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Chapter Text

Takemitchi died in Mikey’s arms for the last time. Takemitchi died and didn’t expect to wake up. Except he did. And this was so wrong.

He did everything he could to save his friend, sacrificed so many good futures to save one person. He tried until the end and almost succeeded. He wanted to think that the tears in Mikey’s eyes were genuine, that he would become a better person, even if Takemichi wouldn’t be here to see it. He trusted the others to help him, to be at his side like they all promised long ago.

He hoped he would die at peace. But even this simple request, fate didn’t grant it to him.

So when Takemichi opened his eyes to find himself in a dark alley and not in his house, he let himself -for the first time- break. He screamed and cried until his throat was sore, until he didn’t have any tears left. He exhausted himself and fell asleep.

The second time he woke up, he was still in the alley, but there were hints of light in the sky. He looked up, the stars were shining bright and even in his miserable state, Takemichi let himself admire without a care in the world.

He was tired, so tired, he wanted to rest, to close his eyes and never woke up. But if death didn’t want to open their door to him, then he would respect this decision and continue to go on.

He would try to understand what he failed this time and made it work. He didn’t care about how many other timelines it would take, at the end, he will have his happy ending. Takemichi was maybe not good at fighting, but he was stubborn and would never give up.

He was a grown man in his teenage body, he was a crybaby who took too much punch for his weak body, but he wouldn’t break. He refused to let fate win. 

“You can do it,” he whispered to himself.

Nobody came to him while he was unconscious, or if it was the case, they didn't care enough to wake him up. Slowly, he got up on his feet.

He would try to save everyone, Draken, Kazutora, Izana, Hinata, even Kisaki. And Mikey of course. Everything for Mikey. But first, he needed to know at what point he was in the timeline. He searched in his pockets, hoping to find a phone. 

“Haha!” he said triumphantly when he showed the device to nobody. That wasn’t the same phone he had in his other timelines and Takemitchi frowned. Was it someone else's phone?

He was almost certain he had never seen this model before, even in a further time line. He pushed on the button to turn it on and saw the date.

July 4th 2004.

He sighed in relief, he was at the very beginning of the timeline. Which means he could save everyone! 

“Thank god.”  Still curious, especially because he didn’t wake up with his friends like it had been the first time, Takemichi tried to find more answers. He opened his gallery, hoping to have some info of the owner of the phone but there weren’t any photos in it. It was blank. 

“Huh, that’s weird.” Kind of confused, and starting to feel uneasy in the alley, he decided to go to his house. His parents weren't here so he didn't need to rush, and yet, he has the strange urge to hurry.

As he was walking towards his house, Takemichi turned his head towards a vitrine and froze. With the reflection of the moon he could catch a glimpse of his own appearance. And what he saw wasn't’ normal at all.

Instead of his dyed blonde hair, they were entirely black, his original colors. But what really threw him off was that he didn’t look like his fourteen teenage body. He looked at least sixteen which was impossible because they were in 2004.

The feeling of uneasiness grew even more and Takemichi started running towards his house. His thoughts were a big mess, trying to understand something that couldn’t be understood. It just didn’t make sense! Did it mean that everyone was two years older too? Or was he the only one to have aged?

He didn’t have any contact on his phone, even his friends’ one and he didn’t remember their numbers so he couldn’t call them. He had to wait tomorrow to see them and have his answers. The best for now was to go home.

But here is the fact, when Takemichi reached his small house, there was a car, and it wasn’t his parents' one. Worse, Takemichi didn’t find any key on him, and the door was closed. 

“Shit,” he muttered. All the windows were closed, so no slipping in. He could feel despair and a headache coming and he forced himself to calm down. There was a way to go in, he was certain… 

“What I didn’t think sooner,” he groaned, heading towards the door again. He always has a second key hidden under the flower pot. He lifted the pot, expecting to find the little key…there was nothing.

Takemichi sighed once again, trying to hold back his tears. That’s when he heard sounds coming from the house and a light popping from one of the rooms. Hope bloomed in his chest, and for a second Takemichi thought that his parents were finally here. The door opened, an unfamiliar face frowned at Takemichi. 

“Huh?” the young man said dumbly. The person who opened the door was a man around his fifty and Takemichi was sure he didn’t know him. Lost, he didn’t say anything or moved and soon the man glared at him. 

“Who are you, what do you want? Are you a thief?” he asked with a threatening voice. Whatever trance Takemichi was in, he broke off and blinked.  

“D-Does the Hanagaki’s family live here?” he stuttered. The old man stared at him like he was stupid and pinched his lips. 

“Don’t you know how to read? This is Kenom's family that lives here. I don’t even know a Hanagaki, so get out!” he shouted, slamming the door to Takamechi’s face.  The poor young man stumbled back, almost falling on his ass. He didn’t understand, he couldn’t understand.

Why was a stranger living in his house? Where were his parents? And why didn’t he have any contact on his phone? That was as if Takamechi never lived here, but it wasn’t possible right? This time, he couldn’t prevent his tears from falling.

He left the house, his head low. The rest was a blur, he wandered in the street, uncertain of what to do. He couldn't show himself so late at one of his friends' houses and he didn’t have any money to buy a hotel.

He just knew that at one time, too tired to move anymore, he curled on himself on the floor and slept.

Waking up for the third time was painful. It wasn’t the light of the sun who woke him up but a punch in his ribs. As soon as he received the punch, Takemichi opened his eyes, grunting and trying to catch his breath. He looked at his assailant, it was a policeman. 

“What are you doing in the middle of the street? You’re blocking the way!”  The man shouted, a group of people with annoyed looks behind him. 

“Sorry,” Takemichi apologized, getting up and keeping his head towards the floor. He didn’t want to get in trouble,and without any idea where his parents were and without a home, going to the police station would be a pain in the ass.

Instead he fled before the policeman could say more. Once he was sure that he wouldn’t be followed, Takemichi stopped and tried to gather his thoughts. The only lead he had for now were his friends, and he knew where he could find them.

Usually, they would be at the arcade, spending the morning together. He was often late and they waited for him there, then they would go eat at the park. Takemichi, tired from the night and hungry, headed toward their usual place.

He hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday and his stomach was rumbling. He hoped his friends could lend him some money to buy food.

Finally in front of the arcade, the young man closed his eyes and breathed in and out. He stepped in, and looked around. He catched a glimpse of purple’s hair and Takemichi laughed. They were here!

He walked to them, and instantly noticed that they still looked fourteen. He didn’t understand why he was the only one who was older, but for now, he didn’t care. He was sure that his friends could enlighten him on the situation.

Waving at them, Takemechi called their names. 

“Hey Akkun, guys! How’re you?” His friend turned his head towards him and frowned. Caught off guard by such a reaction, Takemichi slowed down. His shouting attracted the attention of his other friends who eyed him and Akkun. 

“Do you know this guy, is it a friend of yours?”  Takuya asked Akkun who shook his head. 

“No, I don’t think so? Excuse me, what’s your name?” His friends were looking at him curiously, probably wondering why an older guy was talking to them. Takemichi froze, as lost as them. Did his friends not remember him? How? Did it have a connection with the old man living in his house? 

“Takemichi Hanagaki, don’t you remember me?” His voice was quieter than usual, as if the words didn’t want to come out of his mouth. To be honest, his throat was kind of dry. Akkun rubbed the back of his head, seeming uncomfortable. 

“Huh, it doesn’t ring a bell. Are you in the same school as me?” Takemichi had the horrible feeling that he wasn't. Shaking, the young man stepped back. He had to leave, now. 

“S-Sorry, I mistaken you for someone else,” he apologized and turned back. 

“But he knew my name,” Akkun muttered to one of his friends.

Takemichi ignored them and left the arcade, finding himself alone in the city once again. He felt like he couldn’t breathe, as if his lungs were burning. He needed to calm down, to search more, but his body wouldn’t let him.

Tears were obstructing his vision and he couldn’t care less. He wanted his friends, he wanted his home, he wanted to understand what was going on.

How was it possible that there weren’t any hints of his existence? There should be one. There had to be one. He couldn’t let despair win.

For the rest of the day, Takemechi searched and searched. He went to his school, but they didn’t find his name anywhere. He tried to go to the city hall, but once again, there was any registration for him. He didn’t have any ID card in his clothes, only a phone. But even that couldn’t lead him to anything.

He was screwed, so screwed. He saw some of his other friends from the Toman gang but didn’t dare talk to them. None of them looked older, some even met his eyes but they didn’t recognize him.

He did all he could do to have more information on this timeline, but it wasn’t easy. And so, as the sun was disappearing from the sky, Takemichi stopped looking for clues.

Deep down, he knew what was happening, but his conscious side refused to acknowledge it. Because accepting the truth that was accepting hell. He refused -after all the hard work he had done- to return to the starting point.

But did he have the choice? Did he have the choice before ?

No. He never had.

Since the first day he died, Takemechi was doomed to this suffering.

God, he wanted to scream, to cry until he hadn’t any strength left. Instead, he stood up, and looked at the shining moon. 

In the middle of the street, alone, Takemichi accepted the few sentences that would seal his new life. This wasn’t a new timeline. It was another universe.

And Takemichi Hanagaki didn’t exist in it.  

Chapter Text

The fact of being in an alternative universe where you didn’t exist was that you didn’t have time to pity your fate. You had to restart from the beginning, especially if you wanted to eat.

That was the current preoccupation in Takemichi’s mind. After two days spent alone, without anything to fill his stomach. The young man decided he needed to find a job. Only after gaining some money, and having somewhere to sleep that wasn’t a dark alley, would he focus on saving Mikey.

Well, if Mikey still did need to be saved. After all, if he never met Hinata, then Kisaki never turned jealous and never planned to join Mikey gang. Well, there was still Sanzu's concern, but Takemichi wasn’t still certain about that matter. He didn’t really know how to save the man, if it was even possible.

But as he said it, that wasn’t the main focus for now. What’s suck with having no ID card and no home was that finding a job was hard. Even more because Takemichi wasn’t technically an adult yet. It left only a few options to gain money.

Firstly, prostitution, it was something common even for young teenagers, but Takemichi really didn’t want to have sex with some pedophiles. Heck he was still a virgin, he refused to lose it to a nobody pervert. So, selling his body wasn’t an option.

The second one was to work for a drug dealer or a gang, but illegality wasn’t something he wanted to deal with. If he was caught, there was a hundred percent positive he would end up in jail. And working for a gang was too risky, if he was hurt, he didn’t have any way to treat his wound.

And if there was one thing Takemichi knew too well, that was how untreated wounds hurt.

The last solution was trying to be hired in a background bar. With his look, he could lie and tell that he was eighteen instead of sixteen, and with a bit of luck, it would pass.

Now was the dilemma, which bar should he ask to? He knew some that might accept him, but most of them were ruled under gangs. And even if he wouldn’t work for them directly, he feared to end up meeting one of his old friends. 

“Why can’t life take pity on me?” Takemichi whined. It’s already been two hours since he was wandering in the city, unable to choose a bar. At this rate he would starve in the street before getting a job.

He slapped his cheeks, making himself jolt. He was twenty six, he worked in a CD shop, Takemichi knew how to work! It wasn’t the time to give up!

With a renewed determination, Takemichi stepped into a dusty bar where there weren't any clients. It was a small building with only some tables and chairs here and there. A man around his thirty with tattoos on his neck and tan skin was wiping a glass to the counter. He raised his head and frowned at Takemichi. 

“Need something, lad?” he asked with a deep voice. Takemichi gulped and tried to look confident. He stepped forwards and nodded. 

“Yeah, actually I’m looking for a job,” he replied without stuttering. The man lifted an eyebrow. 

“Aren’t you too young to work?” he replied back. The young man tried to make himself look taller and deepened his voice. 

“I’m eighteen,” he announced. The barman scoffed, not buying his lie. 

“Yeah, sure. Go home, kid.”  He waved with his hand as if he was talking to an animal. Takemichi’s face sombered, a glint of despair in his eyes. 

“I don’t have a home. Please, I really need this job,” he begged. The man eyed him with something akin to pity in his gaze. He noticed the poor state Takemichi was in, the bags under his eyes and sighed.

“Do you know how to wash dishes and serve people?” he asked.  The young man nodded, his face brightening. 

“Yeah, it’s not my first time doing it!” he said without thinking. The man stared at him and sighed once again. Obviously, Takemichi had already worked in a bar when he was an adult , not a child, but the man didn’t know that. 

“I’m Mez. You will work from 7PM to 12PM. I can’t make you work when you’re at school,” he explained. Takemichi smiled, any hours would have been alright for him. 

“Thank you, though, if you want me to work sooner I don’t mind. I don’t go to school,” he said, not noticing the look Mez gave him. “I’m Takemichi Hanagaki! I’m pleased to meet you, Mez. Or should I say Boss!” Mez shook his head and pointed at the stairs behind him. 

“There’s a room with a bed upstairs, you can sleep here if you don’t have anywhere else to go,” he offered. The young man’s eyes were made of stars at this point, and it didn’t take long for tears to appear in it.

Takemichi believed in kindness, but he knew that it wasn’t offered to everybody. And him, a loser stuck in his teenager body, receiving it? He felt overjoyed and a bit guilty.

Mez, seeing the young man starting crying, frowned with worry. He didn’t know what Takemichi was living through at home to make him leave, but he was hundred percent sure it wasn’t the kid’s fault. He looked too innocent and weak to be a delinquent or whatever troublemaker.

Mez wasn’t the kind to be fond of someone, but he could already see himself liking this kid. When a hand ruffled his hair, Takemichi jolted, looking wide eyed at the older man. 

“Go take a shower, there's one in the room behind me. I’ll cook you something,” he said, pointing at said room. Takemichi nodded, and asked awkwardly if the man didn’t have clothes to land him. Mez acquiesced and brought him some pants and a shirt too big for Takemichi, but the younger one didn’t mind.

When the hot water hit his naked body, Takemichi moaned. He never thought he would miss the shower so much. And he lived in the street for only two days. He was lucky that he succeeded in finding a job at the first try. And he even gained a room with that! Maybe fate wasn’t so much of a bitch finally. 

“Nah, who am I kidding?” He laughed, relieving his stress. Now that his situation had been taken care of, he could focus on Mikey’s case.

First, he needed to know how the situation in Toman was, and what Kisaki was doing. Which was easier to say than to do, he didn’t have any friends or contact to gather information. He couldn’t either go and ask them, he was a stranger to them and would only freaked them out.

And to be honest, he didn’t really want to gather attention on himself this time. If he could act in the shadows, like in spy’s films, he would be happy. Helping his friends without them being aware, even if it means they would never know what he did for them.

Takemichi didn't want to be acknowledged by others, or at least he didn't feel the need to. But if he wanted to help them, he needed first to become stronger.

His body was too weak, and even if he didn’t like violence, he knew he had to used it one day or another. If he was able to defend himself at least, that would be okay. He wasn’t sure he would have another chance if he failed, so dying was a no no. And Takemichi was tired of dying anyway. 

“I can do it, I know I can,” he muttered to give himself courage. Once he was finished to shower himself, he joined Mez at the bar. The man had prepared a plate of eggs and beacons with a glass of water for him.    

“Eat, you look like you’re about to die. And we need to buy you new clothes, you look ridiculous like that,” he snorted. Takemichi blushed in shame, taking a bite of his plate. It wasn’t food from a five star restaurant, and yet Takemichi ate it like it was perfect. 

“Mnew clothes? But I don’t havfe money,” he said with food in his mouth. Mez rolled his eyes and waved. 

“I’ll pay in advance and I’ll deduct it from your salary, alright?” Takemichi swallowed and took a sip of water. Mez was really a kind man. That wasn’t everybody who would agree to pay for a new employee, even more if they weren't even sure if they knew how to work well.

Mez lent him a bundle of bills that Takemichi took with great caution. 

“Here, go buy some clothes. Oh and also a toothbrush. In exchange, you start this night, is it okay for you? You’ll have two other people working with you, they should come later,” he explained. 

“Oh alright. Thank you once again for all the things you’re doing for me, you don’t know how much it means to me. I’ll make sure to repay you for your kindness!” he said, bowing his head. Mez ruffled his hair once again and Takemichi pouted, making him laugh.

Once he finished his breakfast, he left to go shopping. He was very careful to spend Mez’s money correctly, buying only the thing he really needed. At one time, he saw Akkun and his friends from afar.

His chest tightened when he saw them laughing, knowing well that he wouldn’t be part of it anymore. It was hard to imagine them living a life where Takemichi was only a stranger and not their bestfriend. But he was a grown man and couldn’t let himself drown in self pity.

Instead, he avoided them, taking another path.

When he came back to the bar at 6 pm, his other colleagues were here. He met Alice and Kim, two older women around their thirties too. He learned that Kim was the wife of Mez and worked with him for seven years already. Alice was a foreign student, who worked here to pay for her studies. Takemichi wondered if she wasn’t too old to be a student but didn’t make a comment.

They taught him all the things he might do, and tonight Mez decided that he would wash the dishes. Takemichi accepted, he didn’t mind being behind the counter with Mez, like that he could learn more about the man.

The night went well, the clients were between 18 and 40, even though most of them were grown up adults rather than young ones. Alice and Kim were really good servers, all the clients looked at them, chatting and laughing with them. Mez talked most of the time with the older men sitting at the counter, but when there was no one, he talked with Takemichi.

He told how he met his wife, how his youth was. The kind of thing that Takemichi considered cute but would have been laughed at by the Toman gang. Don’t misinterpret him, they were cool, but also a bunch of dumb teenagers.

Anyway, at the end of the night, Mez told him to go to sleep and he did. His first day had exhausted him, but it was more the context of all of it than the work which tired him.

For an entire week, Takemichi only did two things. The day, he would go to the park, or somewhere empty and would train his body. He ran until he was out of breath. He did push-ups until his body was screaming at him to stop. He boxed the air, trying to remember what kind of gesture the gang did.

In only seven days, his condition had greatly improved, it wasn’t to the point where he could fight any members and win, not at all. But at least, if he took a beating, he knew it would take  longer to make him unconscious.

The night was dedicated to his work, he finished later some days but didn’t care. He wasn’t even paid for his extra hours, well not every time, Takemichi had insisted that it was his way to repay for the room. Mez had huffed the first time, but after trying to go against Takemichi’s stubbornness, he gave up.

He was too old for this shit was what he said.

And moreover, the young man was delighted to work with the two women. They were great company, and even though they treated him like a kid sometimes, he got along very well with them.

Finally, the best thing about his job was that there were sometimes some gang members as clients. For now he didn’t recognize any of them, even if he noticed some logos from gangs he encountered in another timeline.

He spied when he could on their talk, trying to gather information on the current state of the different gang, but for now, there wasn’t anything that interested him.

But heck, Takemichi was a patient guy, after all he did puzzles, so he could wait!

And then, on his ninth day of work, fate finally decided to help him. Takemichi was washing a glass as news clients entered the bar. By reflex, he lifted his head and froze, recognizing two teenagers who made his life a hell. 

“What the fuck?” he muttered. Mez eyed curiously but Takemichi ignored him. His gaze was focused on fucking Kisaki and Hanma. 

Chapter Text

Staring wasn’t polite, but for once Takemichi didn’t care at all. How could he, when the main source of his problems was right here? He never thought he would see Kisaki and his sidekick coming to the bar he worked at.

Heck, he didn’t even think he would see Kisaki going to a bar at all. Well, if he was in a gang it wasn’t surprising, but surely it wasn’t possible, right? Takemichi never met Hinata in this universe, so the blond kid couldn’t be jealous of him.

So why was he here? And with Hanma. The two boys sat at the bar, Hanma eyeing him curiously. Takemichi raised an eyebrow, daring to say anything. The young man smirked and turned his head towards Kisaki.

Mez went to take their orders- two cans of coke- and Takemichi lowered his head, focusing on his task. 

“So, how does it feel to be at the head of Valhalla? The next step is Toman, right?” Hanma teased Kisaki, poking his cheek. The younger man slapped his hand away, huffing. 

“Stop talking about that in public,” he scolded. Hanma grinned, playing with his earrings. 

“What? Are you scared someone will snitch?” Kisaki rolled his eyes, sipping his drink with an annoyed expression. Takemichi, who was listening, lifted his head, meeting Hanma’s eyes.

He saw a malicious glint in the other man’s gaze and the black-haired man stiffened. He had a very bad feeling. The young man leaned towards him, showing all his teeth. 

“Hey gorgeous, will you snitch on us?” he asked. Takemichi blinked, caught off guard. Kisaki glared at his friend and then, looked at the older man for the first time.

“What?” Takemichi said eloquently. Kisaki snickered and the black-haired man almost wanted to slap him. He really tried to bear the younger boy, but it was hard. This kid was such a dick, only because he wanted a girl’s love. 

“This guy is the head of the Valhalla gang, and he plans to expand his territories, won’t you snitch? Are you part of a gang yourself? What’s your name, beauty?” Hanma insisted. Takemichi almost wanted to gag at the flirty name.

He didn’t remember Hanma being so bold before, but he didn’t talk much to him after all. Kisaki glared at Hanma, Takemichi was sure that if they were alone he would have hit him. Mez, who was talking to another client, glanced at him. 

“Hum, no I’m not part of a gang. And I won’t snitch cause I don’t care,” he replied boldly. He didn't know from where this confidence came, but he wasn't against it.

Maybe because he was older than them, even physically, or because he was stronger than before -not from much- but he wasn't scared of them anymore. Or maybe dying by the hand of the scariest man he knows made all the others seem weak.

Anyway, Hanma grinned like a mad man and laughed at Takemichi's antics. Kisaki seemed offended by what he said and refused to look at him again.

"Ah? I think I like you, you're funny. So tell me, what's your name?" Hanma asked again. Takemichi really didn't want to tell him, even more if the man was interested in him. It would only bring him bad things. He tried to ignore the two teenagers, but the older one wouldn't let him alone. 

"Why don't you want to tell me? Are you a wanted man? Or maybe shy?" Hanma teased. God, Takemichi understood why women hated men hitting on them. He glared at the boy, and turned to Kisaki. 

"Could you tighten your leech on your dog, he's annoying me," he said with a bitter smile. Hanma gaped and Kisaki -surprised- scoffed. Now, the two teenagers were focused on him.

Takemichi, finally realizing what he said, turned red. It didn't talk like that usually, that was so rude of him. And moreover, the two guys were Mez's clients. 

"Oh fuck- Ah Sorry, forget that," he apologized in shame.

"Nah don't, I like when you bite." Hanma winked at him, and Takemichi wished he would die on the spot. He didn't think he was prude, but being on the receiving end of sex jokes was new to him. Mez, taking pity on him, called out to them. 

"Hey guys, leave my waiter alone, you're distracting him from his job." Takemichi looked at his savior with gratitude. Mez smiled lightly at him, and then stared at Kisaki and Hanma, telling them he meant it. 

“Aw too bad, we’ll see you again, mystery boy,” Hanma announced, following Kisaki outside. The younger one looked a last time at Takemichi with a calculating gaze. The black haired man raised an eyebrow and the blond huffed, leaving the bar for good. 

“Man, teenagers and their stupid hormones,” Mez sighed. Takemichi couldn’t agree more. 

“Thanks, they wouldn’t have left me alone.” The older man waved his hand. 

“It’s nothing. Finish the dishes and then you can finish your day,” he said. The younger one nodded. When he was finished, he ate the food Mez made for him, went to brush his teeth, and then went to bed.

Lying in his bed, Takemichi’s mind reminisced about what he learned.

For a reason or another, Kisaki was still at the head of Valhalla, and planned to take Mikey’s place. But why? What happened this time?

Obviously, Takemichi couldn’t go and tell everything to Mikey, if the man didn’t trust him when he was his friend, it wouldn’t work as a stranger either.

He only had two options : Being friends with Kisaki and convincing him to stop this madness. But Takemichi didn’t believe he would be able to do it.  Kisaki was smart, smarter than him and would surely see his plan before Takemichi could start.

So it only left the second one : getting stronger and being able to save his friends at the crucial moments. He wouldn’t prevent the fight against the two gangs, but at least would prevent the serious injury or worse, death.

That wasn’t ideal, but it was better than nothing. And if Kisaki and Hanma continued to go to the bar, he might be able to gather some useful information. He wasn’t the strongest, nor the wisest, but if there was something that Takemichi had, it was tenacity.

He fell asleep, numerous plans in mind, but only one ending. A happy ending. 

~~~~~~

After a month of working and training, Takemichi could say it proudly, he could now fight without being beaten. His body suffered a lot, and the nights at the bar were sometimes hard, but it was worth it.

When he lifted his shirt, he could see the faint outline of his abdominal muscles. He could run longer without being out of breath. And he knew some punch who could make someone K-O.

Obviously he didn’t try on anyone yet, he wouldn’t beat anybody without a good reason. And he also needed to buy a hoodie and a mask to cover his face, he really didn’t want to be recognized by anybody.

His first target was Kyomasa, Takemichi learned through Hanma and Kisaki that he was still doing his underground battle. And even if he didn’t talk with Akkun and his other friends anymore, he still wanted to help them.

That’s why he planned to catch him alone and beat the shit out of him. He wasn’t going to kill him, he wouldn’t even imagine it! But if he could scare him enough to make him stop terrorizing weaker teenagers, that would be fine.

Talking about Kisaki and Hanma, the two boys wouldn’t leave him alone. He didn’t understand what he did to gain their interest, but they would always come to the bar at least two times a week.

And so, when Takemichi saw them enter the bar, he sighed. Hanma instantly grinned and Kisaki kept his bored expression. 

"Heya gorgeous, how're you tonight? Still don't want to share your name?" He teased, taking the seat right in front of him.

The young man shook his head, instead turning toward Kisaki who nodded at him. It wasn't in a friendly way, just polite. Takemichi nodded back, he wasn't a rude person after all. 

“You have a lot of free time for a delinquent, don’t you have some people to bully?” Takemichi instead asked. He noticed some weeks ago that Hanma was a real chatterbox when the black haired man showed interest in his activities. That’s how he gained all his information. 

“Nah, Kisaki’s waiting for now, so I’m bored. But he promised action in some week!” he said with a delighted expression. If Takemichi guessed right, he was talking about the whole Kyomasa’s affair and the fight between Mobius and Toman’s gang.

That’s why Takemichi needed to get rid of the boy before he did some damage. Hanma leaned towards him with a devious smile. 

“Why? You want to join us, I’m sure we could have a good time,” he smirked. Kisaki and Takemichi huffed at the same time. They shared a glance and the blond scoffed. 

“You’re asking a lot of questions for someone who’s not in a gang. Are you not scared of being hurt?” Kisaki asked, wanting to look threatening. Unfortunately for him, Takemichi had seen worse and wasn’t impressed by his little act. 

“Scared of you? Not really, I mean, don’t you consider me as a friend? And you wouldn’t hurt your friend right?” he asked back. Kisaki had a bashful expression while Hanma laughed, putting a hand on Takemichi’s shoulder. The position was kind of awkward with Takemichi from a side of the counter and Hanma’s the other. 

“Yeah, mystery boy’s right, we’re friends!” he said loudly and some client turned their head towards them. Kisaki pinched his nose, putting his glass in place. 

“I don’t do friends,” he spat. Takemichi couldn’t hold back, he laughed. These two boys -especially Kisaki- were so ridiculous!

He didn’t know if he really considered them his friends for now, but he wasn’t opposed to the idea. Was their personality a bit different from his own universe? Or had they always been like that?

Whatever the answer, Takemichi was ready to give them a second chance. He has always been a forgiving person, and this boy hadn’t done anything yet. He smiled, his first friends in this universe were his first enemy in another. 

“And soooo, friends do know each other's name, right Kisaki,” Hanma winked at the blond. The younger one paused with a calculating gaze, and nodded slowly. Takemichi instantly knew he was doomed. 

“Yes, you’re right,” he turned to the black haired boy. “As a friend, I really like to know your name, mystery boy,” he said, emphasizing the friend. Takemichi sighed, that’s not like he could hide it from them forever.  

“Takemichi Hanagaki,” he said simply. Hanma beamed and Kisaki hummed. 

“Your name is gorgeous, like you.” Takemichi rolled his eyes, even though his cheeks were a bit red. He wasn’t used to being flirted with. 

"I guess you're not bad either," he tried to compliment. If he felt like it was the right thing to do. The look that Hanma gave him was worth it. 

“Are you finished with your petty flirting? We have things to do, Hanma,” Kisaki scolded. Takemichi thought he saw a glint of jealousy but it couldn't be. What could Kisaki be jealous of?

Oh.

Oh.

“Ah, you’re pretty too, Kisaki,” Takemichi praised innocently. He really meant it, the two boys were beautiful compared to him.

After all, he had always been plain and dull, that's why he had dyed his hair, but it didn’t work, people finding it even more ugly. Finally he kind of liked his original color hair. He didn’t feel the need to attract other people's attention after all. 

“W-what? Stop joking, I’m serious, come Hanma,” Kisaki spluttered, the tip of his ears red.

He pulled Hanma by the sleeve and left the bar. Takemichi waved at the older one who was grinning like a maniac. What a funny duo. He resumed his job and once finished, went to his bed. This night, he slept wonderfully. 

~~~~~~~~ 

A week after, he had his first day off. Exceptionally, Mez had authorized him to go outside tonight and that Alice would take his place.

After training for the whole week, he needed the rest. He decided that he would enjoy the night, wandering in the city. He hadn’t any aim in mind. He just wanted to feel the fresh air on his face.

So, Takemichi walked in the street with a melancholic expression. He looked at the market he knew would disappear in a few years. The place where a new building would be built. He recognized faces, saw friends that weren’t anymore.

He closed his eyes and breathed. And then, he heard it, a muffled groan. He felt a shiver run down his back and an alarm in his head screamed ‘danger’. But even if he knew that he might get hurt, he couldn’t let other people get hurt.

He headed towards the small alley from where the sounds were coming. By precaution, he put the hood of his sweat on his head and put a medical mask on his mouth. (He always had one on him, just in case).

He approached silently, wanting to take by surprise the aggressor. As he was nearly in the alley, he finally pictured what was happening. Many members of the Mobius gang were threatening a young girl and boy.

Takemichi didn’t even think, he ran. 

Chapter Text

So here, running into a battle without any plan wasn’t a good idea. Takemichi, as usual, acted before thinking.

As soon as his fist knocked with a jaw, he knew there was no turning back. At least, he took everyone by surprise. The Moebius’ gang looked at him wide eyed, someone shouted. 

“What the fuck, who are you?!” Takemichi didn’t respond, he didn’t have the time.

The person he punched was ejected to the floor, the guy blinking at him dumbly. The young man threw his knee in his face, knocking him down unconscious.

Four left.

Two of them were standing next to the couple, but Takemichi couldn’t reach them, the two others right in front of him. He gritted his teeth and rushed to the one on the left.

The guy stumbled back in fear, Takemichi would have kicked him in the stomach if his friend hadn’t come to rescue him. The other guy succeeded in punching him in the ribs with his fist. 

“Gnn..,” Takemichi grunted. He bent a little with the pain and used it as his advantage, kicking his opponent 's leg with his own. The boy went on one knee, and the black haired man kicked him in the balls. 

“Arrgg!” the Moebius’ guy screamed, putting his hands on his crotch. Takemichi flinched, the pain had to be cruciating.

His friend tried to punch him at the head, but he dodged at the last second. Fortunately, his training had also sharpened his senses. His opponent, not expecting to miss, froze for a second. Takemichi didn’t wait, he elbowed him in the stomach, making him gag.

Three out of action, two left.

His gaze went to the two boys who looked enraged. They were glaring at him, in a combat stance. One of them had a pipe in his hand and Takemichi knew that one blow could send him to the hospital. He needed to be careful.

He glanced at the couple, they were on the floor, shaking in fear. Takemichi tightened his fists, if something happened to them he wouldn’t forgive himself. 

“You mother fucker, we’re going to crush to death,” one of them snarled. Takemichi scoffed, he couldn’t let his fear appear. 

“Come then,” he taunted. The one without a weapon shouted and rushed to him. He was aiming for his head, and Takemichi dropped to the floor. He grabbed the ankle of his opponent and pulled. The man was heavy but the young man was strong enough to make him fall on the floor.

He got back on his feet, he kicked the guy in his ribs and face several times. He didn’t feel any joy in the act, it was him or them. He was focused on the guy on the floor and didn’t see the other one sneaking behind him.

“Watch out!” the girl screamed. Takemichi turned around but couldn’t avoid the pipe which harmed his arm. 

“Fuck!” Takemichi groaned in pain. He didn’t think it was broken but it would surely bruise. 

“Take that you bastard!” the last Moebius’ guy mocked. He had a smug look on him and wasn’t taking him seriously. Takemichi didn’t have any weapon on him but it didn’t make him lose hope. He could beat the guy with only his fists.

He analyzed his opponent quickly, the man was huge but his defenses were low. He could see a lot of openings, if he could avoid the pipe, then it was a win for him. He fainted to go for his stomach and the guy protected it with one hand, the other swinging his pipe to his head.

At the last moment, Takemichi stepped to the left and threw his fist on his chin. His enemy’s had his mouth open and he bit his tongue, blood splashing everywhere. Some of it landed on the black haired man’s face that he wiped with his hand.

The big guy was holding his chin with his hands painted in red. Takemichi, without an ounce of sympathy, swung his foot in his balls. The man whined, and went on his knees.

He was playing dirty, but they started first. He punched the last time the guy on his nose, making him see stars.   

“S-Stop,” he begged. 

“Go, all of you, and I’ll spare you,” Takemichi said with a cold voice. The five guys watched him fearfully and fled with some of them limping.

Once he was certain they wouldn’t come back, Takemichi turned towards the couple. He looked closely, they seemed familiar… A girl and a guy attacked by Moebius' gang, where did he already hear that? He searched in his memories. 

“Oh shit,” he mumbled. That was Pah’s friends, the ones that were beaten and raped. Thinking about what could have happened to them, Takemichi regretted that he hadn’t been more harsh with his opponents. He helped them to stand up, both too shocked to do it alone. 

“Are you alright, did they hurt you?” he asked, eyeing them worrily. The guy shook his head. 

“N-No, you saved us. Thank you,” the girl said, bowing. Takemichi waved his hands, his cheeks turning red. 

“Don’t, it’s not necessary. Just, be careful, okay? Being friends with a gang can be…dangerous,” he said. And without waiting for an answer, he left.

Even if his face and hair were covered, he didn’t want to be noticed by Toman. There was a high chance the couple would talk about what happened to Pah, and then the man would tell Mikey.

The less they knew about him, the best it was. He returned to the bar, he needed to treat his wounds and he didn’t want more troubles. When he came in, Mez raised an eyebrow. 

“Already back?” he asked. Takemichi nodded, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. 

“Yeah, er, do you have some bandages?” Mez frowned, there weren’t a lot of clients and so, he signaled him to come with him. The young man followed to the backroom. Here, Mez turned towards him, bandages in one hand and cream in the other. 

“Show me, I’ll do it,” he ordered. Takemichi obeyed without a word. He lifted his sleeve, discovering the extent of his injury at the same time as Mez. The older man sighed, taking his arm in his hands.

“So…what happened?” he asked while treating his wound. Takemichi told him everything about the fight, he didn’t see a reason to lie. The man had been kind enough to accept him in his bar, Takemichi owed him at least that. 

“What you did was very brave, but you need to think of your safety too, alright? I wouldn’t like to lose my best element,” he joked, winking at him. Takemichi laughed, a small smile at the corner of his mouth. 

