windfall | what i desire most, what i fear most

[ And in that same instant of excitement, Power drops him, no problem — ] Oof. [ She doesn't even have the decency to lay his head back down on the pillow that's right there before she's skipping out the door. But at least, by the look of it, they're getting fried chicken. Dinner of champions, and all that.

Rubbing the back of his head, Denji unsteadily hoists himself upright, a hand snapping out to clasp on to Aki's shoulder to avoid narrowly tipping straight back into the futon. A heavy breath emits from him. So this amount of movement is still hard for him… Well, it's good to know what his limits are. That way, he knows just how much to push and challenge them.

He doesn't bother trying to stand at his full height in this condition; he knows that he'll need Aki's help just to make it to the bathroom without cracking his head open. Once he feels balanced enough to release him, Denji drags his shirt up from the back, then works off the bottoms of his uniform with a few kicks. He doesn't touch his underwear because, uh, the cat and dog pair are staring at him from the foot of the bed, like they're watching a squirrel fidget about on the windowsill. Not that there's really much to study of his reedy frame; whenever he looks himself in the mirror, he barely feels any taller or wider than the patches of horsetail some grandmas in the area grow in their little plant beds. The whole of him, only a fraction of a person.

Anyway, this is about as good as it's gonna get for him. He looks at Aki, both his hands raised toward him, expectantly. ]

Help me up?

[Fried chicken, only, isn't going to cut it. He's going to need to make something healthier, some greens or maybe some porridge with plenty of healthy broth. Aki is thinking about that as Denji struggles to sit up and nearly misses his toppling, reaching out to grab him at the last second. He holds onto him until he's mostly upright and undressed to his skivvies, reaching for him like a child wanting to go up. Well... He still is that, in a way.]

Come on. [He leans over to lift him up, hoisting him over his shoulder before carefully pulling himself to his feet. He's a little unsteady for a few steps before he gets the weight distribution and can carry Denji the short walk to the bathroom. Plop him down inside on the stool before he can let his fingers dig too hard into the brittle ribs that seem to nearly pop out of his skin. He can hear a soft pochi sound behind himself and looks over his shoulder. The devil, peeking in from the doorway. He sighs and motions the thing in before shutting the door.]

Take your underwear off, too. Here. [He strips his own clothes off as he speaks, a blood-stained pile left on the edge of the door before he helps Denji sit up enough to get the rest of his clothes off. Once they're both nude and Pochita is busy sniffing the pile of laundry, he turns on the showerhead and begins spraying him down, starting at his hair, fingers running through blond locks until he stops seeing a faint pink river fall from his neck.]

You can lean back against me, if you need to. But don't fall asleep yet.

[ Aki drapes him over his shoulder like he's watched him do with Meowy so many times before, usually when she won't stop climbing on top of the counter to sniff, full-faced, into their food, and Denji… weirdly doesn't mind. It does make him feel like a kid, but not in the way that immediately incites him to prove otherwise. More like, he feels — safe, as if Aki isn't going to let him fall.

Between the two of them, they're in for a mess — he can already tell, staring down at how the dirt and blood snake toward the drain, hypnotized. The whole bathroom is probably going to need a good hose down after this, some of the pink speckling out from his hair and onto nearby wall tiles from the force of the spray. Hunched over, hair fanning over his face, that's the way Denji falls asleep for a moment, then jerks back awake when Aki speaks to him, his head bobbing up. ]

H-Hahwhuh? I… wazzun't 'sleep. [ He knows Aki isn't going to believe him. He looks back as he reclines into him, anyway, leaning heavily into one side over the other, as if to say, See? Awake. The strained, half-lidded droop of his eyes isn't really telling the story he believes it is, though.

…A pause. His gaze dips, a hand rising to press into Aki's chest. ] Nothin' feels too broken in there? You're not gonna go to sleep and not wake up, right?

[ There are stories like that on the news sometimes. People who look perfectly fine, dying from internal hemo-something. Hemo-raging? Anyway. ]

[Aki's gaze goes a little sharp at his question, clearly upset with the phrasing.]

Nothing's going to happen to me. I'm fine.

