╭┈─────── ʚ✟⃛ɞ ྀ࿐
╰┈➤ [Chapter 46]
╰┈➤ [A/N: Changing the title fonts to make it easier for me]
╰┈➤ [Third POV]

Y/n slept soundlessly as he held onto his pillow, his stomach to his bed. His hair was disheveled, but the sleeping beauty could care less about how he looked like this early in the morning. Soft snoring could be heard as the light from the sun barely peeked through the thick curtains that Y/n had bought. Letting out a soft sigh, Y/n couldn't help but smile in his sleep. A bit of hair falling across of his face, tickling his nose.

Suddenly a hand gently pushed the stands of hair away from Y/n's face. Feeling the sudden warmth of a hand gently touching, and tickling him, Y/n let out a small hum in questioning. Y/n snuggled against his pillow as he opened one eye to see who was next to him. He did live alone and didn't have any patients in his house due to them all being stationary in the Black Dragon's building. However, when Y/n saw who it was, he couldn't help but groan, unalarmed.

"Taiju..." Y/n said groggily. "You broke in... again..."

"You gave me a key this time, remember?" Taiju whispered, a chair beside Y/n's bed. "Besides, I needed to check up on you."

Y/n groaned lightly as he propped himself up by his elbows. "Doesn't take away the fact that you're here, again. I swear if I see another broken lock..."

"I didn't break in this time, I promise."

"Right..."

The day before Y/n, obviously, didn't come back home until mid-morning. However, in the early morning, Taiju decided to make a visit to make sure that Y/n was alright, especially since he left his party in a rush. When Taiju didn't get an answer from Y/n's phone nor did someone open the door, Taiju could only think of the worse.

So, what was the logical thing to do? Obviously, he broke the front door and investigated the place. Fortunately, Y/n came in just in time to see the gang leader in his house. Needless to say, it was an interesting conversation and Y/n had to give him his spare key in order for the leader to not break in again.

"Anyways," Y/n yawned as he stretched his arms. "What are you doing here anyways?"

"I came to make sure that you made it to work on time and without any obstacles." Taiju got up as he went to Y/n's closet to get his clothes for the day, once he did, he threw them at the medic.

Y/n raised a brow as he easily caught his clothes. "Surely that's not all. You wouldn't wake up this early in the morning just to make sure one of your gang members made it to work. I know you're lying to me Taiju. You're a terrible liar."

Taiju scowled as he rolled his eyes. "Just... get ready... I'll wait for you in the living room."

Y/n couldn't help but chuckle as Taiju started to make his way out of his room. "Your ears turn red when you lie, you know!" He couldn't help but call out, making Taiju freeze at Y/n's doorframe.

Taiju covered his ears as he shook his head. "No, they don't." He made his escape.

Y/n snickered to himself finding a new way to entertain himself by teasing Taiju. Of course, he was lying when he said that Taiju's ears turned red, but it was the fact that Taiju believed him made him laugh. Y/n's eyes softened when he realized that Taiju was still sixteen, around Y/n's age.

Y/n let's out a sigh as he thinks to himself, 'People need to grow up so fast...' He slipped on his coat along with a scarf since winter has official started. 'Taiju, Hakkai, Takemichi... myself. We're all just kids after all...' Y/n frowned slightly as he opened his window finally letting the sun luminate his room. 'If we're so grown up now, what would adult life be like when we actually reach it?'

Y/n opened the window, letting some air into the house. He leaned on the windowsill as he looked up at the clouds. He pouted slightly at his thoughts. 'Man~ I bet it'll suck.' He laughed to himself.

─────── ʚ✟⃛ɞ ྀ࿐

Y/n and Taiju made casual conversation with one another as they walked to the building that they knew of. The streets were bustling with office workers wanting to go to work on time and even venders wanting to profit out of these workers. People kept going in and out of buildings and streets that it was crowded.

Not overly crowded, but crowded enough that you can bump into someone if you're not careful. However, Taiju gave off scary energy causing people to stray away from him. Y/n used that to his advantage. Sometimes, Y/n couldn't help but chuckle when they saw Taiju's scowling face, one that seems to be permanent as it never washed away even in private.

"I don't think that's a bad idea," Y/n commented his thumb under his chin in thought. "Although, there has to be different way to do it."

"My office has all the paperwork, we can continue in there," Taiju explained as he and Y/n came up to a cross walk. "There shouldn't be any injuries, and the patients can do just fine by themselves."

Y/n couldn't help but smile and shook his head. "Whatever you say Tai- Oops, sorry about... that..." He had bumped into someone but trailed off when he was apologizing. "Who the fuck...?" He accidently slipped out, making Taiju turn his attention towards him.

