Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The school bell rang, signaling that it was time for lunch. Mondo slumped over in his seat with a grumble. The school day was only halfway through, and Mondo was already wishing he hadn’t shown up.

As the other students scattered around the school, meeting up with friends and chatting away, Mondo stayed in his seat next to the window. He folded his arms on his desk and rested his chin atop them, staring listlessly out the window.

It was a nice day out. The sun was shining, but it hadn’t been too terribly hot when Mondo had come into the building this morning. He hoped it would stay this nice the whole day. At least until he got home and worked a bit in his garage.

Oh, right, the garage. Mondo’s mind instantly drifted to the project he had been working on for the past several weeks now. He had been working on refurbishing an old bike he’d come across. It had been going smoothly right up until recently, when he’d hit an unexplainable roadblock.

Mondo sighed as he pulled his notebook out of his bag. Figuring this problem out was as good a way to spend his free time as any, he supposed. He flipped his notes open to an empty page, and began sketching a basic outline of the parts that confused him.

He fell into a soothing rhythm, the scratching of pencil on paper the only sound in the otherwise empty classroom. He nearly jumped when the door opened behind him. Reflexively, Mondo’s eyes snapped to the source of the sound, and he immediately tensed up at who he saw walking into the classroom.

Makoto Naegi, the most popular guy in the school. He was sociable, sweet, and handsome to boot. The other students, even his seniors, tended to fawn over him. Everyone thought he was perfect, though he seemed to be blissfully unaware of this.

Mondo, to his chagrin, immediately felt his cheeks flush. He wasn’t immune to Naegi’s charms, not since the very start of the year. He cursed himself for his flustered nature as Naegi sat down in the seat next to him.

Mondo tried desperately to refocus on his sketches, but Naegi’s presence had thrown him off completely. He couldn’t help but notice the way Naegi sighed as he sat down, seemingly in relief. He couldn’t help but observe the way his cheeks squished when he rested his face in his hands.

Squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head, Mondo made one last attempt to clear his mind. However, he only managed to draw a single line before Makoto was breaking the silence. Mondo nearly jumped out of his skin at the feeling of a timid tap on his shoulder.

Mondo’s head whipped around in Naegi’s direction, eyes wide. Naegi immediately retracted his hand, squeaking quietly in surprise as he pursed his lips.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” He said with a nervous smile. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Just thought I’d say hi.”

Almost Immediately, Mondo felt a familiar nervousness bubbling in his chest. His jaw snapped shut, his entire body went tense. A blush that felt downright feverish bloomed over his face. Mondo swallowed thickly, trying desperately to hide how shy he felt.

Inwardly, he cursed himself for his shameful reaction. He was the leader of the largest biker gang in the country, feared and renowned for his toughness, and yet he had never been able to handle himself around a crush. Even worse, he had a nasty habit of raising his voice when nervous or caught off guard. It had scared off a number of potential partners, far more than he’d be willing to admit.

However, he knew he couldn’t just stay silent. The longer he went without responding, the further Naegi’s anxious smile dropped. Grinding his teeth a bit, Mondo averted his eyes as he spoke, focusing wholly on his volume. “… ‘S fine… Hey…”

Mondo’s voice came out as a barely coherent mumble. He had been focusing so hard on not shouting, that he seemed to have overcorrected. It was embarrassing, but not nearly as bad as making a huge scene like he normally did. That was progress, he supposed.

Naegi smiled a bit wider once he heard Mondo respond. He seemed relieved, his shoulders dropping the tension that Mondo hadn’t noticed they kept. The genuine expression on his face made Mondo’s nerves dissipate just slightly.

“I’m Makoto Naegi,” Naegi introduced. Mondo thought it was funny that he felt the need to do that, as if he weren’t the most well-liked person in the building. “You’re Owada, right? It’s nice to finally meet you properly!”

Mondo tried really hard not to be flattered by the fact that Naegi already knew who he was. Plenty of people knew Mondo. He was infamous, in fact. Still, it sent a somewhat giddy feeling fluttering in his stomach.

Mondo nodded in acknowledgement. His eyes flickered briefly up to Naegi, and his lips reflexively twitched up in a flicker of a smile. Inwardly, he cringed at himself. Just look at him, Mondo Owada— Co-founder and leader of the Crazy Diamonds— acting like a shy schoolgirl.

Something flickered in Naegi’s expression, an emotion that Mondo couldn’t place. He returned Mondo’s timid smile as he shifted, crossing his arms on top of the table as he tilted his head to the side. “Can I ask what you’re writing?”

Mondo looked down at his notebook, then back to Naegi with a dumb expression. He hadn’t expected Naegi to ask him about what he was doing, he really thought the conversation would be over after they introduced themselves. Everything else was going to be verbal flailing, on Mondo’s part.

Mondo swallowed thickly, suddenly very self-conscious about everything he’s ever done. “Uh… Just workin’ on a project. Personal thing, y’know?”

“Oh! Are you an artist?” Naegi beamed up at Mondo. He seemed genuinely interested in what Mondo was doing, and it made Mondo’s chest feel funny. “That’s really cool!”

“Wha-? Oh, nah, nothin’ like that,” Mondo stumbled. He twirled his pencil between his fingers, and looked off to the side nervously. “Er, I mean… I guess I technically am, but it ain’t, like, my main thing.”

Mondo had to fight the urge to scowl at his own stuttering. Why couldn’t this be the same as speaking in front of his gang? He was always full of confidence when talking with his hoard of large, angry men. Why was this small, very cute boy in his class making him so nervous?

Shaking his head just slightly, Mondo tried again to explain. “I’m tryin’ ta restore this old bike— motorcycle, I mean— that I found a while back. ‘S been givin’ me problems, though. This is just… how I solve ‘em.”

