Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Thank you for the help, everyone!" 

Takemichi chirped, wiping the sweat off his brow and letting out a deep breath as the last of the boxes were put down inside the shop he finally owned.

"Of course, Takemichi." Takuya answered, beaming. "This is what friends are for."

His Mizo Middle gang friends who stayed with him until now helped him to bring all his boxes into the shop. For that, he was beyond grateful. 

"Ah, hold on." Takemichi went to one of the boxes and rummaged for the taiyaki he prepared for all of them to eat. "Here! I made these a while ago for all of us. It's a new recipe so tell me what you think."

They all let out excited cheers and reached for the pastry, some of the filling oozing out as they bit into the crispy exterior.

"This is really delicious, Takemichi!"

"I could eat this for days!"

"You sure know your Taiyaki well!" 

"It's apple pie flavored! I'm in love with this and with you!" 

Takemichi's smile broadened and his chest puffed up at the praises his friends continued to shower him in. 

"You'll all eat free here for a month when I open the shop as a thank you, too." 

Takemichi was then enveloped with his friends' bodies as they cheered and thanked him endlessly.

Once they calmed down, Takemichi shifted his focus on the place.

The shop was by no means small, it even has a second floor he'll utilize for his living quarters. But not only was the place unfamiliar and far from where he was living before, the whole shop was a menace in itself.

The cream painted walls on the first floor were chipped off at countless different places, the floors were dusty and needed sweeping, and every nook is covered by a thin layer of dust, making him sneeze every few seconds. He's sure the state of the second floor is just as begrimed. 

Even if that's the case, Takemichi's happy and content, nonetheless. 

He finally quit his long suffering job at the dvd rental store and moved out of his derelict apartment to do what he loved doing the most. 

Making sweets and pastries.

Shaking his head with a small smile on his face, he picked up a broom to sweep the floor and remove as much dust off the counter and tables scattered all around the place as he could, while talking animatedly with his friends who stayed to help him clean.

After seeing that his friends were sweeping the floor well enough, he grabbed his cleaning supplies and went outside to wipe off the grime and dirt off the floor to ceiling windows at the front of the shop.

When the sun was beginning to set, almost everything inside was free of dirt, and Takemichi's face lit with joy as he thanked his friends profusely. They then bid their farewell and took a rain check when Takemichi offered to treat them to dinner.

"It's okay, Takemichi!" Atsushi answered with a wide grin. "Perhaps you can treat us to dinner some other time! You gotta take your rest, man."

With that, they took off, leaving Takemichi to stare at their retreating backs fondly before he sighed and looked back at his windows to check if he missed any spot.

There's still a lot I need to do. Takemichi felt himself smile. Despite the ache he feels from scrubbing and cleaning the entire day and the fact that there still is a lot needed to be done, he felt accomplished and–

"Is this your shop?" 

The scent of tangerine, citrus flowers, oak moss, and a hint of black pepper quickly enveloped Takemichi's nostrils, making his taut muscles relax.

Ocean waves and sea breeze. His mind supplies for him. Calming, yet strong. 

Alpha.  

Takemichi abruptly jolted upright and whirled to where he heard the foreign voice, knocking the bucket of water behind him as he did. 

The raven haired boy froze as his eyes met with crystalline blue green ones. 

Just like the sea.

They stare at each other too long to be comfortable for strangers, so Takemichi had to cough and look away, pink starting to dust his cheeks.

"Y-yeah, this is my shop. Though it's far from finished." He smiled and offered his hand as he added, "I'm Hanagaki Takemichi, by the way. You live in the neighborhood?"

"Matsuno Chifuyu. You can call me Chifuyu." The man– Chifuyu took his hand and shook it, smiling. "And nah, I actually own a pet shop with a senpai I'm close with near here."

Takemichi gave a hum of acknowledgement and studied him as he said, "you can call me Takemichi, then." 

Black, well kempt hair with an undercut, and soft sea green eyes mirroring his scent. He was wearing a white dress shirt under his black vest suit paired with black–

"Oh my god." His eyes widened as he finally noticed the murky water from the bucket soaking into the other's slacks and shoes. "I got your slacks soaked, I'm so sorry."

"Oh it's–"

"Hold on, you should come inside. I'll grab a towel for you." 

Takemichi turned around and went inside the shop before Chifuyu could say anything, so he had no choice but to follow the other as he carried the forgotten cleaning supplies inside, albeit feeling a bit surprised at Takemichi letting him, a stranger he just met, inside his shop alone.

Not that he was planning on doing something bad, per se. He just found the lack of wariness... concerning, especially when the neighborhood isn't all that friendly.

After dropping the cleaning supplies beside him and a few moments of standing awkwardly in the doorway, Takemichi finally emerged from the second floor with a blue towel. 

"You can sit down anywhere, you know." 

Chifuyu followed him after hesitating for a fraction of a second, and sat down on one of the chairs. 

"Sorry about the dust and all. It's a work in progress." 

"It's okay, I have no problem with it. Plus, it looks better now. The state of the place is much cleaner than I remember, so be proud of yourself."

"Yeah! Thanks, Chifuyu. My friends helped me too, that's why." Takemichi handed him the towel with a beaming smile. "Here. It might not be enough, but it's the most ideal thing I could think of so you won't have to go home with your shoes dripping wet." 

The scent of freshly cooked pastries suddenly permeated Chifuyu's space, making him shiver involuntarily.

Sweet and delicate.

Omega.

Takemichi gave him a concerned look and opened his mouth, but Chifuyu spoke first.

"N-no–" He cleared his throat and smiled, strained and tense, as he began to remove his shoes and dripping socks. "No, this is enough. Thank you, Takemichi."

"No problem!" 

Chifuyu was then left with his thoughts as the raven haired boy excused himself once again. 

Omegas were rare in itself, Chifuyu learned that in school ever since he was small. They were only composed of 5% of the total population dominated by betas and alphas. And of the 5%, only 0.5% are male omegas who were said to bear all their children as an alpha, making them ideal mates. 

Omegas used to be as abundant as alphas. However, they often found themselves in brothels or auctions. 

They were also often mistreated, abused, and seen as objects only used for breeding genetically stronger alpha leaders. 

Nothing more and nothing less. 

It wasn't until omegas started fighting back, two centuries before the present time, by killing themselves, and reducing their kind drastically, that people realized their importance. Though betas could produce alpha offsprings, their genes and traits were much weaker than alphas made by omegas. 

When Chifuyu was younger, he always wondered why they didn't physically fight back for their freedom.

"It's because omegas are fragile." His beta teacher answered him as a matter of fact, when Chifuyu's curiosity got the better of him. "They couldn't fight the alphas who were much stronger than them, that they couldn't find any way to fight back other than to end their lives with their own hands. But what they lack for physical strength, they make up for by having keener and much better senses and survivability compared to alphas and betas."

Laws were then heavily implemented to protect omegas from spiraling into the brink of extinction. Now, they were all treated with equal reverence and importance as alphas and were also allowed to learn through all omega schools.

Which is why, people most of the time live their lives without ever meeting an omega. And if he was honest, in all his life, Chifuyu never really imagined meeting one. And a male omega, on top of that. 

Takemichi never said anything about him being an omega, and Chifuyu didn't want to put him on the spot. But alphas normally smell strong and sometimes overpowering and betas smell faint or like nothing at all. Omegas on the other hand are known to be the prettiest and have a sweet intoxicating scent.

And Takemichi smelled really good and was extremely pretty too. 

Although what bugged him the most, was what specific type of pastry his scent reminded him of. He smelled like a combination of thick custard and rich chocolate, creamy butter, and crisp freshly cooked waffles. 

It reminded him of–

"– taiyaki?" 

"Yeah! That's the one!" Chifuyu jumped in his seat, face alight with victorious joy as he finally remembered what the man smelled like. 

He then froze as his mind processed the voice that was not his own, and turned his head to the side to find Takemichi raising his brows in amusement, a steaming taiyaki in hand. 

"You like Taiyaki that much, Chifuyu?"

In a fit of panic, he blurted, "y-you smell like taiyaki."

A look of surprise flashed in Takemichi's face before laughing, although his expression became more guarded. 

Chifuyu thought with a sinking feeling that Takemichi would make an excuse about the scent, since that's the most sensible thing to do especially when alone with an alpha who was a stranger not so long ago. 

But then he replied,

"It's– well yeah, I'm an omega." Takemichi smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck, surprising Chifuyu further. "I usually wear scent blockers to pass as a beta, but I guess it must've been removed when I was cleaning. I can put one on right now if it–"

"No!" They stared at each other in stunned silence at Chifuyu's outburst, until he cleared his throat and began in a more subdued voice.

"No, it's okay. I know how uncomfortable those things are, and I don't mind your scent at all. It smells really incredible if I'm being honest."

Takemichi's face lights up and beams at the compliment, making Chifuyu stare at him in awe.

Cute.  

"Thanks, Chifuyu! I love your scent too! Reminds me of the breeze and the waves of the sea."

Chifuyu's alpha purred at the praise of the pretty omega in front of him.

Mate mate mate mate mate.

It awakened something feral and raw in him that made him want to keep the man close to him forever, possibly even claim him then and there, but he clenched his fist and steered the conversation away from dangerous territory.

"What kind of shop will you be opening up here? Should my pet shop and I be worried about competition?" 

Takemichi released a twinkle of laughter, leaving Chifuyu's gut to churn with want. 

"Well, it's good news to you and your shop then, mr. 'I don't want any competition," Takemichi sobered up, but he was still grinning. "I plan on opening a pastry shop. Not an over the top one, but just a place where people can enjoy the pastries and sweets that I make." 

Chifuyu looked at the man fondly, whose eyes were alight with joy at being able to share his passion with someone else.

"Oh, speaking of," Takemichi ambled closer to Chifuyu and handed him a still warm to the touch taiyaki. "Here! It's a new recipe I made this morning. My friends already gave me a lot of great feedback, but I want an unbiased opinion from someone I just met."

And really, who was Chifuyu to refuse such an offer?

At Takemichi's expectant gaze, he took a bite of the crisp taiyaki. The smell and flavor immediately permeated the air around him and spread in his mouth.

Chifuyu never had an opinion when it came to apple pie flavored food, but Takemichi's taiyaki was on a different level. It took all his strength to stop from making any embarrassing noises as he closed his eyes to savor the flavors dancing in his mouth.

"So?" Chifuyu slowly opened his eyes to see Takemichi's unwavering bright blue eyes staring back at him. "How does it taste? Is it good? Bad? Does it need anything else?"

Chifuyu chuckled at the man's enthusiasm, feeling his cheeks grow hot at the attention. 

"It's perfect, Takemichi. It's sweet, but not overpowering at all. And you added the cinnamon inside the bits of the apple pie crust in there as well? That adds flavor and depth to the taiyaki!" 

"You noticed?" Chifuyu saw that Takemichi's eyes were shining in delight, making him melt even further. "I thought only the crust of the apple pie would be too tasteless since the flavor's already enveloped in the waffle, so instead of simply just adding cinnamon with apples, I put the cinnamon inside the crust instead, giving it different textures and taste when consumed." 

"Of course I noticed!" Chifuyu grinned broadly and gave Takemichi two thumbs up. "This taiyaki is like a box of surprises. You'd think that's that but then you eat the crust, then you're bombarded with another wave of flavor. I'd eat this any day!"

Chifuyu froze as Takemichi preened while taking his hand and leaning in closer to him, ocean eyes sparkling with unadulterated joy. Close enough that he could count each of the lashes on the boy's eyes. 

Close enough that he could smell the alluring scent of custard and chocolate taiyaki.

"Really, Chifuyu? I'm really glad to hear that!"

That's too close, you idiot. Do you seriously not know the concept of space and wariness?

"You, you said you still have a lot to do before opening your shop." 

Thankfully, Takemichi finally pulled away from him, letting Chifuyu finally breathe. 

"Yeah! I still have to repaint the shop because the old paint is chipped off everywhere, and I'd have to decorate it to make it look more appealing. But thankfully I have the tools needed to do all that." 

"I can help you." 

"Really?" Takemichi's ocean eyes flickered to him in surprise. "You know you don't have to, since you have a shop to worry about too. I can just call my friends when I need help."

"I know I don't have to, but I want to help. I technically own the pet shop, well co-own, but I can take a leave whenever I can, and give my shift to another senpai of mine who helps us there."

"Is that what a responsible pet shop owner is supposed to say?" Takemichi chided, but his eyes were teasing. "But if you insist, then I won't refuse your offer."

Sorry, Kazutora. Chifuyu apologized to the friend he works with at the pet shop, in his head. I owe you big time.

"I can file for a leave next Wednesday if that's fine for you?" 

"That works for me, Chifuyu! And you don't have to worry about food, I'll cook for you since you're paying for it with your labor."

"Okay, see you then, Takemichi! I'll take this home and wash it before giving it to you."

Chifuyu grinned as he stood up and gestured to the towel he was holding, but Takemichi shook his head and took it from him.

"Don't worry yourself about that. It was my fault you got soaked anyway."

"Then, I'll see you next Wednesday, Takemichi!" 

The raven haired man gave a hum of assent and accompanied him to the front door. 

"It was really nice meeting you, Chifuyu! I had so much fun today. I'll be waiting next Wednesday!"

Chifuyu was once again left awestruck by the man's beauty. His curls were gently billowing in the cool air and his eyes were glowing under the moonlight.

As he waves his goodbye, he thinks there's nothing more beautiful than one named Hanagaki Takemichi.

Chifuyu (Me) Wednesday 10:03 AM :

I'm almost there, Takemichi! 

Hearing the doors open and announcing his stop, Chifuyu slid his phone back in his pocket and immediately hopped off the train to get to Takemichi's shop.

Chifuyu was on his phone for days when he asked for Takemichi's number the day after they met, with an excuse of "I need to contact you when I'll be there!"

Needless to say, he didn't garner enough courage to strike up a conversation through text the next few days before their inevitable meet-up, so he was reduced to staring longingly at the number on his screen.

Even Kazutora noticed his weird behavior the other day and asked him about it, to which he just waved his hand in dismissal and gave a long suffering sigh, until he remembered that he had to butter up Kazutora to take his Wednesday shifts for him.

"Oh right, Tora-san" Chifuyu jumped off his chair and sheepishly looked at the man stocking up shampoo products. "Is it alright if you take my shift this Wednesday and the next three Wednesdays after that?"

"Hah? Why would–"

"Please, Tora-san!" Chifuyu bowed and put his hands together in front of him to implore for the man's help. " I have– important things to do that day! And Baji-san's still down with fever, so it's just you and me for now. I'll treat you to dinner!"

"Free dinner for two weeks and raise my pay."

Chifuyu looked up, incredulous. "For two weeks and extra pay for the four Wednesdays."

"Three weeks and extra pay for four Wednesdays."

"Fine." Chifuyu grumbled as Kazutora chuckled in victory. 

He shook his head, smiling at the memory as Takemichi's shop finally came into view. 

There were already black out curtains on both sides of the windows which were closed, and a doorbell was nowhere to be seen, so Chifuyu couldn't do anything but knock at the door.

No answer. 

"Takemichi?" Chifuyu rapped the door with his clenched fist once again. "I'm here."

On the third try and still no sign of the man, Chifuyu's gut churned with worry. 

With no other choice, he tried twisting the doorknob to see if it would budge, and it did. Chifuyu felt a sudden dread and bolted inside, thinking of scenarios that could've happened to the man.

"Takemichi!?" 

Once he was inside, he carefully scanned the area for clues or anything that was amiss, but everything looked just the same as he'd seen it. Just cleaner.

Chifuyu felt his heart beat more evenly, seeing that nothing was touched or broken. But he hasn't seen Takemichi himself yet, so he stayed light on his feet and alert.

He then noticed the stairs leading towards the second floor and sauntered there. 

He hesitated on the first step, thinking that he might be trespassing, but the longer he stalled, the graver Takemichi might be in danger.

"Sorry for the intrusion," Chifuyu whispered as he trotted up the stairs with his fists clenched, ready to attack.

There were four doors awaiting him once he reached the top of the stairs. He strained to listen to any noise he could pick up, but ended up hearing nothing so he opened the one closest to him. 

All at once, the sweet and intoxicating scent of the omega filled his senses, making his pupils dilate and his hands tremble. 

Mate mate mate mate.

Chifuyu's alpha went berserk, urging him to keep, to possess, to claim.  

"Chifuyu?" 

The raven haired man was effectively snapped out of his trance, and turned to the sound of the voice. 

Lo and behold, it was the man he was looking for, unharmed.

But it was fair to say that seeing Takemichi wasn't of help to Chifuyu's hazy mind laced with lust.

Takemichi looked freshly out of his shower. Arms crossed, hair still slightly damp and wavy, wearing boxers and an oversized shirt that had slipped off his shoulders to show his clavicle.

Even the sweet scent of taiyaki was more prominent now that the man himself was there.

"I– I didn't mean to trespass!" Chifuyu eventually exclaimed, bowing low. 

He heard Takemichi chuckle in response to his apology.

"It's okay, Chifuyu! I left the door unlocked so you could get in since I couldn't open it myself because I was in the shower."

"But that's dangerous, Takemichi." Chifuyu straightened, his face contorting with worry at what the boy said.

Takemichi walked past Chifuyu to go downstairs and gestured for the other to follow. 

"Is it? But I have really strong senses! I immediately recognized your scent the moment you stepped into my shop."

"Oh." Chifuyu was stunned to hear what the boy confessed. He himself couldn't even do that.

Omegas are really great. Chifuyu thinks fondly. 

"Still. This area is dominated by alphas, so you should be more careful."

"Ah, well are most of them good people?"

"Well, most of the places here are shops just like ours and they're often run by alphas and sometimes betas. Some are my friends too, but a lot of the people here can't be trusted."

Takemichi let out a hum of understanding as he made a beeline towards what Chifuyu assumes to be the kitchen. 

"But I trust you and I trust myself. So, don't worry too much, Chifuyu!"

Chifuyu smiled affectionately at Takemichi's back and let the topic go for now. If anything happens, he'll just make sure to be there for the man.

"Do you want eggs, bacon, and pancakes for breakfast?"

Chifuyu suddenly choked on his spit as he focused his eyes on Takemichi who's now wearing a frilly pink apron that accentuated his small waist. 

When Takemichi faced him, it seemed like he was wearing nothing from the waist down, so Chifuyu forced his eyes to stop straying downwards and to think of things to distract him so his pants wouldn't tighten uncomfortably.

"Hey, are you okay? You look–"

"I'm fine!" Chifuyu replied with much more force than intended, and he cringed inwardly, trying to compose himself. "I mean, yeah, I'm fine and eggs, bacon, and pancakes are good too."

"Hm, okay then. You can sit back or take a tour around the place if you want. This won't take too long." 

