The sound of the sea has always been calming to Koushi. He figures plenty of people find the crashing of waves and the occasional cry of a gull soothing—god knows people use it as a sleep aid—but it's a little different for him.

For Koushi, the sounds of the waves should be intermingled with the smack of sturdy shoes on old dock wood, the hollered greetings from fisherman to fisherman, and the varied yells of their crew. Instead of the gulls, he hears the low blast of boat horns as the vessels enter the harbor. He's lived in an oceanside village his entire life; the base has been his only home away from home. The crash of water on rocks can make him forget where he is, sometimes, if he closes his eyes and leans his head back, just a little. Like this, he can feel the salty-cool breeze brush along his neck and ruffle his hair. It takes him back to a simpler time—one when the world didn't depend on him to keep it afloat.

"Out here again?"

True, the roof of the base is a safe haven to him, the bars of the balcony an anchor that helps him retain memory of his history—but that's not all. He's not alone here. He didn't come to this place for nothing. Koushi leans back, hanging on the bars. He tilts his head to the side and regards Daichi's dark profile with a smile. It's a smile that always came naturally to him in the past, every one as genuine as the last. Koushi's a calm and generally chipper person by his very nature, but there's that something about Daichi that makes him just a little bit more playful, a little bit happier that he's alive.

"I just wanted to talk to Mom and Dad, is all," he replies easily, glancing back at the ocean.

Daichi takes up his place next to Koushi, folding his arms over the balcony and leaning over to peer at the rocks. "Yikes," he says. "I hope you weren't leaning too far over." Koushi shakes his head, pulling himself up and mimicking Daichi's position.

"So," Daichi says after a long pause. "What'd they have to say?"

Koushi grins. "Mom told me to eat my vegetables. Dad said that you better make an honest man of me if we're going to adopt those kids." Daichi laughs aloud and his eyes crinkle in the corners. Koushi's heart skips a beat, but that's nothing new.

Daichi shivers a little at the wind as it picks up. "Don't you ever get cold? You spend hours up here sometimes; I worry you'll catch your death. It's chilly!"

Koushi shrugs. "I'm used to it. Our village used to be like this all the time. I'd rather not forget the wind chill."

His partner slings an arm over his shoulder, pulling Koushi closer to him. "Yeah, but you're still cold. I can feel it." He presses the back of his hand to Koushi's cheek, and Koushi's smile twitches.

"I don't mind," he says softly, meeting Daichi's eyes. There's a beat of harmony between them, both physical and mental.

"Like hell you do," Daichi murmurs, breaking it and fluffing Koushi's hair affectionately. "You better not get sick and leave me to deal with those kids, especially now that they're regaining their confidence."

Koushi nods. "That would be cruel of me, wouldn't it? But I'd still rather have this than the alternative. God knows they'd be crushed if the Marshal didn't allow them to keep Drifting. They really do love Omega, you know."

"I know," Daichi says, shaking his head. "If you ask me, Marshal Ukai is taking this matter a little too lightly. Nishinoya and Takeda-sensei have really outdone themselves—I can still hardly believe it. He didn't even flinch! Just raised an eyebrow, drilled them for any dangers they knew of, and then let it slide. Even Saeko was more apprehensive."

"Hmmm...it's not like there's really another choice, is there?" Koushi muses. "He's already invested so muchin this project. We won't be putting Hinata and Kageyama anywhere near the front line though, that's for sure. I was the one who recommended double the usual drill training. I want them fully in synch with their Jaeger and ready for anything when the time comes."

"Ah, it was you? Good call. I trulydo want to trust them to have our backs, but..." Daichi sighs. His tension and anxiety concerning the more alien element of Tyrant Omega drifts across their bond. Koushi returns a quiet confidence and pride in the newbie Rangers. Daichi is forced to crack a smile.

What would I do without you, Suga? The thought-speak is light and relieved; Koushi knows he's done his job.

You'd be in a hell of a mess, that's for sure.

Daichi laughs lightly. "Well, at least those two idiots just keep getting better and better. I swear, this new development has somehow actually facilitated their growth."

"That wouldn't surprise me at all. The oddball duo is the very definition of 'unpredictable'. Yui told me they were doing some movement tests for the first time this week. How'd it go?" Koushi asks.

"Ah, right, that's what I came to talk to you about. Saeko finally decided to let them do something other than endless synch tests, like they've been doing for the past few weeks. Apparently the whole idea of accepting and trying to unify with Omega has worked out well for them. They flew through the movement tests and passed with flying colors," Daichi says, a touch of disbelief in his voice. "They've got their usual crazy synchronization, but Saeko said that they've managed to achieve very close to that same sync with Omega, too."

"Oh, so Noya and Tanaka installed the new sync reader? I thought kaiju brain scans wouldn't be very similar to humans, but I guess that's not true..." Koushi muses.

"They're different alright," Daichi agrees. "That's why it gave Noya hell to calibrate the thing. He needed to pull Tanaka in to convert Omega's brain scans into something compatible with Saeko's pilot sync readers. They've been pulling their hair out over this for quite a while—er,figuratively in Tanaka's case, of course.

"If you want, we can head over to the 'Dome and see them. They're running a few final checks before the group drill we're doing tomorrow. I'm sure they'd be happy to see us," Daichi suggests. Koushi hums in response.

"You go ahead; I'll catch up in a bit," he decides finally. "I do want to see them—god knows they've been fighting to prove themselves, especially over the past month or so—but..." Koushi's eyes drift back out to the water.

Daichi bumps his shoulder, quiet understanding flooding Koushi's side of the Ghost Drift. He feels it down to his fingers and toes, warming him even in the nippy outdoor air. He meets Daichi's eyes and shoots him a grateful smile. He truly does not deserve such a perfect partner.

"Get inside before those clouds roll in, you hear? I've only got one of you; it'd be a bummer if you got carried away in a thunderstorm," Daichi says, flicking Koushi gently on the forehead. Koushi scrunches his face in response and Daichi grins. He turns and walks away with another word, a slight shiver running down his arms. Koushi watches him go.

Once he's alone again, Koushi turns back to the ocean and the darkening grey out across the horizon line. He's not nearly dumb enough to get caught up in a storm, but Daichi's right—he's going to have to go back inside pretty soon. Well, better make it quick then.

"Hi Mom, Hi Dad," he murmurs into the water. "That was just Daichi again. He's doing a great job of looking after me in your wake, so don't you two fret." Koushi smiles into his arms, crossed over the railing. "I'm really lucky—I know, I say that every time—but I'm really lucky to have someone like Daichi. I miss you...but I'm glad I came here. The water doesn't sound the same, but the people are still warm; you just need to find the right ones."

Koushi stays out there a while longer, just as long as it takes him to forget the brush of Daichi's mind against his. It's not neediness, like he used to think it was, this desire for connection—it's instinct, pure and simple. Koushi hopes that Kageyama and Hinata find solace in the bond between pilots, a gift given only to those who turn their backs on a life of frightened prayer and accept the life of sworn service to their species until the day they die.

He stretches his mind out, drawing to Daichi like a magnet. His partner's location acquired, Koushi jogs back inside, smiling at the feeling of Daichi slowing his pace to allow for him to catch up.

----------------------

Alright, looks like you're all set for movement tests today, guys. How do you feel? Not too worn down, right? Saeko's voice is carefree across the com, like she already knows the answer. To be fair, she isn't wrong.

Kageyama and Hinata relax in sync, rolling their shoulders and flexing their fingers. Hinata taps the com. "Yep, we're good to goanother round;Omega all set for another straight Drift." He shoots a look at Kageyama for confirmation, but Kageyama's already nodding.

"Before our team drills it's probably a good idea," he murmurs. "Make sure he's not going to get up to any trouble."

Hinata nods sharply in agreement. "We're ready when you are, Saeko-neechan. Under for half an hour should do us well enough."

Roger that, she replies, and Hinata leans back. He's smiling, as he has been this entire week, as soon as Marshal Ukai mentioned 'group drills'. It's common knowledge that running a scenario with the point and flank is the last step before joining in on a real mission. Hinata's vibrant and ready—and now that Omega is playing nice, they should be able to prove themselves. Kageyama pokes at him through their communal mind, and Hinata, wound up, jolts.

You wanna get ready, newbie? Kageyama rolls his eyes. You can get excited all you want, but we do have a job to do before the drills. Hinata can't even work up the will to be mad at him. He closes his eyes obediently, readying himself for the straight Drift.

Unlike the test Drift or union with a team's Jaeger, the straight Drift was an old technique used back when the Mark I and II Jaegers were around, at the very beginning of the war. Those models had all been finicky pieces of work, Drift sync readings fluctuating up and down for no apparent reason. The old Jaegers had been slower and less accurate—the idea of using precision-based weapons completely laughable. With a thinly tied Drift between the pilots and an even weaker bond to their Jaeger, the combat ability of the human race had been significantly impeded.

However, a team of Jaeger technicians came together and tossed the idea that if two pilots spent some time under, within the Drift, feeling out and strengthening the bond, then maybe it would hold steadier. A far-fetched idea—but in those days Jaeger pilots were thrown into their Jaeger and out into the battlefield without any of the sync and movement tests required nowadays. Sure enough, pilots that 'straight Drifted' as it was called, involving nothing other than focusing on mind-to-mind communication, improved exponentially on the field. Straight Drifting became a common practice until techs and engineers were able to come up with a design that promoted the Drift and steadied it, rendering straight Drifting unnecessary.

Where Kageyama and Hinata were concerned, however, this technique was invaluable. Saeko had suggested it almost immediately once the Marshal allowed them to continue with the project. She had high hopes that fostering a strong mental bond between the 'three' would keep them from slipping out of alignment and rein in Omega's overpowering tendencies. She'd had them straight Drifting every day, at least twice a day, since then.

The results...well, to Saeko and to the pilots, the results showed an overwhelming improvement in human to Jaeger communication and maneuverability.

Saeko kicks the neural handshake, and Hinata is back there in the empty space of Tyrant Omega's not-mind. The bridge beckons him across, practically lit with floodlights, showing him the way to go. Around him, Kageyama stirs excitedly, impatient as ever. They move with confidence to Omega, crossing the bridge to the dormant mind of their machine. The hesitation is nearly unnoticeable now; when Kageyama and Hinata reach for Omega, pushing deep past the swirling mists of his consciousness, they intertwine without a second thought, any lingering fear pushed far from their minds.

Hinata lives for the shift.

When he is one with Kageyama, he can feel the coiled strength in his partner's muscles, the sharp whip of his skill and instincts—he can feel every beat of Kageyama's heart as if it were his own. They share the burden and the spoils of the unity, both livening each other up to pilot and dragging each other down when the weight of control and synchronization became too unbearable. It's different when Hinata Drifts with Omega.

Their first, abysmal failures could only scratch the surface of what it meant to truly Drift with Tyrant Omega. Hinata surges from the neural handshake, not with the feeling of being weighed down, but with the feeling of being the weight. There's a thickness and power thrumming through his arms and legs, every breath feels like he's drawing all the oxygen from the air into massive lungs. He's clever and primal—an edge only accentuated by Omega's inhuman presence. Kageyama within him, too, feels ferocious and deadly; he is a valuable ally. Omega makes Hinata feel alive.

They may be straight Drifting, but that doesn't mean Hinata and Kageyama aren't itching to move. They shrug their shoulders and shift in place a little, fidgeting until Saeko or one of her underlings snap at them to hold still and concentrate. It's probably the kaiju blood running through Tyrant Omega's veins—synthetic or not—but an almost animal-like focus and intensity bleeds into the pilots' minds when they are hooked into their Jaeger. Hungry to move, hungry to fight...Hinata can't put his finger on what exactly it feels like, but it's an itch beneath his skin, driving him to go.

Hinata and Kageyama hadn't been all that thrilled to jump back into Omega once they found out just how much of him really was alien. Part of it was fear, another part was the overwhelming obstacle of actually controlling the thing, but the pilots had been gifted with a tenacity not so commonly found among recruits to the Jaeger Program. They didn't give up. They wouldn't give up.

And that tenacity was all they needed. Accepting Tyrant Omega, stepping back and letting him access their minds had been the hard part. He was pushy in the sense that he wanted to spread out to his full extent, elongate his consciousness as far as it would stretch. The pilots had expected to feel invaded and crushed, forced to squirm unpleasantly in their own minds. Omega, as usual, was full of surprises.

His presence didn't smother them as much as it matched the shape of their minds and melded to them. When at ease, his consciousness barely brushed theirs, and when the pilots sought to move, it stretched with them, moving Omega's limbs with the ease of his built-in knowledge of how to do so. Living up to the purpose Nishinoya had subconsciously given him, Tyrant Omega catered to the pilots every whim, asking only in return to be let in to the entirety of the pilots' psyches.

The unity between the three had grown with every Drift, to the point where Omega could now recognize them. It's small—the comprehension—but it's there. The Jaeger matches with them in the Drift faster and faster, evolving uniquely to fit in with the pair. Even now, just floating and Drifting, the hum and feather-light brush of the Jaeger's 'mind' seems to be more of a companionable silence than of anything ominous or threatening.

Saeko pulls them out earlier than expected. Kageyama makes it to the com first, eyebrows scrunched together in worry, wondering if they'd done something wrong. Saeko had only replied with a heartfelt laugh.

Oh my god, Kageyama, quite the opposite, she says once she gets a breath in. Honestly, just looking at the readouts, you three are holding your flawless sync with little to no blips; I don't really think it's going to get better than this. I'm clearing you guys for drills tomorrow right now. Yui-chan and I have adate with all this data and you bet it's gonna feature heavy drinking. Incredible, she mutters at the end, moving away from her mic.

Kageyama raises an eyebrow at Hinata as Saeko severs their connection gradually, leaving them to slowly retreat back into their own minds. Hinata can only shrug, a grin plastered across his face. He's not going to read too into it too much—they got cleared didn't they? And it's not like Tyrant Omega had been acting up at all.

Hinata practically wiggles free of the command platform, to the vocal displeasure of the Drift technicians hissing at him to hold still, it will take so much longer like this, honestly. Kageyama is actually out before Hinata, clapping a hand on his shoulder to keep him from bouncing on his heels, energy brimming from him across their lingering bond. "Steady," Kageyama murmurs. And Hinata obeys.

They make it back to the Drivesuit Room without incident and begin to change out, even if Kageyama has found it increasingly difficult to look anywhere but directly ahead of him while they're stripped of their suits. It's not that he's embarrassed, really, he's done this too many times for modesty to be an issue. The problem is how intimate the procedure is—for Hinata, mostly.

He didn't really mean to look over at his co-pilot while they were changing; it's simply a habit of his to tell Hinata exactly what he's thinking as he thinks it, without a filter, no matter their current situation. He'd been thinking about Omega's glove-like fit over their communal mind and he wanted Hinata's opinion. A simple enough question, but for some reason it flew out of his head when he looked over at Hinata, mouth already open to bark at his partner.

Logically, he knew nothing out of the ordinary was happening. The Drift techs in charge of taking care of their drivesuits were just unfastening the back of his suit, the same way another group was unfastening Kageyama's. Unfortunately, logic didn't seem to have bearing in the tiny cube of space that was the Drivesuit Room because Kageyama could feel the blood flooding up his neck and burning his ears. He was entranced.

It was almost voyeuristic, watching the techs peel the suit back from Hinata's thin shoulders, displaying the strong lines of his back. Kageyama knew he shouldn't be surprised—after all, Hinata could match him in strength and speed, he had to be in top condition, but it wasn't really something Kageyama tended to notice. Until it was shoved in front of his face, of course.

Hinata shifted, trying to aid his helpers, and Kageyama had a thought of such stunning clarity he nearly jumped out of his skin. Hands, removing the skin of black material to reveal the paler, softer second layer, brushing past the fringe of orange at the base of Hinata's neck almost subconsciously. No—not just any hands, his hands, Hinata peering back at him, a slight pout and his eyebrows pulled together, shifting under Kageyama's hands, hurry up already Bakageyama, I'm not very patient, you know—

Kageyama physically wrenched himself from his train of thought, heart racing and mind spinning. He stiffened, struggling to get his brain back online and away from that, whatever that was, as fast as possible.

"Kageyama-san?" one of the techs had prompted him, looking concerned.

"'M fine," Kageyama replies too quickly, forcing his body to loosen up.

It didn't really work. He may have been able to erase the stray line of thought from his immediate consciousness, but Hinata's very existence continued to plague him while they changed. Every time someone touched Hinata, or made to help him out of the drivesuit, Kageyama's muscles tensed and his teeth snapped together. The possessiveness was foreign and felt low in his gut, rising to his heart with a flare of blind anger at every single Drift tech on the other side of the room. Hinata didn't mention a thing about how strange he had been acting once they left, although Kageyama was certain he had projected across the Ghost Drift.

So he made an effort not to look around anymore. When he's not looking at Hinata he can be calm, focus on just getting out of his drivesuit and on to the next task. No side thoughts about Hinata's bare skin. No thoughts about tearing off the limbs of the people who touched him, either. Kageyama is able to go through the removal procedures with little difficulty, padding to the small locker room off to the side of the room where the two dump their clothes.

Hinata races past him. Kageyama stutters in his step and growls at Hinata, who only laughs, pleased that he was able to cut Kageyama off. The mess of orange hair disappears around the corner and Kageyama rolls his eyes. He'd rather not run around like an imbecile in his boxers—he still had his dignity.

They change together, back facing back. Hinata's already decorated his locker with trash from energy bars and milk cartons, along with some pictures of the base. Tyrant Omega features in many of them, as well as Nishinoya and Tanaka, mostly ridiculous selfies that Kageyama scoffs at. There's also the stray photo of the other pilots—even Tsukishima and Yamaguchi—and a single one, right in the middle, of them. It's not one they took together on purpose, but a snapshot Koushi took of them one day. They're both leaning over a desk, peering at a holographic projection of Omega, looking incredibly invested in the image, not even noticing the photographer.

Hinata's head is tucked neatly under Kageyama's chin, and he can only vaguely remember why he had allowed such a thing. He's pointing at the blueprint, a calm look in his eyes, while Hinata uses both hands to gesticulate at something else. The picture leaves Kageyama with a weird feeling in his stomach. He asked Hinata about it once, and Hinata said that it was the only photo he could find of them working together. Kageyama had to grudgingly agree that they looked like real partners, having a civil discussion like that. Koushi was good.

Kageyama shakes his head, reaching for his jacket. Only, itisn't in his locker. He frowns and peers at the surrounding area, looking. He's sure no one took it—god knows this Drivesuit Room is way off limits to normal staff—but it really is nowhere to be found. He turns to Hinata, who has already pulled on his own jacket.

"Oi, Hinata. You seen my jacket anywhere?"

Hinata blinks. "No...did you misplace it? That's pretty careless of you."

Kageyama glares at him, but Hinata has turned his back and is effectively ignoring Kageyama. He closes his locker, turning on his heel to walk out of the room stiffly, pulling up his sleeves.

Kageyama might not have been the brightest in the base, but he wasn't a complete idiot. "Hinata, you bastard!" he snarls, taking off after Hinata, who broke into a run at the first shouted word. "Get back here, you thieving bastard!"

"No way!" Hinata calls, jogging backwards down the hallway. "You'll murder me!"

"I sure as hell will!" Kageyama replies, but he's only revealing exasperation across the bond and not homicidal urges, so Hinata allows him to catch up. Kageyama cuffs him soundly across the head. "Why do you always take my stuff?" he grumbles.

Hinata rubs the back of his head with a grimace and pouts. "Does it really matter? Yours is warmer than mine."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, it's a jacket..." Kageyama starts, shaking his head. He looks down at Hinata and stutters in his step yet again.

Hinata has the collar of Kageyama's jacket flipped up and his neck scrunched down so that the collar is nearly covering his ears. Hinata's ears themselves are pink, and so are his cheeks. It's like before; the first time he did this.

Kageyama pokes at their bond and Hinata responds with a warm and safe feeling that Kageyama can't quite put into words. There's also soul-deep satisfaction in wearing Kageyama's clothes that Kageyama doesn't really understand, especially after the fiasco with Tsukishima.

"I don't get you," Kageyama concludes. "This is bound to make our lives more difficult." But he doesn't do anything to stop it happening.

"You think I understand, either?" Hinata sounds vaguely frustrated. Kageyama blinks at him in surprise.

Hinata ducks his head and looks away, a beat of silence between them. Kageyama refuses to accept Hinata's quietness and knocks his shoulder gently. "Talk to me, moron. All I'm getting is confusion and frustration."

"We have to stay close, right? We're Rangers now—or we will be, soon," Hinata says suddenly, snapping from his withdrawn demeanor back to his typical, exuberant self. Kageyama is still suspicious of that quiet struggle, but says nothing, only raises an eyebrow.

