Chapter Text
There was nothing that could have prepared him for this, nothing at all. He couldn't have predicted this of all things, could not have thought it was within possibility. Because everyone from his past was dead . He watched the life drain from them himself, not being able to do anything other than focus on slowly dulling eyes and crimson red. So there was no way, there simply wasn't. Yet somehow the universe found a way regardless.
No one else seemed as concerned about the current situation as he was. Granted, they didn't know. Except Phoenix, who had gone rigid at the mention of the name. Yoru avoided his eyes, instead staring at Brimstone in disbelief. It had been such a peaceful day, he had been enjoying himself; spending time with Phoenix, Jett and Sage, all of them cuddled up on a couch in the common room. That's when Brimstone had barged in, muttering in a confused tone. Sage had asked him what was wrong. The answer still rang in his mind, even now.
"There's someone downstairs, asking for a Yamaguchi Ren? Claims he should be here. I have no clue what he's on about." If anyone had seen Yoru freeze at the words, they didn't say anything. Yamaguchi Ren. Or, more commonly referred to, Yoru .
It was only when he felt the warmth of Phoenix hand squeezing his wrist, that he blinked out of his thoughts.
"What's going on?" the firebird asked, voice a soft whisper.
"I… don't know." It was the truth. That name wasn't his anymore, it died when all the people that used it for him did. So hearing it again, hearing that someone was looking for him with that name, meant that it had not died at all. That all the people hadn't died at all. And that was terrifying enough to make his throat clog up. Someone who he knew him before was here, someone who was most likely part of his old family. Maybe he should've felt happy at the prospect of meeting a lost loved one, but his hands wouldn't stop their shaking and his breaths didn't come easy.
"You know who he's looking for?" Brimstone asked. Yoru belatedly noted the other turned his voice down a little so as not to scare him.
"I'm the one he's looking for," he found himself saying, not even sure why he would reveal this piece of himself. His answer made Jett and Sage look at him in confusion, as did Brimstone. A sigh escaped him, quickly averting his eyes back to his hands. Phoenix was now holding one of them. The warmth of it was grounding.
"I used to be Yamaguchi Ren before I was Yoru. He's looking for me. I… don't know why. No one should be alive to remember me by that name. It's…" he trailed off. Phoenix sensed his anxiety, rubbing his thumb over Yoru's knuckles. The firebird looked up at their leader.
"He still here?" Brimstone nodded.
"'kay. We can go see what he wants, only if you're feelin' up for it, yeah?" Yoru nodded. Even with the anxiety festering in his stomach, he wanted to see what was going on. See who was here for him.
"Yeah. Let's go downstairs." Phoenix nodded and pulled him up with him to stand.
"Will you two be alright?" Sage asked, Jett looking in with concerned eyes, "We would be more than happy to accompany you." He thanked Sage with a soft smile, but ultimately declined the offer. He had a feeling that whatever was about to happen would either be too personal or too messy for onlookers - Phoenix didn't count.
"Well, I told him to wait in the guest area downstairs. Be careful, you don't know what he wants." They both nodded at Brimstone's warning, before making their way downstairs. Phoenix held onto his hand the entire way, squeezing it once. It caused some of the tension to leave his shoulders. His words failed him, but he hoped his smile showed his gratitude instead. He could tell by the fond look in the other's eyes that it did. They'd gotten better at this - communicating, even without words - over the couple months of dating. Yoru was glad for it, because even if he did try to improve his verbal communication, he was glad that Phoenix was able to understand him when he fell short.
"We'll be fine. Got you now, not gonna let some random dude take you away." Yoru found himself laughing at the frown on Phoenix's face.
"You're an idiot," he said.
"Ouch. That one hurt, I'm never emotionally recovering from it." It was amazing how Phoenix knew exactly how to ease his fears and make him laugh instead. He lifted the other's hand and pressed three soft kisses on it. It somehow managed to fluster Phoenix, which coaxed another laugh out of him. It wasn't that they never kissed, they did quite often, actually. Yoru had no clue why some little things still managed to make the other turn pretty shades of red, but he couldn't judge; he himself felt the need to hide his face sometimes, too, after Phoenix complimented him one too many times.
"Thank you," he said. Phoenix just hummed and guided him to the guest area. Yoru let himself be dragged, but stopped right before entering. He felt brown eyes watch as his free hand fiddled with his sweater.
"Oi," Phoenix called, lifting Yoru's chin up with two fingers, "Look at me. I'll be right there, yeah? I got you." Yoru nodded at this, leaning slightly on his tiptoes to press a kiss to Phoenix forehead. Having the other's support made him feel more secure about the whole situation, allowing his brows to set in determination as he nodded.
