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merryfortune · 8 months

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hold your breath and count the days, we’re graduating soon

Written as a gift fic for @katsuballs who won my raffle earlier this year

Ship: Galaxymastershipping | Kaito/Mizael

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! ZeXal

Rating: T

Word Count: 6,435

Tags: Alternate Universe - High School, Drama, Fluff, First Kiss

September 1st.

Kaito was having a completely average first day of the last of his days. That was his goal anyway. Get in, get out. No one needed to see him, no one needed to bother him. It was really meant to be that simple. Get straight A’s and get the hell out of town as soon as his letter of acceptance from his university of choice came.

Until then, he just had to bite down hard on his lower lip and bear it. He sure wasn’t going to grin and bear it but he was going to white knuckle it. All the insults, all the disruptions, the disrespect between peers and faculty and he would make it out on the other side alive. That is legitimately all Kaito wanted.

The last thing he wanted was a beginning of the year rager.

Partying - and people in particular - were incredibly incompatible with Kaito’s goals in life. He could think of nothing worse than getting wasted, staying up past dawn, and all for what? A hangover the next day? Because there were a couple boys on the high school football team were good at passing the football around between each other? It was entirely an eye roll for Kaito.

It was an entirely different lifestyle and sphere. Same school, sure, debatably the same people but completely, totally, entirely different worlds. With very little overlap to him, hermit king of the mathletes.

And yet.

“You want to come or not, nerd?”

He looked up at this fellow… schoolmate of his. Not a classmate. He was fairly certain this guy was from 3-C whereas he was situated in 3-A and it had been that way for all eternity. Read, last three years. But Kaito recognised him which was the main thing.

An admittedly easy feat because he was quite easy on the eyes. A literal golden child of the school when it came to sports-related accolades. Field and track, football, he did it all and with rather long blonde hair, a firm but slight build, and piercing eyes.

Kaito frowned, “Don’t call me a nerd.” he huffed.

He snatched the piece of paper from this person’s hands. He was taken aback by how it was just ripped from his hands and that caused his pretty face to quiver, displeased.

And now, somehow, against all the odds, two asteroids which were never meant to cross paths and remain forever perpendicular had met.

They didn’t even know each other’s names but their gazes, sharp and discerning, disgruntled on both ends, had connected.

But of course Kaito wasn’t going to go to this party that he had clearly been invited to because he was simply sitting in the vicinity of where it was being planned in the library. He only accepted the piece of paper because he needed to quickly scribble out some notes to himself, nothing of consequence, let alone related to his schoolwork and yet.

End up that party was exactly what he did.

Only because he needed to be out of the house and he didn’t exactly what to be alone. Being alone in a crowd of people was fine but not actually, really, truly by himself. He was a little bit… pent up regarding some things. Kaito knew his Father was doing his best and his little brother even more so but being cast out so Haruto could recuperate in his hospital room, which fit a total of one guest exactly, was a little nerve racking.

So his options were all pretty bland. Kaito could either go to sleep in his bed in his big empty house whilst worrying about his brother or he could go to a dumb party he had been invited to where his senses would be too overloaded to let his anxiety get the better of him. Somehow, the latter seemed like the better option. Which even Kaito couldn’t believe but hey.

No one stopped him when he turned up at the place of the party. No one batted an eye at him, actually. It was as though he hadn’t even turned up in the first place but honestly, that’s how Kaito wanted it. He really didn’t want to be looked at but he didn’t really want to be looking at anyone else either.

He sort of knew the names and maybe he could probably put a couple of those names to familiar faces. All he knew was that things were getting pretty wild. All the usual teenage antics, of course. Dancing on tables, throwing up in the garden, all that sort of thing.

It was really super gross. But it beat worrying himself to death about his little brother in his room alone, Kaito figured.

As he scanned the crowd for something to take his mind off things, Kaito noticed that the blonde haired guy who had technically invited him to this party was here. Which, you know, made sense. It was his party and he wasn’t the life of it, surprisingly.

