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Takumi wasn’t sure why the hell he thought it would be a good idea to visit him of all people.
It had been a while since their last encounter with the enemy, and his comrades (himself included) had spent most of their days sharpening their skills for the battles ahead, for the sake of humanity’s future. There was no time to waste; every second mattered, and Takumi felt like if he paused for even a moment, if he let himself breathe too deeply, everything would fall apart… every mask he was trying to keep in place, every emotion he was suppressing from tearing through the surface.
So he trained. Until every muscle in his body ached with fatigue. On the rare occasions he allowed himself to rest, he’d spend the time with his friends (his family, really). Whether it was chatting idly with Nozomi, humoring Darumi’s strange hobbies, or helping Kyoshika and Takemaru fine-tune their forms… it grounded him. It helped them understand him better, and he found comfort in that.
In a place like this, they had no one but each other, afterall.
But today… Today felt different. After his usual session, he found himself walking past the courtyard. He didn’t know why. Maybe his feet had brought him here without realizing, despite how desperately he’d tried to avoid this place.
He was sure everyone else had already visited him at least once—whether to lash out, to interrogate, or to try and have an honest conversation before inevitably being pushed away. Something along the lines of, “I have nothing to say to someone as disgusting as yourself.”
But not Takumi. The others hadn’t gone through what he had. They hadn’t felt the comfort of relying on him , the ease of trusting someone so effortlessly because of his kindness, only to have it all ripped away in an instant like it meant nothing.
Seeing him again after making Sirei lock him inside the cage at the courtyard, meant facing the fury that had been simmering beneath the surface, ready to erupt. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop himself from crossing the line; he didn’t want to kill another human being, even if that person was… him. Did he even want to kill him to begin with? Takumi didn’t have an answer to that.
But if that were really true, if Takumi genuinely didn’t want to see him, then why was his hand hovering, uncertain, in the air? Why couldn’t he decide whether to reach for the door handle or clench his fist to suppress the urge? Hesitating like this wasn’t like him.
He shook his head sharply, yanking his hand away from the handle. Shit, shit . He’d started pacing from one end of the hallway to the other. What would he even say? “Hey, go to hell for ruining everything. Nozomi ( Karua ) died because of you. I’m stuck living through this hell again because I can’t risk you screwing it all up once more.” A dry scoff left his lips. If he threw that tantrum like some rebellious teenager (which, technically, he was), he’d probably just laugh in his face and tell him how pathetic he looked.
Still… still.
After his fifth round, he came to a halt in front of the door once again. This time, though, instead of changing his mind again and storming off to his room, he slid the door open with enough force to break it—if not for the reinforced, high-grade materials used to build this facility.
Light hit his face at once. Bright, artificial beams flooding over him and searing into his retinas. It was meant to feel invigorating, but all it did was stir the anxiety churning in his chest.
In front of him stood two massive cages, designed specifically for detainment. Takumi let his eyes drift around the courtyard first, deliberately avoiding the figure, before finally allowing his gaze to settle on the person seated on the bed. From this distance, he couldn’t quite tell what expression he was making. Was he smiling? Was he scowling? Did he wear that same look of disgust he always did whenever he was around someone else?
There was… only one way to find out.
Hesitantly, he began to walk toward the cage. Each step landed with a metallic clank, clank against the floor of the enclosure, ringing through the heavy silence like a warning bell. The closer he got, the harder his heart pounded in his chest. He had to take several deep breaths just to keep it under control—there was no way he was going to show up rattled and weak in front of him . That’s exactly what he’d want.
When he finally stopped, his face hovered just inches from the bars, eyes scanning the other for every minute twitch of emotion. He hadn’t moved an inch from the bed, his body reclined slightly with his hands braced behind him. He was idly kicking his legs with a childish, almost careless air. If Takumi didn’t know better, he’d almost say he looked—
He cut that thought off immediately.
“…Eito.” He said at last. The name felt foreign on his tongue. His throat was dry, as if he hadn’t spoken in days.
And when he opened his mouth next, those lips shaped a sentence directed at him, for what Takumi felt like the first time in forever.
“You’re finally here, huh?”
This version of Eito hadn’t known Takumi for long, (maybe a couple of days at most before being locked up here) yet the words poured from his mouth like honey. One would think… he was glad to see him.
