Summary: Tao decides he has an urge for coffee and drags Takeo and M-21 along. You know, as usual.

Contains M-21/Tao/Takeo? Friendship between the three? Up to you!

Set, uh…Anywhere past season three, I guess? XD;;; Possibly after season four.

Domessstic fluff. :D

Tranquil

By Dark Ice Dragon

The sun was setting, another day at the school finished. M-21 sighed softly, rolling his shoulders, feeling a little stiff. Beside him, Tao stretched, his arms reaching high into the sky, and Takeo was fiddling with his hair-tie.

"So, coffee," Tao declared as they left the school grounds, and M-21 glanced at him, a little incredulously. Where had that come from?

Tao shrugged, looping a loose arm over M-21's and Takeo's shoulders, guiding them in a different direction from their usual route home. "Just kinda felt an urge for one, you know? And since there's only tea at home…"

M-21 lifted his head to raise an eyebrow at Takeo, who snorted in sympathy. "Frankenstein could make coffee," Takeo pointed out flatly. Literally, from the beans to the machine that made the coffee.

Tao hummed, and M-21 really should disentangle himself from Tao's arm before Tao's plan went underway. "Yeah…" Tao drew out, "but you haven't been to the coffee shop yet, have you?" he said, directing the question at M-21.

There were a lot of coffee shops in the city, but M-21 had a feeling he knew which one Tao was talking about, faint memories of when Tao and Takeo had first arrived stirring. "But…" He'd had coffee before – he knew what it tasted like. And any coffee at the shop would pale in comparison to anything Frankenstein could cook up (after one day of initial tests, and then a further day for refinement), but that was both too long a wait and…not what Tao was aiming for.

"All right."

Takeo's response was a muffled sigh, but also a nod.

Laughing, Tao tightened his arms around them in a more proper hug and then started leading them towards the café.

xOx

There were a lot of children at the coffee shop, M-21 noted as he and Takeo slid into one of the booths. There were varying uniforms, and M-21 recognised a couple of the children, some of them waving in their direction when they saw him. He nodded back to them, and that caused a burst of noise for some reason.

Tao had been the one to volunteer to order and it was only after he'd left that M-21 realised that probably wasn't the best idea to let him do that, Takeo agreeing as he rubbed his own face with a hand. Especially since they hadn't actually ordered anything.

"Do you know why…?" M-21 started to ask, before giving up. It was Tao. That was all they really needed to know.

Takeo shrugged, moving a hand to keep his hair off the table. "I think he overheard some of the children talking about this place, and it's been a couple of months since…" Takeo's eyes went distant, and M-21 stayed silent, the murmur of the café washing over him, letting Takeo reminisce. Memories of good times were precious, after all. M-21 was content to leave Takeo to his memories, until Takeo flushed a bright pink, running a hand roughly through his hair.

"Takeo…?"

Takeo didn't answer straight away, leaning forward on the table, his hair hiding parts of his face. "I just remembered what I said to the children…" he mumbled.

M-21 frowned. What he'd said to the children? When he'd kidnapped them? But Takeo's reaction didn't seem right, more embarrassed than guilty.

Tao chose that moment to come back to them, a tray in his hands. As soon as Tao saw Takeo, he blinked, concern flashing across his face, before it smoothened out and Tao shook his head, grinning. He set the tray down, and nudged Takeo in the ribs, making him shuffle up the booth a bit before plopping down next to him.

"Do I want to know what you two were talking about?" There was a far too innocent tone in Tao's voice, and Takeo glowered at him, cheeks still pink. All Tao did was chuckle in response, placing one of the cups in front of M-21. He peered down at it, studying it. It looked like regular coffee, so he curled his fingers around the cup, and took a sip.

Tao was prodding Takeo now, trying to wheedle information from him, but Takeo only grabbed his cup, making a grumbling sound.

They didn't know when their peace would be disturbed next, but until then, they would savour it.

*laughing* Oh hai, decent interaction between M-21 and Takeo! XDDD Yeah, you really do need to send everyone else away before he talks.

…I want to write MOAR domestic fic between these guys