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it was a typical brawl. if it can even be called that. someone from an unknown gang had picked a fight with one of the furin's first years and it was totally unfair, a group of 10s something lowlifes ganging up on a single boy. reason unknown. hiiragi had stepped in because he was the closest in the area. it was easy to put all them into their place though he can't realistically come out unscathed. tens something people are still tens something people. he feels okay except for the bruises and probably small cuts on his face, because one of the bastard's actually started swinging with brass knuckles. fucker.
but the boy's condition isn't too bad, he puts up a hell of a fight himself too and hiiragi thinks that all is well. at least no one got seriously injured, so they might as well just walk back to furin together. he doesn't really know the boy's name; he's highly likely under someone else and not hiiragi. upon arriving, there's already even more first years waiting at the gate, the boy's friends probably. they swarmed to him after bowing to hiiragi first. hiiragi gave them a curt nod in return.
"____! what the hell! we almost lost our shit! we wanted to rush to the scene but we got a text that hiiragi-san was already heading towards where you were and we were told to stay put. we're glad you're fine, dude! hiiragi-san is so reliable as always!!" they all exclaim so excitedly, all shiny eyes. some even offered to help tend to the cuts on hiiragi's face and hands but he decides to brush it off and do it himself instead. he just gets awkward around his kouhais even if they meant well.
reliable as always huh?
he walks slowly up to the rooftop—he considered just heading straight home after making sure the boy got back to furin safely but somehow today he thought maybe it'd be nice to watch the sun setting. he had a long day and he rightfully earned today's sunset. but he's not alone when he got there; how can he even assume he'll be alone not when this very school is umemiya hajime's own second home. of course umemiya's still at the school, at the rooftop sitting at the old sofa reading some books hiiragi has no interest in. he walks straight past umemiya who was sitting. odd to see him alone without sugishita tending to his garden, then again it's just odd to see him alone because umemiya is always surrounded by people and he surrounds himself with them back.
hiiragi finds the beat up first aid box on the floor. some antiseptic and band aids will do. he minds his business, not really uttering a word or starting talking to umemiya who's still reading, glasses perched on his nose.
it was when he was about to rub some alcohol on the cuts on his cheeks that a nearly scorching hand took the tweezers away from him; umemiya is no longer sitting reading at the sofa; he’s now right beside him.
"let me do it." and hiiragi lets him.
they don't look into each other's eyes. umemiya studies hiiragi's cuts like he's one of the books he's reading. hiiragi looks past his broad shoulders to watch the sun setting. his gaze skitters back to umemiya, noticing that umemiya's already has been looking at him first. his stomach churns. hunger, he thinks.
and it was probably on purpose that umemiya prods the cotton ball just a little bit harder. hiiragi winces. surely he could've been a little gentler with it. umemiya chuckled. "what? you can't handle a sting or two?" hiiragi huffs in annoyance, though his hands stays put on his lap with no attempts of swatting umemiya's away. "i could've just done it myself if you're only just going to be an ass."
"you do yours so hastily that it won't heal properly.” “matters more that i can do it myself." but umemiya inches closer into hiiragi's view, filling his vision like he does with his life, the warmths of his body fills the air and it makes hiiragi feel stuffy on a supposedly chill evening. maybe it's the distance, or lack thereof but his warm blue eyes somehow looks much clearer even if it's shielded by his glasses. like this, his hair looks orange from the sun going down. like this, the slight stings are not felt at all. like this, he could just drown.
when it's time to check on his hands, umemiya's hands were too warm and hiiragi could've shivered. he looks at the differences of their hands, his bony ones look odd in umemiya's fleshy hold. maybe like a puzzle piece from a different picture fitting into another one. a lot of things he's finding odd today. maybe not drown, maybe he learned today that humans could melt under another one's touch. his stomach pokes at him uncomfortably.
when umemiya was done, the sun had long gone down, the bastard sure took his time with hiiragi when the injuries weren't even serious. hiiragi doesn't even want to call it injuries. neither of them looked like they were both planning on going home soon, and umemiya never went back to his book again, glasses already kept neatly in a box made to keep them.
"is the boy alright?" so he knows the details already. hiiragi hummed, yeah, he's alright. umemiya said nothing in return, but hiiragi doesn't have to look to know that umemiya's glad.
hiiragi thought back about when the first years had called him reliable. he wonders if he really is. or if he's even enough. it's those little things on random days that catch him off guard. he realizes he wants to do this for a really long time, for as long as furin needs him, or if umemiya still wants him around even then. he can't be unrealistic to want umemiya more for himself, umemiya is someone who belongs to the world, to furin.
they went to grab dinner together afterwards, simple meat buns from lawsons and even though hiiragi is not a big eater himself he gets full quickly with just a bun. he catches umemiya's staring at him from the side, ignoring the bun on his hands until it's gone cold. the pain on his stomach prods him again, he doesn't feel like he's still hungry though.
he doesn't know how much longer he can keep his feelings buried before hiiragi figures it out. maybe he's too obvious beneath the self restraint that he practices when getting to have hiiragi all to himself like this. is hiiragi even aware that umemiya got him trapped here?
sue him if he purposely presses the cotton balls a little harder, if he likes seeing hiiragi squirm and wince in front of him and not stopping him because hiiragi trusts him. hiiragi is like a book that he can't wait to finish and re-read again and again.
umemiya is a very patient man, if hiiragi can't figure it out now then he'll just wait as always. just as he was at the rooftop today, waiting for him.