Archive of Our Own

The first thing Arthur Rimbaud noticed as they stepped into the facility was the overwhelming stench.

He was used to the smell of rotting flesh from previous missions and had become immune to the stench of pure decay. Even Paul’s awful morning breath didn’t faze him anymore.

But this?

This was decay on a whole new level.

‘Let’s make quick work of the mission and get out of here.’ Paul told him. If the lingering smell bothered him as much as it did Arthur, he didn’t let it show.

Arthur nodded, and went up the flight of stairs in front of them. The ground floor was inaccessible from where they'd entered, so it was their best chance.

The facility was almost entirely made of metal, and was designed to look like some sick combination between a factory and a hospital.

The specific match sent a shiver down his spine, but this time it wasn’t from the cold. Had it not been his job to find out what was going on here, he’d have been happy to remain ignorant for the rest of his life.

He startled when Paul ran a gentle hand through his loose hair.

Arthur hissed at the offending touch, but didn’t make an effort to push his partner away despite it. For a colleague, the man sure did have a strange obsession with his hair.

Then again, they’d done stranger things in their time as partners. A small gesture like this was nothing in comparison to what other things they were willing to do for each other.

The pile of dead guards outside was just a sliver of proof of that fact.

‘Are you coming?’ Arthur asked when Paul didn’t make any move to continue walking.

‘Sorry.’ he muttered in reply, letting go of Arthur’s hair and walking up the stairs absentmindedly. For someone who was usually so stoic, he sure seemed to be a little off today.

Perhaps it was the nature of their mission.

Arthur wouldn’t blame him. When reading through the files they needed to memorize, he’d come across several horrifying facts he’d much rather forget.

Still, there was no time to dawdle. They needed to find their objective and get out of here.

‘Where to first?’ Arthur asked as they stepped onto the platform.

Paul had gone back to normal, and looked out over the facility with the same analysing expression he always wore. ‘The ground floor doesn’t seem to have anything interesting. Just basins filled with questionable liquids, but nothing alive for as far as I can tell. We can always come back to them if we don’t find anything. For now, let’s check the doors.’

Arthur nodded, and shot one more glimpse towards the floor beneath them before he made his way to the first door. Judging from the cold breeze that met them, it was most likely used as a cold storage.

The thought alone was enough to put him on edge already.

Regardless, he opened it. The two of them needed to check everything before reinforcements came and subdued them. They’d managed to take out the guards stationed at the facility effortlessly, but defeating an enemy coming from the outside would prove to be more difficult. Inside here, they were trapped like rats in a cage.

Better to make quick work of this.

As they stepped inside, Arthur barely managed to swallow the bile rising in his throat.

Inside the cold storage were endless rows of body bags, some open to reveal what was inside, others closed to preserve what little dignity the person inside had left.

None of these bags were adult sized.

‘I’m going to be sick.’ Arthur mumbled as Paul walked past him. Even from just a quick glance it was rather obvious these children had not died from natural causes. Each revealed body looked even more mutilated than the one before that.

Paul wandered around the room while Arthur remained by the door. He didn’t get how the man could remain so calm.

‘We should continue.’ Arthur eventually stated. He’d seen enough. ‘We’ll inform higher-ups once we write the report.’

‘A report isn’t going to bring these kids back.’ Paul argued. Arthur knew it was one of Paul’s very few weaknesses. As much of a ruthless killer as he could be, he’d always had a soft spot for children.

‘Neither is wandering around by their corpses. Now come on.’

Paul clenched his teeth, but did as Arthur said.

They walked into the corridor once more, and continued on their way.

When the silence became too much, Paul spoke up. ‘Aren’t you having second thoughts about this?’ the man asked him. ‘From seeing those kids lying there-…

Arthur sighed. ‘Tragic as it is, I knew what I signed up for.’

It wasn’t entirely untrue. He was used to death, was used to its cruelty and its unfairness. That didn’t make finding these children any easier.

Still, he couldn’t tell Paul that. If he couldn’t handle something like a dead child, he shouldn’t have taken this job. Paul of all people should have known that.

‘I see.’

They dropped the subject, and Paul opened the next door. The expression on his face seemed almost solemn.

As they went on with their investigation, it soon became clear to them what had caused the stench from before.

Bodies were scattered around the facility as if they were mere objects, and without the cold storage to preserve them, there wasn’t much to keep their flesh from rotting. There were also a lot of laboratory-like rooms, though Arthur didn’t want to think about what had occurred there if the bodies they found looked like that.

He knew it was his mission to find out, but that didn’t make it any easier.

When they stumbled upon several massive tanks which looked like they could contain a human being, their earlier find of “questionable liquids” suddenly made sense.

‘Something tells me they’ve been trying to preserve these children for longer than they should have been.’ Paul murmured as he carefully touched the glass of one of the tanks.

Arthur himself was rummaging through some notes. Considering their unexpected arrival, there hadn’t been any time to dispose of the evidence, which made their job of collecting information just the slightest bit easier. Most of it was useless information about children that had long died, but other files piqued his interest more.

The name “Arahabaki” kept popping up in quite a few of them, though the explanations were far from clear. Every piece of information just raised more questions rather than answering them.

‘You’re right.’ he finally replied, holding up one of the papers. ‘They’ve been using orphans to experiment on. It’s no surprise they’d need to dispose of them in some way, considering how many there are from the war. But still. This is-…’

‘It’s sickening.’ Paul finished his sentence for him. ‘I know.’

Arthur nodded and went further into the room to investigate. This one was by far the biggest, not to mention tidiest, of all the ones they’d been to so far. The others had looked like the people working there had gotten frustrated with their results and smashed the place (and by extension, the children used for their experiments) to bits, but this one looked awfully neat.

Had they been close to succeeding in whatever it was they were doing?

With utmost care he continued his walk through the laboratory. All of the tanks were empty, though the colours of the liquids in them varied. Some looked like mere water, while others more closely resembled blood.

When his eyes fell on the tank further in the back, his breathing stopped.

‘Paul.’ he whispered.

Some rustling came from the other side of the room. ‘Hm? You found something?’

He’d assumed all the tanks were empty. Had been convinced none of the children they’d experimented on had made it out alive.

He’d been wrong.

In front of them stood a tank that was not much out of the ordinary. It looked just like all the others. The thing that made it stand out however, was the child floating inside.

A small sign with the number A5158 was attached to the tank, not unlike one would see it at a zoo. Whatever this child was, Arthur doubted the people working here had seen him as human.

Paul came to stand next to him, and he could hear the man’s breathing coming to a halt as well. ‘Is he alive?’ he eventually dared to ask.

‘I don’t know.’ Arthur breathed out, getting closer to take a better look. A bunch of wires were attached to the boy, presumably to keep him alive while inside of there.

There were some scattered papers on the desk next to it, which, from the quick glance Arthur shot at them, contained far more information than any of the previous ones had. The name “Arahabaki” returned here once more. Something told him this child was different from the ones they’d encountered so far, aside from his seemingly half-alive state.

The man carefully collected all of the papers and handed them to Paul for safekeeping. ‘We should take these.’

His partner nodded absentmindedly, and took them from him. In the meantime, Arthur went back to investigate the tank. The boy inside looked surprisingly peaceful. If it hadn’t been for the fact he was floating there so unnaturally, one would almost think he was simply asleep.

‘Don’t get your feet wet.’ he told his partner as he grabbed one of the chairs standing by the desk. Before the man had time to respond, Arthur smashed it against the tank. A few cracks appeared, indicating the glass wasn’t as thick as he’d expected it to be. That was a good thing at least.

With just a few more hits, it broke, causing the water to flow out freely. Arthur caught the boy in his arms as he fell with it, careful not to cut his bare skin on any remaining shards.

The man groaned at the damp press against his clothes. The looming threat of getting cold because of it was an unpleasant thing to look forward to.

Paul was awfully quiet.

‘Hey, give me your coat, I think he’s still alive. We should take him back to headquarters and-…’

‘No.’ Paul’s voice interrupted him.

‘What do you mean no, we can hardly leave him here and-’

Arthur turned around only to be met with the man pointing his gun at them.

It remained quiet for a good few seconds.

‘You want to kill him?’

When Paul didn’t answer, Arthur slowly moved to put the child down. As he propped him up against the wall, there was an unmistakable rise and fall of his chest, indicating their suspicions had been correct and the boy was indeed alive.

‘Paul?’

The man remained frozen on the spot, as if he was contemplating his options. It was unlike him to hesitate for so long. He didn’t pay the child any mind, and instead kept both his gaze and his gun focussed on his partner.

Suddenly, things fell into place.

‘It’s not him you intend to shoot.’ Arthur breathed out.

Paul let out an audible sigh. ‘I’m tired, Arthur.’

The man had always been good at hiding his innermost feelings, so it didn’t come as a surprise that Arthur hadn’t been able to sense something was wrong. Paul had been slightly off, but he’d simply assumed it was because of all the dead children they’d stumbled upon.

‘I see.’ he murmured. ‘I suppose that’s only logical.’

‘Is it?’ Paul asked, still not lowering his gun. He didn’t seem to trust his words.

‘I know I am.’ Arthur admitted. ‘Have been, for some time.’

There was a hint of surprise  on the other’s face, though it faded as quickly as it had come. ‘You’re just saying that.’

‘When have I ever lied to you?’

For a moment it seemed as if Paul was going to lower his gun, and Arthur carefully stepped closer.

‘Don’t.’ Paul warned him, holding up his gun with renewed vigour.

‘You’d truly shoot your own partner?’ Arthur asked him mockingly. They’d been working together for years. Arthur couldn’t say the betrayal didn’t sting, but he knew what man was capable of in times of need. If pushed too far, one would gladly attempt to burn the world down.

Not that it would have any effect on him. He could easily stop the bullets if he so wished. The only thing that could possibly take him out was Paul’s ability, though the man had refused to use it for as long as he could remember now. Only in dire times did he use its power.

Arthur wondered if killing of his partner would be one of those times.

Instead of answering, Paul avoided the question. ‘I’m sick of having to steal information from these atrocious organizations only to put it in the hands of the next. But a literal child? What do you suppose our higher-ups will do with him once we return? Because I highly doubt it’ll be any kinder than what we’ve seen here today.’

‘Mankind commits all kinds of atrocities.’ Arthur stated. ‘We’re just part of that inevitable cycle. It’s our means of survival.’

‘And I’m tired of it.’ Paul hissed. ‘What about the survival of these children? No one ever gave them the chance to live. I’m abandoning this mission and taking the child while he’s still alive. Feel free to report it, but I’ll kill you if you try to stop me.’

