Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Takemichi doesn't really know why they thought it would be a good idea to start a gang. Him, Makoto , Takuya and Yamagishi were all Betas.

Betas.

The kind of people that were mostly the bottom feeders, the ones that followed. Followed the command of Alphas and Omegas, whose instincts, resilience, and senses far surpassed that of a Beta. More than them. Better than them.

Betas were expandable in their large number and mostly the epitome of boring. Both Alphas and Omegas were faster and stronger than Betas, and thus were the foundation of packs and needed their superior physique and abilities to ensure the survival of their young. It wasn’t as if Betas didn't have offspring. It was more so that the inner cycles of packs consisted mostly of Alphas and Omegas while Betas entered a couple constellations, being subservient to the inner cycle. Only Akkun was an Alpha and the only one who could take the beatings with any kind of grace. Resilient. Not like them. He was their leader for a reason. Because they were just a group of dumb naive Betas, who still believed that they could somehow be That. As in: as strong as an Alpha, as fast as an Omega.

At the beginning the first thing Takemichi felt was dread. Masaru lied to them. This was damned from the beginning. The second thing is his throat closing and his palms sweating. His cousin turns around and after that everything is pain. When evening comes, they are laying on the ground, still warm from the sun, with bloody noses and bruised bodies. This is how it started, he realizes days after, not how it ends. They are forced to become Kiyomasa's dogs, doing his every bidding. When he is finally able to pull himself up after the first beating of many, he doesn't want to see his friends faces. They wouldn't blame him, they never do. Still, it feels like he has failed them on a personal level. Fuck this. When he shuffles away, everyone from their little group is glum. They wave goodbye with smiles that surely hurt their faces .

The days go by and the beatings continue on. It gets worse and worse, which means he looks at his friends less and less, can't really look at their faces anymore. They tried, in the beginning, to be optimistic but it falls flat now. And each day the hope that Kiyomasa will grow bored and we aren't that interesting fades.

Takemichi's sense of smell is abysmal. Even for a Beta.

Not to mention that Takemichi's fighting abilities are less than stellar.

The ring is loud and surreal when Takuya is called up.
Even Takemichi can smell the aggression.
So, when he stands up to Kiyomasa for the sake of his friend, he expects to be beaten bloody and broken.
Every step he takes towards the ring seems like his last one.
To no one's surprise beaten bloody is exactly what happens in the next few minutes, seconds. Hours?
The crowd is loud. The only thoughts going through Takemichi’s head are: Not Yet. 

He promised himself in the morning and every morning before he wouldn't be such a coward anymore, he will protect his friends. He will fix what he did.

The thing is he wasn't as dumb anymore as when he was little.

Before he might have run into trouble just for the sake of defending the weak and vulnerable but kids grow up. And  even before Kiyomasa he knew he wasn't the biggest, baddest person around and he had no place starting fights he couldn't dream of finishing.

But he knows Takuya. And even though Takemichi isn't that much more Takuya was always gentle. Always just this side of not-a-fighter that he can't let him take the fight.

That makes every "Not Yet" echo just a little bit louder in his head.

Everything seems to slightly tilt at an angle, and the nausea is overwhelming. He can't give up. He was done with this. Not mattering, always being used. He doesn't want that for himself but more importantly for his friends. The revolting Alpha spits his cigarette out as the crowd chants. Finish him. He feels mild disgust at the crowd, but Kiyomasa seems to enjoy it. The crowd is excitable and Kiyomasa is too. Sweat and aggression. Kiyomasa smells like violence.

He can't smell it well but he smells it enough to know this is only going to get uglier from here because here he is.

A fool to satisfy the raging crowd. Being swallowed up by the beast. The next thing he feels is a knee in his ribs and a fist to the face.

He stumbles.

Fuck, that hurts.

The crowd is quiet, he realizes. Has quieted down to watch his execution. Wiping the blood from his face and slightly correcting his foot stance to not tumble down, he stands. He feels the pounding headache and the near painful numbness in his face. His ribs ache. They were gonna be bruised to hell by tomorrow. He really hates this. Tears gather in his eyes.

“I ain't giving up! I have a reason to not give up!”

The space is filled with a deafening silence.

Takemichi really feels like curling up right now. His knees are shaking, and his body feels like a giant bruise.“The only way you'll win is by killing me.” His voice rings out. “I absolutely ain't gonna lose.” he says decisively, a smile stretching on his lips as he looks up from underneath his eyelashes.

Kiyomasa is yelling for a bat.
The Beta is peripherally aware of how his stomach drops, when Kiyomasa turns to him and proclaims that he is going to kill him.

Well then. This is how I am going to die.

“You’ve drawn quite the crowd.” A bored drawl echoes in an almost superficial silence. A tall blond with a long braid and a tattoo on the side of his head that makes him look like a yakuza more than a middle schooler. Takemichi doesn't have to be able to smell to know that this person is an Alpha. An Alpha, capital. An Alpha, terrifying. An Alpha, presence. He continues to talk in a lazy voice, his eyes almost black, black and bored.

The crowd starts whispering but Takemichi can barely hear a thing over the pounding in his ears and the pain in his lungs. Another blond, smaller and with eyes even more dead speaks up.The atmosphere in the crowd shifts and a loud ‘Good Work’ whips though the park that Takemichi can feel in his bones. Shaking. Aching.

Kiyomasa topples over and the smaller blond, a quiet ‘the president’ whispers in his mind, drags his feet past him. Kiyomasa, who was a wall, unscalable.

Just a foot in the stomach and the wall tumbles because of disrespect of all things.

And the president continues like nothing happened. Directly towards Takemichi.

Face to Face. Nose to Nose.

So close Takemichi can taste the powerful Alpha pheromones from the smaller blond, from Mikey. He doesn’t know if it’s the beating he took or the sheer overwhelming presence that makes him fall on his ass.

“What’s your name?” his voice is clear. A stuttered breath of “H…Hanagaki Takemichi” leaves him and he feels he might die here still, not beaten to death by a bat but by the Toman commander himself.

What an honour, oh what an honour.

