Chapter Text
Teru bit his finger, writing lines of blood on the wall to open a portal back home. A roar interupted his work, dodging a supernatural sneak attack and accidentally smudging one of his blood lines, the croocked thing becoming far larger than it should.
The attack itself wasn’t a problem, he slashed the beast on instinct, knocking it down before it claws could reach him, but he was worried his blood offer would not be accepted now that the rune strayed from its textbook format. To his luck, the passage still opened, merely delayed by his mistake.
Teru narrowed his eyes, knocking on its wall and feeling the energy surrounding: It was a fast travel tunnel, as intended, and the connection between this boundary and the outside was stable, so he hesitantly walked into the dark path ahead, only fully able to relax once the water on his shins dried out, back to the Near Shore.
Teru guarded his sword with a small smile, mindlessly playing with the bag strap on his shoulders. Today wasn’t particularly tiring, he is sure Kou will be delighted to see him home earlier, they can both chat while enjoying a warm homecooked dinner.
.
The city on the other side of the tunnel made him blink.
He does not recognize these old-fashioned skyscrapers and stone streets, the lamp posts alone in their task to light up the city, with no neon shops or propaganda screens to help fight the night.
This was not his home.
…Was he sent to another country?
“That's no good.” Teru thought out loud, hand resting on his chin.
He had gotten lost in unfamiliar boundaries when he was younger but he had never found himself in the wrong side of the world. It was concerning but not as scary as it sounded, the situation somewhat exciting as well: He never took a trip outside japan.
He picked up his phone, taking a few pictures of a telephone booth down the street and the balcony of a big old fashioned building, humming in satisfaction at the quality and sending it to Kou, planning to update him on his adventure, maybe buy him a souvenir. His plans were foiled by the images refusing to be sent, his phone claiming to have no connection. He tried to call but got the same problem. The shrine number was no exception, his phone couldn't reach anyone. Teru frowned, staring at a pair of young women with foreign old fashioned dresses and feeling his confusion increase at a pamphlet in japanese, advertising a shoe polishing business.
…Maybe he isn’t in the wrong country, maybe he is in the wrong time, a few decades too early.
That’s just as tricky to deal with.
Teru walked down the streets, hoping to find a crack to take him back to a boundary but finding nothing. He frowned at the lack of supernaturals too, sensing no evil energy emanating from back alleys or stray mokkes near candy stores.
It didn’t feel like he was merely back in time. It felt…. stranger. As if the world was in a severance state.
“What do we have here?” A somewhat familiar voice asked.
Teru followed the sound, facing a dark alley. He could see the faint silhouette of various trash cans and a black cat on the fire escape stairs, but it was too dark to make out details.
“Another Minamoto?” The voice said directly behind him, the casual touch on his shoulder put Teru in fight or flight mode, quick to grab his sword bag and point at his attacker. He followed the fast vulture with his eyes, watching as it jumped on the fire escape, hopping over the railings and crouching as it landed, their silhouette blended in with the pile of discarded boxes behind them, but it seemed human enough.
The stranger barely made any sound, clearly experienced at hiding, but Teru was no amateur to tracking creatures lurking in the darkness, the sneaky ones that slip through cracks and the ones that change their appearances alike, so despite not sensing any supernatural energy, he kept his eyes on his target. The stranger in the shadows whistled, it was hard to say if they were impressed or acting condescending. “You see well in the dark, Mister President.”
Teru tried to cover his student council armband on instinct, sure he got the information from it, but his palm only met the cotton fabric of his shirt, his sleeve was bare.
It was alarming, but not as alarming as how familiar it felt to hear this voice call him president “Aoi..?”
There was a pause.
“Where did you hear that name?” The vulture jumped down the stairs. He expected to see Akane walk into the light, but instead of his underclassman, a man far older than Teru showed up, mindlessly twirling the stolen armband on his ring finger, his heeled boots, which were unnaturally silent before, now making a clicking sound, as dramatic as his short cape and tailored green vest “Did your big brother talk about me?”
Teru stared at him like an idiot, feeling unbalanced in the face of those brown eyes with blue irises. The man’s face is sharper than his vice president’s, eyelashes a bit longer, but those are Akane’s eyes, a more mischievous version of it, but undeniably Akane’s eyes.
This… Clone of Akane? Relative? Weird time travel version? Was a bit taller than Teru, but without his high heels, they would be around the same height. His white gloves and low ponytail remind him of Akane's clock keeper uniform but the way he moves is weird, delicate yet attention grabbing, like every step is part of a silent show.
Once the shock passed, Teru was able to process his words “I don’t have an older brother.”
“Bullshit, you look an awful lot like the chief.” Akane, because he can’t imagine this man being anyone else, said. He tilted his head, making his ponytail slide down his chest, and frowned “...A bit too much. You even have the same eyes. Creepy.”
“What is your chief’s name?” Teru frowned, feeling an itch in his head. Something here wasn’t adding up.
Akane looked at him weirdly, “Minamoto Teru.”
Ah…
He had a feeling, but now he is sure: This is not the wrong country or time. It's the wrong universe.
There are old scrolls with tales of mysterious riffs that lead to other realities but it’s so rare, he didn't expect to open one after a small mistake with a blood sign.
He did get vague training on it, instructions to search for supernatural items or momentums shaped by both worlds.
“That’s me.” Teru said, rubbing his cheek with a cute blush “Oopsie.”
“Your lie sucks.” Akane was not amused, “You’re at least 10 years too young to be him.”
“I’m old here too?” Teru blinked, curious as to what he would look like as an adult. He knows he is still handsome, that’s a given, but he doesn’t like to think about the future, so he doesn’t have a clear image of himself in it.
The thief frowned at his wording “You’re not making sense, kid.”
“I’m seventeen.” Teru corrected.
The thief was not impressed, still with his arms crossed when he corrected himself “You’re not making sense, boy.”
“I’m from another dimension.”
Akane stared, the open judgment in his face familiar to his own Akane’s. It made Teru smile.
“Wild claim you have here, can you prove it?”
“I think I can.” He hummed, giving Akane his bracelet “Look at this.”
The thief narrowed his eyes, “Looks like a normal shrine bracelet to me, boy.”
So they have shrines here. That’s good. This world is not completely removed from supernaturals. Truly in a severance state.
