Not So Perfect - Geek_gettin_Bi101 - Ao no Exorcist (2024)

Chapter 1: Secret of the Perfect Boy

Chapter Text

There were many things about Bon that others didn’t know, and he was all right with that. They saw him as the next in line to lead Myoo Dharani, the boy who passed his classes with flying colors. Perfect, exactly how the future head monk should be. But they didn’t know, couldn’t know. Only those few special people: Shima Yaozo, Hojo Uwabami, his father, and finally his mother, the one who made him keep the secret to begin with.

When he was younger, he always wondered what the problem was. They weren’t bad people, so why did they have to hide? His mother would always tell him the same thing, “The world isn’t ready for us, not like it was so long ago.”

See, Bon wasn’t exactly normal. Sure, he looked it, but that was only when he was in public. He had learned to use a glamour to mold his wings into his body as well as stuff his tail in his shirt or down his pants. He learned to shrink his long feathered ears and make his eyes more human. He was taught to hide everything , and he hated it. But it was also necessary to blend in and survive.

But not just for him to survive, for his kind, his people to survive.

Ryuuji was a Phoenix, a creature that had been around for thousands of years. But, to the world, he was just another demon that needed exorcising. At least he would be if the world found out, and he would make damn sure they never did.

Currently, the boy was pacing in the hall. Back and forth, thinking about how he’d be leaving for True Cross Academy in the morning to begin his studies as an exorcist so he could reach his dream and defeat Satan. His messy brown hair stuck up at gravity-defying angles after hours of tossing and turning restlessly, sleep failing him as it so often did in the past few years.

He’d be so far away from his mother, the only one like him in the place he lived. His best friends, Shima and Konekomaru, didn’t know. As far as they were concerned, just like every other exorcist, Phoenix like him didn’t even exist. Sure, there was Karura and Fenghuang, but they weren’t pure Phoenix as he was.

Bon was mumbling to himself, bare feet padding against the wooden floors of his mother’s inn. He was jittery with nerves, his hands twitching as his claws unsheathed and retracted as his adrenaline spiked. Though he was the only one up at this hour, aside from his father who was at the temple or bar as always, having any part of his Phoenix traits out unless it was behind locked doors made him nervous. Even just the easy-to-hide claws on his fingertips.

“Ryuuji?” The boy squawked and whirled around, claws retracting with a snap as he brought his hands to his chest. He had been so focused on his thoughts that he had failed to hear his mother approach, “Can’t sleep?” The woman’s brown eyes swam with worry for her son.

Ryuuji nodded slowly, arms lowering to his side as he let his mother pull him close in a tight hug, “My beautiful sefi ḥun , you’ll do wonderfully. I know it!”

Ryuuji’s lips twitched slightly as he buried his head against his mother’s shoulder, although he was a little more than a head taller than her, “Thanks, Mut .”

Torako pulled away, her brown eyes shining with mirth, “Now, because I won’t see you until your summer break, why don’t I brush out your wings? Rā knows you suck at remembering to do it yourself!” She joked, smiling brightly as her elbow poked against his side.

Ryuuji’s human ears flared red, “ Mut !”

The older woman chuckled, dragging her son to his room and pushing him onto his floor before grabbing his brush from the desk, “Wings,” She ordered. Bon sighed and pulled his shirt up so as not to rip it. Huge multi-hued orange wings spread from his back; not opening too wide to prevent objects littering the room from being knocked over or destroyed.

Torako hummed happily and pulled one of the feathery appendages into her lap, running the soft bristles through the feathers. Ryuuji sighed, rumbling purrs escaping his lips, his tail spiraling out from around his torso and lying on the floor, flicking every so often. This was something they would do together, sometimes preening their wings when it was needed. They would sit together, laying feathers flat and pulling ones with cracked quills, talking about everything and nothing as the minutes ticked by. This was something he only shared with his mother, these special moments neither Shima nor Koneko had seen, and probably never will.

“Are you ready for tomorrow?”

Ryuuji looked down at his lap, fingers fidgeting slightly. His claws were itching to extend from his fingers without doing anything. The boy sighed, shoulders moving closer to his ears as he curled in on himself, “Not really. I’ve never been that far away from you for more than a day unless we’re in the Ḥesepu . And I won’t be able to turn unless I find a hidden spot.”

To any normal person, they were probably happy to fly the coop and be out of their parents’ hair. But it was different for a Phoenix, they had pack bonds with their family and close friends. His mother and he had one of the strongest bonds compared to him and anyone else, which was normal for mothers and their children.

“You’ll be great, sweetie,” His mother whispered gently, running a hand through his messy hair, “You’ll be back for summer break before you know it. We can go for a nice long fly when that happens and go back to the Ḥesepu for a little bit. How does that sound?”

“Great. It sounds great, Mom,” Ryuuji smiled, his sharp rows of canines peeking through his lips.

His mother cackled as if remembering something funny, waving the brush in his face in a playful manner, “So, are you gonna bring back a cute boy for me to meet?”

“ Mut !” Bon exclaimed, whirling around to glare at his mother. Torako laughed loudly at the way her son’s wings and furry tail had puffed up defensively, tapping the brush to his nose with a wink.

Torako ruffled Ryuuji’s hair good-naturally, “Hey, you never know! You could meet the boy you are destined to be with!”

Bon snorted, turning his back on his mother and resting his chin in his hand, “That’s a load of bull,” Torako raised a brow, a smirk tugging at her lips, “I’ll deal with love after I graduate.”

“You won’t be saying that when you fall in love.”

“ If, and that’s a very big if.”

“Of course, sweetie. Whatever you say,” Bon could hear the sarcasm dripping off her tongue but elected to ignore it.

The next day, Ryuuji was a bundle of nerves as he walked to the bus stop beside his lifelong friends Shima and Konekomaru. His Phoenix attributes were securely tucked away from any wandering eyes, a duffel bag held at his side stuffed with books, clothes, and anything else he might need during his stay at True Cross.

He’d left all of his magical stuff in his room, aside from his amulet which never left his person, the golden Ankh hanging around his neck on a brown leather thread. His mother would not be happy about it but he didn’t want to bring anything else and risk it being found and having to lie about what it was. Or worse, that he’d need to use anything.

Ryuuji’s mother had been close to tears when they had been ready to leave, hugging him tightly as she whispered encouraging words to him. Ryuuji had rolled his eyes but hugged her anyway, “Stay safe,” Torako whispered, gently nudging him towards his friends, waving from the door as they walked down the stone-laden street.

Ryuuji ran his tongue over his sharp teeth, scowling at the ground in the way he did when he was deep in thought. Shima cackled, elbowing him in the side, “If you don’t relax you’ll fry your brain before we even get to class!”

The older teen grumbled, turning to the brunette who had already been distracted by a group of girls. Ryuuji rolled his eyes, smirking evilly, “Are you sure you’re not going to True Cross for the girls?”

“Bon!” Shima whined, dragging out the syllables. The girls who had been walking their way, the same ones Shima had been winking at, giggled and waved at the trio.

Ryuuji sighed and waved back, just trying to be friendly. Shima, instead, whistled and started flirting up a storm. Koneko and Ryuuji shared a look before forcibly dragging their friend down the street so they could catch the bus that would bring them to the train station.

“Come on, Shima. You’re a monk!” Konekomaru sighed once they were standing at the bus stop, “You should stop flirting with everything that moves, maybe then a girl would be interested in you.”

“No can do, Neko!” Shima chuckled joyously, “Can you really blame me? All the girls I see are gorgeous!”

The taller brunette rolled his eyes and leaned against the sign that announced the times the bus would be here. Konekomaru continued to scold his friend, pointing an accusing finger at his chest, while the other teased him, poking at the younger boy’s sides while jumping out of the way of the smaller boy’s swinging arms.

Ryuuji allowed his mind to wander now and tune into feelings from other sides of the bonds he shared, his mother’s anxiety was the strongest. He could imagine her pacing while his father or Yaozo tried to calm her. The boy sighed and tried to send feelings of calm to her, to tell her he was all right, that he would be alright.

His mother’s emotions slowly started to simmer just as the bus pulled up. Ryuuji breathed out and stepped up the stairs, having to call out to his friends who had failed to notice between their lighthearted bickering.

The Phoenix rolled his eyes, claiming one of the seats in the back. Shima and Konekomaru sat beside him. They had quit their bickering in light of talking excitedly about the Academy, wondering what it would be like.

Ryuuji was content to listen to them as he watched his hometown roll by, the place he would not see for multiple months. The monk sighed, tuning out everything possible, even with his crazy enhanced hearing. He didn’t even notice when the bus rolled up to the station until Konekomaru bumped his shoulder, jarring him from his thoughts, “You okay, Bon?”

The boy blinked a few times and nodded, pulling himself up and stepping out of the bus behind his friends.

The train station was packed with people; some waiting for a train, others waiting to pick up family or friends.

Ryuuji sighed and stepped into the ticket line. His shoulders were bunched together, fist clenched around the strap of his bag. He hated crowded places. They meant more people, which meant it was more likely something would go wrong and somehow someone would find out, and then he’d be sent to the Grigori to be executed and-

“-on? Bon!” The boy in question startled, nearly jumping out of his skin. Shima had a hand on his shoulder, “You alright man?”

Ryuuji blinked, forcing a smile and nodding, “Just nervous is all.”

“Nah, I get you. We’ve never been away from home for so long.”

Ryuuji fought the urge to mutter, “Speak for yourself,” instead he nodded and turned back to the booth he’d gotten closer to when his anxiety took over. The Phoenix took deep breaths, trying to calm himself enough to focus. He’d been getting so good at reigning in his anxiety and ignoring it. But it always seemed to come back and bite him in the ass.

Now it was his mother sending soothing feelings his way. Ryuuji smiled to himself, albeit quite stiffly. He usually kept his emotions under lock and key so no one could feel them. Otherwise, he’d probably be forced to speak to a shrink or be put in an insane asylum. Ryuuji was aware he was being overly dramatic, but he couldn’t help it. That’s something people without Anxiety constantly pressing the “panic button” just didn’t get.

Ryuuji stepped up to the booth, quickly buying three tickets for True Cross Town Station. The cashier, a pretty girl with light brown skin and a bright neon top, flashed a dazzling smile and handed over three tickets and a pink sticky note that had her number on it, “Call me?”

Ryuuji froze, he had no idea what to do and was standing there gaping like a fish out of water. Shima butted in and cackled gleefully, “My buddy isn’t into girls, but I’d be glad to call you!”

Konekomaru pulled them back, apologizing to the girl and swiping the tickets up before darting to the platform. The bald monk sighed, “Hopeless, the both of you!”

“It’s not my fault,” Ryuuji growled, arms crossed, “I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to upset her and turn her down but I didn’t want to accept because I would never call her,” Shima pouted, going on about how unfair it was that Bon, who wasn’t interested, got all the girls. Beneath his shirt, the demon’s three-stalked tail twitched in annoyance. The boy paused slightly and prayed no one had seen, or if they had, didn’t give two sh*ts and brushed it off.

Ryuuji shook his head and glanced over at Shima, the boy was being overly dramatic. Just the usual, Bon thought to himself, a small smile playing at his lips. That’s right, they’d be fine. Maybe thrown in some danger as Exorcists-In-Training, but fine. No one would find out, there was no chance in Hell another demon would be in class with him that could sniff him out just like he could to them. But… he’d still double-check, just to be sure. He could not let his secret slip, his people’s secret slip. If that happened, Ryuuji didn’t want to know what would be done to them.

The train ride was uneventful, Ryuuji watched as towns and trees flew by in a blur of colors. He couldn’t help but want to crawl out the window, spread his wings, and weave between them at mind-numbing speeds. At some point, Shima had pulled out a book. Ryuuji didn’t even have to look to know a p*rno magazine was hidden between the two pages he hadn’t flipped from in almost an hour.

Bon’s brown eyes rolled in his head before stuffing earbuds in his human ears, drowning out the loud noises around him. Some of those sounds were even hundreds of miles away. The boy missed the long feathered ears he possessed when not hiding his true heritage, but he didn’t exactly have a choice.

The truth was, Ryuuji had never truly felt comfortable in his glamoured body. Sometimes he’d be able to ignore it, but it was rare. He’d find himself moving as if he had his wings out. Compensating for the extra space he took up when he wove between people or stood around. He would feel his human ears flex slightly when a particular sound caught his attention or the way he’d tilt his head when he listened. He got anxious when he wasn’t in his real body.

Not that the glamoured one wasn’t his, it just didn’t feel right. Like he wasn’t comfortable in his own skin.

A number of hours passed before the train announced their desired destination in a robotic voice, “Now arriving at True Cross Station.”

Shima sighed, stretching his arms above his head, “Finally, that took forever!”

Ryuuji stood, sauntering from the train with his friends close behind, “I didn’t see you complaining,” He teased, a coy smile stretching across his face as he avoided a swipe of Shima’s hand from behind. He knew Shima had been filling his time with those magazines both on and off the train, and he really didn’t want to know what his friend did with them when he was alone.

The monk shuddered, trying to shake away the thought and instead distract himself by looking around the town. They had a small walk to reach the school and the dorms they would be staying in for their entire time here. Students and regular citizens alike milled around the streets and shops, some talking with friends while others rushed around to get somewhere on time.

Suguro’s head was spinning. This town was so large, shops with anything you could imagine littered the streets. The boy’s mouth hung open slightly, he knew True Cross was a place for rich kids but Jesus the town alone was freaking huge!

Shima tapped Bon’s shoulder excitedly, he seemed to bounce on the balls of his feet, “Let’s drop our stuff at the dorms and look around!”

Bon nodded, still slightly dazed by the sheer size of this place, “Yeah, we can check out the school tomorrow.”

Shima whooped and skipped to the Student Center where they could find any information they needed. Surprisingly, not many students were waiting in line. Some had probably come days ago to set everything up. Ryuuji stepped up to one of the men, noticing an exorcist badge pinned to his lapel, “Name?”

“Suguro Ryuuji,” He said, hands gripping the strap of his bag hard enough to turn his knuckles white. The man was eyeing him curiously, and for a second, Bon worried he knew . He’d always been wary around exorcists he didn’t know, even some he did, especially the ones at the temple. But could you blame him? He was labeled as a demon after all.

The man nodded, “You’re in dorm 254, the building is right over there,” He was quick to fish something out of a small box and hand it to the boy. Bon inspected the object, an old-fashioned key, curiously. He’d seen a few around the inn but never thought he’d get one himself, “You know what that is?”

“Yes.”

The man nodded, seemingly thankful he didn’t have to explain, “Use that when going to your cram class.”

Bon blinked before nodding and stepping to the side so Shima and Konekomaru could go through the same process. They each received their own key for their class, each looking practically identical. Bon carefully slipped it into his pocket before walking to the building the man gestured to, trying to calm his racing heart.

Though it should have been obvious, Bon had not thought about the terrifying fact of being surrounded by exorcists. Exorcists that, if they found out, would gladly kill him without a second thought. Sure, many of the monks at the temple were exorcists, but he knew them. And he wasn’t the only one that knew. But now, he was utterly alone, despite the fact that he had his childhood friends with him. The same friends that would likely turn on him if they found out.

Yes, he thought they would no matter how much they cared for him at this moment.

Ryuuji walked along the hall of the second floor, muttering his room number to himself. When he came across it, the door was open. Shima whistled, “Damn! I think we’re all in the same dorm!”

Bon blinked before smiling slightly, at least he was sharing a room with people he knew. Shima skipped past, “I call top bunk!” He shouted gleefully, tossing his bag onto his claimed bed. Konekomaru rolled his eyes, smiling gently, and claimed the bed beneath Shima’s.

Bon placed his stuff on the bottom bunk across from his friends, “We should probably look around before it gets too dark. We do have class tomorrow,” He murmured, looking out the window at the busy city.

“Hell yeah!” Shima jumped up and looped his arms over Konekomaru and Bon’s shoulders, eagerly pushing them out the door, “Do you think they have a hair salon? I want to get my hair dyed!”

“Your dad is going to kill you,” Konekomaru whined, knowing the monk would complain once his father saw what Shima was planning to do.

“Come on, Neko, you only live once!”

Ryuuji chuckled, “Yeah, and your father is going to make that ‘once’ very short.”

Shima either didn’t hear or didn’t care, finding a guide to True Cross Town and skimming through for the place he was looking for. Bon ran his tongue over his teeth, mulling over a thought he’d been pondering on the train. There was something Phoenix did in the olden days, the days in Ancient Egypt when they didn’t have to hide. Phoenix, as a symbol of strength and unity, would wear a streak of flames down the middle of their head. Now, obviously, he couldn’t do that, but what about something similar?

Bon nodded to himself and followed Shima, he was walking around as if he knew the place. The monk rolled his eyes, pushing his slightly curled hair from his grinning face. Shima eventually found where he wanted to go and pushed open the decorated glass door, a soft chime sounded above them.

The monk winced and rubbed at his ears. Maybe he should do what he did at the temple and put in the mini noise-canceling earbuds his mother and he had bought after everyday noises became too loud. Their hearing was good enough to hear through it, probably as good as a regular demon, but didn’t overwhelm them as much. Sometimes he hated the acute senses of a Phoenix, ones that overruled a traditional demon easily.

Shima was talking enthusiastically with a hairdresser who had approached them. The woman nodded as she listened intently to what the boy was thinking. She seemed to study Shima’s hair, pulling at loose strands with calculating eyes. She nodded to herself, responding to Shima’s wishes easily.

The woman had fiery red hair, which had obviously been dyed, held in a half-bun on the back of her head. Her brown eyes glanced past Shima to the other two, “Would you like anything, dears?”

Konekomaru immediately shook his head, there wasn’t exactly anything he could do with his hair, but Bon shrugged, “Sure, why not?”

Shima gaped at him, “Holy sh*t, I think I rubbed off on him.”

The woman chuckled and waved Shima over to a chair, “Let me start on soon-to-be-Pinky here, then I’ll help you.”

Bon nodded and walked past her to the waiting chairs, both promptly freezing, casting defensive glances at each other. He could smell it, the distinct scent of a Phoenix, and the woman could, too.

Chapter 2: The Start of Something New

Chapter Text

Ryuuji watched the woman in surprise before quirking his brow and releasing the glamour on his eyes, flashing them amber for a split second before continuing to a seat. The woman, the Phoenix, returned the greeting and pulled Shima to a chair. Konekomaru and Shima traded glances that perfectly portrayed the look of what-the-Hell-just-happened? Konekomaru shuffled over to the seat beside Bon and sat uneasily, “Bon, why did you freeze?”

The boy paused, realizing that if they had been looking close enough, they would have seen their eyes flash gold for that second. Bon shrugged nonchalantly, “Nothing important, I thought I saw something.”

The shorter boy nodded hesitantly and looked over at Shima who was currently getting his hair bleached. The woman smiled, “By the way, my name is Etsuko. So, are you boys here visiting family?”

Shima smiled brightly, obviously trying to charm her, “Actually, we’re attending True Cross Academy!”

Etsuko whistled, obviously impressed, “You three must be really smart to get into that school.”

“Actually,” Konekomaru chuckled nervously, “Bon here is probably smarter than us.”

Bon rolled his eyes, “Not true, you passed the exam with flying colors.”

“You got over a hundred percent by some miracle,” Shima deadpanned before turning his attention back to Etsuko, “My name is Shima, that’s Konekomaru.”

“Nice to meet you,” She said kindly, a small smile on her face, “You guys are real early, class doesn’t start for another week!”

“We’re in a… special class,” Ryuuji hesitated, wondering if she knew about the cram class, which was highly likely considering her heritage, “It starts tomorrow.”

Etsuko chuckled, her gloved hands guiding a brush over Shima’s hair. She hummed, a smirk spreading across her face. Bon knew exactly what she was thinking, how a Phoenix, a demon, like him could be going to a school for exorcists, “Well, I hope you three do well. I’ve heard the Academy is tough as hell, many people drop out before their first year.”

“Seriously?” Shima’s jaw dropped.

Konekomaru nodded, “I’m not surprised, it is a prestigious school. But why would you drop out? It’s so expensive to go there and you’d be wasting money.”

Bon huffed, foot tapping on the floor. He could think of numerous reasons he would want to drop out already, let alone anyone else. Ryuuji was kind of excited to be here, but that didn’t stop the itch of apprehension at being surrounded by exorcists who would love to kill him if he slipped up even the smallest bit. The boy worried at his lip, the voices around him tuning out and amplifying his own thoughts. He even failed to notice when Etsuko called him over to a chair while Shima waited for his hair to set.

The woman narrowed her eyes at him before smacking his nose with a clean dye brush, “Yo, your turn.”

Bon shook himself out of his stupor, pulling himself from the chair before sitting in the one beside Shima. The soon-to-be pinkett was scrolling through his phone, a slight blush on his face. Etsuko gave him a disapproving look before rolling her hickory brown eyes.

“So, tell me what you want, man,” Etsuko flicked a black towel over his shoulders.

Bon pursed his lips, “Don’t laugh.”

Bon ran his fingers through his hair, a feeling of pride welling in his chest. When Shima had seen the blond streak down the center of his head, the boy had laughed and teased him about looking like a chicken. The monk had retaliated by telling the boy at least he didn’t look like a freaking raspberry.

Konekomaru had actually admitted to liking both their new styles, saying it went well with their personalities. Bon had calmed at that, he had been worried if it would look stupid. When he had told Etsuko, the woman smiled brightly, saying it was, “Good to see people adapting to keep our old customs.”

Now that their hair was finished, Shima was looking back down at the map, a look of fixed concentration on his face. Suguro glanced down at Konekomaru before smirking and patting his perverted friend’s back, “Don’t think too hard, you’ll hurt yourself.”

Shima whipped around and smacked Bon on the head playfully and went back to searching the map, “What are you looking for, Shima?” Konekomaru stood on his toes and peeked over his shoulder.

“No can do little man. It’s a secret!” The pinkett grinned brightly and skipped ahead. Bon rolled his eyes and palmed the business card Etsuko had given him that was tucked away safely in his pocket. The other Phoenix had slipped it to him, saying that it wasn’t every day you saw another Phoenix unless it’s important. When they had been ready to leave, she had pulled him aside.

“You’re far away from your mut, aren’t ya kid?” Etsuko crossed her arms, a worried knot forming between her brows. Bon nodded slowly, hand rubbing at the back of his neck. Etsuko’s tongue ran over her sharp teeth, “Your mother is Torako, right?” Another nod, “Thought so. Figures I meet the Prince of all Phoenix and a male, no less, in one day. You better not bring True Cross trouble.”

Bon had chuckled lowly, “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Listen, kid, if you ever need someone to talk to, just give me a call,” Etsuko had handed him a small business card she fished from her pocket. Bon took it gratefully and turned to walk away, “See you ‘round, kid.”

Their eyes flashed in a farewell before Ryuuji left with his friends.

Phoenix were such a rare species that it was uncommon to come across one on a day-to-day basis. There were less than a thousand in the entire world. Only about twenty, if that, lived in Japan. Ryuuji, Torako, and Etsuko included. Not only that, but it was even rarer for there to be a male Phoenix, so he understood the exasperation Etsuko had felt. Only about three Phoenix were male in the entire Phoenix population of the world, sixteen in the entirety of history.

Ryuuji chuckled, starting to feel bad for Etsuko. On top of being a male Phoenix, his mother was the f*cking king. Yes, king; they didn’t do any of that gender role sh*t here. Which made Bon the prince.

The monk sighed and jogged to catch up with his friends, he hadn’t realized he’d slowed to a stop in his thoughts. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately, retracting into his head. It wasn’t always a great place to stay, especially when his anxieties kicked down the door and reigned total destruction.

Shima whooped loudly, waving the guide in the air, “Found it!” He was standing proudly in front of a tattoo and piercing parlor.

Konekomaru blinked, gesturing to the shop, “Shima, why are we here?”

Bon had to agree, his head tilting to the side in bewilderment. Shima chuckled devilishly, “Common, Neko. Remember a few months ago when we were all talking about things we would do if we got away from the temple?”

The bald boy nodded slightly, pushing up his thick red glasses as he tried to remember what their friend could possibly be referring to. During that talk, Shima had mentioned how he wanted to dye his hair, “Cause the ladies love dyed hair, Bon!” The latter was pretty sure his extravagant friend had been making that up as a way to justify his actions. Konekomaru hadn’t really wanted to do anything at all, content to stay the way he was. Bon really wished he had his friend’s confidence.

Ryuuji had mentioned how getting his ears pierced would be nice. When he was concentrating, he would always fidget with the feathers of his ears but he couldn’t do that around others. It had always been strange to have normal human ears, though his mom would kill him if she found out.

Dawning spread across the monk's face, his lips splitting into a grin. Shima smiled gently and patted his shoulder, “New place, new looks!” The pink-haired boy pulled his friends through the door and pushed Bon to the front counter before collapsing in a chair and smiling, proud of himself.

Ryuuji rolled his eyes and turned to the guy at the front desk. His black hair was spiked up and tattoos littered his body as well as a multitude of piercings, “What can I do for you today?” He asked in a cheery tone, something that took Bon completely by surprise.

The teen blinked before describing the piercings he wanted in both ears. The man nodded, humming slightly, “You don’t have an appointment but I have an hour before the next one so I can squeeze you in.”

Bon nodded and followed the man to a reclined chair. The guy continued to explain some things, mainly about making sure to clean the piercings so they wouldn’t get infected. The guy, he felt bad for calling him that but there was no nametag he could read off of, grabbed a needle, and sat on a chair beside him.

“You ever got a piercing before?” Bon didn’t bother shaking his head due to the needle the man was putting through his ear, but the man seemed to get the gist, “You’re better than most of the newbies. Most freak out.”

“I’m not like most people,” Bon mumbled honestly, remaining quiet the remainder of the time as the man poked holes in his ears and fed simple, silver hoops through the new holes.

Shima whistled when he stepped back into the lobby after paying and thanking the man kindly, “Damn, Bon! You look badass!” Bon chuckled, raising an eyebrow as the excitable teen pulled them from the shop and down the road. The remainder of their time in the city was mostly spent talking and getting to know the place they’d be staying for their time at True Cross.

By the end of the day, with the trio lugging their feet back to the dorm, they had walked all over town with smiles on their faces. Shima flopped down on Konekomaru’s bed and sighed dreamily, “Did you see that girl? I think she liked me!”

“You didn’t even talk to her,” Konekomaru pursed his lips, pulling his bag onto an empty desk to begin unpacking. Bon followed his lead and tossed clothes into the drawers beneath his bed.

Shima gasped dramatically, “Not true!”

Bon’s phone vibrated in his pocket, his friends were debating the likely hood of the girl being interested in Shima, which was slim to none, so he took this chance to slip from the room and into the hall.

The boy tuned out his friends in a way he’d learned to do when he was younger and put the device to his ear, “Hey, Mom,” He murmured, barely above a whisper, only just a breath.

There was squabbling in the background, from the sound of it, Kinzo and Mamushi were the ones doing the shouting. It sounded like nothing important and the sound soon grew distant and the sound of crickets filled his ears instead, “Ryuuji!” His mother exclaimed loudly, “I thought you’d forgotten all about me,” The teasing tone lilting off her lips didn’t go unnoticed.

Ryuuji rolled his eyes and sat on the floor, his back against the wooden wall and his legs stretched across the tiles, “Yup, totally did,” Bon smirked although his mother couldn’t see it. The boy had never seen her act this way around other people, not even the monks at the temple. The boy had always felt special to be the only one besides his family and the other Phoenix to see his mother’s true colors. When she would joke around and poke fun at Bon. The strength and power in her hands, the way she always lent a hand to the Phoenix the rare times they’d come to her.

Although they were considered the “Royal Family,” nothing was different. They were treated like friends and never treated as if they were special because of the blood of kings running through their veins.

“How is the city?” Torako’s voice was light and Ryuuji could feel the delight pulsing from the other end of their bond as he told her about their day. His hands waved around even if no one could see. She squeaked in surprise when he told her about Etsuko, leaving out the part of dying his hair and piercing his ears because he knew his mother would kill him and hide his body if she found out. Yeah, that was kind of stupid on his part. But he had no qualms throwing Shima under the bus and telling his mother how the perverted boy had dyed his hair pink.

“Yaozo is going to kill him,” Bon grimaced as his mother pretty much just summed up what she would do to her son when she saw him for the summer break, and with a joyous tone.

The boy forced a smile and nodded to himself, “Won’t that be a show?”

“I’ll get the popcorn.”

Ryuuji snorted, grinning toothily at his mother’s breathy laugh. There was a long beat of comfortable silence until his mother spoke co*ckily. Bon could hear the smirk in her voice, “So, any cute guys yet?”

“Mom! I’ve barely been here a day!”

There was a soft chuckle, “All right, but tell me if there is.”

“Most of the guys here look like rich assholes anyway,” The boy mumbled, running a hand through his soft, now streaked, hair to get it out of his face. Damn, looks like he’d actually need those hair clips after all.

Torako snorted but didn’t say a word. Bon’s face scrunched, he’d have to pack his school supplies tonight to be ready for Cram Class tomorrow which started in the afternoon. Knowing them, they’d spend the entire day looking around the school and have to go straight to class which meant he’d be carrying his bag around with him and would likely need everything.

“I can feel those gears working, whatcha thinkin ‘bout?” His mother’s voice was soft.

The monk sighed softly, “Cram Class starts tomorrow so I have to pack everything tonight so we can look around the school,” Ryuuji’s head collided with the wall, brown eyes staring at the ceiling.

Torako hummed thoughtfully before scolding him in the protective voice she used when he was being an idiot, “Bring your earbuds, let's shoot for no migraines this year!”

“That’s likely,” Bon scoffed.

“Now, go get ready. I’ll talk to you later. I love you.”

Ryuuji paused before sighing deeply, “Love ya, too,” He mumbled before hanging up. The teen took a minute to sit in the peaceful silence, well as close to silence as you could get with his heightened hearing.

The boy pulled out the business card Etsuko had given him. Maybe he could drop by sometime, it always felt nice to be around one of his own. Something not even a friend could do, like an instinct to be near something like him.

A loud bang startled Bon out of his thoughts, he pocketed the card and darted into his dorm room, fearing for a second that someone had broken in and was trying to hurt his friends.

To others, that may sound ridiculous. But it had been ingrained in his head since before he could talk. To be ready for anything, watch everyone with a wary eye, and expect the unexpected. It was their code, how they lived and how they survived this long. It was something every Phoenix followed without thinking as if it was ingrained in their beings from the moment they began to walk the Earth.

When Ryuuji barged into the room, ready to put up a fight, the only thing he saw was Shima laying on the floor in a chair he had tipped over, laughing his ass off with Konekomaru. Bon blinked and sighed, forcing a smile and helping his friend up as he tried to calm his racing heart and mask his fear, “Seriously Shima? I leave for all of five minutes.”

The monk giggled and hung off the demon dramatically, “What would I do without you?”

Ryuuji glared and dropped the boy without a word. Shima yelped and pulled himself up, a cheeky grin plastered on his face while Ryuuji spoke easily with hands on his hips, “Are you trying to go to the hospital on your first day?”

The pinkett hummed, “Maybe! Just think, all the girls would coddle me and feel sorry for me!” Bon blanched and raised an eyebrow, “Don’t worry my man, I’m sure I could get you a guy!”

“You’re hopeless.”

Ryuuji turned without a word and tossed some notebooks into his bag, discreetly slipping his earbuds into a side pocket so he could easily find them in the morning, he’d really need them if he was surrounded by loud teenagers all day. Looking at the time, he noticed it was almost eleven and decided it would be good to just go to sleep.

Bon collapsed face-first on his bed, groaning in surprise at how comfortable it was. Konekomaru chuckled, looking up from his book, he’d been watching Shima silently as the boy dramatized everything, “You turning in?”

“Yup, I hit my limit of dealing with Shima for the day,” Ryuuji breathed into his pillow, almost immediately falling under the grasp of sleep.

Chapter 3: Just a Game of Chess

Chapter Text

For once in his life, Ryuuji did not wake up at the ass crack of dawn or in a cold sweat in the middle of the night. He promptly chucked his phone across the room after silencing its buzzing and burrowed back under the covers in hopes that his body would agree with him for once. It didn’t.

Bon’s limited patience wore thin when he couldn’t fall back asleep in the span of two minutes. The boy groaned and pushed himself off the bed, walking into the hall with socked feet, he’d failed to change into pajamas and was still wearing the loose pants and shirt from yesterday.

Ryuuji walked up the stairs as quietly as possible, eventually pushing open the hatch leading to the roof. The cold night air crashed into him with the force of a car, the wind whipping around. Brown eyebrows pinched together in confusion, the window in the room he shared with Shima and Konekomaru was open and there had been nothing but a soft breeze shifting the curtains. Looking out in the distance, he noticed none of the trees were bent in the way they would be if the wind was this bad.

“What the-”

“I do hope you forgive my intrusion,” A sickly sweet voice said from behind. Bon whipped around but was met with nothing, “Up here.”

Suguro froze and slowly looked up. An older man was lounging in a floating armchair. His violet hair was almost entirely covered by a disgusting pink and white tophat, his clothes were equally as horribly fashioned. He looked like a clown, to say the least. Bon sniffed, nose wrinkling as the smell of bubblegum and toxic perfume hit his nose.

“Oh, don’t be like that,” The man, obviously a demon from the way he was sitting in a floating chair, jumped down and landed a few meters from the boy, “I do hope you forgive my intrusion,” The man repeated.

“I don’t.”

The man sighed, leaning on his puffy umbrella, “Perhaps introductions are in order, hm? My name is Mephisto Pheles, but you know me as-”

“Johann Faust, my mother told me to watch out for you,” Suguro’s eyes narrowed, arms crossed defensively.

Mephisto’s head co*cked to the side, seeming to be thinking about something, “Yes, I do suppose she would. Now, would you like to tell me your name?”

“You look more like a clown than the Demon King of Time to me.”

The clown glared, seeming to lose his uppity personality, “Now, listen here young man. I know who you are, Phoenix Prince, and I know you’re trying to keep your head out of the gutter and not have the Grigori on your tail, literally,” Mephisto’s eyes wandered down to the place on his chest Bon had his tail coiled around, “I wanted to warn you, this year the Cram School is going to be different than most. We have allowed some… interesting characters into the program. And if you would like to live past fifteen, I would suggest you avoid them.”

Internally, Ryuuji was screaming at the man and cursing his luck. Because he was pretty sure when Mephisto said “interesting characters,” he meant demons. But outside, he kept his face neutral, almost bored.

He sighed deeply, “Look, I couldn’t give less f*cks about your warnings. I came here to become an exorcist and beat the sh*t out of Satan,” Mephisto blanched at this before smirking devilishly, as if he knew something Ryuuji did not, “And if anyone gets in my way, I won’t hesitate to bring them down,” His eyes flashed a dangerous gold, the clown visibly flinching at the action, seeming to be taken by surprise.

“I’m not what you think I am and don’t underestimate me. I can protect myself,” Ryuuji knew when this guy said Phoenix, he thought of Karura. Yes, she was a Phoenix, but one that had been trapped in writing by mistake. In Egypt, they wrote about her on a slate of Limestone, forgetting to surround her name with a cartouche, sealing her away and forcing her to lose her mortality and quite a few pieces of herself.

Mephisto huffed, “I’m not sure you understand. Your class is going to be at the center of many scandals in-”

Bon launched forward, his three-stalked tail snapping out defensively as he grabbed Mephisto by the collar, pulling him down to his level, “If you put my friends in danger, I will personally hunt. You. Down.”

Mephisto paled before carefully peeling the teen’s hands from his jacket, “Understood. But it is out of my control.”

“You better have a good explanation,” Suguro growled, finger pointed accusingly at the demon. He let a sharp claw slide from his finger and press into the clown’s chest. Mephisto winced, looking down and swallowing thickly.

Mephisto took a deep breath, purposely blowing foul-smelling air in his face. Bon gagged and waved a hand in front of his face in an attempt to push the smell away. His finger removed itself from Mephisto’s chest. The demon looked relieved, “I do, in fact. A good friend of mine died and he had two sons, twins, he asked me to keep an eye on them. One is already an exorcist, the youngest ever, and will be teaching Demon Pharmaceutics. His older brother will be in your class. If you would like to keep your head off the Grigori’s plate, I suggest you avoid him.”

“Which one?”

“The student,” Mephisto said, a twinkle in his eyes. Yeah, he definitely knew something. Bon watched him warily.

Ryuuji ran his tongue over his sharp teeth, mulling that over, “What’s with the look?”

“Oh, nothing. I just can’t wait to see how you’ll react to his presence,” Mephisto chuckled and snapped out of existence in a puff of pink smoke.

Bon huffed and walked to the roof’s edge, leaning against the railing. He watched the sky for a solid second before screaming out in frustration, throwing his hands into the air as his cries filled the quiet night. Ryuuji rested his head against the railing, defeated, “Just my luck,” He growled, and for the first time in a very long time, he found himself wondering what it would be like to be normal, to be human.

Mephisto was slurping up ramen when Shura Kirigakure waltzed into the room, “What’d ya want, jackass?” She proclaimed as she collapsed unethically into a chair, legs thrown over an arm.

The clown smirked darkly and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, “Mrs. Kirigakure, what brings you here today?”

“Don’t know, you tell me,” The red-head arched a perfect brow and watched the demon with deadly green eyes, “You’re the one that called me.”

“Ah, of course,” Mephisto swiveled in his chair, turning to look out the window at the rising sun, “I know the Vatican has ordered you to watch the Cram Class this year, correct?”

Shura hummed, twirling a lock of hair around her finger, “I was wondering when you’d figure it out. You’re not as dumb as the Vatican believes. So, you want me to stop and turn in false reports?”

“Heavens no!” Mephisto cackled, “Wouldn’t want you to lose your job, and I do love the company.”

“Uh-huh,” Shura purred, not seeming to believe a single word as she scratched at the sigle on her round chest.

Mephisto turned back around, “I would like you to spy for me instead, turn in truthful reports. But, keep anything demonic under wraps.”

Shura paused and kicked her feet back down, leaning forward with a skeptical eye, “What are you planning, Mephisto?”

“Nothing of importance. But I will have you know we have more than just one royal in that class,” Shura squinted, prompting the man onward. Mephisto laced his fingers together, resting his chin on his gloved hands, “I picked each one personally.”

“Explain,” The exorcist ordered, her voice ringing with the threat of imminent doom.

Mephisto sighed and leaned back in his chair, “Noriko Paku, Shima Renzo, and Konekomaru Miwa are human. You won’t have to worry too much about them,” Shura breathed a sigh of relief, “It’s the other three you need to keep an eye on.”

Shura raised a brow, the beginning of doubt gnawing on the thin rope tying her patience together. She said nothing, waiting for the clown to continue. And he would, because the last time he played her and tried to withhold information, it hadn’t turned out well for the man.

Unsurprisingly, Mephisto continued, “Kamiki Izumo, a descendant of a long line of shrine maidens. Although it is diluted quite a bit, she does have the blood of the nine-tailed fox demon and, due to this, she has the makings of a great tamer.”

The red-head sucked in a sharp breath, “All right, she doesn’t sound too bad. I also knew about the Shrine maiden part.”

Mephisto paid no mind and continued, seeming quite pleased with himself at his class, “Yukio, you already know. But his older twin brother, Rin, is the one who obtained their father’s power of…”

“I swear to God, Mephisto-”

“The Blue Flames of Satan!” The demon laughed joyfully, arms spread dramatically. Or he tried to be. The instant noodles hanging from his lips destroyed the effect.

Shura jumped up, pulling her sword from her chest and bringing it awfully close to the demon posing as the principal, “I can deal with the Grigori being up my ass. Descendant of the nine-tailed fox demon? Why the Hell not! But the son of Satan!?”

“Sons, actually. They are twins. Although Yukio was weak in the womb and never developed the powers,” A smile played at his lips deviously.

“Are you out of your goddamn mind?!” Shura shrieked, loudly. Mephisto had half a mind to wonder if anyone had heard her.

Mephisto tsked and pushed the sword away as if it was not in danger of slicing him in half, “Now, Mrs. Kirigakure, don’t be like that. Will you continue to keep an eye on them for me?”

Shura sneered, scoffing loudly and putting her sword through the sigel on her chest, “Yeah, whatever,” Mephisto smiled as the woman turned and stormed to the door. Despite her outer appearance, he knew she was hooked.

Before she could reach the door, Mephisto spoke up, “Wouldn’t you like to know the last one? I would hate for you to leave before the start of the show.”

Shura glared hauntingly at the door, tilting her head over her shoulder and crossing her arms, “I’m listening.”

“Suguro Ryuuji, heir to the Myoo Dahari temple in Kyoto. And,” Mephisto’s eyes glinted dangerously, a wide grin plastered across his face, “Full-blooded demon,” Mephisto elected to leave out the specifics, the boy hadn’t seemed too thrilled after their little chat earlier. Not to mention Mephisto didn’t really know the specifics, something he wasn’t at all pleased with.

Shura froze, body tensing and face staring at the ground, “You’re out of your damn mind, Mephisto. I hope you don’t come crawling to me when this blows up in your face,” She began walking to the door, the demon waved cheerily and spoke loudly.

“Well, I do love a good show, and this one is turning out quite nicely, don’t you think?” The door slammed, at least the woman had taken her anger out on his door instead of him.

Only a few seconds ticked by before the loud crunching of chips came from above. Mephisto’s eye twitched, he didn’t have to look to know Amaimon was hanging upside down, staring blankly at the door, “You’re welcome, brother.”

“Whatever for?” Mephisto knew what his brother was referring to, but he was not about to admit it out loud.

“For telling you, of course,” Amaimon crunched on another chip noisily, a pink gloved hand twitched on the desk, ready to strangle the demon, “Had I not told you about the presence I felt yesterday, you would be in the dark about Suguro all together. That’s probably how he was hoping it would go.”

Mephisto had to admit, his brother’s power was useful. Being the Demon King of Earth, he could feel every being, even beyond physical or mental boundaries, in a certain area. Mephisto pursed his lips, “Amaimon, I told you, until I have further use of you, you are to stay hidden.”

Amaimon stayed quiet for a second before he shrugged, “Okay,” He said in the slightly manic voice he always possessed, before disappearing into the ceiling.

Mephisto, Shura thought to herself, moving away from the door she had her ear pressed to, It’s bad enough with the Bastard son of Satan, but a demon you didn’t know was here until your brother told you? What the Hell?

Shura pushed off the wall and glided down the tiled hallway. Some piece of her nagged endlessly that this would turn out horribly and she wasn’t sure if she’d get there in time to stop it.

Suguro, Her eyes narrowed at the floor. She’d read through his file. Amazing grades, a great reputation, a temple in his hands in the near future, and the Myoo Dahari no less. Her hands curled into fists, knuckles going white from the strain, What are you?

The exorcist sauntered down the empty paths between campus buildings. In only a few hours, the sun would rise and the campus would be filled with arriving students, although they had a week left. She would take time to find Suguro, see if he let anything slip. But first, she needed a way to spy on them in class.

An idea sparked in her mind and she dug out her phone, dialing a familiar number. The other line picked up on the first ring, “Mephisto, I have a favor to ask. Enroll a new student into the Cram School.”

A soft chuckle sounded around the slight static, “Of course, Mrs. Kirigakure. Who may this student be?”

“Stop playing coy with me, Mephisto. His name is Yamada, I’ll come by later to pick up the uniform.”

“Of course,” Shura smirked and hung up. Maybe this would be interesting.

Ryuuji was watching the concrete paths warily. After his encounter with Mephisto, he was not about to take any chances. He rubbed at his ears, making sure the buds were secure. Although they didn’t block out all sounds, they made it more manageable. He still had better hearing than a normal human like this, he believed it was equivalent to that of a high-level demon.

Shima skipped along, flashing smiles and finger guns at any girl who looked his way. Konekomaru was studying the school’s architecture, mumbling to himself as he saw new things to inspect. Ryuuji smiled tightly when Konekomaru pointed out something interesting to him, forcing himself to look interested. Normally, he’d probably be geeking out as well, admiring the stained glass and high ceilings, but he was too anxious to really look.

Bon’s chocolate eyes watched people cautiously, especially those who seemed to be watching him. He noticed a few teachers pointing students in the right direction and the rare exorcist wandering around with the students. Ryuuji gulped and pried his eyes away from the black coat and exorcist pin he was watching, from the way Mephisto sounded, he was not willing to tell anyone who he was. Whether that be because of Ryuuji’s far from empty threats or the fear that the Grigori would chop the clown's head, he didn’t know.

Ryuuji shook his head, all he had to do was lay low and turn a blind eye to things that would give him away. His attention was finally ripped from the exorcist when a couple of girls gossiping loudly passed them, “Did you see that guy?” One of the girls pointed to an area where a black-haired boy was spinning around and looking at the ceiling, jaw nearly on the floor, “It’s like he’s never seen a school!”

Konekomaru looked up at Ryuuji, who was scowling deeply, “Don’t you think they’re being a bit harsh? He might have gotten in on a scholarship and went to a small school like us.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Ryuuji grumbled, noticing that Shima was ignoring those girls like they didn’t exist.

One of the girls, none of them seemed to notice the three of them glaring daggers at them, giggled, “I wonder if he’s ever been in public before.”

“He’s weird,” Another wrinkled her nose.

The boy turned, glaring at the girls before stuffing his hands in his pockets, a pout set on his lips as he turned to walk away. Before he could, his eyes met Ryuuji’s. Bon’s jaw went slack, the boy’s messy black hair fell across his face, obscuring his eyes slightly. For a second, the boy stared at Ryuuji, or maybe just past him. His eyes were startling blue and seemed to dance in the light for the short time they were looking his way, before moving on.

Shima snickered and elbowed his side, “Someone’s got a crush!” He teased in a sing-song manner, Konekomaru snickering at his side.

“Shut the hell up,” Bon growled, trying to hide his blush from view. He shook his head, it was unlikely he’d ever seen him again so it was best to forget him.

This school was huge! Ryuuji was pretty sure normal schools didn’t look like this. It took a long time just to get around a small part of campus. He hadn’t even noticed the time until Konekomaru nudged him and pointed to his watch, “Class starts in a few minutes. We should use the key on a door.”

Shima whined, “I don’t want to go to class!”

Ryuuji huffed and dragged the pinkett to a nearby closet, inserting his key into the hole and pushing open the door. Although he’d been surrounded by people who use magic keys all the time, it never failed to amaze him. They stepped into an elaborately decorated hallway, huge wooden doors lining the walls.

Bon’s breath was, unsurprisingly, swept away at the sheer size of the place. He didn’t think the Exorcist Program at True Cross was big enough to warrant this, “Holy… sh*t,” He mumbled, jaw nearly hitting the floor.

“Um, do any of you remember what room we’re in?” Shima tapped his pointer fingers together nervously.

Konekomaru nodded and stated, “I think we are in room 1106, that’s what room it said for the first-year classes in the acceptance letters,” He paused for a second before his eyes crinkled in confusion behind red-rimmed glasses, “Why are there so many rooms if we’re only using one?”

“Beats me,” Ryuuji mumbled, thinking how his friends from the Ḥesepu would say it was to be dramatic and over the top. Wandering down the hall with his eyes reading the numbers, Ryuuji thought how they’d be acting right now. Probably doing something stupid that Ryuuji would join in on without a second thought.

Ryuuji came to a door with the worn-down numbers lettering across the top. He bit his lip and looked back at his friends. Konekomaru waved his hand, motioning him forward.

The boy pushed at the door, stepping into the room. There were already three people there. Two girls sat beside each other near the door while a boy sat in the front row as far away from the girls as possible. The boy held up a bright pink puppet that almost resembled some twisted form of a bunny, he seemed to be talking to it. The room itself was poorly kept, littered with cracks and random crap in almost every available space. Bon grimaced, watching his friend immediately introduce himself to the girls.

The girl with short brown hair giggled and nudged her friend, Ryuuji assumed they were friends by the way they sat so close. The other, a girl with startling red eyes and violet hair pulled into pig-tails, rolled her eyes and mumbled, “Whatever.”

Ryuuji sighed and marched over to his friend, grabbing him by the collar in an attempt to reign him in, “Sorry ‘bout him.”

The cheery girl blushed deeply, waving her hand slightly as the other pressed against her cheek, “It’s fine!” The other girl huffed in annoyance, her scent hitting Ryuuji like a ton of bricks. He faltered for a second before continuing to pull his friend a few rows behind the puppet boy. Shima hopped up to sit on the desk while Bon slid into the space beside him. Konekomaru claimed the desk behind them.

“I wonder what it’s going to be like?” Konekomaru whispered excitedly in the quiet room, “After all this time, we’re finally here!” Bon nodded, but in reality, was not paying attention. He was mulling over the violet-haired girl’s scent. He recognized it, it was faint and almost passable as human, but there was the slightest hint of a demon. One particular demon the Phoenix was notorious for not getting along with in the past. At least, that was before their kind almost went extinct. The Nine-Tailed Fox, a Kitsune. So Mephisto hadn’t been kidding when he said there would be some interesting people. Damn his luck to Hell.

A new figure stepped through the door, neither of his friends paid any mind and continued their conversation. The person was dressed in a version of the boy’s uniform. He had the pants but was wearing a black hoodie under the uniform jacket. The hood was pulled up, shadowing the guy’s face. He seemed to scan the room, eyes pausing on every person before he marched with purpose to the side of the room Ryuuji was occupying.

Ryuuji watched him with narrowed eyes as he passed them, he was sure to try and decipher his scent. If Mephisto had told the truth, then there were multiple “interesting characters” here. He flinched when he caught it, for one, the guy was actually a girl. And when he said girl, he meant she identified as a girl. Smells were often based on the feelings of a person, not their DNA entirely.

He glared at her as she walked to the furthest possible seat from the front, dead center of the room. Although her eyes weren’t visible, he knew she was watching him. And something in his gut told him she had an idea what he was or what was going on here. His eyes flashed for the barest of seconds as he turned to face his friends, acting as if he’d been paying attention to their conversation. He could already tell things were going to get complicated.

Ryuuji pinched the bridge of his nose, he could feel a headache coming on.

Shura walked down the hall to a familiar room she knew the Pages would be studying in for their first year of exorcist training. It was also the same place she’d pretend to be a student by the name of Yamada. The woman pulled at the hood of her sweatshirt, carefully checking that it was hiding her face and hair from view.

Most of the kids were already in the room when she entered. There only seemed to be one missing. Her green eyes roved over each kid, she saw the girl named Izumo with barely enough demon blood to even qualify as one. Her friend, she assumed it was Paku, was talking animatedly with her. Takara was across the room, talking to the bright pink puppet in his hands. Then she saw Shima, at least she assumed it was Shima, his hair was bright pink instead of the brunette displayed in his student file. Konekomaru was sitting at the desk behind him, neither seeming to notice her.

Then she saw Suguro, he looked different from his picture. There was a blonde streak down the middle of his slightly curled brown hair, and a multitude of piercings adorned his ears. He was watching her as she watched him. What kind of demon are you? She thought, hoping he would give an answer to her unspoken question. The only answer he gave was a dark glare.

Shura’s heart leapt for a second before she elected to walk by him to see if he would do anything else. He watched her, the glare etched across his face the entire time, as she passed. For a second, Suguro seemed to be processing something, like he was studying information she didn’t know he was getting.

The exorcist walked to the back of the class, this would be the best place to keep an eye on everyone. When she collapsed in her seat and crossed her arms, she noticed he was still watching her and she watched back. They stayed like that for a second, silently staring each other down. Suguro turned away. Before his face was hidden from view, she could have sworn his eyes flashed gold.

What in the hell has gold eyes? She had no extra time to think about it before the last student came in. She immediately knew it was the son of Satan simply by ruling it out. Mephisto wasn’t joking when he said this class would get interesting. Three demons in a room, and all were supposed to be learning to become exorcists. How ironic.

Ryuuji looked up as the door creaked open again, revealing the boy from before. The Phoenix blanched, at what, he wasn’t sure. Now that the boy was closer, he looked like the type that attracted trouble. And, by ruling things out, likely a demon. He looked around, trying to push his bangs out of his face and failing miserably. Strangely enough, he was… Ryuuji didn’t know what to think. He had a gaze that seemed to be filled with amazement. He also seemed like someone who would goof off in class rather than listen.

The boy’s blue eyes landed on the girl-posing-as-a-boy in the back, he murmured something so low that if it wasn’t for Ryuuji’s enhanced hearing, he’d have completely missed it, “Who’s he, Eminem?” Ryuuji snorted into his hand but turned it into a cough in an attempt to stifle it.

The boy seemed he didn’t notice, not that he cared of course, and took a seat at the front. A white Scottish Terrier Ryuuji had failed to notice, likely due to his attention being too focused on the boy, hopped up with him. There was an extravagantly ridiculous pink and white bow around the dog’s neck, it reminded Ryuuji of something Mephisto would wear. Maybe it was his dog and the boy was related or something. Just the thought of the boy, who was kinda cute in all honesty, being related to the fashion disaster that was Mephisto just made the Phoenix want to vomit.

“Not a whole lotta students,” The boy gawked in surprise.

“Well,” Ryuuji startled slightly when the dog talked, in a familiar voice no less. Yup, that’s Mephisto. So, what the hell was he doing here? He wasn’t surprised about the dog-form thing. If you were skilled enough in Egyptian magic, you could do similar things. Most religions around the world had something related to form-altering. He wasn’t surprised Christianity was included, “Exorcists are always few in number. This is actually a lot,” Mephisto muttered the last part as if it was unnecessary, an off-handed comment.

The dog glanced over his shoulder, startling when he caught Ryuuji glaring angrily at him. Mephisto turned around quickly after that, shimmying as if he was trying to get out of the Phoenix’s line of sight.

“Quiet down, class,” The door opened and a brunette boy Suguro recognized as the Freshman class Rep, walked through the door. Holy sh*t, this must be the youngest exorcist Mephisto had told him about. When Mephisto said young, he hadn’t thought this young.

“Oh, here’s the teacher,” Mephisto said. The boy went silent almost immediately.

The teacher had a belt crisscrossing across his waist with guns and reload magazines at hand easily, “Class will now begin,” The boy at the desk went wide-eyed and seemed to forget how to breathe for a second. The teacher smiled once he reached his desk, placing his supply case and a folder safely on it. Ryuuji couldn’t help but think there was something hidden beneath the smile, “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Yukio Okumura. I’ll be your Anti-Demon Pharmaceuticals instructor.”

The boy shot up, pointing an accusing finger at Mr. Okumura, “Yukio?! Really?”

Ryuuji raised a brow and turned to his friends for a second, both shrugged in confusion and turned back to the dramatics shown by the black-haired boy. The teacher pursed his lips, glasses glinting dangerously before blank eyes, “Yes. Yukio. Is something wrong?” Mr. Okumura stayed calm, opening his case with his eyes turned away from the boy. Ryuuji guessed, based solely on the boy’s reaction, they were brothers. Meaning the loud boy was who he should avoid. f*cking perfect. Why was it always the pretty ones?

The boy stumbled over his words multiple times before finally spitting out, “Whaddaya mean?! What’s wrong with you?!”

Yukio smiled brightly, brows raised as he turned to his brother, “Nothing’s wrong. Class is in session, so be quiet.”

The boy, looking like he had no idea what to do, slowly sat back down. He was whispering to the dog, again only loud enough for Suguro to hear, “Mephisto! What’s going on here?! What’s he-”

Mephisto tsked, sitting up and acting all prim and proper. He turned to the boy, eyes half-lidded, “Please address me as ‘sir.’ I’m your superior,” The boy gawked, looking more than a little confused and horrified.

“As you may have guessed,” Yukio continued, now standing in front of his desk and continuing to address the class as if nothing was happening between his brother and the dog. Suguro guessed it kind of wasn’t, him being the only one who could hear the conversation, “I’m a new instructor who’s the same age as you. But with regard to exorcism, I’m two years ahead of you, so please address me as ‘Mr. Okumura.’” The teacher smiled brightly, his eyes crinkled as he announced his titles with pride. Bon couldn’t blame him, he’d be proud too if he was the youngest exorcist ever.

“Now, who has never encountered temptaint before? Raise your hand,” Yukio did the same as if to demonstrate how to do this. Bon raised his hand, as did the brown-haired girl and Shima. Although Ryuuji was considered a demon (by the exorcists), it did not give him the ability to see them. He was a being of the Egyptian religion, meaning he could see things of the Egyptian religion without the Duat, which worked as a sort of cover to hide things mortals could not perceive, interfering with his sight. For example, he passed the Ba belonging to someone, likely someone holding Egyptian magic, a few weeks ago when walking around the forest near his home. However, he could see beasts from other religions, just not any form of Christianity, that’s when you needed a temptaint. Ryuuji always thought it was unnecessarily complicated. Shouldn’t you be able to see things that put you in danger?

“Temptaint?” The boy’s head flew side to side, rapidly looking for answers. Ryuuji’s lips parted slightly, oh God this boy was an idiot. The Phoenix promptly ignored the conversation taking place between the boy and Mephisto as the latter explained what a temptaint was. Yukio talked over his brother, explaining that they would cover the ritual in their first lesson. All the voices drowned together, overwhelming the demon’s ears and creating a buzzing noise.

