So, It’s a Date?
Fandom: D.Gray-man
Pairing: Tyki Mikk/Kanda Yu
Tags: Mutual Pining, Fluff, Fake/Pretend Relationship
Summery: Tyki had a family dinner to attend. Family dinners meant dealing with his brother. Being single at a family dinner meant having to deal with Sheril's nagging. So, Tyki needed to find someone to play the role of his partner to deter his brother, letting Tyki enjoy the night for once. There didn't even have to be any feelings involved...right?
Enter Kanda.
Read on Ao3
“Look Kanda, it’s just for one night.”
At the sharp look from the other male, Tyki heaved a weary sigh. He was getting desperate. Dinner with his family was bad enough as it is, but dinner with his brother constantly nagging him about when he was going to settle down was worse.
Which is where Kanda came in.
“Look, you don’t even need to talk to anyone. I will do all the talking; I’ll make up our story and answer questions. You just need to come, introduce yourself to my family, then stay by my side and drink some champagne. That’s all.”
“No.”
Tyki groaned at the gruff reply. He took a slow drag of his cigarette as he stared out at the busy street in front of him.
The five of them, Lavi, Kanda, Allen, Lenalee and himself, were at a new restaurant that had popped up a month ago. Well, if you could even call it a restaurant. Advertising pizza, beer and arcade games, Tyki had initially turned down the offer when Lavi had invited him out, citing that he was too old to spend a night out playing arcade games. Lavi though, frustratingly observant and with the added bonus of having known Tyki since high school, knew just what to say to get Tyki to come.
“Ya know, Yu-chan… he’ll be there.”
And just like that Tyki had jumped on the chance. It wasn’t actually as bad as he originally thought. He thought the addition of arcade games would make it too cheesy, but it actually…wasn’t. It reminded Tyki of his younger days when he would loiter around the local strip mall that didn’t exist anymore –Tyki tried to not think about how that showed how much time had passed, how much older he was getting– causing a disturbance at the measly arcade there until he and his friends got kicked out. They would wind up at the park, bootlegged alcohol in hand and sheer determination from Tyki to avoid going home to Sheril and his nagging. Now that he was older he knew that it came from a good place, from Sheril’s worry over him, but that didn’t make it any less aggravating.
Especially when it had shifted from staying out too late, to getting married and starting a family.
Which is what let him to the current situation he was in.
He stole a glance at Kanda out of the corner of his eye. It wasn’t often that Tyki got an uninterrupted view of the attractive man and he was going to take full advantage of it. His eyes traced over the strong edge of his jaw; the straight line of his nose, the way the streetlights cast shadows over his face and made his already-sharp cheekbones more pronounced, as if Tyki would get cut if he touched them.
His fingers twitched around his cigarette. God, how he wanted to touch them.
Kanda’s eyes were half lidded as he stared out at the street. Though his furrowed brow, paired with his relaxed shoulders, showed he was deep in though rather than upset. It was something that Tyki had noticed over the years of… observation he had done on the other man.
“Why don’t you take Lena?”
Kanda’s quiet yet gruff words broke the silence. Tyki quickly looked away, hastily shoving his cigarette in his mouth as he thought of a good excuse.
“Are you kidding me? I’d rather like to live to a ripe old age, thank you very much.”
Kanda gave a quiet snort, the sound mixed between amusement and acknowledgment.
“Look, I can’t take Allen. That would be too…weird.” Kanda nodded in agreement at that. Taking your sort-of cousin to a family dinner with the excuse that you were dating? That would not end well.
“Plus, it would defeat the whole reason. I might as well just go alone at that point. Sheril already knows and has met Lavi. I have also drilled into him that there is absolutely no way in hell that the two of us would ever date. Great friend, bad boyfriend.” Tyki wrinkled his nose at the mere thought of being in a romantic relationship with the red-head. The chaos that surrounds him would send Tyki to an early grave.
“And as I said before, I’d rather not die by the hands of Komui.”
“Don’t you have other friends that you could take?”
