Big Book of Writing

Muddled Emotions (Sannotori, SDRA2)

Once again, loosely based on an idea by my Korean friend! I enjoy this pairing so much... For those of you wondering about the title, 'muddling' is a method used by bartenders to mix an ingredient into a drink to release its flavour!

Warning: alcohol

***

It wasn't often that Teruya went out to a bar to drink, but the main reason he did it was to further mediate the petty feuds between Rei and Tsurugi. Alcohol seemed to mellow them out enough to rest, and they slept deeply in their beds after a drink.

But that wasn't the case tonight. Teruya had managed to successfully secure a deal with a supplier company to help the Kisaragi Foundation, so he decided to head out to the bar as a reward. But tonight, he was heading to the bar accompanied by his boyfriend.

The last time Teruya went drinking with Rei and Tsurugi, he was teased mercilessly for buying a Lemon Drop cocktail because the light yellow colour of the drink reminded him of Mikado. Rei had asked when Teruya would take the blonde to the bar, and he finally obliged tonight.

"It's pretty late," Mikado remarked, walking beside Teruya as the evening light washed over the sidewalk.

"Yeah, bars tend to be more popular at night," the merchant explained. He wore a content smile on his face as they walked together, and he kept an eye out for when they approached the bar.

Finally, Teruya saw the building and guided Mikado to its door, showing him inside. "Come on, sit down over here," he instructed, and he brought Mikado to the front of the bar.

"Wow, this place looks fancy!" Mikado commented, looking around the bar. "It's rare that I get to come to these places, my heart is pounding!"

"Do you not get out much?" Teruya chuckled. He picked up a menu from the edge of the counter and handed it to the wizard. "I come here often. The drinks here are pretty fancy."

The blonde took the menu from him and began to look it over. "Hm, I've never had a cocktail before..." He looked back up at the other man. "What should I drink? Any recommendations?"

"Well, I haven't seen your tolerance level, so I'll assume it's weak. This part of the menu here..." Teruya pointed to the section of drinks with low alcohol content. "Choose from here."

"Alright then..." Mikado mumbled as he looked over the section that was pointed out to him. "...I want a Midori Sour."

"A Midori Sour? Okay, I'll order that for you." Teruya planned to order a Lemon Drop for himself, but was now curious to why Mikado had chosen that specific drink. "Why that one, of all things?"

"Is it bad? The colour reminds me of you."

Teruya froze and felt his face heating up. That answer was not one that he expected to get from Mikado tonight, and the irony that he was getting a Lemon Drop because it reminded him of the blonde was not lost on him. 

He quickly ordered the Lemon Drop and Midori Sour, and the wizard stared in wonder as the drink was made in front of him. "Ah, thank you," he spoke as the drinks were handed to the men, and Teruya watched him inspect the drink for a few seconds. "It's a pretty thing, being clear green like this... Oh, is this a decoration? Hey, Teruya? Is this cherry edible?"

"Yes," Teruya bluntly answered, and he took a sip from his drink as he kept an eye on his boyfriend. Mikado was prone to chaos if he was unsupervised, but he also had an adorable childlike curiosity when it came to trying new things. Either way, he had to watch him.

"This is really sweet, isn't it?" the wizard offhandedly commented, taking another sip from his glass. "It's more like a dessert than a drink."

"It still as alcohol content, don't be careless with it," Teruya warned.

They drank together in silence for a brief moment, and Mikado finished his drink and put his glass down. "Teruya, why are we here tonight anyway? Is this a date? This place looks fancy, you should have told me earlier so I could wear something better." He looked down at his simple woolen sweater and sweatpants, an outfit that would look too casual in the eyes of those who knew the eccentric wizard.

"No, I just wanted to come here to celebrate a good business deal with another supplier, and I was told that I should bring you to a bar some day," Teruya explained. "You don't need to wear anything fancy to bars, don't worry about that."

"But you're wearing your work clothing..." Mikado grabbed his glass again, which he had refilled by the bartender. "Anyway, I hope that any meetings with that other supplier were short. I'd hate to think that some bastard was looking lecherously at my Teruya."

Teruya sighed and took another sip of his drink, he knew that Mikado could be very obsessive at times. "It was just a meeting, we didn't stay long-"

"Oh, I'm not worried that you'd be unfaithful. I know that there's no way you wouldn't be by my side." Mikado drank from his glass again and put it back down. "There are people who are dangerous with their intellect and connections, who could trick you easily."

"Like you?" Teruya dryly replied, rolling his eyes. "The meeting rooms are constantly monitored, both by guards and cameras. You don't need to worry about my safety, especially when you can be overpowered without your magic."

Mikado put down his empty glass, and he looked between the menu and Teruya's drink. "I want to try a bit of yours. It might be better than this sweet thing."

"Don't drink it all," the taller man answered as he handed over his Lemon Drop. Mikado took a sip and seemed to savour the taste, then handed it back to Teruya. "Um, is it good?"

"It tastes more like alcohol than mine," Mikado replied. "By the way, the colour of that drink..."

Teruya's face began to heat up slightly as he held his drink closer to him. Mikado had openly said that he had gotten his Midori Sour because it reminded him of Teruya, but if Mikado found out that he got his own drink because of him, Teruya would never hear the end of it.

"...it looks like a little chick." Mikado leaned back in his chair , but had to steady his balance by putting his arm on the bar counter.

"...Right! Like a chick," Teruya nearly sighed with relief from having that bullet dodged. But it was then that he noticed how unsteady Mikado was. "Hey, are you drunk already? You did have two glasses and a bit of my drink..."

Mikado looked around at the bar, his senses amplified his surroundings and made it seem more crowded than it actually was. "I want to go home," he decided.

Teruya drank down the rest of his Lemon Drop and got his wallet out to pay for their drinks. "I'll order us a taxi, just sit still," he told Mikado, who nodded and waited in his seat quietly. The transaction was fast, and Teruya gently nudged Mikado out of his seat and to the door.

As the duo stood outside, Teruya called for a taxi back to the condo owned by the Kisaragi Foundation while Mikado waited with his head rested on the merchant's shoulder.

***

Art credit: TRSN_is_true on twitter