"Shut up!" Outraged, Bast whirled and slammed him hard against the desk, holding the injured demon down with one hand. He grabbed the heart and pulled. It was such a weird sensation: Amaimon could feel his fingertips digging into the soft petals, tugging on the center where they connected, and ripping it from his chest.

He screamed, finally wordless in his anguish, but someone wrapped a cloth around his open mouth from above, muffling his cries. Two other people grabbed his wrists and, between the agony of having his heart torn from him and the exhaustion of being mentally drained, Amaimon couldn't fight back. He struggled against the darkness, digging his nails into his palm to keep conscious. But it was too much too quick, and he succumbed to the inevitable tide.

Chapter Two
. . .
Best Friends...For Now

Yukio's glare was vicious, but Mephisto didn't waver, even under his youngest half-brother's ferocity. "I've done many things I've never wanted to do during my time here, Sir Pheles, but this is just absurd." He shook his head. "No. I will not allow him to stay at our dormitory—especially after what happened with nii-san."

"I'm not a child, you know! I can take care of myself!"

"Like you took care of yourself in the forest?" he snapped. Rin growled and blushed, mumbling obscenities under his breath.

"Boys, please," Mephisto sighed and rubbed his temples with his gloved hands. It was just after midnight at True Cross Academy and, despite being a demon king, he was exhausted. He rested his elbows on his desk, trying to figure out how to word his scattered thoughts.

He had to convince the twins to take Amaimon. His little brother wouldn't do well under the supervision of older exorcists and Shura would just neglect him. Rin would give him a playmate, as well as keep him under control if he became angry or agitated. And, if worse came to worst, and Amaimon's heart was missing or destroyed...

No, he dared not think about that possibility. Bast would still have it. He had to.

"Amaimon won't..." Mephisto cleared his throat with apparent difficulty, ridding his voice of all emotion. "Amaimon won't remember what happened in the forest. He won't remember...anything."

The twins were surprised by that, Yukio more than his brother. "What do you mean?" Rin's expression softened and he leaned forward with renewed interest.

Mephisto picked up a small figurine from the display shelf on his desk and examined it vacantly as he spoke. "Amaimon got into a bit of trouble and his demon heart was stolen from him."

Yukio's eyes widened. "Demons can live without their hearts?"

"Most demons and half-breeds can, yes," he explained. "But, without it, he won't even know he's a demon."

"He won't remember anything at all?" Rin sounded more sympathetic than his twin, and Mephisto was grateful for that.

"He'll be able to do basic things—walk, read and write, dress himself—but he won't remember faces or names or past events as a demon."

"Is he," the boy hesitated, nibbling on his bottom lip, "is he going to be like this forever?"

Mephisto clenched his jaw, smothering a grimace. "No," he said the word with a firm certainty, though he didn't know if he was trying to convince himself or the twins more. "I know who took it and I'm leaving tomorrow to get it back-"

Yukio cut him off, his expression hard. "Then leave him with your senior exorcists. It will only take a couple of days, right?"

Knowing Bast, he would run, and Mephisto would be spending most of his time overseas trying to track the bastard down before he moved again. "I'm afraid it will take longer than a few days—perhaps longer than a month."

"A month!?"

He held up his hand to keep him quiet. "Amaimon will be safest with you two." He turned to Rin. "You already have experience fighting him, and you're stronger than him. If he happens to," he paused, swallowing hard, "lose control—I trust you know how to handle him."

Rin nodded. "Of course we'll take care of him, Mephisto."

Relief flitted through him for an instant before Yukio snapped at his twin. "Are you crazy, nii-san? After everything he did, you're just going to let him into our home!?"

. . .

Rin frowned. The way Yukio spoke about Amaimon, the bitterness in his voice, the enmity in his eyes, concerned him. He was a demon too, and the hatred his brother showed for them made him uncomfortable. Would Yukio, one day, reject him when he needed help? He wanted to believe his twin loved him more than that, but, with outbursts like this, it was getting harder and harder to convince himself. "Stop it! Stop treating him like he's a monster!"

Yukio scoffed and raised his brows incredulously. "He is a monster! He made you reveal yourself to the entire class!"

"It would have happened eventually!" he countered.

"Boys!" Mephisto stood, but they ignored him.

"You're right! You're so immature and impulsive that you would have ruined everything yourself, nii-san! I do all of this to protect you and you throw it back in my face!" Yukio paused, his breath ragged, his fists clenched hard, his face red with anger. He glared intently at his brother.

