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Valentine’s– it wasn’t a holiday anyone of the Hunting Dog Special Unit truly celebrated, aside from the Commander. She was a true romantic at heart, and despite having no love interest of her own, the Unit was the one to receive her affections instead. All purely platonic, and they understood that– Teruko simply liked giving away candy on Valentine’s day, and now all the Hunting Dogs had made sure to get something for her in turn as well.
This year, it was pocky. Every member got 2 packs of pocky, each a different flavour, suiting each of their tastes. And in return Teruko got a box of store-bought chocolates from Jouno, sugar hearts from Tecchou and… an attempt at homemade chocolate from Tachihara, which she got a good laugh out of, but still ate right in front of him, to reassure him that he did well.
Jouno wouldn’t mention the way they could smell those very chocolates somewhere in the trash disposal from where they sat cross-legged on the countertop, slightly hunched over with their two boxes of strawberry pocky in their lap, one packaging opened and a single stick between their lips.
Teruko had made a good choice– it wasn’t quite as sickeningly sweet as the other pocky flavours were, yet it also wasn’t bitter. Yes, Jouno was rather picky with the food they ingested, blaming that on the way their sense of taste was enhanced beyond human limits, and so it was not uncommon to find people, and most often the Commander, not-so-subtly gauging their tastes.
Some were at least attempting to be sneaky, others just… failed at being inconspicuous.
Jouno still appreciated the consideration for their tastes either way, even if surprising them with food items was… near impossible, given this fact and the fact that they could smell it before it was handed to them.
Only one person thus far had been successful, and Jouno tended to ignore that moment, for the sake of their pride. After all, it was Tecchou who, undoubtedly without thinking about it for a second, went over to a stall in the middle of a market place and bought bubble tea. Strawberry bubble tea. Jouno had thought nothing of it, perhaps slightly taken off guard by Tecchou’s abrupt change of direction, as he usually walked straight lines, until it was held out in front of them.
“I know you like strawberries, would you like this?”
It had surprised Jouno more than they cared to admit, the sudden selfless gesture and the consideration . They could do no more than stammer out a startled ‘thanks’ before taking it, stunned.
It was never mentioned again, but the memory was deeply ingrained into their psyche, and even now, as the flavour of strawberry pocky spread over their tongue, Tecchou’s generous offer came to mind.
Speak of the devil and his tail would be seen– the doors of the kitchen opened, causing Jouno’s body to go completely still as if on instinct, to not be perceived– a notion rather useless with how they were seated in plain sight.
“Hello, Jouno.” Tecchou greeted, treating Jouno’s unconventional seating position as a regular occurance, which it was. “Are you eating the Commander’s gift?”
Jouno slowly continued chewing the bite of food that was still in their mouth, swallowing it down before answering.
“Yes, I am. Have you tried yours yet?”
“I was about to.” And the kitchen grew silent again, apart from the breathing and heartbeat of the two people that were in it, as well as the silent chewing from Jouno. Then the sound of ripping cardboard and the rustling of packaging when Tecchou opened his own pocky, followed by the smell of chocolate.
“You got chocolate?” Jouno raised an eyebrow at the perceived basic choice. They would have expected some completely outrageous flavour, honestly.
“It says… double chocolate.” Tecchou looked up from the packaging after double checking his reply.
“ Double chocolate.” Jouno corrected their assumption– though they wouldn’t say they were wrong .
“Yes.”
“Pft–” Jouno found it a slightly amusing name. “An interesting choice– I was expecting to be assaulted by an atrocity, but this is refreshingly… normal, for your tastes.”
“What did you think I would have received, then?” Tecchou inquired.
“I don’t think they make any pocky that would mimic your eating habits– you’d have to singlehandedly keep the market alive, if they did. Maybe you were destined to receive a more regular one, now that I think of it.”
“Hm, I don’t think these look bad.” Tecchou shrugged. “They’re coated all the way, one solid colour, since they don’t have an exposed stick.”
