#existences without any amount of awkwardness of ''being gay'' because platonically they love each other so much

[girlkisserr]

i like it when theres doomed old man yaoi in my mmorpg minecraft server or something

[rachelbethhines]

Digimon Adventure Shipping Masterpost - Part 2

Part 1 

Sora x Izzy (Kora)

Pros:They’re both the most level headed of the group and there’s relatively little drama between them. So if you want something sweet and cute that’s stress free, then this could do ya.  There’s also the added bonus of breaking up the Tai/Sora/Matt triangle. 

Cons: They’re also kind of boring. They don’t play off one another in any interesting way. They’re just generally nice to each other and can work together as a team, and that’s about it.  They also rarely interact outside of the group. 

Personal Ranking (5/10) Eh..I can see it working and I don’t mind it as a refreshing break from the drama, but there are more interesting ships out there for them.

Sora x Mimi (Mira)

Pros: These two were the only two girls on the team for a long while, so naturally they spent a lot of time together on screen. They’re best friends, and therefore a lesbian’s dream team of a pairing. They got that opposites attract vibe, they’re relatively drama free, and they’re still other girls on the team that they interact with so it’s not like we’re losing the only female friendship on the show if you ship them.    

Cons: Mimi is largely absent in 02, so we get less interaction between them than other Adventure characters. Also, while there are other female friendships none are quite as close as these two and so you may prefer them as platonic. 

Personal Ranking (6/10) Like with Kora, I can see them working, and I do indeed like Mimi-centric ships a lot, but I kind of prefer them as a friends since for the longest time they were the only female friendship on the show; back when I was first watching.  

Sora x Joe (Joura)

Pros: These two spend a lot of time together in Adventure. There’s lot of one on one interaction for them up episodes for them. They work well as a team, while still being different enough to make for an interesting interactions.  Also if you have the love triangle, Joe and Sora are seen suspiciously close together during the epilogue.  

Cons: Sora is in a canon ship already, if that matters to you. Plus Joe may not be your favorite, as he’s pretty decisive. Then there’s the fact that he and Sora do bump heads more so than Sora does with anyone else. It’s like a tei between Tai and Joe over who can annoy Sora the most in season one. 

Personal Ranking (7/10) This is my second favorite ship for Sora, but that’s probably because I just really like Joe a lot. 

Sora x T.K. (Sokeru)

Pros: This ship is oddly popular in certain sections of the fandom. I’m guessing for the same reasons why Yamakari is liked. Sora is very protective of TK in season one. While their interactions do taper off after that point, they’re still seen hanging out together in 02 and Tri, at times.  

Cons: Once again their interactions are limited to mostly group settingings. They also have the same age gap as all of the 02/Adventure pairings. Given how most of their moments are in season one where that age gap makes the most difference, there’s little to go on post Adventure.  

Personal Ranking (4/10) Yeah, not enough interaction to sell this one for me. 

Sora x Kari (Sokari)

Pros: More femslash options. They’re mostly drama free and are very similar in terms of personality. Also, when placed together they cancel out each other’s respective love triangles. 

Cons: All of the same cons as Sokeru. Also they are very similar personality wise and so their dynamic may bore you. 

Personal Ranking (3/10) Yeah, count me as one who finds them boring. Add in the age gap and lack of interaction and this ship is a no go for me. 

Sora x Davis (Daiora)

Pros: It’s basically Taiora but without the triangle bullshit. Also Davis is very good for unrequited romance pairings. 

Cons: Even less interaction than Sokeru or Sokari. The age gap is still present even though it doesn’t matter as much in 02. 

Personal Ranking (5/10) I do really like Davis, and fanworks have shown that they make a cute pairing. But only as like a one sided crush thing, so their dynamic is limited. 

Sora x Yolei (Soyako)

Pros: Much like with Taisuke and Yamasuke, Sora is in that mentor to friend role for Yolei, but with slightly less of an age gap.  Also more femslash options, which are indeed rarer than the slash ones, just cause there are less girls than boys in this show, sadly. 

Cons: They’re kind of Mimra light as yolie is very similar to Mimi in terms of personality. Also while they get some moments in 02, that ends as soon as we get to other seasons. 

Personal Ranking (4/10) Meh...I’d rather just go with Mimra. 

Sora x Cody (Sori)

Pros:On the one hand they so rarely interact that you can shape their relationship post Tri into being whatever you want it to be. 

