Chapter Text
After a long while of searching, it seems that Ren finally found the place he's looking for. Without going in yet, he tries to look inside the cave, but he's not seeing much past the entrance. The place itself is quite well hidden, he's sure he must have missed it a first few times he was looking around the area. As he stands there, something rubs him the wrong way about disturbing this place. After all, if someone takes such care to remain hidden, isn't he the one doing the wrong thing by seeking them out?
He shakes his head, pushing his thoughts aside. It's not like he has the privilege of considering his options. Well, that's it, if he wants to keep his head. Without wasting any more time, he sneaks inside, making sure he's hidden in the shadows. The darkness goes on for a bit until he sees the cave widening and the light shining from further in. Crouching, he tries to get as close as possible without getting noticed. He has to admit to himself that even outside of observing for the sake of his task, there is a part of him genuinely curious about the former prince, more known these days as 'a beast' or 'a dragon'. The cave is supposed to be his lair. What could he even expect from a place like this?
Carefully, he takes in the sight of the place, his eyes widening. To his surprise, there is furniture there. It's nothing extravagant, you could call it a bare minimum, but someone had to take time to gather or even make these. A makeshift table, some chairs, there is even a couch that was clearly improvised with whatever material there was, but looks like it serves its purpose. There are some lights, but even with them, it's still quite dim. A thought passes through him that maybe the dragon's eyes are more used to darkness. Noticing that the cave extends further in, he tries to see what's there but as it's not possible from the place he's currently hiding, he instead chooses to focus on what's clearly visible.
A silhouette of a man, partially hidden by darkness. He seems to be going through some of his boxes and Ren can only see his back, but it's obvious who he's looking at. He's having trouble making out the exact shape, but even so, his horns and his tail stand out while the rest of his body looks quite human. It's no other than the man himself, the bastard prince, Shido Goro. The one who got cursed and exiled, until the king decided he's too dangerous to be left alive and he needs to send someone to get rid of him.
The person who ended up chosen is a thief who got caught sneaking into the castle and was supposed to be punished with a death sentence. Instead, the merciful king sent him on a suicide mission to either get him killed without dirtying his hands or dealing with the issue of having a cursed son be still alive and out there somewhere. Either way, he's going to get what he wants and Ren can either comply or say goodbye to his life.
Observing the figure who is now holding a book he must have been looking for, he feels the unease growing inside of him. Hearing about the task, he has been hoping the prince would look more... beastly. That if he's not a human anymore, he doesn't need to feel like he's killing someone. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be the case and the doubt is just getting worse. Ren watches as he sits down the couch and opens a book on a page that was clearly marked beforehand, picking up reading where he left off. This is not how someone who lost his mind to the curse and became a beast acts.
Someone who became a beast would not put work make his living conditions bearable and as similar to a normal house as possible, he would not be reading books while sitting on a couch he made for this purpose.
He feels a bitter taste on his tongue as he retreats to avoid getting caught while considering his plan of action. His mind keeps telling him that he's not doing the right thing, but he can't afford to doubt his task. He thinks of his friends' faces who were clearly terrified for him, but put faith that he can return and be safe. He promised them that he'll be alright. How could he just give up and return just to be killed by the king? It's not like he has a choice.
Maybe if the prince is still aware enough to act so human, he can give him the dignity of giving him as painless death as possible. If he could sneak in while he's asleep and kill him in his sleep, he can make sure he won't suffer before dying. It makes him feel gross, but maybe he can at least make sure he goes away peacefully. Maybe it's better than nothing.
For the next couple of hours, Ren ends up observing the former prince and his surroundings. There are many words he could use to describe what he's seeing, but 'lonely' feels to him like one of the most accurate ones. He presumes that he has no right to make judgement, he doesn't actually know if the dragon experiences any form of loneliness. It's just something he can't get out of his mind as he watches the hidden lair, a place that feels so disconnected from the outside world.
As for the man himself, as far as Ren can tell, he doesn't show any abnormal behavior. He reads books, he eats food, he makes sure his living space is clean and comfortable... Nothing out of ordinary. If it wasn't for the additional features, one could easily mistake him for a completely normal human. He doesn't act in any way like a beast.
...can he really kill him?
