I watched SK8 and it was obvious who would be my fav . Later I saw @chinenmiyazine looking for contributors, I sent my application thinking I wouldn’t have a chance because all my examples were wlw but they accepted me! Sooo this is my piece~
please, check out the whole zine! You can find it pinned in the Zine’s account it’s free!
yes reki has to apologize to miya for breaking his promise and not being a good friend but miya also has to realize that his teasing contributed to reki’s declining self-worth. hes 13 so its understandable that he doesnt realize it but like. there should still be some acknowledgment of his and shadow’s behaviour not being okay. tbh im not even hoping for an apology, id be happy if they for once just told reki to his face that he’s good at skateboarding without insulting him
A/N:Thank you @wertzunge for the request☕! Again an out of comfort zone prompt that made me think ‘what will this be’ and before I knew it this fic had spawned hehe. Hope you’ll enjoy!^^
Summary: It’s your lazy Sunday and while your best friend and roomie Miya is already up and being way too active, you’re taking this chance to just reminisce about your friendship with him, including your first fight, and your first ever tickle fight. (Also on Ao3)
Word Count:2255
Curtains opened suddenly, blinding you even with your eyes closed.
“Reeks of slime here. Anyone gonna wake up soon?” an impatient voice said, waking you up. You sighed and pulled your pillow over your head.
“See? Here I was, skating twenty rounds while you’re still sliming around. Don’t mind me leveling up while I leave you behind,” Miya said cockily. You opened one eye. What a nerd. If it wasn’t the sunlight coming in, it would be Miya’s lime green hoodie that would blind you. You rolled your eyes and turned around.
“Get lost, troll,” you sighed. You heard Miya cackle playfully, but luckily he didn’t bother you much longer, other than leaving the curtains open for you to suffer in the bright sunlight while you could use a few more minutes of sleep.
Yeah, through the years you had learned to deal with Miya’s cocky attitude. Heck, you weren’t best friends for nothing. From strangers to classmates, classmates to roommates, roommates to best friends. Or maybe that last bit was the other way around. Best friends, and that’s why you became roomies.
You smiled as you slowly dozed off again, remembering your first few encounters with Miya Chinen while a comfortable cloud of sleep embraced you.
“First impressions. Be nice.” Along those lines were the teacher’s words when students were asked to share their impressions about each other after your first introduction week in the new class. You felt intimidated. Of course you were paired with the flashy Miya - the person you knew was a rioting skater with his super amazing older friends and secret races (b-beefs?) during the night.
Still, despite those impressions, you looked for something nice to say. “Y-you seem very… trendy. You dress nice,” was your awkward compliment for him. Because wasn’t that the teacher’s purpose with this? It wasn’t like you were going to say he’s nerdy.
Miya scoffed. “Thanks,” he said with a smirk. “You seem like you’d drop common loot if defeated,” he said, and he wasn’t kidding. Your eyes bulged out. Be nice, said the teacher! But your teacher had frowned as if not understanding what he said, before moving on.
“Good!” she said. You gaped at Miya, blushing like crazy. What was that! So mean. And it wasn’t the only time he roasted you. He was always teasing you, about being a slime, a normie, about not having any hobby. Well, one time you had enough of his teasing and dared him: “If you’re so amazing, you surely can teach me to skate.”
You didn’t expect - silly silly - that the competitive Miya agreed to this. He would regularly threaten with the fact that slimes cannot get this skill, but in the end he did not step back from the challenge, and thus began your regular skating practices with Miya.
With time, through all of the roasting, teasing and bullying, you became friends, and before you knew it, you were introduced to his beef friends and you were part of the gang.
You were excited when you finally got the hang of skating and got to enjoy one of these exciting beefs, going up against your own teacher Miya since you challenged him for fun. Looking back, you should’ve known to just challenge him normally. During practice time, not when he was in his skating habitat like this, confident and sneering.
“Oh yeah? Well, see if you can catch up with me then, slime!” He had said, and well, of course you couldn’t keep up with him, but that should’ve been alright. Skating was just for fun. But when you arrived at the finish line long after Miya, he was laughing cheekily.
“What did I say? Common loot!” he chirped. That stung in your chest somehow. He remembered that? He still carried this impression of you after all the time you spent together?