“It’s a weapon.”
The thief stared at him, then back at the bracelet, then at him again “You’re not very bright, are you?”
Teru smile turned malicious as he touched the bracelet, ordering it to wrap around the thief’s arm.
Akane startled, trying to take it off and whistling when Teru ordered the bracelet to get back to his wrist. Akane frowned at the smooth control, analyzing the beads for hidden strings, magnets, glue, anything, but finding nothing. Nothing at all. “Do it again, there got to be a trick to it.”
...He want Teru to do it again?
“Come on. Do it coward.”
Teru laughed, covering his mouth to hide his surprised smile. It was somewhat amusing to have a man with his vice president’s eyes say “Tie me again.” instead of cursing him for it.
Who was he to deny him this?
With a cheerful flick of the wrist, Teru ordered the bracelet to fully immobilize Akane, watching with pride as the thief yelped, falling to the ground. This Akane didn’t wiggle around or cursed up a storm, staying still, only mildly confused “What the fuck? There are no knots."
“It’s controlled by spiritual energy.”
“It’s contRolled by spiritUAL enERgy.” Akane mocked, furrowing his brows and trying to concentrate, wiggling his arms as best he could and caressing the beads, growing increasingly more annoyed by it.
“It is. I am an exorcist.” Teru loomed over the fallen thief with an angelic smile and squeezed the restraints, having way too much fun “Do you believe me now, Aoi?”
“Ugh... You do look eerily similar to the chief..." He tapped his fingers on the beads "Don't call me Aoi.” He mumbled, furrowing his brows “Give me one second. I am almost done here.”
“Alright, Aoi-san.” Teru's eyes crinkled, caught off guard when he actually untangled the ropes, sacrificing his cape but able to escape.
...Oh.
Teru felt a flicker of respect for the man, aware it's easier for those with no supernatural ties to get out of it, but still impressed. That was quick.
“Call it back to your wrist.”
Teru did as told, the rope being compressed back to the size of a bracelet. Akane clicked his tongue, a drop of sweat on his cheek “That's bullshit…” He cursed under his breath, grabbing his cape off the ground and shaking any dust from it “Alright president, I'll buy it. You're from another dimension.” He clasped the cape back on his shoulders with unnecessary flair and sighed “Figures only Teru would have eyes that pretty.”
Teru’s eyes crinkled at the backhanded compliment, smug about his good looks, “Your eyes remind me of my Aoi too.” Teru ignored the unconfortable itch under his skin at calling Akane his. It felt wrong but he didn’t dislike it “...How old are you?”
“Take a guess.”
Teru hummed, analyzing the thief. He didn’t has wrinkles like old man Nagisa but he does look tired, his eyes sharper than his Akane's eyes. Everything about him feels sharper.
…It’s unnatural to see Akane without his baby face.
“30?”
Akane’s smirk twitched “No.”
Teru put a hand under his chin, guessing he was younger from his reaction but liking the sound of his annoyance, the way his eyes narrowed increasing the thief's similarities with his vice president “32?”
“I’m 26.” Akane deadpaned, visibly offended. “People always say I look younger, you need to get your eyes checked.”
“That’s still old.”
An intire decade older than his Akane. He isn’t sure he’ll ever see his vice president grow this old.
(Will they stay friends once his clock keeper contract ends and Teru graduates…? They don’t exactly have a lot of free time. He doesn’t know if they'll go to the same college either.)
“The hell it is.” The thief huffed, giving him a distraction from the future.
“What do you work with, Aoi-san?” Teru asked, holding back the urge to trip him. This guy may be Akane but he is still a stranger, he isn’t sure he can hit him without being hated for it.
“I steal, that's all you need to know.” The thief said, throwing something his way. Teru grabbed it on instinct: It was his student council armband. Nice. “Are you a student in an exorcist school?”
“Exorcism is my part time job.” Teru clipped the armband back to his arm with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Sure. Do you know how to get back?”
“I just need to find a crack between dimensions, easy peasy!” Teru chirped, not as optimistic as he sounded. “Are there any popular supernatural rumors in this city?”
“Not that I'm aware.” Akane said, vaguely amused “The chief may know, he has a lot of information about the town.”
“Does he own the town?” Teru asked, the idea of being the chief, the equivalent of a king, made him blush in excitement. If he got control over the entire town he could work whenever he wanted and has a lot of fun in his spare time!
“He is the chief of the police.” Akane corrected, chuckling at his disappointment. “Can’t say I’m a big fan of it either.”
If the Teru of this place is a police officer, he probably only focuses on crimes, not curses. That’s of no help.
It will be more efficient to find a way out by himself.
“I can’t exactly walk inside a police station,” Akane said, which makes sense, but the idea that he isn't on the same side as this world’s Teru is weird.
He wondered how they became friends.
“How do you feel about breaking into someone’s office?” Akane asked.
Breaking in...?
Teru’s eyes sparkled.
He has always liked the idea of being a delinquent, someone free to cut doors in half when they were shut in his face with no care for how it would reflect on his family, able to kick down the statues of Nagisa's shrine, to steal what he wants, to fully and utterly let go of the ‘hero’ role his brother adores, feed into his more reprehensible daydreams.
Being a hero is no fun.
(There is a reason Teru never pictures himself as a hero in the precious moments he can sit down in his cozy living room and watch movies with his siblings.
The idea of being a zombie who destroys everything in its path with no duties or honor attached to it, just mindless destruction for the sake of destruction sounds far more fun than being a survivor in charge of everyone’s lives. Being an evil witch overthrowing a castle with dangerous spells or a thief that takes what they want sounds fun too.
Being alone sounds less fun, and every villain is hated by their world, so he doesn't envy them.)
But here Akane was, an older and experienced version of his trusted friend, willing to give him a taste of freedom, make one of his silly escapism fantasies come true.
“Oh?” Akane smirked, snapping him out of it. “I like the fire in your eyes,” He seemed amused, truly more carefree than his vice president. It’s not… bad… exactly. Not bad at all. “Come on. You already see well in the dark so it shouldn’t be too hard.”
.
“You’re too noisy! We are supposed to be sneaky.” Akane said, sitting on the edge of an apartment roof.
