Work Text:
6 YEARS AGO
The night is dark, and Ryuunosuke is tired.
There are bodies lying on the ground. Men, real adults, bleeding out from their stomachs or necks or wherever else. Their faces are frozen in an eternal fear, eyes open and glassy, staring at him. He wants to look away. Their gazes are disconcerting. But he can’t, because Ryuunosuke is the one who did this to them. He killed them.
He did this.
He had no choice, he tells himself. They killed his friends, and they would have killed Gin, too. He just didn’t think he would actually succeed. He had left tonight on a suicide mission. But now, here he stands, alive, amidst the dead bodies of the men he killed. One of him versus six men, each armed. He’s getting stronger, no doubt. Years of fending for himself in the slums of Yokohama proved more useful than he imagined.
He feels… powerful. Like he could take on anyone. Rashoumon growls behind him, ever hungry. Ryuunosuke has never done anything like this before.
“Ryuu?” A soft voice asks from just beyond the clearing. He knows this voice well. Turning around, Gin steps out from behind a tree, eyes wide. Any other person would not have wanted a twelve-year old girl - let alone their sister - to see something like this. Ryuunosuke knows she has seen much worse. He just wonders how she got here so silently, without him hearing a sound. She’s always had a knack for sneaking around.
“It’s alright.” He croaks, trying not to cough. But the air is thick, and his lungs are poisoned.“I killed them. We’re safe.”
“Okay,” Gin says. She steps gingerly over the bodies, trying not to slip in the pools of blood. “I didn’t think you would make it.” Her expression betrays nothing, but Ryuunosuke can see the relief in her eyes. He knows she is glad - after all, they are all the other has.
“Neither did I.” He sighs. “These men were weaker than I expected. I did our dead companions well.”
Carefully, she puts her arms around his waist. Gin is warm, welcoming, and Ryuunosuke leans into her embrace. “We should go.” She whispers. “It’s not safe to stay here.”
“We should,” He agrees.
Neither of them move.
“Are you hurt?” She asks, breaking the silence.
“My leg.” He winces. “It’s nothing. I can go on.”
“We should-” Gin starts, but she’s interrupted by the sound of crashing.
The two of them whip around, coming face-to-face with a man.
He’s tall, taller than the men Ryuunosuke just killed, with dark red hair, tanned skin and deep blue eyes. There’s stubble on his cheeks and chin. His expression is blank, but his eyes are gleaming. He wears a tan coat, dark pants and a burgundy shirt. There’s a fully loaded gun in his hand.
Ryuunosuke tightens, and shoves Gin behind him. Then, without the slightest warning, Rashoumon attacks.
The man dodges, easily. Ryuunosuke grits his teeth. It’s alright - he can’t dodge forever. But no matter how many times he tries to hit him, the man manages to evade them. He doesn’t understand it.
Then, finally, comes something so unexpected Ryuunosuke doesn’t know what to do.
Rashoumon ducks low, before swooping upwards, aiming for the man’s face. This time, he doesn’t dodge, just extends an arm, and-
Grabs Rashoumon, stopping its path.
“Calm down.” His voice is deep. “I’m not trying to hurt you.”
Rashoumon dissipates into thin air. Behind him, Gin’s grabbing onto his shirt tightly. Ryuunosuke is shocked, and scared.
“Who are you?” He asks, coughing.
“I should be asking you that question.” The man replies. “My name is Oda Sakunosuke.”
“I’m not telling you my name.” Ryuunosuke says angrily.
“My name is Gin, and this is my brother, Ryuunosuke.” Gin says softly.
Ryuunosuke turns around angrily. He feels betrayed. How could she just give up their names to a complete stranger like this man? Not to mention, one who is armed and strong enough to stop Rashoumon?
“I think we can trust him.” She whispers, leaning in. “Let’s just give it a try. For me?” Her eyes are wide, and he can see the fear in them. She’s scared. As much as he hates it, he knows the truth - he can’t protect her, not fully.