“…I see…Takemitchy.” Just that sentence is so jarring that he gets catapulted from terrified to flabbergasted in the span of not even a second.

Draken, the guy with the braid, the Vice Commander, the Alpha, capital, shuts down any protest before they can make it up his throat and out his mouth. With a fell swoop the Commander of Toman has placed himself snuggly on Takemichi's chest, grabbed his hair and declared him his bitch in a tone of voice way too playful. Takemichi is pretty sure he is choking to death on his own saliva.

Mikey, Commander, Alpha, stands up and kicks Kiyomasa so violently that Takemichi's own neck cracks in sympathy. The potency of the pure aggression, violence, murder pheromones rise to a level that even stings Takemichi's nose from where he is sitting meters away. With the worst kind of nose around. He doesn't have to check to know that everyone is frozen. Movement might alert the predator of their presence after all.

The park is quiet.

Even the birds seem to respect the wild animal in their midst.  Mikey's eyes are unhinged and wide, clawed hand buried in Kiyomasa's short hair. "Who the fuck are you?" The voice is dead.

And then the beating starts. The blond Commander punches Kiyomasa's face. Over and Over. One hand holding him still.

Sheer Animal Brutality.

Takemichi is pretty sure that the strength necessary for that is something he would never want to experience firsthand.His eyes wander to the tattooed boy who stands and impassively watches as his Commander gives Kiyomasa a dental rework.

Terrifying.

Takemichi is getting hysterical. The amount of force behind the punches makes blood gush from his tormentor's nose. "Huh...?" Mikey huffs.

When Kiyomasa drops to the floor, Takemichi is convinced that he is dead, because how the fuck would you survive that?

His ears are ringing and the last that he sees of Mikey is a vaguely intrigued smile before he ambles off.

What the fuck?

His vision blacks out for just a second he is sure and the next thing he perceives is Makoto and Yamagishi monkeying around and in front of him.

I will die.

The Toman commanders have taken note of me.

I 'm dead.

Comes a hollow thought that only vaguely registered as a thought. When he looks up to Akkun his smile is relieved. "You know, I would have killed him if you hadn't stepped in." He says it surely and unshaken. Except Takemichi can see the minute shake in Akkun's hands and watch his face contorted in a distant kind of anguish.

And maybe, Takemichi thinks, I'd die a hundred deaths for them.

____

The next day Hinata greets him joyfully, and asks to meet after school. The girl of his dreams. The woman he will fight and die for. They have been friends for a not-long time. It started with a love confession and ended with one of the best confidants he ever had.

Once upon a time he thought they could be it. As in a pair. But he was pretty sure Hinata liked women more and wasn't yet aware of it. So he held his breath and ignored the hope of what could have been and broke it off. Takemichi still thinks it's one of the best choices he ever made.

They talk until class and then he sits and listens half-heartedly. Sometimes his own mediocrity surprises even himself.
The teachers words enter his ears without understanding. It would surely do him good to pay attention in class now that being a delinquent hasn't worked out for him. He does make a miserable delinquent, he can admit in retrospect. Weak and inexperienced. No idea how to fight. Cries. A lot. No instincts. Nearly died once already.

And ouch, the bruises all over his face still ache and smart.

He sighs.

Everyone has something. A special talent. Takemichi wonders what he has.

Outside his classroom is a commotion. He ignores it to finally focus more on the teacher.

He should have paid more attention, he thinks not a second later.
Because the next thing he sees is a satisfied Mikey, Commander, Alpha, ignoring his teacher and classmates to drag himself towards him. Draken, the fucking giant, has his arm looped loosely through the top window of the doorframe.

A giant. 

"Come out and play, Takemitchy." comes the jovial voice of the Toman commander. Takemichi is pretty sure his jaw nearly dislocated with how hard it drops open.
There is a short moment of his teachers eyes meeting his own while he is being dragged out of the classroom.
It is a moment of confusion, shock, judgment and a silent plead that goes unanswered.
It passes and the door closes.

When he looks down the hallway he feels his soul leave his body a little.

Nearly every third year, Alpha and or boy, was laying beaten down on the floor. He really, really hopes they wouldn't take that out on him, once they were able to move again.

And Mikey plus Draken weren't positioned next to him.

When he reaches his locker Hinata places herself squarely in front of both Toman leaders. He loves her, he does. But his heart jumps and freezes the moment he sees her. Because Hinata would surely not survive a beating like Kiyomasa had to. Not because she was frail but because she was a Beta and had no prior fighting experience.
Takemichi doesn't count. He was sturdy more so than other Betas. Maybe that is my talent. He thinks triumphantly and completely out of place.

But Hinata wasn't used to getting beaten up. Hinata didn't fight or get bullied.

Hinata just slapped The Commander.

That thought makes all his other thoughts screech to a halt and his body shiver through a wave of dread and cold sweat.

A strangled sound escapes him when Draken's, the Giant, face contorts and he struts up to her.
And Hina doesn't care. Doesn't see. She grabs his arm and drags him away.
Her hand shakes.

"You can't let these guys push you around. I'll protect you."
He could kiss her, he really could. After he was done dying inside.
Because courageous Hina just started a fight with both commander and vice commander of Toman, as in monsters, Alphas, violence and blood.

Draken's hand closes around her arm.

"You're dead, brat." 
His heart jumps. He doesn't want Hina to get any attention from Toman. He doesn't want her involved.

"Think you can just hit someone and walk away? Don't fuck with me, bitch."

And wow. He really had bigger problems right now but a righteous anger bubbles up in him. Because Hina was no bitch or brat. But then again Hina doesn't get the memo that things could get worse. Because she shakes and shakes and says: "I'll make you pay." 
Like a promise and Hell hath no Fury, except it's Toman and she is 14 going on 30 and picking fights like Takemichi did.
And Takemichi can't by all the gods above let anything happen to Hina, so he prays he didn't delay his death by just one day and slides in between Draken and Hina.

"Let her go."

He can feel Draken's glare searing into his skin. "What did you say?" It's asked like a rhetorical question, like it was a second try to make a decision about his continued existence. And Takemichi knows for a fact he'd cut his own legs off for Hina.

"Let her go!" His voice rings clear.

