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The shores of Troy were cool at night, but Daiki, leader of the Myrmidons, felt comfortable in his tent, lying only half clothed under his blanket. He'd followed the kings of Greece, led by Akashi of Mycenae, to wage war against the Trojans, but in the end he'd realized he didn't want anything to do with it.
“This is too much effort,” he'd told Akashi, who hadn't tried to stop him from readying his boats to leave. It was strange, because he knew Akashi needed his strength to win this war, but he could never tell what the man was thinking even on the best of days.
Still, it was a nice vacation for a bit; they'd plundered a temple and frightened some priests of Apollo before coming to rest on the shore, eating and drinking their fill and not concerning themselves with the wishes of Akashi and the ires of the other kings. Murasakibara didn't seem particularly interested in fighting the youngest prince of Troy, Rin, for his stolen husband, Haruka, anyway, ever since Tatsuya, oldest brother and king of Troy, had offered him so much wine and fine delicacies instead. The whole thing was a sham, and honestly Daiki wasn't interested in it anymore.
At least, he wasn't interested in the war, but as for Troy itself...
The sound of footsteps on the sand outside broke his reverie, and Daiki looked up in time to see a hand pull open the flap of his tent, before a man stepped in like he owned the place. He wore a long cloak that obscured his face and hair, and kept it pulled close to his body against the chill. Daiki was about to spring up and skewer the man before he could try anything funny, but then he noticed the sandals the man wore.
“Couldn't at least buy yourself some new shoes after coming back to Troy? Your kingdom must be poor after all.”
There was a laugh, one that Daiki had found himself becoming dangerously familiar with, and the man ripped back his hood, revealing bright red hair that grew so dark at the tips it became black, warm red eyes, and the weirdest eyebrows Daiki had ever seen.
Taiga, second son of the late king of Troy, who had apparently decided to walk into the leader of an enemy camp in the middle of the night like there was no war at all. And he was smiling, big and too bright in the light of Daiki's lantern.
“I like the ones you gave me,” he said, sitting right down on the ground at the foot of Daiki's blanket without invitation. “What's wrong with that?”
“You don't feel embarrassed wearing Spartan sandals?”
“They were given to me by a Myrmidon,” Taiga said dismissively.
“Because you let your others get so worn out they snapped, and we couldn't spar until you had new ones because the rocks were so sharp.” Daiki huffed, rolling his eyes. “Who only brings one pair of shoes all the way to another country, anyway?”
“I wanted to pack light.” He almost looked like he was going to pout for a moment, but then he brightened up. “I wanted to speak with you. You didn't come out with the other Greeks today.”
“Didn't feel like it,” said Daiki with a shrug.
“That's good.” Taiga's voice sounded a little breathless, relieved. “When I heard you came here with Akashi and the others... well, I was afraid that...”
“Afraid what?” prompted Daiki when Taiga trailed off. “Afraid you'd have to fight me and be utterly humiliated?”
Immediately straightening up, competitive bluster on his features, Taiga snapped, “What do you know? I would win!”
“Yeah right.” Aomine laughed, grinning. “There's no way in a hundred ages that you'd ever win against me, son of Troy. I'm the strongest man in Greece.”
“This is Troy, not Greece,” Taiga replied, and his answering grin was full of excitement, and playful banter, just like it was when they sparred in Sparta, when Taiga needed a break from peace talks with Murasakibara. Just like it was when they wrestled for control in Daiki's bed, before Daiki finally got him pinned down, and kissed that grin off his lips with heat and lust. It made Daiki's heart speed up just thinking about it, and he had to look away.
He had been with many lovers, man and woman, but none had ever made him feel the way Taiga did. Taiga, who was not very smart but incredibly strong, who could jump so high it was like he had been gifted flight by the gods. Who loved his country more than anything, who only wanted to see his brothers happy.
That was why he hadn't turned back when he discovered his idiot younger brother had brought Haruka along with him. Daiki would have turned around and sailed right back to Sparta, offered up his brother's hide to Murasakibara to do with as he pleased... but then, he hoped his own little brother, Rei, wouldn't be so stupid as to do a thing like that.
“I'd still win,” he retorted, but some of his bluster was gone. He understood where Taiga's relief came from; if they were to fight here, and now, it wouldn't be friendly sparring matches anymore.
“Well, it's fine,” said Taiga before a heavy silence could settle between them. “You're not going to war against us, so we're not enemies.” He smiled, though instead of that challenging grin, it was more subdued, and almost frightened. “So, in honor of our friendship... I wanted to give you something.”