“Yeah?” you hissed, clenching your skateboard under your arm. “Well guess what, a person like you wouldn’t even deservemy common loot,” was your overreaction at him, and you had left just like that. It shouldn’t have bothered you as much as it did. Miya was always like this, a meanie and a tease. Cocky and annoying, and he probably didn’t mean what he said. Still, you liked that you made your statement.
At that point you would’ve never expected you would become even better friends with him, and eventually even roommates. No, but what you also definitely didn’t expect was that the same night, you received a text from him.
Hey… Can I come over?
You frowned. Miya had visited your dorm room quite a few times, but never around this time. It was against the dormitory rules during such late hours, but whatever.
Fine.
On top of the unexpected came another unexpected something. In the end he was (secretly) at your door, carrying his bag with him.
“Hi. I know my stealth skills,” he complimented himself proudly as he took off his shoes and waltzed into your room. You rolled your eyes.
“What’s that you’re carrying?” you asked. Miya looked at you and held up his bag.
“Oh this? Well, I’ll be sleeping here. So it’s stuff for our sleepover,” he said awkwardly. You crossed your arms.
“And what makes you think you can sleep over?” you asked. It wasn’t as if there was no room and you even had a spare futon for if a family member would want to stay over for a bit. But still, this was so random. Besides, you were still angry.
“E-eh, well…” You noticed that Miya took his phone and his eyes scanned something, the light of his phone lighting up his face.
“S-sleepovers are good for friendships. And…” he frowned at the message he was obviously reading. “We should have a tickle fight.”
You almost laughed. Almost. “Says who?” you sighed.
“Reki. Also a slime,” Miya said matter-of-factly, but he then gulped and lowered his head.
“….About that. I d-don’t mean it as an insult when I say things like that….” he muttered out, with great effort. “So….” he started, playing with the sleeve of his hoodie. You noticed he was very awkward with this. Apologies weren’t a Miya-thing. You smiled.
“Challenge accepted then.”
He cocked his head. “Hmm?” But before he could retaliate, you pounced on top of him, making him stumble over his own bag full of sleepover stuff and he fell to the floor with you after him.
“Tickle fiiiight!” you announced, and you started to wiggle your fingers against his sides. “N-no hahah! Wahahahait I wahahasn’t - nohoho!” Miya squealed, struggling and thrashing beneath you, but you had caught him by surprise and was having the upperhand in this. Proudly.
“What was that?” you asked. “Slime?” you spat back, and you wiggled your fingers all over his typical lime green hoodie.
“A little green slime you are,” you told Miya who was just laughing like crazy. “Nohoho this ihihisn’t fahahair!” he laughed.
You chuckled. “I would do something if I were you, because if this continues, I’ll win the tickle fiー” Nice, nice try Miya, you thought as he swung his leg under yours, tripping you and causing you to fall clumsily on top of him. He then quickly managed to flip you over and he tickled your belly ruthlessly.
“You? Win? Never!” he cried triumphantly, blushing and panting a little as he started to tickle you without mercy. You gasped and tried to grab his hands, and a loud howl escaped your lips.
“HAAHah!” You then gulped and your eyes widened. Only now you were laughing so loudly yourself, you realized how much noise you were making.
“Take this, and that! Gotcha!” Miya let out little tickle battle cries as he wiggled his fingers all over your twitching torso, not missing your lower sides, your upper ribs, the area around your belly button and your belly button itself. Even your underarms, alright, he wasn’t so bad at tickle fights as you would think.
“Miyahahaha! Mehehe-Miya stahhaap!” you giggled into your hand, this time minding the neighbors, but Miya was relentless.
“Not. Stopping!” he cried. Even the years after that you would still remember Miya’s persistence and power in his first tickle fight against you. Not that he would last though.
“T-thehehen me neither!” You managed to fight him off again and grabbed his socked feet, which you started to tickle ruthlessly.
“Wahaahahahaha! Nohoho - not there! Bwahahah! Okahahahay! Okaaaaaay!” That was fast. You smirked but continued to tickle.
“Okaywhat?” you said, raking your fingers up and down his helpless soles as you held down his feet. He curled his toes and cried out.
“You wihihiiin! You wiiiin gahahahaa!”
