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𝟒𝟔 || 𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 ||

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"Takemichi did WHAT?!"

    "Is It really true?!"

    Keisuke–along with Mikey–stare Haru down in anticipation, waiting for the blonde boy to repeat himself, cause there's no way in hell Keisuke heard wrong–

    Haru groans in annoyance and levels Keisuke in particular with an exhausted glare (which isn't fair in Keisuke's opinion–Mikey's doing the same damn thing and Haru isn't giving him grief!).

     "Yep, Takemichi broke up with that shiba girl yesterday, so try not to mention her around him–"

    Keisuke actually heard him right.

    Takemichi broke up with that wrench, Yuzuha!

    He's single.

    And he's free to be with him and Mikey!!!

    "LET'S FUCKING GOOOO!!!" Mikey screams all the while jumping on top of Keisuke's back. The blonde immediately wraps his arms around Keisuke's neck and the boy grabs hold of them, keeping his friend from falling off his back. "We WON!!! THE EVIL WITCH HAS BEEN DEFEATED!!!"

    Keisuke can't stop himself from breaking out into a big smile. With Mikey latched onto his back, Keisuke begins running around the neighborhood while cackling with joy, Haru's distressed shouts completely forgotten in favor of relishing in their victory.

    "He's up for grabs, Mikey! We can finally all be together!!!" Keisuke exclaims excitedly, a hot blush dancing along his cheeks as he imagines himself holding Takemichi's hand along with Mikey's. He sees them running along the river bank, their eyes reflecting the light off the water as they laugh and smile and blush and–

    "Ah–but what if he doesn't like us back, Keisuke?"

    Keisuke comes to an abrupt stop, making Mikey fly off his back and into the river bank.

    ...Fuck.

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"Huh? You broke up with that Yuzuha girl?"

    Takemichi's unable to stop vibrating in his seat, his blue eyes staring daggers into his mom's face from the other side of the glass. His fingers grip the sides of the chair as he nods his head, his nerves getting the better of him.

    But why is he so nervous? This is his mom–sweet and supportive in everything Takemichi decides to do.

    When Takemichi had confessed to her that he might like boys, she laughed and said it was good to keep his options open. Then, when he told her about how excited he gets when he fights, she scoffed and said it was typical for boys his age to be rambunctious. Hell–When Takemichi revealed that he and his friends found a bottle of unopened xanax, she very calmly told him to hand them to the people at the brothel.

    "There's no need to let good drugs go to waste–give it to those bastards at the brothel, they'll put them to good use."

    There doesn't seem to be a single judgmental bone in her body, but what if this very thing crosses some imaginary line? Afterall, it's pretty weird to want to be in a relationship with two people at the same time that just so happen to be his best friends. He can't see her being mad at him or screaming at the top of her lungs, but Takemichi's not sure he could handle it if she leveled him with a judgy glare.

    Takemichi closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and goes back to staring intensely at his mom.

    "Yeah...I broke up with her because I realized that I'm in love with–with two people."

    And there it is, the first bomb drop.

    Takemichi observes his mother's reaction, suspecting to see her eyebrows scrunching up and a curl of her lip, disturbed.

    Instead, she widens her blue eyes and drops her jaw.

    Well, being surprised is much better than being disgusted!

    "T-Two people?" She repeats, her voice carrying a high amount of shock.

    Takemichi tries not to waver when he nods his head again, his brain feeling lighter than usual. "Y-Yeah...Is that a problem...or–?"

    Takemichi doesn't get a chance to finish his sentence when his mother leans back in her chair and heaves out a loud cackle, the sound reverberating around the small room. "Of course not, baby! I'm just a little shocked, is all!" She reassures, and–with just one sentence–Takemichi begins to relax.

    "Oh...And it won't bother you at all if I say that...i want to be in a relationship with both of them?"

    "...At the same time?"

    "At the same time."

    The second bomb drop.

    His mom whistles, not disturbed in the slightest, but definitely amused. "Damn Takemichi...You're hella greedy...but no, i don't think it'll bother me."

    That's...not a definite yes.

