[fic;dsrk] (hopefully)you make no mistakes ; raido kuzunoha xiv
Title: (hopefully)you make no mistakes
Fandom: DEVIL SUMMONER: RAIDOU KUZUNOHA
Character(s)/Pairing: Raido Kuzunoha XIV, Shouhei Narumi. Alternative verse.
Rating: PG.
Word Count: 2218
Feedback: yes please.
Disclaimer: none of the characters/sources are mine.
Summary: He wasn't what Narumi was expecting in terms of an "apprentice".
Maybe he just has an inherently wrong idea about what kids from the country these days are like. Despite the instructions from the Herald of Yatagarasu about the boy being one of Her servants beforehand, when the doorbell actually rings (couldn't he have come a bit earlier?) and he stands up from his chair with a grunt to stomp his way downstairs, Narumi is still somehow expecting to see some greenhorn kid still wet behind the ears -- sparkles in his eyes and the whole shebang about them being Impressionable and Innocent and all that. The one who is actually staring back at him is the furthest thing from what Narumi is expecting. This isn't his dreams-and-imaginations child, this is a flesh-and-blood child all the way down to the bandages around one side of his face still oozing blood, and the one eye that is still visible stares at Narumi from the shadow cast by the low-pulled brim of his hat. The gaze is light and alert shining in the dark like a cat, Narumi thinks, and when he stands back to let the kid in a black shadow steps forward silently. Speak of the devil--
"Shoo," he mumbles, moving forward again to block the cat's path. "Scat! Shoo!"
"His name is Goto." The kid speaks then, and Narumi is surprised again. It isn't because of the voice -- in fact, the kid's voice is the only thing about him that actually fits his age -- it's young, the hint of huskiness in it which means he still hasn't quite gotten used to his voice; sounds like it only just really finished breaking. It's a kid's voice and Narumi finds himself weirdly reassured by it... but no, it's not the voice but the tone behind it, how goddamn tired the voice sounds, tired and angry and sullen as if he'd rather not say anything out of spite but feels it his Duty to inform him, in case it gets him into trouble later. It's not the kind of voice that Narumi is used to hearing from boys that age, and he finds that he's frowning a little as he stands there in the doorway looking down at the uniformed figure.
"Oh." He has nothing to say to that, and during that short moment of hesitation the cat slides in between his feet and darts inside. Narumi whips his head around to look at the dark shape bound its way upstairs, and half-raises his hand to push the glasses further up his nose. "Well, alright then. Why don't you come in, now? It's kind of cold out here so late at night."
The top of the boy's hat comes to just over his chin as he follows suit, and Narumi's eyes move down at the tiny clacking sound as the tip of the katana brushes against the doorframe. A katana, huh. That was pretty old-fashioned, wasn't it? Must not be very good at it, to get a wound like that-- Cutting off that thought, he follows the kid who falls behind respectfully enough as they walk upstairs, and his mouth moves almost automatically -- running a detective agency had its certain influences. Maybe not necessarily benefits, judging from how quiet the kid was, but at least it helped to break the awkward silence they managed put themselves in.
"I've got the spare room all done up for you -- it's not much yet, just a bed and a real nice closet I bought off cheap from the landlady when she was doing her spring cleaning -- but don't you worry about that, it's all cleaned up and everything. And I guess your cat could just sleep wherever. We'll just all have to settle in, right?" A click of the lock opening, and Narumi gestures with not a little pride behind the action -- but it's just lost on the boy, who looks on at the half-lit office inside with an expression that's unimpressed at best.
"Welcome to the Narumi Detective Agency."
---
Later on, when the air is just beginning to be warm again (and the birds are gathered to make a right old racket in the tree outside the window -- what a nuisance, maybe this Goto of his could get rid of a few for them) Narumi wakes up, and as he walks by the kid's room he can't resist opening the door a crack and taking a peek. He's pulled the sheets and the duvet off the bed and onto the floor (Narumi cringes slightly at that; it wasn't even swept before he let the boy in) and all that Narumi can see is the dark shock of his hair against the white of the pillow and the cat laying sedate on top of the duvet, facing the door. Its eyes are open and it shines green with the crack of morning light that Narumi lets in, and as their eyes meet he can almost see the cat's eyes narrowing in return, and the flick of its tail seem like part-disapproval, part-warning.
