Chapter Text
"Nii-san, where are you going?"
Rin flinched at the sound of Yukio's voice, halfway through lacing up his boots. Casting a guilty glance up at his twin brother, he met his eyes. There was a tight frown on Yukio's face, his arms crossed in front of him in clear disapproval.
"Aw, c'mon Yukio!" Rin pressed his hands together. "It's just for a bit!"
Yukio held his gaze for a moment longer, before heaving a long sigh. "Just for a bit?"
"Just for a bit!" Rin repeated. "The department store is having a sale on cookware! They sent a flyer and everything! I might finally be able to replace that shitty skillet we have!"
He produced the flyer from within the pocket of his hoodie, showing it to Yukio. His brother leaned closer, studying it with a thoughtful look on his face.
"Well... I suppose it's alright," Yukio said, "-just be careful, nii-san."
"Hey, aren't I always?" Rin asked, pocketing the flyer as he stood up.
"Do you really want me to answer that?" Yukio asked.
"...on second thought," Rin said, "-no."
Yukio just chuckled. Rin huffed, before cracking a faint smile himself. He understood why Yukio was worried- why everyone worried about him whenever he went out in the daytime. The actual name of his condition was a pain in the ass to remember, so he never bothered- but the allergy to sunlight it came with was no joke.
Which was why- even though it was spring- he was dressed in a thick hoodie and a long sleeved shirt, with a pair of long pants and heavy boots. Honestly, he looked lame as hell- he wanted to wear cooler clothes, damnit! But he could only wear his ripped jeans and graphic t-shirts around the house or at night.
The stupid sunglasses he had to wear just made it worse.
But hey! At least if he kept his hands in his pockets, he could get away with fingerless gloves! Yukio and the old man always got on his case about it, but honestly, he'd learned to tune them out. The leather gloves the old man expected him to wear were totally lame!
"Oh, that's right," Rin paused, turning to glance back at Yukio, "-did you want me to pick you up anything while I'm there? For your dorm room or whatever."
"No," Yukio shook his head, "-I've got everything I need. Thanks, though."
"Got it!" Rin said. "Tell the old man for me, okay?"
He waved at Yukio, before opening the door and heading outside. It was a beautiful day outside- the sun was shining brightly overhead, without a cloud in sight.
...he kind of hated it.
Heaving a long sigh, Rin tucked his hands into his hoodie's front pocket. The department store was only about three blocks from the monastery- not a long walk at all, especially not with his stamina. He did his best to stick to shady paths, but by the time he finally reached his destination, he could already feel the sunlight taking its toll on him.
But hey! He'd made it!
Entering the store, he pulled down his hood and made a beeline for the cooking department. The place was already crawling with housewives, all looking for the best deal- but he did his best to ignore them. At least none of them would be giving him weird looks for not being in school, since it was out for everyone for the moment.
Yukio would be leaving for school tomorrow.
Rin shook his head, as if banishing the thought. No, no! He was proud of his brother! It wasn't easy to get into a place like True Cross Academy! And he'd get to live in dorms! How cool was that?
...he'd just be a little lonely, if he was honest.
Ah, well. He still had the old man and everyone at the monastery. It wasn't like he could go to school anyways, with his condition. He took online classes instead.
Shaking the thought off, he focused on what he'd come here for- a new skillet. It took him a little while to find a good one that was within his budget- and by budget, he meant the new year's money that the old man had given him that he'd been doing his best to save up. He didn't exactly go out often- and when he did, most of the stores were already closed. Grinning to himself, Rin picked up the box, heading to the register.
Heh. Enduring the sunlight had totally been worth it.
With his purchase bagged, he made his way down towards the first floor. His stomach growled a little as he passed by the food court, the wafting scent of burgers taunting him. He settled for stopping in front of the vending machine instead, mulling over his options. Juice, milk, and soda would just make him vomit, so...
He sighed. Black coffee would have to do.
Stupid restricted diet.
Purchasing his canned coffee, he took a long sip from it. He wasn't even that wild about bitter things, but it was either this or green tea- and he didn't really feel like green tea right now. He just liked being able to purchase a beverage at a vending machine like a normal person.
He wasn't, of course!
But hey, look at the bright side! He and Yukio were only fraternal twins, so he was the only one of them who was stuck with this stupid illness. Sure, Yukio got terrible sunburns- but that was just because he had pale skin... though he was definitely the paler of the two. It was probably for the best that he was the one who inherited it from their father or whatever- Yukio was smart, unlike him.