More like… the chaperone. He looked large and in charge, sure, with some kind of beer can in his hand but he looked like an eagle with how he surveilled his pridelands and was taking stock of damages so far, no doubt.

Through the crowd and the horrible top 40 pop music playing through someone’s streaming service on a speaker, Kaito made eye contact with this guy and given that he was doing all the mingling, saying hello to all his guests… He made no exception for Kaito. He cut through the crowd effortlessly and seemed strangely above it all. Even the music.

“You actually came.” he said.

“Yeah, well…” Kaito shrugged. He bit his tongue before he could say, “I have my reasons.” He wasn’t about to spill his guts to this guy about why he was here.

There was a pregnant pause and he took a sip of his drink. Kaito watched. He slurped it down slowly, still making eye contact with Kaito. That irked him to say the least. He’d never been big on it but this guy’s golden eyes were too much too soon with how sharp they were. Judgemental, being a good word here as well, Kaito felt as he was studied up and down by this jock.

“Real party animal you are,” he said, derisive, “absolute social butterfly.”

“Do you even know my name?” Kaito asked.

“Do you know mine?” he asked.

“...Touche.” Kaito begrudgingly replied.

“Mizael.” he replied.

“Tenjou. Tenjou Kaito.” he said.

“Charmed, I’m sure.” Mizael bitterly responded.

Kaito grit his teeth, “Likewise.”

Then they fell into silence again. Watching the other, waiting for him to do something. The tension was uncomfortable. It was as though they were the only two people in the room and were determined to fill all that empty space with tentative contempt.

“So, like…. Do you do anything for fun?” Mizael asked.

“Not really.” Kaito freely admitted, staring at his shoes.

Mizael huffed and crossed his arms, “The whole goal of hosting a party is to have fun with your guests, you know. You're making that hard. Is there anything you like? Like, I don’t know, do you have a favourite colour?”

“That’s a bit personal, don’t you think?” Kaito huffed. “Why does it even matter to you? Just go hang out with someone else.”

Mizael was blankly not listening. He sighed again, “Do you think cereal goes into the bowl first or do you think milk goes into the bowl first?”

“Milk, obviously.” Kaito replied so quickly, he felt tricked into replying.

But his reply was very much not what Mizael was expecting. He began to sputter, his hand acted independent of him. As though it were an animatronic on the fritz as he tried to grapple with Kaito’s statement. The enormity of it entirely lost on Kaito who stared at Mizael as he had his miniature conniption.

“You fool, you weirdo, you could not be more obviously wrong. It's cereal first, you heathen.” Mizael snapped.

“But then how would you know what the optimal ratio is?” Kaito argued back. He felt his blood pressure spike for no good reason. “Cereal is the main source of sustenance in cereal so why would you not proportionate it to the treat of milk?”

“Because milk is invaluably nutritious in its own right?!” Mizael exclaimed.

“Weirdo.” Kaito spat.

“Motherfucker.” Mizael replied.

“Get a room! Some of us are trying to have fun over here!”

That put Mizael in his place. Surprisingly.

He let out half a puff of laughter and that diffused the tension between him and Kaito. Which Kaito appreciated. Also surprisingly.

Mizael sighed, “I need to cool my head.” he said. “And drink something that doesn’t have alcohol in it clearly. Want to come with?”

“Where?” Kaito screwed up his face.

“To a place I know.” Mizael said.

Now, that should have been a red flag. Stranger danger. Secondary locations were where people got tricked into going and killed for it. And yet, Kaito agreed. He wasn’t exactly taking to the party as well as some of the more natural socialites and party animals. Besides, he was going to be with the host of the party. Surely nothing too bad could happen, so Kaito decided to take his chances with the brisk night air and the cold concrete pavements.

