[LOG] Hirakoba Rin and Tokugawa Kazuya
Apr. 10th, 2018 05:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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tennis_hellWho: Tokugawa Kazuya and Hirakoba Rin
What:Tokugawa suffers. Tokugawa and Hirakoba go to the aquarium together
When: Not long after Rin's birthday
Where: Sumida Aquarium
Rating: PG
Tokugawa waits by the entrance to the Sumida Aquarium, not looking particularly happy (nor upset, really. It's his usual lineface). He's already purchased the entrance tickets for both he and Rin, not wanting to fall in line when there are a lot of people already. He's arrived early after coming from one of his therapy sessions and has claimed a seat at the lobby. He's on the careful lookout for the tanned blond that he met a week and a few days ago. In his pocket is a small box, carefully wrapped in navy blue gift wrapper and tied with a gold ribbon. It's nothing special. It's just a present for somebody who just celebrated his birthday.
Hirakoba checks his phone as he makes his way from the train station to the aquarium. Right on time. And so it’s a surprise when he spots the tall figure of Tokugawa sitting in the lobby as he arrives and Hirakoba beelines to him. “Sorry Tokugawa-kun,” he says, reaching out to touch his shoulder. He catches himself at the last moment and lets his hand drop. “At least you managed to get a seat. Do you want to wait here and I’ll get tickets?”
"I already have them," Tokugawa says as he pulls the tickets out of his chest pocket. He hands one to Rin with a soft "here" leaving his lips. Then he takes out a small square box. Inside is a dark purple necktie, but he makes no clue as to what's in it. "Belated happy birthday, too," he adds as he offers the box next.
Oh. Well that’s surprising. Hirakoba wordlessly takes the ticket with a bit of a nod of thanks. Even more surprising though is the present that follows and Hirakoba pauses as he looks at the nicely wrapped present in Tokugawa’s hand. “Thank you, Tokugawa-kun, how kind of you,” he says, purposely letting his fingers brush against the other male’s as he accepts the box. “You really didn’t have to get me anything though, physical contact really would have sufficed.”
Still, he’s not going to complain as he unwraps it, blinking as he looks down at the tie inside. Well then, that’s a bit of an odd present. Still, it’s a nice colour, and Hirakoba fingers the material thoughtfully. “Thank you,” he says finally, putting the lid back on. “I’ll find some interesting uses for it,” he says with a bit of a laugh.
Was the comment about physical contact a joke? Tokugawa almost sputters, but he tries to remain straight-faced as the present is unwrapped. He's not really an emotive person, and he doesn't want to let down his guard too soon. While the initial meeting they had was enjoyable, they really don't know each other that well for Tokugawa to be truly comfortable.
At the very least, the company is enjoyable and that's enough for now.
And then he does end up sputtering once the present's been unwrapped. He even grimaces as soon as he can manage to change his shocked expression to something else.
"It's for formal and professional occasions. I'm sure you'll find a use for it then," Tokugawa says, not at all joking, but he's smiling. Slightly. Slightly. "You're welcome."
Well, at least he knows he can make Tokugawa drop his straight face without the alcohol helping and that makes Hirakoba smile as he tucks the present in his pocket. “Yes, I’m sure I’ll use it for very formal occasions,” Hirakoba says, trying not to laugh again.
Still, it’s also nice to notice the tiny, tiny smile and it makes Hirakoba smile right back at him. “Ready to go in? I assume there isn’t another present for me hiding in your pocket,” he says, glancing down before he turns to look at the entranceway. “Hand,” he says warningly, touching Tokugawa on the back lightly to push him forward. “I’m excited, I haven’t been to this aquarium yet.”
Tokugawa is a quick learner, and by now, he's learned to at least ignore the simplest of touches. He moves forward as he's nudged so they can enter the first zone of the aquarium.
"Aquariums are always a good place to visit, no matter how many times you've gone there," Tokugawa says as he walks, hands swaying on his sides. He's recovering well from the therapy so he's in a pretty decent mood today. Usually, he'd walk with his arms crossed, making him seem standoffish, after all. "Not that I've been here before, either. Why did you want to go here, anyway?" he adds.
Tokugawa seems more chatty than before and Hirakoba rather enjoys it, glancing up at the other male now and again as they walk. It’s not as crowded in the afternoon of the Wednesday, with no school groups there at this time and it’s easy enough to push past a group of tourists.
“I always like aquariums,” he says, inspecting the tanks of aquatic plants, tracking the movement of the fish amongst them. “I practically grew up in the ocean, so I find sea life very peaceful,” he explains, scanning the information next to the tank. “And I wanted to do something different from going drinking in bars with you.”
That makes sense to Tokugawa so he nods.
"I don't just drink. I also enjoy yachting," he says in response. It's not related to the ocean, fishes, or plant life at all, but he's at least trying to move the conversation along in the same topic. "I would try diving if I had the time and opportunity."
He passes by another tank, inspects it and makes a face. He's reminded of that fish tank in Hirakoba's home, and he tries not to make it seem like he's perturbed by it by clearing his throat and adjusting the collar of his shirt.
“I had a teammate who used to go skin diving,” Hirakoba says, glancing at Tokugawa. “I prefer surfing though. It’s more fun.” And he doesn’t exactly have the required lung capacity for proper skin diving.
He glances at Tokugawa again, at just the right moment to see him pulling a face and Hirakoba blinks in surprise, turning to inspect what Tokugawa’s looking at. … Just regular sea life in the small tank. “What’s wrong?” he asks, nudging Tokugawa lightly in the side. “Do you not like the little garden eels?”
"It's nothing," Tokugawa immediately says, obviously denying something. (But what?) It's fortunate that he doesn't even turn remotely red at the prospect of what he's imagining. Still, he's not going to give up the nugget of information he's thinking, insistent on keeping it to himself.
"It's beautiful, that's all." With that, Tokugawa checks another tank. There's nothing there that makes him think of anything inappropriate, so he relaxes. The tension in his shoulders loosen. A few people pass him, talking about the jellyfish at the next area, and he looks at the direction of where they're going in curiosity.
Well that’s obviously a lie. Hirakoba narrows his eyes at Tokugawa and looks at him closely, reluctantly following him to the next tank. Though he can’t help glancing back at the other one, to try and figure out what was up.
“That’s not the face you make when you see something beautiful,” Hirakoba persists. “That’s the face I pull when I get stupid goya shoved in my face to eat.” He puts on his best smile and pats Tokugawa on the arm to get his attention more. “Come on, Tokugawa-kun, tell me, I promise I won’t laugh.”
Oh no, that's not going to work. Even Irie's tried that method on Tokugawa before to get what he wants, but Tokugawa never gave in. He's not going to give in now, either.
He holds up a palm to tell Hirakoba to stop. He doesn't have to go any further if he wants to prod.
"It's nothing, like I said. An inside joke that you won't understand." What a lie, but at least this time, he looks so composed and collected that it may come off as a truth.
"Also," he quickly adds. "Goya is healthy for you."
“That’s fine,” Hirakoba says, smiling as he briefly touches his hand to Tokugawa’s palm before letting it drop. “As long as it amuses you.”
And Hirakoba’s smile vanishes very quickly the moment Tokugawa mentions goya and he pulls his own disgusted face. “It’s disgusting,” he says, looking at Tokugawa with a bit of disbelief. “It’s bitter and I’ve had too many shoved down my throat to ever enjoy it now.” He knows Tokugawa’s changed the topic, but Hirakoba doesn’t really mind all that much as he fluffs up about his dislike for goya. “You know once my sister threatened to buy me a green beaded dildo and I actually nearly cried. And I don’t cry easily, Tokugawa-kun.”
There's a weird sound that comes out of Tokugawa, something like him trying to cough but it ends up strained. That's not an anecdote he's willing to hear out of the blue, but he really should expect things like this to come from Hirakoba after what happened the night after their first meeting.
Tokugawa should really know better by now... and yet...
He clears his throat again, loudly this time. "You should at least be careful that others won't hear you." In fact, he looks around after saying that just to make sure nobody did. Looks like they're in the safe zone for now, but who knows what might happen later on if there's a dildo-shaped fish swimming around, too. In his head, though, he tells himself to try and understand that Hirakoba is a more open person than he is and learn to accept it.
"In any case, goya is healthy. But if you don't like it, then that's fine. There are other ways to get Vitamin C and Potassium."
Hirakoba unfortunately barely notices Tokugawa’s reaction to his story, he’s still huffing a bit about the indecency of thinking goya is healthy. But he does pay attention to the reminder that they’re in a public place and he looks around as well - no one was paying them attention anyway.
He nudges Tokugawa along to head into the next room, laughing a bit at his next words. “By eating other phallic shaped produce?” he suggests, the lighting getting much darker as they reach the jellyfish room and Hirakoba gets quite distracted from his teasing train of thought. He grabs Tokugawa by the arm to pull him along as he beelines over to a tank, scooting between some other visitors to watch the floating jellyfish.
Once again, Hirakoba trumps Tokugawa. He actually lets out a breath through his nose that sounds more like a chuckle than him actually breathing loudly. Then he shakes his head, trying to rid the smile creeping up on his face because okay. That was humorous.
