ᵉʸᵉˢ
Touya hates this so much.
He had expected for things to become difficult with the case still ongoing but he most certainly hadn't been prepared for everything to come crashing down at once. He could only do so much---only offer so much to Katsuki to help him but it always feels as if it isn't enough. Eventually his hugs and his kisses and his encouraging words would do nothing. But what more can he do? What more is there than to assure Katsuki that he is safe? He's unsure.
But he'll be damned if that makes him stop trying.
God, they were so happy for a while. What the fuck happened?
"Baby. Maybe you should take a break from all of this." He suggests, hand squeezing Katsuki's thigh comfortingly. The blonde brings his head up from the window to look at him but Touya keeps his gaze focused on the road. "What do you mean? I cannot simply walk away from this, Touya. I am...very afraid. Very confused. I am unsure of what I am supposed to do next."
"That's the thing, kitten. You aren't supposed to be doing anything. This isn't your job. You're not here to solve any cases. You're gonna lose yourself in this when we should only really be concerned with keeping you safe---and keeping you happy." Touya counters, being as gentle as he can with his choice of words. "You are not a cop and you are not to live out your days in constant grieving and sadness. So no more of this detective work, okay? Not for a long while, at least---"
Katsuki sits up abruptly, an objection sharp on his tongue.
"But---"
"Baby. Please. If we find any leads or just so happen to come up on some important information then we'll pass it to Nori but I can't let you keep torturing yourself; you're falling apart." Touya pleads, finally looking away from the road for just a brief moment to give him an equally concerned gaze. He laces their fingers together and Katsuki sighs, squeezing Touya's hand tightly.
He's exhausted, Touya knows.
"O-Okay."
Touya raises their intertwined hands to press Katsuki's hand against his lips in a kiss. "Thank you, baby. I love you."
"And I love you. So much."
"I know, angel. Why don't we go and get some ice cream later, hm? Might help you feel better." They need to get back to basics. Back to helping Katsuki lead a normal life. Touya can't allow the darkness of it all to consume his love---he won't. Not even if it kills him.
Katsuki manages a smile.
"Yes. I would like that."
And Touya smiles right back.
"Okay. I left my wallet at home, we're gonna go grab it really quickly before we head out." He says, hand still locked together with Katsuki's as he continues in the direction of his home. "Was thinking we could go out for dinner tonight, too. You told me you'd never had pizza before so I was thinking I'd take you to this pizza buffet that we have here; there's a shit ton of different kinds of pizza that you can try."
"Touya," Katsuki giggles. "I told you that weeks ago, darling." And it hadn't been much of a discussion about it, either. He'd mentioned it off-handedly during a conversation they were having about life on University campus. He hadn't expected for Touya to hold onto something so miniscule, something he'd only talked about for half a second before he'd forgotten it himself.
"Well, yeah, but I've been thinkin' about taking you to do this for a while now."
"...really?"
Touya chuckles at the tone that Katsuki uses, as if he was in disbelief that Touya had gone so far to plan this out for him.
"Of course, baby. I've got a couple of different things planned out for us to do. Things you want to experience. I, uh, made a list. You won't have to worry about anything; I've got it all figured out. Just want you to relax and have fun."
Touya always pays so much attention to even the smallest of details when Katsuki talks to him about things that he cares about---his aspirations and fears alike. He remembers things that Katsuki tells him even though Katsuki himself may forget them. It's just one of the many things about Touya that makes Katsuki's heart flutter. He often wonders if this is really what it feels like to be in love. He's never had such feelings about anyone before but the way that he feels for Touya feels...different than the way that he feels for anyone else. Maybe Mrs. Inko would know. He'd ask his own mother but…he doesn't think that Masaru knows what it feels like to be in love, either.
