Archive of Our Own ^beta

“What is a person, do you think?”

Aki, “A human who can think and feel.”

“That is where you are wrong.” It chided. There was a perpetual fog surrounding it. Who was it that Aki was talking to? “A person is a memory.”

“Regardless of what you think, I’ll have to kill you.” Aki announced. There was a perpetual fog surrounding it. Who was it that Aki was talking to?

“Come in.” It pleaded. The perpetual fog opened. It looked like a door. “I will show you what it means to be a person.”

Who was it that Aki was talking to?

“Regardless of what you think, I’ll have to kill you.” Aki blinked. When his eyelids parted, he was inside of a house. Unsure of how he had arrived in said house, his stance immediately grew rigid. The last he recalled, he was tasked with hunting a devil. Whatever this house was, the devil Aki was after was involved. He tried to recall what Makima had assigned him to do, but his mind was blank. He thought of Makima’s face, sitting behind her desk, yellow eyes pronouncing every syllable. Did she really have yellow eyes? He forgot about what Makima had told him, so he moved on with a thumping heart. Slowly, he inched forward. The ground felt soft; he had taken his shoes off. When had he taken his shoes off? Aki licked his lips, because they were dry, and scanned the room he was in.

The house was floored with wood, and drywall held up the walls. It looked like a family house. Something big and spacious you’d find in the countryside. There was a couch, a fireplace, and a television. There were pictures, near the doorway that lead to another part of the house. Aki approached them with caution. Once he was close enough to comprehend the photos, he felt a sudden chill in his stomach. Every photo was of him, Power and Denji. To add to his fear, there were pictures of them when they were little. Aki and Denji in a bathtub together. Aki, little, holding a baby power, with horns on her head and bright red cheeks. Aki and Denji in the snow. Power and Denji going to school. All three of them under a Christmas tree.

Without his knowing, Aki’s hand reached out. He caressed the black picture frame of Denji and Power going to school, expression softening. His hand froze after a bit of stroking- he yanked it away with a fervor. What was he doing? Immediately, his shoulders raised, and his head began to whip around in alarm. Where was he, again? A family house? This had to have something to do with the devil Aki was hunting. He couldn’t allow himself to be vulnerable again.

That’s gotta be it. Aki thought firmly. It’s gotta have something to do with when I’m at my weakest. Why else would there be baby pictures of Power and Denji?

Aki looked around the rest of the bottom floor. He went into the kitchen, and found nothing suspicious. There was junk in the drawers, leftover side dishes Aki tended to make, and magnets on the fridge. Denji’s school schedule, Aki realized in confusion, was stuck on the fridge. The magnets spelled out, “POWAH”. There was a piece of paper under the P magnet. Power’s grades. She had done well this semester.

Is this guy trying to fuck with me? The more sentimental the house grew, the angrier Aki felt.

There was a bathroom downstairs too, but nothing was out of the ordinary either. The closet beside the bathroom door contained coats and a box of things like roller skates, jackets and birthday gift bags. Upstairs was equally as sentimental. Each sibling had their own room. They were both clean, perhaps on Aki’s behalf, and shared equally different aesthetics. Denji’s room was mostly black. He had a giant PC, and posters of sexy ladies littered his walls. He had anime figurines too, like Misato in a bikini and extremely detailed figures of Sailor Moon. There was a dog bed in Denji’s room. In Power’s room, things were alarmingly red. She had even painted the walls a horrific shade of red. She had a punching bag, a television, tissues and water bottles all over the floor, and a desk that was equally full of junk. Her walls had funny pictures of Denji, a photo of Aki where he looked extremely ugly, and a poster of a cat. Beneath said poster, there was a cat condo. Nyako was there, lounging on the top floor. Aki pet Nyako, and received a purr in response. Hours had passed of Aki searching the house, and nothing had happened. The strangest thing he’d been able to find was the outdoors. When he opened the front door, he was met with the vast expanse of the ocean. Waves crashed beneath the door. Aki was stuck in the family house, full of fake memories.

When he closed the door, he heard the Angel Devil’s voice. He was sitting at the first step of the stairs, his usual halo encircling him. His wings were caught on the step above. He looked at Aki as he spoke, “How was work?”

“Angel?” Aki was faintly surprised. “Did- Are you hunting that devil too? What the hell is this place?”

Angel took a moment to respond. “...I was. I don’t know what kind of devil it is, or what kind of power it is, but…”

He glanced at the pictures by the kitchen’s doorway. “It’s full of you.”

“Why are you here? Where are Power and Denji?” Aki asked.

“In this world, they’re away on a school trip. For two weeks.” Angel informed him. “We have the house for ourselves.”

“Is that really what you’re thinking about? The house to yourself?” Aki scoffed. “We need to find the devil, and soon. Whatever’s going on here…”
The pictures by the doorway.

“I’m not sure I’ll survive it.”

Angel leaned onto his knees. “We can relax today and work tomorrow. I already checked the whole house too. There’s nothing. No clues.”

Aki didn’t say anything. He crossed his arms and looked at the pictures. Angel put his head on his knees. “Aki.”

Aki, “Hm?”

“You can touch me in this world.”

Aki looked at him now. “Stop playing around.”

“I mean it.” Angel insisted. “Powers don't work here. You don’t even have your sword anymore.”

Aki’s hand flung to his back. The case of his sword was still there, but surely enough, the sword was gone. “How do you know all of this? Is there someone else you tested this on?”

