The agency was quiet that night. Gouto curled up in the armchair in the corner of Narumi's room, while Raidou lay resting in his bed. The man was busily cleaning the wound, pulling out the old stitches and replacing them with new ones. All the while, he chatted with Raidou, whether he was listening or not. The conversation was decidedly diverted from the clan, summoning business, and even the fight... It was just about Raidou, what he liked, and anything to divert his attention from the pain; the poor boy.
"Have you been to the mall yet?" He asked, dabbing at a bit of dried blood on the boy's thigh. "It's got some nice stores, and you can just walk over..."
"I don't really go, no." he admitted, trying his best to concentrate on something, anything but the pain. Narumi's eyes... Those were a good thing to focus on. Large and a rich mid-brown in color. He had long eyelashes for a man, a little thicker as well. With a small smirk the boy decided that he liked them very much. They were pretty, so much more interesting than your average Japanese males eyes.
Those eyes fell on his, the man giving him an almost playful smirk. "We should go sometime. They have a cute café that sells coffee jelly with tea ice cream. And cake, tiramisu even!" The man went on, thinking of all the delicious desserts he could introduce to the young man whom had clearly missed out on the sweeter things in life, like bumming around a mall for no apparent reason. All these suggestions brought a little twinge of a smile to Raidou's lips. Talk of cakes and other sweet things seemed to make him happy, if only faintly. "...I'd like that. I haven't had any of that before." Blue-grey eyes fell on Narumi's milk-chocolate brown ones, slightly narrowed from his tired state. "What's tiramisu?"
The man gaped at him, just narrowly finishing the last stitch as he did. "You've never had tiramisu?"
The boy's head shook softly. "No... I've never heard of it... None of that, really..." he mused before realizing something. He corrected, "Ah, that's not true. I do know what ice cream is. A girl at my school was walking with some friends back from lunch period and she had some. I asked her what it was and she laughed..." he said, averting his gaze elsewhere, looking just a tad embarrassed.
Narumi looked absolutely appalled. What kid grew up without having ice cream? "Kid, that's criminal! As soon as you're walking again you and I are going to the mall in Ginza and getting you cake and all that. You need it!" He seemed really excited about this aspect; Narumi must have had a sweet tooth. Seems Raidou did too with the way his eyes lit up. "I'd like that..."
"Then it's settled!" The stitching needle was set aside and Narumi began wrapping the boy's freshly repaired leg with gauze. "When do you want to go? I say give this thing a few days if you don't zap it with that pixie dust shit again."
"Her name is Pixie," the boy corrected with a slight frown, watching the man work. There was something about his bedside manner. It wasn't the best, but damned if he wasn't trying. It was kind of sweet, actually. Narumi smacked the side of his head with the heel of his hand. "Pixie, right... and the other... the elf guy... Tam... Tamlem?" Really, really trying. He had only heard these names maybe once.
"Tam Lin." Again he was corrected but there was kindness to it. The kid was going easy on him. And maybe, just maybe, he was trying to bond a little with him. This alone made Narumi grin like he had just been gifted an entire cake. "Tam Lin and Pixie. Your companions, they protected you back there, didn't they?"
"As best they could, yes..." And suddenly the boys mod took a turn for the worst. His eyes lowered sullenly before closing completely. He just lay there, looking like he'd been struck. It was then Narumi realized what he had said, and how it must have hurt the boy. "...You said Pixie died, didn't she?"
"...She almost did, as did Tam Lin..." he muttered, turning on his side to face away from the man. "Once my strength returns I'll summon her and have her heal them both." That's right, Raidou's energy was what gave the demons their strength, so as they recovered, he could heal them. "That's a relief... I know they're important friends of yours. I wouldn't want to see them gone from your life."
His words were met with a soft nod, the summoner more than a little tuckered out. Yet after only a short silence he was insisting quietly, "I should get going. I shouldn't put you out again."
And of course, Narumi protested, almost forcing the kid back onto the bed. "Raidou, you should seriously rest tonight. I'll take you home tomorrow... I mean it..."
