Chapter 4
His life had finally started to feel normal again, feel like he hadn't accidentally run into someone who still had a vice grip on his heart, but pissed him off more than anything. It had been a few days since Shintarō had shown up at the Cotton Tail and he hadn't heard from him since. He was grateful for that because all he wanted was to move on and tend to his daughter whom was nearly better from being sick.
It was nearly lunchtime, and Miki was happily playing with some of her dolls on the floor while the TV played a childrens show that she would periodically look up at. Every now and again, a small cough would hop in her small chest, but she was far better and her fever had broken the day before. Takao happily watched her play while he worked on his strict budget and balanced the finances to work in the payments he now had from the clinic visit. It would be a tight month, very tight, but after doing all the math, the ends just barely met.
He lightly sighed as he set down his pen and picked up his tea for a long sip, throatily laughing at the childish antics on the TV just as Miki giggled when a horde of bubbles swamped the characters and knocked them down. He rarely watched anything for his age, as most of the day was filled with programs that Miki enjoyed, but he didn't mind. He found a lot of them were funny and had hidden jokes for the older crowd that sailed right over Miki's head and it lead to a peaceful calm that let him just sit back and enjoy being a father.
He set down his tea and stood to start looking at making something for lunch, but the moment he rose to his full height, a knock rapped against his door. His brows furrowed, as he rarely had visitors, but satisfied that Miki was content with watching her show, he padded over and peaked through the peephole.
The moment his visitor came into view, he groaned, frowning hard and with his brows pulled down as hard as possible over his eyes. It was the last person he wanted to see, the last set of emerald eyes and the last head of green hair he wanted to be faced with. Life was just getting back to normal, but just like so many times before, he felt himself backsliding.
With another soft knock, Takao sighed and unlocked the deadbolt and chain before opening the door, staring up at the much taller man and still with his hand on the door with every intention of slamming it closed again, but he couldn't make his arm move.
"I'm starting to think you're stalking me." He said, his mouth a bit smaller from fighting to hold back his discontent with his company.
Shintarō averted his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck, "I um... I was in the area and just wanted to stop by and see how your daughter was feeling."
Takao arced a brow, "You were never a good liar, Shin."
Shintarō sighed, "I know. You're right... I'm sorry... C-Can I... come in?" He was having trouble formulating words.
Takao crossed his arms, but stayed exactly where he was, "What for?... Why are you even here?"
"I just wanted to talk... That's all." Shintarō said quietly.
Takao opened his mouth to speak, but his daughter's foot falls drew his attention as she walked towards him, hugging Mr. Fuzz as she clutched onto his leg and looked up high to look the incredibly tall man in the eye.
"Hi, Mr. Doctor! You're my Daddy's friend!" Miki smiled as she flopped her arm, still holding onto Mr. Fuzz and in an attempt to wave.
Shintarō hesitated a moment as he locked gazes with Takao, but slipping his hands from his pea coat pockets, he knelt down so she didn't have to crane her neck up so high to look at him.
"You remember me... How're you feeling? Are you feeling better?" He asked, resting his elbows on his knees.
Miki nodded, "Mmhmm!... Daddy gave me medicine and I felt better." She said with her gentle smile across her face.
"Good... I'm glad to hear it." Shintarō said, briefly cracking his own soft smile.
"What's your name?" Miki asked as she clung to her father's leg a bit tighter.
"Shintarō Midorima." He said, glancing up at Takao whom was just standing there with his arms crossed and watching their small exchange.
"Can I call you Shin like my Daddy does?" She asked.
Takao rolled his eyes and exhaled.
Shintarō held his breath for a few moments as he glanced back up at Takao once more, coming under the blank, yet screaming glare that was set hard into his slate blue eyes. His shoulders were tense and he could see through his t-shirt that his muscles were tight, but he was breathing evenly and he had spent enough time with the man to know that he was nearly at the limit. With a single glance he could tell Takao wasn't comfortable, neither was he, but he pressed on with the hopes of easing that tension.
