Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hyuse sighed internally for what felt like the hundredth time that day. He just had to accept the role as House Leader. No one told him it would involve this much paperwork! Was he still complaining about the same thing even though he's been doing it for well over three years? Yes! And he wasn't ashamed to admit it! No one likes paperwork except whiny little babies who can't handle front line work - or even just military work for that matter - but still feel like they need to help. Were these kind of people important sometimes? Absolutely, if there was one thing Hyuse learned from living among the other Aftokratians in training, it was that you don't trust those meatheads with important documents.

Quickly moving the pen - which he most definitely didn't steal from Kido on his last trip to Meeden - across the bottom of yet another sheet, the House leader blinked a few times. Bringing the back of the hand he was writing with up to his eyes, he rubbed them. He didn't get very much sleep last night as Yuma had returned home very late from a mission he took with his platoon to give them some experience. The rest of the governing body didn't like Yuma very much considering he was a foreigner who just randomly appeared one day next to one of their enhanced trigger users. So they gave him a team of inexperienced, rowdy children who didn't like to listen to anyone. It was basically the lowest of the low.

Yet their leader, his husband, Hyuse noted with no small amount of satisfaction and smugness, was basically at the top of the food chain on Afto. He could easily kick almost anyone's ass, but he didn't out of sheer kindness and thoughtfulness for Hyuse's position. Did the others frankly deserve a good ass kicking? Abso-fucking-lutely.

With a shake of his hand in an attempt to help his aching wrist, Hyuse hunched over yet again and started reading through the documents that were placed on his desk, occasionally putting a few to the side that weren't supposed to go to him. How the people who's only job it was to sort through these damned things to have them go to the correct person always managed to screw up so frequently he would never know. But from what he'd seen shitty government innerworkings were basically everywhere.

Eventually working himself into a steady rhythm, Hyuse stayed hunched over and fighting with a headache and wrist pain for a few more hours. Eventually, the sun started to float down behind the horizon line, signifying the end of yet another day. Hyuse squinted down at the last few papers, trying to read the writing in the minimal light. He eventually gave up for the sake of his sanity and eyes both. The House leader stood up from his chair, taking a glance out of the window at the drill grounds below. He perked up when he saw a few members of Yuma's platoon doing basic trigger exercises. The people under his command usually only did work when Yuma was around.

He smiled slightly, momentarily forgetting about the slight throbbing in his head that had been there for a majority of the day. Opening the door to his office and making his way through the hallways and staircases, the Aftokratian puffed out a sigh in an attempt to rid himself of the day's stress. Yuma was always worried about him when he came home and just flopped down on the bed. He knew he had a bad habit of overworking himself for the sake of his nation, he just always valued it as one of his strengths that he didn't take breaks and got a lot of things done regardless of how it affected him... until Yuma came along.

It was really late at Tamakoma branch one night and Hyuse was up messing around with his Border Trigger. Why they let him keep that trigger with him at all times but not Lambiris, he'd never know. He was trying to solve the problem of Chameleon disactivating whenever you went to attack. At first he thought it was just a thing they had for the rank wars so they weren't so unfair... until he was proven dead wrong in the middle of a fight. It made no sense why they couldn't keep it activated. As he looked at the innerworkings of their triggers, he noted that they were extremely crude and basic, only allowing specific actions to be done with specific items. It was clear that was how people used them as everyone was so shocked when Hyuse used the triggers in a less conventional cut and dry way.

Long story short, Yuma heard him trip over a box on the floor around 2 in the morning and came to check it out. That was when he first discovered Hyuse's problem. It just basically spiraled from there until the albino forced him to stop fussing over trigger mechanics and sleep. Then kept a pretty close eye on him to make sure he wasn't doing anything stupid.

It took quite a while, but now Hyuse was thankful for his partner's behavior and worry for him. If he wasn't there to almost constantly remind him to take breaks and take care of himself, he'd have definitely gone far down the track to an early grave.

Stepping out into the courtyard to watch the training of those in his House, Hyuse smiled as he spotted a familiar figure helping someone learn how to properly wield a polearm. Hair long since turned black after getting his body restored, Yuma had grown quite a bit. Now he was just a little smaller than his husband. He had regained all of his body, though the circulation in his arm and leg that had been blasted off was slightly messed up at times, making them quite cold. Yet even though he had died once and been through countless wars and perils, he was still extremely graceful and beautiful. It amazed Hyuse how Yuma was like he was even though all that happened in his life had happened.

Both he and Yuma had grown their hair out for their own reasons. For Hyuse and Aftokrator, long hair was a sign of nobility and strength. Yes, not many people follow such a thing anymore, but as the descendant of Aftokrator's founders - though distant - Hyuse felt the need to follow their traditions. As for Yuma, those of his mother's homeland stopped cutting their hair once they had reached a certain amount of goals in their life. However, not many people reached the needed amount to get that privilege, most of the time (if successful) it took decades, so Yuma's achievements at only 23 years of age were considered extraordinary. So not only did he get the long hair privileges, he also got a special ornamental hair piece.

Watching as his husband weaved around with weapons in hand, trying to teach a level of grace to someone who would never achieve it, the brunet felt a familiar sense of smugness filling his chest. That man was his husband, that man was his. And no one else could hope of laying a hand on him.

Sensing someone looking at him, Yuma glanced to the side and met Hyuse's stare. He smirked quickly with a pair of playful eyes, catching Hyuse slightly off guard. He then turned back to his sparring opponent and knocked them over, swiftly ending the battle. After delivering a few pointers and putting his weapon away, he sauntered over to Hyuse, an equally playful smile on his face.

"Enjoying the show, House Leader?"

Hyuse huffed and turned his head to the side. "Oh shut up. Mind explaining what that look there was about?"

Yuma put a finger to his cheek, innocently tilting his head to the side. "What are you talking about? I have no clue what you mean." His smile widened and his eyes closed, chuckling quietly. "I thought you liked my eyes."

Hyuse rolled his eyes at Yuma's antics. "Anyway, I've finished with my paperwork today and I saw that your platoon was actually working for once, so I knew you were here and came to pick you up. So, General Kuga, would you like to go home?"

The shorter of the two snorted and leaned into the other chest, looking up. "I'd love to, I'm beat."

"Hey now." Hyuse pushed Yuma off of his chest, grabbing his hand and reentering the building, to get to the doors that led to their house. "Why are you tired? As I recall you were still fast asleep when I left this morning. I've been awake all day doing things, what's your excuse?"

Yuma sighed, leaning into his husband's side. "Oh hush. I've been away training a bunch of people for two weeks. The amount of night shifts I've had to cover because none of them can stay awake all night is ridiculous."

"Oh wow." Hyuse commented, leaving the large set of doors that marked the entrance of the Ellin house. "That bad, huh?"

Yuma nodded, yawning. He didn't blame the ragtag bunch he was in charge of, they just needed to be trained. Afterall, after he trained all of the others that had been placed under him, they were promoted to higher-up, more experienced groups and excelled among their peers. Many had come back to thank him for his teachings since then, which was the main reason he kept discouraging Hyuse from trying to get him a higher position in charge of a different group. In his opinion, if he didn't take care of those people, who would? Besides, it was proving pretty well that his method of training was much more effective than that of the other base instructors.

Eventually, they made it to their house. By this point, Yuma was on the verge of falling asleep standing up. Hyuse dragged him to their bedroom after making sure the door was locked and sat him down on his bed, laughing as the black haired man flopped backwards. He removed his shirt and pants, which were uncomfortably stiff and had too many layers in his opinion, but it was what he had to wear for his job so he didn't outwardly complain too incredibly much. He turned around and helped Yuma out of his outer layers of clothing as well.

