Chapter Text
A human.
Out of all the creatures Akira could fall for... it had to be a human.
A hunter nonetheless.
A very famous one at that...
Goro Akechi.
Japan's prince hunter.
As if hiding his fangs wasn't difficult enough.
Akira was pretty sure the only reason he had managed to hide from him for so long was thanks to the facemask he was forced to use due to the pandemic...
The only good thing to come from 2020.
God, seriously. It was like 1920 all over again. Except at least this time he was in Japan and it seemed like-
"Kurusu?", Akechi piped bringing to a halt Akira's messy train of thought.
Fuck.
What were they talking about again?
"Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts," Akira sheepishly apologized rubbing the back of his neck embarrased. "Can you repeat yourself?"
"What were you thinking?", Akechi inquired turning to him frowning and looking genuinely interested. Whether he actually cared Akira didn't know.
"Uh...humanity's tendency to repeat the same mistakes?", Akira tried hoping it was enough of an answer for Akechi,
It was.
"Oh! That's quite the interesting topic! One could even argue that's where the essence of being human resided. However the same could be said about our ability to learn from them.", Akechi started rambling "Regarding this matter Friederich Nietzche proposed the idea that awareness gave meaning to humanity throught the means of what he called psychological observations and-"
Akira internally sighed relieved.
Whenever Akechi got into one of his philosophizying moods it took a while before Akira had to intervene.
He was saved by now.
"Wow...did he really talk about philosophy on the first date?! What is wrong with him?!!!", Ann asked scandalized. Any talk about love and relationships was a serious matter for her. "Are we sure he is human?"
"Smells like it", Ryuji added unnecessarily schrunching up his nose.
"Yes," Akira said defeated -ignoring Ryuji's rude comment (Humans, and specifically Akechi, weren't bad smelling)- and nodded his head for emphasis. "He went on a spiel for 45 minutes and even quoted 5 philosophers.... verbatim"
Different groans sounded from all around the room.
"Dude... What do you even see in that guy? I'm not human and even I know that isn't normal"
"I don't see what the problem with that is", Yusuke declared matter of factly. "The human condition is an interesting topic and has been the subject of numerous-"
"That's because you are a WEIRDO! ", Futaba exclaimed interrupting "And you've been dead for 100 years," she said throwing a cheerio in Yusuke's direction. "You are outdated."
As expected the cheerio went unfazed right through Yusukes almost transparent form, a visual show of Futaba's point.
Akira had to give it to Futaba. Even with her eyes covered by her ever present googles she managed to hit Yusuke in the middle of his chest.
Or would have had Yusuke been tangible.
Her aim was perfect and Akira doubted it had anything to do with her gorgon's powers.
"Futaba!," Yusuke yelled annoyed. "How many times have I told you to stop throwing your nasty trash throught me?!"
"Not enough," she said grinning at the same time she threw another cheerio, this time aiming to Yusuke's head.
But the cheerio stopped middair.
"Futaba," Queen scolded sternly at the same time Futaba's cheerio quietly floated into the trashcan on the other side of the room. "You should show more respect to Yusuke's incorporeal form"
"Fine..." Futaba grumbled. Even she knew went too far if a demon was scolding her. "Sorry Inari. I forgot how sensitive ghosts could be...," the girl mumbled well aware said ghost could hear her.
But he didn't care, given how easily Yusuke nodded.
"You are pardoned," he said solemnly. "And as a matter of fact I've only been dead for mere 90 years."
"That's bullshit!," Futaba yelled like everytime this topic arised "I looked up Madarame's incident and the archives said-"
"I like philosophy too," Akira interruped, fully knowing these two could go on for hours with their antics if no one stopped them.
"So do I. And Queen too," Haru who had been strangely silent so far, gently pipped. "But you don't see either of us, or you for that matter, bring up those topics during our outings."
"Wow, Noir! Get his ass!," Futaba exclaimed delighted, absolutely entertained by the exchange.
Akira, as the good big brother he was, ignored her.
"What is it exactly what you are trying to say, Noir?," Akira asked making direct eye contact with Haru.
The witch was very intuitive and most of the time Akira blindly trusted her judgement. If she was seeing something he couldn't see he had to know.
"What I am trying to say," Haru said between careful sips of her cup of coffee. "It's that I don't think you are thinking with a clear head, my dear Akira. In fact I think you aren't thinking at all."
Chaos erupted immediately. Chaos mostly made from Ryuji's and Futaba's laugh. But each Phantom Thief let out a expression of their own.
"Buuuuuuuurn!," Ryuji practically howled, almost falling from his chair from how much he was laughing.
"Ryuji!," Ann hissed glaring at the blonde werewolf "Can you shut it?!"
"I don't get it," Yusuke whispered to Shiho who just shrugged in return.
"What?," Akira asked, trying to be heard over the conmotion while gesturing for everyone to shut up (Damn his heightened hearing). "What do you mean by I am no thinking at all?"
"I think Haru is right," Queen hummed in deep thought. "You said yourself Akira. You fell head over heels for this guy...You don't have the most objective opinion right now."
Haru nodded.
"Team Queenoir strikes once again!," Futaba hollered, pumping a fist in the air.
"No! Wait, Haru!," Akira raised his hands placatingly. "I don't think you are being fair! Just because I have a crush on him doesn't mean I am not thinking straight."
"But it does," Haru argued back setting down her cup on the little table next to her and frowning in Akira's direction. "This is a hunter we are talking about Akira. A seasoned vampire hunter. I can't see a way for this ending well, for you to not get hurt Akira....I'm sorry but it would be best for you to stop-"
"NO," someone yelled.
It was Ann.
And now the vampiress was standing up her full height, staring down at the witch accross from her.
