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Chapter Text

Alone in a forest surrounded by blue flame, a demon stood. White hair obscuring the demon's face as the fire highlighted his demonic features. The blue fire surrounding the forest died down, leaving the forest intact. After thirty Gehennian years (around fourteen Assiahian years), he finally returned to this world. He looked no older than fifteen, so innocent in his young age. His eyes were widening at the sight of the moon. So big and so- so blue. He watched as the breeze pushed the clouds, giving him a magnificent view. In Gehenna, their moon did not compare. It was beautiful and ethereal- yes. The way the blood moon would shine upon its people was a cause for celebration. It was often a promise for rebirth for demons unfortunate enough to come across a skilled exorcist. While the moon in Gehenna felt like all things that made him feel safe, the moon in Assiah made him feel like he was at peace. Like he finally found the missing piece.

His elongated ears twitched at every sudden sound- he was on guard. He snarled, baring his fangs to the oncoming threat.

"Tut-Tut-Tut~!" A man wearing an all-white suit appeared, waving an umbrella almost threateningly. "That is no way to great your brother!"

The demons face slackened as his eyebrows shot up, " Samael? " His eyes brightened as he launched himself onto his older brother, "Almost didn't recognize you in that clown suit!"

The older demon pushed his bother off of him in annoyance, "Yes, well, it is hard to leave when your vessel is deteriorating at the rate that mine is. Though you wouldn't know anything about that now would you? That was quite the light show you've decided to put on, you know?" He patted the younger demon on the head, "You almost alerted the Grigori of your presence Rin."

He scoffed, "So what? It's not like they could put a scratch on me anyways." Rin offhandedly snarked, "You're the one that fucking called me here in the first place."

Helping his brother from the ground, Samael began walking. Indeed, he had called his brother- actually, he had Amaimon call Rin. He would need all the reinforcements he could get as his power over the Grigori began to wane with each passing year. 

"Yes, but it is you who answered the call, is it not? Normally, you would simply flick me off. So I must ask, what made the High Prince of Gehenna beckon to my call?" His eyes flashed in the moonlight after hearing no response, "You know, you cannot always remain neutral," he said offhandedly. "Not as you have been able to these past years." They pass a billowing creek, "Eventually, you will need to pick a side in this war littlest brother. Even Amaimon has picked a position in this war. Father's patience is waning; is it not?"

Rin scoffed loudly; he didn't need a reminder of how their Father could be so overbearing when it came to the war decisions. As the highest demon prince and next in line for the throne, he was informed of every war detail. He has opted not even to step foot in the war, as his brother's Iblis and Beezelbub had. Though being the highest-ranked out of the neutral party, he was coerced to pick a side in the war. 

"I don't like being used as a weapon, Samael. I made this plenty clear to you, Lucifer, and Father." He stopped in place and looked to the moon, "Why can I not just live my life peacefully?"

Samael finally took a moment to look at his brother. He knew as prince his brother had nearly too many responsibilities pushed on his shoulders in place of their Father. Their Father had plans to take rin's body so that he could take Assiah one day. Samael was well aware of the epic fights between his Father and his youngest brother. Scarce to say, no one in the vicinity ever made it out unscathed. With Rin's human heart- he cared too deeply for his subjects. Often fretting over their deadly wounds when coming back from a fight. He hated how the exorcists would use his subjects to fight each other. 

He placed a hand on his shoulder, prompting Rin to look up at his elder. "If you do not pick a side, war will be at your door whether you invite it or not. Doing nothing in the face of a hard decision can prove deadly, especially for one of your status. War is coming at all corners of our dimension; there is no timeline to avoid this war."

The younger demon's ears drooped sadly, his nails digging into the skin of his hand. "I- I know." He looked away, "War is inevitable, my people are dying as I do nothing- I know this.  However,  I don't want to be another pawn in your game  Samael.  I refuse to be a weapon, and I refuse to be just a vessel."

Samael sighed deeply, "Yes, I am well aware of this fact from your last  outburst ." He held his right hand to his brother, "Will you at least give me the opportunity to convince you?"

Rin sneered, "Fine, but I have no obligation to help you, and whatever you're planning. I will have no obligation to follow your rules."

Samael rolled his eyes, exhaustedly, "  Well, that's no fun! Fine, but you need to follow some crucial guidelines if you want to keep your head on your shoulders- guidelines, not rules."

Rin took a hand in his and shook. Blue flames appeared around their hands, signifying a contract.

"Wonderful!" He snapped his fingers, in a puff of smoke, they appeared in a very different place. It looked to be a grand office of sorts. "Now, let's get down to business." Now that he at least had his brother somewhat interested, he needed to set  "guidelines." 

After hours of near-deadly negotiations, they finally concluded.

"Now, since you have never been to Assiah before, I would like to have you experience the world in its fullest. I trust you in your ability to control your flames, so I will allow you to roam around my city. Any flare-ups and the exorcists will hunt you down," he finished darkly. 

Rin felt a shiver run down his spine at his brother's often overbearing aura. He might not show it in  conventional ways , but he cared for his safety, all of his brothers (even Lucifer, despite the war).

"Now, you are going to need to hide those tiny stubs you call horns." 

Rin unconsciously touched his horns, pouting, "I'm pretty sure normal humans won't even notice..." 

Samael rolled his eyes; he was afraid they would pop out of his skull at this point. "You will be staying in an Exorcist city; there are exorcists in the street, many disguised. It won't be hard.  Eins, Zwei ,  Drei, " he waved his fingers in the air. In his hand, he materialized an amulet of sorts, "This will hide your demonic features as long as you wear it. Or most of them, it will at least hide those tiny stubs you call horns."

Rin took it into his hands, analyzing it in his black claws. It was a simple token of silver adorned by black runic symbols. 

"To keep an eye on you, I have made accommodations in my own home." Samael's ears twitched as he heard a familiar voice barreling down the hall, "I would suggest putting that on quickly little brother. Oh, and remember, in Assiah, I go by Mephisto Pheles."

Rin slipped the amulet on just as an older white-haired man burst through the doors. He sat up straight in his chair, just as he was taught out of habit.

"MEPHISTO!"

"OHH~ Shiro! I had no idea you would be back from your trip so early!"

"Cut the crap, you clown!"

He stopped in his tracks when he looked to his left and saw a white-haired boy doubled over laughing, pointing his finger at Mephistos face.

Shiro's brow furrowed harshly as he examined the unknown boy in front of him. His white hair covered his blushing face as he gasped for air. He stopped laughing as Mephisto glared daggers at him. Did he look familiar? His face reminded him of someone...?  Weird.

Shiro looked over at the boy laughing; he looked so juvenile in his attire. His clothing options were atrocious! He wore a buttoned-up white shirt adorned with an elaborate bolo tie adorned with an iridescent blue jewel. Was he wearing leather pants, that was somewhat normal for this era.  However,  he wore red knee-high boots and a fucking cloak? The only disaster to wear a cape in this era was Mephisto of all people (demons?).

"Mephisto, who is that?"

He clapped his hands, "Oh, just a new student, I was registering into the school. He is my..." he was gesturing to Rin trying to find a word to use, "nephew," Mephisto took another moment to think of a name, "Ren Faust."

Rin looked at him, immediately glaring daggers at him,  Ren Faust?! Are you fucking serious?? He only changed a single letter?!

Shiro looked at him warily.

"Uh-huh, your nephew, you say?" In the back of Shiro's head, he filed that information away to look into later. Mephisto is a demon? How does he have extended family-

His thoughts were interrupted when the white-haired boy stood up and shook his hand, "Pleasure to meet you, Mr-?"

Upon closer inspection, he noticed the point of his ears; the way his teeth seemed sharper than they should for a human. "Father Shiro Fujimoto, a pleasure to meet you, too." He would keep an eye on this one.

"Ahem~!" The two looked to Mephisto, obviously looking pleased, "Now, that pleasantries are made, what was the purpose of your visit?"

Shiro looked to his left, "Is it ok for him to be here for this? I mean, this is  business-related ."

Mephisto waved him off, "He will be joining the Cram school in just a few years, it is fine. This is our  family business , after all."

Shiro cleared his throat and straightened his stance, "I don't think this is a good idea." Mephisto waved off his concerns, "I have reports of forest nearly engulfed in flames." Before Mephisto could come up with a bullshit lie, "Specifically blue flames... They disappeared rather suddenly, leaving no damage left in its wake. Well, besides a crater that was roughly human-sized."

Rin nearly choked. He didn't mean to start the fire. He was so disoriented from using the gate for the first time that he lost control briefly. It also didn't help that he was on the run and was panicking the entire time.

Mephisto tapped a finger to his chin, avoiding looking in Rin's direction. "No damage to report? How odd. Do you know of any possessions or deaths?" He knew there would be none, but he'd instead send Shiro on a wild goose chase.

"None to report. No one lives within miles of the fire. We had eyewitness reports from a nearby sauna, saying they saw what looked like a giant bonfire. They were confused when it ended moments later. " He took a moment, "You wouldn't happen to know of the cause, would you?" 

Mephisto stood up, glancing briefly to his brother, who was beginning to fidget in place. "No, I do not. This is the first report I have received." He looked over to his brother, who was losing composure, "Now, I believe that is enough for one night. Ren, if you would like, Belial can take you to the kitchens to make a late supper."

He was quickly escorted out by Mephisto's familiar, shutting the door he could already hear shouting.

"Who the fuck was that Mephisto?"

"Are you losing your hearing in your old age, Shiro? You know they are just looking for an excuse to replace you as Paladin."

"My hearing is just fine! You're a demon, pray tell how on earth you have extended family?"

Mephisto shrugged, "I don't know what you mean."

Shiro sneered, "I don't know what kind of trick you are playing at, but I am the Paladin, you don't think I didn't notice the pointed ears or sharp fangs? Did you or did you not invite a demon into the city?"

"I will admit he does have  demonic  parentage, to no fault of his own. He is half-human- a Nephilim if you will. I did invite him here, and he will prove to be a useful ally in the fight for Assiah! Well, that's if I can convince him. He's never been to Assiah but once before, and that did not end well for his damaged heart."

Shiro's brow twitched, "Are you saying he possesses an innocent human as we speak?" He saw no signs of deterioration, nor coal tars.

Mephisto waved away that thought, "No- No, Ren is only half-demon. He was sent to Gehenna as a baby, it is a tragic story, really. One that you may be familiar with."

"Explain."

Mephisto covered his mouth, coyly, "Oops, I said too much..."

Shiro took a deep breath and sighed heavily, "Does he have anything to do with that blue fire that erupted today?"

Mephisto sat in his lavish office chair, "How could he? The only person to have that power would be Satan himself- Oh! Well, I'm sure that is impossible, but there is one other person."

"I have already told you, Mephisto, Yukio does not possess his power."

He chuckled coldly, "No, not him. You do recall that Yukio is not an only child, right?"

A cold shiver was sent through Shiro's body, 'No, no, he is dead. Right?' He remembered that day clearly; there were blood and fire everywhere. There was snow-covered in scarlet blood. His best friend and the love of his life lay dying in his arms as she begs him to take care of her children, to take care of her twin sons. One who had warm brown hair, absolutely human (Yukio was his name). And the other who was nearly feral and enraged. He was covered in the blue flames that only Satan wielded. His white hair almost covering his tiny horns. The oldest was most obviously a demon (Rin was the older twin's name). He was not proud of what he did or would've done. He had orders to follow. His job was to destroy the spawn of satan. With a heavy heart, he lifted the Kurikara, and with a downward swipe, he kill-

"There is no way a baby, even a spawn of Satan, could've survived. Yukio is an only child, that demon was not a child or a baby or anything human!"

"Hmm, indeed." He stood up and rounded his desk. He sat at the front just in front of Shiro, "And yet, there is no one else who would have such the ability to create a fire as bright and blue?"

Shiro closed his eyes solemnly. He had a feeling this all tied together with that boy Ren (if that was even his name). He would keep his thoughts to himself in the meantime.

"Enough of this. What do you know?"

"I know nothing of importance." Looking down at his watch, "Would you look at time. It is very late, and I am a very busy administrator. We can debrief your latest mission at another time."

Shiro was being ushered out of the room quickly, "Mephisto, I still have ques-" The door slammed shut behind him.

He startled when he heard a chuckle beside him, "Yeah, Mephy doesn't have work to do. He's just saying that so he can watch his favorite anime."

Shiro straightened his coat as he stood tall, the demon in question. He would look into this all later. For now, he would maintain a facade of friendliness as he observed him.

"You know, it is impolite to listen in on adult conversations, kid."

The young demon chuckled, "Yeah, I'm well aware." He pushed himself up from his position on the floor, "I was going to invite Mephisto to come to have dinner, but I think he'll be busy for a while." He grabbed a lollipop from his pocket, "Would you care to join me?"

Shiro studied the kid in front of him, trying to determine his intentions. At first glance, he seemed like a friendly kid. Anyone who initiates any contact with Mephisto willingly should not be trusted.

He plastered on a huge smile, "I would love to! But I have to get home. My son is waiting for me."

Rin looked slightly sad, sue him he wanted to get to know this old dude. He seemed so fucking familiar for some damned reason. It made his skin itch at the familiarity. He quickly recovered.

He chuckled, "Aren't you a priest? I thought you guys weren't allowed to have kids?"

"You're not wrong, no he's my adopted son," Shiro cackled loudly. 

"Adopted?" Rin asked curiously. "Then I guess you should probably head home, don't wanna keep your family waiting," he finished a little dejectedly, how he'd kill to have a family so close-knit.

Shiro noticed the soft change in his voice, "Yeah, I guess I shouldn't. Nice meeting you again, kid."

Rin waved him off as he made his way to the kitchen. The walk was short, but he dragged his feet. He felt like a petulant brat. He didn't know where all these feelings came from. He's had them for years, growing up in a lonely castle; he was barely allowed to leave.  Wait, was he under house arrest!?  That was a thought for another time. He had his brothers, but they were seldom around. They had their jobs or agendas to fulfill. So he was often left in that castle with his Father. He loved his Father, sure, maybe. From the moment he could walk, he went through daily training. More often than not, it was rigorous and unforgiving. It hurt to think all of his training was for one purpose- to serve as his Father's vessel. Even if his father didn't say it out loud, it was obvious enough from his training. His Father asked him once or twice, both times hypothetically, just a thought from off the top of his head. It was stated as a suggestion to end the war, to end the suffering of his people. Somewhere deep in his bones, he knew he was simply a tool in this war, in this life. He felt as if he had no actual life to lead. He was born to be a weapon, and he was raised as a weapon. Despite this knowledge ingrained into every fiber of his being, he couldn't help but yearn for freedom. 

He finally made it to the kitchen, where Belial was tending to the stew he made quickly. Despite being raised as a prince, Rin still loved to cook. If he had the time, he would often make his meals. It made him feel grounded, ordinary as if he wasn't a prince simply raised to be a weapon of mass destruction. With the month he had, Rin cooking is just what he needed to calm down.

Rin sniffed the air. The air was heavy with the scent of earth and greenery-  Amaimon.

Just as he was about to be tackled, he grabbed the spoon he was using to stir the soup. Spinning around quickly, he whacked his over-energetic brother in the head.

"HEY! What was that for?" Amaimon grabbed the spoon from him and broke it in half.

Rin turned around in a huff, "For trying to attack me while I'm cooking." He grabbed another spoon from the drawer and began to stir the soup. "You of all of our brothers should know better than that!"

The older demon pouted, "Just trying to keep you on your toes, can't have my little brother going soft just because you're in a safe place."

"Tch- whatever." He moved to grab some bowls, "Go sit at the table. I'll have the food done in a second." 

His brother, ever the asshole, did the opposite. Instead, he climbed the counter and popped a lollipop in his mouth. "I saw an exorcist leave in quite the huff, ya know. He took quite an interest in you being here." He stole a glance at his brother, "Does he not seem familiar to you?"

Rin shook his head, "No, not really. It's my first time in Assiah, like hell, if I ever saw his face before. He's the Paladin or some shit. I only heard about half the conversation between him and Samael." 

He didn't like how interested his brother seemed. Despite his brother's total lack of expression, he could tell by the smallest hints that his brother was somewhat intrigued.

He grabbed Rin's chin, with a dead look in his eyes, "Don't act dumb, and you know what I'm talking about."

Rin broke the contact by pushing his brother's face away. "No, I fucking don't dickwad." He began setting the plates out since his brother was not going even to attempt. "I can't read you're fucking mind Amai, so explain it plainly."

His brother, bored from the conversation, moved to take a seat, drumming his black fingernails on the table's wood. "That's the man that sent you to Gehenna." Rin dropped the bowl he was serving. His brother continued, "The man who stole our littlest brother from us, training him to kill demons like us. That is why he should be so familiar."

And he was. He knew he looked familiar. He remembered his face from nightmares, waking up as a child to Amaimon, trying to calm him down. In his younger years, he was often left in Amaimon's care. His father never had the time for him, and his nannies often quit since he was such a little terror (a murderous little terror). His brother would often come into his room to calm him down from the dreams. He could remember thrashing around in the night, trying to burn his room to the ground in some semblance of defense. There were a few times the fire was so hot. Only his Father could calm him down when he was that upset. He must've buried the memories of those dreams so far down. His vision blurred slightly as hazy memories tried to pop up in his head. His body felt impossibly cold, colder than it should as the memories tried to surface. All he could remember was a silver sword, snow colored with blood, and the pain that expanded in his chest. He felt a sharp pain along the scar along his chest.

His brother was immediately at his side, and he didn't mean to bring up bad memories like that. He just wanted to warn his brother before he got too close to the asshole before he got himself ultimately killed. He pulled him into a half-sided hug as he lowered him to the ground. Belial cleaned up their mess and leaving them to their intimate moment. Rin began curling into his side as he tried to even out his breathes.

"I didn't mean to bring up those memories. I just wanted to warn you before- before you got hurt." Ever since his brother came around, he began softening out; he was able to show empathy. His brother always tried to force him to try to articulate his feelings, to explain himself. "I am just worried about that exorcist. He's hurt you before, and he will do it again."

Rin nodded into his shirt. He pushed away from his brother, trying to stand on wobbly legs. His brother caught him, leading him out of the kitchen.

That was the man who was so cold and heartless. The man who decided a baby was too dangerous to live—the man who- who ran him through with a sword. The man who stole his brother from him- to raise him to be human when he was deemed to demonic to even consid-

"Rin, calm down. You're starting to flare up."

He looked up, alarmed to see Amaimon's face distorted in slight pain, and he usually had such control of his fire. He must really be out of it.

He pulled away, "I- I'm sorry, Amai. I-I'm sorry." He was beginning to spiral. He dug his nails into his brother's shirt.

His brother poked him in the head. "Calm down. You just need to get some sleep." His brother practically dragged him down the hall to his new room. He dumped him onto the bed. Rin curled up into himself. He felt utterly pathetic, being carried around by his brother. His brother snapped his fingers, drawing the curtains as the sun began to rise. He had no semblance of time in this world. He didn't even realize it was the next day now. 

"Get some sleep."

Rin closed his eyes and drifted off into a hopefully dreamless sleep.

Chapter Text

Rin had no such luck. 

His nightmares came back at him at full force. It seems after his meltdown all the memories his Father sealed away began to come at him full force. His father did this to keep his son sane, to prevent him from going on a murderous rampage, as he did when he was a demonling. His dreams were so detailed. He could feel the biting cold of the December air. The smell of burning bodies burnt to a crisp by his Father in an attempt to keep his small family safe. He could hear the sound of a sword being drawn, the silver reflecting the blue of the flames. The face of a man, who oddly enough resembled his Father, face anguished and torn between his next decision. The sword came down, impaling the little demon, a burst of blue exploded, covering his vision completely. 

Rin shot up in bed, his flames covering him as if to comfort him from his dreams. His heartbeat was so elevated, and if he didn't calm down now, he would ultimately burn down the room.  Breath- Breathe- fucking breathe! Calm down! Calm down!  He felt hands trying to keep his hands away from clawing at his eyes. He could faintly hear someone tell him to breathe, to count his breathes. 

Tears began to stream down his face, evaporating from the fire that was licking his skin. Faintly he could remember hearing a cry in the background. He tried to inhale what air he could greedily, but the air was getting stuck in his chest, making him feel like he was choking. His hands clawed at his chest, trying to force his clothes off away from his neck to remove the restricting garments. He felt clawed hands that were not his own helping him. Once they were off, he began trying to slow the breaths. He inhaled for five seconds, or tried to, then exhaled for ten seconds. He tried to focus on counting. Eventually, he was able to make it to a count of ten finally. He felt clawed hands combing through his white sweat-soaked hair. The fire began dissipating, leaving ashes in its wake. 

"Are you done?" 

His sense began to come back to him, he looked up to see his brother Samael. The smell of burnt cotton and flesh met his nose. His brother wore a pained expression. He looked around the wrecked room, where was he? He looked to the curtained-off window,  was that sunlight?  

He tried to speak, but it seemed like his voice was rough, "I- I'm sorry, Sammy. I couldn't control myself." He buried his face into his brother's burnt suit.

Samael, certainly knew what to expect from his brother's panic attacks. He's heard from Amaimon and Iblis how uncontrollable he could get when overtaken by his anxieties. Indeed, he's gotten better since he was a mere child. Whether Rin acknowledged it or not, he was still a child, especially by demon standards. Of course, he wouldn't have the same level of control that his siblings had, they certainly did not when they were his age. 

