[FIC] Gakuen Heaven: Surfacing: Roundabout
Gaaaaaah formatting, work, damn you!
Anyway, uh. This is probably more than a month late, but I hope it's worth the wait? xD It's almost done! And we have the next parts written to be edited!
Surfacing: Roundabout
- Sequel to Reach
Characters/Pairings: Niwa/Nakajima/Shichijo/Saionji
Ratings: PG-13
Words: 3808
Summary: Kaoru makes good on his word with Hide, while Tetsuya takes another step out of his comfort zone with Omi.
It was evening when Kaoru knocked upon Hide's door, a pensive pout gracing his lips. That last conversation he shared with Tetsuya, when they were alone, replayed itself over and over in his head. It actually bothered him, which was surprising on its own. There was no point keeping Omi up because he had an early class tomorrow, but Kaoru knew that Hide would be awake.
Besides, it was about time he made good on his word and spoke with the boy again, wasn't it?
At the knock, Hide looked up from his book, rather surprised. Who would visit him at this time at night, and in that manner? Niwa did not knock for instance; Niwa bangs the door down.
Closing his book, he moved off the bed to the door, opening it. He blinked, and then gave Kaoru a soft smile as he stepped back.
"Come in, Kaoru."
Kaoru offered a faint smile in return, and stepped inside, closing the door behind him before he spoke.
"I talked to Niwa," he closed his eyes for a second, then tucked his hair behind one ear as he continued, "We are... in agreement with the idea of a foursome, if not a little dubious, but we will do our best and make it work."
Hide blinked at that. Kaoru... actually agreed? More than that, he actively sought out Tetsuya to talk to him about the idea. It was unexpected, to say the very least. But understandable, and very much welcome.
"I agree - we will all try our best." Love seemed to be a lot of work, that way. He shook his head, chuckling softly, "You must really treasure Omi a lot, Kaoru."
"Of course," Kaoru admitted without the slightest hint of a blush. "There is your happiness to consider as well," he walked past him to the center of the room, and glanced at the books on the table.
"Required reading, or leisure?"
Hiide shrugged slightly, sitting down on the bed, "Both, I suppose. It is simply leisure reading for now, though I suppose they'll become required reading sooner or later." He chuckled at that.
Then he looks back up to Kaoru.
"But I suppose you aren't here to talk about my books?"
"If you are busy at the moment, I will leave you to your books," Kaoru clarified. "I simply wanted to tell you that I'd come to a decision," he said, but he didn't look at Hide as he said so.
He shook his head; now he was getting rather concerned - Kaoru wasn't one to be evasive, and yet now that was what he was being. He sighed, reaching forward to clasp a hand around Kaoru's wrist. "I'm not busy," he said firmly. "And something is bothering you."
Kaoru sat down on the bed beside him after a moment of silence. "Niwa does not know if it was love that he felt for me before. I wonder if he could possibly recognize whether he loves you."
Hide was quiet for a long moment, before sighing, "I'm not sure either. But I suppose that he will learn to recognize it over time." He looks out of the window, exhaling softly, "Even if he doesn't... or even if he doesn't love me in the end, it's not something that I need."
To that, Kaoru didn't say anything. He just looked at Hide. "You have Omi," he said softly. 'You have me,' was just on the tip of his tongue, but he wasn't sure if the thought was there simply because he wanted to make Hide feel better. He filed it away for later investigation.
Hide cocked his head to side. "And so do you," he pointed out. "In fact, he's more yours than mine, really.
"What's your point?"
"My point," Kaoru sighs, crossing his arms, "is that I quite agree that you don't need Niwa to love you. Omi loves you, and... it is less of a need and more of a want, isn't it?"
Hide sighs quietly, "Yes. No one needs to be loved, after all." But he laughs quietly, looking at Kaoru with knowing eyes. "But it does solve quite a few problems, doesn't it?"
"Not always," Kaoru sighed, "But that is neither here nor there, Hide. We should set up a time to actually be able to talk together, the four of us..."
Hide nodded at that, his brow creasing as he thought, "We definitely need to. This... roundabout communication does not work, especially if we are really going through with this idea." A pause, and he chewed on the corner of a lip, "The question is... when."
Kaoru tilted his head, tucking a strand of red behind his ear as he visualized the school calendar. "This coming Friday or the weekend... unless you or Niwa have something already planned, that is."
Omi would have mentioned something, or marked the date if he was going to monopolize his time.
Hide shook his head, "I'm free on all three of the days, and I'm sure that Tetsuya doesn't have anything on this weekend as well." He turned away for a moment, "Since there are four of us and so much to talk about... how about we monopolize each other's weekends?"
After a pause, Kaoru nodded and smiled. It was almost as though Hide had read his mind, he thought, amused. "All right. I'll fill Omi in on that tomorrow."