Mizael strung Kaito along about a block or so away from his place to the corner store not too far away. It had a parking lot out the back with shrubbery to the sides and litter in the gutter. The fluorescent lights of the shop itself lit up more brightly than the actual lamp posts along the street; smog covered the stars so they weren’t relevant at all to the situation, Kaito just missed them.

He found himself thinking it would be nice to drink a slushie or two under them.

Mizael had been a gentleman and bought Kaito a drink from inside the convenience store. All the rows and aisles looked exactly the same from location to location. The uniformity of it was oddly comforting and made the sour-sweet shock of how sugary the slushie was all the more confronting.

Mizael laughed at Kaito’s screwed up face as he sucked down some strawberry ice. They also ate some lollies, hard candies and chews and the like. It was actually quite refreshing to be out on the edge of the parking lot, sitting against the yellow, rounded fences and chatting.

They had made some light conversation on the way but now that they were here, it was easier. They were getting through the hard stuff. The who are you, what classes do you enjoy, what do your parents do? All that sort of stuff.

“So, what’s your favourite colour again?” Mizael asked, thinking that he would have better luck this time.

And he did. This time, Kaito replied, “Yellow.”

“Me too.” Mizael said.

“Like really pale, almost white yellow.” Kaito clarified.

“Okay, I'm the opposite. Give me daffodils or give me death.” Mizael laughed.

“I like caramel, too.” Kaito added.

“Like the colour or the candy? Because I have some here.” Mizael said as he offered a mixed bag of hard candies to Kaito.

“Both.” Kaito replied as he reached into the open bag. “My little brother really likes caramels as well.”

“You have a little brother?” Mizael asked.

“Yes, his name is Haruto and…” Kaito wasn’t sure if he should share anymore but when he glanced at Mizael, he didn’t see him as some stuck in the mud jock. Instead, he saw a friend so instead of just remain silent or just straight up lie, Kaito was honest. “And he’s in the hospital. I’m hoping to bring him some more caramels when he can have guests again.”

“Oh, man, I’m sorry to hear there.” Mizael said and he paused too.

That silence made Kaito’s ears prick up. As strange as that sounded but it did. His stomach tightened. He had shared something vulnerable and now it was Mizael’s turn. Then he spoke.

“Is it serious?” he asked. “Because I lost my grandfather recently. He was in palliative care in the hospital, he was so old but it still hurt a lot. I can only imagine what it would be like to be young and to go through that. How old is Haruto?”

“Twelve.” Kaito said and he felt bad. Mizael had it worse with his grandfather and though he was too slow to reply, he did clarify. “Haruto’s really sick but he’s not that sick. It’s just one thing or another with him, starting prematurely, a heart defect, a little bit of everything but he’s a fighter. I’m proud of him.”

“You should be.” Mizael smiled, bittersweet.

Kaito’s heart lurched, “I’m sorry to hear about your grandfather.”

“Thanks.” Mizael said.

The mood turned…. Well, moody, after that and was the best way Kaito could describe it. He really wasn’t good with emotions. Or people. But looking at Mizael, how he seemed bittersweet in the illuminating moonlight mixed with the sharp haze of the streetlight, it seemed they had come to an understanding. It was difficult to say, difficult to share but for a whole minute, Kait could only stare and ruminate and realise, he had a friend.

He wanted to consider Mizael a friend.

But just like that one 80’s movie, come Monday morning of the next week, it was as though those precious moments hadn’t happened at all. Something Kaito should have expected. They came from two very different stratas of the social standing of high school. It was never meant to be anything more fleeting than the taste of sugar on ice.

Or so it seemed, at first.

Kaito had given up by noon, trying to get Mizael’s attention again at school. Their secrets had been shared but seemed relatively safe with another as gossip about sick relatives, dead or dying, didn’t really interest very many people. Not when the juicy stuff was things like who was sleeping with who but Kaito had half wanted to try.

But borders that had long since been drawn were too tight to cross, especially on a whim or even in a classroom, and it's not like very many places around the school could be eaten during lunch. Life wasn’t the west, after all, and real life wasn’t anime, either, and there was no access to the rooftops.

