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As far as days go, Decade falling out of a Veil and promptly collapsing in front of him is not the weirdest start Kenzaki Kazuma has ever had to one.
Not even close.
Kazuma assumes Decade didn’t intend for this to happen, but it did, so he sighs and lays back down on his sleeping bag. He misses Sakurako. Wishes going to her funeral was worth the risk.
It wasn’t. Kazuma has to focus on smaller mercies. He got to visit her grave, when Decade once again paused the battle fight for the duration of the Super Hero Taisen.
Dan Sakurako was obviously not his mother, not even his foster mother, but she was a good woman. She understood Kazuma.
And it was nice to not be little more than a hobo for a few years.
…All of which is not the point. The point is: Kazuma doesn’t want to deal with Decade. It’s spiteful and petty and lazy, but he knows Decade is an asshole at best, and a part of him can’t help but be jealous that Decade’s partners found an undo button that didn’t cost their souls.
(There’s no undoing what Kazuma chose, and that’s the point, but damn if it doesn’t hurt every day, all alone for eternity, knowing the one he loves is forever just out of reach for an exactly equal eternity.)
So why did an injured Decade show up in front of Kazuma?
Decade, eventually, groans awake and struggles to standing. He turns.
“Blade?” He asks. “Are you okay?”
“Just trying to sleep.”
Decade sighs, mumbling something which sounds suspiciously like “I hate World of Heroes”. He leans against the nearest surface, which happens to be a tree.
“Alright,” he says. “Tell me what language this country speaks if you can.”
Kazuma blinks.
“…Why?”
“Because I’m getting you an actual apartment,” Decade says as though it’s no big deal.
“WHAT?”
Decade sighs, covers his eyes, and somehow still manages to look like he’s glaring as Kazuma jumps to standing.
“Be quiet, if you could,” he says. “I’m trying to be nice.”
About three hours later, Kazuma is in a proper place to stay for the first time in several weeks.
It’s furnished.
And Decade is draped on the couch, once again covering his eyes and looking rather intimidating. That’s something that changed. To think the teen that sometimes stalked him turned into the monster that didn’t understand his purpose was to die and then turned into…
Well, a Rider with a never ending journey. They should start a club, now there’s a whole three of them. Four counting Eiji, but Eiji has an end point. And maybe even an end to his life upon success.
(Godai has a place to rest, a partner he can be happy with. But only for a time. Even if he never transforms again, Godai Yusuke could and very well may live forever.
Kazuma just knows he has to live forever.
Decade… might be in the same boat.)
“How… how?” Kazuma manages to ask.
“I think I’ve got about two hundred million Yen in my account on this World?” Decade says. “Money talks. And maybe a good job at convincing people of things help. That’s kind of my job.”
“Oh,” Kazuma says. “So is it just today or…”
“Six months,” Decade says. “It’s on me for crashing into you or whatever.”
“Thanks,” Kazuma says. He’s not sure he’ll ever understand Decade. Decade’s someone’s who should not exist. A monster by nature and yet he just keeps fixing things, in his own twisted ways.
And Kazuma had willingly condemned him to death as if he wasn’t here because he wanted to save his own monster. As though it wasn’t true that twice, because of Decade, Kazuma had gotten to reunite with Hajime for short moments.
“Give me just a minute,” Decade says. “And I’ll be on my way.”
“…Are you sure you’re alright?” Kazuma asks.
He’s not prepared for the response.
“When has that ever mattered to anyone?” Decade asks. “Not that I blame you, of course. Just the cost of a miracle. I’ll be fine, Blade.”
He stands. Stretches long and easy, like a cat, and leaves.
For the first time, it hits Kazuma what he and the others willing condemned Decade to become. Is it their own fault he fixes things in such twisted ways? Or is this just the nature of Rider.
Or is it both?
Kazuma doesn’t know. He really doesn’t want to deal with Decade.
But still, the guilt remains. Another thought to remain forever. This is all there is.