The jellyfish area is actually beautiful in Tokugawa's opinion—this room, he actually likes more than the first one—finding the creatures floating and bobbing along in the water to be calming and serenity-bringing. He looks at them with a serene expression on his face, as well, already forgetting that Hirakoba's hand is around his arm.
What a different expression, Hirakoba spots on Tokugawa’s face as he glances at him quickly. He also like this one, he decides, before turning his attention back to the jellyfish. He understands it, feeling much the same way Tokugawa looks.
“I get it, I see why this is a popular date spot,” Hirakoba says, tugging on Tokugawa’s arm to head to the next tank of slowly blobbing along jellyfish. “And I wasn’t even really interested in this room.”
A date spot. Tokugawa glances at Hirakoba curiously; he'd never seen it that way before. It makes sense, though. People always go to the aquarium on dates.
If that was Hirakoba's intention when he asked Tokugawa to visit the Aquarium with him, though, he's in for a disappointment because it flies over Tokugawa's head.
"The botanical gardens are also popular," Tokugawa comments as he follows Hirakoba to the next tank. This one houses different kinds of jellyfish now - some smaller and some bigger; different shapes, as well. The pause he provides after he mentions the botanical gardens should be enough when he changes the topic. There are a lot of other attractions in this aquarium, he believes. "Do you like looking at fish better?"
“I’m not really a plant person,” Hirakoba admits, although he likes looking at underwater plants well enough. Botanical gardens just… don’t hold any real interest for him.
He huffs a bit in laughter at the question. “Is it that obvious?” he asks teasingly. “I’m even looking at the fish here over your handsome face.” Hirakoba pats Tokugawa on the arm with his free hand and laughs to himself. “There were some beaches near my place in Okinawa that did the glass bottom boats?” he says, changing topics before Tokugawa can splutter or over analyse, or whatever it is he does, Hirakoba’s last comment. “I used to always like going on those and looking down at the fish.”
If Tokugawa was the type to show more emotions, he would slump his shoulders and frown at Hirakoba's comment. Unfortunately, it isn't the case. He doesn't find offense that Hirakoba's attention isn't on him, either, and he purposely decides not to comment on it lest he wants things to be awkward.
Fortunately, Hirakoba does change the topic, which is such a good move on his part because Tokugawa wasn't sure how to carry on the conversation back to the fish and to the venue they've decided to meet in. Another thing he finds fortunate is that he's had experience with boats like those.
"I've those types. They bring you to the deeper parts of the ocean." Thanks for stating facts, Tokugawa. "My sister always found them to be scary."
Hirakoba looks sideways at Tokugawa at the small sliver of personal information - the other male gives out very little of that, he’s learning. “Well I suppose it depends on how clear the water is. The southern beaches in Okinawa are pretty nice.”
He drums a pattern with the fingers on the hand that’s still holding onto Tokugawa’s arm. “Ready to move onto the next room?” he asks. The jellyfish are nice but… there’s also the giant tank with sharks and a plethora of fish waiting just a few rooms away that Hirakoba’s looking forward to.
“So you have a sister?” he asks, looking curiously at Tokugawa. “Older or younger?”
"Ah, sure," Tokugawa immediately responds. He even begins to walk towards the other room to lead the way, ignoring the almost ticklish feeling that he felt thanks to Hirakoba's finger drumming. "And my sister is older," he adds, but he doesn't state how many sisters he has or if he has a brother or more.
Hirakoba is honestly surprised that he’s still allowed to hold onto Tokugawa’s arm. But it also makes it easier to stay together, especially as he pulls them to the first of the displays in the next room and Hirakoba pushes past a group of people to smile at the small octopus in the tank.
“Mm, we’re both younger siblings, then,” he says, smiling as he looks sideways at Tokugawa. “Although, I personally don’t think 9 minutes counts as sufficiently older.” Hirakoba pulls a face and huffs a bit as he grumbles of that. And then he perks up again, patting Tokugawa on the arm. “How much of a gap is between you two?”
Twins, Tokugawa makes a mental note, but he quickly files it in his memory as he's pulled to view another tank. He remains quiet for some time despite the pats he's received on his arm, just watching the water, the plants, and the life move in front of them. He definitely didn't think he would be enjoying being at the aquarium.
Once he mentally snaps himself out of his reverie, he looks at Hirakoba without any indicator of stress or sternness on his face. Calmly, he responds: "She's older by three years." As much he should probably carry on the conversation, though, his attention is more on the tanks than Hirakoba right now.
And it's also why he doesn't mind the arm around his.
Hirakoba doesn’t know how to feel about contemplative silence from Tokugawa. He knows, just from the short time they’ve spent together that Tokugawa is significantly less chatty than he is, but the intense concentration on the tanks is… Hirakoba doesn’t really like it, he decides. It almost makes him want to ask some kind of shocking question just to check that he’s still half paying attention. Especially since even patting him on the arm isn’t doing much good.
“Three years, huh?” Hirakoba says quietly and he tightens his grip on Tokugawa’s arm slightly as he looks at the fish directly in front of him. “Tokugawa-kun,” Hirakoba says, smiling a bit as leans a bit closer to look at the crab moving slowly across the floor of the tank. “Would you mind if I kissed you right now?”
Tokugawa isn't dazed. His attention is just more on the fish than his companion. His senses are still fully functional and just because he looks so mystified doesn't mean he'll immediately say yes.
In fact, he does the opposite.
Slowly, he plucks away Hirakoba's hand from his arm and takes a small step away.
"I'm not going to fall for one of those—" he stops there, unsure of what else to say. How does he word it, anyway? His eye narrow as he thinks of a word, and eventually, he gives up on searching his mental dictionary. "You can't kiss me."
Oh good, Tokugawa is still fully paying attention to him. Although, he probably wouldn't have complained if he had just gotten a vague agreement.
“What a shame, maybe later,” Hirakoba says easily, taking a hold of Tokugawa's arm again to tug him along to the next tank. “So, do you live with your family? In some of the apartments that seem so popular right now?” He seems to know a lot of people in them, actually. It's baffling. “I feel like I'm missing out on so much drama by not living there.”
"Yes, I do live with my family," responds Tokugawa. He loves his family a lot, despite how deadpan he may seem. It's just difficult to show emotions sometimes when people expect a lot from you. He does at least seem a little bit more chipper now that they're talking about family, though. It's a big part of him. "They're the ones helping me in my rehabilitation."
Hirakoba hums thoughtfully as he watches the fish swim by, listening to Tokugawa’s answer. “Does your family approve of your social hermit tendencies?” he asks with a bit of a teasing smile. Hirakoba pats him on the arm vaguely, not really paying all that much attention to what his hand's doing. “Or do you think they'd approve of people trying to get you out and about more?”
Tokugawa raises a brow, almost insulted by the question. "I'm not a hermit," he says in protest, but there's barely emotion of him actually protesting. It's more like he's making a statement.
"They're fine with who I am," Tokugawa adds. Then, as if to steer the conversation away from him just because he feels like he's going to get teased again, he asks: "You said you had a sister. What is she like?"
No… no, by Hirakoba’s standards, Tokugawa’s definitely a hermit. And he’s actually concerned about him only really going out one day a week.
He’s cut off from that particular train of thought though as Tokugawa asks him a question and Hirakoba pauses, looking up at him in surprise. “She’s quite similar to me,” he says, moving his hand to more link their arms together, strolling along to the last tank the room. “Except smaller and cute, nice to cuddle.” He hums as he thinks about what else to say about her. “She rebelled and cut her hair short when I dyed mine and our grandmother was so angry at both of us,” he says with absolute relish, laughing a bit. “Oh, and she sleeps naked. Like me,” he adds on helpfully at the end.
Why is Hirakoba so happy about this… Tokugawa can't imagine his family being thrilled at him dyeing his hair purple or sleeping naked or sleeping around or whatever. The Tokugawa isn't necessarily strict, just more traditional than the common families nowadays. Of course, Tokugawa, or rather, Kazuya himself, has more freedom now compared to when he was younger, but it doesn't mean that he's completely let go of what his family has taught him.
"Is that a family trait?" Tokugawa asks. "Was this taught to you since you were children?"
Hirakoba laughs at the question, ducking his head a bit, though it does little to hide his amusement. “I suppose we’ve just always done it,” he says with an easy shrug, trying not to smile too much. But it’s hard. “It’s just much more comfortable, not having to worry about pants being constricting or shirts being bunched up in the night heat.” Hirakoba plucks a little at Tokugawa’s shirt with his free hand before he makes himself stop, clenching his fingers together. “It does get a little cold in Tokyo winters though, if you don’t have something warming your bed to cuddle up to.”
Tokugawa hums in acknowledgement. He supposes it could get very warm in Okinawa. It's different in Tokyo, so he'll just peg it as a lifestyle thing.
His eyes look down at the hand on his shirt before raising an eyebrow again. This guy is definitely way too touchy. He's been tolerating it for quite some time now, but there's got to be a line somewhere, right? It's good that Hirakoba stops because Tokugawa would have plucked away the other's hand on his own.
