Chapter Text
It's been a year since Toya rescued Akito from the hell that was the weekly auctions.
Since then, they've gotten much closer! Of course, there are times Akito still gets scared that Toya will one day turn on him and decide to use him like everyone else, but... that day hasn't come yet.
Maybe it never will.
Something that hasn't changed, however... was Akitos anxiety.
He is terrified of leaving the house and risk being found by the auctioneers. He cannot go through that again, he simply can't.
Even in the comfort of Toyas home, he was constantly on edge; checking every lock in the house multiple times before bed, making sure every window was covered unless absolutely necessary, refusing to get a phone or even take photos just in case someone hacks into them and finds him... he's never not paranoid.
Despite it being a full year, he can never fully rest without his thoughts clawing at him in the back of his mind.
The only thing that calmed him down... was Toya.
He would only relax when Toya was around and calm. Yes, that was most of the time, but even he had bad days.
It seems like today was one of those.
The front door swings open and shuts with a loud bang, one only made if the door was closed with force.
Akito flinches and ducks behind the hallways corner, peeking at Toya with caution. His tail that was wagging with excitement froze completely, drooping between his legs in fear.
"T-Toya?" he hesitantly calls out.
"Hm?" The human groans, tossing his shoes to the side with a loud huff.
"Is... everything okay?"
Toya sighs. "One of the diurnal hybrid kids was up all night, making her sick, so I had to help her take medicine— which she fought me during, giving me a lovely scratch on my arm. Then, one of the human kids birth parents came in trying to get him back, but legally we can't do that for the kids safety, so I got screamed at by them and had to call the police. THEN, for some dumb fucking reason, some random stranger on the street started accusing me of harassing her! I didn't even go near her! But no, suddenly I'm the bad guy for defending myself! Absolutely ridiculous." Toya huffs and stands up, walking to the kitchen.
"So, sorry I'm late. I'll make dinner now."
"N-no, it— it's okay." Akito watches Toyas movements carefully. Unsure if going near him was a good idea. "I'm... sorry that happened."
"It's fine. Shit happens sometimes." Toya digs through the fridge in search of something to eat.
"Do you... need anything? I— I mean... if you need somethin' to... I guess... let your anger out..."
Toya freezes and slowly turns to Akito who was now standing in the living room. "What?"
Akito shifts his eyes to the side. Toya notices something different about him. He looked the same way he did a year ago— as if he was expecting something to happen.
"Akito, I'm— I'm not going to hit you, if that's what you're implying."
Akito flinches back to reality. "Ah— no, I— I knew that..." He shrinks in on himself. "You... you wouldn't do that... right."
"Akito..?" Toya calmly walks up to the canine who backs up the closer he got. "What's wrong?"
"N-nothing!" Akito lies. "I just— need a minute!" He turns and runs off into the bathroom, locking it behind him.
Toya calls out for him, but got no response. He hasn't seen Akito that scared since the day they met. "I... I'll make dinner, okay? Just... let me know if you need anything."
No response once again. With a sigh of defeat, Toya shuffles back to the kitchen.
Akito, over in the bathroom, was curled up with his knees to his chest, trying his hardest to not hyperventilate. "I th-thought I was o-over this..." He drops his head into his knees, doing everything he can to relax.
He wasn't fully sure how long he'd been in there until he hears a soft voice from behind the door. "Akito? Can I come in?"
"Ah—" Akito quickly shuffles to the other side of the small room, staring dead at the door with wide eyes. "U-uh... y-yeah..."
"Are you sure? You can say no."
"N-no, it's fine..." He unlocks the door and immediately returns to his spot.
"Alright... I'm coming in then." A second later, the door creeps open and Toya enters. He leaves the door open so Akito feels less trapped but remains in the entrance, as far away as he could get. He squats down to match Akitos height.
"Hey, you okay?" His tone had changed from when he first arrived. It was as if his anger completely disappeared and switched out for concern. "I probably scared you, didn't I?"