The Alpha pheromones crescendo to a point where he can smell them, spicy and violent. And huh, is Draken really an Alpha? "You little shit." Draken leans in and leans down because fuck it all if that boy wasn't a monster. His face is so close to Takemichi's, breath tickling his nose. "Who the hell do you think ye're mouthing off to?"

He looks at Draken, eyes clear and determined. "There are some people I won't let you harm!"

Mikey smiles and simpers before he turns to Takemichi with a promise in his eyes.

"How do you want to die?" 

The shiver that crawls over his body feels numbing and he hopes Hina doesn't watch. "Promise me one thing. You won't lay a finger on Hina." Mikeys smile is indulgently empty when he draw back his arm.

"Huh? Like I care." 

He really, really hopes this will be over fast. His eyes close and he tenses only for a breath to tickle his face again and a "Sike." 

"Takemitchy, you dummy! Like I'd hit a beta girl." Mikey says as if he knew the Commander. Draken lays an arm around his shoulder and puts his weight on him. An uff  leaves Takemichi's mouth.
"You threatened me." 

Takemichi can feel an embarrassed flush crawl up his cheeks. "I'm sorry."

"It's cool." Draken's face drags into a smug look.
"Saying things like that, no one does that anymore. You surprised me."

"Takemichi.... are those your....?"

Hinata, after bowing vigorously in apology and promising to not slap any more gangsters waves Takemichi off. Her cheeks are still red from the flustered blushing she just did.
She is glad that Takemichi has found someone who could protect him. She just wishes that it wouldn't bode so much trouble. With a determined huff she struts back inside. Maybe she should take martial arts lessons?

Surely there must be a way to protect Takemichi from the hurricane he just invited into his life knowingly or not.

Chapter Text

When he finally gets home his brain is mush. He carted Mikey, sitting like a lazy housecat on the back of his a bike, around. Which rude.
He is pretty sure that dude is 50 times stronger than him and an Alpha! Also heavy!
He took a beating like no other not even 24 hours ago and all his muscles and bones felt like one giant bruise the whole time.
The entire conversation made him think he was in the twilight zone. Apparently he reminds Mikey of his idol?
Takemichi wonders who his idol is. Because it can't be anything flattering.
The shoreline conversation made them seem more human, though and Takemichi can't say he regrets it.

He feels like crying again when he flops listlessly onto the bed. With the last dredges of strength he flips open his phone only to be bombarded with too many messages asking if he is alive. He sends Takuya a short 'alive' and Yamagishi and Makoto only get a thumbs up. He smiles at the messages before answering Akkun.

Wouldn't want him to stab anyone he thinks glumly.

He loves all of them but the heavy worry from Akkun's confession hasn't left him yet.
Akkun was always a strange Alpha.
More gentle and thoughtful than most. Very open and willing to say what he thinks when necessary. And so caring for them, some random beta kids that make dumb jokes and pick bad fights.
So he curls around the phone and types a message.

The answer comes in the evening.

Im fine. 

I dont kno 

Maybe 

Im glad your better

Dont worry too muh 

I think i was desperate 

Felt useless 

U protected us 

So i didnt need to 

Oh great protector Hanagaki 

I bow down 

Save me 

Takemichi snorts.
Everything is fine. Will be fine. He gets to typing away. Gushing over his new cool friends to distract himself from how scared he is of them. 
Akkun reminds him playfully to not forget his mere mortal friends.
Takemichi snorts.

The evening is slow for all the excitement that happened in his life the last two day (the last month).

____

The days that follow he continues going to school and nothing more happens.

Mikey really was like a child that got a new shiny toy only to forget all about it afterwards.

It doesn't really matter, he tells himself. Gangs aren't their world. He'd rather take Akkun's gentle grooming of his hair than a fist to the face any day.
His body heals too. Takyua made sure to check up on how he is feeling and Akkun looked at him with doleful eyes and explained to him he'd feel better if he could see.
Manipulator!

Thus he was victim to multiple thorough inspection and gentle hands pressing softly to see if he was still in pain.

He took a beating from Kiyomasa. He took multiple beatings from Kiyomasa. He could get through the mother-henning.

Sitting back in class, the same one where his teacher abandoned him to the whims of the universe, or more specific, to the whims of one (1) Toman commander he receives a message. Strange enough because he shares class with most his friends so only Hina and Tetta write him but not during class.

It's from Draken. And it's also just a date, time and place.

Not foreboding at all. he thinks despairingly.

____

A day later he finally wanders onto the meeting spot but hesitates getting any closer. Because it is littered with black uniforms and bikes.
Not bicycles but actual bikes. He can feel his knees start to shake. 
This is so cool and so threatening he doesn't know what his heart is supposed to do. 
He grips his chest and stares at the ground.
That is, he tries to until he is roughly taken by his collar yanked upwards and forced to stare into a feral grinning face.
A wheeze leaves him.

"Huuuh. Who the fuck are you, bastard?"

He feels sweat start to bead his temple. And he knows he should say something but honestly he doesn't know what.

This guy smells like perpetual aggression. Violence. Spice and Fire. 
He smells like Takemichi will die.
A rough shake makes his head flop sharply back and forth.

"Can't talk?! Want me to beat it out of you?!"

Huh. Oh no.

He thinks.
Then he sees the raven haired guys hand ball into a fist and his forehead crinkle and the last thing he thinks is:

Why is every Alpha in Toman so pretty.

And then he hits the ground. Hard. 
He blinks the spots out of his vision and stares up at the guy. He is watching him with a vicious grin. 
Takemichi feels warm blood drip out of his nose.
He stutters out an e-e-ehh.

"The fuck is that s'pposed to mean?"

Before the feral guy can do more than take a half-step towards him a silver lilac haired guy stops him with an "Oi. That's Mikey's. Look at him."

He should feel more offended that he referred to as a thing. But then again, getting punched so much might have knocked a few screws loose because it makes him feel a little fuzzy. Also what's that supposed to mean. He looks normal!

The other guy steps forward and he is exactly what Takemichi would imagine a strong, gentle Omega to look like. He can't really smell him but he is pretty sure considering how fast feral dude calmed down.