“And?” you said.
“I’m sohohoorry hahahaha! I wahahahs mehehean!” Miya laughed, and you finally let him go. He gasped for breath and you had patted his back playfully.
“See? You are also a slime. Can’t even win a tickle fight against me,” you said proudly. Miya coughed a little and shook his head.
“S-still.. I am a higher level. I am not a slime,” he said. Still like that huh? You reached out and poked his tummy, making him giggle.
“I’ll call you a troll then. An ugly one,” you said. Miya gasped.
“I thought you said I was trendy!” It was still funny how much the first impressions were still on his mind, and you laughed.
“Trendy troll then.”
“Hehehey!” he giggled when you started to tickle him again, you couldn’t help it. Ah, your first tickle fight. Everything that happened after that was just history. Moving in together, becoming even better friends. Many more tickle fights, and yes, Miya was still a troll, but he had mastered tickle fights even better than before.
“Hmmmmh,” you thought as you stepped out of bed, smiling because you had remembered all of that first tickle fight as if it was a vivid dream, even when it was already a memory. Oh to be able to experience it twice.
“I dreamed about our first tickle fight,” you said as you entered the living room where Miya sat on the couch, playing a game.
“Did you? I won that,” he said cheekily.
You frowned and drank the coffee he had made you in your matching mugs. It was already pretty cold, but still tasty.
“No, I won,” you reminded him. Miya shrugged.
“Well, if you did then I can’t remember.”
You smirked. Little troll never learned. “Oh yeah?” Miya should have seen it coming but was so invested in his game that you could catch him off-guard by tackling him down on the couch.
“Hehehey no don’t you daaaare!” Miya screeched when you stole his controller from him, only to start digging into his sides ruthlessly, shoving your hands under his hoodie to squeeze at his slender shirt-covered torso. Miya bounced underneath you and squealed.
The neighbors had gotten used to this by now.
“STAHAHahap! You stahaharted too ehehearly!” Miya laughed.
“Youstarted too early. What kind of idiot gets up at seven on a Sunday?” you lectured bossily, tickling his ribs by rubbing circles with your thumbs and making him cackle.
“GAahahah! Nahahah you’re just a lahahazy slihihime!” he laughed. You shook your head and started to pinch his tummy, causing him to squeak.
“Sure, a slime. What else?” you asked calmly while tickling him without mercy.
Miya was laughing for his dear life. “Ahahahaha cohohommon loohoot drohohoppeheheer!” he laughed. Yeah by now this was a well-accepted joke.
“Figured,” you said, and you suddenly jumped up with your hands and attacked his armpits. Miya opened his eyes wide in shock before closing them again and he arched his back, his arms flailing awkwardly as you continued to tickle him.
“Geeeheheheee you wihhiin! You w-wiiiiin!” he cried out.
“You didn’t even tickle me back, troll,” you teased, still poking your fingers in his armpits and making him twitch and struggle.
“I cahahahan’t!” You turned your head and noticed you had him pinned down in quite the advantageous angle for you.
“I see. Then, that makes this a good moment to remind you who won our first tickle fight ever,” you said, digging your thumbs under his arms to make your point. Miya shrieked.
“HAAHHA! D-does ihihit reheheally mahahatter?!” he laughed.
“It does,” you said with a smirk. You ended up tickling him until he was mewling adorably, and by the time you stopped, Miya tiredly rolled onto his side and finally admitted: “A-ahalright. You won. Now, and then too.”
You smirked. He could’ve said that way sooner. Someone enjoyed a good tickle fight, no matter how fair. You poked him playfully and giggled.
“That’s right,” you said, and you then noticed Miya’s phone had dropped from his pocket.
“Ah, I’ll claim this common loot of yours,” you said as you took your prize, making him growl. “My phone isn’t common loot!”
You saw his homescreen was filled with messages by Reki who was probably spamming Miya with memes again. You chuckled, thinking that it was actually thanks to Reki you got this close to Miya, or well… yes, it really was thanks to Reki. There was no going around it. He was the one who sent Miya to chase after you that one night, for a sleepover and a tickle fight.
You smiled. “Shall we have breakfast then?” you finally said. Miya sighed tiredly.
“I already ate breakfast.”
