Work Text:
Years Prior
The night was dark as he trudged along, his heavy boots hitting the concrete below him. Minato wasn’t known for running off so much, especially from the people that watched over him, but he needed the space from the people he lived with. There was so much yelling that it was becoming unbearable.
He kicked a rock as he walked along, his hands in his pockets, his hood up. Freshman year hadn’t been nice to him, one of his only remaining friends being Joni and a few other classmates. He wasn’t expecting nearly all of his social life to vanish once he graduated middle school but he guessed there wasn’t anything he could do about it.
A rustle from the brush next to him made him jolt in fear. After being attacked as a child by vampires and being run out of multiple homes by demons, he wasn’t too keen on coming face to face with a monster. He slowly pulled out the pocket knife he always held from his pocket, holding the blade in front of him in a defensive position as he slowly pulled open the branches to reveal an open space.
In the farthest point from the entrance, there was a small girl. A demon girl at that. The blade tightened in his hand as he stalked toward her. The poor thing was facing away from him as he approached, her shaking more and more apparent as he got closer.
He stepped on a twig, causing the girl to swing around and face him. She yelped when she saw the knife and hid her head with her arms. Minato jumped when she moved so quickly, not expecting her to be that fast. “Please don’t hurt me! I can leave if you need me to!” Her voice shook as she spoke, but despite her fear, Minato could tell she was giving it her all to even speak.
Minato put the knife away and crouched next to her, holding out his gloved hand in her direction. The girl peeked through her arms and made eye contact with him before glancing down to his hand. She tentatively reached out, her fingertips barely grazing his palm. She looked back up at his eyes and when he smiled brightly, she let her hand fully grasp his. “Hi! My name’s Minato, what’s yours?”
Her hand tightened around his, her unease showing as she crawled slightly closer to him. Minato thought she looked barely 10, only a couple years younger than him. “Uhm.. I don’t remember my name, or if I even had one…” She looked so small, making Minato wonder how long she had been out in the wild, and how she even survived.
“Well… Uh..” He thought for a moment, trying to come up with a name for her. It had to be unique! To match her pink skin and teal hair. It has to be as unique as her, Minato thought. In the time that he thought, he sat criss-cross on the underbrush, still holding her hand as he fidgeted with the grass under him with the other hand.
“How about… Nemia!” The girl, who was now officially named Nemia, looked at him with such adoring eyes that he couldn’t help but want to keep her. He was already willing to kill for her and he barely knew her. As she smiled at the name, he pulled her into a hug and grasped her tightly, finally having someone who needed protection, not one that would do everything in her power to protect him. Cough, Joni, Cough.
Nemia squeaked as she was pulled in, but as Minato hugged her, she quickly melted into the touch, cuddling him close. She was glad to finally have someone to look up to, someone she could rely on. She was also terribly cold and he was extremely warm so that was a plus. He let go, Nemia whining from the loss of warmth, watching her new brother stand up and hold out another hand to help her stand as well.
She had to pull hard to stand up, her legs super weak from not having enough food. When standing, she realized how tall Minato actually was compared to her. He towered nearly a foot and a half above her. Maybe it’s because she was calorie deficient or he was just really tall but she didn’t care. She liked having someone so strong-looking protect her.
Her legs shook as she stood, having to hold Minato’s hand to stay upright. Minato noticed this and took his jacket off, the cold air hitting his bare arms as the jacket was shed. He made Nemia put the jacket on, the girl immediately snuggling into it. Minato then popped his knuckles and swooped her up, practically cradling her.
She was much lighter than he thought, having to redistribute the power he used to pick her up into getting her comfortable. Nemia yelped as she was picked up, not used to having people carry her. She gripped his shirt as he carried her out of the bushes. “Now, let’s get you cleaned and showered. I might be able to steal someone’s clothes as well!”
She was content as she was carried, slowly drowsing off as he walked, his footsteps rocking her to sleep. Minato smiled as he watched her fall asleep, hugging her tighter as he walked back to the new place he was staying out. He would have to keep her secret for a while, especially from Joni. She definitely wouldn’t like that he was adopting a demon.