Raidou would have none of it, sitting up and scooting to the edge of the bed. "I'll be fine. I promise."
A hand was on his arm in half a second, Narumi trying to stop him. "Kid, be reasonable... The Herald won't disown you for spending a night here to rest." The man gazed at him, sincerely concerned for his condition. At this rate it seemed like Raidou was going to push himself past his limits each time he was injured just to stay in the Herald's good graces. It'd kill him eventually. But when their eyes met Raidou had such determination within them, and a deep sadness. He moved just a little closer, just barely stretching the bounds of what was appropriate between two men of their respective age differences being unrelated. "Narumi-san... I know you don't think it's best for me on my own, but I have to try. If I can only rely on you and not myself then what good am I at all, whether it be as a Kuzunoha or just a man?"
"I'm not saying rely on me." Narumi gazed at him. They were so close, he could pick out the exhaustion in the boy's face, how thin he was becoming... "I'm saying allow yourself to be helped, Raidou. Accepting handouts and accepting guidance and a helping hand when you need it are two completely different things."
"Narumi-san..." The boy looked away, that sadness returning. "I understand your position on it but please allow me to make my own way, if not for my benefit then as a friend."
When put that way, Narumi wasn't sure he could disagree. And yet something grated on him, told him this wasn't the whole story. "Raidou... Are you really okay with being alone? I'm not asking you to speak for the clan, but for yourself." The hand was still there, not gripping or trying to keep him still, just holding, as if he wanted to keep the contact. "There are things out there, people out there that would walk all over you and you may not even realize it before it's too late... Can you honestly say you're not afraid?"
"People aren't what we should fear. It's the demons out there that would do them harm." Raidou's eyes leveled with his once again, stern, cold. "I'm not afraid of demons. I'm not because I understand them. So if I don't fear demons, something the rest of humanity fears, then I can tell you with certainty that I'm not afraid. Of being alone or anything else."
Of all the times he wanted to shake him, this had to be one of the biggest. "Raidou, you don't get it." He said bluntly, releasing the boy's arm and getting to his feet. "Humans are even more frightening than demons. Do you know why?"
The boy shook his head, not understanding what Narumi was getting at. Humans? Frightening? How?
Narumi huffed, turning on heel and heading for the door, almost reluctant to tell the kid. "The demons you work with, they're loyal to their own kind, right?"
"Some aren't, but most are yes..." Raidou replied, staring after him with curiosity in his eyes. Just what was he getting at?
Narumi finally turned to look at him, his face grim. "The ones that are not. What are they like?"
Raidou merely shook his head. "I don't know. I haven't met any yet."
The detective simply shook his head, "Pray you don't. Humans are just like them." And that's all he would say about that before getting up to leave the room, needing a moment to cool down. It wasn't going to do him much good to let off his steam on the kid, not when he was still reeling from the attack. Perhaps that's what it was; the worry and fear he felt knowing and witnessing Raidou come so close to death playing back in his mind, plaguing him. Those eyes the color of a rainy day's sky staring up at an enemy only he could see in fear... He couldn't imagine the boy being completely unafraid of anything. Everyone had fears, it was what made them human.
"Allow yourself another hour, then I'll take you back. Just enough to let the anesthetic wear off." And without another word, he left, closing the door behind him.
Raidou did take that hour, just sitting there, thinking about what had been said. He understood his concern, or at least he assumed he did. Narumi was a good man, only wanting to protect him. He got that. He really did. But he'd been trusted with a mission of upmost importance. He alone out of all the clan had succeeded the title of Raidou, the highest of honors to be bestowed. And at such a young age. He could not let them down. Even if it worried his new found friend, even if he was hurt or even killed trying, he had a mission to keep the peace in Tokyo, and he would complete that mission no matter what.
An hour later he had himself dressed and ready, sitting where he'd been before on the edge of the bed, waiting for Narumi to return.
"Jouhei." A deep, usually thundering voice called for him softly. His mentor had been watching, thinking on his own. "Are you feeling all right?" He spotted Gouto in the doorway. Just how long had he kept watch? "I'm fine Gouto. I'm eager to get home and rest for school tomorrow."