[Even if his shoulders tensed a little at the prod, his stomach sucking in with brief pain. But it's nothing big, just a bruise that's still in its welting stage, only red and white and not yet hard. In the growing warmth of the bathroom and the flush of his skin, he expects it to all blend in. To draw his attention away, he turns Denji's head back around and tells him,] Sit still. [Then starts massaging shampoo into his scalp, pushing out any remainder of blood that may be hiding in his roots.]

...Don't say something like that. Falling asleep and not waking up. [He can't ignore it well enough. The itch of it still bothering him.] I'm not going anywhere. Some low-grade devil like that isn't enough to hurt me. You know that.

[ The trim of Aki's voice has Denji biting back initially, somewhat taken off-guard by minor amount of force behind his words, but his expression swiftly shifts to one of annoyance. Aki's always fussing over him. He should be able to take what he keeps dishing. ]

Still, that guy it threw at you — [ He didn't get the same clear view of him the way Aki did, but there was something weird about how that zombie swung him around, like he was completely weightless, boneless, the guardrails that make someone form the shape of a person insignificant. There wasn't even a grunt from him when he hit Aki. His point should be obvious. ] I'm just sayin'. He even looked taller than you, like the kind that does tons of sports. But he still ended up like that.

[ Unconscious and hurt, he assumes. Denji doesn't know whether he wound up dead or alive, if they scooped him away on a gurney or in a body bag. His head falls forward, hair hanging as beads of soapy water pelt the tiles, dissipating. ]

[He shouldn't be so aggravated to hear this, but Denji's concerns pick at a scab on him that he's tried to hide. He doesn't want anyone to know he might have even the smallest amount of fear inside of him when dealing with a devil. Doesn't want Denji or Power or anyone else to ever think he might get scared, or even worse - get hurt. No, not just hurt. He can deal with getting hurt, he's gotten into enough scuffles in his life that pain doesn't bother him like that. But Denji voices the real concern of something even worse happening without even realizing it. "Ended up like that."]

I'm not going to die.

[Tense and flat. Unwavering despite how it feels like Denji just tore that scab off in one deft yank, fresh blood flowing from the half-healed wound. He's not going to die. He can't die yet.]

Killing devils and sports aren't the same thing. It's not just about being strong. It's about being smart. Keeping calm.

[He sprays his hair clear, watches the final bits of blood wash into pale streams. When he sets the shower head down, he takes the moment to breathe slow, exhale before he turns back around. Expression steady. Unaffected.]

No devil is ever going to knock me around like that.

[ I'm not going to die. Aki says it like the swing of an axe, a sharp finality meant to cleave through Denji's uncertainty, the suspicion that his brother's resolve may not hold as true as he thinks. That he's not as ready to commit himself to the life of a devil hunter as he lets on. Each word after that hits like he's trying to finish the job, hacking away because the first strike wasn't enough to hit center.

Denji can partly tell that he's not the sole person Aki is speaking to, but he gives a short, weary nod like he is. Not necessarily in agreement, but to indicate he's listening. It's hard imagining Aki dying, not because he can't, but because it's all too easy to visualize. He'd rather pretend he's safe from all that stuff. ]

…You were cool back there, I guess. [ He tilts his head, twisting his hair to strain out the water. He probably needs a haircut. ] Just dunno if I'd call it calm. But it's fine — if anything tries to knock you on your ass again, I'll stop it. I mean, you saw me. I was like, like a superhero out there. I came in like fwoosh — ow, crud, I got something in my eye.

[ Real badass superhero here. Some of the residual suds lightly burns at his eyes, the scrapes adorning his face, and Denji tries to roughly scrub at his face. When that doesn't work, he gropes around for the nozzle, hoping that spraying himself in the face will help. ]

[...Okay, so maybe he wasn't as calm as he wanted to be, but he's still training, okay? Plus, Denji was in there, and how is he supposed to stay calm if someone he knows is involved? Especially if it was him or Power. There's no way he could play it cool in that situation. ...Not yet, anyway.]

Yeah, a real superhero. [His voice drips with sarcasm at that as he turns the faucet back on and helps him get the soap out of his eyes.] If you ever do something like that again, I really will make you sleep in Meowy's travel crate. That little devil you picked up can hardly cut through a tree trunk, let alone another devil.

