The clothes were still throwing him off. Well, no everything was still throwing him off. Four years of bloody, crimson eyes, four years of fangs breaking the seam of his lips, four years with a hood worn in public at all times.
The feeling Yuu received staring into calm blue, of a smile without disturbance, of just casual clothes. That feeling was indescribable. Mika's reflection caught on the window, and that was enough for a smile to tug on Mika's lips. Such a sweet display of joy, Yuu couldn't help himself to lean in and peck him on those lips. The prick of pain associated with kissing Mika no longer came.
Mika turned him around, and they began to follow a waiter to their table. As they sat down, Mika smirked at him from his side. "Yuu-chan, we can't do that in public now. It's against the law, someone your age with me."
"I've been over 18 for two years now, and you were sixteen the whole time. For some reason I was never arrested for being with a minor before." Yuu snorted.
"Ah, but Yuu-chan, human laws didn't apply to me. I'm actually sixteen now." Mika said with the sort of wonder reserved for someone who had quit aging and yet had begun again.
Yuu shoved Mika's menu in front of him, giving his own smile to show he knew why Mika was dying to mention his age. Mika looked at the menu with wide eyes, face shifting to unease. He snatched it from Yuu with caution, leafing through with a look Yuu couldn't describe. Confusion was written across his face. Menus weren't something Mika has used with any sort of frequency, and whatever he chose tonight would be the first solid human food he'd eaten in at least 8 years.
"I want curry." Mika said with a pout. A long list of different curries were spelled out right before his eyes, but he knew better.
"I know. That's why I'm getting a beef curry, and I'll give you a little bit. For now, follow doctor's orders and stick to something you aren't guaranteed to throw back up in an hour."
"That's not table talk Yuu-chan," he jokingly scolded. Then Yuu stared as a soft smile showed on his lips as he whispered, "Thank you, Yuu-chan."
A flustered Yuu said, "Of course." They gave the waiter their orders, but Mika kept his menu. Silence fell over them for a few moments as he continued to flick through it. Yuu decided now was as good a time as any to bring up what had been said to him yesterday.
"So Guren," Yuu started as Mika paused and glanced up towards him, "mentioned that since now you're fully human, we can start getting you involved with the army." Mika nodded, his previous disgust for the army having faded with the changes made within it. "He even admitted to you probably being strong enough for a black demon series weapon, considering you faced three demons while starving, and passed it without going mad." Though Yuu's smile never faded while he said this, he felt it tighten with the memory of a month ago.
Mika's face remained impassive, and he monotonously questioned, "That's all he said, huh?"
Mika's stare bored into Yuu's head, and with immense reluctance he mumbled, "He might've said that you being a dirty bloodsucker helped." Perhaps Yuu was hoping to not be heard, but by now he knew just what Mika's sensitive hearing would pick up– he'd spoken much too loud for it.
"There's what I was waiting to hear." Mika's face was still expressionless, and Yuu began to fidget in anger. Mika had spent a long while struggling with emoting more, but all it took was some dumb insult and he would shut down. As Yuu slowly grit his teeth more, Mika softened his expression and took Yuu's hand in his. "Yuu-chan, I got used to those comments forev- a long time ago. Especially from Guren, who doesn't mean half of what he says." Forever wasn't something they discussed anymore, it was in the past now, if forever can be in the past.
"Sure, but. What did you, no, we go through the past four years if not to rid you of those insults?" Mika held back a wince as Yuu squeezed a bit too tight, and gave his own squeeze.
"Insults are hardly the most motivational or the most painful thing we fight against, Yuu-chan." Yuu looked like a kicked puppy, his eyes screaming sadness that shouldn't be here during this dinner. "Did he say when I could come in for an evaluation? Not like I need one, he saw my skills with a sword through his chest during the war."
Yuu laughed, shaking his head, "I got you back for that anyway, he can't hold a grudge. He never said when, sometime soon I guess? We're both way too busy right now anyway," Yuu groaned at the thought of all the work that had piled up during his "time away" with Mika.
"Hmm, yeah, speaking of everyone you met with yesterday, you still never told me what Shinoa-san said," Mika took satisfaction from the way Yuu's face lit up. "I'm dying to know, Yuu-chan, what your friends think of a human me."
"No, Mika, you said you wouldn't bother me about this yesterday!"
"Yuu-chan, I'm seeing the Shinoa team tomorrow. You know Shinoa-san is going to make fun of you if you were too embarrassed to tell me."
"Shinoa can laugh all she wants. I don't want to have this conversation."
"I'm going to ask Shinoa-san about it tomorrow," Mika laughed at the betrayed look on Yuu's face.
