Beelzebub Exchange

He found himself staring at Oga’s forehead

Blood.

Blood was dripping onto him. He would have yelled at Oga, but the pain that was flowing through him stilled him. Laying there immobilized with blood dripping onto his face, the world slowly started to become clear.

It only took one frightful moment to realize all of his surroundings. Hilda and Kunieda were running, their mouths were moving but the words were lost to him. He started to truly feel the pain that was centered in his chest. The excruciating pain was accompanied by the feeling of heat traveling through his torso and yet he shivered at the sensation.

The sounds of the screams began to fade as something louder dominated the air.  He heard the sound of teeth crack above him. He looked at the body that was above him and found his stare lingering on Oga’s hand. The tattoo that had been dormant for so long was alive and glowing with every heavy breath.

He looked at Oga and said as loud as he could muster. “Oga?”

Oga never replied and instead raised his fist.

One. Two. Three.

The fourth released his voice and had him screaming his friend’s name. The fifth and sixth were broken pleads for him to stop.

The fists unraveled and now Furuichi found hands grab his throat and clenched down. Nails tore into his skin and he was defenseless to stop it. His eyes bulged out of their sockets and he closed them. He couldn’t stand looking at the demonic face of his best friend.

Never in his worst dreams would he imagine this.

He heard someone scream for Oga to stop. He was blacking out now, he felt blood stream down his eyes and he shuddered as he felt it fall. He felt the pain in his chest explode and then there was no more. He felt his body grow heavy and then he let go.

1234

“Breathe. COME ON FURUICHI.”

He came back into the world of the living with a strangled gasp and throwing his head back onto the hard ground. The hands that were pumping at his chest were now cradling the back of his head, and then some were at his ankles. While he tried to ease the terrible ache in his chest by breathing like a fish out of water, he felt his ankles and wrists become forced together. The feeling of rope burning against his exposed skin, caused him to flinch, but he could not move.

“He’s breathing.”

 “Call the old man, I’m leaving.”

“You alright going by yourself?”

“Of course, this is my life.”

The conversation was lost too him, and he stayed silent as he felt himself being picked up. In the few moments he managed to open his eyes, he saw that Toujo was carrying him. He saw Kunieda next, walking on the side. Unable to speak, he could only grasp onto consciousness and listen to the outside conversation.

When the third year placed him once again on the cold hard pavement, he turned to Kunieda and asked. “Where’s Oga?”

“Hilda’s got him. He’s back to himself now.”

Back to himself?

“How about him.”

“He’s in a possession circle and my grandfather’s coming.”

Hearing those words, Furuichi opened his eyes and looked at the ground. Sure enough he was lying in a drawn circle with a complicated design. He glanced down at his palm and saw a fading red line that pulsed with his heartbeat. He watched in morbid fascination as it sunk into his skin.

“Sleep.” A voice soothed to him. The voice was female and yet did not sound anything like Kunieda. But he listened to the voice and finally let his body relax.

1234

He had been possessed.

 He doesn’t remember running into any demons. There was no kidnapping. No strangers that bumped into him. He can’t remember anything after he woke up in the courtyard to be honest.

Alone, waiting for the next person to watch over him, he was curled in the middle of the circle. The first time he tried to exit the circle he was recoiled so hard from the barrier he was knocked back into unconsciousness.

He heard two pairs of footsteps and glanced upwards. Kunieda and grandfather were staring back at him and seemed to be studying him.

Finally the grandfather spoke. “His eyes.”

“Yes, it’s Furuichi.” Kunieda replied.

“Are the tattoos still present?”

“No, they’ve disappeared as well.”

Tired of people talking about him, Furuichi drawled out through cracked bloody lips. “I’m right here you know.”

His tone must have revealed his desire for water. Kunieda walked to the circle, bottle in hand. He noticed that she had a slight limp in her right leg. She was going to enter the circle, but before her foot could cross the line her grandfather stopped her. She was pulled back, and Furuichi frowned at the loss chance of receiving the drink.

The elder scolded his granddaughter who was staring back at him with confusion. “Do not pass the line.”

“He’s fine now, grandfather.”

“No, he’s not.”

The two had a side conservation, which included pointing at Kunieda’s foot and at Furuichi. Furuichi tried to hear but he couldn’t spare any energy aside from staying conscious. In the end, the argument caused Kunieda’s grandfather to leave.

The Red Tail leader approached him again, but this time she stopped outside the circle. Sighing she sat down and rolled the water bottle to him. It rolled until it hit at his chest. The next few minutes was an embarrassing moment for Furuichi. He struggled to sit up, groans and curses flying out of his mouth, all under Kunieda’s gaze.

When he tried to undo the bottle cap, he noticed his fingers’ state. All were heavily bruised, and his fingernails were either cracked or completely ripped off. He tried to turn his back to the other, as he greedily drank the water.

When his thirst was quenched he turned back to Kunieda, and bowed his head.  “I’m sorry. I hurt your leg didn’t I?”

Kunieda’s face remained neutral and in a cold tone she replied. “Apologies do nothing.”

Hurt flashed on his face, and guilt was about to crawl into him. Kunieda however saw this and continued with a sigh. “Besides it wasn’t your fault.”

Relieved by this answer, Furuichi laid himself back down. He shivered at the cold sensation, and asked the question that was bothering him since he woke up.

“So I’m a demon now.”

“No.”

The reply was too quick and short. He stared at her until an honest answer came out.

“We don’t know.”

He couldn’t ask any more questions as Kunieda was relieved from her shift of watching Furuichi. He turned his back to Kanzaki and tried to force himself to sleep.

Every new guard that came gave him a little bit of information. It was finally Hilda who gave him a full story.

He had come onto Ishiyama grounds, barefoot and shirt covered in blood. Coming from his chest, there were black lines branching out covering his arms and neck. He immediately attacked and he went for everyone.

When Oga had arrived at the scene, Furuichi attacked him right away. The demon had wanted to claim a territory, and set its sights on Ishiyama. However once Oga arrived, the demon wanted to possess Oga.

"I haven’t seen the master give that much energy since the battle with Fuji.” She was glowing with happiness, and Furuichi was happy that someone was pleased in this twisted situation. He started to blank out as she started to talk about Beel’s growth, but was snapped back when the proud tone dropped. Instead a serious tone asked him.  “Have you recalled any memories of when the demon contacted you?”

He shook his head, and replied with a question of his own. Looking up at the blonde, he asked. “Hey Hilda, did I die.”

“For a few seconds, it was the only way for the demon to be subdued.”

He knew the sensation felt too familiar. Even the conversation between them felt familiar and casual for such a morbid topic.

When Toujo came out, Furuichi was a little relieved to be out of Hilda’s sight. The giant third year sat himself outside of the circle and nodded to him in acknowledgement. Furuichi didn’t return it and instead looked at the bandage that was wrapped around his forehead.

Before Furuichi could turn his back to him, he smiled and laughed. “Thanks for the rematch. I didn’t think we would ever have another fight.”

Furuichi ignored the topic and instead moved it to something more serious. Pointing a shaky finger to the other he asked. “Did I do that?”

Toujo followed the finger’s direction, and rubbed his palm across the bandage. “Don’t push your luck Furuichi. A pipe fell on me.”

The third year laughed again and started to give his recount of the story.

“You looked crazy. You didn’t look anything like yourself. It took me a moment to recognize you. You looked confident and all happy. You were yelling at everyone. It was hilarious.”

“Did I seriously hurt anyone?”

A smirk came onto Toujo’s face and he informed the other. “Just Himekawa, it seemed you were targeting him the most out of everyone. But don’t worry, you hurt his pride more than anything. His family can buy him a nice wig.”

Pausing his story, Toujo turned to the school and sighed. “You really messed up the school though. It’s gonna take a couple months to fix it.” In a quieter tone, he said more to himself.  “I wonder if the principal will let my crew fix it.”

Lost in his thoughts Toujo’s shift was finally ended by the appearance of Kunieda, Oga, Beel, Hilda, and Kunieda’s grandfather.

He pushed himself into a sitting position, and watched as a cup was pushed into the circle.

Kunieda’s grandfather informed him in a strict tone. “We are going to perform a ritual. It’s easier if you’re asleep.”

He looked at the drink and then at the elder. “What are you guys going to do?”

“We’re going to cleanse your body of any demon residue. Now drink it.”

Under everyone’s gaze, he picked up the drink and started to gulp the liquid. It was tasteless, but the moment it went down his throat, he felt a burning sensation. His limbs began to feel like they were laced with lead.

“Spit it out!” Someone screamed.

He felt his breathing quicken as he felt his body crumble to the floor. Though his body was quickly shutting down, his mind was taking longer.

He saw Kunieda and her grandfather take a stand on each side of the circle. Oga was watching them, and glancing at him every time they moved.

They met eye contact and the heavy stare from Oga was quickly averted. He too looked away and instead let his eyelids fall. He fell into the darkness, the entire time a woman screaming in the background.

It only felt like a moment when he woke up to someone shaking him roughly. The first thing he noticed was that the heaviness was gone. Instead he felt light, too light. He struggled to get up, and grabbed the arm that was offered. With Oga’s arm under his upper arm, he walked to the edge of the circle. With everyone’s eyes on him he hesitantly took a step forward. A smile filled his face as a breeze of cold night air hit him as he left the possession circle.

“Furuichi-kun.” A feminine voice cooed.

His smile fell, but he picked it up before anyone could see.

1234

When the group saw the third years off on graduation day, he didn’t wave. He was still uncomfortable and let Oga, Kunieda, and Yuka stand in front of him. He gave them a small smile but did not wave with the group. The attack had only been two months ago and he was still trying to make himself invisible. Every time he saw the destruction of the school, he couldn’t help but cringe.

Though Toujo would thank him for the destruction, since he was able to attend school while also work at the same time. He was in serious danger of not graduating, but Furuichi had unintentionally solved the problem.

The break came and went uneventful, which was a huge 360 compared to their last one. He and Oga just wasted the break away by sleeping in, playing video games, and making sure they never brought up the subject of his possession.

