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[Their discussion seems to last just long enough for Aki to clean up and wash off, pulling his pajamas on as he dries his hair with the door open. He hears the commotion and assumes they're tussling and is privately glad that it means Denji might be snapping out of whatever it is that got him so upset, but instead the door opens and he sees Power shove him out into the hallway across from the bathroom. He stares at him from the doorway, towel still over his head, and slowly pulls it off.]
What? [Then, residual annoyance creeping in, he makes a guess.] She can't kick us out again, don't let her say there are boy-cooties on you. [The amount of times she's tried to keep the bedroom area to herself and Meowy is uncountable. Aki actually threatened to take her to the library to prove there's no such thing as cooties because the debates were so grating.]
What? She's not kicking us out…
[ A twist of the bedroom lock can be heard behind Denji, just as his hands touch the handle. Thanks, Power. ]
She kicked us out. [ …Well. Pointedly not making eye contact with Aki, he sighs, brushing past him to pad into the kitchen. She'll have to let them back in eventually, yeah? May as well rifle through the fridge until then. There's still that half-finished can of soda in there, so he'll help himself to that. ]
Whazzat s'posed to mean? [ Eyes rolling down to his chest, the starter cable nothing but a barely discernible bump under his shirt, his hand claps down on the spot. He gives it a fond little pet. ] You're saying that like I want your guy germs all over him! [ Pochita, that is. ] Not a chance in hell, man.
[ And there it goes. The main point flying over Denji's head as per usual. ]
That wouldn't have happened if you'd just walked with me to begin with! [ He huffs. ] So you done eating, or…?
[Great. He's not going to try and guess the secret word. Aki watches Denji pass him into the kitchen and go into the fridge and...]
Don't drink that. You need to go to bed. [A sugary drink before bed is definitely not good for him. Aki steps out of the bathroom to stand in the path to the kitchen, watching him. Still silently annoyed. Why is he pretending like nothing happened ten minutes ago?]
Have you calmed down now? [He's never been someone who can just sit on a topic where he feels he's in the right. Denji should apologize to him, so he stares at him expectantly.]
Yeah... [He carries the bag like it weighs way more than it actually does.] How much farther? Are we going all the way back to your neighborhood? [He doesn't know how far they commute but the idea of taking the train is kind of a pain. They're convenient, sure, but he's never liked them.] You should have just brought him with you and made him carry everything.
[ Denji wants to push past him, push him fully aside, just to show him he can. That even though his arms are too skinny, and the school nurse told him that his body mass index is below the average range for someone his age and height, he's not totally useless. But he knows that with the way Aki's been training like a hound from hell, he'd never be able to make it beyond a few steps. He'd be lucky to get away with only a couple bruises from the exertion…
His jaw stiffens. Like he's bracing himself, like he's willing to say screw it and make a run for it. ]
Can you move already? I'll even share it with you. So don't be annoying.
[Again he's so flippant about this stuff. Aki visibly tenses at Denji's wording and doesn't move an inch from his spot in the hallway.]
I'm the one being annoying? [He takes a step forward, reaching out to snatch the soda from his hand.] You're being childish. Throwing a tantrum because I suggest you visit a grave - Saying you'll never be an adult...
[He could pretend Denji just meant it in the subconscious way, that he'll never grow up. To imagine Denji as an adult is hard enough, but to think he'd be a Peter Pan about it would be more comforting than the alternative. But it's hard to pretend that was what he meant when he keeps saying things like this, like he doesn't know every time how much it rankles at Aki.]
Do you want me to leave you here in daycare while Power and I go on the trip? Is that what you'd prefer, if you're going to insist on remaining a child?
Shut up.
[ The edges of his voice are tight and weary. Hurt, despite knowing that Aki threatening to leave him alone is simply tit for tat. He whips around to stomp toward the kitchen again to fetch a rag and wet it in the sink. ]
Get your head outta your ass. It's not just any grave, [ Denji says when he's back, standing the can back up. The joints of his knees crackle as he crouches. ] You don't know. [ He scrubs and scrubs, white-knuckled, using more strength in the motion than he has to. More so to erase how shaken he feels than to actually clean anything up. ] You don't know what door you're trying to open.