Adorning his face with a smile, Shintarō nodded, "Sure. That's alright with me." He said as he stood and returned his hands to hiding in his pockets.
"Daddy?" Miki asked as she turned her gaze to her father's that immediately turned soft and loving.
"Yes, Pumpkin?" He answered, dropping an arm to rest his hand on the back of her head.
"Can Shin-Shin stay for lunch?" Miki asked with wide, hopeful eyes.
The second the words left his daughter's mouth, Takao choked on his own breath as he looked up with horror to Shintarō's equally as stunned gaze. They just stared at each other for a moment before Takao looked back down at his daughter, but when he opened his mouth to provide an answer, he was suddenly having trouble making words come out.
"H-Honey... I'm sure he's a busy man and needs to get back to work." Takao managed to say, exhaling a long breath to help keep his heart beating.
"Please, Daddy? You're friends aren't you?" She asked.
"Today's actually my day off." Shintarō said in a mumble as he refused to meet Takao's glare and pushed up his glasses.
"Not helping." Takao replied under his breath.
He had no idea how to answer her; He wanted Shintarō to leave, but seeing his baby girl's wide, loving and hope filled eyes, his heart was cracking because he was a weak man when it came to his beautiful princess.
Letting out another sigh, Takao ran a hand down his face and shifted his eyes to look at Shintarō through his fingers whose cheeks were shading themselves pink with every passing second.
"Fine... He can stay for lunch, Pumpkin." Takao said, trying to hide his groan before coaxing her inside and stepping aside to let Shintarō in.
Shintarō started breathing again as he stepped passed him and stopped in the entryway, toeing off his loafers and setting them aside before stepping deeper into the small apartment. Miki had gone back to watching her show on the couch, sucking on her thumb while she hugged her teddy bear, but he afford it only a short smile before taking in the rest of the apartment.
It was kept, but he could tell it was a bit dingy, as the carpet was older and the walls could stand to have a fresh coat of paint. The air inside was plain, which he supposed was a good thing and the small kitchen was clean with a dish drainer full of drying dishes. The girl's toys were scattered everywhere and with the shutting of the door behind him, he glanced back just as Takao locked it and stepped passed him with a firm glare set onto his face.
"Get comfortable, I guess." Takao said gruffly as he padded into the kitchen.
Shintarō drew in a deep breath and let it out as he unbuttoned his coat, intent to sling it over the back of a chair at the small dining table with two chairs, but when he heard the hushed swear coming from the kitchen, he stopped and saw Takao run a hand back over his hair.
"Is everything alright?" Shintarō asked.
Takao rasped his lips together, "Hope you like roman noodles." He said as he shut the fridge and went to fill the kettle with water.
Shintarō's brows furrowed, "Um... T-Takao... W-Why not let me take you to lunch."
Takao froze and stared ahead blindly, holding the kettle beneath the stream of water spilling from the faucet.
"I don't need your pity, Shin." He said, shutting off the water and putting the lid on before setting it down onto the stove top.
"It's not pity... It's to say I'm sorry for the other night." Shintarō said, briefly glancing into the living room at the young girl giggling at the TV.
Takao ran his tongue over his bottom lip, slowly shaking his head but instead of turning on the burner, his hands planted down onto the counter so he could lean on them. He dropped his head to his chest and closed his eyes, just breathing in and out slowly to help keep his head clear, but just knowing that that man was standing there was making it difficult.
"Shin... Please don't do this." He said quietly as he turned his head just enough to send him a sidelong glance.
"Daddy?... What's going out mean?" Came his daughter's voice from the living room.
Takao held his breath as he stared at Shintarō, "It means going to a place for something to eat, Sweetie."
Shintarō's brows furrowed, "Has she never-"
"No... It's always too expensive. She's never eaten out before... Other than meals we eat at the club, but we get those for free." Takao said as he stood up and gripped the meat of his shoulders with both hands.