After putting their clothes in a hamper, he got into bed next to Yuma and brought him into his chest, hugging around his waist. He knew that no matter how tired Yuma was, he still had trouble falling asleep. But over the years they've been together, he'd figured out a few things that helped him. Listening to his partner's heartbeat was one. Another was close, loving contact. He had both of those down so he buried his face in Yuma's hair, letting his tension and stress melt away in the company of his lover. The only person he could and would ever let his guard down around. Eventually Hyuse felt the familiar sensation of Yuma fully slipping off into unconsciousness and smiled.

At least he could help him with this. If nothing else, at least he could help him get rest. Something they both needed, he noted internally as he yawned.

With a few last fleeting thoughts of random things, Hyuse joined Yuma in his slumber, loving holding onto him while doing so. Making both of them just feel that much safer and content.

The small chirping insects outside melded together with the breeze in an almost poetic sound. The occasional call of some animal sounding in the distance. This was the life they lived, the life they built, and the life they swore to spend together.

Chapter Text

Hyuse sat on the school’s rooftop. Due to how he was a year older than Osamu and Yuma, and a few years older than Chika, he was placed in a different class than them. He sighed at the book in his lap. However, he still couldn’t read or do the most basic of Meedenite subjects.

He was a soldier, not a scholar. It wasn’t his job to know this kind of stuff, let alone for a place he desperately wanted to leave from. What the hell was this even supposed to mean? Geometry? Was that a word for mental torture of minors? Because it sure as hell felt like it.

He deflated against the chain link fence, ignoring how weird it felt against his invisible horns. They had given him temporary feeling in his trion body so it wouldn’t be suspicious if he hit something and didn’t flinch.

He was on his lunch at the moment, though he didn’t eat very much in the presence of others, so all he had was a cup of rice and a little water and he called that good. He knew none of his friends would agree, but it was enough for him.

Unfortunately, any amount of rice wouldn’t help him with whatever in the hell this was.

“Yo, Hyuston, are you doing okay over there?”

Hyuse looked up at some boy that was in his class. He couldn’t recall his name, mainly because he never tried to learn it. He glanced between his peer and homework, eventually deciding he might be able to take advantage of someone trying to talk to him.

“This geometry thing, I do not understand it.”

The kid seemed slightly surprised by Hyuse’s response and smiled. He walked over to Hyuse to look at the notebook open on his lap and sighed. “Oh man, angles.” He stayed quiet for a few seconds, worrying at his lower lip. “Sorry dude, I don’t really get those either. But on a different note-” He plopped down next to the Aftokratian, to his slight displeasure. “Are you sure you’re a foreigner? Your Japanese is impeccable. Sure, your grammar is a tad weird at times and you speak oddly formally, but you don’t even have an accent!”

Hyuse froze for a second, trying his best to come up with an excuse. “I am indeed a foreigner, I just consciously suppress my accent as I’ve been told that it is quite an odd accent. I have lived in many places even though I was born in Canada, so I have a mix of accents.”

The boy stared for a second, lips pursed. “Really? I didn’t know people could do that…” Hyuse nodded stiffly, wondering if his fib worked. “Can I hear how you normally speak then?? I want to know what your accent sounds like!”

Okay, crisis averted. Now he just had to find a way to make his words sound not as perfect. Eventually, he found a slight mix of Aftokratian and Japanese. “This is how I actually talk, though as you can see, it is an odd mix of accents so I usually don’t speak like this…” He trailed off, unsure of what more to say.

The other boy sat in silence, staring at Hyuse. The Aftokratian looked around nervously, wondering if he leaned too hard into an Aftokratian accent.

“Dude, that sounds so cool! It- it’s like a mix of German and Russian and- and- I don’t even know what! C’mon, c’mon!” He grabbed Hyuse’s arm, oblivious to the way the former soldier stiffened instantly. “Dude we gotta go show this to the other guys! Your voice is so cool!!”

Hyuse followed in stunned silence. Someone thought he sounded… cool?

Even he could be called things like that from Meeden’s natives?

Some part of him that was determined on wiping out this accursed city cracked.

-

Yuma had to try extremely hard from snorting as he saw Hyuse surrounded by a crowd of people in the hallway. Apparently he had mixed Japanese and Aftokratian, making a unique and interesting accent. Though his little stunt to blend in just made him popular and stick out horribly.

“What’s happening?” Osamu asked from the side, glasses glazed over. Most likely worried for the safety of someone who was ruffling Hyuse’s hair.

For their own curiosity and the safety of the students, Osamu and Yuma walked over to the mob surrounding the tall neighbor.

As soon as Hyuse and Yuma met eyes, the albino burst out laughing. Hyuse, not used to attention, had a slight blush. Osamu himself was a little stunned.

“Oh my god! Hyuse! What in the hell did you do?!”

The Aftokratian glared at the albino, growling for a second before punching him in the head.

“Shut the hell up.”

Yuma froze and looked up at Hyuse. Holy hell… no wonder people liked his voice so much like that… who knew Japanese and Aftokratian would mix so well?

“Hyuse what…” Osamu started before stopping abruptly. They were all known as a squad in and out of Border, so no one found it weird the three of them were talking.

Seeing what Osamu was asking about, the Aftokratian huffed, turning away from Yuma, who was teasing him. “They were confused as to why I did not possess an accent even though I am foreign. So I told them how I suppress my accent as it sounds odd. One of them convinced me to speak normally… and here we are.”

“Ah…” A sweat drop formed on his cheek. So Hyuse had to fabricate an accent to not look suspicious and it just so happened that the two languages he mixed made a handsome combination… he glanced at a gaggle of female upperclassmen… which was very attractive to the female body of his class.

“Oh my goodness, Hyuse-kun!” One of them said, bending slightly and smiling. “I never knew you actually sounded like that! You should always speak like that! Especially if it’s easier for you!”

Another sweatdrop formed.

The group behind her agreed, giggling and complimenting his accent among each other.

And another…

Hyuse had accidentally made himself the target of the female student body with a simple accent. He closed his eyes, sighing. Yuma mimicked the gesture, also having come to the same conclusion as Osamu. ‘Good luck, brave soldier.’

Hyuse caught their expression, and he was momentarily dumbfounded. Before the confusion was replaced with utter confoundment. Why were they looking at him like that?

Before he could think too much harder about their expressions, the bell signaling the start of the next class sounded, and everyone scattered. Hyuse puffed out his cheeks. Just what was all of that about…?

-

When Reiji showed up at a shop near the school to pick the two neighbors up for something or the other at the base, what he saw was not what he usually sees or expected. Hyuse was sitting on the bench as usual, but instead of staring off into the distance apathetically, he had his head buried in his hands, clutching at his hair and horns. And Yuma, normally next to Hyuse on the bench rambling about something or the other, was laying on the ground laughing.

He slowed the vehicle to a stop, parking on the side of the road. He got out and stared at the neighbor duo.

“What in the hell is happening here?”

Yuma lifted his upper half off of the ground, staring up at Kizaki with a gigantic grin on his face.

“Well,” He started before Hyuse kicked a pebble at the back of his head. Unfazed, he continued. “Hyuse here had to fabricate an accent to stick to his “foreigner who moved around a lot” story. So he mixed Aftokratian and Japanese. So it sounds like a mix of German, Russian, and like… I dunno Korean or something.”

Reiji nodded, it was fairly tame so far. “Okay, and?”

“Well it just so happens that this mixture makes quite an attractive voice and he was just asked out four times within the last two hours of school.”

