Taishiro Toyomitsu stood in the kitchenette of his apartment, listening to both the subtle hum of the nearby microwave and the relentless pounding of the rain outside upon the window. The smell of fried chicken wafted throughout the entire apartment, providing a pleasant, homely atmosphere to the decently sized abode. Despite the fact that he barely fit within the space of the kitchenette itself, Taishiro found himself quite content to wait and watch as his reheated food spun within the microwave. Much to the giant man's chagrin, the steady, soft sound of two knocks came at the door to his apartment, barely registering over the other noises around him. Taishiro raised a brow and made his way to the door, only to lean forward slightly to peer through the peephole.

Out in the hallway stood a familiar figure wearing white robes, the hood pulled down fully over his face. Taishiro smiled to himself at the sight, though he couldn't help but feel slightly underdressed by comparison in his deep blue shorts and hoodie. Without a second thought, Taishiro unlatched the deadbolt and pulled open the door, causing the teen waiting in the hallway to jump slightly despite himself.

"Amajiki!" Taishiro said with a clear fondness in his voice. "I didn't think I'd see you for another few weeks, once school starts up again! Not like you to make house calls…"

"No," Tamaki agreed as he kept his face hidden beneath his hood. "No, it… isn't. I'm sorry to bother you, especially so late at night…"

"Nonsense!" Taishiro said boisterously as he stepped aside. "I've always got time for you. You must be freezing- get that cloak off, and I'll hang it up to dry out."

Tamaki did as he was instructed, shuffling out of his protective cloak and feeling incredibly naked in just his vest, shirt, and white waist wrapping. He held the sodden mess of white and gold fabric out to Taishiro, who took it and brought the garment to a waiting coat rack.

"So!" Taishiro began as he turned to face his apprentice again. "What brings you by, tonight? This doesn't seem like business."

"It isn't," Tamaki admitted as he moved toward a small table beneath a ceiling fan opposite the kitchenette and took a seat. He gently folded his hands atop the wooden surface and kept his eyes down as he spoke. "I… have actually been standing at the door for about half an hour. I wasn't sure if I should bother you for this."

Taishiro paused just long enough for the microwave to beep several times, filling the awkward moment of silence with shrill noise.

"…really, kid? We've known each other for the better part of a year, now. If you need something- anything from me, all you've gotta do is ask."

Tamaki finally raised his eyes to watch as Taishiro retrieved a gargantuan plate of chicken tenders from within the microwave and brought it to the table. Shortly thereafter, he returned with several small glass bowls of dipping sauces and began to lay them out next to the platter in an almost ritualistic arrangement.

"Even for advice…?" Tamaki asked, watching as the bowls were placed evenly around the plate.

"Especially for advice," Taishiro reassured. "Talk to me, kid. What's eating you?"

Tamaki stopped, focusing in on what he assumed to be a glass bowl of honey mustard sauce while he tried to collect his thoughts.

"…a lot."

"Well, when something's eating you," Taishiro said while pointing a chicken tender in Tamaki's direction, "it's usually helpful to eat. Dig in. There's more than enough here."

Tamaki gingerly took a strip of chicken and began to rotate it within his hands, trying to decide which matter to bring up first. Though he still wasn't quite sure just how much he wanted Taishiro to know, he settled for simply starting to talk while hoping his mind would catch up to his words.

"…Togata."

Taishiro let out a groan that sounded almost painful and temporarily stopped eating. He shook his head and heaved a sigh before mirroring Tamaki's posture and staring down into a bowl of wasabi.

"Amajiki… I'd like this to stay between us. I'm pretty sure you could've guessed how I feel already, but still- I don't like burning bridges. I don't like talking behind peoples' backs. I've got a lot of respect for Sir Nighteye, but what he did to Togata was wrong. He's practically blacklisted from work studies at this point, and it will affect his career, going forward. Granted, I don't know exactly what happened, but every time I've run into Togata, he's been a standout example of what an aspiring hero should be. If you want to talk to Sir Nighteye… I'll back you up. I've got some weight to throw around. Pun intended."

