Working at the bakery was interesting. Mikoto didn't come to work until about nine o'clock every morning, after the morning rush had passed and Yata had left to go to school. He helped Totsuka in the back during this time, and Totsuka immediately busied himself with teaching Mikoto the right way to mix certain recipes, the proper way to knead dough, and how to decorate certain pastries. Needless to say, Mikoto wasn't entirely comfortable with the work, but the praise and the smiles he received from Totsuka in return for his work seemed to make it all rather worthwhile.

He was quickly learning that his new employer was rather eccentric, able to jump from one topic to the next in less than a minute, moving from hobby to hobby faster than it took Mikoto to get bored. It took him nearly a week to convince his new employer to call him by his first name.

But despite his weirdness and the endless smiles that he seemed to put forth, Mikoto found himself more and more enraptured by Totsuka.

He found himself finding excuses to spend more time with the smaller man, offering to stay after his shift to help Totsuka prepare the bakery for the next day, even going so far as to show up early on the weekends to help with the crowds, sacrificing sleep. Even with all of this, though, just seeing Totsuka at work didn't feel like enough. Mikoto wanted to see him more, but he didn't know how to begin to ask.

And then, somehow, Totsuka asked for him.

Mikoto looked up from the dough he was kneading, looking his boss in the face. "What?"

"I said, would you be interested in grabbing some dinner with me tonight once we're done here? You've been working hard all day. I know you must be hungry," Totsuka responded, flashing Mikoto a bright smile as he paused while placing a raspberry on the chocolate tart he was decorating.

For a moment, Mikoto was at a loss. He had literally just been looking for a way to spend time with Totsuka even outside of work, and now that an opportunity was being handed to him on a silver platter, he had no idea what to say. So, he nodded.

Soon, they were eating dinner together at least twice a week. Mikoto found himself wanting to hold Totsuka, wanting to kiss him, to touch him, to be allowed to call him his own. He wasn't sure what was wrong with him, until he found himself talking to Izumo one night. He told him about meeting Totsuka, how weird he was, his urges to touch and to hold, the way his chest ached sometimes. Okay, so maybe he didn't really say it in so many words, but Izumo seemed to get the idea.

"You're in love with him, you idiot." Izumo sighed, his tone was fondly exasperated as he pinched the bridge of his nose, never having expected to be having this conversation with Mikoto of all people. "And from what you told me, it sounds like he likes you, too. Just tell him how you feel."

'Tell him how you feel,' Izumo said, but that was the easy part. Actually saying the words to Totsuka, that was something entirely different. Mikoto tried. For a week straight, he tried, but every time he went to say the words, something seemed to distract Totsuka, or the moment wasn't right, until finally, Mikoto was close to giving up. After failing once again, he resolved to tell Totsuka first thing when he got to work the next day, before anything could happen or distract them.

The next morning, he was nervous. He'd literally never thought about his clothes or the way he did his hair before, but now, as he checked himself in the mirror, he wondered if he looked too silly to ask Totsuka out. He decided it didn't matter, and went to work instead.

Mikoto entered the kitchen and said his good mornings to Totsuka. His heart was pounding in his chest. He wouldn't have expected himself to care quite so much if Totsuka would approve of him. He had thought that it wouldn't matter. Then again, he really wouldn't have expected himself to fall in love with anyone, let alone the smiley man before him.

"So, I bought a skateboard last week because I'm interested in skating right now, but it's a lot harder than I thought it would be," Totsuka described. His sleeves were rolled up past his elbows. Flour powdering all up his arms, a white smudge even having somehow found its way up to his nose. "I keep falling over! Yata says I'm hopeless…"

He paused, looking up from his baking to find Mikoto watching him, a curious expression on his face. "Mikoto? Is something wrong?" He questioned, tilting his head to the side as he watched the bigger man before him.

Mikoto took a slow step forward, his stare focused but gentle as he reached out, allowing his fingers to fall lightly on Totsuka's cheek, wiping his thumb over the bit of flour on his nose, wiping it off before pulling him forward, leaning down to meet him as he pressed their lips together, kissing him lightly at first, only to begin kissing him more passionately when it seemed as though Totsuka wasn't going to pull away.

They remained like that for a long time, Mikoto's hand slowly moving from Totsuka's cheek, only to wrap his arms around his slim waist instead, holding him close, his heart jumping in his chest as he felt Totsuka returning his kisses just as willingly.

When they finally pulled away from each other, a light blush colored Totsuka's usually pale cheeks, visible, even beneath the layers of flour, and Mikoto offered him a rare, small smile.

"I love you," he murmured softly, leaning in and brushing Totsuka's bangs out of the way, only to press a slow, small kiss to the baker's forehead, wanting to hold him close, but needing to see the look on Totsuka's face as he said these words. "I want to be with you."

Totsuka's eyes were wide as he gazed up at Mikoto, crimson red blossoming darkly across his face. He seemed at a loss for words for a long moment, uncharacteristically shy, before he seemed to relax once again, and a gentle smile bloomed on his lips. He leaned forward, reaching up and cupping Mikoto's face in his hands, pulling him in close as he kissed him once more on the lips, deep and passionate as he attempted to communicate his feelings to the man in his arms, a tender expression on his face as they pulled way once again.

"I love you, too."

Mikoto's heart seemed to beat faster in his chest as he pulled Totsuka close once again, enjoying the feeling of that slim body against his. The urge to kiss Totsuka once again washed over him, and he smiled, leaning in and relishing the fact that he didn't have to hold back anymore.

===The End===

Please, tell me what you think!