[He grabs the washcloth and suds it up in his hands before scrubbing off his back next, the thin stains of blood that seeped through his jacket.] Don't ever do that again. I'm not kidding. I meant it, that I'd take you training with me, but that's just so you can get away when you need to. You can't fight with - [- your body Ugh. No, he won't say that.] ...with that devil. It's not strong enough.

[ With the faucet on, water quickly clears his eyes, his vision returning to him, steadying on the mass of color comprising their deformed reflections in the silver shower head. He begins to relax back into him again, but then Aki's adopting that grating tone of voice he reserves for when he's playing parent and chewing them out. Making it obvious that if he weren't busy ensuring Denji won't dirty his pajamas when he changes, he'd rather be standing over him, arms crossed, with a disapproving glower.

His shoulder blades rise, bones nearly looking the way an overflowing grocery bag looks, right before the bottom bursts. But then air is going out the same way it came in, frustrated, and battering through his clenched canines. Pochita looks up at them, sensing the shift in his demeanor. ]

Then don't scare me like that, [ he mutters. If he weren't so tired, he'd probably yell it at Aki. Hypocrite. ] I'll do what you want, whatever. Just don't do that. Don't run the other way, without me.

[Run the other way...? It takes Aki a moment to understand what he means. When he sent Denji and Power toward the apartment as he kept going. He wants to make an excuse and explain his rationale, that he was doing the right thing, saving anyone else from getting hurt and making sure it didn't follow them to the apartment... But it's going to fall on deaf ears and he knows it. Aki sighs and wrings out the wash cloth over his skin.]

Fine.

[A grumbled promise of compliance. Maybe if something happens like this again, he'll be able to kill the devil right in front of Denji, anyway. That's not running in another direction, right?]

[For a moment, his hands hover over his shoulders, staring down at him, the way his bones seem to butt against his very skin. No muscle or fat in between. The warm drip of water down his back, rolling into a blood-dyed puddle at their feet. If something happens like this again...]

...When we go to the doctor, I'll ask what kinds of exercises would be good for you. So you can come with me, on the weekends. [That's when he tends to go train by himself. He sets his hands on his shoulders and rubs down his arms to squeeze his limbs.] Something that'll help fatten you up, too. With how much you eat, you should be putting on more weight.

Mm… Not so hard, dude.

[ What comes is supposed to be a complaint, but rather, releases in a whimpered breath as Aki evaluates his musculature, as if he's holding an anatomical doll. ]

Softer. [ Then, tacked on, like he's remembering something Aki has told him to do countless times: ] Please?

[ His touch isn't what he'd call bad, though. The sensation of his fingertips inadvertently working into the places he's aching most feels really odd, but also really pleasant. Better than how it felt to have Power massage his head in earlier, that's for sure. And unaware of himself, he keeps brushing back up against Aki, so that he might be able to press out more of the tension from his arms — gentler, as he's requested.

Denji generally has a warmer complexion, but it's hard to tell from how pale with sickness he so often looks, the delicacy of his skin always made more obvious by how vibrant things like bruises and scrapes are when they illuminate his body. Yet it's the soreness that never fails to bother him the most. It's like after spending an above average amount of time exerting himself, his heart rate elevated, he needs the remainder of the week to recuperate and re-oil his body into something that operates at half-power. If a doctor can really help, that'd be nice and all, but if they're just going to poke and prod him, then send him home with a supplement plan or something…

Well, hopefully, it'll be worth it. ]

Um, when we go, do you think the tests and stuff will be annoying? Do you think they'll take my blood like that last time? That was a lot. My head felt funny…

[ He doesn't really want them to take the things he needs to give Pochita, anyway. ]

[Aki lightens the squeeze, though he notes to himself he was hardly squeezing at all in the first place. Man... He seriously needs to figure out how to put more protein into his diet. Cheap fish isn't cutting it anymore. He should spring for beef more often.]

They'll probably take your blood. [No use lying to him when Aki is sure it's a given.] But they usually give you something to eat after, or a juice to drink. Remember? [Something about giving him sugar to pep back up. Aki isn't sure if that's a real thing or just what doctors say.] It'll probably be annoying, but I'll be there with you, and they'll probably do just as annoying things to me, too.