"It is alright, although I do not appreciate you burning your bedsheets to ashes. What on earth did they do to compel your wrath?"

Rin furrowed his brow, burying his nose further, "Last night, that man who was here..." He took in a wobbly breathe, "Shiro. Was he- Was he the man who-" he unconsciously began to trace the scar that marred his chest.

His brother grasped his hand, "Yes, he is the man who tried killing you." Samael snapped his fingers, the room reverting to its original state of cleanliness. "Enough of that now, Amaimon, and I will not allow him to touch another hair on you. Even, if that means, getting rid of a pawn. Truth be told, I had to stop Amaimon from attacking him while you slept."

Rin smiled warmly at his brother's protectiveness, "I'm not a baby anymore. I can protect myself if need be."

Samael smirked, "I know, but it doesn't hurt to have some backup." He clapped his hands, "Now if you do not mind, I want you to get dressed. You've managed to sleep the day away, and I would like to show you around the city." Samael sighed, feeling a little bad for forcing his brother to get ready for the day after such an attack, "However, that can wait for another day."

Rin shook his head, "No, I need a distraction." 

Rin stood up on wobbly, looking for his discarded shirt. He wasn't really up for a tour, his heart felt heavy. But a distraction was preferred at this point. Rin made snapped his fingers, and a new shirt appeared in his hands. He learned that little trick from Iblis when he was a kid. Just a replacement since the other was torn to shreds. Unsure of what humans wore in this century, he left his cloak and briskly walked to the entrance where his brother was waiting.

They walked through the streets, under the bright neon lights. In Gehenna, they didn't have such brightly lit lights as these. He couldn't understand what the strange symbols said, but they were intricate and bright. He enjoyed basking in their absurdity. It didn't take much for his senses to be overcome with various smells. He could smell the multiple humans walking about; artificial perfumes, pheromones, garbage, and various other odors he could not place.

They walked past various stores that sold clothing. It was odd, in gehenna things weren't mass-produced like this, you had to go to a tailor and have it made by hand. The best seamstress was Arachne- the poor woman was cursed by a god for her talent. She made her home right in Gehenna, enjoying her life.

Rin stopped in front of a store. His eyes blowing wide as he couldn't take his eyes off of the amazing jacket he saw in the window. Mephisto noticed the excitement, and they walked inside.

He beelined to the rack, examining the garment.

"Hmm, it seems to be made of leather? It's so soft!" He showed his brother, "And look it's fluffy at the neckline!"

Mephisto huffed in amusement, "The humans call it a bomber jacket! Not really my cup of tea, but I suppose you have always dressed rather 'punkish'." He grabbed his brother's size and paid for it at the counter. He placed a wallet in Rin's hands, "Keep this in your pockets, it has this countries currency in it. Just swipe the card to pay."

Rin donned the jacket happily, he could see why Samael was amused with this realm.

He still could not get over the overwhelming panic of being corned by humans! They were everywhere! Walking and driving. Just chatting idly, as if there weren't coal-tars in their faces plaguing their minds. The conversations he heard seemed like nonsense; a mother scolding her child; two teens breaking up; and- a cry of distress?

He turned his head quickly, his ears narrowing down where the sound came from. He immediately bolted, leaving his brother confused. He rushed passed oblivious humans, shouting at the indecent act. He made it to the alley that smelled rancid.

A towering man stood over what looked to be another human. Before the man could land a strike, Rin grabbed his arm harshly, claws digging into his arm.

He snarled, "What do you think you are doing?" 

The man tried pushing Rin off of him, "HEY! MIND YOUR OWN BUSIN-"

Rin didn't even let the man finish his sentence before he roughly shoved the man to the ground, pinning his arm to his back. He looked over to the petrified human on the ground, too shocked to move. He could smell the disgusting smell of human alcohol coming off the man. The man was far too weak to even move a muscle against Rin's demon strength.

"Are you ok?"

The poor human was too shocked to say a word, they managed to nod their head. Rin was stuck between wanting to rip this man to shreds and help the poor guy up from the spot he coward in. But Rin was explicitly told to not kill the mortals, especially in Samael's territory. So, rin quickly hit the man in a nerve, effectively knocking him out.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine!"

Rin moved to help the poor man up, then moved to walk away, unsure how to dispose of the man on the ground.

"AH! Thank you very much for your help!" He turned to see the younger man bow a little, "I was really having trouble dealing with that customer, he was causing a ruckus in the shop."

Rin nodded, "I do not understand why humans touch those filthy beverages if they cannot handle them."

The younger man laughed nervously at his manner of speech,  maybe he's a foreigner? That kinda explains the white hair...

" I can't help but agree! OH!" he moved to grab something from his pocket, "I'll call the police. If you like as a reward for your help, I can cook you something up really quickly!"

Rin's interest was peaked at the mention of food. He pulled a toothy grin, "Thanks! The names  Ren   Faust  by the way!" He may as well get used to using his pseudonym.

"Sei Godaiin pleased to meet you!"

Wait, did he just say, Faust?? Like the headmaster?!

Before he could question it, he heard a buzz go off. Rin felt a buzzing in his pocket,  what in the world is that?  He grabbed the offending device in his pocket, holding it up with his claws. It appeared to have a glossy black screen, with an atrociously pink back.

Godaiin looked over at the foreigner, oddly, "I'm guessing that's your phone." 

Rin's eyes looked over at him, confused, "Phone?"

Maybe he doesn't know the Japanese word for it,  godaiin thought.

"Yeah,  you know, to call people?"

Rin's face lit up, "OH, right! Yes, of course." He hit his forehead with the palm of his hand, "Mephy was telling me about this device! Now let's see," a fanged tooth bit his lip in concentration. He pressed a button, the screen lit up, "Oh! Let's see, oh, it's just a message from my brother." He tried to tap the device, but nothing happened much to his displeasure.

Godaiin chuckled a little at the antics,  what a weird foreigner.

"Have you never used a phone before?"

Rin looked over at the human- Godaiin- his mind supplied. Rin blushed a little, "No, not really..."

A surprised look wiped across Godaiiin's face, "Oh well here, let me help you out." Rin handed him the phone, he tapped the screen, "Looks like you don't have a lock to keep people out. You should probably put some kind of security in place." A few taps later, he opened the message. "Here ya go, its a message from someone named Mephisto?  Odd name. What language is that?"

Rin's ears perked up, "Oh, it's my native language." He read the message, the blood drained from his face, "Oh shit! I forgot I just left him by the shop!"

Rin's phone kept making dinging noises from the messages that kept coming in.

Godaiin laughed at his forgetfulness, "Seems like he may be upset about being abandoned like that." He took the phone from him, typing in his own phone number. "Here, just press this button when you wanna come by for that reward I promised you!"

Rin smiled at the small gesture, "Of course!"

A siren was heard down the street, "Must be the police, I got this. Go on ahead and meet up with your brother!"

Rin ran off, trying to figure out the directions his brother sent. Instead of going through the streets, he opted to jump to the rooftops. In a blue flash, he dissipated in the air teleporting to a nearby roof to gather his bearings. It was a neat little trick he was able to learn to get out of sticky situations, but lately, it was his lazy way of transport. 

He caught his brother's scent before he could see him. He looked over and saw his brother lounging in a comfy chair.

"My brother, ever the vigilante of justice! Well done in taking care not to kill that mortal! Amaimon wouldn't have thought twice! I applaud you," Samael applauded him condescendingly. 

"Can it Mephy."

His brother waved off his brother's rude behavior, "And you've made a friend! With a mortal no less!"

Rin blushed, "He just invited me to come to eat at his restaurant." He looked down to see he had a message from Godaiin, turning back to glare at his Samael, "Oh, and thanks for showing me how to use this contraption!"

Samael held his hands in the air in surrender, "I often forget how little you know of this world, I apologize."

Rin looked at him with scrutiny, he knew his brother was faking the apology. He loved to watch his brother's make absolute fools of themselves. 

Rolling his eyes, he snarked, "Whatever, Godaiin helped me out, it's whatever," he finished petulantly.

"My, my if father could hear your manner of speech! He would force you to sit in the library for a week and listen to another of Iblis' lectures on proper grammar!"

He rolled his eyes, couldn't care less what his father would, and was still pissed at the bastard. Rin gritted his teeth, trying his hardest not to snarl at his brother. He definitely did not want to get into it with his brother, especially if he couldn't go all out with his flames.

"Yeah, Yeah. It's not like Father can get to me here..." Rin thought a moment, and felt a shiver run down his spine, "Right?"

Samael shrugged, "No, not easily, and especially not to scold a petulant child. How did you find my city?"

"It was ok. Really loud and annoying. This city is absolutely filthy, you're a horrible King, ya know that, right?"

"You try controlling every microscopic detail of human lives while maintaining your control over an organization of human exorcists!"

"Fair enough. Though I can see your interest in these humans," Rin smiled as he remembered his first human friend. "They are weak but refuse to give up, despite being outclassed in strength and power. They couldn't sense an oncoming threat if it stabbed them in the heart. They are so amusing to watch, even if their customs are... odd."

The next day Rin was awoken by being dragged out of his nice and comfy bed. He dug his claws into the mattress, pulling feather and cotton into the air.

"WHHHhhhHYYY?!"

"Big Brother said to wake you up! He said you have a very long day ahead of you!"

He flamed up, trying to deter his brother from pulling him to the floor. It did not work as he was already on the ground in a tangle of sheets.

"You are such a dick." He squinted his eyes as the sun decided to assault his eyes with its majesty. He was soon rushed out of his room and dragged to the kitchen to have a quick impromptu breakfast.

Amaimon sat across from him as Samael sat at the head of the table.

"Hurry and eat your food, I need you to finish the tour of your new school, before your little surprise tonight!"

Rin dropped the fork he was using, immediately grabbing the knife ina threatening manner.

"It is out of my hands Rin. I told Shirou I was registering you into the academy, of course, he would check to see if I was lying."

Rin through a string of colorful curses together in his native tongue, "Why should I go! I've already finished my schooling in Gehenna!"

"Then this should be simple, no?"

"I guess," he snarled, barring his fangs at his brother. "I don't want to be surrounded by- by humans! They smell funny, and they talk utter nonsense!"

"Precisely! Is it not beautiful! I need you to blend into the background Rin. I cannot have Lucifer or the order knowing of your existence in this plane just yet. So I implore you to simply try to learn some more human behaviors."

"That sounds a lot like you are trying to give me orders here, Mepphy..."

"Think of it more like I am giving you an easier path to follow. Suppose that exorcist catches wind that I allowed a demon to waltz around campus without even attempting to "turn you to our side." In that case, we will have more significant issues on our hands."

Rin gulped, "Fine, but I will complain the entire time!"

An hour later, they toured around the now empty campus. Apparently, it was some sort of seasonal break for the students and staff. His brother handed him a key, an infinity key, he called it. They waltzed into a run-down looking building with cavernous walls.

"Could you really not afford a new coat of paint, Mephy?" He summoned a bag of drachmas, "Here, Father always said it was good to give to charity."

"Can it, you brat!" He walked over to a class that seemed to be in session, "This is where you will train to be an exorcist."

His brother coughed, "Ex-fucking-cuse me?"

"I told you already that you were to attend a cram school."

What the fuck does cram mean,  he thought to himself while panicking. 

"You expect me, the high prince of Gehenna, to eliminate my own subjects!" He began flaring up sightly, "A-And for what? Your sick game, of 'oh, you're not a pawn!' It sure fucking feels like I'm a fucking pawn!"

Shuffling could be heard within the classroom, probably to see what the ruckus was. He needed to defuse the situation quickly.

He grabbed Rin's face with a clawed hand, "Listen here. You are not a pawn, you are my brother. I would not willingly put you in danger for a silly war.  I am trying to ensure you can live your life as freely as possible while keeping you alive!"

Rin shook his head out of the now soft grip, he didn't believe his brother one bit. He heard no lies in what his brother said. His own anxieties of his upbringing told him there had to be some motive to his brother's generous offer of freedom. He knew his brother wasn't lying, but his brain told him he was just being used. His brother only wanted him around to be used as a weapon to win his silly little war.

A new voice stepped in, "Oh, Headmaster Pheles. Is there a problem here?"

Mephisto stood a moment as he heard the new voice enter the hall. This  should be interesting. 

"Mr. Okumura! What a pleasure to see you again! I did not mean to disturb your orientation, I was just showing our newest recruit around the cram school." 

Rin turned from the spot he stood glaring daggers into Mephisto. He turned to see a tall boy with brown hair, blue eyes, and a few moles. He looked like a stiff board as if he has never relaxed a day in his life. His presence felt... off about him.

"That is wonderful to hear! Our recruitment in the Japanese branch was oddly low this year." He turned his attention to the new recruit, sizing him up. He looked- juvenile. Perhaps a foreigner from his uniquely white hair and blue eyes. His attire was odd, given it was still late summer- who the fuck wore bolo ties with a bomber jacket! "My name is Yukio Okumura, I will be your Demon Pharmaceuticals teacher." He held out his hand to the student.

Rin took the hand and shook, "Ren Faust, I look forward to your class."

'Faust?'  Yukio thought a moment. He remembered hearing his father say that was often the last name Mephisto Pheles went by outside the Order. His father told him to keep an eye on this one, something about Mephisto letting a demon into the program... If there was one thing Yukio was sure of, demons could never be trusted.

"Well this has been lovely, is the orientation finished just yet?" Mephisto asked curiously.

"No, it was just about to begin before we heard a disturbance." He glanced over to the half-demon, "Are you sure everything is alright out here?"

Rin glared at his shoes as if to burn them.

"Just peachy! We just had a minor disagreement not to worry!" He turned to his brother, who was sulking, "Would you mind if he attended a little late?"

That didn't sound like a request,  Yukio thought. Keeping his thoughts to himself, he kept his facade of professionalism, "Of course, please come take a seat. Will you be joining us, Headmaster?"

"No, I am afraid I need to make preparations for the opening ceremony. Ta-Ta~!"

In a puff of pink, he disappeared, leaving a note in Rin's hand.

Yukio stood beside the door a little impatient, "Please come in, I believe we wasted enough time." 

Rin moved past the impatient exorcist. Not to say the little amount of exorcists-to-be was not overly amusing, but it did perk his mood. He noticed an aura of power radiating from the small blond-headed boy at the front of the lecture hall. The energy seemed like it was just hiding within that little puppet of his, keeping him subdued. Behind him, he could feel the quiet strength of the Inari surrounding the purple-haired girl. While a brown-haired girl seemed to sit beside her timidly, she obviously did not belong. To the far-left of the room, a trio sat there stiffly. The tall blond-brown haired one was glaring daggers into him.

"Tch- Who does this guy think he is coming to the orientation late?"

"Calm down, Bon! I'm sure he just got lost..." The pink-haired one looked at him timidly.

Rin took his seat farther back, so he would have the best vantage point. He honestly couldn't care less about this bullshit. It just sounded like basic first aid- demon edition. He looked at the paper his brother handed him, and read it silently before pocketing it.

"Before we begin, let us start introductions. Since we are a small class, you will acquaint yourselves before you even begin to think about fieldwork. No exorcist ever works alone." He took chalk, "My name is Yukio Okumura, I will be your Pharmaceuticals teacher."

They all went around doing their quick and awkward introductions. Rin zoned out, counting the coal tars on the ceiling. The class looked at him, expectantly.

He looked around the room, confused, "What?"

The blond rooster glared at him, "Your name, idiot! Introduce yourself."

Rin narrowed his eyes dangerously, how dare he! In all his life, no one ever thought to talk to him in such a way!  Calm down- Calm down! Remember no murdering Samael's little exorcists.

" Ren Faust," he said between gritted teeth.

The class all simultaneously looked shocked,  Faust?!

"Like the headmaster?!" said the pink-haired one. He didn't hear his name...

"Yeah, so what?"

"Are you related to him?"

The pink one was prying too much, Rin could practically smell the alternative motives this one had.

"He's my uncle?" He finished trying to remember his cover story.

Yukio clapped his hands, "We need to get back on topic! Everyone look at the syllabus' I handed out. This is how out semester should go, provided we have little to no incident."

Before he could blink, the orientation was over. Apparently, they had more to go to, but Rin simply walked out. He was never one for sitting at desks. There were moments when he remembered his brother Beezelbub had to chain him to his chair just for a basic lesson. Man, he was such a little shit as a child.

"Oi! Where fo you think you're going!?"

He turned to see the rooster, Bon ?  He didn't need to give the asshole an answer. He felt something hit the back of his head.

"Hey, answer me, asshole!"

Rin growled out, "Why am I the asshole!" He picked up the paper and threw it back at the human.

"You're the one ignoring people! Just because you're the headmaster's nephew doesn't mean you can just slack off!"

Rin held back a snarl, he couldn't show these damn humans his fangs, it would probably be a dead giveaway that he's a demon.

"I'm headed home! Now leave me alone!" His eyes flickered blue, damn, why was he losing control so quickly!

"That is enough, Mr. Suguro!" Yukio turned to face the white-haired teen, "He is correct, though. You need to finish orientation with your other teachers."

Rin stuffed his hands into his pockets, "Fine."

Ryuuji's blood was absolutely boiling at the other teen! Who the fuck did he think he was? Stupid rich kids! He probably didn't even work the tiniest bit to get into this school, unlike the rest of the cram school!

Rin smirked at the other sulking boy. He found he really liked to rile that one up. He could finally see why Samael loved to mess with these humans, it was really amusing.

Throughout the rest of the orientation, Rin decided to sit right in the rooster's peripheral view. He would yawn loudly, making the other teen straighten up and glare at him. When he would turn around, he would stick his tongue out at him. This caused the little human to nearly explode.

'Such a pompous little human,'  he thought tiredly. ' I absolutely look forward to knocking him down a few pegs.'

At some point, his tail began to ache. Even if it was absolutely improper, he still liked to leave it out when he had the chance. Given he was still a very young demon, his brothers would let it slide sometimes. Seeing as he was in the human world, it wasn't like most humans would even notice... Well, except for the exorcists, they would try to kill him probably.

He rubbed his tail, where he felt a cramp coming on. The orientation was finally over, with the teacher glaring daggers into his soul. The tall man with an eyepatch smelled of danger, something in his gut told him not to be unattended with that one.

 He felt a buzz in his pocket, looking down he saw it was from Godaiin.

'Oh, right. He invited me over for a meal.'

He sent a quick message that he would be around his shop in about an hour or so.

He could just feel the aggression coming off of the teen headed his way, he slammed his hands into the desk. Rin looked up from his phone with a bored expression on his face. He blew a bubble from the gum he was chewing on.

"Can I help you?" he asked innocently under white eyelashes.

"What the fuck is your problem!" 

He felt his shirt being grabbed by the taller teen, and fuck if this was any other circumstance, he might've liked it.  NO, bad rin! Stop! 

"Get your head out of the gutter! If you're here to learn, then fucking act like it jackass. Or you're gonna get someone killed."

Rin smirked. He grabbed the hands fisted in his shirt. Adding enough pressure to make him squeak, "Listen here, Rooster boy. You are absolutely right. I am not here to fucking learn. I am here because my  Uncle  cannot keep his fucking nose out of my business. Don't fucking worry about me letting this little team down. Worry more about that stupid attitude of yours." He pulled him close to whisper in his ear, "If there's one thing a demon  loves,  its arrogant little humans like you who can't keep their temper."

He released his grip, letting him fall back into his friends.

He adjusted his shirt, fixing his tie. "Word to the wise, keep emotions as neutral as possible. Demons can smell your emotions and use them against you."

He headed out, trying to navigate the directions Godaiin sent him. He needed to chill before he decided to bite someone's face off.

He walked deep into the forest. As soon as he couldn't sense a soul in sight, he immediately used his flames to teleport to the alleyway he remembered. It was a relatively new ability his sister Iblis helped him perfect. As long as he knew the exact location, his flames would send him there without trouble.

He walked out of the alley briskly, looking around to see no human saw him. And texted Godaiin that he was outside the back door.

"Hey! I see you're getting the hang of that phone!"

Rin scratched his head. Abashedly he said, "Yeah, thanks for the help! My brother gave me a quick tutorial last night, said it wouldn't do if I got lost and didn't know how to use it."

"Well, come on in. My folks and I were about to start the dinner rush it you wanted to get a bit to eat!" He heard a yell from the front, "I'll be done in a moment!"

An average looking woman with short brown hair and spectacles came to the door wielding a spatula like a weapon, "Oh! You must be the boy Sei has told us about, I'm his mother, Ayame Godaiin. Please come in, we're a little short-staffed today, our new cook just quit the other day... but that doesn't mean we can't fix you a nice hot plate!"

Rin blushed, "It's really all right! I was just doing what anyone else would do!" 

"Don't be so modest! Now just sit tight at the table over there, and I'll bring out our specialty in a moment."

Rin walked through the busy kitchen, it looked a little understaffed. The kitchen was in a rush trying to prepare what they could, with Godaiin carrying menus and heading to tables. He felt a little awkward waiting in the corner. 

He walked up to Godaiin's mother, "If you don't mind, I can help you out. I'm pretty good at cooking, I can follow recipes easily."

She bit her knuckle, "That would be great! I really am sorry about this." She grabbed a book from the top, "Here are some of our easier recipes you can fill out. Would you mind helping me chop vegetables and prepare the meats?"

"Of course!"