Though today wouldn’t have been a good day for it, even if they could eat on the sides of the school’s courtyard or on the rooftops, it was way too miserable to be outside. Just like Kaito’s hopes and expectations for the day. It started out promising then got steadily more dour as the day wore on.

A perfectly bright early morning turned grey before noon which turned into a drizzle by the afternoon which turned into actual proper rain by the time school was over. And guess who didn’t bring his umbrella?

Kaito thought he didn’t need to. Just like he thought he didn’t need to tell Mizael “see you on Monday” before they had gone their separate ways after their little romp to the convenience store. They’d both gone home after that. Awkward, no real resolution because where was there to go after an exchange of confessions like they had shared together in the parking lot?

Looking up at the sky, on the threshold of the school’s entry which looked out onto the courtyard, Kaito cursed himself. Why hadn’t he checked the forecast? Why hadn’t he done this or that? He sighed heavily to himself as it rained and it poured. There was a lot more that could have been done and shallowly, Kaito took pride in that even though he’d had his head caught up in some kind of social bubble, it hadn’t affected his own studies.

They were just friends. He didn’t know why he felt the need to clarify that to himself and his inner monologue but he did. Likely because this kind of… pining was usually relegated to idiots who sat by the window, looking out of it dreamily. A crush. No, Kaito was simply fascinated by the novelty of having a friend. A novelty which was just like any other trend. It came, it went, and now there was nothing.

Kaito sighed again. He made up his mind. No use crying over spilt milk, clothes would dry and he very rarely got sick anyway. He would just brave the rain like everyone else who had foregone bringing an umbrella this morning because it had been so sunny and balmy.

Kaito tried to step out but something stopped him. A voice, just a sharp yet casual intonation of, “Hey.”

He looked over his shoulder and blinked.

“Mizael.”

“That’s my name, no need to wear it out.” Mizael scolded him.

“Sorry.” Kaito murmured as he stepped back into the shelter of the school’s entryway.

“Forget your umbrella today, I take it?” Mizael asked, he made a half-hearted gesture. “You seem like Mr. Overprepared, if I’m being honest, I thought you would be the kind of guy to bring an umbrella to a drought.”

“I usually am more on the ball than this.” Kaito huffed.

“Looks like we have that in common.” Mizael laughed. It was a puffy, embarrassed laugh which made Kaito realise something.

Mizael was just as empty handed as he was on this downpour of a day, on the edge of the school’s threshold. It made Kaito laugh also. The same sort of half-hearted chuckle.

“But.” Mizael piped up.

“But?” Kaito quirked a brow.”

“Can I at least get you as far as the closest bus shelter? I know we live in kind of opposite directions.” Mizael offered but it wasn’t exactly the world’s most enticing offer as it came accompanied with him lifting up his jacket.

Kaito got the idea of course. They could protect themselves perfectly well from the rain if they just patchworked their jackets together.

“And get a good whiff off your armpits? No thank you.” Kaito replied.

“Ew, gross.” Mizael made a face, his nose scrunched up in disgust far more visibly than the repulsion that Kaito was exhibiting. “As if. Practice was called off so I am fresh as a daisy. Promise.”

Kaito stared unimpressed at Mizael but when he glanced over his shoulder, the other option didn’t appeal to him all that much either. So, he relented.

“Fine.” he said. “Let’s do this.”

“Cool.” Mizael flashed a smile.

They huddled up together and they did their best to make it work. Mizael had such an aura about him that Kaito hadn’t even noticed they were actually about the same height. What they did with their heights was completely different though not irrelevant as their different levels of athleticism became all the more pronounced as they tried to make it through the rain.

With their jackets combined over their heads, they were out of time and out of pace with one another. Mizael could go faster, Kaito was out of breath just trying to keep up. Even when Mizael slowed, it wasn’t much better either because their three-legged race adjacency was impatient and uncoordinated.

