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1. tamaki and mirio had gone to eat together plenty of times. but that didn’t make tamaki any less nervous. of course, most things made him nervous, but being around the alpha always made him the most nervous.
this time, they were going to the ramen place close to the school, the one that was tamaki’s favorite. he had never told mirio it was his favorite, but the alpha was quite observant.
mirio had been particularly nervous asking him if he wanted to eat this time, and tamaki couldn’t figure out why. after thinking about it for a good majority of the day, tamaki came to the conclusion that his best friend was simply nervous for the english test they had coming up.
the end of the school day came way too quickly, and soon tamaki was walking out of the gates with mirio by his side. noticing how tense the taller boy was, he became worried.
“are you okay mirio? you’ve been acting strange all day,” he mumbled, his friend’s nervousness making him more nervous. “if you’re worried about the english test you know we can study together,” he offered.
“oh!” mirio started, looking down at tamaki. “sorry, i have been acting a little strange,” he laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “but i’m not as worried about the english test as i should be, i would love to study though,” he finished.
“okay, you can come to my house after school tomorrow,” tamaki said, unaware of the havoc he was wrecking in his best friend’s head.
and with that, they walked in comfortable silence the rest of the way to the ramen shop, one simply excited for some good food, and the other wondering how he was going to survive this study date.
once they reached the shop, they quickly ordered their food and sat at their usual table.
“i hope this is okay, i know we come here a lot,” mirio said, looking at tamaki for his reaction.
“what do you mean? we come here a lot because it’s our place,” tamaki shrugged, not realizing the weight of his words.
mirio froze, face heating up significantly. of all the responses he had imagined from his best friend… this was definitely not one of them.
“of course!” he smiled, pleased that the omega was happy with where he brought them.
their dinner continued as they usually do, mirio filling the silence with stories from his day, and tamaki giving his input every so often. soon enough, they were both done and mirio was paying his bill.
“you really didn’t have to pay for me,” tamaki mumbled, as they walked to his house.
“of course i did!” mirio insisted, flashing him a bright smile.
2. their study date the next day was supposed to be for studying. but tamaki could not focus on anything. why? because mirio had decided to sit as close as possible to him.
mirio himself was getting plenty of work done, unaware of what he was doing to tamaki.
it wasn’t his fault mirio’s thigh was so warm against his, and his scent was so much more potent in this position. if he were brave enough, tamaki would push his head into the crook of his friend’s neck and see how strong his scent was there. just thinking of this, tamaki’s face blushed even more, and he quickly got to work trying to pay attention.
“you okay maki?” mirio asked, noticing how tense the other boy had become.
tamaki ducked his head, not wanting his friend to see how affected he was by the nickname. “yeah, i’m good. i don’t think i can focus on this anymore though,” he said, hoping mirio didn’t ask why.
“oh thank goodness, i was worried you were gonna study for hours,” mirio laughed. “wanna watch a movie?” he asked, not wanting to leave yet.
“sure, you can pick,” tamaki shrugged, even though he was wondering how he was going to handle being so close to mirio for several more hours.
after mirio had picked a movie and got everything set up, he took his spot on the couch. which was pressed right up against tamaki, somehow even closer than they had been on the floor. resigned to his fate, tamaki figured he might as well get comfortable, and laid his head on his friend’s shoulder.
mirio was shocked, and happier than he had been in a long time. shifting, he put his arm around tamaki’s shoulders, and couldn’t help his smile when the other boy cuddled more into his side.
they sat like that for the rest of the movie, and once it ended mirio looked down, only to find that tamaki had fallen asleep. his chest swelled with pride and affection as he looked at his peaceful face. careful to not jostle him, mirio picked the smaller boy up and took him to his bed. after making sure he would be comfortable, mirio couldn’t stop himself from placing a light kiss on the boy’s forehead.
“goodnight tamaki,” he whispered. mirio then gathered his things, and left tamaki’s house with a bright smile, already missing the other boy.
