Work Text:
It was almost cruel how everyone stared at him like he was just committing some serious crimes.
Of course, Draken had anticipated many things. From genuine surprise, the 'maybe we always know' face, but never ... in betrayal.
Like, somehow what he did was such a despicable thing.
Like, somehow he just said something unforgivable.
Like, somehow he just did something unamenable.
Maybe Draken trusted them too much, maybe his faith was misplaced.
Maybe he should think about this thoroughly before he went with his guts.
Because, clearly, it was a big mistake.
"Since when?"
Baji's voice was cold like he was talking to a stranger. Gone was the friendliness, the joyful tone he usually used for responding to something that his friend said.
"Not long," Draken answered curtly. He didn't want to worsen the situation by being more blunt than that. Giving away the exact time, and the exact period would just be the last nail in the coffin.
He was pretty sure, Baji wouldn't appreciate his honesty if his honesty was the unmistakable proof of the betrayal.
"How long?" Mikey chimed in immediately.
It was usually easy for Draken to guess what Mikey felt or wanted, having to be around him every single time, he was the most familiar with Mikey's moods and thoughts.
But right now, his expression was unreadable.
"I don't know," Draken shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant like he didn't memorize the whole thing by heart. He didn't have to hope the deflection worked, because it clearly didn't, so he added, "It happened around March, I think."
Mikey turned his head but didn't question him further.
"Why?"
Out of all people, Draken thought Kazutora would be the least manageable. He couldn't predict him. Even though, it was not hard to build a theory, if Draken threw Baji into account, since they were tight and mostly had the same mindset.
Draken could tell that Baji was upset, but for some reason, Kazutora looked confused.
"Why ... what?" Draken frowned.
Kazutora squinted at him. "Why now?" He leaned back to the pillar behind him. "Why telling us now?"
"You can go on for a couple of months more if you'd like, Ken-chin. It has been going around for some time after all, so why bother breaking the silence?" Mikey added. "And just like, Kazutora said, why telling us now?"
Draken restrained his urge to sigh.
Maybe, this was a bad decision.
Maybe, he just made the greatest mistake in his life that could cost him the friends he could confide in.
Although, to think about it, he might just already do it.
Bad or wrong, it was all too late.
"Because you guys are important to me," Draken cringed at his words. It was better in his head, but it just sounded like cheap lines in silly shonen manga or something.
But, yeah, it was too late to retract his sentences, so he continued. "I don't want to keep such an important thing from you all."
This time, Pah-chin opened his mouth. "Does it mean, I'm not the last one to know?"
Draken smiled unconsciously at that.
He knew Pah didn't show it so often, but Draken was aware of how Pah worried about his own obliviousness. He didn't pay attention a lot and was always so unassuming about everything. That was one of Pah's qualities that Draken really admired, especially at this exact moment.
"No, Pah, you're definitely not."
Baji snorted.
"Sure, like we are."
It was almost cruel how everyone stared at Draken like he was just committing some serious crimes.
Of course, Draken had anticipated many things. From genuine surprise, the 'maybe we always know' face, but never ... in betrayal.
He never meant to do that.
He would never knowingly do his friends dirty.
It was the main reason this all happened. They deserved to know this. Because they are his friends and their opinions matter to Draken.
They were not bad people, none of them were.
It never crossed his mind, that they would react this negatively.
Surprised, yes. Shocked, definitely. But never, never, in any way, invalidate the truth he had just spoken.
"Damn it."
The curse was so out of nowhere, that every eye instantly got directed to the voice.
Mitsuya was ruffling his hair in frustration.
"This sucks so bad, Draken," he grumbled.
Draken was too stunned to react. Apparently, the others were too.
Mitsuya didn't bother to stifle his annoyed groan as he messed with his hair some more like he hoped it could relieve the headache or something.
Baji was the first to get his gears to work, only to sneer, "Maybe if you don't lie to—"
"Dammit, Baji, cut it out," Mitsuya walked forward, pushing Draken back like he wanted to take the bullet for him.
"Mitsuya—" he started, but Mitsuya waved his fingers in warning.
"No, I need to make these panini heads understand, how awful they've been acting."
"Awful?" Mikey scoffed. "You two are the ones who—"
Mitsuya got his hands on his hips, like an angry mother, only if the mother in this scenario was a very, very angry high-school boy.
Mikey clamped shut and left his sentence unfinished.
Mitsuya never, never once got upset with his friends. He was the most patient, so cold-headed that one could put an ice cream over his head and it would remain unmelted. He was the one who broke fights, always being the mediator in every situation.
Nobody had ever seen Mitsuya angry because he never was angry.
