One Kiss.

“A-Akari-sens—“

“Yogi, be quiet.”

The tall blond looked down at his feet, scared to look the researcher in his eyes. Not that that was anything new. Akari was the only reason Yogi always did his best to avoid having to come to the research center for any reason whatsoever. He always had a lingering fear that he would run into the pink-haired male and it made him twice as nervous whenever he was told that he would have to stay even just one night. As terrified as he was of Akari, Yogi managed to glance up and found himself staring at the god-like features. Just why in the world was Akari blushing all of a sudden?

“I’m going to ask you this one more time, understood,” Akari’s low voice had the Second Ship fighter looking down at his feet again, “If you try to run away from me again while I’m trying to treat you, I’m simply going to strap you to your bed. You wouldn’t like that, would you?”

The patient sat there quietly and finally gave his answer by shaking his head slowly. Yogi began to play with the hem of his Nyanperona tee shirt, fingers pausing and clutching at the fabric when the doctor suddenly gripped his chin. Before the young male could say anything, Akari’s lips were pressed against his and feeding him a very sweet liquid. He whimpered quietly as the older male pulled away, the younger biting at his own lip.

“I had some questions about the recent data we collected on the last mission…”

That was Gareki’s voice and that was the sound of Yogi’s heart falling into his stomach.

“G-Ga…Gareki-kun!”

The raven-haired male scoffed and shook his head, heading out of the room. Yogi attempted to get up and run after him but all his senses began to blur. Akari’s face was still red as he watched the other collapse back on the bed. He took a deep breath and quickly wiped his lips before situating Yogi’s body properly in the bed. Taking this opportunity, Akari began to do all that he needed to the other, including getting him a new patch.

Akari could feel himself knitting his eyebrows together and brought a hand up to try and relax himself. How did he always get himself into such ridiculous situations? The better questions was: How in the world was he going to face Gareki after this?

Gareki’s head was spinning as he walked down the hallway. He was trying his best not to show that what he’d just seen was actually bothering him. He stopped walking, fingers gripping tightly at the notebook he was carrying. What he couldn’t understand was just why it was bothering him. It wasn’t as though there were anything between him and Yogi so that couldn’t have been jealousy, right? Besides, Akari was an intelligent man that knew how to do his work and do it well. Why in the world else would he not mind working under the pink-haired male and actually behave? Gareki didn’t hesitate to do what was asked when it came to the top researcher so his decision to have kissed Yogi, for whatever reason, shouldn’t bother him.

“Shit…”

He muttered to himself and rubbed his nape, deciding to walk back to his room in the Research Tower.

This had all started after one of the missions he’d gone on with Akari and the Second Ship. Silver Yogi had made an appearance again and, from what Gareki could tell, silver Yogi only really seemed to recognize him. He always protected Gareki whenever he would show up, which neither of them really understood, but it happened every time. Another thing that Gareki didn’t understand was just why he always seemed to be the only one around when silver Yogi would appear, something that had been happening quite often lately.

It was after that time back in Rinoll when Akari had informed him and Nai that, because of however old the Varuga had been in that room they found, it had somehow filled the air and affected Yogi. It had counteracted the work of the patch once the patch had fallen off. Yogi couldn’t have been taking his patch off on purpose these past few times, could he? That wouldn’t make sense. Had the Varuga they encountered been doing that? Was it possible that they were purposely trying to make something happen to Yogi by doing that?

Gareki tugged at his hair a bit before bringing his hands to his lap. At least his mind was off the kiss. Well, it had been. He remembered carrying Yogi back to the ship once he’d turned normal again and blacked out. Akari had told him that he was going to have to run quite a few tests to understand why Yogi was going through the change so often lately and it was no secret just how frightened Yogi was of him.

The young combat physician in training was at a loss for…well, everything now. He rested his head on his desk, his chin sitting at the edge as he sighed. His thoughts should be on his work and nothing but that. He shouldn’t have shown that it even mattered to him a little bit. He should have just went right on ahead with his questions like he hadn’t seen a thing. He should have just been professional.

