Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Rin pushed open the classroom door. He had come in earlier than usual, still groggy from staying up late, but what greeted him immediately cleared the sleep from his eyes.

Shima, was slouched over the desk, fast asleep, his pink hair falling into his face. 

Before Rin realized what he was doing, he found himself moving closer, just a few steps.

His hand twitched at his side, as if he had the urge to nudge Shima awake. But he stopped himself. Shima, as if feeling his intentions, stirred slightly, mumbling something incoherent in his sleep, and Rin’s face started heating.

“Stupid,” Rin muttered under his breath, trying to scold himself more than anything.

Why do you have to look so-

The quiet moment shattered with the creak of the classroom door swinging open again. Rin jolted like he’d been caught red-handed, as Izumo and Shiemi stepped inside, the latter with Nii perched on her shoulder.

Izumo looked at Rin, completely unimpressed. “What’s with you?” she asked, glancing from Rin to the still-sleeping Shima.

“Uh, nothing!” Rin stammered, “I wasn’t doing anything! Shima was just, uh, is, just sleeping!”

Shiemi, however, wasn’t paying attention to Rin’s suspicious explanation. Her eyes had already found Shima’s peacefully snoozing figure. “Aww,” she said, clasping her hands together. “He looks so calm when he’s sleeping, doesn’t he?”

Before Rin could respond, or come up with some reason to shoo her away, Shiemi accompanied him and inched closer to Shima, a small giggle escaping her lips. 

“Uh, yeah... I think we should just leave him be before-” Rin began, but she was already stretching her hand out, her fingers inching toward Shima. 

Time seemed to slow. Shima’s hair rustled as he let out a sleepy sound, but it didn’t affect Shiemi.

Rin wasn’t sure what it was that made him move, maybe the thought of anyone getting too close to Shima, but before he even had time to process, he lunged forward, not thinking, just reacting. 

“Shiemi, wait-” Rin blurted, his voice surprising even himself.

His stopped Shiemi’s wrist midair and Shiemi’s eyes met his, lips parted in surprise. The Greenman sprout, usually so bubbly, dove for cover to the back of Shiemi’s neck, burying himself deep into her hair.

Even Izumo, who usually had a snarky comment at the ready, seemed thrown off. Because Rin’s face was a study in seriousness.

His grip tightened for a brief moment before he seemed to realize what he had done.

“Ah-sorry!” He quickly let go of her.

Shiemi, still stunned, retracted her hand.

Rin wanted to explain, to say something that made sense, but he could hardly get past his own actions. 

What the hell did I just do? 

He silently cursed himself for overreacting. He hadn’t meant to make things awkward, he just...

“I’m sorry,” Shiemi said apologetically, “I-I didn’t mean to intrude!”

Her face was full of distress now, as if she had wronged or upset Rin somehow. That look hit Rin instantly, making him feel more terrible than he already was feeling. 

“No, Shiemi, you didn’t-” Rin started lamely, his hands hovering between them, palms open in a gesture of peace. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Shiemi pulled the hand he had grabbed close to her chest, tucking it there. Nii peeked out with only one leaf visible, convinced that Rin had somehow "gone bad" or been replaced by a stranger. Almost as if this new version of Rin was a side of him the little familiar didn't recognize.

“I’m not mad, I swear, I just...” Rin trailed off and backed away a few steps, trying to regain some composure. “I just didn’t, didn't want you to wake him up, that’s all.”

Shiemi looked at Rin for a moment, then back at Shima, who remained blissfully unaware in his peaceful slumber. “I wasn’t going to touch him, Rin... I just wanted to brush off some of the dust from the desk.”

Rin bleached. The blood drained from his face, as a certain sensation hit his gut. 

He turned his head, towards the far edge of Shima’s desk. There, in the light, was a thin layer of dust he hadn’t even noticed previously. 

Oh, I am the worst. I’m the actual worst.

“I... I see it now,” Rin cleared his throat, his voice strained. “I'm so sorry, Shiemi. I didn't see the dust. I just thought he needed his sleep, so I assumed...”

He didn’ finish. Unable to even articulate what he had assumed. The words felt like lead in his mouth because nothing changed the fact that he had manhandled her for no reason. 

As he avoided her gaze, Rin felt an unexpected rush of relief that Shima wasn't awake to witness this. He didn't think he could bear it if his boyfriend had witnessed him being such an absolute jerk to one of their best friends.

What the hell is going on with me? he thought, feeling the entire room tilt off-kilter.

But the spiral didn't last. 

“It 's okay, Rin. You don’t have to apologize.” Shiemi said, every emotion on her face previously, now replaced by a shy, understanding smile. “I know you can be very protective. I should have realized that.”

The way she spoke, with such certainty that Rin felt a flash of astonishment. His mind was still trying to catch up to his body’s idiocy, and yet she was already forgiving him? 

Rin felt like he needed to be sure. “Are you... are we okay then?” he asked, the question feeling unnecessary when he voiced it.

Shiemi was fast to correct as she began moving her hands with fast gestures. “Absolutely! I’m the one who’s sorry, I shouldn’t have... reached out like that on my own to begin with. So, it’s fine, don’t- don’t worry about it!”

But Rin’s face twisted into one of uncertainty, practically screaming that he didn't feel like he deserved her grace. “Are you sure? I didn't... I didn't mean to scare you.”

When he said that, Shiemi’s hands fell still as she settled into a placid energy, “You didn’t. I was just worried I’d made you mad.” she explained with such absoluteness, “You being mad at me, it’s the one thing I wouldn't be able to handle. So now that I know you aren't... everything else is fine. It’s better than fine, actually.”

Rin was genuinely floored by the sweetness of her that seemed to have no limit. No matter how many times he saw it, it never ceased to amaze him how she could find a way to be kind in the middle of his own mess. 

She looked so relieved that Rin felt a strange sort of comfort; a genuine one. 

Before he could process the relief, Izumo stepped in, steering Shimei toward her desk.

“Alright, enough with the apologies,” Izumo casted a dry and judgmental look over her shoulder at Rin. “Seriously, get a hold of yourself. You’re vibrating like a live wire and she’s already over it. Take the win and sit down.”

Before Rin could even dare to fumble through another apology, just in case, the door opened once again, and Bon and Konekomaru stepped into the classroom.

Konekomaru greeted the group with his polite demeanor, but it was Bon who immediately noticed the unusual scene. “The hell is happening in here?” he asked.

Shiemi responded instead of Rin. “Oh, nothing much, really. Rin was just checking on Shima, making sure no one disturbs him while he's sleeping.” She shot a glance at Rin to make sure he wouldn't try to over-explain. 

But as Shiemi smiled at him, he noticed her subtly rubbing her wrist where he had grabbed her earlier, before she hid her hand behind her back. 

Rin was about to say something, but Konekomaru beat him to it. “Ah, there he is. I was wondering where he went.”

It was definetly a strange sight, walking into the classroom early only to find Shima already occupying his seat. A rare break from his usual habit of sliding through the door at the very last second.

Bon, annoyedly, looked at Shima and clicked his tongue. “I swear, I always have to take care of this idiot.”

He dropped his things onto his desk. “Hey, Rin,” he called, “Do me a favor and wake up that idiot for me, will ya?”

Rin was fast to decline, “I’m not waking him up, Bon. He’s sleeping. He can wake up on his own,” 

Bon shot him a searing glare as he mentally cursed the fact that it was far too early for this shit, “Don’t make me go there and do it myself. You know it won’t be pretty if I have to be the one to deal with him.”

But Rin didn't budge, and that made Bon’s patience alongside the foundation of the group's discipline, fray to a thin thread. “Have it your way, but don't say I didn't warn you.” 

Konekomaru, sensing the air in the room turning brittle, tried his best to intervene with a few placating words, but Bon was well past that and he made a direct line for Shima’s desk.

Just as he was about to get there, Rin placed himself between Bon and Shima.

“Move out of the way,” Bon ordered, in the most Bon-like fashion possible that left no room for debate.

But Rin stood his ground. “I’m not moving, Bon. He’s asleep; so let him be.”

The door opened for a fourth time as Nemu entered. As stoic as ever, he took a seat at the very front, completely indifferent to the confrontation brewing behind him.

The distraction was all Bon needed. He used the opportunity to sidestep Rin. “Oi, Shima!” Bon called out with a no-nonsense edge, “Wake up.”

He swiftly kicked one of the legs of Shima’s desk, sending a jolt through the surface. The impact was enough to bring Shima out of his slumber. His eyes snapped open wide in alarm, completely disoriented. “Professor Yukio! I wasn’t sleeping! I was just reviewing my notes!” Shima blurted out, his voice echoing in the room.

“Get it together, Shima.” Bon snapped his fingers just inches from Shima's nose.

The sound was like a gunshot for Shima, who recoiled as his ears rang from the snap. He groggily rubbed his eyes, ebbing away at his still-waking brain. “What is?... oh, wait. Class hasn't even started yet, has it?”

“No, genius.” Bon said, his tone flat. He was never one to let things slide, especially when it came to Shima’s chronic lack of responsibility.

Rin watched the whole ordeal unfold. Bon’s method of waking Shima was, as always, direct, but this time, he felt like it was bit too much for Rin to stomach today.

He couldn’t help himself. “Seriously? That’s your idea of a wake-up call?” 

At the sound of Rin’s outburst, all eyes locked on the pair, even Izumo, who had been trying to tune them out, found her eyes on the brewing argument. 

Shima, however, remained oblivious, just yawning and slouching back into his chair as if the chaos around him was merely background noise.

“You got a better idea? I’m doing what works.” There was a clear challenge in his tone, practically daring Rin to offer a solution he knew Rin didn't have. 

He didn't appreciate having his methods questioned, and couldn't give a damn if Rin was happy or not with them.

“Oh, so you think kicking him is the answer? Maybe we should just start throwing things at him. It might help, right?” Rin crossed his arms, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Bon shot him a pointed glare, not willing to let Rin get under his skin. “Keep talking, Rin. It’s not my fault he can’t keep his head out of the clouds.”