[...Honestly, he should probably bring Power, but she can be such a nightmare at the doctor. She hasn't had any health issues, though, so maybe they can wait with her. He carefully rubs down his arms in a light, gentle massage, but he knows it barely does anything. Once he's cleaned up and Aki has gotten the blood off his hands, he shuts off the water and tosses a towel onto his head, rubbing his hair dry and pressing his fingers into his ears to rid the water.]

After that, we can go to the beach. Okay?

[ His eyes briefly flutter shut at the press of his fingers, the swabbing motion inside his ears kinda nice, like how he used to rest his head in Aki's lap when he was younger while he took a q-tip to them. But nice things don't last, not if Denji has any choice in the matter. He inhales a dramatic breath. ]

Hell fucking yeah! [ Pochita barks, obviously in agreement with him, and not because his sudden outburst scared the furball. ] We already decided we'd go, so we can't change our minds. That's against the rules!

[ Says who? Says Denji. He nods hard, seeming a little more like himself, the reminder injecting him with some much needed vim and vigor. If they can get past a random devil attack, they can definitely do the same thing with the scrutiny of a physician. It may take the day or something, but, well, hopefully, Power's right, in that there'll be loads of hot-titty doctors there to comfort them both instead of hoity-toity ones.

Pochita barks again, this time at the rotation of suds whirling down the drain, his tail wagging excitedly as he scampers around it in curiosity. Come to think of it, they've never given him a bath before, have they? He's always licking himself, so he kinda figured he was like Meowy and capable of grooming himself — but after being blade-deep inside another devil, Denji can't help but notice that his coat carries the weight of a murky sheen. ]

Aw, you're all yucky, Pochita… [ The damp towel swallows up his devil companion as he drops it on him, and even with his face hidden underneath, it's clear that Pochita is confused. He mimics Aki's example, rubbing the towel all over him, unbothered by the unidentifiable sludge that comes away from him. It doesn't occur to Denji that he maybe should have soaped him up and sprayed him down first.

He looks back at Aki. ] Here, lemme dry you off next.

[Aki starts to think of scolding Denji for his crass language before deciding against it, since it's better for him to be positive right now. No use bringing him right back down when he finally seems happy after that whole mess of an afternoon. But that's gone when he starts rubbing the devil down with his towel, not bothering to wash away any of the blood and who knows what else globbed into his fur. Aki looks somewhat disgusted at the act, but it hits a new level when he turns to look at him and offers to wipe him down, next.]

...You should give him an actual bath. Here, with this. [He grabs the wash bucket and sets it down, filling it with water from the shower.] Remember that time Meowy got egg on her? [What he does not say is, "That time you dropped an egg on her." He's mostly forgiven Denji for the act.] We had to use that special shampoo... It's in here somewhere still, right? [He gets up to rummage around in the cabinet by the sink, finally coming out with a pet shampoo they got years ago. But hey, it should still work.]

[The real question is whether Denji can do it, though. He doesn't want him falling over, but Aki also isn't keen on the idea of bathing a devil, himself. He stands there with it, staring at the both of them with the shampoo in his hand with a perturbed frown.]

...Sit with him in your lap, and we can do it together.

[ Is he asking if Denji remembers when an egg fell on Meowy that time he and Power tried reenacting a juggling move after watching a circus performance on TV? Because, no, he doesn't. He also doesn't remember whether he was the guilty party or Power — but, eh, same difference, regardless.

Taking the spray nozzle in hand, Denji slides off the stool, sitting on the floor to bring Pochita, who appears unaware (or unruffled?) by the prospect of being lathered in what may as well be spicy water to him, inside his lap. Once there, he circles around in the space allotted to him, clambering onto Denji's knee, sniffing. Then, standing back down again to repeat the same circular movement, and when Denji tries to hold him down by the back to keep him still, he easily slips out.

Why's he being so squirmy? He's usually such a good and compliant devil dog. ]

Pochitaaa… Work with me here!

[ He whines at the devil, as if he has any hope of getting through to him that way. Using both hands, including the one holding the shower head, he forces Pochita into place, but not without accidentally pressing down on the nozzle, causing it to spray up at them — ]

Ah!

