For Mirio to say that these most recent turn of events - the ones he's now unexpectedly, yet entirely inextricably, faced with - were only slightly surprising; well, that would be quite the understatement, to say the least.
Earlier, when his already unsteady fortitude and withering confidence had finally crashed down around him, he'd somehow found himself, completely unpreparedly, standing in front of his best-friend-since-childhood's dorm room. The one, who, he might add, had been the subject of Mirio's not quite subtle, all-consuming crush for the better part of his entire life, post third grade. The one he had been avoiding for the better part of the last few days due to sheer embarrassment and humiliation at having been, for all intents and purposes, rejected by.
Even after everything, he could not have ever anticipated what was about to be set in motion by the three succinct knocks he had rapped on that door.
Then, Mirio had been… unravelling, to say the least. Disappointed in his continuously inescapable insecurities, guilty over his ever-apparent shortcomings, and frustrated over his incapacity to ever seem to move forward, no matter how much he pushed. His inability to ever better himself enough to make up for all of himself that needed bettering, no matter how hard he tried - and he tried very hard.
A constant drive to outrun the shadow that hung over his head, omnipresent, threatening frustration, humiliation, discouragement with every step he took. Mirio did his best to ignore it, to brush it aside like he knew he ought to. And yet, sometimes, not often, but inevitable nonetheless, his conviction would falter, his assured facade would crumble, and some of that darkness would seep through.
Today had been one of those days.
His shortcomings had been impossible to disregard with a careless wave of his hand and a boisterous laugh on a day like today. The knowledge of his overall ineptitude, his incapability to ever move past such flaws hovered around him in almost tangible storm clouds, crackling with monumental thunder. The realization had struck him, that he was always trying to chase a few steps ahead of himself. Always trying to catch up, and inevitably always seeming to fail to reach his goal just as he finally caught a glimpse of what he had been aiming for all along.
Two steps forward, and always, always one step back.
But this time it didn't feel like only one step back. It felt like 20, or maybe even 30 steps back.
Because he was supposed to be a hero. He was supposed to be the most promising hero. And yet, despite everything he had been working towards, had been working so hard on, he had ended up falling short once more. When it had mattered most.
Failure didn't really get any easier with time. He'd once heard someone say that when he'd been younger. It wasn't true at all. If anything, it got harder. Much, much harder.
And this time, this time it stung extra sharply. It gripped his gut tightly and held on, twisting it all up into a jumbled mess that tugged incessantly, ached badly, throbbed constantly.
He didn't really know how he had ended up standing in front of Tamaki's door, but all the same, he had somehow found himself there. (Really, where else would he have gone?) And then he had knocked. And had had to wait for what were probably three of the longest seconds of his life. But then, finally, after what felt more like three years, Tamaki had opened the door, and he had let him in, like Mirio had unconsciously been hoping for all along.
Tamaki had been there for him, when he'd been at his lowest. Somehow, though Mirio wouldn't be able to say exactly were someone to ask, that comfort and care had led to something much more intimate. Their bodies wrapped up together on Tamaki's narrow mattress. Their arms and legs tangled around each other, the rest of them even closer still.
Mirio could pick out every individual eyelash Tamaki had from this close up. They were really dark brown, but not totally black, and they were all squished up against his high cheekbones, the ones that Mirio had always thought made Tamaki look kind of regal. He was keeping his eyes closed tightly while he pressed his hot mouth against Mirio's and kissed him back fiercely.
His nose was kind of pointy from this close up too, and it kept bumping slightly against Mirio's as they continued to kiss. That was okay though, because Mirio didn't really mind too much. Not when Tamaki's mouth was moving like it was against his, and he kept making these little sounds that Mirio doubted Tamaki even realized he was making. They were really sweet and also really hot.
Mirio kind of really liked that.
He wasn't really sure if he was doing all of this right, because it's not like he had ever kissed anyone before, let alone done more, and let alone with the object of his constant and undeniable crush. Yet, here they were, doing just that. It was overwhelming, and comforting, and thrilling, all at the same time. Mirio couldn't seem to get enough of this sensation.
He couldn't help whispering aloud Tamaki's name when they had to stop to catch their breath. Because Tamaki was truly amazing, and really special, and Mirio was kind of overwhelmed by how much he liked him, by how it was much more than simply liking him.