They'd exchanged numbers and he'd been texting and calling Katsuki in secret, afraid of what Mitsuki would do to him if she'd found out. He'd sneak out to meet Katsuki when he could and Touya would take them someplace they wouldn't have to worry about being seen so that they could spend more time together. Katsuki is happy that he's able to build some sort of connection to his biological mother. He just wished it had been under better circumstances.
Touya's working on making sure Masaru doesn't have to worry about Mitsuki ever again. He can't directly confront her or harm her because of the ongoing case but he assured Masaru and Katsuki both that he's going to be working closely with Toshinori to get justice on Masaru's behalf as well.
Katsuki hasn't told him what Tomura said. He's unsure if it's the right thing to do but the more he considers it, the more he understands that he must tell someone. He'll have to talk with Toshinori, surely.
"I am unsure if I have told you this today, but you are so good to me and I am very grateful for all that you do for me. I wish there was a way that I could repay you---"
"Don't need you to repay me, sweet thing. I never do any of this because I expect something from you in return. Taking care of you and making you happy makes me feel good too, you know. Just knowing that you're able to live a proper life with me around. I hope that doesn't sound too selfish."
"Mm. It does, but I like that about you. Your selfishness only stems from wanting what is best for others even if they do not want what is best for themselves. I have been trying to figure out the best way to describe your personality but I think that Shouto has said it best."
Touya snorts, brow quirked in amusement. Of course Shouto had to add his two-cents in.
"Yeah? What'd he say, babe?"
"He called you a 'rebel with a cause'. I think it is very fitting. You are not like most people who label themselves as bad. Your rebel rousing and rule breaking stems from doing what most would consider righteous."
Huh. Shouto said that?
"Guess my little brother doesn't think I'm a total loser."
"No, not at all. In fact, he admires you quite a bit. Do not tell him that I have told you that. I am sure it would embarrass him."
Touya's lips curl up into a smile. He's got every intention to use that to his advantage.
"Don't worry, Kitten. Secret's safe with me."
For now, anyway.
#
Enji can't breathe.
His breath catches in his throat the moment he feels something splatter across his face, trembling hand raising to draw blood-stained fingers away from his cheek. It had happened so fast; he doesn't quite understand what had happened at all. One moment Rei was on top of him, cock between Enji's thighs as she'd tried to force his legs apart and the next…
Keigo seems to have blacked out.
Enji couldn't see exactly what it is that he's done but whatever it is has been enough to send Rei tumbling back over the bed at Keigo's feet. There's so much blood everywhere and Keigo's just standing there with that blank and apathetic look in his eyes, staring at Rei's limp body without so much as an ounce of remorse.
Enji flinches back into the corner when Keigo's gaze flickers up at him.
"K-Keigo…?"
"...how did she get in here?" Keigo responds, unwavering. Enji sniffles as he reaches up to wipe his face, tears mixing with the blood spackled across his cheeks.
"...Shouto forgot t-to lock the door…" Is his strained and barely audible response. A shaky hand reaches up and grabs at Keigo's pants leg but the blonde alpha raises the other leg to stomp down on her.
The noise it makes is absolutely horrifying.
The cry that Rei let's out is equally as mortifying.
Keigo lets out a feral sort of grunt, taking a deep breath and tilting his head back. "That felt good. That felt way too fuckin' good. I wanna do it again, I wanna make you one with the fuckin' floorboards until whoever comes to scrape your splattered ass up from my floor can't even recognize you. I want you to fuckin' die, Fujiwara." He hisses, dragging her up by the front of her shirt. Enji doesn't know how but she's still conscious---she's blinking, at least.
"I should. I should kill you right here, tear you limb from limb and string your ass up on a fucking post in our yard but I won't---I need you alive for the time being. Afterwards, though? I can't guarantee you'll make it out of this country with your life intact." His tone morphs into something casual, nonchalant even. His behavior is a bit sporadic and Enji, admittedly, is afraid.
Keigo drops her again and she grunts in pain.
"Get up."
"...why?"