“I’ll try,” he promised. That wasn’t what Mez wanted to hear, but he could manage with this for now. He ruffled Takemichi’s hair who pouted and told him to go to sleep. As soon as his head touched the pillow, the young man fell asleep. 

~~~~~~

The next day was disappointing. Because of his injury, Takemichi couldn’t train like he wanted. Each time he used his arm, the pain came back. And the night, when he prepared himself to do his job, he didn’t have another choice to lift his sleeve to avoid getting his clothes’ wet.

Anyone who looked at him could see the bandages on his arm, and even if for now he only got curious looks, Takemichi knew it wouldn’t be long before someone talked.

Said someone who entered the bar, heading towards him immediately. The young man sighed, feeling a headache coming. Hanma and Kisaki sat on the chairs at the counter right in front of him, the taller one with a grin and the other one with a smug look.

At least, they seemed to have a good day. 

“Hey gorgeous, did you miss us?” Hanma asked, trying to caress his locks but Takemichi avoided him. The man pouted, choosing Kisaki as his prey instead. 

“Not really? I saw you two days ago,” he replied. Hanma hummed and Takemichi turned his head to Kisaki.

“Hey. Good day?” he asked. But Kisaki didn’t meet his gaze, focused on his arm. Well, it had to happen one way or another. 

“What happened to you? Someone beat you?” the younger man asked, finally meeting his eyes. Hanma’s attention turned to his arm, frowning at it like he had been insulted.

“No…er, yeah? It’s nothing,” Takemichi said, shaking his head. Kisaki scowled, seeming annoyed. 

“Who was it? Your parents? A gang? We can take care of it for you,” he offered. Takemichi paled. Why did they seem to care so much? And why always choose violence? 

“He’s right, I would be delighted to beat some guy for you, love,” Hanma purred. Takemichi blushed, embarrassed. Why did the man have to use such ridiculous surnames?

But yet, the young man was touched by their words. Not the fact that they wanted to beat some guy, but that they wanted to beat some guys for him. In a way, it meant that they care, right? Takemichi smiled slightly but sincerely. 

“Thank you, guys. But don’t worry, they have already been taken care of,” he explained. They looked at him with surprise. 

“Someone already beat them for you?” Kisaki asked, with something akin to jealousy? Takemichi couldn’t tell them that he was the one to beat them. 

“Yeah, that’s right,” he said, not realizing the mess he put himself in. Kisaki and Hanma shared a look. Hanma leaned on the counter, his face two inches from Takemichi’s. 

“Oh? And who’s this savior, darling? We would like to thank him,” he announced with a grin. Takemichi gulped, an alarm screaming ‘too close!’ in his head. His two friends seemed suddenly dangerous. 

“I don’t know, he appeared suddenly, beat the guys and disappeared, I didn’t see his face,” he lied. The tension lessened and Takemichi sighed. Hanma returned to his seat, never stopping to smile. 

“You should be more careful, Takemichi. It could be a stalker,” Kisaki warned. The young man blinked. What a strange idea, a stalker? Nothing was special about Takemichi that would bring him a stalker. He laughed, finding the idea ridiculous.  

“Right, a stalker. Did you see me, Kisaki? I’m not interesting enough to have someone following all my movements. But thanks, I appreciated the concern.” The younger man looked like he just ate a sour lemon, his lips pinched and his brows furrowed. 

“Whatever you like to think,” he mumbled, focusing on his drink. Hanma patted his back, rolling his eyes at Takemichi. 

“Don’t mind him, he doesn’t like being refuted. Anyway, avoid fights if we’re not with you, ok? If we could, we’ll spend our whole time with you, but school and duty calls us. You know how it’s like, adult’s job,” he showed off. Takemichi scoffed, right, as if they knew what an adult's work really was. 

“Between the three of us, I'm the only one who’s paid,” he mocked. Hanma’s confidence didn’t flatter.

“True, but if you become my husband, then I’ll have money too,” he flirted with a wink. Takemichi’s face hesitated between turning red or white. Husband? Takemichi didn’t care about his partner’s gender, but he was certain he didn’t want to marry Hanma. 

“I bet you would do a bad husband,” the young man said back. The blond raised an eyebrow, putting one of Takemichi’s locks behind his ear.

“I would do my best, only for you,” he purred. Ok, this was too much for him. The black haired man waved off his hand and decided to ignore him entirely. He had a job to do and couldn’t let himself be distracted by these two idiots. 

“Thank you for your concern, guys. But I really need to work, we could see each other another day, does it sound right for you?” he offered. So far, he only saw Kisaki and Hanma at the bar, but if they were friends, then he could make the effort to meet them outside. Only one training day lost wouldn’t kill him. 

“Ow you made the first step! I always knew that you like us!” Hanma cheered. 

“Meet us Monday’s of the next week at this bar at 10AM.” Takemichi nodded at Kisaki. 

“I’ll be here,” he promised. He smiled at them and the two boys paid for their drinks. As they disappeared from his sight, Takemichi felt that this time, he could do it.

Chapter Text

One week later, Takemichi was ready to see Hanma and Kisaki outside of his job for the first time. He hoped the two boys wouldn’t bring him to some weird place. If they could go to the arcade or to the beach, it would be better.

Not like he didn’t trust them but he didn’t trust them. Yes, they were his friends now, but it didn’t mean it would change their true nature.

These boys would become murderers in the future, they would kill Hinata. Takemichi wasn’t an idiot, he couldn’t blame them for something they hadn’t done yet, but at least, he could be on his guard.

Foolishly, he believed that if he tried hard enough, he could change them. That was maybe his biggest flaw, Takemichi always saw good in people, even the bad ones. And since he met Kisaki and Hanma, he couldn’t help but see them in a new light.

To be honest, he didn’t even understand how they could become such bad people. They were in a gang, yes, but their personality wasn’t so bad.

Hanma was flirty and was rarely serious, always telling jokes that could make him annoying but nothing else. And Kisaki was smart and manipulative, he couldn’t deny it, but he was also protective toward his friends.

The boy could tell otherwise as much as he wanted, Takemichi saw how he looked at Hanma. He didn’t think it was love, but he cared for his friend, the black haired man was certain.

Moreover, as crazy as it sounded, he felt safe with them. He knew they were dangerous and knew how to fight, especially Hanma, but he also knew they wouldn't hurt him.

Heck, it wouldn’t make sense. They were overprotective of him, if the man was hurt, even if it was only a scratch, they wouldn’t let him go. He had to explain to them how he had his injuries.

Two days ago he had to explain how he fell in the shower and knocked his head. Takemichi didn’t know if he found it cute or overwhelming. It was kind of new to him, when he was in the Toman’s gang, it was usual for him to be hurt, so nobody really asked.

Except for Chifuyu, his partner was always worried for him. Thinking about him, Takemichi smiled fondly. How he missed his friends. Sometimes it really hurts to see them playing, laughing together while he watched from afar.

But that was the life he chose -not really to be honest- and the sacrifice was small for the future he wanted.

As Takemichi was lost in his thoughts, he heard two loud voices not far away. He looked behind, Kisaki and Hanma were chatting together, the taller one grinning like a maniac and the smaller one seeming annoyed.

The young man waved at them and Hanma, noticing him, waved back. He waited for them as they were walking towards him. Looking closely, they had their school uniforms on them.

Takemichi's first words weren’t hello, instead he blurted out, “Are you skipping school?” Hanma and Kisaki shared a look. 

“Nooo? What about you?” Hanma asked back, faking a whistle and putting his arms behind his head. Takemichi shook his head, they were obviously skipping school. 

“I don’t go to school,” he replied. They raised an eyebrow, surprised. 

“You don’t go to school?” Kisaki repeated dubiously. 

“Nuh uh,” Takemichi replied, not giving more information. Hanma’s eyes slightly widened, pointing a finger at him. 

“Wait, so you’re really an adult? That’s why you work? Maan, I was sure you were around our age,” he whined. Takemichi rolled his eyes, what a bunch of idiots. And did it really matter if he were their age or not, they were friends right?

Oh wait…will they think he is a pedophile if he’s an adult? After all, was it usual for teenagers and adults to be friends? He didn’t really know, all his relationships were…complicated. 

“I’m not, I’m sixteen. I don’t go to school for personal matters,” he explained. Hanma sighed in relief and Kisaki raised an eyebrow. 

“And what are these personal matters?” he asked. Takemichi shrugged, he didn’t like the idea of his friends knowing that he was technically all alone in this world, without any family? Though, Mez was very kind to let him shelter at his bar. 

“Nothing I want you to know, sorry. It’s not against you, guys, it’s just…I don’t want to talk about it,” he tried to justify himself awkwardly. Surprisingly, they nodded without complaining or looking at him suspiciously. 

“Soo, what do you do when you’re not in school?” Hanma asked, poking at his cheeks. Takemichi, used to his friend’s antics, let him do it. The three of them started walking with no aim in mind. 

“I train and I walk mostly.” Both boys seemed interested and turned towards him.

“You train?” 

“What about seeing your friends?” 

Hanma and Kisaki asked at the same time. They stopped, glaring at each other and Takemichi bursted out laughing. It was just so hilarious. These two found each other well. 

“Yeah, I train, because you know, I’ll never know when I’ll be attacked in the street by some thugs,” he explained with a smirk. Kisaki huffed and Hanma pouted. 

“Why do I feel like we’re supposed to be the thugs?” the taller one mumbled. Takemichi laughed, patting his back. 

“So, about your friends? When do you see them?” Kisaki asked. No sounds for an instant and then the black haired man blushed. 

“I, um, you’re my first friends…?” he said with hesitation. It was so embarrassing, he was a grown up man and his first friends were two delinquent teenagers. The two boys looked at him with their eyes wide open.

Hanma gaped, pointing a finger at Takemichi while Kisaki frowned, something akin as pity in his gaze. 

“Whaaat, it can’t be true! How can someone as gorgeous as you can only have us? I mean, at least I don’t have to share, but that’s surprising,” Hanma pointed out. Takemichi’s cheeks turned even more red, why did the guy have to say embarrassing things?

His heart was beating fast and he didn’t understand where it came from. Was he anxious that they judge him? Discover his secret? Or was it something else? He put a hand on his chest, looking at it with curiosity. He tried to find an excuse.

“Hum, I moved in recently, so yeah, I didn’t really have the time to make friends,” he lied even though the truth was kind of similar. He really had moved in, but literally in another universe. 

“Ah that’s why, after all it would be weird for someone like you to not have any friends,” Hanma said as if it was evident. Takemichi frowned, tilting his head on the side. 

“Someone like me?” he repeated. The taller boy nodded with a shrug. 

“Yeah, you’re a funny guy, you know how to fight; well if your training is really efficient. You’re chill, even with someone like me who annoys most of the people. And also, you’re really, really pretty,” he flirted, inclining his head towards Takemichi’s face. He stepped back, confused and also flattered.

His ego wasn’t big, to be honest, it was small, really small. Most of the time he rejected compliments, thinking he didn’t deserve it. But for once, he couldn’t help but feel happy to be praised like that.

Someone gripped his sleeve, Takemichi lifted his head, it was Kisaki. 

“It doesn’t matter if we’re your first friends or not, you two are the only ones I can tolerate, so yeah, it’s ok for me,” he said, for once not looking as confident as usual. Hanma threw his arms around his shoulders, ruffling his hair. 

“Ow, we love you too,” he cheered. Kisaki punched him in the ribs and the blond stepped back with a laugh. Takemichi took his hand on his own. The younger one stared at it as if it was an alien. Takemichi coughed, what he was about to do was cringe to be honest. 

“I’m glad to be your friend, behind your cold personality, you’re a great friend,” he confessed. And he really thought it, since he was friends with Kisaki, the boy had never really insulted him or tried to harm in any way. He didn’t talk a lot, but when he did, it was always interesting or relevant.

If they had been friends from the beginning, he was certain Kisaki would have been a great person. But it was not too late, the boy could still be saved from himself. And Takemichi had the feeling he was on the right track.

For once, it’s the younger one who blushed. He let go of his hand and avoided his gaze. 

“Thank,” he mumbled. And without waiting for them, he started walking towards a restaurant. Takemichi glanced at his phone, it was already 12 AM.

He raised an eyebrow, he hadn’t noticed it had already been two hours since they met. Hanma put a hand on his shoulder and turned his head towards him. 

“Come, when Kisaki is hungry you shouldn’t make him wait,” he advised. The black haired man nodded and followed him. The restaurant they chose was in the back of an alley, there weren’t a lot of people but the staff seemed nice.

Takemichi knew he couldn’t judge a book by its cover, so he entered without any bias. They sat on a table and a waiter came to take their orders. Kisaki was sitting next to him while Hanma was in front of them. 

“I’ll take a steak with vegetables, please,” he ordered. The waiter nodded and left the table. Takemichi caught Hanma staring at him and raised an eyebrow. 

“What?” 

“You chose vegetables,” the guy accused. Takemichi frowned. 

“Yeah?” He didn’t receive any answer from the boy who crossed his arms on his chest and turned his head with a huff. The black haired man turned towards Kisaki with a lost look. The younger one shook his head and rolled his eyes. 

“Don’t mind this idiot, he hates vegetables,” he explained. Takemichi snorted, he tried to hide his laughter behind his hand, but it was so stupid! His giggle soon turned into a full laughter and Kisaki soon joined him.

While Hanma made an outraged face, the young man stared at his friends with his eyes wide open. It was the first time he saw Kisaki laugh, heck, he didn’t even know the boy could.

It was surprising how his laugh was warm contrary to his cold behavior. He might have stared for too long, because the younger one caught him red-handed and turned red. 

“And you two are supposed to take over Toman, huh?” he joked, avoiding his friend’s gaze. Gosh he was very awkward. 

“Huh, you remembered that?” Hanma said. He gasped, “ Are you a true spy? Did you betray us?” he asked with faux surprise. Takemichi gasped back, his eyes wide open. 

“What? No! Of course not! Do I look like a guy who would be in a gang?” Hanma and Kisaki stared at him and shared a look. 

“Nah, you right, you would be like a sheep among wolves, not a chance you're in Toman,” Kisaki agreed. Ouch, ok that hurt.  Like, he knew that he wasn’t particularly strong, but he could still defend himself. 

“Yeah, right…” he mumbled. What an irony, he had been in Toman! Hanma leaned on the table and ruffled his hair. 

“Aw don’t pout, you may be a sheep but you don’t let people walk all over you” he complimented. Takemichi huffed and a light smile formed at the corner of his mouth. 

“And to answer your question, we’re waiting for an opportunity and it might come soon. One of our members seemed enraged against Toman. I won’t be surprised if he tries to attack without telling us before,” Kisaki explained.

So, nothing really changed, except for Kyosama’s reason to fight against Toman, everything was the same. If they were saying the truth, then they weren’t the one suggesting the man to attack Toman.  Did he already made changement by being friends with them? 

“Do you really need to fight with them? What is the point of all of this? People get hurt with your fights, and innocent ones,” Takemichi tried to reason with them. Hanma scoffed and Kisaki frowned at him. 

“You wouldn’t understand. I’m aware I’m not a good person and I won't apologize for it, I do what I had to do to have what I want. Continue to live in your own peaceful world, Takemichi, we won’t force you to follow us in our own,” Kisaki said with a cold voice.

Takemichi flinched, he knew it wouldn’t be easy but he didn’t expect such a reaction. He feared for an instant that he destroyed all he accomplished for now. If the two boys decided to stop hanging out with him now, Takemichi wouldn’t have any way to know what was happening in the delinquent’s words anymore.

Ok, it wasn’t the only reason. He also wanted to stay friends with them, he kinda grew up to like these two. He dropped his head on his chest, he couldn’t cry now. Trying to stop the tears from falling, he didn’t notice the look Kisaki and Hanma shared.

Awkwardly, a hand ruffled his hair. He lifted his head, Hanma was at his side with a smile that wasn’t a grin or a smirk for once. It seemed genuine and filled with kindness. 

“Hey, don’t worry, we won’t let you down just because you don’t approve of our…hobbies. And if you’re scared to be attacked by a gang enemy, don’t, we are here to protect you. We won’t let anyone harm our darling,” he said with a wink.

Takemichi didn’t blushed, he didn’t laugh, he smiled with tears running down his face. He was just so glad to not be abandoned once again. He wasn’t sure he could support it, being alone in this new universe as the first day he appeared here. 

“Thank you,” he said sincerely. He tried to wipe his tears but new ones were coming each time,” Ah, sorry, it doesn’t want to stop,” he apologized with a wet laugh. Hanma grinned, waving his hands.

“I think it suits you well, you’re gorgeous like that,” he flirted. Takemichi shoved him with his shoulder, a mocking smile on his lips. He turned his head towards Kisaki and the boy turned red, avoiding his gaze. He put a hand on his mouth. 

“I don’t mind,” he mumbled. Takemichi took his hand in his own, startling the younger one. The blond stared at it with his mouth agape. 

“I wasn’t judging you earlier, I just don’t like violence and wanted to understand your point of view,” he explained. Kisaki nodded slowly, taking back his hand. 

“Alright then, I guess I’m sorry for my behavior, I shouldn't have been harsh with you,” he apologized. And like that, the atmosphere became pleasant again. They finished eating, talking about light topics.

It started to turn dark outside and they decided it was time to go on their own. Leaving the restaurant, Kisaki and Hanma side by side, the two boys turned toward Takemichi. 

“Be careful on your way home, gorgeous,” Hanma said. Takemichi rolled his eyes and nodded.

“Yeah, yeah, and I shouldn’t talk to strangers, I know, ” he mocked. The taller one grinned. 

“Do you have a phone?” Kisaki asked, the black haired man nodded, “give it to me, I’m going to save my number so we can fix a next date to hang out.” Takemichi gave him his phone and gained a new number.

He was surprised that Kisaki was the one who made the first step and he felt a warmth in his chest. They waved goodbye and headed towards their home.

As Takemichi was walking, he couldn’t help the smile on his face.  

Chapter Text

As Takemichi was heading toward his “home”, he felt suddenly nostalgic and decided to take another path. It was starting to get dark outside but he could still perceive his surroundings.

He let his feet lead him to the park where his life changed. He expected it to be empty, it was not an hour where little kids usually played. And yet, when he reached the old park, there were several people surrounding the swing.

Takemichi frowned, they looked too old to be playing here. He wasn’t the kind to judge what other people could do for fun, but these guys’ faces screamed ‘assholes’. They were laughing at something, some grinning evilly. 

“Hey kid, what are you doing late alone? You don’t have friends, right? We could play with you, you’ll see, we will have so much fun!” one of the guys said with a smirk.

Every instinct in Takemichi was telling him that something bad was about to happen. He couldn’t see who was the victim of these creepy guys from where he was, but he needed to help them.

With a heavy step, he headed toward the bullies. He raised his chin, trying to look taller than he was. They seemed around sixteen.

Ok, he could do it. First talking, and if it doesn’t work, then he could beat the shit out of them. 

“Hey, can I know what you’re doing?” he called out to them. Great, he sounded like a dad. The guys turned around with round eyes. When they saw he was alone and wasn’t an adult, they relaxed and grinned. 

“What, you want to join us? Sorry, we don’t share,” one of them sneered. Takemichi stayed on his guard. He glanced at the poor kid on the swing. He caught a glimpse of black hair and grey eyes and he froze.

Shit, he knew this kid.

Naoto Tachibana was looking at him with tears in his eyes. It didn’t look like he was hurt but Takemichi couldn’t be sure.

He needed to get rid of these guys quickly and check on the kid. He focused on the group of teenagers who had stepped closer while he was looking at Naoto. 

“Listen, I don’t have time to play your silly game. Leave the kid alone, I won’t repeat myself,” he threatened. They stared at him and they laughed as if he had told some joke.

Takemichi sighed, it was going to end badly. Well, he was alone and there were four, there was little chance that he would win without any injury.

He groaned, imagining Kisaki and Hanma complaining about him being in trouble again. Maybe he was cursed and it wasn’t his fault after all. 

“Ah! As if we will! What do you think, that you can beat all of us!?” The one who seemed to be the leader shouted. Takemichi rubbed his head, annoyed. 

“Yes,” he replied. And without warning, he rushed to the closer guy. The man only had the time to widen his eyes before Takemichi punched him in his nose.

Blood sprawled everywhere. Man, how could a nose contain such an amount of blood?!

The guy fell on his ass with a stunned expression. He heard Naoto gasp and Takemichi threw him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. 

“Did he just punch Makoto?!” one of the minions shouted.        

“You’re gonna pay for that,” the leader growled, hatred in his eyes. Takemichi huffed, annoyed by all these people who made his life harder. Peace was a good thing too, y’a know.

The two shorter boys runned toward him, each one going for his sides. Takemichi gritted his teeth, he wouldn’t be able to dodge these two. To his right, the guy seemed to go for a punch while to his left, it was a kick.

The black haired man acted quickly, he protected his left side with his elbow and withstanded the blow before kicking the guy in the chin. Unfortunately, the punch from his right side came right on his cheek, promising a ugly bruise.

Takemichi glared at the guy, tears in the corner of his eyes because of the pain. He was sick of being punched. With a rage he didn’t have, he kicked hard his opponent in the knee. He heard a ‘pop’ and the guy screamed in pain, holding his knee with a contorted face.

To be frank, Takemichi didn’t have the heart to feel pity for him. The guy he had kicked in the chin had recovered and was staring at him with murder intent. Takemichi dashed behind him and slammed him on the floor with his weight.

The guy’s air was cut off and he choked on his saliva. Takemichi hesitated on slamming the guy’s face against the floor until he was unconscious, but it seemed too violent.

Instead he gave him a blow behind his head, giving him at least a headache. He stood up, proud of his work, when he heard a cry. He raised his head towards the sound and his eyes widened.

The leader of the gang had Naoto in a chokehold. The poor boy was crying now, distress showing in the way he was biting his lips until he bleed. He was clearly trying to stay strong, but he was scared to death.

Their gaze met and the kid’s gaze screamed ‘help’. Takemichi nodded with determination. He glared at the taller guy, snarling at him. 

“Let him go for god's sake, he’s only a kid.” The guy laughed like a bad villain in the film. 

“You beat my guys, I’m gonna beat this kid and then your dirty ass,” his opponent replied with a grin. What was this problem with psychopath’s teenagers?! 

“Let. him. go,” he growled. The other guy smiled. 

“No,” he whispered. And then, he started to strangle Naoto. This time, Takemichi panicked for real. He stepped forward, but the guy tutted him. 

“ah ah, if you step forward, I won’t only beat him, I’m gonna kill him,” he threatened. Takemichi wished he could say it was a bluff but he wasn’t certain.

Gangs were on another level of violence, after all, he had saved many of his friends from death (often he failed). So what tell him this guy wouldn’t dare?

He reached a deadlock. If he didn’t do anything, Naoto would be beaten up, and if he acted, the kid might die.

The tears that wanted to be spilled were genuine. But he couldn’t not give up, he couldn’t flee and let Naoto face this situation alone.

The boy, this marvelous boy who helped him so many times in another universe deserved to be saved. Takemichi had a debt to pay. If only the boy could distract his opponent…

“Hey Na- kid, trust me, okay? Everything's alright, I need you to be strong,” he said, almost saying his name. Naoto didn’t know him, Takemichi had to play the role of a stranger.

The younger boy nodded slowly, but it was hard for him, who was literally suffocating. Takemichi looked around him, for something which could help. He didn’t have the time to call the police or look for someone in the street.

He couldn’t permit himself to fail, it was probable he didn’t have his time travel power anymore. If he failed, it was game over for real.  He eyed the guys on the floor, and an idea, a horrible plan started to form in his head.

He hated what he was about to do, but that’s not like he had the choice. He walked toward the guy laying on his face and put his foot on his neck. He stiffened under him, moaning in pain. His opponent eyed him warily. 

“What are you doing?” he spat. Takemichi looked at him coldly while inside he was sweating profusely. 

“If you don’t release this kid now, I will break your friend’s neck,” he bluffed. The leader paled and the guy under his foot started whimpering. 

“You’re kidding, right?” the leader asked, not so confident anymore. 

“No, no, no, Reiki, don’t let him kill me, please,” the other one sobbed. His friend looked at him worryingly. He tightened his hold around Naoto’s neck, trying to look sure of himself.

“I know you’re bluffing,” he said smugly but his voice was slightly shaking. Takemichi, apologizing inwardly, put a bit of weight on the neck.

The guy was a mess at this stage, his face covered with snot and ugly tears. His breath was erratic, at the limit of a panic attack. To be honest, even if he was a jerk, Takemichi hated himself for what he was doing. 

“I’m not joking. Let the kid go and I will release your friend,” he bargained. 

“Reiki, please!!” his friend shouted, he was pale as a corpse. His friend made a ‘tsk’ and finally let go of Naoto. The boy fell on his knee, wheezing. 

“You’re happy? Now, let my friend go,” Reiki mumbled. 

“Step away from the kid and I’ll leave you and your guys alone. Oh and if you don’t leave as soon as I join the kid, I’ll beat all of you until you can’t walk,” he said. Reiki nodded angrily, stepping away from Naoto.

Takemichi lifted his foot, and quickly went to the kid’s side. He kneeled next to him, helping him breathing while glaring at the four boys.

Reiki helped his friend to stand up, and with a last glance at the black haired man, left. Once he was sure that they wouldn’t come back, he focused on Naoto. 

“Hey, are you alright? What’s your name? You’ve been very brave,” he said while checking on him. He pulled Naoto’s hand from his neck and looked at the nasty purple mark around it.

Fuck, what a bunch of psycho to do this to a child. Naoto wiped his tears, looking at him with admiration.

“ ‘M fine, I’m Naoto Tachibana, and you?” he asked, his voice a bit hoarse. Takemichi, relieved, sighed and ruffled the younger one’s hair. The kid blushed but didn’t throw the hand away. 

“I’m Takemichi. Here, what about I’ll accompany you until your home? I don’t want to leave you alone in the dark, they could still come back. And I need to explain to your parents what happened, it's partly my fault if you were hurt,” he said, extending a hand out to him.

Naoto took it shyly, wincing on his feet. The older man helped him stay stable, he wiped the dirt on his clothes. 

“Do you think you can walk or do you need me to carry you?” Naoto bit his lips and shook his head. 

“I can walk,” he said. Then, he touched Takemichi’s cheek, ”you have a bruise here, doesn’t it hurt?” he asked curiously. Takemichi smiled, Naoto was really a kind kid. 

“Yeah, it's kind of itchy. But I’ll treat it when I’m home, don’t worry,” he reassured. Naoto nodded and led him to his home.

They walked while chatting. Takemichi asked Naoto’s question from which he already knew the answer but it didn't bother him. As long as he could talk to his friend again, he was happy. 

“So, are you in a gang?” Naoto asked. Takemichi frowned, why was everyone asking him that? He shook his head, glancing at the younger boy who was looking at him expectantly. 

“No, I don’t even like fighting. I just learned some moves to protect myself…or other,” he explained. Naoto’s eyes shone brightly and the boy took his hand on his own. Takemichi tilted his head on the side, curious but not complaining and Naoto blushed. 

“You’re like a hero, fighting for the weak. I hope I can be like you someday,” he said dreamily. Takemichi felt oddly touched. He stopped walking and the boy did the same.

He turned to him face to face and gripped his shoulder. He was taller than him and  had to lower his head. Moist in his eyes, he smiled. 

“You’ll be better than me Naoto, a true hero, trust me,” he inhaled, “I’m sorry for failing, so sorry,” he sobbed quietly.

The younger boy didn’t really understand what he meant but patted him on the back awkwardly. Takemichi’s heart ached, this kid was so brave and precious. He promised inwardly to Hinata that he would give his life for her younger brother. 

“Are you often bullied like that?” he asked, he knew that it was recurrent in his own universe, but he needed to know if it was the same here. Naoto shuffled on his feet, avoiding his gaze. 

“Yeah, I don’t have many friends, so people like to pick on me” he mumbled. The black haired man bit his lips, if only he could be always here to protect him. No, if only people could stop being dick and pick on others.

Takemichi wasn’t a naive person, he knew that they were bad people everywhere. But sometimes he wished life could be easier, that everyone could live in peace with each other. 

“I could be your friend if you want, and if someone bothers you, you can call me and I’ll beat their ass for you! Um, do you have a phone at least?” he said with an eager voice.

Ok, that was a low thing to do to get in contact with him, but he really missed Naoto. And he meant if, if the younger boy called him because he had trouble, Takemichi would come help him.

He looked at his face and wow, the boy was a blushing mess with the happiest expression he had ever seen. 

“Really, you want to be my friend? Am I not too young? And yes, I have a phone,” he said so quickly that Takemichi almost asked him to repeat.

Takemichi rubbed his head, was it a problem if they had an age gap of three years? Did it make him uncomfortable? 

“Well, I’m new in town and don’t have many friends either, so I don’t really mind the age difference. But if you don’t want to be friends with me because I’m older I would understand.” 

“No! um, I mean, I do not mind either! I really want to be your friend too!” Naoto replied. Takemichi’s eyes softened and he looked at him with fondness. He took his hand in his own hand and shook it. 

“Then it's a deal, we’re friends now,” he announced. They smiled at each other and resumed their walk. It took them ten more minutes to finally reach Naoto’s home.

Takemichi felt a bit nervous about meeting Naoto’s parents but he couldn’t let the boy come home with a bruise with no explanation.

Naoto knocked on the door and took out his key but suddenly the door opened. A familiar girl with a frown appeared. 

“Naoto, where have you been!?” Tachibana Hinata asked with worry. Takemichi’s breath hitched. Of course it had to be her to open the door. Ok, he could do it. Her gaze shifted to him and she squinted her eyes. 

“And who are you?” she asked with suspicion. Alright, maybe he couldn’t do it.

Chapter Text

Takemichi gulped, right in front of him was his ex-girlfriend who didn’t even remember him. She had a stern look, eyeing him as if he was a threat. It hurt a bit to see the judgment in her eyes, but Takemichi understood.

He was a stranger with a big bruise on his cheek, and Naoto was hurt too. Did she think he was the one who hurt her little brother? Would she slap him on the cheek like she did with Mikey long ago? 

“Um, Hello, I’m T-Takemichi,” he stuttered. She could be very scary when she wanted. Naoto was looking at his sister with a frown. He gripped her sleeves, trying to gather her attention.

She turned her head toward him, but he didn’t have the time to open his mouth that she gasped. 

“Oh my god, what happened to you!?” she asked with worry. She glared at Takemichi. “Are you the one responsible for his bruise? Because I’m going to kill you if you are,” she threatened.

Oh god, he was doomed. He stepped back, his hand in the air and sweating profusely. Fortunately, Naoto came to his rescue, stepping in front of Hinata. 

“He didn’t hurt me, if he hadn’t been there, I don’t know if I would be still alive. He saved me, he’s a hero!” he shouted, a bit too loud. Takemichi turned red, embarrassed but also very grateful.

Hinata’s mouth formed a perfect ‘o’ and her gaze switched from Naoto to Takemichi. Suddenly, she bowed. 

“I don’t know what happened, but thank you for saving my brother’s life!” she thanked. Takemichi wanted to die, right here, right now. He should be the one bowing, and apologizing for letting Naoto be hurt. 

“No, please don’t bow. I just did what everyone would do,” he replied, hiding his face with his hands. His ex-girlfriend was really perfect. She shook her head, taking his hand in her own, a sincere expression on her face. 

“Please, let me thank you properly and heal your bruises,” she pleaded. And Takemichi, weak as he was, nodded. 

“Alright,” he sighed. Both Naoto and Hinata seemed delighted. They entered the house that Takemichi knew by heart. It didn’t seem their parents were here. He sighed in relief, he wasn’t sure he would be able to face them.

Hinata made them sit on chairs around the table. She disappeared for several minutes and came back with a first-aid kit. She sat in front of her little brother and turned toward Takemichi. 

“I’ll take care of him first and then I’ll treat your wound,” she said. He nodded eagerly, Naoto would always be the first priority, no matter what. 

“I hope the bruise will fade quickly, I can’t stand seeing a kid being hurt,” he replied. Naoto pouted at being called a kid and Hinata smiled at him. They reached an agreement silently.

As long as Takemichi was ready to protect Naoto, he was welcomed here. Inwardly, he promised himself to also protect Hinata. Both Tachibana’s were sunshine on this earth and deserved to live long and happy. 

“Soo, will you tell me what happened?” she asked both of them. They shared a glance, and Naoto nodded. 

“I was at the park, and these guys came and picked on me..then Takemichi appeared and beat them! But one of the guys started to strangle me, and you know what Takemichi did!?” he said with admiration. Hinata shook her head. “He threatened the guy with stepping on the neck of one of his friends! And he finally released me and they fled!” He finished his story.

Hinata ruffled his head, finishing to put medicine on the bruise. 

“Well, I’m glad Takemichi was here to help you. Were you scared, did you cry?” she asked with a motherly tone. She was always like that, attentive to others, full of kindness. The black haired man saw Naoto blush in shame and took pity on him. 

“He didn’t even cry, he was very brave. You can be proud of your brother,” he said, winking at the younger boy who was looking at him with amazement. Hinata huffed and stuck out her chest. 

“Oh but I know I can be proud of him, he’s the best little brother that anyone can dream to have,” she announced. Naoto hid himself in shame and Takemichi laughed. Soon, she joined him. How he missed this.

She put a bandage around her little brother's neck and kissed his forehead. Naoto groaned but there was love in his eyes. She stood up,  and sat in front of him. So close, he could see every detail of his face, the lovely colors of her eyes, the beauty spot on her cheek.

She was the person he always knew but also different. There was a poor chance that they would be together again in this universe, but at least, Takemichi wished he could be her friend.

As long as Kisaki was still interested in her, he needed to watch over them and do anything he could to save them. If only the blond could stop loving her…

He watched her as the woman he loved, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. And when he opened his eyes again, she was Tachibana Hinata, the girl he just met, the older sister of Naoto, and someone he hoped he could spend time with as friends.

He couldn’t live with regret, he had to move on and that’s what he intended to do. 

“So, where do you live?” she asked casually while she was examining his cheek. They were alone together, Naoto right in the next room, preparing drinks for all three. 

“Um, I’m new in town and I don’t have much time to search for an appart, so I live where I work,” he explained. Hinata raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Oh, you work? Aren’t you too young? And where do you work?” she interrogated him. Takemichi almost felt like a suspect in a murder case. 

“Well, I’m sixteen, but I needed money, and there’s a bar who accepted to employ me, and um…because I didn’t have a house, the bar owner offered me to use one of the rooms,” he explained awkwardly. He wasn’t ashamed of his current situation, as long as he had a roof over his head, he was happy.

But the fact was that his situation was suspicious. He had no ID, no family, he was underage and he always found troubles with gangs. He was almost curious as to why Hinata hadn’t yet asked him to leave. But ah, it wasn’t as if she knew all of that. 

“Oh alright, I guess you had a hard life, and I understand if you don’t want to talk about it. But if someday you feel like talking, I’ll be there,” she said so sincerely that Takemichi started crying.

He couldn’t understand how someone could be so kind. He didn’t understand why someone would go as far as to kill her. Hinata was the kindest soul on earth, she was strong and open minded. She never judged someone on their wrongdoing, she always tried to understand first. And she always followed her heart on what to do.

Takemichi wished he could be as courageous as her. The younger girl, facing Takemichi’s tears, didn’t panic, didn’t sneer, she took him in her arms. And the black haired man tightened his hold around her. He felt her body against his own, her warmth, her breath on his neck and he felt alive. And she was alive too.

And with this confirmation, Takemichi weeped. Naoto came back with tea and coffee, and when he saw the state the older man was in, he frowned. 

“Is he ok?” he asked his older sister who shrugged. 

“I think he will be, eventually. Maybe he had a hard day? He looks tired,” she said with a touch of worry. Naoto nodded and he stepped forwards, ruffling Takemichi’s hair. The older boy looked up with snot and tears running down his face. And he offered him a shaky smile.

He was indeed tired, and had been for a long time. But if everything went right, he would soon be able to rest peacefully. Slowly, he wiped his tears and got out of the embrace. He gave a sorry smile to Hinata and Naoto, embarrassed of his little burn out. 

“Sorry, I have a lot on my mind recently and sometimes it’s hard to cope,” he apologized. Hinata shook her head and gave him a cup of tea. 

“Don’t, it’s normal. You seem to be an interesting person Takemichi, would it be ok for you if I come see you sometimes at your work? I could bring friends with me, if it doesn’t bother you!” she offered hastily.

And what could Takemichi do except shake his head? She was the one offering to see him again, she wanted Takemichi’s company. Fate, for once, was on his side. 

“No, no at all, you can come whenever you want! In general I work at night, here’s the address,” he said delightedly. He wrote the name of the bar on a piece of paper and gave it to her. Naoto glanced over her shoulder to read and blushed madly when she caught him. 

“I know what you’re thinking, and it’s no,” she said sternly. Naoto crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Oh come on, why not? Can’t I see my friend too! I won’t even drink!” he defended himself. From what he could decipher, Naoto wanted to come to the bar too. Well, he was kind of on Hinata’s side, bars weren’t for young teenagers, and with members of gangs coming to his own in particular, it could put them in a dangerous situation.

However, in the past month, he gained the respect from the regular clients and maybe they would protect the Tachibana siblings if they saw them with him. 

“He can come, I won’t serve him alcohol, don’t worry. And I’ll find you a table apart from the other clients,” he offered. Naoto smiled smugly, challenging his sister to say otherwise. She glared at him but there wasn’t any real hate in it and sighed. 

“All right. But if I find my little brother drunk one way or another, I kill you,” she said to Takemichi with a playful grin. He laughed softly, nodding. He looked outside and it was pitch black.

“Oh crap, it’s really late, I need to go to the bar, Mez will be worried!” he shouted. He sounded like a scolded child like that and blushed a bit.

He was a grown man, he shouldn’t feel rushed…but Mez had done so much for him, he couldn’t just disappear without keeping him updated. Naoto and Hinata looked through the windows and they shared a look. 

“You could eat with us, as a thank you for saving my brother and my parents can drive you home if you want! You can text Mez and tell him you'll be late,” she offered. Takemichi considered the offer but it was really late and he was kind of exhausted.

“I really need to go home, but thanks for the offer. We could do that another time? Or you could come to the bar and I’ll pay for your meal!” Takemichi prayed inwardly that they would accept. 

“Yeah sure, why not! But you don’t have to pay, we have enough money! And not to be rude, but working in a bar and living in it doesn’t give the impression that you have…well, money,” she said. And wow, it was rude, but it wasn’t as if she wasn’t wrong. 

“Right, well, see you soon…I hope?” He started heading towards the door, putting back his shoes. Naoto and Hinata were right behind him. 

“Yeah sure! See you soon!” she replied. Takemichi opened the door and stepped outside. 

“Good night,” he said. 

“Good bye!” the Tachibana siblings said back. They waved at him as he was walking away. He waved back, looked a last time at the two figures and headed home. Even though he was bruised, Takemichi considered it to be a good day.

He gained more than he lost for once. 

~~~~~~

Pah-Chin wasn’t the type of person who gets worried easily. Being one of the founders of a gang didn’t really give you a choice. He needed to be tough and to never let weakness be shown on his face. That’s how he acted for years.

But for a month now, he started to feel like his strength deflated. He had an anger in him that he didn’t know how to deal with, he was anxious for his friends and moreover, he was curious. Terribly curious about the mysterious shadow that was beating members of gangs alone.

That’s why, when Mikey pinched him on the arms and frowned at him, he knew that his facade had broken. He was at a shop, minding his own business, when Mikey and Drake appeared and asked him to follow them. Which he did.

And now they were at a park, with no one around, Draken glaring at any kids that would want to come play now. 

“So, Pah, what’s happening? You’re weird lately and it’s boring,” Mikey whined. Draken had his arms crossed on his chest, rolling his eyes at the leader’s antics. Pah sighed. 

“I don’t know, it’s just, one of my friends and his girl were assaulted a month ago,” he started to explain. Draken raised an eyebrow and Mikey frowned. 

“Your friends were assaulted?” the taller one repeated. Pah chin bit his lips and shook his head.

“They were almost assaulted by some guys from the moebius gang. But my friend told me about a guy, they didn’t see his face because he was masked, but he saved them. He beat the guys and ran away as soon as he was sure my friends were safe,” he explained. Draken and Mikey shared a gaze, curious. 

“He beat all the guys alone and ran away? Is he in a gang?” Draken questioned. Pah chin shrugged.

“He was hurt in the fight, but yeah, he beat all of them. And I don’t know if he’s in a gang or not, my friend mentioned something strange, apparently the guy who saved them knew they were friends with us, or at least gang’s members,” he replied. Draken rubbed his head with a thoughtful look. 

“Well, it’s weird, is he a spy? Or a kind of vigilante?” Mikey grabbed his sleeve and pulled. 

“He looks fun, I want to meet him!” he ordered. Draken sighed, shaking his head. 

“You can’t, we don’t even know his identity, dumbass.” Mikey pouted, punching him on the shoulder. Draken glared but focused once again on Pah chin. 

“If you gain more information on this guy, come tell us right away,” he said. Pah chin nodded and Mikey and Draken turned away.

As he left on his own way, he wondered if he would meet this mysterious guy on his own. After all, he really wanted to thank him for saving his friend. Pah chin could be a lot of things, but he would always remain polite.

Chapter Text

“Who did this, this time?” Kisaki asked and Takemichi groaned. He was sure they would overreact. It was only a little bruise, hell, Hanma always had worse wounds and they didn’t say anything about it.

So why when it was Takemichi they had to act as if someone tried to murder him. Don’t misunderstand him, it was very flattering to see they cared so much, but the thing was that he was treated like a child. And he was the older one!

Couldn’t they let him breathe for once? Takemichi finished wiping the plate with a sigh.

“It’s nothing, really. You don’t need to be worried, I took care of these guys,” he said. Kisaki glared at him, not liking being kept in the dark. 

“Takemichi, we saw you yesterday and you were fine, how could you get hurt in such little time? Do you participate in underground fights at night?” Kisaki questioned. Takemichi rolled his eyes, as if he was interested in getting beat up to a pulp.

It wasn’t his fault if he found himself always in trouble. And to be fair, yesterday’s fight was worth it because he had the chance to meet Hinata and Naoto. He hoped they would come see him soon.

Not that he was bored with only Hanma and Kisaki’s company, but the two boys couldn’t always be here, and sometimes they were a bit too much. He looked at Kisaki, sincerity in his eyes.

“No I don’t. I was just helping a kid from bullies, I got punched in the process but it’s not like it hurt,” he replied. The blond nodded slowly, accepting his explanation.

Hanma, who had been quiet for now, stroked his wounded cheeks with a disappointed sigh. Takemichi, used to his touchy friend’s behavior, let him do it, not bothering himself to slap the hand away. 

“I really don’t like to see your lovely face getting bruised, darling. You should be more careful,” he complained. And even though Takemichi knew the boy wasn't serious, he couldn’t help the blush on his cheeks. 

“Both of you are not in the best situation to tell me to be careful, of the three of us I’m not the one in a gang,” he taunted. Hanma smirked and leaned over the counter. 

“Well, maybe you should join us, you’ll be over the top, at my side. You could be my king,” he flirted with a wink. Takemichi laughed and pushed Hanma’s head who was near his own. Kisaki scoffed, drinking his soda. 

“Should I remind you who's the leader?” he said with an implied threat. But instead of retreating, Hanma grinned and leaned over him. 

“What? Do you want to have Takemichi as your king too? Are you jealous?” he teased. If a look could kill, Hanma would already be a pile of dust. 

“No, why would I? Do you have a death wish?” Hanma shrugged, turning back in his seat. 

“Who wouldn’t want to have Takemichi as his king? Are you saying he's ugly? Are you insulting my darling?” he said with false hurt. He took one of Takemichi’s hands on his own, startling  the man who almost dropped a glass. He took a puppy look and faked wiping a tear at the corner of his eye.

They both looked at him and Takemichi felt suddenly awkward. Should he play along with Hanma or should he scold him and be on Kisaki’s side? Will the younger one hate him if he takes Hanma’s side?

See, that’s why he thought these two could be too much sometimes. 

“What about I stay my own king? No better, what about I’m not a king and just a bartender, that’s cool too,” he said while turning around to put the glass with the others and taking a tray to serve.

It’s been a week since Mez had decided that he was doing a good job and offered him to also be a server. At first, Takemichi hesitated, fearing he would mess up with the clients, but Mez proposed to increase his salary.

And Takemichi was in a great need of money, so what could he do other than accept?

As he was going to the other side of the counter, Kisaki and Hanma followed him with their gaze. 

“Well, I don’t mind if you stay a bartender as long as I can be your intimate client,” Hanma whispered when he walked next to them.

Takemichi gasped loudly, and covered his mouth as soon as the sound escaped him. Kisaki sipped his drink, lowering his head and pretending he didn’t know the taller one. 

“A problem Takemichi?” Mez called from the bar. The black haired man paled and shook his head. 

“No, no, everything’s alright!” he replied. His boss nodded and went back to talk with a client. Hanma chuckled and Takemichi whipped his head towards him. 

“Please, shut up. And it’s not with a behavior like that that you will get to be my urgh…intimate client,” he hissed. Hanma whistled and twirled one of Takemichi’s locks with his fingers. 

“Do you prefer if I play the good puppy?” he purred. Takemichi slapped his hand away and ignored him, heading towards a table where clients were waiting.

“Stop acting like a dick, I don’t want to be canceled from this place because of your bullshit,” Kisaki growled to Hanma who pouted. Takemichi smiled inwardly, thanking the younger one for trying to help him.

Kisaki was one of the few who was able to contain Hanma and Takemichi shouldn’t get on his bad’s side. As he was passing next to them again, he leaned toward Kisaki with a genuine smile. 

“Thank you,” he murmured. Kisaki didn’t reply but his ears were slightly red. The boy was kind of cute when he was embarrassed. Hanma, who was sipping his drink with a dark face, eyed them with curiosity.

“Eh, what are you mumbling you two?” 

“Nothing,” Takemichi replied, sticking out his tongue. Hanma’s eyes widened and he tried to grip him from the sleeve but the black haired man dodge out. 

“Hey, tell me darling, you’re not playing fair!” he whined. 

“That’s what you get for picking on me!” Takemichi scolded him a bit too loud. Mez eyed him and the black haired man smiled innocently. He returned behind the bar and rubbed his head, he was still tired from yesterday.  

“Takemichi?” Kisaki asked. The older one raised his head and tilted it on the side.

“Yes?” The younger one was staring at him strangely and Takemichi wondered if he had something on his face. He ignored Hanma who was complaining next to Kisaki and instead stared back with curiosity. The blond opened his mouth and instantly closed it back.

He seemed troubled, as if he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure if he could or not.

“Did you want to say something?” Takemichi insisted. Suddenly Hanma quieted and looked at his friend. Kisaki shook his head and avoided his gaze.

“Nothing, just be on your guard, there’s a lot of tension between gangs currently, don’t get caught in a fight,” he said and stood up. He went to pay for his drink and Takemichi and Hanma stared at him dumbfounded.

His behavior was very strange but Takemichi knew better than to harass his friend until he told him what’s wrong. He could only wait and hope that someday Kisaki would tell him what he originally wanted to say. 

But anyway, Takemichi pondered about what his friend said. The tension he was talking about was probably about his gang and Toman. Even if Takemichi saved Pah’s friends, it was probable he still resented Moebius for trying to hurt them. 

“You comin’ Hanma?” Kisaki called, already heading toward the exit. 

“What, already?” the older one complained but he still stood up. “Well, good night gorgeous, have sweet dreams of me,” he winked. Takemichi rolled his eyes. 

“Hey Kisaki!” he said. The blond turned around with an eyebrow raised. “Good night. And don’t worry, I’ll be careful, promise.” Kisaki nodded.

“Good. Rest well Takemichi,” he said back. And his two friends left. Takemichi returned to his task, he had a lot to think of.

~~~~~~

It took a week. A week for Takemichi to break his promise. Today, he was going to kick some ass. When he wasn’t working at the bar, he was training outside. The outlines of his muscles were appearing, it was faint and not as impressive as some guys in Toman’s gang, but it was better than nothing.

As long as he could beat Kiyomasa without getting hurt in return. Not that he really mind getting a bit hurt if he could take him down, but the thing is, Kisaki and Hanma would again bother him about his bruises.

So, if he got hurt tonight, there was only one solution, disappear the time for the bruise to heal and come back after. His friends would interroge him, but at least they would never know that he was in a fight, again…

Anyway, when Takemichi wasn’t working or training, he was spying on Kiyomasa. It wasn’t easy at first to find him, but with a little perseverance, he finally found him in a quiet street with some of his friends.

Since then, he tried to gain information on him and where he could find him in general. And that’s how, yesterday, he heard him say there would be a fight tonight at their usual place.

Thinking about how many times Takemichi and his friend suffered because of these guys made his blood boil. They should never have tried to form a gang, that had been a stupid mistake. But now, Takemichi wasn’t weak anymore and he could fight back. He would put an end to Kiyomasa’s unfair fights and save his former friends from future pain.

That is why he was currently heading towards the place where the fight would take place. He didn’t know who would be Kiyomasa's victim today, but they would be the last. As he was approaching the park, he could hear a lot of voices.

Takemichi hid in a corner, covering his face with a mask and hood. Slowly, he joined the people watching the fight.

Kiyomasa was at the center with another guy, he looked young, not more than fourteen and seemed frightened. He already had a black eye and was shaking. Takemichi felt pity for this poor kid and decided that it was time for him to do something.

He slowly walked down the stairs, he heard some people whisper and pointing at him with their finger, but he ignored them. 

“Hey!” he shouted to Kiyomasa. The two teenagers turned towards him, one with a glare and the other one with an hopeful expression. 

“What do you want? And what’s with these clothes, you think you’re a ninja or what?” Kiyomasa sneered. 

“I’m here to beat your ass asshole. You will never be able to bully the weaks anymore, Kiyomasa,” he said with determination.

Under his mask, Takemichi blushed, he sounded like a hero of shonen like that. Kiyomasa scoffed, and some people in the audience laughed. Takemichi tightened his fists, he turned his head towards the kid.

“Go, I’ll take care of him for you,” he ordered. The young teenager's gaze switched from Takemichi to Kiyomasa. He shifted on his feet, he clearly wanted to flee but was too scared of what the older man would do to him. 

“You move and I’ll kill you,” Kiyomasa threatened and then turned toward Takemichi. “And you, I’m going to kick your ass, you piece of shit,” he snarled. He took a step forward, and Takemichi took a defensive position. 

“Stop talking and come fight, you coward,” he taunted. Alright, in general upsetting your opponent is a really bad idea, but it could also make him less precise in their fight. And that’s what Takemichi hoped in doing such a stupid things.

He hoped that Kiyomasa would be blinded by his anger and wouldn’t notice when Takemichi would strike. 

“You're dead, dickhead!” Kiyomasa rushed to him and tried to punch him on the side of his head. Takemichi dodged, taking two steps back. Kiyomasa lost his balance and almost fell. 

“Careful, it’s difficult for an idiot like you to move with such a huge body,” Takemichi mocked. A vein pulsed on the guy’s forehead and he growled.

This time, he went for a kick in the black haired man’s legs. With an agility that Takemichi ignored possessing, he jumped over Kiyomasa’s legs. He stared at his feet with amazement before remembering that he had an opponent who wanted his death. 

“Stop running!” Kiyomasa ordered. He tried to grip Takemichi’s neck with his hand, but the man once again dodged. He runned behind Kiyomasa’s back and tried to punch him in the shoulder blades but the taller guy swirled at the last second.

Instead he took the blow in his forearms. Takemichi gritted his teeth, he was pretty sure he damaged himself more than he damaged Kiyomasa. Said-guy who was laughing at him. 

“Ha! You think you can beat me with such a weak blow? Do you hear that guys?!” he mocked, turning towards the audience. Some guys were pale and some were smirking.

Takemichi rolled his eyes, his opponents always underestimated him and had their attention easily diverted. Well, it was their fault if they were stupid. Takemichi rushed to him and kicked him in the balls.

There were gasps from the audience and Kiyomasa bent over, his breath’s cut. 

“What were you saying?” Takemichi said with a smirk nobody could see. Kiyomasa, one hand on his crotch, glared at him with so much hatred that Takemichi almost froze for a second. 

“I’m going to make you my personal punching ball,” he threatened. Deciding he shouldn’t let him recover, Takemichi launched for a second blow, but in the guts this time. But Kiyomasa gripped his wrist before he could touch him.

He tightened his grip so hard that Takemichi worried he would snap his wrist. He stood up, and his height forced Takemichi to lift his arm. With one arm unable to use, Takemichi opted to use his legs.

He put his second hand on Kiyomasa’s arm, and he used all his strength to lift all his body. In a quick movement, he swung his foot in his opponent's face. Kiyomasa, who didn’t expect such a blow, was caught by surprise and the foot exploded his jaw and nose.

He released Takemichi who fell on the floor and quickly stepped back. Kiyomasa was holding his jaw with a stunned look. He was missing a tooth and his nose was bleeding profusely. 

“So, do you yield or is it not enough for you?” Takemichi asked. He really wished that Kiyomasa would declare defeat, but knowing him, the guy would not give up until he was unable to fight.

He stared at Kiyomasa, and that’s it, the man was blinded by rage. He suddenly pounced on Takemichi, making him fall on the floor. He was straddling Takemichi, his fist raised in the air.

The black haired man knew that if he didn’t escape now, what would follow wouldn’t be pretty for him. He inhaled and headbutted his opponent. 

“Ow!” Kiyomasa’s head went backwards and Takemichi took advantage of these few seconds to push the boy and to be the one straddling him. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled. And then he started to punch him in the face.

At each blow he gave, Takemichi apologized inwardly. Even though he hated Kiyomasa and what he did, he couldn’t stand being so violent. Blood started to paint his fists and Takemichi refrained from gagging.

The more his opponent’s face was painted in red and more Takemichi wondered why he ever wanted to be in a gang. He wasn’t made to destroy, what Takemichi wanted to give was love and kindness, not this.

He stopped punching Kiyomasa, breathing heavily. For a second, he wondered if he was having a panic attack. He looked at the boy under him, Kiyomasa’s eyes were barely open and he was struggling to breath. 

“Don’t make me beat you again. If I heard you organized another fight like this, I won’t be so merciful,” he whispered in his ears.

Obviously he didn’t think a word of what he said. He couldn’t ever be more violent than what he did today, it would kill him mentally. He could only hope the taller guy would listen to him.

He stood up, letting Kiyomasa on the ground and turned toward the audience. The kid from earlier was looking at Takemichi with amazement. 

“There won’t be any more fights. Go, all of you!” he shouted to them. Some of them started to flee while some were still staring at him. 

“T-Thank you,” the kid stuttered. Takemichi didn’t have the heart to acknowledge him. What he did was horrible, he didn’t deserve any thanks.

He swirled around and left the park.

As he was leaving, he wondered if someone would help Kiyomasa to treat his wounds. He sighed, his heart beating fast.

When he was alone, he removed his mask and hood. He looked at his knuckles, they were red. He then turned his gaze to his clothes, there was blood on it. Takemichi stared at it with disgust, as soon as he was home, he would throw them in the bin.

At least, he didn't have any bruises so he wouldn’t hear Kisaki and Hanma complain. It was a poor comfort, but he didn’t have anything else.

As Takemichi was entering the bar, he realized he was exhausted. Both physically and mentally. Mez eyed him with a frown and waved at him to join him.

“Take a rest tonight, I’ll ask Alice to take your place,” he said. And if Takemichi wasn’t so tired, he would have protested and assured he was fine. But for once, he was just grateful. He nodded at his boss.

“Alright, thank you.” He went to his room, stripped off from his clothes and fell on his bed.

He closed his eyes and as he was falling asleep, he wished that today had only been a dream.

Chapter Text

“Kenchin, I want this guy in Toman,” Mikey whined as he listened to Mistuya’s report.

They were chilling at Mikey’s house when  the older boy came up with a troubled expression. He wasn’t the kind to show up at someone’s house unannounced and the two boys were right away curious. As soon as he was in the house, they sat at the table and Mitsuya started to tell what he saw.

Apparently, he heard that one of their guys was organizing night’s fights, so as one of the leaders he had to check. He explained how as he was watching the fight, one masked guy appeared and beat the shit out of Kiyomasa.

Then, how he told everyone to leave and left too, Mitsuya waited for the guy to disappear to check on Kiyomasa.

Apparently the guy was barely conscious and had his nose broken. Obviously, Mikey would fire him from Toman at the next meeting, he didn’t like people like him. But for now, he was more interested in the masked guy. 

“Do you think it could be the same guy Pah chin told us about?” Draken asked the blond. Mikey shrugged, he couldn’t be certain, but they looked similar, same clothes, especially for the mask, and both of them left without saying anything. 

“I don’t know, but I want him! He looks fun!” he said with a big smile. Draken facepalmed while Mitsuya seemed lost. 

“Sorry, but what other guy are we talking about?” he asked. Mikey turned toward him with big stars in his eyes. 

“A super guy who beat a bunch of Moebius’ guys and saved Pah-Chin’s friend! I bet we could be good friends!” the blond said overjoyed. Draken put a hand on Mitsuya’s shoulder and shook his head.  

“He’s been like that for weeks, don’t bother. Just, if you have new information about this guy, or if you can bring him to Toman, do it,” he demanded. Mitsuya nodded, still a bit lost but too tired to care. He still had to take care of his siblings when he came home. So yeah, he didn’t really have the time to try to understand these two idiots. 

“Alright, do you want me to tell the others to search for him too? Or is it something only between us?” He asked because even though he wanted to go home, he was still one of the founders of Toman. Draken and Mikey shared a glance and the taller one waited for his leader's answer. 

“Inform only our most trusted member for now,” he ordered. Mitsuya nodded once again, said goodbye and finally left.

As he was heading home he thought about this mysterious guy. He didn’t know yet if he was a threat to Toman or not, but he couldn’t deny that the man was intriguing. His way of fighting was unusual and kind of brutal and Mitsuya liked it.

Normally he didn’t like people who played dirty, but Kiyomasa was a real asshole so he didn’t mind. It was well deserved for him. Mitusya closed his eyes, he had the feeling things would soon change for Toman.

But was it in a good or bad way? He couldn’t tell yet. 

