Archive of Our Own

Yoh confirms a lingering presence on the fourth day.

He'd been going out for groceries nearly every night to widen their variety of dinner options as a way to push back against Mizuki's increasing requests for curry. Mizuki tells him he can just shop for them with him during his days off, but to be honest, Yoh uses these trips as his only source of exercise lately, and walking is the least intrusive form of mobility because he's not going to the gym, thank you very much.

"Can't you just order the groceries online?"

"Well, sometimes they have better deals in store…"

For some reason, this only leaves Mizuki scratching his head. It's not like Yoh's leaving, and he's been getting groceries every afternoon since he started living with him. Was that stormy day really that traumatic for Mizuki? It had been more than a year since the turbulence of their early days, but he's still apprehensive of Yoh going out on his own, and he doesn't know how many apologies he has left in him before those meager words stop working altogether.

Yoh's kisses make him feel better, though.

"I'll… I'll never leave you, okay?"

Yoh was a little worried when Mizuki didn't move after Yoh kissed his cheek, but he seemed to be fine when he just sighed and relented, patting his head and letting him go. (But not without leaving a mark right under the collar of his shirt—it's barely visible, but if it eases Mizuki, then it's fine, right?)

That spot on his skin stings a little. That should have been enough to alleviate his worries.

Well, he just didn't think that an outside element would somehow throw him off.

They say the third time's the charm, but sometimes even the third time can still be too much of a coincidence! But the fourth dispels all his doubts… Maybe. He just has to test something. He's seen similar faces in the grocery store before, and none of them he really interacted with other than a passing smile.

But when that presence doesn't try to get close to you, even if you've seen them a lot, that's grounds for suspicion, right?

At least, that's what Yoh thinks when he decides to have a little stopover at the nearby convenience store. He thinks about the steamed bun he ate back in Yokohama. The convenience store variants aren't as nice as the ones he had back then, but that's the price of having them significantly cheaper here. Honestly, Yoh just wishes that this is the only thing he has to think about when buying some. He's not even that hungry.

He thanks the bored cashier as he exits the store and carefully bites into the bun, trying not to let his eyes look up into the dark figure lingering in the shadows of his periphery.

Too far. Too unassuming. Unfortunately, too obvious.

Almost always the same clothes. The same height aligning in the same places they would watch Yoh in. The same, lazy stance, acting as if they wouldn't be spotted if they acted normally enough.

Yoh had never been good enough at acting normally himself. What is he supposed to do now that he knows he's being watched? It's not definitive proof, but it also isn't good if he acts like he's aware of that person's presence. Who knows what they might do? Yoh isn't really looking forward to finding that out soon.

But it's probably better to go back into a crowd. He remembers that he's supposed to buy bread since they're running low.

He doesn't look back, even with the risk that they might follow him anywhere.

He clutches his bag of groceries and tries biting into the still-hot bun as he walks away from the store, thinking that maybe he'd finally lost them. The street lights have illuminated—he hadn't realized how long he had been outside. He should get home to cook dinner since Mizuki said he'll come home soon.

Yoh doesn't know whether he'll succeed in losing that guy, or if he'll even lose him at all. If he only confirmed his presence now, he might know more about Yoh than Yoh realizes. But this is at least better than nothing.

When he finally exits the crowd and walks through the empty streets of his residential area, he's almost awash with this feeling of serenity that he finds in the silence surrounding him, as if he has gone back to this protective veil. Familiar streets and familiar alleyways. He would know where to go if that person ever followed him home.

Except, Yoh isn't walking any faster than he really should.

He sighs, walking home with his hands clutching his bags like he always does.

He shakily opens the door to their home and lets out a shaky breath, relieved that he arrives without any incident, but is surprised when he opens the front door—and he's greeted with the hallway and living room lights on. The door doesn't even click itself closed before Mizuki comes running out of the living room, still in his slacks and dress shirt, approaching Yoh with a frown.

"You're early," Yoh says in surprise. "I didn't think you'd come home so soon. I'm gonna make dinner now, so…"

Except Mizuki's glare corners him. Yoh is unable to move from his spot in the hallway, but he doesn't flinch when Mizuki takes his shopping bags and grabs his wrist into the dining room. He sets the bags down, and he immediately faces Yoh, uncaring of dinner right now.