His eyes aren't wide and wild but soft and slanted. Even in uniform he looks approachable and trustworthy.
He extends a hand and Takemichi is so confused about what's happening around him.
This is giving him whiplash.
The grasp on his hand is solid and he gets pulled up in one go, which wow, the guy is strong.

"My name is Mitsuya and that guy over there-" he points at the feral guy ambling away after having lost all interest " was Baji." He says it like it's supposed to mean anything to him. It really doesn't. Yamagishis 1-0-1 of Gangs only extended to Commander and Vice.
"Please excuse him and don't worry. He probably won't punch you again."
The smile Mitsuya throws is small but sly.

P-Probably?!

"u-uh, thank you for having me."

Mitsuya lets out a quiet chuckle.

"Don't thank me. Thank Mikey."

With that he is lead to some stairs leading to a shrine.
It looks imposing, considering it is a tiny shrine.

Mikey sees him and immediately perks up. 
Draken seemed to also realize that he was approaching, or he just assumes Mikey is doing something so he must pay attention, and turns from his conversation with another dude.
"Mitchy!" 
Once he is close enough Mikey swings an arm around his shoulder and pulls him towards him.
Even without him actively releasing pheromones he smells of Alpha. Not so much of aggression but more of sweet dough, old wooden floor, metal and blood. A weird combination but one that rings distinctly like Alpha through his hindbrain.
These people must be very smelly, he thinks. Even he can smell them in close proximity and he couldn't even smell Akkun's smell in Akkun's own room! 
He doesn't think it's in a bad way (unless they are actively trying to murder someone). Maybe it's muscles mass or something. The more muscles the more smell?
He gets pulled to Draken who smirks at him.

"Look at you. Did you threaten someone again?" he chortles. 
Takemichi huffs. 
"This one was not my fault!"
Mitsuya the traitor leans on Draken. "He was loitering near the edge. Looked real suspicious. Baji nearly killed him."
Draken barks out a laugh.
Takemichi's cheeks flush.

When he looks around he sees other Toman members giving him looks. 
It's not that surprising considering he is wearing no uniform, has a swelling face with blood still smeared all over it and he seems familiar with the Toman commander. He shuffles slightly and tries to hunch in on himself, which is hard with Mikey hanging off of him.
The others have already turned back to their conversation.
Mikey hums close to his ear.
"That's Pah'chin, and the guy standing next to him is Kazutora." 
Takemichi nods and doesn't really know what to make of this.
Maybe he is supposed to know all these names but he really doesn't and he doesn't think he will spend that much time around to get to know them.
The blood on his face feels crusty and he looks at Mikey.

"I think I need to wash my face." 
Mikey stares at him. His eyes flash. Then he smiles a lazy smile and slips of his shoulder.

"Just get a tissue or something. The meeting is starting and I want you here for it."
Takemichi stares at Mikey's back as he wanders up the stairs.
Draken follows shortly and the other guys start to move on that cue.
Mitsuya pats him on the shoulder and jerks his head in the direction he is walking in so Takemichi takes that as his cue to follow.

He is grateful too because the atmosphere changes from casual to static the moment Mikey reaches the top stair. He turns around and Takemichi can't see the lazy boy that lounged on the back of his bike and jeered at Draken. He can't see them sitting on the shore and talking about their dreams for the future.
About Mikey wanting a pack like the ye old times. Wanting cohesion and trust. Wanting like any boy his age.
And Draken warm and soft and always there at Mikey's back.
Draken is still standing at Mikeys back but now he sees blood and violence. He sees the split knuckles and the sharp eyes. He can practically smell the aggression again.

Alpha, capital.

Toman stands in divisions but united when they welcome the President.

Here there be monsters.

Mitsuya takes the front of one Division, the second from the left. The feral dude is standing at the front of the first to the left. Next to him is a smaller probably Omega with a way too good looking blond bob cut and dark undercut. He is smaller than the feral Alpha.

On Mitsuya's other side is a tall soft looking boy. He has blue short hair and smiles at Takemichi kindly. Takemichi is surprised by the amount of Omegas in obvious leading positions. 
He vaguely remembers reading somewhere that during the middle ages starting from the Nara period up to the early Edo period it was still common for Omegas to take leadership positions. The practice did dwindle though with pack dynamics becoming less important and most of society shifting towards pair dynamics. 
Not that especially in the underworld or the old blooded clans packs weren't still typical. Sustaining a pack just got harder and harder for normal people.
He does know that in gangs pack dynamics are still the norm but Omegas, even though mostly included in the inner circle, tended to not take leading roles.

That's why he was also so impressed with Tetta's gang and especially Hanma.

Even though Hanma was probably not the most typical Omega what with his violent tendencies and sharp scent.

On his right there were more divisions. The next one is headed by Pah'chin, the corpulent boy with long eye-lashes, that had talked to Draken, and a mean looking slightly smaller guy with shocking silver hair.
Then there was Kazutora, who's hair was streaked blond black and who looked way too laid back. Who looked like he was planning something. Next to him is a pink haired person. They look soft, he thinks. Probably another Omega. Their face hidden behind a mask.
The last section is headed by an orangey-pink haired and blue haired pair of twins.
The orange haired one is smiling way to big, which makes him look creepy more so than approachable. The other one looks seconds away from starting a fight.
Takemichi shudders and inches closer to Mitsuya.

Mikey starts to talk. Something about a fight that happened yesterday.
Maybe the reason why he hadn't reached out before.
The name Osanai falls and Kazutora steps forward to give a short update on one of Pah'chin's friends(?). Apparently safe. Takemichi doesn't completely understand. 
Something to do with Kazutora having found out something about the Osanai dude regarding Pach'chin's friend and being responsible for their safety until the problem was dealt with, which he assumes was yesterday.
He is kind of glad he wasn't there because he doesn't think he would be of any help in an actual gang fight.
Also that would be terrifying.

The gang meeting jumps to territory defence and Valhalla encroaching. Which is a rivalling gang. And also the gang of Tetta, one of his childhood friends. 
Takemichi feels like a spy.
He should probably be going. It won't end well if they find out about Tetta. And he kinda had enough beatings.
Sweat starts to gather at his nape as the talk continues and he tries to zone out.