But maybe he's just imagining all this.
What a strange cat, he thinks as he carefully closes the door and walks down to buy some milk and bread for breakfast.
---
There's something weird about the kid, Narumi can't help thinking. Sure, he's supposed to be a devil summoner and all -- protecting the Capital and other things that Narumi honestly thinks that shouldn't be dumped onto a kid like that -- but even without all that, something smells fishy. The cat -- Goto -- for example. It is cat-like enough alright, but it always seems to follow Raido around everywhere -- and the weird pauses in between the kid's words as he stops to look at the cat, like he's asking him something.
Maybe it's just well-trained, a part of him says, the part that doesn't want to get mixed up in the whole crazy demon talk -- but there's another part of him that isn't quite sure.
"So, your name is Raido, right?"
The boy nods, and stares down at the toast in front of him. Narumi's already finished three and counting, and the next time their eyes meet again he gestures down at it encouragingly. "Come on, eat up! It's no good if the toast gets cold."
He looks as if he's about to speak, but then he does that funny thing again where he looks away from Narumi to stare at the cat and then back again to him, like he is looking for someone to direct him because he doesn't quite know what he should do. After another long pause, during which Narumi gives up and butters his next toast, Raido finally nods and picks up the toast gingerly. Not really a talkative sort of guy, is he? A mental sigh, but Narumi braces himself for the ordeal. Who knows? Maybe with someone stoic like Raido working for him now, this Agency might gain some kind of respect. Even though the said kid doesn't even look as if he should be let off his mother's apron strings yet ...
Raido looks up, and his pale gaze and the bandaged one both stare across the table at Narumi and after a minute of that, Narumi clears his throat. "What happened to your eye?"
The boy's gaze slides over to the cat once more (sitting by the windowsil behind Narumi's left shoulder -- even with his back turned he can still feel the green eyes boring holes into the back of his head) and he busies himself by pouring a fresh cup of coffee.
"A mistake," he says finally, and that's the end of it.
---
"So, how are you liking it so far, boy?"
Goto jumps down lightly from the desk and pads over to where Raido is sitting, cleaning the blade of his katana. Tonight is full moon, and knowing the state of the Capital -- they would be kept fairly busy. He says nothing, but shrugs.
"What's that?"
"--It's alright." Taptaptap the powder against the blade and the boy rests the sword on his lap for a moment to reach for the oil. His eye flickers over to the cat then back again, and although he takes hold of the bottle of oil and pulls it over to him, his hands do not move. Goto's tail flickers, impatient. "The Capital's a big place. You should be alert at all ti--"
"I know that." The tone is sharper than what he intended and Raido grimaces, the line of his mouth twisting ugly though the flesh under his eye remain oddly smooth with thick raised scar tissue. "--I can do it."
Goto doesn't reply, and when Raido moves to wipe the powder off the blade there's a tenseness to his shoulders that doesn't quite go away.
---
It happens about three weeks after the kid first turned up on his doorstep. Narumi wakes up at the crash of the front door giving way and he's up and out of his bed in seconds, and he's got a pistol in one hand and a paperweight in the other when he catches the sight of blood.
"Raido? What happened? Oh Christ--" The sheets are pulled off and pressed in bunches over his face as Raido coughs, and the inside of his cape is matted with dark patches of blood as he puts an arm out smearing blood on the wooden wall and the cat dances crazy around their heels but the landlady is the last thing on Narumi's mind. The patching up takes a while even with the bandages and things fetched from Raido's room and even though Narumi knows facial wounds always look worse than they are even though he knows how to keep calm and not flinch when he sees the flesh split and gaping open split by something (something, anything; that wound wasn't done by some godforsaken katana-blade he knows what the kid's capable of with that thing) and the kid falls asleep halfway through and Narumi has to prop his head up against his elbow as he wraps the last of the bandage around his head.
"What're you looking at?" Narumi snaps (irritable and tired and worried and man, his shirt will never be the same again) at the cat staring impassively as he carries the boy over to his bed, being careful to not let the shoddy wrapping dislodge. He'll have to call a doctor in, later.
It says nothing; but then, Narumi wasn't exactly expecting it to anyway.
---
Raido blinks.