Tamaki's reply was a little muffled, because he hadn't fully opened his mouth to say it, and his eyes were fluttering closed really slowly and sleepily, which made Mirio just want to wrap his arms around the other teen even tighter. A soft warmth swelling up in his chest.
"Thanks," He couldn't help saying, watching as Tamaki's eyes blinked rapidly open at the statement. Those eyes were so dark, a color that reminded Mirio of the night sky, and mesmerizingly beautiful when they were opened wide like that. Mirio felt his gut clench really tightly thinking about how much he liked the way that they were looking so deeply directed at him and not at anyone else.
Tamaki was opening his mouth, and whispering back Mirio's name, his voice so quiet and soft, and Mirio's heart began racing at those sounds his companion was making, restlessness rising with him. He didn't mean to cut Tamaki off, he just felt like he had to kiss him right then. So, he ended up pressing a quick peck to Tamaki's lips, and effectively quieting the other teen's adorable spluttering whether that had been his intention or not.
"Thanks, for all this." Mirio murmurs against the quiet of the small dorm room. "You were so-" amazing, perfect, beautiful. "And this was just-" probably the best thing that's ever happened to me.
Catching himself, Mirio cut off the end of those thoughts before they could be spoken out loud. He probably shouldn't say those things, not yet anyways. They were too much, the feelings behind them too deep for a first kiss. He didn't want to scare Tamaki away, not after they had finally gotten somewhere at all. So he kept them all to himself instead. Buried beneath his chest, pounding along with his overwrought heart.
However, he did let himself wrap his arms really tightly around Tamaki like he had been itching to do. Couldn't hold himself back from the quiet, "just, thank you. I really needed this," that escaped his lips unintentionally, but completely truthful in its sentiment. Tamaki didn't say anything in reply, which made the sound of Mirio's pulse pound even louder in his ears.
"I'm really happy we did this." Mirio says, breaking the silence between them once again. He was starting to get self-conscious as reality began to catch up with them. That made him fidgety, and talkative, and he didn't really know how to stop it all once it had started.
Being like this with Tamaki was making him a little nervous, more than he'd probably willingly admit.
Because he could never figure out what the other teen was ever truly thinking, which made Mirio concerned that Tamaki was actually thinking not such flattering things about his friend. Like maybe Tamaki had finally realized that Mirio was a bit of a bumbling klutz most of the time. Or about how he was hardly even competent enough to use his own quirk, to manage his own potential, no matter how many opportunities to improve were thrown his way. Or that he was already a failure of a hero before they have even become real heroes to begin with.
And that was terrifying to contemplate. It made him feel like his skin was too tight, like his body was too hot, like his breathing was too shallow. Like he was going to just explode any minute.
"M-Me, Me too." Comes Tamaki's hesitant words, and they break right through the wall of self-deprecation that was surrounding Mirio like a fortress, leaving behind only himself, open and vulnerable in their wake.
"I'm happy you're happy we did this." Mirio can't help saying out loud, quickly backtracking to cover up his blundered, revealing words. "Shit, sorry, that sounded dumb."
He laughs, but it's his I'm-feeling-extremely-awkward kind of laugh, not his happy, carefree one. It makes him feel twice as self-conscious as he had felt only a moment previous. But luckily, Tamaki doesn't seem to notice. "I just meant, I'm really glad we did this." He amends quietly, a nod of his head following quickly afterwards.
He can't help kissing Tamaki one more time, just to confirm that all of this is really real and not just his imagination. It wouldn't be that big of a surprise if it were just a dream, because he's been daydreaming about doing things like this with Tamaki a lot as of late. Perhaps even longer if he's being honest.
It turns out that it's definitely real, which is a little scary of a revelation all on its own. Tamaki isn't really saying anything more, and Mirio can't tell if he's actually as pleased with everything that just happened as Mirio is himself. Tamaki's hard to read, he always has been, and Mirio likes him a lot, probably more than just a lot. Alright, so maybe more than just a lot his mind whispers back to him tauntingly.
His heart is beating erratically against his ribcage, and he's suddenly overflowing with all this restless energy that he has nowhere to store. He jumps up out of bed before he even has a chance to think over what he's doing, body needing to get up and move a little at the very least. His head is a swirl of emotions and thoughts and considerations moving so fast he has no chance to focus on any one of them.