"And you're late," Mizuki finally says. "You should still have been home by the time I got here."

He's not exactly wrong… "Early" is not exactly early by Yoh's standards since Mizuki would still arrive after sundown. This is the first time Yoh got home later than Mizuki. Just one change in their routine is enough for Mizuki to become suspicious. Yoh absentmindedly picks at a hangnail, keeping his eyes locked on Mizuki's as he's interrogated.

"Where did you go?"

"I went shopping, then I bought a steamed bun as a snack, and went back to buy some bread," Yoh admits honestly. "I was just held up for a bit…"

"Yoh."

Mizuki steps forward and grabs his chin, tilting his head up with his fingers.

"Should I believe you?"

The question throws him off. Should Yoh believe him? He blinks a couple of times, trying to process what he said. Well, that's the truth of Yoh's whereabouts—if the things that are omitted are to be ignored.

He's used to more straightforward questions, where his answers are pried out of him instead of carefully drawn out, because Mizuki is impatient and anxious when it comes to anything involving him. Mizuki should believe him. Why does that uncertainty make him uneasy?

"Well…"

Nothing can get past Mizuki. Nothing should. Yoh opens his mouth.

"…I think I'm being followed."

Mizuki's gaze hardens. Yoh squirms a bit, looking away from Mizuki's narrowed eyes as he waits for his response.

In turn, Mizuki grabs his arms and squeezes them, prompting Yoh to look back up to him. Yoh's eyes widen as the lines on Mizuki's face shift into anxiety, alongside the anger that shows in the clench of his jaw.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I didn't know if that was what they were doing…"

Mizuki sighs, scratching the back of his head. And then he pokes Yoh's forehead.

"Ow."

Mizuki keeps his gaze on Yoh, trying to make his frustrations apparent. He loosens the tie around his neck and unbuttons his collar, as if the distress is making him feel stuffy. "You're always so damn airheaded, and you wonder why I get so uneasy about it."

Yoh feels bad, clenching his hands on his chest, not knowing what to do. "Well, that's…"

Mizuki stares at Yoh for a bit. Of course, Yoh's going to feel bad—I mean, who wouldn't be uneasy if your partner told you something harrowing? Even if it's not like Yoh is in immediate danger, he knows that Mizuki's attachment to him is anything but conventional. If anything, Yoh will respond with the same kind of worry if he finds out Mizuki is being stalked, and he'd already gone close to alcohol poisoning during a specific broadcast when Hiyoshi got too close for comfort. (At least Mizuki still accompanied him without complaint when he unreasonably cried all night about it.)

Still, he's uncomfortable under Mizuki's pressure, and he has no choice but to accept whatever Mizuki has planned for him.

"You're not going outside without me for the foreseeable future. Got it?"

He'd been anticipating something like this, so he's not exactly surprised. But the fact that he's still allowed to go outside with that compromise is a silver lining, so he'll have to plan out their grocery trips in the future… Wait, what about other, non-household-related things?

"But what about when I need to meet up with Man-san?"

Mizuki gawks at him before rolling his eyes. "You really want that woman involved when you know you're being stalked?"

Yoh blinks. "…Oh."

Mizuki puts his hands on his hips in disbelief. "You really gotta use your brain properly, seriously…"

Yoh glares at him. He knows he'll have to hold off on their cafe meetings for now, but sometimes he needs proper help for his manuscripts now that there's a convention approaching in a month. Would Mizuki accompany him during that time, too? It would be really weird to see him in those kinds of places, and he's not exactly privy to the idea of other otakus getting a look at Mizuki, not when he already sees how Man-san reacts to him.

Lost in thought, it takes a few seconds for Yoh to register Mizuki stepping forward and hugging him suddenly, arms wrapping around him so tightly that Yoh's hands are digging into his chest.

"M-mizuki-san?"

"Yoh," Mizuki sighs. "I worry about you."

Yoh freezes at Mizuki's off-puttingly gentle tone.

"I thought you'd finally understand how much you mean to me."