“Obviously. Denji and Power before they left for their school trip.” Angel muttered.

Aki’s brows furrowed, “You actually touched them?! What if something had happened?!”

“Power slapped me on the forehead.” He pushed back his bangs to reveal the red mark of Power’s hand. “But nothing came up. Her lifespan didn’t shorten.”

“I guess we won’t have to be as careful anymore.” Aki didn’t care much whether or not he and Angel could touch each other. They didn’t touch much in the first place. He kept glancing around, looking for any evidence of a devil.

“Can you make me dinner, Aki?”

Aki did fix him dinner. He warmed up the previously stored side dishes, grilled whatever was leftover of the meat, and served it to Angel. Angel ate faithfully, didn’t offer any to Aki, and asked for ice cream when he finished. Aki checked, but all they had were empty tubs filled with leftovers too. Angel let out a mumble of complaint. He went to the living room, sprawled out on the sofa, and turned on the TV. Nothing was on. There was a gentle hum of white noise. Aki sat across from him in the armchair with one leg crossed over the other. It bounced restlessly.

“Stop bouncing your leg.” Angel complained.

“What kind of devil do you think this is?” Aki asked.
“Maybe the kind that bores us to death.” Angel replied. He looked up at Aki through red lashes. Aki’s eyebrows were furrowed, and he was biting on the inside of his cheek. Angel reached his fingers up to his tie, feeling hot. He loosened it, but didn’t stop there. Slowly, he began to unbutton his shirt.

“What’re you doing?” Aki demanded once he noticed.

“Do you like guys?” Angel asked. He undid the second button, and pulled the shirt back to reveal one of his nipples.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Aki snapped, snapping his head away. He felt the blood rushing to his cheeks, like it always did when Makima praised him, or Himeno used to undress. “I don’t- I don’t like guys, and I don’t feel like having sex either.”

“You’re so serious.” Angel huffed, and undid the third button. “I don’t like guys either. Come and touch me.”

Aki didn’t move. He refused to look in Angel’s direction, but he could hear his tiny grunts and upset huffs trying to get off all his clothes. He was so lazy, Aki mused in his mind, he must’ve been struggling to take his own clothes off. Angel would call for him under his breath, and the bounce in Aki’s leg only intensified. He bit his lip instead of his cheek. Finally, he gave into the increasingly erotic mood, and looked at Angel out of the corner of his eye. Aki had never found him particularly attractive before, but he looked undeniably seductive with his clothes half off. He had managed to button away his shirt, and was toying with his belt. His wings were folded against the couch, and the gentle eminition of light from his halo highlighted the redness of his nipples. Could he really be touched without cutting Aki’s lifespan in two?

“Come help me…” Angel mumbled. “I can’t get the belt off.”

Aki felt an undeniable hunger in his stomach. He was surely hungry. He hadn’t eaten in… In… When had he eaten last? The hunger was surely affecting his brain. That’s why he positioned himself above Angel and was trying to yank his belt off.

“Is this shit glued on?” Aki tugged at it a final time, and the belt was gone. Angel lifted his hips, and Aki pulled down his pants so quickly that Angel was jerked towards him.

“Don’t be so desperate.” Angel chided, his voice breathy.

“Can I really touch you?” Aki asked.

“I promise you can.” Angel assured. He picked up one of Aki’s hands, and placed it on his chest. Aki felt every drop of blood in his body rush to his crotch. Angel, “My nipples are sensitive. Like a girl’s. You can pretend I’m a girl, if that’s what you want.”

“If you don’t like guys, why…?” Aki asked, heaving at this point. He was so hungry.

“I’ve never touched anyone like this.” Angel murmured. “I want to feel close to someone again.”

“And that’s through sex?” Aki went on. He rubbed his thumb over the nub of Angel’s nipple. He gasped. His hips, pressed against Aki’s, rubbed against him. Aki almost felt uncomfortable, the way the two hard things were rubbing against each other. It was hurting, actually.

“Sex, hugging, kissing…” Angel moaned. He wrapped his arms around Aki’s neck. Aki put his arms around Angel’s waist. “Do it all with me before we find the devil, Aki. Touch me. We can pretend none of it ever happened once we’re out of here.”

Angel’s skin was supple. Aki’s hands were callused, and they seemed to tickle Angel’s waist as Aki ran his hands up and down the line of his body. He giggled and writhed. Every move he made had Aki feeling a hundred times hornier. He rubbed harder against Angel, and the two began to pant. Aki decided he’d follow up on Angel’s request. He picked his head up, and placed his face a few inches away from Angel’s. Angel’s cheeks were blushed. His face was matted with sweaty red hair. Aki’s mouth was opened, panting into Angel’s own opened mouth. They looked at each other for a while, before Angel whined, and Aki felt like kissing him.

After a while, Aki had Angel on his lap, bouncing up and down. He kissed his neck with a fervor. He almost felt guilty, having sex for hours like this. How long had it been since Himeno died? He asked Angel, as he played with his nipples, and Angel threw his head back and moaned.

“Who’s…” He panted. “Who’s Himeno?”

Aki’s brows furrowed. He bit Angel’s shoulder, and he let out a loud moan. He didn’t bite him because he was mad he didn’t know her- The two had never met before. But, the more he thought about it, the more Himeno’s face was a mystery to him. Had it really been so long? Aki’s face contorted. “Who am I talking about?”

“Aki, be quiet… Aki, touch me…” Angel whined, guiding one of Aki’s mean hands to his member. One of Angel’s skinny arms was thrown back, holding onto Aki’s neck. Aki buried his nose into Angel’s shoulder and began to stroke him.

