Totsuka spent most of his time around the bar these days. With no real obligations keeping him elsewhere, he took to helping Izumo during the day, or taking care of Anna. Of course he still went on assignment every once in a while when it was possible he could be of some help, but for the most part he stayed behind. Someone had to be here for the other's to come back to after all, didn't they?

Anna enjoyed helping him when she could, especially when she found Totsuka cooking up some new concoction in the kitchen. She was there now, sitting at the counter with a small batch of cupcakes in front of her and a bag of red icing in her small hands. Totsuka had done what he could to teach her the proper way to hold the bag, now it all came down to practice really. The crooked and awkward tops of the cupcakes would still be edible, even if the icing wasn't perfect.

"That one looks really good, Anna!" He praised her on her newly completed one, lifting it to inspect it himself. It seemed practice really was the key if she only kept getting better. "I think this is your best one yet!" He set it back down, moving to put the last of the dishes away.

The bar had been closed for the day by he himself while the others were on assignment. Izumo expected he would be useful this time around and had left him in charge. No one really came in so it was a quiet night spent with Anna and trying out the new recipe he had found for cupcakes. Anna of course wanted to help and a few drops of food coloring had made the cupcakes red to her satisfaction before they baked them.

Anna took the best decorated cupcake and stared at it before looking to Totsuka. "This is for Mikoto." She said simply before setting it aside and out of the way of the others. Tatara smiled, chuckling at how adorable he found the sight before nodding. "Saving the best for King! I think he'll like it! Now how about helping me put away the rest of your pretty ones, hm?" Just then, he heard the back door burst open and peeked his head around the corner as various Homra members piled in.

"Did you see Mr. Mikoto?! He wiped the floor with all of them with no problem!" Ahh and that would be Yata leading them inside of course. The lot was always more rambunctious and loud when the skateboarder was present. "They won't be showing their faces 'round here anytime soon! Oh, hey Tatara."

The group had piled in to the kitchen, no doubt in their trek to the main part of the bar and Anna hopped down from her stool, carefully lifting the plate of cupcakes and scurrying to the others. Tatara stepped behind her, settling a steady hand on her shoulder just in case. The tray was nearly as large as she was after all and he didn't want her toppling over into them. "Cupcakes." She stated happily, holding the crookedly decorated cupcakes up for inspection.

"Ah, is this what you were doing while we were away, Princess?" Kamamoto asked, deciding to be the first to snatch one off the plate as Anna nodded. Eric peered over Yata's shoulder, raising an eyebrow as he studied the confections. "The icing looks like it was thrown on with-" He was cut off by Yata's elbow landing in his stomach and growled with what air he had left.

"Watch your mouth! Anna worked hard to make these for us, you know?!" He looked about ready to crack his skateboard over Eric's head for good measure and Totsuka could already sense the situation escalating.

"You're too loud you useless Chihuahua." Eric grumbled out in english, succeeding in ticking Yata off even more as he only understood he'd been compared to a dog. Kamamoto snagged Yata by the shirt while Kousuke did the same for Eric, tugging them apart. Tatara laughed, sensing the two wanted to start taking blows at each other as he stepped between them. "Now now, that's enough of that. It's late and I think our princess wants you all to try what she worked so hard to make." Anna still stood with the plate in her hands, considerably empty now as the other members had ignored the scuffle and snatched their own.

Once everyone had settled down in the bar Tatara took a look around, blinking in confusion. "Where have King and Kusanagi gone off to?"

"Mikoto wanted to stay behind and get info from the guys that were left." Kamamoto said with a yawn, sprawled on one of the couches in obvious exhaustion. "Kusanagi stayed with him to make sure he didn't go overboard before they learned everything they could." This had Tatara chuckling since they all knew how easy it would be for Mikoto to burn em to ash if he wasn't kept back.

Everyone soon parted ways to their own rooms and homes as the night wore on. It had been a long day and they all could use their rest. Tatara got Anna ready for bed, brushing her hair for her as they waited on the couch for the arrival of their king. It was a while longer after, that Anna began to doze in her seat. He watched her for a few minutes as she sat there, eyes drooping and head struggling to stay up right. It bobbed down slowly, jerking back up as she forced herself to wakefulness.

"I think it's time for bed, Anna." He said coaxingly, standing up and she stared up at him with nothing short of puppy dog eyes. Those eyes could get her anything in the world she wanted. She had used the same tactic on Izumo more than once. Why were they such pushovers with this small child?