~~~~~~

Takemichi was nervous.

No, he wasn’t nervous, he was terrified.

He was working at the bar, Kisaki and Hanma at their usual place when he received a notification. He checked his phone and it was a text from Hinata. Her message was telling him she was coming in ten minutes with her little brother and a friend of hers.

Takemichi blinked. Hinata was coming while there was Kisaki. Kisaki -if it was still the same as in his own universe- who loved Hinata and killed her because she didn’t love him back. Something that Takemichi really really didn’t want to see happen again.

So, yeah he was feeling very nervous about how their meeting would go. And as if it wasn’t enough, Hinata talked about a friend. He hoped it wasn’t someone he knew, even less someone from a gang. But hey, there wasn’t any chance Hinata was friends with a delinquent, right?

Takemichi and his friends had been exceptions, not being very impressive as delinquents. To be honest, they had been closer to losers than a gang. Anyway, he didn't have more time to stress that Kisaki eyed him with suspicion and sighed. 

“Alright, what’s wrong? Why are you sweating as if you are being interrogated by cops?” he asked with a bored expression. Unfortunately for him, it caught Hanma’s attention who stared at him meticulously. Takemichi gulped and opened his mouth, searching for a lie.

Fate decided that she would make his life harder today and so, the door of the bar opened and three figures entered. Hinata and Takemichi’s gaze met and the girl waved at him with a wide smile. Takemichi responded with a timid small wave.

Kisaki and Hanma, curious, turned around. While there wasn’t any recognition in Hanma’s eyes, Kisaki clearly stiffened. His head whipped from Hinata to Takemichi, his eyebrow raised. 

“You know her?” he asked him. Takemichi shrugged, on his guard. 

“I saved her little brother and one thing leading to another we became…friends?” He tried to justify himself. There was doubt on his friend’s face but he didn’t say anything as the three guests were reaching them.

Hinata saw Kisaki and her face lightened up with surprise. 

“Oh Kisaki, I didn’t know you were friends with Takemichi!” she said not sensing the tension among them.

Takemichi said a light hello to Naoto who was looking at him with amazement and then turned his head toward the third person. When he caught the sight of blond hair his eyes widened.

For a reason or another, Emma Sano was accompanying the Tachibana’s siblings. For a second, Takemichi feared that her older brother was here too, but he didn’t see any Mikey around.

He felt a sense of relief in him and a bit of confusion too. How did Emma and Hinata meet? In his universe it was by him being in the Toman, but not being around in this universe who took his place? They sat at the counter next to Hanma with Kisaki stealing some glances sometimes. 

“Hey Takemichi, I present you Emma, she’s… a good friend,” she said, sharing a glance with Emma. Their faces turned a bit red and Takemichi frowned. But not wanting to be rude, he extended his hand to the girl. 

“Hi, nice to meet you!” she shook his hand with a pleased expression. 

“Same, Hinata talked a lot about you, I was almost jealous,” she said with a wink. It piqued Takemichi’s interest, why would Emma feel jealous? An idea was slowly growing in his mind, but for now he ignored it. He clapped his hand turning towards the two boys. 

“How impolite of me, Kisaki, Hanma, this is Hinata, her little brother Naoto and Emma,” he turned to the three. “These two are friends of mine,” he said pointing out to them. Kisaki nodded in acknowledgement, clearly not at ease. Hanma waved lazily before pouting at Takemichi. 

“Just friend? I thought we were more, darling,” he flirted. Takemichi rolled his eyes while the two girls laughed. Naoto looked affronted, his cheeks slightly red. 

“I’ll consider it the day you’ll be able to charm me properly,” he joked, not taking his friends seriously.

Unfortunately for him, Hanma had seen an opportunity and took his claim as a challenge. He smirked, sharing a glance with Kisaki who sighed. Takemichi's focus turned once again on Emma and Hinata. He was very curious about her two. 

“And so, how did you meet?” he asked, very curious. Hinata smiled brightly, so much it hurt Takemichi's eyes. She took Emma’s hand in her own, it didn’t seem to bother the other girl. Emma was just looking at Hinata with fondness. 

“Well, it was three years ago I think? I was bullied by some guys, and Mikey -it’s Emma’s brother- step in. He helped me, we became sort of friends, and some weeks later I met Emma when I was going to his home,” she told all the while looking at her friend.

If Takemichi wasn’t so focused on another thing, he would have thought this was a sweet story. But the fact was that he was more préoccupied by her revelation.

He knew now who took his “place”. Mikey, Mikey was the one Kisaki was jealous of because he saved Hinata. How did it come to this? They didn’t even go to the same school, so why was he who saved her?

It didn’t make any sense! But what was done was done, complaining wouldn't help. At least, now Takemichi knew why Kisaki wanted to take over Toman. Though, something was bothering him.

As far as he was aware, Hinata and Mikey weren’t together. Did Kisaki think Hinata was in love with the Toman’s leader?  He stared at his friend, he was sulking even though he was trying to hide it.

Oh boy, was he so oblivious? Takemichi kind of pitied him. 

“My my, you were saved by the shining knight?” Hanma teased. Hinata laughed and wrapped her arm around Emma’s one. 

“I guess so, but her little sister was more interesting. Mikey is…special I would say? I think I’m not really interested in fighting so we don’t have much in common. But he’s still a great friend!” she said with a blush, ashamed to talk like that of a friend.

Frankly, Takemichi couldn’t judge her, at first he was disturbed by Mikey too. But with the years, he learned to appreciate his odd personality. Heck, he wouldn’t have died for him if not. 

“Even though my brother is an idiot, I’m glad he saved you! Life would be boring without y’a!” Emma said with a playful smile. Takemichi saw Naoto made a ‘ew’ and when the boy noticed he had been caught turned red.

Takemichi winked at him and put a finger on his mouth. The boy giggled. Hinata turned toward her brother and lifted an eyebrow. 

“Hm? You’re still here?” she taunted. Naoto gasped.

“Hey! I told you I’m grown up, I can go to a bar!” he defended. The four teenagers looked at him and bursted out laughing. Naoto was fuming, he threw a desperate look at Takemichi. The older man ruffled his hair and gave him juice. 

“Guys, stop being mean to the kid, I’m pretty sure he’s more mature than Hanma!” he joked. 

“Hey darling, you’re hurting my feelings,” he replied, putting a hand on his chest. 

“Heh, you’re a funny couple!” Hinata said, sipping her juice. The three boys whipped their heads toward her. 

“I’m not with him!” Takemichi protested. 

“They’re not together.” Kisaki said curtly. Takemichi’s eyes widened, he didn’t expect Kisaki to react so badly. Hinata and Emma laughed even more. 

“My bad!” she replied. Takemichi never saw her so bold, but it suited her well. In every universe she was perfect. And even though he knew she would never be his again, he wished her happiness. 

“Sis,” Naoto said, pulling on her sister’s sleeve. She lowered her head.

“Yes?” 

“It’s late,” the boy pointed out. Hinata pulled out her phone and her eyes widened. It was only 9 PM, but probably that their parents were waiting for them. 

“Crap, we need to go, I promise mom and dad to get home with Naoto not too late. It was really cool to see you, Takemichi! Oh and you too Kisaki and Hanma! We could do that once again one day!” She offered, taking her bag with her, Naoto at her side. 

“Wait for me, I will go with you,” Emma said. Tachibana nodded, her eyes sparkling. 

“Yeah, it was fun! Text me the next time you want to come! And be safe on your way home!” Takemichi replied, not able to wave her goodbye because his hands were busy whipping the dishes. 

“Bye girls, and kid! It was nice to meet Takemichi’s other friends!” Hanma taunted, winking at Naoto who pouted. Kisaki muttered a light ‘goodbye’, his eyes focused on his drink. 

“Good bye guys, I’m pretty sure my brother would love you, Takemichi,” Emma said with a wink. Takemichi stiffened and felt his heart’s stop.

Yeah right, no he wasn’t ready to see Mikey yet. He wasn’t even sure he would be one day. He feared that if he met Mikey, everything would be a mess again.

Often, Takemichi wondered if he wasn’t the reason why the future always ended as a wreck. If he hadn’t existed since the start, would everyone be fine? Was he the problem in this story from the start?

It was questions he would never have the answer to, but they were always here, in the deepest part of his mind.

As his three friends were leaving, Takemichi noticed Emma taking Hinata’s hand on her own.  It was becoming clearer for Takemichi. An idea came to him, an idea at double-edged. With the three of them now, Kisaki sulking and Hanma whistling happily, it was a lot calmer. Takemichi, taking his courage in both hands, leaned over the counter toward Kisaki. 

“Soo, you have a crush on Hinata, right?” he asked. The blond’s eyes widened slightly.

“What? No? What are you talking about?” he replied too fast for Takemichi to believe him. Takemichi raised an eyebrow and saw at the corner of his eyes Hanma snicker. 

“Oh? Alright, I thought you did, which would have been a problem,” he said as if it didn't matter. His friend’s face became somber and Takemichi cursed himself. He should have formulated it in another way. 

“What do you mean?” Takemichi gulped and inhaled. Hanma was focused on them, grinning like a maniac. 

“It’s just, I don’t think Hinata swings that way, she was really close with Emma,” he explained softly. Kisaki frowned, the realization slowly coming to his mind.

Because Takemichi was almost certain, the two girls were more than just friends. And he was genuinely happy for them. Takemcihi wasn’t the kind to feel jealousy, and the Hinata from this universe wasn’t his own.

What remained of his own wife was memories, and he knew he would have to let it go. Not to forget her, never, he had loved this woman with his soul, but he couldn’t stay in the past. He needed to move on, one day.

That is why, seeing the Hinata of this universe could only fill him with joy. Kisaki looked at him suspiciously, unconsciously, biting his upper lip.   

“How can you be so sure?” he replied, in denial. Both of them were looking at him expectantly. Takemichi’s face softened.

“Trust me, the love in their eyes wasn’t fake. They looked at each other like nothing else mattered. It was…pure,” he said, lost in his own world. They raised their eyebrows, probably not expecting such an answer.

Love came in so many different ways, some were bad, some were good. And some were so pure, that sometimes he dreamed he could have it too. His love with Hinata had been great, it could have been pure, but Takemichi’s messed up life ruined it.

Maybe if he hadn't tried to create a gang they would have had a peaceful life. Maybe they would have looked at each other like Hinata and Emma did. But it wasn’t a ‘maybe’ that would change anything. 

“You talk about it like you lived this,” Hanma remarked. Takemichi’s eyes turned sad. 

“I did. I loved them so much and I wanted to save them. In the end I lost both of them. I was ready to lose my life for them, and I failed,” he muttered, tears at the corners of his eyes.

God he hated himself so much for this. They didn’t deserve this. Kisaki and Hanma were worried for their friend, Hanma slowly putting a hand on Takemichi’s shoulder without any salacious intent. 

“These people…they’re dead?” he asked hesitantly. Takemichi froze. Were they? Did it matter? They weren’t here anymore. Takemichi abandoned them, it was the same as killing them. 

“Y-yes…they are,” he stuttered, tears running down his face. Mez eyed him worriedly, he wasn’t sure if he should step in or not. Kisaki shook his head at him and the older man nodded.

Hanma was rubbing the back of Takemichi, clearly not used to comfort but trying his best for his friend. They wondered how someone so young could have lived through two losses, but didn’t ask by respect.

Kisaki clearly looked remorseful now, he had been harsh with his friend who was just trying to help. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you remember such painful things,” he apologized. Takemichi shook his head, whipping his tears. It wasn’t their fault. And to be honest, he needed this moment.

Since he arrived here, he tried to hold back, but crying felt good too. He felt more light. Sometimes he needed to get rid of all the stress he had accumulated. He may have failed in his original universe, but he wouldn’t in this one.

And he wasn’t alone, he had his friends. Takemichi smiled at them, tears and snot covering his face and chuckled softly. 

“Thanks guys, sorry for crying. I’m really happy to have you,” he thanked with sincerity. Kisaki hummed, his eyes avoiding Takemichi one and his ears red.

Hanma grinned and kissed the older man on the forehead. Exhausted by all these emotions, Takemichi didn’t react to the kiss, he only smiled wider. 

“I’m glad to have you too, darling. You are way more interesting than Kisaki,” he joked with a smirk.

The blond glared and punched him in the side. It didn’t really affect the taller guy who laughed openly at him. They started to bicker and the black-haired man observed them with fondness.

He didn’t know yet if today had been a good or bad day but it didn’t matter for now. He just knew that today, a few things had changed.

And he longed for the day all of this would end with a happy ending.

Chapter Text

Four days had passed since the first meeting between Hanma, Kisaki, Emma, and the Tachibana’s siblings. He had a lot of time to think about it and even though Takemichi had been through a lot of stress, he estimated it had been a good day in the end.

Especially because now that Kisaki knew that Hinata was interested in girls and not guys (maybe she was, she could be bi, but for now she was dating a girl), there was a good chance that the boy would give up on her.

He hadn’t given up in his own universe, but this Kisaki was more reasonable, and Takemichi wanted to believe that the boy wouldn’t become a murderer just for a girl’s love.

Anyway, he only needed to ask him, but later, for now he was training at his usual place. It was a hot summer day and he knew that he wouldn't be able to train for too long. Takemichi was already starting to sweat and the smell was really not pleasant.

As he was doing push-ups, his muscles working harder than he ever had in his life, he heard a voice far away. Curious, he turned his head to his right. Distantly, Hinata and Emma were calling his name and waving at him. Takemichi smiled and was about to call them back when he noticed two figures behind them.

Two blond heads he knew too well. Takemichi saw for the first time the Mikey and Draken of this universe and fell on his face. He felt blood coming out from his nose and the man winced. He heard Emma say ‘oh shit’, and the sounds of footsteps coming closer.

Takemichi sat on his ass and watched with despair as the girls but also the two boys headed toward him . Anxiety invaded his mind, and soon it turned to the beginning of a panic attack. He wasn’t ready to face them, he wasn’t even sure he would be one day. But fate had decided otherwise, and Takemichi needed to get up now, to stay calm and not to flee.

Which was nearly impossible. His body wanted to run, his mind wanted to shut down. But what Takemichi wanted at this time didn’t matter. What he wanted never mattered.

Hinata was the first one to reach him, she looked at him with a worried expression and extended out her hand. 

“Are you okay?” she asked, helping Takemichi to stand up. The black-haired man nodded numbly. Emma gave him a tissue and pointed out at his face.

“Here, you should wipe all this blood, people will think we kicked you,” she joked but without any malicious intent. Takemichi wiped his nose and chin, staring at the two boys walking to them. Instead of the two girls, they didn’t run and needed some more steps to reach them.

Takemichi knew it wasn’t polite to stare at someone but he couldn’t help. The last time he saw them, Draken was killed right in front of him and Mikey was holding his dying body. He looked at the two blonds, the one who was killed by his fault, and the one who killed him.

Two people he holded close to his heart, and two people he ruined and betrayed. But it wasn’t them, no, they looked the same but it wasn’t them. Takemichi didn’t ruin them yet, and he wouldn’t. He promised himself to look after them from afar.

But could it still be possible? Should he run now before they had the time to meet him? What was the best option? Which one would lead to the happy ending he wanted? Too late to choose, Draken and Mikey were now here. 

“Your friend’s alright? He’s frozen since he fell,” Draken said to the girls. Emma shrugged and Hinata waved a hand in front of him. Takemichi blinked and it was as if he was once again alive. 

“Y-yeah I’m alright, sorry,” he said to Draken. The taller guy lifted an eyebrow and glanced at Mikey. The leader of Toman was staring at Takemichi with curiosity.

For everyone it would be creepy, but the black-haired man was used to this. Nostalgia filled his heart and Takemichi smiled kindly to the blond. This Mikey was safe and sound, he wasn’t yet dirtied by murders. It was the Mikey he always loved, the one he tried to save so many times. 

“Hey Hina, is that the guy you talked about?” Mikey asked and Takemichi felt a shiver run down his spine. Hinata nodded eagerly. 

“Yeah, it’s Takemichi, he saved my little brother,” she said so brightly that Takemichi would go blind. “Oh, Takemichi, I present you Draken and Mikey, Emma’s older brother, the one I told you about last time!” Takemichi turned toward them and bowed in greeting, acting like he didn”t knew them at all. 

“Ooh, so you’re the one who works in a bar! Think you can give us alcohol if we go to your work?” Mikey asked with the childish excitement he often showed. He was smiling so brightly. But Takemichi shook his head with a regretful expression. 

“Sorry, I can’t serve alcohol to minors,” he explained. He was a bit surprised that Mikey asked for alcohol, he was almost  certain the boy never drank in his own universe at this age. Mikey pouted but didn’t seem that bothered.

“Welp, I tried. Anyway, I’m not interested in drinking. Don’t be sad Kenchin, only a few years to wait and you’ll be able to drink as much as you want,” he said to his friend who glared. 

“Bastard, you know that I don’t drink either. Who do you think I am?” he mumbled, punching him in the shoulder. Mikey stuck out his tongue to him. Hinata laughed and  Emma rolled her eyes at her older brother's antics. Yep, it was still the same Mikey and Draken he knew.

He was glad to see that even in another universe these two were great friends. Their duo always brought a smile on the man’s face. That was all he wanted in friendship. To care for each other, to always be there and have their back if something goes wrong.

That was what he had with them at a moment. And years went by and they separated. But not this time, maybe he wouldn’t be part of their duo, maybe they wouldn’t be a trio once again, but these two would be happy together.

That was one of the things Takemichi wanted in his happy ending. Hinata tapped on his shoulder and Takemichi turned his head towards her. 

“How are you since last time?” she asked casually. Takemichi shrugged, he was fine five minutes ago, now he was tense, but that’s not like he could say it. 

“I’m good, nothing really new. What about you and Naoto?” he asked back. Hinata chuckled and Takemichi tilted his head on the side, curious. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine. As for Naoto…well I think you have a fan now, he can’t stop talking about you,” she said, and Takemichi knew that if the boy had been there she would have made fun of him.

To be honest, Takemichi wasn’t really surprised, even in his own universe, kid Naoto liked to be in his company. But he suspected Hinata was exaggerating when she said her little brother always talked about him. Naoto liked him and Takemichi liked him  back, but it couldn’t be as far as this. After all, Naoto knew him only for a few weeks.

The three other teenagers were eyeing them, maybe feeling excluded from the conversation. The black haired man tried to stay calm but with the two guys looking at him, it felt like their stare was burning his skin. 

“Say, Hinata told us you worked at night but didn’t go to school, yet you’re not much older than us, how come?” Mikey asked suddenly. Takemichi stiffened and looked at him with eyes wide open. Emma facepalmed and Hinata gasped.

The leader of Toman was waiting for an answer with genuine curiosity, he didn’t mean any harm with his question. But Takemichi didn’t want to answer, he didn’t want to bring more attention to him.

Draken punched Mikey’s on the head with his fist and the shorter one yelped. He glared at his friends with a pout. 

“Be more sensitive for god sake, that’s not something you ask to someone you just met,” Draken scolded. Takemichi sighed inwardly. Fortunately that Draken was here to watch over Mikey, the boy could really be a menace, even more when he was alone. 

“Why not? I’m trying to get to know him! You’re always telling me that if I want to make friends I need to try to know what they like or not, how they're doing and blablabla,” he whined, rolling his eyes. Unconsciously, Takemichi snorted, it was just like him to do everything wrong. Mikey looked at him just like he did a magic trick and smirked.  

“See? I didn’t do anything rude, he’s even laughing!” he defended himself, pointing at him. Draken shook his head with a grin. 

“I think he’s mocking your stupidity,” he taunted. Mikey gasped and started to punch Draken on his side. The taller one protested and punched back. Takemichi smiled fondly, with his last resets he kind of forgot that they were still kids. Emma sighed loudly and punched both of them in the shoulder. 

“Stop it, that’s not a way to behave in front of someone you just met,” she said with a firm tone. They both stopped fighting to focus once again on him. There was a moment of silence where Takemichi wondered if he should excuse himself and go back to the bar even if it wasn’t the night yet. 

“Soo, you were training earlier and with what I heard you did to the guy who was annoying Naoto, It seems you’re strong, does it mean you like to fight?” Mikey asked with hope. And nope, nope, nope. Takemichi wouldn’t be brought into this mess. Not this time. 

“Uh, actually no. I train because I have a lot of free time in my day and I want to have a healthy body. As for the guy I beat..it was pure luck if I won, I just wanted to help Naoto. But no, I don’t like to fight, I don’t like to hurt at all in fact,” he explained. And that was true, after all what happened in his own universe, he developed a distrust for violence.

Yes, he used it since he arrived here, but it wasn’t because he wanted it, but because without it, he couldn’t survive. Gangs in Japan were not fair, they didn’t know pity, it’s either you get beaten or you beat them.

And so Takemichi would help the one  unable to defend themselves, an idealistic idea to be fair, like a hero. Except that Takemichi wasn’t a hero, because he used violence, because the people he beat weren't monsters but humans. And a human beating another human, even though he was the worst scumbag, couldn’t be someone good.

But that was okay, Takemichi accepted this truth. He accepted to be a bad person to protect the person he loved. 

“Ah that sucks. What about getting in our gang?” Mikey still tried. Draken was about to open his mouth but Takemichi beat him to it. 

“No thanks,  I like my quiet life,” he said. Even though his life wasn’t quiet at all. Mikey’s shoulder dropped. 

“Welp too bad. I’m certain it could have been fun, you even could have been my bitch!” he said without an ounce of shame. The black haired man, for whom it wasn’t the first time to hear this sentence, didn’t react. But for Hinata, it seemed too much. She gasped horrified, gripped Mikey by the hand and bowed her head to Takemichi. 

“I think we overdue our time here, sorry for this idiot’s behavior. I’ll text you soon, have a good day!” she said and started to walk away, her grip tight around Mikey to force him to follow her. The blond protested but still walked behind her. Emma waved at Takemichi and followed them. 

“That was cool to meet you, man. And ignore Mikey, he can be a bastard sometimes,” Draken said with a bored expression. And with that, he left too. Takemichi watched them draw away until they were black mass.

Finally, he let himself relax. It had been a stressful moment for him but at the same time, he had a good time. The adrenaline in his vein vanished and Takemichi concluded that it hadn’t been so bad. Seeing Mikey and Draken alive and happy, it refilled him with determination. He was still wary around them, he feared he messed up something.

But at the same time, he felt a bit more whole since he talked to them. He didn’t know if he would see them again, but if it wasn’t the case, he would cherish this moment forever in his heart.

Chapter Text

“Takemichi, be careful if you go outside, especially if you’re alone,” Kisaki said. The black haired man raised an eyebrow.

As usual, they were all three at the bar, Takemichi working and his two friends talking about anything and everything. One minute ago they were debating about a new video game when Kisaki suddenly blurted out his warning out of nowhere.

Hanma nodded with a serious expression, making the older man even more lost.

“Uh, okay…why?” he asked, wary. His two friends shared a look and Kisaki sighed. 

“Well, that’s not like you will betray us. Okay, listen, it seems that some of our guys are planning something, and it doesn’t look good. I don't think they would dare hurt someone close to us, but still, try to not be alone in secluded places,” Kisaki requested.

And wow, it was a big changement from his own universe, in a way or another, it seemed that Kisaki wasn’t the perpetrator of the mess that was to come. Was it because of Takemichi or something else? He didn’t know and wasn’t sure it really mattered. He was just so happy that Kisaki was becoming a better person who wasn’t creating chaos anywhere he went.

Moreover, to hear directly from him that he was someone close to them, it made something in him flutter. He even wondered if his cheeks weren’t a bit red. Takemichi had already received kindness from other people, but from someone like Kisaki, who was pretty cold in general? It was more than flattering. And the feeling was mutual, Kisaki and Hanma were the two people he was the closest with in this universe.

Yes, Hinata, Mikey and Draken were people he cherished a lot, but that wasn’t the same. He cherished the memories of them, but he wasn’t close with them in this universe, not yet at least. 

“At first, I wanted you to text us all the ten minutes to confirm you were fine, but Kisaki told me it was taking this too far. Do you realize, he doesn’t want to take care as much as me of you, darling, that’s the proof I’m the perfect partner,” Hanma spoke, exaggerating his voice and gestures. Takemichi snorted and shook his head. 

“I feel like it’s more Kisaki that just saved me from a terrible fate,” he replied with a wink. Hanma looked at him like a puppy who had just been kicked while Kisaki grinned slightly. 

“Seriously, promise us you’ll be careful and if you’re in trouble you’ll call us,” Kisaki demanded. Takemichi nodded with determination. 

“Don’t worry, I will,” he promised. If the fight was the same date as in his previous universe, then it would happen in five days. He wasn’t sure if Kisaki and Hanma would be here this time, if they didn’t know about the plan of Kiyomasa.

Which means Takemichi should call them, but the thing was that he didn’t plan to fight. Actually, his plan was to call an ambulance before the two gangs had the time to fight. Obviously he would watch from afar just in case, and even if the fight was to happen, he just needed to drive away Draken from this one, like that he wouldn’t be stabbed.

Takemichi felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and checked it. There was a notification from Hinata. He opened his app and read her message. His face lightened up and he smiled at his two friends. 

“What good news you have for us, darling?” Hanma asked with a smirk. 

“Hinata is coming in five minutes,” he announced. He glanced at Kisaki, trying to decipher his expression. And strangely, but in a good way, his face didn’t sombered or anything. No, the boy just nodded, unbothered. Hope bloomed in Takemichi’s chest, it seemed the boy had finally given up. 

“Be careful baby, I might think you have a crush on her,” Hanma teased. Takemichi slapped his hand with a huff and the taller one snickered. As for the shorter one, Kisaki was listening to their conversation quietly.

“Don’t be stupid, she is just a friend, and she is taken. Why, are you jealous that my eyes could be on someone else than you?” he teased back. He expected him to gape, but instead Hanma leaned over and took a flirtatious expression.

“And what if I do?” he purred. Takemichi laughed and pushed his face from his. Hanma pouted but sat back on his chair. 

“Yeah yeah, I know, I’m beautiful and you’re the only one that can deserve me,” he joked. At first, he was thrown off balance by his friend's antics. But with time, he got accustomed to it and was even starting to flirt back.

Of course, he was aware that it was only a game. Takemichi wasn’t a fool, he knew that in his state he wasn’t deserving of anyone.

Heck, he had never deserved Hinata in his own universe. She liking him had been a blessing from heaven as it had been a cruel curse. Because in the end, he only hurt her. So yeah, even in this one he didn’t think he could be a good partner for everyone. 

“Does it mean it’s a yes?” Hanma asked with hope. But as Takemichi was about to reply, Hinata entered the bar. 

“Ah Takemitchy, so it’s where you work!” a voice said loudly. A voice too far masculine for Hinata. A nickname that he only heard from one person. Both Takemichi and Kisaki stiffened. Just behind the girl were Mikey and Draken.

Th e shorter one was looking around with excitement while the taller one was looking at them with a blank expression. Kisaki stayed at his place, not once turning around. The three new arrivants took place right next to Hanma who smiled at Hinata. 

“Sorry, we’re coming kind of unannounced, but I thought it could be cool to see you,” she apologized. And how could he hate her when she was so sweet? Yes, it didn’t expect to see Mikey and Draken so soon, but it could manage and not stress out.

“No worries, I like to see you guys! Hanma, Kisaki, this is Draken and Mikey,” he presented. Draken nodded in greetings and Mikey waved at them. There was a one-way tension in the room. Kisaki and Hanma were aware of Mikey’s and Draken's affiliation to Toman, but the two boys were not aware of their affiliation to Moebius. Takemichi gulped, he couldn’t mess up. 

“You work here since when?” Draken asked out of nowhere. But Takemichi didn’t care, he was glad their attention was focus on something else, even though it was him. 

“Two months, a bit more, I think? It’s the first time I work in a bar, so I’m still pretty new,” he explained. Which of course was a lie. It wasn’t his first time at all that he worked in a bar, but it's not like he could confess it to them. Draken hummed and Mikey whistled. 

“Which means you gain money, right?” Takemichi nodded with a frown. “Damn, if Kenchin could work too, he could buy me a lot of food,” he complained. Hanma snorted, amused and Takemichi shook his head, desperate. Draken literally ignored him, talking with Hinata instead. 

“Could you bring another can of coke, please?” Kisaki asked him in a low voice, he clearly didn’t want to have the attention on him. Takemichi nodded, heading towards the drinks but he was stopped by someone grabbing his sleeve. He turned around. 

“Can I have juice?” Mikey asked. Takemichi nodded and brought him an orange juice. Mikey sipped it happily. 

“Are you a child?” Draken taunted. Mikey glared and made a ‘pop’ with his mouth. 

“And you, what are you? An old man?” he taunted back. Draken squinted his eyes.  

“You little shi-” he started to cuss. 

“H-hey guys, please do not fight at my work,” Takemichi begged. They would be the death of him. They both lowered their eyes and muttered an apology.

The black haired man sighed, after everything Mez had done for him, he didn’t want to disappoint him by bringing annoying guests. That would be unfair and ungrateful to him. The chatting resumed, Hanma and Kisaki talking together and the three others on their side.

“Hey Takemitchy, is this still a no to join our gang?” Mikey asked with interest. The black haired man felt a glare on him and instantly knew it came from Kisaki. Was he thinking Takemichi wanted to betray him? 

“Nope,” he replied, trying to flee the conversation. 

“Oh, you’re from a gang? Are you good at fighting?” Hanma stepped in with a genuine glee. Mikey really looked at him for the first time. He crossed his arms behind his head and smirked. 

“Yep, but I’m the strongest so it’s almost too easy,” he bragged. Wow, if it wasn’t a big ego there, but after all, he was kind of right. Mikey had always been a really good fighter. 

“Oh really? I’m pretty strong too, we could have a friendly match, to see who’s the strongest,” he offered. Oh shit, he never thought he would see these two bonds over fighting. But maybe in a way it made sense, in his previous universe, Hanma seemed to enjoy fighting against Mikey. 

“Is that a threat? I’m pretty sure I’ll win,” Mikey replied back without being vexed. They were both grinning like maniacs and Takemichi thought that if these two became friends they would both be terrors.

Kisaki was clearly judging his side kick with a scowl. It was kind of funny to see him like that, but Takeimchi had to support him. So he approached him.

“Don’t worry, I’ll always be by your side, you’re my favorite,” he joked. His friends’ ears turned red and he huffed. Hanma, who could clearly hear them, faked a heart attack. 

“Baby, how could you do that to me?” he whined, a hand extended out to him. Hinata chuckled while the two members of Toman were looking at them curiously. 

“So you finally decided to get together?” she asked, really thinking it was the case. Hanma grinned, ready to speak but Takemichi cut him off.

“No Hinata, I’m still single and by choice,” he explained. She nodded, throwing an apologizing look to the blond. 

“You can do it, I’m on your side,” she whispered to him. Hanma shook hands with her. 

“Thanks, you’ll be my witness for our marriage, promise”, he conspired with her. 

“Please, have mercy on me,” Takemichi groaned. Almost all of them laughed, Kisaki pouting on the side. 

“Didn’t you want to say something to Takemichi, Hina?” Draken asked. The girl paused, and suddenly her face went bright. 

“Oh right! I was wondering if you wanted to come with us to see the fireworks next week?” the black haired man raised an eyebrow. He didn’t think she would ask him, did she see them that close to invite him?

He glanced at his two friends, they were waiting for an answer. Oh god, why was the pressure always on him? 

“Uh, yeah, I could ask Mez exceptionally. But er, can Hanma and Kisaki come too?” he turned to them, “if you want to of course,” he added. They both nodded. Hinata acquiesced eagerly.  

“Yeah absolutely! There will be Mikey, Draken and Emma too, oh and probably Naoto,” she explained. Well, it means that wouldn’t change much from his previous universe, except there would be Hanma and Kisaki too.

He wasn’t sure what the seven of them would form, but he was kind of excited for this day now. For once, he felt like a real teenager. And how good it felt. To have no worries. Hinata checked her phone and pouted. 

“Ah, I need to go, Naoto is waiting for me at home. I’ll see you all next week! Mikey, Draken, you stay here or…?” she asked. The two blonds stood up. 

“Nah, we’re coming. It was cool seeing you Takemichi, and great to meet you two,” Draken said with a light smile. 

“Yeah, you and your friends are fun, Mitchy, I can’t wait to see you next week!” Mikey added with a wave. The black haired man waved at them until they were out of the bar. He sighed and turned to his friend. He felt a bit awkward. 

“Huh, you’re not mad at me for asking you to come with us?” he said hesitantly. 

“You’re kidding? It’s something romantic to watch fireworks, no? For me, we’re going to have a date,” Hanma said with so much joy that Takemichi didn’t even try to tell him he was wrong. He was more worried about Kisaki, he looked at the younger boy like a child expecting to be scolded. But his friend only shrugged. 

“It’s okay, as long as you do not leave me alone with the Toman’s guys,” he said.  

“I won’t” he replied straight off. Kisaki made a hum of contentment. 

“It’s getting late, we’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, getting up, Hanma followed him. “Good night, Takemichi.” 

“Good night guys,” he exclaimed with a friendly wave. They left. Takemichi looked at the hour, still two hours before the end of his day. Welp, he had a lot of things to think of and excitement to contain.  

Chapter Text

He was waiting patiently at the entrance of the festival. On his back was a bag which contained his clothes if he needed to fight.

Instead of wearing a kimono like pretty much everyone, he was wearing his usual clothes. He already had an excuse planned. If someone asked, he would say he had to leave work and didn’t have time to change. Some bandages on him if someone was hurt, a bottle of water, Takemichi was ready.

Now, he just needed to find his friends. Apparently, Mikey, Draken and the Tachibana’s siblings were already here. But before joining them, he was waiting for his two other friends. Said friends that he saw appeared far away.

Takemichi waved at them, and as they were approaching, he noticed that they were wearing their usual clothes too. Right, at least he didn't need an excuse anymore. Which was cool because he didn’t like to lie. Takemichi reached his friend with a childish glee. 

“Hanma, Kisaki! How’re you?” he asked. Kisaki had his hands in his pockets, looking bored. But Hanma was the opposite, the teen was grinning. 

“Fine, and you, darling? I have waited for this date since the day I first saw you,” he flirted. He even offered his arm to him, but Takemichi declined with a chuckle. 

“I’m alright, and I was pretty excited for today too, and no, it’s not a date,” he clarified. Hanma slapped him lightly on his shoulder.

“Oh don’t be a shy baby, promise I’ll be gentle,” he replied with a wink. Takemichi was pretty sure he was blushing and ignored him. He couldn’t deny it, Hanma was good at flirting. 

“Get a room,” Kisaki mumbled and the black haired man turned crimson. If that wasn’t a betrayal here. Normally they would always be together against’ Hanma, but tonight Kisaki didn’t look in the mood. Takemichi liked to think he knew his friends pretty well, and he was almost certain something was bothering Kisaki. 

“You’re supposed to be with me, not against me. I can't defend myself without you,” he complained, trying to cheer up his friend by flattering his ego. Which worked, Kisaki’s ears turned red and he finally looked him in the eyes. He gave him a faint smile. 

“Alright, Hanma, stop bothering Takemichi, you’re not good enough for him,” he scolded. Ouch, that was  harsh. And not true at all, it was more likely the opposite. Takemichi wasn’t deserving of anyone’s  love. 

“Ah! Because you think you are, maybe?” The taller one retorted. Kisaki lifted an eyebrow and tension took place between the two. Takemichi shifted awkwardly on his feet when he recognized his friend some meters away. 

“Look, there’s Emma and Hinata!” he exclaimed and runned after them. He clearly fled the conversation and he could hear behind him his friends calling him. The two girls noticed him and they waved enthusiastically.

They were both wearing a kimono, Naoto, who was hidden by his sister’s frame, was wearing a more masculine one. When the boy saw him, his face lightened up and he showed himself, no more hiding from his view. 

“Hey Takemichi! I’m glad you were able to come!” Hinata greeted him. The black haired man nodded, he was glad that Mez accepted that he didn’t work tonight. He never had a boss so kind before. 

“Sup, it’s been a long time since we saw each other,” he said to Naoto. 

“Y-yeah,” the kid replied with a big smile. Takemichi realized that Naoto was a really cute kid and ruffled his head with fondness. The boy blushed but didn’t push him away. Kisaki and Hanma joined them, greeting them. Takemichi turned to Emma with curiosity.

“Where’s your brother and Draken?” he asked. Emma pointed behind her, towards a bunch of stands. 

“I think they went to buy food, we can join them now that we are all here,’’ she offered. They all agreed (Kisaki reluctantly) and so they started to wander in the festival.

After five minutes of research they finally found the two teenagers, Mikey with food in his mouth and on his chin and Draken facepalming. When the taller one saw them he sighed in relief.

He said something to the shorter one who lifted his head towards them. He tried to say something but with food in his mouth, he only succeeded to spill it more on himself. Emma said something about having an imbecile of a brother and they all joined them. 

“Hey guys, it was time for you to come, I can’t bear him anymore,” Draken stated and the others shared an amused glance. Mikey finished his food, sauce everywhere on his face and smiled at the new group.

“Don’t listen to him, I’m an angel. Lucky me that you came, Kenchin was too boring,” he said with a pout. Draken rolled his eyes, giving up on defending himself.

“We can fight if you want, it’ll be more entertainment,” Hanma offered. Takemichi shook his head in disappointment, he understood Draken, having an idiot as a friend was exhausting. 

“No one will fight with no one today, please. Here, a tissue to wipe your face,” Takemichi said, giving the tissue to Mikey. The blond stared at it for some seconds before wiping his chin. 

“You’re no fun, Mitchy,” he sulked. He looked at the older teenager. “Good?” he asked. Takemichi nodded, Mikey tried to give him the tissue back but Takemichi refused it. 

“Throw it in a bin,” he explained. Mikey huffed and passed it at Draken who made a face.

“Do it, I’m too tired,” he ordered. Draken gritted his teeth, glaring at his friend.

“Oi, little shit, I-” he started to raise his voice. Takemichi sighed with despair and took the tissue reluctantly. 

“Stop fighting, I’ll do it because I’m the only one who can act like an adult apparently,” he said, looking right at the two teenagers. They blushed in shame and avoided his gaze. Takemichi went to a bin and threw the used tissue. Naoto, who had followed him, wasn’t saying anything. 

“Something on your mind, buddy?” Takemichi asked with a friendly tone. The boy raised his head towards him and shuffled on his feet. 

“I was wondering if you would want to come to my home one day, to play games or something else, I don’t really care…” he said and Takemichi felt his heart melt. He put a hand on the kid's shoulder.

“Sure, your sister can text me when you’re free and I’ll come.” Naoto’s mood enlightened up and the boy couldn’t stay put now. They joined the group, talking about the games they liked. Hanma and Mikey were talking together while the other fours were looking at the stands. 

“So, what do you want to start with?” The black haired man asked everyone. Some proposed to eat, others to play at the stands and others to take a stroll. In the end, they saw a shooting stand and decided they would all try.

While Mikey and Hanma sucked at the game, Kisaki and Draken revealed themselves to be very good at it. A bet took place between the teenagers to guess who would do the more shots between the two. Kisaki won with only one more shot and smiled smugly.  He gained a rabbit plush that he extended out to Takemichi.

The older man stared at it with confusion. When Kisaki didn’t move, Takemichi decided to take it. At first, he didn’t understand what he was meant to do with it. Then, realizing he had a bag, he concluded that Kisaki wanted him to put it in.

After all, the plush was pretty big and the boy wouldn’t want to hang around with it all night. As he was putting the plush in his bag, Takemichi didn’t notice the glare that Hanma threw to Kisaki. 

“Wow, Hanma has concurrence,” Hinata whispered to her girlfriend. Emma nodded, something knowing in her eyes. Takemichi frowned, not understanding what she was referring to. They resumed their walk, stopping at the stands they were interested in.