The wait for the night ends up feeling both too long and too short. The minutes seem to drag as he sits in hiding, observing his target, but the realization that the sun is setting comes suddenly, surprising him that it's that time already. Making sure the dragon actually went to sleep, he sneaks inside, finally getting a better look at what's in the cave. It's quite dark, but that's why he has his own small lantern. He's glad he took it as he's not sure he would be able to see anything in the darkness otherwise. Now he can see that in the deeper part of the cave, he can make out something that looks like some kind of nest, hidden so it's not visible from the entrance. Seeing the silhouette of the sleeping man inside it, he can make a good guess that it's for safety reasons.
The sight of the nest surprises him, used to seeing the dragon act so human the entire day. It looks like he does have some inhuman behaviors, even if they're not obvious at first glance. He walks closer as quietly as possible, taking a better look at it. It seems to be made out of clothes, blankets and there are even some pillows. While it's nothing like what he's used to, it does look cozy, making him curious how it feels to lie in it.
Unfortunately, now is not the time to wonder about these things.
Remembering what he's there for, he readies his knife and puts his lantern aside. He knows his best bet is to do it fast. After the time he spent as a thief, his specialty are attacks from shadows as he mastered the art of knocking people out before they even notice he's there. It's not something he needs to worry about being capable of doing.
Although he's never murdered anyone.
As he steps a bit closer, his knife raised, the light of the lantern illuminates the face of the sleeping man and the sight makes him freeze. He's beautiful, his soft features making him look innocent, almost ethereal. He looks young and it makes Ren recall hearing that the former prince is only a year or two older than him.
Is he making a mistake?
His uncertainty causes him to stand there for a good moment, letting his grip on the knife loosen.
It turns out to be his mistake as he barely has time to react when his weapon is kicked out of his hand. Thanks to his practiced reflexes, he manages to avoid the attack by a whisker, jumping to the side.
As they face each other, Ren uses the chance to take in the dragon properly for the first time. They are similar heights and builds, ignoring the features that are the result of the curse. Now that his eyes are opened and staring right at him, they seem to be almost glowing red in the darkness. While a bit scary, there is something alluring about them. A thought that Ren probably shouldn't be entertaining now that they're fighting, instead having more important things to focus on.
"That was impressive. You're not just anyone, are you?" hearing the man speak catches him off guard, but luckily he manages not to show it and doesn't lose his cool. If he thinks that his voice is softer than he expected it to be and that it's quite pleasing to the ear, that's all inside his own mind.
"You could say I'm quite known for my skill" Ren lets a cocky smirk form on his face. He might be considered a criminal, but he's proud of his work and skills. He's not a phantom thief for nothing.
...even if he ended up caught.
"Hah, is that so? I'd ask if that skill is assassination, but you don't seem to excel at that seeing your current results" his voice takes on a sweet tone which makes it the most mocking way he could've said it.
As stupid as is it, it's very embarrassing to have your assassination attempt mocked by your target. Ren huffs, feeling his pride wounded as he stares at him annoyed. Moreover, even through his irritation, he still takes notice that the man in front of him is clearly capable of rational conversation. Another point to add to his growing list of things that don't align with what he was told about him, reaffirming already growing suspicions.
Neither of them speaks up again, focused on waiting for each other's next move. Ren's knife might have been pushed aside, but he has another one hidden that he could pull out given a chance. He's not very willing to kill the former prince now, but he still has the option of hurting him and making a way out.
He decides to try his luck with a sudden attack. When, as he expected, the former prince makes a jump to the side and he extends his arm in his direction, scratching his arm with a knife he pulled out without the other realizing. His eyes widen slightly, likely surprised Ren managed to hurt him, but his expression hardens almost immediately. The thief knows it's nowhere enough to manage to run away yet.
He manages to barely avoid the claws, the claws that he just noticed his opponent has, as he makes distance between them. Caught up in the fight, he forgets about the lantern he left near the nest. Unfortunately for him, his enemy doesn't forget and before he realizes what's happening, their only source of light is destroyed, swalloing the cave in the darkness. Ren blinks, trying to get used to the sudden change, but it's no use, the place is basically pitch black. He's not even sure anymore which direction leads outside.
As he's trying to reorient himself, he suddenly hears footsteps right next to him. He makes an awkward dodge as shining red flashes next to him and he knows it was a very close one. Most importantly, he learns that while he might be confused in the darkness, the cursed man certainly is not. His chances for winning are looking bleak.
Not giving up yet, he focuses on listening to any sounds and watches the surrounding to see if he can make out these eyes he saw just a moment ago. He knows the odds are against him, but maybe he can still figure out how to keep fighting. Noticing the red shine in the corner of his vision, he makes a quick charge in the direction, managing to tackle the caught off guard opponent to the ground.