If he doesn't listen, he can't be a spy, right?!

His hands start to shake a little and he stuffs them in his pocket.
No one seems to be paying any attention to him.

He looks around.

Abort! Abort! One person is paying attention. It's Kazutora, who is way too fixated on him.

Mitsuya huffs a little next to him.

"Don't let him get to you. He loves observing. And fucking with people. Unless you have something to hide he won't bother you." whispers Mitsuya.

Takemichi thinks about Tetta and just nods his head. He is pretty sure he has something to hide.

Maybe it's alright? He hasn't talked to Tetta since the bullying started and Tetta seemed too busy to pay too much attention to him. He even had to beg Hina to keep quiet about it. 
So technically he doesn't have any up-to-date information and he won't be giving any information from Toman to Tetta.

On second thought he might also run away, especially when the feral dude, Baji, hollers about beating them up.
He feels like crying.

The meeting ends after some back and forth about watching and waiting. 
Observing. Getting more information. And then the lower echelon of Toman disperses.

The leaders of the division gather and Takemichi is hesitantly pulled closer.

Draken hits Mikey on the head for something he said and in responds Mikey kicks him. Baji immediately slings and arm over Kazutora, who isn't watching him anymore. The smaller blond guy just snarks at both.
Pah'chin starts talking to the twins and scary guy slinks over to where Mitsuya is approaching Draken and the pink haired person to speak to them. 
The blue haired dude from Mitsuya's division looks at him and smiles.

"Hey, my name is Hakkai! Nice to meet you." 
His voice is kind and Takemichi would cry if  that wouldn't be embarrassing.
He is kind of overwhelmed.
The smells mingle and he doesn't know what to think. He can't really pinpoint what they are or who smells like what with all of the mixing and with how little he actually perceives but he guesses all of them are very close.
Hakkai leans slightly back.
"How did you meet Mikey?"
"I'd like to know too!"
A bell chimes and Kazutora, who has pulled himself from a displeased Baji, comes over.
Takemichi thinks that maybe Baji will kill him. Maybe Kazutora is his Omega or something. He kind of assumed he was an Alpha but then again, he can't really smell him.

"u-uhm. I was getting beat up?" he asks more than says.
Kazutora throws his head back and laughs. The bell earring chimes.

"Damn. You can't fight? Why'd he even bring you here?"

Hakkai looks surprised too.
"Ahh. Ignore him. What school do you go to?"

That has Kazutora perking up.

"We go to the same school." he says.
Takemichi thinks that this may be bad.

He smiles uncertainly. 
"I haven't seen you around."
Another voice joins.
"Probably because he is barley there." the small disgruntled blond says.

Kazutora smiles but keeps holding Takemichi's gaze.
"Well, I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other~."
Takemichi doesn't know what to do with that and Hakkai doesn't seem to either.
Maybe it's a threat.
He tells Hakkai he probably should be going when it's clear that Kazutora and small blond have turned back to feral dude (Baji, he corrects), and Hakkai is also itching to go to Mitsuya it seems. The lilac haired boy seems to have a calming effect on Draken, and with how Draken is draped over him he assumes that Draken is his Alpha. And maybe Hakkai is taking pointers from the more experienced Omega? Figuring out packdynamics was never his strong suit.
Mikey is absorbed in what looks like a mixture of a fight and a discussion with Baji. Too absorbed to take much note of him. That's fine.

The taller boy just nods and Takemichi turns around.

He takes out his phone once he is far enough and stares at Tetta's contact.
Maybe he was busy expanding his gang and that's why he had so little time.
He should probably ask him how everything is going but he also feels like it would be bad if Mikey caught him and Tetta talking.
With a huff he stuffs his phone back into his pocket.

____

The next day is nothing out of the ordinary. He doesn't see Kazutora at school and he doesn't go looking for him.
Akkun takes one look at his face in the morning and immediately assumes the worst. Takemichi tries to convince him everything is fine but it takes Takuya to reason that he'd look way worse if he got beat up.
Thanks, by the way. Really needed the reminder that I can't fight! 
All of his friends ignore his annoyed huffs.
Fuckers.

The only good thing that comes out of the day is the meeting with Hina. They meet at the school gate to go window shopping. It's always fun because Hina always shows him cute trinkets and weird shirts. Sometimes she drags him to a new shop that opened or a cute café.
He lets her drag him around the shopping mall, holding up one cute skirt after the other.
When enough clothes have piled up on his arms she drags him to the changing rooms. They are surprisingly empty.
He nearly stumbles when Hina shoves him into a stall and pulls the curtain closed.

"What's up with your face?" she hisses.
When he turns to her, her face is scrunched in concern and anger.
The anger isn't directed at him but he still presses his lips together.

"What do you mean?"

"The giant bruise over half your face!"

He winces. His face really didn't look too good. When he saw himself in the morning he thought about playing sick. But then again bruises take a while to heal.
So he just bit the bullet instead of worrying his friends with an unexpected sick leave.
For what it was, it was big. Even though the punch had knocked him to the ground it wasn't that bad of an injury. He had gotten kicked in the face before! 
So he doesn't understand why the bruise was so big and purple. Compared to what he had been through this punch didn't seem that bad in the grand scheme of things.

He gives Hina his best apologetic look.

"I was at a Toman meeting. A-"

She looks even more mad when she interrupts him.

"They punched you?!"

"No, yes, wait!" he stutters out.

"I will punch Mikey!"

He scrambles after her when she storms out of the stall.
"Wait!" 
A woman next to their stall looks at them judgingly and he shrinks into himself.

He catches Hina's arm before she can storm out of the dressing room section.
"Wait. He didn't punch me. It was a misunderstanding!"
Hina whirls around and stares at him like she believes he is a little slow.

"Ok. How is punching you a misunderstanding?"

Takemichi winces again and shuffles. When said like that it sounds stupid.

"Some other Toman member thought I was trying to invade the meeting space. He got stopped before he could do more than punch me."