Cons: On the other hand they aren't ever seen together outside of the group and it’s only in 02 where their age difference would most matter. 

Personal Ranking (2/10) I guess there’s a certain freedom in being able to take a relationship in any direction you want to without it being pure crack or non-canon. I just don't know why you would want to when there’s so many other options out there. 

Sora x Ken (Kenora)

Pros: Uh... They both wind up in ridiculous careers that aren’t suited to them? They’re both shoved into canon relationships without proper build up for them? Wanna cause drama for drama sake with a cheating route? 

Cons: Are these two even friends? Out of all of the 02 and Adventure characters these two probably get the least amount of interaction. At best I’d call them acquaintances who just so happen to have mutual friends. 

Personal Ranking (3/10) All the same cons as all the other 02/Adventure ships but taken to the max. I only rank it higher Sori because there’s a slightly less age gap. 

Sora x Jun (Junora)

Pros: With these two you can pull a Korra/Asami and cut Matt off at the knees. If you’re pissed at how 02 handled relationships this can be cathartic.    It’s also a femslash option that winds up being very different in dynamics from the other yuri pairings in the show. 

Cons: Jun knows of Sora’s existence, and they’ve shared scenes together. Yet they’ve never talked to one another, and I’m not sure if Sora even knows who she is.  Then there’s the fact that Jun is very decisive in fandom. 

Personal Ranking (7/10) I really like Jun. I also like the potential dynamic that her and Sora can have. I also like getting back at Matt after the way he treated Jun. So this ship is a win/win for me. 

Sora x Meiko (Meiora)

Pros: Lots of interactions and shippy moments to work off of.  It’s the ‘moe’ dynamic but made gay. Triangle drama free or increased triangle drama, take your pick.  

Cons: Just like with Meichi and Meimato, how much you like this ship will depend on how much you like Meiko as a character. If you thought her annoying in Tri, you’ll no doubt be annoyed by this. 

Personal Ranking (6/10) This is like Sokari but made good? Kari as she gets older becomes more Sora like and Sora as she gets older becomes more Kari like. But Mei remains the woobie/soft girl through out, so you get the protectiveness and lesbian interaction minus the awkward age gap. 

Izzy x Mimi (Mishirou)

Pros: It’s ‘beauty and the geek’ but with an added twist. There’s some of those awkward crush moments in Tri if you like that, but mostly Izzy is very confident and assertive, just like Mimi. They tend to call out each other’s bullshit the most often. Also Mini is perhaps the second character Izzy hangs out with one on one the most besides Tai. 

Cons: The crush in Tri comes out of almost nowhere and feels like pandering. Izzy never seemed to care for Mimi in that way before and indeed was annoyed with her more often than not. Then somewhere in the middle of Tri the crush was just completely dropped altogether without any resolvement one way or the other. 

Personal Ranking (6/10) I’ve warmed up to it somewhat since Tri. There is a basis there, but it does feel very forced at times, and I don't get the overwhelming love for it. It’s merely ok at best. 

Izzy x Joe (Jyoushirou)

Pros: Geek meets Nerd!  That’s about it. If you really like these two characters then they work just about as well as any other ship in the show. There’s also the comedic elements to their interactions together to play off of.   It also nips the Izzy/Mimi/Joe triangle in the bud. 

Cons: They have more moments together than Sora and Izzy, but not more than say Joe and Matt. It’s brief comedic moments when we get them together and not many serious or deep interactions. 

Personal Ranking (5/10) Eh..There’s a foundation there to build something off of, but for whatever reason it just doesn’t gel for me.  

Izzy x T.K. (Takshirou) 

Pros: They’re closer in age then some of the other 02/Adventure characters, and they do interact often in all three seasons. 

Cons: Still most of those interactions are either plot related or group scenes. There’s not a whole lot to go off of. 

Personal Ranking (4/10) I don't get why someone would ship these two, yet I wouldn’t be outright opposed to it if they did. 

Izzy x Kari (Kokari) 

Pros: Same pros as Takshirou

Cons: Same cons as Takshirou

Personal Ranking (4/10) for the same reasons as Takshirou. 

Izzy x Davis (Daishiro) 

Pros: I guess if you like the Taishiro dynamic, but not enough to break Tai up with one of his more popular ships then this could be an option.  

Cons: It’s Taishiro lite with all the added problems that comes from shiping the 02/Adventure cast. 

