Takao will be grateful for that; he is off balance as it is. Less now than when he arrived, Mayuzumi and Kise had been extraordinary, even the Ren guy; they all had put a foot forward to help Takao feel better here. But, this normalcy does more than anything else, he'll be fighting hard to hold on to it.

Takao does not have to see it to know it; would he put up with half the shit he does if not for the fact that he knows, Midorima is a good guy. He reveals that often to other people who would otherwise miss it under his cold outside demeanor.

"Fetch him...oi, what are you up to?" Then Takao is watching Merlin struggle and snickering, really the dog is adorable, and he could scoop him up. That is until Merlin starts having a field day with his shoelaces, "You can teach him to eat shoelaces but not to stay?"

It's amusing, and really if they were not his basketball shoes, he'd probably let Merlin have at it. He even gives a little tug, laughing and grinning at the fluff. "You're cute, but I need those for basketball, and he seems to forget that." Oh well, what do you know Merlin is not letting go "Hey, come on now, I need those. Shin-chan!" Yes, he blames Midorima, not Merlin, even as he is locked here in a tug of war with the pup.