Reiji stared. So that explains the state of the Aftokratian. But… “That was at school, why is he still…”

“Because he’s stuck using the accent and he can’t get out of it. He’s even tried activating and deactivating both of his triggers. It’s hilarious.”

“Ah.” Yeah that’d do it. Reiji has multiple memories as a child of mimicking an accent for so long he forgot how to speak regularly for a while. That might be what was happening here.

“End me.”

Yup, that’s definitely an interesting accent.

Hyuse looked up, tired and annoyed. “I don’t want to be here. Let me go home.” He folded over on himself, laying his upper torso on his legs, arms dangling down and touching the concrete sidewalk. “I just want to go home, is that too much to ask?”

“For Border, yes, yes it is.” The albino said, patting Hyuse’s back. “Unfortunately, since we are Neighbors and therefore ‘dangerous’ we have to be somewhere where they can always have at least one person watching us.” Yuma paused, glancing in the direction of the base. “Even though we would be able to easily beat whoever they sent our way… unless it was Jin. But Jin is cool and would probably let us leave.”

“So you think you two could beat me?”

The Neighbors looked Reiji up and down before answering in perfect unison, “Absolutely.”

Kizaki was momentarily stunned. They both answered so quickly and so confidently… Wait a minute. These were his kouhai. His juniors. JUST WHO DID THEY THINK THEY WERE TO TALK LIKE THAT?!

Before either of the neighbors could react, Reiji had them both in a headlock, playfully fuming. “Hey now! I’m your superior alright? You two can just keep those power comparisons to yourself.”

Hyuse struggled out of his hold, only winning because he was in his physical body and was a few centimeters away from goring Reiji’s arm. Something the red head did not wish to go to the hospital for. “But you asked us…”

“Y’know.” He started, letting go of Yuma as well, who was playing dead. “I know that you don’t know this because apparently everyone from Aftokrator has a stick up their ass, but sometimes it’s nice to take other people’s feelings into consideration.”

“Yeah, Hyuse. Take other people’s feelings into consideration.”

“LIKE YOU’RE ANY BETTER!?”

“I’m not saying I’m any better. We’re both messed up in the head. I’m just saying at least I can fake caring about people.”

Reiji looked at the albino. “Fake?”

Yuma smiled, looking half drugged. “Ha, yeah, I can’t actually feel anything.”

“...Oh…”

Reiji’s moment of extreme concern was cut short as Hyuse threw an uprooted dandelion at Yuma’s head.

“Stop lying to him. You can feel a little.”

Yuma shrugged. “Eh. A little bit, nothing, doesn’t really make a difference.”

“So you’re saying that you don’t, in fact, love me?”

“What? No. I do-”

“Well there you go. You can feel. Dumbass.”

After watching the two Neighbors stare at each other without blinking for about a minute, Reiji dragged both of them into the car so they could continue their contest in the back seats.

He cleared his throat, not looking to see if he had their attention, “Commander Kido requested that you two do a full speech on how life in the neighborhood works for the rest of Border.”

“Say what?”

Reiji sighed at the accented voice. “Not that you present it yourselves, just… he wants more information on how the neighborhood works so that he and the other directors can make a speech for Border in preparation of another invasion.”

All he was met with was silence. He glanced in the rearview mirror before turning back to the road. Of course, what he was met with was two different stares. Yuma looked like he was trying to copy an unimpressed owl and Hyuse just looked extremely annoyed and disappointed.

“My god what more do they need? What we’ve already told them isn’t enough??”

Yuma’s unimpressed owl gaze slid to Hyuse. “Of course not. We’re the only ones with our depth of information. Michael knows how things used to work, but he hasn’t actually lived in the Neighborhood for a while. So then we came along, two children who’ve lived there all their lives and only recently came here, we became the new source of information. They’re gonna squeeze everything they can out of us.”

Reiji internally cringed slightly. That was quite a harsh way to put it. But, he noted with a twinge of guilt, it was true. Kido planned to use those two to the best of his ability. They were both technically extremely beneficial for their information, and both knew how to fight as well. So as far as Border was concerned, they’d get all of their information, then go put them out on the front lines until they died.

“Anyway.” Hyuse said through his heavy accent. “How shall I explain this to the workers of Border?”

Yuma put a finger to his lips, tilting his head. “Hm.. Well… you could always tell the higher-ups the truth, though Shinoda might laugh at you a little bit.”

Hyuse stared down at Yuma. “He’s not the one I’m worried about.”

“Kinuta?”

“Nope.”

“Rindo?”

“God no, he’d just laugh at me then help me try to talk normally again, he’s fine.”

“...Miwa?”

“Bingo. He’s always there right next to Kido and if he hears me talking all weirdly and hears this embarrassing story, he’s probably going to go smugly share it with his squad and people who also hate me. And wouldn’t that be fun for me?”

Yuma nodded, having finally lost his owl-like look. “Ah… yeah that’s understandable.”

The rest of the drive was silent except for the voices through the radio commenting on weather conditions in the coming days. It was the start of December, and they’d be getting some snow soon.

Hyuse looked confused, scrunching his eyebrows up at the device. “What in the hell is snow?”

The albino snorted.

“What?!”

“Is it not translating for you?”

“No, it isn’t. I’m not getting my word for it and instead I’m just getting ‘snow’. Mind enlightening me as to what snow is?”

“Ah.” Yuma said, probably halfway expecting this outcome. “It’s the stuff Kion is covered in. That’s what snow is. At least they’re similar. I’ve personally been to Kion and I’ve seen pictures of Meeden covered in snow, and from what I can tell, they’re basically the same thing.”

Hyuse nodded, moving to once again look out the window. “Ohhhh… Ar’chayit.”

“Mhm.”

Reiji glanced at them through the mirror again. “Pardon?”

Yuma stared back, “Hm?”

“What did he just say? Artichoke??”

Yuma snorted. “No, he said ar’chayit, the Aftokratian word for snow.”

“...oh.”

He parked in the Border parking lot, making sure his ID tag was still on the windshield.

“Alright, we’re here. Please get out of my car and go talk to the directors. I have an appointment with a few of my friends for dinner and I expect that this meeting is going to take a while. Don’t do anything too stupid, stay safe, blah blah, you know the drill.”

Hyuse and Yuma nodded, well used to the sayings and expectations of those who were around them. Something those people seemed to quite frequently forget or just gloss over was that they both lived alone for quite a while and knew how to fend for themselves. Either way, both appreciated the concern and never said anything.

Yuma put his arms behind his head and started his journey towards the entrance to the base. The other two quickly followed, joining him in the underground tunnels that led to the main base.

Hyuse never liked these tunnels. For some reason, the lights in the tunnels gave him headaches. And only the tunnel lights.

Thankfully, though, they chose the shortest tunnel and were soon in a hallway of Border. Hyuse sighed as he was no longer under the screaming frequency of those accursed illumination bulbs.

“Alright, well we better go talk to Kido and… whoever else is there.”

Hyuse looked down at Yuma, just simply studying him.

“I suppose…”

“Well,” Reiji started, stretching. “You two have fun with that, I have a few people to humble in the gracious art of card games.”

“Okay.”

And with that the trio separated, and the two Neighbors walked up to the meeting room. Hyuse had pulled his hood up in the parking lot so no one could see his horns. Though Midorikawa, who they ran into on the way, commented on his hood being weirdly shapes, most likely referring to the bulges that Hyuse’s horns created.

As they opened the door to the main meeting room, Hyuse screamed internally. Full council plus Miwa… greaaat.

“Hello everyone.”

“Hey, Yuma.”

“Hello.”

“Hello, Kuga…”

A few returned his greetings, those people being Rindo, Shinoda, and quite surprisingly, Kido. The last one seemed to shock Miwa, who was standing behind said HQ Director.

