Work Text:
“W-what are you doing?”
“Stay still, Rin.”
“Not until you tell me exactly what the hell is going on!”
He has been backing away from the other man’s advancing figure until his back hits the cold coral wall, the jagged surface of the crystalline-azure minerals digging uncomfortably into his skin. “Sousuke…” he glares up through his fiery fringes, crimson eyes a silent but palpable warning.
“There’s no time,” Sousuke mutters, his large hands heavy on Rin’s shoulders as he leans in closer, closer than he has any right to be, but Rin doesn’t push him away – can’t, his body freezing up by the sheer proximity and the alarming height of Sousuke’s much-taller frame.
“I think,” Rin places a sturdy hand against the firm muscles of the other man’s chest and tries not to let the heat that emanates from his skin – several degrees warmer than a normal human’s and thus prominent against Rin’s fingertips even through the layers of silk kimono – distract him from what he needs to find out. Even if said man is a highly-revered rain deity who, in his original draconic form, is capable of much destruction. Even if said deity is at least a head taller than Rin and, while staring down at the human with that seemingly sharp and intimidating hue in his eyes, still retains an ethereal grace in the delicate line of his cheekbones and sculpted, full lips that leave observers breathless in admiration. “I think an explanation is not too much to ask for if you’re about to do something to me that will make me question your, uh, questionable decision later on.”
Rin finds that it’s almost impossible to tell what the rain dragon is thinking; while he throws occasional teasing grins at Rin’s direction as casually and easily as he can control the water in the atmosphere, he’s also maintaining some distance between them. It’s not enough to consider the act too formal, but Rin has thought that they have long traversed that boundary – what with him saving the dragon deity’s life and promising to offer his companionship in exchange for bounteous rainfall for his homeland. Or perhaps, he’s been too at ease and his mindset too naïve.
(He’s merely a pathetic human after all. His existence lasts but just a blink of an eye in Sousuke’s life, surely.)
Even during the brief period of time they’ve spent together, he’s been so busy learning and experiencing life as a deity’s companion that every new yōkai that he has crossed path with in the surrounding forest, and every time he sees Sousuke performing a rainfall ritual, the wisps of doubt that sometimes swirl and cling to his heart in a dark miasma would dissipate for a short while as he marvels at the mesmerizing spectacles until it surfaces to haunt him in the near-silence of the night.
“I can sense them, but ––” Sousuke pauses, brows drawn in confusion as he thinks to himself, ‘He’s only brought his personal guards along? Strange.’
To Rin, he continues in a somber tone, the urging subtle in his tight voice, “They’re coming closer as we speak. We must hurry.”
“To where? And – who’s coming?” It’s a futile struggle – Rin understands this – but he’s never been one to give up just because he’s at a disadvantage. His unbridled compulsion for satisfying his curiosity might be the source of his end one of these days, but he’s willing to risk it if it means that he can dig out the answers.
“I really wish you’d be more obedient at a time like this,” Sousuke mumbles under his breath while effectively trapping the slighter red-haired man within the cage of his arms, one hand on his shoulder to ensure that Rin has nowhere to escape.
“Are you certain about that, Zennyo Ryūō-sama?” There’s a hint of impishness in the glint of his claret irises and the tilt of his lips despite the urgency of the situation.
Sousuke feels his heart stutter for the briefest moment, then he remembers the oncoming threat and silently reprimands himself for getting sidetracked so easily when it comes to the human who’s only a few mere inches away.
“Now is not the time for witticisms, Rin,” Sousuke sighs, teal eyes focusing on a spot of the pale indigo coral wall to the left of the redhead’s face. “Takehaya Susanoo-no-Mikoto is on his way here with his troop of lackeys. I’m afraid we’ll have no choice but to fight them here, if it comes to that.”
“Wait, Takeha-who?” Rin tilts his head to the side in question, and a stray lock of red hair falls haphazardly into his eyes.
Sousuke’s fingers itch to brush the offending locks away from his face, to feel the gentle heat of his skin whenever they touch – accidentally or otherwise. But he doesn’t.
He has more important matters to attend to.