"I should probably go. You know, so you can get some sleep, and I can get some sleep. These beds aren't really big enough for the both of us, huh?" Mirio tries to explain, tries to justify his uncalled for behaviour. He's starting to feel really ridiculous for acting so erratically all of a sudden. He hopes Tamaki doesn't mind too much after everything that's just happened. The last thing he wants to be is difficult or annoying right now.
"I wouldn't want to overstay my welcome." He adds, his heart all but caught in his throat, displayed fervently on his sleeve, as he stares back down at Tamaki, the teen's body sprawled out in a mess of limbs and dark eyes that meet Mirio's from his position on the even messier sheets.
Mirio doesn't want to leave at all in actuality, in fact, he really wants to stay put right there where he is. But he also doesn't want to inconvenience Tamaki more than he already has by showing up so unexpectedly like this. He's already been so emotionally raw, and revealing, and needy tonight. It wouldn't be fair for him to expect Tamaki to put up with any more of him like this. He can't even really tell if Tamaki would want him to stay. It's not like the other teen has made any comment either way.
So, his body, moving on autopilot against his own, selfish wishes, somehow makes it back to that fateful doorway. There's a final farewell on his lips that he speaks aloud as he can't help stopping to gaze softly, and maybe a little longingly, back at Tamaki before he finally shuts the door between them. Closes himself off, expands the distance between them, and ends up doing the exact opposite of what he actually wants to be doing.
That night, the walk back from Tamaki's room to his own one feels like it takes much longer than it normally would. Mirio feels as though he's moving in slow motion through deep, churning water. It's kind of like what it feels like when he's using his quirk, even though he definitely certain he isn't using Permeation at all right now. Like he's holding his breath and moving blindly through almost impermeable thickness, just hoping that he somehow ends up where's he's meant to be going when he finally gets there.
His footsteps are heavy as they slowly propel him forward, out from Tamaki's doorway, down the hallway and back into his own dorm room, even though he doesn't feel like he really takes any of the short, yet endless, journey in. As a contrast to his feet's sedated pace, his mind races ahead, thoughts weaving and looping around on top of each other at breakneck speeds as they begin to clutter up his brain in an anxious bundle of insecurities that scream of all the ways that he's not quite deserving of what he can't help but want despite everything.
There's too much going on in his head, and he can't figure any of it out, and it's making him feel dizzy and slightly nauseous as a result. The only person he wants to help him talk it all out with is Tamaki, feels like there's so much he needs to tell the other teen, feels like he's the only person who could truly understand and help him. But he can't exactly do any of that right now, not tonight anyways, so these feelings will all have to suffice until tomorrow morning at the very least.
Then it hits him, just like that. How when it all comes down to it, given everything that's happened tonight, and everything that's been building inside of him for what feels like the better part of his entire life, all Mirio can really know, if he's willing to be honest, is that he's completely and totally in love with his best friend.
He's not quite sure what he's supposed to do with that fact.
But he really, really hopes that Tamaki ends up liking him back.
-x-
When everything is said and done, Tamaki has to admit, perhaps a little begrudgingly, that Nejire and Mirio's fake dating scheme really did work out alright in the end, for everyone involved.
The next morning, after Mirio and him had both confessed their deep-seated insecurities and long-held feelings for each other, Tamaki wakes to the sight of Mirio, previously gelled and sculpted hair sticking out in all directions, drool pooling at the corner of his openly snoring mouth, and let out an uncontrollable snort that ended up sounding a lot more affectionate than it was meant to at the time. The sound hadn't been that loud, but it seemed that even just the slight movement it caused was enough to wake Mirio, and soon enough a pair of dark, bottomless eyes were blinking sleepily back at him, a hazy smile curling the corners of those prominent lips. With the warm wash of the rising sun filtering in through the thin curtains of his window, Tamaki feels a little dazed as he gazes back at Mirio, whose hair had turned golden under the orange glow of the new day.
Waking up like this, has him feeling all kinds of new ways - both exhilitated and maybe even a little frightened, but it's not exactly in a bad kind of way, in fact, it's not really bad at all. It's like he's got an almost giddy, uncontrollable sensation bubbling up in his chest, and his stomach is swarming with a dozens upon dozens of butterflies - but that's okay, because Tamaki has always really liked butterflies, and he doesn't mind having them occupy his stomach too much if it means he can stay here, wrapped in Mirio's strong arms for as long as possible.
"I love you." Tamaki can't help whispering aloud, his voice a little groggy from disuse.