3. a few weeks passed, and mirio seemed to be getting nervous again. this time, there were no tests coming up any time soon, so tamaki decided to ask his friend about it.
“mirio,” he tugged on his friend’s sleeve to gain his attention. “come here,” he said, dragging his friend away from the crowd of students getting out of class.
“are you okay?” he mumbled, not looking at the taller boy. “you’ve been acting weird again, but there aren’t any tests, i’m worried about you.”
mirio stood there in shock, and hung his head in shame. “i’m sorry to worry you, i promise you i never meant to do that. there’s just been something on my mind,” he explained.
“oh, well is there anything i can do to help?” tamaki offered, upset that he had made his best friend upset.
“um actually,” mirio started, nervous to ask. “would you maybe want to have a picnic tomorrow? the weather is supposed to be really nice,” he rushed, not mentioning that this is what had been bothering him for the past week.
tamaki blushed, not seeing how a picnic, which is something most people did with potential mates, would help mirio but if that’s what he wanted then he wasn’t going to say no. “yeah we can do that,” he whispered, glancing up to see mirio give him a smile bright enough to rival the sun.
the next day tamaki was incredibly nervous. he stood in the spot in the school gardens where mirio had told him to wait, wishing mirio would get there faster. briefly he wondered if this was all some cruel joke, and mirio wasn’t coming at all. he scolded himself for thinking this, he knew mirio would never do anything like that.
and just like that, mirio came around the corner with a picnic basket on his arm and a smile on his face. tamaki offered him a small smile in return, and his smile grew even more.
“sorry i wasn’t here sooner,” he said as he came to stand next to tamaki, his scent washing over him, calming his nerves. “it took longer than i thought it would, getting the basket. i left it with present mic, apparently, he can be very elusive at times,” he laughed as he laid a blanket out for them.
“it’s okay,” tamaki whispered, shocked at all the effort mirio was putting into this.
“come on!” mirio said after he had set everything out. “i made all your favorites,” he exclaimed, incredibly proud of himself, and hoping that tamaki would like it.
tamaki blushed again as he sat down, looking at all the food mirio had prepared for him. he knew this was just a friendly thing for mirio… but the fact that he had put so much effort into making his favorite dishes made his heart flutter. “you really didn’t have to do all this just for me,” he mumbled.
“what?” mirio said, “this is nothing maki! next time i’ll make even more!” he said, determined to show tamaki that he was definitely worth all of this, and much more.
tamaki blushed, wishing his best friend would stop before he fell for him even more.
and with that, they began to eat. mirio watched tamaki to make sure he liked the food, making tamaki beyond flustered. he was going to melt at this point.
“this is really good,” he said quietly, hoping that would make mirio stop staring. what happening next was so much worse.
“really!” mirio smiled, watched as tamaki nodded his head. “then you should try this!” he said. tamaki looked to see what he was talking about, only to see the blond boy offering him the food on his own chopsticks.
face the reddest it’s ever been, tamaki opened his mouth. carefully, mirio fed him the noodles, watching the way his mouth curved around his chopsticks. mirio wished to know what it was like to kiss the other boy. he had imagined it plenty of times, but this was the closest he’d ever been to acting on those feelings.
4. in order to make up for the picnic, tamaki decided that he’d invite mirio over again, and he’d cook for him. mirio was thrilled when he had asked if he’d want to come over, almost blinding him with his happiness.
luckily for tamaki, mirio’s favorite food was ramen so he didn’t have to worry about making an elaborate dish. but of course, tamaki found a way to mess it up.
by the time mirio arrived, tamaki was ready to throw the ramen out the window.
“hi tamaki!” he said when the door opened, happy as ever.
“mmm,” tamaki grumbled, heading back into the kitchen to try and salvage something for their meal.
“tamaki?” mirio questioned, following the boy after taking his shoes off at the door. “what’s up?” he asked, seeing tamaki leaning against the counter with his head in his hands.
the other boy mumbled something into his hands, and mirio chuckled as he moved to pull him into his arms. “you’re gonna have to speak up maki,” he said, leaning his head on the other boy’s.