“I suppose he’s better known as ‘Susanoo’ in the human realm; he’s the deity of storm,” his expression darkens for just a second, but Rin catches it all the same, and Sousuke’s next statement explains exactly why. “He was the one who led the army in an attempt to take possession of this area – the one who…”
He swallows. It’s been four months, but it doesn’t make it any easier for him to remember: the initial shock of acknowledging his parents’ deaths and the subsequent period of dark and suffocating grief and blazing anger that gripped his being afterwards.
Rin nods in silent understanding; he’s been told of this story when they first met.
“I don’t have the right to ask this of you,” the caress his fingers cast along Rin’s cheekbone is heartbreakingly delicate, the sea-green of his eyes roiling with uncertainty and anxiety, as if he’s anticipating Rin’s regretful apology or furious outburst, though he has no reason to fear so, “but will you place your faith in me and fight by my side?”
“You know I’d do anything you ask of me, Sousuke,” Rin’s breath hitches, caught and hooked in his throat, when he feels the dragon deity’s elegant fingers trace along the curve of his jaw and down the side of his neck. “I will offer everything I’m capable of giving – including my life – but you need… you need to tell me what to do. I want to be of use to you, but if you keep secrets from me…”
Sousuke winces at the earnest way Rin easily offers to sacrifice his life in exchange for his; he should tell him to stop romanticizing such suicidal notions – that being a hero in this realm where deities scarcely even get injured and human beings are viewed as tainted beings begging for forgiveness is useless. Foolish, even.
But Rin’s sincerity and the raw honesty in his eyes, even from the first moment they’ve met, has touched him and set something in his heart in motion; it’s a virtue that Sousuke prays will not deteriorate within this young man’s sturdy heart.
“Remember how I told you that there are various methods to enhance a human’s spiritual and physical power?”
Rin vaguely recalls a conversation about that, but he also remembers how Sousuke had seemed unwilling – even embarrassed, if his eyes shifting to avoid direct eye-contact were of any indication – to reveal the actual practice.
“So, what of it? Is that what you’re doing now? Are you trying to enhance my power in anticipation of a fight against this… Susunamoo?”
“Susanoo,” Sousuke corrects him automatically, but releases a breath when he nods once in affirmation. “I’ve already summoned those who had sworn fealty to my Father. If matters worsen, they should be able to defend Lake Muro and its surrounding area adequately, but I would not wish to risk your life under these circumstances. I will try to reason with him, but there’s no telling what he will do if we accidentally trigger his wrath; his personality is said to be as unpredictable and erratic as the storms he inflicts.”
“Ooooh, sounds scary.”
“He’s not someone who humans or even other deities would want to cross,” Sousuke leaves that as a last warning. “Knowing his tricks, if he were to know that I’ve harboured a human here, he might take advantage of that knowledge.”
“And your plan to resolve this is…?” Rin raises a brow, waiting for Sousuke to continue.
“If you’ll stay still long enough, I’ll show you.”
“Still not going to explain, then?”
“Do you trust me or not?”
“Is this a trick question?”
Sousuke groans, eyes squeezed close and frustration evident from the lines between his brows, the down-turn twist of his lips, and the angry swaying of his tail – pale celadon scales glimmering even in the weak light – visible behind his back.
“Enough. We don’t have time for this.”
With a firm grip on the slighter man’s chin, though also making sure he’s not hurting him, Sousuke guides Rin’s face to tilt up so that puzzled crimson meets determined teal. He lowers his head, atrous forelocks grazing against Rin’s flushed cheeks, his lips slightly parted, and Rin can feel the enticing warmth of the dragon deity’s breath fanning across his skin and too close to the corner of his mouth.
Unbeknownst to Rin, who’s simply overwhelmed by their sudden close proximity and only too aware of Sousuke’s ashen lashes fluttering like a butterfly’s wings, airy and dainty, the faint blush that stained the porcelain skin of his cheeks, and fingers crawling up the nape of his neck and clawing into his hair, a soft white light glows from within Sousuke’s ribcage when their lips touch.
It’s nothing heated or overtly passionate – the close-mouthed peck almost too polite – but it sends a trail of warm current throughout Rin’s body, making his entire frame shudder, eyes slipping close, and fingers grasping a fistful of Sousuke’s haori jacket right above his heart. The dark-haired deity breaths out through his nose, and timidly nips at Rin’s lower lip, encouraging him to open up; he does so with a gasp – pained and wanting – and his other arm winds around Sousuke’s waist tighter, pulling him in closer.
