is also almost empty, so he asks: "Can I get a refill?"

Glasses of wine aren't supposed to be incredibly full when served, but screw the rules.

Hirakoba follows, eating the last strawberries before he puts his plate away too. He fills up both their wine glasses - again, just a little bit too much oops - and picks his up to head over to the couch.

“Sit down, wherever you want on the couch.” And just to make life a little easier, Hirakoba drags the coffee table just a bit closer too, so he can put his wine glass on it.

Tokugawa drinks on his way to the couch, consuming about a quarter of the wine almost like it's a regular beverage. Once he's seated on one end, he sets the glass on the coffee table and leans back comfortably.

"This'll be my last glass," Tokugawa says, looking at the red liquid in front of him. "I have my bike parked downstairs."

He takes the fact that Tokugawa sits down happily enough as permission to sit on his lap. And Hirakoba does just that, settling down to face him again, legs on either side of Tokugawa’s. Much nicer. And he goes straight back to playing with Tokugawa’s hair again.

“I’d offer to let you stay over again, but… I might accidentally grope you again.” He’s still a little embarrassed about that, actually. Hirakoba blames it on the fact that Tokugawa had worn clothes to bed.

Hirakoba's embarrassment translates in his tone, and Tokugawa seems a bit surprised at that. Who knew Hirakoba could actually feel some shame when it came to touching people? Not that it's a bad thing-- definitely not! It's just surprising, that's all.

"I can't stay over, anyway," Tokugawa says. He cants his head to the side, looking thoughtful. The hair touching has become slightly calming. "I have to meet some people for breakfast." Ha! Another proof that he isn't a hermit.

And just in case Hirakoba asks, he adds: "My father told me to have dinner with him and his friends." And in this case, friends means business partners.

“Well, you could, you’d just have to get up early to make it and that just seems unpleasant.” And he’d be woken up as well and … that just seems like an overall bad idea, really. He abandons the hair touching for a hug instead, settling in close and resting his chin on Tokugawa’s shoulder.

“So you’re having breakfast with a bunch of old men?” Hirakoba asks, sounding amused and he pokes Tokugawa lightly on the neck. “If you get bored, you can message me. I’m not doing much tomorrow.”

A poke is fine, at least. Not so bad. It's the ghost of a touch types of touches that get Tokugawa going for various reasons, and it's not something he wants to discuss with anybody ever.

"They're not that old." But perhaps Tokugawa also has a different definition of old. "Some of them are in their fifties." Okay, so maybe they are kind of old, given that they're double his age.

"I'll text you."

Well, since the poke hadn’t gotten any negative response, he will assume that Tokugawa is also okay with Hirakoba snuggling his face into the junction between his neck and shoulder next too. And he just hugs Tokugawa around the waist and sighs to relax and settle down.

“Fifty is still pretty old,” Hirakoba says. “I’m sure I can come up with some urgent reason I need you, if you need a quick escape from their company too.” He’s been through enough polite conversations with elder people to want to be able to run away from them.

At first, Tokugawa isn't that sure what to do when Hirakoba places his face on the crook of his neck. He's rather stiff at first too; it takes some seconds before he very slowly and eventually places a hand on Hirakoba's back to keep him still--just in case he topples over, that's all. Plus, he thinks that Hirakoba expects him to reciprocate.

"Well, I'll let you know." He's far too polite to excuse himself from these kinds of situations, and he's also far too polite to downright refuse Hirakoba's offer. "You don't have anything scheduled tomorrow? Dates?"

Hirakoba laughs, wiggling his fingers between Tokugawa’s back and the couch cushions. “I do more than just go on dates, you know,” he says, sounding just a little affronted. “And I think just this one with you is enough for me this week.”

“I just have class tomorrow, it’s not too bad.” And it’s a fairly light day in comparison to some others. “I might go out and shop a bit after, but no other plans.”

Ah, classes. Tokugawa kind of misses going to school -- it's been years since he graduated from high school. He does still value education, too! He'd probably be studying business management if he decided to go to college instead of play pro.

"You're surprisigly free all the time for someone taking up law. My sister was always holding a book and reading when she was in school." Once again, a lot words in one go.

“Maybe I’m just willing to make time for you whenever you want,” Hirakoba says, smiling a bit against Tokugawa’s neck. “I’d draw a line though, if you asked me on a date every day for a week.”