As soon as he said that, Godaiin's mother put an apron over his head. She taught him the basics and let him shadow her for a half-hour. The following hour was a rush of scribbled orders and refills on drinks.

He heard a commotion in the dining area. He peaked his head outside the window above the counter. He snarled when he saw Godaiin's arm being held harshly by a drunken customer. Dropping his knife where he was, he immediately dashed to the dining room. Creating a distance between Godaiin and the drunkard.

He caught a whiff of the man's scent, it was the same man as the other night. His instincts demanded he makes the man bleed.  Diplomacy, Samael said no killing.

He smiled, eyes closed, and grinning like the demon he is. "Hello sir, is there a problem here?"

The man stumbled startled by the firm grip and threatening smile he was given.

"Faust, it's fine. I was trying to get him to le-"

Before he could finish the sentence, the man grabbed an empty bottle and smashed it into Rin's head. The man tried yanking his arm out of reach, but Rins grip tightened, drawing blood. Rin immediately dragged the man to the door and tossed him to the street.

"Don't come back," he snarled in a low voice, causing the man to soil himself.

He walked back in to be greeted by Godaiin's mother.

He blushed a little about to apologize for his brashness. Before he could get a word out, he felt callused warm hands on his face.

"OH MY GOODNESS! Faust, are you ok?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I kinda just acted before I could properly think."

She clicked her tongue, "That's not my question, I'm asking if you're alright? SEI! GET THE MEDICAL KIT!"

From the corner of his eye, he noticed the roosted sitting wide-eyed with his buddies. He was immediately carted to the back where the employee lounge was located.

He felt a warm towel, trying to soak up the blood. Given his demon healing, he was nearly healed up. The hands continued to prod lightly, looking for any lingering pieces of glass.

Relaxing in the hold, he said, "It's fine, he didn't have enough momentum to imbed any in my skin."

"I'm just double-checking, Sei can you wait here with him while I call a doctor."

Sei walked in with three familiar idiots in tow, "They said they knew you."

"Ugh- its the rooster again. What do you want?"

"Don't be such a dick! They just wanted to see if you were ok!"

The small one pipped up, "We saw the fight w-we wanted to see if you were alright."

'Why, though?'  Rin's thoughts were going haywire.  'Why should they care? They don't even like me?'

"That was sooome fight, he hit you pretty hard in the head, are you ok? Looks like its nearly healed up, how odd." 

'Ugh- the pink one again. He asks way too many questions...'

"Yeah, I'm fine. The glass didn't imbed in my skin, it's fine." 

"Bon was about to step in before you did."

"He's just some small fry, it was nothing really. He was here the other day." He turned to his friend, putting up the bandages, "Honestly, Sei, I'm surprised you served him again."

"I didn't. He came in drunk on his own, wanting a rematch or something."

"Humans are so petty," he said under his breath. He saw Bon twitch at that,  could he hear him?  "What are you three here for anyways?" He smiled coyly at the tall one, "Are you stalking me?"

Bon blushed, "No! We just came here to grab a bite to eat before heading to our dorm!" The small one tried holding him back, "Let me go, Koneko!"

'Oh, so that's his name.'

Rin shrugged, "Excuses, Excuses. I know I am irresistible, but don't be so obvious."

Shima interrupted as the air began filling with the tension between Bon and the weird foreign guy. "We're just gonna pay our tab and head out. We'll see ya in class, Faust."

The trio walked out, leaving just Sei and Rin.

"Why are they calling me Faust? That's my last name, why not call me Ren?"

'Oh right, he's a foreigner, he's probably not used to that.'

"It's a form of respect from a person's family. That's how we address people here in Japan. Usually, you only use first names or nicknames if you have permission from a person or are just super close."

"Oh, I see. Then just call me Ren, I don't really like my 'family name'."

"Got it! You may as well call me Sei, I suppose. Those guys you knew they were quite rambunctious." He took a seat beside Rin.

"Yeah, the tall one especially is a pain in the ass."

Sei rose an eyebrow, "Ya sure? You seemed to be flirting with that one."

"Uuugh- I was not. I was simply teasing him, I like watching him blow up. It makes his face red, I like seeing that color on him."

He snickered at his antics,  'this guy is so weird sometimes.'

"Ok, sure. I bet you two get together by the end of the school year!"

Rin blushed, "NO way!" The demon in him was itching to shake on that, he wasn't much for gambling, but he just couldn't resist a little game to ease his boredom. 

"Here, I'm gonna get your food before we close. Honestly, you are genuinely godsent. Like an angel, you saved me twice! And you helped us through the dinner rush with no pay!"

Rin couldn't help but snicker at that, he was no angel. Far from it. 

"It was really nothing! Plus, I love cooking. I honestly don't mind."

Godaiin's mother stepped in, "If that's the case, would you like a job here? We're already understaffed, and you make a wonderful guard dog!"

"REally!" His eyes began to sparkle, he's kinda always wanted to work with food! Given that he was from Gehenna and a prince, there was never any opportunity to cook for others. "Of course! Thank you!"

After Godaiin's mother packed him a to-go box, he was sent on his way. He walked home, grinning like a Cheshire cat. He heard a foot-step at the top of a building. He walked a little faster, its probably a coincidence. The streets were empty, the neon lights dimming. He heard another crunch, his ears searching for the sound. Looking to the roof, he noticed a shadow hiding behind a large vent. 

'I'm being watched.'

Chapter Text

'I'm being watched,' he thought to himself.

It's OK, walk normally. He took out his phone, mimicking the humans who walked past on their devices, enamored by their bright glow—such simple creatures.  He browsed through messages, trying to decide whether he should involve his brothers or not. 

Who would follow him? He had a few ideas. Maybe that old paladin...  No, he couldn't smell any signs of heavy cigarette smoke, only traces of booze. Amaimon? No, he knew his brother's aura.  His ears pricked up at the sound of footsteps. He closed his eyes, trying to get a sense of the person's aura. He could hear boots against the gravel of the rooftops. He smelled a snake.

It wasn't hard for Rin to maintain a look of ignorance. His eyes remained on the device in his hands, idly texting Sei. Unlike his brother Amaimon, he wasn't one for playing cat and mouse, who always prefers to face his problems head-on. 

Either he pretends he is just an average human on his way home, or drop the act. He couldn't. Mephisto would kill him for ruining his game-  huh . Maybe he should destroy his fucking game. A devilish grin spread on his face, his fanged teeth displaying dangerously. Oh, a shiver ran down his spine in anticipation of ruining his game! He hated being a fucking pawn in a chess set... maybe he should burn it to ashes!

He tapped a clawed finger to his chin as he waited at the crosswalk. He couldn't reveal himself just yet. Mephisto was right when he said it would be problematic if the order or Lucifer found out. He didn't have to show his flames, maybe just his tail and horns?  No. 

The second suggestion would be to play it by ear. Oh! How exciting, he has rarely ever had the opportunity to use improvisation! His life was meticulously planned since the day he arrived in Gehenna.

Whoever was following him came down from the rooftops and follow on the ground level. He closed his eyes as he walked, trying to get a better reading on the person. 

He turned down various streets, not really paying much attention to where he was going. He walked past a few shops still open even at this late time in the evening. He checked the bag he was carrying,  'damn the foods getting cold...'

The person was starting to get closer. Now that they were closer, he could smell holy water on them.  'Great, an exorcist.'  Rin didn't feel like getting burned today. He had such a good day. But no! God, couldn't allow a demon to have a single good day, with nothing interesting happening. 

Realistically speaking, he knew it had to have been an exorcist, or one of Lucifer's underlings. Given the holy water, an exorcist. He would rather deal with one of the underlings in all honesty. At least then he could kill one with no consequence. He turned down a deserted alley and began dashing down random alleyways, trying to lose them. 

Dashing down random alleys, jumping over piles of heaping garbage, he kept his ears open wide, singling in on the stalker. He knew humans were no match for his speed, so he was intrigued when the human was so relentless.

'Fuck it.'

He jumped to catch the railing of a fire escape climbing to the top. His senses told him the human was barely making it down the alleyway. In a flash of blue, he disappeared, leaving behind the echo of a devilish laugh. Maybe there was something to a game of cat and mouse. 

When the exorcist made it to the top finally, entirely out of breath, the roof was empty. They looked around, trying to zero in on the demon. Taking off the baggy hoodie they were wearing, bright pink eyes spotted a piece of paper. Tentatively she walked towards it picking it up.

She read the messy sprawl of handwriting, "Better luck next time - ;D..." she crushed the paper in her hand. Bringing out her phone, "I lost visuals on the kid."

When Rin arrived at the mansion, eager and vibing with energy, he set the food on a plate attempting to reheat his treat. He took off the amulet letting his tail slip free from where it was hidden all day. His tail was swiping in the air eagerly, still on light adrenaline high from his little run around the city. He turned to see Mephisto sitting at the table with a cup of tea in his hands.

"Well, how was the orientation?"

His tail straightened in fright, "EEK!" He clutched his heart, "Fucking hell, Samy! Why do you insist on scaring people like that!"

"Maybe you should pay better attention to your surroundings, Rin." Setting his cup on the saucer, he rested his head on his chin, "I will not repeat the question."

'What died and crawled up his ass?'

"It was so dull! Seriously, I can't believe you tricked me into going to that dump of a school!" He began picking at the food, "And then- this absolute dick of a human dared to tell  me  what to do!" His face was blushing red as he remembered being handled roughly by the human, tail waving behind him in irritation.

"FU~FU~FU~! It sounds like you had a wonderful time. From what I heard, it appears you have a job now? I'm surprised a high prince like yourself would lower yourself to doing lowly human services."

"Shut it! I was just trying to help a friend of mine, his family's restaurant was short-staffed, and I needed to relieve some pent up energy from that damn cram school!"

"OH! And what kind of energy would that be?" He raised a blue eyebrow and smirked when Rin blushed, a bright blue flame appearing in his hair. "I think it is a wonderful idea! That Godaiin would be an incredible influence on you! Try not to let your heritage be too obvious, it seems like your odd behaviors are passed off as you being a foreigner from the west."

"Pssh- I'll be fine, it's not like he can see demons or anything." He finished the last bite of food, "Yeah, he has been pretty helpful with the things I didn't understand." He dropped the fork, "Why are you so interested anyway?"

Rin didn't trust his brother had any good intentions. His brother was never one to snoop around for information if it was of no use.

Raising his hands in defense, Mephisto said, "I am just looking out for your wellbeing!" He removed the smile from his face, "But you are correct, I am a bit intrigued. Especially, since it seems you have a stalker on your tail..."

Rin rolled his eyes, his hand carding through white locks, "So, what? It's just some little exorcist."

"Precisely. I made no orders for anyone to trail you, meaning the Vatican knows something is going on. The fact they did not tell me, signifies their distrust in me."

"Can you blame them?"

"That is not the point. I need you to be more careful, Rin. You used your flames to travel back to the mansion. You cannot use your abilities so haphazardly, do you forget that they would execute you on sight."

He slammed his hands on the table, "You act like I don't know this already!" He was fed up with Mephisto trying to control him, "Why do you even care if I live or die? I'm jsut a pawn to you!"

"You are not just anything to me!" Mephistos face contorted in confusion, "Are you really asking me why I care about my brother's safety? I thought that much would be obvious!"

"Shut it! You're lying again! I'm just a fucking pawn to you that's the only reason you care!" His breath started to hitch, "You don't fucking care about me! All you care about is this stupid fucking war with Lucifer!" He began gripping his hair in tight grips, his horns digging into his hands.

"You know that's not true! Rin look at me," he moved in front of Rin, kneeling on the ground, trying to make eye contact. "I do not know how to express to you that I care because you are my little brother. You are not a pawn! I am trying to protect you! Why can you not see that!" 

Mephisto moved to put a hand on his face. Rin shouted, "Don't fucking touch me!"

He fled the room in a flash of blue before deciding to burn his brother's vessel to a crisp. He reappeared in his room, landing softly on the lounge chaise. He stood there a moment before tearing the cushions apart, feathers flying in the air. Continuing to dig into the couches sofa cushion until he felt his fingertips bleeding as he began scratching at the wood of the furniture. He collapsed in a bed of ruined pillow and feathers.

His heart was beating so fast in pure anger at his brother. He couldn't get it through his head that his brother would care without any ulterior motives. His entire childhood was comprised of being trained to be a weapon for his father. People tried to use him to betray his father and work for them instead— a childhood filled with Lucifer sending demons to drag him away from his home. A childhood of utter fear that he will never be good enough is only a tool with no mind of its own. 

The concept of someone genuinely caring for his wellbeing was foreign. His siblings cared in their own ways- they were full-fledged demons. They had different ways of expressing care and love. But they were so far away. Merely watching from a distance as he was sent through grueling training, even they didn't need to go through. (A voice told him, they never went to close in fear of their father.) Sure, they were there to help him heal, to teach him, to watch over him. Somewhere deep in his demon heart, a voice told him not to trust anyone. To just rip anyone who came close to shreds. 

He felt a hand petting the top of his hair, he turned to rip apart the offender. He stopped midway to see Amaimon's calm gaze, his breath caught in his throat. It was such an open and calculating gaze. Just like always, his big brother was there to calm him down from a tantrum. How could he forget he still had Amaimon on his side?

"Why are you tearing apart the couch? What has it done to deserve such righteous fury?"

He held back the urge to maim his brother, "Amai." 

Amaimon moved to be seated beside his brother, his hand still petting his hair, absentmindedly, "What did Samael do this time?"

Rin relaxed into the touch, his mind going a little numb, "He-He's so infuriating! Pretending to fucking care about me! How can you stand being used as a pawn by him?"

Amaimon looked down at his brother. He knew he had a hatred of being used. His whole childhood was comprised of people trying to sway him to their causes. Hell, even father, was worse than usual in his upbringing of Rin. None of his siblings got the harsh training Rin went through. Probably due to Rin inheriting the blue flames. 

"To be honest, I can't stand it," Amaimon admitted. "However, I now Samael would never intentionally put me in harms way. If he knew I was in a situation I could not handle, he would immediately cover for me. Yes, he is using me, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care about us." He poked a clawed finger at Rin's forehead. "We may be demons, it is in our nature to be manipulative, but he is genuienly worried about you Rin. He hasn't told me the specifics of why I had to get you away from Father, but I have a few theories. And I do not like them."

'That's right, Samael did get me away from Father. He didn't even ask for anything in return.'  His throat went dry, "F-Father, he tried to-" he clenched his hands as his heart rate started to elevate again. A clawed hand runs through his feather-soft hair, encouraging him to continue, "He tried to possess me."

The candy Amaimon was eating cracked harshly, " What did you just say?"  He clenched his teeth as he held back a snarl. His hearing had to have become faulty. 

Rin moved from where he was situated, looking away from his brother, "You heard me Amai."

He felt clawed hands on his cheeks. Gold eyes met blue. He knew his father was training him for something- but to possess his son, for a demon to possess another without permission! He couldn't wrap his head around what his father was thinking! To have your will stolen, to have your body stolen from you!

His brother was trembling on the verge of tears. He put his forehead to his. "Rin, look at me. It is ok, Father is not here. He cannot get you in Assiah." His brother was hyperventilating, "Samael and I would never allow him to do such a thing. Nor would any of our siblings, I'm sure if they knew they would've come to your aid. You know how protective Iblis and Beezlebub are of you."

A tear-stained face looked up at Amaimon, "I-I know, but that's all I'm good for Amai! I'm either a weapon, or a vessel! I don't have any will of my own! I don't have choices or actions that are my own! I'm just an empty shell to be used!" He stood abruptly, instead pacing back and forth, his tail waving violently in anxiety.

"You are not just anything. Why do you think Samael has brought you here for?" He grasps his shoulder, voice even, and monotone, but he could see the floods of emotion in his eyes. "He couldn't just sit there and let your will be taken from you! If Father was to possess you fully, you would disappear. And I do not mean simply dying, your consciousness would be swallowed completely." He turned his brother towards him, the younger demon staring a hole through the ground. "Samael is giving you a chance to live your life in the human world. He is giving you a chance to be something more than "just" anything. There is still a war raging for this realm. He, unfortunately, cannot keep you from the fray, but he is trying."

Rin took a deep breath, trying to regain control, he grabbed his tail. "I know- I know, but somewhere there's a voice telling me otherwise. Amai, I have been used my whole life. You can't just expect me to believe Samael has ulterior motive."

"Again, I am well aware of our brother's motives, we are demons after all. But you cannot believe that our brother would let you live through whatever abuse father was putting you through."

"Everyone else did...

A clawed hand poked his forehead again, "I do not think they were aware of Father's abuse. For the most part, we all raised each other. We didn't know what to expect from you being trained by Father-  although we should have guessed it would not be good."  He muttered. "You were the only one Father decided to pay attention to. None of them- None of us, would have imagined Father would be so heartless as to use you as a vessel."

Rin relaxed his brow, he took in a deep breath, "T-Thanks Amai, I'm glad you're my brother. I'm sorry I'm such a mess."

"Tch- of course, you are. You're practically still a baby in demon terms, its a wonder you're able to walk."

"I am not a baby!"

"You sure act like one, given your temper tantrums."

"They are not temper tantrums!"

He did feel better at his brother's reassurances. Samael did care. He knew that. His family cared. They wouldn't let their father go anywhere near him. His heart felt a little lighter at the thought of his family, protecting him from their father.

Amaimon took out a new lollipop, "Would you like to play?"

Rin grinned widely, "Of course!"

That was just what he needed to get out of the funk he found himself in. He loved sparring with Amaimon. He rarely held back. They made it to a clearing deep in one of the many forests surrounding the citadel in a flash of light. The forest had a charm to deter humans, and only exorcists were permitted to enter if they were given permission.

Rin felt the cool night air against his skin, he removed the amulet that was burning against his skin. His features sharpened, ears pointing, fangs sharpening. His small horns now visible under the fringe of his white hair. He summoned one of his swords from his demon seal. It was a Castillian sword gifted to him by his sister Ibis.

"No serious injuries, like severing limbs, got it." Amaimon groaned, "Not everyone can regrow limbs like you Amai! Three strikes and you're out."

"You're really no fun!"

"I have class in the morning, I don't want to be out of commission because you can't control yourself."

Rin tossed a golden drachma. Once the coin hit the dirt, the fight began.

With a swing of his he blocked an oncoming attack to his chest. Flipping backward to create distance, Rin landed on his feet gracefully.

"That all ya got!"

A chunk of earth flew towards him, he used his flames to appear just behind Amaimon to land a blow to his back.

"Strike one Amai!"

His brother growled in response.

Off in a distance Mephisto watched from where he was seated. He heard the conversation. It seems he would need to work on Rin's confidence. Well, he would have to work on a lot of things to get those wretched ideas their father planted in his brain. He genuinely wanted his brother to live his life, he couldn't help if he got tied up in the war. It was inevitable. That didn't mean he wouldn't try to lessen the damage.

The next day came too quickly. He was awoken by Amaimon in the worst way possible, being dragged by his feet and thrown into a bathtub full of bubbly water. He nearly set the room in flames at the shock of such a rude awakening.

" What the actual fuck!

He tried to escape the icy cold water until Amaimon snapped his fingers, summoning soap.

"You need to prepare for school." He lathered up the soap pouring it on Rin's head, "Aniki said to make sure you were prim and proper for your first day of school."

His teeth continued to chatter, "Ok, b-but why is the wa-water s-so cold!"

"Well, if you woke up in time the water would have been hot, now it is cold." He paused, putting a clawed finger to his chin, "Do you not know how temperatures work little brother?"

He flamed up, heating the water correctly, making Amaimon jump a little back, "I know how it works Amai." 

He wasn't shy to bathe in front of his brothers. It was common to wash with family in Gehenna. It created bonds. He drew the line at being treated like a child. So he summoned a dagger from one of his seals on his arm, promptly throwing it in Amaimon's direction.

Effectively dodging said dagged, Amaimon got the hint. "Fine, I will leave you be. I would hurry if I were you, the opening ceremony begins in thirty minutes."

"What!?

At breakneck speed, he washed quickly. Snapping his fingers, he managed to dress in the proper attire. He looked at his favorite bolo tie, upset he could not wear his favorite accessory. The item was gifted to him on his coronation day when he was only twenty years old. He adjusted his shirt, putting on the bolo tie like one of those edgy chokers he has seen servants wear in the castle.

Rushing out the door, he felt something small moving in the pocket of his blazer. A tiny green hamster pulled its head out.

"Aniki wanted me to tell you where to go. He left the key in the inside pocket."

By the time they arrived at the ceremony, Rin was already done with this shit. The hall was brightly decorated with ballons nearly everywhere. People were openly gawking at him like their jaws couldn't stay shut. Some of the girls appeared to be blushing when he looked their way.

He felt a familiar presence appear beside him, "Rin! Glad to see you've made it with no problems. I was going to message you but I was running late."

Rin smiled brightly, "SEI! Glad to see you made it!" He whispered, "I honestly cannot do crowds, I was about to lose it..."

Sei laughed at his friend's exaggeration (rin was not kidding), "Really? It looks like you're quite popular already, you have half of the student body blushing."

"What- no way!" 

Sei rolled his eyes, "Come on, let's take our seats."

The ceremony went on slowly. Rin was about to burst from the anticipation of the day being over. He could see Samael smirking at his discomfort from his spot on the stage. The girls behind him wouldn't stop fawning over him- giggling and trying to look cute. Surrounded by the scent of synthetic perfumes, it nearly made him gag. He wanted to snap and bare his teeth at them, but he was a gentle-demon and would refrain from such ugly behavior. Instead, he smiled kindly in their direction, effectively shutting them up for a few moments. He didn't mind the attention, it was flattering, but he was already agitated from having to come to this shit-show.