But the moment he stepped into Ishiyama, he saw the no one was going to let him forget. Furuichi never imagined his second year to be like this. To have the hallways separate as he walked by.

He was actually feared by the student body.

He walked to the second floor and saw that Oga was standing outside their assigned classroom. Again the crowds of students cleared away from him. Oga watched all of this with an annoyed expression. When they were finally alone in their classroom, he smirked and teased the other. “You’re buying lunch today. Use that new power to get me and Beel a sandwich.”

And just like that, the topic was dropped.

The days went slow at school. The Red Tails were off on another voyage, gathering more members. There were no power struggles, and no one dared to try to mess with the balance.

Even though he would have loved this situation in his first year, Furuichi found himself getting more and more restless. Late at night, he found himself sitting on his bed. Not a bit tired and actually feeling full of energy.

When Oga pushed or punched him, he punched back. The first time it happened Oga honestly looked surprise. Beel squealed and began to blabber. He hit his fists against the other’s back and babbled more. Furuichi would never know what Oga would do, since he turned around and jumped out of the second story window and ran.

He bought croquets, and got a punch in the arm. The issue was dropped. Oga never asked what the hell happened, or what caused him to hit him back. That is until some stupid first year, tried to prove his strength.

He was grabbing a juice from the vending machine, back towards the courtyard and oblivious to the world when he saw the machine gave him two juices. He bent over to pick them up when he felt a hand grab the back of his head and start to push it.

His forehead never touched the metal. The first year instead was pushed face first into the machine, and the offending hand that he was just using was now painfully being twisted. Furuichi was silent as the first year yelled in pain. Furuichi felt the strain of the wrist as he twisted it viciously. He felt his lips curl into a smile and a laugh bubbled out of his chest. The first year yelled again at him to stop, and turned to look at him. Furuichi felt glee fill him as the other’s face was filled with terror.

Before he could fully break the wrist, someone called him.

Oga was standing behind him. Once again he called out to him, this time his tone was serious. “Furuichi.”

Having heard that tone only a few times in their friendship, Furuichi knew that Oga was pissed. He dropped the arm of the first year, but something in him made him kick the other to the ground before he left.

He watched as the first year scrambled up. He cradled the arm that Furuichi twisted, and ran. The entire time yelling to his lackeys.

“A demon! A demon was about to break my arm, but then Mad Dog Oga stopped him.”

“Mad dog Oga stopped him?!”

Not wanting to hear anymore, he walked to the side of the building, away from the others eyesight. He leaned himself against the wall, but found himself sliding down. He suddenly felt exhausted and rubbed his palms against eyes. He only took them off when he heard footsteps that stopped right next to him.

Furuichi looked up to Oga and saw that he was staring intensely back. Before he could say a word, he was lifted up and pushed forward. The two walked silently to the gates, with Beel’s annoyed noises filling the empty air. He kept hitting Oga with his bottle that was about to filled.

Oga ignored the hits and instead looked at Furuichi.

‘Do we need to go to Kunieda’s?’

The tactician sighed as he received the mental question. He answered the question by taking the path to the other’s house. Oga followed him silently.

After that day, he tried to hide the changes. It wasn’t hard, really since all of them were internal.

Kunieda had said the demon had been cleansed from his body. But he knew that it had actually died in his body. Sometimes he felt the energy and that’s when he would leave. In the middle of the night when he was sure no one would notice his absence.

 Sometimes he left to the demon to the pillar squad. When desperate measures came he fought Oga. He only fought Oga once, and even then he stopped before he was out of energy. He never liked the look on his best friend when the tattoo grew on his body.

He didn’t bother telling Kunieda, and he made Oga promise he wouldn’t either. He had talked to the pillar squad about it. There was nothing to be done. He would just have to deal with these bursts of energy the best he could.

Sometimes he wanted to tell them about the voice he heard, and the dark desires he had at times. But since that day he became possessed, he constantly felt Oga’s stares. Whenever he tried to talk to someone, or when he was just hanging out with others.

He couldn’t remember what he did back when the demon possessed him but he knew it was bad when Oga felt the need to watch over him. He wouldn’t know what would happen if he told them the whole truth.

As the second year of high school came to a close, he almost got the taste of his twisted normalcy. The second year was boring to say the least, but then he learned that he lost his spiritual possession.

He hadn’t had use of it since every time he hung out with the pillars he would focus solely on releasing energy. But one day came where he was feeling good, and the pillars were the ones that were filled with energy.

After much argument, a little bit of alcohol, and a lot of shit talking, the battle was decided. Hecadoth and Furuichi versus Agiel. They moved to the fighting arena, and Furuichi paused in front of the steps. He felt an overcoming sensation of dread, and for a moment he wanted to backout.

But a hand on his shoulder, shook him from his thoughts. Looking up he saw Hecadoth staring at him with concern. In a scolding tone he told the other. “A tactician shouldn’t be spacing out.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Furuichi apologized with an embarrassed smile. “Sorry Hecadoth.”

“Come on, Agiel is already boasting.”

He nodded and walked up the steps, the entire time ignoring the increased feeling of danger. He smiled at Agiel and stood beside his partner. He took a deep breath, and allowed Hecadoth to enter his spirit.

And then he screamed. The pain that ripped through him was the one of the worst he had felt since the night at Ishiyama. He screamed in pain and clenched his chest.

He felt hands on him, but the pain was taking over all his senses.

“Furuichi what’s wrong!” Hecadoth yelled. His spirit was still in his body, but he felt something pushing him out.

“Get out!” Furuichi pleaded mentally.

A stronger force now pushed Hecadoth even more. He tried to talk to the contractor again. “Furuichi tell me what’s wro-!”

“Get.”

“Out!” A female voice screamed.

1234

He woke up in a hospital bed with Furucas standing over him. His body felt light and he struggled to keep his eyes open against the light. He covered his face with his hand and turned towards the demon doctor.

“About time you woke up.”

His confusion must have been expressed through his face, since Furucas continued. “Two days.”

The events in the arena flashed in front of his eyes and he hesitantly asked.” I lost it. I don’t have spiritual possession, do I?”

“Afraid not.”

Furuichi felt like someone punched him in the chest. The ability that had made him feel like he could stand on the side of Oga was now gone. He was back to being weak.

Furucas watched the teenager begin to react to the news and sighed. “Rest. When you feel up for it, we’ll run some tests.”

Furuichi didn’t reply and instead waited for the doctor to leave, before he got up. He gathered his things, and walked to the pillar squad headquarters. Knowing the headquarters like the back of his hand he found a working portal. When he returned to Earth, he walked aimlessly. He sat down and let his mind wander for hours, hoping that no one would find him.

When the sun was setting, Oga finally found him sitting by the river. He didn’t say anything, just sat down by him. He sat with him and when the cold became too much for Beel, he stood up and grabbed him with him.

Instead of walking, the contractor stood in front of Furuichi. Oga looked at the other and seemed to be stuck in his thoughts. Finally he told the other. “I’m leaving for a while. I got to train Beel better.”

Furuichi sighed and replied in an annoyed tone. “So what now, I have to take over your spot at Ishiyama. Geez being your friend sucks.”

Oga didn’t reply and instead pulled out crumbled papers from his jacket. He held it out to the other and when Furuichi grabbed them, he had to reread the papers twice to fully comprehend what he was reading. In his hand were transfer papers.

Rage filled him and he threw the papers into the river. Turning to Oga, he yelled loud enough to get through the other’s thick head.

“I’m not leaving. I’ll make sure Ishiyama is still standing when you come back. In fact, it’ll be better than ever before when you come back.” Rage seeping out of him, he stopped yelling and instead sighed.  “Just hurry up, you need good attendance if you want to graduate.”

Oga smirked at him and turned away. With a raised hand he said. “See you later, Furuchin.”

Scowling at the horrible nickname, Furuichi yelled back to the retreating figure. “Keep saying that shit and Beel will end up saying it.” He muttered to himself.  “Hilda will probably get mad at me.”

He sat himself back down, and let the fact that he was going to be alone for his third year sink in.

“Shit.”

1235

Oga was gone and his third year of Ishiyama was about to start.

His actions the past two years had made the students at Ishiyama to think twice in challenging him. Which he was fine with. He mostly sat by himself and studied most of the time. He was going to cram school and trying to get his life ready for after graduation.

His life for once was getting unreasonably boring. And just as he thought that, his life changed.

He was leaving cram school, coffee in hand in attempt to warm his cold body. It was late and he had forgotten his coat in his rush to get to class in time. He was waiting on the sidewalk, wondering if his mother remember to put his dinner in the oven.

Still thinking about his dinner, he saw the walking sign and stepped off the curb. He was in the middle of the crosswalk when the sound of horns were heard. He turned to the sound and froze when he saw two lights. A car was speeding towards him and he knew he wasn’t going to be able to avoid it in time.

“Move!”

The voice made him remember the use of his arms, and without thinking he placed his arms out. The moment the metal touched his palms he pushed back. The sound of crushed metal and glass filled the air.

Furuichi’s eyes widened when he looked down at his palms. They were littered in cuts but he looked past that. He stared in wonder and awe at the car’s front and how it was smashed beyond repair. He heard yelling from within the car, and before the driver could get out, he dropped his coffee and ran.

He ran with ease, arms pumping and legs moving through the cold night air. He didn’t stop until he saw his home, and when he sprinted to his room he found that he was not tired. Instead for the first time in a really long time, he felt alive.

This energy that he had finally embraced, it came from within. He had a good idea on where it was coming from, and he couldn’t go through another day without getting answers.

He sat himself in the hole of his bedroom. He complained in the past how the hole in his wall was still not fixed, but now this spot was his favorite. Staring into the night sky, he thought about what just happened.

With a trembling breath, he scooted himself to the edge of the hole. He tensed his body and lifted it slightly. Before he could jump the voice he had heard yelled at him.

“Idiot what are you doing!