"She doesn't know that that counts?" Shintarō asked quietly.
Takao shook his head, "No... She doesn't really know that that's where I work. It's just where she gets to go to play games with the 'pretty girls'." He said in just above a whisper as he air quoted with a set of fingers.
"Then let me take you out... Please." Shintarō said.
Takao's chest spiked with ache as he exhaled slowly, equally as slowly shaking his head with his utter disbelief at the sudden turn of the day. He wanted to scream at him, to kick him out, but with his daughter there, he wasn't about to lose his temper.
"Daddy... I wanna go out with Shin-Shin. It sounds fun." Miki said from the couch, watching them instead of her show.
"Pumpkin-" He tried.
"Please, Daddy?... I'm feeling better." She said through her thumb.
Takao's cheeks puffed out with his held breath, "Alright... Alright, we'll go... But only because we need to make up for your birthday."
"Yay!" Miki yelped and smiled as she hopped off the couch and ran down the short hallway to her bedroom.
With his daughter out of earshot, Takao took the brief moment he had to glare at the taller man with fire and death deeply seeded into his eyes.
"I'm still pissed off at you and this doesn't change anything." He hissed quietly through clenched teeth as he walked passed Shintarō and disappeared down the hall.
Shintarō just stayed quiet and buttoned his coat back up, slipping his shoes back on as he waited. He listened as Takao's daughter expressed her excitement to her father, how she felt like she was going on an adventure like one of the characters from one of her shows. He smiled at listening to her and even had to admit that hearing Takao speak to her, encouraging her to be excited despite his own disdain, was heartwarming.
After a few minutes, Takao reappeared, having helped Miki get into some presentable clothes before doing the same for himself. Instead of his t-shirt and basketball shorts, he wore jeans and with a slouchy and plain colored sweater that hung off one shoulder to reveal the black tank he wore underneath. Shintarō quietly and as discretely as possible sucked in a short breath as he instantly remembered the sweaters Takao used to wear when they were in high school. They did the same thing and every time they just sat and relaxed, often cuddled on the couch when they could get away with it, he would wear one.
"Lets get your coat on, Sweetie." Takao said as he set the girl down and opened the closet.
He pulled out her adorable pink coat and helped her into it, zipping it up before helping her to put on her shoes. She gripped his shoulders the whole time and once her shoes were tied snug, he put his own coat on, picked up his backpack he carried some supplies in, and scooped her up into his arms.
"Lead on." Takao said, holding Miki on a hip as he unlocked and opened the door.
Shintarō nodded as he stepped out of the apartment, waiting for Takao to shut the door and lock it before heading for the stairs. No one said a word as they started down, and Miki was just smiling and clinging to her father while they walked. Mr. Fuzz was held tight in her arms and after six flights, Takao followed Shintarō out onto the sidewalk, but where he was expecting to head to the bus stop, the taller man lead him to the side parking lot where he had parked his shiny black sedan in a guest spot.
"Shin... I don't have a car seat for her." Takao said, releasing a long breath as he stopped a ways away from the expensive car, watching as Shintarō pulled his keys from his pocket.
"I um... I kind of figured that, so um," he cleared his throat, "I took the liberty of... um... looking up her height and weight, so I could-" Shintarō stuttered before opening the rear, passenger side door.
Takao silently gasped as he set his eyes on the brand new car seat strapped into the luxurious backseat behind the passenger seat. It wasn't just some cheap thing he could get from the local thrift shop, or low end store, but rather one from a department store, maybe even a specialty store from uptown. It looked plush, comfortable and more than safe enough for his baby girl.
"S-Shin-" he tried, "Why did you do that?" He asked, gulping as his eyes went soft with the inability to be angry.
"B-Because I wanted to take you both to lunch." Shintarō said quietly.