He was going to be a doctor one day, he said!
Nodding his head, Rin grinned. If he thought about it that way, it wasn't so bad. The screw up twin should have the screwed up body. It was only fair!
Rin finished his coffee before pulling his hood back up, tossing the can in the trash. A few clouds had moved in since he'd gone into the store, which he'd count as a victory. The walk back to the monastery was slightly less unpleasant-
-where he was immediately confronted by the old man upon returning.
"Good afternoon, Rin," Shiro said, "-have a nice walk?"
Rin clicked his tongue, lowering his hood. "Yeah."
"Rin," Shiro said, "-we've talked about this."
Rin's brow twitched, glaring at Shiro as he pulled off his sunglasses and set them down. "Talked about what? Living my entire life confined to this house?"
Shiro sighed. "I never said that. You can go out-"
"-when it's dark out," Rin finished, "-but I also can't even stay out that late. That's like, two hours old man! I should be allowed to at least go three blocks from the damn house! It's not like I'm being reckless about it or anything!"
"Rin," Shiro said, "-you know I don't make these rules to be cruel to you."
Gritting his teeth, Rin stared at the floor. He knew that.
He knew that, but...
"Forget it," Rin stomped past him, "-I did it, and I'm fine. See?"
Shiro just held his gaze for a long moment- before heaving another sigh. "I suppose you are. But I'd prefer it if you'd just tell me you were going out instead of trying to sneak out."
Rin blinked, staring at Shiro. "...huh? Are you saying I can go out?"
"You're right," Shiro placed a firm hand on his shoulder, "-you're already fifteen. I can't keep you confined to his house forever."
"...really?" Rin asked.
"Really," Shiro repeated, "-but I want you to ask first. And if I say no..."
Yeah, he figured that was the catch. But who cared? He finally had permission!
"Thanks, old man!" Rin grinned. "I'll be careful, I promise!"
Shiro smiled at him, giving his shoulder another pat before going on about his business. Rin grinned to himself, heading into the kitchen. Taking off his gloves, he shoved them into his pocket as he began to unpack the new skillet. He'd need to wash it before he could use it tonight! Humming to himself, he rolled up his sleeves.
Finally! His old man had given him permission to go out in the daytime, and he had a new skillet! No more food sticking to the bottom of the pan! He really would have liked one of the fancy cast iron ones, but those weren't on sale.
His good mood persisted through dinnertime, where he made good use of his brand new skillet. Since Yukio was heading off to school tomorrow, he'd done his best to make a great meal for everyone. Sure, the shrimp he'd used to make the fried rice were the cheap frozen kind, but he had it on good authority that they could still be pretty tasty if prepared right!
...well, not that he'd know himself.
While everyone started to eat, he opened the mini-fridge that contained his meal. Grabbing one of the pouches stored within, he shut the door and made his way over towards the table. He plopped down in his seat, removing the seal on the pouch. Twisting off the cap, he sipped on the contents.
...yeah. The taste never got any better.
But it kept him alive and healthy, at least! There were so few things he could actually eat, so he couldn't afford to picky. This was properly balanced to give him everything he needed in a way he could digest, or something like that. When he was a kid, he'd pitched a fit about it and kept trying to eat all sorts of things anyways.
It never ended well, haha!
"This is fantastic, Rin!" Shiro said. "I can tell you really went all out tonight."
"Yeah!" Rin said. "Since it's Yukio's last night here and all!"
The other priests praised his cooking- and he couldn't stop himself from grinning. At first he'd thought the old man was crazy when he suggested he learn to cook, but he understood it now. He used to isolate himself during mealtimes, but just something as simple as everyone eating something he cooked served to make him feel more included.
It had been one hell of a process of trial and error, though!
These days he could more or less feel his way through a new recipe. Not to brag, but he was the best cook here- which was both a testament to his skill... and also kind of pathetic.
"You know," Yukio remarked, "-I think I'm going to miss your cooking the most, nii-san."
"What," Rin's brow furrowed, "-you're going to miss my cooking more than me?"
Yukio gave him one of his famous bland smiles. "I never said that."
"Yes you did!" Rin said.
Shiro just laughed. "Well, True Cross Academy isn't that far. You can always come over any time you want, Yukio."