Left to his own devices, he sat down on one of the chairs, scanned the kitchen, and saw that everything was clean and polished. There were no boxes in sight and everything was arranged and put in the places where they should be. 

Chifuyu thinks Takemichi saw what was written on his face as he began to say, "I had the days before to clean the kitchen thoroughly, since it's my prized possession. You know what they say, you have to treat your things with utmost care so it won't give you headaches in the future."

"Yeah, you did a really great job, Takemichi."

"Thanks, Chifuyu!"

They then talked about anything and everything as they ate their breakfast. With Takemichi talking animatedly with his hands waving everywhere and Chifuyu complimenting the food, listening intently, and chipping in his thoughts here and there.

This is nice. Takemichi's really fun to be with .

After they finished eating and washing the dishes, Takemichi put on baggy pants and a tighter shirt fit for cleaning, with Chifuyu at the side trying his best not to look like a pervert and stare at the smooth expanse of skin waiting to be bruised and–

Chifuyu shook his head violently and shunned his dangerous thoughts as Takemichi finished.

It was a peaceful morning after that. They both finished cleaning the shop and mopping the floor after lunchtime, so they headed straight to repainting the walls a knoxville gray color, creating a perfect balance against the walnut colored tables and chairs. 

It was nearing nighttime when they finished repainting one side of the place and called it a day. 

"Thank you so much for the big help, Chifuyu!" Takemichi beamed, and Chifuyu was once again enthralled by the man's beauty. 

"It was nothing, Takemichi. I'm just glad to be of service."

Chifuyu was beginning to gather his things, when he remembered the event that occurred a while ago.

"Hey, Takemichi."

"Hm?" 

Chifuyu looked the other straight in his eyes as he said, "Promise me, do not interact with just any alphas or let them in your shop. Especially if you know nothing about them."

"Eh? Why, Chifuyu?"

"This place that you bought, the neighborhood," Chifuyu sighed, trying to figure out the best way to say it without scaring the omega. "It's in Bon–"

Chifuyu's phone suddenly rang, effectively cutting off his sentence. He felt irritation bloom in his mind as he fished out his phone to check the caller ID.

Kazutora 🐯 is calling you

He sighed, exasperated, and excused himself to answer his phone. 

"What do–"

"Weren't you gonna treat me to dinner for three weeks?" Came the impatient tone of the older. "You're a scam, Fuyu."

"Fine, alright alright. Where are you?"

"At the front door of your house."

"Hah? Already?" Chifuyu pinched the bridge of his nose, patience wearing thin. "Okay whatever, just– you know where my keys are. Just let yourself in, but do not touch my stuff or–"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. You talk too much, Fuyu. This is why you don't have a lover."

"Right back at you." 

Once Chifuyu finished his call, he returned to Takemichi with a sheepish smile. 

"Sorry, that took a while. It was my friend who took over my shift today. He's got…. issues so I gotta go now."

"Oh yeah, of course!" Takemichi beamed and went to the door to see him out once again. "Thank you so much for your time and service, Chifuyu. It means a lot."

"Yeah! I'll come by the same time next Wednesday?" 

Takemichi's eyes brightened as he nodded his head, feeling warmth spread through him now that he found a good alpha friend in the unfamiliar neighborhood. 

Takemichi was already entering his shop when he was suddenly hit with a distressing scent of a wounded alpha. 

It was pungent and overwhelming, making his hair stand on end.

Promise me to not interact with any alphas.  

Takemichi remembered what Chifuyu told him and tried to ignore the scent, but it only got stronger. His grip on the handle tightened as Chifuyu's advice and his own moral code fought to win.

I'm so sorry, Chifuyu. I can't just go in knowing someone out here is hurt.

Takemichi went inside his shop to grab his first aid kit in the kitchen and turned back around to search for the source of the distressing scent, which led him to a dark and dirty alleyway just a block from his shop. 

There, the scent was much stronger and overwhelming, making Takemichi scrunch his nose. Like a swamp and burnt pine needles. 

It was scary, that was for sure. 

But his urge to save someone's life was stronger, so he steeled himself and walked deeper in the alleyway, until he came face to face with a small body slumped on the left side. 

The boy had short, stark white hair peppered with blood, an undercut, pale and skinny frame, and obsidian eyes studying him critically as his bloody arm cradled his side.

"Don't fucking come any closer." The boy hissed, voice laced with a promise of bloodshed as he pointed a gun to Takemichi with his free hand, making him freeze in his tracks. 

"Woah, hey," Takemichi breathed, trying to make his voice as soothing as possible and raised his trembling hands as if to show that he was harmless. "It's okay. I just want to help you."

"No, I don't need your fucking help. Get out." 

"Okay, but–"

"I said get out." 

Takemichi's eyes widened as he saw the boy cock the gun.

Am I really going to die right now? 

He shut his eyes closed as the boy pulled the trigger and then–

Nothing. 

"Shit. Fucking useless."

Takemichi cracked his eyes open and breathed a sigh of relief as he heard the boy curse and throw the gun behind him who grunted from the effort.

The raven haired boy, though shaking from fear and near death experience, saw this as an opportunity to trudge toward the boy in hopes that he could help him. But as Takemichi knelt down beside him, the boy punched his face. Hard enough for his vision to blur and his eyes to turn glassy with unshed tears.

"What the fuck is wrong with you. I told you to get out."

"I'm just trying to help." 

Takemichi managed to restrain the weakened boy before he could hit him any further. 

"And I told you," the white haired boy panted from the effort as his obsidian eyes glared at Takemichi in distrust. "I don't need your fucking help."

"I know that, but you're–"

"I said–"

"I know what you said, okay!?"

The boy's eyes widened like saucers at the outburst, while Takemichi took a breath to try and calm his nerves.

"Just– just let me at least treat your wound or that'll get infected." 

At his sudden silence, Takemichi reached out to try and remove his bloody hand that was cradling the wound and pulled his shirt up to observe the gash, and surprisingly, the boy let him. 

Thankfully, it was a stab wound on his side that wasn't too deep, which meant it didn't hit any critical organs or arteries. Though it was deep enough for stitches to be necessary. He reiterated what he observed to the boy and added, "– we need to bring you to a hospital so–"

"No."

"No? Why?" 

"This is just a stab wound. I'll live. I have people who'll come get me so–"

"Shut up right now." Takemichi rubbed his temples as he felt a headache oncoming. "How long till your friends arrive?"

The boy stayed quiet, making Takemichi sigh.

"Fine, brat. You don't want to tell me anything and not go to the hospital, so either I'll stitch your wounds until your friends arrive or I'll leave you here to die. I may not be a licensed doctor, but I can suture a wound this deep."

Not that he would do the latter, since it would be a waste to go here and almost get killed just to leave in the end.

When he was met with silence, he sighed, poured alcohol on his hand to sterilize it somehow and then reached out to the stab wound once again. Seeing as the boy didn't stop him, he took it as a permission and began to clean the wound and the surrounding area with the water he brought with him. 

He then grabbed his suture kit in his first aid and began the procedure. 

"This is going to hurt like a bitch." Takemichi warned, the needle just inches away from the stab wound. 

"I don't care. Just do it fast."

So demanding and for what? Takemichi rolled his eyes in annoyance and began to do an interrupted suture on the wound.

He noticed the boy bite his lip to keep himself from yelping and his hands clenching at both sides, so Takemichi diffused his scent just enough to somehow calm the boy as he continued suturing the wound. 

"You, you're an omega?" The boy rasped, obsidian eyes swimming with barely concealed pain, hazy and unfocused. 

"Yeah, and what of it?" He could feel the other's unfocuzed gaze drop on his unclaimed neck, so he added, "don't do anything stupid, or I'll stitch your mouth, reopen your wound, and let you bleed here to death."

With the threat hanging in the air, they sat in silence as Takemichi secured the last knot and finished wrapping the sutured wound with a sterilized bandage. 

"There! You're all patched up." Takemichi beamed even as exhaustion seeped into his bones from earlier fear and adrenaline. 

When it was obvious that the boy wasn't going to answer, he sighed once again and gathered his things.

"That bandage is just temporary. When your friends arrive, tell them that they need to dress your wound regularly and if possible, let them take you to the nearest doctor to have your wound checked."

Satisfied with himself, he stood up, brushed the debris that clung on his pants and turned to leave. 

"Thank you." 

The words were spoken so lowly that Takemichi wouldn't have heard it if he didn't have great hearing, but he did. 

So he turned his head and gave the white haired boy his first genuine smile since they've met, waved goodbye, and remarked, 

"If we ever meet again, I hope it's not in these circumstances anymore. Take care of yourself."

Chapter Text

"Mikey!" Sanzu exclaimed, tone laced with worry as he saw the man lying on his back, motionless.

"Shut up, Sanzu," Mikey growled as Sanzu knelt beside him to check for any fatal wounds. "You're giving me a migraine."

My king is alright, Sanzu felt his shoulders sag in relief. If he's alright, nothing else matters.

There were thankfully only shallow wounds and bruises on the man's arms and face, nothing to be worried about. But he then noticed a dark stain and a cut on the fabric of Mikey’s shirt that only a knife could do, so he hastily lifted the shirt up and saw the wound on the side which was already cleaned and patched up. 

"Who bandaged you, Mikey?" Takeomi, Bonten's Advisor and his brother, peered behind him to look at the bandaged wound closely. "Looks like they knew what they were doing too."

"I'm not in the mood to talk about that right now." The white haired man closed his eyes and brought his arm up to cover them. "Did you kill all of them?"

"Sanzu got too trigger happy once again," Koko replied as he gestured for Takeomi to carry Mikey to their place. "Started shooting the rest of the twenty men three times. Said it was for good measure."

Half truth. His bullets never miss their targets, and perhaps he got a little too excited, but it wasn't just because he lived off the high shooting people gave him. He killed to exact vengeance. To protect his king from the traitors that hurt him. 

And what he hated the most was traitors. 

"It's a fitting and well deserved death for ambushing Mikey while he was resting," Sanzu scowled, thinking about how badly wounded Mikey would've been if he reacted a second too late upon hearing Mikey's yell. 

He stood up then and smoothed the invisible wrinkles on his slim striped pink slacks as he noticed Takeomi trudging ahead carrying Mikey bridal style. That was when he suddenly caught a whiff of the lingering scent of an omega in the dark alleyway.

It was cloyingly sweet, and Sanzu wanted to gag. 

Eh? So it was a slimy motherfucker who helped the king. 

"An omega, huh?" Koko commented, looking intrigued as he connected the dots while he leaned on the wall with his hands in his pocket. "Who would've thought the one who saved Mikey was an omega. But I'm more surprised about the fact that he didn't kill her. Maybe because she smells like taiyaki."

Sanzu turned around, putting his hands on his pockets and clicking his tongue.

"Out of all the omegas, she smells the most disgusting. That's for sure."

It was a Saturday night when Takemichi thought it best to do his groceries. 

It's been roughly three weeks since he moved out of his uninhabitable apartment and moved into the two story building. Which meant three weeks had gone with him only eating instant noodles or take outs, since he's been too busy with the shop and he had nothing other than ingredients for... well, sweets and pastries. 

But he knew he couldn't live off of instant noodles, take outs, and sweets alone. 

So as it was a weekend, he was in a supermarket wearing his scent blocker, a cashmere sweater and tight fitted jeans, holding two similar cuts of meat to find out which one's a better purchase. 

"If you want cheaper cuts of meat, you can go check the meat aisle on the other side. I always buy meat there. Though it's cheaper because it has a closer expiration date." 

Takemichi jumped at the sudden low voice just behind him and turned to see a tall black haired man that had both sides of his head shaved to show off a dragon tattoo on the left side.

The man smelled of sandalwood, yuzu , and cinnamon nutmeg, making Takemichi remember his time in the countryside, with the fresh breeze and the crisp smell of lemon orchards, when he was a child. 

"Ah, I didn't mean to startle you. You didn't seem to be from around here so I just thought I'd let you know that there's a cheaper alternative. Especially if you're going to be using the meat everyday for your meals."

Draken stood awkwardly as the raven haired man just continued staring at him. Or more like, continued staring at the dragon tattoo at the side of his head.

"Your tattoo is so cool." The man finally said, eyes twinkling in fascination. 

"I get that a lot." Draken rubbed the back of his neck, never knowing what to do when someone compliments him. "I can give you the address of the one who did it. He's a friend of mine."

The man then shook his head and laughed openly, eyes crinkling. Hearing it made Draken faintly smile and relax. 

"Thank you for the offer, but I just like to admire tattoos when it's on someone else. And I think yours is one of my favorites."

The words stroked his ego. He furrowed his brows and squinted as pink started to rise from his neck to his cheeks. 

Too honest.

Draken grunted in response and asked, "You live nearby?"

"Yeah, actually. I live where my shop is, just on the second floor."

He was about to reply, when he was cut off by a sudden loud growl that came from the man's stomach. 

The raven haired boy then covered his stomach with his hand and looked at Draken sheepishly, pink already dusting his cheeks.

"Ah, sorry about that. I gotta go and buy dinner, but thank you for the advice! See you around!" 

With one last wave, the boy went to where Draken advised him to go. 

Ah, I didn't ask for his name.

"What're you standing around for like a weirdo, Draken-kun?"

He gave a sideways glance at Inupi, his roommate, who was putting down the ingredients they needed for their dinner in the cart and responded with, "none of your business. Let's go."

Needless to say, the rest of Draken's shopping trip with Inupi was uneventful, seeing as he didn't run into the pretty beta with ocean eyes again even as he reached the checkout counter. 

Not that he was disappointed. He was just worried about the kind of meat the man chose since he looked like he'd eat just about anything. 

But what he didn't expect was to see the raven haired outside the supermarket carrying bags that were too much for someone his size. So Draken did what any decent alpha would do. 

"Need any help?"

He saw the man jump just like he did the first time he approached him, making Draken raise his eyebrows in amusement.

"Oh, it's you again!" The man beamed when he turned around and recognized Draken, adjusting his hold on the bags as he did so. "Thank you for letting me know about that hidden gem of yours! It saved me a lot of money."

"Of course. People new to the neighborhood easily get tricked with that." Draken then gestured to his bags and repeated, "Do you need help with carrying those bags? It looks a bit too much for one person."

"Are you underestimating my strength?" 

Draken's eyes widened as he thought, ah, I fucked up already.

"No, of course not. I just thought you needed–"

Draken was then cut off by the man's twinkling laugh and he was reduced to staring dumbly at the way the man's eyes crinkled in the corners and his lips turned upwards to reveal rows of perfectly white teeth.

"I'm sorry, I was just kidding," The raven haired boy managed to gasp out when he calmed down. "But seriously, I can carry this by myself. I'm used to this much anyway. I'm really grateful for the offer though. Perhaps I'll take you up on it next time!

"Then, I'll be taking my leave." The man then bowed and went on his way. 

"Hm, so that's who you were looking for back at the store."

Draken glared at Inupi as the man came up beside him.

"Shut up."

"Don't worry, I understand that hopelessly smitten face. I agree he is pretty. You don't find betas that pretty nowadays."

"Shut the fuck up, Inupi. I'm not smitten or hopeless." 

And he truly wasn't. He just found the boy pretty. Anyone with working eyes would say the same.

But finding someone pretty and being smitten are two different things. Draken would never allow himself to like someone unless he's known what kind of person they truly are and the values they uphold.

The blond haired boy then laughed as he dodged Draken's shoulder that was about to shove him, and went in the direction of their shared living space.

"What's his name?" 

Draken noticed Inupi shooting him a pitying glance as he kept walking, but didn’t give any answers.

"Ah, you really are hopeless."

Draken decided to ignore the other in favor of walking ahead and stoking the fire of his own thoughts.

Next time I'll finally get his name. 

"Say, Chifuyu, what do you think about this for the front of the shop?"

The raven haired boy pointed at something on his tablet, which Chifuyu had to crane his neck to actually see. 

"String of pearls? It does look aesthetically pleasing, though I heard it's pretty hard to manage the plant indoors."

About a month and a half has passed since he started helping Takemichi with his shop. And he's pleased to see that a lot has happened to the place since then.

The once crusty cream painted walls that were chipped off on countless places were now replaced with a knoxville gray color and the once dust coated floor, chairs, and tables were now polished to perfection, making the place look well balanced and more comfortable and warm. 

Now that the foundation was smoothly laid out, all they needed to do was to decorate the place, which was what he and Takemichi were doing as of late. 

Soon enough, he'll finally witness the man open his shop.

"Hm, that's true," Takemichi kept scrolling on his tablet with his hand on his chin, focused and driven. Chifuyu thinks he looks pretty like that. "Oh! What about Jasmine plants? The scent it gives off helps people to relax and de-stress."

"Yeah, that would be good, Takemichi! I think it's perfect for the shop." 

"Right?" 

Looking proud of himself, Takemichi bookmarked the plant to shop for it with Chifuyu later, and continued searching for more. 

They kept that rhythm for a few hours more, so after lunchtime, they finally went out to the city in search of shops where they could buy the plants they wanted for Takemichi's pastry shop. 

Chifuyu heard Takemichi giggle beside him, making him glance at the man in mirth.

"You okay there, Takemichi?" 

"It's just, it's been a while since I went out with a friend, so I'm really happy." The man looked down and clutched at his heart. "I won't forget this feeling. Thank you so much for staying with me and for always helping me."

Chifuyu ducked his head, all flustered and nervous, when Takemichi looked at him with a bright smile and even brighter eyes and linked their arms together. 

"Thank you too, Takemichi. I'm glad I met you." 

They then meandered around the street for a while until the ocean eyed man tugged at Chifuyu's sleeve and pointed his chin to the direction of a modest but prepossessing flower shop right in the middle of the busy street. 

"What about that one, Chifuyu?"

The alpha nodded and they began to walk in the direction of the said shop. 

The fresh and floral scent emitted by plants and flowers quickly enveloped Chifuyu as they stepped into the vicinity. 

The place looked bigger than it seemed now that he was inside. There were rows and rows of different kinds of flowers on the shelves, some were hanging, while others were perfectly organized on the pristine white tiles. 

"Welcome to Red Lotus!" A beta woman in her late 40's went to them and bowed. "What can I do for you?" 

"Oh! Good afternoon!" Chifuyu saw Takemichi bow in his periphery, and so, he followed suit. "We were just looking for flower shops where we could buy plants to decorate my own pastry shop, and yours really caught my eye."

The woman laughed softly, already looking swayed at the brightness Takemichi emits. 

"You've come to the right place then, my child. I have lots of plants and flowers you can choose from. And I'd be honored to have my plants be displayed in your shop." 

After exchanging a few moments of pleasantries and the woman telling them that there was still a second floor, they decided to split up and gather all the plants they could get from Takemichi's list.

Chifuyu sauntered to the plants on the first floor while Takemichi headed towards the second floor.