Y/n's smile dropped dramatically as his brows furrowed in confusion and disgust. The man he bumped into was tall, muscular by the arms and a paling face. He looked dead, no, he looked like he should have been dead a long time ago. The air around him was cold, like icicles, as his eyes held warmth that only winter could give. His unnaturally colorful eyes stared down at Y/n, widened.

The man of winter smiled down at Y/n as he turned his head. "Well then... no worries about that, butterfly," he said, bowing slightly. "Although... have we met before? I can't help but feel an... attachment to you."

Y/n grimaced slightly as he hid part of his face in his scarf. Taiju seemed to notice Y/n's uncomfortableness as he glared slightly at the odd man. He reached for Y/n's shoulder and pulled the shorter closer to him. The cold man seemed to notice this action as he only gave a closed eyed smile. He leaned away from the duo but still kept his attention on them. Jeez, this light was taking its sweet time.

"I apologize for that, I couldn't help myself, dear," the man claims as only kept his eyes on Y/n, not even bothering to look at Taiju. "I'm Douma, a pleasure to meet you!"

"The pleasure is all mine..." Y/n said hesitantly, glancing up at Taiju who kept a tight grip on him.

Douma laughed with a small cheer. "Oh, there's no need! I'm a fan of yours, truly! How could I not be when you're one of thee, if not are, cutest and strongest medic to have existed at such a young age!"

"How did you...-?"

"I have to say that your job is absolutely divine and beautiful. When I heard that you've been transferred to the Black Dragons, I couldn't help but gasp! I had told my co-worker and my boss that I needed to see you, so they've sent me out on a mission to be a medic to a gang! Oh~ What a lovely dream come true! Not only do I get to follow the steps of my role model, but I also get to see them in person!

"Truly a magnificent situation I have found myself in! And you look even more cuter in person! Oh my, I really do just want to eat you up!"

"You need to shut your mouth!" Taiju growled as he raised his fist, sick of how oddly Douma was talking about Y/n.

"Whoa, Taiju, hold on!" Y/n shouted as he was quick to step in between Douma and Taiju so that Taiju wouldn't start a brawl so suddenly. "No punching people out of nowhere! Come on, it's fine he's not doing... anything right now..." He glanced back at Douma who was casually smiling up at Taiju.

Taiju glared at Douma as he relaxed slightly, still on guard, however. "...yet."

Douma couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh my~, it seems like you truly do have everyone you meet wrapped around your finger~ But! As a current, aspiring, medic like yourself..." He gestured to Y/n, bowing slightly while taking Y/n's hand. "...I will simply watch until the time comes for it. I do hope that you don't mind, Y/n." He smiled as he disappeared into the crowd that was crossing the street. "May we meet again, Shinobu-Chan~"

Taiju and Y/n both watched as Douma disappeared before them. Unable to move, people walked past them without care as they missed the light to cross. Y/n was clearly shaken up by the interaction that it put him on edge. However, Taiju seemed to reciprocate Y/n's uncomfortableness as he held Y/n in his arm, almost like he was protecting him. Y/n gulp his fear down as his hand turned into a fist.

''Shinobu'?'

"Y/n, do you know him?" Taiju asked carefully, waiting for the light to give them the go to cross the street once again.

"No... No, I don't," Y/n said, however he hesitated almost like he wasn't so sure himself. "I... I have never seen him before..." Pure anger washed over him in the first time in many years. "But... for some reason...

"I despise him..."

─────── ʚ✟⃛ɞ ྀ࿐

Y/n and Taiju were in Taiju's 'office'. It looked more like a gym than an office, however. The only thing that shows that it really is an office is the multiple papers scattered around as pens and pencils littered the floor, but never in the area where the punching bag and other equipment is at. Y/n was currently looking through papers, sorting some of them and even reading them out for Taiju to hear. However, Taiju was at the punching bag, doing his usual training.

"Well..." Y/n started as he tapped the stack of papers on the desk that was there. "Since we're alone now, and we've known each other for some time, I think it's time to address the elephant in the room."

"I don't think there's much to talk about," Taiju huffed as he punched his target once again. "We've delt with the problem earlier and there's no fight for me to know about." He grunted once more. "I really don't feel like beating up weakling today, anyways."

Y/n shook his head. "That's not what I mean. I'm talking about Hakkai and Yuzuha, you know, your siblings."

Taiju paused for a moment, holding the punching bag as he glared at it. His brows furrowed. "What about them? They're fine and I haven't seen them since the trade meeting."

"I'm not talking about now, I'm talking about before." Y/n narrowed his eyes slightly. "I'm talking about how you disciplined them."