Kinuta continued to glare and grimace, seeming to be positively disgusted about sharing the air with the two near the doors.

Everyone else seemed relatively calm about the situation.

Kido sat up slightly straighter, clearing his throat. “We have called you here today as we require a bit more information on conditions in the neighborhood.”

Hyuse raised an eyebrow, taking off his hood and crossing his arms. “Conditions?”

Kinuta scoffed. “How people live, their level of knowledge on different subjects, how advanced they are to our standards-”

He was cut off as Yuma raised one of his hands, “Ah-buh buh buh buh” He interrupted, making noise just to get their attention. “Look, I know that all but two of you are very… let’s say… biased against Hyuse and I’s kind, but this is a bit much.”

Kido leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, and head on folded hands. “A bit much?”

Hyuse yawned as Yuma continued. “Yes. While I get wanting advantages in wars, knowing about how people live is a bit much. That just seems excessive. Hyuse and I aren’t here to give you reasons to call our kind lesser than yours. We are equal. While some have poorer conditions than others, that doesn’t make one of us biologically better.”

Kinuta slammed his fist down on the table. “That’s not what we’re trying to get out of you! We want to know what conditions are like so we can expect how strong their trigger users would be!”

Hyuse and Yuma stared, blank faced.

“What?”

Hyuse finally spoke up, disbelief slipping into his voice. “You- you know living conditions don’t directly correlate to trigger strength… right?”

The room fell silent. Sniggering came from a singular member, Rindo, who was trying desperately to smother his laughter.

“Hyuse, what in the hell happened to your voice?”

So it was with great annoyance that he explained the situation… through a thick accent… which only made Rindo wheeze harder. Yuma almost joined him, as he was struggling behind Hyuse. One hand over his mouth, hunched over, shoulders shaking.

Miwa seemed stunned behind Kido for a while even after Hyuse finished his explanation and Yuma had calmed down.

“Okay…” Shinoda started, amused. “So looping back around to our starting topic, would you at least give us a basic estimate of the scale of triggers the neighborhood has?”

Hyuse, having just given up with his voice at that point, scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Please, some of the most rudimentary triggers I have ever seen are leaps and bounds ahead of yours. And the most high-end black triggers I’ve seen? Your entire organization would be wiped out without a problem.”

Yuma slapped Hyuse’s arm, earning a ‘What?? I’m right.’

“That’s a bit of an over exaggeration. Though one thing he is right about is that Border triggers are on the weaker end of the scale. Which is something I know you probably don’t want to hear, but here we are.”

Kido furrowed his brows before standing up, motioning for Miwa to stay put. He walked over to the two neighbors, standing in front of them.

“What are the main differences in the triggers?”

Hyuse flung his head, hair swishing. He pointed his face upwards slightly, looking Kido straight in the eye. He seemed very happy about being able to point out Border’s flaws with their triggers without getting yelled at.

“Well to start with, your triggers are completely monotonous, no variation whatsoever. When one of them is figured out, almost all of them are figured out. And with very few variations, all the enemy needs is to figure out a few triggers, and boom, you’ve lost your edge.”

Kido raised an eyebrow, motioning to the empty chair in the room. “Before you continue any further, please have a seat.” Hyuse shrugged and sat down, only then realizing there was one open chair and he took it. Yuma didn’t seem to mind and just leaned on the back of the chair, staring down everyone else in the room for zero reason other than he was bored.

“May I continue?”

Kido nodded. The open spot was right across from Kinuta, so he had not one, but two neighbors staring him down like he was a worm for a minute. Then it just went back to one as the Aftokratian had turned towards Kido. Yuma, however, just kept staring at him. It made him very uncomfortable, and suddenly he wondered if this was karma for the shit he’d put those two through.

“Continuing on from the lack of variety in your triggers, the monotonous nature doesn’t allow for many creative moves. With how Aftokrator and many, many other nations have their triggers, they’re all different. Which allows for not only many different triggers to learn, but also many unique moves special to a single individual.

Just think back on how surprised everyone acted when I used Escudo in ways that none of them ever had. They were caught off guard and had a bit of trouble comprehending the new way of using it. Like Kage and Yuma with the scorpion whips, just Yuma with the throwable scorpions…” he trailed off, letting everyone’s minds fill up with images of the very few special moves their triggers possessed.

“Need I say more?”

Shinoda shook his head. Rindo took a drag from his cigarette next to him, puffing out a cloud and turning to the neighbors.

“Do you have any suggestions, Yuma?”

“Mm… not really.” He started, playing with some of Hyuse’s hair. “Maybe allow for B and A rank agents to try to face off against black triggers. The stronger their opponents, the stronger they’ll be motivated to become. Instead of being confined with your rank system, host open ended battles between experienced and not as experienced agents. When the battles end, have the participants exchange pointers and strategies they used with one another. Encourage variety, as Hyuse stated.”

Hyuse glanced behind himself at Yuma. “Now it just sounds like you’re encouraging them to take up Aftokrator’s way of training.”

“But your way of training works, doesn’t it? You’re the top military nation for a reason.”

“I suppose it does.”

Kinuta scoffed. He was somewhat tossing the idea about in his head before he heard it was how Aftokrator trained and immediately threw it out the window.

Rindo sighed, leaning onto one of his hands. “Can you stop being xenophobic for five minutes?”

“What?”

Kido glanced between the two. “Rindo is right, Kinuta. Just because an idea comes from the neighborhood doesn’t mean it’s trash. Kuga and Hyuse are two of our best agents, they’re giving us tips on how to get the masses up with their standards. It is in our best interests to listen.”

“But-”

Kido seemed to be getting increasingly frustrated. “Ellin, Kuga, leave.”

“Okay.” Yuma shrugged and grabbed Hyuse’s hand, prancing out of the door.

He and Hyuse stood on the other side, listening. About a minute after the door closed, shouting began to happen.

It was highly muffled through the door, so neither could hear anything all that well. But they were able to piece together enough pieces to figure out it was about whether or not they could trust the two neighbors, their tactics, their ethics for training, their standards, etc. Basically just whether or not they should adopt neighborhood tactics when their publicized goal was to kill all neighbors.

Suddenly the door opened again and out stepped Miwa. He stiffly turned to the two neighbors, not saying a word. He glanced around and seemed to be fighting with himself internally. As soon as he opened his mouth to say something, he changed his mind and brushed past them. Muttering under his breath.

“That was weird.”

As the door was still slightly cracked open, they suddenly heard a shout of, “We shouldn’t use neighborhood tactics! Why can’t you see that?! How would it benefit us in any way?!”

Yuma suddenly adopted a massive shit-eating grin, he inhaled quickly before shouting back. “It’s like fighting fire with fire! Right now it’s like fighting a grease fire with water!”

Then he grabbed Hyuse’s sleeve and rushed downstairs while cackling to himself.

When they entered the cafeteria again, Hyuse had pulled his hood back up and was scanning the area like a hawk looking for a mouse. Yuma noticed and tilted his head.

“What are you looking for?”

“A quiet place to sit down and rest for a bit.”

“Tired?”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go find Reiji. He’s supposed to be in here playing cards. Depending on who his friends are, you might be able to take your hood off and sleep a bit.”

With that said, they walked around the room, looking for Reiji. Eventually, they saw the familiar stocky silhouette and jogged over. Surveying the group from a few tables away, Hyuse relaxed slightly. Everyone there knew his origins and they were in a corner with large drapes. Perfect for him to sleep in.

“Hello!”

“Oh- hey, Yuma. Done already?”

