Odd Jobs

Chapter 11 - Blackout

"Yuu-chan?!? YUU-CHAN?!", Shinoa yelled as they got out of the car. "We don't even get to give you a different nickname and he's calling you Yuu-chan?!"

"Leave it be, Shino.", Yuu replied annoyed, as he dug the keys out of his pocket. Mitsuba and the other exchanged confused glances. They entered the small home, greeted by Yoichi and Kimizuki in the living room. After everyone had gotten a drink and gotten cozy, Mitsuba took the word.

"So, you boys may be wondering why we called everyone together so eagerly... And there is something Shinoa and I need to get off of our chest."

"Is everything alright?", Yoichi asked. The girls nodded.

"So, as you guys may know, we've been together for a long time. And... We want to go further."

"Further? You mean like, getting married?", Yuu asked.

"Nah, we're fucking with you. But there is a wedding taking place soon, according to my intel.", the lavender haired girl said.

"According to your intel? What the hell is that supposed to mean?", Kimizuki said as he placed his drink on the coffeetable.

"Well." Shinoa turned to look at Yuu. "Seems we're gonna be family pretty soon."

"NOOOO!", he yelled as he threw himself onto the floor. "GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?!?"

"So Shinya and Guren are getting married?", Yoichi asked as he rested his feet on Yuu's back. He was unresponsive.

"Yup. I don't know a date quite yet, but you boys better get suit shopping. Bring a date.", she chuckled. She glanced at Yuu again, still visibly upset in having to call Shinoa his cousin soon. "You should bring Mika." Shinoa gently kicked the boy's side.

"You met him?", the boys asked. The girls nodded.

"He's hot. I wouldn't have taken him for Yuu's type at first glance, but he's even given him the cutest nickname. Isn't that right, Yuu-chan?"

"Don't call me that.", he muttered as he slapped her feet away. He got up from the floor, finished with his little temper tantrum. Yoichi lifted his feet off of him. "And shut up."

"Oh? Not gonna say you're straight?"

"Just shut up, Shinoa.", he frowned, sitting back down on the couch. She took the hint.

"Right, sorry." An awkward silence loomed over the living room. Yuu was upset about something, and didn't want to share what it was he felt bad about. Considering he was usually the life of the party, together with Shinoa, his bad mood rubbed off a little on the rest.

"Right.", Mitsuba said as she stood up. "We need to go do something, you all look way too depressed." A small gasp left Yoichi's mouth, causing everyone else to sigh. "Fine, we'll go bowling."

"YES!"

~~

Mika was seated at one of the tables at the library, trying desperately to knock some Latin vocabulary into his head. To no avail, alas. As he reached out to have another sip of his Monster, he noticed it was gone. He sighed, finding the thief standing to the right of him.

"I was drinking that, Lacus.", the blonde said, annoyed.

"Which one is this?"

"It's only my first." The older sighed, placing the can back on the table. He pulled out one of the chairs next to Mika, and sat down. "I'm trying to study."

"And I'm trying to worry. Crowley mentioned you were super stirred up after your shift Saturday. What happened?"

"It's none of your business, Lacus." The purple haired took the can away again, causing Mika to finally look up at him. He was glared at by the pretty blonde.

"This is your first, hm?", he said as he took a swig. He grimaced. "Fuck, how do you drink this crap? Anyways, yes, it is my business. I'm quite annoyed how you haven't let me in in like 7 years while you've only known the cute ravenette for a month or four."

"Leave Yuu-chan out of this." Mika sighed.

"Oh? Yuu-chan, hmm? I think it's about time you let me in on something~"

"Knock it off.", the blonde said as he shut his book and grabbed his drink back from the other. "Yuu-chan's my friend, nothing more. He's straight, too." Lacus laughed.

"Honey, I've met drag queens more straight than that boy." He sighed, resting his hand on Mika's lap. "You have feelings for him, don't you?" Lacus' voice almost sounded... worried. It was a complete 180 from his usual lackluster attitude. What happened?

"I... I don't know. I get all bubbly around him, but I wouldn't call it being in love." A slight pain raised in the back of Mika's head. He ignored it, having a sip from his drink.

"Having feelings for someone and being in love is still a little different- Whoa, are you okay? You look incredibly pale." The blonde nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine." His phone buzzed on the table. It was a message from Yuu, more specifically a picture. It was a photo of Yuu, Shinoa, Mitsuba and two others Mika didn't recognize, at a bowling alley. Everyone seemed a bit annoyed, except for the brown haired boy. It was probably his idea. The caption was simple.

"I envy your study work."

Mika smiled, that same bubble feeling rising in his chest. Realisation started striking him. He glanced up at Lacus, a worried look plastered on his face. The older just slowly nodded.

"For fucks sake...", he muttered, resting his head in his hands. "I'm falling for my straight roommate. This is bad." He laid his head on the table, and groaned. "What the hell am I supposed to do now?!"

"Make a move, I'd say." Mika glared at him.

"Straight. Roommate." He winced as he felt the headache in the back of his head grow more and more intense. Lacus shot him a worried expression.

"You're looking even paler, Meek. Have you eaten yet today?" He nodded.

"Yeah, I grabbed something from the coffee shop." The purple haired boy stood up, positioning himself behind the blonde.

"You're lying again, Mika. Come on, let's get you some food." He grabbed hold of the younger boy's arm and waist.

"I'm fine, Lacus!", he said as he wiggled free from the other's grasp. He sat back down.

"What's Yuu-chan's number?", Lacus asked as he pulled his phone from his pocket.

"Don't call him that.", Mika snapped at him. Reluctantly, he passed Yuu's number to the other boy. A few minutes later, he got a text.

Yuu: EAT

Mika glared at the older, purple haired boy. He just had a smirk plastered on his face. Did he really just ask for Yuu's number, purely to tell him Mika hadn't eaten anything yet? Guess so. The blonde sighed, packing his books in his backpack, and shoving his phone in his pocket.

"Fine. Let's go." Lacus raised his arm in success.

"Yes! It worked!", he stood up. "Don't stand up too fast, Mika, you'll faint. You're getting paler by the second." The blonde nodded, slowly standing up. "You good?"

"I think so, yeah." As he swung his bag over his shoulder, everything started spinning. "W-Whoa-" His vision grew more and more white with each passing second. He felt a hand on his waist, the other on his arm. He could tell the distant noise of Lacus calling out his name, and some other students gathering around the scene. Then...

Everything went black.