The zodiac is never wrong.

Of course, that's what's put Midorima in such a conflict.

Trust the zodiac, do whatever is in your power, and fate will do the rest.

That's the code he's lived by for years, and it's served him well until now. Now, two months into his first year of high school, for the first time in his life, the zodiac has turned on him.

"Good Morning, everyone! Today's horoscope for Cancer is suuuuuuper lucky! Lucky item is an alpaca plushie wearing sunglasses, available at Maggiego UFO catchers across Japan today only! Cancer-sama, today is the perfect day to confess to the one you've been spending a lot of time with. Compatibility with Scorpio today is at an all-time high!"

It had only taken one try to sever the giant plushie's string, of course. UFO catchers are games of concentration and precise skill, two things Midorima prides himself on. Even with taped fingers, it's an easy twitch of the buttons, and the huge pink thing drops into the slot, spending the rest of the day cradled easily in his arm. It sits, watching, ready to judge him when one person sticks out of the crowd (by virtue of being dressed in brighter colors than anyone else). "Takao." His voice carries, by virtue of months of practice yelling at Takao.

If Takao were a cat, his ears probably would have twitched, all-too used to the sound of Midorima's voice at this point and honing in on it. "Ahh, Shin-chan, what's-"

Well.

That's a giant pink alpaca.

"-up." Takao blinks, chewing slowly and blowing a rather sizable bubble with his gum before letting it solidly pop and be licked off of his lips. Hmm. He's seen Midorima with a lot of weird things over the past couple of months, but this one is really cute. "Hey, can't you only get those from the UFO catchers? You must be really good at it. Get me one next time."

"It was necessary." Midorima pushes up the bridge of his glasses, blinking at Takao. "There's a UFO catcher on the way to your house from school, I know. If you want to pedal that distance I can get you your own. I know how important it is to have a lucky item."

He turns, standing facing Takao. "Takao, what do you say when confessing to someone?"

"Uh." Talk about an awkward subject change. Takao blinks up at him, brow furrowing slightly. Not just awkward-weird. And annoying. On a few different levels, actually, because if Midorima is asking him, then that means he's interested in someone. It's not like he'd ask for someone else's sake (who the hell else is friends with the guy, anyway? No one, because no one has good taste like he does, they don't know what they're missing).

"Umm… it's usually best to be direct, and just say it." Well, I was going to say things about how I really admired you and had a grudge on you at the same time, but that was awkward and weird and I don't like disliking people so it was better to just admire you… and also, you're insanely pretty, but that's beside the point. "Why?" he casually adds. "Don't tell me, did the lady captain of the chess club catch Shin-chan's eye?"

"Who?" Midorima remembers her, of course, but not because she's actually worth remembering. And her chess is appallingly sentimental in its play. "Don't be vague, Takao. Tell me what to say, right now."

"Ehhh, but why?" Takao grumbles, frowning and blowing another bubble in an attempt to hide his irritation. It pops too soon, and he ends up picking gum off of his cheek. "If Shin-chan just quotes me, it would be awkward, anyway. Just tell them you like them and what you like about them and that you wanna spend time with them more or something. Girls think that's cute."

Midorima reaches out quickly, plucking the gum from Takao's mouth in the instant it's open, tossing it down a storm drain. "That makes you look like a cow. I don't want to be thought of as cute, my horoscope says Cancers have to confess today."

Takao tries not to sulk, and fails. "Shin-chan's being really mean. I'm going to bite your fingers next time you do that." He wouldn't, not really. That hand is a little too valuable. He sighs instead, rocking back on his heels. "Well, if you don't want to be thought of as cute, you're out of luck, anyway. You're always sort of cute, you don't have to try. It's a tsundere charm point."

How absurd, not to mention inconvenient. Midorima sighs, pushing his glasses up, and asks irritably, "So all I say is that I want to spend more time with you and I like the way you drive me around on your bicycle? That doesn't sound too difficult."

"Well, I guess that would work, if you were confessing to me? But geez, if you tell a girl something like that-actually, I'm a little offended, all you like is the way I drive you around? I'm adorable, find something better to compliment me on, don't be so-"

Wait.

Takao pauses. He shuts his mouth, opens it again, and then settles for staring, somewhat wide-eyed. "Are you confessing to me?"

Midorima sniffs. "Not if you're going to require a list of your good qualities, that's for certain. Shut your mouth, you'll catch flies."

"… Do you have a list? I know you like lists." This… was not the way Takao expected his day to go, or any degree of confession to ever go between them. He's been planning this, of course. With stuff like this involving Midorima, one has to plan, or it comes out weird or wrong or Midorima just doesn't get it. It's especially awkward because they're both guys, and he's been feeling out for a good month now whether or not Shin would even be interested in him-

Except he totally just got beaten at his own game, and it feels really, really good.

Ahh, he's probably grinning like an idiot. "I have a list," Takao cheerfully informs the other boy, leaning in closer, "about all the stuff I like about Shin-chan."

"You can submit it in writing," Midorima mutters, heat creeping into his cheeks, and the alpaca's eyes bulge out oddly as his grip tightens. At least Oha Asa was correct, as always, about his compatibility with Scorpio. Obviously, that was hardly up for debate-he's always been compatible with Takao, ever since the other boy had been good enough to properly understand their relationship.

He wants to nod, call the matter finished, and go to class.

But something about the way Takao is looking at him, close to him, makes his words come awkwardly, his limbs move not quite right, and his blood pounds in his head. "I won't require anything of you, Takao. You can still drive me home today."

Oh, no, Shin is really cute.