He watched as Samael went on a thirty-minute rant about youth and golden years. His boisterous personality enchanting the students and teachers into falsehood. He fell asleep half-way through the student-representatives speech. 

Sei nudged his shoulder to wake him, "Come on, we need to go and figure out our class schedules."

Drowsily, Rin got up, nearly bumping into someone. Ever the gentle-demon, he replied with a curt. "Excuse me."

The pig-headed rooster turned to apologize before he caught sight of white hair, "Tch- watch where you're going."

Rin blinked and smiled smugly, "Well, I see you weren't taught any manners. I really shouldn't be surprised a washed-out punk like you wouldn't have any."

Bon began to growl, preparing for a fight. Shima was holding him back, but just barely.

Sei, ever the pacifist, tried to put distance between the two, "Now Rin, I'm sure he's still upset from the other night. There is no need to insult anyone."

"I was not insulting him, I merely made an observation."

"You act so high and mighty, I can't wait for someone to knock you down a peg."

Rin openly laughed, it was a vibrant laugh, "Knock  me  down a peg? Is that an offer Mr. Suguro Ryuuji?" He watched with amusement the way the cute little human had to turn away and blush. He tried to make his way to through the crowd, "Come on Sei, lets head out already."

Rin pushed his way past Suguro, swaying his hips with enough pizazz to garner attention.

"Man, I am so jealous. Its barely the first day and he's already got a fan-club?"

Suguro ignored Shima's whining in favor of watching those hips sway. He turned and blushed brightly. This was going to be a long year.

Unfortunately for Suguro, Rin happened to be in all of his classes, nearly all of them. Practically seething in rage as the white-haired student waltzed his way into class, not even bothering to take notes. Instead, pretending to pay attention as he doodled in the margins. The only courses he seemed interested in were the history courses. All other courses, the idiot barely stayed awake. When he was awake, he would simply smirk at him with those sharp teeth of his and wink. Suguro ended up breaking three pens that day.

When lunch rolled around, Rin sighed as he forgot his lunch. He was actually excited to eat it. He could just conjure one up quickly, but there was no way to do that without being caught.

"Wanna go to the cafeteria?"

Rin turned to see his friend, "Sure." 

He got up from his seat and did a cat stretch. Tall limbs arching to get out the tight muscles. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Suguro staring. Quickly turning away, blushing.

"You really shouldn't tease him like that he's going to blow a fuse."

"Rin smiled a toothy grin, "So what? Let him. He's just too adorab-" He cut himself off,  where the fuck did that come from?

Sei smiled at his friends, bashfulness, "Were you about to call him adorable?? Are you sure you're not into him?"

Rin shoved his friend lightly, "Shut it!"

They made it to the cafeteria. It was grand and spacious, totally something his brother would come up with. It was controlled chaos—lots of orders being shouted from one place to another. The food smelled heavenly. He looked at the menu, not sure what to get. He wasn't well-versed in Assiahian foods. He knew a few recipes from books and ingredients Amaimon would bring him. But he wasn't very familiar with Japanese cuisines.

"Not sure what you're gonna get?"

"No, not really. To be honest, I'll just get what you're gonna get."

After they got their orders, they began searching for a place to eat. They came across the trio once more.

The small bald one asked timidly, "Hey guys, wanna sit here?"

Suguro turned to glare at Konekomaru while Shima laughed at his friend's obvious discomfort.

And Rin ever the asshole, loved to watch the rooster Squirm.

"Of course!"

They sat and ate their food in awkward silence. This was too much, even for Rin.

The bald one asked nervously, "So, how're your classes so far?"

They all began to chatter about how advanced the curriculum was. Shima started talking about all the cute girls he wanted to meet.

"How about you? You seem to be a huge hit with all the ladies and its only the first day!"

Rin looked up, "I mean, I guess? I've never really been around this many people in my life, its kind of annoying actually."

"What, too good for lowly peasants?" Suguro was full-on, glaring at Rin. If he had fangs, Rin was sure he would be trying to declare battle.

Rin plastered on a smile, "Let's just say, my father barely let me walk outside of our house growing up. So being around so many people at once is overwhelming."

"Really? You weren't allowed outside?" Sei was astonished at that. Rin walked around with such finesse, who knew he had such anxiety.

"Yup, I was barely allowed in the gardens unsupervised. I was home-schooled by my siblings. I've never stepped foot in a school before this week."

Suguro barked out a laugh, "So you're just some sheltered spoiled rich kid?"

Rin dropped his fork. He was anything but sheltered. Yeah, he couldn't go outside, but that didn't mean he didn't go through the wringer. Rin knew he was trying to egg him on, "Don't talk about shit you don't know anything about hu- ouch!"

Something bit him sharply. He looked down to see Amaimon eating at the rest of his food.

Konekomaru's eyes lit up, "Is that a hamster?!"

Rin blushed, looking for an excuse, "Y-Yeah, its my  pet  his names fluffy." He said with an evil grin. He could feel the murderous look Amaimon was shooting at him.

"You really shouldn't bring pets to school!" Suguro honestly couldn't believe this fucking guy?!

"It's not like I meant to. Fluffy, here, escaped his cage last night. Didn't have time to put him up."

"C-Can I hold him?"

"You can try, he's kind of an asshole Ouch- see." Amaimon bit him again and hid in his blazer's sleeve. 

"I guess that's a no," Shima laughed at Koneko's face.

Lunch ended, and they all headed back to class. Rin headed to the cram school for his next set of classes. At least these would be entertaining as he laughed at how little knowledge they possessed. 

He walked into the class just barely on time. That stupid trio sat to the far wall, while that Kamiki girl and her friend sat at the other side. He closed his eyes, hoping to get a good nap when he felt a familiar presence walk in. He shot up in his seat, preparing for a fight unconsciously.

The blood in his veins ran cold at the sight of the old priest. He walked in slowly with that mole-faced exorcist. Their eyes met, and it took everything in Rin to force the demon side of him to not murder the priest. Worse, he had to hold Amaimon back from transforming and killing him.

When Shiro walked in he was surprised to see the half-demon sitting at his desk at full attention. Staring straight into his eyes with hints of fear. That was an unexpected surprise truly. Shura who was tailing him just the other night gave him a quick run-down of what happened. Apparently he worked at a restaurant with a friend of his. On his way home, he immediately noticed Shura and began taking detours to lead her off his scent. Once she thought she was about to catch him, she saw a blue light from her position on the fire-escape. Leaving nothing but a note behind.

Keeping tabs on him was proving to be a challenge.

"Hello, I am the Paladin Shirou Fujimoto. Normally, my son Yukio would lead the Demon Pharmaceuticals. However, I am here to give out temptaints. Now, does anyone know what a temptaint is?"

Hold the fucking phone, did he just say son?! Didn't Mephy say something about him raising his brother?!

Rin looked up to meet teal-colored eyes. He sat there in complete shock, that was his brother! His mind was going a thousand miles an hour. He didn't know what to do! He could walk up to him say, "Hey, how are you. You're my brother and we were separated at birth so you could be raised as a weapon to fight your own people." Rin made a face, yeah that wouldn't go through very well, would it?

"It is a wound or illness inflicted by a demon," he looked up and met the paladin's eyes, "It gives the human an ability to see demons."

"That is correct." 

He brought out a vile of rotting blood. He could smell it from his desk.

"Raise your hand if you do not have one?" He saw the brown-haired girl raise her hand. "Rotting blood, and other types of rotting things bring goblins and ghouls. A small amount will only bring goblins. Who can tell me who they are kin to? Yes, Mr. Suguro."

"They are kin to Amaimon, the demon king of earth."

"Correct."

He felt Amaimon tense in his pocket. 

Rin felt a rage building in his chest, "So what are you going to do with goblins once you're done with them?"

Shirou looked at the half-demon in front of him. Of course, he would have a problem with this.

Plastering a smile, Shirou replied, "I will dispose of them, so they will not harm anyone. Its a completely harmless process."

"It's inhumane! To simply use a demon, then kill it, sending it to Gehenna in a broken form!"

"Demons are not human. They do not have emotions, therefore they will not feel any pain."

Rin stood up, slamming his hand on the desk, "That's bullshit!"

"Mr. Faust! You will sit down or leave with that kind of language! I will speak to you after class."

Rin sat down, knowing full-well a lecture was coming from both him and Samael. The ceremony commenced without a hitch. Amaimon was seething with murderous energy. The demons disposed of with a simple aria, the sound ringing in his ears as the goblins cried in misery. He covered his ears, not wanting to hear their suffering.

Looking up, he openly glared at the paladin, he bit back a growl. The other exorcist (his brother he reminded himself), was glaring right back at him in disapproval. If he could hear their screams, maybe he would understand. He did start to wonder if his brother even knew of his heritage? Possibly not, if he did he probably would've rejected it- rejected him. He had a long list of questions for Mephisto to answer, under threat of fire this time.

The class carried on boringly enough. They talked about simple things like first aid. Going threw types of inflictions often made by demons and what to expect. It was like listening to Azazel all over again- at least he made the lessons engaging by showing him examples first hand.

Not even half-way through the lecture Rin fell asleep. He honestly could not take how boring his twin made the lessons. He woke up to a pencil hitting him in the back of the head. He jolted up looking around to see Suguro glaring at him. Rin looked over his shoulder sending him a flirtatious wink as he bit the end of the pencil. Seeing him burst into a deep red blush was so amusing sometimes.

The class ended with Rin being called up front to be lectured by the old priest. He was really not in the right emotional state to deal with this guy.

"Yukio, wait outside for me."

Rin sat on his desk, foot impatiently tapping on the floor. While Amaimon settled on his shoulder, ready to fight the priest if need be.

"What do you want?"

Shiro sighed, he knew this wasn't going to be an easy talk. "You have shown a lot of disrespect today, did your parents teach you such language?"

"Ha-! Of course not, my older siblings did."

"If it is not acceptable at home, it is not acceptable here. I will not tolerate such blatant disrespect inside this classroom again."

Rin smirked, "Inside this classroom you say? So does that mean I can sass you anywhere else?"

"Very funny kid, no, it does not." He fought the urge to take out a cigarette, "Why were you so upset in the first place? They are just demons."

Rin's tail thumped against his chest impatiently, "That doesn't mean they can't feel pain! You, stupid humans, are too hard-headed to realize that demons are still living beings! They have emotions, they have pain receptors!"

"You say that like you know it for a fact. Demons are a threat to humanity, they possess and kill without remorse!"

"OH, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you've personally met every demon in the universe!" He waved his arms in the air in exaggeration, "Excuse me for not knowing!"

"You know that is not what I meant."

"Whatever, if that's all I will be on my way."

Rin felt a hand grasping his shoulder, "I am trying to prepare you for the real world! As your teacher, it is my duty to ensure you understand the threat that demons pose!"

Rin pulled himself away from the grip, "Trust me it's not demons I'm worried about."

Shiro watched as the teen pushed past him, he wanted to help him in some way. He knew the kid meant no harm, or at least he would like to assume so despite his better judgment. It would be hard to convince him to do what was right, especially when it seemed like his intentions were so pure. For now, shiro would let him walk away.

Once Rin pushed past the priest he made his way to the hallway, greeted by his twin's glaring face. "What do you want now?"

Yukio glared down at the half-demon with disdain, "I heard everything, you'd be wise to listen to him."

"Oh, and be a blind little sheep like you? You never even questioned where you came from have you? Heres a little tip, ask him about a woman named Yuri Egin." He covered his mouth, an evil smirk appearing on his face. "Oops, I probably shouldn't have said that."

He left leaving his brother in utter confusion, shouting after him.

"You probably shouldn't have done that, ya know?"

"So what, my twin deserves to know the truth, or at least question it."

Yukio stood there in utter shock- what did he mean? He pushed the thoughts to the back of his head. The demon was just trying to get under his skin. He turned to see his father walk out of the classroom exasperated. 

"Ready to go Yukio?"

"Y-Yeah."

Chapter Text

'Yuri Engin?'

The name was unfamiliar to Yukio. Not once has he ever heard his father or the other clergyman speak of anyone with that name. What did that have to do with his parentage? He had asked his father a few times about his mother to see his father close off. Eventually, he stopped asking. What did he mean by where he came from? Of course, he questioned it. At some point, he accepted his lot in life.

He shook his head,  'That demon was just trying to get in my head, I don't have time to go on wild goose chases.'

Despite his better judgment, he walked to his father's office in the monastery. His hand was hovering over the doorknob. The voice in the back of his head was growing louder. It was practically begging him to ask about Yuri Egin and the connection to his parentage.  

He opened the door.

"Ah! Yukio, what are you doing here? It's a school night, you know?" Shiro put his finger to his chin with a devilish smirk, "Did you miss me that much?"

Yukio rolled his eyes with a soft smile on his face, "No." His face turned sour at the next words, "I-I actually had a question about something."

"Oh?" 

Yukio went to open his mouth to speak, but the words got caught in his throat. He closed his mouth to regain his breath- Yukio was indecisive. A demon gave him a hint, a clue to his heritage. He wasn't sure if he could trust the demon just yet, or at all. 

Yukio put on a smile and asked, "Its nothing, I just wanted to know if I could stay here tonight." He would hold onto that name and do some research before he came to his Father. He wasn't sure if he wanted to trust the information he was given.

"Of course! I'll be out for a few moments though, I need to discuss something with Mephisto before I turn in for the day."

"Sure no problem."

Shiro looked over at his son. He knew there was more to Yukio staying here. He knew that Yukio wanted to ask him something else. For now, Shiro would drop the subject. Patting his son on the shoulder, he made his way to the monastery door to use his universal key.

When he walked right into Mephisto's office, he was greeted loudly.

"Ah, Shiro! What business does the paladin have with me at this time of day?"

Shiro made an impassive face, "I'm here to discuss Ren."

Mephisto rested his chin on his hand, bored, "Oh? What has my  nephew  done now?"

"I don't think this arrangement is going to work, Mephisto. Not only does he refuse to follow the rules, but he is also adamantly against causing harm to demons. Ren looked downright murderous when I simply exorcised a goblin."

Mephisto thought a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Did you think it would be that easy to sway him? He grew up in Gehenna. This world is not his own, even if he is half-human. The mixture of human and demon emotions can be dangerous." He held a hand to pause Shiro from what he was about to say, "Dangerous in the aspect of those emotions being very intense. The human aspect recognizes demons as his kin, therefore making him very protective of them."

"Even more reason to remove him from the program! He cannot be trusted, he is siding with the demons, it could jeopardize our missions."

"I understand, and I agree. Ren is young- very young, especially for a demon. His loyalties with demons cannot be understated. However, you must understand he has not had very good interactions with humans beforehand. It really is no wonder as to why he would decide to side with them."

Shiro sat in his seat. Of course, it made sense. Ren was particularly hostile towards exorcists. From what Shura observed, he had no problems with humans- or the humans he chose to stick around. He genuinely seemed interested in their way of life. A way of life that was denied to him at such a young age.

"If I may ask, what caused this distrust in exorcists?" Somewhere in the back of Shiro's head, he knew what the possible issue was. He has no issue with other humans.

Mephisto leaned back in his chair, "When he was just a baby, a small squad was sent to exorcise him- to kill him." Shiro gasped loudly. "He was just a child, he didn't commit a single crime, yet the exorcists decided his birth alone was crime enough. He was taken from his mother and killed- sending him straight to Gehenna in a damaged body..." 

Shiro was now silent in his seat. Mephisto could practically smell the guilt radiating off of him. The paladin's mind was going a thousand miles an hour. He couldn't ask why they would be so cruel. He knew why, because he had done the same once before.

Mephisto looked at the moon high in the sky. Its light was waning. The distraction was momentarily easing the urge to harm the exorcist in front of him. "Demons have excellent memories- long memories. Even as a baby, Ri- Ren was well aware of what happened. The memories would come to him in the form of nightmares. As a child, the memories had to be locked away. It wasn't until he came back to Assiah that the memories began to plague him once more. He does not trust exorcists for a very good reason, Shiro. He knows one wrong step would lead to his death."

"Then why would you place him in a school for exorcists? Why put him through that torture?"

"Exorcists are the lesser of evils I am protecting him from. He possesses tremendous power and strength, but we are not the only ones aware of it. I am merely protecting him so that he may live his life freely."

"That may be your intention, but it is not going to work Mephisto! He will not work with us."

"You need to show him that you mean him no harm. Show him that there are demons that pose a threat to humans. It may have never crossed his mind that there are very harmful effects on innocent humans."

Shiro thought a moment. He had not thought of that possibility. Growing up in a world where humans were the monsters seemed absurd. But it seemed to be a genuine possibility. "Fine. I will give him another chance. I will be keeping a closer eye on him. Have him ready to go in the morning."

"Oh? Having him accompany you on a mission?"

"I might as well show him first hand."

Mephisto placed his teacup on the saucer, "How interesting. What will you do if he does not wish to work with exorcists? If he decides to side with demons?"

Shiro looked him in the face, expressionless, "My job."

Mephisto watched as the exorcist walked out of the room. His composure broke as the teacups handle shattered under his fingertips. Abruptly he stood at his desk, leaving the mess. Walking towards the window, he stared at the moon. Its light shining bright into the darkness that was his office. Truth be told, he quite forgot the precise hue of the moon in Gehenna. Things were going according to plan. He knew his brother was distraught about being used in his game. It was never his intention to use Rin, even now. In the original plan, he would be a neutral party. Too young to fight in a war like this. However, now that he was here and no longer safe in Gehenna. He had no choice but to move his pawns around to find some protection for his brother.

His feet managed to find their way to Rin's room. His hand stopped before he could even tap. He knew he needed to apologize. They couldn't simply go on like this, could they?

He was a demon king! Why was he hesitating? He brought his hand to the door handle. Walking in, he noticed his brother was splayed across a chaise lounge. The balcony door letting the cool night air into the room. His hair was ethereal in the light of the moon.

He moved forward to close the door, drawing the curtains. Moving towards the chaise lounge, he conjured a blanket and spread it over his brother. He sighed heavily. This was not how he intended things to go. He ruffled his brother's hair as he shuffled in his sleep.

"We need to talk Rin," with that omission, he walked out of the room. 

Rin's eyes opened. He looked around the room, a shiver running down his spine. He could've sworn he heard something. He laid back down, unaware of the addition of the blanket splayed over his chest. 

The next morning he heard a knock on his door. He raised his head from the uncomfortable position it was in. He closed his eyes again, only to open them when the knocking became louder. He grabbed whatever was within reach and threw it at the door.

The door opened unexpectantly. Rin was not in the mood for this shit. He felt a familiar presence enter the room, accompanied by the scent of smoke. Rin dug his claws into the sofa as he prepared to be dragged.

"Are you really still asleep Ren? Its nearly nine in the morning!"

His reply was muffled by the sofa's cushion.

"Not much of a morning bird is he?"

"No, not at all."

He felt a tug at his feet. Preparing for the inevitable, he clung as tightly as possible, groaning loudly, "noooOOOO!" Rin tried to kick Mephisto away but was too tired to actually fight back.

"Get up already. Today as punishment for disrupting class you will be accompanying Shiro on a mission."

Rin peaked his head up from the floor. White hair askew and clearly unkept. He yawned loudly, showing off his sharp canines. "That's a stupid punishment."

"Would you rather clean the Reaper cages in the training areana?" Rin made a disgusted face at the notion. "That's what I thought."

Shiro looked at his watch, "Come one kid, we got a mission to take care of."

"uuUUGGGH- Why are you here? Don't you have old people stuff to be doing right now? Like feeding the birds or some shit?" Shiro's face was definitely an unwelcome sight so early in the morning. Scratch that both of their faces were unwelcome.

"Shouldn't you be eating crayons?"

Rin went to throw the pillow at the two as they walked to the door, as Mephisto called out, "Be ready in 5 minutes, or else!"

Rin was so lucky he learned those little snappy tricks from Amaimon- though his brother used it out of pure laziness. In a quick snap, Rin refreshed himself. He really didn't have time for a bath. Rin thought a moment on what to wear. It was not a school day as far as he knew. So he donned his black bomber jacket over a dramatically bright floral tee that said, "Go for the kill daffodil." When he went out with Sei to the shopping district, he showed him all about Street fashion. Rin was significantly amused by the variety of colorful clothing. 

He walked out into the main room where Mephisto was "entertaining" the exorcist. He noticed his twin Yukio sitting quietly beside him, avoiding his eye contact- jerk.

"Took you long enough!" Shiro got up from his spot, "Who's the geezer now?"

"Shut it! Its the clowns fault for not telling me in the first place!" 

Shiro placed his key through the door, "Let's just hurry. Its a very simple mission, its just a check-up really."

Rin walked behind the two exorcists in apprehension, unsure of what the mission entailed. At least this way, he had a chance to save one of his subjects from their harm.

He looked around and noticed a house that was entirely surrounded by an isolated forest. The house was lovely, and the garden even more stunning. He did not have an eye for such detail like his brother, but even he could tell it was well taken care of.

He tried to walk into the shop only to be stopped by his twin, "Only exorcists are allowed entry."

Rin rolled his eyes dramatically, "Then why was I to come along in the first place?"