"Besides...it smells good, too," Hinata adds, thoughtful. "Oh, I have to go meet up with Nishinoya today, so I won't be training with you, Kageyama. Later!" Hinata takes off without another word, sprinting as fast as he can down the hall.

He needn't worry about Kageyama pursuing, though. His partner was floored by his additional remark. His jacket smelled nice? It wasn't like he had washed it much since Hinata stole it from him the first time. Kageyama knew familiar scents could be comforting, but to hear that so directly, and from Hinata at that...

He puts his head down and walks as quickly as he can back to their room, hoping and hoping that he didn't stumble upon someone he knew. He was overwhelmed enough as it was; like he needed someone to see him flushed from head to toe, too.

---------------

The next day, the three teams are ready to run a full set of drills.

Once again, Hinata wakes Kageyama by pouncing on him, although this time, Kageyama just kicks out at him in irritation, shoving him from the bed. Hinata hits the floor, winded, but Kageyama doesn't allow him time to complain. "If you're so full of energy, go make us breakfast, idiot," he grumbles, pulling the covers over his head with a sigh. It's not that he's not excited for the drills—of course he is, just this 'test' and they can be inaugurated as Rangers—but he'd like to get in the right kind of serious mindset in order to perform to the best of his ability. He can hear Hinata climb to his feet, loudly babbling about how Kageyama was 'such a giant jerk' and 'the worst partner ever, jeez' and 'I don't even know where you put the rice cooker; you cooked last'. Kageyama thinks that he'll figure it out just fine.

Sure enough, they get through breakfast without any major incidents (Kageyama has to wrestle his jacket from Hinata's grip, but Hinata doesn't put up too much of a fight, pouting). They're dressed in the Ranger uniforms Koushi had given them for when they went out for anything official, standing tall and proud—well, as tall as Hinata can stand, anyway. Kageyama clucks his tongue and walks up to Hinata, fidgeting with his uniform in front of a mirror. Kageyama tucks in a stray edge of his shirt, Hinata yipping at his touch. He spins around, glaring with red cheeks, but Kageyama can only roll his eyes.

"Come on, you moron. We don't want to be late to our first three-team drill session." He leads the way out of their room,unconsciously picking up his pace when he heads towards the Shatterdome. It's almost time. (Hinata yells at him to slow down, damn tall person, but one challenge from Kageyama later, and it has turned into an all-out sprint to the hangar.)

They arrive out of breath, panting as they walk through the doors. Waiting for them in the middle of the hubbub that is typical of the Shatterdome are their senior officers. Daichi and Koushi spot them immediately and flag them down. The rest of the group is composed of Marshal Ukai in full uniform, looking particularly frightening, Takeda-sensei in his usual lab coat, and Saeko, dressed smart and fixing the newbie pilots with a wicked smile. Nishinoya and Tanaka are nowhere to be found, but that's unsurprising—Kageyama is sure they are fussing over Tyrant Omega down to the last second.

"Nice of you four to show up," Daichi calls.

"Four?" Hinata mutters in confusion, but then Tsukishima and Yamaguchi brush past the two roughly. Kageyama meets the glance Tsukishima tosses over his shoulder with a hard stare, making every effort to convey his hatred. Tsukishima raises an eyebrow and turns away, humming to himself. Kageyama and Hinata reluctantly join the group, still shooting the other pair dirty looks.

"Cadets," the Marshal addresses Hinata and Kageyama formally. They straighten up automatically and snap to attention. "I'm sure you already know this, but today's drills are the last step in the completion of the Jaeger Program. If Tanaka and I deem you successful, you will become fully-fledged Rangers, earn your badges, and be granted official recognition as Jaeger pilots of this base. You will also be required to assist Apocalypto Alpha in the field effective immediately. It goes without saying, but...don't screw this up." The newbies gulp nervously.

Ukai stares them down for another moment before he cracks a smile. "Well, if you screw up, it's not like you won't have another chance to prove yourselves. Take this seriously, but don't let the pressure get to your heads—it's not exactly do or die. Anyway. In recognition of your accomplishments thus far, we've prepared a bit of a surprise for you. Follow me." The Marshal turns without another word, striding towards the Jaegers.

The rest of the group trails behind, while Kageyama and Hinata nervously stick close to the Marshal and Takeda, who is alternating between smiling at them and Ukai. Kageyama and Hinata exchange glances, but they don't need to touch in order to feel the waves of anxiety and anticipation mirrored in each other. They're so occupied with their worried thoughts that they don't even notice the very apparent surprise until they're standing right in front of it.

The secondary base is fairly small, having only three hangars total, including the small addition that is Tyrant Omega's bay. The main hangar has connections for six Jaegers, although it is only occupied by two at the moment, with an additional storage hangar where the base's third Jaeger is situated. That hangar is only ever used if a Jaeger has suffered extreme damage and needs significant attention by mechanics and Drift technicians. It can hold four Jaegers at max capacity. Although the base is nowhere near the splendor of Tokyo's ten hangar primary base, it serves to protect Miyagi and the surrounding areas, with additional room for any teams on transfer.

Today, however, there are three Jaegers in the main hangar. And one of them is only a tiny thing compared to the two giants.

Hinata gasps aloud. "Omega!" he cries. "Omega's in the main hangar?"

Marshal Ukai's grin widens. "It's not very fair to separate him from the other main players if he's going to start really fighting out there, is it? Let's just say this is an incentive to do well—you pass today's test, and you two will have a permanent spot next to Apocalypto Alpha." Hinata's eyes are shining, and even Kageyama is having trouble keeping a smile off his face. Behind them, Tsukishima clucks his tongue in disgust.

Daichi and Koushi might have let that go, but the Marshal is more perceptive than they are. "Oi, Tsukishima. You got a problem with these arrangements? I'm sure you wanted their Jaeger parked nicely next to yours...no? Then stop bitching and get suited up already, you giant pain in the ass." Tsukishima skulks off with Yamaguchi in tow, successfully chastised.

"That applies to the rest of you, too," Ukai adds. "We're wasting time as it is. Hinata and Kageyama—your Drivesuit Room has an additional hallway attached that leads to your new station. The Drift techs'll show you the way."

The group dissipates, Takeda and Saeko following the Marshal, while the Jaeger pilots jog off to their respective changing rooms. Hinata bounces on his heels throughout the entire process, making his techs agitated that he might damage something important in the process. Kageyama is solemn and composed, for once. He doesn't let his mind drift far from the task ahead of him. He pokes at Hinata through the bond, pressing his calmness and clarity of mind on his partner after the fifth time one his techs snaps at him. Hinata jolts in surprise, but accepts the touch of Kageyama's mind, welcoming the air of peace he offers.

By the time they're suited up, the Ghost Drift is thrumming strong between them, and they radiate a sense of purpose and professionalism that puts a confident stride in their step. They turn down the newly constructed hallway and out onto the catwalk leading to the Conn-Pod. From the elevated platform, they can clearly see all the activity of the base, as well as the other pilot teams, already suited up and ready to go.

Directly to their right, Daichi and Koushi are casually leaning on the railing of their own platform, and Koushi laughs at something Daichi says. Like all other Rangers, their suits match their Jaeger. Apocalypto Alpha is silver and gold, that unusual brightness, and her pilots are no different. The shining silver of Daichi and Koushi's drivesuits draw attention to them from a mile away, practically glowing under the powerful overhead lighting. Splayed across the corresponding sides of their chests is their sigil—bright gold wings to match the winged badges of their uniforms. It makes them look very heroic, Kageyama thinks, and he knows Hinata feels the same way. His partner is transfixed, staring intently at their suits.

Well...they do stand out, but that's pretty unusual. Kageyama glances out diagonally, where Tsukishima and Yamaguchi are chatting with their techs, most likely making final adjustments before the drills. They adhere to the norm of Jaeger pilots—dark colors and identifiable mostly by their own sigil. They Drift in midnight blue, with two jagged strikes of lightning crossing their chests and arms. The design is a bright yellow to match the gold lightning bolts crossing behind the 'G' of their badge. It may not be as flashy as Daichi and Koushi, but they're definitely making a statement.

Kageyama unconsciously feels across his own chest. He and Hinata wear the unidentifiable black of a project that was almost scratched. Their colors are black for mystery and black for unpredictability. They have no sigil because their Jaeger is an unholy experiment, not up to par with the great legends that surround it. It kind of pisses Kageyama off.

"Hey, hey, hey! What's with those long faces? You guys upset because you don't look as fancy as those other four?" Kageyama and Hinata turn around quickly, guilty, to face Nishinoya.

"Noya-san!" Hinata chirps, slight embarrassment in his voice. "How did you know?"

The scientist laughs. "Eh, intuition. It's gotta be a bummer to look up to all those cool teams before you with official color schemes and symbols and realize that you got the mutt of the family. Don't worry about that too much though, 'kay?" His smile grows into something fierce and proud. "'Sides, if you whoop their asses in the drills, who are they to deny you a badge of your own?"

Kageyama and Hinata match his smile. If nothing else, Noya is an excellent motivator and talented at raising the morale of the group. It's no wonder Asahi puts up with his kaiju-obsessed nonsense.

"Well!" he says, clapping them on the shoulders. "I'll be rooting for you. Why don't you show everyone just what my pet project can do, huh?"

"Ossu!" the pair agree, nodding furiously. Nishinoya gives them a thumbs-up before he walks back along the catwalk, leaning his head over the side to holler for Tanaka, presumably somewhere farther below.

It's time. Their Drift techs usher them to the Conn-Pod where they are fixed into place, falling back into the usual round of pre-Drift checks like clockwork. Hinata is immensely glad that they have practiced this over and over—his anxiety might have hindered the smoothness of their teamwork otherwise.

It's a bit odd to hear Saeko address all three teams over the com, and even stranger to hear Tsukishima's voice taking on a professional tone, contrasted against Daichi's amused deeper one. They had been in the field together before, but never initiated Drift together, like a real team. The excitement rises like panic in Hinata's limbs, making him twitch and drum his fingers against the gauntlet. It's getting to Kageyama, just a little bit, through their connection, but he doesn't bother to fight it. Saeko engages neural synchronization, and then the neural handshake, and then they are in.

The combination of Kageyama's concentration and Hinata's energy, backed by Omega's solid support and protection steadies them into a strange rhythm that none are quite familiar with. It reminds Kageyama of the tension in the air at a championship game. Hinata's mind flares in surprised agreement, and it's enough to set them on the right course. They can do this. Why shouldn't they? What's a little pressure to them now that they have this beast of Jaeger on their side?

The cargo helicopters carry Omega and Strike out into the training bay, while AA walks herself out. Strike drops and steadies with the confidence and experience of tens of real missions, while AA strides with the pride and ease of a true point team. Hinata and Kageyama steady Omega, too, but in a more unnatural position—he's hunched forward, almost crouched, as if wary of an enemy. Hinata and Kageyama feel the rightness of their movements from Omega. The kaiju brain inside of him knows just how to move every pseudo bone and muscle in his body.

Scary~, Tsukishima calls in a sing-song voice across the com. What's with the bad posture, Omega?

Why don't you pay more attention to the task ahead of you, Strike? Hinata snaps back.

Children, children, Saeko breaks in with a sigh. We've got a simulation to run.

With Saeko's interference, balance is restored to the group for the most part. The simulations and drills are not about individual talent, after all, but more about how well the teams could work in harmony. Any individual differences and disputes had to be thrown to the side in a battle against a kaiju. The only enemy in the field then was the alien—every other human alive was an ally.

On the HUDs of each Jaeger, mission control projected a model of a kaiju, with preplanned movements and attacks. The job of the team was to devise and carry out a plan to take down the kaiju with minimal assistance from mission control. Of course, in a real skirmish, they would have the Saeko's eyes and voice with them at all times, but for the sake of these drills, the planning was left to the point team, in part to ensure that they could handle split-second thinking and decision-making. If they couldn't think rationally under immense pressure, they weren't cut out to be the main team.

No one needed to worry about Daichi and Koushi, however. From the moment Saeko said 'simulation start', Daichi buckled down on forming a strategy to test the simulated kaiju's abilities and weaknesses, while Koushi clearly and effectively translated this plan into orders for each of their two assists, playing to Strike's own strength of speed and Omega's of variability and responsiveness.

"Strike, you're on testing duty—you'll be prodding at any openings we provide and hitting the kaiju with 70% power attacks. If you can't do significant damage like that, switch tactics, and make sure to be in and out, don't worry about taking him down. Omega, you're our decoy—distract the kaiju with speed, weapons, noise—whatever you've got. Don't get hit, and try to keep all the focus on you," Koushi barks into the com.

Roger! The replies come across as soon as he finishes speaking.

He grins at Daichi. "Ready?"

His partner gives him a playful grin. "You tell me—you're the one in my head."

Their first simulation goes off without a hitch. Strike gets lucky and finds that plasma cannons are particularly effective on the fake kaiju's underbelly, and swords are better suited to ramming its spine. Strike leaves gaping, bleeding holes and gashes in the kaiju, infuriating it but not causing it fatal damage. It'd be able to pursue Strike more easily if Omega wasn't so darn good at his job. Hinata and Kageyama, from the start, felt completely at ease with Omega's semi-consciousness, and as a result, the connection from pilot to Jaeger was almost instantaneous. They were able to get in the kaiju's space, punching at it or head-butting it while dodging any blows from its massive paws due to the pilots' incredible instincts. Every flinch or flicker of intuition flowed through Omega's movements, making him quick on his feet and varied in his movements.

Hinata and Kageyama also found that he could quickly sink to all fours and back to two legs with an ease not found in any other Jaeger. They could duck and jump back quickly, Omega's movements only a beat behind theirs. They didn't even need to use weapons, really, when Omega's learning and evolving ability kicked in. It's not like Omega didn't instinctually know how to fight, but his 'mind' began to pick up on the pilots' patterns, the Jaeger's intuition matching that of his human pilots.

With an effective decoy occupying the kaiju's full attention, AA was able to duck in after Strike and deepen the wounds, driving them over the edge from 'bad news' to 'completely fatal'. The kaiju finally went down due not to any one killing blow, but the taxing minor wounds and loss of energy expended by combatting Tyrant Omega. The projection fizzled from their HUDs.

Good job, everyone! Koushi says. Especially good job as decoy, Omega; we hardly had to dodge a single blow.

Nice distracting, Yamaguchi offers. Good takedowns, AA.

Nice kill AA, Strike, Hinata replies.

The second kaiju projection flickers to life, and the three teams take up offensive positions once more. There're no breaks in these drills—it's meant to press the stamina of the pilots, among other things. This kaiju is bigger and has more offensive capabilities than the previous, but Koushi and Daichi appraise it the same way.

Alright, we definitely want Omega on close combat decoy—keep up what you had going before, but look out; I think this one's gonna be more inclined to hit back with those spikes and acid. Try using your shortest sword to slow him down. Strike, you're sniping. Use whatever's your strongest, and aim wherever we or Omega tell you is a weak spot. Daichi and I are on test duty, Koushi instructs, and the three fall into their positions, easy as breathing.

Hinata knows that, of course, they have been put in the least valued position. They aren't on the offensive, even with their short sword, jabbing at the virtual kaiju. It's Strike and AA that are doing the heavy lifting, taking down the kaiju. Normally, he thinks that might have made him angry. But somehow, this duck-and-stab, this evasive, clever fighting is the most satisfying thing he's ever done. He knows he's being useful to the teams, but even more than that, the satisfaction of each connecting blow and each miss of their opponents' makes his blood sing with adrenaline.

He can feel that Kageyama's emotions agree; feels it in his partner's rapid heartbeat, the clenching of his teeth, the strain of his muscles. They have been training for this very moment.

So it doesn't matter if their strikes only cause a stream of kaiju blue and not that gush of organs and blood that their partner teams' do. After all, enough small strikes will eventually wear anything down, right? Even a kaiju. They pick up their pace, driving forward into the kaiju, dodging acidic spittle and dragging its attention back to them whenever it dares to look away. Even better is Omega's bloodlust in response to their excitement. They worried once that Omega might not fight against a kaiju because he was, in fact, mostly kaiju himself. That was not the case.

Omega stuck with them to the scent of kaiju blood, put just as much force as the pilots did into each hit. His loyalties lay only with his human pilots, and he supported them with whatever animalistic knowledge and instinct lay within his synthetic mind.

Er...I think that's good enough, Omega, Koushi says across the com. His voice breaks the pilots from their tunnel vision, and they pull back obediently, a little confused. Had that been...nervousness, in Suga-san's voice?

Kageyama understands when they're far enough back to get a clear view of the simulated kaiju. The kaiju is moving sluggishly, trying to lash out at Omega or AA and failing, not because of the chips and chunks of its armor removed by Strike's gun, or the holes from AA's pulse-enhanced punches, but because of an innumerable amount of gashes along its front, causing hemorrhaging of blood. They had done that, all by themselves. Kageyama's stomach flips a little in anxiety, too.

I've got a clear shot right where the damage to the chest is greatest, Tsukishima says, bored. Should I take it?

Take the shot, Daichi confirms, and Strike blows a hole the size of a building through the kaiju. For the second time, the kaiju projection fades. There's silence for a moment; Kageyama and Hinata know they are to blame.

Ah, we were a little too overzealous, Kageyama apologizes. We'll hold back next time.

No, no... Koushi laughs in disbelief. I think we unconsciously put you in a position where you could cause the least trouble because we were anxious about the state of Omega. It's our fault you've been restricted to decoy.

We concur, Tsukishima says, surprising the other pilots. Omega is unnatural and unpleasant, and we didn't want it to go berserk or anything. But Omega is valuable in the offense; I suggest assigning a new role.

Daichi and Koushi make thoughtful noises, when Kageyama breaks in. Not that we have any experience in the field, but I personally believe that this position is best suited to the variability and responsiveness of our Jaeger. We give you two the freedom to move easily, and if we can cause damage at the same time, that's a bonus.

Omega itself is not afraid to face a kaiju head on, Hinata adds quietly. He responds only to our desires and amplifies our unity so that we perform better.

Okay then, Daichi says after a beat of silence. If you feel comfortable in your position, then with your performance, it shouldn't be a problem.

The third kaiju materializes, and by the time it is fully formed, Hinata and Kageyama have integrated smoothly into the team's routine.

-----------------

"I'll never rest easy again," Koushi whines as soon as the Drift techs strip him of his gauntlet and the command platform clamps. He rolls his shoulders a few times and hops in place to get the feeling of normal legs back.

"Why? What's eating at you?" Daichi says with a laugh, already knowing the answer.

"Those darn kids of ours, Daichi," Koushi says with an exaggerated sigh. "How am I supposed to sleep knowing how well they rode in their Jaeger, on their first real set of drills? Did you see their movements? Oh, we're out of a job for sure." He pretends to fan himself, looking faint.

Daichi rolls his eyes and flicks a stray piece of hair from Koushi's face. "Oh please. I guarantee you, when we get out of this Conn-Pod they are going to be stumbling around on jelly legs like we were after our first drop. C'mon." He walks through the door and onto the boarding platform, leaning on the railing facing Tyrant Omega. Koushi follows him out and leans into his side, gazing down at their juniors with amusement.

Daichi was right, of course. Kageyama and Hinata were stumbling around like newborn animals, unfamiliar with their own feet. It was an odd sensation felt after piloting a Jaeger for a long period of time. The pilots would become soused to the sensation of moving with the command platform and the heaviness of the Jaeger that once they were free of it, they walked much lighter than expected, and as a result, lost their balance. Kageyama and Hinata might have been piloting geniuses, but they were still very, very human.

Koushi laughs a little as Hinata drags Kageyama to the floor and they end up getting into a scuffle, still in their drivesuits, to the horror of the Drift techs. He's so quietly amused by the two that it takes him a while to notice that Daichi's arm went from reaching around him to the other side of the railing to resting comfortably around his waist. It's not easy to feel through their bulky drivesuits, but the slight pressure makes itself known and Koushi feels his heart skip. Calm, calm...stay calm.

It's things like this that make Koushi really frustrated with Daichi. He thinks nothing of throwing an arm around Koushi's shoulders, or falling asleep with his head in Koushi's lap, or running his fingers through Koushi's hair when they curl up to watch movies, just absently, like his fingers have a mind of their own. Or just casually holding Koushi like this, gentle but steady, like he knows Koushi won't say or think a thing about it. But what really, really kills him, is that this doesn't mean a thing at all.

"You wanna get changed?" Daichi asks, nudging Koushi, who nods robotically. Daichi lifts his arm from Koushi's waist and Koushi mourns the loss of touch, if only a little bit. He follows his partner back to their Drivesuit Room, but his mind isn't on getting changed.

