A/n: This chapter is really a feel good chapter with some "funny" moments thrown into it, but there is also a conversation in this that will tell you all about the second arc of this story, I won't ramble much, but I hope you enjoy it. 3
0o0o0o0
-The Next day-
"Take good care of yourself, Suoh." Munakata said with a wave of his good arm, his other was wrapped in a sling due to a fracture he had received whilst blocking the explosion that erupted when the Colorless King had been slayed. The Red King stood in front of his clansmen, minus Yata who was already asleep in the back Izumo's Lexus, the members of HOMRA waved a goodbye to their now former allies before retreating to their respective vehicles, all heading back to the bar in Shizume.
Only Izumo, Tatara, Anna and Mikoto remained standing in front of the core members of Scepter4 who were yet to leave, the leader of the Red Clan took a few steps forward, which the Blue King mimicked.
"Thank you...for everything." Suoh exclaimed as he stuck his hand out, Reisi looked surprised at first but he shook the hand that was offered to him, nonetheless.
"It was my pleasure, I'm glad we've managed to avoid a complete and utter tragedy."
The handshake ended as abruptly as it had began.
"Look, I didn't want you thinking I owed you or anything..." Suoh began but stopped when Munakata laughed at the suggestion.
"Please Suoh, you do not owe me anything. I did this as your friend, and also as a fellow King, I couldn't allow these events to transpire one way or another."
"That might be true but still...I changed my mind. If you ever need help with anything this is your free pass, HOMRA will work with you on any one task should it not involve my clansmen or put them in a hopeless scenario." Mikoto tried to ignore the exclamations of surprise that came from his clansmen but they ended up being too funny to ignore, he found himself smirking at their shock.
"As the Captain of Scepter4 I will graciously accepted that," Reisi feigned a bow, "please tell me there is no expiration date on that offer."
"Nope, as long as you and I are alive and kicking my offer stands," Mikoto took one last look at the Blues before turning on his heel and returning to his clansmen, "bye Munakata."
The Blue King grinned.
"See you next time...Suoh."
0o0o0o0
"Mikoto do you want me to carry him?" Izumo asked as he got out of the driver's seat, Tatara jumped out of the passenger seat and Anna jumped out of the back seat, giving the Red King enough room to loop his arms around the sleeping man next to him and carefully pull him into his chest.
"No, I've got him."
"But your wound," Tatara exclaimed though it was to no avail, the Third King was already exiting the vehicle with Yata's sleeping form in his arms. He hissed slightly as his own wound threatened to start bleeding again but he choose to ignore the pain, we're literally ten steps away from the bar, you can do this.
"Stubborn as always," Kusanagi replied as held the door open for Anna and Tatara who happily entered the bar to greet everyone else. The bartender smirked at his friend when he got to the steps.
"What's that creepy look for?" Suoh asked with a frown, shifting his weight so he could stay balanced with the extra weight in his arms.
"Nothing, it's just good to see you so happy," Kusanagi said through his grin, something the Red King shrugged off. He walked in past his clansmen, who all bowed in respect whilst he nodded his head at them, and took his usual seat at the couch, not trusting himself to walk up the stairs at the moment he settled for laying Yata on his side, his head resting in his King's lap.
Anna sat down on the armrest, having no other place to sit on her the couch she usually loitered on with the King, he shot her an apologetic glance.
"Sorry Anna."
"It's okay Mikoto, Misaki needs it more than I do." She said with a small smile before she averted her attention to her feet, something the Red King raised an eyebrow at.
"What's gotten into you?"
"Nothing," she assured though the way her body was shaking showed she was ready to laugh.
"Anna..."
"I'm glad you and Misaki finally told each other," she blurted out, "I've been waiting for you two to finally say something."
"Eh...what?" He deadpanned, shock registering in his face as all eyes in the room fell on them, the air was silent.
"I'm young but even I know love when I see it," she said as she returned her gaze to her guardian's, "I'm happy for you, you've never been this happy before."
Mikoto's lip twitched into a smirk but that quickly faltered when he felt Yata twist in his lap, his face hiding in his torso though not digging into his stab wound. "Yata?"
"Sh, I can't deal with them right now..." Misaki whined as he continued to hide his face, though it was apparent by his change of skin tone that he had woken up in time to hear Anna's realization.
"Do my ears deceive me or is King really in love?" Tatara's voice echoed throughout the bar, earning him a lot of unwanted stares from his fellow clansmen. "King I'm so happy for you, you deserve all the happiness in the world and I wish you a-"
"Enough already," Chitose yelped as he smacked the back of Tatara's head, earning himself a yelp of shock. "He does have a point though, Mikoto-san, you seem really happy today. Happier than you were before this whole charade started, even."
"Yeah," Dewa started up as he stretched, a yawn escaping his lips in the process. "Congrats."
"Congrats." Seemed to be the only thing his clansmen had to say to him after that, even Izumo, whom was behind the bar cleaning as if nothing had ever happened offered up his words of approval.
"Maybe Yata-chan can finally get you to settle down," the bartender actually said with a laugh, "though he's just as bad as you, I don't see that happening."
"Watch it, Izumo." Mikoto warned with a glare though his lips twitched upwards into a smile, one his friend was eager to return.
"I'm glad you're happy, Mikoto."
The Red King chuckled under his breath, he had expected his clansmen to react in an indifferent manner but this was a bit much for him, an out pour of support had not been what he had in mind originally.
A groaning sound captured his attention as the younger man in his arms tossed and turned, clearly agitating his wounds that would surely take some time to heal. He felt his heart sink at the thought.
"If there's anything else we can do Mikoto-san, please let us know," Kamamoto spoke up, clearly picking up on his small levels of distress as he watched Yata's face morph into one of pain with a frown.
"Just..." Mikoto looked up at his clansmen who had seemingly gathered around them, "I know I've been asking this a lot, but let's just take it easy for awhile. I don't need any help personally, but I'd really like to start feeling a bit better."
"Are you still feeling ill, Mikoto-san?" Erik asked with a frown, though the Red King waved it off.
"No, I'm fine, but after that battle I need some time to recover...mentally. My Aura is very restless at the moment and it causes me a great deal of stress to constantly have to restrain it," Suoh admitted, though it pained him to do so.
