Chapter 14: Snapshot

When Satan finds something he likes, it's his. Now if only everyone else would realize that fundamental rule of the universe.

Click!

Shiro stopped mid-word, blinking spots away from his eyes. He wasn't irritated, no, if anything he was vaguely amused by the entire ordeal. But only vaguely because, as usual, Rin was being stubborn.

"Rin, if you would stop and give me back my-"

Click!

This time he gave into the urge to wipe away the discolored shapes dancing in his eyes. He could hear Rin snickering at his predicament and clearly enjoying his discomfort. Well, he couldn't expect things to change overnight.

"Mine now." Satan hummed, admiring the camera the shitty priest had let him hold to 'look at'.

Except it was clearly expensive and had a lot of interesting settings, let him take less than flattering pictures of shitty priest, and had an obnoxious flash that was a borderline weapon, so it was his now. Well, he assumed it was expensive since the only camera he'd ever gotten to look at was a crude piece of plastic that you couldn't even preview what pictures you took and was decorated with cartoon dinosaurs. "Disposable and child-proof, perfect for you!" Yuri had chirped happily.

Needless to say, the camera soon found itself on fire without any use. Satan had ignored Yuri helpfully pointing out that if he kept it, he could have taken a picture to keep.

"Did you pay for it?"

"No, but you did give it to me. I'm not going to break it, old man, so calm the hell down." The irony of that statement was absolutely staggering, but Satan hadn't been one to care about little details.

Shiro gave a non-comital grunt, disbelief clear. But he didn't try to take the camera or anything equally foolish- he wasn't too keen on seeing several hundred dollars' worth of technology smash to bits. Instead he slunk after Rin, watching the boy practically prance around, taking pictures of anything that even somewhat interested him, and felt his heart clench every time Rin held the camera out carelessly in one hand. Seemingly happy with himself, Shiro couldn't stop Rin from turning around and darting outside.

"Yukio! Yukio, look what Shiro gave us!"

There was a worrying amount of commotion and noise, so Shiro quickly made his way outside. Rin had handed the camera off to Yukio, excitedly going over the settings he'd figured out in his short time with the device. Yukio nodded, only half understanding, and pushed a few buttons. He jumped as the flash popped open and fumbled the camera, only for Rin to nimbly catch it.

"Be careful! Cameras are fragile." Satan chided, and looked over the preview screen. There was already a scratch or two in one corner and he frowned.

Seeing his chance, Shiro stepped in, "Yes, they are very fragile, so maybe you should hand it back to me?" The twins were responsible enough, but he'd already seen one near-tragedy.

"But I like it." Satan wined, and it was surprisingly honest. He hadn't thought much of what a camera could do when he'd first seen one, but now, looking over the pictures of Yukio he'd taken, he just had to have it. He could print memories with it, of times that were slipping past him too fast.

Shiro felt his mouth go dry. Rin had never really wanted anything before, at least, not anything Shiro was willing to give him. It was always dangerous, violent, things he wanted: knives and blades of all kinds, flint and matches, there had even been a question or two about a gun of all things and he knew the watergun wasn't at all what Rin had meant. It was desperately worrying and he'd sunk a small fortune in expensive game systems and sports equipment to try and get Rin interested in something not dangerous. But the consoles say untouched and only odds and ends of any of the many balls and gloves and bats were used, with no real interest in actually playing.

There was still the matter of just how nice that camera was though, "No Rin, the camera isn't yours to keep. But, if you really like it so much, and pray the lord for strength to be a good child-"

"Ha!"

"-then maybe you'll get a camera for your birthday." Preferably something a fifth the cost.

"A camera?" Satan drawled, unamused and already knowing that the shitty priest was trying to scam him.

Let it never be said that Rin was shrewd, for better or worse, Shiro mentally sighed. "This model is very expensive-"

"Not so expensive you couldn't buy it on a whim though."

"It wasn't a whim; I've needed a nice camera for a while now. Besides, you can still occasionally use this one, but you hardly need something this complicated."

"It sounds like you're being cheap. And don't trust me with nice things."

Neither of those were exactly wrong, but Shiro wasn't going to say that. No, instead, "You don't even know what half these settings do, Rin. Yukio, why don't you be out model for today, ok?"

Yukio perked up at finally being included, "Ok!" The eight year old stood as still as he could, doing his absolute best to be a perfect model.

Shiro knew it could only last for so long, so he worked fast. "Look, you aren't even on the right one to take pictures outside. Change the settings with that wheel right there."

Satan obeyed, but mostly because he was curious. He hadn't really noticed a difference except the ones that made the picture worse, so he hadn't messed with them. They probably did nothing and the shitty priest was just making things up to try and convince him to give back the camera.

"No, not that one, the one to the left. And now it's to the right. Let me show you." Shiro leaned in before Rin could have a chance to object and quickly fiddled with the settings. "See? The colors are better now, richer and not as washed-out. And see, if you turn on the red eye remover, then adjust the focus…And…"

Satan was a born liar, but even he had to admit that the picture the Paladin had taken of Yukio was worlds better than anything he had. "You do know you've just made me want this camera even more, right?"

"And how do I know you won't get bored of it after a week? You've done it before with those games."

"I never asked for any of those. Besides, then you'll have a spare if you ever break your camera. But that's only if I get bored of it. Which I won't." Not when the world was ever-changing unless he caught it with his own two hands. Not when it meant years of Yukio's life would slip by, only remembered as a hazy fog. The photo albums weren't nearly enough.

"I want a camera too!" Yukio suddenly exclaimed, excited. If Rin wanted one so bad, then they must be even better than he thought!

An idea struck Shiro "Well then, I can either get both you and Yukio cameras, or just you. Which will it be?"

Satan knew he was had, because he was still, forever, greedy and selfish. He didn't want to deny Yukio anything the world had to offer, but he also wanted his own camera. Plus, he knew the shitty priest would never actually buy him something that nice, but he kind of wanted a reason to get mad. Besides, he could always steal it and frame it as if someone had broken in or something. "Fine."

"I'm glad that's settled." It wasn't like there was ever even a chance that Shiro would cave, but he knew being dismissive of Rin without reasoning would sour what he was desperately trying to build between them. "Now, come on, sit here."

"Why?"

"Don't you want to know what the other modes of the camera can do? I did say you can use this one, if you want."

Reluctantly, Rin sat down, looking far less pleased than an excited Yukio.

And that was how a good hour passed, sat on the steps just outside the back door and with the twins on either side, eager to learn. Yukio, despite being so enthusiastic, grew bored quickly and was clearly only still there because his brother was. Rin, however, sat with a deceptively bored expression on his face, but nothing could hide the rapt attention deep in his eyes, absorbing everything Shiro had to teach for the first time in…in a very long time.

Something swelled in Shiro's chest and he knew, deep down, that everything would work out.