Warnings: Mentions of homophobia.

NOTE: This can be read any time after chapter 95 of Lucky Child.

Children of Misfortune

An omake set during Keiko's date with Jin atop Hanging Neck Rock.

"A Pair of Dual-Wielders"

I lay perpendicular to Jin with my head resting in the crook of his arm, neck pressed to his warm side as I stared up at the clouds streaked in myriad sunset colors. His arm snaked across my chest, its comforting weight holding me to both Jin and the earth as his thumb traced a gentle pattern on my shoulder. The silence was not awkward. On the contrary, it was soothing indeed—so when Jin chuckled and reached over with his other arm to muss my hair, I couldn't help but detect the subtle, sly lilt to his words when he spoke.

"So," Jin said in that charming voice of his, "that ice apparition who saw you off upon the roof."

"Yukina?" I said. I grasped his wrist on reflex, the weight of his arm on my chest feeling all at once too heavy. "What about her?"

"Did mine eyes deceive me, or did you blush when I mentioned her, eh?"

"Sh-shut up!" I gave his arm a smack (but it didn't budge at all). "I'm on a date with you, aren't I?"

"Aye, that you are," he cheerfully chirped, not bothered in the slightest, "but that doesn't mean you can't appreciate a pretty face when one avails itself, now can you?"

Shoving Jin's arm aside, I sat up to rest my elbows on my knees, cheeks burning as Jin sat, too, to fold his tall frame around my own. Arms slipped around my waist as he rested his chin on my shoulder, blue eyes blazing bright against burnished bronze skin. I looked away at once, but when Jin's chuckle reverberated through his chest and purred against my back, I heaved a defeated sigh.

"I guess," I grumbled, conscious of Jin's scarlet hair tickling my neck and cheek. "And she is pretty."

"I knew it! You like her!" Jin snuggled closer, pressing a kiss to my temple (and in the process sending a delighted shiver down my spine). "Adorable as a wee lamb on a warm spring day, that you are, cheeks all rosy from a crush."

He seemed pleased by said crush, if his enormous grin was any indication, and that made this date the weirdest date ever—because he was teasing me about liking someone else? And he seemed happy about it? Made me wonder if Jin might be polyamorous or something… not that that was a problem, per se.

"I'm surprised you're so cheerful about it," I said, allowing myself to relax in his arms. His broad chest made the perfect cushion to lean against; I traced a pattern on his forearm, nonsense characters and little hearts. "About me liking Yukina, I mean."

"Eh?" he said, and when I looked up, I found him frowning. "What's all this, then?"

I shrugged. "Most men get a little intimidated when they realize I'm a dual-wielder." That or they asked me for a threesome, but I didn't want to open that can of worms just yet.

Jin, however, didn't react to my statement right away. He just stared, brow furrowed, frown deepening. Had I said something wrong, I wondered? I'd used the word "ryoutoutsukai" to refer to my sexuality; the phrase literally meant a "dual wielder of swords," and it served as a slang euphemism for bisexuality. I'd seen the phrase referenced in a Tumblr post in my past life and had happily adopted it in my current existence, given I hadn't found a Japanese term for pan that suited me. And given Jin's mastery of Japanese, I thought he would understand what I'd met—but no dice. He only seemed confused, head cocking to the side millimeter by confused millimeter.

"What do weapons have to do with who you like?" he said at last. "And I'm not one to get intimidated by any weapon, no matter how big or how many. So don't go gettin' any wild ideas, lamb." His fingers dug into my ribs, tickling. "Och, and need I remind you that you're no fighter, either?"

"It's—" I writhed and squirmed, trying not to laugh or elbow Jin in the face. "It means—eek!—'dual-wielder' is a euphemism for bisexuality."

He stopped tickling, more confused than ever. "Bisexu-wot?"

"You know," I said. "Liking genders both like an unlike your own?"

"Wait a mo'—there's a word for that?" Jin stared with mouth agape. "But… but why? Isn't that what everybody likes?"

"No?" I said—and then the penny dropped. "Oh!" I scrambled up in a flash, spinning on my knees to face him. "Jin, is everyone in Demon World bisexual?"

He shrugged. "I can't speak for all demons, lamb, but I can tell you that no one gives a damn about who you choose to warm your bed, or cares enough to make up a word to describe another demon's preferences. Mind your own business in Demon World; that's the ticket."

I considered this. "Maybe pansexual is the better word for demons, then…"

"Pansexu-wot?!"