He gestured absently to the notebook, laying open on his lap. He realized too late that it was in Naegi’s line of sight, and his face flushed scarlet as Naegi leaned over to get a better look at the page. Mondo didn’t dare look for Naegi’s reaction, an unexplainable lump of anxiety settling in his throat.

“Wow… That’s amazing!” Mondo’s entire body jolted at the sound of Naegi’s praise. His eyes snapped back to Naegi’s face, wide and shocked. Naegi didn’t look back as he simply admired the sketches in Mondo’s notebook.

“It’s so detailed! You must really know your stuff!” Mossy green eyes finally looked up, and Mondo couldn’t stop the dopey grin that came over him if he tried. Naegi was beaming, expression amazed and fascinated like a kid in a toy store. “Y’know, I’m kinda wishing I knew more now. It seems really cool.”

Mondo pursed his lips. This was it! His chance to spend more time with Naegi! Reflexively, Mondo’s hand came up to fidget with the hair on the back of his neck. He looked away sheepishly as he gathered his courage.

“Well- I mean… I could always—“

“Naegi-Kun!”

Mondo was promptly interrupted by the sound of the classroom door slamming open, followed closely by a whining voice. Jumping in surprise, Naegi looked over to the person calling his name. Mondo did the same, and frowned at who he saw.

Leon Kuwata, another quite popular person in this school, was trudging toward Naegi’s seat. His posture was slouched, and his expression pouting. Mondo clicked his tongue in annoyance, returning to his notebook with quiet irritation.

“What is it now, Kuwata-Kun?” Naegi’s tone was exasperated, though Mondo could hear the smile in his voice.

Kuwata grabbed one of the other chairs in the room, and placed it in front of Naegi’s desk before straddling it. He slumped over with a huff, very clearly feeling sorry for himself.

“I need your help, man,” Kuwata started. “There’s this girl I really like, but she says I’m fake! Can you believe that? Fake? Me?”

Mondo had to kiss his teeth to stop himself from making a snide comment. Kuwata was pretty well known for changing his personality every few weeks. At any given moment, this guy was whatever made the Girl of the Week like him.

“So, I wanna give her a gift! Something that shows her that I’m for real about her, y’know?” Kuwata finally straightened up as he finished. He gestured wildly in Naegi’s direction, in hopes of getting across how genuine he was about the subject.

For a moment, Naegi looked him over. He seemed to be determining whether or not Kuwata was being serious. After the short silence— which Kuwata spent giving Naegi his best puppy dog eyes— Naegi finally sighed, and offered his help.

“Well, you could always come to Dreamy Gardens,” he said. “That’s the flower shop I got a job at recently. You can even get a discount, since I know you!”

As Kuwata shouted his gratitude, Mondo perked up ever so slightly. He hadn’t known that Naegi worked at a flower shop. His mind immediately imagined the scene, Naegi surrounded by colorful flowers, beaming as he arranged a bouquet.

Damn. That was cute.

Well, considering that this conversation got interrupted, Mondo deserved a second chance. At least, that was what he was telling himself. He made sure to discreetly listen in as Naegi explained his hours to Kuwata, forming a plan in his head.

As the bell rang, and the three boys got up to leave the classroom, Mondo walked with a little more energy in his gait. He was already feeling impatient for the weekend to come.

