Chapter Text
“Chifuyu.”
Chifuyu’s head snaps up at the sound of his name, eyes darting to the owner of the voice as though he had just been caught doing something he shouldn’t. Which he hasn’t. Unless reading manga is considered wrong…although he did come here to help out, and he honestly doesn’t know how long he spent engrossed in some manga he found lying around the room. Truthfully, he didn’t even remember he was here.
Maybe it should be considered wrong.
Mitsuya eyes him with a look of thinly veiled amusement on his face, Chifuyu can’t help his own sheepish one in response as he places the manga face down on the desk in front of him. “Yeah?” He answers, praying to anything out there that Mitsuya hasn’t been trying to gain his attention this whole time.
“Could you come stand beside Mikey real quick? I just need to check something.” Mitsuya asks, gesturing to Mikey who has now joined him in wearing one of many skirts made today. Mikey looks rather happy to be part of the fun, for a reason Chifuyu wishes he knew, sucking on a lollipop and swinging his legs from where he’s perched on a table. He jumps down at Mitsuya’s request.
Chifuyu nods, standing up to do as asked. “Su--”
Until he notices movement from the door across the room.
As quick as he stood, he stills. Chifuyu leans forward, bracing against the desk in front of him to see better.
“Everything al-”
No.
No.
Please no.
The amount of dread that washes over him almost has him stumbling back into his seat.
He was so relieved when Mitsuya had told them no one else but them knew about this favour, happy to help as long as no one else saw. Hell, Chifuyu even brushed off Smiley’s laughter early into this whole thing because it’s an earnest project for Mitsuya. That and the fact Smiley also got roped into it not long after as well.
The Haitani’s – or rather ‘Inferior Ran’ – exposing them had his gut sinking so far to the ground it felt as though he was on roller-coaster dropping from heights people would pale at. Because the last people he would ever want to know about this now have knowledge he’s dressing up in a skirt of all things and hadn’t stopped blowing up his phone until a short while ago.
Really, in hindsight, that should have been a pretty big sign that something is up. Because if there’s one thing both Baji and Kazutora are, it’s persistent. Or stubborn, as Chifuyu would rather call it.
And now,
Now they’ve somehow found out their location.
If there is ever a time to learn how to combust, it would be now. Boy, does he wish he could explode on the spot.
“Is that Kazutora?!” Chifuyu exclaims, eyes fixed on the door. Both Mitsuya and Mikey follow his stare, sure enough there is striped hair peering over the window of the door. “And Baji-san?!”
Evaporating sounds so good right now. The ground could swallow him whole, and he would thank it.
“Oh yeah,” Mikey says, tapping the lollipop against his lips. “I forgot to mention.”
Chifuyu kinda wishes the ground would swallow Mikey whole too.
Mitsuya sighs just as the door begins to open, and Chifuyu wonders what he did to deserve the man he holds in the highest regard possible and Kazutora (of whom he would have more things to say if he didn’t know exactly what is about to come) seeing him like this.
Mikey simply grins, waving his hand dismissively. “It’ll be fine, it’ll be fine!” He says, reassuringly. Assuring literally no one. He sticks his tongue out in a cheeky smile that extra adds to the whole ‘this afternoon is absolutely doomed’ vibe that just got stronger.
Why does he have to be such a magnet for chaos!?
“Chifuyu!” Kazutora calls, rushing into the room with such a bounce in his step that Chifuyu is already internally groaning. There’s a grin on his face, too, which is equally mischievous.
‘This is it’ Chifuyu thinks. This is the start of teasing and non-stop throwbacks to this very day. Kazutora will absolutely never let him live this down.
Mitsuya can only wish him a silent good luck from where he stands, the way Chifuyu gazes up to the ceiling is the very picture of a man betrayed by the greater forces.
Following not far behind is Baji, eyes roaming over the blond who stands with an air of absolute embarrassment. Baji’s expression is a little harder to read, as both he and Kazutora come to a stop. The ‘damn’ that he murmurs leaves many questions in Chifuyu’s head. Many questions he’s not sure he ever wants to be answered.