"Sure thing, Mikoto-san. Everyone, let's give the King a break until the holidays are over." Chitose exclaimed, which Mikoto thought was extremely out of character for the young man. Everyone in the room came to unanimous agreement on the matter, all agreeing to lay low until the end of the year which had the Red King literally sighing in relief. He couldn't stop the smile that grew on his lips.
"Thank you guys, I'm really proud of all of you."
0o0o0o0
-One Week Later-
"Ow! Tatara please be more careful!" Yata whined as he fidgeted in the bar stool, his discarded shirt was crumpled in his hands while the HOMRA cameraman changed his bandages, the worst of the injuries, the stab wound in his leg was healing nicely but the deep gash on his back constantly tore and reopened because...well...it was Misaki, he never sat still, despite being told he needed to be on bed rest. Mikoto sat on the couch with Anna, eyes fixated on the duo as he gazed at them through the smoke that radiated from the cigarette that was perched in between his lips.
"I tried to tell you that you needed to rest," he stated smugly as his iboyfriend/i hissed while Totsuka wiped the wound with alcohol wipes.
"King if he won't listen to you then he won't listen to anybody, I suggest we give him to Scepter4 and he can stay in their infirmary until he's well. Fushimi-kun can take care of you!" Tatara teased as he continued his ministrations, much to Yata's dismay.
"Fushimi is going to kill me if he ever sees me again, I'm not trying to die before my time. Tell Tatara to stop being so mean to me, ow!"
"Totsuka."
"Sorry King, it's not my fault he won't sit still, this wound is going to get infected if you don't take better care of it. Now it's not my place to say anything but King I think you need to hire a real beast tamer, Yata-kun can not be reasoned with. Not by me, or Kusanagi-san and not even by you. He is the real monster of HOMRA."
"What did you just say about me!?"
"Enough you two, you're giving me a headache," Izumo seethed as he came out from the kitchen with a clipboard, "Mikoto can you help me do inventory? We're so far behind it's not even funny and I need these deliveries by next week."
"Ah," Suoh responded as he got off the couch, giving Anna an apologetic look as she frowned at him. "You want to come help us, birthday girl?"
The girl eagerly nodded her head, following after her guardian as if she was a lost dog.
Mikoto helped take stock of what the bar had and made notes of what they needed and in no time the two of them, plus Anna who helped as best as she could, got the task at hand done. A crate of alcohol that was stored under the bar caught his attention as they wrapping up.
"Oi, what are these for?"
"Oh those? Don't count them, I'm saving them for tonight."
"We're drinking for Anna's birthday?" Mikoto asked with a laugh, "she's twelve, should we really be doing that around her?" Behind him he heard a small giggle. "Did you just laugh?"
"My age has never stopped you all from drinking before," she said through a smile, one that earned her a loud round of laughter from the men in the bar. "Mikoto I want everyone to have a good time tonight, Tatara-san had a bad night and I want him to be able to celebrate, too."
"You had a bad night?" Mikoto asked as he turned his attention to the cameraman who was busy wrapped Yata's chest up to cover the gash, he merely shrugged.
"I just didn't sleep well, I know that you handled the situation with the...Colorless King but I just wanted to stay awake...just in case, I don't know. It's silly," he commented with a frown as he tapped Yata on the shoulder as if to tell him he was done.
"Why didn't you stay with us last night if that was the case?" Suoh asked as he approached his friend, "you know our doors are always open. I wouldn't have minded if you stayed here, we all just watched a movie in the rec room and stayed up a bit for her birthday then we went to bed. You could've come over." Totsuka frowned.
"It's okay, King. It's been nice being able to go home without fear, I spent last night visiting my parents anyway..." the sadness faded away from his expression, "I guess that whole ordeal has made me appreciate them a lot more. It had been some time since I had seen them. Of course I didn't tell them everything but my mother stayed awake with me most of the night and we talked, it wasn't that bad."
Izumo smiled, "well I'm glad it's made you reestablish your relationship with your parents, I know you hadn't seen them in awhile. You are planning on staying here tonight though, right?"
"I wouldn't miss our Princess' birthday for the world," Tatara beamed at Anna who returned it in earnest. "Now Yata, time to be serious, if I catch you riding your skateboard one more time I'm going to sick Mikoto on you."
"Me?" Suoh asked out of surprise, his boyfriend shot him a cheeky grin. "And what do you mean sick me on him? I'm not a dog."
"Okay, maybe I should have said Kusanagi-san."
"I'm not a dog either!" The bartender shot back as he grabbed another glass to clean, "Yata's he right though, no more of this, I mean it. I know you don't want me to yell at you again."
The leader of the Vanguard paled and shook his in unison, "I'd rather die, no thank you."
"That's what I thought," Izumo seethed, pointing a finger at him in warning, "you better listen to Tatara, he might have a few screws loose but he knows what's best for you."
"I'm gonna take that as a compliment," Totsuka muttered weakly though he looked a little disheartened. "Anna, do you want to go to the corner store with me? I need to buy some film for tonight."
"They sell film for that thing?" Mikoto asked as the young girl brushed past him in search of her coat, after she pulled it on her shoulders she ran over and grabbed Totsuka by the hand.
"Yeah, I requested it enough that they started carrying it. Said I alone was worth it, it's not exactly cheap."
"Expensive hobbies, I'm telling you," Kusanagi mumbled under his breath as he continued to work.
"We'll be back soon, I think Chitose and Dewa and the others are hanging at the restaurant next door so we will go have lunch with them if that's the case, how does that sound, Princess?" Anna's eyes gleamed at the suggestion, something Mikoto could only smile about.
"All right, we'll be back later." Totsuka said with a wave as he and Anna walked hand in hand out the front door, disappearing from their sight a few moments later.
"Relax Mikoto, they're gonna be fine," Izumo said as he put the glass he had in his hand down on the counter.
"I know they are, it's just gonna take time for me to accept that this is really over."
"I know, I can't believe it's been a week already, too. If you want, Mikoto-san, I can follow them and make sure they make it there all right." Yata offered as he struggled to pull his dark black v-neck over his head, he refused to wear his usual white sweatshirt until the threat of him bleeding through his bandages was gone.
"No, don't," Suoh replied with a click of his tongue, "they'll be fine. We need to stop being so paranoid."