“What do you want?” He asks the man coldly.
“Well, originally, I was sent by my boss to kill these men.” Oda says casually. “But it looks like you’ve done it for me already. Thank you, Ryuunosuke.”
“It’s Akutagawa to you.” He snaps. “Who is your boss?”
Oda’s jaw tightens - imperceptibly, but Ryuunosuke notices it. Judging by the slight gasp beside him, Gin does, too. “My employer is somebody you’ve probably heard of before.” He says slowly. “The Port Mafia.”
And oh god, Ryuunosuke comes to the horrifying conclusion that he is going to die tonight.
“Are you going to kill us?” He manages to keep his voice steady, surprisingly.
Oda frowns. It’s the first real emotion Ryuunosuke has seen from him. “No,” he says. “Why would I kill you two? You’re just a pair of kids.”
He doesn’t have anything to say to that. He’s never met a Port Mafia member who wouldn’t kill somebody, just for fun. Gin doesn’t, either. Her hand slips from his shirt to his palm. He grabs back, squeezing tightly. He will not let this man hurt his sister.
“I promise, I’m not going to hurt you.” Oda says again, slower this time. “I don’t kill. It’s not something I do.”
Ryuunosuke raises an eyebrow. “You’re holding a gun.”
Oda looks down, nearly surprised. “Oh, this? I shoot people in the legs sometimes, if I have to. But I haven’t killed anyone in years.” He’s not smiling. He’s not making any expressions, really. But there’s something in his eyes that seems almost genuine.
No. Ryuunosuke won’t trust him, can’t trust him. He’s a stranger. He’s a member of the Port Mafia. He’s holding a gun. He’s-
Gin’s hand slips away from his.
He tries to snatch it back, but she dances out of his reach. Carefully, she walks over to Oda, eyes wide. She knows as well as he does they can’t trust anybody but themselves. Yet here she is, staring at him, not a weapon on her body. She doesn’t look scared.
“You’re not going to kill us.” She says, after a moment. “I believe you.”
Oda smiles - a slight, slight thing, just a wisp in the moonlight, really - but it’s enough. The gun is sheathed quickly, and he’s gesturing with an arm.
“How would you two like to sleep at my place tonight?”
5 YEARS AGO
It’s hard, adjusting to a new life. Harder than Ryuunosuke expected.
For starters, he can’t stop coughing. He doesn’t feel like he coughed this much back in the slums. Oda says it has to do with the change of air quality. Ryuunosuke doesn’t really care if he’s right, he just wants this to stop.
The constant feeling of living on the edge remains, too. Sometimes, he wakes up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat and pale as the moon, lunging over to the bunk bed above him. Gin is always lying there, as comfortable as ever. She’s always alright. They’re not in the slums anymore; he doesn’t need to sleep with his arms wrapped protectively around her head to protect her. They have an apartment now, with space and real beds. He doesn’t need to lie in the same bed as her.
Still, it’s hard.
Gin seems so unaffected by all of this. He doesn’t understand it. How can she not be affected by those differences? Why is it only him? It must be his own failures, then. The idea is laughable. How could he ever have hoped to protect her when he can’t even control his own breathing?
So, he keeps them to himself. He doesn’t need to bother her and Oda with his own defects. It’s not that bad. He’s always done everything on his own. He’ll make the adjustment.
He’ll be alright.
4 YEARS AGO
“I don’t understand why we have to move.” Ryuunosuke grumbles. “We’re fine here, and you’re close to the mafia buildings. Besides, I don’t want to leave the curry! It’s good!”
Oda sighs. “I know, Ryu. It’s sad, I don’t want to leave the curry either. But, uh, I’m not a part of the mafia anymore. Because of that, this place isn’t safe anymore. If we stay, we might get hurt. And I don’t want that to happen.”
A frown crosses Ryuunosuke’s face, but he doesn’t argue anymore. If that’s the case, then Oda has a point. He’s seen how the mafia treats its ex-members, and it’s not pretty.