"Let's continue with the tour."
Hirakoba just smiles at the lack of reaction from Tokugawa - did he not notice? Did he choose to ignore it? Who knows.
“Yes, let’s,” he agrees, tugging Tokugawa along into the next room - tanks of coral. Hirakoba winds between the first two and peers closely at the shapes of the coral. “You know, if I end up touching you too much, you can just put your hand on mine or something or make me stop,” he says. He’d seen the raised eyebrow and it’s just hard to remind himself that Tokugawa isn’t a physical contact person, even if they are still linking arms. “My friends do it all the time to me, half the time I don’t even realise I’m doing it.”
Oh, good. Tokugawa doesn't have to point it out. He looks at Hirakoba with his deadpan expression as if asking if the guy wants to go home already—it's a threat, not something that is supposed to be enticing. That was what he usually said to Echizen back in the day, after all.
"If I'm allowed to ask," he begins, plucking away Hirakoba's hand from his arm. "Why is it that you do this?"
Hirakoba doesn’t look very happy when his hand’s moved away, but he sighs and lets it drop. The question on the other hand - questions from Tokugawa are rare, he’s realising and Hirakoba perks up at it.
“I think I told you last time we were together,” he says, waggling his fingers at Tokugawa teasingly before he looks at the coral in the tank as he considers his answer. “Touching is… just part of how I talk to people,” he shrugs a bit. “It’s a much more honest way to show affection and emotion, you know?” He smiles and turns to look at Tokugawa steadily. “And like I said, I quite like you, Tokugawa-kun.”
Hirakoba did say, but Tokugawa didn't take it seriously. He should have, now that he's hearing it again. Though at the last bit, he arches a brow in question.
"You like me," he says, repeating the line flatly, but it's obviously a demand for Hirakoba to explain himself.
Tokugawa’s tone and expression just makes Hirakoba smile more. “Yes I do. Quite a bit now, actually,” he says, reaching up to pat Tokugawa on the face. He manages to catch himself before he does though, making himself drop his hand with a bit of a sigh.
“I mean, it’d be better if you were more comfortable with physical contact, but that’s fine,” Hirakoba says and laughs as he starts to head along the pathway. “Shall we head to the next room? It’s the large tank next, I think.”
Hirakoba's response is met with a "hmph". He's not going to admit to getting used to the physical contact the more it happens (and it's been happening a lot lately even though they've only met twice). Maybe another time, when he feels more loose. Obviously, these two should go drinking again.
Without saying another word, he heads to the next room, as well, and stops to take in the sight. It's more than amazing, he thinks, and once again, he becomes enraptured by what he sees rather than who he's with.
Though he does at least say something eventually.
"It was a good idea to come here."
Thankfully Hirakoba doesn’t really notice being ignored this time, as he is almost hypnotised by the sight of the large tank. He just shuffles to bump into Tokugawa a bit to get out of the way of other people.
Hirakoba hums a bit in agreement to Tokugawa’s statement and he tugs on the other’s arm to get a bit closer and out of the way. “I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it,” he says finally, glancing away from the tank to smile at Tokugawa. “Does that mean if I choose another place you’ll come out with me again?”
Hm? Tokugawa looks at Hirakoba, curious, then he cants his head to the side. This is the part where somebody with a kind heart would go "Well, we're friends, aren't we? I would go with you," but he can't bear to say it. Even if he has a kind heart, his heart is also frigid and cold that these kinds of words would only make him sound like a clown.
It's why he responds with "If I have the time," instead.
“That’s a yes, then,” Hirakoba says, laughing a bit and he pats Tokugawa lightly on the shoulder as he turns back to the tank. “You could always pick a place as well, you know. I’m not likely to turn you down.”
Although he’s heading back to university soon, so time might get a bit less free… Hirakoba sighs a bit at that thought. “The botanical gardens, maybe.”
This time, Tokugawa's stare is a bit more judging. He does it while Hirakoba is looking elsewhere, though, because Tokugawa's look is more exasperated than anything. Didn't this guy say earlier that he didn't like plants? Or did he misunderstand? Then again...
"You just said I could pick a venue. It'll be at at place where I can sit down," Tokugawa says. Definitely not the botanical gardens for now, though. In the end, he'll probably settle for a coffee shop (he's boring) or a movie (a boring movie) or both (even more boring).
Well, at least that’s confirmation that they’d be hypothetically going out again before Tokugawa’s rehabilitation is over. That’s nice, Hirakoba supposes and he bites back a laugh.
“Alright then, what would you have in mind?” He can see Tokugawa’s face sort of in the reflection from the tank and Hirakoba glances at it. “You’d also be welcome to come back to my place again if you wanted more options.” Hirakoba laughs softly to himself and moves slightly to keep following the path of a sting ray up higher into the tank. “I’d even keep my pants on for you if you wanted.”
Hirakoba poses a good question and Tokugawa immediately says: "A concert."
Ah. They're going to a concert, not a coffee shop. Not even a movie. A concert. It's even too late to take it back now once he's realised he uttered the idea a bit too quickly (he was currently thinking of places to go when the question is asked). He makes a face, though, but it's too late to back out now.
Tokugawa holds his head up high, swallowing a little. "I'll text you."
… Somehow Hirakoba has a feeling this concert is more the type that he goes to with his grandmother, than any that he’d go to out of his own free will.
Still, it’s surprising enough, the sudden answer and Hirakoba stares steadily at Tokugawa’s face for a long moment. “Alright. I can make myself free most evenings for you, just let me know.”
Most evenings... he's still a student, isn't he? Tokugawa may not have gone to university to pursue a career in tennis, but it doesn't mean he doesn't value education. He's pretty sure Hirakoba is intelligent enough to be able to pass his tests, perhaps even more, but he doesn't want the guy to be making the wrong decisions because of him and just because of a meeting.
"You don't have to. I'll ask if you're free, and you tell me if you are or aren't. I can reschedule."
He's the one with more flexibility when it comes to that, anyway.
“I really can cancel on dates to go out with you instead, it’s no big loss,” Hirakoba says dismissively, cutting off as he peers closely at a shark making lazy circles around the tank. “And readings for class aren’t that exciting.”
Although he’s gotten better every year at getting through the sheer mass of them every single week.
Hirakoba pats Tokugawa on the arm lightly and gestures. “Let’s head over here a bit, I want to see the tank from another angle.” And it’s a little bit less crowded over there.
"I'm not that important," Tokugawa says as he walks with follows Hirakoba. His attention isn't even on any of the tanks anymore. It's on the conversation, because he really isn't a fan of people throwing away better things just for his sake or whatever. It doesn't sit well with him.
But one thing does pique his curiosity, though. . . hopefully, he doesn't regret asking. He even looks at Hirakoba when he poses the question. "Just how many people do you go on dates with?"
Well, Tokugawa (apparently) has much less free time than some other people Hirakoba likes to spend time with, so as far as he’s concerned, he does get priority. But Hirakoba doesn’t say that, just smiling a bit as he moves to get a bit closer to the tank, enjoying having a little bit more space around him now that they’re in the new spot.
He raises an eyebrow at the question and glances at Tokugawa. That’s an unexpected question. “It depends if they’re casual, potentially one time dates, or if it’s more of a long term thing.” Hirakoba’s a bit pensive as he looks at the school of fish moving in formation. “I don’t really do long term dating very well, they start getting expectations for feelings…” he trails off with a frown and suddenly perks up, patting Tokugawa on the arm. “Do you go on dates? Besides these ones with me because they don’t count.”
They definitely do not count, Tokugawa thinks. If anything, they're still going out, but as… friends. (He will not say it out loud unless absolutely pressed.) The question makes him frown, though, as if he wasn't frowning enough already.
"Yes, but they were one time dates, as well."
That's probably an honest response that he'll want to take back later. But yes, he does go on dates every so often when he has the time and if there's someone who's caught his eye. Seeing as he tours for tennis matches, though, relationships don't work out so well. And he's also way too aloof for anything intimate. Or maybe he just hasn't found the right person.
It seems Tokugawa’s just going to continue to surprise him. It makes Hirakoba want to keep questioning him and finding out more about him to see how different he is from all the expectations.
Hirakoba’s eyebrows raise slightly at the answer and he hums thoughtfully, tilting his head as he watches the tank closely. “You didn’t strike me as a heartbreaker, Tokugawa-kun,” he says with a mischievous smile. “How unexpected.”
Oh no. That was not what he meant at all. Tokugawa lets out a groan as he lifts a hand to massage his temple. Anything he could say now can and will be used against him, because that look on Hirakoba's face is so playful that Tokugawa feels like a moth being drawn to a flame—and in the bad way.
It's why he decides to change the topic (again) instead. It's the best way to avoid the awkward topics.
"I want to buy a souvenir for my sister once we're done here."
The sudden change in topic is quite jarring and Hirakoba has to bite back a laugh - very subtle, Tokugawa-kun. “What a good brother you are,” he says, pressing his lips tightly together to try and not laugh.
