Chapter Text
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Guren’s father is beheaded, an act meant to prove the Ichinose family’s loyalty to the Hiiragi clan. As a branch family, they have always bowed their heads, and they must accept their fate yet again.
Guren remains strong as he holds his father’s severed head in his arms. He remains strong as he walks toward the lifeless body of the man he loved. He remains strong through the entire ceremony. He wants to show the Ichinose clan that their new leader will not break, no matter how traumatizing the event is.
A week has passed since the beheading of the Ichinose clan’s former head. And in all that time, Guren has not shed a single tear, never once.
Night falls. Guren should be asleep by now, but
everything that happened in the past week feels like a blur. To outsiders, he appears strong. In truth, he looks like a ghost. His body functions automatically but his mind drifts endlessly.
As the new head of the Ichinose family, Guren now lives in the traditional-modern main house. But he still sleeps in his own room, not his father’s.
A sudden tapping at the window makes Guren open his eyes. He sits up and notices a shadowy figure standing behind it. Slowly, he reaches for the katana beside his bed.
“Guren, it’s me…” a voice whispers from the other side.
Guren’s eyes widen. He opens the door quickly and drags the man inside. “Do you have a death wish? If my people find you, they’ll kill you!” he snaps, gripping Shinya’s collar.
Shinya lifts his hands in surrender. “Relax, okay? I’m not here to do anything weird.”
Guren releases him, glaring. “Then leave before someone sees you.”
But Shinya only shrugs and sits shamelessly on Guren’s bed. With a sigh, Guren mutters, “Shinya, I’m not in the mood for your games tonight.”
“I know,” Shinya says, unusually serious. “I didn’t come to irritate you.”
Guren stays standing by the window. “Then what do you want?”
Shinya pats the bedside beside him. “Come and sit here,” he says.
Guren doesn’t protest. He sits quietly beside Shinya, close enough that their knees almost touch. Shinya shifts closer and rests his head on Guren’s shoulder. Guren does nothing to stop him.
Breaking the silence, Shinya murmurs, “I should be the one lending a shoulder, but I’m exhausted from sneaking in. So I’m borrowing yours instead.”
“I don’t need your shoulder,” Guren replies, cold and emotionless.
Shinya sighs. He reaches out, gently takes Guren’s hand, and holds it. “Right now, I’m not a Hiiragi. And you’re not an Ichinose…” He pauses. “…We’re just Guren and Shinya.”
Guren remains silent, but he doesn’t pull his hand away. For Shinya, that is enough. He strokes Guren’s hand with his thumb. That’s when he feels it, Guren’s shoulder trembling.
Shinya lifts his head and instantly pulls Guren into his arms. Guren leans into him, silent but shaking. Shinya can feel the tears in his shoulder even without seeing Guren's face.
He rubs Guren’s back softly, trying to soothe him. He startles slightly when Guren suddenly clings to him, burying his face in the crook of his neck deeper. Shinya only holds him tighter and continues stroking his back.
Soon, Shinya’s own eyes blur. His heart grows heavy hearing the suppressed cries breaking through Guren’s throat. His chin trembles. And finally, his own tears fall too.
They stay like that for a long time. Eventually, Guren’s breathing steadies. Shinya is trying to pull away, but Guren tightens his grip. “Don’t go…” he whispers.
“I’m not,” Shinya says softly, wrapping his arms around him again. One hand rubs Guren’s back,the other moves through his hair, gentle and patient. “Let’s lie down. I’ll hold you until you fall asleep.”
Guren says nothing, but he shifts within Shinya’s embrace. He exhales, loosening his grip. When he lifts his head, they face each other. Shinya's hand cups Guren’s face, their eyes now looking at each other.
Guren’s purple eyes, once hollow, are now red and wet, streaked with tears. Shinya wipes them away with his thumb. Seeing Guren's eyes, Shinya feels his own vision blurs again.
Still touching Guren’s cheek, Shinya slides his other hand into his hair, brushing it back. Then he leans forward and presses a soft kiss to Guren’s forehead. Guren closes his eyes, letting more tears fall.
Shinya gently guides him down. They lie side by side on the bed. Shinya tries to place Guren’s head on his arm, but Guren moves onto the pillow instead.
“Your arm will hurt,” Guren says.
Shinya chuckles. “You’re right. Your head is heavy.”
Guren smiles faintly, still holding Shinya’s hand. “Thank you…” he whispers.
Shinya shakes his head. “Don’t be,” he murmurs, squeezing his hand. “Just close your eyes.”
Guren obeys. As he drifts off, Shinya whispers, “You don’t have to talk. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll listen.” A soft hum is Guren’s only reply.