Impulsively, Hide reached forward and took one of Kaoru's hands, raising it to his lips to kiss it gently. His eyes didn't leave Kaoru's, and he smiles, not letting go.
"Alright, I'll let Tetsuya know on my side as well."
Kaoru blinked. Coming from Hide, that was... strange treatment. Something he more often than not expected from Omi only. "Are you going to start treating me like a Queen now?"
Hide laughed, kissing the tips of his fingers again before letting his hand go. He cocked his head to the side, a playful smile on his lips, "Do I need to be treating you like a Queen to kiss your hand, Kaoru?"
"... I'm a man," he responded wryly. "If you want to kiss me, Hide, just kiss me."
"I'll gladly acquiescence, then," Hide said, stepping forward. He cupped Kaoru's face with his hands, tilting it up slightly even as he swooped downwards to steal a long, sweet kiss.
***
In the morning, Omi was holed up in one of the study rooms in the school library. Oh, he made sure to tell the librarian that if anyone was looking for the 'resident computer expert' he'd be in the back.
"Please do knock first," he had said, "unless you want me to play with your... hardware. And believe me, I know my way around hardware."
Tetsuya had blinked a couple of times when the smirking librarian relayed that message to him. He had shaken his head, thinking to himself that, honestly, he would never understand Omi. The other boy was an absolute mystery to him - Tetsuya just didn't understand how his mind worked.
Nevertheless, he still had to talk to him. Raising a hand, he knocked firmly on the door of the study room he had been pointed to; it was the library, not Hide's room. And the consequences of banging Omi's door down seemed... sorta ominous.
Omi finished the sentence he was reading and tucked an index card between the pages before he closed the book. He had a patient, amused smile when he opened the door.
"Ah, Niwa-kaichou," his smile widened a tad, and his eyes took on a mischievous glint. "To what do I owe the honor?"
Tetsuya could already feel the nervous grin curving his lips the moment he saw that particular glint in Omi's eyes. He hated it - it usually meant that the other boy was plotting something, most often against Hide or himself. He laughed a little sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
"Eh... can I come in? It's sort of weird to talk about this outside..."
"By all means..." Omi steped aside, letting his gaze fall from the good president's face, to his tie. Idly, he wondered how the guy might react if he pulled him into the room by the tie, but... ah, best not to frighten him off... just yet.
He looked back at the table, with the small pile of books spread out on its surface, and started stacking them up to clear the space.
"What did you want to talk about?"
Tetsuya gave him one of his trademark bright grins, tinged with just a little nervousness. "Um... Hide has told you about his idea, right? About the... foursome?"
Omi simply held his peace for a contemplative moment, crossing his arms casually and leaning against the table.
"His idea?" He chuckled. "What about it?"
Tetsuya blinked, "Uh... His idea? Your idea? Both of your ideas?" He chewed on his lip, shaking his head. Sometimes Hide and Omi were so in sync with each other that it's scary. "Eh... I don't think it matters anyway. So... uh, anyway, have you considered how we're going to make this work?"
"Well, yes..." Omi smiled, leaning casually against the table. He lifted a hand, spreading his fingers over a stack of books. "I've been doing a bit of, ah, research on the topic actually..."
Tetsuya glanced at the books, then laughed sheepishly. They seemed to be on same sex relationships and how to make them work. He didn't think Omi was the type to do this sort of... research, but what did he know, eh? Besides, it might be helpful... (Though he honestly doubted it - really, what sort of books would teach you about how to make a foursome work?) And honestly? They needed all the help they could get.
"Really?" he leaned forward, interested. "And uh, what did you find out?"
"Well, all of these books are actually intended for couples, but the general idea is that we should communicate with one another more," he considered, and elaborated, "And be constructive in fights, if we do fight... I don't really see how different it is from how to work with others in general, but some of the examples given are... considerably more relevant."
Omi picked out the second book in the pile, flipping it open to page marked with a blue tag.
"Example: "Ayame is a 'prom queen', and Yuki always wanted to be one, but never won the title when she went to school. After they settled into a relationship together, Ayame gradually started gaining weight, but made jokes about doing so because she was now a 'happily married woman'. Yuki was attracted to Ayame primarily because of her image, but it felt shallow to admit, since she loved Ayame for more than that. As a result, she remained silence, but gradually grew resentful of Ayame's happiness and ignorance."
"They broke up," he closed the book and looked back at Tetsuya as he finished, "all because Yuki couldn't tell Ayame what was bothering her.
"Then again," he smiled softly, "Kaoru and I would never have gotten together if Hide didn't just tell us we loved each other... So what exactly did you want to talk to me about?"
Tetsuya blinked. He tried to process all of that information at once... and blinked again. Staring at Omi, he tried to close his mouth, which had fallen open without his notice sometime earlier.