When Takemichi arrived on the second floor of the shop, he was taken aback by the beauty and effort everything must have taken. Especially since some plants are trickier to care for than others, Takemichi knew that much.

Everything looked well taken care of. From the biggest plants to the smallest shrubs, they show a perfectly green hue specked with different colored petals. 

Takemichi felt a smile tug at his lips and finally walked to the first row of shelves to find the plants he's been looking for. 

He then took his time savoring his surroundings and the scent each plant had to offer, letting himself feel more calm and relaxed as the time passed by.

Sansevieria, for its sweet citrus smell and low maintenance that will be going to the back of the shop. String of Dolphins, for its rich cinnamon scent when in bloom which will go near the floor to ceiling windows since it requires the sunlight. Hibiscus plant, for its bright color and scentless red-yellow flower which will then go to different areas of the shop that needs its warmth and balance. 

The raven haired man was getting the last of the plants he needed, when there was suddenly a hand that gripped his wrist and pulled him with too much force he thought his arm was going to detach from his shoulder. 

Takemichi then came face to face with a tall man wearing a white dress shirt under a pink striped waistcoat and pink slacks. 

The man looked expensive and unfamiliar. Even his scent, pink pepper, bergamot, verbena and tuscan iris, spelled rich and luxurious. Which was why Takemichi was confused as to why the man's hand was gripping his wrist.

Perhaps he got the wrong person?

Takemichi was about to ask him that much when the man spoke,

"I really wasn't expecting a guy, but man, I thought the scent back then was bad enough-“ Back then? Have they met? But Takemichi heard the man say he wasn't expecting a guy. Did he smell like someone else? “- but I didn't know the real deal would smell even worse." 

The man's voice was silvery and casual, but his words were like venom striking at Takemichi's heart. 

It seemed like the man knew who Takemichi was.

The raven haired boy, with no other choice, craned his neck to see the man's face better, and what he saw made his blood run cold.

Bubblegum pink hair, ears that were filled with piercings, and blue eyes framed by thick and droopy eyelashes. Though his features look friendly and inviting, his lips that have two diamond scars at each end were upturned to form a smile that's devoid of any real happiness and warmth.

Takemichi immediately knew the man was dangerous as he is unfamiliar.

"Ah, uh–"

"Shush!" 

The pink haired man brought his index finger to his lips in a gesture to keep quiet, so Takemichi pursed his lips and clenched his fists to keep himself from trembling and showing his fear, but he held the man's gaze steadily.

He wanted to back as far away as he's allowed to, but one look at the man told him he'll sorely regret it if he moved even an inch from their position.

"It must be my lucky day to find a male omega this easily."

Without thinking, his free hand flew to his neck to check if he put on his scent blocker. It was still stuck on his neck tightly.

How did he know?

"Do you know how much pain in the ass your kind is? Slimy motherfuckers. But I suppose you’ll fetch a big prize."

Takemichi then froze and felt cold hard dread crawl up his spine as the man smiled, wide and sardonic.

"What do–" 

The man suddenly gripped his chin and brought their faces close enough that Takemichi could feel the man's breath fan over his face. 

"What did I tell you about keeping your mouth shut?"

Takemichi's omega whimpered as the man used his alpha authority against him, which then made anger flare in his stomach.

Takemichi's legs were pinned by the other's, so all he could do was glare at the man defiantly. 

"Don't look at me like that, omega, or I'll shoot your brains out."

The man's grip on his chin tightened considerably, making him gasp at the pain as uninvited tears prickled in his eyes. 

All of a sudden, he felt more than saw the man take advantage of the situation to close the distance between them and shove his tongue inside Takemichi's open mouth.

The kiss was rough. Could it even be called a kiss when it was more teeth and tongue, and while one was forced into it and didn't reciprocate? 

It felt like with each flick of his tongue, the man was insinuating that omegas aren't strong enough to fight back against alphas.

Takemichi closed his eyes shut and trembled in fear as he felt the claws of helplessness grip his heart. 

Someone he didn't know was kissing him. Takemichi felt violated as disgust crept up and under his skin. He wanted to throw up. He felt himself wanting to revert to his old self who only hid in his shell and ran away from everything. 

Perhaps the man was right. Maybe he should just–

"Spread your wings for me and you'll see that it's not flying you're scared of. It's the thought of crashing. Everyone loses control and crashes, but what matters is how you get back up. You're stronger than you know, my butterfly."

Takemichi mentally shook his head as his mind finally cleared. 

Filled with resolve and determination, he bit down on the man's tongue, hard enough for him to taste the metallic tang of blood.

Takemichi saw the man reel back from shock, face shifting from one of pain to anger. 

"Don't look down on me just cause I'm an omega, alpha. "

Referring to someone by their sub gender should've been a fond and intimate gesture couples do, but with how they said it to each other, it felt more like a mockery and curse.

No one moved as they both stared each other down. 

The man then smiled cynically, eyes darkening as he wiped the blood from his lips with his thumb and licked it without breaking eye contact.

"You–"

"Takemichi, is everything alright there?"

Takemichi's head whipped to where he heard Chifuyu and replied, "Yeah, I'm done here. I'll go down in a second."

As he turned back around however, he saw that he was once again alone. 

He almost made himself believe that what happened just a few moments ago was a dream if not for the fact that he could still taste the man's blood on his lips. 

After gathering his things and fixing himself, he went down the steps.

But as he approached Chifuyu who was waiting downstairs with his warm smile and even warmer eyes, so in contrast with the cold eyes and mocking smile of the man he just met at the second floor, he felt his tears flow freely and his knees give out.

"Takemichi?" Chifuyu sounded bewildered and worried but wrapped his arms around him, nonetheless. 

Takemichi was grateful that Chifuyu was just letting him bask in his warmth without question. 

After a few minutes, he let go of Chifuyu then and sniffled as he wiped his tears with the sleeves of his shirt and smiled.

Chifuyu looked like he wanted to press him for answers, but he instead took ahold of Takemichi's basket filled with plants and flowers and went to the counter to have it all checked out and delivered the next day. 

As they exited the store, Takemichi bowed low and spoke in a mellow voice.

"Thanks Chifuyu. You were such a great help to me. I'm sorry if that scared you, but I'm good now. I owe you a lot."

With one last watery smile, Takemichi turned on his heel and walked to the direction of his shop. 

"Wait, Takemichi–"

He was suddenly stopped by a hand on his wrist and winced as he felt Chifuyu press on the blooming bruise unintentionally. 

Of course, it didn't escape Chifuyu's watchful eye as he asked, "what's wrong, Takemichi?"

"It's nothing, Chifuyu. What is it?"

Chifuyu didn't look like he's buying it, but Takemichi once again was grateful that he let the topic go.  

"My friends and I are going to have dinner tonight and I just thought I'd ask you if you want to come with?" 

Takemichi's eyes widened a fraction and laughed genuinely. "But Chifuyu, why are you inviting me? That's a hang out between you and your friends."

"I know that, but I'm sure they'll be happy to have you there. Plus they said I could always bring a plus one anyway." And you look like you needed a distraction , was left unsaid but Takemichi could hear the implication well enough.

Takemichi nodded after a few seconds, not trusting himself to speak or he might break down in the middle of the street because of Chifuyu's thoughtfulness.

What did I do to have such a great and amazing friend by my side?

They walked in companionable silence towards the restaurant, to which Takemichi was once again thanking Chifuyu for, since he wasn't in the mood to speak for a short while. 

Chifuyu then suddenly turned and headed straight to an expensive looking restaurant, making Takemichi splutter. 

"Uh, Chifuyu? I think you're overestimating the money I still have in my pocket."

The man laughed at that and ruffled his hair. It felt nice, so Takemichi leaned into it, making Chifuyu freeze.

"I, it's okay, I'll chip in for you–" Takemichi started protesting, but halted when he saw Chifuyu give him a look. "– since I technically forced you to go with me to this hang out. And don't worry about my money. I have enough."

Chifuyu gave him a cheeky grin, to which he responded with his own teasing smile. 

"Eh? Is that so, Chifuyu? Then I'll make sure to order all the most expensive food I can find and put a dent on your wallet."

They both laughed at that, the atmosphere growing warm and happy around them. 

"Let's go in?"

When Takemichi finally nodded, Chifuyu put his hand on the small of Takemichi's back to guide him.

"Welcome to Nihonryori RyuGin, have you made your reservations?"

"Yes, the reservation is under the name, Chifuyu."

The beta man in his 60's quickly scanned the list, and when he saw the name, he bowed and gestured for them to follow him. 

As they were led through the place, Takemichi couldn't help but gape at the rich and elegant interior of the place.

From the rows and rows of floor to ceiling windows, mahogany chairs, carpeted floor, tables covered in silk, to the warm lights washing over the entire place, everything looked as if it's in perfect harmony.

But they didn't stop there. 

They were soon led to a hallway with rows of doors on each side of the place. The man finally stopped at the second door to the left, and opened it for them. 

Takemichi felt himself strain to hear anything from the other side, but he heard nothing besides the faint violin music playing in the main room they just passed. 

"Takemichi?" His thoughts suddenly ceased when Chifuyu called his name and looked at him questioningly.

"I'm just a bit nervous," Takemichi chuckled and gestured at his tight fitted jeans and long sleeved black shirt. "And I look severely underdressed for the occasion."

"You look beautiful to me." 

Takemichi spluttered then, eyes widening at Chifuyu's compliment. 

"And don't worry, Takemichi! My friends don't go for the looks, even though you're really pretty, they'll love you for your personality."

Feeling warmer than he did a while ago, he steeled himself and followed Chifuyu.

Once inside, he looked over to the table where three people were already seated, looking happily at Chifuyu. 

"Chifuyu! You finally came! We ordered for all of us already."

"Thought you'd go ahead and ditch us to fend for ourselves."

"What do you expect from him, Draken? He's always been late. Speaking of, where’s Baji and Kazutora? Not coming?"

“Dumbass, didn’t you check the group chat? Kazutora apparently has plans today, same with Baji.” 

Takemichi saw the faint blush dusting Chifuyu's cheeks as he bantered with his friends. 

He then chuckled at the sight, unknowingly drawing the attention to himself until he noticed that no one was speaking and was all turned to his direction. 

"Ah, I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt." Takemichi smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just, you all look really fun to be with." 

Takemichi noticed all of them brighten at that, making him sigh in relief.

"Oi, Chifuyu you bastard, don't keep him to yourself and introduce him to us!" 

Chifuyu sighed fondly as he moved towards the empty seats and gestured for Takemichi to sit down beside him. 

"Takemichi, the one on the left with the shortest hair and a scar on his lip is Shiba Hakkai."

"It's nice to meet you, you can call me Hakkai!" 

The man, Hakkai, grinned widely and offered his hand, to which Takemichi took with glee. 

"The man beside him is Mitsuya Takashi." 

Mitsuya Takashi had black hair with yellow highlights and black rimmed glasses that should've made him look like a nerd, but blended well with his handsome features instead.

"Everyone calls me Mitsuya, it's really nice to meet you. Do you mind if I make you my model in one of my works?"

Mitsuya must've seen the look of shock on Takemichi's face as he laughed and explained, "I'm a fashion designer, you see. And Hakkai is usually the one I go to whenever I need a model. But he travels abroad most of the time now which makes him unreliable–" Hakkai protested at that, but Mitsuya kept going. "– so when I saw you I thought, you could be his stand in."

"Ah, but, why me?"

Mitsuya looked at him as if to say, are you kidding? and answered with, "because you're pretty, and I think your size is a perfect fit for my upcoming designs."

Takemichi felt himself blush at the casual compliment. 

"Oi, Mitsuya. Stop scaring Takemichi." 

Takemichi's gaze then landed on who seemed like the tallest man of the four friends. Something tugged at Takemichi as he took in the man's appearance, but he just couldn't place where he could've seen him. 

"And that last one is Ryuguji Ken, but we all call him Draken."

"It seems like we are living in a small world huh?" Draken gave him a smile, to which Takemichi timidly returned, still trying to figure out why the man looked so familiar. "How's the meat I told you about? Still really good for its cheap price right?"

Takemichi's eyes widened as the last piece of the puzzle clicked into place.

"Oh, it's you! I knew you looked familiar!" Takemichi's smile widened with glee. "I probably didn't recognize you at first because you have your hair down!"

Draken touched his unbraided hair unconsciously, making Takemichi hastily say, "I didn't mean it in a bad way! You look really good either way."

"Oh? So I see you guys have already met before?"

"Yeah, Chifuyu!" Takemichi returned his gaze to Chifuyu, eyes bright. "Draken-kun was the one who saved me and my money from the expensive meat back at the grocery store!" 

All of them chuckled at the man's enthusiasm, making Takemichi blush in embarrassment. Chifuyu then turned to his friends with a smile still on his face and said,

"Everyone, this is Hanagaki Takemichi."

Takemichi tried his best to bow while being seated and spoke in a silvery voice.

"It's really nice to meet all of you, you can call me Takemichi. Thank you so much for having me."

From then on, they asked Takemichi all about himself while Takemichi tried to do the same. They asked any and all about his birthplace to his work, with which Takemichi tried hard to answer earnestly, and they answered Takemichi's own questions about themselves. 

When their food arrived, the attention of the three men immediately went from Takemichi to their respective meals, making him slump slightly on his chair.

"They like you," Takemichi perked up at that and gave a sideways glance at Chifuyu. "A lot, actually. It's been a long time since I've seen them this interested in someone they've just met.

"Really? Then I'm really glad." Takemichi beamed, eyes still alight with joy. "I really like them too. You and your friends are really amazing, Chifuyu!"

"Our friends," Chifuyu corrected Takemichi with an affectionate smile. 

"They're our friends now, Takemichi."

Chapter Text

It was on the night of a weekend, with Takemichi slumped on one of the chairs in the first floor nearest to the door, when he smelled the faint scent of burnt pine needles. 

The raven haired boy was staying up a bit later than normal as he planned out his menu and the design of the flyers he'll be handing out prior to the opening of his shop.

His head then snapped up to the front door to double check whether he locked it, and sagged slightly once he saw that it was closed shut. Takemichi's eyes however, were sharper as he recognized the same scent that came from the white haired male whom he helped three weeks ago.

Not to mention the same one who pointed a gun to his head and didn't hesitate to pull the trigger.

With that in mind, he turned back around to focus on his tasks as his shop was nearing its grand opening. 

Though try as hard as he might, the scent of the boy still lingered, making his worries grow. 

Is the boy wounded once again? No, I think he'll be alright, he told me that himself back then…. But he said that even when his wound needed stitching. What if this time it was a bigger wound?

Takemichi slammed his hands on the table as he abruptly stood up. 

"Agh! Takemichi, why can't you just leave other people alone?" The raven haired man raised his hand towards his face and rubbed it in frustration at himself.

Finally sighing in acknowledged resignation, he pocketed his phone and went to the kitchen to get his first aid. He was finally going to leave, when the still warm pork buns on the kitchen counter caught his eyes. 

After a few seconds of hesitation, he grabbed one, stomped towards the door, and opened it to leave the comfort of his shop and into the chilly night, the moon and streetlamps his only source of light as he followed the scent. 

After a few minutes, the familiar alleyway came into view and the smell of burnt pine trees and swamp became more evident. Though it wasn't as overpowering as he remembered.

Takemichi, with some moments of hesitation, finally turned and entered.

"Why are you here?"

Takemichi slapped his hand on his mouth when he let out a small squeak at hearing the low register of voice coming from the small boy. 

He then turned to his left side and saw the white haired boy sitting down on a box and wearing all black. 

He looked slightly better than he'd seen weeks ago besides a shallow cut on his cheek, split lip, and bloody knuckles, but not by much.

His eyes were still sunken and had bags under them which showed just how much the boy really slept, and his frame looked frail and thin which made Takemichi question whether the boy really ate enough on a daily basis.

"Why do you do that with your scent?" Takemichi questioned back, arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed as if irked, but standing awkwardly in the middle of the same dark alleyway. 

"Do what."

"That thing. "

"What thing."

Takemichi raised his hands up in exasperation and stated, "That thing where I could smell your distress even from inside the comfort of my own shop, even though it's a block or two away. It's because of that, so stop asking me why I'm here."

The boy didn't reply and just continued staring at him with those obsidian orbs that looked like they had seen too much. Know too much.

"H-how's your stab wound?" Takemichi decided to change the subject when he realized that the boy wasn't going to answer anytime soon.

A beat of silence, then,

"I told you I'll live."

Sounds condescending . A muscle on Takemichi's jaw twitched. 

"Do, do you need your wounds patched up again?"

"Hah?" 

The boy's empty eyes narrowed slightly, making Takemichi gulp. He wanted to back up a step or two, but his feet stayed planted on the floor so as not to give the alpha the satisfaction of seeing him perturbed by his presence.

"Isn't that the reason why your scent is.." Takemichi waved his hands all over, not knowing the proper words to use. "..like this?" 

The white haired boy cocked an eyebrow. "being nosy will get you killed."

Takemichi's eyes widened at that. 

"I– of course, I know that, but I can't just do nothing while I know you or someone out there is probably bleeding to death because of god knows what. And it would haunt me for years on end if I also knew I could've done something, and yet I didn't, all because I was scared."

The boy regarded him coldly. Though his eyes still looked empty, Takemichi felt as if he's accusing him of hiding some greater motive from him. And he finally says, 

"You know, I'm not going to reward you for doing all this."

A pause, stifling and uncomfortable, until,

"I'm not doing this to get a reward or to be seen as a hero." Takemichi snapped, feeling his irritation unfurl at the patronizing tone of the boy's voice. "The world is too cruel enough as it is. I just want to save as many people as I can within the limits I've been given, and that already includes you, whether you and I like it or not."

They once again lapsed into silence, but this time, Takemichi thinks the atmosphere is slightly more amiable than before. So he trudged forward, opening his palms to show that he was harmless. 

Takemichi was pleasantly surprised that the boy let him walk close enough to where he was and kneel in front of him to observe his wounds. 

A busted lip, a shallow cut near his eye, and bloody knuckles were the worst wounds he could find, so he gathered the materials he needed in order to clean them, smiling faintly.

"What's so funny?"

Takemichi pursed his lips, eyebrow twitching. "Nothing is. I just found it amusing that we're in the same position we were a few weeks ago, but your wound luckily isn't as bad."

Takemichi poured water on a flat cotton pad, raised it to the cut and explained, "I'm going to clean your wounds first before adding povidone-iodine and an antibiotic ointment so it won't get infected, then I'll bandage it."

The boy averted his eyes then, but didn't pull away as Takemichi swiftly cleaned the wound. He opened his bottle of povidone-iodine and poured some on a cotton ball and once again swiped the cut and surrounding area. 

Takemichi was putting the antibiotic ointment on a cotton bud when the boy began to speak. 

"How do you know how this works?"