"Easier said than done," Yata grumbled, as he continued to fuss with his t-shirt, Mikoto sighed before walking around the bar, offering to help him by snatching the fabric from his hands before sliding it over him with ease. Izumo chuckled at them which made the Red King shoot him a dirty glance.
"What? I just never expected you of all people to help dress someone, help undress them maybe, but never the other way around. You're turning into a mother hen, Mikoto." He teased, ignoring the fiery glow that was sent his way as he went back to working.
"Mikoto how's your wound healing?" Misaki asked as he lightly grazed his hand over the Red King's hip, the same area that had been impaled by a tree limb, Suoh didn't so much as finch at the contact.
"It's fine, my Aura has accelerated the healing so it's practically gone now."
"Lucky," the younger man said as he stuck out his tongue in a joking manner, "I wish that would work for me."
"Mikoto have you ever tried healing?" Izumo asked as he looked back over at the pair, "I mean, you seem pretty capable of destroying but maybe you could use your Aura to help heal something, too. I don't know if it's possible but it's worth a shot."
"He's right you know, your flames won't hurt me," Yata said with a smile, "next time I have to have this changed let's give it a shot? I don't want to unwrap it right now," a shudder ran through his spine.
"That bad?"
"Terrible, it's awful and believe it or not, Tatara is less than gentle with me."
"Probably because it was your idiotic actions that got you those wounds in the first place, he has no sympathy." Kusanagi shot back as he reached over his shoulder to answer the phone, ignoring the cries of protest that came from Misaki. "Uh huh, thanks. I'll send someone over to pick that up right away."
"What was that about?" Mikoto asked as he wrapped his arms around Yata, laying his head lazily on top of the younger man's, choosing to ignore the yelp of surprise that came from his boyfriend's throat. After a second he relaxed back into the touch, his own arms wrapping around the Red King's.
"Anna's birthday cake is ready to be picked up, would you mind going to get it, Mikoto?"
"Ah, where is it?"
"The bakery that's two blocks from here, you know the one we got the Halloween cake at, right?" Suoh nodded his head, "that's the one. It's already been paid for."
"I'll be back," Mikoto mumbled into Yata's ear when his friend turned his back to give them a moment of privacy.
"Can I not come with you?" Misaki asked with a pout, grip tightening on the other man's arms.
"No, stay here and rest, I'm tired of seeing you in pain and you're making it worse." Mikoto said in a no nonsense tone, leaving no room for an argument.
"But Mikotooooooo," the younger man whined as he gave the other man puppy dog eyes. Mikoto would admit that Yata was a fast learner, that look had become pretty hard to resist caving into over the last week but he was standing firm on this, knowing that it was for the best if he stuck to his guns.
"No, end of discussion. I'm your King first, I still expect you to respect what I say," Suoh asserted as he leaned down and placed a kiss on the younger man's forehead, causing him to turn bright red in response.
"Sorry, Mikoto-san," Misaki murmured, glaring daggers in Izumo's back as he obviously worked to contain his laughter.
"I'll be back," the Red King offered with a small wave of his hand as he grabbed his cigarettes and headed out the door, not around to see the teasing that ensued afterward.
"Your boyfriend said he was your King first," Kusanagi cackled to a very flustered Yata who slammed his head down on the bar in embarrassment. "That's gotta be rough."
"Says the man who dates a Blue, give me a break! Seri so obviously wears the pants in your relationship!" Misaki called back mockingly as he rose his head, finding the banter more entertaining than offensive now that he thought about it.
"But Mikoto..." Izumo laughed again, "oh god that was good. When I die, Yata-chan, I want that engraved on my epitaph."
"You suck," Yata whined though he couldn't fight the smile that came to his lips.
0o0o0o
"You didn't tell me this cake was seven tiers," Mikoto grumbled as he struggled to open the front door of the bar, from across the room he could hear the bartender and Yata laugh. Thanks for the help.
"Mikoto I can't even see your face, how did you manage to carry that? I'm sorry, I honestly forgot, you could have taken the car." Kusanagi chuckled as he ushered his friend into the kitchen where they could hide the cake from Anna's prying eyes, in the back was a stack of presents a mile high, from everyone in HOMRA respectively, if it there was one thing they took seriously it was parties. Despite being a group of delinquents, their Princess was treated as such and deeply loved by even the toughest ones in the bunch, not spoiling her on her special day just felt like a crime.
Izumo and him organized the pile of decorations they were going to put up later in the night while someone else distracted the birthday girl. It wasn't a surprise party, but it was a bit of a tradition at HOMRA to keep the guest of honor away from the bar until everything was ready for them, that way they knew to expect something but didn't know what exactly they were expecting. Seeing the decorations out made a memory cross Mikoto's mind, on his nineteenth birthday Izumo had ordered a to go package from a strip joint.
Which really meant when Mikoto came into the bar on that night he was surrounded by half naked beautiful women and Kusanagi was in heaven, Tatara, being only seventeen at the time, was a flustered mess and ran out of the bar without another word, leaving Suoh to suffer in silence as his birthday presents tried to keep his attention. It hadn't been a bad night per say, but it was definitely not his cup of tea either. He appreciated the beauty in people just like everyone else but he hated people pining over him, especially when those people had been paid to act like they actually wanted his attention.
He had wound up sitting on the sofa with a disinterested look on his face as a particularly pretty woman had seemed to noticed his disinterest after a failed attempt at trying to climb onto his lap, he might have pushed her off of him but that was another story entirely. She had thought it was funny and was actually genuinely interested in why such a handsome man didn't like people fawning over him. He spent the rest of the evening having his ear talked off by her as she averted his attention to her and her alone. Izumo gave him hell about it the day afterward, saying that he had another six women in the room and he only spent his time talking to the gorgeous brunette.
Mikoto had found her interesting and the others not, that was the way he operated when it came to first impressions. Sure the woman had been half naked and was just earning the money Kusanagi had spent on her but she had at least put her heart into what she did, unlike the robotic other women Izumo seemed to chase. Despite having a strong preference to men, Mikoto couldn't say he didn't like women either because that would be a lie. But strippers...he hoped he'd never be in a situation like that again. He shuddered at the thought of that awkward birthday, never again.
"You okay?" Izumo laughed as he laid several bright red streamers flat out on the table.
"Remember when you hired strippers for my birthday?" Mikoto deadpanned as he stacked some black paper plates next to a pile of red ones, despite being the only color Anna could see without the aid of her marbles, red was also her favorite color.