"Uh..." he tried to say something, anything. Well, anything other than what is currently running through his head: Omi was really, really odd. Why did he just read that out? Was he trying to compare their situation - them - to a couple of lesbians? What is he actually trying to say?!
Tetsuya flailed inwardly, trying to answer Omi while not letting too much of his confusion and sheer bewilderment show on his face. He wasn't very successful, but he tried anyway.
"Um," he attempted again. "That's... interesting? I think? Er... Hide..." Safe topic! Understandable topic! Somewhat understandable! Better than lesbians! "Hide told you guys that?"
Omi nodded, all pleasant and agreeable. He liked teaching by example, and sometimes to the point of flat out showing someone what to do by doing the work for them. In this case, he could have told Tetsuya to read the books himself, but then... didn't Tetsuya want to talk to him about something that couldn't be found in books?
Tetsuya laughed again - what else could he do? He really had no idea how to deal with Omi alone - Hide and Kaoru were usually with them. But he supposed that he had to learn; he had promised, after all.
"So... uh... What do you suggest we start with, then?" Try that little boy smile, Tetsuya. Then maybe he wouldn't find out that you really have no clue...
Aw, wasn't that cute? Omi chuckled, and good-naturedly replied. "I suggest we get together sometime when we're all free, such as the coming weekend, and talk, Niwa-kaichou... so we can all decide on what to do together. Or what not to."
Tetsuya nodded thoughtfully, rubbing his chin as he spoke, "Hmm... Hide and I should be able to finish all our work by Friday, so our Saturday's free... Nothing planned for it, anyhow." They needed to find a neutral place... so the bedrooms were out. And so were the Council Room and Treasury... Hmm...
"We can meet in the garden?" His eyes lit up. "We can have a picnic for brunch and talk about what we're going to do? How 'bout that?"
"It may be a good idea..." Omi began. Visualizing the four of them having a picnic together was another thing. "But considering the contents of what we will talk about, I should think Hide and Kaoru would prefer a private setting."
Tetsuya frowned. "You might be right..." he said slowly. "But there isn't really a private, indoor and neutral place that we can use in this school." He looked at Omi consideringly, "Are you suggesting that we move out of school?"
"No~" Omi averted is eyes, his smile wavering a little like he almost wanted to laugh. "I am suggesting this private, indoor and ... more or less neutral place: a study room."
Tetsuya blinked, feeling like an idiot all of the sudden. Why did both members of the Treasury have that effect on him?
He laughed sheepishly, "Aha... I see... Well, um, that can work then!" He nods to the walls that separated the study room from the rest of the library, "No one will be able to peek in on us here... Good idea, Shichijo!"
"Omi," Omi murmured. "You might want to try calling me by my first name if you're going to be one of my... lovers."
"A-Alright then," Tetsuya said quietly, rather surprised by the sudden soft tone. He rubbed his neck awkwardly. "I suppose that you should call me Tetsuya then... Omi."
"... Tetsuya." Omi nodded. "Alright then. I'll sign out a room for Saturday if Hide and Kaoru are all right with the arrangement as well."
"We can try calling them now?" Tetsuya suggested. Hey, he did want to try to be helpful with this whole planning thing instead of just asking Omi for suggestions. He was the Council President after all.
Omi checked his watch. "Hide would be up, but Kaoru has no class this morning, so," he paused, then added delicately, " he's probably sleeping in."
And it would most likely be a very bad idea to wake Kaoru up with a phone call right now, Tetsuya gathered. Well, that was troublesome - what were they supposed to do now. He chewed on his lip, "Well, you can ask him about it later... and if he has any problems, we can reschedule?"
"We can," Omi inclined his head. "But until then..." he walked over and curled a finger around Tetsuya's tie as he spoke, "why don't you and I get to know each other a little better first?"
Tetsuya blinked, opening his mouth to reply, but his mind was a complete blank. This... This was unexpected. Omi was... very close - he could see the exact shade of violet of the other boy's eyes, the silver of the lashes framing them and it was sort of...
Pretty.
Wait. What was he thinking?! This wasn't the time or the place for this- why was Omi so close and what was he doing to his tie! Tetsuya flailed inwardly, barely managing to keep from squeaking at the shock. He just stared at Omi for a few long, silent seconds.
"Um," he said intelligently.
"Hm?" If Omi knew what Tetsuya had been thinking, he would have laughed, because Tetsuya's dark purple eyes were a rather pretty shade as well, if he actually had to think about it.
But he laughed anyway, lightly. "You're so cute."
"Er," Tetsuya said, completely at a loss of words at that. How was he supposed to reply to that? This situaton was so odd and Omi still had a hand on his tie! He... had to be calm. He had to learn to deal with Omi sooner or later, right?