Daiki watched as Taiga lifted a chain off his own neck and over his head. On it hung a large medallion with the image of a tiger imposed into it. Daiki watched silently as Taiga lowered it over his head, feeling the heavy metal come to rest against his bear chest.
“That is my symbol,” said Taiga entirely too proudly, though his voice still had a nervous edge to it. “If you present it to the guards at the gate, they'll recognize you as my friend, and let you through.”
Daiki reached up and lifted the medallion to look at it, feigning a bored look. “And what am I supposed to do once I get inside?”
“W-well,” Taiga stuttered, and it was so unlike him that Daiki almost laughed. “If you're alright with it... I mean, if you'll accept... Agh!” Taiga made a frustrated noise, balling his hands in his lap. “I'm not good with this stuff! Rin was always the one who could string together nice words...”
At the name of Taiga's younger brother, Daiki couldn't help but scowl. “I don't want any poetry. Just say it.”
“Fine!” snapped Taiga, looking combative again, and Daiki couldn't help but grin over his loss of composure. “I can't believe I'm even asking this... you're such a... a pain in my ass!”
“But it's a good pain, right?” asked Daiki, grin turning lecherous, and Taiga scowled even as his cheeks grew faintly red. “Why don't you forget whatever you were going to say, and we can skip to that part.”
Taiga looked tempted for a moment, but then he seemed to steel himself, turning back to Daiki and looking him straight in the eyes. It was so piercing, so suddenly confident, that now Daiki wanted to look away.
“If you'll agree to it, I want you to come to Troy and be mine. And no one else's.”
Daiki's eyes widened, and he finally broke eye contact, looking down at the medallion. Taiga couldn't seriously be proposing this. There were so many implications, complications... It was unlikely to spark a war the way his younger brother's romantic tryst had, but surely this couldn't be a serious proposal.
No one would ever want to stay with a monster like Daiki. He had too much blood on his hands.
“Are... are you going to answer?”
Daiki looked back up, though didn't quite meet Taiga's eyes. The anxious look on his face made Daiki sick. He wanted to make Taiga look happy again, ready to challenge the whole world, not frightened the way he did now.
But still... “You're... serious?”
“I wouldn't ask if I wasn't,” Taiga said, and he sounded it. “I've never given anyone my symbol before.”
Daiki ran his fingers over the medallion, feeling its cool surface, the grooves of the engraving. He looked up at Taiga. And he made a decision.
“Well. Alright,” he said, flopping back on his bedsheets and hoping the flippant tone of his voice didn't give away how wildly his heart was pounding.
“...Huh!?” Taiga was suddenly looming over him, hands on either side of his chest. “Just like that!? Just, well, alright!?”
“Yeah. Alright.” Daiki shrugged. “My father will probably have a few things to say about it, but I've never listened to him before, and I don't want to be around your brothers more than I ha-”
Anything he was about to say was suddenly swallowed by Taiga's mouth, his lips crashing down on him so swiftly they nearly missed their target. He breathed hot, wet happiness into Daiki's mouth, and any pretense of keeping his calm was swept out of the tent and out to sea. He nipped hungrily at Taiga's lips, bucked his hips and reached up to tear away the cloak.
“I can't believe you said yes,” Taiga breathed against Daiki's lips, before pressing more kisses to his jaw and neck. “Thank Apollo...”
“No gods here,” said Daiki, dragging his fingernails up Taiga's back and grinning at the way his back arched. “Just you and me.”
“Yes,” Taiga whispered obediently, and Daiki laughed, moving catlike to flip them over, so Taiga was underneath him.
“Now,” he said, removing the last of Taiga's clothes with ease. “Let's see what I have to do to make a prince of Troy beg...”
It was still hours before dawn when Taiga pulled away from his arms, sitting up in the blankets and reaching for his clothes. Daiki's eyes flickered open, and watched him with dismay as he got dressed. Something, a foreboding in his chest he couldn't explain, told him that Taiga shouldn't leave.
“Stay,” he said, his voice more vulnerable than it had ever been. He flinched when he heard it, but didn't look away when Taiga's eyes met his.
“I have to leave. If Akashi attacks at dawn, I need to be there with my troops.”
“I know,” said Daiki, closing his eyes and lying back down. He listened to Taiga get the last of his things, not opening his eyes when the other man leaned over him.
