A/N: First time writing for K, so I hope I did an okay job. I've had this idea for awhile now but now I've finally decided to post it.
Disclaimer: I don't own K whatsoever.
-/-\-|-/-\-
To wake up and hear a commotion on the main floor of Homra's headquarters was nothing out of the ordinary. It could get very annoying, yes, but Mikoto Suoh was well past the point of threatening the members of his clan when he'd learned awhile back that such acts were futile. They'd apologize profusely, try to keep everything civil for a week or so, and then someone would piss off Yata or some thug would lay a hand on Kusanagi's bar.
The Red King was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling as he listened to the chaos ensuing downstairs, trying to determine the battlefield, the instigator, and how many sides there were.
"That's cheating, Yata!" came Rikio's annoyed shout, followed by a perturbed, "Ah, shut it!" from the receiver of the accusation.
Mikoto exhaled slowly and rolled onto his side, pulling an arm up to cover his ears, but as he suspected and had experienced many times before, it did nothing to block the shouting on the floor below.
"Hey, Anna! Whose side are you on anyway?"
"Watch it, you two! That was too close to my bar! Any one of you get that stuff on it and you're paying with whatever you've got."
"Sorry, Mr. Kusunagi!"
Well, that was it. He wasn't going back to sleep now.
Mikoto rose out of bed, running a hand through his crimson hair and beginning the descent into the questionable war zone. He could hear Tatara laughing like a maniac and Masaomi yelling something, but it was a frantic jumble so Mikoto couldn't be sure what had the younger man on edge.
When he stepped over the threshold into the main room of the bar, a flying projectile caught him right in the chest, just above the collar of his shirt. It didn't hurt at all, only startled him into staring semi-wide eyed at the scene before him.
Immediately, all movement stopped when each member of Homra realized with horror (or in some cases, amusement) that they'd hit their beloved king.
Yata's arm was extended outward, frozen after a perfect, overhand throw. Just in front of Mikoto was Eric, hands over his head and ducking for the projectile that had been meant for him. Now the blonde stared at Mikoto's dark expression with rising terror.
All was quiet for a few moments, save for the quiet squeaking as Kusunagi ran a cloth around the rim of a wine glass, watching the Red King with some interest.
Then, very slowly, Yata's hand lowered. "Oh, shit."
Mikoto looked down at his feet to where the unknown object had fallen. Very slowly, but apparently not slow enough for Eric who scrambled back with a startled cry, he picked it up. It was a puffy individual, white and somewhat sweet smelling.
Homra's leader raised an eyebrow at it, trying to rationalize the story that was forming through his head as to why such a thing would've been mistakenly launched at him.
A gentle tugging on the hem of his shirt pulled him from his mind and the ridiculous scenarios forming within. Beside him, Anna watched the object between his fingers with big eyes. Softly, she said, "They're marshmallows. Totsuka bought bags of them and brought them here for us."
"Don't ask when the marshmallow war happened," Kusunagi spoke up, turning to place the wine glass in the cupboard. "Yata started it."
"I did not!" the brown haired teen snapped before regaining composure and turning to Mikoto. "I'm sorry about hitting you, sir. I wasn't aiming for you, I promise. It was supposed to hit that moron over there." He nodded to where Eric was standing by the bar, still trembling a little.
Mikoto glanced over to the blond and down at Anna. He gave the marshmallow in his fingers a long, severe look before it burst into red flames, browning instantly and releasing the burnt scent of sweetener into the air. After a moment or two, the bright flames went out, leaving a caramelized, gooey mess in between the Red King's fingers. Then, to everyone's amazement, Mikoto stuck the roasted treat into his mouth, chewed thoughtfully, and swallowed. He gave a small shrug and meandered over to the bar, lowering himself onto one of the high stools and turning his back on his clansmen.
"Funny, I didn't really consider that," Tatara laughed, scratching the back of his head nervously before popping a marshmallow into his own mouth.