As the night became darker, the festival turned crowded. Until Takemichi noticed that Draken and Mikey had disappeared. Immediately, a bell rang in his head. He looked at his phone, it was almost the time Draken was assaulted. Takemichi gritted his teeth, he needed to find him back soon. 

“Guys, I need to go to the toilet, I’ll be quick,” he said to his friends and without waiting for an answer, he fled. He found a quiet place and put on his hoodie and mask to not be recognized. He called for an ambulance, telling them that someone had been hurt where the fight would take place. When they assured him that one would arrive in twelve minutes, Takemichi headed towards the place Draken should be.

He didn’t want to be seen yet, so he stayed hidden behind a tree. He took a glance at his friend, his eyes widened. Draken was bleeding from the head, but overall, he wasn’t alone. Mikey was with him, fighting against Moebius.

Even though they were strong, they were against fifty people and were outnumbered. They couldn’t win this fight. Takemichi hesitated to intervene but he couldn’t yet.

He tried to think of a solution when something came to his mind. Normally they weren’t the only members of Toman at the festival. If Takemichi could warn them, then they could help. He searched in his mind  the number of one of the members, when suddenly Mitsuya’s one came to him.

Takemichi used his phone to send him an anonymous message. He told him about the fight and took a photo that he sent to prove he wasn’t lying. Mitsuya asked him who he was but Takemichi didn’t reply.

Instead he focused on the fight and more exactly Kiyomasa. The older boy was withdrawn, grinning like a mad man. Only one minute passed, it felt like hours for Takemichi. Draken and Mikey were fighting like wild beasts, beating three, four opponents each.

They had some bruises on them, the bleeding from his head and a sleeve ripped for Draken. A black mark on the cheek for Mikey. Never they lost their fire, each time they defeated someone they were filled with determination. There was glee in their eyes and Takemichi knew that even in their state, they were enjoying themselves.

Soon they heard a lot of footsteps and around thirty members of Toman with Mitsuya appeared. The Moebius’ guys froze for an instant, their face paling. Mikey grinned so much that Takemichi wondered if he wouldn’t rip his mouth like that. Now, the fight was more equal, a bit in favor of Toman. 

“What are you guys doing here?” Draken asked. Mitsuya shook his head, punching someone in the ribs. 

“I’ll tell you later,” he replied. The blond nodded and knocked his opponent with a punch to the face. There were bodies on the floor and blood everywhere.

Watching from afar, Takemichi realized for the first time how they had been violent in his previous universe.

He had been a part of this, and he felt a bit disgusted with himself. He didn’t judge his friends for the brutality they were showing, they never hide it after all. But Takemichi couldn’t do something like that anymore.

He approached a bit closer, with the bunch of people there were, nobody was noticing him. His eyes were locked on Kiyomasa, the guys had finally moved. He was beating each member of Toman on his way and was heading towards Draken. 

“Oh no you don’t,” Takemichi muttered. Kiyomasa took his knife out. Draken, who had his back turned, couldn't see him.

It was time for him to act. He trained for months for this moment and he was certain he could win. Takemich rushed in the fight with a speed he never had in his previous universe.

He pushed the people in his way and jumped, kicking Kiyomasa in the face. The boy stumbled and turned towards him with his eyes wide open. Unfortunately he didn’t fall but at least he was a bit further from Draken.

“The Fuck!? You again?!” he spat with rage. 

“I told you I didn’t want to see you in another fight,” he said with a low voice to not be recognized. Kiyomasa,’s face was red and the guy was breathing heavily. 

“You motherfucker, I’ll kill you!” he screamed and rushed to Takemichi. But the man was quick and he dodged easily. He took advantage of being crouched to punch him in the balls. He heard some people say ‘ouch’ around him but he ignored them.

Draken, who had noticed what was happening, was observing the scene with a frown. Kiyomasa gritted his teeth, but he still had the knife in his hand. Takemichi needed to get rid of it, he couldn’t let anyone be stabbed.

Still crouched, he gripped his opponent's legs and pulled. He lost his balance and Takemichi jumped on him, tackling him on the floor. He scratched Kiyomasa’s wrist until he bled and let out of his weapon. Takemichi snatched it and threw it towards Draken.

“Don’t let anyone have it!” he ordered. 

“Oh shit,” Draken muttered when he finally saw what Kiyomasa had since the beginning. He nodded and took the knife, putting it in his pockets. Takemichi knew that the blond wouldn’t use it.

He reported his attention on his enemy, a second too late and he would have his jaw broken. Kiyomasa was about to strike him in the face with his elbow, but Takemichi used his arm to protect himself. It hurt but not enough to make him utter a sound and he didn’t lose a second.

He gripped his opponent’s forearm and twisted it. There was a loud ‘crack’ and Kiyomasa screamed.

To be honest, Takemichi wanted to cry, the sound was horrible and being the origin of it disgusted him. But he couldn’t give up yet, he tried to finish this quickly and hit his opponent in the face again and again. Kiyomasa wasn’t unconscious but bruised enough to be unable to fight.

Takemichi stood up, looked around him, and a bunch of people were looking at him. He lowered his head in shame. He didn’t want people to witness his violence, it wasn’t a show, it was a massacre. Something cruel, something he would never be proud of.

Takemichi pushed the people in front of him and fled as far away as he could from the fight. Now that Kiyomasa was out of the fight, Toman would win at hundred percent and Draken wouldn’t be mortally wounded. He left the rest to them.

Moreover, the ambulance should come soon now. He needed to change his clothes and  come back to his friend. He would think about what he did later.

He went into the forest and put back his usual clothes. His breath was rigged but he didn’t have any bruises apparent. Only a blue mark on his arm that was hidden by his shirt. He did his best to look like nothing happened, forcing himself to smile even though he didn’t feel happy.

He took three deep breaths, closed his eyes, slapped his cheeks with his hands. And then he headed towards the festival.

He went back to where he left his friends but they weren’t here anymore. Takemichi frowned, maybe they went looking for him? After all, he left for a long time. So the man wandered into the festival, trying to find his group.

Fifteen minutes later, he found himself in the place where the fight took place. The Moebius and Toman gang weren’t here anymore, probably because the ambulance made them flee. He looked around, hoping to see someone he knew but he was alone.

He was about to return back when he heard hurried footsteps. Five people were heading towards him, some of them waving their arms. Takemichi squinted his eyes and recognized his friends.

He didn’t have the time to move to them when Hanma gripped his shoulder.

“God, tell me you’re ok?” he asked out of breath. Takemichi nodded at him with confusion. Hanma sighed in relief, staring straight at him.

“Thank god, when we heard there was a fight and you weren't coming back, I feared the worst. I thought that maybe I lost yo-” Hanma stopped, stroking Takemichi’s cheeks.

Something glowed in his eyes. And suddenly, there was a mouth on Takemichi’s one. The black haired man gasped, but Hanma didn’t step back. The taller man closed his eyes and pressed his lips against the shorter man.

Takemichi was confused at first, but the strange sensation in his heart was just telling him to enjoy. And that’s what he did, he closed his eyes too, wrapped his hand around Hanma’s waist and pressed his lips back.

He heard Hanma sigh and Takemichi’s heart fluttered. It lasted five seconds before Hanma stepped back. He looked at Takemichi's flushed face and made a worried expression.

“Shit, I clearly didn’t have your consent, oh I totally fucked up,” he said, on the verge of a mental break down.

Takemichi bit his lips, and put a hand on his forearm. Hanma lifted his eyes to him with a pitiful expression. The black haired man had never seen him like this.

“Don’t, I huh, I liked it,” he replied a bit shyly. He was still trying to proceed with what happened, but he knew he didn’t want his friend to feel bad. And he was honest, he hadn’t been repulsed or felt forced, actually it had felt good to kiss Hanma.

Even though now he couldn’t deny that his friend has been genuine since the start. Takemichi had preferred to think it was only a joke, not feeling deserving of love.

But maybe, maybe he could let himself be selfish for once and if things were getting too hard, he would end it. To prove his point to Hanma, he put a quick kiss on his mouth. The younger man eyes’ widened, and a smooth smile appeared on his face.

“You can’t imagine how happy I am right now, darling,” he confessed. Takemichi huffed with amusement. He wasn’t good with romantic feelings but he felt the same.

Finally, Kisaki, Emma and the Tachibana’s siblings reached them. Kisaki threw a death glare to Hanma but Takemichi didn’t notice it. He was too busy with Hinata and Emma who was making sure he wasn’t hurt. 

“Hum, everythings alright?” he asked the girl who looked really disturbed. 

“We are, but are you? Where were you, we’ ve been looking for you for ages?” Hinata asked, her features smoothing when she realized Takemichi was fine. The black haired man scratched his cheek with his finger awkwardly.

“I got lost in the crowd and I couldn’t find you, and without knowing how I ended up here,” he lied. “Where’s Mikey and Draken?” he asked, wondering if they were alright. Emma shook her head with disappointment. 

“They got in a fight with another gang. Draken got hurt and an ambulance came, they should be both to the hospital. Don’t worry, it's nothing too serious,” she reassured. Inwardly, Takemichi thanked fate for letting him do one thing right for once.

He avoided Draken death, and he didn’t even get stabbed this time. If in the future, things could go as good as today, he would quickly reach his happy end.

But Takemichi wasn’t a fool, he knew that things wouldn’t be so easy and that today, fate had offered him a gift. No, he would have to be careful. 

“Should we go home for today, or are you still on to watch the fireworks?” Emma asked everyone.  

“Don’t you want to go see your brother and Draken?’ Hinata asked back. The blonde shrugged. 

“They’ll be fine, Mikey texted me. That’s not the first time they go to hospital because of some fight,” she explained. Hinata nodded.

Everyone agreed to continue the night and they went to search for a good place to see the fireworks. When they found the right spot, they sat on the grass. Takemichi was between Hanma and Kisaki. The shorter one was sulking, his face somber than usual.

Takemichi didn’t understand what was making him like that currently but he tried to comfort him like he could. He took his hand in his own, Kisaki’s eyes widened and he threw him a curious look.  Takemichi just shrugged with a smile. Kisaki didn’t say anything, but he looked a bit better.

He looked around him, all his friends had a smile on their face. Arms wrapped around his shoulder and Hanma kissed him on the cheek. The older man blushed, surprised by this growing show of affection from his friend, boyfriend? He leaned his head on his shoulder, his hand still in Kisaki’s one.

And as the first fireworks were sent in the sky, Takemichi wished this peaceful moment would last forever.  

Chapter Text

They waited for Draken to leave the hospital to meet up. Fortunately his friend hadn’t been too much hurt and he could go the next day. So, all three, Draken, Mikey and Mitsuya himself decided that they would talk at his place. That’s how, at 1 PM with his little sisters eating at the table, Mitsuya opened the door to his friends. 

“Sup,” Draken greeted. He had a band-aid on his head but he looked fine. Mikey was next to him, for once a serious expression on his face. They entered his house and his little sisters turned around with excitement.

“Hi Mikey, Hi Draken!” they shouted from the living room. 

“Hey girls!” Draken replied and Mikey waved at them. They joined them, sitting on the couch, and Mitsuya glancing at his sister from time to time. The air was heavy among them, no words, no sounds, just them staring at each other. 

“Alright, I won’t beat around the butch, how did you know about the fight yesterday?” Mikey asked, his tone low. Mitsuya knew that Mikey trusted him but he would have been suspicious too. He sighed and took his phone out of his pocket. He opened his message and showed it to his friends. 

“I was just enjoying the festival when I received this message. I thought it was a joke but when I received the photo, I started to believe it and decided to come with the gang  just in case,” he explained. Mikey and Draken leaned forward, squinting their eyes to the phone. Draken raised an eyebrow while Mikey didn’t let anything show on his face. 

“I guess it’s not someone you know?” The taller one said. Mitsuya shook his head with a shrug. 

“No, but I thought maybe it’s someone you know, don’t you recognize this number?” he asked. He kinda hoped that they did, because otherwise it would mean that someone had his phone number without him knowing. Did he have a stalker? Nah, it couldn't be possible, right? His friend checked their own phone and shook their head. 

“Nope, not in mine,” Draken announced. 

“Me neither,” Mikey added. The tension between them increased. Someone they didn’t know was spying on them, if it wasn’t worrisome. 

“Do you think it's the masked guy?” Mikey asked. Mitsuya ruffled his hair with a tired expression. 

“I mean, it was clearly the same guy that last time, and I can’t lie, it’s weird he’s always here when there’s a fight,” he confessed. They both agree. 

“I think we should be more on our guard, I don’t think the guy is dangerous for us but we still need to be careful. Kiyomasa had a knife with him, and if this guy hadn’t intervened I think someone would have been stabbed,” Draken explained. Mikey already knew but not Mitsuya and his eyes widened. 

“A knife? Shit that’s fucked up.” Now he was kind of glad the guy had followed them. He couldn’t imagine what would have become of them and especially his leader if someone had been seriously hurt or worse, killed. For god sake, they were too young for things to get so heavy. He had two little sisters he loved more than anything, he couldn’t expose them to danger. 

“The next time one of you encounters him, do everything to have a talk with him, a name, a face, even just the tone of his voice, anything, we need to know more about him. And if he reveals to be an ally, I’ll do anything to convince him to come with us,” Mikey announced with determination.

It had been a long time since they saw him like that, usually he was always joking and taking things carelessly. 

“What do we do if we saw him fight? Or if he tries to fight us?” Mitsuya asked, they needed to be able to react in any situation. Mikey took the time to think about it, Draken and Mitsuya sharing glances.

For the first time, they were encountering an unknown obstacle, unable to determine if it was a threat or an ally. What a weird feeling it was, to be always in the uncertainty. 

“If he’s in a fight and doesn’t seem in danger, just watch and wait for him to win before approaching him. If he’s in a bad posture, go help him. And if he is trying to fight you then it means it’s an enemy, so fight back,” he replied. The two other guys nodded.

They hoped they wouldn’t have to fight, at least against the mysterious guy. But Mikey was right, if he threatened them they wouldn’t have the choice. Suddenly, one of Mitsuya’s sisters hummed.

“It's almost 2PM, can we go to the park now?” she asked. The older guy looked at his two friends, he had promised his sisters they would go outside after their meal, but they were having a serious discussion here. Mikey’s mood shifted suddenly, he stood up with a bright smile. 

“Don’t worry, we need to leave anyway, have a good day!” he said to Mitsuya and his sister. Draken said goodbye too with a wave. Mitsuya escorted them to the door, as they were leaving, Mikey leaning towards his face. 

“Don’t forget to text me if you have anything,” he said one last time, the older man nodded and they left for real. He turned around, his sisters were already ready, an angelic smile on their face. Mitsuya smiled fondly, putting the masked guy’s case in a corner of his mind. For now, he had a good time to spend with his lovely littles sisters.   

~~~~~~

The next day after the festival, Takemichi received a message from Hanma asking if they could talk. Usually, this kind of thing didn’t mean anything good, but Takemichi, still a bit confused and flustered from what happened between them, wasn’t worried.

He was almost certain they would talk about their kiss, and to be honest, Takemichi was ready to accept whatever Hanma would say. If the blond said that he regretted it, the older man wouldn’t complain, and would act as if nothing happened.

What mattered the most was that Hanma felt comfortable. And if Takemichi’s feelings were hurt in the process, it didn’t matter, he was older in this relationship, he had to act mature.

So, he agreed to see him before going to work. And that where they were now, behind the bar, the two of them alone. They were awkwardly looking at each other, two feets of distance between them.

“So huh, Kisaki’s not here?” Takemichi asked. Hanma shook his head, as if he was bored even though Takemichi could see he was a bit stressed. 

“I told him I was going to see my parents, even though they’re not in the country…but he doesn’t need to know that,” he said with a grin.

Takemichi frowned, it was worrisome to hear that Hanma didn’t have any parents around him, he was still young after all. Yes, technically Takemichi was in the same situation, but he was an adult, he could manage it. 

“Do you take care of yourself well? How do you do to pay the rent, to pay for your food?” he asked, taking two steps forward, being face to face with the taller man. Hanma at first gaped, and then his eyes softened.

“God, how could I ever one day stop loving you,” he muttered. Takemichi blushed but didn’t say anything. “Don't worry darling, they send me money every month,” he reassured.

Takemichi let out a sigh of relief, but he decided he would still check on Hanma from time to time. Silence again. Hanma took a deep breath, and stared right at him.

“Man, usually I’m not that stiff with the person I’m interested in. But you’re really different, and I feel like I can’t mess up, you see? Oh my god I’m cringe,” Hanma said with an awkward laugh.

To be honest, Takemichi thought it was kind of cute. He also expected Hanma to be bold in this relationship, but to see him stressed and trying to look cool? Yeah that was cute.

And it didn’t feel like it was awkward to Takemichi, after all he was even worse when it comes to romantic relationships. 

“Don’t worry, you won’t mess up,” he reassured, putting a hand on his shoulder. Hanma looked at it and smiled. 

“Alright, I think it obvious that I like you, a lot. I never was interested in seriously dating someone before, but you’re the exception, I really want something to happen between us. With our kiss yesterday I like to think that you’re feeling the same, but I want to be sure. I don’t want to be one of these assholes who force themselves on others, you know,” he explained.

What a wonderful person Takemichi missed in his previous universe, but fortunately, fate had given him a chance to meet him in this one. The affection Takemichi had for Hanma couldn’t do anything but grow.

At first he thought it was only a crush, but maybe it was more. After all, Takemichi always had so much love to give. But he was scared that giving all this love to one person would suffocate them.

That’s one of the reasons he wanted to avoid a relationship. But maybe, maybe he could just give it in little portions. And the day Hanma was ready to receive more, Takemichi would give him all he got. 

“I feel something for you too, but are you sure you want to try something with me? I can be overwhelming and I- I’m not always the greatest, I don’t want to hurt you,” Takemichi warned. Hanma chuckled and caressed his cheek. 

“Darling, if you think you are overwhelming, then what am I? The only thing overwhelming about you is your beauty and kindness,” he flirted. Takemichi smiled and shook his head. 

“Just promise me, that if one day it becomes too much for you, you will tell me,” Takemichi asked. Hanma’s eyebrow furrowed, showing his concern.

“I promise…but are you alright, is there something you’re not telling me?” he asked back. He didn’t worry easily, but seeing how Takemichi seemed so stressed about it, he was starting to think something was wrong with him. Was he sick? Or maybe he was in some trouble he didn’t want to talk to Hanma about.

Takemichi bit his lips, it’s not like he could explain he was trying his best to maintain everyone alive. And to be fair, he didn't know if he would stay in this universe forever. What if when he finished, or failed his mission, he would disappear? He tried to not think about it before, but now that he was getting engaged in a relationship with someone else, he couldn’t let this possibility aside anymore.

He couldn’t even imagine what Hanma would feel if he disappeared without a word someday. He didn’t want to risk something like that. But at the same time, he wanted to let himself feel loved and to give love, even if it would come to an end someday. Takemichi forced his mind to shut down and shook his head at Hanma. 

“Nothing, I’m alright,” he replied. Hanma eyed suspiciously and shrugged mentally. He couldn’t force Takemichi to tell him everything that was happening in his life. 

“Ok, then, Takemichi, would you accept to be my boyfriend?” he asked. Only this sentence sufficed for Takemichi’s heart to flutter. He took Hanma’s hand in his own, and his eyes reflected all the love and softness he had in him.

“Yes, that would be wonderful,” he replied. Hanma let out a sigh of relief, now that it was official he felt a weight had been lifted off his chest.  

“Can I, you know, kiss you?” he still asked. Takemichi didn’t bother with an answer, he lifted his head and put his lips against Hanma’s one. The taller man wrapped his arms around his waist and pressed his lips back.

Takemichi closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of a mouth on his. Suddenly he felt a prod against his lower lips. Takemichi made a surprised sound but it didn’t take him much time to recognize what it was. He opened his mouth, letting Hanma’s tongue in.

Hanma groaned in his mouth and a shiver ran down Takemichi’s spine. Their tongue met, Hanma taking the lead. Takemichi felt like jelly in his boyfriend’s embrace. He had never been kissed like that before, to be honest he always had been a bad kisser.

Hinata had tried to teach him but she was a beginner too, and when they kissed it was awkward. But with Hanma it was something else. He was a natural.

Takemichi wrapped his arms around his neck, and pressed his body against him. He could feel the heat coming from his boyfriend, and how it felt good. Out of breath, their lips separated.

They stared at each other, their cheeks red, Hanma grinning like he never had and Takemichi panting with a light smile.

“I could do this everyday,” Hanma confessed. Takemichi chuckled and kissed him quickly on the mouth before pushing him aside.

“You’ll have to deserve it,” he joked, sticking out his tongue. “I have to go to work, I’ll text you later,” he said. 

“Oi you’re unfair darling,” Hanma whined. “See ya,” he said, waving goodbye. Takemichi blew him a kiss with his hand and went to work. 

~~~~~~       

Hinata was on a mission, an important mission that she couldn’t fail. There was someone who was counting on her, and as a great friend she couldn’t disappoint him. With a determined step she reached Takemichi. He was training at the same park as usual, when he noticed her, he greeted her with a big smile. 

“Hey Hinata, how are you doing?” he asked happily. 

“Fine and you?” she replied with the same joy. Takemichi stood up, there was sweat on his forehead which he wiped with the back of his hand. 

“I’m doing great!” Hinata leaned toward him with a smirk. He lifted an eyebrow, clearly suspicious of her.

“Soo, I heard you have a boyfriend now,” she said with a wink. Takemichi gaped and a blush started to form on his cheeks. 

“Wh- huh-? How did you know?” he said and punched himself when he realized he had betrayed himself. Hinata smiled mischievously. 

“Girls always know about this kind of thing,” she explained mysteriously. The black-haired man shook his head and sighed. 

“Well, yes, I’m taken now, I guess, why?” Hinata sat on the swing, Takemichi taking the one next to her. He was swinging his legs, avoiding her eyes. 

“So, how is it?” she asked. Takemichi shrugged. 

“Good, I mean, we've been together since only one day, so I can’t say much about it for now. But he’s a good person and kind with me,” he explained. Hinata hummed, but she needed to know more.

“So you love him?” Takemichi turned his head towards her with his eyes wide open. 

“Of course, I wouldn’t be with him either way. I don’t know if my love is the same you felt with someone you want to marry yet, but I can assure you that my feelings for him are genuine. Don’t you feel the same for Emma?” he asked back. Oh no, he was drifting the conversation to her. 

“No you right, I love Emma very much, she is my everything,” she admitted. “But I was wondering, Takemichi, you're certainly the kindest person I ever met and your compassion seems endless…do you think you could start developing feelings for another person while still loving your current boyfriend?” she asked.

Ok, maybe she was too bold with her question, but she was almost certain Takemichi couldn’t guess which was her ‘client’. Takemichi frowned, looking conflicted about her question.

“I don’t know, I don’t think I ever loved two people at the same tim-” Suddenly he stopped, his gaze lost to something she couldn’t see. His face slowly sombered, and his eyes filled with melancholia. Hinata didn’t like this expression on him. “A-Actually I did, a long time ago…but I lost both of them.” Hinata caressed his hand with her fingers.

Takemichi was still young and yet he seemed to have lived so much. She bit her lips, should she pursue her mission? She glanced at Takemichi, the boy slapped his cheeks and forced himself to smile. 

“But it’s okay, I can make everything okay,” he said. She didn’t know what he was talking about but Hinata felt a bit worried for his friend. Cautiously, she asked her question. 

“And what if it happens that you fell in love with another person, what would you do, then?” Takemichi took the time to think about it, he was taking her question very seriously, and she could see him make some faces from time to time. Finally he turned his head towards her.

“I think if they love me back, then I would talk about it with my partner first…And if they’re ok with a polygamous relationship..I think it’s how it's called, then I would confess my feelings to the other person. But if my partner doesn’t want me to be in multiple relationships then I would give up on the love I feel for this other person…” he replied.

Hinata nodded, she was glad to see that Takemichi wouldn’t be the kind to cheat on his partner, even though she never doubted it. But at least now she had her information. 

“I see, you’re right to take your partner’s feelings into consideration, communication is the key to be in a healthy relationship,” Hinata agreed. The black haired man nodded. 

“But what did you want to know about that?” he asked, squinting his eyes at her. Hinata avoided his gaze and shrugged, acting like it didn’t matter to her. 

“Nothing, I was just curious, can’t I?” she replied with an accentuation at the end of her sentence. Clearly, Takemichi didn’t believe her, but instead of pointing out her lie, he shook his head. 

“Alright, if you say so.” Hinata sighed inwardly. They spoke for several minutes until Hinata took out her phone from her pocket. She checked the time, it was almost time for her to join Naoto at home. 

“Ah, I need to go. It was fun seeing you, Takemichi!” she said, getting up. 

“Yeah, see you soon, Hina,” the older man replied with a smile. She left in a hurry, when she was sure she was alone, she took her phone once again. She dialed his number, and waited for him to pick up.

“So?” A voice replied without a hello. Hinata grinned with joy.

“I have good news for you.”  

Chapter Text

Today was a big day for Takemichi. After almost two months living at the bar, he was finally getting a real home!

Since he started working, he has put aside money, spending it only to buy food or clothes. And last week, he finally had enough to rent a little apartment. Not something big, only a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen, but it was enough for him.

The only problem he had was that without any ID, it was impossible for him to rent a house. Even having a bank account wasn’t available, he had all his money hidden under his bed. So yeah, he had a major problem, but that’s when Mez entered!

His boss, his wonderful boss, had agreed to rent the apartment in his name. Takemichi only needed to give him the money each month so he could pass it to the owner and in exchange he could stay in the apartment. Only a few boss would have gone this far for their employee, but it seemed that Mez had taken a liking to Takemichi. And it wasn’t him who would complain about it.

All week, together they searched for the perfect house, something not too expensive and not too far from the bar. It took them three days to find the one, it was located in a little quarter, it was clearly a poor one but Takemichi didn’t mind. As long as it wasn’t one filled with gangs. His apartment was on the second floor which suited him well because he didn’t like to have to climb the stairs.

Takemichi looked at it, Mez had helped him to put the few bags he had in it. It wasn’t very decorated, except for a bed and a little desk, there wasn’t anything else in his bedroom, but Takemichi didn’t mind. He would buy more furniture when he received his next pay. Takemichi threw himself on his bed and hugged his pillow.

He couldn’t believe all the things he managed to do since he arrived here, he found a job, he had a boyfriend, he avoided some deadliest fight and now he even had a home! His mission was clearly not over and he still had a long way before he could live without any worries. But for now, he was happy with what he had.

Takemichi closed his eyes, unable to wipe the smile on his face. If he didn’t have things to do, he would have fallen asleep. But it still had to put some of his things away and he hadn’t eaten yet. Takemichi went to his fridge, but there wasn’t any food in it. 

“Fuck, I forgot the food,” he cursed. What an idiot he was, he had been so excited about having an apartment on his own that he forgot to buy something to eat. Takemichi glanced at his phone, it was late but maybe if he hurried he would find an open konbini.

He sighed, put on his shoes and a light cardigan and left his apartment. He locked his door and turned back. There was someone behind him and Takemichi almost had a heart attack. He jumped, knocking the back of his head against his door. 

“Ouch!”  

“Shit, sorry mate, didn’t want to scare you,” someone apologized. Takemich lifted his head, rubbing it. He saw yellow and black and his eyes widened. He couldn’t help but stare, his mouth agape. How? The person in front of him smiled awkwardly, his eyes looking dead and crazy at the same time. 

“Did you break something inside?” he asked, pointing at Takemichi’s skull. He squinted his eyes. “Or are you a thief? I wouldn’t recommend you to steal in this quarter, we are all poor here!” he informed. A nd if it had been anyone else, Takemichi would have been worried, because who would act like that in front of a thief? But the man in front of him wasn’t anyone, oh no. It was Takemichi’s next mission.

For some reason or another, Kazutora was just next to him. Takemichi blinked, taking the control of his body back. 

“I-Uh, no I’m not a thief, I live here…I’m the new neighbor?” he said hesitantly. Kazutora's face lit up…? He tilted his head to the side and put his hand on his pockets. 

“Really? Welp that’s cool, I live in the next apartment, right there. How old are you? You don’t look that old,” he asked. Takemichi gulped, Kazutora was really near him, and he was kind of blocked  between him and the door. 

“I’m sixteen,”  he replied. Kazutora hummed, a hand on his chin. 

“So you’re older than me, but it’s cool to see someone near my age, there are only old people here. Do you live with your family?” Takemichi shook his head, it terribly felt like an interrogation. 

“No, I live alone,” he replied. Kazutora snapped his fingers at him with excitement. 

“Me too, my parents are abroad, so I can leave peacefully here,” he said, putting his arms behind his head.

Takemichi frowned, Kazutora was too young to live alone. But if he thought about it, most of his previous friends had poor living conditions. It didn’t make him feel better. How could Kazutora repent himself, if he didn’t even have parental figures to support him? All of this was fucked up. 

“Oh, isn’t it too hard?” Takemichi asked, which was a stupid question because obviously it wouldn’t be easy. Kazutora shrugged. 

“I lived worse,” he replied. He eyed Takemichi from head to toe and smirked. “I never asked, what’s your name?” Takemichi blinked. Oh right, Kazutora didn’t know him. 

“I’m Takemichi, and you?” he asked, extending out his hand. The other boy looked curiously at the hand before taking it on his own. He shook it, gripping it a bit too hard. Takemichi gritted his teeth but didn't utter a sound. 

“I’m Kazutora,” he replied. Finally, he took a step back. Takemichi felt like he could breathe once again. Silence. A big awkward silence. Kazutora was staring at him with a creepy smile. Takmichi shifted nervously on his feet, searching for a way to get out of this uncomfortable situation.

“So, huh, what are you doing so late?” the older man asked, just wanting to put an end at this conversation. Kazutora tilted his head on the side. 

“Hm? I was going home, what about you?” he asked back. Takemichi paused and suddenly his face lit up with panic. 

“Ah I almost forgot, I have to hurry! I need to buy food, my fridge’s empty,” he explained to Kazutora. The younger boy frowned before he put a hand on Takemichi's shoulder and pointed at his apartment’s door. 

“Don’t bother yourself to go outside at this hour, you can eat at my house,” he offered. The black haired man raised an eyebrow, surprised.

Since when Kazutora was kind like that? Or was it a trap? He shook his head. No, he shouldn’t judge people like that. It wasn’t the same Kazutora he knew, maybe this one could be civil with others. And to be fair, Kazutora acted harshly with people he hated, but Takemichi never saw him act like that with complete strangers. 

“Don’t worry, I can go to a konbini, I don’t want to abuse your kindness,” Takemichi declined. Even though he didn’t think that Kazutora wanted to hurt him, he still didn’t feel at ease to eat others’ food. It always felt like a debt. The younger man waved his hand at him and huffed. 

“Nah it’s alright. It’s been a while since I hadn’t eaten with someone of my age, and you seem cool. We’re neighbors now, so we must learn to know each other,” he explained. “Or I think it’s how it works?” he muttered. Takemichi looked at the man in front of him and suddenly he realized something.

Oh.

Oh.

Kazutora was as socially awkward as him. Maybe it makes sense, without parents to teach him. Call him a naive dreamer, but Takemichi felt like Kazutora was also terribly lonely. So slowly he nodded.

“Alright, but next time you eat at my house,” he said with a firm tone. Kazutora shrugged with a smirk. 

“Okay, I won’t say no to free food.” He headed towards his apartment, Takemichi right behind him. The boy opened it and entered. The older man did the same, taking out his shoes when he was in.

He looked around him curiously. The rooms were more decorated than his, but everything looked dusty. It was as if this apartment had been empty for a long time. Kazutora saw his intrigued expression and gave him an explanation. 

“I have been gone for a long time, I came back home not long ago, I didn’t have the time to clean yet.” Takemichi nodded, he was pretty sure why Kazutora had been away for such a long time.

He led him to the kitchen where there was a table with three chairs. Takemichi sat at the table, looking at Kazutora. The young man opened his fridge, taking out two cans of coke. 

“Coke or water? Oh and is instant noodle good for you?” he asked, turning his head. 

“Oh huh, water please. And noodles are fine” Takemichi replied. Kazutora gave him a thumbs up, and searched for a glass. He filled it with water from the sink and gave it to him.

“Thanks, so huh, you've lived here since…?” Takemichi asked, trying to make small talk. Kazutora, who was boiling water scratched his chin. 

“Five years, something like that?” he replied. Takemichi hummed. When the noodles were ready, the younger man sat at the table, giving one of the instant noodles to Takemichi.

The older man eyed it and took a sip, welp, it wasn’t delicious but he wasn’t going to complain. Kazutora was already kind enough to share his food with him. 

“Thanks for the meal. And so, where were you for these five years, with your parents?” Takemichi asked, he was curious about the Kazutora of this universe. The young man stopped eating, and smiled at Takemichi with dead eyes.

“I was in juvenile prison,” he said. Takemichi felt a shiver run down his spine. Ok, the situation was the same as in his universe. 

“O-Oh ok,” Takemichi stuttered. But Kazutora didn’t stop smiling. 

“Do you know why I was in prison?” he asked. Takemichi shook his head reluctantly. “I killed someone, but it wasn’t my fault, no, it was his fault,” he said as if it explained everything.

For someone who didn’t know him, they would be confused. But Takemichi knew who Kazutora was talking about. It felt awkward and he had the feeling the other man was waiting for an answer. He gulped.  

“Of course it wasn’t your fault Kazutora, whatever happened, if it was years ago it means you were just a kid. I don’t think we can put the blame on a child, they can make mistakes but they deserve to be forgiven. But that’s only my opinion!” Takemichi said, becoming more and more nervous.

Maybe he shouldn’t say things like this to someone who was mentally unstable, even if this someone had been a friend in another life. Kazutora blinked…and blinked. It was as if he was frozen. Takemichi shifted worried, was he about to get his ass kicked? 

“You’re weird, but I like you!” Kazutora finally said. Takemichi sighed with relief, even if he wasn’t sure if it was a compliment or insult. Kazutora resumed to eat. “So, what about you? Where do you come from?” 

“Me? Huh I’m from Kyoto,” he lied. 

“That’s far? What about your school, maybe we’re in the same,” the younger man continued. Takemichi shook his head. 

“I don’t go to school, my parents didn’t give me money so I work to live,” he explained. Should he pretend he was an orphan? It would be easier, and also true in fact. Kazutora raised an eyebrow, his body leaning towards him.

“Really? What kind of work do you do? Isn’t it illegal for someone your age? Not that I really care,” he said. 

“I work in a bar, and I had the chance that my boss accepted me despite my age,” he explained with a small smile. Kazutora's mood lit up, finally some emotions showing in his eyes. 

“Wow that’s cool, what’s the address, I could come from time to time!” Takemichi bit his lips, he kind of feared that if he gave his work address to Kazutora, there might be a chance he would come a day where Mikey and Draken were here. And he wanted more than anything to avoid a fight at his work.

But if he refused to tell Kazutora, he might lose his chance to become friends with him and to help him with his madness. He saw Kazutora's face sombered more and more and Takemichi sighed.

Reluctantly he said to his new neighbor where he worked, hoping he would never meet Mikey. 

“Oh cool, that’s not too far from here. So tell me Takemichi, how has life been since you came to Tokyo?”

For an entire hour they talked about themselves, what they liked, what they wanted to be later. But never Kazutora brought up the Valhalla gang and never Takemichi talked about Mikey and Draken.

Surprisingly, he had a good time. The younger man had been mostly calm, making some dark jokes and allusions here and there, but he never felt threatened. It felt like Takemichi was discovering a part of him he never met in his previous universe.

He received a message and he checked his phone. It was from Mez asking him if everything was alright. Takemichi smiled, touched that his boss cared so much. He replied, telling him he was fine. Glancing at the time, he frowned.

“Wow, it’s pretty late, I should go home,” he said to Kazutora who was drinking his second can of coke. The young man pouted.

“Already? That sucks, but I guess I need to go to school tomorrow, or should I say today? I'll see you soon?” he asked. And maybe it was the fatigue, but Takemichi thought he heard hope in his voice.  

“Yeah sure! Here is my number, call me when you want me to repay you for the food…or if you need me for anything!” Takemichi said with a big smile. Kazutora registered his phone number with a light smile and accompanied him to the door.  

“Good night Kazutora, I’m glad that you’re my neighbor.” 

“Same,” the younger man replied with a smirk without any malicious intent. Takemichi headed to his own apartment, took a quick shower, and once in his pajamas went to his bed. He let himself fall on it and almost instantly fell asleep. 

That night, Takemichi dreamed of hope and redemption.

Chapter Text

Takemichi yawned as he was putting his shoes on. Yesterday with Kazutora went pretty well. The boy was clearly troubled with what he went through and still resented Mikey for it.

Yet, Takemichi had the feeling that if he was here for him and helped him to understand his error, this time it could be done without anyone dying. He wouldn’t let Baji die, and if he could even prevent the battle between Valhalla and Toman, it would be for the best. But first he needed to get closer to Kazutora, and so without being a creep. Them being neighbors clearly gave him an advantage, and Takemichi would use it as much as he could to form a friendship with the boy.

But as for now, he needed to do some groceries. His fridge was empty and only drinking a glass of water couldn’t be called a breakfast. Takemichi glanced at his phone, it was 8 AM. After going to the konbini, he would probably call Hanma and see if they could meet. He wanted to tell his boyfriend about his new apartment.

Telling Kisaki would make him happy too, but recently, it was harder for him to see his friend. It was as if he was avoiding Takemichi and to be honest, it pained him. He didn’t know if he had done something wrong, and it was making him worry. Maybe he should talk about it to Hanma, after all they were best friends, maybe he knew what was going on.

“Anyway, time for food for now,” he said and his stomach grumbled. He locked his door and turned back. He heard à sound to his right and by reflex, he looked toward it. Kazutora was also getting out of his apartment, a worn school bag resting lazily on his shoulder. Their gaze met and the younger boy smiled. Takemichi waved at him politely.  

“Hey Takemichi, what are you doing outside so early, don’t you work only at night? Or did you lie and you have a secret job?” Kazutora asked with a blank stare. For anyone else, they would have freaked out or gulped but not Takemichi. It was very faint, but the right corner of Kazutora’s mouth was lifted up, showing that he was only joking. Takemichi shook his head, waiting for the other boy to join him. 

“No, no, I’m just going to buy some groceries, you know? To not starve to death. What about you, going to school?” he replied with a soft tone. Kazutora wrapped his arms behind his head and side eyed him. 

“Yup, it’s boring, but who knows. I might find something to play with there,” he said. Ok, that didn’t reassure Takemichi at all. Kazutora and him didn’t have the same definition of playing, and he hoped the boy wouldn't bully anyone. 

“Oh? Don’t you have any friends yet? …Shit sorry, it was rude of mine,” Takemichi apologized, realizing the lack of tact he had. Kazutora huffed and shrugged.

“I only came back two days ago, so no. But do I really need friends? As long as people follow me, it doesn’t matter if they like me or not, right?” he stopped to walk to look at Takemichi. And the black haired man couldn’t help but stare back at him with a kind of pity. To his eyes, Kazutora was just a lonely and lost teenager. 

“I don’t know, I think it’s good to know that you have people that have your back, that you can be comfortable with. If you don’t have a friend, I could be one to you? Maybe not this soon, but as we get to know each other? I think your company could be very pleasant,” he said. And it was true, in his previous universe, once Kazutora had the help he needed, he became someone Takemichi liked very much. The other boy blinked dumbly at him and raised an eyebrow. 

“I guess you could, it would be entertaining how long you can hold it before leaving me,” he replied and resumed walking. Takemichi shook his head but Kazutorza couldn’t see it. He wasn’t planning on abandoning him, he would save everyone and the boy was his friend, he wouldn’t let him down. He caught up to Kazutora and huffed. 

“I won’t, you’ll see that I can be very stubborn when I want to!” he said proudly. After all, even when Mikey killed him, it didn’t stop him from trying to save him. To be honest, Takemichi didn't even really fear his own death, no, death was scary only when it concerned other people. Kazutora laughed at his boldness. 

“I think it will be fun to hang out with you, Takemichi!” The black haired man smiled. He opened the door of the building and waited for Kazutora to follow him. Once both of them were outside, he turned towards the younger boy. 

“Well, I guess it’s where we split apart, have a good day, see you soon!” Takemichi said and waved at  Kazutora. The younger boy hummed and grinned. 

“See ya, Takemichi,” he replied back. And so, they both went on their way. Takemichi walked to the nearer konbini, living in a poor quarter, there wasn’t much market around.

After fifteen minutes of walking, he finally reached one open. There were strangely a lot of teenagers around, most of them with school bags, they were chatting and laughing. Intrigued, Takemichi observed them and his surroundings. When he reached the front of the konbini, he finally understood the reason for so many people around. At the end of the street was a school. Probably they were buying food before going.

Takemichi looked at the highschool with longing, he missed being in class with his friends. Even though he didn’t particularly like to study, he spent good time with them. He entered the konbini, and headed towards the noodle. It wasn’t the healthiest food but with his job, he wouldn’t really have the time to cook the evening. He picked up meat, vegetables. He would try at least to cook his meal for lunch.

As he was trying to choose which fruits would be the best for him, Takemichi heard a voice behind him. 

“Eh- Isn’t it Takemitchy? Hey Mitchy!” The black haired man spun around with his eyes wide. Here was Mikey with Draken and a third person. Mikey was waving at him excitedly, he rushed toward him. 

“How are you doing? It’s been ages since we last saw each other! I thought I would die of boredom with Draken!” he whined. Draken slapped him behind the head and Mikey glared at him. He turned his head toward Takemichi with a smile. 

“Sup, it’s good to see you,” he greeted. 

“Hi! How are you, did your wound recover?” Takemichi asked. He didn’t have much time to see Draken and regretted not knowing sooner how he was doing. Draken waved at him as if it didn't matter. 

“I’m fine, anyway, the wound wasn’t even that deep,” he reassured. Welp, guess it wasn’t surprising from Draken. Takemichi chuckled and nodded. 

“You’re far stronger than me, Draken! It’s as if you fear nothing,” he replied sincerely. The boy had always been more calm than him in dangerous situations. Draken smirked, a bit flustered. 

“Not that complicated to be stronger than you Takemichi, no hard feeling,” he mocked and Takemichi couldn’t help himself from laughing. Ah! If only he knew. Not that Takemichi was pretentious enough to say he could beat Draken in a fight, oh no. But he was certainly stronger than he had been in his previous universe.

Mikey was starting to get impatient with being ignored. He pushed Draken on the side, about to say something to Takemichi, when he was pushed by someone too. Takemichi’s eyes widened and a boy appeared. 

“Who is it? You abandoned me for this guy?” the teen asked with a scowl. Takemichi gaped at Baji, his mind not ready to encounter someone of his previous universe so soon. The boy glared at him, on his guard. 

“What? Why are you staring at me?” he asked harshly. Takemichi blinked and froze. His body could feel the danger from Baji and had reacted instinctively.

He sighed inwardly, first Kazutora, and now Baji. Was fate trying to help him or was it putting a spoke in his wheel? Because Takemichi wasn’t still replying, Baji turned towards Mikey.

“Who is he? A guy from another gang? I can beat his ass for you, if you want,” he offered with a grin. Mikey’s eyes were dark, he walked toward Baji and punched him behind the head. The other boy yelped, caught by surprise. 

“Hey, what was it for?!” he shouted. Mikey sighed and pointed a finger at Takemichi. 

“This guy, as you call it, is Mitchy. He’s a friend, dumbass,” he informed. Baji raised an eyebrow and he eyed Takemichi. His eyes widened with recognition.

“Oh shit! You’re the one they are always talking about! Nice to meet ya man, I’m Baji,” he greeted, his behavior changing entirely. Takemichi was a bit disturbed how the other man could switch from one emotion to another, but at least he didn’t feel threatened anymore. 

“Hi, I’m Takemichi,” he greeted back. Baji eyed him from head to toe, a hand on his chin. Mikey tapped lightly on his shoulder and Takemichi turned his head towards him.

“Mitchy you’re not cool, I asked you a question and you totally ignored me,” he pouted. The black haired man tilted his head on the side, wondering what he was talking about. He tried to remember what had been the beginning of their conversation. 

“Oh, sorry. And I’m fine, what about you? You didn’t get in a fight with another gang?” he asked with a stern gaze and yet he was smiling. The three boys exchanged a look and Mikey smiled too widely at him to be innocent.

“Noooo,” he replied. Takemichi shook his head. It’s not like he could do anything about it. He wasn’t their parent, nor an adult, at least not in this body. 