"Yukio..."

Rin used to look up to his younger twin, a genius and natural-born leader, despite being a teary-eyed little boy who was easily dismissed by many. But, lately, Yukio had said things, done things that made the half-demon wonder where his brother had gone—why he was hiding under all these layers of mistrust and hatred.

He waved his hand angrily, standing to leave. "Forget it," he spat. "Do whatever you want. But, understand this, nii-san: I will not hold back if he tries to hurt anyone again." He slammed the door behind him, harsh footsteps fading down the hall.

Mephisto sighed and sat back down, still holding on to the plastic figurine. "Well, that could have gone better."

Rin perked up, smiling to reassure the demon. "Don't worry, Mephisto. I'll watch over him while you're gone. Yukio won't attack him with me around, but I can't promise the same for his ego."

"Thank-"

"So long as you increase my monthly allowance," he added with an innocent grin.

He deadpanned, but the half-demon gave him no choice. "Very well." He failed to hide the annoyance in his voice. "You'll have more money after I get back. I'll give you a call to let you know when he's ready to leave the infirmary."

"Sounds good!" Rin stood and stretched his arms high above his head.

"Rin?" Mephisto called out to him as he grabbed the gilded doorknob.

"Yeah?"

He smiled slightly. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

The half-demon blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. He never did like it when people tried to thank him for doing what he thought was right—and the fact that it came from Mephisto only embarrassed him more. "Nah, you don't need to thank me! I would want someone to do the same if it was Yukio." He winked playfully and left the demon king's office before he could say more.

Rin met up with his brother further down the hall. He glanced up and then lowered his eyes in shame. "Nii-san...I-"

He held up a hand to cut off his apology. "Don't bother. I know how you feel, Yukio, honest. But...did you see him? He was devastated."

The young teacher nodded slowly. "I noticed." They started down the hall together. "I still don't think letting a demon king live with us for a month is a good idea."

Rin folded his hands behind his head as he walked. "Why not? Mephisto said he won't remember us, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about."

Yukio didn't attempt to contradict him, but it was obvious he wasn't convinced by his words. "I don't like Amaimon. He's...unpredictable."

"Like me?" He grinned widely and earned a small laugh from his brother.

"Exactly like you, nii-san."

. . .
Two Days Later

Rin, cradling a plastic bag to his chest, opened the door to the endless hallway and poked his head in. He saw no motion in either direction, so he slipped inside, quietly making his way to the infirmary. Mephisto had convinced him that it would be best if no one else found out about Amaimon for the time being, lest the Vatican get involved. The other cram school students hated and feared the demon king almost as much as his brother did, and wouldn't react kindly to knowing he was at the Academy and under the care of the Okumura twins.

He knocked and impatiently tapped his foot, glancing over his shoulder to see if anyone was coming. The door opened and he was greeted by a demon doctor with unruly, shoulder-length, black hair and glasses that hid his eyes. "Hello," he said shyly, scratching the side of his head. His tail hung lazily at his feet and Rin noticed he was only wearing one shoe.

"Hi!" Rin smiled, waiting for the man to step aside so he could enter the infirmary. He didn't attempt to move and they lapsed into an awkward silence that lasted far too long for comfort. "Uh, I'm here for Amaimon."

The doctor's brow furrowed and he pouted. "You mean...you're not the pizza boy?"

"No..."

"Darn. Come on in, then." He pushed the door open fully and stepped aside.

Amaimon, dressed in a thin hospital gown, was resting on a bed with wheels, the head of it raised slightly to support him. He stared out a window opposite to the door, watching the wind gently rustle the leaves of the trees bordering a stone path. Rin had never seen windows here before, but assumed Mephisto installed it to entertain his little brother while he was recovering.

Behemoth sat beside Amaimon on the bed, gnawing violently at a half-eaten brown shoe. "Ah, he stole it from me this morning," the doctor said, pushing his round glasses up his nose. "He...won't give it back and, ah, I'm too afraid to take it." He paused and watched the hobgoblin for a moment. "Not that I could use it now."

He glanced at them as the doctor spoke and, for an instant, Rin felt a reflexive fear as his eyes met Amaimon's, but it vanished quickly, replaced by a friendly smile. "Hey, Amaimon. How are you feeling?" He looks so...lost, the half-demon thought solemnly, noticing Amaimon's tense posture.