Personal Ranking (4/10) For the same reasons stated as for Takshirou and Kokari.

Izzy x Yolei (Koyako) 

Pros: Of all the 02/Adventures ships this has the smallest age gap. The age difference between her and Izzy is the same a Izzy the rest of the adventure gang. As such they spend a lot of time together.  They also have a similar dynamic to Mishirou, but with the added dimension of Yolei being a nerd as well. She can keep up with Izzy’s technobabble and often assists him in his projects. 

Cons: Izzy does have a reduced role in 02 like the rest of the adventure gang, though not quite as bad as some. Meanwhile Yolei only appears in 02 except for like a cameo here and there. So while they do interact one on one on occasion it’s not a whole lot.   

Personal Ranking (7/10) To me this has all the pros of Mishirou, but none of the cons. They’re both assertive and capable of calling out each other’s bs, but they also have a deeper understanding of one another can more in common to build off of.   

Izzy x Cody (Kori) 

Pros: It’s the mentor/friend dynamic again. They have a lot in common and are seen hanging out together a lot.  

Cons: Same age difference as with the other mentor ships and like with Koyako they’re scenes are limited to only 02.  

Personal Rankings (3/10) It’s got more of a basis then the other Cody ships thus far, but that’s not saying much. 

Izzy x Ken (Kenshirou) 

Pros: Uh.. It’s assertive nerd boy meets shy nerd boy, I guess? There’s also the whole former villain thing for some added angst if you want. 

Cons: Not a whole lot of one on one interact and when we do get it it’s mostly plot exposition 

Personal Ranking (4/10) I put this on the same level as Takshirou, Kokari, and Daishiro

Izzy x Jun (Junshirou) 

Pros: It breaks all of the triangles involving both of them. They’re both fun characters. Pair the spares.  They both went on that camping trip once.  Comedy.

Cons: This ship is as close as crack as you can get without being full on crack. They’ve met, they know of each other’s existence, and they’ve been in the same scene together more than once. But they’ve never actually talked with one another on screen before. 

Personal Ranking (7/10) I just like Jun. I don’t care who you pair her with, it’s entertaining because she’s enterianing.  

Izzy x Meiko (Meishirou) 

Pros: I guess if you like both characters then you’ll like this ship just fine. Can double as a pair the spares in order to resolve the Izzy/Mimi/Joe tringle. 

Cons: Mei has less interaction with Izzy than some of the rest of the group. Also it’s dependent upon how much you like Mei as a character. 

Personal Ranking (5/10) It’s not bad, but give me Junshirou, Koyako, or Taishirou over it any day of the week. 

That’s part 2, will carry on later in part part 3 

[mistleto-3]

Positive Outcomes: Part 1

Mikoto and Tatara have been in love since forever, and Misaki finds himself in the unfortunate position of having a crush on both of them.

Pairing: Mikoto/Tatara/Misaki

3,959 words. For K Project Rarepair Week 2017, Day 1: Beginnings. 

This turned out longer than expected, so it’s probably going to end up about 3 chapters long. 

This fic takes place in the same universe as my other mikotatasaki fic- Tease. 

All parts | Part 2 | Part 3

AO3

In Misaki’s eyes, the only positive outcome of Saruhiko’s defection from Homra was just how much his clan had rallied around him in his time of need. He was normally the sort of person who loathed to show weakness, who did his best to hide his pain behind either laughter or rage, whichever came easiest. But he could only keep it under wraps so much of the time, and the sting of betrayal didn’t relent when he no longer had the strength to hide it. He knew people noticed, he knew he was failing to keep his composure, and he’d expected his grief to be the butt of every joke exchanged between his fellow clansmen during their usual banter.

But it wasn’t. Even the guys he didn’t get along with quite so well eased up on their usual low-grade teasing, but even more heartening was the response of his friends. As soon as Rikio heard what had happened, the first words out of his mouth had been to ask if Misaki needed anything, if there was anything he could do for him. Izumo had even, for once, relaxed his strict policy on no underage drinking and offered him a beer. But the most supportive by far had been Tatara. He’d gone out of his way at every available moment to spend time with Misaki, to check in on him, to encourage him, to make sure if there was one thing he was certain of, it was that Tatara was there for him if he ever needed anything at all. The pair had ended up spending a lot of time together in the aftermath of Saruhiko’s betrayal, and Misaki was grateful for the distraction of his company, but also for the way his friend tried his damnedest to make sure Misaki knew he was cared about. The comfort went a long way, especially in the wake of the abandonment he’d felt.

