heavenlydecree | (no subject)

(no subject)

[If there was one thing Takatora was sure he should have learned by now, it would be how to keep his life in perfect running order. He had been the head of Yggdrasill's Research and Development branch from the moment he'd left high school and even before that, his father had kept him on a tight and strict schedule, never a second unaccounted for or left out of place. Unfortunately, with all of Takatora's scheduling and trying to squeeze an extra hour into every day, he still felt as though he never had time for anything, let alone everything. Even his weekends left little time for himself, though Takatora was also painfully aware of his obsession with triple-checking everything under his command and bringing such weight onto himself. He couldn't allow for errors.

His morning routine started a bit later on the weekends, if only because Takatora knew he had to catch up on sleep at some point to make up for running himself ragged. Getting sick was something he couldn't risk. The usual morning routine went by quickly: dragging himself out of bed (he'd never become a morning person, as much as he wanted to), showering, getting dressed, checking for any news or alerts while he had been sleeping. Thankfully, nothing important had happened during the night. Takatora always lived with the fear of something awful happening while he was asleep that he would be unprepared for, but every morning brought the same temporary relief. For now.

Takatora headed out of his room after an hour or so, still checking his phone as he made his way down the hall and towards the stairs. Ryouma already wanted to talk to him about something, which was mildly surprising as Ryouma rarely (never) got out of bed so early, which meant he'd been up all night again. Stepping past one of the maids, Takatora spoke a return greeting to her as he continued on, paying more attention to typing out messages than his surroundings.]

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I don't think I'm too nice. [He leaaans back, tilting his head back to grin widely up at Micchy. The wording strikes him as a little strange, but...] There's nothing wrong with wanting to help people. ... and I don't mind if someone takes advantage of me, as long as it makes them happy. I guess.

[He doesn't sound entirely convinced, but he goes back to the food, opting for a strawberry cake and a pudding, before going to look at actual food.]

She treats it like it's dirty, because it's just fighting. Or because I'm not being a proper adult. ... or she thinks I feel sorry for her. I'm not really sure. I think she has other reasons, but she won't really talk to me and I don't want to upset her more.

[Stop that. He reaches up to muss Kouta's hair.]

It's not 'just' fighting, though. You keep people safe. The Inves are dangerous. I mean... maybe you shouldn't get paid for keeping people safe, but we're one of a few teams that actually are doing good things. Some people are using Inves for pretty horrible things.

[The hair ruffle brings the bright smile right back to his face as though it had never left.]

I know. It's just hard to explain it to her, I guess. I think... when our parents died, she probably had to grow up too fast to take care of me. She missed out on a lot, so she doesn't really remember what it's like to be my age. And it's really hard to explain what we do anyway, protecting people.

[... Oh. That makes a lot more sense.]

Yeah. I think I understand. She's lucky to have a brother like you, though.

[To be honest, Kouta's not sure he's ever told anyone on the team aside from Yuuya about his parents, simply because it never really came up. He swings his basket as he examines the food, grabbing a couple rice balls and tossing them in before working his way back to the drinks.]

Well, I think your brother is lucky to have a brother like you.

... Thanks.

[Oh yeah. Food. He looks it over and... uh. Hm. He tosses some random things in, not really looking too hard at it. He'll start examining the ingredients and then never eat any of it if he keeps staring at it.]

[Noticing the awkward tone in his friend's voice, Kouta circles back once he's grabbed a few sodas, wrapping one arm around Micchy's shoulders and giving him a tight squeeze.]

Finding anything you like?

[Oh god sudden contact -]

I don't know. I... haven't had a lot of this stuff before.

[Is that an admission? ... It's kind of an admission. His voice is kind of soft and awkward like it is.]

... eeh? Really?

[Well, at this point Kouta's just assuming Micchy has a bit more income than his family, but not by a very large margin. He was used to using convenience stores as his go-to for most of his life. The only times he really went anywhere larger was when his sister needed him to get actual groceries and staples to cook with.]

Well... We can have you try some stuff...

[Kouta makes a long, low hum as he stares at the shelves.]

Do you have any preferences?

I don't really like meat all that much, but other than that not really. Or too spicy, though my brother loves it.

[Takatora you're weird.]

What about sweets?

[Of course there's not really anything purple or with grapes, so that takes out Kouta's first impression of what to get.]

They're fine, in moderation. Neither of us can put on too much weight, right? Or else we'll slow down.

[He pokes Kouta in the stomach gently.]