It's morning and judging by how light it is outside it's more than that, and his head hurts and he should be getting to school, he's late-- but when he tries to sit up there's a hand against his shoulder pressing him back down and then Narumi's face swims into view all concerned looking and just so there that he can't really do anything but stare.
"How are you feeling?"
Narumi has to repeat his question twice over before Raido looks towards him (colourless eyes dark lashes opening and shutting; one eye slower to open he sees that he feels it), and shakes his head. "I'm okay."
"It isn't just okay!" This is the first time that he's heard Narumi's voice like this (loud and angry with his face twisting into something that isn't the usual smile) but it's different from when Goto is angry, and Raido says nothing but blinks again with the bandage feeling scratchy and heavy against his face. He's in the bed, and as he turnes his head away a little he sees Goto sitting curled up against his side over the sheets, and the cat lifts his head up and stares at Raido with eyes narrowing a little from the sunlight.
"This bed thing," he mutters, before beginning to wash his paws diligently, "it isn't too bad."
"What happened out there last night? I know I'm not supposed to go around sticking my nose into your business, but if you're going to come back with your face cut up like that--"
"We were worried." The cat interjects, completely oblivious to the stream of words coming from Narumi. "Especially him."
Raido looks from the cat to the other man for a while without speaking, until Narumi stops to take a breath. "Thank you."
Narumi starts, pauses awkwardly, then clears his throat a bit and pushes his glasses up over his nose again -- he blinks a little faster every time he does that. Raido just stares unblinkingly at him, and it's only when the other breathes a laugh (half relief and half awkward tension) and straightens up that an expression passes over the boy's face all suspicious but more surprised than anything.
"I'm sorry. I'm just-- worried about you, you know? How would people say if I let you run around all over the place like that with no regard? You're supposed to be my apprentice, after all. Right?" He reaches out, hesitates a little then lets his hand fall on Raido's uninjured shoulder, giving him a friendly pat.
"Just take care of yourself, alright? I called the school and said something came up -- you'll have to make up some excuse about that, by the way, I didn't tell them anything specific -- and the doctor will come around tomorrow again to take a look at that."
The door shuts behind him with a quiet click, and there's a moment of silence before Goto speaks again.
"That Narumi-- he's alright."
Raido looks towards the door once more. "--Yeah."
Fandom: DEVIL SUMMONER: RAIDOU KUZUNOHA
Character(s)/Pairing: Raido Kuzunoha XIV, Shouhei Narumi. Alternative verse.
Rating: PG.
Word Count: 2218
Feedback: yes please.
Disclaimer: none of the characters/sources are mine.
Summary: He wasn't what Narumi was expecting in terms of an "apprentice".
Maybe he just has an inherently wrong idea about what kids from the country these days are like. Despite the instructions from the Herald of Yatagarasu about the boy being one of Her servants beforehand, when the doorbell actually rings (couldn't he have come a bit earlier?) and he stands up from his chair with a grunt to stomp his way downstairs, Narumi is still somehow expecting to see some greenhorn kid still wet behind the ears -- sparkles in his eyes and the whole shebang about them being Impressionable and Innocent and all that. The one who is actually staring back at him is the furthest thing from what Narumi is expecting. This isn't his dreams-and-imaginations child, this is a flesh-and-blood child all the way down to the bandages around one side of his face still oozing blood, and the one eye that is still visible stares at Narumi from the shadow cast by the low-pulled brim of his hat. The gaze is light and alert shining in the dark like a cat, Narumi thinks, and when he stands back to let the kid in a black shadow steps forward silently. Speak of the devil--
"Shoo," he mumbles, moving forward again to block the cat's path. "Scat! Shoo!"
"His name is Goto." The kid speaks then, and Narumi is surprised again. It isn't because of the voice -- in fact, the kid's voice is the only thing about him that actually fits his age -- it's young, the hint of huskiness in it which means he still hasn't quite gotten used to his voice; sounds like it only just really finished breaking. It's a kid's voice and Narumi finds himself weirdly reassured by it... but no, it's not the voice but the tone behind it, how goddamn tired the voice sounds, tired and angry and sullen as if he'd rather not say anything out of spite but feels it his Duty to inform him, in case it gets him into trouble later. It's not the kind of voice that Narumi is used to hearing from boys that age, and he finds that he's frowning a little as he stands there in the doorway looking down at the uniformed figure.