Without stopping his actions to spread the ointment on the cut, he only replied, "self taught."

It was quiet once again as he felt the boy's eyes drilling holes onto the side of his cheek. 

"Why?"

"Why…. did I teach myself something as important as first aid? Because it's needed..." 

Takemichi paused for a few beats, the only sound that could be heard was the rustle of the wind from the sparse trees in the vicinity and the howls of the neighborhood dogs. 

"... and you know how unsympathetic some humans get with omegas. Though it's been long established that the unjust treatment of alphas with omegas has been demolished, alphas can't last without at least some form of hierarchical system where they're made to rule and dominate."

Though what Takemichi said was vague and broad, he was sure the implication wasn't left unnoticed by the white haired boy, especially given his next question.

"Is that why you have your scent blockers?"

Takemichi pondered about whether he'll lie, but he shrugged and answered, "yes, but sometimes it's because it's already a habit. Some alphas are dangerous and cunning when they meet omegas–" the image of the bubblegum haired man he met at the flower shop resurfaced, but he mentally shook his head to get rid of the image. "– so I'm just taking some precautions."

"But I'm an alpha too and you had no worries releasing your scent for me to smell." 

"I know." Takemichi finished bandaging the cut and went to clean the boy's split lip. "I did it because I know I can protect myself well enough if worse comes to worse. Being cautious does not equate to being weak. And I think you needed it." 

Takemichi didn't know why he'd given a piece of information about himself to someone who has the potential to hurt him, but he supposes it couldn't be as bad as revealing himself to be an omega.

They were then enveloped with silence as Takemichi deftly patched up the boy's lip.

"What's your na–" 

Takemichi tried asking a question, but was instead surprised into silence when the boy suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled it towards him, peeling back his sleeves in the process. 

"Who did this to you?" 

The boy's voice sounded dangerously low and taut, his normally empty obsidian eyes were now hard and unforgiving as he stared at the fading bruise on Takemichi's wrist. 

But his hold, however firm, was also gentle. 

Takemichi had the urge to pull back, but he knew it would cause more alarm if he did, so he tried to relax himself.

He took more care in wearing longer sleeves and making the cold weather an excuse every time he knew he'd meet people, in order to cover up the bruise and not let them worry, which worked even on Chifuyu. 

But he guessed that he was so absorbed in treating the wounds that he failed to notice his sleeves falling down. 

"Oh this?" Takemichi tried to make his voice sound nonchalant as he shrugged. "It's nothing, don't mind it." 

"It's not nothing. It's an alpha, isn't it?"

Takemichi hesitated for a moment, but nodded and hummed a noise of assent in the end. 

"What do they look like?" 

"Eh–" Takemichi blinked dumbly at the boy's barely concealed anger. "– there's no need for something like that."

"What are you talking about?" The boy snapped his head up to look sharply at him as his grip tightened on his wrist, making Takemichi wince. "Of course this is–"

"Why do you care?" Takemichi snapped once again as he snatched his hand back and rolled his sleeves down. "Last I checked, we barely knew each other and you pointed your gun at my head and didn't hesitate to shoot. I could've died that day if your gun had a bullet. Don't you think this is less worse than that?" 

The silence this time was thick with tension as they stared each other down. 

Takemichi was the first to look away as he sighed, knowing that the boy won't talk once again with the way his expression seemed to close off. 

"I'll finish treating your bruised knuckles then I'll get out of your hair."

Takemichi turned his head down to focus on treating the wound and repeated the process of cleaning, disinfecting, and bandaging the knuckles of the boy. 

Finally wrapping the last bit of the bandage with two small clips, he said, "Okay it's done." 

Before putting his things back inside the first aid kit, Takemichi remembered that he'd packed the leftover steamed pork bun for the boy. So he fished it out and brought it in the line of sight of the white haired. 

"I got you this as well. The last time I saw you, you–" Takemichi hesitated, not finding the right words to say, but he continued, "– looked like you haven't eaten well in weeks. I know it isn't that healthy, but it was all I had back in the shop." 

It was only when Takemichi stood up after the boy took the pork bun and organized his first aid that the white haired once again spoke. 

"Why are you doing this?" At Takemichi's bewildered look, he explained with empty eyes and a straight face, "I've made you mad and most probably traumatized you with what happened back then. So, why?"

Takemichi hummed then and looked at the night sky. 

"Does someone need a reason to save someone else?" Takemichi smiled as a memory flickered in his mind. 

"To be honest with you, I hesitated when I smelled your scent once again. But I remembered that I promised myself back then that I shouldn't let personal feelings get in the way when someone needs saving. It only limits my capacity to reach out to those who need it the most. And that extends even to people I don't have an inclination with, too."

He paused, thinking about it, and then added,

"Hmm, now that I think about it, I guess you could count that as my reason." 

When Takemichi looked back at the boy with a sheepish smile, he caught a new emotion flashing in the boy's eyes which changed to becoming empty far too fast for him to fully discern what it was. 

Shrugging and giving the boy a more genuine smile as his form of goodbye, he turned to walk back to his shop since the boy didn't say anything else.

"Manjiro." 

Takemichi's steps faltered, eyes widening as he heard the boy– Manjiro speak in sotto voce. 

"Sano Manjiro. You were asking for my name a while ago." 

He heard that?

A pause, and then,

"Hanagaki Takemichi." 

Without looking back, he left Manjiro with a wave and a simple "take care." 

Only when he flopped down his bed did he feel the tiredness slip past his skin and seep into his bones as he remembered his interaction with Manjiro.

What a weird guy. Was his last thought as he smiled and finally let the claws of sleep overtake his consciousness. 

“Chifuyu, what do you think?”

Takemichi ambled to Chifuyu as he entered the shop and shoved the finished flyer close to his face, making him cross eyed. 

Chifuyu smiled at the enthusiasm of the man even as early as nine in the morning on a weekend as he loosely held the man’s wrist and stepped a few steps back to study the flyer Takemichi’s holding. 

The colors immediately caught his eye due to it being complimentary with one another, together with the name of the shop at the top of the flyer printed in bold letters. 

“‘Fuwakumo’. The name of the shop is well thought of,” Takemichi smiled and preened at the compliment, making Chifuyu choke in his own saliva. Coughing, he continued to say, “The flyer looks really good, Takemichi! The colors are eye-catching and match the mood that this shop has.” 

"I'm glad to hear your positive feedback, Chifuyu!" Takemichi's eyes sparkled with delight and pulled away to go to the table with freshly cooked breakfast for the two of them. "I'll be handing them out in a while. Come on, I made food!" 

After their breakfast with some small talk and catching up, Takemichi went outside just at the front of the shop to hand out flyers as Chifuyu sat on the same table observing the man. 

He'd offered his help and even insisted on handing out flyers with him, but Takemichi was adamant on rejecting his offer, saying that he's done enough and didn't want to overuse his kindness. 

So really, it wasn't his fault he was reduced to looking at the man, feeling his face warm with the way his sweater looked on Takemichi’s smaller frame while noticing all the man’s quirks and habits as he gave away his flyers.

Even the people who passed by Takemichi were instantly smitten with his expressive blue eyes and bright smile that they had no choice but to accept the flyer being handed to them with a tiny smile, while some even wore a small blush.

With that evidence, Chifuyu's confident that Takemichi's shop will never see a day where the place is empty. 

By the time lunch rolled in, Takemichi was beat from handing out flyers for hours that they planned to just stay in for the remaining day.

Chifuyu’s offer to help in cooking was once again refused with a frown and a stern look, and was tasked to stay seated and watch the front of the shop while Takemichi cooks for their lunch. 

He was scrolling through his phone idly when he heard the bell on the door jingle, a sign that someone has entered the shop, and an overly familiar husky voice.

“Have you finally found a new pet that you aren’t sharing with us, Chifuyu?”

Chifuyu jolted upright when he heard Baji’s voice and raised his head in time to see him strolling in breezily with his hands in his pockets. Kazutora was just right behind him wearing a bored, slightly curious expression. 

“Baji-san, Tora-san, what are you doing here?”

Kazutora hummed, putting his hands in his pockets as he surveyed the shop. “We were wondering where you’ve been spending your weekend if not with us, especially when Baji and I freed up our weekend for the three of us to chill at your place.”

“Thought you’d miss hanging out outside work,” Baji added while grinning wickedly, showing his sharp canine teeth. “But you declined our offer. Figured you found a new pet to play with somewhere and was taking care of it. Luckily Kazutora saw you lounging in here when we passed by.”

"Well, why didn't you ask during work or text like normal people?" 

"Now, now Chifuyu," Baji crooned, grin becoming wider at Chifuyu's exasperation. "No need to get all bothered. We just wanted to know what kinda pet’s got you on a tight leash.”

“What’s wrong, Chifuyu?” All heads turned to the sound of the smooth voice, and Chifuyu watched as Takemichi’s eyes flitted from Baji and Kazutora to him as he padded to the table nearest to them with two plates in hand. “I heard the bell ring. Are they your friends?”

“Ah, yeah.” Chifuyu answered, finally smiling. “They’re my friends and co-workers at my pet shop.”

“Oh!” Takemichi immediately brightened at that and offered them his hand and a bright smile. “I’m Hanagaki Takemichi, I’m a bit older than Chifuyu but only by a few months. Your friend Chifuyu has been helping me a lot prior to the opening of my shop, so I apologize if I monopolized his time and ruined some of your plans to hang out with one another.”

“Takemichi!” Chifuyu shook his head. “You didn’t force me to do anything nor did you ruin anything. It was my choice alone to help you so don’t take all the credit.”

Baji gave him a knowing look, before returning his gaze to Takemichi and taking his hand with a grin of his own. “I’m Baji Keisuke, Chifuyu’s senpai and co-owner of the pet shop. Everyone calls me Baji. I’ve been seeing your name being mentioned by most of my friends in our group chat, so it’s nice to finally put a face with the name.”

“Oh!” Takemichi’s eyes flashed in recognition and laughed, soft and mellow as pink dusted his cheeks. “They’re all nice things, I hope.”

“Even if it isn’t, I know someone who’ll easily come to your defense.” Baji’s smile looked dangerous, eyes glinting with mischief as if he’s poking fun at the expense of Chifuyu. “But, all my friends like you, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

“I’m Hanemiya Kazutora.” Kazutora finally says after Baji, taking Takemichi’s hand with a firm shake and a smile of his own. “Feel free to call me Kazutora.”

“Ah, you’re ‘Tora-san!’”

Kazutora’s eyes widened and flicked to Chifuyu, jabbing a thumb in his direction. “This guy talks about me?”

Takemichi laughed at that and answered, “Yeah! First I heard of you was that time you called him! Thought you were lovers at first.”

Kazutora and Chifuyu made a face at that.

“Please, never associate me with a guy like Chifuyu again.”

At the same time Chifuyu says, “Like hell we are, Takemichi! Never say things like that!”

“Plus, he’s not my type.” Kazutora adds, as a matter of fact, putting his hands in his pocket once again. “I like omegas. They’re sweet and pretty. Probably why I don’t have a lover and never will, because omegas are really hard to come by.”

Takemichi smiled timidly at that, not knowing what to say.  

But Kazutora suddenly leaned in Takemichi’s space and studied him as he said, “Though I think I can make an exception. For a beta, you sure do look really pretty.”

Takemichi felt himself freeze and burn up as the calming scent of pure white flowers blending with the smell of geranium, sheer wood, and amber enveloped his senses, making him think of fresh linens. 

Baji laughed and then nudged Kazutora. “You’re going to be a really shitty lover though, Kazutora.”

“I agree with Baji-san.”

Kazutora finally pulled back to stare Baji and Chifuyu down. “Hah? Say that again, assholes.” 

“You’re a-”

“Okay, okay I think that’s enough. It’s bad manners to make food wait.” Takemichi laughs at their friendly banter and motions for the two plates on the table. “I think I cooked enough food for all of us, but I’ll just get extra plates for Baji-san and Kazutora-kun.”

Once Takemichi left them to get the plates, Baji then leaned into Chifuyu with amusement dancing in his eyes. 

“Your taste in pets never fails to amaze me, Chifuyu.”

Chifuyu rolled his eyes and jabbed Baji with his elbow. “Shut up, Baji-san. And he’s not a pet, he’s Takemichi.”

When the raven haired boy comes back with the plates, they begin eating. With Baji, Kazutora, and Chifuyu making short work of the food and giving Takemichi praises once in a while, and Takemichi bashfully blushing and soaking up the praises like a sponge.

“Do you still need to do something, Takemichi?” Baji asked after they ate, patting his flat stomach.

“Ah, no.” Takemichi shot him a smile. “Everything is technically done. I also handed out flyers a while ago and I think I was more or less successful with bringing some attention to my shop without being too annoying. I was honestly just planning to watch a movie with Chifuyu after we ate, though I failed to mention that to him a while ago.”

Chifuyu's eyes widened at that and felt his stomach flip. He was sure a blush was steadily rising from his neck to his cheeks

“Really?” Baji cocked an eyebrow and looked at Takemichi incredulously. “You wanna hang out with this guy?”

Chifuyu punched Baji’s arm lightly and gave him a look. “ You hang out with ‘this guy’”

Baji laughed, low and full of warmth and said to Takemichi, "Do you like pets, Takemichi?"

"Yeah!" Came the enthusiastic response of Takemichi, bright eyes shimmering with glee. "I mean, who doesn't?" 

"Hm, then would you like to come visit our shop?" 

"Really? I can?"

"Of course you can!" Chifuyu answered, beaming. "Since we sell pets, Baji-san, Tora-san, and I thought of having a room where people can spend time with the pet they like, in order to see if there's a connection and for them to really think of their decisions wisely." 

Baji nodded with what Chifuyu said and added, "Pets are a really great company to keep and should be valued with great respect, just as how we treat our friends. Although that is the case, pets are also high maintenance and need certain things from owners, which is why we always urge our customers to really think about whether they can take on that responsibility." 

"I can really hear your passion for pets with how you spoke just now." Takemichi grinned, eyes turning to crescents giving him a boyish look. "Makes me excited to see the pets you have at your pet shop. I'm sure they're all well taken care of."

The three unconsciously puffed up their chests slightly at the compliment of the boy. 

"We can stay there and you can play with any pets you want from our shop. We mostly only have dogs and cats, though."

"That's more than fine by me!" Takemichi sprang up from his seat, excitement rolling off of him in waves. "I'll bring the snacks!" 

With a satisfied smile on Chifuyu's face mirroring the others, they head out to the pet shop. 

Chapter Text

Really, Chifuyu shouldn't have been surprised to see so many people already in line at Takemichi's pastry shop, but he still is. 

The place is as anyone would expect a grand opening of a pastry shop to look. 

A few helium balloons with different pastel colors were placed on the outside, two boston fern plants were hanging on either side of the door, a red carpet at the front door and leading up to the inside, and in the center of it all is Hanagaki Takemichi himself, wearing his pink apron and accommodating everyone with a big smile.

Though there were much more people than they’d expected, Takemichi still managed to smile as he gracefully flitted from one person to another while holding a tray full of his delectable sweets and his signature taiyakis. 

"The shop's packed," Baji whistled beside him, leaning forward with his hands in his pockets as they strolled towards the place. “Seems like a lot fell into his trap too.”

Chifuyu hummed and answered absentmindedly, “who wouldn't?" 

His friends gave him a knowing look. Baji then opened his mouth to say something, but the soft register of Takemichi's voice cut him off.

"Chifuyu, Baji-san, Tora-kun, Mitsuya, Hakkai, and Draken too!" Takemichi waved enthusiastically with his free hand as soon as they were close enough, beaming. "I'm really glad you made it!" 

" I'm glad to see your shop doing well at its grand opening." Baji answered back, grinning, as he took the taiyaki that Takemichi offered to him with such delicate hands that was usually only reserved for taking care of the pets in their pet shop. 

"With a pretty face like that, no one can resist." 

Kazutora said it so nonchalantly that Takemichi stopped to process what was said. And when it sank in, pink slowly settled in from his neck up to his cheeks.

"B-by the way," Takemichi coughed and looked away, hastily changing the subject. "You guys went here together?"

"Ah, no," this time, it was Draken who spoke up, giving Takemichi a smile, after taking a bite of his own taiyaki, when Takemichi brought his attention towards him. "We actually met Baji, Kazutora, and Chifuyu by chance outside the train station since I also stayed over at Mitsuya's place. So now we're here."

Baji then laughed and said,

"It's actually really funny, 'cause we thought we'd be late since Chifuyu took his sweet time, saying he needed to look good to impress–" Chifuyu nudged Baji with his elbow. Hard. Making Baji hunch in pain. 

"Twenty-six and still don't know when to keep his mouth shut? That's Baji-san for you." Chifuyu rolled his eyes at him and shifted his focus on the crisp taiyaki as he took a huge bite, ignoring Baji's grunt of pain and protest.

The flavor was as exquisite as Chifuyu had expected. Between the crisp and chewy waffle was a generous amount of the best tasting chocolate filling Chifuyu has ever tasted, paired with thin slices of banana.

He never knew banana and chocolate would go well together, but he should've known Takemichi was a genius at formulating such wonderful flavors.

The man must've seen Chifuyu's expression after taking a bite as he inquired, eyes flitting from him to his friends.

"So, how was the taiyaki you've tasted?"

There was a cacophony of responses that sang praises of the taiyaki and its flavor, making Takemichi giggle in response.

"I'm really glad to hear such big praises." 

"Takemichi, some people are looking for you inside, come on." A man with long, warm beige colored hair suddenly chimed in and draped his arm over Takemichi, only sparing Chifuyu and his friends a side glance.

Although Chifuyu could swear there was hidden intent behind that look which rubbed him off the wrong way.

"Oh, Takuya! Thank you for helping me with serving the customers. You're all a big help!" 

"What did I tell you, Takemichi? Mizo will do anything for you."

Chifuyu can guarantee that he's a man with morals and a conscience, but right now, all he felt was a sudden urge to punch the man as he watched him nuzzle his nose on Takemichi's neck. In public, at that. 

And he was sure the others shared the same sentiment as he felt hostility pouring out of them in waves.

But the tension was suddenly broken when they heard Takemichi chuckle, patting the man's hair, as if he were a mere child. 

"Why don't we all go inside and then I'll introduce Mizo Middle to the new friends I made here, hm?" 

Takemichi disentangled himself from the man's arms and made a gesture for them to follow him inside the shop. 

They didn't, however, go through with the plan as Takemichi was whisked away with an apologetic smile to cater to the customers, leaving them to their own devices. 

So they watched as Takemichi took orders behind the counter, gave free samples and taste tests to small children with a big smile, talked to the elderly and showed them his best quality sweets and pastries, and recommended his pastries to his customers based on their preferences. His motions ever graceful and fluid as he ticks off tasks one by one.