Chapter Text

*Mondo POV*

“Christ, Kyodai, slow down! We ain’t gonna take it from ya!” Daiya exclaims. I scoff as I pick up another cinnamon sugar muffin.
“That’s bullshit,” I respond before scarfing it down. I’ve been trying to get my breakfast down as fast as possible so I could get to the flower shop on time.
The day after I’d found out about it, Kuwata had asked Naegi when his hours were. Lucky me, right?
Unluckily for me, though, was that I woke up really late this morning, and my window of time to leave was almost up.
“He’s got a point, you know,” says Takemichi, snapping me out of my thoughts. As if to prove his point, he snatches a tart off my plate at lightning speed.
“Fucker…” I mumble under my breath. Michi just gives me a wicked grin as he bites into the tart.
“Fair, but still,” Daiya says, “You got somewhere to be?”
I finish eating, and start to down my drink.
“Yeah, actually,” I respond between sips. That gets a small reaction out of them.
“Oh yeah? Where’s that?” Michi asks with a raised eyebrow. I shrug as I stand up, putting in my leather jacket.
“Just some dumb errand for school,” That technically wasn’t a lie. They just didn’t really need to know the whole story. Daiya nods, and Michi gives an annoyed grunt.
And with that, I wave goodbye and leave the house. My brain feels like it’s going a million miles a minute as I go over the plan for the fifteenth time.
Go in, ask for what you want, don’t be loud, and hope that small talk ensues.
It’s so straightforward and simple, yet there are a thousand different ways I could fuck it up.
The drive there does a good job of calming me down. Always does. Who needs therapy when you’ve got a bike, right?
I’m at Shibuya Crossing before I even know it, and I start hyping myself up as I find a parking space.
I stand up and straighten my jacket. I decided on something a bit more casual than my usual look, so that I don’t scare him.
Black jeans, normal leather jacket, I didn’t even style my hair. It’s all kind of swept to the side, covering one of my eyes in a way I really hope looks cool.
I take a look through the window of the little shop, just to make sure I’m not too late.
Naegi has his back turned to the door, arranging some of the flowers behind the register.
Thank fucking god.
I ruffle my hair a little, and take a deep breath before walking in. Naegi reacts immediately, turning around with a bright smile.
He’s wearing a comfy looking white sweater, and a dark green apron with the company’s logo on it. It’s so much different. Much cuter, too.
“Good morning! Welcome to Dreamy Gardens!” He greets. I start walking to the counter, not giving myself enough time to overthink.
Naegi’s eyes settle on my face, and his expression becomes a little more excited.
“Oh, Owada-Kun! It’s good to see you!” I purse my lips in order to suppress my grin. He remembers my name! He’s happy to see me!
I reach the counter, and put both hands on the counter seriously.
“How do I say ‘Fuck you’ in flower?” The question comes out a bit harsher than I would’ve liked, and I mentally kick myself for it.
Naegi blinks at me once, twice, before erupting into laughter. There’s no concealing my blush, this time. A less than two second conversation and I’ve already managed to embarrass myself.
Naegi uses one hand to brace himself against the counter, and the other to cover his mouth in a effort to silence his giggling.
He eventually calms down, and looks back up at me with a genuinely amused expression.
“S-Sorry… no one’s ever asked me that one before,” he says, scrubbing at his eye. I almost sigh in relief.
I haven’t embarrassed myself. Yet.
Naegi gets the last of his chuckles out, and then gets straight to business.
“You got pretty lucky,” he tells me, “I think I’m the only person who actually paid attention when they were teaching us these things!” I laugh with him a little.
Right. Lucky. Yeah.
I follow him as he strides across the store, gently grabbing a handful of small red flowers.
“These are geraniums, which can mean stupidity,” he informs me. He picks up a few light purple ones from the booth next to the geraniums.
“Foxgloves are perfect for gifts like these! They mean insincerity.”
On the other side of the store, he takes two vines full of little white buds.
“We can add some meadowsweet, to imply uselessness,” he says. He looks so focused, as if he’s really thinking hard about what to do next.
“Some yellow carnations, for disappointment.” He adds a few yellow flowers to the bouquet. He looks around the store for a moment, before heading back behind the counter.
“Oh! And of course we’ll need orange lilies, a classic expression of hatred!” He turns back toward me, having added a couple of orange flowers to the mix.
The colors were extremely vibrant, and they all complemented each other pretty nicely.
It must’ve shown on my face, because Naegi starts to smile. He grabs a vase and starts arranging the flowers into something neater.
“You’re really good at this,” I say without thinking. Naegi’s hands freeze for a split second, and when they start to move again, they move quite a bit slower.
“Uhm… I guess it’s just one of those weird talents people have,” he replies. He looks back up at me, a gentle smile pulling at his lips.
“But thanks.” He finishes his work with the vase, and gives a satisfied sigh.
“Is that gonna be all for you today?” He asks, moving the vase closer to the register. I shake my head, trying really hard to remember how to speak.
“Uh, yeah, thanks,” I stutter. Naegi moves over to the register, and starts to punch in the numbers.
“I can give you the Friends and Family Discount, which would take off fifteen percent,” he says, not looking up from the screen. I practically feel my cheeks and neck go crimson.
“R-Really?” Naegi looks up at me, eyebrows furrowed, for a moment. Then, as if realizing what he said, his eyes widen and his ears flush a light red.
“That… that is… if you want it?” His words come barely above a mumble.
This is a pretty weird way to ask if I want to be his friend.
I turn my face away to try and hide how flustered I am.
Don’t yell. Don’t yell. Don’t yell.
“Y-Yeah. I’d like that.”
Don’t fucking whisper, either!
Naegi gives me one of the brightest smiles I’ve ever seen, and scratches the back of his neck with a laugh.
“Cool.”
He finishes ringing me up in silence. I get ready to leave with the bouquet in my arms.
“Um… I’ll see you at lunch tomorrow?” He asks, stopping me in my tracks. I just nod, wanting to avoid speaking any more than necessary. Naegi’s smile widens.
“Awesome! See you then!” He waves as I turn toward the door. I wave back, and make my way down the street to my bike.
I look down for a brief moment, wanting to admire the flowers Naegi had carefully prepared for me. I’m caught of guard by a piece of folded paper in the center of the arrangement.
I sit on my bike, and gingerly pull the paper from the flowers. I unfold it with curiosity, only to have my breath knocked out of me by what I see.

Naegi
(xxx)-xxx-xxxx

Chapter Text

*Mondo POV*

I doodle mindlessly in the margins of my notebook, waiting impatiently for science class to be over.
I had made sure to get to school super early to deliver the flowers. That way, no one could tell that it was me. I don’t really care what they mean, I won’t be caught dead with a bouquet in my hands.
It worked, no one saw me, and now the flowers sit comfortably on the bastard’s desk. From there, I’ve had to sit through four grueling hours of class, waiting for lunch to finally come around. I honestly don’t think my leg has stopped bouncing for several hours.
My zoned out state is interrupted by my phone buzzing quietly on my desk. I pick it up without a second thought, and read the notification.

Naegi:
You didn’t tell me you were giving that bouquet to a teacher!!!!

In trying to stifle my laughter, I accidentally give a loud snort, drawing the teacher's attention.
“Owada? Is there something you’d like to share?” She asks with a raised eyebrow. I purse my lips and shake my head. She eyes me up and down before turning back to the board, continuing her lecture about the crabs cycle or whatever.
I turn my eyes back to my phone, trying not to snicker as I type my response.