“Yeah, but I’d rather not get into a discussion about how dysfunctional my family is.”
Kanda gave another nod of acknowledgment. If anyone understood Tyki’s dilemma with his family, it would be Kanda. He turned his head to stare at Tyki with those intense blue eyes. Tyki often thought that they reminded him of the ocean. Sometimes they were eerily still, not belying a thing that the man was thinking, other times they would be raging; so full of emotion that Tyki felt as if he was a boat caught in the middle of a storm waiting to be capsized and drown in the deep, violent waters. Now though they were calm, contemplative. Deciding whether to go along with Tyki’s absurd plan or tell him to suck it.
Not that he’d mind sucking Kanda.
Tyki turned away from Kanda, staring with dead eyes out at the street as he nearly sighed out loud at the direction his thoughts had gone.
God, this crush was getting ridiculous.
Blowing out a cloud of smoke, he was surprised to hear Kanda neither agree with the plan, nor tell him off.
“Can I have a drag of that?”
Tyki looked over, unphased that Kanda had asked. To others it seemed he lived a perfectly healthy lifestyle, but Tyki was one of the few privy to this bad habit Kanda had.
Nodding, Tyki handed over the half-gone cigarette. His eyes followed the movement of Kanda’s lips as they wrapped around the filter, lungs expanding as he took a deep breath. Watched those thin lips part in a gorgeous “o” shape as he blew out a cloud of smoke, before shoving the cigarette back between his lips.
The same cigarette that had been in Tyki’s mouth.
A jolt like lightening went through him as he realized that they were having an indirect kiss. Tyki could feel his hands tremble as his stomach tied itself in knots, heart racing and blood pumping; Tyki nearly slapped himself. What was he, a sixteen-year-old girl with their first crush? Getting all giddy because of an indirect kiss. He really did need to do something about this crush, he was just being pathetic at this point.
“I’ll go.”
Tyki stared at Kanda in disbelief. He didn’t notice Kanda’s outstretched hand giving Tyki back his smoke.
“Really?” Tyki tried not to let the giddy happiness that was currently thrumming through his veins show.
Kanda nodded, nudging Tyki’s arm to take his cigarette. Hastily Tyki grabbed it, shoving it back in his mouth to cover up the grin that wanted to break out.
“I’m going back inside before Dumb or Dumber comes out. Text me the details.”
Tyki nodded, still at a loss for words. He watched as Kanda turned sharply, hair swinging behind him as he stalked back into the building.
He had to stomp his foot against the ground to prevent himself from dancing with excitement.
--
It had only been an hour and Kanda already wanted to leave.
The place was far too crowded, full of pretentious people dressed in outrageously expensive clothes trying to one up each other with how much money they had. Add on to that how obnoxious Sheril was being, and Kanda was either going to break something or someone.
There were only two benefits to being here. The first was the live music. A nice low jazz sound, which was quiet enough to not overpower conversations, yet loud enough that Kanda could concentrate on it and not on the conversations around him, making it slightly easier to resist the urge to murder someone.
The second was Tyki.
He watched Tyki across the room. The taller man had run off to get another drink for the both of them, but got stopped on his way back by an older woman that was talking to him quite animatedly. Tyki, ever the gentleman, had stopped to indulge the woman. And Kanda, who rarely had the chance to stare at Tyki without him knowing, took full advantage.
His eyes traced along Tyki’s broad shoulders and down his back, able to see the way his muscles moved as he gestured and shifted his weight. Not everyone would be able to see it through the layers of his suit, but Kanda had spent enough time tracing Tyki’s back with his eyes as if he was staring at bare skin. Skin which Kanda had been lucky enough to see one summer. He could feel his ears burn as he remembered the memory.
Kanda jerked as he was brought back to the present, realizing that he was blatantly staring at Tyki’s ass. It wasn’t his fault that Tyki had a great ass, one that made Kanda want to grab a handful of it just to see what sound he would make. Would he groan? Maybe gasp or maybe––
Kanda shook his head as he groaned in exasperation. He massaged a finger over the bridge of his nose, trying to ignore the way his cheeks had warmed at his train of thought.