They went to what Aki presumed was his room and Aki fucked him into the bed. Angel requested for him to do so, to press his head into the mattress and do it hard, but Aki suddenly felt bad. Angel had asked earlier for Aki to hold him. Aki slowed his pace, turned him around, and kissed him on the cheek. Tears welled up in Angel’s eyes. He put his arms around Aki’s neck, and Aki hugged him as he finished. Afterwards, Angel had fallen asleep. His skin was stuck to Aki’s. Aki figured there was no point in trying to pull away from him. He glanced around the room. His room was almost all white. It was empty. There were no pictures. All he had was his bed.

He looked back at Angel. He was sleeping so peacefully. The ever permanent halo made every gorgeous feature of his face so much more prominent. Sweat was stuck to his face, and Aki thought his breath smelled bad. He reached up his hand, and with his fingertips, carved out Angel’s face again, moving away every strand and clump of red hair. Who else was it, that had red hair? He recalled asking Angel about someone on the couch. He closed his eyes, and thought hard, but nobody came to mind. He wondered instead when Power and Denji would be back from school.

In the morning, Aki decided to scour the outside. He’d swim around and look for something to get them out of there. Angel tagged along. The two of them opened the door, and looked at the winding expanse of the ocean. Aki had taken off his socks, and changed into swim shorts he found in Denji’s closet. Angel didn’t want to swim, so he had Power’s pajamas on, that were still too big for him. He leaned against the doorway, and watched Aki wade into the water.

“I don’t know if you’ll find anything.” Angel warned.

“I’d find something if you’d come and help me. Maybe your halo can illuminate underwater.” Aki shot back. Angel sighed, and began taking his clothes off.

“I’ll help if you can find me some icecream…” Angel muttered, and stripped until he was in his boxers. Aki watched him do it.

“There’s no possible way for us to get any icecream.” Aki denied.

“Help me, Aki, I’m short.” Angel outstretched his arms. Aki almost glared at him.

“I’m not carrying you.” Aki refused. “Just fly.”

“I don’t want to.” Angel complained. “Pick me up. I’m gonna drown once I get in.”

Aki clicked his tongue, whirled around and held out his arms for Angel to jump into. Angel sat on the ledge of the doorway, and slipped himself off until Aki caught him. Angel put his arms around him, and Aki went back to wading through the water.

“I can’t swim like this.” Aki warned. “Can you swim?”

“You should’ve asked me before you told me we should go take a swim.” Angel accused. He frowned at Aki, and took a while to answer his question. “...I can’t swim.”

“Get on my back then, and put your arms around my neck.” Aki told him. After sighing, Angel complied, and the two continued to search the water. After a while, Aki did have to swim, and they were diving more frequently. He’d hold his breath for minutes at a time, sea salt stinging his eyes as he searched the ocean floors for any evidence of a devil. Angel would slap his shoulder repetitively until Aki went up for air.

“Stop that!” Aki snapped.

“I can’t breathe for that long!” Angel yelled.

“And I can barely swim with you on my back!” Aki shouted back.

“Let’s go back!” Angel pleaded. “You won’t find anything!”

“Just shut up!” Aki replied, and they dove and resurfaced for what must’ve been hours. Finally, Angel threatened to drown himself if Aki did not return, so they went back to the house. Aki pushed Angel onto the ledge, and Angel helped Aki back up. They sat and watched the waves crash against the house. Tired, Angel leaned his head onto Aki’s arm.

“Sorry you couldn’t find anything.” Angel mumbled. Aki didn’t say anything.

“Last night,” He began. “I mentioned someone when we were on the couch. What was the name I said?”

“I don’t know.” Angel grumbled. “Your dick was poking through my stomach and that was my only concern.”

Aki blushed, and looked up at the ceiling. Angel smiled at his successful Aki-teasing. “Can I do it tonight?”

“Do what?!” Aki demanded.

“Stick it inside?”

They went back inside and did exactly what Angel requested. When they finished, Angel wanted to sleep, so Aki went to look at Denji and Power’s rooms. Nyako followed him, dancing around his legs. He went to Denji’s room first. It was the same as yesterday. He opened his drawers, and they were full of papers, wrappers and junk. He sat on Denji’s bed. He looked under his pillow, and there was more trash there. There was also a picture of Aki, Power and Denji as kids. He stared at that picture for a long time. The three of them were at the beach, posing as someone took their picture. Did they have a mother? An older sibling? Who had taken these photos?

“What’re you doing?”

Angel was at the doorway. Aki looked up at him, “Denji has a picture of us as children.”

Angel sat beside Aki and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “What do you think we are, in this world?”

“Maybe you got sent here accidentally.” Aki suggested. “There aren’t any pictures of you.”

“Well I think we’re married and raising Denji and Power together.” Angel yawned. He laughed at what he said, and put his head against Aki’s arm. Aki ended up laughing too.

“I think it’s not a devil. I think it’s some kind of test Makima made for us.” Angel said.

Aki looked down at Angel, leaning against his arm. He was using Power’s pajamas again. Her shirt was slipping off his shoulder. He furrowed his brows, “Who’s Makima?”

Angel looked up at Aki in confusion. He opened his mouth, as though he had the answer, but nothing came out. He coughed. Then, he started to laugh again. “Right? Who is Makima?”

Aki laughed too, “Are you just making stuff up?”