    "What do you mean you don't think it'll bother you?" Takemichi asks, unable to hide the defensiveness in his tone. He bunches up his shoulders until they're almost reaching his ears, his eyes narrowing at his mom. "Will it or will it not bother you?"

    His mom smiles from the other side of the glass, her eyes softening at his tone of voice. "I mean I don't know if it will bother me because it hasn't happened yet. A relationship with one person can get pretty messy–but with two people? I don't even wanna imagine being in something like that! But hey, I ain't judging you for being poly, Takemichi!" She explains. "So, to really answer your question, no–it won't bother me."

    Takemichi heaves out a sigh of relief. "Oh well thank goodness..."

    "So...Who are the lucky kids that caught your eye, Takemichi?" HIs mama asks, interest sparkling in her big blue eyes. Her lips then curl up into a mischievous smile. "Don't tell me its Keisuke and mikey~"

    Takemichi blushes and moves his gaze onto his lap.

    And, lastly, the third bomb.

    He lifts his eyes back up and opens his mouth:

    "...It is."

    His mom stops and stares at him for a while, her face frozen as if she were malfunctioning. She blinks a few times, almost robotically, and–very slowly–sits up straight in her seat.

    "...Seriously?"

    "Seriously."

    Once the words leave Takemichi's lips, his mom slumps back in her chair and looks as if she had just ran a marathon. "Are you kidding me, Michi?! Out of everyone you could fall in love with, it's with those–those troublemakers?!" She exclaims, her voice exhausted and strained as she calls Takemichi's best friends trouble makers.

    "I–I can't control who I fall in love with! Don't blame me, blame my stupid heart!!!" Takemichi shouts, feeling his blush spreading from his neck up to the top of his forehead.

    His mom just groans loudly, without a doubt annoyed on Takemichi's behalf. "I can't believe it–my son is gonna end up in jail because he decided to fall in love with two future gangsters..."

    Ah...she's just teasing him.

    Takemichi rolls his eyes at her words and sits up straighter in his chair, more confident than he was before he stepped into the room. "We're not gonna go to jail, mom, not with me around to drag them out of their shit!"

    "And there it is–they're already giving you a terrible potty mouth!"

    "...It was you who taught me how to curse, mom–"

    "I'd much rather you date Mitsuya and Kenny!"

    "No way! They're like my cool older brothers!"

    "Then what about Haru? I'm sure he's still a cutie even with those scars–"

    "He's practically my adopted brother!!! That'd be so weird!!!"

    "...Emma! She still has a crush on you, right?

    "Nope! She's moved on and started crushing on Draken!"

    "hmmm...What about that shy kid you used to have a class with? Yuzuha's brother?"

    "You mean Haki-chan?!"

    "Yeah, him!"

    "Nuh uh! That'd be really weird since i–y'know–just broke up with his sister..."

    His mom then hangs her head, defeated.

    "...Ok, fine, I suppose you have my approval," She groans, seemingly not happy about this predicament in the slightest. "But you gotta bring the boys over after you three get together! I need to have a stern talk with them before I can properly give them my approval."

    And, while this isn't a bomb drop like the last three, it's still important enough to make the insides of Takemichi's stomach quench and twist violently.

    "...Even though I just figured out I'm in love with them, I still have no idea if they feel the same way as me," Takemichi reveals, feeling a small part of himself shatter as the words leave his lips. "What if they see me the same way I see Mitsuya and Draken? What if I confess to them and they get all disgusted? What if they don't want to be my friend anymore? What if–"

    His mom interrupts his rant with a groan, her expression twisting into something that resembles annoyance. "What if this, what if that–who cares, baby?" She mocks lightly, her gaze softening despite the scowl on her lips. "The fact remains that they also love you dearly–whether it's in a platonic sense or a romantic one, that's something you're gonna have to find out on your own," Her face then relaxes, no longer wearing an expression of irritation. "Even though those two are a bunch of trouble makers, I know without a doubt that they'd never abandon you for having these feelings. I can see them teasing you about them, but leaving you or feeling disgusted? I just don't see it."