Shima was finally starting to wake up fully as the reality of the standoff set in. “Ugh, what’s with all the yelling?” he asked, his voice still thick and heavy with sleep.

Bon shot him an incredulous look, as if Shima being the last to know was the final insult of the morning. Shiemi then tried to prevent a fight from breaking out by merely pleading, “Guys, please, you're both friends. Don’t fight like this, especially not today.” 

Rin sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’m not fighting. I just think Bon has a seriously messed-up way of doing things.” He gave Bon a sideways glance, who just huffed in response.

Konekomaru, who had been standing by and trying to stay out of the way, finally intervened. “Bon, come on, let’s calm down, alright? We don’t need this right now.” 

As he tried to defuse the situation, Bon just grunted. 

Now, listening to the whole exchange stretch, Shima rubbed his face, “Yeah, what's the big deal? Bon’s just doing his own thing... and Rin’s just Rin. Everything's fine, so let's just make up and carry on with our day,” He tried to shrug it off, but his tone suggested that the last thing he wanted was more of this argument.

Just as things looked like they were about to go downhill again, the door to the classroom opened one last time.

“Shit,” Rin already knew who it was, so he stood still as Yukio got inside the room. He was in full ‘teacher mode,’ meaning that the time for screwing around had officially ended.

“What's going on in here?” Yukio asked. Not like he needed to; he could practically smell the lingering heat of a fight. He leveled a look at Rin and Bon, as if he’d already reconstructed the entire argument in his head.

Rin avoided his brother's gaze, hiding his hands behind his back in a rare display of restraint. “Uh, nothing, Yukio. We were just talking.”

“Talking, huh.” Yukio didn't buy it for a second. “Well, you’re all lucky it’s not an official class period yet. I don’t have time for this nonsense.”

The room froze. Even Rin and Bon were momentarily subdued by the cold authority in Yukio's voice. Realizing that making the argument bigger was a losing game, they looked at each other and retreated to their respective desks. 

Yukio watched them settle, his silence a clear indication that they had made the only sensible choice available, but then...

“Shima,” Yukio said, his voice carrying that subtle edge that indicated he wasn't exactly amused. “You look like you just rolled out of bed. Were you taking a nap right before my class?”

In a world-record attempt at damage control, Shima scrambled to fix his hair and straighten his shirt. 

He looked like he might collapse onto his desk at any moment, so Rin, now sitting beside him, cut in. “It’s not like it matters. He’s here, isn't he? We’re not even doing anything yet.”

Shima, still struggling to look as immaculate as possible under the circumstances scratched his cheek. “I... uh, yeah, sorry. Just didn’t sleep well last night.”

Yukio didn’t press further, he turned toward Bon’s desk instead. “Bon,” Yukio started, his tone shifting into the professional cadence he used for lectures. “Everything alright?”

Bon, already pulling his notebooks from his bag with efficiency, didn't look up. “Yeah, yeah. I'm good.”

Even though his expression betrayed him, Yukio just gave one final look around the classroom before tapping his watch. “Alright, in that case, let’s begin, people. We have work to do.”

The class was finally about to begin, and Shima stretched his arms above his head, still a little sluggish and whispered, “Hey, thanks for covering for me back there,” Shima said sincerely. “I know Bon, he does that kind of thing all the time. Gets all worked up about me. But, it was sweet of you to step in, even if you didn’t really have to.”

A slight frown tugs at the corners of Rin’s mouth. He knew Shima was used to being treated that way by Bon. It was part of their dynamic, and Rin had always noticed it, but after they started going out, it had begun to feel different. 

Something had set him off more than he used to. He didn’t fully understand why it bothered him so much, especially with Shiemi and that whole situation.

He hadn't realized he was staring until the silence between them stretched too thin. He must have been lost in Shima’s tired profile for a beat too long, because Shima’s voice finally pulled him out of the fog. “You good, Rin? ”

Rin quickly fixed his gaze on the chalkboard. “Y-yeah. Let’s just focus on class, alright?”

Shima, far too aware for his own good, chose to let it go anyway. “Alright, Whatever you say.”

As the day carried along, up at the front, Yukio continued with the class.

Shima was giving the impression he was only half-listening. His attention kept drifting back to Rin, who was trying to look attentive but failing, especially under Shima’s gaze. 

Yukio’s back was turned to the class as he scribbled on the board. Bon was locked in, while beside him, Konekomaru’s pen flew across his paper as he took meticulous notes, engaged with every point Yukio made.

Nemu remained sitting as a statue. Shiemi was hunched over her desk, erasing something in her notebook while Izumo whispered one of her many explanations of a concept Shiemi was struggling with. 

When Yukio finally finished, he set the piece of chalk down onto the tray with a click and brushed the white dust from his palms. “Now, everyone, listen up. We have a mission today, so get ready.”

Konekomaru adjusted his glasses. “A mission? What kind of mission are we talking about?” 

Yukio pulled out a folder from inside his bag. He placed it on the desk and opened it, revealing a detailed map with a few marked locations, but only the one in the middle was circled in red. “We’ve received reports of increased demon activity near these areas. It’s likely connected to the miasma spike we detected last week.”

“Miasma spike?” Izumo echoed. “Why weren’t we told about this sooner?”

“You’re being told now,” Yukio replied curtly. “The situation escalated quickly. There’s no time for second-guessing or complaints. You’re all coming with me, and you’re expected to pull your weight.”

Nemu, spoke his first words of the whole day. “Do we know what kind of demons we’re dealing with?”

Yukio’s eyes flicked toward him. “We suspect mid-level demons, possibly higher if the reports are accurate. The main threat seems to be concentrated around this location.” He tapped the map with his finger over the red location.

Shima groaned audibly, slumping in his chair. “Great. Sounds like fun.”

Yukio’s gaze snapped to him, icy and unrelenting. “If you’re not up for it, Shima, you can stay behind. But don’t expect me to cover for you if something happens to your friends because you weren’t there.”

That shut Shima up fast.

Rin glanced at Shima, then back at Yukio. “So, what’s the plan? We all just charge in and hope for the best?”

“Hardly,” Yukio said, his tone flat. “We’ll divide into two groups. Group A will investigate the main site. Group B will secure the perimeter. Rin, Shima, Bon, Konekomaru and Shiemi, you’re with me. Nemu, and Izumo will be Group B.”

Izumo raised an eyebrow, clearly unhappy about the split. “Why put Rin with you? You know how impulsive he can get.”

Yukio didn’t flinch. “Exactly why I need to keep an eye on him. Any other objections?”

The room fell silent.

“If that's all, gear up.” Yukio said, closing the folder and picking up his gun. “We leave in five minutes.”

With that, the team began to disperse. Rin strapped Kurikara to his back, after not having used it in weeks, and Shima fumbled with his K'rik. 

As they prepared, Shiemi hovered nervously near Yukio, fiddling with the strap of her bag. “Um, Yuki-chan? Are you sure I’ll be okay in Group A?”

“You’ll be fine,” Yukio assured her. “Stick close to Rin and me, and follow instructions. That’s all you need to do.”

“Don’t worry, Shiemi! I’ll protect you!” Nii squeaked, puffing up his tiny chest.

Shiemi scratched under his chin. “Thank you, Nii. I feel better already,”

On the other hand, Izumo was already complaining. “This whole setup is stupid. Why am I stuck in Group B? I could handle the main site better than half of them.”

Bon rolled his eyes but said nothing while Shiemi approached her. “Don’t worry too much about it. You’re amazing at this kind of stuff. You’ve got this.”

Izumo turned her head with a huff. “I don’t need your pep talk, Shiemi. Just focus on your own group, okay?” Despite her words, her tone lacked its usual acridness.

Nemu was the only one that was halfway out the door, ready to leave. Upon seeing him, Bon groaned. “Oi, that guy’s already taking off on his own.”

“Try to keep up.” Nemu’s puppet says in its characteristic high-pitched voice. 

Bon’s face instantly contorts; he drops whatever he’s holding with a loud thud, “Hah?! What did you just say?”

Konekomaru nervously dives down, scoops up the dropped supplies, and practically forces them back into Bon’s hands. “Come on, Bon... let’s hurry up too.” 

Rin looks at the exchange, joining Shima, as they hurry after Yukio.

Shima then, glanced over his shoulder at team B, mostly Izumo. “Stay safe, guys. Try not to get yourselves killed, yeah?” he said, offering a thumbs-up and a wink.

When they reached the location the site was an abandoned warehouse, its exterior scarred by time and neglect. Broken windows and rusted metal gave it an eerie atmosphere, and the faint stench of sulfur lingered in the air.

Yukio's hand gesture brought Team A to a halt just outside the entrance, speaking quietly enough that only they could hear.

“The mission is recon first,” Yukio explained. “We’re here to confirm the source of the activity and gauge the threat level. If it’s low enough, we’ll exorcise the defeat it ourselves. But if it’s something beyond our ability, we report back immediately.”

Shiemi raised her hand slightly. “What about purification? If it’s a plant-based demon or something affected by nature, I might be able to weaken it.”

“That’s a last resort,” Yukio replied. “You’re still in training, Shiemi. Your safety is a priority.”

Shima adjusted his grip on his K’rik. “So, since we don’t know if this thing is actually hostile, and we definitely need eyes in there before going in... I guess that means it’s up to the knights to spearhead the approach.” He glanced at Rin, then back to Yukio. “Who takes the lead?”

Yukio’s eyes flickered between the two knights-in-training. “Shima, since you have more experience with combat tactics and precision, you’ll take point if we engage. Rin, you’ll stay in the middle this time. We don’t need collateral damage.”

“Collateral damage? I can control it just fine...”

“Let’s hope you don’t have to,” Yukio shot back, then turned to the group. “Shiemi, stay behind me. If things go south, focus on healing.”

Shiemi nodded, her hands tightening around the straps of her bag.

Yukio adjusted his rifle, stepping forward. “Shima you’re up front. Scan the area and signal when you’re done. Then, we’ll enter. Rin will go next. I’ll cover from a distance, Bon and Konekomaru stay together and Shiemi, you’ll remain at the rear for support. If anything happens, don’t break formation unless I say so.”