Akito slightly nods. "B-but— I know you didn't mean to..."
"That's right, I didn't. I'm sorry..." Toya sits down, letting his guard down as a sign of trust. "I just had a stressful day and took it out on the first person I saw... which was you. I didn't mean to trigger anything, if I did."
"You..." Akito looks away. "You won't hurt me, right?"
"Of course not. If I do, it's never on purpose. You know that, right?"
Akito nods. "I... do. Then... c-can i... I mean... mmm..." Akito presses his lips into a thin line, overly nervous to ask his question. They've never done anything like it and he's scared it'll backfire on him.
"It's okay. You can ask me anything, Akito." Toya gives him a small, encouraging smile.
"Do you..." The canine tries again. "...want a hug?"
"...do you?" Toya replies with his own question. "You've always said you hated physical touch. But... if you really want one, then sure."
"It... will make us both feel better... right?"
"It might. A hug definitely helps sometimes. But, only if both people want it."
Akito thinks in silence for many seconds before nodding. "I... want to."
"Are you sure?" Toya shuffles closer ever so slightly.
"Mhm... I won't make progress if I don't try."
"That's very true, yes. Then... come here." Toya opens his arms, wanting Akito to be the one to initiate the hug in case he changed his mind.
It takes the canine ten full seconds to raise himself up and wrap his arms around Toya in a stiff hug.
The human returns the hold, gently rubbing the back of Akitos head. "Thank you, Akito." he mumbles into Akitos shoulder.
The feeling of warmth and safety makes Akito melt into Toyas arms, resting his head on the tallers shoulder and tightening his hold. "...thank you too."
Toya sees Akitos tail begin to softly thump against the floor, finally wagging since Toya got home.
"I'm sorry I scared you."
Akito shakes his head. "It's okay... you should be able to talk about things without worrying about me." Akito breaks the hug, lowering his head. "I thought I was over all of that..."
"Unfortunately, trauma won't just go away in a year. Especially if it lasted over ten years like it did for you..." Toya rubs Akitos shoulder. "You've improved, though. Did you know that?"
Akito looks up to him. "Have I?"
Toya nods. "Immensely. You've been smiling more, too. Today was just an off day for us both. These things will happen... we just have to learn to manage them."
"...right." Akito lets out a stressed breath. "Thanks..."
"You're very welcome, Aki." Toya pats the canines head with a smile before standing up and holding his hand out. "Dinner's ready."
With a smile of his own, Akito accepts the hand and hops up to follow Toya back to the kitchen.
While they're eating, Toya speaks up. "Hey, Akito. Would you... maybe like to come shopping with me tomorrow?"
Akitos entire body tenses up. "Wh-what? You mean— leave the house?"
"You don't have to." Toya assures. "It's just... it'd be nice to go out together instead of always staying here on your own, you know? Of course, you can deny if you really don't want to, but... just think about it."
"...but... I'd have to wear those things again..."
"I know..." Toya sighs. "Which is exactly why I'm giving you the choice. I won't be upset if you say no, I completely understand." He leans on the palm of his hand. "It's so dumb that you guys are legally required to wear that shit outside..."
"Yeah..." Akito frowns. "And... what if someone recognizes me?"
"I have makeup." Toya offers. "I could cover your code and... I don't know... maybe dye your hair, or something."
"...maybe."
"Really?" Toya sits up. "You really don't have to—"
"Like you said," Akito cuts him off, "...I should go out sometimes."
Toya gives him a soft smile. "Okay. Then... in that case, tomorrow I'll go out and get the stuff we need, and we'll go grocery shopping together on Saturday instead. How does that sound?"
Akito nods unsurely. He wants to try something new, but... this was definitely going to be difficult. "Yeah... that's okay. I... I trust you."
"Thank you, Aki. I promise I won't get anything painful."
"Thanks..."
Toya voices a quiet "no problem" and casually finishes his dinner, Akito following shortly after.