The cat jumped from his place on the armchair and strode over to his feet. "Your diligence is appreciated, just don't push yourself beyond your limits."
"If one pushes their limits they will grow stronger."
"Only if they are not broken beyond repair." The cat sauntered off towards the door, ready to go himself. "For now, let's go back to base and recuperate for the night."
"Agreed..." Raidou slowly got to his feet, not quite willing to test his leg just then. It didn't hurt as bad as last time. It was painful, but he could bear it. Carefully he made his way to the door, opening in and poking his head outside "Narumi-san...?"
The door to the office was ajar, a clear indication of where the man was. Narumi stood at the cracked open window, cigarette smoke filtering into the open air.
Raidou walked slowly out to the office, trying his best to hide his faint limp. He smiled lightly as he entered, his gaze, a kind look aimed at Narumi. "You said you would take me home after an hour. Is that still a valid offer?"
Narumi glanced tiredly to the boy, forcing a smile for his sake. "Yeah, I'll get my coat." No questions of how he was, no overt concern about his injuries... Just simple compliance. Raidou thanked him with a small bow, thankful for his help. But still he couldn't help but sense his distress. He seemed genuinely upset about all this. But if he was, Narumi wasn't going to say anything about it.
"I have some painkillers for your leg." A small zip-seal bag of white pills were handed to the young boy, "Take one twice a day." Those eyes turned to him only briefly, but that was enough to see the deeper emotions hiding behind those tired eyes.
"Thank you again, Narumi-san... for all your help."
"...Yeah." Narumi grabbed his jacket and was out the door without another word. He kept his pace slow, still mindful of the boy's condition, but didn't voice any further concerns. If the boy wanted to be independent, he'd let him, wait for Raidou to come to him.
The summoner gathered his bloodied cloak and carried it with him, folding it to lay over one forearm as he walked. He followed his newfound friend as fast as he could while doing his damnedest to hide the limp. Stubborn kid. Even Gouto muttered the same under his breath.
It seemed to be a common thought between the cat and the older man as the three of them made the trek to Ginza to take the boy home, none speaking, a tense silence falling over them.
When they arrived this time Raidou didn't immediately make to leave the car and rush inside. He didn't move at all really, just staring at nothing, thoughtful. It was like he was contemplating something. Gouto pawed at his arm and he snapped out of it, nodding once to the cat to show he was alright. But still he did not leave the car. Instead..."Narumi-san..." he glanced to the side only briefly, not turning his way. "...Do you want to come inside?"
The words knocked Narumi out of his own respective stupor, head turning to face the kid, almost bewildered. But he sobered quickly, taking another drag of his cigarette. "It's late, but if you promise to sleep, I will."
"I will when I finish my homework," he promised, finally moving to leave the car. Narumi followed suit, eyes not once leaving the limp that the boy was trying so hard to mask. Again the thought of how stubborn he was entered his mind. If anything, Raidou should be using a crutch, if not leaning on him... At that moment, Narumi wished he would.
The boy easily ignored his own health in order to get up the stairs and into the apartment building on his own, Gouto on his shoulder. Thankfully the elevator in this building did work regularly. He lead Narumi inside it and pressed the button for the top floor. It was then Narumi finally addressed it, sort of. "Is it hurting?" He asked quietly, keeping his eyes on the walls around him.
"It's not bad..." Raidou muttered, keeping his eyes forward and his weight shifted off his right leg as much as possible without being obvious.
It was all too obvious to Narumi, but he decided against mentioning it. The kid had made up his mind. "Take a pill with your tea."
The boy nodded softly in agreement. Tea sounded nice anyway. The elevator dinged moments later, signaling that they were at their destination. When the doors opened Raidou stepped out, leading the detective down the open air halls to his apartment. Just as shabby as he had anticipated; the Yatagarasu really didn't give the boy much in the way of living expenses. He almost dreaded seeing what kind of shape the apartment was, and just how small.
