Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Reo arrived late for his flight. About twenty minutes late. It was definitely not his day: he burned his toast, forgot to charge his phone, his headphones died, and right as he left the Mikage building, he realized he didn’t have his keys. Add Tokyo’s late-afternoon traffic on top of that. Reo just wanted to reach his seat, lean back, and sleep through the almost sixteen-hour flight to Spain.

As he boarded, he mentally reviewed what he had to say in his dreaded meeting with the company’s European partners. He’d been trained for this stuff since he was young: how to dress, how to behave, the kind of smooth talking needed to handle any unexpected situation.

But he was sick of that life. He wished he could get a break from the chain that kept him tied down all the time. Still, he had already accepted his fate, and could only sigh as he walked through the last cabins toward the VIP section. He checked his ticket and looked for his seat. From afar, he noticed a mop of white hair occupying it.

When he got closer, he finally got a proper look at the guy, who seemed around his age (and definitely taller than him, even for Reo). He was wearing headphones, a cactus-print sleep mask, and… a thin line of drool sliding down his chin. Reo glanced around, desperate to find a flight attendant who could help, but there was no one in sight. With no other option, he nudged the guy’s shoulder gently, mumbling little “hey”s and “excuse me”s.

But that damn white-haired guy just pulled his shoulder away and, with his other hand, made a very clear “go away” gesture, grumbling in his sleep. If he didn’t have the mask on, Reo would bet the entire Mikage fortune that he was frowning. That irritated him even more. He looked up again to make sure no one was watching. Still nothing.

So Reo grabbed him by the shoulder and shook him—just enough to wake him up, not too harshly—until the guy began to sit up. As soon as he did, Reo pretended to be fully innocent, watching how the first thing the white-haired guy did was wipe his drool, then remove the sleep mask with the speed of a sloth adjusting to sunlight. Then he noticed Reo standing beside him in the aisle.

Reo put on his overly practiced polite smile, even though his frown betrayed him completely.

“Good afternoon. I think you’re in the wrong seat…”

Nagi looked around.
“Nah, this is my seat.” He said, already pulling the mask back on.

“Hey! Look properly! This is mine! Look—” Reo said, digging through his pocket for his boarding pass.

Nagi removed the mask again with monumental exasperation.
He’s exasperated? Reo, right now, is absolutely outraged.

“See? Seat 3A,” Reo said, dragging out the last “A” on purpose.

Nagi checked his crumpled ticket and then Reo’s.
“Aaah, yeah… guess I’ll move,” he mumbled, sliding over to his real seat—3B.

Reo was stunned.
He didn’t even apologize!

All he could do was huff and look away, because if he kept staring at the white-haired guy, he was completely sure he’d punch him. So he sat down, trying to calm himself.

As he buckled his seatbelt, the flight attendant’s voice echoed through the speakers:

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard. Please fasten your seatbelts, place your seatbacks in the upright position, and turn off all electronic devices for takeoff…”

Reo remembered his phone and checked it, leaning his head back when he saw the battery level. He cursed under his breath. He wasn’t even sure if he’d packed his charger… and that’s when he heard Nagi’s phone unlock with a soft click.

The nerve of him—opening a game.
But then Reo noticed something worse: he was charging it.

For a moment, Reo considered asking for the charger. All he had to do was open his mouth and say “Can I borrow your cable?” politely. Easy.

But the memory of their previous interaction hit him immediately.
The awkward wake-up attempt, the mask, the grumpiness, the tense exchange…

Great. He’d look like some pathetic opportunist now.
Reo let out a long sigh, covering part of his face with his hand.

Meanwhile, Nagi—who up until then had been in his own world—noticed the whole sequence: the desperate glance at the phone, the subtle look at the charger, the built-up frustration, and finally, that mix of wounded pride and discomfort on the purple-haired guy now staring out the window like the universe owed him an apology.

Nagi watched for one more second. Just one.
And instead of ignoring him like he usually would, he slid out his cable, unplugged it from his own phone, and silently held it out.

“You need this, right?”

Reo blinked, thrown off. It took him a moment to process it, like his brain refused to believe what he was seeing. Then the surprise softened into something warmer. More human. A spark lit in his eyes.

And then he smiled—so genuinely that even Nagi was a bit stunned at how good it looked on him.

“Yes!” Reo replied immediately, his voice full of relief… and a gratitude he couldn’t hide.

He took the charger with ridiculous delicacy, as if it were made of glass, and tried plugging it into his phone. Or… he tried. It didn’t fit. He tried once. Then again. And again.

Finally, frustrated, he looked down to see what the hell was happening.

The cable. It was USB.