“Looking at you... I understand why my brother did what he did,” he said, and Daiki's eyes opened again, frowning in distaste.
“I don't want to remind you of anything to do with your brother,” he said, and Taiga laughed.
“It's just that, I get how he feels.” Taiga smiled too bright again, and Daiki almost had to shield his eyes. “I'd fight a thousand Spartans for you, too.”
Daiki couldn't find the words to respond to that; everything stuck in his throat. He wanted to beg Taiga not to leave – he wanted to go with him, and make sure nothing happened to him. But he had to wait, until this damned war was over.
“Let's hope you don't have to,” is what he said instead.
“Yes,” agreed Taiga. They met each other's eyes one last time, and then he was gone.
“Do you know why it is your brother won't fight with us?”
Rei, younger brother of Daiki, fidgeted uncomfortably under the cold stare of Akashi, king of Mycenae, seemingly fighting himself to keep his proud posture. “He only told me that he's not interested in this war,” Rei answered, not looking at Akashi's face.
“Why not? If we win, it will bring him power and glory. You know that, don't you?”
“My brother has power and glory. Maybe you should have offered him something more to gain his interest.”
“Cheeky,” comments Midorima, king of Ithaca, from where he sits studying a map. Akashi ignores him, eyes focused on the young boy.
“He's never turned down a fight for me before. What is it that stays his hand this time?”
“He said he's run out of opponents to fight. There's no one here strong enough for him. That's all.”
“Well, I suppose that's fair.” Akashi suddenly turned away from Rei, giving his head a sad shake. “We'll just have to make due without him... but I have to wonder, are you really okay with that?”
Rei straightened up, peering at him curiously. “I do whatever my brother wants,” he says, though his voice sounds uncertain. “He's our leader.”
“Yes, but what a leader he is... bringing his men all the way out here, only to turn tail and run at the first sight of bloodshed. It's disappointing, really. We all thought he was a great warrior, but it seems he is nothing but a coward.”
“My brother is no coward,” Rei argued, anger in his voice. He couldn't see the smile on Akashi's face from this angle.
“You and I know that, but history won't be so kind. If only there was something we could do to convince your brother otherwise, so he will stay and prove everyone wrong...”
“I'll... I'll think of something,” Rei promised, frowning to himself. “I'll convince him.”
“Good. Thank you, Rei.”
As Rei walked out of the tent, fiddling with the fringe of his hair, he desperately tried to think of a way to save his older brother's reputation. Convincing him to fight was pointless, he knew; his brother, he was sure, was in love with that prince. He would never raise a hand to Taiga, or his countrymen. But maybe his reputation could be saved without Daiki having to lift a finger...
Rei paused, looking at his reflection in the sea by the light of a campfire. He was nowhere near as good a fighter as his brother, but they did favor, with blue hair nearly the same shade and similar bone structure. He was shorter, but in his brother's armor, anyone could be fooled.
I'll save Daiki's reputation, he promised himself, and hurried back to the Myrmidon camp.
Suffice it to say, the Myrmidons attacking at dawn was not something Taiga expected.
But he was roused from his few hours of sleep by Tetsuya, one of his generals and closest friend, sounding the alarm just as the sun crested the horizon. Throwing on his armor, he rushed outside the wall alongside his soldiers, throwing himself straight into the fray with fervor. But in his heart, he couldn't help but feel betrayed – why would Daiki do this, after accepting his proposal?
Something just didn't feel right about all this, but his biggest priority was to protect Troy, and that meant against anyone, even Daiki.
It only took him getting within seeing distance to the leader of the charge to realize it wasn't Daiki, though. Even if the armor fit properly he could tell that the way the man moved was not at all the same. Someone was impersonating him, but why?
Whoever it was, Taiga couldn't simply let him march into Troy, and he couldn't let him get away with trying to take Daiki's place as commander of the Myrmidons. Charging ahead, Taiga ran into battle against the leader.
He went down so quickly, Taiga could scarcely believe it had happened. The battle seemed to come to a surprised halt around him, murmurs echoing through both armies. “Daiki fell? That quickly? How could this be?”
Feeling his blood run cold, Taiga bent down and pulled off the helmet of the slain soldier.
Rei, younger brother of Daiki.
Taiga knew then, that it was all over.
“Kise!” snapped Daiki, throwing open his tent flap when he heard the march of returning soldiers. “Where in the hell did you go!? I came out and there was no one in camp! I gave no orders!”