But when they arrived and the door was opened it was the near exact opposite of what he'd anticipated. It was small yes, just one long single room divided into a kitchen and living area that doubled as a bedroom, a tiny bathroom on the side. But beyond that the place was immaculate. There wasn't much in the way of furniture save for a low table in the middle of the sitting room with a couple pillowed, a large bookcase against the wall. There was a large closet to the side where the boy stored his futon and school uniforms as well as some traditional clothing and weaponry in the built in drawers. But still, it was kind of cozy. Kind of... "Please make yourself comfortable..." Raidou finally spoke, holding the door open for his friend.
I haven't lived in a 1LK since I was first starting in the force... I forgot how compact they were. But it looked like Raidou was managing well enough, even if his room did lack everything that made a house a home. No pictures, nothing personal save for his clothing out. It was just blank, empty, almost like it was more suited as a cell than a living space. How lonely...
Narumi took a seat at the small table, noting that they probably came furnished with the apartment by how lumpy they were. There were a few books on the shelf, mostly school texts, nothing to really denote what interested the boy. "You've been here a couple weeks, you said?"
"Three weeks now..." the boy said from the kitchen area, which was just as small as the rest of the place. What the kid had said had been right. A tiny kitchen, just a couple counters, cabinets, microwave, sink, mini fridge and a hotplate, only enough to make simple meal. But Raidou said he liked to cook his own food, didn't he? This was hardly the place for a proper home cooked meal. He was filing a kettle now while slipping off his school jacket and setting it to the side.
"Where's all your stuff?" Narumi asked, glancing around to the barren walls of the apartment.
"This is all of it." he replied, setting the kettle on the hotplate and turning it on. Narumi did his best to hide his shock. No personal affects at all? No photos, no trinkets, nothing? "Not much, is there?"
"This is enough." He didn't need much else. Just food, clothing, a base of operation and money for supplies. Everything else he could comfortably live without.
Narumi bit his lip. "That's kind of..." Sad, he wanted to say. The boy really did have nothing. Gouto mewled something behind him, circling on one of the cushions adjacent to Narumi; a sign to sit down for a while.
A long silence passed between them, drawn out and a little uncomfortable. But soon enough the kettle began to whistle and fresh tea was finally produced and brought out on a tray to share. "Sorry for the wait..." the teen muttered as he set a pair of traditional cups and a pot on the table. He didn't stay, busying himself by putting away the tray and gathering up a white messenger bag set over by the door to bring to the table. It was beginning to grate on Narumi greatly. "Kid, sit down and enjoy the tea. You shouldn't be up and around right now."
Raidou silently complied. He took a seat opposite the detective and started pulling supplies from his back and laying them on the table. School supplies. Was he really going to do homework? The detective glanced at the clock and saw that it was well past midnight. The kid should be in bed, not doing homework. "I don't understand how you balance the summoning biz and high school, Raidou. Don't you sleep?"
"I sleep fine." he replied, opening his text book and notes to write.
Narumi quirked a brow, "When?"
"When I finish my school work."
Narumi frowned, masking it with his tea. He glanced over to the boy's homework assignment. It looked like English... "What subject is that?"
"English." Just as he'd thought. And judging by how quickly he was getting his assignment done Raidou was pretty good at it. That, or a model student. Save for one thing. "Ah, here... The sentence structure on that line is off." Narumi pointed to one of the phrases the boy had just written. "Noun before verb."
Blue-grey eyes glanced up at the detective in mild surprise before turning back down again. He quickly fixed the mistake, seeing what he'd done wrong, a tiny smile on his lips. "..When did you learn this?"
A slight smirk crossed the detective's lips, "I was an cop. When you're dealing so closely with the public you have to know English. Tourists and all that." He gave the boy a playful wink, "I know snippets of other languages too, but English was most common."
Raidou seemed genuinely intrigued by this, smiling faintly as he finished his homework, "What other languages do you know?"
"Ehn... Some Russian, a little Chinese..." He grinned, leaning a little closer, "Je connais un peu le Français..." A snicker, breath ghosting against the boy's ear.