"Oh god, yes, that was a great night," Izumo laughed, "I promise I won't tell Yata."
"Like it matters, he'd probably think it was funny."
"That's true, for a man that slept his way around town in the early day I had expected you to drool over the ladies I selected for you but instead you withdrew yourself from the situation and had a fucking political conversation with that one chick," Kusanagi chuckled under his breath at the memory.
"Around town? Sheesh you really think I'm that much of a man whore?" Mikoto feigned offense, "How many times did I not come home on average a month?"
"Maybe once or twice for the last eight years," Izumo answered with a smirk.
"See, I'm not that bad."
"Mikoto, if we assume you slept with 1.5 people, I know that's not possible but that's our median number here, a month for the last eight years that's..." Kusanagi paused to do the mental math, "that's 144 people over the last eight years."
"That's not that bad," Mikoto mumbled, suddenly feeling a bit self conscious, "and besides, it's not like I didn't go back to certain people every now and again."
"So 100 would be a more reasonable number?" Izumo cackled much to his King's dismay.
"Shut up," Mikoto groaned, stacking the rest of the plastic cups up before they began to unwrap the cake, his best friend's smile didn't fade, which means he's still gonna talk about it.
"Mikoto, you're such a closet playboy," Izumo continued to tease, "I need you to teach me your ways, is it because you're a King? Do people just fall head over heels for you because you've got power or is it because you've got a handsome face? Help me out here."
Mikoto grinned wickedly, seeing a perfect opportunity to return some of the heat that was being put on him. "Maybe I'm just good in bed and you're not," he offered with a shrug of his shoulders, "it's not my fault people flock to me, I don't exactly enjoy it all of the time but let's be honest here, your girlfriend would cut your d-"
"Okay okay that's enough!" Izumo cringed, "I was just joking, please don't take it that far."
"Besides, I'm not trying to be like that anymore," Mikoto mumbled as he leaned against the steel table in the bar's kitchen, "all it ever did was make me feel even worse and yet I couldn't stop myself from doing it."
"Because you've always sucked with self control, you've always relied on others to control your emotions for you but a romantic relationship was something no one else could help you with, right?" Kusanagi inquired as he leaned against the table opposite of the Red King.
"Ah."
"That's some pretty heavy stuff, Mikoto. Why didn't you talk to me about this?"
"And say what exactly, 'hey Izumo, I'm sleeping around because I'm lonely, what do I do'? See, it just sounds stupid," Suoh groaned, running his hand under his shirt to feel the wound that was healing on his hip.
"We're friends, aren't we?" Izumo inquired, taking a step forward in a show of support.
"Of course we're friends, you're my best friend, why do you feel the need to ask?" Mikoto raised an eyebrow, god, when did we get this sentimental? We're getting old.
"Because friends talk to each other about these sort of things, no matter how stupid they sound." Kusanagi smiled, "talk to me next time, I mean I don't think I would've been that much of a help but maybe talking it out would've done something. At least you have someone now, though I never expected you and Yata of all people to get together."
"Yeah, I can hardly believe it myself," Mikoto laughed, his hand still itching at the scab that was formed on his side.
"Did you always have a thing for him or what?"
"No, I used to look at him like he was just another Tom, Dick, and Harry, like the rest of the boys. It wasn't until Saruhiko left that I think something changed in him."
"Yeah he clung to you pretty badly after that, I swore he was going to attach himself to you and never let you go."
"Ah, but I honestly didn't even look at him any differently until three weeks ago and I was too ignorant to realize what was happening until I had a bit of a push in the right direction." Suoh paused as if he was remembering something, though Izumo didn't bring it up.
"You fell for him in three weeks?" Kusanagi's eyes momentarily widened, "here I was, thinking this went back months ago and nope, not even a single month ago. Damn Mikoto, you fell hard."
"Yep, and I don't regret it," the Red King smiled to himself, "my health has even improved since last week, I'm gonna be as good as new here soon and that means I'll be able to hold my title as a King for quite some time. Maybe I'll be the first Red King not to lose his shit."
"You've got a good support system and clansmen who are willing to shoulder the responsibility with you, not to mention you've got a cute kid who can see the future, your own paparazzi, someone to come home too every night and a devilishly good looking second in command."
Mikoto gave him a are you fucking kidding me kind of look.
"Stop being so sentimental, it's weird."
"Ah I guess you're right, just then I imagined all of us as a group of beautiful people and I couldn't be any more wrong. We're a mess and so are you, but at least we're in this shit together." Izumo corrected as he took out a cigarette, giving one to the King on instinct.
"So," Mikoto grumbled as he lit the tobacco, "what's the plan for tonight? I know you're up to something, I can see it in your eyes."
"Before I delve into that, can I say one more weird sentimental thing?"
"Only if I can punch you," Mikoto deadpanned, completely serious. Kusanagi winced.
"Yes, if you want to punch me after that you can, just not in the face, we have a party to host after all." Izumo bit his lip before leaning against the table again, "so we have a deal?"
"Deal," Suoh answered with a sigh, finding the whole conversation a bit too emotional for his tastes.
"You might think that everyone has been acting kind of..."
"Clingy?" Mikoto offered, referring to the way literally every single one of his guys had been trying to spend as much time as possible together, namely, with the Red King. One day it was lunch with Chitose, then dinner with Bandō, and then the next day it was taking Dewa to see a film, then Kamamoto, Kōsuke and Erik had wanted to do something, and on it went. Whenever he wasn't out running around with his clansmen he was asleep on the couch, his head in Yata's lap, where he was the most content.
"Yeah, clingy, that works." Izumo continued with a wave of his hand, "but the point is, I know you've noticed how much time they want to spend with you lately and I want to make sure you don't see that as a bad thing."
"What do you mean? It's not bad, it's just a bit tedious."
"Tedious, really Mikoto? Your family wanting to spend time with you has your nerves frayed?" Kusanagi clicked his tongue out of annoyance.
"Ugh I didn't mean it like that, it's just...I'm tired, Izumo."
"You're always tired, that's hardly an excuse."