Kise, his second in command, stopped before Daiki, looking uncharacteristically grim. Normally, Kise was so happy and bouncy all the time that Daiki didn't particularly like being near him, even if he was a good fighter and good ally. But now he just looked sad, eyes fixed on the beach sand.
“We were led into battle,” he explained nervously, still not looking up, and Daiki frowned.
“I didn't give any orders,” he repeated, eyes narrowing. “Who did? Who did you follow? Akashi?”
“We thought it was you,” Kise replied, a pleading note in his voice, and Daiki felt his stomach knot. Whatever had happened, he knew it was going to be bad.
“Who was it, Kise?”
“...Rei led us into battle,” Kise explained, his voice shaking. “He was wearing your armor... he sounded so much like you, Daiki-”
“Where is he?” Daiki interrupted, looking around frantically. “Where is Rei?”
“He's dead.” Kise finally raised his eyes to look at Daiki's face, and Daiki knew it was true.
“Rei,” he gasped, and the name tore from his throat. He stumbled forward, pushing his men out of the way, looking with wild eyes until he spotted the body, lying small on the beach, run through by a sword like he was nothing. Daiki fell to his knees, reaching out to cradle his head, feeling how his body was limp and cold.
Daiki had seen countless people die, many at the end of his own sword. But he had never imagined he would see his brother like this; his innocent brother, better than he would ever be. He never should have been here in the first place. Why did he go fight against the Trojans!?
And more importantly...
“...Who?” he asked, though he knew the answer.
“Taiga of Troy.”
Daiki closed his eyes and took in a sharp breath. He felt the medallion against his skin, and it burned like fire.
He had wanted to go to Taiga, and be his and only his.
But there was only one destiny for them now.
Taiga was waiting for him outside the walls of Troy, and Daiki almost felt appreciative. At least it spared him having to demand Taiga come out.
“I thought you would come,” Taiga greeted, but it was lacking his normal cheerful cadence and oh, how Daiki wished they could go back to early this morning, before the sun rose and everything came crashing down.
But when he looked at Taiga, he could see his little brother, his clothes stained with his blood, and could only feel emptiness inside. Debts must be repaid.
“You killed my brother.” said Daiki, his voice cold and unfeeling. “You know what has to happen now.”
“I do,” Taiga agreed, and Daiki felt a surge of anger. He wanted Taiga to argue, to say he thought it was Daiki betraying him, to say anything in defense of himself, so maybe, maybe he could walk away. But he knew as well as Taiga that there was no turning back now. Not with his brother's blood on Taiga's hands.
“Then I suppose we'll see which of us is the better fighter once and for all.” The challenge felt so hollow now. There was no joy in this, like there was when they sparred. This was a finale.
“I'm ready,” said Taiga, drawing his sword. He dropped into a fighting stance, like a large and powerful cat, and Daiki dropped to mirror him. The two circled each other, neither yet making the first move.
“I'm still wearing your shoes,” said Taiga suddenly, and Daiki looked down in surprise, seeing that he was indeed still wearing the same sandals.
“No time to change?” he asked, looking back up. Taiga hadn't taken the opportunity to attack him while distracted, he noticed. Taiga was, until the end, an honorable man.
“I thought they might bring me luck,” said Taiga, and, to Daiki's incredulity, smiled.
Daiki couldn't help but grin back, but it was weak and sad. “Maybe they'll bring luck to me instead.” Maybe he had finally met his match in Taiga, and maybe he would be joining his brother sooner than expected.
“We'll just have to see,” said Taiga, and then he finally lunged.
The fight lasted for what seemed like hours, but in the end it was a foregone conclusion.
Daiki stood above Taiga, panting hard, watching as his blood seeped into the sand from the wound in his chest. The light began to fade in those warm, beautiful red eyes, as the prince of Troy gasped for his last breaths.
Daiki knelt beside him, reaching out to clasp his hand. It felt cold and clammy already.
“You were the strongest opponent I've faced,” he whispered, “but in the end, even you weren't enough. I am a monster.”
“You aren't... a monster,” Taiga wheezed, and Daiki studied his face with his eyes, wondering how that could be true. “You're... a good man... I know...”
He coughed, and seemed to shake his head. He didn't have much time. “Daiki, sorry... about your...”
“I know,” said Daiki, feeling sweat drip down his face. “I know.” Or were those tears?