“Why are you guys here!?” Chifuyu all but cries out, his arms trying to cover what’s left of his dignity. From the way both their eyes follow his movements, Chifuyu’s pretty sure that dignity is on its last thread as his cheeks only burn hotter.
He knows that smile Kazutora bears, he knows the type of words that will be leaving his mouth for the rest of the day. He knows that if the blood continues rushing to his face instead of the rest of his body he’ll probably pass out in embarrassment. And at that point…just bury him, there would be no coming back from that.
Kazutora simply shrugs, as if he didn’t rush into the room like a man on a mission a few seconds ago. “We totally came to make sure Smiley doesn’t go crazy.” He says. You know, like a liar. “Right, Baji?” He glances over his shoulder at the taller male.
“Right.” Baji agrees, like a partner in crime would. Or like a man who is very much distracted and likely not listening to a word Kazutora just said.
“He’s over there trying to break Ran’s phone.” Says Mikey, gaining their attention. There’s a smile on his face, one that Mitsuya can place as ‘things are going exactly the way he wants it to’. It appears a smile doesn’t seem to be having it’s intended effects today.
“Oh.”
Sure enough, in the corner of the room Smiley is indeed in the process of trying to stomp on a phone. The only thing stopping him is the fact he’s being half held back, and half lifted away from it by a slightly alarmed Ran Haitani.
Chifuyu gapes, Baji snorts and Kazutora cackles.
“Oh my god.” He wheezes, holding his stomach. “I have no idea how we missed that.”
Chifuyu can’t help but agree with that statement because as much as they just happened to walk past that entire scene, Chifuyu has been in the same room as it for God knows how long. Had he really been that zoned into the manga he was reading? They’ve been bickering loud enough to be noticed but apparently not loud enough to not fade into background noise.
Or maybe they’ve been at it for that long that it simply turned into background noise.
Even so, Chifuyu turns his focus back to Kazutora. “You’re not going to stop him?” He asks, incredulously.
“Nah.” Kazutora answers, shaking his head. “If you guys haven’t then it must be fine. Right?” Wrong. The fact they haven’t is a major oversight on their end, and sure Chifuyu could stand here and blame himself, but the fact of the matter is their leader has also been sat here doing nothing about it.
So, if you think about it, if something were to happen it would be mostly Mikey’s fault.
Oh god he’s starting to sound like Kazutora.
“I’ve been helping Mitsuya!” Chifuyu argues, pointing a hand in the designer’s direction to emphasise his point. He kinda wishes he didn’t say anything at all as Kazutora looks him up and down with a smirk he’s also seen too many times.
“I can tell~” Kazutora practically whistles. Chifuyu wants to hit him.
He doesn’t.
Yet.
“What’s this for?” Baji asks, finally taking his stare away from Chifuyu to look around their surroundings. Breathing comes a little bit easier for Chifuyu in those few seconds, no longer stiff beneath his gaze.
“A project inspired by my sisters.” Mitsuya explains for what feels like the umpteenth time today.
Chifuyu lets his head fall into his hands, instantly feeling its warmth against his fingers. “This is so embarrassing.” He moans, dragging his hands down his face to look up at his friends. “If Ryusei walks through that door next, I’m leaving!”
It isn’t a lie. Kazutora is one thing but the both of them combined? Chifuyu may just have to leave the country and cut ties with them. There’s no way he could withstand that amount of teasing.
“Why?”
Chifuyu looks over at the voice, Baji looks back at him from where he’s now perched on a nearby desk. “You look good.”
“-broke him.”
Is what Chifuyu tunes back into as his brain finally processes those words. There’s no real way to describe his reaction as, for all intent and purposes, Chifuyu was not present. As far as he knows there was a blip in time and his brain buffered trying to catch up to the present moment. There are snickers around him, from who he doesn’t want to know.
“Shut up!” Baji snaps. “All I did was say the truth!”
Really no one can fault him there because Baji is a man who means what he says at least 90% of the time, and deep down Chifuyu really hopes this is part of that 90%.