"I mean this has been so mentally exhausting that I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack, yes my Sword of Damocles is healing but my emotions are frayed. I don't mind spending time with everyone, I really don't, but Yata's been hurt and I hate leaving him, and I have to worry about Anna and Tatara, and everyone else under the sun and I just can't think right now. Everything is happening so quickly and I have no room to breathe." Mikoto's eyes were downcast, "I'm...happy that the boys want to spend time with me, I don't understand it but it makes me feel like a less shitty King, maybe I should have been doing this all along."
"Can I finish what I was saying?"
Suoh seethed at him.
"The guys want to spend more time with you because now they realize that not even you can escape death in the end. They idolize you, I don't know if you see that or not but when they look at you they don't see just a man they consider a friend, they see their provider and protector, but most importantly, you're a hero to some of these kids. Take Erik for example, Yata, even Fushimi, you gave these kids a place to belong and people to belong amongst, after the fear of losing you and another one of their clansmen it's only natural that they want to surround themselves with the people they love." Izumo sighed.
"Mikoto, look at it this way, I'm glad you're finally starting to open up more, even though I've known you for so many years I feel like we're strangers at times, too. It's great to see you finally open up to us, now that everything is said and done, I hope that doesn't detour you from this line of thinking. Maybe Yata will be helpful to you as well, I'm just...I really like this new you. I hope you do, too."
"Izumo," Mikoto mumbled, at a complete and total loss for words, his second in command waved his hands in front of his face.
"You can punch me now," the blond laughed, bracing for impact when the Red King balled his hands into fists. He squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a powerful punch to be delivered somewhere on his body but to his surprise, he felt a gentle hand rest on his shoulder.
"Mikoto?"
The Third King smiled, "better go back."
"Yeah, Yata's probably bored himself to death by now."
Suoh smirked, "now that wouldn't surprise me."
Izumo followed after his friend, well and truly happy for the first time in a long time, he glanced back into the kitchen as he flicked the lights off, the darkness concealing the supplies they would be using for the Princess' birthday.
"Wait, you never told me what you have planned," Suoh recalled as he walked around the counter and gathered up a sleeping Yata from the bar stool, the blond couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.
"I'll tell you later, take him upstairs and the two of you take a nap, you look like you need one."
"You know me all to well," Mikoto mumbled as he headed towards the stairs, "wake me when you're ready to start to decorating."
"Will do, get some rest," the bartender called as he pulled out his phone and placed a phone call, smirking when the other person picked up on the third ring.
Tonight's going to be good one.
0o0o0o0o
"Chitose, help me move this table!"
"Rikio, will you stop fawning over the cake and help us!"
"When did Tatara say they would be back again?"
"Ugh."
Out of all the noises in the room the last one caught Mikoto's attention, sitting down the plate of food he had brought out of the kitchen he walked over to the staircase, standing before Yata who rubbed his eyes, leaning on the railing for extra support.
"When I woke up you were gone, why didn't you wake me before you all started decorating?" He yawned as he ran his fingers through his hair, which had gotten a lot longer in the last month, he looks just like he did the day we met, Suoh mused as he shrugged his shoulders.
"You needed to rest and I didn't want to wake you when I got up, that was kind of the point."
"I need to go to my apartment," Yata mumbled under his breath, "my gift to Anna is there."
"When did you go back to your apartment?" Mikoto asked out of curiosity, not remembering that happening in the last week, though he had been out quite a few times since then.
"When you and Dewa went to the movies Tatara and I went out for a bit and I got some more clothes from my place," he grumbled, taking another step down though his footsteps seemed unsure, Mikoto offered him a hand which he gladly accepted.
"Anna and Tatara won't be back for another hour so I'll run you over there," he said with a sigh as he led his boyfriend over to the bar where he asked Izumo for his car keys after explaining himself. He turned back to Yata as he slid his coat over his shoulders, keys and cigarettes in his hand. "Where's your jacket?"
"At my apartment, I forgot it," Misaki blushed looking down at his feet in embarrassment, "it wasn't cold when Totsuka and I left so I just didn't remember to gr-"
"Here," Mikoto exclaimed as he slid the coat off his shoulders and held it out so he could help the younger man into it, Yata blinked at him.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes?"
"Shit, sorry, you just never let anyone touch it...let alone wear it." He blabbed out as he carefully slid his arms into the sleeves, the coat was much too big on him but he wasn't about to complain, it was warm, and most of all it was a huge gesture of affection coming from the man who watched over the jacket like a hawk. What the obsession with it was Yata felt like he'd never know.
"You're not just anyone, idiot." Mikoto chuckled as he stuffed his cigarettes in his pocket and adjusted the ¾ sleeve shirt he was wearing. Yata's blush brought a smirk to his face, "ready?"
"Yeah, but can I take a pain killer first? My back...well let's just say it really hurts," the look on the young man's face made the Red King think that the word hurt was a severe understatement.
"Of course," he agreed as he walked behind the bar and retrieved a glass of water and the horse pill that made Misaki come back to life, if only somewhat. He seriously couldn't wait for the man's injuries to heal, it pained him to see the usually boisterous man struggling this bad.
"Thank you," Yata said as he took the extended glass and the pill from Mikoto's hands, he downed it before the Red King could even blink. "Sorry, now we can go."
"No," Mikoto frowned as he took the glass and turned it upside down in the sink, "I'm sorry."
"Mikoto?"
"C'mon, let's go, we can talk in the car." The Red King said as he came out from behind the bar, his hand reaching for Misaki's almost on instinct, "we'll be back shortly, we just need to pick something up. Everyone keep up the good work." He turned to Izumo who was working on the main display table with the cake and presents, "and if the Blues show up before I do, you're to handle the situation and make sure everyone remains civil."
"Sure thing," Kusanagi offered though he didn't turn to face his best friend.
"The Blues are coming?" Yata questioned as they exited the bar and circled the building so they could get to Izumo's shiny silver Lexus, he hated the way he had to lean on Mikoto for support.
"Yeah, Izumo wanted invite them to properly thank them for all they did to help us out."
"So it's an excuse to get drunk with Seri," Yata concluded as he thanked the Red King for opening the passenger door for him, when they were both seated in the vehicle the older man laughed.
"Probably."
"How do you feel about that? I mean, I don't think they're actually together but it's pretty obvious they want to be," Misaki concluded as he looked over at his boyfriend, it dawned on him that he had never seen Mikoto drive before. He didn't even know he knew how to drive now that he thought about it, please don't kill us, he thought to himself though he knew it was silly of him.