"Mika, no, that's what she wants to happen! Don't fall for her trap." Though Yuu was tempted to let it happen, since a flustered Mika was pretty adorable and rare. Then again, tell him now and he can enjoy him without the rest of his friends being assholes.
"Alright, fine. She kept bothering me about your fangs. Asking if I missed them, uh, in bed. Of course I told her off." Yuu finished with a huff, but his eyes were tracking Mika's face. A flush had spread across his cheeks, and he'd started playing with Yuu's fingers. He wasn't meeting eyes so Yuu considered it his win.
"Miso glazed black cod with sautéed broccoli." The moment broke with an audible crack as their waiter placed Mika's food. Mika looked completely taken aback. Wide eyes trailed the steam hovering above the food.
Yuu reached across to put chopsticks in his hand. Mika switched the wide stare to the chopsticks he was holding, before he adjusted his grip on them to something alike to the way they should be held. Tension rose as Mika's trembling hand moved to waver above the fillet. With a large gulp Mika grabbed a small portion from the edge. Or… tried to.
Yuu couldn't help it, a giggle slipped out, and at Mika's glare it turned into full chortles. Ignoring the laughter, Mika attempted to adjust his grip on the chopsticks. This time he managed to keep the piece of fish until it neared his mouth, before it landed in his lap as the air was filled with curses. Mika pouted a tiny bit, turning to Yuu with a sigh, "Do they have silverware?"
Yuu gave a cheeky grin, "Nope. But I can help you." He, quite easily, scooped up a bit of fish before holding it out in Mika's direction.
"Oh, fuck off." He stabbed a piece of broccoli with just one of the chopsticks, and almost put it into his mouth before hesitating, remembering this would be the first food of 8 years. He slowly put it into his mouth and carefully chewed it before swallowing. He glanced at Yuu.
"It's… good." He mumbled, nodding to himself before smiling brightly.
The grin made Yuu melt slightly, and he nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, right? And broccoli usually tastes like shit! Come on, try the fish!"
A little more enthused, Mika tried again with the chopsticks. Managing to keep a week grip on the fish, he brought it to his mouth. Chewing softly, a bright grin showed even before he finished. A delighted laugh startled out of him, "It's delicious!" The face he made was too beautiful for reality, shiny eyed and heart-stopping grin in place.
Yuu watched with his own smile, "We should have rented a camera for this. You look adorable."
"Those are expensive Yuu-chan. Besides, I'm not going to get tired of eating anytime soon." Mika said in between bites, he was shoveling more food into his mouth than perhaps polite, but Yuu just saw it as sweet. He didn't even comment on being called adorable.
"Here, try mine!" Yuu held out some rice mixed with the curry, and Mika looked at it with sparkling eyes. Honestly Yuu was going to die before dinner was ever.
Mika accepted the curry with huge eyes, and they just grew larger as the taste settled in. He swallowed quickly and grabbed his water, chugging down multiple gulps before calming. Yuu couldn't keep from laughing way too loudly at the sight Mika posed. He was being glared at again.
"Too many spices? It's curry Mika, it's supposed to be spicy!"
"I've had curry before! I know it's spicy, but not that hot. Is this a trick?" The betrayed look Yuu was given just made everything better.
"You're just not used to it! This is a mild curry, calm down." Seeing as how Mika still wasn't pleased with the development, Yuu smiled and said, "We'll get desert, and that'll be really sweet, alright?"
"Just as sweet as you, right, Yuu-chan?" The dark look Mika received hopefully made him feel better about being "tricked."
Yuu kept what desert he was ordering Mika a secret, making sure to go all the way to the front of the restaurant to keep it out of Mika's enhanced hearing. Why exactly did Mika get to keep his enhanced senses anyway, he was human now. How did that process even work?
Considering Mika wasn't smirking when he got back, he had succeeded at keeping it secret. To be honest, this desert means a lot to him. He'd shared it with the Shinoa team not long after the end of the war, in their own little celebration. He can't tell if Mika remembers that, and is hoping he doesn't because if he does than he probably already knows what's coming.
When the desert actually came, Mika held the eyes of a small child. They never really had much luxuries like this. He looked confused at the way the desert was presented, but he didn't waste any time grabbing the utensil served beside it,
"It's meant to look like a peach, since that is one of the main ingredients. It's called Hakuto Jelly."
Mika didn't seem very interested in what it actually was, though Yuu was pretty sure he at least did listen to him. He brought the wooden utensil up to his mouth and took a little nibble. Instantly his face lit up and he stared at Yuu with a grin and light blush on his face.
"Hey, Yuu-chan. You're right, broccoli is shit. Let's just live off jelly."