Arthur let out a sigh. So he was incapable of killing him without provocation after all. ‘Your lack of trust in me is astounding. We are partners, are we not?’

Paul shook his head. ‘I’m ending our partnership. I’m deserting.’ he brought out. Arthur didn’t miss the pain in his voice as he said this. ‘What part about that don’t you understand?’

‘The fact you think my loyalty to our organization is stronger than my loyalty to you pains me.’ Arthur breathed out, and meant it. They were partners. They’d been through hell and back, and no amount of loyalty to his boss could change that.

He too, would gladly burn the world down if it meant protecting the one person he still cared about.

Finally, Paul lowered his gun. ‘What the hell are you saying?’

‘I’m saying I’m coming with you, you fool.’ Arthur huffed, taking off his coat and draping it over the vulnerable child still perched on the floor. He hated the cold shiver it caused him, but he needed something to cover the boy, and he couldn’t rely on Paul for that right now. He was far too shocked to pay it any mind.

‘What-…’

‘Maybe care to inform me sooner, next time you conjure up such a ridiculous plan.’ Arthur told him. ‘Then we can actually prepare it together properly, rather than impulsively doing…this.’

The exasperated expression on Paul’s face would have been funny if the situation wasn’t so serious.

Arthur carefully picked up the child and walked closer to Paul. ‘We’re in this together, partner.’

Paul could only stare, though their conversation got interrupted by the sound of stumbling from elsewhere in the building.

‘Fuck.’ Paul cursed as he sprinted towards the door to see what was going on. ‘Those must be reinforcements.’

Arthur followed him closely, the child pressed firmly against his chest for safekeeping.

There was no time to investigate any further. They needed to leave, right now.

As they entered the corridor, the noise made it clear they were no longer alone. Footsteps echoed through the building, and some unfamiliar voices were shouting orders.

‘This wasn’t in the damn mission description.’ Paul cursed as he quickly made his way through the corridor. The only way out was the stairs from which they’d come. If those got blocked, they were trapped.

They ran as fast as their legs would carry them, but got intercepted anyway. A group of armed soldiers was waiting for them at the stairs, aiming their weapons, and from what Arthur could see there were several ability users among them as well.

They’d come prepared this time, ready to face even two of the most dangerous ability users from the continent.

‘Shit.’ Paul cursed as Arthur used his ability to block the way. It bought them some time at least. Unless their assailants found a way to travel through his hyperspace, they couldn’t get through.

‘Where do we go now?’ Arthur asked, clutching the boy in his arms just the slightest bit tighter. They were as trapped as the kid had been mere moments ago.

Paul looked around frantically, looking for some other way out. ‘The platform.’ he breathed out.

‘What?’

With the stairs blocked off, it was the only other way of getting down.

Once there, they’d have to take out the soldiers waiting there as well, but it was a significantly smaller threat than the armed forces on the stairs. There was way more room to use their abilities if they needed to, and there were places to hide.

Arthur winced as some ability users tried to find a way around his hyperspace. If these were government-assigned ability users, it likely wouldn’t take them long.

‘Fine, okay.’ he huffed, following Paul onto the platform.

Beneath them, the basins they’d noticed earlier were waiting for them.

‘We’ll have to jump.’ Paul stated. ‘Think you can catch us with your hyperspace before we land?’

‘And take care of the soldiers trying to shoot us in the meantime?’ Arthur replied. ‘Easy.’

They weren’t this well-known for their infiltration skills just to be bested by a bunch of brainless guards.

‘Ready?’

They climbed over the railing with ease, and shot each other one last glance. Arthur didn’t pull away when he felt Paul clutching his free hand.

‘Go.’

Before either of them could activate their ability, a red glow surrounded them. They stopped mid-air, floating as if the gravity around them had completely ceased.

‘What the-…?’

Neither of their abilities was capable of something like this.

‘It’s the boy.’ Paul breathed out. ‘It must be.’

They didn’t have time to elaborately discuss it either way. The people sent to hunt them down were quickly closing in, and readying their weapons once more. This time, Arthur did use his ability to get them down safely, and not get hit by bullets.

The boy in his arms was still fast asleep, although his peaceful expression from before had turned into a more troubled one.

‘Let’s get out of here.’ Paul interrupted his thoughts. He was still holding on to Arthur’s hand, and used this to pull him along. ‘We’ll have to find another exit than the one we came from.’

Arthur nodded, and kept his eyes open for any possible escape routes. Running between these basins felt like a maze, and he hoped they wouldn’t end up trapped. Was there even another exit? The map of the facility hadn’t looked anything like the real thing.

‘Get them!’ someone yelled from afar.

The footsteps were getting louder, and Arthur knew they’d be trapped if they didn’t find an exit soon.

‘There!’ Paul hissed, running towards a small hallway. They had no idea where it led, but it was their best chance of finding another exit. If they were met by a dead end, Arthur could always try and use his ability to get rid of the wall, even if that meant letting half the building collapse.

As they ran, the hallway started getting darker and darker. It was as if no one had been here in ages, and looked vastly different from the rest of the building.

Once the end of the hallway finally got in sight, they were met by a massive door.

It was an eerie red, which reminded the man of the blood-coloured liquid in the tanks from before. Even more worrying however, was the amount of locks placed over it. It was almost inevitable someone had used their ability to seal away what was inside, power radiating from it even from a distance.

‘We should find another way.’ he breathed out, but Paul shook his head.

The soldiers sounded awfully close.

‘We haven’t got the time.’ Paul hissed. ‘Whatever is behind those seals can’t be more dangerous than death. We have no choice.’

Arthur doubted that. If it hadn’t been dangerous, why bother to lock it away like this?

‘Come on, break the seal with your ability and go.’ Paul told him. He held out his hands to take the boy from him, but Arthur still hesitated.

‘Let’s try something else, maybe we can break through-’

‘There they are!’ a voice echoed from far closer than anticipated.

So much for finding alternative options. They were trapped. The only thing they could do now was break the seals on the door and hope for the best.

Begrudgingly, Arthur handed the child to his partner, and hovered his hand over the door. He wasn’t sure if the whispers he heard were his imagination, or the echoing voices of the soldiers behind them. They made his heart thump loudly inside his chest, and only got louder the closer he got to the seal.

‘Now, Arthur!’ Paul exclaimed.

Something told him not to do it. Something held him back. Something was warning him, that he’d bring a great calamity to not just this facility, but to the entirety of Yokohama if he did this.

Paul put down the child and came to stand next to him. ‘Damn it Arthur, we have to-’

Just as the man said it, Arthur’s ability activated, illuminating the space around them.

The seals broke with a loud clank and a deafening screech echoed from whatever was behind the door.

Arthur couldn’t see anything in that moment, and the only thing he heard was that godawful ringing in his ears. The room was far too bright, by no means caused by his ability. It was as if something was charging at them with an otherworldly force, ruthless in its path and merciless in its destruction.

He opened his mouth to scream, but amidst all chaos, no sound came out.

The only thing he could do was grab on to Paul, who was thankfully still standing close by, and use his ability.

The last thing he remembered before blacking out was his hyperspace forming around them.

A surprisingly gentle hand was patting Arthur’s cheek, urging him to open his eyes.

He didn’t want to wake up yet. His entire body felt sore, aching for rest. The last time he’d felt like this was when they’d been tortured by an enemy organization for a week.

‘Arthur.’ Paul’s voice echoed from afar. ‘Please wake up.’

Arthur let out a loud groan. Lifting his eyelids felt like the greatest physical challenge in years.

When he finally managed, his vision was blurry. All he could see was Paul leaning over him, cradling his face.

‘Oh thank the gods.’ the man breathed out, pulling him upright slowly.

As Arthur’s sight slowly returned, he gasped at the scenery. A crater had formed around them, stretching out for what must have been several kilometres in width.

‘What happened?’ he asked his partner as he sat up properly, trying to find any answers in their surroundings. There was a heap lying there which slightly resembled-…

‘The boy.’ Arthur breathed out. ‘Is he-…?’

Paul visibly swallowed. ‘I haven’t checked yet.’ he admitted. ‘I wanted to make sure you were okay first. Your ability protected us, but I don’t know if the same goes for the kid.’

Arthur nodded, and moved to stand up on his shaky legs. Paul moved to help him as he did so, though the man didn’t seem to be in a much better state himself.

The entire facility had vanished. Not just that, but the entire area around it too. All that remained was the crater in which they’d woken up, stretching as far as they could see. It’d be hard to get back to civilization this way.

With hesitant steps, they went to go check on the child lying further away. He was unmoving, which wasn’t a particularly good sign.

Then again, if the entire area and the people in it had been blown to smithereens, the fact his body was still here was enough to spark a slight bit of hope.

Once they reached him, Arthur knelt down to check his breathing.

A relieved sigh escaped his mouth as he realized the boy’s chest was still rising and falling in a steady rhythm.

‘He’s alright.’ he told Paul, at which the other knelt down too.

A gentle arm wrapped around him, and Arthur leaned into the touch almost naturally.

‘That’s…that’s good.’ Paul breathed out, just sitting there for a moment, holding his partner close.

‘What do we do now?’

It was quiet for a moment.

‘Let’s seek shelter first.’ Paul stated. ‘The rest will come after that.’

Arthur nodded and looked at the boy. He wondered if he would wake up anytime soon, if at all. There was no guarantee he’d survive, even if he seemed to be in a decent state right now.

The other thing that worried him was his partner currently holding on to him so comfortably.

Arthur had no idea what their lives would look like from this point onward. Everything had always been clear to him before; go on missions, kill enemies, look out for his partner. Right now, he’d thrown that all away. The future was uncertain and undetermined.

Then again, Paul was still here. They’d be alright, probably. They always were in the end. This time wouldn’t be any different.

The warmth of Paul’s embrace soon disappeared, which would have bothered him if it wasn’t for something else replacing it.

‘Your coat?’

‘Can’t have you freezing to death now, can we?’ Paul hummed as he picked up the child. ‘It’s going to be a long journey.

Arthur smiled softly, and got up. After checking to see if he still had all their belongings, he went to stand next to the other man.

He felt exhausted, and would likely not feel any better soon, but with Paul by his side, perhaps he’d be okay.

‘Let’s go then, partner.’

The receptionist of the motel was suspicious of them, Arthur could tell.

She gave them the keys to their room without saying much, but she was eyeing the boy in Paul’s arms constantly. He’d told her he was his son, though she didn’t seem to believe him.

