an: ok. uhm. i'm actually really nervous posting up this fic. ): i will actually laugh if somewhere in the anime/manga, they say something about the cell phones and i'll sit here like "oh." but we'll see. c: this is just something i wrote. ah. ; i hope you enjoy it. since there's nothing on shiro's childhood life, i just went with it. normal kiddies, y'know? C: forgive me for all typos. ; let me know. i will edit them if need be.

disclaimer: all characters do not belong to me. ):

shiro x mephisto if you squint. i approve of this pairing. it's tragic and it makes my heart hurt.

a charming meaning

"Is there any other reason besides wanting to see one in person and not being satisfied with just hearing their voice that you won't buy yourself a cell phone?" Mephisto had perched himself on Shiro's desk, his pink boots dangling elegantly over the edge; they were out of place against the dark mahogany wood. With one hand, he examined a tiny stuffed rabbit that had been placed on Shiro's desk, and with the other, delicately tapping against the wood. He wondered if the man remembered anything of it.

Shiro Fujimoto never saw the appeal in cell phones. He much rather preferred to visit the person face-to-face than talk to their voice without seeing them. However, it didn't matter to him if his friends had cell phones. Mephisto Pheles, though, never understood why his friend was so adamantly against the use of cell phones.

"Why do you have a cell phone?" Shiro asked back before sliding a cigarette between his teeth. He glanced around with a mildly bemused look as he sought out for his lighter. Little did he know that Mephisto had pocketed it when he flaunted into Shiro's room. The demon never liked the smell of smoke and the taste of bitter tar in his lungs whenever he breathed in.

Mephisto's long pointed ears twitched. "Pardon me," he replied with a wide, stretched grin, "but I believe I asked you first."

"Fair enough." Shiro grinned, his eyes still in search for his lighter. He could've sworn he had placed it down right next to his stack of papers. It probably wasn't the safest thing to do, but nonetheless, it had been there. Mephisto's grin widened as he realized what his friend was looking for. He drummed his fingers on his knee with a gloved hand.

"Distracted, soon-to-be Reverend Fujimoto~?" Mephisto asked with a slight sneer, the 'Reverend' part laced with a hint of mockery.

"No, I swear I…" Shiro trailed off when Mephisto shifted on the table and leaned towards him. The latter never had a sense of personal space, not that Shiro minded all that much. "Ah, haha, right." Shiro smiled pleasantly. "The cell phone question."

"Correct!" Mephisto reached inside his white pocket and withdrew his pink cellular with a flourish. Now that Shiro looked at it, it looked rather bare even though it was already a ridiculous shade of pink which matched his equally ridiculous outfit. He focused back on Mephisto's words. "You're going off to become a Reverend and you know me," he said as he adjusted a purple glove, "I'm a busy man. You, no doubt, will also be occupied with silly human confessions." He gave a little snicker.

"Not everything I do is about confessions," Shiro replied with an amused smile, "but that is true enough. Not enough motivation to visit an old friend, eh?" Shiro's smile widened as he folded his hands over his stomach, his unlit cigarette still clenched between his teeth. Mephisto returned the grin, but remained silent.

Shiro thought about it. Knowing Mephisto, he was sure the latter would rarely leave True Cross Academy, not if he could help it. He would be easy to find. However, Shiro was going to be travelling, and Mephisto probably couldn't be bothered to find him just to talk.

"Are you implying that I should get a cell phone?" Shiro asked, rubbing his chin as he looked over at the demon.

"Save me the trouble and time of chasing you around," came the drawling reply. "These are such interesting devices, anyway."

"God forbid you wasting time to visit a friend," Shiro shot back in a light, joking manner. His brown eyes were again drawn back to the pink cell phone. He decided that he knew what to give Mephisto as a goodbye present. The demon sent him a thin smile, daintily pocketing his own phone.

"What a shame," Mephisto said, though his voice seemed to lack the apologetic tone. He gave an exaggerated sigh as a slow smirk crept onto his face. "It looks like we'll really be parting ways next week." He slid off the desk and started for the door.

Shiro called out, "I wouldn't be too sure of that!" Mephisto turned around to see Shiro grinning at him, a childlike smile on his face despite his adult age. The man was waving at him, and Mephisto, turning his back on him, shook his head with slight disbelief. He never actually thought he would come close to befriending a human like Shiro Fujimoto. He, a demon, was part of a species so bent on making earth a living hell for humans, didn't think he was capable of befriending others. Yet here he was, at the most unlikely place of all, Shiro was able to change his mind. However, this did not mean Mephisto felt sentimental; a grin was back on his face as he strode out the door.

