A/N: Warning. This chapter has some gore and blood so if you're not into that, I apologize. Anankos is still a bloodthirsty dragon, no matter how attached he is to Takumi.
Note: The chapters will not always be consecutive plot-wise. They might jump around in time and not pick up exactly where they ended. This picks up later in the day from the previous chapter. I hope this clears up any confusion.
Do your parents ever supervise you? Anankos knew it was a rhetorical question but felt the need to fill the silence. The dragon knew well that Takumi's family was caring, but it seemed like he was always forgotten. Both parents worked and splitting time between five children was nigh impossible. And when they spent time with the children, Takumi was never the top priority. It left Anankos feeling unsettled that his parents would let a seven-year-old wander alone at night.
The boy chuckled at that one, continuing his stride through the woods. "I guess they trust me enough to be alone. It says something about my independence, doesn't it?"
Anankos audibly scoffed, a smirk evident in his tone. Independent? You realize you're keeping yourself company with a voice in your head, right?
As much as he loved the child, he always indulged himself in bouts of snarkiness. Constant coddling and kissing up got boring after awhile, and Anankos liked to have his fun. He would never hurt Takumi, but teasing and mocking him were fair game.
"I can always just ignore you, y'know," he snarked halfheartedly, eyes trailing to the mason jar in his hands. It was empty at the moment but that would change once he got to the innards of the forest.
The dragon may have replied but Takumi was struck in awe upon the sight. The clearing was small and was surrounded by low-cut trees, but the real treasure was the occasional flicker of lights in the air.
You came out here to catch fireflies?
The unimpressed tone was completely disregarded by Takumi, his eyes lighting up just at the sight of the creatures. The dim light of dusk encroached the area and the incessant flickers left the boy breathless.
"Ryu! Isn't it beautiful?" The mirth in his voice said it all; and to Anankos, it was a welcome contrast to how emotional he felt in the morning. Despite how stupid the concept of catching fireflies seemed to the ancient dragon, it seemed to make his partner happy, so the least he could do was encourage the child.
Yes, it truly is. You had better start capturing them, you shouldn't be staying out this late into the night. There was concern in his statement, reassured by the exhaustion he felt in Takumi's bones. He knew the boy had had a long day and this was his release, but Anankos did not need to walk the body into the house and risk being confronted by Mikoto again. He already feared the woman discovering his identity, so he would take caution and use the body sparingly.
Takumi grinned past his weariness, laughing to himself as he did his best to capture the fireflies. Many flew away from him but he had captured a respectable amount in his attempts. His panting was mixed with giggles, and he smirked in triumph as he sealed the jar. "Look at how many I caught!"
Anankos hummed in response, eyeing the moon rising steadily past the horizon. That is more than enough, Taki. You should start heading home, it's getting dark out.
Takumi nodded, taking one last glance at the clearing and the remaining fireflies before turning on his heel. The walk to his house would take fifteen minutes at most, and he thought back on what Ryuurei had said. Why had his family allowed him to go alone this close to night? He had been lying about thinking himself independent, but did his parents believe that? Or did they not care enough to watch after him? Maybe he was disposable and they were waiting for him to go missing...
Sensing the shift in Takumi's mood, Anankos was concerned. If he were not mistaken, the child had just been ecstatic and nearly rocking on his heels. Probing the boy's thoughts, he found mistrust and sadness prominent. Surely he had not taken the dragon's joke to heart?
... Is something upsetting you, Taki? Truthfully, Anankos hoped the boy was not this fragile. Sarcasm should not affect a person to the point of nearly breaking down. Or perhaps the schema the dragon had for humans was wrong? Were all humans this weak and pitiful?
Takumi bit his lip but showed no other signs of his emotions, continuing his trek like nothing happened. "No. Why would there be?"
The boy's mannerisms were not far off from how they were in the first life. Snarky, aggressive, defensive... the soul had failed to change at all. Childish innocence had offset some of the personality but it seemed this soul would always end up like this. Anankos' concern was mitigated by knowing his partner simply had a cold exterior, despite being emotional and sensitive on the inside.
Ah, just ignore me then, the dragon shifted his attention elsewhere, knowing he would get nowhere when the boy was in one of his moods. Perhaps giving him time alone would be for the best.
"I will! It's not like I need someone to talk to- AHH!"
Anankos snapped to attention, Takumi's scream and the adrenaline coursing through his veins ripping him from his thoughts. Feeling the jar nearly slip out of the boy's hands, he ripped control from the boy without a second thought and caught it. Glancing up, he discovered what had scared the boy.
Growling and dangerously-close footsteps of a pack of coyotes met Anankos' red gaze. The animals began barking and Takumi's body screamed to run, get away, please - but the dragon could not help the sadistic smirk that tugged at his lips.