[ Denji arches away, angling the gush of water — in the direction of Aki's face. ]

[What the hell, wasn't this devil being so obedient before? Aki squats down to help and try to aim Pochita in the right direction, but his hand pulls back at the sight of his chainsaw turning when he spins around like that and then when Denji forces him in place and sprays the nozzle, he's suddenly getting a jet of water to the face.]

Denji - !

[He flails out to grab for the shower head, his hair dripping into his face as he coughs once free of the deluge. Aki wipes at his eyes with the back of his hands and groans as he rubs down his face.]

Dumbass... Just hold him in front of you, and I'll spray. Got it? Ugh, you got it up my nose.

[He holds the nozzle out, pointed away from him. He'll get him back when they don't have a bloody devil between them. Once Pochita is properly sprayed down and he tosses the shampoo at him to use, Aki squats back down to watch him work, frowning at the scene before him.]

You should figure out how to talk to him, or someting... Teach him some words, like sit, or stay... Like a real dog.

[ Up until being sprayed down, something Denji senses is somehow an allowance rather than their own achievement, Pochita expertly evades their efforts — each whirl and hop just out of their grasp making it seem more and more like he's playing a game with them, and it's one that only he knows the rules to. But it must have something to do with having a romp and wiggling about to make splashes in the water, cute and puppy-like. If Pochita were a real dog, is that what he would be? A puppy? He's got the disposition of one, for sure…

Or it could be just that his excitability is a trait he simply has in common with his master.

At the mention of training the devil, an unnecessarily huge clot of shampoo drenches his hand with one forceful squeeze of the bottle, and Denji doesn't even seem to realize it as he twists to stare up at Aki. The shampoo doesn't even make it on Pochita's fur, most of it clumping past the rifts of his fingers and drizzling the against the tiles. ]

So, like, tricks?! Roll over, play dead, uhhh, what else…

[ Yes, what else do you teach a real dog? ]

Oh, oh, oh! Maybe we can even teach 'em how to make his saw go vrvrrrmmm on its own, without me having to pull on his tail. Well, not really on its own, but like teaching him how to bite down on his own tail and tugging it. We gotta make Pochita self-deficient!

[ …Sufficient. Self-sufficient. ]

[It turns out to be extremely annoying to wash a devil. Maybe they don't like to be washed? But it's like Pochita thinks this is a game, which bath time certainly isn't. It's a serious time for serious activities. No horsing around in the bathroom, or else you fall and split your head open. Or something.]

[And then Denji is flashing those big, bright eyes at him when he suggests the obvious path of training the devil to behave and not wiggle around like a wet noodle. Aki makes a face as he describes the idea of teaching him how to go vrrrm on his own, mostly because he kind of assumed Pochita could do that already (though he can't say why, it's just... why would he have the saw, if he can't use it on his own? what a worthless devil), but suddenly his expression changes as he comes to a realization.]

...You know that job I did last fall? Cutting up lumber and all that? [Not the actual tree felling, they didn't let him do that, but he was allowed to work the saws and cut everything to size for a good amount of money.] Do you think you could train him to cut things like that? [He saw plenty of chainsaws there, but again, not allowed to use them. They were apparently fine with hiring a minor under the table insofar as not giving him the lethal jobs, he supposed.] You wouldn't get too worn out from a job like that, maybe.

Huh.

[ Denji spritzes the devil-dog down, turning the nozzle on and off in short bursts, amused by how he keeps trying to chomp at the water in midair. Stalling, is what it is.

Honestly, it surprises Denji a little to hear the suggestion that he give work a try. Not that he's against the idea. It'd be nice to bring home some extra cash, alleviate some of the pressure on Aki's pockets and feel useful while he's at it. How many days a week did his brother work again? It wasn't full-time, given their school schedule, but with Aki working his own gig, it'd probably cut into their time together even more, right… But it'd just be tolerating a little discomfort. That's a small price to pay. It should be.

With Pochita all clean now, Denji hooks the spray back into place. ]

Um, yeah, I guess so… I'll look into it after our beach trip. [ He reaches for a change in topic as smoothly as he reaches for the last clean towel on the rack. ] Hey, have you thought about what day we should go on, by the way? I know it'll have to be after the whole doc biz, but I think it should be soon! While the weather's still nice.