Tamaki looked up, his expression horrified as he took in the implications behind Taishiro's words.

"No, not… it actually isn't about that situation. Not directly, at least. I… can't explain what happened there, but I also can't stand up to Sir Nighteye, for several reasons."

"Fine, fine," Taishiro acknowledged as he waved his chicken dismissively. "But if you ever do want to rock the boat, I'll be your wingman."

Tamaki could only stare as Taishiro returned to his meal, feeling a conflicted mixture of both embarrassment and gratitude.

"I… don't know what to say to that, other than 'thank you.' It's true that Togata is mostly barred from professional hero work at this point, but… not all of it. Some of the work he has been taking on is… questionable. I have faith in his abilities and morals, but after hearing about how things have been going… I can't help but feel like he's making a mistake."

Tamaki finally moved to dip his chicken into the mystery sauce, only for Taishiro's words to give him pause halfway through the motion.

"…Mirko."

Tamaki nearly dropped his chicken strip, but managed to keep a gentle grasp on it as he flinched.

"…Mirko…"

Again, Taishiro let out a sigh heavy enough that he almost seemed to deflate a bit.

"Kid, you and yours aren't making this easy. Wanna tell me what exactly Togata's gotten himself into?"

"…I do," Tamaki admitted before taking a small nibble at his chicken. "But I can't. It's sensitive information and could compromise Togata's work. It is important and I want to support him, but at the same time, I feel torn. Guilty, almost, for allowing him to do this alone."

"Then don't let him," Taishiro said simply. "I told you before, I wouldn't be totally opposed to offering Mirko an olive branch. How about I talk to her, see if I can get involved? Get the details, and support Togata from the sidelines, if we can't get in there directly? I'm a freelance hero, and if whatever Togata's doing is worth doing… then we can help get it done, one way or another. Would that ease your conscience?"

"You would do that for me…?" Tamaki asked in disbelief.

"Sure," Taishiro said with a shrug. "Being a hero isn't just about patrolling the streets and keeping an eye on society, Amajiki. It's also about keeping an eye on your friends and giving them the kind of support they can't give themselves when things get rough. It's at least worth checking out, if it's bothering you this much."

"…thank you," Tamaki said quietly. "Togata has been exhausted lately, and with classes starting up again in a few weeks, it's going to become more and more difficult to help him indirectly."

"Say no more," Taishiro instructed. "I'll head over to Mirko's place soon, see what I can work out with her. What else is on your mind?"

Tamaki finished his chicken strip and reached for another, his ears twitching slightly as he answered curtly.

"Nothing important. I should be okay, now."

"Good, good," Taishiro with an exaggerated stretch. "In that case, how's Hado doin'?"

Unlike the previous time, Tamaki actually did drop his chicken, losing it almost entirely to the bowl of sauce as he scrambled to rescue the fallen strip.

"H-hado… she…"

"…is the other thing bothering you," Taishiro finished.

Tamaki nodded, slowly at first, and then more emphatically as he retrieved his honey mustard coated food and shrank back into his seat.

"Oh, wonderful," Taishiro offered with a healthy dose of sarcasm clear in his tone. "Don't tell me you two are fighting? Is it related to the Togata situation?"

"No," Tamaki answered quickly. "No, thankfully not. We aren't fighting. The opposite."

Taishiro's chair squeaked in protest as he leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. The man had a satisfied smirk upon his face, and he chuckled softly to himself.

"…well, well, well. About damned time."

"What…?" Tamaki asked as he blinked in confusion, his pointed ears shifting downward.

"Ryukyu and I have both seen the way you look at each other when we've run joint ops as a group of four," Taishiro explained. "Overwhelmed with your new relationship? It can be a little intimidating, at first."

Tamaki instinctively reached upward to pull his hood down over his eyes, only to realize that the garment was far out of reach on the coat rack. Instead, he let out a low whine and emphatically shook his head as he began to squirm in his seat.

