Author's Note: Another installment for you lovely people, I'm feeling very inspired! Thanks for commenting LaughterLover98 and animelover1111!

TEN

Mikoto sat quietly at the bar of HOMRA. He stared blankly at his glass of whiskey and mindlessly flipped the top of his lighter open and closed. Anna, a beautiful young girl, watched him curiously and glanced over at Kusanagi and Tatara who seemed to notice Mikoto's odd behavior. It wasn't that he was quiet, but the fact he was staring into space. If he was asleep it would have made more sense, but it was like something was on his mind.

Anna hopped down from the bar stool she was on and crossed over to Mikoto. He had been sitting on the other end of the bar, not attuned with anything going on around him. It was a rather quiet day in HOMRA though; most of the boys were out getting into some sort of shenanigans, leaving only the four in the bar.

"Mikoto?" Anna called out to him as she stood beside him.

Mikoto turned his head to look at Anna. She blinked a few times and climbed onto the empty bar stool beside the man who's red was warmer and brighter than anyone's. He used to call her a brat and ignored her often, but over time he grew fond of the little girl. She always had an intrigue with him because of his beautiful red aura. Anna was a strain, her world was mostly shades of grey and the only color that she ever seemed to see without her glass marbles was red.

"You seem distracted," Anna noted, which wasn't like her. The little girl normally kept to herself when it came to her King, but this was something that had been going on for a while. Mikoto didn't usually act on what troubled him; so as the problem persisted for longer than a week Anna couldn't keep quiet. "I'm worried."

Tatara smiled weakly and placed a hand on Anna's head in an affectionate manner. He was a lean and tall young man with long tawny hair. He was always so kind and took care of everyone in HOMRA. Although, his motherly ways sometimes annoyed the others everyone loved him nonetheless.

"I'm fine," Mikoto replied simply as he got up from the bar and walked away. The bells of the front door jingled and Anna frowned as she watched him through the window.

"He's acting strange," Tatara commented and looked back at Kusanagi, who nodded in agreement as he polished some glasses. "But I don't think it's a bad kind of strange."

"I don't either," Kusanagi agreed and looked at Anna, who still seemed sad. "He's okay, Anna."

The girl dressed in the red gothic Lolita dress looked at the man behind the bar. He smiled at her and nodded his head to assure her. She looked back at the door and hopped down from the stool and ran out the door.

"Anna!" Tatara called out, but she didn't stop. "Should we go get her?"

"Mikoto will watch her," Kusanagi replied as he leaned on the bar top. "I haven't seen Mikoto like this in years."

"He's been like this before?" Tatara asked in surprise and Kusanagi nodded his head. "I don't remember."

"It was a little before you came along," Kusanagi replied as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "He was, I wouldn't say in love per se, but definitely heading in that direction."

Tatara opened his mouth, but then quickly closed it. He smiled and laughed lightly, resting his elbows on the bar. Propping his chin in the palm of his hand, Tatara was completely amused by the idea of a Mikoto in love or heading in that direction.

"So you think he's found someone?" Tatara asked with a raised brow.

"It's definitely possible," Kusanagi said as he blew out a ring of smoke.

"Why would he be distracted by that though? Shouldn't he be happy about this?" Tatara questioned. He never really did associate falling in love as a negative, but Mikoto also wasn't like normal people. The redhead was quiet, lazy, and aloof even, but he was a good person when it came down to it.

"A distracted Mikoto is a happy Mikoto," Kusanagi explained, which confused Tatara a bit. "He's distracted because he's happy and my bet is he doesn't know what to do with himself."

"Now, I'm wishing I'd gone with Anna," Tatara chuckled. "I wonder who has the attention of our King."