“What the…?” he whispered, horrified. “Nobody uses this anymore!”

Nagi tilted his head, unfazed.

“I do,” he said, as if that explained everything.

Reo swallowed.

“Uhh… I need type-C…”

“Aaah…” Nagi blinked twice. “oxo”

“…”

“…”

Reo couldn't help laughing at the situation, releasing all the tension he’d been holding.

“Sorry about all this,” he said, still smiling—really smiling. “I’m Mikage Reo. But you can just call me Reo.”

He extended his hand, the automatic gesture he’d repeated for years at meetings and events.

“Seishirou Nagi,” Nagi replied, shaking his hand. “Nagi is fine.”

When they let go, silence settled—not an awkward one. But Reo wanted to know more about his unexpected seatmate. Leaning slightly toward him, he regained his usual confident smile.

“So, why are you heading to Spain?” he asked.

“To a wedding. You?”

“Oooh, I see,” Reo said as he got comfortable, leaning back with an exhausted sigh. “I’m heading to a business meeting. A wedding in Spain sounds amazing… Whose is it?”

“My brother’s.”

“Wow! How old is he?”

“Twenty-five.”

Reo couldn’t hide his surprise.

“How long have they known each other?”

“I know, I also thought it was a little early. But they’ve known each other since school and went to the same university. She’s a great person, she really loves him, even with his horrible personality.”

“Well, that sounds good then. He must really love her too. I’d never get married that young…”

“Same.”

“Really? Why’s that?” Reo asked, resting his head on his fist, a playful smile on his lips.

Nagi rolled his eyes.

“I’m not interested in committing that young. What about you? You said the same.”

Reo chuckled softly at the counterattack.

“I think the same. If I ever got married, it’d only be for love,” he said, placing a hand dramatically on his chest.

Nagi rolled his eyes again.

That’s when a flight attendant approached, pushing the silver cart down the aisle. Her professional smile didn’t budge an inch as she stopped in front of them.

“Good afternoon, gentlemen. Would you like something to drink or any snacks?” she asked sweetly, holding up the menu. “Here is the selection of drinks and liquors.”

Not interested, Nagi settled into his seat and closed his eyes with that elegant laziness so characteristic of him.

The attendant waited patiently while Reo scanned the liquor list. Then his eyes stopped on something.

“Double whisky,” he said without thinking too much, handing the menu back.

She nodded, ready to serve him, but Nagi spoke before she moved.

“You’re going to fall asleep in ten minutes if you drink that,” he commented without fully opening his eyes, like it was a well-documented fact.

Reo looked at him, genuinely surprised.

“And how do you know?”

Nagi shrugged.

Reo let out a playful laugh.

“For your information, I handle alcohol very well, thank you,” he teased lightly. “Maybe you don’t?”

“I do. Some would say I do.”

The flight attendant watched them with the neutral smile of someone who has seen countless spontaneous dramas between strangers.

“Would you like the whisky then, sir?” she repeated patiently.

“Hmm…” Reo looked at Nagi. “What did you get?”

“Beer.”

“Then two beers each, please,” he said confidently. Reo never doubted his alcohol tolerance; he always needed to stay sharp when drinking with business partners at bars.

The attendant nodded and pulled out two German beers.

Meanwhile, Nagi looked at the menu with lazy solemnity.

“I’ll take a melon-pan,” he said without hesitation.

Reo stared at him, equal parts amused and baffled.

“That doesn’t go with beer at all!” he laughed.

“I know,” Nagi replied as he accepted the melon-pan and thanked the attendant.

“Alright… let’s begin,” Reo said.

“Okay.”

They opened their cans and took long sips, silently competing. When they both finished their first drink and exhaled, Reo murmured how good it was. Nagi nodded, cheeks a bit flushed.

“So, Nagi… tell me. I assume you’re the best man?”

“Yeah… it’s a hassle,” Nagi admitted. “I have to dress up and practice carrying the rings. I’m only doing it because Shouei asked me to.” He took another long sip. Reo followed.

“That’s sweet of you,” Reo said, looking around. “I’m guessing your parents are already there. Haven’t seen them around…”

“They were the first to leave,” Nagi explained. “They’re helping with the preparations. Shouei’s mom is helping my sister-in-law with all that bride stuff, and my dad is helping with the organization.”

At that detail, Reo lifted an eyebrow subtly as he took a sip. It was slight, almost invisible… but Nagi noticed.

“She’s my stepmom,” Nagi clarified. “She and my three siblings aren’t related to me by blood.”

“Oh… I see… two more siblings?”

“Yeah. Two girls, seventeen and sixteen.”