“I guess I am.” Angel kept laughing. “I think I really am.”

Angel thought it was too funny. He fell back on the bed, an arm thrown over his face as he laughed. Aki followed. He propped himself on top of Angel, and began listing off names.

Aki, “Kishibe.”

Angel’s eyes twinkled. He shook his head.

Angel, “Quanxi.”

Aki was holding back his laughter. He shook his head.

Aki, “Kobeni.”

Angel’s hands flew up to his mouth, covering them.

Angel, “Taiyo.”

Aki grinned, letting out a snort. He shook his head.

Aki, “...I can’t think of anyone else.”

The two fell into a fit of laughter. The next morning, Aki noticed the pictures by the kitchen doorway as he went to make breakfast for Angel. There was a picture of him and Angel, arms linked, in front of a church. Suddenly, Aki remembered. That was when he and Angel had gotten married. He smiled at the photo. It had been a happy day. Power was the flower girl, and Denji ate the wedding cake’s topper. He made breakfast in a good mood, and Angel appeared in the kitchen as he did.

“I had a dream about our wedding.” Angel yawned as he walked over to Aki, hugging his waist.

“Did you?” Aki caressed his head. He turned the bacon in the pan onto its backside, and leaned down to kiss Angel.

“Mhm. But it was weird.” Angel went back to hugging his waist after their kiss. “I kept seeing this girl. She had a chain on her forehead. She was my friend, I think, but she was always staring at me… Kiss me again, Aki, the dream scared me.”

Aki did kiss him again. “Denji and Power should be back soon.”

“Mm.” Angel agreed. “Are you going to work today?”

“Did you forget it’s Christmas? My boss gave us the week off.” Aki teased.

“Really?” Angel looked up at him, smiling. “We should spend the whole week trying for a baby.”

“Should we?” Aki picked up a finished piece of bacon, and tore off a little piece with his teeth. He leaned down and fed it to Angel. Angel smiled as he chewed, and stood on his tiptoes to kiss Aki again. “I think you should have the baby.”

Aki put Angel on the counter and took off all his clothes. The two ate as they fucked, sharing food through sloppy kisses and licking each other’s fingers. Angel suggested they should do it in the ocean, just because he felt like it, and Aki wouldn’t refuse him. They opened the door and Aki held him against the house as he did it in the water. Eventually, things slowed down, and Angel hugged Aki as they looked out at the ocean.

“Were we supposed to leave our house?” Angel asked.

“Why would we?” Aki asked, kissing his cheek. “We bought this house together.”

“How will we get to the supermarket?” Angel said suddenly. “Or buy ice cream? How will Denji and Power get here?”

Aki looked at Angel like he was ridiculous. “Like we always do. What’s wrong? Are you feeling okay?”

“Aki…” Angel met Aki’s gaze. He studied his face for a moment. He lifted his hands up and caressed Aki’s face. “How am I touching you?”

“Are you in disbelief that I'm your husband?” Aki grinned.

Angel wondered when the last time was that he saw Aki smile. Aki kissed him, and the confusion seemed to melt away. Aki had always smiled like this. He was always happy. Angel loved him for his serious nature that hid his playful outlook on life. Aki was always teasing and playing. Angel suddenly smiled. He ran his fingers through Aki’s hair and pressed their foreheads together.

“What is it?” Aki asked gently. “Are you upset?”

“Have you ever made me upset?” Angel teased. “I’m sorry. I think… I think I’m just tired.”

“Mm.” Aki agreed. “I didn’t let you sleep well.”

“More like I didn’t let you.” Angel poked his stomach. Aki blushed.

Power and Denji arrived that night with stories of their school trip. They threw their things on the floor. Aki scolded them as he picked up their things. Power flopped on top of Angel, who was watching the static on the TV.

“Angel, tell Aki not to bother me!” Denji declared dramatically. “I’m tired of him already and I just got here!”

“Aki, don’t bother Denji.” Angel scolded, patting Power’s butt. “Get off of me. I’m trying to watch a show.”

“Tis no show better than Power’s love!” Power shrieked, kicking her legs in excitement. “Did you miss me, human?!”

“Nope.” Angel denied.

Power slid off of Angel, uninterested in him very suddenly. “Where is Nyako?! Nyako, I’m home! Only cats understand my love!”

Power ran upstairs. Aki tried to get her to take the bags, but she was already gone. Denji sat beside Angel, and started picking his nose. Angel poked Denji’s side with his toe, and Denji let out a shriek.

“Leave me alone!” He screamed. “I don’t like dudes or feet!”

“I like dudes and feet.” Angel replied, and shoved his foot into Denji’s side. He screamed again, but didn’t get up to move. “Go away. I want to sit with the eldest Hayakawa.”

“I’m the eldest Hayakawa.” Denji said proudly. “Aki’s dead! I’m in total control of the house now! I’m the head! The man! I make all the decisions now!”

“I’m leaving then.” Angel announced. “If you’re the eldest Hayakawa, that means I’m married to you.”

“WHAT?!” Denji shrieked.

As they fought, Aki watched from behind the couch. He shook his head in disapproval, smiling. At least they were all together again. He glanced at the pictures on the wall. He noticed another picture. It was Aki in a hospital bed. He had his thumbs up. Power was holding a balloon. “NO MORE CANCER!” It looked like she had written it on with a sharpie. Denji was making bunny ears behind Aki’s head. Angel was in bed with Aki, but it was very obvious that Aki was the patient in the situation. Suddenly, Aki remembered that day. Pulling the ventilator from his nostrils for the first time in so long was the greatest relief he’d ever felt in his life.

