#suremiku

Mikleo was unwinding for the day, book in his hands and legs tucked up as he leaned against the headboard of an inn bed, when Rose slammed the door open and demanded he come with her to restock at the market. He glared over his book. He’d just gotten comfortable, too.

“What do you even need me for?” He grumbled, half-heartedly dipping his gaze back down to his book to finish the paragraph he was on.

Rose grinned. “To carry things. Sorey and Lailah are busy and Dezel said no, so you’re my next best bet.”

Mikleo wrinkled his nose. “Ask Edna? You can see that I’m busy as well.”

“Reading doesn’t count as busy,” Rose scoffed, “and I don’t think Edna would even listen if I tried to ask. C’mon.”

“Reading does count as busy. I’m doing something, so I’m busy. Just go by yourself.” He slouched down and continued said reading, fully intent on ignoring her until she left.

Mistake number one, Rose doesn’t give up if you ignore her. This was proved to him, once again, when she marched over, plucked the book right out of his hands, and smacked him on the head with it.

“Hey!”

Rose smacked him again. “Don’t you ‘hey’ me, mister. Just come with me, it’s no big deal.”

Mikleo sighed long and heavy. “You’re sure making it into one.”

She smacked him again, on the shoulder this time, and Mikleo had half a mind to drench her in revenge.

“Stop being such a stick in the mud and come on.”

Mikleo flicked a bit of moisture in her face in the end, just to be petty, and said, “First of all, refusing to accompany you on a shopping trip when I’m trying to relax hardly makes me a stick in the mud,”

Rose opened her mouth to interrupt him so he threw a glare her way and continued over any sound she dared to make.

“Second of all, since you won’t stop pestering me, fine. I’ll come with you.”

“Great! Let’s go so we can be done.” Rose snagged him by the arm and dragged him out of the room. He barely managed to snatch his shoes from the floor as he stumbled along after her.

“Just don’t blame me if people give you weird looks when your stuff looks like it’s floating.” He huffed, a sort of final grumbled protest.

They made their way toward the front of the inn, where Sorey and Lailah seemed to be... doing origami? So apparently those two folding paper is busier than him reading a book. He has a feeling that Rose, possibly, had done this almost exclusively to annoy him. Great, fantastic. At least Sorey seems to be having fun.

And on that note...

Sorey glanced up briefly and, when their eyes caught, smiled so big and soft Mikleo couldn’t help the quirk of his own lips.

“Going out?” Sorey asked, abandoning the—whatever his wad of paper was supposed to be—in favor of conversation with Mikleo.

“Yeah,” Mikleo sighed dramatically and leaned his hip against the table’s edge, “Rose is making me carry things.”

“She could’ve asked me.” Sorey hummed. “I would’ve helped.”

“Yeah, well.” Mikleo kicked the side of Sorey’s shoe and jerked his chin toward the mess of paper on the table. “You were too busy, apparently.”

Sorey kicked him back and went to say something in return, but whatever it was was quickly drowned out by Rose’s whining ‘come ooon Mikleo’.

Mikleo rolled his eyes and shot back and droned ‘coming!’.

“I’ll be back in a bit then.” This he directed at Sorey, grinning just for him as he went to follow Rose.

“Hold on a second.” Sorey caught his arm, and Mikleo looked back in question. “Goodbye kiss?” Sorey puckered his lips obnoxiously and fluttered his eyelashes.

Heat rushed to Mikleo’s face and burned at the tips of his ears. ”Now?” In plain sight? Where everyone could see? Well, everyone insofar as those who could see him.

“Come on, Mikleo, just one? Just a peck.” Sorey wheedled playfully, leaning towards him.

On the one hand, sure, Mikleo didn’t mind giving Sorey kisses when he asked. On the other, this was not just between the two of them when—when others were around. Sorey had the luxury of practically zero shame in these endeavors while Mikleo wanted to cast his spectral cloak and hide forever.

Oh, actually.

Mikleo glanced around, noted that no humans besides Rose were particularly paying them any attention, and cast said spectral cloak around himself and Sorey. He could hear Sorey trying not to laugh at him, but whatever.

“Alright jerk,” he whisper-shouted, placing his hand on Sorey’s shoulder and leaning in. “You get one kiss.”

Sorey’s smile stretched wide, and gods help him but Mikleo was so weak to it, and he smiled back. Then he leaned in just that tad bit more, hovering just in front of Sorey’s face and catching the way his eyes practically glittered before he pressed their lips together. Firm but soft, short and fleeting. He leaned back and lest he get caught up in Sorey’s smile again, flicked him in the forehead.

“Hey! Ow...” Sorey whined, now pouting.

Mikleo stuck his tongue out and patted his head with faux consolation before dispelling his spectral cloak.

“So meeaaan.” Sorey grumbled, to which Mikleo faked ignoring him—even if it did make him smile, just a little—and finally moved to actually follow Rose.