“Second breakfast then. Trolls can eat plenty,” you said, poking him again and making him giggle.
“Ahahahalright!” Ah, what a nice beginning of a glorious day!
a carefree boy when he was younger, but has grown into someone who can seem very cocky at times. However, this is likely part of a persona he adopted following the events shown in the flashback. wikifandom.
(my sk8 skecret skanta gift for Not_so_wicked_witch!)
Kojiro was already in the kitchen when Miya woke up, though Kaoru wasn’t to be seen. It wasn’t very surprising. Like him, Kaoru didn’t tend to sleep till late in the evening. Late late. Though, where he was distracted with video games or homework, Kaoru was distracted with work or tech. Of course Kojiro didn’t have the best sleep schedule, either. But he needed to wake up early to get the restaurant ready and he had a good track record of doing so no matter how late he fell asleep. On days like this, the whole family slept in at least a bit. Even Kojiro who somehow managed to wake up just early enough to force Kaoru and Miya to wake up with a ‘proper breakfast’. (In Miya’s opinion, a toasted poptart was proper enough.) There was coffee on the table for Kaoru already and Miya made a beeline for it. Before he managed to stretch out a hand and wrap it around the handle, Kojiro’s hand was over the top and pulling it closer to himself.
“Not a chance.” Kojiro hadn’t even looked over, just turned the stove off. When he turned there was a plate piled high with scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast balanced on his hand.
“But Kojiro,” Miya complained with a pout, though he knew for once it wouldn’t actually get him anywhere. There were things Miya could convince Kojiro to let him do, even after a ‘no’, with a pout. And then there were things like this where it didn’t matter.
“It’ll stunt your growth and you’re already short enough, kiddo,” Kojiro said with a teasing smile that made Miya huff and roll his eyes. “Get your mom up for me?” He’d called Kaoru ‘mom’ once as a joke, and it ended up sticking. Sometimes Kaoru complained about it. All of them could tell it was rather halfhearted, though.
“Sure.” Miya shrugged a shoulder and moved to get Kaoru from the bedroom. This was typical too. No matter how late Miya managed to sleep, Kaoru was normally the last up. On the way to his parent’s bedroom, Miya glanced into Kaoru’s office to see if he could spot whatever he’d been working on the night before. There was a cloth on the table, dark gray in the shadows with something under it. He clicked his tongue and continued. The door had been left open, probably in an ineffectual effort to rouse Kaoru with the smells alone. Or maybe Kojiro just liked the illusion it gave of still being close to Kaoru, no doors closed between them. Miya wasn’t sure and he didn’t really care enough to ask. He knocked lightly on the door and wasn’t surprised when Kaoru didn’t stir. A sigh left him, shoulders sagging forward and a smile twitching his lips. So annoying. He stepped carefully into the room, steps light till he reached the end of the bed to crawl on over the covers. Before he scooted around and shoved himself under the covers because Kaoru liked the room a little too cold to be fully human. When Kaoru’s eyes blearily opened a bit in confusion, Miya moved closer to him and spoke at a normal volume. “Mom, breakfast’s ready.” Kaoru startled.
“Jesus,” Kaoru sighed, voice still rough from the lack of sleep. Miya laughed and Kaoru pulled him closer to himself, still soft enough with sleep that his retribution was simply smothering his son.
“Hey!” The complaint was muffled against Kaoru’s nightshirt- something not originally his but stolen from Kojiro an unknown amount of time ago. He was squeezed tightly once and then released. Miya took a dramatic breath in when he was. There was a snort from Kaoru.
“I thought I’d have to wake you both up,” Kojiro teased when they came into the kitchen and Miya stuck his tongue out at him. The three of them sat around the table, Kaoru reaching for his coffee before he reached for anything else, making a pleased hum as he took a sip. It was quiet as they ate. A third of the table still waking up, the other two content in the quiet. Miya dragged the toes of a fuzzy sock against the hardwood floor, his other leg tucked up under him. Across from him, Kaoru’s legs were crossed, his body angled in the chair and hands wrapped around his mug to soak the warmth into his skin. Next to him Kojiro was putting some eggs on his toast, also sitting at an angle, a foot kicked up on Kaoru’s chair in the space Kaoru wasn’t occupying and the other tapping a steady rhythm into the floor. Air came easily in the space between the three of them. Soft like the beginnings of a sunrise. Oranges in the way Miya’s eyes flickered to his phone when Reki texted him. Pinks in how Kojiro smiled softly at Kaoru. The lighter blues in the curve of Kaoru’s back as he read the newspaper, glasses perched low and golden on his nose.