He does do his readings. When he’s not socialising, he seems to be reading all the time. Hirakoba just… schedules his time well, is all, or else he’d go mad without regular socialising with friends. “I didn’t know your sister did law though.” it’s… oddly fitting.

"I know how to respect people's time--" Tokugawa can feel Hirakoba's lips against his neck and it startles him slightly. It sends a shiver down his spine and it takes a lot out of him to not say or do anything about it.

Anyway. He clears his throat. "She's a lawyer, my mother used to be an actress, and my father is a businessman."

“I’d maybe give up… two days a week maximum for you,” Hirakoba says, pondering over this. “Assuming people like Eishirou are too busy to spend time with me.” He really is trying not to have his mouth too close to Tokugawa’s neck as he talks, but it’s hard and a couple of times, he does accidentally brush his lips against the skin there. It’s all an accident, he promises.

He hums as he listens to Tokugawa’s description of his family. What an interesting line up of careers. “And their son is a professional tennis player,” he says. “Have you ever thought about going to university? Or is that something to do once you retire from the circuit?”

If only he could remove his neck from his entire body and just hide it for the remaining time that he's at Hirakoba's, Tokugawa would. It's unfortunate that such a feat isn't possible… he merely tries to calm himself further, but the mumbling and the huffing shows he can still feel Hirakoba's lips and breath against his skin.

"I think about getting an online degree sometime," he responds. "I just need to find the right school."

“It might be good to keep yourself busy while you’re still recovering.” Although maybe studying will just make Tokugawa have more excuses to be a hermit… Hirakoba frowns at that thought.

And it really is bad that Tokugawa apparently is quite sensitive in the neck and very bad at hiding his reactions to it all. It just… makes Hirakoba want to keep pushing more and see what else happens. He shifts slightly and after a moment’s hesitation - no it’s fine, it’s easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission that he’ll never get, he tells himself - and traces a path up Tokugawa’s neck with his tongue. And ends it with a kiss at the top just under his jawline.

Tokugawa really is bad at hiding his reactions, because when Hirakoba does this thing, he shivers and moves his shoulders up and down to try and get rid of the feeling. He's fine with these kinds of things, but maybe when he's more intoxicated. (Maybe.)

"What's your endgame here?" He finally asks. Hirakoba's sweet and nice and friendly but maybe these kinds of things need a line drawn between them.

Well, there was no telling him to stop or anything, so Hirakoba gives Tokugawa another kiss on the neck before he sits up. And he goes back to petting Tokugawa’s hair, frowning a bit at the question.

“I don’t know,” he admits. He hasn’t really thought that much about it, really, especially since he’s more focused on teasing Tokugawa and seeing how far he can push him with each date. And he’s very aware that eventually he’ll reach a limit, and that’s fine. “I’ve gotten quite fond of you, though.”

It's the "I don't know" that doesn't seem very reassuring. What if Tokugawa's grown more fond or more attached to Hirakoba than the other way around? He's not specifically looking for anything or hoping for anything in particular, but Tokugawa would rather put a limit to the physical contact if it's just for fun and nothing more.

"Yeah," Tokugawa says, voice low and barely audible. "I'm the same." It's apparently honesty hour but he's 100% going to retreat back into his shell should he find things awkward again.

Tokugawa’s voice is so quiet that Hirakoba thinks he might have misheard it but… he has a suspicion that he really didn’t and he bites his lip as he slides off Tokugawa’s lap to curl up in his side and hug him that way instead.

He really doesn’t want to know more, because he knows Tokugawa is a romantic person and… “You’ll have to clarify that a bit for me, darling,” he says. “I’m getting better, but, you’re a very difficult person to read sometimes.”

Perhaps it was a wrong move for Hirakoba to ask. "I think I like you," Tokugawa says. And that just probably opens up a can of worms! Well, in the case that things get weird, though, then whatever. It's just one more reason to drink in the evenings and one more thing to think about at night before sleeping.

He's as stiff as a cardboard, unwilling to move from where he is. Any movement he makes might be a wrong one or something.

Oh.

Hirakoba doesn’t know how to respond to that and he just shuts his eyes and presses his face into Tokugwa’s shoulder for a long while. Definitely the wrong choice to ask for that clarification. And the worst part is that he kind of… wants to know since when but Hirakoba bites his tongue to stop himself from asking.