“That’s how it goes. If there’s no Aki Hayakawa, I marry Denji Hayakawa, and if there’s no Denji Hayakawa, I marry Power Hayakawa.” Angel explained. Denji shot up from the couch and started yelling at Aki.

“Tell your man to leave me alone! He’s tickling me with his feet and saying he’s my husband!” Denji demanded, running to hide behind Aki.

“He’s being honest. It’s in the contract. Once the chemo stops working, Angel has to stay a Hayakawa somehow.” Aki joked, and Denji’s horrified expression changed to an upset one. He punched Aki’s side.

“That’s not funny…” Denji muttered. Aki put his arm around Denji’s shoulder and squeezed.

“I’m kidding.” Aki reassured him. “The chemo will never stop working. Big brother will always be here.”

“Mch.” Denji clicked his teeth, and hugged Aki’s waist. Power came running down the stairs, and Denji immediately flew off of Aki. “Whatever. I wanna watch a movie. Angel, put something on.”

“Movie!” Power yelled, Nyako in arm. “I want to watch the Titanic!”

She sat on the other couch, where Angel and Denji weren’t sitting, and bounced up and down in her seat. “Titanic please! I want to see Leonardo Di’Caprio! Right now!”

“I don’t wanna watch that dumb shit movie for the nineteenth time!” Denji complained. Aki poked Denji away, and took his place by Angel. Very gratefully, Angel put his feet on Aki.

“Put the DVD for it in.” Angel told Power. “I don’t wanna get up.”

“You do it, Denji!” Power yelled.

“I’m only getting up to put Dragon Ball!” Denji shouted back.

“No, no Dragon Ball! Tis for losers and nerds who never felt a breast!” Power shouted.

“Stop talking about breasts!” Aki scolded.

Around twelve, everyone went to bed. Power begged to sleep with Aki and Angel, but Angel threatened to drown himself if she tried to. She cried to Denji, who sent her away too. Eventually, both Power and Denji arrived in Aki and Angel’s room to sleep. Aki very gladly made room for them. Power rambled to Angel about her latest murderous conquests. Angel pretended to listen, nodding and saying “uh-huh.” While they were talking, Denji very secretly put his head on Aki’s chest.

“Aki.” He said.

“Mm.” Aki replied.

“Are you gonna die?” Denji asked. Aki lifted up a hand to rub his back.

“I’m never gonna die.” Aki swore. He grinned at Denji, “Unless you want to marry Angel.”

“Denji’s gonna marry Angel?!” Power shot up. Angel rolled onto his side to face the siblings.

“Yeah. If Denji dies, I’ll marry Power.” Angel said.

“No!” Power shrieked. “You’re the last person on Earth I wanna marry!”

“Well, if you stay here, your brother is going to intoxicate you with his farts, effectively killing him and Denji, and that’ll only leave us, and we’ll have to get married, or else I won’t be a Hayakawa anymore.” Angel explained. Power’s eyes opened so wide they almost fell out of her sockets. She shoved Angel away from her and ran off the bed.

“No way I’ll every marry a human! Much less my brother’s disgusting, rude and annoying husband!” Power screamed. She pulled on Denji’s foot. “Get up! We have to go to bed without Aki! Do you wanna marry Angel?!”

“Obviously Angel’s joking!” Denji shouted, but Power refused to leave him with Angel. She dragged him off the bed by his foot- he fell with a loud thump, and kicked Power’s hand away from him. He grabbed her hair and yanked it. Power kicked him in the side.

“Stop it! Stop fighting!” Aki shouted. “Go to your rooms! It’s almost one am!”

“Oh my god…” Angel complained.

Denji and Power fought their way out of the door. They yelled at each other, and their respective doors to their rooms were slammed shut. Aki let out a loud sigh.

“I don’t know what they’ll do when I’m gone.” Aki mumbled.

“You won’t be gone.” Angel rolled over until he was by Aki’s side. “You’re gonna grow old with me. We still have to have babies. Denji and Power are gonna get married and start their own families too. You have to see that.”

“It’s hurting more everyday.” Aki confessed, and wrapped Angel in his arms. Angel hugged his neck.

“So what… Fight it…” Angel told him. “I don’t care if you suffer. I have to be a Hayakawa forever.”

“Do you want to go swim?” Aki whispered to him instead of staying on the subject of his cancer. Angel didn’t say anything. For some reason, he felt like they really had to swim. “Come on. Let’s go swim.”

Angel reluctantly went. He held Aki’s hand, and they stripped at the door and went into the water. Angel didn’t go in. He stood at the doorway and hung his head. Aki could see the tears dripping from behind his red hair.

“Angel.” Aki called. “Come on! Come swim. You’ll feel better.”

Angel shook his head.

“We’ve gotta swim, Angel.” Aki felt as though he had something to look for. He waded through the water, looking around. “I need you to help me…”

He put his head under the water. Despite it being pitch black, he still looked. When he resurfaced, he muttered. “We’ve gotta get out of here… Denji and Power…”

At the door, Angel started to sob. He cried and hicked. “Aki…” He wailed. “Aki, come on… Get out of there…”

Aki ignored him. He kept looking around. He had to find it. He had to get out of here.

“Aki!” Angel sobbed. “Aki, come on! You have to get out of the water!”

Aki could hear distant footsteps from inside the house. Were Power and Denji coming down? They could help him search, since Angel didn’t want to.