She's responding. He must not have hurt her as bad as Enji had assumed. Either that or she's extremely resilient. She hadn't seemed to understand that her life was in danger upon Keigo's return. Enji was so relieved that his husband had come and rescued him, just like he always does when Enji finds himself on the brink of his end. As much as he despises Rei...as much as he wishes he could get rid of her forever and never see her or have anything to do with her again…
Keigo isn't a murderer.
He doesn't want for Keigo to do something that he can't take back. That sort of thing changes people; it ruins lives. He doesn't want to lose the man that he fell in love with. Not for Rei. Not for anyone else.
Keigo kicks her again and Enji flinches, listening to the tell-tale sound of her ribs cracking beneath the force of Keigo's boot.
"Fucking bitch. You came into my home in a house that I fuckin' paid for tryna put your dick in my Enji and you're gonna ask me why?!"
Rei finally swings on him and Keigo barely dodges in time to see the knife in her hand---where had she even gotten that? Had she had it on her the entire time? What was she really planning to do to Enji?
She manages to stagger onto her feet and she swings again, this time slicing Keigo's right arm and then going back to try and stab him again. Keigo grabs her by the wrist and bends it backwards until she drops it, grabbing her by the head and slamming her face down onto the dresser. She eventually stops moving, body going limp in Keigo's hold but the blonde is too far gone, slamming her down harder each time.
He's going to kill her.
"You wanna die?! Hah?! Is that it?!"
"Keigo!"
"You wanna fuckin' die, Fujiwara?!"
"Keigo, stop, please!"
"I'm gonna send you right to hell, you fucking psychotic bitch!"
"Dad, what the fuck are you doing?!"
Keigo freezes when he hears Touya's voice call out to him, hands trembling and fingers still tangled tightly into Rei's hair. He slowly turns to the doorway, looking his son right in the eyes. Katsuki is standing not too far behind him, undoubtedly terrified. Enji is hyperventilating, sobbing in the corner where he's curled in on himself still. He clenches his eyes shut with a shake of his head when Keigo twists around to look at him.
No…
What the hell are you doing, Keigo?
He drops her and her limp body slides off of the dresser and onto the floor as he stumbles backwards to sit on the bed.
"...Sorry. Think I might've lost my shit for a second there."
"A fucking second?" Touya retorts incredulously, a bit breathless as he toes his way around a pool of blood that presumably belongs to his sire. Katsuki follows suit, making his way around the bed to coax Enji out of the corner. The older omega clings to him, arms wrapped around him so tightly that almost has a bit of difficulty breathing but he squeezes him back in an attempt to help him calm down as best he can. If he'd known a little more about the way his body worked, he'd have tried to at least scent him but he doesn't know how.
"Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" He keeps his tone soft as not to startle or upset him even more. Enji shakes his head and Katsuki lets out a sigh of relief. He'd much rather help him cope with fear than hear that he'd been physically harmed.
Touya tentatively goes to check Rei's pulse, breathing out a sharp sigh when he realizes she's still alive.
"Oh, Jesus fucking Christ, thank God." He breathes out, standing to his feet a bit easier now that he knows that he's not going to have to help his father properly dispose of a dead body. "What the fuck happened in here?" He asks Keigo, purposefully avoiding his mother to give Katsuki some time to at least wrap the sheets around him until he can get him fully dressed and decent.
Keigo huffs out a laugh.
"Kid. I don't even know. I mean I came home and it looks like she was tryna force herself on your mother. I don't even remember what I did, I just remember that there was a lot of blood and that I was fuckin' pissed. Then she tried to stab me so I…"
"...you were going to kill her."
"I'd kill anyone for my baby. I'd do anything for my family."
"Dad…"
"I know. I mean, we sorta need her alive while the trial is going on. I should've just called the police but...I couldn't help myself. She's gotten away with entirely too much. I couldn't let her get away with that." Keigo reasons, eyes glued to his own blood smeared hands before they slowly travel upwards to look at Enji again.