[ Swaddling Pochita up in the towel, Denji pulls him into his lap, which is much easier to do now that he can't move. Scrubs him dry the best he can. ]

Whatcha wanna do first while we're over there?

[Right, their beach trip. Aki obviously hasn't thought about the specifics, not with everything else that happened today. It's a successful distraction, snapping his attention away from the idea of Denji helping earn some extra money to planning something like this. They definitely need to go before the weather gets too cold, so...]

We should go soon. [He agrees with that.] I'll look up a doctor tonight, who can take you - I mean, us, within the week.

[Since he did promise to go, too. Even if he has no real desire for that. But what to do, at the beach...?]

It's probably too cold for ice cream, now. And you don't know how to swim, do you... [He doesn't remember ever seeing him in the water. Maybe he can manage a doggy paddle...? Either way, they probably shouldn't get in, with his constitution.] ...Just walking on the beach would be nice. Looking around. Seeing someplace different.

[Denji could look at girls in bikinis or whatever it is he wants to do there. But he's not going to give him the go-ahead for it.]

Are you going to bring him? [The devil, that is, currently burrito'd in his lap and looking even more like a furball than usual.]

Well, we don't got anyone else to look after him. [ He continues giving Pochita a rub down, his fur sticking up oddly every which way. ] Unless Powy's stayin' back, right?

[ There hasn't been any time to mention the idea to her yet, so her thoughts on the trip are more or less up to conjecture. But knowing her, she'll want to be an active and vocal participant in planning out what they're doing, eating, and who they're causing trouble for at any given moment. At least Aki hasn't changed his mind, dug up some reason to keep them from jipping class. A solitary feat, but a feat nonetheless, one that energizes Denji enough to stand up all on his own once he's ready to, Pochita crammed under his arm as he teeters for the door. ]

And that wouldn't be fair! She and me have always wanted to smash watermelons together!

[ It'd be more like him watching her slaughter melon after melon, then the two of them frolicking around like idiots while wearing the shells for helmets, but that'd be it's own kind of fun, too.

He leaves a trail of wet footprints slapping across their home for Aki to track, presuming that he decides to follow after. The kitchen's empty, still. Dark, aside from the flash of white that is Meowy's belly flopping on top of the dining table. Passing by, he gives her stomach a fondle and she launches her neck out to nip at him, his hand instantly retreating. Geez. Here they are planning a training regimen for Pochita while Power's cat gets to roam scot-free. This is pet discrimination!

Light spills out from the open refrigerator just as he hears a knock at the front door. The muffled call of Public Safety announcing themselves. ]

A-Aki! [ Denji calls out, letting Pochita and the towel he's wrapped in drop to the floor as he scrambles for the bedroom to find a change of clothes. ] There'll people here!

[Power coming is kind of a given, but it doesn't really work as a reward for her since Aki has no intention of bringing her to the doctor... Maybe he can trick her into doing something for them instead? Cleaning out the fridge, or something? But she might pretend that means "eat everything out of the fridge" instead...]

[He's thinking about that as he passes Denji to go to the bedroom, pull some clothes out of the closet as he dries himself off. Watermelons... They should get watermelons, but two, since they'll probably destroy one. But carrying two watermelons to the beach sounds like a hassle. Can he ask them to tone it down a bit and only kind of destroy one...? And then there's a knock and he's shaken out of the thoughts by the sounds of public safety, Denji rushing into the room in a panic. Public safety... It's probably just to ask some questions, right? They didn't do anything wrong, after all. He keeps an air of calm despite the clear pinch in his brow as he pulls a shirt over his head, buttons his pants.]

Stay in here for a minute. [He tosses the towel at him, expecting him to finish cleaning up Pochita and himself as he deals with this. And Power's not back yet, either... Though that's not so surprising, given how she likes to dilly dally on side streets. Aki takes in a breath and heads to the door, peering through the peep hole briefly before pulling the door open. Wide enough to make it clear there's nothing to hide, but not so wide it welcomes anyone inside.]

["Afternoon again," the hunter that had used the fox says to him, the other one a step or two behind. Maybe to make them seem non-threatening. He doesn't know. Aki nods at them both. Can feel the uncomfortable drip of water from his hair down the back of his neck. "We finished doing an investigation of the area, and wanted to stop by and make sure you're doing alright. You and your brother."]