“What?” Mikey says, with a grin that means nothing but trouble. “That you think he’s preeeettyy~?”
Chifuyu flushes.
Baji glares such daggers that you think Mikey just insulted his mother. Mikey, of course, knows better. Used to such glares and looks from Baji over the years that he feels no threat.
“Stop.”
“That he’s reeealllyyy cute~?” Mikey sings, bopping his head side to side. Any sane person by now would have stopped long ago, not Mikey. Not when he can see his teasing is having its intended effects as Baji twitches torn between reaching out to hit him or trying to keep the mask that’s hiding his embarrassment.
Kazutora is biting back his own grin, watching in amusement as Baji faces the brunt of teasing for once. No one but Mikey has truly dared to address his clear fondness for Chifuyu in the open like this, the others choosing to be incredibly subtle or vague with their comments. No one spares the same mercy for him, calling him out so frequently that deflecting became a profession. Call him whatever you want, Kazutora is going to enjoy every second of this.
“Mikey. I swear to God.” Baji all but growls, taking a step towards the blond.
“Whaaaat?” Mikey asks, batting his eyelashes ‘innocently’ as he looks up at Baji. “I’m just saying the truth too.” His giggle after would imply otherwise but that’s exactly what pisses Baji off more. Because Mikey is indeed telling the truth all while being the biggest annoyance about it.
Mitsuya says something off to the side, that neither Baji nor Mikey catch; locked in some kind of staring competition. Baji silently dares him to say more, knowing exactly what he’d do if so, and Mikey smugly smiles at him knowing he’d happily accept the challenge.
“You could totally rock these fits casually.” Kazutora says, drawing the attention away from the duo. Chifuyu didn’t realize just how close the man had gotten in the time Baji and Mikey have been bickering. “Mitsuya! You should totally tailor more for him!”
Chifuyu’s face couldn’t feel more on fire if it tried. “Stop!” Kazutora simply gives a toothy grin.
“Nice to know.” Mitsuya answers, shaking his head. “But these aren’t for them.”
Kazutora proceeds to ignore those words, concentration purely on Chifuyu as he walks around to inspect his get up. As much as he should have prepared for this inevitability, the feeling of the back of his skirt being lifted catches Chifuyu completely off guard.
“You got any lingerie too?”
The squeak that leaves his mouth is something he will deny until the day he dies.
“KAZUTORA.”
Ignore the previous statement about his face, for his entire body feels like it just burst into flames. He’s never moved so fast as he whips around and yanks the end of the skirt out of Kazutora’s hand. The cackle the man lets out only fans the flames.
“That!” Kazutora laughs, “Was such an anime girl move!” he bellows, once again holding his stomach. Chifuyu can only imagine that’s he’s completely correct, if the way he’s currently holding down his skirt with probably the reddest face known to man is anything to go by.
“I’m going to hit you!” Chifuyu threatens, warns? Whatever it is, the urge is strong and very much about to happen.
For a second, Kazutora stops his laughter the bit his lip and wiggle his brows. “Ooh. What about a kick instead?”
Chifuyu pauses.
Completely.
Brain seeming to process those words in some kind of slow motion, subtitled, reaction video. The very second it clicks, Chifuyu gapes. Eyes wide and mouth opening and closing around a scold he has yet to form. Choked, embarrassed sounds as opposed to words escape him instead and Kazutora is once again cackling at his stunned response.
‘You perv!!’ Is at the very tip of his tongue. “Baji-saaan!!” Is what comes out instead.
An embarrassed cry for help from his former captain, too paralyzed between beating his fists against wherever he can reach on Kazutora or phasing through the floor beneath him.
Baji chuckles, pushing between him and Kazutora to eliminate one of those options. “I’m not helping you anymore if he snaps, Tora.” He says. They all know it’s only half true, from the many times similar events have happened. Baji would either let them ‘fight’ it out or pry them apart to spare Chifuyu or reduce the number of bruises Kazutora would end up with. It all depends on how he feels or how long their squabble lasts. More often than not, Kazutora reaps what he sows.
