That seemed clear enough. “Alright.” Genma braced Ryouma’s shoulders with his hands, stooping slightly to put his face level with the other man’s. “I think I’ve got the picture.” Ryouma met his eyes, brows knitted in distress.

“You made him an offer,” Genma said. “He said no. You thought nothing more about it because you’re— you’re comfortable with that kind of interaction. He’s not, and he wanted to make sure you understood exactly how definite his ‘no’ was, so he beat you into the ground this morning.”

And someone else the night before last. Genma wondered if whomever Kakashi’d sparred with had had even an inkling about what was really going on. It certainly put that previous evening’s whole conversation with Kakashi about his teammates in a different light.

“When did you— When did this happen?”

“The day we got back from the mission. Day before yesterday.” Ryouma took a deep breath and sighed it out, leaning back. “There was a whole tangle with the Hokage's son—” He broke off as Genma’s eyebrows flicked up, evidently unwilling to go into the details. “We were just talking in my room,” he said, sounding just a little defensive. “The kid was there asleep. I wouldn't have seduced him anyway...” A doubtful lift crept into his voice.

Best to just ignore the doubt, Genma decided. And pray that if it ever did come to it, Kakashi and Ryouma would both have better judgment than to go at it with the Yondaime’s three-year-old as an audience.

From across the field there was a ‘whumph!’ as Katsuko ignited a hackberry bush and Kakashi extinguished the blaze with a localized deluge in the shape of a dragon.

“So from what I can see, Hatake’s moving past it,” Genma said, turning his attention back to Ryouma. “Can you?”

Ryouma pulled his legs up on the ledge and wrapped his arms around them. His words were stiff and muffled by his knees. “I did already. I mean, I didn't think anything about it until I— had to think about it.” Dark eyes glanced up at Genma from under a sweat-damp fall of hair. "You get it, though, right? I wasn't— It's only 'cause it was him.” He lifted one hand in a frustrated gesture, then he tucked back down into his knees, cheeks and ears tinged an embarrassed pink. “And he beat me up, so it's fine."

Genma wasn’t sure he totally got it, but he got enough, he guessed. He sat down on the earthen bench and nudged Ryouma over with his thigh. “You remember the other day when I was saying I thought dating from Intel was a better plan than going for other ANBU? And really, we’re talking about a guy who’s practically the Hokage’s kid. Or foster kid. And also probably the most repressed guy in Konoha outside of the monks at the temple. Who aren’t actually all that repressed once you get to know them.” He slung an arm around Ryouma’s shoulder and gave it a pat. “You don’t have to make everything so hard for yourself all the time.” Like setting your sights on the hardest target in the village outside of Minato-sama himself.

Ryouma groaned quietly, and didn’t lift his head. “I wasn't really trying to go for him. I don't think. I don't even remember.” He stayed folded up for another moment, then sighed and stretched, straightening his legs as his mood lifted. “I don't think I could be a monk. My vows of celibacy'd last about two weeks.”

“Two whole weeks?” Genma asked. “You have more willpower than I was giving you credit for. You know they’re not supposed to jerk it either, right?” He faked a dodge and got to his feet. “OK, shall we do what I promised the Captain and evaluate your healing? Lie on your back with your left knee bent, and your right leg straight, then raise your right leg off the table a little and don’t let me push down.”

He waited until Ryouma was in position, actively resisting Genma’s push. “Here’s what you need to do,” he said, looking Ryouma in the eye. “When we’re done here, find a moment and apologize to Hatake. Just a simple, ‘sorry for being a dick’ and nothing more. Then drop it. And never cross that line again. Can you make that work?”