Me:
It’s fine! He’s not even gonna know what they mean anyway. Plus it’s not like he doesn’t deserve it

I put my phone face down on my desk the moment I hit send. A nagging part of my brain tells me that I might have screwed this up, like I actually made him angry.
My leg starts to bounce a little faster from the anxiety. To the point where a kid in my row turns and glares at me until I stop.
I feel like my limbs might explode if I don’t move them more. It’s always like this when I’m nervous or bored, and it sucks ass when it kicks in at the wrong time.
I don’t get a reply from Naegi for the rest of the class period.
When the bell finally rings, I get up and stand in front of the window, just to have an excuse to move around. I stand there, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, until I hear the door open again.
Naegi walks in with a small pout on his face, and sits down in the seat next to mine. I hurry and sit again, and I’m met with a playful slap on the arm.
“I can’t believe you did that!” He complains. “You could get me in serious trouble, you know!”
I laugh out loud at his worrying. It might just be my imagination, but it looks like he perks up a bit at the sound.
“No way! Even if he did figure out what it means, I’d never throw you under the bus like that,” I respond. Naegi finally turns to look at me straight on. He’s still wary, but definitely not angry.
That’s good, at least.
“I won’t let them get you in trouble,” I say in a softer tone, “Man’s promise.”
Naegi shifts a little in his seat, his expression back to pouting.
“Don’t be sweet, I’m trying to be mad at you,” he says. I feel my cheeks warm up, and I chuckle as I scratch the back of my neck. Naegi laughs with me, going right back to talking like nothing happened.
“So what do you have planned this weekend?” He asks me. I think on that for a split second, rolling my eyes at the answer I know I’ll have to give.
“The Diamonds are doing the annual party on Saturday,” I groan. I love being in the Crazy Diamonds, obviously, I just hate how loud they get anytime we’re together.
Naegi’s eyebrows knit together in a confused expression, and he leans forward to rest his chin on his hand.
“Ah, it’s basically our anniversary party,” I explain quickly. Naegi hums in response, signaling that he understood.
“How long do you think that’ll be?” He asks. I kick my feet up on the desk and lean back in the chair.
“From around three till… whenever we’re done, I guess. Why?”
Naegi shrugs as he swings his legs a little underneath him.
“I was wondering if you wanted to hang out,” he responds simply, as if this isn’t completely world-stopping news to me.
My eyes go wide, I stop breathing, and I swear that my heart stutters about three times. I almost lose my balance and fall backwards on the chair that’s already being tipped precariously.
It takes my brain five seconds longer than it should to process what just happened. I put my feet back on solid ground, for fear of sending myself to the floor, and start fidgeting with my fingers.
“Uh, well, I’m still free on Sunday,” I stutter. Naegi beams at me.
“Awesome!” He exclaims, “How about you meet me at Dreamy Gardens, and then we can ride to my house together?”
His excitement is contagious, and I find myself smiling just as brightly as he is.
“You cool with riding a motorcycle? Cause I ain’t got nothin else,” I respond. Naegi bounces a bit in his seat, and I have to physically stop myself from mimicking the action.
“Are you kidding? That sounds amazing!”
I almost swear out loud when the bell rings. Naegi looks up with a disappointed expression, as if he could guilt trip time into stopping for him.
He could probably do it, too. If he really tried.
We both get out of our seats, and head to the door in comfortable silence.
“I’ll see you later,” Says Naegi as he gives me a wave. I watch him as he jogs down the hall to his next class.

