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They aren’t good at dates.
Hiiro never was. Saki always planned them, because Saki always planned around him and was happier for it. Saki believed in him utterly.
Hiiro doesn’t believe in Taiga utterly. Close, yes. As a doctor, surprisingly, yes. So much so that he asked his father to give the other man his life back. That would have been unthinkable, once.
From an objective standpoint he isn’t even sure the other man should have lost his liscence - on paper he stole the hospital’s experimental medical equipment and performed an unauthorized surgery, but that never really put Saki at risk. All it did was have a chance to save the person Hiiro loved and failed.
Hiiro supposes the only one that got hurt was Taiga himself.
And none of this is relevant, because Hiiro wants to take Taiga out on a normal date, if only so his dad will shut up, and he has no idea what to do .
And oh, his dad will not shut up. His dad is wonderful, a wonderful doctor who has always cared very deeply for Hiiro, but he is also deeply emotional and caring about things Hiiro often doesn’t understand, much less need.
Which comes back to the issue. A year or so of being some kind of “together”, something they confirmed very suddenly and mutually, when arguing over a case, and suddenly Hiiro was pinned to the wall with lips against his, and really, Hiiro does need that kind of thing. Emotions aren’t for him. But even then, they hadn’t put words into it until some time after Hiiro had saved Taiga’s life.
And all of that is to say that he’d shown up at Taiga’s clinic and is now staring in confusion at what to do next.
Mostly, Saki and he had met on campus. If they didn’t, it was Saki dragging him to cafes, because “you need to study other places sometimes,” and Saki liked trying new sweets.
The rest of Cyber Rescue’s advice had been some variation on “just take him to an arcade”.
Hiiro knows it’s a matter of interests, so he’s taking their advice, because the only other shared hobby he has with Taiga is, well, being doctors, and he does think his father will count the two of them looking over research together as a date.
Well then, at least he’s decided.
“Brave,” Taiga says. “What are you doing here? Is something wrong?”
“Nothing I know of,” Hiiro says, and Taiga and Nico, who had both immediately stood to prepare for whatever newest video game themed crisis was coming, both immediately sit down and relax. “It’s much sillier than that.”
“Silly sounds wrong in your voice,” Nico quips. Hiiro doesn’t respond. Anything meaner, like asinine and stupid, is something he avoids when describing his father.
“So what’s up?” Taiga asks. Hiiro sighs.
“My father says we should go out somewhere,” Hiiro says, and Taiga blinks. “When do you have time?”
“We’re closed tomorrow,” Taiga says. “You?”
“On call, but available,” Hiiro says. Because he’s sure his father planned this. “Would you like to go to the arcade?”
Nico scoffs.
“…I guess,” Taiga says. “I’m sure it’s better without Nico.”
“Hey!” Nico exclaims. “Also, that was the worst attempt to ask someone out on a date that I’ve ever heard.”
“But it worked,” Hiiro says. Because he knows this is not his strong suit. “And it cannot be worse than Poppy Pipopapo, the Pediatrician, and his partner.”
Taiga shudders.
“…I’m not sure,” he says. “Remember Carnival? Imagine that in the real world.”
… okay, that’s fair.
They aren’t good at dates, but Hiiro lost to Taiga at a shooting game, and can’t even complain.
“You were a radiologist,” Hiiro says. “Targeting affected areas is your strong suit.”
Taiga grins.
“Well, I hear you’re good at rhythm games.”
“I am.”
Hiiro is going to be very cross at Poppy, later.