He's fine. [Answered immediately. He doesn't turn around, doesn't peek back to make sure Denji stayed put with Pochita.] Thank you. He just needed to lay down and get cleaned up.

["Sure, yeah," the guy says, like he's not ready for this to end just yet. "You know, it's not an issue for us to drive you down to the clinic. There's one a few miles from here. That thing was part of the zombie devil, but not the - " His partner clears his throat, and the guy quiets down for a moment. "In any case, Public Safety is going to be doing some... Ah?"]

[Aki feels a brush of wet fur against his calf and looks down, seeing Pochita sniffing at the entryway. His face pales as he leans down and tries to scoop him up, but Pochita slips backward, again unwilling to be lifted. Aki curses and again tries to grab at him but he starts rushing down the hallway. This thing is way more like a cat than a dog sometimes, he thinks with a grimace.]

["Where did that devil come from?" the guy in the back asks, and Aki freezes, turning back around to face the two men. What is he supposed to say? My little brother got mad at me and ran off and made a contract with a devil in the middle of a playground so now we have to take care of it. No, no, he can't say anything like that.]

[ Towel wound fast around his waist, Denji springs into their bedroom — and Pochita is hot on his heels. Though he's been steadily nurturing a curiosity for the outside, usually seated somewhere near a window whenever they get home, he never ventures too far away from his feet. It's for that reason Denji leaves the door ajar to be able to eavesdrop on the conversation as he tears through his closet for a proper change of clothes, having faith that his pet devil stay inside, rubbing his baby-sized body against the flooring and whipping himself dry in the meanwhile.

Denji pulls out a shirt, another shirt, and some underwear. It takes him a lengthy couple of seconds seconds to realize that he doesn't really need one of these, and he dives back in to find a pair of sweats to shove on. Augh, damn it, cops and cop wannabes always twist up his nerves. He has a face and demeanor that looks like someone who gets into trouble often, and while he does get into trouble, it's not at the same rate of an actual delinquent — still, that doesn't keep him from getting heckled every so often by his teachers or patrolmen on the street for some invented reason.

Why the hell are they being so scrupulous about a pair of high schoolers? Even if it's to take their statement, couldn't they have waited to visit tomorrow or something? If they really cared about their well-being?

It's as each one of these questions piles up in the back of his mind, steering his attention away from the present, that Pochita jimmies through the door gap. ]

Eh? Pochita? [ His pupils bullet after him just as he hears the familiar pochi of his steps moving far from him. ] Pochita, no!

[ A few hours of rest can only do so much. He's hardly in any condition to be running or exerting himself, so as soon as he's dressed, the most he can accomplish is a hurried shuffling out of the room, hand pressed across his chest, like he's afraid all his slimy insides might come tumbling out, organ by organ. ]

Aki, stop him —

[ But it's too late. Pochita makes it to the end of the hallway in no time, trotting down the stairs like he's running an agility course and someone's got their thumb on a stopwatch. Denji wants to hightail it after him, but he can already feel sweat coating the entire back of his neck again; he can't possibly risk it, not without the devil hunters ignoring their resistance entirely and forcing him into the back of their car to get to a hospital or whatever.

Reluctantly, he stops just behind Aki, using his brother as a barrier between himself and the expectant stares of the hunters. He swallows. ]

…T-That devil's a school project my homeroom teacher assigned to me! We get to, uh, keep a really weak devil for a while and observe their behavior under, um — [ His eyes rapidly blink. ] — in, um — [ Shit, Denji, use your words! He doesn't know many of them, but he should know enough to fib his ass off! ] Like, different controlled environments. And stuff. And then we kill them!

[ A bald-faced lie. The one in the back doesn't bat an eye, which could mean anything from disbelief to disinterest. But the other guy tilts his chin, seeming to give Denji the benefit of the doubt. "Oh, I've heard about this. My little sister's doing the same thing down south. Didn't think the schools out here were implementing hands-on devil interaction into their curriculum yet, but it's good that you kids are learning about how to conduct yourself early on." He glances back at his partner in what's supposed to be a shared knowing look. "Safer, that way."