The hazy white light – much like the time when he conjured up his sword for the purification ceremony – travels from the deity’s upper abdomen, surges up through his chest cavity, up his neck and past his throat, and when Rin senses a tingling heat entering him through the small gap of his mouth where Sousuke’s lips are still lightly touching his, he has finally noticed the frail glow passing from the dragon deity into himself.
When he next swallows, the taste of Sousuke still lingering delightfully at the tip of his tongue, the light dissipates within him, yet a different kind of warmth – something more tangible and inexplicably powerful, like a burning, silver web stretching and wrapping around him in a protective cocoon, gushing through his bloodstream and igniting pinpricks of energy that Rin doesn’t realize he possesses – envelops him wholly and completely.
“What – ah, what was that?” Rin blinks his eyes dazedly, and when Sousuke lets go of him, the red-haired youth leans slacked against the wall, breaths haggard as if he’s been running for miles and miles. His legs feel sluggish and heavy, but as minutes pass by, the limpness from their brief kiss (‘That… was a kiss, right?’ Rin ponders as a new surge of heat reddens his cheeks though he doesn’t dare to voice out his doubt. To have it denied as a mere desperate measure against their enemy is unthinkable to him.) is replaced with an all-consuming vigor that thrums restlessly in his bones and teeming just beneath the surface of his skin.
“How do you feel?” Sousuke’s deep rumble is tinged with cautiousness, a hand reaching out to tuck a piece of loose, red hair behind Rin’s ear before cradling his jaw gently.
“Like I can kick Susanoo into the next realm,” Rin admits with a wide grin, the glimmering crimson in his irises battle-hungry.
“Let’s just hope that it will not have to come to that extreme,” Sousuke releases a small laugh when he pulls his arm back to his side, the Crow’s feet lining the end of his eyes crinkling as he smiles despite the somber situation they’ll soon be facing.
Rin pushes himself away from the wall, and – it may have been their maybe-kiss and whatever strange, spiritual power that Sousuke has given him – but he’s filled with a sort of reckless courage that fuels his next action as he crowds into the dragon deity’s personal space, fierce eyes silently demanding an answer.
Now that he’s certain Rin will be able to protect himself, Sousuke is ready to disclose his explanation.
“I have given you a portion of myself – a single life-force crystal – to enhance your power,” Sousuke tells him in a composed tone, crisp and precise, and with a flick of his finger, he motions for his companion to follow him out to the deserted hallway of his temple as they head towards an unknown destination. “With this, you should be able to command the movements of water and communicate with our yōkai brethren through our shared psychological links. Your physical reflexes should be improved as well, but to what extend, I’m afraid I’m unable to tell you.”
“How long will this last?”
“…Awhile.” His pace quickens just a degree, his gaze shifting elsewhere as if distracted.
“Can you not take it back? It’s just a crystal, right? You were able to conjure it and pass it on to me; the reverse must be possible.” Rin’s grasp on the wide sleeve of his haori is unrelenting.
“I’m unsure of the biology behind this, but from what I understand, the chemical composition of a human’s body varies greatly from that of a deity’s such that a crystal’s power is used up and disintegrates at a much quicker rate inside a human than within a deity. Once that energy is released and a network is established between the life force and a human’s body, pulling the crystal out by force will endanger the user’s life.”
Sousuke didn’t tell him any of that until now, not because the crystal itself would have a harmful effect on his human companion, but because he knows Rin well – knows that he will refuse his suggestion if he were told the truth.
And he’s right. Rin doesn’t take well to this declaration at all.
“Sousuke, are you saying –– stop evading me, damn it all.” Rin’s strides widen until he’s able to round about Sousuke’s towering figure, and the deity is forced to a halt, head turned to the side to avoid the pointed glare that Rin is sending him.
The frustrated, unshed tears along his red-brimmed eyes doesn’t escape Sousuke’s observation, however, and his heart constricts as if an invisible hand is clenching around it until he can’t breathe, can’t reason.
“Are you saying that you’ve forfeited a portion of your life, knowing you’ll not be able to get it back, just so that you can protect me?” There are many words perfect for describing Rin’s current tone: disbelieved, furious, disappointed, and even ungrateful, if Sousuke were ever considered to be a haughty god.