"Are we going for a ride in the fancy car, Daddy?" Miki asked, scanning her father's face and sticking her thumb into her mouth.
Takao took a deep breath, but nodded, "It looks like it, Baby. You ready?"
Miki nodded and smiled, and with that, Takao walked up to the opened door and slipped her into the car seat. She nestled down as he took a few moments to make sure he strapped her in right and with her teddy bear in hand, Takao set the backpack down on the floor in front of her before shutting the door and getting into the front passenger seat.
The second his rump pressed into the plush leather seat, he was immediately cradled in it, smelling the slightest hint of new car and stunned stiff by the luxury of it. The dash was wrapped in soft leather, trimmed with polished wood and highlighted with chrome. The instrument panel that displayed all the information for the driver was brightly colored with green and orange and the steering wheel was thick and wrapped with matching leather. The central entertainment panel was dominated by a large touchscreen surrounded by flush buttons and when Shintarō opened the driver's door to get in, the whole thing lit up with a big, bright green 'Hello' displayed on the screen.
"Wow... Nice car." Takao said before lightly gulping and shifting into a comfortable position to buckle his seat belt.
"Thank you... I just got it a few months ago." Shintarō said as he too, buckled in.
"Smells like it." Takao said quietly.
Shintarō briefly glanced at him before pressing the start button and roaring the engine to life, immediately followed by happy giggles and claps of excitement from the little girl in the backseat. Takao immediately smiled and looked back at her, and with her clear happiness on her very young face, he couldn't stop himself from smiling.
However, when Takao turned back around, their eyes met and that smile Shintarō had been missing died and faded away. His mouth set into a hard line and his lips were neutral and still as he stared, his eyes just blinking at him with no emotion behind them. He couldn't look at them for much longer than that and instead of trying, instead of making things more awkward, Shintarō turned forward and put the car into reverse.
As he turned out onto the street and headed for the upper part of town, no one spoke. Takao just stared ahead with the occasional glance out the side window, but he just sat there and picked at his fingernails he would have to fix before work that evening. Star would most likely do it, he knew that, but he just needed something to fidget with to help get passed the awkwardness. The silence was killing him, so heavy that he felt like he was sinking into liquid metal, but as if he was granted some fateful wish, someone finally spoke.
"Faster, Shin-Shin!" Miki squealed happily, having far more fun in the back of the fancy car as she had put it.
Shintarō cleared his throat and refused, positively refused to look over at his passenger, "I'm going the speed limit."
"Faster!" Miki yelped more and clapped.
"She's never been in a car before." Takao whispered, also refusing to look at the driver.
Blowing out a breath that was swallowed by the sound of the road, Shintarō just pursed his lips together and smashed his foot down, lurching the car forward so fast that all three were put back into their seats. Miki squealed and clapped and cheered at how fast they were suddenly going and the roar of the powerful engine wrapped around them like a blanket.
"Wee!... I like cars, Daddy! They're fast!" Miki smiled huge, clapping more and clearly having the time of her short life.
Takao gulped, "They are, Sweetie." Was all he said as the car kept speeding up.
The car's transmission shifted gears to give it more power to keep accelerating and the more cars they passed, the wider Takao's eyes got. They were blitzing by everything as if it were frozen in time and they were the only ones allowed to pass, and as if he was predicting the future, Shintarō would change lanes to get through traffic with smooth movements of the steering wheel.
"Shin... Shin! Slow down!... Shin!... Shintarō!" Takao was starting to panic, "Shin-Chan!"
The second that nickname left his lips, he instantly regretted it, but he still looked over at Shintarō's wide eyes of shock. The car instantly slowed down to a normal speed and with his pronounced Adam's apple, Takao saw it roll when Shintarō gulped.
Too soon however, small rounds of giggles fluttered up from the backseat and Takao cringed as he listened to his little girl laugh. He briefly glanced at Shintarō whom returned it and when he dropped his head to rub his temples, his daughter opened her mouth.