This situation—their relationship—it has always been like this. Even from the beginning, Daichi has always been very tactile with Koushi. He didn't understand it at first, and then even with the Ghost Drift, Daichi kept his reasons to himself.

"Does it bother you? Me touching you so familiarly?" Daichi had asked, seriously, one day. Koushi could only shake his head—after all, he thrived under Daichi's attentions, practically lived for it.

"Then it's not a problem," Daichi had concluded, laughing at Koushi's pout when he didn't get a proper answer. Daichi's expression softened. "Of course, if you end up finding a partner and then you want me to—"

"I won't," Koushi had broken in, breathless, and oh. So that's what it meant, these conflicted, tormenting feelings inside him that he fought to hide from Daichi.

He will not ever forget Daichi's bright, genuine smile when he said, "Good. I won't either."

How romance works with pilots differs from team to team. Some—mostly those who had a significant other prior to finding their co-pilot, or those who were related—chose not to interfere in each other's love lives and leave well enough alone. Those pairs often suffered, especially if they had the Ghost Drift thrown into the mix. Not only did they feel the emotions of their co-pilot and in some cases, develop feelings for their partner's lover, nothing was really secret between them with such a powerful bond. Lovers would even become jealous of the bond between pilots, and sooner or later there was a break. It was widely considered an inefficient way of dealing with romance.

The easiest option, of course, was to fall for your co-pilot. No secrets, no conflicting feelings, cooped up together all day...any physical or emotional needs were easily sated, and when the pilots were to inevitably die or retire, it would be together. Unless, of course, only one was to die or become unable to pilot, in which case, the other would retire anyway due to emotional strain.

And then there were the pilots like Daichi and Koushi. Openly accepting that they had no future outside of piloting and the war, they committed to no relationship, but rather to become each other's bastion of stability. They were life partners; sworn to not pursue a relationship and to care for one another for life. Platonically married, it was also called.

They had made the agreement that day, before Koushi really understood what he was feeling, and by the time he was able to comprehend the depth of his feelings for Daichi, they were already happily in the routine of straddling the line between platonic and romantic. The things that he and Daichi did...they were not typical of two partners, even by piloting standards, but if he were to back off, he would ruin their perfect rapport. In the same way, if he was to act on his feelings and Daichi did not reciprocate, their compatibility would most likely shatter. Koushi doubted that Daichi would be disgusted with him or hate him, but the certain politeness and lack of touch that would follow would break Koushi's heart.

So Koushi is left in the in-between, quietly drowning. He is thankful for the ability to shield his thoughts from Daichi—he's discreet enough about it that even in the Drift, Daichi only can feel his boundless affection and trust, not the suffocating weight of Koushi's unconditional love, nor the desire that licks at his stomach whenever Daichi carelessly changes in front of him.

—They're in the Drivesuit Room. The Drift techs scurry around them, peeling off the armor with speedy delicacy. Daichi cocks his head to the side and regards his partner curiously. "Suga? You alright? You're being pretty quiet...are Hinata and Kageyama really worrying you all that much?" His face is pinched in concern, and Koushi imagines rubbing the lines on Daichi's face smooth with his thumbs, running his fingers along his cheekbones.

"No, no. It's nothing, I'm just wondering if the Marshal will let them start on a Category Three or not. They were very capable—it'd be an honor," he bluffs easily. It's not a complete lie—he really is curious, since he and Daichi began on Category Two's—but that's not what he was focusing on.

Daichi grins. "Oh, I'm sure he will. Those kids made everyone proud today; Noya and Takeda are pretty relieved, too, I'll bet."

"Definitely," Koushi agrees with a smile. He doesn't let a single stray emotion slip, doesn't let Daichi feel a thing when he watches the technicians pull the last parts of his drivesuit from his body, leaving him in a tank and sweats.

Koushi allows himself this. As long as the Ghost Drift is firmly under his control, he allows himself to appreciate Daichi's body. His partner has always been stockier—not the tallest, but built wide and strong enough that not even Tsukishima would try and pick a fight with him. Daichi loathes shirts, ironically enough; god knows he gets on Tanaka's back about putting clothes on when in front of important officials. And yet, he doesn't seem to have an issue strolling around their quarters in only sweats and occasionally a tank, leaving Koushi to desperately try to think about literally anything else in hopes that he won't lose his mind.

Daichi drags a hand through his short hair, throwing his jacket over his shoulder and blinking expectantly at Koushi. Obediently, Koushi treads to his side, and they leave for their room. Daichi complains the entire way about how hungry he is, Koushi teases him about putting on too much weight, and a light-hearted banter kicks up between them, the warmth of their Ghost Drift buoying the two.

They arrive at their room, but Koushi doesn't exactly feel like settling down yet. They've been doing drills for most of the day, and it's probably halfway to dinner time, so he thinks he'll pick up food for himself and Daichi. He relays this to his partner, who perks up and agrees wholeheartedly.

"Thanks, Suga," he murmurs, grasping Koushi's shoulder for a moment and squeezing it before stepping into their room.

Koushi is able to sweet talk the cook into giving him and Daichi their meals early with little difficulty, but he still feels antsy when they eat together, back at their quarters. He picks at his food even though he's definitely hungry, drums his fingers on the table, and finds it hard to concentrate on the show he'd clicked to randomly on their television. Daichi had picked up on his restlessness ages ago; he was just sorting through possible ways to get Koushi to calm down a little. The answer comes to him, and he pokes Koushi with his foot.

"You like spending time by the ocean," Daichi says matter-of-factly. Koushi looks at him like he's crazy.

"...Yes? Where did this come from, all of a sudden?" Koushi frowns in confusion.

Daichi props his elbows up on the table and leans forward. "It's dark out now, so I doubt anyone will be up on your favorite balcony at this time. Maybe talking to your parents will make you feel better."

Koushi's expression smooths. "You were worried about me."

Daichi concursacross the Drift. He rubs Koushi's ankle, pleased when he coaxes out a small smile from his partner. "You are okay, right?" Daichi asks seriously.

Koushi nods. "I think you're right. I'll go, just for a little while. Maybe that's why I'm feeling so on edge; I just need to talk to them a little more." He brushes a hand against Daichi's arm as he walks to the door. He slips his jacket on. "I won't stay out too long."

"You better not," Daichi calls. "I don't like to be kept waiting."

Koushi smiles as he closes the door.

------------------------

There are no lights up on Koushi's balcony. Not very many people even come up to use it, even though it has a terrific view of the ocean, and Koushi thinks it's because of how thin the guardrails are and how the wind just seems to catch in this little corner of the earth and blow and blow. That's fine—he likes the solitude at times like these.

He can only see a sliver of the moon with the scattered clouds in the sky; the stars aren't visible at all. That's even lonelier, Koushi thinks, because he's always had the stars as his companions back in his village. He feels his way to the railing mostly through memory and small steps, wary of toppling right over and down onto the rocks. He finds it relatively easily, settling his arms across the top bar. The ocean is only a quiet murmur under the sound of the wind swirling around him.

Daichi knows him too well.

That's almost half of Koushi's problems condensed into one sentence. Daichi knows him, has known him, and will continue to know him like the back of his hand, as long as Koushi lives. Daichi had known to send him out here to iron out his thoughts. Daichi knows Koushi better than Koushi knows himself, sometimes. It's frightening.

Everything would have been easier if Koushi could only love Daichi for his body. Koushi might have crushed on Kiyoko once upon a time, but his attraction to Daichi smacked him in his impressionable young heart the way no girl ever had. The strength to his build, the curves of his well-cared for muscles, the hardness of his jawline... It had burned right through him, that want; he had thought of Daichi in every way he could humanly fathom, dreamt of him so vividly that he woke up flushed and painfully hard—all before they even became partners. He could have just had Daichi once and been done with it, even if it left a bad taste in his mouth, just considering the possibility.

But then Koushi had to go and test Drift with him. He and Daichi were Drift compatible—that much they had made certain of in the Kwoon Room—but Koushi had never expected Drifting with Daichi and forming a true connection would be so invasive. Like Kageyama, he pulled the plug on their Drift, but unlike the newbie, he had not been fast enough to keep his partner from seeing the memory from back then.

The Miyagi base had been relatively new around that time, only about a year old and still trying to get on its feet. Back then, a Category Three was very bad news, and the Miyagi prefecture had only been attacked by Category Ones and Twos. No one expected or predicted any different, since the Threes seemed to target larger cities with more capable bases, anyway. The secondary base was more of a precaution or a back-up for the larger primary bases, should they be in dire need of assistance.

It was the foolishness of that assumption that led to the utter annihilation of the southern part of the prefecture along the ocean, when a Category Three surfaced, heading straight for it. Understaffed and underprepared, the new secondary base was far too late to save the towns and villages closest to the ocean.

No one in Koushi's village started running until the silhouette of the kaiju was visible, making a beeline for the shore. Koushi remembers it with complete clarity, despite the chaos that surrounded him as the families tried to grab their dearest belongings and evacuate. He remembers the terror in the eyes of his mother and father, he remembers taking the hand of his younger brother and pulling him close to his chest, as if trying to shield him from the inevitability of the kaiju's march forward.

They made for the car, of course. The Sugawaras were smarter than most; they left all their belongings in their house, tugged their elderly neighbors out of their home and into the car with them. Koushi had just shoved his younger brother in the car, closing the door and preparing to run around the other side and climb in himself.

The trees came out of nowhere. One second, he was standing and turning to run, the next, he was buffeted by glass shards to the face as two giant, uprooted trees came hurtling through the air, smashing the car instantly and shoving it a good two hundred meters forward. (Koushi doesn't figure out until later that the kaiju had already made landfall, and that the massive swinging of its tails knocked trees and houses half a kilometer from where they originally stood.)

Objectively, he knows his family and neighbors were killed instantly. At the time, he didn't even really compute what was happening, he just stared blankly at the spot where the car should have been, blood dripping into his eyes from a large gash across his forehead. And the funniest, funniest damn part about the whole thing was that when he turned to look at his car—now a pile of scrap metal and splintered wood—he could see their boat, still tied up at the dock, sail fluttering lightly in the breeze, rocking back and forth from the kaiju's wake, untouched.

The doctors that treated him said that he was in shock for almost the entirety of his village's destruction, and that with the proper psychological care, recovery was a strong possibility. It didn't sit right with Koushi, though, recovering while the rest of his family and many of his friends were gone from the world. He was an adult, and he decided that he'd do his best to make up for the mistakes of the Jaeger pilots that day by becoming one himself. He would never let another village like his get destroyed by the incompetency of those who were sworn to protect it.

He grew, he healed. Asahi followed him to the base; he succeeded in the Jaeger program, moved on, just a little bit. And then Daichi happened, and with Daichi, the flood of his memories of that day. His flattened village, the silence answering his calls for his brother, the thump of the kaiju's feet, like the heartbeat of the earth in the distance...Koushi doesn't even remember what happened between falling from the Drift and waking up screaming in Daichi's arms. He was shaking fiercely and had to be sedated in the end, the onslaught of trauma was too great.

When he woke, of one thing he was certain: he would be immediately expelled from the program. The base had no need for pilots with intense psychological trauma, and there were scores of candidates that could Drift with Daichi, he was sure. Why Daichi was still by his side, soundly sleeping atop his crossed arms, however, Koushi hadn't the faintest idea. He woke Daichi by running his fingers through his hair, as he had always wanted to, once upon a time. Back before he proved just how unstable he really was.

Daichi stirred, blinking his bleary eyes awake. He focused in on Koushi's face and smiled softly. "Hey, you," he said softly, his voice sleep-heavy.

"What are you doing here?" Koushi had asked, caving and returning the smile.

Daichi yawned a little, sitting up. "Well, I wanted to be with you the whole time, but I had to go argue with our rotation leader about keeping you in the program and then that led to arguing with the Marshal, so I'm sorry, I haven't actually been here all along."

"What?" Koushi asked again, not really listening to anything Daichi had been saying, too busy focusing on the way his mouth shaped words.

Daichi raised an eyebrow. "I made sure that you stayed in the Jaeger Program, and that you're still my partner."

"What?" Koushi had shrieked, then, sitting up so fast his head spun.

After that, Daichi ensured that Koushi got proper treatment for his trauma, and by the time Koushi figured out wait, I've let him too close to me, they were already Drifting steadily and he had fallen completely and utterly ass-backwards in love with Daichi.

So here he is now—smitten with the man who had saved his career and nursed him back to health, one way or another. The same man who understands that he still needs to talk to his parents once in a while, and that he fusses over the younger pilots because he couldn't watch his younger brother grow up, and that sometimes, he just needs to look at and listen to the ocean to hold himself together. Koushi is a broken, slowly, painfully mending mess, and Daichi is far too good for him.

He won't risk their bond for anything, not even his own feelings. Because he loves Daichi the way he loves a whipping breeze, choppy waters, and the smell of sea salt. He loves Daichi like he loves his mother's dresses, his father's scratchy face, his brother's crayon drawings. Daichi has become the home he sought when his was snatched away from him. That's really all he needs, right?

Koushi smiles into his arms. "Good night Mom, Dad," he says softly. He straightens up and fistbumps the open air in front of him—and swears he can feel a tiny fist match his in the darkness.

When he returns to Daichi, he's feeling freer than before, satisfied. Daichi is lying across the couch, watching some anime that's on with disinterest. He perks up when Koushi pokes him through the bond. He moves his legs to make room for Koushi, but Koushi pushes them back down and climbs over him, slotting himself between the couch and Daichi's body. He buries his face into Daichi's chest and doesn't say anything, letting the Ghost Drift speak for him. Daichi, who had been stiff with surprise, relaxes, letting his hand drift down to stroke Koushi's hair.

"Rough time?" he rumbles, voice low.

Koushi shakes his head and turns to face the television. "No, quite the opposite, actually. I was thinking about before we became pilots. And...and now."

Daichi hums thoughtfully. Koushi feels it, and for some reason, that physical reminder of Daichi's presence causes a sense of complete safety and tranquility to settle over him in a rush. Daichi pauses, leaning over to look at Koushi's face. "That was quite a bit of emotion." The question is unspoken.

"I love you, Daichi," is what Koushi wants to say so, so bad. It nearly escapes when he parts his lips to speak. "Let's teach Kageyama and Hinata how to use the Ghost Drift without touch," is what he says instead. "And we should go to the beach or something with everyone, to celebrate them becoming Rangers and Tyrant Omega being a successful project."

"Both of those sound like great ideas," Daichi replies, and Koushi falls asleep to the rhythm of his steady breaths and the strokes through his hair.

--------------------------

Hinata slams open their bedroom door, nearly giving Kageyama a heart attack.

"Dumbass Hinata, be careful with our door!" he snarls, trying to cover up his elevated heartbeat with anger. "You're going to break it!"

It has to be the middle of the night, although Kageyama doesn't bother to check his clock. He rolls over, away from the light and his troublesome partner. Hinata doesn't say a thing, which should have been reason enough for alarm, but Kageyama steadily ignores any Hinata-related weirdness until Hinata pads to the side of his bed and shakes his shoulder.

"What the hell do you want, already?" Kageyama growls, slightly hysterical, still full of adrenaline from Hinata's surprise entrance. He sits bolt upright and flinches away from Hinata's touch. It's suspicious, he knows, but Kageyama's been feeling so off around Hinata lately, he doesn't want to use the Ghost Drift directly with him.

Hinata won't meet his eyes and he's holding his arm awkwardly, shoulders hunched. Kageyama has a bad feeling about this. "I can't sleep," Hinata mutters.

Kageyama stares at him, not really comprehending. "I swear to god, if you say you're having nightmares in your twenties..." This cannot be happening to him. He will not play babysitter for his partner, no matter how nice he's supposed to be to his co-pilot.

"That's not it!" Hinata snaps, glaring at him. Kageyama only has a moment to feel relief. "It's all your fault, you know!"

"Haaaa? How on earth is that my fault? Just go to sleep!" he replies, returning the glare. He has no patience for this nonsensical conversation.

"I told you, I can't!" Hinata yells, leaping onto Kageyama's bed and straddling him, grabbing at the front of his shirt. Hinata shakes him, looking as furious as Kageyama has ever seen him. "I can't sleep, I can't focus, I can't even look at you, and somehow it's all your fault, damn it! Fix it!"

Kageyama nearly jumps out of his skin at how close they are, trying to escape backwards, only to come into contact with the metal wall of their bedroom wall. He can feel the trembling in Hinata's fingers as he furiously yanks on Kageyama's shirt; the emotions rising from him are so twisted and confused, though, that Kageyama can't make heads or tails of them. He stills Hinata with a hand to his shoulder at the end of his partner's rant, and Hinata slumps down into Kageyama's lap. Hinata's head falls forward so that he's leaning into Kageyama's shoulder. "Fix it...you've got to..." He murmurs quietly.

He's extremely vulnerable right now—Kageyama knows he has to be incredibly careful with Hinata. This is the weakest Hinata has allowed himself to be in Kageyama's presence; a show of such powerful trust after yelling insults and curses at him. Kageyama's messed up inside, not really sure how to handle this tired and frustrated Hinata. The hand on Hinata's shoulder unconsciously squeezes and releases him with Kageyama's nervousness.

It's pretty late for Kageyama to realize the position they're in, but when he stops freaking out about oh god Hinata is having a mental breakdown and starts freaking out about oh god Hinata is having a mental breakdown in my lap, things kind of go to hell. Watching your partner strip from their drivesuit is one thing, fantasizing about stripping your partner from their drivesuit yourself is another, but Hinata is here, he's baring himself to Kageyama, and Kageyama may not be a teenager, but he's certainly not too old to be immune to this. He doubts he's actually 'fixing' anything like whatever Hinata is referring to, but it's not like he's been the most stable either, lately.

Kageyama's hand steadies. He remembers that day in the Drivesuit Room, remembers thinking about touching Hinata, and his hand slides to Hinata's neck, drawing up. He cards his fingers through Hinata's mess of orange hair, running his thumb along Hinata's jaw. Hinata sits back up, slowly, not saying a word, and Kageyama knows that this is the moment. He crossed a boundary of his own free will, and Hinata will either reject him or accept him, right here and now.

Hinata looks him dead in the eyes, Kageyama's hand still cupping the side of his face. The electricity is palpable as Hinata regards him, coolly. They match stares for an uncomfortably long moment, and then Hinata's eyes slide half-closed. He turns his face into Kageyama's hand, breathing softly into his palm.

Kageyama knows he's probably sweaty with nerves, but that wasn't rejection, and this nuzzling of his hand is making his head spin. His thoughts and vision are almost too cloudy for him to catch the way Hinata's eyes meet his a second time, an unidentifiable edge to them. Hinata's lips brush his palm, and Kageyama is about ready to float off with this heady feeling when Hinata bites him, hard enough to snap Kageyama to the present. Fuck.

Kageyama's entire body flinches in response. His bitten hand jerks away from Hinata, while the other moves to clutch at Hinata's hip, completely of its own will. His legs jerk in towards himself, sliding Hinata even further into his lap. Hinata chases after his hand, tongue flicking out to soothe away the burn of his bite. He puts Kageyama's hand back to his face after, arching his back a little to press their lower halves together with just the slightest amount of friction.

Kageyama hisses, and fuck it, if he wasn't turned on before, he most definitely is now. He grabs at Hinata's face, pulling him down to fit their mouths together in a searing open-mouthed kiss. Hinata sighs into his mouth and his body shudders, Kageyama's hand tightening on his hip. Hinata's hands go for Kageyama's night shirt, shoving it up so he can get at the muscles hidden beneath.

Kageyama has no patience for Hinata's exploratory hands, even if the feathery hot touch burns him up in the best way, and he sucks so hard on Hinata's bottom lip he prays that it bruises. Hinata's breath shakes and he grinds down almost subconsciously, leaving them both gasping into each other at the contact. Their eyes meet briefly, widening, and then Hinata whispers, sounding out of breath, "Kageyama...that..."

Kageyama's hand snaps away from Hinata's face and to his other hip so fast he doesn't even register the response. Hinata stops feeling him up and instead cups his face, turning Kageyama's head so that he can get the exact angle he wants. There's tongue and teeth and Hinata can't even remember what his own mouth tastes like with Kageyama trying to shove his tongue down Hinata's throat, but Hinata definitely knows the feeling when Kageyama grinds his hips down again with possessive force.

He snarls into Kageyama's mouth, snapping his hips against Kageyama's, throwing him off his rhythm so that Hinata can take control, sliding their mouths together again. They're sweating by now—panting, actually—and god, Kageyama just wants to lose his clothes already, wants to feel Hinata's body burn against his. They're arguing with their hips, Hinata having one idea of pacing and Kageyama another, but they move together, just once, and Kageyama nearly sobs at the spike of pleasure that shoots through his gut.

