ABCs
A is for Arrogance.
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Manjiro Sano was arrogant – his self-assurance in his performance was beyond doubt, the confidence he put in himself was immeasurable. He was haughty in the way he knew he would always win, despite how bigger and stronger the opponent was.
B is for Breakable.
✧
There were many words to describe Takemichi Hanagaki, reckless, brave – idiotic, but breakable was one the entire gang of Toman could agree with.
Glass, that's what most people thought he was made of, delicate, frail, and wholly breakable. They would tiptoe around him and spoke in gentle, calming tones as if he were going to break down and cry at moment's notice (well they weren't wrong), as he usually does when faced with another gang fight.
Or faced with the danger of any kind, really.
He was just too fragile to be captain of a biker gang.
Whispers about his skills, or lack thereof, start to circle through the divisions of the gang.
"He's a chicken, a pansy, a yellow-bellied coward with no fighting prowess or skill."
That's partly true.
"It's a miracle he's survived this long."
Yeah, tell him about it. Every day feels like his last.
"He's nothing but a cry-baby. A weakling, a fake wannabee who probably just showed up in the right time to hog all the glory."
Hearing that rumor, kind of made him laugh a little. And he swears that the laughter that bubbles out of him is only a little hysterical.
Takemichi has heard it all before, the rumors and callous remarks about his person, but it still surprises him when Chifuyu, Hakkai, and quite often Mitsuya, would step forward, every time they hear the remarks, anger apparent on their faces as they defend his honor.
None of these rumor spreaders were there during the battle against Black Dragon on that fateful Christmas Day, none of them had seen Takemichi go toe to toe with Taiju. They didn't see the determination on Takemichi's face as he took hit after hit, they didn't see the sole punch he managed to land on Taiju, forcing him to his knee.
They don't know his true potential, how he can strengthen his entire squadron with the fewest words of encouragement, or his bone-deep determination to protect and save those he loves.
Takemichi doesn't mind the rumors or the accusations all that much, honestly. Some of them are even true. He knows that he can be particularly pathetic when he's staring death in the face. Or when he constantly whines and complains about the threat of death in turf fights, sometimes it's just easy to get overwhelmed in the world he lives in.
But when he's standing side by side with Mikey and the other Toman members in the midst of battle, he doesn't feel flimsy and frail, he feels strong.
After successfully winning the fights, he celebrates being alive and clings to the people who mean more to him than anything in the entire world, a rag-tag group of delinquent teenagers who have somehow wormed their way into his heart and made their home in his bones.
His friends, no, his family, who he'd take knives and bullets for, move time and space for, go to the ends of the earth for them because his love for them was truly the definition of unconditional.
And gods above, he can't live without them.
And under the cover of darkness, when they are all bandaged up and recovering, tightly squeezed into Draken's bedroom, they'd joyfully share stories about their hopes and dreams for the future, cuddling closer to each other, sharing cans of beer, and laughing when Takemichi coughs as the alcohol burns his throat, he feels like the strongest and luckiest person alive.