“Well… things kind of turned into a screaming match so Kido told us and Miwa to leave.”

“Ah.”

“Do you have room? Hyuse wants to try to rest a bit. He’s tired.”

Reiji motioned towards the other side of the table, to where there was a small open gap between Kage and Karasuma. “Go ahead, can you two fit?”

Yuma waved his hand. “Pff we’ll fit just fine.”

They moved over to the sofa, taking their place. Hyuse sat down first, ripping off his hood and aggressively scratching one of his horns before calming down. Yuma sat down on his thighs, happily humming and looking at the card game.

“Ooooh… Poker?”

Karasuma nodded, unfazed by the position of the neighbors.

Soon, Hyuse fell asleep holding the albino. Yuma was giving a very announcer-like commentary of the card game, thoroughly entertaining those involved.

As in, “And Kage bets all in! Wow! He must have a pretty good hand!”

And: “Karasuma makes a daring move! How will Reiji respond?”

And so on and so forth.

-

Kido looked down at the cafeteria through a one way window. He let his worries ease slightly when he saw Yugo’s son happily chatting away. He was honestly somewhat happy for the kid. While his life was pretty shitty thus far, he still managed to be happy…

Good. That kid deserves to be happy after all the shit he’s been through.

He shifted his gaze ever so slightly to Hyuse, head lolled back, clearly asleep.

Actually, both of them deserved what they had right now.

Chapter Text

⚠️TW kinda, but internalized homophobia⚠️

A door creaked open, casting a ray of light from the hallway outside into the dark room. A lone figure stood within the door, one hand on the frame, the other on the doorknob. They walked into the room, dragging their feet and sighing before quickly closing the door again. 

Shuffling over to the bed and falling onto it, the figure grabbed one of the few pillows atop the mattress and brought it to their face. They managed to drag their entire body onto the thin cushion while still clutching the old pillow. Their fingers dug into the lumpy old thing, accompanied by a sharp inhale and a shake of their head.

Hyuse kept his eyes closed, trying his best to completely hide his face in the pillow. Eventually, he had to pull back and sit up a little as he was running out of oxygen. He always had great night vision, so seeing in the small pitch black room was fairly easy, but he really wished he couldn't see. 

He didn't want to see his own body. He was too ashamed and embarrassed of himself to stand such a simple thing. 

With unfocused eyes, the Aftokratian groped around the bed for the thick blanket he had been so generously gifted when he first became a prisoner. All the while his mind kept racing and looping back. How had things gone this way? So awry from his original goal? 

All he wanted was to get home, that's what he kept telling himself. Do this to get home, you just have to put up with it for now and you'll get home. That should have been his only goal, the only thing he wanted... but another thing had joined that yearning for his homeland. Yet the more he thought about it, the more ashamed he felt.

How could he of all people fall in love? And the worst part... he finally found the blanket and gripped it harshly. The worst part was that it wasn't even with a woman. What was wrong with him? Men shouldn't be attracted to other men like that, it's not natural, not right. 

Yanking the blanket over his shoulders and laying back down on his worn out pillows, Hyuse scrunched up his face. He had been waiting all his life to feel like this. Feel alive, hopeful... happy. But of course he had to be one of those things. One of those disgusting creatures that lived among him.

God, what had he done to deserve this? Where had he gone wrong? He balled up a fist and placed it against his head, praying for the first time in months. Undo this curse, undo whatever had happened to him to make him this way. Make him better, normal, anything but what he currently was. 

After a few minutes of silent begging to his God, Hyuse moved the balled up fist to the wall and half heartedly punched it. That stupid little albino. Why did it have to be that cocky little thing... his train of thoughts stopped. He was actually worse than Yuma now. He had no right to call him a "thing" for being annoying when he was a thousand times worse. 

A horrified look overtook his face, though half covered by a pillow. What would his master think? What would Aftokrator think? Oh God, he felt his throat tighten, if they found out... he'd be executed. Publicly ostracized and bullied. 

When he felt his eyes start to sting he forcefully pushed back the tears. He hated this. He hated feeling like this, being like this...

But...

His eyes softened a little. 

But Yuma was so many things Hyuse admired. He was strong, he could be commanding, but he still let people speak their mind. He had the ability to be calm and laid back, even though it was sometimes fake. He represented something Hyuse had always wanted a taste of...

Freedom.

He was truly what Hyuse saw as freedom. No rules, no laws, nothing to stop him from just living. How someone could live that carefree baffled him. And interested him even more so. He wanted to know what it was like. To truly be able to do whatever you wanted without having to gain permission or follow regulations. 

Hyuse was sure his life hadn't been sunshine and rainbows up until now, he was an extremely experienced fighter and black trigger holder, after all. But he was still happy, still smiled and laughed along with people. He had moved on from his past struggles.

He clearly still remembered them and treated them as things that had happened to him, but they were also learning experiences for him. He was able to regard them with a kind of semi-detached apathy that Hyuse had worked on for years to achieve. 

But all those carefully crafted shields and emotions had been cracked and upturned by this singular guy. What exactly had done it was still a mystery to Hyuse, but he had to admit that those feelings were definitely there. No matter how revolting they were to have for someone like him, they were there. 

He sighed into his pillow, covering his eyes. 

Something many who had interacted with him when he was still younger said to him flashed through his mind in that instant, 'Always the fool, get a grip of yourself.'

Chapter Text

The lovers approached their destination, a place they had visited twice before. Once to look at it, the second to prepare, and now the third. The thrice visit to mark the place of their eternal rest.

Pale moonlight appeared in rays through the canopy of light blue leaves overhead, the usually soft pastel colors turned to a fuzzy black by the cover of night. Dark grass crunching underfoot and the soft calls of the night birds gently sounded. Hyuse had always liked the call of those birds. They reminded him of his mother softly singing to him when he was still a child.

Sitting down in a patch of white flowers at the base of the largest tree in the very small clearing, Yuma looked up at the sky. He used to do so for many nights, but it was only now, faced with the knowledge of what was soon to happen that he truly looked at the night sky. It was beautiful, he noted. The soft glow of nations speckling the pitch black of the void was now something that he realized was truly magnificent.

He used to spend so much time staring and thinking about his life, or lack thereof. But now, before it would end for good, his mind suddenly felt… free. There was nothing more to worry about.

No more wars, no more fights, no more training, not even something as trivial as washing clothing.

No, they would finally have true rest. The purest form of distance from one’s problems. Their souls would rest here in this clearing for eternity. Forever side by side and with one another. They could finally be in peace, finally have a break, and they could and would do it together, as neither one would have it either way.

Turning to the tree next to him, Yuma pulled a small knife out of his sleeve. He set one hand on the rough, dark gray bark of the tree and gently set the tip of the knife above his hand on the tree. Very carefully, he wrote down the date, the season, and the names of both Hyuse, him, and their parents.

After finishing the words in the dark outside of the tree, which ended up cutting through into the purple inner wood, Yuma gently set the knife in the ground next to the tree, setting the side of the handle with his family’s crest on it up.

While watching his lover carve into the tree, Hyuse looked down at the long sword within his grasp. The moonlight reflected off of the intricate details in the scabbard. Hyuse’s gaze softened. This was a gift from his master when he was younger. Glancing back up, Hyuse takes a deep breath and kneels down next to Yuma.

They both know what their fates are now, and it’s impossible to change it.

Yuma looked at Hyuse, a soft smile on his face. It was a sad smile, Hyuse knew, but a smile of love as well. Setting down the sword on the ground, the Aftokratian cups one of Yuma’s cheeks in his palm.