"I'm sorry that I frightened you. I just wanna protect you and…" he trails off, a sort of far away look in his eyes. He holds out both of his arms, a silent request for Enji to at least allow Keigo to hold him. "I'm not sorry for what I did. Just sorry that you had to see me do it. And...I suppose I'm sorry for gettin' carried away."
Enji doesn't move. He seems conflicted, like he wants nothing more than to be held by his lover but he's not entirely sure that he should. Keigo senses his trepidation and slowly lowers his arms, head slanted in visible confusion.
"What?"
"...she wasn't trying to rape me."
Both Touya and Keigo seemed to be caught somewhere between utter disbelief and bewilderment.
"What do you mean? Enji, when I walked in here she was on top of you, forcing you down on the bed and you were naked. You were begging her to stop---I heard you."
"I don't want to tell you what happened until I know you aren't going to kill her. As much as I hate her, Keigo, I can't do that to Shouto---"
"Oh, for fuck's sake, mom! Are you fuckin' kidding me right now? After all of this today and you're still going to protect her?!"
"I am not protecting her, I am protecting my child!"
"At what cost, mom? Huh? You're gonna let Rei walk over you and rape you and fucking hurt you for the sake of letting her stay in Shouto's life."
"Well, tough fuckin' shit on that because that ends today." Keigo butts in and Enji, obviously overwhelmed, goes into distress. "What? You can't do that, Keigo, you promised me---"
"Enji. Do you even know what kind of person Rei is? You're so attached to this idea that she's changed and wanted to be a part of their lives but haven't you noticed anything different about her? That she suddenly wanted to make things right with the kids but she gives a majority of her attention to Shouto only? That she made the decision to be in their lives right after Shouto was old enough to present? Right after you told her that he presented as an omega?" Keigo questions as he stands and Enji backs away, looking up at him as if he can't believe the implications that he's making.
"...what are you trying to say?"
"What I'm saying, baby, is that Rei likes to groom teenagers and cart them off to her celebrity friends like prime livestock."
"W-What?"
"...he's not lying." Touya adds and Enji's panicked gaze darts between the two of them. "She's even tried to get her grimey claws on Katsuki."
"I don't want her near our baby again, Enji. I've tried doing this your way, love, but I will not risk our child for the sake of preserving this fairy tale that Rei's just trying to be a good father. I don't care what we have to tell Shouto. This ends today. And after they come and cart this sorry excuse of an alpha off to General, you're going to file for a restraining order."
A prolonged pause. Enji's emotional health seems to wither with every passing moment that he tries to process what he's being told.
"I...I'm such an idiot." He breathes out, struggling to keep himself from falling apart again as tears begin to sting at the corners of his eyes. "I'm so stupid, God, I just wanted to be a good mother. What if it's too late; what if she's already done something horrible to my Shouto?"
"We'd know. Shouto isn't a baby anymore, mom, he wouldn't just stay quiet if she'd done something to him."
"You don't know that!"
"Hey. Breathe, honey. Relax. Okay? Shouto's okay. But I don't want to give her a chance to change that. So I need to make sure that you understand that this needs to happen today, okay? No more visitation. You're filing for a restraining order. Right?" Keigo reiterates and Enji nods, jaw clenched tight as he tries his best not to cry anymore but the more he struggles, the more difficult it becomes.
"O-Okay."
"Thank you." His husband whispers, leaning down to press his lips against the skin of Enji's forehead.
"Touya."
"Yeah?"
"She dead?"
"Nah."
"Good. Call the cops, tell them to come and get her the fuck out of my house. I'd dump her outside for them but I don't want her blood tracking on these expensive ass floors."
Touya almost laughs. He's starting to wonder if Keigo has a few screws loose upstairs.
"Yeah, sure." The raven says, fishing his phone from his pocket and stepping out into the hall to make the phone call. Katsuki disappears into the closet to find something for Enji to wear and Keigo gently ushers him back to sit on the bed once more, stepping into the adjoining bathroom to wash the blood from his hands. He comes back with a damp cloth to clean the splattered drops of blood from Enji's face, hands and shoulders. Touya enters a few moments later, a little less frayed at the nerves.
