You've got some explaining to do(Vincent)

Vincent was a wreck.


Fortunately, it was a Sunday, and not many students prowled the halls on Sundays. He'd escaped to the sanctity of his office without really thinking about it and been there for hours already. On a Sunday. When he had no training sessions. He'd figured the time between his last session with Lei and now would have cleared his head, maybe given him some idea how to fix this situation. The walks to and from Hammel and his house; normally cold winter air helped him sort things out in his mind. But even that had failed him.


He just couldn't stop thinking about it. No matter what he did or what he tried to distract himself with, he couldn't settle on anything to do. It wasn't as if the soldier could do nothing; look where that had gotten him in the first place. Lei wasn't strong enough emotionally for a flat-out refusal; something like that would probably devastate him, and he couldn't imagine hurting that boy so badly after finally gaining his trust. Should he involve someone else? Nakia knew already; he'd told his wife everything the evening after it happened, but she hadn't told him anything.


"I trust you, Vincent," she had told him in that way she always did that made it seem like he could do anything because she said so. "You'll know what to do. You always do."


But now... now he didn't. This was different from that time at Eisai, different from how he and his own mentor behaved towards each other, different than Suekeichi, different than Nik. The girl was strong enough to accept rejection - he never felt that way towards his trainer - Suekeichi was an equal in status and age - Nik was his wife.


["By the stars, what am I going to do?"] the trainer muttered. For once, he sat in the creaky old chair behind his desk without papers scattered haphazardly across it, and his eyes stared at the ceiling as his hands pushed his bangs back over his head more forcefully that was needed. No one was here - he spoke Japanese, as it was his native language and calmed him somewhat. ["What can I possibly do?"]


There had to be SOMETHING he could do. Something that would cause as little grief as possible and maintain the fragile faith Lei put in him. Deep in his heart, however, his military mind categorized this battle and declared it lost; no matter what he did, it either wouldn't solve anything or it would be a Pyrrhic victory.


So wrapped up was he in his own thoughts that the too-tall Japanese man didn't notice teacher that had burst into his office until the man was seated in the chair across the desk from him and pointing at him. For a second, all Vincent could do was stare at him in confusion. Then he looked towards the wide open door and back to the other man, suddenly understanding that the teacher wanted to talk to him.


Calming himself down, the soldier took a breath to steady himself and still his thoughts (at least somewhat) before facing the other man across the desk. Someone needed to talk to him. So be it.


"What can I help you with?" Vincent didn't know this man immediately, but he had the suspicion that he was Hammel staff; he was too old to be a student. Considering that the Japanese transfer had only been in Vermont since August, he hadn't yet learned everyone's names or faces - there were just too many people. Something about this man warned him that there was anger under the calm, but he waited. Whatever it was, they could talk.

Though he frowned slightly at the blatant disregard for the room's occupants (or the proper uses of furniture), Vincent sad nothing as the man confronted him with the fact that he had a problem. Granted, the trainer already knew that, but he wasn't really sure how anyone else would know unless Lei told them. Knowing that boy, the chances of that intentionally happening were slim.


However, the details of his students affection brought back the issues he'd pushed aside the minute he noticed the other man in the room. The trainer maintained his eye contact with the younger man, but in his mind things were rapidly piecing together; somehow, this man had discovered Lei's feelings, and now he was out crusading for the boy. Vincent didn't blame him, honestly; he'd have done the same thing if he was in Zander's position, albeit with a little less "this is completely your fault" and more "what actually happened".


Zander's position was flawed, but noble. It was something that the older staff member couldn't really dislike. Still, he sighed and stood, closing the office door in case someone happened to wander by and overhear. This was not something Lei nor Vincent needed being talked about around the school. Leaning against the wall, he looked back up at the intruder without expression, though there was some pain in his thoughts. A lot of pain.


"I do not know," he answered honestly. "I have been trying to imagine that myself, however the situation is more delicate than I am used to." Generally for him, honesty was the best way out of a situation, and he knew he would have to tell Lei that he didn't have those feelings for him. The trainer just didn't know how.

In my head? Of course - the man was a telepath. A strong one, too, and possibly one with little control if he could hear the trainer's thoughts even after he'd calmed himself down. "You wished for honesty," he stated plainly. "I have given it. I apologize if it is not the answer you were seeking."


Everything that Zander said was true. Once again, however, they were at a moment where they were simply saying things that the other had already known; they were going nowhere. "I understand that," the soldier replied, his tone warning as he refused to be cowed by someone younger than him. "I will resolve this, and soon, of this I am sure. However, I do not need to be threatened in order to do so. He is my student, and I will fix this, whether you decide to tell me to or not."


The fact that he still had no idea how was a different problem. Vincent didn't even care at this point what his family knew - his wife had faith in him to solve this problem. All he cared about was making sure that Lei would be okay. In that respect, these two men were on the same course. They were just fighting each other to get there.

The tightly bound control on the taller man's temper was loosened as it faded away again. Now they were getting somewhere; discussing, rather than talking at each other. The concern for his student was within both of them, and it had finally guided them to working together.


"This will need to be stopped," he answered calmly, thinking it over. "A direct approach with no room for misunderstanding would be best in the long years, but it will hurt him badly. I do not wish to cause Lei any harm, but if must be done to keep him safe, so be it." This was not something Vincent wanted to do. It was something he very much wished had not happened, and he was foolish for keeping to himself for this long already.


"His fear of himself will lessen in time, whether I am here or not," he added, thinking it over. "There is great potential in his ability to do much good - the boy only needs to see that. If I must leave him when this is done, then he will find another trainer to show him the truth." He didn't want to leave Lei, though; he'd promised to stay on as his trainer simply because he was too stubborn to give up. If it meant the end of his career, he'd still do it - outside of school and in his own home if he had to.

Coming from another person who quite literally had pulled the information from his student's head, the compliment was something moderately comforting. It meant that, regardless of other circumstances, he was getting through to the boy.


However, to the suggestion, Vincent shook his head. Not because he disagreed in the reason, but because he did not think it would work. "Lei is an intelligent student, but he does not like being told that he is wrong," he explained. "If I tell him in anything less than plain speech what is happening, he will divert the conversation or deliberately misunderstand my words. I would like to explain everything, however giving multiple reasons will only give him challenge, not dissuasion."

Vincent shook his head slightly, disagreeing with the situation as a whole rather than Zander's perspective. He really didn't want to do this, but it was something that had to be done. Mostly because Lei wanted to be loved so badly. It would crush him to be let down, but any other action would only make things harder.


"I do not plan on giving up my role as his trainer," he answered, "though I will if he requests it of me. However, I must make this clear somehow. If I have to, I will hurt him if it makes him understand. I do not wish it to come to that, though." Lei was scared and lonely and looking desperately for comfort and trust; to break his heart would be very painful, but showing his loyalty to the boy by staying regardless might ease that pain. Possibly.