Akito spends the next day nervously waiting for Toya to get home, anxious to see what he picked out. After what felt like forever, the door unlocks.
Akito instantly perks up and sprints to the door, ready to greet Toya as always.
"Hey," Toya chuckles as he takes his shoes off. "What'd you do today?"
"Ah... just wait for you..." Akito awkwardly admits.
"Really? You... didn't even watch TV or anything?" Toya tilts his head.
"Nah... I was too nervous...'
"About wh— oh..." Toya sighs. "About the restraints?"
Akito nods.
"Understandable... I did get them, though. It felt so... wrong, but... I had to." He tosses the bag onto the kitchen table. "I tried to find the most comfortable looking ones, so... I hope they're okay."
"Mhm... 'kay." Akito mumbles, staring down at the bag in shame. He's seen that logo too many times, and it irked him every time.
"Would you... like to see them?" Toya asks, cautiously grabbing the bag, waiting for Akitos answer.
Hesitantly, Akito nods.
Toya carefully opens the bag and pulls out the first item— a muzzle.
Hybrids with sharp teeth like Akito are required to wear one outside of their living areas, even if they're well behaved.
It was less bulky than the one he had before, not a single piece of metal to be found other than the clasp on the back. It was similar to a face mask humans wear when sick. It definitely looked bearable.
"I figured this would feel better and, I guess, look less... animal-ish..? If that makes sense." Toya explains.
"It's... better than the other one, I guess..."
"That's good..." Toya puts the muzzle down and pulls out the next two restraints— a collar and matching leash.
Hybrids of all species must wear one, and a leash must be attached at all times.
This was, unlike his old leather one, was a soft fabric. One that could be easily broken, but Toya knew Akito wouldn't be the type of go running off and destroy it. It was a soft orange color, matching Akitos hair.
"I was thinking that if it matched your hair, it... I don't know... wouldn't stand out as much? And, it doesn't have to be tight or anything, so... maybe you won't even feel it."
Looking at the items on the table, Akito feels a lump begin to form in his throat. It only got worse when Toya grabbed the last item— yellow hair dye.
"We can dye your hair however you want. I only went with yellow because I think these colors suit you, so... it's up to you how we do it, really. And, like I said yesterday, I have makeup so we can cover your—" Toya looks up from the dye to see tears subtly falling from Akitos eyes. "...Akito? Why are you crying?"
The canine shakes his head. "I-I don't— I don't know..." The dam of his emotions fully collapses and he breaks into a sob, falling to his knees and crying into his hands. Toya drops the dye and rushes to his side, rubbing his back.
"Hey, you really don't have to do this." He reminds. "I can go return them, and—"
"No," Akito cries. "I— it's not that—" he sniffles, chest hurting from the feeling of being so... loved. "Y-You're so— so nice to me— why?"
Toya gives him a sad smile. "Because you're human. You deserve to be treated with respect. I know that these things say the opposite, but... just because you have to wear them when we go out does not mean I see you as any less of a human being. Do you understand?"
With a nod, Akito curls up into Toyas chest, wrapping his arms tightly around him as he continues to cry louder than he has before.
It takes another five minutes to calm Akito down enough to at least sit on the couch as Toya brings the items over. "You ready to try them on? I want to make sure they at least fit."
Akito hesitantly nods.
"Okay, so... if you want, you can put them on yourself. I'm worried that me putting them on might remind you of before, so... do you want to do it yourself?"
"I... don't know if i can."
"I'll help if you ask, don't worry. Just try?"
Akito nods and grabs the first item, the collar. He looks down at it as if it wronged him, holding it with trembling hands. He takes a deep breath and brings it up to his throat, carefully wrapping it around and clicking the buckle in the back. He looks up at Toya for a response once he's done.
"How does it feel? It's not too tight, is it?"
Akito shakes his head. "No... but..." he looks away, "you... really won't get into this, right?"
"What do you mean?"
"L-like... you won't— y'know... start wanting me to wear it? So you can... use it..?" He mumbles the end of his sentence, not wanting to speak it into reality.