Chapter Text

*Mondo POV*

The party's only been going on for half an hour, and I'm already exhausted. The Diamond's have always been... enthusiastic when it comes to our annual celebrations, we've had more noise complaints than I can count and, and even got the police called on us a couple of times. It's all part of the fun, of course, but it's always a hassle to deal with.
I'm on one of the beaten up couches in the center of the base, playing on my phone while I listen to some of the boys talk over their drinks. A few of them were coaching one of the new guys about our traditions.
"Yeah, so once you've been here long enough, you gotta get a tattoo," someone explains. My attention perks up a bit more at that.
I had almost forgotten about that rule. I've never taken part in it, considering Daiya never wanted me to get any ink as a kid. He always made some kind of excuse about future jobs not liking that sort of thing, but then went right ahead and got a few tat's for himself.
"Wait- for real?" The kid responds. I look up from my screen to see him shifting nervously in his seat. I almost crack a smile at how antsy the newbies can be. One of the others slaps the kid on the shoulder.
"Don't sweat it, man," he says, "It's your first year in the gang, so nobody's gonna pressure ya." He looks to me with a bright smile on his face. "Ain't that right, boss?"
I nod quickly, smiling at the new kid in a way I hope is comforting. I'm not sure why, but the younger ones always turn to me when they get nervous about something. It's a responsibility I take seriously, for sure, but sometimes I wish that they would just go find Daiya or something.
"Ya don't gotta do nothing ya ain't comfortable with, at least not this early in the game," I respond, pleased with how the kid relaxes and smiles at me. Takemichi plops down next to me, and I all but jump out of my skin.
"Think you'll get one this year, aniki?" He asks me. I resist the urge to hit him upside the head at his teasing tone. I've lost count of how many times I've complained to him about Daiya's bullshit. I turn to him, shutting off my phone and putting it in my pocket.
"You bet your sweet ass I'm getting one," I grin. Michi laughs, punching me in the arm. I respond by twisting around and putting him in a chokehold. He slips away from me as easily as always, and throws a bottle my way.
"Drink your shit and leave me alone," he chuckles. This time I really do hit him upside the head. The man that was comforting the newbie gets my attention back once Michi leaves.
"About damn time!" He exclaims cheerfully. "You've been waitin' for Daiya-Aniki to take the stick out of his ass for a while now!" I roll my eyes, leaning back on the couch and taking a sip from my drink.
"Yeah, well it all depends on whether or not he actually booked a tattoo artist this time," I say. The men sitting around me react with confusion.
"He's been crazy stressed lately," I explain, "Won't tell me what's up. Unfortunately, that means I had to do most of the prep this year."
The man sitting closest to me slaps me on the arm reassuringly.
"Hey, I'm sure it ain't that important. 'Specially if he's not telling you of all people," he says. I smile at the comforting words, lifting my bottle to him in gratitude before taking a swig. I give a jolt when I feel someone resting their arms on my head.
"What're y'all talking about over here?" Daiya's voice comes from behind me. I turn my head as much as I can to look up at him.
"We're talkin' about how you're gonna let me get a tattoo this year," I respond with a smile as I swat his arms away. "Get offa me before you ruin my hair." Daiya hops over the back of the couch, settling where Michi was sitting only a few minutes before. He tosses his arm around my shoulders with a huff.
"Was really hoping ya forgot about that," he sighs. I turn my eyes back to the youngin, tilting my head towards my brother in a mocking way. He purses his lips and looks away before Daiya can notice.
"I guess I can't keep tellin' ya no for much longer, can I?" he finishes. My eyebrows shoot up and my jaw goes slack as I snap my head back in his direction. To be honest, I only really bring it up every year to poke fun at him. I never expected him to actually agree.
"Daiya, I swear to God, if you're fuckin' with me-" I say in disbelief. Daiya cuts me off by ruffling my hair, screwing up my pompadour a little bit.
"No fuckin' here, little brother," he responds calmly. "Start thinkin' about what ya want. Artist is gonna be here soon." He gets up and leaves without another word, leaving me shellshocked. I slowly turn my head back to the others, being met with expressions similar to my own. After a few moments of shocked silence, the man closest to me throws up his arms and gives a celebratory cheer. Everyone around us, whether they were paying attention to the conversation or not, mimics the action, and soon we're all hollering for this unexpected victory.
"Everyone chill the fuck out! He's here!" Daiya shouts after a while. My eyes snap in the direction of his voice. Sure enough, Daiya is escorting a stranger into the base.
The man has close-cut, spiky black hair. His face is mostly hidden by a black face mask, but I can see the hard outline of his jaw clearly. He's wearing a sleeveless black hoodie, showing off a few scars that contrast vividly against his pale skin, as well as black fingerless gloves. He's incredibly muscular, to the point where I catch myself staring at his toned arms for longer than necessary.
Jealous. I'm definitely just jealous.
"Thanks for comin' all the way out here, man," Daiya says, extending his hand to the artist. The other man shifts his equipment bag to his other hand in order to shake it.
"Of course!" He responds. His voice is much louder than I was expecting, demanding attention from me that he already has. "Where would you like me to set up?" Daiya gives the man a friendly slap on the shoulder.
"Wherever's easiest. We'll make room for ya," Daiya smiles. The artist nods his head, and gets to work surveying the room. His eyes settle on the space between the two couches in the center of the room, right in front of where I'm sitting. I start to move, wanting to clear off the coffee table so that he can do his thing, but my breath freezes in my chest when his eyes follow my movement.
His eyes are bright red, and his gaze feels like it burns my skin. He looks me up and down with an expression that I can't place, but makes me gulp nervously, before he breaks eye contact and moves toward the table. I continue moving, slower now as I shift the empty bottles to the floor. He places his bag down on the table with a heavy thud, thanking me as he starts to swiftly unpack his things.
"Does anyone volunteer to go first?" He asks, voice ringing clearly through the entire base. It successfully get everyone's attention, and several people start to raise their hands. Daiya steps up behind the stranger with a smug, and slightly devious, smile on his lips.