Chifuyu can tell by the smiles on each of the patrons faces as they leave the place with their respective sweets and pastries in hand, that they were satisfied with Takemichi’s service. 

It was by lunchtime that the crowd finally settled and there were only a few stragglers left sitting in different areas of the shop taking pictures of the place or Takemichi’s sweets. 

“I’m so sorry for the wait everyone!” Takemichi breathed out after stopping at their tables to refill their drinks and place a freshly cooked batch of taiyakis on their table, slightly haggard from serving his customers, but still really beautiful with his cheeks pink and his forehead and neck glistening with a thin sheen of sweat. “I hope you’re enjoying your time here.”

“No need to apologize, Takemichi," Chifuyu replied, still staring at the expanse of the man's neck. "And you should take a breather too."

Chifuyu snapped out of his trance and dragged a chair for Takemichi to sit on, to which the man took with a grateful look. 

He was about to open his mouth to speak, when the overly familiar timber of voice suddenly spoke over him behind Takemichi.

"Takemichi, as much as we want to stay for more, this guy forgot he had a date with his wife, so now he's panicking and wants us all to suffer with him."

They all turned to the voice and saw the guy they met at the entrance together with three other men, one of which looked too eager to leave.

Probably the one who has a date with his wife.

"Oh, right!" Takemichi suddenly jumped up, clapping his hands together. "Before you leave, let me quickly introduce to you my friends and vice versa, perhaps you guys could be friends too!

The one on my right is Chifuyu, and next to him are Draken-kun and Mitsuya. The one on my left is Baji-san, and the ones next to him are Tora-san, and Hakkai."

All of them nodded their heads in acknowledgement when their name was called, while some even gave a slight wave.

Takemichi then faced Chifuyu and the others and pointed to the man with long warm beige colored hair and said, “This is Takuya, next to him is Makoto, then Kazushi and Atsushi.”

While most of them gave a warm smile and a friendly wave, the guy they met at the front door– Takuya, gave a sardonic smile as his eyes turned belligerent. 

What’s his problem? 

“Okay!” Takemichi clapped his hands once again, already going to the front door and motioning for his friends to do the same. “You are free to go! Tell me how it goes, okay?”

With one last wave and hug, and Takuya holding the hug a bit too long, they finally left the shop. 

Breathing out, Takemichi returned to where Chifuyu and the others were, and slumped slightly on his chair as he finally felt his muscles ache due to exertion from cooking and attending to customers. 

Smiling, Takemichi broke the silence with,

“Thank you.” 

“Hm?” Everyone at the table looked up at Takemichi, each of them wearing different expressions of curiosity. “What for?”

“Well first, because you came to my grand opening which means a lot to me, since it’s been a dream of mine to start up a sweets shop like this and have friends to share these memories with,” Takemichi then giggled and sat up a bit straighter. “And second, it's 'cause of all your good looks that I got twice the customers I’ve been expecting.”

They looked like they weren't expecting that answer as their expression turned to varying degrees of shock. 

Mitsuya was the first to recover as he asked, "how do you say so?"

"Eh?" Now it was Takemichi's turn to look puzzled. "Didn't you notice Mizo Middle trying to stop the girls who entered here and were trying to take pictures of all of you? I couldn't attend to them because I was busy at the counter, so I just asked them to. But I guess being friends with people that are handsome could be beneficial for the shop, too."

Handsome, he said . Chifuyu smiled and shook his head in fondness. 

"Are you just using us for our faces, Takemichi?" Baji put his hand on his heart in faux hurt. "That's not very nice."

"Exactly! I only became friends with you, 'cause your faces bring customers to my shop." 

Takemichi grinned playfully at that, not noticing the blush everyone on the table is sporting.

"You're not too bad yourself, Takemichi."

And that was a severe understatement on Chifuyu's part. But with that, everyone else gave a hearty laugh and moved on to another topic.  

They talked about the rude customer Draken had at their motorbike shop, the wedding dress for an actress which is Mitsuya's latest creation, the next destination of Hakkai's modelling event, and the condition of the pets in his, Baji's, and Kazutora's pet shop. 

And though Takemichi looked attentive and was even chipping in his thoughts in appropriate moments, Chifuyu thinks he looked distracted as he sometimes looks at the door as if waiting for someone to show up. 

"Waiting for someone, Takemichi?" 

That seemed to startle the ocean eyed man as he fixed his gaze on Chifuyu with the look of a deer caught in a headlights. 

"No!" Takemichi's eyes widened as the mild chatter in the table stopped in favor of turning their heads to him. 

"N-no I meant–" the bell on the door jingled, signalling a new customer. Takemichi then shot up, looking relieved. "Ah, I gotta serve the customer! I'll talk to you later!"

And with that, he ran to the counter with a smile plastered on his face. 

Chifuyu felt his stomach slightly drop in dismay at Takemichi's answer. He answered too quickly, too loudly for it to be nothing, but he supposes he couldn't complain for being a coward and not making a single move. 

And really, who was to blame when he was the one locking himself to only becoming friends with Takemichi and nothing else. He already knows this all too well. He’s seen it happen in the countless romance mangas he’s read.

But he shook his head to clear his thoughts, since today isn’t any occasion to have a pity party. Especially not inside the grand opening of the shop of the man he’s infatuated with.

From then on, the shop became too busy again that Takemichi didn't have enough time to hang out with them. 

It lasted until they had to leave one by one, with Hakkai and Mitsuya being the first ones. Seeing as one had to finish a dress while the other had a dinner plan with his sister. 

"I'm really sorry I couldn't talk with you more," Takemichi bowed and apologized as the two approached him and told him their plans to leave. 

"You don't have to do that, Takemichi!" Hakkai laughed and ruffled the man's head, the gesture making Takemichi preen. "It was entertaining to watch you work and do your own thing. Seeing you happy already makes me happy, so don't say sorry for doing something you love to do."

"Especially not to us, Takemichi." Mitsuya added, smiling softly. "Got that?"

Takemichi's face brightened as he thought to himself how lucky he must be to have found such great people, in a place that was once unfamiliar to him.

“Ah, I almost forgot,” Takemichi watched as Mitsuya brought out a fancy paper bag and handed it to him with a smile. “Here, I made this thinking of you.”

Takemichi ducked his head as he felt himself blush to the tips of his ears. 

Their words would kill his heart soon, that’s for sure. 

“What’s this?” Takemichi inquired as he moved to receive the paper bag with utmost care, feeling abashed. 

“You’ll see. Open it when you’re alone and try it out for me okay? Perhaps you can even send me a picture when you do, just so I can see if it fits perfectly.”

“Not fair, Taka-chan. Takemichi, send it to me too, okay?”

“I made it, why does he have to show you anything?” Mitsuya rolled his eyes at Hakkai’s indignation, and motioned for them to leave as he told Takemichi, “we’ll stop by sometimes, Takemichi!”

“Of course, Mitsuya-san! My shop’s always open for you.”

With one last wave, Mitsuya and Hakkai left the shop, leaving Baji, Kazutora, Chifuyu, and Draken still sitting and chattering idly on their table. 

Takemichi felt a pang of affection for all of them, as he resumed taking orders and packing up the sweets and pastries the patrons wanted.

I’m finally keeping my promise to you, Hina-chan.

Takemichi dragged his feet upstairs to where his living quarters were, when he was done closing up shop and cleaning after the grand opening.

Baji, Kazutora, Chifuyu, and Draken stayed until closing time, even when Takemichi's hands were full almost all of the time. 

And Takemichi being himself, insisted on cooking their dinner as he felt the guilt gnawing at his stomach no matter how much the four insisted that it was out of their own volition to stay. 

They chatted for a while, only until they've finished their food, washed the dishes–

"I'll wash the–"

" No. You stay seated and let us handle it. We know how much you've worked today, so this is the least we could do for you, Takemichi."

– and helped in cleaning. 

They left a few moments after, with a wave, a gentle smile, and a ruffle on Takemichi's head from each of them.

And though he feels the tiredness seeping into his bones, he was happy that he got to do what he loved. 

And he gets to share it with those he loves, too. 

So with a tired smile, he entered the bathroom, stripped off his clothes and his scent blocker, and went inside the shower.

He felt the knots on his shoulder and the soreness of his muscles loosen as the droplets of water slid down his body like gentle caresses, making him relax and even breathe a sigh of contentment.

As he stood there under the shower, Chifuyu's words came over him once again.

“Waiting for someone, Takemichi?”

Manjiro’s face suddenly materialized in his mind, making him recoil because, why?

It’s not like they were close or anything. He doesn’t even think they’ve breached the line of friendship, so what was he expecting, really? 

But knowing himself, he unwittingly made himself like the boy to the point that he considers him a friend. Just like everyone he’s met upon moving to the place by far.

Turning the handle and exiting the shower, he faced the mirror, patted himself dry, and wore boxers and the sweater Chifuyu gave him, even smelling the sweater in the process, since Chifuyu's scent calms him the most. 

He was about to leave, when the pink in his periphery caught his attention, and when he turned, he saw that it was the paper bag Mitsuya gave him a while ago. 

So he walked back and snatched it on the counter with careful hands.

Takemichi then tried opening it as he blindly went into his room, the adhesive of the tape a bit too hard to get off, making him narrow his eyes and pour all his attention to taking it off carefully without rumpling the paper bag too much.

"You should learn how to lock your windows better."

Takemichi yelped and let out a couple of expletives, the paper bag falling to the floor with a dull thump as he whirled and grabbed the nearest hard object he could find, which was his cellphone. 

“Whoever the fuck-” Takemichi stopped abruptly, blinking dumbly as if the longer he stared, the more whatever he sees would make sense. “Why are you in my room?”

“Didn’t I tell you? Your window. Lock it properly next time or else someone might infiltrate your place.”

“My room is on the second floor . Who in their right mind would climb two stories just to check if my windows are locked properly or not, Manjiro ?”

And of course, it was no other person than Sano Manjiro who’s unhinged enough to climb someone else’s property and trespass without a warning. 

It was Sano Manjiro who was sitting down the chair Takemichi placed near his dresser, Sano Manjiro who looked unharmed, but still thin and frail, and Sano Manjiro who finally doesn’t smell like burnt pine needles and swamp, but of a grove of conifer trees after the rain; sharp, sweet, and refreshing. 

“Thieves in all parts of the area would.”

“You’re calling yourself a thief, then.”

“What if I am?”

“Then you’re a stupid one. You could’ve stolen all the important stuff in my room while I was busy in the shower.”

The boy’s lips twitched in response to that, making Takemichi lower his guard slightly, but not completely.

“What are you doing here anyway? I’ll call the cops on you if you don’t have a plausible explanation.”

Manjiro’s eyes narrowed as he replied, “You wouldn’t.”

“Try me.”

The air around them suddenly became filled with tension as they looked down their nose at each other, no one daring to step down and admit defeat, until,

“I heard it was your shop’s grand opening.”

Takemichi felt his stomach dip and his heart skip a beat. He was sure the expression of pure shock was evident in his face. 

“Oh.”

Weird, Takemichi thinks as he lowers his cellphone and takes a more relaxed stance. This boy’s so weird.

He was about to give a retort when a loud growl from Manjiro’s stomach interrupted his train of thought.

There was a pause, and then,

Takemichi laughed openly until he hunched and cradled his stomach.

“If you’re hungry, you should’ve said so.” Takemichi wiped the tears that formed in his eyes from laughing too much, as he watched Manjiro turn away with pink dusting his cheeks.

Regaining his composure, Takemichi cocked his head towards the door and motioned for the boy to follow him.

“Lucky for you, I always cook a lot so I get leftovers.” Takemichi chirped when he was sure the boy was following him. 

It was his first time seeing the boy stand up, and surprisingly even with how thin his frame is, they were almost at the same height. So he asked,

“Say, Manjiro. How old are you?”

“Twenty-seven.”

Takemichi almost tripped down the stairs at what he heard, but luckily he was at the last step and caught himself in time. 

He supposes he shouldn’t be too surprised, given that he’s met his fair share of people who don’t look their age. 

Of course, he didn’t think Manjiro was a child either. No one below the age of eighteen can ever own a gun, more so knowing how to use it, but he also didn’t think it possible for the boy– man to be older than him, though for only a year.

By the time Takemichi realized he was too into his thoughts that he didn’t utter any responses, he was already opening the lights in the kitchen on autopilot as Manjiro entered and looked around before sitting down one of the high chairs, making his feet dangle.

Takemichi repressed his smile as he padded towards his refrigerator and grabbed the leftover. 

“Twenty-seven, huh? What does the twenty-seven year old man who trespassed into my place say about lemon dill tuna paella?”

"Anything's fine."

Is what Manjiro said, but his eyes looked more alive, so Takemichi went to heat the food up with a smile.

"Here, you go."

Takemichi gave the man a grin as he placed the plate with the freshly heated paella on the table in front of him.

Manjiro however, didn't move from his spot, and just stared down at the food, so Takemichi pressed,

"What's wrong? You said anything's–"

"Why?" 

Takemichi stared at him, dumbfounded. 

"Why what?" 

"Why are you doing this?"

Takemichi cocked an eyebrow as a feeling of deja vu enveloped him in the situation he's currently in.

"You already asked that before, and I gave an answer."

Manjiro finally levelled him with his own empty stare.

"But this and that are different scenarios. I trespassed into your place and you're still serving me food for free."

"Who said it's for free?" 

Manjiro's eyes widened a fraction and opened his mouth, but Takemichi continued.

"This food is equivalent to one wish you have to grant me." 

"Wish?" Takemichi watched as Manjiro's expression suddenly closed off, his eyes turning sharper and his mouth turning down into a frown. 

"Yeah. Let's be friends."

He offered his hand and gave his best smile to the boy.

Takemichi knows Manjiro is a time bomb, he never knows when he'll blow up and close himself off, caging himself in his own little box wrapped up in thorns. 

But it's worth a try. 

He's already accepted Manjiro as a friend, but he knows it's not reciprocated, so this is him putting matters into his own hands.

He just hopes Manjiro would take it.

For a long while, the white haired alpha just stared at his hand with slightly narrowed eyes, making Takemichi panic as he thought that his plan failed.

But then, he moved to grab the spoon and began to eat after saying his thanks.

And Takemichi immediately understood, his smile brightening as he felt elation simmer in his stomach.

The kitchen was filled with the noise of the spoon scraping the plate, as they were then enveloped with amiable silence. 

Once he was done, Takemichi tried to stand up and take the plate to wash it, but Manjiro was quicker in moving it out of his reach and even gave him a look.

"Stay there. I'll also wash the pan and the container." Manjiro saw him open his mouth, so he continued. "You're tired from the first day of opening your place, so stay." 

His protest was at the tip of his tongue, but his muscles suddenly thought it was a good time to remind him that it was sore, so stay he did. 

As he waited, he felt his eyelids droop, so he stole a glance at Manjiro, and saw that he was still washing. 

Just for a short while. Takemichi thought as he folded his arms on the table and lowered his head to rest. Manjiro will wake me up, won't he?

With that reassurance, he finally drifted off to sleep. 

When he woke up, he was carefully and comfortably tucked in his own bed.

The stiff neck he was expecting, didn't come at all, making him sigh in relief. 

When he turned his head to his bedside table, he finally saw a glass of water with a small note in a clear and neat handwriting that made Takemichi feel happy.

You snore loudly. It says. But you're not an eyesore to look at when you sleep.

Chapter Text

Helpless. 

Naive. 

Open.

Those three words Mikey associated with the raven haired man ever since they first met still rings true, as his obsidian eyes landed on the man’s sleeping form draped over the counter top,   snoring lightly and rhythmically.

And perhaps, too open. 

After drying his hands on a towel hanging by the handle of the oven nearby, Mikey sauntered to where the sleeping man was in order to wake him up and tell him that sleeping while someone he didn’t know all that well was in the same vicinity as him wasn’t the brightest idea he came up with up to date, but his hand stopped a hair’s breadth away from his shoulder when his eyes caught on the man’s face. 

Messy raven locks spilling on his arms while some spilled even onto the marbled counter, one side of his cheek bulged more due to it being mashed between his arm and face, and supple pink lips slightly open with a trail of saliva already trickling down the side of his face while he snored away, too careless of his surroundings. Too trusting.

It should’ve repulsed Mikey, really. 

Making contact with others he didn’t know often made his skin itch, which all but ends up with a bullet or two ingrained in their heads. So he was wondering why there was a feeling of warmth that replaced the feeling of disgust that was usually there.

And the itch that often accompanied it was also lying dormant, catching him off guard. 

“What are you,” Mikey whispered as if in a daze, obsidian eyes still locked on the man’s peaceful face that was free of the open emotions he always wore when he’s awake. “Takemitchy.”

Mikey then let his hand hover near Takemichi’s neck, wanting to trace its smooth unclaimed skin, when all of a sudden, a hand quickly shot up to stop him, snapping him out of his reverie.

What surprised him all the more was that the hand belonged to Takemichi, whose grip was tightening by the second, making Mikey’s lips twitch down as he felt the circulation being cut off on his hand.

The man’s eyes then fluttered open, and though Mikey could see only pure rage and displeasure in his abyssal eyes, it was as if he wasn't seeing Mikey, if his glazed and unfocused eyes were anything to go by. 

“Don’t you dare touch me.” The man below him seethed with barely repressed anger. 

Mikey was about to answer, but Takemichi's grip slackened and his eyes rolled back just as fast as what had happened a minute ago, which left him in a bewildered state.

“Takemitchy?”

Mikey waited a few more beats, but as he anticipated, the man gave no further answer besides the rhythmic snores that continued. He then weighed his limited options in his mind.

He could either carry the man up the stairs and into his bedroom to tuck him in, which was doable if not for the event that occurred prior and not knowing whether it’ll happen again if he touches him while asleep, or leave him be, since the consequences of sleeping in the position the man’s currently in was only his to shoulder to begin with. 

Narrowing his empty eyes, he gets frustrated with himself for making menial decisions look bigger than it was. What’s worse was, he did not understand why he suddenly bothered worrying for the comfort of other people, and why his defenses made him feel defense less when in close proximity with the man. 

He wasn’t used to the feeling. 

Or more like, he hasn’t felt that sort of feeling in a long time. 

Ever since every single one of his siblings died, all he felt was hollow nothingness. 

Mikey thinks it should stay like that. He thinks that it's better than the feeling of vulnerability.

People are nothing but liabilities, and omegas more so than others due to their naturally weak nature. Easily folding to those stronger than them. Easily crushed.

Getting attached to those who can’t protect themselves will only damage both parties in the end.

Let's be friends .

He wanted to leave the place without another word, but the phrase kept repeating in his mind, shackling him to the man, until he clenched his fists and with the intent of bringing the man to his bed as his form of goodbye, tried to carry him bridal style.

Mikey waited for any violent reaction from the raven haired man, which to his relief didn't happen. The raven haired only snuggling deeper into him.