Teru pouted, able to keep up with his speed but failing to be even half as quiet. Metal stairs are noisy by design, there isn't much he can do about it.
“How do I walk quietly?”
He expected an exasperated but concise explanation, assuming the thief has more experience explaining things than his vice president, but this Akane frowned, at a loss for words.
“You just… Do it?”
“Very helpful.”
Akane tried to think of something, awkwardly taking a quiet jump up a chimney, the fluttering of his cape a bit distracting. “Land with the sole of your feet, not your body.”
Teru tried to mimic him when he left the chimney, but he landed normally, making a slight thumping sound. He tried again, feeling like he jumped slower but still not nearly as quiet as the thief.
The lack of progress made him frown. This is stupid. Akane is stupid, how is he supposed to not land with his body? The body follows the feet. “Explain better Aoi-san.”
“The position is wrong?” It sounded like a question. Teru must be making a face that betrays how unimpressed he is, because Akane rolled his eyes “Cut me some slack kid, I have been doing this solo my whole life, it’s second nature.”
Solo?
“You work alone?”
“Always had, does your Akane not?”
Teru blushed a tiny bit, shaking his head. “My Aoi is always surrounded by people, everyone wants to work with him.”
Even his school mystery seat is the only one not solitary in nature, roped into working with other supernaturals.
“Yikes.” The thief said “Heists in groups are a mess, getting a recruit sounds even worse. I haven’t played teacher in over a decade.” His eyes crinkled with mischief “Not for kids.”
Teru gave him a judgemental look. He is 17, he hasn’t been a kid in a while, Akane just sucks waaaay more than his vice president at teaching, and his Akane isn’t even that good of a teacher. He wanted to say as much, but the thief didn’t let him, quick to change subjects “The neighbor's roof is close, jump on it. I want to test something.”
Teru did as told with efficiency, giving a big jump and feeling the wind whistle past his ears at the speed. He landed on his feet, looking back at Akane and feeling a hint of pride at the way the thief's eyes widened, whistling in awe.
“Oh boy, you’re not cut out to be sneaky,” The thief followed him with a quiet jump, “You can hang on my back, I’ll get us in.”
Teru frowned, he did not want this older version of Akane to carry him. He has this cocky aura around him that is worse than his Akane, he also seems to look down on Teru, which he isn’t a fan of.
However...The idea does have its appeal too...
The thief moves so fast, so different from anyone he knows. It could be fun.
“Can you even carry me?” He asked, their height similar despite the age difference.
“I have stolen ten-foot-tall paintings before,” He bragged, a hand on his hips “I can sneak a kid in a police station.”
Teru was a bit skeptical, sure this man did not have a contract that would give him supernatural strenght, but Akane was starting to get impatient, so Teru did as told, feeling a bit awkward but holding on to the man’s shoulder, blushing a little at the feeling of being carried again after so many years having no one to lift him up.
“Holy fuck," The thief stumbled, making Teru smirk "You are heavy. No wonder you are shit at being sneaky.” That’s rude, he kicked his side. Remembering a bit too late that if Akane falls, he falls with him. Thankfully the chief stumbled again but did not fall “Don't do that, it’s already a chore as it is. Do you have rocks in your bag?”
“Just my sword.” Teru said.
“...Of course you have a sword.” Akane walked as silent as always despite his complaints, it’s unnatural, likely a skill only someone from this dimension can have. “Guess you’re just heavier than you look.”
Teru lightly kicked his side again, satisfied by his cursing.
.
“Wow,” Teru said when Akane jumped on top of a lamp post, the lack of railings made him hold on tighter to the thief’s shoulder, his heart beating with adrenaline, taking in the city below with a small blush.
The old lights and unfamiliar streets made it all feel surreal, like a dream...
They crossed streets without being seen, using the darkness as a friend. It was strange compared to his usual routine, nothing like the high of playing executioner but not bad. Not bad at all. Akane's wild shortcuts are his favorite part of this trip, the thief slipped inside people’s balconies with ease, barely giving Teru enough time to catch glimpses of strangers living their lives before they were already flying through a kitchen window.
Teru resisted the urge to giggle. This is fun!
Akane stole a wallet from a man’s table, so quickly that Teru barely noticed.
“...You’re good at this.” Teru commented. Part of him felt like he should berate the thief, the wallet owner is just a civilian after all, and stealing is wrong, but another was intrigued, not taking anything about this dimension too seriously.
“The best in the city.” Akane bragged, guarding the wallet in his pants. “Give me any target, and I'll be able to steal it."
His internal conflict immediately disappeared, eyes lighting up. He checked a few people walking down the street and relaxing in their house, zooming on a couple arguing through a window "There," He pointed at them “I doubt you can steal that woman’s necklace.”
Akane’s shoulders shook, as if laughing, but he barely made a sound. He left Teru sitting on a fire escape stairs two stories above the woman’s apartment “I can’t do it with you on my back” He rolled his shoulders, likely also wanting a break from carrying him around “Give me a minute.”
Teru nodded, leaning over the railing and feeling the cool breeze on his face, this city a bit colder than his own. The night darker as well. He could hear faint yelling from bars and clubs and strangers passing by, but there wasn’t much to do while he waited.
He was tempted to follow Akane, trying harder to be quiet. Maybe when there are stakes he can be sneaky?
Teru was slowly walking down the stairs, not satisfied by the slight noise he makes, when he spotted Akane coming back. The thief slipped the jewelry into Teru’s breast pocket, as if to say “It’s yours now.”
Teru grabbed the chain necklace, smiling at the swan design in the center. It looks fancy.
That's cool.
Akane is cool, like a movie character.
.
Akane got way more careful once they reached the police station.
No more flying through rooftops and sneaky shortcuts. It was mostly waiting and straight forward dashing.
More waiting than dashing, unfortunately.
Teru got bored of scouting the streets with Akane, staring at him instead, not sure if his hair was more orange than his vice president's hair or if it was just a light trick from the old lamp posts. Regardless, the thief’s hair was naturally shinier, and more natural than he is used to: It’s long everywhere, not just at the nape of his neck, making his ponytail far thicker than the clock keeper’s, more fluffy too. Now that he is paying attention, he noticed one of his ears has two healing punctures in it, the bruise similar to what he imagines a failed earring pierce would look like, the thief's regeneration weaker than his vice president’s.