Toyas expression saddens. "I won't. I don't even like seeing it on you right now. We're only doing this because it's— unfortunately— necessary."
"...right." Akito stares down at the floor, remembering all the times collars and restraints have been forced on him.
"You can take it off, Akito." Toya reminds.
Him? Allowed to take off his own collar? That's...
That's right. He can control these things now. He has choices and freedom to speak his mind now.
He... has his own life again, thanks to Toya.
His hands find their way to the back of the collar, unclips the buckle, and the fabric falls to the side and back onto the couch. He was in a state of disbelief the entire time, unable to process him freeing himself.
"Good job." Toya speaks, a smile could be heard through his soft voice.
"...thanks."
"Do you want to take a break before... the next thing?"
Akito shakes his head. "No, I— I should do it now. Just to get it over with."
"Alright... if you're sure." Toya puts the muzzle between them. "Think you can do this one on your own? It looks a bit more difficult..."
"I... can try."
"Okay, whenever you're ready." Toya sits back patiently.
He's always so patient.
After twenty long seconds, Akito grabs the muzzle. It had an unnecessarily complicated attachment system, but he tried his best to get it secure behind his head. After two minutes of struggling, he huffs and gives up.
"I can't do it..."
"Do... you want me to?" Toya offers.
"Looks like y'might have to..." He hands the item to Toya.
"Sure... just tell me if you want me to stop or take it off, okay?"
Akito nods, closes his eyes, and waits. He feels movement, then the muzzle touching his face once again.
Toya was truly being as gentle as he could, and Akito really appreciated it.
That is, until he opened his eyes.
Instead of seeing his favorite person, he's brought back to the first time he was forced into a muzzle over ten years ago.
"Come on, kid! Just put the damn thing on!"
"No! You can't just—!"
"Hey! What did I tell you?! Dogs don't speak back!"
"I'm a human t—"
"No you're not. You're a monster, a freak. Now, you're going to be a good puppy and wear this for me, yeah?"
"N-no—"
"Dogs. Don't. Speak."
"..."
"There you go. Just let this happen."
With a loud gasp, Akito goes to shove the man back, only to hear a yell of pain from a familiar voice instead.
"Ah, fuck—!"
Akitos eyes shoot open to see Toya standing next to the couch, clutching his arm in pain.
"That hurt..." Toya groans.
Akitos eyes travel to Toyas arm, finding blood dripping from under his hand. He stares at it with wide eyes, unable to speak. He felt his mind go blank as his vision became unsteady, seeing double.
"Stay there, I'll be right back." Toya gently demands as he disappears into the bathroom.
Akito slowly looks down, finding the cause of the damage to be his own hands, his claws covered in blood— Toyas blood.
He soon hears the bathroom door open and footsteps approach him, but refuses to look at the source. Even when Toya begins wiping the blood off of Akitos hands, he remains still— completely frozen.
"Akito," Toya speaks, "It's okay."
Akito shakes his head and stands up, backing away from Toya in silence, falling backwards onto the floor in the process.
Dogs don't speak, after all.
"Really, it's okay. I'm not upset."
Akito couldn't fully make out what he was saying after that. All he knew was that he hurt Toya his master and he needed to atone.
If Master wouldn't punish him, he needed to do it himself.
That's all his mind focused on as his hand lifted to his arm, instinctively scratching at it, harder than he did to Toya.
All he could do was stare down at the carnage that was his arm, watching as his claws dig into his flesh, blood falling to the clean wooden floor.
In the back of his mind, all the insults and torture he endured continued stabbing at him, reminding him of his true place in the world.
"Filthy mutt..."
"Knees, now."
"Just let me have some more fun with you, yeah?"
"Sit there and look pretty for me, won't you?"
"Akito, stop!"
Akito jolts, body stopping all movement. He was given an order, he can't disobey.