They start to struggle, tossing around, grabbing at each other's hair and arms. Ren is trying his best despite his inability to see, but he's very aware of his disadvantage. Feeling the claws cut through his skin, he hisses, his grip loosening slightly at the pain. The dragon uses that opportunity to pin Ren under himself, trapping him.
He looks up above, meeting his red eyes.
"How did you know where I was?" the man asks sharply. Something about his tone suits him.
The question itself makes surprises Ren a lot. Does he not know? He decides to answer simply, "Your eyes."
Said eyes blink at the response. "My eyes?"
"They shine in darkness."
"Is that so?" he sounds genuinely stunned. He really wasn't aware of it.
And Ren shouldn't find his confusion so cute.
"It's quite pretty actually," and he definitely shouldn't give his opponent compliments while the other is on top of him. Not like he can do anything about it right now.
He can feel him shift against him, clearly caught off guard by his sudden comment, "I don't think that's something someone in your situation should care about."
"I can care about many things at once, it's called multitasking."
The last thing he expected was for the man on top of him to snort. It stuns him for a moment. "If you say so," the lightness in his voice is there for a moment, but it's gone as soon as it appeared, "answer my questions and I might let you live."
So the dragon is giving him an ultimatum. He doesn't really believe he's going to let him go, but he can at least learn what he wants to know.
"Ask then."
"Who sent you and why?" quick and to the point. A question that anyone in his position would want the answer to.
Ren wish he could answer that question, but he hesitates. Is it really a good idea to tell him that...
"It was my father, right?"
...he didn't really want to say if, but if the prince already figured it out, it makes it easier for him. Says a lot about the king too, but nothing new for Ren when it comes to that.
"Yes, it was the king. I was sent to kill a former prince who was turned into a mindless beast by a curse," he tries to say it indifferently, but the last part of the sentence takes on the sarcastic tone.
Said 'mindless beast' lets out a disapproving scoff, "Oh, certainly. I wouldn't expect anything less." To Ren's surprise, the man pulls back slightly, still looking at him from above, "What's your name?"
" ...Amamiya Ren," he hesitated for a second before answering because of how sudden the question was, "and you..."
"I don't think I need to introduce myself, but I'll still ask you to refer to me as Akechi Goro."
The king's last name is Shido, meaning that for some reason Akechi is using a different one. Something worth keeping in mind.
"So, Akechi, are you going to kill me?" he asks but doesn't have much hope for a positive answer.
"...If I were to kill you now, I'll be left with more questions than answers," he gets off of him and Ren can make out him sitting down on the ground next to him. "You can't see in darkness and I can. I don't think I need to explain that if you're smart, you'll cooperate with me."
Ren sits up and gives him a nod. He finds a bit of comfort in being able to tell where the other's eyes are.
The former prince looks him up and down, his eyes narrowing. "How did you end up with this task? You're not the killer type."
"How can you be sure?" he crosses his arms. Even if it's not wrong, he still wants to challenge the idea.
"A killer wouldn't hesitate to stab me the moment he sees me. You waited which could cost an assassin their life," there is something chilling about the matter-of-factly way Akechi says it.
"That's a good point," he sighs, knowing he can't argue against that "you're not wrong. I never killed anyone."
Akechi takes a moment to pause, likely thinking, "And yet you're capable of incredible stealth... are you a spy? Or a thief?"
'He's sharp, huh?'
"Not that incredible if you were able to stop me that easily."
"Your skills weren't to blame here" he says, but he sounds somewhat smug after Ren's comment, "The ability to see in darkness is not the only thing I have. My sense of smell is heightened too so I noticed you while you were observing me even before your attempt."
"You knew this entire time...?!"
"That's also how I'm aware of how impressive your skill is. I wouldn't notice you under normal circumstances."
Ren frowns, hit with the reality of how impossible were his chances, "So I walked right into your trap."
"In a way, yes. Now that I explained it to you, will you respond to my question?" the other speaks calmly, but he knows not to test his patience.
"I'm a thief. Got caught and," he waves his hand around, "this is my punishment," now that he revealed that, he's worried how Akechi will react to hearing about it. He understands very well that lying or avoiding answering could lead to way worse consequences for him, but it doesn't mean the truth will be treated kindly. He's a criminal after all, one troublesome enough for the king to give him a death sentence. It certainly doesn't make him more trustworthy.