He is also able to stay faaaar more still than his Akane ever could. Barely even breathing for far too long even.
Teru can be patient, he truly can, but it was harder to stay calm hanging on Akane’s back, the adrenaline of jumping around after a night of exorcism clashing horribly with the way the thief laid completely still between smelly trash cans, not moving even when Teru played with his ponytail, expecting the same frizzy texture of his vice president hair and raising his brows at how silky it feels, the strands slipping through his fingers.
So much about the thief simply doesn’t match the Akane he knows… He can’t help but wonder...
“How did you meet the older me?” Teru asked. Akane said he was a loner, but he does seem to know this world’s Teru well.
“Be quiet.” He hissed, “The police are right there and I will not go to prison for this.”
Teru pouted at his lack of answer, pulling his ponytail and feeling a little better at his cursing. Teru leaned over his shoulder trying to make eye contact “Have you been jailed before?”
“A few times.” he was quiet, pushing Teru’s face so he stayed hidden in the trash cans with Akane. “So shuuush.”
“Why? They don’t look special. I am sure you are faster than these guys.”
‘Just move ’ Teru thought, kicking his leg on his side.
“Sure am, but they know it.” He clicked his tongue “Bastards don’t even try anymore, they just run to Teru the second they catch a glimpse of me.”
“Isn’t that good?" He said, taking note of the first name use "We are trying to reach older me.”
“We are breaking in. Not visiting.”
Teru pouted.
He had a feeling this version of himself works against Akane. Cops and thieves don’t mix. So how did they become friends? Was it in jail?
Teru’s thoughts were put on a pause when Akane started climbing the police department walls, back to his fast pace. The moment he was inside he sped up, slipping through guards blind spots like it was routine.
Teru held on tighter to his shoulder and smiled, loving the wind on his face.
.
The windows of their target’s office were locked.
“He changed locks again.” Akane’s smile was strained on the glass reflection, but he set to work, flickering a paperclip to his fingers. Teru blinked, his sleight of hand good enough that Teru couldn’t tell if the paperclip was previously hidden under his sleeves or his thick gloves “It’s cute how hard he tries.”
Cute?
His vice president never used cute as an insult, there really are a lot of differences between the two Akanes. It’s fascinating.
“Can’t we smash the windows? It's faster.” Teru tried, raising himself so he could fully lean over his shoulder. It’s fun to sneak around, and he does like the souvenir he was given, but this isn’t exactly the exciting pay off he had expected when he agreed to invade someone’s house.
He wouldn’t have agreed to this if he knew no breaking was involved in a break in.
“No, that's stupid,” Akane whispered, keeping his eyes on the lock “Now stay still, I am almost done, and wait for the ri-”
Teru punched the glass, getting a slight crack on it. That felt nice, maybe if he put more force into it he could shatter it.
The idea made his body buzz, itching to break something.
“What do you think you’re doing?!” Akane hissed, grabbing his arm “I just taught you about being silent! You dumb son of a bitc-”
“Aoi.”
Akane froze at the voice on the other side of the window.
Teru blinked. Was that his voice? The older him? His voice was deeper than he expected, more authoritarian than even dad’s voice.
“Shit.” Akane panicked, ducking under the windowsill, the abrupt move nearly making Teru fall off his back. “This is all your fault, I knew there was a reason I hated teenagers-”
The window opened and Akane went dead silent.
Teru was tempted to tease him about it, but a gloved hand grabbed the straps of his sword bag, wanking Teru up.
The exorcist yelped, dangling in the hold of a tall man with dad’s glare and build, but mom’s pale eyes and beauty, his white cap and uniform looked expensive, adorned by gold and faint pink details. His cape had the same color scheame, making his brown gloves and navy blue scarf stand out.
Teru tried to stretch his leg to touch the floor, not scared by the glass shards from the broken windown, and finding it unfair that this version of himself also wear heeled boots. He does not need the extra inch, no wonder he is a full head taller than Teru.
The man’s glare disappeared, visibly surprised.
Teru smiled innocently, watching this supposedly older version of himself frown, refusing to put Teru on the ground “You’re not Aoi.”
Teru pointed at the window “Aoi-san is under the window.”
There was a tense moment of silence where both Terus stared at each other before the chief lost his patience. “Aoi. If you don’t show yourself I will not be here saturday.”
"So impatient." Akane slipped inside the room with unnatural grace, heels effortlessly avoiding the shards beneath them as his fancy cape fluttered behind him,“I found the boy on the streets, he claims to be you from an alternative universe.” Akane leaned on the wall by the broken window and crossed his arms “I don’t think he is lying, chief. But I do think he is insane.”
Teru pouted, not offended but seeing no need for the thief to be rude.
“Claim to be me?” The chief narrowed his eyes, looking back at Teru with something cold in his face. He let him down but confiscated his sword, grabbing his wrist when Teru tried to retrieve it “Explain yourself.”
He resisted the urge to punch him. To start the fight that was practically being asked of him.
Adult or not, they are ignorant of the supernatural, only familiar with this world's Near Shore, so this kind of reaction is understandable. Teru is the one with information, it falls on him to stay calm and guide them through it.
(It’s annoying to be so far away from home and still feel the weight of responsibility on his shoulders, but he is used to clench his fists and deal with it.)
“It’s a long story.” Teru reluctantly let him have his sword, wearing a charming smile. Hopefully, he'll be able to befriend his older self's as quickly as he befriended the thief, he just need to use his bracelet again. “I made a little mistake but -”
The man held his face, rubbing his thumb around his eyelashes and narrowing his eyes, checking behind his ear.
“What are you doing?” Teru's smile got strained.
“It’s not makeup or a silicone mask.” Akane grabbed the man’s arm, his annoyed tone not matching his gentle hold “You’re so paranoid-”
“I’ll deal with you later.” The chief spared Akane a cold look, taking his hands off Teru but still acting stern, sucking away the dreamy energy of this world.
The thief raised his hands in mock surrender, unaffected by it “Someone needs a stress relief.”
“Someone needs to stop bothering me,” The chief warned, keeping his eyes on Teru, analyzing him like a criminal. It wasn't a nice feeling.
Akane took a step closer, not scared by the icy energy his friend was oozing “Says the one always chasing me around.”