“Do you know how long our natural life span is?”
Rin purses his lips, arms crossed as he waits for Sousuke to make his point.
“Our spiritual energy increases and our physical frame becomes stronger with the amount of prayers we receive from the human realm. Deities like myself – those who are more well-known and are always desired no matter what era we’re living in – we are the luckier ones because we never have to worry about… disappearing.
“Cases like my parents – those are very, very rare, and that’s why it is such a great offense to our kind, and I will stop at nothing to avenge their deaths. To us, having lived three thousand years is considered a long, fulfilled life. Do you understand, Rin? Losing a few hundred years of this ––” Sousuke waves his arms out in a wide gesture, silk sleeves sweeping gracefully from that motion and his lips curling into a saddened smile, and Rin isn’t sure what exactly the rain god is referring to but he can half-guess, “–– this is nothing significant to me. Not if it means I’ll have to spend the remaining of my life without you while knowing that I could have prevented this from happening in the first place.”
Silence rings loud and chilling in the air.
Rin opens his mouth and looks about to say something, but he snaps it shut again, teeth worrying his lower lip until it turns tender and red.
“Let us not worry about this for now,” Sousuke sighs, sea-green irises agitated and darkening into a shade that Rin has not seen before, but he thinks it may have been hesitation, self-doubt, flashing across his depths before it gets washed away by a wall of ice and metal. “Come.”
His command is absolute, and Rin has no choice but to follow him once more.
They remain silent until they step into what looks to be an armory room. The coral floor beneath their feet is smooth and shimmering violet-pink, and on either side of them, one wall is lined with tidy racks of weapons that Rin can’t even put names to while the other side has several suits of armor – metal plates and fabric dyed in unusually bright colours – placed neatly along a low shelf. At the front of the room is an altar-like ledge, a sturdy, ornate coral case with detailed carvings, where a scroll is leaning delicately against the frame.
“Pulling out all the stops, are we?”
“Just a precaution,” Sousuke assures him with a forced smile that doesn’t quite touch his eyes, and begins to pull out a set of armor that will fit the red-haired youth.
“Let me help fit you first?”
Rin doesn’t realize he’s reached out for the taller man’s wrist until Sousuke is staring down at their linked hands, but even as the deity glances back at him with a tilt of his head, unspoken question obvious, Rin doesn’t let go.
“If you’ll be so kind,” a corner of Sousuke’s lips curls up into a small though genuine smile, and he moves to stand before his designated armor – a suit that was designed specifically for his build and crafted centuries ago. Warfare between gods are infrequent because they understand the consequences their battles will have upon the earthly realm, so they tend to avoid large-scale conflicts as much as possible. If truth be told, Sousuke would have been content to let these armour remain where they are, but this time, Sousuke is ready to risk everything he holds dear.
With shaking hands, Rin starts from the bottom and works his way up. Awkward fingers quiver as he fastens the suneate over Sousuke’s hakama. The pair of shin armor, like the rest of the armor pieces, are molded with a peculiar kind of hardened material of a vivid cerulean colour that feels oddly light in his inexperienced hands. He makes sure the knots are secure but not too tight before moving on to the next piece.
Meanwhile, Sousuke has shed off his haori and puts on a hitatare, the hem of the robe made shorter for convenience and the material much sturdier and rougher against his skin. The collar and edge of the sleeves are bordered in heraldic blue, which perfectly complements the dark navy pattern on the rest of the cloth.
Before he can reach for the white obi, Rin’s hand has already snatched out and grabbed the coiled belt. Wordlessly, the redhead gets to his feet, head lowered and disheveled red locks hiding his expression in shadows. His hands are busy with pulling the taller man’s hitatare taut against his chest and his mind is whirling at the unmistakable warmth and pleasant scent – sunlight-bathed earth just after a rainstorm – that seem to always surround the rain deity before he starts to wrap the belt around Sousuke’s waist.
There’s no needless movement, but Rin is careful and precise, even with his arms circled around Sousuke’s waist in his work – a gesture not unlike an embrace with how little distance they have in between them – and Sousuke’s steady breathing against the top of his head. He doesn’t pause until he’s tied a knot and tucked the ends of the belt neatly away.
