{COMPLETE} Should Have Realized Sooner [Miritama]

18. Better Than Any Dream

Now, as great Tamaki was feeling right now, free from captivity, with his family and friends by his side, he was going to be the first to admit this. There was a huge difference between Cecil, a young scrawny boy weighing a little over ninety pounds, and Mirio, an almost six-foot-tall, bulky teenager, tackling Tamaki with all his weight. The two girls who arrived with him had obviously been doing everything in their power to stop him, but were just being left behind in the doorway trying to catch their breath.

"AHHHH!" Mirio wordlessly cried, latching onto Tamaki for dear life.

"AHHHHHHH!" Cecil echoed, a new wave of relief washing over him.

Tomoyo had moved out of Mirio's way, just in time to avoid also being crushed, and laughed at her older brother's predicament, tears still falling freely despite how much she tried to wipe them away. Yukito hung back with his wife and the both of them were also trying, unsuccessfully, to mop up all of their tears too.

Eijirou moved over to Nejire and Yuyu and let out a humoured huff. "You guys got here fast," In response, Hadou wheezed and Haya flipped him off, still bent in half trying to catch their breath.

"Wh-" Nejire hiccoughed. "Wanna take a guess who's fault is that," she said breathlessly, making an apathetic gesture towards Tamaki's hospital bed with Mirio piled onto it.

"I half expected you guys to fly in through the window," he mused.

"We would've," Yuyu groaned. "It was hard work just to make him take and respect public transit,"

As Tamaki's brain was catching up to him, he was spinning a wheel of what he was supposed to be doing or even feeling right now.

"Mirio?" He croaked, barely audible and it was a miracle anyone heard him. But Mirio did, pulling back to cup Tamaki's face, tears running down his face.

"Tamakiiii," he cried, voice wobbling.

"Hi," Tamaki said weakly, touching one of Mirio's hands. He no longer had it in him to doubt what was happening in front of him.

This was real, his parents were there, his sister, Cecil, and Mirio. In his arms, inches away from each other's faces, tears flowing freely.

Mirio let out another sob, burying his face deep into Tamaki's neck and the two girls who arrived with him had to pull him off when they noticed Tamaki struggling to breathe. Both of the boys whined at the loss of contact but Tamaki was thankful to breathe again.

"Uh, what exactly happened?" Tamaki asked weakly, not entirely remembering how he ended here.

"Well, I don't know much, Cecil just brought me to ride the back of the ambulance with you," Mirio said, voice wavering as he tried to calm himself. "I almost cried when I saw you but I had to save face,"

Cecil looked up at the blonde incredulously. "You were a mess, what are you talking about?"

"Shush you,"

Tamaki chuckled, then coughed, and smiled wide. It hurt, he hadn't smiled in a long time, but it felt nice, warm, everything was right.

After a few more minutes of him basking in the precedence of his loved ones (and three strangers he still hasn't been properly introduced to), Doctor Ito came back into the room.

"Hello again everyone, would it be alright if I spoke with Tamaki again?" She asked kindly.

Everyone groaned, but they all left the room, leaving the two of them alone.

"Hello again Tamaki, are you feeling better or worse now that you've seen your family and friends?" She asked fondly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I feel a bit better," he said bashfully, looking away.