He got annoyed, he got fed-up, but nobody had ever seen him in his wrath.
And boy, Draken might have just witnessed something life-changing at this very moment.
"We will never lie to you, Mikey. Me and Draken will never do that to you, or to you all, for that matters. That is why we don't say something even if," Draken didn't prepare himself to hear Mitsuya did the worst Mikey's impersonation. "it has been going around for some time after all."
Even Mikey snorted at Mitsuya's terrible acting.
"It's really new and we're still figuring things out, but Draken and I agree that, you," Mitsuya looked around their friends, making sure he made eye contact with every single one of them to show how serious he was. "matter to us. That whatever happens, we know, you guys would have always got our backs."
"Of course, we would," Pah nodded. Draken grinned at him gratefully.
"It's not easy to break the news, especially to people who are important to us, but right now, you all act like a real jerk. And it's really upsetting because I expect better from you, guys."
Baji had the decency to look guilty. "Well, what do you expect us to say, Mitsuya? This is so unexpected!"
Draken moved forward. "A simple congratulation will do, actually."
The silence that fell after was pretty deafening. Luckily it didn't last long.
"Well, congratulations, then, Ken-chin," Mikey sprung up from the ground where he had been sitting. "Can't say I saw it coming, but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna be on your side. It's you and Mitsuya, after all."
He gave them a gummy grin and a 'good job' pat on their shoulders.
Baji and Kazutora followed his lead.
"Congrats, and uh, we're cool?"
Draken glanced sideways, catching Mitsuya pretending to think.
"It depends," Mitsuya's tone was serious, but Draken saw mischief in his amethyst. "are you gonna make this weird or are you gonna make jokes and tease us 'till it annoys us to no end?"
Kazutora looked surprised. "I can do that?"
Baji elbowed him warningly.
"Sorry for the earlier. It caught me off guard, I never expected you to be gay—" he coughed, his cheeks were red. "—and dating each other."
Mitsuya turned his head to Draken. "See, they're making it weird. We're definitely not cool."
Baji waved his hand. "No! I think it's great that you two are dating!"
Kazutora snickered. "Told you, none of your friends are homophobic, Baji. The two of them are together already."
Baji muttered an embarrassed 'Shut up before I punch you!' to him.
Suddenly the whole situation made sense.
And Draken knew the moment it sank in for Mitsuya too, because the lavender-haired boy smirking.
"Yup, nothing's wrong with dating your guy friend, Baji," Mitsuya grinned, clapping his shoulder.
Baji jolted back, his flustered face was very apparent, and it wasn't because of the hot weather at all. "Yeah, of course. Congrats, guys."
Kazutora laughed like the little shit that he was, but before Baji could chase him for throwing him under the bus, Draken pulled him aside.
He wasn't petty per se, but Draken would never waste such a good opportunity of retaliation.
"Don't tell Mitsuya this, but I think, he's rather cute," he added the knowing wink, satisfied when Baji's reaction was to push him off, with an even redder face, telling him to stop bringing Chifuyu into this.
Unfortunately Kazutora was still in the earshot and he cackled maniacally when he overheard that.
"I didn't say anyone's name," Draken grinned, though he wondered if Baji heard him or not because he immediately ran after escaping Kazutora with a threat of committing violence on him for being such a big mouth.
Pah-chin was the last one to go to them.
"If it's going around for that long," he started. "does it mean when I saw you last week walking Pochi with Mitsuya, you were actually on a date?"
"Why do you think he's being so nice to your dog, Pah?" Mitsuya smiled. "He's using Pochi as an excuse to go out with me."
Pah dropped his jaws.
"Wait, so you and Yasuda didn't date—"
Draken completely forgot about the real event that led them to this very moment.
Mitsuya shook his head, laughing. "Definitely not. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if we're gonna hear about Yasuda having a boyfriend soon."
Pah frowned. "I hope not."
Mitsuya pulled out his phone, and typed something out, throwing a secretive lopsided grin to Draken.
The device pinged faster than Draken had expected. Mitsuya studied the screen for a while before he typed something back and pocketed the phone.
"Pah, you're okay with me and Draken getting together?"
Pah-chin looked at Mitsuya like he was an alien. "Yeah, I'm happy for you."
Mitsuya hauled him by his shoulder.
"Then, don't worry about Yasuda's boyfriend. Because I think, you're gonna be happy about it too."
Draken raised his eyebrows and Mitsuya nodded, grinning.
Well, to think that his own relationship reveal started with a misunderstanding, Draken was glad the misunderstanding was cleared.
Even went better than he expected.
"Is it worth your dignity?" Mitsuya bumped his shoulder into his.
Draken returned the favor, chuckling. "Very."