Kazutora smirks, “That’s fine. I can handle myself.” The wink he throw’s Chifuyu’s way is what does it for him.
“Oh my god I’m going home.” He mumbles, turning to look around for his belongings. He needs to get out of here before he genuinely explodes, he’s not ready for Peke J to have only one father. Again.
Mitsuya stands up, holding his hand out to stop the blond. “Hold on a minute.” He says. “I haven’t got much left to do. So, if you two,” Mitsuya turns his focus to Kazutora and Baji. “Could keep your hands to yourself for the next half an hour.” Half an hour is ambitious, but Mitsuya continues regardless. “And…”
Suddenly the group is once again aware of the heated argument between Smiley and the older Haitani. Surprisingly, there no fists or kicks being thrown. Just a very pissed off Smiley no doubt threatening some wildly out of pocket and incriminating things, and a partially amused if not concerned Ran standing face to face.
Mitsuya sighs, raising his voice slightly to be heard by the pair. “Smiley, Ran. Stop flirting.”
They stop a lot faster than expected, Smiley’s head snapping over in their direction so quickly you would think Mitsuya just joined the Haitani’s.
“There is NO FLIRTING.” He yells back, entirely offended. “I need him GONE.” If anyone was unsure of the legitimacy of those words, then the way he cracks his knuckles definitely sheds some clarity on it.
Ran, on the other hand, lazily smiles waving him off. “He’s having a great time.”
Nahoya turns back to him with the darkest grin he could ever muster. “I’m going to bury you so far under that not even palaeontologists in the future will be able to find you.”
Ran blinks, taken back by such a descriptive threat. He looks at the finger jabbed into his chest, then back at the twin. “Oh my…” Ran says, for almost lack of better words. Almost. “That’s a big word. Where did you learn that?”
Nahoya raises his fist and Mitsuya takes it as his cue to once again step in before things escalate once more. “Hey. I said break it up.”
Mikey, God bless the times he recognises when to be serious in life, steps up immediately after. Warning everyone to listen to Mitsuya’s instructions. It’s times like these when Mitsuya remembers the type of leader Mikey once was. Truly renowned and not to be underestimated. He has even Ran listening, though Mitsuya has a big feeling that the Haitani is only here to terrorize Smiley and nothing more.
His pride and admiration in Mikey lasts a whole two minutes.
For he and Baji begin bickering just as quickly as Mikey’s seriousness came.
Mitsuya looks down at the fabric laid across the table in front of him, and briefly wonders what his life has become in the span of a few hours, before looking at his friends once more. “Thank you, Mikey.” He says, interrupting the two childhood friends. “I just need all my models for this final stretch so I can see how it looks altogether and alter anything or add the final bits.”
Mitsuya directs his gaze at each person he addresses, “Those who are just here to spectate find a spot and stay there. Please.”
Ran salutes with drawn out ‘Aye Aye~’, which only causes Nahoya to resume his glare as he looks over his shoulder. “Not you.” He says through gritted teeth. “You can fucking trip and fall down a sink hole.”
Okay then.
Kazutora laughs with a comment Mitsuya doesn’t even entertain, instead looking around the room for the last member of his modelling team. He hasn’t been keeping tabs on how long it’s been, but Mitsuya is fairly certain for what Chifuyu claimed to be a bathroom break shouldn’t take this long. “Where’s Angry?”
Chifuyu stills.
‘I knew there was something I was forgetting’ coursing through his mind. He had gotten so distracted by Baji and Kazutora’s appearance that he completely forgot about checking in on Souya. His excuse was a weak one, one he’s sure Mitsuya only half believed but forgot about soon after. Truthfully, Chifuyu had no idea when Souya had snuck out originally but with Ran entering the room he had a pretty good feeling of why he left.
Damn he was too engrossed in that manga to even geek out about Souya and Rindou!
It’s probably better this way; the fact everyone pretty much minded their own business worked out well for him. So, by not addressing Smiley and Inferior Ran’s fighting, Smiley didn’t realize Souya isn’t here and no one else questioned it. Meaning, Chifuyu did a great job and he’s one hundred percent taking credit for it.