The man was unpredictably light and warm. 

Too warm. Mikey frowns as he tries to get rid of the warm feeling once again settling in his stomach.

So after taking the glass of water beside the man on his free hand, making sure everything was in its proper place– or at least what he thinks are proper places since it was his first time there– and closing the lights, he clambered up the stairs with the man in his arms and into his room.

Finally depositing the glass of water somewhere near the entrance of the door and tucking the man onto the bed, he straightened.

Padding back onto the vanity where the water was, a yellow notepad near it caught his eyes.

Perhaps, a goodbye note is okay .

And before he backed out of writing to the man, his hand grabbed the nearest pen and began scribbling a note down. 

You snore when you sleep. But you're not an eyesore to look at. 

He hesitated on whether he should explicitly say his goodbyes, but knowing the man– though they haven't known each other that long– he might look for him, which is the worst thing he could do, seeing that Mikey's status wasn't all that safe for those not in Bonten.

Their meeting today was the first and only risk he was willing to take. And he’d been heedful of whether he’d been tailed or not.

After rereading his note a couple of times to make sure that he doesn't sound too creepy in his message, he left it on the bedside table near the glass of water.

Looking at the boy one last time, he softly whispers,

"This will be the first and the last time we'll be friends, Takemitchy."

"One strawberry shortcake, a caramel latte, and three banana chocolate taiyaki to go, coming right up!" 

Takemichi gave a soft smile to the lady with kind eyes before he withdrew from the counter to collect the sweets. 

It was a busy Saturday afternoon, exactly five days after the shop's grand opening, and Takemichi's pleased to see those who came in the grand opening were still visiting for an order or two of his pastries, and that his shop's still garnering attention from different passers-by. 

Chifuyu, Baji, and Kazutora always managed to go to his shop and order their favorite taiyaki flavors every time they had a break from their pet shop, which Takemichi was really thankful for. Both for their support, and presence.

After placing the last of the pastry into the bag and sealing it, Takemichi pivoted back to the counter and handed the bag full of pastries to the elderly with a bright smile always present in his face.

The day passed by all the same, with Takemichi catering to different people ranging from children with puppy dog eyes holding on to their mother as they beg for a pastry they want, to some less than pleasant people with a perpetual frown and crease on their furrowed brows. 

So he promised to himself that tomorrow, since it was his rest day from work, he would wear the outfit that would make him feel and look really pretty as he goes on his way to shop for his necessities, and maybe even pass by a bookstore or two to look for new flavors he can incorporate into his taiyakis. 

With that in mind, he snapped his attention back onto the present and with a beaming smile, accommodated the rest of his patrons.

The past days have been running him ragged that he long since forgotten Mitsuya’s gift for him a few days back in his grand opening. Until he tripped on it after barging into his room to look for the clothes that he forgot to bring in the shower with him.

After hastily putting on his clothes, he sat on the carpeted area of the floor near the dresser and crossed his legs, reaching out to the bag still closed with the adhesive. 

This time, he grabbed the scissor from the bottom of his drawer and cut the stubborn piece of adhesive. 

What he saw first was an envelope sealed with wax and the initial of “M”. 

Curious as ever, he took it with gentle hands and opened the envelope, careful of not ruining the wax seal.

Written inside with fancy cursive writing was,

Takemichi, 

I hope this letter finds you well. As it was your grand opening, I wanted you to wear something that I thought would compliment your beauty and accentuate your body. However, seeing as my workload has multiplied, I wasn’t able to give it to you in time for you to wear it in your grand opening. Nonetheless, I still wish you’d wear this showpiece made from only the finest and most expensive fabric I have designed with you in mind. I believe that you’re the only one who could bring out the best in this article of clothing. I don’t want to spoil you of the fun, so all I’m going to say is, one of them is just the extra. I’m sure you’ll figure it out on your own when you see it with your eyes.

This is free of charge, of course. With just one condition, that you take a picture of yourself while wearing it and send it to me. Don’t worry and rest assured, Takemichi, that I will not do anything inherently weird and inappropriate with it. This is just for documentation purposes and to see how it fits your body. But I have no doubts that it will suit you well, since I believe in my skill as a designer. 

I hope the next time we see each other is the time I’ll get to see you wear it in person.

Yours always, 

Mitsuya

Takemichi felt his blush steadily rising from his cheeks as his heart pounded so hard he could hear it at the tops of his ears. 

Mitsuya sure has a way with his words.

When Takemichi recovered enough from Mitsuya’s words, he slid the letter inside the envelope and placed it beside him, bringing his attention back to the paper bag that hid the article of clothing. 

Taking a deep shaky breath, eyes alight with anticipation, he slid his hand into the paper bag and felt the fabric of the material, soft and stiff, expensive.

Hesitating for a beat too long, he finally took it out of the box and what greeted him were not one, but two articles of clothing with the most elegant shade of black he’s seen and another note falling out from between the fold.

Resting the pair of clothes on his lap for investigation later, he grasped the fallen note, flipped it over, and once again saw the familiar scrawl of elegant cursive.

People in our industry often say that black is overrated, but I believe that black is power. And so when you wear this, I hope my message to you will ring true.

"Mitsuya-san."

Feeling his heart bursting at the seams with Mitsuya’s words, he smiled gratefully and made a mental note to take better pictures and thank the man profusely for his words and works. 

Placing the note inside the envelope, he finally took the first article of clothing which looked like a top. 

His eyes then widened as he unraveled the top. It’s made from black merino wool, soft to the touch and lightweight. With a square neck and slim fitted fabric stopping just a little below his midriff, Takemichi’s sure it would show off his clavicles and flat stomach, making him shiver in delight. The sleeves on the other hand were long; the bottom of the sleeve puffed out while the cuffs were tight fitted, giving the illusion of modesty amidst having most of his stomach and neck exposed. 

After admiring the seemingly effortless but excellent seams and how everything fit together really well for approximately five minutes, he put it on a chair, careful that he does not crease the expensive fabric, so he could take pictures wearing it as Mitsuya told him. 

Takemichi’s gaze then flitted to the last article of clothing.

With careful hands, Takemichi unfolded it and gasped, feeling his heart hammering out of his chest. 

He thought nothing could’ve been better than the top Mitsuya created, but he was proven wrong. Rightfully so.

“A skirt,” Takemichi looked at it in reverence, as if it were created by the gods themselves. 

The material was made from the same black merino wool. With a tight V waistband, a dart alignment called princess seams, and the length stopping barely below the knees, Mitsuya was right to say that it would accentuate the shape of his frame, feminizing his waist and hips.  

What’s more, the skirt has a hidden seam at its left side, and only upon movement would the narrow pleats and the big slit show itself.

Takemichi fell in love at first sight with the care and expertise the article of clothing has been given.

Still dazed, he stood up on wobbly knees and put the skirt together with the top on the chair as he began stripping off his sleeping clothes.

Slipping on the soft material of the top, there were two things he noticed. One was it hugged his frame in all the right places. The sleeves on the shoulders where he thought would be uncomfortable because of it possibly falling down every now and then, hugged his shoulders securely. 

Second was how good his complexion looked against the black of the fabric. It was showing just the right amount of skin from his flat stomach to his bare neck and clavicle, and he just had the perfect necklace for it.

Walking towards his closet, he opened it to reveal two rows of drawers. Upon sliding the second one out, the crystal embedded choker glinted at him, making him smile.

Takemichi then grabbed it, and draped it delicately on his neck, there was a whole row of the loose crystals meeting at the center and the rest falling down elegantly reaching his chest, while the rest was bunched up to fit snugly onto his neck.

Satisfied, he walked back to where the skirt was located, and after a few moments of admiration, slid it up his thighs, the V waistband hugging his waist at the right places and accentuating his hips. Not once looking onto the full length mirror, until he had completed his outfit.

Takemichi then completed the look with the black stiletto heels he had kept for momentous occasions such as this, and walked to the mirror with his phone in hand and his head down.

Only when he felt that he was near did he dare raise his head.

His eyes widened for the nth time as he saw himself reflected in the mirror.

Oh.

Oh.

So this is what I look like, Takemichi marvels at the clothes he's wearing, his accentuated frame, the shape of the skirt making it look more like a one piece dress rather than a two piece.

Still in a daze, he opened his camera on autopilot and raised it to his face, enough to cover his face besides his ocean eyes. 

Black is power.

Feeling emboldened, he slid his leg outside of the slit and touched his choker with a demure hand. 

Before he backed out of it in embarrassment, he took two pictures.

With that, he relaxed his position and studied the photos.

"Oh my god," Takemichi felt his blush rising the longer he stared at his own picture. "This is me?"

It was still him, of course, but he looked more seductive, to put it simply. 

Takemichi then hesitated to send it to Mitsuya when it looked like he was whoring himself out, but taking that picture took all his energy out so he had no choice but to use it.

Worrying his lip, he opened his messaging app to look for Mitsuya's contact, sent him the picture, and closed his phone all in record time.

What Takemichi wasn't expecting however, was his phone to suddenly ring as Mitsuya's caller ID flashed. 

In his fit of panic, he answered with a stuttered hello. 

"You're breathtaking." Mitsuya's low timbre of voice made Takemichi close his eyes as he tried to suppress a shiver.

Gulping and praying that the other wouldn't hear the slight tremor of his voice, Takemichi breathed, "Mitsuya-san, I am in love with it. The top and especially the skirt. Everything looked so elegant and expensive. Thank you for giving me such beautiful articles of clothing."

"I'm happy to hear that you loved it that much, Takemichi," Mitsuya enunciated his name accompanied with an emotion Takemichi couldn't put his hands on. "I've been waiting for it for days, I started to think you forgot all about it. But it's worth the wait, nonetheless."

Takemichi laughed and tried to act nonchalant. 

"Well, thank you for waiting, Mitsuya-san. I was actually planning on going out tomorrow, and I think I'll be wearing this."

Mitsuya hummed, the low rumble of his voice making Takemichi's stomach dip. 

"Is that so? What great timing then. I actually have business I need to attend to near your area, but I'm free during lunch. Would you mind accompanying me, Takemichi?"

Takemichi's breath hitched and his eyes widened at the invitation.

"Of course, Mitsuya-san, I would love to take you up on that offer."

Humming a satisfied sound, Mitsuya then said, "I can't wait to see you, Takemichi. I'll give you the details through text. The restaurant that I have in mind isn't too far from your shop." 

"That'd be great, Mitsuya-san! Goodnight."

"Mhm. Goodnight, Takemichi. Sweet dreams."

After the line went dead, Takemichi took a minute to compose himself, not wanting to sit down since it might make his clothes wrinkle.

Takemichi took off his heels and unclasped the choker, putting them back in their proper positions. Then he started taking off the clothing one by one with careful hands, took two empty hangers gingerly, and hung it at the front of his closet so he could use it for tomorrow.  

Once he was in his sleeping clothes, he finally felt the exhaustion creeping up in his bones. 

So without another word, he turned the lights off and climbed onto his bed, his last thought being the image of a certain lilac haired man.

Chapter Text

Takemichi felt his nerves lighting up and singeing his skin as soon as he woke up from his slumber, ocean eyes mellowed out from sleep as he stared at his ceiling, trying to sift through his itinerary to stop from feeling the flutter on his stomach at the prospect of meeting Mitsuya for lunch. 

He finds out then, that he really wouldn’t do much today other than roam around the place to acquaint himself better with the neighborhood, as well as going to a bookstore or three to rifle through their cooking section in order to come up with uncommon but still palatable flavors for his taiyaki. 

So his mind definitively reverts back to his phone conversation with Mitsuya which happened just hours ago.

"I really just sent that to him, didn't I?"

Covering his heated face with a pillow, he let out a squeak, remembering how his ears only honed in on Mitsuya’s low timbre of voice and how his omega lapped up the praises coming out of the man’s mouth. 

He then released a breath, set the pillow aside, and sat up while rubbing the sleep off of his eyes when he thought the bundle of nervousness inside his stomach and the feeling of embarrassment subsided considerably. 

After his short stretching routine, he finally stood up, grabbed his phone from the bedside drawer, and opened it while walking downstairs to prepare for his own breakfast. 

"Ah, I woke up a bit early," Takemichi mused to himself as he saw the big and bold 'six o'clock' on his phone, before he noticed a new message from Mitsuya, making him stumble over the last few steps of stairs. 

Releasing a string of profanities, he righted himself before face planting onto the tiled floor. 

Feeling his heart rate accelerate all over again, he breathed a deep breath and opened their inbox.

Mitsuya-san Sunday 5:50 AM :

[Attached Location]

This is the restaurant I was talking about last night, Takemichi.

Tell me where you are later and I'll come to pick you up and we can walk there together. That is, of course, if you only want to.

I'm eagerly anticipating our meeting later.

Takemichi (Me) Sunday 6:38 AM:

Got this, Mitsuya-san! (≧∀≦)

And if that's alright with you, I'd love to walk with you all the way to the restaurant too! 

I'm really excited for today ୧☉□☉୨

Mitsuya-san Sunday 7:13 AM :

That's settled then. I'll be waiting for you to send your location. Enjoy your day, Takemichi. 

By the way, that last emoji looks just like you. Cute. :)

By the time Takemichi entered his kitchen, his face was beet red as he replied with his thanks accompanied with many other emojis. 

I feel like I've aged 10 years with that...

Releasing a breath, he pocketed his phone, wore his apron, and began to cook eggs and bacon for his first meal of the day while humming out a tune he had memorized when he was as young as the age of three.

After he finished eating and washing the dishes, he took a mental note to do his groceries when he's about to go home from his excursion. And with that, he happily went to the second floor to prepare Mitsuya's gift of clothing and take a hot shower. 

When he's finished scrubbing through the nooks and crevices of his entire body and rinsing the suds off thoroughly, he patted down his body dry in the mirror and towelled his hair until it wasn't dripping wet and flopped down on his forehead like soggy noodles.

Normally, he'd let his hair dry naturally, but he supposes today was a special occasion. 

Smiling faintly, he grabbed the hair dryer and round brush from his bathroom cabinet and began to blow dry his hair, feeling his mind growing calmer and calmer as the warm air and the soft bristles of the brush ran through his damp hair. 

"Mhm, that's good enough."

Takemichi grinned at himself in the mirror with his gentle curls and fringe framing his face. 

Looking proud of his handiwork, he then shuffled towards his bedroom to change into his Sunday best. 

After once again admiring the fine pieces of garment for a few minutes, Takemichi put on the top and slipped on the skirt up to his waist with careful fingers. 

The raven haired boy then walked to his closet, and extracted the choker he wore last night to drape it on his neck and stopped to decide whether he would wear his heels or a more comfortable footwear.

But of course to him, comfortability always wins, and he just had the luck to have owned a pair of one inch platform shoes that fit perfectly with the aesthetic of the clothing.

With his outfit completed, he walked towards his full length mirror and inhaled sharply once he saw himself. 

He looked well put together, and though he normally saw himself as someone terribly baby faced, his outfit made him feel more mature. More like a prime omega he's supposed to be. 

Taking one last glimpse of himself in the mirror, he finally scanned his room to look for what he needed for the day and thanked Mitsuya all over again when he found out that the skirt also had a convenient pocket with a generous hole to put his phone in.

But he brought a small bag with him just in case, for such things like his small wallet, keys to the building, and pepper spray he always had with him for protection and the feeling of safety that came with it.

After double checking if he had everything he needed with him, he nodded to himself and sauntered downstairs to head outside as he checked his phone for any texts he missed once again.

That was when Takemichi caught a whiff of three distinct scents of ocean waves and sea breeze, fresh linens, and burning wood which made him perk up and hurriedly open the door.

"Takemichi! We–"

Chifuyu's hand was poised to knock on the door when it opened. And when he raised his eyes from his phone, the sight that greeted him made his pupils dilate and his nostrils flare. 

Was he in a fever dream? 

Was he really looking at Takemichi wearing a skirt and a cropped top? 

Of course Takemichi looked really good no matter what he wears, but the clothes he's currently wearing made it all the more hard to get his mind out of the gutter when it hugged his frame at the right places. 

His slim hips, flat stomach, prominent clavicles, and that choker. 

God , the choker.

He knew it wasn't just him that was left stunned at what they were seeing, if Baji's lack of noise and Tora's breath stuttering was anything to go by. 

"Chifuyu? Tora-kun? Baji-san?" Takemichi broke the growing silence between them with a timid smile. "Is my outfit not okay?"

"No!" Takemichi's eyes widened at the response while Chifuyu covered his mouth with his hand as a blush rose steadily on his face. "I– I mean, you look really– really lovely, Takemichi."

Chifuyu finished lamely, wanting the ground to finally eat him what with the embarrassment he's incurred on himself. 

Luckily, Baji and Kazutora butted in with their own substitutions of the word.

"I think captivating is more fitting."

"I think Takemichi's more like, beguiling." 

"Eh? Where'd you learn that big of a word, Baji?" Kazutora tore his gaze from Takemichi to give a teasing look at Baji. "Never knew you had it in you. A brain, I mean."

Baji looked like he was ready to pounce on the other, his fist already clenched and his brows furrowed, when their attention was snatched all over again by Takemichi's soft laughter, eyes turning to crescents.

"It's really a fun time when I'm with the three of you." 

Takemichi kept laughing at the same time Baji, Kazutora and Chifuyu felt unadulterated pride and contentment swimming in their stomachs at the man's praise. 

"Thank you for all the compliments, really," Takemichi then added when he composed himself, though still wearing an easy smile as he stepped out of his store and locked the door behind him. "So, what brings you all here?"

"Ah," Chifuyu almost forgot why they originally came there, but he was glad Takemichi had a clear head to steer the conversation back on track. 

"We wanted to give you a surprise visit and then give you a small tour of the place, but it's mostly just us showing you our favorite ice cream parlor and the park we always go to in case you wanted some fresh air away from the crowd. It seems that you have somewhere to go yourself, though so…"

Chifuyu felt himself slightly deflate when it sank in that Takemichi was most probably dressed like he is right now, because he's going to see someone.

Probably the one he's been waiting for in the grand opening , his mind unhelpfully supplies.

But then, Takemichi gave them a breathy laugh and replied, 

"I'd actually very much like it if you'd accompany me, Chifuyu, Tora-kun, and Baji-san! I was actually planning to just stroll to different places alone, but I've been having trouble about where I should start. So I'm really quite happy you offered!" 

"Eh, really?" Kazutora asked, eyes looking brighter than ever as a small but content smile graced his lips. "I'm glad you aren't going to meet anyone then, and that we had the privilege of seeing you in that outfit first." 

With another laugh and light conversation, they walked towards the heart of the city. 

"Can I get the bubblegum flavored one on a waffle bowl with the usual?" 

Takemichi’s ocean eyes twinkled, eyeing the pink and blue ice cream with excitement and a big grin breaking out of his face which made him look all the more attractive, when Kazutora handled their order. 