"No one has ever called me that before..." he said, tentatively.
“No one?" Omi blinked, "Not even Hide?" What did Hide think of Tetsuya then, he wondered. Surely not just that Tetsuya was someone he loved...
Tetsuya shook his head, leaning backwards a little more. He glances down at the finger around his tie, then back again at Omi. He smiles sheepishly.
"No? Um, should he have?"
“I would have thought he might say something sometimes and then pretend to be mocking you for the times when you're acting like a little boy with his hand caught in a cookie jar... Then again, it is Hide." He tugged the tie lightly, teasingly, but let go and took a step back.
"He'd probably have kept it to himself, like he tries to do with everything else."
Tetsuya breathed a surreptitious sigh of relief. Now this was a much safer topic, albeit a rather... frustrating one. "He always does that," he complained, an almost sulky tone creeping into his voice as he frowned. "I don't know what he's thinking about most of the time because he never says anything! I can't read minds!"
“What about his body language?" Omi wasn't exactly one to talk about reading body language, but if anyone could do it, Tetsuya could. Or at least, there was something in him...
"Uh..." Tetsuya tried to stall, trying to think. He knew that he was good at picking up body language when there was a big crowd - he was able to steer people towards his cause easily, after all. But... with Hide?
"I've never noticed," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck and ducking his head down.
"Then maybe it would help if you started paying attention to that in particular. At least that's something you can control in yourself, rather than whether Hide will verbally tell you what he thinks." Omi sat back down, gesturing for Tetsuya to take the seat beside him.
Tetsuya dropped into the seat heavily, sighing, "Yea. Yea, I should probably do that." He shakes his head, biting his lip, "He's just so... so maddening. I never know what he's thinking about. I don't get him. Kinda like with you, really, but he's my best friend so I should know, right?"
He crossed his arm in a harsh motion, "I even understand Kaoru more than him!"
Really now, Omi blinked, but he didn't say anything, just studying Tetsuya for a moment.
"He is a good actor when he wants to be," Omi finally said. "You may be blind to him because you are not very observant with him, but it may also be because he simply didn't want you to know what he was thinking, especially not about you."
Tetsuya sighed. It's unfair, really: Hide's rival knew him and understood him better than his best friend. But oh well, he supposed that he would just try harder next time, especially now that he had a better idea of what to do.
He sighed, then leaned forward, "Ne, Shichi- Omi, do you think I'm very... blind?"
Omi just looked at him, almost blankly for a long moment. Then seriously. And then a corner of his lips twitched upwards.
"Not... completely. You're notably better at grasping group mentality."
Tetsuya crossed his arms, sighing again, "Which means that I'm horrible with just one person."
"Well...," Omi leaned his elbows on the table, threading his fingers together. His expression did not change. With that half-smile, he said, "Yes."
He rested a cheek over his the back of his hands, passively studying Tetsuya's face.
Tetsuya just stared at him for a long moment, hardly believing his ears. Well, he knew what he had heard - he just... didn't want to believe it. But...
He exhaled, slumping back against his chair. He rubbed his face with his hands, upset. "I'm hopeless, huh..."
Omi laughed, shaking his head. "Nonsense." If anything, Tetsuya struck him as an incredibly hopeful individual. "You just tend not to focus on individuals, Ni-" He closed his eyes briefly. "Tetsuya, it's a habit; certainly an adjustable variable."
Somehow, Tetsuya felt strange relieved to hear Omi slip on his name as well - it made him seem more like a human rather than one of those computers he was so fond of. "Adjustable?"
"You have the ability to read people in general, so it's a matter of paying Hide that degree of attention as well..." Omi held his eyes for a second, then looked away as he recalled how he'd seen Hide and Tetsuya interact.
"For example, sometimes when you're talking to each other, he may be telling you one thing but thinking something else altogether. If you just hear the words, but don't look at the way he delivers it, you'll miss what's underneath."
Tetsuya growled a little at that, burying his hands in his hair and rubbing it vigorously. "That's why it's so annoying," he said, annoyance clear in his tone. "I try, really, to hear that, but most of the time I don't catch it - it just goes over my head!"
Omi nodded, and smiled to soften his expression. "That's right. You hear. You don't quite watch... But you won't stop trying, will you?"
And come to think of it, he chuckled. "Now you will have Kaoru and I to help you as well." He's relatively sure Kaoru will at least be quite glad to point out most the mistakes poor Tetsuya would make.
Tetsuya laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Ahaha... true. You two would definitely tell me when I'm being stupid..."
In response, Omi simply smiled. Nothing more constructive came to his mind immediately, so he kept his mouth shut.
Then, his phone vibrated.
"Excuse me," he took it out, glanced at the screen, and accepted the call.
"Good morning, Kaoru..."