"Who are you?" he asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"My name is Rin. I'm here to take you home."

"Home?" He repeated the word as if he didn't know what it was. Rin frowned at the pained expression on his face. "I...don't remember..."

"That's okay," he said gently. "That's why I'm here—I'll help you remember." Amaimon continued to stare at him, eyes filled with uncertainty. He shifted uncomfortably under the demon's gaze. "Uh, you need to change before we can leave."

Rin held out the plastic bag that contained a freshly washed outfit. As he did, Amaimon shied away, frightened, and Behemoth growled protectively. He paused and frowned. Rin didn't take into account how scared he would be, how terrified he must feel after waking up in an unfamiliar world knowing nothing but his name. "It's not dangerous—it's a present," he explained softly, encouraging him to accept it. "Here, open it." He placed it down carefully on the edge of the bed.

Behemoth sniffed it and made a purring sound, letting his master know Rin was telling the truth. The hobgoblin picked the bag up in his mouth and carried it over to Amaimon. He opened it and frowned, brow knit together in confusion. "What's this?" he asked, unfolding the shirt.

Inside the bag was a clean pair of black skinny jeans, a light gray shirt with a black skull design, socks, and black sneakers. Rin didn't know how to coordinate colors with Amaimon's hair and skin tone, so he just picked neutral shades.

"Clothes! They're mine, but you can borrow them for now."

"Why are you giving me your clothes?" He trailed his fingers across the shirt, seemingly enthralled by the texture of the fabric.

"Well, you don't have any of your own yet and friends share."

"Friends?" Amaimon looked up, his cerulean eyes scrutinizing the half-demon. "Are you my friend?"

Rin's smile broadened and he nodded once. "Of course. You don't remember, but we're best friends!" He didn't see the harm in lying to the demon king—it would make his time with Rin less stressful if he believed they got along well.

The doctor pointed to the bathroom near his bed. "You can change in there. Just leave the gown on the counter—I'll, ah, get it later."

"Okay." The demon scooped up Behemoth, who clung to his chew toy desperately, and quietly closed the door behind him.

He waited for a moment before turning to the half-demon. "Mephisto has told you that, ah...he won't remember being a...king, correct?" the doctor asked, deliberately avoiding the word 'demon'. Rin nodded. "Good—that makes this easier. Ah, it would probably be best if he didn't find out. Right now he thinks he's human, and if he somehow discovers that he's a demon, it might cause him to...react badly. If you know what I mean."

Rin knew exactly what he meant. He remembered the fear, the shock, the desperation. He remembered how Shiro looked when he... Rin shook the memory out of his mind. "Don't let Amaimon find out he's a demon—got it."

"Perfect! Here's my card." The doctor dug through his pockets for a moment before pulling out a small business card covered in lint. "We've never experienced a situation as, ah, unique as Amaimon's. So call me if you notice anything...unusual. I can make house visits too, but they cost extra." He scratched at his tangled hair again. "You know the way out—I'm going to go wait for the pizza boy."

Amaimon exited the bathroom just as the doctor was leaving, Behemoth perched comfortably on his shoulder. He looked strange in Rin's clothes, but not in a bad way. The pants fit just right, clinging to his legs and slightly exposing his shapely muscles. His shirt, however, was a bit short—when he raised his arms a strip of pale skin was revealed as the hem of it lifted from his jeans. Still, he looked incredibly normal for once and Rin liked it.

"You look good," he complimented. The demon didn't know how to respond, so he lowered his eyes and shifted his weight awkwardly. Rin cleared his throat, afraid he had said something embarrassing. "I need to make a quick call to my brother so he knows we're coming."

He hummed wistfully in acknowledgment and turned to stare out the window again.

Rin left the small room, assuming he would have to yell at his twin to convince him to be polite to Amaimon during his first visit, and pulled out his phone, selecting Yukio's name from the contacts list. Ever prompt, he picked up on the third ring. "Hey, it's me. I just got Amaimon—we should be home soon."

He heard Yukio sigh. "Are you sure you want to do this, nii-san? I could take him to Shura."

The half-demon rolled his eyes despite knowing he couldn't see it. "Seriously, Yukio, how many times do we have to argue about this? Get over it already."

There was a silent pause and Rin could picture his brother gritting his teeth, trying to suppress his anger. "Fine," he spat. "Make sure he stays out of trouble." He hung up immediately, obviously irritated by Rin's words.