“Is it your turn to bring me food this time?” he continued with a light, childlike tone, completely unfazed by the stabbing glares Takumi was aiming his way. “I must say, I’ve practically lost my appetite with each visit. Even the meals they brought in tasted vile… Hmph, must’ve been the stench of those losers soaking into it.”
As always, he made no effort to hide his disgust and revulsion towards humans. Takumi still didn’t fully grasp how Eito’s disorder twisted his perception, and as much as a part of him wanted to understand, he wasn’t going to ask.
“But if you’re the one bringing me food…” An almost teasing smile curled at Eito’s lips as he leaned in. He held his gaze on purpose, letting the grin stretch wider. “I don’t think I’d hate it too much.”
There it was. He was doing it again. This was exactly why Takumi hadn’t wanted to see him. He was saying the kinds of things he knew Takumi couldn’t ignore. Eito knew somehow, (Takumi still didn’t know how) that Takumi took comfort in being needed. He was exploiting that against him, and god, he was enjoying every second of it.
His hands clenched at his sides, hovering near the bars, but stopping short. He wasn’t going to give Eito the satisfaction. His entire body tensed, locked tight with restraint.
“I’m not here to bring you food,” he replied, voice cold and cutting through the false sense of ease Eito was trying to spin around them.
“Really…?” A pout tugged at his lips, as if genuinely let down by the answer. But it didn’t last long. “Why are you here then, Takumi? I thought you hated me.” He let out a laugh. What the hell was so amusing about this? “Though, I doubt you could hate me more than I hate you.”
Part of Takumi wanted to snap back at him sarcastically, but for some reason (especially today) he just didn’t have it in him.
“I…” He opened his mouth and closed it again, struggling to find the right words. What could he say without sounding pathetic? His mind felt blank. As if the strength was slowly draining from his limbs, he lowered his head until it came to rest against the bars, the cold metal pressing into his forehead. “I don’t know why I’m here either.”
Eito was surprisingly quiet after that. Takumi had almost expected another sharp jab about how pathetic he looked, about how weak and pitiful he was. But instead, he was met with silence. He didn’t dare look up. His head remained where it was, eyes locked on the tiled floor, using the pattern to distract himself from the painfully awkward atmosphere he was caught in.
Maybe he could just turn and leave. This had been a mistake anyway. Yeah, he should go—
Just then, he spotted two large, gloved hands curl around the bars just beneath where his head rested, within his line of sight. He felt warm breath fanning over his hair, threading between the strands like a faint whisper. Goosebumps rose across his skin, nerves screaming at him to move away. He needed to remember who this was. Even with his hemoanima disabled in the cage, Eito wasn’t someone to trust.
And yet… Despite knowing that… Takumi didn’t move. Not even an inch.
“You’re acting weird.” His voice was unbearably close. Did he not have the slightest concept of personal space? “It’s making you look even uglier than usual.”
Did that mean Eito didn’t find him as hideous as he did everyone else? That almost made Takumi feel… special. Not that he’d ever admit it.
“I’m just tired,” Takumi replied flatly. “You know, the whole war thing. Fighting to keep humanity alive.”
He heard Eito shift. His hands had long since released the bars. Had he turned his back? “Pffffft. You’re acting like I could even comprehend what you’re going through.” Takumi knew he couldn’t. Still, there was something oddly reassuring about Eito always replying without a filter, always telling the truth as he saw it. “Honestly, I wouldn’t care if every last one of you dropped dead right now.”
Classic Eito.
“Thanks for reminding me I was right to have you locked up. You’re insane.” He huffed.
Another laugh slipped from him. He’d been laughing a little too much today. “Takumi, do you actually believe that was the right call?”
The next thing he felt was… leather. Cold, stiff leather pressing against his chin, burning through his skin like a warning. Before he could process it, his head was forcibly being tilted upward.
He found himself staring into those hypnotic, violet eyes that scanned him like they were dissecting him piece by piece. Even fully clothed, he felt laid bare, exposed and utterly stripped of defense. He couldn’t move.
“The right call,” Eito’s voice dipped lower than usual, “would’ve been killing me the moment you returned from that so-called future you insist is real. That would’ve been the noble thing. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not not grateful. I owe you my life, truly. But a real hero wouldn’t let his own emotions cloud the path to humanity’s survival.” He spat the last words like venom. “So why didn’t you, huh?”
His words struck like a knife to the chest. Why had he, really…?