"What's wrong with the way I disciplined them?! They deserved it! I put up rules and I expected them to follow them, I am their big brother."

"Yes, but hitting them until they're bloody and bruised a good thing?? You are giving them a reason to fear you, not respect you, Taiju."

"What do you know?" Taiju scowled as he whipped around and glared at Y/n. "You don't know the first thing about being an older sibling! What I do is NONE of your business! Besides, if they can't handle a simple smack then they're unfit for the real world!" He approached Y/n with authority, but the medic did not faulter. "You know nothing..."

Y/n glared. "I may not know about being an older brother, but I did have an older sister. And she never, never, put her hands on me. Never had she yelled at me, never had she hurt me! Because that's what older siblings do, they don't hurt you they protect you!

"Hakkai comes to me every time after your beating sessions! He weeps and sobs because of you but he can't do anything because you're his older brother, the person he looks up to and cares for even with everything you've done to him! It was only a matter of time before he breaks. Why else did you think I took up this job?"

"You having an older sister means nothing to me," Taiju claims as he came face to face to Y/n. "You don't know how it feels to be the caretaker of the house, you don't know how hard it was to raise those two! To take up the responsibility of everything in that DAMNED household!!"

"But I do know how it feels, Taiju!"

Taiju's glare faltered for a moment as he leaned away from Y/n slightly.

Y/n took a breath. "The responsibility, the name to uphold, the life to keep living for, I know it all too well. My mother, my sister... my father... they all left me when I was young, just like you. I had to take the responsibility to take care of my mother, to make sure the house didn't crumble the minute I was gone, to make sure bills were paid while school was still running, to feed myself with what little food I had, making sure it stretched out, so I didn't waste the money for the bills.

"Hakkai told me everything about your family. Your mother's passing, your father being absent, and even you with your need to live up to expectations that you put yourself up to. You've all lived an unfair life, and I get it. Taiju, I get it. I wish that you had more support back then, but you need to be present now for your siblings. Taiju, they need you more than ever."

At one point, Y/n had started crying, remembering the awful memories of trying to survive for the first few months of being alone. His voice was still strong, and he never faltered, but his watering eyes failed him as tears spilled out. He had always been emotional. Taiju took notice of this as Y/n was a proud person, proud of who he is, but now the pride shattered before Taiju.

"I hate it, I absolutely hate it, when people went through the same that I did," Y/n confessed his breathing rigid. "And I'm sorry... I'm sorry that you went through that. If I could go back in time and support you I would've, but I can't. I've helped Hakkai, and Hakkai helped Yuzuha. Now, I just need to support you, but in order to do that, I need you to stop hitting them. Stop hurting them."

Taiju was silent, letting Y/n vent out his emotions until he stopped talking and ultimately ended up wipping his tears off of his face. Taiju's look softened, and for the first time in a long time, the scowl washed away. He kneeled down as he looked up at Y/n. Y/n peeked thorugh his tears as his glossy eyes widened in confusion. His brows furrowed up, worried that thorugh his emotional break down that he had said something wrong.

"I'll change."

Y/n's eyes widened more. "What...?"

"If you said that Hakkai and Yuzuha had developed by themselves like you've said, I will change my ways," Taiju claims. "I'm going to be honest; I still see them as the little siblings that I needed to take care of and discipline. But if what you said was true, then I can trust them that they can take care of themselves. Does that seem... fair... to you?"

Y/n stared at Taiju for a moment, his tears drying up but still swell up in his eyes. He looked down for a moment, knowing that if he accepted, he will be thrown into a gamble. Yuzuha's and Hakkai's development are completely up to them and if they were to fail, they would lead into deeper despair because of Taiju's conditions. However - Y/n looked up at Taiju and nodded - Y/n was willing to take that gamble.

Taiju nodded back to Y/n as he got up and walked to the punching bag once more. "Now quit crying," he said.

Y/n flinched but then rolled his eyes. "Rude..." He muttered as he used his sleeve to wipe the tears away.

Before Taiju starting his usual training again, he paused for a moment. "I... meant to say that because there is no need to be crying anymore."

A smile adorned Y/n's lips. "Alright...

"Whatever you say, Taiju."

╭┈─────── ʚ✟⃛ɞ ྀ࿐
╰┈➤ [Chapter 46]
╰┈➤ [A/N: Kakucho has been added to love interests, Yuzuha has been removed from the love interests]
╰┈➤ [A/N: I wanted more Taiju moments because, honestly, big guy with big heart trope has me by the neck, but I have to work for Taiju's character development. Also, because there's not going to be much anymore after the Black Dragon arc because Y/n's attention will be somewhere else ;eyes;]
╰┈➤ [2952]