But the thing he was the most grateful for was Tatara’s patience. No matter how long it took, no matter how many months the bitter aftertaste of the betrayal lingered at the back of Misaki’s throat, no matter how many times he texted him in the middle of the night, Tatara was unfailingly there for him, just as eager to help as he had been the moment he first heard that Saruhiko had left. His relentless optimism and unfaltering smile never failed to take the edge off the pain.

He wasn’t the only good thing to come out of all of this though - a pleasant side effect of all the time Misaki was spending with Tatara was that he was practically inseparable from Mikoto- the pair had been dating for what felt like forever, so being around Tatara usually meant his boyfriend would be somewhere nearby. Misaki had no objection to this; he’d always idolised his King, and having something of a monopoly on his time and attention (at least, compared to the other members of the clan) was a privilege to him. It was affirming to be able to get to know Mikoto better- Saruhiko’s abandonment had left him feeling almost worthless, but to know his King seemed to consider him deserving of his time was going some way to help repair that.

However, that wasn’t the only side effect of being around Tatara, and the others weren’t quite so positive. The most unfortunate of which was the crush he could feel himself beginning to develop on his friend, and no matter what he did, the feelings only got stronger every time he saw him. Apart from anything else, Tatara was very pretty, and that combined with his kindness and his generosity and the amount of time they’d been spending together had ignited some confusing feelings that were beginning to bubble in the pit of Misaki’s gut. It wouldn’t have been so bad if Tatara wasn’t already off-limits, but his relationship with Mikoto was so obviously full of love and support that Misaki despised himself for even contemplating coming between them. Not that he would ever act on his feelings though, or that he thought Tatara would ever choose him over their King anyway.

So he pushed through. The ache in his gut at the sight of his friend was bearable if he ignored it, and he certainly preferred having an unrequited crush to being without Tatara’s company; he didn’t know if he would have made it through the rough patch after Saruhiko left without him.

It wasn’t like he’d never dealt with unrequited feelings before anyway; he’d been nursing a puppy crush on Mikoto since he joined Homra, and it was because of Mikoto that Misaki started questioning his sexuality in the first place. Still, his crush on Mikoto hadn’t seemed like such a big deal back then- it was more the sort of crush one might have on a celebrity, or on an upperclassman; he knew from the outset it was completely unattainable. Even before Mikoto and Tatara had gotten together, it was obvious to everyone (even Misaki, who was normally totally oblivious about anything to do with romance) that they were meant for each other, so he never even considered the possibility of acting on his feelings. Not that knowing he was unattainable made it any easier, but he’d had much bigger problems at the time. The revelation that he wasn’t as heterosexual as first thought was a much more immediate crisis, and it was something he fought against vehemently for a number of reasons, not least of which was that it forced him into the uncomfortable realisation that his feelings for Saruhiko had been perhaps a shade stronger than platonic. Which had only been salt in the wound when he’d been abandoned by him- it was difficult to reconcile the bitterness he felt towards his old friend with the remnants of his crush on him. Misaki wasn’t good at complicated feelings, and wanting to simultaneously punch someone and cling onto them and never let them go was far too much for him, so he tried to tell himself it didn’t matter, and continued doing what he’d gotten very good at: pretending it didn’t bother him, pretending the feelings didn’t exist. And eventually, the crush he used to have on Saruhiko faded away.

He just wished his feelings for Mikoto and Tatara would do the same, but no matter how much he suppressed them and ignored them and tried to will them out of existence, they were stubborn, and it seemed the more he tried to get rid of them, the stronger they took root.

And perhaps he could have dealt with that if Tatara wasn’t the type of person who could read anyone’s thoughts as though they were written in their eyes- even Mikoto, who seemed completely expressionless to Misaki, wasn’t immune to the uncanny attention to detail of Tatara’s piercing gaze. Misaki would have been lying if he said it didn’t make him a little uncomfortable when his friend gave him one of those looks- he felt like he was being unfolded like a piece of paper for Tatara to peruse his secrets at will.