"That's right!" Izumi said. "Don't be a stranger!"
"Yeah!" Rin beamed. "Dad says I can leave the house whenever I want now-"
"-with permission," Shiro interrupted.
"-so maybe I'll come bother you on campus if you don't visit, Yukio." Rin finished. "In fact, if you don't come back for summer vacation, I definitely will!"
"Oh?" Yukio adjusted his glasses. "And how do you plan on doing that, nii-san?"
"I'll take the bus or something!" Rin said. "What? Think I can't do it?"
"Have you ever ridden a bus in your life?" Yukio asked.
Rin's lips twisted into a frown. "No, but..."
Honestly, there was a ton of things he hadn't done. But even he could manage to figure out how the bus worked! He'd just have to borrow the old man's laptop or something to look up the schedule... and pick a day that wasn't too sunny... and make sure to write down what time all the return trips were.
Ugh. This would be easier if the old man would let him have a phone.
"Don't worry, Rin," Kyodo said, "-I'll drive you."
"Wha- Kyodo-san!" Yukio blanched. "Don't encourage him!"
"Then you'd better make sure you visit over summer break!" Rin grinned.
Yukio just heaved a sigh. "Geez. I was already planning on it, nii-san."
Rin snickered, listening with one ear as the other priests lightly teased Yukio. Finishing the contents of his pouch, he got up and tossed it in the garbage, before rejoining everyone.
...well, at least no one here thought he was weird.
Ugh. Couldn't sleep.
Rolling out of bed with a yawn, Rin stood up. Usually he conked right out at night- for all the problems his shit show of a body had, at least he was a heavy sleeper. He couldn't say the same for Yukio- which was why he wasn't surprised at all to find the top bunk vacant.
Guess he'd get a glass of water or something.
Heading down towards the kitchen, he got himself a glass of water. He still had some of those water flavoring packets left, so he mixed it into the glass and took a sip. Heading back upstairs, he paused at the top of the stairs.
Huh? The light in the old man's office was still on.
With a slight frown, he crept towards it. He could hear voices. The old man... and Yukio?
"-serious, father?" Yukio asked. "I know I'm the one who let him go this afternoon, but-"
Huh? They were talking about him?
"I know how you feel, Yukio," Shiro said, "-but Rin's been trying to sneak out more lately. If he's going to do it anyways, I'd at least like to know where he's going."
"But-"
"The two of you are fifteen already," Shiro said, "-he deserves a little more freedom. Your brother knows his own limits, more or less."
More or less? He knew his limits perfectly well, thanks!
"It's not sunlight I'm worried about," Yukio said, "-it's the question of blood."
Shiro just sighed. "I understand your concern, but Rin handles it better than he did before. You know that."
Rin's brow furrowed. Blood? What about it? Sure, he'd had a hard time handling it when he was a kid- but so had Yukio! He still remembered the time Yukio had cut his finger when the old man was trying to teach them both to cook. He'd nearly passed out! Compared to that, he had just zoned out for awhile until the old man had called his name.
Yeah. Nothing he couldn't handle!
...but why were they even talking about this?
Huh? Was it maybe it because he'd said he'd visit his dorm if he didn't come over for summer vacation? He'd never really given it any thought before, but was Yukio... maybe embarrassed by him? Gripping his water glass, he stared down at his feet.
Oh. Right. That made sense. Who wouldn't be?
Turning on his heel, he quietly made his way back to his room. Sinking down on his bed, he forced himself to take in and let out a long breath, setting aside his glass of water.
...now that he thought about it, Yukio had never brought any friends home.
Of course not. He'd have to explain why they had blackout curtains on every window- why he had a twin brother who didn't go to school with him. He was pale and abnormally cold- his ears were a weird shape too, tapering off into points that he usually hid with his hair-
-and then there were his fucking teeth.
Who wanted to introduce someone like him to their friends?
Okay. He got it. He wouldn't make jokes like that around Yukio again.
"Huh? Nii-san, you're awake?"
Rin flinched, looking up at Yukio. He'd always been proud of his younger brother, but...
"Yeah," Rin forced a smile on his face, "-I was a bit thirsty. What's up? Can't sleep?"
"Something like that," Yukio smiled, "-but I'm going to bed now. Try not to stay up too late."
"Yeah, don't worry!" Rin said. "I was about to go back to bed myself."