“Angel!” It was Denji’s voice. He grabbed Angel’s arm, and pulled him away from the door.

“You fool! Aki died years ago!” Power cried. She started to cry as she picked up Angel’s clothes from the water. “He isn’t here! He’ll never be here!”

“Don’t yell at him, Power!” Denji snapped. He hugged Angel, looking uncomfortable that he was naked. After a moment, he forgot about Angel’s nudity, and tears welled in his eyes too. “He doesn’t get it… Don’t be mad at him… He’s still a Hayakawa…”

“Put clothes on!” Power shouted. “Put them on and don’t come back to the water! Aki isn’t here!”

Aki watched the scene from afar. He wanted to go over. He wanted to ask what they meant. He was obviously still here. He and Angel had come down to the water together. Pochita appeared at the door, rubbing his head against Angel’s leg. Power slammed the door shut. Aki slowly began to move. Then, he was tripping over the water, trying to push against it and run towards the door. He reached up and tried to bang on it, but his arms were too short. He could only hit the ledge of the house with the top of his fist. No noise could be heard.

“Angel!” He tried shouting. The water was rising. “Angel! Open the door! Angel, I’m still out here! Come on… Come on! I’m not dead, Angel! Come back! The door!”

The water had risen to Aki’s chin. He started to scream. “The door, Angel! Open it! I’m gonna die! I’m gonna die!”

The water was above Aki’s eyes now. He tried to swim, to grab onto the house, but there was nothing he could hold onto. He fought to keep his head up, but the water just kept rising. Eventually, the door did open. Aki tried to resurface his head, but he could only catch glimpses of who was at the door. He couldn’t raise his arms, or swim hard enough to stay above the water. There was a woman at the door. She had yellow eyes. Bangs fell in front of her face.

“Hayakawa!” Aki could hear his name being called, but it wasn’t him the voice was looking for. The woman at the door looked over her shoulder. “Nayuta Hayakawa! I’ve called you like five times! Your old man’s on the phone! Says he hit his head or something. Should we go to the hospital?”

Nayuta looked at the person, then out at the ocean. “How are we supposed to see him?”

Finally, Aki couldn’t struggle anymore. The fight was lost. He allowed for the water to submerge him.

Aki gasped awake until he choked on air. He shot up in bed, eyes wide, and began to cough. “Angel…”

“You’re awake.” A woman with red hair was beside him. She had yellow eyes, like the woman with black hair. Like Nayuta.

“Nayuta?” He tried asking her. “Nevermind. Where’s Angel? Denji, Power, where are they? They closed the door. I couldn’t get in. I… Where…”

Aki looked around. He was in a tiny room. The walls were a bright color of pristine white. They looked like his bedroom. He checked to see if it really was his bedroom, but the bed wasn’t his bed. It was tiny. Was it the cancer? Did he pass out and have to get admitted again? That had to be it.

“The chemo, am I here for chemotherapy? Did the cancer come back?” Aki asked the woman, but she didn’t look like a doctor. She had a suit and tie on. She looked at Aki with a conflicted smile.

“Aki… Chemotherapy?” She tilted her head. “What are you talking about?”

“...” Aki blinked. “Where’s Angel?”

“He must be on a case.” She shrugged.

“Are you a doctor?” Aki asked. The woman looked confused.

“...What is it that you’re talking about?” She asked.

“Fuck.” Aki muttered. “Angel! My husband! I need to see him!”

“Husband?” She laughed, eyebrows raising. “Aki… Is this that devil you fought? Have you been possessed?”

“My husband! Bring him to me right now!”

The woman left, promising to bring Angel to him. After a few hours of Aki biting his nails, the door opened, and the woman arrived with Angel in tow. Aki brightened immediately. He looked at the IV drip on his arm, and pulled out the needles. He got up, and despite his wobbling legs, went to hug Angel.

“Angel, why’d you close the door?” Aki felt like crying. “You locked me out. I thought I was dead.”

“Aki, you’re hugging me!” Angel cried. He was trying to pull his head away from Aki as much as he possibly could. “Stop it! Let go! Your lifespan, it’ll decrease, Aki!”

He shoved Aki away. Hurt, Aki stood in confusion, looking at Angel. Angel looked wildly panicked.

“What if you’d touched my skin?! You could’ve died, you stupid asshole!” Angel hit his chest. He had gloves on. Aki looked down. He had gloves on too.

“Cloth…” He suddenly recalled. “I can touch you through cloth? Angel, what the hell is this? Where are we? This woman, she isn’t a doctor? Didn’t I come back for chemotherapy?”

Angel’s eyebrows furrowed. “Chemotherapy?”

Aki felt his stomach ice over. He stepped towards Angel, “Chemotherapy, Angel, for my cancer. Where are Power and Denji? Did they go to school today? Did you make them lunch?”

“Aki, stop it!” Angel pleaded. “You’re freaking me out!”

“You’re freaking me out!” Aki cried back. “What do you mean you don’t know about my chemotherapy?! Why can’t I touch you?! Where the hell are we?!”

“We’re at a hospital, Aki! You don’t- You don’t have cancer! Power and Denji don’t go to school!” Angel yelled. “You can’t touch me because I’m a devil and my abilities decrease your lifespan!”

Aki let out a shaky sigh. He felt like crying even more now. He looked between Angel and the woman. “Who is she?”

“That’s Makima, you idiot!” Angel frowned. “What the hell, Aki? Is it the devil you fought? What kind of piece of shit did this to you?!”