Not that he blamed her. The kidnapping of children wasn’t an uncommon occurrence these days, and they were in quite a sorry state.

Still, he was glad when she let them go without causing any trouble. They were exhausted, and he didn’t think either of them was capable of running away from yet another enemy trying to pursue them.

Instead of letting himself fall onto the bed like he wanted to, he shot Paul a concerned look. There were two beds, and sleeping in the same bed as a traumatized kid was probably not a good idea. He’d freak and lash out at them, no doubt.

Arthur wouldn’t even hold it against him, if he did.

‘The kid should have his own bed.’ Paul mumbled.

‘Glad you agree.’ Arthur replied as he pulled up the sheets, pleased that his partner had been thinking the same. It wasn’t the first time the two of them shared a bed together anyway. There’d been plenty of missions before, some under even worse circumstances.

Paul came to stand next to him, and carefully put the boy down.

He stirred a bit, but didn’t wake. The poor thing was probably not used to the feeling of a proper bed.

Arthur adjusted the sheets, and ran a gentle hand through the boy’s hair as a gesture of affection. He must have picked that habit up from Paul.

It was ironic how attached he was growing to a child that hadn’t even spoken to him yet.

‘We should get some sleep too.’ Paul interrupted his thoughts, placing a gentle hand on Arthur’s shoulder.

However much he wished they could, there was still a lot to do. ‘We can’t yet.’ he sighed. ‘There’s still things we need to take care of.’

‘Can’t it wait?’ the other asked him. ‘If anything, they’ll probably assume we’ll have died in the blast. We have time…we should rest.’

Arthur shook his head. ‘We’ll need a place to stay, funds, a plan-…’

‘Come on, you know me better than this.’ Paul huffed, moving closer to run a hand through Arthur’s hair not unlike he’d just done with the child. ‘I’ve been thinking about this for a while.’

‘So?’

‘The funds are taken care of. I’ve been saving for months. I was just…waiting for the time to be right, I suppose. I can easily get us our own place.’

Arthur let out a sigh. Well, those were some of his worries taken care of at least.

‘The only thing I didn’t take into account is you actually joining me.’ Paul admitted. ‘Which is, quite frankly, a pleasant surprise.’

He almost seemed content as he spoke those last words.

‘But either way, don’t worry so much. I got this.’

Arthur shook his head. ‘No matter how must I trust you, I’ll always worry. We can’t just sit back and do nothing. We have a child in our hands. What the hell are we supposed to do with him?’

‘Raise him, obviously.’ Paul stated as if it was the most sensible thing in the world.

Arthur nearly choked. ‘Us, raise a child together?’

‘Is that truly so improbable?’

‘Hmm, let me see, two foreign government spies, raising a child as if they were a happy family. What do you think?’

‘Deserted government spies.’ Paul corrected him, which earned him a smack on the arm. ‘Who are in dire need of sleep, need I remind you.’

Arthur sighed. Perhaps it was okay to take a break. It had been an exhausting day, and if Paul had truly taken care of so many things in advance, perhaps they could take a single night off.

They could think about what to do about this whole mess of a situation later.

‘Fine.’ the man eventually huffed, sitting down on the double bed. He wanted to wrap himself in the sheets and bathe in their warmth.

There was just one thing they still needed to do before that.

‘We should read the kid’s files though. That way we can destroy them in the morning and avoid suspicion in case we do get searched.’ he told his partner. ‘We don’t even know his name, let alone his personal information.’

Paul groaned. ‘Not everyone has such an amazing memory as you, you know. Memorizing all of that info is going to take me hours.’

Arthur grabbed the man’s bag from where he’d dumped it onto the bed, and rummaged around for the files. When he found them, he handed half of them to Paul, while he kept the other half himself.

‘Then we better get started, hm?’

The child’s name turned out to be Chuuya Nakahara.

He was a seven-year old orphan, used as a test subject in finding a vessel for the god of calamity: Arahabaki. Out of all the children there, he’d been the most promising one. His chance of survival had been significantly high due to the strong ability he possessed.

Gravity-wielding, as Paul and Arthur came to find out in person very soon.

When they woke, Chuuya had stuck himself to a corner of the ceiling, ducked away as if he thought it would make him disappear if he pressed hard enough.

‘You’re Chuuya, aren’t you?’ Arthur softly asked him, careful to keep his distance as he and Paul got out of bed.

Blue eyes just observed them intently, but no answer came.

‘I’m Arthur, and this is Paul.’ the man explained. ‘Do you speak Japanese?’

It remained quiet yet again, though the tiniest nod came from the boy, indicating he’d heard and understood them at least.

‘We’re not going to hurt you.’ Arthur promised him. He didn’t expect the boy to believe him, but he wanted to try and make it clear either way. ‘In fact, I think we owe you our lives.’

Chuuya looked confused at this.

‘Do you remember where you were before waking up here?’

For a moment it didn’t seem like the boy was going to answer. He just stared at them, afraid like a dear in headlights. Then, he opened his mouth.

‘Darkness.’

Arthur’s eyes widened slightly. ‘Darkness?’

The boy nodded.

Well, that was not much to go on. Still, it was better than nothing. He hadn’t expected Chuuya to be willing to talk to them at all.

‘We were being chased by bad guys, do you remember that?’

Chuuya shook his head cautiously.

‘They were chasing us, and you fought them off.’

That was one way of putting it. In reality, Arahabaki’s seals had been broken, causing the wandering god to latch on to the first living being it could find.

In this case, that being had been Chuuya.

And for some inexplicable reason, absorbing the powers of a god hadn’t killed him. This boy was something special alright.

‘Thank you for that.’ Paul chimed in softly.

Chuuya narrowed his eyes, and Arthur could tell he was contemplating if he could trust them or not.

‘Are you hungry?’

The boy clenched his teeth in frustration, though he still refused to come down. He looked thin, like he hadn’t had a proper meal in months. Arthur doubted the people at the facility had bothered with feeding these children properly. Especially if most of them were to die soon after.

‘We can get you some food.’ Paul told him. ‘What would you like?’

‘I don’t-…can’t…’ Chuuya tried. Aside from being frightened, he seemed to be struggling with the words. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know them, more so that he didn’t know how to describe the emotions he was feeling.

Arthur didn’t blame him. No child should ever be feeling what Chuuya was feeling right now. Children should be carefree and happy, their worst fear being late for dinner and getting a scolding. They shouldn’t be worrying about whether they’d make it to the next day or not.

‘It’s alright, pick whatever you like.’

Chuuya hesitated. ‘…sweets.’ he eventually murmured. He pressed himself harder against the ceiling as if fearing their reaction.

Arthur nodded. ‘I’ll go to the store. Paul, you should stay here.’

‘Is that alright?’ Paul asked the boy just to be sure.

Chuuya nodded, relaxing ever so slightly.

As Arthur and Paul got ready, the boy remained stuck to the ceiling, observing them with his deep blue eyes. Arthur wondered what it would take for him to come down. They could hardly throw food at him as if he were some sea gull catching it out of the air.

With a sigh, he grabbed his wallet. That was a worry for when he returned. ‘I’ll be back in a moment.’ he told them.

Paul nodded, and watched him as he closed the door.

Arthur just hoped he wouldn’t come back to a complete mess.

As it turned out, he wouldn’t have had to worry. Arthur came back to the motel room to find Chuuya sitting on his bed, rather than the ceiling. He was wearing some of Paul’s clothes too, which looked odd considering his small frame.

Paul was seated a safe distance away from the boy, although it was a huge improvement from before already.

The man was reading to Chuuya from a book, and the child seemed to be listening intently.

‘…we’ll smile and fear nothing that meets the eye.

Un-preoccupied with whatever fate destines for

Us, marching onwards and in step we’ll go,

Hand in hand, with the childlike souls, what’s more,

Of those whose love is untainted, is it not so?’

Arthur recognized those words. He’d accidentally stumbled upon Paul’s notebook before, catching a glimpse of what the man had written. He’d wondered who the words were meant for, though the answer remained unknown to him even to this day.

‘I doubt that poetry is really the appropriate reading material for a child, no?’ he chuckled as he put his bags down.

Paul hurriedly shut the notebook, and Chuuya visibly flinched at the sudden noise.

‘Sorry.’ Paul told the boy before looking at Arthur. ‘We didn’t have much else.’

‘I know, I was only teasing.’ Arthur admitted as he started unpacking. ‘I like your poetry. I wish you’d let me hear it more often too.’

Then, he averted his gaze to Chuuya. ‘Was it any good?’

The boy nodded hesitantly.

‘Clever little guy, are you?’ Arthur chuckled. ‘I don’t think there are many children your age who’d enjoy poetry.’

‘Or maybe he’s just too polite to say it was shit.’ Paul hummed.

‘I liked it.’ Chuuya stated, causing both men to look at him in surprise. He fumbled with his hands awkwardly at the sudden attention, and looked down. ‘I like poems.’

Paul chuckled softly. ‘Well, good. I’m glad.’

‘I’m sure he’ll read them to you again in the future, now that he knows he’s got a fan.’ Arthur joked. In the meantime, he started putting food on their plates to serve as breakfast. While he had gotten sweets for Chuuya like he’d requested, he’d also gotten some more nutritious things. They couldn’t live off of candy, and there was no guarantee when they’d be able to go to the store again.

‘I’m staying with you?’ Chuuya asked, a hint of surprise on his face. He’d gotten a lot more talkative, which made Arthur wonder what on earth Paul had done to achieve that.

‘Well, for the time being at least.’ Paul answered. ‘There are still some…ah, bad people after us.’

Quite frankly, Arthur had no idea how things would progress from here on out. They’d already decided Chuuya would be staying with them for now, but that still left them with a lot of other worries.

The only relief, perhaps, was that their boss would think they had died on their mission. If they played their cards right, they could take on a new identity and start a life here in Yokohama.

‘What if I don’t do as you say?’ Chuuya huffed, taking on a more defensive stance. ‘Will you kill me?’

Paul shot him a worried look.

‘No.’ Arthur answered, holding out a plate for him. The boy didn’t take it, despite his grumbling stomach. ‘We’ll do no such thing.’

Chuuya eyed them suspiciously. ‘Then what do you gain from raising me?’

Paul sighed. ‘A lighter conscience.’ he murmured.

However vague that answer sounded, there was some form of truth in it. They’d committed all kind of atrocities throughout their life, complying with an organization that made others suffer just so they could survive.

Taking care of Chuuya was some sort of penance for that. His life wouldn’t make up for all the hundreds they’d taken in the past, but it was a start.

‘So you used to be bad people too?’ the boy asked, finally taking the plate from Arthur.

