Work Text:
Should I stay?
Stars lit up from the inky black sky as the clouds pass by. The moon shone through the depths of water as Takemichi sat on the riverside. Moonlight met with blue eyes which remained dry. He couldn’t cry. Anymore, even if he try.
Surely the tear ducts remained full, but they couldn’t even leak a drop. Is the tiredness finally catching up to him? Is he exhausted? Or just anxious and frustrated. Ah, he can’t. Maybe he’s scared that it won’t work once he’d gone back now.
Or maybe he’s scared that he couldn’t actually care anymore. Be it a fucked up future or not.
Ah, no. He doesn’t wanna think anymore. It will be scarier if insanity takes over him now due to mind exhaustion. He cannot risk having his own version of dark impulsivity. He’d rather stab himself and bleed to death. Perfectly like Baji.
Wow! He’s actually going insane. He can even make jokes about death now. Nice.
A chuckle escaped from Takemichi’s mouth, and his eyes grew wide with a frightened look in it. “Haha! Could’ve fooled me there, Hanagaki.” He said as he laughed and laughed at his own acting.
Hahaha. Should he also cut his hair short and dye it white? Time for some Bonten Takemichi timeline. Come to think of it, their tats actually looked cool back then. Especially the Haitanis. He once heard before that the brothers have their matching half-body tattoos. Yeah, he’ll go check tomorrow.
Argh.
He sighed. Nah, this won’t work. He cannot seriously go back like this. He might end up waking up in a mental facility years from now.
Wait. No way.
Can he even go back now?! Can he go back in the future after shaking Mitsuya's hand?
All thoughts came into halt. A faint crackling of leaves. Takemichi’s newfound instincts went flaring as he listened carefully and remained staring at the sky. These instincts were convenient for him, he’s no longer a punching bag anymore. At least in this very timeline. Thanks, Sano-sensei.
“Takemitchy.” A familiar voice called to him and he instantly smelled ‘cigarretes’ from it.
He startled himself—perfect, Hanagaki—and squeaked as if the lazy voice shook him to his core. A voice from his mind can’t stop laughing, god, stop. He wanna punch his brain right now.
He blinked his eyes. “Eh? Shinichiro-kun? It’s late now, what are you doing here?” Wow, Shinichiro sure can move fast. He’s closer than expected.
The older man moved even closer and sat beside him as he continued to smoke. An exhale and a question came. “How ‘bout you, huh? Stargazing without even inviting your dear friends?”
“Eh, you ever heard of alone time?”
“Eh, you ever heard of curfew? Kid, it’s in five minutes from now. And you’re what, like, 16?”
Shinichiro blew some smoke directly to Takemichi’s face and the younger is now close to drowning him in the river. The smoker already died before, maybe he could also die now. A tempting idea, really.
Takemichi leaned towards the older man and boldly touched his pants. Shinichiro’s eyes widened.
“What the fuck.”
Pitch black eyes met the bluest as the moonlight illuminated them. “I’m actually 18 now, Shin-san. Help me with this, can you?” He gazed at the smoker’s pants pointedly and the other man’s jaw clicked shut.
“Are you pretending now? Crazy kid.” Shinichiro gritted his teeth.
Takemichi smiled. “No. I’m not, duh. Yeah, no.” He laughed then smiled again.
He really needs his rest now.
A moment of silence passed by before the smoker began to unzip his pants—WAIT, WHAT THE HELL?!
Takemichi’s eyes nearly went out of their sockets as they watched the older man who began to remove his own damn pants. Both his sane and insane self are actually shocked, if not horrified. All this time, the eldest of the Sano siblings was not actually an angel at all. Damn Mikey and Izana for making him believe so. He never pegged this respected man to be like this.
“What the hell are you doing, Shinichiro-san?!” His dolphin-pitched voice came out without warning. Hot damn, ginger tea.
The older man’s movements came into halt—thank goodness—and looked at him questioningly. “You said you want my help with this…” He nodded.