“Help... Troy,” he rasped. His eyes rolled back. “I... love...”
With one shuddering breath, he was gone.
Daiki grabbed the medallion and ripped it from his neck. He laid it on Taiga's chest.
“I'll see you again,” he whispered. “You better wait for me.”
Then he stood, and returned to his camp, leaving Taiga's body for his brothers to collect.
There was nothing left for Daiki after that.
He sat on the beach, watching the waves roll in and out without feeling anything for them. Before Taiga, his little brother had been one of the only people he'd ever cared for, alongside his childhood friend Satsuki. And as for Taiga...
He had been a light, bringing brilliance to Daiki's world. When everything had lost all luster, Taiga had brought back the shine, and made him feel again. Maybe he was actually Apollo in the flesh, a living sun, and now that he was gone there was only darkness.
Satsuki would check him for fever if she could hear all this. Rei would say something ridiculous. Taiga would laugh at him.
Now he was all alone.
He didn't realize how dark it had gotten until he heard footsteps approaching and found he couldn't immediately see who it was. But somehow he had a feeling, even before the man uncovered his face.
Tatsuya, Taiga's elder brother and king of Troy, stood before him. And he looked as tired as Daiki felt.
“...Did you come to fight me?” he asked, though he doubted it. Tatsuya merely shook his head.
“My brother killed yours, and then you killed my brother. Our families have stained our hands with enough of each other's blood for now.”
“Then why are you here?”
Tatsuya is enigmatic under his long black fringe of hair, and his voice is even as he speaks. “I want to ask for twelve days to bury Taiga, as is customary.”
“Why don't you go ask Akashi?”
“You don't think he would kill me on sight?” Tatsuya's voice held some of the same humor Taiga's often did, though perhaps a little darker in tone. It made Daiki grit his teeth.
“I suppose you have a point,” he conceded, and Tatsuya chuckled lightly.
“Then you'll do it?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you.” The man hesitated, then added, “I know you were important to my brother. He gave you his medallion.”
“...Yes. He did.”
“I can't welcome you into Troy after all this. I suppose you already know that. But, for whatever you gave my little brother... thank you.”
He left after that, and Daiki went back to staring at the ocean. He wished that would help him sleep at night but it didn't.
He snuck out to watch Taiga's funeral, and the fire burned into his eyes, into his brain, and he felt he would never sleep again.
Daiki sent his men home. He watched the great wooden horse being built. He hid inside.
And when they all jumped out, he started killing Greeks.
In the end, it had been that little rat Rin who killed him. The man might be lousy in a fight, but he could certainly shoot an arrow, which pierced right through the tendon in his ankle.
It had only taken one good stab from his bodyguard to fell Daiki. He watched as he life faded away as the two men ran off back towards the castle, to escape with the rest of the civilians.
But he'd done what he set out to do. The people of Troy were getting out. The Greeks would take this city, but the Trojans could regroup. Maybe they would return, or maybe they would carve out a life elsewhere; Daiki didn't know and he didn't have any more time to care.
He was on the banks of the river Styx, after all.
Without speaking, he gave the boatman his fare. He rode across in silence, feeling anticipation in his chest. Would anyone be there, on the other side?
He couldn't see. Even as they drew close, he could only see darkness on the shore of the river. It wasn't until he finally stepped off the boat that he saw someone.
“Brother?” came a timid voice, and then there was Rei, as he'd been in life, young and fresh-faced and impossibly stuffy, and Daiki wanted to cry.
“Rei,” he said, stumbling toward him. In an instant, he had his brother hugged in his arms, feeling him solid and there and real.
Maybe death was not so bad after all.
“I'm sorry,” whispered Rei, crying against his chest. “I... I wanted to protect you, brother, that's all...”
“I know,” said Daiki. “You're still an idiot, but... I know.”
They held each other a bit longer, and then Daiki let him going, looking around. There had been another face he was hoping to see-
“Hey! Are you Daiki of the Myrmidons?” called a voice, and he whirled around.
“...Taiga.”
There he was, just as he'd been in life. Hair a little messy, grin warm and challenging all at once, eyes kind and loving and fixed right on Daiki.
“You finally made it,” Taiga said, softly, his arms opening.
Daiki rushed to him, throwing his arms around Taiga's chest, solid and warm under his touch.
“I'm here,” said Daiki, burying his face in Taiga's shoulder, and felt Taiga laugh against his hair, a comforting sound.
“Welcome home.”