    Takemichi purses his lips, his heart still sitting heavy in his chest. "How are you so sure about this?"

    His mom smirks and places a finger over her lips. "I call it a Mother's tuition!"

    Mothers tuition, huh?

    The boy laughs, finally letting the nervousness fade away into oblivion.

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After leaving the small meeting room with the security guard, Takemichi is met with the sight of Wakasa shoving more fashion magazines into his backpack.

    The security guard doesn't bother stopping Wakasa and instead levels Takemichi with a sympathetic look before turning on his heel and escorting the next visitor down the same hallway the boy came from.

    Takemichi walks right up to Wakasa who–for some reason–still hasn't noticed his presence. The boy raises a brow, both confused and amused at the sight before him.

    "Um Wakasa? What are you doing...?" Takemichi asks, finally gaining the man's attention.

    Without looking up from performing his task, Wakasa answers with a grunt. "I'm getting you studying materials."

    "H-Huh?" Takemichi mumbles and–right as Takemichi is about to repeat Wakasa's answer back to him–the man finishes stuffing all the magazines into the bag, ending it with a final zipp!

    "You wanna be a model, right?"

    "Well yeah–" Wakasa then turns to face him, a proud smile spreading across his lips.

    "This–" He states, pointing to his backpack that's full of fashion magazines, "--Will help us understand what you need to do to become one."

    Takemichi's eyes widened, completely floored by Wakasa's explanation. "Wait, you were serious about helping me become a–a model?" Takemichi croaks out, moved to the point of tears at his guardian's consideration.

    "Of course I was!" Wakasa exclaims while slinging the backpack onto his back. "Now let's head home before that glaring old lady stops me from taking all the magazines."

    Before Takemichi can even mutter a response, Wakasa is taking his hand and dragging him out the door of the waiting room.

    As they make it out of the prison, Takemichi keeps his eyes pinned to the backpack Wakasa is carrying, his heart fluttering at the sight.

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Upon making it to their apartment, Takemichi is surprised to find Keisuke and Mikey hanging outside their door talking amongst each other in hushed whispers.

    The small boy gulps at the sight of them and unintentionally steps behind Wakasa, using him as some sort of human shield. There's nothing Takemichi can do about the blush that runs up his neck and instead embraces it while hiding it from his bestfriends.

    Takemichi hasn't seen them since he discovered his true feelings towards the two boys!!! How the hell is he supposed to act normal around them with how fast his heart is beating?! They're bound to hear it if Takemichi gets too close!

    A hand in his hair draws Takemichi away from his thoughts. Looking Up, he meets Wakasa's curious gaze.

    "You don't look too thrilled to see them," Wakasa mumbles and it takes everything in Takemichi to tell him that it's quite the opposite.

    While Takemichi might've told Yuzuha and his mother about his feelings towards Keisuke and Mikey, he has yet to inform Wakasa of such things.

    The boy decides to play along rather than fess up.

    "I–I wanted to take a nap when I got back home..." Takemichi pretends to pout, crossing his arms in front of his chest to really sell the act. Wakasa levels him with an odd stare before looking away. Takemichi tries not to sigh in relief at being left alone–as much as he's come to trust Wakasa, the boy isn't sure how the man would react upon hearing the news. Wakasa doesn't seem to be keen on either Keisuke or Mikey like his mother, but at least she's a bit more lenient. Wakasa on the other hand? He'd probably demand that Takemichi put a stop to these feelings of love.

    "I'll scare them away for you."

    "...Wait what? You don't have too–"

    Wakasa then interrupts Takemichi by shouting across the hallway, gaining the boys attention.

    "Oi! Fucking scram boys!!!"

    Both Keisuke and Mikey shoot up from their spots on the floor, their heads snapping in Wakasa's direction with dropped jaws.

    "Eh?! But we haven't seen our Takemitchy in three days!" Mikey whines from afar and Takemichi tries to ignore the way his heart flutters at 'our Takemitchy'.

    From beside Mikey, Keisuke nods repeatedly like a baseball bobblehead. "Yeah! We're here to comfort him over his break up with that shiba girl!"