‘I suppose the answer to that question would be yes, in most people’s eyes.’ Arthur sighed.

Chuuya toyed around with the chocolate croissant on his plate as if he’d never seen something like it before. ‘I don’t think bad people can write poems about love.’

Both men shot each other a shocked glance.

‘What?’

Chuuya blinked. ‘Well, if someone’s completely bad, they wouldn’t be able to feel love, right?’

Paul chuckled. ‘The world isn’t as black and white as that, I’m afraid.’ he admitted. ‘But thank you.’

The boy nodded, and looked down. ‘Doesn’t mean I trust you, though.’

‘I wouldn’t have expected you to.’ Arthur answered, handing Paul a plate as well. To be fair, he hadn’t expected Chuuya to open up to them so willingly to begin with, so this turn of events was a pleasant surprise.

Despite all of them having a plate now, Chuuya refused to eat.

‘What’s wrong?’

‘I’m waiting for you to take a bite first.’ he admitted. ‘Then I’ll know if it’s poisoned.’

Perhaps not as pleasant as he’d thought then. With a sigh, Arthur took the first bite. ‘See? Totally fine.’

Chuuya hesitantly brought the croissant to his mouth and took a bite. While he tried to hide it, there was an unmistakable glint in his eyes.

‘Good?’

The boy nodded, soon stuffing the whole croissant into his mouth. Arthur gladly gave him another one, which was gone in a matter of seconds as well.

Arthur didn’t know whether to be amused or concerned.

‘You don’t have to stuff yourself, you know.’ he told the boy when he was devouring his third croissant. He popped some candy into his mouth right after, and Arthur feared he might throw up if this continued. ‘We won’t starve you.’

‘I can’t know that for sure.’ Chuuya argued with his mouth full. He grabbed a donut next, making Arthur almost regret having bought so much now. ‘Better safe than sorry.’

They had a long way to go if this was the boy’s view on people helping him. Aside from his naïve yet endearing remark about good and bad, it seemed he had a good idea of how adult society worked.

No one did anything for free.

Well, he supposed it wouldn’t be so bad if the kid had a bit of fun once. Especially after all he’d been through.

‘Just make sure you won’t throw it back up, alright?’

Chuuya nodded, and continued eating.

Arthur averted his gaze to Paul, who was observing him amusedly.

‘We should look for another place to stay in the meantime.’

‘Right.’

The man looked around their room, then reached for his laptop. They’d been lucky their belongings had survived the blast. Otherwise, arranging anything would have been immensely difficult.

Arthur sighed and got to work as well. This would be a long day, and he wasn’t looking forward to it in the slightest.

He had a feeling there were several more exhausting days to come.

Then again, perhaps it would be worth it.

Maybe somehow, they’d find a sense of happiness in the mess that was their lives.

Either Paul had been planning for this day way longer than Arthur had anticipated, or he was practising witchcraft. There was simply no other way.

The three of them were standing in front of a small house, located on the outskirts of Yokohama. It was a very remote area, and Arthur doubted many people even knew of this place’s existence. They’d had to cross a bridge to get here, but other than that and the paved roads, there wasn’t any indication mankind usually occupied this place.

Grassy hills stretched as far as they could see, and the only sound was that of the water nearby. 

‘How on earth did you find this place?’ Arthur finally breathed out.

Chuuya seemed to be as amazed as they were, looking around with wide eyes.

‘A government official owed me a favour.’ Paul hummed, fumbling with the keys.

‘Must have been a big favour then…’

The man didn’t reply, and unlocked the door to their new house. It wasn’t big, but it was likely the homiest place either of them had ever lived in. It was unclear how long they’d have to stay here, but out of all places they could have gotten stuck at, this was undoubtedly one of the more pleasant ones.

‘You sure you’re not going to murder me?’ Chuuya huffed as he got inside. ‘This would be the perfect place for it. No one would ever find me.’

Well, there was that of course.

This place was ideal for working with a child who didn’t have full control (nor knowledge) of his powers yet. There was no one who could harm them here, and if a blast got out of control, no one would get hurt.

It wasn’t very convenient however, when it came to Chuuya making friends his age. Unless they happened to have another escaped government experiment for a neighbour, this place was devoid of any other children.

Then again, it was probably a bad idea to let him play with anyone else before they had a good grasp on the situation anyway.

‘Sorry, it was the safest place we could get.’ Paul admitted as he walked around the house.

Arthur followed him and tried to visualize what it would be like living there. It wasn’t big, but it would be enough for the three of them.

It was then that he noticed Chuuya still standing in the living room, looking lost. 

‘You’re free to explore a bit on your own, you know?’ he told him. It wasn’t as if there was any chance of him getting lost here anyway.

The boy hesitated, before eventually making his way upstairs.

Arthur wondered how long it would take him to get accustomed to their presence. Suddenly having two strangers take you in couldn’t be easy.

With a worried sigh, he joined Paul in the kitchen.

‘You think he’ll be alright?’ the man asked him as he ran a hand over the wooden table. He didn’t meet his partner’s eyes, and instead tried to focus on his surroundings.

‘I don’t know…I hope so. I wouldn’t know what to do otherwise.’ Arthur admitted. ‘We have no experience with children whatsoever, let alone traumatized ones…’

Paul frowned, and sat down on one of the chairs. ‘Neither did we have experience with any of the other things we encountered on missions before. We’ve always turned out alright in the end, why would now be any different? We’ll figure it out.’

‘We were supposed to kill most of the things we encountered half the time.’ Arthur argued as he sat down across from him, leaning his arms on the table. ‘This is…quite literally the opposite of that. I just fear we won’t be able to give him what he needs.’

It was quiet for a moment, until Paul looked up to meet his gaze.

‘Do you regret coming with me?’ he asked.

‘Of course not.’ Arthur answered immediately, not a hint of hesitation in his voice. He’d follow his partner to hell and back, as they’d always done. ‘I’m just not used to having something at stake. The risk of losing something-…’

Paul gently moved his hands over Arthur’s own, and the man didn’t pull away. His partner had always had far warmer hands than him. The feeling was pleasant.

‘It’s no different from before.’

Arthur looked up to meet his gaze, and his face got unusually warm at the other’s fond expression. ‘How so?’

‘We were looking out for each other as partners before already, weren’t we?’ Paul asked him softly. ‘Taking care of a child together is simply a new challenge. It’s not like we haven’t encountered and overcome challenges before.’

Right. He hadn’t thought of it that way yet. The words “having nothing to lose” hadn’t been quite correct. He’d worried about losing his partner before; he just hadn’t considered it an option. They were unbeatable. Neither of them could ever go down without the other.

Now, that was a far more realistic fear to have, not to mention they had yet another life to protect.

‘You think we can play happy family based on that alone?’

Paul chuckled, and shook his head. ‘That depends on Chuuya too, of course.’ he admitted. ‘And a bit of luck, perhaps. All I’m saying is, playing family with you of all people won’t be so hard. Surely you know how much I hold you dear.’

Arthur chuckled awkwardly to prevent his face from heating up any further. Usually the warmth would be welcome, but this situation was getting far too embarrassing for his taste. Paul was spitting out soft words usually reserved for his poems.

‘Well, I suppose there’s no denying we’re as close as family by now, after all we’ve been through. We’re partners, I’m sure we can do this too.’

At this, Paul averted his gaze back to their hands.

‘Actually, about that…’ the man mumbled. ‘I should probably tell you-’

Just at that moment, Chuuya came walking into the kitchen. His mouth was open as if wanting to say something, but the words died in his mouth upon looking at them.

Both men pulled their hands back as if burned.

The boy eyed them suspiciously, though he thankfully didn’t ask about it.

Arthur coughed softly. ‘So, how’s upstairs?’

‘It’s good.’ the boy stated. ‘It’s…surprisingly light.’

Ah. That’s right. He’d described wherever he’d been before this as “darkness”. A house like this, with all its windows and lightly coloured walls, would give quite the opposite impression.

‘Have you seen your room yet?’

Chuuya hesitated. ‘…I get my own room?’

Oh.

They’d known it was bad, but this was serious on a whole new level.

‘Of course you’re getting your own room.’ Paul told him in a gentle voice. Neither of them wanted to startle the child, let alone in a situation as this. ‘This is your home too.’

‘I…didn’t expect to be here long-term.’ he mumbled. ‘I know you said I’d be staying with you for a while, but I just assumed once the coast had cleared-…well, you know. You’d bring me to an orphanage or something.’

Arthur slowly stood up. ‘Chuuya…’ he started. ‘This entire situation is…difficult, for all of us. We’ve never done anything like this before. But you deserve better than what life has given you. Constantly moving around, and having to adjust to new areas and people again…that can’t be easy. So you’re free to stay with us as long as you’d like, even after the threat is gone.’

What the hell was he saying? They had no guarantee they’d be any good at raising a child, let alone if said child would actually like them. They could try, but he should refrain from making any promises he may not be able to keep.

Then again, the way Paul was looking at him almost proudly was only encouraging him.

‘That’s a lot of pretty words just for saying I get my own room.’ the redhead huffed, though his eyes were looking a bit hazy.

Arthur chuckled, and carefully ran a hand through Chuuya’s hair. He took it as a good sign when the boy didn’t flinch upon being touched.

‘We should get you some clothes soon.’ Paul added. ‘And some stuff like books, and a stuffed animal or two.’

‘I’m not a little kid.’ Chuuya exclaimed with a pout. ‘I don’t need any of that stuff, so just…use it for more important things.’

Arthur smiled softly. ‘I know what you’re trying to do.’ he stated.

‘Hah?’

‘You don’t want us to spend too much money on you, because you’ll feel indebted to us.’ the man hummed. ‘Or perhaps you just don’t want to be a burden?’

The boy’s eyes widened impossibly far.

‘Whichever it is, you needn’t worry. We’re giving these things to you, no strings attached. You’re free to dislike us, even after we’ve given you stuff. And by no means do we expect anything from you in return.’

‘Except for maybe, like…decent behaviour. Not blowing the place up with your ability. That kind of thing.’ Paul added.

‘I-…’ Chuuya started. Then, he sighed. ‘Alright…’ he mumbled in defeat. ‘…Thank you.’

‘You’re welcome, kid.’ Paul said.

Somehow, Arthur had the feeling this might go better than he’d anticipated at first.

The first night there turned out to be way worse than Arthur had expected.

There were only two bedrooms, which meant him and Paul needed to share a room. That wasn’t a bad thing by the way, it was somewhat comforting to have the one person he cared most about next to him at all times.