While the thief is lost in his thoughts, the former prince hums to himself, also clearly having a lot on his mind. The sound make him pay attention to him again as he nervously fiddles with his bangs. He wonders, will they end up fighting again? Will Akechi decide that it's safer to get rid of him?
He doesn't even want to kill him now. He had doubts about his task from the start, but he let himself believe that it's to save "the beast" from himself. After learning that Akechi is nothing like what he was told, he can no longer support the idea of murdering him "for his own good".
He can't do his punishment.
...what does it mean for him?
He can't go back home like this. Not only the king asked him to come back with proof, he'll surely send someone to check if the former prince is truly dead. If he can't provide evidence or it gets out he's still alive, Ren will be sentenced anyway.
He'd have to find a way to hide. Then, find a way to contact his friends and maybe they can figure out something together. Maybe they can fake his death, pretend the dangerous dragon killed him.
Hide, huh...
"Akechi?"
"Yes?" he's clearly thrown out of his thoughts and has to focus back on Ren, his eyes blinking in the darkness.
He takes a deep breath before dropping the question, "Can I stay with you for a while?"
He's not surprised when Akechi takes a good while staring at him in silence, as if he's trying to understand what he just said.
"I'm sorry, I think I didn't catch what you just said," he says sweetly. It couldn't be more obvious he's lying.
Even so, Ren decides to try again.
"I was sent to kill you because the king saw it as a way to kill me while pretending he's giving me a chance. If I come back without killing you, I'll end up dead," he tugs on his hair, not remember the last time he felt so stupid, "unless I don't come back."
Maybe he should reconsider and find a better solution. There surely is something else he can try.
"I fail to see how staying with me is your solution. And why should I agree?"
He can make an attempt to convince him, at least. At least he'll tell himself he tried and can focus on finding a smarter solution.
"I could stay here hidden while working on a way to contact my friends. I wouldn't have to worry about the king for the time being and could focus on planning a way to survive. As to why you should agree..." he hesitates. He actually has no idea what he could offer him.
He doesn't even know him. What could Akechi want from him? Does he have anything at all to offer? "I can cook for you...?"
Just as the offer leaves his mouth, he wants to disappear out of embarrassment. He knows that's such a dumb offer, there is no way Akechi will take it.
'Please, just refuse me fast and let me leave so I can find an idea that makes sense.'
There is a long pause in their conversation and Ren feels a bit glad that he can't see the expression on the other's face.
"You... want to cook...?" he sounds so genuinely baffled that it manages to somehow make him feel more embarrassed. Fortunately for him, Akechi changes the topic "...Alright, never mind that for now, why do you even think you're safe here?"
He wonders why he still haven't refused him outright.
Ren shrugs, "It's not like I'm safe in the town. If they find me, I'll be dead anyways. And unless you eat human meat, I don't think you gain anything out of killing me."
It was meant to be a joke but now that he said it, he tenses up. He doesn't eat humans, does he? Surely not, right?
"I can assure you humans aren't part of my diet. You're correct in assuming killing you wouldn't really beneficial to me in any way. Unless, that's it, you're planning on finishing your task."
"Well, trust goes both ways. You don't kill me and I don't kill you."
Akechi ends up staring at him in silence once again. This time, he takes it head raised and he doesn't let his gaze waver.
Next words come so suddenly Ren for a moment seriously considers he hallucinated them "...fine."
"Really? You agree?" he doesn't even try to mask his surprise. He didn't expect for him to agree after long convincing and this didn't take even that long.
"On one condition though. You'll be tied up for the night. No funny business."
Ren would be lying if he said he's alright with the idea, but he's aware he doesn't have room to argue. He was tasked with killing him. Even if he tried to explain that he doesn't want to do it, Akechi has no reason to believe that or trust him.
So instead be smirks at him, "Not even a day and we're already sharing kinks?"
After a short pause, Akechi lets out the fakest laughter Ren's ever heard "...ahaha, I don't think I understand. Now, if our conversation is over for now, I think we should focus on our attention on our current issues."
The change of the topic was not subtle in the slightest, but his attention was successfully drawn to whatever issue the other is talking about. He's about to ask him to elaborate, but before gets to say anything, Akechi goes to light up his own lantern and Ren is too distracted with the sudden brightness, blinking as he's trying to get used to it.