“Yeah. Wanna blow…” He said and stared blankly at the older man who continued to remove his damn pants.
Hanagaki Takemichi, a boy who just wanna blow a smoke from a fucking cigarette, apparently didn’t care about blowing another thing.
“… a smoke, Shin-san. You have any extra cigs in there?”
Hahaha.
He watched as Shinichiro’s eyes slowly widened in realization, but then, he really doesn’t care. He pounced onto him without hesitation. His insane self started clapping at him proudly. Yeah, just wanna blow.
Should I go?
Mikey still died. After the Bonten timeline, Takemichi went back to the past to change his future. To save him. He cannot forget about their romantic-dramatic scene at a certain trashy building as he went back to the past.
Turns out there were three deities in the deliquent world. With the three strongest gangs namely Rokuhara Tandai, Brahman and Kanto Manji Gang. There will be a battle called ‘The Battle of the Three Deities’. Takemichi, after years and years of being wanted to be stolen by several gangs, is finally a member of Brahman. There he met Kawaragi Senju—apparently, Akashi Senju. She’s a girl boss. Frank, cute, pretty, with long and thick light-coloured eyelashes.
She’s Sanzu—apparently, Akashi—Haruchiyo’s and Akashi Takeomi’s sister. Pretty siblings. So there, the battle of the three deities. But Draken died, before the battle. Three shots in his torso for saving him and Senju. Senju survived, Takemichi managed to save her. Draken saved them, resulting to his death. Again, Draken’s dead.
He felt his exhaustion that time. He’s rarely exhausted.
News arrived to Mikey and he’s mad. Like real mad. Began blaming Takemichi, and Takemichi blamed himself too. Takemichi even, almost, regretted that he came back from the Bonten timeline. He almost regretted coming back to save Mikey. That would be cruel, too cruel. So Mikey’s angry, former Toman members were sad because of Draken’s death, and Takemichi’s frustrated, sad and everything else.
“Let us help. Draken… He was in Brahman, and he was killed. We can’t go back now. We will join the fight.“ Mitsuya was crying, all of them were crying and it just hurts so much.
Former Toman members joined the fight, battle of the three deities, and helped him to take down Mikey. To save Mikey while mourning for Draken. That was too sad. He doesn’t want to experience that fight again.
“THIS IS YOUR FAULT! You shouldn’t have saved me before! You were supposed to stay away from me! Ken-chin wouldn’t have died!”
Takemichi cried silently while continuously receiving Mikey’s kicks and punches. Thank God for his stamina and the other former toman members who helped to stop Mikey. Mikey stopped kicking him but continued crying. All of them were crying.
“I can’t go back now, Mikey-kun. I can’t waste Draken-kun's…”
“Ken-chin’s what? Efforts? Life? Sacrifice?” Mikey glared at him.
No.
“I can’t let him down! It all came to this, and we can’t lose you too!” Takemichi shouted. A thin line of thread was about to break. His patience. He can’t do this. If Mikey would reject them now, he doesn’t know if he’ll be back again.
“Ken-chin died because of the change of events. He would have been living peacefully. Like he was supposed to.”
Inupi suddenly shook his head. “No. He was never at peace, knowing that you weren’t with him. Knowing that you were taking this kind of path, Sano. He joined Brahman to get you back.” He said then acerted his gaze from Mikey. Inupi was the one Draken spent his time with as his workmate and friend. He was the one who said the information about Takemichi and Senju’s ambush to Draken. He almost regretted it, thinking he shouldn’t have told Draken and that he should be the one saving Takemichi. Not Draken, but him.
He can’t stop crying. Mikey too. All of them can’t stop crying in the middle of the battle.
But then Sanzu suddenly came to scene and about to slash Takemichi’s head off with his katana. All of them froze, horrified at the turn of events.
Ah.