Of course, it wasn’t quite that dramatic- it wasn’t like Tatara was psychic- but he was particularly perceptive to even the subtlest of tells, and he had a knack for knowing when something was wrong, especially when Misaki hadn’t intended to say anything about it. So of course he’d begun to notice that Misaki seemed like he was bothered by something more often than not, and he wasn’t shy about asking what was wrong. Misaki always played it off, usually as residual anger from Saruhiko’s betrayal, or some small thing like a bad day at work, but he wasn’t a good liar, and one evening while Misaki was hanging out above the bar (technically in Mikoto’s room, but Tatara practically lived there) Tatara finally seemed to have heard one too many half-hearted “I’m fine”s.

“Yata, what’s really wrong? You’ve got this look on your face like Chitose gets when he’s having girl trouble, and it’s been what, six months since Fushimi left? I know it’s going to take a long time to get over it, but I also know you aren’t as cut up about it as you used to be, but you still seem just as unhappy. You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”

Misaki shifted uncomfortably in his seat- he’d felt himself grimace when Tatara had mentioned girl trouble, and it had betrayed him.

“Is there a girl you like or something?” Tatara asked gently, with an encouraging smile. It was so difficult not to spill his guts out to him with that look on his face- he had the kind of face everyone trusted.

“N-not exactly…” Misaki admitted grudgingly. He hadn’t really intended to say anything, but there was no dodging the question now, and he’d spent so long trying to bottle it all up that, just for a moment, he slipped.

“What do you mean?”

Misaki panicked. There was no way he could tell Tatara he liked him, or that he liked Mikoto- it would make their friendship unbearably awkward, and he couldn’t handle that, not when he still needed him. So he scrambled frantically for something else to tell him, and the only thing he could think of that would explain his mood was:

“…I-I think I might be gay.”

It was still perhaps more than he’d wanted to admit, but it was true that in the past few months he’d spent some time battling with his sexuality, and he could feel his attraction to women waning, but to be perfectly honest, it hadn’t really surprised or bothered him to any great extent. First realising he wasn’t straight had been a big blow, and it had taken him almost a year to finally accept and wrap his head around the concept that he was queer, but now he’d sort of gotten comfortable with the idea, he was finding it more and more difficult to imagine himself with a girl.

Not that he’d intended to tell Tatara that right now- he didn’t want to give him any clues about his crushes, and this was the first time he’d actually voiced his thoughts about his sexuality out loud- but he supposed the slip could have been much worse. It was still enough to make him clamp his teeth down on his tongue in regret, though.

Predictably, Tatara’s response was immediate acceptance and comfort. “Is that what’s been bothering you? Ah, you should have said something sooner, I know it can be really confusing and difficult to figure that stuff out, but you know I’d never judge you. It’s good that you’re figuring that out about yourself, there’s nothing wrong with it. It doesn’t make you any less of a man.”

“Thanks…”

Even though he hadn’t meant to come out right then, Tatara’s words were still comforting. Part of the reason it had taken him so long to come to terms with his orientation was the way it clashed in his head with his masculinity, and while he knew cognitively that being gay didn’t make him weak or girly (he’d seen Mikoto, the strongest man he knew, kiss another man enough times to know that wasn’t the case), he still struggled not to feel emasculated by the revelation. Not that he saw anything wrong with the idea of being a feminine guy, but it wasn’t what he wanted for himself- he’d grown up wanting to be a protector, someone strong and reliable, the typical man of the house, and it had been difficult for him to make that mesh with the idea of dating guys.

“Is that why Fushimi leaving was so hard on you?”

That had been the other reason he didn’t want to admit he was into guys when he first started to have his suspicions about himself- it was a step towards admitting he wasn’t sure if his feelings for his old best friend were platonic or romantic, and he hadn’t wanted to risk making things awkward between them by having a crush on him. Not that it would have made a difference in hindsight- he didn’t think confessing would have stopped Saruhiko from leaving.

“N-no! …I dunno, I don’t feel that way about him anymore, he’s a shitty traitor, how could I like someone like that? But I guess maybe, a while back…” he admitted with a sigh, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. Tatara had this way about him of getting people to say things they’d never say to anyone else.

“It’s alright. It’s normal to get crushes on your friends. If you ever need anyone to talk to about this, or if you have any questions, you know King and I are always here for you.”

Misaki nodded. He’d heard Tatara say he was there for him more times than he could count.

“It can be a lot to come to terms with, but once you’ve figured yourself out it gets easier, and you’re handsome, you’ll have no trouble finding a boyfriend.”

Misaki felt his cheeks burn at the comment, and he scrambled for a response, but could only summon a lengthy stutter before falling silent and staring at the floorboards.