[He wants to snap at him for making a mess, call him a child again because he knows it's getting to him, but Aki stops when he hears that gravel in his voice. He stares down at him as he scrubs at the soda, the carbonation fizzled out and just a puddle of brown now. He doesn't know, he's right. But what does it matter? His point still stands.]
What do you mean, door? [He doesn't move to approach, standing his ground where he is in the hallway.] I want you to start thinking about these things. You're too old to brush them under the rug. It's time to start thinking about your future. [He takes in a brief breath of annoyance, something else coming to mind.] I heard what junk you put on your career planning form. Do you really think life is so easy that you can lay back and just dream about girls all day and night instead of anything that matters? [Maybe he should let off, but he's already speeding and if he's going to get pulled over, what's an extra few miles over the limit?] I need you to care about this stuff. For people like us - All we have is one another, and I can't take care of you forever.
Denji isn't even cleaning anymore, just blinking hard at his hands, cold and pruning from digging into the wet rag. ]
Then it's a good thing you won't have to forever, right? You must — [ The words close up in his throat, too hoarse and dry from the intensity of his breathing that he has to cough to clear away the feeling of having something lodged in it. ] Must be happy as shit to get to start over somewhere new. You won't have to come home as often once you're a big adult, no need to see us, yeah? 'cause you'd rather stare at your stupid fucking future —
[ Denji's eyes squeeze as he soars to his feet, hurtling the rag at Aki. Rushes for the entryway, twisting the lock and wrenching the door open hard enough for it the bang against the wall. Doesn't even look back as he takes off running, pitching himself through the dark of night. ]
Just go! Go on your trip, go to Tokyo — I hope you never come back and visit my grave!
[It's a stronger response than one he's gotten from Denji in... years, Aki thinks. The rag snaps him in the face and he moves out of the way in shock, wiping it away just in time to see him rush out the door. He starts to call after him, his voice pitching with anger and frustration, but he stops. Stares after him for a moment, forcing himself to stay in place.]
[Fine, he thinks. Let him run. Let him run off and go cry behind a dumpster. See if he cares. If he's going to act childish then Aki will be an adult about this. He takes the rag into the sink and wrings it out, dropping it over the edge of it and staring down into the basin. He shouldn't care. He never said anything wrong. He wants Denji to do the things he was grateful he had done earlier. The moment he was able to return home to do a grave visit, he did. It didn't matter that he had to save up for two extra tickers, it was worth it. And it would be worth it for Denji, too. So what if he didn't have a close relationship with his family, if that's the case? They're still family. He should respect them. If Denji died - ]
[Aki grips the basin tightly. His teeth clenched together behind lips pulled thin. He squeezes his eyes shut, willing the thought to leave his head, but it's always there. It's never not there. If Denji died, if Power died. He's always scared of that. He thinks about how the last thing he said to his parents was an annoyed snap. How he called his brother stupid rather than his name when he came running after him. If this was the last time he saw Denji, how could he go on if the last words he heard him say were that he hoped he wouldn't visit his grave?]
[He bangs on the bedroom door until Power unlocks it so he can tell her to stay inside and not to let anyone in, but to keep the door unlocked. She offers to come with but Aki tells her to stay - if Denji comes back, somoene should be here. She starts to argue but he's already pulling his shoes on and hurrying outside, repeating for her to stay put even as she insists she can smell him from a mile away and wouldn't he like to use her ultra-sensitive wonderful nose? Aki doesn't respond and just rushes outside, pushing the door shut behind himself. If he's not immediately visible, he starts to hurry through the streets, calling his name loudly into the night.]
[Devils aren't nocturnal things. They could be out no matter what time it is. But it doesn't matter. The pounding fear that Denji will run right into the maws of one keeps him yelling his name until his throat aches.]
[ Plus, Aki would have put hard parameters for what and how much they would be buying! It'd be like bringing a rain cloud out on a walk with them. Having that stressful back-and-forth would render the whole purpose of this excursion moot, from his perspective. ]
Relax, there's a store somewhere… around… [ Denji leads them jogging across the street and past another corner, where the comforting glow of convenience store lighting stops right at their feet. ] Yeah, here we are! What'd I tell you? Then we'll track down a cab and call it a night! I won't have to hear you walk and whine anymore.
