#even ran himself didn't realize how that affected him so hearing izana refer to it as something Bad

[ashrifts]

@deathfavor asked:

❛  i'm going to make sure nothing bad will ever happen to you again.  ❜ ( okay hear me out here but them pre-tenjiku )

in a world where the light of the law cannot reach the downslopes to drugs and death slithering in the shadows the haitani brothers have always called home, there's only two rules that will always ring true: you cannot trust anyone but yourself, and the only currency worth anything more than money was spilled blood with a name attached to it and a debt it neglected to repay.

at twelve, ran does not simply witness, but enforces this factㅤ───ㅤthe first pay is enough to get rindou brand new glasses, and they no longer have to sneak into the cinema theatre in between functions, and they spend hours arguing over which vending machine to drop their loose change in, and ran eats so many new desserts that rindou had panicked when he wouldn't wake up the day after. at thirteen, this becomes routine, and they become the kings of the world.

they never needed anyone else but each other; not the parents out of the polaroid pictures ran keeps in his pocket, not the bosses who believed them pawns in ran's own chessboard, not the fickleness of teaming up with people who would betray them when the opportunity arose.

this kid may be strong, but he is foolishㅤ───ㅤand the most foolish thing of all is the part of ran that wants to believe him.

ㅤㅤㅤ‘ㅤthat's a tall promise.ㅤ’ㅤㅤand arrogant, too. ran grins.ㅤㅤ‘ㅤi can look after myself just fine. i have been looking after myself just fine a~ll this time. i don't need you to do it for me.ㅤ’

yet. yetㅤ───ㅤthere's a tight curl to his smile, almost a grimace, and a shadow over his eyes, almost resentment. he doesn't understand it now, but in five years, in seven, in seventeen, he will look back at this moment and realize he'd just been a child, even with the blood smeared on his hands, even with the ability to choose who lives and who dies with a smile on his face. he'd just been a child, and no one but his own little brother had looked out for him.

they never needed anyone else but each other, after allㅤ───ㅤbut what happens when one is gone? when the debt collector has an overdue debt of his own, and only death can pay it off? before meeting izana, ran had never thought of his past catching up to him, because he'd be strong enough to fend off anyone who came for his throne... but the person who had broken his dreams in the first place sits at his prison cell's bunk bed by him, with words so earnest, compassionate, it almost makes ran laugh to his face.

he doesn't. he stops smiling, and he looks at him in the eye, assessing.

ran does not believe in much, but he believes in izana's strength, and he believes in his ambition. he realizes, too, that izana would gain nothing from betraying them, that whatever he needed from them, he'd take if he truly wanted it, and no honeyed words would be necessary when his fists had already spoken convincingly enough. he didn't need to win ran over, not when ran had willingly chosen to follow him, even if izana saw his obedience as submission or cowardice. these words were honest, so ran allows him the same honesty in return.

ㅤㅤㅤ‘ㅤthat's not something people can control. not even you.ㅤ’ㅤㅤhe tells him bluntly, but not unkindly. there's a foreign softness to him that smooths out the edges of his voice and warmths the indifference in his eyes as he tilts his head, closely, carefully observing the very first person he considered an equal. subordination is as new to him as it is to the rest of this vicious generation, and his own words feel oddly clumsy in his mouth in a way they never have before. he doesn't know if it's the unknown budding comradeship throwing off his game or something like wonder at someone wanting to protect him. he doesn't know how to rationalize it, so he does not know how to accept it... but it doesn't feel belittling. it feels... reassuring, and that in itself is a newer experience than being bested in a fight.ㅤㅤ‘ㅤwe'll look out for each other when you make our team, right? i watch your back, you watch mine, all that corny stuffㅤ───ㅤand in the case i bite the dust first... then you do your best to make sure nothing bad happens to rindou.ㅤ’

he allows his new grin to wash out the melancholy mood from the air, playfully holding up his pinky finger.

ㅤㅤㅤ‘ㅤhow's that for a promise?ㅤ’

#deathfavor #im literally holding my ear open as wide as humanly possible #u gave me much to think about.... #thinking about this being the first time someone says anything remotely close to 'i'll protect you' to ran.... closing my eyes......... #he's weirded out. he's insulted. he's amused. he's intrigued. he's amazed? #he's BAMBOOZLED and he wants to laugh. probably does laugh before he goes to bed. and in the morning after. but he's like #hm. for some reason. it doesn't sound awful coming from you. #thinking also about how ppl hear about ran's job when he was young and go 'wow that's badass' #but he was a kid working for a criminal organization that literally dealt with drug and human trafficking.... #even ran himself didn't realize how that affected him so hearing izana refer to it as something Bad #he's the man blinking in surprise meme #* ›› / * ask.