In The Shadows || Hankisa (Hanma Shuji x Kisaki Tetta)

in the shadows

Imagine your life being always the same. You already know what's going to happen tomorrow, the amount of cigarettes you're gonna lit, how it's gonna end, the way you'll crawl to sleep in your bed with bruises on your face and aching hands.

Hanma Shuji's life was exactly that boring. So dull. It had no taste at the not so mature age of 16, no color, no excitement whatsoever. Others would tell otherwise, of course. Being a loner fighting in the streets, making yourself known to the best gangs of Tokyo, that's impressive.

"Hanma, you're literally Kabukicho's Reaper, that's the coolest thing ever!"

"Hanma-san, how can you fight so many people at once?"

"Shuuuji... would you like your cock sucked? After all, you won again today."

All those titles and honorifics, Shinigami, The Reaper, Shinjuku's Zombie, just made him smile a bit as how silly they sounded to him.

If only all those morons knew...

What's the point of fighting if you already know how it's gonna end?

That was until Hanma met Kisaki Tetta. With him it was different.

That boy was built different. Hanma was a "kind soul" at heart, he knew that if he wanted to he could have crushed him in a blink of an eye, but he didn't want to until he had listened to that boy's requests. Average height for 13 years old, scrawny, not even great at fighting, bad eyesight. Where was he hoping to go like that?

"Hanma, be my pawn. You'll help me become the greatest delinquent of Tokyo."

It was not a matter of fighting poweress or looks. Kisaki was giving off a weird vibe. And Hanma was all about weird vibes.

The weirder the merrier. Everything thrilling and unexpected was a joy for him, and Kisaki gave himself to him as the best present ever. He didn't see that coming!

All those hours of scheming, plotting to destroy people lives, to cause chaos between gangs, to break teeth! Hanma felt reborn after years of boredom, of letting himself go.

"With you my dull life became a circus! I see colors, Kisaki!"

The future kept changing, and for once he liked being in the shadows, away from the centre of attention. That's what Kisaki taught him. He loved being his tool, being used.

"Hanma you freak, do you know I'm only using you because of your... gifts?"

Hanma always smiled at that statement. Whether that was true or not he didn't care much. He liked Kisaki, as long as he wanted him by his side he was happy.

"I know, the moon can't shine on its own." His abilities were useful for a greater purpose of another being. Just like the Sun's light hitting the Moon to let her shine.

After a while he saw that sentiment change. Kisaki laughed with him, was interested in his opinion, sticked more around.

And Hanma grew fond of his friend. Yes, friend. Hanma was sure to call him like that and was even surer to be loved back. In all those years he never saw anyone looking and treating him like Kisaki did.

As embarrassing as it sounds hearing it from Hanma, he was happy to have found someone. For once.

But everything must come to an end. It's just how life goes, Hanma knew that. He was not new to death, damn.

But for once he thought it wouldn't happen to him, again.

"What a grand way to die..."

How long since, in all those years of travelling back and forward in time, he shed a tear for someone else? He couldn't tell.

He didn't imagine it was going to end like that. He didn't see that in the many futures he went. Kisaki was always there, conquering his bright future.

What went wrong this time? A plot against him? Something that they didn't calculate, perhaps?

No.

Bad luck. Wrong place, wrong time. Fate.

Just fate, fooling even the biggest fool of them all.

"Hey Kisaki... are you gonna leave me alone?"

Kisaki's corpse was laying on the ground, so badly ripped apart and broken Hanma was feeling nauseous looking at it.

"Uh... I promised to tell you..."

...

"...I never got to tell you..."