“You really stank! Always ruining my plans!” Sanzu shouted while bringing his hand to, probably, slash Takemichi’s head off. Senju saw it and immediately knocked out the leader of Rokuhara Tandai.
“Haruchiyo, no!” Senju shouted while trying to run towards them, but there are so many Rokuhara members trying to get in her way. “NO!”
Takemichi didn’t even flinched. He’s just staring at the sword coming towards him, seemingly to accept his death. Mikey, though, reacted differently. He suddenly kicked Sanzu’s hand and the sword flew away from its grasp.
Mikey’s breathing heavily and desperateness could be seen in his eyes.
Mikey fought them all. Be it Brahman, Rokuhara Tandai or his own gang, Kanto Manji Gang. He fought everyone who got in their way. He fought for them
He fought for Toman.
They couldn’t be more happy. Takemichi’s happy too, but he can’t ignore the nagging feeling inside him. So he went back to the future, only to be greeted by Mikey’s funeral. Wow, he can’t believe this.
“Mikey must be happy now, with his siblings, Draken and Baji.” Mitsuya said so he turned around just to see the former captains of Toman, the Akashi siblings, the Haitani brothers, Koko and Inui. Even Taiju was there.
Fantastic.
Apparently, Mikey couldn’t handle the loss. Sure, he was happy, really happy with them. But there are times that he would be staring at nothing, mumble like he’s talking to someone they cannot see. Toman and Takemichi tried so hard to make it better, but it didn’t work. Mikey was depressed, they were all depressed but they were trying so hard. In the end, Mikey took his own life, said he missed them and wanted to be with them. They couldn’t do anything.
Takemichi's still not tired, he tells to himself. Can still fight, can still fight.
In this future, Koko and the other Bonten members were in the right path. Including the Akashi siblings, believe it or not, after so many swordfights. Koko and Inui reunited, they were working at D&D Motors to continue Draken’s dream. The Haitani brothers are still ruling Roppongi, but no one’s complaining. They actually have many legal businesses but no one’s sure about the illegal ones. Mochi, he’s working with Kakucho at some high-end company.
They’re good. Takemichi’s greedy though.
He still has that strong drive to save Mikey and now it was added with the desire to save Draken, the nagging feeling, no matter how he tries to ignore it. It keeps on bothering him. So suddenly, when he shook hands with Mitsuya in their gathering, a familiar sensation pulled him. The last thing he saw in this future was Mitsuya's horrified expression and Chifuyu’s worried eyes.
Mitsuya seemed to be as greedy as him, after all.
Now, he’s in the past again. Looking at the calendar, he’s back fifteen years to the past. Is he shocked? Heh. He closed his eyes and slept. He’ll go to the Sano household later.
He’d gone to the Sano household just like he told himself. He approached the eldest Sano first, Sano-sensei, the Sano siblings’ grandfather and asked him to teach him dojo. He should learn how to defend himself or fight for himself, physically. Combined with his stamina, it is the best decision.
While conversing with Sano-sensei, he saw Emma, Baji and Mikey bickering around the house. He smiled at the sight, they’re so cute.
“Alright, you’ll start tomorrow. Come here before 8 am, and don’t be late. I give cruel punishments to those who are late.” Sano-sensei warned and Takemichi’s smile widened as he bowed to him.
“Sure, Sano-sensei. See you tomorrow!” He waved at him and went out of the house. He has a shop to go to.
Looking at himself earlier at the mirror, he saw his 11 years old self. Hair is still not bleached so it is black. His hair is normally styled like it did when he was his 14 years old self but he doesn’t want it now. He will let it down. It was a nice sight, a normal looking child. Looks so innocent except the eyes, they looked so mature somehow. They should shine. They should look innocent too. They should look happy. Even if they’re not.
And so he wore it. The expression of his 11 years old self. Innocent, heroic, happy. Not guilty, mournful and sad. He wore that expression earlier at the Sano household when he applied for the dojo lessons like a mask. He was hoping it to work, the expression he wore. And it did, at least for the children like Mikey, Emma and Baji. But for Sano-sensei, it didn’t. He noticed that it was fake and Takemichi knows he did.
