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It all started with an announcement from Captain Obi before they start their paperwork for the day. They gathered in his office, all in their orange jumpsuits except for Sister Iris, who was in her regular tunic.
"According to our schedule," the Captain pointed at the calendar board behind him. "Shinra, Arthur, and Tamaki will be having their day off tomorrow. We need to sort out the paperwork we need to finish by tomorrow according to this arrangement."
"Yes, sir!"
After the meeting, there were still thirty minutes left before they start their clerical duties. The fire soldiers sauntered off in different directions to do their own thing.
"Shinra, want to get coffee with us?" Tamaki offered, a smiling Sister Iris beside her.
It was indeed a tempting offer. Sister makes the best coffee.
"Ah, sure..." Shinra said absent-mindedly, eyes trailing Arthur, who's going in the direction of their room. He must have stared for a long time because he received a painful jab on the side from the pig-tailed girl sooner or later.
"Your heart eyes are showing, Shinra, " Tamaki teased. The boy felt his cheeks burn at the remark. Wordlessly, he followed the two girls to the kitchen.
Here's the deal. Shinra liked Arthur.
The pyrokinetic didn't know when exactly he started liking the stupid knight. But when Shinra realized one day how endearing he found Arthur's little ponytail to be, and how his heart stuttered in his chest when the blond so much as smiled, he immediately knew something was up.
By the time his first reaction to Arthur's tall tales of knight kings and dragons was a fond smile instead of his usual frown, he knew he was fucked. Truly fucked.
A cliche, he knew, but the truth, regardless.
What's worse, everyone in Company 8 knows it except for... well. The object of his affection.
"You wear your heart on your sleeve, man. Do you even realize how long you stare at him with disgusting gooey eyes?" Vulcan told him the other day. Shinra resolved not to stare for more than five seconds after that (he could barely do it).
"Shinra, the way you carried Arthur, that's how princes carry their princesses, right?" the hopeless romantic Maki said with dreamy eyes after that one mission where Arthur sprained his ankle. It was a minor injury, nothing serious, but Shinra overly panicked. The next thing he knew, the blond was already in his arms. Everyone stifled their giggles as he embarrassingly brought Arthur to the matchbox. Probably oblivious to it all, Arthur just wrapped his arms around Shinra's neck and thanked him for being a "reliable servant of the knight king," whatever that means.
"Why I am always sending you off with Arthur? Well... you like him, don't you?" Lieutenant Hinawa, after Shinra noticed that he stopped rotating his partner for regular errands. The nonchalant way his superior said it made him want the ground to swallow him whole.
And the most mortifying of all (or maybe not) was what Captain Obi said a while ago shortly after the meeting ended.
"Why don't you ask Arthur to hang out with you tomorrow? Since it's your free time and all?"
The Captain's eyes gleamed mischievously. Shinra supposed it was his cue to grow flustered, but surprisingly, he thought the Captain's suggestion wasn't a bad idea. Not at all.
"So, you want to ask Arthur out on a date?" Tamaki clarified after the pyrokinetic explained his... plans for his day off. Sister Iris finished arranging the coffee mugs on the table and sat back on an unoccupied wooden chair.
"Well, not exactly a date..."
Two pairs of skeptical eyes stared at him, making him raise his hands in surrender. "Ugh, okay fine. Yeah."
Tamaki stirred her coffee, but her tangerine eyes didn't leave the boy. "What exactly is the problem? Just say you wanna hang out with him or something."
He bit his lip. If he did that, Arthur probably won't...
"The stupid knight won't understand my intention anyway, so it would be better to invite him to something he'd like. You know what I mean."
"So you want to disguise the date as some quest or whatever supernatural nonsense Arthur believes in?"
Shinra eagerly nodded. Tamaki could only slap her forehead while Sister Iris giggled.
"How about you invite him to a treasure hunt, Shinra-san?" the Sister eagerly suggested.
Tamaki clapped her hands together. "That's a good idea! You can draw a map of the city and mark a restaurant as the X or something."
A restaurant, huh? "Then, Tamaki, Sister," Shinra timidly rubbed the back of his neck. "Do you know any nice restaurants?"
Heat rose to his cheeks in record time. He never asked anyone about these things before. Ever since he joined the Fire Force, he only managed to visit Ippudo Ramen (and that's when Captain Obi invited him to eat outside). Shinra's family barely ate in any restaurant during his childhood either; his mother's cooking was the best in the world, after all.
If his mother was here, he would have thought of inviting Arthur for a meal in their home instead.
His reminiscence was cut short by Tamaki and Sister Iris' high-pitched squeals.
"This lover boy is so whipped! Don't you agree, Iris?"