The cashiers know the three of them since they've been ordering the same flavor over and over again. 

"Coming right up, Kazutora-san!"

After they went shop hopping and bought some new clothes for Takemichi, they decided to stop at their favorite ice cream place and hang out at the nearby park which Chifuyu could vouch for as having the best and most calming scenery in the city. 

Especially when he, Kazutora, and Baji were all on edge the whole time when countless people, both alphas and betas, men and women, kept their gazes glued on Takemichi everytime he passed by. 

And though he shared the sentiment, it still brought about his instinct to protect the man and keep him to himself. 

Even now, it irked Chifuyu to no end that people are looking at Takemichi with varying degrees of fascination and awestruck.

At least those working over the counter know them enough to be discreet about it.

"Hey, man," Chifuyu heard Baji speak then, the other's voice turning threatening. When he turned, he caught Baji looking down on a wide eyed, and trembling man waiting in line with his phone tucked close to his chest. "Will telling you to delete that fucking picture you took of my friend be enough of a warning, or should I gouge out your fucking eyes and cut off both your hands to get that message across well and clear?"

"I– I, I wasn’t– I didn't take a picture of your friend–"

"Stop fucking lying through your teeth or I'll cut your tongue too. Now, delete that picture or I'll make your life a living hell." 

Chifuyu almost felt bad for the guy who looked just about a hair's breadth away from peeing his pants and passing out. Almost. 

Everyone in the room watched the commotion unfold, as the shameful man, with trembling hands, unlocked his phone and deleted the picture he took of Takemichi. 

"T-there, I deleted it already." The guy showed Baji his gallery and the empty trash folder. With one last huff, Baji straightened and started walking towards his friends, but then, "If he didn't want to be ogled, he shouldn't have worn such slutty clothes."

It was the first time Baji felt his rage boil and overflow. 

The next thing he knew, his vision turned red and he pivoted to continuously punch the guy until his face was a pool of blood. 

"You should really take more care of your hands when you punch someone," Takemichi scolds a sulking Baji who was licking his ice cream while he dabs the antiseptic onto the man's bloody knuckles which got caught on the other's glasses. 

"Good thing the manager knows all of you personally that they only let you off with a warning and not a straight up ban from their shop for creating that huge of a scene." 

"I'm not sorry. What he said was unforgivable."

Takemichi hummed and bandaged the tender skin with deft hands. 

"What did he say to set you off like that anyway?"

Baji looked away at that and only offered, "it's better that you don't know."

The ocean eyed man, after tying the last of the bandage and organizing the newly bought first aid kit, sighed fondly and turned to get his ice cream and admired the lush green of the park and the rippling lake. 

After the incident that occured, the unconscious man was taken to the nearest hospital while Baji was reprimanded heavily for his actions as well as Kazutora and Chifuyu for their lack thereof, which Takemichi would take a hundred times more than seeing Baji get jailed for being provoked. 

They then went to a store and bought a first aid kit, then decided to patch up Baji and enjoy their ice cream at the trio's favorite park, Gyoen National Park. 

"This really is a beautiful place," Takemichi said to no one in particular. "It looks like it provokes inspiration in a person." 

"Yeah!" Chifuyu's eyes glinted with pride and smiled. "This place is even better when the sun's out or at night time with the lake reflecting the moon high above, the smell of freshly watered trees and grass, and the illuminated walkway." 

"Thank you for bringing me here, Chifuyu, Tora-kun, and Baji-san!"

When Takemichi received their bright grins and he finished his own ice cream all the way to its cone, he stood up from the bench and looked for a big enough rock that fit his hand just right before going to the tree near them to carve the initial 'H'. 

"H?" 

"Mhm," Takemichi stood up then, as he admired his work. "H for Hinata."

"Your... Girlfriend?"

Takemichi laughed at that and shook his head no. 

"My childhood best friend. We used to do this a lot. Carving our names to trees or any object we could carve our initials in whenever one of us couldn't be there to share the fun experience with."

"Where is she now?" This time it was Baji who asked. 

And it took a while for Takemichi to answer, his smile becoming more and more wistful by the second before he said, 

"She's watching over all of us now. At least that's what I would like to believe in. But maybe she's also been reincarnated in a world that finally treats her better. I'd gladly believe any of those if it means she's happy."

Takemichi saw Chifuyu open his mouth to speak in his periphery, when it was cut off by the ringing of his phone that alarmed him of a new message. 

Rubbing his neck and smiling sheepishly, he fished out his phone and noticed that it was already twelve in the afternoon and the new message was indeed from Mitsuya.

Mitsuya-san Sunday 12:00 PM :

Takemichi, my meeting concluded for the time being, so I'm free right now. If you are too, you can tell me your location so we can go to the restaurant as planned. 

Of course there is no need to rush if you aren't, I'll be here to wait for your reply. 

I hope you're having a great time :)

Takemichi (Me) Sunday 12:02 PM:

Ah, Mitsuya-san! (≧∀≦)

I hope your meeting went well! I'm actually with Chifuyu, Tora-kun, and Baji-san at the Gyoen National Park , and yeah! We did have a great time ^^

I can't wait to see you really soon ୧☉□☉୨ I'll be waiting by the large oak tree at the right side of the entrance near the lake! 

"Who was it?"

"Ah, it's Mitsuya-san!" Takemichi looked up from his phone to Kazutora and gave him a smile. "He coincidentally has business here today which is really nice, so we planned to meet up and have lunch! I just told him my location so he's on the way here." 

"I see. Well then, we'll wait with you until he comes." 

"Really? You don't have to, I don't wanna keep you if you have other matters to attend to!" 

"Nah, Takemichi, we wanna spend time with you until you inevitably get taken away by Mitsuya. So no need to worry your brain about it."

At that, Takemichi smiled at them gratefully, and they resumed talking as they soaked up the scenery under the cloudy sky. 

"Takemichi, you look so much more exquisite in person, the photo didn't do you justice," Mitsuya says as his form of greeting when he was near enough to be heard. "Though both are astonishing in their own rightful ways."

Mitsuya normally doesn't dish out compliments and isn't really a fan of such cheesy lines, though seeing Takemichi's face light up as a steady blush rises up on his cheeks was worth the slight embarrassment. 

And truly, his creation looked more alive in Takemichi's body. The slit showing off skin, enough only to tease the milky expanse, the v shaped waistband accentuating Takemichi's shapely hips and slim waist, and the cut on the cropped top presenting his evident clavicles, with the choker highlighting it all the more. 

It was a shame that there were no words appropriate enough, close enough, to define what Takemichi looks like wearing the clothes he personally made for him.

"Mitsuya-san! It's really nice to see you!"

"Mitsuya? Complimenting someone else? First time hearing about it. Right, Chifuyu?"

Chifuyu nodded teasingly and added, "I never knew such a day would come where I would hear such cheesy lines coming out of Mitsuya's mouth." 

Mitsuya gave them both a deadpan expression before pointedly ignoring them in favor of asking Takemichi if he was ready to go. 

"Yeah, Mitsuya-san!" Turning to the other three, Takemichi grinned widely, his eyes turned to crescents once again as he chirped, "Thank you for coming with me, Baji-san, Tora-kun, and Chifuyu! I wouldn't have had half the fun if I went alone."

Saying their goodbyes accompanied by their waves, he and Takemichi headed their way to the restaurant. 

"M–Mitsuya-san?" Takemichi spluttered, eyes still glued on the modest yet elegant structure of the sushi place. A refined 'Sushi Fukuju' sign written in both English and Kanji hung above their heads. 

"I've heard this is a wildly expensive place, I don't think I have the money to pay for even a single sushi here yet."

Mitsuya only gave him a smile and a sideways glance when he replied,

"It's no problem, Takemichi. It's my treat. And before you react, the owner of the restaurant is a good friend of mine and a client I had before, so I get a big discount everytime I eat here."

Mitsuya opened the door for Takemichi then, so he had no choice but to bow his head in thanks and head inside. 

He then saw himself inside another small square space with but one male attendant behind a small podium. 

Mitsuya strolled in after him and went straight to the man and said,

"Reservation for two, under the name of Mitsuya." 

The man at the front door bowed his head and gestured for them to follow him towards a large fusuma with intricate swirls of roses and flowers lined with expensive wood. 

Seeing Mitsuya offer his arm to Takemichi, he blushed and took it gratefully as they walked inside when the man opened the fusuma for them.

And what greeted Takemichi inside was a massive square oak table, with the center being the sushi bar where a chef is currently entertaining another customer. The lighting and atmosphere of the place looked sophisticated and expensive, Takemichi was glad this time he wore an appropriate outfit that was fit for the occasion. 

When they sat down at the opposite end of the door, another chef with a slim build, neat attire, and glasses perched on his nose entered the sushi bar and faced them.

"Good afternoon, I am Itto, your chef for today, and I most proudly welcome you to Sushi Fukuju, the pride of Ginza." 

"This otoro nigiri sushi tastes really heavenly, sir Itto," Takemichi smiled after slowly chewing and swallowing the fresh and creamy fatty tuna to savor its flavors, feeling content.

"I am honored to hear that, ma'am." 

Takemichi felt himself blush at the incorrect title given to him, but he found that he didn't mind being called either, so he didn't bother correcting him.

With that, Takemichi resumed eating and conversing with Mitsuya who made him blush at the rapt attention he's being showered with. It made him feel as though what he has to say is to be held with great importance. 

Takemichi found himself immensely enjoying Mitsuya's company and the delicacies he normally wouldn't be able to afford such as kohada nigiri, fatty yellowtail lightly smoked with sakura wood chips, anago nigiri sushi, and a rice bowl with four kinds of fish eggs which included the most expensive caviar, that he felt slightly dejected when it was all over. 

"Wah, thank you Mitsuya-san for the really delicious treat!" Takemichi bowed low when they finally left the restaurant. "I'm not even convinced that 'delicious' exactly is the right word for it, since it's much more than that. My tastebuds felt like they were exploding!" 

At that, both of them laughed until they were interrupted by Mitsuya's phone ringing. 

"Ah, Takemichi, I'm sorry but could I take this call?"

"Sure, Mitsuya-san!" 

Takemichi watched him turn around and fish out his phone, looking at the caller ID before answering.

"Hello, this is Mitsuya Takashi speaking. Yes. Of course. I'll be there soon. Goodbye."

Mitsuya sighed as he pocketed his phone, and looked at Takemichi apologetically. 

"I'm sorry about this Takemichi, but unfortunately, my clients are really impatient and hot headed; they want me there as soon as possible."

"You don't need to apologize for anything Mitsuya-san! I'm really glad I got to eat with you this time. Next time you go to my shop, all your orders are free." 

Mitsuya smiled at that, relief overtaking his face as he replied, 

"I look forward to that next time, Takemichi. But I still feel like it's wrong to leave you here, so–"

Takemichi shook his head and lightly nudged Mitsuya. "I'm totally fine with it, Mitsuya-san. Plus, I saw a bookstore nearby and I've been meaning to go there anyway. I'll see you soon, Mitsuya-san!" 

Mitsuya looked conflicted, but in the end he conceded and went on his way with a light hug that made Takemichi blush, and a wave, while Takemichi hung back and returned the wave until he didn't see even the shadow of the man. 

Feeling satisfied, he went the opposite way, towards the first bookstore he saw and entered the place. 

Takemichi once again looked stunned at the sleek interior of the place. There were rows upon rows of shelves stacked to the brim with books as well as tables in the middle filled with bestsellers so those that only came in for it, didn't have to waste time searching every nook and cranny of the vast place. 

It was well lit, and had polished wooden stairs leading up to a second floor, to which he went up on when he didn't find anything related to cooking on the first floor. 

The second floor to him looked even more enamoring. Of course everything was lined once again with shelves and rows of books, but the lighting was more cozy and comfortable and not too blinding like it was on the first floor. 

There were also tables with cushioned chairs as well as a long tabled bar with high chairs placed at the right side facing the wall, people could occupy if they desired to read the books. As long as they didn't incur any damage to it.

Looking around in a daze, Takemichi finally found the section he was looking for, and happily padded towards it. 

"This bookshop is really amazing," Takemichi finally whispered to himself as he ran a delicate finger across the books to his left and stopped at one that said, The Wonderful Flavors of Taiyaki: A Modern Take on Traditional Street Food.

Taking it out with careful hands, he went to an unoccupied table and began reading, already getting immersed with just seeing the cover page filled with delectable, freshly cooked taiyakis.

Ah, truly, his day was a blessed day.

It was close to eight o'clock when he finished combing through the different books that caught his eye, not limiting himself to books regarding taiyaki, but also books that stored recipes and ideas for meals he could cook for himself or new flavors he could mix and match.

Of course he was sad to go, and even promised the books he'd be back soon especially since he's found his safe haven, but he had to leave since his last itinerary was to go grocery shopping to buy meat and some other things to practice the recipes he'd learned. 

With that, he headed towards the grocery store which was nearer his home. 

"Finally," Takemichi triumphantly carried his grocery bags as he exited the supermarket and trudged to his home which was a fifteen minute walk away, feeling tired yet merry with all the things that he's had the privilege of experiencing today, more so with having the best people to hang out with. 

However, as he passed a dark alley, he felt the presence of three alphas prowling behind him, raising his hackles. So he inconspicuously put a hand on his pocket to get his pepper spray, just in case they decided to do something, and steered clear of his place so they wouldn't know where he lived.

One guy then whistled and catcalled for his attention, but Takemichi didn't look back and simply ignored it, opting to walk faster to look for an open shop to stay in with no luck whatsoever. 

But it looked like they were growing impatient as he felt a man's hand close in on his wrist and yanked him back to him. 

His reflexes and instinct, however, took over him, and as he was getting yanked, he let go of his groceries, separated his curled fingers and bent his wrist backward as he used the momentum to put all the weight in his arm and strike the man's nose to the side, hearing a sickening crack and the angry shout of pain from the man. 

"Fucking slut!?" The man yells while cradling his broken nose, his hand slowly filling up with his own blood. "Get her and show her no mercy!"

With the prompt, his two lackeys moved in on him, so Takemichi assumed a more defensive stance and curled both his fists while curling his thumb in front of his fingers, ready to strike when it came down to it. 

When the men got closer, Takemichi suddenly pivoted to the left, grabbed a handful of the stranger's clothing, and as hard as he could, punched the other on the base of his throat. 

Takemichi saw the man crumble to his knees while clutching his windpipe, before he whirled and kicked the other lackey between his legs, connecting his knee to the man's dick, making him let out a string of curses as he also pitifully fell down on the ground. 

He thought it was finally over, when all of a sudden, he felt a painful throb at the back of his head. 

The next thing he knew, the man who had his nose broken was straddling him, his fat fingers encircling Takemichi's neck, painfully strangling him and effectively cutting off his breath.  

The choker on his neck did nothing but contribute to the pain as it bit into his skin so hard he felt his blood trickling down. 

"You fuck," The man above him hissed as he pressed impossibly harder, making Takemichi gasp, his fingers weakly clawing at the hands since his lungs needed oxygen. "You could've played nice and let us screw you without a hitch, you should even be thankful we alphas hit on a disgusting beta like you, but you fought back instead. This is little compared to what you little whores deserved."

Ah, am I really gonna die like this? Takemichi felt numb all over, his ears were ringing, his hands and feet felt cold, he was sure every vein in his face was popping out from the weight, and his lungs felt close to collapsing, he was sure he was nearing his death. If that's the case, Hina-chan, please welcome me with open arms in heaven. 

Takemichi was accepting his fate and closing his eyes, when all of a sudden, the imposing weight on top of him and the heavy hand that shackled his neck vanished all at once. 

He turned to his side then to cough and greedily gulp lungfuls of air that he was deprived of just minutes ago, taking off his choker in the process. 

When he felt like he wasn't immediately dying because of lack of oxygen, he tried sitting up as fast as his injuries allowed him to, and what he saw made his eyes widen. 

His savior was Sano Manjiro who had a feral glint in his usually vacant obsidian eyes, still punching the man even though he already looked unconscious. 

"Manjiro, stop that already," Takemichi pleaded, voice hoarse and scratchy thin. "I don't want you to get blood on your hands because of me."

Manjiro abruptly stopped then and stood up, face void of guilt or remorse that he'd almost beaten someone to death.

Takemichi noticed that he was still stick thin and sickly pale, his eyebags still as prominent as the day he last saw him, and his hair speckled once again with blood. 

But his scent, the crisp smell of the grove of conifer trees immediately calmed his nerves and lessened the ringing in his ears.

Manjiro then strolled closer and closer to him with his hands on his pocket, stopped when Takemichi was in between his legs, and squatted down at eye level with him. 

Takemichi let out a slight hiss of pain when he felt the fingers of Manjiro tangling in his curls, but his hold was loose, as if Manjiro was giving Takemichi a choice to slap the hand away. 

Takemichi didn't.  

"Do you want me to make their life miserable, Takemitchy?" 

Takemitchy?  

He filed the nickname in his mind for him to examine and ruminate over later, and studied Manjiro. 

His eyes bore the promise of pain and suffering he was sure was aimed at the men sprawled around them, but Takemichi was grateful to see him restraining his bloodlust in order to hear out what he wanted.

"Don't, Manjiro. I think they've already learned their lesson. But, I do think they also need to go to lifelong prison so they wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else."

Manjiro searched Takemichi's eyes for a few beats before his gaze slightly softened and he stood up, holding out his hand for Takemichi, to which the man took gratefully. 

"Sanzu, make sure you call someone to dump them into the filthiest prison in the city and that they don't get their food for a week."

"Yes, Mikey-kun. It shall be done."

Takemichi's blood ran cold when he heard the too familiar voice he sometimes hears in his nightmares. Turning his head to the sound, he felt a shudder run through his body when he found out that the bubblegum haired man was already looking at him.

The man was once again wearing his slim striped pink slacks and vest, his mullet and hair still styled neatly, his full lashes and blue eyes still droopy, gazing at him lazily though he could see the barely concealed contempt, and his two diamond scars still menacingly beautiful.

Takemichi felt his body tense as his mind went on a fight or flight mode no matter how exhausted his body was. 

"You–"

"Takemitchy? You know Sanzu?"

Takemichi tore his gaze away from the man– Sanzu, and saw Manjiro already holding the door of an expensive car open. 

"Yes–" 

Takemichi says at the same time Sanzu answers a firm no. The man gave him a sideways glance before speaking again.

"No, Mikey-kun. He's not in his right mind since his brain didn't get the necessary oxygen it needed for a few minutes. He probably mistook me for someone else."

Seemingly content with the answer, Manjiro only hummed and looked at Takemichi as he says,

"Come in, Takemitchy, we'll take you to the nearest hospital."

"Ah? I– no need, Manjiro. My house is near here, and I know how first aid works so I can clean up these wounds all by myself."

"Then, at least let us take you home."