"I don't understand his taste in women, I mean yeah, she's beautiful but she ruins it with that personality of hers." Mikoto answered as he started the car, "maybe she's different around him or something, who knows. I wouldn't have a problem with it so long as she minds her own business and doesn't go snooping around in my clan's business."
"Like she'd do that, she'd be so nosy."
"My point exactly, I wouldn't have a problem with it if that wasn't the case. It's not like I don't want Izumo to be happy but sleeping with the enemy is never a good idea," Suoh bit his tongue, trust me, I would know.
"Will you teach me how to drive?"
The question Misaki asked completely out of the blue drew the Red King's mind away from his previous line of thought.
"Yeah, I can do that," he answered as he pulled out of the driveway, "where do you live?"
"At HOMRA," Yata answered with a laugh before giving the Red King actual instructions on how to get to his apartment, "it's a shit hole, I'm warning you."
"Can't be that bad," Mikoto replied with a small shrug as he turned down a side street in Shizume, "I haven't been to my apartment in over a month, I should probably go over there tomorrow and make sure someone hasn't broken in and made themselves comfortable."
"Can I go with you?"
"Yeah, you can come. I'll be taking Anna with me though, she needs to get a few things I'm sure. I honestly don't know if I should keep that place or sell it, we spend so much time at HOMRA we might as well move in."
"What do you think Anna wants to do?" Misaki asked out of curiosity as they approached his apartment building, if Mikoto thought poorly of it he didn't say anything.
"She said she's fine as long as she's with me, I'm gonna take her word for it." Mikoto answered wistfully, he fought off a smile as he thought about the question. Nice to know I'm not the only one who worries about her.
"We're here," Misaki said as he pointed out a parking spot with the number 16 written in it, Mikoto pulled the Lexus into the spot and shut it off. Exiting the vehicle before he walked around to the other side and let Yata out, offering him a hand up as he did so.
"Do you have the key?"
"Yeah, I always keep it in my pocket, it's a force of habit." He answered as he instructed the red haired man on where they were going, mainly because the pain pills had him feeling rather drowsy and his leg throbbed even worse than his back did at the moment. After they arrived at apartment 16, on the second floor, Yata unlocked the door and strode inside, turning the lights on in the process as Mikoto followed in after him.
The room was incredibly bare, with only a mattress, television, computer, and a small coffee table in it. It lacked all other furniture, though the skateboarder did have a wide variety of video games and consoles scattered beside his television.
"Yeah, I know it's shitty," Misaki stated as he limped towards a small kitchenette on the opposite side of the room, coming back a moment later with a small wrapped box in his hands. "It's all I can afford."
"Is it at least quite over here?" Mikoto asked as he walked a bit further into the living room, taking note of a few posters that hung from the walls as well as a few photos. Some where of Yata and the guys in HOMRA but others were older, back from his childhood and some with Saruhiko, which surprised the Red King if only a little. There was one photo in particular that caught his attention, it depicted Yata and Fushimi in a rather...peculiar situation. Yata's hair was a lot longer than it usually was, much like it is now, and both of them looked a lot younger in the photo, but what caught his eyes was the fact Saruhiko was kissing Misaki's cheek.
"I'll explain that at a time when it's not Anna's birthday," Yata answered, as if the Red King had been transparent and he had seen exactly what the older man was looking at.
"We don't have to talk about," Mikoto replied though a part of him was dying of curiosity.
"No, I've been putting it off for awhile anyway, it's not a big deal anymore." Misaki stated as he leaned against the taller man's back, his arms wrapping around his waist as he rested his head in the small of his back. "Thanks for bringing me over here."
"Ah," Suoh said as he wrapped his arms around the smaller man's, "what did you get for Anna?"
"A really pretty ruby necklace, it cost an arm and a leg but since I didn't have to buy groceries for the last month I had enough to swing it." There was a hint of pride in the skateboarder's voice.
"That's very sweet of you, I'm sure she will love it." Mikoto answered as he dropped his hands and turned around in the hold he was in, he wrapped his arms around the smaller man's waist, careful to avoid the majority of the gash that was on his back.
"What did you get for her?"
"A new coat, she's been asking for one for awhile now so I had it custom made for her earlier in the week, it's already at the bar."
"Is it red?" Yata asked with a light laugh as he reached up to brush a stray hair out of the Red King's eyes, the older man's jackets slid down his arms a bit in the process.
"Of course it's red," Mikoto confirmed as he leaned against the wall, one of his hands pushed his jacket back up on Yata's shoulders. "Don't forget your coat, I don't care if you wear mine but it's way to big on you."
"Can I at least wear it home?" Misaki blushed at his own blunder, "I mean, HOMRA."
"You don't even have to ask," Suoh insisted as he leaned down, closing the distance between the two of them. Their lips met, gently, Mikoto never allowed his urges to get the better of him as their lips moved together. He's still hurt, you have to take it easy, he repeated to himself as he pried the smaller man's lips apart with the the tip of his tongue, the slight moan that met his ears made the sutra he was saying over and over again in his head become an after thought but he quickly regained his composure.
Mikoto lightly pressed a hand to the smaller man's chest as he reluctantly broke the kiss off, a pout of disappointment marked up Misaki's features.
"You're hurt," he frowned as the other man's face fell, "I'm not going to risk hurting you further."
"Kissing me makes me heal faster, or I bet it would anyway," Yata teased as he moved in closer to his King, his head resting on his chest.
"I don't want to risk it," Suoh whispered as he ran a hand through his third in command's hair, "so get better soon."
"You gonna try to accelerate this for me when Tatara changes my bandages later?"
"I'm gonna try," Mikoto promised as he rested his head atop of the younger man's.
"Good, because I don't want you have to any excuses not to kiss me."
"It's not an excuse, it's just a fact," the Third King replied with a chuckle, "do you know how hard it is to stop myself?"
"That irresistible, huh?" Misaki teased as he leaned into the touch further, taking some of the weight off of his leg.
"You're something all right," the red head laughed as he kissed his boyfriend's forehead, "Yata?"
"Mhm?"
"Whenever you get to feeling better I want you to move out of here."
"And where exactly am I going to go? I told you I can-"
"I meant you should move to the bar, idiot," Mikoto cut him off, ignoring the way his heart pounded in his chest though he knew Yata could feel it. "You already kind of live at HOMRA like you said, so why not actually move in there?"
