Summary: The children accidently leave behind a board game.

Post-season 5.

The first part has fanart! 8D Go to my profile for the link.

Convince

By Dark Ice Dragon

The children had gone home for the night and while their mess had been cleared up, Takeo and M-21 were still finishing up the dishes.

Tao checked the school's security feeds on his phone but nothing out of the ordinary came up. That done, he sat down at the head of the table and – oh? What was that?

There was something peeking out from under the sofa and Tao got down on his hands and knees to see what it was.

"Ah…"

"What is it?" he heard Takeo ask.

"The children left one of their board games behind," he said, bringing it out and looking at it. "Oh, we didn't get to play this one."

"We can give it back to them tomorrow," Takeo said, taking his apron off, M-21 draining his sink beside him.

"Or they can pick it up when they come back." Finished with his sink, M-21 started to pull off his gloves.

"Mm." Tao nodded. "But if we bring it to the school, they'll bring it back here afterwards anyway, haha…" That kind of defeated the purpose of taking it to school in the first place.

"So we'll keep it on the table for them," Takeo said and Tao grinned.

"What is it?" M-21 asked when he saw Tao's expression, crossing his arms, resignation far too easy to hear and read on him.

"Weeell," Tao drew out, not letting that deter him, his fingers hooked under the lid, "I was wondering if you two wanted to play? You don't get to since you're usually washing the dishes."

"Always," M-21 muttered.

"So…?"

Takeo was the first to nod and he sat down on the sofa. Tao waggled his eyebrows at M-21.

"Come on, M; it'll be fun."

"For you." But M-21 sat opposite Takeo despite his grumblings.

"Okaaay," Tao said, lifting the lid and picking up the instructions. "The goal is to get to the end of the board – sounds easy enough.

"So pick your pieces and let's get started!"

xOx

Tao already had a card in his hand before Takeo stopped moving his piece.

"You get attacked by bandits," Tao read out. "You can either retreat eight spaces or get attacked and miss two turns."

"I can't shoot them?" Takeo already knew the answer but maybe…

Tao's lips twitched. "No, it's not on the card, see?" He flipped it around for Takeo to read.

It wasn't. "Damn."

"And I don't think this world has guns," Tao added, placing the card off the board.

"I'll retreat." That seemed to be the better idea.

xOx

"Tao," M-21 said, his eyes on Tao's hand, "how do you keep rolling sixes? You've had seven in a row." Was that how many Tao had had already? Takeo hadn't started counting until he was sure Tao had a string of three sixes.

"Luck!" Tao continued to shake his fist.

"Uh-huh." M-21 held out his hand towards Tao. "I'll roll for you."

"Aw, come on." Tao's eyes were wide, his jaw open. "I'm not cheating!"

"Hand them over, Tao."

Tao sighed and dropped the die into M-21's waiting hand.

M-21 rolled it after shaking his hand once.

The die span around on the table before coming to a halt.

Five.

"Ha!" Tao crowed, punching the air. "Thanks, M!" He started moving his piece, snickering.

"At least it wasn't another six," Takeo said, watching as M-21 covered his face with a hand.

xOx

"You've barely moved," Tao said after Takeo rolled a one. "Do you want M to roll for you or do you think the result would be the same?"

"I think either of you rolling for me would be better than what I get," Takeo said, setting his piece down. When he wasn't getting low rolls, he was having to backtrack because of a card.

"If you're not careful, you're going to be last," Tao sang, grinning.

"I think I can handle that," Takeo said wryly, a soft smile on his lips.

"Are you sure?" Tao's grin widened.

"Yes."

xOx

"Takeo's the last one on the board, so you're the loser!" Tao declared, pointing at him.

Takeo shook his head, amused. "I'm-"

"Now for your punishment!"

"What?" he spluttered. "You didn't say there would be a punishment!"

"But the children always have a punishment for the loser," Tao said, his eyebrows at an upset slant, the corners of his mouth downturned.

That – they – normally did, didn't they?

Fuck.

"Okay," Takeo said, rubbing his temples with one hand.

Tao's face lit up and he bounced up from his chair, a hand going into his pocket. Tao pulled out a-

"Why do you have a ribbon?" It was dark blue, looking brand new apart from a few sharp creases.

"It came off one of the chocolate boxes the children brought in. I thought I could use it for something."

"Like my hair."

"Heh." Tao shook his head, tugging on the ribbon, straightening it. "I wasn't thinking about it at the time, but it's pretty perfect, don't'cha think?" Tao waved the ribbon. "Is it okay?"

Takeo studied it for a few seconds and then nodded, smiling. "Yeah, it is. I lost, didn't I?"

"Mmhm, you did." Tao bent over the armrest, starting to thread his fingers through Takeo's hair. He paused, and then looked over at M-21. "Hey, M, are you – oooh, wait, I'm gonna need more. I'll be right back!" Tao dashed out the room, leaving the ribbon over Takeo's lap.

Takeo sighed, leaning back on the sofa. He heard a light clatter and saw M-21 starting to clear away the board.

"Are you going to tie my hair up as well?"

M-21 shrugged with one shoulder. "Probably not."

"Ah." Takeo leaned forward, helping him pack it away. "Because I'd be helping Tao if you'd lost this time." He raised his gaze in time to see M-21's eyes widen for a second and then narrow in thought as a smirk curled the other man's lips.

"Fine, I will." M-21 put the lid back on and slid the box into the centre of the table. "But we're working out what Tao's punishment is when he loses."

"Agreed."

"Agreed to what?" Tao said as he came back into the living room, hairties in hand. "You guys having a conversation without me?"

"You make it sound like we don't talk when you're not around," M-21 said, snorting.

"I think that is what half the school thinks. Here," Tao said, throwing a few hairties at M-21, who caught them.

"And now," Tao said, grinning at Takeo, "your punishment."

"Just don't knot my hair," Takeo said, watching the two approach. He didn't want to cut it because of this.

"Don't worry – we won't. …Unless it's by accident, but that shouldn't happen!"

"That is not encouraging, Tao!"

Inspired by rakuenflowright's picture here: aoseirakuen tumblr com/ post/ 86104206434/

The fic involved hair playing and very subtle convincing, so I grouped them together, haha. XD;