So, why didn’t he? Why couldn’t he?

“Gareki,” Akari called from the doorway, the door closing behind him.

The young male sat erect and nodded once, “I had a few questions. Can you help me?”

It looked like the older male was intending to say something, Gareki could see it in his eyes. Akari was really good at keeping himself collected. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, the pink-haired researcher stepped closer to Gareki’s desk and began to answer his questions.

---

“Gare…Gareki-kun…”

Yogi’s voice began as a faint sound, the nurse standing near him not thinking much of it as she continued to hook electrodes up to him. Suddenly, he called out Gareki’s name pretty loudly and, in a messy fury of limbs as he tried to get out of the bed, he ended up tangled in the wires of the electrodes. He met the floor with a loud thud and the nurse quickly began to remove the electrodes to help untangle him. The instant that she got him free though, his long limbs were carrying him out of the room as she tried to run after him and bring him back. Soon, he was grabbed by the back of his collar, feet coming to a halt.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“A-Ak-kari…Akari-sensei, I want to s-see Gareki—“

“He’s busy working. You need to get back to bed.”

“But—“

“I didn’t say that I was done with you. Get back in bed.”

Yogi was way too scared to defy him. Unlike that really gentle man earlier, scary sensei was back, with a terrifying aura to match. He began to walk back to the room before he stopped and touched his lips, suddenly remembering the kiss.

“S-Sensei, why…?”

Akari raised a brow at the question, stopping when the other did. He was going to make sure Yogi went back to his room. He was seriously considering strapping him down this time. The tests would never be completed if he continued doing what he wanted and leaving the room whenever he pleased.

“Why what?”

The blond looked down, backing away slowly. He parted his lips to ask his question again but was more nervous this time since he had unintentionally turned to face the older male.

“Why did you kiss me,” he asked under his breath, mortified of speaking any louder for multiple reasons that he found to all be very, very good ones.

“I was trying to relax you,” he admitted with his usual stone expression, “Now, get back to the room.”

“I-I’ll go if you t-tell Gareki to come see m-me…”

“You’re in no place to make demands,” he narrowed his eyes at the other and Yogi had clearly flinched before running back to the room.

Akari figured it wouldn’t be so bad to get Gareki to and see him, at least it would keep the blond idiot in bed instead of just running around the Research Tower yet again. Heading to the room of the most recent addition to his team, Akari’s cheeks flared red again. He hadn’t realized before why he’d even tried a stunt like that but his subconscious was finally helping him to remember.

One of his subordinates stopped and peered into his face, worried expression written all over his features, “Akari-sensei…Are you all right?”

“I’m going to kill him,” he muttered simply thinking aloud, not even paying any mind to the researcher as he continued his journey to Gareki’s room.

The room’s inhabitant barely got the message to go see Yogi before Akari was heading somewhere else. Gareki stared at his notes and was repeatedly going over in his head whether he should go see the blond or not. He had already cleared his head, and chest and gut, from whatever feeling that he had felt before. He couldn’t help but to wonder if seeing the other would bring that feeling right back up. Seeing Akari didn’t really affect him but, then again, it had barely been a few seconds that the researcher had been standing at the door; he was gone just as quickly as he had come. A heavy sigh left the young boy’s lips and he was entering Yogi’s room before he knew it.

Gareki kept to the doorway, watching the nurse removing the electrodes, a recent test clearly completed as another researcher stood to the side and wrote a few things down on their clipboard. Bowing to the other two, who did the same to him, Gareki was soon alone in the room with Yogi. It always seemed that they were revolving around one another somehow. Gareki couldn’t understand why Yogi would always cling to him and why it always felt weird when he didn’t have the other to shove away.

He’d spent much too long in his thoughts because, in the blink of an eye, Yogi had his long arms locked around Gareki, the younger surprisingly not pushing him off. That ended up having the blond take a step back after a moment, not letting the younger go though.