“So what are you doing here? Isn’t there a konbini near your bar?” Draken asked. 

“Oh no, um, I don’t live at the bar anymore, I finally have my own apartment!” Takemichi announced proudly. His friend’s face lit up with interest. 

“Really? That’s so cool, man. I wish I had my own house too,” Draken said with a sigh. If Takemichi remembered well, he was living in a brothel, he patted his arms supportively. The taller man grinned at him. 

“Mitchy, you have to show us your apartment! We could have some parties from time to time!” Mikey spoke with excitement. Well, yes but no. It was too risky, even more so with Kazutora as his neighbor. Takemichi rubbed the back of his head with his hand, a bit uneasy. 

“Slow down, slow down, I’m pretty sure doing a party at my place with you would end up with my apartment devastated.” Draken shrugged and Baji laughed at Mikey's face. 

“He’s not wrong,” The black haired teen said. Mikey glared at him and huffed. He turned to Takemichi with determination.

“Okay, no party for now. But at least you have to show us your home!” he demanded. Takemichi nodded reluctantly. 

“Alright, maybe another day. But um, what are you guys doing here anyway, don’t you have school?” he interrogated. The three boys froze, two advertising their gazes to the side, and one widening his eyes. 

“Oh shit, I can’t be late again,” Baji groaned, and he made glasses appear by magic. He put it on his nose and he looked exactly as the same time he first saw him. 

“What did we do to you Mitchy to be so mean to us? Now we don’t have any other choice than to go,” Mikey grumbled. Takemichi lifted his hand in the air. 

“Hey I never said you needed to go, you do what you want,” he defended himself. Mikey shook his head.

“Yeah, but I know you’ll be disappointed in us, argh it’s not fair!” he whined. Takemichi frowned, why what he would think of them matter to Mikey? 

“I mean, there's not much you can do that would make me disappointed in you,” he replied.  Mikey stared at him and Draken’s arms wrapped around his shoulders. 

“Sometimes I wonder if you’re not an angel, you’re too kind for your own good, Takemichi,” he said. Takemichi didn’t think he was particularly kind, he was just being honest. 

“Welp, it was cool to meet you Takemichi, but I really need to go. Are you coming with me or not guys?” Baji asked. Both of his friends nodded, one reluctantly and the other one unbothered.

“We’ll see you soon Takemichi, take care of you,” Draken said. Takemichi nodded, waving at them. 

“Goodbye!” The three boys stepped out of the konbini, Mikey being dragged by Draken and Baji. The black haired man finished his groceries. As he was at the checkout, he received a message on his phone. Takemichi looked, it was from Hanma. 

‘Miss you, think we can meet at 6PM at your bar?’ 

Takemichi smiled, love blooming in his chest. 

‘Sure, I’ll be there, love you.’ 

He paid for his food and headed toward his apartment. He couldn’t wait for tonight.

Chapter Text

After getting back to his apartment and cooking a delicious meal, Takemichi looked at his phone. He still needed to wait four hours before meeting Hanma.

He couldn’t wait to see his boyfriend, sometimes he still couldn’t believe that he was really in a relationship with him. He kind of hated and feared Hanma in his previous universe. And yet, he ended up falling in love with this one. If it wasn't proof that this universe was totally different from his original one.

He didn’t know where it would lead him, there were so many new experiences that awaited him, maybe more fight, maybe more peace. Whatever he would need to go through, Takemichi was ready. His loved ones at his sides, he feared nothing.

That was his greatest strength and weakness, his loyalty and love for his friends. But he wouldn’t let anyone use it against him. This time he could defend his friends and himself. He could protect Hanma, he could save Mikey.

Takemichi hummed as he washed the last plate. He went in his message on his phone and sent to Hanma : 

‘Miss y’a, I love you!’

He waited for a reply, but after five minutes, he abandoned. Maybe he was in class, Takemichi would have to wait for a reply. Unable to stay put in his apartment, he decided to take a stroll.

After all, it’s not that he was stronger than before that it means he should stop training. He needed to work on his stamina, Takemichi wasn’t tall and he needed to balance this weakness in a way or another. If he was able to take it longer than his opponent, Takemichi could wait for them to be tired to strike and beat them.

He also needed to learn to fight with a mask on, it was harder to breathe with it, and he couldn’t allow himself to faint in the middle of a fight because of the lack of air.

Takemichi took his mask, a hoodie and left his apartment. He was suspicious with his clothes, and so decided he would train somewhere away from prying eyes. Takemichi walked towards the quiet streets where the only people he would encounter were the poor and gangs. As long as he was careful, he could train without being disturbed.

First, he wanted to see how long he could run with the mask on. Takemichi started slowly, walking fast but not running either. When he was ready and he was certain his muscles wouldn’t strain, he started to run in the street.

It took him ten minutes before noticing something weird. He was crossing a street even dirtier than the previous one when he heard sniffles. Intrigued, but on his guard, he took a look at the dark street.

There were two little girls crying right there, just in front of them was a young man, Takemichi could see only his back. However, in front of the young man, he noticed five guys, they didn’t seem really nice. There was a sneer on the face of one of them, they guy was taller, in the middle of the group.

Ok, this was clearly a gang, Takemichi didn’t recognize them, they looked strong, but not as much as the Toman gang. His eyes switched back to the young man, this purple hair reminded him of someone.

He was so focused on what was going on in front of him, that he didn’t notice the two children moving until the older girl gripped his sleeve. Takemichi lowered his head, the kid was looking at him with unshed tears.  

“Please help our brother,” she begged with a small voice. The black haired man’s heart tightened. He had to help them, he couldn't let these children’s brother get beaten up right in front of them. Takemichi lifted a finger on his own mouth, telling the kids to be quiet. They were being ignored by the other teenagers, too focused on the young man.

“You piece of shit, you always think you’re better than us, but how will you manage to protect your little sisters now that you’re alone? Not so smug anymore, huh?” The leader of the gang mocked.

Takemichi sighed inwardly, why were there so many gangs in this town? He couldn’t even walk peacefully in the street without landing up in a gang war. Maybe he was just very unlucky. The older brother of the kids extended out his arms, hiding the children with it and putting a barrier between them and the opponents. 

“I swear that if you touch one of their hair, I’ll kill you,” he growled. One of the guys scoffed, he had a long piece of wood in his hand. It wouldn’t hurt as much as a baseball bat but it would still do damage if someone was hit.

He needed to take down this one first. Takemichi examined his surroundings, if he could attack him from behind… He saw a thin alley to his right who could lead him behind the opponent. It was very narrow, but Takemichi had always been small. He turned towards the two girls who were eyeing him and their brother worrily. 

“I’m coming back, don’t move from here, and if it becomes too dangerous, go hide here,” he explained, pointing at the alley he was about to take. As kids they were small too, and the other teenagers wouldn’t be able to catch them here.

The older girls nodded with determination, she wasn’t older than ten, and yet she was trying her best to be brave. She was gripping tightly the hand of her younger sister who was crying quietly. 

“Please hurry, mister,” she begged. 

“I will, don’t worry,” he reassured. And without waiting for an answer, he dashed to the alley. He had to move on his side, sticking out his chest to be the thinner as possible. He felt his clothes scarp against the wall, and he would probably need to buy new ones.

After two minutes of struggling to move on, he finally stepped out of the alley. He looked to his left, one of the guys had started to fight with the young man while the others were enjoying the show. Takemichi gritted his teeth, what a bunch of losers.

He stared at the one with the piece of wood, the boy had his guard off, snickering at the fight. Takemichi walked slowly toward him, doing his best to not catch anyone's attention. In one strike, he wounded his opponent’s arm, making him drop his weapon. 

“W-What?” the teenager stammered, dumbfounded. But Takemichi didn’t let him understand what was going on, he wrapped his arms around his neck and started to strangle him. His aim wasn’t to kill him, but just to make him faint. The boy struggled, trying to pry his arms apart from his neck, but Takemichi was a lot stronger than before, and to be honest, the teenager was pretty weak.

The other member of the gang stared dumbly at them for ten seconds, until their friend shouted, “What are you doing? Help me!”.. The guy was starting to struggle less and less, Takemichi decided to put this to an end quickly before the other attacked him. With the edges of his hand, he struck the guy's neck, putting him K-O.

He let him fall at his feet. One of his friends shouted his name with rage, but Takemichi paid him no mind. Instead he focused on the nearest member. He was sprinting towards him with a scowl on his face. He was much taller than Takemichi, but not more muscular for all that.

The guy was still rushing, his fist ready to swing against his jaw. But as he was about to hit Takemichi, the black haired man crouched down and pulled on his opponent’s leg. Taken by surprise, this one stumbled, Takemichi got up quickly and pushed him on the chest. The guy fell on his ass, his face red with shame. 

“You fucke-” Takemichi didn’t let him finish, gripping his head and kneeing him in his face. He was trying his best to put his enemies unconscious as fast as possible, limiting the damage on them. The less wounds he inflicted, the best it was. Even though they were menacing kids, which was unforgivable, Takemichi didn’t want to have blood on his hand today.

His opponent’s eyes rolled and the guy fell unconscious. Three more left. Takemichi lifted his head, and two other guys were already on the floor. Heh, so the young man knew how to fight. Which means only one member of the gang remained. Takemichi snapped his neck toward him, the guy looked stressed, his eyes wide open. 

“W-What are you? A monster?” he said with bitterness. He was cornered against a wall, Takemichi and the other young man approaching slowly. The black haired man still didn’t look at the older brother of the kids, his focus on their opponent. And he was right to do that, because he noticed him taking something from his pocket.

He hadn’t been able to discern what it was exactly but they couldn’t take the risk of being hurt. He pushed to the side the teenager, and avoided at the last second a knife coming at his face. What was their problem with always inflicting fatal wounds? Couldn’t they just fight like normal teenagers? With their fists?

T akemichi gripped his opponent’s wrist and twisted it. He didn’t break them but it was enough to make him drop his knife. He pushed the weapon with his feet, and headbutted the gang’s member. The guy blinked, his eyes unfocused. Takemichi did his favorite attack and punched him in the balls. And like that, all the gang was down.

He was breathing hard under his mask, but he couldn’t take it off with the witnesses around. He turned around, the two little girls had joined their brother who was hugging them. 

“Hey there girls, you okay?” the teenager asked. The siblings nodded, wiping the tears at the corner of their eyes. They smiled seeing Takemichi, and the young man thought there wasn’t anything better than seeing a kid happy. 

“Yes, thanks to this kind man,” the older one said, pointing a finger at the black haired man. Their older brother finally turned his head toward him and his eyes widened as Takemichi did.

“Oh fuck,” he whispered. The three siblings he had just saved weren’t anyone else other than Mitsuya and his sisters. He hadn’t seen them much in his previous universe and hadn’t recognized them.

He was glad that he was wearing his mask and that only his eyes were visible. Mitsuya was eyeing him with suspicion and curiosity. He seemed to know him, but Takemichi was certain he hadn’t met him yet in this life. At least not face to face. There was an awkward silence and suddenly Mitsuya bowed, his sisters doing the same.

“Thank you for helping  my sister and I. I don’t think I would have been able to beat all of them without you,” he thanked. Takemichi waved his hand, embarrassed. 

“No need to thank me, I  just did what was right,” he replied. It was weird to see his former friend so solemn with him. They stood up, Mitsuya wiping the sweat on his face, the younger girl approached him, extending out something in her hand. 

“Here, as a thank you,” she said. Takemichi lowered his head and looked at the small candy in her palm. He took it hesitantly, he didn’t need any reward but he didn’t want to reject her gift. He opened the candy and slipped in his mouth under his mask. 

“That’s delicious, thank you,” he replied, ruffling the girl’s hair. She giggled and got back to her older siblings. 

“We should get out of here,” Mitsuya said, staring at the five guys on the ground, some of them were starting to wake up. “You’re comin’?” he asked to Takemichi. The young man raised an eyebrow, surprised at the offer, but he shrugged and nodded.

As long as he wasn't taking off his mask, he could spend time with them, right? He missed being in the company of Mitsuya. His former friend took his sisters by the hands, and the four of them stepped out of the alley.

They walked for five minutes straight, the two kids retelling the fight with passion. Now that they weren’t scared anymore, they were a lot more energetic. They reached a small park with no one around, the playground was in a bad shape but the girls didn’t care, rushing toward it with glee. Mitsuya and him stayed at the entrance of the playground, looking at them.  

“So, it’s a hobby of yours to play the vigilante?” The younger boy asked. Under his mask, Takemichi’s cheeks reddened. Was he what he looked like? 

“No, I was just doing some exercise when I heard you little sisters crying,” he explained. Mitsuya huffed. 

“Huh sure, and you were also doing some exercise when you texted me about the fight with the Moebius gang? Were you also just training when you saved Draken?” he taunted. Takemichi wiped his head toward him with a gasp. 

“Y-You know?” he asked, baffled. Mitsuya gave him a deadpan look.  

“Do you think I’m stupid? There aren't a lot of masked guys who take care of the gang alone, and appear suddenly to save someone's life.” he informed. Well…it made sense. Takemichi wasn’t as discreet as he thought. But as long as they didn’t discover his identity, it wasn’t too bad. 

“You don't know who I am, right?” he asked unsure. He shook his head. 

“Nope, and I won’t force you to tell me, I’m pretty sure you will run away if I try, today I’m here to thank you and that’s all,” the purple haired man replied. 

“Oh,” Takemichi simply said. Mitsuya had always been one of the more calm and pragmatic. He wasn’t the kind to harass until he had what he wanted. Not like Mikey… 

“Why train in such dirty alleys by the way?” he asked with curiosity. 

“I thought it would be less suspicious than to train in a crowded place, with this mask I look rather suspicious don’t you think?” Mitsuya snorted with a nod. 

“Right, I would have clearly been wary If I saw you in the street,” he agreed. “What should I call you, mystery guy?” Takemichi looked at the girls playing, and at the big three surrounding them, they were beautiful. A single leaf fell off the three to his right, tumbleweed to his shoes.  

“Leaf, call me Leaf,” he replied without thinking. Next to him, Mitsuya laughed. 

“Leaf? Really? Welp, I’ll do that.” Takemichi facepalmed inwardly, he couldn’t have chosen a name more ridiculous than that. To distract himself from his awkwardness, he lowered head and asked back : “What is your name?” Mitsuya lifted an eyebrow. 

“Why are you asking? Do you need my personal information to stalk me? Should I give you a fake name too?” he joked and laughed when he saw Takemichi’s face turn to panic. “Just kidding, the name’s Mitsuya.” He extended out his hand and Takemichi shook it.

Well, now he could call his name without risking to betray himself. He smirked at his former friend who couldn’t see it but still gave him a grin back. 

“My two sisters right there are Luna and Mana, Luna is the older one, she’s 9 and Mana is 5. Once again, thank you for protecting her, they’re my everything,” he said, looking fondly at them. His family had always been important to him, a thing Takemichi never really knew, his parents away most of the time. 

“They were very brave, you can be proud of them,” he replied. 

“I am,” he confirmed. Takemichi’s phone suddenly rang, he looked at it, Hanma had finally replied to him. He quickly checked his message.  

‘Love you too, s’ya soon.’ 

That's when he realised what time it was. He had one hour to get back to his apartment, to shower and join his love. He turned to Mitsuya in a hurry. 

“I have to go, I have something very important to do soon. I’m sorry to abandon you like that!” he apologized. The teenager shook his head. 

“Don’t worry, I have the feeling it won’t be the last time I see you. Go to your duty, Leaf.” 

“Goodbye Mitsyua, goodbye girls,” Takemichi shouted to the kids. They waved at him, saying goodbye back. With a last look at the three siblings, Takemichi sprinted to his apartment.

Even with running fast, it still took him 15 minutes to reach it. He didn’t take the  time to see if Kazutora was already back at his home. He took off all of his clothes and took a warm shower.

The hot water was turning his skin red and as he was shampooing his hair, he thought about Hanma. He was impatient to see his boyfriend. He would definitely hug him as soon he saw him, and probably kiss him too.

He imagined his boyfriend’s face with his usual smirk, the glint in his eyes when he looked at Takemichi. The love in gaze always made him feel like he had butterflies in his stomach.

As he was dreaming of his partner, Takemichi’s hand lowered toward his groin. It’s when he felt his hardness between his legs that his transe stopped. He hadn’t realized he was getting aroused.

He looked mortified at his flushed cock. He didn’t have the time for that!

Ashamed, he turned the shower cold, hoping it would calm down his hard on. After ten good minutes thinking about ugly thing, his cock was once again limp between his legs. 

He sighed with relief and stepped out of the shower. Looking at his phone, his panic came back. He had lost a lot of time washing and he was now late!

He took with him the keys of his apartment, put on some clothes, and rushed out of his home. When he finally caught a glimpse of Hanma, he was out breath. 

“Hanma, I’m here! I’m so sorry I’m late,” he apologized, joining his boyfriend who was smiling at him. The taller boy opened his arms with a grin and Takemichi jumped in, wrapping his arms around his waist.  

“Hey there darling,” Hanma greeted. Takemichi greeted him back with a passionate kiss on the mouth.

His boyfriend reciprocated with joy, groping his ass. The black haired man made a slight surprised sound, never his love had been so bold. But he didn’t mind, to be honest, he was still a bit aroused and it made him feel good. 

“Hi,” he finally replied with a smile. Stepping out of the embrace and instead taking one of Hanma’s hand in his own. It felt so right to touch him. Hanma’s smirked at Takemichi unusual affection. 

“Soo, what’s up?” he asked with a grin.

Oh, Takemichi had a lot to say.

Chapter Text

They sat at one of the tables of the bar, hidden in a corner of the room which gave them more intimacy. Takemichi was so excited to talk about the big things that happened to him in the little time they were apart.

Both  of them ordered a soda, Mez coming himself to serve and winked at them with a teasing smile. Hanma sipped his drink, staring at Takemichi expectantly.

“So darling, I can see that you’re dying to tell me about your week,” he smirked. The young man nodded eagerly. 

“I have an apartment now! It’s not that big and well, Mez is technically the one who owns it, but it’s not only a bedroom anymore,” he announced proudly. Hanma’s mood lightened up and he took one of Takemichi’s in his hand. 

“Really? That’s so cool darling, I’m glad you have your own home. Moreover, I'll be able to spend some time at your place without being disturbed, if you see what I mean,” he flirted with a knowing look. Takemichi blushed and rolled his eyes. 

“As long as you don’t disturb the neighbor, I might let you come,” he replied without realizing his mistakes. Hanma lifted an eyebrow and grinned. 

“Oh I’ll be careful not to be too loud, darling,” he promised. An image started to form in his mind, and Takemichi hid his face in his hands, mortified.

Why was he reacting like that these days? Was it because he was less stressed than usual and all his sexual frustration were resurfacing? Obviously since he came into this world, he didn’t have much time nor envy to relieve himself. But even before, he never felt like that with Hinata.

Maybe boys attracted him more than girls? Had he felt like that around men in his previous universe?

At first no one came to his mind, and then deep black eyes and dyed blond hair flashed in his head. He recognized him instantly, the man who he had died for so many times. But no, it wasn’t possible, was it? Has he loved Mikey like he has loved Hinata?

Maybe it had been only attraction, after all, his friend had always been so charismatic, so impressive… Even in his hatred he had been beautiful, while still breaking Takemichi’s heart each time he had let his anger take over him.

He had sacrificed so much, hoping again and again to make such emptiness and loathing disappear in these eyes once and for all. To make Mikey smile forever. To offer him the happiness, the happy ending he deserved. And he was still trying, he hadn’t given up. Until his last breath he would fight for it…

Oh god, Takemichi had loved Mikey, maybe still loved him, he wasn’t sure, he felt lost. How could he not have realized his own sentiment for his friend? But he was certain his feelings for Hinata had been love too.

Had he loved two people at the same time? If he did, he failed them both. He died the day he was about to marry Hinata, and he never saved Mikey from death nor despair. His love hadn’t been enough. He had tried but it hadn’t been hard enough.

But now Hinata was happy with Emma, and Mikey wasn’t lost yet. His love was now for Hanma, and maybe Mikey, and while he would never cheat on his boyfriend, he could use his love to save his friend.

It didn’t have to be romantic, yes, it could be just platonic, as in his previous universe. But this time he wouldn’t fail. His love was never ending and Takemichi had enough of it to share with the one he cherished. 

“-ling? Babe, you’re okay?” Lost in his thoughts, Takemichi hadn’t heard his boyfriend calling him. He lifted his head, his eyes meeting the worried ones of Hanma. 

“Hmm? Sorry, what were you saying?” he muttered, his voice strangely hoarse. 

“You’re crying love, everything’s alright? Did I do something wrong?” Hanma asked, bending over the table to wipe Takemichi’s tears with his thumbs. The black haired man startled, touching his wet cheeks, he hadn't realized he was crying. Instinctively, he leaned his head in Hanma’s hand, seeking comfort.

Finally understanding why he was fighting so hard for Mikey had shook him deeply,  more than he thought. But he felt even more determined. He kissed the palm of his boyfriend 's and gave him a bright smile. 

“I’m okay, just thought about some things, but not in a bad way, don’t worry,”  he reassured. The younger man nodded slowly, giving a peck on his lips.

The mood turned light once again and Takemichi grabbed the front of Hanma’s shirt to kiss him with vigor. His boyfriend was a bit surprised but his eyes shimmered with joy. They got back in their seats and resumed drinking. 

“ Since you look more affectionate than usual, it might be crucial for me to know where your apartment is. I have the feeling at any moment we will need a more…intimate place,” he teased. Takemichi’s face turned crimson but he didn’t reply to the teasing.  

“I live very close by! Ten minutes walk from here! And the neighbors are really cool, the one next door is around my age, it’s nice to talk with him,” he explained. 

“You talk with other guys? Careful I could be jealous,” Hanma joked. Takemichi shook his head, a slight panic in his eyes, thinking about Mikey and the recently discovered feelings he had for him. 

“No, no, it’s not like that! I’ll never cheat on you,” he said while fidgeting on his seat. Hanma shrugged and smirked. 

“I was kidding babe, and anyway, I’m not jealous, I don’t mind sharing my partner. I’m kind of the open-relationship type guy, maybe I should have told you before? I hope you won’t mind, but don’t worry, you’re the only one I’m seeing. And if I were to meet another potential partner, I would tell you about it first, welp if you’re in polyamorous relationship,” he explained. Takemichi breath stuttered. Hanma didn’t mind if he loved other people ?

Relief bloomed in his chest and a bit of guilt. Would he have mentioned his love for Mikey if Hanma had never said he was poly? 

“I-I don’t mind! I think I’m actually into open relationships too…it’s still new for me, but I think I have feelings for you and someone else? I don’t know, it’s still a bit confusing for me. But if I fell in love with another person, I will tell you about it too!” His boyfriend nodded, kissing him on the lips and hands.

It was a first for Takemichi, to be in this kind of relationship, he didn’t know where it would lead him, if it would work, but he couldn’t know as long as he hadn’t tried. 

“Another person in mind huh? Is it Kisaki by sheer luck? If it’s him, don’t need to worry if he feels the same or not,” Hanma said lightly as if he hadn’t just dropped a bomb. Takemichi froze and his eyes widened. 

“What?” he gaped. They looked at each other and Hanma’s eyes widened too. 

“Oh shit, it wasn’t him?” Takemichi shook his head, belwired. 

“N-No, why do you mean by ‘he feels the same’? He’s been ignoring me lately!” he replied. Hanma looked as confused and surprised as him.

“I mean I thought it was obvious that he liked you, and you know how he is. He didn’t know how to deal with his feelings and you being with me so he opted for hiding. And you look at him the same way you look at me, so I thought you loved him. Oh man, I fucked up so much,” he whined, slumping in his seat.

Takemichi’s  brain blued screen. Kisaki loved him? 

“What are you talking about? I don’t look at Kisaki like this, I mean…I don’t think I do. You’re always together so maybe you thought it was at him I was looking at instead of you! I never thought of him like that, and he likes Hinata not me!” he protested.

It’s not that he was repulsed by Kisaki’s potential love toward him, but it didn’t make sense! Yes, they weren’t enemies in this universe, more like best friends, but the younger man loved Hinata, he always had. Or was Takemichi mistaken from the beginning, did this Kisaki have never liked the girl?

Hanma rolled his eyes, as if exasperated by his reaction. 

“I mean, yeah he liked her,” Takemichi sighed in relief, so he wasn’t wrong. “But then he realized that she loved Emma, so he gave up. But darling, don’t you realize how you’re easily loveable? You’re cute, kind and fucking hot when you’re angry. It’s not a big surprise that Kisaki instead fell for you. I mean, even myself didn’t resist your charm,” Hanma said, making his boyfriend even more red than before.

Takemichi would have been touched by this heated declaration if he wasn’t in such a state of panic. He was worried he had upset Kisaki with being so oblivious of his feelings. Oh god he had kissed Hanma in front of him. What a terrible friend he was. He hid his face in his hand and slumped on the table, ashamed of himself. 

“I’m screwed, I never noticed and made him suffer, he will never talk to me again. I’ve got to apologize…but what if he doesn’t want to hear me? And what am I supposed to say?” he muttered, a plea in his eyes. Hanma shushed him, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

“Hey, calm down babe. it’s going to be alright… Maybe you could think about it?” he said. Takemichi frowned at him with confusion. “I mean about his feelings and yours, and if you don’t feel the same at all, it’s no big deal. He might be a bit sad at first, but he’ll recover, he won’t stop being your friend.” Takemichi nodded numbly, his mind processing all the things that happened in the last thirty minutes.

First he realized he liked Mikey, and now he needed to know if he felt the same as Kisaki? It was a lot. He had never thought of the younger man in a romantic way before, but hadn’t be the same with Hanma before he kissed him? Was he attracted to his other friend? And if he was, what was he supposed to do? Tell him? Wait? He sighed in despair. 

“Alright, but what am I supposed to do now? Should I still apologize to him? I hurt him even though it wasn’t on purpose.” His boyfriend tilted his head on the side with a thoughtful face. 

“I think you should wait, knowing him, he’ll try to confess in the week. He knows that I don’t mind open relationships, so he’ll try to convince you to be ok with it too. Well you already are but he doesn't know,” he confessed. Takemichi’s eyes widened, had he turned Kisaki’s obsession for Hinata to him? He wouldn’t try to kill anyone to have him, was he?

Hanma noticed his stress and furrowed his brows. “You don’t have to say yes if you don’t want darling, I know how he can be manipulative sometimes, but you’re strong and smart. Do what you really want, not what he wants. And even if you reject him, he won’t hurt you or anything, he loves you too much for it. I think he would have months ago, but you changed him for the better.” Takemichi gave him a tentative smile.

He wasn’t sure he was as strong as his boyfriend believed. He had always been a push over, it was hard for him not to try to please everyone. But he wasn't certain he would be capable of pretending to have feelings for someone he didn’t have. He was tired, so tired. 

“Okay, thank you, Hanma…Could we talk of something else, I feel like my brain will explode either way,” he asked. His boyfriend nodded. 

“Sure, no prob’. You know that I love you, right? So what do you want to talk about?” 

“I love you too,” Takemichi replied with fondness. “How about school? How’s  your study?” Hanma grinned mischievously. The night continued for some hours when they finally split up. He was so exhausted that as soon as he was home, Takemichi rushed to his bed and let himself fall into a deep slumber. 

~~~~~~

He was sitting on his bed, hands roaming on his chest under his shirt. The touches were hot on his skin, making Takemichi pants. They didn’t lower down there, and yet he could feel the beginning of a boner throbbing in his underwear. 

“H-Hanma,” he gasped, his eyes closed. 

“Yeah love?” a voice replied against his lips before kissing him. Their tongues intertwined and Hanma shifted his hands to his hair, gripping it softly to not hurt him. Takemichi was lost in the sensation, overwhelmed by his boyfriend.

A breath caressed his neck and a mouth and started to ravage it, biting and licking. Hands wrapped around his waist, a hot body against his back.

Takemichi moaned in Hanma's mouth, the pleasure making him shiver. His boyfriend was making him so good, his lips on his neck, on his own.

Wait… Takemichi suddenly opened his eyes, confused. His eyes met Hanma’s one, filled with lust.

If his boyfriend was in front of him…who was behind? He turned his head in quick motion, pushing Hanma with his hands. The person who was holding him tightened his grip, a grin on his face. 

“Kisaki? W-What…?” Takemichi stuttered, eyes half closed, as if he was too tired, or maybe it was the pleasure he was feeling.

His friend shushed him and kissed him passionately on the lips. The black haired man gasped, and Kisaki slipped his tongue in his mouth. His hands went to Takemichi’s nipple and twisted it.

The young man felt lost, he couldn’t understand what was happening, why Kisaki was here, his mind fogged in a cloud of lust. His boyfriend pecked him on the jaw. 

“Don’t forget me darling,” he said , stroking his stomach. It was as if he didn’t control his body anymore, lost in a wave of never ending pleasure. His cock was now fully hard, painfully constricted in his pants.

He needed some release, a hand, a mouth, anything. He pulled away from Kisaki's lips, short of breath. He weakly gripped his boyfriend’s wrists, trying to have a break from all the intense touches. He needed to have a clear mind, to ask what the heck was happening.

But to no avail, as soon as Kisaki’s lips weren’t against his own, the boy opted for his neck again. He sucked hard, letting for sure a hickey. Takemichi made a sound between a moan and a groan.

Too much, it was too much.

Not enough, it wasn’t enough.

He lowered his eyes and Hanma grinned at him. 

“What do you want love, say it” he teased. Takemichi shook his head. 

“P-Please..,” he begged, for what he didn’t know. Hanma seemed to have decided for him, because he kissed him and put a hand on his pants. Takemichi’s breath hitched.

The hand slipped under the strip of his shorts and squeezed his cock. The young man whined, gripping tightly his boyfriend’s shoulders. In two movements, he was naked down there, his hard on fully exposed to the eyes of the world.

Hanma started to stroke him, slowly, slipping his thumb on his slit. Pre-cum was leaking from his cock, flushed red. Kisaki chuckled behind him and pinched both his nipples at the same time. Takemichi shouted in surprise, his cock twitching. 

“You’re beautiful,” his friend whispered. Takemichi shook his head, trying to deny it, but he was so aroused and Hanma was too slow to give him release. 

“Hanma.. faster, pleas-hgn!” The taller man increased his speed, and bit one of Takemichi’s nipples. The young man almost came on the spot. He had never felt such pleasure, and even if his mind was telling him that it was wrong, he couldn’t help but let himself enjoy it.

His boyfriend and friend continued to ravage his body, biting, licking, kissing each inch of his skin. As he was about to cum, Takemichi noticed a new presence in the room. They were in the corner, right next to the door. He looked up, his vision troubled by the lust. Onyx eyes stared at him. 

“M-Mikey?” he asked, a dread feeling in his stomach. There was the same emptiness he had witnessed too much time in his gaze. 

“So that’s what you’re doing when I’m waiting for you? Have you already forgotten me, all these promises  about saving me were just lies?” Mikey asked him. Despair filled him, making his mind finally clear. 

“No, I’l never forget you! I-I haven’t given up!” He defended himself. He tried to push Hanma and Kisaki, but both boys were glued to him, pleasuring his body without stopping. Mikey's head leaned on the side. 

“Really? You looked pretty lost in lust for someone who’s trying to save me,” he remarked. 

“No! I don’t want this, I swear I just want to save you!” Takemichi’ pleaded. The blond scoffed without a trace of emotion. He raised an eyebrow. 

“You don’t want this? Please Mitchy, you’re about to cum, looked at yourself, you look like someone who had just been fucked.” And Takemichi didn’t know if it was his filthy words, one good stroke of Hanma’s hand or Kisaki sucking harder on his neck, but he came.

Stars appeared in his vision and he let out a long moan. He tried to deny Mikey’s accusation, but his cock wouldn’t stop twitching and leaking cum. He slumped in his boyfriend’s arms, exhausted.

In the real world, Takemichi woke up suddenly, his breath jerky. He looked around him with wide eyes and confusion, then lifted his blankets. His pants were sticky and wet on the front. He let out the blankets, passing a hand on his face with a sigh.

He was so fucked up. 

Chapter Text

Takemichi woke up and he knew he needed to talk to someone. What happened yesterday troubled him a lot and he wanted another opinion on his situation. Someone he could trust and who had good advice.

To be honest, Takemichi was confused about his own feelings, and he didn’t want to accept Kisaki’s confession if he actually didn’t feel the same way. That’s why he needed a friend’s help to realize how he really felt. The young man looked at the number he had in his phone.

Mikey and Draken didn’t seem the best at love advice. And Takemichi knew that if told them about his love life, the two men would tease him about it non-stop. Mez was busy with the bar, and Takemichi didn’t want to bother him with such trivial matters.

His eyes falled on a number and he smiled. Right, who better person to talk about feelings than Hinata? She also had a partner and always been good with advice. After all, her speech always brought him courage and joy, even in the hardest moments. He decided to send her a message.

‘Hey! Could we meet up today? I need to talk about something important.’ He didn’t have to wait long for a reply.

‘Sure! Is it okay if Naoto is here?’ she sent back. Takemichi smiled, it’s been a long time since he saw the boy. It would be nice to spend time with him.

‘Yeah, no prob’, at the park in…two hours?’ he offered. He still needed to eat and shower, and his apartment was dirty. 

‘We’ll be here’ Takemichi smiled and put his phone back on his bedside table. He stretched his arms above his head and yawned. After his little incident in the night, he had changed his underwear but it still felt sticky. He needed a good shower.

He got up, went to his bathroom and started to strip. He looked at himself in the mirror. He had bags under his eyes and his hair was dishevelled. He groaned at his pitiful appearance and turned on the water. He took his shower, his head empty of thoughts. He would have all the time to whine about his life later.

When he finished, he made breakfast for himself. He wasn’t that hungry, probably because of the stress he felt. But still, he shouldn’t go out on an empty stomach. The younger man washed his plate and swept the floor. He put his dirty laundry in the washing machine. He then ventilated his small apartment and looked at it satisfied.

He looked at his phone, his meeting with Hina was in twenty minutes. He put his shoes on and left his home. The walk wasn’t long and for once he didn’t see anyone on his journey. Usually he would meet Hanma or some clients of the bar, but today was a quiet day. Which Takemichi liked.

Fifteen later he was at the park. Naoto, who was on the swing, ran towards him as soon as he noticed the older man. He wrapped his arms around his waist and looked up. 

“Takemichi! It’s been so long!” he said with a pout. Takemichi laughed and ruffled his hair. The younger boy turned red and took two steps back, embarrassed. 

“Hello to you too,” the young man greeted. Hinata appeared beside Naoto and glanced at him with mirth in her eyes. She looked up at Takemichi, she looked lovely today. She had a nice dress and make-up. 

“Hi Takemichi!” The young man waved at her. 

“Hey, I like your clothes,” he complimented. She turned on herself to make the dress float. 

“Thank you! It’s a gift from Emma!” She informed. Takemichi nodded satisfied. He was glad Emma was a devoted girlfriend to Hina, the two girls deserved each other. Not that Takemichi considered himself in his right to choose who could be with Hina. Not at all! The girl wasn’t anyone's property. But he wished the best for the girl he once loved. 

“Tell her she has great taste, then!” 

“Oh count on me, but don’t regret it later if she wants to dress you too,” she warned with glee. The young man gulped, he didn’t have any sense of fashion and not a lot of money, he hoped Emma wouldn’t ruin him. But after all, spending time with the girl would be really cool so he didn’t mind. It was a small sacrifice to pay.

He turned to Naoto who was looking at him with big eyes.

“How’ve you been since I last saw you? No one bothers you anymore?” he asked. The boy shook his head and stepped forwards. 

“I’ve been training to be strong like you, if someone picks a fight, I’ll be able to defend myself,” he said proudly. Takemichi grinned at him. The younger boy had grown so much in a little span of time. He was glad that he was gaining self-confidence.

When he thought of the young man who helped him save his sister again and again, he was filled with gratitude. He could already see this man in this young boy. But still, he would do everything so Naoto wouldn’t have to grow up faster, worrying about his sister’s life instead of enjoying his childhood. 

“Oh yeah? Soon you’ll be able to beat me then,” he teased. Naoto blushed, denial in his eyes.

“No, you’ll always be stronger than me,” he said with certainty. Hinata laughed and pinched his cheeks. 

“I think you have a candidate as a sidekick, Takemichi. But be careful, if Naoto comes home bruised one day, I’ll be the one beating your ass,” she said with a playful glare. His eyes widened with surprise as Naoto whispered angrily at his sister, embarrassed.

She laughed even more and soon Takemichi and Naoto joined her. She wiped her tears and looked more seriously at him.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Takemichi sighed.

“Can we sit somewhere first? Maybe at a cafe, I’ll pay,” he offered. They nodded and he led them to a cozy cafe he liked to go to. They sat in a quiet corner and ordered a drink. Hina leaned towards him with interest.

“Sooo?” she asked with an eyebrow raised. Takemichi breathed in and out and confessed his dilemma. 

“So you know I’m with Hanma, right?” She nodded. “Welp, I heard that Kisaki liked me too, and Hanma said to me it didn’t bother him to be in a poly relationship,” he explained. Naoto looked at him gobsmacked. As for Hinata, the girl was overjoyed.

“Really? That’s a good thing! Oh my, no need to form a plan with Kisaki anymore, he’ll be over the moon” she claimed. Takemichi frowned with betrayal.

“Wait, what? What about this plan? You already knew about his feelings?” She put a hand on her mouth with her eyes wide.

“Oops,” she said quietly. Naoto’s eyes were switching from Takemichi to his sister. 

“Hinata?” He waited. She sighed.

“Okay, I already knew that Kisaki liked you, he asked for my help to seduce you. But with you being with Hanma, he was a bit depressed. I was looking for a solution for you to be with both of them, but no need since Hanma is okay with it!” Takemichi shook his head in despair.

“But what about how I feel, Hina? I don’t know if I love Kisaki! What if I’m convincing myself I do just because I don’t want to lose our friendship?” he complained. He really didn’t want to make a mistake. He didn’t want to be with Kisaki out of pity. Hinata’s joy deflated and she nodded with understanding. 

“I see, sorry I didn’t think of that. It’s just, the way you look at him? It looks like love so I thought…”

“Hanma told me the same thing…” he said with a frown. Was he really looking at Kisaki with love, was it what he felt towards his friend? But then, why did he realize he loved Hanma but not Kisaki? Was it because the boy had kissed him, if he kissed Kisaki would he realize too? Why was life so hard?

Hinata took his hand in her own and smiled sweetly at him. He let the tension leave his body. He needed to calm down.

“Hey, it’s alright. Take a deep breath, we can figure it out together,” she reassured. “What comes to  your mind when you think of Kisaki?” she asked. The young man tried to imagine Kisaki's face. His pouting face, his smirk, the way he would put his glass back on his nose. 

“Of something cold outside but warm inside. Of someone proud but caring to his closest friends. Of someone I hold dearly, I think?” He knew that it would be devastating if he lost Kisaki’s friendship but was it because he loved him? There was a fondness in Hinata, as if she knew something that Takemichi didn't, which make him uncomfortable. 

“Oh Takemichi you’re so oblivious sometimes,” she glanced at Naoto and then bent over the table towards him. “Have you ever thought about Kisaki, the same way…that you could with Hanma? Like dreams…or fantasies?” she asked in a whisper, not to be heard by her little brother.

Takemichi blushed furiously, denial at the tip of his mouth but then he stopped. He thought about the dream he had this morning and he wasn’t stupid enough to think someone would think about their friends like that. He couldn’t deny it, he was attracted to Kisaki, at least physically. Hinata smirked at him.

“Okay, maybe I’m attracted to him, and maybe I like him, but is it love? I’m not sure,” he complied. She shrugged.

“You don’t need to be deeply in love to date someone. You can just try being with him, and if you don’t think it will work, you can break up with him. It won’t make you a bad person, you know.” And deep down, Takemichi knew she was right. He couldn’t know if he never tried.

Maybe he would fall over the heels for Kisaki, maybe he wouldn’t be able to see him as more than just a friend. He needed to give Kisaki a chance. 

“Alright, I’ll try, and Hanma said he was ok with it, there shouldn’t be any problem. I hope,” he said to convince himself. Hinata gripped his hand and pressed it. He looked into her eyes.

“It’ll be okay, Takemichi. And it’s not as if someone would die if it doesn’t.” And god, oh god if she knew. Kisaki literally killed her because he couldn’t have her love. He was capable of murder for his love. Kisaki hadn’t been a good person. But this Kisaki was different, he wasn’t corrupted, not yet, and he was doing well for now.

Takemichi had faith in him. And he hoped that if it didn't work between them, the worse the boy would do would be angry at him. He sighed. Everything would be okay, he had to believe it. 

“Hina…I’m…a bit scared. I think I have feelings for someone else, but I can’t love three people at the same time, can I? Does it make me a bad person if I can choose between them?” he finally asked. That thought had started to haunt his mind since he realized he had feelings for Mikey.

It feels weird to love so many people at the same time. He felt like a cheater even though he was only dating Hanma. Was his love too big to date? Sometimes he had the sensation that his love was endless. Something he could give and give with never running out of it.

Some people would say it was a good thing but not Takemichi. Because what should he do the day someone hurts him with this love he gives? What if it wasn’t enough, or worse, too much to the people he loved? What was he supposed to do? Maybe that was it.

Maybe sometimes, you have to be hurt and you can’t do anything about it. After all, life doesn’t come with only the good things. If he wanted to be happy, maybe he had to accept to be hurt too. 

“Takemichi, loving several people won’t make you a bad person. It’s how you act about it that will determine if you’re a good or bad person. If you talk about it first to the people you date and they’re okay with it, then there’s no problem. If they aren’t, well then…you’ll have to make a choice. But life is all about choices in the end,” she said with a maturity that made her glow. And she was right.

Relief bloomed in Takemichi chest. He was worrying for nothing. He only had a chance this time, he had to live his life to the best. Maybe he would make some wrong decisions, but as long as he made the right one when it came to people’s lives, it was alright. As long as he saved the one he cherished, he didn’t have to worry for the rest. 

“Thanks Hinata, I knew you would have great advice, I already feel better,” he thanked genuinely. She waved her hand as it was nothing.

“Don’t sweat about it, I’m always happy to help. And I’m a sucker for the love story of my friends,” she said with a wink. Takemichi scoffed. She was very different from his original Hinata but was as radiant as her. Naoto sighed loudly, seeming bored. 

“Are you finished?” he said with a pout. The two older teenagers laughed at his antics and the boy complained even more. Poor Naoto, having to hear about the drama life of the grown up. 

“What if you told me about the training you’ve done instead,” he offered as an apology. The eyes of the boy shone and they started a long discussion about their exercises. Hinata listened with a fond smile, offering some ideas from time to time.

Two hours later, the siblings had to get home for dinner. They left the café and said goodbye to each other. 

“I’ll support you, no matter who you like,” Naoto whispered to him before walking to his sister. Takemichi raised an eyebrow, strangely touched. What a good boy, the Tachibana’s siblings were really amazing people. It’s with a light heart that Takemichi headed home. 

~~~~~~

He was on the way to his apartment when someone called out his name. Takemichi turned around, finding the voice familiar but not able to put a face on it. He saw long black hair and a malicious grin running towards him.

“Takemichi, right? Man, it’s hard to catch you up,” Baji said with a heavy breath. Takemichi raised an eyebrow, wondering why the boy wanted to see him. He only saw him once or twice in this universe, and they were far from being close. He wasn’t sure he could consider the other boy his friend, not yet at least. 

“Hi? How you’re doing, Baji?” he asked out of politeness. Baji wiped the sweat on his forehead and scratched out his back.

“Fine, fine, studying and kicking some ass, the usual. And you?” he asked back, more of politeness than caring about Takemichi. 

“I’m fine, I got a new apartment, and life is good,” the older man replied awkwardly. “But uh, you wanted to see me?” Baji nodded, scratching his chin and staring at him. 

“Yup,” he popped out the ‘p’. “Mikey had been whining for weeks for you, he won’t stop requiring your presence. And so I thought I should inform you to go see him soon, unless I need to drag your ass to him?” he teased with a smirk.

Takemichi gulped, he knew that Baji didn’t let anyone enter his circle of friends easily. And he had the feeling he was seen as a threat for now. 

“Really? I didn’t know, I was pretty busy with my job, but I’ll try to see him when I can. Tell him to stop bothering everyone for me, please?” he asked, trying to look at ease. In reality, his muscles were stiff, in a fight or flight instinct. Baji narrowed his eyes and leaned towards him, their noses almost touching. His breath was warm against Takemichi’s face. 