[Well... Maybe. But maybe fresh air is good for him, he considers arguing. It's not worth it, since the time has come and gone. He's not here, and they can't go back in time and change that. So he follows along as Denji runs through the street, not even bothering to match his pace, but he looks a little relieved when it seems he's found his destination. At least there's that. But what he actually comes to is...]
Just a convenience store... [There are hundreds of those! They could have gone to one in the very opposite direction that was much closer! Ugh. Still with the pants draped around his neck and holding the plastic bag on his fingers, he stares at Denji with a look of disdain. He's such a strange thing, traipsing through the city like this so late at night for a simple convenience store.]
Well, get your list... [He heads inside and out of the cold. The convenience stores closer to the bureau recognize him and don't freak out but not so at a place further away. There's no panic but without a uniform he definitely stands out. And the pants don't help with that.]
Right? Was this a memory or was it just some dream he adopted as one? If not, was his dad already dead by then? Was his mom? He thinks she died young, but how young, he can't really parse out, not unless he finely picks his memory clean from beginning to end, crust to core, page to page.
And he can't do that while his feet hurt so bad, dirt and pebbles stabbing into the bottom of his feet like shrapnel. About three minutes into his run, Denji's velocity drops into a walk, his chest heavy, his lung twined with what feels like a pack of rocks. After he manages to catch his breath, he picks his pace back up again. Keeps on like that for a while, slowing and racing down the street, ignoring the blisters starting to bubble in his skin. Dumb of him not to wear shoes, he knows. But he was mad. People do things when they're mad. Like throw stuff: words, rags, beer bottles. You don't mean to hurt anyone or see anyone get hurt, it just happens.
Eventually, he arrives at a playground. It's an older one; the three of them used to wile their time on the swings here back as junior high students. He and Power would always insist on standing on the seats, competing for who could arc to the highest height, and yelling bribes down at Aki to push one or the both of them, or even to join in the competition. Now, though, Denji walks past the swing set, crawling inside a dome shaped like a lady bug, its holes entrances for young children to hide inside during games. He's not sure what compels him to. Maybe he just wants to feel enclosed, wrapped inside something, the way you might with a hug. In there, collapsed on his back, he's finally able to breathe, let the weak, yet still pumping, artery in his chest rest.
His eyes close — it's late, he should be more conscious of his surroundings, sure, but who the hell cares if there's something hiding in the shadow? He might even have more in common with whatever's there than who's waiting for him back at home.
So when Denji hears a dark snarl, all teeth, he doesn't even flinch when he turns his head to look. ]
This one's the best — better than all the other convenience stores combined!
[ The reason? Their selection of xxx mags are top-notch. Whether Angel follows him to the extremely well-hidden stand or simply leaves him to talk to himself, Denji pulls a book from the display and gives it an indelicate shake… ]
See, check this out. Wha-cha!
[ …The cover unfolds to reveal a long, fold-out poster of, you guessed it, models in bunny outfits. ]
Neat, right? Doubt that prude ever showed ya this.
[He doesn't know why he comes to the playground, just that it seems like somewhere a kid would go when running away. He's seen it in movies and anime, children hiding in the slide tunnel or under the cover of the raised paths. He remembers going here with Denji and Power some years ago, thinking this felt normal, felt good. It wasn't long after he had gotten approved for school housing with them so it felt especially grown up to be able to take them to somewhere in their new neighborhood. Somewhere nice and safe and friendly. Then, he was passing by the ladybug patterned dome and spotted a child crouched there, dirty and skinny and dead in the eyes. Not the first nor the last kid he had seen like that, but in that moment it struck him. He took the two of them home and insisted on making something big for how much energy they let out. Secretly, selfishly, telling himself they'd never turn out like that kid.]
[So maybe that's why he goes to the playground, and maybe that's why he passes the swings and goes toward the ladybug. Power liked that spot more, liked the red color and the spots, but when he gets close and hears a snapping sound Aki freezes up, immediately thaws as he backs away. He knows where all the police call boxes are in the area (because of course he does) but the nearest one is at the entry to the playground. Too far to get to if something is chasing him. He starts to creep towards the call box in the hopes whatever it is won't hear him but when he moves toward the swings he sees a flash of what looks like blond. When he does a double take, he's sure that's exactly what it is.]