If Takumi had been conscious, he probably would have fainted. Anankos figured getting his hands dirty would serve as a distraction, as well as give him a fun time. Being in the body of a seven-year-old was restricting and the thought of killing something was too enticing to miss out on. He would apologize to Takumi later, but keeping them alive and getting to have fun after all this time was too good of a deal to miss out on.
He placed the mason jar behind him and grinned as the coyotes began to charge. A purple aura oozed from his body and his eyes burned a fierce red, extra golden-red eyes opening on his face. He let out his own feral growl before pouncing on the animals, clawing at them and effectively killing them without getting so much as a scratch on the body. He missed his fangs and his claws, but he could make do with this human body.
Getting up to his feet, he smirked down triumphantly at the carnage, using his arm to wipe some of the splattered blood off his face. He licked at some of it before kicking the dogs for good measure, getting a quiet whimper out of one of them.
"Stay dead!" He barked, stomping on its underside before it keeled over. Scanning over the other two, it looked like a job well done. It left him feeling unfinished; the fight was anticlimactic and the adrenaline coursing through him still demanded more action, but he knew it would be detrimental to push his limits. He did not need Takumi getting hurt and impairing his growth.
He walked back to grab the jar and then headed towards the Shirasagi house, allowing his extra eyes to close and vanish like they were never there at all. The violet aura stopped rolling off him in waves and he debated giving control back to Takumi. It would certainly help to avoid another confrontation from Mikoto or another family member, but the plan died with the fact that there was still blood covering him.
Anankos entered through the backdoor and made his way to the bathroom. He placed the mason jar onto the counter and found himself looking in the mirror; disheveled gray hair, a pale face coated in dried blood, and tired, red eyes stared back at him. The body was looking worse for wear but there was nothing a bath could not fix.
Running the water and filling the tub, he mentally nudged Takumi. You can use a bath, you don't look that well.
Stirring from unconsciousness and thrown back into control of his body, Takumi answered groggily. "How did I get home...?" Suddenly, he gasped, fear evident on his features. "The coyotes! W-what happened?!"
Anankos hushed the boy, urging him to step into the tub. I took care of those pathetic creatures. ... Just clean yourself before somebody comes here asking why you're screaming to yourself.
Hesitantly, Takumi complied and undressed, sliding into the warm water. Already feeling a bit better, he figured he could get filled in on what had happened while he was unconscious. However, before he could form the question, he felt something on his face. Reaching for it, the slightly solid substance felt odd against his fingers. Gazing at his fingertips, they almost gleamed red...
"Is this... blood?" It was a whisper but it held fear all the same. Anankos almost felt guilty for allowing his blood lust to get the best of him, but killing a few aggressive dogs seemed like a mild price to pay for keeping his partner safe. Nevertheless, seeing Takumi like this reminded him of the original Takumi, leading to unwelcomed memories flashing across his eyes.
He choked on his words but recomposed himself. I said I took care of those coyotes, did I not? Doubt entered his voice, hoping he had not upset Takumi. It was either you or them, Taki.
Typically, Takumi would have argued. He would have yelled and said the dragon should have just ran and not killed those coyotes for no reason. However, his exhaustion was getting the better of him and he was unable to find the energy in himself to fight. The argument could wait for another time; it was probably past his bedtime and he had school to look forward to the following day.
Reflecting back on the day, his thoughts drifted to his new neighbor. Arrogant and prissy Leo Windmire flashed in his mind and he was reminded of another reason to dread going tomorrow. It was only a matter of time before they got into a fight and the teacher separated them. And at the moment, that did not sound awfully bad to Takumi. He would probably get to sit next to a friendlier person and make a new friend.
Anankos kept quiet, taking note of his partner's silence and shifting thoughts. The dragon knew that there were many other reasons why Takumi and that blonde boy had not gotten along but he refused to indulge those secrets. Not yet, at least. If Takumi failed to remember his dream from the other night and Anankos' confession, he would prefer to keep their relationship how it was. Telling the boy that him and Leo acted the same way in the first life would lead to questions about their reincarnation and how they became connected in the first place.
After washing up and drying himself, Takumi wrapped himself in a towel and headed to his room, not forgetting his dirty clothes and the mason jar of fireflies. Once there, he put the jar on his nightstand and proceeded to change into nightclothes. He untied his hair, allowing it to fall right above his shoulders. He grabbed a book from his desk before sliding into the covers, smiling as the light emitted from the jar provided a book light of sorts.
It seems you and the boy are more alike than you think. It left Anankos' mouth before he could reconsider his words, but it was worth the reaction he got out of his partner.
"What boy? Are you talking about that jerk from school?" He frowned, thoughts leaving the thrilling story he had just indulged himself into and returning to that blond-haired boy from school.
The dragon smirked, already seeing a pattern. If you got to know him, I bet you would make good friends with him.
"Would not!"
Would too!
It seemed this life was not all too different from the original after all.