Suguro rubbed at his ear, hoping people didn’t notice the pain the noises were causing him. He clenched his teeth, trying his hardest to focus.

“Ryuuji,” His mother sighed, hugging the tiny boy in her lap. He was crying, clutching at his ears and squeezing his eyes tightly. The small boy’s face was buried in the crook of her neck, “It’s all right, sweetie. Just breathe.”

His tail was clutching tightly at her leg, wings limp on the floor, “Mama, it hurts,” The boy sobbed. The door slid open silently and Yaozo stepped in, careful to be sure no one saw into the room and realized the true nature of the mother and her son.

He shook his head slightly, kneeling in front of the two respectfully. He did not risk speaking, but Torako got the message. She had asked him to find Tatsuma to see if he could help Ryuuji with this. It was the third time this week he’d had an overload. It was uncommon for a Phoenix to have one of this magnitude often, maybe only once every few months. It was starting to worry Torako about her son’s health and safety. If he could not stop something like this from happening, he might reveal who he was which would be worse than any fate one could imagine.

Torako sighed and pet her son’s unruly hair. Yaozo sighed as well and, in the quietest voice humanly possible, breathed out, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Torako shook her head, “He needs time.”

The pain was excruciating, she knew. Almost like someone took an axe to your head and you couldn’t die. Yaozo stepped from the room, closing the door behind him. Ryuuji was holding his breath, heart skipping as a reminder that it needed oxygen, “Breathe, Ryuuji. Breathe.”

Ryuuji took a deep breath, making it as quiet as possible so as not to draw attention to himself, “-classroom isn’t in use,” He tuned in just as Mr. Okumura was explaining something related to their lesson for today, “It is a nest for demons called Goblins,” Ryuuji pursed his lips, he had heard slight scratching upon entering, but brushed it off as a rat, something that was much more common than people believed, even in the cleanest of homes.

The brown-haired girl raised a shaky hand, her voice equally as shaky, “Is it- is it safe?”

Yukio nodded, assuring the girl kindly, “Yes. Goblins don’t usually appear in bright places where people gather,” Ryuuji sighed boredly and tuned out the words again. He knew all of this, it was expected when he was raised in a temple of exorcists. Okumura waved around a vial of foul-smelling blood and a carton of milk that he could smell as sour. The Phoenix gagged, putting a hand over his nose and mouth to dilute the smell, at least a little.

The teacher’s brother stood abruptly, catching the attention of everyone around him. He launched himself over his desk and slammed a hand on the teacher’s, “Explain yourself!” Ryuuji’s brows raised in surprise at the outburst. Great, more shouting. Ryuuji rubbed at his ear with his free hand, feeling like an idiot.

“We’re in the middle of class. Sit down,” Yukio scolded his brother.

The boy grit his teeth, fists clenched together tightly. He snarled, screaming out, “Knock it off, Yukio!”

Suguro froze, glancing around the room to judge how others were reacting to this. Nearly everyone in the class wore an expression of surprised confusion, everyone except for the girl in the back. Although her features were hidden, her body language portrayed that she had expected this and couldn’t care less. If she was doing all she could to hide herself, then there was a distinct possibility she was watching them.

Who was he kidding, of course she was. Mephisto had enrolled a classroom of demons to become exorcists, the chance he wouldn’t send someone to keep an eye on them was slim to none. So that girl was more likely an adult and a wicked good exorcist. Ryuuji was beginning to regret his life choices as he silently panicked without anyone so much as noticing.

Yukio sighed in exasperation, “As I mentioned earlier, I became an exorcist two years ago and began training when I was seven,” Jesus christ, the clown hadn’t been joking when he said he was the youngest exorcist ever. Not only that, but did this kid have a life?! “I was infected by temptaint by my twin brother at birth,” Yukio gave a pointed look to the boy.

Ryuuji’s eyes narrowed slightly, so they were brothers, twins. That also proved his theory of the boy being a demon. But what kind? He saw ears curved in a slight point and sharp canine teeth. Was he a powerful demon, a sub-king? Was he hiding a tail or did he even have one?

“I’ve been able to see demons since before I could crawl,” Suguro heard Shima wince from his place beside him. The former could relate slightly to the teacher, being born like this he’d been able to see through the Duat, or more commonly known as the Vail, since he was little. He never had to concentrate to see things, and sometimes he wished he didn’t have to see those things. Even now he’d freeze when he saw a monster before remembering he was the, as his mother liked to say, “Bigger, badder monster and had nothing to fear.”

But now, he didn’t have the ability to freeze, even before coming here. They were always around so he had to get used to the monsters. Especially when they became the least dangerous last year.

Ryuuji stiffened, hands coming down to ball fists in his lap. No, he will not think about that. He was never going to remember that. He allowed his claws to unsheath themselves from his fingers, piercing his palm to shock him back into reality.

“I’ve known the whole time,” Yukio growled, a sneer twisted at his brother, “The only one who didn’t know was you.”

The blue-eyed boy looked horrified, and Suguro couldn’t help the twinge of sympathy coiling in his gut. But, did that mean the boy only just recently found out what he was? “Now, return to your seat,” Yukio propped his hands on his hips, waiting for his brother to take his seat.

The boy’s voice came out small, barely recognizable from the loud accusations he had been making earlier, “But if you knew, then why didn’t you tell me?!” His voice grew in volume towards the end, he grabbed his brother’s coat threateningly, the exorcist dropped the vial of blood as he moved to get his brother off him. The glass shattered with a loud snap, sending goopy, red liquid across the floor. (Just in case you were wondering, it smelled worse outside the vial)

Shima gagged and put a hand over his nose, “Yuck, that stinks!”

“Ya, think?” Bon grumbled, scrunching his nose and holding his breath. f*cking hell, that was worse than the dumpster outside the inn. The Phoenix was pressing his fist to his mouth, trying not to hurl.

“What’s that smell?!” The boy waved a hand in front of his face and stared open-mouthed at the pool of crimson liquid.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash and the vent fell to the table. Everyone jumped to their feet in surprise. Ryuuji raised his fists, prepared to punch anything that came at him, “Demons!” The violet-haired girl shouted, pointing to the spot the grate had dropped as she cowered behind her friend.

“Where?!” Suguro shouted above the din, trying to figure out where he should be looking. There was too much sound in the room for him to pinpoint anything with sound. Even that was faulty at the best of times. Konekomaru squeaked and jumped behind Ryuuji, grabbing at his shirt.

The violet-haired girl yelped and ducked, seemingly to avoid an invisible something being chucked at her as she shifted bm behind her friend for a second, “There!”

Yukio’s eyes narrowed as he fired shots into thin air, which exploded at random points as if they hit something. Which they likely did, “Hobgoblins!” Yukio shouted, warning them. One of the girls shrieked and the other flinched away, “Evacuate the classroom!”

The girl-dressed-boy sighed and picked herself up, leisurely strolling to the door with the others as if this wasn’t a big deal. But to them, the majority of them had only seen a handful of demons if that. Suguro felt useless, he had no idea what to do. You put him in front of any monster from lore around the world and he could easily fight and defeat it. But he couldn’t fight something he couldn’t see without good information of the beast.

Outside the classroom, Yukio grumbled out, “They’re small, but there are a lot of them and the blood stirred them up. I’m sorry this is my fault.”

Bullsh*t, if your idiot brother had just kept his cool, everything would be fine, Ryuuji thought to himself, his thoughts towards the boy becoming bitter. All thought of him looking cute was forgotten.

“Please wait outside while I get rid of them. You too, Rin,” So his name was Rin. At least he could stop calling him ‘the boy’ in his head.

The newly named Rin growled, sharp teeth bared and he kicked the door closed with a sharp slam!leaving the twins in there alone. Suguro ran a hand down his face, this guy was an idiot! Was he trying to get killed? Couldn’t he talk to his brother later?

Suguro closed his eyes and focused on the voices from the other side, thankful he was standing behind everyone so they wouldn’t notice if he reacted to anything said in the obviously private conversation. But at this point, Bon needed to know. This guy seemed new to the whole, keep-your-demon-side-hidden ordeal and was just tearing around with it. Amateurs were going to be the death of Ryuuji’s kind, so he really didn’t want to be anywhere near a dangerous one.

The only positive was if something happened, Rin would be the first person the Vatican would go for because of his nature. At least because of the attitude he was showing now. Who knows, maybe he was never like this, just having a bad day. But they would never expect a good student, or a quiet person, or someone who didn’t get ticked off easily. Rin seemed like the kind of person that would be found out in a matter of months. And that’s if he was lucky, really lucky. Like, Shai or Fortuna blessed his ass level of luck. Which meant the Grigori or someone would be keeping a closer eye on the class. Which gave less room for minor slip-ups.

“We’re not done talking!” The scream was loud and he was sure the others may have caught a sliver of that sentence. The others around him were muttering to themselves, wondering what was going on and what was being said.

“And it wasn’t your fault! It was mine, sorry,” Suguro had to pause for a second, Rin didn’t seem like the kind to apologize. Maybe there was more to him? He did only just meet him after all.

Yukio sighed, the minute sound of his glasses being pushed up lost to the ringing sound of a gunshot piercing the Phoenix’s ears. Ryuuji bit his lip to hold in a wince, thankful for the earbuds. Without them, this would be so much worse, “There’s nothing else to say.”

“What?” Rin sounded honestly offended and more than a little confused.

There were more gunshots in quick succession, “I’m busy, save it for later.”

There was a long pause, for a second Ryuuji thought the demons were gone. No such luck, “Uh, how about a little help!” Rin shouted, sounding like he was struggling with something, maybe to stay standing if the sound of stumbling and the squeak of a desk was anything to go by.

“They’re totally gnawing on you,” Yukio breathed in surprise, amusem*nt rolling off his tongue. Suguro pressed a fist to his mouth to stifle a giggle from bubbling up his throat and out of his mouth.

A loud shriek followed. The forceful snap of a fire hitting Suguro’s ears. After wielding his own fire for his whole life, Ryuuji was able to pinpoint the sound of it easily. Was Rin wielding fire? There was a low snarl, the voice hitting the monk’s ears was nothing like Rin’s, yet everything like his. It was echoing, each word laced with power that made someone want to obey, “Listen to me!” Yukio was silent, nothing but his faltering steps telling Suguro that he continued to exist in this world, “We hardly talked since Father Fujimoto died!” Ryuuji startled, eyes blinking open. He knew that name, his father talked about him on occasion. Wasn’t he the Paladin? So he was dead, Suguro remembered something his father told him. How Shiro Fujimoto would not kill a demon if they have done no harm, how he felt sympathy for them, on a lucky occasion.

If he was here now, would he be someone to turn Ryuuji in, or help him? The demon shook away those thoughts and continued to listen, he should not worry about them since there was no chance now. Now was not the time to hope, he needed to constantly be on his toes.

“If you knew all this time,” Rin’s voice was laced with doubt, he was scared. Of course he was, his brother was being an ass and deprecating him with every word, “Then how did you feel about me?”

Suguro bit his lip, this was not going to turn out well. Considering the way Yukio had been acting before, he had a pretty good idea of what he would say to his brother in light of his question. The sound of bullets flying, wood splintering, and fire burning were all he could hear for a long time, until Yukio’s voice rang through, “How did I feel?” His voice was laced with malice and hatred, Suguro visibly shuddered. It felt like the words were directed to him, “Well, since you’re a demon, I thought you were dangerous!”

“Why you-” Rin sounded hurt, badly so. Not only that, but Rin wasn’t good at covering his emotions, and due to the focus the demon had on him, he could feel the hole he was digging himself into.

Rin was cut off by the sound of two magazines clattering to the floor, “You’re such a fool, Rin,” Ryuuji balled his fists, if his friends found out and this was their reaction, someone was going to walk away with a broken nose, “Why do you want to be an exorcist?”

Ryuuji grit his teeth, the sharp points grinding together as he listened to Yukio continue to chew out his brother, “Revenge? Or to atone for what you did to Father Fujimoto?” Suddenly, the sound of a crash erupted from the room and he was damn sure this time that everyone heard it.

“Well, it’s too late now!” Yukio shouted at him, his voice chorused by bullets lodging into walls and invisible monsters, “If that’s what you really want… then turn yourself into headquarters or just die!” Bon couldn’t stifle the gasp this time, his eyes flying open as his hand came up to slam over his slack-jawed mouth. Forget Rin, what kind of monster was Yukio?

Chapter 4: Rattled to the Core

Chapter Text

Shura was not surprised in the slightest by Rin’s reaction to seeing his brother as an exorcist. Nor the way Yukio was acting towards him. The latter always wore a face of stoic indifference, but there was a lot of anger hidden inside that was bottled up. And now, he looked like the bottle was about to explode.

She was even less surprised when Yukio shoved them all out of the room when the Hobgoblins appeared. But the way Rin slammed the door shut in anger, locking them both in, did surprise her, “What’s going on in there?” Konekomaru stuttered, looking like he had just seen a ghost. Fitting, considering what he did see.

The exorcist stayed silent but noticed out of the corner of her eyes how Suguro was standing in the back of the group, eyes closed and fists clenched. What was he doing? She studied him, ignoring the way everyone flinched when a gunshot or scream could be heard. Instead, she watched silently. The way Suguro’s teeth ground together, the way he would sneer on occasion, or how his eyebrows pinched together. Could he… hear them? His eyes blinked open for a split second, the same golden color from before replacing the warm brown. She breathed out, not realizing she held her breath, when his eyes closed again.

It couldn’t have been more than a minute before the next reaction came. Suguro stumbled slightly, a gasp flying out of his throat. No one else seemed to notice in their own worried chatter, but she did. A hand flew to his mouth, amber eyes blown wide. He looked frazzled. Something beneath his shirt twitched and his ears pointed slightly. Shura’s lips parted as she watched the way he quickly ran a hand through his hair, seemingly pushing down an emotion that was nearing boiling point.

The point of his ears disappeared, the golden eyes melting back to brown. He glanced side to side, and his eyes locked with hers. Shura watched for a second more before turning away. This was bound to get interesting.

He almost lost control of his glamour, almost revealing himself. He got so lost in the emotions rolling off Rin from the other side of the door. The horror, fear, guilt, regret, and most of all, despair. His emotions were so strong, impossible to ignore. Ryuuji felt like he was drowning in them, struggling to tell up from down. He needed to turn it off! Turn off that power like he had to do often. It was a danger to them, any empathetic creatures like Phoenix. If he got too overwhelmed, his body would shut down, go on autopilot with no regard to the huge walls he’d set up since he was little. The ones that kept even his closest friends miles away, the ones that only let his family in.

He’d felt the familiar twinge of his ears pointing, and the itch of feathers crawling up his back and along his ears. No! He screamed inside, wrestling for control. Stamping down the feathers, the wings, everything. He pushed away that fire, the one that was warm when it enveloped him. It would feel nice, his huge wings hiding his back, the-no! He crushed that feeling, locking away that flame in the deepest part of his mind. He couldn’t let them know.

The fire receded, taking his breath for several tense seconds. Then his ears lost the slight point, thank god they hadn’t grown to their full length, that would have been hard to explain. His tail coiled back around his torso, stilling unnaturally.

It left him shaky, scared. He hadn’t lost control like that, hadn’t had to fight it, for a long time. What was happening to him? He wanted to break down, to scream at the sky. But he couldn’t not yet, not here. He glanced around, fearing his friends were watching him when he felt eyes on him, they weren’t. Only the strange girl, he watched her for a long time even after she turned away. Oh, he was so screwed.

Because of his little breakdown, he managed to miss a portion of the fight going on inside the classroom. He managed to tune in as Yukio spoke, missing the first part of the sentence, “-Father Fujimoto was our strongest exorcist! There is no way he would have allowed Satan to enter him,” The world around him seemed to still, the only sound the hissing he assumed to be the demons who were shot, “Unless he was mortally wounded in his soul.”

The waves of shock rolled over from Rin, he could imagine the boy was standing there, mouth agape as he stared at his brother, “Did you say something to hurt him?” Yukio’s voice was lower, deadly, cutting through the air like ice.

Rin stammered, sounding as if he was trying to force words out of his mouth, failing miserably. Yukio cut him off yet again, not giving him a chance, “If he had one weakness, it was you big brother,” Yukio spat out the last two words as if they were poison on his tongue, “You… you killed Father Fujimoto!”

There were no shots, no screeches from the demons, only the silence. For one horrifying second, he wondered if Yukio had shot his brother, or was doing something. From the sound of the Exorcist's voice, he wouldn’t be surprised. But, Rin’s voice filtered through his ears, they were shaky and full of too many emotions to understand just one, “Like you said, I’m an idiot. So say whatever you want! But don’t point your gun at me!” The sudden shouting made Suguro want to clamp his hands over his ears, but he managed to keep them by his side, dangling limply.

The sound of a sword, likely the one Rin had been carrying on his back since walking through the classroom door, “WE’RE BROTHERS!” There was a loud explosion, he didn’t need to use his demonic senses to hear it, it was only muffled by the door slightly.

He could hear a tremor in the way the gun rattled, Yukio’s voice was small, pleading, “Rin-”

“I didn’t kill Father Fujimoto. I can understand your feelings, but why point that thing at me?” The slam of feet against the tiled floor assaulted his ears, “If it’ll make you feel better, then shoot!!” Suguro’s jaw went slack, his sharp teeth peeking out slightly, “SHOOT!”

Suddenly, there was a loud hiss and the sound of the sword being returned to it’s scabbard, “Don’t insult me, I’d never fight my little brother,” Ryuuji finally had enough, he blocked out the sounds of the brothers in the classroom, focusing on a sound far away. He didn’t care what it was, but he was done snooping in on them. The sound of rustling leaves and trickling water drifted past his ears. Finally, peace and quiet.

Shima looked worriedly at the door before knocking loudly, “Mr. Okumura! Are you all right?” That managed to snap Suguro out of his head.

The pinkett waited worriedly for a response before Yukio sighed, “Yes, we’re all right. The classroom, however, is not,” He could imagine the younger brother pointedly glaring at Rin.

Rin, in turn, grumbled, “When did that happen?!”

Ryuuji sighed, a small smile ghosting his lips as he continued to listen, “I knew it,” Yukio deadpanned, “You’re dangerous.”

Suguro wrinkled his nose, he couldn’t be more dangerous than him. It was doubtful any of the demons in this class even had a dangerous power. Ryuuji’s power was equivalent to a god’s, they were called “mortal deities” for a reason, they may not have any form of immortality, but they definitely had the power of an immortal.

Rin spluttered out a series of half-answers before finally settling on one that didn’t sit well with the Phoenix, “I… I’m going to learn how to-I’ll learn to control it!” Bon stalled, an uncertain breath escaping his lips, Rin couldn’t control his power. Even if it wasn’t powerful normally, a demon without control was more dangerous than anything around. He knew that more than anyone.

Yukio huffed, “Rin, as long as you try to become an exorcist, what I said earlier will follow you around. Someone will always be saying or thinking about it. Be prepared,” The door swung open revealing a destroyed room and a slightly rattled teacher, “My apologies, everyone. Let’s reconvene in another room. Come on, Rin!”

The boy stalled for a second before a determined grin spread across his face, showing off his pointed fangs, “Sure thing, teach!” Ryuuji hummed to himself, following Yukio to another room. Maybe he’d have someone to compete with this year instead of everyone trying to keep up with him. That would be a nice change. The rest of the class went by pretty much normal, they got their textbooks if the class required one and a sh*t load of homework. By the end of the day, Bon was pretty much toast.

The monk collapsed in the seat of a desk in the dorm room, Konekomaru taking the other while Shima read his p*rno magazines on the bed. Bon gagged and read over his notes, finishing homework easily. It was easier than expected, basic stuff he had already known. The monk looked over, Shima had fallen asleep, drool dripping onto his magazine and a way too happy smile on his face. Konekomaru had turned in for the night, having finished his homework as well and deciding not to study yet.

Noticing he no longer had eyes on him, he brought his arm up, rolling the sleeve to his elbow. Three faint lines were drawn across the skin, their pale color standing out against his tanned skin. After moving to the new classroom, Yukio had managed to wrangle a hobgoblin and get it to scratch those without temptaint. Suguro had panicked for a second, fearful that someone would notice the difference in his blood, namely the girl still in the back who hadn’t taken her eyes off him since he almost lost it.

Thankfully nobody, to his knowledge, had noticed the way the crimson flared with golden veins to give it the illusion that fire was being shot into it. Nor did they notice that, by the end of class, the marks had become scars. Ryuuji rubbed at his temples, hiding his heritage was going to be harder than he thought.

Shura kicked her apartment door open, peeling off the uniform so she could slip on her pajamas. Letting her long hair fall down her back, she dialed the most recent number and put it to her ear, “Why hello, how goes your studies?”

“Cut the crap, Mephisto,” Shura growled, glaring holes into the wooden floor.

Mephisto hummed, “Well, are you going to tell me how the first day of class was?”

Shura’s head slammed against the table, jostling a can of half-empty beer, “Rin seemed out of control by the way the classroom looked after…”

“And, Mr. Suguro?” Mephisto asked, sipping on a cup of tea from the other end of the line.

Shura couldn’t answer at first, thinking back to the way Suguro had looked in the hall. Out of control but at the same time like he was in control. She couldn’t help for fear for the lives of everyone, were his abilities so powerful that they looked out of control when they were in control? Or did he not have any control over them? She didn’t know what scared her more, “I don’t know what to think. He seems good at hiding it, but I’m not sure about his control. It almost slipped for a second, and it looked like…” like he was struggling, Shura shook her head, “I don’t know what I saw, but I can tell you this. It isn’t good, and… you’re in way over your head.”

Mephisto sighed, humming slightly to himself, “I don’t think I am.”

Shura took the phone from her ear and glared at it, “Piss off you co*cky clown,” She sneered and hung up quickly. She dropped her head to her hands, reaching blindly for the half-empty can of beer, downing it in one swallow. What had her life come to? It used to be you found a demon and killed it, now she was supposed to watch them?! She had a distinct feeling that Mephisto also wanted her to protect them. Goddammit, “This was one Hell of a time to leave, Shiro.”

Shura sat there for hours, pondering all the ways this could go wrong. Because there was never a time where it didn’t, and with such high stakes in the newest edition of Mephisto’s plans, everything was about to reign down in fire.

The second day of class was a little less eccentric, but still just as interesting. There was a new student today, Shiemi Moriyama. Instead of the school uniform, she was sporting a pink and green kimono, a handful of books wrapped in a red fabric were clutched to her chest. Her shoulder-length blonde hair was neatly kept and held to the side with a flowery clip.

After being introduced, she stuttered out a nervous, “Pleased-pleased to meet you!” She bowed deeply before stumbling over the seat beside Rin, “Hi, Rin!” She greeted him kindly as if they already knew each other. Long-time friend, maybe?

Rin gawked, eyes blown wide, “What’re you doing here?!”

“Yuki had the president let me enroll. This’ll be fun!” Suguro felt like he missed something, like jumping into the middle of a conversation with absolutely no context.

Ryuuji watched as the girl pinched her face in her best attempt to look serious, the small trembles in her body told otherwise, “I’m a big scaredy-cat, so I came here to toughen up,” That girl was going to regret that decision. You didn’t exactly go to a school for Exorcists to “toughen up.”

Rin’s brows pinched, mouth twisting in concern, “You okay? You’re all tense. I’m surprised you even made it here!”

Suguro raised his eyebrows, did that kid have a filter at all? You don’t just say that to someone unless you are extremely familiar with them. Shiemi turned to Rin, a bright smile splitting her face, “I owe it all to you! Thank you!”

Rin blushed lightly, turning his face away, “Oh, it was nothing, besides…” The boy’s words drifted off as the blonde’s focus immediately turned to Yukio who was drawing a diagram on the board.

Her eyes seemed to glitter, her textbook open in front of her, “I always wanted to see Yuki teach!” Suguro didn’t even have time to question the nickname when he saw the way Rin blanched, arms crossed as he glared at his brother, annoyed. Bon grumbled, writing down notes while his mind wandered, he couldn’t help but wonder what it was with that guy. One thing was for sure, his curiosity was piqued.

Chapter 5: The Start of Something

Chapter Text

Suguro growled, the curiosity he’d had before had gone out the window. Rin was sleeping again! The grip the monk had on his pencil was enough to make it creak near breaking point. The boy was glaring daggers at Rin as Shima and Konekomaru traded glances and eyerolls as they continued to focus on their work. Neither wanted to point out the fact that Bon wasn’t focusing on his work either, but they knew it would be a losing battle, “I wish he’d leave,” Suguro snarled.

Rin turned, studying the demon for a second before turning back around… and promptly falling back asleep. Bon snarled, scoffing loudly as the teacher shouted at Rin to get it together.

By the time they reached Demon Pharmaceuticals, Ryuuji was ready to snap. Rin didn’t even try paying attention. If he tried, maybe the monk wouldn’t be too upset about it, but this was driving him nuts! This school was one of the best and this guy was just lazing around. He was probably some rich kid who could just buy his degree. f*cking perfect.

Yukio waved around a stack of papers, quizzes they took yesterday to see just how much they knew, “All right, time to return your quizzes. Mr. Shima…” The pinkett sauntered up as more of the class was called up. Shima skipped back, showing off his eighty-two happily. Bon flashed him a thumbs up and continued to listen for his name.

The monk noticed the way Shiemi bounced in her seat excitedly, “I’m sure I did well! This is the only subject I’m really good at!” Suguro sighed and ignored the suggestions Yukio discussed with Shiemi after calling her up, he also ignored the way Rin made fun of her as the girl sulked back to her seat.

Rin was called up a few moments later, Yukio’s hands were on his hips as he handed his brother the quiz… marked with a two, “This grade makes me want to vomit,” Yukio seemed positively murderous.

Rin winced, shoulders bunching slightly, “Sorry,” His voice seemed strangely small, unsure. That was new.

Rin began to walk back to his seat, a hand rubbing the back of his head as he looked over his paper, “Mr. Suguro.”

The monk stood and marched to the front of the class. He couldn’t help the dark glare he sent Rin’s way, nor the words that flew out of his mouth, “I couldn’t do that bad if I tried,” Yes, he had done that bad without trying. There had been times he had done that bad and worse, “You’re too busy flirting with the girls. It’s annoying,” He could hear one of his friend’s head connect with his desk in frustration. Rin’s nose wrinkled, the boy sliding into his seat, pouting.

Suguro smiled widely as Yukio handed over his paper and congratulated him. The boy couldn’t help the smug smirk that split his face as he turned and shoved the paper, which bore a large ninety-eight, in Rin’s face.

Rin gawked at him, his hands waving around in the air as he tried to convey his thoughts, disbelieving, “How? A guy like you can’t get a ninety-eight! That’s impossible!”

It took Suguro a moment to realize Rin wasn’t talking about the fact that he was a Phoenix, maybe he thought he was the only one and didn’t want everyone to know. Then another moment to realize what he was talking about. Ryuuji crushed the paper in his hand, “What?!” He shouted, fists balled at his sides, “I came here to study so I can be an Exorcist! Everyone here is trying their hardest,” Even with the odds stacked against the minority of them due to them being demons, he elected not to say that because of the attention it would bring to him, “A slacker like you doesn’t belong here, so beat it!”

Rin shot up, getting in his face, “Who are you to judge, Rooster?! I’m trying hard, too!”

Ryuuji was just about to launch forward and grab Rin by the front of his shirt, although he wasn’t normally one to start fights in school, but he was known for doing so to defend others or when extremely angered. Now was one of those times. Shima and Konekomaru, Ryuuji hadn’t noticed them stand, grabbed him by his arms and pulled him away from Rin while Yukio lifted Rin clear off the floor from under his arms.

Bon didn’t let being held back stop him from shouting at the boy who looked keen to do the same thing, “You’ve never taken class seriously! You’re always sleeping!”

“Come on, Bon,” Shima muttered as Konekomaru stuttered a plea, “We’re in the middle of class!”

Rin, who was fighting his brother to get back to the floor, hollered loudly as his brother coaxed Suguro on and nodded to everything he said, “I prefer action! I can only learn hands on!” Rin managed to rip his arms away from his brother and turn his back to Ryuuji, turning his attention to Yukio, “Whose side are you on?!” He squawked loudly.

Yukio crossed his arms, a dark look in his eyes, “Guess.”

Yukio had dismissed class almost directly after the screaming match between the two demons, meaning their next class was Practical Training. Good, Ryuuji really needed to blow off some steam.

Shima slammed a hand on the locker beside his head in the locker room as they changed into their workout uniforms, “What the f*ck was that?!”

Bon shrugged, ignoring the unimpressed look from Shima, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” He tried to brush it off and pulled a plain black shirt over his head, quickly trying to cover the clean scars decorating his ribs and waist.

“No,” Konekomaru said, arms crossed. He was swimming in the purple jacket given to him by the school, his hands invisible to the eye, “We haven’t seen you get that upset in a long time. It seemed like it was over nothing, as well.”

Bon scowled, pulling on his jacket before facing them, “That kid doesn’t even try, and it’s annoying. There, happy?”

Shima sighed and slid his hand down from the cool metal of the lockers to his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose, “In every class we’ve been in, there have been slackers. But you didn’t give a sh*t-”

“Language,” Konekomaru murmured almost as an afterthought.

Shima continued as if nobody interrupted him, “-about them. What makes Okumura any different?”

Ryuuji froze, he hadn’t thought about it that way. But, it wasn’t just the fact that Rin slacked off in class, it was the fact that he was a demon who didn’t know what he was doing in a class where they learned about demons! Not only that, but he didn’t know what kind of demon that boy was. It was so strange. He couldn’t tell by smell like he’d been able to do for Kamiki and Yamada, though the latter wasn’t a demon. Rin’s smell was different, almost untraceable, like the boy was hiding it. But, he couldn’t tell why. He found his hand coming up to twist the Ankh pendant that dangled from a leather cord around his neck, another nervous tick he’d developed over the years.

Suguro sighed, “I don’t know, he just rubs me the wrong way.”

That got a smirk out of Shima who elbowed him with a coy smile, “I’m sure you’d love it if he-” The pinkett wheezed when Konekomaru elbowed him in the stomach, hard.

The younger boy’s glasses glinted dangerously, Bon gulped slightly as hard brown eyes turned to him, “You should cut him some slack. You have no idea if he’s dealing with something, or maybe he physically can’t focus. You used to be in a similar situation, remember? You hated it when people made fun of you because it was harder for you to read or focus. Maybe it’s something he never got help for.”

Ryuuji ran his tongue over his teeth, face turned to the floor. Shima sighed and patted his shoulder, “Just try to be understanding. We all make mistakes!”

The excitable teen pulled them down the hall and to the courtyard, saying they should enjoy the air while they could. Shima eagerly skipped to the fountain before stopping dead and muttering a small, “sh*t,” Before trying to push Bon back through the door.

Suguro glanced over his friend’s head and went slack jawed before grinning devilishly. Shiemi was leaning extremely close to Rin, who was trying to get away. His efforts were unsuccessful due to the vice-like grip Shiemi had on his arm. Ryuuji pondered for a second before deciding he wanted to annoy Rin just a bit. Maybe solve the mystery of who this boy was in the process. He pushed past his friends, running a hand through his untamed hair (If anyone asked, it was because his hair was a mess, not because he wanted it to look nice) before speaking up. Maybe he also spoke to get Rin out of the situation he was in, as he looked extremely uncomfortable and embarrassed, “Well, well, well, flirting again, I see.”

Bon could feel the half-hearted glare Shima was pinning on his back and elected to ignore it in favor of teasing the boy in front of him. Rin spun around so fast that Ryuuji was pretty damn sure his head should have flown off, connected to his body or not. Shiemi flinched and stumbled back when Rin stammered, “No one-no one was flirting!”

Suguro chuckled, stuffing a hand in the pocket of his sweatpants, “Is she your girlfriend or somethin’?”

He heard Konekomaru giggle under his breath and lean over to Shima, “He’s jealous.”

Ryuuji took no mind in his friends making fun of him and continued, “Bringing your girl to an elite school for Exorcists sure is co*cky.”

Rin looked peeved, scowling slightly, “She’s not my girlfriend! There’s nothing between us!” Shiemi looked between the two rapidly, seeming like she wasn’t sure who she should defend or if she should just watch.

Ryuuji raised a brow, a coy smile spreading across his face. His voice portrayed that he didn’t believe Rin for a second, “Then is she just a friend? Hm?”

Rin looked away, a slight blush dusting his face. Ryuuji thought he looked good like-nope, bad brain. Rin did not look good, he could very well be an enemy and he couldn’t get attached to anyone here. It could put him, or worse, his mother and his kind, in danger, “She’s not a friend,” Rin growled lowly, and Shiemi looked extremely hurt at that. She carefully climbed down from the fountain and clutched her books to her chest.

The demon ignored the girl and the way her shoulders bunched together, “Yeah, sure. I get it-”

“What about you?” Ryuuji froze, more than a bit surprised, “You’re always hanging around with those guys! Talk about dorky!”

Ryuuji’s jaw dropped to the floor. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Shima’s hand press against his mouth before the pinkett doubled over laughing. The Phoenix growled out a low, “Don’t laugh,” But it came out more like a whine.

Shima giggled loudly, clutching at his stomach, “But he’s right!”

“You agree with him!?” Ryuuji shouted, feeling extremely betrayed by his friend. He turned a murderous glare to Rin, who was glaring just the same. Man, Ryuuji’s thoughts growled, echoing inside his head, I can’t stand you!

Ryuuji was really regretting that promise he made to his mother about not going all out in Practical Training. Meaning he couldn’t bench a couple hundred pounds like it was nothing, or run a mile in a minute at full sprint. Long story short, if he didn’t want his mother to rip off his ears, he needed to tone it down and make it believable. Meaning, Rin was currently beating him! The boy was running ahead of him, but only by a meter. He was fast, and Bon could easily be faster, but he really wanted his head where it was thank you very much.

Not only was Rin beating him, but a particularly fast Reaper was chasing from behind them. Rin cackled from ahead of him, blue-black hair whipping around his face and that ever-present sword bouncing against his back, “Slowpoke! Brains won’t save you in a fight!” The boy taunted, just out of Ryuuji’s reach.

You won’t be saying that when I save your stupid ass in a fight, Ryuuji thought, launching into the air and kicking Rin in the back, “In a fight, all that matters is who wins!” Rin howled in surprise, sprawling across the ground. Bon landed in a crouch, turning around just in time to see the Reaper launch at him, maw open wide.

Suguro squawked and skidded away just as their teacher, Mr. Tsubaki, screamed, “Enough!” And pulled a lever that jerked the Reaper back. When the demon was safely away from the other two demons (the irony) the teacher shouted angrily, “Just what do you two think you’re doing?! Do you have a death wish?”

Rin gagged and spat out some of the compact sand they had been running on, sitting up behind him, “Yeah. What are you doing?”

Suguro glared hauntingly at the ground, panting heavily, “I couldn’t let you beat me,” He admitted slowly.

From the ledge the rest of the class was watching, Shima cackled, “Dumbasses,” while Kamiki sighed out a bored, “Idiots.”

Mr. Tsubaki leaned over, pointing an accusing finger at the two boys growling obscenities at each other from the ground, “This isn’t a race! It’s to learn how demon’s move!” Rin raised a fist to punch Ryuuji, the latter bringing up his foot to do the same, “Hey, hey! Pay attention!”

In a matter of seconds the teacher, Konekomaru, and Shima were on the ground, each hauling their respective person back. Rin made a show of flipping Suguro off, being lifted off his feet by the back of his shirt, “What is it with you two?!”

Shima laughed nervously as he drug Ryuuji back with Konekomaru’s help, “Sorry,” Ryuuji, who went so far as to snarl feraly at Rin, continued to struggle until Shima cuffed him on the back of the head.

The boy huffed, snapping to attention when Mr. Tsubaki cleared his throat, “Mr. Suguro, come with me,” Ryuuji blinked before shuffling to the other side of the arena a few paces behind, “Are you all right?” He nodded, hands fidgeting with the prayer beads around his wrist. The older man seemed thankful, the monk couldn’t help but think the man wouldn’t be as thankful if he knew what he really was. Mr. Tsubaki waved a hand around beside as he continued, “Your grades are excellent and the teachers expect great things from you. So try to stay out of trouble.”

Ryuuji nodded, catching Rin’s messy hair from above the teacher’s shoulder. He was talking to Shima and Konekomaru on the ledge. He sighed, “Why are you just telling me and not Okumura?”

Mr. Tsubaki blinked, turning to the side only slightly to glance at Rin with something akin to poorly disguised disgust. Ryuuji narrowed his eyes at the man. He knew something about Rin. Just how many people did Mephisto tell? “Sir Pheles enrolled him specially. He said he had circ*mstances. Take some advice, avoid him,” That was the second person to tell him to avoid Rin in the last week. Just how special was he?

Mr. Tsubaki didn’t wait as he turned and shouted, “Resume training!” Just as his phone rang, hightailing it out of there a few minutes later after warning them against going into the arena.

Bon really wished he could bleach that conversation from his brain, he also wished it had been one-sided to his ears. The demon growled and crossed his arms, “What the Hell?! He calls himself a teacher? I thought True Cross Academy was a holy place of learning with serious teachers!” He turned his gaze from the door their teacher retreated out of to Rin, “And the students suck, too!”

Rin scowled, hands shoved deep in his pockets, “Get off it, would ya?! How would you know how serious I am?”

Maybe he just wanted to get a rise out of Rin, see what he was. Maybe see just what he had been warned to steer clear of. Either way, he was going to figure it out, sooner rather than later when later could mean the death of them all, “Your attitude in class!”

There was a low, “Here we go again,” Somewhere behind him, but he paid no mind. That is until Shima blew out a long breath and continued, “Bon… you’re acting like a child.”

Konekomaru’s bald head bobbed, “Yeah, give it a rest.”

Ryuuji’s fists balled at his sides, he wasn’t trying to be an ass or childish. But, he saw the bigger picture, something likely no one else did. If Rin didn’t get his act together now, if he didn’t know anything about the world he was about to step into, he could put himself and others in danger. Rin was a demon who didn’t know the first thing about them, and that could be used to the advantage of the things crawling in the dark, “Shut up, you two!” He didn’t turn, sneering to himself.

An idea picked at the edge of his mind as words flew out of his mouth, he knew his mother was going to murder him, but he didn’t hold the words back, “I’ve got an idea. If you’re so serious, then prove it!” His pointer finger drifted to the arena where the Reaper sat calmly, “There. Go near the Reaper and touch him without getting attacked. Reapers read the emotions of people, if you waver you’re a goner.” And if you lose it because of a low level demon, I’ll know just how much of a danger you are. He, however, left that last thought unsaid, “But if you stay calm, it won’t hurt you. If you’re so serious about being an Exorcist, you won’t fear a little ol’ Reaper,” He pondered his own words for a second before crossing his arms, “I’ll do it too, and I’ll win!” If he did as he said, and knowing himself he would, he had just as much chance of losing it as Rin, meaning he was about to sign his death warrant. He was good at controlling his powers, sure, but emotions were a pain in his ass and he was never able to reign them in. Especially when a lot of them weren’t his own.

Rin snorted, a grin pulling at his lips, “Interesting… but no thanks,” The boy crossed his arms, “What if I failed and died? Are you stupid?” The boy turned to look out at the arena, giving him the textbook definition you-are-so-stupid look, “I’ve got the same ambition as you, so I can’t die over something stupid like this.”

It took Ryuuji longer than he’d care to admit to realize what Rin was saying. But, when he did, he turned a dark look to his friends, both of which gave Rin looks of betrayal, “You told him?!” Shima tapped his fingers together, chuckling nervously. He turned, glowering at Rin. He was just making fun of him, his dream to make Satan pay! “Ambition you say? You’re just scared!” Why is everyone so weak?

For as long as he’d remembered, everyone had been scared of him, of them! They would avoid anyone from the temple like the plague, and there was nothing he could do about it. They would call him “cursed” and “dangerous” to his face. He hated it! He remembered a time he’d almost shown them how dangerous he really was. How he’d barely managed to get away before everything went to sh*t. How lucky he was that people called it a wildfire.

“Why won’t you fight? Aren’t you frustrated?!” His feet took him to the edge of the arena, sliding down the slanted wall, “I’m gonna do it! Just watch, coward!”

There were a series of shouts from the ledge, even Rin screamed at him to come back. He didn’t. Izumo scoffed, “He’ll chicken out, what a dummy.”

Ryuuji snarled, marching toward the Reaper with purpose. He was going to prove he could do it. With each step, he repeated the same words in his head, I’m going to defeat Satan, I’m going to defeat Satan, “I’m going to defeat Satan!” and he just said that out loud. sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, sh*t!

There was a loud snort and laughter followed, it was Izumo, “You’re gonna defeat Satan?! Don’t be a child!”

Ryuuji was frozen, face to face with the Reaper as every bad feeling ripped into his mind. The hate towards people like him, the fear when he burned that cabin to the ground, everything. Burning lava tears pricked at his eyes, Don’t laugh at my Ambition! It was the same way he felt when that man laughed at him, threatened him, and he killed him. When he burned down that small cabin in the woods, with that man and his wife, with their three kids. The feelings crashed down, guilt, shame, hate, fear of himself. He realized his mistake too late.

The Reaper’s red eyes focused on him, it roared and launched at him. Faster than he blinked, Rin roared past him and intercepted the demon… with his body. Ryuuji screamed, “No!” Calling on something everyone like him would hear, a Phoenix Cry. The Reaper blinked between the two demons, each only realizing they were doing something while the other was left in danger. No one saw the flicker of blue in Rin’s eyes, nor the bright wave pulsing from Ryuuji’s mouth as he shouted loudly, the latter concealed by the Duat. But, one person did see, and her face turned ashen.

Ryuuji watched the Reaper step away from Rin, placant. The boy turned to him, glaring at Bon as he climbed to his feet, “What the Hell?! Just how dumb are you?” Rin’s arms crossed over his chest, “Now, listen up! I’m the one who’s going to defeat Satan, so stay outta my way!”

“You’re the stupid one! You coulda died!” Ryuuji shouted, leaning forward to get in Rin’s face, “And don’t steal my ambition!”

“I didn’t steal anything, it was my idea!” Everyone watched with something similar to amusem*nt decorating their features as they watched the two bicker over their shared ambition.

Shima smiled and nudged Konekomaru with his elbow, “I’m not sure if they’re gonna fall for each other or become really great friends.”

The bald boy hummed, putting a finger to his lips, “The former, definitely.”

Shura’s face was sheet white as she watched the two demons bicker. This was worse, this was so much worse. Both of them lost control, maybe it was only for a second and invisible to the untrained eye, but she knew what she saw. And what she saw was Rin’s eyes flickering blue when that demon clamped down on him and the near invisible shockwave originating at Suguro’s mouth when he screamed. And when the Reaper let go. She was done.

Shura gulped and slid down the door to her apartment which she had practically sprinted to after the end of class. She hoped to God someone realized that having two short-fused demons with no control over their abilities in one class was a bad idea. She hoped whoever found out managed to shut it down before they shut them down.

Chapter 6: Starting Fresh

Chapter Text

Ryuuji collapsed on his bed tiredly, his thoughts were too jumbled to properly sort through them. The boy sighed, face pressed against his pillow as he fished his phone from his pocket, calling his mother. Shima and Konekomaru were distracted with their own tasks, neither paying enough attention to focus on his voice.

“Hey Mom,” He murmured into his pillow, knowing she’d heard it by the delighted note in her voice.

“Ryuuji!” Her smile was evident in her voice, “How’s school? Have you met anyone new? Do you like the classes? Oh, what about…” Bon smiled gently as he listened to his mom ask questions rapid-fire, her excited tone never once dropping.

The Phoenix chuckled, turning to lay on his back, “Slow down. School is great, but there aren’t many people in the Cram School. So far the classes are kind of easy,” Shima shot him a glare before turning back to his magazine, “Shima doesn’t think so,” The boy flipped him off. Bon muffled his laughs by pressing a fist to his mouth.

Torako hummed, her tone darkening slightly, “I heard your scream, why’d you use that? Please tell me you were alone! And don’t lie to me, I’ll know!”

Ryuuji froze, sitting up to draw his knees to his chest and speaking quietly, “I was stupid and walked up to a Reaper in Practical Training when the teacher wasn’t there. I was kind of already angry so it didn’t help when someone laughed at me ‘cause I want to kill Satan.”

His mother was silent for a long period of time before finally breathing out, “Ryuuji, you need to stop being so impulsive. Also, why didn’t you just run?”

Bon bit his lip, tasting the slight tang of blood on his tongue from his sharp fangs piercing his lip. His dark eyes darted around the room as if his mother was standing in front of him, scowling at him and he wouldn’t meet her eyes, “One of my classmates, Rin… he jumped in front of me and the Reaper bit him. I panicked because I didn’t want him to get hurt,” His eyes looked to his friends, checking they weren’t listening to the conversation, “Even though he’s a demon.”

“What?!” Torako screeched so loud he was pretty sure his friends heard that. Quickly, he jumped to his feet and scrambled to the hall and up the stairs to the roof so he didn’t have to worry about his conversation being heard, “What do you mean he’s a demon?”

Ryuuji sighed, a frosty breath dissipating in the chilly night air. He proceeded to explain everything, the talk between him and Mephisto, the demons in class, that strange girl that seemed to watch his every move, even how annoying Rin was in class. His mother listened quietly, until he finished with a low, “I don’t know what to do.”

Torako hummed, speaking gently, “Well, Mephisto is obviously up to something. I can see if Yaozo or Uwabami know anything, Mephisto likes to brag about his plans a lot. You don’t know what kind of demon Rin is?”

“No,” Ryuuji admitted, head hanging low as he leaned against the railing, “I’ve been trying to figure out… just in case something happens!” He added that last part quickly.

His mother giggled, obviously unbelieving, “Well, you should try being nicer to him. He stepped in when you were in trouble, and wants to defeat Satan too. I’m sure Shima or Konekomaru pointed this out to you, but he may not be physically able to pay attention in class. You understand that because you used to have a similar problem due to your Dyslexia. Maybe try helping him instead.” Ryuuji rubbed at his temples, brows pinched tightly, “Also, talk to him! Who knows, maybe he-”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Ryuuji squeaked loudly, having a damn good idea where his mother was going.

Torako belted out laughing, it was loud and boisterous. When she managed to suppress her laughter, she spoke in stifled giggles, “All right, be safe! And don’t scare me like that !” His mother shouted loud enough for Ryuuji to feel the need to rip the phone from his ear and hold it as far away as possible.

When he was sure his mother wasn’t going to yell again, he cautiously returned the phone to his ear, “Konekomaru is probably wondering where I went, I’ll talk to you when I can.”

Ryuuji could imagine her pursing her lips stubbornly, “All right. I love you.”

The boy smiled softly, “Love ya,” He ended the call, taking a moment to enjoy the night air before wandering back to his room.

Konekomaru looked up from a worksheet he was filling out, reminding Ryuuji he still had homework to complete, “Who was that?”

Ryuuji shrugged and sat at the desk beside Konekomaru, pulling out his notes and homework from today, “My mut . I just wanted to talk to her.”

Shima cackled and swatted him with his magazine, “Mama’s boy.”

“I really don’t see the problem with that,” Bon grumbled, smacking the magazine away from his face where he, unfortunately, had a direct line of sight to a buck-naked girl. Ryuuji gagged and closed his eyes, “That’s disgusting, Shima!”

The pinkett whined, “No, that’s hot!”

“You’re never going to get laid. I’ll warn any girl you talk to,” Ryuuji teased, reading over his notes and highlighting anything he found important.

Shima yelped in surprise and jumped down from his bed, “Bon, you wouldn’t!”

Ryuuji’s eyes twinkled defiantly, a coy smile pulling at his lips, “Try me.”

Shima pouted, sitting on the edge of Konekomaru’s bed, “Neko, he’s bullying me!”

“Good,” The bald boy said without missing a beat, “Maybe you’ll do your work then.”

Shima scowled and slowly grabbed his textbook, opening it to a random page and pretending to read, “You guys suck,” He mumbled under his breath.

“No, Bon does,” Konekomaru deadpanned. Ryuuji spluttered, staring wide-eyed at his friend, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water as Shima howled and Konekomaru smirked at him, “That’s for being an ass today.”

Bon blinked before bobbing his head side to side, “Yeah, I deserved that.”

Walking into class the next day, Ryuuji was more than surprised when he saw the stack of books Rin had beside him, even more so when he saw him reading one. Yukio’s arms were crossed over his chest, brows raised in confusion, “What are you doing, Rin?”

“I’m studying!” He shouted back, startling the younger of the two.

Shima nudged him forward, whispering in his ear, before skipping to join Konekomaru at their desk, “Now’s your chance, go talk to him before class starts.”

Ryuuji grumbled and sauntered over. Yukio had a hand over his mouth, shoulders shaking and he seemed to be deep in thought, “Could this be an omen?!”

Rin’s head snapped up, sharp fangs bared angrily, “You got a problem with that, Four-eyes?!” The boy turned back to his book, grumbling when his hair fell across his vision. Rin pushed it back with a hand, face cast downward and eyes narrowed at the page, “My hair’s in the way!”

Ryuuji stepped forward, opening his mouth to say something, but Rin beat him to it, “So, you gonna make fun of me, too?”

Rin’s cerulean blue eyes narrowed at him, one brow arched slightly. It took Bon a minute to realize he should speak before he made anything weird, a small blush creeping up his face, “Yesterday, I forgot to tell you. But, thanks,” Although he had it under control, he had to admit the boy did help him in a bad situation. Noticing how Rin was still holding his hair up, he dug the hair clip he used out of his pocket and offered it to Rin, “I use this to hold my hair back. I’ll lend it to you.”

Rin reached his hand out, taking it gingerly as his hair fell back into place. Ryuuji walked back to his friends, Shima was snickering but Konekomaru smiled gently, “That’s… sorta weird,” Rin said, blunt as ever, eyes turned to him.

Bon whipped around, hands resting on his hips, “What did you say?! I was being nice!”

He collapsed in his seat and sank down slightly, noticing the way Shima wiggled his eyebrows as he sang, “You like him.”

Ryuuji cuffed his friend’s shoulder, glaring at the table in front of him as his face flushed all the way to the tips of his ears. Konekomaru tapped his shoulder gently, when Bon looked, the boy’s head bobbed over to Rin. The monk sighed and glanced up, noticing Rin put the clip in his hair, turning to him excitedly. His blue eyes were wide and his cheeks turned a darker shade of red. With Rin’s hair up, his pointed ears were more prominent, he also looked way cuter than before. sh*t , he was so screwed, “Thanks, Suguro!” Rin smiled brightly before turning back to his book. Yeah, Ryuuji was f*cked.

The days were passing faster now that the first week was over. There was never another incident where his identity was almost revealed, nor one where they were put in danger that was uncontrolled. The classes got harder, but Ryuuji found them easy to understand if you just paid attention. Rin, for all he was worth, seemed to be trying, he’d give him that. But he always needed things to be explained to him more than once. Ryuuji took his mother’s advice to be more patient with him, even when he wasn’t helping the boy out.

Not only that, but Ryuuji found his eyes drifting over to Rin on more than one occasion. Rin, unaware of what he was doing to the Phoenix, wore the clip all the damn time. It should be illegal for someone to be that cute. Not only that, but Ryuuji was pretty sure he was going to develop a permanent bruise from how often Shima and Konekomaru elbowed him playfully when they caught him looking at Rin.

Currently, Ryuuji was keeping his eyes glued, as well as he could, to his notebook. Yukio, who had dedicated the entire class period to studying, waved around a small stack of papers, “Summer break is almost here! This means the Exwire Certification Exam is close. Exwires undergo special battle training, the exam will not be easy.”

Rin’s head co*cked to the side quizzically, “Esquire?”

Shiemi shook her head, correcting him with a smile, “It’s Exwire.”

“Eggswire?”

Ryuuji rolled his eyes, smirking into his hand at the boy’s confused pout. Yukio continued to speak over his brother, “To help you with your exam, I will be holding an intensive study camp next week,” Yukio began walking around, handing out the papers he held in his hand, “Circle whether you wish to participate and fill in your desired meister by Monday.”

Ryuuji scanned the paper, already filling in his answer. Shima snorted, doing the same. They’d known what they had wanted to be for a long time and talked about it excitedly when they were younger.

There was a rustle of paper beside his head, making him look up from his paper to Rin who’s eyes were staring nervously at him, “What’s a meister? Could someone tell me… please?”

Ryuuji gawked, “You don’t even know that? Gimme a break!”

Shima chuckled, “You really don’t know anything, Okumura!”

Ryuuji scowled at Shima dangerously as he watched Rin wilt, “Come on guys. Some people are just like that!”

Konekomaru smiled brightly, pushing away Shima’s comment easily, having no qualms in explaining as much as he could to the boy. Rin studied the trio for a second before breaking into yet another bright smile, “What meister are you gonna be?”

Ryuuji looked between the two rapidly in shocked confusion, “When did you two get all friendly?”

His friend ignored him in light of answering Rin’s question, which seemed to be happening a lot lately. The ignoring part at least, “Shima and I are going to be Arias,” Shima waved his hand lazily as the bald monk continued, “Arias recite the bible and sutras to fight.”

Shima grinned and tilted his head to Ryuuji, “Bon wants to be an Aria and a Dragoon!” He chuckled lightly before adding a small, “His mother almost killed him when he said he wanted to shoot a gun.”

Ryuuji glared at his friend halfheartedly, only half hearing Rin hum, “That’s very ambitious, Bon!”

The Phoenix blanched and growled, head snapping up to Rin, “It’s Suguro! You don’t call me ‘Bon’!”

Konekomaru waved away Ryuuji’s words easily, “Anyway, Mr. Okumura is an Aria, Dragoon, and a Doctor.”

Rin blinked in surprise, a singular brow twitching slightly in surprise as he turned to look at his brother who was going over worksheets at his desk, “Wow, he’s… amazing,” Ryuuji narrowed his eyes slightly, sensing a tang of remorse from the boy. Maybe it had something to do with the fight they’d had at the beginning of the year. The younger teen shook it away and rubbed the back of his head in frustration, “Which one should I choose? What is a Dragoon anyway?”

Bon huffed, dragging a hand down his face, “Man, you’re a pain. A Dragoon fights with firearms. Knights fight with swords!”

Rin perked up, his face brightening almost instantly, “A sword? Then I’m going to be a Knight!” The boy grinned widely, stealing a pencil from Ryuuji to circle his answer. The monk didn’t bother protesting.

Shima leaned across the table, smirking mischievously, “I thought we weren’t supposed to help him?”

“Shut up!”

Konekomaru tilted his head slightly, curious brown eyes catching on the sword hidden in the folds of the red fabric, “Right, you always carry that sword around. It would make sense for you to be a Knight!”

Rin’s head bobbed, “Yeah, it’s kind of an heirloom… of sorts.”

Ryuuji noticed the way Rin’s eyes narrowed at the sword angrily, he couldn’t help but wonder what that was about.

Bon was going to develop a permanent eye twitch if his friends didn't stop poking fun at him for talking to Rin or getting distracted occasionally. They snickered with one another as their Magic Circles and Seals teacher, Mr. Neuhaus, drew on the ground with a large compass-looking thing. Ryuuji threw a glare at his friends just as the teacher finished the chalk circle on the ground, “We will now summon demons.”

The Phoenix had to bite his lip, hard, to keep from snorting and saying, “Why summon them when you’ve got three right here?” He tasted the faintest bit of iron on his tongue, swallowing it away without a second thought.

Mr. Neuhaus held out a hand when Shimei stepped forward to inspect the circle, “Don’t step on the diagram. Breaking it will render it useless,” Shimei paused and stepped back to where she had been standing originally. Mr. Neuhaus nodded, satisfied, before pulling off a bandage covering the entirety of his arm, “Summoning requires blood and the correct incantation,” He held his hand over the circle, blood streaming down and creating a small pool, “Son of Typhon and Echidna, hear my call. Come forth!”

In a flash of black smoke, a bloody Naberius appeared in the circle. Black liquid dripped from its many open wounds and mouth. Konekomaru flinched, squeaking slightly as the Exorcist continued, shouting over the growling demon, “Only a rare few can summon demons to be their familiar. You must have a strong spirit as well as inborn ability!”

Shima clamped a hand over his nose, gagging loudly, “Ugh, it smells like Sulfur!”

Ryuuji nodded slightly, too busy studying the demon, “I’ve never seen a Naberius before,” He marveled, head tilting to the side to inspect the demon at a different angle.

Shima scowled at him, voice sounding strange around his hand, “Study now, nerd out later.”

Ryuuji pursed his lips, listening to the teacher who seemed to be sending untrusting glances at Rin, “We’re going to see if you have that ability. Earlier I handed out papers with magic circles on them. Drop some of your blood on the paper and chant whatever comes to mind.”

Kamiki wasted no time, confidently pricking her finger with a sewing needle and smearing it across the two papers she’d received, “Inari, I humbly beseech thee to grant my request!” Waves of white smoke rolled from the pages, forming the shapes of two Byakko foxes.