"No! She… we talked about our relationship as friends, and I learned that she's hoping for more. I turned her down. Is this really important? I should be going…"

"I think it's important, yeah," Taishiro said as he watched Tamaki rise from his seat, chicken still in hand. "And I've got some advice, if you want to hear it."

Tamaki bit his lip and lowered himself back into his chair with a sigh.

"You have yet to steer me wrong, but if the advice is to 'just go for it'…"

Taishiro merely offered a snort before leaning forward slightly and bracing his hands upon his thighs.

"The opposite, actually."

Tamaki's ears perked up and his attention snapped to Taishiro, his confusion clear upon his face.

"Truly…?"

"Yeah," Taishiro confirmed. "Let me ask you this, kid- why did you turn her down? How do you feel about your standing with her?"

Tamaki paused, focusing on his food for a while as he once again tried to find the words to match his thoughts. Somehow, whenever he focused upon Nejire, his mind drifted to colors more than anything. Curiously enough, his thoughts of her were always tinged with a warm, pale yellow, rather than her signature powder blue. From time to time, he had caught his mental images of her turning to a deep, intense red, and his feelings of comfort and closeness toward her had turned to something more. Something unfamiliar.

"I feel similarly to her, but I'm not ready." Tamaki stole a guilty look up at Taishiro before putting his head in his hands and his elbows upon the table. "I don't know what else to say."

"That's more than enough, honestly," Taishiro reassured. "Bottom line is this- you're not ready? You're not ready. Don't ever let anyone, no matter how close to you, try to dictate how you feel. If you can't put it into words, but your feelings are strong enough that you know you should hold off for now… then you don't need to put it into words. Hado's kind. Considerate. The two of you are close- closer than most. I can't see her resenting you for taking your time."

"Neither can I, but I still feel guilty," Tamaki admitted.

"Don't," Taishiro instructed as he swirled a chicken strip through a pool of honey. "Let me tell you a little story. I met this woman- another pro. We ran some jobs together for years, even lived together for a while, but over time… we kinda became incompatible. The things she wanted out of the relationship didn't line up with the things I wanted. We tried to force it, make the pieces fit, and it just ended up getting ugly. Eventually, we had to sit down and talk things out. We broke it off- decided it was better to just stay friends, and we still are to this day. I've got my own freelance gig, she's got her classes, and we're close. Just not that close, and that's fine. It's better, for both of us."

Tamaki wrinkled his brows. Something about what Taishiro had said caused him a bit of unease, though he couldn't put his finger on just what it was.

"…I see. So… let things progress naturally. Is it selfish to put it out of my mind, and simply follow my instincts?"

"Not at all," Taishiro answered as he stood from his chair and moved toward the refrigerator. "Hado acted on her instincts, after all. I think your friendship is strong enough for the two of you to have an unspoken understanding."

"It is," Tamaki confirmed as his mentor returned to the table with a bottle of sake and two cups. "But I want to make her happy."

"Then tell me something," Taishiro replied as he began to pour out the alcohol. "Is she ever going to be happy while you're this unhappy?"

Tamaki simply watched as Taishiro pushed a filled cup across the table to him. He said nothing before taking a long drink and shivering at the taste.

"…why is it all so obvious to you, Mr. Toyomitsu?"

"Comes with experience," Taishiro answered before draining his own cup. "Honestly, you want my best advice? Put it all out of your mind. Stay the night, stay out of the rain, and we'll just sit around and find something more pleasant to talk about. I'll deal with Mirko as soon as my schedule opens, and you spend some time with Hado, just feeling out your boundaries. Sound good?"

Tamaki passed back his cup, only for the larger man to fill it again.

"…sounds good…"

"Then in that case," Taishiro began as he lifted his refilled cup of sake, "to friends you can rely on."

Tamaki took his cup back and rose it into a toast, the ceramic producing a satisfying clink as it touched that of his mentor.

Author's Note:

A slow chapter, but an important one for some things…

-RD