"You don't need to do this..." The same voice speaks, seemingly on the verge of tears. "It was an accident... Please stop hurting yourself..."
...what?
Why is this person being so nice?
That's not right. They aren't supposed to be nice. They're supposed to strip him of his very humanity, tear him apart and toss him away for later.
Why aren't they?
"Look at me, please?"
Slowly, Akito listens. He's soon met with kind, teary silver eyes looking back at him with nothing but worry.
"Tou'..." he whispers as he finally recognizes those eyes.
The other nods. "Yes? What's wrong, Aki? Talk to me..."
"I..." his brain catches up to him, reminding him of his new reality, the one he built with the person in front of him. "...'m scared..."
"That's okay. It's okay to be scared." Toya rubs Akitos shoulders as he hastily patches up the canines arm. "I understand. Just— please stop hurting yourself like this..."
"...sorry."
"I'm not mad." Toya assures. "Just worried. Can you tell me what happened?"
"I... saw them again..."
"Who? The people that did this to you before?"
Akito nods. He will occasionally have nightmares about those times, but they've never been this bad.
"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have even suggested this..." Toya lowers his head. "I should've known this would happen... I'm sorry, Akito."
"Mm-mm... You... jus' wanted me to get better..."
"Yeah, but I clearly didn't. I just made it worse..."
"We... could try again..?"
"What? No, we're done for the day. I'm not putting that on you again." Toya quickly denies.
"It was fine when I closed my eyes." Akito softly retorts, eyes focused on his freshly bandaged arm. "If i... keep them closed, I'll be okay."
Toya goes to argue, just could tell how badly Akito wanted this to work out. So, he gives in with a sigh. "...okay. Just one more time. Keep your eyes closed, alright? Just focus on my scent and touch."
Akito nods and Toya reaches over to grab the muzzle. After a breath of preparation, Akito closes his eyes and Toya tries once more to get the restraint on, whispering quiet praises to Akito as he does.
Just like before, Akito relaxed his body as he focused entirely on Toyas presence, nothing else.
"Got it." Toya immediately backs up, bringing his arms away.
When Akito opens his eyes this time, he was much calmer. He takes a moment to feel the muzzle and how it sat on his face. It was surprisingly unnoticeable unless he moved his mouth.
"Well..?" Toya asks expectantly. "How does speaking feel?"
"Can... you hear me?" Akito voices, watching as Toyas body relaxes with a nod.
"That's good. I was worried we wouldn't be able to talk with that on. Let's take it off, yeah? We'll try longer tomorrow when we go out, how about that?"
Akito nods and shuts his eyes, letting Toya remove the straps. Once they're off, he puts all of the restraints in his closet, out of sight until needed.
"Do you feel better?" Toya asks as he sits back on the couch.
"A little... I'm sorry for hurting you..."
"I meant it when I said it's okay. Yes, it hurt, but it's alright."
"Is... it bad?"
"Not as bad as yours, probably. Taking you to the hospital is out of the question though..." Toya sighs. "You really need stitches..."
"Do i..?" Akito looks down at his arm. "Sorry..."
"No, it's fine. I just need to think if I know anyone I could call..."
"I just... keep making things difficult for you, don't i?" Akito balls his hand into a fist, frustrated with himself.
Toya sighs. "I'll admit, sometimes... I get a bit ticked with you, yes. But... that's all part of being human. We all have things we aren't proud of and we are no different. I'm sure I annoy you too, don't i?"
Akito anxiously nods.
"Well, there we go." Toya chuckles. "We both have our things, but that's no reason to give up on each other or, more especially, ourselves. Things will get better. It may take time, but they will, I promise."
"...okay." Akito slumps against the couch, exhausted.
"Rest there for a moment. I need to call someone to come help you out."
"But—"
"She won't say anything, I swear."
"Mnm..." Akito whines, but nods. It's not like he could say much, anyway. Toya was right, he could definitely feel that he needed stitches. Blood was already starting to seep through the bandages.