The two left him outside to stew in his annoyance. Wandering over to the garden, he noticed a small blonde human girl. She looked so peaceful in the bright Assiahian sun. His nose picked up another scent- one that was foul and filled with malice. Rin searched for its aura. It was a weak little parasite. 

Rin barely took a step forward when the gate went crashing down, causing the girl to shriek.

She looked up at him with fearful eyes, "A-A demon!" She pointed to the gate, "The gate has a demon ward on it!"

Rin subconsciously touched his forehead to feel if his horns were showing.

"S-Shit, I'm sorry!"

"Stay out you demon!" He walked forward to calm the shrieking girl, a little worried the exorcists would come after him. The girl tried to scurry away but fell before she could even move afoot. "Stay away!"

"H-Hey wait, I'm not going to hur-"

"I said dont come near me!"

Rin caught a look at her leg. It was grossly deformed with vines growing around it. It seems like the little parasite of a demon took a firm grasp of the girl. "Is there something wrong with your legs?"

He walked over to the girl reaching out his hands to help him up. After a moment's hesitation, she took his hand. She winced as her injury was disturbed.

Rin knew the site of temptaint when he saw one. He asked her bluntly, "Why are you letting a demon take control of your body?"

She looked up with wide, scared eyes, "I-I'm n-"

"I can practically feel the demon taking your energy, its a wonder you aren't dead." He squatted to sit in front of her, his head leaning on his fist a little bored, "What did they offer you?"

"T-They didn't of-"

"So there is a demon here?" Her eyes widened at the mistake, "What did they offer you?"

Shiemi's eyes began to well up with tears, "I-I just- just- wanted to protect my grandmother's garden..." 

She began telling him about the garden and how much her grandmother cherished it. How it was all, she had left of her grandmother. The fights she and her mother got into over the garden. How she so desperately wanted to keep it intact even with her absence- a form of repentance.

"Even so, you shouldn't go around making deals with little demons like that, you know?"

She shook her head, "B-But I had to! I'm not strong enough to do this on my own! I'm too weak-"

"No, I'm sure your grandmother would be upset with you. You're hurting yourself to keep up this garden she loved, but I know she loved you more than this garden. You're not weak, you just haven't found your strength just yet. You can't live your life in this garden forever. Take it from a guy who seldom left his home growing up. You need to experience the world. Maybe one day you can find the garden of amahara." 

"Do you really think so?"

He nodded his head, "All you need is a little push, not some overgrown parasite."

She fell forward, crying, "I-I'll do it! I can do this on my own!"

Rin took her hands in his, "Do you want me to help you get rid of it?"

She looked up at the boy in front of her. For the first time, she noticed how bright his eyes were, almost warping in shape. Maybe he was a demon afterall? Even so she still asked for his help, "P-PLease help me-"

Rin snapped his fingers, making the girl faint as she finished her sentence. He laid her gently on the ground. Rin closed his eyes. The demon knew he was there. The demon was quiet, trying to hide amongst the foliage of the plants. He let his aura leak into the atmosphere, forcing the demon to submit before he could lay his eyes on it. 

"There!" He pointed to a purple pansy basking in the sun. He plucked it from the ground,  "What do you think you were doing trying to possess this human?"

"I-I'm so weak my prince! I could not help but take her power for my own!"

"Okay, I understand the want for power. This is why exorcists are always after us! Just leave the girl alone, or I will burn you to a fucking crisp."

"What's this Satan's sun defending humans now? What has the world come to?

"I changed my mind."

The demon sensing the murderous aura coming from the prince, tried to flee the garden. Before the demon could even try, Rin already had his fire at the ready before it could, burning it to ashes. " You made your choice now live with the consequences." 

He went over to the collapsed girl.

"FAUST!" His head snapped to the doorway where the two exorcists stood. Yukio shoved past him, "What did you do?"

The priest moved past him to calm the young girl, "Why didn't you let us handle this."

"Ummm, your welcome!? It was just some low-level ent trying to take her energy. It took the form of a pansy."

Shiro looked down to examine the girl. She looked fine. A bit pale and cold. The roots already disappearing from her legs. He looked at the burnt ash on the concrete. Where did that come from? "How did you get rid of it?"

Rin's eyes widened, trying to find a lie, "I- uh burned it." He patted his jacket to find a lighter, "See. It was a form of exorcism that Mephisto showed me once before. Perfect for low-level green-bound demons." 

At least he knew that it would be no problem for Rin to kill other demons. The question was still there, how did he get rid of the demon? HE could've sworn he saw a blue flash. Shiro narrowed his eyes about to say something, "Ren what d-"

"SHIEMI!" A brown-haired woman raced down the stairs. She took her daughter in her arms. Shiemi began to stir a little bit, "What were you thinking?!"

"I-I'm sorry mom!"

Rin slipped to the back of the group as Yukio and Shiro finished the check-up. He watched the mother/daughter scene in front of him. He never really had that relationship with anyone before. Iblis didn't count. She was his sister. He felt a pang of hurt in his chest, unsure of what it was. 

Rin began walking out the garden, sitting on the steps as they finished. His skin was itching in anticipation. Searching his pockets, he managed to find a single crumpled up cigarette, the only one he managed to swipe before Mephisto confiscated them. He brought it to his lips, lighting it with ease. Something was wrong with the situation, he couldn't put his finger on it. Thinking back to the scene, he knew he was being watched. Although he couldn't tell by what exactly. At first, he believed it was the tiny parasite watching him. Even after the little demon died, the feeling was still there. 

He puffed out a bit of the smoke. It was a test.

Shiro brought him along to test his loyalty, no doubt. Probably part of Mephisto's little schemes. His demon blood was starting to get heated with agitation. He took in a few more breaths of smoke, holding it in to calm his fraying nerves. 

Shiro watched from a distance as the little demon sat on the steps, obviously sulking. His nose caught a whiff of cigarette smoke. His brows furrowed as his dad instincts kicked in.

"Aren't you a little young to be smoking?"

"You're not my dad."

"No, but what would your parents say if they saw you?"

Shiro noticed the little demon stiffen. He forgot it was a touchy subject.

"Who knows. Mum's dead and my father is- well he doesn't have the right to tell me what to do." Rin got up abruptly, stomping the cigarette to the ground. "If we are done here, I need to be leaving."

Shiro noted the lack of progress. Today was meant to try and gain his trust. To test his loyalties. Ren obviously had a moral compass to know when demons were being harmful. He at least had that peace of mind. But there was no progress in getting the little Nephilim to trust him.

"Wait. Why don't you come with us? We were going to have a little dinner. Since you did all the work, it'll be my treat."

Rin looked at the man, searching for any hint of deceit. He really had no reason to trust this man. Other than the fact he was giving him a chance. But this version of himself wasn't real. It was merely a trick with a simple spell. If Shiro really knew who he was- that he was Satan's son- he was sure Shiro would try to kill him once again. That is "if." Currently, Shiro had no idea. Yes, he knew that Rin was a half-demon. However, the exorcist pretended to not know. For what? So he could watch him and then pass judgment. Deciding whether he should live or die. His life was always in his hands, wasn't it? 

Rin made a decision. If the priest wanted to play cat and mouse, he would give it to him, "Sure."

Chapter Text

Rin made a decision. If the priest wanted to play cat and mouse, he would give it to him, "Sure."

They bid their farewells once Yukio finished with the checkup, ensuring Shiemi would be ok. When they made it to the door, Shiro entered the key. Walking through it, Rin noticed they were in a shopping district.

"Where are we?"

"Oh, we're near a train station."

They boarded the train. Rin watched with sparkles in his eyes as the train practically took off! Sure, it was crowded and filled with strange, smelly humans, but he brimmed with excitement.

For once, he and Shiro had a pleasant conversation. One that didn't start or end in yelling.

They entered the home removing their shoes before stepping inside. A small group of clergymen came to greet them. They looked a little apprehensive at seeing Rin, almost like familiarity swept their facial expressions.

"This is Ren Faust, he's Mephisto's nephew."

The clergymen all shared looks of disbelief. They probably knew Mephisto was also a demon, meaning his familial ties were also of demonic heritage.

"Its nice to me-" Rin sniffed the air apprehensively. He quickly covered his nose at the stench, "I-Is something burning??!"

"Oh shoot! Sorry about that I was preparing the meat."

Rin shoved past them, "You call that preparing?!!? Here let me help."

"Nonsense! You're a guest!"

Rin shoved past to the kitchen to witness the food charring in the pan, "It smells so rancid! As a cook, I cannot with good conscience let this monstrosity continue!"

Shiro waved him off, "It's fine Mephisto swears by Ren's cooking. I'm actually curious about it."

Rin blushed a little at the compliment. Before he began, he asked what they were trying to make, then promptly shoved everyone out of the kitchen to finish. Shouting every once in a while for a specific item, he couldn't find on his own.

After everyone's plates were filled, they began to dig in. Their tastebuds exploding in flavor. Yukio and Shiro kept most of the conversation. What on earth was he doing? Eating dinner with his would-be murderer. His stomach began to tie itself into knots.

"Wow, so you have had no formal training?"

"Huh? Oh, nope! I'm completely self-taught. I find it relaxing."

Rin thought offhandedly,  'It would be the talk of Gehenna if the crowned prince of Gehenna were to enroll into a culinary school of all things...'

"We may just have to kidnap you every night just to make dinner!"

The conversation turned to the demon that was exorcised today. Discussing the extent of the damage and how Rin handled it on his own.

"It was nothing really- just a simple ent."

"By the time we made it outside, it was merely a pile of ash. Its the first time I've seen an exorcism like that." Shiro took a pause after a bite, "What was your method? Did you also use aria?"

"Family secret I'm afraid. Mephisto taught it to me."

"I'm actually surprised you even managed it. I thought you were against harming demons," Yukio asked between a bite of rice.

"I'm against the unethical method of harming innocent demons." He heard someone having a coughing fit, "The demon today was actively causing harm to drain the girl of her power. They were not innocent, therefore I have no problem with disposing of it. You may be unaware of the laws of Gehenna, but he broke the law and will be dealt with accordingly. A demon cannot simply make a contract- not to mention he broke his own contract at that! There are laws!" 

'Especially if they do not respect authority.'

The clergyman sputtered in place.

Yukio was the only one to ask, "What laws? How would you even know?? You cannot possibly make me believe there is any form of order in Gehenna?!"

Rin's tongue slipped, letting out more information that he meant to. He coughed, "Mephisto told me, obviously. He has a whole shelf dedicated to the laws of Gehenna. Why do you think there are nine kings under Satan? There's no way he'd be able to keep them all in order, even with his power. And of course there are laws! You need your shit notarized by someone when making contracts! You cannot notarize your own contracts either! Or else there'd be chaos!"

That seemed to be the answer Shiro was looking for as he nodded his head. It came as a complete surprise that there was a form of order in Gehenna. He was okay with the answer for now. He really didn't want to get into another philosophical argument with the Nephilim over the innocence of demons. The rest of the clergymen bid their goodnights after the mess was cleaned up.

Rin cursed silently, "I knew I forgot something. I left my damned keys at home."

"Here, I can walk you to the train station."

They gathered their things, walking silently through the neighborhood. Stopping at a little food cart that sold Takoyaki. Rin immediately fell in love with the fried octopus food. They sat in relative silence, watching the park from a distance. 

Shiro tried making conversation, trying to make it sound like it wasn't an interrogation. "So, how do you like True Cross so far?"

To Rin, it sounded more like,  'So, how do you like Assiah?'

"It's nice? The building is extravagant, but what would you expect from Mephy."

"Pfff- Mephy?"

"Yeah, I used to have trouble saying his name when I was a kid, so i just started calling him Mephy. Now I say it to annoy him."

"I see. I was really surprised to find that Mephisto even had a nephew, let alone any other family."

"Yeah, well, he's kind of the white sheep of the family I suppose."

"Isn't the phrase 'black sheep'?"

"Yeah, it is isn't it." Rin finished the food, setting it down beside him. "Lets cut the crap. Why did you decide to bring me here? Exorcising a single ent is hardly the cause for celebration."

"No, I suppose that is true."

"Another lecture old man?"

"Not quite." He placed his food to the side, "You did well today. I'm sure you've already suspected why I had you come along today."

"Yeah. For some bullshit test to see if I- a demon- would even be useful enough to keep alive."

"Ren, that's no-"

"Shiro, I'm not stupid. I can tell by the way you tense up when I get upset. The way your son Yukio's hands itch to grab his gun and shoot."

The park seemed to go quiet.

"I know you do not trust exorcists. Mephisto told me what happened." Shiro took a seat across from Ren, debating whether or not he should say this next. "I may not understand what fully happened, but your mother did not deserve to die for giving birth to you. What those exorcists did was not right."

'Shut up. You don't know. It was you- You did this! You did it!' 

The air in the room was becoming hot and stale. Rin's flames heating up beneath his skin, only restrained by his amulet. The noise of the park felt like it was overwhelming. "Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about! You're the fucking same as all the other exorcists! You did what you did to test me-" when Shiro didn't say anything, he continued spitefully, "to see if i was worthy of living."

Shiro tried to calm the little demon, "That's not what happened. I was just making sure you would be able to exorcise demons if need be."

"What would you have done if I was unable to?" Rin looked at him in the eyes. He could tell his eyes were flickering ever so slightly, "Would you have killed me- exorcised me?"

"Ren, that's not what would've happened-" Shiro stood up, trying to get the demon to look him in the eye.

Rin's eyes were getting wet, "It's what you exorcists do! If a demon is of no use- you kill them. You want me to be a complacent little pet don't you?"

Shiro's spine straightened, his face going hard, "Ren, that is not what I meant. I simply wanted to know if you were a threat. You grew up in Gehenna for crying out loud."

"Yeah, not my fault." Rin reached into his pocket, searching for his lighter to smoke a cigarette from his pack. "And what's your decision."

"You're definitely not harmless, but you do have some moral code. I will not be turning you into the Vatican if that's what you're afraid of."

"How utterly gracious of you!" Rin said with sarcasm, "What a saint to not turn in a teenager to be sent off to his death! I'm not scared of them."

"You should be," Rin's tail twitched beneath his shirt, "I'm not going to kill you. You have done nothing wrong."

"That hasn't stopped you before," Rin whispers to himself. "You say that now, but if you knew who I really was. Who my father was. Who my mother was. Would you still sit there and say the same things?" It took everything inside of Rin to not reveal his form to Shiro. To not bare his fangs or let his flames take control because he knew the answer to his questions. 

"Ren, what are you talking about? Most exorcists are half-demons, who cares!?"

"Trust me, if you knew who my father was, I think you'd care a great bit."

"You didn't choose who your father was, Ren. I can't hold you liable for something that was out of your hands."  

"That has never stopped any from judging me before."

If Rin had turned his head even a fraction, he would've seen the guilt that crossed Shiro's face.

"I won't judge you, ya know that right."

Rin's brow furrowed. He got up from his spot, taking a few more puffs of smoke before putting it in the ashtray by the trash can. "Listen, geezer, its been fun talking with you. But I am this close to ripping your head off your shoulders." He took in the cold air, trying to regain his composure, "And if you stay out here in the cold any longer, you might not last through the night. You know, because you're old."

"I'm not that old!"

Rin began walking off and yelled back, "That defense alone proves how old you really are!"

Riding the train home was indeed a mistake. He didn't know where to look on the map. He technically knew where to go but wasn't a hundred percent sure. Yes, he could teleport home. But that was so boring! Plus, he felt a pair of red eyes watching him from beneath a black hoodie. He couldn't risk the possibility of being caught again. 

Eventually, he made it home when some poor lady took pity on the obviously confused foreigner. He graciously thanked her, giving her a little charm to keep coal tars away.

Walking into the large mansion, he was immediately tackled by his brother Amaimon.

"Ufff- Get off of me!"

"Why do you smell like that human?"

"None of your business Amai-" he got up to dust himself off. 

At that moment, Amaimon mangled him into a chokehold. They fought for a few moments. Claws were out, and Rin had to block with the- thankfully- thick leather of his jacket. Rin managed to wrap his legs around Amaimon's chest. Grabbing his shirt collar and his left arm, he managed to knock him off balance enough to get on top. Holding his arm in a hold tight enough for him to stop.

Amaimon gasped, "You're being reckless Rin. If he finds out, you know what he's going to have to do right?"

"You don't have to remind me."

After a horrible cracking noise, Amimon dislocated his own shoulder. It was enough to where he managed to gain his arm back. He kicked Rin off of him. Another crack, and it was back in place with barely a wince. He jumped back, watching his brother with a close eye, in case he decided to attack again.

"Obviously I do though. What are you even trying to accomplish Rin?"

"I don't know Amai- I just- I just want to know what kind of a person he has to be to do what he did. He is obviously against the killing of my fictional parents."

"Because he doesn't know who your parents are- who our father is."

Rin went for a mid-waist tackle hoping to throw him off balance. The result was a broken vase. Not that they cared. Rin pinned Amaimon to the floor, growling out, "Dont you think I know that!" His hands curling into the fabric of his vest, "I keep hoping he may feel some form of guilt for my death is all. Maybe I'm still looking for an apology," He rested his head on Amaimon's chest, "just something."

"You're looking for some just reason to forgive your killer? Do I hear that, right? Humans really are stupid like that."

"I'm not a human! I just need to know if he felt guilty when he did it. I need to know why I was-wasn't good enough to live. Why Yukio was the only one allowed to live- Why am I never good enough-"

Before Rin's small rant sent him into a panic, Amaimon placed his hands on Rin's head. Trying to soothe away his oncoming attack. After a few beats of silence, once Rin's heartbeat was finally calm. 

"It is not your responsibility to understand the actions of others. You will drive yourself insane. You should never forgive him for what he did." Amaimon took Rins' arm and flipped him over. Once up, he lent a hand to his brother. "You are a fucking prince, you don't need the approval of others, nor do you need their apologies."

Rin watched for a moment or two as his brother disappeared into the night to god knows where. Snapping his fingers, he reappeared in his room. He changed his clothing, preparing for a bath. Looking over to the mirror, the silver scar running over his heart was illuminated by the moon's light. Teasing him, taunting him about his naivety. 

What was he trying to accomplish? At first, he just wanted to divert his attention, stay as far away from him as possible. Rin knew it would be impossible given he had to attend the Cram School. Then he just started to wonder who this man was. Who was he to pass judgment? He had no right. Even if he found his answer, what would he do with it? Would he reveal himself? Would he attack the priest? 

Then his thoughts drifted from thoughts of the priest to his younger twin. The poor bastard probably didn't even know he was half-demon. He doubted the priest would tell him. He felt so disconnected when he watched the scene between Shiemi and her mother. He never really experienced that kind of affection. When he watched the playful banter between Fujimoto and his twin. Growing up in a palace, a king couldn't just show affection so freely. The sight sent a pang of pain to his heart.

He submerged himself into the scalding hot water to drown away his thoughts.  "What on earth am I fucking doing?"

The next few days dragged on horrifyingly slow. His only release from boredom was a few shifts at Godaiin's family restaurant. Before he knew it, he had to trudge back to that wretched school.

Once Rin sat in his seat, he immediately noticed that rooster-headed kid glaring daggers into his soul. Rin wasn't entirely sure why. It probably had to do with the fact that Rin was nearly 20 minutes late to class. He blew a kiss at him in retaliation. There was always that weird feeling in his gut when he saw Bon blush like that. It was cute how upset the little human got. Given Rin had incredible hearing, he could tell his heart would speed up when Rin blew him a kiss or simply winked at him. There was something there, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Maybe he'd ask Iblis or Azazel...

The classes went on with little impact on Rin's mood. Humans stayed away from him, which was always a plus. From the whispers he could hear, it seemed like his classmates were split between people who were scared of his sharp glare and people who were swooning for him. They had a quick lunch while Sei tried his damn hardest to explain the plot to Doctor Who.

"So, he's a time-traveling human lord who uses a box to travel? And keeps messing up time?"

"No, he's Gallifreyan, its humans who look Gallifreyan- the timelords came first. And its not just some box its the TARDIS! It is a Time And Relative Dimension In Space machine, its just disguised as a blue police box!"

"Ok, so he's a  Gallifreyan  who keeps fucking up time and he goes around and- just picks up random humans he likes?" Rin thought a moment, "Yeah, I can totally get behind that idea."

Their conversations continued pleasantly. As they were walking back to class, they heard a commotion down the corridor. The tall rooster of a human was being cornered by some blond- pompous looking asshole.

"Hey, let me go Shiratori! I told you I wasn't going to help you fucking cheat!"

"Well, I'm just going to have to change your mind!"

In any other situation, Bon would have fought back. It wasn't in him to cower from a fight. But he was on scholarship. He couldn't afford to lose that because of some rich asshole. Bon was trying to fend off his assailant when Rin came up, towering over the human.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Tsk- This doesn't concern you, now run along," the blond-headed male said with a snarl.

Before Shiratori could even put a hand on Bon, Rin caught his arm and twisted it backward.

"Yes, it does actually."

"Who do you think you are!? My name is Rei Shiratori! My father will have yo-"

Rin made a face-  oh? he wants to use his family name to scare him? Two can play at that game.

"Ren Faust, a pleasure to meet you," Rin noticed how the other guy stiffened at the mention of his name. "If you don't want word getting to the headmaster, I suggest you run along now."

Instead of doing the smart thing, Shiratori tried to land a punch to Rin's face. Quickly blocking the attack, Rin took the other arm and pinned him to the ground.