"Oh." He has nothing to say to that, and during that short moment of hesitation the cat slides in between his feet and darts inside. Narumi whips his head around to look at the dark shape bound its way upstairs, and half-raises his hand to push the glasses further up his nose. "Well, alright then. Why don't you come in, now? It's kind of cold out here so late at night."
The top of the boy's hat comes to just over his chin as he follows suit, and Narumi's eyes move down at the tiny clacking sound as the tip of the katana brushes against the doorframe. A katana, huh. That was pretty old-fashioned, wasn't it? Must not be very good at it, to get a wound like that-- Cutting off that thought, he follows the kid who falls behind respectfully enough as they walk upstairs, and his mouth moves almost automatically -- running a detective agency had its certain influences. Maybe not necessarily benefits, judging from how quiet the kid was, but at least it helped to break the awkward silence they managed put themselves in.
"I've got the spare room all done up for you -- it's not much yet, just a bed and a real nice closet I bought off cheap from the landlady when she was doing her spring cleaning -- but don't you worry about that, it's all cleaned up and everything. And I guess your cat could just sleep wherever. We'll just all have to settle in, right?" A click of the lock opening, and Narumi gestures with not a little pride behind the action -- but it's just lost on the boy, who looks on at the half-lit office inside with an expression that's unimpressed at best.
"Welcome to the Narumi Detective Agency."
Later on, when the air is just beginning to be warm again (and the birds are gathered to make a right old racket in the tree outside the window -- what a nuisance, maybe this Goto of his could get rid of a few for them) Narumi wakes up, and as he walks by the kid's room he can't resist opening the door a crack and taking a peek. He's pulled the sheets and the duvet off the bed and onto the floor (Narumi cringes slightly at that; it wasn't even swept before he let the boy in) and all that Narumi can see is the dark shock of his hair against the white of the pillow and the cat laying sedate on top of the duvet, facing the door. Its eyes are open and it shines green with the crack of morning light that Narumi lets in, and as their eyes meet he can almost see the cat's eyes narrowing in return, and the flick of its tail seem like part-disapproval, part-warning.
But maybe he's just imagining all this.
What a strange cat, he thinks as he carefully closes the door and walks down to buy some milk and bread for breakfast.
There's something weird about the kid, Narumi can't help thinking. Sure, he's supposed to be a devil summoner and all -- protecting the Capital and other things that Narumi honestly thinks that shouldn't be dumped onto a kid like that -- but even without all that, something smells fishy. The cat -- Goto -- for example. It is cat-like enough alright, but it always seems to follow Raido around everywhere -- and the weird pauses in between the kid's words as he stops to look at the cat, like he's asking him something.
Maybe it's just well-trained, a part of him says, the part that doesn't want to get mixed up in the whole crazy demon talk -- but there's another part of him that isn't quite sure.
"So, your name is Raido, right?"
The boy nods, and stares down at the toast in front of him. Narumi's already finished three and counting, and the next time their eyes meet again he gestures down at it encouragingly. "Come on, eat up! It's no good if the toast gets cold."
He looks as if he's about to speak, but then he does that funny thing again where he looks away from Narumi to stare at the cat and then back again to him, like he is looking for someone to direct him because he doesn't quite know what he should do. After another long pause, during which Narumi gives up and butters his next toast, Raido finally nods and picks up the toast gingerly. Not really a talkative sort of guy, is he? A mental sigh, but Narumi braces himself for the ordeal. Who knows? Maybe with someone stoic like Raido working for him now, this Agency might gain some kind of respect. Even though the said kid doesn't even look as if he should be let off his mother's apron strings yet ...
Raido looks up, and his pale gaze and the bandaged one both stare across the table at Narumi and after a minute of that, Narumi clears his throat. "What happened to your eye?"
The boy's gaze slides over to the cat once more (sitting by the windowsil behind Narumi's left shoulder -- even with his back turned he can still feel the green eyes boring holes into the back of his head) and he busies himself by pouring a fresh cup of coffee.
"A mistake," he says finally, and that's the end of it.
"So, how are you liking it so far, boy?"
Goto jumps down lightly from the desk and pads over to where Raido is sitting, cleaning the blade of his katana. Tonight is full moon, and knowing the state of the Capital -- they would be kept fairly busy. He says nothing, but shrugs.