He whines into Hinata's neck, nipping at his skin and Hinata almost laughs, a choking, desperate noise. Why are they wearing clothes, again? "Enough, enough," Kageyama struggles to say, his voice cracking. He pushes Hinata back a little, and Hinata leans back against his legs, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, eyes half-lidded. It's filthy and actually really, really slutty the way Hinata looks—and is looking at him. Kageyama can't think anything through with clarity, but he's sure—dead sure—that he is going to fuck his partner in about two minutes.

Kageyama leans forward, sliding his hands up Hinata's sides, dragging his shirt with them. He can see the goosebumps on Hinata's abdomen with every inch of skin he reveals, and Kageyama kisses Hinata's stomach out of instinct. Hinata's panting for a whole new reason now, Kageyama's mouth following his hands further up Hinata's chest, Hinata working his fingers in the shoulders of Kageyama's nightshirt.

"Tease," he hisses. Hinata bats Kageyama away and practically tears his shirt off. He shoves Kageyama down then, sliding him from the wall to his mattress, sitting triumphantly between his legs. Hinata leans forwards, balancing his weight on his hands. He stares down at Kageyama, refusing to break eye contact even as he presses himself against Kageyama once more, long and slow. Kageyama bites back a pathetic noise just in time, reaching up to shove Hinata over and teach him a thing or two about teasing, when a loud alarm goes off, startling Kageyama.

The vision of Hinata and their room blurs from focus as Kageyama jerks awake, but the feeling is most definitely still there. Kageyama aches. He struggles to a sitting position, forcing his bleary eyes to focus. He throws the mess of blankets over and around his lap fearfully. His instinct is spot on—Hinata jolts awake not two moments after Kageyama with a squawk of surprise at the alarm. Kageyama fumbles for his clock while trying to stay seated and not come in his fucking pants. He manages to slap the off button on the stupid thing, which he belatedly realizes is a mistake. He's left in complete silence with Hinata staring him down with eyes the size of saucers.

Lacking the loud distraction, the reality of Kageyama's situation comes to light. Not only is their bond wide open and projecting his sexual frustration like a beacon directed straight at Hinata, but Hinata, too, is majorly turned on. They stare, paralyzed in fear and mortification, at each other. Hinata's face is completely crimson, a mirror of Kageyama's. The Ghost Drift does nothing to alleviate the situation, bouncing back their lust and amplifying it, as the Drift tends to do with any other feelings.

Hinata sputters out, "I-it's just a natural function of the body, you know!" finally breaking the silence.

"Shut up!" Kageyama practically screams, hurling his pillow as hard as he can at Hinata's face.

Hearing the fear and hysteria in his own voice is enough to drag Kageyama back to earth and get rid of his boner faster than he ever thought possible. He stands up stiffly and sprints for the bathroom, wanting to put as much distance between himself and Hinata as possible. Hinata yells something at him as he flees, but Kageyama doesn't care to listen. He slams the door and locks it, throwing his back against the door once he's safely inside and sinking to the floor, burying his face in his knees. Hinata is pulling away from him along their connection and Kageyama does the same, until Hinata's presence is only the faintest acknowledgement in the back of his mind.

What the hell was that? Kageyama hugs his knees, trying to erase the fading wisps of the dream from his memory and slow his heart rate. What the hell was that? Everything—the room, the bed, the heat, Hinata's skin—it had all felt so real. Had that really been just a dream? Kageyama can still feel the phantom touch of his hands on Hinata's hips, the cold drip of sweat from Hinata's brow on his arm and stomach; hear the rustle of clothes caught between the press of their bodies, the light and quick breaths from their open mouths. No good, he was getting all worked up again. Of everyone at the base, though—why'd it have to be Hinata?

Kageyama knows the answer of course; he'd just prefer not to think about it. Hinata burns through him, from Drift to dream, the wicked fire of his soul scarring Kageyama's mind. As if he'd be able to so easily forget Hinata's wild energy and tireless drive! He'd introduced himself as a nuisance in Kageyama's life, but then he'd proved himself an equal and invaluable ally. Hinata pushed Kageyama to heights he'dnever known, never backing down or putting the brakes on. He was gorgeous, too, not that Kageyama put much weight on appearances. Hinata had the rare ability to draw Kageyama's attention to him with thin fingers, intense eyes, and nimble movements Kageyama had trouble tracking.

Yes, alright, Kageyama can admit he thinks Hinata is incredibly fucking hot, but that doesn't mean he has to act on his impulses or even let Hinata know they exist in the first place. That would have been the plan, if that damn dream hadn't blown their unsteady truce to pieces. With any luck, Hinata won't realize that he was the reason for Kageyama's sudden hard-on, but Kageyama doubts even Hinata could be ignorant of how desperately Kageyama had wanted him in that moment between sleep and waking.

A sickening thought enters Kageyama's mind: hadn't something like this happened before? He thinks back and remembers the meatbuns, the fucking meat buns. If a thought as mundane as craving a certain food could pass through the Ghost Drift without touch, then why wouldn't one of overwhelming carnal urges? Hinata had woken in much of the same situation as Kageyama—had he reacted to Kageyama's dream fantasy?

That's two levels of crazy Kageyama's mind fizzles out trying to comprehend. Had he turned Hinata on just with his own body's responses, or had Hinata reacted to the way Kageyama poured over him in his dream? Either option opens the door to possibilities that make Kageyama's head spin. The things he could do to Hinata...

No, now was not the time to think about that. Kageyama was more concerned with whether or not Hinata knew what he had dreamed about. Would he hate Kageyama, if he knew? Would he request a different co-pilot or just push through, ignoring Kageyama to the best of his abilities? ...Would he return Kageyama's attraction?

Kageyama jumps for the second time that day at a banging on the door to their quarters. He rocks to his feet, ready to answer the door, when he hears the pounding of Hinata running to the door. "C-coming!" Hinata yells, and damn it, he still sounds flustered. Kageyama bites the inside of his cheek, steadily does not look at himself in the mirror, and opens the bathroom door to face their visitors.

Daichi and Koushi stand in the doorway, looking refreshingly chipper.

"Daichi-san, Koushi-san...what's this about?" Hinata asks, confused, managing to look slightly less guilty than Kageyama.

"We're going to teach you two how to use the touch-free Ghost Drift," Koushi explains with a bright smile. Kageyama feels his stomach drop in response and he really, really kind of hates Suga-san right then.

Hinata, on the other hand, can't seem to see the problem with it, a smile breaking out on his face. "Seriously?" he yelps, "That sounds cool! Is that like how you can find Daichi-san anywhere, Suga-san?"

Koushi nods, stepping into their quarters. "Yes, although there's far more to it than just that."

"You doing alright, Kageyama?" Daichi asks, glancing at the fledgling pilot. "You look pretty sick."

"'M fine," Kageyama manages, seeing Hinata give him a curious look without any malice or suspicion behind it.

Koushi and Hinata sit at the breakfast table, Daichi perched behind his partner as always, and Kageyama leans against the wall, arms crossed. "I'm sure you know this already," Kageyama says carefully, keeping his voice even, "but we're already capable of sending emotions without touch." Hinata doesn't react visibly.

Daichi nods. "That's true, but that's a pretty basic skill. Complicated things like thoughts and words take a lot of practice and knowledge from those who've already done it. You two are used to using touch as the bridge, but with this technique, you'll be forced to recognize and strengthen the ever-present bond that has formed between you."

"Additionally," Koushi breaks in, "we'd like to teach you how to put up walls. We were hesitant before, since your teamwork was still somewhat shaky, but now you've been able to Drift and fight in the field so well, we figured it's about time you learned. The connection is important, but there's always going to be some more...private...parts of your life that you may want to keep, well, private. Or maybe you just want to be alone in your head a little bit."

Kageyama and Hinata flush at Koushi's implication and Daichi laughs. "Seems like they've already encountered that particular issue. Alright, we'll work on the walls first."

It's not as hard as they had expected to block each other out. Kageyama's a natural at it, recalling the way he fought off Hinata originally. Even with Hinata touching him, he's able to mute his thoughts and feelings down to almost nothing. He doesn't like the panicked look Hinata gets in his eyes when he can't feel Kageyama, though, so he doesn't hold the wall up long.

Hinata struggles much more. He's an open book even for those who aren't linked to him; cutting off the one closest to him is damn near impossible. Kageyama can feel Hinata trying to reject him, the attempts rippling across the bond. He sighs, shoving aside the awkwardness of the morning's event in order to assist his partner. He scoots closer to Hinata, grumbling. "You're having trouble visualizing a wall, aren't you? That's my technique, not yours—give up on it." Hinata looks hurt for a moment, efforts stuttering to a standstill before Kageyama explains.

"You're more destructive than me, after all. The 'wall' I think about is a peaceful barrier, not interrupting our connection as much as it is shielding me from your reach. In your case, though, stopping me in the middle of the connection would be a better option. Try and...crumple...the bond. Or at least create some kinks in it, like you're trying to wrinkle it, so that I can't break through." Hinata's eyes widen in understanding and he squeezes his eyes shut, focusing.

Kageyama waits for a moment, then reaches for Hinata's mind. He nearly balks at the feeling. As he had suggested, Hinata has tangled their bond into such a mess Kageyama can't even begin to untangle it. He pokes and prods, trying fervently to get to Hinata, but to no avail—he is held at a distance. Hinata opens his eyes and smiles, thrilled at his ability to thwart Kageyama. "It's working!" he exclaims. True enough, Hinata is able to keep Kageyama's mind from his, but it's unnerving. The sensation of being connected to someone had really faded into normality in the back of Kageyama's head, and now the emptiness is off-putting. He doesn't like it. At all.

Kageyama rests a hand directly on Hinata's skin, startling him into releasing his strangling hold on their connection. Kageyama's mind flows into Hinata's, cool and not unwelcome. Kageyama is relieved—more so than he had realized—and the knowledge of his emotions flits across to Hinata faster than he can stop it. Hinata raises an eyebrow, but his smile doesn't falter.

"Try pushing against my hand with your mind, now," Kageyama instructs, attempting to draw Hinata's focus away from their link. "Not so much the hand as much as the warmth and human aura it gives off. Try and feel no touch at all from me."

Hinata is successful with this much quicker. Again, the feeling is strange to Kageyama. He can feel Hinata pushing him away, unlike when he touches a normal person. It feels like a thin slip of paper has been inserted between Hinata's skin and his. It's unpleasant, but at the same time, Kageyama figures this kind of division between them will probably become useful in the future, what with his lust and their mutual inclination to fight.

Daichi and Koushi watch from the sidelines, amused but not surprised by the developments. This was becoming a pattern—they would describe how to do something that had taken them ages to master, and then the two newbie pilots would master it and shape it into something that was of greater benefit to them than in its original form. "In time, they're going to be one hell of a point team," Daichi whispers to Koushi, too low for Kageyama and Hinata to hear him. Koushi nods, a sense of pride filling him.

"If you can manage the walls, then touch-free Ghost Drifting will be a breeze," Koushi explains, breaking their concentration. "You both have probably felt the bond between you pretty solidly by now. It can be widened and narrowed, stretched and twisted—all depending on what you want to do with it. When you want to send something across the connection, try and think of it as a large ripple, snapping the bond like a whip. Some things, like location and emotional state of your partner will rebound immediately, but if you want a response, it might take a little longer. You'd best just try it out, learn from experience."

Hinata, eager to prove himself, does just that. The connection whips from Hinata to Kageyama and back, giving Hinata the most accurate snapshot of Kageyama's condition he had ever felt. Kageyama blinks in surprise, not expecting his reaction to be so immediate. He feels for Hinata, much more calmly, the ripple shuddering gently there and back, so light Hinata can hardly feel it.

They practice like that for a while, merging from emotions into simple thoughts contained in each swell of the bond. Hinata yelps excitedly when he asks Kageyama a question and gets a specific reply. It's like telepathy; not quite as direct or quick, but still fairly comprehensible. The slower and softer the wave, the longer and more emotional the thought; the faster the wave, the more specific and verbally the thought is communicated, with a quicker response.

Even Kageyama, after an hour or so, is grinning and even biting back a laugh at how smooth this transition is. He likes that he can keep an eye on Hinata, and Hinata likes that he can pester Kageyama to bring him food or spar with him. It's going to help them in their piloting and day-to-day life significantly—not to mention they can safely communicate thoughts and emotions while keeping the more private ones to themselves. Kageyama is immensely relieved, yet again.

About this morning... Hinata starts, god dammit. Kageyama can't catch a break even after catching a break. He wants to sigh, wants to scream, wants to throw himself to the kaiju—but none of those options will solve the problem of his co-pilot, so he only allows a measured yes? as a reply.

We're...we're all okay, right? We're still good? Hinata asks, hesitantly, a fluttering undercurrent of worry to his thought-speak. Kageyama meets his eyes across the floor they're seated on, spread further apart than before. Hinata is blushing, just a little bit, and Kageyama know he's warm, too.

...Yeah, he replies, finally. Of course we're fine.

"You two better hurry on over to Shimizu," Daichi says softly, recognizing the flicker of friendly connection between them and attempting to keep from disrupting it. "She's the one who's offered to do the fittings for your official uniforms after all."

Kageyama and Hinata go from thoughtfully regarding Daichi to yelling and leaping towards the two veterans in the blink of an eye. "What do you mean, 'official uniforms', Daichi-san?!" Kageyama practically explodes. "What's happening?"

"U-uniforms..." Hinata whispers in awe.

"Oh, didn't you know?" Koushi feigns innocence. "Your initiation ceremony as Rangers is tomorrow. I thought you got the memo."

Koushi's declaration sets off another bout of scrambling and excited high-pitched questions. Are you serious? We're really going to be Rangers? Where is Shimizu-san at this time, again?

The pair are off to find the reserved Kwoon Room Master in record time, tearing clothes off and throwing new ones back on with little regard for the presence of their superiors. Daichi and Koushi grin to each other the entire time. Kageyama and Hinata are really something—something incredible and something new; something to turn the tide of the war and something to laugh about. Daichi realizes, in a kind of unconscious and uncalled for way, that he loves the boys dearly. He's never had kids—never will, either—and they aren't even that much younger than him, but this sense of pride and fulfillment is that of a parent watching his little snot-nosed brats grow to fill their own shoes.

The emotion is reflected almost instantaneously by Koushi. His partner tucks a strand of hair behind his ear and then squeezes Daichi's knee, a physical confirmation that yes, they really are our children. Daichi feels a pang of something else, something mournful and not quite fully materialized that he shields from Koushi. It's a regret or a lament of some kind that he feels ache in his bones; something that only reveals itself when he thinks of how great Koushi is with their subordinates, how well he works with everyone, how wonderful a father Koushi could have been. And the pang really hits him when he thinks how great they could have been together, balancing each other out and raising a bright-eyed little brood of their own.

It's not Daichi's place to think about that, though; not his place to wonder about some life that isn't his. Daichi's not much of a dreamer, but he's not unhappy with how his life has turned out either. He'll take the babies of their 'family', struggling to stick a foot in the right shoe; he'll take the pesky, petulant teenagers, sulking in some dark corner together or aggravating the rest of the base and causing a scene; he'll take his partner as he is, gentle eyes and a halo of silver hair, and Daichi won't imagine a wife and a family better than the one he has now. Honestly, he doesn't think it gets any better than this.

--------------------

"BEACH DAY!! GET DRESSED YOU SORRY SHITS; IT'S TIME TO GET OURSELVES SOME DAMN VITAMIN D!!" Noya's voice booms down the halls of the base and Kageyama wonders, not for the first time, how a human so small can make so much noise.

"Noya-san, I'm coming!" Hinata hollers right back, throwing open the door to their quarters and tearing out after the scientist. Ah, that's right. Maybe it was just in their DNA.

Kageyama picks up the sunscreen and bottles of water Hinata had forgotten in his rush, purposefully neglecting to grab Hinata's shoes. If that idiot wanted to burn his feet off, he could go right ahead. Kageyama carelessly tosses the assembled items into a beach bag, including his own towel in the process. He slings the bag over his shoulder and walks out of the room, closing the door properly and rolling his eyes as he divines Hinata's location. He hadn't even gotten that far—stopped by Saeko and Michimiya, the two apparently in charge of getting the full kaiju response team together.

Koushi had told Kageyama and Hinata about his plan to hold a beach day event to relieve some of the stress the pilots had and to celebrate the promotion of the new Rangers (Kageyama still puffed up his chest when he remembered his newfound importance to the base). Everyone had been invited; from the Jaeger techs and mechanics to the scientists and Marshal Ukai. Of course, a group had to stay behind and monitor the Pacific for any kaiju movement, but Asahi had assured everyone that there wasn't to be an attack anywhere in their vicinity for at least the next week.

As it turned out, nearly everyone was enthusiastic about Koushi's suggestion. The girls and the scientists were immediately onboard—unsurprising, since they were cooped up in their control rooms and labs, respectively, all day long. Asahi had insisted that he was needed within the borders of the base and therefore did not need to go to the beach, but once Nishinoya pointed out that the beach was technically government property and still within the base's borders, Asahi's wishes were largely ignored. "This is for his own good!" Noya insisted, dragging his lab partner back to his room. Even Takeda-sensei was utilizing his persistence and urging the Marshal to take a break from work before his hair turned grey like Koushi's.

Kageyama and the other pilots also felt grateful for the stress reliever. The initiation ceremony had been great of course, but there was a certain weight placed on his and Hinata's shoulders along with the title of 'Ranger'. They couldn't afford to mess around with Omega any longer. Now they played for keeps.

(Aside from that, though, the ceremony had been incredible. There was no formal auditorium or stage for their awards to be presented, but the Marshal had made do. Tanaka and his mechanics assembled an elevated platform with a microphone placed atop it to serve as a temporary stage, and a mismatch of chairs had been gathered and arranged in neat rows.

More people showed up than Kageyama had expected—it was optional to attend, but many of those who came had apparently been supporting the project from the sidelines, either in putting together the Jaeger, designing the nerve fiber drivesuits, or aiding in the control room with Drifting. Even a significantly large batch of recruits showed up—most probably to gawk at the Shatterdome, one of their few opportunities to see it, but others were there in support. Kouji and Izumi had gathered up Hinata's entire old rotation to support him, and their smiles and thumbs-up of pride had Hinata practically vibrating in happiness.

Kindaichi, Kunimi, and some other faces Kageyama recognized appeared too, though he didn't feel even the slightest bit apprehensive about their presence—Kageyama knew where he stood now. Kindaichi fixed him with an intense stare when their eyes met, his expression blank. After a long moment of sizing each other up, Kindaichi nodded at Kageyama—the only time he had recognized him aside from his taunts and bitter insults. Kunimi, too, raised an eyebrow and shook his head, but it didn't feel antagonistic, just accepting. Their recognition left Kageyama with a strange feeling in his chest; it wasn't exactly happy, per se, but it was comforting nonetheless to know his two most bitter acquaintances acknowledged him.

The Marshal had said his piece, Takeda-sensei his, and then Daichi spoke for both himself and Koushi, welcoming the two fledgling Rangers into their midst. Marshal Ukai presented them with their pins—and consequently, their sigils—the sterling silver outline of an almost reptilian head, decorated with a crown of horns and a halo above them, the Greek letter 'omega' emblazoned across its face in black; the pin sparkled against the black of their suits, neat and smart. Shimizu, it seemed, was talented not only in battle, but in finding the exact garb to match the pilots.

Even if the suits itched a little, Kageyama and Hinata stood tall, shoulders thrown back as they were pinned, proudly displaying the proof that they were worth something to this world. And at the end of it all, a round of applause, even from Kindaichi and Kunimi, reluctant as it was. Kouji cried, Izumi did not, and the entire group that had worked directly with the new Rangers surged in to give backslaps and handshakes of congratulations.

Just like a tight-knit family, Kageyama thought.)

Hinata greets Kageyama with an ecstatic wave and a push of what took you so long? across their link when Kageyama reaches the slowly building group. Aside from Saeko and Michimiya, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi are there—Tsukishima with his headphones firmly secured around his head, pointedly not looking at any of the assembled, and Yamaguchi fidgeting shyly next to Hinata, ducking his head to greet Kageyama. Saeko is taking great pride in her bikini and shorts, sunglasses propped up on her head, while Michimiya fawns over her with the slightest tint of pink across her cheeks, dressed in a light-colored sundress and a straw hat herself.

