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"I'm always thinking, soft yellow."
"Yellow? Really?"
"What? It's calming, you know. Though it had to be in the right shade of yellow, because I don't want to sleep in the place that reminded me of bananas."
"How about the other? Like, your office room?"
"Easy. It would be white."
"Just... plain white?"
"I don't want to be distracted while working. And if I have to study the fabrics and any other materials, I need a neutral background so that it doesn't interfere with my vision. I can't imagine any other color."
"Kitchen?"
"Beige."
"Living room?"
"Beige."
"And yet, the bedroom is yellow?"
"What? Am I not allowed to have my personal preference?"
"Alright, enough about the paint. Now, the bathroom. Are you a shower or bathtub guy?"
"Both."
"You're greedy."
"Oh, so you are saying both options aren't equally tempting? Do I need to remind you, last week when we were staying in that—"
"Come on!"
"—and you keep complaining about the lack of proper—"
"Okay, okay. I get it, Mitsuya. Shower for quickie and bathtub for a long, sensual sex—"
"That's definitely not what I mean—"
"What else it could mean, then? You're the one who brought up that incident—"
"To highlight the importance of soaking in the tub after a long, rough night!"
"And a very hot sex that we definitely deserve after everything—"
"You're impossible."
"And yet, you love me."
"I love indulging you, that's not the same."
"Eh, I'm winning either way. Anything else in your mind?"
"How about pets?"
"Pets?"
"I always picture us, adopting one of Pochi's descendants, you know. Like, I think Pah would think of us, as the extension of his family if we ever did. Remember how excited he was when we said we would definitely be Pochi's babies' godfathers?"
"Pah is such a big softie."
"You remembered the babies' names?"
"Aren't they named after some comic characters?"
"Yeah, true, but I can't remember which comic."
"Me, neither. I just remembered that their names are hilarious."
"And, I honestly also think of adopting a cat."
"Cats? Aren't you allergic?"
"Yeah, I am. But I can kinda see it, you know. Me, instantly fell in love with a stray and went all out to adopt it. And you're gonna be so hateful to my little Meowy, because you knew even a cat doesn't worth the pain I have to endure with my allergy."
"Gosh, that description is so fitting. I hate this fictional Meowy already."
"But! You'll fall in love with Meowy soon! Even more than me, Draken."
"That's impossible."
"Nope, that's exactly what's gonna happen. Even to the point that I will be super jealous when you hog Meowy to yourself."
"That's absurd."
"Not at all, you're also a big softie, Draken, I know you."
"I hate when you do that."
"What? Telling the truth?"
"Now, now, what about children, huh?"
"Children?"
"Yeah, we've got pets. Two, if I may add, because I'm a big dog person and definitely not a cat person, that is you. The next logical thing would be having children, right?"
"You want kids?"
"I don't know, I think it's pretty cool to have a miniature of me riding his little bike and we can totally bond over our mutual love for automotive because he's my son and I will be damned if he isn't a bike boy."
"Oh, right. That's a nice picture."
"Do you not want... a boy? Because I can see us with a little girl too. Kinda like little Mana. She absolutely adore you and you must love to dress her up. She will look so cute and harmless but she got us as her fathers so, of course she would be a total badass too—Mitsuya, is that too much?"
"That's not—"
"Oh, you never want to have any?"
"I know people always treated me as an adult even when I wasn't one myself, Draken. Taking care of Luna and Mana when my mother was working, acting simultaneously as their brother, mother, and father. People would assume I'm an ace in parenting and having children since I had done it since I was very young."
"I don't think—"
"I don't have any regret, you know. I'm incredibly proud of how Luna and Mana grew up to be. They are wonderful children to raise, even if they could be pretty handful."
"But?"
"But, even having to experience that kind of life with Luna and Mana, I can't see myself bringing anyone into this world. I don't think I have the emotional capability for that. If I wasn't forced by the situation, I don't think ever wanted to do it. How can you do it if you're not sure about whether you'll do a good job or not?"
"It's okay, Mitsuya."
"I'm sorry, Draken."
"Why are you apologizing? I don't want to choose between you and my hypothetical kid. So, if it's a no for you, then it's a no for me too. Not having children isn't the end of the world. Besides, the cat and the dog would keep us pretty preoccupied, don't you think?"
"Totally."
Mitsuya closed his eyes, trying to conjure their shared what-ifs into his mind.
He saw himself, becoming a fashion designer, and started as a rookie in a famous design firm before he eventually opened his own firm.
Mitsuya saw Draken, working as what he knew he would enjoy and do the best, a mechanic. Draken owned a bike shop of his own, probably named it after something that was meaningful enough to him like their nickname.
Dragon and Dragon? Double Dragons? It would be a total lame and simultaneously, super endearing name because Draken was the one to give it.
And if Mitsuya closed his eyes a bit longer, he could see the house they wished to have, with all of their color picks (Mitsuya would defend his yellow paint with all his might), and the furniture of their choice, all of the arrangements of their living that they had compromised.
It might be a house to other's eyes, but soon, it would be their home.
A place for them to come after a long, rough day, where they could be who they were, in the comfort of each other's presence.
A place for them to be just normal people with dreams and hopes and tomorrows.
I'm home, Draken and Mitsuya would say, and they would also answer to each other, Welcome back.
It was such a nice image, that Mitsuya wished he could have more time to commit the dreams to his memories.
Even if every what-if would just remain as a what-if in the doomed way of their life.
When Mitsuya opened his eyes, Draken was staring at the rubble of the old building they used as their rendezvous point like he was trying to see something from the distant horizon.
"Do you think we are the type of person who will say goodbye to their pets, before we're going to work?"
Even if the question was so unexpected and somehow way too normal, Mitsuya couldn't say he was surprised, considering they had just basically constructed their perfect life, like there was a tiny bit of chance for them to acquire it.
In another life time, in another universe.
The dream they could only dream might be the life they lived.
Mitsuya smiled to that thought.
If there is any life other than this, then I hope we are happy like we should be.
"We would be like those annoying people who brought up their pets into the conversation every single time, because we have so many rich and various stories about them."
Before them, suddenly appeared a small Afghanistan Hound bark at him sadly, while the calico next to it was busy licking its fur with no care.
"And we're probably late because of that."
Fifteen minutes late, Mitsuya glanced at his watch. We will definitely run fifteen minutes late.
Mitsuya would be late to his office and his team would have started working way ahead of him.
Draken would also be late, except since he was his own boss, he owed nobody any explanation.
That didn't mean his employees wouldn't receive an earful of stories from him later.
Somehow, adding the little details of mundanity was everything Mitsuya had ever needed.
"One hundred percents," he concurred.
Except, in reality, in their world, they were probably the pets in this equation.
Along with a very terrible owner.
"Hey, Mitsuya, is it time to go, yet?"
There was no soft yellow-painted bedroom wall.
There was no bathroom with a shower and the tub either.
No dogs, no cats.
No house.
And yet, when Draken tightened his arms around his waist, not wanting to let go, Mitsuya thought, I'm home, already, why would I need to be anywhere else?
However, he still pulled out his buzzing phone, catching the flash of notification on his screen.
Mikey would be waiting on the basketball court to tell them something very important.
Mitsuya swiped the dialog box away.
Fifteen minutes late, Mitsuya glanced at the time on his phone. We will definitely run fifteen minutes late.
Mikey would hate it.
And then again.
What's more minutes when their seconds are numbered anyway?
Leaning to Draken, Mitsuya said, "Why don't we linger for a while? We haven't talked about our garden. What do you think of sunflowers, Draken?"