“I thought he left before I got here.” Mikey says, head tilted in confusion.
“Huh?” Nahoya asks, now also looking around the room. “When the hell did he leave?”
Actually, now that he thinks about it. Maybe he doesn’t want to take credit because there is little he could say to convince Smiley that his brother ventured out for a reason that has nothing to do with a certain Haitani he equally hates.
“Uhmm.” Chifuyu starts, willing his brain to come up with something – anything to help stall.
“I went to get some water.”
Everyone turns to look at the door, where lo and behold stands Souya Kawata. “And a snack.”
Chifuyu has never wanted to sag in relief so hard. A large smile paints his face as he nods, a bit too vigorously, in response. “Right!” He agrees, like that was definitely the excuse he used earlier. He sees Mitsuya glance at him in the corner of his eye and very pointedly decides not to look at him.
Instead, he meets Souya’s eye with a silent question. Souya who looks a little flushed around the cheeks and neck. Chifuyu already has a thousand questions circling his brain, ready to fire off at his friend the second they have the chance to speak privately.
“Oho~” Ran murmurs to himself, a smile tugging at his lips that he doesn’t bother hiding when Smiley turns to him with the biggest ‘done’ expression to exist.
“What.”
“Nothing, nothing~” says the man, once again waving his hand. He takes a second to look Smiley over, before his smile widens and he sits down at a nearby desk. “I’ll just get an even better view.”
“SMILEY!”
They can only watch as Mikey jumps up to go hold him back.
That is until Chifuyu feels a ruffle of his skirt. Stepping away, Chifuyu points an accusatory glare at the dual haired man beside him. “Kazutora!” He exclaims. “Stop touching my skirt!”
Kazutora stares at him in confusion, surprised by the sudden accusation. “That wasn’t me!?” He retorts back, holding his hands up in the air as proof.
“You had something on it.” Baji says, gaining their attention. Chifuyu’s embarrassed glare immediately fades at his words, feeling rather stupid for pointing fingers so quickly.
His cheeks warm as he sheepishly mumbles an “Oh.” In response.
Kazutora looks between Chifuyu and Baji with his mouth ajar. “What do you mean oh?!” He exclaims. Somewhat offended that it’s seemingly totally fine for Baji to fiddle with the skirt but not him. This guy and his favouritism.
“You were being dirty!” Chifuyu says, with a huff and Kazutora can’t help his flickering gaze between the two.
He knows damn well that there was nothing on that skirt. Baji just wanted an excuse to feel it too and is evading Chifuyu’s wrath. That sneaky bastard. “He’s literally lying!”
Baji’s lips curve up, revealing one of his fangs and Kazutora decides he’s absolutely not going to be the only one going down here.
Mitsuya stands amongst the chaos, a deep sigh passing through him for what feels like the hundredth time today. Angry comes to stand beside him as the others all engage in pointless arguing.
“Let’s just finish this quickly.”
☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆
These guys are not slick.
And it’s not just years of knowing them that makes it wildly obvious to him because even Emma and Shinichiro agree. Well maybe using his family isn’t quite a solid example considering Baji basically grew up with them, but Mikey has a whole gang of friends who could very easily back up his words.
These guys are so unbelievably obvious that Mikey is genuinely baffled how the supposed romance nerd hasn’t clocked onto them by now. At this point Mikey is convinced its past obliviousness or stupidity and a secret third option. As much as he would love to interrogate the boy, Mikey’s pretty sure he’d accidentally give way to the very thing they’ve been betting on.
Which…wouldn’t be a bad thing if it gets them together at long last, and he makes Chifuyu swear to never reveal his involvement so that the prize pot could be his.
But it would be a jerk move and as insane as this waiting game makes him feel, they deserve to hear it from each other.