Kageyama joins the group without a verbal greeting, nodding a little at Yamaguchi and shoving at Hinata across their link out of habit. Hinata growls at that, half of him itching to pick a fight with Kageyama, the other half wanting to talk some more with Yamaguchi who, as he has found, is actually not an asshole, but a delusional prisoner of Tsukishima's that must be rescued at all costs. Hinata is spared the decision when Daichi and Koushi arrive, pushing a rather unenthusiastic and green-in-the-face Asahi.

"Really, it's okay, I don't have to go, I'm fine in my lab—" Asahi attempts to reason with his captors, who steadily ignore him with friendly smiles and cheerful voices.

"Well, since Takeda-sensei will be meeting us out there with Shimizu and hopefully the Marshal, it looks like we're all set to go!" Koushi says.

"W-wait!" Asahi yelps. "Where are Noya and Tanaka? You wouldn't want to leave without them." The two veteran pilots look to Saeko, who shrugs at their unspoken question. Like she had any rein on them. Daichi hums thoughtfully and Asahi relaxes a little.

But speak of the devil and he shall appear, Asahi finds out, when the troublesome scientist-mechanic duo reappear, yelling at the top of their lungs. Unlike the rest of the pilots and Asahi, who had opted to wear a shirt with their board shorts, Nishinoya and Tanaka sprinted towards the group topless, wearing the most hideous and obnoxiously bright swim trunks in existence.

"Neon vomit colored..." Yamaguchi mutters.

"Never fear, we return bearing gifts!" Tanaka declares, planting his hands on his hips. For the first time, the group notices the two large coolers Tanaka and Nishinoya had been dragging around. Nishinoya throws open the lid to reveal an astonishing number of beers on ice. "Now we can really make it a party!" Tanaka crows in victory.

"Ryuu!" Saeko wails, throwing her arms around her brother. "My little brother may be spoiling his good looks with his shitty fashion sense, but he's also spoiling us with drinks!"

"Shitty fashion sense...?" Tanaka mutters in confusion while trying to pry his sister off of him. "Oi, nee-san, let go!"

"Indeed, let's go!" Saeko crows, dropping her brother to grab Michimiya and Nishinoya's hands, dragging the two towards one of the base's side exits with a look of glee plastered across her face. Michimiya sputters but follows along obediently; Noya whoops with excitement and charges forward, cooler forgotten.

"Oh, Noya..." Asahi sighs, grabbing the cooler himself with a hopeless sigh. Daichi and Tanaka clap him on the back, and Asahi jumps.

"That's the spirit, ace! Resign yourself to a fate of relaxing on the beach," Daichi laughs. Asahi manages a tentative smile and follows them out, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi not far behind, brushing close together as they walk.

Kageyama ends up leaving too, after he hears Hinata's soft voice asking Koushi, "Suga-san? I have a question about the Ghost Drift..." The trailing off was caused by Kageyama's presence, that much he could feel. He isn't really offended; Hinata is allowed to have his own private conversation with Koushi, as long as he shares any information relevant to their Drifting ability with Kageyama.

Hinata senses Kageyama's acknowledgement and acceptance of his feelings, no lingering bite of hurt or sting of resentment towards Hinata for seeking privacy—he let it go almost immediately, even drawing away from their connection respectfully. Hinata figures that it was due to the awkwardness of the previous morning, a memory still vivid and raw in both their minds, that Kageyama kept his distance without any complaint. Hinata understands the sentiment. Even though Kageyama had assured him—in his own, brusque way—that everything was alright between them, Hinata was still hesitant to probe too closely at his partner's mind, too.

"Yes, Hinata?" Koushi replies with a gentle smile, blinking expectantly at him.

Hinata bites his lip. "Um...it's a bit of a strange notion, and this might be a stupid question, but...is it possible to Drift with your partner while you're sleeping?"

Koushi nods. "Oh, sure, it's completely possible. Daichi has told me many times that he's gotten weird vibes or images from me when I was sleeping. He thinks it's pretty funny, though, that I bother him across the Drift even unconsciously."

Hinata's hands curl into fists, not out of anger, but anxiety. Koushi notes this, his eyebrows pulling together slightly. "Was that not the answer you wanted? I thought you and Kageyama had some kind of altercation over meat buns that you dreamt about already."

"That's not...that's not exactly what I meant," Hinata grinds out, face turning an interesting shade of pink at having to spell out his problem. He doesn't meet Koushi's eyes and speaks quietly. "I mean, do you ever kind of...share...your dreams with Daichi-san? Like, where you're both in the dream a-and you're able to affect the other person, even though they're asleep?"

The puzzle pieces begin to click in Koushi's head, and he conceals a fond smile. That was the issue, then. "Personally, that kind of connection has never occurred between me and Daichi," Koushi says, attempting to mollify a distressed Hinata. "However, I've heard of a similar phenomenon happening to other pilots. It can range from something as simple as forced empathy, where your co-pilot wakes up feeling the same emotions as you, or even as far as dreamwalking, where two pilots share the dream and are fully autonomous."

Koushi doesn't probe at what is undoubtedly a sore spot for Hinata. He must have had some uncomfortable dream about Kageyama, or the other way around. They were adorable—he couldn't wait to tell Daichi about how much they had progressed even without the veterans' help. At the same time, it was a bit unnerving how quickly the two polar opposites had merged wavelengths and grown intimate with each other. Koushi had never heard of any pilots linking so fluidly together; perhaps this was one of those one-in-ten-million incidents where perfect halves of the same whole collided to form an inseparable team.

Hinata is quiet after Koushi's explanation. If their Ghost Drift could fall under any part of that scale, then the events of two nights ago made sense, even if Hinata didn't want to admit it. Why did this have to happen to him, again? Was his karma truly that bad? Why did it have to be Kageyama?

Hinata doesn't recall exactly how the dream begins—it's a little blurry—but he does remember throwing open a door with a feeling of desperation, practically throwing himself at a confused and hardly even awake Kageyama, blaming him for a problem Hinata didn't even understand himself. All Hinata knows is that there has been a strained atmosphere between himself and Kageyama lately. And maybe Kageyama was causing it, maybe it was Hinata causing it in reaction to Kageyama's very existence—either way, it was Kageyama's fault, and it was up to him to fix it. Kageyama had been there for him when they first began Drifting, when Izumin's mom got sick, when they had to go up against Omega for the first time: why wouldn't Kageyama be there for him now?

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Hinata had been aware that he was dreaming, and that dream-Kageyama couldn't really help his problems with real-Kageyama, but he just wanted some kind of assurance that this could be mended, this thing between them he didn't quite understand. As if responding to Hinata's unspoken pleas, dream-Kageyama had touched him. It wasn't invasive or perverted in any way; though the touch seemed to set Hinata's skin aflame, the comforting intentions and care behind it was apparent. It was so unlike Kageyama, and yet, the thumb caressing the length of Hinata's jaw with warm, soft strokes seemed to be the truest expression of Kageyama's feelings that Hinata had ever experienced.

He looked up—of course he did, he had to, he needed to see this true-fake Kageyama himself—but what he saw was more than he felt. Kageyama looked at him not just with the occasional tender care that he had shown in times of Hinata's great distress, nor the constant worry for his partner's wellbeing usually presented in the chewing of his inside cheek, but with something darker. Kageyama's eyes were always dark, but often Hinata was reminded of the early morning sky, open and light. These eyes, though—these eyes were the color of the ocean floor, too deep and wide and dark for any living being to return from alive. Hinata was sure he'd be swallowed up by Kageyama's intense stare, braced only by the hand so delicately cupping his face and—

The warm feeling of Kageyama's touch pooled low in Hinata's stomach. Oh. So that's what it meant.

He didn't consciouslydecide to melt into Kageyama; it was more of an instinct driven by the fact that this was a dream, and this dream-Kageyama could neither deny him nor ruin the rapport of their connection upon waking. Hinata could use him, just a little bit.

For Hinata, however, the softness was not enough. He was an affectionate person by nature, and in a different situation he might have lingered against Kageyama's hand, taking in the feeling of his calloused palms. In that moment, however, he had no time and no patience for it. Hinata was turned on and hungry for this—Kageyama never touched him like this in the real world, no one had for a long time, and he needed the hands resting so lightly against his skin to move, god dammit.

He bit at Kageyama, relishing in the rapid and aggressive reaction he got. Hinata didn't allow Kageyama's hand to escape far, lapping away the burn, pleased with the other hand gripping him solidly and the pain-pleasure flashing through Kageyama's ocean eyes (he'd bring light to those depths yet.) He rewards Kageyama with the press of their bodies, just the slightest taste of what was to come.

Kageyama apparently wasn't all that used to someone else taking the lead, because the kiss that followed was filthy, making Hinata's head spin. He didn't want to breathe, didn't want to miss a single moment of Kageyama's lips pushing and pulling against his, petulantly trying to get his way. Hinata allowed this with an exhale, reaching down for Kageyama's stomach, running deft fingers along the jump and tense of Kageyama's muscles. His heart rate rose thinking about just how strong Kageyama was, physically, how badly he had Hinata beat, how easily he could overpower him...

Kageyama sucked hard on Hinata's bottom lip, and Hinata moved with him, pushing their hips together roughly, all senses merging into a single bright point of pleasure. When he came down from that high, Hinata shakily tried to express, tried to get across just how good that was, when he remembered this is a dream. This is not your Kageyama.

Dream-Kageyama had none of Hinata's hesitation, ruthlessly grabbing at his other side and grinding down again. Hinata decided fuck it with little deliberation, making for Kageyama's mouth again. They fought for supremacy in their rhythm with snarls and shoves and clacking of teeth, all coming to a head when they synchronized, gasps elicited from both.

Kageyama pushed him back after going at his neck briefly, glaring at Hinata's shirt with more disdain than it deserved. Hinata wiped the saliva from his cheek, leaning back, baring his body to dream-Kageyama. It's okay, it's okay...it's okay if he has me like this, Hinata thought, wondering at the sparks in Kageyama's eyes. It's not like I'll have another chance. Of course, then he had to tease, putting his mouth everywhere but where it was most wanted, breath hot on Hinata's stomach, making him wriggle unintentionally and breathe harshly, irregularly.

But it was Hinata's dream, so Hinata was going to get his way. He shoved Kageyama down to lean over him, marveling at how much larger than him Kageyama was, not just in height but in the breadth of his shoulders, the thickness of his muscles...Hinata's eyes drifted lower and his purpose became clear. He dropped his hips, pressing hard against Kageyama and sliding up his body. Hinata was purposefully slow and torturous, pleased at the way Kageyama's face contorted, how he bit his lip so hard it had to hurt, giving his partner cause to flip their positions and do as he pleased with Hinata's body. But then the dream snapped from him with a sudden, uncomfortable jerk, sending Hinata tumbling back into the real world with a start.

It's awkward to get a boner in front of your roommate, even worse when they're your co-pilot, even worse when you are psychically connected and have yet to develop a way to turn it off. Hinata wakes to the reality that he is turned on, Kageyama is turned on, there's an awkward, heavy silence suffocating their room, and his lust for Kageyama couldn't have been projected louder across their link. Hinata freezes, which is convenient, because Kageyama seems frozen too, but then his stupid mouth has to kick in of its own accord, desperate to try and salvage his dignity and their relationship.

"I-it's just a natural function of the body, you know!"

What a stupid, stupid thing to say. Somehow, he had managed to release the tension in the room, even if Kageyama fled almost immediately and it wasn't until the end of their Ghost Drift lessons that they resolved the situation. But if what Suga-san said was true...

Hinata resists the urge to bury his face in his hands in utter embarrassment and shame. Kageyama had to have felt Hinata's attraction towards him. As humiliating as that was, at least Kageyama hadn't acted all that differently around Hinata. It had to be understandable—they were cooped up together for almost the entirety of their day in the base, united by a bond deeper than companionship or even partnership. There were sure to be incidents like this, right? Especially considering how objectively attractive Kageyama was, all reliable confidence and poised strength (at least in battle).

Thinking on it, that was probably what Kageyama had thought too; it was just surprising at first. And now that they could block each other, they wouldn't have to worry about any awkward, unconscious fantasies. Hopefully. Hinata brightens at this prospect, bouncing past Koushi, who had been side-eyeing him with only the slightest hint of concern. Upon seeing the newbie pilot's change in mood, Koushi relaxes, shaking his head.

That kid was oblivious.

--------------

"Uwaaa!"

Hinata's exclamation covered pretty much the entire group's reaction upon stepping out onto the base's private beach. Extending out for many miles, the beach was used for military drills, varied Jaeger rescue drills, and most importantly, as a place for members of the base to relax and take a well-deserved break from their high-stress occupations. It wasn't anything fancy—a few hammocks and shacks set up manually by those people who came often, and endless beach from there, but also...

"A volleyball net?" Kageyama murmurs, perking up immediately when he spots the telltale shape farther down the beach.

"You fancy yourself a game of beach volleyball?" Daichi asks, rubbing his hands together and grinning. He claps Kageyama on the back. "I'm not terrible—I used to play a little in my neighborhood."

Kageyama raises an eyebrow in challenge. "I went to Shiratorizawa, the national champions for five years running, on a volleyball scholarship. I played as their main setter for two years."

"Well, sounds like I'll just have to knock you down a few pegs. Wrangle up a team and we'll have a go at it," Daichi replies, undeterred. Kageyama returns the grin with a confident smirk, looking immediately for Hinata.

Unfortunately, the red-headed whirlwind is already halfway down the beach, running full speed after Nishinoya with Tanaka in pursuit, as if the three were caught up in some bizarre game of tag. There's yelling and jumping and eventual tackling of one another into the sand, leaving Kageyama to wonder if he should reconsider selecting his partner as a teammate, even if he did have past experience in volleyball.

A hand settles on his shoulder. "I'll join your team, if you wouldn't mind having me," Koushi says, nodding towards the three idiots farther out. "Let's head over to meet up with the rest of our group, then we'll show Daichi what for, hmm?" Kageyama nods sharply, smirk growing even wider and follows the veteran, heads together to work on strategy.

They slowly catch up with the three who had run ahead. Kageyama and Koushi drift into conversation with Saeko and Michimiya while Daichi takes pity on Asahi, who had been left to struggle with dragging both of the coolers through the sand. As if sensing his lab partner's distress, Noya whips his head around to see Asahi dipping his head in sheepish gratitude for Daichi's assistance. Noya abandons Tanaka and Hinata to their wrestling and takes off back toward Asahi, snatching back one of the coolers. He yells something along the lines of "it's for the Marshal and sensei!" before tugging the beers swiftly in the direction of one of the few stable-looking shades.

Under the shade, three figures gradually take clearer shape once the group arrives. Shimizu brightens when she sees Saeko and Michimiya in the greatest display of emotion Kageyama has ever witnessed from her. She runs over to the girls and grabs their hands gently, a pretty smile on her face, instantly joining in the babble of 'how have you been's?' and 'I love your swim suit's'. Takeda-sensei greets them with his usual friendly expression and a wave, wearing a hat and light clothing. Marshal Ukai, on the other hand, has his arms crossed over his chest, a serious expression across his face. The pilots stiffen up, even Tanaka and Hinata looking a little subdued.

It's strange enough to see the most important military official at their base shirtless and wearing swim trunks, but to have him fixing them with his trademark stern gaze while sans said shirt is completely unnerving. Nishinoya, in his own typically oblivious manner, marches right up to the Marshal with the cooler, grinning. "Ukai-san, I brought the goods!" he declares, elbowing his superior in the side.

The younger pilots and Tanaka hold their breath while Asahi reaches towards Noya with a strangled noise, but then the Marshal breaks into a smile and ruffles Noya's hair fondly. "Oh, really now Nishinoya? Last time you brought me that undrinkable cheap shit. I'll kick your ass if it isn't good." Ukai opens the cooler and crows in delight, Takeda also making noises of appreciation. The assembled let out their breaths, Daichi and Koushi exchanging glances and grins at their juniors' anxiety.

"There's more where that came from," Daichi adds, dragging his cooler under the shade. The Marshal slaps him hard enough on the back that even Daichi has to cough.

"'Atta boy, Sawamura. I didn't come out here to be sober and official. Oi," he says, turning to the newbie pilots and the scientists. "That means you, too. Save all this properness and respect for when we're actually wearing clothes. Drink and have a good time; god knows Takeda and I don't care about rank right now."

Ukai's words are enough to set the assembled back into motion. Daichi calls for a volleyball game, gathering the interest of several of the team members; Kageyama pulls Hinata to his side and explains to him their strategy, automatically assuming they'll be put on the same side of the net; Tanaka, who is only vaguely familiar with the rules, yells for a three-on-three with himself as judge; and Koushi fixes Daichi with a challenging smirk, throwing an arm around Kageyama and Hinata's shoulders. Nishinoya is intrigued by the game, tugging on Asahi's arm to get his attention.

"Asahi, Asahi, let's join Daichi's team!" his eyes gleam, excited by the challenge.

"Ah, but Noya...I don't know a thing about volleyball," Asahi says. He hadn't played much, even just for fun. "How would I even play?"

Noya regards him thoughtfully. "Well, you're pretty tall—definitely taller than me or Daichi—so you'd be the ace spiker, I guess?" He nods after a moment of looking Asahi over. "Yep, definitely with a build like yours."

"Ace s-spiker?" Asahi repeats, anxiety increasing. "That's such a high-pressure position! I'd never be able to handle it!"

"Bah," Noya disregards his lack of confidence with a wave of his hand. "Jump high and don't worry about the blockers—I've been told my receives aren't half bad for someone who's never played on a real team a day in their life. I'll make sure to watch your back, so just leave it to me!" He gives Asahi a thumbs-up and a wink, trotting back over to Daichi to announce both himself and Asahi as Daichi's team members.

Please don't decide things all on your own! Asahi silently pleads, even though Nishinoya's declaration had warmed him a little. He doesn't feel particularly confident in his ability as a spiker, but it's a comfort to have Nishinoya on his side anyway.

With the two teams settled and dashing off to set up the boundaries of the 'court', the rest of the party make for their own activities. The sun is still boiling even though they've missed the hottest part of the day—Ukai hustles Takeda and his fair skin beneath an umbrella, Takeda laughing good-naturedly at his friend's pestering and grabbing a couple drinks for both of them on the way. They set up matching beach chairs, Takeda pulling out a novel he hadn't found time to read yet and slapping at Ukai when he goes to check his phone with routine worry for the state of Japan. Ukai shoots Takeda a pacifying smile, pulling out reading glasses and a book of his own, nudging the head scientist with his elbow. Takeda huffs, satisfied, and they lean into each other a little, painting a tranquil and surprisingly domestic scene for two immensely important men.

"Gross," Tsukishima mutters. Yamaguchi flinches at his insubordination and Ukai glances up at him, coolly terrifying. Tsukishima tsks and backs down immediately, skulking off with Yamaguchi in tow, sullenly murmuring about 'superhuman hearing.'

The girls pay no mind to the heat of the sun, shedding their outer clothing amidst conversation, leaving everything except sunglasses and hats under the main shade. Shimizu and Saeko are excited to finally get a chance to go to the beach, both heavily occupied with work all the time. The ocean makes Michimiya a little nervous, but Saeko takes her hand with an amused and understanding smile, leading her past the breakers. They wander out to waist-deep water, chatting amiably amongst themselves. Shimizu splashes the two with uncharacteristic playfulness once they're safe from waves, causing Michimiya to gasp at the cold and Saeko to narrow her eyes at the challenge. The girls dissolve into giggling and splash fights, watched with envy by Tanaka and Nishinoya.

They are quickly distracted by the volleyball game that springs up, however. Unsurprisingly, Kageyama and Hinata are already taking the game too seriously, trash-talking Daichi and Asahi (who is stuck flailing a little without Noya's support) while Koushi eggs them on with a mischievous grin. Tanaka plants his chair firmly between the two sides of the net along the sidelines, crossing his arms and attempting to look official.

"Ryuu, you look like a thug!" Noya laughs, running back to his own side and vaulting off of Asahi, throwing himself in the air.

"Shaddup, Yuu!" Tanaka growls defensively. "Oi, Team Trash Talk and Team Kaiju Brains, get in position already! I don't have all day!"

"Team Kaiju Brains..." Asahi murmurs despairingly.

They decide to play by the usual volleyball rules—or as well as they can—for two to three sets. It'll only be two sets, Kageyama thinks as he's up to serve. Hinata and I will make sure of that. His service ace is a little wobbly and not as well-aimed as he would have liked, but not half bad for having not played seriously in years. Koushi and Hinata whoop in excitement as the ball slams into the sand and Noya chases after it. Hinata's jumps, too, are nothing to scoff about—even in the sand, Hinata can jump higher than anyone else, launching his small form into the air with the ecstasy of someone who truly loves the sport.