His body was practically hanging from the hole, and he pushed himself further out. “No control?”

There was silence until the voice within him finally answered in an annoyed tone. “No, I’m just stuck in you.”

Sitting himself back into the hole’s safety, he listened to the voice and recognized it as the voice he was hearing these past months.

‘Why are you talking to me now?’

‘I finally recovered.’

Running a hand through his hair, he sighed and replied mentally. ‘So now I’m stuck with a demon consciousness.’

He felt an energy spike within him, and he could only guess that he had made her angry. ‘I’m not a conscious. My soul is now entwined with yours.’

Furuichi thought over these words and with a smirk he asked. “And now I can use your strength whenever I want?”

Her silence confirmed his suspicions.

He threw his head back and laughed into the night sky. Swinging his legs, he laughed. “Why did I think this year was going to be any different?”

1234

His soul was cracked, she told him later that night. Deep cracks ran through it, which was the reason why it was so easy for her to completely possess him. She talked to him throughout the night and told him how she met him at the river. How she flirted with him, and got him wrapped around her finger in fifteen minutes.

She gushed at how strong she felt when she possessed him, and how surprised she was that he held such a power. When she began to talk about Oga, he blocked her out and forced himself to sleep.

Most of the time she remained silent, but then the demon began influencing him in his daily activities. He started to hear her voice more and more. Walking down the stairs he stopped when he saw a first year Red Tail. She was bending over to grab her drink and he got a glimpse of her cleavage through her button shirt.

‘Whoa those are C’s for sure.’

Rubbing his chin, he said aloud with a smirk. “I wonder how they’d look in a push-up bra.”

‘Creep.’ she snapped at him.

Shame and embarrassment filled him, and he got a reminder of all the times he was called Creepichi.

‘It’s fine to think that, just stop saying it out loud. Keep it to yourself’

‘Okay.’ He replied mentally, cheeks still red from embarrassment.

‘Go talk to her like a real person.’

Nodding to himself, he walked to the first year. He picked a cool pose and leaned himself against the vending machine. “Welcome to Ishiyama.” He said with what he thought was coolness and suave.

The girl glanced at him and scowled. She was about to walk away, when the demon yelled at him.

“Stop whatever the hell you’re doing and show your power.”

He stopped doing the pose and stood himself straight.He used a colder tone this time, and said whatever came to his mind first. “Being personal friends with the first leader, I feel I must remind you that being part of the red tails is a privilege. Be sure not to waste it.”

This got the girl’s attention, and she took her time now to look at Furuichi. She walked away slower now, occasionally turned to look back at him.

“Better.” The demon practically purred.

Hearing those words and after what just happened, a smile came across his face.

‘Stop smiling.’ She reprimanded him.  “If you don’t want your first year to repeat itself then were going to make some changes.”

The rest of the week, she trained him how to show his power. He stood straighter, walked with power, and made sure he didn’t act like a complete fool in front of the ladies. He kept his emotions strict in front of the students. And Furuichi actually started seeing results.

The term general and tactician were being used more commonly when referring to him. His chest swelled with pride and he couldn’t believe this was happening. Having a female demon stuck in his body wasn’t too bad.

124

A month after the demon’s recovery, Furuichi found himself lying in bed. A question that had been bugging him for weeks, was finally going to be asked. With a deep breath he said aloud.

“Hey.”

‘What is it Furuichi-kun.’

“You know everything about me. You can read my thoughts, and you’ve seen all my memories. But I don’t know a thing about you. Do you think you can tell me something about yourself?”

‘You really do live up to the tactician name. Fine, but I won’t tell you much.”

He listened to her and he found that after so much silence, she was dying to talk. She told him about her likes and dislikes. Some of them made his inwards crawl but he listened without interrupting her. She talked for hours, telling funny stories, advice, and he fell asleep to her voice

He found the more they bonded, the more control she gained with him. He wished he found this out sooner, before some stupid second year attacked him in the hallway.

The student had grabbed him by his coat and pushed him into the wall.  Before Furuichi could even defend himself, he felt her energy fill him. His arms acted out on their own accord and grabbed the student by the neck. The student was pushed upwards until his feet were hanging in the air. Nails scrambled and scratched at the hand that was choking him, but Furuichi’s grip would not release.

When the student was turning blue in the face, Furuichi brought him down by slamming him into the ground. He stood over him and brought his leg up directly over his face. His foot went down but stopped an inch above the cowering face.

‘Stop!’ He yelled at the demon.

‘Shut up Furuichi-kun! We’re gonna kill him Furuichi! Tear his heart out!’ Her voice was high and rushed. Excitement was evident and the waves of energy almost made Furuichi black out. But he fought against them and the desire to beat the living shit out of the student. He focused on his heart and listened to its beat.

That was all Furuichi needed to step back from the beaten body.

‘I’m in control.’ He growled.

1234

Word spread about the attack against Furuichi, and soon everyone was claiming that he had demons inside him. Which wasn’t too far from the truth. Besides the gossip, nothing had changed. He still ate alone, and hung out by himself.

This went on for the first few months of school. Which was why it caught him so off-guard when he was approached by two Red Tails.

Yuka waved him down, and asked him. “Hey Furuichi, me and Chiaka are gonna stop by the new cafe that opened downtown. Wanna come?”

Furuichi looked between the two girls and glanced at both their faces and body language. The demon read his thoughts and sighed.

‘There is no ill will.’

Even with her opinion he still hesitantly replied. “Sure.”

The lunch hangout was the first of many. They talked about school related topics, but also random and strange topics. It was a different pace, but Furuichi liked it. He still felt like he had to be careful around them, and he couldn’t help but be hurt when they called him insults.

Sometimes the insults caused him to think about them at night, but she cleared his worries when she consoled him. ‘It is just their way. They are rough, but remember there is no truth to those words.’

His lonely days were no more as he soon found himself hanging out with the two Red Tails more and more. When a big enough fight, or power struggles occurred, Furuichi found himself standing next to Chiaki and Yuka. They watched and intervened when necessary.

The school watched the trio and saw them as the new rulers of the Ishiyama. All of this was oblivious to Furuichi.

1234

It was the winter of his third year. Graduation was right around the corner and he was frantically getting ready for college applications and testing. With his mind in a million places, he had forgotten his ear muffs.

Thinking dark thoughts about his frozen ears, the demon interrupted them by calling to him. ‘Furuichi-kun?’

‘What’s up?’

‘What do you think of letting your hair grow?’

‘My hair grow?’ He pulled at the ends and wondered how long it would take for it to grow. ‘Do you think I can pull off that look?’

‘I’d think you’d look darling with it.’ She cooed at him and gave him a mental picture of what she pictured.

‘You really think I should let it grow?’

‘Oh yes!’ She actually missed her long hair, but she didn’t dare tell Furuichi that.

Sure enough her suggestion worked, Furuichi stopped going to his barber. After a few months, his hair had grown a few inches. He tugged at the ends, and self-consciously looked at himself in the mirror.

‘You look very handsome Furuichi-kun.’ She gushed at him. She loved the feeling of long hair, and now it was hers once again. She didn’t feel too bad since Furuichi could actually pull off the look.

Furuichi kept the look and the months began to fly by. Finally he had reached his last day of high school. He threw on his jacket and stared at his reflection. He was beginning to worry, but she quickly felt his distress and came to console him.

‘Make sure you leave with no regrets.’

‘No regrets, huh?’

The day went on, and he saw old faces that had all graduated. He stood with the rest of the student body as their principal gave his speech. His thoughts were filled with wondering where the hell Oga was. He blanked out and wondered if Oga was actually planning on showing up.

He was snapped from his thoughts when he heard the crowd go wild. It took him a moment too long, to realize they were calling him. With the crowd cheering his name and calling him to make a speech, he hesitated only for a moment.

Going onto the stage he looked into the crowd of delinquents that saw him as their valedictorian.  He took one moment to calm himself.

‘No regrets, Furuichi-kun.’

With a small smile, he started to talk. He talked about everything and even included his death two years ago. She listened and provided mental pictures to help him better describe and to see where he was going with the speech. When he was finished, he felt relieved that he could honestly say he left no regrets.

He had made peace with Ishiyama and all the struggles he dealt with. For once, things were going to end normal. The valedictorian gave his speech, and now they would all graduate. Normal, who knew he would be able to truly experience it.

With a smile he was about to say one last thing, but then the sound of metal tearing filled the air.  And then the ceiling was ripped off. Pieces of ceiling scattered the ground, and Furuichi looked up to see what the hell was happening.

To his horror he saw Oga riding a demonic creature, and even worse a small green haired child was sitting next to Beel. Oga the entire time was smiling down at him with a shit eating grin.

With a laugh, she filled the silence in Furuichi’s shocked mind. ‘Looks like things are finally getting interesting again.’

A/N

This….this was a bit of everything, though she would (secretly) admit to being impressed at how quickly Furuichi had thrown this plan together. Raising a hand to her face to prevent a rising sneeze, Hilda tugged the blanket around her shoulders a little tighter as she leaned to the side to better listen to the ensuing conversation. Getting sick was a failure on her part, but at least one of the humans she lived with was finally showing competency in regards to their royal charges.

The white-haired human was sitting cross-legged on the floor, with Lady Nico in his lap, both of them glaring in intense concentration at the map spread before them. Several info packets and a couple of notebooks were spread around them in the impromptu planning area. Raising a well slobbered pen, Nico babbled something around her pacifier and pointed in quick succession to at least three locations, maybe a fourth if that wasn’t just her lady nearly losing the slick pen from her tiny grip.

Furuichi nodded, grabbing a notebook and using a dry pen to write something down as he spoke to the princess, “Ah, you raise a good point there Nico, but if we go here first,” he moved the pen to point something else out and dragged an imaginary line over the map, “then we cut at least ten minutes off the trip, which raises our chances of getting to the food court before the limited edition croquettes sell out.”