Tatara chuckled gently, then looked up as the door opened and interrupted him before he could offer Misaki some reassurance. Mikoto walked in with his hands in his pockets, and a faint downward turn to the corner of his lips that Misaki didn’t notice, but Tatara did. Tatara noticed plenty- not just the frown, but the black charring on his sleeve, and the way his shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly with the effort of keeping his powers contained. He hadn’t had a good day.

Tatara patted the seat beside him with a comforting smile, and Mikoto crossed the room to press his fist to his partner’s palm, then wrapped his arm around his shoulder as he sank onto the couch to draw comfort from Tatara’s touch. Misaki averted his eyes from the sight and shifted uncomfortably in his seat, feeling as though he was intruding on something intimate and private (though it didn’t help that seeing the two people he had growing crushes on being lovey-dovey with each other made his stomach turn.)

But even despite his discomfort (and his usual level of obliviousness) he quickly picked up on Mikoto’s emotional state. He had a vague awareness that Mikoto seemed to lose control of himself and go a little overboard with his powers sometimes, and that he felt guilty about it, but he wasn’t entirely aware of the extent of it- Mikoto hid his distress well around everyone except Tatara. Still, now Misaki was quite sure there was something wrong, and he couldn’t just sit there while his King was upset. Not that he had any idea of what to say, but Tatara piped up before he had a chance to speak anyway. Misaki listened quietly to their conversation.

“What’s wrong?”

“Couple o’ the guys got themselves into some trouble and Kusanagi sent me to help ‘em out. Things got outta hand, one guy got taken away in an ambulance.”

“Ah, Kusanagi-san mentioned to me that Chitose had called, said he was hitting on some girl who turned out to have a boyfriend, and the boyfriend took offense, I didn’t realise it turned into a fight though.”

“Dewa stepped in, so the boyfriend called his friends.”

Misaki realised he didn’t think he’d ever heard Mikoto say so much in one go.

“Don’t beat yourself up,” Tatara said gently. “Our guys could have gotten hurt if you hadn’t stepped in.”

“They coulda taken care of it themselves.”

“Then it definitely would have turned into a fight, and Chitose has a bad habit of hanging around shady parts of town where people carry guns. Your presence is usually enough to diffuse an argument and avoid a fight entirely, that’s why Kusanagi sends you to these things, because your reputation precedes you and people don’t wanna get on your bad side. A couple of idiot thugs thinking they can take you on is their fault, not yours. You were defending yourself and your clansmen, that’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

By now, Misaki had figured out what they were talking about- he’d heard that Chitose had gotten into a fight that afternoon, and somebody had pulled a gun, but he’d never been worried. Firearms had never been a match for their aura, but apparently, things had gotten a little out of hand. By the sounds of it, the boyfriend was a little drunk and more than a little overprotective, and had bitten off more than he could chew when it came to “defending” his girl from some well-intentioned flirting. .

“It’s good the guy got what he deserved,” Misaki finally chipped in. “He sounds like a piece of work, starting a fight over a girl like some kinda animal. Apart from anything else that’s disrespectful of the lady, treating her like property, but it’s good you were there. It’s ‘cause people know how scary you can get when you’re mad that they don’t try anything on innocent people who can’t protect themselves, like Totsuka-san and Anna-chan. Even though it kinda sucks to feel bad about hurting someone, you protected the people you care about, right? That’s a really cool thing to do in my eyes.”

A moment passed at the end of Misaki’s monologue as he reflected on how hurried and stammered it had been, and he felt his cheeks warming in embarrassment once more. But when he looked up, Tatara was smiling at him, and Mikoto seemed… calmer. He wasn’t gripping Tatara’s hand quite so tightly anymore.

“See? I’m not the only one who’s figured out your powers are meant to protect,” Tatara declared, almost smugly, as he slung his arm around Misaki’s shoulder with pride.

“Mm,” Mikoto replied simply, and left it there, but he appeared to have cheered up a little bit- the faintest of smiles curled the corners of his lips, and Misaki felt his heart squeeze in his chest, both at how close Tatara was to him, and at the privilege of seeing Mikoto like this, with his guard down. He almost never showed that side to anyone other than Tatara and Anna- Misaki couldn’t believe his luck that he was one of the only other members of Homra who got this. It was bittersweet though, knowing how much he wanted more of this, but couldn’t have it.