Rin can feel himself breathing a little easier when he steps away from Sousuke to retrieve the haidate, and he’s relieved for the moment that Sousuke would be unable to see how his cheeks continue to flush rosy pink as he makes haste with the leather-like strings crouching behind him.
“What kind of metal is the armor made of anyway?” He finally asks – on one hand wanting to break through this suffocating silence, and on the other driven by his curiosity as he picks up the dō and the series of kusazuri plates attached at the bottom edge of the cuirass, which is peculiarly light despite its bulky size. “They don’t look as if they’ll provide much protection from heavy weaponry – it feels brittle.”
Rin holds the thinly layered kusazuri plates, glowing sapphire with carved inscriptions on every piece, up to his line of sight.
“The straps are woven from enchanted coontail plants that can only be found in Lake Muro, and as for the plates,” Sousuke helps Rin put the dō on himself and the redhead begins to buckle the shoulder straps and tighten the piece of armor to fit over Sousuke’s frame. His fingers trace over the carved lines on one of the plates, a soft, fond smile finding its way along the curve of his lips. Rin notices but doesn’t say a word; instead, he waits patiently for the rain deity to continue. “They are crafted from a special kind of mouldable coral, and though it may appear fragile, its true strength lies within its flexibility and ability to be bound by defensive spells.”
“So that’s what those carvings are?” Rin leans in just the slightest in order to inspect the etchings that run along edges of the front breast plate. The designs are so intricate and complicated that it must have taken the engraver a great amount of time and labor to carve. Rin has been so engrossed that he doesn’t notice how close to the deity he’s been standing until Sousuke reaches out to touch the strand of red hair that has fallen over Rin’s shoulder, loose from the ponytail tied low on the nape of his neck.
“Indeed.”
Rin takes a careful step back – afraid of what he might do if he let himself stray even closer. He doesn’t trust himself, even as his brain tells him that this is neither the time nor location to do this.
“And?” He probes instead.
“What do you mean?”
“There must be something special about this suit of armor,” Rin gives him a knowing look, and once again, the rain deity is pleasantly surprised by how highly observant this man can be. It’s a good and useful trait most of the time, but there are things Sousuke still wishes to remain concealed from his companion for the time being, if only for Rin’s own welfare.
“My Mother made these inscriptions after the armor is completed. She is – was – considered one of the most powerful conjurers of our time,” Sousuke tells him, and he turns towards the red-haired youth with such a tender expression at the memory – for it must have been one that he treasures much. As fast and fleeting as it comes, a flash of panic skips past his eyes, and his fingers gather into fists. “But that’s a story for another day.”
Susanoo and his entourage must be close now, Rin figures.
“O-Of course,” Rin nods quickly, taken aback by the god’s uncharacteristically sentimental visage, and hurries to equip Sousuke’s arms and shoulders with a pair of sode covering his biceps and kote along his lower sleeves.
Lastly, Sousuke picks up the kabuto carefully with both hands – the silver maedate atop the helmet carved with an insignia of the Zennyo Ryūō lineage, a minimalistic depiction of a meandering dragon in the middle surrounded by water.
He turns to face Rin, and his cold and stern gaze renders the human immobilized. Rin’s not afraid, precisely, at least not for his own life, but he remembers the almost manic and crazed resolve Sousuke has exuded earlier when his parents’ deaths were mentioned, and Rin can only picture too clearly in his mind: Sousuke, refusing to give up even when his enemy taunts him with a chance for redemption as he writhes in pain and bleeds profusely, red staining blue, and faceless warriors gradually close in around the helpless god and fire enchanted arrows that pierce easily through his armor under the command of Susanoo.
How much would he have to bleed before the sweetness of death claims him? Rin refuses to let this thought linger.
“You’re going to leave me here and face Susanoo’s troops alone, aren’t you?”
Sousuke breathes out a laugh, relieved. “So you already knew. This will simplify matters.”
The rain deity can’t have gotten two steps away before Rin rushes towards him like a boulder of flaming fury, crimson irises glaring up defiantly as he grabs a handful of Sousuke’s collar in each fist. His tremulous voice is dangerously low and Sousuke staggers backward, surprised. The kabuto clatters onto the ground.