A teacher rounded the corner and started shouting. Apparently, in the rush of action, Rin "accidentally" dislocated his shoulder. There was a bunch of screaming from Shiratori. One clean glare had him whimpering on to the nurses' office. He sent a shrug to Sei, signaling him to call him later. While he was being dragged by his ear to the principles office. 

Bon sputtered in place as the other teen was dragged my ears to the office. Trying to stand from his position on the wall, he shouted, "W-Wait- Shiratori was the one who started it."

That's how both of them ended up at the Principal's office with an irritated teacher muttering under her breath about how the pay was not worth this shit. She glared at the two, warning them to not scurry off as she went to talk to the headmaster.

Rin was slouching, his hands in his pocket. Obviously annoyed at being chastised for doing the right thing. Honestly, Shiratori got away easy. And boy oh boy, he was not going to forget that name. He was already plotting revenge. 

"I didn't need your help you know."

"Bullshit, he had you on the ground, the situation did not look handled to me."

Bon really couldn't say much that, not wanting to make the situation worse with another fight, the silence was stretching on. Bon looked over to the white-haired teen beside him. He looked so nonchalant about being in trouble. Upon closer inspection, he could see his jaw was clenched tightly. Bon was about to open his mouth when the doors flew open with the headmaster ushering the teacher.

"Now, go on. I can handle it from here. Your class is just about to start if I'm not mistaken, wouldn't want to be late would we?"

The teacher nodded her head wordlessly, sending a glare at the two boys. 

Mephisto walked over to his desk. He gestured for the two boys to sit in the seats in front of his desk. Bon was stiff as a board, clearly nervous about being in the headmaster's office to be chastised. While Rin was nonchalant and ready to tear Mephisto a new one.

"Now, Ren. What have you done now?"

It took Bon a moment to realize that the two were related. How could he forget?! On the first day, he made such a big deal about the headmaster's nephew being in the school slacking off.

"I didn't do anything Mephy," he whined, slouching in his chair.

Bon choked on his spit,  Mephy!?

Mephisto snapped his fingers, forcing Rin to sit up. "Do not slouch! It is bad for your posture- it is juvenile!" He summoned a tea set distributing the items, "Here, to calm down. I will ask one more time, what happened Ren?"

Rin sat up, adjusting the teacup on the saucer. "Some pigheaded shit head decided to mess with Rooster head here. Honestly he reminded me of Asta-nii. They were fighting- something about cheating."

"Oh? And you believed this garnered breaking someone's arm? Tsk-Tsk~!" Ryuuji felt a shiver run down his spine as Sir Phele's eyes peered over him from his teacup. "Bullying is not permitted on these premises. Its punishment is immediate expulsion. I believe you are here on scholarship, is that right, Mr. Suguru?"

"Y-Yes."

Rin sat up, nearly spilling his tea, "He had nothing to do with this! It was that shit-head bullying Bon. It was all me, Sam- Mephisto."

"I never said he did. Now Ren, you promised you wouldn't cause trouble. You broke the arm of a student who has potent connections. Suguro is an accessory to this crime." He held his hand up before his brother could get up again, "What you did was noble, I replayed the videotapes. That being said, we are able to claim self-defense. We can just use it for blackmail against the Shiratori family if need be."

"So, we can go?"

"Fu-Fu, of course not! You still broke the rules by breaking a student's arm. Therefore you will be cleaning the cram classrooms of coal tars for a week." 

"But i have work!"

"Then I will contact Mrs. Godaiin and inform her of your absence. Suguro had no hand in this, therefore he is not to receive punishment or probation of any kind." 

Rin slumped in petulance.

"Your fists should not be the first resort." Mephisto placed his saucer on the table, "What would your dear sister say if she knew all her ethics lessons went to waste?"

Rin felt his cheeks flush brightly. She  would embarrass him in the worst ways possible- like reading his diary aloud in the town square.

Ryuuji looked over at the other teen, clearly looking chastised by the headmaster. Guilt was building up in his belly at the thought of Faust taking all the blame.

"That is enough for today. Continue on to your cram classes."

Rin was about to open his mouth when the two were pushed outside the room by an invisible force. Rin managed to land on his feet, "Fucking Mephisto."

"T-Thanks..." Bon muttered, still embarrassed about being saved like a damsel in distress. "Sorry, you took the brunt of it from your guardian. You didn't need to get involved."

The blue-eyed demon looked over at the human. His heart clenched at being thanked for his small act. Rin turned his head to the side, smirking at Bon's cute face, "I know, and Mephy wasn't that upset, just concerned. I wasn't supposed to cause trouble here. You didn't deserve to get into trouble over something so stupid."

Rin looked over at the other teen. He brought his hand up to his face. Bon blushed brightly, and boy, did that do something to Rin's heart. His thumb brushed over a bruise that was starting to form over Bon's cheek. A rush of anger ran over Rin. Again, he wasn't sure why. 

Bon made a noise as his thumb ran over the bruise. Rin shook out his stupor, he coughed, "You should take care of that bruise. It'll be a bit painful for a few days."

Rin walked off to the closest door to enter his key. Avoiding eye contact with the other teen. If Rin were to look back at Bon, he would've noticed how he gently traced the area Rin had touched. 

Class started with Rin sitting in his seat, avoiding Bon's gaze. 

Shiemi walked into the classroom, looking shy and lost. She met his gaze, and she immediately walked over to sit with him.

"H-Hi, Ren."

"Oh, Shiemi, glad to see you're doing better."

"Thank you again! I decided to get out of the garden and explore the world a little."

Rin chuckled at her flustered face, "Thats great! I'm sure you're grandmother would be proud of you!"

Shiemi opened her mouth but was interrupted by the teacher walking in. He was a tall man with an eye patch covering his eye. The smell of blood and rot filled Rin's senses; however faint it was.

"Hello, my name is Igor Neuhaus. I will be teaching your demon taming courses."

Rin stiffened, ' Taming courses??'

Neuhaus continued his lecture while noticing the demon sitting in the front row. The pointed ears poking behind his blindingly white hair. The fanged tooth poking out his lip, not to mention the bright blue eyes that seemed to swirl in different colors. He made a note to keep an eye out for that one. 

Rin kept getting antsy throughout the lecture. He hated tamers above all other exorcists. Forcing demons to do their dirty work, then killing them when no longer useful. He wanted to bare his teeth and shout at the damned exorcists for insinuating demons that were meant to be put into their place.

"Now, I want everyone to come and stand in a circle." He passed out some papers with a simple circle on it, "I want everyone to at least try to summon a familiar."

Rin inspected the piece of paper. He had a few familiars in Gehenna, all of whom were happy to work for him. At the time, Amaimon had suggested a few familiars would be able to keep him company- as behemoth kept Amaimon company. His father disapproved of him having familiars to fight his battles. He firmly believed that Rin had the power to fight for himself and never rely on others for help. While Rin never argued over that last bit with his father- he was right. If Rin wanted to protect his subjects, he would need to rely on his strength alone. It was unthinkable to use a familiar in battle. 

Rin would let the others summon their familiars before deciding on which one he would call.

Izumo was the only one to gain any courage to summon, "I humbly call the Gods of Harvest. Follow my wishes, leave non-unfulfilled." In a puff of smoke, two foxes appeared bowing to her.

"Very good, looks like two Inari foxes."

Shiemi looked down at her paper, a little unsure of what to do. She looked around to notice her other classmates were having trouble summoning just about anything.

Holding the paper in hand, she whispered a small, "Please." And in a green puff, a little greenman popped up and landed into her hands.

"Wow! Look at that great job Shiemi!" 

Izumo scoffed.

Neuhaus took note, "Ah, a greenman, perfect for pharmaceuticals."

Rin glanced down at his paper. He really couldn't decide what familiar to summon. Most were high level and not very inconspicuous, while others were unknown to exorcist-kind. 

Before he could rip it up, Neuhaus said, "I want everyone to at least try before ripping up the paper, Mr. Faust."

He looked up to notice the man glaring at him with one eye. Rin looked at the paper again and decided to summon one of his younger familiars.

"Lead me to through the night to safety, lead me not astray. Come forth to be reborn in the ashes of my will." In a blue puff, a small blue phoenix chick appeared in his hands. It chirped happily at the attention it was getting.

The class was excited as they looked at the cute little bird. Neuhaus' eyebrows went up in surprise; a phoenix was a rare- let alone a blue phoenix. He gruffly said, "My-My how rare, and on a first try as well. I don't believe I've ever heard that incantation before. Good job, Mr. Faust."

Rin scratched the little chicks' head as it sneezed. A flare of blue flames sprouted all over the tiny phoenix. The class screamed, rightened by the small fire demon. 

Rin laughed it off, "Its fine, see! It barely even tickles." Rin glanced over at Suguro (a habit he started to develop). The teen looked ready to bolt out the door. When they met eyes, he could see Suguro blushing faintly under tanned skin.

Bon looked over at the other teen with the baby phoenix in his hands, cradled like the most precious gem in the world. When the little chick burst into blue flames, he felt his body tense up and react. He quickly put himself in front of both Koneko and Shima. Instead of the cries of agony, he heard laughter. Faust was still holding the tiny chick- as if it didn't just combust into flames. He was on the verge of a panic attack before he began to take note of how the blue fire seemed to make him glow almost ethereally. The way Fausts' eyes seemed to reflect the light as if it was a part of him.  

Neuhaus squinted his eyes at the young Faust, "How odd. Even a tamer would be hurt by its familiar's fire. It seems you are rather familiar with this demon?"

"Her name is Azula," Rin said pointedly, not liking his cute familiar being talked down. "The headmaster taught me to summon at a pretty young age. I've had her for a few years now."

"And her fire doesn't hurt you one bit?"

"Nope!"

When it was time for their athletics courses, the class was beginning to calm down. The instructor went on to talk about reapers and their abilities. The activity was simple enough for athletic training. Outrunning reapers would be a walk in the park for Rin, given he grew up running from bigger demons than reapers.

"Alright! I want Suguro and Faust down in the Pit first!"

Suguro looked over at the other teen, he was wearing a nonchalant look on his face as he climbed down the ladder steps. He followed suit, still embarrassed from the very intimate moment they had outside the headmaster's door.

Rin took in a few breaths trying to remain focused on his emotions. It was always challenging to get a proper grasp of his feelings. The fire in his soul often made him passionate about everything, his emotions often running high. 

"Ready," Rin got ready to run, "Set, and GO!"

The reaper was released, and they took off running. Rin began pacing his breathing. He turned to see Suguro was doing just fine behind him. A few feet back, but he was fine. Slowing down a bit, Rin thought it would be suspicious if he was maybe a bit too fast.

Suguro noticed Rin slowing down just a bit, but not out of fatigue. The other teen was trying to keep pace with him- thinking him to be too slow. He took this as a challenge and tried to outrun Faust. Rin noticed the change in speed and began trying to match him.

"I'm not that weak dammit!"

Rin looked at him, confused, "I didn't say you were?!" Distracted, Rin tripped over over his untied shoelace, landing face-first in the dirt. The reaper was almost upon him when it was yanked back by its chain. 

"Alright! That's enough, lets compose ourselves for a mo- " an obnoxious sound filled the gym. The instructor looked at his phone, "Hello Kitten!! I will be right back- take a five-minute break!"

Rin walked up to Bon and shoved him slightly, "Dude, what the fuck is your problem?!"

"My problem?!" He shoved a finger into his chest, "My problem is that you keep looking down on me! I'm not a weakling who needs saving, or needs you to pity me!"

Bon shoved past Rin, leaving the half-demon confused as fuck.

Shima put a hand on Rin's shoulder, "Don't worry about him. He's upset about you having to bail him out when Shiratori went after him."

"Not to mention, he's still a little bit panicked about what happened in the summoning class."

Rin shrugged off Shima's hand, "What do you mean?"

Koneko looked at him, confused, "The blue fire? You weren't freaked out by it?"

"No? Azula is a blue phoenix, of course her fires blue." Azula was a rarity, one of the first and only species his father made specifically to wield his fire. So rare that they all tended to stay in Gehenna, not caring for Assiah. 

"W-Well, its a sign of Satan- the blue fire. Only he can wield it, that's why the class screamed, they thought there was an attack."

'Oooooooh- that's right!' 

For a moment, Rin forgot that blue flames were not typical at all. The appearance probably scaring the daylights out of his classmates.

"So, he's shaken up by the blue flames?"

"W-Well yeah? After the Blue Night, most anyone is terrified of the blue flames."

"I'm sorry- the what?"

Shima and Koneko shared looks of complete shock. 

"Dude- have you been living under a rock?! Your uncle is Sir Pheles, how do you not know about the Blue Night?!"

"I grew up elsewhere- just tell me!"

Koneko spoke up, "R-Right! It was the night that Satan tried to possess humans. No one is sure why, but exorcists worldwide were engulfed in the blue flames and burned alive by them. O-Our temple-" Koneko began to trail off as he began remembering the horrible night.

On cue, Shima continued, "Our temple was hit the hardest. Nearly half of the monks and their families were killed by the flames. Since, Bon is the son of the head monk, he really went through a lot growing up."

'So that's what they called my birth-'

"Our temple was considered cursed because of it. That's why Bon hates it when you stick up for him- Bon thinks you're pitying him."

"That's not what I meant to happen."

"Doesn't matter if you meant it to happen. Bon came here to get stronger after all. The main reason he hates you is that you're the headmaster's nephew and you goof off, but you still somehow pass. While he works his ass off to achieve his goals."

Rin furrowed his brows, "What goals?"

Koneko looked him in the eye for the first time, "His main goal is to restore our temples honor, but he fully intends to defeat Satan."

Rin's brows raised, his breath caught in his throat. Blue eyes met brown as Bon stared him down from the corner he was watching from.  'Defeating Satan?! Now that's a concept I've never thought of before?!'

"E-Excuse me?" Rin tried to clear his ears, "I don't think I heard you right?"

Izumo scoffed from where she was sitting with Paku, "How childish! As if he would ever be able to do that."

Rin watched as Bon stood up, obviously flustered for having his dreams trampled on by the egotistic girl. The girl continued to egg him on, telling him he would never be strong enough to even exorcise the reapers in the pens. 

"Fine! I'll show you!"

Rin watched in horror as Bon climbed the ladder down to the reapers cage. "What the hell are you doing idiot!?"

The smell of fear permeated the air. Rin looked down to see him hesitating in his aria before the reapers. He was obviously too overcome with emotions.

Bon felt trapped. He knew he needs to show her- to show them! It was not a stupid dream! He could do it. Bon just couldn't focus on the aria. Staring the demon in the eye, he knew it could smell his hesitation- his fear. 

The reapers devoured the fear. As Bon stuttered in his aria, it decided to pounce him. In a flash of blue, Rin stood in front of Bon. The reapers teeth tearing into his long-sleeved gym shirt. The fire burning in his eyes, he commanded the reaper to let go. The reaper whimpered away, obviously afraid of the wrath the blue flames could bring. 

Bon braced himself from the ground expecting to see the reaper coming for his life. When he looked up, he saw Faust taking a bite from the reaper, holding him back with pure strength. His breath caught in his throat as he watched the teen push the reaper back into its cage.

Rin turned around, fire burning beneath his skin, "What the hell were you thinking!?" He pointed his finger at Bon, "How are you gonna defeat Satan if you've died from a fucking Reaper attack?!" Rin got closer to Bon's face, inches apart from his lips, "If anyone's gonna defeat Satan its me!"

Bon blushed brightly as Faust got closer to his face. When he heard the words come out of the teen's mouth, he shook out of his stupor. "Ex-Fucking-Cuse me!? You stole my idea!"

Rin crossed his arms in front of his chest, "No I didn't!"

(He totally fucking did- the thought never even crossed his mind beforehand that this would be a concept that existed.)

The two continued to bicker- both unaware of the exorcist with a loaded gun watching the scene below. Yukio spoke into his communicator, "The situation is under control."

The following days dragged on horribly slow. With nothing to look forward to at the end of the day, Rin was wandering the campus. He refused to even start cleaning up the coaltars. In his demon heart, he didn't think he needed to be punished- neither did Samael. The punishment was more of a formality. He was never given a set time to exterminate them. The only downside was that he couldn't return to the restaurant until he went through with his punishment.

Cram school was dull as ever. These days Rin tended to avoid Bon (his only source of entertainment in this hellhole). The gruff teen was giving him so many mixed feelings- feelings Rin never knew existed. 

The pesky exorcists seemed to only have the barest of knowledge on just about anything. They were even aware of the different realms that existed just outside of Gehenna's capital borders. In itself, Azazel's kingdom was by far the largest, considering the entirety of what humans would call the Spirit world resided in his domain.

Yukio walked in at some point, talking about a week of review they were going to have at the old boy's dormitories. He said clearly to pack a bag of clothes and their class materials. Something about an ex-wire exam to prepare for, at some point, Rin really wasn't paying attention at all.

THUNK

Rin's head shot up, "Wha-!?"

"Mr. Faust, class is over. Mr. Pheles wants you to clean the unused classroom of the coal tars." Yukio looked down at him, "Given your background, this should not be an issue."

He was left alone in one of the many classrooms that was needed cleaning. It would be risky to just use his fire to get rid of them, even though that would make for an excellent practice. His fire was practically bursting beneath his skin, just waiting to let loose. The past month has left him feeling so incredibly antsy- he was ready to let his fire loose.

Just as he brought his hand up to summon his fire, a buzz rang from his phone:

Mephy: No flames.

"Psh- Like he'd even kno-"  buzz .

Mephy: I will know if you used your fire

"Well- fucking shit. I guess I gotta do this the old fashion way."

Coaltars were a special breed of stupid. Rin's brother Astaroth made them on a whim to purely irritated everyone in existence. They acted more like mindless bugs and never listened to authority. Rin moved to the back of the classroom where the holy water supplies were. He looked around for absolutely anything else to use to get rid of the pests. He grabbed a feather duster and started to smack them and corral them into a corner for an easier clean-up.

Samael was sadistic if he thought his brother would use holy water of all things to exterminate the little pests. Rin wouldn't wish that kind of torture on his worst enemies. 

'Fuck it, I'll use my fire anyways.'  Before he could snap them away, Bon walked in and closed the door.

"Hey, Faust?"

Rin startled, "EEEK! S-Suguro??" His heart had nearly leaped out of his chest. He almost knocked into the shelf with the holy water.

"I just wanted to thank you again for the other day and I wanted to help you clean the classrooms. As a thank you."

"Uh- Its nothing really. I can handle a few coaltars on my own." He blushed and looked away.

Bon crossed his arms, obviously annoyed at his gesture being turned down. "Well that is a load of shit. You're not even using the correct supplies. What are you allergic to holy water or something?"

"N-No! I just wanted to corral them first to make it easier."

"You're not even using a face mask or anything. You are gonna get sick!"

" I'll be fine!  Just go away I can do this."

Bon stood his ground and straightened his back, "There you go again! Always trying to look down on me!" 

"I-I'm not-!"

He took a step forward, not taking note of how Rin was slowly backing up into the cabinet filled with glass jars of potent Holy water. Once backed up, he slammed his fist into the wooden shelf behind him. The shelf broke- causing the bottles of holy water to fall and shatter around the two.

The vials of Holy water fell and began crashing around Rin. It was indeed one of his worst nightmares come to life. The water burned into his scalp and onto his skin. Rin could hear screaming, but he wasn't sure from where. He tried to claw at his skin to get rid of the blessed water. It truly felt like being burned alive, a concept Rin was never familiar with. 

Bon watched as his classmate was screaming in pain and agony. The smell of burnt flesh filling in his nostrils. Bon went to move Rin away from the mess of holy water. Faust's features changing, as he clawed at his chest, tearing off an amulet. His ears grew longer as his fanged teeth grew sharper. 

"D-Demon!?"

In a pink poof, the headmaster appeared holding a large tub of what looked to be oil. Mephisto took in the scene, without a moment's hesitation, threw the oil onto his brother, who was wailing in agony. Mephisto snapped his fingers, the three of them appearing in a lavish-looking bathroom.

"Quickly, I need you to hold Rin up under the spray of the water."

Bon was about to open his mouth before a hand went up.

"Questions later." There was a hard edge to Mephisto's voice like he was barely able to keep it together. Mephisto snapped his fingers, removing Rin's wet clothing, leaving a pair of black pair of briefs to secure his brother's modesty.

Bon quickly moved to the showerhead that was spouting freezing cold water. Bon cradled his arms around Rin's waist as he held up the barely conscious teen. Bon nearly jumped when he saw the limp white tail connected to the other teen. The spray of the water removing all other remnants of holy water.

Bon's heart stuttered at the small whimpers Rin was making. He held on tighter trying to make sure no more of the holy water remained on the demon's skin.

Rin's head bobbed to the side. The horrible feeling of burning was leaving him. Despite the heat of his flames, he has never felt the sensation of burning. How ironic was it that holy  water  was the one thing in the universe to make him feel the sensation of burning so vividly? Through lidded eyes, he could see deep brown eyes etched with worry. He moved a hand, trying to reassure the other teen. Despite his nerves were indeed fried, but Rin could've sworn he felt Bon's hand on his. Rin could've sworn he heard Bon say something...

His eyes shut without another thought.

Chapter Text

"FAUST!" Ryuji couldn't help but shout when the demon passed out under the spray of water. His body was going limp in his arms as he began writhing in pain from his near exorcism.