"Nori's handling it. Gonna get on that form, too. He's gonna keep the press out of this for a long as he can. It's better we handle it this way than to have an entire shitshow at our doorstep."
"I'll have to thank him for that." Keigo hums. "I haven't been the best of acquaintances to Yagi. I owe him an apology."
"I still never understood why you didn't like him…"
"Other than the fact that he and your mother had a crush on each other in high school? I hated that you'd go to him when you're in trouble before you'd come to me. He made me feel like a shitty father."
"We dated for like a week, Keigo, and this was several decades before you and I even knew each other." Enji tries to reason, keeping himself occupied with conversation so he doesn't have to be reminded that Rei is bleeding to death on their bedroom floor. Keigo shrugs. "Sue me, I get jealous. Every time I've heard the stories, I'd get so insecure. Yagi was a hell of a hunk back then from what I saw. And I know that if you hadn't been forced to marry this piece of human garbage," He adds, shoving Rei's limp body with his foot. "Then you would have gladly run away and married Yagi instead. You two were smitten. If it hadn't been for your parents then you two would no doubt be happily married and have a bunch of little blonde brats."
"Mom's very happily married to you. Quit comparing yourself to someone else when he chose you in the end. What was it that you'd said to me when I was bitching about not being able to be with Katsuki? Oh yeah," Touya points. "Quit making decisions for him. It was his choice to choose who he wanted to love and he chose you. Stop making up weird ass scenarios in your head that never happened." He gently shoves Keigo with his elbow. "And Yagi didn't make you feel like a shitty dad. I did. Which I've already apologized and made up for so cut that shit out, too."
Keigo chuckles. "Look at you, gettin' all sweet on me."
"Shut up. I'm kinda blown away at the fact that mom and Nori were a thing; he never brought it up."
"Would you bring up your ex with your wife around?"
"Touché. It's a good thing they can still be friends though."
"That's because Toshinori was my friend before feelings got involved. We love each other still, but not in the way that your father seems to assume. Toshinori will always be my friend. It's okay to have platonic love for someone you used to be with. Not all break ups happen because the partners involved hurt one another." Enji chimes, taking the shirt and pants from Katsuki to put them on. He snorts when Touya turns the other way around.
"Really, Touya? You've seen me naked before."
"As a kid. Seeing my mother casually be naked in front of me isn't exactly something that pops up on my agenda." The raven says, cheeks blooming bright red. He believes in giving omegas the respect enough to allow them privacy and decency. He doesn't even watch Katsuki when he changes, turning his head until his love is covered enough to be comfortable. He used to bathe Shouto when he was a kid but by the time the half-and-half boy was a certain age, he'd given him the same courtesy.
"Attaboy." Keigo praises him, helping Enji get his clothes on. Last thing they wanted when the cops got there was for Enji to still be naked. He coaxes the redhead to look him in the eyes. "Before they get here, Enji, I need to know what happened so I can understand. They're gonna ask. I don't wanna have to hear it from them." He tries, fully expecting the way that Enji's face furrows and scrunches. "But you know I'm always gonna be on your side, baby. I'm not gonna be mad, I just want to be there for you; I wanna be able to protect you the right way. You trust me, don't you? Yeah?"
"It's not that I don't trust you, Kei. I just...this is all my fault. Because I should've told you sooner but I was just scared and---"
"Told me what, baby? Why would you ever have to be afraid of me?"
Enji's next breath comes in a shudder, hand coming up to wipe the tears from his eyes before they get the chance to fall. Touya turns back around when Enji doesn't offer any sort of explanation and Keigo's anxiety spikes at an alarming rate.
"Enji. What happened; what did you do?"
"If I tell you...you'll be angry."