“Angel… Angel, you’re wrong. We’re married. Do you not remember?” Aki begged. “What happened? I thought you were still at the house!”

“What house?!”

Aki’s feelings of helplessness turned into anger. He grabbed Angel’s hand and pulled him along. Angel tried to yank himself away, but Aki’s grip was fatal. He walked through Kyoto until he could see the beach, and Angel eventually gave up struggling. Aki let go of his hand once they reached the water. Shoes on and all, he waded in.

“Aki, where are you going?!”

“Our house, Angel!” Aki yelled. “The one you locked me out of! I’m going to our fucking house!”

He went in deeper, until he had to swim. He kept swimming straight. Angel couldn’t bear to watch it anymore- he went in after Aki, calling for him to come back.

“There’s no house, Aki! We’re not married! We’re not even dating!” Angel pleaded with him, tears welling up in his eyes. “Nothing happened between us! We don’t have a house together!”

“Then what do we have?!” Aki shouted back. The water was lapping against his chest. “If we don’t have a house, and we’re not married, and there’s no Power and Denji, what do we have?!”

The sun was setting behind Aki. It illuminated Angel’s skin. Orange and yellow mixed into his skin tone, reflecting the sky. The colors glistened in his tears. Aki felt his heart squeeze. He looked like he did when he was naked. “There’s nothing between us, Aki! We don’t have a life together!”

“You’re lying!” Aki’s voice was shaking. “You’re lying and I know you’re lying!”

“I’m not!” Angel sobbed. “Get out of the water, Aki, go home! Stop doing this!”

“We got married!” Aki called back. “The third of April, we got married at a church! Power was the flower girl and Denji ate the wedding cake topper! Denji and Power go to a high school near our house! Pochita and Nyako are our pets! We work at an office and raise Denji and Power together! Power always makes us watch the Titanic, and there’s a ton of pictures of us near the kitchen doorway, and we’re the Hayakawas! All four of us, we’re a family!”

“What’s the highschool called?” Angel asked, tears streaking down his face.

“What?” Aki was breathless from shouting.

“What is the highschool that Denji and Power go to called?!” Angel shouted.

“The highschool… It’s… That…” Aki bit his lip. What was their high school called? “How is that important?!”

“What street did we live on?” Angel went on. “What company do we work for?”

Aki didn’t know what street they lived on either, or the company they worked for. “Stop it, Angel!”

“Pochita isn’t around.” Angel finally said. “You’ve never met Pochita. He’s dead. He’s the Chainsaw Devil. He lives inside of Denji’s heart. He’s not the family dog. Denji and Power aren’t Hayakawas. We never got married, Aki.”

Aki flung his hands up to his ears and pressed his palms tight against them. “Shut up! You’re lying!”

“Get out of the water, Aki!” Angel pleaded. “Please, you have to get out!”
“Angel…” He sobbed. “Angel, please… Stop it…”

Angel trudged through the water towards Aki. His head was almost submerged by the time he reached him, and he had to swim to stay afloat. He wrapped his arms around Aki’s torso, and hugged him.

“Please, get out of the water Aki…” Angel pleaded in a whisper. “Please get out…”

Angel took Aki to his apartment. Denji and Power were waiting for him. Aki got to hug them, at least. He went to his bed after Denji and Power confirmed they didn’t go to school, and that Pochita lived in Denji’s heart, and that they lived in an apartment in the city, not a house on the ocean. He stayed in bed for weeks, and refused to work. Makima visited one day, per Denji’s request.

“He’s a lost cause.” Makima hummed. She poured herself a bit of tea that Power had tried to make her.

“Whaddaya mean lost cause?” Denji demanded, sitting at the coffee table.

“He was tasked to kill the Memory Devil.” Makima explained. “He doesn’t remember anything from this life, I believe. The Memory Devil works more like memory loss. He had another life in the Memory Devil’s world. One where you were all siblings, and grew up together. Lived in a house on the ocean… Hehehe… He was even married to Angel.”

Makima began to laugh. She laughed so hard, she spat her tea back into her cup. “Oh, god!”

She wiped tears from her eyes. “Married to Angel! Can you believe that? He thinks he and Angel got married in a church!”

Makima laughed so much, she bent over and pressed her head against the table. She laughed and laughed. Denji and Power felt strangely unsettled by her laughter. They weren’t laughing. They didn’t find anything funny.

“So… Is the Devil dead?” Denji asked.

“Of course it is.” Makima sighed, wiping tears from her eyes again. “Of course. It was a tiny little thing. I crushed it with my foot.”

“So Aki’s gonna get better?” Power prompted.

Makima pursed her lips back into a smile. She was done laughing. She took another sip of tea. “I believe the best course of action would be to leave him in a Public Safety Facility.”

Power and Denji, unsure of what else to do, went to the Public Safety building to find Angel. Coincidentally, he was waiting in front of the building, sitting on the stairs. It was raining. Angel stuck his hand out and received the raindrops in his palm.

“Hello, Angel!” Power cried. “We must talk, urgently!”

Angel blinked up at them. “...Is this about Aki?”

The two exchanged glances, and nodded.

“He won’t get out of bed.” Denji explained. “Makima thinks we should put him in a public safety facility. He doesn’t get better even if we feed him and sleep with him. Maybe if he sees you, and you pretend he’s your like, husband for a little, he’ll feel better?”