The two of them were fine like this.

Chuuya, however, was not. Far from it, if the man had to judge from the sight he was currently met with.

Arthur had gone to grab a glass of water, and had heard strange noises coming from Chuuya’s room. These weren’t just the sounds of a child staying up past their bed time. This sounded like pure anguish.

Despite wanting to give Chuuya his much-needed privacy, Arthur couldn’t help but worry.

Slowly, he pushed the door the boy’s bedroom open.

‘Chuuya?’

Not only were his sheets an absolute mess, the boy himself was floating several inches above his bed, a red glow emanating because of the use of his ability. His face was contorted in pain, and occasionally he let out a noise that sounded like he was fighting for his life.

Arthur stepped into the room quietly, and put his hand on Chuuya’s arm in an attempt to get him down. ‘It’s alright, Chuuya. It’s not real.’ he spoke, attempting to push him down as he did. Chuuya of course didn’t budge. His body was frozen in air.

‘Chuuya? Can you hear me?’

A wail escaped the boy’s throat, and he covered himself with his arms as if afraid of what was to come.

‘It’s just a nightmare, Chuuya. You’re safe. Nothing can harm you here.’

No reply came.

‘Wake up, Chuuya.’ Arthur said a little more urgently. He’d gone past the point of caring whether Paul woke up too. ‘It’s not real.’

Blue eyes shot open, and Chuuya’s ability ceased immediately. With a soft thud, he fell back onto his mattress. He stared at the man in front of him with wide, terrified eyes.

‘What are you doing here?’

Arthur swallowed thickly. ‘You were having a nightmare.’ he explained. ‘It seemed pretty bad.’

Chuuya didn’t answer him. Instead, he curled himself up in his blanket. ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’

‘That’s alright.’ the man replied.

He wasn’t going to force him if he didn’t want to talk. Chuuya had witnessed more atrocities than anyone should ever have to endure in a lifetime. For someone his age, that had unspeakable results. Hell, even if he’d been an adult he’d have been severely traumatized.

‘I know what you’re thinking.’ Chuuya whispered.

‘Do you?’

The boy nodded. ‘You’re thinking about how sad it is that my life sucks so much. That I’m pathetic.’

‘I don’t-’

‘Well it’s not.’

Arthur raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh?’

‘I mean, it probably is, but I don’t remember.’ he huffed.  ‘So stop feeling bad for me. It’s silly. My brain was just being dramatic. Don’t worry so much about me, you’re not my parent.’

He didn’t remember. It definitely explained why his reactions had been so mild up until now. Had he remembered what those people had done to him there, he likely wouldn’t have opened up to them so easily.

Well, for as far as his behaviour could be considered “opening up” anyway. He hadn’t tried to kill them yet, despite possessing a strong ability, so Arthur considered that a win.

‘Even so, your brain must have reacted that way for a reason.’

‘Well-’ Chuuya started, clearly trying to shrug the situation off like it was nothing. ‘It shouldn’t have done that, so forget it.’

‘It’s okay to be upset, you know.’

‘It’s childish.’

Arthur chuckled, and kneeled down to be at eyelevel. ‘I’m an adult, and even I still get upset sometimes. Is that so wrong?’

‘Well, no, but-…’

‘Or is it only childish if you do it?’

It was quiet for a while, before Chuuya turned around in his bed out of frustration. ‘What would you know?’

‘I know what usually helps me when I’m upset.’

Chuuya remained quiet, as if giving him the opportunity to spill his secrets.

‘First and foremost, I like to be kept warm. It’s not that strange to find me with a tower of blankets.’

The boy scoffed. ‘That is childish.’

‘Secondly, I like a good old-fashioned bedtime story.’

He remembered all the evenings spent with Paul, merely talking about past laughs. It wasn’t exactly a “bedtime story” like a child would know it, but Paul was an awfully good narrator, meaning he’d enjoyed those moments either way.

‘What, you’re going to read me poetry again?’

Arthur looked at him. ‘I thought you liked that?’

‘Well, yeah, but not…not right now. Too much thinking. I’m already thinking now, so now it’s…just annoying.’

‘So you admit this situation has upset you, then?’

Chuuya let out a frustrated groan, and threw a pillow at his face in an attempt to get him to shut up.

Arthur caught it with ease, and smiled. ‘I won’t read you poetry, but I can tell you a story?’

The boy seemed to hesitate for a moment, before answering. ‘Only if it’s a good one.’

‘I have plenty of good stories to tell.’ Arthur mused, grabbing the chair located in the corner of the room. They really needed to decorate this place. Perhaps then, it would feel more like home, even to the child that had never had one.

‘I’ll decide whether it’s good or not.’ Chuuya huffed from his spot under the blankets.

Arthur sat down and hummed absentmindedly. This was progress, right?

‘Well, you don’t seem like the type to want to hear a story about a prince and a princess, and how they lived happily ever after. So what about the story of two friends fighting crime together?’

Chuuya’s head perked up, indicating he’d caught his interest. ‘Tell me the story, old man.’

Arthur laughed, and got comfortable.

When he found the boy sound asleep halfway through the story, he smiled fondly.

While their life inside the small house continued, so did Chuuya’s nightmares. It seemed that despite his lack of memories, his mind still liked to make him suffer.

Or perhaps it was the entity inside of him, tormenting its vessel?  

Either way, bedtime stories soon turned out to not be enough anymore. They may have been a temporary solution, but this entire situation was taking its toll on the poor boy. About a week had passed, and Chuuya’s health was rapidly decreasing. He was getting snappy and aggressive, which was understandable with his lack of sleep, but still rather unwelcome.

This particular sunny morning, Arthur stepped outside of the house to join his partner on their front porch. The man was smoking a cigarette, which Arthur quickly nicked from between his lips and put out. Paul knew he hated those things.

Still, he only gave him a warning glare before getting to the point. ‘What should we do? At this rate, it’ll drive him to insanity.’

Paul leaned against wall and thought for a moment. ‘I’m not sure.’ he admitted.

Even in these early hours of the day Chuuya was still fighting to get some rest.

‘What do parents usually do when a child is plagued by nightmares?’

‘Read them stories, which we’ve tried…or take them to a therapist.’ Arthur sighed.

Paul rolled his eyes. ‘Ah yes, because telling a therapist you’ve got a godly entity inside of you is bound to go well.’

He was right, of course. Arthur knew as much. That didn’t mean it made their situation any easier. ‘Then what do we do?’

‘I’m not sure.’ Paul replied hesitantly. ‘But Chuuya doesn’t know the full extent of his powers yet, does he? It’s possible that plays a part in his nightmares too.’

‘You think telling him might help?’

Paul nodded. ‘Having a reason for all that’s going on doesn’t necessarily solve the problem, but knowing why it’s happening might bring some comfort.’

Arthur thought about that for a while. ‘I suppose you’re right. Besides, if this goes on, who knows what he’ll do. Arahabaki might just take full control and lash out. We have to try something. If the kid is strong enough to house a god, maybe he’ll be strong enough to tame one too. If not-…’

‘If he lost control, that would be disastrous for the entirety of Yokohama.’ Paul agreed. ‘It’s our responsibility to prevent Arahabaki from destroying any more. It’s our responsibility to prevent Chuuya from destroying any more.’

‘We can’t ever let it get that far.’ Arthur agreed. ‘If it does, we’ll have no choice but to-’

Another voice interrupted them before he could finish that sentence

‘You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?’

Both men froze. Chuuya carefully floated down from his hiding place on the roof, staring at them with somewhat frightened eyes as he did so. Perhaps this hadn’t exactly been the right place for a conversation of this nature.

‘Of course not.’ Arthur replied calmly. ‘We already said so, didn’t we?’

‘Just empty words.’ Chuuya continued as he landed in front of them. ‘You just said I’m dangerous. So will you get rid of me? Throw me out? Or perhaps you’ll sell me on the black market and-’

‘Chuuya.’ Paul pleaded as he knelt down in front of the small child. ‘We won’t. I know giving you our word doesn’t mean much, but-…we’ve made this decision together and we’re not about to back out of it now. I promise you.’

‘What’s this Arahabaki thing you’re talking about then, hm?’ Chuuya huffed in reply, shoving his hands impossibly further down his pockets. ‘Maybe you’re just acting like you care so I’ll give you Arahabaki and you can earn money without me even knowing. Maybe that’s how you afforded all of this. Maybe that’s even what’s causing my nightmares. You’re pretending to be nice while you’re actually the very cause of my problems.’

Arthur shook his head solemnly. ‘We used to work for the government.’ he explained. ‘In the past, perhaps we would have done such a thing. I won’t deny that. But right now, our main priority is keeping you safe. Precisely because we don’t want anyone to find out you possess Arahabaki.’

‘You’re lying!’ Chuuya exclaimed. A red glow was emanating from his body now, but Paul didn’t seem to budge despite the growing threat. ‘Adults always lie! They’re selfish, and they lie, and they just want to get rich off of other people!’

Arthur shot his partner a warning glance, and took a step back.

‘Calm down, Chuuya.’ he warned him. ‘We’ll explain everything to you over a nice cup of tea…’

‘Oh to hell with your tea!’ Chuuya yelled. The power radiating from him was strong enough to send Paul flying backwards, which in turn caused Arthur to activate his own ability as a precaution.

Paul quickly got back up on his feet, though he kept his distance this time.

‘Chuuya-’

‘No!’

It was almost as if someone had increased the gravity tenfold. Arthur had trouble keeping upright, though what worried him most of all was the voice coming from the tiny frame in front of them. It hardly sounded human anymore.

‘Arahabaki.’ Arthur whispered.

Instead of answering, Chuuya raised his arm, on which red markings started to appear. They danced over his skin possessively, and Arthur wasn’t all that keen on finding out what would happen if they didn’t stop it in time. The air around them was growing heavy, almost like a warning.

Just as the boy attempted to shoot what he assumed was a gravity-bomb at them, the man dove forward. With his own ability he trapped Chuuya’s hands and feet in hyperspace, pinning him to the ground effectively.

‘Snap out of it, Chuuya.’ he hissed. ‘You need to control it. The lies that creatures has been feeding you are polluting your mind. You are your own person.’

It wasn’t hard to guess where Chuuya’s sudden outburst had come from. If Arahabaki was this sentient, it was highly probable it had planted the seed of doubt in the mind of its host.

The red glow coming from Chuuya’s body slowly ceased, and the markings faded. Arthur hoped the sigh of relief he let out as the air returned to normal went unheard.