“Where are we going, then?” Gin asks, showing up behind them. She’s dressed in a beautiful white dress, brand new, with a backpack shoved under one arm. She’s smiling at them. “I’m excited. This is an adventure, Ryu! Besides, our new home might be next to an even nicer curry place. Don’t be such a sourpuss all the time!”
A flicker of a smile crosses Oda’s face. “I have some unfinished business to attend to with Kouyou, so Chuuya’s gonna take you two to our new place. But…” His smile turns into a frown, “he’ll be bringing along somebody who’s gonna stay with us from now on. You haven’t met them yet, but they’re a bit of a handful.” His gaze turns to Ryuunosuke. “Ryu, I’m counting on you to be civil, okay? They’ve gone through a lot, and I think with some proper love, they could really improve themselves a lot.”
He sighs. “I don’t know why you’re singling me out. I’m always polite.”
A snort from Gin. Ryuunosuke crosses his arms and ignores her.
・・・
Yumeno Kyusaku is the most rotten child on the face of the planet, Ryuunosuke thinks.
Gin doesn’t seem to think so. The child is an angel when they speak to her, though, so of course she wouldn’t. But Ryuunosuke doesn’t miss the smirks and stuck-out tongues he receives when her back is turned.
“Is he always like this?” He murmurs quietly.
Beside him, Chuuya sighs. “Unfortunately, yes. What happened to them was horrible, and now, they’re stuck in an unhealthy mindset.” His jaw clenches tightly. “Hopefully, a change of pace will help them. But keep in mind, they’re also only nine. They have yet to mature properly.” He raises an eyebrow. “You know, you still have some maturing to do, Akutagawa. You’re only sixteen.”
Ryuunosuke nearly trips over his own feet, sure his face is beet-red at this point. “I- I do not!” Chuuya’s already walking off, but Ryuunosuke can hear his snickers. With a grunt, he starts to run after him. “Chuuya-san! I do not!”
3 YEARS AGO
Kouyou leans in, a large smile on her face. The candles on the cake are extinguished in an instant, and the room is filled with the sound of laughter and cheers.
It’s more crowded than Ryuunosuke is used to. He’s spent the past year of his life lounging here, playing games with Gin and helping out with Yumeno, while Kouyou, Oda and Chuuya discussed the logistics of an Armed Detective Agency. Now, the six of them are crammed into the main room, but there are two more - a girl, blonde and energetic, named Higuchi Ichiyo, and a man with a boisterous laugh, named Kajii Motojiro. Ryuunosuke’s not quite sure how he feels about them yet. Higuchi keeps trying to touch him, which is both confusing and slightly annoying. He supposes Kajii is alright, but rather loud.
“We did it!” Gin says excitedly, pulling Ryuunosuke into a hug. “It’s really happening, Ryu. The Armed Detective Agency is officially up for business.”
He can’t help but smile, not when his arms are wrapped around his sister. The Armed Detective Agency has been a dream in the works for a year, and now, it’s finally happening. He can only imagine how happy Kouyou is.
“I know,” He replies, pulling back. “We have jobs now, Gin. Real jobs.”
“Hey, you two!” Oda’s voice calls out. Ryuunosuke turns around, smile only growing. “How’re you feeling? Excited for the new job?”
“This is… amazing, Oda.” He says, truthfully. “Really amazing.”
Gin nods beside him. “It’s perfect! We’re going to help so many people with this!”
Oda smiles. “I’m glad you two are happy. That’s what really matters.”
And, Ryuunosuke thinks, he really is happy. This moment is perfect. Gin by his side, smiling wide, and Oda in front of him, eyes nearly glistening. He feels a surge of emotion in his chest. This is it. They’ve been working toward this for… god, he remembers when this was just a pipe dream in their old apartment. Now, they’ve achieved it, and this moment is even more perfect than he’d imagined.
He wishes they could just stay like this forever.