So, Mikey can only sit here, watching two out of the three stare totally entranced as Chifuyu continues to help Mitsuya out with a new fit altogether. Chifuyu, much like the time they were choosing Halloween outfits, flat out declined any dresses. Although, Mikey gets the feeling he probably would have been more open to helping if Baji and Kazutora weren’t sat only a few desks away. So far, he’s stuck to skirts, shirts, and the like. Mitsuya seems like he’s having fun ‘playing dress up’ with him and Mikey can’t deny he’s doing a good job.
He can see why Baji and Kazutora have barely been able to take their eyes off him. Baji, to be fair, has looked away a few times. Only when he thinks Chifuyu is about to look back over in their direction, which probably doesn’t count for much but hey it’s something. A lot better than Kazutora who…actually seems quite shameless as usual. Mikey has been watching in amusement as Kazutora props his chin on his palm, sending grins and winks amongst other things Chifuyu’s way.
Chifuyu’s whose face has only been able to revert to a light pink at best, for each joke and comment Kazutora sends his way has his cheeks warming in flustered annoyance. He copes with it better than Smiley, who has tried to throw at least five different items Ran’s way the second he even slightly makes his presence known or speaks a word. Angry has been the one to intervene most of the time.
Mitsuya seems to be working faster now. Mikey thinks he’ll treat him to a meal later on to make up for the chaos.
⋆｡°✩
“Chifuyu.”
He hums.
“We could…-”
“Chifuyu?”
“…next week…”
Something moves in the corner of his eye, but his gaze remains focused on the pair not far ahead of him talking between themselves.
“…fine with you, partner?”
“Chifuyu!”
Chifuyu startles immediately broken out of his trance by a tap on his shoulder. He looks back in front of him, where Mitsuya stands concerned for many reasons. Chifuyu swallows down the weight of something undefinable lodged in his throat, forcing a smile.
“Yeah?” He replies. Completely unaware of the attempts it took the designer to get his attention in the first place.
Said designer scans him over, expression unchanging. “Are you okay?” He asks.
Chifuyu wants to say yes, but he can faintly feel the gaze of someone other than Mitsuya on him and part of him thinks he knows who. The fragments of the conversation he had unintentionally been eavesdropping on swirl around his head, with one key word at the very forefront of his mind.
Partner.
Chifuyu nods or attempts to anyway. It’s more of a half nod, a bob of the head that’s probably as convincing as someone saying they’re having a great time whilst sobbing miserably.
Obviously Mitsuya doesn’t buy it, as his concern only deepens. “Do you wanna take a break?”
No.
He should really just continue so they can be finished faster and all go home. Anything with eyes could tell how tired Mitsuya is and yet he’s still here pushing through with the hopes of not having to extend this to another day.
And yet in spite himself, Chifuyu finds himself nodding again. More fluid and decisive, too in his head to be of much help right now. “Sorry.”
Mitsuya shakes it off, gently pushing his arms down (how long has he been holding them out?) and turning him in the direction of his seat. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got most of what I need. I’ll call you when I need to finish off.”
Mitsuya is a saint. No wonder Hakkai brags about him any chance he can.
Not that he’s gonna encourage him any further.
Chifuyu sits down without another word, eyes drifting back over to the side of the room where Baji and Kazutora sit. For a split second, he meets their eyes. He looks away as quick as they do, hand reaching for his phone instead.
[4.13 PM ‘Thousand Winters’ Group Chat]
Chifuyu: IM NOT CRAZY
Takemichi: we never told u that u were???
Hakkai: anyone who says they’re not crazy is likely crazy
Yup.
Chifuyu is definitely never going to praise Mitsuya in Hakkai’s presence. If he wasn’t currently in a crisis, he would be thinking of ways to get under his skin in retaliation. In fact, he makes a mental note to brag about how he was a model for the man and not Hakkai.
Inui: why are u announcing this
Inui: again
Chifuyu sucks on his cheek, willing himself not to look over at his friends again. As distracted as he was, Chifuyu heard the last of their conversation. Unlike the previous times where he was unsure whether he misheard them, he’s certain that very word was uttered. Not faintly, and not something he just about caught the end of only to be brushed off soon after.