‘Why can’t I control it?’ the boy whispered. Instead of glowing red, his eyes were now filled with tears. He was blinking furiously in an attempt to keep them from falling, but that wouldn’t hold for very long.

It did however, cause Arthur to soften his grip ever so slightly.

‘I thought if I could just-…if I could just prove it I’m strong, that it would shut up. I didn’t mean to hurt either of you, I swear it.’ Chuuya breathed out. ‘I swear on my life.’

Before he could answer, Arthur felt the familiar press of his partner’s hand on his back, serving as a gentle reminder this was just a kid they were dealing with. A kid who had been granted too much power, but a kid nonetheless. Slowly, he let go so the boy could sit up.

‘This is why we were worried.’ Paul explained. ‘Why we were trying to come up with a plan to prevent you from snapping. You’re strong already, you just don’t know how to use that strength.’

‘It won’t happen again, I promise, I swear it-…’

Arthur shook his head. ‘Don’t make promises you can’t keep.’ he merely said.

‘I’ll try harder!’ Chuuya brought out helplessly. ‘I can control it-’

‘You can’t.’ Paul murmured. ‘Which is why we’re going to help you learn how to.’

Arthur gave the man a look. How on earth was he planning to do that?

‘Abilities are both a gift and a curse. They’re hard to control, and can make you feel severely inhuman.’

The both of them knew that better than anyone.

‘The god inside of you is only making things harder for you, but that doesn’t mean you have to succumb to its whims.’ Paul continued. ‘You’re your own person, are you not?’

Chuuya nodded softly.

‘There’s not a single human out there who has perfect control over themselves. And yet, with the entity that resides within you, it is of utmost importance you of all people do learn how to control yourself.’

‘Stop with the fancy words and just get to the point.’ Arthur sighed. ‘The kid’s scared.’

Paul slowly softened his gaze. ‘We’ll train you, is what I’m saying. We’re not giving up on you so long as you are not corrupted just yet. So long as you hold on to your humanity, we’ll treat you as such.’

Chuuya let out a shaky breath, and looked at them. Rather than fearful, his the expression on his face was now one of determination. ‘Thank you.’

‘Well come on then, there’s no time to waste.’ he stated as he slowly got up. When he held out his hand, Chuuya took it without hesitation.

Arthur couldn’t help a small smile from creeping onto his face.

Gradually, their small house became a home.

It started with clothes they got for Chuuya. Then they got him some toys, which he insisted he didn’t need but they’d gotten him anyway, some books, and any odd item he ever showed any interest in.

Arthur realized that when Paul had said he’d saved up for this scenario, he’d meant it. The two of them obviously had to find other ways to get by soon, but it was comfortable for now.

They could give Chuuya what he needed.

Aside from material things, they tried being there for him when it came to personal matters too. If he had any questions about Arahabaki, they answered them truthfully. If he was in doubt, they’d try to reassure him.

Chuuya’s training consisted of exercises that challenged even a strong ability like the one he possessed. (And more importantly, challenged the god of destruction).

Arthur would create obstacles with his own ability, urging Chuuya to use both his wit and his strength to overcome whatever it was the two men had come up with next.

Results varied, but from the peaceful nights that followed, it was clear the obnoxious whispers telling the boy not to trust the outside world had dulled. The voice that was once Arahabaki, had had to make place for Chuuya Nakahara.

And the child’s voice was a loud one indeed.

Eventually, Chuuya didn’t tiptoe around the house anymore, or jump at every small sound. He didn’t flinch when they ruffled his hair, and he didn’t try to stuff his meals into his mouth as fast as he could. His presence was radiant, rather than almost invisible. It was almost as if the boy was slowly coming to terms with the fact he deserved to be in this world, regardless of whatever it was that lurked inside of him.

He looked healthy, and perhaps, even somewhat happy.

(And frankly, so did Arthur and Paul).

Arthur hadn’t meant to listen in.

Really, he hadn’t. Paul was just surprisingly good with children, which was sweet, and he’d wanted to catch a glimpse of that.

But this? He hadn’t expected this.

‘You love him, don’t you?’ Arthur heard Chuuya ask Paul. His bedroom door was thin, enabling him to hear the words loud and clear. He couldn’t help but freeze up on the spot, even if he knew he shouldn’t.

‘What do you mean?’

There was doubt in his voice, like a child that had been caught stealing candy. Paul was a good liar, Arthur knew. But in this case, he couldn’t help but let the honesty shine through.

‘Those poems are about him.’ Chuuya huffed. ‘It’s obvious.’

‘You’re wrong.’

‘No I’m not.’

It was quiet for a moment.

‘They’re just poems, they mean nothing. They’re just…thoughts.’ Paul argued.

‘Thoughts that come from somewhere, as I’ve been told.’

Clever little guy, huh?

A sigh came from the other side of the door. ‘It’s not as if it’ll change anything.’

‘No, because he already loves you.’

Arthur’s heart was hammering inside of his chest. Had he been that transparent? He liked to think he’d kept those thoughts buried deep down. Neither of them had been all that great at showing emotion. That could get you killed in this line of work.

Then again, their job was no longer a valid excuse. They’d given it all up in a pathetic attempt at redemption, changing their entire lives. Nothing was the same anymore, and while that brought along many doubts, Arthur had to admit he didn’t particularly mind these changes.

In fact, he thought he preferred it this way. Raising Chuuya was the perfect combination between domestic life and life-threatening situations that would give them their fill of adrenaline.  

‘What?’

Paul’s shocked voice snapped Arthur out of his thoughts.

‘He loves you.’ Chuuya repeated. ‘It’s quite obvious, really.’

‘It’s not obvious to me.’ Paul replied defensively. ‘Are you sure that’s not just wishful thinking? I understand if you have the desire for true parents, but-’

‘He acts like the characters in the stories he tells.’ the boy interrupted him impatiently. ‘He comes up with these stories about dangerous missions and treasure-hunting excursions, which I presume is based on your own experiences, and in all of them the characters end up being super in love. I mean, he doesn’t say so, but it’s obvious.’

Oh. Well shit. A professionally trained government spy had just been bested by a seven-year old. How the hell had Chuuya managed to see through his stories while he himself hadn’t even realized?

‘Arthur wouldn’t feel that way about me.’ Paul stated.

Wrong.

‘Now go to bed, it’s far too late for you to be talking about such matters.’

With hurried but quiet footsteps, Arthur made his way back to their bedroom. He had no intention of letting Paul find out he had overheard that particular conversation. He needed to think this over before making any rash decisions.

With a sigh, he sat down on their bed.

In all these years, neither of them had ever mentioned anything about romantic feelings. It could compromise their teamwork, and in turn their missions, which was simply out of the question.

Right now wasn’t any different. If either of them wanted something from the other which they could not give, the comfortable life they’d build here would be over. Rather than the peaceful atmosphere in their home, it would be a tense one.

That was no place for a child to grow up in.

Still, if Paul actually felt the same…that changed things.

They’d already proven time and time again they worked well as partners. Adding romance to that, a concept they were both severely unfamiliar with, was risky, but not unthinkable.

It could work, if they both wanted it to.

When Paul slowly pushed the door to their bedroom open, there was no doubt his cheeks were slightly redder than usual.

Arthur pretended to be busy with his phone, and didn’t comment on it.

He had a lot to think about.

‘…and that’s how the Great War came to an end.’ Paul concluded.

The three of them were seated at the kitchen table, Paul and Arthur telling stories while Chuuya was listening intently.

Well, they were more than just stories, to be completely honest. It had been their intention to start teaching Chuuya about several subjects, including history. Under these circumstances there was no way of sending him to an actual school, so to help his development further, the two men had taken it upon themselves to teach him the basics he needed.

‘You almost make it sound as if you’ve actually been there.’ Chuuya mused.

Paul shot his partner a worried look before looking back at Chuuya and answering. ‘Well, you’re not entirely wrong.’ he admitted.

The redhead’s eyes widened. ‘Really?’

Arthur sighed and focussed his gaze on the wooden table as a distraction. ‘Yes, though these are some of the darkest days in our lives. We prefer not to speak of them.’

Chuuya slouched in his chair. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to-…’

Paul gave the boy a gentle smile, and put a reassuring hand on Arthur’s own in the meantime. ‘It’s alright, Chuuya. What matters is we’re here now, with the people we care about.’

Arthur couldn’t help the blood from rushing to his cheeks. The combination of those words, together with the gentle touch to his hand, made his heart swell in a way he wrongly thought he could supress before. This was even worse than when the man touched his hair.

‘You…really must care a lot about each other.’ Chuuya stated carefully.

‘We do.’ Paul replied. ‘We’ve worked together for years.’

Arthur gave him an amused look. ‘You wound me, Paul. By now I would have thought you considered me a little more than just your colleague.’

A slight blush rose to the man’s cheeks, mirroring Arthur’s own.

Good. Two could play this game.

‘Well, yes, of course.’ Paul tried correcting himself. ‘We’re partners.’

‘And?’

‘And?’ Paul let out helplessly.

Chuuya merely watched them with an amused glint in his eyes, indicating he found the situation hilarious.

Arthur shrugged. ‘I was just curious what else you’d say. Partners, friends, family…they’re all befitting.’

Paul looked at his hands in hopes of distracting himself. It wasn’t like him to be this flustered at all.

‘I suppose so.’

An awkward silence fell, and Arthur averted his gaze. He wasn’t sure how far he could take  the teasing. If he went too far, he’d ruin what they had. If he didn’t go far enough, they’d never admit their feelings to each other.

‘I’ll be playing outside if you need me.’ Chuuya hummed innocently, sliding off of his chair. ‘Thank you for the lesson.’

Not a moment later he was gone.

Arthur almost wished he could get out of the situation just as easily, though he knew that was not an option.

They had to have this conversation inevitably.

‘There’s something-’

‘Arthur, I-’

Both men fell silent again, looking at each other expectantly. They’d never been this tense before. They trusted each other with their lives and sanity; why could they not do the same with their feelings?

Paul was the first to let out a defeated sigh. ‘There’s something I should tell you. I tried to before, but…well.’

‘A lot has happened.’ Arthur agreed when Paul didn’t finish his sentence. He was surprised how steady his voice sounded, considering how loudly his heart was hammering inside his chest.

Paul nodded, though he still didn’t continue.

‘If…you still want to tell me, now would be the time.’ Arthur tried encouraging him. Not that he was any better at this than Paul was. It must have been partially to blame on their training.

Don’t make any rash moves. Let your enemy reveal their weak spots first, and then strike when they’re vulnerable.

They weren’t enemies, but it also didn’t seem like either of them particularly liked the idea of being vulnerable first.