“Is that where the double comes from?”
“I’d assume so.”
“That’s a scam. The exposed stick isn’t half of the pocky.”
“Well, maybe they’re… thicker?”
“Stop trying to excuse corporate greed, Tecchou. You know I’m right.”
“You usually are.” Tecchou agreed so nonchalantly that Jouno had to double take his words, but eventually allowed a satisfied smile to grace their lips.
“You know, if you extended that philosophy to our missions, perhaps we’d both have an easier time as well.” They said after a pause that was just a second too long for the comeback to be convincing, as Jouno grabbed another pocky stick to excuse their flustered silence.
“Perhaps. But taking the shortest route to ensure justice–”
“That saying does not apply to moral questions. It’s literally about distance. ”
“Well, it’s still faster, which would be beneficial.”
“ Faster doesn’t always equal better . If you have to sacrifice quality for speed, then the result suffers. Don’t you want to help people properly? ” Jouno pointed the half-eaten pocky stick at Tecchou accusingly.
“I do. But in order to help the greatest number of people–”
“It doesn’t matter how many you save if you don’t do it properly! If you leave them behind for quantity and then they are still in danger, be it to a lesser amount, you never actually saved anyone! You stumble into places without a second thought, not considering the effects of your actions in the near future.” They sighed, shoving the remainder of the pocky stick in their mouth, giving Tecchou the chance to retaliate.
While this may look like an argument to an outsider, it was actually a rather regular conversation with the aim of being informative– Jouno’s tone of voice was just incapable of being soft when discussing such matters, and Tecchou thankfully understood that.
“I see. I suppose that is a reasonable claim. Perhaps I should reconsider certain aspects of my strategy.”
“What strategy exactly? Your lack of strategy?” Jouno huffed, uncrossing their legs, suddenly no longer interested in this conversation. “It doesn’t matter, we can discuss this while training. I came here to eat in peace , not debate with you, even if it is rather one-sided.”
“I still found it valuable to have your insight.” Tecchou said matter-of-factly, grabbing one of his own pocky sticks and biting into it, the soft crunch catching Jouno’s attention, who grabbed another one for themself as well.
The scene was… uncharacteristically peaceful for those who only knew Jouno and Tecchou from the job– though these more soft and perhaps even domestic scenes weren’t all that uncommon without a duty compelling them forward.
A moment of silence passed between them, both keeping to themselves, sticking to their respective halves of the kitchen, unmoving as statues aside from their hands occasionally grabbing for a new stick of pocky. To Jouno, this silence felt comfortable– they could appreciate the lack of interruptions and the sound of a heartbeat being the loudest thing in the room, with a content smile on their face.
Much like the marble statues are often made of, Tecchou was, unfortunately, extremely dense , and thus unaware of how pleasant Jouno found this situation to be, and that’s why, to break the silence, he said the first thing he could think of.
“...would you like one of my pocky?” He asked, rather awkwardly, holding out the box in front of him, stirring Jouno from their self-made peace.
Briefly contemplating, they decided to accept the offer with a slight falter in their movement, somehow still aiming perfectly for the box that was held out. With their other hand, they held the pink box of pocky they themselves had received forward, to make a fair exchange.
“You also take one, then.” Jouno stated rather than offered, insisting in a way that indicated they did not want Tecchou to deny the offer.
Tecchou, from where he stood, did not hesitate, as he knew denial was pointless, and thus reached a hand forward to grab a stick as well, eyes dancing over the packaging on display. With the month of February, it was littered with hearts, something that vaguely registered as amusing in Tecchou’s brain, with how his partner was unaware of these decorations, and would likely call them tacky if they were.
What caught his eyes most, however, was the bright yellow lettering below the name of the flavour.
‘Perfect for the Pocky Challenge!’ , surrounded by a couple sparkles.
It was the word challenge that truly caught his attention, however, and now that it was gripped, he was intrigued. He had not the faintest idea what this challenge entailed, and given that there were no instructions on the box from where he could see, it was likely a well-known thing, and he was the ignorant one.