“Roger that,” Shima says, enthusiasm bubbling beneath his calm facade.

Rin steps forward as he catches the glint of mischief in Shima's expression. “Yukio, why don’t I go first? I’ve got more strength to tank whatever’s in there.”

Yukio sighed, clearly already expecting this. “Because if there’s an angry demon lurking in there, it’s more likely to sense you first, Rin. And I don’t need you drawing it out before we’ve assessed the situation. You’re stronger as a backup.”

“He’s right, Rin.” Bon joins in, “Demons don't just hunt Arias; they sniff out anyone with a strong aura. If you go rushing in there you’ll become its target.” 

Before Rin could object, Konekomaru added, “And Shima’s good at this stuff, remember? Just because he’s entering first doesn’t mean something bad is going to happen to him.” 

Rin stayed quiet, and Yukio sighed again but didn’t respond.

Shiemi moved closer to Rin. “It’s okay, Rin. Shima knows what he’s doing. We’ll all be fine, right?” 

As Shima starts to walk toward the entrance, Rin’s hand finds Shima’s arm, squeezing it tightly. “I’ll be right behind you. So, you better be careful!” 

Shima grins sheepishly. “Yeah, yeah. I got it.” 

Rin and the rest watched as Shima stepped foot into the building just as instructed, scanning the surroundings. He wasn’t worried about the order or the risks. It was his job to follow through, no matter what.

“Shima,” Yukio called. “What do you see?”

Shima crouched slightly, eyes flickering over the warehouse floor. “No movement yet. The air feels heavy, though. Kinda tense.”

Upon hearing that, Rin had a bad feeling already. He was leaning toward the entrance, his body angled forward as much as he could without going in.

Then, he suddenly perked up, like a dog catching a scent it didn't like. “Wait, I sense something.”

Yukio turned to him. “What is it?”

“I don’t know, but something's off.” Rin had already taken a step closer inside. “Shima-”

Without looking back, Shima raised his hand, motioning Rin to stop. “Stay back, Rin.”

Rin blinked, confused but halting anyway. “What? Why? I can-”

“Not yet.” Shima said, not unkind.

Rin clearly wanted to argue, but he stayed put. Shima glanced back at Rin for a moment, his eyes softening just slightly before turning his attention forward again. 

Yukio watched the exchange with a mix of irritation and grudging approval. Rin wasn’t known for listening to anyone, but he actually listened to Shima. It was inconvenient, sure, but useful at this moment.

“At least someone can get him to follow orders.”

There was a low-frequency hum that vibrated through the soles of Shima's shoes as he moved, a sound that didn't feel mechanical but organic.

And it wasn't just that. The pillars of the place and the walls weren't just rusted and rotting; they looked bruised. A black, oily sheen coating the surfaces.

It was odd, very odd.

As he approached, he noticed something. A sigil etched into the ground very far away from were he was standing, he could barely see it.

“Hey, teach?” Shima called back, “it seems this isn’t just some random demon. Someone summoned it.”

Yukio’s expression darkened. “Change of plans. It’s definitely hostile. Prepare for engagement. We can't let a threat like that leave this building.”

Rin’s eyes burned with blue flame as he finally unsheathed his sword. “Let’s just get this over with.” 

When the team entered the warehouse, an ink-like globule detaches from the rafters, splashing onto the floor with a heavy thud.

The moment they looked up, they witnessed the demon. It growled loudly, the sound resonating throguh the whole place.

Shiemi gasped, clutching Nii closer to her chest. Yukio stepped in front of her, his body like a shield.

From the darkness, the demon dropped before them, slamming into the floor with a concussive force that erupts in a choking dust screen of dust and ancient grime.

Everyone instinctively recoiled, throwing their arms up to shield their eyes and faces as the gritty cloud billows outward. When it dissapears, they see it.

A massive, grotesque demon, with a shape twisted and unnatural. Its hunched body was covered in cracked, leathery skin that oozed a dark, tar-like substance.

Long, jagged claws scraped the ground, and its glowing red eyes pierced through each one of them with predatory intent. The massive beast let out another deafening roar that rattled the walls, its size towering over the group.

Shima’s stomach twisted as he saw its hulking form move with surprising speed for its size.

Yukio is quick to react. He draws his gun and fires a volley of shots at the demon, the bullets striking true but barely leaving a mark. “Shima, you’re up,” 

“Got it,” Shima said, despite the fear gnawing at him.

The moment he ran at it, the demon charged forward, and Shima ducked just in time, rolling away from range.

Rin was already moving, determined. “I'm going for the sigil! I'll kick the dust and banish this thing back to Gehenna!”

“Don't do that!” Yukio shouted, as him and Shiemi took cover behind one of the pillars. “The demon has already melted its mass into the sigil's boundary. If we break it prematurely, we will not only lose control of the containment field, but also cause a necrotic burst!!”

“Then what the hell are we supposed to do?!” Rin yelled, as he looked at the bubbling monster attack Shima. “Should I just burn the whole thing? I can roast it down to the ground right now!"

“Wait. We have to be surgical!” Yukio ordered behind his glasses. “Bon, Konekomaru- I need you to weaken it so it locks its energy in place. Once you do that, we'll wait until the readings show zero energy before we even think about touching the sigil.”

Konekomaru turns towards Bon. “Bon, start a chant to destabilize its core!” 

“I’m on it!” Bon exclaims before he begins chanting, his voice rising above the cacophony of noise. 

The beast kept swiping at Shima, so he adjusted his stance quickly and struck again, channeling all his strength into another strike, but aiming higher. 

Such action made the demon snarl before lunging at him again. Shima staggered before leaping to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike.

Its massive claws were powerful, but they left it open for brief moments after each swing. He needed to time it perfectly.

Rin watches before bursting forward. “I’m coming!” he shouts, anxiety coating his voice.

“No, I can handle this!” Shima yells back, “I’ll distract it and pull it away from you guys!”

Rin pauses, his expression a mix of worry and disbelief. “You idiot! What did I tell you about doing things like this alone?” 

Ignoring Rin's words, Shima moved quickly. “Hey, ugly!” He yells, waving his arms in the air. “Over here!” 

The demon, enraged by the distraction, roars and follows him, its heavy footsteps echoing ominously. Shima looked over his shoulder at Rin, whose eyes were blazing with worry before taking a few steps back. 

“C’mon, you big scary thing! Is that all you got?” he taunts, turning on his heel to sprint toward the far end of the warehouse.

As Shima continued to lead it further away, a shrill screech rang out from the shadows. Smaller, vile and low-rank demons crawled from the corners and other recesses of the warehouse, its tiny, clawed hands scratching against the walls. 

They were everywhere now.

“Rin, cover Bon and Konekomaru while I reload!” Yukio snapped, lowering his rifle.

Rin was already running to intercept them, sword raised. 

Shima managed to catch a glint of light from Rin’s sword as he cleaved through one of the smaller demons with a powerful swing.

“Damn it! Stay down, you little bastards!” Rin growled as he dispatched another demon that tried to attack him. He was fast, fluid, like a whirlwind of blue flames, slicing through the smaller threats one after another.

Shima clenched his teeth, his gaze returning towards the massive demon that towered over him. He couldn’t afford to take his eyes off it anymore.

As Rin’s blue flames continued to scorch through and more firing sounds echoed through the warehouse, Shima darted forward again. He landed a solid blow to the demon’s side, the force of the strike making it recoil with a guttural snarl. 

But then it moved again and Shima forced his arm up, using his K’rik to brace the impact, but the force sent him backward. He barely managed to land on his feet.

The demon’s claws slashed through the air, scraping the wall and sending debris raining down like an avalanche. 

Shima evaded the falling chunks of stone. One piece grazed his shoulder, stinging but it was not enough to slow him down. He glanced up just in time to see the beast pivot toward him, full of rage. 

It was too damn fast.

He ran with everything he had, before turning towards it once again. This time, he swung his K’rik at the demon’s legs, aiming for its joints. It cut deep, causing the beast to stumble due to its own heaviness. 

Shima moved out of the way to not be crushed by it, but then he noticed that Yukio and Shiemi were dangerously close to where the demon was about to fall. 

“Move!” Shima yelled with urgency.

Yukio acted instantly, scooping Shiemi into his arms and leaping out of the way just as the demon dropped where they had been standing. 

The demon, enraged, rises again and tries to follow them. But Shima didn't allow it, he placed himself between the demon and the pair.

“Bon, hurry!” Rin urges, his tone filled with the protective instincts of a boyfriend who can’t bear to see his partner in danger.

Konekomaru, who is busy supporting Bon, calls out. “We need more time!”

But the demon doesn’t wait, he charges at the one closest to him, which ends up being Shima.

Shima’s instincts screamed at him to dodge, but he couldn’t risk it. The attack would land squarely on Yukio and Shiemi. Instead, he braced himself, gripping his K’rik with both hands and raising it defensively.

The impact was bone-rattling. The sheer force of the blow sent shockwaves up Shima’s arms, as he tried to be kept from being knocked over. The demon’s strength was overwhelming, and it pushed Shima back much more, his feet skidding against the floor.

“Damn it-!” Shima growled, straining to hold his ground. 

Gunshots rang out once again, Yukio’s aim precise as he unloaded round after round into the demon’s massive form. The bullets hit their mark, and the beast retaliated by jerking its head, pushing Shima away.

For a brief moment, Shima thought he would manage to escape and keep his distance, but the demon’s reflexes were faster, giving him no time to think or even react. 

Shit. At this rate, the demon will ram into him.

Or so he thought. 

“Get down!” Rin bursts forward, pushing Shima aside with all his strength. He takes the brunt of the impact as the demon's claws slam into the ground and send shockwaves that toss both of them tumbling.

“Rin!” Shima shouts as he sees Rin hit the ground. He scrambles to his feet.

“I’m okay! Just-get behind me and focus on the demon!” Rin barks back despite the visible pain etched across his features. He regains his footing, ready to defend Shima and the others at all costs.