It was then Ryuuji noticed the silver amulet he was wearing. It looked as if it was burning bis skin, leaving marks around Ren's neck. He quickly did away with the necklace, being careful not to break the chain. As soon as the amulet was off, Ren's feature's changed right before his eyes. Ren's ear's growing long and pointy- his teeth resembling fangs. As he tried to wash the holy water out of his hair, Ryuji's hands brushed over horns that were sharp at the tips. In the corner of his eye, he spotted something long and white. He swatted it out of the way, causing Ren to whimper.

Mephisto rushed into the room with Belial in tow, both standing a ways away. "Was all of the holy water rinsed off?" Mephisto cautiously asked.

Ryuji looked up with wide eyes, "I-I think so?"

"Good." Mephisto snapped, "Belial can take it from here." The butler took Rin from Ryuji, careful not to disturb any of his barely healing wounds. 

Ryuji sat there partially under the spray of water, covered slightly in his classmate's blood. His mind was somewhat spiraling as to what was going. Looking down at his blood-covered hands, he noticed they were shaking severely.

Ryuji heard a snap of fingers. In a blink of an eye, he was clean and dry. Looking up, the headmaster was looking at him with a look he couldn't begin to describe.

"Now, if you will please follow me Mr. Suguro."

Ryuji scrambled to his feet, following the headmaster through the room. On the far side of the room, Ryuji saw the butler (Belial?) cleaning off his classmate's wounds.

Taking note of his worry, Mephisto said, "He'll be ok. Belial will attend to his injuries for now."

The walk to Mephisto's office was silent. He was typically the type to fill the silence with noise and nonsense. Now was not the time for nonsense, not when his youngest brother almost died from overexposure to holy water. Suguro was walking behind him slowly, his heartbeat pounding in his chest. He knew the young exorcist in training did not mean to harm his brother. But that didn't stop bitter feelings from sprouting in Mephisto.

Once they made it to the office, Mephisto had calmed down somewhat and was ready for a proper and unpleasant conversation. Suguro looked like he was about to burst into pieces, fed up with having to wait for an explanation.

"Mr. Suguro, I do hope you do not plan on telling a single soul about what's happened here tonight."

Restraining his voice, Bon replied, " I don't even know what happened tonight."  Taking a breath, Bon continued, "All I know is my classmate, who I only assumed was as odd as a foreigner could be, was almost burned alive by  holy water  of all things!"

Mephisto took a moment to think, his eyes glinting in the dim lights, "Yes, I can understand how confusing this must be... I need everything I say tonight to stay in this room. Do you understand me?"

Bon has never considered the headmaster a terrifying being before. The man was so boisterous it was easy to forget how much power the man held.

Bon nodded his head, "I promise."

Mephisto chuckled, "You should never make a promise to a demon without knowing the consequences Mr. Suguro. Though in your case, they may not be harmless." Mephisto drummed his fingers along the arm of his chair. "I'm sure you've already hazarded a guess? You're here on scholarship for a reason."

Bon nodded his head. There was only one conclusion- Ren Faust was a demon. There was no other explanation for the severe burns he received other than the possibility of the bottles being fake Holy Water filled with something acidic. Even that conclusion was farfetched as Bon himself was left unharmed from the holy water.

"Fau- R-Ren's a demon, isn't he?"

Mephisto observed the young human in front of him. Suguro was still quite shaken. He could tell from the way he tried to stop the tremors in his shoulders. Or, in the way, he tried to wipe off the blood that was no longer there.

"Yes." Mephisto watched as Suguro's shoulders seemed to tense slightly. "He is a half-demon to be exact, a Nephilim if you will. His mother was human, his Father... not so much."

" What I don't understand is why no one in our class was informed! Is he even your nephew?!" Bon kept a few words, unsaid,  'What are you hiding?'

"The people that need to know are already informed. And to answer your last question, we are related in a way..."

Bon couldn't quite contain his anger, still shaken from the incident. Antsy for answers. "That's not the point Sir Pheles! Its a matter of saftey!"

"Who's safety? Your classmates?"

"No! His safety!" Mephisto was slightly taken aback by Bon's this answer. "If I knew he was a half-demon, I would've never suggested using Holy water!" Bon took a breath, "So why weren't we informed? There has to be a reason, his safety wasn't taken into account. There are plenty of exorcists with demon blood in the world. My temple has an entire clan of half-demons! So why weren't we informed! Why is it such a secret!?"

Mephisto sighed loudly, "You certainly earned that scholarship..." Mephisto held out his hand, "I need you to promise not to tell a single person what you hear today... people would kill for this information."

Bon looked at the hand tentatively. He knew the headmaster was a demon... or a half-demon. Making promises with a demon was risky, but he needed to know. His thirst for knowledge would undoubtedly kill him one day. He took the waiting hand and shook.

"Ren was not raised in Assiah."

"Wh-"

Mephisto raised his hand, "If you are going to get your answers, I suggest you be quiet. You are correct that there are many exorcists with demon blood. However, some bloodlines are thicker than others. Many exorcists have diluted demon blood- however, Ren's father is a mighty demon. Therefore his features, if you pay attention, aren't quite human, are they?" Suguro nodded his head. "When he was just a baby, there was an incident. Ren's mother died just after his birth. His father took him to raise him in Gehenna."

"I-I don't understand! HOw is that even possible?!"

"Ren's demon blood is more powerful than you can even fathom... this allowed him to live in Gehenna for many years safely. Things change, he was no longer safe there. So I offered a place for him here."

This was too much information—more information than he expected to get out of Sir Pheles. Thinking back to every instance of encounters with the halfling, it started clicking into place. His eccentricities were not due to being a typical foreigner. Yes, he was foreign, but to Assiah. His guarded expressions. Ren's intense protectiveness when it came to lesser demons. It was because he was a demon. After all, he grew up with them.

Mephisto continued to read Suguro's expression. It was certainly curious that the human wasn't seething rage. "You made a promise, not a single peep of this to anyone."

"Yes sir. You gave me more information than I asked for- why?"

"Ren needs allies. So far, you've proven to be trustworthy. You didn't call the Vatican immediately and even stayed to ensure his safety is enough. Call it even, you helped Ren when I could not." Mephisto was still seething with the fact that he couldn't do more until the retched holy water was washed away. He would never reveal it to anyone, but his magic simply didn't work as well when it came to anything that was blessed or touched by the blessed water. He managed to get them to the showers and by the very least remove Rin's clothing. Anything more than that would've been too draining for him to remain composed.

A knock interrupted the conversation. Belial walked in immediately by Mephisto's side, "Rin is asleep for now. His wounds are not healing... it's unlikely they will heal for at least a week. Rin is asking for Mr. Suguro."

Bon was trembling slightly in his seat, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation. 

Mephisto turned to him, "Mr. Suguro, you're dismissed. Return to your dorm, its nearly past curfew."

"I wanted to talk to Fau- to Ren, before I left."

"He is currently in no condition for visitors right now. You will have plenty of time later." Mephisto made a shooing motion with his hands, Belial already leading a dazed Bon from the room.

Rin woke up in intense pain. His body felt like it was on pins and needles. His healing wasn't working, most likely due to the holy water. Belial put a tentative hand on his chest to keep him from getting up.

"You are in no position even to try to move, lay back down."

Rin tried to use his voice. It came out scratchy, "Bel, I'm probably fine. I need to talk to Bon."

"Mr.Suguro is already talking to Samuel. Lay down."

Rin knew Belial was doing his job and taking care of him. That didn't stop Rin from threatening him, "Belial, if you do not let me talk to Bon, I swear I will light that mustache of your's on fire!" His hand lighting weakly in blue flames.

Belial rolled his eyes. His young master was in no position to try to light a candle. His flames were relatively weak, alarmingly enough cold. However, he was now worried he would aggravate his wounds, causing more harm than necessary. 

"Lay down. He is already gone for the evening, you will have plenty of time to talk to him later."

Rin glared at the butler but heard no deceit in his words. "Fine."

Belial left in a puff of smoke, leaving Rin to his thoughts. To be honest, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to see Bon. What was he going to say?? It was just an allergic reaction, and he's fine?! Not even Shima would believe that shit. All he knew was he needed to get things straight (or as straight as he could). He liked Bon and didn't want to lose him as a friend.

Rin tried to snuggle into his blanket but hissed when it brushed against his bandages. At least his tail was safe, thanks to the amulet Mephisto made for him. His body felt cold for the first time he could ever remember. Rin drifted off into a fretful sleep, wishing human pain relievers would work for him. 

Rin woke up days later, feeling groggy and slightly disorientated. His head was hurting slightly, and his body felt flushed. Usually, his injuries would be gone by the next day or so. This wasn't a usual case. The damned holy water kept his injuries from healing properly. Rin tried to get up when he felt his body burning uncomfortably. Rin has never experienced a fever of any kind. He figured it was probably his healing factor trying to work. 

He wobbled over to the mirror in the corner of his room. Taking a look at the damage that was done. His body was covered in bandages that seemed to be fresh, "Maybe Bel changed them?" He began tearing them away as he prepared to bathe the uncomfortable sweat away.

His eyes looked at the burned skin, his shoulders and torso taking the worst of it. His skin was blistering in the spots around his shoulders and arms, his chest looked marred from claw marks. Vaguely, Rin could remember gentle hands tearing his claws away from his chest. He looked fucking terrible. 

Rin was about to undress for his bath when the door banged open suddenly. Causing Rin to burn up in fright (he would never admit that to anyone), he groaned as he aggravated his wounds. Amimon appeared in the doorway, snacks in hand. 

"Why do I smell blood?"

"Amaimon! Learn to fucking knock dickhead!"

Amaimon looked up from his bag of chips to look at his brother. He dropped his snacks immediately, stepping on them as he rushed to Rin's side. He tentatively grabbed his brother's shoulder to inspect the blisters. Amaimon narrowed his eyes as he examined the blemished skin. Through gritted teeth, he asked,  "What happened?"

A shiver ran down Rin's spine. His brother rarely reverted back to his native language unless he was  pissed.  Rin tried to brush Amaimon off when his brother caught his hands.

"Rin, what happened?"

Rin stepped back, trying to make it to the bathroom away from his stupid brother, "N-Nothing, it was just a small accident-"

"This was an accident?" Amaimon looked closer at the blisters, "Why hasn't your healing started working?"

"Well, sorta. I don't- I mean Bon didn't mean to push me into the cabinent-"

"Bon?"  Amaimon glared at the blisters like they personally offended him,  "A cabinent wouldn't cause blisters."

"Y-Yeah, well, it had-  itmayhavehadholywater-"

Amaimon went rigid, letting out a small chuckle,  "I-I'm sorry what?"  Amaimon was rarely surprised by anything. He was positive he heard his brother wrong,  "It appears my hearing is going out, I may need a new body soon. Can you repeat that last part?"

"It may have had  holywater-"

Amaimon's grasp went limp, and his eyes were wide. He looked down at the blisters. His nose finally catching the faintest scent of holy water. Rin looked at his brother with apprehension, afraid of an outburst.

"I-I mean I'm fine though!" He placed his hands in Amaimon's, "See! Look, the blisters are already healing. And B-Bon didn't mean to, it was an acc-"

Amaimon put a hand over his mouth,   his pupils turning into slits,  "You said, Bon did this to you?"

Rin, oblivious to the murderous aura Amaimon was spewing, "I-I mean, he kinda caused it?" Rin waved his hands in front of him. "But I'm fine! See, already healing!"

Amaimon looked at his little brother covered in blisters  caused by a pesky wretched little human.  There was going to be  hell  to pay. He brought his brother into a hug, "Go take a shower, I'll call Belial to wrap your blisters." 

Rin noticed the shift in his brother's tone, slightly murderous, but at least neutral- that was good, right? Before he could speak, Amaimon had already snapped his fingers and disappeared. He shrugged, surprised his brother didn't throw a tantrum about his wounds. He was oddly... calm? Well, not calm. He was obviously upset if he started speaking Green-tounge.

Rin started to grab his clothes to change into when he started thinking back to the conversation... Amaimon kept repeating Bon's name... His brother wouldn't hurt a student, would he? Rin dropped his towel,  "Would he?!"

Across Campus

Amaimon sat in the tree surrounded by leaves, his thumbs and index fingers mimicking binoculars. Searching for someone whose name could possibly be Bon. Whoever the human was, he would certainly get back at them- perhaps murder. Though that option would unquestionably upset Mephisto. Who knew? Who cared? In his lizard brain, all he knew was his brother was hurt and possibly nearly killed by the incident. He was undoubtedly surprised Mephisto hasn't called on him beforehand to deal with this situation. If the human used holy water against Rin, then the human knew Rin was not human. Therefore an enemy.

Headmaster's Office

Mephisto was having his morning tea, blowing gently on it. He felt a shiver down his spine, "Hmph. Something doesn't seem, right?"

Chapter Text

The days following were a flurry of awkwardness for the two. Every time Rin had tried to get Bon alone to talk to him, the moment would be ruined by Godaiin being Godaiin. Who loudly insinuated that "Ren" wanted to proclaim his love for the other boy. To which Rin responded by tackling him to the floor before he could get to Bon. 

Bon, on the other hand, was avoiding Faust. Not for his demon heritage. He avoided Faust because he felt terrible about the accident. Not to mention the chill he got down his back anytime he even looked in Faust's direction. These days it felt like he had a second shadow following his every move. Some mornings when he was out on his walk, he felt like he was being stalked liked prey. The paranoia got to the point where he did extra sutras anytime he left his dorm. He was putting new barriers around the doors and windows for extra measure. 

Bon could've sworn he heard growling coming from the treeline the following day on his morning run. Things were starting to get weird. Hobgoblins started appearing around his dorm. It took an entire day to clean out the room and cleanse it properly. Koneko and Shima tore the room apart, looking for rotting things. After an hour of ransacking the room, they couldn't find anything. When he went to sleep that night, there was a light knocking at the window. Koneko and Shima were out getting food. 

Bon was ninety percent sure the dorm was haunted at this point. However, since Mr. Okumura checked the room and found nothing, Bon doubted the dorm was haunted. Anytime he left his dorm, there was always a rustling sound nearby.

Something was following him that was the only explanation. If his dorm were haunted, then any phenomenon would end as soon as he left the dorm. Maybe a demon attached itself to him? If worst came to worst, he would have to ask one of the teachers for help.

Things couldn't get more boring for Rin. His body was constantly itchy, and the burns were slowly healing. How could humans live with such a slow healing rate?!

To make matters worse, anytime Rin would glance in Bon's direction, he would run the other way! Or they were constantly being interrupted. It was so frustrating at this point. Rin wasn't a patient person, and this was taking way too long for a stupid talk. 

After a long day of classes and pretending to catch up, he finally managed to corner Bon in the cafeteria. Walking up to the table, Rin slammed his hands on the table. Startling Koneko and Shima.

"Dude, we need to talk!"

Bon furrowed his brows, "Now's not the time, we're in the middle of lunch!"

Rin looked around and noticed people staring at him, "Like I give a flying fuck! You have been avoiding me!"

Bon pushed his seat back and got up quickly, trying to leave. Rin blocked his path, "Nuh-uh, I'm done waiting for you to talk to me! So we are going to talk now, or I am going to scream!"

"Dude, just go talk to your boyfriend already, its getting kinda emabarrasing how obvious you two are being."

"Shima!" Koneko complained, elbowing him in the side.

"It's true! Look how obvious they are being! Its practically a lovers quarrel!"

Bon's face was getting redder by the second. It only intensified when Shima began going into details about how they have been eye fucking the entire school year. 

Rin just stood there entirely confused- humans were weird. How could eyes be used to mate? He tried grabbing for Bon's arm to drag him away when there was a crash.

"Shima shut up!"

"So, you do not deny you like him."

"Fuck off!" Bon practically growled. "Why would I ever date someone like him!"

Rin furrowed his brow. Rin's heart skipped a beat at that and began to hurt a little. Rin figured since Bon talked with Mephisto, though he doesn't know what was said. Rin was pretty sure Mephisto spilled the beans. The white-haired teen just wanted to explain himself. Rin knew Bon was skittish around him, but he didn't realize it was because he hated him for being a demon.

"Well fuck you too! I just needed to talk to you! IF this is how you're gonna be then just forget it!"

Bon looked shocked after he realized what he said. He tried to say something to apologize, but Godaiin stepped in to stop him. Taking Rin by the arm, he walked him out of the cafeteria.

Bon sat down and put his head down. "Fuck." That's not what he meant to say.

"WEll," Shima clapped, "if you had a chance to be his boyfriend before its probably gone now."

That alone earned a kick from Bon.

Godaiin helped rin to his next class after that fiasco. He bumped Rin's shoulder, "Don't listen to that guy! You can find a way better dude than him!"

"That's not it, I just needed to talk to him. This is getting harder than it needs to be!"

Godaiin shrugged, "I get it if you want to confess to him or whatever-"

"Confess?"

"Yeah, you got a crush on him don't you?"

"A crush?? What's that???"

It was Godaiin's turn to be confused, "You know a crush? When you have feelings for someone?"

"Feelings?" Rin tried thinking of feelings he could pinpoint, "Like rupulshion? Or anger?" Those were the only feelings he can name when it came to others. IF he had any other feelings for people, it would be things he couldn't quite place.

"What?! No! Like romantic ones! You know when you like someone and you want to hug them or kiss them? Or go out on dates with them."

"Like courtship?"

"Dude, who even uses words lke that anymore? Not that serious man."

"I mean I don't feel complete anger and repulshion for most my brothers. And I hug my brothers- is that what you mean? Like that?? " Humans have too many terms for simple things! And by god Rin was so fucking confused right now!

Godaiin nearly had a stroke, "I sure fucking hope you don't like them like that! That's gross! I mean a person you're not related to! Like a friend, or cute classmate!" 

"So like you?"

"I appreciate the sentiment my bro, but not quite." Being defeated by the fact that his friend was emotionally inept, Godaiin dug into his bag. "This is called a manga- its a book with pictures. I want you to read this and then come back to me with your questions. Because I 100% do not get how you do not get what I'm talking about right now."

Rin looked down at the colorful book with black and white pages. It had flowery language and characters with sparkly eyes.

"Just trust me on this dude. I'm like this close to thinking you are emotionally unstable if the only feelings towards people you have or can name are anger and repulsion."

"HEY!"

Godaiin shrugged his shoulders, "What I'm just saying!"

In class, Rin was barely paying attention to whatever his supposed twin was saying. Something about a training camp at an abandoned dorm, ya-da-ya-da... Rin had spent most of his school day ditching class and reading that book Godaiin had lent him. Apparently, dating was pretty similar to courtship. 

Rin had spent most of the day skipping classes tracking down more of the books to the series. It was an older series, and the pages were turning brown from age. At first, the situations the main character was getting in seemed so absurd. The longer he read, the more invested in the story he got. The main character was a prodigy at the top of her class. It started as a story of rivalry and turned into something more profound. It wasn't the main character he connected with, but the love interest. He was a quiet guy forced to be the best by the expectations of his family. Living life with the burden of who his FatherFather was, trying to find happiness despite the struggle. Fighting his way to be better than his predecessors, haunted by the fact that he didn't know who he was outside of the expectations others had of him. 

Imposter syndrome, they called it.

Rin understood what he was going through. Rin didn't know who he was. Rin lived his life expected to be a puppet, a general, a king, and a monster of mass destruction. There were days when Rin was a blood-thirsty monster who could rip the guts of just about any demon in his vicinity. The next day he would lock himself up in a cage, ashamed of his actions. There were days where he would wander until given the following order for execution. Rin grew up to be the perfect weapon, with no emotions. At least that's how it was supposed to be. Even if he was a full demon, he also had a human heart. 

Rin wished life was as easy as the characters in the book had it. He, of course, had more at stake than losing friends or not knowing who he could become. In another life, that's all Rin would have to worry about. Good grades, friends, and having a "crush" on someone who seems unattainable. In this world, his life was at stake. People were after him. More would come for his head if they knew what he was. He was born to be a weapon of mass destruction, a vessel to be disposed of sooner or later. 

By the fifteenth book in the series, Rin understood what Godaiin was talking about when it came to "crushes" and "liking people." Maybe he did feel something for Bon, but it's not like he would even care. IF he ever found out about what Rin was, he would probably be reported immediately and executed. Rin was unlovable, except for his brothers. Even then, his bothers only bothered with him because they were forced to or needed something from him. Maybe he related to the love interest a little too much.

As soon as the bell rang to dismiss them for the day, Bon was on his way to Rin's desk. Rin noticing this tried to grab his stuff and run for the door. 

Bon caught his wrist before he could get past his desk, "We need to talk."

Bon took the last few days to think about what he said. There was hardly any reason for him to get so worked up over what Shima had said. And there certainly was not a reason to say what he did. It was a lie, Bon was head over heels for Rin. He admired the other teen and felt something for him. He didn't want to mess things up with him further.

Rin furrowed his brow, "Just leave me alone-," he pulled his wrist away. "You made it pretty clear what your opinion of me was."

Bon, who was blushing, rolled his eyes, "Can we talk about this somewhere el-"

"Knock-KNock!"

Fuck!

Rin knew that obnoxious voice anywhere! It was that damned Paladin again! Compared to being around his murderer, talking to Bon seemed like a better idea.  

"Oh, Faust! Good, you're still here!"

"What do ya want old fart?"

"HA! Yukio did you hear what he just called me?!" He put his arm on Rin's shoulders, keeping him from running off, "How about dinner tonight?"