After gazing at each other for a few moments, the smaller of the two hugs his partner. Yuma buries his face in Hyuse’s chest. He can feel his throat tightening up and his eyes starting to sting.

As Hyuse tenderly but firmly returns the hug, Yuma chokes out a sob, clutching him tight.

This was it. This was the rest of their lives.

He was never much of a crier, neither of them were, but this was an exception to that. His grip on the Aftokratian only tightened when he heard Hyuse shakily gasp in a breath of air. When he cried, Hyuse had a habit of not breathing. He would bite at his lip and shake, trying his damnedest not to audibly cry, but the gasps gave him away.

Yuma always thought that the gasps for air sounded broken. As if Hyuse still didn’t want to breathe but his body forced him to. As the older of the two lets out quiet broken cries, the younger continues to hold him. Hyuse’s grip tightens around Yuma’s waist and they hug each other.

Granted, this hug was the last they would ever share, so it made sense it was a little more violent than normal. Fat teardrops rolled down Yuma’s cheeks, soaking into Hyuse’s uniform.

They sat there and cried, holding onto each other for dear life. At some point, they had kissed a few times, yet not a word was spoken. Hyuse wasn’t much of a talker and Yuma always believed actions spoke louder than words.

The sounds of wailing rang through the forest. Loud, broken, heart wrenching wailing.

Once the two moons of Aftokrator were at their pinnacle in the sky, Hyuse reached for the long sword and unsheathed it. His eyes were red and slightly puffy, Yuma’s were much worse. Yuma bit at his lower lip in an attempt to calm himself down, or at least not be as loud.

Hyuse slouched in the tight embrace so their hearts were in line with one another. Taking one last look at each other, the lovers shared one last kiss. When they separated, their foreheads rested against each other. Yuma took a deep, shaky breath and closed his eyes. Hyuse checked the sword and its angle one last time and quickly followed suit.

He jerked his arm forewords, driving the sword straight through both of their hearts.

The pain was brief, almost nonexistent. And then… peace. Sheer bliss of an empty mind.

Driving the same sword through both their hearts at once would ensure their souls would be entangled. And sure enough, once the light had overtaken the darkness surrounding him, there stood Yuma. Or… what he could feel was Yuma. And he wasn’t really standing as much as he was floating.

Both of them had been reduced to their souls, floating little balls of a light colored substance similar to fire in appearance. They wasted no time in approaching each other once again. And as they made contact with one another, the white dissolved into the scene of the forest.

Neither of them turned around. They knew what lay there, what had stained those white flowers a deep crimson.

Their bodies would be found in the morning. They had left a note within their rooms explaining everything. Yes, they would most likely be hated for what they were and what they did, but that no longer mattered to them. Nothing mattered except one another.

They were finally free and at peace.

Chapter Text

A loud crack echoed through the chilly night followed by shouts, both joyous and annoyed.

“Stop hitting our ball into the woods!” Hyuse shouted, reluctantly turning towards the trees. This was the fourth time that night their only ball was shot into the dense brush because these stupid underclassmen apparently didn’t understand that it’s going to get lost sooner or later. “Morons…” He muttered to himself as he climbed over a patch of thorny vines. Hyuse squinted, looking around for any signs of the white ball. It should have been reflecting the moonlight.

He did end up spotting something white for a moment, so he hurried over. Much to his dismay, it wasn’t the ball. Instead, it was the remains of a crumbling old marble headstone. Crouching down, he tried to wipe away some of the lichen that had attached itself to the etched name. He wasn’t aware that there had ever been a graveyard hidden in these trees. Hyuse lifted his head to take a quick look around. Strange… this appeared to be the only grave here.

His attention drifts back to the faded inscription. He tries to trace the indents with his finger, but it is too intelligible. Hyuse shrugs, standing back up. Probably just some old stone that was dumped out here. “What a way to spend my 13th birthday.” He mumbles saltily. Just as he turned around, he stumbled back with a frightened shriek. Tripping over the crumbled marble he fell back. Wide eyes stared up at what looked to be a horribly mangled child, definitely no older than eleven.

His hair was jet black, short and fluffy. At first Hyuse thought that it was covering one of his eyes but upon closer inspection he realized that his left eye wasn’t covered, it was missing. Missing alongside damn near half of his face, an arm, a large chunk of his abdomen, and a leg. Just what the hell was he looking at? Hyuse remained frozen on the ground.

“Hello!” This mangled child spoke, smiling even though there was just so much blood gushing from his head and into his mouth. “Who are you?”

At first, Hyuse didn’t respond. He was too shocked. Though a glance at this kid’s clothing suddenly made everything click. A uniform. Ah, so he was a child soldier. Must’ve been a gorey war for someone as young as him to end up with holes through his body. Hyuse blinked, clearing his throat and trying to regain a little dignity. “Um… H-Hyuse.” His voice didn’t crack because he was scared! He was just… going through puberty was all. Normal voice cracks. He was NOT scared! Even though this child was drenched in blood and staring down at him with a wide, empty ruby red eye… he… he wasn’t scared.

“Hello, Hyuse!” The aforementioned blood soaked child responded happily, waving. “My name’s Yuma! I’m eleven. How old are you?”

“…Fourteen.” Hyuse responds, forcing his shoulders to relax. “I turned fourteen last month.”

Yuma nods quickly, dropping down to the ground to join the older boy. “What year is it? Time kinda… blurs together after a while, y’know?”

How long had Yuma been here? Alone, with no one but the moon and thorned flora as company. Cautiously, Hyuse reponds. “..483 years since the founding of Aftokrator.” Who even knew what nation Yuma was from? There was no way of knowing, so Hyuse just gave how he counted the years.

Shoulders dropping, Yuma seems genuinely shocked. “483..?” He repeats quietly, as if testing to see if that number even felt right on his tongue. His gaze slowly lowers. “How have so many years passed already? Thirty? No, more than that.” He goes quiet. Face pinching, he whispers out a near silent; “46 years? I’ve been stuck here for 46 years…?”

“What?!“ Hyuse blurted. Fear momentarily replaced by shock. “Hang on, hang on.” He manages to sit up to face Yuma better. “46 years?! You’ve gotta be kidding me! You just said that you’re eleven! How are you suddenly…” he trails off, doing a mental calculation. “57 years old? You were a soldier, right? What war were you even fighting in??”

“Aftokrator against Ghuiltina.” Yuma replies absently, grappling with the fact that he’d been stuck in this little clearing for almost half a century. Had it really been that long? Plus, since Aftokrator was still standing… that meant Ghuiltina lost. He died for nothing. He had been disfigured and gored by that thing, and it ended up meaning nothing.

Hyuse blinked. Seriously? This child had participated in one of the notoriously most violent wars that had happened in the past two centuries? Why were they allowing a child onto the battle field? “Really?”

“Yeah…”

“…so… what were you doing in that war in the first place? I didn’t know they were letting kids in, even if it was 50 years ago.” It seemed that Yuma was a lot less scary now. He looked more… sad. Which made sense, all things considered.

The boy sighs, dramatically dropping his shoulders. “I was only allowed to fight because my father was fighting too. I wasn’t actually supposed to be on the main battle field, I was a main fortress defender.” He explains, waving around his remaining hand. “I was stupid and decided to join the main battle because I saw we were losing ground and couldn’t stand to just sit by and not do anything. My father told me not to. But I did. I did, and I died.”

Nodding slowly, Hyuse asked; “Was it… some kind of new weapon?”

“I don’t think so.” Yuma shakes his head. “Pretty sure it was just one of those black triggers that make the wielder literally look like a demon. That thing was scary. I didn’t know there were triggers that just allowed people to float.”