"Sweetheart, I'm gonna be a hell of a lot more than angry if you don't tell me. We don't keep secrets, honey, you know better. Tell me what's going on, please." Keigo tries to be as patient as he can, hands shaking as he takes Enji's smaller hand in his. Enji averts his gaze, staring down at his lap as he steels himself with a deep breath.
"I'm pregnant."
"...you're...what?"
Enji tugs his hands away, frustrated. "I said I'm pregnant! Not far along, maybe two or three months, but I'm pregnant. I've known for a while now but I was…still contemplating on what I should do. I'm sorry…"
Keigo's shaking intensifies and he struggles to catch his breath, overcome by a whirlwind of emotions. Fear, worry---anger, simply because Rei would dare put her hands on his love while he's with child. The most prominent, however?
Keigo is overwhelmed with happiness.
"Y-Y-You're pregnant?" He parrots, mouth twitching up into an overexcited smile. It doesn't seem to be the reaction that Enji was expecting.
"...I am…"
"Baby...holy shit, I'm---that's amazing! I mean I...I wanted to talk to you about having another pup but I didn't wanna be insensitive or pushy, you know, but I'm...fuck, I'm so happy." He begins to ramble on, pausing to steady himself before he continues. "Sorry, I'm jumping the gun here. I should be asking if this is something that you wanted---" He cuts himself short when he remembers his initial question. He'd asked Enji what Rei had been doing when he walked in, since he's insisting that the woman did not want to force herself on him. As happy as he is to hear this news from Enji, he can't help but wonder how it correlates at all to what he's just asked.
"What's this got to do with Rei?" He asks, an ominous feeling rising within him like morning fog.
"...Shouto was the only other person to know that I was pregnant...and Rei found out when she was going through Shouto's texts in his phone." Is all that he offers. Keigo still doesn't understand what he's trying to get at and it would seem that Touya can't quite grasp the implication of it all either.
But Katsuki knows. The moment he sees the knife at Touya's feet where Rei's body lays, he knows.
He immediately begins to feel nauseated, bile rising in his throat as the cold feeling in his gut makes his chest feel uncomfortably tight.
"She was going to cut the baby out of you...just like she's tried to do before…"
The silence that follows is much more forbidding than Katsuki's explanation. Touya's gaze darts between Katsuki and his mother angrily.
"Mom. Mom, what is he talking about?"
"Touya---"
"No, you'd better fuckin' tell me it isn't true or they'll be picking up a fuckin' corpse when they get here!"
"This is why I didn't want to say anything until they got here." Enji sounds rather exasperated, hand tugging through his hair. "I wish I could tell you it wasn't true. I wish there were things I'd done differently---maybe I could have prevented this. I just...wanted to do the right thing." Defeated. That's a much better way to describe him.
"I am tired. I can't do this anymore. I'm not going to beg you not to hurt her anymore. I'm not going to beg you to keep this from Shouto. Every decision that I make always turns out to be the wrong one, trying so hard to keep everyone happy. I'm so exhausted."
Katsuki can't help but cry for him. All Enji wanted was to do what was best for his family. For his children. To be constantly punished for that is so cruel. Where is this God that people pray so much to? Is he simply blind to the people of Sapporo? Blind to their suffering? Or is it that he does not care? Enji didn't deserve this.
The doorbell rings and is followed by a series of knocks that bring everyone's attention towards the door, save for Enji who's much too overwhelmed to be bothered. He just wants to get this over with.
"Mr. Takami? Enji-san? It's Yagi." They hear from downstairs. Touya takes Katsuki by the hand, figuring that was their cue to come down.
"C'mon, angel, let's go."
"R-Right…" Katsuki reluctantly leaves Enji with Keigo. He wishes that he could do more, that he could offer more than comfort but what else could he do? He won't be able to fix this for them. He wishes he could feel happiness for him; they're having a baby, after all.
Katsuki is beginning to grow quite a distaste for female alphas.
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