A few deep breaths and it’s passed and Hirakoba gazes at the tank for a few more long moments. “It’s just the penguins next. And then the gift shop.” He held out his hand to Tokugawa. “When you’re ready, maybe you can lead the way this time.”
"Don't laugh," Tokugawa quickly says, fully knowing Hirakoba's reaction is pointed towards that. "It's not funny." But it's a good thing the blond's reaction doesn't end up being that, because Tokugawa would have groaned before leaving Hirakoba to head to the next room.
Not that this is any different when he's being asked to lead. Although the hand being held out to him is not something he expects. He should've expected it, but he didn't. He stares at it for a few seconds before taking Hirakoba's wrist instead before leading the way to where the penguins can be seen.
He may or may not be keen on seeing penguins.
Definitely loosening up as the day went, Hirakoba decides, although being pulled along by the wrist is certainly different. He goes along with it though and has to stifle another laugh.
The penguins distract him though and Hirakoba shifts so he can properly hold onto Tokugawa’s hand and pull him to the side of the tank, pushing past a few people to get closer. “Oh, they have fur seals here as well,” he says, genuinely smiling as he looks into the tank. “How cute.”
"They are."
Tokugawa actually takes out his cellphone this time to take a photo of the animals. It's not just one shot, but he clicks around three to five times, joining the rest of the crowd watching the penguins and the seals with their picture taking. There's a small smile on his face as he nods, but he's not looking at Hirakoba when he does.
It takes a little while for Hirakoba to realise Tokugawa’s taking photos, and it’s only because he spots it in the reflection of the tank walls. “You look happy, Tokugawa-kun,” he says with another smile and he focuses his attentions on the penguins.
“I think I want to buy a seal plush at the gift shop.” He didn’t know what he’d do with it, but Hirakoba quite suddenly wants one.
Hirakoba's right - Tokugawa is happy. The penguins are just too adorable—how could you stay grumpy when they're waddling all over the place? The seals are also cute and a sight to behold. There's no way somebody could stay icy and stoic in the midst of these creatures.
Tokugawa looks at Hirakoba when he mentions he wants a seal plush. Inquisitive, he asks: "For yourself, or for somebody else?" Who knows, right? He might just give it to someone else.
“For myself of course,” Hirakoba says, glancing at Tokugawa long enough to raise an eyebrow questioningly at him. “Although I might throw it at a friend later, they remind me of him.” And that just makes Hirakoba laugh a little to himself.
He gives Tokugawa’s hand a bit of a squeeze and nudges him lightly with an elbow. “Ready to go be a good brother? Maybe you can get her a seal plush as well.”
The joke is lost on Tokugawa, but it doesn't bother him. They barely know each other, after all, and Tokugawa's not going to ask Hirakoba to explain an inside joke like that now.
"You don't have to say it like that," he comments about the good brother thing. He's the youngest of the family and while he's still young, he doesn't want to make it seem like he's the family's baby by being called "a good brother". Gross. "I'll just get her a charm."
“Oh?” Hirakoba looks a little confused at Tokugawa’s comment and he tilts his head, trying to figure it out. It doesn’t really matter though, Hirakoba just files it away as an interesting reaction.
“Charms are always a good present,” Hirakoba says, fishing out out phone to quickly take a photo of the penguins before they move on. “Would you sister like a cute one? Or a more classy one?”
Tokugawa actually thinks about that for a moment. His sister likes both the cute and classy, so maybe he should get two charms... No, that's stupid. Or maybe he should just flip a coin and get what the coin says.
With a shrug of his shoulders as he begins to walk towards the souvenir store, he responds with: "I'll just let her choose. I'll buy two, and what she doesn't want will be for myself." He'll get a souvenir of his own with that plan, too. It's killing two birds with one stone.
… The idea of Tokugawa with a cute aquarium charm on his phone makes Hirakoba want to laugh and he bites his lip hard to stop it from coming out. “Perhaps don’t tell her that part of it, when she chooses,” he says, falling in step with Tokugawa to the store.
Holding hands is quite convenient, actually, as he pulls Tokugawa along to the stuffed toy section, going straight for the biggest, fluffiest baby fur seal plush on the shelf with both hands. He squashes its cheeks and smiles at it. “Are you sure your sister wouldn’t like a plush toy?”
"I don't intend to," Tokugawa says as a response. He's pretty sure his sister will pick the classier one if he did just so the stoic and cold "Kazuya" will have a cute penguin charm. It'll be a disaster for him. But he wouldn't mind getting a cute penguin charm in the end. He can put it with the key to his bike.
Seeing the plush toys don't get a reaction out of him, though. He'd really much rather pick out a charm for his sister. It's more useful. Toys are, well, toys. You don't really get much use from them.
"A charm is fine," he adds. "And a magnet for my parents."
Kazuya Tokugawa: the person not to ask for advice when giving presents.
How… typically boring.
Hirakoba laughs as he sighs and lightly prods Tokugawa in the back with his seal plush. “Alright, let’s find some charms, I’ll help you pick some out…” Or else he didn’t want to know what sort of ones Tokugawa thought were ‘cute’ or ‘classy’.
He takes ahold of Tokugawa’s hand again to pull him through the store, which is good with the number of people there. And he stops at the spinning carousel of phone charms. Hirakoba hums as he looks at them, moving straight past the generic names-on-a-charm ones. He never did like those ones.
How rude! Tokugawa at least knows what cute and classy are. He's become the victim of his sister when he was younger, after all. A victim to tea parties and hair ties and the like, even if his hair was short back then, too.
"Ah, those—" Those look nice, Tokugawa would say, but he can tell that Hirakoba isn't interested in those, anyway. His eyes scan the carousel and spots a seal plush charm that looks like a fake Mamegoma. He gently takes out the blue one so he doesn't end up sending the carousel toppling over.
"Now I just need another one."
He really hopes that Tokugawa thinks the seal one he just chose is cute. Hirakoba doesn’t want to ask him, just in case. Instead he spins the carousel slowly around and pulls out a plainer strap, holding it out curiously to Tokugawa.
“This one?” he asks, turning his attention back to the assortment. “Or maybe this one’s a bit nicer…” Of all the things he thought he’d be doing today, choosing phone charms for someone’s sister was definitely not one of them.
Of course it looks cute! Tokugawa would just not admit it out loud… unless he knows the person well enough, anyway.
He looks at the first strap that's shown him before looking at another. The first looks better to him, if asked, so he plucks that one from Hirakoba's fingers.
"This one will do just fine." And it would even look good with the key to his motorcycle. The seal plush charm would not. (That is what he will end up with as soon as he gets home, though… How unfortunate for him.)
"Are you all done with your souvenirs?" Tokugawa asks as a follow up. The magnets are closer to the register, so he can quickly just choose whatever for his parents while paying.
Hirakoba really hopes Tokugawa gets the cute charm, if only because he thinks it’ll be quite hilarious to see someone with such serious features with a fluffy seal.
“I am.” He does cast another eye around the store just in case something really stands out to him. “It’s easy enough to come back here anyway.” Hirakoba nudges Tokugawa in the side lightly with the fur seal plush and smiles at him. “Shall we take separate lines and meet at the door?”
Tokugawa nods and falls in line. He peers at the magnets, squinting a little just so he can get a better view from where he is. His contact lenses might be helping him right now, but it doesn't mean he's still nearsighted. He'll just have a better look once the three people ahead of him are finished. It doesn't take a while, at least, about three minutes tops for him to pay for his charms and the magnet.
He walks towards the exit with a small plastic bag on hand. The plastic bag is actually pretty cute and is a souvenir in and of itself with the cute design it has.
Hirakoba takes a little longer, having chosen the slightly longer line but he doesn’t need a bag, just walking with the plush toy tucked under one arm. It’s only two trains, anyway.
“Let me know if you ever want to go to another aquarium with someone again,” Hirakoba says, catching up to Tokugawa and tugging him out the door with a hand on his arm. “That was lots of fun.”
Another aquarium… Tokugawa actually chuckles at that. He did enjoy his time here, so maybe a bigger one would be a good place to visit. There would be dolphins and sharks and other kinds of sea creatures there. And maybe then he'll bring an actual camera and not just his cellphone.
"It was," he responds, actually smiling a little at Hirakoba. Then he pulls out the key to his ride. "Will you be taking the trains? I have my motorcycle parked, although I don't have an extra helmet."
The mention of the motorbike surprises Hirakoba and he stares at the keys for a long moment before he waves a hand dismissively. “It’s fine, I’ll catch the train. Helmets would mess up my hair anyway,” he says it with a smile though so Tokugawa knows he’s at least sort of joking.
He pauses before he steps forward to hug Tokugawa one armed. “I look forward to hearing about you for this concert.” Hirakoba tightens his arm around Tokugawa for a moment so he can lean up and press a quick kiss to his cheek. He laughs and steps very quickly away, almost but not quite shukuchihou. “Another birthday present. Thanks Tokugawa-kun.”
Tokugawa freezes and is instantly reminded of that time he was hugged while Rin was naked. It was a shocking experience, and so is this. He feels his face heat up a little though, flustered from what just happened, so he quickly turns.