“And you’re the oldest?”

“Nope. I’m twenty-four. Shouei’s the oldest,” he said, drinking again.

“Seriously? We’re the same age!” Reo smiled, raising his can before taking another sip.

Chapter Text

“So… as I was saying…”

“God, Reo… please, just stop already…”

Reo had been explaining every single trick you “absolutely must know” before investing in the stock market. He’d been talking for about forty minutes straight, enough for Nagi to feel like he could now run his own investment firm. By then, they were drinking at their own pace; both of them were on their third beer.

Honestly, Nagi realized he was doomed: his head kept nodding forward. Reo noticed instantly and suggested he rest his head on his shoulder — that way he’d fall asleep, and Reo would win.
Nagi said that would be weird, but Reo told him he was being old-fashioned. Nagi rolled his eyes and accepted.

“Nuh-uuuh, say something then.”

Nagi was eating his MelonPan painfully slow, dropping crumbs all over Reo’s clothes. He offered him some, and Reo took a huge chunk without hesitation.

“Hey!”
Nagi thought for a moment, bringing his beer to his lips with his free hand.
“Mmmmmhhhh… I got nothing.”

“You took that long just to say that, God.”
Reo grabbed another huge piece of MelonPan and took another gulp of beer. With his mouth full, he mumbled:
“Ish really good.”

Nagi shot him a death glare.

“Get your own then…” he muttered, though he didn’t pull the bread away.

Reo only laughed. The comeback was supposed to sound threatening, but Nagi’s tipsy tone ruined it completely.

After another long sip, Reo asked:

“How about we watch a movie?” He pointed at the screens with his can.

“Ugh, too much effort.”

“Then let me keep explaining. Look, if you really want to make mon—”

“NO! Please, I can’t take it anymore, just put the damn movie on.”
Nagi covered his ears dramatically, making Reo burst out laughing.

“Okay, then what do you want to watch?” he asked with a teasing grin.

“Mmm… just scroll and I’ll tell you if yes or no.”

“Wow, so you’re assuming I won’t play it if you don’t like it?”
Reo opened the movie menu and scrolled like it was a matter of life or death.

“Bro… why are there like fifteen Scary Movies?” Nagi muttered.

“…there are only five.”

“Yeah… but a new one’s coming out.”

“Okay…”

Then Reo lit up.

“Hey… what if we play the first one that shows up? Like… fate.”
He opened his hand dramatically, like a magician.

Nagi stared at him. Long. Without blinking.

“Reo… that is
…
the best idea you’ve had today.”

He clinked his beer can against Reo’s.

“Exactly.” Reo pointed at him with his empty can, as if he’d just won a debate.
“Innovation. Nagi, do the honors and scroll until I say stop.”

Nagi sighed.
“Fine. Before we fall asleep without watching anything.”

Reo drum-rolled on his thighs and counted three seconds in his head.
“Stop!”

Nagi tapped the movie his finger landed on.

Reo immediately covered his own eyes and Nagi’s.

“Hey! What’s your problem!?”

“We can’t see the title — it’s a surprise until it starts.”

Three seconds… four… five…

“…why is it taking so long?” Nagi asked.

Reo peeked between his fingers, checking the screen. It wasn’t loading.

“Hellish 4G,” he said with complete seriousness, pointing at nothing.
“Not the WiFi’s fault — the universe is against us.”

While they waited in silence, Nagi settled deeper against Reo’s shoulder.

“Nagi! What if—”

“No. Reo, that’s enough.”

“Listen—”
He gave the smile Nagi now couldn’t tell apart — the business-closing one or the deeply annoying one.

“Let’s look at the title and sync it on both screens! It’ll be like we’re watching the same—”

“Pass.”

“Noooo! Pleaaaase, Nagiiii.”

And they went on like that until Nagi finally muttered:

“You’re comfy, Reo. Stop talking and let’s stay like this, okay?”

Reo froze. His frown vanished, and where his usual smirk had been, a loud, explosive laugh burst out, earning irritated glares from several passengers. They both went silent immediately.

“My apologies,” he said with little bows, wiping a tear of laughter.

Half-asleep, Nagi added:
“If it’s a bad movie, you turn it off.”

“Nope. Not happening. Whatever pops up is what we’re watching.”

“Reo…”

Then the movie finally loaded.

“…What is this?” Nagi asked.

“No clue… but it already started,” Reo said, opening another pack of MelonPan.

Chapter Text

They made it halfway through the movie.

They shifted into a sleeping position: Nagi with his head on Reo’s shoulder, and Reo resting against Nagi’s white hair—which, to his surprise, was absurdly soft. They slept peacefully.