Chifuyu: BECAUSE I HEARD THEM
Chifuyu: CLEARLY
Takemichi: them as in….?
Right.
It is pretty crazy of him to expect his friends to automatically know what he’s talking about when he’s being so vague, and only one of them is in the same room as him.
Chifuyu: THEM AS IN BAJISAN AND KAZUTORA
Inui: okay
Inui: what did they say
Chifuyu wishes he knew, he was only half paying attention to what they were actually saying and the rest of his surroundings. He knows Mitsuya was humming a tune from whatever song was playing through his airbuds as he checked the shirt Chifuyu is wearing, he knows that Baji and Kazutora were likely forming plans, and he knows there was emphasis on ‘Partner’ as they smiled through it all.
He knows whatever feeling is stirring inside of him isn’t a pleasant one.
Chifuyu: they called each other partner
Chifuyu: AGAIN
Hakkai: are u sure
Chifuyu: YES
Chifuyu: I TOLD U IM NOT CRAZY
Inui: does it really bother you that much that they call each other that?
Chifuyu: well yeah
Chifuyu: takemichi and i are partners
Hakkai: i mean ur not the only partners in the world
Chifuyu rolls his eyes. That much is obvious. He had to get inspiration from somewhere when coming up with this. Hell, Chifuyu even remembers sitting together with Baji and Ryusei, hearing Baji talk about the friend he treasures so dearly. His buddy. His best friend. He remembers wanting to have that special kind of bond where he could have a decisive name like that. Obviously, they’re not the only partners in the world, but as far as Chifuyu knows they’re the only ones who go as far as addressing each other as such in the group.
Their partnership is different on so many levels.
And…
Chifuyu: WE WERE PARTNERS FIRST
Takemichi: chifuyu you know it’s okay right
Chifuyu: you don’t get it…
Chifuyu sighs, lowering his phone. He doesn’t really know what he expected from this conversation. The previous times he brought it up they never really seemed to understand why it’s such a big deal to him. Nor do they seem to think it’s strange that Baji and Kazutora are suddenly calling each other ‘Partner’ after so many years. They always joke or scoff over the times he and Takemichi do so! He can’t count how many times both them and everyone else have told them to stop or consider something else.
So why now? Why are they suddenly on board? Why is everyone seemingly so fine with it?
What could have possibly changed without him knowing?
It just doesn’t make any sense. They’re almost always together as a trio, or group when Ryusei is hanging around. Surely, he would have noticed something.
This whole thing has been slowly driving him insane.
Are they making fun of him? Is it genuine?
Is…
Wait.
There was a video Chifuyu happened upon one night when he was aimlessly scrolling through his phone. The person spoke of imitation as a form of love. How people can unconsciously take on each other’s mannerisms, behaviours and speech. That when you like someone enough you begin to like their habits as well. It’s almost a form of flattery.
Chifuyu knows Baji cares about him. He also knows Kazutora considers him a good friend too. They’ve had their fair share of rocky roads and moments of silent treatment, but a bond is there. Kazutora will jokingly flirt with him and tease him, but he also steps up and comforts him sincerely if he needs it. Baji has always been the person he trusts most in the world, although Takemichi has also partially earned that spot too.
It could just…
Maybe…
Chifuyu: imitation is the most sincere form of flattery so i’ll take it 😤
Souya: well if that gives u peace?
Yeah.
He’s flattered. Totally flattered that they like him enough to want to reflect their friendship in the way he and Takemichi do. Naturally they would come to realize it’s fun and not at all as weird as they made it out to be.
Pffft.
He was getting all worked up for nothing.
⋆｡°✩
Yeah, no flattery or not this is still very much bothering him.
“So, it’s a deal?” Baji asks Kazutora, leaning on the desk in front of them.
Kazutora huffs, though the smile on his face betrays how he feels. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.”
Baji rolls his eyes, nudging him with the arm closest to him. “You were the one that brought it up, dumbass.”
Kazutora bats him away, chuckling as his weak mask is broken. “Yes, it’s a deal.”