"Mikoto isn't back yet." She replied quietly, turning her gaze back to her hands in her lap and he sighed. He held his hand out to her for her to take which she did reluctantly.

"How about you wait in King's room then? That way you can be there when he gets home. He won't mind." She seemed sated by that response and let herself be led upstairs. Mikoto's room was scarcely furnished, and tidy, courtesy of Tatara who preferred keeping it neat even if Mikoto tended to not do any cleaning up himself most of the time.

He calmly tucked Anna under the covers, smiling as he saw her drifting off already even with the determined expression on her face. She really was trying but all little girls needed their sleep. Especially young strains. "Good night, our princess. King will be home soon." He tucked hair out of her face before kissing her forehead lightly and leaving the room.

He flopped down on the couch downstairs again with a sigh, stretching out on his back to wait for his king as well. He must be letting off some steam to be taking this long. It wasn't long before he was yawning himself, drifting off to sleep in the silence of the bar.

"I don't think they'll be walking for a while. You really laid into em." Kusanagi said as he snubbed the cigarette out beneath the heel of his shoe. Mikoto didn't have a response other than a grunt as he opened the door to the bar and stepped inside.

The bar was deserted and dark, as expected for the late hour. The kitchen light had been left on for them and the barkeeper's eyes immediately fell on a plate on the counter. Two cupcakes were nestled on it, covered just barely by a paper towel. He lifted it away to look at them properly; noticing how much more crooked one's decorating was from the other. Mikoto snagged the letter that sat next to it, looking it over before passing it on.

"Looks like Anna and Totsuka worked hard for us while we were away. Says the nicer one's yours. So says Anna." He huffed out a laugh, snagged the messier of the two cupcakes. "Better make sure you eat it. You'll hurt Anna's feelings otherwise." He turned and headed towards the main portion of the bar, eating the sweet as he went, if only to appease Anna. It was good; no doubt a result of Totsuka's excellent cooking skills he had developed. "Ah, looks like he was waiting for you again." He said when he saw a lump on the couch.

Mikoto walked in behind him, following his gaze. At least Anna wasn't waiting up with him this time. Last time he had found them both curled on the couch together.

"I'll leave him to you." Izumo said with a pat on the shoulder. "I'm going to head home now that I know the bar's still standing." He headed back to the kitchen and Mikoto heard the sound of keys and the closing of a door before the bar fell into silence again.

He looked back at Totsuka with a sigh, stepping over and reaching down to brush bangs from the male's eyes. Honestly, falling asleep down here instead of in a bed where he belonged. He bent down, hands sliding beneath Totsuka's knees and back before he lifted him easily.

Tatara squirmed, eyes fluttering open groggily before he registered where he was and grinned. "Welcome home, King." He said with a stretch in the other's hold, arms linking around Mikoto's neck comfortably. "You were gone for a while. Let off some steam?" He received a grunt in response and took it as an answer as the other carried him upstairs. "That's good. Though, Anna was waiting for you. She's taken over your bed for the night, waiting for you to come back."

If the redhead was bothered by this news, he gave no sign as he pushed his bedroom door open. True to the other's word, Anna was asleep curled in a ball in the center of the bed. Tatara was flopped down unceremoniously on the edge, causing the girl to stir slightly before stilling again. "So rough." Totsuka teased, tone proving he was unbothered by the action as he reached over into his lover's drawer and snagged one of his shirts. He quickly changed into it, comfortable with how baggy it proved to be on him as he curled under the covers with Anna.

The bed's actual owner joined a moment later dressed in a simple pair of sleep pants and a shirt. He took Anna's other side and the child migrated to him immediately in her sleep, latching onto him.

Tatara giggled, burying his face into a pillow. "Ahh, Anna looks so comfortable. I'm jealous." Mikoto snorted, adjusting the child to lie on top of him instead, leaving the space between his side and forearm open. The light haired man happily took the vacant space, pressing close before inhaling deeply and relaxing. He felt the barest touch of a hand at his lower back and smiled before looking to Anna. "She always waits with me, you know. She adores being with you out of everyone so she waits for you to come back."

"Stupid." He felt the voice vibrate through the other's chest beneath his hand. "All that happens is you exhaust yourselves. Where's the point in that?"

"We get to welcome our king home. What could be better than that?" Was Totsuka's only answer before he flinched as he was flicked in the back of the head.

"Sleep." Was the gruff command and Tatara found he couldn't disobey as he sighed contently and curled against the other's chest to sleep.