With a quick huff, he turned back to the sick room, unnerved to find the demon king nibbling at the collar of the shirt he was wearing. "Amaimon...what are you doing?"

He started, surprised the half-demon had caught him. "It smelled good...so I thought it would taste good too."

"O-Oh...does it?"

Amaimon shook his head. "It tastes like cloth."

Rin chuckled. "I guess you're hungry. I'll get you something on the way back, okay?"

"Okay."

"Let's go!" He reached out to take Amaimon's hand, but the demon recoiled. "I'm not going to hurt you." His voice was filled with concern.

"I don't believe you." He tried to step back, but his heels knocked into the gurney behind him.

"Amaimon..." He looked so different from the demon king Rin was used to, so fearful and shy. A stab of pity made him cringe, but he didn't give up—he reached out for Amaimon again, his tone softer and his expression compassionate. "I would never do anything to hurt you," he said gently, "I promise." The demon stared at him intently, studying his face for anything that would expose his supposed lies. Slowly, he placed his hand in Rin's, tensing only slightly when the half-demon closed his fingers around his palm. "See? That doesn't hurt, right? Let's go home."

He nodded. "Home."

Rin guided him out of the cram school and on to the sidewalk just outside of True Cross Academy with a delicate, almost reverent touch. Amaimon was too busy glancing around at their new surroundings to pay it much attention. He had never been this close to the demon king before—not outside of fighting, anyway. Amaimon had a very subtle, pleasant scent, like a mixture of freshly cut grass and candy.

He's nice when he's not trying to kill me, the thought came to Rin unbidden, but it made him smile nonetheless.

Not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention, Rin released his grasp on Amaimon's hand as they reached a more populated area of town. They walked slowly, side-by-side, the demon captivated by the strange sights and sounds around him. Rin watched him closely, wondering how he viewed the world now that he thought he was human.

His gaze was dragged to the line of skin just above his pants—barely catching a glimpse of the toned muscles underneath. Amaimon immediately took notice. He didn't comment on his staring, but tugged his shirt down. Rin looked away and scratched the side of his face nervously, trying to hide the blush he could feel creeping across his cheeks. As he searched for something to use as a distraction, he noticed a food stand selling fried takoyaki.

"Hey, Amaimon—you still hungry?" The demon inclined his head curiously as Rin rushed over to the vendor and purchased two tiny baskets of takoyaki. He hurried back with an eager grin stretching his face. "Here!"

"What is it?" he asked, wrinkling his nose. He sniffed at the food cautiously. Inside the plastic baskets were brown balls covered in a darker brown sauce. They didn't look very appetizing to him, though their smell was tantalizing.

"Takoyaki. It's octopus cooked in batter. You love this stuff. Try one—it'll help you remember!" He shoved a basket at him, but the demon flinched and shook his head, causing Behemoth to utter a displeased growl.

"I don't trust you," Amaimon said stubbornly, folding his arms across his chest and huffing like a child.

Rin frowned and shrugged. "More for me, then." He balanced a basket in the fold of his arm and stabbed one with the toothpick, biting it in half and revealing the steaming, fried pieces of octopus within. "Mmm!" He smirked at the demon king when he tentatively reached out for a ball. "I thought you didn't trust me?" He raised a brow playfully.

Amaimon pouted, but couldn't think of an appropriate response that wouldn't make him go back on his words. With a light laugh, Rin handed him the extra basket. The demon king began digging into the takoyaki fervently, Behemoth drooling slightly on his shoulder. He watched Amaimon with astonishment, stunned by how ravished he acted.

"It's delicious."

"Told you you'd like it!" They started walking again, silenced briefly by the food. "Before we go home," Rin said between bites, "I want you to try to avoid my brother. You'll know him when you see him—he's the one with glasses and moles. Yukio doesn't really-" He stopped when he felt Amaimon's cold fingers grab his wrist and gently pull. The demon met his eyes, mouth on his toothpick—he had eaten Rin's takoyaki in a single bite. "Hey, that was mine!"

"Friends share," Amaimon insisted with an exceptionally innocent expression.

Rin pouted, then sighed in defeat. The pity he felt for Amaimon made it impossible for him to argue. "Want another?" Hesitant, he opened his mouth and Rin fed the demon king another ball of fried takoyaki. Amaimon hummed in delight as he chewed.