Tatara glanced between the pair of them, seeming pleased by the exchange, then clapped his hands together and got to his feet. “Sounds like both of you deserve a drink, and it is a Friday night after all.”

Misaki wasn’t about to protest- for once, Kusanagi wasn’t around to chide him for drinking below the legal age, and he felt like he could do with one, just to calm his nerves.

Tatara headed to the fridge to retrieve a few cans of beer, then passed one to each of his companions before opening one himself.

“Careful,” Mikoto said to Tatara, nodding towards the can in his hand. Despite that Tatara was of the legal drinking age (though only just), he was far worse at handling alcohol than Misaki- by the time he’d gotten two drinks down, he was usually very tipsy when everyone else would still be largely sober. It was hilarious to watch, until he entered his “affectionate drunk” stage and sent Misaki’s pulse skyrocketing whenever he started getting cuddly with him (which usually started half way through his first drink.)

Physical affection wasn’t the only side effect of Tatara’s inebriation, and predictably, half way through his first can of beer, he began to let slip the odd cheesy compliment, or declaration of just how fond he was of the people present. Which once again, was not good for Misaki’s blood pressure, and it wasn’t long before he felt his cheeks heating up in mortification.

“You know, you shouldn’t worry about what Fushimi thinks of you so much,” Tatara said suddenly, turning to Misaki. “You’re a handsome guy, and you’re sweet and chivalrous and you’ve got that rugged masculine charm about you. You could have anyone you wanted, someone who sees eye to eye with you and makes you happy. Right, Mikoto? Don’t you think he’d make someone a great boyfriend someday?”

Misaki felt the blood rush into his cheeks, trying to ignore the pang of discomfort in the pit of his stomach at the sound of the person he wanted but couldn’t have telling him he could have anyone he wanted.

“You’re embarrassing him,” Mikoto pointed out.

“Just answer the question- he’s cute, isn’t he?”

Mikoto rolled his eyes, but nodded, unable to deny Tatara a response when he was giving him those puppy eyes.

Misaki took a deep swig of his drink to hide his face. “Y-you know, I’m always grateful for your help and stuff but ya don’t need to say all that stuff… It’s not a big deal, I’ll get a p-partner or whatever when the time’s right, there’s no rush on any of that stuff…” he mumbled, trying his best not to sound humiliated.

“It’s fine, I just thought you should know, one guy to another, that you really are handsome and you’re a great guy and you shouldn’t let someone make you feel like you’re not worthy because you weren’t right for each other at one moment in time.”

“That whole ‘one guy to another’ thing doesn’t really apply unless you’re straight ya know…” Misaki grumbled.

“Why don’t ya just kiss him already?” Mikoto joked to Tatara, rolling his eyes at his gooeyness. He evidently found his boyfriend’s drunken behaviour highly amusing.

Misaki spluttered, almost choking on his drink at Mikoto’s suggestion, but the blood drained from his face as Tatara actually leaned in towards him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. It was chaste and innocent and friendly but he felt like his heart was going to crack through his ribs.

“Ah… I-it’s um… getting late…” Misaki managed to stammer out. “I should probably head home…”

“Ahh, you’re right, I didn’t realise the time! You shouldn’t walk home through this part of town so late at night, though, and it’s raining anyway. Stay over, we’ll pull out the couch for you,” Tatara suggested, and like Mikoto, Misaki was unable to say no to that face. So he accepted the offer, along with the pyjamas loaned to him, and helped Tatara pull the sofa out into a bed. The pyjamas he’d been lent were Mikoto’s- Tatara was far too skinny for Misaki to fit any of his clothes. There was something embarrassing about the way the clothes dwarfed him, and something even more embarrassing about the suggested intimacy of it- the fabric smelled of his King, and he couldn’t get the idea out of his head that Mikoto had actually slept in these clothes. He changed promptly, then climbed into bed and stared at the ceiling, trying to avoid breathing in the scent of his King that lingered on the cuffs of his sleeves as Mikoto and Tatara got themselves ready to sleep. In truth, there was nothing he wanted more than to go home and freak out in peace, but there was something about Tatara’s face that made him incredibly difficult to say no to. So he lay awake, listening to his friends climb into bed beside each other and share soft kisses and whispered “goodnight”s and “I love you”s as he clamped his teeth down on his bottom lip, trying his best to pretend he didn’t wish he could be over there with them.