Heat rises to his face, making his cheeks flush a faint red as he processes Mizuki's words. He's not strong against this! Even now, he's still not used to Mizuki's gentle displays of affection, acting like a spoiled child who has given up and admitting honestly that they want attention. He knows Mizuki cares about him, but Yoh still has trouble knowing what to do next when Mizuki says it out loud.

"U-um…"

Yoh loosens his hands and proceeds to return the embrace. He squirms and whimpers when Mizuki hugs him even tighter. He'll have to spend the night being in Mizuki's close vicinity just to ease the anxiety, maybe…

"I'm sorry."

Mizuki pulls away, annoyance still etched on his face. Yoh pouts, knowing he can't really fight against it. Mizuki just pinches his cheek instead.

-

Mizuki (and by proxy, Yoh) keeps his promise as he has Yoh on house arrest for most of the time, sometimes even taking the keys to the house with him to work so that Yoh really can't leave. Yoh doesn't have any plans (as of this moment) to do any shopping at all, so he doesn't really get why Mizuki is so worried. He's even messaging Mizuki things about the things he needs, like stuff he forgot to buy before this happened, and even some art supplies he ran out of.

Yoh honestly feels bad that he's adding to Mizuki's exhaustion when asking him to buy stuff, but somehow, he always has this smile on his face whenever he comes home, handing Yoh the things he bought like they were gifts.

"You really didn't have to buy the most expensive ones in the store."

"I just wanted to." Mizuki would say. "Learn to accept gifts, will you?"

And Yoh has no choice but to let Mizuki pepper a bunch of kisses on his face in the hallway, even when Yoh's telling him that the food is going to burn if he does it for any longer.

("Turn off the stove every time you greet me, jeez…")

How is he so sweet to me at one moment, and then annoyed the next?

But… It's not like Yoh really minds it. He just wishes Mizuki were a lot more consistent, you know?

It doesn't change their nights, though… Actually, if anything, Mizuki is a bit more aggressive in bed.

Yoh looks behind him, staring at the locked window to the balcony. His body aches a little as he turns his torso, feeling the burn between his legs and the bruises forming on his waist and hips. Absentmindedly, he lifts his hand to trace the marks on his neck, replenished by Mizuki's bites and fingers as if tying Yoh down even when he knows Yoh's not leaving the house in the first place.

He gets a sick sort of satisfaction knowing that Mizuki's attachment to him has worsened even when he knows it's out of anxiety. Yoh's never leaving, but what about the notion of having Yoh taken away from him?

It's like those early days have returned to haunt him, with the very real danger of Mizuki's nightmares coming to life. It's like he holds Yoh down to ground himself, planting these marks on Yoh like tattoos and feeling his skin with every chance that he can get. Of course, Yoh takes it. He makes himself pliant every night, fresh for Mizuki to consume. Yoh chokes on anything that he can take from Mizuki, swallowing even the bitter smoke that he tastes more and more since Yoh's observance of an unwelcome third party threatening to shake their peace.

That's why Yoh's curious about something.

As he looks back towards the unfinished dinner in front of him, he realizes he forgot one specific ingredient. He turns off the stove and opens the fridge, but try as he might, he can't find the one ingredient that he needs for the dish, and he would have to do a quick run to the convenience store.

His hand pauses as he reaches for his phone. He can always message Mizuki to buy the ingredient for him, but that would be way too inconvenient, and Mizuki's the type of person who's unhappy when dinner's not made by the time he's home.

Yoh's been a good boy. It's not like this will be an act of betrayal. After all, Mizuki did this for his own safety. Even Man-san sounded extremely happy when Yoh told her he couldn't go outside due to "Mizuki-san's orders."

He just wanted to know something. To confirm what he'd been wondering. Why that fear seems to be completely absent even in the wake of something truly threatening.

Without thinking about it, he takes his bag and pockets his phone, leaving dinner behind as he opens the front door.

Somehow, Yoh knows there's nothing to be worried about.

-

I mean, any sane person would know to stay low in the knowledge that they have a stalker. Yoh may not be the brightest tool in the shed, but even he knows that what Mizuki is doing for him is for his own good. Actually, if given the chance, Mizuki will lock him in for the rest of his life, and his rationality as a proper human being is what's stopping him from fully caging Yoh in.

So Yoh knows that instability will display itself in other ways that he won't let Yoh see.