The course that it ended up charting was a lot further than the bus stop, too, which Kaito found strange but it's not like he was trying to keep it to that previously agreed upon length, either.

They reached the first bus stop but they kept going, almost as if they hadn’t seen it. They had, of course. They even stopped long enough to read when the next bus was coming and they decided, nah, no, it's too long away and look at the rain? It was absolutely pouring. They were better off to keep going. So, they did.

Leg by leg, hand not in hand, sharing the jackets which were getting battered by the pelting rain. It made Kaito laugh and Kaito did not laugh all that often and Mizael made fun of how he laughed but not in a bullying way. Just that, it was unexpected to hear him laugh. It was cute.

They passed by a second and third bus stop too but they didn’t even blink twice at them. They chatted - and complained about the rain or teachers or homework - along the way before eventually, they ended up in front of Kaito’s house.

Just in time for the weather to clear up, too. Naturally. There was a faint rainbow lost in the haze of pollution far off in the distance, hidden in the sharp corners and vertices of buildings or the soggy foliage of resilient trees. The city smelt and felt sharper now that the rain had soaked what there was of the cement and earth of the blinding Heartland City inner suburbs there were.

“Thanks for dropping me off.” Kaito said.

“My pleasure.” Mizael replied.

They were both dripping wet. Not exactly soaked through to the bone, however. Their jackets had managed to protect bits and pieces of them. The back of Kaito’s head was dry, for example, and Mizael’s forehead for another.

It was awkward but they untangled from each other. Their arms long and janky as they made what should have been an easy task impossible but they managed in the end. They whipped soggy jackets around, wrung them out and made light conversation.

“Do you want to toss your jacket through the dryer?” Kaito asked to be helpful but he was hopeful, too. To get Mizael to stay a little longer.

He must have noticed that little glimmer of wanting even more time with his very first friend because Mizael turned standoffish. He shrugged, everted his gaze from Kaito’s direction. But he still let Kaito collect his jacket out of his arms, folding it up as it wet the middle of his belly as he held it in front of him over his arms, all prim and proper.

“If you want,” Mizael said and he stepped a little bit closer to Kaito, “it's not that cold. I can leave it here, you can dry it off, and then bring me it tomorrow. And I better see you tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.” Kaito said yet he had this odd inkling as he observed these microexpressions of Mizael.

They were all so small and slow, like time had come to a crawl, and yet so fast at the same time. Kaito’s heart skipped a beat as something unprecedented happened. Something impossible.

Mizael leaned in and he stole a kiss from Kaito’s lips.

He had never kissed anyone before. He had never been kissed by someone before and it wasn’t as awful as Kaito had always told himself that it would be. Weird textures, bad breath, terrible technique. Mizael was none of those things as he kissed Kaito and to Mizael’s surprise, and even his own, Kaito kissed him back.

Kaito had never had the urge to kiss someone before. Then again, Kaito had never let himself want to be close to someone. Let alone actually. Yet here he was. With Mizael and kissing him, too.

His heart raced as he sneaked just this graze of his lips against Mizael’s and he swallowed Mizael’s gasp. Right before he went back down onto the balls of his feet as he held on so tight to Mizael’s jacket, even though it was sopping wet. He wasn’t going to be getting it back any time soon.

“Talk tomorrow, yeah?” Mizael said.

“Sure.” Kaito said.

Mizael backed away just slightly and Kaito awkwardly waved him goodbye. He didn’t leave, however. He just watched Mizael turn tail and walk away. Not quite like the kiss had never happened; Kaito could see the corners of Mizael’s mouth in an upward smile, his cheeks scantily coloured red with a smugly embarrassed blush. Not bad. Not bad indeed,

And Kaito in fact felt much the same way.

He had to soak it in. the kiss, the jacket, the rain. He wanted to let it all drip down to the bone, to the soul. He did so for five minutes, not even noticing the time change over and over again from seconds to minutes. It was all a cloud nine moment of sweet and quiet, blissful eternity.

