an au where the mikado family adopted tasuku after the Big Tragedy and after he got jack as his buddy please save me from this au (holds head) (cries)
"Hey Gao, do you want to come with us?" Baku asks him, referencing to him and Kuguru.
Gao shakes his head. "Sorry guys, not this time," he slings his bag around himself. "I'm hanging out with my brother today."
Kuguru blinks. "Brother?"
Gao grins. "Yeah, he's got some free time so we're going to Castle."
"Uh...huh..." Baku also blinks, and he waves him off when Gao leaves the classroom.
"...Come to think of it, I don't think we've ever seen Gao's brother." Kuguru says.
"I didn't even remember he has a brother."
Baku earns a look from Kuguru for that. Baku flinches. "What? I bet you don't even know his name...!"
"As a matter of fact, I do. It's Tasuku Mikado."
Baku purses his lips and sighs before slumping in defeat. "Okay, okay, you got me..."
Gao Mikado walks down the pavement, checking the text he got on his phone. It's his brother. He's asking where Gao is.
A soft smile appears on his face. He replies that he just left the school gates.
Not long after he feels a tap on his shoulder.
Gao turns around and he grins. "Tasuku-nii!"
Said boy is flying using his Buddy Skill, clad in his school uniform with a smile on his face too. Jack is flying behind him. The only difference that Gao notices is the pair of glasses on Tasuku's face.
Last time he checked, Tasuku didn't need glasses.
"Are you in disguise?" he asks with a laugh.
Tasuku chuckles, just as amused. "Stella made me wear them. I don't understand how this can hide me from the public eye though. Where's Hanako?" he asks as his Buddy Skill is deactivated and he walks side by side with Gao. Jack trails them from behind creating a large shadow for them as they walk.
"Mom wants her home early. I don't know why though, she didn't tell me. It's a bummer too, she really wanted to play with you."
"Huh, I see... Maybe next time we'll take her to wherever she wants to go."
"That sounds like a plan! How's the life of a working adult?" Gao asks, a teasing grin on his face.
Tasuku nudges him with his elbow and laughs. "Same as always. Tiring but it doesn't get boring."
"With all the criminal Buddyfighters out there, I'm not surprised. Mom's worried, you know."
"Yeah, I know. I'm always careful, just like she told me to."
They fall into silence for a while. Sure, Tasuku comes home by the time work is done (which is usually almost midnight, when the children are asleep) and he makes it in time for dinner at least once a week, but it's not the same as spending time together under the sun. Gao can't even remember the last time the entire family went out together.
He wishes Tasuku would spend more time as a child.
Jack pokes their shoulders with his tail. The both of them look up, blinking and curious. "I'm thirsty." The dragon says.
They both laugh.
"I think there's a convenience store around the block." Tasuku says, pointing at one direction. "Come on Gao, it's on me. Jack, what do you want to drink?"
"Alright!"
"Apple juice."
Gao gets orange juice, and Tasuku gets himself milk, and then they settle down on a bench in a nearby park to drink. Eyes follow them, mostly children who admire the flying Jack and the not-so-in-disguise Tasuku. Gao feels a little sense of pride for his brother.
"How's school for you?" Tasuku asks.
"It's nice. I made a couple of friends thanks to one guy."
"Really? How's he like?"
Gao laughs. "He wears a t-shirt with a tiger print on the front, so yeah he's a cool guy. Though Hanako likes to call him kitten shirt."
Tasuku chuckles. "I'd like to meet him one day."
"There's also this guy, Baku. He's a master deck builder, no joke about it. There's Kuguru too, and she helps him with all the card info and stuff. Together they're quite the duo."
"Looks like you've found some great people. I'm glad."
Gao bumps his shoulder against Tasuku's. "Is Takihara-san still treating you like a kid?"
"No, not anymore. The last time he did, Stella upbraided him."
"Good to know all in the Buddy Police are taking you seriously now."
"Yeah."
"Are you coming home for dinner tonight?"