Rin gawked, mouth opened in surprise, “Woah! What are those? They’re cool!”

Mr. Neuhaus nodded his approval, “Well done, Miss Kamiki.”

“That’s amazing, Izumo!” Paku smiled, staring down at the demons then at her own paper, “I didn’t get anything.”

Izumo grinned co*ckily, “Of course! I have the blood of shrine maidens!” That explained why she had the distant blood of a demon in her.

Ryuuji looked down at his own page and bit his thumb with a sharp fang, pressing it to the page. He wasn’t sure if the chants his mother taught him would work on this, but he could try. He took a deep breath, biting his lip nervously, as he murmured a quiet Egyptian chant he’d known since he was little. He waited for a swirl of sand to fill the room and the familiar glow of hieroglyphs and the warm winds of the desert. There was nothing, nothing at all. Bon sighed, grumbling a low, “I got nothin’.”

Shima scoffed, staring at his page as if willing it to magically produce a demon. He seemed to be having the same amount of luck as him at the moment, “Same here.”

The sound of paper fluttering in the air grabbed his attention. Suguro’s head tilted to look to his side where Shiemi waved her summoning paper, green eyes shining as she awkwardly said a couple of words, “Come, come, c’mere! Or something like that…”

A tiny swirl of green spiraled from her paper before exploding into a tiny demon that resembled an equally tiny garden. It giggled out a small, “Nee!” as it drifted back down to rest on the summoning paper.

Mr. Neuhaus made a note of surprise, fingers scratching at his chin as he studied the demon and its tamer, “That’s a baby Greenman. Excellent, Ms. Moriyama.”

Ryuuji noticed the way Rin’s hair bobbed on his head as he looked between the two girls who had managed to show their excellence at Demon Summoning. Damn, Ryuuji kind of wished he could show them a real summoning. Not that these weren’t, but the original types of summoning involving gods!

Shiemi’s eyes bugged after a few moments, seeming that she only just realized she succeeded. The tiny Greenman lifted a light-green hand, or was it a paw, smiling gleefully, “Nee!”

Shiemi’s ever-present blush grew slightly, the girl’s cheeks puffed happily. Her delicate hands lifted the paper closer to her face, blonde hair swaying as she tilted her head to look at the demon closer, “H...hi there!” The girl yelped when the demon lunged at her. Mr. Neuhaus and anyone else who’d been watching bristled, expecting the demon to attack. The demon latched onto a thick lock of hair, swinging slightly.

Ryuuji sighed and focused on the pout set on Shima’s lips, “Damn, how do they do that?”

Konekomaru shrugged, “No idea.”

There was a low, shocked breath from the strange boy beside him, “So not fair.”

Suguro blinked at Rin, watching him cross his arms and give the tiny Greenman a baffled look. The demon rolled his eyes and turned away from the strange boy. He continued to glare angrily at his paper while Shiemi tried to talk to Izumo, his attention didn’t turn when their teacher began to speak, seeing as how most of it he already knew.

Ryuuji didn’t entirely return his focus to anything until the end of class when Shima draped himself against his side, “Those girls must be magic and do some voodoo to summon those demons!”

Konekomaru pushed up his glasses, the glass glinting in the light, “Actually, it’s the natural talent they have. Something you don’t possess.”

Shima gasped, “Neko! You wound me!”

Ryuuji rolled his eyes, adjusting the clip in his hair to remove loose strands from his face. There was a light tap of tired feet from behind him, announcing the boy who appeared out of the corner of his eye. Rin’s arms were crossed, his face twisted in an adorable pout, “How do they do that?”

Bon raised a brow and looked at the younger teen, “Hell if I know,” He lied, something he did more often than telling the actual truth. He’d long since lost the nervousness of lying through his teeth and guilt when he did so to his friends, “They’re probably just lucky,” Inwardly, he cringed. He knew it had nothing to do with luck and everything to do with one’s skill and raw ability and power.

Rin grumbled, “They make it look easy.”

Shima, who had paused his bantering with Konekomaru, cackled and punched Rin’s shoulder goodnaturedly, “Don’t worry, my man! We’ll get plenty of chances to do other things as exorcists-in-training!”

Rin blinked and smiled slightly, something beneath his shirt twitching. Ryuuji blinked, eyes narrowed at the younger boy. Neither of his friends seemed to notice and continued to talk with Rin about their classes and the upcoming study boot camp for the exwire exam. Bon sighed, brushing it off as a trick of the light, and turned his attention back to Rin who had been distracted by Izumo, Paku, and Shiemi walking past.

Izumo’s head was held high, a proud smirk adorning her features. Her violet hair billowed behind her in the double spirals she wore them in near-constant. Paku was skittering behind her friend, shoulders hunched in something akin to embarrassment or guilt. The brunette was giving Izumo a disapproving stare as they walked to their next class with Shiemi in tow. The blond was clutching her school sack to her chest, her hand gripping to a new bag Ryuuji recognized as Izumo’s. Shiemi was smiling brightly, her green man demon laying on her head and giggling down at his tamer happily.

Rin blanched at seeing them, eyes following Shiemi and the way she bounded after the two girls as they made their way to class. The demon raised a brow, head co*cked to the side as he spoke out in alarm, “Shiemi looks like a servant for that girl with the polka brows!”

Konekomaru snorted in surprise, “‘Polka brows?’ Do you mean Kamiki?”

Rin nodded, glaring daggers at the violet-haired girl. Bon sighed, ignoring the girls. At this point, he really didn’t care. He just wanted to make it until the summer break without another eye-opening dramatics act. Although the Reaper was technically his fault, “They’re just playing,” Ryuuji noticed the way Rin’s lips pursed. He must really care for Shiemi. He couldn’t really be surprised, she was kind-hearted and wore her heart on her sleeve. It also seemed that they’ve known each other for a while. The Phoenix sighed, feeling the worry drifting off the younger boy in waves, “I’m sure she’s fine,” He murmured in a smaller voice than before.

Rin blinked and looked at him curiously before nodding and sauntering to their next Cram Class. Shima jabbed at his side playfully, “Where did that unexpected kindness come from?”

Ryuuji scowled deeply, was it so unusual for him to give a f*ck about people who were worried? Apparently so, “Shut up ya damn strawberry,” He grumbled before storming to the classroom.

The rest of the week was seemingly quiet. But he did notice the way Rin practically seethed as Izumo ordered Shiemi around the whole week. Ryuuji’s eyes narrowed at the violet-haired girl, she seemed to act differently with Shiemi, almost like she hated the blonde for some reason. By the time class was over on the day before the boot camp, Rin was practically boiling. The boy stomped out of the room directly after Izumo all but ordered Shiemi to buy her food after their last class of the day.

Suguro glanced at his friends, Konekomaru looking just as shocked as he felt. Shima, on the other hand, was staring into space with a dreamy smile on his face. Ryuuji grimaced, he didn’t feel like finding out what was making his friend that… happy.

Konekomaru rolled his eyes and leaned forward, head tilting to Izumo who was ignoring the bell and continuing to read, “Should we talk to her?”

Bon huffed, “Probably not.”

“You’re go-”

“I’m going to anyway,” Ryuuji cut his friend off and stood, stalking over to Izumo with purpose.

He heard a loud, “Goddammit, Bon!” But promptly ignored it in favor of staring down at Izumo, his face scrunched disapprovingly.

The girl grumbled and looked up, “What do you want, idiot?”

“Why are you treating Moriyama like that?” He crossed his arms, head co*cked to the side as he assessed the girl with a dark look.

Izumo looked Suguro up and down and scoffed, “What are you talking about?”

“The way you’re treating Moriyama like your personal slave,” He heard one of his friends hiss from behind him and the other facepalm.

The violet-haired girl cackled loudly, “She’s not my slave. She does it because she wanted to, that’s her own fault. It doesn’t make her my slave,” Izumo stood abruptly, getting in the monk’s face and looking very much pissed.

Ryuuji sneered, his brows creasing together, “Then you might want to start treating her like a person and not something annoying you have to deal with. You want to order her around? Fine, not my problem, but at least treat her better.”

Izumo startled, eyes widened slightly before her gaze hardened, pinching angrily, “Why do you care?”

Suguro hummed and his eyes narrowed, “Cause you don’t,” He growled lowly.

The girl scoffed, hip co*cked to the side, “Listen here, Smartass! I don’t care what you think! I’ll do whatever the hell I want, so stay the hell away from me!” Izumo snatched her stuff and left with one final snarl towards the Phoenix.

Chapter 7: Fighting Together

Chapter Text

“Is he trying to blow his cover?” Shura grumbled, hand running down her face in exasperation. She was walking to the old boy’s dorm which looked more like a haunted building than an actual place people lived in. It wasn’t even summer break yet and she already felt like she would pull out her hair from the stress she was being put under.

Shura had thought Rin would be the issue, seeing as he was new to the whole demon business and the son of freaking Satan! Surprisingly, it was steadily becoming harder to deal with Suguro. Shura didn’t know why exactly, but she had a pretty good idea.

Suguro was a full-blooded demon with almost complete control of his powers, at least that’s how it seemed most of the time. Not only that, she was sure he was watching her just as much as she watched him. And if that wasn’t enough, he had everyone fooled. She was the only one that knew something was up, even if she didn’t know fully.

Shura had thought Suguro would try to keep quiet as a way to keep his head where it belonged. But no! He goes and confronts Kamiki and pisses her off in the process. f*cking perfect.

The exorcist was about this close to going to the nearest bar and getting completely plastered. Actually, that sounded like a good idea! Shura promptly turned and sauntered to the nearest bar to do exactly that, deciding Yukio could take care of them for the time being.

Ryuuji was glaring down at the mock test Mr. Okumura had given them. He knew most of it, but just doing it was draining his mental capacity for the day. Rin was whining across the small table they were using, the demon biting at the end of his pencil and squinting at the words on the page. Izumo was sitting by the black-haired boy, diligently working on the quiz. She paused and looked up, her red eyes locking with Ryuuji’s before sneering and looking back at her paper with a self-satisfied smirk.

The Phoenix sighed and angrily continued to fill in answers, his tail tightening around his chest instinctively.

Ryuuji had just finished the last question when he saw Yukio glance at his watch and stand, “Time’s up. Turn in your papers. That will be all for today.”

Suguro groaned, looking up as Rin climbed to his feet and staggered from the room with a weak, “I’m gonna get some air.”

The monk nodded his head slowly before resting it against the table, “Yeah, good idea,” He mumbled, watching the boy disappear down the hall from the corner of his eye.

Almost immediately, Izumo jumped up, clutching her bag to her chest and exclaiming loudly, “Let’s take a bath, Paku!” The brown-haired girl smiled, standing with her friend before Shiemi popped up and shouted, jogging after the two.

Ryuuji winced, rubbing at his ears. He really didn’t appreciate the loud volumes with the migraine that had slowly been developing over the course of the week. He just hoped it would go away soon. The demon looked up blankly when Shima giggled pervertedly, watching the girls walk away with dreamy eyes, “I’ll have to peek in!” He sighed dumbly to himself, “This is why I love sleepovers.”

Ryuuji gagged, returning his head to its place on the table. His hand waved around, blindly pointing to his friend, “You’re a monk, jackass. Give ‘em some space!”

Konekomaru sighed, seeming to be the only one to notice the state Ryuuji was in, and patted his back gently, “Classic Renzo, not understanding social boundaries.”

Ryuuji’s lips quirked slightly, listening to the way Shima gasped dramatically, “Aw, common guys! Don’t act like you’ve never wanted to peek!”

The boy scowled, a weak glare painting his downcast face, “No, ‘cause I respect their privacy and don’t feel the need to look in on them!”

He could feel Shima leaning over the table just as much as he could tell the pinkett was smirking deeply and wiggling his eyebrows, “Don’t act like I don’t see you checking out the-”

There was an unusually loud sound of Shima getting smacked on the back of his head. He assumed it was from Konekomaru considering what Shima had been on the verge of saying. Though, Ryuuji didn’t really care if anyone who was still around heard. If they had a problem, they could stick it up their ass.

Shima squawked loudly, probably holding the back of his head, “You hit me!”

“Yes, I did,” Mr. Okumura hummed. So he hit Shima, interesting, “Suguro is right. Be respectful of your classmates.”

“Chillax man! You’re a student, too!”

The subtle sound of Yukio adjusting his glasses was just barely drowned out by his voice, sounding more than a little annoyed, “I don’t engage in frivolous pursuits.”

Ryuuji would have cackled at the outraged noise Shima made if it weren’t for the way it sent daggers through his head. The boy winced and pushed himself to his feet, making a lame excuse before stumbling away. He didn’t know where, just away. He needed to get as far away from the noise of his friends, classmates, and teacher as possible.

He ended up in a random room a few floors up. It was just as rundown as the rest of the building and looked like any other dorm room. Ryuuji groaned and wrenched the curtains closed. They weren’t perfect and still allowed light to seep through, unlike the ones at home that blacked out the entire room when closed.

The Phoenix sighed, collapsing on the floor and pressing his hands against his ears harshly, trying to ignore all the noise. It was days like these where he hated living. It would take days to recover from overloads like this, leaving him feeling both useless and in pain. He normally curled under the covers of his bed, pressing his face into his pillow and using his wings, if he could, to block as much light as possible. Sometimes his mom would be able to pause work to just sit beside him.

He actually kind of wanted to call her, but the sounds from the other end would only make it worse. Now that he was alone he let his tail unwind and lay limply on the wooden floor. Ryuuji took a deep breath, trying to block out everything possible, but he couldn’t. The leaky pipes roared in his ears, the voices of his classmates and friends screamed deafeningly.

The Phoenix curled himself into a ball, tears welling in his eyes at the amount of pain, but he refused to cry because that would only add to the amount of noise. His vision swam and his body shook because God this was horrible!

A soft knock sounded at the door, slicing through the endless thoughts spiraling from the monk’s head, “Bon?” Konekomaru’s voice was soft, likely because he knew any louder would send daggers into his friend’s head.

The demon staggered to his feet, disorientation twisting his vision enough to force him to brace his hand on the wall as he slowly pushed the door open, quickly tucking in his tail with sluggish movements. Through squinting eyes, he saw the sympathetic looks from Shima and Konekomaru, the former smiled slightly, “Hey, man. Teach was worried.”

Ryuuji nodded slightly, massaging his head roughly. The pinkett grimaced and handed him a bottle of pills, “You left this in your bag, you should take some.”

Ryuuji thanked him lowly as he clumsily opened the bottle and downed more than any human should. Thankfully his friends were used to this and chalked it up to him being in a lot of pain or taking them so often that he built a tolerance. Either way, Ryuuji was grateful that they didn’t pester him about it.

Shima rested a hand on his shoulder, his head tilting in worry, “Should we tell Yukio you’re not feeling well?”

Bon gulped and shook his head, if he became an exorcist, he could not let his pain get in the way of a mission. Especially when it put others in danger. This is exactly what he murmured to his friends, ignoring the disapproving looks they trained on him.

Konekomaru went to scold him, his finger pointing at Ryuuji accusingly until a loud scream pierced the air. Ryuuji froze and looked up, squinting painfully at the hallway, “Did you guys hear that?”

The bald monk blinked, his mouth still trying to form the scolding words from before, “No?” Shima drug out the syllable, following Ryuuji’s gaze to the end of the hall, “What was it?

“I thought I heard-” Ryuuji cut himself off when a loud crash followed by a wail filled his ears, “Please tell me you guys-” He looked at his friends who only looked concerned and immediately cut himself off. That was the only answer he needed before tearing down the hall despite his pain.

“B-Bon!” Konekomaru cried out, frantically chasing after him as Ryuuji bounded down the hall and jumped down the stairs, “What’s going on?”

Ryuuji turned for a split second, seeing the way his friends were racing down the stairs after him, and growled, “Get Mr. Okumura!” before disappearing around a corner in the direction of the bathroom. He should have known the peace and quiet of their class would have gone out the window sooner or later, he was just hoping that would happen closer to the end of the year, or you know, never.

The Phoenix paused in front of the bathroom door, wondering how much trouble he would get in since it was the girl’s bathroom, before barging in and taking in the scene with shock. Izumo was kneeling on the ground with her summoning papers lying uselessly ripped on the floor. The girl looked dejected, shaking with fear and doing nothing but wrapping her arms around her bare body. Paku was laying on the ground with Shiemi bent over her, the blonde frantically applying Aloe to painful-looking burns on Paku’s skin. Past them, in the enclosed tiled shower area, Rin was pinned beneath a two-headed Naberius, groping around for his sword, which was just out of reach.

Ryuuji didn’t even think and launched himself at the demon, sending it across the room, away from the girls and Rin. The latter panted, grasping at his throat as he gasped for air and pushed himself to his feet. Bon helped him up, “You o’ay?” Ryuuji winced at the way his words slurred as the world tilted slightly. He kind of wanted to lie down, but the growling from the hole in the wall reminded him that lying down was probably the last thing he should be doing.

Rin nodded slowly, a small smile tilting his lips, “Thank you? Is Yukio on his way?”

Suguro shrugged, “I was the only one who noticed.”

Rin’s shoulders sagged, taking a deep breath and turning to the Naberius. The demon was crawling to its feet, teeth bared with black sludge dripping on the floor and sizzling the wood.

Ryuuji gulped and, out of some instinct, pushed Rin behind him even though he knew the boy (he was pretty sure he was a demon at this point but didn’t know for sure) could fight well enough. Rin made sure to show his displeasure by grumbling and trying, keyword being “trying” to stay in place, but it was obvious Ryuuji was just as strong as him. Ryuuji missed the baffled and confused look Rin gave him behind his back. The monk glared, his vision was tilting badly and he could feel his control on his glamour, the only thing keeping his appearance human, slipping, “Okumura, get the girls outta here while I distract it. I’ll buy you some time.”

“I’m not-” Rin squawked in surprise when the Naberius lunged, having forgotten about the danger they were in. Ryuuji pushed Rin to the side, taking the full force of the demon’s hit and getting slammed into the wall.

Ryuuji gagged, nausea rolling his stomach into knots. The Phoenix gulped down the acid building in his throat and shakily pushed himself to his feet, just in time to see Rin slamming his sheathed sword against the Naberius like a baseball bat.

Bon took a deep breath and lunged, rearing his fist back and punching the demon in one of its overly-sized heads, “Use the damned sword!”

“I can’t!” Rin seethed, continuing to swing at the demon while Ryuuji landed a kick at the thing’s head.

The Naberius froze, looking between the two of them like it couldn’t decide which of them to kill first. Ryuuji made the choice for it, “Over here, Ugly!”

The Naberius roared in outrage and slammed into Ryuuji full force, pinning him to the wall. Ryuuji groaned, his nose wrinkling at the monster’s horrible breath now wafting up his nose. The monster’s mouth opened, drool dripping from its mouth as it garbled incoherently.

Until it spoke:

Ę̵͓̩͙͎̐̀̒̆͂̉̕g̸̛̹̬̜͙̟̲̑̽̒̿͘y̸͉͈̍͑͗̉͒͌p̶̝̻̰̪̆̍̕ẗ̷̮̗̰̺̞̯́̈͑̇i̷̧̹̭̹̼͓̾͆̄͂̏̏ą̸͑̓̈́͋͑̿ǹ̴̩͙͍͓̏̿̓̏͒

Ryuuji’s eyes widened in horror, his mouth opening to respond when gunshots rang through the air. The boy yelped, his ears ringing from the close proximity. The Naberius shrieked and jumped through the window, spraying glass everywhere. Ryuuji sighed in relief, staggering on shaking legs. He would have fallen on his face if it hadn’t been for Shima and Konekomaru grabbing his arms to steady him carefully.

Yukio rushed over to Paku, hand hovering over her arm where slimy Aloe leaves coated the burns from the Naberius. The exorcist glanced at Shiemi’s familiar, blinking multiple times before turning to its master, “You did good, Shiemi. If untreated, this temptaint could have led to death. She would have died without you,” The blonde startled, looking down at her friend worriedly.

Yukio sighed, pushing himself to his feet and turning to his brother. Rin’s eyes glanced past his brother and to Suguro’s tired form. The older twin stormed over, pushing past his brother and getting in his face, “Are you crazy?! You could have died!”

“You’re welcome,” Bon mumbled drearily, catching a glimpse of the worried look on the boy’s face, hidden behind false anger. The monk was in no mood nor state to figure out what that was about and tilted his head, grimacing in pain, “Could ya keep it down or wait ta yell at me till tomorrow?”

Rin squinted, his nose wrinkling before storming past his twin to check on Paku and Izumo, the latter of which was around the corner crying near-silently. Yukio sighed, stepping in his brother’s place in front of Bon and his friends, who he was leaning against quite heavily, “Suguro, are you alright?”

Bon nodded mutely, almost immediately regretting it when a wave of nausea built up in his throat. Yukio turned away, bending down to pick up Paku bridal style. Ryuuji gulped down the bile rising in his throat, hardly noticing their teacher call Rin a flasher because he was missing his shirt. Ryuuji was sure he’d have become a blushing mess, but he wasn’t exactly coherent enough to care at this point. Not even enough to look and see what Rin was hiding behind his back.

Yukio ended up guiding all the Pages from the bathroom and down the hall. Except the girls were the only ones who made it to the hall, “I think I’m gonna puke,” Ryuuji mumbled, pressing a fist to his mouth.

Konekomaru and Shima quickly guided him to the boy’s bathroom just in time for him to hurl in one of the toilets. Shima gagged, “I love ya, man. But I’m going to go or I’m gonna puke too.”

“Shima, you’re useless,” Konekomaru deadpanned as the pinkett bolted from the room, the door slamming behind him. The bald monk huffed, rubbing Bon’s back gently as he heaved painfully. The Phoenix groaned, resting his head on the back of his hands which gripped the toilet to steady himself, hoping to ease the throbbing in his head.

Ryuuji panted, grimacing at the foul taste in his mouth and the sounds coming from many floors up and outside. Konekomaru continued to rub his back, whispering, “Should I get Mr. Okumura?” Ryuuji was thankful for his friend keeping his voice low, having been there many times when he overloaded, though his friend thought it was only a migraine, though both were just as bad.

Bon nodded slowly, fearful that if he moved too much he’d puke again, “f*ckin’ hate this,” He murmured. Konekomaru nodded and bolted from the room, his sneakers slapped the floor all the way to one of the rooms Ryuuji assumed Paku was in.

The Phoenix pressed a hand to his ear when Konekomaru started talking, Shiemi’s chipper voice joining in while Rin loudly exclaimed, “What?!”

Great, they were probably all coming. Hopefully Konekomaru managed to persuade them to only let Yukio come, the others were kind of loud all the time. The noises pulsed in his head, forcing him to double over and empty his already empty stomach again.

The door pushed open and Konekomaru was kneeling beside him again, Yukio close behind. The young exorcist looked panicked, “What happened? Did the ghoul get to him? Was he-”

“‘S jus’ a migraine,” Ryuuji grumbled, his head shifting to rest on his hands.

Yukio opened his mouth, releasing a tiny breath of relief, “The best thing you can do is take some painkillers and sleep. I can excuse you from school tomorrow seeing the-”

“No, it’ll be better by morning,” Suguro grumbled, looking up at his teacher. The monk’s face was paler than normal, his hands shaking slightly from being sick.

Yukio raised a brow but nodded slowly as he climbed to his feet, “I need to go check on Paku. Tell me if he gets worse,” The last sentence was directed to Konekomaru, who, upon seeing Yukio having left the room, flicked Ryuuji’s ear.

“You should take tomorrow off!”

“Can’t,” Ryuuji grumbled, finding the nausea had faded, and slowly picked himself from the floor. Konekomaru huffed in annoyance, giving him the best, You’re unbelievable, look possible.

Ryuuji staggered to the sink, wiping off his face and rinsing his mouth. Konekomaru stayed by his side the entire time, patiently waiting as his friend cleaned up. The Phoenix sighed, running a hand down his face, meeting Konekomaru’s eyes in the mirror, “Thanks,” Ryuuji grimaced at the brightness of the lights.

Konekomaru narrowed his eyes and grabbed the Phoenix by the wrist, “Close your eyes,” Ryuuji nodded, squeezing his eyes shut as his friend guided him through the hall and to the room they had claimed as theirs for the entire week of this study boot camp. Ryuuji risked opening his eyes and found the room was at least the tiniest bit darker than the rest of the building.

Shima was at a desk, boredly scanning a textbook Bon had practically forced him to bring. The pinkett looked up, glancing at Bon’s face, “Dude, you’re not gonna puke again, right?”

Ryuuji pursed his lips, glaring at his friend, “Dunno, but I’ll aim for you if I do.”

Shima recoiled, his book slamming shut as he skittered away from the Phoenix, “Don’t you dare!”

Konekomaru snorted, grabbing Shima’s textbook and tossing it to their perverted friend, “That’s mean, Bon. Aim for his p*rno magazines,” Ryuuji’s mouth quirked at the deadpan expression on the bald monk’s face.

Shima pouted, crossing his arms angrily, “I don’t know why I put up with you guys.”

“Cause you love us,” Ryuuji smirked, watching the way Shima scrunched his nose in mock annoyance.

“That’s a very strong word. Sure you know what it means?” Konekomaru taunted, jabbed at the demon’s arm.

Ryuuji gasped dramatically, which was a mistake as it immediately turned into a hiss of pain, “Choose a side, Neko!”

“Save the drama for the stage, Chicken,” Ryuuji scowled at his friends. Cheeks puffing in annoyance.

“Betrayed by my own friends, what will I do?!” Ryuuji flopped on one of the beds for the sheer dramatics of it. Despite what others may think, Bon could be extremely dramatic when he wanted to.

Shima chuckled before popping up like he just remembered something, “Oh, Okumura came by while you lost your lunch earlier. He seemed worried.”

Ryuuji blinked slowly, picking his head up with great difficulty so he could look at the pinkett, “What?”

“Yeah, he wanted to see if you were alright. I told him you were just dealing with a migraine.”

“Why would Okumura be worried about me?”

Shima shrugged, “Dunno. Should have seen his face though, priceless!”

Ryuuji’s brows scrunched together, Rin was worried about him? Why in the Hell was he worried about him? He wasn’t exactly the nicest to him when they met, so why? The monk’s thoughts went away when Konekomaru and Shima started cackling about something he didn’t know.

“What’re you laughing at?”

The two looked at each other then back to the Phoenix. Both of them wore goofy grins, answering in unison, “Nothing!”

Ryuuji raised a brow and slowly reached for a pillow to cover hide in, “Yeah, sure.”

Chapter 8: Rising Questions and Meddlesome Habits

Chapter Text

Despite having a killer headache, Ryuuji spent most of the night tossing and turning. The thing was, he knew why. He wasn’t used to hiding this long. Back home, anytime he was alone or with someone who knew, he didn’t bother using his glamour to look human. He even slept without it.

But, now that he was surrounded by more people, none of which knew aside from that clown of an exorcist who would hopefully keep his mouth shut if he wanted to keep his head, he couldn’t risk anything. He slept with the glamour, though it was so draining it felt like he stayed up all night, he didn’t risk letting his tail out, even if he thought he was alone, much less his wings and ears. It was bad enough his eyes flashed if he wasn’t careful enough to control his emotions, and he was pretty sure people had seen them on more than one occasion.

Ryuuji sat up, glancing at the sleeping form of his friends. Shima was snoring loudly, a magazine resting on his face. The monk sighed, grabbing his phone in case he felt like talking to his mother and crept from the room. Calling his mother had become a normal thing for him to do before he slept or simply when he had the chance.

Ryuuji glanced around the hall, careful not to make any noise for fear of waking someone and being questioned. The monk wanted to let his tail out, but he was too scared someone would wake up and see, that would be hard to explain and would likely result in him being doused in Holy Water, which, mind you, doesn’t work on anything born from a religion of more than one god. Egyptian, for example.

The Phoenix managed to find the stairs, creeping up them for fear of waking someone else. After managing to get to the roof undisturbed, he slowly pushed the door open to the empty area. Ryuuji sighed in relief, shutting the door behind him as he let his tail unwind. The long limb was sore from staying in the same position for the last few days.

The monk groaned, rubbing at the tight muscles while he looked out to the city. True Cross had quieted down significantly since the sun sank below the horizon, a few cars sped down roads, but mostly it was empty. Ryuuji bit at his lips before pulling his shirt off, chanting quiet words in the still night. The familiar rush of the glamour ebbing away was a blessing. His huge wings spread from his back, the red and orange feathers were dark, blending with the black and brown splotches at the downy joints and scattered around the feathered masses. Ryuuji sighed, rolling his shoulders as he stretched his wings, giving them small test flaps that sent spirals of wind whipping around him.

The Phoenix pulled out his earbuds, hiding them in a corner with his shirt. His long, feathered ears flicked around, tuning into the sounds they picked up from the city below. Ryuuji sighed, the tension in his body ebbing away. It always felt like this when he was able to let go and when his body wasn’t put under the impossible weight of hiding the weight of his power and heritage.

Ryuuji tilted his head to the sky, breathing in the night air. He could feel his head beginning to clear from the heavy thoughts that had been swimming around since the beginning of this school year courtesy of the pressure to hide and his secret dangling over his head because of Mephisto.

Ryuuji’s fists clenched, he needed to remember to clock the bastard next time they were alone together… or maybe in front of people if he snapped. Either way, the clown would have a noticeable black eye and maybe a broken nose. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea.

The Phoenix licked at his lips, his huge wings spread wide before rocketing him into the sky. Ryuuji whooped, barrel rolling and arching his back to flip backward. His bright feathers were a stark contrast to the night sky despite them not being on fire.

Ryuuji smiled, his body tilting to dive-bomb the city, darting and weaving through the backstreets and alleys. He wasn’t dumb enough to go near the main roads and sidewalks. The boy managed to come to a sudden stop at the apartment window above the hair salon. Ryuuji perched on the sill, tapping on the window which allowed the view of a cozy living room.

A familiar figure peeked out from the kitchen, brown eyes glaring at the Prince as she stormed over, ripping open the window, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Etsuko whisper-yelled. Her red hair was flying from her bun in messy curls, “Are you insane?! And why aren’t you wearing a damn shirt?”

Ryuuji co*cked his head to the side and shrugged, “I was bored. Also, I didn’t bring any of my shirts with holes.”

The older woman wrinkled her nose and grabbed the Phoenix by a feathered ear, pulling him into the apartment before slamming the window closed and pulling harshly on the curtains, “Your mom is going to kill you.”

“Shocker,” Ryuuji grinned widely, his feathers ruffling as the huge wings folded loosely on his back, using them as a way to partially cover his body like a cloak to hide the all-too-noticeable scars along his tanned skin.

Etsuko scowled, pinching the bridge of her nose, not seeming to notice the scars or understanding that she shouldn’t ask, “Honestly, I’m not surprised. I knew you’d be stopping by soon. You were also shouting while flying, so I heard,” She sighed dramatically, “Next time, just call me so I don’t almost sh*t myself when someone knocks on my window which is three stories off the ground!”

Ryuuji blinked, rubbing the back of his head guiltily, “Sorry about that.”

Etsuko sucked at her teeth before rolling her eyes, “Your mother wasn’t kidding, you really are a handful.”

The Phoenix blanched before shouting an offended, “Hey!”

The woman snorted, “I had a feeling you’d be coming over anyway. Your mother said you liked being around others, so she told me to keep an eye on you.”

The boy flushed, he loved his mother but did she have to go and tell people blatantly that he had separation anxiety? For f*cks sake! Ryuuji tilted his head to the side, “How’d you talk to her?”

“I have my ways,” Ryuuji raised a brow. Etsuko sighed and pointed to a small, crystal statue shaped like an Obelisk. Ryuuji made a silent “oh.” Contrary to popular belief, Ancient Egyptians had managed to tap into the natural power of the gods and use it for themselves in the form of magic. Any beast, including Phoenix, and humans could use it if they trained. Obelisks and Pyramids, however, were an easy way to channel magic, one use of this was the easiest magic to use, transportation magic. They channeled Rā’s aura to power them so others could use them. It was the same for a Magician’s staff, which Ryuuji had left at home along with his other magician stuff. As the Prince, he kind of had to know his stuff so he could protect the Phoenix and Magicians. Meaning he had to be damn good at magic instead of just glamours and the occasional transportation spell.

Etsuko rolled her eyes, dragging Ryuuji by his wing to the kitchen. She still managed to be a little more gentle because she quite obviously understood that wings were sensitive, “If you’re here, you might as well help me bake.”

Ryuuji’s eyes widened in horror as he took in the explosion of flour and dough strewn across the counters, “Uh, that’s a bad idea.”

“Uh-huh. You trespass, you help.”

“You don’t understand,” Ryuuji grimaced, training his eyes on his feet, “I set water on fire last time I tried to cook.”

Etsuko blinked, watching Ryuuji in surprise for multiple seconds before seeming to find her voice again, “Water?”

Ryuuji glanced at his feet, shuffling side to side, “Yeah.”

“On fire!” Ryuuji nodded slowly, looking up through his thick lashes to the Phoenix. Etsuko bit her lip, fighting back a smile, “Your mom wasn’t kidding. You really are hopeless.”

The teen pursed his lips in a pout, his feathers ruffling in the way they did when he got flustered. Ryuuji’s face flushed while he stammered out a low, “I really wish you guys didn’t meet.”

Etsuko flicked his already abused ear and pushed him in front of a counter, “Kid, you need as many people to keep your idiot head on your shoulders as physically possible. Now, you can make cookie dough balls without setting anything on fire, so help your subject out.”

“Do not say you’re my subject,” Ryuuji murmured in annoyance, beginning to do exactly as the woman had asked. It always made him uncomfortable when someone treated him like he was more important because of a damn title, even if people were only joking around.

Etsuko put up her hands in surrender, “Chill, kid,” Her brown eyes narrowed, Ryuuji noticed as an afterthought that she hadn’t brought out her tail or wings yet, not even let her eyes go back to their normal amber, “Your mom wasn’t kidding, you really don’t like your title, huh?”

Ryuuji threw his dough-covered hands into the air, “Oh, my Rā! What didn’t she tell you?”

Etsuko smirked, “Can you blame me? We got on like a house on fire! She’s a very nice woman, I kinda wish I had met her sooner,” The ginger tapped a finger to her mouth, a coy smile playing at her lips.

“I’m surprised you hadn’t. Most Phoenix think that they should see us every few months just because we’re… ya know…”

The woman snorted, her hands pausing their work from rolling cookie balls to playfully punch his shoulder, “Yeah, well, I’m not like most Phoenix.”

Ryuuji ran his tongue over his teeth in thought, “Now that you mention it, I don’t think I’ve seen you at any of the gatherings the Ḥesepu has,” He paused a moment before looking to the side in thought, “I actually don’t understand why we have those anymore.”

“Oh, and you remember each face?” Etsuko teased, her hip co*cked to the side while she ignored the last thing Ryuuji said almost as an afterthought.

Ryuuji shrugged, only just noticing the way the tension he hadn’t realized had been there begun to ebb away at the carefree banter, “I tend to hide in the stone alcoves or rafters.”

“Really? You don’t take me for someone to hide from social interactions.”

“Are you kidding me? I almost passed out when I had to order our train tickets at the terminal to get here!”

Etsuko blanched before letting muffled giggles through her lips until it was full-fledged howling. Ryuuji flashed a lopsided smile, he hadn’t felt this calm since the last night he got to spend with his mom, just two Phoenix relaxing with each other and enjoying each other’s company. The boy sighed, smiling to himself. He couldn't help the relief at having someone like him close by that was actually nice to be around.

“sh*t man,” Shima gawked at the Phoenix as he staggered into the room, dead on his feet and equally tired. The pinkett waved around his hands wildly, gesturing to his friend, “Did you get zombie-fied or something?”

Ryuuji blinked, his brain not processing the words like normal due to the amount of sleep he got, or lack thereof, “What are you… talki- what are you talking about?”

Konekomaru marched up to the demon and grabbed him by the shoulders. The shorter boy glared up at his friend, his lips pursed as he gave Ryuuji the Disapproving-Friend look. The monk licked his lips before calmly asking, “Did you sleep at all?”

Ryuuji’s nose scrunched while he thought over the question. He whined slightly while he thought before settling with the answer that would ensure less pain on his part, pain that would come from his short friend, “Define ‘sleep.’”

That turned out to be the wrong answer because Konekomaru promptly swatted him upside the head, “Bon! You weren’t feeling well yesterday! That was not the night to decide not to sleep.”

“I didn’t decide,” Ryuuji pouted, managing to push past his friend so he could throw his bag over his shoulder and walk out the door, “My body did.”

The bald monk grabbed him by the back of his shirt, pinning a dark look on his friend, “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“School?” Ryuuji’s brows knit together in confusion, his head tilting to the side.

Shima snorted, “In your pajamas?”

Ryuuji blinked and looked down at his clothes. He was barefoot, for one, and sporting baggy flannel pants and an equally baggy t-shirt. The Phoenix pursed his lips, before shrugging, “The teachers can suck it.”

There was an exasperated sigh before Shima pushed past his steaming friend and pulled the demon back into the room, closing the door behind him, “So that Neko doesn’t blow a fuse, you’re going to change and explain,” Shima paused, narrowing his eyes at Ryuuji’s shirt, “And since when did you own that shirt?” Ryuuji glanced down at the shirt that read “In my defense, I was left unsupervised” in bold letters across the chest. The boy shrugged.

Konekomaru huffed, arms crossing across his chest, “Explain.”

After a long time of explaining in slurred words and confusing hand gestures, he managed to convince his friends he had sat on the roof all night and that he had owned the shirt for a long time, which was bullsh*t. After only an hour of being with Etsuko, she had gotten annoyed and threw one of her shirts at him and ordered him to put it on. He’d actually thought it was cool because it was one of those ones that had a glamoured back so his wings could be out without the holes. Ryuuji had tried doing that to all of his shirts, so had his mother. But he had never been able to use magic against or for inanimate objects, that didn’t include anything holding magic because magic was considered another type of life. The rules of magic were confusing and annoying to understand.

His mother, on the other hand, was freaking amazing at summoning spells, it was almost like her calling. She’d even managed to get on the good side of one of the most, no, the most, bloodthirsty goddesses in existence. Ryuuji had also been too afraid to ask anyone else for help with his shirts because he knew they’d go scrambling to please their prince.

The Phoenix had ended up staying with Etsuko most of the night, both of them stuffing themselves with cookies while they played round after round of an ancient game called Senet. This resulted in sour looks and silent death threats. They were both extremely competitive.

By the time Etsuko had shooed him from her apartment, Ryuuji was drained but smiling like an idiot. He had tried to fly to the old dorm the same way he had come, but when he tried to land, he freaked because someone else was on the roof, Rin. The boy had been laying on his back, gazing at the clouds as a gentle breeze rustled his hair. He looked so calm like that, with no one else around. Ryuuji had been hovering above the roof, out of view from the boy.

Rin’s brows creased, slowly reaching for his sword as he sat up. Ryuuji cursed diving to hide behind the small structure with the door to the dorm rooms below. The Phoenix tucked his wings in as close as he could, his tail puffing anxiously. He could hear Rin creeping forward, the quiet tap of his sword being raised defensively.

Ryuuji murmured a hasty spell, “Ȧmem ȧu u beqsu,” It was the spell he used when activating his glamour, it meant “Hide from their eyes.” Ryuuji sighed, looking behind him to check the spell had worked. He expected to find his wings gone, revealing the cracked cement of the wall. He was instead met with the soft feathers of his wings.

Ryuuji blanched, reaching up to feel his ears, his feathered ears. The Phoenix immediately began panicking, glaring down at his hands fearfully as he chanted the spell again and again and again. His glamour was failing him, and he couldn’t feel his magic. Something was wrong, something was very wrong.

The boy could feel his heart hammering in his chest, his breathing picking up as he shook his hand wildly like it would help, “Come’on come’on come’on,” He whispered to himself, pleading for his magic to return. He could hear Rin creeping forward, drawing closer to the spot Ryuuji was hiding.

The Phoenix gulped frantically murmuring any word he could think of, most of which were just that same word on repeat because he was too scared to think, “Asta,” (Hurry)

He hissed the word for the millionth time, shaking his hands and head to try and pull his magic back. What was going on? It was like his magic had just up and left, like it disappeared with the snap of some fingers.

“Who’s there?” Rin shouted. He was closer, nearly rounding the corner. Ryuuji pressed his hand to his mouth to muffle his panicked breaths, he was already freaking out so the last thing he needed was for Rin to find him and find out and maybe tell people which would end in him getting caught and put on trial in front of the Grigori which would expose his mom and Etsuko and all the others and-

Ryuuji’s thoughts were cut off by a pained cry coming from the blue-eyed boy. A more chipper voice squeaked, “Oh my god! I’m so sorry, Rin!”

Rin groaned, a low growl emitting from his throat, “Watch where you're swinging that thing!”

The chipper voice Ryuuji recognized as Shiemi huffed shyly, “Why were you standing in front of the door?”

“That’s none of your business!” Ryuuji risked peeking around the corner for only a moment. Rin was bent over, holding his head in his hands. His sword had dropped to the ground when the door swung into his face. Ryuuji resisted the urge to run through the door and to the safety of a bathroom where he could hide and panic in peace. But all of that would risk him being seen by not only Rin and Shiemi but anyone else in the building as well.

Ryuuji ducked back around the corner just as Rin looked up. The demon pressed himself as close to the wall as possible. He could practically feel the way Rin’s eyes trained on the wall, almost like he was trying to see through it. Ryuuji inwardly thanked Shiemi for being so friendly and chatting up a storm, unaware that she was creating a distraction.

It didn’t last long seeing as Shiemi was trying to do laundry. She gave a cheery goodbye and skipped to the laundry lines, leaving Rin alone and free to rush forward and find Ryuuji. Just as Rin was about to round the corner, Ryuuji yelped out the panicked phrase he’d been frantically trying to use for the past few minutes. There was a forceful rush and the snap of his wings disappearing into his back as his ears pulled painfully, shrinking as his body changed back faster than he’d ever seen a glamour take hold in his life.

Rin whipped around the corner, sheathed sword raised, ready to destroy anything. The boy froze when he saw Ryuuji look up as if he had been startled. The latter was just trying to keep his tail hidden behind his back, out of sight.

Rin blinked, watching him for a few seconds before tilting his head to the side in confusion, “Suguro? What are you doing up here?!”

Ryuuji flushed slightly, turning his head to the side to avoid Rin’s startled eyes. He couldn’t help but like the way Rin looked at him, shining blue eyes looking only at him. Ryuuji mentally smacked himself for that thought as he mumbled a low, “I could ask the same of you.”

The boy stood there for a second, leaning to the side to see what Ryuuji was hiding behind his back. Ryuuji shifted to block the boy’s view. Rin growled out in frustration, repeating himself when he couldn’t see what the monk was hiding, “Why are you up here?”

“Reading!” Ryuuji blurted out the first thing that came to mind, hoping Rin would give up. The teen didn’t, having a strangely high level of patience.

Rin leaned forward, eyes narrowed, untrusting. He didn’t believe Ryuuji’s lie, this was not good, “Reading what?”

“A book?” That should not have come out as a question. Ryuuji gulped as Rin stepped forward, glaring at the demon. Ryuuji, in turn, took a step back.

Rin grimaced, “No you weren’t,” The boy crossed his arms, leaning back slightly. Ryuuji breathed out in relief at the loss of proximity, “Otherwise you’d actually have a book,” Rin glanced down at Ryuuji’s clenched fist, which was empty, “And I doubt you’re hiding a book behind your back.”

Ryuuji winced, “I was studying?”

“Bullsh*t.”

Ryuuji clenched his jaw, painting a glare on Rin, “Look, I don't have time for this. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I would like to get to class. You should do the same,” The demon pushed past the other, trying to stuff his tail in his pants before Rin caught sight of it as he ducked through the door.

In the hallway, Ryuuji could feel his rapidly beating heart calm down, coming down from his adrenaline high and leaving him weary and more exhausted than before. He rested his head on the door to the room he was currently borrowing with his friend’s, tears stinging his eyes.

He could only think of one thing to describe the situation he just put himself in.

He was so screwed.

He had been so distracted by the faultiness of his magic and being practically backed into a corner he just narrowly escaped from, that he never remembered the earbuds bundled in his shirt that he had left on the roof the night before.

Nor did he stop to think that someone had found them and that his entire situation just made a full 180 from where it started. Him having everything under control and easily controlling anything possible, to everything spiraling and being in control of someone else. It was almost like someone else was controlling the game, someone who was having way too much fun.

Mephisto hummed from his perch far away from the old boy’s dormitory, too far away for Suguro to take notice, but close enough that the older demon could witness the work of an old friend of his. The friend was sitting on the metal beam beside him, looking bored as he twirled a gnarled wooden staff through the air. The staff was almost as tall as its owner with many cracks and holes. It looked like it was barely holding together, “Why did you want me to do this?”

The man’s voice was monotonous, never bothering to turn his attention to the demon. Mephisto’s face twisted, a self-satisfied grin adorning his features, “Because, old friend, I think you just found a way to control a nasty pest. And help you get something you have been wanting.”

The man sighed, climbing to his feet and pulling a small, crystal Obelisk out of thin air. He hummed, looking the crystal over before placing it in front of him, “You mean you just backed someone into a corner?”

“Not someone. Something,” Mephisto clasped his hands behind his back, watching as the spell wore down, allowing a certain demon to hide his true form just in time.

“Be careful,” The man held out his hand, chanting something in a tongue Mephisto could not identify, “You know how to find me.”

“Farewell, Old friend,” The man disappeared in a swirling vortex of sand and inky black matter. Mephisto hummed, watching as Suguro ducked into the building hurriedly, leaving Rin to watch in shocked confusion.

The clown hummed, bringing a small bundle up to his face so he could view two small buds wrapped in the center of a worn shirt, “Interesting,” Mephisto grinned, gingerly grabbing the buds as he dropped the shirt to the ground far below. He had seen Suguro wearing these the night he confronted him as well as on the first day of class. The demon did not know for sure why the boy wore them, but they seemed important. Even his friend had said so, saying they wreaked of magic.

The demon had managed to snag them when he saw them left in a bundle on the roof with no one else around.

Mephisto promptly crushed the devices in his fist, “Let’s see how you get along without these, Mr. Suguro.”

Chapter 9: Haunting Past

Chapter Text

Ryuuji was freaking out. After groggily getting ready for school, he’d manage to slip away for a second to race back up to the roof and grab his earbuds. There was only one problem, to grab them, he actually needed to find them ! He’d swept the entire roof to no avail, it was almost as if they had disappeared in thin air.

Ryuuji had eventually given up, his shoulders hunched as he walked with his friends to the first class of the day, one he shared with Konekomaru. Shima waved them goodbye as they split up to walk to their respective classes.

The demon was subconsciously pulling at his ears, nerves jumping with anxiety. He still had a mild headache from the night before, and now there was no way to dull it down. His foot bounced rapidly, the teen missing the way his friend leaned forward from the seat beside him, sending him worried glances at the lack of attention Ryuuji was giving to the teacher.

Ryuuji’s head had turned to look out the window, too focused on the wailing sirens and laughter in the distance. The demon’s hands clasped at the edge of his desk, knuckles going white. There was more that he could hear, terrible things that he couldn’t do anything about. Screams and pleas and venomous words mixed in with the laughter and calm chatter. It wasn't a good combination. Those people down there, going about their day like normal, had no idea they were walking past an alley where a woman was having her life ruined as she screamed for help. Or past a house with a screaming wife and sobbing husband pleading for her to stop.

His hands were shaking badly, heat pushing at the back of his eyes. He fought back the brimming tears threatening to spill over his cheeks and onto his desk. This was why he wore his buds and even cast a spell on them to make them work better. The physical pain was only part of the reason, the big one is he heard everything. And the bad stuff was always louder than the good. The abuse and violence and pleads and screams .

Ryuuji stood abruptly, drawing the attention of everyone in the class to himself. The demon gulped down the lump in his throat and choked out a weak, “I need to go,” Before quickly walking from the room.

The second he was in the barren hall, he sprinted to the nearest bathroom. He was quick to lock the door behind him after checking that he was alone. Ryuuji’s chin wobbled before he sobbed, curling into himself, his back sliding down the wooden door.

The demon brought his knees up to his chest, fiery tears leaving burn marks on his face that stung against his soft skin. Sobs wracked the boy’s body as he clamped his hands over his ears in an attempt to muffle the sounds from the surrounding cities. He was distantly aware of the bell dismissing the students from their first class, then another to signal the start of the second. Ryuuji didn’t budge, staying holed up where he was, curled up as tightly as possible, tears sizzling as they touched the white tiles and skimmed his uniform.

Ryuuji didn’t bother to notice the way his phone buzzed every few seconds, each somehow sounding more urgent and worried than the last. The demon had no idea how long he’d been in there, crying in misery only he himself knew. He heard horrible things, every sound screaming in his ears. A young girl wailing, accompanied by the sound of fists slamming into her body. People were screaming at each other while someone cried in the background. Taunts that bordered on death threats were way too close to the sound of cracking bones to be in different areas.

Those sounds, those horrid sounds, brought on the memory of screams forever ingrained in his head. They were years old sounds he’d never forget. The crackle of fire and crush of people under the roof of the burning cabin. A child, barely a year old, wailing as trees surrounding the cabin caught fire, sending the forest ablaze. He had been standing there, shell-shocked as he watched the family burn to death and choke on the pitch-black smoke.

Ryuuji screamed, trying to drown out the sounds, the memories, out with his own cries. It worked, leaving his ears ringing with warm liquid running down them. The Phoenix slowly looked up from his knees, pain pulsing through his head. His hands slowly lowered from his ears, both covered in a pool of blood.

Ryuuji gulped, he hadn't done that in a long time. When he was younger, he would hide away, screaming himself deaf for hours. It didn’t last long because of his healing, but that hour, that precious hour was the equivalent of heaven on Earth.

His mother had gotten so upset once she finally found the source of the screaming, he was really good at hiding. She had immediately invested in the earbuds for both of them, as well as keeping a closer eye on him.

Ryuuji glanced around the room, dazed and not really thinking straight, heh, not thinking straight . The demon staggered to his feet, glancing around and dully noticing the way the mirrors had shattered, raining glass along the sinks and floor.

The demon hummed, managing to trip his way to the sinks, staring down at his distorted form in each shiny shard. Ryuuji could hear his adrenaline rushing through his ears, drowning out the already muffled sounds around him. Slowly, he reached forward, gingerly grasping at the sharp glass that slid along his palm, slicing his skin, but not enough to draw blood.

Ryuuji swayed on his feet, sharp teeth piercing his soft lips, “Sorry Mut ,” He murmured, remembering the promise he made to her many months ago after she found him with slit wrists and sides on the bathroom floor. He’d held up to that promise, but he just couldn’t take this anymore. Ryuuji gladly welcomed the sting of pain as he slid the sharp edge across his exposed forearm. Again and again, the glass slid across blood-slicked skin, crimson liquid flowing into the sink and down the drain.

Ryuuji was about to lift the dress shirt of his uniform and add to the melay of scars along his torso when his phone rang loud, startling him enough to drop the tool. The boy glanced between his blood-slicked arms to his phone which had fallen to the floor, at what point he couldn’t remember. The demon gulped, slowly reaching for the device, seeing his mother’s face on the screen. Ryuuji blanched, he couldn’t answer her right now. She would hear it in his voice, the slur of the leftover adrenaline, the anxiety pulsing through his veins.

The teen reached down, pressing the “decline” button, hoping she would think he was in class. But he knew that wouldn’t happen because she knew something was wrong. Whether it be from their bond or the fact that Konekomaru and Shima probably texted her when he didn’t answer the texts he was just now seeing on their shared thread.

Neko: Bon, are you alright? You left really suddenly

Shima: What do you mean?

Neko: He left class

Shima: Bon… left class

The apocalyspe has come

Neko: You spelled that wrong

Shima: Shut up! Why are you worried about my spelling

Worry bout Bon!

Neko: Bon, seriously. You good?

Class just ended and you’re still no here

Ryuuji gulped, noticing the way Konekomaru’s spelling and grammar left as he started getting worried. Mentally, he reminded himself to apologize later.

Shima: I just looked in his 2nd class, he not theer

Neko: Im gonna ignore the fact that you skIPPED CLASS

Shima: Stap worrin about me!

Bon, I swear to gd

god^

Neko: Bon, I have your stuff

Now get your ass over here

Youve missed 3 classes, what is happening?

Holy sh*t, i think he was kidnapped!

Shima: He wasn’t kidnapped, Neko.

Neko: But what if he was!

He could be i n a warhouse and being tortured!

Shima: … calm down, I’m still looking for him.

Holy sh*t, did you hear that!

Neko: Bon, something happened!

Shima: What was that?!

Did someone just scream!!

Holysh*t holysh*t!

Neko: The glass in my class just freaking SHATTERED

Bon! We dont knw WHat’s happening but you need to get here… now!

Shima: I can’t find him any where

Neko: Bon, im calling your mom!

Why didn’t you answer her?

Shima: sh*t, man! Where are you?!

Ryuuji gulped, slowly texting his friends back, his fingers shaking from the cuts, taking him longer to type than normal.

Bon: I’m here

Neko: Bon!

Shima: You’re not dead!

Neko: What the f*ck happened?!

Are you alright?

Youre not hurt are you?

Bon: … i’m alive

Shima: That didn’t answer the question

Ryuuji glanced down at his bloody skin, the blood had begun to dry, making his skin itchy. The monk resisted the urge to scratch at them and bring himself more pain. He didn’t want to lie, but he had to. He never told them, only his mother and one other person knew about this, and he was going to keep it that way.

Bon: I’m fine, sorry for worrying you guys.

I wasn’t feeling good so I thought some air would help me

Shima: … you weren’t outside

Bon, wat’s going on?

Ryuuji cursed, sometimes he really hated when they could tell something was really wrong or when he was lying (thankfully they didn’t notice the I’m-a-human lies). The demon bit at his lips, a grimace pulling at his face.

Bon: Can we not talk bout this rn?

I promise I’ll tell you guys when I’m ready

Or never and just hope to god they forgot about this, which was unlikely.

Neko: Bon…

Bon: Seriously, please don’t make me talk about this

Ryuuji knew that was probably the worst thing to say and would only lead to more worry. Which would, in turn, lead to pestering and his friends keeping a closer eye on him, leaving even less wiggle room than he already had.

But, at the moment, Ryuuji didn’t care. He ignored any more texts from his friends, focussing on the ones from his mother coming in every few seconds.

Mut/Mom: Ryuuji, Miwa just called me and said you left class and is really worried, what happened?

Ryuuji, why aren’t you answering the phone? The others aren’t having luck either.

SOKARI RYUUJI SUGURO-UAHBRA ANSWER THE DAMN PHONE!

What’s going on? Are you huryt, did something happen??

Ryuuji

Ryuuji please… you’re in pain, just tell me why

Sefi please…

Just tell me you’re safe

There were more. Missed calls and texts alike. Most of them were from his mother, pleading with him to answer the phone and just be safe. Others were from Yaozo or Uwabami, even his dad who was probably at the temple or drunk. He even saw a few from Juuzou, Kinzou, and Mamushi. All of them probably heard from his friends or obviously panicked mother.

Ryuuji gulped before calling his mother, holding the phone slightly away from his ear, which was now a pool of crusted blood.

The phone barely rang once before his mother answered, screaming loudly, “Ryuuji! Are you alright? What happened, you screamed, why did you scream?! Oh, my god, are you in danger? Is ther-”

“Mom?” Ryuuji’s voice was small, barely a whisper. He could hear the way his mother took a sharp breath.

“Everyone, can you get out for a few minutes?” There was a sound of sighs and worried agreements accompanied by socked feet, “Do you want Yaozo to leave too?’

Ryuuji shook his head before realizing that he needed to speak. He swallowed the lump in his throat and squeaked out a small, “Yes, please,” his voice cracked, making his words die into a breath.

There was another pad of feet after his mother relayed his answer to Yaozo before she focussed back on him, “Ryuuji, what happened?”

That was all it took for Ryuuji to burst into tears again, hunching his shoulders and hugging his arms around himself. After a few minutes of pitiful cries and his mother gently whispering words, yet sounding upset herself because she wasn’t there to hug her little boy. Ryuuji managed to force out garbled words that were barely recognizable, “Ma, I just wan’a go home!”

There was a startled pause before a soft, “What?”

“I can’t take this anymore!” Ryuuji put his head against the wall in front of him, forcing out as many words in one breath as possible, “I’m so scared and everything’s so loud! I can’t take it! It’s so horrible here! And I keep almost gettin’ caught and Mephisto knows and I’m scared he’s gonna do something and I almost lost control of my glamour. Then it just didn’t work and Rin almost caught me and I can’t find my earbuds and… I’m just so scared!” Ryuuji broke off into ugly sobs, hugging himself tighter until he winced as his claws dug into his arms.

Torako gently shushed him, “It’s alright, Sweetie. You can come home.”