Yukio, still positioned just a few steps away, leveled his gun and fired once more, the bullets striking the demon in quick succession. The creature’s strength faltered further.

Shima turns his attention back to the demon, then to the sigil a few steps away from them. “This sigil.” he exclaimed, putting an arm on Rin’s shoulder “We need to get to the sigil!”

Rin hesitated for a fraction of a second, his eyes darting between Shima and the sigil. “Now!? But Yukio said-”

“I know what he said.” Shima anticipated the objection, talking over him. “If we break the circle, we don't send it back- we just release the anchor. ”

Shima can see Yukio from the corner of his eye, wanting to rush to Rin's side, but he just gets his face closer to Rin’s, urgency fueling his words.

“And that’s why I have a plan.” He says, squeezezing Rin's shoulder as he starts explaining.

“Once Bon's chanting ends, that thing will weaken and expose its heart. We can pierce it and then sever the sigil’s link at the same time. That way, the energy will concentrate for a while, giving us enough time to accelerate its death and force it to get sent back before it bursts. But to do that, we only have a half-second window, and you,” Shima's other hand poked Rin’s chest with an insistent finger. “are faster than I am.”

Rin’s mouth hung open just a little, knowing exactly what Shima was asking.

“I’m going to deliver the finishing blow while it's physically anchored. But the moment I pierce it, you must break the sigil. Not a second before, and not a second after. Once you do it, you come back here and help me neutralize its energy with your flames.”

“Shima...” Rin reaches out, placing a hand over the one Shima had over his shoulder.

“Rin, I know you want to protect me, but I need you to do this. So, go, I’ll be okay.” he tells him, but even he knows that last part it’s a lie. Cause there’s no way to know for sure.

The chances were slim, but Shima knew that if anyone could pull this off, it was the boy right in front of him. In his mind, there was no one else.

“You're the fastest on this battlefield, Rin. I know you can do it. I'm even betting my life on it."

And that was the problem, Rin thought.

That was the entire problem.

It wasn't just the risk of the mission or the power of the demon, it was the fact that Shima was handing Rin the remote to his own survival, just like that.

He hated it. He hated that Shima could be so reckless with his own life while being so certain of Rin’s ability to save it.

In the distance, they could see Bon finishing his incantation, the light around them intensifying as the spell reaches its crescendo. 

“Just a little longer, Rin, Shima!” Konekomaru's voice can be heard, “We’re almost there!”

Rin looks back at them, then back to Shima, frustration still brewing in his eyes. Shima caught that look and smiled at him. "Don't give me that look, Rin. We’ve survived worse."

Yeah, Rin knew that. They had faced the Impure King, Gehenna itself, and a dozen other nightmares, but that didn't mean he was okay with it.

Every time Shima gambled with his life like it was a cheap coin, Rin felt as if his heart was being ripped out of his chest.

Shima shifted his hand, the one still trapped under Rin’s grasp, tugging to tell him it was time to move. But Rin just squeezed it and stayed rooted to the spot, looking down at the stone floor.

He was terrified that the moment he released his grip, the "bet" Shima was making with his life would officially begin.

But Shima didn't reconsider, taking the initiative.

“Get ready to move, Rin. I’ll make sure it’s looking at me so you can break the floor. So come on...” Shima reached out with his other hand, resting it over Rin’s thigh.

He then ducked his head lower and lower until he finally forced his way into Rin’s sight, catching those blue eyes with his own brown ones. “Let’s take this thing down together.”

Rin’s eyes widened, breaking through his paralysis. His grip on Shima’s hand loosening just enough to let him go, though the heat of the contact remained.

And with a final shot from Yukio, he stood up. “Fine, just this time. I'll play it your way.” 

Shima nodded in approval. 

They both exchanged a quick glance before Rin’s aura flared, a protective blue light enveloping him. All the lower-tier demons quivered in his presence and retreated all together. 

Even the big one before them seemed momentarily taken aback.

Then Rin took off.

Shima looks back and sees the exact moment Yukio sees Rin lunging into the kill zone. To him, it looked like a suicide mission.

Yukio’s mouth moved, shouting an order to fall back, but Shima didn't had the time to fill him in.

With renewed resolve, Shima stands up and turns his attention back to the demon. The grip on his K'rik tightened.

“Let’s do this,” Shima said, “Yamantaka!”

A swirling mass of black flames coalesced into the form of a majestic, fiery creature. 

“Finally! I was getting bored just waiting around.” the demon familiar drawled as he emerged.

Shima takes a deep breath as he faces the demon. 

“Yamantaka,” Shima called again, “you know what to do.” 

“Just watch me work.”

His power surged and the flames surrounding him intensified. The demon, half-blinded by the mixture of flames, finally realizing the threat, lunges forward again, but Shima stands his ground.

“Just a bit more.” He says, mostly to himself. 

Just as the demon got closer, Shima willed himself to focus until he caught sight of that faint opening he was waiting for. His hand, twisted his K'rik upwards, aiming for the demon’s eyes.

A direct hit was impossible; but Shima didn’t need to pierce its skull, he just needed to distract it. 

The moment the beast stopped just a few centimeters away, Shima jumped. His K'rik scraped against the demon’s face, causing it to falter and recoil momentarily.

And just like that, after what felt like forever, Bon finally performed the necessary mudras. “It 's done!”

A brilliant circle of yellow light expanded outward from him, momentarily damaging and knocking back the demon.

It let out a distorted shriek as it hit the pavement, but before it could even attempt to recover or strike back, it reached its breaking point and a jagged fissure opened exposing his heart.

“Now, Shima!” He heard Rin shout and Shima took a deep breath, “Right!”

Black flames ignited along the tip of Shima's weapon, before sending a blaze of it straight into the demon's heart, piercing it.

When that happened, Rin tore through the sigil with a single, decisive slash.

The moment his blade cut it down, the air screamed.

The creature convulsed, slowsly dying as its form unraveling under the strain. Leathery skin sagged like melting wax and pooling on the stone. The containment collapsed, raw energy flooding the space, wild, unstable, seconds from bursting apart.

And Shima was right in front of it.

“Everybody, take cover!” Shima heard Yukio scream at the others.

He couldn't let it linger, so he wasted no time and channeled the last of his energy into his K'rik.

“Shima, watch out!” Konekomaru shouted from behind, but Shima didn’t worry. Didn’t respond, his focus razor-sharp. 

Rin darted in with a flash. 

“So fast,” Shima said, just as Rin moved in beside him. “Back me up, babe?”

“Always,” Rin replied, swinging his sword in a wide arc towards the monster. The blade in fire caught the recoil of the leaking energy, forcing it back instead of letting it explode outward.

They pushed together.

Fire, black and blue collided in a violent surge, overwhelming what little resistance remained by the combined force of their furious inferno.

The sigil was gone and with its core destroyed, the beast died at the very moment the vacuum snapped shut.

Everything, flesh, energy, was dragged back into Gehenna, leaving only scorched stone and behind.

As the dust settled, Shima could feel the heat dissipate, but it came at a cost. 

Exhausted, he gasps, panting heavily from the sheer exertion. The world around him spins. “Gonna... need a minute here...” he murmured, his voice slurring slightly.

Shima tries to take a deep breath, willing himself to remain upright, but his vision begins to swim. He stumbles, his legs shaking and knees buckling beneath him.

“Shima!” Rin rushes to his side in an instant. He crouches next to him, scanning Shima’s injuries with wide eyes. “What the hell were you thinking? You can’t just put your life at risk like that!”

“I’m... fine,” Shima manages to say, though the weight of his own body feels like a lead anchor dragging him down. He can barely keep his eyes open as fatigue washes over him.

Shima lay on the ground, chest heaving, body sore and battered, but alive.

Rin shakes his head, a mix of anger and relief flooding his gaze. “You need to start thinking about your safety, too. We’re a team! You could’ve-” He pauses. “You... scared me, Shima.”

As Shima tries to reply, he leans against Rin. He can feel the aftershocks of adrenaline giving way to more and more weariness. “It was... a good idea, though.” he whispers, “And I wanted to help.” 

“Helping doesn’t mean sacrificing yourself!” Rin snaps, fear shadowing in his features, “Just look at you! You can’t just keep throwing yourself into danger, it’s only going to get you hurt worse! Seriously, if you hadn’t acted recklessly-”

Shima attempted to push himself off the ground, but his body didn’t respond well, and ended up collapsing back onto the floor. 

“Rin...” he murmurs, struggling to keep his eyes open. “Sorry, but I think I might... pass out in a minute. ”

Rin’s expression shifts from concern to alarm. “What do you mean you might pass out?” 

“Listen,” Shima looks up at him, “Yamantaka’s power, it just... takes a toll on me. But... it’s not the first time this has happened.” 

He knows he’s teetering on the edge of consciousness, but he tries to muster the strength to reassure Rin. “So, I’ll just be out for a while...” 

“Shima, wait!” Rin's voice sharpens with concern, but Shima can barely keep his eyes open. The world around him and the sounds of his surroundings are dimming into a muffled echo.

“Just... just for a bit,” he manages to let out, his voice barely audible. “Gotta... gotta rest.” 

“Bon! Konekomaru! We need help here!” Rin called out in panic.

The moment Shima’s eyes fluttered shut, Shiemi rushed to his side. “I’ll get Nii to help!” 

“Damn it!” Rin mutters, his hands trembling slightly as he checks for signs of consciousness. “This always happens...” 

As she worked, Shiemi cast a glance toward Yukio, who was finishing up his own assessment of the situation.

“That shouldn't have worked,” Yukio says as he looks at the charred spot where the demon died. “If the timing had been off, the feedback would have leveled this building with all of us inside.”

He looks at the broken sigil, then back to Rin.

From the other side of the warehouse, Konekomaru and Bon approached, looking between Rin and Shima. “What should we do? Should we take him to the vehicle?”

“I can carry him,” Bon offers.

“No,” Rin denies, “I’ll carry him.” He looks down at Shima’s limp form. “He’s my responsibility, I can’t leave him alone.”