“...what is the Pocky Challenge?” He questioned out loud as he grabbed the offered snack, half to himself and half to Jouno, whom he hoped would have the answer like they usually did.
“Huh?” Jouno briefly seemed stunned by the question, before recomposing themself. “It’s like a candy-based game of chicken.” They explained, giving Tecchou rather little to work with, but having limited information has never stopped him before.
“Can I challenge you?” He asked, slightly hesitant, but eager to figure out the specifics.
“I refuse your challenge.” Jouno declined flatly before he could even finish his sentence.
“So you forfeit? I win? If you chicken out, that’s a victory for me, right?”
“That’s not how it– you know what, you’re on.” If there’s one thing you could count on when it came to Jouno, it’s that they hated letting Tecchou win, especially without putting up a fight. “But we’re using yours, because you challenged me.” Uncrossing their legs, they now sat properly on the countertop, so their heights more or less evened out, with Jouno just an inch above their partner.
“Alright.” Tecchou did not object, holding out the package, still without a clue of how this challenge would unfold or what actions he should undertake to achieve victory.
In short, he was doomed to lose the first round before it even began.
Jouno pulled him closer by the top of his left sleeve, a bit impatient to get this over with, while they grabbed a pocky with their other hand and shoved it in Tecchou’s mouth first, who didn’t even flinch at it.
“Okay, rules are simple. We both eat that, first to back out loses.” Tecchou nodded, though he wasn’t fully following– it sounded simple enough, at least. Though he questioned how two people eating pocky simultaneously would ever cause someone to quit– surely even a full box wouldn’t serve to make someone ill enough to simply forfeit?
That’s when Jouno leaned forward and bit into the other end of the same stick .
Oh.
As if instinct, Tecchou immediately recoiled out of startlement, the pocky stick breaking in half as his heartbeat jumped. Jouno only had a satisfied smirk on their face.
“I won.” They said after chewing down their half of the stick.
“That’s not fair. I didn’t know this was what the game entailed.” Tecchou did not want to sound like a sore loser, and in his mind he didn’t, he was simply pointing out facts, but judging by Jouno’s expression that intention had been lost in translation somewhere.
“Well, opponents don’t wait for you to get ready before battle either, usually, so what I’m hearing is you’re simply not good enough.” Jouno said, a certain cheer in their voice that was largely just a smug coating over their tone.
And honestly, to Tecchou and his way of thinking, Jouno did have a point. Opponents were rarely courteous enough to allow for preparations or proper observation before engaging in combat. The completely flawed comparison between a game and a battle was, once again, lost on him. Between the two of them, such a silly game might as well be a battle, with the competitive nature of them both.
“I will grant you this victory, then. Now, I would like to challenge you again, however I’d appreciate it if the premise was explained to me more clearly beforehand.”
“Alright, fine. I’ll humour you. The premise is exactly as I explained it before– both people start eating on opposite ends, and whoever pulls back first loses. It’s really simple, I don’t see what you could have possibly misunderstood.” Tecchou imagined that, had Jouno been anyone else, they'd have rolled their eyes with that statement.
“And what if neither of us do?” He questioned further. “Does that equal a tie?”
“No, it’s still whoever backs off first loses.”
“But if there’s no more pocky to eat, then–”
“Then what? You stay in close proximity until someone pulls away.” Jouno shrugged.
“That seems… underwhelming.” Tecchou raised an eyebrow. “There’s no incentive to quit, at that point.”
“Well, usually the people playing have to kiss, but–”
“Kiss?” Tecchou parroted, cheeks turning a soft red as he tilted his head questioningly.
“Yes, but we’re not doing that.”
“Why not? You cannot simply alter rules you do not agree with. That’s cheating.” He narrowed his eyes, slightly disapproving.