"Nope! That honor goes to my little brother, here!" He exclaims, patting me on the arm. The looks of disappointment on the gang members quickly change to excited smiles as the others let out yet another cheer. The artist's eyes snap to me once again, and I smile awkwardly at him as I wave. The corners of his eyes shift, as though he's smiling, and he extends a gloved hand in my direction.
"It's a pleasure to meet you! Please, call me Taka!" He says. I stand a little too eagerly, and shake his hand.
"Mondo Owada. S'nice to meet you, too," I mumble. Taka nods, that smile-like expression on his face again, and gestures to the coffee table. I take the hint, sitting down on the edge of the table. He grabs a tablet and a device I've never seen before from his bag before sitting down next to me.
"So, what were you thinking of getting?" He asks, opening a drawing app on his tablet. I straighten up a little, resisting the urge to bounce excitedly as the reality of the situation finally sinks in.
It's another tradition for high ranking members of the gang to get a very specific design for their first tattoo. A basic diamond design, with a minimalist version of our insignia in the center. Taka listens intently as I stumble my way through an explanation, sketching and erasing until the design is exactly what I had pictured in my mind. Eventually, he turns the tablet fully to me, tucking his stylus behind his ear.
"How's this?" He asks. I only beam in response, flashing a thumbs up. "Excellent! Now, where do you want it?"
"Oh! Just, like, on my shoulder is fine," I respond, gesturing vaguely.
Taka nods, and hits a few buttons on his tablet. The strange rectangular device from earlier starts whirring and flashing, making me jump in surprise. Taka glances up at me.
"Portable printer," he explains. "It's how we make stencils." I nod as I scratch the back of my neck in embarrassment. The stencil prints quickly, and Taka snatches it up and holds it out to me. I blink at him, unsure of what he wants. Taka waves the stencil around a bit, cocking one of his eyebrows until I get the hint. Oh, right, he needs to make sure it fits.
I move to take off my jacket, the red hot feeling in my face confusing me. I feel flustered and fidgety, and I suddenly can't keep eye contact with him. It feels like an electric shock when he places the stencil on my skin. He drags his hands over my shoulder, smoothing the paper out.
"Perfect," he mumbles.
Oh, I'm just fucked, aren't I?
Taka scoots closer to me, leaning his head down closer to my shoulder. I resist the urge to lean backwards, and I have to purse my lips to keep my expression under control. I look around the room in hopes of distracting myself as he begins to sterilize my shoulder. To my relief, no one is currently watching my embarrassing gay panic, too occupied in their own conversations to bother keeping tabs on me.
"Alright. Considering where you're getting this, it likely won't be terribly painful," Taka explains, though I can hardly bring myself to listen. "Just keep in mind that it's important to keep this part of your body relaxed." He replaces the stencil and leans back to get his tools. I take the chance to subtly gasp for air. "If, at any point, you feel like you need a break, don't hesitate to tell me! Are you ready?"
It takes my brain longer than I would admit to catch up to his words. When I finally get there, I nod. Taka smiles again, and leans back in with his needle in hand. It's not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. It kind of feels like my arm is falling asleep, akin to slightly uncomfortable pins and needles. The pain isn't what has me tensing up. Not at all.
He's too close. He's way too fucking close. I can feel his breath through his mask as he hunches over the stencil. It takes every ounce of self control I have to keep myself from shaking. And now that he's so close, I can't seem to keep my eyes off him. I can see that he's wearing a silver ear cuff. Several chains overlap one another and shift with each tilt of his head. His features are sharp and focused, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He looks like a statue. One of those pieces of fine art that belongs in a museum that I can't afford to go to.
"Owada-Kun. Breathe." Taka moves away abruptly, his tone quiet yet commanding. I hadn't realized I was holding my breath, too preoccupied with admiring the artist to even think about things like that. I take a deep, loud breath, and try to will myself into relaxing. Taka huffs out a chuckle, subtly shaking his head. "Que lindo..." He mutters.
I'm about to die. He's about to kill me.
I can feel that my blush has spread to my neck, to the point where I'm certain that he can see it. My heart feels like it beating out of my chest, and my body is shaking with the force of my pulse. How much longer is this going to go on? How long has it even been since he started? It gets to the point where I'm detailing my last will and testament in my head before I feel him pull back again.
"Alright, you're done!" Taka exclaims cheerfully. "You did amazing for your first time!" The revelation that he's finished makes me dizzy.
"Wha- Already?" I stutter. Taka laughs as he gently peels off the stencil, wetting down a rag with disinfectant.
"Mhm! All that's left is to clean it, and place the second skin!" He wastes no time in doing just that, lecturing me about proper tattoo care as he does so. I barely find my voice by the time he's finished.
"Uh... Thanks," I say stupidly. Taka beams at me, and I can't help but smile awkwardly back.
I nearly shriek a swear when Daiya suddenly wraps his arm around my shoulders.
"So, how're ya feelin'? Was is everything you hoped for and more?" He asks playfully, sitting down next to me on the coffee table. I huff as I elbow him in the ribs.
"Merde, Aniki. Warn a bastard, will ya?" I respond. Daiya only laughs at my surprise, bending his arm to ruffle my hair some more. My pomp starts to fall in my face, and I frown as I push his arm away from me. Taka takes a second longer to look at me, before shaking his head a bit and turning to my brother.
"I'm about ready for whoever wants to go next." He says. Daiya smiles, patting me firmly on the shoulder while I put my jacket back on. I get the hint quickly, and stand as Daiya calls for the next person. I spare one last look at Taka once I find Takemichi in the crowd. To my surprise, he's already looking right back at me. He flashes a wink in my direction before placing his full attention on his next client. I, somehow, blush even harder than I had before, and I turn to Michi before anyone can notice.
I apparently didn't move fast enough, however, as my brother is staring at me with a teasing expression. Michi keeps direct eye contact as he takes a sip of his drink, torturing me with his knowledgeable smile.
"Not a single. Fuckin'. Word." I warn. Michi only smiles wider.