“What are you doing,” Gareki’s low voice hummed.

Yogi blinked and parted his lips to try and find words, “I…I’m sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for this time?”

The taller’s eyebrows pulled together, his hold unconsciously tightening on the other.

“A lot… Akari-sensei told me I went unconscious again and that you carried me…again. I-I’m s-sorry, Gareki-kun.”

Yogi had begun to tear up and Gareki wished he hadn’t. He was starting to feel bad for the older male. Whatever was going on with him was really out of his hands. After a few more moments, Gareki realized that Yogi was still holding onto him.

“Hey, Yogi?”

“Hm?”

“Get the hell off me!”

The younger shoved the older male, causing the latter to stumble back a bit before catching his balance. He pouted at Gareki before moving to quickly peek into the hallway before closing the door to his room. Gareki raised a brow at him before being tugged toward the bed, forcefully being sat at the edge of it. Yogi knelt down in front of him, hugging the younger’s waist as he rested his head in his lap. The combat physician sighed and, as much as he wanted to get up, he couldn’t bring himself to push the other away.

“Gareki-kun…Are you mad at me?”

“Why would I be mad at you,” he asked lamely.

“Because I let him kiss me…”

Yogi felt Gareki stiffen up at the mention of the scene from earlier. The black-haired male had no idea how he felt about what he’d seen. Just thinking about it made his stomach churn and his chest hurt in ways that he didn’t understand.

When the blond didn’t get an answer, he hugged the other’s waist tighter, eyes filling up with tears.

“Please, don’t be mad at me.”

“It’s a stupid reason to be ma—“

“Gareki-kun is the one I like,” Yogi muttered, hiding his face in Gareki’s thigh.

“The one you like,” he scoffed and shook his head, “You think I’m an idiot or something? Get off me already. I have work that I need to get back to.”

Gareki shoved the older male back and stood up, only to be stopped by Yogi’s strong grip on his white coat. He glanced over his shoulder to see tears spilling over the Circus fighter’s cheeks.

“Gareki-kun is special…”

He wrenched his coat away from the other and then turned to face him, “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing with me, but I really don’t appreciate it. I have work to do here and there’s nothing you can say to get in my way.”

“I don’t want to get in your way. I-I want you to c-complete all your training s-so you can stay on the Second Ship with us.”

Gareki furrowed his brows, narrowing his eyes a bit. Yogi prepared to be hit, as usual, but the impact never came. When he raised his head again, the other was just staring at him, a fierce glare still present in his gaze. The younger parted his lips to speak, the internal battle of whether to say it or not clear in his expression. He ended up just sighing and shaking his head.

“If you’re so worried about me being mad at you for that,” he spoke slowly, thinking over every word before speaking them, “You don’t need to be. I’m not upset. You should lay down. I think you still have a few tests scheduled for today.”

He turned to leave the room, thinking that he would be allowed to do so this time, but he was stopped yet again. Tapping his forehead, the blond gave the other a weak smile.

“Gareki-kun, kiss my forehead and make me feel better. I’ll lay back down. I promise.”

He was extremely hesitant but it seemed to be the only way that he would finally be allowed to leave. Sighing, he leaned in to kiss Yogi’s forehead, instead meeting said male’s lips. Gareki stood there with wide eyes as Yogi ran to the bed to lay down, hiding under the covers. The door to the room slid open and Tsukumo and Nai stood on the other side, Nai immediately latching onto Gareki with a bright smile.

“Gareki! Gareki!”

Tsukumo bowed her head a bit, greeting him before heading over to see how Yogi was doing. Gareki shook his head, getting himself together for a moment. He patted Nai’s head once before shoving him off.

“You came here to see Yogi, didn’t you? He’s over there.”

“But I’m happy to see Gareki, too, of course,” Nai beamed at him, red eyes shining with the same joyful tug of his lips.