"Daddy called Shin-Shin, Shin-Chan!" more giggles, "My Daddy likes Shin-Shin, huh, Daddy!" Miki giggled with her cute hiccups.
Takao groaned as his entire face burned red hot with a blush, "It just slipped out because we were going too fast, Honey. That's all." He said, trying to save his dignity.
Miki giggled more, "Nuh uh! You like him, Daddy!"
Takao plopped his face down into his palm, but his low grumble was soon overshadowed by the ultra low rumbles of Shintarō's barely restrained laugh. He snapped his head up and glared at the man, his eyes narrowed to send daggers, but his problem was that the recipient of those daggers was far too used to sending his own to be phased.
"Does she know?" Shintarō asked quietly as he slowed the car for an upcoming light and rid his throat of his laugh.
Takao exhaled and looked down at his lap, "Know what?"
"About us?" Shintarō asked, his voice quiet so it didn't drift into the backseat.
"No." Takao said simply.
"What about-"
"That part, she knows." Takao said, interrupting him since he had a pretty good idea of what Shintarō was referring to.
"Daddy likes boys, but that's okay." Miki pipped up from the back.
Takao cringed as his whole face reddened again, "Sweetie, just sit back and enjoy the ride okay? I'm sure we're getting close to wherever Shin wants to take us." He said with just enough firmness in his tone to make Miki's smile fade away and have her relax.
His daughter quiet, Takao finally started to breathe again as the light turned green and Shintarō eased into setting off, following the pace of traffic with no words, or glances being shared. Every now and again, when he was confident in taking his eyes off the road, he would glance over at Takao to see him just staring out the window. He had planted an elbow onto the armrest and was cradling his chin in his palm as he just watched the world go by, watched the buildings grow bigger and get cleaner. The further uptown they went, the more people walking along the sidewalk there were and after a little drive into the heart of the city, Shintarō turned into a public parking garage and found a spot to park.
As Shintarō shut off the car and got out, Takao hesitated for a few moments before blowing out a nervous breath and unbuckling himself. He stepped out and opened the door for the backseat, unstrapping his daughter whom hadn't said another word the rest of the trip and once she was held against his hip, he placed a kiss to her temple just to bring back her smile.
"I love you, Daddy." Miki said quietly as Takao shut both the open doors and Shintarō locked the car.
"I love you too, Pumpkin. Ready for your birthday lunch?" Takao asked as he gripped his forearms with both hands to support her small weight against him.
Miki nodded, "Mmhmm." She hummed.
"Come on... There's a nice little restaurant around the corner." He said, slipping his keys into his pocket and motioning with his head for Takao to follow.
"S-Shin... I-I don't... I-I'm not sure about this." Takao said, having to work very hard just to speak, but began to walk alongside the taller man anyways.
"It's nothing fancy. I'm not taking you out to flaunt anything." Shintarō said with his hands in his pockets.
Takao lightly pursed his lips together, "I know... You've never been one to gloat."
Shintarō exhaled and nodded, "I've been meaning to say... Happy birthday, Miki." He said, if at all to keep the conversation flowing.
Miki smiled, "Thank you, Shin-Shin. I'm four!" She held up her whole hand with all her fingers spread until Takao smiled and tucked her thumb in.
"That's four, Sweetie. Four is before five remember?" Takao said with a pop of his hips to seat her better in his arms as they walked.
"Oh yeah!... Then six right?" Miki asked with a smile so big it puffed her cheeks.
Takao nodded, "Good job, Pumpkin." He cooed.
Shintarō pushed up his glasses, "She's smart."
Takao nodded, "Yeah... She picks stuff up fast."
"I can count to ten because Daddy said his friends in school had numbers on their jerseys." Miki chimed in as she just held onto Mr. Fuzz.
"I see." Shintarō said, briefly meeting Takao's awkward gaze.
"I wanna play just like Daddy did!" Miki smiled big once more.