"Okay. Just stay behind me in case something happens." Phoenix didn't seem to like his request, but nodded to reassure him either way. It wasn't like Yoru didn't know Phoenix would try to protect him at any sight of danger.
With one last deep breath, Yoru finally opened the door, Phoenix trailing in after him. His eyes fell on the person sitting in one of the white chairs, green eyes trained on the tv that hung on the wall opposite of him. Upon hearing the door open, those green eyes shot to them, a familiar grin greeting him. Black curls were still styled in the same way they were back when both of them were still boys, the mole right under the other's left eye was still ever present.
"I knew I'd find you again, Ren." Yoru wasn't sure if he should cry or laugh. Here in front of him was the very same boy, now a man, that he had once seen die. And he was oh so similar, now fully grown into his body, muscles finally properly trained.
"That's… not my name," was all he managed to say. The boy, Yoshioka Kyou , simply smiled as he stood up, walking over to stand right in front of him. The other had gained a few inches on him now, being even taller than Phoenix.
"Ah, ever so kind, aren't you? Should I call you Yamaguchi, then? You always hated that one, though. Yama-chan, maybe?"
"It's Yoru."
"You stuck with the nickname I gave you?" Kyou seemed surprised at this, but the smile didn't leave him. Yoru didn't answer his question. He had no clue what was going on, was not emotionally prepared to see his best friend brought back to life, so he reverted back to what he had always known; cutting words and harsh glares.
"I watched you die. You should be dead." Kyou took no offense to his attitude; he had been exposed to it for years and never left before. Granted, back then it wasn't this bad, but Kyou was never one to back down from a challenge.
"Remember how I didn't have radiant abilities? Apparently it took me almost dying to activate them, or whatever." Yoru didn't ask about his abilities, didn't care. Instead he let his eyes linger on all the parts of the other he had forgotten.
"I mourned you," he whispered. Kyou smiled softly, brushing away a lock of hair from Yoru's eyes. He allowed it, being too occupied to think much about the hand now fisted in the back of his sweater.
"And I never stopped looking for you. You made it real hard, Ren. Those years you spend most of your time in the rift were hard. Fuck, I knew where you were, could feel it, and then you'd suddenly be gone again, only to pop up somewhere across the globe."
"I was running." Running from himself. Running from the guilt, the anger and the grief.
"I know," Kyou said, his voice as soft as it was those nights where they'd treat each other's injuries and whisper their secrets to the night sky. Yoru had to blink away the tears that threatened to fall.
"Why'd you come? You could've moved on."
"I could never move on from you. We're family. Family doesn't leave each other."
"I…" Kyou sighed, and Yoru noted that it still sounded fond. He didn't understand - it'd been years. He wasn't the same person anymore, not at all. There was nothing of him that Kyou used to love, all of it disappearing over the years. They were best friends once, but now they were nothing short of strangers again. Even if the Kyou of years ago still had a place in his heart, that wasn't the same person as the one in front of him.
"You're thinking too hard, Ren. Just," Kyou let out another sigh, "Come here." Yoru was about to allow the other to pull him in a hug, too stunned by everything that was happening, but Phoenix pulled him back. He felt the heat radiating from the hand on his lower back.
"You keep your hands to yourself, yeah? I've got no way of knowing if you're dangerous or not." A smile played on Kyou's lips, and even if they were strangers now, Yoru knew exactly what would follow. Because nothing could change the fact that Kyou was an asshole at his core.
"Oh? You seem a little protective of my little friend there. No worries, wouldn't do anything he didn't want me to do." He felt the body behind him stiffen at the words, the hand now bordering on painfully hot.
"Phoenix, cool down. And Kyou, shut up." Green eyes shot to his own, questioning, searching. They widened when they found what they were looking for, before eyebrows furrowed at the realization.
"Ah, I see." This situation wasn't pretty at all. He silently cursed at himself for spending nights wishing anyone would come back, wishing Kyou would come back. Because right when he had actually moved on, the other decided to come back and complicate everything so much more.
"I'm going to get someone to check you over, so you're safe to come with. Then we're going to talk, and you'll behave . Clear?" Kyou nodded at his words, a smile playing at his lips. Yoru turned to Phoenix, met his brown eyes straight on. The other was clenching his teeth, probably trying to stop himself from saying or doing anything. Yoru grabbed the other by the sleeve, careful not to touch skin that was most likely overheating.
"You go tell the others I'm taking him up. And cool down a little, okay?" The firebird took a deep breath at this, nodded and then turned to leave with a little smile. It didn't ease the ball of anxiety in Yoru's stomach.