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MikoTotsu Week

Day 4: Alternate Universe/Crossover

Mikoto didn't know exactly what drew him into the bakery that first time. Well, okay, that wasn't true. The rumbling of his stomach was exactly what convinced him to follow the smell of freshly baked bread into the neatly decorated, newly opened bakery that lined the street that connected his apartment to his (temporary) job at the convenience store down the street.

What he didn't know, however, was exactly why he spent three times more time than usual looking over the pastries and breads on display. It wasn't that he was being indecisive or anything along those lines. He knew exactly what he wanted. He'd gotten the same thing every day since the day the bakery opened. So why in the world did he feel the need to spend more and more time here? Was it the lingering smell of yeast and dough and flour that filled the air? Procrastination in order to avoid yet another pointless job that Izumo had pushed him into doing? Something told him none of that was quite right.

The owner of this small establishment was a slim man with warm eyes and a bright smile, and he always seemed to be covered in flour. Mikoto found himself staring at him almost as often as he did the pastries. Despite the fact that he came here almost every day on his own way to work, he had yet to talk to this smiley baker, somehow always being helped by the moody, loud assistant whose nametag read 'Yata.' When he realized this fact, Mikoto frowned, staring that much harder at the croissant on the shelf in front of him. Why did he care if he spoke to the baker or not?

Right around the time he decided that he didn't care, a cheerful yet unfamiliar voice chimed in his ears. "Hello! Can I help you with anything?"

Mikoto looked up, tearing his eyes away from the croissant, to find the sight of the baker right beside him. He looked around for a moment, confused only to find that the bakery was now empty, the morning rush having already moved on. Realizing that it was now just the two of them, Mikoto reluctantly allowed his focus to return to the slim man before him, noting that he seemed shorter standing next to him than he did behind the counter.

"I'm just looking," he finally answered, interrupting the silence that had been stretching on between them. His voice was gruff as he spoke, but somehow, this didn't seem to dissuade the baker in the slightest.

"You normally get the curry bread, don't you? I have some baking in the back right now, if you'd like to wait another couple of minutes. Then it'll be nice and hot!"

Mikoto frowned a bit, watching the baker for a long moment, observing that incessant smile, the small powdering of flour that seemed to cover every inch of the baker's face, even making its way into his hair, unsure of how to answer this person who seemed to refuse to be intimidated by him, before a thought occurred to him: "How do you know that?"

"Eh?" The baker seemed confused, the smile fading ever so slightly off of his face as he tilted his head to the side in slight confusion.

"How do you know what I order? You never ring me up. It's always that loud guy," Mikoto responded, still frowning ever so slightly, finding that the downward turn of the baker's lips didn't seem to quite fit on his thin face.

"Huh? Ooooh. Well, you know, just because I've never gotten to help you before, it doesn't mean I don't notice! You're one of my only regular customers, you know!" the baker answered him enthusiastically, that bright smile returning to his face with even more force now that he understood the cause for Mikoto's question.

"Ah," was the only thing Mikoto had to say to this, not used to having people speak to him so freely. "…I don't think I'll wait." He made a show of checking his phone, only to find that the lie he had been about to tell was the truth. "I'm late for work."

"O-Oh! I'm sorry! You should get going then!" The baker's eyes widened, his words colored with surprise and a slight tone of panic as he stepped out of Mikoto's way, gesturing toward the door so that he could get on his way. For whatever reason, Mikoto found that he didn't want to go just yet.

"It's fine," he stated softly, hoping to alleviate some of the worry on the baker's face. "They already weren't very happy with me. It was a shitty job."

"You mean they'll fire you?" Somehow, this thought didn't seem to comfort the baker in the slightest.

"Probably." Mikoto shrugged. "It doesn't bother me, anyway."

He watched as the baker seemed to fret before him, seeming rather unsure of the entire situation, a slight look of guilt coloring his features before a slight smile dawned on his face instead. "Um… Well, if you're interested, I'm looking for a second assistant here," he offered. "Yata can only help me in the morning because he's still in school, so I need help during the day as well…"

Mikoto considered this. The idea of working at a bakery appealed to him just as little as his job at the convenience store did, but at least it smelled good, and maybe he'd get to bring leftovers home for free. And if he already had another job lined up, then Izumo wouldn't yell at him for getting fired. And somehow, the idea of seeing the baker's smile directed at him on a daily basis seemed to seal the deal, and he nodded. "Sure."

That smile widened and the entire room seemed brighter for it as the baker beamed at him, offering out his hand. "Thank you! I'm sure it'll be a pleasure to work with you! I'm Totsuka Tatara, by the way!"

Mikoto offered a small nod. "Suoh Mikoto."

He took Totsuka's hand.

===End Part 1===