"Take care going home," he quickly says before he starts walking away.
What:
When: Not long after Rin's birthday
Where: Sumida Aquarium
Rating: PG
Tokugawa waits by the entrance to the Sumida Aquarium, not looking particularly happy (nor upset, really. It's his usual lineface). He's already purchased the entrance tickets for both he and Rin, not wanting to fall in line when there are a lot of people already. He's arrived early after coming from one of his therapy sessions and has claimed a seat at the lobby. He's on the careful lookout for the tanned blond that he met a week and a few days ago. In his pocket is a small box, carefully wrapped in navy blue gift wrapper and tied with a gold ribbon. It's nothing special. It's just a present for somebody who just celebrated his birthday.
Hirakoba checks his phone as he makes his way from the train station to the aquarium. Right on time. And so it’s a surprise when he spots the tall figure of Tokugawa sitting in the lobby as he arrives and Hirakoba beelines to him. “Sorry Tokugawa-kun,” he says, reaching out to touch his shoulder. He catches himself at the last moment and lets his hand drop. “At least you managed to get a seat. Do you want to wait here and I’ll get tickets?”
"I already have them," Tokugawa says as he pulls the tickets out of his chest pocket. He hands one to Rin with a soft "here" leaving his lips. Then he takes out a small square box. Inside is a dark purple necktie, but he makes no clue as to what's in it. "Belated happy birthday, too," he adds as he offers the box next.
Oh. Well that’s surprising. Hirakoba wordlessly takes the ticket with a bit of a nod of thanks. Even more surprising though is the present that follows and Hirakoba pauses as he looks at the nicely wrapped present in Tokugawa’s hand. “Thank you, Tokugawa-kun, how kind of you,” he says, purposely letting his fingers brush against the other male’s as he accepts the box. “You really didn’t have to get me anything though, physical contact really would have sufficed.”
Still, he’s not going to complain as he unwraps it, blinking as he looks down at the tie inside. Well then, that’s a bit of an odd present. Still, it’s a nice colour, and Hirakoba fingers the material thoughtfully. “Thank you,” he says finally, putting the lid back on. “I’ll find some interesting uses for it,” he says with a bit of a laugh.
Was the comment about physical contact a joke? Tokugawa almost sputters, but he tries to remain straight-faced as the present is unwrapped. He's not really an emotive person, and he doesn't want to let down his guard too soon. While the initial meeting they had was enjoyable, they really don't know each other that well for Tokugawa to be truly comfortable.
At the very least, the company is enjoyable and that's enough for now.
And then he does end up sputtering once the present's been unwrapped. He even grimaces as soon as he can manage to change his shocked expression to something else.
"It's for formal and professional occasions. I'm sure you'll find a use for it then," Tokugawa says, not at all joking, but he's smiling. Slightly. Slightly. "You're welcome."
Well, at least he knows he can make Tokugawa drop his straight face without the alcohol helping and that makes Hirakoba smile as he tucks the present in his pocket. “Yes, I’m sure I’ll use it for very formal occasions,” Hirakoba says, trying not to laugh again.
Still, it’s also nice to notice the tiny, tiny smile and it makes Hirakoba smile right back at him. “Ready to go in? I assume there isn’t another present for me hiding in your pocket,” he says, glancing down before he turns to look at the entranceway. “Hand,” he says warningly, touching Tokugawa on the back lightly to push him forward. “I’m excited, I haven’t been to this aquarium yet.”
Tokugawa is a quick learner, and by now, he's learned to at least ignore the simplest of touches. He moves forward as he's nudged so they can enter the first zone of the aquarium.
"Aquariums are always a good place to visit, no matter how many times you've gone there," Tokugawa says as he walks, hands swaying on his sides. He's recovering well from the therapy so he's in a pretty decent mood today. Usually, he'd walk with his arms crossed, making him seem standoffish, after all. "Not that I've been here before, either. Why did you want to go here, anyway?" he adds.
Tokugawa seems more chatty than before and Hirakoba rather enjoys it, glancing up at the other male now and again as they walk. It’s not as crowded in the afternoon of the Wednesday, with no school groups there at this time and it’s easy enough to push past a group of tourists.
“I always like aquariums,” he says, inspecting the tanks of aquatic plants, tracking the movement of the fish amongst them. “I practically grew up in the ocean, so I find sea life very peaceful,” he explains, scanning the information next to the tank. “And I wanted to do something different from going drinking in bars with you.”
That makes sense to Tokugawa so he nods.
"I don't just drink. I also enjoy yachting," he says in response. It's not related to the ocean, fishes, or plant life at all, but he's at least trying to move the conversation along in the same topic. "I would try diving if I had the time and opportunity."
He passes by another tank, inspects it and makes a face. He's reminded of that fish tank in Hirakoba's home, and he tries not to make it seem like he's perturbed by it by clearing his throat and adjusting the collar of his shirt.
“I had a teammate who used to go skin diving,” Hirakoba says, glancing at Tokugawa. “I prefer surfing though. It’s more fun.” And he doesn’t exactly have the required lung capacity for proper skin diving.
He glances at Tokugawa again, at just the right moment to see him pulling a face and Hirakoba blinks in surprise, turning to inspect what Tokugawa’s looking at. … Just regular sea life in the small tank. “What’s wrong?” he asks, nudging Tokugawa lightly in the side. “Do you not like the little garden eels?”
"It's nothing," Tokugawa immediately says, obviously denying something. (But what?) It's fortunate that he doesn't even turn remotely red at the prospect of what he's imagining. Still, he's not going to give up the nugget of information he's thinking, insistent on keeping it to himself.
"It's beautiful, that's all." With that, Tokugawa checks another tank. There's nothing there that makes him think of anything inappropriate, so he relaxes. The tension in his shoulders loosen. A few people pass him, talking about the jellyfish at the next area, and he looks at the direction of where they're going in curiosity.
Well that’s obviously a lie. Hirakoba narrows his eyes at Tokugawa and looks at him closely, reluctantly following him to the next tank. Though he can’t help glancing back at the other one, to try and figure out what was up.
“That’s not the face you make when you see something beautiful,” Hirakoba persists. “That’s the face I pull when I get stupid goya shoved in my face to eat.” He puts on his best smile and pats Tokugawa on the arm to get his attention more. “Come on, Tokugawa-kun, tell me, I promise I won’t laugh.”
Oh no, that's not going to work. Even Irie's tried that method on Tokugawa before to get what he wants, but Tokugawa never gave in. He's not going to give in now, either.
He holds up a palm to tell Hirakoba to stop. He doesn't have to go any further if he wants to prod.
"It's nothing, like I said. An inside joke that you won't understand." What a lie, but at least this time, he looks so composed and collected that it may come off as a truth.
"Also," he quickly adds. "Goya is healthy for you."
“That’s fine,” Hirakoba says, smiling as he briefly touches his hand to Tokugawa’s palm before letting it drop. “As long as it amuses you.”
And Hirakoba’s smile vanishes very quickly the moment Tokugawa mentions goya and he pulls his own disgusted face. “It’s disgusting,” he says, looking at Tokugawa with a bit of disbelief. “It’s bitter and I’ve had too many shoved down my throat to ever enjoy it now.” He knows Tokugawa’s changed the topic, but Hirakoba doesn’t really mind all that much as he fluffs up about his dislike for goya. “You know once my sister threatened to buy me a green beaded dildo and I actually nearly cried. And I don’t cry easily, Tokugawa-kun.”
There's a weird sound that comes out of Tokugawa, something like him trying to cough but it ends up strained. That's not an anecdote he's willing to hear out of the blue, but he really should expect things like this to come from Hirakoba after what happened the night after their first meeting.
Tokugawa should really know better by now... and yet...
He clears his throat again, loudly this time. "You should at least be careful that others won't hear you." In fact, he looks around after saying that just to make sure nobody did. Looks like they're in the safe zone for now, but who knows what might happen later on if there's a dildo-shaped fish swimming around, too. In his head, though, he tells himself to try and understand that Hirakoba is a more open person than he is and learn to accept it.
"In any case, goya is healthy. But if you don't like it, then that's fine. There are other ways to get Vitamin C and Potassium."
Hirakoba unfortunately barely notices Tokugawa’s reaction to his story, he’s still huffing a bit about the indecency of thinking goya is healthy. But he does pay attention to the reminder that they’re in a public place and he looks around as well - no one was paying them attention anyway.
He nudges Tokugawa along to head into the next room, laughing a bit at his next words. “By eating other phallic shaped produce?” he suggests, the lighting getting much darker as they reach the jellyfish room and Hirakoba gets quite distracted from his teasing train of thought. He grabs Tokugawa by the arm to pull him along as he beelines over to a tank, scooting between some other visitors to watch the floating jellyfish.
Once again, Hirakoba trumps Tokugawa. He actually lets out a breath through his nose that sounds more like a chuckle than him actually breathing loudly. Then he shakes his head, trying to rid the smile creeping up on his face because okay. That was humorous.