Mirio's face breaks out into a smile that's brightness can rival that of the early morning sun, and warm hands come up to rub against Tamaki's bare back underneath his t-shirt, pressing their bodies even closer together.
"I love you too, Tamaki."
It turns out that 'for as long as possible' isn't for too long in all actuality, because it is a Wednesday, and they do have school to get to. What was supposed to be only a few minutes of waking up slowly turns into a longer than expected, and rather heated, makeout session that while quite enjoyable, leads to them suddenly and abruptly realizing they're both running very late afterwards. Tamaki is frantically flinging on clothing while Mirio pops back over to his own room to take a crack at styling his hair with the now rather limited time they have.
They only end up having to sprint the last little bit of the grassy quad between their dormitory and the main UA building, perhaps a little out of breath and slightly less put together than on a regular day, but nevertheless sliding gracefully into their homeroom seats right before the bell rings.
Nejire practically jumps out of her seat to turn around and shoot him a look the first chance she gets. Her blue eyes are teasing, if not also warm and understanding, and she seems to be finding the entire predicament quite entertaining based on the twinkle in her eye and the way she has to bite at her lips to keep from smiling to widely. Tamaki just hides his head behind his arms and slides down until his body rests against the cool surface of his desk. It's temperature a nice contrast to the heat suddenly burning against his collarbones.
He hears laughter bubble up from the front of the class that sounds a lot like wind chimes before Cementoss huffs an unimpressed, "Hadou-chan, did you have something you wished to share with the class?"
"Ah, no, sensei." Comes Nejire's somewhat breathless reply. "My apologies for my outburst."
Tamaki thinks that should rightfully be the end of all the attention and already excessive teasing for at least the rest of the period, but only a moment later the back leg of his chair is kicked a little too forcefully than discreetly necessary. He turns slightly, eyes peaking out over his folded arms to find Mirio, leaning over his desk and shooting Tamaki a quirked smile and a somewhat subtle thumbs up. Tamaki's not sure how he's supposed to respond to that, so he just rolls his eyes and goes back to looking over his notes like he was doing before all of his companions' distractions.
He's a little worried that he was maybe supposed to respond differently to Mirio's attentions now that they've gone and actually said I love you to each other, and multiple times at that. Everything's all different now, but it's also kind of the same, and Tamaki's not really sure where the exact line they've somehow stumbled over even lies between where they've come from and where they're headed. He's not sure Mirio knows any better than him when it comes to this though, and if he keeps to his word, then they'll just have to figure it out together.
He does end up hearing a little chuckled huff come from where Mirio is sitting behind him, and later when they all leave the classroom to head to the cafeteria for lunch, Mirio slides himself up next to Tamaki, one of his hands reaching out to give a tight squeeze to Tamaki's own, and so Tamaki thinks that his flustered response from earlier was probably fine in the end.
-x-
Nejire and Mirio's elaborate and dramatic break up turns out to be a little less elaborate and dramatic than originally anticipated. Instead of staging some kind of big blow out, it all ends up coming to a head a few days later on the following weekend when the three of them are out window shopping at a farmers market downtown. After everything that's happened, the actual admission feels a little anticlimactic, but not necessarily in a bad way, if anything it's kind of a relief.
The three of them are walking side-by-side, and Tamaki is working really hard at not reaching out and grabbing onto Mirio's hand, restraining himself because he's not really sure that he's ready for that kind of attention from the media and everyone else he knows just yet. Mirio seems to be fighting the same battle, because every few minutes he'll let his hand just brush slightly against Tamaki's more slender one, and when Tamaki looks up and over at the blond teen in response, Mirio shoots him back a sly, secretive smile that seems to be on display for only him and him alone.
A reporter from some pro hero gossip tabloid ends up getting the jump on them by literally pouncing in front of them as they make their way from one stall to the next. Shoving her audio recorder in their faces, she inquires as to whether there's been some trouble in paradise (her words, not Tamaki's) that's led to Mirio and Nejire not holding hands that afternoon. It's kind of an odd question, because Tamaki doesn't think he's ever actually seen Mirio and Nejire hold hands ever, even when they attended all their fake dates. It's pretty obvious the reporter doesn't really care that much anyways, she's obviously just trying to bait them into saying something juicy enough to worthy of publishing.
Tamaki can feel his legs begin to shake, knees knocking together as they wobble precariously beneath him as he stares her down, but Nejire calmly steps in front of them to address the reporter head on in their stead. Tamaki's a little taken back by the calm confidence his companion shows, but really, he shouldn't be that surprised, because Nejire has always been good at facing challenges.