"In the face." she says.
"In the face." he repeats. 
She doesn't seem happy with his explanation but also doesn't seem to want to question him again.

"You know when you told me not to tell Tetta?"

He hesitates. "Yes."

"I didn't. Because I trust you. And I trust you will tell us when it gets too much." she says it like a question. Her eyes fill with tears and the woman that had apparently tried on all she wanted comes out of the changing room and throws him an even dirtier look, if possible.

He feels rotten. 
He technically knows he can depend on his friends. But sometimes his hindbrain whispers about how easy it would be to not. Not tell them. Not burden them.
Tetta had created a gang to be powerful. To not need protection anymore.
He told him once that Takemichi shouldn't always step into harm's way. He will break. Takemichi knows that. And he knows that Hina would have done anything to help. The same as Tetta. If only he had given his ok.

It's one of the reasons he had stopped trying to save everyone. Disillusioned and very aware that he couldn't keep doing stupid shit.
The bat in Kiyomasa's hands, he thinks. Maybe he would have died. 
Hina and Tetta would have been sad.
All of his friends would have been.

"I'm sorry you had to watch. But I promise it's fine now." Probably. 
" I-I think I felt guilty for dragging my friends into it and I didn't want you two to also end up there. I know Tetta is trying to build a gang but against Toman? He is probably ten times smarter than me but I still worry.
I know that wasn't fair to you. 
And I promise it's going to be better now, though. I think. I promise! If anything bad-bad happens I'll tell you."

Hinata stares at him with a calculating look.

"You could never drag me into anything that I wouldn't want! You protected me and Tetta and Takuya and everyone. We can protect you too. Don't worry about being fine. If something happens again I will make sure everything is fine!"

Takemichi doesn't know if that is such a good idea.
Especially with Valhalla's and Toman's potential conflict. He wisely doesn't say anything and just smiles.

The trip lightens up after that.
Guilt is still gnawing at his stomach for putting Hina in such a weird position but he lets it go for now. No sense in ruining a perfect day out!

They wander through the store some more and Hina decides she won't buy anything.

Once they leave, the decision for the next stop is between a cute jewellery store or a nice little bakery.
That is until Hina freezes and stares.
Which in turn makes Takemichi freeze and look around.
Did someone follow them? Is Kiyomasa coming for his pound of flesh.
What he sees instead is a pretty girl with blond long hair that is standing with some of her friends.

 Huh.

Takemichi looks down at Hina and gives her his best, very encouraging, not at all teasing smile.

Hina looks up at him, stares and starts blushing.

"No!"

"You know you could ask -"

"No! Look at her!" she hisses yells.

He looks back up at the girl who has started to walk into the bakery with her friends.

"You know, you always tell me the hardest things need the most courage."

Hina blushes more.
"That's different." she mumbles
"Ok, maybe not. But! Who says she likes girls!"

"Who says she doesn't."

"Who says I like girls?!"

Takemichi stares at her.

"I do. It's pretty obvious. Pretty sure even Makoto noticed."

Hina just gapes at him.

"What?! I asked you out!"

"Yeah. And I knew that it wouldn't be anything. Look. You don't haaave to. You'd just be coward if you don't."

Hina slaps him and huffs. The girls are giggling in the bakery and Hina stares after them.
Takemichi huffs.

"You wanna think about asking a girl out first?" he offers.

She looks at him and fidgets.

"I think I need to think first."

"That's fine. Maybe you'll see her again around here! And there is always more pretty girl just waiting for you."
Hina slaps him again but she is smiling. Her cheeks are still apple red.

The jewellery store it is!
Even though the baked goods looked so good.
He whines and Hina just ignore him and pulls him along.

How cruel!

At least he gets a pretty hair clip out of it.

Chapter Text

It has been a few days since then. Mikey had bothered him into going to the Arcade with him and Draken and Takemichi had beat his ass at a racing game only for Mikey to drag him onto his bike and show him how to really race.

Terrifying.

Hina had texted him at 4 in the morning about how she liked girls.
The back and forth took another 2 hours and he got to school completely tired. At least it's Friday and his school doesn't require Saturday lessons.
Thank fuck for that change. Mandatory Saturday school sucked.
Anyways.
Hina was pretty into girls and had a break-down that she realized it after everyone else. Even after Makoto, Takemichi!
He called her a dumbass when she asked why he hadn't told her. She punched him in the arm when they saw each other at school.

Today was just as unproductive as yesterday and the day before. His latent academic talent, had yet to reveal itself.
At least he was going to fuck around with Mizo Mid afterwards. Even though he could really use a good shut-eye.

When they finally hit the mall, it was bustling with people.
Yamagishi insisted because there was another arcade here. Some new and shiny store.
He hadn't been to this one yet so his hopes were low.
"Ey, Takemichi!"
If it's Makoto, turn around and ignore. It was the number one rule between the Mizo Mid. Because whatever Makoto wanted it would mean trouble.
Takemichi turned around like an idiot.
 Yamagishi was already trying to supress his laughter.

"You see these girls.  Ya know. Now that your such a big shot, it should be easy for you to get a number!"

"No." his cheeks felt hot.
What the fuck, Makoto?! That was creepy.

"Stop pointing at people!" he hissed.
"What? What? Don't tell me you can't? Too scared to ask? Are you chickening out?"
Takemichi was one thing when it came to his friends.
An absolute idiot with very obvious buttons.

He stomps over.

Should have asked, what I'd get out of this. I don't even want a number!
Idiot Takemichi strikes again.

When he arrives at the group he immediately recognizes the girls.

"A-ah. Hello."
All of the girls cease their conversations.

"Are any of you into girls?"
The look they send him is so judgmental that he wants to die.

"What. Are you a pervert?" a blond one asks.

"NO! No. Not for me. Urgs. This sounds so weird."
She raises an eyebrow at him and he was pretty sure he was actually dying.

"Soooo. A friend dared me to get your number. Like not you specifically! But I mean. Okay whatever. But I don't want your number.
Not that you aren't, like pretty or anything. You are. Pretty, I mean.
But I don't know you. You could be a murderer or something.
Not that I think that. I don't think you're a murderer but you could be. You know.