    "...Yuzuha, you mean?"

    "Yeah, her!"

    ...eh?

    Wakasa and Takemichi eventually reach the two boys and–when they do–Takemichi waves shyly, still very adamant about talking to them. "Well comfort him later, he needs to rest," Wakasa says while shooing the two boys away with his hand. Keisuke bares his teeth like he's threatening to bite his hand off while Mikey hisses at him with narrowed eyes.

    "We won't bother him! We'll make sure nothing wakes him up, promise!" Keisuke declares, Mikey enthusiastically nodding his head in agreement at his companions' words. Takemichi's eyes widen at the feral boy's attempt to negotiate, his heart skipping a beat.

    "Yeah! Please let us be around him!" Mikey cries out, his dark eyes feigning tears, but even the sight of Mikey pretending to be sad, makes Takemichi's heart squeeze.

    "Come by later brats–"

    "It's–It's ok!" Takemichi speaks up, his heart still hammering loudly in his chest as he tries to avoid his bestfriends stares. "I–I can sleep later!"

    Wakasa sighs, his disappointed gaze searing into Takemichi's figure, but doing nothing to stop Takemihi as he opens the door for the two boys.

    Mikey and Keisuke send Takemichi a cheeky smile as they make their way through the door, their eyes shining in victory.

    "Yay!!! Thanks Takemitchy!"

    "You're the best Michi!!!"

    Takemichi watches them enter the apartment with a flushed face, simply nodding at their totally meaningless compliments.

    It's ok.

    Everything's ok.

    Takemichi can totally hangout with them without doing something stupid!

    Inhaling sharply, Takemichi marches into the apartment like a man on a mission, Wakasa following his heels.

    He then closes and locks the door with a click that rings loudly in Takemichi's ears.

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Nope.

    Takemichi can't do it.

    He gives up.

    "Eh? Your face is red, Takemichi! You sick or something?" Keisuke asks from his spot, cuddled up to Takemichi's side. Mikey, who's also snuggling into the boy on Takemichi's other side, places a hand over Takemichi's forehead. The blanket covering their three small bodies weighs heavy on Takemichi, adding to the amount of heat rushing through the boy's body at having not one, but two of his loved ones sandwiching him in his own bed.

    "See, Keisuke? This is what happens when we leave Takemitchy on his own for a few days!" Mikey groans, his hand on Takemichi's forehead moving to cross over the blushing boy's chest until it's jabbing Keisuke's face. "I told you giving him space would be a bad idea!"

    "Hey! I didn't wanna give him space either!" Keisuke exclaims, further smothering Takemichi by plopping his head on Takemichi's chest. "It was Haru who forbade us from seeing him so soon!"

    The boy swears he can feel steam pouring out of his ears...

    "Yeah, and look what good that did! Now he's all red and sick–"

    "I'm not sick!!!" Takemichi exclaims, finally gaining the power in his voice to speak. His voice startles Keisuke and Mikey, but they don't move from their spots, In fact, they seem to scooch in closer, completely disregarding Takemichi's personal space.

    "Yeah? Then why's your face so red?!" Keisuke demands while jabbing a finger against Takemichi's forehead. Takemichi tries swatting it away to no avail–the two boys have trapped him to the point where he can't move his arms from his sides.

    Because you idiots keep getting in my face!!!

    "I-I'm upset!!!" Takemichi lies, his face reddening further at the thought of telling them the truth. "...Upset over...my break up with Yuzu-chan..." He hopes the two boys will just go along with whatever nonsense is spouting from his lips.

    It appears to work with the way both boys groan in annoyance.

    "You serious right now? You're still thinking about that stupid brunette when we're right here?!" Mikey fumes, his body lifting up to loom over Takemichi's face. The blue-eyed boy is left with no choice but to meet his irritated gaze, his dark obsidian irises that seem to mimic the night sky–a beautiful black hole.

    "I-It's only been three days, Mikey!" Takemichi defends, trying to move his eyes elsewhere, but he finds himself gravitating to his pitless hues. He gulps,