The others nod in agreement, and Konekomaru glances at Rin, who is still staring at Shima, slumping slightly. “Are you sure you can handle it?”

“I have to,” Rin replies, “He’s my boyfriend. Besides, he’s not as heavy as he looks,” With that being said, Rin carefully scoops Shima into his arms, cradling him against his chest as he stands up. 

“How did you know?"

The voice cut cleanly through the moment.

All eyes snapped to Yukio as he approached, pistols finally holstered.

“How did you know that piercing its heart and breaking the sigil at the exact moment of impact would give you enough time to force the essence into a single point and create a vacuum ?” Yukio asked, voice layered in a sudden accusation.

Shiemi’s eyes darted between the brothers. For a split second, neither Rin nor Yukio moved. They just stared at each other in a silent standoff.

Rin was the one to break eye contact first.

“Wasn't me.” He said, looking towards Shima. And then, Yukio froze.

“Him?” Yukio asks, his voice filled with a clinical disbelief, sharp enough to grate. “This was... his idea?”

The words came out like the realization itself was a a tactical nightmare. A pain in the ass.

“Yeah, yeah! It was his plan! It was his life on the line! Now shut up already!” Rin yelled, feeling nothing but stressed as he glared at his own brother. “He’s like this, because he was the one who had to do the job properly while you were busy checking your damn charts! So, stop acting like this was some little equation you can pick apart!”

Yukio straightened.

Without thinking, Rin angled Shima just enough so Yukio could see. Cause he had to. Had to look.

“Shima knew exactly what he was doing! He weighed it. He chose it. And it worked. So, just shut the hell up for once and accept it!” Rin’s words landed like a final strike.

He held Yukio’s gaze, long enough to make it clear this wasn’t an argument anymore.

It was a line.

Silence pressed in around them. Everyone holding their breath, bracing for Rin to get an earful after that.

But it never came.

Yukio just... stepped back, and his gaze dropped despite himself.

The reprimand stalled on his tongue, of course, but as he saw Rin guarding Shima like someone who’d just watched the person he loved most nearly vanish into the void, Yukio realized Rin wasnt just keyed up from battle.

He was shaken. Absolutely utterly shaken.

This was fear stripped bare. The kind that doesn’t shout... it grips, and refuses to leave.

“…I understand.” Yukio said after a moment. “I’ll inform the Order about what just happened. We’ll have the area secured.”

Lastly, he let out a quiet breath, his instructor’s tone finally slipping away. “Just… get back into the vehicle. This place isn’t secure, and I’m not taking any more risks.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, except Rin.

When Yukio turned and started walking ahead, already pulling his phone out. Shiemi hesitated. She looked back once at Rin still holding Shima, then made up her mind.

“Y-Yuki-chan!” she went after him, her steps small.

“Let’s go.” Rin says, adjusting his grip on Shima and trying to make him as comfortable as possible.

Bon studies Rin for a moment before nodding, though his expression remains skeptical. 

Then, they walked. Rin in the center, with Konekomaru and Bon flanking him as they moved toward the exit.

Shima woke with a pulse of pain behind his head. His muscles screamed and the moment his eyes fluttered open, they went to a ceiling he actually recognized.

His ceiling.

He blinked. Once. Twice. Taking in the familiar walls. For a second he wondered if he was still unconscious, because he never woke up in a familiar place after Yamantaka. He wasn’t at the Illuminati base, not at some random abandoned location, not in some infirmary.

No, he was in his dorm room.

“...Huh?...my room?” he muttered.

There was a nasty pulse of pain behind his eyes and a groan was already slipping out before he could stop it. “-ngh...”

He pushed himself up slightly, then immediately hissed sharply, collapsing back against the pillow as pain shot through his limbs.

“-gh, dammit-!”

He winced louder than he meant to, because he assumed that he was alone after fainting.

But then, a voice came, close.

“Does it hurt?”

Shima physically flinched with an audible, startled squeak. So hard he nearly rolled off the bed. “AH-Rin!? What-”

Rin was sitting beside the bed, elbows on his knees, eyes fixed on him with an intensity that made Shima freeze. He looked exhausted...

“Don’t, don’t just sit there like that! How- Why are you here!?”

Rin frowned at him like that was the stupid part of the situation. “Where else would I be?”

“Um, anywhere but here? With the others? Around Yukio? I don’t know!” Shima gestured wildly at the room. “I thought you would be in your own room by now instead of just... sitting there.”

Rin glared lightly, “Of course not. You passed out on me, Shima, what was I supposed to do? Someone had to carry you back.”

Shima paused, the image of being carried through the halls by Rin, making his face feel hot. But then, realization settled in. “Does... does that mean you’ve been watching me sleep this whole time? That’s kind of creepy.”

Rin shrugged like it was nothing. “Not like I haven’t done it before.”

Shima opened his mouth to protest, but the casual way Rin said it stopped him cold. Okay... definitely not what I expected to hear.

Now that he noticed, the room was bathed in that soft, fading twilight, filtering in from the outside. The sun was still there though, a sliver of fiery red just above the horizon line. “How long was I out?”

“Hours,” Rin said without missing a beat, exhaling shakily. “Too many.”

Shima winced, this time not just from pain. “Oof... yeah, that tracks.”

Rin leaned forward, the chair creaking. “Thank god, you’re finally awake.”

There was so much relief packed into those three words that Shima had to look away. He focused on the view behind Rin instead. He could see the bunk beds he shared with Konekomaru. 

Usually, Shima occupied the lower bunk, where his clutter tended to overflow. He’d always been grateful that Konekomaru took the top; his friend’s near-obsessive neatness was the only thing keeping their shared corner of the room from becoming a total disaster zone. 

But right now, Shima wasn't in the bunk. He was lying in the solo bed against the far wall, in Bon’s bed.

Usually, this space was thick with the sound of Bon aggressively practicing his chants or Konekomaru’s pen against a textbook, but now he realized they were gone.

It was just him and Rin.

Despite how long they’d been together, they had never actually been alone in this room before; the lack of a third or fourth presence made the space feel suddenly expansive. So he decided to ask. 

“Hey, do you know where Bon and Konekomaru are? I mean, this is their room too, shouldn’t they be here, resting?”

Rin shrugged. “They helped me carry you here.”

A beat.

“Then they left.”

Shima mumbled under his breath, wondering, “Probably didn’t wanna get caught in the blast radius of you going full protective-boyfriend-mode...”

Rin’s gaze went back to him. “What was that?” 

Shit.

“N-nothing!” Shima blurted out. 

But Rin’s expression didn’t budge. Not even a bit.

Shima needed a distraction, anything to stray away from his own commentary. “I was just, uh... I said...”

Trying to cover his slip-up, his mind raced, mired in a slow-moving sludge until he finally got it.

Oh! That 's Right.

“I was wondering about what happened at the end? You know, with the mission?” Shima asked, his voice steady as he could keep it. 

It was the best he could come up with. For everyone else, the chaos was hours ago, but for him, the adrenaline was still a phantom taste in the back of his throat. 

Besides, at the moment he kinda feels like he needs to be certain there isn't some loose end, or some paperwork waiting for him to sign once he finally gets out of this bed. He figured he might as well rip the bandage off and get this over with. 

But Rin immediately stiffened. When he didn’ t say anything for a while, Shima felt like he needed to quickly clarify, “I mean, after the demon died! Like, was there some kind of residual miasma left over? Did the True Cross guys have to seal the whole area off? I just want to know if I missed something, that’s all.” 

Finally, Rin reacted. “Oh, now you wanna ask about that?”

Shima’s breath hitched for a moment, taken aback, mouth slightly open as he tried answering. “...I- yeah?”

Rin rubbed his face with both hands, muttering under his breath like this topic was exactly the one he didn’t want to touch. Then, with effort, he answered properly. “Remember when I scared off the last wave of those low-rank demons?” he asked bluntly. 

After a long beat, Shima nodded.

“Turns out, when the big one died, those tried escaping the warehouse. So, Izumo and Nemu had to chase them down and stop them as they handled the perimeter,” Rin continued, voice tight.

Shima went completely still for a second. “Damn, really?”

He then huffed a pained laugh. “Well, good for Izumo. She probably kicked their asses.”

Rin’s eye twitched, so Shima decided to pivot. “And what about class?”

“Dismissed,” Rin sighed. “Yukio went ahead to talk to the higher-ups.”

At the mention of his brother’s name the door he’d been holding shut all evening finally creaked open, and the irritation he’d been suppressing for hours began to show.

“I still can’t believe he made us fight that thing on our own. He literally said if its level was high enough we’d call for help. Why the hell didn't he?”

Shima looked at him for a long second, really looked, and then something clicked for him. A quiet “Ah, I see.” escaped his lips.

Rin didn't’ miss it. “...What?”

Shima leaned his head back against the pillow, thinking out loud. “Well, he demon was hostile. Coiled up on purpose and waiting for someone to step close enough to trigger it.”

Rin’s face clouded with a sudden scowl, “So?”

“So,” Shima continued, “If we’d walked away, it would’ve followed. Backup was twenty minutes out, and that demon would have been out into the streets in five. Fighting it just wasn’t optional.”

Rin didn’t like that answer.

At all.

Shima could practically see the frustration writhing behind Rin’s eyes, and Shima knew exactly what this was really about.

The silence stretched between them, thick and incredibly awkward.

Shima absolutely hated those. So he cleared his throat and tried to sit up higher against the headboard to change the subject, but his body protested again. “Ow-fuck...”

The thin mattress let out a creak and Rin snapped his head toward him out of instinct, eyes locked onto him with a concern he reserved only for Shima. “Stop moving. You’re gonna tear something.”

Shima swallowed. “Right. Sorry.”

But as Rin helped adjust him, Shima could feel it, under all the worry, Rin was angry. Very angry. He tried to hide it, but Shima knew. He could see it clearly now, how Rin’s hands lingered too long and how his movements were too careful.

Shima watched it all.

“Where does it hurt now? Tell me.” Rin asked, letting some stiffness drain right out of his spine.