And I know this girl. She is really nice. The nicest person to exist. Also really pretty.
So, I mean. I could win the bet,  and you could get a new friend or like… more?"

"I could be a murderer and you want me and your friend, who is really, really nice, to meet? Sounds like you are trying to kill your friend."

"NO! That. I don't-" he makes a grabbled noise.
When he looks at the blond girl she is smirking at him and her two friends are trying to hide their giggles.

"You are mean." he tells her with emotion.

She pats his shoulder and holds her hand out.
He stares. And stares.
Apparently he has started too long at that hand.

"Your phone."

"A-ah!"
When she is done typing in her number she tells him "You know you could be more flattering to girls. You are breaking my heart! If you do anything bad with my number I'll get my brother and his friends to beat you up, understood?!"

"Yes!"

She smiles at him.

"My brother is really strong."

He gulps.

"I-it's fine. I kinda had enough of being beaten up. And you are pretty! I just think maybe you and my friend will get along, or something. Also, I'm really weak. Like really, really weak. You could probably beat me."

Her fists find her hips.
"You are hopeless, aren't you?" she says very judgingly.

With that he returns to his friends more confused than before and one phone number heavier. He pretends not to flee with a blush burning through his face.
The contact reads 'Em~' and he isn't sure that that's her real name.
He doesn't even know if that's her real number.
Whatever.

Makoto is actually starring at him when he returns and he feels kind of proud.

"Ehhhh, let me see. Let me see!"

Takemichi pulls his phone to his chest.
"No way. She gave it to me. I'm not giving you her number."

Makoto huffs. "Don't worry. I just wanna know if you got it."

He shows his friends the contact and Akkun claps him on the back while Yamagishi is cheering.
"EM?! What kinda name is that?!"
"How about you go ask her?"
Makoto shuts his mouth.

Good.

The rest of the day is spent in the Arcade. It's not half bad but Yamagishi and Makoto don't stop pestering him because of the girl and Takuya doesn't even try to stop them. Akkun is pretending to, but he can see him smirk.

All of his friends suck, he decides.

____

Hina is both excited for the number and narrows her eyes in contempt. He thinks he deserves it a little bit.
She promises not to tell any of his Mizo Mid Gang, even though he is pretty sure at least Akkun figures it out by day 2 with Hina sitting on her phone and giggling.
He avoids his blank stares.

Mikey hunts him down and gives him his phone number too, which means Takemichi gets gently kicked around and his manhandled before Mikey spam-calls his phone so he can be sure it's the right number. Draken sits a few meters away and just laughs at his misery.
The more time he spends with Mikey the more he sees a guy his age, not a terrifying figure head. Even Draken is more human. His smiles just this side of sly and petty. It is nice, in a warm kind of way.

He doesn't get dragged into another Toman meeting, which is a relieve. He does however come across Kazutora multiple times. Or more like Kazutora finds him and takes the time to sling his arm around his shoulder and drag him around for a bit.
Takemichi pretends like  has nothing to hide.

It goes on like that, with MikeyandDraken and DrakenandMikey, with Kazutora coming out of the shadows, with Hina pretending not to be engrossed in her phone, for another two weeks before Mikey and Draken stop. They don't write him. They don't bother him at school. They don't drag him to the arcade. Kazutora seems more tense too when he sees him now and again at school. No arm slung around his shoulders like he has better things to worry about than scaring the blue-eyed stray Mikey picked up.

It bothers him. He had waved his Mizo Mid Gang off after school and sought out the one person he was trying to avoid.
"Hey!"

Kazutora turns around with a jingle of bells.
"Something up with Draken and Mikey?"
Completely unimpressed, Kazutora turns to him.
"Ehhh~. So interested. What's it to you?"

That's something he would like to know himself?!

Maybe he shouldn't have asked. He has been avoiding Kazutora and he is sure that the guy thinks he is suspicious. But somewhere in the past month he started thinking of them as friends. Mikey and Draken that is. So he has the urge to help if something happened. Not that he thinks he would be better help than their other, more long term friends!

Kazutora looks both surprised and unimpressed with his explanation.

Which is fair.

The guy huffs.

"They have been fighting."

Mitchy stares at him

"What?!"

His shoulders jump towards his ears and he waves his hands in front of his body like some kind of demon repellent gesture.

"NO. No. T-that sounds bad..? Why have they been fighting?"

Kazutora narrows his eyes.
"You are interested."

Maybe he will die, not because he is the world's worst delinquent but because he can't keep his nose out of other people's business.

"It's just… they are kind of friends and I was worried. A-and I am sure you guys have everything under control!"

Kazutora seems to deflate a little at that.

"..you wanna help?"

This seems like some kind of trap, he thinks.
Yes, he says.

So apparently Pah'chin, the guy with the long eyelashes, stabbed someone.
Which is so far from comforting. Just when he started to think of them as normal kids!
He swallows his complaints. In some ways he can understand Pah'chin. Moebius is horrible and everything about them is rotten.
Mikey is apparently shit at dealing with loss and Draken is all about mature choices and bad communication.
He huffs to himself.

These kids are not alright.

What to do, what to do?

Kazutora looks at him questioningly.
First Mikey.

____

Mikey sits in his house looking more lost than Takemichi thought he could. His face looks deflated and the childish playfulness is gone. It aches inside Takemichi's chest, when he sees him like that.

"What if this is it?"
It's dump in the way most teenagers are. Just this side of fatalistic and drawing harsh lines in the sand. Building ditches and shading everything black and white. With me or against me. Seldom life is like that.
Takemichi would know. Not long ago he was beaten black and blue by Toman only to befriend the leaders not long after.

"I doubt that." he says in a shaky voice that he hopes Mikey doesn't hear.

"You both are good friends. You have fought before, haven't you?"

"Never like this."

He hums and thinks some more.
Hina is so much better at this than he is. Every time Tetta and him got just a little too sharp she would  know just what to say to make both see reason. Channel your inner Hina, he tells himself.
"You disagree in a big way. A-and now you fought about it. That's fine. That will happen thousands of times more. You feel guilty. Pah'chin is gone for now. But he'll come back.
And he did the right thing. He took responsibility. That is something to admire. People need to be responsible for their actions. In some ways that's freedom. The Toman you want, the one you told me about, is honourable and free." Mikey seems to try and drill a hole into his head with how intensely he stares.
"So Pah'chin did what any good Toman member would have.
And you guys are still friends. So you have to make sure the Toman Pah'chin returns to is the one he left for."