The boy twitched ever so slightly, a shiver going down his spine from the man's hot breath on his ear. He could just feel himself blushing, if only a little. To hide it he ducked his head and sipped at his tea.
Narumi pulled back, grinning in triumph over being able to get a rise out of the normally docile boy. "Just bits... Mostly enough to get someone to freeze or get down on the ground."
With a small nod of response Raidou finished up his homework and set it aside, finally able to spend a little time with the man who'd not only saved his life once but twice. "...You have a beautiful accent. Almost like it's a language you commonly use."
"The ladies love French." The ran a hand through his hair, grinning. "Admittedly, I practiced it a lot more because of that." Ever the letch, some things never change. "I see..." Raidou replied, sipping his tea. So Narumi was a ladies man. He was finding out more and more about him every passing second.
"Although," The man continued, "I still haven't found a girl for me. I guess there aren't many who can keep up with my lifestyle. Always working, always on a case..." he went on, eyes fixated on the tea in his cup, swirling it around. "What about you, Raidou? Any girls catch your fancy?" The boy was quiet a long moment, almost as if he was contemplating an answer when-"Not interested," he muttered, taking a sip of his tea, basking in the warmth it provided, hands cupped around the mug.
The answer himself caused Narumi to choke a bit on his own brew, "You're not?" The concept seemed absolutely foreign to him. Unless...
The boy simply shrugged, setting his cup down and getting to his feet. "I promised I'd sleep, didn't I..?" He moved towards the closet, sliding the door open and pulling out his futon. Subject dodged, Narumi set out to help the boy set the room up for sleep, starting with the table. "Right... It's really late. Are you sure you don't want to call out sick?"
"I have a test tomorrow..." meaning no. He was dead set on going to school like he was dead set on doing anything else. Boy was stubborn as hell, that was for sure. But given his upbringing he must have been raised to be.
Raidou set his futon out where the table had just been, offering a small nod of thanks. Once the bed was set up he went back to his closet to gather his night clothing... a simple white sleeping kimono. The kid really didn't have much, did he? It almost made Narumi feel bad. "Is it... all right if I camp here tonight?" He asked, sincerely worried about the boy's condition, as well as curious about the boy's choice of words. Raidou looked back over his shoulder at the man, curious. Just where would he sleep? There was only the one futon. Suddenly there was the faintest of blushes on his face. How lewd. No, no, he couldn't make judgments until he knew the whole story. "Why?"
"Are you kidding me? I have to make sure that you take care of that leg of yours, at least for tonight." He motioned to the still healing leg with a distinct frown on his face. "If you suddenly worsen and die, it'll guilt my conscious forever." Narumi leveled a stare at the boy, arms crossed. There was no way he was going to leave the kid alone, not right now. But surprisingly to not only Narumi, but the cat that was now curling up on Raidou's bed, the boy started laughing. Nothing over the top, just a little chuckle of amusement. Narumi thought he had finally cracked, "Is that funny or something, kid?"
After a few moments he quieted down, smiling tiredly at his companion. "You're so concerned, even if you barely know me. I guess it makes me happy..."
The reaction earned the boy a smile from the detective, who couldn't help but chuckle a little as well. "Some humans aren't that bad, I can assure you that. And..." He scratched his cheek a little nervously, "Someone who has crashed twice at my place with such injuries... I think I know you a little better than you think."
"Maybe..." Or perhaps not. Raidou excused himself to the bathroom to change his clothing to ready himself for bed, letting out a little yawn as he went. Meanwhile the detective pulled out a blanket from the closet, intending to wrap himself with that while he watched after the boy in sleep. If he couldn't keep the kid in bed at his place for observation, he could at least make sure he stayed in bed at his own place... Or at least stay off his leg, which so far he had not been doing.
Soon Raidou emerged from the bathroom, if one could even call the tiny space as much, ready for bed. He set his uniform aside and went to get into bed. Narumi grabbed one of the cushions from the floor, setting up against one of the walls with his blankets. "Did you take a pill?" He asked, noting how thin the blankets were... and how they smelled like the summoner. A nod was given in response, the teen crawling into bed for some much needed sleep. "Narumi-san... I'm glad you stayed."