Kanda closed his eyes and took a deep breath to centre himself. After counting to ten he opened his eyes, turning to look again at Tyki.
He couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but he could see Tyki smile at the woman’s words. Even though the grin wasn’t directed at him, Kanda still felt his heart flutter. He watched Tyki’s frame shake as he laughed, able to hear the rich sound even over the din of conversations.
Tyki turned then, gesturing him over with a hand that was full with a champagne glass. Kanda hesitated slightly, seeing that the woman had turned to look at him as well, knowing that he was going to be drawn into yet another conversation.
With a sigh of resignation Kanda schooled his features into a non-murderous expression. Well, as best he could, given the circumstances.
Approaching the pair, Kanda came to a stop next to Tyki. He tried his best to not react as Tyki placed his hand on the small of Kanda’s back and pulled him closer. Judging by the woman’s expression, he failed spectacularly.
“Beautiful,” Tyki started. Kanda could feel his heart begin to race at the nickname that Tyki had sprung on him at the beginning of the night. ‘It’s just an act, it’s just an act,’ Kanda repeated in his head like a mantra.
“This is Mrs. Arnoult. Her husband is a long-time business partner of Sheryl’s. Mrs. Arnoult, this is my boyfriend Kanda.”
Kanda extended his hand trying not to let on how giddy he was to be called Tyki’s boyfriend. ‘This isn’t real. It is an act.’ Kanda repeated a little more forcefully in his head.
Mrs. Arnoult clasped his hand and gave it a firm shake, the lines around her eyes crinkling as she smiled at him and Tyki.
“Now now, Tyki, you’ve known me long enough, you don’t need to call me Mrs. Arnoult anymore!” She laid a hand overtop of Kanda’s, patting it in the same affectionate way that Tiedoll did. Kanda nearly curled his lip in distaste. It must be an old person thing.
“And now neither does your boyfriend. Call me Ida. Sheryl was right my dear, your family isn’t running out of pretty faces anytime soon, is it?” She exclaimed with a laugh, finally letting go of Kanda’s hand. He quickly retracted it, reaching for the glass of champagne that Tyki had so she wouldn’t have a chance to do it again. He saw Tyki grimace slightly as he took a sip of the beverage. No doubt he was thinking about how Sheryl had run off as soon as Tyki had introduced Kanda, telling everyone that his darling little brother was dating an “exceptionally attractive” man. Kanda took another sip of his drink to hide his scowl. Sheryl and Tiedoll were too similar in Kanda’s eyes, though he guessed that’s what made him a good contender for this ruse.
Tyki laughed, the sound being an equal mix of strained and exasperated that had Kanda quietly snorting to himself in amusement.
“Yes, my brother is quite...chatty isn’t he?” Tyki said, pausing slightly to find a better word than “obnoxious”, which he probably wanted to say.
Kanda droned out the conversation at that point. Tyki kept good on his word and carried the conversation, Kanda only having to interject intermittedly with a quiet noise of agreement or nod. This let him focus solely on the path that Tyki’s hand was taking.
At some point during the conversation, Tyki had moved his hand from the small of Kanda’s back and started slowly running it up and down. He hadn’t said anything, silently enjoying it and ignoring the bitter taste in his mouth at the realization that he wouldn’t get this again.
After a few runs up and down his back, Tyki’s hand had stopped at the base of his neck. Fingers wrapped around the junction of Kanda’s neck and shoulder, Tyki’s thumb rubbed circles on the patch of skin between the top of his suit and his hairline. Kanda gave an involuntary shiver at the act, Tyki’s thumb tickling the fine hairs there. His thumb travelled behind Kanda’s ear, massaging there for a while before settling on the adjacent side of Kanda’s neck from the rest of his fingers.