Denji sends his own long look in Aki's direction. ]

Yeah. Safer. Um, I should go get him, in case he gets too far away. I've been trying to keep my grades up, so it'd suck if I failed this assignment, haha —

[ "You sure you don't want someone to look at you?" the other Public Safety hunter intercepts. "We can even get one of our people on hand to give you a quick look-over, if you're feeling shy."

His fist unconsciously finds the hem of his brother's shirt — nervous, panicked, and definitely on the verge of losing his grip. ]

[There's this weird tug-of-war going on inside of Aki. He needs to protect two things right now. First, Denji. He knows he's still recovering, least of all thanks to him not having eaten anything yet, and he can feel the shaky tension from the way he's grasping at the back of his shirt. The second thing is their home. He doesn't want to allow anyone to come inside of it, possibly ruin it, take it from them. It took enough work to get them where they are and Aki has to continuously prove that they're using the resources allocated to them properly, that they're taking care of the apartment, removing trash on time, keeping the place clean, maintaining everything properly. When Power broke the dimmer remote Aki spent weeks trying to find the same one from various department stores so their landlord wouldn't find out - and it was a stupid remote, not a bigger issue. Any small things could set off a chain of events, in his mind. Anyone entering their home, authority figures or not, creates a sense of dread and fear inside of him. That they'll be split up, separated. That this will be destroyed, too.]

[A third rope starts to be tugged, and he feels it running down the stairs. The devil that his brother has attached himself to. Now another thing to protect in this moment.]

He doesn't need anything like that.

[He says it so curtly and directly that the hunter who has been taking a back seat even turns fully to look at him. Compared to his usual deference to authority, Aki speaks like he's a delinquent, himself. He used to get slapped for that kind of tone back at the orphanage.]

...Go back inside. [He pushes at Denji, wrestling himself free from his grip as he presses for him to go back into the home.] I'll go get him. Is there anything else?

[He turns back to the two, staring at them both grimly as he grabs his shoes. The two hunter exchange looks, and finally the Fox user explains, "Due to these recent devil sightings, Public Safety is going to be more present in the area. There will be more people like us in the area, keeping a watch out for trouble. So if you see or hear of anything suspect, you should report it to the bureau office - You know where that is?" Aki nods. Because of course he does. "Good. When do your parents get home? We'll talk to - "]

I need to go. [The clear bolt of tension that strikes through him at the question has the guy in front raising his brows and the guy in back crossing his arms. Aki turns to look back at Denji and orders,] Lock the door. [And heads out past the two, hurrying down the stairs with grit teeth.]

Hey, wait up!

[ Denji calls out after he's pushed, turning to fumble for his sneakers.

Both partners step back as Aki storms off, temporarily dispelling their kind of good cop, bad cop play. They don't even attempt to cut off his flight path, which Denji initially believes to be because they've been caught off-guard, but that theory is quickly debunked when they cleanly close back in once his brother is out of view. The kinda unnerving, kinda cool one begins to move up to the front this time, but the the other guy presses a hand to his shoulder. Shakes his head with a thinning smile.

"…Clearly, it's been a long day. Since you kids were involved in that earlier incident, we wanted to make sure you were provided whatever care you needed. The safety of people like yourself and your brother is our highest priority. For now, we advise you to be careful and aware, go to school like normal, then go straight home afterward. Sound like a plan?"

Denji slams and locks the door, leaving the hunter's question unanswered.

After a moment, a dwindling sigh sifts out from someone on the other side of the door. A murmur of voices can be heard as well, however, the only thing Denji is able to make out is a, "That went well," then the sound of receding footsteps. He moves to the window, not to track where the two of them are going, but to see if he can spot Aki and Pochita somewhere. He doesn't think his devil would make a break for it for no good reason…

Oh. He rushes back to their dirty hamper, shaking his school uniform trousers waiting for a sharp series of clacks to indicate his phone has dropped out, but it never comes. He moves on to his backpack, but that, too, proves fruitless. Crap, did Pochita go back to the crime scene just to find that thing?

Denji returns to the entryway, feet shoved just halfway into his shoes, heels crimping down against the collar lining before he's out the door to find them. ]

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