"I don't want to impose. I can just–"

"You're not imposing on anyone, nor are you in the right condition to walk home, Takemitchy."

Weighing the options in his mind, he didn’t really see any problems with riding with them, except for the fact that he'll reveal his exact location to Sanzu. But he supposes he's willing to take the risk, given that his head started throbbing all over again he felt like he was gonna pass out.

"Okay," Takemichi quietly agreed and hopped on the vehicle with a small thank you.

Once both Sanzu and Manjiro were seated, Sanzu in the passenger seat and Manjiro next to him, Takemichi told the driver the name of his shop and with that, they took off without another word.

"Thank you, Manjiro and S–Sanzu for saving me tonight," Takemichi bowed low once he was safely brought to the front of his shop. "I will never forget this kindness."

"No need for that," Mikey waved his hand dismissively. "It's nothing."

With a last wave of goodbye and a wide smile from Takemichi, Mikey watched the ocean eyed man slip his key onto the doorknob and enter his shop with a firm shut and lock of the door. 

When the man was finally out of sight he felt himself sag as he covered his mouth and nose with his hand, pink already dusting his cheeks.

"What the hell were you wearing, Takemitchy," Mikey whispers to himself as he closes his eyes and imagines the man wearing the outfit once again. 

The clothes looked tailor made as it showed off the man's assets in all the right places. 

Mikey wondered what he looked like without the gashes or the wound that peppered his skin from the men's attempted assault.

"And why can't I seem to get rid of you."

He remembered his promise to himself with regards to not seeing the man anymore, which he himself willingly broke.

Just once,

Letting his hand slip from his mouth, he felt his skin itch as he looked out of the window and he finally says, 

"Sanzu, I changed my mind. Torture the men until they inevitably die. And make sure you make it painful for them, that they wish they were dead instead."

Just this once,

"Of course, Mikey-kun."

"Make sure I'm there when you do it. Now, let's go."

Just this once, and never again.

Chapter Text

Takemichi saw himself ambling down the aisles of the supermarket as early as the sun rose the next day in order to replace the groceries that had been spilled and soiled on the pavement a while back. 

Humming, Takemichi turned to the chip aisle in search of the main ingredient for his cooking experiment.

And as he got ahold of a bag of honey butter chips, he saw another hand grab the one beside his of the same product. With his curiosity bubbling, Takemichi's eyes trailed from the outstretched hand all the way to the other's face, his eyes widening in recognition as cerulean orbs met with seafoam green.

"Oh, you're Draken's partner, right? Fancy meeting you here!" Takemichi's eyes crinkled as his lips curved upwards, a memory flashing of Draken showing him a picture of his motor shop with him and the long haired man in front of him in it. "You like honey butter too?"

Finally shaking his head minutely to snap back to his senses, Inupi bowed low, to which Hanagaki returned with a small smile still gracing his lips, and spoke in an orotund voice when he straightened, 

"I believe we haven't formally met yet, but I'm Inui Seishu. Everyone calls me Inupi." 

"Ah, I'm Hanagaki Takemichi and you can call me however you like." 

The raven haired man then offered his hand, so without hesitating, Inupi grasped the other in a firm shake, not without noticing the scar on the middle of his palm. 

Knife scar?  

Looks like it, if the straight cut through the palm is anything to go by. And though the scar was there, Hanagaki's hand felt soft to the touch, and looked like he was taking good care of them, what with the manicured nails and firm grip.

"Is there something interesting with my hand, Inupi-kun?" 

The blond haired man was startled from his reverie and slowly unclasped their hands when he realized they'd held that position for longer than appropriate. 

"It's just, your hand is really soft, Hanagaki, so I got curious what you usually use for it to stay that way since I work at a motor shop."

Inupi decided to keep the origin of the scar in the backburner of his mind, no matter how his brain itches in interest, especially since both of them clearly hadn't known each other for that long to be sharing such personal wounds, and he thought it would make the beta uncomfortable if prodded.

"Oh and yes, I do like this brand the most," Inupi added when he remembered the first question that the other asked.

Hanagaki smiled at the response and remarked,

"Eh? Your hands are soft to the touch to me too, Inupi-kun–" the flaxen haired became internally alarmed, preparing some form of excuse in his mind before his thoughts got cut off with, "–but you came to the right place! I would love to lead you to the products I use to maintain them, Inupi-kun! Come with me."

With that, they strolled down the aisles with Hanagaki leading, the space between them accompanied by comfortable silence.

"Have you been friends with Draken-kun ever since you were young, Inupi-kun?"

Inupi hummed, a raven haired man with flowing waves on his right and shaved rectangles on the left flashing in the forefront of his mind, before answering, 

"We were actually in rivaling gangs before and had disputes, but I suppose growing up, I learned that the life of gangs wasn't really for me, and I happened to stumble upon Draken with the same mindset as I did. We've been working together for over twelve years or so now." 

"A gang, huh?" Hanagaki gave him a sideways glance, interest swimming in his eyes. "What is it like, being in a gang?"

They finally arrived at the bath and body section, and the raven haired beta made a beeline towards a specific spot in the shelf, to which Inupi followed. 

"Here!" Hanagaki raised the bottles of hand cleanser and unscented lotion at his eye level of the same brand and explained to Inupi his daily routine with ebullience that made Inupi's lips twitch in a small smile. 

"– some love to exfoliate their skin thrice a week or so, but I've been luckily blessed with soft hands ever since I was young, so all I have to do is maintain it." 

After his explanation and a beat of silence, Inupi noticed the red spreading from his neck to his cheeks. The flaxen haired alpha was going to ask what was wrong, but the younger beat him as he muttered, looking sheepish.

"I must be talking your ears off, I'm sorry." 

"No need to be sorry, Hanagaki. It's pleasant to listen to your thoughts and what you do, even if it may seem as simple as telling me your hand routine." Inupi shrugged and offered the other a bigger smile and continued, "and I'm more of a listener than a talker myself too, so you don't really have to apologize for anything."

The look on Hanagaki's face lightened up considerably and gave Inupi his own bright smile.

"Thanks, Inupi-kun! I'm actually finished with my groceries, and if you're done with yours too, do you want to go to my shop?"

Inupi didn't know what face he was wearing, but it made Hanagaki's composure crumble as pink once again dusted his cheeks.

"You don't have to! I, I mean, I only asked because I– well, well you said my favorite chips is also your favorite chips and I have a recipe in mind that incorporates it into chicken, though it isn't that grand, b-but I just thought maybe you'd be my taste tester for it. If only you are free of course! I don't want to overstep your time or your friendship." 

Inupi shook his head and internally berated himself for making Hanagaki think twice about his offer.

"I apologize for whatever you might have seen on my face. I was just taken aback since I only normally hang out with Draken, that's all." Inupi grinned in order to remove the doubts that may have still lingered with the younger and added, "I would love to try your new recipe, Hanagaki. I've tasted your pastries from Draken's trip to your shops, and their taste is ambrosian." 

They then began walking to the cashier to pay for their stuff as Hanagaki's face lit up in delight at the praise.

"Thanks, Inupi-kun! You should come to the shop sometimes too. I have other flavors I'm tweaking and working on right now, and I can't wait for all of you to try it." 

Once Takemichi and Inupi had paid for their own foodstuff and staples, they walked side by side towards Takemichi's shop, with him humming and swinging his arms lightly. 

"About the gang," Takemichi heard Inupi speak after a while, so he gave him a sideways glance to know that he was listening. 

"I had a senior about twice my age who ran this big gang before. They used to call it the Black Dragons. I admired him a lot; many did. Though he was painted as a weak beta fighter, he had a benevolent heart and strong-willed mind that drew everyone to him."

"He sounds like a cool person, Inupi-kun."

Takemichi noticed the faint smile the flaxen haired man was wearing before he agreed.

"He was. He was the reason why I even wanted to join a gang. His gang, specifically."

"What's he doing now? Is he still running a gang?"

Inupi's smile seemed to turn forlorn as he softly replied, 

"He's passed. Many years ago. I wanted to rebuild his gang just like the way he did it, but– Shin was miles better than me. Better than anyone." 

Takemichi trained his eyes forward as he remembered rose-colored eyes, pink hair, and the mole near a soft smile. 

"I'm sure Shin-san would've been proud of you. He would've been pleased with the effort you've given his gang." Takemichi faced Inupi, hoping his eyes would relay the message alongside his reply. "As long as you have love in your heart and his memory in your mind, he's never truly gone, Inupi-kun. 

"It's never a loss when you've carved a place for him in your heart." 

Takemichi watched Inupi's eyes widen and his lips part as if in suspended awe. The almost ardent look made Takemichi want to hide his face in embarrassment, but he refrained from doing so in order for the other to know the sincerity behind his words. 

"Thank you, Hanagaki."

"No need to thank me, Inupi-kun! That's what friends are for!" 

They both grinned at each other then, and continued on to a lighter topic as they grew closer to Takemichi’s shop. 

"The taste, particularly the sauce, is piquant, Hanagaki. I adore it." Inupi smiled with rapture, eyes crinkling.

The raven haired beta then gave a squeal of delight and grabbed Inupi's hands, swinging them up and down.

"I'm glad my experimental dish was well received," Hanagaki laughed a warm laugh then and jested, "maybe this is a sign to put up a meal menu."

"Maybe it is," Inupi laughed with him, but was cut off short when his phone rang. 

Inupi fished out his phone and saw the caller ID and looked up at the other with a sheepish look.

"It's Draken."

"Oh no worries, go right ahead, Inupi-kun!"

Giving the other a small smile, the blond haired alpha accepted the call. 

"Hey, Draken. What's up?"

"Where are you? It's nearing dinner time now, and it's your turn to cook food. Or are you bailing out on me now?" 

Draken's teasing deep voice crackled across the line, making Inupi roll his eyes in fond exasperation before looking out of the window of Hanagaki's shop and seeing that it was indeed getting dark out.

"You know I never bail out on cooking. Maybe you, but never me." Inupi then looked back at the beta with a question swimming in his seafoam orbs, hoping the other would get the message. And when the other gave a nod and a smile, Inupi divulged, "I met Hanagaki at the supermarket and asked me to taste test a dish for him. I'll be back home soon." 

"Eh? You're with Takemichi? Why didn’t you tell me?"

"It slipped my mind," Inupi admitted, then changed the subject before Draken could say any more complaints. "But I'll go there now. Bye."

Inupi stood up as he ended the call without waiting for Draken's response and looked at Hanagaki who was already up and about preparing something with careful yet adept hands. 

"Draken's looking for me, since I'm tasked to cook for tonight."

The beta hummed in acknowledgement and didn't give a reply until he had wrapped the container in a light blue furoshiki with pink and white cherry blossoms imprinted on the cloth. 

Hanagaki then turned to Inupi and showed his finished creation with a bright grin on his face. 

"Take this, then, Inupi-kun!"

Inupi was about to say no and explain that he didn't want to overstep, but Hanagaki must have sensed his hesitance as he spoke over him.

"Don't decline an offer that's been given to you, Inupi-kun! It's a form of bad omen if you do. Plus, this is the least I could do for the pleasurable company today." 

With that, Inupi gingerly took the bento from the other's hands and offered him a grateful smile. They then headed to the door as they exchanged farewells. 

"Thank you for this, Hanagaki. We'll enjoy this to the fullest."

"I'm glad you will, Inupi-kun!"

"As a payment, I'll give you a ride on my bike the next time you're free." 

Hanagaki's eyes sparkled beautifully at the prospect and nodded his head in agreement, waving as Inupi bowed and left the shop with a wave of his own and a smile playing in his lips.

"Can I get one whole chocolate ganache cake?"

Takemichi beamed brightly as he punched the order and chirped in a light tone.

"Of course, ma'am! Would there be an add-on such as a dedication tag on the cake, a simple card, or just as it is?" 

"A simple card would do the trick, I believe," the woman in her fifties with graying hair and a kind smile answered. 

"It's me and my husband's twenty-eighth anniversary today, and I wanted to surprise him with the cake he and I love, and your shop has by far the best cake and pastries I've ever tasted, Hanagaki-kun!"

Takemichi felt joy simmering in his stomach, making him feel warm at the praise. Laughing in delight, Takemichi bowed his head.

"You flatter me too much, ma'am! I'm overjoyed that you love my cakes and pastries to even that extent. I'll continue to serve sweets and pastries to the best of my abilities. Please wait here while I pack your chocolate ganache cake with a special card just for you!"

Humming a familiar tune, Takemichi deftly flitted from the display case to get the cake and then onto the marbled workstation to dexterously wrap the cake in an elegant black box with a ribbon as a final touch. Takemichi then took a cake sleeve and inserted it on the cake for an easier grip.

When it was all done, the raven haired omega came back to where the woman was with a grateful smile and a wave before she left the shop with a smile of her own.

Takemichi's day was spent in a similar manner, until the night time near closing hours. 

The omega heard the bell ring, signalling a new customer, when he was in the process of sweeping the floor.

Turning around to face the last customer of the day, Takemichi wore a smile and greeted the man.

"Takemichi? Hanagaki Takemichi?" 

The raven haired man's eyes widened, caught off guard by the familiar way his name rolled off the other's mouth. 

He decided then to study the man in front of him, racking his brain for anything familiar about him, but coming up empty handed. 

The short curtain ink blue haired man was clad in black slacks and a red turtleneck inside the longcoat. His scent is of an earthy rich and balsamic accent that reminded Takemichi of sandalwood.

But the most intriguing was the scar running from the leftmost part of his ear all the way at the start of his hairline. 

"I apologize, but… do I know you?" 

The man's eyes widened in what Takemichi thinks is realization before replying, 

"Ah, my apologies for being too hasty. It's Kakucho. Hitto Kakucho."

Something clicked then in his mind as he heard the name, and it brought about the memories of his younger days, playing on treetops, fighting bullies who dared hurt his friend, laughing alongside the riverbanks with the thought that nothing would change, when everything did. 

"Kakucho? You mean, my childhood best friend, Kaku-chan?"

"That's me," The man– Kakucho– smiled softly as his eyes grew fonder. "I still remember that time when you saved me from the big guys who jumped and ganged up on me and I promised you I'd become stronger."

"Yeah! I remember that! You got so mad and called them cowards for ganging up on a defenseless kid while lying down on the cold pavement," Takemichi released a twinkling laugh at the fond memory they shared as if taking him back to the old times where all he knew was playing hero with his friend.

"I still can't believe I met you here. You used to tell me you wanted to become a leader of a gang when you become an alpha one day, and now you're the owner of your own shop. It's really good to see you, Takemichi."

"Yeah, well I sure did spout some nonsense when I was a kid, huh?" Takemichi's laugh became slightly strained as he rubbed the nape of his neck. "So, what brings you to my shop, Kaku-chan?"

With the prompt, the said man looked like he recalled why he came there as he brought out his wallet and answered, his voice still retaining a mellow tone.

"Ah, right. Two red bean and one custard taiyaki, please." 

"Two red bean taiyaki and one custard taiyaki, coming right up!" 

Takemichi flitted to the waffle pan and brushed the mold with a light coating of butter before pouring in the batter on all three molds, the pan sizzling upon contact. He then turned to get the red bean paste, the custard, and the strawberry cream filling, put a generous dollop on the center of the mold, poured a small amount of batter to cover it up, before closing the lid and flipping to the other side.

"You must like taiyaki a lot, Kaku-chan," the raven haired omega looked over to where the other was and beamed at him. 

Kakucho rubbed his nape and ducked his head, pink dusting his cheeks before he spoke up.

"That isn't for me actually. It's for Mi– my friend. He's the one obsessed with taiyaki. It's what he eats for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

Takemichi scrunched his eyebrows in worry. "That's not healthy at all."

"That's what I always tell him, but he's unfortunately hard headed. And he told me to get him some this late in the evening when most of the pastry shops are already closed," Kakucho then looked up, turning serious. "But I'm glad he ordered me to, since I was able to meet my childhood best friend again." 

Takemichi's mouth opened in a small gasp at hearing the other's words, before his lips upturned to form a big smile. 

"I'm really glad we met again, Kaku-chan! Maybe this time, we'll get to spend more time together. Just catching up and picking up things where they last left off!" 

"I'd be glad to, Takemichi."

That was then that the alarm rang, signifying that the taiyaki was finished, so Takemichi excused himself from the conversation with a smile and opened the lid, the smell of butter, red bean, strawberry cream, and custard coalescing and coating the room with the sweet aroma. 

Takemichi then put the cooked taiyaki into their respective glassine paper before setting it all down to a rectangular box and giving it to Kakucho.

"Here's the pay–"

"This one's on me, Kaku-chan!"

Kakucho raised his eyebrows in question, confusion swirling in his russet eyes. 

"But–"

"It's to commemorate our unplanned reunion. Seeing you again made this day a whole lot better, Kaku-chan!"

"You're still as generous and kind-hearted as ever, Takemichi. I'm glad you still haven’t changed."

Takemichi's smile faltered for a second before plastering an even brighter one than before to cover his slip-up. 

"Anyway, it's getting late now, and I don't want to keep you for long. I bet your friend's waiting for his taiyaki. Come by my shop and let's catch up some other time, hm?"

Takemichi left the counter when Kakucho nodded his head in thanks to accompany him to the door, and waved with a warm farewell and a promise to meet again. 

"Here, Mikey."

Kakucho handed the box to his boss as soon as he arrived at one of their headquarters. 

"You look happy today, Kakucho. Did you meet a woman that finally swept you off your feet?"

It was Ran who spoke up in his low yet teasing voice, lounging on the sofa while he had an arm over Rindou's shoulders. Kakucho gave him a cold look before answering, 

"It's none of your business who I meet up with during my free time, Ran. And seeing your face this late in the evening took the ounce of joy I had in me."

"That's cruel of you to say, Kakucho," Ran placed a hand on his heart in faux hurt. 

Clicking his tongue in distaste, Kakucho tuned out the rest of what the other was saying.

"Kakucho, where did you get this?"

All heads turned back to Mikey who was still munching on the taiyaki.

Kakucho was surprised to see that two of the four taiyakis were already gone, while the third one was already reduced to half.

Was he that hungry?  

"At Fuwakumo . The owner is by the name of Hanagaki Takemichi," Kakucho rubbed the nape of his neck, debating whether he should say it out loud, but since it was Mikey he was talking to, he realized he didn't mind too much.

And it would provide a buffer for Takemichi when the other Bonten members find out he's friends with him. 

"He's actually a precious childhood friend of mine who I lost touch with when we were young and I had to move cities. I kept hearing good reviews of the shop, but I didn't have any inkling that it was owned by him."

There was a beat of silence where everyone just watched Mikey stare holes into the taiyaki, not once uttering a word and face void of any emotions. 

"... how do you find the taiyaki, Mikey?"

There was another pause before Mikey spoke in sotto voce.

"It's delicious."