“Mm.” Shima rolled his wrist a little “Everywhere, honestly. Did Shiemi heal me?”

Rin nodded, “She did. She healed you the best she could.”

Shima then tried to lift his shoulder and a certain tightness made him look down. His shoulder was neatly bandaged. “Oh. That explains my shoulder.”

Rin’s voice cut in quickly. “No. That one was me.”

Neither of them spoke for a bit. Shima just stared at him, eyebrows raising. “...Wait,You bandaged me?”

Rin’s eyes darted away, almost embarrassed. “...Yeah.”

Shima blinked again, dumbfounded. “Since when do you know first aid?”

Rin rubbed the back of his neck, cheeks heating. “Since I kept getting hurt and nobody else was around. Yukio made me learn. He said I can’t just rely on healing every time.”

Rin? Doing careful work? Not only that, but actually bandaging someone?

“So you did this?” Shima asked, touching the wrap lightly.

Rin bristled. “What? Is it that hard to believe?”

Shima’s expression mellowed. “No, no, it’s good. It’s... really good, actually.”

Rin’s shoulders dropped slightly, relieved.

A small, lopsided grin tugged at Shima lips. “Soooo, I’m like... your favorite patient now?”

The grin didn’t survive even one heartbeat. Rin’s face hardened instantly. “Shima.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t joke about it.”

Shima’s smirk dropped. “Right. Sorry. Shit, I didn’t mean, well... Sorry.”

For a while, Shima’d been trying to keep the air bearable, to keep the room from feeling like a funeral, but the ambient pressure between them is just not budging. Rin isn't letting up, his anger too thick for Shima to try and joke his way through.

Rin’s jaw was locked as if he were bracing a door against a flood. He was definitely fighting to keep his own fury from unleashing all at once simply because he knew Shima was hurt and in no condition to handle the impact.

It was impossible not to notice, Rin wasn’t exactly good when it came at hiding what he was feeling.

“You’re trying really hard not to yell at me.” Shima blurted out.

Rin took a jagged breath, jaw working. “I'm trying to stay calm, Shima,” he said, voice laced with the effort. “I’m really trying.”

Shima gave a tired smile. “I know.”

Rin searched Shima’s face as he willed the heat in his blood to cool. The fight leaked out of him momentarily. “Just... let me help you, okay?”

Shima didn’t respond to that, and simply tracked the flicker of emotions across Rin's expression and everything that he carried all at once.

There was a brief silence before Rin reached down his right. “If you want some, I’ve got stuff for pain.”

Shima blinked wide-eyed as Rin lifted a large bag stuffed full of medicine bottles, ointments, energy shots, gauze, and more.

He started pulling items out one by one, showing them with a rapid voice like he had rehearsed all of this in a panic earlier. “This one’s anti-inflammatory. This one’s for muscle fatigue. These are for dizziness. This is if you start feeling nauseous. And this...” 

“Hold on, hold on, wait a second.” Shima leaned back, overwhelmed. “Rin. That is not just ‘stuff.’ That is a whole pharmacy. Where did you get all of those?”

Rin froze mid-explanation. 

He didn’t look at Shima, instead he looked at the floor and said. “I bought it.”

“with what money!?”

Rin deadpanned, “Mine.”

“That’s not what I-never mind...” Shima sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Rin, this is like... how long have you been stocking up for this?”

Rin didn’t answer.

Shima inhaled slowly, the realization hitting him like a lead weight.

“...Rin. You were really that worried about me?”

Rin’s shoulders just tightened, before he napped the bag shut.

Shima’s expression softened immediately, leaning in to force it open again despite the sharp spasm that hit his arms and back as a protest. “Wait! I’ll take something. Here, I know these pills, I actually have taken before.” 

He reached down and lifted a package of pills, tearing it open.

Rin automatically stood. “I’ll get you water.”

Shima waved him off and said, “No need”, before swallowing one pill dry in one smooth motion.

Rin stopped mid-step, horrified. “You didn’t even use water?!”

Shima shrugged, too casually. “Eh. You get used to it.”

Another thing Rin clearly hated hearing. He exhaled shakily and looked away again, not looking reassured in the slightest. “You always say that crap,” he muttered, his voice thick with annoyance. “Like it’s supposed to make it okay.”

“Well... I am okay, all things considered,” Shima countered automatically, returning the package back to the bag.

Rin didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t argue... yet. He really didn’t want to snap, so his tail flicked behind him once instead before setting the bag aside over the desk table, clearing his hands.

But Shima didn’t stop there. He kept going as if he were checking items off a grocery list, trying to lighten things again, because that was his reflex, his defense. “I mean, yeah, minus the muscular pain and the fact that I’ve lost half the day rotting in this bed... nothing’s actually broken or twisted. The demon is gone, the mission is over, and we're both still breathing. So,” he cracked a wavering smile, “I would say everything turned out alright in the end, didn’t it?”

Rin stopped moving.

Stopped blinking.

Stopped breathing. 

His silence answered him before the words did. Expression immediately darkened.

Shima blinked, suddenly uneasy.

Ah.

Not the right thing to say.

“...Uh. Rin?”

Rin inhaled once through his nose then turned his head slowly, like his neck was stiff from holding back all the things he wanted to yell.

His eyes were flat, expression terrifyingly calm..

“...Turned out alright?” Rin echoed, voice flat. Dead flat.

Shima opened his mouth but Rin didn’t let him speak.

“Turned out... alright?” he repeated, louder.

Shima gulped as Rin fully turned on him. Blue eyes blazing and fangs bared.

“TURNED. OUT. ALRIGHT?!”

Each word slammed out of him as he took one step forward.

And another step. 

Shima instinctively leaned back. “O-Okay, maybe that wasn’t the best phrasing-”

The back of Rin’s hand connected with the heavy wooden chair. The seat careened across the place, denting as it slammed into the far floor, nearly on the other side of the room. 

“You passed out, Shima! Out cold! You were on the ground. Not moving!” 

Shima’s eyes widened just a fraction. “...But, Rin. I told you, passing out is not new for me, not after using Yamantaka-”

“I DON’T CARE IF IT’S NOT NEW!” Rin’s voice cracked open, raw. “It wasn’t normal to me!”

Shima shut his mouth.

“I was supposed to follow right behind you. That was my job! But YOU-” Rin’s jabbed a finger towards him, “-YOU just decided to take all the risk alone.”

As Rin’s foot planted hard against the floor, a resonant thump rattled the floorboards. The vibration traveled right up into Shima and it made his face expression relent, just a little. 

“You didn’t care if you got hurt! You never do!” Then, Rin’s voice lowered into something heavier. “So no, Shima. It did not ‘turn out alright.’ Because if it had? You would’ve walked out with us. With a couple scratches, just like the rest of us. Not passed out on the ground!”

Shima exhaled slowly, trying again. “Look, I was following the plan. I took point-like we agreed-and everything was going fine until-”

“That wasn’t taking point,” Rin denied. “You were bait!”

Shima shrugged lightly. Too lightly “same thing, basically.”

“NO, IT’S NOT!” Rin exploded. “You make it sound easy. Like it wasn’t life-threatening. Like you almost didn't get crushed three different times!”

Shima raised a hand in weak defense. “Okay, okay, but it wasn’t that bad-”

“NOT THAT BAD!?” Rin’s voice wavered. “Shima, I was right there! I saw you! Don’t lie to me!”

Shima opened his mouth, confused. “I’m not lying... Rin, the demon didn’t even touch me. You were busy with the low-rank demons. Someone had to keep the big one entertained. That’s what I did.”

Rin slammed his fist lightly against the bedframe, trying not to shout but failing. “DON’T GIVE ME THAT EXCUSE!”

Shima’s head jolted an inch away from the headboard at the impact, an involuntary movement he tried to mask. But he didn't raise his voice to meet Rin’s volume; he didn't even sound like he was trying to win an argument. 

He just offered the words as an immovable reality, one so obvious to him that it didn't require any heat to justify. “It’s true, though.” 

And that only made things worse for Rin.

“No, Shima! Those things weren’t even there yet! Before anything showed up! Before the plan even started, you didn’t look back. You didn’t even come back!”

“Rin, I made a call-”

“I know you did!” Rin bursted some more. “You always make the call that puts you on the line.”

“…I thought I could buy some time,” Shima admitted.

“And I thought I was going to watch you die!” Rin’s anger cracked right down the middle.

Shima stared quietly, maddeningly calm. “Rin... I knew what I was doing.”

“That’s the issue here,” Rin sounded pained. “You always think you do.”

That statement made Shima’s composure falter for a fleeting second. But the moment passed just as quickly as it had arrived, and Rin was left staring at him, chest rising and falling, eyes igniting again.

“You don’t think I noticed how you were fighting?” Rin demanded, voice rough. “Like you had no other choice? Like there was no one else who could’ve done that job except you?”

Shima blinked slowly as he centered himself further, for both their sakes. “...There wasn’t.”

“What about me?” Rin snapped.

Shima sighed and looked toward the side, tapping the bandage on his arm lightly. “Rin... it’s not like I haven’t been hurt before. We needed someone to keep the demon away from the arias, Bon had to chant without interruption. Yukio needed to shield Shiemi-”

“Again, I was RIGHT THERE,” Rin snapped. “You could’ve let me take some of it. You could’ve let me help.”

Shima’s lips twitched, “You would’ve. You always would’ve. But-”

“But what?” Rin demanded.

Shima’s throat worked. He swallowed,“...You get distracted if it’s me getting hit.”

Rin’s breath caught.

Shima laughed a little, but it was thin, strained. “You do. You drop your guard. You run in headfirst. You always have. And this demon was nasty. I didn’t want you... losing control.”

Rin remained silent, as Shima decided to continue. “So yeah. I acted as bait, but I did think about you. I looked at you, at all of you to make sure you were fine and-”

“Yeah!” Rin barked. “You looked at us. You always look at us. You always make sure we’re okay. But did you ONCE check yourself?! Did it even cross your mind?!”