"No offense old-timer, but you are so not my type."

"HA! You're like 40 years too young for me, kid!"

Rin blushed rolled his eyes, "Go awayyy!"

"Yuki! Your students being mean to me! Punish him!?"

Yukio sighed heavily, "Its after hours, and I'm off the clock. If you want to pay me for overtime than sure."

Rin looked at his unknowing twin, "TRAITOR!"

(A/N- not the only time this will be said... lol)

"Come on! I know a great place around campus."

Rin was too tired for this shit! He still felt like crap from the holy water incident, and he was too sluggish to hang around his murderer. Not to mention dealing with Bon and his assholery.

Shiro tried to put his hand on Rin's shoulder. Before he could, Rin immediately smacked his hand away.

" Don't touch me!"  he growled out, his fangs showing threateningly.

Rin straightened up, realizing he may have used a bit more force than he wanted, and bolted for the door. It was too exhausting being around people. Before he could get to the end of the hallway, Shiro had caught his arm.

"I think we need to talk."

Shiro was not a good man- he tried to be. He lived his life trying to make up for mistakes he made as a younger man. Age was not an excuse for what he did. Nothing could ever excuse what he's done. The promises he's broken in the supposed name of justice. What justice was there in murdering a child that had the misfortune of being born to a wicked father?

Hatred and fear were easy to spot, especially in his line of work. Anytime the younger Faust was in his presence, he could practically see him going on the defense. It was in the little things. The way his eyes would sweep over any given vicinity looking for possible exits, flinching at the slightest movements, always eyeing his holster. 

Nothing made sense to Shiro. Ren wasn't this defensive with the other teachers or even Yukio. Maybe he didn't deem them threats enough to focus on? No, that wouldn't make sense. There were moments when Ren would get quiet, very quiet staring at him. Like he was reliving a flashback. When he finally gets shaken out of it, he quickly makes excuses to leave. 

This was concerning for many reasons. Shiro was the Paladin, a protector of humanity, and this teenager was afraid of him. Shiro could understand being fearful of exorcists for many reasons. The kid's upbringing and not to mention the murder of his mother were apparent reasons to distrust all exorcists. But Shiro? Maybe with his demon heritage, he could see all the sins and blood on his hands. 

Whatever the reason, Shiro would try to prove himself to the kid. He looked so lost and alone. Having Mephisto as his only "relative" must've been hard. For all Shiro knew, maybe he was just an orphan Mephisto picked up somewhere and took pity on... Scratch that. The only reason he would do that would be to gain another pawn for his games.  

It bothered Shiro that Mephisto would put Ren in such a situation. No one should be used like a pawn, especially not a kid like Ren. HAlf-demon or not, Shiro could tell the kid had a good sense of justice. Maybe it bothered Shiro so much because he saw himself every time he looked in Ren's face. Shiro had no one, born as a living test subject. If Shiro didn't have yuri, he was sure he would've become the mindless soldier Mephisto was hoping to create. 

Shiro was going to save Ren from that life. Maybe he wasn't there to stop it before, but he could at least give him the option to get out of a life of being a soldier.

Rin was quiet the entire time, he just wanted to get away from this guy. At first, he wanted to know what kind of man would kill a baby, sending him to hell. Then he saw a life that he could've lived if he was just born without those damn flames. He could spend his days reading dumb books at the table or cooking in that tiny kitchen. Just normal. No demons, no fighting. Just- Just existing.

Rin walked circles around the old priest, trying to find any trace that this man was really as evil and vile as he chalked him up to be growing up. Only an absolute monster would deny a dying woman her last wish to keep her sons together and alive. Instead, he stabbed a sword through his heart with no emotion on his face.

It was days like this when he missed his youth. Days where he would go on entire rampages destroying landscapes burning them to the ground, pulling out the hearts of those his FatherFather told him were guilty of unforgivable crimes. He missed being able to bathe in blood to forget he even had consciousness. 

When they finally made it to the monastery gates, Rin waited outside the gate, staring at it. 

Shiro stopped, "Come on, I already took the wards down the other day."

"I don't want to be here." Rin turned on his heel to leave.

"Why? Am I really that bad to keep company with?"

Rin crossed his arms, "I don't need a reason! I don't want to be around you! Why can't you take a fucking hint! I'm so tired of these damn games of yours!"

"My games! What are you talking about?"

"What do you even want from me? Im just some half-breed demon. I'm of no use to you! IF it's information on Mephisto, you're more likely to know more than I do! I am useless to you!"

Shiro stood there a little shocked, "You don't have to be of use to me for me to want to be around you? What kind of shit did that clown put in your head to think you need to be of use to someone to be wanted?"

"Oh fuck off! No one does anything without wanting something in return."

"You're just a kid. You don't need to have a use to live or be wanted!"

"Bullshit!" Rin pointed his finger into Shiro's chest, "That's just a lie humans tell each other! Everyone has a use for something- relationships are based on usefulness! Demons use each other for power and protection. Humans use each other to forget about the loneliness of existence, to have a purpose of continuing living tiny lives in this gods forsaken world!"

"Whats wrong with that? Whats wrong with trying to find a purpose in someone? Whats wrong with having hope in your fellow man?"

"Man is mortal! You all die like flies. Your sun boils you alive day by day, planting the idea of cancers into your skin! And no one bats an eye. There is no point in having hope in someone who is going to die from something as simple as a frail heart."

It was at that moment that Shiro saw a glimpse of the kid in front of him. Ren's twisted his head in such a way that he saw no hope in anything because he was afraid of losing it. Maybe he had already lost it so many years ago alone on his own. He was living in fear of both man and beast alike. 

"You're right. Man is a fragile species, but it survived this far, hasn't it? After thousands of years, after every catastrophe and plague they survived." He shrugged, "Yeah, they can die from minor accidents. Those last moments are filled with memories that made living worth it. Days can be short, and nights can be so  long . But people are still here." Shiro placed a hand on Rin's shoulder, "There is no shame in finding hope in another, especially when you've gone without it for so long."

"I don't need hope! I don't need anyone!" Rin covered his ears, not wanting to hear anything else the old priest was saying.  

"Yes, you do! You look so lost living up to whatever Mephisto has planned for you. You're a teenager, you shouldn't have to be burdened with whatever that clown has in store for you!"

"What am I supposed to do shiro! You don't know who or what I am!" Rin gripped his hair, "You don't know what I am capable of! You don't know what I've done to live this far!"

"You're right, I don't know what you've been through in your life. But I know you shouldn't have to carry that burden alone! You're not even sixteen years old yet! You don't need to have a use to be loved, you can just be loved for being you."

Rin shrugged off Shiro's hand. He looked down at his hands. For a second, he could see blood on them. For a second, he could hear the screams and cries of agony at his hand. Rin could feel the cold stare of this FatherFather looking down at him as he handed out executions. Closing his eyes, he could hear Godaiin's laughter at the restaurant. Shima and Bon arguing. He could see Bon's face scrunched up and adorable when he's frustrated. He didn't know who he was. He was whatever anyone wanted him to be. His friends wanted him to be an average teenager, but his family wanted him to be a monster. When he looked in the mirror for longer than a glance, he could never recognize the face staring back at him. No matter how hard he tried. 

Rin looked up to Shiro. His face was so broken and fragile, Rin's eyes were wide and shining with unshed tears. "I-I don't even know who I am though. H-HOw could some-someone love me? Look at me Shiro. I-I don't know who I a-"

Two strong arms quickly closed in on him. Rin straightened up and fought the urge to claw at him. "You don't need to know that! You're a teenager you have a long life ahead of you to figure that out. It's ok, we can figure it out together."

Rin sank to the ground. He was so tired- so fucking tired. He just wanted to sleep forever and forget about existence. Why was it so painful? Why did anyone want to live with such emotions? Is this why Mephisto deflects emotions with fake humor? Is this why Amaimon is so emotionless and apathetic to the world? Because living for so long with these emotions was too draining and impossible?

"Let's go inside, 'kay?"

Rin nodded his head, unsure of how to feel anymore. He just wanted to be warm again. He just wanted to have warm meals around that tiny kitchen again. That little family filled the small kitchen with laughter and useless talk about the weather. It was a warmth he may never experience ever again. 

"Here, I'll make some tea." Shiro walked into the kitchen, sitting him down on the couch in the common area. He busied himself with the cups as he waited for the water to heat. 

Rin sat there a bit too quiet for a teenager. Shiro turned around and saw that he practically passed out on the couch. His head in his arms. A seemingly pained look on his face. Shiro's face softened, running a hand through white locks. This kid reminded him of how he was when he was this age. So much so that it scared him. 

Rin's face evened out a bit. 

At least they were making progress. If he could help it, Shiro would put an end to the cycle of child soldiers Mephisto was so hell-bent on creating. 

The next couple of days, Rin went about his days in completely out of it. He wasn't quite connected to the world physically. He just existed. It was days like this when he missed Amaimon's annoying presence.

The whole class was clambering on about the study camp or whatever. Honestly, Rin didn't give a crap about this stuff. It was all shit he already knew, not to mention most of the info was actually wrong. 

What was bothering Rin at the moment was the fact that weird eyebrows were practically bullying Shiemi! That girl was way too nice for her own good. Seriously he needed to keep an eye out for that girl. 

Izumo and pakku were standing by the door, waiting for the teacher to let them into the run-down dorms. "Here, carry my stuff, its gettting heavy."

"Sure!" Izumo practically threw her stuff at Shiemi, making the girl almost fall over, "Ooof-"

Rin steadied Shiemi and grabbed the bags,"She's not your packmull!" Throwing the bag at Izumo.

"UGH! Just leave it alone! Its fine, she likes holding our bags anyways!"

"F-faust! It's fine! I'm just helping my friend!"

"See!"

Sure, Rin wasn't raised in the human world. Sure, he didn't understand a lot about human culture. That didn't mean he couldn't tell when someone was being taken advantage of.

"You are such a pathetic little thing, using your friends to do your petty chores!"

"YOU MOTHE-"

"ALRIGHT! That's enough! Kamiki carry your own items! Faust no reason you should be instigating a fight!"

"She started it!"

"I don't care! All of you will begin this session with one hour of reflection!"

The hour was nearly over, with the rocks on their laps steadily getting heavier.

"You should've kept your mouth shut!"

Rin gritted his teeth, "For what? So Kamiki can pretend Shiemi is a packmull?" The rock in his got heavier in his lap the angrier he got.

"Alright, now that you've had time to reflect, let's get the rooming situation controlled—girls towards one end of the hall, boys to the other."

"Come on Pakku lets go and set our stuff down before we shower."

Shiemi looked at her friends, "Oh! I'll come with you!"

Izumo's eyebrow twitched, "No, just me and Pakku. I'm  super  shy, you understand, right?"

"O-Oh, Okay."

Rin looked over while the other boys were trying to find suitable rooms. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't even hear Yukio.

"Faust, did you hear me?"

He looked up, his eyes large, "Nope not a single word."

"You're rooming with Suguro got it."

Rin made a face, then clicked his tongue.

"You two are down the hall. I know Shima will be rooming with Konekamaru, but I still want those two closer to me."

Bon moved from his spot, "Come on. I need to talk to you anyways."

"I have nothing to say to you." Rin stalked off to a random room and claimed it. It was dusty, and the lights flickered slightly. He threw his bag on the bed, setting out his things.

Bon walked in, already dreading the night, "Well, I have a lot to say to you. Don't give me that look."

"You said you wanted nothing to do with someone like me! So just leave me alone!" Rin wanted to cry and shout, but there were others in the rooms over. It would be better if he cut things off with Bon now. Then he wouldn't have to worry about trivial things like love.

"Faust," Bon grabbed Rin's arm, "Listen to me. Hey," Bon grabbed Rin's face, earning a growl from him, "Look at me. You know that's not what I meant."

Rin wanted to melt into the grip but tried to hold fast to his anger. "Then what did you mean!"

Bon was exasperated at this point, "Faust, I-"

A scream filled the hall, and Rin immediately dashed for the sound. He could smell rotting blood- ghouls.

When he rushed into the bathroom, Kamiki was on the floor, and Pakku was passed out. Luckily, no one else had arrived. Rin bit his thumb and ran the blood across the seal on his left arm, summoning a weapon. One of his less flashy katana's, would do the trick.

"STAND DOWN!"

"We musstt serve our master. My prince we are sorryyy~."

Rin rolled his eyes,  "Then repent and ask for my forgiveness by going back to gehenna!" 

Rin ran straight for the largest one holding Kamiki and slashed at his arms. Kamiki collapsed, trying to catch her breath. Her familiars turned on her taunting her, Rin sent them a glare forcing them to submit. 

"If you will not help leave!"

They disappeared quickly in a poof of smoke. 

Yukio finally made it to the bathroom, "What happened!"

He quickly rushed to Pakku's side, trying to examine her injuries. Kamiki sat on the ground, obviously still in shock at the sudden appearance. 

Rin walked over and covered her with a towel. "You did what you could."

"Don't pity me!"

"You're still learning, don't get upset that you got flustered. Pakku's gonna be ok. The sooner you get dressed- the sooner you can be by her side."

Rin walked out of the restroom spotting a cowering Shimei, "Hey, you're ok, right?" He got a nervous nod, "Then go and help four-eyes with Pakku. He's going to need a couple of herbs fresh for the antidote."

Shiemi nodded her head, determined with her new task.

Rin looked back at the scene, remembering the words the ghouls said. Who was their master? Not his FatherFather, right? Why would his FatherFather target ants to get to him? If he was going for someone close to him, why Kamiki and not Godaiin or Bon? Nah, his FatherFather would've sent Astaroth instead of low-level ghouls. He wasn't one to send lackeys to do his work.

Rin sat on the edge of his lumpy bed, wondering when his FatherFather would come for him again. There's no way he could ever go back willingly.

Bon made it back to the room to see Faust lying on his bed. The rest of the night was uneventful; Okumura-sensei was able to make the antidote. And everyone else passed out as soon as they learned she would be ok. Bon looked over at the other occupied bed. There was a lot he wanted to say to Faust. Not just that he was sorry about the holy water incident, but that he didn't care that he was a half-demon. Bon closed his eyes, hoping he would be able to talk to the white-haired teen in the morning. 

-

There was groaning. Bon was usually a heavy sleeper, hefty. Sounds and other things hardly ever phased him. It sounded constrained, and he could hear whimpering, too. Bon shot up to see what was happening.

Looking over, Faust was lying in his bed, tossing and turning. It looked like his back was arching in uncomfortable angles. His breathing was becoming increasingly louder. It sounded like he was fighting something. His face looked awful and coated in sweat. Faust looked like he was fighting in his sleep.

Whatever it was, Bon couldn't sit there and watch it happen. Bon rushed to the other side of the small room, trying to stop Faust from hurting himself further. He grabbed his wrists and tried to call his name, "FAUST! Fa-"'

An angry clawed hand came to his throat, and glowing blue eyes glared down at him. His eyes were pin-pricks, different from usual. Bon could see flecks of red in those blue iris', it looked like a fire.

Bon grabbed at the hand around his throat, "F-Fau-st-"

Ren took a sniff at his prey, eyes narrowing. His nose was brushing against his neck, taking a sniff. His eyes widened, his hand loosened from Bon's throat. Scrambling to the corner of his bed, he tried to get away from bon. His breath was speeding up, his ears were ringing.

"R-Ren listen to me," Bon tried to scoot closer to the other, scared to spook him away further. "Are you ok?"

Rin looked up at him with wide eyes, his eyes were glazing over slightly. He whispered something under his breath.

"What are you saying?"

"AWAY!" 

Rin tried to swat his arm at him, but Bon swiftly caught it. "Stop!" 

Rin flinched at the harsh tone and whimpered slightly.

"S-Sorry," Bon tried to look at his eyes. He carefully put his finger under his chin, lifting his face, "H-Hey, are you ok?"

Rin's eyes went wide, and tears were threatening to spill over. He shook his head no. "W-Why do you care?!" He wanted to push him away, but he had a surprisingly firm grip on his hand.

"R-Ren, I'm sorry-" Bon looked down at their hands, "You look scared, I have never seen you so scared before."

"I-I'm not!" Rin looked away from him, his breathing was so shallow. "I-I'm fine!" Rin tried to swing at him, "Just go awa-" 

Strong arms enveloped him in a hug, his breathing nearly stopped. Rin's eyes were wide as he tried to process what had just happened. "It's ok if you're not fine. You looked like you were in pain."

Rin furrowed his brows, "W-Why do you care!"

"Because you're my friend a-and I care about you."

Rin looked up from where his face was smashed against Bon's chest, "I'm a demon though."

Bon shrugged, "I know, Mephisto told me. MY monastery has plenty of half-demons, who cares who your parents were."

"You would care."

Bon furrowed his brows, "I seriously doubt I would care."

Bon looked down at the other teen. He looked resigned. As if he was expecting some kind of rejection from him. He wanted to hold his hand and calm him down with soothing words. Instead, Bon's hands slipped from Rin's back to his hands without knowing what he was doing—holding them delicately and with care. 

Rin's eyes shot up to meet Bon's, who was looking at him with such care. "I don't care that you're a demon, Faust. It wasn't tough to figure out, the fangs, the slightly pointed ears."

Rin shook his head, breaking eye contact with Bon. Because Rin knew if Bon knew who his father was, what his father had done to the world. Rin was certain Bon would try to kill him on the spot. The thought was almost enough to send him spiraling. Tears had begun to drip from his eyes, collapsing to the ground. Bon's strong arms were the only thing keeping him standing, albeit barely. 

Bon, not understanding Rin's inner turmoil, took this moment to stop asking questions. He could tell that Rin was on the verge of a panic attack. So instead of asking questions, Bon held onto Rin for a bit longer.

"Y-You'd care if you knew who he was-"

"You're not your father!"

Rin's eyes snapped open, looking at Bon's face, finding no lies. That was the first time he's heard that from anybody. For years he was always treated like his father's future replacement, treated as if he was Satan himself, by not just his subjects but his siblings too.

"You are not your dad. You may be his son, but that doesn't mean the things he's done are your fault. You didn't do the things he did. I don't know who your dad was, but I do know that you are a good person." Rin's eyes shot up. "Albeit a pretentious asshole, but a good person. The first rich person I've ever seen take up a job at a small dinner for fun—a guy who defends his friends when he needs to." Bon placed his hand on Rin's heart, "This is proof you're still human."

Rin was entirely speechless, he didn't know what to say. There was so much he wanted to tell Bon- to prove him wrong. IF he knew who his father he wouldn't say the things he's saying. He wouldn't be sitting here trying to comfort him. He would find the nearest exorcist to kill him. Or grab the Paladin. Or douse him in holy wa-

His brain completely stopped at the feeling of chapped plush lips against his own. It was soft and only lasted for a second. Bon's hand was resting on his cheek, cradling his head gently. His hand came up to wipe away stray tears.

"B-Bon?"

A huge blush erupted on Bon's face at what he had just done unknowingly. "S-shit, I'm- I'm sorr-"

Rn pounced onto Bon, pulling him into another kiss. Rin had seen humans use this gesture, but he never understood why. The feeling of intimacy made Rin's heart flutter. It was something he lacked in his life. This was the first time he's ever felt something so pure as a simple kiss. The kiss in itself only lasted a couple of seconds. Being in the small room, it felt longer. 

Bon's eyes were wide. This was not how he wanted the talk to go, but goddamn, he sure enjoyed it. Coincidentally, this was also not how he wanted to tell Rin his feelings. 

"Its ok." Rin raised a hand to Bon's face, "I'm not used to affection like that, again demon-"

"Half-demon-"

Rin smirked, "Half-demon. I'm not used to this feeling in my chest. I-I know humans do that t-to people they l-like, b-but its ok if you didn't mean it." Rin felt the dreads of doubt squeezing its way into his head."I understand if you didn't mean it and just wanted to calm me do-"

"Ren, I don't just kiss random people who are crying."

"Sure seems like it to me-"

Bon rolled his eyes, "Idiot, do I need to spell it out to you?" Rin furrowed his brows, tilting his head. Bon took rin's hands and placed them on his heart, "I. Like. You. It's why I got so defensive when Shima was being an idiot the other day."

That was all Rin needed to hear. He didn't need to be a demon to know he wasn't lying. Feeling the heartbeat beneath his fingertips was enough for rin to understand. There were too many emotions going through him. He felt almost overwhelmed with these new feelings. Rin wrapped his arms around Bon's middle and squeezed tightly.

"I-I don't know what these feelings are- Growing up I only had my brothers and even they weren't around much. I love them- most of them- but this feeling is so different. I don't know how to place it, but I think I like you too."

Bon lifted Rin's chin, "I-Its ok if you don't know what you're feeling. We can work through it." Bon placed a hand in soft white hair, "Let's head to sleep, yeah?"

Rin nodded his head, "Um, I don't think I can sleep on my own right now." Rin furrowed his brow thinking about the nightmare, "C-Can yo-"

"Yeah, I'll sleep in the bed with you."

Rin went to situate himself against the wall while Bon brought his blanket and pillow from the other bed. Bon threw out his arm, and Rin cuddled against his chest. It had been years since he was able to sleep feeling so secure like this.

There was a voice in the back of his head telling him to enjoy it while it lasts. It was cackling and loud. When Rin whimpered, Bon held on to him tighter, reassuring Rin that he would be there for him. 

For now, Rin let the voice die down. He was instead focusing on the steady heartbeat of his sleeping partner.