"Fufufu, it's quite adorable."
Shinra sighed. They're clearly enjoying this.
Unsurprisingly, Tamaki accidentally fell out of her seat and flashed everyone her panties.
"Yaaah, my lucky lechery's acting up again!"
Shinra pressed his forehead on the table and groaned.
This day is gonna be long.
Shinra was sorting out documents in their office when a rolled-up paper hit his head, surprising him. He rubbed his head and gave the perpetrator a quizzical look. It was no other than Company 8's pink-haired engineer, Vulcan.
"Here," he offered the paper to Shinra. The latter hesitantly unrolled it.
"A map?" the pyrokinetic asked quietly as he took in the grid lines and the distinct X mark on the paper.
Vulcan smiled sneakily and draped a bulky arm around him. "Sister Iris told me about your little problem and asked me to draw a map leading to a restaurant that serves delicious curry. She said you two," the engineer was careful not to mention names, "can have lunch there together. It's not that far from here."
Shinra's eyes widened in surprise. Sister said that? He scanned the room to look for the girl, but then he remembered that it was currently time for her daily ritual. A small smile graced his lips. He'll make sure to thank her later.
Of course, he owed Vulcan one too. He smiled warmly. "Thanks, Vul-"
"What is that thing you're holding?"
Shinra and Vulcan's eyes widened. Shit.
Across them, Arthur gazed curiously at the item in the brunet's hand.
A silent curse slipped out of Shinra's lips. How could he even forget that the subject of their conversation was sitting directly in front of him?
Arthur stood up and walked around to their side with suspecting eyes. Shinra racked his head for words to say, but before he can make an excuse, Vulcan squeezed his shoulder and pointed at himself.
Let me handle this.
Relief washed over Shinra and he relaxed in his chair.
Relief that turned into pure dread as soon as Vulcan opened his mouth.
"Actually, Arthur," the engineer said, smirking, "Shinra wants to ask you-"
The sound of paper being torn to shreds filled the room.
Vulcan's map, to be exact.
"Th-That paper was nothing! Don't mind it." Shinra nervously chuckled as he threw the offending object in his trash can.
Vulcan's legs gave out due to shock. He slumped on the floor, horrified. "My treasure map..."
Arthur's eyes blew wide. He gripped the handle of his Excalibur and took on an attack stance. "So it truly was a map?! You malicious devil, you dare destroy a guide to an important relic?!"
You mean a guide to curry, Shinra corrected in his mind.
"I shall exorcise you right here and now! Prepare yourself!"
"Here we go again," Maki commented amusingly from her desk beside Arthur's.
Shinra rolled his eyes and rose from his seat, ready to intercept (though he knew Arthur won't really hurt him). The blond charged at him, but then Vulcan suddenly shifted from his spot on the floor. Arthur tripped on the pinkette's hand and stumbled forward.
"Ah-!"
"Oi, careful-!"
Shinra instinctively acted as a brace to keep him from falling, one arm wrapping around Arthur's waist while a hand gripped the blonde's shoulder.
Lieutenant Hinawa shot them a disinterested look. "You two, stop flirting and finish your paperwork."
"L-Lieutenant!" Shinra shrieked, face red, the pounding in his chest ringing loudly in his ears. Arthur was still pressed against him, face smushed on Shinra's shoulder. He desperately wished for the other not to notice his erratic heartbeats.
After a few seconds - or maybe just one agonizingly slow second - Arthur lifted his head and looked at the black-haired boy with those mesmerizing, blue eyes.
He tilted his head in confusion. "You and Vulcan are flirting?"
Maki and Tamaki howled with laughter and repeatedly slapped their desks. Even Hinawa had an amused smile on his face, albeit a brief one.
"Arthur, go back to your seat. Tamaki, Maki, stop laughing and focus on your work."
That effectively hushed the two girls up, but muffled giggles still filled the room.
"My map..." Vulcan cried out for the umpteenth time.
Shinra's this close to filing a request for transfer to another department.
"So the treasure hunt isn't an option anymore?" Captain Obi asked, sipping from his bottled drink.
All members were currently training on the rooftop except for Vulcan and Iris. The former worked on a new invention while the latter wasn't required to train daily. Obi stayed on the side to observe his team's movements. Shinra, who just finished his turn sparring with the Lieutenant, stood beside Obi. He didn't expect to be asked the question.
Shinra wearily scrubbed his face with a palm. The day wasn't even over yet, but it already felt like he aged a thousand years. Or ten thousand, he didn't know anymore. "How do you even know about that, Captain?"
At this, Obi chuckled and gave his back a firm pat. "We're a small unit. Word gets around. So what's the plan now?"
