Chapter Text
It started stupidly. Bon was panicking internally while Okumura kept riling him up like he always did.
Now is not the time, Okumura!
Bon grunted in frustration, trying to calm himself down. There was no way they were going to be able to beat this. Even if Bon managed to remember the spell he’d only seen the one time right, he’d still have to manage to not pass out from exertion of keeping the barrier up. And that was if Okumura actually kept him safe from the Impure King’s white goop that was spreading across the one rock they were able to land on.
”Don’t worry,” Okumura girnned at him. “And try not to shit your pants, big guy.”
The fucking nerve—
”Why you...” Arguing with Okumura was pointless, and would honestly make things worse. But doing nothing made him want to punch the stupid half-demon more.
“Dude, right now, everyone’s doing whatever they can to stop this. No way are we gonna let ‘em down.” Rin turned back to him, a glint of firey hope in his brilliant blue eyes and a fanged grin as he turned back to face Bon. “So get that barrier up, and quit acting like a whiny princess.” Bon’s heart stopped.
Oh, fuck.
”WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PRINCESS?!” Bon squeaked out reflexively, his teeth gritted tight. Okumura just smiled and let out a small chuckle. “You wanna get your ass beat?”
“Hey, I’m just tellin’ it how I see it.” That stupid smirk returned to Okumura’s face as he gave an over-the-shoulder look at Bon. “So hitch up your skirt and get to chanting, you macho-princess, you.”
Every time the word left Okumura’s mouth, Bon felt the wind knocked out of him, as if he were being punched in the gut. But it wasn’t... painful. He liked it. Or at least, he might.
... maybe?
To hell if he’d show it or even let Okumura know that he did, though.
”You son of a...” Bon paused, unsure of what insult to hurl at his friend. “I don’t need you to tell me what to do!” He spat. Okumura grinned at him.
“Good. I’m couting on you, babe.”
“...”
Bon had been stunned, and for a second, he wasn’t sure if Okumura had used something physical to stun him or not, because Bon was paralyzed at the word of endearment. Then his stomach froze over with fear. Did... Did Okumura know? What did he mean by that? Had he found out and it was some sick joke he was playing on Bon? Right now, all Bon wanted to do was pummel Okumura into the ground until he stopped running his mouth. And at the worst possible time, too!
Ugh, Bon was so over stupid Okumura and his stupid attitude and his stupid mouth. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
But then Bon caught sight of Okumura’s hand on his sword, still shaking and trying to unsheath Kurikara. Something about that soothed Bon. Made him feel more at ease with all the madness going on around them. If Okumura was just as nervous as he was, he was good at not showing it. But in the end, Okumura was right. The others were counting on them. Shima, Miwa, Shiemi, Izemo, his father, Shima’s brothers, Professor Okumura... they were all depending on Bon to get the barrier up, to keep it up. He had to save his family and their town.
”We can beat this, Suguro.” Okumura reassured him. As Okumura and Kuro took their defensive positions, Bon began reciting the ritual for the spell.
He’s a dufus. But... he’s not an idiot, Bon thought to himelf as he chanted the ritual and watched Okumura fight off the white goop that attacked them both. Deep down, I know that. He’s just like my dad, always acting like a lone wolf. Never asking for help when he needs it. That’s my problem with him! And it pisses me off!
As the barrier went up, Okumura turned back to Bon, grinning like an idiot again.
”Right on, Suguro! That’s the coolest thing you’ve done yet!” As much as Okumura’s words helped his confidence, even just putting the barrier up had drained nearly half of Bon’s energy already. He was just glad to have the barrier up.
But then Okumura began to falter. He looked confused, and he turned around with a bewildered look on his face.
”Yukio...?” He called softly. But there was a spore building up behind him. Bon’s heart skipped a beat in terror.
”Hey, watch it!” He called, just in time for Okumura to turn and fend off the white goop.
“Back off!” Okumura yelled at the goop. But then, they both looked up in horror as the giant sporesack began to bubble up and nearly burst. ”I hate to say it, but I think we really pissed it off!” Okumura yelled.
”I’ll say. It looks like it’ll pop any second!” Bon replied.
”Bet that’s why the little blobs are moving faster.” Like Okumura had pointed out, Bon noted that on the mountain before them, the sporesack had exploded, sending down the white goop was hurtling toward them like falling snow in an avalanche. “Come get some, you bastards!” Okumura screamed.
Heh, cocky idiot.
Suddenly, his father’s familiar began to speak to him, instructing Bon about not beraking the Earth sign.