Only alerted by the passage of time when he heard the front door open and his Father yelled for his attention by calling his name.

“Yes?” Kaito said, trying to hide his foolish smile as he held onto the jacket, turning on his heel at long last. But he could feel it tug on his face and twist his expression cheerfully despite his efforts.

“Why are you standing out here? It’s getting cold and dark, just because it's not raining anymore does not mean you won’t catch a cold.” his Father scolded him.

Kaito laughed awkwardly. That was probably true. So he gingerly came inside, his Father holding the door open for him as he passed him by in an inscrutable good mood. One which was not characteristic to Kaito but his Father didn’t feel the need to question it.

Kaito came inside and he was kind enough to not only put Mizael’s jacket through the dryer but the first wash so that it would be clean for the following day. And whilst Mizael was thankful for that, he still got this overwhelming notion that he was never going to get it back. Which was fine. Because Kaito did look damn good wearing it.

Sure, sure, it was a perfect cut school uniform jacket but there were these little foibles that only either of them would notice. The way it was slightly too big on Kaito and even the way he wore it, it was so possessive and savouring in demeanour. Honestly, Mizael found it adorable as he smiled before bringing it.

“You're wearing my jacket.” Mizael astutely observed.

It was still quite early in the morning for school. Seemed like both he and Kaito had had the same idea about this whole jacket thing and maybe just wanted to talk about what had happened yesterday. The kiss was fresh on both their minds and their mouths.

“I am. You don’t mind, right?” Kaito said.

“A little.” Mizael murmured. “What happened to yours?”

“Mistook it for this one.” Kaito lied and Mizael knew he was lying.

Mizael shrugged, “Looks good on you, if a little long in the sleeves. I’m sure it’ll make its way back to me, not like I’m running out of clothes anytime soon. Let alone school clothes.”

“Thanks.” Kaito said.

“So does that mean you're all in on it - on us - being official?” Mizael asked.

Kaito swallowed thickly. It all just seemed so random. The happenstance of entropy, the way they had fallen in with each other to bond let alone for feelings of permanence to take form. Yet even so, he nodded.

“It does.” he said. “I’d like that.”

“Me too.” Mizael said. “So, keep wearing my jacket, it’s fine.”

Kaito blinked and he felt his heart skip a beat as he managed to eke out a reply, “Thank you.”

“You're welcome.” Mizael flashed him a smile and Kaito had a feeling he was never going to get used to it.

Mizael’s teeth were pearly white. His hair was golden blonde, constantly wreathing him in a halo. He was blinded by just the slightest smile, let alone all for him and him alone.

Yet, Kaito had no choice but to get used to it. Mizael, golden boy of the school, darling of the football team, and resume etcetera was now officially his boyfriend and it made for a pretty good honeymoon period, too.

It was strange but over a month, they found themselves in a nice, little sweet spot. They were together but they weren’t overbearing about it. They could be their own persons individually and even together as a couple. They kept it on the downlow, of course. Kaito was a private person and Mizael didn’t want to seem like he was being distractible. They both had their own focuses, their own goals. Sometimes they aligned but more often than not they didn’t since their disciplines were quite different.

And were going to take them to different places.

Like different schools. Even if it was temporarily. So that Mizael can go and play sports ball real good and make the school proud and all that jazz. Kaito should have been hyped for his boyfriend. This was a big game, hence the school excursion, but instead, it was agony. It was absolute torture.

It was a huge opportunity. Two weeks abroad in America, all expenses paid, three meals a day, and travel, all to play football and maybe even get scouted by some of the best agents in the game. Kaito should be happy for Mizael. It was all he could talk about in the lead-up to his departure but Kaito had held on so tight, he didn’t want to believe time was passing at all until… goodbye.

See you soon.

But soon couldn’t come soon enough.