Takao's cheeks deepened with a warm blush as he averted his eyes from Shintarō's, opting to just look ahead as he they walked side by side along the sidewalk. He gulped down passed the tightness in his throat from the rising awkwardness, and he held his breath to keep his chest from closing in on itself, but feeling a set of eyes on him, he glanced to the side to catch his emerald gaze.
"It would seem our roles have reversed." Shintarō said quietly as he pushed up his glasses.
Takao swallowed, "What do you mean?" He asked, again glancing at the taller man, but only for a moment.
"It used to be you taking me out of my comfort zone." Shintarō said as he guided them around the street corner and still with Takao walking beside him.
"Yeah, well... You needed it." Takao said as he continued to force his expression to stay light so his daughter wouldn't pick up on the tension.
"I am aware... Do you still smile?" Shintarō asked.
Takao's chest spiked, "Not everyone stays the same after high school, Shin."
"That doesn't answer my question."
Takao sighed, "I do... Whenever Miki and I are home." He tightened his hold on her.
"I like it when Daddy's home because we play games and watch shows and Daddy smiles and I like seeing him smile." Miki said.
Takao's chest spiked again, but for a far different reason, "I like smiling too, Sweetie and you make me smile." He smiled.
"That's because Daddy loves me." Miki returned the smile.
"I do?... No way!" Takao gasped as he tickled her tummy and nuzzled her nose before planting a kiss to her forehead.
Shintarō wasn't so cold a human being that he was unable to smile at the exchange as he pushed his glasses higher up onto his nose. There was a glimpse of it, a tiny fleck of the smile he had seen so many times in the past and it only ever showed whenever he was engaging with his little girl. She truly made him happy and despite the situation Takao had been forced into, whether he remembered it, or not, he truly loved that girl with all his heart.
With a subtle clearing of his throat, Shintarō earned Takao's attention back just as he stopped and reached out to open a glass door of the small restaurant that turned out to be a delightful bistro that was bustling, but not so much so as to make it packed. There was a calming buzz to the place, just loud enough to let them know that people were there and as Takao stepped inside, he was immediately greeted by the young and cute hostess.
"Table for two?" She asked as she picked up a menu.
"Three." Takao said, drawing in a settling breath as he popped his hip sideways to scoot Miki back up.
The hostess smiled as she lead them around the corner to a small corner booth, setting the menus down on the neatly arranged table and all while wearing a smile.
"Do you need a booster seat?" She asked, staying out of the way as Takao sat and slid into a spot across from where Shintarō was sitting down.
"Um... I uh-" Takao stuttered.
"Yes, please. She's just a hair too short." Shintarō said as he unbuttoned his coat and undid his scarf to take them off.
The hostess nodded and stepped away, leaving the three to enjoy their time as Takao set Miki down in his lap to help her out of her coat and scarf. She was far too busy looking around as he set her coat aside before getting out of his and instead of putting her down on the bench, he kept her in his lap so she could see.
"So I take it you've come here before?" Takao asked, finding that he didn't want to just sit in silence.
Shintarō nodded, "I have on several occasions." He said as he set his coat down neatly next to him.
"D-Do you always work at the clinic?" Takao asked, glancing up at the hostess whom had brought a plastic booster seat and set it down before walking off again.
"Only when I need to fulfill my hours. Every attending physician is required to fulfill a certain amount every month." Shintarō said, pushing up his glasses once again before picking up the menu to browse through it.
"Which is?" Takao asked, setting Miki down in the booster seat and setting her up with some crayons and paper from his backpack.
"40 hours. I spend a week at the clinic, than go back to the hospital for the rest of the month." Shintarō said without looking up from the menu.
With Miki entertained, Takao finally began to browse his menu, "Which hospital?"
"Sakura Valley General." Shintarō said.
"I always knew you'd make it... You got there fast." Takao said, blowing out a near silent breath as he used the menu as an excuse not to look at the man.