“Because you’re still human—”
“No.” He was cut off immediately. “I’ve already heard that excuse. Do you have any idea how revolting you look when you lie?” He rolled his eyes like this was the dullest conversation imaginable. “Tell me the real reason.”
Takumi clenched his teeth. The real reason, huh… He wasn’t even sure he had one. If he’d killed him back then, he wouldn’t have to live with the shadow of Eito constantly hanging over him, always lurking at the edges of his mind, mocking him without saying a word. He’d at least have the peace of knowing there were no more traitors left to deal with.
The grip on his chin tightened with every passing second. Eito’s face twisted with visible disgust at the contact—so then, why wasn’t he pulling away?
For some deeply twisted reason, Takumi didn’t feel like lying again.
“In my timeline,” he started, uncertain where this confession would lead, “you were a comrade I could rely on. I guess I… I don’t want to believe all of that was fake.”
“But it was, and you know that.” Eito shot back. “I bet the version of me back then told you himself. If you hadn’t sabotaged my plans, I would’ve done exactly what he did. I was going to play the “kind, selfless, ready to sacrifice anything for his amazing friends” role until I no longer needed any of you.”
Takumi knew that, of course he did. There was no way the Eito in this timeline would be any different from his Eito. But still—
“I— I don’t get how someone who claims to hate humanity so much would go to such lengths to help them.” His voice was rising, thick with frustration. It felt impossible to stay calm. “You didn’t get to experience any of it, but… you helped us a lot in my timeline.”
“ Ugh, Takumi, I don’t care about hearing any of that—”
“You pushed us forward when everything felt hopeless. You carried yourself like a better leader than I ever managed to be.”
Did Takumi… feel a flinch? A brief slackening in his grip? A flash of hesitation? A moment where something cracked?
He continued.
“All of us counted on you, you know? You planned a surprise barbecue night for the team. You even helped Gaku set up for the school festival.”
“I said—”
“You… really were brilliant, Eito.”
Eito’s hand suddenly dropped from his chin like he’d been burned.
“…ting.”
“Huh…?”
Eito’s head had ducked completely now, the arrogant composure from before vanished. He looked small and fragile like a cornered animal.
“Disgusting, that’s— that’s so disgusting—”
Hah. Was it really? If it truly was, then why was Eito avoiding his gaze like that? The strands of his hair had fallen forward, shielding his face entirely from view. Takumi had no idea what kind of expression he was making now.
He wanted to know.
Jingle.
He felt the key in his pocket. As team leader, he’d been entrusted with the spare key to the cage. Somehow, he’d gotten used to carrying it around—it grounded him, in its own strange way. Who would’ve thought it would come to this?
He knew it was a terrible idea. The moment he opened that door, there was a good chance Eito would try to escape and kill him on the spot. Takumi’s hemoanima wouldn’t work in close quarters, and he wasn’t sure if he could take Eito down by force.
Maybe he’d finally lost it too.
While Eito stayed quiet, he didn’t seem to notice the faint click that echoed through the cage. He didn’t even flinch. He just remained still at the center—was his chest rising and falling just a little too fast?—as Takumi stepped inside.
One step. One more step. He had to see. He had to know.
When he finally closed the distance and reached out to touch his face, Eito recoiled with a flinch unlike anything Takumi had ever witnessed. His hand was slapped away in an instant as Eito stumbled backward, shock painted clearly across his features.
But that wasn’t the strangest part.
Eito’s face, he…? Unless Takumi had completely lost his grip on reality and was hallucinating, he could’ve sworn Eito looked flushed . His whole face was burning red, vivid and bright like a tomato, the contrast against his pale skin making it impossible to miss.
“What the…?” Takumi was genuinely at a loss for words. He tried to retrace what he’d said. Sure, he’d been trying to provoke a reaction—but he hadn’t expected whatever this was.
“S-Stay back—” Eito stammered, barely getting the words out as he took another step back. His heels knocked into the edge of the bed. Any further and he’d fall over. “And don’t touch me with your filthy hands—”
Oh… Maybe that was it. He wasn’t certain, but it might’ve been the only explanation.
The next words that left his mouth were probably something he’d end up regretting for the rest of his life.
“You— You look really p-pretty right now, Eito.”
Oh, he was definitely going to regret it. He felt himself internally shrivel the second it slipped out. He wanted to bury his head into the floor like an ostrich, honestly.