That little month beforehand had been so slow like molasses dripping out a jar but now that they were finally separated, it felt even slower. And there was nothing Kaito could really do except stare out the window and daydream about Mizael, hoping that he was fine. Mobile phones and social media were banned on these sorts of trips, nothing but the best behaviour expected but anxiety ran wild through Kaito’s head, nonetheless.

They say that no news was good news but Kaito didn’t know who they were so he sure as hell didn’t believe it as all his body throbbed with worry. Any number of things could go wrong. From the little - like a twisted ankle - to the massive - like a crashed aeroplane - but Kaito had to keep himself from worrying. They’d been going out for a month and it's not like Mizael had up and died or anything… Though, Kaito was acting like it.

Especially with his coping mechanism but he just wasn’t the type to take separation well.

So, he had taken to not just wearing Mizael’s jacket, but sleeping with it, too. He couldn’t dare to wash it lest it rid the fabric of Mizael’s scent but it was getting less and less each day. Even so, Kaito cherished the original smell of it as a memento of its original owner.

Musk worked up from a hard day’s slog on the football field mixed with the shampoo and conditioner that Mizael used. The scent of his laundry detergent and the food he ate that lingered on it. It all mixed together to make something uniquely Mizael and uniquely comforting for Kaito.

Wearing it, sleeping with it, it didn’t matter: having Mizael’s jacket with him was a blessing that Kaito relished.

Up until the blessed day that Mizael returned from overseas and what do you know? No news was good news and the good news that followed was great news.

Still, Kaito was basically crawling up the walls of his bedroom when alone. He was going maddeningly bored and worried without Mizael and without a scrap of Mizael’s contact with him. Of course, he went even more insane when Mizael finally made his glorious return and what a return it was.

Him and his team had won!

They had done exceptionally well, even. It wasn’t easy, of course. They had to work tooth and nail to earn every single win but they had done it. Whether it was by leaps and bounds or the tiniest margin, Mizael and his team had truly brought pride to their high school in these international leagues.

Kaito couldn’t be prouder.

He also couldn’t think of anything worse than being covered in sweat, mud, and grass stains but hey. If it made Mizael happy, then it made Kaito happy. He was just glad that Mizael had left the sweat, mud, and grass stains in America as when they met up again - at the airport, no less - he was quite pristine. Save for the bags under his eyes and how crumpled he looked from sitting in a tiny aeroplane seat for countless hours.

But Kaito couldn’t be happier.

Mizael was all crusty and tired but perked up seeing his boyfriend. Even from across the airport. It had all the usual hustle and bustle, luggage going everywhere, tourists and nationals going to and fro like ants on a beeline to who knows where. The din covered the conversation as they said hello to each other upon meeting.

Kaito’s heart swelled and he couldn’t help himself. As soon as Mizael was in front of him, he latched on with the biggest bear hug in the world. He buried his face against Mizael’s chest and inhaled his time warped morning breath with a smile. He squeezed the air out of Mizael and he laughed a haggard laugh. They stayed like that for a good few minutes until it dawned on Kaito that maybe… Breaking Mizael’s spine wasn’t a good idea.

Yet Mizael was incredibly charmed nonetheless. As Kaito slowly let go, Mizael’s eyes turned soft and fond.

“You have a surprising cute side, you know,” Mizael murmured as he patted the top of Kaito’s head, “but I actually don’t know how surprised I should be.”

“Huh?” Kaito asked as he recomposed himself.

Or at least tried to. He, himself, had his own reputation to protect and curate. He didn’t need people who didn’t need to know that he had a soft side. Had a vulnerable side. That he was head over heels in love with the school’s jock and all that which entailed.

Kaito leaned back. He didn’t let go but he gave Mizael just enough space to breathe. His hands slid down to Mizael’s waist so they were still connected in an embrace, just not chest to chest.

“I, um, always had a sneaking suspicion.” Mizael revealed. “I used to see you around and wonder what your story was. I actually thought you were quite handsome-”

“Thought?” Kaito picked out specifically with a slight growl. Uncertain whether to be unimpressed or not.