‘We’ve never been this at peace before.’ Arthur tried again. They couldn’t keep running around in circles forever. ‘We’re no longer bound by work or obligations either…what’s on your mind?’

Paul shook his head and let out a chuckle. ‘It’s nothing, forget about it.’

‘It’s unlike you to be the over-thinker.’ Arthur hummed. ‘That job is usually reserved for me.’

Yet another nervous chuckle. ‘You needn’t worry.’

Arthur sighed. This was going nowhere. ‘Fine, then I’ll go first.’ he stated. He didn’t think he’d have the courage to continue if he let the other interrupt him now, so he quickly continued. ‘I overheard your conversation with Chuuya the other day.’

All he got in return was a confused look. ‘You’ll have to be a little more specific, I’m afraid. Chuuya and I have had more than one conversation.’

‘He was right.’ Arthur whispered.

Paul visibly swallowed, and averted his gaze. ‘What on earth are you talking about?’

A few seconds passed, before he finally managed to answer.

‘I do love you.’

Paul’s head shot up. ‘You-’

‘I love you. Your warmth, your poems, your compassion, your…everything.’ Arthur said. His heart was beating so rapidly that he thought it might burst out of his chest, but no such thing happened.

‘You mean it…’ Paul breathed out.

‘I do.’ Arthur replied. ‘I think I’ve known for a while, but I was a coward. Not letting emotion show in fear of risking it all. But then we deserted, and we took Chuuya, and honestly…what bigger risks could there possibly be? Considering how far we’ve come, I might as well just take the last risk too and-’

Warmth.

When Paul pressed their lips together, that’s the first thing Arthur noticed. The man was like a heat source in a snowstorm; the saving grace for a man dying.

Arthur couldn’t have felt more alive.

When they parted, his eyes were wide.

‘I don’t know why we haven’t done that before.’ Paul whispered. ‘Why haven’t we done that before?’

‘Seems like a waste, really.’ Arthur breathed out. ‘Perhaps it’s time to make up for time lost.’

When Paul kissed him again, he leaned into the touch almost naturally. They were familiar with each other’s moves, but this was a whole new level of communication.

For two men that cared so much about each other and were always seeing the thrill of the chase, nothing could be more perfect.

When Chuuya eventually returned from playing outside, he gave the two of them a knowing look.

He didn’t comment on their entwined hands, though Arthur would swear he heard the boy mutter something along the lines of “finally”.

Not much changed after that particular confession, which was exactly how Arthur liked it.

Chuuya enjoyed teasing them about the occasional handholding, but that only showed he was getting more comfortable in their household. It was a positive change, so neither of them took any offence to it.

The months went by without any trouble, the only notable change being that Arthur was not cold as often as before.

April 29^th rolled around just like any regular day.

Neither Arthur nor Paul intended to let it be anything remotely regular though. April 29^th was Chuuya’s birthday, and a very special one at that. Having his memories wiped meant he didn’t remember any of his previous birthdays, and while they tried to make him feel loved every day of the year, that was even more important now.  

‘Do you think he’ll like it?’ Paul huffed as he put the last decorations up.

Arthur chuckled from his place behind the kitchen counter, where he was putting the last bits of cream on the cake. ‘I sure hope so.’ he replied. ‘He deserves the best.’

They’d woken up at six in the morning just to get everything ready in time, but that would hopefully be worth it.

‘And we deserve a break.’ Paul hummed, walking up to Arthur to wrap an arm around his waist. With his free hand, he gently toyed with the ponytail the man had tied his hair into.

‘Careful not to get any hairs in the frosting.’ Arthur scolded his partner.

‘Mhh…’ he hummed. ‘I like this look on you. You should wear your hair like this more often, especially now that I’m allowed to play with it whenever I please.’

‘Oh? Says who?’

Paul grinned. ‘Dating privileges. Didn’t you read the terms and conditions, dear?’

With reddened cheeks, Arthur squirted a bit of whipped cream into Paul’s face.

As he deserved.

‘Hey! Okay, sorry, sorry. I won’t distract you any longer.’ the man pouted. He wiped the cream off of his face and put it in his mouth. ‘It’s a good cake though.’

‘Thank you.’ Arthur huffed, though he couldn’t help a smile from creeping onto his face.

Paul grinned, and walked up to the carefully wrapped present standing in the room. From this distance, it merely looked like a massive clump of wrapping paper.

Of course they knew better. Standing there was a shiny red bike.

They’d thought long and hard about what to get Chuuya, and this had seemed like the perfect gift.

It had become quite obvious that Chuuya liked his freedom. He would often go outside to explore, getting up to all sorts of adventures. From floating down hills to playing in the river, he’d done it all. More often than not he came home with stained clothes and a big grin on his face.

Paul and Arthur didn’t mind.

If anything, they encouraged it. The two of them knew all too well what it was like to seek the thrill of the chase, to gain an adrenaline rush from a new challenge and to feel sore and exhausted at the end of the day.   

This bike would enable him to go even further, and explore even more.

Deep down they feared giving Chuuya too much freedom. If he came across the wrong people, or used his ability at the wrong time, their days of peace would be over.

Then again, they couldn’t keep him concealed forever. Chuuya Nakahara was a free spirit, refusing to be bound by anyone. Arahabaki wasn’t even needed for that; it was Chuuya himself who kicked down every obstacle in his way.

If they were to take that from him, they would be no better than the people who had locked the boy in that facility all those months ago.

Either way, giving him a bicycle seemed like a nice gesture. It would also serve as some good bonding time, considering they’d have to teach him how to ride it.

Arthur wondered how they were doing as guardians. All they had was the example of their own childhood, which was nothing but a fleeting memory now. The only clear reminder he had was the hat he wore, which had once belonged to his father.

Just as the man was mulling all of this over, some stumbling came from upstairs.

Right on time too.

Arthur carefully put the cake down on the table, and walked to stand next to Paul. The man gave him a reassuring squeeze of his hand, which he appreciated.

The door slowly swung open, and in came Chuuya, still in his pyjamas and rubbing his eyes.

When he saw the decorations in the kitchen, he froze.

Arthur gave him a smile, before him and Paul started singing Happy Birthday. It was terribly out of tune, and probably sounded horrible coming from two grown men, but a child not being sung to on their birthday was a crime worse than any of the ones they’d committed in the past.

By the time they were done, Chuuya was staring at them with wide eyes.

‘Was it that bad?’ Paul chuckled softly. ‘I admit our singing voices aren’t the best, but-’

He faltered mid-sentence, and just as Arthur was about to ask what was wrong, he noticed Chuuya’s tears. A single one rolled down his cheek, and soon more followed.

‘Chuuya-’

‘Why?’ he whispered.

Arthur’s heart fell.

‘Did we…mess up? Is this not good?’

At that, the redhead violently shook his head. ‘No!!’ he exclaimed, perhaps a little too loudly. ‘No, it’s-…it’s great. I love it…I just didn’t expect…’

Instead of finishing his sentence, he gestured towards the room. Then, he moved to wipe his eyes with his sleeves. ‘I don’t know how to-…I’m just…I feel so…’

Just like before, Chuuya seemed to have a hard time expressing his emotions. It wasn’t that he wasn’t feeling them. On the contrary; from what they’d seen Chuuya felt things rather intensely. It was just that he couldn’t put those feelings into words most of the time.

Arthur slowly came closer, wrapping his arms around the boy in a gentle embrace. He gave him time and space to pull away if he so desired, and was surprised when instead of that, Chuuya wrapped his little arms around him in return. Paul followed soon after, holding the both of them close protectively.

‘Thank you.’ Chuuya whispered, burying his head in Arthur’s shoulder in the meantime.

‘Of course, Chuuya.’ Paul replied, running a gentle hand through his red locks. ‘That’s what family’s for.’

Despite his earlier attempts to wipe them away, new tears formed in Chuuya’s eyes. Arthur could feel his shirt getting wet, though he didn’t mind in the slightest.

Family.

He’d said the word so casually, and yet it didn’t sound unnatural at all. He quite liked the sound of it.

‘You want to open your present now? Or would you like cake first? It’s your big day, you can decide. Just this once, we’ll even let you have cake for breakfast.’

Chuuya’s head shot up. He sniffled once before he spoke. ‘You got me a present?’

Paul grinned at Arthur, then looked back at Chuuya. ‘We did. Come on, then you can open it.’

If the boy’s reaction was anything to go by, they’d succeeded in making this day as memorable as they could.

Getting Chuuya a bike had been their best decision in years.

(Aside from their decision to desert, maybe.)

The boy picked up the basics all too quickly, cycling over the roads by their house like he’d done so for years. Once he figured out he could use his ability to ride up hills and over usually inaccessible areas, he came to enjoy the particular activity even more.

The months passed, yet he never grew bored.

Arthur and Paul watched Chuuya grow from a small child into a…well, still small child. Chuuya’s lack of growth was quite obvious.

One couldn’t deny he’d learned a lot though. His training continued, and while they tried to exhaust him as much as they could to help him sleep properly, it seemed he had a lot less trouble with it than before. Even on days where he didn’t break a sweat he managed to sleep without nightmares most of the time.

He’d grown strong. Not because of Arahabaki’s powers, but because of his own strength and ability to control it. Despite his origins, Chuuya had become a seemingly completely normal, healthy child.

Life was comfortable like this, for both the boy and for them.

Previously, Arthur had never dared to hope he would find any sort of peace. Retirement didn’t exist in their line of work, and they were both in too far over their heads to even think of carving another future for themselves.

Until Paul proved those facts wrong, that is.

Arthur sometimes wondered what would have happened if he hadn’t gone with his partner that fateful day.

Would either of them have died? Would they have found anything remotely close to happiness despite being separated over a difference of loyalty? Would Chuuya still exist?

One thing was for certain. Without Paul, the world would be a cold and dreadful place. If he wouldn’t have been killed by Paul’s own hands, he would have done so from the freezing cold after they’d parted.

No, Arthur preferred it this way. He could do without the adrenaline rush keeping him satiated so long as Paul and Chuuya were there to bring light into his life.

As for their financial situation, it turned out they were sitting on a little goldmine.

Now this didn’t mean Paul and Arthur spilled sensitive information and secrets to shady organizations. It did mean they didn’t keep their mouth shut as tightly as their former employer probably would have liked. 

Organizations like the special ability operations division were all too keen on buying simple information like names, hideout locations and secret files. Without even revealing their identity, they could make the money they needed.

They got by.