“you made me all that food at the picnic, and i can’t even make you stupid ramen,” tamaki whispered, close to tears as he leaned into mirio’s warmth.
mirio resisted the urge to scent the smaller boy to calm him, and settled for tightening his arms. “it’s okay maki, we can go to the ramen place down the street!” he said.
“but i wanted to cook for you,” tamaki sniffed, mirio’s embrace already making him feel better.
“then come on,” mirio said, reluctantly pulling away. “let’s make it together!” he smiled, just wanting to make the omega feel better.
tamaki looked up at his best friend with a strange look in his eyes, and nodded, blushing at the thought of doing something as domestic as cooking a meal together with the alpha.
they then got to work, mirio just giving tamaki tips on what to do so that he’d feel that he did still make a good meal for his friend. tamaki was grateful for the space, a genuine smile coming to his face when he realized that he had managed to make an edible meal for the other boy. mirio’s eyes widened when tamaki directed the smile at him and said that the food was ready.
5. “are you doing anything tonight?” mirio asked, standing in front of tamaki looking excited.
“not that i know of,” tamaki replied, “why?” the rest of their class had already left for lunch, the halls empty except for the two of them. this seemed to be happening more often, tamaki realized.
“meet me in the park near your house at eight?” he asked, hoping the other boy would accept his invitation.
tamaki looked at mirio in suspicion, wondering what in the world he was planning. he nodded, giving mirio his answer.
mirio grinned, “it’s a date!” tamaki blushed, wishing mirio wouldn’t throw around such words. it wasn’t good for his heart. “come on,” the blond boy said, “let’s go get lunch.”
when tamaki got to the park, mirio was already there sitting on one of the swings. quietly, tamaki made his way over and took his seat next to his best friend. “hey,” he whispered, not wanting to disturb the peacefulness.
“hi,” mirio whispered back, looking at him with the softest smile on his face. “the sky is supposed to be really clear, so i thought we could watch the sunset,” he said, happy to be in the presence of the omega.
tamaki nodded, looking up at the sky. it was definitely clear, and the sun was about to set. he blushed, thinking about how much this felt like an actual date. tamaki would do anything to have this be one, he thought sadly, looking at his best friend.
mirio, as if sensing his saddened mood, placed his hand on tamaki’s knee, offering silent comfort. tamaki gave him a small smile, looking at the sky, now painted in so many different colors. they sat in silence, enjoying each other’s company as they watched the sun set. too soon, the sky was a brilliant dark blue, and it was time to get home.
“let me walk you home?” mirio asked, not wanting to leave the other boy’s side so soon.
tamaki nodded, and they began their walk in silence once again. neither noticed, but they walked much slower than usual, both wishing they could reach out and take the other’s hand.
soon enough they were at tamaki’s door and it was time to part ways.
“thank you for doing that with me,” mirio said, offering tamaki a soft smile.
“of course,” tamaki whispered, unsure of what to do next. this didn’t feel like the other times mirio had walked him home.
then, mirio was much closer than he had been a second before, and he was pulling him into a tight hug. tamaki stiffened, before relaxing into the hold, wrapping his arms around the taller boy’s waist. i could get used to this, he thought, before reminding himself that mirio was just his best friend, and would never be anything more.
“goodnight,” mirio whispered, moving away from the embrace. tamaki stood in shock, as he watched the blond leave.
he had barely gotten to his room before his phone started ringing.
“hello?” he picked up without looking at who was calling him.
“tamaki!” nejire exclaimed through the phone.
“yes?” he questioned, ready to get into bed. if he was disappointed by which one of his best friend’s it was, he didn’t show it.
“when were you going to tell me that you and mirio have been dating!” she yelled, “how long has this been going on?” leaving tamaki the most confused he’d ever been.
“nejire, what are you talking about?” he sighed, wishing that he had never told the girl about his crush on their best friend.
“don’t play dumb tamaki,” she griped, “mirio already told me everything.” at this, tamaki froze, wondering what on earth mirio could have told her. had they really been going on dates? no, tamaki would have known if they were dating. right?