"Oh—" If they didn't like labels, I shouldn't place one on them. "Never mind!"

But his face screwed up, blue eyes staring past me toward the setting sun. "Pansexu-, bisexu-, punishment for how some choose to warm their beds…" He shook his head, red hair flying. "Who cares what a demon's gender is if they get you hot n' bothered?" And then he looked confused indeed. "Do humans care about things like this?"

Yes. They cared. Or at least, enough of them cared to make things tough on people like me—but saying that wasn't easy. Jin didn't seem to want to "never mind" the topic, though, because he stared at me intently until I couldn't help but breathe a sigh. I gathered his hands in mine and held them, placing them on my knees as I gathered my thoughts. This subject wasn't the most pleasant, and Jin—he loved Human World, didn't he? How would he react to learning of its faults? But the intensity of his blue eyes told me I couldn't shy away from the hard truth, and that Jin was determined to learn it, one way or another.

Best he hear it from me, then.

"I guess you should know that in some places in Human World, liking people of your same gender is looked down upon," I said, the admission of that truth weighing heavy on my heart and tongue. "Depends on where you are in the world, but people who only like their own gender are sometimes treated very poorly—and in some places, loving someone of your own gender is a punishable offense in the eyes of the law." I couldn't look at him when I admitted that, gaze lingering on his scarred and calloused fingers wrapped around my own. "Some people have to live in hiding and don't have the option of loving who they want to love. And that's not even getting into what happens if you fall outside the established gender binary." Finally I rose my eyes, meeting his with a small, sad smile. "The tides are turning and acceptance is rising, but in some places, there's a very long way to go before we're safe."

Jin stared at me, unblinking. "Punishable offense… punishable with what, exactly?"

I said nothing, but Jin saw the truth in my face—in the way I avoided speaking, in the slope of my shoulders, the heartbroken hang of my head. Before my eyes dropped away from his again, I saw thunder in his eyes, followed by a desperate sadness.

His hands gripped mine a little tighter.

"Touya told me not to put all our faith in Human World," Jin murmured. His head bowed, leaning to press his forehead to mine. "He warned me it wasn't all light and sun and the wind in your hair. But I never thought something as commonplace as that would be regarded with such…"

"Humans could take notes from demons on this matter, I think," I told him. I pulled my hand free, but only so I could cup his cheek. He leaned into my touch, sighing as I said, "Tell me, Jin. What's it like in Demon World?"

"Be with whoever you want," he said at once. "Power is law, and the tenor of your relationships don't matter a lick so long as you can keep up with the tides of power."

"Demon World sounds nice in that respect."

"Aye," Jin said. "I suppose it is."

"So…" My lips quirked. "Does that mean you've dated men before?"

"O' course I have—and ladies, too!" Jin's chest puffed out, face lifting away from mine as he grinned proudly at the world. "And a fair number of folk who ascribe to neither descriptor, come to think of it."

"All's fair in love and war?" I teased.

"All bets are off, indeed!" Jin agreed.

"Ayyeeee…" I raised a hand for a high five. "I guess this makes us bi-buddies."

He threw back his head and laughed. "A right fine pair of dual-wielders, that we are!" he said, slapping my hand—but then his fingers curled around mine, and he pulled me to him with another of his infectious laughs, and for a while thereafter as the sun descended into the sparkling western sea, we didn't talk at all.

NOTES

I can't write about my love life without having a heart attack, so please accept this fade-to-black because describing a make-out scene INVOLVING MY OWN DAMN SELF FEELS REALLY WEIRD?!

Anyway…

This was supposed to be very light-hearted, but the middle bit about homophobia in Human World just sort of… happened. It's hard for me to get into the sexualities of demons without comparing and contrasting them to the way sexuality is perceived and treated in Human World. I hope this wasn't too much of a downer, in that respect.

Also, I will reblog the Tumblr post about "dual wielders" I referenced in the above text on my Tumblr account for anyone who wants to read it. Username is "luckystarchild"

Also-also, Jin is very much a "Disaster Bi" on the sexuality alignment chart (you know, the one that floats around on Tumblr a lot?) and I love him for it.

Thanks go out to all of you who left a comment on the previous Children of Misfortune entry, which also involved Jin and Keiko's date! YOU ROCK: Kaiya Azure, cestlavie, Viviene001, Kitty-ryn, WaYaADisi1, and read a rainbow!