Chapter Text

*Mondo POV*

I comb my fingers through my hair for what feels like the thousandth time this morning. I've been trying to decide on how I should style my hair ever since I woke up, and each time it's been undone with a frustrated huff. Today is the day I'm supposed to hang out with Naegi, the least I could do is make myself look at least somewhat presentable.
"Dude, get the hell outta the bathroom!" Michi's yells through the door. He bangs on the wood as if I can't hear him properly as is. "Aren't ya gonna be late for yer date, or whatever?'
"It ain't a fuckin'-" My protest is brought to a screeching halt once I take in what he said. I'd been so focused on how I looked that I completely forgot about the time. I scramble to pick up my phone, swearing loudly once I see what time it is. If I don't leave now - as in right this goddamn second - I'm gonna be late.
I take one last look in the mirror, catching all the fly aways and styling my hair the way I did last time I visited, before I yank the door open and dart out of the bathroom. Michi, who was leaning on the door, falls flat on the floor as he yells something at me that I don't bother to listen to. I fly past Daiya, who was sitting on the couch in the living room, and out the front door.
My racing mind calms a bit as I ride through the streets. Sure, I'm running a bit late, but it's not like my time table is crazy strict or anything. And besides, Naegi won't mind it if I'm just a few minutes off schedule. He's not that kind of person. That being said, I shouldn't waste any more of his time than I have to. I'm a good driver, anyway, so it doesn't really matter if I go a tad over the speed limit. Or maybe more than just a tad. Maybe just a couple dozen miles per hour than I should be.
I pull up to Dreamy Gardens right on the minute, and sigh in relief as I get off my bike. I smooth down my black hoodie, making sure that my hair hadn't gotten too jacked up from the ride here, and walk into the store. The enthusiastic smile on my face is changed to an expression of shock when I take in the scene in front of me.
Naegi is attempting to carry what looks like a heavy duty ladder through the store. His face is puffed out in a strained look, and he's quite literally bending over backwards in order to keep the thing off the ground. He doesn't seem to notice me come in, which is reasonable, considering his eyes are squeezed shut from the effort. I shake my head in order to get my brain to catch up to the situation.
"Uh... d'ya need some help?" I ask. Naegi jumps, and his bright green eyes open to meet mine. A smile makes its way onto his features, though it looks like the action hurts, and he maneuvers himself so that he can place the ladder on the ground with a loud clang. He takes a moment to try and catch his breath as he straightens back up.
"Owada-Kun! Great timing!" He chirps. I wave timidly at him, and his smile gets wider. "Could you maybe hold the door open for me? I don't think I'll be able to open it once I get there," he says in between panting. I look him up and down, taking in how exhausted he looks, and start making my way closer.
"How about you get the door, and I'll grab the ladder for ya?" I offer. Naegi starts to protest, but the words seem to die in his throat as heave the metal heap onto my shoulder. It's heavy, sure, but it's nothing I haven't lifted before. I wait for Naegi to go in front of me so that He can get ready to open the door for me. I look back over to him after a while of no response from him.
He's staring up at me with wide eyes, his mouth slightly agape. His eyes keep flicking around me, as if he's trying to figure out what he should look at. I feel my face go crimson, and suddenly the ladder feels a lot lighter. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Naegi suddenly flushes red and shakes his head. He apologizes, putting his head down and walking quickly to the front of the store. It takes me longer than I'd admit to remember how to walk, but I manage. Somehow.
"So, whaddya need this for, anyway?" I ask him, mainly just to fill the silence with something. Naegi pulls the door open and smiles at me again in a way that makes the butterflies in my stomach migrate to my chest.
"Oh! Well a friend of mine works at the tattoo parlor right across the street, and he needs it to change a light bulb or something," he says, "He said that the parlor doesn't have a ladder, so I offered to get ours to him after my shift was over. Well... you can see how that went for me..." He scratches the back of his neck with his free hand, giving a sheepish smile.
I make my way past the doorframe, and wait obediently for Naegi to lead the way. Come to think of it, I've never noticed the tattoo parlor, or any of the other buildings for that matter. I'm quickly reminded of my own tattoo that I got the day before, and the artist that drew it onto my skin. Strangely, my breathe hitches and my chest squeezes as I think back to that experience. I remember how attractive that tattoo artist was, and how embarrassingly flustered I was for the whole interaction. I shake my head, trying to rid myself of those memories before following Naegi across the road. There's no point in getting embarrassed. It's not like I'll ever see that guy again. He's probably already forgotten that I exist.
Naegi reaches the door of the tattoo parlor, and swings it open to let me pass. I give him a small, nervous smile as I walk past him, which he returns. When my head swivels around the parlor, I nearly drop the ladder in shock. That tattoo artist, Taka, is sitting at the closest work station. He's still wearing that same outfit, with the same face mask and sleeveless hoodie. My face immediately explodes into a blush as his eyes turn to me. He looks me up and down, before widening in what I can only assume is recognition. Fuck. He definitely remembers me. Before either of us can say a word, Naegi comes into the parlor with a smile.
"Hey, Taka!" He greets, "Sorry I'm a bit late getting you the ladder. I... kinda needed some help." Naegi gestures to me with a sheepish grin. I look down at the floor, hoping that my hair is long enough to cover most of my face.
Oh, God. Oh, Jesus H. Christ. I'm in a room, alone, with two guys that are too attractive to talk to. Holy shit. The universe must despise me or something. Maybe I was a terrible person in my past life, and this is my punishment. Yeah, that's gotta be it. As I stand still, losing myself in my panicked thoughts, I hear Taka standing from his work station and walking closer.
"Don't worry, it's only a few minutes. My schedule isn't that hectic," he replies. With my eyes still fixated on the ground, I can see Taka's combat boots come into view. He stops a few feet away from me, and I reluctantly look up to meet his gaze.
"Owada, right?" He asks. My eyes widen slightly, and my breath stops in my chest as he says my name. He really does remember me. "It's good to see you again."
I stare at him with wide eyes as my brain tries to understand what's happening. He's... happy to see me? It looks like he's smiling, with the edges of his eyes crinkled in that way that softens his features. I open my mouth to respond, but the only thing that comes out is a barely audible squeaking sound. God, I'm so embarrassing. I shake my head, and try again.
"Uh... yeah! You too," I exclaim. shit, that was way louder than I wanted it to be. Surprisingly, Taka doesn't even flinch at my harsh tone. Instead, he just nods and gestures to a place behind him. Well, at least he's nice enough to ignore me.
"Come on, I'll show you where to put the ladder," he instructs. He starts to walk away, and I hastily follow him, though I don't remember telling my feet to move. Taka leads me to a sort of storage room, where the lights don't turn on. I guess he really does need to change a lightbulb. He props the door open to let some light in, the walks to the middle of the room and gestures to the center of the floor. I quickly and obediently set up the ladder where he wants it, taking care not to look at him any more than necessary.
When I've finished, I look over for further instructions. I see that Taka has retrieved a box of lightbulbs from somewhere, probably one of the shelves. Without thinking- 'cause when have I ever done that around a cute guy? -I hold out my hand to take one from him. Taka's eyes narrow, and his eyebrows furrow.
"Are you sure? I could always do it myself," he says kindly. Realizing what I've done, I purse my lips a little, and my hand twitches away from him. Nope, no turning back now. I'm changing this damn lightbulb.
"Yeah, 's fine. I'm good at this kinda stuff, anyway." I decide to leave out the bit about being so nervous I might pass out if I don't move around. Taka shrugs, and mutters something I can't make out through the mask as he hands me a lightbulb from the box.
I waste no time, climbing the ladder with the bulb hanging precariously from my teeth. As I work on unscrewing the lightbulb that was already there, I can't help but notice how awkward the silence is. I've never been too fond of long pauses in conversation, but this just feels like agony. I try to focus on my task, successfully taking out the first bulb before Taka, thankfully, speaks up again.
"Thank you for helping Makoto, by the way," he says, "I tried to offer my help, but he insisted that I focus on finishing my shift. I swear, he's too generous for his own good at times..."
"It's no problem. Ho-How long have you guys known each other?" I curse myself for stuttering. Why couldn't I just be like Daiya or Takemichi? They don't have a problem talking to people they find attractive. Why didn't I get that kind of confidence? Taka doesn't seem to notice my frustration, letting out a light chuckle as he remembers his first meeting with Naegi. The two of them must be close, if They're using first names for each other. A part of me feels a little jealous, but I quickly shake those thoughts from my head.
"Ever since he started working at Dreamy Gardens," he explains, "His boss sent him over to complain about the loud music, which was really Ibuki's fault. Ibuki is my coworker, of course."
I'm pleasantly surprised by how talkative he is. It makes me feel reassured that i won't embarrass myself too badly, if he's the one leading the conversation. Besides, listening to his voice isn't something I'll complain about anytime soon. I simply nod my head to show him that I'm listening, and that I understand. I find myself moving slowly as I screw in the new lightbulb.
"She was on break when he came over, so he brought his complaint to me," Taka continued, "Poor Makoto was all but trembling! He's clearly not one for confrontation. I turned down the music, and we got to talking until Ibuki came back and started admonishing me for turning the music down." He chuckles as he finishes his story. Surprisingly, I find myself laughing along with him, although my chuckle is far too quiet to be heard. It gives me a strange feeling of comfort, talking to him like this. It made me wish I were closer to him, so that we could talk every day.
Unfortunately, I just can't screw the lightbulb any tighter without breaking it. I almost start to consider letting it shatter, if that would buy me some more time here. I let out a sigh as I started to climb back down the ladder. When I walk over to the light switch, a nice light fills the room, signaling that I'd done my job correctly. I almost feel disappointed, but I don't let myself think about that too much. Taka walks closer to me, and holds out his hand.
"Thank you for your help, Owada," he says kindly. I shake his hand, though my grip is too firm for my liking. Taka, once again, doesn't react to my strange nervous habits. Thank Christ for polite social norms, I guess. As I pull my hand away, I feel something in my hand that wasn't there before. He gave me something? I open my hand and look at the small piece of paper in my palm.