“I don’t understand what they see in you, but if you try to hurt them in any way, you’re dead, I’ll make sure of that,” he said with a smirk that wasn’t appropriate to his words. He reminded himself to never make Baji an enemy.

He squirmed on site, feeling threatened by Baji's height. The boy was several centimeters taller than him, even though Takemichi knew how to fight, he knew that against Baji, he would lose. Maybe he would succeed in lending some punch, but at the end, he would be the one on the floor. Beaten and bloodied. He tried to look at Baji with determination.

“I would never hurt one of them, look at me, I’m weak against any of the Toman’s gang. And they’re my friends, I cherish my friends, not hurt them,” he replied. He needed to look weak to Baji, for the younger boy to underestimate him. They stared at each other defiantly until Baji laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. Takemichi winced and gritted his teeth. 

“Right, you wouldn’t be able to hurt a fly with a body like this,” he agreed. “But I still keep an eye on you, we wouldn’t want you to try to pull something on us.” He grinned and then turned back. “Well then, bye!” he waved. Takemichi stared at the withdrawing figure of Baji with a sigh. It wouldn’t be easy to gain the boy’s trust.

Takemichi hoped he would be able to before the fight between him and Toman. Well, if the fight would still take place, maybe Takemichi had already changed the future enough to prevent it. But the young man knew better than to hope. Things like that were always too complicated.

And fate liked to annoy him.

His phone biped indicating he received a message. He looked at it and cursed. Fate really hated him, he wasn’t ready yet. 

‘Can we meet tomorrow?’ was the text from Kisaki.

Chapter Text

Takemichi woke up with a knot in his stomach, it felt like he was about to throw up. He had the ominous feeling that Kisaki would confess his love today. Takemichi was scared to mess up. To say one wrong thing, to make one bad gesture.

Knowing that someone will confess to you was much more scary than being unaware. What if he looked bad? What if he was wrong and Kisaki didn’t plan at all to confess? But the boy hadn’t contacted him for so long…

Cold water splashed on his face and Takemichi wiped it with a towel. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, he looked horrible. He had trouble sleeping and it showed with the bags under his eyes.

He washed his teeth even though he didn’t eat anything, tried to brush his hair, but it was almost impossible. He tried to choose his best clothes, but to be honest, he didn’t have any fancy or chic ones. He should go shopping with Emma in the following days.

Takemichi looked at his phone, only one hour before his meeting with Kisaki. The boy invited him to the aquarium. Something that surprised him, both because he didn’t imagine Kisaki was the kind to invite his date to such a place, and also because he actually never went to one.

And to be fair, he was a bit excited about it. He always wanted to see turtles. He hoped he could also see some sharks, some of them had funny faces. Oh and what about jellyfish??

Ok, now Takemichi was really excited about it. But also very nervous. The mix of emotions was making his head hurt. He needed to calm his nerves. He decided to work a bit on a puzzle he bought. Ten minutes later, the young man felt better.

The aquarium was a bit far from where he lived so he decided to leave early. He didn’t want to take public transport and preferred walking. Fresh air was the best remedy against sickness. It was going towards the end of august, and the air was a bit chilly.

Takemichi walked, trying to find peace of mind. But the more he was approaching the aquarium, the harder it was to stay calm. When the big building started to appear, Takemichi knew he couldn’t turn around anymore. He breathed in, willing his mind to calm down.

Yes it was scary, but he confronted worse things. Heck, he even died, and well, a confession couldn’t kill. Wait…maybe it could, Kisaki did kill Hinata because she rejected him. He slapped his cheeks, putting his dark thoughts aside.

At the entrance of the aquarium, he noticed someone standing alone. He narrowed his eyes and confirmed that it was Kisaki. The man was waiting patiently, biting his lips. He wore a suit that looked a bit weird on him, maybe because he was still a teenager and not a grown man.

Takemichi chuckled under his breath, his nerves easing. How could he fear his friend when he looked like that? He tried to keep a serious face and walked to him. Next to Kisaki, Takemichi looked bland. His clothes were a cheap T-shirt and simple pants. The difference between their outfits made them look even more ridiculous.

Kisaki finally noticed him and a small smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Against his will, Takemichi smiled too. 

“Hey, it’s been a long time since I last saw you,” he greeted. His friend nodded, taking a step forward. 

“Sorry, I was busy,” he lied. Takemichi  raised an eyebrow with a teasing smile. 

“You, a highschooler, busy? Sure,” he mocked. Kisaki huffed, his ears turning red in shame. 

“Let’s just go,” he mumbled. Takemichi laughed and both of them walked into the aquarium. He was glad they weren’t awkward. He feared after days of not seeing each other, things would turn weird between them but it wasn’t the case at all. In fact, Kisaki was acting as usual.

Well, if you put aside the weird outfit. They arrived at the ticket stand and Kisaki offered to pay for both of them. But Takemichi shook his head. 

“Nah, I’m the one who works, let me pay. Use your money for more important things,” he said, giving the bill to the ticket seller. After getting the ticket, he turned towards his friend. Kisaki was frowning with a displeased expression.

“These kinds of things are important for me, you know?” he said in a harsh tone. The older man didn’t expect such a reaction and his eyes widened. He never saw him act like this, not to him. He hadn’t realized that Kisaki cared for their trip, or more accurately, date. 

“Okay, I’m sorry, I’ll let you pay next time, alright?” he replied to sooth the other man. Kisaki nodded and with their argument over, they headed towards the first fish. Quickly, Takemichi forgot who he was next to, mesmerized by what he was seeing. It was so colorful, the pattern on the fish scales giving a magnificent show. 

“It’s your first time going here?” Kisaki asked, curious. Takemichi nodded, glancing quickly at him before putting his gaze back on the tank of water. 

“Yeah, I kind of always wanted to go to one someday, but I didn’t have any friend or parent to go with,” he explained. He noticed a sea star in the bottom of the aquarium and he giggled like a child. It was so pretty. Kisaki hummed, thoughtfully. 

“So I’m your first,” he muttered, oddly pleased. At first, Takemichi spluttered, thinking he was talking about…lewd things and then calmed  down when he realized it wasn't the case. He turned his head towards his friend with a curious gaze. 

“Am I your first too? Going to the aquarium?” he asked. Kisaki nodded, his gaze lost into the movements of the hundreds of fishes. 

“Yes,” he said softly. It made Takemichi’s heart melt. The man took his hand in his own, his friend raising an eyebrow in a silent question. 

“Let’s find the turtle,” the older man said and he took the lead. Their fingers still intertwined, they started to search for the section with the turtles. Fortunately, there weren’t many people today and it was easy to move among the crowd. As he was looking around, Takemichi noticed a smaller tank in a corner. He stilled, Kisaki almost crashing into him. 

“What?” the younger man asked, trying to see what made Takemichi pause. 

“They’re beautiful,” the older man whispered. He walked to the tank full of jellyfish and put a hand against the glass. They were pretty small, he didn’t know if it was because they were babies or because of their species. In any case, they were cute, swirling around, their tentacles looking like soft ribbon. Kisaki narrowed his eyes at the small living beings and glanced dubiously at him. 

“That’s what got you excited?” Takemichi nodded, staring at him with genuine interest. 

“Don’t you? They look so soft, it makes me want to protect them,” he explained. Kisaki hummed, understanding gleaming in his eyes. They stared at the jellyfishes, still holding each other's hands. The younger man coughed, and Takemichi turned his head towards him in worry. 

“There was something I wanted to say to you,” he announced. The older man stilled, knowing what was to come. But strangely, he felt at ease. He couldn’t find the strength to be tense when he was next to such cute creatures. Their movements were soothing him, and he was glad they were here for this moment.

He acquiesced slowly, waiting patiently for his friend to talk. Even though Kisaki was trying to look courageous and serious, Takemichi noticed the slight shaking of his hand. He tightened his hold, giving him an encouraging smile. Things would end well, he knew it deep down. 

“I know that you’re already with Hanma. But I developed feelings for you and I would like you to give me a chance,” he said bluntly. 

“I know,” Takemichi replied softly. Kisaki frowned, lost. 

“What do you mean, you know?” he asked on the defensive. His friend’s body was turning tense and Takemichi had to explain quickly. He didn’t want him to get angry or flee. 

“Hanma noticed it and told me…At first I was confused and didn’t know what to do. That’s when he told me he didn’t mind if I had other boyfriends beside him. I was hesitant because I wasn’t sure I felt the same as you, and I didn’t want to hurt your feelings…” he started to explain.

He could see Kisaki was confused, the man was processing his word, betrayal on his face and then peace. Maybe he was feeling glad toward his friend for giving him a chance to be with Takemichi? Even though these two acted like they couldn’t stand each other, they were very close. 

“And what do you feel?” Kisaki asked, a bit nervous. He was fidgeting, having a hard time meeting Takemichi’s gaze. It was kind of cute. The young man lacked the self confidence his adult’s counterpart had. Right there wasn’t a cold blooded murder but a shy teenager in front of his crush.

But Takemichi wasn’t sadistic and his aim wasn’t to see Kisaki struggle. He took the man's face in his hand and with a fond smile, their lips met. The younger man slightly gasped, caught off guard. Slowly, he closed his eyes and pressed his lips back. Takemichi hummed in contentment and stepped back. 

“Here’s your answer,” he said in a soft tone. Kisaki was staring at him with glee and possessiveness. He leaned for a second kiss that Takemichi allowed. The man sighed and dropped his head against his chest. 

“It’s a shame I’ll have to share you with Hanma,” he pouted. The older man chuckled, pecking the top of his head. 

“I wouldn’t date you if he wasn’t okay with me being polyamorous, you should be grateful,” he scolded. It made Kisaki pout even more, his expression almost a grimace. The man really hated to owe his friend. 

“I guess he’s not always an idiot,” he conceded. Takemichi shook his head and rolled his eyes. His two boyfriends were pretty similar for some part. 

“Shouldn’t we finish this date?” he suggested. Kisaki lifted his head, coughed and nodded. His face was still a bit red and Takemichi was sure he looked more or less the same. His boyfriend took his hand again and led him toward another part of the aquarium.

They reached a huge place where shows were demonstrated. Seeing that the next one was planned in the next ten minutes, they decided to sit. The show began and a person made dolphins jump through a plastic ring. Takemichi clapped, easily entertained. He was glad he came with Kisaki.

As the performance continued, the older man turned his head towards his boyfriend and kissed him on the lips, putting all his feelings in it. 

“I love you, Kisaki!” he said with so much joy. The younger man’s heart melted and the love he conveyed in his eyes made Takemichi flutter. He leaned towards his ear for only him to hear. 

“I love you too,” he whispered. 

~~~~~~

Takemichi went home with his head in the clouds. He couldn’t believe that for once, everything happened without any problems. Heck, he even had two boyfriends now.

He feared Kisaki's confession would be more complicated. That the man wouldn’t accept that Takemichi dated him and Hanma at the same time. But even though it was reluctantly, he accepted that the older man was polyamorous. To be fair, his confession had been so quick that it felt like a dream.

Since when was relationship easy? Even when it was only friendship, Takemichi struggled. Most of the time, it didn’t happen without getting a punch or two in the face before. Not that he would complain about it. If things could go with him staying in one piece, it was welcomed.

Overall, he felt satisfied with how this day went.

He opened the door of his apartment, no light coming from Kazutora's, indicating he wasn’t home yet. He removed his shoes, putting them aside and headed towards his living room. He slouched on the couch and took out his phone.

He needed to update Hanma on his relationship with Kisaki. He called his number and waited fifteen seconds before someone picked the call up. 

“Hello sweetheart,” a voice purred. Takemichi rolled his eyes. 

“Hi Hanma,” he replied with a amused voice. There was a lot of sound in the background, he wondered if his boyfriend was outside. 

“Please, tell me you're not beating some ass while on the phone,” he prayed with a disappointed tone. He heard a panting breath on the other side of the phone. 

“Nah, they're already out of cold, just putting the bodies on the side,” Hanma informed. Takemichi groaned. He couldn’t fathom how he ever believed gangs were cool. 

“Please don’t get caught, and don’t put yourself in danger.” 

“Ow, are you worried about me, darling?” Hanma cooed. God, Takemichi wanted to have him in front of him to punch him in the face. Don’t mistake him, violence is bad. But some idiot really deserved it. He sighed, pinching the edge of his nose. 

“Of course I worry, you’re my boyfriend after all,” he pointed out. He heard a pleased sound from the other man. For a whole minute, no one spoke. There were a lot of noises from Hanma’s side, as if the man was moving. Suddenly it went quiet. 

“Here, no one to bother us. Why did you call me in the first place?” his boyfriend asked. Takemichi remembered his first goal and straightened himself up in his seat. 

“Right, so you know that I met Kisaki today?” he reminded. He heard a hum. 

“Yeah, how did it go?” Takemichi's face flushed when he thought about himself kissing Kisaki. 

“It went good. The aquarium trip was really cool. Well, Kisaki confessed and I’m dating him now,” he let out a pause. “He grumbled a lot because it was thanks to you by the way,” he chuckled. Hanma laughed, delighted. 

“This little shit, I’ll make sure to taunt him about it,” he said mischievously. Takemichi grimaced, he may have made a mistake by revealing this information to him. He could already imagine the two boys arguing while he would be trying to work at the bar.

How would it go by the way? Would they wait to be alone with him to kiss him, or wouldn’t they care and kiss him in front of the other one? God, if they dared to get jealous in public. If they did, Yuu would prohibit kissing outside.

Oh, he really needed to update Hinata on his romantic situation too! She also helped him at realizing his sexuality and feelings. Even as only a friend she was a great help. Hanma's voice from the phone startled him from his thoughts. 

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you, can you repeat?” he asked apologetically. Hanma chuckled. 

“Head in the cloud huh? I was saying, ‘Are you ready to assume the duty of being with two people?’ because I won’t go easy on you,” he demanded. Takemichi frowned, not sure of what he meant. 

“What duty?” As soon as he asked, he had the feeling Hanma was about to say a stupid thing. 

“Welp, taking care of two cocks. I’m not sure your ass can take two at the same time,” he pointed out. Takemichi spluttered, his face turning red while Hanma laughed. Thinking about his previous dream, the man choked even more on his spit. Why was he pent up lately? And why was he the bottom??

He paused. Just imagining putting his cock in Hanma or Kisaki made him cringe. Alright, maybe he would be on the receiving end, but still, wasn’t it too soon in their relationship?

Maybe because he was still a virgin, but all things related to sex scared him a bit. He feared being clumsy or that it would hurt. But after all, there wasn’t only penetration in sexual intercourse, right? Maybe they could stop at hand jobs or blow jobs.

“Thinking about dirty things?”  Hanma's voice teased on the other side. Takemichi groaned, hiding his face on the couch. This day had almost been perfect, but Hanma had to spoil it. 

“Shut up,” he mumbled. It only made his boyfriend laugh louder. “You know what? I’ll just hang up,” he warned. He could feel his cock stirring in his pants and it was so shameful that he wanted to hide forever.

Fortunately his boyfriend couldn’t see the state he was in. He was certain Hanma would just tease him even more about it. Maybe he would put a hand on it and rub it. He shivered in pleasure and slapped himself. It wasn’t the time to have such fantasies! 

“Ow, don’t be like that baby~” Takemichi huffed. 

“Love you, bye,” he said in a rushed voice. 

“Wai-” He hang up. He let the phone fall on the couch and he rubbed his face with his hand. He lowered his eyes, looking at the bulge in his pants. 

“Guess I’ll have to take a shower,” he sighed. 

Chapter Text

He didn’t have anything planned today and Takemichi was getting bored. Most of his friends were at school and his work began only at 6PM. He had seven hours to spend alone but he had no idea of what he could do.

He didn’t feel like training nor going outside. So here he was, lying lazily on his couch, watching the TV absently. The head in the clouds, he wouldn’t be able to say what kind of program was showing on the small screen. He couldn’t help but think about all the things that have happened since he came to this world.

Somehow, his two worst enemies became his boyfriends, he had a job and apartment at the age of 16 and no one died yet. That was a lot of improvement, but it also meant that the future wasn’t as clear as before. He couldn’t be a hundred percent certain that all the fights between the gangs would actually take place.

With Kisaki and Hanma having no reason to be in competition with Toman, all the conflict should stop, right? Or was he mistaken and behind his back his boyfriends were still planning to overtake Mikey’s place? No, he shouldn't doubt them. He preferred to think they were better people in this universe.

He slipped from his mind as the sound of his doorbell rang. Takemichi startled and frowned, wondering who could visit him at such an hour. Cautiously and curious, he headed towards the entrance of his home. Slowly, he opened the door, glancing at his guest. His eyes widened and he felt strangely pleased when Kazutora’s face appeared. 

“Kazurota? Hi, how are you? It's been a long time since we last saw each other!” he greeted, genuinely happy to see him. The younger man smirked, his eyes blank of emotion as usual. 

“Hey there, Takemichi, was wondering if you wanted to hang out together?” he offered. Takemichi’s brows shot up, surprised. It was unexpected from the other man to offer to spend time together. The only time he offered such things in his own universe, Takemichi witnessed Baji beating the shit out of Chifuyu.

On his guard, but seeing no reason for Kazutora to do that in this world, he nodded. 

“Yeah sure, why not. But shouldn’t you be at school?” he wondered. The younger man shrugged, unbothered. 

“Nah, it was boring as fuck, I prefer being with you,” he explained. It warmed Takemichi's heart a bit and made him sad at the same time. Was Kazutora so lonely that he sought comfort and companionship from him? The man shook his head with a pout. 

“You shouldn’t skip class, it’s important if you want a job later, you know. But I’m not in position to tell you that…” he pointed out, after all he was underage and didn’t go to school anymore. “Anyway, do you want to spend time at home, or do you want to go out?” he asked. Kazutora grinned, his eyes lit up slightly.

Takemichi didn’t think the boy was unable to feel, more like his trauma subdued his emotions. But he believed that it could be fixed. Those small moments were proof that the boy wasn’t entirely broken. 

“I don’t mind either, but if you want, there is that attraction park that opened not too long ago,” he suggested. Takemichi hummed, he didn’t think that Kazutora would suggest something so childish. He almost expected the other boy to offer to beat some ass. But he wouldn’t say no to such a proposition, it’s been so long since he went to an amusement park. And well, as he had a job he could afford some leisure activities sometimes. 

“Let’s go then, let me just take my wallet,” he said to the younger boy. Kazutora nodded and waited patiently. Takemichi went to his jacket on the coat rail, he took it, put on some shoes and brushed his hair quickly. He turned off the TV and then he was ready.

He went back to his door where Kazutora was playing some games on his phone. He lifted his head and put his phone back in his pocket, a small smile on his face.  

“You don’t own a car or a bike, do you?” he asked. Takemichi shook his head. Having a car would be useful, but he didn’t have the age to own it for now.

And well, actually driving a bike kind of scared him. Having a deadly accident occurred more often with a bike, Emma’s death had been pretty violent. Though it wasn’t an accident but a murder in this case. 

“No, do you?” he asked. Kazutora shook his head too. 

“Nah, I plan to buy a bike, but I need the money for that,” he pointed out. Fair point. Takemichi nodded. 

“Good luck on that. I guess we’ll take the bus, then?” Kazutora grinned, heading towards the stairs. 

“It’s not like we have any other choice,” he teased. Takemichi scoffed and followed him. As they headed outside, Takemichi glanced at Kazutora. The boy seemed to have some bandage and band aid here and there on his body.

He didn’t doubt the others probably fighted with other guys in the street, but he wanted to make sure he wasn’t putting himself in dangerous situations. 

“So, what have you been up to these past days?” he asked casually. Kazutora smirked with mischief. 

“Is this your way to spy on me?” he teased. Takemichi blushed, embarrassed. 

“I’m not a spy I swear, for who would I work for anyway? Can’t I just be worried for you?” he retorted. The younger man stared at him as if he said something strange. 

“We have known each other for only a few weeks, why would you worry about me? It’s not like we’re friends or anything,” he pointed out. It hurt Takemichi’s pride a little, but he decided he wouldn’t back down without a fight. He wanted to become friends with Kazutora, he had to. 

“Well, maybe a few weeks is not enough for you, but it is for me. As long as I talked to a person once and that I liked them, I’ll worry about their  wellbeing. And how is it that we’re not friends, we literally are going to a theme park!” Kazutora laughed with what seemed disbelief. 

“Do people have to be friends to hang out together?” he asked back. Takemichi bit his lips, alright yes, he wasn’t wrong. But still! 

“I guess not, it doesn’t change the fact that I consider you as one of my friends. Don’t you?” he said with puppy eyes. Kazutora looked at him with hesitancy. 

“I guess I have some affection for you, so yeah, let’s be friends,” he said, suddenly shy. His ears were a bit red and Takemichi chuckled. Kazutora was just like a lost kid who didn’t know how to handle affection. He wrapped one arm around the boy’s shoulder.

He examined his friend’s expression, to be sure he wasn’t making him uncomfortable. But except for his eyes that slightly widened, Kazutora didn’t say anything. Instead, he almost leaned his head towards him. He wondered if the boy was touch starved. 

“So, will you tell me what you did when I wasn’t around?” he asked with a grin. Kazutora huffed but had an amused smile. The bus arrived and they went in, sitting next to each other. 

“Been to school from time to time, but mostly been kicking some ass for fun, what about you?” he asked back. Takemichi frowned, showing a displeased face. 

“You shouldn’t fight so often, you might get really hurt one day,” he scolded. But it didn’t faze Kazutora, who only waited for him to answer his question. “As for me, I mostly work, and well, spend time with my friends and boyfriends,” he replied. Kazutora raised an eyebrow, intrigued. 

“Boyfriends? As plural?” he asked. Takemichi’s cheeks reddened. He forgot that not everyone would approve of such a relationship. He hoped Kazutora wouldn’t judge him for it. 

“Yeah, I’m polyamorous and have two boyfriends. Well, my second boyfriend is very recent, but I’m happy with them,” he informed. Kazutora hummed, a mischievous smile at the corner of his mouth. 

“Didn’t take you for the kind  who needed more than one person to be satisfied,” he joked. Takemichi slapped him on the arm, offended. 

“It’s not like that, I just love them both at the same time! Is it so hard to imagine?” Kazutora's face lost his amusement to turn serious, his eyes filled with longing and a bit of sadness. 

“I don’t know, It’s been a long time since I experienced any kind of love,” he said. Wow, that was…sad. Takemichi ruffled the other man’s hair tenderly. Startling him. 

“I’m sure one day you’ll find someone to give you all the love you need, either in a romantic or friendship way. I mean, I can try to give you some too? Like, hugging you or complimenting you, would you be pleased with that?” he offered. At first Kazutora made a disgusted expression, as if just the thought of it repulsed him. But slowly, his expression softened, and like a dirty secret, he whispered. 

“I think I would like that,” he confessed. Takemichi smiled fondly. It seemed that Kazutora from this world was more open to people than the one in his life. He also looked less psychotic.

But Takemichi wasn’t naive enough to think the boy wasn’t deeply traumatized. He clearly needed help, from a psychologist would be the best. But first he needed to convince the boy to do therapy. And he wasn’t sure they were close enough for now. 

“I’ll try then,” he replied softly. The bus stopped and Takemichi glanced around. His eyes widened and he pulled Kazutora’s sleeve. “Shit it’s our stop, quick, come!” he rushed. Kazutora laughed and followed him.

They left the bus and found themselves in a big place with several attractions behind a huge gate. They shared a glance, Takemichi more excited than his friend. 

“Let’s buy our tickets,” he suggested. There weren’t too many people in the line and they only waited fifteen minutes before stepping inside the amusement park. There were all kinds of rides and Takemichi couldn’t pick one to begin with. 

“What should we start with?” he asked Kazutora. The younger man shrugged. 

“Don’t know, never been to one. Shouldn’t we start by buying some accessories, I think I saw it in dramas,” he pointed out. He headed towards a shop stand and took an orange headband with fox ear. Takemichi joined him, and he put it on his head. He then took a yellow and black headband with tiger ears and put it on his own head. Takemichi blinked, it matched well with Kazutora’s hair. 

“How do I look?” the boy asked with a smirk. 

“Cute,” Takemichi  said bluntly. And it was the truth, even with Kazutora’s empty eyes, the headband still made him cute. Like something fluffy that you wanted to pet but was actually very dangerous. The younger man laughed. 

“You’re the one looking cute, Takemichi. Make me want to devour you,” he joked, approaching  him menacingly. The older man laughed at the same time, nervous and embarrassed. He wouldn’t call himself cute, but didn’t dare to say otherwise.

Takemichi pushed him jokingly and Kazutora started to tickle him. He caught him out of guard and the older man bursted out laughing, not able to stop. He tried to escape Kazutora’s grip, but it wasn’t possible in this state. 

“A-Ah stop! Stop, I’m going t-to die!” he wheezed. Only once his face turned red from laughing, his friends stopped. He stared at Takemichi trying to catch his breath with satisfaction. 

“You’re a jerk, you know that?” Takemichi said with a glare without any animosity. Kazutora grinned. 

“You hurt me, I thought we were friends,” he retorted. Takemichi rolled his eyes. He took the two headbands and headed towards the cashier and paid for the accessory. 

“If you’re expecting me to abandon our friendship just because you tickled me, it won’t work. Even if you were to kill me, I wouldn't give up on you,” he informed. The younger man raised his eyebrows, it was clear he didn't understand why Takemichi was so adamant on their friendship.

But for the older man who had seen each of his friends suffer and some die, it was very important to show them that he cared for them. That someone would be here for them. He couldn’t fail them. 

“I think you’re even crazier than me,” Kazutora noted. He scoffed, maybe his friend was right. Sometimes he felt like he was mad after all. 

“They say the craziest people are the happiest,” he informed as he started to walk to the first ride he saw. Kazutora shook his head with a huff. 

“Who’s they?” he retorted. Takemichi shrugged. 

“Don’t know, people,” he replied. They glanced at each other and laughed. They lifted their heads towards the first ride, it was a roller coaster. 

“Are you okay with this?” The younger man nodded. They waited in the line and five minutes later they were in their seats. As they went higher and higher, Takemichi wondered why he had to choose this kind of ride. He didn’t dare to look down, fearing  he would faint if he did. 

“Scared?” Kazutora taunted. Takemichi stuck out his tongue but the wagon shook and he yelped. Next to him, his friend snickered. He was too scared to be angry with him. He closed his eyes as the wagon reached the end of climb. Suddenly they were falling and Takemichi screamed in fright. Kazutora was laughing like a maniac, clearly enjoying the ride.

The torture lasted 2 minutes before the wagon finally stopped. Takemichi opened his eyes slowly and looked around. They were back to the ground and he sighed in relief. 

“Never, ever, again,” he said, resolute. Kazutora took out a lollipop from his pocket and gave it to him. 

“Here, I read somewhere that sugar was good for people about to faint, or somethin’ like that,” he said. Takemichi wasn’t sure about it but still took the lollipop. He unwrapped it and put it in his mouth. He hummed, strawberry flavor. 

“We should do something…light,” he suggested. If he had to do another ride like that he probably would throw up. Man, he was better at getting a beating than doing a roller coaster. 

“What about a haunted house, then?” Kazutora taunted. Takemichi tilted his head to the side, he actually didn’t mind this kind of thing. Yeah, it was supposed to be scary, but after all the things he saw being in a gang, a haunted house was nothing next to it.  

“Sure,” he replied. They headed towards the haunted house that wasn’t far away. There were less people for this ride, maybe because they preferred to do it when it was getting dark. They entered it and it was dark like ever. Takemichi instantly gripped Kazutora's hand, not to get lost. 

“Oh, scared to be kidnapped by some monster?” the boy mocked. Takemichi punched him in the side and the man groaned. 

“I just don’t want to get lost, idiot. I can’t see shit,” he replied. For most of the ride, they bickered. They were so engrossed in their little fight that they didn’t even notice the actor trying to scare them. When they stepped out of the haunted house, they shared a disappointed look. 

“I kind of feel scammed,” Kazutora said. Takemichi nodded. 

“Yeah, there wasn’t anything scary,” he agreed. They continued their day, doing all kinds of rides. When they got hungry, they stopped at a food truck and bought some churros. The day was filled with laughter and smiles. Takemichi never saw Kazutora so happy. He discovered a whole childish side to the boy that he never was aware of.

The sun started to disappear slowly and the two boys decided to end the day with the classic ferris wheel. They were sitting face to face. From their place, they could see all the park and the city. With all the lights it looked beautiful. 

“I’m glad you invited me, I had a lot of fun today,” Takemichi said. Kazutora smiled with a nod. 

“Yeah, me too. I haven't had such a good time since him ,” he said. Takemichi frowned. 

“What do you mean?” he asked, even if he had an idea who his friend was talking about. Kazutora's face lost all happiness, looking somber. 

“Do you remember when I said I killed someone?” he asked. Takemichi nodded slowly. “It was the big brother of my friend, I wanted to make him happy and give him a christmas gift. I didn’t have much money and decided to steal. I was caught by his brother, I didn’t know it was him and I killed him. It’s all his fault,” he explained. Takemichi frowned and shook his head. 

“Wait, how is it his fault if you're the one who killed him?” he asked back, pointing out the nonsense he was saying. Kazutora frowned too, he opened his mouth but no sound came. 

“He ruined my life,” he finally said. The older man tilted his head to the side, he didn’t want to be cruel, but he needed Kazutora to understand why he was wrong. 

“You ruined his life too, you know? You took a life and robbed your friend of his brother,” he accused. Kazutora’s face twisted between rage and sadness. He was caught between his blind anger and reality. 

“I would have been happy if I didn’t want to give him a gift,” he retorted. 

“But you're the one who wanted to surprise him, he never asked you for this gift, did he? You can’t blame him because you’ve made a mistake. You need to learn to forgive yourself, you were young, it doesn’t excuse what you did. But as long as you understand why you were wrong and you feel remorse, you can learn to improve,” Takemichi explained.

Kazutora’s eyes were glassy. It was hard to tell what he was thinking and feeling. The older man leaned forwards and took his hands in his own. He smiled gently and looked straight in his eyes. 

“Maybe you could try to see a therapist? I know it can be scary, but they would be able to help you,” he offered. He opened his mouth, about to reply but the ferris wheel suddenly stopped and the door opened. They turned their head towards it, their turn was over.

Takemichi looked back at Kazutora, hopeful. But the boy stood up, and with one hand on his own, he led them outside. He smiled at Takemichi and said: 

“Welp, it was a cool day, but I guess you’ll have to go to work, now?” And that's how Takemichi knew they wouldn’t talk about what just happened. He nodded, glancing at his phone. He had thirty minutes before the start of his shift. 

“Yeah, let’s take the bus. It was pretty fun,” he agreed. They didn’t talk much in the ride, Kazutora put his head on Takemichi’s shoulder and closed his eyes. The older man didn’t dare disturb him and played absently with his sleeve. He wondered if his friend would think about his offer of seeing a therapist. If he could heal Kazutora and avoid the fight with Toman and Baji’s death, it would be better.

The bus arrived at his stop and he shook his friend’s shoulder. The younger man opened his eyes with a groan. 

“I get off here, see you soon?” he said. Kazutora hummed with a small smile. 

“Yeah, see you at the apartment,” he replied. Takemichi stood up and got off the bus. He waved at his friend as the bus left. As he entered the bar, he wondered if today would have an impact on the future. 

Chapter Text

Takemichi raised an eyebrow as Kisaki and Hanma led him toward the field he knew belonged to the Toman’s clan.

His two boyfriends had called him out of the blue, telling him they had something to tell him. At first, he thought it would be about their new relationship, him dating both of them at the same time. But they didn't mention it at all, kissing him when he arrived and then asking him to follow them.

It was…suspicious.

He really didn't want to think his friends were doing anything bad, but he just couldn't fathom why they were going this way. Because, the more they walked the more it was obvious they were going to Toman’s territory.

The worst? It seemed a bunch of the members were here today.

If Kisaki and Hanma planned to fight them right now, it would be a miracle if they won. Two against thirty seemed really a bad idea.

At least from all the members, it seemed only Mikey and Draken were here. The others were just some underlings.

But well, it wasn't really reassuring as Mikey was literally the strongest of the gang.

He turned his head towards his boyfriends with a dubious look.

“Soo, will one of you explain what we are doing here?” He asked, a bit nervous. Hanma grinned, smooching him on the cheek. 

“Are you scared? Don’t worry darling it's nothing too dangerous,” he said with a cheeky smirk.

Takemichi wasn't really worried about himself, there was no reason for Toman to beat him up. He was concerned about his two idiots of boyfriends.

He shook his head with a sigh. 

“I hope so, but still, I would like to know,” he insisted. Kisaki took his hand in his own and pressed it lightly. The man didn't show much expression but right now he was looking at Takemichi with a serious face. 

“It’s a surprise, I’m sure you will like it. And you’ll find it soon,” he said.

Well, if both of them didn't want to say, he couldn't force them.

He nodded, deciding to trust them. They weren't the same as in his universe, they had no reason to lie, to deceive him.

They took the stairs and finally reached the naked field in which Mikey and Draken stood in the middle. The shorter man noticed them and his face brightened.

He tugged on Draken’s sleeve before pointing at them. Mikey ran toward them and jumped in Takemichi’s arms, catching him out of guard. 

“Hi Mitchy!” he greeted and the older man laughed. Always so rough and childish. He patted his friend’s back and noticed the jealous look his boyfriends gave him.

He rolled his eyes, finding it ridiculous. Yes, he also had sentiments for Mikey, but it was unlikely the man would share the same feelings, they had nothing to worry about. He was already happy enough with them.

Draken joined them with a smile, nodding at Kisaki and Hanma. 

“Hey there,” he said. Takemichi smiled, Mikey finally letting go of his body. 

“Hi, how's it going?” he demanded, happy to see his friends. Mikey jumped around him with an excited expression. 

“We’re doing good! You’re here for the big news, right?” Takemichi tilted his head on the side with curiosity. So they were in this too then? He really wondered what all of this was about. He turned towards Kisaki and Hanma who gave him a knowing smirk.

Jerks.

He flipped them off playfully. 

“It seems so, got kidnapped by these two and I have no clue what I am doing here,” he informed the two members of Toman. Draken snorted and Mikey looked ecstatic. 

“Oh let me tell him!” he demanded. He headed toward Kisaki and pointed a finger at him as he looked at Takemichi. The man frowned, surprised his boyfriend didn’t seem more uncomfortable at his side. 

“Valhalla is now a part of Toman!” he exclaimed. Takemichi stiffened and blinked. He turned towards Kisaki with a dumbfounded expression. 

“What?” he said with a pale face.

Why, why was it the same as in his previous universe? Why did both gangs teamed up?

Did it mean Kisaki still planned to betray him and join Kazutora? But why?

No, there had to be another explanation. He refused to believe his boyfriends were still as bad as in his first timeline.

Kisaki  frowned, noticing his panic. 

“Because you were friends with Mikey and Draken, I thought you would be happy if both of our gangs were allies. We’re not asking you to join us, we know you don’t want to be part of a gang. But now you won’t have to worry about us, our gangs are much bigger and stronger,” he explained.

Oh.

He didn’t think…his boyfriend cared this much.

It was actually sweet of them, well, if their explanation was true. They just wanted him to feel safe and to reassure him that they were safe too. And if they really had no other intention, then he was just so happy.

To see all his friends reunited? It was wonderful.

He wanted to see them helping each other, for them to watch each other back without thinking about betraying the others at any moment. And it seemed like it was the case right now.

He smiled fondly, looking at the four men. He clearly didn’t regret being dragged out here. This was indeed a surprise, and a good one at that. 

“Thank you guys, I’m so glad you chose to team up,” he said with genuine happiness. They all shone with a pleased or proud expression. “When did you make this big decision?” he asked, curious. 

“A month ago approximately, we thought it was the right thing to do,” Draken replied.

Takemichi hummed and nodded, agreeing. He felt the same about it. If things went the same, he knew things would just go more and more dangerous, they needed to be ready.

His biggest fear was Izana. The man had been particularly violent and caused several deaths. They had to be on their guard for when he would come back. But with Kisaki’s gang being on Toman’s side, it was already a big improvement and advantage.

The less Izana had allies, the more chance they had to win against him. 

“Congratulations on your alliance then, I hope it will last,” he said. Hanma grinned. 

“I don’t see why it wouldn’t,” he replied, wrapping his arms around Takemichi’s shoulder and kissing him on the cheek. Kisaki walked to him and kissed him on the lips with a satisfied smile.

On the side Mikey gasped while Draken raised an eyebrow. The younger man went to Takemichi and tugged on his sleeve. 

“Hey, can I get a kiss too Mitchy?” he pouted. Takemichi shook his head with a laugh and Hanma pushed him on the side. The short man whined, looking upset. 

“Try not to steal our boyfriend, it would be sad for our alliance to end so soon,” Hanma warned with a light tone.

Mikey frowned and then looked back at Draken to know if he heard well. The taller man nodded with a shrug. The younger man’s head whipped back toward him with disbelief. 

“Our?” he repeated. Takemichi nodded with an awkward smile.

What if Mikey had a negative view on gay and polyamorous relationships? God, what if he didn’t want to be his friend anymore??

He really, really hoped it wouldn’t be the case. It would devastate him.

He breathed in and out. 

“Yes, I’m in a relationship with both of them,” he confessed. While Draken didn’t show much emotion, Mikey looked intrigued and a bit jealous. 

“You…date several people at the same time?” he said with confusion. For now he didn’t show any animosity against it, just curiosity. He preferred this reaction to pure disgust. He nodded. 

“Yes, I’m polyamourous. It means I can love more than one person at the same time,” he explained. Mikey raised an eyebrow and tilted his head on the side with interest. 

“So, it means you could date another person additionally to Hanma and Kisaki?” he demanded. He didn’t think his friend would be so interested in his dating life. But it was funny to see Mikey so curious about it and it kind of flattered him.

He wasn’t a fool, he knew his friend wasn’t asking to be his boyfriend, it was just mere interest. But still, it felt good to have the man’s attention.

He nodded with a smile. 

“I could, yes, if I find the right person, and well, if Kisaki and Hanma are alright with it. I’m not having another boyfriend if they don’t feel comfortable with it, I’m already happy with them,” he explained. Which earned him a kiss from both men. He chuckled while Mikey hummed, giving them a longing look. 

“Congratulations for your couple,” Draken said on the side with a smile. Takemichi gave him one back in return. 

“Thank you,” he replied. On the side Mikey pouted. 

“Ow, I want this kind of love too,” he whined. Takemichi chuckled and tapped his friend’s back. 

“I’m sure you will someday,” he said. Secretly, a part of him hoped it would be him.

Suddenly he received a notification from his phone. He glanced at it and saw it was from Mez. His eyes widened with panic as he finally remembered he had promised the man to help him at the bar earlier.

Shit, he was so curious about his boyfriends’ surprise that he totally forgot about it.

He lifted his head toward his four friends. 

“Guys I have to go, like, right now. I’m so sorry to leave you like that but it’s for my job!” he explained. His friends nodded, Hanma and Kisaki turned towards him. 

“Want us to come with you?” he offered. Takemichi shrugged. 

“You can but we’ll have to run,” he warned. Hanma grinned with excitement. 

“What are we waiting for then?” Takemichi shook his head with amusement and turned toward Mikey and Draken first.

“Sorry guys, let’s see each other next time?” he suggested. Draken nodded, his hands in his pockets. 

“Yeah sure. Have a good time at the bar.” Mikey waved at him and the three men turned around and started to run. If they arrived late, Mez didn’t say anything about it. 

~~~~~~

“I have a chance,” the short man said with dreamy eyes. On the side, Draken nodded. 

“It seems so,” he agreed. Mikey turned his head towards him with excitement and hope. 

“Do you think he’ll have feelings for me?”

Learning that Mitchy was gay and had several boyfriends was the best thing he could hear.

Yes, Mikey didn’t like to share in general, but if it was for the older man, he didn’t mind. As long as he could date Mitchy, he didn’t care about the rest.

The man was just too charming, funny and beautiful. Yes, he reminded him of his older brother but it wasn’t all. There was just something about him that got Mikey mesmerized.

Some aura that begged to be seen. 

“I don’t know, he’s kind and seems to get along with everyone. I think you have your chance,” Draken replied.

Mikey nodded with a smile. He had the feeling he was close with Mitchy too, but he needed to be even closer. To spend enough time with the man so he would realize how interesting and attractive Mikey was.

But maybe first he needed to make sure he didn’t have any enemies. To make sure no one would dare to go after Mitchy as a vengeance against him.

He couldn’t afford to lose another of his loved ones. So first he needed to get stronger, to create a gang that no one would dare to defy.

He sighed as he sat on the stairs, Draken taking a seat next to him. He put his chin on his palm as he observed the other members of the gang either training or chatting together. 

“So, did you also notice Baji’s strange behavior recently?” Draken asked. Mikey sighed, so many things to take care of.

Chapter Text

He was back in the street, mask on to take care of some annoying gang when he ended up face to face with him again.

Takemichi blinked as he stared at Mistuya, the young man seemed pretty unfazed by his sudden appearance. The purple haired man smirked, crossing his arms on his chest. 

“Back to playing the hero, Leaf?” he said with a tease. Takemichi tilted his head on the side before he remembered that he had indeed given himself this stupid name.

He shrugged and relaxed, knowing the other man wouldn’t try anything. He was dressed in normal clothes which meant he wasn’t here for his gang, probably just heading home or something like that.

Their encounter was entirely a coincidence. It would have been weird if the man stalked him after all. 

“Not really a hero, just trying to make the street safer,” he replied. The other man hummed with a knowing smile. 

“Toman isn’t on your list, is it?” he said. Takemichi shook his head, he had no reason to.

After all, most of the members were his friends or well, had been in his previous life. And his goal wasn’t to be some kind of knight of justice who decided who could roam free in the streets or not.

He was just here to help in case someone was being harassed or attacked by someone else. Said someone else who was often part of a gang. If the aggressor was a nobody with no ties to a gang, of course he would stop them too.

Not that he didn’t trust the police to do their job, but they were sometimes pretty slow to come and the damage was already done when they finally arrived. 

“No, I’ll stop only one of you if I see them try to cause a commotion for no reason. But I believe you won’t go after innocent people, right?” he said with an undertone of warning. It would be cool if he could spread the word to the rest of his gang.

Mitsuya nodded with a more serious face. 

“Yes, those kinds of people aren’t welcomed in Toman. I’m glad there’s someone out there to keep an eye on civilians, unfortunately they’re often caught against their will in things they shouldn’t,” he said with an upset expression.

Takemichi nodded, he saw more than one person lose their lives to the gang while they weren’t even involved in it in the first place. He hated how some just didn’t care about who they hurt, that was also why he didn’t want to be part of a gang anymore.

There was too much violence, not enough rules to make sure no innocent people were put into the mess the gangs had.

He sighed and then looked at Mitsuya with a soft smile. 

“At least I know there are also kind and good people in your gang,” he said. The other man tilted his head on the side with a curious look. 

“How do you know that?” he wondered out loud. Takemichi shook his head, waving vaguely at the other man as if it would explain everything. Seeing the confused look of Mitstuya, he knew it didn’t. 

“Someone who takes good care of their sibling is necessarily a good person, I know you’ll be the kind to protect the weak and young,” he explained. Mitsuya hummed, his cheeks slightly flushed. 

“You only see me once with them,” he pointed out.

Yes, well, the man wasn’t wrong.

But in reality Takemichi saw him take an older sibling’s role with younger members a lot of the time. And this Mitsuya was clearly the same as his original timeline.

He leaned his shoulder against the wall. 

“And it was enough to see how you were protective of them. It would take a fool to not see how you care about them,” he replied. Mitsuya chuckled, looking at him with amusement. 

“Am I this obvious? But can you blame an older brother for caring for his little sisters?” Talmichi shook his head, looking at him with a bit of sadness. 

“You know, some siblings don’t like each other at all, I’m glad it’s not the case for you,” he pointed out. Mitsuya sighed, dropping his head. 

“Yeah…I know some people whose it's the case,” he confessed. The older man guessed he was talking about Hakkai. 

“I’m sure you’re doing your best to help them and they feel grateful for it,” Takemichi said, encouraging the man. Mitsuya looked at him with gratitude and nodded. 

“Yes, thank you for this strangely emotional talk,” he laughed. “But I’m running short of time so I’ll have to leave you here now,” he said with a sorry smile.

Takemichi shook his head, unbothered. He didn’t mind at all his friend’s departure. After all, he didn't even plan to meet him in the first place. 