"You're a strange man~," he murmured quietly enough so that Shiro could hear him, and then he was out the door.

Shiro chuckled under his breath. His attention was back on the fact that his cigarette was still unlit. His eyes passed over his desk again, and, sure enough, the lighter was next to his stack of papers, right where it had been before Mephisto came in. Shiro's warm eyes crinkled with silent laughter as he reached over for his lighter. Trust Mephisto to return his lighter as soon as he was out of the room, where the smell of smoke wouldn't linger.

He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes as a wisp of smoke escaped from the corner of his lips. Contrary to what others thought, half of him was not excited for the coming week at all. For the second time of the day, Shiro Fujimoto was actually considering investing in a cell phone.

The morning was beautiful; cloudless with just the right amount of stars in the sky. Shiro was waiting for the train; his face was tilted back to bask in the moonlight. It really was a shame that he had to spend a day – or night, rather – like this in a train. He exhaled contentedly. His train would not be arriving for another ten minutes. The platform was deserted; it was too early in the morning, he supposed. He covered a wide yawn with his hand and at the same time, he heard a soft whine coming from his feet. Shiro glanced down, puzzled.

"…Oh? So you came after all!" Shiro exclaimed, not bothering to hide the happiness in his tone as he beamed at the white dog sitting at his feet. There were dark bags under those big eyes, distinctively similar to the ones Mephisto had. The dog gave him something what was close to a reproachful look before darting over to the bench behind Shiro and hopping up. With a puff of white cloud, the dog magically disappeared and Mephisto Pheles took its place, clad in all white and complete with a large top hat like always. His legs were crossed and he looked quite pleased with himself.

"Did you think I would not come to see you off?" Mephisto asked, his clever eyes meeting Shiro's.

"I don't know why I ever doubted you," Shiro replied, crossing his arms across his chest, a smile spreading uncontrollably over his face. Mephisto decided that he was proud of making Shiro happy. He stood up and did a fancy little bow as a sign of welcome.

"I'm here to bid you adieu."

Shiro reached into his pants' pocket. "It's a good thing you decided to come, Mephisto. I wouldn't know what else to do with these." Mephisto quirked his eyebrow, his grin subsiding a tad as he curiously followed Shiro's hand with his gaze. "A farewell present. Something to always remember me by."

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?" Mephisto inquired, his expression showing nothing.

A few small items dropped into Mephisto's hand. He narrowed his eyes at the little gifts. There were three ball-like shapes, one of them being more colourful than the other two. There was also a smaller yellow baseball and a green bell-ball which made a little tinkle as Mephisto moved his hand ever so slightly. There was also a small rabbit, the head and ears white and pink while the body was adorned with black, the same rabbit that had been on Shiro's desk. Lastly, there were three dice, and all were strung together by a string. Mephisto stared at the phone charms for a while, his top hat concealing his eyes and expression. To anyone else, it would've seemed like Shiro walked into a Japanese shop and chose the cutest items there; to Mephisto, he knew Shiro had chosen these items for a reason. The exorcist really didn't need to explain.

"A-Ah! Oh, no!" A small boy quickly stooped down to pick up the scattered pieces of the bracelet he had just finished making a few days ago. It had apparently caught on a branch, and pieces of small dice had flown in all different directions. Around him, there were only two, and with his small height and little sense of direction, he had no idea where the other pieces had fallen. He stood in the centre of the forest, lost.

"Sie scheinen verloren zu sein."

Upon hearing that strange language, the boy turned around, bewildered. Before him stood a tall man, clad in ridiculous white and pink, as far as his eyes could see, anyway. How he had not noticed him before was beyond him. The boy's curious gaze travelled a little further up and took in the sight of dark purple hair curtaining a pale face. The other also had a pair of unusually long, pointed ears, but the boy's attention didn't linger there. There was something about the man's face that the boy could not tear his eyes away from, and then he saw the other smirk; he gasped. A pair of fangs was all he could comprehend from the sight. He continued to gawk at the man, who proceeded to tug on a purple glove over long nails, not even remotely fazed by the boy's reaction to his abnormally sharp canine teeth.