Smuggling her into the room he stayed in was easy, the lock on the window being easily broken by him ages ago. As he struggled to get in the window while holding her, he heard his guardian’s footsteps down the hall, walking to his room. He panicked, finally getting them in the window, and gently placing Nemia on the bed. He really didn’t want to wake her but if his guardians saw, they would definitely send him to a different place.
He covered Nemia in all of his blankets and even put the stuffed animal Joni got him over her to make it look like she was just a lump in his bed. He sighed in relief when he saw she was fully covered just as his guardians walked in without knocking. “You okay, Minato? We heard banging.” HIs female guardian peeked her head in, surveying the room. “Yeah I’m fine! I just dropped something.”
He let out another sigh of relief as she walked away, closing the door behind her. He rummaged around his clothes, trying to find anything that would fit Nemia. He groaned when he realized he would actually have to steal a friend’s clothes. He crept out of his room and walked to the door across from his, gently opening it and walking in. He lived with a few younger girls that were actual brats, so he didn’t mind stealing from them. He grabbed as much as he could carry and snuck back to his room just to see a very confused Nemia taking the blankets off of herself.
She smiled when she saw him, slowly getting up and padding over to him to hug him tightly. She yawned as she let go, continuing to hold his hand and follow him around the room as he got ready to take her to the bathroom to shower. He, unfortunately, had to stay in the bathroom in case anyone tried to walk in, which he wasn’t too pleased about, but at least he could protect her.
“Let’s get you in the shower, hm?” She happily nodded and they sneakily went off to the shower.
The Incident
Joni and Minato had decided to go on one of their first hunting trips. They had both been training and studying for the past three years. Minato had only been slightly distracted the whole time, having to take care of Nemia and make sure she got into school was the hardest part.
This year she was going to enter her first year of highschool, so Minato had been prepping her for that and what to expect. He was quite proud of how strong she had become,and even contemplated telling Joni before the trip so she could come with and see what monster hunting was really about. But alas, he got too scared to tell her and told Nemia to wait at home and only come if he stopped texting every hour.
He was just about to text her for this hour when Joni stopped them in their tracks and pulled out her weapon. Minato cursed under his breath and put his phone away without texting Nemia and unsheathed his blades.
Multiple vampires had jumped out of the bushes, they seemed weak enough, but the both of them knew not to underestimate strength in numbers. The two stood back to back as the vampires circled them, Minato eyed them to see who he could attack first, to see if he could find the weak link in the team.
“I’m going after the leader whether you say so or not, I’m taking this group out tonight.” Joni had rushed forward and attacked the leader, effectively distracting Minato with how swift it was. He was paying attention to her, so he didn’t notice another vampire coming up behind him. The vampire pounced, trying to bite his neck or any body part it could reach. Minato slammed the dull part of his sword into the vampire's mouth as they wrestled around, each trying to get the upper hand.
He kicked the vampire off him, slamming the creature into a nearby tree. Joni’s grunts could be heard behind him, so he swiftly turned around and ran to go help. The two groups fought, and one by one, the vampire team started to dwindle until there were only a few left. Minato had purposely left one alone, a vampire that looked too much like Nemia to hurt. He would let Joni deal with that one so he didn’t have to feel the pain of hurting his sister, even if it wasn’t her.
Minato, now partly distracted in his thoughts of Nemia, finished with the vampire he had attacked. His eyes averted to look for Joni, unable to hear her grunts of battle anymore. An eerie chill ran down his spine, letting his gaze shoot across the current scenery, trying to pinpoint where exactly she might’ve gone.
All within a single moment, he turned his back. Met face to face with another vampire. A loud gasp escaped his throat before he was pushed down. It was all so sudden. He felt the wind get knocked out of him, his head thudding against a rock that just so happened to be where he landed. His vision went blurry as he tried to comprehend what exactly was happening.
After a moment, his thoughts caught up to him. He was still fighting, and he wouldn’t back down so easily. He began to kick and shove at the vampire, which seemed to be a lot stronger than the previous kin. A thin worry glazed over Minato’s eyes as he yelled out. Where was Joni when he needed her most?
The vampire pushed him against the ground, it almost felt as if he was being pushed into the ground. Groans of pain escaped his mouth before the vampire forcefully grabbed his head, shoving it harshly to the side, leaving the perfect window to reach his neck. Minato squirmed around, freeing a single arm, shoving the vampire’s head away. However this plan backfired, ending with his arm being pinned into the grass.