Ryuuji sobbed in relief, his breath slowing as he calmed down slowly, “Tha… thanks, Mut.”

“When would you like me to come home?”

“Would tomorrow work? I should probably tell my teachers,” That last part was whispered, barely audible.

Torako hummed, seeming to be thinking, “Of course, Sweetheart. Just call me when you’re ready to go.”

Ryuuji breathed a sigh of relief, “Okay,” He thought for a few more seconds, feeling relieved that he’d be getting away from this hell, “I should go find Neko and Shima, they’re probably really worried.”

He could hear the smile in his mother’s voice, “Alright, I’ll call you later.”

Ryuuji nodded, about to hang up before remembering something he should tell her. He pushed the phone against his ear, desperately hoping his mother hadn’t hung up, “Mut?”

There was a heavy pause followed by a gentle, “Yes?’

Ryuuji swallowed thickly, stuttering out a small, “I’m sorry for screaming. I promised you I would stop doing that.”

He remembered the day his mother had found him. He was just shy of eight years old, holed in a concealed corner, crying over and over “Make it stop,” as each harsh sound hit him like a slap to the face. His mother had found him after hours of him screaming, rupturing his eardrums again and again and again after each time they healed. She had been so scared when she found him, trying to remove him from the small closet. He had kicked and screamed, refusing to leave the quietest corner of his mother’s inn where he stayed with her when she worked.

She had needed to call one of her friends, a young Phoenix named Emile who was amazing with healing and charms. It had taken three people to remove him from the closet. Yaozo who was trying to coax him out, his mother who was talking in panicked Ancient Egyptian to Emile, and finally Emile, who had had enough and eventually knocked him out with a spell.

For a long time, he had been wary of the woman for that, but she had enchanted the earbuds so the farthest away he could hear when wearing them was from the inn to the temple in the forest. Without the charm, they basically didn’t work.

Emile had come by to visit almost all the time after that. She was from Australia and, because of the language barrier between most Phoenix, they all tended to speak Egyptian with each other to make it easier. Emile had ended up becoming so close to them that Ryuuji even started calling her his aunt.

God, she was probably worried sick, seeing as she was likely the first one his mother called when he didn’t answer.

His mother sighed gently, “It’s not alright, but we will talk about it later. Right now, I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Ryuuji nodded mutely, whispering a small, “Thank you.”

His mother whispered her goodbye just as Ryuuji hung up. The Phoenix pocketed his phone and looked down at his arms, he whispered a curse. This was something else he promised his mother he wouldn’t do, something he started after what happened at that cabin when he was ten. Something he kept a secret until a few months ago.

Ryuuji pushed his bloody sleeves up higher, running his arms underwater, scrubbing harshly in an attempt to rid his skin of the red staining liquid. It took longer than he would have liked, and his uniform was going to be permanently stained. He’d have to bleach it or something, maybe he could get a tip out of Etsuko.

Ryuuji glanced to the spot the mirror had previously been. A few shards, larger than the ones strewn across the sink and floor, were still embedded in the wall. Despite the odd way his reflection appeared, Ryuuji could see just how horrible he looked. His cheeks still had lingering lies of black that were already lightning to become the same shade as the rest of his face. His eyes were red and his hair stuck up at odd angles.

The Phoenix felt something brush against his leg and flinched badly. His head twisted to glance behind him, only to be met by his three-stalked tail. All three furred limbs were puffed up to the size of Ryuuji’s forearm.

The monk gulped, he hadn’t even noticed the limbs unwind from around his waist. The last thing he needed was for his tail to stop listening. He quickly shoved it back under his shirt, hoping nobody would notice the strange line around his waist.

Ryuuji took a deep breath running his fingers through his hair before pulling the sleeves of his jacket down, buttoning the black fabric in front of his shirt in an attempt to conceal any blood he hadn’t noticed.

He slowly unlocked the bathroom door, pulling out his phone to text Konekomaru and ask where they were. He knew they had probably started skipping their classes looking for him.

It took barely a second for them to reply, saying they were in the courtyard by the fountain Rin had been sitting on that day. Ryuuji, feeling exhausted and drowsy, pulled the door open and trudged to the fountain on tired feet. He barely noticed the strange looks he got and the way people gave him a wide berth.

He knew he looked a mess, hair askew and dull eyes puffy with tears.

Konekomaru and Shima were sitting on the edge of the fountain, backs turned to their approaching friend. Ryuuji sighed, collapsing between the two of them. They jumped, turning to him in surprise.

Konekomaru was the first to speak, “Bon! Are you alright?!”

Shima was next, “Have you been crying? What happened, what’s wrong?!”

The demon took a deep breath, staring blankly at the ground. Konekomaru leaned forward enough to look in his eyes, “Do you want to talk about it?” Ryuuji mutely shook his head, missing the concerned looks his friends shared with each other.

Shima sighed, opening up his arms, a silent invitation. Ryuuji took it, letting the Pinkett hug him as he buried his pounding head against Shima’s shoulder. Behind him, Konekomaru sighed before he shifted and hugged the Phoenix from behind. There was a long moment of silence before Shima murmured a low, “You don’t have to talk. Just know that when you’re ready, we’ll be here.”

Ryuuji nodded, although he knew one thing for certain. He was never, ever telling them about any of this. That was the one thing he knew for sure, and he’d be damned if he let that last sliver of hope get wrenched from his grasp.

Chapter 10: Constant Worry

Chapter Text

Ryuuji slipped into his seat for Cram School. Since his complete meltdown, he’d managed to calm down a bit. One of the reasons for this was that the Cram School was somehow soundproofed against everything outside its barrier. Mind you, it was still annoying as f*ck because of the demons running around along with other classes. Though it was significantly better.

Shima and Konekomaru had been hovering close to him, keeping an eye on him while simultaneously copying down notes. The strange thing was, he wasn’t getting called out for not paying attention. Maybe his mother already contacted the school and told them he was dropping out so they weren’t concerned, or they just thought he was having an off day. But, the most likely reason was that they didn’t notice.

The reason for this was probably because they were too focused on the equally unfocused girl across the room. As if to punctuate their point, their Scripture and Recitation teacher called her for the fifth time, this time the girl finally noticed. Ryuuji had noticed how spacey the girl had been when she’d practically blown off their teacher in the class before after he’d asked her to complete the magic circle.

Kamiki jumped to her feet, shouting loudly, “Yes, Ma’am?!”

The teacher’s cat, which had been perched on the woman’s shoulders, blinked its eyes open before going back to sleep. Their teacher sighed, “Your homework, Miss Kamiki. Would you please recite it?”

The girl smirked, nodding and beginning to recite the homework. She barely made it through half of the first line before faltering, double-backing on her words twice before stopping completely.

Their teacher tutted, head shaking as her beady eyes turned to the other person in the room who wasn’t paying attention. For some reason, this teacher was not taking the hint from either of their tired dead-to-the-world looks and continued to teach, “Mr. Suguro,” The boy in question jumped in surprise, looking up through his lashes, “Maybe you will have more luck than Miss Kamiki.”

Ryuuji gulped and stood slowly, waving away the protests on Konekomaru’s face. He might be dropping out, he hadn’t yet told anyone, but he was still in class for right now. Might as well just do something.

The Phoenix stood, taking a deep breath and reciting the fatal-verse he’d practiced restlessly almost directly after receiving it. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed the strange reactions from his class, including the way Shima ran his hand down his face.

Rin, who had been eyeing him since this morning on the roof, just looked downright confused and worried. In the back, Yamada made a small squeak of surprise, coughing into her clenched fist.

Once Ryuuji was done, he collapsed back down in his seat, trying to ignore the startled confusion from all around the room. The teacher cleared her throat awkwardly, “Uh, Mr. Suguro, would you do that again. But maybe this time in full Japanese?”

Ryuuji took a few seconds to process this before shooting back up, a startled, “Ȧsi?” Ryuuji cleared his throat and repeated himself in a language the rest of the class would be able to understand, “What?” He went to speak again, only for Konekomaru to jump up and slam a hand over his mouth.

“I’m sorry! Bon isn’t thinking straight-” Shima snickered, earning a dark glare from the bald monk, “and didn’t notice he wasn’t fully speaking his second language.”

The teacher blinked, a sharp sigh filling the room, “What is going on with the two of you?” She glanced between Suguro and Kamiki, “What happened? This is not something I expected from you. Okumura maybe,” There was a startled cry from Rin’s seat in the class. Strangely, he had been attentive the entire time and was currently sending a look of pure worry to Ryuuji, “But not the two of you,” She sighed deeply and waved at them, “Sit, we’ll do this another time.”

Ryuuji slowly sunk down in his seat, peeling Konekomaru’s hand away from his mouth. His friends leaned against the table so they could look at their friend more closely, “Dude, what happened?” Shima’s head tilted to the side as if a different angle would give him the answer.

Ryuuji shook his head, words dead on his tongue as he shrugged, “I-I don’t know. I wasn’t really paying attention,” He was hunched over his desk, a hand gripping his hair as dead eyes blinked lazily at the rough wood of his desk.

Konekomaru’s lips pressed into a thin line, not quite pleased with his answer. Strangely, his friends had found out he could speak another language when they were young. Almost everyone at the temple knew he spoke two languages, to which his mother admitted it was her first language and she had taught him. They never really mentioned what language it was.

“What language even is that?” Shima asked, his hands waving in the air.

Ryuuji gave the same answer as always, “A dead one,” To which the boy pouted, collapsing back in his chair.

There was a loud gasp and Rin smiled, glancing at him with shining eyes, “I didn’t know you knew a second language, Suguro! I guess you really are smart!”

Ryuuji grumbled and low, “Don’t go falling for me,” Ignoring the flush rising to his sickly pale cheeks.

Shima snickered, “You sure you don’t want him-” He was cut off by a weak elbow to his side, causing him to wheeze.

Shiemi turned, waving her book in the air, “Hey, Suguro?” Ryuuji hummed, his brows knitting together as he tilted his head to glance at the girl. Why were they applauding him when he had quite clearly bombed that? It didn’t make any sense, “You’re good at memorizing things, right?”

Ryuuji rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over him, “I would like to think so.”

Shiemi’s face brightened, “Is there a trick to it? I’m having trouble memorizing the sutras. You’re really smart so it’s probably easy for you but-”

Konekomaru snorted, “Bon’s not really smart, he’s just been good at memorizing things since he was little.”

Ryuuji paused for a second before whirling around to glare at his friend, “Excuse me?”

Shima chuckled, “He’s right.”

“Aren’t being smart and being good at memorizing the same thing?”

Konekomaru went to answer, a smirk on his face, when a low voice from across the room murmured, “Memorization is just fake intelligence.”

Ryuuji jumped to his feet, hands slamming on the desk in front of him as he snarled, “Say that again. I f*cking dare you!”

Just by judging Izumo’s reaction, along with everyone else in the room, he was the only one to hear it. The purple-haired girl shook herself from her stupor and stood, and a co*cky smile on her face. She repeated herself, louder this time, “Memorization is easy, you’d have to be an idiot not to be good at it.”

In the front, Rin and Shiemi wilted, which set Ryuuji off. He wanted to scream, but instead paused and crossed his arms, a dangerous grin on his face. Ryuuji could feel people around the room flinch, and he knew why. He looked the same way he did when he fought, deadly and bloodthirsty. He was going to be leaving anyway, might as well go out with a bang.

“This coming from the so-called ‘prodigy’ who can’t keep her act together for a minute without putting someone in danger,” He heard Konekomaru hiss from behind him, wincing at the boy’s tone. Ryuuji knew that was a low blow, but he couldn’t care less at the moment. He felt like he had been drug through the lowest level of the Duat, also known as Hell, and really didn’t give a f*ck if his words hurt Izumo at the moment.

The girl flinched, before a venomous glare hardened her features, “This coming from the one who couldn’t speak proper Japanese.”

“Huh, and here I thought you couldn’t even get the words out of your mouth,” Izumo gaped at him, words dying on her tongue. Ryuuji smirked, “What? Cat got your tongue?”

Izumo sneered, finally forcing the words out, “I can memorize things, I just don’t! Arias are weak and need to be protected. They’re practically useless!”

Ryuuji snapped. On a normal day, he probably wouldn’t even have started yelling, okay maybe he still would have, but he probably wouldn’t have snapped. But with no sleep and having a generally sh*tty day, his patience was down to none. They started storming at each other, meeting halfway. It was clear Izumo wanted to add more, but Ryuuji didn’t let her.

“You won’t be saying that when the only thing between you and a demon is a sutra!” Or a spell. Ryuuji growled, he could feel his tail twitching beneath his shirt, begging to jump out and strangle the girl. Honestly, he might just let that happen.

Izumo snorted, “If it’s you chanting it, I’ll be dead before you can say the first word.”

Ryuuji slammed his hand down on the nearest desk, Rin’s desk. The poor boy jumped out of his skin, a small squeak escaping his mouth. Ryuuji had to grit his teeth to stifle the apology on his lips, turning it into a snarl aimed at a certain sly bitch.

“What is your problem? You treat everyone like sh*t and the second you get called out you lose your cool!”

“Oh, you're still mad about me laughing at your ‘ambition’?” The girl brought her hands up to form quotes in the air, “Sorry, but jokes are for laughing at. I don’t go around parading my dreams. I don’t feel the need to stand out as you do.”

Oh, Ryuuji thought, you think I’m standing out right now? I’ll show you standing out.

Ryuuji grabbed the girl’s shirt in his fist, glaring deeply, “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” He noticed Rin standing out of the corner of his eye, hands raised to push the two away. Ryuuji could feel his friends try pulling him away from Kamiki while Rin pushed at the two. Ryuuji was having none of it, standing his ground, in turn making Izumo stand her’s as well. Ryuuji’s voice was low, and he was sure Izumo was the only one who could hear him, “You don’t know what's really out there, how much you rely on shadows in the dark to protect you. So say that again. I’ll show you what a weak Aria wannabe can really do.”

Izumo’s eyes widened, almost as if she was seeing something he wasn’t. Her arm swung, trying to slap him, but she missed and instead hit Rin who was trying, and failing, to separate the two of them.

Ryuuji blanched as Rin’s head snapped to the side. The boy stood frozen for a moment before he snarled, shouting angrily, “What’d you go and hit me for?!”

Rin looked like he wanted to hit both of them, but everything was suddenly stopped when a loud voice shouted, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

Rin had been curious about Suguro since day one. Ever since they first met, he felt different. He couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly, he just knew it was something. The boy was smart but incredibly reckless. Which was found out when he tackled a god-damned demon! Rin had wanted to scream at him, especially when the monk had refused to leave him to fight the demon. He had almost screamed that he was the son of god damned Satan!

This morning on the roof had further confirmed something was going on. There was a presence behind him, large and powerful. He’d seen a blur of… he could have sworn they were feathers, ducking behind the shed-like structure that led to the rest of the dorm.

Shiemi had distracted him, but there was no way whatever it was had been able to sneak away. Rin had been able to almost feel it, right around the corner. Not only that but there had been a strange phrase whispered over and over again, almost frantically, in a familiar voice.

He hadn’t been able to recognize the words, they were in a strange tongue he’d never heard before. Once he’d finally been able to deter Shiemi and whip around the corner. He’d come face to face with a startled Suguro. He had looked different with dark bags under his eyes and rumpled clothes. But he still looked good, almost handsome. Rin had noticed that the second he walked into Cram school the first day, he’d even thought he looked beautiful when he saw him stifling a laugh out of the corner of his eye.

He liked the way he flushed when Rin talked to him, and how he got shy on rare occasions.

But, despite everything, Rin knew something was off… no, not off, something was wrong. He could see it. The way his eyes would dull during conversations, the panic when someone would startle him, the way he’d retract into his head and look close to tears. He knew something was wrong, that he was bottling something up. He knew this because it was something Rin did and was doing. He’d almost asked the teen about it, but something told him that now was not the time.

Then, when he’d found Suguro on the roof, that strange presence coming from the same spot Suguro was standing, it almost fully guaranteed it. He’d wanted to follow Suguro when he’d slipped away with the world’s worst excuse flowing from his lips, but he didn’t. And now, he could see he should have.

Rin had this awful feeling pooling in his gut all day, the feeling of something going wrong. Then he’d gotten the text from Konekomaru, saying he couldn’t find Suguro anywhere. Rin had walked out of class, ignoring the shouted threats from his teacher. He thought finding the monk would be easier with his demon senses, and it was. But at the same time, it wasn’t. That presence from before was everywhere, and it was bad. The presence itself wasn’t bad, it was the feeling. He’d even tried calling him but went to voicemail on the fifth ring.

Then he heard the scream. It was loud and long and full of so much pain and despair it made Rin want to cry. Something told him it was Suguro, he didn’t know how he knew, he just did.

A few minutes later, after almost every piece of glass in the vicinity shattered, Konekomaru texted him again, saying they had reached Suguro.

Rin had skipped the rest of his classes, he knew he was too worried to focus. So he opted for just sitting on the bridge above the door he’d first used to get to Cram Class. He sat there for a long time, debating whether he should check on his friend, was he even his friend? Rin lied to him almost daily, he didn’t feel like a friend. At least not a good one.

Rin had been panicking since that text, but he really started to freak out when Suguro walked into their class, trailing behind his friends. His feet drug against the floor and his hair was a mess with his puffy eyes and strange tear stains on his cheeks, almost resembling scars. Then he smelled it, the tang of iron thick on his tongue. Blood. Rin had almost jumped up right then and ran to Suguro. He’d wanted to pull him into the hall and ask him just what was wrong. The smell had made Rin ghost his fingers over the faint scars on his wrists that had steadily grown in numbers since his father’s death and the fight with his brother.

But, he didn’t. So he carefully watched the teen, the way his head dipped to the desk until Konekomaru or Shima nudged him gently. Rin was growing more worried by the second, so much so that the lack of sleep from this past week was pushed aside and was replaced by concern. At one point, Konekomaru noticed his pinched brows and gave him the best something-is-wrong look.

Rin, despite being able to stay awake, didn’t focus at all. He was so pulled into his own head. He barely noticed when Kamiki stumbled over her words to chant a fatal-verse for a demon Rin couldn’t remember the name of. Then it was Suguro’s turn and Rin choked on air as words that sounded eerily similar to the ones from the roof came out of his friend’s mouth, woven with traditional Japanese.

Rin’s head was spinning, ignoring the lecture the teacher was giving the two students who quite honestly just failed the exercise. Suguro spoke those words, was he really the presence from the roof? Rin hadn’t completely believed his eyes when Suguro was standing in the same spot and was just beginning to write it off as a strange coincidence. But that panicked language, something wasn’t adding up. Or, maybe something was.

Rin wanted to ask his brother about this, god that was going to be the first thing he asked him, maybe he would even slip out of class to find him. Rin slowly started shoving his books into his bag, making to stand. That was when the taunting started.

Rin glanced at his friend in surprise. Was Suguro really going this low? The demon could see the teen’s emotions boiling over, about to explode. Rin slowly sank lower in his seat, deciding it was a good idea to stay here, especially if a fight broke out. A few months ago, that would have seemed nearly impossible, but right now it looked to be the only option.

For a second, it looked like taunting was all it would become, at least until Izumo stepped over the line. The two were shouting at each other. Rin only caught snippets of actual sentences between the loud words. He nearly screeched when Suguro slammed a hand on his desk but managed to muffle it into a tiny squeak.

That’s when Rin stood, using his arms to try and push the two away. Despite being in the situation she was in, Kamiki didn’t seem to give two sh*ts. That worried Rin. He knew they were both hot-headed and stubborn assholes who both seemed to be having a particularly sh*tty day.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Yukio step into the room, a stack of papers in his hand. He watched the exchange for a few moments, not even stepping in when Suguro grabbed Izumo by the front of her shirt, growling indecipherable words to the girl.

Rin pushed harder, his demon strength helping him push them ever so slightly. But, the two teens were surprisingly strong and managed to stand their ground. Rin pushed harder, noticing that Konekomaru and Shima were trying to pull their friend away to no avail. Just how strong was Suguro?

Izumo’s eyes widened in horror, stilling Rin for a moment. Then he felt it. That feeling from before. He’d been so focused on separating the two that he’d failed to notice it. Rin went to look, to see if he was right, but Izumo swung, her flat palm slamming into Rin’s face. Rin snarled, shouting at the girl, “What’d you go and hit me for?”

That’s when Yukio decided now was a good time to step in. He stomped forward, slamming the papers down in front of Shiemi. The blonde had been watching the whole ordeal from her seat, startling the girl before shouting out loud, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

Suguro and Kamiki froze, slowly turning to look at Rin’s brother. The two teens stepped away from each other and, in a very childish manner, pointed to each other and chorused, “They started it.”

Yukio’s face was turning red with unchecked rage. Rin slowly sunk down in his seat, cowering. He’d been on the wrong side of that look multiple times and it usually resulted in painful bruises later.

The brunette marched forward, grabbing the two by their ears before dragging them in the direction of the door. Kamiki and Suguro squawked, trying to pull away from their teacher. Rin could hear Suguro growling in pain, “Let go of me!”

Yukio turned slightly, barking to the rest of the class, “Everyone else follow me. We have a change of lesson plan for today!”

Rin winced, jogging after his brother and friend. He found he strangely did not like the way Yukio was handling Suguro, he didn’t just dislike it, he was pissed about it. Huh, that was new.

Chapter 11: Left Alone

Chapter Text

Ryuuji did not like the “altered lesson plan” Yukio had concocted. The entire class was kneeling on the ground of a spare room in the Old Boy’s Dormitory. They were being punished for the fight between Ryuuji and Izumo by having Bariyons sit in their laps. The entire group was straining against the impossible weight. At first, it had been bearable for Ryuuji, but the rock demon seemed to sense he could take more weight and had jumped from around a hundred pounds to a weight that would crush any of the other teens like a bug.

The only person who was seemingly unbothered by their situation was Yamada, the girl sat there calmly, face blank beneath her hood. In front of them, Yukio stood with his arms crossed smugly, “Now class, have you learned your lesson?”

Beside him, Rin groaned, his head bowed and hair falling across his face, “Why us too?”

Ryuuji had to agree with that. Ryuuji and Izumo were the only ones to fight, so why were the rest of them there? Vaguely, the Phoenix registered Konekomaru desperately murmuring, “Daruma give me strength,” Over and over again.

Yukio’s lips pursed, giving the teen a very unsatisfied look, “It’s called collective responsibility. You need to learn how to work with each other instead of fighting. So, learn to get along with each other!”

Izumo humphed, lifting her nose into the air, “I don’t want to get along with these brats.”

“Look who’s talking,” Ryuuji grumbled lowly, scowling at the ground.

Yukio sighed, pushing down anger, “If you want to be an exorcist, you need to get along with each other. No exorcist fights alone, so it will be a problem if you do.”

Yukio didn’t stop there and was still talking, giving a long explanation as to what they needed to do. But, Ryuuji’s focus had shifted to the noises in the walls and ceilings. It wasn’t the simple scratching of rats, which this building was infested with, it was talking.

“Damn, it’s so dark here!”

“Be quiet or someone’ll hear!” One voice shushed.

Ryuuji’s nose scrunched when he caught the familiar whiff of bubblegum perfume. The monk sighed, putting a hand to his head. He had a feeling he knew what this was. Scratch that, he had two ideas. This could either be a test to see just how well or badly they worked together, the most likely answer, or they knew about Ryuuji and were using their predicament of being trapped to grab him and-

Nope, he was not thinking about this right now. All he had to do was tell Yukio that he was dropping out, grab his stuff and leave. Although, with the exorcist’s current attitude, that was going to be something he’d have to point out later when he wasn’t faced with being in the room with a demon on his lap and a snooty girl still pissed at him. He could deal with this, it wasn’t the worst thing he'd had done to him, though it was in the top twenty. Yes, there have been a lot of horrible things.

Yukio paused mid-sentence, glancing down at his watch with a scowl etched on his face, “Now, I’ll be gone on a mission for three hours-”

“Hours?!” Rin shreaked. The poor boy would have toppled into Ryuuji if it wasn’t for the heavy demon rock in his lap. Ryuuji gently nudged Rin so he was no longer teetering, ignoring the small, “Thanks,” that dropped from his lips.

Yukio scowled at his brother before continuing, “I will be locking every door because of the ghoul attack from yesterday as well as put the building under heavy wards that Mephisto found specifically to keep you guys safe-”

There was another voice in the wall, “That new ward worked?”

“Yeah, what is it even for?”

“Don’t know, something about ‘weakening opponents.’ Who knows with Mephisto.”

Ryuuji clenched his jaw, trying to ignore the noise. The slam of the door was what finally drew his attention. The spot Yukio had been standing in before was empty. Ryuuji blinked, murmuring a low, “Why is he locking the building? What if we need to get out?”

“I think he’s hoping we don’t, and if there’s an emergency we still don’t,” Rin whined, shifting uncomfortably under the unbearable weight. Ryuuji’s brows furrowed, glancing at the boy from the side of his eye. There was no doubt on Rin’s face, he wholly believed that was something his brother would do.

Shima moaned, trying to shimmy out from under the Baryion but to no avail, “Three hours?! He’s the devil.”

Rin snorted dryly, muffling the sound with his locked lips. Ryuuji glanced beside him, “Are you two really brothers?” Ryuuji was honestly surprised. Rin, although he drove Ryuuji up the walls, seemed like a genuinely nice guy. Yukio seemed like the kind of guy you didn’t mess with, and not in a good way. Was there even a good way for that kind of attitude?

Rin grumbled a low, “I swear… he’s a nice guy,” It sounded more like he was trying to convince himself rather than the others.

Ryuuji raised a brow, silently wondering why Rin was defending his brother after what he had been told on their first day. That conversation, which was more of a screaming match than a conversation, still rang through the Phoenix’s thoughts. In all honesty, Yukio turning on his own brother scared him. Ryuuji knew Rin was a demon, not exactly what kind, but it was obvious he was one. Which also probably meant Yukio was one as well, seeing as how the two were twins! That wasn’t the only part that scared him, what would happen if his secret got out. Would Yukio be on his side?

Probably not, knowing he was an Exorcist and trained to kill things like him. Also, he had not reacted well to Rin. Ryuuji took a deep breath, trying to push away the thoughts in his head by speaking up, “Well, at least we know whose fault this is!” Ryuuji grumbled, ignoring the way Konekomaru sent him a menacing glare.

Izumo gasped, head snapping to glare at him over Rin’s head of messy hair, “You grabbed me first! I can’t believe you,” She shouted, a snarl on her lips.

Konekomaru grumbled, shooting his friend with an even darker glare than before, “Did you two already forget what Mr. Okumura told us?”

Ryuuji, obviously ignoring his friend’s angry words in light of continuing to argue with Izumo, albeit a bit childishly, “You started it!”

“Real mature,” Shima murmured under his breath, unheard to everyone but him, and maybe Rin. The latter, however, didn’t seem to be focusing too much on anything else.

Rin had begun to shake, whether from strain or anger, Ryuuji couldn't say. The boy snapped, bearing unusually sharp teeth, ones that reminded Ryuuji of his own, “Stop fighting with me in the middle!”

Ryuuji ignored Rin, “You got a rotten personality.”

Rin groaned, “This is abuse!”

Izumo rolled her eyes, a smirk plastered on her face, “Tell me something I don’t know,” Ryuuji wasn't sure to which statement she was referring to, and from the way Rin’s body visibly tensed, he didn’t seem to know either. Ryuuji wanted to place a hand on Rin’s back to comfort him, but he resisted. Izumo straightened, seeming pleased by her silence as she crossed her arms, “What, cat got your tongue?”

Ryuuji looked at her out of the corner of his eye. In that moment, he didn’t see the co*cky girl who pissed him off, only the flash of that man that haunted his dreams. His co*cky face grew by the second knowing he’d finally cornered a monster. A ten-year-old monster backed into the corner of the small cabin with a rifle to his head with the man’s family pressed against the other side. They were scared of both of them.

An exorcist pin glimmered as the dwindling fire’s light from the hearth caught against its reflective surface, illuminating both the badge and the wooden walls. There was a searing pain in his side, he’d been shot and was bleeding. He wasn’t healing because the bullet was still wedged deep inside his abdomen.

Something had happened, no, everything had happened and way too fast. The man had shot him in the shoulder. Ryuuji had launched forward, trying to get away as the wall was engulfed in flames, his flames. The same flames that burned that man and his family alive, that turned the cabin to ash and jumped to the trees. The flames were classified as an unfortunate wildfire that no one batted an eye towards.

Ryuuji gulped, blinking away the sight of that burning cabin and trying to focus on the dorm room with all his classmates. Rin had trained a worried look on him, looking like he wanted to ask if he was alright.

He’d been quiet too long and he knew it, so he spoke the first thing that came to his mind. Something he told himself countless times when he woke up from nightmares or came to after flashbacks, “No wonder people run away from you,” you’re a monster. He wasn’t saying it to Izumo, he was reminding himself. Why he kept himself hidden, why he didn’t trust anyone.

Izumo startled, and maybe Ryuuji would have pushed away his pride and apologized, but the lights cut. Turning the startled, albeit a little scared, silence into confusion. Ryuuji squeaked, he could see the way everyone stared open-mouthed at the ceiling.

Ryuuji blinked, waiting for his eyes to adjust. The demon, seeing that no one was able to see very well, pushed the rock demon off his lap, not noticing that it landed on Rin’s foot. The poor boy shrieked, managing to throw off his demon in light of holding his foot and jumping up and down.

In a matter of moments, everyone seemed to dissolve into a state of panic, earning some snickers from the wall that Ryuuji really, really wanted to shout at.

Konekomaru shrieked, startling Izumo bad enough for the girl to throw him to the ground and pin him as if she was under attack. Shima, being the only smart person in the room, fished his phone from his pocket and turned on the flashlight, sending an eerie illumination across the room.

Ryuuji felt something grasp his arm, only to find Shiemi was shouting and clutching at him like a vine. The monk sighed, gently peeling his arm from the blonde’s vice-like grip. Ryuuji’s head swiveled, noticing the way the buildings outside were still lit. The Phoenix groaned, “Did Mr. Okumura turn off the power, too?”

Izumo snorted, “I doubt that, it’s probably just a power outage.”

Ryuuji grumbled, glaring in the general direction of the girl, “The lights are still on outside.”

Izumo blinked, joining the majority of the heads that whipped around to look out the windows. Ryuuji rolled his eyes, fishing his phone from his pocket to mimic Shima’s action of using the flashlight. Rin's nose wrinkled, having the light shine directly in his face. Ryuuji winced, shifting the light down to the floor. Rin mumbled a small thank you before leaning to the side to glare past Ryuuji, “So, what do you guys think is going on?”

“Who knows?” Konekomaru said, rubbing at his shoulder where he’d been hit by Izumo, “Mr. Okumura is a mystery.”

“Or he’s just an ass,” Rin whispered under his breath. Ryuuji’s brows pinched, glancing at the boy from the corner of his eyes, worry taking over his thoughts for his classmate.

Shima chuckled, not hearing Rin as he patted Konekomaru on the shoulder, “I’ll look in the hall. See if somethings wrong.”

“Be careful, dumbass,” Ryuuji shot at his friend.

Izumo jolted slightly, picking herself up off the floor as if to follow the pinkett, “I should check on Paku.”

Shima rolled his eyes, reaching for the door, “I’m sure she’s fine.”

Ryuuji jumped up just as Shima twisted the doorknob. There was a strange growling on the other side of the door, a sound he recognized from the Naberius from the bathroom, “Shima don’t!”

His friend froze, turning a pinched expression to the Phoenix, “Bon, what the he-”

Shima was interrupted by a slam on the door, the monk’s eyes widening in horror as he slowly backed away from the door, “Was it my imagination or-”

“It was real,” Ryuuji snapped, watching his friend scamper away just in time for the door to be turned into nothing but splinters. Shima tripped, running headlong into the floor. Konekomaru reached down to help him up just as the same Naberius from the bathroom limped into the room, growling up a storm.

Izumo screeched, falling back, “It’s that Ghoul!”

Konekomaru, who had begun to use Shima as a shield, squeaked, “What about the wards?!”

“Damn these kids are idiots,” A voice directly to Ryuuji’s side giggled, “Are you sure they're gonna pass this test?” Ryuuji’s head snapped to the side, narrowing his eyes at the wall with a snarl. There was a low, “sh*t, he heard me!”

The monk huffed, mulling over the words. One, he couldn’t think of a damn reason as to why people were in the f*cking walls or talking about them. Also, what did they mean by “pass?” Could it be- Then it clicked. A demon who managed to get within a building covered inwards. Exorcists in the walls watching them. Yukio leaving. This was a test or a trap. Or, if Mephisto was involved, both.

Ryuuji bit his lip, “Maybe it got in on purpose?” There was a strange silence, not just from his classmates but the spies in the room. The entire room turned to look at him, a few of them looked like they wanted to argue his point, but everything was kicked back into motion when the Naberius, who looked very pissed at being ignored, snarled as its second head exploded.

Ryuuji yelped, flinching away from the sludge propelled everywhere. There was a desperate shout from Shiemi, who seemed to have a quick reaction time, “Quick, Nee! Oona-Oona!”

Ryuuji wasn’t the only one confused by the strange cry, at least until the tiny Greenman produced thick roots that wove together until the Naberius was trapped within its hold. When looking closer, Ryuuji noticed that it didn’t just trap one, but two demons.

The Phoenix couldn’t help but stare at the blonde, murmuring an astonished, “Cool,” in unison with Rin. The girl smiled happily for a few moments until she faltered, swaying on her knees. Rin startled, tensing up and looking ready to lunge forward, “Shiemi?”

“I feel dizzy,” The girl breathed out, shaking her head as if to chase away the feeling. It seemed to right her momentarily.

That seemed to flip a switch, as everyone began dissolving in a coughing fit. Everyone except for Rin and Ryuuji. The demon swiveled around, not sure who he should be worrying about, and Rin blinking dumbly at the group didn’t help, “What happened to them?”

Ryuuji rolled his eyes, moving to push past the boy and help his friends, “Don’t you think I’d tell ya if I knew?!”

Izumo, who managed to stop hacking for a minute, managed to force out a haggard, “It’s the Ghoul’s fluid. Why isn’t it affecting the two of you?”

Ryuuji froze, mind blanking for a moment before squeaking an unsure, “Must be immune?”

The Phoenix managed to pull Konekomaru to his feet just as an order snapped from the ceiling met his ears, “Put up the ward.”

Ryuuji had a split second to wonder what the f*ck that was supposed to mean when the searing pain ripped through his body. The teen let out a garbled cry, clutching at the shirt over his chest as he dropped to his knees. He could hear everyone around him shout his name, trying to get him to pay attention. He was mutely aware of Shima snapping his fingers in front of his face as Rin desperately repeated his name over and over.

But, Jesus, he didn’t want to pay attention, couldn’t pay attention. The pain was something new he had never felt or even heard of before. It was like something was being ripped from his body. Then it hit him, that ward. It had to have something to do with what happened on the roof. It made sense, it was in the same area. But it also didn’t. He’d felt what Exorcist wards felt like, this was different. It wreaked of magic… Egyptian magic.

Ryuuji felt like he was choking like the breath was being stolen from his body. Like his magic was being ripped from him. That made him panic more than he already was. This couldn’t be happening! He’d be gone after today and someone, he was sure it was Mephisto, seemed to be trying to make his day worse than it already was.

Ryuuji had one thought running through his head, he needed to get out. He didn't care how, hell, he’d be alright with faking his death (yes he could do that, it comes in handy when something wants to kill you). He just didn’t care, he needed to go now.

Rin was freaking out. Everyone looked like it was becoming hard to breathe, but then Suguro just collapsed. He was looking at Shima, but in a way that made Rin think he was looking through him. The monk was shaking, breaths coming out ragid as he gripped at the front of his shirt.

Shiemi was looking between Suguro and her little demon, “Should I-?”

Konekomaru cut her off with the shake of his head, “No, keep those things trapped as long as possible.”

The girl nodded, continuing to focus on keeping the gnarled roots up. Rin knelt down, resting a hand on Suguro’s shoulder, hoping it might stir the boy from his trance. The demon’s brows knit, the monk looked like he was in pain. The look from when he walked into class had stayed on his face the entire day, but now it looked fresh.

Rin glanced up at Shima, the pinkett was snapping his fingers in his friend’s face, “What’s happening?” Rin spoke, trying to hide the worry lacing his voice, but it got out.

Konekomaru slowly shook his head, “Maybe he’s having a worse reaction? The Ghoul’s fluid is like a poison, but maybe he’s more sensitive?” The monk sounded unsure, a frightened look had taken over his face. Rin glanced at the rest of the class, even Izumo was shaken and looked just slightly worried for Suguro. Maybe that last part was his imagination. The only person who didn’t seem to give a sh*t was Yamada, he watched silently, not making a move to help at all.

Rin turned his head to the demons pounding on the roots, “If the Ghoul’s are doing this, then we need to get rid of them.”

Shima startled, head snapping up to look at the son of Satan in horror, “Are you crazy?! If that barrier breaks we’re dead!”

Rin bit at his lip, gazing at Suguro. He wanted to help his friend, it was his fault these things were here. They were after him, might as well clean up his own mess. Rin stood, he’d made up his mind. He had to protect his friends, he had to make sure they were safe, “I’ll go draw them away. If both of them follow me, run and get help. If they don’t, I’ll turn on the power and get help.”

“W-what?” Rin froze for a second, glancing down at Suguro. Some of the fog had cleared from his eyes, but he still looked shaky, “Are you crazy?”

Rin sucked at his pointed teeth, mulling over Suguro’s words before bobbing his head, “Probably,” The demon turned, stalking to the roots and finding a gap big enough for his slim body to squeeze through, “Don’t worry, I’m pretty tough.”

Rin glanced back for the barest of seconds, noticing the way Suguro had begun to shake even worse, sweat beading on his brow and a panicked look in his eye. The demon flashed a smile before pulling himself through the gap in the roots, ignoring the shouts from Shima and Izumo. Anyone else was too busy focusing or trying not to flip out.

Rin managed to pull himself to the side the demons were trapped in, both demons slowly turned. They looked like someone had tried to make a real-life Frankenstein but gave up halfway through. Long story short, they were ugly.

The demon grit his teeth, baring his fangs and pinning a dark look on the Ghouls, “I’m the one you want, right? Then come and get me, you bastards!”

Rin lept to the side just as the open-faced Ghoul charged at him. Rin darted into the hall and sprinted, not thinking where exactly he was going. Only one was following him, but it was better than nothing. Sorry guys, looks like you’re gonna need to fight as well.

Chapter 12: Surprises and a Revealed Secret

Chapter Text

Ryuuji blinked, watching as Rin’s figure disappeared through the door and out of sight. Shima huffed, “That guy’s crazy!”

“He’s gonna get killed,” Ryuuji whispered, ending his sentence with a wheezing breath. By the second, Ryuuji noticed the strain on him increasing drastically. The Phoenix had no doubt his glamour would cease to work in a matter of minutes, so they, and by they he meant he, needed to work fast so that Ryuuji could bolt and get out.

The demon grimaced, listening to the way the others bickered about what to do while Rin’s feet pounded against the wooden floors a few levels below. Ryuuji clenched his fist, knuckles going white, “We have to fight it.”

Shima’s head snapped to the side to gape at his friend, “Are you crazy, too?! How are we going to fight it? Especially while you’re like this!”

Ryuuji bit at his lip uncertainly, “A sutra?”

Shima watched him for a second before jumping to his feet and shouting, “You don’t know it's fatal verse!”

The Phoenix huffed, about to correct his friend when Konekomaru spoke up, “It’s in the book of John, just like all fatal verses for Ghouls.”

“And,” Ryuuji added, his voice wavering slightly with each push of this damned spell, “I memorized the whole book. Should run across it sometime.”

Shima wasted no time in shouting, “But that’s more than 20 chapters!”

“Twenty-one, actually,” Konekomaru huffed, his arms wrapping around himself, “I know up to chapter ten, I can help.”

Ryuuji nodded, ignoring Shima’s loud, “You have got to be kidding me!” Ryuuji was about to snap at him for wimping out when the Phoenix felt like he was f*cking dying because of a spell that only affected him, but he was cut off by Izumo’s astonished shouts.

“Wait, if you start chanting, they’ll focus on you!”

“So what?!” Ryuuji shouted, turning a glare onto the girl and pointing to Shiemi, “She’s busting her ass to keep us safe, I’m not just going to sit here and do nothing! Besides,” Ryuuji’s voice lowered to a bare whisper, “I’ve been through worse,” Much worse. He’d been beaten, stabbed, burned (yes, fire still burns Phoenix. They were fire-resistant, not fireproof), crushed, tortured, drowned, and any bad thing you could think of. Being a Phoenix was cool, but it was not always fun, especially when it means you’re a target for grudge holders or rogue magicians (yes, that is a thing).

Shima rolled his eyes, pulling back the side of his shirt to reveal what appeared to be a strange type of gun holster slung around his shoulders. From it, he pulled the folded pieces of a K'rik and quickly twisted it together, “Spoken like a true hero. Of course, I’m not a good memorizer, but I can be useful using this.”

Ryuuji and Konekomaru shared an astonished look before letting their faces split into small smiles, “Thank you, Shima,” Konekomaru said calmly, he was trying to psych himself up.

“No problem,” The pinkett pushed off his knees, giving Ryuuji’s shoulder a little pat. Maybe it was for encouragement or just to see if he was alright (far from it), but Ryuuji appreciated it nonetheless.

“It-it won’t work!” Izumo shouted, shocking Ryuuji enough that he almost slammed his hands over his ears, “You should just run, leave it to the exorcists and get out!”

Ryuuji narrowed his eyes, “If you’re not gonna help then shut up!” He couldn’t waste more breath arguing with her and instead turned to Konekomaru and pointed to him lazily, “Chapter one through ten?”

His friend nodded, a fierce look in his framed eyes, “You’ll do the rest?” Bon nodded back, sitting back in a more comfortable position and started chanting, drowning out his friend’s chanting so as not to get thrown off. He wanted to do what he usually did and focus on white noise in a quiet area, but it was like that spell also muffled the outside world. So all he could hear was the voices of the people around him and Rin. Rin was loud, he always was. But it was sort of comforting, so he listened to that, to make sure Rin was safe.

He could hear the relief through Rin’s voice when he panted, “Finally found the damn Breaker Box!” There was a momentary pause and the sound of metal being pulled before a confused, “Why the hell are all the switches off?”

Ryuuji practically snorted, these damn Exorcists were going really far to make this realistic. The Phoenix had a nagging suspicion that it wasn’t only for a test or something, there was a darker plot.

Rin hummed, the taps of his foot against the floor were a bare whisper in Ryuuji’s ears, “This should do it… maybe? Or is it this-” There was a loud roar, making Ryuuji falter for the barest of seconds. He was starting to regret this, with each chapter done he grew dizzier and dizzier as the room spun and blurred.

There was a clang of metal, like something landed, and hard. He really hoped it was the Ghoul and not Rin, but he knew the boy was a trouble magnet and was probably facing a Ghoul alone. The dumbass.

“Don’t mess with me!” The whipping crack of flames tore through the air many stories below the rest of the class. Ryuuji gulped, he really, really hoped Rin wasn’t where those flames were or he would get burned alive.

Rin was snarling like a wild animal, the Phoenix could practically imagine him stalking back and forth angrily, “Now, that’s what I’ve been waiting for!” Ryuuji paused, he recognized that voice. It was their teacher, Mr. Neuhaus. What was he doing? Ryuuji had just one thought, that was he was attacking Rin.

The exorcist chuckled, fingers snapping. Almost immediately the Ghoul’s garbled words, which were more like growls, paused, “That blue flame,” No. That couldn’t be right. That couldn’t be right. There was no way in hell, “You can’t use it around your friends, so getting you away was the only option,” No! This-this can’t be. Rin...he can’t be, “Son of Satan!” Ryuuji’s first thought was that Rin was possessed. But this might just be worse because Rin was like him. Ryuuji took a deep breath, trying to steady his head. He was reeling, his hands shaking, the beads clasped between them clicking from the movement.

Ryuuji was nearing the end of the book, only a chapter away. Rin sounded panicked, and Ryuuji found he was still worried about him. The Phoenix knew he should stop listening, stop caring. But he just couldn’t.

It didn’t matter, he’d force himself to. But he would have to deal with that later, like when he was out of this damned city and safe with his mother. He’d really like to just go to his home back in Egypt. The First Ḥesepu, or Niwt Heka, the first city of Magical Egypt that was hidden from the rest of the world. It’s where all Egyptians who still practiced the old ways lived. Hidden from the view of mortals or anyone unwelcome. He liked to think of it as the Egyptian’s version of Wakanda. There were places like it all over the world. Each with doorways between for easy access.

Maybe he’d hide away there for a while. Just be around his friends like him. Ryuuji almost snorted, Rie would be so pissed. He hadn’t talked to her, nor even thought about her since the start of school. He hadn’t even said goodbye. She was going to kill him. Azal would be pissed as well, mainly because they’d be worrying about Rie so much. He really missed them right now. He’d practically grown up with them.

Rie, for obvious reasons. She was his cousin, a Phoenix who refused to use glamours so he was always sure to never mention her ever otherwise Shima and Konekomaru would pester. His mother’s older sister, who decided not to take the throne, Ryuuji wished he could do that at times, had died when Rie was two so his mother ended up raising them after Rie’s father deserted Ryuuji’s cousin after only a week after her mother’s death. They grew up together, becoming more like brother and sister than cousins.

Maybe he should talk to her on the ride back, seeing as she was probably three seconds away from hacking into his phone to force him to talk to her. She always got stir crazy being in the city all the time. And poor Azal was dealing with her chaotic self all by themself. Damn, Ryuuji was really going to get yelled at.

Ryuuji took a deep breath, starting on the very last verse that could possibly work. Shima shrieked, holding up his K'rik with shaking hands, “They’re almost here!”

Ryuuji knit his brows, he was trying to focus dammit. Could everyone just shut up for one damned minute? Apparently, no one was going to listen to Ryuuji’s soundless thoughts. How inconsiderate, “I hope Okumura is alright!”

Shima winced, a grimace painting his face, “I don’t want to think about it, but probably not.”

Ryuuji took a sharp breath, oh how wrong they were. There was a sudden thud, followed by a series of voices calling to Shiemi who had collapsed. Almost immediately the barrier of twisted roots retreated until they were left face to face with the Ghoul.

Ryuuji screwed his eyes shut, forcing the words out faster as the Ghoul crawled forward. Shima growled, the clang of his K’rik slamming into the demon’s rotting body echoing around the room. All while Izumo and Shiemi had the best version of a heart-to-heart they could.

That seemed to be what snapped Izumo back into focus so she could summon her familiars at the last second as Shima’s K’rik got knocked to the floor. Ryuuji winced, maybe he should teach him how to handle a staff properly. Perks of having a magician's staff as well as a wand he guessed, you had to be good at handling them as regular weapons, not just magical enhancers.

It took the girl a moment of arguing and yelling at the Byakkos before they actually decided it was worth their time to help. Ryuuji had a suspicion that it had something to do with them not wanting to get yelled at by the girl. Honestly, he couldn’t blame them.

The Ghoul snarled though it sounded more like a gurgle. It was getting closer, almost directly in his face, until Izumo shouted, “Shudder, shiver and shake! Spirit begone!” and a rush of wind twisted through the air, drowning out the Ghoul’s growling.

It was calm for a second, Ryuuji’s friends sighing in relief, “Did they do it?” Shima murmured in awe.

Ryuuji slowly shook his head, continuing to chant. This thing wasn’t gone, hell, what Izumo did only served to piss him off. After years of his mom teaching him to spot anything out of the ordinary even slightly, and not just with eyes, it became second nature. When he was younger, he liked watching people. Rie used to make fun of him for it but eventually joined in on it. His mother used to joke that they would be spies some day because of how observant they were. After that, she just got worried, because they would get scared. They’d pass people who looked innocent but they could see the faint outline in their coat of a concealed weapon. Just normal people who looked innocent, but they knew weren’t.

Ryuuji yelped as sharp claws dug into his hair. The Phoenix’s eye blew wide, cutting him off mid-sentence. Goddamned it, he didn’t have time to start over when this thing’s maw was practically eating his face, “f*ck it,” He growled, eyes turning gold as he growled. The Ankh on his chest burned from using it as a source of power. He was going to have a brand on his chest later, but it was better than being dead.

“Aseb ȧuf,” (Burning flesh) Using the fire god’s name made it even more powerful than using normal words. Ryuuji felt the power surge through his hands as he was lifted off his feet by his hair. The Phoenix snarled, grabbing the Ghoul’s arm, digging into the rotting flesh with his claws, and watching the flesh begin to burn white-hot, turning to ash.

Ryuuji dropped to the floor, feeling drained and dizzy. Konekomaru grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away from the Ghoul that was going up in flames, “Is that what’s supposed to happen?”

Ryuuji didn’t have the energy to think so he just bobbed his head mutely. He was dully aware that the lights were back on and that Rin had just stepped into the room. Rin gave the Ghoul a horrified look before he rushed over to Ryuuji, kneeling in front of him and twisting his head side to side gently as if he was trying to deduct what was going on, “Why’s he still like this?”

Konekomaru shook his head, turning his head to look at Moriyama. Izumo was hovering over the blonde, swatting at Shima when he got too close. Ryuuji noticed the face of his friend twist, he followed his gaze to see Yamada and Takara lounging in the corner, completely ignoring everything, “Ignore them,” He murmured, trying to shift out of Rin’s grip. The boy, the son of freaking Satan, scowled at him.

Ryuuji scowled back, trying to stand and immediately falling back down. It was getting harder to breathe, as shown by the Phoenix when he started gasping for air, pointing frantically to his throat.

Rin was the first to catch on, “He can’t breathe! Lay him down!”

Shima had jumped over the second he’d heard Rin shout and helped Konekomaru lay Ryuuji down as the Phoenix jerked, clawing at his chest as if it would help him breathe easier. Using his magic seemed to have pushed him over the edge. He could feel his magic boiling beneath his skin, pulsing in his ears.

“We need to get him out of here,” Konekomaru snapped, pulling out his phone and frantically calling anyone he could think of.

Shima didn’t seem to know what he was supposed to be doing and instead turned to Rin, “What about that other Ghoul? I don’t want it bursting in here.”

Rin didn’t bother looking at the pinkett and instead tilted Ryuuji’s chin up slightly. If he wasn’t currently having trouble doing literally everything, Ryuuji might have been shocked that he knew what to do and asked where he learned it, “I beat it, it’s gone,” Of course it was.

If Ryuuji wasn’t in the position he was in right now, he’d probably smack the demon for many things. The first was being an idiot and going off on his own, the second for being the son of Satan, and the third, Ryuuji was scared. He didn’t know what was going on and if he’d survive.

“What’s going on in here!” Yukio had walked in with Mr. Neuhaus, he looked like he was trying to make a grand entrance but it was immediately ruined when he saw the scene in front of him. He rushed over to Ryuuji before looking at his brother, “What happened?”

“He just collapsed, and there were Ghouls!” Shima shouted, looking frantic.

Yukio cursed under his breath before pointing to his brother, a lingering glare on his face, “Rin, help him up, we need to get him to the infirmary.”

Rin nodded, hooking his arm under Ryuuji’s shoulders and hoisting him up easily. The Phoenix dazedly wondered just how strong this boy was. Rin slung Ryuuji’s arm over his shoulders.

Yukio made his way over to Shiemi who was only starting to stir. He seemed to be checking her over before glaring into the empty room, “Mephisto, enough with the games. The exam is over.”

“The what?!” Rin shouted, right in Ryuuji’s ear. The Phoenix winced, tilting his head away from the noise. As if on cue, exorcists popped up from nowhere and Mephisto jumped down from the ceiling. Rin shook his head and started walking to the door, shying around Mr. Neuhaus with a scowl on his face, “I’m going to get Suguro to the infirmary.”

Yukio waved him away, explaining everything to the rest of the class. So, Ryuuji was right, this was a f*cking test. Of course.

Chapter 13: Discoveries

Chapter Text

Rin was silent for a long while as they stumbled through the halls to the ground floor. Ryuuji could feel the demon’s hand on his waist and worried he would feel the plane of his tail directly beneath it. The Phoenix watched Rin out of the corner of his eyes, he was wary and on edge despite feeling loopy and more than in a little pain.

“So,” He mumbled, ignoring the way Rin looked at him with his bright blue eyes, “How did you beat that Ghoul on your own?”

Rin blinked at him, gnawing at his lip and shrugging, “Luck?” Ryuuji raised a brow. All he wanted was for this little sh*t to admit he was the son of Satan. It would make the monk’s life easier so he didn’t have to worry about people figuring out how he figured it out on his own. Rin sighed, bobbing his head to the side where his sword protruded over his shoulder, “Sword.”

Ryuuji hummed, Rin sounded like he was telling the truth, at least part of it. There was another long stretch of silence before Ryuuji spoke up again, “I’ve seen you carry that sword everywhere, but I’ve never seen you use it.”

Rin chuckled, pushing the door to the street open, “It’s kind of like a family heirloom. My dad gave it to me.”

His dad. Was Rin actually referring to Satan as his dad? By the gods this was bad. At least it wouldn’t be his problem in a day, unless Shima and Konekomaru got involved, “I guess you’re good at using it? Considering you’re not dead or even injured.”

Rin shrugged, “Not really,” He sent a coy smile to the Phoenix, “Better than you. I bet you’ve never even seen one.”

You have no idea what you’re talking about, Ryuuji thought, but elected to instead say, “We’re still talking about swords, right?” The Phoenix didn’t want to bring up his skill in fighting at all, that was a big no-no that could just as well make people keep a closer eye on him.

Rin’s brows scrunched, “What else would we be talking about?”

Ryuuji kind of wanted to tease Rin about how innocent he was, but he shouldn’t. He needed to stop being nice and consorting with the enemy, but his brain seemed to be revolting against his Common Sense. He really hated when that happened.

The Phoenix gave Rin a few moments to think, watching him slowly grow red, “Dude! What the f*ck?!”

“You weren't being specific!” Ryuuji argued, trying to hide the way his ears flared red by turning his head to the ground.

Rin was blushing furiously, stammering out, “Do sutras normally do that?”

Ryuuji took the easy topic change and shook his head, “Nope.”

“Really? I thought I was just an idiot and missed that lesson,” Rin murmured, he looked kind of happy to be correct about something.

Ryuuji’s brows pinched together, shooting the demon a concerned look, “What makes you think you’re an idiot?”

Rin’s head snapped up, blinking startled eyes at the Phoenix, “What makes you think I’m not? You’ve said it yourself. I don’t pay attention, I fall asleep all the time, and I don’t know anything the teachers talk about. So, yeah, I think I’m an idiot,” Ryuuji’s lips parted in shock as he looked down at Rin in astonishment. The demon’s jaw was clenched, his face was otherwise devoid of emotion.

The Phoenix glanced away in shame. Rin might have felt like this for a long time, or only just recently, but Ryuuji definitely had a part in it. The boy worried at his lip, glancing at the boy he thought was his friend. Maybe he should have been more patient, even though they’d been getting comfortable with each other the more time they had to spend together. Albeit, most of that his time with Rin was spent with the boy talking excitedly to the trio of monks with Ryuuji grumbling and hiding his blush behind books as his friends not-so-subtly teased him, “You’re not.”

Rin stopped dead in his tracks, turning to look up at the Phoenix. It was a little awkward, seeing as Ryuuji’s arm was still slung around Rin’s shoulder with the latter’s arm around his waist. Ryuuji repositioned himself so he wasn’t leaning so heavily on Rin, he’d hardly noticed how his feet were dragging against the ground sluggishly. He even failed to notice the beads of sweat on his brow from trying to keep the glamour up, especially with Rin standing right beside him. His glamour disappearing right now would be horrible.

Rin studied him for a second, brows pinched in concern, “Are you okay?”

Ryuuji took a minute to process what he’d said, “Huh?”

“Are you okay?” Rin repeated a little slower than before, “I mean, you're obviously a little better because you’re not having too much trouble breathing, but are you feeling alright?”

Ryuuji narrowed his eyes, “You’re changing the subject.”

“So are you,” Rin countered, adjusting himself a little so he could continue to help Ryuuji forward.

“I don’t need help, y’know. I can walk on my own.”

Rin pressed his lips into a thin line, stepping out of Ryuuji’s reach quickly and leaving the Phoenix to stumble a few steps before tripping over nothing, “Sure, you can totally walk on your own,” Rin scowled as he helped Ryuuji to his feet, “Any more complaints?”

Ryuuji rubbed at his hip, he’d fallen at an odd angle and managed to scrape it against the ground, “None I’ll say out loud.”

Rin nodded, satisfied, “Now, tell me. What type of sutra does that? I’m sure it must be a high-level skill.”

Ryuuji stiffened slightly, glancing at Rin from the corner of his eye. The Phoenix cracked a lopsided smile, trying to make an easy alibi, “I don’t know, maybe the thing was already dying?”