He kept smiling until Yukio had climbed up onto the top bunk, then let it drop. Lying down on his back, he stared up at the bunk above him.
...actually, no. He couldn't let this sit.
"Yukio," Rin said, "-are you embarrassed by me?"
For a moment, there was no response- then Yukio's head appeared in his line of view. "Of course not, nii-san. Why would you think that?"
"Huh? You're not?" Rin sat up. "But you've never invited friends over or anything!"
"What are you talking about?" Yukio asked. "That's because I'm busy with cram school. And why would I be embarrassed by you anyways?"
"Well, I mean..." Rin trailed off, "-you know. I'm not normal."
"You're just sick, nii-san," Yukio said, "-that's all. Now go to bed."
Flashing his twin a more sincere grin, Rin flopped back down in bed. Yukio sighed, his head vanishing from his line of sight as he laid back down too. What, so he'd had it wrong!
...huh? Then what had that conversation before been about?
Well, whatever! It didn't matter!
"...you okay, Rin?"
Lying face down on the living room sofa, Rin gave Nagatomo a thumbs up. Yukio had left that morning, heading to the True Cross Academy dorms. His online classes didn't start for another week, and he'd already read all of the manga that Yukio hadn't taken with him.
...honestly, he was bored out of his mind.
Ugh. He wished they at least had a television.
...a television?
Oh, he had a good idea! Leaping to his feet, he made a beeline for Shiro's office- only to find it empty. With a slight huff, he trudged back downstairs and headed towards the chapel. If there was one good thing about living in a monastery, it was that most of the buildings connected to one another from the inside.
Oh. The old man was with a client.
Shiro caught his eye, giving him a slight wave. Rin waved back, before plopping down in one of the empty pews- making sure to pick an area that was still cast in shadow. The chapel was the one part of the monastery that didn't have blackout curtains- which was fine. He didn't exactly spend a lot of time in the chapel.
(Yukio was the darling of the congregation. He just made everybody nervous.)
It didn't take the old man long to wrap up his consultation or whatever. He didn't really understand much about the old man's work- he said he was an exorcist, but that was absurd. There were no such things as demons.
...sure, sometimes he saw things out of the corner of his eyes every now and again. But they weren't real.
(He'd never told the old man about it. He was already weird enough.)
"Must be tough," he said, "-fighting things that don't exist."
Shiro turned back towards him with a faint grin. "Oh? But demons exist- in our hearts, at least! Just like... let's see. The demon of loneliness in yours now that Yukio's gone!"
Rin bristled. "I'm not lonely!"
Shiro just laughed, ruffling his hair. "Sure you're not. So. What's up?"
Rin grumbled- he really didn't like the way the old man could just see right through him. It made keeping anything from him nearly impossible.
"I was thinking," Rin began, "-could I go see a movie or something?"
It was kind of embarrassing to ask for permission to go out at his age, but the last thing he wanted to do was run the risk of the old man changing his mind.
"A movie?" Shiro asked. "Why so suddenly?"
"Well," Rin scratched his cheek, "-I'm just kind of bored. And movies are indoors, right? It's perfect for me!"
Shiro rubbed his chin. "I suppose that's true. Let me just check what's playing first."
Rin tilted his head, watching curiously as Shiro pulled out his phone and scrolled through it. After a few moments, he nodded.
"Okay," he said, "-that's fine."
Rin resisted the urge to pump his fist. Yes! He'd passed by the movie theater on his rare escapades outside a few times before, but he'd never gone inside. He'd watched a few using before using the old man's laptop for classes, but that was it.
"Thanks, old man!" Rin beamed.
"Just make sure to come back right away when it's over," Shiro said, "-okay?"
"Okay!" Rin waved.
Humming to himself, Rin went upstairs to change. Making sure he was fully covered, he grabbed his wallet and sunglasses, and headed outside. It was a gray, overcast afternoon- perfect weather!
Making his way to the movie theater, he lingered outside for a moment to stare at the posters. Right. He had no idea what was playing, but hmm... this one had an explosion on the poster, so it looked fun! Grinning to himself, he bought a ticket.
Hm. He wished he could buy popcorn, but that was probably out.
He ended up buying an iced coffee, and found his theater. It turned out that movies were kind of loud when you watched them in a theater, but honestly, he was having a blast! His savings definitely wouldn't survive frequent trips, but he should definitely do this again! Now that he finally had permission to go out, he was going to milk it for all it was worth.
