Full Title since it doesn't fit: Talk Of The Future Makes Me Sick - The Sixth and Seventh Promises - The Wedding Part 3
Naoto refused to leave his side for the next hour, Takemichi didn't mind exactly, he could barely support himself without Naoto holding him up. When they had returned to the table after a mini crying session, the others were obviously worried, Hina swapping looks with her brother that she wanted to know what happened. Naoto had told him the lie he gave to the others and continued with it, smiling brightly and joking about how he ate something that he thought was expired the day before.
With Naoto now sitting on his left and Kazutora on his right, looking like a lost puppy, both fussing over him he felt suffocated. Everyone at the table was now engaged in their own conversations, he tried his best to participate but he was mostly focusing on not throwing up.
Naoto's hand was behind his back, his hand moving in circular motions, it was really helping with his nausea and he appreciated it. Kazutora was talking with Chifuyu and Baji, but he kept nervously glancing at Takemichi and his hand stayed on the other's thigh.
"Oi Takemichi!" He snapped to the direction of the voice, it was Baji.
"Yes, Baji-kun?"
"If the cake is as everything thinks it will be, I'll let ya cater for our wedding."
"Baji-san, we were going to ask him anyway, you love his sweets," Chifuyu said, rolling his eyes at his fiancee's attempt to threaten his partner.
Kazutora turned to him, sunflower eyes wide, "Can you Take? I know how stressful it was doing Hinata and Emma's. I don't want you to go through that again for us."
Being asked such a thing should have filled him with joy. He should have jumped across the table and hugged all of them like he did when Hina asked. But he just couldn't find that part in himself. But things are different now. When Hina asked, he was only in the early stages. When Hina asked, he didn't yet have an expiry date. Both Chifuyu and Kazutora had told him about their plans for their wedding; it was going to be in fall next year. Next year he'll be long gone.
He could feel Naoto's eyes burning into him, begging him, 'don't promise them Takemichi'. But exactly because he was Takemichi, he was going to. Because that's just what he does now, makes promises that are destined to not be fulfilled.
"I'd love to! I promise to fulfill your wishes and make the most beautiful tasty cake."
A wide smile stretched across Kazutora's face and he pulled the former into a hug, Chifuyu gave a similar smile and a 'thanks partner' and Baji offered a toothy grin.
Why couldn't he suppress this skin crawling feeling? Why did he feel like he was licking toilet slime when saying such words? They're just words.
-
Dinner came out soon after and to say it was delicious was an understatement. Mikey was looking around sleepily after basically inhaling his and a bit of Shinichiro's food. He had been trying to not be obvious, not with all his siblings around basically waiting to jump on his case and tease him. But Takemichi just looked so pretty. He hadn't really seen Takemichi's hair much lately since it was always tucked under that hideous beanie and he had been looking so tired lately, despite his smiles. But tonight, he noticed whenever Takemichi was under a certain light that he was wearing makeup. Mostly just concealer around his eyes. He wanted to know, to know what has been bothering the man he loves so dearly for the past few months. Despite his boisterous personality, Sano Manjirou, admittedly, was a coward when it came to Hanagaki Takemichi.
If things were different, he would have eaten Takemichi's plate too, since the latter was only picking at it, rarely actually putting anything in his mouth. But his sunken cheeks, trembling hands and dull eyes were telling an opposing story to his smile that he flashed everyone's way.
Takemichi seemed to feel eyes on him and lifted his head to meet Mikey's curious gaze. Takemichi smiled. But it was different, just like everything else. It was weak, small, but it felt more genuine that any of the others he showed others.
"Mikey-kun, did you want my leftovers?" Leftovers was an overstatement, there was a whole meal there, only a few grains of rice less than when it was handed to him.
If things were different, like they were in highschool or middle school, he wouldn't have even waited for Takemichi to ask. But Takemichi's overly thin and pale figure prevented him from doing so.
/
"Mikey-kun, can you come over this afternoon?" Mikey nearly shattered his phone in his hands in excitement.
"Yes, of course Takemitchy!"