“There’s no backing out, partner.”
There it is again. With the emphasis again.
“As if I would.” Kazutora scoffs, but a smirk follows soon after and the pair laugh between themselves. Chifuyu draws his eyes away from them yet again, phone clutched tightly in his hands.
Part of him almost wishes Mitsuya called him up again, so he’d have anything else to focus on except the way his leg bounces beneath the table and the conversation he isn’t a part of. Chifuyu doesn’t even know what they’re talking about, all he can focus on is the fact this is the fourth time they’ve referred to each other as such that he’s heard.
And no matter how hard he tries to brush it off, the ugly feeling in his stomach remains.
There’s no reason to be this hung up on it! If mimicking is flattery, or a so-called compliment then why doesn’t he feel giddy by it?
He might just be going insane.
[4.43 PM ‘Thousand Winters’ Group Chat]
Chifuyu: IDENTITY THEFT IS NOT A JOKE
Inui: that peace lasted a whole 30 minutes
Takemichi: i’m guessing they’ve said it again 😅
Hakkai: are they saying it like how you and takemitchy or
That’s the thing! Chifuyu doesn’t know. He doesn’t know what they’re playing at or how it’s supposed to be intended. He can’t say they haven’t shared experiences that would ‘justify’ the use of partner, but he can’t see a reason for it.
Hakkai: are they saying it like how you and takemitchy or
Chifuyu: I DONT KNOW
Chifuyu: THEY DO IT SO CASUALLY
Chifuyu: every time i look over it’s like nothing happened
Inui: then i suppose it’s pretty much like u and takemitchy
Chifuyu: he’s not baji-san’s partner
Chifuyu: i mean they’re not partners
Chifuyu: well
Chifuyu pauses. He didn’t realize just how many different interpretations there are of the word until now. But Baji has never once told him that he considers Kazutora his partner, nor vice versa. Sure, he doesn’t know everything about them or their type of relationship but he’s around them enough to know the other types of ‘partners’ can’t be true either…right?
What he and Takemichi have is different. Whether he’s protective of this very fact or uneasy at the prospect of something else is making his head hurt and that feeling grow stronger.
Chifuyu: it’s just our thing okay???
Inui: what if they were partners though?
Chifuyu: like me and takemitchy?
Hakkai: didn’t u just shut that down
Inui: sure i guess
Chifuyu bites at his cheeks.
If they were referring to themselves as partners in that way, would he really have any grounds to be upset on? Like Hakkai said, there are many partners in the world. It’s a well-loved trope. They’ve been friends longer than he’s known them, from the moment he first met Baji, Kazutora was on his mind. Before he even met Kazutora, he knew his importance to Baji.
He's not jealous of what they have, not when he has his own special and unique bond with both of them individually and together. And yet….
Chifuyu: if there’s anyone he would call his partner it would be kazurora i guess…
Souya: what if
Souya: it wasn’t like you and takemitchy?
Chifuyu: what do u mean
Hakkai: think about it dude
He has been thinking about it! What part of that don’t they understand? Each time he hears the word escape their lips it plagues his mind for hours on end. There are so many different types of partners and Chifuyu can’t settle on which one they’re trying to be.
If their partnership meant a total 180 of his and Takemichi’s…
If they were…
If…
There’s a frown on Chifuyu’s face before he knows it, for what reason? He still can’t determine. The thought of it isn’t outlandish, if anything it makes sense even… but would they really brag about it this way?
Wouldn’t they come out and say it to his face? Kazutora would surely, before they got close all he would do is brag about his friendship with Baji! Baji on the other hand might not think it necessary to say what he could simply show. Between the both of them he’d know somehow, surely? Hell, he’d like to think Ryusei would come to him and gossip!
Whatever this is, it can’t be what he’s thinking of.
Chifuyu: it doesn’t matter okay!!
Chifuyu: that’s not how it is and
Chifuyu: and even if it was it’s not my business so
Chifuyu: ,
But if it is…and it is true…
Chifuyu won’t ever mention the turmoil it's causing deep inside of him.