"Because Kusanagi-san would get tired of me," Yata explained with a sigh, "I'm a handful according to him."
"You are a handful but if he doesn't want you to move in there then you can move into my old place."
"And what if I want to stay with you?"
"Then I can start staying there again too or you can stay with me at HOMRA and Izumo will get over it." Mikoto answered with a smirk, "do you want to move in with me? Is that what you're trying to say?"
Yata's blush was an answer in itself.
"That's fine with me, you already technically live with me anyway and I certainly don't want you staying here any longer than you have too."
"It's really not that bad," Misaki tried to explain though he stopped himself, "actually it sucks but you get over it."
The Red King couldn't help but chuckle.
"We're going to be late, grab your jacket and the gift and let's get out of here."
"You're right, we can't keep Anna waiting for too long or she'll be really pissed." Yata replied as he stumbled out of the King's hold and retrieved a gray coat and the small box the gift was in, "ready?"
Like I'm the one who needed to leave in the first place, Mikoto thought to himself as he brandished the key that had been in his pocket, giving Misaki all he needed to know in regard to his question.
Yata's smile didn't falter, "hey, Mikoto?"
"Ah."
"I...I love you."
The Red King wrapped an arm around the younger man, bringing him close enough so he could kiss the top of his head.
"I love you too."
0o0o0o0o
"Happy Birthday Anna!"
The young girl beamed as she and Tatara walked into the bar, HOMRA had been transformed over the span of time she had been gone, even the Christmas tree had been revamped in honor of her special day. Everyone watched her reaction nervously, but of course the first thing she did was run over to Mikoto, who was standing by the bar, and grabbed his hand, leading him around the room as she gawked at everything around them.
"Do you like it?" He asked as he leaned down to get on eye level with her, she vigorously nodded her head yes, "good, we're waiting on a few other people to get here but after they show up we can eat then you can open your presents."
"You mean Scepeter4 is coming?" She asked with a tilt of her head.
"Ah, is that okay with you?"
"Of course," she mumbled as she turned to face the rest of her fellow clansmen, "thank you everyone."
"Ah you guys did so great!" Tatara exclaimed as he put a hand over his chest, "it warms my heart to see our Princess so happy on her special day."
"Sheesh Tatara cool it, will ya'?" Misaki grumbled from his spot on the couch, a very displeased look crossed his features when he noticed a shiny silver and blue van park in front of the building. "The Blues are here."
"Ah, so they are." Mikoto answered, sticking his free hand in his pocket as the room went silent, Scepter4 entered the building in an orderly fashion, as per usual, but to Mikoto's surprise, most of them we're carrying beautifully wrapped presents, and their usual blue uniforms were nowhere to be seen. "I didn't even know they owned causal clothing." He mumbled, meaning to do it to himself but that didn't stop everyone in the bar from laughing.
"Hello Suoh," Reisi stated as he approached the duo, a medium size blue and gold wrapped box was in his hands, the Blue King knelt down next to Anna. "Happy Birthday, Ms. Kushina."
The young girl smiled and took the present from his hands, with a bow of her head, "thank you."
"You want to save that for later or open it now?" Mikoto asked as he glanced down at her, she shook her head and placed the present on the table with the others, the Blues followed her lead, all sitting down their respective presents after she was finished.
"Well everyone, please eat and enjoy yourself, I will be serving drinks behind the bar," Izumo announced with a clap of his hands, Seri was already seated at the bar in front of him, "but I'm not trying to lose my liquor license so if I don't know your age please have your ID ready unless you want water." Though there were a few groans of protest no one pushed the subject any further.
"Suoh I know that tonight is meant to be a night of a celebration, and I do thank you for allowing us to be here, but I was wondering if you could lend me your ear whenever we have a moment." Munakata was following the Red King as he approached the couch he usually laid about on, now not being any different in his opinion he took a seat next to a half asleep Yata, who was glaring daggers into Saruhiko's back.
"I suppose that's fine, go eat something and at least let her open her gifts then we can chat on the roof," Mikoto answered with a sigh as he waved a hand at Izumo, signaling he wanted his usual drink order.
"Of course," Reisi said through a smile as he disappeared into the small crowd of people, following the Third King's request. Wonder what all of that's about.
"You hungry?" Suoh questioned as he turned to look at the younger man next to him, Yata had barely been eating and he was a bit concerned about that but the smaller man almost always insisted that he had no appetite due to the medicine he was on. This time was no different.
"I'm not hungry," Misaki mumbled, eyes seemingly focused on the back of his ex-best friend.
"You haven't eaten all day," the Red King frowned, "you didn't want to eat yesterday either."
"I'm telling you, those pills kill a lot more than my pain, they murder my appetite." Yata leaned backwards on the couch, hissing slightly as his back met the leather. "I'm fine, Mikoto-san. Don't worry about me, just have a good time."
"Like that's possible, I'm always going to worry about you," Mikoto shot back as he clasped a hand on the younger man's knee, "I'm gonna get you something, will you at least try to eat it?"
His third in command shrugged, "I guess."
"What's gotten into you?" Suoh inquired with a look of disdain, "you're acting weird."
"Sorry, I'm just...tired."
The Red King followed his gaze.
"Ah."
He left him on the couch without another word, fixing him a plate of some of the more healthy options compared to the cakes and sweets, knowing they would do nothing but upset the other man's stomach with the state he was in. After he was finished he sat the food in Misaki's lap, ordering him to at least attempt to finish the small portions he had put out while he worked his way across the bar with one particular person in his sights.
"Mikoto-san, may I help you?"
"Saruhiko, I need to have a word with you."
His former clansmen paled.
"If Misaki told you something I didn-"
"He didn't tell me anything, which is why I need to talk to you," the Third King explained as he pointed out of the front door, "mind if we walk outside?" Though the younger man looked concerned he nodded his head, warily following the King outside of bar HOMRA. Mikoto lit a cigarette as soon as they were out of the crowded room, Fushimi laid against the glass a few feet away from him, occasionally glancing at him nervously.
"I don't pretend to know what occurred between you and Yata and I will never ask, if one of you wants to talk about it then you will, as far as I'm concerned it isn't my business," Mikoto began after a moment of silence, he took a long draw off of his cigarette. "But I am going to offer a few words of advice."