“God, Tecchou, it’s not cheating if all parties agree on the rules–” Exasperation was rising as Jouno leaned further backwards where they sat, brushing their hair out of their face with clear annoyance in their composure.
“Well, I do not agree.” The Hunting Dog insisted.
“Why not?!”
“I wish to have an authentic experience.”
“You do understand that there’s a very real chance that we will have to kiss, right?”
“Not if you pull away.” A certain competitive fire was lit inside him, and it showed in the way he suddenly stood more upright, as if trying to meet the eye level of Jouno, who was still elevated atop the counter. His sudden shift of composure was met with a similar reaction in Jouno, who also seemed to throw rationality out the window for the time being as they leaned forward again.
“You know I won’t.” Jouno replied, returning the same energy.
“I won’t either.”
“You already did, though.” More so teasing than triumphant, Jouno pointed out their previous victory. Tecchou did not grace the weak taunt with a response, rather grabbing a pocky and sticking it in Jouno’s mouth to silence them, swiftly biting into the other end.
Tecchou had already made up his mind– he wouldn’t pull away. He would not admit defeat, that was unbecoming of a Hunting Dog, of course, and… well…
He kind of wanted to know what kissing Jouno would be like. Tecchou wouldn’t deny the thought had crossed his mind in the past…several times.
Either way, it’s a win, right? Jouno consented to being kissed by agreeing to play the game in the first place, and even if they did pull away– which Tecchou doubted since Jouno had quite the stubborn nature, they both did– he’d still win the game.
After a brief moment’s hesitation, Jouno was first to take a bite. Tecchou mimicked the movements, carefully inching closer.
He didn’t close his eyes, scanning Jouno’s facial features– the long white lashes that gently rested atop their cheekbones, the slightest hint of freckles across the bridge of their nose… Tecchou could trace the constellations in those, if only Jouno would let him.
Another bite, another inch gone. Their noses brushed against each other and Tecchou tilted his head to the side in order to accommodate for it. He could briefly sense the way Jouno’s breathing hitched– he imagined his own wasn’t much more stable, and his heart was likely beating out his chest, thumping in Jouno’s sensitive ears.
Yet both refused to yield.
Still inching closer, Tecchou had the absentminded question of just how long this pocky stick could be– it felt like it had gone on for miles, in reality their bites were simply so small they hardly made progress.
Then his patience, a virtue he had trained to its very edge as a swordfighter, simply snapped as he felt himself lean forwards, crossing what little space remained between them and softly pressed his lips to Jouno’s, who, due to startlement, pulled back after just a split second of contact, face tinted red and lips parted slightly.
“I–” Their sentence remained unfinished as they fell into silence. Tecchou didn’t speak either, though his heart undoubtedly did somersaults where it was caged in his chest as he looked at Jouno, so flustered and surprised– so beautiful like this.
It was a great look on them, even if Tecchou rarely got to see the blind Hunting Dog at a loss for words.
“So… I win?” Tecchou said eventually, slight smile on his lips imperceptible to the naked eye but very much audible to his blushing partner.
“No! No you don’t! Rematch, right now! It’s still a tie–” Face still red, Jouno slipped back into the composure Tecchou knew and loved. Stubborn, passionate and determined.
“Alright, if you say so.” Having already grabbed a new pocky stick before Jouno had even finished their sentence, as he had predicted this outcome already, he held it out for Jouno, who placed their lips around it with a little pout.
Cute. Tecchou wanted to kiss that expression right off their face, and he’d soon get the chance to.
Placing his own mouth on the opposite end of the stick, this time the nibbling was less experimental and hesitant on both sides, as if racing to the point they knew one of them would have to falter. This time Tecchou had no time to admire his partner from the close proximity, but it was a sacrifice that didn’t weigh too heavy, considering how a mere 5 seconds later he could taste a mixture of chocolate pocky and strawberries right off Jouno’s lips
Neither pulled away, Jouno even leaned further forward in stubborn defiance of their earlier loss, movement slow but deliberate in a way that took Tecchou’s breath away.