...or as much as he could get away with, he guessed.
The skies were even grayer by the time the movie let out. Lowering his hood, Rin grinned to himself as he took off his sunglasses and tucked them away. Perfect!
...as long as he made it home before it actually started to rain, heh.
Making his way back to the monastery, Rin listened to the distant rumble of thunder. There was a faint scent of ozone in the air, and-
...huh? Blood?
Turning on his heel, Rin glanced over his shoulder with a slight frown. Something about the scent drew him towards it, and he found himself following it without thinking about it. It lead him to an alleyway behind the shopping district- and he came to a dead stop outside of it, his brow furrowing.
Huh? What were those little black things? There were a ton of them!
...he shouldn't be here, he thought.
But that smell, some other part of him thought.
He took a step forward, and then another. The little black things that swarmed the air didn't seem to pay him any mind, as he headed further into the alley. He turned a corner, and-
...huh?
For a moment, Rin just stood there, trying to process what he was even looking at. There were two people there- a woman, and a boy who looked around his age. The woman was slumped over in his arms, and his teeth were buried in her neck.
The scent of blood was stronger than ever.
Slapping his hand over his mouth, he felt something in his stomach twist. The silver haired boy finally took notice of him, drawing his mouth away from the woman's neck. He let her drop like a cold stone as he rose to his full height, something like wings stretching out behind him. There was blood smeared over his face, and his teeth-
...huh? Why did they look like his own?
"Huh?" The silver haired kid glared at him. "What's with you? Get your own meal!"
Huh? Meal? Rin took half a step back, his eyes wide. What the hell was going on?
His stomach growled.
They clicked their tongue, narrowing their eyes. "Huh? What's with you? You're a vampire too, right? Get lost! This is my turf from now on!"
"...vampire?" Rin asked.
For a moment, the silver haired kid just stared at him- before letting out a sharp bark of laughter. "Wait, wait. You're saying you don't know? This is hilarious!"
Rin grit his teeth, his eyes darting towards the woman. It looked like she was still breathing, but he wasn't so sure people were supposed to take such shallow breaths. The scent of her blood still filled the air, twisting at something in his stomach.
(...it smelled so good.)
"Shut up!" Rin snapped, ignoring the loud alarm bells that were going off in his head. "What the hell are you doing to that woman anyways? Get away from her!"
"Alright," the silver haired kid just chuckled, "-I'm more interested in you, anyways."
And that was all the warning he got before he'd closed the distance between them in a blink of an eye. Rin clenched his fists, instantly taking up a defensive stance. This guy clearly wasn't normal-
-but neither was he. Not to brag, but he'd always been strong.
"Oh, I get it now," they grinned, "-you reek of that artificial stuff."
"Hah?" Rin narrowed his eyes. "What the hell does that even mean?"
They just laughed, leaning forward. "Well-"
"Rin!"
Rin blinked, his gaze darting behind him. Of all people, his old man shoved himself between him and the silver haired kid, one hand gripping the emblem pin he always wore.
The silver haired kid clicked his tongue, jumping backwards. "Tch. An exorcist? Guess that explains who's been keeping you on a leash. I'm out!"
They left in a hurry, almost as if they were afraid of Shiro. Rin stared up at the old man in confusion- he'd never seen him make that face before. Slowly, he exhaled, placing the pin back on his cassock before heading to the side of the woman.
"...is she?"
"No," Shiro said after a moment, "-she's dead."
Dead? Rin's gut twisted at the thought. That guy had killed her? But the old man didn't look freaked out by it at all- just angry. Shiro shook his head, returning to his side.
"Come on," Shiro grabbed his wrist, "-we need to leave."
"Wait-!" Rin stumbled a bit. "We're just going to leave her?"
"I've already called for backup," Shiro told him, "-but you can't be here when they come."
"Huh? Why not?" Rin asked. "And what do you mean by backup? What's going on?"
"Nothing you need to know about," Shiro insisted, "-now hurry!"
Nothing he needed to know about? The hell with that! Yanking his wrist from the old man's hand, he glared at him. Whatever was going on here, it clearly involved him somehow!
"Shut up!" Rin yelled. "Don't give me that crap! Explain!"
For a long moment, Shiro just stared at him as the first raindrops began to fall. He'd never seen him make this face before either- that pained expression squeezed at something in his chest. Then finally, the old man let out a long sigh.