“You don’t have to remind me, I know what to do. I’ll die before I break it!” Off to the side, he could hear Okumura laughing at his sudden outburst.
”Don’t bust a blood vessel, Princess!” Okumura teased. Hearing the word again sent Bon’s knees shaking, his finger nearly lifting off of the ground. Damn it!
”Would you quit calling me that?!”
”Then quit being a spaz, or you’ll end up passing out!”
It was all going fine until the Impure King showed up. Then it all went to shit.
No clean air was able to make its way into Bon’s lungs. He was choking on air, and he couldn’t seem to get an actual breath in. He vaguely heard Okumura calling out his name behind him, even screaming it at one point, but... man, it all felt so faint. He felt so friggin’ weak. It was hard to even breathe, and he knew the exertion of keeping the barrier up and not being able to breathe was taking its toll on him. Even after calling for Karura’s protection, Bon felt like his entire life was drainging from his body. But he had to keep going. He had to...
”SUGURO! You okay?”
Rin.
He barely had the strength to keep his eyes open to look at Okumura. His floppy raven hair and pale, toned skin. And his eyes, God, he loved those beautiful eyes.
”Hang on.” He coughed out, a bit of blood coming with it. “Rin...” Bon wasn’t sure if it was the delerious state of his brain, but he swore he heard Okumura gasp at him. “I doubt the barrier will hold for another fifteen minutes.”
”Say what? What do you mean?” Okumura asked.
”Dude, I’m totally wiped out here. I feel like I hit the freakin’ wall. I don’t think I could do this for much longer.” He paused, unable to look Okumura in the eye. Everything he had went to keeping his finger in place. No way would he have the strength of being able to look beautiful, gorgeous, never-gives-up Okumura in the eye. Okumura was still giving his all, and here was Bon, ready to pass out. “I guess Koneko and Shima couldn’t get to the others yet. I hope whatever happens, that they’re okay.” It was what had kept him alive for the last few moments. The thought of his friends... He did this for them. Even if he had to sacrifice himself to save them, it would have been worth it.
“Sure they are, they gotta be!” Okumura said, just as the Impure King arose behind him once again. It reached out and grabbed Okumura. Bon gasped. No!
Kuro jumped up to save his master, but he was quickly flung aside. Okumura struggled and broke loose, but as hard as he strained, he couldn’t unsheath Kurikara. So... that was it. At least there was still a chance to save him. Maybe if he just held it for a little bit, maybe Okumura could get out.
”Well, I guess this is it.” Bon said. “I can hold the barrier for a bit longer, so get out while you can.” He still didn’t have the strength to look Okumura in the eye while he said it.
”No!” He sounded like a child.
“Go on.” Bon urged, trying his hardest to sound firm, but his voice waivered, not only from the exertion. God, he really did care about this dumbass. Damn it. “You need to evacuate as many people as you can. Hurry up. Don’t argue. Every second counts now.” Bon hoped the rain hid the tears that streamed from his eyes. He hoped everyone he cared about had enough sense to leave the barrier and flee. To get to safety while he held out just a little longer. That was going to have to include Okumura. But when Okumura did nothing but stand there, the pain in Bon’s chest roared up inside him: “GO!”
“Wait, that’s right!”
What?
”What’s that thing called? Kyoto something.” It took him a second, and since Bon was still too far gone in shock at his words, he didn’t respond. “Oh, now I remember. Kyoto Tower!” Their eyes met, and Okumura was... smiling.
Why the hell was this dude smiling at a time like this? Bon was about to give his own life, for fuck’s sake! So why was this bastard smiling and talking about the damned Kyoto Tower?
“Dude, I wanna go see it and go to the top.” Okumura rambled on. “Can we go, like, maybe tomorrow?”
What the hell?
”You’re from here, and I want a tour.” More tears leaked from Bon’s eyes as he listened in shock at Okumura’s words. “I read it’s a tower, but with a bath house in it. I so gotta see that. It’d be rad if we could get everyone to go too. Thing is, it’d suck if Kyoto and the tower got destroyed. And if our friends died too... That’d suck worse.” He paused. “We’ll win. We gotta.”
Bon gasped.
”Why?” He took a deep breath before he screamed. “Why the hell are you nerding out about Kyoto freakin’ Tower?! With everything going on around us, that’s the place you pick? Hell, I grew up here and I’ve never been to it!” Okumura’s eyes went wide.
”You’re kidding!”