Asahi and Nishinoya are amateurs, for sure, but they perform annoying well, especially together. Asahi has true power in his swing, and with his height, he's able to meet the shorter opposing side head on. When they are able to block him, Noya is always there, able to keep the ball in the air over half the times he connects, although the rebound doesn't have a terrific trajectory. Worse yet, Noya is never down about any points lost, holding his side together with his constant flow of energy and optimism.

(Through all of this, of course, Tanaka gets gradually more and more invested in the game, screaming at both sides for a 'crappy receive' or a 'spineless spike', to the point where he spends the same amount of time judging and keeping score as he does getting into yelling matches.)

But what Kageyama and Hinata truly forgot to take into account were Daichi and Koushi. Amused by the seriousness of their peers, the veterans were taking it easy emotionally. Spikes or serves that were blocked or received didn't faze them; their own performance and the performance of their teammates also didn't faze them. And curiously enough, whenever there was some kind of attack carried out by either Daichi or Koushi, the other mysteriously seemed to know exactly what was going on and successfully block them.

"Ah, my bad," Daichi said with the shrug of one shoulder.

"I must be too transparent," Koushi apologized, rubbing the back of his head.

Kageyama figures it out when Daichi isn't even fooled a little bit by Hinata's decoy jump. "You two!" he sputters, eyes wide with shock. "You're just letting this happen!" He says, pointing at Daichi and Koushi, standing close together, even when they're on opposite sides of the net.

"What are you talking about?" Koushi asks, feigning innocence.

"You're using the Ghost Drift to read each other's moves! You aren't even trying to hide it or shield your minds!" Kageyama explains helplessly.

Daichi and Koushi exchange glances. "Were we doing that, Daichi? I can't quite recall."

Asahi has to hold back a furious Noya from charging at Daichi, narrowly avoiding his flailing elbows and fists. "Let me at 'im, Asahi! He deserves it for betraying us to Suga! Curse the day those two met!" Noya shouts at the still innocent-looking couple. Asahi tries in vain to placate his lab partner.

"Suga-san...why..." Hinata sobs, throwing himself on the ground. "It's the end of the third set and everything..."

Daichi and Koushi laugh. "Sorry, sorry, we'll take this seriously now," Koushi apologizes for them, still snickering as they take up their respective spots along the net. Tanaka just shakes his head, muttering something about gross married couples. For the rest of the game, locked in deuce, the teams alternated begging Daichi or Koushi to try and care more about the match.

"Suga-san, please try not to laugh when Daichi receives your spike."

"Daichi, you can't be lazy on the block just 'cause Koushi's a little bit shorter than you!"

"Um...Suga-san...Daichi knew exactly who you were tossing too..."

"Dammit Daichi! That was so intentional! Stop smirking about it! For god's sake Asahi, let me at him!"

In the end, they tossed in the towel, calling it a tie and ejecting Daichi and Koushi from the game. The veterans go with matching smiles, Daichi's arm slung around Koushi's shoulders and Koushi's arm wrapped loosely around his waist. They're still smirking as they return to their belongings, Daichi running to fetch them drinks. Koushi wipes the sweat from his face with a towel—sure, he may have let Daichi read him like a book, but he had still put in a lot of effort, despite what the rest of their team thought. When he removes the towel, he's met with Daichi offering him a cold water, which he takes and chugs gratefully.

They watch for a while as the remaining four mill around dejectedly until Tsukishima and Yamaguchi reappear from wherever they wandered off to. The rookie pilots are immediately assaulted by Noya and Hinata, desperate for a 'proper' rematch. Tsukishima balks, of course, but Yamaguchi agrees to play with a secretive smile that widens when Tsukishima caves with loud exhale. Koushi wanders out from the shade, leaning against one of its wooden posts to watch the new game, Yamaguchi replacing him on Kageyama and Hinata's team and Tsukishima replacing Daichi on Nishinoya and Asahi's team.

Daichi mimics Ukai's earlier action of hustling his partner into the shade, bumping Koushi from his comfortable spot and toward the second umbrella just past the Marshal and Takeda, who were also peering out at the game, mildly amused. Koushi allows himself to be shoved along, flinching from the cold touch of the beers Daichi grabbed along with the water. "I'm going, I'm going," Koushi laughs lightly.

"You better be," Daichi grumbles. "You're so fair-skinned, I worry even that umbrella won't be enough to shield you from the sun." Daichi hands the bottles to Koushi, taking the large towel from his shoulder and spreading it out under the umbrella's shade. Koushi climbs onto it delicately, brushing the sand from his feet in order to keep their small refuge clean. Daichi sits right down, careless of any excess sand flicking onto their towel.

Koushi rolls his eyes. "You oaf," he tuts, brushing the sand away himself. Daichi grins and snatches a beer from him, opening it with his teeth in a way that makes Koushi wince in sympathy with dentists everywhere. "A barbarian, too. And here I thought my partner was supposed to be a handsome gentleman."

"Handsome?" Daichi repeats, raising an eyebrow playfully. Koushi flushes despite himself, careful to keep a hold of his control across the Drift. Koushi punches at his shoulder and Daichi laughs. "I get it, I get it; you can't resist my charms." Koushi punches his shoulder harder, Daichi lifting his hands in surrender. "Alright, I'll leave you be. Here, let me."

He opens Koushi's bottle too, handing it back to him as a peace offering. Koushi sniffs in reproach and takes a large sip, refusing to look at his partner. He focuses instead on the volleyball game, already in full swing, and Tanaka, out of his 'referee' seat and gesticulating wildly at the players. Tsukishima is moving as little as possible, trying to be as standoffish as he can manage—fortunately for him, he's significantly taller than the opposition so he can get away with slacking off. Yamaguchi is alternating smiling and pinching his face in concentration, obviously enjoying himself.

Koushi flinches at the feeling of a cold substance on his back. He whips around to find Daichi with sunscreen in his hands, giving Koushi a significant look. "Daichi, I don't need—" Koushi starts, but Daichi cuts him off.

"Oh no you don't. You cannot give me that argument when last time you came back looking like a lobster. You were miserable and you peeled for weeks; I am not letting that happen again. Turn back around," Daichi insists, leaving no room for argument. Koushi surrenders easily enough, unable to come up with a counterargument.

Despite his sternness, Daichi is gentle and thorough in rubbing the sunscreen into Koushi's skin. Koushi has always enjoyed Daichi's hands, in one way or another, and they are pleasantly warm and strong, even in the late afternoon heat. Koushi melts a little and forgives Daichi for his teasing, leaning into him as Daichi moves from his lower back to his shoulders and upper arms. Koushi bites back a noise at the cold of the sunscreen and Daichi's hands near his neck, soothing and intimate, but he's completely unable to stop the goosebumps running along his skin.

Daichi's hands run down his arms too, even though they both know how unnecessary it is. Koushi allows him to reach all the way down to the top of his hands, leaning his head into the crook of Daichi's neck.

"You're alright to do the rest of it, right?" Daichi asks, and god, why was his voice suddenly so low and deep? Koushi makes a muffled noise in the affirmative, taking the sunscreen bottle from Daichi to rub it into his chest, stomach, and legs. He's not surprised to find that it doesn't feel nearly as nice.

Daichi's putting on some of a lower SPF himself, tan as he is. Koushi offers to get his back and Daichi accepts. If Koushi has to hold his breath a little, running his fingers along the muscles of Daichi's back for a little too long, well, no one has to know. When he finishes, Koushi dabs a little excess sunscreen onto Daichi's nose with a playful grin. Daichi meets his eyes only for a moment before falling back and knocking over Koushi. His partner squawks in surprise, but before he can sit back up, Daichi has Koushi's sunscreen and is pinning him down, a glob of the stuff already in his hand.

"No, Daichi, don't," Koushi tries to get out, laughing as Daichi's hand gets menacingly closer to his face. Daichi doesn't stray from his trajectory even as Koushi squeezes his eyes shut. Daichi swipes two battle stripes under Koushi's eyes, dabbing the rest all over the remainder of his face and rubbing it in, too, despite Koushi's constant stream of giggles.

"You missed some," Koushi says, once Daichi stops touching him.

Daichi regards the stripes the same way he usually regards Koushi when his partner doesn't know he's looking: thoughtfully. Koushi's still blushing a little bit, squinting up at Daichi with a fond smile stretched across his face, arms relaxed over his head, fully trusting Daichi. It's the same look, the same position he ended up in when they used to spar, back before they were pilots. It's the trust that made Daichi certain Koushi was the perfect one for him. Daichi rubs a thumb across Koushi's cheek gently, smearing the sunscreen.

"Daichi?" Koushi murmurs, whisper soft, noting the look of affection settled deep on Daichi's face.

He doesn't say anything to that—truthfully, he wouldn't know what to say, he's feeling more than he's thinking right now—but smears the other cheek too, rubbing the lotion in. Koushi's eyes are clear and his expression just a little confused, but he does not stop Daichi.

"Suga..." Daichi starts, that feeling compelling him to speak.

The resounding smack! of a hand connecting with a volleyball snaps them from their moment. Daichi and Koushi whip their heads toward the volleyball net in time to see the ball hit the ground hard enough to bounce, a look of pure shock on the faces of Noya's team. There's a beat of dead silence before the opposite side of the net breaks into cheers, Tanaka alongside them.

"Holy shit! What the hell was that?!"

"Kageyama, Hinata...that was incredible!"

"YES!"

"Hinata...how..."

Kageyama looks from his hands to Hinata's red hand in shock. "Hinata, how were you able to hit that toss?" he demands.

Hinata cocks his head to the side, regarding his partner curiously. "I don't know? You just told me to close my eyes and trust you. I could feel what you were going to do through the Drift and I just...swung."

Kageyama closes his eyes for a moment, swallowing. When he opens them again, Hinata looks vaguely worried. "What's the big deal? It worked didn't it?"

"Hinata..." Kageyama starts, almost laughing at the absurdity. "Hinata, no one at Shiratorizawa has ever been able to hit that toss. That's the one the senpai always yelled at me for tossing. I've never—not even Ushijima-san could—" Kageyama feels a bit like crying.

"I don't understand what the big deal is," Hinata mutters. "Although, it is pretty cool that I can spike a ball that Ushiwaka can't."

"We would have been an amazing duo if we had gone to the same high school," Kageyama murmurs. "We'd have been unstoppable." Hinata feels Kageyama's regret across their bond and has to resist the urge to reach out to him in comfort.

"I wouldn't go that far," Nishinoya breaks in. "That's a pretty wild spike, but I think I could receive it." he sticks his tongue out in concentration.

"Cut it out with all that shoujo manga bullshit," Tsukishima adds, rolling his eyes. Even Asahi looks ready for the next volley.

Right, we have a match to win, Kageyama thinks, shifting back into position. Hinata may not have been on my team then, but he's here now.

"Bring it on!" Hinata yells, speaking for his entire team.

----------------

"Let's go for a walk," Daichi suggests, after Hinata's team wins their fourth match, the second win overall to the rival team's one.

"Hmmm?" Koushi hadn't really been paying attention, lazily leaning against Daichi's side. "Oh. I guess the sun will start setting soon, huh?"

Daichi nods. "We can walk over to the overlook before it gets dark, if you want."

Koushi yawns. "That sounds nice. I'm in." Daichi stands up, leaving Koushi to flop across their towel while he packs up.

"Get up before I make you into a burrito," Daichi threatens once their belongings have been gathered, poking Koushi with his toe. Koushi grins at the mental image Daichi is projecting across the Drift, but stands up without complaint, folding the towel himself. They drop everything off under the shade, passing the girls and Yamaguchi.

Saeko and Michimiya are still sunning themselves in the weakening sunlight, trying to soak in the last sun rays of the day. Shimizu, having appropriated Michimiya's large straw hat, is flipping through a hefty looking book on Jaeger pilot biographies. She nods at the veterans, Koushi stopping only to pull the earphones from a sleeping Michimiya's ears, clicking his tongue and scolding his friend. He settles her iPod safely amongst her belongings. Shimizu and Daichi exchange knowing looks.

Yamaguchi, who had excused himself from the game after the third match—replaced by Tanaka—reclines comfortably in Takeda-sensei's chair, commandeered after the older men returned to the base. Remarkably, Yamaguchi has Tsukishima's headphones fit snugly over his head and is thumbing through his partner's phone, mouthing the words to some song. He doesn't notice the veterans pass him, but they smile at him nonetheless. Apparently Tsukishima did have a heart.

The rest of the gathering veto another match, opting instead to go splash around in the water before the sun goes down. Kageyama and Hinata race each other out, Hinata diving in at the last second to beat Kageyama. When he surfaces they instigate yet another argument, ending in Hinata leaping at Kageyama to pull him under the water. Kageyama dodges with a yelp while Tanaka doubles over with laughter, making his way out more slowly. Asahi, like Michimiya, eyes the ocean with concern.

"I don't know, Noya..." he murmurs. "The kaiju come from the ocean, don't they," he adds in as smaller voice. Nishinoya shakes his head, smiling in understanding.

"Nope! The kaiju come from the Breach, a pathway between dimensions. That connection could have been at the top of the mountain, in the sky, wherever. It just happened to be the ocean. So you don't have to be scared, alright?"

Asahi steps out a little farther, jumping at a particularly large wave that splashes his knees. Noya coaxes him out with hands at his elbows, talking in a steady stream, low and comforting. The anxious furrow of Asahi's brow smooths out to only vague wariness, a smile playing at the edges of his mouth at Noya's words. It's strange, Koushi thinks, watching them a little bit. Whenever Asahi truly feels uncomfortable, especially where the kaiju are concerned, Noya doesn't hesitate to throw away his excitable and over-the-top personality in order to make Asahi feel more comfortable. For someone as devoted to learning about the kaiju as Nishinoya, it couldn't have been easy to accept the deep fear ingrained into Asahi's mind, but he handles it with more skillfulness than Koushi would have ever thought possible.

Daichi touches Koushi's elbow, nodding in the direction of the rocky outlook, only a tiny blur in the distance from where they're standing. "C'mon," he murmurs, following Koushi's gaze to where Noya has eased Asahi into the water up to his waist.

Koushi trails after Daichi, pulling alongside him as they stroll across the beach, hands and arms brushing every few steps because of how closely they walk to each other. Koushi trudges through the ebb and flow of the tide, watching the small waves wash over his bare feet. A little farther up the shore, Daichi is not touched by the water, but he smiles at Koushi's shuffling splash.

Daichi smiles at Koushi a lot.

He smiled at Koushi when sparred for the first time, when they officially met, when they were declared Drift compatible, and when they first stepped into a Jaeger together, side by side. He smiled at Koushi when they Drifted for the first time, when Koushi woke up in a hospital, when they piloted Apocalypto Alpha, and after Koushi chased the R.A.B.I.T. Daichi smiles at Koushi whether he's happy or sad, sleepy or excited, looking or not.

Daichi loves Koushi more than he'd ever expected to. It had been too late for him when he checked his staff against a pale, shining silver boy all those years ago, and Koushi had looked up at him with laughter in his eyes, saying you got me. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Daichi had won the fight, but Koushi made off with his heart. They were paired together, in the end, and Daichi wasn't sure whether he wanted to cheer or cry.

He was thankful every day that the Ghost Drift, as spectacular a connection as it was, could be manipulated and twisted to hide those thoughts and feelings that Daichi only allowed to plague him at night when it was too dark to see Koushi's form in the light from his alarm clock. Daichi knows that Koushi loves him, as Koushi loves most everyone; he's felt the affection and devotion Koushi allows to slip across the Drift, seen it in his smile.

The problem is that the love Koushi gives and gives isn't what Daichi desperately wants from him. He treasures every ripple of adoration from his partner, but Daichi is selfish—he wants it all to himself. Koushi won't ever love him in mind, body, and soul like Daichi does him. They will stay for quite literally the rest of their lives co-pilots and best friends, nothing more. Daichi has accepted this as much as he can, and it's not so bad of a consolation prize—Koushi touches him and allows Daichi to touch him like he never would if Daichi didn't shield his feelings.

Daichi has tried, oh, how he has tried, to provoke some kind of reaction from Koushi. He's changed in plain sight, teased Koushi to blushing, curled up close with him more times than he can count and yet...nothing. Koushi hardly lets across a flicker of any emotion besides contentedness and boundless platonic love for his partner. Along the way, Daichi has managed to make this the norm, this flirting, and sometimes Koushi plays along, but it's frustrating to know that it's one-sided.

At the very least, Daichi supposes, Koushi will not leave him for another. When he brought it up, that one time, Koushi had soundly assured him he would never find a romantic partner. Their Ghost Drift hadn't been strong, back then, but it was strong enough that Daichi instantly believed his sincerity. Of course, if Koushi were to suddenly change his mind, Daichi would not have the heart to stop him, no matter how it hurt.

His eyes hardly stray from Koushi as they walk toward the rocks looming in the distance, now larger and more defined. One of Koushi's hands comes up to rub his neck, his smile deepens at some thought, and Daichi can't look away, heart in his throat. In the fading sun, Koushi doesn't even look human—silver hair turned gold, the soft white of his skin a warm yellow. His eyes are half-lidded and Daichi stutters in his step because Koushi is really, really beautiful. Daichi has catalogued every person he's met, every model on every magazine he's read, every actor on every show he's watched, but still no human on earth is quite as beautiful as his Koushi.

It's at times like these that Daichi really gets frustrated with Koushi. Daichi doesn't want their hands to brush; he wants to hold Koushi's hand, twine their fingers and arms together so that they walk shoulder to shoulder. Daichi wants to kiss up and down Koushi's neck, hold his face as if his partner were something fragile; Daichi wants to be able to turn at any time to peck Koushi on the cheek or the nose or the forehead or on his beauty mark. It hurts that he can see them falling into that kind of relationship so easily, like they were born for each other. He wants to feel Koushi's bare chest and the warmth of his body spooning Daichi and if their hips fit together just so...

It's really not fair that Daichi can't do those things with Koushi, because honestly, who could possibly ever know him better than Daichi? Daichi knows every part of him, loves every part of him. Daichi was there in the Drift when Koushi was forced to reveal his memory of the death of his family and friends—Daichi had stubbornly begged and bargained and fought with the base's top officials to keep Koushi, please, he's the best out of all of them; he just needs help, please. He was there when Koushi woke up, he comforted , he helped him to get the treatment he needed, and the whole time, all Daichi can remember thinking was please get better Koushi; I don't want to ever see you hurt again.

When Koushi chased the rabbit, Daichi caught him after their Drift severed. More intense than the brief blip of a memory, Daichi saw and felt everything that Koushi did. The numbness, the denial...it was all so real, even after extensive therapy, that all Daichi could do was hold on to Koushi tightly until the techs and the nurses came, practically ripping Koushi from his grip because Daichi couldn't let him go. He'd seen Koushi survive and heal and hurt. It killed him inside to know how imperfect and flawed Koushi believed himself to be. Koushi looked after everyone, spread endless love to all he came into contact with, but even on good days when Koushi believed in everyone 120%, he only believed in himself 70%.

So Daichi made a resolution to stand by Koushi, through thick and through thin. No matter how much Koushi may tire of him, Daichi would not leave his side, not while Koushi was still healing, fixing himself a little bit every day. Daichi would be a shelter or a shoulder to lean on, but he knew and loved Koushi far too well to imagine his partner was getting better for him. His job was to support Koushi, to make sure he knew there were still reasons to heal.

Daichi would take this relationship and the moments that came with it. He can hold out a hand, climbing up the path to the outlook, and Koushi will grasp it, trusting Daichi to pull him up the last steep incline. He can even wrap Koushi in a tight hug, huffing "we made it!" into the side of his neck, making his partner laugh good-naturedly. They can stand shoulder to shoulder, watching the sun set across the ocean, a steady breeze kicking up and ruffling their hair.

"What are you thinking about?" Koushi asks, eyes bright and curious.

"You," Daichi replies, seeing no reason why he should lie.

Koushi laughs at his blatant honesty. "Oh really? What about me? All good things, I hope."

"Yeah," Daichi says, smiling softly. "I could never have anything bad to say about you."

Koushi bumps him. "You get mad when I beat you at board games, though."

Daichi laughs, loud and full. "Okay, okay, I'll give you that one. You're way too damn good during game night, I still think you're a big cheater." Koushi pouts, an argument on his tongue, and Daichi thinks about how easily he could lean over, one hand bracing the side of Koushi's face, and kiss him, stealing the words right from his mouth.

In the end, Koushi doesn't say anything, trading good feelings with Daichi across their link. Koushi leans over the railing of the outlook, the same position he assumes up on his balcony. Daichi leans back against it, spying a troublesome group of people walking towards the outlook. He snorts, making Koushi look over.

"Looks like our fellow pilots and Tanaka are coming to crash our date," Daichi says, rolling his eyes.