Takemichi watches him some. The other boy has started to lean into him more. His eyes focused and intent.

"But I am selfish. I want my friends, my pack, with me. Osanai should have been gone. Pah'chin did the right thing."

There is barely held back violence in Mikey's posture. He is tense, frustrated and so, so hurt.
Takemichi wonders if Mikey is scared of letting go because someone never returned to him. It is desperate and raw, the way he grips Takemichi's arm.

"It is unfair. But Pah'chin did something and he is better than Osanai. His choice shouldn't be your regret. Pah'chin did the right thing, even though it was the hard thing. Osanai is a coward and a horrible, horrible man. I think to respect Pah'chin's choice is important. If you respect his choice you respect him. And he isn't gone. He'll come back sooner than you think. You can visit him too and check up on him!"

Mikey hesitates before he slowly falls into Takemichi's side. His head cushioned half on his shoulder. When he looks up through dark eyelashes his eyes don't seem so empty anymore.
He pouts.

"What about Ken-chin?"

"Well, I suppose we'll have to talk to him too."

Mikey doesn't seem that excited about it.

He whines some until Takemichi breaks out the Dorayaki.

Inside Takemichimi, his worries slowly unfurl.
Dramatic teenagers, all of them. He ignores that he probably isn't much better.

____

Draken is both harder and easier. He knows the guy is right and he just has to make him and Mikey be empathetic for each other's reasoning. But something about Draken is just this side of defensive. Like he will be questioned. Like he is by default wrong and has to prove that he isn't.
For all his size and presence, his confidence, Draken assumes that people will side against him for no other reason than him being him.

Takemichi doesn't completely understand why. He wonders how Draken grew up that he feels the need to be defensive immediately.

"I AGREE!"

The slitted eyes widen and even the intense smell lessens. Whatever scathing things Draken would have continued to spit die a sad death.

"What." comes flat and unbelieving.

"I agree. Pah'chin made his choice and w-we should respect that. And h-he did the right thing!"

Draken narrows his eyes at him like he is a particularly hard puzzle.
Which isn't true. (He has it from reliable sources (Tetta) that he is very simple and very easy.)
"You agree. With me."

"Yes."

There is a beat of silence and the Draken tilts his head and searches him with his eyes.

"Ok. Go on."

"I talked to Mikey too. And I think he just needed time to - grieve- I guess? I-It's not a good situation and I don't think you guys should fight on top of that. P-Pah-chin was- is important for Toman, right?"
He waits until Draken slowly nods.
"Right. So this sucks. Mikey is sad and doesn't know what to do because he assumes he failed as a leader."
"That's dumb."
Takemichi laughs short and sharp. "Yes, but what can you do. I think he understands better now but he is scared that he fucked up your friendship. A-and I understand why you are angry too. I don't think losing Pah-chin was easy for you either, but you are used to picking up the responsibility when Mikey goes off. Toman must be chaotic right now. So I-I guess I wanted to say you can talk to me too! And you should also probably talk to Mikey again…"

Draken snorts.

"Want me to cry my heart out?" His arms are crossed and he looks just a little unsure.
"I'd be there for you no matter what." Takemichi says as earnestly as he can.

They stare at each other before Draken starts to laugh and laugh. The smaller boy feels a blush crawl up his neck and heat his cheeks.

"That isn't funny!"

A big hand ruffles his hair and Draken slings his arm around his shoulders. "Of course not! Our saviour has come to help!"
The glare he throws at Draken softens when he sees how relaxed the tattooed boy looks now. His shoulders aren't tense anymore and his smile is more open and genuine.

"As your saviour I believe I am obligated to be reimbursed for my troubles!"

"Haaaah-"

____

On the weekend he has the house for himself. He does most of the time. When his mother is home from her work she pretends to be there more than she is, she pretends to care more than she does. It is something he has started doing too.
And empty house is not that much of a plight. It can feel lonely. The silence ringing out loud and true. It can feel cold. No cooked food unless he himself had the time to cook or his mother froze something for him to eat.
But it means there is also no one to question him. To ask how he is doing. To stop him from inviting friends.

He doesn't know how to cook. Not really. There is nothing truly exciting about the process. More tedious than fun.
But he cooks now, something small and simple.

Nikujaga with pork.

Simple, savoury and easy to eat. Maybe a little out of season but who really cares.

Draken arrives first. Even though he has been here before he enters the house unsure and slightly awkward.
Takemichi laughs at him until Draken loosens up enough to chase him to the kitchen and hold him in a headlock.

The braided blond helps set table and pretends like he isn't dying of suspense.
Takemichi is nice enough to not say anything, even though Draken definitely notices his amused glances.

Mikey arrives with a box of something. Apparently his sister send him with some dessert.
To make up for being a knot-head. Takemichi takes the box of his hands.
A loud snort alerts the blue-eyed boy of Draken, leaning in the doorway. Cool as a cucumber. Looking confident, if it weren't for the tense shoulders.

Mikey zeros in on Draken like a missile and Takemichi flees to the kitchen when he hears a small "Ken-chin" just a little too broken for a casual dinner.

Both of them spent minutes in the entryway, whispering and crooning. Takemichi does his hardest to not hear anything, because that is very private.
He finishes up the food and when he carries it to the table the other two join him.
There is a flush on Draken's cheeks and Mikey smiles like the sun. Both don't say anything but Takemichi is sure it's better now.
Maybe not all fixed but better nonetheless.

They eat first in comfortable silence until Draken starts ribbing Mikey because he eats like a monkey. Mikey flings a carrot at him. Draken, never to be outdone, steals some pork.
The table descends into chaos and Takemichi desperately tries to stuff his bowl down his throat before it gets upended too.
Maybe this is how a home feels, he thinks.
A wayward potato piece hits him in the face for his hubris.