As he can finally see his surroundings, he sees as the former prince is rolling up the sleeve up his arm, revealing the cut trailing along it. The one who is responsible for it sucks his breath in at the sight of the wound and the cloth dirty from blood. He cut him deeper than he thought.
He feels an urge to apologize to him, but he's unsure if this would be the right choice given their situation. Instead, he decides to approach him as he's assessing the damage on his arm.
Akechi turns his head towards him immediately and speaks sooner than Ren can, "What about you?"
"...Me?" he's not sure what the other is talking about.
"I'm asking about your arms. I'm very aware of how sharp my claws are," he points to his arms and only now the thief notices blood staining his own sleeves.
"Oh, I think it's fine. It doesn't hurt much," he didn't even notice the pain before Akechi pointed out he's hurt. He rolls up his own sleeves to see how his arms look underneath. He's trying to keep a straight face, but he's not sure if he hid quite well the wince at the pain that accompanied the action.
Finally, he can take a good look at his skin. He swallows, seeing the scars. They look worse than he thought. He looks back up at the other and finds his expression to be unreadable.
"I've got bandages and clean water. You should use it, Amamiya-kun," as he says that, he heads to one of the boxes full of various things he must have gathered there during his exile. Ren stands there, feeling a bit awkward as he watches him get all the items.
Soon he's handed a towel, a bowl of water and some bandages. He thanks his "host" for everything, but Akechi responds by talking about "a bare minimum" and how he can't just let him bleed out after agreeing to letting him live. Despite the other's dismissal, he still feels grateful for that small kindness and so he silently cherishes the gesture as he's watching him clean his cut. Now they're quite close to each other as they're both sitting on the couch (which is more comfortable than he expected), each of them tending to their own wounds. There was something comedic about it, two men fighting each other just to end up sitting together while patching themselves up.
Akechi's had only one deep cut to take care of, so he ends up finishing first and soon he's dealt with wrapping bandages over his arm. As he's done with his wound, he looks up at Ren who is still carefully washing his arm. His cuts aren't that deep, but there is more of them and they require more attention. From the corner of his eyes, he can see the other shift a bit.
"You should allow me to help you," the former prince speaks up, his voice polite albeit a bit awkward, likely a result of his lack of contact with other people since his exile.
Ren is about to refuse and say he can handle it himself, but hesitates. He didn't expect Akechi to extend an offer and it could be an opportunity to form a sort of bond. Meanwhile refusing could hurt his feelings, making their relationship even more awkward. If he wants them to get along better, he should show some trust.
"Alright," he gives him a small smile and hands over the towel with the bowl, "thank you, Akechi."
Maybe he's making a mistake letting the dragon handle his wounds, but there is a part of him that wants to get closer to him. The things he heard about him weren't true and he's curious. What kind of person Akechi Goro truly is?
He squints as he feels the sharp pain as the towel presses against one of the deeper cuts. His 'nurse' tenses as that and he can feel the next movement be way gentler. He does his best to hide the smile that threatens to form on his face at that. Akechi is clearly not used to taking care of someone else, but he's also obviously doing his best. It's endearing.
"How are you so calm?" his train of thoughts is interrupted at the sound of the voice, "Surely you've heard about me and yet, you're here, letting me tend to your wounds as if not caring about the danger."
The other finishes cleaning up and throws the towel aside, preparing the bandages. Ren keeps watching him as he prepares his response.
"Well... I heard many things. Such as, that the prince completely lost his mind. That he'll kill at the sight of another human. That it's such a shame a bright young man like him is no longer here."
Their eyes meet as he keeps speaking.
"I didn't find this here. You're nothing like what the stories describe so I'm going to trust myself to make my own judgement."
"That's foolish. You don't even know me for a day and think you can disregard their warnings?"
"Maybe you'll prove me wrong one day. But for now? I'd rather see the truth for myself."
Akechi doesn't add anything else, instead focusing on finishing wrapping the bandages on both of his arms. Ren's eyes soften as he keeps observing his actions. He can tell the other is trying to be gentle while making sure it's all done properly. He must have done this in the past on himself and now is taking care not to mess it up on another person.
'How could I not think of you as human?'
"Thank you."
"...I was responsible for your wounds," Akechi stands up, not looking at him as he goes to put everything away and clean up, "it's only natural I helped you. Just consider it a compensation."
Ren doesn't say anything else, leaning back against the couch as he's exhausted after the long day. He's not sure how he'll go about coming back home, but he's not as worried as he was a moment ago.
The former prince doesn't seem so bad.