"Ah, you know that it is rude to stare…"

"I-I'm sorry," the boy apologized quickly, looking down. It was then that he realized that the man was speaking in a language he knew now. He hastily glanced back up, only to see the man grinning widely down at him and bowing fancily at the waist.

"Mephisto Pheles, at your service. You seem to be lost…" he repeated in a language the boy could understand before lowering his eyes to look at the name-tag on the strap of the boy's bag. "Shiro Fujimoto."

The boy seemed surprised that the man knew his name, though it was strange that he had reversed the order of his name. Then again, this man didn't look Japanese at all. Mephisto smiled widely, baring his canine teeth again.

"Yes," Shiro answered hesitantly, hardly remembering the fact that he should never talk to strangers. His hand was clenched tightly around the two dice in his hands. "A bracelet … I was going to give it to someone, but I lost it." He had wanted to give it to a friend whom he had a dispute with a few days ago, but now that it was gone, he didn't know what to do.

"Ah," Mephisto let out a dramatic sigh. "Everyone loses their things in the forest. You can be sure you won't find it again." At the sight of Shiro's fallen face, Mephisto's mouth twitched into an amused smile. "But perhaps you are not too late. What exactly are you looking for?"

Shiro grinned widely, glad for the help. He held out his hand and showed the other two small dice. "I'm missing a whole bunch. I lost it around here." Mephisto watched as Shiro got down on his knees and started to pat the ground with his hands. The younger wasn't really asking the man to help him get on the ground to look for it since that white suit really looked immaculate in the dirty forest.

"Oh, I do like those," Mephisto commented airily. Shiro continued to crawl around as Mephisto towered over him, observing calmly. He pushed aside a bush and saw a rabbit. Just through its large teeth, Shiro caught sight of something else that definitely did not belong inside its mouth: a small die. Did rabbits really eat everything? He didn't want to scare it simply because he was afraid the rabbit would swallow the die if alarmed. He suddenly felt a hand grabbing his back and he nearly yelped when he fell back on the soft dirt. He saw Mephisto giving him a sly grin, and the man put a finger to his lips as if he was telling him to stay quiet.

Mephisto straightened up. "Eins…zwei…drei~!"

Shiro nearly yelled out in shock once again when the man disappeared with a large puff of cloud and there was a white dog taking his place. The boy's jaw had dropped, but he couldn't find his voice as he watched the dog trot over to the rabbit. He scrabbled over to the bush and watched through it, holding his breath. Just what was going on? He could barely see, and he didn't want to make another move in case he ruined whatever Mephisto's plan was. He strained his eyes to see, leaning dangerously forward. It shouldn't have been a surprise when he fell through the bush and landed with a loud thump behind the dog. The rabbit hopped away.

"I'm sorry!" Shiro hadn't even looked up. He had fallen through and immediately apologized though his face was still against the ground. He heard a slight noise and glanced up. Mephisto was back into his human form, and Shiro couldn't help but gawk at the sudden transformation once again. His attention was drawn to the small die in-between Mephisto's forefinger and thumb. He didn't seem to mind that Shiro had almost ruined his attempt of getting his item back.

"You should be more careful, hmm?" Mephisto motioned for Shiro to hold out his hand and took the other two dice from his palm. "Though I suppose a little of the blame goes on me! But very little." He laughed aloud. "A bracelet is no good with just three." With an amused little grin, he turned his back on Shiro and the younger craned his neck to see what he was doing. Next thing he knew, Mephisto had turned around. He had strung the three dice together to make a little keychain.

"Wow! Th-Thank you!" Shiro's brown eyes were wide. He was still staring at Mephisto, wondering just what the heck he was. Whatever he was, it was definitely not human. He was also unsure of what the latter meant with the last statement, but he decided to let it go.

"No need to thank me," Mephisto said with a slow smirk as he turned his back on the boy; he was already starting to leave. "You'll undoubtedly pay me back for this later. I'm sure the next time you see me, you'll have attained even more knowledge about my world. So…until next time, Shiro Fujimoto."

The young boy's head was full of questions. What did he mean he would see him again? He was definitely going to go home and research some more about this, but he was still confused. First of all, how did Mephisto know that the dice were from a bracelet? He didn't remember mentioning anything of it. He also wasn't sure why Mephisto said that some of the blame should be put on him. The boy glanced down at the three dice in his hand and his lips quirked into a little frown, puzzled. Suddenly, he knew that he didn't want to give this gift to his friend. He could buy something else, but what he really wanted to do was give it to Mephisto since he had helped him. He rushed towards the direction in which Mephisto had left in, but he man was already gone. Shiro's shoulders slumped, disappointed.