"I'm sorry Haru, but I think the one biased here is you," she declared before taking a deep breath preparing for what she was going to say next.
"Not all of us are able to renounce to our love"
Haru flinched, tightening her jaw. It was a low blow and Ann knew it.
"What happened with my father-," Haru started througth gritted teeth but Ann stopped her raising her hands.
"What happened with your father was unfair and tragic. I know, I get it.," Ann said with a sorrowful expression clutching her chest. They all knew Haru's story. "You did what you had to do. Your father was a horrible and ambitious man who sold you to an abusive fiance only for riches.... And the only way for you to obtain the power to get out of that hell was condemning your own soul-"
"I loved him, Ann." Haru cutted in, her voice almost breaking. "He was my father and I had renounce him and all the love I ever knew just to stop him from hurting me. That was the deal..."
"But did you?"
"W-what? Of course I did!" Haru stammered not knowing where Ann was trying to get with this. She had told them the terms of her contract. "I had to saw every person I ever loved die before my eyes and mourn them-"
"Not every person," Ann corrected pointing a finger in Queen's direction. "You found a way to bend the rules. In fact, we," she said gesturing to all the people crammed in the tiny attic, all of them different kind of immortal beings. "All of us are your deal breakers"
Haru fell silent. Ann was right.
"You saw everyone around you die. I can relate to that," Ann said determined "But you were never truly alone. You always had Queen right by your side."
"That's...true," Haru admitted, throwing a quick glance in Queen's direction.
The demoness was sitting next to her on Akira's old sofa, pensively biting her bottom lip, probably recalling old times. The old times when it was just her and Haru alone.
"Now imagine for a moment how your life would have been if your sentence had been correctly applied?" Ann continued, self righteousness driving her voice. "What would have happened if you had never summoned Queen? Had she refused to stay by your side? Abandoned you?"
Queen gasped offended. "I would have never done such thing!"
"I said imagine, because that is what Akira is facing right now," Ann argued. "What you are asking from him. You are asking him to stay alone"
"I...hadn't considered that," Haru said looking down pensively before turning to Akira. "I'm sorry Akira"
"It's okay Haru!," Akira said easily, resisting the urge to gulp. He didn't like being the cause of his friends in-fighting but he couldn't help feeling touched by Ann's unwavering support.
Yet, not everybody agreed.
"No, wait...What?!," It was now Ryuji's turn to stand, shaking his head. "We aren't going anyhwere!," he objected throwing up his arms "Akira won't be alone!"
"Ryujiiiii," Ann exclaimed exasperated. "We are his friends! I'm talking about love!," she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Akira in the meantime could feel his cheeks going warm.
"So??" Ryuji asked annoyed, obvious to Akira's turmoil.
"So?!" Ann repeated shaking her head in defeat "Of course you wouldn't get it!. You are just a pup...you are too young to understand!"
"Hey! In case you have forgotten I'm 40 years old," the blonde grumbled. He hated to be reminded he was the second youngest in the group, just after Futaba. "And second, even if Akira was in love with this guy....That's doesn't mean it's okay!" He then turned to look at Akira "No offense bro, but the guy is pretty strange..."
Akira awkwardly chuckled.
"None tak-"
"Oh!" Ann said with a laugh "I'm definitely not defending the guy. Akira has, like, the worst taste in guys I've ever seen."
"Hey-"
"But," Ann continued unperturbed by Akira's protests. "I just want him to consider..." At this Ann stopped and turned to look at akira, fixing her bright blue eyes on him.
"Akira, you remember how we met, right?"
Once again everybody fell silent. Akira nodded solemly.
The Kamoshida incident.
It had been one of the worst nights in Akira's long life.
Ann returned the nod, bracing herself for the return of painful memories from that day. For Ann, it was definitely the worst.
"For a moment there...," Ann started, her voice as quiet as a whisper. "I-I almost lost Shiho."
Her voice broke, with the weight of something that still felt too raw to name but she pushed on.
"If it wasn't for Haru's and Queen's intervention back there....I...," Ann shaked herself. Tears were starting to well up at the corner of her eyes. "I don't know what I would have done," she finally sobbed, and if it wasn't for Shiho running to hug her Akira doubted Ann would have bee able to keep standing on her own.
Akira couldnt' fault her. He remembered that night too well.
He remebered that bastard Kamoshida, gloating about how great of a man he was while Shiho's body layed motionless at his feet.
He remembered the pure ire that had consumed him at that moment. The need to rip and pull and crawls at the asshole's face until there was nothing left of him.
He remembered the desesperation in Ann's voice...when she had failed to turn Shiho on time. Because Kamoshi not only had tried to kill her. He had sucedeed.
If it wasn't for Queen's and Haru's necromancy...
It was that night that had united them all.
"We were very lucky to have a powerful witch attending our school...Being a zombie wasn't part of my career plan at all, but I can't complain," Shiho tried to joke, wanting to lighten the mood while her hands were busy rubbing comforting circles on Ann's back. "I can't wait to see how being able to remove parts of my body will help me to become a better physical therapist."
Haru smiled gently. "Just don't forget to inform me whenever you feel something is off."
"Will do," Shiho said with a smile, still comforting Ann.
The act worked. Everybody laughed just enough for the heavy atmosphere that had settled over them to dissipate a little. Soon enough they were all talking about more lighthearted topics like Ryuji's plans for the next full moon or Futaba's latest attempt to get Yusuke his perfect statue by pretificating him even though they knew it wasn't going to work.
All of them except for Ann, who spent the rest of the night buried in Shiho's embrace.
She hadn't finished her speech but thera was no need, Akira understood her perfectly.
Love was something you couldn't allow yourself to lose without putting a fight.