It wasn’t until Miya and Kaoru started to wash the dishes- Kaoru washing and Miya drying and putting away- that any conversation really got started.
“So what do you guys want to do today?”
Miya shrugged. “Finish the sidequest I’m stuck on.”
“Finish my project,” Kaoru said.
Even without looking back, Miya could see his dad’s expression in the flatness of his tone. “ Lazy Saturday, Kaoru. Mean anything to you?”
“A day of wasted time?” One of Kaoru’s eyebrows lifted. If he was still wearing his glasses, Miya knew it’d be over the rim. Miya could barely suppress his snort.
“It’s good for you!” Kojiro argued. “Give that big brain of yours an actual break.” Kaoru rolled his eyes like it was an inconvenience. Whether or not it actually was, Miya figured was a matter of opinion. At the very least, there were no pressing deadlines his mom needed to meet.
“Fine, I’ll take a break.”
“That’s all I ask,” Kojiro said.
“But I’m going right back to it tomorrow.” ‘Tomorrow’ definitely meaning midnight. Or sometime before midnight. Really, it depended on when Kojiro released him from the ‘break’. But it probably wouldn’t be before ten.
“I figured you would.” Kojiro kissed Kaoru’s cheek on his way past. It definitely wouldn’t be before ten. On his way past Miya he ruffled his already messy bedhead and Miya swatted at his hands. “Kaoru, when you two are finished I’ll help you with your hair. Yours too, kid.” Kaoru hummed in acknowledgement and Miya nodded. Two more dishes and they were done.
It wasn’t exactly common for Kojiro to do either of their hair. Miya’s hair was short enough that he did it quickly himself and Kaoru frankly forgot about his own half the time, keeping it perpetually in an unbrushed low ponytail until he went to S or had to be around others. (Much as it annoyed even him.) So it was almost special when Kojiro did their hair, even in its mediocrity. Even if neither admitted it as they sat cross legged on the couch. They used Miya and Kojiro’s shared green hairbrush, since Kaoru’s white hairbrush was small and kept in the glove compartment of his car. Since his hair was much shorter, Miya’s was always taken care of first. The brush ran through it and Miya almost purred as it tugged gently at the knots. When Miya’s was done, he leaned against Kaoru’s side with his gameboy, tinny music coming lightly from it as he played. Both because it was longer and because it naturally tangled more, Kaoru’s took longer. Just like Miya, he practically purred with a pleased smile as Kojiro tugged at the knots as gently as he could. Kojiro was amused to no end with how similar Miya and Kaoru could be. (Though the same could be said about Kaoru with how similar Miya and Kojiro were.) He finished Kaoru’s hair with a black hairband, up in a bun just to annoy him later when he’d take it down. (And now as well, Kaoru sending a flat glare at Kojiro’s reflection in the tv.) When he was done, he clapped his hands together, making Miya look up. “Alright, any ideas?”
“We could play a game,” Miya said.
“Like a video game?” Kojiro asked.
Miya smirked. He could see the expression mirrored via Kaoru’s reflection in the tv. “Scared, old man?”
“Not a chance,” Kojiro scoffed. It was half a lie. Somehow, despite having Miya for four years now, Kojiro hadn’t gotten any better at video games. Kaoru certainly had, though. It’d seemed so natural for his husband. Like he could just speak to the game as if it were Carla. Really he wouldn’t be surprised if that’s exactly what it was. Tech was like Kaoru’s second language. Him, though, he’d always been better at the more physical stuff and most video games just weren’t that.
“We could play Mario Party to try and give your clumsy gorillaness a chance,” Kaoru said with a smile.
“Gee thanks,” Kojiro said, pulling at a strand close to Kaoru’s scalp. “What about a card game instead?”
“Bo-ring,” Miya complained.