“nejire,” he whispered, scared of her answer, “what exactly did he tell you?”
“uh he just called me to cry about how he didn’t know if he could hold himself back from kissing you the next time he saw you,” she said, giggling. “oh wait maybe i shouldn’t have told you that.” she realized, hoping the blond wouldn’t be upset with her.
tamaki sat on his bed, unsure of what he should think. could this just be a big prank nejire was playing on him? or… could she maybe be telling him the truth?
“nejire, i don’t know what to do,” he admitted, wondering how he got himself into this situation.
“what do you mean?” she asked, “you kiss him of course.”
“nejire!” tamaki said harshly, wishing he didn’t have to explain the situation to her. “i didn’t know we were dating,” he mumbled, barely loud enough for her to hear through the phone.
“wait, are you serious?” she replied, all laughter gone from her voice.
“yes,” he cried. “i really thought we were just hanging out like usual,” as he thought about it, he realized that recently things had been different. mirio paying for his food… doing little favors for tamaki… the closeness that hadn’t been a thing before. “oh goodness nejire, what do i do,” he asked, wishing he hadn’t been so oblivious.
“oh tamaki,” she replied, feeling sorry for her best friend. “you have to tell him.”
“i know.”
+1 tamaki anxiously waited for their class to end. he had been thinking of what he should say to his best friend all day, and he still hadn’t come up with anything.
beside him, mirio slipped a piece of paper onto his desk without looking at him. smiling, tamaki picked it up to see what it said. “meet me by the school gates after school?” it read, and tamaki quickly wrote his answer down.
soon enough, tamaki was on his way to the front gate. he could see the alpha leaning against the wall, and he wondered how he hadn’t known they were dating. mirio looked up, and instantly smiled at the sight of the other boy.
“hey!” he jumped up when tamaki came to stand next to him. “do you want to come over to study for the math test? we can go get ramen first?” he asked, hoping the other boy would say yes.
“yeah i would like that,” tamaki said, making mirio smile even more. “but could we talk about something first?” tamaki, unsure of what the other boy would say.
“of course, what do you want to talk about?” mirio asked, nervous for what tamaki was going to say.
“um, well nejire called me last night,” he started, as mirio paled, scared for what was going to come out of the other boy’s mouth next. “and i don’t think we’ve been on the same page about some things…” he finished, unknowingly crushing the alpha’s heart.
“oh,” mirio said softly, eyes threatening to fill with tears. “i’m sorry tamaki, i thought you felt the same, i’ll leave you alone now,” he sniffed, not looking at the boy in front of him.
“wait, mirio that’s not what i meant,” tamaki hurried, eyes widening at mirio’s words. “that’s not what i meant at all,” he said, reaching down to grab mirio’s hand. “i just, i never thought you’d feel the same, so i assumed all the dates were simply us hanging out,” he whispered, face burning at the admission.
mirio giggled, a little wetly, and looked at his best friend. “only you could think that all those were just friendly outings, guess i’ll just have to up my game now,” he joked, squeezing the hand in his. tamaki blushed, looking up to glare half-heartedly at the alpha.
“now come on, we’re gonna redo our first date,” mirio said, turning to drag tamaki behind him.
“wait,” tamaki said, pulling mirio around so they were standing face-to-face once again. without giving himself time to second guess his next action, he quickly wrapped his arms around the tallers boy’s neck, and pulled him down to press his lips against his own.
immediately, he was surrounded by mirio’s scent. the kiss was everything he had imagined, but at the same time, nothing at all like he had expected. it was warm, and sweet, and mirio’s lips were a little chapped, but that made it so much better.
mirio sighed into his mouth, moving one hand to run through the omega’s hair while the other rested on his hip. in all of the times he had imagined their first kiss, he had never once thought that tamaki would end up being the one to initiate it.
moving away, tamaki blushed at the soft smile mirio was giving him. “come on,” he mumbled, embarrassed, “let's go eat.”