“Aoi.”
“Yes?”
They stared at each other in silence, something in their eyes making the air feel thicker. It was weird.
“Cat got your tongue, Teru?~”
Teru startled at the playful way he said his name, his fight or flight instincts nearly activating. The chief seemed less affected by it, narrowing his eyes.
... And back to the weird silence the two went.
The exorcist sweated, feeling like he shouldn’t be here.
“… I don’t think older me will be of help.” Teru said, breaking their bizzare staring contest. “Can I leave?”
The chief shoved the thief away, making him sigh.
The atmosphere went back to normal after this, but Teru's mind still lingered on it, something about their interaction made it seem as if Akane had been… Flirting. Which can't be right. Akane would never put moves on someone that isn’t Aoi.
(He would never be a thief for a living either.
This is not an older version of the Akane he knows. Teru shouldn’t treat him as such.)
"Don't call me that." Older him said.
"Okay, chief."
The chief sighed “My apologies for his behavior, but I’m afraid I can’t dismiss you, boy.” He calmed down, his sharp eyes making Teru sober up “I do not believe in different dimensions, nor the crossing over of them, but our physical similarities cannot be overlooked.” His smile was small, not quite reassuring. “The implications of an undocumented Minamoto troubles me.”
“Not everyone without an identity is a criminal.” The thief pointed out.
“He is carrying an unauthorized weapon,” The chief threw his bag at Akane’s direction, keeping his eyes on Teru “Which I would also like an explanation for.”
The thief grabbed the sword with one hand and immediately stumbled, forced to hold on to it with both arms “Fuck, this is heavy! You were not kidding.” Akane opened the bag with an eager spark in his eyes, running his fingers on the blade and tapping the material in that weirdly distracting way of his, more interested in his sword handle and fancy sheeth than in the massive ancient blade “Not bad." he whistled with appreciation, "This handle has real gold on it. Heh, I should have known you’re a rich kid.”
“You are rich too.” Teru frowned at his flashy outfit. “Or did you steal that?”
Akane smirked, so probably stolen.
“He has money of his own, he just has a death wish.” His older self said coldly, ignoring Akane’s frown “Your sword is of priority now. It’s no common treasure, it looks like an artifact.”
“It’s a heirloom. I am from a family of exorcists.” Teru said, extending his hand “Only I can use it, so if you give it back, it will be easy to prove it.”
The chief narrowed his eyes, resting his hand on a whip by his waist-
“Calm down.” Akane looked at the older man with an unimpressed expression “I brought him here, he won’t attack.” Akane eyes sparkled, dangerous “His bracelet is interesting, I am curious about what he can do with the sword.”
The older version of himself didn't seem convinced, but he took his hand off his whip, seemingly unaware of his own actions, “I am not giving the boy that cracked my window a sword.”
Akane huffed, getting his point. “The kid isn’t that violent. If you don't trust him, at least trust me on this.”
The chief shoulders slumped, paying attention to Teru again, his narrowed eyes making Teru narrow his eyes back, disliking this guy. The chief is the embodiment of the traits he dislikes about himself, a cold exterior, a job as a life, and a sea of stress. Not a hint of fun.
“Don’t pick a fight.” Akane sighed “For someone with younger siblings, you sure are shit at handling a kid.”
“Teens are harder to handle than kids.” The chief said with a fatigue that can only come from experience.
Teru frowned at his tone, ready for an old man ramble about the youth being cocky and disrespectful, but the uptight man went silent, putting a hand on his chin and looking at Teru without that sheen of ice.
They got into another staring contest. The silence seemed to stretch on, but the chief abruptly softened, not by much, but still enough to not resemble dad anymore.
“...I will advise you to be careful still, but I’ll give your sword back,” The chief said, “I’ll forgive the damage you’ve done as well. The window fine will fall on Aoi.”
“What?" Akane did not like that "Why me?”
“His parents are in another dimension.” There was a pause “Likely not present. You’re his designed guardian.” The officer’s smile gained a sharp edge when the thief glared at him “All damages the boy commits will be your responsibility.”
Teru lit up, Akane’s mood darkened “That’s bullshit. Shouldn’t a Minamoto deal with another Minamoto?”
“You’re the one responsible for sneaking a civilian into private property, consider the fine your punishment. I will not accept stolen money.” The chief warned, “Now give him the sword, if he cannot convince me of his unique circumstances he will live with you until further notice.”
Teru frowned. He likes Akane when he isn't being weird with his older self but not he doesn't want to live with the guy, much preferring his cozy home with his amazing siblings “If I can prove it will I be on my way?”
“Of course.” The chief said in a kinder tone, glancing back at Akane and nodding “You may give him his hairloon back.”
The thief did as told with a tight smile “I’m stealing your things to pay for anything you destroy, so don’t go out of your way to fuck my budget.”
“You're no fun.” Teru teased, focusing all his energy on the tip of his blade and slashing the air, creating a lightning cage.
The electric power startled both of the adults. The thief leaped backyard like a cat, and the chief stepped in front of him, whip ready to destroy anything that may hurt Akane.
That was somewhat similar to his own dimension. Teru smiled, glad they were close here too. “I am you from a universe with supernaturals. My sword converts my spiritual energy into lightning and allows me to destroy corrupted souls.”
“...It’s magic.” The chief said slowly.
Magic is one of the old names given to spiritual energy by those who cannot see it. He preferred it over it being called a blessing, so he nodded.
The man narrowed his pale eyes, his sigh remembering Teru of the days when he just wanted to lay on the floor and give up on everything “...Boy, do you have a wallet? I would like to check something.”
Teru gave him his wallet, reassured that he could just trap the man with his bracelet if he tried anything, so he wasn’t worried.
The chief's brows raised at his crumbled-up yens and student card “What year are you from?”
“2014.”
Akane whistled.
The chief nodded, giving his documents back with a polite smile that Teru uses a lot. It's bizarre to see it on someone else's face, no matter how similar the face “Is dimensional travel a standard of your home?”
Teru was able to hear the unsaid ‘Do I have to worry about this now? I already hate my job as it is.’ sentiment hidden behind his smile. He took pity on the chief “No. This was a mistake that very rarely happens, I suspect it won’t affect this specific dimension again in a few centuries.”