It was then that he grasped the fact that there was a sharp sting at the back of his right hand. He turned his hand over and noticed that there was a small scratch. It must have happened when he brushed against the tree branch.

Though now that he thought more about it, he didn't remember seeing a tree branch anywhere near him when he was walking. He recalled Mephisto's claw-like nails, and he wondered if it had really been a tree branch that had cut him after all.

Eight Years Later

What's that sound? Shiro asked himself as he strode down the hall. He wasn't quite sure where he was going. A school for exorcists wasn't something he had gone to ever before. Everything was still new to him even though he had started to see these demons ever since that encounter from eight years ago. He didn't know where his classes were, and the hallways were completely deserted. He felt exasperated, and the soft tinkling noise of a bell wasn't exactly helping either.

Nonetheless, he followed it. It should lead somewhere, whether it be a door from which the bell was hanging from or a window. Anywhere where he could see a form of life was good enough. However, when he turned the corner, the person he saw was the last person he had expected to see in a place like this.

"I knew you would save me the trouble of looking for you. Greetings, Shiro Fujimoto. We meet again."

"You?" Astonishment took over Shiro's face as he stared at the man who had helped him eight years ago. Mephisto Pheles was sitting on the ledge of a window sill, a small bell dangling from his hand. He was exactly as Shiro remembered him, though this time, he knew exactly what Mephisto was. He wasn't scared, though. Just surprised. So he had been the one making that strange sound the whole time in the hopes of having Shiro find him instead. "You...you..." Shiro spluttered.

The demon's grin grew impossibly wider. "As principal of True Cross Academy, I welcome you."

Actually, now that Mephisto thought about it, he wasn't quite sure what the beach ball or the baseball was for. He shifted his hand a bit, looking at them. Was his memory getting worse? He heard Shiro chuckling sheepishly as he finished off his explanation.

"…The colours of the rabbit seemed to match you, and you seemed to pay it most attention when you're in my room. I've always been meaning to give the dice to you…" he was saying, "and the other two just came with the bell. It was a cheaper buy." Shiro laughed cheerfully. "I guess I am like you in some ways." When Mephisto continued to stay silent, Shiro glanced at him, becoming more worried by the second. "Reminiscing, Mephisto?" he joked.

At this, Mephisto couldn't contain himself; he had been holding it in for quite a while now. He burst out laughing, and he was laughing so hard that he ended up doubling over; his hand closed around the phone charms so that they would not fall. "Hahahahahaha! A-Ahahahaa!" Trust Shiro to give him something like this to 'always remember him by'. "Reminiscing? Hahahahahahaha!" And trust Shiro to guess it right on the first hit.

Shiro looked like he didn't know whether or not he should be offended by all this laughter, but he knew that he knew Mephisto too well to be affronted by it. The corner of his lips twitched into a small smile. "I'm glad I amuse you."

Mephisto wiped the tears from his eyes, finishing off with one last chuckle. "It's quite funny. Here I thought you wouldn't remember such trivial things."

"They aren't trivial when they're from when we first met and became friends," he reasoned, a pleasant smile on his face.

"Friends," Mephisto repeated somewhat skeptically. "I suppose so."

"I guess you can always ring that bell whenever you want me to come find you again," Shiro said with a wide grin. He ran his fingers through his hair, sending a sideways glance at the clock. Only two more minutes remained if the train arrived on time.

"I'm doubtful you would ever hear it," Mephisto replied with a smirk. He glanced down at the three dice that he had tied together so many years ago. It was silly, really; the things humans did for 'friends'. He sighed dramatically. "I have no choice but to accept these, hm? It would be rude of me not to." He pocketed them, making a mental note to put them onto his phone later. "Well, while you're still here, I suppose I should give you my gift as well."

"You have a gift for me?" Shiro asked, completely taken aback. He coughed. He tried not to sound too surprised, but he was quite aware of how cheap his friend was when it came to spending on other people. He braced himself for a pack of cigarettes or something worth less than two hundred yen.

He was not expecting this.

"A cell phone?" Shiro took it from Mephisto, his eyebrows furrowing together. Shiro had been right about one thing; it looked like a cheap buy since it definitely wasn't as fancy as the demon's, not that he was complaining. It was a grey cell phone, dull and colourless, but he could deal with that.