The physician-in-training simply nodded and quickly left the room, heading back to his own. He thought his head was clouded before, now, he had no idea what to make of what feelings those were coursing through him.

“Akari-san, there’s no reason to be upset, is there? The method worked.”

“Don’t get people drunk in your attempt to play your games with them. I don’t have time for that.”

“Mm? But you didn’t seem to mind when I was showing it to you.”

Hirato was enjoying sitting on the couch in Akari’s office. He’d come with Tsukumo and Nai to check on Yogi on their way to their next mission.

“I really ought to kill you.”

“You could try but I don’t think you’d get away with it, of course,” Hirato flashed his signature grin as he stood up, “Should I kiss you again and make all the bad thoughts go away, Akari-sensei?”

Akari swallowed thickly when Hirato loosely grabbed his tie, pulling him to lean in closer. He could feel his body heating up as he recalled the events of a couple of days ago.

Hirato had fed him wine mouth-to-mouth a couple of times but it had started with a tea that he’d brought by, thinking it would be good for Akari to use on Yogi.

“Now, Yogi would probably think you were trying to poison him if you offer him something to eat or drink.”

“He’s scared of me for his own pathetic reasons. He has no substantial reason to believe that I’d try to kill him.”

“His fear of you is pretty rational. You’re not exactly a ball of sunshine, Akari-san.”

“Are you trying to pick a fight?”

Hirato grinned and held up the canister of tea, “Tsukitachi said that Jiki discovered it in one of the villages they went to on a mission. The woman that gave it to him said that it’s a really soothing tea, but to be careful because drinking too much can make it like a natural anesthetic.”

“Do you expect me to believe that story?”

“There are a lot of things that you have still yet to discover, you know?”

Akari glared at him before his features hardened even more as Hirato slid closer to him on the couch, “Do you consider this to be a meeting?”

“I’m trying to help you. You still can’t seem to find a way to keep Yogi still and I figured this might be something worth trying. It would also be fun for you to study the effects of the tea, wouldn’t it?”

The pink-haired researcher halted, thinking it over. Honestly, he couldn’t see the harm in trying it, especially if Yogi were to be his guinea pig. He’d let his guard down for a second too long. Before he knew it, Hirato had him by the collar, lips meeting his and parting to share the tea he was holding behind them. Akari swallowed the tea without thinking before he was placing a hand on Hirato’s chest, his push far weaker than it usually was.

“You don’t do too well with holding your alcohol well either, Akari-san. I’m not surprised that the tea is already working on you.”

“Hirato…”

Even Akari’s speech had slowed a bit, the researcher furrowing his brows as he tried to get himself together.

“Hm, speaking of alcohol, Tsukitachi also had a wine that he wanted me to share with you. He told me to tell you that he’s sorry he couldn’t join our little meeting today. There was an emergency situation that First Ship had to handle.”

“Hira…to…”

“Let’s have a little fun with just the two of us then, shall we?”

“Akari-sensei, your face is a bright shade of red,” Hirato teased, snapping Akari from his thoughts, “You wouldn’t happen to be recalling our meeting from the other night, would you?”

“Your existence is such a nuisance. I really wish you wouldn’t come to my office unless you were in need of medical assistance.”

“But then I wouldn’t get to see you at work,” Hirato grinned and leaned away a bit, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose with his gloved finger, “It’s much more fun to talk to you in this setting.”

“Haven’t I told you time and time again not to tease others?”

Akari raised his hand in a fist to hit the other’s head only to be taken aback by a kiss. His arm fell to his side and he looked away from Hirato, cheeks a much deeper red than they were before.

“You’re the most fun to tease,” the Second Ship captain grinned proudly before stepping back completely, “But, until next time. We leave Yogi in your care until we come back, sensei.”

Hirato waved before heading down the hall to see Yogi before he left with Tsukumo and Nai to go back to the ship.

Neither Akari nor Gareki could bring themselves to leave their rooms for the rest of the day.