“And still do think you're quite handsome.” Mizael added to placate Kaito. He placed his hand around Kaito’s chin and kissed him briefly. “Scratch that, very handsome.”

“That’s better.” Kaito snickered.

“But let me continue.” Mizael pointedly said and he let go of the caress he had Kaito held in.

“Okay, continue.” Kaito permitted him.

“I think I had bit of a crush on you, before we ever really met. I don’t know what to call it but I knew I wanted to get closer and I did. So now I do know your story. It's not all sunshine and rainbows but I’m glad I can be a part of it. I don’t know what I expected from you but certainly not this.” Mizael said.

Kaito chuckled amiably, in agreement, “Me too.”

“I’m glad.” Mizael smiled. “And, um, whilst I was gone, I really missed you and I don’t think it was the normal teenage pining thing or absence makes the heart grow fonder bullshit. That what we have is solid. I think it's real. I want to continue being here. With you.” Mizael said. He sounded all sappy and yet, sincere in the same breath. His eyes were like starshine with how in-love he sounded. “Can I ask something real quick?”

“Yeah, sure.” Kaito said and his heart skipped a beat. He didn’t want to get too ahead of himself. That the big three words - “I love you” - might get dropped but it's where his mind went.

“What is it that you want to do in the future?” Mizael asked.

See. He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up so Kaito was glad he had tempered himself. Or at least tried to. Kaito’s lips twinged with the beginnings of a smile as he did that microsecond of soul searching, however, to come up with a reply. He already knew.

“I want to become a tenured lecturer at a prestigious university.” Kaito confessed.

Mizael’s eyes slitted and he chuckled, “Nerd.”

“Jock.” Kaito snipped back without missing a beat.

“But that’s a good dream. It suits you.” Mizael complimented him as soon as the moment softened again.

“Thanks.” Kaito said.

Mizael’s hands moved down Kaito’s body, along the edge of his arm before finding his hands. He held Kaito’s hands firmly at the end of this long, trailing movement and smiled. And even though they were in an airport, with all its hustle and bustle, it felt like they were the only two there.

“I want to see your dream come true, as repayment for how you're supporting me here and now,” Mizael murmured, “and then, I want us to have dreams together. A future together. Where one day, maybe not soon, maybe tomorrow or ten or twenty years later, we’ll have these weird, stupid moments on the lounge watching TV or in the kitchen, slow dancing. Or you know. Something to that effect.”

“It’d be nice, wouldn’t it?” Kaito agreed.

Their movements were small but graceful enough to imitate a waltz. Mizael led. Naturally. He was the one who was far more kinetically gifted but Kaito was trying to wonder where he learned to dance because it didn’t feel talented. A little clunky, in fact. But he didn’t mind. It had his heart racing and spirits soaring nonetheless.

He took a breath and added to his agreement, “Let’s go home because why wait? The future isn’t promised to anyone.”

“Ah, that’s true…” Mizael replied and his eyes darkened. Kaito just knew that he was thinking of Haruto, who was always flickering between life and the opposite. He forced a smile that became a genuine one as he said, “But you're right. Let’s go home. Your place or mine?”

“Yours and let’s stop by the convenience store first, if you like.” Kaito suggested.

“I’d love to.” Mizael replied.

Kaito took the lead and he squeezed Mizael’s hand back. He was looking forward to a bag of chips and lollies as much as the next guy but it was Mizael’s vision for the future that he really wanted. It sounded nice, like a real happily ever after for two high school sweethearts on the cusp of university and who knows where higher education could take them.

But Kaito really did look forward to it. A future where he wasn’t dreading each day, trying to white knuckle through it until it got better but rather, a future that came naturally to him and with Mizael by his side.

#writing tag #mutuals tag #galaxymastershipping #mizakai #mizael (zexal)#<- you would not believe how many attempts it took to write zexal right now #kaito tenjou #tenjou kaito #yugioh zexal #zexal #long post

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