Koushi makes a thoughtful noise in response. "Better make the most of our privacy, then. Quick Daichi, take me now before anyone can see!" Koushi is grinning.

"I'm pretty sure you have to wait until the second date at least to get to the good stuff," Daichi counters, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, you're no fun anymore, Daichi. Who's this grumpy old man?" Koushi replies, poking Daichi in the side.

"And to think just a few hours ago I was a 'handsome gentleman'. The times, how they are a-changing," Daichi teases, making a light dusting of pink tint Koushi's cheeks.

"Quiet, you," Koushi stammers, attempting to save face.

Daichi brushes a strand of hair from Koushi's eyes. His partner looks up at him curiously, unwilling to keep up the pretense of even a fake fight. "Daichi?" he murmurs, real concern leaking into his voice. "You've been acting a little off all day, is something wrong?"

"You're beautiful, Sugawara Koushi," Daichi says, before he can think better of it. "I don't think anyone tells you that enough."

Koushi's face wastes no time transitioning from 'soft pink' to 'completely crimson'. Thinking back on it, this might have been the first time Daichi had ever outright complimented him on his appearance since they became pilots. "Wh-what...Daichi, what—" Koushi stutters, trying to say anything coherent. Across their bond, Daichi feels part of Koushi that he never knew about shudder, the wall slipping. Koushi's struggling to keep the barrier in place, even as Daichi automatically plucks at it, amazed that Koushi was able to keep this something so secret that Daichi hadn't even known it existed.

"Don't!" Koushi pleads, voice high and desperate. Daichi backs off immediately, as if burned. His eyebrows pinch at Koushi's sudden distress.

"Suga, I..." Daichi starts, hands curling and uncurling at his sides, wanting to comfort his partner in some way. He pulls his mind away from Koushi's to give him some privacy, but pulls Koushi into a hug, tight with apology. "I'm sorry—I didn't mean to pry that much." Koushi lets out a shuddering breath and loops his arms around Daichi. He doesn't say anything at first.

"It's not your fault," he says finally. "I'm just...I'm just a little scared of that."

Daichi doesn't like that Koushi feels scared, especially too scared to show him something, but he doesn't pry. He releases Koushi after a moment, looking him over carefully, but Koushi seems to have recovered. The sun has set by now, and like clockwork, the remaining group catches up to Daichi and Koushi. They're loud and boisterous, but the distraction is exactly what the veterans need.

"Suga-san! Daichi-san!" Hinata calls excitedly, running up to them, Tanaka hot on his heels. "This place is so pretty! Wah, I wish we had made it in time for the sunset. I bet it was really nice from this outlook."

"Yeah," Daichi replies easily, meeting Koushi's eyes when he turns around. "It's really something." Koushi looks down, trying to hide his blush from the others.

"Do you think this place would be good for stargazing?" Hinata asks.

"Is that what you came here for?" Daichi returns, eyeing the rest of the group.

"Yeah! Tsukki knows a ton of constellations, so he can point them out to us," Yamaguchi jumps in.

"You say that like it was my idea, but you were the one who volunteered me, Tadashi," Tsukishima mutters, spreading their towel on the ground.

"It's a good idea," Koushi says. "Though I wish we had our towel now, too..."

"Have no fear!" Tanaka declares, flourishing their striped towel. "I made sure to grab it for you along the way!" Koushi and Daichi bow politely in thanks.

Tsukishima sets himself up right in the middle of the ground, Yamaguchi close on his left side. Yamaguchi flops onto his back, chatting excitedly with Hinata, while Tsukishima lowers himself with his usual stiff dignity. Kageyama and Hinata, only having Kageyama's single-person towel (Hinata had dropped his in the ocean and now it was soaking wet), line theirs up next to Tsukishima's. Kageyama refuses to go near him, but Hinata, excited by the prospect of stargazing, happily curls into Tsukishima's right side, much to his horror. Tanaka lies on Yamaguchi's other side, laughing at the pilots' antics, while Daichi and Koushi lay their towel down a little off to the side but still within hearing range.

While the base isn't too far from the outlook, it's still just far enough that light pollution doesn't interfere with their view of the stars too badly. Fortunately, it's a clear night, and the incident between Daichi and Koushi is forgotten with the new entertainment of the younger group members' discussion. Even Tanaka seems amused enough by their bickering to remain quiet.

"...That one's Scorpio," Tsukishima mutters reluctantly, gesturing to a cluster of stars.

"Ehhhhhh. Doesn't look much like a scorpion to me," Hinata says doubtfully.

"None of them look exactly like what they stand for, dumbass, you have to use your imagination," Kageyama growls.

"Oh, looks like the king actually has something useful to say once in a while."

"What was that, you megane bastard?"

"Ugh, stop arguing and tell me more about the constellations! Which one is the crow?"

"If you mean Corvus, it's right over there."

"...That definitely doesn't look like a crow. Well, whatever, it's the constellation for Karasuno!"

"What are you, stupid?"

"Haha, Kageyama, you're just jealous Shiratorizawa doesn't have a constellation!"

"..."

"Wow, that's really something. And I thought I wouldn't enjoy this."

"Why you—"

"Point out another one, another one!"

"Tsukki knows all the zodiac constellations, and a whole bunch of cool ones from mythology!"

"Heh, that's actually pretty cool! I guess you're kind of a smart guy after all, Tsukishima!"

"...Not really, this is more of my brother's hobby."

The conversation tapers off from arguments into low discussion between Yamaguchi, Tsukishima, and Hinata over the stars. Tsukishima has to repeatedly shove the two on either side of him away, as they continue to lean over him in order to converse in a loud whisper. It's completely ineffective. And Kageyama, already squished against Hinata because of their tiny towel, objects vociferously to being pushed as a side-effect. Tsukishima resorts to pointing out as many constellations as he can remember in order to keep them distracted. Yamaguchi and Hinata fall for the ploy willingly, Hinata attempting to make sense of the shapes and Yamaguchi throwing in the mythological stories he's familiar with about the constellations, Tsukishima occasionally adding to or correcting his knowledge.

Kageyama doesn't join in, really—he prefers to watch with grudging amazement at how Hinata warms up to the Ranger team he had claimed to hate (and in turn, of course, they warm up to him). Yamaguchi and Hinata are fast friends, even teaming up to tease Tsukishima a little bit when he geeks out over a fish-like constellation. Tsukishima, too, has no problem shoving Hinata and Yamaguchi around, although unlike before, his way of handling Hinata is gentler and less antagonistic.

Kageyama thinks back to the drills, too. Tsukishima stood up for them and defended their ability, although he had claimed it was only due to the need to perform at the highest level possible and avoid getting everyone killed. Yamaguchi had also given them brief compliments, exchanged after taking down a virtual kaiju. They didn't need to go that far, especially not after how they claimed they couldn't trust Tyrant Omega to watch their backs.

This is what it means to be a kaiju response team, then. Not even personal grudges should interfere in the unity of our members.

Kageyama knocks his head gently against Hinata's back. Hinata doesn't show any physical sign of acknowledging Kageyama, but slight concern flutters across the link at Kageyama's mental exhaustion. He probably does it subconsciously, but Hinata guides the conversation back to low levels of volume between himself and Yamaguchi, Tsukishima dropping out of the conversation entirely. Hinata must have thought Kageyama was ready to sleep.

It's not really cold out, but the wind is chilly when it rustles the light clothing of the pilots. Yamaguchi curls closer to Tsukishima, pressing their sides flush together and resting his head on Tsukishima's arm. Tsukishima only grumbles slightly, ready to fall asleep himself. Hinata mimics Yamaguchi, pulling away from Kageyama and snuggling closer to his once-enemy and resting his chin on Tsukishima's chest. The blond complains louder about Hinata's pointy chin driving a hole through him but relents when Hinata shows no sign of moving.

Tanaka rolls his eyes at the trio, crossing his arms behind his head and braving the cold like a man. Kageyama feels strangely awkward, not sure whether he should follow Tanaka's lead or join the huddle uninvited. The entire situation is bizarre, although Daichi and Koushi are cooing to themselves over how cute the newbies look.

Kageyama's choice is made for him when he feels a call from Hinata. The summoning is a long, soft ripple of feeling, curling around the edges of Kageyama's mind. He can feel Hinata's contentedness—his partner is one of those people who are at their most comfortable when warm and surrounded by the touch of companions. Hinata's quite happy to steal all of Tsukishima's warmth, Yamaguchi only a breath away, but Kageyama is more hesitant. He's never actually had a tactile friendship, and with his troublesome attraction to Hinata...he pauses, unsure.

Hinata calls once again. This time, the ripple is quicker: a petulant demand. Hinata's back is cold and Tsukishima doesn't feel familiar enough for Hinata to fall asleep. He wants Kageyama's touch, his scent, his warmth—and fiercely, too. There's nothing sexual or perverted in it, just the basic human desire for affection and physical assurance.

That doesn't mean Kageyama's heart won't accelerate at Hinata's tired honesty. He stills feels like he's using Hinata's nature for his own sinister motives, but he scoots closer anyway. Kageyama effectively spoons Hinata, who had turned his head to rest his cheek on Tsukishima. Tentatively, he curls an arm around Hinata's body, pulling him a little closer to Kageyama's own body when Hinata hums in sleepy contentment.

Kageyama stretches his other arm out, accidentally poking Tsukishima in the head. He turns to look at Kageyama, fixing him with his trademark blank-but-condescending stare, but doesn't say a word. They hold gazes for a moment. Tsukishima breaks the stare first, glancing at Hinata and then facing forward again, doing absolutely nothing to discourage Kageyama's arm placement. Perhaps that was Tsukishima's way of demonstrating his acceptance of Kageyama.

Kageyama looks to the young man held close to him, too. Hinata acknowledges his heart rate through a flicker of recognition, but doesn't say a thing about it. Kageyama figures that this night has been strange enough already, it won't hurt if he follows his own desires a bit, too. He curls his face in the crook of Hinata's neck and shoulder. Soft orange hair tickles his nose, but Kageyama is too tired to mind. Hinata is a bundle of heat in against his chest and he smells as familiar as home, with only the slightest dilution of salt from the sand and sea.

Besides, Hinata's heart is beating fast, too.

-------------------

Koushi covers his mouth to stifle a giggle when the sounds of heavy breathing and soft snores drift over to him and Daichi from the four younger pilots. Daichi is grinning wide enough to split his face, too. Tanaka shoots them an amused glance, having taken charge of looking after the kids. Surely, they'll be upset and at each other's throats when they wake up. But for now, the picture they paint is heartbreakingly precious.

Yamaguchi has worked himself from passively leaning against Tsukishima's side to having actively cuddled up to him, his head tucked neatly under Tsukishima's chin, an arm wrapped around his co-pilot. Yamaguchi's one wayward hair flicks up to brush Tsukishima's nose, making him scowl in his sleep. Hinata, too, has curled closer to Tsukishima, and as a result, his face is close to Yamaguchi's, almost beneath his chin. Hinata rests a hand on Yamaguchi's arm. Kageyama, still clinging tightly to Hinata, has also shifted closer, resting his head on Tsukishima's shoulder. From what the veterans can tell, it's a dog pile on Tsukishima. (Tsukishima, for the most part, seems undisturbed by this; one arm is under Yamaguchi and curled around him a little, and the other is presumably sandwiched between Hinata and his own body.)

"They're so cute," Koushi whispers to Daichi with a quiet laugh. He and Daichi are close together too, both propped up on their elbows, facing each other. "I wonder who's gonna wake up first."

"Oh, it has to be Tsukishima, right? How long is he going to let Yamaguchi's hair tickle him?" Daichi replies. He shivers. "Although I'm a little envious of how warm they look. Scoot over here, will you?" Daichi gestures for Koushi to come closer.

Koushi rolls his eyes but obeys, scrambling close enough that their legs brush. "If you were gonna get cold, you shouldn't have given me your jacket," he tuts.

"Are you kidding me? You had major goosebumps, you just didn't want to ask me for my jacket," Daichi counters, hand shooting out to steady Koushi at the hip as he loses his balance a little. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Koushi responds quietly, having difficulty looking Daichi in the eye. Today had been so strange for him, he felt so unbalanced—not just physically, but mentally too. Daichi's hand doesn't move, not that Koushi had expected it to, but the soothing stroke of Daichi's thumb along his side makes Koushi's mind go blank.

He sits up abruptly. "I have an idea," he covers, hiding the true reason for his flight. Koushi shrugs off the jacket, ignoring Daichi's imploring stare. His heart is aching painfully, throat tight, hands trembling slightly.

He can't do this. He can't.

It's too much to have Daichi so close, so loving while knowing he doesn't feel the same way Koushi does. Today proved that, with his little slip-up and all of Daichi's boundless affection. Koushi has managed for so long but he can't do it anymore. He'll break. Their situation has to change. He takes a deep breath.

Koushi settles back down, this time even closer to Daichi than before. Their shoulders and chests brush, and in the dark it's hard to see Daichi's face, but Koushi can feel his startled exhale against his cheek. Koushi lays the jacket over both of their bodies, tucking it soundly around Daichi. He doesn't flinch when he allows his hand to brush longer over Daichi's arm than he would have normally.

Koushi can't do secrets. Not with Daichi.

Their breaths even out, still far too close for comfort. Daichi doesn't say a word to Koushi, but Koushi is alright with that. Neither of them project across the Drift, even when touching. Whatever Daichi is feeling now, he's keeping it to himself. Koushi lays his head on his arm, relaxing onto his side. The warmth between their bodies is comforting as ever, making him sleepy. Koushi has given his ultimatum.

Eventually, Daichi mirrors him, carefully lying himself down. To Koushi it feels as if Daichi is purposefully trying to avoid touching Koushi more than he already is, but that could also be the mild panic stirring to life in his gut. The kids snore soundly a few meters away, but it feels more like they're on another continent. Koushi knows that he's avoiding Daichi's eyes and that Daichi is staring intently at him. Why, though? It's not like this is the most strange or outright flirtatious move Koushi has ever made on him.

"Better?" Koushi asks finally, just to stir the silence that's crushing them. Daichi might have blinked.

"Not quite," Daichi responds after a moment, his tone not any that Koushi knows, and suddenly, he is filled with overwhelming dread and fear. He makes to pull away, flee, anything to get out—

Daichi seizes his arm before Koushi can even fully turn.

"Dai—" Koushi starts, desperate, but Daichi releases him a second later, only so he can grab his jacket and throw it over their heads.

The darkness startles Koushi, but then there's a warm, calloused hand cupping his cheek and—

Oh. Oh.

Daichi's lips are hot and rough, stealing Koushi's breath away from him. Daichi holds the kiss for a long moment, drawing away from his partner with obvious reluctance. It's dark and humid under the jacket, but Koushi is grateful for it, in the fleeting way one is grateful that the sun comes up every morning. He can't even begin to imagine what his face looks like.

"Sugawara Koushi," Daichi begins, and god, he sounds broken. Koushi's eyes fill with tears just hearing his voice because has he felt this way all along, too?

"Sugawara Koushi, I am in love with you," Daichi says in that same whisper-soft, fragile voice. "I've loved you for years. Before we became pilots and after; when we ride together and when we fall asleep on the couch. I am in love with you, I love you."

Koushi claps a hand over his mouth, but he can't completely stifle the sob that threatens to tear its way out of his throat, the wail of sorrow and joy he can't truly contain. Tears are streaming down his face now, for sure. Daichi pulls Koushi's hand away from his mouth and Koushi lets out a tiny, stuttered gasp. He wants to collapse into Daichi's arms and never leave.

"D-Daichi," he stutters, voice thick with emotion. "Daichi, ever since I chased the rabbit, ever since you saved me I...Daichi, I need you, please, I need you more than anyone, please tell me—"

Daichi shushes him and pulls Koushi into a tight embrace, tucking his face into his neck. "I love you Suga, I really, really do. I was so, so afraid to lose you so I never...I need you here with me, okay? I'm not going to leave your side, I love you so much."

Koushi sinks into him, bonelessly. "All this time..." he whispered. "All this time, I've been trying so hard to keep you from feeling anything, from feeling me. I didn't want to lose this, I thought I could be happy—oh, Daichi, I'm so sorry."

"I love you," Koushi whispers, voice under control again. "More than anyone else ever, Daichi, I am so very in love with you."

Daichi pulls the jacket from over their heads, Suga still curled into his arms. They are quiet again, only breaking the silence with the occasional murmured affirmation of affection. Their legs intertwine and Koushi traces patterns along the strong lines of Daichi's back, only sniffing every now and then.

Daichi loosens his hold on Koushi a little bit, and Koushi glances up at him in mild concern. But Daichi only moves a hand to cup Koushi's face, stroking his thumb over his partner's cheek. Koushi's hand curls into Daichi's shirt at the look of unrestrained love and devotion in his eyes and Daichi leans in again.

He's much gentler this time, kissing Koushi lightly and chastely, mapping the shape of Koushi's lips with his own. Koushi nips at Daichi's bottom lip absentmindedly, mind too cloudy to really contemplate his actions. Daichi huffs amusedly at Koushi's impatience. This time, he sucks hard at Koushi's mouth.

Sensing the change of pace even with his fuzzy mental state, Koushi takes this opportunity to make their simple kissing French. Daichi's hand tightens against his jaw and Koushi pulls himself closer. Then Daichi's tongue is in his mouth and Koushi feels like he might cry again, just a little bit. Daichi tastes like beer, but that's okay because Koushi does too. He laughs at that, ruining the mood, but Daichi only raises an eyebrow fondly.

"The kids are still around," Koushi murmurs, having somehow hauled his upper body onto Daichi. "And I don't think Tanaka is asleep either."

Daichi runs his fingers through Koushi's hair, eyes half-lidded and a satisfied smile on his face. "Hmm...and yet somehow, I don't feel inclined to move."

Koushi rolls his eyes. Well, it's not like he's powerless to do something about that.

Koushi leans down, pressing their cheeks flush. "You will soon enough," he practically purrs into Daichi's ear, feeling the results of his efforts almost immediately when Daichi stiffens. Koushi draws away, sitting up. His shirt is just the slightest bit too big, and he knows it shows off a terrific view of his collarbone. He knows that Daichi knows this, too.

Koushi holds Daichi's gaze a little longer, but bedroom eyes can only do so much when they're not actually in a bedroom. Koushi climbs to his feet, dusting a little sand off of his body and making as if to stroll right on back to base. Daichi caves and follows him almost instantly, grabbing his arm and spinning Koushi around to kiss him on the forehead before jogging ahead, laughing when Koushi has to run to catch up to him.

Tanaka raises an eyebrow at their antics, unnoticed, but doesn't say anything. It's not like this development was much of a surprise, after all.

----------------

"Why did you lock up our quarters, again?" Koushi asks as Daichi fishes their key out of his swim trunks. Koushi's given up all pretense of teasing—the run back to the base has worked him up into a little bit of a sweat and his heart is racing. Having Daichi right in front of him, without any barriers stopping him from finally getting what he wants, but not being able to touch him because of people milling around has gotten Koushi in a bit of a fit.

Daichi pulls out the key ring and is thumbing through it for the right key. "We always lock up out of habit, how was I supposed to kn—" He gasps at the feeling of strong, thin fingers pulling up his shirt to trace his back muscles. "Suga, Jesus Christ—"

"Hurry up," Koushi growls, although it comes out far more breathy and desperate than he would have liked. Daichi finds the key and opens their door, both darting inside. Daichi has barely closed the door when Koushi is on him.

"Off, off," Koushi definitely growls now, pushing Daichi's shirt up to his chest in impatience. Daichi obeys, yanking it off from the back and tossing his shirt aside.

"Happy?" he asks with a laugh, fitting his hands to Koushi's hips and walking him back into a wall, never looking away from his eyes. Koushi hits the wall, back arching a little at the contact and oh yeah, Daichi is definitely into that.

"Very much so," Koushi whispers. He reaches one hand out, hesitating just before he touches Daichi's chest. When he does, he exhales shakily, his other hand joining its partner to run along all the bumps and curves of Daichi's muscles.

"Your heart is beating so fast," Koushi murmurs, resting one hand flat over Daichi's heart. Daichi takes that hand, lifting it to rest against his cheek. He cups his hand protectively over Koushi's.

"It usually is, around you," Daichi replies softly. Koushi's eyes close, and he swallows painfully.

"Does this still feel like a miracle to you?" Daichi wonders, looking at the torment on his partner's face. Koushi nods once, jerkily. Daichi releases his hand to take the sides of Koushi's face instead. He presses their foreheads and noses together, resting like that a while.

"I'm here," Daichi confirms. "This isn't some twisted fantasy. I'm here, you're here—and neither of us is going anywhere. Well, except maybe to the bedroom."