“You’re lucky I’m so fond of you, Tokugawa-kun,” he says with a dramatic sigh, finally sitting up and he drapes his legs over Tokugawa’s. “Or else I’d have to tie you up for that comment.” Hirakoba injects some humour into his voice and he pets Tokugawa’s hair again.

Well, that's a better reaction than him getting laughed at or whatever. They're not in high school and Tokugawa wants to believe that Hirakoba's mature to point and laugh and start avoiding him, so he'll just hope for the best.

"Isn't that the opposite of what you should be doing?" At least… that's what Tokugawa seems to think.

Hirakoba laughs and flops back to rest against the back of the couch, leaving his legs still draped over Tokugawa’s lap. “You could always tie me up, but… I don’t really enjoy that, so please don’t,” he says, lifting his head a little to smile teasingly at him before flopping back down again.

He fiddles with the bottom of his shirt and stares up at his shoulder instead of Tokugawa’s face. “What’s your endgame with this, then? Or am I better off not knowing?” Who knows, Tokugawa might hit him with weird scenarios of domestic bliss and aprons. Ha ha.

"That's not what I meant," Tokugawa says regarding the whole tying up business. He just meant that if Hirakoba didn't like him, then he shouldn't tie him up. It just didn't make sense to him. Anyway…

This talk, even with the little amount of wine Tokugawa's downed is giving him some confidence. Not to pursue anything - just to speak up some more! It feels pretty great.

"I don't know. I'm not going to force anything on you, nor will I give you any ideas." A pause. The next part might seem… off. "With the kiss earlier, I thought you should know, that's all."

Hirakoba smiles a little at Tokugawa’s admission of not knowing as well. Well, at least he’s not dreaming up some weird scenario that involves Hirakoba continuing to cook him awful meals in an apron or anything. The idea makes him laugh a little to himself.

“You’re so sweet, Tokugawa-kun,” Hirakoba says, lifting an arm and waving his hand vaguely at Tokugawa to try and get him to hold it. “Does that mean I can continue kissing you? Because like I said, I’m still not satisfied with it.”

Don't worry, Hirakoba. He saves those fantasies for his Victoria's Secret Angels.

Tokugawa actually mulls over the question for a moment. He does want to say yes, but what's going to happen to them when they see each other again whenever the next time will be oh you know what fuck it.

With a swift movement, Tokugawa wraps an arm around Hirakoba's waist to pull him closer. He kisses him on the lips then, too. It's nothing heated or anything -- just a short and polite one to say yes.

Hirakoba’s eyes widen in surprise and it takes him a few moments to comprehend that Tokugawa had just kissed him of his own volition, without prompting and… Hirakoba whacks him lightly on the chest. “You can’t suddenly do that to me. That’s cheating, Tokugawa-kun.”

You can’t just change up your propensity for physical contact like that. Especially since there’s a nice arm around his waist and Hirakoba huffs, tangling one hand in Tokugawa’s hair and kisses him again. And this one’s much more heated than any of the others he’s given before, but for cheating, Tokugawa deserves it.

To be fair, it's not like there are any rules in this "game", so it's not cheating. Tokugawa merely huffs out a satisfied "hmph" just right before Hirakoba kisses him back. He isn't one to reject it, either. All this playing hard to get is over with—he did say it would take at least five dates—which is why he kisses back with the same amount of fervour that Hirakoba gives him, mouth open. And if Hirakoba doesn't pull away, the blond will eventually feel Tokugawa's tongue licking his lips, asking for access.

Well, Tokugawa is definitely not as bad at kissing as he is at hugging, that much Hirakoba knows now. He makes a soft noise at the tongue and breaks the kiss, only really so he can slide onto Tokugawa’s lap again and press himself closer.

And then he kisses Tokugawa again; once, lightly and apologetically and then properly, parting his lips and his fingers tighten in Tokugawa’s hair.

The apology wasn't really necessary, but it's appreciated nonetheless. Both Tokugawa's hands can be found on either side of Hirakoba's waist now as he kisses back, slipping his tongue into Hirakoba's mouth, looking for the other's tongue in particular. He wants to dance with it and taste it; Tokugawa on the other hand tastes like strawberries and cream with just a hint of the grapes from the wine.