…No, Yoh isn't stupid. Even if what he's doing right now is a pretty idiotic act.

He seeks an inevitability. And he will find that inevitability in the shelves of the nearby convenience store. It was a pretty short walk, too, and he could finish this trip in just 15 minutes and have ample time to finish dinner before Mizuki gets home.

Of course, the universe has ways of letting him know that plans like these are never smooth sailing, no matter how simple they are.

After stocking up on the ingredients he needed and additional snacks he decided to get for himself (because he deserved them, for all that he's currently going through), he thanks the cashier, as he usually does, and exits the store. Gripping both the plastic bag and the handle of his sling bag, he walks away from the store, distracted by the normalcy of everything after having been locked inside the house for more than two weeks. The world really does continue on without you.

Looking down, he watches wet spots bloom on the ground, and he quickly tries to get his umbrella from his bag and—

"Oof!"

—He's dragged by the wrist and slammed into a wall, his hands letting go of both the plastic bag and the umbrella. He feels dizzy from the sudden action, and when he opens his eyes, he jumps as he's met by… objectively, a pretty handsome face that's substantiated by some really crazed eyes staring him down.

Yoh tries his best to back away from the close face, but his head is planted firmly on the wall. His eyes flit around, taking in his surroundings, and he finds that he's in a dark alleyway that's saved from the sudden downpour by a roof above. At least he's not getting wet anytime soon.

But wait, what about the things he bought? He looks down, and he sighs seeing the plastic bag and umbrella getting soaked right by their feet, and then he looks in front of him.

Eugh… Yoh thinks. He's… way too close. Dark hair. Dark clothes. Actually, some pretty familiar dark clothes.

Oh, it's him.

The man is gripping his wrist pretty tightly, pinning Yoh against the wall. Yoh tries to yank himself away, but this guy is surprisingly strong, as Yoh can't even adjust his hand in place.

He doesn't seem to care about what Yoh is doing, and is just staring so intently at Yoh that Yoh starts to feel awkward.

Actually, shouldn't he be scared? He's literally pinned to a wall with the man he's 99% sure is the one stalking him, and he recalls some of his sisters teasing him about how he doesn't have survival instincts when he doesn't react to their pranks trying to jumpscare him. If he does get scared, he'll get teased regardless, so he's not winning either way…

"You're back."

"Huh?"

Right. He's in the middle of being apprehended right now. The man sighs, looking at Yoh with his lovesick gaze that has Yoh squirming uncomfortably in place. Yoh doesn't think he's that much of a germaphobe, but he would really like to leave this alleyway right now.

"I was wondering where you went," The man says, sounding all melancholic and forlorn. "Why did you leave me behind, Yoh-kun?"

Yoh tilts his head, trying to find the best words that don't come across as rejection, but not as acceptance either. "Um… I don't really know who you are…"

"I love you," The man interrupts, frantic in his confession. "I really, really love you. I bought every manga and doujin you made."

Yoh perks up confusedly. That's the first time he heard of something like that. "Thank you?"

"When I think about Yoh-kun holding the pen and making the lines on every page, my heart flutters…" The man continues, seemingly unaware of Yoh's reactions. "The effort you made with each page was so outstandingly beautiful… I still remember when you shook my hand back 3 years ago… I cherish that moment every day and have longed for you ever since, and now that I have found you—"

"Uh—"

"Do you see? I love you so much, my heart can't contain it!"

Yoh grimaces. Okay, he likes it when someone shows appreciation for his work, but not to this extent.

More importantly, he's in a pretty compromising position, and it's bound to cause misunderstanding if someone saw him like this, so he really needs to get out of here. Actually, getting found like this is the worst-case scenario, so the grace Yoh can give to this guy is to act like they never found each other. (More this guy to have never found him, but whatever. This is an urgent matter.)

Yoh turns his head away from the guy's face, getting more and more uncomfortable at how his breath is hitting Yoh's cheek. When Yoh tries to tug his hand again, his grip tightens even more, and Yoh hisses in pain. "You really need to go."

The man's face comically contorts into a caricature of sadness. Yet, a cold shudder runs down Yoh's neck when he sees something more sinister behind his eyes, showing something more dangerous underneath the man's clear hysteria.