"Your father," Shiro began, "-was a creature known as a vampire."
Vampire? That was the same thing the silver haired guy said- that he was a vampire. What was a vampire anyways? He'd never heard of anything like it before.
"There are many kinds of vampires," Shiro told him, "-but they're a type of demon. They feed off the blood of humans, just like what that one did."
...blood?
"It's not sunlight I'm worried about- it's the question of blood ."
Had this been what Yukio meant? But wait, that meant...
"Then, I'm..."
"No," Shiro cut him off, "-you're not a vampire. Your mother was human, so you were born into this world as a dhampir."
"Dhampir...?" Rin repeated. "Then, what about Yukio? Is he-?"
"Technically, he is as well," Shiro said, "-but unlike you, he's nearly human. Unfortunately, you took more after your father than anyone wished."
Huh? What did that mean?
Rin's head was spinning, trying to process everything. A shiver ran up his spine that had nothing to do with the cold rain that had started to fall. He didn't understand. Vampire? Dhampir? Wasn't he just sick? That was why he had to drink those-
Clamping a hand over his mouth, Rin took a step back. No.
"...blood," Rin whispered, "-all this time, have I been drinking...?"
"No," Shiro said firmly, "-you've never drunk a single drop of human blood. What's in your pouches is an artificial replacement. Now we have to leave."
"Why!?" Rin demanded. "So they won't think I did this!?"
He swallowed, staring at Shiro. He desperately wanted him to deny it- but he couldn't read his father's face at all. No- he wasn't even his father, was he? They were strangers. He was an exorcist, and he was... all this time, he'd been a monster, hadn't he?
"Rin..."
"Tell me!" Rin yelled. "What would happen to me if I was?!"
"...you would be killed," Shiro finally admitted, "-you're only allowed to remain alive so long as you never drink human blood. That was the deal I made."
Rin staggered back, the words like a physical blow. Killed?
Shiro grabbed his wrist, hauling him forward. "Now that you know, come on. We need to return to the monastery. You need to stay inside until that vampire can be dealt with."
"Let me go!" Rin snapped. "What even is all this!? I thought Yukio and I were just orphans! Our father was a vampire? Was everything you told me about my illness a lie!?"
"It was," Shiro said, "-but it was a necessity. You needed-"
"What!?" Rin yelled. "I needed to believe I was human?"
"Yes," Shiro said, "-you would suffer less that way."
Rin stared at the man he'd grown to think of as a father. He'd hoped... he'd wanted him to say that he was still human or something. His mother was one, right? But no- apparently all this time, he'd been a monster that drank human blood. His stomach churned at the thought. All these years, he'd been...
His skin crawled. Even if it was artificial, he'd been drinking blood, hadn't he?
He let his father drag him back to the monastery. It felt eerily quiet, devoid of any human presence.
Shiro locked the door behind them.
"Oh," Rin said, "-I get it. This is a prison."
Shiro stiffened, slowly turning to face him.
"It is, isn't it?" Rin asked. "You said you adopted me, but you've actually been keeping me locked up here, haven't you?! That's why everyone always freaks out when I leave!"
"No, Rin!" Shiro raised his voice. "I've been trying to keep you safe!"
"It's fine, I get it." Rin said. "I'll stay put like a good prisoner. That would make things easier for you, right? You won't have to put on the fatherly act anymore! Or what? Would you rather just kill me and be-!"
He didn't get to finish. His father struck him across the face, hard. For a moment, they both simply stood there in silence, the sound of the slap reverberating through the air.
"...just go to your room for now," Shiro said.
Rin clenched his fists, glaring at the floor. "...fine."
Turning on his heel, he headed for the stairs. He only got to the first step when a loud sound drew his attention behind him. Shiro had fallen backwards onto the floor, a hand pressed against his face. His breaths were coming in shallow puffs- and Rin found his anger quickly giving way to concern instead.
"Oi!" He hurried towards him. "Are you okay!?"
"I'm fine!" Shiro lied. "But you need to leave, now!"
Huh? Leave? First he told him he was supposed to stay inside, and now he was telling him to leave? He didn't understand. Kneeling next to him, he reached out a hand towards him-
-Shiro looked up with a jerk, an eerie smile slowly splitting his face.