Hyuse glanced off to the side awkwardly. There was definitely a stark difference in the technology the two of them were used to. Most at least slightly advanced triggers nowadays had at least some kind of floating or flying ability. No matter though, Yuma was continuing his story.

“I’m not quite sure why I was buried on Aftokrator’s land.” He says, tilting his head back to look up at the moon. “Might’ve just been the best place my dad could find. It is kinda pretty here.” Hyuse nods in agreement. “But to think I’ve been here for so long…” He trails off. Hyuse wasn’t sure if Yuma was ignoring the blood dripping down his throat or if he just couldn’t feel it. Either way it looked pretty damn gross.

“Hyuse! Did you find the ball yet?” Another young voice shouts. The blond whips around, scrambling to his feet.

“No!” He calls back. When he turns back to say something more to Yuma, he wasn’t there. He had simply vanished into the air. Hyuse blinks, rubbing his eyes quickly. He didn’t just hallucinate that whole thing, did he? He certainly hoped not. Rubbing at the gooseflesh on his arm, he cautiously made his way out of the clearing to join his friends in the harrowing search for the lost ball.

-

Just to prove to himself that he wasn’t going insane, Hyuse returned to that same area the next night. It wasn’t because he was interested in continuing his conversation with Yuma. It was because he needed to make sure he didn’t suddenly become schizophrenic. He repeated this sentiment to himself over and over again as he waded through shrubs, vines, and trees.

Eventually, he once again stumbles into the small clearing. Hyuse looked around but saw no signs of the shining partially transparent figure from last night. “Yuma?” He asked the air. “You here..?” Yet no response came. Thinking, Hyuse knelt down and poked at a portion of the crumbled stone. He touched it last time that kid showed up so… maybe he had to touch it?

A few minutes of prodding later he decided that wasn’t the case. With no mysterious mangled child fizzling in from nothing, Hyuse stood back up, scratching his head. Where the hell did Yuma go? Surely he couldn’t wander out of this general area, right? If he could, wouldn’t he have done that in the past 50 years? Hands on his hips in frustration, he couldn’t help the huff that escaped from his lungs.

“Angry?” Came a voice to his left. Hyuse did not jump.

“..took your time.” He replied after a moment, pushing down the embarrassed blush that had crept up his neck. “Where were you? At some ghost party?”

“No.” Yuma shook his head. “Just… wondering why you would come back.” He put his hand behind his back. “I figured that would have been my last interaction for a long time.”

Scoffing, Hyuse crossed his arms. “I was just making sure I wasn’t going insane. Most people don’t even believe in ghosts, y’know?” He ignored the amused smile that gently appeared on the black haired boy. “I was just making sure I wasn’t hallucinating. That’s all.”

Yuma liked this boy, he was funny. He also probably thought that his face was a blank unreadable mask. However, it wasn’t. Not to Yuma, at least. “What now then? How are you going to prove you aren’t just going bonkers? Me just materializing again doesn’t rule that possibility out. Might just mean you’re extra crazy and believe that I’m real.” He decided to toy around with the blond. He was about to say something else when said blond stuck a hand through his head. “…”

“…”

They sat there in silence for a few moments. Then, “Well I can’t touch you to prove it…”

“Really?” Yuma replied sarcastically. “Never would have guessed.”

“Oh, shut up.”

Sticking his tongue out, Yuma floated over to where his grave remnants were. He plopped down, looking up at Hyuse. “What now, genius?”

Hyuse growled. “I will kill you.” The common threat left his mouth before he could even think about what he was saying. Yuma raised an eyebrow.

“Can you even kill a ghost?”

“I don’t know, leave me alone!”

“Nah, I don’t think I will.” Yuma tilted his head. “I mean, you’re the first person in forever and a half to talk to me. I’m gonna savor this while it lasts.” He smiles. “Besides, I like you.” With no further elaboration, Hyuse just stared down. He blinked once, twice.

“…What? What d’you mean by that?” He asked. Yuma just sat in silence, smiling. “Yuma, what does that mean?!”

Chapter Text

Hyuse takes a deep breath, letting the chilly humid air fill his lungs. To his left Yuma sat on the edge of Tamakoma Base’s rooftop. It was just one of those days. Days when the reality of being in an unfamiliar world with almost no knowledge about how to survive there became too much. Yuma kicks his legs, heels taking turns tapping against the gray concrete beneath him. He’d been watching the water beneath them quite intently for some time now.

Deciding to break the silence, Hyuse sits next to the albino. “Do you think they’ll actually let me go?”

Yuma looks over, wide red eyes staring blankly at Hyuse. He didn’t feel the need to act happy and joyful around him. They both knew what it was like to be a soldier. A replaceable grunt being tossed around to wherever manpower was needed. They understand the damage it did, so they understood each other to an extent. “…maybe. I know they won’t want to let all that neighborhood knowledge you have slip by them, but they made a deal. I think Kido is the type to follow through on his words. He wasn’t lying when we originally made the deal with him, so…”

Hyuse huffs, glancing up as a car drives by on the side of the water. He would admit one thing: he liked the nights on Meeden. They were peaceful. Though maybe a part of that was because he wasn’t in barracks and sergeants weren’t screaming at delinquents next door. “If you could go back, would you?”

“…I don’t know. I like actually knowing and understanding customs and currency, but… I think I’d stay here. I’m kind of tired of all the wars and fighting back home.” He shrugs. “Plus, I have friends here now. Ones that are alive. That’s more than I can say for people in my past.”

“Tired of fighting?”

“Not really fighting in general, I still enjoy a good spar. Like with you, Kage, Midorikawa, people like that. Just… fighting with lives on the line. Where any decision you make could kill an entire group of allies. I don’t like the stress of that. I don’t like the knowledge that I’m responsible for so many people who are often older than me.”

Nodding, Hyuse joins the shorter boy in staring down at the dark water rippling below them.

“Do you want to go back?” Yuma asks in turn.

“For my master.” Hyuse responds almost immediately. “He’s the one who took me in off the streets and raised me. I owe everything to him.” He pauses. “…he’s a very strong man. Very respectable. But I know that some don’t appreciate his generosity and kindness. To them he’s just simply a Queen Trigger candidate.”

Yuma blinks. “He’s in danger of being sacrificed?”

“As much as I hate to think of such a thing ever happening, yes. I’m not stupid, I’m not blind. Enedora told me the reason they abandoned me was so I wouldn’t be there to rampage when he does get chosen.” He balls his hands into fists, pressing against the cool concrete. Yuma glances down at his hands but doesn’t comment. “I can’t bring myself to understand why they’d just use such a good man for something like that when there are plenty other options.”

After a moment, Yuma leans over onto Hyuse’s side, offering his presence and comfort. “People are assholes.” He states. “If they weren’t, wars wouldn’t happen. It’s sad, what’s happening, but what is there that we can do?”

Hyuse wraps an arm around Yuma’s shoulders, dragging him a bit closer. “Nothing.” He grits his teeth, throat stinging. “Absolutely nothing.” He takes another breath to steady himself as he feels Yuma nuzzle his cheek against his side.

“At least we have each other.” Yuma whispers, picking one of Raijin-maru’s hairs out of the blond’s shirt. “It’s a miracle we have that much, right?”

“Yeah.” Hyuse leans onto the albino. “Yeah… thank you.” He whispers back. It was only in times like this that the Aftokratian was so affectionate. In front of others he put on a tough guy act that ended up coming off as spoiled sometimes, no matter how confused or angry he was on the inside. Yuma was the only one that was able to truly get through all the walls Hyuse built up. It was only when they were alone like this that Hyuse just let himself exist.