Nico’s tiny face crumbled as she seemed to give the suggestion serious thought, glaring again at the map. A faint breeze whistled through the living room, rustling several papers and flicking the edges of the map up. Lord Beel, attracted at the mention of croquettes, stumbled over to sit next to the map as well, patting down the edges with his hands as he too stared at it.

He pointed at something and looked at Furuichi, gaze intense. For his part, Furuichi looked back at his notebook, frowning again, “I’m not sure we can get there today, baby Beel. That would take us about thirty minutes out of our way, maybe more if the crowds are bad which they likely will be since all those sales are going on. Then again….if we…..”

The human trailed off, lightly biting the end of his pen in thought, his gaze flicking between the map before him and the notebook in hand. Nico mimicked him, sticking the pen in her hand in her mouth alongside her soft purple pacifier. A fresh drop of saliva rolled down it, making Hilda raise her hand again to her face, though this time to hide a smile.

It dropped as she cut her gaze over to the kitchen, glaring sourly at the other occupant of the house as he lazily strolled into the living room, a soda in hand and a bored look on his face. It was unfair! Why was she sick and Oga didn’t have so much as a sniffle?!

//////

Honestly, this hadn’t been how he’d wanted to spend his first day of winter break from his college classes, but well, it had to be done. Especially since not doing this meant a high chance of their shared apartment being shredded by lightning and high force winds otherwise.

So Furuichi had done what he could: grab a map of the local area, anything that held the information he needed and prove his position as the General by laying out a plan of action. So far, the plan had been redone three times and it looked like another revision was going to be needed after this one.

His, ahem, ‘roommate’ dropped down next to him, shoving aside necessary notebooks and info packets to spread out next to Furuichi. Oga scratched at his shaggy hair, giving the map a bored look as he asked, “Why can’t you just have Alaindelon transport you everywhere? That’s what we did last time.”

In an unplanned sync, both Furuichi and Nico gave Oga a sour look, with Furuichi explaining, “Because he’s on vacation, remember? After he got his powers back, the first thing he planned was seeing Angelica again and finally buying all those dresses he kept promising her.”

Oga blinked, “Oh.”

He said nothing further as he drank from his soda, poking at the map in either idle curiosity or just to be annoying. Furuichi felt a mental countdown timer start running in his head and let out a sigh. He looked at the living room’s clock and winced, quickly returning his attention to the map and the two tiny royal demons. They were running out of time, especially if they wanted this done before the season finale of Rice Boy came on that night.

Pointing with his pen, Furuichi tried a new plan, “Alright, so if we go to the game store first here,” he tapped the map, “and then go to this station, we can make it to the clothing boutique here,” he tapped again, “before their afternoon sale is over. And then we can…..hmm, no…..I think they’re still doing construction there, we’d get caught in the bottleneck…..”

Biting his pen again, and once more being mimicked by Nico, Furuichi leaned back to get a better view of the map, leaning against Oga’s side in the process. He didn’t move away and in fact, Oga moved a little closer to him to ensure the other was comfortable. Nico babbled in glee and leaned back herself, resting against Furuichi’s abdomen, still chewing on her own pen.

Feeling left out, Beel got to his feet and walked across the map to sit cross-legged next to Oga’s sprawled out legs, crossing his arms over his chest as his green eyes refocused on the now slightly crumbled map. The small demon lord looked up at Oga curiously, wondering if his father had any input to share.

///////

Oga caught Beel’s curious, hopeful gaze and rolled his eyes. He didn’t see why all this had to be done today when some of it could be moved to tomorrow. But if they wanted his input, he’d do what he could.

Taking another sip from his soda, Oga leaned forward a bit, offering his soda can to Furuichi while asking at the same time, “So, where are we going again?”

Accepting a drink from the soda can, Furuichi gave it back before holding out the notebook for Oga to see, explaining as he did so while also pointing out the indicated locations on the map, “Well, Nico wants to go to the Little Cutie clothing boutique since they’re having a one-day sale on their Kuma-chan line, Beel wants to go to the toy store by it, I forget the name, and I think they’re having a one-day sale as well today. Then both Nico and Beel want the limited edition croquettes from that shop we went to last week and those are only available for about two hours today. I want to go to the game store to pick up our pre-orders, which today is the last day for and Hilda needs some more tea, so we have to stop by the grocery store too at some point.”

He paused, thought for a minute and added on, “Oh and we need to do something for lunch and dinner. I figured we could grab lunch on the way and either pick up something on the way back for dinner or grab something to cook from the store while we’re getting Hilda’s tea. I’d say we have lunch here, but we don’t really have the time for that, not now at least.”

Oga nodded, inching a little closer to Furuichi as he studied the map himself. Even Nico looked up at him now, her own pale green eyes very curious as to what Oga could say. The brawler waved vaguely at the map as he spoke, “You said the limited edition croquettes were at the shop we went to last week? The one by the ramen stand?”

His partner nodded, “Yep, that’s the one.”

Oga smirked, “Tojo works there. He’ll save a couple of orders of the croquettes for us, especially if we have Nico ask him. I bet he’ll even give us a discount for lunch too, so we can eat there first, then do everything else.”

Furuichi considered that, nodding his head, “Alright, that’s a start. It’s not too far from the train station either, so we can go straight from there to the clothing boutique, then to the toy store. From there, we can take the train back so we can swing by the game store and finally we’ll go to the grocery store for Hilda’s tea and maybe dinner as well.”

Oga’s smirk widened as the plan was met with approval all around, then it fell as he thought of a complication. Poking Furuichi in the shoulder, Oga grumbled, “Hey, we’re not going to run into any wannabe lizards, are we?”

Mouthing the new insult to himself, Furuichi rolled his gray eyes as he snorted, “No, we’re not. The Pillar Squad’s off on a training mission somewhere in Hell. I didn’t ask where, but Jabberwock was practically skipping so I figured the less I knew, the better.”

Oga looked at Hilda, who rolled her own eye and shook her head, silently telling him he didn’t want to know either. Shrugging, Oga used his free hand to gently push Furuichi off of him, saying at the same time, “If we know what we’re doing, let’s get it done, before anyone decides there’s something else that has to get done today. Beel, come on. You need to grab the rest of your clothes before we can go.”

While the small demon lord had finally consented to wearing clothes, most of the time Beel would only wear a pair of underwear and pants, maybe socks too if they were lucky. The toddler pouted, but stood to follow Oga anyway.

For her part, Nico’s eyes sparkled at the mention of clothes and she looked up at Furuichi eagerly, clapping her hands together in excitement. Unlike her brother and his avoidance of clothes, Nico loved them so much it bordered on obsessive, especially if they were bear-themed, hence the trip to Little Cutie for their Kuma-chan line. As she clapped, the pen ended up slipping free of her hand and sliding under the couch, where it surely collected an obscene amount of dust. Everyone ignored it as Hilda snuffled before standing up, arms out to collect the tiny girl.

Furuichi hesitated and Hilda gave him a slight smirk, “I may be ill but I can at least handle changing my lady’s clothes for her outing.”

He nodded and handed Nico over, saying at the same time, “Alright, while you guys get them ready, I’ll get the bags ready. Do we need anything else by the way?”

Never mind the fact that there were hardly any delinquents in campus, since if Oga really wanted to blow some steam he could just wander on the streets for a few minutes and a fight would invariably find him, but the teachers in this place even had the nerve to expect him to quiet down during class, of all things! Wasn’t the fact that he was attending enough?

Sure, it was not like he was actually a registered student, but—

"Hey, Oga, come on. Class is over."

"Huh? Already?"

And sure enough, nearly everyone around him had already filed out the door, eager to get home and enjoy their well-deserved weekend. Furuichi was the only one standing still, tapping his foot impatiently and waiting for Oga to get moving.

"Yeah, even the teacher has left already. Can we go now?"

It’s not like they were in a hurry to get home or anything, but Oga knew it was the principle of it. As far as Furuichi was concerned, Oga was probably just stalling to tick him off.

"What? You running late for a date, Furuchin?"

Beel giggled in delight when Furuichi slapped Oga’s shoulder in response.

"You were quiet today" Furuichi said a bit later as they walked towards the main gate. "You stayed up all night playing that game, didn’t you?"

"Not my fault Beel got obsessed with Pokémon" Oga said as Beel yawned on cue on top of his head. "And besides, I didn’t fall asleep. I was just thinking, idiot."

"You? Thinking? Well, that’s a surprise."

Oga huffed in mock indignation but didn’t say anything. It’s not like that wasn’t true anyway.

"Well, whatever you were doing you should probably try it again. The teacher seemed glad you weren’t making any ruckus for once."

"Don’t know what he’s talking about, I’m always a delight."

It had been over six months since Oga had started ‘attending’ classes –and it took only one week to shut down any complaints– but Furuichi suspected his teachers would never get used to Oga completely. It could’ve been worse; he could’ve gotten in trouble for being associated with a delinquent who was adamant about entering a building where he wasn’t even a student, and worst of all, even had the nerve to show up at some of the classes! But after Oga had gone with every single one of his teachers to ‘explain himself properly’, none of them complained again, even if they would send Oga’s nervous looks every now and then in the subsequent weeks.

The official explanation seemed to be that Oga just wanted to ‘spend time with his friend’, as per the words of one of his classmates who was also curious about Oga’s presence; but whenever Furuichi questioned Oga about it, he always said he was there because he had nothing better to do anyway.

Some things never changed.

"So what are we doing today?" Oga asked as Furuichi’s house came into view a while later. "You bought the new smash game ages ago, are we finally playing it??"

"Well, actually, I have an exam coming up on Monday so I’ll be busy for most of the weekend – except for today, obviously!" Furuichi added as he caught sight of Beel’s grimace. "Today we can play as much as you want, Baby Beel."

The mood shift was instantaneous, and Furuichi couldn’t help sighing in relief as Beel celebrated in top of Oga’s head. Having to be electrocuted aside, Furuichi did feel a little bad about not being able to hang out with Oga as much during the past two weeks, not to mention that he had been surprisingly patient while he had been studying for his exams. So now that there was only one left (and the easiest subject, best of all), Furuichi felt it was due time to celebrate by playing video games.