The younger just sighed. Vulcan's still sulking, and admittedly Shinra didn't have enough creative juices to cook up some fantasy tale just to get Arthur to go with him.
If he could just-
"Is there something stopping you from asking him directly?" His senior gazed at him knowingly. "You only explored one option out of many yet you already look so defeated. Maybe it's because you really want to ask him out properly, but for some reason you can't?"
In the distance, Arthur was currently in hand-to-hand combat with Maki. The blond successfully evaded his senior's punches and dropped to the ground to do a leg sweep. Maki stumbled and almost fell but she managed to regain her balance and charged at Arthur again, this time more aggressive with her punches.
Shinra imprinted the image of blond hair and blue eyes in his mind as he thought about Captain Obi's question. Eventually, it cleared the hazy fog in Shinra's brain, making the answer glaringly obvious.
Captain Obi was right.
The pyrokinetic remembered what Tamaki said this morning.
"So what exactly is the problem? Just say you wanna hang out with him or something."
If he did that, Arthur probably won't...
... come.
"To be honest, Captain, I don't see Arthur wanting to go out with me. He sees the world as a fairy tale and a great adventure. He's well-liked even if he does dumb things sometimes but that's because he's charismatic. I'm just..." Shinra smiled ruefully, "his boring colleague Shinra."
"If I asked him out, he'll probably freak out and avoid me forever. I don't want that. I want things to remain the same."
This worry was why he didn't make a move even if he liked Arthur for some time now. He thought that he could do it today; it's just asking Arthur out for lunch, damn it. He could even invite Tamaki too if he's desperate enough, but Shinra's a pathetic chicken who can't do anything about his crush and he hates it.
Captain Obi didn't say anything. When a few seconds of silence stretched out to a solid minute, Shinra's embarrassment for sharing his teenage woes also grew bigger and bigger. Blood rushed to his face as he cooked up an apology for his superior for wasting his time.
Obi was faster to speak, however.
"Well... I'm not well-oriented on love and relationships, but you wouldn't know the answer unless you ask him yourself, would you?"
Caught off-guard at the response, Shinra's eyes widened at the man beside him. The latter's arms were crossed and he was looking straight ahead, but his words were directed to Shinra's confused heart.
"You regret more the things you didn't do rather than the things you did. If you ask Arthur out, you'll create an opportunity for yourself, but if you don't, you'll never have a chance in the first place."
Captain Obi turned towards him, gaze burning with unrivaled intensity. He patted Shinra's head gently. "As someone cheering you on, let me create a chance for you. I trust that you'll use it well."
The proposed gesture warmed Shinra's heart. He nodded earnestly, making a mental note that he'll use the opportunity well when it comes.
So.
Shinra didn't consider the fact that the chance Captain Obi mentioned involved locking the two of them in the roof immediately after training.
"Shinra, Arthur, I want you to work on your coordination a little bit more, so stay here and spar for a while. You may leave after you've finished what you need to do."
The last sentence felt like it was for Shinra than both of them, no, he's already sure of it judging from the small wink Captain Obi gave him. Maki and Tamaki mouthed the words "good luck," and the Lieutenant had an easy smile on his face as he tapped Shinra's shoulder encouragingly. They followed the Captain out and closed the door behind them.
Calm down. You can do this.
Despite the mental pep talk, Shinra's hands shook as he carefully deposited his slippers on the side. "I-It's weird that they left us alone here, right?"
Arthur huffed and pointed his bladeless sword at Shinra. "Enough with the chatter. Don't you dare hold back."
Shinra's nervousness momentarily disappeared, his competitive nature settling in. He grinned, flames igniting under his feet. "Against you? Never."
The blond smirked in response and summoned Excalibur.
Arthur attacked first by unleashing a swift barrage of strikes with his plasma sword. The former's improved footwork gave way for more dynamic swings that Shinra barely managed to evade. The latter grinned, adrenaline pumping in his veins.
Not bad, knight, but I've also leveled up myself.
During the past few days, Shinra dedicated a few hours to core training to improve his overall balance. It's easier for his arms now to hold his upper body on the floor while swinging his legs in the air and that he did. A relatively strong kick sent Arthur staggering backward, but it didn't end there as Shinra twisted his body and sent him a second kick with the other leg. However, Arthur seemed to predict that. His arms were up in a guard stance by the time the kick made impact.
As the two sparred more together, it became more apparent how well-matched they were. The pair's movements were smooth and flowy, each accurately predicting the other's actions so well. After countless missions and battles together, they can now read each other like an open book.
