Chapter Text
"Hey." Ike's ears perk up at Mysta's voice as the novelist hears footsteps coming near. He looks up from his laptop to see the detective look at Shu with a curious sparkle yet empty stare, "Can you tell me again... about that one story where we went to the park and we made a mess on the sandbox. I only remember it vaguely..."
Golden eyes soften at those words, and he sees the sorcerer smile somberly, sweetly, "Of course, Mysta." He whispers, patting down the space next to him on the couch and the detective sits down, putting his knees to his chest and looking at Shu intensely.
'It’s like looking at children telling a secret to one another...' Ike gives a content hum, before going back to work.
"...decided to steal stuff from my dad's shed so we could try to find dinosaur bones." Shu says and Ike hears Mysta laugh. The novelist looks up to see the liveliness shine in sunset blue and midnight purple orbs.
Ike can only shake his head at what he's hearing.
Shu gently kisses Mysta on the forehead, making Ike’s heart flutter. The novelist appreciates the sight of a flustered detective and a pleased sorcerer. How adorable those two are.
“Ike!” He hears Shu call out for him and he looks up to see Shu and Mysta, midnight purple and sunset blue sparkling with such childish joy, “You wanna hear the story?”
“Of course he wants to! You can tell with that look on his face!” Mysta playfully shoves the sorcerer, who shoves him back. Ike shakes his head fondly as he abandons his work to hear the story.
---
He cracks a can of cola open when Shu plops down next to him on the couch with a tired sigh. Ike can only raise an eyebrow when the sorcerer’s paper do- shikigami- went out of the kitchen with a can of sparkling water and dropping it on Shu's lap. With a wave of Shu's hand, the shikigami spun around before being enveloped in purple flames and disappearing.
“Tiring day?” Ike asks simply, taking a sip from his drink and Shu takes his time to respond, opening his own can and drinking it in one setting. Ike decides not to be worried at that, but on the fact how there are slight eyebags under those… somewhat dull midnight purple orbs.
Ike shudders, the last time he had seen that look on the sorcerer’s face. Despite it being long ago, he'd rather not see another scorch mark on the wall.
(Mysta suggested to paint the scorched wall with a big shooting star, followed by little ones; a meteor shower in a sense. Shu looks at the wall rather fondly than in guilt now. It gives their house a little more life now.)
Shu sighs as he finishes his drink, the shikigami instantly appearing once more and disappearing with the can. Ike can only frown at how… lethargic the sorcerer was. He didn’t even respond to the question.
It is most certainly worse than last time.
Ike bites the inside of his cheek, wondering what to do with the sorcerer. Maybe, a game? No, no. He remembers Shu saying he was going to be in a collab- playing a game that he didn’t know about, but got invited anyway and wanted to try it out. He had fun… right…?
The novelist tries to remember what Shu has been doing the past few days until now. He remembers Shu becoming less verbal, either he smiles, shakes or nods his head when both he and Mysta are talking to him. How he’s been using his shikigami to do chores he didn’t mind doing, how he’s eating a bit less, how he’s drinking more and more coffee that Mysta has to confiscate the coffee machine much to Shu’s dismay-
Ike feels stupid not seeing the signs sooner. Then again, this is Shu he’s talking about, he would persistently reject anything to not make them worry, how it is nothing big, how he’s used to it, and how it will pass soon enough.
“Like a cloud.” Shu says simply one time and Ike can only frown at his response.
(Shu doesn’t notice he worries, Mysta worries. They worry regardless, yet they can’t do anything unless given a signal. It breaks his heart, and Ike know’s the detective’s heart is breaking more than his.)
He feels Shu shuffling around the couch, before he feels a weight on his lap. Ike looks down to see a pair of legs on his lap and he looks to see that Shu has settled to lie down, pillow on his face, making the novelist wonders what expression Shu might be holding now- probably dead tired from everything.