"I can't, Yoh-kun!" He says, pinning Yoh against the wall even harder. "Do you not want me?"

Yoh looks down, eyes landing on the plastic bag. "Not really…"

The man laughs sadly. "That hurts me."

How can Yoh let him know that it's not him, it's Yoh? Well, Yoh doesn't want him, really; he's happily taken. Yoh's just pretty concerned about how the situation is escalating. "It's not that. It's just, if you know what's good for you, you should leave."

"I can treat you better, Yoh-kun."

Because Yoh knows what will happen to him if he doesn't stop.

It's not about Yoh at this point.

"That's not what I'm saying," Yoh tries racking his brain. "I mean… do you value your life?"

The man laughs, using his free hand to tilt Yoh's face forward by his chin. Yoh's pretty grossed out at this point. Why is this man wasting his good looks on being a creep? He's had enough of handsome men being obsessed with him, and he's already pretty satisfied with what he has now.

"How cute." The man strokes Yoh's cheek with his finger. Yoh's face contorts into disgust, not really liking when strangers touch him. "You think you can threaten me?"

Threat? Yoh can't really threaten anyone with anything. There are other things this man should worry about. "No. That's really not what I meant..."

The man raises a brow. "What?"

"Yoh."

"Mizuki-san!"

Oh, thank god, Yoh thinks, whipping his head to the sound of his voice, muffled by the sound of the downpour. Yoh's face immediately lights up, happy that Mizuki is finally here. Except… this isn't the best position to be seen in, and Yoh's face immediately blushes, fearing the misunderstanding that's coming from this.

Yoh didn't even realize how dark it's getting, unable to see Mizuki in the silhouette of his figure, especially under a dark umbrella. He can't make out his face, but he's pretty sure he's upset.

"It's not what you think!"

Mizuki ignores him as he closes his umbrella, hooking it on his forearm. He walks towards them, and once he's in front of Yoh, he grabs the man's hand, causing him to yell in pain as he takes Yoh away from him. Yoh sighs in relief, finally free of that person's grip, replaced with a more familiar shape entangling him. Mizuki's grip is pretty tight, too, but honestly, Yoh likes it more.

"You didn't follow my orders again."

…Oh. Right. He forgot about that.

"I really had to buy something," Yoh justifies himself.

"You couldn't wait for me?"

"It was a quick trip!"

"You could've gotten hurt."

"Well…" He's not wrong… Yoh wouldn't say he's hurt or anything, more like grossed out.

"What the hell?"

For a moment, they forget they're actually involved in something dangerous as the man looks at them, bewildered at the sudden banter between Mizuki and Yoh. He looks both confused and offended, trying to reach out for Yoh. Without missing a beat, Mizuki pulls Yoh behind him, shielding him from the man.

"Excuse me." Mizuki scoffs, his friendly mask completely absent from his face. "This is mine."

"Um—"

"Be quiet."

Yoh shuts his mouth. Then, he remembers the stuff he bought from the store, and quickly retrieves the bag and umbrella from his feet. When he looks inside, he sighs in relief, seeing that the stuff is mostly untouched and still usable for dinner and snacking. Mizuki furrows his brow at him, and Yoh just clutches the bag silently under his gaze.

"You're always getting in the way of Yoh-kun and me, it's sickening…"

"You don't get to address him like that."

"No way Yoh-kun is better off with you," The man laments. "Acting like that and thinking he deserves you…"

"Hah?" Mizuki looks pretty disgusted himself. "What makes you think he deserves you? I don't care if you've been a fan of his work."

Yoh gawks at Mizuki. "Hey!"

Mizuki clicks his tongue.

"You think I'd allow you to go near him?" He already did, but Yoh keeps quiet. "What makes you have the right to touch him?"

The man turns quiet. Yoh realizes that it's because Mizuki knows what they talked about just a few moments ago when Mizuki wasn't there.

"Not when you've been watching him go to the supermarket." Mizuki recounts. "Or the convenience store. Sometimes, even when Yoh goes to his editor's office. This isn't very ideal, ██-san. What will your employers at ██ think when they see that one of their top workers stalked and nearly assaulted an innocent person?"