[There's no time to second guess that and there's no time to wait for a devil hunter. Aki has been preparing for this his entire life, he tells himself as fear ripples through him. This is what he's going to do. Save people. Protect the family he does have. Pulling up to his full height, he marches forward with nothing but his body to defend himself and yells out with equal parts rage and fear in his voice.] Hey! Devil!
[He took him all this way just for pornography... Angel stares from Denji to the magazine, the random woman dressed as a bunny. Bunny... A bunny...?]
[Then it looks like he figured something out and Angel's expression sinks with a sigh.]
Is that why you told me I look like a bunny? Is that the kind of thing you like or something?
[So weird... No wonder Aki Hayakawa is so miserable all the time. He has to deal with a teenager who is sexually aroused by rabbits.]
[ Denji's jaw falls ajar, his gaze flitting frantically between Angel, who's face is soft and round like a rabbit's, certainly, and the seductively posed woman in a tuxedo-bunny suit. He kinda has a point, that showing him this is pretty incriminating, but… that's not… he wasn't… ]
I said you looked like a bunny 'cause you look like one. This lady, um… like, her costume's hot, right? Has nothing to do with her wearing bunny ears or whatever! She could be wearing a nurse outfit or a turtle shell or something…
[ Yeah, this isn't working out. Hurriedly, he shoves the magazine back on the stand. ]
Ugh, forget it. You wouldn't understand! [ His phone's gone dark by now, but a few taps at his phone screen brings the grocery list back open, which he holds in view for the two of them to glance over.
air flryer
strawbry ice cream
jam
bread
cake
tissues
booze
…Right. ]
Okay, you take the top three! I'll find the rest.
[But now he's being assigned half of the shopping list and nods without putting up a fight. Only doing half is better than doing any of it. Although... The air flyer is something he'll ignore for now, since it's bound to be the heaviest. He heads for the ice cream first and picks out a cone of strawberry, but figures more is better and grabs vanilla as well. But if it's just a cone, it might not be as good as the whole cartons, so he grabs one of those as well before heading to get jam, studying all the various flavors before selecting strawberry and blueberry, which he feels is a good variety(?). Satisfied, he carries his hoard over to the kitchen goods aisle but no matter where he looks he can't find an air flyer. There's a hand mixer and a mini toaster oven but the closest he can find is a frying pan. After debating for a moment if this is similar enough, he takes it off the rack and then moves back through the rows to find Denji, everything cradled messily in his arms.]
Are you all done? I found everything. [He didn't even go crazy in the candy aisle.]
And judging by Denji's the widening of his eyes as he very slightly jerks to regard Aki, his bellow is more startling to him than the devil teething his forearm. ]
What, he found me already…? [ The devil groans weakly in reaction to the new presence, threatened by him for obvious reasons, prompting Denji to refocus. Trying to soothe him, to hush his whimpering, he murmurs, ] Oh, don't worry about him, boy, Aki doesn't bite.
[ …Actually, maybe he shouldn't promise that. There's a reason why Aki is so dead set on passing the Public Safety hiring exam, after all; he can't discount the possibility that Aki may hate devils enough to bite one, even one that's injured and unable to protect itself. So he follows up his statement with a correction. ]
I won't let him bite you.
[ If he knows Aki, he'll probably be stomping up soon to bully him some more. Drag him back home. It'll be more painful for both the devil and Denji if he's wrenched away in the midst of him gulping down his blood, so he gently pries his jaw open to release his arm. In a louder voice, he goes: ] This devil's a good boy, so don't hurt him, Aki. I'm being serious. I'll bite you.
[This is, like, literally the worst thing he could come across. Denji petting a devil with a chainsaw sticking out of its head as it sinks its teeth into his arm. It doesn't matter if the bite is gentle and more like a chew than a snap - it's still drinking his blood, which makes them stronger, as does fear, which Aki is giving it. He stands in the entry to the ladybug as if he's ready to kick the bean-shaped dog out the other side when Denji stops him. Even pries the mouth of the thing off of him without getting snapped at or rammed through.]
Wh- What?!
[A good boy?? What the hell does that mean?! It's a devil! He even knows it's a devil, he called it a devil! At once he reaches inside to try and grab Denji by the collar, aiming to yank him out of the ladybug.] Are you insane?! You can't - That's a devil, you idiot! Do you want to die?! And you - You gave it your blood, that's how they heal!