At this point Minato was freaking out, the vampire’s mouth inching closer and closer to his neck. He held his breath as he felt the hot breath against his skin. With being prepared for sharp fangs to penetrate his skin he squeezed his eyes shut. Expecting a world of pain to begin.
CRACK.
The weight of the vampire vanished as the sound of a bat echoed throughout the forest. He quickly spun around to see someone he wasn’t expecting. The girl’s teal hair shining brightly against the forest's deep greens.
There she was, Nemia, beating the ever living shit out of the vampire. The sight of the younger female going ham made his lips curl slightly upward.
The male couldn’t be any prouder of her. She has grown so strong within the years that he has taken care of her. Minato had almost felt like a proud father watching his daughter grow up in the world. It really filled him with pride to see her like this.
Nemia finally snapped back to the present, her thoughts slightly meddled from being focused on saving him, lending out a hand so Minato could grab it and stand. He went to pull himself up when he heard Joni yell behind him and sprint to tackle Nemia. Nemia, still a frightened kid, screamed and covered her head with her hands. It made him think about when he first found her, anger boiling in his blood as he tackled Joni before she could do anything.
Joni’s weapon had gotten knocked to the side, her wrists being held tightly as she struggled to pull free. “Minato! What are you doing, you bastard! Get off so I can kill that monster!” She craned her neck to bite his arm, which made him flinch and let go. She pushed him off of her and trudged over to Nemia, picking up her gun while on the way. “You! Who do you think you are!”
Joni pointed her weapon at Nemia as Minato struggled to stand up. Once up, he sprinted in front of Joni, blocking her sights on Nemia. “I won’t let you hurt her, Joni.” His voice was so stern and serious that it left Joni stunned. “You of all people shouldn’t be protecting a demon! Do you know what they’ve done to us?!” Her voice was strained as she yelled, her gun still aiming at Nemia through Minato.
“She saved me! If it weren’t for her I’d be dead!” His voice got louder as he spoke. He didn’t really want to yell at Joni, but if she so much as put a hand on Nemia he would burn the world. He could still feel Nemia’s presence behind him, her fear practically radiating off of her. Nemia tried stepping closer to him, but Joni adjusted her weapon so it was actually pointing at her.
“Leave her alone Joni, or I swear on my life you won’t see the light of day again.” Minato had never threatened Joni before, they were best friends so why would he even need to do that in the first place? He tried adjusting his body to cover more of Nemia, and even backed up into her so she was fully surrounded by him.
“You’re threatening me? We’ve known each other for years and you already trust this demon more than me?” Nemia had grabbed onto Minato’s jacket, her hands shaking as she held tightly onto him. “Well believe it or not Joni, I have more friends than just you. I’ve known Nemia for years, I’ve cared and nurtured her and I’m not about to let that all go to waste just because you’re getting all caught up in monster hunting.” He reached for his blades, which he luckily sheathed right before the last vampire attacked him.
He wasn’t intending to hurt Joni so he faced the dull sides out, ready to use blunt force if anything. And he thought Joni would think the same, he thought she would care enough to hear him out, to listen and get to know Nemia. He would love for the two of them to get along, to have a strong bond, but Joni proved him wrong, shooting directly at Nemia’s face who was peeking over his shoulder.
“DUCK!”
Minato barely had time to yank both of them down and dodge the shot, the bullet lodging itself in a tree behind them. His breathing heavy, he slowly looked at Joni, fear pulsing through his body. Nemia was shaking under him, her hands holding him even tighter than before. Joni looked like she hadn’t even thought it through, like all that was on her mind was killing Nemia even though Minato was in danger as well if she did shoot. He looked at Joni with disgust. Disgust that showed how disappointed he was that she couldn’t trust him even over the simplest things.
The tree that got hit creaked and groaned, a warning to get the fuck out of the way before it fell. Nemia and Joni ran one way, while Minato ran the other, the fallen tree trunk cutting the two groups off from each other.