They ended up doing both. The wins were fairly evenly split, with Miya only winning three more than Kaoru and five more than Kojiro. Including a card game he stole victory from Kojiro in. By the day’s end there were dishes from the sandwiches they’d made and multiple soda cans piled on the floor next to the table with three wii controllers and cards scattered on said table. Kaoru gathered up the cards, prompting Kojiro and Miya to help for the next few minutes to get everything back in order.
In the kitchen, Kaoru found Kojiro leaning against the counter in front of the microwave. There was a bowl next to him. The microwave counting down the seconds, the light showing the bag slowly expanding inside. When Kojiro noticed him, he lit up with a smile, outshining the microwave’s faint light. He could probably cook with that expression alone , Kaoru thought briefly before subtly shaking it away. “Miya’s picking a movie,” Kojiro told him.
“Is he?” Kaoru asked.
“So we’re alone, for a bit,” Kojiro shrugged nonchalantly and Kaoru rolled his eyes but stepped closer. Kaoru cupped Kojiro’s cheeks and kissed him softly. Hands went to his hair, fingers slipping under the strands to scratch against his scalp. A pleasant tingle went down his spine and he hummed against Kojiro’s lips. His hands fell to Kojiro’s waist, holding him close. Mouths opened, Kojiro moaned as Kaoru lightly bit down on his tongue. There was no fumbling like there’d been years ago when they’d first gotten together. No need to rush or spike of adrenaline. Just a slow dance they both knew the dance to. Comfortable in a way kissing had never been for Kaoru. Not until Kojiro.
“I got the tv set-” Miya broke off at almost the same moment his parents did. Except his was words and theirs were lips. His nose scrunched up in disgust. Yes, he knew his parents kissed, but that was very different from walking in on them making out like teenagers against the kitchen counter. As flat as he could, “Guys.”
Kaoru took another step away from Kojiro, clearing his throat. At least he looked awkward about it, cheeks so pink they rivaled his hair. Kojiro just laughed. Very strongly, Miya considered stretching out on the couch next to Kaoru while they watched the movie so he’d have to sit on the floor. But Kojiro was comfortable to lay on. So instead he just rolled his eyes and grabbed m&ms from the cabinet before heading back for the living room. The microwave beeped and neither Kaoru nor Kojiro knew if it was the first time it had. But they had a feeling it wasn’t.
When they walked back to the living room, bowl of popcorn in Kojiro’s hand, Kaoru wasn’t surprised to see the movie Miya picked. The main menu showed a castle, Merry Go Round of Life playing from the screen. Miya’d been on a bit of a Ghibli kick, lately. Out of all the media Miya could be into right now, Kaoru didn’t mind the Ghibli movies. They settled in on the couch, Miya between his parents, to watch Howl’s Moving Castle. Two hours later, Kojiro was somehow the only one awake. Both Miya and Kaoru were against his side, having adjusted themselves so Miya was tucked into Kaoru’s arms with his head beneath his chin. Kojiro turned off the tv and dragged the blanket from the back of the couch and over the three of them before he laid back against the arm of the couch, careful not to wake either. It was likely he’d regret it later. But… Kojiro looked down at his favourite people, wrapped in his arms with a smile. Gently as he could, he squeezed them tighter. Any future discomfort was more than worth it. He sunk further into the couch to join them in sleep.
Not every day, but some days after school Miya would help Shadow at the flowershop. Initially, he hadn’t planned for it to become a fairly common thing. He’d just wanted to bother Shadow. Poke fun at him, maybe talk to that manager he’d seemed to like so much. But when he went, an older lady had assumed he worked there and didn’t even ask if he didn’t before she shoved two flowers at him and asked for his opinion. It’d thrown him off enough he actually answered. Then the manager- Arisa, he eventually learned- shoved a bouquet into his hands and he could only blink as she shoved him toward someone at the counter, apparently deciding he would be an employee that day. Later he had learned Shadow’d called in sick and she was alone. Telling her that he was Shadow’s little sibling the first time he’d come here bit him in a way he hadn’t expected, since she seemed to think he’d been sent to take Shadow’s place. (Of course, he didn’t correct her. Not that he’d really had a chance to. It was busier than he’d expect a flowershop of all things to be. She’d paid him a little after, though. Which was nice.) After that he’d just kinda… started ending up there. More and more. The flowers smelled nice and it was a nice escape from school and the professional side of skating. Especially when he was busy. And when it was empty, it was fun to heelie around the shop with the shoes he’d convinced Kojiro to get him, making random bouquets. One of which he was even able to bring home. (It was his favourite- pink carnations and white lilies and ferns and lilacs and pink hyacinth.) It was… nice. More nice than he’d ever thought it’d be, though he’d admit he hadn’t exactly expected to end up here the first time he snuck over with Reki and Langa to bug Shadow into taking them to the onsen. Or any of the other times he came over to bother Shadow. Whether alone or not. What could he say, Shadow was fun to make fun of.