"I think so-"
The air breaks into a loud beep and Tasuku presses his finger into his ear, where his earpiece is. "Yes? Uh-huh. Okay, I'm close by. No, it's fine, I can handle it. Thank you." He stands up, throwing his empty carton of milk into the nearby trashcan. He turns to face Gao, an apologetic look on his face. "I'm so-"
"It's okay," Gao says, standing up too. "There's trouble, right? What are you doing idling around for?" he grins. "I'll tell mom you'll be late again. Now, go!"
Tasuku looks grateful, but traces of regret are still visible. But he changes into his Buddy Police uniform anyway, and looks up to Jack. His Buddy Skill turns on. "Let's go to work, Jack!"
And then they're off.
Gao fixes the strap of his school bag around his shoulder and kicks the dirt with the tip of his shoe. He scratches the back of his head before he takes in a deep breath.
Tasuku is out there protecting the game they both love, so he's totally fine with this.
Gao walks into Castle without much purpose in mind. He thinks of browsing around, and maybe get a pack of cards. Maybe.
There are kids running in excitedly, some of the quieter ones torn between two packs, and some admiring the rare cards on display. He walks over to one of the displays and grins at the sight of Dragon World cards.
They look amazing.
A loud cry of amazement is heard and Gao turns his head to see two kids watching the television, which is showing the news. One of them has his jaw open and his eyes are sparkling.
Gao walks closer and he finds out why.
The news is about Tasuku single-handedly catching another criminal fighter, and a swell grows in Gao's heart as he too grins, especially when Tasuku uses that card of his, Gargantua Punisher. That's his brotherout there. That's his brother and he feels so proud for him. It was the right choice after all, for their parents to let Tasuku join the Buddy Police.
Because he feels like that's where Tasuku belongs.
When he pulled that card, he remembered his heart beating.
He chases after it, running in the hallways and sliding down towards the field where the card finally stops. His new Buddy, new Buddy!, finally appears and he's grinning so widely his mouth hurts.
Then they bicker a little because Drum is kind of cocky, but he still wants to be the monster's Buddy, and he's 100% sure they're going to be a great team, no, an astounding team.
Then he hears some cheers of excitement and he looks up to the sky, knowing full well who's here.
"Hey, look, it's him!"
"Oh my god, it's Tasuku Ryuenji!"
"Can I get his autograph?!"
When Tasuku sees that it's him, he too grins like there's no tomorrow. He lands in front of them, with Jack behind him, and he regards Gao with his own sparkle in his red eyes. "Gao!" he exclaims. "You got a Buddy!"
He nods back. "I sure did!"
"Wait... kid, you know this guy?" Drum asks, turning his head from Gao to Tasuku, and then to Jack who's watching the spectators in the school building before coming close to Drum.
"Hey. Nice to meet you." Jack says. "You won't regret choosing Gao, you have my word for it."
"Huh? That kid?!"
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"
Tasuku laughs at his outburst, before handing him his deck case, something he's always wanted. He turns away from Drum almost immediately. "You know the procedures. You made me say them to you at least a hundred times." Tasuku says.
He blushes out of embarrassment but quickly takes it anyway. He laughs. "Alright, thank you Tasuku-nii!"
"Anything for my little brother."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold your horses people! Did I just hear this right? Did the great Tasuku Ryuenji, Boy Cop Wonder, just call this boy his little brother?!" Paruko interrupts the exchange, looking fairly surprised and disbelieving. Gao admits he didn't quite notice her. He blames getting the core deck case distracting him. "They hardly look alike! Tell me, is this true?!" she asks, pointing the microphone towards Tasuku.
The crowd becomes a clamorous mob, demanding answers. Gao looks around too, and he catches the eyes of his friends, who look just as surprised and disbelieving and excited as he had expected them to.
He didn't quite expect them to find out like this though, but oh well.
Tasuku places a hand on Gao's shoulder, pulling him closer, and the shorter one of them almost stumbles. He looks slightly nervous, Gao can tell, because he's known him for years, but Tasuku smiles his charming smile anyways. "That's right. As you might not know, my real name is Tasuku Mikado, and Gao is my little brother. Please be nice to him from now on too."
There's a collective gasp and Gao knows from now on his life in school, and in public, won't be the same anymore.
Not when you have a super famous older brother.