End
Continued in Surfacing: Fantasy
Anyway, uh. This is probably more than a month late, but I hope it's worth the wait? xD It's almost done! And we have the next parts written to be edited!
Surfacing: Roundabout
- Sequel to Reach
Characters/Pairings: Niwa/Nakajima/Shichijo/Saionji
Ratings: PG-13
Words: 3808
Summary: Kaoru makes good on his word with Hide, while Tetsuya takes another step out of his comfort zone with Omi.
It was evening when Kaoru knocked upon Hide's door, a pensive pout gracing his lips. That last conversation he shared with Tetsuya, when they were alone, replayed itself over and over in his head. It actually bothered him, which was surprising on its own. There was no point keeping Omi up because he had an early class tomorrow, but Kaoru knew that Hide would be awake.
Besides, it was about time he made good on his word and spoke with the boy again, wasn't it?
At the knock, Hide looked up from his book, rather surprised. Who would visit him at this time at night, and in that manner? Niwa did not knock for instance; Niwa bangs the door down.
Closing his book, he moved off the bed to the door, opening it. He blinked, and then gave Kaoru a soft smile as he stepped back.
"Come in, Kaoru."
Kaoru offered a faint smile in return, and stepped inside, closing the door behind him before he spoke.
"I talked to Niwa," he closed his eyes for a second, then tucked his hair behind one ear as he continued, "We are... in agreement with the idea of a foursome, if not a little dubious, but we will do our best and make it work."
Hide blinked at that. Kaoru... actually agreed? More than that, he actively sought out Tetsuya to talk to him about the idea. It was unexpected, to say the very least. But understandable, and very much welcome.
"I agree - we will all try our best." Love seemed to be a lot of work, that way. He shook his head, chuckling softly, "You must really treasure Omi a lot, Kaoru."
"Of course," Kaoru admitted without the slightest hint of a blush. "There is your happiness to consider as well," he walked past him to the center of the room, and glanced at the books on the table.
"Required reading, or leisure?"
Hiide shrugged slightly, sitting down on the bed, "Both, I suppose. It is simply leisure reading for now, though I suppose they'll become required reading sooner or later." He chuckled at that.
Then he looks back up to Kaoru.
"But I suppose you aren't here to talk about my books?"
"If you are busy at the moment, I will leave you to your books," Kaoru clarified. "I simply wanted to tell you that I'd come to a decision," he said, but he didn't look at Hide as he said so.
He shook his head; now he was getting rather concerned - Kaoru wasn't one to be evasive, and yet now that was what he was being. He sighed, reaching forward to clasp a hand around Kaoru's wrist. "I'm not busy," he said firmly. "And something is bothering you."
Kaoru sat down on the bed beside him after a moment of silence. "Niwa does not know if it was love that he felt for me before. I wonder if he could possibly recognize whether he loves you."
Hide was quiet for a long moment, before sighing, "I'm not sure either. But I suppose that he will learn to recognize it over time." He looks out of the window, exhaling softly, "Even if he doesn't... or even if he doesn't love me in the end, it's not something that I need."
To that, Kaoru didn't say anything. He just looked at Hide. "You have Omi," he said softly. 'You have me,' was just on the tip of his tongue, but he wasn't sure if the thought was there simply because he wanted to make Hide feel better. He filed it away for later investigation.
Hide cocked his head to side. "And so do you," he pointed out. "In fact, he's more yours than mine, really.
"What's your point?"
"My point," Kaoru sighs, crossing his arms, "is that I quite agree that you don't need Niwa to love you. Omi loves you, and... it is less of a need and more of a want, isn't it?"
Hide sighs quietly, "Yes. No one needs to be loved, after all." But he laughs quietly, looking at Kaoru with knowing eyes. "But it does solve quite a few problems, doesn't it?"
"Not always," Kaoru sighed, "But that is neither here nor there, Hide. We should set up a time to actually be able to talk together, the four of us..."
Hide nodded at that, his brow creasing as he thought, "We definitely need to. This... roundabout communication does not work, especially if we are really going through with this idea." A pause, and he chewed on the corner of a lip, "The question is... when."
Kaoru tilted his head, tucking a strand of red behind his ear as he visualized the school calendar. "This coming Friday or the weekend... unless you or Niwa have something already planned, that is."
Omi would have mentioned something, or marked the date if he was going to monopolize his time.
Hide shook his head, "I'm free on all three of the days, and I'm sure that Tetsuya doesn't have anything on this weekend as well." He turned away for a moment, "Since there are four of us and so much to talk about... how about we monopolize each other's weekends?"
After a pause, Kaoru nodded and smiled. It was almost as though Hide had read his mind, he thought, amused. "All right. I'll fill Omi in on that tomorrow."