There's probably something wrong with him, to think that Midorima is this cute. Most people would probably be annoyed, or at best, frustrated. Ahh, but it's in the way Midorima's blushing and fidgeting, the way he clearly wants to turn tail and run but isn't, and that speaks volumes, because Midorima is always one to avoid a confrontation if it involves any amount of feelings-

"We'll go by the convenience store after class first, and I'll buy you one of those drinks you like." Takao fishes out another piece of gum, popping it into his mouth before Midorima can stop him. It's kind of hard not to bounce. He wants to bounce and latch onto Midorima's arm and sort of climb him like a ladder, but that's not really appropriate in public and it would make Midorima mad, anyway. "And I'll definitely submit that list in writing, so you can keep it with you all the time and remember all those things, okay?"

"Takao is an unbearable idiot." At least Takao doesn't mind when Midorima says things like that. That's more than can be said for the captain of any chess team. He straightens up, switching the plushie to under his other arm, counting the change in his pocket-yes, it's enough for another alpaca from the machine on the way home, if Takao buys his soup.

He starts to walk off, then stops, sighting the rest of the basketball team sitting on the steps outside the entrance, picking his way towards the side door instead. "We'll be late for class. Your punctuality is not on the list of things I like about you."

"You're supposed to follow that up with a thing you do like!" Takao whines, sparing a wave for the rest of the team before happily trailing at Midorima's heels instead. "Tsun is good, but be a little dere sometimes!"

"I'm not a character in one of your daytime dramas," Midorima says with a sniff. "If you carry my bookbag that will go on the list, however."

"Yeah, yeah, you say that, but you're the perfect prissy tsundere archetype. Hand it over already."

Midorima hands over his bag, hefting it easily onto Takao's back. Yes, that's much better for his posture. He walks in silence (as much as Takao will give him) for a few minutes, before saying quietly, "I'm pleased that you're a Scorpio. We're often compatible. That's on the list."

"Ah, same! I was hoping you'd realize that," Takao unabashedly admits, scooting up closer to walk at Midorima's side. It takes effort not to lean on him too much. "Our blood types are good, too, yeah? Because I'm O, and that gets along just fine with yours!"

Midorima's mouth opens, then closes. "If you're just going to guess the rest of the list I suppose I don't need to say it out loud."

"No, I wanna hear it, I definitely want to hear it!" That calls for a headbutt to one lean shoulder, which is about as unaffectionate as Takao can manage being just then. "Or you could write it down, too, and we can exchange lists later. That's good."

About to agree (everything is better with lists), Midorima pauses. "Can you print yours off at school? I forgot, my mother told me to bring a friend to dinner tonight. I was going to tell her I don't have any friends, but if you're free…"

"I was going to handwrite it, that makes it better!" Takao tilts his head, eyebrows raising. "Shin-chan is inviting me for dinner? Of course I'll come. Also, you shouldn't lie to your mother, you're stuck with me from now on."

"I changed my mind, I'm going to find the captain of the chess team."

"Too late, I'm gonna glue myself to you with my gum. She's also an Aquarius, don't go that route."

Midorima makes a pinched, exhausted face. "Better not," he agrees. "We'll stop on the way to my house and buy you some proper clothing to wear inside my home."

"Haa? What's wrong with the stuff I have? I'm a very fashionable dresser, thank you very much."

"Too modern. Your name is bad enough. Can you sit in seiza for the whole meal? We don't have chairs."

"Hey, I have an awesome name." Ughh, what kind of family does Shin have, anyway? "And yeah, I… think I can manage. I'll consider it extensive training."

"You may have a point. If it strengthens the muscles in your legs, I'll recommend to the captain that we all sit in seiza even in class." Midorima looks down, watching their footsteps as Takao jogs slightly to keep up with his strides. "Your name is on my list, by the way."

Any and all desire to groan about the task of sitting in seiza for extended periods is lost when that little sliver of a compliment is extended. Takao blinks up at him, slowly grinning. "Shin-chan likes my name?"

"I like that it suits you. Modern name, modern dress, modern hair. You're a consistent person, Takao Kazunari. I appreciate consistence." Ah, all this giving of compliments is going to give him a stomachache.

"You would, wouldn't you?" Takao murmurs thoughtfully, that stupid grin still plastered to his face. He can't help it, not when Midorima's being like this so early in the day. Geez, it wouldn't have gone this well even if all his plans had actually happened. "I'll keep being consistent, then. In games, too. And whatever else, if it's easier on you."

"If you didn't keep being consistent, you wouldn't be consistent." Midorima takes off his glasses for a moment to rub his eyes before putting them back on. At least since Takao is in his class they won't have to set up a meeting point after school. That's nice. It's very like Takao to make life a little easier on him. In fact, that's on the list, though he'll save that for later. He wouldn't want Takao to get too excited by hearing the whole thing at once. "Stop smiling in class. No one smiles in class, someone is going to think it's strange."

"But I smile in class all the time! You just don't notice." The back of your neck is nice to look at.

Midorima stops short just outside of the classroom. "Takao. Make my excuses. I can't go into class like this." His face is red, and people will talk.

Well, if his face is already red… Takao's grin widens as he nods, shrugging Midorima's bag up a bit higher on his shoulder as he looks about the now very empty halls. "Will do," he cheerfully agrees, and stretches up onto wobbly tiptoes, just shy of stealing a kiss. "I'll tell them you were having a sinking spell, like a real delicate princess."

If his face was slightly flushed before, it's red as a fire truck now. There should be some kind of a rule against Takao, really. "I-"

Flustered, he shoves the alpaca into Takao's arms, turning and taking off for the nearest toilet. Just because Oha Asa was right doesn't make this any less embarrassing.