After the dust cleared, he looked around trying to find Nemia when he realized she jumped to the other side. The side that Joni was on. “NEMIA?!” He ran over to the fallen tree and jumped over it, the dust on this side much stronger. He waded around before he heard a few shrieks and then gunshots.
He ran to where he heard it from, bursting into a clearing where Nemia was shaking on the floor and Joni was standing above her. Nemia didn’t appear too hurt, just frazzled. But the very obvious blood trickling down her cheek showed that she wasn’t unharmed. Nemia must’ve dodged as much as she could.
“Joni, will you just put the gun down and let me expl-” Another shot rang off as Joni shot the floor next to Nemia. The poor girl yelped again and pulled herself closer together. “This thing is a MONSTER, Minato. We can’t let any monsters live and you know this.”
She pointed the gun at Nemia’s head, getting ready to shoot. If Joni shoots, who knows if he’ll make it over in time to take the hit. “JONI! WILL YOU LISTEN TO ME FOR FUCKS SAKE?” The sudden loudness of his voice made both girls jump, Joni’s gun faltering.
“SHE is the reason why I am ALIVE right now. She just beat up a vampire to protect ME. No thanks to you, by the way. Disappearing on me when I thought we handled this together.” He huffed before continuing, “She is harmless towards us. I can promise you that, Joni. Now get your head out of your fucking ass and actually think this through.”
He had to somehow distract Joni enough so that he could make his way in front of Nemia, he needed to protect her. Maybe if he just yapped enough she would get annoyed and leave. It’s worked a few times on her, so maybe now would work. But with the seriousness of this, he doubted she would fall for such tricks.
He trekked closer, eyeing the gun still in Joni’s hands. “She’s safe. She wouldn’t hurt me or anyone we say not to.” Joni rolled her eyes, not convinced in the slightest. “Monsters hurt whatever they want. There’s no exception. Not even this one.” Minato was now close enough to jump in front of her if needed, he felt more confident knowing he could save her and she could run.
“Well if you just listen to me and get to know Nemia you would change your mind! Why are you being so stubborn about this?!” Minato’s hands waved around angrily, why wouldn’t she just understand?
Joni had raised the gun against Nemia again, her finger twitching on the trigger. Minato knew she was contemplating pulling it, the unease showing in her eyes as the two made eye contact. Her finger twitched enough to let him know she was going to actually pull it and he quickly jumped to stop the shot from hitting Nemia.
The bullet hit him square on the shoulder, the pain immediately spreading throughout his whole upper half. He hit the ground with a thud and laid there, using one of his hands to push on the wound to stop the bleeding. He used his knees to get into a kneeling position, already hearing the two girls rush over to check on him.
Nemia got to him first, taking the jacket off of her waist and tying it around his arm so he didn’t have to support it. His vision had spots as Joni finally made it over, her eyes were empty as she thought of what she just did. If she had shot milliseconds earlier, the bullet would’ve hit his head, not his shoulder.
Joni rummaged around her backpack and pulled out a med-kit, leaving it in front of them as she stood up and simply walked away. No words said as she left, just eerie silence. She didn;t apologize, check on him, or even call for help. She left him for dead pretty much. Minato didn’t know how he could ever forgive her.
He grunted as he adjusted his arm, they would have to get the bullet out at some point, and he really didn’t want to traumatize Nemia further, so that would have to wait. “Minato..? Are you ok?” Her voice was soft, as if she was scared to bring Joni back towards them.
“I-” His voice cracked as he spoke, unshed tears threatening to drip out of his eyes. He had never cried in front of Nemia before, and he really didn’t want to at all, but if he was going to raise her, he was going to raise her knowing it was safe to show emotions. “I really don’t know…”
She hugged him as tears streamed down his face. He didn’t know if he was more hurt from the bullet or the fact that he just lost his closest friend. “Thank you Nemia. Thank you for saving me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Then it was Nemia’s turn to cry, Minato’s heartfelt words getting the best of her.
“You big dummy! Why would you take that shot for me!?” Her voice cracked as she hugged him tighter, careful of his injured arm. “Can we please just go home, big brother?” Minato hiccuped, swallowing down some sobs as he hesitantly stood up, pulling Nemia up with him.
“Yeah, let’s get out of here.” He grabbed her hand, holding it tightly as they walked home, exhausted from everything that’s happened.