Impulsively, Hide reached forward and took one of Kaoru's hands, raising it to his lips to kiss it gently. His eyes didn't leave Kaoru's, and he smiles, not letting go.
"Alright, I'll let Tetsuya know on my side as well."
Kaoru blinked. Coming from Hide, that was... strange treatment. Something he more often than not expected from Omi only. "Are you going to start treating me like a Queen now?"
Hide laughed, kissing the tips of his fingers again before letting his hand go. He cocked his head to the side, a playful smile on his lips, "Do I need to be treating you like a Queen to kiss your hand, Kaoru?"
"... I'm a man," he responded wryly. "If you want to kiss me, Hide, just kiss me."
"I'll gladly acquiescence, then," Hide said, stepping forward. He cupped Kaoru's face with his hands, tilting it up slightly even as he swooped downwards to steal a long, sweet kiss.
***
In the morning, Omi was holed up in one of the study rooms in the school library. Oh, he made sure to tell the librarian that if anyone was looking for the 'resident computer expert' he'd be in the back.
"Please do knock first," he had said, "unless you want me to play with your... hardware. And believe me, I know my way around hardware."
Tetsuya had blinked a couple of times when the smirking librarian relayed that message to him. He had shaken his head, thinking to himself that, honestly, he would never understand Omi. The other boy was an absolute mystery to him - Tetsuya just didn't understand how his mind worked.
Nevertheless, he still had to talk to him. Raising a hand, he knocked firmly on the door of the study room he had been pointed to; it was the library, not Hide's room. And the consequences of banging Omi's door down seemed... sorta ominous.
Omi finished the sentence he was reading and tucked an index card between the pages before he closed the book. He had a patient, amused smile when he opened the door.
"Ah, Niwa-kaichou," his smile widened a tad, and his eyes took on a mischievous glint. "To what do I owe the honor?"
Tetsuya could already feel the nervous grin curving his lips the moment he saw that particular glint in Omi's eyes. He hated it - it usually meant that the other boy was plotting something, most often against Hide or himself. He laughed a little sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
"Eh... can I come in? It's sort of weird to talk about this outside..."
"By all means..." Omi steped aside, letting his gaze fall from the good president's face, to his tie. Idly, he wondered how the guy might react if he pulled him into the room by the tie, but... ah, best not to frighten him off... just yet.
He looked back at the table, with the small pile of books spread out on its surface, and started stacking them up to clear the space.
"What did you want to talk about?"
Tetsuya gave him one of his trademark bright grins, tinged with just a little nervousness. "Um... Hide has told you about his idea, right? About the... foursome?"
Omi simply held his peace for a contemplative moment, crossing his arms casually and leaning against the table.
"His idea?" He chuckled. "What about it?"
Tetsuya blinked, "Uh... His idea? Your idea? Both of your ideas?" He chewed on his lip, shaking his head. Sometimes Hide and Omi were so in sync with each other that it's scary. "Eh... I don't think it matters anyway. So... uh, anyway, have you considered how we're going to make this work?"
"Well, yes..." Omi smiled, leaning casually against the table. He lifted a hand, spreading his fingers over a stack of books. "I've been doing a bit of, ah, research on the topic actually..."
Tetsuya glanced at the books, then laughed sheepishly. They seemed to be on same sex relationships and how to make them work. He didn't think Omi was the type to do this sort of... research, but what did he know, eh? Besides, it might be helpful... (Though he honestly doubted it - really, what sort of books would teach you about how to make a foursome work?) And honestly? They needed all the help they could get.
"Really?" he leaned forward, interested. "And uh, what did you find out?"
"Well, all of these books are actually intended for couples, but the general idea is that we should communicate with one another more," he considered, and elaborated, "And be constructive in fights, if we do fight... I don't really see how different it is from how to work with others in general, but some of the examples given are... considerably more relevant."
Omi picked out the second book in the pile, flipping it open to page marked with a blue tag.
"Example: "Ayame is a 'prom queen', and Yuki always wanted to be one, but never won the title when she went to school. After they settled into a relationship together, Ayame gradually started gaining weight, but made jokes about doing so because she was now a 'happily married woman'. Yuki was attracted to Ayame primarily because of her image, but it felt shallow to admit, since she loved Ayame for more than that. As a result, she remained silence, but gradually grew resentful of Ayame's happiness and ignorance."
"They broke up," he closed the book and looked back at Tetsuya as he finished, "all because Yuki couldn't tell Ayame what was bothering her.
"Then again," he smiled softly, "Kaoru and I would never have gotten together if Hide didn't just tell us we loved each other... So what exactly did you want to talk to me about?"
Tetsuya blinked. He tried to process all of that information at once... and blinked again. Staring at Omi, he tried to close his mouth, which had fallen open without his notice sometime earlier.