“Uh-huh,” Rin’s sudden change of emotion was really starting to scare Ryuuji, did he know? “Well, it must have been from that strange language you know,” Rin stopped again, this time turning fully to the Phoenix, still holding him up with an arm on his shoulder, but keeping an arms-length away from Ryuuji so he could look him dead in the eyes. Rin’s eyes hardened, a brow quirking, “Suguro, what are you?”

Ryuuji’s breath hitched as one thought ran through his head: f*ck.

Rin might not be the brightest person in the world, but he had always been good at piecing things together. Hell, he’d figured out this much. Suguro was not normal. Rin might be new to this, but some of the things just weren’t normal. He had a list going.

First, Suguro was always on edge. He wanted to chalk it up to being scared about demons, but he almost didn’t care about them.

Then there was that presence that, anytime it was there, was exactly where Suguro stood. Not only that, but Rin seemed to be the only one who could feel it. Like some weird ESP, sixth sensory crap.

Not to mention, in class when Suguro and Izumo had started fighting (shocker), Rin hadn’t been able to budge Suguro a little. Before he’d drawn the Koma sword, he might not have thought too much about that. Especially considering Suguro was well built. But nothing, nothing, Rin found had been stronger than him since he drew the sword.

But Suguro acted as if he didn’t do anything.

Rin had thought that had been the last straw, but that sutra…

Rin saw Suguro’s eyes. They weren’t brown, they were shining gold. Then he’d spoken those words and bam! That demon went up in flames, all the while that presence was there.

So Rin had been pondering asking his friend about it because he could understand. What if Suguro was in a similar situation as him and needed help? Then maybe, they wouldn’t be alone. Then maybe Rin wouldn’t be alone.

The demon had enjoyed the easy conversation with Suguro as they walked him to the infirmary (Which was kind of nice), but there was something else. Rin had been about to shake his head and save the what’s-going-on chat when he finally noticed a strange lump beneath the hand he had on Suguro’s waist.

It was the exact same place Rin hid his tail. Rin wanted to believe this was impossible, but this was too much. So he stopped, turned to his friend, he hoped he’d still be his friend after this, and spoke, “Suguro, what are you?”

He really hoped he was right about this. Maybe it would be good if Rin was just being paranoid. But with his luck, he wasn’t.

The monk froze, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. He stood completely still for a few minutes, it was to the point that Rin wondered if he was going to respond at all. Suguro swallowed, clenching his jaw hard, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Rin pursed his lips, blinking slowly in the best are-you-kidding-me look known to man, “I think you know what I’m talking about. Why don’t you just tell me?” Rin’s brows pinched in worry, “Maybe I could help?”

Suguro blinked before tilting his head to the sky and chuckling, “Oh, so you want me to trust you with something when you don’t even trust me?” Rin started, slowly removing his hands from Suguro’s shoulders.

He took a moment to make sure his classmate wasn’t going to fall over before crossing his arms, biting his lip, and looking directly at Suguro, “What do you mean?”

“Your little secret,” Suguro raised a brow, a co*cky smirk painted across his face.

Rin pursed his lips, looking towards the ground as he tapped his fist to his thigh in thought. Suguro tilted his head to the side slightly, almost like he was trying to see Rin’s face. The half-demon was torn, he wanted to see if he was right about Suguro and help him if he wanted it, but he needed to keep his secret even more.

Rin huffed, throwing his hands in the air and turning full circle, “Look man, I was just trying to help. But if you don’t want it, fine! Let’s just get you to the infirmary like I'm supposed to.”

Rin slowly reached over to pull Suguro along, not bothering to support him like before. The monk looked anxious, his free hand fiddling with a pendant around his neck. Rin had never noticed it before, “Nice necklace,” He murmured, trying to find words to fill the tense silence. The conversation just seemed to make it worse.

“Thanks. It’s from my mom,” Suguro’s jaw was clenched tight. He looked like a robot, blank and replying on autopilot.

Rin nodded slightly. He was about to open his mouth and say something and make the tension even worse when Suguro faltered, tripping like he’d run into a wall that had suddenly disappeared.

Suguro groaned, slowly rolling onto his back and glaring up at Rin. The half-demon honestly didn’t know if laughing would be appropriate, so he swallowed the giggles and bit his lip to hide the smile.

Suguro pointed an accusing finger at nothing, “If I fall one more time, I’m gonna start throwing hands.”

Rin cracked a tiny grin, a pointed tooth peeking out over his lip slightly. The demon’s smile dropped immediately when he noticed his pointed tooth was visible. Suguro took notice of the sudden change and pulled himself off the ground, springing to his feet.

Rin jumped back, eyes wide, “Wait, you’re alright?!”

Suguro sighed, shrugging, “Must have had a limit.”

The half-demon snorted, shaking his head, “Man, this day can’t get any weirder.”

“Don’t jinx it.”

Rin kicked at the ground, biting at his lip, “Hey, I’m sorry for before. Asking you that. I don’t know what got into me,” The half-demon looked up through his lashes, holding out his hand hesitantly, “Truce?”

Suguro seemed to mull this over before clasping Rin’s hand in his, “For now.”

Ryuuji turned immediately, shoving his hands in his pockets. He began to walk away stiffly, sharp teeth grinding together to the point that he could hear the creek of his jaw. He needed to get out of this school, now. He felt so stupid for thinking he could come here and safely learn without the danger of his secret being exposed. He had been selfish, thinking only of what he wanted. Not what the rest of the Phoenix, his people needed.

For the love of Rā, he’d be lucky if this blew over once he left. Then he could spend a few months back in the Ḥesepu and getting his ass kicked by Rie in the ring.

Rin jogged to catch up with the Phoenix, “So…” Ryuuji pursed his lips, waiting for Rin to bring up their conversation again, “I honestly don’t know where the infirmary is, just the general direction.”

Ryuuji whipped around, throwing a disbelieving look to the boy (No, he was a demon. The son of The demon. Ryuuji needed to get that into his head), “You mean to tell me you were going to lug me around, hoping we’d come across the infirmary?”

Rin nodded slowly, “I thought you’d know where it was.”

“Unbelievable!” Ryuuji threw his hands in the air, pointing his finger to the building they stood in front of. The dorm was only a block or two away, but they had walked slowly and stopped a lot because of the bickering, “Let’s just get inside and tell them there are more on the way.”

Rin shuffled inside, explaining the situation to the nurse at the front desk. She had an Exorcist badge hanging from the chain around her neck and listened intently to Rin before showing them into a large room with four hospital beds. She pushed Ryuuji down to sit in a bed.

The Phoenix tried to protest but was drowned out by the nurse arguing that Rin said he’d collapsed. The nurse grabbed Ryuuji’s arm, the one covered in fresh cuts and scars. He yanked it back, hesitantly giving her the other one. The woman raised a brow before pressing a needle into his forearm, letting an IV drip into his skin. Ryuuji grumbled, crossing his arms in annoyance as he watched Rin sit down on the other side of the bed, leaning against the footboard.

His sword was resting at an awkward angle, Ryuuji offhandedly wondered if it was annoying carrying it all day or if it was uncomfortable. That’s why magicians kept their supplies in the Duat. Mortals had many different names for it. The Vail, the Astral Plane, the Beyond, or other strange things like that. Ryuuji always wondered how mortals didn’t see any of the magic and other beings around them.

For example, on really clear nights, if you looked hard enough, you could see the Viking’s World Tree. It isn’t an actual physical tree until you’re on the same plane as it, but you can see the Nine Realms in the sky. The mortals called them different galaxies or star clusters, but they were actually the Nine Realms visible on Earth.

Ryuuji didn’t know how they didn’t see Apollo, he was an annoying little sh*t, carrying the sun across the sky with any of the other sun gods from around the world. Or the millions of different gods from every religion doing their jobs throughout the world. Or the trillions of different beasts from every religion prowling the land.

At least, almost every religion. Japan’s mythology and city, which was actually called Takamagahara, had been destroyed a century ago. It was awful, the Exorcists had been tipped off about them and massacred everyone inside Japan’s sanctuary, not just the demigods. Beasts, Gods, and other creatures were slaughtered without mercy. The Exorcists boasted, they laughed and called the beings they killed monsters when in reality, it was them. They became a lesson everyone is taught when they are young, drilled into their heads.

Don’t trust the Exorcists, don’t trust anyone.

He’d already broken that multiple times, starting when he was ten and getting worse when he decided to be an Exorcist. He wasn’t just doing it to destroy Satan, he was doing it to get inside and learn all their dirty secrets so he can teach the other cities how they think so they can avoid any other disasters like Japan. That was the deal the Council made with him when they gave him permission to go.

There was something the Exorcists didn’t realize. Every beast, every mythology, and god held the world in a balance, kept it running and safe. But the effect of losing the magic and gods from Japan had set the world in a dark age for the whole 20th century.

Both world wars, the Great Depression, all the wars, the Holocaust, the rise of Communism, the nuclear weapons, the cold war, everything.

The loss of the people in Japan didn’t start setting itself right until the 90s, and you could still see the pieces of things that haven’t yet healed to this day, some probably wouldn’t ever heal. It was like there was an emptiness you never noticed until you got out of the country. Some people from the cities, even some Mortals, had been driven insane by the absence. It was rare, but it did happen.

It was happening in only one other place, America. The gods hadn’t been killed, nor their Ḥesepu destroyed or even discovered. They just left. The absence wasn’t as bad as the black hole that was Japan, probably because those gods were still around. The Native American’s Deities. They had practically been forced out, just like the Native Americans.

Only some remained. Ryuuji had always been fearful. What would happen if the Egyptian gods left? Would they be forced to move elsewhere, or to go underground and hide for the rest of their lives? He couldn’t imagine how hard that would be, or how horrible it would be if the Exorcists or any other organization found out about them.

Ryuuji was stirred from the horrors of his thoughts by Rin nudging his leg with his foot, “You good? You look pale.”

The Phoenix lifted his bowed head, blowing a wavy lock from his face and nodding, “Just thinking.”

“Don’t hurt yourself,” Rin flashed a smile, pulling a weak tilt of the lips from the Phoenix. Rin worried at his lip, lowering his voice to a bare whisper. Ryuuji wouldn’t have been able to hear if he had Mortal hearing, “I know you know something. I just want to thank you for not telling anybody yet.”

Ryuuji ran his tongue over his sharp teeth, shaking his head, “I don’t rat you out, you don’t rat me out. For whatever we know about each other.”

Rin glanced up at him, nodding hurriedly. They sat in silence for a few minutes longer. Ryuuji could hear his other classmates clamoring around outside before bursting into the lobby. Ryuuji subtly steeled himself for the shouting that was about to follow as Shima and Konekomaru burst through the door to the room.

The monks panted for a second before looking up and shouting, “Bon!” Simultaneously.

Chapter 14: Don't Test Me

Chapter Text

Ryuuji yelped when his friends dove at him, smothering him in a hug. The Phoenix winced, “Guys, air!”

Shima apologized and stood, but Koneko hugged him tighter for a few moments before standing and scolding him, “What the hell was that, Bon? Are you alright?”

Ryuuji gulped, hoping his friend wasn’t talking about the spell he cast on the Ghoul, “I’m alright.”

The monk nodded before crossing his arms slightly, “Then why did you look like you were dying? Ghoul fluids don’t do that.”

“No,” Ryuuji murmured, looking past the two to find Yukio just now walking through the door with Shiemi cradled in his arms and Izumo standing grumpily behind them, giving Takara and Yamada the side-eye, “They don’t,” Ryuuji made to stand, only to get pushed back down by Shima.

“Nuh-huh, you collapsed, you stay.”

“Absolutely not! Moriyama needs it more,” Ryuuji argued, gesturing to the unconscious blonde.

“There are other beds, Suguro,” Yukio said, moving to the empty bed to the side of the one Ryuuji and Rin were sitting on. He gingerly set Shiemi down before shifting out of the way to let the nurse check on the girl.

The rest of the class situated themselves on the edge of the two beds, taking turns holding out their arms for the nurse.

Ryuuji caught a flash of pink out of the corner of his eyes, Mephisto was standing in the doorway. He locked eyes with the Phoenix before drifting back out of view. Ryuuji narrowed his eyes and stood. The nurse tried to sit him back down forcibly only for the Phoenix to swat her away, rip out the IV (which was doing absolutely nothing except looking fancy in his arm), and storm into the hall. Chita, the oldest and best physician in the Ḥesepu, was going to kill him for that.

He could hear the others calling out in surprise but he ignored them in light of storming down the hall in the direction of Mephisto’s wretched perfume. Yes, it smelled that bad.

He turned a corner, coming face-to-face with the grinning demon. Mephisto tipped his hat, umbrella twirling in his gloved hand, “Why, Suguro. This is a surprise. Tell me, how can I help you?”

“You can cut the crap,” Ryuuji scowled, crossing his arms protectively across his chest. He doubted the headmaster would attack him here, but at this point, he wouldn’t put anything past the clown and his Exorcist lapdogs.

Mephisto batted his eyes innocently, “I don’t know what you mean. Though, I do hope you are alright,” A coy smile played across his lips, baring two sharp fangs. Ryuuji chuckled, they reminded him of the dainty vampire fangs from Twilight. Just to show off, Ryuuji bared his own teeth. They looked normal at first until you saw the row of sharp fangs replacing most of his molars. Mephisto flinched as the Phoenix continued, “I have never seen a Ghoul do that to anyone or anything before.”

“You and I both know the Ghoul isn’t what did that, neither did any ward. It was a spell,” Mephisto blinked in surprise, watching Ryuuji with a wary look that pulled a scoff from the Phoenix’s throat, “Didn’t think I’d catch that, did you?”

Mephisto was silent, Ryuuji swore he looked frightened, at least a little bit. The Phoenix puffed out his chest, standing a little straighter, “As much as I’d like to call you out for that and whoop your ass, that’s not why I followed you.”

Mephisto swallowed thickly, so unlike his usual co*cky self. Ryuuji had that effect on people, making them lose their cool if he wanted. It was a handy tool he’d learned along with many others of his kind, “Oh? And why did you follow me?”

“To talk,” Mephisto raised a violet brow, his attention obviously piqued. He gestured for Ryuuji to continue. The Phoenix took a deep breath before speaking, “I quit.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I quit, I’m done. I don’t know what you and your little lap dogs do here, but I don’t want any part of it. I’m leaving. I want you to unenroll me from True Cross Academy and the Cram School.”

Mephisto steeled himself, pulling an uncertain smile on his face, “I don’t think you fully understand my power-”

“Oh, I think I do.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Your a half-co*cked son of a bitch who thinks he can get by telling scary stories to Mortals so they chase their tails long enough so they never realize just how powerless you are or how you don’t even know anything about the real situation of the world because you were blinded by the stories Daddy told you so you didn’t steal from the Rā-damned cookie jar. That or you like acting smart and cool so you can be left alone to play your real-life chess game with Mortals without getting caught.”

Mephisto was left stammering, “You don’t… you have… you know nothing of what you speak!”

Ryuuji huffed out a laugh, twirling his finger in the air, “You think I didn’t notice your little stunt? This entire class is filled with demons, those interesting characters you were talking about. Izumo Kamiki, descendant of a Kitsune. Oh, and don’t think I didn’t notice you have the son of Satan here as well. Yeah, not so slick on that one.”

Mephisto’s face hardened, he brought up a purple gloved hand, pointing in the Egyptian’s face, “Now listen here-”

“You don’t know what you’re playing at. You think you can whip out a little ancient magic to make your experiment more interesting?”

Mephisto snarled, slamming Ryuuji into the wall by his throat. The Phoenix growled, flashing razor-sharp teeth, “Now listen here. You will not be leaving True Cross.”

“Excuse me?” Ryuuji snapped, “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t leave!” Ryuuji waited for a beat before shaking his head, Mephisto tightened his grip on his neck, “Exactly, you can’t without jeopardizing whatever little plan you concocted in that sick head of yours.”

Mephisto slowly retracted his hand from Ryuuji’s neck, jaw tightening, “If you don’t stay, he’ll kill you.”

“Who-?” Ryuuji was cut off by a man appearing in a puff of pink smoke, courtesy of Mephisto. He was older with slate-gray hair thinned from age. His eyes were dull brown with a strange glint in them. He held a staff at his side formed from gnarled wood, it looked like it would collapse to dust any second. The mark of a Rogue.

Ryuuji scoffed, turning his head to the side, “Of course, you’re not doing this for you. How’d you manage to find a Rogue?”

“Rash and I go way back, but that is of little importance right now. What does matter, is if you try to leave, Rash here will see to it that you don’t make it to the city borders,” Ryuuji’s eyes darted to the Rogue, noticing the shine of a weak glamour on the right side of his body. Ryuuji had a sneaking suspicion it concealed a Backlash Scar. He was probably someone who had gone rogue after learning only a few spells. That’s what usually happened. They thought they were tough sh*t, tried a forbidden spell, or an extremely hard spell, that backlashed because it was too powerful for them to handle, and got kicked out because of it. He doubted this man had powerful magic, but he didn’t want to risk it.

“And what if I do try to escape?”

Mephisto leaned in close, whispering in his ear, “Then I’ll tell the Grigori what you are. And neither of us want that, now do we?”

Ryuuji swallowed thickly. He could escape, but if the Grigori found out what he was, it would put all of his kind in danger. Repeating the Japan Disaster, even if Mephisto wasn’t fully aware of what he was. Ryuuji sighed, glancing at his feet, “Fine. You win. But don’t think this is over.”

“Oh, I do hope you’re right,” Mephisto smirked, turning his back to walk further down the hall. Rash stepped forward, spitting at the Phoenix’s feet. Ryuuji clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to break the man’s nose.

“Filth,” Rash sneered before storming after Mephisto.

Ryuuji waited a moment before whipping around, slamming his fist into the wall with a yell. He breathed a heavy sigh, resting his forehead against the cool tile, “Dammit,” He whispered. He slowly fished his phone from his pocket, pressing it to his ear to look like he wasn’t talking to himself. He didn’t bother dialing his mother’s number, “Mut?”

There was a moment of pause before his mother’s voice filled his ears, “Ryuuji, what’s wrong?”

She sounded far away. Everything Ryuuji heard from a distance had a certain muffled sound to it, but each sound was still clear, at least to him, “We have a problem.”

“What do you mean?”

Ryuuji gulped, glancing around the hall. It was empty, at least his eyes said it was. He could hear people milling around nearby, he didn’t trust that he wasn’t being watched, “F ȧm tcha ḥer pan āftet,” (It’s not safe here.) He really hoped his mother understood the unspoken message to be careful with her words.

His mother understood, but that didn’t stop her from questioning it, “Ȧqeset ȧrmā ta meṭ kheperu?” (What’s with the speech change?) There was no word for “language” in Ancient Egypt, just like many other words. A lot of the time you had to translate things literally. Ryuuji’s favorite translation was probably for cream cheese, shent ȧrtet. Or more literally translated as “flesh milk.”

Rie had been scared to eat that when she was younger because she thought there was actually flesh in it. Ryuuji never passed up a chance to tease her about that.

“Mestcher bu neb,” (Ears everywhere.) He didn’t care if they weren’t actually listening, he was not about to risk it.

He could hear his mother growl low from Kyoto, a thwack! of something being kicked following before her voice joined the angry growling, “Tuȧ shu entuten em ȧr!” (I want you home now!)

Ryuuji gulped, it was an order. One he couldn’t follow, “Tuȧ ȧti,” (I can’t.) He whispered, he knew his mother could still hear it, maybe with a little more difficulty, but she would understand it fine.

“Ȧr ḳert tem?” (Why not?) His mother was seething. Oh, he was so dead.

“Mephisto, he-” Ryuuji cut himself off before explaining, catching the Japanese quickly, “Nef erṭā ȧu senṭ er bu meṭu n-ȧ, er bu meṭu n!” (He threatened to expose me, to expose us!)

Although Mephisto might not know about others like him considering his friend didn’t sense the Phoenix standing right in front of him or the f*cking Prince of the Egyptian Ḥesepu. Which meant Mephisto was still in the dark about what he really was.

“Peti?” (What?) There were so many different ways to say one simple thing. His Mom taught him to use every word so he doesn’t get confused. Most people taught their kids every variation possible.

“Ten setem n-ȧ,” (You heard me), “Nefa tem nebt,” (That's not all.) He could feel his mother still, the way the air seemed to freeze around her, “Mephisto kher sa Kharsatȧ. Tuȧ shu ten er petrȧ ȧu su n ȧ,” (Mephisto has a Rogue. I want you to look into him for me.)

His mother sighed, he could imagine her pinching her nose, trying to rub the tiredness from her face, “Ȧr ḳert kat em su ḳem sa? Sen maāt ment ḥer ḥapu!” (How did he find one? They usually stay in hiding!) He knew what she meant. It was the law that if a Rogue was found, they needed to be reported and brought in. Sometimes the Council could convince them to come back to the Ḥesepu and learn magic properly. Others were banished for using Forbidden spells but escaped before their magic could be stripped.

Ryuuji shrugged even though his mother couldn’t see it, “F mȧtet Mephisto khemt su setcha,” (It’s like Mephisto knew him well.) Ryuuji thought so because of that damned spell. Only a strong magician could pull a spell with that strength off, and with difficulty. He had to have help, and Mephisto was a freaking demon, maybe he had some demon things up his sleeve. They had to have been planning this. Ryuuji was afraid this was bigger than just him.

“Ȧsi pa Kharsatȧ tut?” (What was the Rogue like?) He could feel his mother using her king-voice, the one she reserved for when something was going South but she had to be strong.

Ryuuji bit his lip, explaining the experience to the best of his abilities. His mother was hardly surprised when he admitted to thinking the Rogue had a Backlash Scar. His mother promised to look into him and see if there were any known Rogues going by “Rash.”

“Is there anything else?” Ryuuji didn’t bother pointing out the language switch.

The Phoenix bit his lip kicking at the wall slightly, “Yeah,” He whispered, “There’s a boy-”

“Oh? Is he cute?”

“Mut!” His mother cackled at her son’s embarrassment. Ryuuji pursed his lips, lowering his voice to almost nothing, “Yeah, he’s cute.”

His mother cooed from the other end, “My sefi ḥun is in love!”

Ryuuji flushed furiously, “Stop calling me that, Mut! I’m not a baby anymore.”

“You’ll always be my baby boy, sefi ḥun,” Ryuuji rolled his eyes at the use of the same words one right after the other.

“But… um,” Ryuuji didn’t really know how to word this correctly without sounding like an asshole, “He’s Satan’s son.”

His mother went silent for a moment before making a small, “Huh,” It wasn’t a question more like she was surprised or maybe a little impressed, “Why’s that a seṭeb?”

“Why is it a problem?” Ryuuji repeated, “Because he’s the son of the Nāȧu!”

He could practically feel his mother roll her eyes, a disappointed sigh escaping her mouth, “If your friends found out about you, would you want them to react like this?”

Ryuuji stilled, his lips parting slightly as he stared blankly at the wall. He slowly shook his head, the phone lowering to his side, “Enti,” (No.)

“That’s what I thought,” His mother hummed in approval, “Now, I want you to play nice and give him a chance! You have no idea what’s really going on.”

“But he called Satan ‘Dad’!” Ryuuji argued back.

“Do you know the context? Maybe he was calling someone else ‘Dad’ and you jumped to conclusions,” Ryuuji shrunk in on himself, feeling shame pooling in his gut.

“Ȧb,” (Sorry.) His voice was small and sincere.

His mother sighed heavily, “I don’t like the situation, but I guess we can’t do anything about it right now,” Ryuuji shook his head, forgetting to answer verbally, his mother seemed to be doing something similar, “Alright, I want you to cast a Karȧ spell.”

Ryuuji blinked in surprise, “A Sanctuary Spell? Are you crazy? Where would I cast it?”

“Find someplace!”

His mother sounded desperate so he sighed, agreeing, “I’ll need my stuff.”

“I’ll toss it into the Duat for you,” His mother sounded slightly better at his compliance, continuing to lecture him on the spell which he knew easily, “Make sure to make it big enough for your wings!”

“I know, Mut.”

“And make a Shabti keeper! Or I could just send you Shabby as well?”

“You will not throw the cat into the Duat!” Now it was Ryuuji’s turn to scold his mother, running a hand down his face, “Look, I’ll make sure to do everything right so don't worry. I need to get back to the others.”

His mother sounded hesitant when she murmured a shaking, “Alright.”

Ryuuji gnawed at his lip, piercing his soft skin accidentally. He grimaced at the fiery tang of iron on his tongue, “Is there anything else?”

Torako seemed to mull this over before humming, “Call Rie. She’s up my ass. Azal is having trouble keeping her occupied and even Solveig is having trouble trying to keep her from worrying because I haven’t had the time to explain much to her. But she knows something's up.”

Ryuuji winced, “Sorry ‘bout that. I’ll talk to her tonight.”

“Thank Rā!” Ryuuji knew his mother loved Rie and him, but he was aware they could be a handful at times. As if to prove this, his mother muttered, “The two of you are gonna give me gray hairs!”

“You already have gray hairs,” Ryuuji joked, earning an outraged shout from his mother. The Prince laughed gently, ignoring the teasing taunts from his mother as he occasionally sent his own back.

“Suguro?” Ryuuji froze, turning to find Rin peeking around the corner. He looked confused, “Who’re you talking to?”

The Phoenix blinked, waving his phone in the air, “My Mom?”

“With your phone in your pocket?”

“It was in my hand, but yeah. Earbud,” He tapped the ear on the side Rin couldn’t see, “I gotta go, Mut. Talk to you later.”

He mimed taking out earbuds and stuffing them in his pocket with his phone. His mother gasped, “Is that Rin? He sounds sweet! Give him a kiss for me!”

“Shut up!” Ryuuji growled.

Rin blinked, crossing his arms, “Excuse me?”

“Not you!” Ryuuji was quick to answer, waving his arms around frantically as his face flushed all the way up to his ears.

Rin leaned back slightly, his lips parted as he nodded slowly, “Okay… um, I just wanted to talk. But if now’s a bad time I can come back later-”

“No-no, it’s fine!” Ryuuji felt stupid tripping over his words like this.

Rin perked up slightly, pointing his fingers together nervously, “So, I think I know what you know about me… and I think you know what I know about you so I was wondering if you could-” Rin was cut off by Ryuuji pressing a hand to the demon’s mouth, muffling his words.

Rin looked between Ryuuji’s calloused hand and the Phoenix a few times before tilting a confused brow, “Not here, someone will hear.”

Chapter 15: Another Secret Bites the Dust

Chapter Text

Rin’s brows pinched, eyes crossing to glance down at his friend’s hand again. Slowly, he reached up to pull Suguro’s hand down. It felt rough in his hand, calloused and bigger than Rin’s slimmer fingers. He kind of liked it.

Suguro slowly removed Rin’s hand from his with a blush on his face, eyes cast to the side slightly. Rin tilted his body to get into his line of sight, “So, when can we talk?”

Suguro hummed, seeming to mull this over as his head bobbed side to side. His face seemed to brighten like an idea sparked his interest. Rin had noticed that about Suguro. His face was extremely expressive, at least when he was not on edge, “In two days, meet me at the fountain in the courtyard after Cram Class.”

“Why there?”

Suguro crossed his arms, “Just trust me, alright?”

Rin blinked before nodding, kicking the floor awkwardly, “I should get back to the others before Yukio worries,” Rin cringed at his brother's name, he really didn’t want to go back and face his brother. It was bad enough they shared a room and had the whole building to themselves, meaning no one was around to distract him or that Rin could hang with in an attempt to hide from his brother.

Suguro reached forward, resting a hand on Rin’s shoulder. The half-demon jerked at the sudden contact, swatting his friend away before freezing. Suguro blinked in surprise, his face twisting in worry, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah!” Rin answered way too quickly, voice cracking. Clearing his throat, Rin spoke up again, “Just nerves from the fight,” Rin hoped Suguro would take the lie even if he didn’t believe it.

The half-demon didn’t give his friend time to speak before rushing around the corner to find the room the rest of the class was occupying. Rin stopped just beside the door, back resting against the wall. He took a deep breath, standing up straighter and trying to act cool and joyful as he stepped into the room with a smile.

Ryuuji stared in surprise at where Rin had been standing just a moment ago. The Phoenix looked down at his hand, head tilting to the side. Had he upset him? Ryuuji was tempted to follow Rin and ask but thought it better to wait until they could talk in private.

Ryuuji had the bright idea to bring Rin to wherever he cast the Sanctuary spell. He’d have to look around for a nice clearing tonight to cast it in.

The Phoenix slowly started making his way back to the room. When he stepped through, Rin was sitting on the edge of the bed Shiemi was taking up. Ryuuji sighed, snatching a chair from the side of the room and sitting so he could fold his arms across the back of the chair.

Konekomaru pursed his lips at Ryuuji, giving him a disapproving look for sitting backward in the chair. Ryuuji just stuck his tongue out before glancing over at Rin. The demon was sulking, lips pressed in a pout with his shoulders slumped low, “I can’t believe that was a test. Why didn’t they tell us?!” Rin threw his hands in the air, pressing his palm to his eyes, “This totally sucks!”

Ryuuji shrugged, noticing how Konekomaru had started to shake with nerves, hands clutching to his head, “I failed! I just know it!”

The Phoenix blinked, rolling his eyes slightly, “You’ll be fine. Besides, whatever happened can’t be changed. Whatever happens is up to fate now.”

Rin blinked at him, “Dude, that was deep.”

Ryuuji rested his chin on his crossed arms, raising a brow. Konekomaru jumped up, pacing back and forth, “That’s easy for you to say! You’ll do fine!”

Ryuuji rolled his eyes, about to speak up before Izumo beat him to it, “I totally failed,” Izumo went on, explaining why, but the Phoenix was distracted by the game Yamada was using beeping constantly. Ryuuji growled, his eye twitching as the beeping and whirring of the machine continued. He contemplated using a spell to break it but was distracted by Yamada looking up and glaring at him.

Ryuuji stiffened, snarling, “At least you actually did something, unlike some people!”

Shima sighed, “Really, man? Quit worrying about others.”

Ryuuji grumbled, “Whatever. They’re gonna fail anyway,” Ryuuji shrugged. At least that strange girl would be out of his hair. One problem down, about a trillion left to go.

Yamada snorted, her tongue sticking out slightly, “Yes! Upgrade!” She seemed to be uncaring and focussed more on the game.

Ryuuji rolled his eyes, he didn’t really expect them to answer anyway. Takara paused from talking to his creepy rabbit puppet to talk to them, through the puppet, “Shut up, Punk!”

The Phoenix startled before whipping around, gripping onto the back of his chair with hands, clawed hands, as he growled lowly at the boy, “Don’t call me a f*cking punk!”

Konekomaru smacked his shoulder hard, pinning him down with a glare. Ryuuji subtly removed his claws from the wooden chair, not noticing the short lines made from the claws. Konekomaru grabbed the Phoenix roughly, pretending to inspect his head, “There must be a glitch. He seems to have an inability to listen.”

Ryuuji yelped, fighting to push Konekomaru’s hands off his head. Thankfully his claws had retracted, “Get off me you Āāu!”

Konekomaru gripped his hair harder, “Do not call me an ass!”

Ryuuji was pushing at his friend. But not hard enough to easily throw him off. Rin gawked at them, shouting in surprise while Ryuuji continued to curse under his breath, “You can understand that language?!”

Konekomaru let go suddenly, sending Ryuuji flying back and off his chair from trying to pull away, “Oh, we don’t!”

Shima snorted into his hand before nodding at Rin, “Yeah. There are just a few words he’s said enough that we understand them. ‘Ass’ is one of them.”

Rin blinked in surprise, bouncing excitedly, “That’s so cool! What other words do you guys know?”

Shima tapped his chin, ignoring Ryuuji’s protests and flushed face as he crawled back onto his seat, “Well, I think ‘Ȧu ta mertu n Rā’ is ‘Oh my god.’”

Rin nodded vigorously, hanging on to every word. His eyes seemed to sparkle slightly at the topic, which obviously interested him. Ryuuji blinked, a fond smile pulling at his lips.

Konekomaru tilted his head, “Really? I thought ‘Oh my god’ was ‘Ȧu pa ȧb em Rā.’”

Ryuuji rolled his eyes, resting his chin in his hand. Watching Rin’s eyes light up eagerly, “There are different variations for things. Also, the translation is wrong,” The three teens whipped around suddenly, startling the Phoenix badly enough that he thought he’d fall from his chair again.

The boys leaned forward eagerly, seeming to wait for the demon to answer. Ryuuji sighed, sinking down slightly at being the center of attention, “It means ‘For the love of Rā,’” He murmured, “Same concept, though.”

“Rā? Who’s that?” Konekomaru’s head tilted curiously, “Is it like a different name for ‘God?’”

Ryuuji bit at his lip, nodding slightly. The argument of if he was lying or not could go either way. Rā is the Egyptian king of the gods, god of the sun. But he’s not the god Konekomaru was referring to.

Rin’s brows pinched, his face turned to the floor before dawning spread across his face, “Wait!” The excitable teen jumped to his feet, pointing to Ryuuji, “You mean Rā, as in the Egyptian god Rā?”

Ryuuji blinked in surprise, “How did you-”

“I’m a sucker for mythologies!” Rin waved offhandedly. He was silent for a moment before gaining another burst of energy. He jumped forward, getting in Ryuuji’s face. Rin was leaning close, his hands resting on the back of Ryuuji’s chair, brushing against Ryuuji's own hands. The Phoenix was leaning back slightly, face flushing dangerously, “That language you’re speaking, is it Egyptian?”

“You mean Arabic?” Ryuuji raised a brow, shaking his head, “No.”

Rin stood up, much to the relief of Ryuuji who was attempting to cover his red face in his folded arms. Rin was waving his hands around, “No no no! I meant Egyptian! Ancient Egyptian! Like the hieroglyphs!”

Ryuuji paled considerably, stumbling over his words, “Wh-what do you mea-mean? That’s-”

“How do you say ‘life?’”

The Phoenix narrowed his eyes, “That won’t prove anything.”

“Just say it!”

“Ankh,” Ryuuji shrugged, expecting Rin to immediately wilt. Some people did know Ankh meant life, and some even had the symbol somewhere in their house. But he doubted Rin would know that… hopefully.

Rin jumped up, pumping his fist in the air, “Hah! I was right!”

Shima jumped up, “What?! Why didn’t you tell us?”

Ryuuji opened his mouth, about to answer when Izumo snorted. She had been strangely quiet to the point Ryuuji had completely forgotten she was here, “That’s bullsh*t. The language is called ancient for a reason. It’s dead.”

“It’s dead, not forgotten,” Ryuuji argued.

Rin sat back down, startling Shiemi awake. That seemed to distract everyone for a moment. The blonde sat up, blinking blearily as she rubbed at her green eyes. Rin winced, turning to look at her gently with a comforting hand resting against her shoulder. Ryuuji glanced at the ground, a strange feeling resting heavily in his heart. What the hell was that? “Sorry to wake you.”

Shiemi hummed, still out of it, “It’s alright. What’re you talking about?”

Ryuuji sighed, trying to shake off the feeling, “The exam,” The Phoenix covered Konekomaru’s mouth when he tried pointing out the language thing as well. Ryuuji turned back to the girl, bowing his head slightly, “You outdid yourself. I don’t know what would have happened without you. Seriously, thank you.”

Shiemi blushed deeply, “What? No-no. I didn’t do that good!”

“Oh come on!” Shima exclaimed, “You did amazing! If you don’t pass, none of us will!”

Shiemi’s face turned bright red, hiding her face in her hands. She was murmuring under her breath, “It’s not that big of a deal.”

Ryuuji chuckled lightly, about to correct the girl when Konekomaru looked at Rin, suddenly changing the subject, “I’ve been meaning to ask. How’d you beat the Ghoul?!”

Rin chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, “I stabbed it?”

The Phoenix rolled his eyes, huffing a laugh. Rin sent him a small look, eyes pleading with him to keep quiet. Ryuuji nodded slightly, egging on his story with ease, “How’d you do that?”

Rin sighed in relief, going on to exaggerate his story, their classmates hanging onto every word.

Ryuuji was sitting at the desk in his dorm, foot bouncing restlessly. The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, letting the stars shine clearly in the cloudless night. The Phoenix glanced over to his friends, they were both fast asleep. Finally.

Ryuuji had been waiting for hours for them to fall asleep so he could sneak out. The boy carefully pushed open the window in front of him, crawling through and gripping onto the ledge to close it again.

The Phoenix looked to the ground. Their dorm was on the second floor, which didn’t give him enough time to let his wings lift him into the air. He was going to have to get a running start.

Ryuuji groaned, sliding down a gutter to land softly on the ground. The Phoenix palmed at the shirt on his chest, the one Etsuko had lent him, as he looked around for anyone who may be watching. His head tilted side to side, listening to the sounds around him. He breathed a sigh of relief when none of the sounds seemed too close.

Ryuuji began to run down the path leading away from the dorms. It was shielded by trees on both sides, but the path was still wide enough for his wings to spread. The Phoenix sped up, sneaker-clad feet pounding against the ground as he let his glamour ebb away.

Huge wings flapped behind him, the wind picking him up shakily. Ryuuji bounded across the canopy of trees, tail snapping out for balance, before propelling himself into the sky with a powerful push of his legs.

Below, the thick branch Ryuuji had jumped from snapped and fell to the grassy ground. Ryuuji smiled, flashing sharp teeth, and rocketed into the clear night sky. The Phoenix laughed, diving down to let his wing skim across the waves of a small beach. Ryuuji wouldn’t have noticed it if it wasn’t for hearing the waves each night once the noise of the city died down.

The salty air rustled his feathers, lines of white in the water following in his wake. Ryuuji’s smile brightened as he banked up, reaching up to the sky with clawed fingers. He flew up high, higher than the tallest building at True Cross.

Then he fell.

Tucking his wings to his body and falling back to the huge ocean. Ryuuji tilted his head back, watching the water glitter under the full moon as it drew closer and closer. Until Ryuuji twisted, wings snapping out suddenly.

A shockwave rippled through the water as Ryuuji stopped suddenly and flew towards the beach. Ryuuji tilted his wings so he could fly above the trees, scanning for a good place to cast the spell.

The Phoenix noticed a small clearing surrounded by a dense line of trees. The clearing rested on the top of a small cliff. Only a few meters down the rocky bluff was the raging tide. Ryuuji brought his wings up, landing harshly on his feet.

Ryuuji winced, shaking out his feet to rid them of the pins and needles. He forgot how hard landing could be on your body when the ground wasn’t soft like the sands of the Sahara. Ryuuji groaned, kneeling down to rub at his ankles, maybe he should ask his mom to send him his special flight boots. They had metal heels and gel-like souls to absorb the impact of landing with less damage done to someone’s legs.

Ryuuji glanced around, nodding to himself as he turned full circle to inspect his surroundings. The clearing wasn’t large, probably only the size of half the courtyard at the school. There was a small trail to his side, cutting through the trees. It was barely wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side.

The clearing was surrounded by a dense forest of trees and a plethora of different plants. The only side lacking the trees was the cliff to Ryuuji’s back. The view of the sky was perfect. Stars and realms shining overhead.

Ryuuji laughed, falling backward into the soft grass. The grass swayed in the night breeze, tickling at Ryuuji’s skin. The Phoenix sighed, relishing in the peace. Well, almost peace. There were still sirens, screams, and way too much talking for the time of night.

Ryuuji groaned, picking himself up and shaking blades of grass from his wings. He sighed heavily, holding his hand out to the side, feeling for the Duat. He felt a pull deep in his gut as he felt for the magic, pulling it towards him. The air beside him wavered, swirling with deep colors before flinging out a duffle bag and a tall wooden staff.

Ryuuji managed to catch the staff but missed the duffle. The canvas bag sailed straight to his face, hitting his nose. Ryuuji yelped, dropping the staff and clutching at his face, a slew of curses escaping his lips.

The Phoenix glared at the pile of canvas on the ground and grabbed it roughly, keeping one hand against his nose. Just his luck, his spellbook was probably what hit him. And that thing was heavy.

Ryuuji pulled the zipper open, inspecting the contents. There were different charms and small books. Ryuuji grabbed one of the small books, tiny enough to fit in his pocket. It was his Book of Symbols and contained every mythological symbol that could be helpful. Ryuuji set it down beside him.

The Phoenix crossed his legs, pulling the duffle into his lap to riffle through the bag. His mother really outdid herself, making sure everything he could possibly need was inside. There was a long roll of ribbon and twine, both helpful for certain spells. A crystal Obelisk was tucked into a side pocket along with his wand. It was long, made from the wood of an Acacia tree. When he used it, flames would wrap around the smooth wood.

When he was younger, he would run around with Rie, both of them pretending to be wizards from Hogwarts. Shouting the Latin spells (which sadly don’t work) at each other as they raced through the streets.

However, Ryuuji didn’t often use his wand. At least not when he could choose. Most magicians only used their wands if they needed to conceal their casting with a spell too powerful for their amulet.

Ryuuji tucked his wand into his sock, covering the lump with his sweatpants. Usually, Ryuuji would wear a holster on his thigh to hold his wand more comfortably, or sometimes he would use the clips on his flight boots to hold it in place. But, right now, that would make it too obvious.

Ryuuji sighed, rolling his ankle to rid himself of the discomfort brought by his wand before inspecting the Obelisk carefully. The crystal was pure, free of cracks or foggy parts. It usually sat on his desk back in his room in Kyoto so he could easily travel to the Ḥesepu without sneaking around the town for a secluded spot to reveal his wings.

Ryuuji tucked the crystal back into the side pocket before peaking into the main compartment. His mother had wrapped a length of leather around his weapons, tying it tightly with a piece of string so they wouldn’t move around too much and puncture anything. Although, the tips stuck out the slightest bit.

Ryuuji gingerly pulled the bundle from the bag, setting it in his lap and unwinding the string tentatively. The rough leather fell away to reveal his Khopesh, a dagger with a twisted blade, a pair of serrated combat knives, and a holster of black throwing knives.

Ryuuji drug his hand down his face, whining slightly as he murmured under his breath, “What do you think is gonna happen, Mut? I’m not going to war!”

The Phoenix shook his head, hardly listening to his mother shouting about “safety” and other crap all the way from Kyoto.

Ryuuji rubbed at his temples, tail twitching irritably. His mother was still going so he threw his hands in the air and shouted, “Alright alright! I get it!”

His mother paused for a second before humming, “Nefer,” (Good,) and going silent. At least to him.

Ryuuji’s eye ticked as he delicately grabbed at his Khopesh, inspecting it mutely. He ran a cautious finger over the edge of the blade, glaring at the weapon with disdain. The Phoenix hadn’t so much as touched the weapon since...that.

Ryuuji shuddered, hesitantly wrapping calloused fingers around the weapon, treating it like a bomb that would go off any second. The craftsmanship was rather lovely, and Ryuuji had loved the Khopesh since the day he got it, training tirelessly to become a skilled warrior with every and any weapon he could get his hands on.

The sharp blade started as a regular sword before curving in the shape of a stretched “C” and ending in an upturned point.

The gold-like metal was sharp, just as Ryuuji had left it. He may have hated the sight of the weapon, but that didn’t mean he left it in disrepair. Although, he would just use a sharpening spell so he wouldn’t have to touch the thing.

Ryuuji always kept his weapons in prime condition, as taught by his mother. Rie always poked fun at him for it even though she would check over her weapons every day to make sure everything was in good condition just like him.

Ryuuji’s hand grazed the leather wrapping at the hilt. The brown leather was rough from use and stained. Ryuuji glanced at his hand, swallowing thickly when he noticed a red powder coating his palm. Ryuuji could feel his heart pounding, his hands shaking as he dropped the Khopesh to the ground.

Ryuuji needed to rewrap the leather. There was no way he’d be able to wield the weapon, even if the chance was extremely slim, with a blood-stained leather-wrapped hilt. Not f*cking happening.

The Phoenix checked the bag again, feeling to see if his mother had packed a spool of leather. Ahah! Ryuuji triumphantly brought out the roll, setting the rest of his weapons to the side. He began to diligently remove the worn wrapping from the hilt of the Khopesh and rewrap it with the new leather. Ryuuji would have gladly ripped the offending material from the weapon with his claws, but damaging the sword was high on the list of “Don’t ever do this” for the majority of magicians.

Since a Khopesh, like an amulet, staff, or even a wand, held magical properties, a magician only received one of each type. If their Khopesh was destroyed, they were forced to fight with a regular sword or any other weapon they could. Just like how having a destroyed staff, wand, or amulet was one of the worst punishments for people like them.

Ryuuji hummed slightly as he carefully wrapped the exposed metal in fresh leather, having already burned the old leather to cinders, he was glad to have any remnants of that out of his sight as possible.

Ryuuji had just severed the end of the leather with a serrated knife and sealed it down with a simple spell when he heard gunfire and screams pierce the air.

Chapter 16: Fight on the Roof

Chapter Text

Ryuuji froze, head snapping up. Feathered ears swiveled, flicking towards the noise. The Phoenix jumped to his feet, sword dropping to the ground. Ryuuji grasped his staff and ran towards the cliff, jumping off and rocketing himself into the air with a powerful beat of his wings as he launched towards the sounds of a battle.

Ryuuji closed his eyes, honing in on the noises. They were coming from the Old Boy’s Dormitory. Ryuuji paled, banking up high enough to stay out of sight. His tail was twitching worriedly. He really hoped Rin was alright.

Ryuuji didn’t bother wondering why he was only worried about Rin when Yukio was in the dorm as well. But he found he didn’t care much, as long as Rin was alright. The door to the roof slammed open, Neuhaus sprinting across the rough concrete with Yukio close behind, gun raised to the tamer.

“You don’t get to kill my brother!” Yukio shouted, he sounded pissed, growling threateningly. Ryuuji gulped, strangely afraid of Rin’s brother. The way he said that, it didn’t sound how it should. Yukio didn’t even look like he was trying to protect Rin, just his own skin.

“What the-” Ryuuji murmured, cut off by Neuhaus shouting something. Sending ghoulish hands that shot from his skin across the roof. His arms were covered in magic circles and dripping with fresh blood, there was too much for him to be looking as lively as he did.

Yukio shot the hands with deadly precision, each one rupturing into foul-smelling black sludge. Ryuuji gagged, waving his hand in front of his face. Rā, he really hated his senses sometimes.

The Phoenix watched the two Exorcists battle in a way that could only be described as dramatic. He should get closer, just to make sure they didn’t kill each other. Although he couldn’t care less. Ryuuji huffed, head bowing in annoyance, waving his staff in front of him, “Ȧn maa-n-tu,” (Unseen.)

Ryuuji watched in satisfaction as the rough, warped wood of his staff hummed with energy. The worn wrappings on the twisted top fluttered, loosening slightly. Ryuuji could feel the magic surrounding him, enveloping him, and changing him.

Ryuuji smirked when the staff and his hand wavered before disappearing completely. The warmth of the magic crept along his entire body until he was completely hidden from any wandering eyes, even his own.

The Phoenix took a deep breath and dove to the roof, crouching behind a clump of raised vents to avoid getting hit by anything.

Ryuuji noticed Yukio took out a grenade and subconsciously threw his wings around his body to shield himself. The Phoenix felt kind of stupid when he realized the grenade launched Holy Water everywhere. Ryuuji grumbled, glaring at the now-soaked exorcists, the older of which had managed to use the 0.2 seconds of time activating the grenade and having it explode took and somehow managed to draw an entire freaking summoning circle!

Ryuuji’s face twisted, lips parted and pulled in uncertainty while his brows pinched. Amber eyes glanced between the two Exorcists multiple times before shouting, “That can’t be f*cking normal!”

The Exorcists froze, pausing their dramatic monologue to turn and look at the vents in confusion. Ryuuji gulped, slamming his hand over his mouth harshly as he stayed inhumanly still. This is why his mother and friends from the Ḥesepu threatened to duct tape his mouth shut when he used an invisibility spell. It only hides you from the sight of others, not the other senses, and Ryuuji was not good at keeping his mouth shut.

Neuhaus narrowed his eyes, silently daring anything to jump out at him (or maybe he was just pissed that his way-too-long monologue got interrupted). Slowly, the older of the two Exorcists turned to his opponent, dragging a knife down his arm. Red blood streamed onto the chalk circle. Neuhaus chanted instead of acting at least mildly worried about the amount of blood he was losing.

Ryuuji grimaced, trying to wipe the tang of iron off his tongue despite not being close to the pool of blood. He decided to ignore the taste wasn’t from the blood in front of him, but rather a phantom taste from the past.

The Phoenix glanced up just in time to see the most disgustingly horrifying Naberius emerge from the circle. Ryuuji paled, hand frozen in front of his face where it was swiping the taste of blood from his tongue.

The demon had stitches everywhere, he looked like the evil twin of Frankenstein. The ugly twin. Very f*cking ugly. The demon swung wildly, one hand managed to hit Yukio clear across the roof while the other came for Ryuuji.

“Nope!” Ryuuji shouted, jumping back and slamming the top of his staff into the roof with a yell, “Āat ȧner!” He felt the magic flow through the building beneath him, cracking the cement and lifting huge chunks into the air.

The Phoenix snarled, not noticing the way Neuhaus was losing focus and watching boulders lift into the air by seemingly nothing.

Ryuuji cried out, swinging his staff like a bat, sending the boulders towards the demon in a shockwave of power. The Naberius howled as one of the chunks pierced its thick hide with a rusted pipe that had gotten stuck between the compressed stones. The stones that, unfortunately, missed the demon sailed across the roof towards the exorcists… and Rin who just burst through the door to the dorms below.

The same one that wasn’t moving. Ryuuji shouted out the first spell that came to mind, “Urṭu!” (Motionless.) Everything froze in place, but it wouldn’t last long, giving him only a few seconds.

Ryuuji didn’t stop to ponder or think, he just launched forward, wings moving to shift him out of the way of the demon and the rocks at a rapid pace, making his way towards Rin.

The boy was frozen mid-stumble, his sword clasped tightly in both hands as if he was about to unsheath it.

Ryuuji did the only thing he could think of to get Rin out of the way of getting crushed. He grabbed Rin around the waist, wings snapping to launch them into the air above the frozen fight just in time for the scene to take motion. The boulders moved as if they never stopped, launching across the roof and to the ground below. Ryuuji silently prayed to Hathor that nobody had been down there to get hurt.

The force for time to start again caused Ryuuji to falter slightly, it didn’t help that Rin was freaking out because of the sudden change in where he was. Ryuuji yelped when Rin landed an elbow to his stomach, “What’s going on, let go of me!”

“Calm down, dumbass!” Rin froze for a moment, “I’ll explain later, sorry for the situation.”

“W-what. Why can’t I see you? And are you flying?!”

Ryuuji pursed his lips in annoyance, Rin was in the middle of a fight and that’s what he was worried about? “Yeah yeah, later. I’m gonna drop you on the demon, alright?”

Rin squeaked, scrambling to grasp onto him for fear of falling. Ryuuji faltered when Rin managed to clench his fist around a clump of feathers, shouting, “Stop being a wimp and listen!”

It took longer than Ryuuji would have wished for Rin to still, but he took the moment when it came, “Look, I’m going to drop you on the demon, give you an advantage. I’ll attack from behind and try to stop Neuhaus or break the circle.”

Rin blinked, head tilting to look at Ryuuji’s face, at least where he thought his face was. The demon was off by a few inches, “You-you’re crazy. But I don’t really have a choice right now. You better not ditch me!”

“Not a chance,” Ryuuji murmured, maneuvering so he was directly above the Naberius, a wicked grin splitting his face at the thrill of a coming fight, “Geronimo!” He shouted as he dropped Rin, watching him unsheathe his sword mid-fall, chucking the flaming blue sword at the Naberius.

Ryuuji banked out of the way just as the demon erupted in bright blue flames. Ryuuji didn’t have time to stall, but that didn’t stop his heart from jumping slightly.

The Phoenix dove at Neuhaus. The tamer was trying to launch a grenade of holy water at Rin, who had the same idea as the Phoenix. Rin howled, slamming to the ground as his skin started smoking. Ryuuji snarled, ramming into his teacher.

The tamer wheezed, gasping out, “What the-”

“Go to Hell,” Ryuuji growled ferally, bringing his hand up with sharp claws as he swiped them across the Exorcist’s face. Cutting deep gashes that made the skin flap to the side. Rin was gasping from where he was crouching, trying to stumble to his feet only for the Naberius to grab him, pulling him from the ground and trying to rip him apart.

Rin was crying out in pain, trying to free himself from the Naberius’ grip and get to the circle. Yukio beat him to it, dragging his foot across the chalk. The Naberius disappeared with a screech, dropping Rin and his sword to the ground harshly. Ryuuji ignored the echoing clatter of Rin’s weapon, although it was unusual.

It took Rin a few moments to stumble to his feet, gripping his sword as he stumbled over to Neuhaus. Yukio had raised his gun to the area above Neuhaus with shaking hands.

Yukio gulped, his face was sheet white. Ryuuji probably hadn’t thought that through. He could only imagine what it looked like to see scratches form on the Exorcist from nothing, even if Ryuuji only swiped at the Exorcist once, “Rin, what are you doing?!”

Ryuuji froze completely, he was smart enough to be holding Neuhaus down by his throat so he wouldn’t dare move. Mainly because Ryuuji really didn’t feel like having more blood on his hands in a quite literal sense.

Rin stammered, stumbling back as he held his sword up defensively as a way to shield him from his brother who was pointing a gun at him, “I’m not-I’m not doing anything!”

“Bullsh*t! Release him now, you monster!”

Ryuuji’s jaw clenched. He slowly leaned down, growling into his teacher’s ear, “Don’t move.”

“Or what?” The exorcist spat angrily.

Ryuuji blinked at the man beneath him, silently wondering how he became an exorcist if he was such an idiot.

The Phoenix grumbled, pressing his claws against the man’s exposed throat, “Guess.”

The Exorcist froze at the dark tone in Ryuuji’s voice. Ryuuji had an idea of what came to the exorcist’s mind, which was why he left it to Neuhaus’ imagination. Sometimes that was the greatest weapon someone could use against others.

Neuhaus stayed completely still as Ryuuji crawled off him, moving between the twins. He faced Yukio angrily, glaring at the gun now pointed at him. He failed to notice the way Rin shifted his sword so it wouldn’t brush against Ryuuji’s back.

Rin gulped, shaking his head as Yukio slowly moved over to Neuhaus, hoisting him to his feet as if they hadn’t just been aiming to kill each other.

The older of the two slapped Yukio’s arm away, taking slow steps over to Rin. Ryuuji resisted the urge to growl angrily, only stifling it by putting a hand over his mouth. Rin flinched with each step until Neuhaus stopped completely, just a few steps away from the demons, although he was only aware of one of them.

Rin growled, swinging his sword so it was close to the teacher’s neck, but not touching, “Why are you doing this? What did I ever do to you?”

Ryuuji positioned himself so that he could easily jump in if anything happened. He had no problem going through with harming either of the Exorcists if they tried anything. The only issue was that the Exorcist in front of him thought one of two things. The first was that he left. The second was Rin had somehow clawed Neuhaus’ face from a distance.

Neuhaus grimaced, pulling at the fresh cuts on his face. The Phoenix couldn’t help the self-satisfied smirk that crossed his face at the pain in the Exorcist’s eyes, “What did you do? You were born. And now my family is dead because of your flames.”

Rin took a shaky breath, “But that wasn’t me! That was the bastard who you keep claiming is my father!” Ryuuji’s lips parted slightly. So Rin didn’t think of Satan as his father. His mother had been right.

“Does it matter? You’re a demon who must be destroyed. I can never forgive Satan or any demon, let alone Satan’s son!”

“Stop calling me his son!” Rin screamed desperately, his hands shaking slightly.

Ryuuji slowly turned to face Rin, resting a gentle hand on the demon’s shoulder. The boy startled slightly, his guard lifting for the barest of moments, giving Neuhaus enough time to act, sending a slew of severed hands to the demons. Ryuuji managed to destroy some with his snapping tail, blocking the ones aiming for Rin with the back of his wing.

Ryuuji was immensely thankful for the extra strength in the feathers on the back of his wings, but it didn’t stop the spikes of pain from shooting through the feathery appendages. His hands gripped to Rin’s arms, holding him in place so Rin wouldn’t move and risk getting hurt. Rin gasped in surprise, blue eyes blown wide as the tips of Ryuuji’s claws dug into his skin accidentally.

Neuhaus blinked, huffing angrily as he turned, storming to the door in a fit of rage. Rin’s mouth opened and closed multiple times before he managed to speak in a wavering voice, “Neuhaus,” The Exorcist in question stalled, glancing over his shoulder, “You can do whatever you want. You can beat me, I’m used to it,” Ryuuji stilled at that, noticing the way Rin’s eyes darted to his brother for the barest of seconds, “But you gotta promise me something. You won’t drag innocent people into this!”

The Exorcist glared, turning without a word and disappearing through the door. Rin let out a shaking breath, eyes glancing up at Ryuuji before tilting his head to look back over to Yukio from over Ryuuji’s shoulder.

Ryuuji’s brows furrowed, how was Rin aware of where he was if he couldn’t see him? Ryuuji panicked for a moment, his grip tightening further as he looked down at his feet. The Phoenix let out a thankful sigh of relief when he noticed they were still invisible, but his heart raced when he noticed the way Rin grimaced.

