"So when do we get to meet your young man?" Kaito asked with a bright, totally innocent smile.
"You have a young man?" Ran said, and paused in the middle of pouring him a cup of tea. Saguru sighed. So much for brining up the topic in a cautious and controlled manner.
"Yes, actually, that is the reason I requested you all meet me here today."
Heiji made a show of looking around. "Usually when you introduce a new in-law, you bring 'em with."
"That isn't -- he isn't... a new in-law." A pause, as he felt his way through words he couldn't be sure conveyed what he wanted them to. "Yet. Or ever. Depending how you mean it."
Kazuha threw Ran a look, and took the teapot from her hand to finish filling his cup. Saguru gave her a little nod. He and Kazuha-san had always had a weird sort of relationship, one that was defined mostly by what it wasn't. They weren't close friends. They certainly weren't lovers. (Saguru not being into women in general, and Kazuha not being into men other than Heiji-kun in particular.) They were bound nevertheless.
It was a little strange to let go of this bond.
No use lingering.
"I have no idea how appropriate this sort of announcement is, but I didn't feel like stopping returning calls and hoping you would get the message."
It would have been cowardly. He didn't do cowardly.
"Schwartz-san is looking for an exclusive relationship." He gentled his voice, let his regard and his... his care bleed through. "So am I."
Silence in the room. He waited, didn't even pick up his cup to hide behind. Kazuha-san and Kuroba-kun he didn't expect would have anything to say to him; he wasn't lovers with either of them.
... He wasn't Ran-san's lover either but he thought she might speak first, because -- because she was Ran-san, and it made sense for her. Kudo-kun... No, Kudo-kun was looking to Hattori-kun. To Heiji. Deferring to him.
Everyone knew Heiji was his favorite. Saguru caught a fleeting look of surprise -- loss -- on his face and had to pick up his cup and drink, then, past a suddenly-tight throat, because they'd never talked about it but it seemed perhaps Heiji had liked him back, that way.
He'd only ever been second, though; Heiji's lover was Kazuha-san and his best friend Kudo-kun. It had been enough for a long time. It wasn't anymore.
"... That's it?" Heiji said, voice nonchalant and eyes serious, a little sad. "You didn't need ta make it sound like a death sentence." He sighed, smiled in wry acknowledgement, alright, this kinda stings but no hard feelings.
"I still wish to stay your friend." Saguru looked at Heiji first, but at the others next, meeting their eyes one by one.
"Well, there's no reason for that to stop, is there?" Heiji's eyes sparkled back to life, a teasing grin stretching his lips. "But if he doesn't put out you know where to find me."
Beside him, Kaito nodded, falsely serious, except for his eyes which were in entire, deadly earnest. "And if he doesn't respect you in the morning you know where to find me."
"I'm not sure I should be hearing that," Kudo-kun drawled. "That might count as premeditation, you know."
As they started to tease and laugh all around him Hakuba smiled and drained his cup. He couldn't wait to see what they and Schwartz-sensei would make of each other. It promised to be very entertaining.
Saguru couldn't introduce him to his father and grandfather, but there were other kinds of in-laws.
THIS IS NOT SHORT OR A SNIPPET PS: I HATE YOU
"You have a young man?" Ran said, and paused in the middle of pouring him a cup of tea. Saguru sighed. So much for brining up the topic in a cautious and controlled manner.
"Yes, actually, that is the reason I requested you all meet me here today."
Heiji made a show of looking around. "Usually when you introduce a new in-law, you bring 'em with."
"That isn't -- he isn't... a new in-law." A pause, as he felt his way through words he couldn't be sure conveyed what he wanted them to. "Yet. Or ever. Depending how you mean it."
Kazuha threw Ran a look, and took the teapot from her hand to finish filling his cup. Saguru gave her a little nod. He and Kazuha-san had always had a weird sort of relationship, one that was defined mostly by what it wasn't. They weren't close friends. They certainly weren't lovers. (Saguru not being into women in general, and Kazuha not being into men other than Heiji-kun in particular.) They were bound nevertheless.
It was a little strange to let go of this bond.
No use lingering.
"I have no idea how appropriate this sort of announcement is, but I didn't feel like stopping returning calls and hoping you would get the message."
It would have been cowardly. He didn't do cowardly.
"Schwartz-san is looking for an exclusive relationship." He gentled his voice, let his regard and his... his care bleed through. "So am I."
Silence in the room. He waited, didn't even pick up his cup to hide behind. Kazuha-san and Kuroba-kun he didn't expect would have anything to say to him; he wasn't lovers with either of them.
... He wasn't Ran-san's lover either but he thought she might speak first, because -- because she was Ran-san, and it made sense for her. Kudo-kun... No, Kudo-kun was looking to Hattori-kun. To Heiji. Deferring to him.
Everyone knew Heiji was his favorite. Saguru caught a fleeting look of surprise -- loss -- on his face and had to pick up his cup and drink, then, past a suddenly-tight throat, because they'd never talked about it but it seemed perhaps Heiji had liked him back, that way.
He'd only ever been second, though; Heiji's lover was Kazuha-san and his best friend Kudo-kun. It had been enough for a long time. It wasn't anymore.
"... That's it?" Heiji said, voice nonchalant and eyes serious, a little sad. "You didn't need ta make it sound like a death sentence." He sighed, smiled in wry acknowledgement, alright, this kinda stings but no hard feelings.
"I still wish to stay your friend." Saguru looked at Heiji first, but at the others next, meeting their eyes one by one.
"Well, there's no reason for that to stop, is there?" Heiji's eyes sparkled back to life, a teasing grin stretching his lips. "But if he doesn't put out you know where to find me."
Beside him, Kaito nodded, falsely serious, except for his eyes which were in entire, deadly earnest. "And if he doesn't respect you in the morning you know where to find me."
"I'm not sure I should be hearing that," Kudo-kun drawled. "That might count as premeditation, you know."
As they started to tease and laugh all around him Hakuba smiled and drained his cup. He couldn't wait to see what they and Schwartz-sensei would make of each other. It promised to be very entertaining.
Saguru couldn't introduce him to his father and grandfather, but there were other kinds of in-laws.