"Uh..." he tried to say something, anything. Well, anything other than what is currently running through his head: Omi was really, really odd. Why did he just read that out? Was he trying to compare their situation - them - to a couple of lesbians? What is he actually trying to say?!
Tetsuya flailed inwardly, trying to answer Omi while not letting too much of his confusion and sheer bewilderment show on his face. He wasn't very successful, but he tried anyway.
"Um," he attempted again. "That's... interesting? I think? Er... Hide..." Safe topic! Understandable topic! Somewhat understandable! Better than lesbians! "Hide told you guys that?"
Omi nodded, all pleasant and agreeable. He liked teaching by example, and sometimes to the point of flat out showing someone what to do by doing the work for them. In this case, he could have told Tetsuya to read the books himself, but then... didn't Tetsuya want to talk to him about something that couldn't be found in books?
Tetsuya laughed again - what else could he do? He really had no idea how to deal with Omi alone - Hide and Kaoru were usually with them. But he supposed that he had to learn; he had promised, after all.
"So... uh... What do you suggest we start with, then?" Try that little boy smile, Tetsuya. Then maybe he wouldn't find out that you really have no clue...
Aw, wasn't that cute? Omi chuckled, and good-naturedly replied. "I suggest we get together sometime when we're all free, such as the coming weekend, and talk, Niwa-kaichou... so we can all decide on what to do together. Or what not to."
Tetsuya nodded thoughtfully, rubbing his chin as he spoke, "Hmm... Hide and I should be able to finish all our work by Friday, so our Saturday's free... Nothing planned for it, anyhow." They needed to find a neutral place... so the bedrooms were out. And so were the Council Room and Treasury... Hmm...
"We can meet in the garden?" His eyes lit up. "We can have a picnic for brunch and talk about what we're going to do? How 'bout that?"
"It may be a good idea..." Omi began. Visualizing the four of them having a picnic together was another thing. "But considering the contents of what we will talk about, I should think Hide and Kaoru would prefer a private setting."
Tetsuya frowned. "You might be right..." he said slowly. "But there isn't really a private, indoor and neutral place that we can use in this school." He looked at Omi consideringly, "Are you suggesting that we move out of school?"
"No~" Omi averted is eyes, his smile wavering a little like he almost wanted to laugh. "I am suggesting this private, indoor and ... more or less neutral place: a study room."
Tetsuya blinked, feeling like an idiot all of the sudden. Why did both members of the Treasury have that effect on him?
He laughed sheepishly, "Aha... I see... Well, um, that can work then!" He nods to the walls that separated the study room from the rest of the library, "No one will be able to peek in on us here... Good idea, Shichijo!"
"Omi," Omi murmured. "You might want to try calling me by my first name if you're going to be one of my... lovers."
"A-Alright then," Tetsuya said quietly, rather surprised by the sudden soft tone. He rubbed his neck awkwardly. "I suppose that you should call me Tetsuya then... Omi."
"... Tetsuya." Omi nodded. "Alright then. I'll sign out a room for Saturday if Hide and Kaoru are all right with the arrangement as well."
"We can try calling them now?" Tetsuya suggested. Hey, he did want to try to be helpful with this whole planning thing instead of just asking Omi for suggestions. He was the Council President after all.
Omi checked his watch. "Hide would be up, but Kaoru has no class this morning, so," he paused, then added delicately, " he's probably sleeping in."
And it would most likely be a very bad idea to wake Kaoru up with a phone call right now, Tetsuya gathered. Well, that was troublesome - what were they supposed to do now. He chewed on his lip, "Well, you can ask him about it later... and if he has any problems, we can reschedule?"
"We can," Omi inclined his head. "But until then..." he walked over and curled a finger around Tetsuya's tie as he spoke, "why don't you and I get to know each other a little better first?"
Tetsuya blinked, opening his mouth to reply, but his mind was a complete blank. This... This was unexpected. Omi was... very close - he could see the exact shade of violet of the other boy's eyes, the silver of the lashes framing them and it was sort of...
Pretty.
Wait. What was he thinking?! This wasn't the time or the place for this- why was Omi so close and what was he doing to his tie! Tetsuya flailed inwardly, barely managing to keep from squeaking at the shock. He just stared at Omi for a few long, silent seconds.
"Um," he said intelligently.
"Hm?" If Omi knew what Tetsuya had been thinking, he would have laughed, because Tetsuya's dark purple eyes were a rather pretty shade as well, if he actually had to think about it.
But he laughed anyway, lightly. "You're so cute."
"Er," Tetsuya said, completely at a loss of words at that. How was he supposed to reply to that? This situaton was so odd and Omi still had a hand on his tie! He... had to be calm. He had to learn to deal with Omi sooner or later, right?
"No one has ever called me that before..." he said, tentatively.