“Rin,” Ryuuji stiffened at the tone in Yukio’s voice, forgetting about Rin’s discomfort for a second to focus on the younger twin. The Phoenix startled badly when he could feel Yukio standing directly behind him, practically breathing down his neck. Ryuuji was too scared to breathe, “We need to talk, now.”

“Can it wait?” Rin’s voice was small as the boy shrunk in on himself.

“Excuse me?” Yukio sounded pissed, taking a step closer to the demons.

Rin, in turn, subtly grasped the front of Ryuuji’s shirt and took a step back, leading Ryuuji with him, “We can talk. But later.”

Ryuuji could feel the tension between the twins. His wings were puffed defensively, the hairs on his neck raised. What was going on between these two?

Yukio growled, “Fine, I’ll be in the room,” Ryuuji couldn’t help the feeling of relief he felt when Yukio’s steps disappeared down the stairs to the dorms.

Rin was silent for a few minutes before patting Ryuuji’s clawed hand, “Hey, Suguro, you can let go.”

Ryuuji loosened his grip, or he tried to, “f*ck,” He grumbled, trying with all his force to pry his hands off his classmate. Rā-dammit, why now of all times?

Rin raised a concerned brow, “You good?”

Ryuuji chuckled nervously, “Um, I can’t let go.”

“Huh?”

“It's kinda a thing with my species,” Rin tilted his head to the side, trying to decipher something. Ryuuji swallowed, thickly, “Ever heard of stress gripping?”

Rin hummed, pondering over the Phoenix’s words for a second, “I don’t think so?” Ryuuji raises a brow at the way Rin seemed to question it himself.

“Yeah. I’m sorry,” Ryuuji could feel his face flush in embarrassment at the situation, shoulders hunching to his ears. He didn’t feel like explaining, but Rin didn’t seem all that bothered. If Ryuuji wasn’t mistaken, he seemed relieved. About what, he wasn’t sure.

Ryuuji sighed, his golden eyes trailed to his hands in shame at the situation, noticing the dots of blood on Rin’s arm, “Holy sh*t, are you alright?!”

“What do you-?”

“My claws are hurting you!” Ryuuji tried harder to pull himself away, feeling the anxiety in his gut worsen when he failed to, only making it harder to pull away which, in turn, made the Phoenix panic further. Ryuuji was pulling with all his might, missing the way Rin wore a smile of amusem*nt as he leaned back to keep himself from moving, “Let go you useless… f*cking… claws!” Each word was punctuated by a forceful tug and a desperate whine.

Ryuuji had expected Rin to get upset at the mess Ryuuji had turned the already confusing situation into, not for him to laugh. Which he did. The Phoenix stilled from his pathetic attempt to remove himself from his friend to look at Rin as if he had a sudden fit of Lyssa (Lyssa is the greek goddess of insanity and mad rage. Many mythological beings around the world donned the word as a stronger word for insanity, much to the goddess’ dismay and annoyance). Rin seemed so… calm as he sheathed his sword, continuing to giggle like an idiot. Ryuuji found it oddly endearing.

Ryuuji watched as Rin’s more demonic features disappeared. He’d been so focussed on everything happening that he’d failed to take notice of Rin’s features. His ears had grown long, the same length as Ryuuji’s feathered ears. The only difference, besides the feathers, seemed to be that Rin’s ears extended to the sides more than they did up while Ryuuji’s sat near flush against his head, brushing against his curled hair.

Rin’s flames completely disappeared from sight, but his tail remained.

Ryuuji noticed that Rin only had a single stalk of coarse black fur and a tangled tuft at the end. When was the last time he’d brushed his tail?

Rin reached up with his free arm, resting it against Ryuuji’s shoulder reassuringly. Or, he tried to. He ended up patting Ryuuji’s chest. Something the demon got embarrassed about.

Rin stammered an apology, his tail waving around frantically. The poor boy reached behind him to try and still his appendage. The scene before him was enough to force a bubbling laugh from Ryuuji's throat at the hilarity of the situation, his hands retracting slowly from Rin’s arms as he doubled over.

Rin was grumbling, rubbing at his arms as his face flushed up to the tips of his ears. They kind of reminded Ryuuji of Pixie ears. Rin was watching Ryuuji through his messy bangs, keeping strangely quiet for a few moments before speaking sadly, “I guess you really know what I am, even if you had any doubt before.”

Ryuuji’s laughter died down slightly, only coming in small snorts, “Yup.”

“What do you mean by that?!” Rin sounded slightly offended at Ryuuji’s simple answer, stomping his foot to try and prove a point, “Shouldn’t you be more concerned, or drilling me with questions?”

Ryuuji bit his lip to stifle more laughter-induced snorts, “You’re a demon, kinda simple. Not much more to ask.”

Rin wilted at that, his tail dipping close to the ground as he took a step back, “So you hate me because of it,” It wasn’t a question, as if Rin truly believed the words coming out of his mouth.

Ryuuji wanted to reach out to Rin but pulled his hand back at the last second, “What makes you think that? Besides,” Ryuuji shrugged although Rin couldn’t see it, “I’d be a hypocrite if I did, wouldn’t I?”

Rin took another step back, hugging himself tightly. Ryuuji’s words seemed to completely go over his head. He looked so vulnerable and… hopeless. Ryuuji took a silent step forward, only for Rin to step back, “I don’t want to hurt you. And you should be scared of me. I’m the son of the Devil! I’m probably the most dangerous thing in Assiah right now!”

Ryuuji’s brows furrowed in confusion, lips parted slightly. How did Rin know he was walking towards him? The Phoenix could be completely silent when he wanted to, even to another Phoenix or beings with amazing hearing, so Rin hadn’t heard him.

Something was poking at the back of Ryuuji’s mind, something to do with Rin’s constant knowledge of Ryuuji’s whereabouts. But, he could worry about that later, because there was another thing. It was as if Rin wanted Ryuuji to hate him, that the demon was trying to push him away. Ryuuji knew the signs because he had been there and sometimes dipped back into those ways. After the incident at the cabin, and then again last year when…

Ryuuji shook his head, dispelling the thoughts. He had to focus on the here and now, which was proving to Rin that he didn’t hate him, even if Rin didn’t understand why just yet, “Yeah, about that. You’re not the most dangerous.”

Ryuuji stayed completely silent, allowing Rin to process his words. A shrill, “What?” broke the silence.

Ryuuji winced at the sudden high tone but said nothing of it as he pulled at the soft feathers of his ear. Rin’s head had snapped up, taking a hesitant step to the Phoenix as the latter spoke, “Also, how did you know where I was?”

Rin’s head shook, “No, answer my question first!”

“I will when it’s safe.”

“Are you kidding me!” Rin threw his hands up in frustration, all signs of doubt forgotten. Ryuuji watched in amusem*nt, waiting for Rin to calm enough to speak again, “You’re really going to make me wait, Feathers?”

“Yes, and where did you get that nickname from?”

Rin shrugged, a coy smile playing at his lips, “I felt feathers when we were in the air.”

Ryuuji breathed out a small, “Oh,” His wings fluffed slightly at the memory of Rin grabbing a fistful of his feathers.

Rin turned to walk away, only for Ryuuji to hesitantly grasp his hand to stop him, “You didn't answer my question. How did you know where I was? The entire time, you’ve been acting like you can see me.”

“Well, if you’re worried about that, I can’t see you,” Rin flashed a co*cky smile, “You’ll have to wait until we meet again. Think of it as insurance so I know you’ll actually show up.”

Rin cackled as he slipped from Ryuuji’s slackened grip, waving a lazy hand over his shoulder, tail waving around as he ducked through the door to the dorms.

Ryuuji blinked a few times, jaw slack before pressing his hands to his face, covering the obvious blush on his face as he tried to deny the fact that he’d been watching the way Rin’s hips swayed in time with his tail, “Ȧnuk āsha sethes,” (I’m so very f*cked.)

Chapter 17: Crumbling

Chapter Text

Ryuuji took a few minutes to realize he was alone and had no need to be on the roof. The Phoenix promptly flew off as fast as possible, after fixing the roof with a quick spell, and landing harshly in the field he’d found earlier. His feet throbbed at the faulty landing, one of his ankles rolling.

His heart pounded frantically as he let his magic ebb away, allowing him to become visible once again. A sudden realization came over him as he realized the full extent of what just happened. Of what he did.

Ryuuji’s staff slipped from his fingers, clattering to the ground. He brought a shaking hand up to his face, watching as blood ran down his fingers.

He did it again. Ryuuji swore to himself he’d never do that again.

The Phoenix sank to his knees, clutching at the swaying grass. He’d been so good about controlling himself in fights so he never used his Phoenix side unless he was training with someone who could handle his strength, like Rie.

Not only that, but he hurt Rin. He hurt someone he actually cared about.

Then the crushing weight of another realization hit him. He’d used magic, in front of exorcists. Ryuuji clutched at his hair desperately, “Ȧqeset kher ȧnuk ȧqer?” (What have I done?)

The sudden realization made something else spark in his mind, sudden anxiety settling beneath his skin upon realizing he was sitting in the open. His glamour down, absolutely nothing around to protect his appearance aside from some trees.

Ryuuji jumped to his feet, snatching up his staff as he made quick work of frantically setting up the spell. The Phoenix drew a large circle through the dirt surrounding the clearing to base the spell around. The clearing wasn’t huge, only a few meters wide. Just wide enough for the Phoenix to spread his wings comfortably.

The demon’s tail twitched in agitation as he knocked on the wood of trees surrounding the clearing. The spell he was going to use was not one that could be put up fast and sloppy. He had to meticulously place clumps of hieroglyphs defining the spell around the area he wanted to be secured.

With each passing minute of continuous exposure, Ryuuji grew more anxious. He dug his claws into each tree after checking its strength, tracing the same glyphs over and over until the small clearing was surrounded by them.

The Phoenix slowly checked over each one before pressing his hand to scratched bark or the divots in the ground respectively, “Tchebā meṭ,” (Seal words.)

The spell was tedious, requiring it to be cast on each individual set of hieroglyphs. It wasn’t required for the barrier spell he was going to cast, but it helped. He’d learned the hard way that a barrier spell requiring written hieroglyphs would weaken if one was altered even slightly. Thus, he used the spell to keep the words from being altered by anything unless he wished it so.

The Phoenix moved to the center of the clearing, about to cast the spell when the snap of a twig rang through the air. Ryuuji froze, head whipping around, glancing around the clearing with wary eyes, looking for anything awry hiding between the trees. A few moments of silence revealed his anxiety playing tricks on him.

Ryuuji’s ears twitched towards every sound, feathers ruffling near silently. The Phoenix bit at his lips, chapped from years of biting, raising his staff from his side. He held the bottom point of the staff mere centimeters from the ground, allowing his magic to flow from his body to his staff.

Ryuuji breathed deeply, raising his staff up with both hands and slamming it into the ground with a yell, “Karȧ ȧmen ḥenā tcha!” Ryuuji inhaled sharply at the feeling of magic washing over everything around him in waves but going no farther than the circle of hieroglyphs. The waves of energy seemed to crash against an invisible force, making its way up and over the Phoenix in a protective dome.

That never gets old, Ryuuji thought as a faint amber tint coated everything outside of the barrier.

The Phoenix slowly lowered his staff, turning full circle to look over the barrier. With this, anyone on the outside would be unable to hear or see into the clearing.

However, anyone could enter. Ryuuji sighed, kneeling as he placed his hands on the ground, “Sȧn,” (Clay.) The ground beneath his rough hands warped, turning smooth beneath his fingers.

Ryuuji slowly lifted his hands, palms flat towards the warping ground. Slowly, mounds of watery clay lifted from the dirt. It was different from the clay in Egypt, this was a dirty brown and filled with small rocky debris.

The Phoenix huffed, pinching his brows in concentration as he took the clay in his hand, rolling it in his palms before working it into the first shape that came to mind.

Now that the barrier was up and he was safe, he allowed his mind to wander and his body to relax. His wings slouched to the ground, spilling out around him. Ryuuji moved his tail, wrapping it around his phone which he’d left on the ground earlier. Without looking, one of the stalks of his tail swished over the screen (thank Rā for the sensitive screens someone in Greece created so the phone would react to fur) subconsciously moving through the apps so he could call his sister.

Ryuuji didn’t bother bringing the phone to his ear, letting it sit on his leg. The phone barely even rang, the silence around Ryuuji being filled with laughter and a loud shout, “Ryuuji! UĀ NEB, SI RYUUJI!” (GUYS, IT'S RYUUJI!)

Ryuuji chuckled at the sounds of stumbling and clambering feet on the ground, relishing in the familiar language dripping from their tongues. However, there were too many voices at once for him to figure out what was being said, “Uā neg, chill out!” (Guys…!)

“Chill!? Entuten tem kheru meṭet er n ḥenā entuten shu uȧ er chill?!” Rie practically screeched. Ryuuji opened his mouth to say something, only to be cut off by Rie exclaiming loudly, “Utchfau, ȧnuk shu pet then tem rekh ḥer!” (You haven’t said a word and you want me to… Hold up, I wanna see your stupid face!)

Ryuuji rolled his eyes, watching the screen reveal a group of familiar people. Ryuuji smiled, holding the phone up to show his face with a single stalk of his tail.

The Phoenix paused his hands, allowing the lizard-like body of clay to rest in his palms, looking over the faces of his closest friends.

Rie’s phone was probably propped up somewhere if the way the screen appeared was anything to go by. Rie was in the back, huge orange and brown wings slung around the rest of the group. Just seeing her reminded Ryuuji of how much they looked alike. Her chocolate brown hair was styled in an undercut, the top having been spiked up with spray. Some days she didn’t bother and just held it back with a bandana. Her skin was only slightly lighter than Ryuuji's, littered with pale scars on every visible inch of skin.

Ryuuji noticed her golden eyes flick up, giving him no warning as she shouted, “TEN ȦMU THEN ḤU ḤENĀ-EM!?” (YOU DYED YOUR HAIR WITHOUT ME!?)

Ryuuji’s eyes widened, only just remembering the deal they’d made, “Oh ḥauatu,” (Oh sh*t.)

Rie jumped forward, pushing the others to the side with clawed hands, “Entuten netches ḥauatu!” (You little sh*t!) Suddenly, a terrifying smile drew across her face, revealing teeth just as sharp and numerous as Ryuuji’s, “Ten khemt ȧqueset nefa meti, uā neb?” (You know what this means, guys?)

The slightly older girl rubbed her hands together, obviously plotting Ryuuji’s future. The latter pressed clay-covered hands to his face, groaning in annoyance.

“Sefi, entuten kher nefa ȧu tches,” (Babe, you did this to yourself.) The Phoenix glared at Jackie half-heartedly. The boy snorted as he crawled back onto his chair from which Rie had pushed him in her excitement, rolling pale green eyes as he stuck out a thick, forked tongue.

Ryuuji returned the gesture. The half Dracaenae boy flipped his hair over his shoulder. The black locks, which brushed just above sandy beige shoulders, had donned green streaks since the last time Ryuuji had seen them. His friends were eccentric, each in their own way. It was a nice familiarity, a place where he could just be himself, “Benrȧu beḥen mestcher.” (Nice piercings.)

Ryuuji snorted, “Kuȧ khemt ten p sa sa tefa ḳem benrȧ nefa, Ȧārtu Ḥekau,” The Phoenix gestured to his face as he spoke. (I think you’re the only one who actually likes this, Snake Charmer.)

Jackie wrinkled his nose, green scales scrunching around his eyes. Both boys pretended to ignore Rie’s scheming in the background, “Entuten rekh kuȧ mesṭeṭ tefa ren!” (You know I hate that nickname!)

Ryuuji shrugged, “Eref ȧbu sebeḥ n-ȧ ‘Sefi,’” (Then stop calling me ‘Babe.’)

Jackie gasped, putting a scaled hand to his forehead as he gasped, “Ȧr ḳert seshai entuten? Ȧnuk mertu sep ȧbu sebeḥ n-ȧ ‘Sefi,’ Benrȧḥeti!” (How could you? I will never stop calling you ‘Babe,’ Sweetheart!)

Ryuuji’s mouth opened to answer, only to get distracted by a certain Viking snorting, rolling green eyes, “Then bu nebu men erṭā khennu,” (You guys are so annoying.)

“Aw, iu’em Sol! Maā shesep entuten mer n!” (Aw, come on Sol! Just admit you love us!) Azal, who had been watching silently, threw their arms over Solveig’s broad shoulders.

“Ȧnuk ḳer peshen nesut em pai-ȧ pesṭu, ȧr ten maāu shu ȧu erṭā khennu uȧ?” (I have an axe on my back, do you really want to test me?) Ryuuji snorted as the freckled girl crossed her arms, lips pressed in a thin line. They all knew she’d never draw her ever-present weapon on them, despite her tough-girl act.

Azal blew a stray ginger lock, which had escaped Sol’s braid, from their face. The Viking was sporting a crudely cut side-shave as always. Ryuuji was pretty sure she cut the side with her axe, even if it somehow looked good on her. The rest of her bright ginger hair was twisted in a thick, messy braid thrown over her shoulder.

Jackie cooed, slipping from his seat and tapping the double-sided battle-axe strapped on Sol’s back, “Entuten enti feṭqu nefa khesef-ā ḥer, ȧrit ten Sefi?” (You wouldn’t dare hurt this irresistible face, would you Babe?) Ryuuji smiled widely, not bothering to hide his row of fangs. Jackie always called them ‘Babe’ or some other pet name. It had taken a while for Solveig to warm up to the pet names, but it was so normal now that it actually calmed Ryuuji.

Rie seemed to only just snap out of her plotting, jumping in and scrambling to jump on Sol’s back. No matter how many times his sister did this, Ryuuji was always surprised she didn’t hurt herself on Sol’s axe.

Rie hissed at Jackie playfully. Her wings stayed folded loosely on her back, revealing how calm she was as her tail flicked around, “Pai-ȧ merru, ḥa!” (My girlfriend, back off!)

Jackie, in turn, gasped dramatically, draping himself against Sol, “Ȧr ḳert entuten set bu pai-ȧ mȧu nefa?!” (How could you betray me like this?!)

The poor Viking girl was trapped in the middle of the three bickering friends. A pierced brow twitched as Sol tried, and failed, to push the other teens off her. Pushing at Jackie only resulted in the boy flicking his split tongue at her and blinking his secondary lids just to annoy her. If Ryuuji had been there, he’d have been just as dramatic, if not more.

The Phoenix sighed sadly, eyes cast to the clay in his hand. He’d been subconsciously squeezing at it, deforming the material from the shape he’d meticulously sculpted it into. Ryuuji scrunched his nose, his jaw clenching as he allowed himself to gain tunnel vision on sculpting the shape he’d come up with earlier. He used his claws to carve detailed features into the gritty clay, using the distraction to his advantage.

Ryuuji had been so focussed on trying to push away the longing to be in Egypt with the people he considered his family, that he’d failed to notice the way the playful bickering and laughter had ceased. Or how his tail waved around, bristles raised in tension.

“Enti! Ȧm theḥeḥ, Ji-Ji!” (No! Don’t cry, Ji-Ji!) Ryuuji started in surprise at Azal’s gentle voice, slowly bringing a hand to his cheek. He hadn’t even realized his frustrations had revealed themselves in the form of tears.

Ryuuji blinked down at the lava on the tips of his fingers, swallowing thickly as he fought off more tears. Now that they started, it seemed they didn’t want to stop. Rie moved closer to the camera by leaning over Solveig’s shoulder, her wings flared protectively as Ryuuji’s own tucked closer to his body in his vulnerable state, the free stalks of his tail curling around his body to make himself smaller.

Rie humfed, “Mut sper khet kher, ḳert nes enti peḳ. Nes shu ten n meṭu n tches,” (Mom said something happened, but she wouldn’t explain. She wanted you to tell us on your own.)

Ryuuji gnawed at his lip, keeping his eyes downcast. If he’d been in Egypt at this very moment, he’d have curled into any one of them while the others dogpiled on top of him. They always helped each other with anything they could.

The five of them had known each other since they were little. Ryuuji met Solveig when he was particularly young. The Viking was the oldest daughter of The Clan’s (the Norse Ḥesepu) chief. Anytime there were meetings between the two Sept they would be in each other’s presence. The two of them had stuck together, being the only children sharing an age that could tolerate each other. Solveig had pretended to hate him and Rie since the moment they met but slowly warmed up to them.

They’d met Jackie in Greece while investigating the appearance of a dangerous Kharsatȧ, or Rogue. The Dracaenae had been caught in the crossfire of a fight that broke out when Ryuuji had sneezed while sneaking around the Rogue’s hideout, blowing their cover. They ended up seeing Jackie again in Egypt. Apparently, his father was a magician and promised to teach him magic.

The boy was always traveling back and forth between his Dracaenae mother and Egyptian father. Jackie didn’t seem to mind though, he said they both loved him and that was what mattered.

Then there was Azal. No one knew exactly how, but they were orphaned by their parents in the desert. They all assumed Azal’s parents were Egyptian due to their talent in magic. Thankfully, Azal had been found by a Sphinx and raised by her. Historians never seemed to figure out that Sphinx were very protective of children. Azal’s mother, as that’s what they called the Sphinx, was actually genuinely sweet and caring. They met because Rie had stumbled upon the Sphinx after a particularly bad encounter with a Camazotz, a beast from the Aztec culture that looked like a bat on steroids.

They were dangerous and deadly silent for their size, easily reaching four meters tall when walking on their hooked feet as if they were human. Camazotz have pure red eyes and are completely blind, using sounds to maneuver through the heavily forested areas they occupied. As if that wasn’t enough, their bites were deadly, both from the poison contained within each needle-point tooth and the strength of their bites. The worst part? They traveled in packs.

Rie had been badly shaken. It was only by chance that she stumbled upon the Sphinx and Azal, but they were all thankful she did or they might never have seen her again. Even the most skilled of fighters couldn’t hold their own when they were unfortunate enough to stumble into a cauldron of the bat-like beasts.

Ryuuji gnawed at his lip, tasting the faint tang of iron on his tongue when his fangs dug into the skin a little too hard. He could tell them. Hell, he told them everything, and he’d heard everything. So he took a deep breath and spoke. He was so nervous, he wasn’t sure which of the many languages he knew was being spoken at any one time. Perks of being the Prince, you meet a lot of people with different varieties of language understanding, so you learn a boatload of them.

Occasionally, Ryuuji had to pause and swallow thickly. He could feel sobs building in his throat and tears swimming in his eyes. He didn’t bother stopping the tears from flowing, he didn’t feel like burning his eyes (he’d done it before with his tears and it was a bitch to heal).

He could catch glimpses of his friends, all other them looked pained in their own way. Rā, Ryuuji wished he could hug just one of them at least.

When he was finished telling them everything, he meant everything. Every fear and breakdown, every issue, even the small victories. Like meeting Etsuko and standing up to Mephisto’s pompous ass. He didn’t, however, tell them about Rin. he didn’t feel like telling them about someone who would hate him by the end of tomorrow.

From the other side of the phone, Rie huffed through her nose, sending smoke and small flickers of fire onto Jackie’s head. The Dracaenae yelped, darting out of Rie’s line of fire to douse the flames. Ryuuji could hear a sink running and relieved sighs coming somewhere out of view of the camera.

The Phoenix laughed weakly, a small smile gracing his lips. Rie’s eye was ticking, obviously pissed that she wasn’t with Ryuuji and couldn’t protect her younger brother, “Nefa sut!” (That’s it!) Rie screamed, startling the others from their own fits of rage and worry.

Except for Jackie. He was still off-camera.

Ryuuji’s brows pinched. He tried to look confused, which he was, but he was sure he looked more like a kicked puppy with his tears and wobbling chin.

“Shesep then Benbent em! N sper ȧu entuten!” (Get your Obelisk out! We’re coming to you!)

Ryuuji tried to urge them against that, only for Azal to shush him, “Un ȧmt ḥer netches sesu!” They said approvingly before the screen went dark. (Be there in a sec!)

Ryuuji blinked a few times, allowing the phone to drop to the floor as he re-focussed his attention on the clay in his hands. He’d managed to finish sculpting the material into the shape of a dragon. It was small, the body was the size of Ryuuji’s face, with small wings stretched out and a long tail spiraling around its figure. The clay was now glowing slightly, his tears having seeped into the sculpture.

The Phoenix shrugged it off, not caring too much to worry about it.

He knew it would take the others a little longer than usual to get to him, courtesy of the barrier, so he decided to push aside his feelings long enough to cast the spell to bring the clay to life, turning it into a Shabti.

Allowing his magic to flow into the clay, Ryuuji murmured a spell he’d cast countless times, “Netch Shabti,” (Guard Shabti.) Ryuuji watched with satisfaction as the clay became soft and scale-like against his palms. The small figure writhed, shaking off the stillness of a sculpture to become more moveable.

The tiny dragon stretched, shaking off loose chunks of rock before sitting back on its haunches, blinking up at Ryuuji expectantly.

Ryuuji would never grow tired of how amazing Shabti spells could be, bringing something inanimate to life at the caster’s will. The tiny dragon’s scales, which were slightly uneven from the quickness of his sculpting, were copper brown. Small spines spiked up from the Shabti’s back, continuing all the way down the tail.

The dragon blinked purple eyes up at him, waiting for its orders. Ryuuji chuckled, “Seshai ten ȧbu ḥenmemet er sper khen nefa tcher ȧn ȧs nuk ȧmmā ent-sen?” (Can you prevent anyone from getting within this barrier unless I allow them?)

The Dragon mulled this over before scampering up to Ryuuji’s shoulder, sniffing at him curiously so it could identify, “Ȧqeset ȧrit kuȧ ren entuten?” (What should I name you?) Ryuuji wondered aloud. He had been told by the council that it wasn’t proper to name a Shabti designed to do your bidding. Ryuuji really didn’t care what they thought, and he always gave each Shabti a unique name. (Unless you counted his first Shabti. Their cat, Shabby). He’d found that they always had a unique personality when given the chance, so naming them was always the first thing he did after bringing them to life.

The dragon, who had stopped sniffing, jumped from his shoulder, beating it’s wings around to fly in circles above Ryuuji’s head. The wobbly circles were cut short when the dragon sneezed out a column of flames, falling a short distance to Ryuuji’s head. The dragon flopped down, head positioned so he could look at Ryuuji easily.

Ryuuji bit at his lip, chuckling. The sneezing flames reminded him of a certain dragon from one of his favorite book series, “Norbert nes mer,” (Norbert it is.) Only to be met with a hiccuped column of flames to his face.

Ryuuji closed his eyes, waiting for the flames to subside before opening them again. The newly named Norbert looked at him curiously. Ryuuji blew his own column of flames in the dragon’s face, earning himself what could only be described as a smile from the dragon as a pink, forked tongue lolled from Norbert’s mouth.

“Yeah,” Ryuuji hummed, scratching at the dragon’s scaled chin, earning a few chirps of appreciation, “Entuten maāt ‘Norbert,’” (You’re definitely a ‘Norbert.’)

Chapter 18: The Past Can’t Be Avoided Forever

Chapter Text

The calmness Ryuuji had felt by casting magic and watching Norbert fly around, chirping playfully, was disrupted by a large vortex of sand appearing above the entire clearing. Ryuuji’s head whipped around, finding the small Obelisk with his eyes. The small, glowing, Obelisk.

“Oh my Isis, they actually did it,” Ryuuji whispered, before realizing they would crash down on top of him when they came through, “Sethes!” (f*ck!)

Ryuuji tried to scramble out of the way, only to be sandwiched between the ground and the pile of his friends. The Phoenix groaned into the grass, lifting his head to spit dirt from his mouth, “Uā neb, ḥennui er ḥer!” (Guys, get off!)

“Entuten mer n, Sefi!” (You love us, Babe!) Ryuuji tried to squirm away from the pile and the pain in his wings.

“Nu khert, kuȧ ȧru. Ḳert ṭenḥui kher BEBET QERSU!” (Yes, I do. But wings have HOLLOW BONES!) Ryuuji shouted for emphasis, bucking his hips up to push the others off him. He didn’t put enough force into it, forgetting just how much the four of them weighed and failed to push them off.

His wings pulsed at the awkward angle they were pinned at, and the weight pressed against them. f*cking hollow wings. Why?! He didn’t care if it had something to do with physics. Phoenix were f*cking magical deities! Couldn’t they defy physics? By the gods, why was physics something they continued to have difficulty with?!

Ryuuji was momentarily distracted from his inner monologue by an outraged chirp circling above the tangle of bodies (apparently the others were having some difficulty disentangling themselves and getting off!) followed by Norbert diving at the unwelcome guests with a vengeance. Ryuuji twisted his arm at an odd angle, ignoring the aching stretch of muscles, to put his hand between the dragon and the pile of idiots on top of him.

Norbert collided with his hand with a squeaky thwack, puffs of smoke tumbling from his mouth as he fell to the grassy ground beside the Phoenix’s face. Ryuuji watched with amusem*nt as Norbert scrambled to his tiny, clawed feet and started storming in a circle, an endless string of outraged huffs of smoke and chirps following close behind.

While Ryuuji was distracted with watching the Shabti, his friends had untangled from the pile and removed themselves from his back, much to the relief of his wings.

Ryuuji scrambled to his knees, lest his friends decide to tackle him to the ground again. He stretched his wings out, stretching out as far as they could, a comfortable ache in his muscles welcoming him and making a happy hum tumble from his lips. Ryuuji ignored the looks of worry from his friends (he considered them more as a family if he was being completely honest). Glancing around the group, Ryuuji got lost in his thoughts as emotions pulled at his mind. Being able to see them all, and be with them was so nice. It reminded him of nights where they would all crash at one of their homes, being teenagers and playing stupid games before falling asleep in a tangle of limbs on the floor.

The Phoenix was startled from his thoughts when Rie leaned close a little too fast, his hand flying out to push her away while the other came up to protect his face. His sister blinked before wincing, “Ȧb, enti khemt ȧu ḥeru ten,” (Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.) Rie murmured, placing a reassuring hand over his own, a comforting smile gracing her lips, “Set ruṭ qesen, meti?” (It’s getting worse, isn’t it?)

Ryuuji reached out, pulling Rie close so he could hide his face against her shoulder, “Ȧnuk ḳerḳ shaā ȧḥ si. Ȧmt ȧu, enti,” (I’ve been avoiding it. So, no.) It was so refreshing to be with Rie. She was so familiar, everything from her scent to the way her wings and tail flared protectively as they created a sort of shelter around Ryuuji with her wings.

There was a soft rustle of grass beside him, he could feel Rie’s feathery ear flick against his hair when it tried to hone in on the sound, just as Ryuuji’s did, “Nefa enti senb, Sefi! Entuten khemt nefa!” (That ain’t healthy, Babe! You know that!) Jackie’s voice was soft, scaled arms wrapping around his torso after wiggling within the protection of Rie’s feathered appendages.

“Ȧm ḥan-re,” (Don’t care.) It stops the panic. The last part went unsaid, but they all knew what it was. They had all been through horrible things. Especially Solveig, Rie, and himself due to being part of the family in charge of their respective Ḥesepus. Ryuuji hated it, but as the Prince of Egypt, and Rie the Princess, they had duties. Most of which were not things they liked to think about and tried to avoid at all costs.

If he faced his problems, maybe it would be better for him (at least that’s what his therapist said), but he was not dealing with them surrounded by exorcists. Ryuuji didn’t want to have a panic attack or a flashback in front of anybody. The mess that was yesterday was bad enough as it was. And the nightmares were bone-chillingly terrifying, making Ryuuji dread going to bed. I caused many sleepless nights where he would lie in bed and stare at the ceiling, refusing to allow his heavy eyes to close. It didn’t entirely stop them, but Konekomaru and Shima were familiar with his nightmares and helped him through them, even if they didn’t know what they were really about. But if he freaked out in front of anybody else, there would be a lot of explaining, especially since he wasn’t generally aware of his actions if it was bad enough.

Soon, the Phoenix was being engulfed in a hug from every side. Azal was hugging him from behind. Despite their lithe form, they were not graceful. It became obvious in the way Azal leaned against Ryuuji’s back, being careful of his wings, but not careful enough.

They sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity, Ryuuji basking in the familiar scents and warmth. Isis and Osiris, he’d missed them so much.

“Ȧr then ḳaut er kheru-” (Do you want to talk-)

“Enti,” Ryuuji was quick to cut Jackie off, “Ȧnuk ȧm ḳaut er ka ḥenā si.” (No. I don’t want to think about it.)

The silence would have been awkward if Solveig hadn’t yelped and jerked away, pulling her axe from her back as she stood, “That’s it you little menace, get back here so you can face your punishment for biting Solveig Sigurdardottir, daughter of Sigurdar the cold and Vali, goddess of vengeance!”

Ryuuji didn’t bother hiding his snorting laughter as he watched the Viking scream curses in Norse from the corner of his eye, Rie refusing to let go of her younger brother, though he didn’t mind.

The Viking was chasing Norbert around, from what he could gather from the furious shouting in Norse, it was for biting her. He had completely forgotten he hadn’t granted his friends permission, by the Shabti’s standards, to be allowed within this barrier.

“Norbert! Ent-sen ȧmmā ḥer nefa peni!” (Norbert! They’re allowed in here!) His voice was muffled against Rie’s shoulder, but he assumed the tiny dragon heard seeing how Norbert paused his terrified shrieks to study the group and add them to his mental list before darting away from a very close call of the Viking demigod’s axe.

Norbert dove at Ryuuji, looking terrified (Ryuuji could have sworn he saw tears) as he hid within the safety of both pairs of Phoenix wings. Solveig whipped around, having lost sight of Norbert long enough for him to get away. The Viking snarled, turning in every direction, searching for the dragon.

Rie pulled away slightly, studying Ryuuji’s face with furrowed brows and amused eyes, “Entuten ren nef ‘Norbert’?” (Did you name him “Norbert?”)

The prince huffed, raising a brow as if to say “Obviously.”

This only served to send Rie into a fit of wheezing laughs, completely removing herself from Ryuuji. The boy tried not to wilt at the loss, even if Azal and Jackie were still clinging to him, “Entuten men rekh āāu.” (You are such a nerd.)

“Qeṭ n entuten,” (So are you.) Ryuuji shrugged simply, feeling Jackie shift to get comfortable.

Rie watched her mate/girlfriend, Solveig, fondly, a sad smile falling on her features. Ryuuji opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, only for Rie to beat him to it. She looked up at him, eyes swirling with multiple emotions. He saw teasing, sadness, and fear. Ryuuji wasn’t sure if it was on his behalf, but it still worried him, “Ȧnuk merit ȧu pai-ȧ senṭ khaui ka ḥerset ȧrtet khenemes.” (I miss my nightmare-ice-cream buddy.)

Ryuuji blinked multiple times before he chuckled, tilting his head to the ground. That was how his sister was. She would outright say what was bothering her, but she always added something humorous to make it seem less worrisome. Now you know where Ryuuji got it from.

Back at the Ḥesepu, because nightmares between the siblings were a regular thing, they started a habit of sitting together somewhere, falling asleep together so they weren’t alone. On really bad nights, which was pretty damn often, they would sit on the kitchen counters and eat ice cream straight from the carton. Sometimes they would stay completely silent, other times they would spend the entire night teasing each other as their mouths went numb from the cold sweet.

Ryuuji hummed, scratching Norbert behind a tiny-curved horn as he nodded, “Pai-ȧ em setcha.” (Me too.)

Rie watched him curiously, humming after a few moments, “N hab em sesh kheft entuten nāai sen!” (We’re going on an adventure when you get back!)

Ryuuji perked up at the proclamation. Jackie jumped up as well, forked tongue sticking out as it did when he was excited. His green eyes landed on Ryuuji, they had the look of a demon. Looking to his side, he noticed Azal and Sol (she finally sat down, even if she was continuously glaring at the fold of feathers Norbert was hiding in) had the same look in their eyes.

Against his will, a spirited grin split his face, “Merrt nefa ḳerḳ ȧrit ent sbaut nekhenu ḥenā ṭeḳas er p hepu?” (Will this include being reckless teenagers and running from the law?)

“Ȧuna,” (Of course.) Azal mused, tilting their head to the side, hand pressed to their chest, “Ȧqeset n, Savages?” (What are we, savages?)

Ryuuji couldn’t hide the snorting laugh from bubbling past his lips. He was always so careful of how much he opened his mouth, lest someone get a view of the deadly fangs situated in the place his molars should be. There had been a few times where the monks at his temple, and his classmates, had seen them when he couldn’t hold back a yawn or wasn’t quick enough to hide a wide smile or a laugh.

Thankfully, people usually brushed it off as weird genetics or a trick of the light. Although Shima and Neko would tease him about them sometimes, calling him a “Shaggy Werewolf,” or something along those lines.

Rie smirked, satisfied at getting Ryuuji to laugh after the meltdown not half an hour ago. The Phoenix leaned back against her girlfriend, tail waving around happily (although she would always deny it) when her hot-headed Viking girlfriend wrapped her arms around Rie’s waist. Ryuuji finally took notice of the black ink covering Solveig’s entire right arm. Swirling rune designs traveled from the back of her hand, all the way up a muscular arm, disappearing beneath a worn blue t-shirt.

Ryuuji must have made a note of surprise, considering that Sol spoke up, tone deceptively even. They all knew she was ecstatic, “Bǫð gøra einn fullr vikingr um vika. Gǫrr van flá marka fyrir skǫmmu.” Her words were fluid, the Viking language sounding every bit as rough as those who used it. The Old Norse language had always sounded a little strange to the Phoenix, but he understood the words perfectly. (Ritual to become a full Viking was a week ago. Finished the tattoo a few days ago.)

Ryuuji whistled, “Ȧaiu,” (Congrats.) He knew each Ḥesepu had their own traditions, every single one was a big deal for those who practiced them. Many of the traditions weren’t things historians recorded, rather something people started doing and it simply continued, being overlooked by others.

As the night slowly ticked by, dark clouds drifting across the bright stars, the conversation drifted around from topic to topic. Ryuuji managed to deter Sol anytime she stiffened at the sight of Norbert when the small dragon risked a glance out of the folds of Ryuuji’s wing. Although it probably had something to do with Rie sprawled against the ginger’s chest, wings relaxed and resting fully on the ground.

At some point, Rie brought up the topic of his ears, and the loss of his earbuds. Or maybe it was because Azal pointed out that Emile had blown up her lab again. The Phoenix was a genius in all things technology, but her inventions and experiments tended to explode multiple times before anything worked. Somehow, despite the multitude of fortification spells and the fact that the lab was made of strong metal, she always managed to destroy part of the building at least once a month.

Ryuuji hadn’t even been surprised, rolling golden eyes and fluffing as a particularly cold breeze blew across his body.

Rie, who had been trying to speak above Azal, Ryuuji, and Jackie’s sarcastic comments about the resident genius-slash-crazy-lady, snapped her fingers in annoyance. The snapping was punctuated with a slam of one of her tail-stalks. Once she was satisfied everyone’s gaze was on her, she explained how Emile had the bright idea to make a different version of the earbuds she’d invented for him, apparently, she was making a damn profit off them and wanted to make them better.

Rie said she’d get Emile to help them out and give him a pair of the modified ear devices she had just come up with, due to the loss of his own. Ryuuji had wilted in relief at the idea of hindering his hearing again, even if the devices might be prototypes and Ryuuji a living test subject.

By the time any of them noticed how late, or early, it was, Ryuuji was sure Konekomaru or Shima would catch him when he tried to sneak back into the dorm. It had taken longer than he liked to convince his friends to go back home. It didn’t help that both Jackie and Azal had wormed their ways into his lap by some miracle.

The Phoenix would be lying if he said he was surprised, the two teens loved clinging onto anyone they could. And, because they hadn’t seen Ryuuji in a long time, that person was Ryuuji. As Ryuuji tried to push the two idiots from his lap, Rie begrudgingly hoisted herself off Sol, stretching out her wings. Due to the sun’s light not hitting the Obelisk, it was rendered useless. A downside of using magic channelled from Rā, god of the sun.

The older Phoenix glanced at the three people she'd have to fly back to Egypt, running her tongue over her sharp fangs in poorly disguised annoyance. Rie seemed to be thinking over how to go about the flight, hands moving randomly as she assessed each of their friends, lips moving to form silent words.

Ryuuji took the chance to wrap his sister in another hug, not caring that a calm purring radiated from his throat when Rie clung to him. Rie was smiling gently when they pulled apart, her lips quirked in a lopsided smile before she smacked Ryuuji on the head and pulled at a long, feathered ear, “Ȧm ȧrit nebt khepert enti sesh, entuten setheken ȧn shesau peḥui, re-pu ȧnuk merrt sekhtiu ten ȧstheḥt!” (Don’t do anything stupid, you f*cking dumbass, or I’ll hunt you down!)

Ryuuji hissed, fighting to remove himself from his sister's grip, “Uauu ḳatu n ta Ȧthi ur beḳa, Ȧakebu Nāu!” (Threatening the prince is treason, Banshee!)

Rie retaliated by grabbing his other ear, tugging hard, “Ȧnuk enti uauu ḳatu Ȧthi. Ȧnuk uauu ḳatu ḥāt-rekhes ȧn sesh sa!” (I’m not threatening a prince. I’m threatening a self-sacrificing idiot!)

Ryuuji was saved from his sister’s wrath by Sol grabbing the girl under the arms and hoisting her up and away. Rie’s feet hovered over the grassy ground, legs flailing in an attempt to kick at him. The Phoenix rubbed at his ears, glaring daggers at his sister. Horus, the relationships between siblings were confusing as f*ck.

Rie gave one last huff of annoyance, smoke escaping from her mouth and nose, before going limp in Sol’s arms. Sol didn’t risk putting her down though, something the Viking, Jackie, and Azal had agreed on when dealing with the two Phoenix if they were pissed. Apparently, they had such a “Quick reaction switch that they could go from a ray of sunshine to a demon in 0.2 seconds flat.”

Jackie’s words, not his.

Rie’s tail swished around, finding a way to wind around Ryuuji’s arm. He knew she was worried about him, no matter how she showed it at the moment.

The boy sighed gently, locking eyes with his sister. He had to look up slightly because of the hold Solveig had on her, “Nuk ȧb unen tcha. Sef uā uāu ȧqeṭs rā.” (I’ll be fine. Yesterday was just a bad day.)

Rie pressed her lips into a thin line, tail stalks slowly unraveling from his arm, but not before squeezing worriedly. She didn’t look even convinced, and Ryuuji couldn’t blame her. He didn’t believe the words that came from his mouth even slightly.

The amount of time it took for their non-winged friends to be situated enough for Rie to take off was honestly impressive. It usually took way longer when both of them were flying. That didn’t mean the taking off and actually flying part wasn’t any less of a spectacle. Rie listed side to side for as long as Ryuuji could see her in the sky. She was slower from the extra weight, but she still disappeared on the horizon fast.

Ryuuji watched the sky for what felt like hours, the longing to launch after them squeezing at his heart. His eyes averted to the ground where Norbert was weaving between his legs, chirping in a demanding tone that reminded Ryuuji of cats when they wanted to be pet.

The Phoenix sighed, running a hand through his messy hair in a poor attempt to push them from his face as he moved back to the pile of his stuff. Norbert made an outraged sound, something between a snort and a shriek.

Ryuuji smirked, pretending to ignore the way the dragon clambered up to his wings and back, draping over his shoulder. The boy stuffed everything strewn across the ground back into the duffle.

He was close to opening the Duat and stuffing it in his own personal pocket on items before hesitating. Mulling over the thought that came to his mind, Ryuuji snatched the wrist holster for a dagger. He knew he had his wand in his boot, and his amulet around his neck (as always), but he wanted something else. Something less… magic-related in case he was in a tight spot.

Ryuuji wrapped the cool leather around his wrist, flicking his wrist just right and watching as the hilt slid into his palm, allowing him to flip the dagger around so the blade was out. Satisfied that it was still in prime condition, Ryuuji reloaded the dagger and removed the sheath from his wrist, tucking it into his pocket. It wouldn’t be hidden with the short sleeves of his nightshirt and he didn’t want to risk anyone seeing it.

The brunette quickly closed his duffle, pulling on the magic of the Duat, opening his own personal pocket as he had done a thousand times before. Ryuuji tossed the bag in the mirage-like waves in the air, watching the distortion disappear along with the bag.

Satisfied, Ryuuji nodded, walking to the edge of the barrier before freezing. He almost forgot to hide his features. Norbert yelped, nearly tumbling from his shoulder when Ryuuji’s wings and ears disappeared. The tiny dragon narrowed violet eyes at the Phoenix, hesitantly sniffing at him.

The poor Shabti looked confused with the same scent, but different appearance. Ryuuji chuckled, “Ȧm senṭ, Norbert. Ȧnuk mȧ ȧr Ryuuji.” (Don’t worry, Norbert. I’m still Ryuuji.)

The dragon took little persuading, seeing as he darted across Ryuuji’s shoulders, playfully pulling at the uncovered metal in Ryuuji’s ears. The feathers of his real ears hid the earrings slightly, but now that they were on full display, Norbert could focus on nothing but the shiny metal.

Ryuuji slowly removed Norbert from his shoulder, careful not to tug too hard because of the way the small dragon was swatting and biting at the piercings curiously.

Once he knew he was out of danger of an earring being pulled from his ear, Ryuuji brought Norbert close to his face. The dragon’s legs dangled lazily, tail wagging back and forth, forked tongue lulled out like a dog’s. His wings flapped happily, the tiny dragon tried to nip playfully at Ryuuji’s nose. The Phoenix leaned away to save his nose from the sharp teeth within the dragon’s mouth.

“Smet,” (Listen.) Ryuuji tried to keep his voice stern, despite the downright adorable look Norbert was pinning him with, “Ten ḳerḳ thes ḥetep n nefa ḥenā netchet p tcherȧ.” (You need to stay here and guard the barrier.)

Ryuuji slowly placed the Shabti on a low-hanging branch. Norbert watched him curiously as he slowly took a few steps back. The tiny dragon didn’t seem to understand what was happening right away, but he did when Ryuuji cautiously turned his back, walking farther away.

The Phoenix yelped at the sudden cry piercing the air, hands slamming over his sensitive ears. His claws unwillingly unsheathed themselves from his fingers, points digging into his tanned skin ever so slightly. Ryuuji winced, the cry sounded so sad and desperate.

Ryuuji whipped around, turning to find the source of the noise and gaping when he realized it was Norbert. The dragon looked like a kicked puppy, every limb wilted and honest-to-Rā tears in his big purple eyes. Ryuuji turned away, pressing his palms to his eyes, careful of the claws that had yet to retract, “Enti, ȧb enti kheperu pai-ȧ ȧpu.” (Nope, not gonna convince me.)

Ryuuji made the mistake of glancing at the Shabti, who was now flashing him the best “puppy-dog eyes.” The Phoenix wondered where the Shabti had learned that in the few hours he’d been alive, but pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

Norbert started to whimper, feet shuffling. Ryuuji could feel his resolve crumbling but continued to hold up, although barely.

A few seconds later and Ryuuji cracked, “Setheken temtu sep!” (f*cking fine!) Norbert jumped up happily, tail wagging around playfully as he pounced at Ryuuji, flopping down on his head.

“Entuten khemt ten ent-ā sau p tcherȧ, sekha?” (You know you’re supposed to watch the barrier, right?) Ryuuji hoped that would snap the dragon back into it and convince him to go back to the branch he had been perched on, but it didn’t.

Norbert chittered, as if to remind him that he could still protect the barrier without being there. Ryuuji knew this. When a Shabti was given a job, even when they weren’t at their figurative post, they were still aware of everything happening at the place they were supposed to protect or watch.

Ryuuji shook his hand, a nervous whine emanating from his throat. He was worried that someone, namely Shima or Konekomaru, would see the tiny dragon. The Phoenix slowly made his way back to the dorms, palming at the leather-wrapped dagger in his pocket. It stuck out of the deep pockets, but only slightly.

Despite the fact that his real ears were hidden, the smaller, fleshier, ears twitched whenever a noise sounded a little too close. At some point, Ryuuji’s anxiety got the better of him, forcing him to race to the dorms with Norbert clinging to his hair for dear life, terrified cries emanating from the dragon’s throat.

Ryuuji didn’t pause when he reached the dorms, simply planting a foot on the wall and launching up, clambering up the brick-laden walls to the window of his shared room. He was quick to throw open the window and peek inside… only to freeze dead in his tracks.

Shima was standing in the middle of the room, pink hair sticking up at gravity-defying angles. His clothes were rumpled, frozen midway through rubbing his half-lidded eyes. The pinkett slowly lowered his hand from his face, tired brown eyes staring at him.

Shima was staring at him, with a dragon on his head and his tail left untucked, coming in through the window in the middle of the night.

Shima was staring at him.

Shima was staring.

Shima.

Chapter 19: Oh f*ck

Chapter Text

Ryuuji’s heart was racing, feeling like his chest would explode at any moment. All he could hear was the adrenaline pumping in his ears as he stared at his friend. The two teens were frozen in their place, watching the other with horror.

Ryuuji’s breathing grew more panicked at each passing second, the tightness in his chest growing more painful. His head was spinning, threatening him with the prospect of tipping out the window.

Norbert’s constant growling wasn’t helping the situation either.

Shima’s eyes glided over his form, which crouched halfway through the window. His eyes had stalled on Norbert, only to lock onto the uncontrollable nervous twitching of Ryuuji’s tail.

The pinkett took a small step back, terror clear in his eyes. His hand waved around frantically, pointing at Ryuuji in different places, stammering out incomprehensible words. Ryuuji’s eyes, which were starting to burn with unshed tears as he watched his friend grow more and more terrified of him, snapped to Shima’s hand as it darted to the K’rik propped against the wall.

Ryuuji flinched, dangerously close to tipping back out the window, knuckles turning white with the grip he had on the frame that cracked under his grip. Shima held the weapon aloft, his stance was sloppy and his hands were shaking, “Bo-on,” Shima’s words were thick with sleep and stammering with fear, “what...you do’ng?”

Ryuuji said the first thing that came to mind, “You’re-uh-dreaming?”

His mind was not in the right mindset to come up with anything better. Sue him.

Shima blinked, seeming to mull Ryuuji’s words over. His head bobbed side to side, “Yeah… I’m drea-” His words were cut off by a yawn. Ryuuji’s jaw slackened, he couldn’t quite believe that it actually worked.

Ryuuji watched cautiously as the pinkett slouched forward, grip loose on the K’rik. Ryuuji managed to see what would happen before it did, launching forward to snatch the metal pole before it clattered to the floor. He loved Shima, but he was easy to convince of things, especially when he was tired. However, if Konekomaru woke up, that would be the end of his secret...and probably his life.

Shima didn’t even flinch at the action, nor when the Phoenix stood, nervous eyes darting over tired ones. The pinkett giggled, knees giving out, forcing Ryuuji to balance his friend and the K’rik.

Ryuuji menuevered so he could prop Shima’s K’rik against the wall as silently as possible, wincing when the loose metal hoops clashed together. Ryuuji’s eyes darted to the form of his still sleeping friend, relief washing over him when the smaller teen didn’t so much as stir.

Shima had slouched against him more, the pinkett nothing but dead weight in his arms, making it hard to keep him from collapsing to the floor.

He felt curious fingers brush against his tail. Ryuuji sucked in a sharp breath at the sudden touch, pulling Shima away from the appendage. He really needed the teen to go to bed! Or he’d have to deal with Shima slowly coming out of the sleep-induced trance and realizing he was not, in fact, dreaming.

Ryuuji scowled at the pinkett, only for him to list to the side and giggle like the idiot that he was, “Gold eyes,” Shima reached forward, probably in an attempt to poke at his eyes. Ryuuji leaned further back, avoiding his friend's hand.

“Alright, up you go,” Ryuuji grumbled, picking up Shima in one swift motion and hoisting him onto the top bunk that was his bed.

Shima continued his giggling for all of two seconds before the comfort of his bed knocked him out completely. The boy practically melted into his mattress, loud snores filling the air.

Ryuuji waited a few moments, praying neither of the teens would stir, only for his knees to buckle from relief. His hands were shaking, the claws that had finally retracted itching to come back into view.

Ryuuji managed to slide himself back against his own bed. He didn’t feel confident in his ability to stand, let alone walk. Norbert was balancing on the small lamp on Ryuuji’s desk, head darting between the Phoenix and the two sleeping teens, purple eyes blinking rapidly.

The teen sat in silence for several minutes, trying to calm the frantic beating in his chest. Ryuuji’s hands cupped his face, tail flicking about freely. He didn’t have enough control over his emotions at the moment to keep his tail beneath his shirt. The best he could hope for was for the appendage to stay relatively hidden within the shadows beneath his bed.

He was incredibly thankful that nights were at least a little quieter than the day, giving him one less thing to put high on his “Worry List.”

There was a small tug at Ryuuji’s pant leg. The Phoenix jolted, head snapping up, eyes (which were apparently still gold, according to Shima) darting around the darkened room frantically. It was only after another tug on his pant leg that Ryuuji saw Norbert.

The Shabti had moved from the desk to stand in front of Ryuuji while he wasn’t paying attention. The hem of his pajama pants were caught between Norbert’s pointed teeth, his wings and tail were twitching nervously, feeding off of Ryuuji’s own emotions.

Norbert gave another tug, this one was more forceful. It was obvious the Shabti was trying to pull him in some way, even if he wasn’t strong enough to do more than shift Ryuuji’s leg slightly.

Ryuuji snorted out a low chuckle, scooping Norbert up as he stood. The Phoenix shimmied beneath the pile of blankets on his bed (he got really cold at night), curling up on his side with a happy hum.

It took a few moments to realize something was pressing uncomfortably against his leg, and another moment to realize it was his wrist sheath. Ryuuji grumbled, fishing the leather-bound dagger from his pocket and dropping it in his school bag, which hung on his chair, haphazardly.

Ryuuji rolled back over, shifting until he was comfortably situated, tail free and hidden beneath the covers. Norbert curled up in the small pocket between Ryuuji’s chest, arms, and pillow.

Ryuuji vaguely registered the Dragon’s sleepy snores, which resulted in small sparks that dissipated as soon as they were created, but he really didn’t care.

Despite Shima having seen him with his tail, eyes, and a dragon on his head, the fight on the roof with two trained exorcists, and his general anxiety that liked to f*ck with him, he felt calm. It might have been because he’d been around his friends from Egypt, especially since he and Rie had created a Pack Bond with them, like the one he had with his mother. Or maybe because Norbert was helping in some Shabti-Dragon-y way.

But, whatever the case, he didn’t care. So he allowed his body to melt into the comfortable warmth of his bed, eyes drifting closed.

Ryuuji was standing in the desert, dunes of sand stretching infinitely in every direction. The sun was hanging high in the sky, the sweltering heat creating shimmering waves in the air. The desert wind was hot, yet somehow hollow. An eerie silence blanketed the desert’s dunes.

There were fires burning, nothing but the impossible heat and the sand to fuel them. Golden eyes watched as the winds swirled around a column of fire, twirling the orange and red flames into the air in a deadly vortex of sand and heat.

Ryuuji was panting, scratched leather and shattered, gold-painted armor, covering his body in a protective layer. The thicker skin on the soles of his feet burned with the sand that had wormed its way into his armor-clad boots.

He was sticky, damp from sweat. Ryuuji’s brown curls were plastered against his forehead, the golden circlet propped on his head slipping further down.

Ryuuji was walking slowly up a large, sandy dune, golden eyes staring ahead with a steely gaze. There was a heavy weight in his hand, dragging in the sand behind him. He couldn’t feel anything aside from a strange feeling welling within his chest, making it hard to breathe. He wanted to destroy something. He wanted something to break against his wrath. He wanted something to burn.

A burnt, red liquid was pooling beneath his feet with each step, mixing with the sand to make a crimson paste. Shifting sand created sounds akin to whimpers behind him, the fine grains blowing into the wind, biting at open wounds along his tanned skin.

Ryuuji came to the crest of the dune, looking out over the large expanse of sand set out before him. There were dunes rising all around, hiding the space from mortals who may wander too close.

There were bodies everywhere. Twisted and mangled in horrifying ways. Spartan armor caved against heads and limbs. Other pieces were strewn across the crimson sand, dull red and bright scarlet fabrics waving in the desert wind.

A few cloaks were colored in rich purple, the symbol of higher-ranking officers. Helmets were adorned with red crests, some traveling no farther than the top of the neck, others dipping past the shoulders in length. At least, they would have if any of the bodies were living.

There was one, single constant. Blood. It was everywhere. Seeping into the sand and fabrics of the armor, dripping off destroyed and intact weapons alike.

Not a single, blood-coated body wore Egyptian armor. Not a single one of this legion had made it close enough to the border to even glimpse an Egyptian outside of Ryuuji and his wrath.

The Phoenix gripped tightly at the weight in his hand, pulling the highest standing praetor into the air by his arm. His purple and gold-trimmed cloak was as tattered as his skin, ripped to pieces with Ryuuji’s own claws and fangs.