Now, he’s here in front of the S•S Motors. Who became D&D Motors on the other timelines.
“This is so nostalgic.” He whispered to himself as he readied his expression and his explanation, if he will be somehow busted.
He then opened the door of the shop and looked for it’s owner. There’s still no customer in the shop, maybe he’s a little early.
“Hello? Is anyone here? Sano-san?” He said and cringed to himself. The shyness is creeping in. He should be shameless by now.
A man holding a screwdriver suddenly appeared in his peripheral vision so he turned to him. The man has black hair, styled like Mikey’s hair before when he found him in Manila. He also have the same eyes like Mikey, same color and all. He looked handsome, like Mikey. The eyes held different emotions though, he has seen those before. They look like his.
They looked like his own eyes before everything went down.
“Can I help you?” The man asked with his eyes looking at him with curiosity. Takemichi blinked, slapped himself in his mind and wore his mask. His 11 years old expression.
“Ah, yes. I am Hanagaki Takemichi! I suppose you are Sano Shinichiro-san?” He nervously asked. The man’s eyes narrowed. Haha, please no. Don’t doubt him.
“I am Sano Shinichiro. Why? What do you want? Are you from a gang? Did anyone sent you here? You look very young.” Confirmed. He is Sano Shinichiro.
Takemichi smiled, surprisingly, a genuine one. The mask is completely forgotten. “No, I’m not. I’m just here to ask you about a person whose name is Izana. Do you know him?” He asked. Sano Shinichiro’s eyes widened as he moved closer to him.
“You know Izana?” Takemichi nodded. Sano looked even more surprised. “How? You’re his friend?” Takemichi hesitated but he didn’t let Sano know. He nodded.
“Yeah, he was a childhood… friend of mine.” He said while looking directly at Sano’s eyes. The truth though, is that Kaku-chan is his childhood friend. Instead of Izana.
Sano went silent. The man narrowed his eyes and looked at him contemplatively. Huh, doubtful. Can’t blame him.
“Why are you asking about him?” Sano finally asked after several minutes of silence.
“I don’t know where he is. I wanna see him.”
Shinichiro looked even more doubtful. “How did you know that I know him?” Oh shit. Takemichi blinked and internally panicked. Haha, no please.
Hell be damned. He doesn’t want to think anymore.
“Just a hunch. You gave yourself out, though.” Takemichi answered and shrugged, looking nonchalant. Damn, he should be awarded soon. Maybe Oscar’s.
Wait! He could tell him though. He could tell Shinichiro about the time-leaping shit. He could definitely do! Mikey always says that he reminded him of his brother. Maybe Shinichiro is like him too. Maybe he could help.
Damn. He must be so desperate right now.
Shinichiro looked at him like he’s a criminal who wants to sell his little brother’s, Izana’s, body. “No. Get out.” Shinichiro’s free hand turned him and pushed him towards the door, towards outside.
Argh.
“No! No. Alright! I’ll explain. You sit down there, Sano-san.”
Then he explained everything to Sano Shinichiro. All the things he went through while and before time-leaping. The deaths, the prevented deaths, and all. He also told him about his own death, how Kazutora smacked his head with a metal tool and killed him. How Baji and Kazutora just wanted to give Mikey a CB250T on his birthday. How Kazutora didn’t know that he is Mikey’s brother. He also told him about the story Inui told him before. On how Inui's older sister died, how it hurts Koko badly and Inui himself. He told him everything, even the nicknames Mikey made for them.
He's scared, honestly.
Shinichiro’s silence scared him. He didn’t know if the man was actually believing him, but he hoped. He always hoped. So when he finished, silence enveloped them. There’s still no customer, maybe because it was a Sunday. Takemichi can’t handle the tension though. It’s frying his nerves.