Taka:
(xxx)-xxx-xxxx

Another phone number! My face starts to feel uncomfortably warm as I look back up at Taka with wide eyes. I try to say something, but my words fail me just like before. Taka simply turns away from me, and starts to take down the ladder for me. With a display of strength that really shouldn't be so impressive considering I can see his arms, he picks up the metal thing and hands it to me. Shaking my head, I frantically shove the number into my pocket, and hoist the ladder over my shoulder once again. Before I can leave, my voice seems to come back to me.
"What's yer name?" I ask, louder than normal. Taka looks at me with an expression I can't decipher, and I find my next words to be even harder to say than the last. "Y'know, so i can put it in my contact list..."
Taka looks like he's smiling again. He walks past me and to the doorway, only pausing to speak when he was almost out of sight. "Taka will be fine for now."
And, just like that, he disappears around the corner. My eyebrows furrow in confusion as I take in his strange answer. Surely, his name can't be just Taka. Maybe he changed it, or perhaps he's ashamed of whatever name he has. I suppose it isn't my business. I do my best to regain my composure, and go back out to the parlor's lobby, where Naegi waits patiently.
Naegi smiles when he sees me, just like he always does, and starts to lead the way back out the door. As he holds one of them open for me, he starts another conversation. It feels like my brain is moving as slow as possible, but I simply can't say no to talking with him.
"I didn't know you and Taka already knew each other!" He sounds happy that we were already acquainted. I explain that Taka gave me a tattoo at the party yesterday, and Naegi's face lights up in excitement. "You got a tattoo? You have to show it to me once we get to my house!"
I nearly have to stop walking at the sound of Naegi's words. That's right, I had almost forgotten that I'm going over to his house today. How could I possibly forget that? As we walk across the road and into the flower shop, I find myself getting lost in my thoughts again.
I thought that Naegi would be the one to have all of my attention, but clearly I was wrong. Taka gives me that same warm feeling that Naegi always does, but it's somehow different. I can't hope to describe it. Perhaps my crush on Naegi is fading, or just shifting to someone else. That is... unfortunate. I actually feel sad as I start to think about it. I still really like Naegi, but clearly I like Taka as well. I guess there's nothing stopping us from still being friends. It's not like we were ever dating in the first place. Still, it feels like something I should mourn, in a really weird way.
I'm finally snapped out of my thoughts when Naegi announces that he's ready to go. I shake my head in order to try and focus better. He follows me out of Dreamy Gardens, and I take him to where my bike is parked. I pretty much tune myself out as I instruct him on how to ride backpack on a motorcycle. It's an explanation I've given countless times before. When I'm finished, Naegi nods, and I get on my bike. He slowly gets on behind me, obviously nervous. Then, suddenly, I feel him wrap his arms around me.
My heartbeat explodes against my ribcage, and it feels like my chest might burst. That warm, fluttering feeling enters my body again, but this time it feels overwhelming. I resist the urge to cover my face and double over from the force of my own embarrassment.

Well, I guess I still have a crush on Naegi.
Fuck my life.

Chapter Text

Hi!! I know I’ve been completely absent for like two years, but I still wanna continue this story!

However, I’ve changed a lot in terms of writing. Before I’d like to rewrite the existing chapters before continuing, so that the story will flow better.

Thank you everyone for being so patient! I promise to get this done quickly!