So when they opened the door to Furuichi’s room and found the members of the Pillar Squad inside, he was understandably taken aback.

"Ah, the General has finally arrived."

"Furuichi-kun~! How good to see you again!"

"Oi, tactician, we ran out of cake. Don’t you have something else to offer?"

Furuichi had to blink twice before being reassured that the surreal scene in front of him –demons messing about in his room, talking amongst each other and playing with his Wii V– was in fact real. As Agiel enthusiastically jumped towards him to greet him with a hug, Furuichi remembered that the last time he had talked to Hecadoth when he ran into him at a restaurant, he had mentioned they wanted to drop by for a visit. And while Furuichi told him it’d have to be after at least two weeks, he didn’t think Hecadoth was actually serious…

But now seeing Laymia and Naga debating about the battlefield value of learning the healing arts while they perused over Furuichi’s books, he could tell Hecadoth was definitely not joking.

"What’s up, Furuichi? We’ve been waiting all day so we could play together!" Agiel said as she let go but kept her arms around his neck. Oga appeared to have deemed the conversation uninteresting and took off to where Jabberwock and two of his underlings where currently playing Mario Kart.

"Er, hi." Furuichi tried to ignore the tingling sensation of Agiel’s fingers brushing against his nape. "How did you guys even get in?"

"Your sister let us in! We told her we were your friends and she said we could wait in your room~!"

Great, another reason for Honoka to think Furuichi was a freak. She had only recently forgiven him from the Lamia incident and now this happened. That was probably why there was no one in the house when Oga and he arrived.

"Ah, I’m sorry I kept you waiting then." Agiel finally withdrew and Furuichi sighed in relief. It was easier to smile naturally when she wasn’t draping over him like a human shawl. "I was actually planning to play videogames with Oga and Beel today, though, but if you don’t mind joining us–"

The little group in front of the TV chose that exact moment to roar in excitement as a car crashed to its death and Oga laughed maniacally at the screen.

"We don’t mind." Hecadoth said somewhere to his right and Furuichi involuntarily jumped; he had materialized next to Furuichi without him noticing at some point. "If that’s what you want to do, then we can play."

At this point the other demons had gathered around the TV to see what the fuss was all about, and Agiel was already skipping to where Jabberwock was playing, loudly demanding that she was next as soon as he died. They seemed like they were having fun. Even Oga, who was usually indifferent towards the squad, was gleefully cackling at the defeat of his opponent, clearly enjoying himself.

Hecadoth raised an eyebrow in a silent question, Well, aren’t you coming? And Furuichi sighed in what he pretended to be exasperation, but it was fond more than anything. He sat next to Oga thinking that he would have to wake up earlier tomorrow to make up for the lost time tonight. But as Naga passed him a control after Oga booted up Smash, with the squad congregated behind him and cheering for his victory, he decided it wouldn’t be so bad.

—-

It had been a chilly night so far. It didn’t seem like the sun had been up in the sky just two hours ago, what with the speed the temperature had decreased in just that time. Anyone who might have been hiding behind some bushes and spying the house just across the street would not be having a nice time; but the demon Zera didn’t particularly mind. They had been entrusted with a top secret mission and they wouldn’t let the weather get in the way of it.

"Brother," Zera addressed his partner beside him. "Have you seen anything yet?"

Zera’s brother, Hanzo, adjusted the binoculars around his neck before answering “No. There seems to be some kind of party happening inside, but the curtains are still drawn shut.”

Zera looked through his own binoculars and made a humming noise in response, thinking.

"Perhaps there is something we could do to call their attention?" he ventured. "Such as tapping on their window and hiding under it before they can see us, or ring their doorbell and run before they open it?"

Hanzo finally let his binoculars rest against his chest and stroked his chin thoughtfully. “There is certainly value to be considered in your first idea, brother. We’ve been stationed here for nearly five hours now, I believe it’s time to change our strategy.”

"Agreed. Let us move forward then."

So they slithered through the completely empty street to reach the house that, according to their intel, was the place where Beelzebub IV and his Royal Contractor would spend the night the most often. As they crouched behind the window on the second floor, they could clearly hear the sounds of a gathering taking place, with laughter, enthusiastic yelling and the occasional blood-curling scream coming from inside. Hanzo and Zera positioned themselves strategically under the windowsill where they could make a hasty retreat to the bushes a few feet away from them, made a quick check to be sure no one was watching them, and when they confirmed the coast was clear, Hanzo took a small pebble and threw it against the window.

—-

"Hey, Furuichi! What is this?"

Furuichi had just put his control down to go get more snacks when Agiel motioned him to come over to her little group, holding a book in her hand.

"Ah, that’s one of my anatomy books," Furuichi said as he arrived and took a closer look to the page she was reading. "For college," he added as Agiel shot him a confused expression before lighting in recognition.

"Oh! Laymia-chan was right, then! You really are studying the healing arts! As expected of the general!"

"Yeah, I’m studying medicine," Furuichi said sheepishly as Hecadoth and Laymia beside them nodded in approval. "I thought it was interesting and I’m already used to dealing with injuries, so–" 

Other demons who had gotten tired of being defeated by Oga had started to approach them as well, asking if it was true that Furuichi had plans to become a healer, but Furuichi got distracted by a tap on… his window? Surely not, they were on the second floor. But he was sure he had heard something; maybe more members from the squad had arrived and landed on the roof?

"Furuichi?" Hecadoth asked as he turned to the direction he was facing. "Is something wrong?"

"No, but – did you hear something just now?"

Hecadoth arched an eyebrow in response and marched towards the window, drawing the curtains back.

"There’s nothing out here," he declared to his reflection in the glass. "But if there are intruders, it’s possible that they’re hiding. Should I inspect the perimeter around the house as well?"

"Ah, no, it’s fine. I probably just imagined it–"

"Furuichi-kun!! Come here, this is one of your books too, right?? What’s this one about?"

—-

Outside of the house, the pair of demon agents had successfully managed to go back to their original hiding spot undetected. And as they put on their binoculars to analyze the situation, they gleefully noted the curtains left open.

"Look, brother! The fools have lowered their guard and left an ample view of their headquarters!"

"Indeed! Let us make haste before they realize their own incompetence! What do you see, brother?"

Hanzo carefully raised his head from the bushes and, double checking the coast was clear as Zera ceremoniously adjusted his binoculars.

He gasped in surprise. “Amazing! At least half of Behemoth’s 34 Pillar Division must be inside! Our information was most certainly correct!”

"But what of the young prince and his human?"

"I can see them! They seem to be enjoying an entertainment center of sorts, the fools. It’s no small wonder our presence has gone undetected!"

"Yes, I see them as well!" Hanzo said as he put on his own binoculars. "And the description fits perfectly. We must retreat now to report back to–"

"Brother, wait!" Zera exclaimed as he raised his hand and pointed towards a corner of the room. "There is another human, do you see him? And nearly all of the squad is crowded around him and listening to him as he speaks! Surely this is the Royal Contractor we’re looking for, if he’s surrounded by demons?"

"Very true! That brute playing on his own with the prince must be nothing but a babysitter."

"So how shall we proceed? Should we report back to the base?"

"Not yet, brother. If the Royal Contractor is around this amount of demons, not even we will be able to hold them off on our own. "

"I’m sad to say I agree. Let us retreat and formulate a plan then, brother."

They put their binoculars away and triple checked that the coast was clear one last time –unnecessary as everyone inside the Royal Contractor’s house was solely concentrated on him and nothing else– before rolling a small sphere in the ground. A small huff of smoke surrounded their figures, and they disappeared.

—-

Four hours, a hole on his wall, and many heartfelt goodbyes and promises to see him later, Furuichi collapsed on top of his bed, exhausted.

"About fucking time."

 Unsurprisingly Oga had been doing nothing but play the entire time, regardless of whether he had a playing partner or not.

"I thought they would never leave."

"Dah!"

"Not thanks to you," Furuichi grumbled against his pillow. "Did you have to be playing the whole damn time? You just kept on riling them up, Oga. They could’ve left two hours ago if not for that."

"Well, so much for being professional."

Furuichi sighed against his pillow again, too tired to try to argue any further.

"Are you staying the night?"

"Yeah, it’s getting pretty late anyway. And I had already told Hilda I wouldn’t come home; she said she didn’t mind looking after Nico on her own."

"Don’t just invite yourself to other people’s houses, bastard."

"I’m spending the weekend here too, by the way."

“You what?!”

—-

A few miles away, in a super-secret base that was most certainly not an abandoned warehouse, a pair of demon brothers went over their strategy one last time.

"Everything is ready for the plan tomorrow, brother."

"Excellent. Let us take our designated stations and proceed. Tomorrow, we take the Royal Contractor down."

—-

It was during the early hours of Sunday morning that Oga felt it again. The sensation that someone was watching him.

He craned his neck towards the clock in the wall: 4 am. Furuichi had fallen asleep at some point during the night, his head resting over the book he had been reading when Oga went to sleep nearly six hours ago. Apart from him and Beel, who was still sleeping beside him, there was no one else in the room.

So what the fuck was going on.

"Ugh, Oga, keep it down. It’s too early for you to get into Mad Dog mode already."

Ah, did he say that out loud?

"Whatever. Go back to sleep, Furuichi. I need to go outside to check something."

"Huh?"

He wouldn’t go far, so it was okay to leave Beel in the room. He just wanted to make sure there was nothing weird going on.  The outside of the house seemed bare, at least, and Oga didn’t detect any sort of demonic energy from the vicinity.

Maybe Furuichi had a stalker?

Still, Oga couldn’t shake off the weird feeling in his gut. He had felt vaguely uneasy on Friday; but he had thought that was a premonition of sorts to the Pillar Squad that greeted them later that day. Come Saturday morning, however, the feeling had only intensified instead of leaving. Today wasn’t any better.

Maybe he should wake up Beel for a better scouting of the area.