Until around 5:30 a.m., when a soft voice pulled them out of their dreams:

“Good morning… excuse me,” said a flight attendant—different from yesterday’s—leaning in to pick up the empty cans and MelonPan wrappers scattered across their tray tables.

The moment Reo opened his eyes, the hangover hit him like a truck.
Feeling betrayed by the sunrise, he slammed the window shade shut.

Nagi did not share his suffering. His precious sleep mask kept him blissfully disconnected from reality. He only lifted it slightly when Reo, mortified, started helping the attendant gather the mess.

That movement made Nagi’s head fall completely to the side.

The motion, the clinking cans, the crinkling bags, the dizziness…
The hangover hit him like someone had dropped a hammer directly on his neurons.

“Ugh… stop…” he mumbled, pressing a hand to his forehead.

Nagi collapsed back into his seat, practically fainting.

“I’m very sorry,” the attendant said, turning toward her cart. “I brought you two aspirin and some water.” She set the glasses down with a timid, slightly embarrassed smile. “Breakfast isn’t being served yet, but we’ll bring yours early so you can take the medication.”

Reo could only nod, flustered.

“Please don’t worry. Thank you so much.”

She gave a small bow before leaving.

“My head is killing me,” Reo groaned, sinking into his seat and covering his eyes. “I’m gonna go brush my teeth. Take that crap off your face, Nagi.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Did you hear me?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

Reo narrowed his eyes, muttering “stupid cow” under his breath as he got up to fetch his carry-on from the overhead bin, pulling out his sunglasses while he was at it.

When he returned, he felt a bit more alive. Walking helped.
He’d been so relaxed he’d forgotten his phone was at 5%. Relief washed over him when the flight attendants offered him a charger.

When he reached his seat again, Nagi was in the exact same position he’d left him in.
Reo rested one hand on the overhead compartment and lightly kicked Nagi’s leg.

“Hey, Nagi, get up already, you sloth.”

“Mmmhh…”

“Here.” He tossed him a toothbrush kit and toothpaste. He snatched off Nagi’s sleep mask and, before Nagi could complain, slid a pair of spare sunglasses onto him.
(He brought sunglasses but not a charger? The thought irritated him.)

“Go. It’s at the end of the aisle.”

Nagi stood up, visibly annoyed—but Reo couldn’t help staring when he realized just how tall he was. Taller than his own 6’1”. He’d bet money Nagi was at least 6’3”.

Nagi simply walked past him, and Reo dropped back into his seat, nodding at the flight attendant who was now placing breakfast trays.

Feeling much more awake and refreshed, Reo flashed her a charming smile, which made her blush and almost trip.
He was in a good mood… until he checked his phone.

Avoiding the 99+ mentions, messages from friends, colleagues, and teammates, he focused on the one notification he dreaded: a message from his father.
Short, blunt, perfectly aligned with who the man was:

“Do what you must. Make the company proud and show the strength of our name.”

Reo rolled his eyes, plugged in the phone, and turned it off with a quiet grunt.

He focused on eating so he could take the aspirin. The food was… well, airplane food.
All he could think about was finally landing in Spain and eating real food.

He looked at the screen: four hours left.

He’d been there before, strictly for work. This time he’d requested time off to explore.
While he wondered what to do first—and tried to ignore the boring meeting waiting for him the moment he landed—Nagi came back.

Reo held up a hand to stop him from sitting, food still in his mouth.

“Yuh can’t sit!”

“…Now what?”

After chewing and swallowing, Reo continued:

“You do know it’s at least seven minutes of brushing, right?”

“Nerd.”
Nagi brushed his arm aside and finally sat, eating just enough to take the miraculous pill.

Reo rolled his eyes and kept eating. In the middle of a bite, he tapped Nagi’s arm lightly with the back of his hand.
Once he had his attention, he smirked and pointed at the screen showing the remaining flight time.

Nagi nodded, giving him an “OK” sign… then turning it into a peace sign.

Reo raised a brow, still smiling.

Chapter Text

Four hours of flying went by; it was finally time to grab their bags and get off the plane.

While Reo reached for his carry-on, his heart kept nagging him with that did-I-forget-something feeling. He had no idea what it could be. He remembered turning off every stove knob, he hadn’t left his forgotten charger plugged in—actually, he unplugged everything he had to.

Thinking about all this, he walked beside Nagi toward the airport exit.
What could it be…? Either way, he’d text Ba-Ya right away to check his apartment “just in case.”
But as he typed, he could clearly feel Nagi staring at his phone… and at him.