The information they provided was not even the most interesting sort. Arthur and Paul knew what to conceal and what to give willingly. When it came to matters like Chuuya’s existence, they kept their mouth shut. When it came to illegal organizations rising to power…well. It was an easy decision.

Their only rules were to not interfere with dangerous organizations like the Port Mafia, and to not put Chuuya’s safety at stake. If the special ability operations division would become too curious, they’d drop them in a heartbeat.

Their home may have been in the middle of nowhere, but it wasn’t untraceable. For Chuuya’s protection, they would have to stick to the legal way of doing things.

Most of the time, anyway.

‘Can you pass me the sandwiches?’ Paul hummed, leaning forward over the picnic blanket to make it easier to reach.

This was new.

Chuuya had decided he wanted to share the freedom he felt whenever he was outside, and had dragged them along for a picnic in the grassy hills he so liked to explore.

The view was gorgeous, and a pleasant breeze brushed through Arthur’s hair occasionally.

As he handed the plate with sandwiches to Paul, he wondered why they hadn’t done this before.

He supposed it must have been partially to blame on the fact they didn’t have the opportunity to simply relax before. In the past, a leisurely stroll or a picnic had been out of the question. Thanks to that, they weren’t used to going outside unless absolutely necessary.

Going outside when in hiding meant risking meeting people, which meant risking exposing your location and identity.

And yet, months had passed, and yet no one had come to look for them. It was safe to say they would be alright here, and the previous fears of being chased by secret agents or assassins were unnecessary.

Well, not entirely unnecessary. As ex-government spies they would never let their guard down fully.

Still, it was significantly better than before. Perhaps they should make an example out of Chuuya and go outside more often too. If this picnic was anything to go by, Arthur found he rather enjoyed it.

‘Can I have the cake?’ Chuuya interrupted his thoughts.

With a soft smile, he handed it to the boy.

They’d quickly found out Chuuya had a particular fondness for sweets, which was kind of endearing. Arthur himself had never cared for food much, but with a child in their midst, it was of utmost importance to start paying attention to what was and what wasn’t to his taste. Because of this, he’d come to appreciate the flavours of certain dishes himself too.

‘Thanks dad.’

All three of them froze.

It was a good thing Arthur wasn’t holding the cake anymore, or he surely would have dropped it.

Before either of them could say anything, the tell-tale glow of Chuuya’s ability enveloped him. By the time they’d registered what was happening, Chuuya was floating high up in the sky, moving away from them as fast as he could.

‘Chuuya-!’ Arthur called out.

The boy didn’t listen and merely floated further away.

What was he supposed to say anyway?

He’d just called him dad.

And in all fairness he kind of was like one. Paul and him had been taking care of the boy for over a year now, and that wasn’t likely to change anytime soon. From what they’d witnessed, Chuuya didn’t seem to want this to change.

They’d been behaving like parents all this time. It really shouldn’t come as a surprise Chuuya would start seeing them as such.

‘We should find him.’ Arthur eventually breathed out when Chuuya disappeared over the hills.  

Paul’s eyes were wide open in shock. ‘Did he just-…?’

‘He did.’ Arthur said calmly. ‘We should find him. He was clearly upset…’

‘Arthur.’

‘Paul.’

The man gave him an indescribable look, as if he couldn’t make sense of the current situation at all. If their priority hadn’t been to find Chuuya, it would have been somewhat funny.

‘Did you mind?’

Arthur gave him a confused look. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Him calling you dad. Did you mind? Because-…’

Paul didn’t finish his sentence, merely looking at him almost expectantly.

Arthur mulled that thought over in his head for a while. If he was honest, he didn’t particularly mind. They’d taken this role upon them anyway, so they might as well accept the title accompanying it.

‘I didn’t.’

Paul seemed to relax a bit at those words, looking oddly pleased. ‘Good. That’s…good. Chuuya will be glad.’

‘And you?’

‘Hm?’

‘Are you glad too? You seem to be awfully happy about this.’ Arthur mused.

Paul shook his head with an award chuckle. ‘You know I have a weak spot for children. And Chuuya has grown on me especially. I’m just…glad. Glad that we didn’t mess this up.’

Arthur ran a gentle hand over his cheek in reassurance. ‘Kind of ironic, coming from the one who assured me raising a child would be as simple going on a mission.’

‘Hey, I can have doubts sometimes.’ Paul pouted.

‘I know dear.’ Arthur hummed, pressing a soft kiss against Paul’s lips before walking in the direction Chuuya had flown off to. ‘Now come on, we need to find our child.’

Chuuya was very good at hiding, it would seem. No matter how much they searched, they couldn’t find him. It was getting dark, and Arthur had to use his ability to create somewhat of a light source in the overgrown forest area they were walking through.

‘Chuuya!’ Paul called out helplessly.

Arthur nearly fell over a loose tree branch and managed to catch himself on his partner’s arm just in time.

His feet hurt from how long they’d been walking, but he refused to go home without finding Chuuya first.

‘Chuuya!’ he called out too. ‘Please come home…’

They walked for what seemed like hours. Arthur’s voice had gone hoarse from all the screaming, and he was in desperate need of a heater, and perhaps some sleep.

When they reached a dead end in the form of a cliff, he fell on his knees and let out a defeated sigh.

Not finding him today was bad enough on its own, but knowing Chuuya, he’d probably attempt to flee in hopes of not being a burden altogether.

‘We need to find him, Paul-…’ Arthur breathed out.

The man came to kneel next to him and pulled him close. ‘I know, dear…I know…’ he whispered, sounding equally as exhausted and worried.

‘We haven’t even gotten the chance to tell him it’s fine…we haven’t called him our child yet-…’

Paul clenched his eyes shut, and held Arthur just the slightest bit tighter. ‘I know.’ he said, voice cracking almost unnoticeably. ‘At this point I don’t think I could imagine living in that house without him there anymore.’

Arthur nodded softly.

‘You mean that?’ came a timid, all too familiar voice.

Both Arthur and Paul shot up.

‘Chuuya?’ Paul called out.

Just as he did, the boy came floating up the cliff. It seemed he’d been hiding down there by cleverly using his ability.  

Both men rushed forward without a second thought, pulling Chuuya into a warm embrace.

‘We were so worried.’ Arthur told him. ‘Please don’t run away like that again…’

Chuuya looked down awkwardly at those words. ‘Technically, I floated…’ he murmured, before returning the hug. ‘I’m sorry for worrying you.’

Paul gently ruffled his hair, and shook his head. ‘It’s fine…we found you in the end…’

Arthur gave him a tired smile. ‘You…fled because of what you called me, didn’t you?’

Chuuya nodded and avoided eye contact at all cost. ‘Sorry about that.’

‘There’s no need to apologize.’ the man reassured him. ‘I didn’t mind.’

Bright blue eyes stared up at him in pure shock. ‘You didn’t?’

Arthur shook his head. ‘If you see us in that way…we wouldn’t mind…if you called us that. Given that it wasn’t just a mistake, or a slip of the tongue, of course.’ he explained. ‘We care for you. Surely you must know that by now.’

‘I know.’ Chuuya whispered, cheeks going red. ‘I just-…I didn’t think you’d want to be parents. You spoil me rotten and do everything for me, but you never asked for this. I don’t want to be a burden.’

‘You’re not a burden.’ Paul assured him. ‘You’ve been a blessing in disguise.’

Arthur nodded. ‘We may not have asked for things to go this way, but it was certainly what we needed. You were the key to a life path that was previously blocked for us. You are not a burden.’

Chuuya wiped his eyes with his sleeve in an attempt to keep himself from crying.

It wasn’t very effective.

‘If anything, we were worried we wouldn’t suffice as guardians for a young child.’ Paul admitted.

‘But you’re great at parenting.’ Chuuya sniffled. ‘You chased my nightmares away and told Arahabaki to shut up.’

Arthur snorted. ‘If you put it that way, perhaps it’s not so different from our previous job after all. That would explain why we don’t suck at it.’

Chuuya merely grinned.

‘Now let’s go home, shall we?’ Paul suggested in a soft voice, holding out his hand for Chuuya to take.

‘Alright dad.’ the boy tried as he took hold of it.

This time, neither of the two acted surprised.

Arthur held out his hand as well, and Chuuya gratefully took it.

Just like that, they walked home. Chuuya walking in the middle and holding on to the hands of the two people he considered family.

Arthur made a mental note to thank the boy later.

He didn’t feel the slightest bit cold.

Seven years later

The house was unusually quiet now that Chuuya had gone into town for the day.

Or perhaps that was just Arthur’s imagination. When Chuuya was playing outside they never heard him either. It was just the thought of him not being there that was strange.

Still, Chuuya was almost fifteen now, they could hardly expect him to stay solely in the area near their house. Chuuya was an adventurous soul, and from the few times they’d taken him into Yokohama, it was clear he rather liked city life also.

The way in which his eyes lit up when he discovered something he hadn’t seen before was extremely endearing.

‘What are you thinking about, dear?’ Paul hummed as he handed him a cup of tea.

Arthur gratefully took it, using the hot cup to warm up his hands. ‘Just Chuuya.’ he answered, blowing away some steam. ‘And how I hope he’ll do well.’

His trip to Yokohama hadn’t been a leisurely one this time. As determined as he could, he’d taken his bike this morning and had promptly declared he was going job hunting.

As the years went by, Arthur and Paul had run out of information to sell. They still had plenty of savings to get by, and they still got requests from time to time, but they had to be careful not to spend too much.

Chuuya wasn’t an ungrateful child. He’d always been happy with whatever it was they gave him, even if it hadn’t been very costly.

He also felt a great sense of responsibility, however. No matter how much they told him he didn’t owe them anything, he refused to do nothing.

And so, they had hesitantly let him go out to look for a job.

It was natural for a kid his age. This way, he could buy some nice things for himself, while Paul and Arthur earned the basic funds they needed to survive.

Writing reports was dull work, but they’d had their fill of adrenaline in the past.

Besides, with Chuuya living with them, life never got boring.

‘I’m sure he’ll do wonderful.’ Paul hummed, sitting down next to his partner. ‘He’s determined, after all.’

‘And hardworking.’ Arthur added.

‘And clever.’ Paul said.

The both of them smiled. Chuuya was a good kid.

Just in that moment, the door flew open.

Both Arthur and Paul were sitting upright in a matter of seconds.

‘And?’ they asked in unison, anxious for the boy’s answer.

Chuuya pushed the hat he’d gotten from Arthur out of his face, revealing a big grin.

‘I got a job.’ he stated proudly. ‘Starting tomorrow, I’ll be working at the Armed Detective Agency.’