Koushi laughs at that, giving Daichi a fond peck on the lips. "Then I guess there's no reason to be standing around, hmm?" Koushi pushes off from the wall, taking Daichi by the hands and walking backwards into their shared bedroom, his smile slipping from grateful and tender into something darker and more intense with the change in lighting.

As the main team, Daichi and Koushi have a bedroom with a full-size window instead of the tiny porthole in the 'living room' that the other pilots have. Typically, it serves as a source of comfort and pleasure to look out of at night for both Daichi and Koushi, but with the moonlight streaming in and lighting upon Koushi's fair skin, it does something completely different.

That feeling stirs inside of Daichi when Koushi lets go of him, taking a few steps further into the light. He's ethereal and untouchable like this; his expression is neutral, but his eyes are dilated far too wide for him to be feeling impartial. Koushi crosses his arms and pulls his own shirt off—the words 'strip tease' immediately come to Daichi's mind—but Daichi is frozen by Koushi's beauty. He takes a few steps forward when Koushi rubs his arms, looking colder without his shirt.

Daichi's fingers alight on Koushi's thinner shoulders. All of his body is slim and almost feminine, but Daichi knows this body. He knows how it feels to throw his own weight against Koushi when they're sparring, knows that Koushi can match him in power. Koushi has strength under that light skin and pretty face. Daichi's mirrors Koushi's actions from earlier, running his hands hard down Koushi's arms, chest, stomach, sides. He fits his hands to Koushi's hips again, comfortable there.

It's really not enough.

Daichi sinks to his knees, pulling Koushi closer to him with hands slipping to his lower back. Koushi gasps when the fringe of Daichi's hair brushes his stomach, muscles tensing. Daichi presses kisses to his stomach, to his hipbones, to the wispy hairs below his navel...

"Daichi..." Koushi starts, voice weak. "Daichi you don't have t-to," he tries to explain.

"I want to," Daichi rumbles, confident. He rubs his thumbs right below the waistband of Koushi's swim trunks, feeling the goosebumps rise along his partner's bare skin, the tremors of his body.

"But Daichi, I'm..."

Ah. So there it is again. Daichi knows it without even needing the Ghost Drift to tell him. Those feelings of worthlessness Koushi struggles with—Daichi wants to erase every last one.

"Suga," he commands, drawing Koushi's eyes to his. Daichi stands, nudging Koushi towards his bed. Koushi allows this, somewhat confused. He allows Daichi to push him back onto the bed, to crawl on top of him and straddle his waist. "Suga," Daichi repeats. "Don't say a word."

"Wh—" Koushi starts, instinctively, and Daichi presses a finger to his mouth.

"Not a word." Koushi consents with a small nod.

Satisfied, Daichi sits back. "Sugawara Koushi," he begins for the second time that night. "You are the single most beautiful and compassionate person I have ever come across in my life. You nurture the other pilots. You smile for the world and not for yourself. You take care of my everyday thoughtlessness without batting an eyelash. You give and give and give, without a single thought of expecting something in return.

"You believe in everyone else, even when you can only doubt yourself. And even on the days when I can feel you're at rock bottom, you greet me with a smile." Daichi pauses, brushing a finger over Koushi's bottom lip, bitten in order to keep from speaking. "Suga, what can I or anyone else ever do to repay you?" Daichi asks quietly.

"I'm not—" Koushi breaks in.

"You are," Daichi interrupts, "the kindest, purest human being. You think somehow that your past defines who you are now, that the trauma you lived through and still struggle with taint the goodness of your soul. Suga, you're dead wrong." Daichi kisses him, hard and emotional. "You're beautiful here"—a kiss to one cheek and then the other—"and here"—a kiss to his forehead—"and here"—to his nose—"and here"—to his chin, his neck, his collarbone, shoulder, inner elbow.

Koushi's crying steadily again, so Daichi kisses away his tears, too. "I love you so dearly, Suga. Please, this is all I can do for you. Please let me show you how important you are to me."

Koushi takes a deep breath, brushing away the remainder of tears. "I...yes. Okay. If it's you, Daichi, I think I'll be alright." He musters a tiny, pretty smile, eyes glittering wetly.

"Better than alright," Daichi assures him.

Daichi kisses him again, this time open-mouthed and hot, dragging Koushi back into their earlier rhythm. He's languid in the way he sucks Koushi's lip into his mouth, drawing heavy pants from his partner. Koushi likes the feeling of his tongue in Daichi's mouth, propping himself up on his elbows and leaning forward to get his way. Daichi strokes along Koushi's sides, smoothing the shakiness out his body.

Through it all, Daichi slowly loosens his hold on the Ghost Drift. They'd both been subconsciously holding back, ever since Koushi jolted away from him that evening, only to return even closer. But now, the mental assurance and direct connection is what Daichi really needs to get his purest feelings across. He unfurls his end of the bond, reaching out to Koushi as gently and uninvasively as possible. Koushi gasps aloud anyway.

The truth of the matter was that Koushi had spent the majority of his time knowing Daichi concealing his feelings for him. Any shred of attraction or untainted affection was squirreled away deep where no one would find it, not even if they were in Koushi's head. To feel the brush of unadulterated love—and from Daichi at that—was like an electric shock to Koushi's affection-deprived mind.

He shies from the touch at first, Daichi easing him into it. Koushi opens the gates to his mind slowly, only allowing Daichi the slightest peek into his true feelings. Daichi doesn't doubt him, not for a second, but Koushi needs to let go as much as Daichi wants him to. Locking up that amount of emotion is no good for his health and besides, Daichi is here now. They're bare-chested and pressed close together already, and it's not as if they're unfamiliar with the intimacy of sharing each other's thoughts and emotions. Perhaps it's cheating to help him along, but Daichi is only human, after all.

Daichi digs for his most passionate emotions, showering Koushi in all the times he's felt proud of his partner, all the times his heart has physically swelled because of how wonderful Koushi was and how lucky he was to have him for a partner, all the times he's had the breath knocked out of him because Koushi walked into a patch of sunlight and Daichi swore he saw wings unfurling from his partner's back.

All the times he's woken up, soaked through with sweat and so turned on he couldn't move, the name 'Suga' on the tip of his tongue.

Koushi whines, mental walls breaking down. "Filthy cheater," he grinds out, but Daichi is getting little blips from his partner, slipping out along the link. One more push, and Koushi would cave. As if that was an issue.

Daichi meets Koushi's eyes, a mischievous gleam in his. Koushi is immediately wary. "Daichi, just what are you—ah!" Koushi slaps a hand over his mouth, embarrassed beyond belief, but there's no way he could have stopped himself.

Daichi swirls his tongue around Koushi's nipple once more for good measure, making Koushi switch from covering his mouth to digging his nails into Daichi's back. That's fine; he's had dreams about that, too. Daichi makes sure to show Koushi—in great detail—just how he'd dreamt of him.

In this one, Koushi's back is arched like a cat, Daichi sucking and biting at his neck, sure to leave the largest, most visible mark he can manage. He's mine, Daichi wants to say to everyone, regardless of gender, age, or occupation. He's mine and there's not a single one of you who will get to lay a finger on him. Daichi's got a hand around Koushi, working him until he's reduced to practically mewing into Daichi's shoulder, digging his nails deep down Daichi's back—marks of his own. Daichi can hardly see straight, and he's panting hard against Suga, Suga, Suga oh gods above, I love you Suga, let me show you let me worship you—

The wall collapses.

All at once, Daichi is overwhelmed by the dam break of Koushi's feelings, painful shards of ache for Daichi and resistance, god, so much resistance. Koushi had buried down his powerful physical attraction, suffocating the urge to touch Daichi. He'd dreamed about Daichi, too. He had looked at him so often, hungered for his body so deeply that Koushi couldn't even manage to feel embarrassed about it.

And then the Drift. His feelings of hopelessness and the thoughts of no future before him, all shattered by a boy with a stubborn attitude and a confident smile. How much Daichi's efforts to heal him meant. How fast Koushi had slipped from the physical to deep, deep love with his copilot.

Koushi welcomes the return of the Ghost Drift, completely free of lies or secrets. He welcomes the ability to feel Daichi, every inch of his mind and know him, inside and out.

"Let's get down to it then, shall we?" Daichi proposes, low and full of meaning.

"After you, soldier," Koushi replies breathily, lying back down and throwing his arms over his head. He may have meant it as an attempt to solicit a rise from Daichi, but Daichi wasn't one to let an opportunity like that go.

He slides down Koushi's chest, intent on finishing what he started. He tugs the waistband of Koushi's pants down, pleased to find him already painfully hard. Daichi licks a long line up his shaft, taking all of Koushi in his mouth once he reaches the head.

"Fuck," Koushi hisses, jolting upright, hands shooting forward to bury his hands in Daichi's hair. He drags his fingers along Daichi's scalp, feeling the shivers of pleasure from Daichi as his ministrations shudder across the Drift.

It's Daichi who realizes first that what they had in the Ghost Drift was effectively a two-way street of desire and sex. He could feel whenever he did something particularly pleasing to Koushi from the tangle and snap of his satisfaction across the link; in the same way, Daichi knows his own shudders and the heat pooling between his legs is being thrust across the Drift to Koushi as well. When he releases a shaking Koushi with a wet pop, he feels rather than hears the soft moan in response, the spikes of pleasure shooting up Koushi's stomach mirrored in his own, until Daichi is sure he'll come before his partner.

Incredible.

Daichi goes down on him again, this time projecting his desire to please Koushi, to make him squirm and cry out, to make him understand how essential he is to Daichi, how incomplete Daichi would be without him. He presses his weakness to Koushi across, the way Koushi's touch and glance has him groveling on his hands and knees, desperate for every moment Koushi spent paying attention to him. He projects how sucking Koushi off like this turns him on more than he'd ever imagined. He projects the feeling of sensing Koushi's own pleasure back onto him.

Koushi wails, falling apart at the seams, and Daichi pulls away just in time. Koushi comes, shaking to bits and fisting his hands in as much of Daichi's hair as he can manage to grab. His hands go limp with the rest of his body a beat after, the slightest trace of saliva along his cheek from leaving his jaw hanging open so long.

When they both come down from the high, Daichi finds that just bearing mental witness to an orgasm was enough to make Daichi come, too. He examines the spot on his swim trunks with interest. Koushi sits up after a moment, watching him in disbelief.

"You...what the hell was all that?" He's not mad—just incredulous and amazed. Koushi's interest has been piqued, too.

"Apparently, having the Ghost Drift means having incredible sex, too," Daichi concludes. "A shame we were never told about this earlier." He looks back up at Koushi, resting his cheek against Koushi's inner thigh. Koushi's biting his thumb now, thoughtful.

"So does that mean...if we go all the way..." Koushi flushes red, embarrassed that he'd jumped to conclusions. "Er, not that I'm trying to pressure you or anything! I-I mean, only if you'd want—"

Daichi shoves a pillow in his face and rolls his eyes. "Get out of your bathing suit already, god." Daichi hops off the bed, padding to his nightstand and digging around inside until he finds a condom in one of the drawers. He strips out of his own suit, shivering a little at the temperature of their room.

When Daichi glances behind him, he's greeted by Koushi quite obviously checking out his ass with absolutely no shame. The pillow is situated firmly over his lap, but his suit has been discarded. When Daichi raises an eyebrow, Koushi only shoots him a coy smile.

Daichi is stunned, not for the first time, by how much charisma Koushi has. That man could get away with murder. If he hadn't been alluring enough already, the content energy emanating from him makes him seem even more impossibly divine. Koushi's cheeks are still deliciously pink and he smells like familiarity and sex. Shit, they still have a channel between them, don't they?

Koushi breaks into a real smile, giggling at Daichi's almost poetic thoughts. He beckons Daichi over, and the man in question rolls his eyes and reaches back inside the drawer, pulling a small container of lube from its depths. He closes the drawer with a slam and turns back to face his partner.

Koushi's eyes meet his for about two-tenths of a second before they drop down to the less innocent parts of Daichi's body. His eyes turn sharp and predatory, the hunger rising in him again. Daichi nearly swears aloud. He couldn't be ready for another round already, could he?

"You really did come prepared, didn't you, Daichi? I'm impressed—were you really waiting for me for so long?" Koushi murmurs, still not looking away from Daichi's crotch. He wets his lips with the slightest slip of pink tongue, and Daichi decides that they're done playing around.

"I was," Daichi replies, matching Koushi's low voice. "At first, I had hoped to maybe find a few on again, off again friends to relieve tension with, but then you came along and I couldn't bring myself to do it."

"Come here," Koushi commands, his voice strong. Daichi obeys, tossing their supplies to the side of the mattress. He stands in front of Koushi, whose face is carefully neutral and focused. Daichi brushes his fingers through the strands of Koushi's silvery hair, turned white in the moonlight. Koushi takes a hold of Daichi's hips, resting his forehead gently on his abs, breathing quietly.

"I dreamed about this, you know," Koushi whispers. "Not only at night, but when I was awake, too. You've always been so physically strong—I found solace in your sturdiness But even more than that..." He pauses, moving his hands to the dips in Daichi's lower back, running his fingers down the curve of his ass, pressing hard into the lines of the muscles of his thighs. "More than that, I just wanted to mark you here," he continues, tapping at Daichi's inner thigh. "And along your hips, your stomach, anywhere hidden. I wanted to ensure that if you ever took another to bed, they would see those marks and know you didn't belong to them."

Koushi's smile is something fierce and protective. He looks up at Daichi, pulling him closer by his thighs. "Let me mark you? Please?" He requests, the picture of innocence.

"Shit," Daichi hisses. "I mean—yes. Fuck, of course, let me just—" Daichi climbs onto the bed, Koushi following him close. "How do you wa—"

"Like that," Koushi breathes, eyes on fire now. "On your knees, like that."

(Daichi swallows, throat tight. Oh, he's all turned on again, just from Koushi's voice.)

Koushi is innocent enough, at first. He peppers kisses to the delicate insides of Daichi's legs, lapping at his skin occasionally. Daichi thinks he'll be okay, hands resting on Koushi's shoulders. Then Koushi nips at him, little flashes of teeth that don't hurt him in the slightest, but turn his insides to mush and quicken his breathing.

When Koushi grabs a tight hold of his thighs, pressing his mouth to Daichi's hip and sucking at the skin there, bruising it dark red, Daichi nearly loses his balance. He tightens his grip on Koushi, feeling the shift of his muscles as he changes position in order to get better access. Koushi leaves another, and another; switching between Daichi's sides, making him dizzy with the spurts of pleasure-pain.

Then Koushi goes for the soft, pale skin of his inner thigh, and Daichi melts, tilting dangerously to one side.

"Steady," Koushi murmurs, amused. He helps Daichi back up with measured ease and a powerful calm about his mind and manner. Daichi nods when Koushi gives him a questioning look.

Daichi's not given any respite after that—Koushi is twice as adamant about marking him all over, driving Daichi absolutely crazy. Koushi lights on a sensitive spot, and Daichi cries out.

"Suga, fuck!" His legs are shaking, his mind is foggy, and Daichi's far too turned on to care about dignity. "Suga, please, god damn—"

But Koushi purposefully keeps from touching him, even though he notes Daichi's hardness with a pinky finger run over the length of his dick, expression carefully schooled into one of mild interest. He lights a hand on Daichi's trembling thigh, a wicked smile spread across his face. Koushi dips down to leave a few more marks on Daichi, but doesn't keep him waiting too long.

When he slowly leans back one final time, Koushi takes Daichi's hands from his shoulders, pushing them along his neck, settling the tips of his fingers into the edges of Koushi's hair. Holding him like that, Koushi dips forward to lick Daichi's head just once, placing a kiss to the tip, as if in apology for his teasing. He pulls Daichi backwards as he falls, Daichi bracing himself with his elbows on either side of Koushi's head. The pillow had been thrown to the side ages ago, and Daichi can feel from his position sprawled across his partner that Koushi is in much of the same situation as him.

"It's rather cruel of me to keep you waiting, isn't it?" Koushi breathes lightly.

"Damn straight it is," Daichi concurs, leaning in to kiss Koushi roughly.

Daichi's gentle with him though, as Koushi knew he would be. When it came down to it, Daichi truly didn't have a vicious bone in his body, even where sex was concerned. His fingers are freezing, and Koushi nearly jumps a foot in the air when Daichi first touches him, tensing up completely. But Daichi is all soft murmurs and light touches, easing Koushi back into a state of relaxation so that when he slips the first finger in, it's near painless. Koushi balks a little at the discomfort, but Daichi kisses him as a distraction, occasionally stroking them together when Koushi feels especially pained.

The second goes in easier, although the third is still quite difficult, and Daichi keeps up a steady rhythm between them to keep Koushi's mind off of the feeling. It's an effective method—Koushi fists his hands in the sheets, tiny whimpers complementing Daichi's own whines and whispered praises in Koushi's ear. But even this, it's not... "Daichi, Daichi just do it already, you've done enough prep," Koushi begs, before he can think better of it. "It's not the same, I need—"

Daichi channels his understanding across the Drift. He pulls his fingers out and this time Koushi really does wail, mourning the loss of physical connection with his partner. He probes for Daichi along the link vigorously, practically molding his mind to Daichi's. Daichi hushes him, and strokes the side of his face with one hand. Leaning back, he tears the condom's package open with his teeth, fitting himself with its contents. Koushi's heart beat accelerates through the roof as he watches, squirming impatiently below Daichi.

Once Daichi actually begins to press into Koushi, as achingly slow as he can manage, his lip-biting deteriorates into open-mouthed panting. He's trying to be gentle, but Koushi is so hot and so good he pushes his partner's limits. Daichi spreads the physical sensation to Koushi mentally, making Koushi gasp and forget the pain long enough for Daichi to slide all the way inside of him. They pant and groan as one, the unity both mental and physical. Koushi releases the sheets to clutch at Daichi's face, pulling him into an emotional kiss that shatters Daichi.

"Please," Daichi asks, voice thick and wavering. "Will you let me...?"

"Anything," Koushi replies.

Daichi wraps Koushi's arms around him neck and then, carefully curling his own arms around Koushi's thighs, Daichi sits back, pulling him into his lap. Koushi looks into his eyes, a cloudy curiosity and confusion reflected in his own.

"Together," Daichi whispers.

Koushi's eyes look suspiciously wet, but he nods his head jerkily, wrapping his legs around Daichi's back. They steady into a push-pull rhythm almost immediately, the unity of the Ghost Drift pressing their minds as close to true Drift synchronicity as possible. Daichi can feel every tremor in Koushi's body, every tiny hiss of satisfaction; and Koushi, he knows the mind-numbing, white-hot pleasure when Daichi slides into him, the garbled whispers of 'so beautiful, so perfect, only one ever—' that Daichi pours out with each thought that crosses his mind. And when Daichi finds Koushi's sweet spot once, twice, they both curl together with groans of utter bliss. They come together, minds aligned and on fire, and without thinking, Daichi blurts it out.

"Koushi, oh, Koushi—"

Koushi gasps, coming back down to earth, eyes lighting on Daichi's immediately. "Daichi," he whispers, breathless. Excited. "Daichi, did you say my name, just now?"

Daichi flushes. "I—if you don't want me too..."

Koushi shushes him with a laugh and a kiss on his nose. "Always. I always want you to call my name."

They separate slowly, Koushi mourning the emptiness he feels and Daichi the heat of his partner's body. He throws away the condom as quickly as possible, diving back into bed—into Koushi's waiting arms. They intertwine again, the need for contact abating a little but not completely. Daichi pulls Koushi up onto his broader chest and throws some stray blankets over their still naked bodies. Koushi presses himself flush to Daichi, weaving their legs together.

Daichi doesn't realize he's crying until the image of Koushi tracing patterns on his chest with the sweetest smile on his face blurs. He wipes at the water in surprise. Koushi looks up at the shock he feels from Daichi, confusion morphing into worry in record time.

"Daichi, are you alright?" He murmurs, eyebrows pinching together.

Daichi is caught between a laugh and a sob. "Yes, I'm better than I've ever been, actually. I just—Koushi, I'm so glad you're here with me. I love you, and I'm so glad you're in love with me too. Don't leave my side, okay?" He sniffles and shoots Koushi a pathetic smile.

Koushi thumbs away his tears, expression fond and full of unbridled adoration. "Idiot. Why would I ever leave you? Gods above, but I love you, Daichi. I love you; I do."

Daichi doesn't know who falls asleep first, or when, or how either of them could have even managed to sleep at all, given the incredible, earth-shattering day they had had. Or maybe that's the reason they drifted off, content in the knowledge of each other's presence.

And when Daichi wakes to find Koushi, shirtless and drooling, splayed across his chest, he nearly cries again.