"What's that?"
"--It's alright." Taptaptap the powder against the blade and the boy rests the sword on his lap for a moment to reach for the oil. His eye flickers over to the cat then back again, and although he takes hold of the bottle of oil and pulls it over to him, his hands do not move. Goto's tail flickers, impatient. "The Capital's a big place. You should be alert at all ti--"
"I know that." The tone is sharper than what he intended and Raido grimaces, the line of his mouth twisting ugly though the flesh under his eye remain oddly smooth with thick raised scar tissue. "--I can do it."
Goto doesn't reply, and when Raido moves to wipe the powder off the blade there's a tenseness to his shoulders that doesn't quite go away.
It happens about three weeks after the kid first turned up on his doorstep. Narumi wakes up at the crash of the front door giving way and he's up and out of his bed in seconds, and he's got a pistol in one hand and a paperweight in the other when he catches the sight of blood.
"Raido? What happened? Oh Christ--" The sheets are pulled off and pressed in bunches over his face as Raido coughs, and the inside of his cape is matted with dark patches of blood as he puts an arm out smearing blood on the wooden wall and the cat dances crazy around their heels but the landlady is the last thing on Narumi's mind. The patching up takes a while even with the bandages and things fetched from Raido's room and even though Narumi knows facial wounds always look worse than they are even though he knows how to keep calm and not flinch when he sees the flesh split and gaping open split by something (something, anything; that wound wasn't done by some godforsaken katana-blade he knows what the kid's capable of with that thing) and the kid falls asleep halfway through and Narumi has to prop his head up against his elbow as he wraps the last of the bandage around his head.
"What're you looking at?" Narumi snaps (irritable and tired and worried and man, his shirt will never be the same again) at the cat staring impassively as he carries the boy over to his bed, being careful to not let the shoddy wrapping dislodge. He'll have to call a doctor in, later.
It says nothing; but then, Narumi wasn't exactly expecting it to anyway.
Raido blinks.
It's morning and judging by how light it is outside it's more than that, and his head hurts and he should be getting to school, he's late-- but when he tries to sit up there's a hand against his shoulder pressing him back down and then Narumi's face swims into view all concerned looking and just so there that he can't really do anything but stare.
"How are you feeling?"
Narumi has to repeat his question twice over before Raido looks towards him (colourless eyes dark lashes opening and shutting; one eye slower to open he sees that he feels it), and shakes his head. "I'm okay."
"It isn't just okay!" This is the first time that he's heard Narumi's voice like this (loud and angry with his face twisting into something that isn't the usual smile) but it's different from when Goto is angry, and Raido says nothing but blinks again with the bandage feeling scratchy and heavy against his face. He's in the bed, and as he turnes his head away a little he sees Goto sitting curled up against his side over the sheets, and the cat lifts his head up and stares at Raido with eyes narrowing a little from the sunlight.
"This bed thing," he mutters, before beginning to wash his paws diligently, "it isn't too bad."
"What happened out there last night? I know I'm not supposed to go around sticking my nose into your business, but if you're going to come back with your face cut up like that--"
"We were worried." The cat interjects, completely oblivious to the stream of words coming from Narumi. "Especially him."
Raido looks from the cat to the other man for a while without speaking, until Narumi stops to take a breath. "Thank you."
Narumi starts, pauses awkwardly, then clears his throat a bit and pushes his glasses up over his nose again -- he blinks a little faster every time he does that. Raido just stares unblinkingly at him, and it's only when the other breathes a laugh (half relief and half awkward tension) and straightens up that an expression passes over the boy's face all suspicious but more surprised than anything.
"I'm sorry. I'm just-- worried about you, you know? How would people say if I let you run around all over the place like that with no regard? You're supposed to be my apprentice, after all. Right?" He reaches out, hesitates a little then lets his hand fall on Raido's uninjured shoulder, giving him a friendly pat.
"Just take care of yourself, alright? I called the school and said something came up -- you'll have to make up some excuse about that, by the way, I didn't tell them anything specific -- and the doctor will come around tomorrow again to take a look at that."
The door shuts behind him with a quiet click, and there's a moment of silence before Goto speaks again.
"That Narumi-- he's alright."
Raido looks towards the door once more. "--Yeah."