The chief smile grew more genuine at the confirmation this is not his problem “I see.”
“So what now?” Akane asked.
The chief seemed to be contemplating his next move, looking at Akane, then back at Teru. He tilted his head, patting Teru’s hair.
The exorcist frowned, but still blushed a little, used to be the one who gives others head pats, not the one receiving it.
“It’s better to get you back home, boy.” The chief smiled gently, his voice was all wrong, but the way his face softened made him look a lot like mom or what he remembers of her. It was uncomfortable.
“If you want, Aoi will buy you a souvenir before you go, but I can’t let you steal, so if you excuse me” The chief took the necklace from his breast pocket, ignoring Teru's pout to stare Akane’s way. “I’m assuming this is your doing.”
“It was a gift.” Akane didn’t deny it.
“You buy gifts, Aoi. Or make them-”
“The intention is the most important part of gift giving,” Akane waved him off. “You still have my pen, so I'm sure you know that.”
The chief side eyes his desk, which had a few fancy pens scathered on top of it.
Akane’s smirk widened at his silence, likely having expected an argument “Oh? Do like it that much? Do you think of me when you hold it, dear?~”
The chief sighed, but he blushed a little, making the thief also blush.
Teru frowned at the way they looked at each other, at the way Akane grabbed his arm.
He can no longer fool himself, this is flirting. This is straight up flirting. It isn’t in his mind. They are flirting right in front of him. Teasing doesn’t sound like this.
“Are you two dating?” Teru asked, feeling awkward when half of the couple was a version of himself, and the other half was a version of his vice president, who is helpful, wise, and cute at times, but not on the market.
“In a way.” Akane said.
“No.” The chief said at the same time.
Both gave each other an unamused look
“Don’t lie to yourself. We have been going on dates for a week now.” Akane let out a long sigh, “We have a date this saturday.”
His older self hummed in a deceptively peaceful manner and leaned closer to the thief, keeping his voice low, ice cold, but not low enough to bypass Teru's sharp ears “What do you think you’re doing?”
Akane tensed up “The boy is from another dimension, he doesn't count. Let me brag.”
“No.”
Teru stared blankly at the arguing couple (?) their bickering falling into background noise.
This is... wild... on many levels. He is somewhat unconfortable, yet intrigued. Many questions ran through his mind, but he settled on the most obvious one “…What about Akane-san?”
That caught Akane’s attention, confusing him “Aoi-chan?”
Teru nodded “Don’t you like her?”
The thief frowned “She is pretty, sure, but I don’t go after married women.”
“Akane-san is married...?” He repeated slowly, trying to process the information.
“Her and Mei-chan have been together since I moved to this city.”
Teru stared, unblinking, feeling that same wrongness he felt when Akane said he works alone.
The idea Akane and Aoi aren’t childhood friends is such a blow to the reality he lives in.
“You look surprised.” Akane raised an intrigued eyebrow. “Is your Akane going out with Aoi-chan?”
“No.”
“Why not?” He asked, ignoring the side eye the chief his boyfriend was giving him.
Teru immediately thought about how creepy his vice president became when it comes to Aoi, sure that if he was in her shoes he would reject him for it, instead of rewarding him points, but he wasn’t in her shoes. And he never will be. So he used the explanation Aoi had given, the one everyone in school knows and Akane said has been the same explanation since he first confessed “If they get married she’ll be Aoi Aoi, and she doesn’t like the name.”
Both stared at him.
Teru stared back, tilting his head at the lack of reaction.
“Ah,” The chief said “He finished.”
“That’s it…? My surname is what’s in the way?” The thief raised a brow, “Not my- I mean, this Akane’s appearance, or personality, or her personal preferences. Just the surname?” The thief snorted, not waiting for a reply “That’s stupid, why is she even thinking about marriage? Does your magical exorcist world not do casual dating?” He waved his hand, his tone growing higher pitched, full of mockery “Let’s get the rings before holding hands, I’m sure that won’t end badly!”
Teru raised his brows, amazed by the sight: He had seen Akane being judgemental before, but it felt like watching a car crash when Akane used this attitude to talk about his sweet and amazing Ao-chan.
“... Akane-san does like him.” She had been so depressed on Valentine’s days, willing to throw her chocolates for Akane in the trash just because someone else tried to confess to him. “but my Aoi doesn’t do casual dating, he asked for her hand in marriage many times.” Teru blushed the tiniest bit at calling Akane his again, the itch that comes with it stronger in this situation “He believes in true love.”
It had been hard to take Akane serious when they first met, any praises regarding Aoi a barrage of white noise, but ever so often, in the most random of times, he’ll drop his creepy worship of his ‘goddess’ and speak about Aoi’s love for sharks and flowers and raspberry sweets with honest devotion, the gentle spark in his eyes when reminiscing about their childhood making Teru see glimses of real love hiden under his loud nonsense, “...That’s why it is hard to imagine him with someone else.”
“They aren’t even dating and he asked for her hand in marriage?” The thief looked done with this “They are both idiots. Good on them, perfect for each other.”
Teru frowned, though he couldn't really argue...
“Your Aoi is old fashioned.” The chief frowned at his Akane, clearly having trouble picturing the thief as a lover boy.
“I can be old fashioned.” Akane switched gears at the attention, “I would have brought you flowers everyday if you wanted, but I know you don't like gifts."
“Not when they are stolen."
“You’re priceless, dear." He denied, flirty once more "I can buy you a garden.”
The chief's eyes crinkled, the effortless way he held Akane’s hand making Teru stare, forced to process the idea that was being presented to him. The idea of Akane falling in love with someone else.
With Teru.
He looked away from the strangers with familiar faces, growing irrationally nervous.
He had wanted to experience love for a while, his curiosity growing as he watched people turn into fools near their crush in school, but even when he did feel… something… in Akane’s presence he tried not to think about it.
He thought about it despite his best efforts, able to admit, if only to himself, that the idea of Akane staring at him with such warm eyes, visibly happy to see him was… Nice. He wants it.
But he can’t have it, and nothing is worth losing what he already has, so he won’t do anything about it.
(Which is fine. Teru loves to have a dear friend who listens to him talk about his siblings, and who won't hate him when he is at his most destructive, someone competent enough to keep up with him in both school duties and on the battlefield. He is far less alone than he used to be, and that’s priceless.)