“Kyoto’s got a ton of famous temples with historic relevance!”
”I don’t know anything about towers and ‘rally-fences’!” Okumura whined. “I just thought the tower was cool.”
Unbelievable.
It was so unbelievable, in fact, that Bon started laughing. Maybe it was the delerious ways of his brain, or maybe it was just the fact that he couldn’t comprehend how someone with so much raw power was just so oblivious and cute.
Yeah.
Bon couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so hard, but so genuine. And it was at the end of the world, with the person he was supposed to hate the most. Well, hell. Then it hit him:
Oh, man. He’s scared and trying to cheer me up.
”Are you... okay down there?” Okumura asked.
“Yeah.” He swung his head back, the rain soaking every inch of him. Part of him wishes he’d brought his hair clip, since the rain ahd washed out all the gel, and it was now hanging down and sticking to his face. “Whatever. I give up, you win.” He was just too tired to argue anymore. “Even though I know you’re BS-ing, I’m up for it.” They made dead eye contact, and Bon gave a soft smile that he noticed had Okumura’s eyes widening at him. “We’re friends after all. Okumura, I trust you.” Bon released his left finger from the ground, Karura’s power now only going to the barrier. He’d be alright. He had Okumura to protect him.
Besides, the trip to Kyoto Tower sounded kind of like a date.
Bon knew that with the right push, Okumura could draw the sword. Trust. That’s what they’d been fighting over, right? Well, he really did trust Okumura, despite his blue flames and his background. They were friends above all else, and Bon knew that his friend could unsheath Kurikara. He believed in him. Trusted him.
He even felt a strong bond with Okumura that might’ve even surpassed friendship. Maybe. But not out loud.
Then, after struggling for a moment, Okumura did pull the sword. But the Impure King descended upon them both. And despite the goop that begun to encase him, Bon was more worried about the fact that the Impure King was also going for—
“Okumura!”
It was then that Bon watched as Okumura ran up the Impure King’s arm, slicing it off. Soon, all of the Impure King was engulfed in blue flames.
“Okumura!” Nothing. The Impure King spewed toxic dust down at the younger, raven-haired boy. “Okumura!” But then, Shura was by Bon’s side, casting a spell that set the white goop forming around him aflame. She gave Okumura the world’s shortest pep-talk, but the ringing in Bon’s ears cut out most of what she was saying. Something about Okumura’s father. He still looked unsure of himself, though. So Bon locked eyes with Okumura and gave another small smile. “Go get ‘em.”
Okumura smiled profoundly and nodded. Yeah, he was ready. He could do this.
Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for Bon. He could no longer hear anything that wasn’t muffled, and his eyes had stars in them that wouldn’t shake away. Soon, he couldn’t breathe at all, and his eyes closed on their own accord. He let out a final breath, his eyes shutting as he fell to the ground.
“Suguro!”
———
When he woke, there was no sign of the Impure King at all. Like he’d never even existed in the first place.
”Hey, Suguro, you okay?” Shura asked.
”Yeah. I’m fine, but what happened?”
”See for yourself.”
All that remained was Okumura, sheathing Kurikara, the sun rising over the mountains in front of them. God, he was sight.
Bon stood, albiet a little shaky, and walked over to Okumura.
”Okumura.” He didn’t turn towards Bon.
”Suguro. Shura. I...” Bon couldn’t see his face, but he could tell that Okumura was shaking and breathing heavily. Bon walked a little faster, he had to make sure that Okumura was okay. But before Bon got to him, Okumura turned, biting his lip and smiling. “I... I did it!” He squeaked. “ I controlled my flames!” Still weak from holding the barrier so long, Bon’s brain took an elongated second to try processing Okumura’s words. “I still gotta fine-tune a couple of things, but I can decide what gets burned and what don’t now!” He began giggling, and a warm ache settled in Bon’s chest. He liked it. In fact, he wanted to see Okumura this happy all the time.
”Okumura!” Koneko’s voice rang out. Bon turned, his eyes widening and his spirits lifting. “Bon!”
”Koneko! Shima! You’re okay!” Bon responded. His friends were alive and okay.
Everything seemed fine until Professor Okumura came, and punched his brother. The two argued, and eventually —after spitting out a small bit of blood— the older brother eventually collapsed.
”Rin!” Professor Okumura shouted. Bon’s heart felt like a glass vase that had been elbowed off the side of the counter, suspended in the air as Rin flopped forward onto the ground.
”Okumura!” Bon yelled, more emotion slipping out into the name than he’d meant to.