The jellyfish area is actually beautiful in Tokugawa's opinion—this room, he actually likes more than the first one—finding the creatures floating and bobbing along in the water to be calming and serenity-bringing. He looks at them with a serene expression on his face, as well, already forgetting that Hirakoba's hand is around his arm.
What a different expression, Hirakoba spots on Tokugawa’s face as he glances at him quickly. He also like this one, he decides, before turning his attention back to the jellyfish. He understands it, feeling much the same way Tokugawa looks.
“I get it, I see why this is a popular date spot,” Hirakoba says, tugging on Tokugawa’s arm to head to the next tank of slowly blobbing along jellyfish. “And I wasn’t even really interested in this room.”
A date spot. Tokugawa glances at Hirakoba curiously; he'd never seen it that way before. It makes sense, though. People always go to the aquarium on dates.
If that was Hirakoba's intention when he asked Tokugawa to visit the Aquarium with him, though, he's in for a disappointment because it flies over Tokugawa's head.
"The botanical gardens are also popular," Tokugawa comments as he follows Hirakoba to the next tank. This one houses different kinds of jellyfish now - some smaller and some bigger; different shapes, as well. The pause he provides after he mentions the botanical gardens should be enough when he changes the topic. There are a lot of other attractions in this aquarium, he believes. "Do you like looking at fish better?"
“I’m not really a plant person,” Hirakoba admits, although he likes looking at underwater plants well enough. Botanical gardens just… don’t hold any real interest for him.
He huffs a bit in laughter at the question. “Is it that obvious?” he asks teasingly. “I’m even looking at the fish here over your handsome face.” Hirakoba pats Tokugawa on the arm with his free hand and laughs to himself. “There were some beaches near my place in Okinawa that did the glass bottom boats?” he says, changing topics before Tokugawa can splutter or over analyse, or whatever it is he does, Hirakoba’s last comment. “I used to always like going on those and looking down at the fish.”
If Tokugawa was the type to show more emotions, he would slump his shoulders and frown at Hirakoba's comment. Unfortunately, it isn't the case. He doesn't find offense that Hirakoba's attention isn't on him, either, and he purposely decides not to comment on it lest he wants things to be awkward.
Fortunately, Hirakoba does change the topic, which is such a good move on his part because Tokugawa wasn't sure how to carry on the conversation back to the fish and to the venue they've decided to meet in. Another thing he finds fortunate is that he's had experience with boats like those.
"I've those types. They bring you to the deeper parts of the ocean." Thanks for stating facts, Tokugawa. "My sister always found them to be scary."
Hirakoba looks sideways at Tokugawa at the small sliver of personal information - the other male gives out very little of that, he’s learning. “Well I suppose it depends on how clear the water is. The southern beaches in Okinawa are pretty nice.”
He drums a pattern with the fingers on the hand that’s still holding onto Tokugawa’s arm. “Ready to move onto the next room?” he asks. The jellyfish are nice but… there’s also the giant tank with sharks and a plethora of fish waiting just a few rooms away that Hirakoba’s looking forward to.
“So you have a sister?” he asks, looking curiously at Tokugawa. “Older or younger?”
"Ah, sure," Tokugawa immediately responds. He even begins to walk towards the other room to lead the way, ignoring the almost ticklish feeling that he felt thanks to Hirakoba's finger drumming. "And my sister is older," he adds, but he doesn't state how many sisters he has or if he has a brother or more.
Hirakoba is honestly surprised that he’s still allowed to hold onto Tokugawa’s arm. But it also makes it easier to stay together, especially as he pulls them to the first of the displays in the next room and Hirakoba pushes past a group of people to smile at the small octopus in the tank.
“Mm, we’re both younger siblings, then,” he says, smiling as he looks sideways at Tokugawa. “Although, I personally don’t think 9 minutes counts as sufficiently older.” Hirakoba pulls a face and huffs a bit as he grumbles of that. And then he perks up again, patting Tokugawa on the arm. “How much of a gap is between you two?”
Twins, Tokugawa makes a mental note, but he quickly files it in his memory as he's pulled to view another tank. He remains quiet for some time despite the pats he's received on his arm, just watching the water, the plants, and the life move in front of them. He definitely didn't think he would be enjoying being at the aquarium.
Once he mentally snaps himself out of his reverie, he looks at Hirakoba without any indicator of stress or sternness on his face. Calmly, he responds: "She's older by three years." As much he should probably carry on the conversation, though, his attention is more on the tanks than Hirakoba right now.
And it's also why he doesn't mind the arm around his.
Hirakoba doesn’t know how to feel about contemplative silence from Tokugawa. He knows, just from the short time they’ve spent together that Tokugawa is significantly less chatty than he is, but the intense concentration on the tanks is… Hirakoba doesn’t really like it, he decides. It almost makes him want to ask some kind of shocking question just to check that he’s still half paying attention. Especially since even patting him on the arm isn’t doing much good.
“Three years, huh?” Hirakoba says quietly and he tightens his grip on Tokugawa’s arm slightly as he looks at the fish directly in front of him. “Tokugawa-kun,” Hirakoba says, smiling a bit as leans a bit closer to look at the crab moving slowly across the floor of the tank. “Would you mind if I kissed you right now?”
Tokugawa isn't dazed. His attention is just more on the fish than his companion. His senses are still fully functional and just because he looks so mystified doesn't mean he'll immediately say yes.
In fact, he does the opposite.
Slowly, he plucks away Hirakoba's hand from his arm and takes a small step away.
"I'm not going to fall for one of those—" he stops there, unsure of what else to say. How does he word it, anyway? His eye narrow as he thinks of a word, and eventually, he gives up on searching his mental dictionary. "You can't kiss me."
Oh good, Tokugawa is still fully paying attention to him. Although, he probably wouldn't have complained if he had just gotten a vague agreement.
“What a shame, maybe later,” Hirakoba says easily, taking a hold of Tokugawa's arm again to tug him along to the next tank. “So, do you live with your family? In some of the apartments that seem so popular right now?” He seems to know a lot of people in them, actually. It's baffling. “I feel like I'm missing out on so much drama by not living there.”
"Yes, I do live with my family," responds Tokugawa. He loves his family a lot, despite how deadpan he may seem. It's just difficult to show emotions sometimes when people expect a lot from you. He does at least seem a little bit more chipper now that they're talking about family, though. It's a big part of him. "They're the ones helping me in my rehabilitation."
Hirakoba hums thoughtfully as he watches the fish swim by, listening to Tokugawa’s answer. “Does your family approve of your social hermit tendencies?” he asks with a bit of a teasing smile. Hirakoba pats him on the arm vaguely, not really paying all that much attention to what his hand's doing. “Or do you think they'd approve of people trying to get you out and about more?”
Tokugawa raises a brow, almost insulted by the question. "I'm not a hermit," he says in protest, but there's barely emotion of him actually protesting. It's more like he's making a statement.
"They're fine with who I am," Tokugawa adds. Then, as if to steer the conversation away from him just because he feels like he's going to get teased again, he asks: "You said you had a sister. What is she like?"
No… no, by Hirakoba’s standards, Tokugawa’s definitely a hermit. And he’s actually concerned about him only really going out one day a week.
He’s cut off from that particular train of thought though as Tokugawa asks him a question and Hirakoba pauses, looking up at him in surprise. “She’s quite similar to me,” he says, moving his hand to more link their arms together, strolling along to the last tank the room. “Except smaller and cute, nice to cuddle.” He hums as he thinks about what else to say about her. “She rebelled and cut her hair short when I dyed mine and our grandmother was so angry at both of us,” he says with absolute relish, laughing a bit. “Oh, and she sleeps naked. Like me,” he adds on helpfully at the end.
Why is Hirakoba so happy about this… Tokugawa can't imagine his family being thrilled at him dyeing his hair purple or sleeping naked or sleeping around or whatever. The Tokugawa isn't necessarily strict, just more traditional than the common families nowadays. Of course, Tokugawa, or rather, Kazuya himself, has more freedom now compared to when he was younger, but it doesn't mean that he's completely let go of what his family has taught him.
"Is that a family trait?" Tokugawa asks. "Was this taught to you since you were children?"
Hirakoba laughs at the question, ducking his head a bit, though it does little to hide his amusement. “I suppose we’ve just always done it,” he says with an easy shrug, trying not to smile too much. But it’s hard. “It’s just much more comfortable, not having to worry about pants being constricting or shirts being bunched up in the night heat.” Hirakoba plucks a little at Tokugawa’s shirt with his free hand before he makes himself stop, clenching his fingers together. “It does get a little cold in Tokyo winters though, if you don’t have something warming your bed to cuddle up to.”
Tokugawa hums in acknowledgement. He supposes it could get very warm in Okinawa. It's different in Tokyo, so he'll just peg it as a lifestyle thing.
His eyes look down at the hand on his shirt before raising an eyebrow again. This guy is definitely way too touchy. He's been tolerating it for quite some time now, but there's got to be a line somewhere, right? It's good that Hirakoba stops because Tokugawa would have plucked away the other's hand on his own.
"Let's continue with the tour."