“Do you believ--”
“I believe you.” Shinichiro suddenly said, causing him to choke at his own question.
“Good.” He said and sighed out of relief. Finally. And that means there will be no masks around Sano Shinichiro anymore. Thanks.
“Though why did you tell me about it?” Shinichiro asked. He looked so serious and scary now. Though he can’t back out now. He has to do this now, or else he’ll be crazy soon. Like, very soon.
“It’s because Mikey told me about you. How much he adores you and trusts you. How much he loves you. I figured that it was you who could really help Mikey, permanently. You have it in you. He will listen to you without hesitation.” He answered then averted his gaze.
“I’m asking about you, though. Why did you tell me?”
Takemichi’s eyes widened. “I just told you! Mikey trus---!" Shinichiro interrupted him.
“Do you trust me? Do you want my help? Do you want me to support you? Or are you entrusting this to me so that you can escape from it? Are you tired?”
Takemichi’s eyes watered. “… I’m. I, uh, am kind of, well. I’m not this bad, but. I just.” Tears dropped from his eyes. He can’t continue what he was saying. He can’t say anything more. He was so, so guilty.
Shinichiro’s right about the last one. He’s tired. Really tired. He just got lucky that he came back 15 years to the past. If he came back 12 years to past instead, he will be crazy. He will be insane. He needs someone else to do this right now. He can’t do this anymo—
“Heh. I don’t wanna.” Sano’s smug voice interrupted his thoughts
Huh?
He trembled. Ahhh, no. He shook his head. “No, no, no… I… I can’t anymore… You have to, Shinichiro-kun—I can’t do this anymore… Please! I’m--” He sobbed. He gasps.
Ahh, he can’t breathe anymore. Why can’t he breathe? Is he drowning? Is someone choking him? It’s so hard to breathe. Somebody help him!
Warm.
Arms surrounded his shoulders. They’re warm. A hand stroked his hair. It’s comforting. Warm body enveloped him. A hand wiped his tears.
“Shh… Don’t cry. I’m sorry. Please stop crying.” Sano Shinichiro whispered to him.
His head fell forward and it hits Sano’s chest. “It’s tiring, Shinichiro-kun.” He’s breathing again. He can breathe again. But his heart is still hurting and his body can’t stop trembling. The tears haven’t stopped too. The hand wiping the tears hasn’t stopped too.
Pathetic, Hanagaki. Downright pathetic.
Sano hugged him tighter. “I’m sorry, Takemitchy. I don’t want to do this alone. If I’m gonna do this, I’m gonna do it with you. You have to be there to help me. I don’t have to be alone, you don’t have to be alone too.” His hand kept stroking his hair.
Takemichi sniffles. “With me? But I’m tired...”
Sano chuckled. “Then I’m not gonna do it.” Takemichi’s eyes widened in fear and his hands automatically clung to the man’s shirt. No, no, no.
He shook his head.
Sano stopped stroking his hair. “Okay. You want me to do it? Then do it with me. I might get tired too, then everything will fall down if that happens, just like what happened to you. Do you want that?”
Takemichi gripped his shirt tighter as he shook his head.
“Okay. Then we’re good. There’s still a year before Mikey’s birthday. We should spend it planning for the future and we should probably take dojo lessons too. We have to get better at fighting. I used to avoid the dojo until now. Gramps will surely tease me if I approach him just now, ugh.” Shinichiro said and continued to stroke his hair while still holding him.
Takemichi looked up to him. To his face. To his eyes. “I won’t rest?”
“Hmmm,” Shinichiro pursed his lips, as if contemplating. Then he smiled down at him. "Nah, you will have your rest after all of it. We should finish saving them first. Do you want anything else?”
Takemichi blinked. After all of it? He could rest once he finished saving them? That would be too long. He would be so tired.
But he can’t be picky right now. He really needs help.
In the end, he nodded. “Nah. A rest would do. Just promise to keep me sane in the process.” He sighed and Sano Shinichiro lets him go. The man is smirking right now and pulling something from his pocket. Huh?