"Advice? I didn't say I needed help with anything," Saruhiko huffed as he crossed his arms.
"No but it's pretty obvious even you aren't happy with the way things are," Suoh dared as he pointed his cigarette in his direction. "Munakata might be able to realize what you're thinking with his Aura, but I can feel it through mine, you forget that."
Saruhiko cursed and glanced down at his feet, desperate to leave the vicinity despite being ordered to stay until the party was over. "I'm not happy, but I am happier, surely even you could realize that."
"I know, you've been a lot better since you left but as for what I wanted to give you advice on..." Suoh paused and took a deep breath, "I...I don't want you and Yata to become like Munakata and I."
"Mikoto-san?"
"Seriously, our relationship is ridiculous and at this point it would be much easier if we just went back to hating each other outwardly but it's also impossible, sometimes it's hard to hate someone you were once close to," Saruhiko's eyes met his. "What I'm saying is, why don't you talk to him? I mean actually talk, have a conversation instead of screaming at each other and maybe you all could at least come to a mutual understanding. Just don't wait another five years until you both become bitter and spiteful like your King and I."
"So that's what you wanted to tell me? To warn me that Misaki and I are becoming too much like you and the Captain?" Fushimi laughed, "how's that a bad thing? You and the Captain are strong, are you not? That's all I care about, I don't care about dead and gone relationships."
"You might not but Yata does," Mikoto hinted with a sigh, "believe me when I say this, I don't like how much you get under his skin either, but whatever you said to him last week really messed him up."
"So you want me to apologize?"
"Are you sorry?"
"Not really, he deserved to hear it."
Mikoto sighed out of annoyance, "fine, get out my face."
"With pleasure," Saruhiko bit back as he stormed back inside the bar, ignoring the way the Red King looked ready to ring his neck though it did send a chill down his spine.
0o0o0o
"It's so pretty," Anna exclaimed as she held out the ruby necklace Yata had given her, the leader of HOMRA's vanguard smiled.
"I'm glad you like it," he answered as the young girl hopped off of Mikoto's lap and walked over to him, holding it in her hands as she extended it out to him, turning around in the process. "You want me to put it on you?" She nodded her head vigorously.
"I'll try," he laughed as he squinted to try and locate the latch on the necklace, after a brief struggle he finally managed to get it clipped. "There you go, happy birthday Anna."
"Thank you Misaki," she replied with a blush as she retook her spot on Mikoto's lap, taking the present he offered to her after she was settled in. "From you?" She inquired as she ran her hands along the dark red paper, the Red King nodded his head. She made quick work of opening the box, shredding the paper with ease while Kamamoto gathered it up and threw it in a trash bag, when she got the box open a smile grew on her face.
"You like it?" Mikoto asked as she plucked the red coat from the black box it came in, she held it up into the light as if she was trying to identify what shade of red it really was.
"I love it, it's exactly what I've been asking for, thank you."
"I'm glad you like it," Suoh replied with a small smile as Reisi handed her the last gift in the room, the one he had gotten her. She took with it a polite "thank you."
"It will actually match what Suoh got you, though I didn't intend for that to be the purpose," the Blue King announced as she opened the box up, eyes lighting up as she looked over the brand new pair of shiny red shoes. "Totsuka-san was kind enough to tell me your shoe size so they should fit."
Mikoto smiled at the other King in the room at the gesture, whilst Anna thanked him repeatedly for the gift that she so obviously loved.
All in all, she had had a pretty damn good birthday, she received a lot of new clothes, as well as a pair of lavish diamond earrings from Seri and Izumo. Though many of the older guests were still energized it was apparent that she was becoming quite exhausted, as she leaned further back into her guardian for the added support.
"You want to go to sleep?" Mikoto asked her after a few moments of people watching, she initially shook her head no but wound up caving in as she struggled to keep her eyes open.
"Want me to take her upstairs, King?" Tatara asked with a smile as he sat down his video camera for the first time that night, the now sleeping girl made no indication that she was going to wake up so the Red King nodded his head in agreement. "Come on Princess," Totsuka laughed as he gathered the young girl in his arms and carried her to her bedroom on the upper level of the bar.
"I've got something to discuss with Munakata," Suoh explained as he turned to face Yata who was half laying on the couch, a tired smile on his lips. "I'll be back soon, okay?"
"Mkay..." Misaki whispered, obviously having a hard time keeping his eyes open himself. With a sigh and a nod of his head in Munakata's direction he exited the loud room where the alcohol was being consumed like water and took the staircase up to the roof, the Blue King on his tail the entire time.
"So what did you need to talk to me about?" The Third King asked as he approached the railing, lighting a cigarette as he turned to make eye contact with the slightly younger King. Munakata's face looked serious, though there was a small hint of distress on his features.
"I hate to do this so soon, but I want to call in that favor you said I could have."
"Oh? What can HOMRA do for you, Blue King?"
"It's...there's been a threat made against my clan by a rather shady organization, I would normally overlook such a farce but I'm afraid even you know these people and what they are capable of if left unchecked. That and I think you'd like to know what they said about you and your clan as well." Munakata took a step forward, hands clasped in front of his black pea coat.
"And who might these people be?" Suoh asked, eyes locked with the Blue King's. Reisi's facial features fell, though the movement was small it was easy to detect.
"Apparently they want to attack my clan then attack the other clans in this city, they seemed rather fearful of your bunch but said some rather awful things ab-"
"Munakata."
The Blue King smiled nervously.
"It's Jungle," Mikoto's eyes widened as he remembered the trouble the Green Clan had caused his in the past, "apparently they are tired of operating in the shadows."
"So you mean..."
"Yeah, this is the Green King's way of declaring war."
Their eyes met in silent understanding, and for the first time in quite a long time Reisi Munakata looked the slightest bit afraid.
"Will you help us? I do not fear for my own life but for the lives of my clansmen, Jungle has strength in numbers so there is no way to tell how big this threat really is. It is early to ask but I would like to get a head start, good things never come to those who wait."
"They come to those who go out there and take it," Mikoto replied as he let out a sigh.
"So...Suoh..."
"Yeah," the Red King gave him a look of understanding, "don't worry, if this mess is yours then this mess is mine, too. It's the least I can do."
"Thank you...Suoh," Reisi smiled though the look was severely out of place, the Third King warily returned it.
It's always something, isn't it, Munakata?