His eyes squeezed shut, bracing for whatever reaction was coming his way. Maybe Eito would launch at him and strangle him on the spot, or bash his skull into the floor until he stopped moving.
But when he opened them…
The sight before him had completely stopped him from feeling even an ounce of regret.
Because Eito had turned an entirely new shade of red. One Takumi had never seen on anyone before.
Oh… Oh.
“Heh.” A victorious smirk appeared on his lips before he could even stop it. This was unexpectedly entertaining (and embarrassing). What a complete reversal from Eito’s usual demeanor.
“W-What’re you laughing at, you—” Eito’s voice was straight up shaking up now. “you sound so repulsive—”
None of Eito’s protests even registered anymore.
The Eito who loathed humans, the Eito who recoiled from even the faintest touch, was now crumbling beneath the weight of a few compliments.
Takumi wasn’t well-versed in giving praise in the slightest, but he felt like trying. Just to see that reaction again and coax it out one more time.
Although he might very well be putting his life on the line, all he could focus on right now was the white-haired boy in front of him, frantically looking for a way to escape. If he truly wanted to, he could. The cage wasn’t locked, and he could easily overpower Takumi, trap him inside, and walk out.
But he wasn’t. Takumi couldn’t help but wonder why.
He took another step toward him instead. Anything to shrink the distance Eito kept trying to widen between them.
“Stay back! I swear I’ll kill you if you get any closer— Wah—!”
In an instant, Eito lost his footing and collapsed onto the bed with a loud thud .
“Oww—”
Takumi didn’t even register when his feet had started moving on their own. By the time his mind caught up, he was already sitting at the edge of the bed, hand instinctively reaching out to check Eito’s head, maybe even trying to soothe the pain.
“Hey— Are you okay?!”
“Ugh… my head…” Eito muttered and grumbled under his breath. He wasn’t pushing him away? Interesting. Or maybe the realization just hadn’t hit him yet. “Ugh, I told you to stay back! Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross! I thought you were good at following orders like a do—”
Eito suddenly went quiet. He blinked. And blinked again rapidly, over and over.
Why, one might wonder?
Because once again, Takumi’s body was moving on its own. His hand , to be exact. His fingers were gliding along the features of this vulnerable boy’s face. His forehead, his cheekbones, the slope of his nose, and down to the edge of his chin.
“…What are you doing?” Eito’s face twisted in alarm, revulsion, fury—everything all at once. Along with… something else. Embarrassment? “Don’t— touch me.”
What was he doing?
“I— I don’t know either,” Takumi responded with a whisper. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”
A cold, gloved hand clamped around his wrist, firm enough to leave a hand-shaped bruise.
“Stop that.”
But did he really want him to? Seeing him up close like this, Takumi could tell just how flushed he was. His brows were drawn together tightly, and his clenched teeth were just barely visible through the slight part in his lips.
God… god, he really…
“Y’know, I wasn’t joking, ow —” Takumi didn’t pull back even as Eito’s grip became harsher. “When I said you were… pretty.”
“…”
“…”
“…H-Huh?!”
It was like something burst open. Takumi didn’t give a damn about anything else anymore—making this guy lose his composure was the only sliver of satisfaction he could cling to, given the completely screwed-up “saving humanity” mess they were stuck in.
He could feel his own face heating to the core too.
“And your hair…” He caught a strand, absentmindedly twirling it between his fingers, almost entranced by how smoothly it slipped through them. “Why’s it so… soft?”
He’d never touched alcohol in his life, but this sensation, this haze… It felt like what being drunk must be. Words kept slipping out before he could stop them, and he found himself wanting to compliment every inch of him.
Even though he was supposed to… hate Eito. He was supposed to loathe him for the way he’d wrecked everything in his original timeline. But maybe the constant battles were wearing him down. Maybe he found a twisted sense of comfort in the fact that they were alike in some ways—both giving up parts of themselves to reach what they believed in.
Eito didn’t say a word, he looked like the ability to speak had left him entirely. His lips were parted slightly, his jaw slack, and the glasses that framed his face just a touch crooked, giving him an even more unguarded, almost innocent look.
“…S-Stop staring—” Eito brought his free arm up to shield his face, trying to hide whatever expression he might’ve been wearing. “You’re creeping me out.”
“Eito, don’t tell me you’re getting shy?”