Shinya continues caressing his hand, assuring him he’s still there.
For the first time since the beheading, Guren feels safe. Sleep takes him gently. Shinya watches his steady breathing. Even after Guren falls asleep, Shinya doesn’t let go of his hand.
He had seen Guren three days after the beheading, at the funeral. He was the only Hiiragi who attended, surrounded by bodyguards he didn’t want. He wished he could come as a friend, not a political representative.
Back then, he saw it in Guren’s eyes: emptiness. Guren acted normal, but Shinya knew he was holding back everything.
Now, seeing Guren finally cry, though painful, brings Shinya a quiet relief. At least Guren is no longer suffocating under his own restraint.
Their relationship is strange. Shinya never imagined he would be comforting his deceased fiancée’s ex-boyfriend. At first, he was simply curious about Guren. But after spending time together, he saw how strong and kind Guren was.
And Shinya couldn’t help becoming drawn to him. He doesn’t know when curiosity turned into something deeper. All he knows is that he wants to be near Guren, feels sad when Guren is sad, and wants him to be happy. Instead of thinking about his fiancée, his mind is filled entirely with Guren.
Once Guren has been asleep long enough, Shinya slowly shifts away, careful not to wake him. Before leaving, he takes one last look at the sleeping boy. Then he closes the door quietly behind him.
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Three days later, in the afternoon, Shinya visits again. No longer sneaking in, he enters through the front door. This time, he comes as a Hiiragi family member.
They sit in the middle of the meeting room in Ichinose's house, both accompanied by two bodyguards from each family's representatives. Even though the two clans have promised to be friends, the current situation makes it hard for them not to be wary of each other.
"This is a letter of alliance," Shinya says, sitting in front of Guren and placing an envelope on the table. He continues, "There will be a meeting with representatives from each family next week. You will be asked to sign it in front of them. The contents will be the same as the one in the envelope."
Guren opens the envelope and reads the letter. His eyebrows furrow slightly as he reads certain points, but he remains calm for the most part. He understands it, he doesn’t have much of a choice.
He puts down the envelope and locks his gaze on the white haired man in front of him. In a formal setting like this, Shinya looks firm, almost like a different person.
Still staring at Shinya, Guren breaks the silence. "Leave both of us alone," he commands.
The guards open their mouths, wanting to protest, but Shinya raises his hand. He slightly turns his head toward his bodyguards and nods, signaling that the situation is fine.
Ichinose's guards leave the room, followed by Hiiragi's guards. As soon as the sound of the door clicking shut, Shinya's firm expression softens instantly. "Are you okay? I can talk to Kureto so you don't have to attend the meeting," he says, genuinely worried.
Guren shakes his head. "I'm fine. I'm not that weak." He stands up from his chair and walks toward Shinya. Shinya is confused but stands up as well.
Suddenly, Guren wraps his arms around Shinya’s body, squeezing him tightly. Shinya is surprised by the contact, but then he raises his hands and returns the hug.
They stay like that for a moment, until Guren speaks. "Thank you for coming that night. That was the first time in forever that I could sleep."
Shinya simply hums in response, rubbing Guren’s back, soothing him. "Should I sneak into your room again?" he asks playfully.
Guren smiles, still leaning his head on Shinya's shoulder. "I'm not responsible if you get caught." Shinya chuckles.
They stay like that, Guren’s head now buried deep in Shinya’s neck, trying to savor the warmth of the man in his embrace. Shinya returns the gesture, finding comfort in Guren's arms as well.
Guren doesn’t remember exactly when it happened, he only knows that he once hated the man in front of him. How could he not? Shinya was his ex-girlfriend's fiancé. But after spending time together, he finds comfort in Shinya's presence. Moreover, after that night he snuck into his room, Guren realized how warm Shinya felt in his embrace.
Guren slowly pulls away, breaking their hug. He smiles at Shinya. "See you next week."
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The vampire outbreaks start not long after Guren signs the agreement to join forces with the Hiiragi family. In response, Japan creates the Imperial Demon Army and names the Hiiragi family as the leaders.
Guren, Shinya, and their friends all enlist to military. Shinya, being a Hiiragi and able to form a contract with a powerful devil weapon called Byakkomaru, he is given the title of Major General and works in the Imperial Demon Army’s Tokyo office.
As for Guren, aside from being the leader of the Ichinose family, he also serves in the military as a Lieutenant. Along with his squad, he’s entrusted with leading the Defense Unit in Tokyo.
It’s been ten years since the night Shinya sneaked into Guren’s room, and they’ve been working hard to defend Japan from the vampire threat.
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