"Hey, Oga, what the hell are you doing?? It’s freezing outside! Get your ass back in here!"

Oga turned to the window from where Furuichi was yelling, looking a little more awake but wearing an exasperated expression. He had bags under his eyes, but he didn’t seem concerned in the least. He was good at sensing demonic power too, wasn’t he? Or something about being able to channel demonic power easily. Same thing, really. So he should be able to notice if there was something wrong, right?

"Furuichi," Oga started once he was laying on his futon again. "You haven’t felt anything weird these days?"

Furuichi, who was busy drying off the drool that had gotten to the books he used as a pillow and was still struggling with staying awake, took a few seconds before answering.

"Weird? Like what?" Furuichi instantly recalled the time he thought someone was tapping on his window, but he doubted that was what Oga was talking about. He was pretty sure he had hallucinated that, anyway. "I haven’t felt anything."

Well, it’s not like he had expected him to, since he didn’t seem worried, but Oga frowned at his answer anyway. He turned to his side to make himself comfortable, feeling slightly irritated. Maybe it was him, maybe playing Pokémon all day had messed with his head.

"Never mind. Just don’t stay up all night again, dumbass."

—-

The exam on Monday morning was a breeze and Furuichi was confident he had done well. Upon relaying the news to Oga, who had been waiting outside of the classroom the whole time, he gave his signature grunt of approval before promptly asking if they could go get some croquettes already.

"The pillars are coming today again, aren’t they? I wanna eat something before they get to your place."

Upon learning that Furuichi had been doing nothing but studying the last few weeks, Hecadoth had declared that the completion of Furuichi’s tests should be celebrated by throwing a party on Monday afternoon; and even though Furuichi sincerely appreciated their efforts, he worried about the edibility of the ‘roasted tavuk’ they were planning on bringing today.

"Yeah, me too, I just have to go meet my professor real quick and then we’ll go."

And even though Oga said he didn’t mind waiting, Furuichi wasn’t sure how long it’d take for him to finish with his meeting, so he assured Oga it would be fine if he went ahead.

"They always run out of croquettes less than an hour after they open, so you might as well go buy them on your own. I’ll see you later at my place."

Oga paid no mind to the feeling of unease that had refused to budge from his gut since Friday night and left, with Beel singing a nonsensical tune at the top of his head, excited at the prospect of food and the party tonight.

Neither of them had foreseen the fight that would happen just in a couple of hours. And even if they had known, they wouldn’t have celebrated it.

—-

"Brother, behold! The Royal Contractor has finally been left to his own devices!"

"Yes! This is our chance, brother! Let us strike now as he unwisely wanders on his own!"

—-

Furuichi sneezed. It had been cold the last couple of days, but he didn’t think he was getting sick, even with the whole lack of sleep thing he was experiencing. Maybe a nice pair of girls were gossiping about him, wondering if they should ask Furuichi on a date for Christmas next week. Yes, that was probably it.

His teacher’s office was on one of the most secluded areas on campus, so even though classes weren’t over yet he wasn’t surprised to see he was the only one coming out of the building. And Furuichi’s exhaustion was finally catching up to him, making his step lower and his head just a little light-headed. So as he was daydreaming about the croquettes that were waiting for him at home, he couldn’t anticipate the blow to his head that got him from behind; and when he fell to the ground, unconscious, no one was around to help him.

—-

Oga had been waiting for a measly half hour when the Pillar Squad came crashing down Furuichi’s room, bodies falling on top of each other because of the proximity of the demon portal to the floor. Oga watched, bemused, as the demons yelled profanities and threats at each other until they were finally disentangled from one another. The ‘party supplies’ and even presents they had brought, Oga noticed, were miraculously unscathed.

"Oga Tatsumi," Laymia addressed him politely as she deliberately blocked his view from the TV. "We have arrived. Where is the General?"

"Too early," Oga said as he craned his neck to get a better view at the screen. "He said he had something to do before coming home. He hasn’t arrived yet."

"Whaaat?" Agiel wailed as she jumped down next to Laymia, effectively blocking Oga’s attempt to watch the newest Rice-kun episode. "That can’t be right!! He wasn’t at his college campus either! So he must be here!!"

Oga was just about to physically move the two demons from their spot when Agiel’s words caught his attention. “Wait, what do you mean he wasn’t at campus?”

"Exactly what she said. We were meaning to surprise him, so we had the squad patrolling from the sky, and there was no sign that Furuichi was there." Laymia explained, arching an eyebrow as she took on Oga’s bemused expression. "So he must be here."

"Well, he’s not," Oga said now frowning "You must have missed him on your way here."

Agiel’s face suddenly reflected Oga’s inner turmoil.

"Ai?" Beel questioned from Oga’s lap, perhaps sensing it as well.

"Very well. If he’s on his way, then he should be arriving in a few minutes."

Five minutes after their conversation, the various pillars that had arrived spread themselves around the house to start getting everything ready.

Twenty minutes after their conversation, Oga could not focus on what was on the TV anymore, staring at a blank spot on the wall just a few inches above it.

Thirty minutes after their conversation, everyone started to grow restless, pacing around the house without much to do but comparing gift sizes –and subsequently picking fights– and wondering why Furuichi was taking so long. Oga tried calling his cellphone twice, but Furuichi never picked it up.

One hour after their conversation, Oga and the Pillar Squad left the house and split up in different groups to look for the missing tactician.

—-

When Furuichi woke up the first thing he noticed was that he had a splitting headache. He felt as though he had been hit from behind with a metal pole, which judging by the throbbing on the back on his head, was probably the case.

The second thing he noticed as he tried to assess the damage was that he couldn’t move his hands, or his feet for that matter. Further inspection led him to conclude that they were, in fact, bound by some kind of metallic cord, if his sight was to be believed, but the room he was in was not particularly well lit. He looked up to see his surroundings, which was nothing but a gray, bare and wide space, hoping that some kind of answer would present itself regarding his current predicament.

And then, it dawned on him.

Oh.

Oh no.

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

Furuichi started thrashing against his binds, cursing and grunting profanities under his breath, because there was no fucking way this was happening. It had to be a terrible joke, there was no other explanation; because surely not, after so many years, surely he hadn’t been kidnapped again, had he?

The silence in the abandoned room seemed to be mocking him in response. But Furuichi was having none of this shit.

"Hello!?" Furuichi yelled at the room at large, not quite managing to hide the frustrated tone in his voice. "Mr. Kidnapper!? Listen, I don’t know what exactly you’re trying to do here, but I already had plans for today. So if you would please let me go and save me the trouble of–"

"Be silent, captive!"

Out of nowhere, what had to be the strangest pair of demons Furuichi had ever seen had descended from the roof in a swift, almost choreographed motion, landing next to each other with perfect synchronization and striking what seemed to be an intimidating motion at the same time.

"What the– How long had you been waiting up there!? Did you actually practice that!?

"I said silence! You are now at the mercy of Zera and Hanzo, the magnificent! Demon soldiers under the leadership of the glorious Solomon 56th faction of–"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!! I DIDN’T ASK FOR YOUR LIFE STORY!! I WANT TO KNOW WHY THE HELL I AM HERE AND IF IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH OGA I SWEAR TO GOD–"

Furuichi gasped in pain as something like an electric current suddenly made its way up his leg and paralyzed it, rendering him speechless. He realized with a start that the binds at his ankles and wrists were not just placed to limit his movement, but to neutralize it completely if needed.

This might just be the most dangerous pair of idiots he had encountered in a long time.

"Are you willing to listen now, captive? There’s no need to be so hasty, as we assure you you’re not going anywhere."

"If you truly must know, we’re currently waiting for our transportation to arrive, as we had to take several precautions to transport the Royal Contractor to the Demon World, you see. So if you would be so kind as to remain quiet, Contractor, we can guarantee your comfort for the rest of the evening. Good day."

And then they disappeared in a puff of smoke, presumably to station themselves somewhere above the roof again.

Ten whole seconds after their departure, Furuichi was still gaping.

No way. No fucking way. This had to be the stupidest misunderstanding of all time, but there was no other logical explanation. He knew that, but Furuichi still couldn’t wrap his mind around it.

These pair of demons actually thought that HE was Beel’s contractor? Had they seriously mistaken him for Oga!?

And Furuichi was so mad, so angry at the stupidity of it all, that he couldn’t help but just blame Oga for the whole thing.

"OGA, YOU FUCKING MORON!!"

"THE FUCK DID YOU CALL A MORON YOU DUMBASS FURUICHI!!"  

Furuichi hadn’t been expecting a reply, but he would be lying if he said he didn’t figuratively welcome it with open arms – because, you know, his hands were still tied.

That had to be the shortest, underwhelming, and most importantly, idiotic kidnapping in Furuichi’s entire life. And the fact that he could actually say that sentence without a hint of a joke was just sad, to be honest.

Hanzo and Zera, the magnificent, did not stand a chance against Oga. The second he had blasted through a wall and made his entrance, the pair of demons had swiftly landed on the ground again, warning the newcomer that if he treasured his life it would be best for him to leave now; only to have their heads buried five feet in concrete 0.5 seconds later. And when they tried to make a strategic retreat as Oga untied Furuichi, barely a second later the Pillar Squad came crashing down the roof, reburying them twenty feet under the ground.

Before long Furuichi was on his feet and surrounded by all the pillars that weren’t busy arresting the pair of idiotic brothers, fussing over his well-being and asking him over and over if he was okay.

And as Furuichi assured them many times, he was completely fine. His leg didn’t hurt anymore and he could move it again, although he needed help getting back to the house, at which point several of the pillars fought amongst themselves for the honor of carrying Furuichi back, before Oga finally lost his patience and announced he would do it.

"We will have to postpone our celebration, unfortunately," Hecadoth said in front of the portal that was waiting for his departure. After many heartfelt well-wishes the Pillar Squad had left, and he was the only one left. "It seems that these demons in question, while most definitely pathetic, belong to the Solomon group which we had thought had been completely restrained. It is possible that they were lying, but this will require an investigation anyway." And then, as an afterthought, "Sorry."