…But the idea still caught his interest.
Something about those two feels off. Confusing. Not like he envisioned a relationship to be.
The locked window, the somewhat tense atmosphere, the secrecy of their relationship, the way Akane uses first names and pet names but the chief sticks to his last name, the weird staring, the way they didn’t feel comfortable calling it ‘dating’ but flirt nonstop...
“How did you fall in love?” He blushed a tiny bit at his own question, tilting his head at the way they froze. He is sure they are in love, or at least, in love enough for... whatever they have, which he has a gut feeling is deeper than holding hands.“Do you want to get married?”
Something in the atmosphere changed.
“We are not getting married.”
“You heard the boss.” Akane agreed. “As for falling in love…" He smirked at the chief “It just happened~”
“That’s not an answer.” Teru interrupted his attempt to flirt again. What a shameless guy.
“It is. Before I knew it, I wanted him to always look at me. No matter if it's with hatred, as long as it was my way.” He rested his hand on his chin, staring at the chief with something softer “What I stole stopped mattering, I just wanted your eyes on me.” For an instance, his eyes sparkled, looking exactly like the Akane he knows “Anything for you.”
The chief frowned, though there was a small blush on his cheek. “I was the reason you went on a rampage for months?”
“Of course.” Akane waved his hand, moving in that weirdly distracting way again “I don’t need that much money. It makes no sense to risk prison for an extra million.”
The chief looked constipated. “...I see.”
"You risked prison for attention?" Teru snorted, amused underneath his curiosity. Maybe the thief is more like his vice president than he gave him credit for.
“You're single, shut up." The thief mocked.
Ouch, low blow.
"We are getting distracted," The chief said, "Let's focus on getting the boy back home. Do you have any idea where to start?"
“I do.” Teru said, starting to miss his world. He wants to see his siblings again, get a plate of Kou’s cooking, and cease his worries about a love life he doesn’t have. “Is there anything related to supernaturals, curses, or ghosts in this city? Just rumors about supernatural is enough.”
The chief thought about it, “Can it be a location?”
“Location…?” Akane asked. “There are haunted houses in this city?”
“Not in the typical sense.” The chief answered “Ghost sighting always proves to be one of Amane's tricks, but the Yugi Mansion has been a cold case for a decade,” His face closed off, “There are no ghost rumors around it, but the details don’t add up. The reports occasionally contradict each other as well.”
The description sounds decent. “It’s worth checking out.”
“I’ll escort you.”
“I can protect myself.”
“I don’t doubt your competence.” The chief said, “But it seems wiser to keep your sword out of sight. There is no need for it with us around.”
Teru frowned at the idea of being protected, reluctantly obeying him and guarding his sword back in his bag, blinking when Akane ruffled his head. “I’ll meet you two there.”
“You’re supposed to be my guardian.” Teru pointed out, not wanting to be with the chief alone.
“I ain’t about that life.” Akane denied, “The chief will come up with a better punishment later.”
The thief jumped out of the window.
Teru blinked slowly, but the chief didn’t seem to care that his boyfriend was facing a four floors drop.
“He just wants attention. Don’t pay him any mind.” The chief said, as fond as he was exasperated. “The house is near but we will go by car.”
Teru nodded, following this older version of himself when he left the room.
.
Unlike Akane, the chief was an attention magnet, the brief walk from the station to his funny old fashioned car was stopped by many officers.
Thankfully, every inquiry about Teru was met with a cold “Classified information.” from the chief and immediately dropped.
Teru is pretty sure he saw Kou chatting with a stranger, showing them pictures as if to prove a point, but the sight of his little brother being older than himself was offputting. He felt something uncomfortable that he didn’t want to think about at the way his little brother's voice was deeper than his own, but his traffic safety earring was the same as always.
His eyes lingered but his feet walked faster, jumping in the car the second the chief opened the backseat door for him.
(He was envious.
Kou has a police uniform: In this universe, his brother works with him.)
.
The ride was silent.
After a few blocks, he got used to the other man's presence, the stale atmosphere being filled by Teru's growing curiosity, until it started to take space in the small car. He has so many questions about this stranger's life, maybe the man won’t answer it, but it’s worth a shot.
“...Do you love Aoi-san?”
The chief glanced at him from the rear mirror, holding on tight to his steering wheel before looking at the road again. It took an moment for the chief to reply “I do." He sighed, his eyes crinkled "Unfortunately.”
"Do you work with Kou?"
"No. Kou take care of simple cases, I don't have time to do those." The thief tapped his gloved finger on the gear stick "He is competent, and quick, but too reckless to join on my missions." He narrowed his eyes at him "Is he an exorcist?"
"No." Teru said, leaning closer to his older self "Do you have a little sister?"
The chief seemed to dislike his knowladge of her, but he urged himself to relax "Yes, though she isn't that little anymore. Around your age." He shook his head "I haven't seen her much since she started dating."
Teru paled, just imagining his little princess being a grown girl who goes out on dates and doesn't spend time with him immediately vaporized any hint of envy Teru could feel for this man.
.
It didn't take long for them to reach an old red mansion with creaky floorboards and an overgrown backyard.
There was a slight crackle of supernatural energy in the air, one that should led out of this dimension.
Bingo.
“This place is as dirty as always,” Akane's voice come from directly behind them. Teru tensed up at his sudden presence, but the chief did not react. “Did you find what you want, President?”
“Yes.” Teru smiled pleasantly, opening the front door “Found a big one!”
Akane crossed his arms, sharp eyes rooming over the old living room with curiosity, searching for something he probably could not see. The chief expression was too neutral to read, even though Teru should have been able to understand himself, his counterpart's face was a blank.
Teru bit his finger and let the blood pour on the ground.
“Blood magic.” Akane commented “Can’t say I’m surprised-”
The fend opened under his feet, and the two adults instinctively reached for him before he fell in it, holding Teru by the elbow and the shoulder, quick to drag him away.
Teru blinked at their worry. It's just a little drop, he'll be fine.
“That’s my ticket home,” Teru smiled politely at their tense hold “I’ll be fine.”
The thief frowned, but let him go. The chief was still tense, but hesitantly let him go as well “What is this…?”