Decius Ennodia, emperor and highest-ranking praetor within Rome. Despite his exterior, he’d been a coward the entire battle, leaving his warriors to fight for him while he hid. Now the man was nothing but dead weight in his hand.

Ryuuji tossed the corpse into the sand with the rest of the Fifth Legion. He knew he should be more careful with the dead, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Especially when that asshole did what he had. It wasn’t Ryuuji’s fault that Decius’ warriors followed him blindly, even if they knew the truth.

Ryuuji tilted his head to the side, finding a second purple and gold cloak covering an older girl with dirty blonde hair. Decius’ eldest daughter. She’d helped him in committing many of his crimes, the rest she helped conceal. Ryuuji felt nothing at the sight of her arm severed from the rest of her armor-clad body. The limb was still gripping onto a shining shield propped in the sand.

Ryuuji ignored the dull gaze in the girl’s once navy blue eyes and the way her helmet was cracked just as cleanly as her skull. Instead, he gazed into the reflective surface of the shield, looking past the ornate depictions of famous heroes and Roman deities to study his reflection.

The once gleaming gold metal of his armor was cracked and scorched, the surface concealed with endless splatters of blood. His brown curls were thick and tacky, a golden circlet with Uraeus, the rearing cobra, sitting lopsided on his head. The fangs of the cobra seemed to drip with the blood on the tainted crown.

His tail stalks swished lazily behind him, dispersing crimson flecks across the sand. His wings and ears were matted, orange and golden-brown feathers now an endless sea of red.

Ryuuji’s golden eyes were dark, angry, and hungry. A crazed smile plastered across his face, revealing the strings of bloodied flesh caught between rows of dangerously sharp teeth. Ryuuji hummed, dismissing his appearance without care.

His attention turned back to the concave desert that displayed the Spartan corpses. Ryuuji brought his clawed hands up. The razor-sharp nails had shattered bones stuck beneath them, blood dripping from the sharp points.

Crazed giggles filled the air as fire swirled from Ryuuji’s hand towards the sea of death. It took a single touch of a spark to a red cloak for everything to go up in flames. Ryuuji turned his back on the burning bodies, a wide grin never leaving his face.

The strange shifting sound of sand was accompanied by Ryuuji’s giggles, “Entuten mer sam n then beḳa.” (You’ll burn for your crimes.)

Ryuuji woke in a cold sweat, screaming himself awake. He tried to focus, but it was too loud, too fuzzy. He wasn’t registering anything. Every sound was a muddled mess in his head. He felt...nothing. He could have been dying and he wouldn’t have felt a thing.

Everything was too distant, too numb, too everything.

It was too much. He wasn’t aware of anything he was doing or saying. He couldn’t even think. What was happening? Where was he?

Every sense came back to him in a sudden flood, knocking him down at the shear force, but nothing made sense. There was a buzzing in his head, he was swaying, dangerously close to falling.

When had he stood?

There were figures in front of him. He couldn’t figure out who. They bore some semblance of people he knew. But for some f*cking reason, he couldn’t figure it out!

He was too… something.

It was too hot.

No, too cold.

Too quiet.

Not quiet enough.

His mouth was dry, and the world was shaking.

There wasn’t enough air in his lungs.

Or, maybe there was too much?

He wanted to grab at something. He wanted to run, to hide. He wanted to fight and get out. Out, out, OUT!

He needed to get away. Away from the shaking, the noise, the hands on his skin.

Ryuuji tried to pull away, but the hands on his cheeks held fast, refusing to let him escape.

“...down. Bon, please breathe. You need to breathe.”

Ryuuji couldn’t, there was no way.

He needed to get away, put as much distance between himself and anyone else as possible.

He could feel his head being turned to look at the face of Konekomaru. The boy’s brown eyes were steady, “Where are you?”

His first thought was the desert. The scorching sun and unrelenting sands, that would swallow you up if you weren’t careful, surrounding him.

But, that wasn’t right. There was a hardness against his bare feet, and a chill in the air, “Do-dorm,” Ryuuji managed to stammer out, despite having no air to do so.

Konekomaru nodded encouragingly, “Who are you?”

The world seemed to quake more. Then he realized it was him. He was shaking like a palm frond in a sand storm, breaths ragged and desperate. His hands slowly raised, desperately clinging to Konekomaru’s smaller hands with an iron-like grip that made the smaller boy wince slightly, “My name is Sok-” He quickly shook his head, he had to remember his name. Not his royal name, “My name is Ryuuji Suguro.”

“Good,” Konekomaru nodded, relief present in every inch of his figure. He tried to remove his hands from Ryuuji’s face, only to wince when Ryuuji’s hold tightened, unrelenting.

Shima came up from the side, gently placing his hand on Ryuuji’s shoulder, “Which nightmare was it?”

His friends were familiar with him having nightmares, but they didn’t know what they were really about. They couldn’t. Most of his nightmares were flashbacks of things he couldn’t tell them, things that couldn’t be explained away.

So, he learned to sum them up in simple words, giving his friends the simplest explanation possible. Ryuuji took a shaky breath, voice cracking as he spoke, “Monster, there was a monster.”

He could see their concerned looks, and he knew why. He’d only had this particular nightmare six times, and he could remember each one. The first four times were in the Ḥesepu, and he’d woken up Feral after the first one. The others gained reactions just like this one with Ryuuji waking up unaware of everything and freaking out.

The first one at the temple had been a nightmare, both sleeping and waking. He’d screamed so loud that half of the residents came running. He was lucky Yaozo, Uwabami, and his father were the first to reach him or his secret would have been outed.

The last one was when he’d fallen asleep at a late-night study session with Shima and Konekomaru. He was pretty sure he’d freaked them out badly.

Ryuuji had been trying so hard to suppress the memories of that entire week, something that many of the people involved were doing as well. And he’d been doing so well, pushing those memories far far away for nearly a year, refusing to even think about what had happened. He had succeeded in doing so for the past four months.

It was clear something had snapped.

Maybe it was his panic attack yesterday in school?

Maybe it was Rin being the son of Satan?

Or Rin finding out he wasn’t normal?

It could be Mephisto.

Or…

There was a whole list of possibilities, but it didn’t matter now because the chains around those memories were coming loose.

Ryuuji wondered just how long it would take before others became suspicious. Just the thought made Ryuuji’s tail twitch-

Wait…

Where was his tail?!

Chapter 20: Disappear

Chapter Text

Ryuuji tried to feel the muscle from his lower back, the soft fur rubbing against the scarred skin of his torso.

It wasn’t there.

Ryuuji squeezed Konekomaru’s hand tighter. The boy squeaked, a pained look crossing his features.

The Phoenix could feel his breaths growing shallow again. He needed to get somewhere, anywhere but here, and figure out where the f*ck his tail was.

By some miracle of Shai, he managed to wrench his hands from Konekomaru’s. The boy seemed relieved to have his hands free of Ryuuji’s death grip.

Konekomaru opened his mouth in an attempt to speak, only for Ryuuji to bolt for the bathroom and slam the door roughly. He could hear his friends shouting through the door as he slouched over the sink, pressing his head to the cool porcelain.

He managed to croak out weakly, “I need a few minutes,” As he tried not to hyperventilate at the loss of his tail. He’d never, ever been without it. Not even when he was glamoured. Having his tail stalks twisted around his torso had become a comfort, a gentle, ever-present reminder that he was still himself, that this body was his.

He wanted his tail back Rā dammit!

The door pulsed from his friends knocking violently, “Bon, what the hell?!”

“I just-” The words were thick as syrup in his throat, he couldn’t help but choke on his emotions, “I need some time alone,” He hesitantly glanced towards the door, well aware his friends couldn’t see him. Just facing their direction was difficult, “Please.”

He could hear Konekomaru pause his pleas before sighing heavily, “We’ll wait for you, okay?”

Ryuuji didn’t bother telling them that was a bad idea and would mean they wouldn’t get any sleep either, knowing they would take no sleep over leaving him alone like this.

The Phoenix swallowed down the choking feeling in his throat, only for it to rise back up in the form of bile. Ryuuji doubled over, hurling into the sink. It was clear that memory had finally caught up with his stomach.

He could still taste the blood in the air, still feel the pain of gashes across his skin as scorching sand bit at the fresh wounds. Ryuuji scratched at his scarred skin, sharp nails drawing spots of blood as he tried to get his skin to stop crawling and feeling.

A whine escaped his lips, frustrated tears burning tracks down his cheeks. Why now, why did he have to remember all those horrible things he did? So many people were dead because of him, so many innocent people.

Ryuuji risked a glance in the mirror, flinching back when he saw his reflection. His hair was ascue as if he’d been pulling at it. Black streaks were burned into the skin of his cheeks, healing slightly before being burned again when more tears spilled. There was bile on his lips, tasting sour on his tongue.

The Phoenix moved a hand to nervously play with a stalk on his tail, a nervous habit he’d had for as long as he could remember, only to pass through nothing but air.

That seemed to be the breaking point, a broken sob escaped his lips, knees buckling as he collapsed to the floor. The memories of that month flooded his mind. His people came back broken, bloody, and traumatized, if they weren’t dead, because Decius Ennodia thought he could do what he wanted.

He remembered going to the Ennodia’s palace, which housed the man’s entire family, in an attempt to strike a deal and protect his people. He’d made the mistake of going alone. Even worse, unarmed.

The second he’d stepped into the council room he’d been seized and locked away for thirteen days. He’d been tortured for fun, sliced up, and held in a soundproof cell miles underground.

The only one to show him any kindness was Decius’ youngest daughter, Sornatia. She was the only one in that entire family with a good heart. She would sneak him food and keep him company, telling him stories to make him feel better.

She had found a way to help him escape and she’d been punished for it. She was only thirteen, but her father had ordered her to receive sixty-seven lashes with a whip for treason, each lash representing a person she helped escape. Ryuuji was forever thankful she had survived and became the praetor after the... war.

The battles had only lasted a week, but there had been so much blood. The sands were still tainted the slightest bit red, even after months of relentless winds and deadly heat.

Ryuuji remembered the day the death toll was finally counted. He’d gotten out of detainment, along with multiple other Phoenix after going Feral during the battles, and was immediately shown just how many people had died at his hands.

34,435 of the one million Spartan soldiers died by his hands.

34,426 had been innocent and following orders.

The other nine? Well, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy watching them break under the force of his attacks.

Decius Ennodia had captured hundreds of his people. He’d tortured them, enslaved them, raped them, broke them, and then he had the audacity to claim he was following the wishes of the gods. The very gods Ryuuji talked to annually, at the very least, during the Council of the Gods that every religion attended.

Tettidia Vergilia and Canus Vespillo, Decius’ most trusted, and highest-ranked lieutenants. They had taken part in many of his actions and helped Decius capture his people while Manius and Novius had cried wolf, lurring the Medjay away from the Ḥesepu.

Then there were his four oldest children. Mallia Ennodia, the oldest of the five siblings. She had helped her father cover up every filthy deed done. Then there was Nigio, he was the second oldest and heir to the throne in Rome. At least, he had been until Ryuuji tore out his throat with his teeth. He hadn’t taken part in Decius’ schemes, but he had been the one to whip Nati after she helped Ryuuji escape.

His own sister and Nigio had done it with a sick smile on his face.

Then, the biggest problem. Dexia and Attia. The sisters had broadcast them torturing an innocent girl to all the Sept.

Ryuuji felt no guilt from killing them. He did, however, regret the deaths of the innocent warriors every day. The guilt weighed him down like Atlas holding the sky.

The Phoenix brought his knees to his chest, burying his head between them. That entire month had been a nightmare, one anyone involved in was constantly trying to forget. He was no better than the people he’d been fighting against. He was a monster.

Ryuuji had been trying to convince himself otherwise ever since the cabin incident. He’d done well with ignoring the occasional times he’d leave someone in critical condition when doing his duties as a Medjay. But the war? That was the tipping point. The dam constructed of pure hope that maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t a monster, came crashing down. That realization flooded him when he woke up in detainment four days after the battle that left only a handful of Spartan soldiers alive. He’d been sitting in a padded, soundproof room while his arms, wings, and tail were strapped to his body so he didn’t hurt himself or anyone else.

That was standard procedure when a Phoenix went Feral and didn’t calm down. Almost every Phoenix had been detained for some time after the war.

However, the still quiet of that room had let his thoughts scream for his attention, and he couldn’t ignore them. He was forced to remember every person he’d killed, every person that had been on the receiving side of his Medjay duties. As if he didn’t already know what he’d done. And he hadn’t even been given the death toll from the battle at that time.

Ryuuji was left broken after that. He fought with his mother when he was let out. Both Rie and he had been betrayed by their mother. They loved her dearly, but she’d promised not to let them kill so many, to stop them from going Feral. But she’d let that happen on top of allowing her fourteen-year-old children to fight in a war adults had not recovered from.

Silent tears streamed down his cheeks as he remembered the day he couldn’t take it anymore and cast the Sekhem Sekha spell. It erased the memories of someone, but it was forbidden without Council approval due to its uncontrollable nature. It was easily reversible, but it had thrown his mother off when he’d walked downstairs and didn’t remember his name, among many other things.

Ryuuji didn’t care if his mother could hear him, or that Konekomaru and Shima were sitting on the other side of the door. He wailed pitifully as each memory demanded his attention. Every horrible thing he’d done that only further proved how monstrous he really was. Hiccuping sobs shaking his already trembling body. Burning tears collided with the floor, smoke rising from the burning holes in the tiles.

He didn’t care. He needed to cry, to let everything out. He would much prefer it if someone was here with him, someone who understood what he’d gone through. Maybe Rie. There were countless times when they would curl up together from the fear of nightmares. Or, maybe Solveig. The Vikings were notorious for battling when they didn’t agree, especially with some of their deities. She was always so understanding, listening and giving advice for dealing with flashbacks or things of the sort. Even if Jackie and Azal hadn’t fought in the war, neither of them had been cleared to fight at the time, they were always open to hugging and listening.

Ryuuji didn’t want to be alone anymore.

Maybe he could tell Mephisto to go f*ck himself and just run away. He’d hide in Egypt and finally be somewhere he wasn’t so terrified. He could walk around without the constant dread of being found out weighing him down. He could escape the duties of being the Bocchan of the temple, not that he didn’t like it, it was just a lot when combined with being the Prince of the Egyptian Ḥesepu, having duties as a Medjay, plus being part of the godly and royal council that included the hundreds of different Ḥesepus and religions.

For one horrible moment, he didn’t care about leaving Konekomaru and Shima. He didn’t care if Rin knew his secret. He knew it would hurt them, he just wanted to be safe. But the thought of leaving them created a bitter taste in his mouth, overpowering the taste of bile. He couldn't do that to them. Shima and Konekomaru had always been there for him, even when they didn’t know why he needed them there. Then there was Rin, a complete mystery. Ryuuji couldn’t quite place why he didn’t like the thought of leaving the demon here. Maybe he didn’t fully trust him?

Despite the guilt of even thinking about leaving his friends, Ryuuji wanted to go back home. He wanted to go to high school in the Ḥesepu and take those required classes that helped Phoenix and Magicians safely learn their powers. He’d taken those classes since grade school, but he really missed them.

He missed the huge arena used to practice abilities. Where they raced around in the air, pushing themselves to go faster just to feel the wind whipping through their feathers. Ryuuji missed the Duels they had every Friday, testing their magical abilities in a traditional and competitive way.

Where he could do what he wanted without being judged.

The Phoenix wanted to be surrounded by people like him. Where he wasn’t treated differently for being the heir like he was in the temple. Where he was just a teenager, where he could act like one. Be stupid and reckless, go to the teen club, get drunk, and sing as loud as he wanted as he danced like nobody was watching.

Where there weren’t any expectations outside of the council rooms. Where there was a festival every year, celebrating their life. Dancing and singing around a fire, adorned in traditional Egyptian garments.

Where being something not human was alright.

As the minutes ticked by, Ryuuji’s sobs became nothing more than soft sniffles, what little tears he had left burning slow trails down his marred cheeks.

A soft chirp was what pulled him from sinking too far into the longing. The Phoenix slowly looked up, devoid of any energy to be startled and defensive, finding Norbert sitting across from him. The dragon wore a guilty look, paws awkwardly shuffling against the tiles as violet eyes glanced anywhere but the Phoenix.

Hesitantly, Norbert crawled forward. Ryuuji watched him with a dull gaze, eyes (which had started to burn from the number of tears) slowly following the dragon as he circled around Ryuuji, disappearing behind the Phoenix.

Ryuuji made to turn, albeit slowly, only for him to pause in confusion when cool scales pressed against his back. The cool sensation was soon replaced by a spike of pain and his tail reappearing. Norbert darted around Ryuuji, trying to avoid the newly appearing appendage.

The dragon still got whacked, skittering across the now burned tiles, an exasperated huff escaped his small body as he resumed his position in front of Ryuuji, complete with guilty eyes. His wings dipped to the ground, the Shabti’s small form completely radiating guilt.

Ryuuji ignored Norbert for the moment. Instead, he snatched up his soft tail and hugged the stalks to his chest. A bushy tuft flicked against his neck, some of the tension in his body beginning to ebb away as one of the issues that caused his panic was resolved.

The Phoenix sat quietly for a few long minutes, relishing in the calm brought back by the simplicity of his tail being back.

Still gripping his tail lightly, Ryuuji shifted so he could crouch low, getting on Norbert’s eye level, “Ȧr ḳert entuten ȧrit nefa?” (How did you do that?) He whispered quietly, waiting patiently for Norbert to answer in his own way.

The dragon did not disappoint, straining for a moment before radiating a soft, golden glow. Ryuuji blinked a few times. That was a Magic Aura. Most magicians could conceal theirs with a decently casted glamour, but it was always there, however faint and difficult to see.

Norbert seemed to wilt, shrinking in on himself. Ryuuji pursed his lips, releasing his tail to gently scratch Norbert behind a waved horn. The Shabti immediately brightened at the contact, purring loudly as he rubbed against Ryuuji’s hand eagerly, demanding more attention.

Ryuuji chuckled, watching the tiny dragon wag his tail fervently. The Phoenix didn’t remember infusing magic within the Shabti outside of the necessary magic to give sculpted clay life, but he wouldn’t be surprised if he hadn’t paid attention because of the distress he’d been in at the time. Besides, it wasn’t a big deal.

Although… Ryuuji removed his hand from Norbert, pointing at him sternly, “Ȧm ḥer nebt sesu ḥetch pai-ȧ ḥāu thes rer,” (Don’t ever steal my tail again.) Norbert seemed to pale, hesitantly glancing between Ryuuji’s hand and face, silently asking for more scratches. Ryuuji rolled his eyes and went back to scratching behind Norbert’s horn.

“Ȧqeset erṭāt ten shesep sut?” (What made you take it?) Ryuuji was mostly asking himself, but the Shabti answered. He patted Ryuuji’s arm a few times before bounding to the door. Ryuuji raised a brow, “Peti nefa?” (What does that mean?)

Norbert snorted, tiny flames spewing from his nose in frustration.

Ryuuji watched with amusem*nt as Norbert continued to motion towards random things before eventually giving up and acting it out, explaining that he’d hidden Ryuuji’s tail because Ryuuji didn’t seem to like Shima (Norbert put a pink loofa on his head to describe the pinkett) seeing it. So, apparently, when Ryuuji was startled awake from the nightmare and wasn’t aware of everything, Norbert hid it before his friends could see the tail.

Ryuuji chuckled, scooping the Dragon up, lips lifting in a tired smile, “Neter ṭua.” (Thank you.)

Norbert seemed pleased and scampered up Ryuuji’s arm, coiling within the folds of Ryuuji’s shirt and somehow managing to remain hidden.

Slowly, Ryuuji staggered to his feet, begrudgingly stuffing his tail beneath his shirt as he made his way out of the bathroom. Both teens within the room jumped to attention. Konekomaru looked as if he’d been pacing while Shima was simply sitting beside the bathroom door. They both rushed to their friend, grabbing at his arms to keep him from escaping again.

“Ryuuji,” Konekomaru was scowling up at him. The Phoenix tried to hide the wince caused by his friend’s demanding tone and use of his given name, “You need to tell us what’s going on, right now!”

Shima nodded vigorously, “Yeah man, you’ve been like this for almost a year! What happened? Did you run into a demon?!”

Ryuuji waited for Shima to realize that wasn’t possible with their standards. The pinkett took longer than expected to realize that, shaking his head and murmuring to himself.

Ryuuji chuckled gently, moving to extract his arms from his friends, only for them to strengthen their grips, “You are not leaving until you tell us,” Konekomaru’s eyes were dark and dangerous and, for the barest of moments, he looked like one of the guards who had been in charge of his “sessions” while he was trapped in Rome.

His breath hitched, involuntarily stepping away, “Let go of me,” His voice was shaky, breaths coming harshly.

Konekomaru’s eyes widened, his grip loosening while Shima completely let go, seeming to understand he crossed a boundary, “Bon, I-”

Ryuuji cut Konekomaru off, grabbing his friend’s wrist and prying his hand from his arm. Deep down, he knew their hearts were in the right place. But now was not the time, “Just leave me alone,” Ryuuji ignored the guilty look on Konekomaru’s face and shuffled to his bed.

Both monks looked like they wanted to say something. Ryuuji made sure they didn’t by flopping onto his side, facing away from them.

There was blissful silence for a long time, at least as silent as a Phoenix could get, before the creak of wood from his friends crawling back into their respective beds. Ryuuji sighed in relief as they remained silent, pretending he didn’t notice the uncomfortable feeling of their eyes watching him carefully.

Slowly, Ryuuji pulled Norbert from the folds of his shirt, clutching the small dragon to his chest as a way to seek some form of comfort. He couldn’t very well wrap his wings around his body, so he settled for this.

Norbert chirped happily and curled up in the small nook Ryuuji and the mattress created. Ryuuji gently stroked the Shabti, chuckling when Norbert rolled onto his back, demanding belly rubs. Ryuuji obliged without a thought.

As the quiet of the room was slowly filled with the even breathing and way-too-happy sighs of Shima, Ryuuji brought his free hand up to his face.

There was a sudden flash of bloodied flesh painting the tanned flesh, dangerously sharp claws flexed and crimson, before disappearing in a matter of seconds as if it was never there to begin with. Ryuuji took an unsteady breath, unsheathing his claws to ensure they were not bloodied.

The Phoenix watched as the keratin grew thicker so it wouldn’t shatter when used, and sharper. The nails became purely black, mimicking the appearance of a falcon’s talons, or a cat’s claws.

Ryuuji inspected them carefully, relief flooding his body when he made sure they weren’t as long as they grew when a Phoenix went Feral, or caked in crimson flesh. Deep down, he knew he could file the points down and make them safer. But, even deeper down, he knew that wasn’t only dangerous by leaving him vulnerable, but a losing battle as he knew they would grow back into sharp points in a matter of hours.

Ryuuji took a deep breath, naively hoping that tomorrow would be at least a little better.

Chapter 21: Hope in a Sea of Mistakes

Chapter Text

Ryuuji was so f*cking stupid. The moment he stepped into the school, the overwhelming chatter of gossip flooded his ears. The gossip of an investigation. The Phoenix hadn’t even needed to ask anyone for details because it was all anyone was talking about.

A teacher had found blood in a boy’s bathroom. The bathroom Ryuuji had his break down in. The bathroom contained his blood. f*ck.

Ryuuji took a shaky breath, hoping that whoever was investigating didn’t link the blood to him. He could only hope or maybe destroy the evidence somehow. It wouldn’t be his first time doing so.

The Phoenix managed to make it all the way to lunch without freaking out about the voices he could hear talking about evidence that would bring him to the center of attention. Ryuuji didn’t even have the chance to grab a Yakisoba sandwich before Konekomaru and Shima had him by the arms and were hauling him to a less-crowded part of the school.

Ryuuji was pulled into an empty classroom and pushed into a random seat. The Phoenix opened his mouth to snap at his friends, only for his mouth to shut when he noticed the broken look in their eyes, “Peti?”

Everything was silent, Ryuuji’s leg bounced with nerves, his body refusing to sit still under the piercing gaze of his friends. Ryuuji squirmed when the silence persisted, worrying him even further, “Guys, say something.”

“What is there to say?” Ryuuji’s head snapped up at the sound of Konekomaru’s voice. He sounded so broken and Ryuuji could have sworn there were tears in his eyes. Ryuuji was left speechless, unsure what he should say. Thankfully, Konekomaru continued, “You disappeared for most of yesterday, and now they found a bathroom bloodied and practically destroyed? Tell us the truth!”

Ryuuji’s lips parted, a sudden thought crossing his mind. What if he did tell them? What if he told them the truth of everything? That he wasn’t human, what he’d done and been involved in. Ryuuji quickly pushed that thought to the far, far, reaches of his mind, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Shima flinched, eyes wide in surprise. He had remained silent the entire time, silently watching. This happened a lot when one of them had been hiding something since Konekomaru was better at pulling the truth from them. The pinkett opened his mouth in surprise, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”

Ryuuji grit his teeth. He could feel heat burning the back of his eyes, threatening tears. The Phoenix swallowed, knowing that if they saw his tears, everything would be over. He was always careful not to cry in front of them, although there were times he just wanted to accept their hugs. Ryuuji choked back the lump in his throat, speaking with an even voice, “It means there are things I don’t wanna tell you.”

“If you don’t want to tell us, that’s fine!” Konekomaru had gotten closer, brown eyes hard as steel. Ryuuji couldn’t help but look away, “But, look me in the eyes and tell me that isn’t your blood in the bathroom!”

Ryuuji’s breath stilled, sharp teeth gnawing at his lip. He couldn’t lie to them. Well, he could, but he didn’t want to, “So what if it is?”

Ryuuji’s voice was small, eyes looking anywhere but his friends. Shima gasped, but Konekomaru stayed where he was, “We’ve seen your scars,” The boy’s voice was flat, devoid of any emotion in an attempt to keep tears in his watery eyes.

Ryuuji forgot how to breathe, choking on air when he heard what Konekomaru said. Panic pooled in his gut, squeezing his heart. He tried to open his mouth and speak, but it was like he forgot how to do that too.

They saw his scars? There were so many, most of which were from his Medjay duties or being stupid in general. What would they think of them? How could he explain the jagged scar that was way too close to his Carotid Artery because he wasn’t looking where he was flying. Or the numerous bullet and sword slash-induced scars?

Only a minority of his scars were from him hurting himself on purpose. There was no way they only saw those ones.

Shima spoke up, pulling a chair closer to the Phoenix so the pinkett could sit, “Bon, we’ve seen them. Some are obviously accidental and look like, I don’t know, bullet wounds or claw marks.”

“But, there are ones that are too clean to be from an accident,” Konekomaru finished Shima’s sentence with some difficulty. His voice was thick and he was obviously trying not to cry. Ryuuji gulped, remaining silent until he was sure Konekomaru had nothing left to say, “You don’t have to explain to us but don’t lie!”

Ryuuji squeezed his eyes shut, fighting back the burning tears. His head bowed in an attempt to hide his face, “Anuk mer ȧb,” (I’m sorry.) It was all he could say, but the only answer the teens needed.

Konekomaru launched forward, bursting into tears as he hugged Ryuuji tightly, “Why didn’t you tell us!”

Ryuuji kept his hands in his lap, body stiff as Shima joined the hug. It wasn’t that he didn’t like it, it was just that Koneomaru’s arms were around his torso. The same damn place his tail was.

The Phoenix slowly pulled away, hoping it would convince his friends to let him go. It didn’t.

Needless to say, it took a long time for his friends to stop crying, which he completely understood, his mother to stop screaming from Kyoto in panic (She’d been keeping an ear to him since his nightmare/panic attack last night), and Ryuuji himself to calm down enough to convince himself his friends didn’t notice his tail.

By the time Konekomaru had stopped crying, they had missed lunch. Shima seemed at least somewhat sorry about it, while Konekomaru didn’t care because he was worried.

The three of them were slowly making their way towards their next class, which they were late to. Konekomaru was gripping his wrist like he was scared Ryuuji would disappear any moment. The monk had ordered Ryuuji to show them his wrists to make sure nothing was badly injured. It took a lot of explaining when they noticed the marks were simply red scars with some scabs remaining, despite them being inflicted yesterday.

Their English teacher had been less than amused when the three of them snuck into class in the middle of her lecture, but Ryuuji really couldn’t care less because he was now focussed on trying to silently calm both his mother and Etsuko. The latter of which had joined in because it was apparently her lunch break and there was nobody in the salon but her.

Ryuuji grimaced, glaring out the window in hopes the two women would feel his glare. His mother, a pro at reading Ryuuji’s moods when he wasn’t hiding them, snapped, “Ȧm petrȧ tau er n-ȧ, Ḥunen!” (Don’t glare at me, Young Man!)

The Phoenix smirked into his hand, not caring in the slightest that the teacher was watching him with narrowed eyes as he continued to ignore her lecture.

By the end of class, the annoyance rolling off his teacher was clear as day. So it came as no surprise to Ryuuji when she called him to her desk after class. Ryuuji shooed his friends off when they tried to join him. Neither looked pleased after just discovering Ryuuji’s...habits, but scampered from the room.

Ryuuji snorted, a small smile decorating his features when they remained behind the door, trying to listen. A cough came from the front of the room, his teacher’s face betraying just how irritated she was.

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Ryuuji made his way to the front, waiting for his teacher to speak, “Suguro, I do not appreciate your attitude in class.”

Ryuuji arched his brow, “I’m sorry?”

“First you completely skipped my class yesterday, then you didn't pay attention today. This behavior is unacceptable.”

Ryuuji ran a tongue over his sharp teeth. Seriously? He didn’t act normal for two f*cking days and this lady thought he was doing it too, what, be rebellious? “I’m sorry, Ma’am. But, if you consulted with every other teacher, I was indisposed yesterday. As for today, I deeply apologize for my lack of attention.”

The woman seemed pleased by his answer, excusing him from the classroom. Ryuuji bowed, pretending the apology didn’t feel bitter on his tongue from his own annoyance, “Thank you, Sensei.”

The woman hummed, nodding thankfully, “Good, I would hate for such a good student like you to become like that Okumura Boy.”

The words were mumbled beneath the woman’s breath, obviously not meant for Ryuuji’s ears. He guessed it was one of the cons of having amazing hearing, “Excuse me?”

The woman looked up, shock and confusion on her face, “Is everything alright?”

Ryuuji could feel his eye tick, jaw clenching tightly as he turned, “Next time you want to talk sh*t about Okumura, or any of your students, I suggest rethinking your career choice.”

Ryuuji didn’t care that the woman flinched at his dark tone, he simply marched from the room with his chin held high. Shima and Konekomaru scampered after him when they realized he wasn’t stopping, “Man, that was brutal! What’d she say to make you say that?” Shima exclaimed loudly, widening his steps to keep pace while Konekomaru had to pretty much run to keep up with Ryuuji.

The Phoenix was tempted to strap Konekomaru on a skateboard and pull him along. Just the thought made his laugh slightly, earning himself a concerned pinch of the brows from Shima. Ryuuji shook his head, “It’s not important,” Ryuuji mumbled, brushing Shima’s questioning look, “All I meant is she should be nicer to people, especially her students.”

Shima blinked, head tilting side to side as if juggling the words in his head would help him understand better. Ryuuji was a moment away from teasing Shima about it, only for the words to die on his tongue when Konekomaru shouted an annoyed, “That’s it!” And jumped onto Ryuuji’s back, arms hooking over the Phoenix’s shoulders, “I can’t keep up with you giants!”

Ryuuji snorted, eyes rolling at his shorter friend’s antics.

The trio walked in silence until Konekomaru spoke up, his grip on Ryuuji’s shoulders tightened, “Why didn’t you talk to us? Do you not trust us or something?”

Ryuuji stalled, slowing to a stop. Konekomaru jumped from his perch on Ryuuji’s back, circling around to look Ryuuji in the face. The boy’s lips parted in surprise, making it obvious Ryuuji’s face betrayed the pain and guilt eating away at his mind, “It’s not that, I just….I….um….”

For once in a long time, Ryuuji found he had no idea what to say. He’d been hiding his cutting from his friends cause that wasn’t something you just went around flaunting. He also never wanted to worry them with his problems, especially since there was already enough to worry about regarding the temple.

Ryuuji wanted to deny Konekomaru’s words. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust them! I was just that….he didn’t trust them enough.

The Phoenix wilted for a moment before remembering why he didn’t fully trust his friend’s. He’d asked countless times what they would do if he was a demon. Obviously not outright saying, usually something along the lines of there being an accident and he, or someone else they were close to, became one.

Their answers were always the same. They would find a way to destroy the demon, their friend. The worst part was they answered without missing a beat every time!

With that in mind, Ryuuji turned his head away, “I’ve gotta get to class. I’ll see you later.”

The two monks looked pained from his response but made no move to follow.

Needless to say, Ryuuji’s anxiety took place of the guilt and was happily going to work at making Ryuuji feel like absolute sh*t.

The remaining classes for high school went about as well as his English class, though he did make an effort to at least take notes. Thankfully, no teacher pointed out how spacy he was being, so that was a plus.

Any class he shared with Shima or Konekomaru resulted in Ryuuji receiving the side-eye from them, which only served to make him feel more antsy.

He didn’t have any way to dial back his hearing, which created a constant ringing in his ears if he wasn’t careful, and he was being watched constantly. Could this get any worse?

Oh, wait! He was telling Rin what he was tomorrow. Yippee.

It was like the gods hated him because the moment he stepped into the Cram School he was hit with the overwhelming scent of Mephisto’s perfume.

Ryuuji scanned the room in search of the clown, finding him perched on the teacher’s desk, twirling his umbrella around lazily. Ryuuji was going to ignore him until his eyes landed on a head of slate gray hair leaning against the chalkboard.

The Phoenix froze in the doorway, Shima running headfirst into his back. Ryuuji was vaguely aware of the pinkett asking if he was alright, but he paid no mind. How could he, he was too focused on the Kharsatȧ smirking at him.

By some miracle, Ryuuji managed to kick his legs into gear, forcing himself to relax and act unfazed as he walked to his desk. He’d had years of practice as a Medjay to learn so many styles of fighting, weapon use, and deceit, just to name a few. Lying was nothing new, hell it was practically second nature to Ryuuji at this point!

Shima and Konekomaru took their seats behind him, murmuring questions about the two men at the front of the room, “What is the headmaster doing here?”

Ryuuji shrugged, not taking his eyes off Rash as the man picked food from between his teeth. The Phoenix wrinkled his nose, too focussed to notice when Rin walked up to him.

It took the raven tapping his shoulder to gain his attention, startling him from glaring down Rash. Ryuuji jumped slightly, preparing to flick the dagger settled safely in his sleeve to his hand. He only paused when his eyes locked on bright blue orbs.

Ryuuji sighed, relaxing as he raised a questioning brow to the boy, “Can I sit here? I wanna talk.”

The Phoenix nodded slowly, shifting to give Rin more room on the bench. Rin grinned widely, sliding into the seat, completely oblivious to the way Shima snickered from behind him. Ryuuji peered at Rin curiously, watching as he clipped his hair back in that ridiculously adorable way. Ryuuji mentally kicked himself at the thought.

Upfront, Rash moved closer to Mephisto, murmuring to the eccentric man, “What’s that boy’s name again?” It was obvious Rash didn’t think any of them could hear his low voice from where they sat. This guy is such an idiot, Ryuuji thought, eyes-rolling.

Mephisto hummed, “Which one?”

“Mohawk over there. The fake Egyptian,” Ryuuji had half a mind to launch forward and sock the men in the face. Mephisto for telling Rash what he was, or what he thought he was, and Rash thinking he was nothing but a faker. It wasn’t a common term, most people just referred to people as Mortals or Turners.

Ryuuji was pulled from his anger-driven thoughts by the feel of Rin’s lips close to his ear, “Thanks for last night on the roof, you got me out of some bad situations,” Rin’s voice, although breathy, rang in his ears. His breath tickled Ryuuji’s skin, painting a flush across his face and ears.

Ryuuji jumped, skittering away from the raven, “Entu-entuten ȧm mar ȧtḥu tefa ḳes!” (You-you don’t have to get that close!) Rin blinked in surprise, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

Behind him, Konekomaru chided gently, “Japanese, Bon. He doesn’t know what you mean,” While Shima cooed at the two, wiggling his eyebrows.

Ryuuji swallowed thickly, taking a moment to get his brain to form Japanese words, “You didn’t have to get so close, ya’know.”

Rin blinked before chuckling shyly, a light blush painting his features as he rubbed the back of his neck, “My bad!” His blue eyes darted to Konekomaru and Shima, clearly conveying that he was trying to keep the words between the two of them without eavesdroppers overhearing, “I just wanted to thank you for your help.”

Although Rin’s voice was still low, both Shima and Konekomaru raised their brows, obviously intrigued, “So,” Shima hummed, voice playful and suggestive, “What did you help him with?”

Ryuuji expected Konekomaru to either join in or scold Shima, but the bald monk stayed silent, curious brown eyes watching the two. Ryuuji growled, crossing his arms and turning away, “It’s none of your setheken business!”

Shima cackled, “Come on, Bon. Don’t be embarrassed about helping your friend with a little problem. Or, maybe it was a big one?”

Ryuuji whipped around, hands planted on the desk behind him, “Shima! Ḥepṭ-re p sethes khenȧ!” (Shut the f*ck up!)

Shima cackled, “No can do, Sefi ḥun!”

Ryuuji’s eye twitched at the use of the nickname his mother used on a regular basis. Konekomaru’s brows furrowed, turning to the pinkett, “Do you even know what that means, Shima?”

“Not a clue,” The boy shrugged, snickering as Ryuuji’s eye continued to twitch, “All I know is it drives him nuts.”

Ryuuji grumbled, turning back around in an attempt to ignore Shima. Rin was looking between the two rapidly. Ryuuji took notice of the terrified look in those blue eyes from his outburst. The Phoenix sighed, resting a hand against his cheek, “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare ya.”

Rin blinked, leaning forward to get a better look at Ryuuji’s face. Ryuuji sat still, wondering silently what the boy was doing before he broke out into a wide grin, “It’s alright, you just surprised me!”

Ryuuji quirked his lips, he couldn’t help but think Rin wasn’t being totally truthful. Although, neither was Ryuuji, so he had no excuse to make sure. That didn’t stop him though, “You sure?”

“Yup!” Rin’s smile widened, flashing sharp canines. Ryuuji noticed that the rest of Rin’s teeth were completely normal. His molars weren’t replaced with sharp fangs like Ryuuji, and he didn’t have a small canine in front of his already sharper set.

Strangely, Ryuuji found he was a little...disappointed by that. Rin could easily explain the sharpness of his fangs away by them just being like that. It wasn’t unheard of for mortals to have sharper canines than others. Ryuuji couldn’t do that so easily. He would hide smiles and laughter behind his hands, or just clench his jaw to stop himself from smiling altogether.

Rin, completely oblivious to Ryuuji’s eyes on him, gnawed on the end of his pen, “So, you're still gonna help me study tomorrow?”

Ryuuji co*cked his head to the side, wondering just what the hell Rin was...oh. So, that’s what Rin was calling it. Must be a way to sneak away from his brother without drawing too much attention, “Sure thing.”

Rin sat up a little, mouth opening to answer with a slight smile on his face when Mephisto jumped on top of the desk, bowing dramatically, “Good afternoon, students!”

The attention of the entire room snapped to the front. Yukio was standing to the side of the desk, closest to the door. He obviously didn’t seem pleased about Mephisto on the desk, or Rash being present at all, “Tefa ȧru uā-ki ka em n,” (That makes two of us) Ryuuji grumbled under his breath.

Mephisto continued, jumping down from his perch, “Gather ‘round students! I have a surprise!”

Great. A surprise was never good, especially from Mephisto. Hesitantly, the class wandered to the front. Ryuuji remained towards the back of the group with Yamada, leaning against the front-most desk.

Ryuuji could feel Yamada’s eyes on him but ignored her without a thought.

Mephisto smiled wider, something Ryuuji really wished he wouldn’t do. He seemed pleased that everyone was so close as he announced, with a flare of his cape, “Your results from the Exwire Exam have been decided.”

The entire group waited with bated breaths. Ryuuji crossed his fingers, murmuring the same words over and over, “Hart-ȧb sennȧu, hart-ȧb sennȧu!” (Please fail, please fail!)

Ryuuji knew the thought was hopeless. Even if he did fail the exam, Mephisto would twist his results and force him to stay at the academy. There was no way Mephisto would let him off that easily, especially after their conversation after the exam.

Still, it didn’t hurt to hope.

Ryuuji’s heart dropped when Mephisto’s fingers snapped after reciting his usual, “Eins, Zwei, Drei!” Behind the demon was a horrendously pink banner with “Congratulations!” written all over in bubble gum pink, “You all passed with flying colors!”

Cheers went up around the room, but Ryuuji couldn’t even bring it on himself to pretend to be happy, at least for a few moments. Pushing a tight-lipped smile onto his face, he wandered forward, wrapping an arm around an overjoyed Konekomaru. Rin joined in, bouncing up and down, slinging a lean arm across Ryuuji’s back with a bright smile, “We did it!!!”

Rin sounded so happy, his face lit up like a Christmas tree as he seemed to ooze excitement. It seemed Rin’s smile was infectious because Ryuuji found it harder and harder to fight off a wide smile from cracking his features.

Deep down, Ryuuji hoped Rin would not turn on him tomorrow, because he had no idea what he’d do if the boy did.

Chapter 22: Revealed

Chapter Text

After the should-have-been joyful announcement of passing the Exwire exam, something he would have been bouncing off the walls with excitement for had it been a mere month ago, Mephisto gave them the rest of the day off and took them to a Mochi stand.

While it was nice to eat out and not have to pay, hearing Mephisto talk over the phone to Amaimon and ordering him to come to True Cross squashed the teen’s appetite easily. He knew Amaimon personally. Something must have happened between the demon king and his mate, Anubis, if he was siding with Mephisto.

Rin, who sat across from him, did manage to cheer him up by sticking his tongue out at Mephisto and devouring his food in a single bite.

The remainder of the afternoon, and the better part of the next day, was spent studying as Ryuuji attempted to distract himself from the inevitable meeting with Rin. Something he could have avoided had he kept his freaking mouth shut!

Ryuuji grumbled, slowly making his way to the fountain in the courtyard to meet Rin. The boy had practically sprinted out of their Magic Circles class. The class had been very awkward because Neuhaus wouldn’t stop glaring at Rin through the bandages covering most of his face.

The man limped around the room for the duration of class, clutching the self-inflicted wound on his arm and the deep claw marks marring his face, both of which had been wrapped securely but still stank of blood. He looked more pissed than in pain, so Ryuuji made sure to avoid him and stick with Rin when he could. The raven looked thankful for the help, otherwise, their teacher might have attacked him out of sheer anger.

Ryuuji vaguely wondered why Neuhaus hadn’t taken a few days off to rest and heal, also to keep him from murdering someone.

Thankfully, Rin sprinting from the room after class didn’t raise any questions, not even when Ryuuji trudged after him slowly in an attempt to delay the soon-to-follow chaos of their promised meeting. Ryuuji wondered if it was too late to chicken out, but he was never one to break a promise.

Ryuuji peeked into the courtyard, there were a few students lounging around, talking to friends, and studying. Rin was easy enough to spot. He was sitting on the highest tier of the fountain, legs swinging boredly, even though he had probably only been waiting a few minutes.

Carefully, Ryuuji made his way over to the demon boy, praying that Shai was on his side as he approached the fountain. Rin was, surprisingly, oblivious to his presence until Ryuuji was standing in front of him on the lowest tier of the fountain.

Rin seemed to be spacing out, nose and brows scrunched in thought. Ryuuji hummed, reaching up and tapping Rin on the knee to grab his attention. Rin yelped, practically jumping out of his skin. His eyes looked...fearful.

Ryuuji tilted his head to the side curiously as Rin’s bright blue eyes landed on him. Releasing a breath of relief for reasons unknown to Ryuuji. Rin hopped down onto the same level as Ryuuji, beaming up at him. Rin spoke, keeping his voice low as if he was sharing a deadly secret, “So we can talk now? I mean, it’s not that private here, but whatever.”

“Nah, I’m just bringing you somewhere private. Then we can talk,” Ryuuji failed to keep the amusem*nt from his voice, especially when Rin’s head co*cked to the side in a silent question. The Phoenix chuckled, jutting his chin to the exit before jumping down from the fountain, “Come with me.”

Rin worried at his lip before hesitantly jumping down and following Ryuuji. The former stayed relatively silent for a long while, something Ryuuji hadn’t expected. He wasn’t sure if he liked this better than what he’d imagined, which was Rin firing questions at random before ultimately running away when he discovered Ryuuji’s secret.

Now that he thought of it, he did not like the silence. It was uncomfortable and allowed his thoughts to wander, “You’re allowed to talk, y’know.”

Rin blinked at him owlishly, twisting the strap of his school bag, “I’m just nervous,” His voice was small, hesitant as if he expected Ryuuji to yell at him for admitting the truth.

Ryuuji simply nodded, offering a gentle tilt of his lips, “Me too.”

“Really?” Rin darted in front of Ryuuji, walking along the sidewalk backward. Ryuuji wondered if he’d have to catch the boy before he ran into something, “But you’re the one who suggested it!”

“Doesn’t mean I’m not scared,” Rin stumbled slightly, making Ryuuji reach forward and grab him by his tie to keep him from falling, “Watch where you’re going, Āānāu.”

Rin regained his balance with ease, dusting himself off despite having not fallen, and completely ignoring Ryuuji’s name-calling (although Rin had no clue Ryuuji had just called him a Monkey), “Thanks, Suguro!”

The Phoenix simply shrugged, continuing toward the barrier Norbert had been left to guard. If, no, when this all went south, Ryuuji would have to take down the barrier and put one up somewhere else. Along with taking part in a lot of deception and avoiding, he might even have to wipe some of Rin’s memories. Just the thought of casting that spell again made him sick.

Rin poked Ryuuji cautiously, “So, I kinda told Yukio that we’re studying. He wouldn’t have let me out of the dorm if I didn’t give a good excuse,” Ryuuji’s brows pinched. He hadn’t realized Yukio was so protective of his brother, although with Rin being a demon, it made sense that he would want to protect Rin from Exorcists that might want to harm him, “You wouldn’t mind if you helped me with my homework a bit, would you?”

Ryuuji thought about it for a moment. He didn’t want to make a promise and break it when Rin learned the truth of Ryuuji’s heritage, but he also wanted to hope, “If all goes well, sure. I’ll help you.”

Rin perked up immediately, practically bouncing on his feet, “Really?!” His voice was loud and Ryuuji couldn’t conceal his winced fast enough, rubbing at his ear. Rin hadn’t noticed, too busy doing a little victory dance complete with multiple fist pumps.

“Sure, why not?”

“You’re the best, Suguro! Not even Yukio gives me the time of day to help me study!” Ryuuji must have made a face because Rin quickly added, “Since he’s too busy with lesson plans and exorcisms and….yeah.”

Ryuuji blinked a few times, “O...kay?” It must have just been him, but Rin didn’t sound convinced. As much as he wanted to pry, it wasn’t any of his business so he kept his mouth shut. The awkward silence remained for all of a minute before Rin started rambling nervously, obviously on edge. He was practically an open book, easy to read and hard to ignore.

Rin skipped along at his side, trying to keep up with Ryuuji’s longer strides. Rin managed to trip over a protruding root when they made it to the forested area surrounding the barrier. Ryuuji didn’t catch him that time, but he did snicker behind his hand at Rin’s disgruntled expression. Rin whacked him in the arm, a grumpy pout set on his lips.

Surprisingly, Rin did not trip again, although he did come close to running into a tree due to being distracted by talking up a storm, one Ryuuji had difficulty keeping up with.

Rin’s rambling quieted when Ryuuji stopped in his tracks, a mere step away from the edge of the barrier. He could hear Norbert scampering around in the canopy, probably scrambling to greet Ryuuji, “Why’d you stop?”

Ryuuji sighed, “We’re here.”

Rin glanced around before looking at Ryuuji like he’d grown a second head, “You brought me to the middle of a forest to tell me a secret?” Ryuuji nodded slowly, oblivious to where this was going, “Is your secret that you're a serial killer or something?” Rin deadpanned, head tilted to the side and arms crossed. Ryuuji couldn’t tell if the boy was being serious or joking. He looked unusually devoid of emotion, almost unreadable. Almost.

There was the slightest twitch, almost concealed by Rin’s messy locks, revealing his clenched jaw and the way he leaned back ever so slightly, ready to run, “No, I’m not a serial killer, Okumura. And I didn’t bring you here to hurt you,” Rin narrowed his eyes skeptically, “This secret….it isn’t just mine, so I have to be extremely careful. Also, I don’t want exorcists to kill me.”

Rin flinched, most of the tension leaving his body, “Wha-?”

“You can back out if you want, I won’t judge. I’ll wait in there,” Ryuuji gestured to the clearing they stood outside of. Ryuuji sighed, stepping into the barrier and disappearing from Rin’s sight.

Norbert dove at the Phoenix with an excited chirp almost immediately. Ryuuji tossed his bag aside and caught the tiny dragon, “Ȧy, khenemes. Entuten ḳer hbai ist anuk ben minȧ?” (Hey, bud. Did you have fun while I was gone?) Norbert simply huffed, flopping onto his back with a whine, “Aw, sut ȧtet ḳer tefa ȧqeṭs!” (Aw, It couldn’t have been that bad!)

Norbert whined louder, tail swishing irritably. Ryuuji chuckled, scratching Norbert’s belly as he watched Rin, waiting for him to do something. Currently, the raven was staring open-mouthed at the spot Ryuuji had disappeared.

“Bȧau peti nef merrt ȧr,” (Wonder what he’ll do,) Ryuuji murmured, earning a curious merp from Norbert as he rolled over to glance at Rin. The Dragon seemed uninterested, at least until Rin reached forward, hand swiping through the barrier. Rin shuddered, obviously new to the feeling of magic.

Norbert snarled, the spines along his back, which usually flattened against his body, flared up, as did his scales. The way his scales poofed up reminded Ryuuji of a cat’s fur or a Phoenix's wings.

Ryuuji gently stroked Norbert’s back to flatten his scales to no avail. Rin swiped at the barrier multiple times, each earning an outraged snarl from Norbert and a threatening flap of his tiny wings.

Ryuuji was worried Rin might have gone into shock from his lack of any response, at least until the raven screeched, “HOLY f*ckING sh*t!”

Norbert paused, head co*cking to the side, blinking his violet eyes before looking up at Ryuuji for an answer to an unspoken question. Ryuuji chuckled, “Ȧuna nehhu ḳer meṭu nef ȧr ḳert nefa kat,” (Probably should have told him how this works,) He gestured to the barrier.

On the other side, Rin hummed, inspecting his hand carefully, “Well, my hand hasn’t disintegrated yet, so I guess it’s safe.”

Ryuuji cackled, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. That was both the worst and best mindset Ryuuji could think of, and the only reason it was also the best way because it’s exactly how Ryuuji tested if something was safe.

Rin held his breath, stepping through the barrier with his eyes closed tight. Ryuuji watched with poorly disguised amusem*nt as Rin stood, unmoving within the barrier for several moments, eyes clasped tight.

Ryuuji assumed that the only reason he ever looked up was due to Norbert snarling, launching his small body at Rin. Because all the Shabti knew was someone was intruding in the Barrier he was supposed to protect.

Rin startled, yelping and dodging out of the way as Norbert dive-bombed him, growling furiously. Ryuuji managed to snatch the dragon in the middle of his second dive, pulling him away from Rin. The Phoenix paid little to no mind at Rin freaking out about being in “a magic snow globe” and “Mushu with wings trying to kill him,” instead, he focussed on calming the Shabti.

“Si neferu, nef ṭāṭā ḥer ȧu ȧr,” (It’s alright, he’s allowed in for the time being.) Ryuuji stroked Norbert’s lean body, flattening the scales that had puffed out in an attempt to make himself appear larger. Norbert glanced hauntingly at Rin, whining at the order to not do his job….again.

“Anuk mer ȧb, ḳert neti nef ȧu ȧr. Entuten merrt ȧuna unen seshai ḥeru nef er ḥer nefa peni hėr-sȧ,” Ryuuji grumbled the last part to himself, but Norbert still perked up. Huffing, obviously pleased with Ryuuji’s words. (I’m sorry, but trust him for now. You’ll probably get to scare him off later anyway.)

Ryuuji watched as the dragon glided over to Rin, more gentle than before. Rin hesitantly stood still, looking like he couldn’t decide whether to run or fight back.

Norbert hovered before Rin’s face, flashing his razor-sharp teeth in an attempt to smile. Rin flinched, but Norbert still leaned forward and nipped Rin’s nose with a satisfied chirp.

“Norbert!” The dragon chittered, pleased with himself as he flew over to perch on Ryuuji’s head, messing the teen’s hair as he got comfortable.

Rin slowly stepped forward, watching the Shabti cautiously, “What, the f*ck is that?”

“If this goes well, I’ll explain,” Ryuuji ran his tongue along fanged teeth.

Rin’s cerulean eyes narrowed, lips pursing as his arms crossed. Ryuuji couldn’t help but think the expression was kind of….adorable. Rin’s eyes quickly darted to the side, lean fingers fiddling with the hem of his school jacket, “So….do you wanna go first, or should I?”

The Phoenix should have been prepared for that, but he wasn’t. Despite knowing exactly why they were coming here, he was still doubtful about this whole thing.

Ryuuji’s silence must have spoken volumes seeing as Rin sighed, gnawing at his lip, “I guess you already know, so I should just rip off the duct tape.”

“D’you mean bandaid?”

“Have you ever tried ripping duct tape off your arm? It’s way worse than taking off a bandaid!” Rin’s outburst seemed to ease the tension. It was just so Rin to say something like that. A small giggle escaped Ryuuji’s lips, the Phoenix brought his hand up to cover his mouth, too afraid to show off his teeth to anyone, even Rin.

Rin blinked, seeming to find this as good a time as any to show off his tail. Maybe the lighter attitude would help.

Slowly, Rin unwound his tail from around his torso, allowing it to stretch and swish around to loosen the muscles. Ryuuji noticed immediately, eyes darting to the appendage. Rin stiffened, probably waiting for Ryuuji to call him something or yell at him, but Ryuuji could only focus on one thing, “When’s the last time you brushed your tail?”

“Huh?”

“Dude, that’s gotta hurt! Hell, it hurts just looking at the knots!” Maybe the state of Rin’s tail was something weird to focus on, but there was no way those knots felt good. At least for Phoenix, their tails were super sensitive and even knots could cause pain. Imagine taking a ponytail out after a while, kinda like that but a little worse considering the placement.

Rin gawked at him, tail going rigid and puffing up defensively, “I have a tail and that’s what you’re worried about!?”

“Well, yeah?” Ryuuji hummed, gesturing to Rin’s twitching appendage, “I know how much it sucks when you don’t brush your tail.”

“You have a tail?!” Rin shrieked.

“Yeah, I thought you already knew that.”

“Yes,” Rin threw his hands in the air, “but I didn’t expect to be right!”

Ryuuji chuckled, shaking his head with amusem*nt. Slowly, the smile disappeared from his face, “I….guess it’s my turn, huh?”

Rin raised his brows, crossing his arms expectantly, “I ain’t gonna be the only one outing themself today, so yes.”

Slowly, with great care, Ryuuji allowed the coiled stalks of his tail to unwind from around his torso. Ryuuji watched Rin with a wary eye. The boy was gaping, and his jaw only dropped further when Ryuuji unraveled his tail-stalks from the rope-braid-resembling way he twisted them to take up less space on his torso.

Rin blanched, blinking dully at the three stalks now stretching in a similar manner to the way Rin did before. Although he hadn’t had the chance to properly care for his tail, it was definitely not as knotted as Rin’s.

Rin took a deep breath, his voice was low, disbelieving, “You have….three tails?!”

Ryuuji corrected him without even thinking, smoothing out some of the displaced fur along his tail-stalks, “No, I have one tail with three stalks.”

“But-” Ryuuji turned to the side, keeping Rin in his peripherals while also showing the boy the base of his tail where the stalks joined together in a single, thick base, “Oh,” Rin still didn’t sound like he completely understood, but was willing to accept Ryuuji’s answer.

“So,” Rin drawled, fiddling with his fingers, “Is that all? We came here to show each other our tails, that’s it?” Ryuuji could hear a vague, “I thought he had feathers,” murmured under Rin’s breath.

Ryuuji could get out of this. He could get away with only showing his tail, not his true appearance. However, some part of him screamed at him to tell Rin the truth for whatever reason, “Not exactly,” Dammit! There goes his way out.

Rin perked up, head co*cked to the side in clear confusion, “Huh?”

Ryuuji plucked Norbert off his head. The Shabti whined but scampered across the grass to a low-hanging branch where he could watch everything. With great care, Ryuuji removed his shirt and jacket, fully aware his scars were now on full display.

