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Iharu was in the locker room when the team finally arrived at the base. Sparring with Kikoru was a good way to pass the time, and the beatings he received during their spars weren't always worth it, but at least it kept his thoughts busy as he anxiously awaited Reno's return—because obviously, that's his bro, his rival, his bestie. Anyone else would be worried about their partner.
Kafka came first, looking no less haggard than usual, followed by Reno. Iharu couldn't help but light up at the sight of his friend, grinning wildly. He addressed the older man first with a tilt of his head and a sharky smile.
"Look at what the Kaiju dragged in," Iharu laughed at his own joke. He considered himself the funniest person he knew, while Kafka, who most likely disagreed on principle, just rolled his eyes. He gestured towards Reno as if to say, "Look at this kid."
Reno smiled nonetheless, gazing at Iharu with the same soft eyes that always drew him in. Iharu caught himself and cleared his throat. "Did you have to Hulk out, or did Reno do all the work?"
"Hardy har har. I haven't heard that one before," Kafka sighed. He hung two rain-soaked ponchos on one of the hooks by the door and grabbed a towel from his locker. "I need a shower before you two start doing the whole Ihareno thing."
He said it with such resigned misfortune, and Iharu mouthed 'Ihareno?' towards Reno, unsure of what the old man was referring to. Unfortunately, Reno looked away at the same time he reached his locker, though it didn't help much since their lockers were assigned next to each other. Kafka waved them off, and Reno continued to avoid his gaze.
"What was that about?" Iharu poked lightly.
Reno grabbed his towel with a shrug. "We had a talk."
"Cool, cool," Iharu replied as casually as he could muster, but curiosity nagged at him. He cleared his throat. "About what?"
"About stuff," Reno said, collapsing onto the bench between the lockers. He was a bit scratched up, and some patches were needed for his suit's leather. Iharu settled into the space beside him, already holding a first aid kit. Reno smiled graciously and leaned back against the cold wall, allowing Iharu to take over.
"It was a rough mission today, huh?" Iharu took Reno's arm, dabbing some antiseptic on cuts near his arm. Reno grimaced as he applied it to a deeper-looking cut.
Reno let out a big sigh. "They still don't trust Kafka enough. He could have handled it alone; I was just in the way again."
"Hey," Iharu scolded lightly, "You know that big Kaiju pushover would never think that."
"I know Kafka wouldn't say anything," Reno said, the energy clearly drained out of him.
Iharu rolled his eyes. "Like I said, I don't think Kafka thinks that at all."
"He should still be able to depend on me," Reno rubbed a hand over his face, letting his fears settle between them like a secret. "I can't just always depend on him or even you."
"Wrong," Iharu huffed, waving away his fears, and flicked his forehead. Reno yelped in shock, reaching up to rub the sore spot, as Iharu continued, "We're all a team. What's the point of being the strongest if you're at the top alone? You don't have the ego for that, not like Captain Narumi."
Iharu grabbed Reno by the neck and knocked their foreheads together. "It's human nature to rely on others. We're all in this fight together— you, Kafka, Kikoru, Captain Narumi, me… We can be strong alone, but we're strongest together."
"The strongest together," Reno repeated.
Iharu let go, giving him a toothy smile. "That's right. Keep that in mind, ice-prince. I'm half the reason you got that fancy weapon too, so you can depend on me."
"I know. I do. You're amazing, Iharu," Reno said things so honestly, it made Iharu's heart tighten in his chest. He sounded tired too, and so, Iharu took the compliment like a badge of honor, puffing out his chest.
"Yeah, I am. And so are you, you dumbass," Iharu replied, and Reno laughed.
The silence fell comfortably between them, and the sound of a shower in the distance filled the void. Iharu gently wrapped another scar with gauze and medical tape. It was clear that Reno was falling asleep, as his eyes watched him work, half-lidded. Iharu didn't let Reno's gaze make him nervous as he worked carefully to ensure there wouldn't be an infection. Although the cuts were small and not a big deal, the chance was never zero. Iharu was just protective.
"So, what did you talk to Kafka about?" Iharu asked quietly. He massaged the arm he held to get the blood moving, and Reno sighed in relief.
"Confessing to you," Reno answered sleepily, already melting under Iharu's touch.
Iharu paused, and Reno pushed his arm against his hands again for more. Iharu began to work on loosening his muscles as his mouth stuttered to cooperate. "Huh?"
"I'm going to confess to you," Reno said slower, as if he hadn't just pulled the rug from under Iharu's fragile self-esteem, "On Valentine's Day. Next week."
"No, no. I got that," Iharu swallowed thickly.
Reno blinked in confusion. "Then where did I lose you?"
"Reno, you literally just confessed," Iharu said, pressing deep into the tight muscles of Reno's wrist.
"Oh," Reno's face twisted in realization. His cheeks flushed, and he blinked rapidly. "Can we pretend this didn't happen?"
"Oh my god," Iharu said.
No chance, Iharu wanted to say. He couldn't forget the words and intention behind the statement. Iharu would have never guessed this would happen. Not in a million years.
"Oh my god," Iharu repeated.
Reno pulled his arm out of his grasp and scrambled to his feet. "Did I break you? Oh god, I broke you. Kafka!"
A shower turned off in the distance, and a shout answered him. "What?!"
"KAFKA!" Reno yelled louder with more urgency.
There was the sound of running on wet tile, and Kafka rushed through the swinging doors. In his haste to reach his self-claimed adoptive son, he had forgotten a towel for modesty. Not that either of the two younger men noticed, with Iharu blankly staring at Reno and Reno panicking over the coma-like state the love of his life had entered.
Kafka crossed his arms. "What happened now?"
"I confessed to him by accident," Reno answered, sounding like the inexperienced nineteen-year-old he was. And sometimes, Kafka forgot that was exactly what Reno was at the end of the day - kaiju weapon or not. His eyes filled with uncharacteristic dread, "And now, he's unresponsive."
Kafka held back judgment and rubbed his temples. "How do you confess - you know what? Never mind. Iharu, status report?"
"I dream about this all the time," the pink-haired dumbass said to the white-haired dumbass.
Reno paused his worrying. "So, it's something you'd like?"
Kafka looked up at the ceiling and started counting the number of water damage spots. Someone really should inspect the roofing. Kafka could do it if someone paid him. Maybe Vice-Captain Hoshina would allocate a budget for it; the men's locker rooms were a vital component of the Defense Force's health and well-being.
"Iharu," Reno smiled with a thousand-watt brightness, the type of smile that could blind a lesser man. "Would you like to go out with me sometime?"
"Yes! Yes!" Iharu jumped to his feet. He picked Reno up and spun them in a circle, laughing at the surprised sound he let out. "Oh my god, can I kiss you?"
"Please."
And that's how Haruichi found them—Reno and Iharu locked in a passionate kiss, completely enamored with each other, while Kafka stood there butt-naked, contemplating a heaven that may or may not exist.