“Okay you little runt,” Shadow came toward him, a large bucket of flowers in hand, “move over.”
“Isn’t there a magic word you’re supposed to use?” Miya asked. When Shadow only glared at him and moved past anyway, grumbling something about cats and always being underfoot as he went, Miya stuck his tongue out. Even without the ‘please’ he rolled enough out of the way so Shadow wouldn’t trip. If a mess was made, they’d have to clean it up. Something he learned after an unfortunate accident almost had Arisa revoke his heelie rights. Thankfully his pleading face did wonders, even if it never fazed Kaoru. He followed Shadow outside, where the older skater filled the bucket with water. There was a low, wooden fence out here that really felt like it separated the back area from the outside world. A vine traveled up it, dotted with small yellow flowers. The shop didn’t really use them. Most of what they sold were bouquets or singular flowers and they weren’t really suited for either. But they fit the atmosphere of a flower shop. Sometimes Miya would catch Shadow taking care of them. Especially after dealing with especially trying customers. Or sometimes the day after a beef that went badly. About the second time Miya caught him, he figured Arisa put them there specifically for that reason. Next to the fence was a wooden box, which Miya rested his feet on when he jumped up to sit on the fence.
Shadow looked at him from the corner of his eye. “Shop is almost closing. Do you… need me to take you home?”
Every day Miya worked there, Shadow would ask that. And every time, he’d get the same answer.
“Nah, I have my skateboard.”
There was silence, filled only by the hose in the bucket. Before Shadow could ask a second time just to make sure- something that also happened everytime. The things Miya learned about Shadow. The blackmail . If he ever had the desire to, he could probably do some serious harm to Shadow’s S reputation. … He wouldn’t . Because he at least sorta cared about Shadow. But he could- a small, almost pitiful noise filled the air. A noise that immediately had Miya’s ears peaked. Was that-? It came again.
Mr-oow.
He turned to Shadow. “Did you hear that?” The look Shadow gave him, half worried and half concerned was all the answer he needed. He jumped down, making a meowing noise of his own in the hopes the cat would answer. It did, with the slightest delay. In a call and response, Miya kept it up until he found the cat. Bright blue eyes looked up at him from a bush. A small mouth opened wide. Me-roow? With a delighted gasp, Miya lifted the kitten from the bush. Dirt clung to short black fur and its toe beans. The hose turned off and Shadow walked up behind him.
“Oh no, we are not keeping a cat.”
Miya turned on his heel to look up at the older skater. “You’re right,” he smirked and held the kitten out to him. “ Youare.”
“What?-”
“I can’t keep it,” Miya interrupted him. “Much as I’d love to, Joe’s allergic. I’d never get it in the door.”
“Then we’ll take it to an animal shelter!”
“And leave it to fend for itself??” Miya gasped, all fake dramatic and half fake anger, as he pulled the kitten close to his chest. This was the closest he’s gotten to actually owning a cat. He was not passing up this opportunity. “Who knows what kind of people might adopt it! If it even does manage to get adopted. I can’t leave this kitten’s fate up to chance.” And he pulled out his best pleading eyes, even jutting his lower lip out in a pout.
“Why don’t you just use those on your dad?” Shadow mumbled quietly before he sighed. “Alright, alright, I’ll take the fuzzball. Just put that away already.”
Miya lit up pleasantly, just barely keeping his smile from being too smug. “Thanks, Shadow!”
“Yeah, yeah, you little monster,” Shadow said with a flat look.
Luckily they didn’t have to worry about the kitten in the shop. Arisa took one look at it and cooed. “Are you gonna take care of it?”