“Sure, we’ll probably see each other again, anyway,” he said with an easy smile.

Mistuya nodded, satisfied. He waved goodbye to the other man and started to walk away, heading home. Takemichi waited until Mitsuya was completely gone before going back to his first goal, keeping an eye on the street.

Today was his day off and he didn’t have to be scared about being late. He wandered in the dark alleys, the sun slowly going down until his spot was taken by the moon. In the span of two hours he didn’t find much.

A man who was about to harass a woman that he stopped and sent home. Two young teenagers fighting about something trivial that took him ten minutes to settle.

Tonight was a calm one. Which he wouldn’t complain about, he preferred when it was like that, safe.

He was about to finally get home, being done with his little excursion, when he heard a pained groan coming from the alley on his right.

He frowned, and stepped closer, on his guard. Either someone was really in danger or it was some kind of trap. But he liked to think someone really needed help out there. He poked his head out from the street and could see a silhouette leaning against the wall on the floor.

Takemichi narrowed his eyes, not revealing  his presence yet. The person was still young, around Takemichi’s height, and his voice was still too high to be from an adult.

A car passed near and the light allowed him to see the face of the person. His eyes widened as he realized it was actually Kazutora.

All suspicion he had vanished and he quickly removed his mask before rushing to his friend’s side. 

“Kazutora, oh god, what happened to you?” he asked urgently as he crouched in front of the boy.

His friend was breathing heavily with a shallow cut on his forehead and holding a bleeding arm against his chest. He lifted his head toward Takemichi, his eyes a bit glazed and confused. 

“Takemichi…?” he said. The older man nodded, checking his friend for any injury but not touching him yet in case he had something broken.

From what he could see, it didn’t look like had more wounds than the one visible. What worried him the most was Kazutora’s head, he feared the man had some concussion additionally to his cut.

He tried to wave his hand in front of his face, catching his attention. The younger man blinked, his eyes a bit more confused. 

“Yeah, it’s me. Can you tell me where you hurt?” he demanded. He would ask him what happened later, now the most important was to know if he needed to bring him to the hospital or not.

Though it might bring his friend some problems as he was released from juvenile jail just months ago. Kazutora leaned his head against the wall. 

“Just my head and my arm, got attacked by a knife,” he replied. Takemichi bit his lips and nodded. 

“Was your head bashed against something?” he demanded. His friend shook his head. 

“No, just cut,” he slurred.

Okay, it looked better than he thought then. As he could see the cut wasn’t too deep, which meant they didn’t need stitches, but they still needed to be clean.

He leaned forward, passing a hand under the man’s armpit. 

“Can you stand on your own? Or do you need help?” he asked.

They weren’t too far from their apartments so the walk wouldn’t be long, fortunately. Of course he could still call a cab, but it would raise questions to find underage teenagers hurt.

Kazutora shrugged, it seemed his injury was making his thoughts slow. 

“I’m not sure I can walk by myself,” he confessed. Takemichi nodded, he’ll have to help him then. 

“Okay, use my body to stand,” he instructed. He wrapped his arm around the man’s waist and lifted him up. Kazutora groaned as Takemichi accidentally pressed against his injured arm. The older man apologized, and positioned his friend in a more comfortable position. 

“Let’s go,” he announced. Kazutora nodded.

They started to walk, Takemichi making sure to avoid all the alley he knew wasn’t really safe. He was also careful to not expose his injured friend to the sight of all so they wouldn’t raise any suspicions. 

“Were you alone when it happened?” he asked as their apartment finally showed. He needed to know if there was another victim waiting for help out there.

“Yes,” his friend replied. Takemichi sighed in  relief, that was one thing less to worry about.

He opened the main door and then headed towards the stairs as their building didn’t have any elevator. He winced as he noticed the trail of blood Kazutora was leaving, making it look like a murder happened. He needed to clean this too when he was done with his friend.

Climbing the stairs was a mess, his friend’s weight turning heavier and heavier as the man was becoming slow with the blood loss. 

“No matter what, don’t fall asleep,” he warned Kazutora as he opened the door to his apartment.

Having someone unconscious while they were losing blood was in general not a good thing. Takemichi wasn’t a doctor but he still had some background about healthcare. 

“Alright,” Kazutora mumbled, rubbing his eyes. Takemichi tapped him slightly on the cheek to make sure the man stayed awake. He headed towards his couch and laid the younger man on it, not caring if it was stained with blood afterward. 

“Don’t move, I’ll be back soon,” he said with a firm tone. But with Kazutora’s state, it wasn’t like he would have been able to do anything anyway.

The man smiled dumbly at him and nodded. Takemichi huffed, the man was clearly out of his head.

He rushed to his bathroom where he had put his aid kit. In it there was a disinfectant, bandages and compress. Everything he needed for Kazutora’s wounds, or at least he hoped so.

He sighed and went back to the living room, knowing it would be another long night. He crouched down in front of Kazutora who was still awake fortunately. He brought a soft hand on the man’s cheek, turning it toward him. 

“Can you take off your T-shirt so I can treat your wound?” he demanded. He would do it anyway but he didn’t want his friend to feel uncomfortable.

The younger boy nodded, removing his cloth, finally showing the extent of his injury on his arm. There was a long gash on his upper arm, bleeding a lot, but examined it closely he could see it wasn’t that deep.

He hummed, taking some compress and soaking it in disinfectant. 

“It will probably sting,” he warned. His friend nodded and Takemichi brought the compress to his arm.

As he started by wiping all the blood, Kazutora hissed and the older man gave him an apologetic smile. Unfortunately he couldn’t lessen the pain and really needed to make sure his arm wouldn't get infected.

He heard stories of people having one of their limbs rot because of it and he wanted to avoid this for his friend. 

“I’ll try to be quick,” he promised. He made sure to clean the wound dutifully, removing all the gravers he found in it. Kazutora was clenching his teeth in pain and Takemichi needed to find a way to distract him from it. 

“Soo, care to tell me what happened?” he demanded. Kazutora groaned and managed to huff. 

“Some assholes were annoying me, I was beating the shit out of them when this guy pulled out a knife and stabbed me,” he explained with an upset expression.

He couldn’t be 100 percent sure that his friend didn’t try to mess with them first but still, it didn’t excuse attacking him with a weapon. 

“How many were they?” he demanded as he started to bandage his friend’s arm. 

“Three,” Kazutora replied. Takemichi hummed with an impressed expression. 

“And you managed to beat them?” His friend nodded with a proud and silly smile. 

“Yup, they were more messed up than me,” he replied.

Takemichi chuckled, shaking his head. Gang members and their pride.

He went to take a chair so he could sit in front of Kazutora and took his chin in his hand, bringing his face closer. 

“Let’s take care of your forehead now,” he said. His friend’s face slightly flushed, probably from a fever. He took a new compress and used his other hand to push away Kazutora’s bangs. 

“You’re pretty,” his friend blurted out as Takemichi pressed the compress against his wound.

The older man raised an eyebrow and laughed. Yup, he was definitely turning delirious. He smiled fondly at the younger man as he kept cleaning his injury. 

“You are too,” he replied playfully. Kazutora blinked, tilting his head on the side. 

“I am?” Takemichi nodded with a hum. The younger man took a pleased expression and leaned his head in his palm.

Takemichi chuckled, Kazutora was much softer when he was hurt. Though it didn’t mean he wished to see him more in this state.

He preferred to see the man chaotic but at least in full health. He put on a band aid on the man’s forehead and smiled, proud of his work. 

“Here, you’re all patched up,” he announced. Kazutora brought a hand to his bandages and looked at him with gratitude. 

“Thank,” he let out a small pause, taking a thoughtful look. “Would you mind if I sleep here tonight?” he demanded. Takemichi shook his head. Actually he preferred if he could keep an eye on his friend until he was in better shape. 

“Of course not, though I only have one bed, you don’t mind sharing?” he demanded. His friend shook his head, standing up groggily. 

“Nope, I slept in worse conditions,” he replied. And Takemichi absolutely trusted him on that. It was obvious Kazutora had a rough childhood.

He smiled sadly and took Kazutora’s hand in his own to lead him to his bedroom, with how the man stumbled, he wasn’t sure he could go to it by himself. He tugged his friend in bed, the man so tired that he didn’t even realize when he closed his eyes.

Takemichi shook his head with amusement and went to his own occupation. He made himself dinner, talked a bit to his boyfriends by message and then went to take a quick shower.

He went back to his own bedroom, Kazutora was snoring softly. The older man smiled and went to his side under the blankets. He quickly checked his bandages, they looked fine. Feeling at peace he turned on the side and closed his eyes.

If in the night Kazutora hugged him, it wasn’t the case anymore in the morning. 

Chapter Text

Takemichi knew something was wrong as soon as he was invited to Toman’s meeting place.

It wouldn’t have been weird if one of his boyfriends had been the one to ask him, or even Mikey or Draken. But the thing is, Baji had somehow got his phone number and had sent him a message, telling him to come to the meeting soon because of something urgent.

He wasn’t stupid, he knew it might be a trap. But what did the younger man want with him?  He wasn’t sure.

He had hesitated to warn his boyfriends about where he was going, but decided it was better if he kept it quiet. He didn’t want to worry them for nothing.

Maybe Baji just wanted to talk, maybe he would tell him to stay away from Toman. Maybe for something else. He couldn’t know if he didn’t go.

That was why he was actually heading toward the plain field, a pepper spray in his pocket just in case. Of course he could defend himself with his fists only, but if several people tried to attack him, the spray would be more efficient to get rid of them. At least distracting them so he could flee.

He shook his head, he needed to stop thinking about the worse outcome. He was scaring himself for nothing.

He lifted his head, the field finally appearing in his sight and the young man frowned.He thought it would be Baji and himself alone, he guessed it wasn’t the case. Everyone from Toman was here, in a gathering.

His eyes widened as he noticed his own boyfriends among the gang members. Oh they were having an important meeting it seemed, but why Baji asked him to come then?

He stepped forward, feeling a bit lost. Should he interrupt them? Or walk away and come back later?

Of course it would be nice if he could be aware of Toman’s current situation, to see if things were going the same as in his previous universe or if there were big changements. But at the same time he didn’t want to get too much involved in the gang, after all he still refused to be part of it.

Maybe he could just spy on them? Not very ethical but who cared if it was for the greater good?

He sighed, torn between his morals and his paranoia. His fate was decided when his gaze met Mikey's.

The younger man’s eyes widened and his mouth made a small ‘o’ shape. His face brightened and he started to wave frantically at Takemichi. Of course it caught everyone’s attention who whipped their head toward the black haired man.

He gulped, feeling like a deer caught in the light of a car. It was too late to flee, wasn’t it? Hanma grinned as he noticed him, waving too. 

“Hi, darling!” he shouted. Takemichi snorted, stepping forward. 

“Hi,” he replied simply. He turned toward Mikey and Draken who looked both surprised and happy about his appearance. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were all in a meeting, I can come back later if you want,” he offered. The shorter man shook his head. 

“No, no, you can stay Mitchy! You arrive at the right moment, we were about to officially announce the merger of our two gangs,” he explained, pointing a finger at Hanma and Kisaki, all their gang’s members behind them.

Oh, they were at this moment. But why…? Didn’t anything change? He tilted his head on the side with a confused expression. 

“But didn’t it happen a month ago?” he wondered out loud. Draken nodded. 

“Yes, but it wasn’t official, we wanted to see first if our two gangs could get along,” he explained. The younger man hummed. It was good news, right? It meant Kisaki and Hanma didn’t show any weird behavior, not that he expected them to in the first place. He sighed with relief and smiled. 

“Alright, I’ll stay on the side as you do your announcement then,” he said.

Mikey nodded and Takemichi did as he said. He listened to the same speech his friend made in his previous universe. He felt more at peace than the first time he listened to it, knowing nothing would go bad this time.

Hanma and Kisaki weren’t the bad guys anymore. And yet, there was something he couldn’t help but wonder.

Why did Baji invite him? He didn’t think they could be considered friends, not when the younger man was so hostile the last time they saw each other.

That was why he couldn’t help but glance at the man, but Baji wasn’t looking at him at all. The man was focused on Mikey’s face with a closed expression.

A part of him wanted to go and ask him why he sent him a text. The other part knew better, it wasn’t the time for that. He could wait until the end of the meeting.

Mikey asked if someone had something to say, no one talked. He smiled, ending the meeting. Most people still stayed together. His two boyfriends and two friends turned towards him. Draken looked at him with curiosity. 

“By the way Takemichi, why did you come here?” he demanded. The younger man opened his mouth when Baji suddenly appeared at his side and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. The man startled, whipping his head toward the younger one who was grinning. 

“I did, I had something I wanted to tell you,” he announced. Mikey and Draken frowned. 

“Oh, what was it?” The tallest one asked. Baji’s face suddenly turned somber and he stared straight at them. Takemichi tensed, feeling that something bad was about to happen. 

“I quit, I want to leave Toman,” he announced.

Takemichi froze. Fuck, why was it happening? It didn’t make any sense.

He whipped his head toward Kisaki and Hanma with betrayal, but both men looked genuinely confused.

Mikey let out a little huff, making it clear he didn’t believe him. 

“Yeah sure, good joke,” he replied. Baji shook his head, still wearing a serious expression. 

“I’m not joking, I don’t want to be part of Toman anymore,” he said loudly so everyone could hear. Most of the members of Toman were looking at them with a frown, intrigued. Baji turned toward Takemichi and leaned against his ear. 

“It’s not against you, but they are all smitten with you these past two months. You’re the only person with whom it can work,” he whispered. Takemichi’s body put itself right on alert. Just as Baji was about to punch him in the face, he dashed on the right. The younger man gritted his teeth. “Don’t be difficult, Takemichi, it won’t last long,” he grunted.

He went to kick him in his stomach this time but the older man stepped back, avoiding it once again. He could see how Baji was getting frustrated, still going after him.

Takemichi tried his best to avoid all the kicks, but at the same time he knew it would be suspicious if he was suddenly skilled and knew how to fight. He could hear his friends and boyfriends calling for him.

The older man sighed inwardly, faking stumbling and letting himself get punched on the cheek. Baji’s eyes narrowed with a knowing glint, and went to punch him in the stomach once again. Takemichi caught his fist and bent down so only Baji could hear him. 

“You better have a good reason for doing that or I won’t be lenient next time,” he growled, annoyed. It had been a long time since the last time he was beaten badly. Baji’s eyes widened and then glared. 

“Who are you?” he demanded.

Takemichi threw himself on the younger man’s fist, making it look like the man kicked him. He was just so frustrated to see that all he did was for nothing.

Somehow Baji still betrayed Toman and would probably go to Kazutora’s side. He thought he had managed to change the younger man’s opinion a bit but he guessed he was wrong.

He just hoped Hanma and Kisaki weren’t connected to it. He didn’t know how he would feel if it was the case. He didn’t think he would be able to ever trust someone ever again.

Someone snatched Baji by the collar and threw him on the floor. Hanma and Kisaki’s arms wrapped around Takemichi’s waist, gripping him possessively.

Mikey and Draken were fighting with Baji, the man had stood up quickly and they were exchanging blows while the rest of the members were watching. Kisaki put a hand on his chin and forced to face him, observing the state of his cheek. 

“Does it hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?” he asked, more anxious than usual. Takemichi huffed with amusement and shook his head. No, it was impossible they were part of this, not when they looked so worried.

God he was so glad it wasn’t the case. 

“No, it’s alright. Some ice to lessen the pain should be enough,” he replied with fondness. Kisaki bit his lips and then nodded reluctantly, eyeing his injury with concern. Hanma then forced to face him. 

“What about your stomach?” Oh right, he was supposed to be hurt there too. 

“I’m fine, I don’t think I have any bruises here,” he replied. The taller man shook his head and brought his hand to the hem of his t-shirt. 

“Let me check,” he demanded. Takemichi blushed and took his wrists before he could remove his shirt. 

“Wait when we’re alone okay? I don’t really want everyone to see me chest naked,” he said with a chuckle. Hanma nodded with a suggestive smile. “Nothing will happen, Hanma,” he warned.

Knowing the man, he was probably thinking about some lewd thing. Well, it was maybe hypocritical of Takemichi to think this when he also had some sexual dreams about his boyfriends.

The taller man kissed him on his unbruised cheek, snuggling his face against it. As for Kisaki, he didn’t hesitate to kiss him on the lips. He smiled gently at his boyfriend. 

“You managed to avoid a lot of his hits, since when are you so skilled?” he demanded, but it wasn’t suspicion, just mere curiosity. Damn,  he knew people would ask about it. He shrugged, trying to look as smooth as he could. 

“I have to be able to protect myself if I work in a bar, some annoying client can be pretty virulent. Mez taught me some things, well, mostly dodging,” he lied through his teeth. He really hoped they wouldn’t interrogate his boss about it or he was doomed. Kisaki hummed with a satisfied face. 

“Good, you would have been in a worse state if it wasn’t for your skills,” he pointed out. And Takemichi knew he was right, because well, he got pretty beat up the last time.

Remembering that Baji and his two friends were still fighting. He turned towards them with concern. Baji was in pretty bad shape, his nose crooked, maybe broken, and he was panting, looking exhausted. Though he was still wearing a grin.

Draken and Mikey had less wounds, though there was some blood on them. He wasn’t sure if it was their or Baji’s one. Mikey looked pretty upset, as well as hurt, he was staring at his friend with a pitiful expression.

Takemichi promised himself, even if Toman and Moebius fought, he would make sure no one died. But well, if Kazutora and Baji didn’t have Kisaki and Hanma’s backup, they would be less dangerous.

And there was something he didn’t understand, it was mostly because of Kisaki that Kazutora decided to go after Mikey. But then, if the man wasn’t involved, why was Kazutora acting like this?

He had to do some research, find where things went wrong. He refused to have a death on his conscience after doing his best to save everyone.

He stepped forward, catching Mikey’s arm. The younger boy startled and almost hit him but stopped when he saw who it was. His eyes widened and caught Takemichi’s face in his hands. 

“Are you okay? Do you need anything for your bruises?” he demanded, worried. Takemichi found it funny that he asked the same things as his boyfriends.

Moreover, he was so happy Mikey was more soft in this universe. Of course he was still violent, but he listened to Takemichi more easily, not blinded by his anger. He hoped it would remain like this. He shook his head. 

“Yes, I lived through worse. But please, stop fighting, you know I hate violence,” he said with a scolding tone. He knew it wasn’t fair to use Mikey’s affection for him against the man, but it was the only way to make him listen and obey. The younger man nodded, turning to Baji with a glare. 

“You’re lucky Mitchy is here, get out of here. Next time we’ll see each other it will be as enemies,” he announced. Baji spat some blood in his mouth on the side. But his eyes weren’t focused on his friend but on Takemichi.

The older man might have said too much to him, but well, it wasn’t like Baji could prove he came from another world. And with how he just made an enemy of the gang, they wouldn’t believe him anyway.

God, he felt like an asshole thinking like that.

But well, he couldn't keep being kind and submissive, not when it led him to more death than anything else. If he had to be manipulative to make sure everyone would live, then he wouldn’t hesitate.

He didn’t really care if everyone hated him in the end, it was a small sacrifice for what he would get in return. Of course he preferred if he could be happy at their side, but he didn’t dare ask for too much.

Baji finally left, and the older man noticed Chifuyu following him. Oh god, it had been so long since he saw him. Before he could go after him, Mikey led him on one of the stairs and forced him to sit, turning towards Draken. 

“What do we do? He needs to be treated quickly!” he said. His friend laughed while Kisaki and Hanma joined them. 

“He’s fine, he won’t die Mikey, some ointment and it should be alright,” Draken replied with amusement. Takemichi nodded, agreeing. 

“I can’t believe he invited you just to hit you, this bastard,” Mikey grumbled, biting on his nail. Kisaki and Hanma went to sit next to him, looking both annoyed too. 

“It’s my fault, I shouldn't have come, I found it weird he was sending me a message, I should have refused,” the older man apologized. He wondered if Baji would have still left Toman if he didn’t have Takemichi to hit. But well, maybe he would have just kicked someone else.

So yes, it might be better if he had been the ‘victim’.

Draken shook his head. 

“No, it’s our fault. We knew something was weird about Baji, but we weren't sure what. We should have talked to him sooner, all of this wouldn’t have happened,” he replied.

Takemichi raised an eyebrow. They were being more vigilant, he was pretty sure they never suspected Baji until he suddenly hit Takemichi in his first universe.

It was odd, seeing those little changes in the people he knew. Not something big, but different enough that it could change the course of time. 

“Do you have an idea why he suddenly wanted to leave Toman?” Kisaki asked, interested. 

“I’m not sure, but I might have an idea…it’s not the right place to talk about it, and I’ll wait to have more information first,” Draken announced. Kisaki and Hanma nodded, Mikey pouting. 

“What are we wasting our time on this? We need to take care of Mitchy first,” he pointed out. Takemichi snorted, caught off guard. He wasn’t letting this matter go, was he? Hanma nodded, looking excited. 

“Yes, let’s go to a pharmacy first, and then we’ll go to your apartment, we need to check this stomach!” he said. Mikey and Draken turned towards him eagerly. 

“Can we come with you?” the taller man demanded. Takemichi shrugged, he didn't see why not. 

“Yes, but shouldn't you maybe give some explanation to your gang? They look pretty shaken by what happened,” he replied. Draken nodded. 

“Give us five minutes and we’ll be here.” Takemichi acquiesced, and his two friends left.

He leaned his head on Kisaki’s shoulder and sighed. Guess he was back to do some investigation.

Luckily, Kazutora was his neighbor. This man didn’t know what awaited him. 

Chapter Text

They were laying lazily on his couch, Takemichi in the middle, Hanma and Kisaki on his side.

After the altercation with Baji last week, things had been…tense.

His boyfriends as well as his friends didn’t feel at ease leaving him alone. They found any opportunity to hang out with him, even when they were supposed to have school.

And Takemichi, well, he was too weak to protest. Not when they were being so sweet and cute.

The few times he was alone, mostly at night, he tried to see Kazutora. But the only two times he saw the man, he acted as if nothing happened. No weird behavior, no mention of Baji. And Takemichi hesitated to confront the younger man directly, not when he could be wrong and Baji hadn’t left the gang because of Kazutora.

And well, trying to find more clues about it when he was always surrounded by one of his friends made the process harder.

And so here he was, after one of his failed attempts to escape from them, he somehow found himself having some kind of date with his two boyfriends. Which made him a bit nervous because it was the first time they hung out at his apartment, at night, and in such an atmosphere.

He cooked them something quick earlier, ate and then decided to watch a movie. His couch wasn’t big which meant they were cramped on it, both men wrapping an arm around his neck and pressing their body against Takemichi’s one.

He really tried his best to not think about it and just focus on the movie but it was harder than he thought. 

“What are you thinking about, darling~?” Hanma whispered in his ear, making Takemichi shudder and taking him by surprise.

Please, let his body not react. He didn’t know if it was his hormones or something else but he could feel himself get horny.

Which didn’t make sense because they were only watching a movie and also because Hanma and Kisaki probably weren't thinking about this right now. 

“Nothing, just got lost in my thoughts,” he replied awkwardly. Hanma hummed, stroking Takemichi’s thigh with his thumb. The older man gulped, feeling a bit hot. On the other side, Kisaki nodded. 

“This movie is pretty boring, I understand why you wouldn’t be focused,” he said. Takemichi turned his head toward him with a soft smile. 

“We can put something else if you want?” he offered, finding a way to escape his current thoughts. Maybe they could pick a horror movie, or an action one? Something that would distract him from his horniness.

Kisaki smirked, taking the older man’s chin in his hand and leaning forward, kissing his lips tenderly. Takemichi couldn’t prevent the small gasp that slipped from his mouth, seeking for more. He opened his lips willingly, letting Kisaki’s tongue enter.

On the side, Hanma wrapped his arms around his waist, snuggling his face in his shoulder. Snuggling that turned into light biting. Takemichi’s face turned red as he let out a moan, and couldn't suppress his arousal anymore. 

“I think I have a better idea than watching TV,” Hanma said smugly, leaving a hickey on Takemichi’s white skin. He let go of his boyfriend with amusement and headed toward his bag on the side.

Kisaki and Takemichi looked at him with raised eyebrows, wondering what he was looking for. After some searching, he turned back towards them with a huge smile and condoms in his hand.

Takemichi choked on his spit, while Kisaki’s cheeks reddened.

“Hanma, can you tell me why you have condoms with you?” the younger man asked, his tone trying to be scolding but failing miserably. The taller man grinned with a shrug. 

“You know, just in case,” he said. Kisaki hummed, as if it answered all. Takemichi shook his head, still feeling confused and apprehensive about it. 

“And er, what do you intend to do with this?” he demanded. Hanma’s face turned softer. 

“I thought we could try, you know, sex. But we don’t have to go all the way and it’s okay if you don’t want to,” he said, even if it was obvious he clearly wanted it. Still, he was glad his boyfriend cared about consent and wasn’t being pushy about it. He laughed awkwardly. 

“I em, never done this before,” he confessed. Which was true, he was mostly a virgin. He clearly never had sucked another guy’s cock, or took it in the ass. Or well, put it in someone else's ass. Hanma shrugged, seeming unbothered. 

“Neither do I,” he replied. The older man raised an eyebrow. With this confidence, he thought Hanma had already had sexual experience with someone else, but he guessed he was wrong. He turned his head towards Kisaki, wanting to know his opinion about it. 

“It would be my first time too, and well, I want to try,” he said, more reserved. But Kisaki had always been the quiet and calculative one, so he didn’t expect much emotion from him in the first place. Both turned their heads towards him.

Oh fuck, they were waiting for his answer, right? Wasn’t it too soon in their relationship? But well, they had been dating for more than a month. And weren't teenagers supposed to be horny at this age?

He bit his lips, nervous. 

“I wouldn’t mind trying, and we can still stop if something feels wrong. But..if we go all the way, who’s supposed to be the bottom?” he asked, feeling his face burn.

He wasn’t stupid, he had a vague idea how gay sex worked, but he always heard anal sex hurt more than vaginal one so he was a bit worried. He didn’t want one of them to get hurt badly in an accident. His boyfriend shared a knowing glance, looking back at Takemichi carefully. 

“I won’t lie darling, what I want is to fuck your ass,” he said crassly. Kisaki snorted. 

“I wouldn’t have formulated it like that, but I feel the same, I prefer if I’m the one making love to you,” he agreed. Takemichi let out a small oh, feeling a bit overwhelmed right now.

He guessed he preferred if he was the one on the bottom too. But more because if one of them had to be hurt, he wanted it to be him rather than his boyfriends. And also because as someone far older than them, he felt weird about fucking them, he felt like it would be morally wrong.

Hanma and Kisaki took his silence as a refusal and while the shorter one hugged him from the side, the taller one caressed his cheek. Takemichi blinked, focusing back on them. 

“It’s alright if you don’t want to. And we can still wait later if you don’t feel ready, darling,” Hanma said softly.

Takemichi, who was so used to the man being pretty energetic and chaotic, was a bit thrown off by his behavior. But a part of him was telling him Hanma was behaving like that because it was their first sexual experience and he didn’t want to scare him away.

Surely, when they were more confident, the man would be more forward. He shook his head. 

“No, no. I don’t mind being the bottom. I just can’t assure you we’ll get to this today..can we start with something lighter?” he suggested. He wanted to take things slow so none of them would regret it later. And as it was a bit out of the blue, he didn’t feel ready mentally to have his virginity taken.

His boyfriends nodded eagerly, Hanma leaned forward and kissed him roughly, excited. Kisaki huffed and pushed the man's face so he could taste Takemichi’s lips too. 

“What about taking this in your bed? As much as I like this couch and it’s kinda kinky to have sex on it, it’s also not very comfortable,” Hanma said with a mischievous grin. Takemichi nodded, though his bed wasn’t that big either.

Three men stood up, and he noticed he was already half hard. His face blushed and he glanced at his boyfriend’s crotch, wanting to know if he was the only one in this situation. He sighed in relief when he saw a small bulge in their pants too.

At least he wasn’t the only one being horny right now. A part of him couldn’t believe he was about to have sex with Hanma and Kisaki, two people who had been his enemy in another life.

It was crazy.

It was hot.

They headed to his bedroom and Takemichi bit his lips, self aware it was pretty bare. But his apartment was still very new and he didn’t necessarily have the money to buy a lot of decorations.

For now he was doing with the bare minimum, only things he really needed. The TV was the only object he authorized himself to buy and wasn’t vital. He went to sat on his bed and then looked up at his boyfriends. 

“So er, what do we do now?” he asked. Hanma grinned, and took out his shirt. 

“Now we get naked,” he announced. He guessed it made sense even if it had been long since the last time someone saw him entirely naked. He fumbled with his shirt and Kisaki took pity on him, helping him. Takemichi gave him a grateful look to which the younger man replied with a faint smile.

He liked to think he got braver on some things, but sex was still something that made him nervous a lot. Hanma had already had his pants removed and then his boxer. Takemichi’s eyes widened, his boyfriend’s cock wasn’t necessarily big or long, just the normal size, but seeing one in front of him wasn’t the same as just imagining it.

This was supposed to go into his ass one day?

He swallowed, focusing on his own bottom while Kisaki undressed on his right. Once naked, Takemichi couldn’t help but compare his dick to the taller boy’s one. He was a bit smaller than him, not something shocking but it made him even more self conscious.

Which was worse when he turned toward Kisaki and realized the man’s cock was bigger and longer than his or Hanma’s one. Okay, maybe he was freaking out a bit.

His boyfriends noticed quickly his behavior and both of them sat at his side. 

“Remberer, if you don’t feel like it, we can always stop,” Kisaki whispered into his ear. Takemichi nodded, trying to relax.

Hanma went behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist while Kisaki positioned himself between his legs. Like that, he was stuck between his two lovers. While the shorter one went back to kiss him, soft and gentle, Hanma’s hand caressed his chest, a bit ticklish at first.

While it wasn’t particularly arousing, it helped him get more comfortable, kissing Kisaki back. Suddenly, one of Hanma’s finger went to his nipple and flicked it. Takemichi slightly flinched, caught out of guard, and frowned.

What was his boyfriend trying to do? He had his answer when Hanma twisted and pulled at his little nub of flesh. While the older man expected to just feel pain, he could also feel a slight pleasure building in his lower stomach .

Was it possible for a man to be sensitive on the chest? Hanma kept going, adding another hand for his other nipple. 

“Hng,” Takemichi moaned softly, Kisaki muffling his sound by kissing him. He could feel himself slowly fully hardening and his cock bouncing against the younger man’s stomach. Behind him Hanma snorted with something proud. 

“You’re spoiling us, darling. Who thought you’ll be the sensitive kind?” he purred. Takemichi moaned, being praised waking up something in him. Hanma turned him around, forcing Kisaki to let go of him. He laid the older man on his stomach, making his face near his boyfriend’s cock. 

“Do you think you could try sucking me?” he demanded. Takemichi nodded shyly. 

“It’s my first time, don’t judge if it’s bad. And I’ll be careful with my teeth,” he replied. His boyfriend stroked his cheeks. 

“Don’t worry, whatever you decide to do with this pretty mouth of yours, I know I will like it,” he said with a wink. Takemichi blushed and breathed in and out.

He brought his hand to Hanma’s cock, wondering how to start. He opened his mouth and then licked the tip of his boyfriend’s cock. The taste was salty, but not too bad. The taller man jerked his head backward, passing a hand in Takemichi’s hair and gripping them lightly. 

“Yes, like that, darling,” he hissed. Feeling more confident, Takemichi tried to put half of Hanma’s length into his mouth. His lips stretched around it, feeling full.

At first he didn’t do anything, just waiting to see if he could get accustomed to this size. Hanma kept petting him, and Kisaki surprised him by suddenly taking Takemichi’s cock in his hand and jerking it off.

The older man moaned around the shaft in his mouth, Hanma grunting. He used his knees to have some balance and gave more space to Kisaki and then he started to move his head back and forth on his boyfriend’s cock.

He wasn’t going particularly fast, trying mostly to pleasure Hanma with his tongue, twirling it around the man’s dick. He made sure to suck on the man’s tip, showing a lewd face by doing so. 

“Fuck..you’re so hot,” Hanma growled. Takemichi’s cock twitched into Kisaki’s hand.

“Do you have a praise kink, love?” the younger man asked, suddenly stopping stroking him. Takemichi whined, and Hanma’s grip tightened. The taller man grinned. 

“It seems so, you like knowing how a good boy you are, right?” he purred. Takemichi was ashamed to say he almost came even if no one was taking care of his cock right now.

Too ashamed to reply, he moved his head faster, Hanma cursing and shutting up. He expected Kisaki to wrap his hand back around him, but instead the man gripped his hips and forced his legs together.

He frowned, wondering what he was planning when he suddenly felt Kisaki slip something between them, rubbing his dick. It didn't take him long to realize it was his boyfriend’s cock. What was he trying to do with this?

Kisaki suddenly thrusted forward, Takemichi choked on Hanma’s length, poking the back of his throat. 

“Oh fuck!” the taller man shouted, pressing on the older man’s head, forcing to keep his entire length in his mouth.

Takemichi’s eyes bulged, overwhelmed. He tapped on his boyfriend’s thighs, trying to warn him he was lacking air. Hanma noticed it and pulled on his hair, leaving the tip of his cock in Takemichi.

The older man gasped, trying to inhale. 

“Sorry darling, you took me out of guard,” he apologized. He was about to reply when Kisaki pulled on his hips, making his ass slam against the younger man’s pelvis.

He moaned, their erection rubbing together. It was weird how it felt like the man was fucking him, expect no penetration was involved. No, instead Kisaki was fucking his thighs. And god it felt so good. 

“M-more,” he whined. His boyfriend moaned and increased the pace, hissing when their cock rubbed against each other. Hanma took his chin, smiling. 

“Don’t forget about me, darling,” he said with a grin. Takemichi nodded and opened his mouth wide, taking him back inside.

This time, Hanma moved his hips on his own, careful not to go too deep and make Takemichi gag. The older man was being pounded from both sides, overwhelming him. If it wasn’t for Kisaki holding his hips he would have slumped on the mattress.

Tears formed at the corner of his eyes as Hanma suddenly pushed all his length into his throat and stilled. He felt a hot liquid spur inside his mouth and he couldn’t do anything else but swallow.

Once he finished cuming, his boyfriend took out his cock with a satisfied expression. 

“Good boy,” he praised. Takemichi’s eyes rolled and he spilled his own cum on the mattress with a whine. Kisaki kept thrusting against his sensitive cock and came too with a grunt, rolling on the side when he was done.

Takemichi fell forward, his thighs and stomach covered with cum but he was too tired to care. Hanma cradled him into his arms while Kisaki joined them, leaning his head on his friend’s shoulder. 

“It was..amazing,” Takemichi said, breathless. He hoped his boyfriends were done because he couldn’t go for a second turn. Hanma chuckled. 

“Yes, gotta do this more from now on,” he replied. Takemichi whined. 

“Have pity on my poor body, I’m so tired I don’t even think I can go to the bathroom to clean myself…we need to change the sheets too,” he complained. His boyfriend just laughed.

“Don’t worry, we'll help you. And we don’t have to have sex every day, but I agree with Hanma, I want this to happen more,” Kisaki said. Takemichi hummed, snuggling against his boyfriend’s chest. 

“Yeah, I agree, just…try to go easy on me and my body?” he demanded. They nodded, leaving little pecks on his face. 

“Pinky promise,” Hanma said with amusement. The older man shook his head, entwining their pinky fingers. His boyfriend lifted him up into his arms, Takemichi yelping. “Let’s take a shower then,” he announced.

Three men headed towards his bathroom. The older man closed his eyes. Today was amazing. 

Chapter Text

Things were going too well.

He expected things to blow up after Baji’s departure from Toman but none of that, everyone was acting as if it was all right. It was as if Takemichi was the only one worried about it, wondering what the man was planning in the shadows.

And in a way, he preferred to see his friends free of all concern. He wanted them to be able to live their lives happily, like real teenagers.

But at the same time he knew being in a gang, even at such a young age, wasn’t that easy. And with everything he knew, peace was far from being usual for Toman. 

“Takemichi, what are you waiting for?” Kisaki called out.

The older man blinked, getting out of his thoughts. His boyfriend was leaning against Hanma’s bike, Mikey and Draken waiting on the side with their own.

Today, the two gang members decided they wanted to go to the beach and invited a bunch of their friends, Takemichi included.

He felt a bit nervous about it as he would officially meet some member he wasn’t supposed to know, people who had been his friends in another universe. He didn’t know exactly who would be here but he hoped he could get along with them.

“Are the others already at the beach?” he asked as he stepped forward, heading towards Draken and Mikey.

Hanma and Kisaki were riding the same bike, which meant he would have to go with one of his two other friends.  Mikey turned his head toward Draken to get an answer. The tall man shrugged. 

“I guess so? They can still join us later,” he replied, uninterested. Takemichi hummed, not surprised. 

“Okay. So er, which of you will give me a ride?” he demanded. Mikey grinned with a mischievous grin. 

“I can, but it won’t be free,” he said with a teasing voice. Takemichi raised an eyebrow with a scoff. 

“Oh? And what’s your price?” he replied, joking along. He wondered what the younger man wanted in return. As long as it didn’t include hurting anyone, he guessed he could agree with it. 

“You buy me an ice cream,” Mikey asked childishly. Takemichi laughed. He should have seen it coming. Draken shook his head, giving him a scolding look. 

“Don’t start robbing someone who’s working hard for their money,” he said sternly. Mikey pouted, turning his head with a puppy look towards Takemichi. 

“It doesn’t bother you, right Mitchy? We are friends, friends give each other gifts, don’t we? I’ll even share my ice cream with you if you want,” he offered with glee. The older man rolled his eyes. 

“No need, and yeah it doesn’t bother me,” he replied.

Mikey threw a smug look at Draken as he passed a helmet to Takemichi who put it on his head. While he took place behind the smaller man, wrapping his arms around his waist, he met Hanma’s gaze.

The man winked and threw him a kiss with his palm, making him flustered. Since they had their first sexual intercourse, the two boys were even more flirty with him. Which was pretty inconvenient as Takemichi almost popped a boner in public because of them.

Being horny was a mess.

They didn’t even go all the way and still it had felt so good that he couldn’t help but crave for more. He was even tempted to invite them back to his apartment so they could share another intimate moment.

But he was too embarrassed to do that.

Mikey turned on his bike and Takemichi was instantly distracted by the sounds of the engine. He tightened his hold around his friend as they started moving, heading towards the beach.

They tried to talk as they rode but after Takemichi swallowed an insect accidentally he kept his mouth shut, instead listening to Mikey rant about the kind of ice cream he wanted.

It had been a long time since they really hung out all of this together, without anything related to the gang included. And how happy it made Takemichi.

After thirty minutes they finally reached the beach, the sun shining on the sand and ocean. The young man’s eyes glinted with excitement as they parked, several bikes already here.

They took off their helmets and were soon joined by the members already here. Takemichi glanced shyly at them, observing who was here. Chifuyu, Mitsuya, Hakkai, Emma and Hinata. He sighed in relief.

There was only Chifuyu and Hakkai who he hadn’t met yet. And well, Mitsuya too, at least not as Takemichi. He turned towards Draken with curiosity. 

“Are we all here?” he demanded. The man nodded, tying his helmet to his bike. 

“Yeah, we didn’t want to overwhelm you so we tried to mostly invite people you knew, “ he explained. They did that for him..? Takimichi’s eyes turned a bit wet, touched. 

“Thank you, really,” he said with a soft smile. Draken hummed, his face reddening as he turned it on the side. Hinata rushed to his side, hugging him as Emma followed with a grin on her face. 

“Oh Takemichi, how are you doing? I learned what happened with Baji, if I see him I’m going to punch his face!” she announced with determination.

The older man laughed. No matter the timeline, Hinata was always so brave. She didn’t care if she was weaker than her opponent, she always defended her friends no matter what. He shook his head, patting her shoulder. 

“I prefer it if you don’t do that. I wouldn’t want to see you in jail because you send someone to the hospital,” he joked. The woman huffed, crossing her arms. 

“Now I know you’re mocking me, rude,” she pouted. The young man chuckled and Emma stepped forward, kissing Hinata’s cheeks. 

“Men are all the same, they don’t realize women actually rule the world,” she taunted. They shared a smile and Takemichi watched them fondly. 

“Hi to you too,” he greeted. Emma waved at him and they were joined by the rest of their group, Kisaki and Hanma wrapping possessive arms around his waist. 

“We won’t let two lesbians steal our boyfriend,” the tallest one said without spite, kissing his mouth open in front of everyone. Takemichi spluttered as the two girls laughed and Kisaki squeezed his side harder. 

“Don’t worry, I’m pretty satisfied with one girlfriend,” Emma replied, kissing Hinata on the mouth with a challenging look.

What were they trying to prove right now?

Exasperated, Takemichi pushed his boyfriends on the side and instead turned towards the three men he wasn’t supposed to know. 

“Hi, I’m Takemichi,” he introduced himself. Mitsuya nodded with a smile. 

“Yeah, hard to not know with these two always rambling about you. I’m Mistuya, he’s Hakkai and this one is Chifuyu,” he introduced himself and his friend back.

Hakkai bowed politely while Chifuyu waved but it was obvious the young man wasn’t focused on them. Takemichi guessed he was still sad about Baji’s betrayal and was probably trying to convince the man to go back to Toman.

He hoped with this trip to the beach, he would be able to distract the boy from his worry.

He turned towards Mikey and Draken and raised an eyebrow. 

“You ramble about me?” he asked with amusement. 

“No.” 

“Yes!” The two men replied at the same time, they shared a gaze and Draken sighed. 

“It just happens you’re often our subject of conversation,” he tried to defend himself. Kisaki and Hanma threw them a suspicious gaze and Takemichi felt suddenly self conscious. 

“Oh alright…Anyway! Was there anything you wanted to do here?” he demanded, wanting to change the subject. Mitsuya shrugged. 

“I’m just here to take a break from my siblings,” he explained. Mikey raised a hand. 

“I want to swim and eat ice cream!” he announced. Draken put on some sunglasses and took out from nowhere some sun cream. 

“I’m mostly keeping an eye on him. Put this on if you don’t want to get sunburns,” he said, turning towards Mikey.

Takemichi chuckled, so they didn’t have anything really planned then? Well, he could work with that.

He took the suncream from Draken’s hands and headed towards the beach. 

“I’ll take care of covering everyone with it, well Emma and Hinata you can take care of each other if you prefer,” he suggested.

The girls nodded, grateful. They all followed them like ducklings, Mitsuya and Hakkai put their belongings on the sand. They all undressed, having their swimsuits already on them. It was the case for Takemichi too of course, though he had to buy one at the last minute.

He kneeled on one of the beach towels they brought and covered his hands with the suncream. He lifted his head towards the group. 

“Who goes first?” he asked. Mitsuya, Hakkai and Chifuyu shook their heads. 

“Already did it, I’ll pass on this one,” the older one explained. Takemichi nodded and instead turned towards the four men he came with.

Mikey went to sit in front of him with excitement, showing him his back. Takemichi huffed with amusement and went to work, he made sure to cover all his skin with the cream. 

“Did you decide what kind of ice cream you wanted?” he teased. Mikey hummed, giving it a thought. 

“Chocolate mint!” he announced. The older man chuckled softly as he rubbed the cream on Mikey’s shoulder blade.

“It’s my favorite flavor, though I like it even more if it’s just pure mint and no chocolate at all,” he explained. His friend seemed particularly proud to share this in common with him. 

“Of course you do, only people with good taste can hang out with me,” he bragged out.

Takemichi rolled his eyes with a snort and noticed the fed up expression of Draken. The man was surely hearing this kind of thing all day with the shorter man. 

“Here, I’m done, who’s next?” he said, as he finished adding the sun cream on Mikey’s face. His skin was even whiter with it, giving him a stupid look. He bolted up as soon as he was done, heading straight to the sea without waiting for them. 

“What a child,” Draken lamented as he took Mikey’s previous place. 

“You’re a kid too, do you realize?” Takemichi taunted. A huff from the taller man and the older man laughed, working on covering his friend with sun cream too.

On the side, Mitsuya and Hakkai were talking together, engrossed in their conversation. Chifuyu was listening on the side, but it was obvious his mind wasn’t really here.

Once he was done with Draken, he took care of his two boyfriends, Hanma taking great pleasure in faking loud moans while Takemichi was rubbing his back. He did hesitate to punch the man, his cheeks red with embarrassment but relied on his self control. 

