Dun Be 'fraid
Author's Note: Enjoy the story and R&R.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of Cap Revolution Bottleman DX.
Pairing: Cota x Mitsuya.
Summary:
Cota takes in a homeless Mitsuya.
Chapter 2
Although Cota's family had no qualms putting Mitsuya up indefinitely, Mitsuya only stayed two nights. Facing his new living situation – while also inundated by self-imposed doubts of sleeping in the same room as his crush – was daunting in his current state. If he had to, he rather address his immediate survival needs, avoiding why he'd been thrown out, if possible.
"If everyone stops loving you, Mitsuya, I won't."
What did Cota mean?
He was better off not reading too much into it, Mitsuya told himself.
Cota was better off, he told himself.
At Cota's insistence (in lieu of ending up on the street again), Mitsuya couch-surfed; first, to Iroha's, moving on to Ponta's soon after that. Ponta's apartment proved a more permanent solution; while Ponta wasn't searching for a roommate, Mitsuya's company helped stave off the former Bottle King's creeping depression (unrelated to his ousting). It was mutually beneficial, even if Mitsuya lacked the pure regenerative positivity Cota was clueless he showered people with by simply existing.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't even couch surfing: Iroha and Ponta, like Cota, happily sacrificed their beds so Mitsuya could stretch his legs their fullest.
In the haze of awakening, Mitsuya's lagging mind half-expected Cota. Hair untied and falling down past the base of his neck. Shoulders uncovered, just visible above the blanket. Rising off his elbows and stomach, as confused as Mitsuya was there was a potted plant on the headboard.
The pillow beside him was unoccupied. Mitsuya slogged out of bed to tug his own set of clothes on, threading his arms through his autographed shirt till his fingers poked out the finger holes, and pulling his track pants up over his green boxers.
He never bothered with socks, but shuffled his feet into the slippers Ponta laid out.
"Mitsuya-kun, good morning. Or should I say evening. Have some of my speciality onigiri." Ponta smiled toward a basket already on the kitchen counter.
It was no lobster dinner, but Ponta's cooking snapped. He'd take it!
"Evening? I crashed that hard?"
"That's right. Cota-kun is coming over to check on you."
"C-Cota is coming?"
"Mm! He is!"
"Ponta-san, I can't see Cota right now."
"A mysterious thing, first loves…"
"How'd you –?"
"Talk to Cota, and I'll sign your shirt."
His one missing signature aside from Haku-san's? The Mark of Citrus? Oh cap!
"What do you have to lose?"
"M-my best friend."
"As Cota-kun described it, I think you're safe in that regard."
"What did he say to you?"
"That if everyone stopped loving you, Cota-kun wouldn't, Mitsuya-kun."
"I dunno what he means by that."
"Sure you do. Cota-kun means what he means. Cota-kun loves you."
"Cota loves me?"
"I meant it," Cota hurled a teasing laugh, popping his head in sideways from behind the wall.
"COTA?"
"Whoopsie." Ponta accidentally on purpose left the door unlocked.
"Mitsuya, let's battle!"
"Whuh, whuh, whuh? Is that Arrowcider? How?"
"I flew by your house!"
Used the entrance, or wingsuited onto the roof? Cuz Ponta knew a guy.
"You went to my house? WHERE MY PARENTS ARE?" His fear caused the slip-up. It wasn't his house anymore.
"They weren't super stoked I showed up, but I explained ta them I wasn't leaving without grabbing all I could carry for you!"
"Cota!"
"Battle, Mitsuya! At times like these, you gotta catch…and release!"
Go! Mitsuya wrung his bandana conflictedly. Bottle Battle, Go!
Ponta uncapped a black marker and signed in a free spot, sealing the deal. Mitsuya reluctantly capitulated to Cota's pushiness, and was pushed by him all the way to the graffitied lot near Ponta's apartment, where they played Push Bottle with an old coffee tin they found in front of the elevator.
"Tri-Arrow Mode! Cider Impact Tri-Arrow!"
"This is our cap revolution, Colamaru! Splash Volcano Nova!"
Cota's golden aura had such a high-level shine, Mitsuya's world turned white.
White, as it started to snow.
"Brr! It got cold all of a sudden! Let's gather the stuff we dropped off with Ponta and go home, Mitsuya!"
"I can't."
"Can't? Or won't, man?"
"You don't want my rep, Cota!"
"Didn't stop me before!"
"Before?"
"When all of the other kids didn't let you join in their Bottle Battling games, who battled you?"
"You. Now quit making me sound like a reindeer!"
"I didn't have any idea what Bottle Battling was. You taught me! Our battles were –"
"Amazing."
"Mitsuya, I don't give two caps you're gay! You've always been interesting!"
"'Interesting' is a nice euphemism for me staring at you with my mouth hanging open, Cota!"
"Okay, stare! My best friend is in love with me! I love him! I'm dang fizzed!"
"Cota…"
"I mean what I mean, dude," Cota echoed Ponta.
"If everyone stops loving me –"
"I won't. I won't stop loving you."
Mitsuya drank Cota's conviction, despite his skepticism.
"Remember when you got your ears pierced, and you cried so much everybody in the shop felt sorry for you?" Cota reminisced.
"Hey!"
"I thought you were so cool, I begged my parents to let me get my ears pierced too!"
"Ya! You're the one with the cool parents!"
"To be fair, your parents did dip into their savings to have 'em pierced professionally. I'd've ripped the skin off your ear if you put the piercing gun in my hand!"
"Tch. You're defending them?"
"I'm not! I'm defending you, Mitsuya!"
They halted on the snow, which melted almost instantaneously upon touching any surface.
"Your bed is less demanding on my lower back than Ponta-san's…"
"Plus, I'm not a disappointingly empty pillow!"
Mitsuya gulped the quickest gulp ever gulped. "No~! He told you that?"
Cota reserved a second round of laughter, holding out his hand. "Shake on it."
Their friendship began with a handshake.
"Shake on what?"
The walk home to Cota's house would as well.