“Rin...” Shima said hoarsely, “You’re the one that kept trying to rush toward me. If you had, you would’ve left Bon and Konekomaru exposed. Yukio and Shiemi would’ve been vulnerable.”

“I KNOW that-”

“But you didn’t care.” Shima countered, not accusingly, just stating it. “You didn’t even look at anything else but me. I could feel it...” he took a steadying breath. “You know... when I told you to grab the sigil? “

Rin squeezed his eyes shut, his face scrunching in a silent recognition. It was a wordless acknowledgement that Shima caught sight of.

“You looked like I’d asked you to choose between the mission and me. It's as if you were thinking: if you go get the sigil... maybe I die before you even get to take it down. And if you stay with me... maybe everyone else does.”

Rin flinched, a tiny twitch of guilt.

“I basically had to convince you to move. To leave me just long enough to finish the plan,”

Rin clicked his tongue sharply, “You shouldn’t have needed to! If you hadn’t taken everything alone-”

Shima interrupted calmly. “Everyone was struggling, Rin. But you were the one trying to get back to me the whole time. You didn’t want to separate again.”

Rin’s fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. “How could I!? Every second you were out of my sight, I thought something was gonna hit you, or grab you, or- or GOD knows what else! I shouldn’t have had to fight to reach you! You shouldn’t have-”

“Rin,” Shima said softly, “we finished it together.”

That made Rin’s breath falter.

“The final blow,” Shima pressed on, “We did it side by side.”

Rin’s shoulders trembled, looking down at his own feet. “That’s how it should have been. From the very beginning.”

But as Rin met Shima’s eyes again, he could tell that he didn’ t agree. 

“If you had been with me from the beginning, you would’ve gotten hurt worse than you already did.” 

Rin grunted. “I didn’t get hurt.”

Shima raised an eyebrow. “Rin. Come on.”

“I didn’t,” Rin insisted, “This is barely anything.”

Shima looked at Rin, beyond his face, checking him up and down slightly. Part of his uniform was caked in a fine layer of dust and faint gray patches he hadn't even wiped away yet. 

As Shima lingers on the state of Rin’s clothes, he lets out a humorless laugh. “You haven’t even gone to get your injuries checked yet, have you?”

Rin’s silence was the answer. 

“You stayed here with me and didn’t even ask Shiemi to look you over just because you were scared to leave me alone.” Says Shima, voice growing tight.

Rin growled, taking half a step back. “Don’t. Start.”

Shima lifted his hand, pointing at the darkening bruise spreading along Rin’s collar. “See? You didn’t take care of yourself at all. That is from when you jumped in to help me.”

Rin jerked back like he’d been slapped, irritated that Shima remembered that part very clearly. “Who cares? You were the one the demon was aiming for.”

“And you ended up with my weight on top of you.” Shima shot back. “Do you think I forgot that part? I am fully aware of what you did.”

Rin’s fist tightened, anger simmering hotter. “Good. Then shut up about it.”

Shima pressed a palm over his face. “Rin-did anyone even look you over after that? Did you put disinfectant on the cuts, Ice? Anything?”

“I didn’t need it!”

Shima’s jaw dropped a little, “Didn’t need it? Rin, listen to yourself. Those bruises-”

“Bruises,” Rin repeated stubbornly. “Just bruises. That’s it. They don’t count.”

Shima let out a long breath, frustration starting to edge his voice. “Rin... do you seriously not see what you’re doing?”

“What?” Rin asked, quick and defensive.

“You’re doing the exact same thing you’re so angry at me for doing.”

Rin’s eyes flashed. “No. I’m not.”

“Yeah, you are,” Shima said, fingers curled in his lap. “You’re neglecting your own injuries because you decided I was more important. That's literally the same thing you’re yelling at me about.”

Rin’s throat tightened, “This is different.” 

“It isn’t,” Shima said, matter-of-fact. “You got those from diving towards me.”

Rin’s nostrils flare.

“From shoving me out of the way.”

“Drop it.” Rin warned, voice trembling.

“From breaking our fall on concrete so I wouldn’t hit my head.”

Rin snarled, “Shut up! “I don’t want to discuss my injuries with you. Don’t turn this on me.”

It was a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black, and Shim was very aware of it. He knew how he sounded. Like a total hypocrite. He’d just spent the last minutes downplaying his own injuries, so hearing Rin throw that same wall up shouldn't be this surprising to him. 

Still, he couldn't deny that the sharp rejection stung a little more than he’d expected coming from him or all people. 

“You think I don’t know where they came from?! I was THERE!” Rin hissed.

Shima let the silence sit for a moment, before speaking again, “Then why do you keep acting like they don’t count?”

“Because they DON’T!” Rin carries on. “I can take hits! That’s normal! That’s nothing compared to-”

“To what I did to myself?” Shima finished quietly.

Rin looked at him, startled.

There was no defending it now.

“Rin, I’m not ignoring what happened. I know the demon was about to get me. I know you stepped in. I get that. I’m grateful. But that doesn’t mean I can’t worry about you the same way you worry about me. Just like I worried when that demon was about to fell on Shiemi and Yukio too-”

“I GET IT,” Rin roared, face twisted, anger folding into panic. “You are the one who doesn’t get it! This isn’t about me!”

Shima continued anyway. “It kind of is, Rin.”

“No, this is about you!” Rin burst out, pacing now. “You’re the one who passed out! You’re the one who scared everyone half to death! Not me! You are the one lying in that bed! You were the one who went too far! You are the one who almost gave me a damn heart attack by dropping right after the fight ended!”

Shima opened his mouth, but Rin didn’t let him.

“Stop. Just-stop. Don't twist this around! I don’t want to hear it!”

Shima just watched silently for a beat, keeping himself in check cause Rin looked like he might explode.

Or cry.

Or both.

His breathing was uneven, too quick. His eyes glossy

“You don’t get to lecture me! You-you were the one in danger. I had to... You always, I couldn’t-” 

He couldn’t even finish the sentence.

“Rin, you ignore your injuries and rush into danger just like I do. And I don’t get to call you out if I can’t admit I do it too. But it matters too.”

“NO IT DOESN’T! YOU MATTER MORE!”

The room fell dead silent.

Shima’s eyes widened.

Rin slapped a hand over his head, gripping his hair in regret like he’d just cursed out loud in church.

“...I didn’t mean it like that...” he mumbled, ears down.

Shima did not look angry. He looked heartbroken. “Rin...”

“Don’t,” Rin muttered, wiping at his eyes harshly. “Just-don’t talk for a second.”

His anger wasn’t gone, but something in the way Shima was looking at him now made it flicker a bit.

So, Shima let the silence sit for a few seconds before drawing in a breath. He figured he had pushed more than enough. “Rin... come here.”

“No.”

Shima got annoyed, but he didn’t back up either. He just drew in another slow breath and tried again, his voice dropping an octave, “Rin.”

The change in tone did it. Rin hesitated, looking visibly torn. It was a well-known fact among their small circle, even if Rin would never admit it, that he couldn't deny Shima much when the other boy asked for something with that specific, warm sincerity. 

After a small moment, he shuffled closer.

Shima reached out with his arm and touched Rin’s wrist lightly. “Rin. Sit.”

“I am not-”

“Please.”

The word hit Rin physically. Shima rarely used that word, and never with like that. It was the kind of request Rin simply wasn't built to refuse.

The fight drained out of Rin all at once. He didn’t go back to the chair; instead, he dropped onto the edge of the bed right beside Shima. The mattress dipped heavily as he sat, still bracing for a blow that wasn't coming. 

Eventually, Shima’s hand went to Rin’s forearm. And Rin didn’t pull away.

“Look,” Shima began quietly. “I know you’re pissed. And you should be. You’re allowed to be. I was reckless.”

Rin scoffed. “Was?”

Shima smiled a little. “Okay. I am reckless. You’re right. I fight like I’m the only option. I take too much on myself. Most of the time, I don’t think about how it looks to you.”

Rin, still tense, let his anger crack, just a bit. “I wasn’t mad you fought. I was mad you fought like you didn’t expect to come back.”

A shadow of regret crosses Shima's face. “But I did want to,” his thumb brushes gently over Rin’s skin. “I wanted to come back, so Rin, don’t think for a second that I wanted to die”

Rin jerked a little, like he’d been hit with something unexpectedly strong.

“The only reason I fought like that was because I knew you were there. Because I had hope and believed that if there was anyone that could reach me in time. That would be you.”

Rin swallowed hard. His fists curling against the edge of Shima’s shirt.

“I didn’t mean to scare you like that. I didn’t mean to give you the worst panic of your life. That 's my fault. I know it is.” Shima kept going. “But believe me, Rin... if the danger wasn’t that level, I wouldn’t have done it that way. I swear. I wasn’t trying to... push you away.”

The tension in Rin eased, but he didn’t speak. 

“And I’m sorry,” Shima murmured, “for not asking for help when I should have. I could’ve handled things differently. I... should’ve done things better. I should’ve trusted you-trusted all of you before it got that bad.”

Shima pressed forward despite the pain and hooked an arm around Rin’s shoulders, pulling him into a full, firm hug.

And something inside Rin broke. He grabbed Shima back, hard. Arms wrapping around him like he was afraid Shima might vanish again if he didn’t hold tight enough.

Shima’s cheek pressed against Rin’s, even if his body ached. “So, thank you, for what you did today.”

A hot knot tightened in Rin’s throat.

“Thank you, for saving my life.”

Rin’s forehead tucked against Shima’s shoulder, and finally, finally, all the strain bled out at once.

A choked sound escaped Rin’s throat. And then another one.

Sobs tore quietly out of him, muffled against Shima’s neck as he clung on with shaking hands. 

“Hey... hey,” Shima tightened the hold just a little. “It’s okay. I’m here. I’m right here.”

Rin’s sobs jagged his whole body, raw and unguarded.

And Shima just closed his eyes and held on. Letting him cry.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he promised. “I’m safe. We’re okay. You did everything right.”

And for a long moment, they simply stayed like that. Shima didn’t break the embrace. 