Draken looked over at him strangely before rolling his eyes. Ever since they ended up going to different high schools, they hadn't been able to see each other much lately. Mikey was effortlessly good at school while Takemichi had to spend hours studying to keep up. Mikey definitely was not jealous of Hakkai or Chifuyu for being at the same school at Takemichi, or how they spend nearly every afternoon and weekend together studying, aside from when Hakkai was modelling, Chifuyu was working at the pet shop or Takemichi was working at the bakery.
"Thank you so much Mikey-kun. Also, no one else will be over, I hope that's okay with you?"
"It's better than okay! I'll be right over!"
"Mikey-kun...it's the middle of the day...we both still have school. Was I not clear enough? I'm sorry. But this afternoon please. I should get there before you, Kazu-kun is giving me a ride home."
That bastard 'Kazu-kun' was another that was stealing all of Takemichi's attention away from him. He already had to stop himself from socking Chifuyu in the face everytime he called Takemichi, 'partner' so sweetly.
"Why not ride your Babu?" Mikey asked sadly.
He was smacked on the back of the head, Draken looking down at him like he was an idiot.
"His bike is in the shop at the moment, you dumbass, you're literally the one who brought it to me."
"Oh, is that Draken-kun? Hi Draken-kun! Hakkai told me to tell you that Inui-kun was called in for an impromptu photoshoot so he can't make it to the bike shop tonight."
"Thanks Takemitchy. Also, can you please kill and bury this annoying little prick when he comes over? Because some people actually have to study," Draken grumbled.
Mikey glared at Draken, this was his conversation with Takemichi. But his anger washed away when he heard Takemichi chuckle on the other side of the line.
"Ahaha I know Draken-kun! We can't all be as smart as Mikey-kun."
"He's more of a dumbass," Draken shot back.
"Is this bully Mikey hours? You're so cruel," Mikey whined.
"I'll make it up to you when you come over."
___
Mikey was in heaven. Takemichi had called him over to taste his test batches of dorayaki. And he got such a cute show alongside it. Takemichi's blonde hair (thankfully by high school he learnt what toner was), was tied up in two messy space buns, courtesy of Chifuyu, an adorable pale blue apron tied around his waist that Mitsuya had gifted him the year before for his birthday.
"Mmgh thish is delicious Takemitchy!" Mikey complimented, mouth still full of food. Takemichi smiled and leant forward, to say that Mikey's heart started racing was an understatement. 'Was this finally the day? The day Takemitchy would kiss me and confess his undying love for me?' It was not.
Takemichi's scarred hand gently cupped the side of his face, his thumb grazing dangerously close to his lips. Mikey thanked all the gods that he didn't close his eyes and lean in otherwise he would have looked like a complete idiot. Takemichi's thumb wiped a bit of red bean paste from the corner of Mikey's lips, it must have squeezed out when he bit into the dorayaki. Then, what Mikey completely did not expect from his innocent oblivious friend, was to put that very same thumb into his own mouth. Takemichi's eyes lit up and Mikey's face flushed red, as if it wasn't already.
"You're right Mikey-kun, it is delicious. I finally got the recipe perfect!"
Mikey got down on one knee in the matter of two seconds, his hand with a half eaten dorayaki held up as if it were a ring.
"M-Mikey-kun?"
"Takemitchy, promise me that you will keep making me these incredible dorayaki even when we're old and grey but I can obviously still kick ass because I am a god."
Laughter erupted from the Takemichi and filled the room, tears sprung in the corners of his eyes and he clutched his stomach, Mikey had never seen a more beautiful sight.
"Yes Mikey-kun! Ahaha I promise!"
"Ah but do you pinky promise?" Mikey stuck his little pinky out suggestively.
Takemichi giggled, "Pinky promise? We're 16 and 17 Mikey-kun, not children."
"But a pinky promise is the strongest promise of all, Shin told me that."
"How old were you when he told you that?"
"Five...but that's irrelevant! Do you, Hanagaki Takemichi, pinky promise that you will make me dorayaki when I, Sano Manjirou, am old and grey but still able to kick ass?
Takemichi smiled and locked his pinky with Mikey's outstretched one, "I, Hanagaki Takemichi, pinky promise to make you, Sano Manjirou, dorayaki forever."
/
Since when was forever so short?