Hirakoba just smiles at the lack of reaction from Tokugawa - did he not notice? Did he choose to ignore it? Who knows.
“Yes, let’s,” he agrees, tugging Tokugawa along into the next room - tanks of coral. Hirakoba winds between the first two and peers closely at the shapes of the coral. “You know, if I end up touching you too much, you can just put your hand on mine or something or make me stop,” he says. He’d seen the raised eyebrow and it’s just hard to remind himself that Tokugawa isn’t a physical contact person, even if they are still linking arms. “My friends do it all the time to me, half the time I don’t even realise I’m doing it.”
Oh, good. Tokugawa doesn't have to point it out. He looks at Hirakoba with his deadpan expression as if asking if the guy wants to go home already—it's a threat, not something that is supposed to be enticing. That was what he usually said to Echizen back in the day, after all.
"If I'm allowed to ask," he begins, plucking away Hirakoba's hand from his arm. "Why is it that you do this?"
Hirakoba doesn’t look very happy when his hand’s moved away, but he sighs and lets it drop. The question on the other hand - questions from Tokugawa are rare, he’s realising and Hirakoba perks up at it.
“I think I told you last time we were together,” he says, waggling his fingers at Tokugawa teasingly before he looks at the coral in the tank as he considers his answer. “Touching is… just part of how I talk to people,” he shrugs a bit. “It’s a much more honest way to show affection and emotion, you know?” He smiles and turns to look at Tokugawa steadily. “And like I said, I quite like you, Tokugawa-kun.”
Hirakoba did say, but Tokugawa didn't take it seriously. He should have, now that he's hearing it again. Though at the last bit, he arches a brow in question.
"You like me," he says, repeating the line flatly, but it's obviously a demand for Hirakoba to explain himself.
Tokugawa’s tone and expression just makes Hirakoba smile more. “Yes I do. Quite a bit now, actually,” he says, reaching up to pat Tokugawa on the face. He manages to catch himself before he does though, making himself drop his hand with a bit of a sigh.
“I mean, it’d be better if you were more comfortable with physical contact, but that’s fine,” Hirakoba says and laughs as he starts to head along the pathway. “Shall we head to the next room? It’s the large tank next, I think.”
Hirakoba's response is met with a "hmph". He's not going to admit to getting used to the physical contact the more it happens (and it's been happening a lot lately even though they've only met twice). Maybe another time, when he feels more loose. Obviously, these two should go drinking again.
Without saying another word, he heads to the next room, as well, and stops to take in the sight. It's more than amazing, he thinks, and once again, he becomes enraptured by what he sees rather than who he's with.
Though he does at least say something eventually.
"It was a good idea to come here."
Thankfully Hirakoba doesn’t really notice being ignored this time, as he is almost hypnotised by the sight of the large tank. He just shuffles to bump into Tokugawa a bit to get out of the way of other people.
Hirakoba hums a bit in agreement to Tokugawa’s statement and he tugs on the other’s arm to get a bit closer and out of the way. “I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it,” he says finally, glancing away from the tank to smile at Tokugawa. “Does that mean if I choose another place you’ll come out with me again?”
Hm? Tokugawa looks at Hirakoba, curious, then he cants his head to the side. This is the part where somebody with a kind heart would go "Well, we're friends, aren't we? I would go with you," but he can't bear to say it. Even if he has a kind heart, his heart is also frigid and cold that these kinds of words would only make him sound like a clown.
It's why he responds with "If I have the time," instead.
“That’s a yes, then,” Hirakoba says, laughing a bit and he pats Tokugawa lightly on the shoulder as he turns back to the tank. “You could always pick a place as well, you know. I’m not likely to turn you down.”
Although he’s heading back to university soon, so time might get a bit less free… Hirakoba sighs a bit at that thought. “The botanical gardens, maybe.”
This time, Tokugawa's stare is a bit more judging. He does it while Hirakoba is looking elsewhere, though, because Tokugawa's look is more exasperated than anything. Didn't this guy say earlier that he didn't like plants? Or did he misunderstand? Then again...
"You just said I could pick a venue. It'll be at at place where I can sit down," Tokugawa says. Definitely not the botanical gardens for now, though. In the end, he'll probably settle for a coffee shop (he's boring) or a movie (a boring movie) or both (even more boring).
Well, at least that’s confirmation that they’d be hypothetically going out again before Tokugawa’s rehabilitation is over. That’s nice, Hirakoba supposes and he bites back a laugh.
“Alright then, what would you have in mind?” He can see Tokugawa’s face sort of in the reflection from the tank and Hirakoba glances at it. “You’d also be welcome to come back to my place again if you wanted more options.” Hirakoba laughs softly to himself and moves slightly to keep following the path of a sting ray up higher into the tank. “I’d even keep my pants on for you if you wanted.”
Hirakoba poses a good question and Tokugawa immediately says: "A concert."
Ah. They're going to a concert, not a coffee shop. Not even a movie. A concert. It's even too late to take it back now once he's realised he uttered the idea a bit too quickly (he was currently thinking of places to go when the question is asked). He makes a face, though, but it's too late to back out now.
Tokugawa holds his head up high, swallowing a little. "I'll text you."
… Somehow Hirakoba has a feeling this concert is more the type that he goes to with his grandmother, than any that he’d go to out of his own free will.
Still, it’s surprising enough, the sudden answer and Hirakoba stares steadily at Tokugawa’s face for a long moment. “Alright. I can make myself free most evenings for you, just let me know.”
Most evenings... he's still a student, isn't he? Tokugawa may not have gone to university to pursue a career in tennis, but it doesn't mean he doesn't value education. He's pretty sure Hirakoba is intelligent enough to be able to pass his tests, perhaps even more, but he doesn't want the guy to be making the wrong decisions because of him and just because of a meeting.
"You don't have to. I'll ask if you're free, and you tell me if you are or aren't. I can reschedule."
He's the one with more flexibility when it comes to that, anyway.
“I really can cancel on dates to go out with you instead, it’s no big loss,” Hirakoba says dismissively, cutting off as he peers closely at a shark making lazy circles around the tank. “And readings for class aren’t that exciting.”
Although he’s gotten better every year at getting through the sheer mass of them every single week.
Hirakoba pats Tokugawa on the arm lightly and gestures. “Let’s head over here a bit, I want to see the tank from another angle.” And it’s a little bit less crowded over there.
"I'm not that important," Tokugawa says as he walks with follows Hirakoba. His attention isn't even on any of the tanks anymore. It's on the conversation, because he really isn't a fan of people throwing away better things just for his sake or whatever. It doesn't sit well with him.
But one thing does pique his curiosity, though. . . hopefully, he doesn't regret asking. He even looks at Hirakoba when he poses the question. "Just how many people do you go on dates with?"
Well, Tokugawa (apparently) has much less free time than some other people Hirakoba likes to spend time with, so as far as he’s concerned, he does get priority. But Hirakoba doesn’t say that, just smiling a bit as he moves to get a bit closer to the tank, enjoying having a little bit more space around him now that they’re in the new spot.
He raises an eyebrow at the question and glances at Tokugawa. That’s an unexpected question. “It depends if they’re casual, potentially one time dates, or if it’s more of a long term thing.” Hirakoba’s a bit pensive as he looks at the school of fish moving in formation. “I don’t really do long term dating very well, they start getting expectations for feelings…” he trails off with a frown and suddenly perks up, patting Tokugawa on the arm. “Do you go on dates? Besides these ones with me because they don’t count.”
They definitely do not count, Tokugawa thinks. If anything, they're still going out, but as… friends. (He will not say it out loud unless absolutely pressed.) The question makes him frown, though, as if he wasn't frowning enough already.
"Yes, but they were one time dates, as well."
That's probably an honest response that he'll want to take back later. But yes, he does go on dates every so often when he has the time and if there's someone who's caught his eye. Seeing as he tours for tennis matches, though, relationships don't work out so well. And he's also way too aloof for anything intimate. Or maybe he just hasn't found the right person.
It seems Tokugawa’s just going to continue to surprise him. It makes Hirakoba want to keep questioning him and finding out more about him to see how different he is from all the expectations.
Hirakoba’s eyebrows raise slightly at the answer and he hums thoughtfully, tilting his head as he watches the tank closely. “You didn’t strike me as a heartbreaker, Tokugawa-kun,” he says with a mischievous smile. “How unexpected.”
Oh no. That was not what he meant at all. Tokugawa lets out a groan as he lifts a hand to massage his temple. Anything he could say now can and will be used against him, because that look on Hirakoba's face is so playful that Tokugawa feels like a moth being drawn to a flame—and in the bad way.
It's why he decides to change the topic (again) instead. It's the best way to avoid the awkward topics.
"I want to buy a souvenir for my sister once we're done here."
The sudden change in topic is quite jarring and Hirakoba has to bite back a laugh - very subtle, Tokugawa-kun. “What a good brother you are,” he says, pressing his lips tightly together to try and not laugh.
A few deep breaths and it’s passed and Hirakoba gazes at the tank for a few more long moments. “It’s just the penguins next. And then the gift shop.” He held out his hand to Tokugawa. “When you’re ready, maybe you can lead the way this time.”