Yoh looks away from Mizuki and onto the man, whose expression shifts from annoyance to terror, his face now strikingly pale in the dark alleyway. Mizuki steps forward, and the man steps back. Yoh stays in place, watching what might happen. He can't see Mizuki's expression from behind, but he can see the clench in his jaw that he has when he's upset.

Yoh honestly feels apologetic, and his hand reaches forward to grip his coat, wet from the rain. Mizuki's head faces to the side, and the tension leaves him, just a little bit.

Mizuki then sighs, as if letting out his frustrations. "And you really had the gall to try and let this man escape?"

Yoh flinches. "I mean… you're being scarier than he is right now."

"Is that so?"

"I—I'll leave you alone if that's what you want!" The man suddenly says, begging at Mizuki's feet. "Just—"

"I'm sorry, ██-san." Mizuki interrupts unapologetically, not caring about his predicament at all. "But I cannot act like what you have done to Yoh didn't happen."

At this point, Yoh's starting to feel a bit bad for the guy. "See? I told you to leave."

Mizuki groans. "Yoh, go home."

Yoh pouts. He's the one who was targeted here. Why can't he be part of this, too?

"…Can't I stay?"

"No." Mizuki faces him, face strangely gentle, like he's scolding a little puppy who accidentally bit its owner too hard. He reaches out and cups Yoh's cheek, stroking it with his thumb. Yoh leans into the touch. "This is a lesson that this man has to learn, got it?"

The man in front of them starts getting desperate, crawling to Yoh's feet and attempting to grab his pant leg.

"You're crazy…" He says to Mizuki before facing Yoh, eyes begging him. "Yoh-kun, will you really let that man allow you to—"

Yoh flinches, stepping away from both Mizuki and the man.

"Err… On second thought…" Yoh hides behind Mizuki. "Sorry."

The gentle look on Mizuki's face is instantly replaced with silent fury at the very notion of this thing trying to touch Yoh. The man freezes, unsure of what to do in the face of Mizuki's rage.

"Just go."

The look on Mizuki's face is truly terrifying.

Yoh puts his hands up. "Okay, I'm going!"

Yoh looks back for a bit before opening the umbrella and stepping into the rain. The man looks at him with pleading eyes, but Yoh ignores him to look at Mizuki instead, who does not take his eyes off the man.

"I'll be waiting back home."

Yoh's heart races when the corner of Mizuki's lips curls up to a small smirk.

Leaving them behind, Mizuki and the man disappear into the darkness of the alleyway. Yoh thinks he can hear a distant scream being washed away by the rain.

-

Yoh unloads the things he bought, still happy that he managed to salvage the ingredients, finally returning to making dinner again. His hands tremble a little bit, but strangely, Yoh feels calm, with his mind blank despite the light scent of petrichor clinging to his clothes. Yoh thinks how nice it would be if he grew some plants on the balcony just to color and spruce up the gray concrete.

He feels reassured despite the strange calm of the uncertainty. There were a lot of questions that Yoh would have liked to have answered, but the only thing he can do for now is to make sure Mizuki has a warm dinner before he arrives home. When he tastes the dinner he cooked, he's glad he made a quick stop at the store, as it tastes suitable enough for serving. Lately, he thinks that he's been making nicer and nicer meals, having practiced making them enough ever since he made curry for Mizuki back in university. The cabinets are stocked with more and more seasonings and condiments, so much so that Mizuki recently bought some rotating spice racks from a rather expensive household store. It would have been nice to shop with Mizuki for it, but he appreciates the sentiment.

As he finishes dinner, he looks at the clock and notes that it has been more than an hour since he got home. Just as he thinks about messaging Mizuki about dinner, he hears the turn and click of the doorknob, and Yoh drops everything to greet Mizuki in the hallway.

When he sees Mizuki, Yoh rushes inside the bathroom, quickly getting a dry towel to put on Mizuki. He's not soaked, but his hair is damp, with his coat and the hem of his pants taking most of the damage. Where did his umbrella go? He puts the towel on Mizuki's head, and Mizuki leans down to kiss him.

Yoh is struck with the strong scent of rain, sweat, traces of perfume, and something sharper underneath that he can't quite place. Mizuki's lips are cold on his cheek, and somehow, Yoh hopes that his red cheeks are enough to warm him up.