After being calmly and clearly explained the predicament, the reporter blinks a few times, surprisingly tame as she bids them goodbye and finally leaves them alone to meander about as they please.
It's later that night while in the middle of a study session with Nejire that Tamaki's phone blinks to life with a notification alerting him to the new news article circulating around. He only gets to read the title of the article, along with the opening few lines before Nejire is redirecting his attention back to the textbooks spread out in front of them, tapping the glossy pages with her pencil and reminding him that hey, hey, it's important to stay focused when learning something new, didn't you know.
He turns the screen around to face her, the title a boldended statement against the white of the pixelated background. Her bright blue eyes widen slightly as she takes in the text before blinking a few times, offering a shrug and then going right back to her notes, not giving the article even so much as a second look. It's as if that article doesn't signify anything important, as if this news means nothing really, as if it doesn't change anything.
And maybe, in some ways, it really doesn't.
-x-
The rest of their final school year creeps by at an almost unnoticeable pace, until suddenly it's almost completely gone by in the blink of an eye, and they're graduating very soon, high schoolers for only a little while longer.
In some ways, it's hard to believe the time has passed by so quickly, and yet, at the same time, so much has happened that it's not really so hard to believe after all.
The only thing standing between them being completely done with their high school careers is final exams, and then the actual graduate ceremony at the end of the month. Tamaki can't help the slight tremors that pass over him at the thought of having to get up and walk across that stage in front of everyone he knows, and the hundreds of people he doesn't. It makes his knees quiver a little underneath him. He still gets a little, okay, more than just a little, nervous at the thought of his actions being under the scrutiny of so many people, probably always will, and yet, all the same, he's starting to be okay with that fact.
The fact that he may never be truly comfortable in front of crowds. The fact that he'd rather spend his time talking quietly to the few ears willing to lean in to listen rather than shout his voice out to the masses. The fact that, when it all comes down to it, Tamaki's probably always going to be a little more tightly wound than his peers, a little more anxious, find certain things a little more difficult, and that those aren't reasons for people to look down on him, to judge him.
At least, not the people who matter.
And, really, when it all comes down to it, they don't. Everyone, his friends and his family, they're all quite supportive of him in the end.
Fat Gum continues to push and prod at him, propelling him towards a career as a successful and dependable hero, just like he's always wanted to be. The BMI Hero has even offered him a full-time position at his agency for when Tamaki graduates, and Tamaki's going to accept it the minute after he steps off that stage, newly presented diploma clenched tightly in his fist.
He'd actually received more than one offer of Pro Hero residency at multiple different hero agencies around the country, more than he could ever have anticipated receiving. However, the only one he can even contemplate working for is his already mentor. He's the one who believed in him before any one else did, after all. Tamaki's already been through so much with the BMI Hero at this point, he doesn't see the merit in starting over someplace new, not since he's already laid out a sturdy foundation of trust and support right here, beneath his own two feet.
Were he to leave, who would show Eijirou the ropes? That first- (soon to be second-) year still needed guidance, and maybe, just maybe, Tamaki was the right person to help guide the boisterous teen in developing his professional growth and progress towards becoming a hero himself. Tamaki couldn't exactly do that from far away, now could he?
And, of course, staying at Fat Gum's agency meant that he would be working in the same city as Nejire, who would be staying in town to continue working for Ryukyu, and Mirio, who had already accepted a position at his own mentor's agency as well.
That last part was quite the appealing argument in favor of staying, after all.
Mirio himself had been almost physically buzzing with his excited anticipation over graduating as the fateful day grew closer and closer still. Tamaki had heard that the other teen had shouted his enthusiastic acceptance to Sir Nighteye's job offer before the Pro Hero had even had the chance to finish explaining the position in full. He's not really surprised at that.
Mirio had recently been sending Tamaki links to rentable apartments in the area, most of them situated almost exactly right between their two hero agencies. All of them had lots of food storage space (a necessity with a quirk like Tamaki's), and only one bedroom. They had scheduled an in-person tour with Tamaki's personal favorite choice, the one with the high ceilings and the big windows, for the day after their graduation ceremony. Tamaki's heart had thudded loudly in his chest, and his fingers had shook slightly when he had agreed to that meeting.