Eventually, they grew tired and dropped to the ground in an uncool fashion. Heavy breathing filled the air as the two sought to catch their breaths. As Shinra flexed his ankles, legs spread out, he observed the figure in front of him. Arthur was sitting in a cross-legged position, bladeless sword discarded at his side. His topknot was now undone, hair falling freely over his face.
Blond locks fluttered with the wind, and Arthur's eyes closed as he took in the cool air. Shinra did the same, relishing in the refreshing breeze.
After a few quiet moments, Arthur broke the silence.
"Is something bothering you, devil?"
The brunet opened his eyes and looked at his friend, taken by surprise at the question. "Nothing... in particular."
"Hmph."
A pause a span of a few heartbeats, Shinra's own ones, then, "Why ask?"
"You felt off today, that's all. And you kept fidgeting around me."
"You were observing me?"
"I guess."
Shinra's heart was caught in his throat. "Why?"
At this, the blond smiled, eyes gleaming with something, though the other can't tell what it was. "If my strongest rival and friend suddenly starts acting weird and quiet, I'm bound to notice it, aren't I?"
As soon as Arthur's words sank in, they filled Shinra with newfound courage and confidence. Even before he liked his friend, Shinra already thought of his relationship with Arthur as special. Special enough to think that sometimes, he found himself wondering whether Arthur felt the same. Whether Shinra inspired Arthur to be stronger, better, like what the other did for him.
But now he's sure of it. And he knew that this relationship could smoothly progress into something else, something more than friends, if both of them were on the same page.
The brunet took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.
"Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"
It was Arthur's turn to look surprised. "Not yet. Why?"
"Then... there's this restaurant with delicious curry not far from here. Do you want to go? With me, I mean. We can also eat ice cream after."
Arthur blinked wordlessly. The sun's orange rays illuminated his surprised expression. He looked cute. Ugh. Shinra's mind, ever the traitor. The back of his neck felt hot.
The confusion in the blonde's face dissipated, replaced by awareness, clarity. "Are you asking me out on a date, Shinra?"
Said person gulped. Arthur's always slow on understanding things, so why was he so sharp this time?!
Well, there's no turning back now. Shinra wouldn't dare waste the chance the whole brigade, who rooted for him this entire time, gave him. Most importantly, he liked Arthur. That reason was enough in itself.
"If I say I am, will you accept it?"
Arthur crossed his arms, not budging even one bit. "I asked the question first-"
"Yes," Shinra replied, not missing a beat. "I'm asking you out on a date, Arthur."
.
.
.
.
.
Before Shinra could fully react, Arthur was already back on his feet. He looked constipated for the most part like he didn't know what to say or feel. The brunet held his breath, awaiting his answer. When it seemed like he'll never get an answer at all, Shinra sighed with a heavy heart and was ready to take it all back...
…if not for hearing Arthur mutter something under his breath.
"Took you long enough."
.
.
.
.
.
Huh?
"Wh-What did you say?"
Arthur, seemingly realizing what he just uttered, flushed an adorable shade of red. He cleared his throat to save face. "I-I said I'll go with you tomorrow. Let's go back."
The blond turned around and walked as fast as he could while Shinra was still on his ass on the floor, perplexed at what he just heard. It wasn't just his imagination, wasn't it?
Was Arthur actually waiting for him to ask him out?
"O-Oi, wait I'm really happy, but what you said before that- oi Arthur!"
Shinra rushed to put his slippers on and hurriedly ran to his colleague-slash-date who's already twisting the doorknob. He couldn't help the smile breaking on his face, nor did he have any plans to suppress it.
"Ten in the morning, tomorrow!" He declared as soon as he caught up to Arthur. "I can wake you up if you oversleep."
"Hmm." The blonde's cheeks were still red as he attempted to open the old, ratty door. Shinra tried hard not to dwell on the face Arthur's making because if he did, he'd probably combust on the spot. Pun not intended.
The two Company 8 members descended the narrow stairs with flushed cheeks, shoulders bumping, yet comfortable in the space they carved just for the two of them.
Shinra better beg Vulcan for a new map, after all. Ah, but he should ask Sister for the exact location just to be sure...
Shinra learned new things about the person he liked during their date.
One. That Arthur, in fact, loved treasure hunts.
Two. That aside from ramen, Arthur also loved curry, and that he would love to come with Shinra again to the restaurant they ate lunch in.
Three. That Arthur was excellent at picking out clothes for people, testified by Shinra who now had two new sweaters that perfectly suited him.
Four. That when Arthur's flustered, his ears turn red, and he can't manage to look at you in the eye unless you cup his cheeks and make him face you.
Five. That Arthur's lips were soft and sweet, like the melted ice cream on Shinra's tongue.