They both would enjoy this while they could. They both knew well that it wasn’t going to last forever. Nothing did.

Chapter Text

Hyuse stalks down the dark halls of Tamakoma branch, feet dragging across the floor. Another day has gone by, and he feels no closer to getting back to Aftokrator and back to his master. It’s infuriating, if he’s honest. He’s rarely ever had times where all he can do is just… sit and wait. He still has a couple weeks until the away mission tests start, and there wasn’t an imminent rank war. He truly had nothing to do. That’s how he found himself in his current predicament—walking down the halls silently towards what was quickly becoming a room as familiar as his own.

He rhythmically taps his knuckles against the wood a couple times, then steps back and waits. Yuma wasn’t asleep. Hyuse didn’t know if Yuma could even sleep. Sure enough, the door opens and Yuma stands in the doorway in a shirt and a pair of shorts. 

“Hyuse?” the albino asks, tilting his head. “What’s up? Bored?”

The Aftokratian nods, “Yes, I… have nothing to occupy myself.”

“What about going to sleep?” Yuma suggests. “Even an Afto soldier can be caught by exhaustion.”

“I cannot bring myself to sleep.” Hyuse responds, stepping into Yuma’s room. “I’m restless, to be honest. I can’t stand just waiting around for something to happen. I have been stuck on a nation that is not my own and forced into a role I did not wish for.”

Yuma nods, understanding to an extent. He felt similarly when he first started fighting wars alone. A never ending anxiousness seemingly without cause. It settles and curls in your gut, it’s cold teeth gnawing upon your heart and claws stabbing at your intestines. The albino sits back on his bed, patting the spot next to him to invite Hyuse over. “Just a few more months and you’ll be back home, right?”

“Assuming the officials here actually let me free, yes.”

“You suspect they won’t?” Yuma inquires as Hyuse sits next to him. 

Hyuse shrugs. “I am unsure. I would like to think they’d let me go, but I don’t want to get my hopes up.” He looks out of the window at the darkened sky. He had been coming up here more and more as the weeks went on, just desperate for some form of engagement from someone with a similar mindset, and he was sure that Yuma had made notice of his increasing number of appearances. 

Leaning forward and placing his hands on his knees, Yuma joins Hyuse in looking out the window at the sleeping city. “What will you do if they do not let you go?”

‘Truthfully?” Hyuse replies, “I’m not sure. I will not accept it laying down, I can tell you that much. But as for my exact course of action, I’m undecided. I’m not stupid enough to believe I could take on Border by myself. Perhaps I could find a way to break off if the chosen group for the away mission is weak enough… and you would be willing to help me.” He says the last sentence as a statement, not a question.

“…you’re quite observant, aren’t you?” Yuma replies, smiling softly.

“I notice a lot, I just act like I don’t.” Hyuse explains, looking over at the albino. “It would be in my best interests for Border to underestimate me in some aspects. They don’t need to know what I pick up on.” 

“Yet you’ve told me.” Yuma tilts his head. “You trust me?”

Hyuse is silent for a moment, then he shrugs slightly. “I suppose I do. Perhaps it’s the fact I know you won’t tell anyone, or that I know you can understand some of my struggles. More than anyone else here, anyway.” His voice is low, absent of his usual ‘holier than thou’ tone. “Talking to you is… comforting, in a way. You always seem to have something to say no matter what I’m talking to you about.”

Yuma is silent for a moment, just looking up at the blond man. “It’s also comforting for me to talk to you. You’re a good friend of mine, Hyuse. My favorite sparring partner, if I’m going to be honest. I admire your creativity and how you use your triggers. I always find myself a little hypnotized while watching you fight. Your movements are so incredibly thought out and strategic…” he trails off to take a breath. “It’s truly an incredible sight to behold, and I find myself lucky to be able to see it as often as I do.”

Hyuse is a little stunned by the sudden dump of feelings from Yuma. “Really?” He asks, a little flustered, though he forces down the heat in his cheeks. “Well… I also enjoy watching you fight. During the invasion, when you were battling Viza with your black trigger, I was able to catch glimpses of you. I found your fluidity to be admirable.” He admits, scratching his forearm gently. “You are… so mesmerizing in battle, to me. The way you are able to move around is just incredible. Your plans are solid and your ideas are ingenious.” 

“…Hyuse?”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to talk about what’s happening here or not?”

Hyuse is silent and looks down at his hands. His chest tightens at the sudden question, and it feels like his breaths, no matter how deep, are incredibly shallow instead. “Um…” he stammers, a very rare occurrence. “We… probably should, right?” 

Yuma lays back on his bed. “Well, we don’t have to. I’m fine either way. It’s up to you if you wanna leave it unaddressed or not.”

“…well, what do you think it is?”

“I think it’s something not legal on Aftokrator, Hyuse. But that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.” He gives the older boy a moment to think. “I know this probably isn’t something you’re happy about. I know it’s probably not something you like the thought of. But please face it as what it is, and try to understand and accept yourself.”

Hyuse lays back too, folding his hands over his stomach. His chest hurt, and he could feel a certain discomfort in his head. He could feel his eyes stinging and a guilt growing in his lungs. “Do you think it’s disgusting?”

“That we like each other despite both being men? No. I don’t think so. Love is already hard to come across, so why shame two people for finding it just because they’re the same gender?”

“This doesn’t feel right, Yuma.”

“Because you’ve been told that it’s wrong your entire life. But this is your life, Hyuse. You get to decide how you feel for yourself, that is not something anyone else has a right to no matter what they say.” Yuma calmly lets his gaze roam across Hyuse’s side profile. “You’re allowed to think and feel for yourself.”

“What I think is that I like you.” Hyuse responds, words slightly choked. “But what I feel is that I shouldn’t. I can’t. It’s forbade on Aftokrator-“ he starts to ramble as tears form in his eyes, but he’s cut off as Yuma grabs his hand.

“But you aren’t on Aftokrator right now.” Yuma rolls onto his side to face Hyuse. “So, what do you want to do in this moment?”

Hyuse rolls his head onto its side. He meets Yuma’s eyes for a moment then looks away, pulling his hand out of Yuma’s. “I don’t know. There’s a lot of things I think I’d like to do, but I don’t know if I could bring myself to do any of them. I think about them and I just… I’m so ashamed.”

“Then don’t think. Just do.”

“You’re kind of annoying me.” Hyuse mumbles fondly as he closes his eyes. “All this, ‘well it’s okay, we aren’t on Afto right now, don’t think about it’, blah blah blah. Easier said than done.”

“Should I do it for you then?” Yuma asks.

“What makes you think I’d like that?” Hyuse retorts. “I don’t need you to do anything for me that I can’t do myself. I don’t want that.”

Yuma raises an eyebrow skeptically as he sees a puff of black smoke tumble from Hyuse’s mouth. “You should know by now that lying to me is useless.”

“Shut it.” Hyuse grumbles, his eyebrows drawing together. “Just be quite for a minute, would you?”

“Hmmm,” Yuma hums. “I don’t want to.”

“I said shut it.”

“Nah, I don’t think I’m gonna. Blah blah blah-“

Yuma is suddenly cut off as Hyuse slaps a hand over his mouth and pins him down to the mattress. 

“Shut. Up.” Hyuse growls. “I’m going back to my room.” He lets go of Yuma’s mouth to grab a handful of his hair and tug it to make a point. Hyuse releases the albino and stands up, walking over to the door and turning the knob.

“Goodnight, Hyuse. Love you.” Yuma says casually, and Hyuse freezes. He stands in the door for a minute, internally debating how he should respond.

“…yeah… yeah. Um… you too.” He mumbles out, quickly fleeing the scene.