Mizuki's eyes are shadowed underneath his damp hair and towel, but Yoh can see the tired lines surrounding them.

"W-welcome back."

Mizuki only smiles ever so slightly. "I'm home."

When Mizuki cups his face to kiss him again, there's a tremble on his fingertips, with the sharp scent stinging Yoh's nose.

"Are you okay?"

"Mmhm." Mizuki only hums. "Water."

"Oh!" Yoh perks up, rushing to the kitchen. "Yeah, give me a sec."

Yoh goes to the kitchen to give Mizuki a glass of water, feeling strangely giddy and restless now that Mizuki is here. As he settles the cup on the dining table, he yelps when arms wrap around his torso, making Yoh feel dizzy from the intoxicating cocktail of scents emanating from Mizuki. Mizuki sets his chin on his shoulder, and Yoh shudders when Mizuki nips at his earlobe.

Giddiness and guilt both consume him at once as Yoh tries to pry Mizuki's arms away from him, and when he turns around, Mizuki instantly pins him against the kitchen counter to keep him trapped from any notion of escape. Is he worried about Yoh escaping again? Mizuki is looking at him with this pained expression, and the only thing Yoh can do is wrap his arms around Mizuki's neck, letting him know that he's not leaving.

"Yoh." Mizuki starts, voice eerily gentle despite his muted expression. "You shouldn't have gone out."

"I'm sorry."

He's still clearly in some form of distress, and truly, Yoh feels bad. Yoh knows he's safe now, but Mizuki still feels like he has to keep Yoh this way.

Really, Yoh should be the one who's in distress here. He almost got hurt, but somehow, he was more upset about the fact that one of his dedicated fans ended up being a weirdo who violated all respected otaku codes of leaving their oshis alone and supporting them from afar, and the fact that he hurt Mizuki like this.

In fact, he never really felt that he was in danger.

Yoh speaks up. "I wanted to confirm something."

"What?"

"And I was right."

"Yoh?"

Yoh takes a deep breath, taking in Mizuki's scent. "You knew he'd been following me before I realized it."

Mizuki's face hardens, a telltale sign of him trying to keep himself in control. But Yoh knows what that silence means, and suddenly, he feels like he's returned to that alleyway. Except now, he can clearly see Mizuki's face, illuminated by the kitchen lights; an uncanny image that's not supposed to be seen in a place they call home.

"How come?" Mizuki asks, eyes flitting around Yoh's face. "What made you come to that conclusion?"

Mizuki's grip on his hips tightens, fingers digging into flesh as they find their way under Yoh's shirt, making him whimper.

"Because you would deal with everything yourself."

Mizuki smiles. Yoh looks away from it, eyes landing on his collar. It's a bit damp there, too. His maroon tie is splotched with something darker than it.

"Correct. So why did you go out when I told you not to?"

"…Because I knew you'd come for me."

Quod erat demonstrandum. A proven fact to a point that Yoh already knows. The unhealed blemishes that decorate all over Yoh's body are simply small parts of a whole that Mizuki demonstrates to be his love, but when you're looking at an unfinished puzzle with an obvious hole that Yoh can fill, then what else can he do but look for that shape and have it completely whole?

He had the opportunity in his hands. Wouldn't it be a waste not to reach for it?

Satisfied with Yoh's conclusions, Mizuki hugs Yoh, his cold hands and wet coat embracing his bare back, making Yoh shiver. Still, he welcomes this touch, pulling Mizuki closer until their foreheads and noses touch.

But Yoh is still morbidly curious, wishing for details that Mizuki rightfully hid from him for his own well-being. "Did you know how long he's been following me?"

"Before you knew?" Mizuki asks. Yoh nods. "A month."

Yoh's face sours. Mizuki also frowns. He knows that Mizuki should have just called the police, but instead, he says, "That long?"

Mizuki blinks. "What?"

"I mean, I would think you would have done something sooner than a month."

The furrow in Mizuki's brows is now not from distress, but from confusion. Yoh, in turn, is also confused, because he really did expect that Mizuki would have dealt with it sooner if he knew that someone had been following Yoh for a month, especially with someone like Mizuki who likes being swift and efficient.