[ Though his wounds are closing, further establishing his identity as a devil, the dog is skittish, lowering his weight and scrabbling backwards on his stomach at Aki's approach. However, he stays within watching distance, eyes keen on Denji. Not with the same greed that might fill any other devil watching their meal, the tiny traces of blood slipping free from his arm, stolen from them. Rather, he seems to be taking in the way his feet slide across the ground, struggling to land solidly as he doesn't fight back against Aki hauling him away. ]
He wasn't gonna kill me! And I… I didn't heal it for free or anything.
[ An ominous insinuation. ]
I'm not as stupid and useless as you think I am.
You just gave a devil your blood!
[Denji is not beating the stupid and useless allegations tonight. Aki keeps dragging him backwards, his eyes locked on the devil, waiting for it to lunge at them but it's just... staring. It looks like a dog in a submissive stance, its body low. He holds onto Denji, one arm around his waist to keep him grasped against him.]
What the hell were you doing? Why did you... What were you thinking?! [Devils can't pay money or trade goods and services for blood, so what does he mean, he didn't heal it for free? He finally reaches down to his arm to grasp at it, examine the damage for a fleeting second while he looks away from the devil.] You... You're so stupid, so - ...
[Fingers tight around his wrist, he can feel his face getting warm with stress and relief that he's alright. Even if they're not out of the woods, the adrenaline that Denji is alright is enough for the moment as he keeps his grasp on him.]
You scared the crap out of me... What were you thinking...?
…'m okay. I'm okay.
[ His hands snake up, grabbing Aki's elbows, trying to keep him at a distance as he twists to make eye contact with the dog-devil. Denji smiles wanly at the creature, an assurance that he's not in any danger — whether he's convinced by the display or not is hard to tell, but he at least doesn't look like he'll bolt anywhere. He definitely won't be lunging for Denji and Aki, at any rate. ]
A… Aniki.
[ The faintly bashful address tumbles out unnaturally from Denji, who's still looking at the dog. He never calls Aki that, not even when he's trying to butter him up; it always felt like something better reserved for a special occasion, like offerings his congratulations on passing his exam or slapping his back on his wedding day — if he could even make it to that point. ]
I don't wanna die. I don't wanna have you takin' care of me until the end forever and ever, either. So I made a contract… [ Ears loud with the thrum of his heartbeat and his stomach doing extreme acrobatics, Denji gulps. His grip on Aki is equal in tightness to Aki's own grip him. Willing up the courage, his eyes whip up, Denji taking a step closer as he excitedly declares: ] In exchange for healing him, he'll take care of me so you won't have to!
[It's like everything Denji says hits him in slow motion. He's not going to die. He doesn't want Aki to have to take care of him. He made a contract. The devil will take care of him. He made a contract.]
[He made a contract.]
[Aki flashes back to when he first started studying for Public Safety's entry exams, all the way back in junior high. When Denji and Power were still just kids, not even teens. He would answer all their questions about devils and how devil hunters killed them, how fiends were just as much devils as a regular devil - how some devil hunters made contracts with devils in order to use them to kill other devils. He remembers being disturbed by the idea, when he was first learning. But eventually forced himself over that hurdle. Understood them as tools, not partners. Understood that it was a necessary risk for a greater goal of destroying devils. And he thought he explained that to them. Thought he told them how that worked. But now Denji so eagerly tells him this, that he made a contract with this devil crouching hidden in a playground, that the devil will keep him safe so Aki won't have to.]
[He wants to drop onto his knees and cry. Denji made a devil contract. Stupid, idiot Denji who can't remember how to make curry properly, who thought Power was a fiend because she wore a horned headband, Denji who ate a dirt pie because another kid told him it was chocolate despite the worm crawling through the center...]
[He's so angry at him. But more than that, he's mourning. Because how much blood would a devil demand in return for keeping an idiot like Denji safe?]
You're so stupid... You're such an idiot... You're so...
[...And did he call him aniki??]
Why... Why that one?
[Was it just the first one he saw? Did it manipulate him? He's grasping at straws, some sort of explanation for why he did this.]
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