Work Text:
Chishiya pulled the zipper of his hoodie up, shivering as a gush of cold night wind made a mess of his silver hair. He sighed as he got inside the building announced as a game arena, glad that at least the temperature there was a lot warmer.
Only two more people were waiting to play that game. A middle-aged man talking to himself and a girl in pigtails that couldn't be much older than a high schooler. He kept his silence as he picked up a phone and walked to a corner, pulling his hoodie up to hide his face.
He wondered about what this game would entail. Not that he worried about it a lot; he knew he had a higher chance of winning than the people around him, regardless of the game. He would rather it not be a game of spades though; he didn’t feel like running.
The familiar sound of the arena lasers announced the arrival of a new player. He looked down the hall to see a figure all in black, features hidden by a hoodie. The person walked in direction of the table, grabbing a phone before leaning against the wall across from him. He watched with curious eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of something that would inform him of their abilities.
But he got nothing. They were unnervingly… mysterious.
A strand of hair fell out from their hoodie, and Chishiya let out a huffed laugh at noticing the unusual color – so similar to his own. It was not every day that he saw people with that shade of gray.
He could feel their eyes on him then, a strong stare that only amused him further. Maybe this player would be an interesting one. He locked eyes with them, a slight smirk on his lips as they played a game of staredown. He couldn't exactly see their eyes in the gloomy room – but he could feel their intensity – and that was enough for him.
"What're you looking at, shortie?" they barked in his direction. Chishiya tilted his head to the side as the familiar tone ringed in his ears. His brows furrowed as he leaned forward, trying to see more of the person's face.
He knew that voice… but no, it couldn't be. It had been way too long. They were long gone, dead to him.
"What did the spirit fox do to the three children?" he asked, ignoring the sudden tremble in his voice. He knew he sounded crazy – especially by the weird looks the other two people gave him – but he couldn't care less. He needed to know. He needed to know if it was really them.
"The what?..."
"The spirit fox!" Chishiya pressed on, trying to control the feelings roaring inside him. Feelings he hadn't felt in a long time. Feelings he had long buried. "One he ate, the other he let go and the last one he–"
"–turned into a fox… and his hair turned gray." He could barely hear the whisper, the confirmation to his question. It was definitely them.
"It's you…"
"Shuntaro?" they said his name, taking a step forward. Chishiya gasped as they pulled their hoodie down to show the face he used to see in his dreams and hopes. The face he saw for the last time when he was still a child, crying and promising that they would come back for him. And then they never did.
"Y/N…" he hated how his voice sounded, gulping before looking them straight in the eyes with the coldest stare he could manage. "Funny seeing you here. I thought you were dead."
It felt impossible. After almost a decade of hearing nothing from them, of not knowing if they were dead or alive... if they were coming back for him. And now here they were, alive and about to play for their life. It almost made him feel sick.
"W- What're you doing here?" they asked, a look of horror in their eyes. "You shouldn't be here."
Chishiya bit his cheek before scoffing. Why the hell did they care when they had left him behind so many years ago?
"Feeling sentimental?" he asked in a mean tone. "Afraid I'll win the game?"
They shook their head, walking in his direction with a raised hand. Chishiya was fast in pushing himself against the wall, almost hissing as they tried to grab his arm.
"Don't you fucking touch me!" he said, louder than he wanted to. The grip he had on his emotions was slipping away from him and that made him nervous.
"Shuntaro, please–"
"No, stay away from me!" he slapped their hand away again, grinding his teeth as he turned to look at the entrance. He had to think of a way to leave that arena without playing. "If you think I'm going to let you win, you're–"
He froze as he felt their arms around him, hugging him tightly even as he tried to leave their embrace. They pressed his face against their neck, their hand on his head as they combed through his locks. Chishiya closed his eyes and took a deep breath, surprised that they still smelled like he remembered.
Memories of his childhood came back like a slideshow running through his mind. The way they told him the story of the spirit fox when he had tried to die his hair black; the way they listened to him when he used to ramble about whatever subject was fascinating to him; the way they used to hug him like right now – a safe place every time his parents made him feel less than worthless.
It almost made him want to cry
"I wanted to come back," they whispered, voice shaking with sobs, "but I couldn't. I tried, I swear I tried."
"You should've tried harder," he answered, arms still limp by his side as he tried not to do something that would embarrass him further. "I waited."
"I know you did and I'm sorry."
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” a familiar voice reached Chishiya’s ears. He finally got himself out of the embrace, glancing at the entrance to see Niragi walking towards him, two other militants behind him. The man’s eyes widened as he stared at both their faces before he let out a laugh. “Fuck Chishiya, didn’t know you had a clone? I can see that the ugly hair runs in the family. What are you, his cousin or something?”
“Who the fuck are you?” they asked, putting themselves in front of Chishiya. It made him feel weird, that sudden act of protectiveness. No one ever tried to protect him.
“Who the fuck am I?” Niragi asked with a raised brow, a smirk on his lips, as he picked up a phone for himself. “I’m the one that’s gonna kill you and the freak behind you.”
"I would like to see you try," they scoffed as a siren announced the beginning of the game. "No one touches my baby brother."