Toya grabs his phone and starts his call, searching through different rooms as he did, as if he was being given instructions.
When he hangs up, he joins Akito on the couch with a clean towel, gloves, rubbing alcohol, and more bandages. He sets them on the table for the time being. "She'll be here soon, okay? Don't worry. She doesn't live too far away, and she can help."
"...'kay." Akito mumbles, too tired to hold a proper conversation.
"I know you're tired... just a little longer, Aki. Then we can go to sleep properly, I promise."
Akito nods as they sit in a tense silence, waiting for this mystery person to arrive.
About ten minutes later, a knock at the front door wakes Akito from his tired daze, eyes shooting to the door. Toya jumps up and rushes to let the person in.
"Thank you for coming. Sorry, I know it's late." He bows.
"It's no trouble at all. So... where is he?"
"On the couch, and... please keep this a secret?"
She simply nods and heads to the living room to introduce herself.
"Hi there." She gives Akito a smile. "I'm Asahina Mafuyu, a nurse at the nearby childrens hospital." She kneels down in front of Akito. "I sometimes work with Aoyagi as well."
"...hello." Akito mumbles. Despite being on the verge of passing out, he remained on edge, watching her every move with sharp eyes.
"What's your name?"
"...Akito."
"Nice to meet you, Akito." She reaches for his arm. "Can I touch you?"
Akitos arm instinctively twitches away for a second before he drops it back down with a confirming nod.
She diligently unwraps the bandages and gets to work doing what she needs before the stitches. Through every moment, Toya is by his side.
Once she's prepped his arm, she looks up. "I'm going to start the stitches now, okay? It will likely hurt a bit because I don't have any numbing agent..."
"M'kay..." Akito whispers and she begins the procedure.
With every stitch, Akito whines and grips onto the couch with his free hand.
Noticing this, Toya grabbed Akitos hand. "I'm here, Aki. You're doing great."
Akito takes the gesture as his permission to be physical, so he hides his face in Toyas chest with shut eyes, gripping his hand tightly. Toya lightly pets between Akitos lowered ears, knowing it helps calm him down.
Ten minutes later, both wounds were properly closed and wrapped up.
"You should be fine now, just be extra careful for a few days. Any strenuous movements could tear them." Mafuyu stands and washes her hands before returning to grab her things.
"Thank you again, Miss Asahina." Toya bows deeply.
"It's not a problem at all, Mr. Aoyagi. And, don't worry... I won't tell anyone about you." She looks at Akito.
"...thank you." Akito weakly copies Toya.
"You're welcome. I hope you feel better soon. Call me if anything happens."
"I will. Thank you again. Have a good night, and, tell Miss Yoisaki I said hello."
The woman chuckles as she slips her shoes on. "I will, I'm sure she'll be happy to hear from you. Have a good night, you two." She bows and leaves the house with a confident stride.
Once she was gone, Toya lets out a sigh of relief. "That went well."
When Akito doesn't respond, Toya turns to find him finally given in to his sleepiness, slumped against the back of the couch.
"Oh..." Toya chuckles. "It's been a long day, hasn't it?" He quietly walks over and brushes Akitos bangs out of his face, admiring how gentle he looked. "It'll all be okay, Aki... don't worry."
Without much thought, he leans forward and places a small kiss on the canines forehead, not noticing his own actions until he pulls back.
"...oh." He breathes out, making a realization. "...I'll let you sleep out here tonight so I don't disturb you." He stands, mind still stuck on his sudden epiphany. As he turns to go to his room, he pauses.
"Goodnight, Aki. I..." he smiles, "I love you." He disappears into his room with a faint blush on his cheeks.
He didn't think he would ever love Akito in a romantic sense, but... he was always aware that things can change.
It's not a bad change, however. Whether or not Akito feels the same... that's an issue for future Toya. Right now, he needs to make sure Akito is fully comfortable in his own skin again like he used to be.
Maybe then, he can tell him.
There's no rush, though. Toya has always been patient, after all.