Angel turned his head and looked down the street. A car ran by. Water shot up after it, and it narrowly avoided Denji and Power’s shoes. Angel shook his head, “I don’t want to.”

“Come on! Please!” Denji asked again.

“We’re hungry! He doesn’t want to make us any more food!” Power pleaded.

“Make your own food.” Angel waved them off.

“Why don’t you wanna help!? You guys are buddies!” Denji insisted.

“He thinks we’re married.” Angel reminded him. Denji scratched the back of his neck. If a guy thought he was married to him, Denji wouldn’t go to see him either.

“Alright, whatever…” Denji gave up. “He’ll just go live in a public safety facility…”

Power and Denji returned home unsuccessful. They didn’t say anything to each other regarding Aki. Denji put on TV, and they watched it with growling stomachs. Later that night, near ten, there was a knock on the door.

“Who is it?!” The two teenagers called. They fought over who got to open the door. Power won, and Denji shoved her head in anger. Behind the door, Angel was standing. He was drenched from the rain.

“Angel!” Denji’s mouth fell open.

“I came to see Aki.”

As Denji had mentioned, Aki was stuck in bed. He hadn’t gotten up in quite some time. The sheets were a mess. Clothes and plates of empty food scattered the floor. Trash filled up his bedside. Angel, sopping wet, sat beside Aki. Water from his hair dripped onto Aki’s face, and he glanced up to see Angel leaning over him.

“Angel.” He rasped.

Angel scrunched his nose. “Your breath stinks.”

“Why did you close the door, Angel?” Aki asked him, reaching a hand up to touch Angel’s chest. “If you hadn’t, I would’ve stayed with you. We would’ve been happy together. We wouldn’t have come to this place.”

“...The house you lived in was fake, Aki.” Angel whispered. “You fought a Memory Devil. Do you remember that? Its abilities include memory loss. It’s got a whole thing of proving to people that memories make you human. It had you forget everything from this life.”

Tears slipped from the corners of Aki’s eyes. “Denji and Power tell me everyday. But I don’t want to believe it.”

“You have to, Aki.” Angel muttered. He reached a gloved hand up to hold Aki’s hand in his, stopping him from caressing his chest. “You have to believe it. Makima’s going to get rid of you if you keep acting like this.”

“Won’t you marry me in this life?” Aki asked.

“I can’t.” Angel refused. “I can’t ever marry you.”

“If you marry me in this life, then I don’t care. I’ll send Power and Denji to school. We’ll work at Public Safety and fight… fight demons… Right? It’ll almost be the same.” Aki pleaded.

“I think I have someone I love.” Angel said.

“You think?” Aki replied.

“I don’t remember anymore.” Angel felt like he was choking up.

“Make it me.” Aki begged. “Pretend it’s me that you love. You said… At the house… That I could touch you without your lifespan shortening. Or my lifespan, right? And that… you wanted to feel warmth… And close to someone again…”

Angel was choking up. He ducked his head so Aki couldn’t see his tears.

“I can touch you again.” Aki said. “I’ll put on gloves, a mask. Let me touch you again, Angel.”
Finally, Angel nodded. He nodded so hard, his neck hurt. “Touch me. I want to feel close to someone again. You can touch me, and after… After this, you can’t touch me ever again, and you have to run away from here so that Makima can’t get you and you won’t die.”

“I don’t care about that.” Aki shook his head. “I don’t care if I die. I want to be with you. And Denji, and Power. It doesn’t matter if I die.”

“You’re stupid.” Angel wept quietly. “You’re so stupid.”

Angel cut a hole through his pants, and Aki put a condom on that he found in the piles of trash. They kept all their clothes on. They both wore masks, so that they could kiss and press their faces together. Angel put his hands around Aki’s neck, and they kissed through the mask as Aki went in him. Angel let out a breathy moan. The sex wasn’t like Aki remembered. They fucked so passionately on the couch, the counter, the bed, the water. Angel was crying. The room smelled. Aki couldn’t feel the sweet smooth of Angel’s skin. He felt like he was going to die inside of him.

“Are you crying?” Angel whispered to him.

“Am I?” Aki asked. He was. He saw his tears drip onto Angel’s cheeks. He wasn’t hard anymore. Angel wasn’t either. He studied Angel’s face, and hugged him tight. He didn’t pull out of him, or make any effort to move. Angel cried into his shoulder.

Aki went back to work. He made food for Denji and Power. Occasionally, when Angel asked, he’d get him ice cream. The two of them would sit on the bench outside the ice cream store, and Angel would put his head on Aki’s arm, like he used to. Angel would apologize.

“I’m sorry I can’t kiss you.” Angel murmured. His appetite would go away every time he said that. “Or love you.”

“You can kiss me.” Aki assured him. He pressed his lips to the vanilla ice cream Angel was licking, then pushed the cone towards Angel’s mouth. Angel felt his heart squeeze. He kissed the ice cream too, and felt like crying.

“That’s all I need.” Aki smiled at him.

Whenever Aki went on a case, Angel would hug him tight when he came back. He’d kiss him through his sleeve, through a napkin, through a blanket. All the kisses were his apologies. When Angel didn’t have any arms, and Aki came to visit him, he tied the sleeves of their jackets together and kiss him quite affectionately through his hospital bed sheet. Power and Denji watched Aki look out the window, lamenting in their apartment. They knew he was thinking about Angel. When Angel and Aki went to the beach, intending to visit Makima, Aki kissed the mouth of the flask Angel drank from. Angel kissed it too.