"Ah, don’t worry about it. If you guys need me to give a declaration or something just call me."

"Yes, but not today. That injury should not be serious, but it’s best that you rest right now."

Hecadoth shot Oga a pointed glance, as though daring him to make Furuichi run around or something as soon as they got home. He then nodded towards Furuichi, dismissing himself, and left through the portal.

"Finally. I thought they would never leave."

Oga was not amused by the number of times he had to say that just in the last three days.

—-

The walk back home was uneventful, with Oga remaining silent the whole time and even Beel being uncharacteristically quiet, save for some weird sounds he’d do occasionally that almost sounded like exasperated huffs. Furuichi for his part preferred to stay quiet as well. It had been a long day and recent events only served to exhaust him further. By the time they reached his house, he had almost fallen asleep.

"Furuichi." Oga finally said once they were back inside his room. "I’m spending the night again."

It was not a statement open for suggestions, but this time Furuichi didn’t mind. It was not like he was scared by the whole ordeal, but he definitely preferred company at the moment. Getting kidnapped was not exactly something you could get used to, even after so many years.

"Hey," Oga called him again after they had settled into their respective beds, Beel’s soft snore filling the air. "Sorry about today."

The apology came so suddenly it caught Furuichi by surprise, almost dispelling the state of sleep he was falling into and making his head amazingly clear for a few moments; because even if at the time he was more than willing to blame things on Oga, it’s not like he actually meant it. So he said,

"It’s not your fault, Oga." A heavy silence fell between them, like it always did when something like this happened. But this time Oga had more to say.

"I know." He seemed to be struggling with something. "But I am sorry, anyway. And I’m sorry too, about last time.”

Furuichi correctly guessed that ‘last time’ meant none other than the time Takamiya used him as bait, when he almost died, when he got to see his own living, beating heart pulsing in front of him–

"I never blamed you, Oga." Furuichi forced himself to say before his brain went to places he definitely didn’t want to revisit that night. "But… Thank you."

He could see Oga nodding to himself in the darkness, as though accepting his response, before rolling on his side and quickly falling asleep; and Furuichi followed him not too long after that, falling into a peaceful, dreamless sleep himself.

The next day Furuichi’s family finally came back from their impromptu vacation, greeting their son and congratulating him for completing his last round of exams. They were confused about the amount of presents under their Christmas tree, courtesy from the Pillar Squad of course, not that they were supposed to know; but Oga stepped in to say that he decided Furuichi could use some nice presents this year, no need to thank him, and wasn’t he lucky he had such a good friend?

The delinquent had no idea why Lamia had kicked him out.  Surely the demon doctor could handle a little complaint about needing to sleep.  And Oga was very very tired.  It was beyond the kind of sleep deprivation he’d get when staying up finishing Dragon Quest VII.  This was the kind of exhaustion he’d only experienced last year when trying to pass middle school.

The heaviness seemed to sink into his body, settling into the teenager’s stomach before churning into something awful.  WHY is she taking so long?  Furuichi is sleeping in MY room so where the hell am I supposed to go?  He closed his eyes and slammed his fist against the wall.

He didn’t want to think about it, but the images of what had happened last night were already replaying in his head.  Takamiya’s face, taunting him as he held his best friend’s heart.  But he’s alive. Oga insisted in his mind.  All of this shit doesn’t matter.  I don’t need to remember this.  Beel is back with me. I showed Takamiya who’s boss.  Why can’t I just sleep this all off?  Furuichi’s alive.  I just need sleep. Everything else is fine.

A soft whimper coming from behind the door pulled Oga out of his retrospection.

Hastily he opened it to find the tiny medical practitioner in exactly the same spot as he had left her.  Except now she was sobbing.

“If only I had given you something last time!  Then maybe, you wouldn’t have died…” Lamia wailed.  “But, in the end I could barely help you…”

“This is why you kicked me out?” Oga interjected.  His faith in Lamia was fading fast.  She didn’t even look up, her head was resting on her arms, being propped up by Oga’s mattress.

“Oi,” the teenage contractor elbowed her on the top of her head.

“OW!” She yelped. “What the hell was THAT for?!” she clutched her head. “You should be grateful I’m helping you two!”

 “Oh yeah?  Then why hasn’t he—!”

A long winded groan was suddenly heard, interrupting them mid-fight. They turned their heads towards Furuichi, who had now opened his eyes.

The recently resurrected boy looked perplexed.  Firstly, he didn’t have his shirt one. Secondly, he had bandages wrapped tightly over his chest.  And most disturbing of all, his arms and torso felt sticky to the touch, like it had been covered in jelly.  A shiver crept down his spine. It took him a couple of seconds to figure out the medical mumus must have slithered all over him.

“How do you feel?” Lamia asked, rushing over. “Do you still hurt?  I can give you more painkillers.”

Oga couldn’t really place the feeling of aggravation as Lamia babbled on.  But it was something unnecessary.

“I feel fine, really Lamia!  I…wait,” His eyes widened “This is Oga’s room? How long have I been out?  What happened to Takamiya?”  He tried sitting up but made him feel dizzy. “Ugh can I even leave?” he muttered, clutching his head.

“You’re leaving? That’s great, maybe I can finally take back my—OUWW!” Lamia punched Oga in the stomach.

Now that Oga had temporarily stopped being a dick, Lamia was stuck.  Telling the facts was always better.  However, who knew if Furuichi experienced any kind of PTSD?

“What happened was…” she began.

“Nothing happened.” Oga had already regained his composure.  “You’re here because…uh…”

“Actually Takamiya killed you.” Lamia interrupted.

“K-killed?!” Furuichi said, taken back by what was just said.

“Yes.” “No!” Oga and Lamia the answered at the same time.  Lamia glared at Oga.

“Well whatever, you’re alive now, the details don’t matter.” The delinquent insisted.

“You died, and,” Lamia gulped. “Your soul split into three pieces.”  Furuichi’s eye twitched.

“HOWEVER, due to the efforts of Oga, me, and that Akahoshi guy…you’ve been revived.  Do you feel any different?” Lamia held her hands close to her heart, waiting for the patient to say something.

Oga could see his best friend’s eyes widen with disbelief, then change into a squint of skepticism. 

“Thanks but…I don’t really remember anything.” The white-haired boy admitted, scratching the back of his head.

Lamia collapsed out of embarrassment. “Hah! Take that! Oga laughed.  “He’s back to normal!”  Clearly if the guy couldn’t remember there was no point in hurting his brain asking pointless questions.

Furuichi rolled his eyes at his supposed best friend. Such support, much emotion.

Though still grinning at Lamia’s embarrassment, Oga felt a hell of a lot better.  Whatever, the whole ordeal is over, now we can go back to our normal lives again.  Beel, still fast asleep on his back, let out a small mew.  Well, almost normal lives.

Still embarrassed, Lamia excused herself to talk to Hilda, leaving Oga and Furuichi alone.

Oga darted his eyes over his friend’s injuries, wincing at their sight.  Despite how it looked, the injuries would disappear by tomorrow right? At least that’s what he told himself.

 “So,” Furuichi wheezed. “Fill me in.” The white-haired teenager had rolled over to his side, trying to face his friend without making an effort to get up. 

Oga gave as brief a list of events as he could surmise.  No need to talk about things that don’t matter anymore, he thought, editing out the part of Furuichi’s soul being eaten by parts of the Fallen Angels.  Or the part of Himekawa double crossing everyone.  He knew the more he recalled those memories, the more they were going to stay embedded in his brain.  There was no way he wanted Furuichi to relive it either.

“So that’s how Takamiya went down.  Woah.” The white haired boy couldn’t help but be impressed by Oga and Beel’s growth together.  It wasn’t like anything he had heard before.

“He never knew what hit him,” The contractor boasted, immediately began picking his ear, keeping up the appearance of not caring.

“It sounds like it,” Furuichi replied.  He tried to imagine Takamiya’s expression change into one of fear, but he couldn’t.  Instead, the image of the emperor knocking him down appeared.  The tissues didn’t work.  “Y’know, I wish I could have—”

“DON’T!” Oga cut him off. “Don’t you dare—-“The contractor shut his eyes, inhaled sharply and clenched his hands into fists.  He didn’t continue.

“Don’t what?”  Furuichi pleaded.  Oga didn’t answer.

Furuichi felt a whole lot more exhausted than when he first woke up.  The details of what happened last night were hazy, but he could put together a picture of some of the events.  In a weird way, he was happy Oga had stopped him.  I should be grateful I’m still alive, he thought.  Even if it is due to that constipated bastard.  With this in mind, he found himself drifting back to sleep.

Oga came and sat down on the bed, jolting Furuichi awake again.  The teenager was staring down at him intensely.

“There’s something else I want to tell you.” 

Suddenly, Oga’s figure loomed over him.  He rested his hands against either side of Furuichi’s body, and leaned in towards his face.  The white haired teenager felt his heart being fast in anticipation.

He was used to his best friend hiding how he felt.  It was just how Oga was, although he was getting better at it.  He had Beel to thank for that.  But right now Furuichi could almost see the mental wall Oga was struggling to go through.  Maybe he needed a prompt, but the injured teenager was too tired to think of any.

“I…”  Furuichi held his breath.

“… need SLEEP! Do you know how fucking long I’ve been up?!” Oga spoke, widening his eyes in hopes Furuichi could see bags under them.

Furuichi’s eyes glazed over, dismissing all the hope he had conjured a minute ago.

“Your bed smells.” He replied. “You think I want to stay here?” Oga clenched his jaw.  Furuichi gave no fucks at his friend’s intimidation tactic.

“FINE.” Oga pulled Beel off his back and dropped the sleeping toddler on Furuichi’s face.

“Oi! What the FUCK” The dark haired boy pulled off the blanket and wrestled with his friend for a few futile second until he was settled in bed with him.