“An exit from this dimension, it isn’t deep enough to get me home but I'll be closer.” He chirped, waving at the baffled adults as he jumped “Thanks for the help! Bye bye!”
.
Teru landed on a cracked street, narrowing his eyes at the blue skies and the lack of water on his shoes.
He is not in a boundary.
That makes getting home harder.
Teru looked around, being faced with blue skies after leaving a night city didn’t bother him, used to seeing twilight in every boundary, regardless of when he visits, but the lack of supernaturals in sight was troubling.
At least the decade seems to be the right here, with billboards promoting idol songs and new soda flavors, vending machines lining the streets instead of telephone booths.
Most people ignored him, but some got wary when they made eye contact.
Strange.
He checked his back but his sword was still hidden in its bag, his uniform a bit wrinkled from his previous adventures, but not enough to make him look dangerous.
Teru put on a kind smile in the hope people would stop giving him wary looks. Thankfully, that did solve the problem.
After walking for a few blocks he started noticing there are more bikes on the streets and angry graffiti on walls than the Kagome he knows. Many of the vending machines had their glass wall cracked and their drinks stolen. He saw a shop with a vandalized window and the very next road had a few trash cans knocked over, an old janitor, and a few kind people cleaning it up.
Teru mindlessly picked up a wrapper near his feet when he felt eyes on him and threw it in the trash, frowning at the wariness on everyone’s face.
He doesn’t like this place.
“Excuse me?” He asked the janitor, putting on his most winning smile “Do you know any haunted spots? Somewhere full of rumors?”
“Aren’t you too old for ghost stories?” The janitor sighed, crumbling plastic bags and throwing them in the trash “Don’t go looking for trouble.”
“It’s for a school project,” His smile stayed radiant “Please, sir?”
“Teens these days” He looked more tired of Teru's expectant eyes than anything, likely not believing in his excuse when he caved in “They say there is a haunted bookstore two blocks away. Check it if you want but don’t stay long, and don’t linger on the streets! That area is full of scoundrels.”
“I’ll be careful” He lied, skipping ahead “Thank you~”
.
He found the bookstore, it was a bit dirty and the entrance door creaked with a creepy sound, but it was a normal library. No supernaturals or boundary cracks in sight.
Teru pouted, his mood made worse by the loud motorbikes everywhere in this world.
A shiny green bike went off the road as he pondered where to go next, heading directly towards Teru.
The exorcist’s eyes widened, taking a leap back and grabbing his sword bag, putting it in front of himself as a barrier. He can’t cut any humans, but he can beat up any delinquent if he sees fit.
The bike stopped a mere feet away from Teru, its obnoxious engine roar stopping with it.
“What are you wearing?” An easy going voice chuckled “I almost didn’t recognize you!”
Teru tensed up, forced to pay attention to the rider, who was a boy around his age with fancy sunglasses, dyed red hair, a skin-tight choker, and one piercing on each ear. His leather jacket, fingerless gloves, and pants all looked expensive, but there wasn’t a single protective piece on him, be it a helmet or a pair of kneepads.
He looked familiar.
Where has he seen this guy before? Why does he feel like bad news?
He narrowed his eyes at the boy, watching him lean his forearms on his motorbike’s handle, the relaxed way he carried himself and that lazy smile finally making his identity click.
“Natsuhiko Hyuuga.” Teru narrowed his eyes.
He had seen this boy lurking in the shadows of the classroom neighbor to his own, reeking of supernatural energy and bad intentions under a careless smile. This one doesn’t seem to have connections to curses and supernaturals, but his strong cologne and careless attitude toward pedestrians give off the same bad vibes as the Hyuuga he is familiar with.
“Argh, full name!” He winced, hunching over his bike as if critically hit “My pretty boy is so cold…”
Teru held on tighter to his sword, used to people calling him pretty boy, beauty king, and other variants, but frowning at the way he called him ‘my’.
That’s new, he isn’t a fan of it.
“But I love it when you play hard to get~” Natsuhiko recovered fast, mounting off his bike with a lopsided smile, and putting his sunglasses on top of his head, those half-lidded eyes checking him out, not intimidated by Teru’s cold stare “Why the change in look? I liked your spike jacket.”
If this world’s Teru also has a spiked jacket, they are likely part of the same group here.
Great.
“Not that I'm against a simplistic outfit! ” He backtracked, blushing at Teru's unimpressed glare “It’s pretty, very sophisticated~” He leaned into his personal space, annoyingly tall “Fancy. You really look good in everything-”
Teru went on alert mode when he tried to hold his waist, slamming his bag on the biker’s gut on instinct.
Natsuhiko doubled over in pain, holding his stomach and raising a hand as if to surrender. “O-ok, I get it,” He coughed, “New clothes…M-mean as ever.”
“I am not your Teru,” He said coldly, turning his back on him and walking away. He would rather explore this place by himself than gain info from this guy. “Scram.”
“Wait! Wait! Don’t leave, my pretty boy.” Natsuhiko sweated at his murderous glare, seemingly already aware he didn’t like this nickname, for he avoided eye contact, but not aware that he was being dismissed, for he grabbed his bike and started walking by Teru's side, acting a bit more casual “...What are you doing here, if it wasn’t to visit me? Did you get bored of collecting money, boss?” He looked almost worried. The way Teru frowned at the ‘boss’ title not providing any relief “Did something happen?”
“Do you know how to get to school from here?” Teru ignored his questions, a little curious about why this universe’s version of him tolerates this guy, but mostly just wanting to get back home.
“Are you lost?” Natsuhiko seemed surprised, but his worry disappeared, looking left and right as if searching for something in the streets, whatever it was seem to not be around, for he broke into a blushy smile “...Then let me take you on a ride, boss!” He got in his personal space again “My lady is the fastest motorcycle in town, we will reach the school in no time-”
Teru violently snatched his hand out of his reach the second Natsuhiko tried to grab it “Don’t touch me.”
Natsuhiko’s smile froze in place, his delusions audibly cracking “B-but-”
“Leave me alone.”
“Okay, boss…” He looked depressed, grabbing his bike handle again, and walking by his side, somehow still not getting the message “I’ll lead you there by foot.”
Teru frowned, guess he isn't getting rid of him.