Tyki’s hand settled there for few seconds while Kanda willed himself to ignore the warm weight on the back of his neck. His thoughts quickly ground to a halt as Tyki’s hand gave the back of his neck a firm squeeze.
That was oddly… possessive.
Kanda could feel a bubble of heat start to expand in his stomach at the action. It grew larger as Tyki repeated the action. Kanda could see himself, face down in pillows, Tyki’s hand gripping the back of his neck as his body weight pressed down on Kanda’s back, his deep voice whispering obscene things into Kanda’s ears.
Kanda promptly choked on his champagne.
He quickly waved off Tyki and Ida’s concerned looks as he smothered a cough into his hand.
God, this shit was getting old.
Taking in a deep breath and holding back another cough, Kanda heard Tyki give an excuse ‘sorry, Ida, he can get a bit antsy around large crowds’ before he wrapped a hand around Kanda’s waist silently leading him outside to a nearby balcony.
He led them to the railing that overlooked the vast garden of the Kamelot household, perfectly prim and proper for the party that was going on behind them. The sound was distant to Kanda, to which he realized that the two of them were the only ones outside. He could feel his ears burn at the realization and the fact that Tyki’s hand hadn’t left Kanda’s space, moving to rub soothing circles up and down his back as Kanda tried to clear the last of the champagne from his lungs.
Tyki’s hand curled around Kanda’s shoulder bringing him closer to the taller man’s body. Kanda could feel the body heat coming off of Tyki, could smell his cologne. Kanda took in a deep breath, coughing as his sore throat worked, and could pick up the scent of nicotine as well.
Maybe he should ask Tyki for a cigarette. Maybe that would help still the shakes in his hands from being so close to the other man.
“You okay?”
Kanda nodded, refusing to meet the other’s eye as he felt Tyki’s thumb rub circles on his bicep.
“Sorry, I know how much you hate crowds and unnecessary conversations.”
Kanda shrugged. He could feel his ears heat up the longer he stayed in the other man’s space. Kanda clutched his champagne glass tighter, pulling at his bangs with his other hand.
“If you’re anxious we can leave,” Tyki said, tone soft.
Kanda shook his head. He didn’t want to be the reason that they left early.
“I’m not anxious.” Kanda said. He tried for his tone to be hard. No room left for discussion. But instead, it came out with no bite attached. Soft.
God, he was pathetic.
“Really? You always tug at your bangs when you’re nervous.” Tyki said, tone surprised. Kanda froze. He suddenly became very aware of his hand, of the fingers that were grasping at the fine strands of his hair. He looked at Tyki in surprise.
“I do?”
Tyki nodded, his surprised expression clearing from his face. His features were set in an unreadable expression. He placed his glass on the railing, hand coming up to gently tug Kanda’s away from his hair.
“You do. It’s something I’ve, uh, noticed over the years.”
What.
Something that he’s noticed?
That either means that Kanda did that more often than he realized, or that Tyki watched him. A lot.
Kanda tore his hand out of Tyki’s grasp, clutching the glass between his hands to help ground him as thoughts whirled through his mind.
Maybe those touches inside… the hand at his back, on his neck, his elbow; the sudden nickname that flowed off Tyki’s tongue all too easily. The almost genuine eagerness to introduce him to his family, all this paired with the sudden knowledge that Tyki watched him, looked at him, a lot.
Maybe…this could be real.
No.
Kanda glared at a point on the ground. This isn’t real.
“What do you mean this isn’t real?” Tyki’s voice, so soft and rich, so mellow that Kanda almost enjoyed listening to it. Something that he would never voice out loud, even on his deathbed.
Kanda startled, not realizing he had voiced his though out loud. He looked up slightly at Tyki. His face was still expressionless, but his eyes were rife with emotion. Too many for Kanda to name, some he refused to.
Tyki gently pried the glass from Kanda’s hands, placing it with his on the railing. Raising both his hands, Tyki cupped Kanda’s face gently. His thumbs stroked Kanda’s cheekbones, fingers playing along his neck.
“What if we could make it real, Beautiful? What would you say to that?”