“Oh yes, right here~” he purred and received a dirty glare from Kisaki. Takemichi pinched the man’s neck quickly, earning a yelp from it. He leaned forward so only Hanma could hear him. 

“Make another weird sound and you won’t get any sex from me for months,” he threatened. His boyfriend gulped and nodded reluctantly. 

“You’re not playing fair, baby,” he complained. Finally behaving normally, it took only two more minutes for Takemichi to finish his work. 

“Here, get out of here now,” he said with a light tone and when Hanma stood up, slapped his ass. The man looked at him flabbergasted before giving him a naughty wink.  

“Oooh kinky.” Takemichi laughed and shooed him away, turning towards Kisaki. 

“Come, you’re the last one,” he instructed. The younger man sat in front of him, facing each other. 

“I’ll keep my shirt on, just cover my face, please,” he requested. Takemichi nodded and obeyed, Kisaki closing his eyes while he passed his hands over his face, careful to not miss any spot. 

“I’ll do it for you once you’re done,” he offered. Takemichi nodded, grateful. 

“I’d like that yeah,” he agreed. 

“I’m done, you can open your eyes,” Takemichi informed, which Kiski did. He removed his shirt and turned around so his boyfriend could take care of him. He passed the suncream behind him and waited patiently as Kisaki rubbed his hands on his back, being strangely delicate about it.

At first Takemichi didn’t mind, staring at his friends playing in the water but soon the touches turned weirder. It felt…intimate, a bit too heated for the current situation. He turned his head to the side, throwing a curious look at Kisaki and noticed how the man’s face was red even with the sun cream.

Oh. Was he really getting horny right now??

He coughed, embarrassed and his boyfriend lifted his head, startled. 

“I don’t mind those kinds of touches…when we’re in private, Kisaki. Can you be done with it quickly, please?” he demanded.

He really didn’t want to get hard in front of his friends. Kisaki nodded shyly, and was much faster this time. When the turn for his face came, they both avoided crossing their gaze.

As soon as they were done they stood up, Kisaki joined Hanma while Takemichi headed towards Hinata and Emma who were talking with Chifuyu.  

“Hey guys, I’m going to go buy ice cream for everyone, you want to come?” he offered. He really needed to take his mind off what just happened. Hinata and Emma shook their heads. 

“Nah, we need to go destroy Mikey and Hanma in a match of beach volley,” Emma replied. Takemichi nodded with a smile. 

“Show them what you got girls,” he encouraged. They winked at him before leaving. Chifuyu turned towards him in what was an awkward silence. 

“I can go with you if you want,” he said. And who was Takemichi to say no when he wanted to get his bestfriend back? 

“I’ll be glad,” he replied softly. If he could get closer to the younger man and change his mind, it was a perfect win for him. Both of them headed towards the Ice cream maker side by side. 

“So.. I don’t want to seem intrusive, but is there something on your mind? You don’t look good,” he said with a careful tone.

The first time he saw Chifuyu beaten in his original universe, the boy had been quick to open up to him. He just hoped it would be the case here too, just without him being injured.

The younger man blinked, caught off guard and bit his lips, hesitant. Takemichi was just a stranger to him, it was understandable if he didn’t trust him yet. 

“I- You know about Baji, right?” he said. Takemichi nodded without a word. “Of course you do…the way he punched you? It wasn't him, I mean, yes it was, but he never acted like that before. It’s not how he is…” he tried to explain with a gloomy expression. 

“You hold him in high regard, don't you?” Takemichi simply said with no judgement in his voice. Chifuyu nodded, his cheeks slightly red in embarrassment. 

“Yes…I’m not excusing what he did to you, but I can’t help but want him back in the gang…I know he must have had a reason to do that,” he said, but it was more to convince himself than Takemichi. 

“Don’t worry, I believe you.” Chifuyu’s eyes widened and he stared at him in disbelief. 

“You do? Why?” Takemichi smiled softly. 

“I talked to him a few times before, and while he wasn’t necessarily friendly, he didn’t come across as the kind to do that,” he replied. And he did truly, in his original universe he even came to sacrifice himself for his goal, righteous one.

Would it be the case in this one too? Was he trying to change Kazutora? Or was it something else?

Clues, he needed more clues. And maybe Chifuyu had an idea of what it was. Said man was beaming at him with excitement. 

“Exactly! It’s just weird how he would leave so often without saying a word. I tried to ask him more about it, but he refused. Said it was something he had to deal with on his own,” he said.

He was right, Chifuyu was the best lead to Baji’s schemes. But he couldn’t be too suspicious about it, he first needed to win Chifuyu’s trust.

They finally reached the ice cream maker and both of them stopped in front of it, the younger man stopping himself in his ramblings about Baji. 

“What flavor do you want?” Takemichi asked casually. 

“Oh erm, I didn’t bring money with me…” he said. 

“It’s on me, I’ll buy everyone an ice cream anyway, so choose the one you want,” he retorted. Shyly, Chifuyu nodded and pointed a hand at the display glasses. 

“Then Vanilla please,” he demanded. Takemichi smiled and turned towards the vendor, buying 10 ice creams, not forgetting about the chocolate mint for Mikey.

The both of them, their hands full, headed back towards the beach, hurrying up before it melted on them. They were welcomed with enthusiasm. 

“How did you know our favorite flavor?” Draken asked as he licked on his rum raisin ice cream. Takemichi winked. 

“Intuition, nothing more,” which was obviously a lie.

He knew them for years, of course he would know their favorite flavor. Not that he would ever tell them.

Draken hummed with a shrug, knowing it was no use trying to know.

As they ate on the beach, Chifuyu approached him timidly. He took advantage that everyone was focused on their food to lean towards Takemichi. 

“Hey..thank you for listening to me earlier, it made me feel better,” he whispered. The older man smiled, grinning inwardly. This day couldn’t be better. 

“You’re welcome, my friend.”

Chapter Text

Soon enough, he was again invited by Mikey and Draken to spend time together.

He was both pleasantly surprised and intrigued by their behavior. Yes, they were friends, but he didn’t think they were as close as he had been in his universe. Mostly because he never joined the gang in this one and thus stayed away from their problems most of the time.

Or more exactly, he was keeping an eye on it from afar.

So, when Mikey and Draken appeared from nowhere one night at his job while he was working, he raised an eyebrow. He hoped they weren’t expecting him to serve them alcohol because it was a big no. They might be a gang, they still had laws they needed to respect.

Draken walked to the counter with an unbothered look while Mikey seemed excited, carrying some kind of bag on his shoulder. He almost looked like a highschooler like that, which was weird with how little the man went to school. 

“Mitchy, let’s do a pajama party after your shift!” the younger man announced with a big smile. Takemichi blinked with confusion as Draken shook his head and caught his smaller friend by the back of his shirt and yanked him backwards.

No hello then? The older man snorted, wondering what they had planned this time. Knowing them, it had a 50% chance of ending up with troubles. 

“Don’t be hasty,” Draken scolded Mikey. He then lifted his head towards Takemichi. “Hey mate, how have you been since last time?” he demanded. At least one of them knew the basics of politeness. 

“Pretty good, a bit tired because we have more clients in summer but apart from this, things had been doing fine. What about you guys?” he asked in return.

He knew that soon a request would come, but catching up on their news first was important too. Though if something big had happened he would have learnt about it right away.

After all, Takemichi had his ways to know what was going around in the city. And he knew no important fight had taken place these past days, at least none that included Toman.

Draken let out a small relaxed rictus. 

“The same, well without all the job’s part. We mostly trained our members and hung out in the city,” he replied. Takemichi was pleased they were having a good time without worrying about someone dying soon.

Oh no, he was the only one carrying this burden. Though with no news of Baji, it was hard to say if it would happen this time or not. Maybe removing Kisaki and Hanma from all conflict had been enough to stop any kind of catastrophe.

Mikey lifted his head towards Draken with an expectant look. 

“I can talk about the party now?” he asked. Draken sighed and nodded reluctantly. 

“Yes you can,” he allowed. Mikey beamed and turned towards Takemichi, leaning over the counter. 

“Let’s do a pyjamas party, Kenchin and I brought our stuff, and we can sleep at your house!” he exclaimed. The way he talked about it was as if it was already decided it would happen. Takemichi stared at him with confusion. 

“Like, okay but when?” he replied. He was a bit amused they didn’t ask and instantly assumed they would sleep at his place but he needed to get his home ready first. 

“Tonight!” his friend announced.

Ah.

Takemichi’s eyes widened, taken off guard. It was definitely too soon, his house wasn’t cleaned and he didn’t have enough space for two more people. Well, it could, if one of them accepted to sleep on the couch.

But still, he didn’t have any food or boarding games to entertain them. The party would be boring for sure. He grimaced. 

“Can’t we do that tomorrow, or another day?” he tried to bargain. But Mikey pouted with a rejected look. 

“I brought my bag with everything we needed just for this occasion…” he said, pointing a finger at the bag on his back.

Oh no, not the guiltripping. Takemichi was too weak against his puppy look.

He glanced at Draken to get an idea of what he was thinking. The man shrugged, giving something akin to an apologizing look.

Great, so he wasn’t going to help him. He sighed, glancing at the clock on the wall behind him. He still had two hours of work before the closure of the pub. 

“Alright, but you’ll have to wait until I’m done here. And don’t judge my house, it’s rather small, not fancy and a bit dusty too, you’ve been warned,” he said with a lifted finger. His two friends lit up and they nodded with excitement. 

“Don’t worry, my own home is rather modest, yours can’t be worse,” Draken replied. Takemichi nodded, knowing the man was living in a brothel. Mikey lifted his two arms in celebration. 

“I’ll finally get a look at Mitchy’s house!” he cheered. Takemichi snorted with a smile, there wasn’t anything special about his apartment, the younger man would probably be disappointed. 

“Alright, we’ll do that then. But first, what can I serve you? Two hours is a long wait and with how hot it is, you need to stay hydratate,” he lectured them. They ordered non-alcohol drinks and finally sat on the chair.

Each time Takemichi wasn’t busy with another client, they would talk together. Well, Draken and Mikey would tell stories and Takemichi would listen to them. Still, it was pleasant to work in those conditions. He noticed Mez giving them a satisfied smile several times, which made him a bit flustered.

In the end, he didn’t see the time pass. Just at some point, all the clients left, and the four men were the only one remaining. 

“Wait for me in the front of the pub, I’ll be here in ten minutes,” he instructed. His two friends nodded and walked away while he helped Mez closing the store. 

“You have some dedicated friends,” the older man said. Takemichi nodded with a fond smile, aware of his luck. If he had never been back in time, he would have remained this sore loser without friends.

“I know, they can be a bit dumb but they’re not a bad bunch,” he agreed. Mez smiled knowingly. 

“You shouldn’t underestimate them, they’re smarter than you think, you don’t even realize how they have you in a grip,” he retorted. Takemichi frowned, wondering what it meant. But even before he could ask, the older man straightened up and slapped his back. “Welp, we’re done for tonight. Time for you to leave,” he announced. He was certain the man was doing it on purpose.

“See you tomorrow,” he said as he approached the doors. Mez waved at him and he stepped outside, Mikey and Draken waiting lying against the wall. They perked up when they saw him leave, going instantly to his side. 

“Soo, you gotta show us this apartment of yours, where is it, what it looks like?” Mikey bombarded him with questions. How did he have so much energy left when it was already late? 

“You’ll know it soon enough, follow me,” he instructed. They obeyed, walking at his side as he headed towards the poorer street. He wasn’t scared of being muggled or anything, he knew that with the three of them, they were safe.

Draken looked around with a dubious and somewhat worried look while Mikey was unbothered, talking non-stop to Takemichi, not leaving him space to say anything.

He listened to his friend rambling about how he searched for hours for his preferred food in a store market only to find out it had been sold out. And then about how things had been sailing smoothly for his gang, making it almost boring because there were no fights happening.

He hoped one day Mikey would stop craving for blood this much. He found it as an opportunity to ask about Baji as they didn’t mention him since he left the gang. Maybe they had a clue about where the man was? 

“By the way, did things go better with Baji? It looked like you were getting along with him well, it’s sad to see you go apart,” he asked with an innocent look.

The best way to get information was by playing clueless. As he wasn’t part of the gang, his friends wouldn’t have to be worried for him to spread what he knew or get in trouble. Draken and Mikey exchanged a look and then shrugged.

“Not really, to be fair we haven't seen him since the fight. Some of our members told us they saw him in the town, but we don’t know what is up to or if he joined another gang,” Draken explained. So Takemichi wasn’t the only one having trouble finding him.

Yes their city was pretty big but still, with the way he was wandering the street all day, he should have met the younger man at some point. He didn’t know if Baji avoided them on purpose or if it was just a coincidence, but his behavior was definitely strange.

He couldn’t have his mind at peace and just let himself think that the man had left all the gang's stuff and focused on his studies instead. There was something happening behind the scenes and he had to find what. 

“Too bad, I hope you’ll be friends again one day,” he said with a sorry smile. Mikey huffed with a pout. 

“He hit you, except if he gave us a good apology, I’m not accepting his friendship again,” he announced. Takemichi chuckled.

The punches hadn’t been that bad and he got hit on purpose. Frankly, even if Baji said a simple sorry, he wouldn’t hesitate to accept his apology and try to be on good terms with him. The man could be rough, but once his shell was cracked, he was someone fun to hang out with.

Draken hummed. 

“I’m not sure why he did that, but I don’t think he will stay away forever. He has always been unpredictable and wanting to do things on his own. Once he’s done with whatever he has in mind, he’ll be back,” he explained.

Takemichi agreed, if he hadn’t been killed in the fight with Kazutora, he was certain he would have joined Toman back. He nodded with a pensive look. 

“We only can wait then.” He finally approached his apartment and stopped, his friends doing the same. “We are here,” he announced. They looked up at the rusty building with a frown. Takemichi laughed, seeing the hesitation on their faces. 

“It looks more bad than it really is,” he explained. Giving him a dubious look, he entered the building, Draken and Mikey right behind him.

He headed to his floor and took out his keys from his pocket, opening the door to his apartment. He was instantly hit by the hot air coming from inside and he grimaced, realizing he didn’t think about opening the windows before leaving.

God, it felt like they would be cooked alive. He stepped inside and took out his shoes, instantly going to all his windows. 

“Make yourself at home, I’ll try to get some fresh air in, there’s water in the fridge if you need,” he exclaimed from where he was.

He didn’t hear a reply but saw from the corner of his eyes Draken and Mikey explore his house. They were looking around with curiosity and wonder, Draken dropping their bag on the couch. 

“It’s pretty cozy, and it’s not that dusty,” he said as he took out some non-alcohol beer from his bag and headed to the kitchen. 

“I want to live here!” Mikey announced as he jumped on the couch and laid on it. Takemichi chuckled as he shook his head. 

“Only if you pay the rent too,” he joked. His friend pouted. 

“Not fair, you know that being a gang leader doesn’t pay well,” he whined. The older man snorted and went quickly to his bedroom, opening the window too.

When he came back, his friends were sitting on the couch, with all kinds of food lying on the small table in front of it. They were taking out their pajamas, undressing.

Takemichi blushed slightly, it seemed they didn’t mind showing their own nudity. He went back to his own bedroom, changing too and put his phone to charge.

When he was done, he finally joined his friends, and this time they had started eating what they brought. He sat next to them, eating chips Mikey offered him. 

“So, did you have anything planned?” he demanded. After all, they were the ones to suggest this pajama party, they better have something in mind. Mikey leaned into the sofa. 

“Yup, we can watch a movie, I also brought some games. And we can also play truth or dare!” he said. Takemichi raised an eyebrow. 

“Don’t you think we’re too old for this game?” he pointed out. His friend shook his head. 

“Nope! And we can spice it up with harder dares, like trying to punch the wall with your head!” he replied.

Takemichi stared at him stunned, wondering if he was joking or not. He gave a ‘do you hear that?’ look at Draken but the man merely shrugged, accustomed to it. He was surrounded by idiots. 

“I prefer if this night doesn’t end with either my house destroyed or one of us to the hospital,” he retorted with a sigh. 

“If you want to fight that much, I’m sure you can find some other gang to beat, you know?” Draken suggested  his smaller friend. 

“They’re too weak, it’s no fun,” Mikey retorted. Takemichi huffed, no kidding, Mikey was literally a monster. Few were the ones who gave him a real challenge. Yet, he wished the man could enjoy life in another way than just being violent. 

“What about no fighting then? I’m sure we can find something to entertain you that doesn’t include someone ending up hurt, “ he suggested.

The younger man blinked at him as if he couldn’t understand him. Was it really that hard imagining it?

Mikey tilted his head on the side, closed his eyes with a focused expression and suddenly grinned. He leaned forward, their faces almost touching. 

“I think if we spend time together everyday I could forget about fighting!” he finally said. Takemichi laughed, genuinely surprised by his answer. 

“Seems a bit difficult, but I guess we could try to see each other more often,”he offered. Mikey beamed, smirking as if he just won something expensive. On the side,

Draken was rather quiet, glancing at them with something akin to jealousy. Was the man disappointed he wasn’t including him in this? He nudged his taller friend with an intimate smile. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll come see you too,” he promised. Draken snorted but his ears were slightly red, indicating he was actually touched. 

“Sure, I bet I’ll just be a nanny for this brat,” he said, pointing a finger at Mikey. The younger man made an outraged face and was about to reply something when they heard his doorbell ring.

They all froze, whipping their heads towards the entrance door. Takemichi frowned, it was rather late, why would anyone visit him at this time?

Standing up and going for the door, he was beaten at it by Mikey who rushed to it and opened wide. His friend tensed and left his mouth hanging, uttering no sound.

Curious, Takemichi approached and perked up above his shoulder to look at his new guest. His eyes met the flabbergasted ones of Kazutora.

Oh shit. 

Chapter Text

Takemichi would like to say he handled Kazutora’s sudden appearance well.

He didn’t.

Almost as soon as the two younger men faced each other, he knew things were about to go berserk. While Mikey tensed, and Draken joined them, staring silently at their former friend, Kazutora’s eyes wouldn’t stop switching from them to Takemichi.

Until they squinted and stared at him with mistrust. And then his neighbor laughed, but it wasn’t unhinged, no, rather sad and angry. Disappointed even.

He stared at Takemichi as if he had been betrayed by the whole world. And the older man’s heart panged. 

“I should have known someone that kind couldn’t exist. You were a part of Toman all along, weren’t you? You approached me under their order," he accused, raising a finger towards Mikey and Draken. The shorter man didn’t like Kazutora’s tone and frowned, his fists already raised.

As for Takemichi, he blinked. Did Kazutora think he was some kind of spy? Really?

He shook his head, remembering at the last moment he wasn’t supposed to know the person he killed was Mikey’s older brother. 

“What? No I’m not,” he retorted. And well, it was the case. He wasn’t part of any gang and wasn’t working for anyone other than himself. Kazutora scoffed, not believing him. 

“Then why are they here?” he demanded.

Frankly, Takemichi didn’t know how he could have forgotten about his neighbor. Several times he refused Mikey and Draken to come to his house because of this, so why did he have to forget tonight? 

“Because Mikey and Draken are my friends?” he retorted with a confused look. He was mostly relying on his acting skills right now, knowing he shouldn’t let out more than he was supposed to know.

There was doubt in his friend’s eyes, as if unsure if Takemichi was saying the truth or not. He hoped he could disarm this situation before it blew up until Mikey turned around with an accusing look. 

“What didn’t you tell us you knew about Kazutora?” he demanded. The older man blinked, genuinely caught off guard. 

“How was I supposed to know you knew him??” he retorted, feeling a bit offended.

Why were they upset at him while he did nothing except being their friend?? He turned his head towards Draken and the man shrugged, once again useless. At least he wasn't accusing him. 

“You shouldn’t stay with them, Takemichi, he’s the one who ruined my life,” Kazutora explained with a crazed look towards Mikey. He received a murderous one from the shorter man who whipped his whole body toward him. 

“I ruined your life? You were the one who ruined MINE!” he shouted, swinging a fist towards Kazutora’s cheek. In an instant, everything went to shit.

Draken yanked Takemichi backward so he wasn't getting caught in the fight, which made them both stumble. Kazutora pushed Mikey, the two men fully in the apartment and threw punches at each other.

Takemichi stared helplessly as his friends destroyed both his house and each other’s body. There was blood on his carpet and the sounds were so loud that he knew that one of their neighbors could call the police at any moment. He turned his head with a panicked look towards Draken. 

“Do something for fuck sake, they’re going to kill each other!” he shouted. The taller man nodded with a somber look and interposed himself between the two men. 

“Stop this you two, it’s not a place to fight,” he scolded. But he only received two hateful looks. 

“It doesn’t concern you, get off,” Kazutora growled. 

“He killed my brother Kenchin, I’m not letting him out of the hook this time,” Mikey snapped.

Draken sighed and did try to stop them anyway, but after Kazutora gave him a nasty punch, he had to step back. With his size, the apartment was too small for him to fight freely.

It didn’t mean Takemichi intended to keep watching until one of them was too injured to keep going. He didn’t want to call the cops either, fearing they would bring Kazutora back to the juvenile jail.

No, he needed to get both of them to reason by himself.

At some point, Kazutora was slammed against the floor by Mikey who was straddling him and punching his face repeatedly. The scenes being too familiar, Takemichi couldn’t help but being brought back to those previous timelines.

The one in which Mikey nearly killed Kazutora and Baji ended up dying. He refused to see it happening, not again. He jumped on the younger man, catching his fist and yanking it backward, taking it away from Kazutora’s face. 

“STOP!” he screamed. But too caught up in his rage, Mikey ignored him and tried to set his fist free.

By kicking Takemichi in the nose…

As expected, he went flying. Even if he was stronger than before, he was still weaker than his friend. He ended up lying on his back, groaning as blood dripped from his nose and all over his face.

There was a huge silence, no one daring to talk. And then Kazutora pushed Mikey violently on the side and ran towards Takemichi, holding in his arms and wiping his bleeding nose with his sleeve. 

“Are you okay? Is it broken? Let me see,” he instructed. There were tears in the corner of Takemichi’s eyes, mostly from the pain.

He glanced at Mikey on the side, the man gaping and his face rather pale, his fist covered with the older man’s blood. Draken was at his side, trying to get a reaction from him. But to no avail. Kazutora whipped his head towards them with an angry look. 

“Don’t you see he’s bleeding?? Go look for some tissue or something, we need to treat it!” he ordered. And he shook the younger man’s from his stupor, Mikey nodding weakly as he stood up. He looked around helplessly, searching for something that might help. 

“Tissue..where are the tissues..?” he mumbled as he looked around.

He looked..under shock. Takemichi wanted to go and reassure the man but he was stuck in Kazutora’s embrace, the man looking panicked too. His sleeve was soaked in Takemichi’s blood, his nose a real fountain right now.

He didn’t think anything was broken, but it was one of the most sensible parts of the face and could bleed easily.

Soon enough, Draken and Mikey came back with tissue and an aid kit they found in his bathroom. They all kneeled around him, not even trying to fight. And wow, if he knew it only needed Takemichi to get hurt for them to not be at each other’s throat, he would have done it sooner.

He couldn’t believe that for the first time, the two men weren't trying to kill each other and were leaving their resentment on the side while it had needed the death of someone in his other universe. And even with this it had ended badly between the two.

“Let me take care of it, I’m used to treating other wounds,” Draken said as he leaned over and wiped Takemichi’s face. The man flinched when the alcohol touched his wounds, the slight sting being uncomfortable. 

“Is it broken?” Kazutora asked with a shaking voice. Draken shook his head as he pressed on Takemichi’s nose to check. 

“No, it doesn’t look like it,” he informed. His two friends sighed in relief and the atmosphere relaxed.

Only for ten seconds.

As soon as they were sure Takemichi wasn’t badly injured, Kazutora whipped his head towards Mikey with a resentment look. 

“See, someone else was hurt again because of you,” he accused. Mikey stared at him flabbergasted. 

“Excuse me? You’re the one who started this by coming here!” he retorted. 

“Technically he didn’t do anything wrong by visiting Takemichi, you were the one who threw the first punch,” Draken rectified and received a glare in return.

Well, their calm didn’t last long. Takemichi raised a finger, catching everyone's attention. He gave them a stern look as he pointed his finger at their surroundings. 

“Tell me, what do you see?” he asked them. His friends frowned before looking around and their face dropping with realization. 

“A mess…” Mikey said with a low voice. Takemichi nodded. 

“Yes, a mess that you did in my house. If you don’t want to get your ass kicked and get the chance to come back again, you better all stop fighting right now. You’re not fucking children, if you have problems, we will fix them like adults,” he announced with a tone that left no place to argument.

His friends gulped and nodded, their faces red with shame. Even Draken, who was the most innocent in this situation, looked embarrassed.

If they decided to act like children, then Takemichi would treat them as such. For god sake, he was more than twenty five, he couldn’t act like a teenager for the sake of his current body or persona.

If he didn’t make sure tonight Mikey and Kazutora leave his house on somewhat neutral terms, he knew things would end up with a big fight in front of another gang. And he was ready to make sure they would avoid this tragedy. 

“Great, all of you, go sit on the couch. I’ll be back with some tea -and I don’t care if you don’t like tea-, we’ll try to relax and you’ll explain to me what’s wrong. Alright? And no killing each other,” he added with a pointed look. Mikey and Kazutora looked at each other with hostility but still nodded.

He wasn’t sure since when Takemichi held enough power over them to listen to him but he was glad. It proved that his mission was efficient in some way and that everything he did wasn’t for nothing.

As he left for the kitchen, he made a ‘I see you’ gesture to the three younger men and went to prepare some drinks. He used it to also put an aid band on his nose and threw in the bin all the bloody tissues.

When he came back, Draken was sitting in the middle, serving as a barrier between the two shorter boys. Takemichi avoided all the mess on the floor and sat on his small table, facing them.

They waited in silence for him to talk and he smiled softly, seeing them so obedient. 

“First of all, I want to say it again. I didn’t betray any of you, or whatever you like to think. I befriended you only because we got along and that’s all. Hell, I didn’t even know you knew each other, so don’t start accusing me of things I didn’t do,” he said.

Alright, he was half lying, he did have some intention by being friends with them, and he knew they knew each other. But his intentions were never bad and he actually saw them as friends, or even more.

The feeling he held for them went beyond friendship, it was something more that couldn’t be reduced as such a simple word.

They nodded, Kazutora lowering his head in shame. 

“Sorry for doubting you, I let my anger take over me,” he apologized. Takemichi stared at him with curiosity.

Since he last saw his friend, the younger man seemed…changed. As if his mind was clearer and he could hold a serious conversation without turning it into nonsense. He tilted his head on the side. 

“Kazutora…did you start seeing a therapist like I recommended?” he asked, genuinely wondering. There was a glint in his friend’s eyes and then he nodded. 

“I did.. I only started two weeks ago, but I think it’s..helping?” he replied. Draken and Mikey were staring at him with wide eyes while Takemichi smiled fondly.

His talk with his friend had worked, he really convinced him to seek help. And thus, without a tragedy happening first. He couldn’t explain how proud he was of his friend right now. 

“It’s good, keep going like that, I can see you’re improving,” he encouraged and it flustered the younger man. “Now, let’s go on a less pleasant subject. I guessed from what you both said that the person you killed was Mikey’s brother, wasn’t it?” he demanded.

Right to the point, he better do all the damage at once and then heal it afterward. The three men’s breath hitched and he noticed Mikey gripping the edge of the couch tightly.

Kazutora’s eyes shifted to the other boy before going back to Takemichi. He bit his lips with nervousness, as if he expected to be scolded. 

“Yes..it is,” he confessed. Takemichi nodded with a knowing look. 

“Remember what we talked about last time? When I advised you to see a therapist, have you thought about it since then?” he demanded. This time, his friend couldn't even meet his eyes; 

“I did…I think in a way I know you’re right…but it’s hard to accept, acknowledging it makes it real, it makes me a murderer,” he replied.  Mikey opened his mouth, probably about to say he was indeed one but Takemichi raised a hand towards him with a pleading look. 

“Please, I know it’s not pleasant to hear. That you must have suffered a lot because of this, but he needs to go through it too. I don’t think either of you can heal as long as you’re in denial or drown in resentment,” he explained.

He turned back towards Kazutora. “It was an accident, remember? What you did was wrong, yes, but it wasn’t on purpose, you never intended to kill him. I know it’s hard but I need you to forgive yourself, you were just a child. And I need you to apologize towards Mikey too, to recognize he didn’t do anything wrong,” he said slowly and softly so as not to spook Kazutora. The man had unshed tears as he looked up at Takemichi. 

“If I do, will it make the pain go away? Will I stop being lonely?” he demanded with a shaking voice. And Takemichi never saw the boy as vulnerable as now. He offered his hand that Kazutora took and stroked it softly. 

“I don’t know, it might alleviate you from the weight, but for the pain to entirely go away might take time. As being alone…you’ll never be because I’ll always be at your side. As for Mikey, Draken or anyone else, it’s up to them to decide,” he replied.

He wasn’t going to force anyone to be Kazutora’s friend just for the sake of the man feeling alone. It wouldn’t be fair to all the people he made suffer.

Slowly, the younger man nodded and then turned toward Mikey and Draken. He lowered his head until he was in a kneeling position and his forehead was lying against the couch. 

“I’m sorry…so sorry for killing your brother, back then I just wanted to get you a motorcycle for your birthday, I thought stealing one was the solution. Your brother caught us, and by fear, I did something I shouldn’t have. Whether I was aware or not it was your brother, it doesn’t change the fact I shouldn’t have attacked him in the first place, I’m sorry..” he half sobbed.

Takemichi remembered, Kazutora was actually a soft boy, someone who was kind and fragile once he was healed mentally. Someone who shouldn’t have been mixed with gangs in the first place.

He lifted his head, revealing his face covered with tears. “I’m sorry for blaming you all these years, fear turned into anger and I directed it towards the wrong person,” he explained. He tried to wipe his tears and glanced at Takemichi. “The pain in my chest, it’s worse. I feel things I didn’t feel for so long, I’m scared,” he said in a plea.

Takemichi stared at him with sadness, why has his trauma never been followed by a therapist as he was in jail? Why let him rot until he was completely destroyed and so lost?

He opened his arms and his friend took refuge in it, burying his face in the crook of his neck. Takemichi caressed his back as he looked at Draken and especially Mikey. 

“You have the right to not forgive him, to never be friends with him again. But can I just ask you to let go of your hatred towards him? This violence, this pain, is it something you want, aren’t you tired of it?” he demanded. And then, being the asshole he was, he added, “Do you think it’s what your brother would have wanted?”

A low blow, but one which struck strong. It was unfair of him to use Mikey’s biggest weakness, but it was also the only way. The younger man pouted, glancing at the shaking form of Kazutora and sighed. 

“I’m doing it for you Mitchy and not anyone else. I won’t try to fight him again, I’m not forgiving, not yet, maybe not ever. But I guess I can stay on neutral ground with him,” he conceded.

And even if he was using a childish tone, it was Mikey being mature right now. Making sacrifices just for the sake of Takemichi. And the older man would always be grateful for that. He smiled sincerely. 

“Thank you, I know it’s not something easy to do.” He turned towards Draken. “What about you?” The taller man shrugged. 

“I’ll forgive him. I think five years of suffering is enough of a sentence,” he simply said. Takemichi turned his head towards Kazutora. 

“See? You can finally let go of your anger, does it still hurt?” he asked. The man revealed his face covered in snot and Draken was kind enough to lend him a tissue. He used it to blow his nose and then slowly nodded. 

“Less, I feel like my heart and mind is lighter,” he replied. Takemichi smiled.

A part of him wanted to cry of joy, knowing he made the unrealisable realisable. There would be no big fight between Valhalla and Toman. No Baji bleeding as the light faded from his eyes.

No more sadness and pain.

He ruffled Kazutora’s hair and then did the same for his two other friends. Forcing them in an unwanted embrace. 

“Thank you, you can't know how much it means to me,” he muttered. They were obviously confused but happy to hug him and so didn’t struggle. They waited until Takemichi felt better and he finally let go of them. 

“Would you like to keep going with the party, and Kazutora you could join us? If Mikey and Draken agree of course,” he suggested in his euphoria. His friends blinked and Kazutora looked up shyly at the two other boys. Draken shrugged and Mikey glanced at him before sighing. 

“I don’t mind,” he said even if he didn’t look thrilled about it. He should give him a reward later, his friend was making so much sacrifice just for Takemichi’s happiness. The man smiled and clapped his hands. 

“Let’s keep the party going then. But first, you’ll need to clean up the mess you made,” he announced.

Looking at the state of the apartment, the three men cringed. They just got scammed. 

Chapter Text

To say the mood was awkward would be an understatement.

Even if Mikey and Kazutora accepted to stay on a neutral ground together, it didn’t mean they would suddenly act all lovey dovey. And the tension between their group was overwhelming for Takemichi.

Once they all finished cleaning the mess they did in his apartment, they went back to sit on the couch, waiting for him to say something. And that when he realized maybe he shouldn’t have offered Kazutora to stay here.

What was he supposed to suggest to do that would not end up with another fight among them? He sighed, knowing he brought this upon himself. He turned his face towards his neighbor. 

“Did you eat, are you hungry?” he asked. Kazutora shook his head.

“I didn’t, but it’s alright, skipping a meal won’t kill me,” he replied. Great, he had to make things harder for Takemichi didn’t he? The man stood up, wiping the non-existent dust on his knee.

“I’m not letting a guest's stomach empty, I’ll prepare something quickly. Are you guys hungry too?” he demanded Mikey and Draken.

Yes they had snacks to nibble on, but it wasn’t this junk food that would make them feel full. The two men shared a look and nodded. Draken stood up too. 

“I’ll help you,” he offered. But then Mikey and Kazutora lifted themselves too. 

“I’ll do it,” they both said at the same time and glared at each other. Takemichi snorted, shaking his head, they wouldn’t start fighting about something so trivial. 

“You can all help, one can set the table, another can clean the dishes that are already in the sink and the last one will help me cook,” he announced.

A staring contest started between the three, fighting silently for who would do what. Takemichi rolled his eyes, amused by their antics and headed towards the kitchen. It was too late to do some groceries so he would have to do with what he had.

Checking his fridge and cupboard, he realized he had everything to do some spaghetti bolognese. It wouldn’t be the kind they could eat in the restaurant, but he trusted his cooking skill to do something rather good.

While he took out all the ingredients, his friends finally arrived, Mikey pouting while Kazutora grinned. The older man raised an eyebrow, intrigued. 

“So?” he demanded. Draken headed towards the sink and took the sponge while Kazutora went to his side. 

“I’ll help with the cooking,” he announced proudly. Mikey dragged his feet to him, sulking. 

“Where’s your cutlery so I can set the table?” he demanded. Knowing the man, he wasn’t used to doing this kind of thing at home. Lazy as he was, he probably let other people do it. Takemichi chuckled and pointed to his cupboard. 

“Here, thank you, Mikey,” he said softly, which at least made the younger man happier. “We’re making spaghetti bolognese, can you cut the vegetables for me please?” he demanded Kazutora.

The man nodded and went to the task, being much closer to him than needed. On the side Draken was peacefully washing the dishes, and seemed used to it. 

“So, what do you want to do afterwards? I thought maybe watching a movie could be fun,” Takemichi talked casually. He also envisaged some boarding games, but knowing these three, it would probably end up in another argument. 

“I’m fine with everything,” Draken replied with a shrug. 

“I don’t have anything planned for the night, a movie works for me,” Kazutora announced. 

“I want to choose which one we’ll see!” Mikey demanded from the living room. 

“And why should it be you? It’s Takemichi’s apartment and TV, he should be the one picking the movie,” Kazutora retorted as Mikey went back in the room. Why was he brought into this? The older man shook his head before it degenerated. 

“It’s okay Kazutora, I’m fine with everything too,” he said. It upset the younger man who nodded reluctantly. Takemichi smiled and unconsciously ruffled his hair with fondness. Before yanking his hand back with an embarrassed look as Kazurota gaped at him. 

“Oh sorry, I thought it was cute when you pouted and my hand reacted without thinking,” he apologized.

Shit, was he that touch starved? Maybe he should try to see his boyfriends again in the following days, he definitely craved hugs. And maybe more if he was honest. 

“It’s alright, I don’t mind,” his friend mumbled as he focused back on cutting the ingredients. Mikey went to his side and gave him a determined look. 

“I want to be petted too!” he demanded. Takemichi blinked, caught off guard. His friend’s childish behavior was so ridiculous but at the same time a bit cute.

Well, if he wanted a pet too, who was Takemichi to refuse? He nodded with a smile and brought his hand to Mikey’s head, ruffling his hair. They were softer than he thought it would be and his friend seemed pleased about it. If he was a cat, he probably would have started to purr.

On the side Draken shook his head with an exasperated sigh but didn’t try to stop them. If what they needed was physical contact right now, Takemichi would give them plenty.

He was ready to anything if it meant making his friends feel better. And if by the same occasion it could make them forget about their quarrel, it was for the best. 

“There, if you really want to cuddle, we can do it once we’re on the couch. Finish setting the table first, it should be ready soon,” he announced. Kazutora gave him the minced ingredients and he cooked it on the stove while the water for the pasta was boiling on the side.

The three men were standing at his side as he worked on their dinner. It felt a bit suffocating to have them so near but Takemichi couldn’t bring himself to make them step back. Not when he knew they would give him a puppy look if he did.

It was crazy how weak he was towards his friends, unable to say them no. Maybe because he feared they would abandon him if he did, or just because knowing how shitty their life had been, he wanted to bring them some happiness. 

“It’s ready, guys,” he announced. His friend went to the living room and came with their plates so he could fill them. Once done, they all headed towards the couch and sat on it, Takemichi turning the tv on. He turned his head towards Mikey with a raised eyebrow. 

“So, what do you want to watch?” he demanded. The man stared at him with mischief. 

“Some horror film!” he replied.

Takemichi frowned, really? It didn’t seem like that kind of genre Mikey would like. But well, if it was his friend’s wish. He shrugged and picked some horror movie he hadn’t seen before.

As they ate and watched the movie, he noticed several times his friends glancing at him, as if they expected something. For which Takemichi had no idea what it was.

After half an hour, they were finally finished with the main plate and resumed eating the snacks instead. A screamer appeared on the screen and both Kazutora and Mikey laughed. Draken and him remained unfazed, though if he had to be honest, Takemichi’s heart was beating loudly inside. He was trying his best to not scream each time, wanting to keep his dignity.

At the middle of the movie, both Kazurtora and Mikey were pressed against him, each having an arm wrapped against his chest. As it was summer, it was making him hot and sweaty but he didn’t dare telling them to back off. And to be honest, he liked having warm bodies at his side, it was comforting.

Kazutora leaned his head in the crook of his neck and let out a deep sigh of contentment. Mikey glanced at him with a pout and decided to lean his head on Takemichi’s laps, taking all the place on the couch.

Draken tried to protest but received in return his friend’s foot in the face. Poor man resigned himself to handle Mikey’s lower body on his own laps. Takemichi threw him a sympathetic smile and leaned over his ears.

“We’ll sleep together in my bed and he’ll take the couch, neither of us can handle him while sleeping,” he whispered.

Takemichi needed his sleep if he wanted to be able to work tomorrow, and he knew it wouldn’t be possible if he shared his bed with his smaller friend. Draken was the best option.

He hoped Kazutora didn’t intend to sleep here too as he didn’t have enough space for him. Draken nodded with a pleased smile on his face.

“You know he will throw a fit about it,” he informed him. Takemichi shrugged.

“Yup, but I’m not leaving him the choice, it’s my home after all,” he replied. His friend snorted.

“Fair enough.” They focused back on the movie, the main character was actually fighting the killer using a spatula as a weapon.

With Mikey resting on him, he couldn’t help but slip a hand on his friend’s hair and rubbed his scalp. There was something soothing about it and he knew he wasn’t the only one enjoying with how Mikey sighed.

Near the end of the movie he heard soft snoring in his left ear and realized rather quickly Kazutora had fallen asleep. He didn’t think the man was that tired. But after all he must have had a long day and with how much he cried earlier it probably exhausted him.

He almost felt guilty about waking up the man but now the credits of the movie were playing and it was for the best if the man went home. 

“Mikey, can you get up please?” he demanded in a soft tone. The younger man grumbled but obeyed, yawning. 

“I wanted more pets,” he complained. Takemichi looked at him with fondness. 

“I can give you more later, I need to bring Kazutora home first,” he explained. His two friends finally realized the sleeping boy and nodded, openly watching their former friend’s face. Takemichi was sure with time they would go back to being friends. 

“Wait, I’ll help you carry him,” Draken offered. Takemichi took the offer gladly.

Even with his strength, it was a struggle to carry someone bigger than him. Draken delicately took Kazutora in his arms and faced Takemichi. The older man stood up, and searched quickly into the man’s pockets until he found his apartment’s key. He should also leave a note for Kazutora when he wakes up. 

“We’ll be back soon,” he announced to Mikey who was laying lazily on the couch. The younger one nodded. Both men headed towards the apartment next door. It wasn’t hard to find the man’s bedroom.

Draken dropped him on it and Takemichi took care of removing his friend’s clothes, seeing how he seemed hot in it. He opened the windows so some air would come in and left the note on his nightstand.

He smiled softly as left the room. Unfortunately he couldn’t lock the door because it meant Kazutora would be stuck in his own house. He hoped no one would try to intrude in his apartment even if there were no reason to. 

“Thanks for helping me,” he said softly to Draken. 

“No problem,” his friend simply replied. They went back to his apartment and he locked the door behind them. Going back to the living room, Mikey was still eating some snacks with a bored look. His mood brightened when they came in and he sat on the couch. 

“What do we do now??” he demanded with excitement. Takemichi rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. It was rather late and to be honest he was kind of tired. 

“Talk a bit or watch some series? I won’t lie, I don’t think I can stay up much longer,” he confessed. His friend seemed disappointed but he didn’t cause a fuss. 

“Let’s see what’s on TV, then,” he announced with a slight pout. Draken and Takemichi went back to his side, the older man taking the middle spot.

With Kazutora gone, Draken could now cuddle one of his sides too and he did it gladly. He wasn’t as affectionate as the two younger ones but it was obvious he enjoyed being so close to Takemichi. Mikey put on the first thing he found on the TV and they watched it absently. 

“Thank you guys. I mean, for what you did with Kazutora, especially you, Mikey. I know what I asked you was unfair, and you could have refused. It was brave of you to leave aside your resentment,” he said softly at some point.

He would never be able to express how much it meant for him, how Mikey unconsciously saved life by doing so. 

“I only did it because it seemed important to you. I don’t know how you convinced him to change his mind, but if you succeed with him, maybe you can help me to let go of the anger too,” his friend replied, his voice very serious for once.

And wasn’t it a gift? Mikey asking for his help, wishing to heal? He would do everything to help his friend to grieve properly for his brother, to live a real life as a teenager.

He wrapped his arm around Mikey’s shoulder and pressed him against himself. 

“I’ll do my best, I promise one day your mind will be entirely free from those negative feelings,” he vowed as he caressed his friend’s head. Mikey yawned and rested his head against him. 

“I can’t wait for this day then,” he murmured. Takemichi kept on petting him as he turned his head towards Draken. An understanding passed between them, the taller man nodding. He lowered the TV sounds and rested his own head on Takemichi’s shoulder.

“One day you’ll have to tell me how you do those miracles,” his friend said with a snort. Takemichi chuckled, if only he knew.

Takemichi had to die several times to come here, he failed again and again. He wouldn’t call it miracles, just stubbornness and a lot of luck. 

“Maybe someday I will,” he replied with a low voice.

Would he, once he was sure that no one his friends would ever die? Would he tell them the truth, about this universe, about the one he came from? Or should he stay quiet to be sure to not mess anything?

Another bunch of questions from no one had the answers.

Once they were sure Mikey was entirely asleep, they laid him on the couch while Draken and him headed towards his bedroom.

“He’ll definitely be pissed at us once he wakes up,” the taller man said with a snort. Takemichi shrugged.

“That’s a future us problem, I’m too tired to care right now,” he replied. Draken chuckled and joined him in the bed.

They took a side each, the bed big enough that they weren’t necessarily touching. Not that he minded, but he feared he would be too hot in the night if they did. 

“Good night, Draken,” he murmured as he closed his eyes.

“Night, Takemichi,” his friend replied. The older man fell asleep, his head full of thought but mostly with a feeling of triumph.

And if in the morning they woke up with Mikey in their bed, they didn’t say anything about it.