His eyebrows lifted up when he saw a packet of cigarettes. Eh. He smoke? But then, he remembered seeing Takeomi smoke before. And he’s one of the founders of Black Dragon.
Shinichiro offered the packet to him. “Want one?” He asked while lighting his own cigarette with a lighter that came out of nowhere.
“I’m 11 years old.”
“So?”
He rolled his eyes. “I don’t smoke.”
“Alright, then. I’ll teach you while you rest after all of this.”
“Sure.”
“And I’m guessing we will begin with Izana. We’ll introduce him to Mikey and force them to get along.”
He laughed. “Yeah, we’ll force them. If they don’t get along, we beat them up.” The man also laughed then blew a smoke to his face causing him to cough so he glared at the smoker.
Shinichiro smiled. “Sure.”
Takemichi’s eyes shot open the moment he woke up. He looked at his surroundings nervously and sighed when he realized that he’s in a familiar bedroom, meaning he’s safe. He tried sitting up, though. That’s when he felt the pain of his whole body, especially his ass. Or asshole. Both. Same with his thighs. And lower back. Everything just hurts.
What the hell? Did someone hit him with a truck or something?
“Morning. Did you rest well?” A warm breath suddenly hit his ear.
“AH!” He jumped in shock. Then a hand snaked around his waist—no, his naked waist—he’s naked?!
ASDFGHJKL.
“Easy.” A man chuckled right beside his ear and it. Just. Tickles. The breath smelled like mint mixed with cigarettes.
Cigarettes.
“Shinichiro-kun.” He whispered in horror and turned to the man sitting in the bed, right behind him. The hand in his waist, though, felt busy. Felt. Because it’s now stroking his horny, uh, stick. Sword. Cock. Yeah, dick.
He wanna die.
“Did I fuck you?” He asked to the man, horrified. What the hell did he just do last night? Is he finally insane now? After saving his friends? Toman?
Why are Shinichiro-kun’s fingers shoved up in his ass right now?
He felt the warm breath touch his neck and he shivered. A whimper escaped his lips and he immediately covered his own damn horny mouth because like what the hell, what the fuck, why is he fucking with Mikey-kun’s brother when he was just staring at the moon lovingly last night?
A suck on his neck and, “You didn’t fuck me. I fucked you.” Shinichiro, damn, whispered to him before licking a long, wet stripe on his neck. “Why? Want another round?” The older man asked and continued to suck on his neck.
A mewl escaped Takemichi’s lips and he inwardly cringed. Is this the version of his own dark impulsivity? He laughed. And laughed. He heard Shinichiro laughed behind him too, still fingering him.
Then, “Am I in the future now?” He asked Shinichiro and the man's eyes widened slightly. The fingers didn’t stop though.
“You’re back now.” It was not a question. It was a statement. The poor man looked so shocked though. “Ah, that’s why you asked if you fucked me.” Shinichiro laughed and removed his fingers. Takemichi whined and mourned for the loss.
He remembered Draken. Ah, well.
“Are they safe? Am I still sane—AH!” He yelped and shivered when a hard, big thing, what the fuck is that, is shoved in his ass. He realized that he’s been manhandled by the man to sit on his lap.
His eyes widened when the hard, big thing started to rock--- uh, thrust into his hole. Hah! He knew it! It was a dick! Shinichiro’s dick! Wow. It’s big and it throbs inside. Wow. Haha.
Shinichiro laughed and angled his hips. The dick inside him suddenly hit a particular spot inside him that made him tremble and scream. “Yeah, they’re safe and happy. Don’t worry. You, though, you’re half and half. Sometimes sane, sometimes not…”
Takemichi laughed. “Fuck you, Shinichiro-san.”
Shinichiro laughed then lifted him and impaled him again to his cock. He screamed. “No, babe. I’m fucking you.”
Best future confirmed. 10/10. Would recommend.