"Son," he said in a voice that wasn't entirely his own, "-you're looking awfully pathetic! But don't worry! Now that your beloved papa is here, we can fix that right up!"
"Huh?" Rin stared at him in confusion. "Old man, what are you-?"
...no, this was wrong. This wasn't Shiro.
"Oh, looks like you realized it!" Not-Shiro cackled. "Nice to finally meet you, Junior! You can call me Satan- or Papa, if you like!"
Huh? Satan? Wasn't that-
"Yeah, he left out that part, didn't he!" Shiro- Satan- let out another cackle as he rose to his feet, looming over him. "But don't worry! I'll teach you all sorts of things from now, my son! But first..."
Satan grabbed him by the hair, dragging him closer. Rin let out a sharp cry, only for it to quickly be muffled by the old man's wrist being forced into his mouth.
"Let's give you your first taste of real blood, huh?"
With a loud cackle, Satan forced him to bite.
The taste of the old man's blood filled his mouth- but even as a part of him recoiled at it, the taste sent a shockwave through his senses. It tasted so good- unlike anything he'd ever had before, even back when he'd still tried to force himself to eat normal food. He could feel something warm bubble up inside of him, dimly registering the sound of something tearing through his clothes- and the sound of Satan's laugh. Unconsciously, his teeth sunk further into the old man's wrist-
-before Satan yanked it away with a cackle, blood dripping on the floor.
"Whoa there," he said, "-not too much. Have to keep this body kind of intact for a bit!"
Rin coughed, the iron tang of the old man's blood still filling his mouth. As the haze it induced began to clear, his stomach rolled- his brain finally catching up to what he'd just done. He'd- the old man's blood...
Clamping a hand over his mouth, Rin felt himself tremble.
Oh. He really was a monster.
"Now then," Satan's breath was hot on his face, "-let's go home, you and I."
Grabbing him by the hood, Satan dragged him along. Go home? What did he mean by that? He was already-
...oh. He was an idiot, wasn't he? This was his home.
"...let me go."
"Hm?" Satan glanced down at him. "What's that? You'll have to speak a bit louder!"
Gritting his teeth, Rin glared at him. "I said let me go!"
That warm feeling in the center of his chest sparked, flaring to life. His body erupted into blue flames, but they didn't seem to burn him at all.
But all Satan did was laugh.
"I see," he said, "-so they weren't wrong. You can use them!"
They? But before he even had the chance to say anything, a wave of exhaustion swept over him, sucking the fuel from his flames. It was almost like something was absorbing his energy.
"You see," Satan said, "-I'm the first, so I'm a bit different."
Rin's head spun, his eyelids growing heavy. Crap. It felt like he was going to pass out. Dimly, he heard the sound of his own voice calling for help.
-and then he heard the sound of something sharp sink into flesh.
Satan's hand slipped from his hood. Still dizzy, Rin fought to stay awake. He could hear the sound of his father's voice, he thought. Pressing one hand against his head, he turned to face him- and what color he had drained out of his face.
He'd used his pin to pierce his heart. Shiro gave him one last smile, before he sunk to his knees, one last cackle escaping from Satan.
"Dad!" Rin scrambled to his feet, holding him in his arms.
"Heh," Shiro chuckled, "-not old man this time?"
Rin stared down at him. There was blood trickling from his lips, but he forced himself to ignore it. He didn't get it. Why?
"Couldn't let him take you," Shiro muttered, "-you're my son."
Oh, he thought. He really was an idiot.
"T-take my phone," Shiro stammered, "-there's a number in it for a man named Mephisto. Call it and pack your things. He'll keep you safe."
"Huh?" Rin asked. "No, there's no way I can just leave you here!"
An ambulance. He needed to call an ambulance!
...but some part of him knew it was already too late.
Shiro just shook his head. "I promised your mother I'd keep you safe. You have to leave."
Rin opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He had a million questions he wanted to ask- a million things he wanted to say.
...but he didn't think the old man could hear him anymore.
For a long moment, all he could do was sit there in a daze. He was exhausted, his senses running haywire. There was a weight at his back that he wasn't used to, and the taste of the old man's blood was still in his mouth. He had to go. He knew that- but he couldn't move. He was pretty sure he was in shock.
Someone unlocked the door behind him, and stepped inside. He could still hear the sound of the pouring rain, the way their umbrella clattered to the floor in shock.
"...nii-san?"