In the end that’s what defeated him– the human need for oxygen in his lungs, and reluctantly, he had to pull back. If he could live off only Jouno’s breath, he’d trade his life for that reality this very instant, he had decided.
“...best out of the whole box wins?” Tecchou asked sheepishly, praying for an affirmative reply.
“Sounds like a plan.” Jouno agreed, slightly breathless. “Prepare for me to defeat you.”
“Hm, sure.” Tecchou wasted absolutely no time in grabbing another pocky stick, both of them taking remarkably large bites and meeting in the middle in a matter of seconds. When lips made contact once more, Tecchou’s hands shifted from hanging rather uselessly by his side to leaning forward against the counter, if only to keep his proximity with Jouno from disappearing, his fingers just barely brushing the hands that were planted on either side of the person that sat atop it.
The lack of negative reaction was perceived as encouragement, and when they bit into the next stick, Tecchou’s hands dared to stray further, now resting on Jouno’s hips before, with a firm pull, he yanked Jouno closer to him, causing his partner to gasp in surprise and break the kiss they had been enjoying, but not reprimand him beyond ‘warn me next time’ (something that made Tecchou fill with glee at the prospect of a ‘next time’, if he was quite honest), and thus he labelled it a success, his legs now straddled by Jouno’s.
The challenge was completely forgotten on Tecchou’s part, he could not tell you how many sticks had been broken thus far nor who may be winning, yet Jouno still dutifully kept count, reciting the score each time just for it to go in one ear and out the other, keeping up the illusion of competition rather than cooperation.
The taste of the chocolate pocky could never taste quite as sweet as Jouno did.
The packaging that stood on the counter, silver wrapping shining in the artificial light, was growing steadily more empty– and the more it did, the faster dread started to pile up in Tecchou’s stomach. He knew Jouno was enjoying themself– he would have never gotten the chance to do this if they weren’t– but he had absolutely no certainty that all of this wouldn’t simply be dropped and forgotten the moment the game was over.
What if this meant not half as much to Jouno as it did to him?
With that thought, Tecchou pulled away again, marking the first loss that wasn’t out of a pure need or reflex, earning him a raised eyebrow from Jouno as the score was repeated. 12-10. Right– it was just a game, after all.
Just… just a competition that Jouno wanted to win. How foolish of him to think otherwise.
Jouno was the one to grab the next pocky, and once more they met in the middle, with Jouno in a competitive mindset while Tecchou was simply enjoying this for however much longer it may last. He didn’t think he would ever be able to forget this– not in a million years, not even if it were to tear him up inside to recall every night when he lay awake staring at the ceiling with a stomach full of bricks.
A pair of arms rested atop his shoulders now, urging him even closer than before, and Tecchou had no objections to voice at that, letting Jouno manoeuvre him to their liking.
Tecchou was content simply staying like that, until he felt a gentle pressure on his bottom lip– Jouno’s teeth, clearly indicating they’d like for his lips to part. It took Tecchou so off guard that he couldn’t help but pull away.
“12-11” Jouno breathed out, head turned slightly to the side with the same pink hues as they had been during this entire ordeal. Only one pocky remained, and that feeling of dread sank just a bit more, weighing heavy on his stomach to the point he wasn’t sure he’d be able to swim if he were thrown overboard at this very moment.
“Last one.” He warned as he put it between his lips, finding it only fair that Jouno would possess the same information he did.
Without hesitation, Jouno leaned forward to capture Tecchou’s lips, the pocky gone in a split second, and they were right where they had left off the last time, with Jouno gently but insistently requesting access, and Tecchou now at the point where he should make a decision. Did he allow this to continue, and feel torn afterwards because he now had something to miss, or did he refuse and live the near future without the knowledge of what it would be like?