“No one?" Omi blinked, "Not even Hide?" What did Hide think of Tetsuya then, he wondered. Surely not just that Tetsuya was someone he loved...
Tetsuya shook his head, leaning backwards a little more. He glances down at the finger around his tie, then back again at Omi. He smiles sheepishly.
"No? Um, should he have?"
“I would have thought he might say something sometimes and then pretend to be mocking you for the times when you're acting like a little boy with his hand caught in a cookie jar... Then again, it is Hide." He tugged the tie lightly, teasingly, but let go and took a step back.
"He'd probably have kept it to himself, like he tries to do with everything else."
Tetsuya breathed a surreptitious sigh of relief. Now this was a much safer topic, albeit a rather... frustrating one. "He always does that," he complained, an almost sulky tone creeping into his voice as he frowned. "I don't know what he's thinking about most of the time because he never says anything! I can't read minds!"
“What about his body language?" Omi wasn't exactly one to talk about reading body language, but if anyone could do it, Tetsuya could. Or at least, there was something in him...
"Uh..." Tetsuya tried to stall, trying to think. He knew that he was good at picking up body language when there was a big crowd - he was able to steer people towards his cause easily, after all. But... with Hide?
"I've never noticed," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck and ducking his head down.
"Then maybe it would help if you started paying attention to that in particular. At least that's something you can control in yourself, rather than whether Hide will verbally tell you what he thinks." Omi sat back down, gesturing for Tetsuya to take the seat beside him.
Tetsuya dropped into the seat heavily, sighing, "Yea. Yea, I should probably do that." He shakes his head, biting his lip, "He's just so... so maddening. I never know what he's thinking about. I don't get him. Kinda like with you, really, but he's my best friend so I should know, right?"
He crossed his arm in a harsh motion, "I even understand Kaoru more than him!"
Really now, Omi blinked, but he didn't say anything, just studying Tetsuya for a moment.
"He is a good actor when he wants to be," Omi finally said. "You may be blind to him because you are not very observant with him, but it may also be because he simply didn't want you to know what he was thinking, especially not about you."
Tetsuya sighed. It's unfair, really: Hide's rival knew him and understood him better than his best friend. But oh well, he supposed that he would just try harder next time, especially now that he had a better idea of what to do.
He sighed, then leaned forward, "Ne, Shichi- Omi, do you think I'm very... blind?"
Omi just looked at him, almost blankly for a long moment. Then seriously. And then a corner of his lips twitched upwards.
"Not... completely. You're notably better at grasping group mentality."
Tetsuya crossed his arms, sighing again, "Which means that I'm horrible with just one person."
"Well...," Omi leaned his elbows on the table, threading his fingers together. His expression did not change. With that half-smile, he said, "Yes."
He rested a cheek over his the back of his hands, passively studying Tetsuya's face.
Tetsuya just stared at him for a long moment, hardly believing his ears. Well, he knew what he had heard - he just... didn't want to believe it. But...
He exhaled, slumping back against his chair. He rubbed his face with his hands, upset. "I'm hopeless, huh..."
Omi laughed, shaking his head. "Nonsense." If anything, Tetsuya struck him as an incredibly hopeful individual. "You just tend not to focus on individuals, Ni-" He closed his eyes briefly. "Tetsuya, it's a habit; certainly an adjustable variable."
Somehow, Tetsuya felt strange relieved to hear Omi slip on his name as well - it made him seem more like a human rather than one of those computers he was so fond of. "Adjustable?"
"You have the ability to read people in general, so it's a matter of paying Hide that degree of attention as well..." Omi held his eyes for a second, then looked away as he recalled how he'd seen Hide and Tetsuya interact.
"For example, sometimes when you're talking to each other, he may be telling you one thing but thinking something else altogether. If you just hear the words, but don't look at the way he delivers it, you'll miss what's underneath."
Tetsuya growled a little at that, burying his hands in his hair and rubbing it vigorously. "That's why it's so annoying," he said, annoyance clear in his tone. "I try, really, to hear that, but most of the time I don't catch it - it just goes over my head!"
Omi nodded, and smiled to soften his expression. "That's right. You hear. You don't quite watch... But you won't stop trying, will you?"
And come to think of it, he chuckled. "Now you will have Kaoru and I to help you as well." He's relatively sure Kaoru will at least be quite glad to point out most the mistakes poor Tetsuya would make.
Tetsuya laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Ahaha... true. You two would definitely tell me when I'm being stupid..."
In response, Omi simply smiled. Nothing more constructive came to his mind immediately, so he kept his mouth shut.
Then, his phone vibrated.
"Excuse me," he took it out, glanced at the screen, and accepted the call.
"Good morning, Kaoru..."
End
Continued in Surfacing: Fantasy