"I took the liberty of adding my number into it for you." Mephisto's lips stretched into a slow smile. "You're welcome."

"Why, I don't know what to say…" Shiro chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked over his new phone. "Your number will probably be the only one ever on it."

"Even better," Mephisto replied smartly. "I will be the only recipient of your calls."

Shiro's lighthearted laugh echoed down the empty platform as a soft rush of wind brushed past the two. Shiro could already hear the train approaching fast, and he, for one, didn't quite want to leave just yet. Still, it wasn't for forever. He made a promise to himself to visit Mephisto again one day. He dismissed any notion of embracing his friend since he knew that Mephisto would probably not accept it. Instead, he held out his hand for the demon to shake.

"Thank you."

Mephisto's green eyes narrowed at the hand held in front of him and he tilted his head slightly to the side. He didn't take the hand. Instead, he gave Shiro a deep bow, one of respect and of farewell. "Until next time."

Shiro looked surprised by the gesture but he slowly retracted his hand with a pleasant smile. He shouldn't have expected too much, really; that was fine with him. He held the cell phone tightly.

"Until next time…my friend."

Years passed, but Mephisto Pheles didn't think that the next time he would be driving to see Shiro Fujimoto, it was to see the old man in his grave. His death really had come too soon, much faster than the demon had anticipated. He hadn't heard the details, but from what he knew of his friend, he had a mild idea of what had happened the night Satan took over the Reverend's body.

In his left hand, he was loosely holding his pink cell phone. Sure enough, the phone charms that were given to him as a gift so many years ago were still with him. He hadn't taken it off since then. The rabbit swung from side to side in a hypnotic rhythm; Mephisto was watching it idly as a soft whistle escaped his lips in a tune that he didn't quite recognize himself. Thoughts of the True Cross's orders of getting rid of Rin Okumura fluttered past him as he remembered Shiro's last orders for him; protect the boy at all costs. Why should he listen to him? Honestly.

Really now, this is quite unfair, Mephisto thought as they drove through the tunnel. Leaving me in your place to take care of that kid. Though those words flitted past his thoughts, they were the least of his worries. Something – he didn't know what – bothered him knowing that no matter how many times the bell on his phone chimed, Shiro would never come to find him again. He laughed at the absurdity of his thoughts and was glad that there was no one else in the car with him; the other exorcists were in the vehicles behind.

"Stop the car."

The words were out of his mouth before he realized. The car slowed to a halt. At this point, he figured he was going to be late for the funeral. He glanced down at the phone in his hand and actually debated dialing Shiro's number. He was well aware of the fact that Shiro would never answer the phone again. A small smirk spread on his lips, then a soft snicker followed shortly after. He didn't really understand why he was laughing. He hadn't been able to have a good laugh for a while, not since Shiro came up with those ridiculous gifts. But he was dead now; no one was invincible against Satan in the end. Not even the greatest exorcist of all time: Shiro Fujimoto.

Mephisto heard a muffled knock against his window and he rolled it down to see one of the exorcists who had accompanied him peering at him worriedly. "Sir Pheles, is something the matter?"

"Ah, it is nothing." Mephisto did a little fancy twirl of his wrist. "Carry on."

Just as he had predicted, they arrived right when the funeral ended. Mephisto stepped out of the car, pink umbrella in hand. He didn't fancy getting wet in such dismal weather such as this. His eyes followed the huge crowd which was already quietly dispersing. Only one boy was left behind. Mephisto was certain that this was the kid that Shiro told him so much about: Rin Okumura.

And the boy also had Shiro's phone. Mephisto recognized that phone from anywhere. He paused where he was standing as the rain continued to make little pitter-patter noises against his umbrella. The demon watched as Rin raised the phone to his ear and then Mephisto himself felt his own phone vibrating, the ringtone playing loudly and clearly. For almost a second, Mephisto was sure his chest had tightened. He told himself that it wasn't time to think about inconsequential things. He was a demon. He was supposed to be heartless. Now it was back to business. He let his ringtone play for a few more seconds, allowing a smile to tug his lips. This would be the first time answering his phone, knowing that it was coming from Shiro's phone, and knowing that it was never going to be the old man calling him again. Maybe he would miss him – but only just a little.

Because they had been friends.

an: i hope you enjoyed. c: ;;; and i hope i stayed in character. ; agh. god knows how much i tried to. ; ww;
love these two. ;