He didn’t move away. He didn’t tease. 

If anything, he stayed. Brushing soothing circles against Rin’s upper back in a slow, steady rhythm.

When Rin finally managed a shaky inhale, Shima spoke again. “...Rin. Can you look at me?”

Rin didn’t lift his head, just shook it against Shima’s shoulder like a stubborn child refusing to be seen crying.

Shima huffed a soft laugh. “Rin, c’mon. It’s fine.”

When Rin finally pulled back just enough to swipe at his face with his upperarm. His cheeks were flushed, eyes rimmed red.

“There you are,” Shima gave him a little smile.

Rin huffed. “...Shut up.”

“I’m not judging you. You scared me too, y’know.” Shima said earnestly.

Rin’s bolted upright in total bewilderment, “I scared you? But you’re the one who-”

“Passed out,” Shima finished for him. “Yeah. And you went pale as a ghost. You looked like you were about to collapse next to me.”

Rin had no comeback for that, expression replaced by a hollow sort of stillness and posture crumbling until he looked smaller like he had moments ago. “Well... now you know how it feels.”

Shima bit back a smile, and Rin slowly leaned forward again, pressing his forehead lightly against Shima’s. “...Just don’t do it again,” 

“I won’t” Shima responded, their breaths mingling.

“And next time... don't run off alone,” Rin pressed, ignoring the reality of Shima's job completely.

Still, Shima repeated. “No running off alone.” 

“No taking point by yourself.”

Shima grimaced, “Uh, Rin, you do know if I get orders from the higher-ups, I don't exactly get a say-”

Rin didn’ t listen, “Also, no acting like you’re bait,” 

The humor drained from Shima’s face. “Okay, okay, I get it-”

Rin grabbed him by the collar and Shima flushed, the heat of Rin’s desperation making it impossible to look away. “Say it.”

Shima knew he couldn't keep these promises, not in his line of work, but he couldn't stand the look in Rin's eyes for another second, so he murmured, “...No acting like I’m bait,” 

Satisfied with that, Rin let him go, dropping his hands to his sides. He exhaled a long, shaky breath, some of the fire finally leaving his posture. “...Good.”

“Wow. You’re kind of scary when you’re worried.”

Rin’s ears went red by the admission.

Then, Shima lifted a hand to Rin’s cheek, brushing away a leftover tear with his finger. “...But thanks. For worrying.”

That made Rin’s head snap up.

“And for staying with me. Even though I tend to scare you half to death.”

Rin felt his chest tighten, emotion blooming where pain had been. “I’m not going anywhere. Not when it’s you.”

Shima’s heart thudded against his ribs, and he leaned in, brushing the lightest, gentlest kiss against Rin’s lips.

Rin didn’t react for a heartbeat, then melted into it, pressing a little harder, needing Shima alive and real beneath his hands.

But the moment Rin shifted his hand to cup Shima’s jaw-

“Ow-ow, ow-okay that’s enough,” Shima winced, pulling back with a pained laugh.

Rin recoiled. “Huh? Did I hurt you?”

“Kinda,” Shima admitted, hand hovering over his sore ribs. “Also the pill is not kicking in at all.”

Rin snorted. “That’s because you swallowed it maybe fifteen minutes ago. It takes at least twenty for that one to even start working.”

Shima paused, then slumped back against the bed. “Ughhhh. I thought it had been longer. Time feels weird right now.”

He waved a limp hand. “Well, guess I’ll just... close my eyes and wait five more minutes for it to do its magic then...”

Shima rolled very carefully onto his side, presenting Rin with his back. The movement tugged at his sore muscles, but Shima got himself settled.

Rin stood there awkwardly for a moment.

He stared at Shima’s back.

Then at the floor.

Then at the ceiling.

Then at the window.

Then back at Shima.

“H-hey, Shima?” Rin managed, voice embarrassingly small.

Shima made a muffled curious noise into the pillow. “Mmrph?”

Rin’s face felt on fire. “Um. About... what you said. In the warehouse. Before the fight was over.”

Shima turned and pried one eye open. “What I said...?”

Rin’s ears went red instantly. “Y-you know. What you... called me.”

Shima’s face scrunched, clearly trying to rewind his entire memory reel.

“...What did I call you?” he asked, genuinely confused. “Was I delusional? Did I say something stupid?”

Rin looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole. “N-no! I mean, you- you called me, um...”

“What?” Shima prompted, wanting Rin to just get on with it and spit out the rest of the thought.

Rin’s ears and cheeks were practically glowing. He looked trapped, but he knew Shima wouldn’t drop it now, there was no backtracking it. No, Shima wasn't going to look away until he said it.

So, he pressed his mouth into a thin, tight line, before finally letting the words stumble out, stripped of any of the confidence,“You called me babe!”

Shima’s brain stalled, and face turned scarlet.

“Oh,” He squeaked. Then louder, “OH. TH-THAT.”

He managed to rise, muscles locking, but his confusion was too strong to stay lying down.

“...Wait. I said what?” he asked, staring straight at Rin like he needed confirmation from a higher power. “Like, seriously? Out loud?”

Rin covered his face with both hands. “...You asked for backup and called me... called me that, and I just- I just said ‘Always!’ like an idiot! I... I answered right away.”

Shima couldn’t help it, he leaned in trying to get the other to face him or at least get in his lane of vision. “Rin, I... didn’t mean to make it weird. I must’ve said it without thinking.”

Rin’s heart somersaulted. “...That doesn’t help.”

“Why not?”

Rin lowered his hands just enough to make eye contact. “...Because. You saying it without thinking means it’s... how you think.”

Shima’s face went blank.

Then slowly... very slowly... red spread up his face and yanked the blanket up over his head like a turtle retreating into its shell. “Okay! Yes! In that case, we can definitely pretend I never said it!”

Rin spluttered. “W-well, I mean- I didn’t say that!”

Shima, from under the blanket just said, “Nope! Too late! New rule! I will never say it again!”

Rin shifted, his knees digging into the mattress as he leaned over the blanket lump. The springs groaned as he rested a hand on the mound where he guessed Shima’s shoulder was. “Shima.”

There was a long, heavy pause. A muffled sigh followed through the layers. “...Did you hate it?” 

Rin’s heart did a violent thud, fingers curling into the wool of the blanket as he struggled to force the words past the lump in his throat. “No...” He finally croaked out, as he stared intently at a loose thread on the bedspread. “I didn’t hate it.”

The blanket froze and went completely still. “...You didn’t?” 

“No, I...” Rin shrank a little under the question, “...I actually liked it. A lot.”

Then, Shima’s head peeked out from under it. He stared at him for a full second, then slammed the blanket back over his face with a strangled noise. “...I liked saying it too.”

Rin’s heart kicked hard, vibrating right up into his throat until it was hard to swallow.

Shima was still hiding under the blanket, face flaming. Rin stared at the little lump that was Shima’s head..

Then he whispered, “...Then...”

Shima shifted under the blanket. “...Then what?”

Rin’s face burned hot enough to set the room on fire, making him feel like he was being crowded out.

“W-well...” he began, eyes darting everywhere except at Shima. “If you didn’t hate it. And... and I didn’t either... then...”

Shima’s brain instantly buffered like an old computer, making him poke his head out like a cautious animal. “Rin… are you trying to say what I think you’re trying to say?”

Rin’s ears burned red as they held each other’s gaze for a moment, “I-I’m trying to say something but you staring at me like that makes my brain shut off!”

Shima ‘s lips curved faintly, a characteristic smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. “...Well say it. I’m waiting.” 

Rin groaned. A frantic heat staining his skin and spreading, “If... neither of us hated it... then... maybe...” he humiliatingly looked at Shima, “you... could call me that again.”

Shima froze. His own eyes with disbelief, and a soft pink flush crept across his cheekbones. It made Rin’s panic grow for half a second.

“I’m not saying you have to!” He rushed out. “I’m just saying, if it slips again I’m not gonna freak out or anything. I won’t run away or be weird or-”

Shima’s hand shot out, grabbing Rin’s wrist gently but firmly. Rin stopped talking instantly.

“You... want me to say it again?” Shima asked.

Rin pulled his knees together in a stiff, polite manner, his entire body humming with a nervous energy that screamed for affirmation. Shima could see the raw desperation in his gaze before he even nodded, “...Yeah.”

“...Babe.”

Rin made a strangled, high-pitched noise in his throat and Shima laughed just enough for his playful side to peek through. “See? Now you’re the one dying.”

Rin was melting, flustered beyond words. “...Shima...”

“What?” Shima teased, his smile widening.

Rin’s face was redder than it had ever been, feeling a magnetic pull toward the other boy, centered in his chest. “...Say it again.”

Shima, unable to hold back, beamed him a full smile, the kind that reached his eyes and stayed there. “...Babe.”

Rin went nuclear. His eyes dropped to Shima’s lips for a fraction of a second, then jerked his gaze back up to Shima’s eyes.

His voice came out small, trembling with the weight of the request. “Shima... can we... can I kiss you?”

Shima’s face warmed all over again. “R-right now?” he asked, a little breathless, like he wasn’t sure if he’d heard correctly.

Rin nodded, bigly, leaning in just a fraction, “Y-yeah. I... I wanna. But, only if you’re okay with it, though. I’m not trying to make you move too much or...”

He was rambling again, but his eyes remained fixed on Shima's mouth, his lips parted in anticipation. So, Shima reached up and placed a finger lightly against Rin’s lips. “...Rin.”

Rin’s lungs seized.

“You don’t have to ask like that. If you want to kiss me... just kiss me.” Shima added and Rin looked at him with an intensity that left no room for doubt. 

The moment Shima tugged him closer by the front, Rin obeyed as if it were a natural response rather than something he was forced into. 

His body followed the movement without conscious thought. He tilted Shima’s chin up with one hand and kissed him. Slowly. 

Shima sighed into it weakly as Rin let him set the pace. 

When they parted, barely an inch of air between them, Shima’s smile turned into a knowing grin. “Do it again.”

And that was exactly the invitation Rin had been hoping to hear.