Mizuki sighs, thinking for a bit before looking back at Yoh again, nails now digging into Yoh's back. Yoh lets out a surprised cry, trying to squirm away from the sudden pain and leaning harder against Mizuki's body. Why does he feel like he's being scolded?

"You should be mad at me," Mizuki finally says. "That I held this information from you instead of letting you know."

"Maybe…" Yoh shrugs. "It just doesn't make sense. If you knew someone had been stalking me, why didn't you lock me in sooner?"

Mizuki lets out a confused Hah?, reminiscent of his usual bewildered exclamations reserved only for the most absurd situations. Maybe Yoh worded it wrong, which, to be fair, the sentiment is not very charitable towards Mizuki at all and conveys a lot of strange implications about him as a person. Though it's not like Mizuki himself cares when it comes to Yoh, so why is he surprised about that now?

"Would you have wanted me to?"

"Well, it's not ideal, but…"

Mizuki rolls his eyes. "I tried, okay. But you still wanted to go grocery shopping every afternoon."

"Oh."

"Still," Mizuki sighs. "It was better if you didn't get suspicious. If you became aware, it would throw off the investigation entirely. I… had to gather information first."

"Instead of calling the police?"

"You know damn well they won't do shit."

Oh. That's fair. Yoh knows of stalking incidents he hears here and there, and a lot of the time the police won't do anything because the perpetrator won't do anything "serious" until it's too late. Yoh is blessed that he lives a relatively quiet life devoid of any horrible incidents, so he's not privy to these kinds of things… Maybe. Both Yoh and Mizuki are pretty happy with this arrangement, so Yoh can probably say that he's okay?

"…How about you? Aren't you supposed to be mad at me?" Yoh asks. "I left without telling you."

"What a surprise," Mizuki says, unimpressed. "You're actually aware of what you did."

Yoh stares at him, almost offended. Well, yeah!

"Of course I'm mad. I was worried about you."

But Mizuki just sounds… dejected. Like he's only disappointed instead of actually angry.

"You don't seem mad. It's just…" Yoh tries to find the words. "Why only now?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Mizuki says. "He touched what's mine."

The arms around Yoh wrap around him even tighter, as if Mizuki remembered just how close that man was to hurting Yoh. Yoh can't even feel the hold of that man's hand on his wrist anymore, and he can only wonder why the slightest graze of Mizuki's touch lingers even longer than the desperate grasp of a crazed man who is misplaced in his infatuation.

"If you waited a little longer, he wouldn't have come near you."

Yoh returns Mizuki's hug, comforting him and letting him know that he's here, he's alive, and he's in Mizuki's arms, and that no one will take away Yoh from him. The days when Yoh wanted to leave the house were distant memories that now feel like a dream, and when he tries to remember them, they feel like leftover crumbs from the person Yoh used to be, and when recalling that person, Yoh thinks that this is where he'd rather be.

Yoh snuggles against Mizuki, pressing his nose against his hair. He can get drunk to this scent, remembering the nights when they're pressed against each other so tightly that the heat makes it feel like he's melting into Mizuki's skin, and all he wants right now is to be warmed up. Right, Yoh forgot to run a bath.

But it isn't bad to touch him like this once in a while. Despite not being someone who seeks touch, constantly, constantly… He longs for Mizuki's joints and fingerprints and breaths, and this time, he might desire the salt of his sweat.

"You wouldn't have let him do anything to me, anyway."

Mizuki chuckles. It's a gentle sound.

"Hm. That's right." Mizuki pulls away and cups Yoh's face to give him a gentle kiss on the lips. "And you're the only one who knows I'm like this."

Mizuki acts like Yoh has answered his question. To be honest, Yoh still doesn't quite get it, and even if he feels like there are things he still needs to know, he doesn't really know how to ask them.

So, Yoh tilts his head. "Not even that guy?"

Mizuki hums.

"Mizuki-san?"

Mizuki flashes him a smile. "Run a bath, Yoh. Let's go in together."

"Oh. Okay."

Yoh forgets everything when he sees Mizuki gaze so warmly at him. He takes his hand to the bathroom, and when his eyes land on their hands, he chooses to look away from the fingernails caked with something dark and red.