Hands clenching and unclenching at his side Kanda stared at Tyki. If we could make it real? Did that mean…
Tyki’s expression was serious. More serious than Kanda had ever seen him before.
Kanda didn’t even have to think about what he would say, since he wouldn’t say anything.
Tipping his head up, careful not to dislodge Tyki’s hands on his face, Kanda pressed their lips together. There was no hesitation from Tyki, as if that was what he expected Kanda to do. Kanda tried not to dwell too much on the fact that Tyki apparently knew him very well, instead focusing on Tyki’s warm, soft lips against his.
The kiss was chaste, lips moving against each other. They were focused on finally feeling the other’s lips on theirs after so many years of longing, rather than any arousal. That was until Kanda felt Tyki’s tongue swipe against his lower lip. It sent his blood pumping and a heat bubbling in his stomach.
Kanda pulled away quickly, not wanting for Tyki’s family to find them making out. Tyki chuckled, hands sliding down Kanda’s neck, over his shoulders and down his arms until Kanda’s hands were grasping Tyki’s.
One of Tyki’s thumbs stroked along Kanda’s knuckles as he placed a light kiss on Kanda’s forehead.
“It would probably be a bad idea if my family found us making out, huh?” Tyki said. Kanda steadily ignored the fact that Tyki had voiced his own thoughts, instead just nodding along in agreement.
“Let’s get back inside, hmm? We’ll have a few more drinks than we can head out?” Tyki said, gently pulling on Kanda’s hand. Kanda nodded again. He couldn’t speak right now, not after what just happened. He had too many emotions running through him, too many that he never dealt with. A good meditation session when he got home was just what he needed, Kanda decided, as Tyki led him by the hand back to the party.
--
Two weeks later and they were back at the restaurant where it had all began. Walking up to the building, Tyki and Kanda could see their friends waiting outside. Tyki had Kanda’s hand in his grip, thumb stroking the inside of Kanda’s wrist.
Lavi was the first to see them, grinning at their arrival before noticing their clasped hands. A huge smile erupted on his face, fist shooting out to lightly punch against Allen’s shoulder effectively drawing Allen’s attention from his conversation with Lenalee.
Tyki could hear Kanda groan beside him as the other three watched them approach, equally happy grins on all their faces.
“So, you two are finally together!” Lavi said brightly. Allen and Lavi had matching grins while Lenalee clapped excitedly to herself. Tyki sighed tiredly.
“Yes we ar–“The whole sentence finally registered in Tyki’s head. “What do you mean finally?”
Lavi laughed, waving his hand in a noncommittal gesture.
“Please, you two have been pining after each other for so long I think the dinosaurs came back.” Lavi said, voice heavy with exasperation. Allen and Lenalee made noises of agreement.
“In fact,” Lavi continued, swinging an arm around Allen’s shoulders. “Al and I were gonna help you two out, play matchmaker, ya know?”
“But somebody,” Lavi emphasised the word, shooting a mock glare at Lenalee, “Said that we shouldn’t get involved and should ‘let nature take its course.’” Lavi said, fingers making air quotes. Lenalee let out a huff of irritation, glaring up at the redhead.
“I wasn’t going to let you two interfere! Remember the last time you two tried–“
“Wait, wait, wait,” Tyki interrupted, “did all of you know about this?” Tyki gestured between him and Kanda, who had an interesting mix between irritated and surprised on his face. “Before us?”
The three of them nodded.
“We’ve known for a while.”
“How long have I known you, Tyki? How could I not know.”
“It wasn’t hard to figure out. You two are really obvious.”
Tyki looked at the three of them in disbelief. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kanda rubbing the bridge of his nose in irritation. Tyki quickly shook his head, gesturing lamely to the entrance of the building.
“How about we just go inside now.”
“I agree.” Kanda ground out, swiftly walking through the doors of the restaurant, pulling Tyki along by the hand that was still firmly in his grasp. Tyki followed, firmly ignoring the snickers behind him.