He was about to let his glamour ebb away when Rin shrieked, face as red as a cherry, “Dude, what the f*ck?! Is this a striptease or something?!”

Ryuuji bristled, holding the clothes to his chest, “The hell you goin’ on about?! I just don’t want them to get ripped! Is that so wrong?”

Rin froze, slowly leaning away, as if getting further away would give him the answers, “Why would your shirt get ripped?”

Knowing he couldn’t hold it off any longer, Ryuuji tossed his shirt and school jacket in the general direction of his school bag. He didn’t care about neatness at the moment, only the impending doom that was sure to follow.

As the magic seeped away, Ryuuji couldn’t help but feel like it was a warm blanket being ripped from him. He’d never felt this way about losing his glamour, always too happy to shed it away whenever he got the chance. Now was not one of those times.

Ryuuji knew his true appearance was showing when Rin gasped, the crunch of the grass beneath the demon’s feet revealing the way he stepped back. Ryuuji slowly opened his eyes, perfectly aware of them being full gold. His long feathered ears and huge wings wilted slightly at Rin’s terror-filled face. His tail twitched in fear, revealing how badly Ryuuji wanted to run away.

Rin backed away, getting closer and closer to the barrier, “I-I think….I should go,” Without another word, Rin sprinted from the barrier, disappearing through the trees in a fleeing frenzy.

The reality of what happened took a long moment to sink in, but when it did, it hit him like a truck.

Ryuuji sank to his knees. Norbert immediately swooped down to reassuringly rub against his jaw the moment tears streamed down his cheeks. Ryuuji just made the worst decision of his life, and now, not only was he in danger, but so was his mother, Rie, and the whole of their kind.

Despite having been scared sh*tless of this whole situation, and knowing it’d go wrong, Ryuuji still held a minuscule amount of hope that maybe, just maybe, Rin would be on his side. Especially since he himself was a demon as well.

Norbert whimpered, feeding off Ryuuji's emotions, and began bawling himself.

Ryuuji tried to console the dragon, but it only served to make things worse. The Phoenix grabbed at one of his feathery wings, burying his face into the feathers and screaming his frustrations into the appendage, “Ȧqeset p setheken entuten ȧrit?! You knew this would happen! Entuten enti rekh! Anuk ȧti rekh ȧb entuten do this!” (What the f*ck were you thinking?! You’re such a moron! I can’t believe you’d do this!)

The only thing that brought Ryuuji scolding himself was a soft, but amused, “Did I come at a bad time?”

Ryuuji squawked, skittering away in surprise, crouched low to the ground defensively, only to blanch when Rin stood before him, looking apologetic as he clung to his school bag.

Chapter 23: Understanding

Chapter Text

Ryuuji turned from Rin, scrubbing at his eyes furiously before standing, wings tucked to his chest to hide his bare torso as a way to protect himself. Rin watched his wings curiously for a long moment before hesitantly meeting Ryuuji’s, now gold, eyes.

Norbert shrieked, dive-bombing Rin repeatedly. This time, Ryuuji didn’t pull the Dragon back, too fearful Rin would turn away again.

The demon opened his mouth to speak, but it was kind of hard when a tiny Dragon was being persistent about making him being there very, very difficult. Rin growled at the Dragon in anger, but it didn’t sound threatening, more so annoyed and frustrated.

Norbert darted over to Ryuuji, perching on the Phoenix’s shoulder protectively. Watching Rin with a wary eye. The latter seemed relieved that he was no longer being dive-bombed by a tiny Shabti, taking a step toward the two.

Ryuuji stiffened, his wings flaring out of reflex. Rin blinked, stalling and kicking at the ground, “Sorry for runnin’.”

Ryuuji blanched, lips parting in surprise as he glanced at Norbert to make sure he’d heard Rin correctly. Norbert didn’t seem to know whether he should keep growling, or if he should stop. Alright, so he hadn’t heard wrong.

Rin continued, his voice small as he pressed the tips of his pointer fingers together nervously, “I got….I was surprised. I’m sorry for running, especially since you didn’t run from me.”

Ryuuji relaxed slightly, wings returning to their folded position on his back. Strangely, he didn’t feel bitter about Rin running out now that he knew why. He probably should have been, but in all honesty, Ryuuji would have done the same. Hell, he would have when he overheard the conversation during the Exwire Licensing Exam if he’d been able to walk on his own.

Also, it was definitely better than what he’d expected to happen (something that led to him being executed by the Grigori). With a sigh, Ryuuji’s shoulders slumped in relief, “It’s alright. I would've done the same thing if I found out someone I knew had wings and a tail.”

“Still,” Rin murmured, eyes darting up to Ryuuji's uncertainty, “I’m sorry.”

The Phoenix’s lip quirked slightly, nodding in understanding, “Thanks for coming back,” Ryuuji knew his panic would have gone from bad to worse had Rin not returned to clarify that he wasn’t scared and going to turn him in. Although, Rin might still be scared. He wasn’t entirely sure.

Rin flashed a smile at Ryuuji’s calm voice, tail wagging slightly, “Of course! Also...you kinda promised to help me study since that’s what I told Yukio I was doing.”

Ryuuji blanched and let out a laugh, “Right, I forgot about that,” Rin wilted slightly, looking as though he expected to be turned away, “Sure thing. I don’t mind helping ya, especially if it makes you pay attention in class.”

Rin yelped, tail puffing up, “Hey! I do pay attention!”

A co*cky smile spread across Ryuuji's lips, the tension in the air melting away in a matter of seconds as he playfully poked Rin’s forehead, “Oh, really now? Maybe you should keep those nefer khesbeṭ maati open and prove it.”

Rin’s brows pinched, lips set in a pout, “I don’t speak Pyramid.”

Ryuuji would have laughed at the obvious joke, but he was too busy internally freaking out because he’d just told Rin that he had “pretty blue eyes.” The Phoenix attempted to shake off the feeling by chuckling, “Maybe if you actually listen when I tutor you, I’ll teach ya to speak Pyramid.”

Why in the name of Bastet did he just offer to teach Rin his language? What the hell was wrong with him?!

Rin brightened immediately before wilting, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips as he rubbed at the back of his neck, “You don’t have to do that. You’re gonna have a hard time tolerating me with school work alone.”

Ryuuji’s golden eyes narrowed, finding that he was now determined to “tolerate” Rin, “What makes you say that?” Ryuuji flopped down on the soft grass, patting the spot next to him before fishing a tank top from his bag.

Rin watched him curiously as he murmured the familiar spell of his glamour before pulling on the tank top. The boy looked like he was about to ask why he was hiding his wings, at least until Ryuuji released the glamour, wings flaring out again, “Why’d you do that?”

Ryuuji hummed, watching as Rin shuffled nervously. The Phoenix patted the ground beside him again, inviting Rin to sit beside him, “It’s easier to put shirts on without wings, even if they have holes for them.”

Rin peered at Ryuuji’s wings curiously. Ryuuji shifted so Rin could look at the base of his wings, both lacking any fabric around them, seeing as the tank top connected in the back. Rin nodded, hesitantly sitting beside Ryuuji, still seeming unsure about himself.

It took a few moments of Rin shuffling nervously before he dumped the contents of his school bag onto the ground in a messy heap. Ryuuji blanched, reaching forward to try and decipher what items belonged to what subject.

Rin looked embarrassed by the mess but jumped in to help, snatching some loose pens and pencils and stuffing them in an unused pencil pouch, “So,” Ryuuji hummed, sorting the papers into neat piles on top of their matching textbook, “Which subject to you need help with the most?”

“All of them?” Rin’s tail curled in a way that Ryuuji recognized as fear.

Ryuuji, albeit confused as to why Rin would react like that, nodded, “That’s alright. How about we start with math since we have a test in a week.”

Rin, with a confused tilt of his head, nodded slowly, “You’re not mad that I need help with everything?”

“Not at all, Okumura” Ryuuji missed the way Rin stilled in complete shock, his blue eyes blinking rapidly as he tried to figure out why Ryuuji wasn’t mad at him.

“You can keep your tail out,” Ryuuji mumbled offhandedly as he shuffled between papers, trying to find one that would help him understand what exactly Rin needed help with. He’d noticed the way Rin had been tucking his tail beneath his shirt, “We both know what the other is, so I don’t mind.”

“Oh,” Rin slowly unraveled his tail from around his waist, allowing it to lay across the grass, “Actually, you never told me what you are. I didn’t exactly give you the chance, sorry.”

“School first,” Rin cried in outrage at Ryuuji’s words, tail smacking the ground, earning a smirk from the Phoenix. Also, he just didn’t want to tell Rin everything just yet, “By the way, you never answered my question.”

Rin hummed, looking up in confusion. He seemed to be doing that a lot when it came to Ryuuji, “What question?”

“You said I’d have a hard time tolerating you. Why is that?”

“Well,” Rin snorted, eyes rolling as he tucked his knees to his chest, “I’m not exactly the smartest person ever. I’m actually pretty stupid. So I thought you’d have a hard time dealing with tutoring me.”

Ryuuji wilted, guilt welling in his chest. He could remember multiple times when he’d called Rin a moron because he’d been an ass, “You’re not stupid, just need a little more help. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“Not even remotely,” Ryuuji noticed the way Rin wilted in relief at his words. Even if he wanted to, Ryuuji felt that it wasn’t his place to pry.

Rin hummed, jumping back to something from a few moments ago, something Ryuuji would hopefully grow used to, “If you wait to tell me what you are, then I won’t tell you how I knew where you were on the roof.”

Ryuuji froze, a practice quiz from the beginning of the year in his hands, “What-?”

“You wanted to know how I knew where you were. I won’t tell you until you tell me.”

Ryuuji, pretending that he was a patient person (he was not), chuckled, “Then I guess we’ll both have to wait.”

Rin whined, flopping onto his back dramatically, “But I want to know!”

“Get used to disappointment,” Ryuuji flashed a small smile, still careful to keep his fangs hidden, not wanting to frighten Rin, “Here, fill this out.”

Rin peeked at Ryuuji through his messy hair and long lashes, sitting up and taking the small packet of papers from his grasp, “What’s this?”

“A practice quiz from the beginning of the year. The teacher gave it to us to figure out where we stood in the class, but you didn’t take it, so we’re using it now.”

Rin’s nose wrinkled at the answer, “Shouldn’t you start me on something easier? Like going over questions?”

Ryuuji sighed, “I want to know what sections you need the most help with so we can start with those.”

Rin pursed his lips before grumbling, “Fine!” The boy, albeit annoyed, snatched a random textbook to write against, glaring at the numbers and random letters on the page as he started, “Why math, I hate math!”

His voice was barely a breath but easily heard by the Phoenix. Ryuuji decided to ignore it, stroking Norbert’s scaley back as he looked over his own homework.

He was attempting to read through the textbooks on biology and chemistry. He’d never been good at either subject and absolutely despised these classes. But, lo and behold, it was his fault for being an overachiever and signing up for both of them in the first place instead of just one like a normal person. Ryuuji really hoped Rin didn’t need help with his own chemistry class, knowing he would be the worst tutor for that.

Ryuuji kept flipping through the two, wondering why the words kept floating around before remembering, like an idiot, that the spell to keep the words from moving had worn off in the middle of class today and he hadn’t placed the spell again.

“Setheken ȧtet sekhem usert mer,” (f*cking Dyslexia,) Ryuuji grumbled, about to cast the spell before deciding against it to keep from distracting Rin and showing him that he had magic. He’d tell him eventually, just preferably not on the first day of whatever this was.

Rin glanced at him from the side of his eye as Ryuuji pulled a pair of cheap glasses from his bag. He rarely used them unless it was his only choice. For some weird reason, the Ȧbu meṭ spell, which made it easier for someone with a reading disorder to read, never wore off as quickly on the glasses he’d cast the same spell on.

Ryuuji would be the first person to admit this, but not the last: Magic was f*cking weird.

But, it worked and that was enough for him. The words stilled immediately as he looked through the enchanted glass of the fake glasses he’d found at a 100-yen store. No one really understood how the spell worked on glasses, but it was a spell of Thoth and that bird brain would do anything to get more people to read.

Ryuuji was too focused on trying to understand the information in his chemistry book, none of which made sense to him, to notice Rin’s fair skin tint pink when Ryuuji pushed the glasses onto the bridge of his nose.

It took longer than Ryuuji had expected, but Rin finally finished the practice quiz, hesitantly handing it over to the Phoenix. Ryuuji looked over the answers, referencing his own practice quiz from the beginning of the year.

As Ryuuji marked the paper with a red pen, jotting down the correct answers for Rin to reference later, Rin grew more and more fidgety. His tail waved around, curling and uncurling around his body as he gnawed on the collar of his shirt.

It didn’t take long for Rin to grow impatient and throw his hands in the air, “Just tell me how I did!”

Ryuuji winced, having just finished grading that paper. Out of all fifty questions, which was too long for a practice quiz in Ryuuji’s opinion, Rin had only gotten seven correct, which seemed to be pure luck when he took note of Rin’s written work.

Ryuuji grimaced, not wanting to break Rin’s spirits, but knowing there was no way around it. He was about to tell Rin his score when the boy jumped in front of Ryuuji, blue eyes narrowed, “It’s bad, isn’t it?”

Ryuuji choked, “I didn’t say anything!”

“Your ears went piff!” Rin mimed his ears wilting. Dammit, he forgot how expressive his ears were, “And your wings did too!” Ryuuji scowled, not really at Rin, but apparently, that’s how Rin took it seeing as he flinched, quickly removing his hands from the sides of his head, “Sorry.”

Rin’s voice was strangely small and not quite apologetic. It sounded more like he was pleading for something to not happen while at the same time not doing anything to stop it. Ryuuji didn’t like it one bit, especially when Rin curled in on himself, “Why are you sorry?”

“I-uh….”

Ryuuji chuckled, “It was actually funny! I was just thinking about how I forgot that my ears have a mind of their own.”

Rin’s body seemed to melt in relief, a small smile decorating his features, “Really?”

“Hell yeah,” Ryuuji had no idea why, but he really wanted to make Rin smile.

Rin’s change in mood was almost instant once he knew Ryuuji wasn’t mad at him (Why would he even think that?), “So, if your ears have a mind of their own, then what’s that between them? Empty space?”

Ryuuji couldn’t stop the giggling laughter from escaping his lips, not that he tried to. He brought the packet of papers to his face, hiding his face from view as he giggled, ears flapping around like they did when he was happy.

Ryuuji caught sight of Rin’s beaming smile. The thought that he had been the one to make Rin smile made a strange feeling swell within his chest. Even if Ryuuji didn’t want to, he knew he’d have to tell Rin his score, “You got a seven outta fifty.”

Rin took a few moments to understand what Ryuuji was talking about, only to grimace as his tail curled around his body protectively. Ryuuji took notice of the movement immediately, but the question on his tongue died when Rin flashed an uncertain smile, “It’s not as bad as it could be, right? It could have been worse.”

Ryuuji squinted, trying to figure out just why Rin was so nervous. It wasn’t the kind of nervous one felt when you have to show your parents a bad report card, this was something else. More like he was nervous, or wary, of something happening, “Yeah, I guess it could have. There’s no problem, it just means you’ll improve more than others.”

Rin hummed, despite the tension in his body failing to ebb away, he seemed a little relieved by Ryuuji’s statement, “Yeah, my dad used to help me study...but it was always really hard for me.”

“The same dad who gave you the sword?”

Rin blinked, tail curling curiously, “Yes, why?”

Ryuuji sighed, setting the packet to the ground to fiddle with the pendant of his necklace, “I’m about to sound like a complete asshole,” That only served to confuse Rin further, but Ryuuji had to check. After his talk with his mother, he was confident that he had been wrong before when he thought Rin was referring to Satan as his dad, but there was only one way to know for sure, “But, when you say ‘Dad,’ you aren’t talkin’ ‘bout Satan, right?”

Rin’s reaction was immediate, but it was the one Ryuuji had been hoping for, “ABSOLUTELY NOT!” Ryuuji blinked in surprise when Rin jumped to his feet, stomping his foot in agitation, “If I ever see that dick-brained son of a bitch again. I. Will. Kill him!”

All of a sudden, a conversation from a while ago resurfaced in his head: “Now, listen up! I’m the one who’s going to defeat Satan, so stay outta my way!”

Now Ryuuji just felt like an idiot. Bowing his head to apologize, Ryuuji spoke softly, “I’m sorry. I just had to make sure.”

Rin huffed angrily, arms crossing and lips set in a pout, “The only father I have is Shiro Fujimoto. I’ll kill Satan for killing my dad!”

Ryuuji’s lips parted slightly, eyes widening in surprise. Satan had killed Rin’s father, and Ryuuji had just asked Rin if he thought of that bastard as his father. Ryuuji looked away, guilt gnawing at his chest, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

Rin’s only response was to huff, though he looked more upset than angry.

“What was he like? Your dad, I mean,” Ryuuji couldn’t place why he was asking, but the way Rin talked of his father, explaining how freaking awesome he thought he was, had Ryuuji quickly putting his thoughts to the side as he listened intently, never once interrupting Rin’s starry-eyed rant.

At least, not until he said this: “He always put up with me being complete crap in school. I don’t even know how he did it, especially since he had a teenager who can’t read for sh*t,” Rin was rubbing at the back of his neck sheepishly, an uncertain smile splitting his features.

Ryuuji choked on the air, coughing before forcing out a weak, “What?”

“Oh, come on,” Rin chuckled, “You can’t be that surprised by it. I am -”

“If the word ‘idiot,’ ‘moron,’ or ‘stupid’ comes out of your mouth,” Ryuuji was about to jokingly say that he’d strangle the boy, but he stopped himself when Rin’s eyes widened in horror. Rin skittered away, hands raised defensively. Ryuuji quickly let the words die on his tongue, replacing them with something else, “I’ll flick you.”

Ryuuji practically jumped at the way Rin rebounded, so quickly it was almost as if his reaction to Ryuuji’s meaningless threat hadn’t happened. Instead, Rin snorted, a teasing grin on his lips, “That all you could come up with, Feathers?”

“What the setheken was that?” His face was warm and probably bright red, but he was going to ignore that for a moment.

Rin blinked, tilted his head to the side, “What was what? Do you not like the nickname?”

“Not that!” Ryuuji grumbled, nose scrunching as he tried to figure out what had happened by simply looking at Rin, “You got scared of something. Why?”

Rin paled considerably, “Oh, I-I saw something….um….I thought there was something behind you so I got scared.”

Ryuuji gave Rin the most deadpan expression he could muster, clearly showing that he was not convinced, “Rin, I’m serious. What was-”

“Just drop it, alright!” Ryuuji jumped at the sudden change in Rin’s tone. He was tense, hands balled into fists, “Please.”

That last word was what had Ryuuji nodding his head, albeit unhappily. Rin sounded like he was almost begging. No, not almost. He was begging Ryuuji to not talk about what had happened.

Ryuuji clenched his jaw, the hinge creaking angrily at the pressure, but he spoke calmly, “Alright,” But don’t think I’m forgetting about that. Ryuuji didn’t think it was wise to say that last part, so he kept it in his head for now.

In an attempt to switch back to the original topic, Ryuuji broke the uncomfortable silence that had grown, even making Norbert whimper, “Please stop calling yourself an idiot, or a moron, or stupid. Unless you do something completely reckless like trying to fight a demon on your own,” Ryuuji pinned a pointed scowl at Rin, one he returned by sticking out his tongue, “Even if others don’t say that stuff to you, it tears you down.”

Ryuuji knew from personal experience. He may not have called himself stupid or an idiot, he was lucky his mother had caught his Dyslexia and ADHD when he was young since she had ADHD herself, but he did call himself other things.

Freak. Monster. Murderer. Worthless.

It all added up eventually, tearing you down piece by piece until there was nothing left.

Rin gazed at him, searching his face with pinched brows, “You speak from experience?”

A scoff escaped Ryuuji's lips, “Tiw,” Rin raised a brow slowly, waiting for a translation, “Yes.”

“If I can’t read, then what am I?” Rin murmured, fiddling with a textbook he’d pulled into his lap to give his hands something to do, “I can’t even read the damn title of this thing without the words moving.”

That sounded familiar, “Okumura,” Rin’s head snapped up before tilting in confusion, “Are you Dyslexic?”

Chapter 24: Gentle Words

Chapter Text

Rin blinked at him with owlish eyes, even getting Norbert to mimic his expression after many minutes of complete silence. Behind him, Ryuuji’s tail twitched uneasily. It might not be purely silent, but it was still too quiet for his taste.

Thankfully, Rin got over his initial confusion in light of voicing it, “Dys-what-ic?”

Ryuuji pressed his lips together to keep himself from chuckling at Rin’s expression of pure bewilderment and attempt at speaking the word, “It’s a disorder that makes it harder for people to read,” Rin’s jaw tightened, hands balling into fists on top of the book in his lap. Ryuuji, knowing that look all too well from when he was still coming to terms with his own diagnosis, quickly blurted out the next words that came to mind, “There’s nothing wrong with having Dyslexia!”

Rin jumped at his sudden outburst, as did Norbert. The tiny dragon had slowly warmed up to Rin and was perching on his shoulder happily. At least until Ryuuji startled him and sent him vaulting through the air to land with a tiny squeak and a huff of fire between the two teens.

The two might have found it funny had Rin not been too focused on wanting answers.

Slowly, as if he wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to say, or how to say it, Rin whispered out soft words, “Is there a way to fix it?”

The way Rin sounded so upset by this had Ryuuji’s heart shattering to pieces, he was almost sure the boy could hear it. With a sad shake of his head, Ryuuji mumbled under his breath, “No, there’s not. But there are ways to help!”

Ryuuji shifted closer, removing the cheap glasses from the bridge of his nose, “Here, put these on and read the cover of this.”

Rin took the glasses hesitantly, looking between them and Ryuuji’s finger on the top of his textbook, “What will these do?”

With a deep breath, Ryuuji decided he could explain at least a little, “My species, we ain’t demons,” Rin’s mouth snapped shut at Ryuuji words, nodding slowly but looking even more confused than before, “We were given the use of magic from our gods. Some of us are even considered gods ourselves.”

“The gods of Egypt?”

Ryuuji nodded his affirmative, finding his three-stalked tail wagging happily when Rin’s face lit up, beaming at him at the knowledge that he’d been right, “There aren’t spells for everything, but there are quite a few. That’s how I hide my wings and my ears, also my eyes,” Rin listened silently, looking at Ryuuji with starry-eyed wonder as he digested any information Ryuuji gave him on the matter. Now if only he paid attention like this in class, Ryuuji thought with amusem*nt.

“Wait,” Rin hummed, “So, are the gods like spirits or random creatures or-”

“They’re actually gods,” Rin choked but leaned in closer nonetheless. It made Ryuuji’s heart flip. He was so close, if he tilted his head just right, he could brush their lips together. He could kiss him and-

Ryuuji snapped himself out of his rambling thoughts, shocked at the feeling of wanting to kiss Rin for some reason!

Rin seemed unaware of Ryuuji’s inner turmoil, waiting for the Phoenix to reveal more. It was then that Ryuuji realized that Rin was rambling on about theories and different ideas, words flying from his mouth too fast for Ryuuji to catch.

“Wait, is he magic!?”

Ryuuji’s eyes flitted over to where Rin was pointing. The boy had, thankfully, removed himself from Ryuuji’s personal space in light of sitting in front of him now. Norbert, who seemed to be pinning Ryuuji with a look that was almost coy, wagged his tail at now being the center of attention.

Ryuuji hummed, “Yes,” Rin whipped around to look at him and, again, got in his personal space. Maybe Rin hadn’t been taught personal space as a kid. Chuckling at the thought, Ryuuji explained as best he could, “I made Norbert from clay, which I then infused with magic to bring him to life. He’s called a Shabti.”

Rin gasped, both the glasses and the textbook that was previously in his lap left forgotten on the grassy ground. He lowered himself to the ground so he could look the Shabti in his violet eyes, “That’s so cool!”

Norbert chirped happily, a smug look directed at Ryuuji pinching his small features. How did he even know to make that expression?

Ryuuji chuckled, averting his eyes back to Rin. The latter was inspecting Norbert with captivated eyes, marveling at every move the tiny dragon made, “The gods of Egypt ain’t the only ones though,” Rin sat back up, Norbert now in his arms, as he turned to look at Ryuuji expectantly. With a small smile, Ryuuji spoke up. Something deep down decided he didn’t want to hold any truths from Rin, and Ryuuji found that he was content with it, “Every mythology and religion, both past and present, are real. I’m not talking just faith and believing, I mean they are really out there. Gods and goddesses of every mythology, creatures you can only imagine. They all roam the Earth but are hidden from the eyes of mortals through many different means, anything from hiding under the ground in the Labyrinth, or being concealed through the Duat and other forms of magic.”

Rin gasped, mouth hanging open. He held Norbert to his chest, the sight reminding Ryuuji of a young child holding a plush toy while being read a bedtime story, “But, how have we never seen them?”

“Some people do. Like the Loch Ness Monster, she’s real. She’s from Scottish Mythology and those who are from the old ways take care of her. She’s actually a sweetheart.”

“Woah…” Rin’s eyes were wide as saucers, “Wait, you’ve MET NESSIE?!”

Ryuuji chuckled, “No, but a friend on the council takes care of her since she's from that Ḥesepu.”

“What’s a ‘Ḥesepu’?” Ryuuji opened his mouth to explain, but paused. Did he really trust Rin enough to tell him everything?

The answer should have been no. It wasn’t.

Ryuuji snorted, deciding that he shouldn’t answer every question Rin had just yet. He still didn’t understand why he’d decided to start telling Rin stuff in the first place. It might have been years upon years of having the thought “Do not trust anybody” drilled into his head, but his heart was beginning to pound now that he thought of every single thing he’d told the boy.

Pretending that he was not internally freaking out, Ryuuji reached for his glasses on the ground and maneuvered to perch them on Rin’s nose, “How about you try these out first?”

“Oh, come on!” Rin whined, snatching a random paper from the ground with a pout on his face, “I want to know all this cool stuff, you owe me!”

Ryuuji’s tail flicked behind him, swatting Rin’s arm, “No, you owe me,” Rin hummed in question, holding the paper close to his face, eyes scrunching as he concentrated on the words, “You still haven’t told me how you knew where I was on the roof.”

“I could sense ya, not a big deal,” Rin waved him off in light of gasping, “Holy sh*t! This makes it so much easier to read! Jesus, my teacher must really think I’m horrible at math,” That last part was murmured under his breath, but Ryuuji was too busy focusing on his other words.

Rin had...sensed him? The way Rin said it didn’t make him think the boy meant smell, even then he’d have a hard time pinpointing a location to the exact spot. There was no way anyone but an Egyptian creature, or a mortal possessing Egyptian magic, could sense him like that.

Rin’s heritage was from Christianity, so that was impossible. Maybe he had used his nose. Deep down, Ryuuji knew that wasn’t possible. But he decided to deal with one thing at a time.

“The glasses are enchanted with a spell that keeps words still to the reader. It makes it so much easier to read.”

Rin nodded, eyes darting across last week's homework, nose wrinkling after reading each question, “I didn’t realize I kept getting stuff wrong ‘cause I couldn’t read it. I jus’ thought I didn’t calculate something right.”

Ryuuji watched in baffled silence as Rin, glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, went through the most recent assignments, quickly changing and solving answers with a blur of his pencil. Peeking over Rin’s shoulder, Ryuuji looked over the work. The letters and numbers swam around, but it was manageable.

Ryuuji’s lips parted in surprise when he noticed that Rin was getting almost every answer correct, even solving the majority in his head!

“Sheps mut em Ȧst,” (Holy mother of Isis.) Rin glanced up at him, brows pinched in confusion at his words. Ryuuji shook his head, “Just surprised.”

Rin hummed, “My dad taught me to do stuff in my head. But-”

“It’s hard to do that when you don’t know the problem to begin with,” Ryuuji finished, recognizing Rin’s words. He’d had the same issue when he was younger, but he was lucky enough for his mother to know what was happening due to her own Dyslexia. Rin wasn’t lucky enough to have that.

Rin nodded, slowly removing the glasses and handing them back to Ryuuji, “Here. These are yours.”

Ryuuji chuckled, pushing them back to Rin, “Nah, you keep them. I know how to make more. Also, ways to help without them,” Rin hesitantly drew the cheap glasses to his chest, almost like he was expecting Ryuuji to snatch them away as a cruel joke.

After a few moments, Rin finally seemed to realize Ryuuji was serious, perching the glasses on his nose again despite having finished the worksheets in front of him, “Thank you.”

“Sure thing, Āānāu,” Ryuuji chuckled, taking out his own textbook and running a hand over the pages of moving words. Silently, he replaced the book on the grass, deciding to cast the spell on the books later, it wore off on books for some unknown reason.

Rin perked up, “What does that mean?”

Ryuuji hummed in confusion, waiting for Rin to elaborate.

“That word. You said it earlier when I tripped. What does it mean?”

“Oh,” Ryuuji chuckled, he hadn’t even noticed he’d called Rin “āānāu” until Rin pointed it out, “Āānāu. That’s what I called you,” Ryuuji watched in amusem*nt as Rin mouthed the foreign word, almost like he was desperate for any information he could get his hands on. Ryuuji was almost hesitant to tell Rin what it meant, almost, “It’s means ‘Monkey.’”

Rin’s tail flicked in annoyance, a pout Ryuuji could easily call adorable, painting his features, “That’s not fair, you jerk!”

“How is me calling you a Monkey not fair?”

“You get to insult people in another language that no one else knows! That’s not freaking fair!” Rin threw his hands in the air, flopping onto his back in frustration.

Ryuuji pursed his lips, “This coming from the one who can speak Gehennan, a language that is physically impossible for humans to understand or speak.”

Ryuuji knew he had messed up when Rin tensed, slowly sitting up and shifting out of Ryuuji's reach. The Phoenix’s brows scrunched together in confusion, “Can we not talk about it?”

“About you being a demon?”

“Half-demon,” Rin growled, emphasizing the ‘half’ as if it was a lifeline.

Despite wanting to talk to Rin about it, Ryuuji decided it would be better if they saved that talk for a later date, “Sure thing,” Rin visibly melted in relief, something Ryuuji pretended not to notice, but that didn’t stop the worry from sinking in.

The rest of their study session, which could also be considered an immense questioning from a very excited half-demon, went by smoothly. Ryuuji found that he was kind of… disappointed that they had to leave for their own dorms. But Rin, whether he knew it or not, eased the feeling by asking if they could do this more often.

And honestly, how could Ryuuji resist the suggestion when Rin gave him that giddy, starry-eyed look and flashed that adorable smile?

Ryuuji, with a bright flush coloring his tanned skin, accepted. Although, he still gawked when Rin asked if they could do this after school everyday, if it was alright with Ryuuji.

It was.

Rin had departed with a noticeable skip in his step, holding his school bag to his chest excitedly. Ryuuji couldn’t help but smile fondly as he watched Rin go. Norbert chittered excitedly, flapping his tiny wings. The Shabti seemed to like Rin as well.

The Phoenix packed up his things, he hadn’t realized he’d been standing there with a dopey grin on his face for so long, and made his way back to his dorms. This time, Norbert stayed behind to watch the barrier.

Ryuuji patted his small head gently once the dragon had curled into a ball on a low hanging branch, out of sight of any passerby. Norbert purred gratefully, not arguing this time when Ryuuji left.

He also paid attention this time when he went back to his dorm and, like he should have done the first time, walked through the Rā-damned door of the building and his own dorm instead of climbing through the window and getting caught.

Both Shima and Konekomaru turned when he walked through the door, the latter of which speaking with a playful glint in his bespeckled eyes, “So… how was your date?”

Ryuuji flushed bright red, almost completely sure his ears were on fire from just how embarrassed he was, “Nes ben mer khet!” (It was not a date!) Neither of his friends needed a translation from the Phoenix to know what he said. Both laughed hysterically at their friend’s reaction, one which they had expected. Ryuuji tried to speak calmly, and in a language his friends would understand, “We were just studying.”

“They were ‘studying’ for an awfully long time, don’tcha think, Neko?” Shima hummed, turning to Koneomaru and pretending Ryuuji wasn’t in the room.

Ryuuji, quite stupidly, thought his friend wouldn’t join in Shima’s antics. Oh, how wrong he was. Koneomaru smirked, leaning forward in his chair, eyes trained on Ryuuji as if he was studying his every move, “They were. Are you sure the two of you were only studying?”

Ryuuji growled, moving to hide behind the pillow on his bed, “Tiw!” (Yes.)

Konekomaru hummed, putting a finger to his lip, “Maybe they were studying together, Shima,” The pink-haired teen whined pitifully, but it went ignored when Ryuuji sighed in relief, “What did you study?”

“Well, we went through math, which he’s really good at doing in his head and-”

“Are you sure you weren’t studying anatomy?” Ryuuji paused, catching a glimpse of his bald friend’s devilish grin. It took Ryuuji a moment to understand what he meant, but he was damn sure he was redder than a cherry once he did.

“You Ȧqeṭs!”

After a lot more teasing, and both Shima and Konekomaru receiving numerous pillows to the face, they decided to listen to how his night had truly gone. Obviously, he left out many parts, but Konekomaru seemed intrigued and looked close to shouting “I told you so!” when he mentioned Rin’s Dyslexia.

Shima, on the other hand, looked like he was plotting some nefarious plan, one Ryuuji was sure had something to do with getting Ryuuji and Rin together. Ryuuji would have to be careful over the next few days if he wanted to avoid eternal embarrassment and the possibility of losing a friend who knew what he was but continued to trust him. Although, he’d be lying if he said she didn’t want to be more than friends. Maybe he just really didn’t want to lose the chance to get closer to Rin, but he refused to think about that.

Ryuuji was, thankfully, able to avoid further embarrassment when his phone blasted his ringtone for Rie, a song from a band famous throughout the Sept. The boy escaped to the hallway quickly, pressing the phone to his ear while covering the other so he could hear over the overly enthusiastic chatter within the dorms.

The second he answered he was greeted with terrified shrieking that could only mean Rie had, rather stupidly, wandered into Emile’s workshop. Ryuuji couldn’t help the snickers that bubbled from his throat, “Ȧsi entuten ȧr mātcheṭ entuten hai Emile’s ḥemt urit?” (What did you do to force you to go into Emile’s workspace?)

“Ȧu baba dia entuten, entuten mut-setheken āāu-uāt!” Rie yelped, the sound of clanging filtering through the phone, “Anuk maāt entuten smaā!” (I’m trying to help you, you motherf*cking asswipe! You better pay me back!)

Ryuuji rolled his eyes, humming to himself, “Anuk enti ȧbu entuten ȧu ȧrit tepi entuten shu pai-ȧ uauiuait tcher anuk ȧmu nes ȧtet entuten,” (I won’t stop you from doing anything you want to my hair since I dyed it without you.) Ryuuji was fully aware he’d regret that when Rie cashed in, but he also knew she’d do whatever she wanted either way.

Everything was silent, aside from muffled slams and a pained groan, until Rie spoke desperately into the phone, “Ȧu mā Emile p hekȧ-ṭebt eref ruȧ tcha utcha bu!” (I’m giving Emile the phone then getting the hell outta here!)

Ryuuji’s brows pinched, “Remi?” (Why?)

Rie huffed in agitation, “Entuten un maā sekhem?” (Did you really forget already?) His sister seemed to take his silence as an answer, mumbling, “Kām entuten ānkh nefa au ȧti n-ȧ?,” under her breath, fully aware Ryuuji could hear her, before deciding to explain it, “Then mestcher ārit? Sekha? Anuk meṭu entuten anuk merru ukha Emile menmen si.” (How have you survived this long without me? Your earbuds? Remember? I told you I’d ask Emile about them.)

Ryuuji blinked, had he really forgotten about that already? It hadn’t been that long ago! How had he forgotten all the horrible things he could hear? As if answering his silent question, his mind conjured up an image of Rin, tail wagging out behind him, smiling delightedly at a textbook in his lap, the faintest blush coating his cheeks and the tip of his enticingly pointed ears.

Oh. That’s how.

Dammit, he’d only really known Rin for a day and already he was becoming a flustered mess at just the thought of him.

“Oh, āqa!” (Oh, right!) Despite having forgotten, an uncontrollable excitement wedged within his mind. He’d be able to block out some of these horrid sounds, which he had also been distracted from thanks to Rin.

Rie cried out, sounding frightened in a way only Emile’s workspace could get her, “Tiw tiw. Erṭā p hekȧ-ṭebt nes. Āba entuten em khet senbėti!” (Yeah yeah. Giving the phone to her. See you later bye!)

Rie’s words were quick and jumbled from the fear. Ryuuji laughed as he heard her scampering away after handing the phone over to Emile, shrieking curses foul enough to make a Viking’s ears bleed. Ryuuji wouldn’t doubt even Solveig, a literal Viking, would be shocked by her girlfriend’s language.

The only sounds reaching Ryuuji’s, at least through the phone, were the grumbles and annoyed shouting of Emile, coaxing her projects into working. Ryuuji wasn’t sure if it was wise to speak up, knowing how Emile got when she was interrupted while she was intensely focussed on her creations.

Thankfully, Ryuuji didn’t have to worry about his patience as Emile spoke. Her voice was distant, like she wasn’t really paying full attention to Ryuuji. Still, any of her attention was fine, since she wasn’t one to give people the time of day, “Entuten khebt pai-ȧ mestcher ārit, entuten dipstick,” Emile’s Australian accent was thick, sometimes Ryuuji had to pause to understand her words, especially when she pulled out her slang. (You lost my earbuds, you dipstick.)

Emile didn’t speak Japanese, which Ryuuji was fine with. She tended to speak in Egynglish more often than not, leaving people who didn’t know either Egyptian or English very confused.

“Ȧb, Mut-sent ,” (Sorry, Auntie.) Emile huffed at the nickname. Ryuuji only really called her that because it annoyed her for a reason Ryuuji didn’t know.

“Anuk ȧb ya know you’re f*ckin’ lucky anuk ten, anuk ḳer ten ḳeba, ten senf āāu-thep — Tenu p bloody hell is pai-ȧ wrench?” (I hope ya know you’re f*ckin’ lucky I like ya, or I’d leave ya to suffer, ya bloody assho — where the bloody hell is my wrench?) Ryuuji had to try very, very hard not to laugh. He’d forgotten how cool Emile was, remembering from this simple conversation. Ryuuji couldn’t count how many times his mother had almost strangled Emile because of her foul mouth, even going so far as to shove a soap bar in her mouth when he was younger.

Ryuuji gnawed at his lip, hoping Emile had something to help him and hadn’t asked to contact him so she could chew him out, “Entuten ȧru pai-ȧ maui mestcher ārit?” (You make my new earbuds?)

“Tiw anuk, dummy. Ḥenā sen even better than ever!” (‘Course I did, dummy. And they’re even better than ever!)

A small smile crept across his face, gratitude blooming in his chest, “Dėwā, Emile. Nes meti ur.” (Thanks, Emile. It means a lot.)

“Ȧm redi hāti ḥer nes. It was a piece of piss, enti nehā em temtu,” (Don’t worry ‘bout it. It was a piece of piss, not hard at all.) Ryuuji pressed his lips together, poorly concealed amusem*nt plastering across his face, “Should warn ya though, it’s gonna be harder to hide ‘em!”

Ryuuji’s excitement faltered, jaw going slack, “Um, ȧqeset?” (Um, what?)

Emile didn’t seem bothered by Ryuuji’s blatant concern, he could imagine her waving him off, remaining focussed on her latest project, “Oh, entuten merru ȧu nefer. I just needed to make some khepert āat fit p kheperu!” Ryuuji hummed, worry overriding his previous joy, “I hacked into then sa Duat urit. They’re in there.” (Oh, you’ll be fine. I just needed to make some things bigger to fit the modifications! I hacked into your personal Duat pocket. They’re in there.)

Ryuuji rolled his eyes. Making a small section in the infinite expanse of the Duat usually guaranteed no one else could access it without the “key.” Emile, however, had always been good at getting into things she shouldn’t, so it came as no surprise she’d been able to hack into his little bubble in the Duat like it was a computer.

Ryuuji sighed, murmuring a grateful, “Dėwā, Emile.” (Thanks, Emile.)

“Whatever, uā uāu ȧm khebt ‘em, or I’ll cark ya!” (Whatever, just don’t lose ‘em, or I’ll cark ya!)

The Phoenix nodded, murmuring, “Tiw, set.” (Yes, ma’am,) to the woman before hanging up.

With a nervous glance around the hall, Ryuuji pulled at the Duat, accessing his private bubble that housed his duffle bag and some other items he didn’t feel comfortable leaving lying about, like his armor and multitude of weapons.

It didn’t take long for Ryuuji to find the small box, though it would have been easier if he’d bit the bullet and climbed into the small room-like area. With nervous anticipation, Ryuuji pulled open the cardboard box, lips parting in shock at what he saw, “Utcha, pan merru unen seṭeb.”

Well, this is gonna be a problem.

Chapter 25: Adjusting

Chapter Text

Ryuuji fiddled with the new hearing devices or, more accurately, hearing aids. He’d been inspecting them for hours, sitting cross-legged on his bed well into the night. How were these supposed to work? Much less go unnoticed!

The Phoenix had hoped Emile’s directions would shed some light on what the hell they were supposed to do, but the hope had immediately died when the only thing Emile’s “directions” included was a simple “Use the dial on the left device to adjust settings.”

Ryuuji grumbled, hesitantly placing the hearing aids over his ears. They were in the typical Behind-the-Ear design with a black wire connecting a thick bud to his ear. Ryuuji had been on the receiving end of Emile’s failed inventions, they usually ended in painful disaster and more than a few explosions and bruises.

The Phoenix slumped, both thankful the devices didn’t fail and disappointed they didn’t do anything immediately. Emile better not be messing with him or he might scream. Deep down, Ryuuji knew Emile would never do something like that, she was too passionate about new projects and too proud to mess with someone like that.

With bated breath, Ryuuji reached for the dial situated behind his left ear. Slowly, he spun the dial down, jaw slackening when his hearing dimmed bit by bit.

With a newfound excitement spurring him on, Ryuuji spun the dial to its max, completely blocking out his hearing. Almost immediately he returned his hearing to a level that allowed him to hear the city when his heart clenched in panic. He’d never realized how used to the overwhelming presence of sounds he was, or how silent it could really get.

There wasn’t even a simple buzzing when he maxed out the devices. He couldn’t hear his breathing or his heart. He had not liked that.

Ryuuji nodded to himself, deciding to keep the devices to a level he was used to with his previous earpieces. It made it relatively easy to hear the entire city, but that was still strangely quiet. Maybe he’d have to adjust the amount he heard based on what exactly he was hearing.

The option to choose between his normal hearing, complete silence, and everything in between, would be very helpful.

It had taken multiple days to adjust to the ear pieces. They were a little bulkier than his last devices and occasionally rubbed against his piercings in strange ways. Not to mention his friends and teachers had been very confused by the sudden appearance.

Thankfully, Emile had been smart enough to include a forged doctor’s note in the box, one that Ryuuji had noticed the next morning. He decided not to question her methods if it meant making his life easier.

With the fake note aiding his reason, it was up to him to tell a lie simple enough to keep up, but also convincing enough to keep others from growing suspicious. The lie Ryuuji had told, one that was along the lines of noticing his hearing acting weird so he went to the school nurse and she told him he was hard-of-hearing, had hurt his friend’s feelings.

Konekomaru had almost started crying, believing Ryuuji hadn’t trusted him with the information that he’d been suffering from ways other than his depression. It had taken a lot of explanation, fake explanation, to make Konekomaru feel better. The shorter boy had made Ryuuji promise to tell them when something was bothering him, gripping his scarred wrist to punctuate his point.

Ryuuji had, guiltily, promised, fully aware that he wouldn’t be able to keep it. Rā, he was keeping secrets and lying just like his father. He was such a f*cking hypocrite!

After the hectic day of explanations, and feeling like a total Āāu, meeting with Rin had been a refresher. The halfling had immediately asked for the real reason he was using the hearing aids, having easily seen through his lie. Ryuuji blamed it on Rin knowing more about his heritage than his friends. With a calm voice, Ryuuji told him how much he could really hear. Rin had gasped, bright blue eyes wide as saucers as he cupped Ryuuji’s cheeks and repeatedly asked if he was alright.

Ryuuji was a little too shocked to answer, leaning, more like melting, into Rin’s soft touch like a touch-starved cat. The Phoenix was ignorant to the fact that he’d started to purr, tail wagging happily as his wings wilted down his back.

Ryuuji was pulled from his content daze when Rin’s hands retreated, the boy’s midnight tail curled behind him curiously. The Phoenix could do nothing but blush, the air snapping as his wings pulled closer to his body in an effort to hide from his embarrassment. Rin’s brows furrowed, head co*cking to the side, “Are you alright?”

Ryuuji’s blush darkened, heating his face enough that his feathered ears caught flame. Rin yelped, trying to pat away the flames in panic, which only turned into him smacking Ryuuji’s flicking ears repeatedly. The Phoenix, grateful for the distraction from his embarrassment, pulled Rin’s hands away, letting the younger see he was unharmed.

Big blue eyes watched his ears, flames now extinguished and feathers unharmed, “You…how?”

Ryuuji released one of Rin’s hands, bringing his free palm between them. Rin’s brows pinched, only for a soft gasp to escape his lips when Ryuuji created a ball of warm flame over his palm. Rin reached forward, brushing soft fingers against Ryuuji’s hand as if to check he wasn’t burned, “My species, Phoenix, can control fire.”

“Phoenix? Like, die and rise from the ashes Phoenix?”

Ryuuji chuckled, shaking his head as the flames in his hand disappeared, “Nah, that’s what the Greeks said about us when they first saw us. The story kinda caught on,” Ryuuji shrugged, “They got confused by us being deities but not immortal, I guess.”

“Oh,” Rin nodded slowly before freezing completely, “I’m sorry, did you say deity?”

Ryuuji paled, pulling his hand from Rin’s frantically. He hadn’t even noticed he was still holding Rin’s hand and found he was disappointed by the loss, “Um…y-yes?”

“So, you’re…a god?!”

Ryuuji kicked at the ground, tail tucking nervously between his legs. In the Ḥesepu, everyone knew Phoenix were godly creatures. It wasn’t that big of a deal there, but it was very different in a place surrounded by mortals. To mortals, ‘god’ meant all powerful cosmic beings of immortality. Really, it was just another species of creatures, and Phoenix were a godly subspecies. They were not immortal, just powerful. It was the same way Satan could be considered the God of Demons: he was powerful on a whole different level.

Rin shook his head, “Nevermind, you don’t have to answer my questions,” Rin gestured to Ryuuji’s tucked wings and tail, “I can see it makes you nervous.”

Ryuuji blinked, watching Rin move to sit in the grass, textbooks and worksheets spread around him. The Phoenix gnawed at his lip, hesitantly sitting by Rin’s side. The latter was reading through homework and diligently taking notes. He seemed relaxed, calm. Ryuuji offhandedly wondered if he’d ever seen the halfling this calm.

Ryuuji sighed, nervously clutching his wing, “It would make me feel better if I wasn’t the only one being questioned.”

Rin paused, blinking up at him with curious eyes. Ryuuji couldn’t help but think Rin looked cute with glasses, “What do you mean?”

“I’m fine with answering your questions,” His voice was low, eyes cast down. Norbert moved into his field of view, stretching up to bap his nose, almost like he was trying to comfort the Phoenix. Ryuuji chuckled, scratching Norbert’s chin, “It's actually really nice to talk to someone else about this stuff, at least that isn’t family. Just…I want to know some stuff about you too.”

Rin’s lips formed a silent “Oh,” head bobbing in understanding.

The rest of their little study session had been spent in awkward silence and even more awkward tutoring when it was needed. It wasn’t until the next day the awkward tension disappeared in the form of Rin bounding up to him with a grin painting his features. Ryuuji flushed brightly, lips parting. Rin was really pretty when he smiled, his eyes went all squinty and he almost seemed to shine. Even his fangs made the sight more beautiful.

Rin grabbed him by the shoulders, practically shouting in his glee, “I have an idea!”

Ryuuji tilted his head to the side, trying to suppress his blush but only managing to make it worse, “That’s dangerous,” Ryuuji’s tail wagged when his teasing got Rin to smile wider.

“Oh shush!” Rin laughed, bouncing on his toes, “I had an idea to make asking things less awkward!”

Ryuuji blinked in surprise, his head tilting to the side in surprise, “Oh?” It was true he wanted to know more about Rin, but not just his demonic side. He wanted to know what he liked to do, what made him smile. That was something he wasn’t sure he’d be able to admit to anyone but himself.

“Yeah! We take turns! I ask a question, then you ask one! And we can pass if we don’t want to answer, no questions asked!” Rin released Ryuuji from his death grip to bound around the Phoenix and give Norbert the attention he’d been demanding for the duration of their, albeit one-sided, conversation.

The Shabti purred in delight, shooting Ryuuji a coy look. Ryuuji didn’t think he would ever understand Norbert, he was just so weird.

With a sigh, Ryuuji moved to sit in the grass beside Rin, flipping through his notebook, “So, what exactly do you want to ask?”

Rin hummed, tapping his lips in thought. Ryuuji had a strange urge to lean forward and kiss them, resulting in an even brighter blush to cover his features. Rā, why was he like this? Rin was his friend, he needed to get that through his thick skull. Ryuuji pulled his notebook to his face, hiding behind the bound papers as if that would help him.

Rin, taking absolutely no notice of Ryuuji’s inner war with his feelings, shrugged nonchalantly, “Why don’t you go first. I’ve been asking you a lot of questions, so it’s only fair,” Ryuuji could feel Rin watching him, having finally noticed his hiding. The Phoenix squeaked when Rin’s gentle hand pulled the notebook down, kind eyes meeting his, “Are you okay?”

Ryuuji swallowed thickly, tail flicking behind him nervously as he nodded, “Tiw,” His voice cracked, but Rin didn’t seem to notice. Or, if he did, he elected not to point it out.

Why was he acting like this? He was a Medjay warrior! So why did just looking at Rin have his heart doing flips in his chest? Sure, Rin was beautiful, kind, sweet, and just an amazing person. And, yeah, Rin could make him laugh uncontrollably to the point he needed to hide behind something to cover his exposed teeth. Not to mention it was harder to control his tail in Rin’s presence. The stalks were always trying to wag and flick around in delight. Not to mention his excitement to see Rin grew when the boy didn't run from him in fear. He even found he was excited to study in the barrier with Rin, even if it had only been a few days.

So, maybe he liked Rin more than a friend. And maybe he wanted to be more than just friends. But there was no use in feeding that giddy feeling and delight. Besides, there was no way Rin liked him like that. He had helped Ryuuji a lot, but as a friend, nothing more. Even if Rin did like him as he did, unlikely, the boy would run the second he discovered Ryuuji’s nightmarish past.

Maybe if Ryuuji had been a little less focussed on his own thoughts and took a moment to really look at Rin, he would notice Rin was blushing just as brightly. But he didn’t notice, so Ryuuji forced out words to keep from making the situation any more awkward, “What’s your favorite color?”

His words were rushed and hardly recognizable. Rā, he could have asked any number of questions and he chose that?! Ryuuji wanted to hide himself in embarrassment, the flush on his face only growing darker.

Rin giggled, a lopsided smile painting his features. The tips of his ears turned an enticing shade of pink, “Um, I guess my favorite color is,” Rin’s blue eyes searched his own, “brown…or gold?”

Ryuuji didn’t know why, but Rin’s answer had his tail wagging. So what if his eyes were brown with a glamour, and naturally golden amber. It was a coincidence.

Rin was blushing madly. Why was he so helpless in front of his crush? He was not above admitting he had a crush on Suguro. He had admired him since day one. The boy was handsome, smart, and actually sweet when you got past his rough looks. Hell, he spent most of his time reading, even when he was chilling with his friends.

Rin had only just started admitting, to himself, that his admiration was a crush. Maybe he had been more reserved because he was a demon, but Suguro knew. He knew and he didn’t run for the hills like everyone else had or would. Even Rin’s own brother was taking it…poorly.

Heh, poorly was a damn understatement, one the tender bruises on his ribs never failed to remind him of.

Then there was Suguro. He hadn’t only accepted Rin as he was, but he trusted Rin enough to share his own secret. Rin of all people!

Rin wasn’t even sure if Konekomaru and Shima knew. Did Konekomaru and Shima know? The Kyoto Trio were really close, so he wouldn’t be surprised. But, he wouldn’t bring it up, just in case. Suguro trusted him and Rin was not about to give him a reason to regret trusting him. No way in f*cking hell!

Suguro’s eyes were trained on the notebook in his lap, a bright blush covering his tan skin. It made his freckles stand out more, Rin couldn’t help but think it was cute.

Shifting closer, Rin tapped the notebook to get Suguro’s attention, “Hey, you speak Ancient Egyptian, right?” Suguro peeked up through thick lashes, nodding hesitantly. Rin beamed, “So, does that mean you’re from Egypt?” Suguro stiffed, gripping the book in his lap. He nodded slowly, seeming unsure. Was that a bad thing to ask? “Sorry, was that-”

“Enti!” Rin jolted at Suguro’s louder voice. His wings flared out, but Rin couldn’t tell why, “It’s-it’s fine! I just…don’t tell anyone.”

His voice dropped to the barest of whispers. It was strange seeing Suguro like this, soft and vulnerable. He was usually so loud and hot-headed, maybe that was a cover? Rin chuckled, resting a hand on Suguro’s shoulder, “Ya’know, you sure keep a lot of secrets,” It was supposed to be a joke, something to make him laugh, but it only had the Phoenix’s wings and ears drooping sadly.

“I don’t like keeping secrets,” Norbert waddled from his perch on Rin’s lap to Suguro, nuzzling against his arm with a whine, “But I gotta protect my family. This…it isn’t just my secret. If others knew, people would get hurt.”

“Oh,” Rin tilted his head, smiling brightly, “That’s really cool though! Not the secrets part. But you sound so noble wanting to protect your family!” Suguro blinked surprised eyes at him. His ears tilted to the side, conveying his surprise. Rin had noticed since day one–day one of knowing his true appearance that is–that Suguro’s long, feathery ears were very expressive (and adorable).

They would flick and move with his head, showing emotion just like his tail or wings. Rin had to admit, it was his favorite when he got Suguro to laugh, albeit rare, because his ears would flap in delight.

Rin leaned close, tail flicking around in excitement behind him, “Tell me about it! I wanna know what Egypt is like!”

Suguro’s tail wagged at lightning speed, the air whipping around. He looked so excited, smiling brightly. Rin offhandedly noticed Suguro cover his mouth when he smiled. He still didn’t know why Suguro hid behind books or his hands when he laughed, but that was a question for a later date.

“Really?”

Rin nodded vigorously. He really wanted to know what it was like for Suguro, but seeing how happy he was just made him want to listen all the more, “Yes!”

They must have stayed there for hours. Suguro spoke with such passion about his home and family back in Egypt. He had a sister, or a cousin he called a sister, named Riesafiya. From what he was told, Rie was loud and rebellious but every bit as kind as Rin had discovered Suguro was.

Suguro was so calm as he spoke, a look of relief washing over his face. Rin had a sneaking suspicion the boy wasn’t able to talk about his home to many people.

The Phoenix told him how they would go sledding on the sandy dunes near his house in Egypt. How he’d fly with his family, or even alone when he needed to think. Apparently the thick, jagged scar resting on the junction where his neck met his shoulder was from crashing into a pyramid during a fly. Rin had laughed at that, brushing his fingers against the scar Suguro presented to him. Rin didn’t know anatomy very well, but he knew the scar was very close to a major artery. He wondered about the stories of Suguro’s other scars, the ones he saw when clothing shifted just right.

Rin had been shocked when Suguro told him how Phonix were generally female, him being only one of three male Phoenix alive, one of sixteen in history. Every king had been a female, and Suguro would be the first guy to lead (Rin had totally flipped after learning Suguro was a Prince. Suguro, jokingly, pointed out that Rin technically was one too).

There were more stores, ones that had Rin wishing he could go see the home Suguro spoke so highly of. He claimed no one cared who you were, that everyone lived in peace. They had long since given up in trying to control differences, and everyone was free. Rin could only dream of a place where he didn’t need to hide his tail or his fangs. He may not like being a demon, but the idea of being free of fear was…amazing!

The thought saw Rin leaning close, shaking Suguro by the shoulders, “You have to show me! Everything sounds so cool, I wanna see!”

Suguro had jolted in shock, blinking wide (handsome) eyes at Rin, “Ma-maāt?” Suguro cleared his throat, translating his stammered words, “Really?”

Rin beamed, tail wagging harder than before (he was gonna have a damn cramp at this rate), “Hell yes! Will you show me one day?”

Suguro’s lips parted, mouth moving despite words failing him for a moment, “T-tiw. Anuk can bring then n Kemt.”

Rin didn’t need a translation to know Suguro had agreed to bring him to Egypt one day. Gah, he was excited! The only thing that would be better than going to Egypt would be going with Suguro.

Rin preferred not to admit he really only wanted to go if Suguro came with him. That was something he would keep to himself.