“Oga what the hell are you doing?  There isn’t enough space—“ 

His complaints were ignored, because after the five seconds they had wrestled for dominance, Oga was fast asleep.  Literally within seconds of pressing his head against the pillow and he was passed out.  Furuichi was no longer lying on his back, but pressed up against the window on his left side, Beel having nestled himself somehow, between the two of them.

Like a river*, huh…Furuichi thought, feeling himself drift off to sleep. Sure, he could barely move, and naturally, Oga had stolen most of the blanket.  But it wasn’t so uncomfortable in the end.  A really cramped river, was the last thought he had before falling asleep.

It felt like moments later, Furuichi was being shaken awake by an overwhelming force.  His eyes opened to see a very eager and alert Baby Beel, patting and rubbing his chubby hands all over his face.

“Furuichi….why are you still here?” Oga asked groggily.

“I don’t know,” he groaned.  “Why haven’t you kicked me out yet?”

Oga stared at him.  Beel had moved on from playing with Furuichi’s cheeks and began finger combing through his hair.

“You know Beel is trying to play with you, right?”

“Let him,” Furuichi muttered.  “Like I care at this point.”

Oga didn’t know what to say to that, but he felt a little pang of guilt. He sat up to get a better look at his friend. Initially, Oga had believed Furuichi was acting just fine.  But now, he could feel the waves of….of something hit him behind the eyes.  Furuichi was just as tired he was.  Fuck, Furuichi looked almost as bad as he did when he left to go soul-searching (literally) that morning.  Sleep deprivation was one hell of a drug.

Oga beckoned to Beel, gesturing with his hands.  The baby hastily jumped on top of Furuichi’s chest before climbing into his arms.  Furuichi grimaced for a split second before settling his expression back to normal.

The feeling of guilt swept through the delinquent’s face.  He frowned, trying to fight back any retort he would normally use to get back at his best friend.

"What?" Furuichi asked.

Oga opened his mouth but quickly closed it, thinking about the dream he had just now.  He didn’t want to go to jail.  He didn’t want the judge to sentence him for a lifetime of being called Bitch Ass Pussy Oga, and he definitely didn’t want the attorneys’ to leave him there without any defence.  He didn’t want any of the feelings that were rushing through his head at that very moment.

"I’m sorry." he finally said. “For what happened.”

 So this is what was bothering him, Furuichi thought, in awe of his friend’s admission.  He didn’t know what to say in return.  He knew what Oga meant; even in his least roundabout ways, his best friend was not as apathetic as he tried to be at times.

 “It’s not your fault.  We were tricked, re—mmh!” Furuichi attempted to reply.  The delinquent hastily placed a finger against his friend’s mouth, before continuing.

“I’m not done yet.” Oga said.  He broke his eye contact and looked down to Baby Beel, who was also looking back up at him.

“These fuckers keep trying to target me, to bring me down.  I can’t let them win.” Oga tightened his hold on the baby.  “Whether it’s the Solomon Company, or this Fuji guy, I’m going to blast them away.   I’m not going to let what happened repeat itself, you hear?”

Furuichi’s heart was racing.  It was too much…too much of Oga being his manly himself, and he felt overwhelmed.  A warm, radiating sensation crept through his body, settling on his face.  Lying down wasn’t going to help anymore.  With a sharp inhale, Furuichi pushed his arms against the mattress and forced himself into a sitting position.  Oga looked up from Baby Beel to see his response.

Furuichi was, well, not saying anything, but he was sporting a rather prominent flush on his face.

“Do you have a fever?” Oga asked, suddenly remembering Lamia talking about painkillers all those hours ago.

“Ah….n-no,” Furuichi stuttered, holding his hands up to his face.  Oga leaned in and pulled his arms away from his friend, to get a closer look at his face.

“I’M FINE!” The white haired teen insisted, turning his face away.  “It’s just that—“ 

He took a deep breath, and turned around to face his best friend again, with a straight face.

 “You’re seriously hardcore, you know that?  And here I was worried…”

 “You’re pretty tough yourself” Oga replied, looking his friend straight in the eye.   

Furuichi couldn’t help but break into a grin. “You can’t get rid of me so easily.” 

Oga found himself cracking a small smile in return.  He could feel the uneasiness lift from his conscious, like something had stopped squeezing his heart.  It was true, that Furuichi was alive and on his way to being fully recovered.  And Takamiya was no longer a threat to either one of them.  The fear still lingered in the back of his mind, but somehow the odds didn’t seem so against him anymore.

“Why don’t you go home,” Oga said, breaking the silence. “I’ll talk to Hilda.”

Furuichi furrowed his eyebrows in disbelief.  “Hilda’s back? Since when?”

“Ah…for a couple of hours now.”

“And you didn’t tell me?  She could have been really worried about me!” Furuichi began listing off his fantasy scenarios involving Hilda nursing him back to health.

Oga rolled his eyes.  He should have expected Furuichi’s interest in romancing women to make an appearance but it still catches him off guard.  But as long as he can have this moment of quiet, it wasn’t too bad of a sacrifice to make.

END

***

It starts when he and Oga are at the park after their graduation, alone at last-though Furuichi wouldn’t have anything bad to say if some of the Red Tails joined them. Back on point though, it starts at the park.  Oga is busy describing in uselessly gory detail about his adventure-or whatever you’d call ending a revolt- in Demon World when two Ishiyama freshmen jog up to them, stars in their eyes.

Oga glares as they approach but tolerates them up until one of them starts talking to Furuichi.

“Oh! General Furuichi!” he says, pulling something from his pocket and presenting him with a bag of chocolates. It’s sort of melting, but the thought counts. “Congratulation!”

Personally, he is flattered but Furuichi notices Oga’s expression darkening so opts to go the nonchalant route. He furrows his brows and sighs dramatically. “It’s sort of weird getting chocolate from a guy, but thanks,” Furuichi quips lightly before reaching up to take the bag.  

However, before he can even do so, the poor punk goes flying as Oga more or less kicks him away.

Furuichi glares at his newly returned friend. “What the hell?!” he shrieks. “What, didn’t you do enough fighting back there?! He’s just a first-year!”

When Oga doesn’t respond, he goes off again. “I mean, I don’t what you were doing, but I was taking care of the school for the last six months so obviously, I’d get something for that!”

“We’re leaving,” Oga cuts in with a demonic smile, grabbing the front of Furuichi’s blazer as he drags him away from the other freshman, whose eyes darts back between Oga, his unconscious friend and Furuichi.

“Hey-hey! Will you listen to me?!” Furuichi grumbles as he stumbles backwards, guided by Oga. He manages a small wave at the first year before hitting Oga’s arm to try to free himself. It has about the same effect as a fly attacking an eagle.

He isn’t released until they are alone again, out of the park.

“What the hell?” Furuichi growls, narrowing his eyes.

Oga has that idiotic grin again. “Come on Furuchin,” he says, reverting back to that hated nickname. “I still need to tell you how that dumbass Alaindelon got eaten.”

“Stop with that stupid nickname,” he replies. “Furuichi isn’t that long of a name!”

“Whatever,” Oga shrugs, and both babies coo in unison.

Just like that, the matter drops and Furuichi sighs but follows. Arguing with Oga is too tiresome, and he’d rather still have his voice by the end of the day.

The event eventually gets chalked up as a side-effect of being with no one else but demons for six months.

***

But it does get worse from there. If anyone other than the old Ishiyama gang stops by or tries to talk, Oga sends them away with a glare and a punch. That’s normal-but it’s not so normal when it’s other Ishiyama students that actually look up to Furuichi.

“You’re being a real dick,” Furuichi comments after the latest bout of underclassmen goes flying. Granted, they should know by now to stop trying to bother him when Oga’s around, but then again you can’t teach delinquents anything.

“You say something?” Oga asks, droplets of blood falling from his knuckles. He cruises back beside Furuichi, admiring his handiwork.

“What’s with you lately?” Furuichi says, crossing his arms. “You’re being a dick-I mean more so than usual.”

Oga doesn’t say anything, so Furuichi takes it as his cue to continue. “I mean, a lot has changed in six months,” he adds. “I’m not some weakling anymore. Those guys look up to me now.”

Oga grunts, which is not much a response.

“It’s a real pain, you know?” Furuichi adds. “I mean, I can’t even talk to Toujou without fearing you’ll jump in and attack. And it’s freaking Toujou! And those students-they really look up to you, and you keep being a dick. At least listen before attacking! What is up with you?”

Still no response.

Furuichi sighs. “I’m leaving,” he says. “I don’t feel like dealing with this.”

He leaves with a distinct feeling that Oga wants to say something to him. But the child-rearing badass surprisingly doesn’t try to stop him.

*** 

Furuichi wakes up with a start, the sound of smashing cement jolting his senses. He glances at the time with his phone and groans.

“It’s too early for this crap,” he grumbles to himself. But Oga’s probably out there, destroying city property, and he should try to go and stop the idiot.

He goes to the window to double check though, because it’d be really awkward if there was actually a city crew outside at 6 in the morning.

He pulls open the curtains and can’t help the choked gasp he releases.

It’s Oga alright. He has ostrich buried a bunch of delinquents in a strategic formation. Furuichi is happy to note that none of them are Ishiyama- though it surprises him that he can know this without seeing their faces.

“Shit, you woke up,” Oga says, after his finally burying punch, looking up to glare at Furuichi as though it is his fault.

“Who’d be able to sleep with you creating destruction all morning,” Furuichi says with a sigh, though his lips are tilted upwards to a smile.

“So?” Oga asks, gesturing to behind him to where the group is lined up. His expression doesn’t change, though Furuichi can tell he is tensing.

Furuichi looks at it again. It’s simultaneously the most idiotic and weirdly romantic thing Oga’s done.

It takes a lot of work to bury enough heads to spell out ‘Go out with me.’

“Is this why you were being so idiotic for the last 3 weeks?” Furuichi calls out.

“What if it is?” Oga replies, crossing his arms.

Furuichi laughs, opening the windows wider. “So come up here so I can prove you have nothing to worry about.”

Oga grins.

They’re all good.  

***