Reo suddenly remembered their first little exchange:

“Need a charger?” he had said, wearing a teasing smile and winking.

But Nagi shook his head robotically.

“Nope. I’m at eighty-five.”

He said that, but Reo noticed him thinking. And perceptive as he was, Reo didn’t stop there.

“So, tell me—what’s wrong?” he asked with a warm smile.

Nagi looked at him and hesitated for a moment.
“No, it’s just…” He pointed at his own phone, then at Reo’s.

“Hm?” Reo didn’t understand the gesture. Curious, he looked at both phones.

Seeing that Reo didn’t get it, Nagi finally spoke.

“…I’d like Reo to share—”

RING RING RING

Reo’s phone rang. “Sorry, just one second, Nagi. Just a second,” he said apologetically before answering.

“Yes?… Oh, perfect then… Yeah, I’m on my way now.”

He hung up.

“Sorry, Nagi. I can’t share data right now. But… I know this airport has great Wi-Fi,” he said, giving him a warm side hug before pulling back to ruffle his hair.

He waved with one hand, carry-on in the other, not giving Nagi the time to speak.

Nagi stood frozen in place, watching Reo rush off.

“…I meant I’d like you to give me your number,” he said at last—too late.

He adjusted his backpack and walked toward the taxi area, more slouched than usual, visibly gloomier.

Reo arrived like lightning at the car assigned to pick him up.
As he put his carry-on in the trunk, he patted his pockets to confirm nothing had fallen out. Wallet, keys, the gum he bought with Nagi… and lastly, his phone.

Closing the trunk and remembering the scene with Nagi, his mind clicked.

No.
Way.
In hell.

How could he forget something that important?

He forgot to ask for Nagi’s number.

He covered his face with a hand, groaning.

No.
He could still catch him.
He had to still be getting a taxi.

“I’m really sorry, I’ll be right back,” he blurted, not caring if he sounded rude to the driver.

He sprinted back to the taxi stands.
From afar, he saw Nagi putting his suitcase in the trunk of a cab, exchanging a few words with the driver.
Right then, a wave of people poured out in the opposite direction, blocking his way and slowing him down. As he pushed his way through, he shouted Nagi’s name—
but Nagi had his back turned, too far to hear.

From a distance, Reo watched Nagi bump his head on the edge of the car roof while getting in. The white-haired boy glared at the exact spot he’d hit, rubbed the sore area, and finally settled into the seat properly.
One second later, the taxi drove off.

Shit.

By then, the taxi was so far away—lost behind the wave of people—Reo couldn’t even make out the license plate.
Ironically, only then did the crowd finally disperse.

Exhausted, legs burning, he cursed loudly, not caring about the stares.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, wiping the sweat.
He even felt like crying, but shoved the feeling down.

He approached a young woman who monitored and recorded all taxi departures.

“Good morning. Please, I need to know where the car that just left went—the one that was right there,” he said, pointing at the now-occupied spot.

“That goes against procedure, sir. I can’t just give out that information because—”

While she talked, Reo already had his wallet in his hand.
He counted the bills and pulled out a stack of 400 dollars, leaving her speechless.

She looked at him, then at the money. Without patience, Reo repeated:

“Four hundred.”

She grabbed it quickly and hid it under her reflective vest, checking that no one was watching.

“Okay… but no one can know about this.”

“Perfect. What’s your name?” he asked with his polished, business-grade smile.

“Carmen Fernández, sir.”

Reo placed a firm hand on her shoulder, pressing lightly but looking straight into her eyes, intimidating.

“Do EVERYTHING you can and call this number. I expect an answer today before noon.”

He handed her his business card.

It was impossible not to notice the card’s thickness—solid black with hints of purple and subtle gold accents.
An intertwined M and R logo.
Mikage Reo, Executive Director.
+81 xx xxxx xxxx

Her hand trembled holding it.
“Y-Yes, Mr. Mikage Reo.”

“Perfect,” he said, releasing her and giving a courteous smile. With a small bow, he walked off.

On the way, he bought a cigarette—just one.
While they lit it for him, all he could think about was Nagi.
He thanked the man for the light, stepped out, and kept walking.
Nagi wanted to tell him… but he hadn’t understood.

With each breath of smoke, one hand trembled and the other clenched into a fist.

When he reached his driver again, he apologized, put out the cigarette under his shoe, and tossed it into the nearest trash can.

“I’ll send you the hotel location,” he said as he got into the car and shut the door.

He remembered how clumsy Nagi bumped his head getting into the taxi and laughed a little—
only for a tear to slip out right after, which he quickly wiped away.

He’s certain they’ll meet again.
No doubt about it.

…