“No! You are not going out there alone, Sousuke! You may be a god, but he’s got an army! Are you trying to get yourself killed?” His tone has started out soft, but as the anger roils and bubbles over, the volume of his voice heightens and his face is mere inches away from the dragon deity’s.
But Sousuke remains infuriatingly unruffled; he gathers Rin’s slender hands into his own and pulls away from him, just enough so that they’re not in each other’s faces anymore. With Sousuke rubbing soothing circles on the back of his hands, Rin is able to calm down a little but he’s still shaking.
“Do you really think I’d put you in harm’s way? The life-force crystal is just a back-up plan – precaution for the worst case scenario should anything happen to me.”
“You ––” Realization flickers across his visage which has gone sickly pale.
Sousuke closes his eyes and takes a deep breath; he lets go of Rin’s hands, bends down to pick up his helmet, and turns around, his tail swaying majestically behind him in sweeps of gleaming celadon and cerulean.
“Aiichiro, Momotarou.”
“Yes, Zennyo-Ryūō-sama.” Two armed sprites – both appear to be in their human form as well – step into the armory, their heads lowered as they bow respectively towards their master.
“Listen well: I will cast a shield around the entire shrine, but the power will mostly be concentrated around this room. Your duty is to ensure that the shield is upheld at all times and that Matsuoka-dono will remain in the safety of this chamber regardless of what’s happening outside. Do you understand?”
“We understand, my lord.” Their heads remain bowed as they watch their master stride past between them and make his way to await Susanoo’s arrival.
“Sousuke, wait, damn it!” Rin is ready to go after the rain deity but two pairs of arms force him back into the room. “What the hell? Let me go after him – Ai, Momo!”
The two young sprites have grown close to the human in the past few months Rin has resided in the shrine, though they have had their doubts about him before when Sousuke first announced that this red-haired man would be staying with him. Still, their lord’s order must be obeyed, even if they have started to see Rin as a fellow comrade.
“I’m sorry, Matsuoka-dono,” the silver-haired boy with sky blue doe eyes bow in apology while his partner continues to hold Rin back. “But Zennyo-Ryūō-sama is doing all this to ensure your safety. Please understand that it hasn’t been an easy decision for him, either.”
“You know what would make this easier?” Rin has stopped struggling against Momotarou, and he glances down at the bronze-haired boy with golden eyes expectantly.
“What?” Momotarou wonders, his arms unknowingly slackening just a degree, and this is exactly what Rin has been waiting for.
“Momotarou-kun, watch out!”
Aiichirou’s warning comes too late, as Rin has already broken through Momotarou’s iron arms with a grunt and is sprinting down the corridor as fast as his legs would carry him. He turns a corner and soon the pitter-patter of his footsteps fade away as well.
“Aw shit,” Momotarou grumbles, fingers pulling at his orange curls. “We’re in so much trouble, aren’t we, Aiichirou-san?”
“Come on, let’s try to catch up to Matsuoka-dono. Perhaps we can cut him off before he can find the front gate.” Aiichirou isn’t holding out too much hope though. This human is far too smart and perceptive for his own good; it’s something the silver-haired sprite had noticed right away when they were first introduced to each other.
Not that it matters now, Aiichirou thinks with an exasperated sigh.
~
Standing at the northern shore of Lake Muro and weighed down by the armor and the memories inscribed upon the coral plates, the dark-haired rain deity, formally known as Zennyo-Ryūō, the dragon king of virtue, is staring at the surface of the water through the thick, hazy fog he’s conjured earlier in an attempt to confuse and delay his enemies.
The lake used to be a source of tranquility for him; he’d watch the prayer-bearing creatures swimming gracefully within the crisp-blue water or let the breeze of the mountain embrace his being. Now, all Sousuke can summon to his mind is a storm consisting of the many ways he will be able to avenge his parents’ deaths and an anxious heart that worries too much for the human he suspects he may have fallen in love with.
This awakening cannot have come at a worse time.
As Sousuke senses the yōkai’s restless rumble rising from beyond the mountain in the north, his mind buzzing with panic and agitation sent from hundreds of connected minds, he realizes that he’s not as mentally prepared as he’d like to be, but he also understands that he has no other choice but to face it head on.