Narumi had expected the opposite from him. He expected Raidou to be annoyed, demanding his space and demanding he stop coddling him. But a heartfelt thank you with that smile on his face, the man couldn't help but grin like an absolute git. "Hey, I just want to help you, so even this is enough for now." He murmured, pulling the blanket closer around him.
"...It's thoughtful. Thank you...And I'm sorry. I'm not used to it." Was the kid really so unused to human contact? The detective shook his head, "Just rest. You need to recover quickly if you want to stay in the game, kid."
"Don't be concerned. I'll be fine." But even he couldn't be so sure. Without a mentor besides his feline companion currently cuddled to his back he was at a loss. He knew nothing of this modern world, nothing of much at all besides his training and the traditions of home. Nothing much else applied in the life of a summoner, but could he function like that? Hell, he didn't even have anyone to drag him home and tend his wounds. Poor kid really was alone.
But that wasn't entirely true, was it? There was the man who currently sat huddled at the foot of his bed, fighting off sleep himself for the sake of keeping an eye on the injured boy. Narumi had offered to help him, patch him up if he was injured, even offer him shelter if he was too far from home. With all that, could he really say he was alone?
Yet one had to ask, why? Why did he care so much that he'd put his own life at risk to help someone he had met just a short time ago? Was there a motive, or was it out of some naïve emotional attachment?
Questions left unanswered.
"Wake me if you need anything." Narumi muttered, starting to doze off himself. "I mean it, anything, even just a glass of water."
Raidou couldn't help but smirk at the man's words. Yeah, maybe he wasn't quite alone after all. With that in mind he left his eyes slip closed, about ready to drift off any second. "...Good night, Narumi-san..."
"Sweet dreams, kid."
Satisfied with the response Raidou let himself fall asleep, desperately needing his rest for the day ahead.
Narumi would not find sleep for some time after. As much as he tried to settle down, put his mind at ease, the events from the evening kept replaying in his head. Raidou's eyes when they stared at the unforeseen enemy, just seconds away from delivering the killing boy, the fear he tried to mask when he was so close to meeting his demise. Then his expression when he realized he was not alone, and the first thing he thought was to get Narumi to safety with no regard for his own. This kid, this child, so selfless, yet Narumi was privy to the sight of him shaking, weakly attempting to continue the fight while trying to protect a civilian, a near stranger, from meeting the same fate as he did.
It was as if he was ready to throw himself to the beast if it would save Narumi's life, and that alone bothered him to no end. He clearly remembered how the boy felt against him, bony back pressed against his chest, body still heaving to catch his breath, both trembling with fear and exhilaration. Together they had delivered the killing blow, and Narumi was unsure if the fight would have ended the same way if he had not risked his own life to come to the boy's aide.
It made him wonder just how many near-death experiences, how many life-threatening battles the boy had been in. Was it just the Cerberus, or were there more? How many before Narumi had found him that night? How many times did Raidou have to crawl back to his tiny, undecorated flat and tend his own wounds, silently wishing he had someone by his side? It broke his heart to think of it, and somehow Narumi found himself shifting from his spot against the wall to sprawl out on the tatami next to the boy, simple watching him sleep, trying to pick out any minute changes in his breathing that would indicate he was in pain... Or perhaps he was simply admiring his angelic visage; the long lashes, the plump lips, the pale, slightly bruised skin... He's almost too pretty to be human. Narumi mused, hand slowly reaching to caress that smooth skin.
His hand stopped not even half-way there.
What am I doing?
The hand was pulled back and tucked firmly beneath the blanket, Narumi chastising himself for the awkward emotions circling his head. He didn't dare address them, not now. These paternal feelings are getting out of hand. The man adjusted the cushion beneath his head and forced his eyes closed. With any luck, his body would take this as a sign to slow down and allow him rest.
Once again he realized he'd be going without for the night.