Shintarō eyes flicked up, "It was a lot of work."
"I bet... How's your family?" Takao asked as he just scanned the menu.
"Mom and Yumi are fine." Shintarō said simply.
Takao's eyes stopped scanning in favor of looking up as he lowered the menu, seeing precisely no emotion on Shintarō's face. He was reading the menu and pushing up his glasses and it was almost as if a third human being didn't exist in his world. He found it odd.
"And your dad?" Takao asked, seeing the man's eyes stop scanning through the lunch options.
Shintarō lightly licked his lips as he looked up, "I don't know... I haven't spoken with him since my second year of med school." He swallowed.
Takao's brows eased, "How come?"
Shintarō drew in a deep breath as he sat up straight and leaned back against the backrest, draping a long arm over the top as he released that breath into an equally as long sigh. He briefly glanced at Miki while she colored, holding her crayon in a crude fist, but with her left hand. The girl was left handed and he couldn't stop from cracking a barely there and lopsided smile.
"She's left handed." Shintarō said with a pang of wanting to change the subject.
Takao nodded, "Yeah... Not sure how."
Shintarō just nodded as he glanced back down at the menu without moving an inch.
"Why haven't you talked to your dad, Shin?" Takao asked again, not wanting to let him off the hook.
"He quit talking to me after I told him-" he swallowed, "Told him that I was... That I'm... gay." Shintarō said with the barest tinting of pink along his cheekbones.
Takao's lips parted as if he was going to speak, but nothing passed them; Not even breath.
"But your mom and sister still do." Takao managed to say in just above a whisper.
Shintarō nodded, "They accepted it, but he never did. Mom and Yumi continue to keep in touch with me, but... my father will never acknowledge that I'm his son... Not now."
Takao nodded, "Sounds familiar." He averted his eyes to return to the menu.
"And your family?" Shintarō asked.
Takao rubbed the back of his head, "I talk with Aiko, but that's it. Mom and Dad don't wanna have anything to do with me. Not because I'm gay, but because I had a baby outside of wedlock. They're old fashioned like that."
"But not so old fashioned as to cast off their son for his orientation." Shintarō said, just sitting back and watching him and occasionally glancing at Miki whom happily hummed to herself and colored without a care.
Takao sighed, "I can't even begin to think as to why, but yeah. I'm sure my profession doesn't help either."
"That should lean no weight to it. You're doing what you have to do to support her." Shintarō said as he looked down.
Takao shrugged, "Aiko would agree with you, but my parents wouldn't. They're probably thinking that I'm a... well, getting paid for it... I mean, I am getting paid, but-" his voice caught in his throat, but he silenced himself when Shintarō held up a hand.
"I understand what you mean." He said with surprisingly kind eyes.
"You don't think that do you?" Takao asked with a spark of worry in his stomach.
Even before he was done speaking, Shintarō was already shaking his head.
"Of course not. I know you too well for that." He said.
Takao exhaled a sigh of relief, "Yay for small miracles."
"Miracles are just Fate, Takao." Shintarō said simply.
"Fitting coming from you." Takao said, turning to his backpack to pull out a headband to keep his hair out of his face.
"You were right when you said some people don't stay the same after high school, but the reverse is also true; Some people do stay the same." Shintarō said.
Takao froze just as he pulled his headband out, glancing out the window for a few moments instead of looking at the other man. He steeled his resolve and glanced over at him, holding his gaze for longer than the few fleeting seconds that they had been wracked with since Shintarō had showed up at his door. Those same emerald eyes looked back at him with a neutrality he was far too familiar with, that same, narrowed look that his eyes always took on when there was nothing left to be said. The difference was, was that Takao knew those eyes to be glimpses into the prideful man's head and he had gotten close enough to them to know what was being felt behind them.
"Which one are you?" Takao asked, softly gulping as he slipped on his headband.
"The same as you."