[At that, Kouta whines pathetically, holding his stomach and pouting at his friend.]

Micchyyy~

[He rubs at the spot, then moves to grab a few random things off of the shelf: another couple sweets (mostly fruit themed) and a couple sandwiches. He tosses them into his own basket, then goes to the back to grab another couple drinks to add in too.]

You can try anything I get.

All right.

[Not like he really knows how to judge. Oh well.]

[Kouta gives him another shoulder squeeze before turning away, taking his basket to the front of the store and setting it on the counter. He then proceeds to buy another few items from the display cases in the front -- hot food, which will be much more enjoyable to eat after a long night -- before paying for all of it and looking fairly pleased with himself for getting the chance to spoil his friend. As soon as he's done, he stands near the door with his bags, swinging them carefully again as he stares out into the street.

Something feels weird, but he can't figure out what.]

[Micchy rolls his eyes a little bit and takes one of the bags.]

Making you carry all of it isn't fair.

[But he just... trails along next to Kouta. He's never been to his house before. Apartment. Right. Probably an apartment.]

[Kouta tries to pull his hand back, though Micchy beats him to it. So he just pouts instead, which seems to be his usual method of defense when he's not being an armored rider.]

I can handle it! Let me spoil you!

[He walks outside to lead the way back, keeping a few steps ahead of Micchy at first and dodging to the side to avoid running into someone, muttering an apology.

Ryouma, of course, says nothing in response, but easily steps past him. While the chance is there to say something or make a scene, he simply gives Mitsuzane a look and a playful smile before heading past the pair and into the convenience store.]

[... His blood runs cold, and he meets Ryouma's gaze with as much venom as he can. He grabs Kouta by the arm and pulls him into a side street.]

Let's... make sure you go home a different way than you usually do, okay? Please don't ask why.

[Of course. Did Takatora send him out? Or is he just doing it to be an ass? He probably already knows where all of them live. Are there trackers in the belts? There probably are. His mind is working at a million miles an hour.]

[Kouta makes a startled noise of surprise as Micchy pulls him aside, looking completely confused as to what's going on and why. He opens his mouth to ask, then closes it, knowing Micchy has already said he doesn't want to talk about it. He looks around a bit more, trying to remember another way back, before grabbing Micchy's arm and tugging him further down the side street.]

We can go this way...

[Was it something about that man they'd passed? Kouta isn't sure, but it does make him feel weird that he had such a strange feeling right before Micchy did.]

Thanks.

[He feels suddenly sick. There's got to be a reason for this. Maybe he should have just gone home. But... no. He's already committed to this. He's not going to bail out just because of Ryouma. That man can't rule his life, and neither can Takatora.]

[Yeah, Kouta's definitely worried. He moves his hand down Micchy's arm to tightly, comfortingly grab his hand again to squeeze it, pulling the other along behind him. He makes a few more turns and has a slight moment of hesitation before he seems to find his way again.]

Are you okay?

... I'll be fine. I think. As long as my brother doesn't call and tell me to go home. I don't really want to go home tonight.

[He needs time away. He needs time to think. And more importantly he needs the opinion and care of someone he actually trusts. Kouta, while he may be weird and a little irresponsible sometimes, isn't a bad person. And more importantly, he's normal. At least as normal as he's going to get. He doesn't have a reputation, and he doesn't have an agenda. He has to be careful, but he doesn't have to pretend he's aloof or strong when he's not.]

[That worry doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. Kouta gives Micchy's hand another a squeeze and stops walking long enough to reach back and wrap one arm around his friend's shoulders, trying to give him a quick yet comforting hug.]

You'll be okay, Micchy. Just tell me what to do.

I don't know. I just have to think. Maybe I'm overthinking things, though.

[All he knows is that he wants to leave. It's irresponsible but he really doesn't want to deal with things right now. It's overwhelming, especially knowing what he knows now.]

I'm sorry, Kouta. I can't really explain right now.

It's okay! You don't have to tell me why. Just... if there's anything that makes it easier...

[Kouta's walking again now, still making sure to keep Micchy protectively close to him, taking a few more blocks before managing to reach the apartment complex from a completely different angle. If Micchy's been paying attention, he'll notice Kouta has developed the habit for carefully looking everywhere before he goes forward, as though expecting someone to attack him out of nowhere. Thankfully, he makes it all the way to the door of his apartment, letting go of Micchy's hand only to wrestle with his keys.]