"Don't laugh," Tokugawa quickly says, fully knowing Hirakoba's reaction is pointed towards that. "It's not funny." But it's a good thing the blond's reaction doesn't end up being that, because Tokugawa would have groaned before leaving Hirakoba to head to the next room.
Not that this is any different when he's being asked to lead. Although the hand being held out to him is not something he expects. He should've expected it, but he didn't. He stares at it for a few seconds before taking Hirakoba's wrist instead before leading the way to where the penguins can be seen.
He may or may not be keen on seeing penguins.
Definitely loosening up as the day went, Hirakoba decides, although being pulled along by the wrist is certainly different. He goes along with it though and has to stifle another laugh.
The penguins distract him though and Hirakoba shifts so he can properly hold onto Tokugawa’s hand and pull him to the side of the tank, pushing past a few people to get closer. “Oh, they have fur seals here as well,” he says, genuinely smiling as he looks into the tank. “How cute.”
"They are."
Tokugawa actually takes out his cellphone this time to take a photo of the animals. It's not just one shot, but he clicks around three to five times, joining the rest of the crowd watching the penguins and the seals with their picture taking. There's a small smile on his face as he nods, but he's not looking at Hirakoba when he does.
It takes a little while for Hirakoba to realise Tokugawa’s taking photos, and it’s only because he spots it in the reflection of the tank walls. “You look happy, Tokugawa-kun,” he says with another smile and he focuses his attentions on the penguins.
“I think I want to buy a seal plush at the gift shop.” He didn’t know what he’d do with it, but Hirakoba quite suddenly wants one.
Hirakoba's right - Tokugawa is happy. The penguins are just too adorable—how could you stay grumpy when they're waddling all over the place? The seals are also cute and a sight to behold. There's no way somebody could stay icy and stoic in the midst of these creatures.
Tokugawa looks at Hirakoba when he mentions he wants a seal plush. Inquisitive, he asks: "For yourself, or for somebody else?" Who knows, right? He might just give it to someone else.
“For myself of course,” Hirakoba says, glancing at Tokugawa long enough to raise an eyebrow questioningly at him. “Although I might throw it at a friend later, they remind me of him.” And that just makes Hirakoba laugh a little to himself.
He gives Tokugawa’s hand a bit of a squeeze and nudges him lightly with an elbow. “Ready to go be a good brother? Maybe you can get her a seal plush as well.”
The joke is lost on Tokugawa, but it doesn't bother him. They barely know each other, after all, and Tokugawa's not going to ask Hirakoba to explain an inside joke like that now.
"You don't have to say it like that," he comments about the good brother thing. He's the youngest of the family and while he's still young, he doesn't want to make it seem like he's the family's baby by being called "a good brother". Gross. "I'll just get her a charm."
“Oh?” Hirakoba looks a little confused at Tokugawa’s comment and he tilts his head, trying to figure it out. It doesn’t really matter though, Hirakoba just files it away as an interesting reaction.
“Charms are always a good present,” Hirakoba says, fishing out out phone to quickly take a photo of the penguins before they move on. “Would you sister like a cute one? Or a more classy one?”
Tokugawa actually thinks about that for a moment. His sister likes both the cute and classy, so maybe he should get two charms... No, that's stupid. Or maybe he should just flip a coin and get what the coin says.
With a shrug of his shoulders as he begins to walk towards the souvenir store, he responds with: "I'll just let her choose. I'll buy two, and what she doesn't want will be for myself." He'll get a souvenir of his own with that plan, too. It's killing two birds with one stone.
… The idea of Tokugawa with a cute aquarium charm on his phone makes Hirakoba want to laugh and he bites his lip hard to stop it from coming out. “Perhaps don’t tell her that part of it, when she chooses,” he says, falling in step with Tokugawa to the store.
Holding hands is quite convenient, actually, as he pulls Tokugawa along to the stuffed toy section, going straight for the biggest, fluffiest baby fur seal plush on the shelf with both hands. He squashes its cheeks and smiles at it. “Are you sure your sister wouldn’t like a plush toy?”
"I don't intend to," Tokugawa says as a response. He's pretty sure his sister will pick the classier one if he did just so the stoic and cold "Kazuya" will have a cute penguin charm. It'll be a disaster for him. But he wouldn't mind getting a cute penguin charm in the end. He can put it with the key to his bike.
Seeing the plush toys don't get a reaction out of him, though. He'd really much rather pick out a charm for his sister. It's more useful. Toys are, well, toys. You don't really get much use from them.
"A charm is fine," he adds. "And a magnet for my parents."
Kazuya Tokugawa: the person not to ask for advice when giving presents.
How… typically boring.
Hirakoba laughs as he sighs and lightly prods Tokugawa in the back with his seal plush. “Alright, let’s find some charms, I’ll help you pick some out…” Or else he didn’t want to know what sort of ones Tokugawa thought were ‘cute’ or ‘classy’.
He takes ahold of Tokugawa’s hand again to pull him through the store, which is good with the number of people there. And he stops at the spinning carousel of phone charms. Hirakoba hums as he looks at them, moving straight past the generic names-on-a-charm ones. He never did like those ones.
How rude! Tokugawa at least knows what cute and classy are. He's become the victim of his sister when he was younger, after all. A victim to tea parties and hair ties and the like, even if his hair was short back then, too.
"Ah, those—" Those look nice, Tokugawa would say, but he can tell that Hirakoba isn't interested in those, anyway. His eyes scan the carousel and spots a seal plush charm that looks like a fake Mamegoma. He gently takes out the blue one so he doesn't end up sending the carousel toppling over.
"Now I just need another one."
He really hopes that Tokugawa thinks the seal one he just chose is cute. Hirakoba doesn’t want to ask him, just in case. Instead he spins the carousel slowly around and pulls out a plainer strap, holding it out curiously to Tokugawa.
“This one?” he asks, turning his attention back to the assortment. “Or maybe this one’s a bit nicer…” Of all the things he thought he’d be doing today, choosing phone charms for someone’s sister was definitely not one of them.
Of course it looks cute! Tokugawa would just not admit it out loud… unless he knows the person well enough, anyway.
He looks at the first strap that's shown him before looking at another. The first looks better to him, if asked, so he plucks that one from Hirakoba's fingers.
"This one will do just fine." And it would even look good with the key to his motorcycle. The seal plush charm would not. (That is what he will end up with as soon as he gets home, though… How unfortunate for him.)
"Are you all done with your souvenirs?" Tokugawa asks as a follow up. The magnets are closer to the register, so he can quickly just choose whatever for his parents while paying.
Hirakoba really hopes Tokugawa gets the cute charm, if only because he thinks it’ll be quite hilarious to see someone with such serious features with a fluffy seal.
“I am.” He does cast another eye around the store just in case something really stands out to him. “It’s easy enough to come back here anyway.” Hirakoba nudges Tokugawa in the side lightly with the fur seal plush and smiles at him. “Shall we take separate lines and meet at the door?”
Tokugawa nods and falls in line. He peers at the magnets, squinting a little just so he can get a better view from where he is. His contact lenses might be helping him right now, but it doesn't mean he's still nearsighted. He'll just have a better look once the three people ahead of him are finished. It doesn't take a while, at least, about three minutes tops for him to pay for his charms and the magnet.
He walks towards the exit with a small plastic bag on hand. The plastic bag is actually pretty cute and is a souvenir in and of itself with the cute design it has.
Hirakoba takes a little longer, having chosen the slightly longer line but he doesn’t need a bag, just walking with the plush toy tucked under one arm. It’s only two trains, anyway.
“Let me know if you ever want to go to another aquarium with someone again,” Hirakoba says, catching up to Tokugawa and tugging him out the door with a hand on his arm. “That was lots of fun.”
Another aquarium… Tokugawa actually chuckles at that. He did enjoy his time here, so maybe a bigger one would be a good place to visit. There would be dolphins and sharks and other kinds of sea creatures there. And maybe then he'll bring an actual camera and not just his cellphone.
"It was," he responds, actually smiling a little at Hirakoba. Then he pulls out the key to his ride. "Will you be taking the trains? I have my motorcycle parked, although I don't have an extra helmet."
The mention of the motorbike surprises Hirakoba and he stares at the keys for a long moment before he waves a hand dismissively. “It’s fine, I’ll catch the train. Helmets would mess up my hair anyway,” he says it with a smile though so Tokugawa knows he’s at least sort of joking.
He pauses before he steps forward to hug Tokugawa one armed. “I look forward to hearing about you for this concert.” Hirakoba tightens his arm around Tokugawa for a moment so he can lean up and press a quick kiss to his cheek. He laughs and steps very quickly away, almost but not quite shukuchihou. “Another birthday present. Thanks Tokugawa-kun.”
Tokugawa freezes and is instantly reminded of that time he was hugged while Rin was naked. It was a shocking experience, and so is this. He feels his face heat up a little though, flustered from what just happened, so he quickly turns.
"Take care going home," he quickly says before he starts walking away.