Ike makes sure to see his breathing and quietly gives a sigh of relief at the sight of Shu’s chest slowly going up and down.
He'll wait for Shu to open up once more.
---
Ike grimaces at his screen, the words meshing in together to the point he doesn’t know what he’s reading- he’s the one who wrote the contents on the screen too! Maybe he should take a break for a moment before continuing.
He should probably try people watching to gain a bit of inspiration of his story.
(”People aren’t really that interesting.” Ike’s mind whisper silently, like a ghost haunting him and he lets them haunt him, “Incredibly predictable, always fake. Sooooo boring!” His mind sneers.
He’s almost inclined to agree.)
”Ike?” He hears Mysta’s confused tone, and he blinks. Oh, somehow he’s at the entrance of the dining room. Ike looks at the detective sitting at the dining table, in surprise; since when did Mysta got home? Surely he would have heard the door opening and closing with a click- that and Mysta is incredibly noisy as soon as he gets home, a loud groan followed by keys smacking the table were always the indicator for both him and Shu.
“Ike?” Mysta says again, “Ikey?”
“Ah, Mysta.” Ike gives him a sheepish smile, he forgot to answer him, “I didn't hear you come home. How was work?” The novelist shuffles to the fridge, wanting to get a can of coke to cool down.
He misses the way Mysta purses his lips at him, “Thought everyone was sleeping, so I opted to be quiet.” Mysta watches the novelist grabbing the can and plopping down across the table, “The case is coming to a close soon.” He nods in satisfaction.
Ike feels his smile creeping up on his face that he hides it by taking a swig of his drink, “Tell me all about it soon.”
Mysta rolls his eyes, “Whatever you say, you fucking sadist.”
Ike rolls his eyes back at him, not bothering to give Mysta the satisfaction of a response. He tries to ignore the heat spreading on his cheeks and the howling laughter from the detective.
---
It’s a lazy day today with Mysta forcing Ike to get out of his computer to lay on bed with him and dragging Shu along with him. Though, Shu wanted to play some Valorant, and Mysta could only flick the sorcerer’s forehead in response.
”Give me cuddles when you’re finished okay?” Ike hears Mysta teasingly say, all smirk and sunset blue sparkling with mischief.
“I’ll make sure not to let go then.” Shu smirks back, defiant midnight purple staring back and the sorcerer incredibly delighted at how the detective’s face got beet red from the response.
Ike could barely hide his amusement.
“We should buy cake.” Shu says, finally content with his need to play Valorant and flopping down on the bed, specifically on top of Mysta who lets out an ‘oof’ at the sudden weight on his chest, “Ice cream cake, as a reward for the week.” The sorcerer buries his head at the crook of Mysta's neck.
Mysta snorts, tugging the long black locks of the sorcerer harshly. Ignoring the yelp of pain and the whining from the man on top of him he looks at the novelist lying next to him, arm wrapping around his free one, “You want cake too, Ikey?”
“If it's strawberry.” Ike sighs, nuzzling to Mysta’s arm, intertwining his fingers with Shu, who happily giggles at the sensation of Ike’s fingers skimming his palm, muttering how much it tickles.
“Always strawberry with you.” Mysta replies and tugs at the sorcerer’s hair once more, grimacing when Shu blows air on his face as retaliation, “What about you, Mr. I Want Cake? You alright with strawberry?”
Shu grumbles, and both Ike and Mysta look at the sorcerer before looking at each other. Ike shrugs and Mysta rolls his eyes at the novelist.
They’ll take Shu’s answer as a yes. He’d eat anything as long as it’s sweet anyway.
Though… Ike would say the sweetest thing were Mysta and Shu. Colouring his dull, grey world with colours he never thought he would experience, would feel. He smiles, and snuggles deeper to Mysta, tightening his hold on Shu.
Mysta sighs in content, while Shu tightens his hold as well.
And for a few moments in his life time… Ike feels at peace, he’s always at peace with these two.