“Dad’s allergic so big brother said he would!” Miya quickly nodded. No backing out now.
“That’s so sweet.” Arisa smiled and petted the kitten between its ears. It let out a loud purr as she did. Miya smiled as its little chest rumbled beneath his fingertips.
For once, at the end of their shift, Miya let Shadow drive him home. After they did some shopping and stopped by Shadow’s apartment, in that order.
(“Do we even need all this stuff?”
“Of course! Have you never taken care of a cat before?”
“Have you?”
“My dad’s allergic to cats, it doesn’t count. Plus I’ve done a lot of research.”)
Shadow grumbled on his way up the two flights of stairs, carrying the litter and cat food (canned and dry). After he got this stuff inside he’d head back down for the scratching post, fluffy bed, and cat toys. Because there was no way he was going to be stupid enough to try this in two trips. In front of him, Miya jumped up the stairs carrying only the cat and the keys he’d filched. So far the kitten seemed content in Miya’s arms. It just laid there and purred. Every so often Miya would scratch between its ears and the purring would briefly increase in volume. When he unlocked and opened the door he turned slightly so the kitten could get a look at Shadow’s apartment. “This is where you’ll be living,” he said and bright blue eyes slowly blinked open. They looked around the apartment from his arms as Miya toed out of his shoes. This was actually the first time Miya’d been there, too. The apartment was smaller than his- a one bedroom-one bathroom compared to the two bedroom-two bathroom he lived in- though Miya assumed that was because Shadow lived alone. Of course that meant he’d need less space. There was a small balcony, too. Dark orange curtains were open, allowing light to enter the apartment.
“Thanks for the help.” There was a thud as something hit the ground. Probably the litter.
“Of course,” Miya said, not even looking back at Shadow. Something had caught his eye. A rectangular box outside on the floor of the balcony. Miya tilted his head and went to check it out.
It was wooden and full of dirt, with two very green, leafy plants. One of them was basically a bush and curled at least partly around a short metal stick that stuck up close to where it came out of the dirt. He was pretty sure it was a tomato plant. The second was close to the ground. This one he didn’t recognize. Both plants had very similar yellow flowers, though. Miya knelt next to it. There was a green watering can with white flowers painted onto it next to it that made Miya snort, but he didn’t touch it. “You grow vegetables?”
“Yeah, what about it?”
“I just didn’t expect you to be that much of a gardener.”
“I have plants at the store,” Shadow said.
“Yeah, but I figured those were just to impress Arisa. Guess that explains why none of them have died,” Miya said.
“What do you mean by that, you little brat?” Shadow grumbled. Miya ignored it.
“So what kind are they?”
“What?” The glass door slid open further.
Miya poked at one of the leaves on the assumed tomato plant since it was closest to him. It was sort of fuzzy. The kitten shifted in his arms and he adjusted his hold so it couldn’t jump out. “What kind of vegetables are they?”
“They’re tomatoes,” Shadow said from much closer than before. Miya looked up to see Shadow’s jaw. When Shadow moved, he looked down again to see him point at the second plant. “And these are zucchini.”
“Neat,” Miya said. So he was right. He moved the kitten closer so it could sniff at the flowers. As it did it opened its mouth to bite at a petal. Before it could, Shadow grabbed it and set it inside.
Despite not helping him bring anything in, Miya does help Shadow set everything up. Of course. He needed to make sure everything would be good for the kitten. And needed to make sure Shadow knew how to take care of a kitten- though, out of the group he definitely trusted Shadow the most with this. By the time Miya is ready to go, the kitten is sniffing around Shadow’s apartment and being generally nosy. Miya can understand.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to take you home?” Shadow asked.
“I’mfine . I have my skateboard,” Miya held it up as if to say ‘see?’ and Shadow rolled his eyes, with his arms crossed.
“Alright, fine. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“See you at work, big brother!” Miya chirped and left out the door before Shadow could even protest. He thought about possible kitten names on his way home.
](https://64.media.tumblr.com/afe819d41af6f073a2ccd14aa41f7430/669594e5c308b051-0e/s1280x1920/8e364d26e74fb8f13cb0e8e75dcbf8fe82d9ca80.jpg "just a little boy :](Commissions are open!)")