“Hah?! Shy? Me ?!” He exploded like Takumi had just made the most outrageous accusation imaginable. The way he ripped his arm away from his face was so fast, Takumi almost wished he’d caught it on camera. “You’re the one acting weird! It’s weird, so so so so so weird, I hate it! You’re sitting on my bed, your— your disgusting scent’s getting everywhere— you’re saying things that don’t even make sense—”
He was just talking senselessly at this point. Takumi really wanted to shut him up.
So he did the next most insane thing. He leaned in and used his free hand to tug open the ridiculously oversized collar of Eito’s shirt. With what felt like an irresistible pull, he buried his face into the crook of Eito’s neck, inhaling deeply.
“Eek— Wh-Wh-Wha—”
“You smell really good too…” Takumi murmured against his bare skin. He really did. The scent was so intoxicating, he could barely pull himself away.
“T-Takumi—”
He breathed him in again, nestling himself even deeper into the warmth of his neck. He didn’t understand how someone confined to a cage with no access to a proper shower could still smell this damn good. Was this just his natural scent? What else about Eito had he yet to uncover?
When he finally (and very reluctantly) pulled away, the sight that met his eyes left him completely speechless.
He had no idea how, but Eito somehow managed to look both ghostly pale and vividly flushed at once. He looked like he was seconds from collapsing; tears had pooled in the corners of his eyes, and he was biting down on his bottom lip in a shaky attempt to stop it from trembling )he was unsuccessful). His cheeks looked like they might explode from how fiercely red they were.
And it was Takumi who had turned him into this complete mess. With just a couple of words too.
“Eito…” Takumi’s voice came out soft, almost like a vow. In this position, he was practically straddling Eito, and their faces were far too close for him to focus on anything but his lips.
Like an idiot, he thought it’d be a great idea to lean in. You know, go with the vibe. But oh… he had misread everything.
Apparently, Eito had snapped back to reality—Takumi suddenly felt a hand grab him from behind, yanking him by the hair with enough force that he was certain he’d lose half of it.
“Ugh— What the hell?!” Takumi yelped, wincing in pain. Eito only tugged harder in response. “Ow, ow, ow, ow—!”
Eito was breathing heavily, thin streaks of tears running down his cheeks. “You’re— You… You really—truly—” Not a single complete sentence left his mouth.
The next thing Takumi knew, he was being dragged off the bed as Eito staggered upright on unsteady legs and marched (more like bolted) toward the cage door.
“Hey— What—” Takumi had no time to react before Eito flung the door open, shoved him out with surprising force, and slammed it shut again—gripping it tightly so there’d be no chance of Takumi getting back in.
“Eito!” Takumi pressed against the door from the outside. He desperately wanted to see what kind of expression he was making. Eito was hiding it on purpose. “Come on! Okay—ugh—how the hell are you so strong?!” It made even less sense that he was deliberately keeping himself locked inside the damn cage when he could’ve easily escaped with him and reactivated his hemoanima.
Every attempt Takumi made to overpower him was useless. The door didn’t budge an inch, and Eito didn’t spare him so much as a glance.
After several more minutes of struggling like some pitiful animal, he finally gave up. Eito looked as if he’d turned to stone. If not for the uneven rise and fall of his chest, Takumi might’ve actually believed it.
“You’re impossible,” Takumi muttered, picking the headlock up from the ground and looping it around the door again. It’d be like nothing ever happened. Just a small little secret between them. Judging by Eito’s reaction, he seriously doubted he’d be bragging about this to whoever came to check on him next. It hadn’t even fully hit Takumi what had just happened. (all he knew was that he was going to regret everything later tonight when he was alone in his room.)
Click.
The cage was locked again, and Eito’s hands finally loosened their hold, though he still refused to look his way. In fact, he turned his whole body around until his back was completely to him.
“You’re really not gonna say anything? Seriously? Eito? Hello?”
“…”
“...Hah. Fine. Suit yourself then. I’ll be back later, just so you know.”
“…”
“…See you, pretty guy.”
“…!”
God, god, god god, god , that was embarrassing. Why the hell did he say that? What? What?! Huh?
“A-Anyway,” Unable to stand the crushing, unbearable silence any longer, he mimicked Eito and turned on his heel, facing the courtyard door, and walked away as fast as he could.
Any longer, and he might’ve become hyper-aware of all his senses.
Of how hard his heart was pounding…
And how he already wanted to see Eito again.