Yata sent a glare at Eric before his mouth gave way to a smirk and he seized a marshmallow from the bag on a nearby table, setting it ablaze before eating it. "Yeah, they're not that bad," he mumbled, wiping a glob of the melted treat from his mouth. "Great idea, Mr. Mikoto. Sure beats the oven."
Mikoto didn't consider the sudden roasting of marshmallows to be a big deal as his clansmen began following his example, filling the bar with a sweet aroma. He was even beginning to wonder if that's what he was going to be forced to eat for breakfast when Anna approached the stool next to his. She grabbed the edge of the seat and pulled herself upwards, laying flat on her stomach for a moment before she tried scrambling into a seated position.
Wordlessly, Mikoto gingerly grasped the back of her dress, tugging her upright and placing her beside him. The younger girl didn't say anything, only bowed her head and unfolded her fingers, revealing a crushed marshmallow that quickly regained its shape. Mikoto gave the small treat a long look, blinked at Anna's emotionless face, and released a sigh. Carefully, he lit up the marshmallow, turning it a perfectly golden before Anna popped it into her mouth.
"You're all going to be fat by the time those bags are empty," Kusanagi observed from behind the bar, smirking at the few indignant glances he received.
"We'll be fine," Tatara assured the older man with a smile, waving his hand in dismissal.
"Exactly," Yata agreed, shoving another marshmallow between his teeth.
"Our real worry is diabetes or high blood pressure." Tatara tapped a finger against his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe even liver failure."
Eric faltered in placing a marshmallow into his mouth, glancing over at Masaomi who was subtly withdrawing his hand from a bag. Even Yata appeared a little put-off by his fellow clansman's words, but he shook his head, muttering, "Oh, come on. That stuff's just a load of bull, isn't it?"
Tatara shrugged, chewing soundlessly before swallowing. "If these bags don't last another day, I guess we'll find out."
Yata crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the bag of marshmallows before exhaling impatiently. "Fine. Let's stop now before all of Homra turns into Rikio."
"Hey!" Rikio protested, shooting his friend a dark look but Yata ignored him, handing over a bag of marshmallows to Tatara who closed them up and passed them off to Kusunagi. "Take good care of them."
"Sure," Kusunagi replied, accepting a second bag from Eric before turning to Anna for the third. The younger girl slid the bag along the counter, but not before Mikoto picked one last bite, ignoring Kusunagi's grin.
"What?" the Red King inquired tiredly, roasting the marshmallow between his finger tips. "Were there any actual plans for breakfast or did Tatara think he had us covered?"
"If no one minded the diabetes, high blood pressure, liver failure, and a few other health setbacks, yes, I believe I had us covered," Tatara answered with a bright smile. "So what does everyone think of S'mores for dinner?"
A few collective groans rose up around the bar and Tatara feigned a look of severe hurt, swaying dramatically with an arm over his eyes. "After I went through all that trouble of obtaining them, too. I had swim through a crowd of pedestrians to get those. I don't know what was so interesting about the candy aisle today. If not S'mores, then does anyone have a different idea for dinner options?"
The silence that fell only lasted about a second before Mikoto spoke up, "Eggs."
Everyone turned to the Red King with mild surprise, staring at the red-haired man as he tapped a finger on the bar.
"Strawberries," Anna added softly.
Kusunagi placed a glass on the shelf behind him with a slight sigh. "Eggs and strawberries, huh? That shouldn't be too difficult to find." His gaze slid lazily over to Tatara and he produced an innocent smile. "Should it, Tatara?"
The younger man ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head in submission. "Not at all. Should I get anything else? Bread, juice...? Another bag of marshmallows perhaps?"
"No!" was the hasty chorus of most of his clansmen, and Tatara's mouth split into a wide grin as he retreated out the door.
-/-\-|-/-\-
A/N: Was that your plan all along Tatara? Introducing your clansmen to the effects of too much sugar and the scary results it could have? I'm sure the sugar-high will come later, though... Now wouldn't that be fun to see?
Hope you enjoyed. ^^ Hypothetical marshmallows and S'mores galore for reviews and favorites.