Tecchou decided to indulge, allowing himself to experience this and feel that bliss just this once– and it was, in all senses, magical. When he felt his parted lips touch those of Jouno's, his vision seemed to stop working, though he already had his eyes shut, and his thoughts all ceased to exist. His heart was beating rapidly. It felt like all of his senses had been heightened, his mind racing at a thousand miles a second as the world spun around him. His heart was racing, blood flowing faster all throughout his body, every inch of him feeling like it was being pulled, or pushed, in so many different directions at once, all of it being too much for his mind to hold down.
Every fibre of his being was screaming for more, yet what remained of his rational thought refused to claim it– it was wrong, but it felt so right. A conflict Tecchou rarely faced.
Elegant hands got lost in dark brown hair which sent Tecchou reeling. He forgets himself and the surroundings they found themselves in, all that was on his mind replaced by a simple chant of Jouno, Jouno, Jouno on repeat. Even though there were a multitude of fabric layers between them (too many, entirely), somehow the warmth of their bodies still radiated through, making the situation feel just more heated.
With Jouno pressed between the countertop and Tecchou’s body, held in place by a pair of strong arms around their waist, though they could escape any moment using their ability, of course, Tecchou was riding off a high– a thrill he got from just how much Jouno felt like his in this very moment. A feral sense of possession of someone Tecchou would never hope to own. All paths in his mind just pointed towards satisfaction– both for himself and the one he loved so dearly in his arms at this very second.
“Jouno…” Tecchou’s lips just briefly lost contact as he whispered the name like a prayer for the divine, thus technically making this a loss on his part, but he cared rather little about such trivialities when the incarnation of his desires stood– or well, sat– before him. A pair of hands pulled him right back in, tugging at strands of hair that already stood pointing in all directions.
Yet he still wanted more. He clung to Jouno like a drowning man to driftwood, with a desperation that only the asphyxiated would show in their last moments, pulling them impossibly closer until they were no longer seated on the countertop, but rather had their whole weight carried by Tecchou.
Averaging out on a mean weight for their height, Jouno was far from heavy all things considered, especially for Tecchou, who hardly felt he was holding any weight at all, his mind more occupied with other things to take it into account. While in a horizontal movement, it may be harder to relocate his partner anywhere, the moment they were lifted they could be moved wherever Tecchou desired them to go. It was a weird sense of control, but more importantly trust, as Jouno still did not flee.
The last kiss lasted thrice as long as the ones before it, splitting up multiple times but simply choosing not to acknowledge it in favour of enjoying this for just a minute longer. But of course, nothing would ever be endless when finally they were forced to part, faces stained red with both their feelings and their actions on display.
“...I think I won that one.” Jouno muttered after a bit of silence where they both caught their breath, Tecchou wide-eyed and loving, Jouno bashful yet composed.
“You did.” Tecchou agreed, seeing no point in arguing otherwise.
“12-12.” Jouno reinstated the score, while Tecchou was impressed they still were coherent enough to recall the score they had left off.
“That’s… a tie.” Perhaps a bit of a pointless observation to state out loud, though Tecchou hardly cared for the purpose of his words this very instant. “So… what now?”
“I believe this calls for… a tiebreaker.” Jouno mused, raising a finger thoughtfully before a smile creeped onto their lips. “Say, you could carry me up the stairs without any issues, right?” Leaning just a bit closer to Tecchou, their breath ghosted his lips again.
“If you asked? Absolutely.” Not a sign of hesitation in his voice as his eyes once again drifted to Jouno’s lips like they had numerous times already.
“Wonderful, you do that, then. I’ve got a game in mind to help us determine the true victor~” Placing a gentle peck on the lips, Tecchou melted under every touch. It was soft, and it was sweet, but most importantly this wasn’t a game anymore .
Turning on his heels towards the door, still carrying his partner in his arms, he took big strides as he obeyed the request he had been given.
Two packs of pocky stood unopened on the kitchen counter, and one lay half-full beside the pair, all three of them discarded by Hunting Dogs with their minds elsewhere.
Well then, more candy for Teruko, in the end.