But, that was actually something he was trying to work on; doing things that frightened him even in the face of that anxiety. So far, it had been going pretty well, all things considered. Tamaki wasn't sure it was always going to be that way, but he was willing to keep with it even still.
It was something he had been working on in his therapy sessions, which were going pretty well too. It was kind of awkward, and he wasn't very good at being honest, or talking about himself so openly very easily. But, he was getting better at it the more appointments he went to, and that was enough for now. In all honesty, it felt kind of good to get everything that had been bothering him off his chest, and to try and figure out productive ways to tackle it all.
And, really, he was managing it all pretty well most days, better than he had been before anyways.
-x-
It was the last day of the term, which meant all the students were lined up along the walls, emptying out all the odds and ends that their lockers had somehow accumulated over the entirety of the past school year. Tamaki was in the middle of compiling a pile of books he needed to return to the school library while Mirio threw out all the candy bar wrappers that had somehow found their way to the bottom of his locker over the course of the year. The third of their trio, Nejire, was currently nowhere to be found, probably off chatting up the girl from class 3-A that she had only recently admitted to Tamaki that she had a crush on.
Except, perhaps not, since only a moment later a flurry of bright blue came barrelling down the busy hallway directly towards Tamaki and Mirio at top speed.
"Hey, hey!" Her distinctive voice calls to them as she continues to come ever closer at an accelerated pace. "Tamaki-kun, Togata-kun!" She's waving her arms above her head, as if to attract their attention. Though, it's probably unnecessary, since every single pair of eyes in that hallway have already been glued to her figure from the loud outburst from only a moment before.
"Yes, Nejire-chan?" Asks Tamaki, mild concern at war with fond exasperation in his voice.
"Well, is it true?" She replies with an inquiry of her own as she comes to stop beside them abruptly. She breathes heavily as she tries to catch her breath, eyes wide and trailed on both teens in front of her as they exchange a look of confusion.
"Is what true?" Questions Mirio, slamming his now empty locker closed to turn around and face them properly.
"This!" Cries Nejire, shoving her cellphone into Tamaki's face unprecedentedly.
Tamaki has to put his pile of textbooks down on the ground before standing and taking the proffered device, eyebrows crinkled together as he squints at the text written there. He feels his jaw become unhinged, mouth hanging open and eye widening at what he finds there. Silently, he hands the phone over to Mirio for him to read too.
Could New Love be in the Air For These Newly Licensed Pro-Heroes?
Pro-Hero Magazine has an exclusive update revealing coveted new information about the wildly popular and highly in demand promising new pro-heroes of the ensemble: The Big Three. While the scandal that was Lemillion and Nejire-Chan's faux relationship still continues to be a notable topic in most media outlets, the public's opinion seems to have been easily won over by the heartfelt confession of the two almost Pros. Later, after the romantic declaration made by the trio's third member, Sun Eater announced to the nation that it was in fact him all along that had possessed Lemillion's heart, the trio's popularity has only seemed to grow. The two upper-year UA Heroics Department students are often seen together, almost inseparable, and a source close to the couple told Pro-Hero Magazine just today that there have even been discussions of a ring.
Are those wedding bells we hear?
"Why does the press always have to make everything sound so unneededly dramatic and excessive?" Voices Tamaki. "They make it seem like I just decided one day to get up on a soapbox with a microphone and shout out our relationship status to the whole world. That's hardly how it happened."
"Hmm," agrees Mirio absentmindedly as he reads over the rest of the article in what might appear to be very serious concentration. "I kind of like the line about you being the one who was really in possession of my heart the whole time though. It's kind of romantic, don't you think?"
At that, Mirio raises his eyes from the screen in front of him to shoot a private wink Tamaki's way. Tamaki can't help groaning at the sight, and covering his newly heated face with his hands. "Not when they say it!" He mutters from behind his palms.
"Hey, hey, you two," calls Nejire, redirecting their attention towards her as she taps a foot impatiently. "You never answered the question, didn't you know!"
"Well, you know what the press can be like, Hadou-chan." Boasts Mirio, handing her back her phone and slinging an arm around Tamaki's thin frame. "Has this whole ordeal taught you nothing? Who really knows if what they're saying is true or not?"
His grin is playful, bright – almost superfluously so, as if he knows something she doesn't, and he isn't about to share the secret.
"Yeah," chimes in Tamaki, the weight of Mirio's arm around his shoulders grounding him. A shy grin lights up his face. "Who knows?"
The End