Hirakoba reaches down to take a hold of Tokugawa’s hands, moving them and sliding them up under his shirt to press against his bare skin. And that makes him break the kiss for a moment to exhale shakily. He’s quite aware now that his body is getting quite interested in this and Hirakoba clenches his fingers in Tokugawa’s shirt. “Tokugawa,” Hirakoba mumbles in between kisses, and yes, this is definitely addictive and he really should stop already.

Tokugawa's hands flinch, moving away from Hirakoba as if he just touched fire. It almost feels like it's fire—not just because it's suddenly started to feel hot, but it's territory Tokugawa's never ventured into before and he's not sure if it's right to relax into the touch.

Between thinking about that and getting busy with the kissing, it's fortunate that Hirakoba breaks the kiss to speak because he decides that he does want more right now and it that doesn't seem like the best decision or a wise decision for both of them.

He sighs against Hirakoba, a long breathy one that shows both relief and frustration.

"I should probably go."

It’s really difficult to tell himself to stop - because Hirakoba’s fairly positive that he could convince Tokugawa to stay and continue. “Probably, yes.” He exhales slowly as well and very reluctantly climbs off Tokugawa’s lap, and he does make it quite obvious about how against this he is.

Hirakoba stands awkwardly and he has to pick up his wine to drink it, or else he’ll just climb straight back onto Tokugawa’s lap and latch onto him again. “That was a really nice night, Tokugawa-kun,” he says, forcing calmness into his voice. “Although I’ll have to think about what to do on our next date now…” since the amount of physical contact has steadily been increasing each date.

A next date. It shows promise, but Tokugawa's not hopeful that it would lead to anything. From what he can tell of Hirakoba, this next date will have no strings attached. Tokugawa just needs to take everything with a grain of salt. Just be casual!

He gets up from the couch and looks for his jacket, eventually putting it back on once he's found it. "It was," he responds, although he's not looking at Hirakoba when he does. He says nothing else after that, almost keen to leave because he just wants to be alone and question what he just did back there. And once he's at the door, he checks his phone and waves it at Hirakoba's direction.

"I'm expecting you to entertain me tomorrow if the breakfast is boring."

Hirakoba trails behind Tokugawa to the door, and he raises an eyebrow at the comment. “Of course, I said I would.” Although the idea of Tokugawa, who seems to responsible and respectful to others, messaging him while with his father seems quite funny.

He pauses and looks rather expectantly at Tokugawa. “I hope I’m still going to get my end of date hug and kiss from you,” Hirakoba says.

Hirakoba's more or unless unlocked a friendlier, nicer, and warmer Tokugawa. What might seem like something that somebody too stiff would or wouldn't do, Tokugawa might commit the opposite. Being honest at least removed some of the shyness Tokugawa's always been housing, so he definitely won't hesitate to send Hirakoba a text if things get boring.

A kiss and a hug, though? He hadn't been expecting a request when they were just making out a while ago. "Right." Sure, alright. He looks back, not even the slightest bit embarrassed when he leans down to give Hirakoba a quick peck on the cheek. His hand finds itself by Hirakoba's waist, too, but that's about it. There's... no hug.

"I'll work on the hug."

Well that’s an easy agreement. He almost expected Tokugawa to fall back into his usual responses to these things, and it really is a pleasant surprise to be proven wrong. Hirakoba smiles at the kiss and he’s so hopeful just for a moment for the hug… and it fails. But at least he laughs and moves in to hug Tokugawa himself.

“You’ll get there eventually,” he says, giving Tokugawa a comforting squeeze in the hug. At least Tokugawa had attempted to initiate it this time. “You just need more practice.” He leans up to give Tokugawa a kiss of his own on the cheek.

“And go get a proper dinner. I’ll…” Probably never try again. “Let you know if I feel the urge to try again.”

It seems unlikely that Hirakoba will try cooking dinner again, but hey.

"Like I said before, omurice is easy to make."

As for the comment about the hug, he says nothing else. More practice... well, he really will get there eventually. It's not like he hugs someone around his age every time or whatever. It's not like he hugs his close friends, either. They don't do those kinds of things.

He twists the door knob and opens the door.

"Well, good night. Thank you for... dessert."