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01 - Pretty
Ryo is beautiful, and has always been; it would be easy to blame his swift agreement on that and nothing else, but Devilman or not he has never been in the habit of lying to himself, and the ugly truth is that he said yes to Ryo because he is Ryo, nothing more, nothing less.
02 - New
Akira is timid eyes and gentle hands, and though Devilman is none of this he still fights with righteous conviction, as Akira did with things he could not conquer; it is what makes Ryo sigh with equal parts resignation and relief ("there you are.")
03 - Science
It is his body, that tilts towards Akira when there is too much space in between; it is his blood, and how it quickens his pulse when Akira grants him an errant grin; it his breath, the way it pauses when Akira swears he'll follow him anywhere; it is chemicals in his brain that rob him of reason, but if it his humanity that lets him feel like this, so be it -- divinity is a less worthwhile heartache anyway.
04 - Eternity
It has been twenty years since Ryo threw him to the wolves (no, wolves would have been kinder); twenty years since he lost everything, and it hasn't been enough to subdue his fury, to quantify the hurt (violence runs in his veins but he could've waited for this day forever, if it means putting off the last time he'll ever see Ryo's face.)
05 - Celestial
He might be older than the stars, and he could not have loved Akira since the beginning, but he cannot remember a moment otherwise.
06 - Knife
Ryo has drawn blades for him, would've drawn blood for him; he may be the farthest thing from brave, but if Ryo asks him to do the same, Akira would try not to hesitate -- it's about time he returned the favor.
07 - Alone
"You're the only one I can trust," says Ryo, and never mind the red stains on his clothes or the devils on their tail; all Akira wants to do is cradle that trust in his palms, to hold it close to his chest like a rabbit plucked out of a cage.
08 - Chain
In a world free of demons and prophecies, two boys sit in a meadow: "it's not great, I know," says one as he sets a crooked crown of daises onto the other's blonde head ("but it suits you.")
09 - Marble
Contrary to popular belief, he is not made of stone; he thinks God even put him together with softer parts than the rest, in how he's drawn to soft things.
10 - Souvenir
Here is a story, in the chapter right after creation; here is why I did what I did, because I thought I could keep you.
11 - Morning
"Uh," says Akira, fully aware of how ridiculous he sounds with the fingertip bruises on Ryo's hips in full view, "could you put your clothes on?"
12 - Song
There was no shortage of music where he came from, but it still rings in his ears like yesterday, the shape of Akira's mouth around his name; not like a prayer or a blaspheme, but like familiarity, like innocence before a fall.
13 - Luck
"What would you buy if you won the lottery?" "I'll get you a better wardrobe," "What was that?" "Nothing!"
14 - Crime
He has sinned against both heaven and hell, but not once did he consider saving Akira a mistake; maybe he should have.
15 - Sacrifice
It's okay, he tells himself, when Akira walks past him without looking back, as long as he exists, it's okay.
16 - Warm
Akira's skin is still emits heat where Ryo's touches it; it's almost as if he never left.
17 - Colors
Sometimes when they're outside for P.E. Ryo's hair turns gold under the sun, and sometimes when they're at the ocean his eyes seem bluer than the water; right now the drum beat matches the one in Akira's chest as strobes paint Ryo in neon and shadows, and like this how is he expected to not think of anything at all?
18 - Young
"You're always by yourself," are the first words Akira ever said to him, wide-eyed and without malice, and in the end it's still true.
19 - Carnivore
Akira watches Ryo watch himself in front of the mirror, shoulder bared to admire the imprint of teeth on them, as if it's something to be proud of; he turns around and smiles, a little carnal in the light ("well, would you look at that, Fudo, you've got some teeth on you.")
20 - 1987
("How long has it been?") He pretends he's lost count of the years -- it's the fifteenth -- just as he pretends this means nothing, their mouths hot on each other like summer on asphalt, Ryo's lips carrying the taste of salt ("I wouldn't know.")
21 - Peace
The apocalypse is not the battle but the quiet after it: the chimes of the host in the distance, the lapping of sea foam along the coast, and the brush of feathers against his cheeks to soak up the tears.
22 - Drive-Thru
"Order anything you want," says Ryo dismissively, and though Akira always gets a milkshake large enough for two, he never does summon the courage to ask Ryo if he'd like to share.
23 - Cold
"Take it," says Ryo as he shrugs his coat off, though Akira can clearly see the trail of gooseflesh on his arms, "you need it more than me."
24 - Bullet
"Teach me," says Akira, under the guise of self-defense; not for Ryo's hands over his to correct his grip, not for Ryo pressed up behind him to straighten his posture, not for the smell of gunpowder on Ryo's collar or the danger in voice when he whispers 'fire.'
25 - Vast
Ryo's remark is not the only reason he still tries to protect it ("the world is a beautiful place, Akira") but it is one of them.
Bonus:
26 - Revere
If he were still Ryo, Akira might have learned to forgive him; he goes by Satan these days, and Akira has no desire to take a god for a friend.